19 May, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Obama To Announce Us Aid Plan For Democratizing Arab States
IMEMC – Thursday May 19, 2011 – 15:30, Rumours continue to circulate regarding the content of US President Obama’s speech on his administration’s foreign policy in the Middle East, later today. Maan news agency has reported that Obama was planning to unveil an extensive framework of aid to democratising Middle Eastern countries in the awaited speech.
Plans Announced For 1,500 New Settlement Units In Jerusalem
IMEMC – Thursday May 19, 2011 – 12:24, Maan news agency reports that The Planning and Building Committee for Jerusalem have announced plans for 1,500 new Jewish only housing units in illegal Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem.
Obama Not Expected To Make Significant Announcement On Peace Process
IMEMC – Thursday May 19, 2011 – 11:36, White house officials have denied reports circulated by the Israeli media that Obama will call on Israel to recognise a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders in his policy speech on recent events in the Arab world this afternoon. White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney, said that while the Middle East peace process will be part of the speech he refused to outline what the President would say.
Israeli military imposes closure on Salfit area
IMEMC – Thursday May 19, 2011 – 07:03, Residents of the Salfit township, in the north-central West Bank, reported Wednesday that scores of Israeli soldiers had deployed in the area since Tuesday and declared it a ‘closed military zone’ — preventing residents from leaving their homes or going to work or school.
Israeli Military Abducts 11 Palestinians, including Journalist, On Tuesday
IMEMC – Wednesday May 18, 2011 – 10:56, The Israeli military carried out incursions into the West Bank Tuesday and arrested 11 as part of the crackdown in the aftermath of Nakba commemorations held throughout Palestine and bordering states on Sunday.
Report: 1,500 new settler homes ready for approval
5/19/2011 – TEL AVIV (Ma’an) — The Planning and Building Committee for the Jerusalem municipality will discuss Thursday plans to build 1,500 new Jewish-only housing units in illegal settlements of Har Homa and Pisgat Ze’ev. Both settlements are built on lands occupied by Israel in 1967, and are at least partially constructed on privately….
Golan protest fills returnees with pride
5/19/2011 – AL-QUNEITRA, Syria (AFP) — Ahmad As-Saadi, a hospitalized young Palestinian refugee, proudly shows off his left knee which he says was pierced by an Israeli army bullet when soldiers fired on unarmed protesters.”I felt I was just steps away from returning to Palestine,” said the refugee, who along with other demonstrators marking the anniversary of….
Committee: 625 settlement homes approved
5/19/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli committee approved 625 housing units in the illegal settlement of Pesgat Ze’ev north of Jerusalem, Israeli media reported during US President Barack Obama’s speech Thursday….
Israel attache in Russia ‘was industrial spy’
5/19/2011 – MOSCOW (AFP) — Russia expelled Israel’s military attache at its Moscow embassy because he engaged in industrial espionage, an unnamed secret service official told the state RIA Novosti news agency Thursday. The source said air force Colonel Vadim Leiderman helped Israeli companies with links to the military illegally obtain sensitive technology from Russia.” As….
Obama speech ‘will reflect ties with Israel’
5/19/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel has “nothing to worry about” ahead of US President Barack Obama’s key speech on the Middle East this evening, a senior US envoy said on Thursday. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, in Jerusalem for a meeting of the US-Israel Strategic Dialogue, said Obama’s speech would reflect strong….
WHO condemns occupation’s effect on health sector
5/19/2011 – GENEVA (Ma’an) — The caretaker Minister of Health said a new victory was chalked at the World Health Organization’s 64th assembly this week, when the body passed a resolution condemning the effects of Israel’s occupation on Palestinian health care. Fathi Abu Moghli said the draft secured 65 votes, passing the….
UN envoy: Arab-Israeli conflict ‘will not be immune’ to uprisings
5/19/2011 – NEW YORK (Ma’an) — The UN special coordinator for the peace process said Thursday the Arab-Israeli conflict “will not be immune” to the “popular protests and political change” sweeping the Arab world. Robert Serry called for a “meaningful political initiative” before September for a two-state solution, saying recent events continue to “shake the unsustainable….
Abbas calls meeting to discuss Obama speech
5/19/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas has called an urgent meeting following US President Barrack Obama’s speech on the Middle East on Thursday, a PLO official said. Saeb Erekat said Abbas affirmed his appreciation for Obama’s efforts to reach a comprehensive solution to the conflict and his remarks on the….
Israel reacts to Obama speech
5/19/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Responding to US President Barack Obama’s Mideast policy speech, Israel’s leadership rejected a return to the 1967 borders as part of a peace deal, Israeli media reported. Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel appreciates the president’s commitment to peace but he expects Obama to reaffirm….
Obama: Palestinian state on 1967 borders
5/19/2011 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — President Barack Obama declared Thursday that the borders of Israel and a Palestinian state must be based on 1967 lines, likely setting up a new clash with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a long-awaited survey of the “Arab spring” of revolts, Obama compared “shouts of human dignity” across the region to America….
Police: Parents abandoned children in Bethlehem
5/19/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Three children between the ages of three and seven arrived to the Bethlehem police station last week, after a taxi driver was told by fighting parents to “leave them in the street.”According to a police spokesman, the three had been staying with their father in Ramallah and were suddenly sent….
Single Gaza crossing opened for imports
5/19/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Three hundred loads of humanitarian and commercial goods were set to enter Gaza via the sole open crossing terminal between the coastal enclave and Israel, an official said Thursday. The goods, Palestinian liaison official Raed Fattuh told Ma’an, would include 20 new motor vehicles and 30 loads of….
Rawabi welcomes Israel approval to pave road
5/20/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Bayti Real Estate Investment Company, developer of Rawabi, the first Palestinian planned city, has welcomed Israel’s decision to approve a paved road needed for the development. Bayti “looks positively upon reports that Israeli authorities have granted tentative approval for the paving of an existing dirt road which, once….
Israeli Peace Initiative reps to meet new Arab League chief
5/19/2011 – TEL AVIV (Ma’an) — Following a meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, delegates from the independent Israeli Peace Initiative group will meet with newly-appointed Secretary-General of the Arab League Nabil Al-Araby on Thursday. The plan is largely based on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, stating that under the scheme Israel accepts it as….
Erekat: Israel ‘completely undermined’ Mitchell efforts
5/19/2011 – JERICHO (Ma’an) — “Anyone who was even slightly familiar with the process knows full well that Prime Minister Netanyahu never gave Ambassador Mitchell a chance,” resigned negotiations affairs official Saeb Erekat lashed out Thursday. The official, part of the PLO and Fatah leadership, was responding to comments made by Benjamin Netanyahu on 15 May….
US Deputy Secretary Steinberg continues regional visit
5/19/2011 – WASHINGTON (Ma’an) — US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg arrived in Israel on Wednesday, for a two-day visit to the country, with plans to spend time in Jerusalem and the West Bank, a State Department report said. During his brief tour, Steinberg was set to met with Israeli academic and student leaders, and….
Obama to unveil Arab economic plan
5/19/2011 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President Barack Obama will Thursday unveil a multi-billion dollar economic plan to spur and reward democratic change in the Arab world, modeled on the evolution of post-Soviet eastern Europe. The comprehensive US scheme, initially targeting Egypt and Tunisia, will serve as an incentive for other states currently rocked by “Arab Spring” turmoil….
UN chief: Arab leaders doing too little, too late
5/19/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — Arab leaders faced by uprisings this year have always come out with too little, too late, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in an interview with AFP on Wednesday. Ban said he has urged Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad to carry out reforms “before it is too late,” and that he hoped….
Bin Laden fosters Arab revolt in posthumous message
5/19/2011 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — Al-Qaeda has released a message from slain leader Osama bin Laden praising the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia and urging Muslims to take advantage of a “rare historic opportunity” to rise up, US monitors said. The 12-minute, 37-second audio message posted on jihadist forums on Wednesday by Al-Qaeda’s media….
Obama: Assad must lead transition, or move aside
5/19/2011 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad must lead a political transition or “get out of the way,” US President Barack Obama said Thursday in a major speech on the revolutions sweeping the Arab world.” President Assad now has a choice. He can lead that transition or get out of the way. The Syrian government must….
Obama: Repression no longer works
5/19/2011 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President Barack Obama said Thursday that the uprisings sweeping the Arab world show that a policy of repression will no longer work as people seek to win their freedom and human rights. He also warned in a speech at the State Department that Al-Qaeda’s agenda of “extremism” was now seen….
Obama seeks Palestine state on 1967 borders
AlJazeera 19 May 2011 – US president says borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on 1967 lines with mutually agreed land swaps.
