25 May, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Amnesty International Demands End To Destruction Of “Unrecognized” Villages In Israel
IMEMC РWednesday May 25, 2011 Р16:27, Amnesty International has called on Israel to cease the demolition of the Bedouin village of al-‘Araqib in the Negev desert in southern Israel.
Abbas Says No Change Of Plan Regards September
IMEMC – Wednesday May 25, 2011 – 15:14, The Palestinian Authority has reaffirmed its determination to go to the UN General Assembly in September in light of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to US Congress.
Further Settlements Announced
IMEMC – Wednesday May 25, 2011 – 14:20, The Palestinian News and Informational Agency has reported that Israeli officials plan to confiscate 2,000 dunums worth of land in the Salfit area in the Northern West Bank near the city of Nablus.
“Move Over AIPAC” Activist Injured By AIPAC Members
IMEMC – Wednesday May 25, 2011 – 11:46, A “Move Over AIPAC” activist who interrupted Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu during his speech to US Congress has been hospitalised due to injuries received. The protester claims she was beaten by AIPAC activists before being detained.
Israel continues to fence in Qalqiliya village
5/25/2011 – QALQILIYA (Ma’an) — Construction continued Wednesday on a barbed wire fence encircling the northern flank of Izbat At-Tabib, a village east of Qalqiliya. Residents awoke Monday to Israeli soldiers guarding work crews, who were installing a barrier between the village and the nearby settler-bypass Road 55. An Israeli military spokeswoman said at the time….
Egypt to lift restrictions on Gaza border
5/25/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) —Egypt will open the Rafah border crossing on a daily basis starting this weekend in a bid to ease the blockade on the Gaza Strip, the official MENA news agency reported Wednesday. Egyptian authorities will now open the border from “9:00 am to 5:00 pm on a daily basis, except for….
Report: Israel to expand Jerusalem settlement
5/25/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel’s minister of interior Eli Yeshai and Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat signed Wednesday a plan to expand the jurisdictions of the municipality at the southern front of Jerusalem, reports said. As a result, lands that are adjacent to the settlement of Ramat Rachel will be annexed to Israel, according….
Report: EU to rally against Israeli stance on peace
5/25/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — “Netanyahu’s rejection of peace based on the 1967 borders is self-important and arrogant,” Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told the German daily Der Spiegel in a Tuesday interview. The official was responding to questions on the EU’s declared support for US President Barack Obama’s peace….
Crime writer Mankell will be on next Gaza aid flotilla
5/25/2011 – STOCKHOLM (AFP) — Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell will take part in the next international flotilla that will attempt to bring aid to Gaza at the end of June, organizers said Wednesday. Mankell, the author of the popular Wallander series of detective novels, will be among a total of 20 Swedish participants in the “Freedom Flotilla….
Fatah and Hamas hold meetings in Turkey
5/25/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Meetings were held between Fatah and Hamas last Saturday in the Turkish capital Ankara while officials from both sides participated in a workshop on increasing dialogue among Palestinian factions. Fatah lawmaker Ashraf Jum’a told Ma’an that meetings were held with Hamas leaders in Ankara while they….
Limited building materials cross into Gaza
5/25/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities opened Gaza’s sole remaining commercial crossing terminal on Wednesday, for the limited import of building materials designated to international development projects. Palestinian liaison official, Raed Fattouh, said Kerem Shalom crossing in the southern Gaza Strip was opened for 270-280 truckloads of aid to commercial, agricultural….
Detainees marking 10 years in Israeli prison
5/25/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Detainees Ministry in Gaza reported Wednesdaythat detainee Sana Shihadeh, 35, from Shu’fat refugee camp in Jerusalem has marked 10years in Israeli detention. Another detainee, Irina Paula Sarhaneh, 36, is also marking 10 years. The ministry reported that Sana is sentenced to life at Hasharon prison and has….
Congress applause of Netanyahu ‘pathetic’
5/25/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The warm reception of the Israeli prime Minister at the US Congress was “pathetic,” President Abbas’ secretary-general At-Tayyib Abdul-Rahim said Wednesday. Benjamin Netanyahu entered Congress to applause the day before, and received more than 25 standing ovations during a speech in which he ruled out international demands to return to….
PLO leader: Peace process at dead end
5/25/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — PLO secretary-general Yasser Abed Rabbo said Wednesday that after the Israeli prime minister’s speech, the Palestinians have no choice but to seek alternatives to the peace process….
Haniyeh: Unity in the face of Netanyahu
5/25/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an)— “We will insist on reconciliation, bolster steadfastness, and face occupation with unity,” Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Wednesday, in response to statements made this week by his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. In a speech delivered at close of a week of events marking Nakba Day in Gaza City, Haniyeh….
Israeli forces detain 12 overnight
5/25/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained 12 Palestinians from the West Bank overnight, to be “transferred for security questioning,” according to a military statement. Palestinian sources, however, said four were detained in raids on Nablus, while four were taken from homes in Jericho and five from the southern West Bank regions of Hebron and….
PA: UN still goal for September
5/25/2011 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — The Palestinian leadership reaffirmed its goal to take the issue of statehood to the United Nations after a speech by the Israeli premier which failed to offer any new incentive to talk peace. In a 45-minute address to the US Congress, Benjamin Netanyahu laid out his vision of peace in a speech….
Palestinian embassy brokers Egypt medical support
5/25/2011 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — The Palestinian embassy in Egypt said Wednesday that it had provided treatment for Palestinian refugees suffering from cancer, and provide medicines needed by the Palestinian health ministry. A statement from the office of the medical attache in Cairo said Palestinian ambassador Barakat Al-Farrah had instructed the office to help refugee cancer….
Abbas: Netanyahu pushing back peace
5/25/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pushing the peace process back further than ever, the official Palestinian news agency reported. Speaking at the opening of a meeting for the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah, Abbas said Netanyahu “has shown us, in addition to the many mistakes….
Arab League to meet in support of Palestinian unity
5/25/2011 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — Permanent representatives to the Arab League will join its outgoing chief Amr Mussa for a meeting next week, where delegates will evaluate progress and implementation on the Palestinian reconciliation agreement. The London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat said Wednesday that the meeting would be held on May 31 at the request of the….
Hamas: Unity does not mean we take on Fatah’s platform
5/25/2011 – BEIRUT, Lebanon (Ma’an) — In an interview with the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar set out the compromises the party was willing to make for a unity deal with Fatah, and made clear that unity would not change the party’s platform.”Reconciliation does not mean Hamas has changed its….
Father challenges school’s punishment for young son
5/25/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — The father of a grade one student in Nablus has taken concerns over treatment of his son in class to the Ministry of Education, and faced denials of his account of the classroom abuse. Saher Hijazi’s six-year-old son Nader was forced to stand by his classroom’s rubbish….
Freed Syrian activist vows to pursue struggle
5/25/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Surrounded by bouquets of flowers and well-wishers at his Damascus flat after being freed from five years in prison, Syrian rights activist Anwar al-Bunni is more determined than ever to continue his pro-democracy struggle.” My concern today is what needs to be done to reach a peaceful solution to the unrest in Syria….
FM: Egypt’s next parliament to review Iran ties
5/25/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt’s foreign minister said Wednesday that the next parliament, which will be elected in September, will review the establishment of diplomatic ties with Iran. Nabil al-Arabi told the official MENA news agency that he informed his Iranian counterpart, who he met in Bali during a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, that….
US urges G8 partners to help Egypt debt swap
5/25/2011 – WASHINGTON(AFP) — The United States on Wednesday urged its G8 partners to help Egypt convert its debts into investments for jobs as part of efforts to boost the Arab nation’s flagging economy and fledgling democracy. The appeal came in a letter from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner….
