3 June, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
June 5th March Postponed In Lebanon
IMEMC – Friday June 03, 2011 – 16:12, A high ranking Palestinian leader has told Lebanon Daily Star newspaper that the June 5th march by Palestinian refugees will be postponed due to pressure from the Lebanese government.
Sammy Ofer Dies Age 89
IMEMC – Friday June 03, 2011 – 15:29, One of Israel’s richest businessmen, Sammy Ofer, has died in his home at the age of 89. The shipping magnate spent the last months of his life embroiled in scandal after the US State Department accused the Ofer Brothers Group of breaking trade sanctions with Iran.
PCHR Weekly Report: 2 wounded, including child, 44 abducted by Israeli troops this week
IMEMC – Friday June 03, 2011 – 12:00, In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 26 May ‚Äì 01 June 2011, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that a Palestinian child was wounded in Iraq Bourin village, south of Nablus. In addition, a Palestinian demonstrator was wounded in Bil’in, west of Ramallah.
Settlers Clash With Israeli Police, 11 injured
IMEMC – Friday June 03, 2011 – 10:58, Israeli Police spokesperson, Micky Rosenfeld, stated that six Israeli policemen and five settlers were injured during violent clashes that took place on Thursday when the Israeli police dismantled an illegal settlement outpost near the central West Bank city of Ramallah.
Israeli Sources: “Peres Meets Abbas In Italy”
IMEMC – Friday June 03, 2011 – 09:31, Visiting Italy Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, held a meeting, on Thursday, with Israeli President, Shimon Peres, and the two held talks on the efforts to resume the stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
Netanyahu: “Israel Will Act Firmly Against Attempts To Cross Border”
IMEMC – Friday June 03, 2011 – 08:04, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, warned Thursday that Israel will act firmly against attempts to cross into the country while the Palestinian mark the “Naksa” day this coming Sunday.
Rishiq Denies Swap Deal Nearing
IMEMC – Friday June 03, 2011 – 05:32, Hamas political leader, Izzat Al Rishiq, denied on Thursday media reports claiming that a prisoner swap deal with Israel is approaching, adding that the deal remains in a deadlock due to Israeli objections and preconditions.
Lebanese Military Closes Border Area In Run Up To June 5th
IMEMC – Thursday June 02, 2011 – 16:25, The Lebanese military is due to close off the border to Israel on Sunday to prevent a repeat of the clashes on Naksa Day of this year, according to Israeli Yet News.
Clashes during raid on village near Salfit
6/3/2011 – SALFIT (Ma’an) — Israeli settlers raided a village near Salfit on Wednesday, and soldiers fired live bullets and gas canisters at residents of Yasuf who clashed with the settlers, onlookers said. Abed Ar-Rahman Saleh, head of the village council, said the settlers tried to damage farmland. Four Israeli military jeeps accompanied the settlers and….
Israel warns Arabs ahead of Naksa protests
6/3/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israel has conveyed messages to neighboring countries as well as the Palestinian leadership affirming that it will not allow anyone to “infiltrate” its borders next Sunday, public radio reported. Voice of Israel radio said Thursday Israel holds Arab and Palestinian leaders responsible for any attempt to “violate Israeli sovereignty…. Related: Lebanon bans protests at Israel border
Tear gas fired at West Bank protest
6/3/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces fired tear gas to disperse Palestinian protesters at an anti-wall demonstration Friday in the central West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah, activists said….
Lebanon bans protests at Israel border
6/3/2011 – TYRE, Lebanon (AFP) – Lebanon has banned all demonstrations near the Israeli border as the Palestinians gear up to mark 44 years since the seizure of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the Six Day War, a security official told AFP on Friday.” The army has taken the decision to ban any demonstration south of…. Related: Israel warns Arabs ahead of Naksa protests
Ni’lin marks anniversary of protester’s death
6/3/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Anti-wall protesters in Ni’lin on Friday marked the second anniversary of the killing of an activist at a demonstration in the village. In June 2009, Israeli soldiers shot Aqel Srour in the chest with live ammunition. He was pronounced dead on arrival to hospital. He was the fifth Ni….