NATO: Gaddafi forces ‘significantly degraded’
AlJazeera 19 May 2011 – Head of military alliance says military and political pressures are weakening the Libyan leader’s hold on power.
Syria condemns US sanctions on Assad
AlJazeera 19 May 2011 – US says sanctions meant to pressure Assad to end violent crackdown, Syria condemns move as “serving Israel’s interests”.
Deadly blasts strike Kirkuk
AlJazeera 19 May 2011 – At least 29 people killed and 80 injured in three separate bomb attacks targeting police in Iraq’s northern oil hub.
What Obama Should Say?
PNN – By Daoud Kuttab – When US President Barack Obama makes his scheduled speech today, he will have to deal with a totally different kind of Arab world than when he took office…
MADA Center Issues New Legal Guide for Journalists
PNN – Ramallah — MADA to PNN – The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms issued a new legal guide for journalists. The handbook is the first of its kind in the Palestinian…
PA Sources: Settlers Plans for New Settlements Shows that Israel does not Care About International
PNN – Ramallah — PNN — Ghassan al-Khateb, director of the government press office, told PNN that the new settlers plans to take more lands and establish settlements on them during Israel’s Prime Minister…
Ahead of Netanyahu Visit to Washington, Israel Announce 1500 New Settlers Homes
PNN – By Munjed Jadou — PNN Editor in Chief- Once again, for those who still does not know the real intentions of Israel, it announced plans to build 1500 homes in Israeli settlements…
Palestinian Group Announce Campaign to Boycott Non-Democratic -Arab and Iranian Goods
PNN – Jerusalem — PNN – A new boycott campaign against the non-democratic Arab world and Iran that will require the cooperation of every supporter of Middle East freedom has been launched by a…
Dr. Erakat to Netanyahu: Peace Requires Decisions not a PR Campaign
PNN – Ramallah – PNN – Responding to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to blame the Palestinian leadership for Ambassador Mitchell resignation, Dr. Saeb Erakat, member of the PLO Executive Committee and Chief…
International Solidarity Movement
Historian writes of ‘pleasure’ at murder of pro-Palestinian activist
5/19/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 18 May 2011 – Harriet Sherman, Guardian – I was sent a link this week to a piece published in the Jewish Chronicle by historian Geoffrey Alderman, the opening sentence of which I found pretty shocking. Under the headline, This Was No Peace Activist, Alderman wrote: “Few events — not even the execution of Osama bin Laden….
Green Palestine marks Nakba day
5/19/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement – With the creation of Israel in 1948, four hundred and eighteen Palestinian villages were wiped out and destroyed, displacing hundreds of thousands of Palestinian people from homes they had lived in for generations. This year on May 17, in further commemoration of the Nakba (the Catastrophe), the ISM joined the Palestinian organisation….
Israeli-Palestinian conflict not immune to changes sweeping Arab world, Secretary-General’s representative tells Security Council
Relief Web 19 May 2011 – Source: UN Security Council Country: Israel , Lebanon , occupied Palestinian territory , Syrian Arab Republic (the) Watch the Webcast SC/10261 Security Council 6540th Meeting (AM) Citing Reconciliation Accord, Impending Statehood Bid, He Calls for ‘Purpose Rather than Paralysis’, in Quest for Middle…
Israel approves 1,500 settler homes in east Jerusalem: NGO
Relief Web 19 May 2011 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory By Steve Weizman (AFP) JERUSALEM ‚Äî An Israeli government committee on Thursday approved the construction of more than 1,500 settler homes in east Jerusalem, as Israel’s premier prepared to leave for talks in…
OPT: Civil Administration opens health operations room to serve Judea and Samaria
Relief Web 19 May 2011 – Source: Government of Israel Country: Israel , Jordan , occupied Palestinian territory 17 May 2011 The new center will provide rapid, real-time responses regarding the transit of ambulances and patients from Judea and Samaria to Israel and Jordan. Communicated by COGAT (Coordinator…
Construction materials fill up warehouses in Gaza
Relief Web 19 May 2011 – Source: Government of Israel Country: occupied Palestinian territory 17 May 2011 Increased deliveries in the past few weeks have filled the warehouses of the international organizations Communicated by COGAT – Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Between March 10…
The Government of Germany and UNDP sign a 3.5 million Euro agreement to create employment opportunities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
Relief Web 18 May 2011 – Source: Government of Germany , UN Development Programme Country: Germany , occupied Palestinian territory Jerusalem, May 18, 2011 – As part of its continuing effort to tackle unemployment in the occupied Palestinian territory, the Government of Germany, through its Development Bank (KFW),…
West Bank and Gaza: Improving governance and reducing corruption
Relief Web 18 May 2011 – Source: World Bank Country: Israel , occupied Palestinian territory Executive Summary Overview In the past decade, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has worked to strengthen economic governance and combat corruption, both essential to sustained economic growth and improved delivery of public services….
Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan: Report by the Secretariat (A64/27)
Relief Web 18 May 2011 – Source: World Health Organization Country: occupied Palestinian territory SIXTY-FOURTH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY Provisional agenda item 15 1. In 2010, the Sixty-third World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA63.2. The resolution requested the Director-General, inter alia, to report on its implementation to…
Israeli forces storm mosque in Jerusalem
19 May 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli forces invaded yesterday Ebin Qudama mosque in Wad El-Jouz neighborhood, in central Jerusalem, arresting two Palestinian youths who were prying there.
Even allies say Netanyahu must put 1967 borders on negotiating table
The National 19 May 2011 – Pressure on Israeli PM from all sides to announce compromise during US visit in the hope of reviving Middle East peace talks.
Mixed feelings in Saudi Arabia as Obama fails to mention the kingdom
The National 19 May 2011 – Saudis find Obama speech ‘eloquent’ and ‘powerful’ but some fear it skirted a realistic assessment of the difficulties in the region.
Concerns over Iran may push GCC to expand military presence
The National 19 May 2011 – Foreign minister of Bahrain suggests that Gulf states establish more security units to counter any possible Iranian interference in the region.
Dialogue but no meaningful discussion with Assad regime say Syrian dissidents
The National 19 May 2011 – As the US and Europe appear to conclude that the Syrian government has no plans to make meaningful reforms, hopes for meaningful national discussion of the country’s current crisis are fading, dissident leaders say.
Libyan luxury cars turn up in Gaza showrooms
The National 19 May 2011 – Vehicles are sold in Egypt by Libyan refugees and then smuggled through underground tunnels into Gaza for sale at up to $100,000 a time.
Bahrain jails nine for 20 years for policeman kidnap
The National 19 May 2011 – UK prime minister David Cameron due to raise the crackdown on protesters by Bahrain¬øs authorities in meeting with Bahraini crown prince.
Obama backs Palestine state with 1967 borders
The National 18 May 2011 – Long-awaited speech outlines US administration’s vision for moving forward peace process stalled for eight months, based on a ‘viable Palestine and a secure Israel’, as US president touches on effects of Arab Spring.
Yemen opposition blames Saleh for Gulf plan failure
The National 18 May 2011 – President Ali Abdullah Saleh ‘has refused the peaceful choice and is ready to do everything to remain in power,’ opposition says.
President of Yemen again stalls on deal to seal his resignation
The National 18 May 2011 – Opposition warns that President Ali Abdullah Saleh ‘is preparing to start a civil war’ and complain that the GCC proposal covering his departure has been changed five times during the past week.
Shiite and Sunni MPs in Kuwait parliament fistfight
The National 18 May 2011 – Row breaks out after two Kuwaiti detainees in Guantanamo Bay are labelled ‘al Qa’eda militants’ by Shiite MP, leading to uproar from Muslim Brotherhood MPs.
Mahdi Army plans show of strength in Baghdad
The National 18 May 2011 – Shiite militia rally by thousands next week is signal to US from Sadrists: pull out troops from Iraq or we fight.
After Obama speech, Netanyahu rejects withdrawal to ‘indefensible’ 1967 borders
Ha’aretz – PM responds to Obama’s proposal for two state solution based on 1967 borders, says such a solution would leave many Israelis in the West bank outside Israel’s borders.
Gideon Levy / Obama demolished Palestinian chances for statehood
Ha’aretz – U.S. supports Israel’s demand for the Palestinian state to be demilitarized, it supports postponing discussions on the refugees and Jerusalem, it talks about Israel’s security and Israel’s security alone.
Hamas slams Obama’s speech, Abbas convenes ’emergency’ meeting
Ha’aretz – Spokesman for Hamas says Obama needs to take concrete steps to protect rights of Palestinians; Palestinian President Abbas says he welcomes Obama’s efforts to renew talks with Israel.