Facebook Loses Traffic in Middle East
Palestine Note 25 May 2011 – Read Write Web – Adoption of Facebook by citizens of the Middle East started increasing prior to the Arab Spring. But in the wake of the protests, that number spiked upward dramatically. This month, however, the region “has lost thousands…
Trying to meet Egypt’s economic expectations
Palestine Note 25 May 2011 – BBC – The mass uprising that swept aside the autocratic government of Hosni Mubarak raised hopes and expectations across Egyptian society. But the success of the Egyptian revolution and of the political reform movement throughout the Arab world, depends on…
E.U. Ties Future Aid to Arab World to Democratic Reforms
Palestine Note 25 May 2011 – New York Times – I n theory, the European Union has always offered its aid to neighboring Arab nations with strings attached – with democratic reform a key condition. Now the bloc says it means it. Seeking to recast relations…
September Song
Palestine Note 25 May 2011 – Omar Dajani, Foreign Policy – ” Oh, it’s a long, long while from May to December/But the days grow short when you reach September/ When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame/ One hasn’t got time for the waiting…
Syria death toll ‘surpasses 1,000’
Palestine Note 25 May 2011 – Al Jazeera- Syrian government forces are being blamed for the deaths of more than 1,000 civilians in a nine-week crackdown on nationwide anti-government demonstrations. Amar Qurabi, head of the Egypt-based National Organisation for Human Rights, said on Tuesday that his…
Israel continues to fence in Qalqiliya village
Palestine Note 25 May 2011 – Ma’an- Construction continued Wednesday on a barbed wire fence encircling the northern flank of Izbat At-Tabib, a village east of Qalqiliya. Residents awoke Monday to Israeli soldiers guarding work crews, who were installing a barrier between the village and the…
Arab League to meet in support of Palestinian unity
Palestine Note 25 May 2011 – Ma’an – Permanent representatives to the Arab League will join its outgoing chief Amr Mussa for a meeting next week, where delegates will evaluate progress and implementation on the Palestinian reconciliation agreement. The London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat said Wednesday that…
War crimes court’s president urges Arab states to sign up
Palestine Note 25 May 2011 – The National- The president of the International Criminal Court urged Arab states yesterday to join the world’s first-ever permanent tribunal to prosecute those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Since the court’s founding treaty, the Rome Statute, came…
Hamas: Unity does not mean we take on Fatah’s platform
Palestine Note 25 May 2011 – Ma’an – In an interview with the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar set out the compromises the party was willing to make for a unity deal with Fatah, and made clear that unity would not change the…
Netanyahu, President of the United State.
Palestine Note 25 May 2011 – Given the dire situation the US and “We the People” are in and face, due to inaction and failings on the part of the US Congress, may be it is the Right/Left and Conservative/Liberal thing to do is to ask…
Palestinians Challenge Netanyahu Speech to Congress
Palestine Note 25 May 2011 – Rightist Israeli MK’s blast “painful compromises” BBC News – Palestinian officials have dismissed Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the US Congress, saying it will not lead to peace. Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas said the speech merely added obstacles…
Bibi Shows Obama That In DC, He’s The Home Team
Palestine Note 25 May 2011 – George Lucas (who incidentally should be legally barred from ever writing dialogue) wrote some of his cheesiest lines in the new Star Wars films when he was waxing political. One of the worst actually resonated today as I watched Benjamin…
Yemeni capital rocked by blasts
AlJazeera 25 May 2011 – Civil war looms as big blasts rock Yemeni capital and president vows no retreat.
Egypt ‘to open Rafah border permanently’
AlJazeera 25 May 2011 – Egyptian state news agency quotes military sources as saying the border with Gaza will be opened starting from Saturday.
Nasrallah calls on Syrians to support Assad
AlJazeera 25 May 2011 – On “Liberation Day” in Lebanon, Hezbollah leader urges Syrians to allow president time to “carry out reforms”.
US and UK vow ‘no let-up’ on Gaddafi
AlJazeera 25 May 2011 – Allies say Libyan leader will ultimately be made to step down by sustained NATO operations.
Obama makes ‘historic’ speech to UK MPs
AlJazeera 25 May 2011 – US president says West must promote “universal freedoms” within context of emerging new world order.
Abbas: Palestine to go to UN in September
AlJazeera 25 May 2011 – Abbas determined to take diplomatic campaign to UN after Netanyahu rules out peace negotiations based on 1967 borders.
Saleh ‘won’t be dragged into civil war’
AlJazeera 25 May 2011 – Yemeni president blames clashes in capital on opposition fighters and says he is ready to sign a GCC-brokered exit deal.
President Abbas: We Will Go to the United Nations if No Progress Happens Before September
PNN – Ramallah – PNN – The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas affirmed today that negotiations are still his fundamental choice, but if no progress happens before September, he will go to the United Nations…
PA Leadership Discusses Obama Speech
PNN – Hassam Iziden/PNN Exclusive – The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will head a meeting of Palestinian leaders to discuss US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent speeches in front…
CCR Launches Lawsuit In Connection With Last Year?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s Raid of Flotilla Bound to Gaza
PNN – New York — PNN – Nearly one year after Israeli commandos stormed an aide flotilla that was in international waters and bound for Gaza, The CCR, the Center for Constitutional Rights has…
Netanyahu’s Speech Shows his True Intentions; Puts Obama to the Test
PNN – The Palestinian Leadership Remains Strong PlayersBy Munjed Jadou — PNN Editor in Chief — Palestinian, Arab and even Israeli commentators and political analysts, see that the region is heading towards a cross…
Protester Hospitalized; Arrested After Interrupting Netanyahu Speech
PNN – Washington DC – PNN – A Jewish-American woman of Israeli descent who interrupted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the US Congress on Tuesday was arrested in hospital by US police….
Amnesty International Celebrates 50 Years
PNN – London – PNN – Human rights organization Amnesty International is celebrating its 50th anniversary on May 28. According to a May 24 press release, the group is marking the anniversary by launching…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Welcomes President Abbas’s Decision to Cancel Lenient Sentences against Persons Committing Crimes for “Maintaining Family Honor”
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Monday, 23 May 2011
International Solidarity Movement
Amidst long hours waiting to pass to Jerusalem
5/25/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – Shahd Abusalma – Last night, I went to bed at 11 pm, much earlier than I’m used to. I forced myself to stay under my blanket. The room was very dark and no sound could be heard but the sound of me moving in bed continually. I wanted to sleep so that 7 am….
Meeting senseless aggression face-to-face
5/25/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – Gershon Baskin, The Jerusalem Post – A recent trip to the weekly demonstration in Nabi Saleh shed a new light on the IDF and its operations. For months I have been hearing about disproportionate use of force by the army against weekly demonstrations in Nabi Saleh – a small pastoral Palestinian village northwest of Ramallah. Last week…. Related: Source
Global Campaign for Education reaches out to Gaza women
Relief Web 25 May 2011 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory May 2011 Gaza Scores of refugee women and girls across Gaza took part in a campaign about the importance of education earlier this…
Press Conference on Plight of Indigenous Bedouin Palestinians
Relief Web 24 May 2011 – Source: UN Department of Public Information Country: occupied Palestinian territory Bedouin Palestinian refugees living in the West Bank were in dire need of access to their traditional natural resources – rangeland and water – as well as basic health and…
Breaking News: 12 European countries to send aid to Gaza within Freedom Flotilla 2
25 May 2011 – Gaza, (Pal Telegraph) – Despite official Israeli continuing threats to use violence to stop international support from reaching Gaza by sea, 5 more ships carrying passengers from France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Italy will join Freedom Flotilla 2 in late June. The European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza (ECESG), one of the flotilla’s sponsors revealed that the…
Palestinians to head to United Nation as Israel refuses peace
25 May 2011 – London, (Pal Telegraph) – Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has said that without a renewal of peace talks with Israel, the Palestinians will seek UN recognition.
Israeli soldiers attack Palestinian boy in Bethlehem
25 May 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli occupation forces attacked yesterday at night a mentally disabled boy in Al-Khader town in the south of Bethlehem.
Yemen fighting continues for third day as tribal troops seize ministries
The National 25 May 2011 – Fighting ‘will not turn into civil war’, Yemen president Ali Abdullah Saleh pledges, as tribesmen insist ‘We are defending ourselves and our leaders.’
Israel’s US supporters ignore truths of occupation in West Bank and Gaza
The National 25 May 2011 – Aipac audience in Washington puzzled about why Palestinians fail to appreciate ‘benefits’ that Israeli control supposedly brings them.
Arab states say ‘We’ll sign up to international war crimes court when Israel does’
The National 25 May 2011 – Leaders of Arab nations want to know what the ICC is doing to address the perception that the court and other instruments of international justice favour the powerful over the weak, the rich over the poor and Israel over almost every other nation.
Egyptians determined to see Mubaraks are punished
The National 25 May 2011 – The revolutionary fervour that forced Hosni Mubarak to step down after nearly 30 years in power is now manifesting itself in growing calls for the punishment of the former president, his family and allies for corruption and abuse of power.
Lebanon’s Hizbollah leader pledges support for Assad in Syria
The National 25 May 2011 – In televised speech, Hassan Nasrallah says Syrian leader¬øs fall would only serve US and Israel.
Abbas says Netanyahu’s speech to Congress offered ‘nothing we can build on’ for peace
The National 25 May 2011 – Israeli prime minister’s avowal to US Congress not to accept pre-1967 borders earns plaudits at home but bodes ill for renewed peace talks as Palestinian president renews pledge to seek UN recognition of Palestinian statehood in September.