Hamas resolves internal feud over talks with Israel
6/3/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas has resolved an internal dispute over a speech delivered by Khaled Mashaal in Cairo last month at the signing of a Palestinian unity deal, the party said Thursday. After a two-day meeting in Damascus, Hamas officials affirmed in a statement that Mashaal’s remarks indeed represented the party’….
Doctors threaten to resign over PA inaction
6/3/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The doctors’ union has threatened to submit mass resignations in response to a decision by the Palestinian government in Ramallah to refer an ongoing strike in the medical sector to court. Jawad Awad, head of the union, said “the decision taken by the government to go to court. . . is a….
Israel releases Hamas leader suffering from cancer
6/3/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israel has released a Hamas leader from Ofer military detention center because he has cancer, the Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs in Gaza said Thursday. Yasser Rajoub, 58, was detained on Jan. 17 and sentenced to six months administrative detention without charge or trial. He was released after four months because….
Gaza border closed
6/3/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – Israeli authorities decided to close the Kerem Shalom border Friday and Saturday. Palestinian official Raed Fattuh said the Israeli side would close the border as usual and reopen in Sunday. Three-hundred truckloads of goods were imported Thursday, crossings officials said. The last shipment before the weekend supplied the commercial and….
Report: Israel preps for violence in Jerusalem
6/3/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli police have made extensive preparations for expected violence Friday following prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Israeli media reported. Entrance to the area will be restricted to women and men over the age of 45 with Israeli residency, The Jerusalem Post newspaper reported. Extra officers will be stationed in East Jerusalem….
Israeli tycoon embroiled in Iran scandal dead
6/3/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli businessman Sammy Ofer, whose company Ofer Brothers is embroiled in a scandal over illegal trade with Iran, was found dead at his Tel Aviv home Friday, media reports said. He was 89. Ofer, a shipping magnate who was one of the founders of the Ofer Brothers Group, died early on Friday of….
Female detainee suffers stomach ulcer in Israeli jail
6/3/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian detainees center reported Thursday that a female prisoner is suffering from a stomach ulcer and problems in her chest and teeth. Amal Jum’a, held at Al-Damon prison, is from Nablus. She was detained in 2004 and banned from family visits except for one time each year. She….
Pope: ‘Urgent need’ for Palestinian state
6/3/2011 – VATICAN CITY (AFP) — Pope Benedict XVI and President Mahmoud Abbas met in the Vatican on Friday and said there was an “urgent need” for a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Particular stress was laid on the urgent need to find a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” the Vatican said in a….
Gaza: 13 children return from treatment in Slovenia
6/3/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Thirteen children returned to Gaza on Friday after receiving medical treatment in Slovenia. The children were treated under a rehabilitation project initiated by Slovenia’s President Danilo Turk shortly after Israel’s 3-week offensive on the Gaza Strip, launched in December 2008. Under the program, children who….
Village marks 2 years since protester’s death
6/3/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinians in the central West Bank village of Nil’in commemorated Friday the second anniversary of the killing of Aqel Srour during a demonstration in 2009, activists said…. Related: Ni’lin marks anniversary of protester’s death
EU hosts PA deputy justice minister for talks
6/3/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian deputy minister of justice, Khalil Karaja, and three senior staff members have participated in a study-trip to London facilitated by a European Union training program. Karaja and other officials held meetings with UK government ministers to discuss experiences and future support for the Palestinian Authority in the field of….
Juppe: Paris Mideast peace conference has ‘a chance’
6/3/2011 – TEL AVIV Israel (AFP) — French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on Friday that a proposed a Middle East peace conference in Paris next month had “a chance” of taking place. Winding up a 36-hour visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories he met Defense Minister Ehud Barak and opposition leader Tzipi Livni in Tel….