Obama’s vision for Mideast peace: Israel, Palestine based on 1967 borders with land swaps
Ha’aretz – In major Mideast policy speech, U.S. president says U.S. opposes Palestinian action against Israel at UN; Obama also says Syria’s Assad must lead transition to democracy or ‘get out of the way.’
Aluf Benn / Obama granted Netanyahu a major diplomatic victory
Ha’aretz – After Obama accepted Netanyahu’s demands, the PM now cannot be apathetic to the U.S. president’s proposal for 1967 borders.
U.S. Republicans disappointed by Obama’s Mideast speech
Ha’aretz – Republican Senator Mark Kirk expresses concern over Obama’s decision to alter U.S. policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, says Israel needs must outweigh Palestinian calls for 1967 borders.
IDF expected to seek death penalty for killers of Fogel family
Ha’aretz – Death sentences were occasionally handed down against terrorists in the early years of the state, but were always commuted.
Lars von Trier to Haaretz: My Danish sense of humor did me in
Ha’aretz – Director booted out of Cannes for calling himself a Nazi, identifying with Hitler; the 55-year-old was brought up thinking he was Jewish until his mother revealed his German heritage on her deathbed.
Russia: Israel’s military attach?© arrested while receiving secret information
Ha’aretz – Colonel Vadim Leiderman was expelled by Russia after he was accused of espionage; IDF says the allegations were ‘completely baseless.’
Court sentence Israeli Arab to 6 years for aiding Hamas
Ha’aretz – Fureidis resident, 27, convicted of joining Hamas, agreeing to enlist Israeli Arab members, aid the infiltration of terrorists and explosives into Israel.
Barak: Israel is strong enough to make Mideast peace concessions
Ha’aretz – In Los Angeles Times interview, Defense Minster says Israel must regain initiative by presenting a ‘daring’ offer to the Palestinians in order to avoid global isolation.
Iran official: UN must move against Israel after deadly border incidents
Ha’aretz – In letter sent to UN chief, top officials, Iranian envoy condemns Israel’s ‘massive killing’ of protesters amid raucous Nakba Day protests earlier this week.
The Rose Pizem affair, a timeline
Ha’aretz – 4-year-old Rose Pizem was murdered by her grandfather Ronny Ron, a murder that was solicited by her mother Marie.
Mother and grandfather found guilty of murdering 4-year-old Rose Pizem
Ha’aretz – Petah Tikva court convicts Rose’s grandfather Ronny Ron of first-degree murder, mother Marie-Charlotte Renault, with whom he was involved at the time, with soliciting the murder; Rose’s body was found in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon river in 2008.
Tel Aviv lawyer indicted for ordering gangland-style hits
Ha’aretz – Gur Finkelstein indicted on 11 charges, allegedly commissioning Jaffa gang to carry out his bidding; Finkelstein allegedly attempted to murder his ex-wife’s husband in attempt to gain custody of ex’s 11-year-old son.
EU to significantly expand Iran nuclear sanctions, sources say
Ha’aretz – One diplomat says European bloc may add as much as 100 companies to sanctions list, intended to target Tehran’s controversial nuclear program.
Iraq oil city bombing attacks kill at least 15, officials say
Ha’aretz – Three bombs targeting security forces explode near government buildings in the centre of Iraq’s northern oil of Kirkuk, home to Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen.
Strauss-Kahn resignation announcement to IMF Executive Board
Ha’aretz – The former IMF chief pays tribute to his wife, family and friends, denying allegations of sexual assault, saying he wishes to devote all his ‘strength, time, energy’ to proving his innocence
World Bank: PA nepotism receding, but prosecution poor
Ha’aretz – World Bank on corruption among Palestinian Authority officials: Doing well in managing public finances and reducing nepotism in civil service hiring, but failing to prosecute most senior officials suspected of dipping into the public coffers.
PM overrides Steinitz, refuses to postpone income tax cuts
Ha’aretz – The prime minister believes that tax cuts would boost the economy and encourage growth, just as the tax cuts he pushed in 2003 did.
Yes client to court: Void ruling against me, I was in asylum
Ha’aretz – Customer who refused to return equipment to Yes satellite TV claims was in mental institution during time of case; the company says defendant signed for papers notifying him of the claim.
Obama granted Netanyahu a major diplomatic victory
Ha’aretz – After Obama accepted Netanyahu’s demands, the PM now cannot be apathetic to the U.S. president’s proposal for 1967 borders.
‘Israeli security can’t be maintained within ’67 lines’
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Settler leader Dayan says Netanyahu should speak about the existential threat of a Palestinian state when meeting with Obama.
President Obama’s mistake
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – The US President was wrong to insist that Israel give up its card of occupying most of the West Bank without demanding that the Palestinians give up theirs, the so called right of return.
Gov’t reviewing Russia defense ties after expulsion
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Military attach?© to Moscow Col. Vadim Leiderman was helping Israeli defense industries illegally obtain sensitive technology, report says.
‘New PA law to grant all convicted terrorists monthly pay’
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Those eligible include planners of suicide bombings, Palestinian Media Watch says in urging donor countries to stop funding PA.
Why would Obama plump for controversy over Israel?
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Analysis: Amid ME upheaval, the US president chose to save controversial statements for the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A substantial shift toward the Palestinian position
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Analysis: Obama’s State Dept. speech marks a major departure from the long-standing US policy on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Netanyahu reassures Esther Pollard ahead of DC trip
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Livni sends Obama letter urging him to release Israeli agent and making it clear to him that Israelis are united on the issue.
The speech that signals a Washington-J’lem collision
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Analysis: The tone of Netanyahu’s response to the Obama speech made clear that he disliked it more than he liked it.
PM slams Obama call for ‘Palestine’ based on ’67 lines
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – “Those borders are not defensible,” PM rages as he flies off to Washington; Palestinian state must not come “at Israel’s expense”; US President urges resumed talks, focused on territory, security.
For the Arab world, Obama didn’t go far enough
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Reactions to the US president’s address in the region were muted among most scholars, bloggers and social media.
Abbas calls emergency meeting over Obama address
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – PA president seeks urgent consultations with Arab leaders over address; Hamas spokesmen accuses Obama of “deception,” favoritism to Israel.
‘Obama adopting Arafat’s staged plan for Israel’s end’
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Likud’s Dannon says US president trying to force plan on PM; Livni: Speech was in Israel’s interest, urges Netanyahu to revive talks.
San Francisco to put circumcision ban on the ballot
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Petition passes city council; measure would make circumcision before 18 years of age misdemeanor crime, penalty of year in prison, $1000 fine.
Egyptian FM meets with members of ‘Israeli Initiative’
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Delegation offers Elaraby peace plan based on Saudi Initiative; group invited following Tel Aviv press conference where they unveiled the plan.
‘62.5% of Israeli Arabs see Jews as foreign imprint’
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Authors of University of Haifa Jewish Arab center survey say results show worsening divide over past decade in Jewish Arab relations in Israel.
Arab Israeli sentenced for recruiting to Hamas terror cell
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Twenty six year-old Faradis resident Islam Marai receives six years for “severe national security offenses,” facilitating terror activities.
PMO allows Interior Ministry to debate e J’lem construction
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Green light for debate comes three weeks after PMO requested same project be dropped from agenda ahead of Peres-Obama meeting.
‘Fayyad ruled out as Palestinian unity gov’t PM’
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – PA prime minister removed from short list of candidates to lead Hamas-Fatah gov’t, ‘Al-Ahram’ quotes sources as saying.
A Janglo in Tel Aviv: Finding spirit and community
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Zev Stub takes a break from the comforts of Jerusalem’s Rechavia neighborhood to experience a faster pace of life in the city that never sleeps.
State Deptartment statement separates J’lem from Israel
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Embassy in TA denies odd wording in announcement of visit by US Deputy Secretary of State signals any subtle change in US policy.
Alone, in uniform, together
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Thousands of young Jews from across the globe arrive each to volunteer for army service, creating new families from scratch.
Connecting kids to theater
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Tomorrow’s culture consumers are being well cared for at this year’s Israel Festival for Children at Holon’s Mediatheque center.
Rose Pizem’s mother, grandfather convicted in murder
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Ronnie Ron convicted of murder, Marie Pizem convicted of soliciting killing of 4-year-old; both get life sentences, leniency hearing set.
PMO approves controversial J’lem housing discussion
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Hours before Netanyahu’s US visit, Interior Ministry committee set to discuss building of over 1,550 housing units in Har Homa, Pisgat Ze’ev.