Activists in Kuwait on collision course with government over protest site
The National 25 May 2011 – Opposition-backed youths insist on holding the rally at a square in the heart of Kuwait City, while the authorities are offering a seaside square opposite the parliament building, saying the location can be easily protected.
EU plans extra €1.2bn for fledgling Arab democracies
The National 25 May 2011 – Support aims to link aid to political and economic reform and will depend on rate of reform and respect for rule of law.
Yemen protesters flee square as clashes continue between Saleh loyalists and opposition
The National 25 May 2011 – Less than 2,000 people were still at Change Square in Sana’a, where at least 10,000 demonstrators used to gather daily since the eruption of the protests calling for the overthrow of Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Haaretz poll: Netanyahu’s popularity soaring following Washington trip
Ha’aretz – Despite tensions in Washington during PM’s visit, Israelis generally don’t believe Obama is hostile to Israel or that U.S.=Israel relations have been harmed, indicating that the public seems to be turning a deaf ear to analysts who criticized Netanyahu’s address to Congress.
Upon return from Washington Netanyahu says Israel found U.S. support
Ha’aretz – U.S. State Department deputy spokesman says Netanyahu’s warm welcome in Congress affirms Israel is a close partner of the United States.
Was Netanyahu right when he said Arabs in Israel live much better than elsewhere?
Ha’aretz – Arabeh Mayor Omar Nasser is not willing to recognize the State of Israel as a Jewish state, yet he has no problem hosting right-wing Israeli ministers at his office.
Carlo Strenger / Netanyahu’s win is Israel’s loss
Ha’aretz – Once the dust of the media storm settles down, the citizens of Israel will be faced with the stark truth: The specter of Israel’s ever-growing isolation and of increasing international pressure looms large.
PA consent on opening Gaza crossing led to Hamas reconciliation
Ha’aretz – Reopening of Rafah crossing means certain Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip will no longer require entry authorizations in order to cross from Gaza into Egypt.
U.S. to help Israel buy four more Iron Dome interceptors
Ha’aretz – U.S. army official says anti-rocket system ‘highly effective’ in combat; funds come from $200 million-plus Obama initiative.
New IDF report reveals systemic problems harming soldiers’ service
Ha’aretz – IDF Soldiers’ Complaints Commission 2010 report shows increase in number of complaints brought before the Commission for that year.
WATCH: Israeli behind Gadhafi spoof song lampoons Netanyahu’s Congress speech
Ha’aretz – Israeli behind popular YouTube parody of Gadhafi’s ‘Zenga Zenga’ song comes out with a new video of Netanyahu remixed to the song ‘We No Speak Americano.’
Egypt to permanently open Rafah crossing with Gaza on Saturday
Ha’aretz – Opening of crossing sets up potential conflict with Israel, which has had a blockade on the strip since Hamas took it over in 2007.
Day after Netanyahu addresses Congress, his ministers inaugurate East Jerusalem settlement
Ha’aretz – Knesset speaker at ceremony comments on Obama’s recent Mideast policy speech, asking what will happen if ‘one day there is a president that thinks Israel’s existence contradicts America’s interest?’
Hezbollah chief: Obama, Netanyahu dealt mortal blow to peace process
Ha’aretz – Sheik Hassan Nasrallah says U.S. and Israel have the same goals; the Hezbollah leader spoke on ‘Liberation Day,’ marking the withdrawal of the IDF from southern Lebanon in 2000.
Palestinian unity deal exposes divisions in Hamas leadership
Ha’aretz – Hamas leader in Damascus surprises rest of the movement by saying the group is willing to give ‘an additional chance to peace’ with Israel.’
U.S. senators propose tightening sanctions on Iran
Ha’aretz – Bipartisan group say they want to step up pressure on Tehran to stop suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons, highlighted by data this week from the UN nuclear watchdog.
Report: Egypt, Iran discuss resuming diplomatic ties after 30 years
Ha’aretz – Egyptian-run news website quotes Egypt foreign minister saying that he discussed an exchange of ambassadors with Iran’s foreign minister.
As Iceland eruption ebbs / Israeli carriers say flights to U.K. are as usual, for now
Ha’aretz – As the cloud of volcanic ash rolled over the oceans and reached Scotland and parts of northern England, British Airways, Easyjet and Ryanair cancel flights to and from Scotland and Ireland.
MK vows crackdown if cell firms don’t mend their ways
Ha’aretz – Knesset Economic Affairs Committee holds urgent session to discuss poor customer service supplied by mobile operators.
Ofers deny U.S. charge of selling tanker to Iran
Ha’aretz – Israeli group one of seven firms hit by U.S. sanctions.
Upon return from Washington Netanyahu says Israel found support in U.S.
Ha’aretz – U.S. State Department deputy spokesman says Netanyahu’s warm welcome in Congress affirms Israel is a close partner of the United States.
Obama: The UN can’t give the Palestinians a state
Ha’aretz – U.S. president says during London press conference that he is confident two-state solution is possible, if Palestinians and Israelis agree on a ‘just peace.’
Hamas chief: We will continue to bolster Hamas-Fatah reconciliation
Ha’aretz – In response to Netanyahu’s speech to Congress Wednesday, Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh insists Palestinians will ‘face occupation with unity.’
Abbas: Netanyahu’s vision for peace is nothing we can build on
Ha’aretz – Palestinian president rejects PM’s speech to Congress, says he will seek UN recognition of Palestinian state if there is no breakthrough in peace process.
Rightist MKs slam Netanyahu’s ‘painful compromises for peace’
Ha’aretz – MK Danny Dannon of PM’s own Likud party slams Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, says his positions do not represent the party.
The facts and fictions of Netanyahu’s address to Congress
Ha’aretz – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes claims about the West Bank, Arab citizens of Israel and the Jewish people’s historic biblical connection to Israel – are these hollow statements or political truths?
Palestinian PM Fayyad released from hospital, expected to make full recovery
Ha’aretz – After being hospitalized for severe chest pains during a visit to Texas, doctors confirm he did not suffer a heart attack and should make a full recovery.
UN report: Syria site reportedly bombed by Israel in 2007 was a nuclear reactor
Ha’aretz – Confidential report reveals IAEA investigators as estimating that the Dair Alzour reactor was designed to produce plutonium for possible use in nuclear weapons.
Controversial bill seeks to keep chief rabbis in office
Jeruslalem Post 26 May 2011 – Legislation would change law limiting rabbi’s term to 10 years; MK calls bill “personal legislation totally against constitutional norms.”
Visiting US A-Gs show admiration for Peres, Supreme Court
Jeruslalem Post 26 May 2011 – A-Gs say that during visit to Israel they appreciated more the difficulties of the regional conflict and felt closer with Israelis and Jews.
‚ÄòDisgruntled Ethiopians could be next Black Panthers’
Jeruslalem Post 26 May 2011 – Former MK warns that Israel must improve living conditions of Ethiopian immigrants or country could face radical protests from community.
Police prep for Palestinian statehood declaration
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Moshe Karadi says current police numbers inadequate “to deal with the problems posed by declaration of Palestinian state.”
Calls to investigate Ofer Brothers following US report
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Company claims it did not know its buyers had ties to Iran after US State Department report said it was involved in tanker sale to Tehran.
Prisons Service seeking ‚Äòstudy partner’ for Yigal Amir
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – State prosecutors say search is on for inmate who can study Jewish texts with Amir once every two weeks.
‚ÄòBest show in town’ but arrogant, MK says of PM’s speech
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Miri Regev: Netanyahu should have said “Abbas is walking in Arafat’s shoes”; Eitan Cabel: “Speeches don’t change situation, pretty as they are.”
J’lem to incorporate kibbutz fields to build 1,600 units
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – City to build new apartments on Kibbutz Ramat Rahel; area not over Green Line, though 23% was “no man’s land” between Israel, Jordan.
US to help Israel buy 4 more Iron Dome interceptors
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Pentagon says US to benefit from deal; funds come from $200m. Obama initiative; US general calls rocket system highly effective.
Lieberman: Security first, then borders
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – In Paris, FM says Palestinian state can only be achieved through talks, urges European leaders to reject unilateral statehood bid.
Officials fear state declaration will lead to boycott
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Concern growing in defense establishment that following unilateral statehood announcement, countries will ban Israeli military products.
W. Bank dropped from JAFI site promoting aliya
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Info about Absorption Ministry program encouraging aliya includes J’lem, Haifa and Modi’in, but removes Ma’aleh Adumim and Ariel.