Muslim Azerbaijan, Israel’s unlikely ally
6/3/2011 – BAKU, Azerbaijan (AFP) — Men swathed in embroidered shawls rock back and forth reverentially as they murmur morning prayers in Hebrew at a smart modern synagogue built for them by the state in the heart of Muslim Baku. Despite Azerbaijan’s majority Shiite population, the government has funded the construction of two new synagogues in….
Islamic Jihad holds Gaza rally to mark Naksa
6/3/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – Islamic Jihad supporters held a rally in southern Gaza on Friday to commemorate the 44th anniversary of the Naksa. The Naksa, or “setback,” refers to the mass dispossession of Palestinians after the Six Day War of 1967, when Israel’s army occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Demonstrators…. Related: Lebanon bans protests at Israel border and Israel warns Arabs ahead of Naksa protests
Reports: Israeli businessman Sammy Ofer dies
6/3/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Sammy Ofer, one of Israel’s wealthiest men and the tycoon at the center of a scandal over business ties to Iran, died late Thursday in Tel Aviv, Israeli media reported. He was 89…. Related: Israeli tycoon embroiled in Iran scandal dead
Syrian forces ‘shot dead 34 protesters in Hama’
6/3/2011 – DAMASCUS, Syria (AFP) — Syrian security forces shot dead at least 34 people while dispersing tens of thousands of demonstrators in the central city of Hama on Friday, activists said, as anti-regime protests spread to Damascus. Activists in the city told AFP by telephone in Nicosia that dozens of other people were wounded. Security forces unleashed….
Yemen president, premier wounded in palace shelling
6/3/2011 – SANAA, Yemen (AFP) — Yemen’s embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded on Friday along with his premier and other officials as shells struck a mosque in the presidential palace compound, a security official told AFP. The mosque attack came as fighting that has killed scores of people in north Sanaa spread to the….
Egypt military quizzes reporters over Islamist deal story
6/3/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Military prosecutors questioned a newspaper editor and a journalist on Friday over a report alleging Egypt’s military would back an Islamist group in elections, a source said. The editor of the Wafd party’s newspaper and the journalist who wrote the story may be punished for publishing false news if….
UN envoy urges Syria to protect children
6/3/2011 – NEW YORK (Ma’an) — A senior UN envoy voiced concern Friday about violence against children amid the ongoing unrest in Syria and urged the government to ensure the protection of all children.” Violence against children must stop and children’s safety must be upheld at all times,” said Marta Santos Pais, the UN….
“Jewish facts on the ground”. No way.
Palestine Note 3 Jun 2011 – Question, why should any one, let alone the Palestinians accept “Israel’s facts on the ground” when Israel not only never accepted “Palestinian’s facts on the ground” but through brute force changed these facts? The fact that Israeli Jews and beyond…
A Bright Future for American Diplomacy and Philanthropy?
Palestine Note 3 Jun 2011 – I decided not to join the American Foreign Service after going through the laborious application and security process seven years ago. I gave up this Dream Job mostly because of the bureaucracy and isolation from local communities that I saw…
Hamas resolves internal feud over talks with Israel
Palestine Note 3 Jun 2011 – Ma’an – Hamas has resolved an internal dispute over a speech delivered by Khaled Mashaal in Cairo last month at the signing of a Palestinian unity deal, the party said Thursday. After a two-day meeting in Damascus, Hamas officials affirmed…
Settlers torch crops in Nablus villages
Palestine Note 3 Jun 2011 – Ma’an – For the second time this week, villagers reported fires set by settlers in farmlands south of Nablus, with Burin residents pointing the finger at residents of the Yitzhar settlement. Farmlands near the Madama and Burin villages, both south…
Doctors threaten to resign over PA inaction
Palestine Note 3 Jun 2011 – Ma’an – The doctors’ union has threatened to submit mass resignations in response to a decision by the Palestinian government in Ramallah to refer an ongoing strike in the medical sector to court. Jawad Awad, head of the union, said…
In Lod, destruction of homes may be harbinger of more woes for Israel’s Arabs
Palestine Note 3 Jun 2011 – The National – Where six modest homes of the Abu Eid family once stood rest piles of rubble, refrigerators and personal belongings. Demolitions that target Arab homes are certainly not a new issue inside Israel: as many as 800 were…
Closing Gaza gap, Israel posts Iron Dome in Sderot
Palestine Note 3 Jun 2011 – Reuters – Israel has deployed an Iron Dome rocket interceptor outside a Gaza border town that has borne the brunt of Palestinian shelling attacks, posing a new test for the fledgling system underwritten by Washington. Rolled out in March after…
Preparing for Naksa Day
Palestine Note 3 Jun 2011 – Netanyahu: Israel has the right and duty to secure its borders and protect them James M. Dorsey, Arabiya – Israel may become the latest Middle Eastern country to be targeted by the six month-old Arab revolt that has toppled the…
Rebel fighters make gains in western Libya
AlJazeera 3 Jun 2011 – Opposition fighters make major advance towards capital, after claiming series of victories against Gaddafi forces.