Jaffa: Man killed by unknown assailants in drive-by
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Assailants in passing car shoot motorcyclist, 23, on Shevtai Yisrael street; police say shooting crime-related, investigation launched.
Auschwitz ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ sign is repaired after theft
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – The infamous sign above Nazi death camp entrance was cut into three pieces when stolen by five Poles and a Swede two years ago.
Western elites skeptical Arab Spring will bring democracy
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Poll shows most opinion-makers believe that Arabs aspire to democracy, but won’t get it; investment climate will become less favorable.
‘Temporary road to Rawabi could become permanent obstacle’
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Defense sources say route would not become permanent; MK Eldad warns against putting Palestinian vehicles too close to Jewish residences.
High Court to state: Demolish Amona outpost in 6 months
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – Amona, near Ofra, is one of the oldest outposts in the West Bank; police clashed with protesters in 2006 over demolished homes.
After years of planning, PM announces wide land reforms
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2011 – New reforms include salary adjustment for ILA employees, ease registering, constructing on properties; 4% of ILA holdings privatized.
Editorial | Middle East: Obama weaves an uncertain path
The Guardian 19 May 2011 – The US is not on the side of reform if to be so collides with a core strategic interest It was billed as a big speech on the Middle East, the assumption being that if you…
Barack Obama signals selective US response to ‘Arab spring’ | Ian Black
The Guardian 19 May 2011 – President declares support for human rights in Middle East speech but makes no mention of Saudi Arabia Barack Obama’s speech on the Middle East was a belated response to extraordinary events over which the US has…
Barack Obama’s speech: no Cairo 2.0 | James Zogby
The Guardian 19 May 2011 – For Americans, perhaps, this was stirring stuff. But for an Arab audience, hoping for more commitment on Palestine, it fell flat President Obama has often used great speeches to define critical issues. Given the historical setting…
Barack Obama’s Middle East speech — live coverage
The Guardian 19 May 2011 – ‚Ä¢ Obama pays tribute to the ‘Arab spring’ uprisings ‚Ä¢ Assad told to accept reform “or get out of the way” ‚Ä¢ Bahrain’s “mass arrests and brute force” criticised ‚Ä¢ Israel-Palestine peace should be based on…
Mahmoud Abbas and the persistence of Palestinian mythology | Matthew Brodsky
The Guardian 19 May 2011 – How depressing that, even as the plates are shifting in the Middle East, the PA president is still peddling a wornout narrative In the week that President Obama makes a major new statement on US policy…
Nakba day: we waited 63 years for this | Karma Nabulsi
The Guardian 19 May 2011 – The remarkable bravery of refugees on Nakba day was the first act of a Palestinian summer It was the moment for which we had all been holding our breath for decades — for 63 years to…
[uruknet.info] Netanyahu prepares Israelis for war
Uruknet May 19, 2011 – ….I believe Netanyahu wants a clash with the Palestinians in September. Like Golda Meir in 1973, he is looking for a war, because he thinks it may let him keep the territories he holds, which for him are more important than peace. That’s why he talks about war for the home: He knows most…
[uruknet.info] PFLP prisoners salute the martyrs of Nakba day
Uruknet May 19, 2011 – PFLP prisoners held in occupation prisons held a one-day hunger strike on Tuesday, May 17, 2011, sending a statement to the prison administration on May 17, 2011, demanding that Comrade Ahmad Sa’adat be allowed a visit with his fellow prisoners. Comrade Sa’adat has been in isolation cells since March 15, 2009, and has been…
[uruknet.info] Yemen leader says he’ll quit, opponents doubt
Uruknet May 19, 2011 – Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh promised Thursday to sign a deal that would end his decades-long rule, a spokesman said, while President Obama called on the embattled leader to transfer power. Yemen’s opposition rejected Saleh’s promise, accusing the embattled leader of stalling. Saleh has rejected the agreement before – most recently 24 hours before…
[uruknet.info] The young will never forget, and will one day return
Uruknet May 19, 2011 – “The old will die and the young will forget” – this was the prediction of Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben Gurion. Sixty-three years later, I still wonder what made him think so. Would the Jewish masses – or indeed any of the other millions of people who suffered the Holocaust – ever forget?…
[uruknet.info] War Crimes & the Bombing of Libya
Uruknet May 19, 2011 – According to the New York Times (5/16/11), Gen. Sir David Richards, “Britain’s top military commander,” is proposing that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) target Libyan “infrastructure,” including electrical power grids and fuel dumps, in government held areas…. The Times went on to write, “The General suggested that NATO should be freed from restraints…
[uruknet.info] The illegal war in Libya
Uruknet May 19, 2011 – When President Obama ordered the U.S. military to wage war in Libya without Congressional approval (even though, to use his words, it did “not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation”), the administration and its defenders claimed he had legal authority to do so for two reasons: (1) the War Powers…
[uruknet.info] Stealing Palestinian Land Dunam by Dunam
Uruknet May 19, 2011 – One dunam is 1,000 square meters, four dunams to an acre. Israel is stealing them incrementally to control all valued Palestinian land, dispossessing indigenous people illegally in the process. B’Tselem is the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. In May, it published a comprehensive report titled, “Dispossession & Exploitation: Israel’s…
[uruknet.info] Report: 1,500 new settler homes ready for approval
Uruknet May 19, 2011 – The Planning and Building Committee for the Jerusalem municipality will discuss Thursday plans to build 1,500 new Jewish-only housing units in illegal settlements of Har Homa and Pisgat Ze’ev. Both settlements are built on lands occupied by Israel in 1967, and are at least partially constructed on privately owned Palestinian property. The discussion is…
[uruknet.info] Text of Obama’s Speech on the Middle East
Uruknet May 19, 2011 – …. In Iraq, we see the promise of a multi-ethnic, multi-sectarian democracy. There, the Iraqi people have rejected the perils of political violence for a democratic process, even as they have taken full responsibility for their own security. Like all new democracies, they will face setbacks. But Iraq is poised to play a key role…
[uruknet.info] Israel attache in Russia ‘was industrial spy’
Uruknet May 19, 2011 — Russia expelled Israel’s military attache at its Moscow embassy because he engaged in industrial espionage, an unnamed secret service official told the state RIA Novosti news agency Thursday. The source said air force Colonel Vadim Leiderman helped Israeli companies with links to the military illegally obtain sensitive technology from Russia. “As far as Colonel…
[uruknet.info] Twin bombs kill 27 at police station in Iraq
Uruknet May 19, 2011 — Twin bombs that lured policemen out of their fortified headquarters in a northern Iraqi city killed 27 people on Thursday, most of them police officers. Scores were wounded in the double blasts in Kirkuk, and a third explosion 45 minutes later on a road to a city hospital brought the number of injured to…
[uruknet.info] Assassination nation: Are there any limits on President Obama’s license to kill?
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – How much evidence should the US government be obliged to show before it kills an American citizen? None, according to the Obama administration. And how much evidence should the government be obliged to possess of an American’s wrongdoing before officially targeting them for killing? That’s a secret, according to the Obama team. As part…
[uruknet.info] U.S. Policy Led to 2 Million Rapes, 6 Million Deaths in Congo
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – Americans are taking note of a recent study on massive rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but most fail to connect the horror with U.S. policy in Africa. Mass rape is one aspect of a genocide that has taken six million lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo. American proxies carried out Washington’s…
[uruknet.info] Iraq snapshot – May 18, 2011
Uruknet May 18, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hears from the VA and DoD on ‘progress,’ the British military will finally be out of Iraq this Sunday . . . sort of, the US withdrawal remains a speculative point, a Tony Blair crony attempts to enrich himself off Iraqi oil, and more…. In Texas, a War Criminal…
[uruknet.info] Did NATO Massacre Libyan Religious Leaders?
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – On Saturday morning, May 14, in a press conference broadcast on a Libyan satellite t.v. channel, government spokesperson Moussa Ibrahim presented strong evidence that a massacre of Libyan religious leaders by NATO was carried out in the oil port of Brega. The press conference was attended by Libyan religious leaders, mainly Muslim but including…
[uruknet.info] Obama’s Imperial Offensive
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – On Thursday, the worlds most cynical rhetorician will attempt to frame regime change and political assassination as defense of civilians and promotion of democracy. Only Americans will be fooled. President Obama has discarded all but the snakeskin of international law. “The Euro-American imperialists and Arab royal mafiosa hope their joint venture will quarantine or…
[uruknet.info] Neoliberalism’s Forked Tongue
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – …As observers, we should not be too quick to applaud the defeat of neoliberalism in Egypt. Instead, we should pause and dwell on the irony of hearing neoliberal/liberal discourses mobilized to critique neoliberal economic practices. We should dwell on the irony of a revolution that has, too quickly, been captured into the language of…
[uruknet.info] Syria: Has the Regime Turned a Corner Against the Protests?