Obama explains — and makes it worse
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – President Obama’s statement in a UK press conference reveals the underlying flaw in Obama’s thinking about the conflict. Giving the Palestinians more than they asked for has made it impossible for the Palestinians to compromise.
Dead end speech
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Netanyahu’s speech was eloquent and poignant. Yet it was also a blunt rejection of the parameters outlined in both of the US president’s recent speeches.
US senators propose even tighter sanctions on Iran
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Move comes after fear that firms overseas, particularly in China, are evading US penalties for doing business with Tehran.
Wedding for the dough? Saudis debate new marriage law
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Lawmakers fear changes will make women vulnerable to foreign gold diggers in country where their rights are severely constrained.
Facebook didn’t cause Arab Spring, says Zuckerberg
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Speaking at e-G8 Internet Forum, Facebook CEO says it is the Internet, not specifically his site, that fuels Middle East protests.
‘Egypt to open Rafah border crossing by weekend’
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Decision to open Gaza crossing “part of efforts to end status of the Palestinian division,” Egyptian news agency reports.
Nasrallah: Speeches by Obama, PM are a blow to peace
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Hezbollah leader urges Arab League to withdraw its Mideast peace process initiative; “Palestinians have only resistance to achieve liberation.”
Israeli song becomes Syrian opposition’s soundtrack
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Three songs on Israeli singer Amir Benayoun’s new Arabic-language album written at Syrian dissidents’ request.
Analysis: Power struggles after Hamas-Fatah unity deal
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Hamas’s rhetoric in English differs from comments in Arabic; sides have yet to reach agreement over identity of PM who would head new gov’t.
Diplomats: Syria’s nuclear technology violated IAEA rules
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – After inspectors support allegations that site bombed by Israel was covert reactor, Western states push for UN referral.
Steinitz: After gas find, we won’t abandon hi-tech
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Finance minister says gov’t will likely invest $150b. gas finds into sovereign wealth fund; “we are not Kuwait, we are not Abu Dhabi.”
First man to walk in space meets Peres
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – The president receives Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Korniyenko, Alexei Leonov, Jewish-American astronaut Garret Reisman at Beit Hanassi.
Bibi’s heckler: To seize or not to seize?
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Bent on sabotaging the PM’s address to Congress, one woman may have got more than she bargained for when her disruption ironically became a testament of the values Israel shares with the US.
Male circumcision ban proposed in Santa Monica
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Advocates of the bill say procedure is painful and unnecessary, equate procedure to female circumcision practices.
CITYbites: A trip to Armenia
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – The Armenian Tavern in Jerusalem’s Old City serves up great food in a warm atmosphere for a unique dining experience.
Israel has high life expectancy, birthrate, also poverty
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – OECD’s Better Life Index puts Israel near member states’ average, shows strengths in education, weakness in workforce participation.
Zvi Schalit: Congress not the right forum to discuss Gilad
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2011 – Grandfather of Gilad Schalit says Netanyahu should use improved status following US visit to “save Gilad immediately.”
Barack Obama: Leadership is about deeds, not words | Editorial
The Guardian 25 May 2011 – The challenge of declining influence is not the relationship between America and Britain, but that of both countries to the non-western world They are a remarkable couple. The grandson of a Kenyan cook in the British…
Oxford University appoints Israel studies professor with £3m donation
The Guardian 25 May 2011 – Derek Penslar will take up post as a fellow of St Anne’s college next year to study the country’s history ‘within a global context’ Oxford University has appointed its first chair of Israel studies to research…
Letter: Israel and the real failing of resolution 242
The Guardian 25 May 2011 – Andrea Teti ( Letters , 23 May) makes light of the absence of the definite article in the English version of UN resolution 242 of 1967 that called for the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces “from territories occupied…
Barack Obama and David Cameron highlight mild Transatlantic differences
The Guardian 25 May 2011 – President and prime minister strike different chords, showing how Anglo-American special relationship is rarely a love-in Barack Obama today anticipated the inevitable “split” stories that are written whenever a US president stops off in Britain. This…
Egypt to reopen Gaza strip crossing for first time since 2007
The Guardian 25 May 2011 – Cairo’s interim military government moves to ease blockade but risks wrath of Israel Egypt will open its crossing with the Gaza Strip this weekend, Cairo’s interim military government has announced. The move will significantly ease a…
Don’t be fooled by the applause, Binyamin Netanyahu | Jane Eisner
The Guardian 25 May 2011 – Israel’s PM received a rapturous reception from Congress, but US Jewish opinion at large is frustrated with his intransigence When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday , his first audience…
Arab Spring Solidarity Defies National Boundaries
IPS Ever since the ousting of Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, ordinary citizens have been leading uprisings all over North Africa and the Middle East against unwanted rulers. But what is now known as the “Arab Awakening” is not confined to people resisting within their own borders. Some Arabs…
Syrians Running Out of Refuge in Lebanon
IPS Syrians from the border town Tell Khalakh have been fleeing a wave of violence over recent weeks to cross into neighboring Lebanon. But those seeking refuge now face an uncertain fate.
MIDEAST: Israel’s Cornered ‚ÄòSlaves’ Speak Out
IPS A new Israeli law that would bind migrant workers in nursing or care-giving professions to their employers is raising alarm amidst human rights groups and legal experts, who say that the law infringes upon the workers’ right to dignity and freedom.
[uruknet.info] Netanyahu at the Congress: What a Show
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – Sisyphus’ battle is a piece of cake compared to the uphill trudge the Palestinians will have to make in trying to convince the US of their cause. After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before Congress on May 24, the effort seems almost pointless. Where should I begin? The 25 or so standing ovations?…
[uruknet.info] In Saakashvili’s Georgia, the Bloom Is Off the Rose
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – Since May 21, anti-goverment protests rocked Georgia. Organized by an alliance of opposition parties, they erupted initially in September 2007 for early elections and democratic change, as well as ending corruption and police state terror. More on current protests below. In 2003, Georgia’s bloodless “Rose Revolution” replaced Edouard Shevardnadze with Mikhail Saakashvili, a totalitarian…
[uruknet.info] Syria opposition to meet in Turkey
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – Syrian opposition leaders are to hold a conference in Turkey next week in support of two-month-old protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, one of the organisers told AFP on Tuesday. “The Syrian opposition will organise a conference in Antalya from May 31 to June 2 in support of the revolt in Syria…
[uruknet.info] Hezbollah urges Syrians to back Assad regime
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – I, among millions of Arabs, have admired the strength of Nasrallah and his truthfulness. But for me, and after this speech, I no longer respect this man. He has openly put his sectarianism, political considerations, not to mention being owned totally by Iran, ahead of the legitimate desires and yearnings of 22 million Syrians….
[uruknet.info] Thirsting for Justice
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – As an occupying power in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Israel is obligated under international humanitarian law to ensure the welfare of the civilian population. Not only does Israel violate this responsibility through military invasions, extrajudicial assassinations and regular violent assaults on peaceful protesters, but also by deprivation of the most fundamental…
[uruknet.info] “Let Them Starve in the Desert” Words From the First Intifada
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – In 1987, after the First Intifada started, I remember sitting in a coffee shop in New York and overhearing words that stung and burned and never left me. I wrote down my thoughts in a sketchbook at the time, but never brought them forward; I forever regret not having said anything at the time….