‘Dozens killed’ in fresh Syria protests
AlJazeera 3 Jun 2011 – Activists say 34 people killed in the city of Hama during one of the largest anti-government protests in the uprising.
Deaths as blasts rock central Iraq city
AlJazeera 3 Jun 2011 – A bomb kills 17 people and injures at least 50 at a mosque in Tikrit, Iraq.
Bahrain’s Formula One race to go ahead
AlJazeera 3 Jun 2011 – Bahrain welcomes FIA decision to proceed with race, despite continuing security crackdown on protests in country.
Yemen president speaks after attack
AlJazeera 3 Jun 2011 – Ali Abdullah Saleh delivers an audio speech after surviving an attack on his palace in Sanaa that killed seven officers.
Libyan ‘rape’ victim deported from Qatar
AlJazeera 3 Jun 2011 – UN refugee agency criticises deportation of the Libyan woman who claimed she was raped by Gaddafi’s troops in March.
Bahrain police ‘suppress protest’
AlJazeera 3 Jun 2011 – Eyewitnesses say police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters marching in capital, Manama.
Friday Protests in Al ?¢‚Ǩ Masara Relatively Calm
PNN – Al-Masara-PNN-Victoria Delacroix- Friday’s weekly protests in the village of Al-Masara were relatively quiet and peaceful. However, even though the local villagers alongside international volunteers and local journalists were calmly and peaceful demonstrating,…
Israeli Soldiers Attack West Bank Anti-Wall Protests, Injuring Six Civilians
PNN – Ramallah – PNN – Six civilians were injured on Friday and many more were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation when Israeli troops attacked the weekly anti-wall protests in a…
French Peace Plan to Require Recognition of Jewish State
PNN – Jerusalem ‚Äì PNN ‚Äì The peace proposal offered Thursday by French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will require, in a first for the wider international community, that…
UNRWA and Bidna Capoeira to Bring Fun Activities to more West Bank Children
PNN – Jerusalem ‚Äì UN Media to PNN – UNRWA signed an agreement today with the group Bidna Capoeira to provide more training in the Afro-Brazilian sport and art form to Palestinian children in…
PCHR Weekly Report: Israeli Troop Attacks Since Last Thursday Leave Two Palestinians Injured
PNN – Ramallah/Gaza ‚Äì PNN/PCHR ‚Äì Last week Israeli troops wounded two Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, including a child, according to the weekly report from the Palestinian Center for Human Rights. The…
Rumors Emerge over a Prisoner Exchange Deal
PNN – Cairo ‚Äì PNN ‚Äì Palestinian envoy to Russia, Fayed Mustafa, said on Thursday that talks involving a prisoner exchange deal over abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit were near an end. The Russian…
International Solidarity Movement
Israel accused after Palestinian boys burned by mystery canister
6/3/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – Guardian – Military experts say unidentified devices found in West Bank may have contained outlawed white phosphorus. The Israeli army has been accused of leaving dangerous munitions near Palestinian homes after two boys were seriously burnt when they picked up a mysterious silver canister which exuded toxic white fumes. A second canister, discovered nearby less than…. Related: Source
Second settler arson attack on Madama in a week
6/3/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement – On Thursday June 2 at about 1pm, the villagers of Madama were again victims of a settler arson attack on their land. According to Samed Hamad, a 15 year old Palestinian who saw the incident, settlers from the nearby illegal settlement Yizhar, set fire to a crop Field on the mountain not….