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – …The demonstrations in Egypt and Tunisia were bolstered after police and army brutality increased sympathy for the protesters, inspiring thousands more to flock to the cause. It is not the same in Syria. Even as the government repression grew uglier, most sources reached by TIME report that the turnout for street protests is significantly…
[uruknet.info] Report: Marwan Barghouthi urges unity progress
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – Imprisoned Fatah leader and unity champion Marwan Barghouthi urged his party and Hamas to quickly implement the reconciliation agreement signed in Cairo two weeks earlier. Barghouthi, convicted by an Israeli court for masterminding the second Palestinian uprising in 2000, was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council while serving five consecutive life terms, and was…
[uruknet.info] 63 Years Later, Palestine
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – 63 years later, Palestine, I see you waiting, with a tear that refuses to come down, waiting for the return of your child … waiting for the return of the son, the return of the daughter… waiting for the child who refused to remain inactive, refused to watch while your blood is being shed… waiting…
[uruknet.info] Arad Exposed U.S.-Israel Nuclear Cooperation
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – Yesterday, I reported a story from Yediot that claimed Uzi Arad had given a U.S. diplomat a copy of the secret Lindenstraus report on the second Lebanon war. But today, a different story has been reported by Channel 2 about the reason for Arad’s brusque firing by Bibi Netanyahu from his senior post as…
[uruknet.info] Taliban denies to Al Arabiya link to Saudi diplomat killing as it launches more attacks
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – The Pakistani wing of the Taliban militant group denied any link to the killing of a Saudi diplomat in Karachi, Al Arabiya reported on Tuesday. Saudi consulate staffer Hassan al-Qahtani was killed in a motorbike shooting by gunmen as he drove his car on his way to the consulate in Karachi. Spokesman Ihsanallah Ihsan…
[uruknet.info] Free @mosaaberizing and @tarekshalaby NOW!
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – On April 28th, we published a post and photoessay by Egyptian democracy activist Mosaab Elshamy, who was chronicling a demonstration at the Israeli embassy in Giza that day. Mosaab was one of the most visible faces of the Tahrir Square demonstrations, through his camera and his Twitter account. Days after Hosni Mubarak finally stepped…
[uruknet.info] Israeli Military Abducts 11 Palestinians, including Journalist, On Tuesday
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – The Israeli military carried out incursions into the West Bank Tuesday and arrested 11 as part of the crackdown in the aftermath of Nakba commemorations held throughout Palestine and bordering states on Sunday. Six Palestinians were abducted in raids on the al-Khadir village after Molotov cocktails were allegedly thrown at a checkpoint tower in…
[uruknet.info] Libya: enough is enough
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – …A third assumption was that Gaddafi is without popular support. It is foolhardy to believe that there may not be a degree of political and tribal support for Gaddafi, at least within western and southern regions of Libya. A fourth assumption seems to have been that the Libyan “rebels” are all Facebook idealists. The…
Gadhafi’s departure from Libya inevitable: U.S.
Daily Star 19 May 2011 U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday it was inevitable that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi would have to leave power and only then could a democratic transition in the North African state proceed.
Washington pressures Assad as opposition calls for Friday protests
Daily Star 19 May 2011 U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday that Syria’s leader Bashar Assad must allow a political transition or step aside, as activists readied to stage fresh pro-democracy protests despite the regime’s brutal crackdown.
Aoun holds key to Cabinet formation: Aridi
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun holds the key to breaking the four-month Cabinet stalemate that has thrown the country into a power vacuum, caretaker Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi said Thursday.
Army officers share views on decision-making
Daily Star 19 May 2011 The challenges of war can provide invaluable training for more routine day-to-day experiences of leadership and business, according to Lebanese Army officers speaking at a conference at a local university.
Country’s waste problem could be cleaned up for $50 mln
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Lebanon’s chronic garbage dump problem can be solved permanently for a little over $50 million, according to a study released Thursday.
Kahwagi discusses military with U.S. General Charlton
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Lebanese Army Commander Jean Kawhagi discussed Thursday with U.S. General John Charlton U.S.-Lebanese military cooperation, particularly in the fields of logistics and training, the National News Agency reported.
Rai to host follow-up of rival Christian meeting
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai said Thursday he will host a follow-up meeting on June 2 of Lebanon’s rival Christian leaders who met in Bkirki last month.
University maritime research center opened in the north
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Caretaker Transport Minister Ghazi Aridi inaugurated a direly needed center for maritime research at a university in north Lebanon Thursday.
Field reports vital during Arab Spring: HRW
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Eyewitness reports have played a key role during the Arab Spring by generating international outrage and fueling further protests across the region in the face of government suppression, a leading international human rights group said during…
March 8 victim of own coup: Democratic Renewal
Daily Star 19 May 2011 The Democratic Renewal Movement, part of the March 14 coalition, called Thursday on March 8 groups to drop their plan for a national disunity government, while urging the new opposition to come up with a plan…
Hezbollah slams U.S. sanctions on Syria
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Hezbollah condemned Thursday US sanctions against the Syrian regime and President Bashar Assad described the measures as a political decision aimed at punishing Damascus for its support of the Palestinian people.
Siniora: Obama speech a disappointment
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Barack Obama’s address on relations with the Arab world was clear on reform but a disappointment on the regional peace process, according to former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
Borders shut down in face of refugees fleeing Syria
Daily Star 19 May 2011 The flood of Syrian refugees into northern Lebanon stopped Thursday, as the Syrian and Lebanese armies deployed to close the border.
UNIFIL downplays Israeli measures along border
Daily Star 19 May 2011 A UNIFIL official downplayed media reports Thursday of Israeli threats to Lebanon, as Israeli forces stepped up border security measures.
Sunni-Alawite fault line tries to maintain a stay of calm
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Except for the occasional cries of street vendors, nothing is likely to disrupt the tranquil mood of Bab al-Tabbaneh’s bustling narrow souqs, where the scents of pungent spices.
Islamist threat in north exaggerated: analysts
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Four years after the Nahr al-Bared conflict shook north Lebanon, Islamist groups do not pose a significant security risk there, although the region’s Sunnis are seeing their stability wobble again as unrest from Syria spills over.
Libya’s Gadhafi under pressure but with nowhere to go
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Beset by apparent defections, perhaps personally targeted by NATO and indicted for war crimes, Moammar Gadhafi is finding the war turning against him, but with nowhere to go he may hang on regardless.
Egypt’s Copts extend protest over churches
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Egypt’s Coptic Christians extended a 12-day demonstration meant to end Thursday, complaining that the government had failed to live up to a pledge to reopen all churches that had been closed.
Israel approves 1,500 settler homes in East Jerusalem: NGO
Daily Star 19 May 2011 An Israeli government committee approved Thursday the construction of more than 1,500 settler homes in East Jerusalem, as Israel’s prime minister prepared to leave for talks in Washington, an NGO told AFP.
Triple blast kills 27 at Iraqi police station
Daily Star 19 May 2011 A triple bombing killed 27 people and wounded scores outside a police station Thursday, heightening tensions in a northern Iraqi city already on edge after a string of kidnappings and attacks against security officers.
Arabs see Obama’s policy speech as too late, not enough
Daily Star 19 May 2011 U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech on uprisings sweeping the Arab world show Washington is struggling to guide democratic movements that took it by surprise, Arab analysts said, threatening U.S. regional allies.
Bahrain foreign minister floats plan to expand Gulf force
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Bahrain’s foreign minister floated the idea of expanding military bases within a bloc of Sunni-led Gulf Arab allies that helped Manama quash mostly Shiite protests it blamed rival Shiite power Iran for stoking.
Armed with stones, Molotovs: Kurdish youth claim mission
Daily Star 19 May 2011 At the age of 15, Adem knows how to make a petrol bomb and can quickly turn a scarf into a balaclava — that’s the equipment he needs for his own warfare in Turkey’s 26-year Kurdish…
New EU sanctions target over 100 Iranian firms
Daily Star 19 May 2011 The EU Thursday agreed to sanction more than 100 Iranian companies, sharply expanding the number of firms hit by an assets freeze over Iran’s disputed nuclear program.