[uruknet.info] Rights Groups Tell Congress: Vote No to Dangerous New “War on Terror” Provisions
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – The undersigned organizations strongly oppose the new Declaration of War, which is in Section 1034 of the Chairman’s mark for the National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”). We urge you to oppose the provision and any other similar new Declaration of War or new Authorization for Use of Military Force (“AUMF”) in the NDAA. While…
[uruknet.info] Yemen tribesmen seize public buildings in Sana’a as civil war looms
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – Tribesmen loyal to a powerful opposition chief have seized public buildings in Sana’a including state news agency Saba, sources said Wednesday, amid raging gunbattles with Yemen’s security forces that have killed 44 people. The tribesmen have also occupied the national airline Yemenia building and have tried to storm the interior ministry headquarters, according to…
[uruknet.info] White House Threatens to Veto War Provisions and Restrictions on Closing Guant?°namo in Defense Bill
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – Two weeks ago, when the “peace dividend” that should follow the death of Osama bin Laden was hijacked by cynical lawmakers intent on using bin Laden’s death to expand the “War on Terror” by revising its founding document, the Authorization for Use of Military Force, passed by Congress the week after 9/11, and also…
[uruknet.info] Campaign to vilify Gaza flotilla underway in Europe
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – A campaign of vilification against the flotilla that will soon try to break Israel’s siege of Gaza appears to be gathering momentum in Europe. Over the past few weeks newspapers in the Netherlands have published articles alleging that some Dutch organizers of the flotilla are “terror supporters.” The main focus of these smears was…
[uruknet.info] Nasrallah urges Syrians to back Assad regime
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday urged Syrians to back President Bashar al-Assad while calling for the rejection of sanctions imposed on Damascus over a deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests…It was the first time the reclusive Hezbollah chief commented on the protests in Syria, which along with Iran is a major backer of his…
[uruknet.info] 25 children among the dead in Syrian uprising, some tortured, opposition group says
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – More than 25 children, some of them tortured, are among the victims of the Syrian government’s deadly crackdown on an uprising that has killed more than 1,000 people over the past two months, an opposition group said Wednesday. The Local Coordination Committees in Syria, which helps organize the protests against President Bashar Assad, identified…
[uruknet.info] Egypt to open Rafah crossing permanently
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – Egypt will open its only crossing with the Gaza Strip this weekend, the Cairo military government announced Wednesday, significantly easing a four-year blockade on the Hamas-ruled territory but setting up a potential conflict with Israel. Egypt’s official Middle East News Agency said the Rafah border crossing would be opened permanently starting Saturday from 9…
[uruknet.info] The Libyan war and American democracy
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – The Obama administration has allowed a 60-day legal deadline for obtaining congressional approval for the US war against Libya to expire without taking any action. The deadline passed on Friday, May 20, with barely any notice taken in the American media or in official political circles. The War Powers Act was passed by Congress…
[uruknet.info] NATO bombing of Tripoli kills 19 civilians, wounds 150
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – In the most intensive bombardment since the US and NATO launched their war of aggression against Libya, strikes by British and other NATO warplanes in the early hours of Tuesday morning killed 19 Libyan civilians. Another 150 were wounded, some of them seriously, according to Libya’s health ministry, the General People’s Committee for Health….
[uruknet.info] Netanyahu falsified history and denied peace before Congress
Uruknet May 25, 2011 – Benyamin Netanyahu’s speech before the U.S. Congress was not only an attempt to falsify history where he seemed to believe repetition of lies would turn them into facts. It proved he is no partner for peace. Netanyahu falsified history and denied peace before Congress. Benyamin Netanyahu’s speech before the U.S. Congress was not only…
[uruknet.info] Syria’s crackdown: Why did Fawaz die?
Uruknet May 24, 2011 – Fawaz al-Haraki had only minutes to live. As the shots rang out, Abu Haidar and the other protesters ran for cover, grimly familiar with what to do when the mukhabberat (secret police) attacked. But Fawaz fell, the blood soaking his trousers where the bullet from a Syrian secret policeman had torn into his leg….
[uruknet.info] Feeling the Ignorance at AIPAC 2011
Uruknet May 24, 2011 – On May 22, thousands of supporters of America’s most powerful pro-Israel lobbying group, the America-Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, converged on Washington for the group’s annual conference. For two days they watched Democratic and Republican congressional leaders pledge their undivided loyalty to the state of Israel, and by extension, to AIPAC’s legislative agenda….
[uruknet.info] Military Resistance 9E 18: Alternative Universe
Uruknet May 24, 2011 – On Sunday, June 5, the 44th commemoration of the Naksa, or setback, Israel’s 1967expulsion of 300,000 Palestinians following the Six-Day War, Palestinian refugees willreturn en masse to the borders. Announcing the mobilization on May 18, the Third Intifada Youth Coalition said, “The lastfew days proved that the liberation of Palestine is possible and very…
[uruknet.info] NATO: A feast of blood
Uruknet May 24, 2011 – …With that as background, last night’s NATO rocket attack on Tripoli is inexplicable. A civilian metropolitan area of around 2 million people, Tripoli sustained 22 to 25 bombings last night, rattling and breaking windows and glass and shaking the foundation of my hotel. I left my room at the Rexis Al Nasr Hotel and…
[uruknet.info] Iraqi Kurdistan: Growing Effort to Silence Media Journalists Beaten, Sued, Detained, Threatened With Death
Uruknet May 24, 2011 – Kurdistan regional government officials and security forces are carrying out a growing assault on the freedom of journalists to work in Iraqi Kurdistan, Human Rights Watch said today. Regional officials should stop repressing journalists through libel suits, beatings, detentions, and death threats, Human Rights Watch said. Kurdistan authorities have repeatedly tried to silence Livin…
[uruknet.info] Iran: crisis at the top of the regime – workers start to move
Uruknet May 24, 2011 – The last few weeks have seen an unprecedented public dispute between the president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The dispute officially erupted over Ahmadinejad’s dismissal of Heydar Moslehi, the minister of intelligence who was fired by Ahmadinejad (officially he resigned himself) on April 17, but was then reinstated later the same…
[uruknet.info] Waiting for Obama is Like Waiting for Godot
Uruknet May 24, 2011 – If this week’s speeches by US President Barack Obama have taught the Palestinians anything, it is that we should never sit around waiting for America to save us. While the United States will always remain a major player in any peace agreement between us and Israel, it is high time we realized that it…
[uruknet.info] Yemen Officials: 38 Killed in Capital Fighting
Uruknet May 24, 2011 – Fighters from Yemen’s powerful tribes fired on government buildings Tuesday, prompting soldiers to respond with intense shelling in street battles that left at least 38 dead as the uprising against President Ali Abdullah Saleh threatened to become a militia-led revolt. Medical officials said 24 tribesmen were killed in the fiercest fighting on Sanaa’s streets…
[uruknet.info] Over Two Thousand Six Hundred Activists Arrested in US Protests
Uruknet May 24, 2011 – Since President Obama was inaugurated, there have been over two thousand six hundred arrests of activists protesting in the US. Research shows over 670 people have been arrested in protests inside the US already in 2011, over 1290 were arrested in 2010, and 665 arrested in 2009. These figures are certainly underestimate the number…
[uruknet.info] What price war?
Uruknet May 24, 2011 – After more than two years, President Obama’s national security policy looks all too familiar: like President Bush’s policy. You remember the Bush doctrine? Its most prominent tenet was the policy of preventive war – using the U.S. military to eliminate potentially dangerous enemies, rather than using military force only when the United States is…
[uruknet.info] Spanish Voters Reject Austerity
Uruknet May 24, 2011 – Since mid-May, Spain’s M-15 movement began protesting for “Real Democracy Now,” drawing large numbers of students, activists, unemployed workers, and other “los indignados” (the outraged ones) on streets throughout the country, defying a ban ahead of May 22 municipal and regional elections. Tens of thousands said “No nos moveran” (We shall not be moved),…
Yemenis flee gunbattles, Saleh rules out concessions
Daily Star 25 May 2011 Sporadic machinegun fire rang out for the third day in the sandbagged streets around the mansion of an influential tribal leader who has backed protesters seeking to overthrow the longtime ruler after repeated international mediation failed.
Egypt to open Rafah crossing permanently
Daily Star 25 May 2011 Egypt will open its only crossing with the Gaza Strip this weekend, the Cairo military government announced Wednesday, significantly easing a four-year blockade on the Hamas-ruled territory but setting up a potential conflict with Israel.
No one can disarm Hezbollah, Nasrallah says
Daily Star 25 May 2011 Nasrallah vowed Wednesday that the group would maintain its arsenal and said no one could disarm it.
U.S. pressure holding up Cabinet formation: Nasrallah
Daily Star 25 May 2011 Nasrallah said U.S. pressure on President Miche Sleiman and Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati was holding up the formation of a new government in Lebanon.
Nasrallah denies Obama charges against Hezbollah
Daily Star 25 May 2011 Nasrallah said Obama’s remarks to an AIPAC conference Sunday that Hezbollah was behind political assassinations and car bomb attacks were aimed at pleasing Israel.
Nasrallah blasts Obama, urges Arabs withdraw peace initiative
Daily Star 25 May 2011 Citing Israel’s and the United States’ unwillingness to offer the Palestinians anything, Nasrallah said Arabs were left with only one option: armed resistance.
Yemen’s president vows no retreat as battles rages
Daily Star 25 May 2011 Yemen’s embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh issued messages of hard-line defiance Wednesday even as intense battles raged in the heart of the capital for a third day, saying he will not step down or allow the…
Lebanon, Syria armies agree to halt illegal crossings
Daily Star 25 May 2011 The Syrian and Lebanese armies have agreed to stop illegal border crossings into Lebanon, days after the number of Syrian refugees entering the country via the north saw a sharp decline, a security source said Wednesday.
Abbas says Netanyahu offers no hope for peace
Daily Star 25 May 2011 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel was offering nothing we can build on for peace and that without progress he will seek U.N. recognition of Palestinian statehood in September.