Before and after September: the struggle for Palestinian rights must intensify
6/3/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 01 June 2011 – Palestinian Boycott Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) – Occupied Palestine, 1 June 2011 – The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) warmly salutes the Nakba commemoration mass Palestinian marches on 15 May which rekindled a unique spirit of resistance, real hope and heroic initiative in the struggle for the fundamental rights…. Related: BDS Movement
CPT: Settlers Injure Palestinian with Stones
6/2/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 2 June 2011 – Christian Peacemaker Teams – In the old city in Hebron, two boys, ages 14 and 15, residents of Beit Hadassah Settlement, threw multiple stones, some as large as 5 inches, at Palestinians walking past in the market place. One nine year old boy was struck with two stones causing a head injury that…. Related: Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine Projects
UNRWA and Bidna Capoeira to bring fun activities to more West Bank children
Relief Web 3 Jun 2011 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory 3 June 2011 West Bank UNRWA today signed an agreement with the group Bidna Capoeira to provide more training in the Afro-Brazilian sport…
The situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories
Relief Web 3 Jun 2011 – Source: International Labour Organization Country: occupied Palestinian territory New ILO report on the situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories GENEVA (ILO News) ‚ÄìThe annual report of the International Labour Office (ILO) on the situation of workers of the…
Kuwait Red Crescent donates to poorest Gaza refugees
Relief Web 3 Jun 2011 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory Amman The Kuwait Red Crescent Society has generously donated US$ 250,000 towards meeting the needs of 4,700 abjectly poor Palestine refugees in the…
British Band Coldplay Supports Palestine Freedom Song
3 Jun 2011 – London, (Pal Telegraph) – PNN – British band Coldplay shared a link to a song by a group of international artists called “Freedom for Palestine” by OneWorld, on its Facebook page on Wednesday.
UN calls for attitude change on HIV
The National 3 Jun 2011 – Rate of new HIV infections in Middle East and North Africa have more than doubled in less than a decade, says new UN report.
President Saleh and Yemeni PM wounded as clashes continue
The National 2 Jun 2011 – The attack was blamed by the authorities on dissident tribesmen loyal to Sheikh Sadiq al Ahmar, who have been fighting against government forces in north Sana’a since Tuesday.
Thousands in Syria defy clampdown, turning out for protests
The National 2 Jun 2011 – Government forces have opened fire at two of the demonstrations spreading across the country, having cut off internet access to most areas earlier in the day.
UN chief demands immediate end to Syria’s ‘violent repression’ of protests
Ha’aretz – Ban Ki-moon reiterates call for full, transparent investigation into killings of protesters; at least 34 demonstrators shot dead in Hama protests on Friday.
Report: U.S. to offer Turkey major role in Mideast talks if it stops Gaza flotilla
Ha’aretz – According to the Turkish daily Hurriyet, U.S. may offer Ankara to host major Israeli-Palestinian peace talks if it mends its ties with Israel and prevents upcoming Gaza-bound flotilla.
Egyptian protesters set Cairo police station ablaze
Ha’aretz – More than 200 Egyptians protesting the death of Mohamed Said while in police custody clash with police and military as they demand to see his body.
Palestinians cancel Naksa Day march to Israel-Lebanon border
Ha’aretz – Organizers say Sunday’s planned march marking anniversary of 1967 war to be replaced by strikes across all 12 of Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camps.