Yemen’s embattled leadership may yet sign transition deal
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Yemen’s ruling party held open the possibility that President Ali Abdullah Saleh would sign a deal on Sunday that would soon ease him out of office as Washington heaped pressure on the entrenched leader to transfer…
U.S. quietly expanding defense ties with key regional ally Saudi Arabia
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Despite their deepening political divide, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are quietly expanding defense ties on a vast scale, led by a little-known project to develop an elite force to protect the kingdom’s oil riches and…
Obama measures democracy pitch for wary Gulf allies
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Obama used his closely watched speech on U.S. Middle East policy to urge Bahrain’s embattled ruling family to open up real dialogue with the opposition and press Yemen’s president to make good on promises to transfer…
Arabs wonder if Obama can deliver on fine words
Daily Star 19 May 2011 As he addressed the region again on Thursday, some Arabs said Barack Obama wasn’t keeping pace of the change, others welcomed his fine words but wanted more action and some said they were too busy with…
Lebanon, U.N. should help Syrian refugees: Harb
Daily Star 19 May 2011 The Lebanese government and the United Nations should provide humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees fleeing into Lebanon and escaping unrest in their home country, caretaker Labor Minister Boutros Harb said Thursday.
Women’s rights groups welcome legislative amendments
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Decisions by parliamentary committees on “honor killings,” adultery and tax laws are a positive step and bring Lebanon closer to its international commitments, groups say.
Sudan poll results credible: Carter Center
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Hotly contested elections for governor in the tense Sudanese state of South Kordofan state were credible, the Carter Center said Thursday, despite being won by a fugitive charged with war crimes.
Gulf accord on Yemen to be inked Sunday: officials
Daily Star 19 May 2011 A Gulf-sponsored accord to end a bloody political dispute between President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Yemen’s opposition will be signed on Sunday, opposition and ruling party officials said.
Full text of Obama’s speech on the Middle East and North Africa
Daily Star 19 May 2011 The following are the prepared remarks of U.S. President Barack Obama on the Middle East and North Africa:
Obama says U.S. will oppose U.N. acts against Israel
Daily Star 19 May 2011 President Barack Obama Thursday rejected what he called an effort to isolate Israel at the United Nations in September.
Obama tells Israel: Go back to 1967 borders
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Obama’s urging that a Palestinian state be based on 1967 borders, those that existed before the Six-Day War in which Israel occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, marked a significant shift in U.S. policy…
Obama, in Arab outreach, presents Mideast peace vision
Daily Star 19 May 2011 President Barack Obama Thursday threw his weight behind the tumultuous drive for democratic change in the Arab world and presented his most detailed vision yet on the path to elusive Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Experts split over legislative session, offer solutions
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Legal experts split over Speaker Nabih Berri’s call for a legislative session, while one says a technocratic government would provide a solution to the ongoing political crisis.
Lebanon’s handball team win bronze in Doha
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Lebanese handball team Al-Sadd bagged this week the bronze medal at this year’s edition of the International Handball Federation Super Globe tournament in Doha.
Fatfat warns of military intervention by Syria in Lebanon
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Future Movement MP tells Aliwaa newspaper that Lebanese factions are trying to implicate his party in the unrest in Syria, which could lead to Syrian intervention.
Lebanon’s Arabic press digest – May 19, 2011
Daily Star 19 May 2011 Following are summaries of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Thursday.
Russia: Expelled Israeli envoy held secret info
YNet News, 19 May 2011 – Colonel Vadim Leiderman’s arrest rattles defense establishment, which declares….
Syria: US sanctions serve Israeli interests
YNet News, 19 May 2011 – Damascus condemns sanctions targeting President Bashar Assad, says they will not….
Rose Pizem case: Court finds mother, grandfather guilty
YNet News, 19 May 2011 – Petah Tikva District Court finds Ronny Ron guilty of murder, Marie-Charlotte….
PM’s Office okays Har Homa debate
YNet News, 19 May 2011 – Interior Ministry approves discussion on large-scale construction plans in….
IMF’s Strauss-Kahn resigns amid sex charges
YNet News, 19 May 2011 – International Monetary Fund’s managing director denies allegations against him,….
Lawyer who tried to frame rightists indicted
YNet News, 19 May 2011 – Attorney Gur Finkelstein, members of Bakher family charged with attempted….
Barak urges PM to form ‘daring’ peace initiative
YNet News, 19 May 2011 – In interview with LA Times, defense minister warns that without peace plan….
Bin Laden tape: ‘Jews scared of revolutions’
YNet News, 19 May 2011 – Al-Qaeda releases posthumous audio recording in which Osama bin Laden praises….
Obama to offer financial aid to Arab world
YNet News, 19 May 2011 – US president slated to unveil plan for financial and democratic support for Arab….
Verdict pending in Rose Pizem case
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – Three years after gruesome murder of four-year-old girl rattles Israel, court….
Netanyahu: ‘Bloc’ has various meanings
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – Ahead of Washington trip, PM explains to Likud members that word choice….
Legalists: AG’s decision on Arad leaks appropriate
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – Senior legal experts say AG Weinstein made right call by declining prosecution….
Palestinian Information Center
Hadarim prisoners face harsh sanctions after mobiles found in searches
PIC – Heavy sanctions have been imposed on Palestinians held at the Israeli Hadarim prison after mobile phones were seized during search raids.
MP Mansour: We documented violations against the reconciliation deal
PIC – Palestinian lawmaker Yasser Mansour said there are some documented violations regarding the reconciliation deal that was signed last month in Cairo.
Plans to erect 1,500 new settler homes in Jerusalem
PIC – Plans have been mapped out for 1,500 settlement homes in the occupied city of Jerusalem, Israeli sources have revealed.
Russia expels Israel’s military attach?©
PIC – The Israeli war ministry said on Wednesday that Russia had expelled the military attach?© at its embassy in Moscow after charging him with espionage.
Accelerating building activity reported in Jordan Valley settlement
PIC – Citizens in Ein Al-Baida village to the east of Tobas city in the Jordan Valley have reported that Jewish settlers were accelerating building activity in the nearby settlement of Mikhola.
IOF kidnap six Palestinians today in W. Bank
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have kidnapped at dawn Thursday six Palestinian citizens in different West Bank areas.
Israel ‘unworried’ about Netanyahu’s pledge to dismantle JV settlements
PIC – The head of the Jordan Valley local authority, David Elhayani, said he is not worried about the future of settlement activity in the valley after a speech that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
PA security arrests youth, summons others
PIC – The PA intelligence in Al-Khalil city arrested a Palestinian young man and summoned a number of Hamas supporters in Yatta village in absolute disregard of the reconciliation agreement.
Friends of humanity urges Egypt to open Rafah crossing, release detainees
PIC – Friends of humanity called on the military Council and the government in Egypt to fulfill their pledges to break the siege on Gaza, open the Rafah border crossing and release Palestinian prisoners.
After Obama’s Speech, Abbas Calls for Leadership Emergency Meeting
WAFA
UN Official says Arab-Israeli Conflict not Immune to Upheavals
WAFA
Israel Defies US Demands to Stop Settlement Construction
WAFA
Newspapers Review: Obama’s Anticipated Speech Hits Front Page Headlines
WAFA
President Obama’s True Speech on Middle East
Intifada-Palestine: 19 May 2011 – by Mohamed Khodr “This movement (International Jewry) amongst the Jews (the Russian Revolution) is not new. This world wide conspiracy for the overthrow of civilization and the reconstruction of society on the basis of arrested development, of envious malevolence, and impossible… more
Obama hints at shift on Syria
LA Times 19 May 2011 – His speech indicates the U.S. no longer sees keeping Bashar Assad in power as necessary to Syrian stability. Tucked into President Obama’s speech on Arab world policy Thursday were indications of a subtle but important shift regarding the repressive rule of President Bashar Assad in…
Double bombing in Iraq kills 27, injures dozens
LA Times 19 May 2011 – Most of those slain in the northern oil-rich city of Kirkuk are police officers. A roadside bomb injures eight policemen rushing to the blast scene. A double bombing killed at least 27 people, almost all of them police officers, and wounded dozens in a parking…
Egypt diners watching Obama speech mix distrust with applause
LA Times 19 May 2011 – When President Obama appeared on TVs at a Pizza Hut in Cairo, the upscale crowd shoved aside their slices to hear what he had to say about their revolution and subsequent developments in the Mideast. When President Obama appeared on the big-screen TVs at a…
NATO expects Kadafi’s regime to eventually collapse
LA Times 19 May 2011 – Even as some NATO members fear a protracted stalemate, the group’s top official says airstrikes have seriously damaged Kadafi’s fighting ability and continued pressure would bring the collapse of his regime. NATO’s top official said Thursday that the air campaign in Libya had seriously damaged…
U.S. puts sanctions on Syrian president, top aides
LA Times 18 May 2011 – The White House, stopping short of calling for Bashar Assad’s ouster, freezes his and top aides’ assets. The move is more symbolic, since the regime is believed to have few assets in the U.S. Ratcheting up pressure to halt a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters,…
Al Jazeera journalist, missing in Syria, returned to Qatar from Iran
LA Times 18 May 2011 – Al Jazeera’s Dorothy Parvaz, who went missing on arriving in Damascus to cover the Syrian protests, is returned to Qatar by Iran, where she had been held for most of the 19 days. The mysterious 19-day detention and release of a Seattle journalist in Syria…
Obama Sees ’67 Borders as Starting Point for Peace Deal
New York Times 19 May 2011 – President Obama said that a lasting peace would require two states with secure borders in a speech Thursday that sought to harness the change unfolding in the region.