Israeli troops on alert ahead of Liberation Day celebrations
Daily Star 25 May 2011 Israel put its troops on alert Wednesday over fears that Resistance and Liberation Day celebrations might turn into massive gatherings along the border or a repeat of a border incident that led to the deaths of…
Analysis: Little change after lots of Mideast talk
Daily Star 25 May 2011 After a tense White House meeting and four speeches by the leaders of the U.S. and Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian picture is becoming clearer: a resumption of peace negotiations is improbable, and the Palestinians seem headed to…
Obama: Libya campaign has limits but Gadhafi will go
Daily Star 25 May 2011 The African Union meanwhile urged a political solution to the long-running conflict, which is expected to be one of the main themes of a G8 summit in France on Thursday and Friday, which Obama and British…
After revolt, Egyptians vent fury in litigation
Daily Star 25 May 2011 “The barriers have come down,” said a lawyer in the public prosecutor’s Cairo offices. “Nobody is afraid of anything now. They know no one is immune.”
Gasoline prices to fall LL600 Thursday
Daily Star 25 May 2011 Head of the Gasoline Station Owners Union Sami Brax said Wednesday a drop of LL600 in gasoline prices would take effect Thursday.
No end in sight for NATO in Libya
Daily Star 25 May 2011 The military campaign in Libya began with what seemed a narrowly defined mission: to enforce a no-fly zone and protect civilians from attack.
Egypt’s Ayman Nour to establish Lebanon branch of Al-Ghad
Daily Star 24 May 2011 Egyptian opposition figure Ayman Nour is in the process of founding a Lebanese branch of his Al-Ghad Party, he has revealed exclusively to The Daily Star.
Ashkenazi: We don’t know where Gilad is
YNet News, 25 May 2011 – (Video) Ex-IDF chief says Israel unable to stage military op to retrieve….
Obama: Palestinian UN bid a mistake
YNet News, 25 May 2011 – (Video) US president, British PM Cameron stress urgent need for solution to….
Cameras to be placed in Tel Aviv beaches
YNet News, 25 May 2011 – New plan has security cameras placed in city’s 13 beaches. Footage to be….
Settlers: We won’t live in Palestinian state
YNet News, 25 May 2011 – Jewish residents of West Bank concerned over Netanyahu’s Congress address. ‘We….
Who will study with Yigal Amir?
YNet News, 25 May 2011 – Rabin killer wants prisoner who graduated from yeshiva, has similar educational….
US: Hezbollah has more missiles than most states
YNet News, 25 May 2011 – Outgoing Defense Secretary Gates warns against possibility group has chemical,….
Haim Saban hints: No more donations to Obama
YNet News, 25 May 2011 – Billionaire funder of 2008 Democratic campaign disappointed by Obama’s conduct….
Friedman: Netanyahu is Mubarak of peace process
YNet News, 25 May 2011 – NYT columnist suggests that rather than appeal to UN, Palestinians should….
World criticism: Netanyahu’s ‘PR process’
YNet News, 25 May 2011 – Commentators from news publications around world slam Congress’s rapturous….
IDF intelligence gets first haredi officers
YNet News, 25 May 2011 – ‘Pioneers’: Two yeshiva students graduate special military course designed for….
‘AIPAC activists beat me’
YNet News, 25 May 2011 – Jewish woman who disrupted PM’s Congress speech says members of Jewish lobby….
Netanyahu: Applause constitute US confirmation
YNet News, 24 May 2011 – Prime minister returns to Israel triumphant after warm reception in Congress,….
Palestinian Information Center
Hamas denounces Netanyahu speech to US Congress
PIC – Hamas has strongly condemned the speech of the Israeli Prime Minister before the US Congress on Tuesday, saying that it was “full of fraudulence and denial of facts and history..
A call to march towards Jerusalem on the first Friday and Sunday of June
PIC – The Muslim Youth League in the West Bank has called on the Palestinian people to march towards occupied Jerusalem in June as part of activities “Jerusalem and Return Intifada”
Hamas calls for immediate release of Sheikh Natshe
PIC – Hamas strongly condemned the Israeli detention of Sheikh Nabil Al-Natshe, one of the prominent social figures in Al-Khalil, describing his arrest as a flagrant violation of human rights.
Ahrar: Prisoner Rajoub on verge of death
PIC – Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli Ofer jail have appealed to all local and international human rights groups to save the life of their comrade Yasser Al-Rajoub after his health deteriorated.
Haneyya: Reconciliation the perfect response to Netanyahu’s statements
PIC – Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haneyya has named five basic elements in a Palestinian strategy to counter positions declared by the Israeli occupation PM Benjamin Netanyahu while speaking to US Congress.
Gaza gov’t calls for isolating Israeli politically
PIC – The Palestinian government of Ismail Haneyya in the Gaza Strip has called on the world community to isolate Israel over its “racist” positions, which are destroying any hope of a bilateral settlement.
Bahar holds series of meetings in Oman
PIC – Dr. Ahmed Bahar, the first deputy speaker of the Palestinian legislative council, held a series of meetings with Omani officials in Muscat on bilateral relations ..
Egyptian FM trying to amend Camp David accords
PIC – Egyptian foreign minister Nabil al-Arabi is studying an idea to amend several items and activate other items that have been neglected on the Camp David accords..
IOF soldiers take positions on rooftops of Nablus village, arrest boy
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stationed on rooftops of a number of buildings in Hawara village, south of Nablus , on Wednesday, local sources said.
Knesset members say Netanyahu speech ‘misleading’
PIC – The Arab members of the Israeli legislative body, the Knesset, have said that the speech Netanyahu gave in front of US Congress on Tuesday was an attempt at deception.
IOF troops detain 12 Palestinians
PIC – 25/05/2011 – 09:32 AM
Palestinian detained, five injured in Silwan
PIC – 25/05/2011 – 09:53 AM
Israel plans annexation of Salfit land
PIC – 25/05/2011 – 10:09 AM
Netanyahu rejects right of return, declares Jerusalem eternal Jewish capital
PIC – 25/05/2011 – 10:53 AM
Abu Marzouq: Hamas will not make same ‘historic mistake’ as PLO
PIC – 25/05/2011 – 12:19 PM
Islamic Jihad: Obama speech a provocation to all Muslims
PIC – 25/05/2011 – 01:12 PM
EU Launches a New European Neighbourhood Policy
WAFA
Palestinian Leadership Gives World Time to End Stalled Peace
WAFA
Israeli Authorities to Inaugurate New Settlements in Jerusalem
WAFA
Israeli Intelligence, Backed by Military, Threatens Villagers in At-Tuwani
WAFA
Israeli Soldiers Arrests 10 Palestinians in West Bank
WAFA
Bedouin Refugee Representative Speaks at UN Forum
WAFA
Protester Disrupting Netanyahu in Congress Arrested at Hospital
WAFA
Palestinian Producer Price Index Down in April
WAFA
Newspapers Review: Netanyahu’s speech at Congress Occupies Main Headline in Dailies
WAFA
Palestinian Committee in Israel Denounces Netanyahu’s Speech
WAFA
OBAMA SPEAKS, NETANYAHU SLAPS, OBAMA WIMPS AND RETRACTS
Intifada-Palestine: 25 May 2011 – Netanyahu goes to Congress where he feels more loved and wanted than in his own Knesset where he is often heckled and insulted. by Mohamed Khodr “Remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There… more
Israeli Thugs in Uniform Beating up Women — ÿߟÜÿ?ÿ±Ÿà ŸÉŸäŸÅ ÿ™ÿ?ÿßŸÖŸÑ ÿߟџÜÿ?ÿßÿ°
Intifada-Palestine: 25 May 2011 – Women hit by Israeli army in a peaceful march. European activists beating of the Israeli army more
Protester who Heckled Netanyahu in Congress Allegedly Beaten, Arrested at Hospital
Intifada-Palestine: 25 May 2011 – By Eric W. Dolan CODEPINK activist Rae Abileah was arrested at the George Washington University Hospital in Washington D.C. after heckling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the anti-war group. The 28-year-old Jewish American woman was allegedly tackled by members… more
Kadafi’s government proposes he stay as a figurehead
LA Times 25 May 2011 – The idea apparently aims to play on fears of long-term instability and the possibility that if Kadafi cannot be ousted, war-weary Western nations may start looking for a way out of Libya. As President Obama and Western allies reaffirm their resolve to force Moammar Kadafi…
Obama pushes Europe not to support Palestinians’ U.N. statehood bid
LA Times 25 May 2011 – British Premier David Cameron is noncommittal on the Palestinians’ statehood bid at a joint news conference in London. The U.S. is deeply worried support for the unilateral step would isolate Israel. A week after ratcheting up pressure on Israel’s government to restart peace talks with…
Nuclear report on Syria may augur punitive action
LA Times 25 May 2011 – IAEA findings that Syria ‘very likely’ pursued a secret program may add to foreign pressure on Damascus amid a government crackdown on protesters. A separate report says Iran has expanded its nuclear capacity and stockpile. The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog released a detailed report saying…
Obama invites Libya rebels to open Washington office
LA Times 24 May 2011 – In London, he seeks to reassure Britain that the U.S. plans to do more to help NATO drive Moammar Kadafi from power. The White House made a new overture to Libyan rebels and promised more pressure on leader Moammar Kadafi, steps that came as President…
Leader Compounds Troubles In Yemen
New York Times 25 May 2011 – Hopes for a peaceful settlement of Yemen’s political crisis receded further on Wednesday as intensifying street battles moved into a third day.