Carlo Strenger / Israelis must brace for dark times
Ha’aretz – The imminent recognition of a Palestinian state by the UN puts Israel on a collision course with the rest of the world. And there is but one way which this could be made less catastrophic.
Yossi Verter / Netanyahu in the land of Lod
Ha’aretz – While the prime minister was well received in right-wing circles after his speech to Congress, he received barbs from other quarters.
Yemen president wounded in rocket strike on palace
Ha’aretz – Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh receiving treatment at military hospital after opposition tribesmen fire rockets at his palace in Sanaa; four top officials wounded.
Doron Rosenblum / Three Israeli applications
Ha’aretz – The apps that let you talk like Bibi and find the IDF’s recommended ‘protected space’ near you.
Report: Palestinians in Lebanon to postpone ‘Naksa Day’ march to Israel border
Ha’aretz – Lebanese authorities pressure Palestinian organizers to postpone march to border that was planned for Sunday, according to a report in The Daily Star.
Rahm Emanuel: U.S. does not expect Israel to return to 1967 borders
Ha’aretz – Emanuel, mayor of Chicago and U.S. President Barack Obama’s former chief of staff, says Obama views 1967 borders as starting point for negotiations, not end point, in op-ed for the Washington Post.
Health Ministry warns travelers to Germany over E. coli outbreak
Ha’aretz – Health Ministry announces that all agricultural imports to Israel are being meticulously inspected due to E. coli outbreak in Europe.
Israeli billionaire involved in Iran dealings dies in Tel Aviv
Ha’aretz – Sami Ofer’s company is currently under investigation for allegedly docking ships under their ownership in Iran.
Ex-U.S. presidential hopeful John Edwards indicted over affair cover-up
Ha’aretz – Edwards, 57, was charged with six counts, including conspiracy, illegal campaign contributions and making false statements, according to the federal indictment.
Bailiffs at the door
Ha’aretz – Was your bank account restricted because of a parking fine you don’t even remember? How to minimize the damage.
Knesset panel approves new rules to implement biometric database
Ha’aretz – The database is to contain information about all Israeli citizens.
HOT to compensate consumers for waiting too long for customer service
Ha’aretz – HOT Customers will be able to choose between three different options: free access to an open channel for a month; a free voicemail account for three months or a free second phone line for three months
Over 500 Kuwaitis protest, demand prime minister resign
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – Demonstrators accuse Sheikh Nasser of corruption, inefficiency and attack him for refusal to be questioned in parliament.
UN chief demands end to ‘violent repression’ in Syria
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – After rights group claims that security forces kill 34 in Hama crackdown, UN spokeswoman says Ban-Ki-moon asks for immediate end to human rights abuses by pro-Assad forces against protesters.
Rights group: Syrian forces kill 34 in Hama crackdown
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – Activists say death toll likely to rise due to high number of seriously injured; thousands turn out after Friday prayers in nation-wide protests.
Diplomat: Yemen’s Saleh lightly wounded in palace attack
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – President’s Sanaa palace is shelled in attack; prime minister, parliamentary speaker reportedly wounded in attack.
Yemen officials say Saleh ‘well’ after reports of his death
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – President’s palace struck by shells; prime minister, parliamentary speaker reportedly wounded in attack; Saleh to make public address.
Netanyahu: Sammy Ofer ‘was a true Zionist’
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – 89-year-old Ofer Bros. Group co-owner found dead in TA apartment; businessman spent final weeks embroiled in controversy over Iran ties.
Saudi Arabia looks to ban child brides
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – In a country where no laws protect children from marriage, efforts to make wedlock more female-friendly raises conservatives’ ire.
Barak to Juppe: Israel cannot negotiate with Hamas
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – Defense minister and French foreign minister discuss France initiative for peace conference; Livni thanks Juppe for “fresh ideas.”
Mladic calls Bosnian genocide charges ‘monstrous’ lie
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – Former Serbian commander tells court he is ill, in a ‘poor state,’ and does not want to hear ‘a single letter…of indictment’ against him.