Netanyahu Responds Icily to Obama Remarks
New York Times 19 May 2011 – The speech prompted Israel’s prime minister to push back testily and the Palestinians to call an urgent meeting.
Reaction in Arab Capitals Is Muted and Mixed
New York Times 19 May 2011 – President Obama’s major speech on Middle East policy did not appear to make a deep impression in Arab capitals on Thursday.
Syria Condemns U.S. Sanctions on Assad
New York Times 19 May 2011 – The Syrian government condemned on Wednesday United States sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad and six of his top officials.
Libya Releases Journalists It Held for Weeks
New York Times 19 May 2011 – Four foreign journalists held for several weeks by the Libyan government were released on Wednesday and taken to a Tripoli hotel.
In Message, Bin Laden Praised Arab Revolt
New York Times 19 May 2011 – Al Qaeda’s leader welcomed the uprisings in the Arab world in a recording made about a week before his death.
Status of Libya’s Oil Minister Remains Uncertain
New York Times 19 May 2011 – Libyan officials appear to have settled on a middle course, part denial and part admission, that Shukri Ghanem may have abandoned the government’s cause.
Magazine Preview: The Hot-Money Cowboys of Baghdad
New York Times 18 May 2011 – Iraq is still very dangerous, though not dangerous enough to scare off investors with an appetite for risk.
Clouds over freedom in the West Bank
Jewish Voice for Peace –
Jewish Voice for Peace Response to Obama’s Speech on the Middle East
Jewish Voice for Peace –
Obama’s Middle East Speech: He Just Didn’t Get It
Tikun Olam – I’ve just listened to (start at around the 5:00 mark to avoid Hillary’s intro) and read Barack Obama’s Middle East speech. And while it has many good points that are worth praising, overall for the entire region I think the proof will lie in how or…
Beaten but not broken
Palestine Monitor – Non-violence democracy activist Mazin Qumsiyeh will continue to resist, despite his recent incarceration, torture and beating by Israeli forces in the Atarot and Ofer military facilities. – In Focus / 3rd-col-1st-article , Non-violent resistance , Apartheid , Occupation
Rosa Parks’s bus doesn’t stop in this country
Mondoweiss – Two friends in the Palestinian solidarity community weigh in anonymously on Obama¬¥s speech: 1, It’s a) another effort for “evenhandedness” in the Palestine issue where evenhandedness is a joke given the disparities in power. b) it¬¥s remarkable that he didn¬¥t completely shut the door on talking…
Obama won’t have to write another speech for AIPAC on Monday
Mondoweiss – Well, democracy and nonviolent protest are great for the Arab world, says Obama, but not for Palestine. So there is reference to the “humiliation of occupation” but not to the fact that the people under occupation have no rights. A friend says the speech could have…
Shifting the occupation to the academic battlefield — South African academic Na’eem Jeenah detained and deported
Mondoweiss – Academic, community leader, author and journalist Na’eem Jeenah has been the latest academic to face detention by Israeli authorities. In his capacity as director AMEC: the Afro Middle East Centre, Jeenah was en route to Palestine to participate in research meetings. AMEC is a South African…
Netanyahu pushes two settlement expansions today, to spit in Obama’s eye
Mondoweiss – Mitchell Plitnick : Today, the day of President Barack Obama’s long-anticipated “Middle East reboot” speech and one day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet with Obama, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office (PMO) took up discussion on two major East Jerusalem settlement expansion projects,…
Obama’s speech is irrelevant
Mondoweiss – Why do you care about what Chris Matthews says? Or NPR for that matter? The fact is that the US has no control over events on the ground any more. You and your friends and the neocons should stop pretending otherwise.
ULU signs onto BDS
Palestine Monitor – Updates on BDS Victories – Videos / 2nd-col-1st-article , International solidarity
Crashing The JNF Fundraiser to “Plant a Tree for Palestine”
Palestine Monitor – Activists in New York disrupted a JNF meeting holding trees with names and dates of villages depopulated by Israeli assaults. – Videos / 1st-col-article , International solidarity , Nakba , Video
NICE Systems gets another contract for Chinese surveillance
Neged Neshek – NICE Systems has been awarded another contract for surveillance systems for the Tianjin subway. NIC’s NiceVision IP video surveillance system will further help the Chinese government in its goal of rigid population control. This s just the latest in a series of contracts awarded to NICE….
Arotech wins big US Army order
Neged Neshek – FAAC Inc., a US-based subsidiary of Arotech, received a $63.4 million contract from the US Army for mine clearing simulation systems. The system is intended to help the US perpetuate the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan by better training soldiers to cope with anti-occupation armed resistance,…
Elbit Systems in €43m Macedonian contract
Neged Neshek – Elbit Systems has been awarded a contract to “set up a helicopter pilot training center for Macedonia’s Defense and Security Forces.” According to Globes , Elbit “will purchase the aircraft, supply full mission simulators and operate the center to qualify new pilots and train current ones.” Elbit…
Arad Exposed Secret U.S. Agreement to Jump-Start Israeli Civilian Nuclear Power Industry
Tikun Olam – Uzi Arad and Bibi Netanyahu toast during happier days (Moshe Milner) Yesterday, I reported a story from Yediot that claimed Uzi Arad had given a U.S. diplomat a copy of the secret Lindenstraus report on the second Lebanon war. Turns out, there were two accurate claims…
T.A.T. Technologies in US Army contract
Neged Neshek – KMN Capital subsidiary T.A.T. Technologies signed a five year contract with the U.S. Army for servicing and upgrading the anti-icing systems for Apache and Black Hawk helicopters. The contract is worth US$20 million.
IAI and Elbit delivering LOROPS to Turkey
Neged Neshek – Globes is reporting that IAI and Elbit are “selling intelligence systems to Turkey” and that “Israel fears the highly sensitive technology may be passed on to a hostile third party.” The “intelligence systems” referred to are long-range oblique photography systems (LOROPS) from a contract originally worth $…
President Obama Delivers His AIPAC Speech Early
The Magnes Zionist 19 May 2011 – President Barack Obama’s speech on Middle East perfectly illustrates the phenonemon known as ‘PEP’ — progressive, except for Palestine. When referring to the Arab world, he used language like “democracy” and “universal rights”. Of Bahrain, where the US is propping up an illegitimate regime, he said, “…
Israel harms Palestinians, but also itself
Middle East Monitor 19 May 2011 – My concern for the Israeli-Arab conflict is a personal one. I was raised in a Jewish neighborhood — three synagogues within three blocks of our home in Springfield, Mass. — which sensitized me to Jewish culture and history. As a young student of world affairs, I…
Muslim Brotherhood submits political party’s legal documents
Middle East Monitor 19 May 2011 – Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has submitted legal documents to the Party Affairs Committee at the Court of Cassation in Cairo for approval of the group’s new political party. Called the Freedom and Justice Party, its Director General, Saad El-Katatni, said that it has almost 9,000 founding members,…
Interpol “arrests Egyptian businessman in Israel”
Middle East Monitor 19 May 2011 – Reports in Egypt claim that Interpol, the international police body, has arrested the Egyptian businessman Hussein Salem in Israel. He has been wanted in his home country on charges of damaging Egyptian interests, including wasting public money for the benefit of others and selling Egypt’s natural…
Israeli Council of Rabbis sends letter to Obama calling for Palestinian state “to be terminated like Bin Laden”
Middle East Monitor 19 May 2011 – The Council of Rabbis in Israel has written to US President Barak Obama calling on him to “terminate” the Palestinian state, just as America “terminated” Osama bin Laden. Reports on Israel’s Channel 7 said on Wednesday that the Council’s chief, Ezra Arsel, sent the White House…
The Arab Uprising Hasn’t Suddenly Arrived In Palestine ‚Äî It’s Always Been Here
Joseph Dana 19 May 2011 – Originally published on Alternet.org Demonstrations marking the 63rd anniversary of the Nakba — the anniversary of Palestinians’ displacement in 1948 — were held throughout the West Bank, Gaza and inside Israel this week. The focal point of West Bank Nakba day demonstrations was the Qalandia checkpoint….