Egypt to Open Rafah Crossing Permanently
New York Times 25 May 2011 – Egypt will open its only crossing with the Gaza Strip this weekend, easing a four-year blockade on the Hamas-ruled territory but setting up a potential conflict with Israel.
Special Report: G-8: On the Heels of Revolution, Economic Realities Arrive
New York Times 25 May 2011 – The shifting politics of the Middle East continue to plague those who try to improve it – a reality that analysts expect to intrude on world G-8 leaders as they meet this week in France.
Israelis See Netanyahu Trip as Diplomatic Failure
New York Times 25 May 2011 – Some Israelis expressed fears about international isolation as the prime minister returned from Washington.
Middle East: Gulf Council Reaches Out to Morocco and Jordan
New York Times 25 May 2011 – Some see the invitation from the Gulf states as a recognition of the shifting strategic and political alliances across the region.
Apartments Are Dedicated in Jerusalem
New York Times 25 May 2011 – Participants saw the event as a triumphant affirmation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration that Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel.
Anti-government protests continue in Georgia
WSWS – Ongoing anti-government protests in the country of Georgia have resulted in confrontations with police and the arrest of oppositionists.
NATO bombing of Tripoli kills 19 civilians, wounds 150
WSWS – With the most intense bombing raid yet against Tripoli and a threat to deploy attack helicopters, the US and NATO are sharply escalating the war in Libya.
Europe’s ‚Äòcautious’ cant on Hamas
Mondoweiss – Is the European Union about to give its blessing to the reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah? There is a possibility that it will but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief, was trying to sound reasonable this week, while actually…
Your $s at work– Israelis use new electrical device on protesters that stuns from several meters
Mondoweiss – and other news from Today in Palestine: Gaza Egypt to open Rafah crossing AP 25 May — Egypt’s official news agency says the Rafah border crossing with Gaza will be permanently opened for Palestinians on Saturday, a move that will significantly ease a blockade of the…
I left the corporate bubble – and am now trying to give a voice to the scores of Palestinian Gandhis
Mondoweiss – I am an American “corporate refugee” — a woman who worked for 20+ years making a six-figure salary, with my eyes fixed on the next rung up the ladder (in “big pharma” no less). I was aware that there were parallel worlds, and that I was…
AT-TUWANi: Palestinian trees destroyed in ongoing settler vandalism and harassment
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine – In the early morning of 12 May 2011, Palestinian farmers discoveredthat during the night unknown perpetrators had vandalized ten olivetrees in Humra valley, near At -Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills. Thetrees and the land belong to At-Tuwani resident Salman Jibrin Raba’i.The evidence suggests that the…
Bromwich: Netanyahu found the chosenness recipe in America’s bad cookbook
Mondoweiss – David Bromwich responds to a post from earlier today suggesting that Congress’s docility before Netanyahu means that the Israel/Palestine conflict has become an irrepressible conflict. I think your comments about the lobby, in the “irrepressible conflict” piece, are right but I also think there’s a terrible,…
JPost revises ‚ÄòNakba Day protests’ to ‚ÄòNakba Day riots’
Mondoweiss – This article , published a couple days ago on the Jerusalem Post website, was originally entitled “Palestinian group calls for more ‘Nakba Day’ style protests”. Within moments of the original posting an editor for Jpost dove in and made a simple amendment to the title replacing “protests”…
Thirsting for Justice
Palestine Monitor – A new campaign to stop Israel’s illegal and dangerous water policies in the Occupied Palestinians Territories. – In Focus / 3rd-col-1st-article , International solidarity , Theft , Occupation , Health
Design the new Palestine Monitor Banner!
Palestine Monitor – See your work every time you come to this site. – Press release / 4th-col-1st-article
Netanyahu falsified history and denied peace before Congress
Palestine Monitor – Benyamin Netanyahu’s speech before the U.S. Congress was not only an attempt to falsify history where he seemed to believe repetition of lies would turn them into facts. It proved he is no partner for peace. – Editorial / 2nd-col-1st-article , Non-violent resistance , Apartheid , Occupation , Impunity , Video
Rafael signs pact with Canadian firm DEW
Neged Neshek – Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has signed an agreement with DEW Engineering and Development to market “military vehicle protection” to the Canadian military. No details were released about the technology but it is probably the Trophy reactive armor system already in the Israeli and US militaries.
Ethiopia to buy Israeli drones
Neged Neshek – BlueBird Aero Systems has been selected to provide two UAV models to the Ethiopian military. Flight International first reported in late April that Ethiopia’s army had selected the Boomerang and SpyLite for surveillance operations. Ezega.com reports that UAVs “are important for Ethiopia because of its fragile…
Got the Goods on Yoav Even
Tikun Olam – P. Israeli rape victim pictured at anti-sexual violence rally An Israeli source has provided me a transcript of the statement that the victim I call P. gave to police as part of her complaint against Israel’s Channel 2 news reporter, Yoav Even when she accused him…
Elbit to upgrade Romania’s C-130 fleet
Neged Neshek – Elbit Systems announced on 24 May that it won another upgrade contract for Romania’s aircraft. Elbit will be upgrading the avionics for the Romanian Air Force’s C-130 fleet. Elbit has previously upgraded C-130s for Argentina (2001), Italy (2011) and South Korea (2009). Israel has an arms…
ADS prepares to export new UAV
Neged Neshek – Yavne-based Aeronautics Defense Systems (ADS) has received MOD approval to export the Dominator UAV . The Dominator is an unmanned version of Austrian-Canadian aerospace firm Diamond Aircraft’s DA-42 twin-engine plane. Variants of the Dominator have been in development since 2005 and its approval for export will make…
Fatah Central Committee member claims unilateral declaration of independent state “is not intended”
Middle East Monitor 25 May 2011 – The official Russian news agency Itar Tass has quoted comments from a member of Fatah’s Central Committee which claim that the Palestinian Authority is not planning to make a unilateral declaration of an independent state of Palestine. Azzam Al-Ahmad said that the PA will seek to…
The vision of Jordan’s National Front for Reform
Middle East Monitor 25 May 2011 – Former Jordanian Prime Minister Ahmad Obaidat has unveiled the vision of the new National Front for Reform in a press conference in Amman. Mr. Obaidat set out the plans of the new group, whose members include the Democratic People’s Party (Hashd), the Communist Party, the Popular…
Russian minister cancels visit to Tel Aviv following Israeli spying allegations
Middle East Monitor 25 May 2011 – Reports in the Israeli media claim that Russian Minister Sergei Shoigu has cancelled a visit to Tel Aviv following Russia’s expulsion of an Israeli military attach?© on espionage charges. The alleged Israeli spy was seeking information about Russian military “secrets”; more specifically, technical-military cooperation between Russia…
OIC chief calls for media campaign to publicise Israeli aggression
Middle East Monitor 25 May 2011 – The Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has urged the media in member states to step up the production of public information programmes in cooperation with their Palestinian colleagues as part of a campaign to highlight Israeli aggression. Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu also…
Egypt ‘to open crossing to Gaza’
BBC 25 May 2011 – Egypt is to open the Rafah border crossing into Gaza permanently to Palestinians from Saturday, the state news agency reports.
Dismay over Netanyahu’s US speech
BBC 25 May 2011 – Palestinian officials dismiss Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the US Congress, saying it will not bring peace.
Articles
Meeting senseless aggression face-to-face
Gershon Baskin, Jerusalem Post5/23/2011
A recent trip to the weekly demonstration in Nabi Saleh shed a new light on the IDF and its operations.