‘Palestinians in Lebanon to postpone Naksa Day march’
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – Source tells Lebanese newspaper ‘Daily Star’ protest organizers to hold off demonstrations after pressure from Lebanon’s army, government.
This Week in History: Titus breaks through the J’lem wall
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – As his father sets off to claim the Roman throne, infighting among the capital’s Jews gives Titus the upper hand in his siege of Jerusalem.
Rahm Emanuel: Obama doesn’t mean return to 1967 lines
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – In ‘Washington Post’ op-ed, Chicago mayor says 1967 borders are starting point for negotiations, not end point.
New archive will document life in Old City from 1917-48
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – Moskowitz-funded initiative to gather testimony from dozens of Jews who grew up in the neighborhood.
Record of 35 organs transplanted into 27 people this week
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – Israel Transplant matched donor organs, which were rushed on ice to the transplant centers where the surgical teams were ready.
Biometric ID database to be launched in November
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – Pilot project will test database in which citizens will be able to voluntarily exchange their identity cards, passports for new electronic ones.
‘Palestinian envoy says Shalit deal soon to be finalized’
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – Ambassador to Russia says deal to release kidnapped IDF soldier “close to completion”; Hamas military official Jabri reportedly in Cairo for talks.
Teddy Kollek award honors capital’s benefactors
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – The recipients are the Azrieli Foundation recognized for its dedication to education and beautification of public spaces in the capital.
First solar field to be launched in Arava’s Kibbutz Ketura
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2011 – A 4.95-megawatt field will begin providing electricity to 3 kibbutzim this summer, a power supply equivalent to 17% of Eilat’s energy needs.
Politics: Clashing with Uncle Sam
Jeruslalem Post 2 Jun 2011 – Belying conventional wisdom that Israeli public will side with US president against PM who jeopardizes US-Israel ties, Netanyahu jumped in polls.
Has Obama lost Jews’ support ‚Äì and funding?
Jeruslalem Post 2 Jun 2011 – US Affairs: Absolutely, say Republican insiders. I don’t think the president will be losing sleep, counter some Democrats.
Editor’s Notes: The battle for Europe
Jeruslalem Post 2 Jun 2011 – For all that Netanyahu raged against Obama’s flawed vision, the president’s effort to draw Europe away from a ‘yes’ vote for Palestinian statehood is certainly in Israel’s interest. And Israel is deluding itself if it fails to internalize how far Europe has tilted toward “Palestine.”
Column One: The real Egyptian revolution
Jeruslalem Post 2 Jun 2011 – As Muslim Brotherhood gains more power, the IDF must expand its draft rolls and increase its force size by at least one division.
Israel government ‘reckless and irresponsible’ says ex-Mossad chief
The Guardian 3 Jun 2011 – Meir Dagan attacks Binyamin Netanyahu for aggression towards Iran, and for failing to make any progress with the Palestinians The former head of Israel’s spy service has launched an unprecedented attack on the country’s current government,…
Israeli Sources: “Peres Meets Abbas In Italy”
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – Visiting Italy Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, held a meeting, on Thursday, with Israeli President, Shimon Peres, and the two held talks on the efforts to resume the stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. Israeli paper, Yedioth Aharonoth, reported that the office of Peres demanded that details of the talks should remain anonymous, while a source at…
Qatari weapons reaching rebels in Libyan mountains
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – Rebel fighters in Libya’s Western Mountains say they are smuggling in arms and ammunition from the rebel coastal stronghold in Benghazi, via Tunisia, and at least some of the weapons appear to originate in Qatar. Officially, rebels fighting on the western front of Libya’s three-month-old war say the only way they replenish ammunition is…
US offers Turkey lead role in Mideast talks in flotilla bargaining, report says
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – The US administration is mulling offering the Turkish government a deal under which Turkey would host peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians in exchange for a recovery in Turkish-Israeli ties and the prevention of a second flotilla that is expected to depart for Gaza from sailing later this month, a news report said on…
The Syrian regime’s crimes against children is met by silence in the Arab world