Lovers murdered young girl in Israel
BBC 19 May 2011 – The grandfather and mother of a four-year-old girl whose body was found in a suitcase in a Tel Aviv river are convicted of her murder.
Amnesty urges Egypt unrest probe
BBC 18 May 2011 – Egypt still has more work to do to give justice to those killed during the rallies that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, Amnesty International says.
(en) Irish Anarchist Review #3 – The Crisis and Core & Periphery in the Eurozone – Peripheral Vision
A-infos 19 May 2011 – At the same time that we are witnessing a wave of popular protest in North Africa and the Middle East against aged and corrupt neo-colonial dictatorships, in the heart of Europe we are witnessing something unprecedented and absolutely extraordinary. —— History appears to moving in the…
Articles
US boat will sail to Gaza, despite Israeli threats
Jane Hirschmann, Electronic Intifada5/18/2011
Gaza is crumbling under the weight of an Israeli siege backed by the Obama administration. Roughly 80 percent of Palestinians in Gaza now depend on aid. Vast amounts of infrastructure destroyed in the Israeli attacks in the winter of 2008-09 require repair. Thousands of families still live doubled up with relatives or are homeless.
Children are being short-changed educationally because of damaged and horribly overcrowded schools and a lack of textbooks. Their health is compromised by polluted water and food insecurity.
In response, more than 1,000 human rights workers from around the world will sail this June on a dozen boats traveling to the Gaza Strip to highlight this human-made tragedy.
Our boat ‚Äî the American boat ‚Äî is named “The Audacity of Hope.” It will be carrying approximately sixty students, nurses, artists, journalists and filmmakers, lawyers, academics and ordinary civilians of many beliefs from around the country. Many of us are Jewish.
Last May, Israeli forces stormed the Turkish humanitarian aid ship Mavi Marmara and killed nine passengers, including an American citizen. A fact-finding mission of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights found that the “circumstances of the killing of at least six of the passengers were in a manner consistent with an extra-legal, arbitrary and summary execution.” All the civilian deaths on board the humanitarian vessel were inexcusable. Yet, once again, the Israeli government has threatened to initiate violence against us. more.. e-mail
Netanyahu prepares Israelis for war
Yossi Gurvitz, +972 Magazine5/19/2011
Netanyahu’s speech is not about peace; it is about enlisting Israelis for another Palestinian war
A few days back I participated in a Rubinger Forum event, which hosted UN special envoy to the Middle East, Robert Serry, who spoke about what might actually happen when September comes around. Serry, a professional diplomat, is someone it is a pleasure listening to, even when he’s glum; and he was rather glum.
He gave a brief description of the situation on the ground, noting that only after the Annapolis meeting did Israel officially start talking about a two-state solution (contrary to common myth, the Oslo Accords did not mention a Palestinian state). Serry said that as he sees things, and his estimate is supported by the World Bank and the IMF, the Fayyad government will manage the transformation into a state — but reminded his listeners that Fayyad controls only 40% of the West Bank. Israel rules the rest.
Serry was very disturbed by what may take place in September. To make a long story short, he estimated that the Security Council will fail to reach a decision on a Palestinian state — which is presumably Diplomatique for “the US will veto the resolution” — which may lead to a decision by the General Assembly, but the legitimacy of such a decision will be questioned. The process for such a move exists, but has never been used. Serry said that unless a political arrangement is reached by September, everything gained in the West Bank in the last few years may be lost. He elegantly avoided saying it, but he hinted a new round of violence may be upon us.
Violence does not serve the Palestinians; it serves Israel. The goal of Israel, then — once you move past the pious platitudes of “we always wanted peace” — is to goad the Palestinians into violence…. more.. e-mail
Unity is not compromise
Ramzy Baroud, Al-Ahram Weekly5/19/2011
Ramzy Baroud considers what is necessary to move towards a successful joint Palestinian strategy
As the Palestine Papers demonstrated, the major obstacle to a real, lasting and just peace in Palestine is the Israeli leadership’s unwillingness to accept anything less than full domination over the Palestinians. Not only do Israeli leaders refuse to partake in any serious peace talks, they also refuse to agree on universally accepted notions, for example, the law.
On 13 November 2007, then Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni told chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Ereikat that she despised the very notion of law. According to the Palestine Papers, published by Al-Jazeera and the Guardian, Livni said: “I was the Minister of Justice. I am a lawyer… But I am against law — international law in particular. Law in general.”
Livni is often contrasted with current rightwing Israeli leader Binyamin Netanyahu, and has been described as a “dove” when compared to him. This unfounded reputation caused many broken hearts when Netanyahu became prime minister of Israel in March 2009, as chances for real peace supposedly diminished.
Such Israeli obduracy was a prime reason for Palestinians to unify their ranks. The signing of the Hamas-Fatah unity agreement in Cairo on 27 April was indeed a fitting response to Israel’s incessant attempts at dividing the Palestinians.
Palestinian unity must not be co-opted into the peace charade, however. It should not become a condition Palestinians are required to fulfil in order to demonstrate their worthiness for Israeli-US-styled peace. Such a rationale, now gleefully argued by many, would not explain why ordinary Palestinians celebrated throughout the occupied territories…. more.. e-mail
US boat will sail to Gaza, despite Israeli threats
Electronic Intifada: 18 May 2011 – Jane Hirschmann The Electronic Intifada Our boat to Gaza ‚Äî the American boat ‚Äî is named “The Audacity of Hope.” It will be carrying approximately sixty students, nurses, artists, journalists and filmmakers, lawyers, academics and ordinary civilians of many beliefs from around the country.more
The young will never forget, and will one day return
Electronic Intifada: 19 May 2011 – Merna Alazzeh The Electronic Intifada ” The old will die and the young will forget” ‚Äî this was the prediction of Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben Gurion. Sixty-three years later, I still wonder what made him think so.more
Beaten but not broken
Palestine Monitor: 19 May 2011 – Non-violence democracy activist Mazin Qumsiyeh will continue to resist, despite his recent incarceration, torture and beating by Israeli forces in the Atarot and Ofer military facilities. – In Focus / 3rd-col-1st-article , Non-violent resistance , Apartheid , Occupationmore
ULU signs onto BDS
Palestine Monitor: 19 May 2011 – Updates on BDS Victories – Videos / 2nd-col-1st-article , International solidaritymore
Crashing The JNF Fundraiser to “Plant a Tree for Palestine”
Palestine Monitor: 19 May 2011 – Activists in New York disrupted a JNF meeting holding trees with names and dates of villages depopulated by Israeli assaults. – Videos / 1st-col-article , International solidarity , Nakba , Videomore
Some Questions for Bibi
Palestine Chronicle: 19 May 2011 – By Philip Giraldi Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in the United States today for a much anticipated visit. He will do a little fund-raising, will speak before Congress and at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) annual conference, and will meet with President Barack Obama. Netanyahu can expect the visit to go smoothly, with an adoring joint session of congress rising to its feet to applaud him and more adulation from the AIPAC gathering. AIPAC’s gala dinner will undoubtedly include many members of both the congress and the Obama Administration vying to be seen. Netanyahu will likely have a couple of friendly encounters with the press corps, which will lob a few softball questions his way. The meeting with Obama might just possibly have a couple of sharp edges when they converse privately unless “Israel’s lawyer” Dennis Ross is hovering anywhere near and taking corrective action, but the…more
The Truth about “Civilized Transitions”
Dissident Voice: 19 May 2011 – “What about giving Gaddafi an exit strategy?” 1 This is what it comes down to: A TV ‘news’ presenter reveals in all its starkness, how the Empire corrupts totally. Here we have an apparently intelligent and educated person dismissing the leader of a country as if he’s just another expendable piece of the Empire’s junk. ‘Yeah, why you don’t just get rid of him, make him go away’. It’s absolutely outrageous that we accept this kind of rubbish and it’s echoed right across the MSM (see below). By what right does the media pass judgement in this way? Worse still, we accept it as legitimate news making, where ‘received opinion’ is folded faultlessly into the mix. It’s assumed that we have every right to pronounce on the fate of others, made especially easy when the self-same ‘news’ presenter has helped in demonizing Gaddafi and turning him into the other . Perhaps…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 