For months I have been hearing about disproportionate use of force by the army against weekly demonstrations in Nabi Saleh — a small pastoral Palestinian village northwest of Ramallah. Last week, I watched several YouTube videos filmed by activists in the village, providing vivid visual images of the forceful arrests of protesters by the army. I was disturbed because all of the clips showed how the demonstrations ended; none showed how they began. I was convinced that there must have been stone-throwing by the shabab in the village which provoked the violent army responses. So I decided I had to see for myself.
When I contacted the Israeli activists who regularly participate in the Nabi Saleh demonstrations, I was warned that it was dangerous and that there was no way to know in advance when we would get home. They also warned that there was a high possibility we would be arrested. I am 55 years old, and have been demonstrating since the age of 12. I have been in dangerous situations before, and was prepared for another one.
ON FRIDAY morning I was picked up from French Hill at 10:30. We drove on 443 until the Shilat junction, and turned toward the West Bank. We drove off the beaten settlers’ track through the Palestinian villages in the area. We then turned off the road and parked in an olive grove. From there, we began a trek of about an hour through the hills, finally arriving, after a steep climb, at the edge of the village. Every Friday morning the army seals off the area and prevents entry and exit for all. The 500 residents of Nabi Saleh, all from the Tamimi family, are demonstrating against the continuous encroachment of the Helamish settlement on their land. Since 2009, Nabi Saleh has been demonstrating every Friday. more.. e-mail
An Absent Future…
Layla Anwar, An Arab Woman Blues – Reflections in a sealed bottle…5/23/2011
Been without a computer for quite some time, a loving hacker decided to silence me again, hoping maybe I will lose the ability to put in words…he/she sort of succeeded, because after such an absence, I feel am a like a beginner again…even though it has not been all that long…or has it?
I don’t know, I have lost count of Time, the Future, I have no vision for. I live one day at a time and go where the winds take me…
It might come across as strange for those who plan ahead, the famous – 1 year, 2 years, 5 years plan…how can one not plan for the future they wonder ?
I did not plan for the occupation, so why should I plan for the future ?
This has become my modus operandi.
When people ask me about the future, I just shrug and say – I don’t know, maybe, maybe not, perhaps, we shall see, Inshallah, who knows, no guarantees…I noticed these are idioms I use often, almost automatically…like they have become part of my being.
I am not sure, maybe I am afflicted by some endemic Fatalism, where I have been robbed of the possibility of conceptualizing the Future. Or maybe, the Future in my mind is tied to Iraq and hence I see nothing but bleakness… — See also: Palestine from My Eyes more.. e-mail
Exposing Netanyahu
Paul R. Pillar, The National Interest5/23/2011
Probably the most significant take-away from the past few days of U.S.-Israeli dialog is to shed light on the true intentions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding peace with the Palestinians. Although Netanyahu finally allowed the phrase “Palestinian state” to pass his lips for the first time almost two years ago, this past week in Washington provided further confirmation of what had been apparent all along: that whatever conception Netanyahu may have of such a “state,” it is not a formula having any chance of becoming the basis for–to use Netanyahu’s own words from his joint appearance with President Obama on Friday–”a peace that will be genuine, that will hold, that will endure,” or probably even what most of the rest of the world would consider a state. Netanyahu is smart enough to realize this, which is to say he is content to let the status quo endure indefinitely. Israel will maintain that status quo through brute force–military force within the territories, and political force in Washington.
The drop-the-veil moment during this past week was the importunate lobbying by Netanyahu’s government before President Obama delivered his Middle East speech on Thursday at the State Department (and doesn’t that say something right there–where else would one see a foreign government get in the last lobbying licks on a president’s speech, even at the expense of delaying the speech?) to omit any mention of the 1967 borders as the basis for negotiating land swaps and an eventual territorial settlement. The president mentioned that anyway, and in the joint appearance on Friday Netanyahu said nothing about land swaps, instead denouncing the 1967 borders as not being a suitable basis for anything. As Mr. Obama correctly noted in his address to AIPAC on Sunday, there was nothing new in his mention of 1967-borders-with-swaps. It has long been recognized as the only formula that has any hope of being the basis for a successful negotiation. It has been the basis for several official proposals, including one by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in 2008. It also has been at the center of several unofficial proposals, including ones from people whose concern for Israel cannot be doubted (such as a plan offered by David Makovsky of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy). more.. e-mail
A year of steadfastness in Israeli prison
Electronic Intifada: 25 May 2011 – Ameer Makhoul The Electronic Intifada A year of imprisonment has passed. To spend one year in prison is a high price to pay for Israel’s unjust rule. My share has been more modest compared to other prisoners who are about to enter their fourth decade in Israeli prisons. Ameer Makhoul writes from Gilboa prison.more
DePaul vote on Sabra hummus a victory for human rights
Electronic Intifada: 25 May 2011 – Sami Kishawi The Electronic Intifada Chicago Over the course of the last few months, DePaul University has become ground zero of the growing campus boycott movement in Chicago. It began after DePaul’s Students for Justice in Palestine ( SJP ) discovered that the sale of Sabra brand hummus served to profit a corporation found to have direct financial ties to two Israeli army brigades notorious for countless human rights violations.more
Campaign to vilify Gaza flotilla underway in Europe
Electronic Intifada: 25 May 2011 – David Cronin The Electronic Intifada A campaign of vilification against the flotilla that will soon try to break Israel’s siege of Gaza appears to be gathering momentum in Europe.more
Thirsting for Justice
Palestine Monitor: 25 May 2011 – A new campaign to stop Israel’s illegal and dangerous water policies in the Occupied Palestinians Territories. – In Focus / 3rd-col-1st-article , International solidarity , Theft , Occupation , Healthmore
Design the new Palestine Monitor Banner!
Palestine Monitor: 25 May 2011 – See your work every time you come to this site. – Press release / 4th-col-1st-articlemore
Netanyahu falsified history and denied peace before Congress
Palestine Monitor: 25 May 2011 – Benyamin Netanyahu’s speech before the U.S. Congress was not only an attempt to falsify history where he seemed to believe repetition of lies would turn them into facts. It proved he is no partner for peace. – Editorial / 2nd-col-1st-article , Non-violent resistance , Apartheid , Occupation , Impunity , Videomore
America’s Coming Nakba
Palestine Chronicle: 25 May 2011 – By William A. Cook ‘From the moment we took on a role that included the permanent military domination of the world, we were on our own–feared, hated, corrupt and corrupting, maintaining ‘order’ through state terrorism and bribery, and given to megalomanic rhetoric and sophistries that virtually invited the rest of the world to unite against us. We had mounted the Napoleonic tiger. The question was, would we–and could we–ever dismount?’ — (Chalmers Johnson, The Sorrows of Empire 284). Johnson’s prescient observation, made years ago, erupted in full view of the world community this past week as Netanyahu and Obama attempted to control the tiger unleashed by the creation of the state of Israel in the midst of the Arab world—by deceit, theft, terrorism, and military might—faced now with the Arab spring rising from the ashes of fallen dictators. Coercion, bribery and military might created an illusion of peaceful stability as…more
Obama’s Half-Step
Palestine Chronicle: 25 May 2011 – By George S. Hishmeh — Washington, D.C. Why is Benjamin Netanyahu, the right-wing Israeli prime minister, so ungracious to the United Nations, which helped create the state of Israel, and to Barack Obama, the American president who is eager to end the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians as he had declared that time may not be on the side of Israel especially when the Arab Spring is still sweeping the Middle East? One would expect the arrogant Israeli leader whose “lecturing” — others described it as “chastising” even “rebuking” — of the American president in their face-to-face meeting last week when all Obama did was to repeat the American position vis-a-vis a Palestinian-Israeli settlement voiced by all his predecessors since the creation of Israel by the UN General Assembly 63 years ago this month. The only change was that Obama mentioned the date — 1967 — when Israel occupied all…more
Zionism and the Morality of Acceptance
Dissident Voice: 25 May 2011 – An article in Canada’s Globe and Mail starts off with a claim by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “[t]he only truly free Arabs living in the Middle East are the one million who live in Israel…” 1 Netanyahu’s statement plummets the depths of Israeli Jewish racism. Netanyahu also stated, “I will accept a Palestinian state,” and he called upon Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas to say, “I will accept a Jewish state.” While Netayahu claims to accept the idea of a Palestinian state, Israel has been colonizing and splitting the West Bank into Bantustans. Israel’s actions do not match the rhetoric. It is transparently racist. Why not be fully forthright and call for acceptance of what Israeli Jews have been carrying out: the creeping expansion of Israel into the West Bank and Old Jerusalem? The G&M piece if rife with factual omissions, disinformation, and contradictions. For example, the article…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 
Leave a comment