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – …Yet despite the grisly murders by the Syrian regime, the Arab League remained silent. The Arab regimes remained silent. In the meantime, Walid al-Muallem, the Syria Foreign Minister had the chutzpah to chide the Arab ambassadors in Damascus for not condemning the US and EU for imposing sanction against certain individuals in Syria. None…
Worse by the Day in Jerusalem
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – As thousands of right-wing Israeli settlers descended on Jerusalem to celebrate the so-called unification of the city this week, Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem were confronted by extreme provocations and the stark reality that their city remains very much divided. “My shop was broken into a couple of times, a few times, when I’m…
Iraq bomb attacks kill 21
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – A bomb outside a mosque frequented by provincial officials in central Iraq followed by a suicide attack against a hospital where victims were being treated killed at least 21 people on Friday. The attacks came a day after a spate of coordinated bombings in west Iraq killed 10 people, raising questions over the capabilities…
Largest Protests Yet in Syria Despite Repression
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – Despite committing some of the worst brutality of any Arab nation during the uprising, the situation for Bashar al-Assad in Syria looks increasingly desperate. The people are not afraid, and they are more than willing to die for the cause. Today’s demonstrations after Friday prayers were some of the largest yet despite the regime…
Yemen slides towards all-out war after President Saleh survives rocket attack
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – Yemen’s embattled president survived an apparent attempt to kill him on Friday as fighting intensified in Sana’a amidst warnings that the country is sliding inexorably into all-out war. Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for 32 years, emerged defiant from his compound in the capital after it was attacked: shells or a missile…
Forty-Four Years of Occupation
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – On March 7, Palestinian Prisoners Society head Qadura Fares presented a paper to the UN International Meeting on the Question of Palestine, addressing the plight of political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention facilities, saying: Palestine “has been under criminal occupation for 44 years. During that time, (Israel) committed the worst crimes against humanity,…
Anxiety and fear are the lasting wounds of Israeli extremist attack on 11 year old boy
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – An 11-year old boy attacked by Israeli extremists on Jerusalem Day, 1 June suffers from severe anxiety following the assault, Silwanic has learnt. Ahmed Abu Maizar had completed an exam and was leaving school with friends minutes before he was accosted by a gang of right-wing extremists near Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City….
Lebanon bans protests at Israel border
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – – Lebanon has banned all demonstrations near the Israeli border as the Palestinians gear up to mark 44 years since the seizure of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the Six Day War, a security official told AFP on Friday. “The army has taken the decision to ban any demonstration south of the…
Syrian Protesters Mass Again Despite Harsh Crackdown
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – Syrians poured into the streets Friday in some of the largest antigovernment protests yet despite the shutdown of much of the country’s Internet network, which has been crucial to demonstrators’ ability to mobilize and a major source of information for those outside the country. The worst violence Friday appeared to be in the restive…
Syria shuts off interwebs
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – Syria appears to have begun shutting off internet links to the rest of the world. Approximately two-thirds of all Syrian networks became unreachable by Friday afternoon as part of a process that began early in the morning. Routes to 40 of 59 networks were withdrawn from the global routing tables, leaving the internet in…
Syria’s Hama is drowning in blood as death toll rises to 130, report
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – The city of Hama which witnessed the largest massacre in Syria’s history in 1982 is witnessing another massacre today , the Facebook group, the Syrian Revolution 2011 has reported. The group said that the city of Hama which is drowning in blood has appealed to the rest of the Syrian cities to block its roads…
Israel accused after Palestinian boys burned by mystery canister
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – The Israeli army has been accused of leaving dangerous munitions near Palestinian homes after two boys were seriously burnt when they picked up a mysterious silver canister which exuded toxic white fumes. A second canister, discovered nearby less than a week later, was destroyed by the army in a controlled explosion. The army does…
Berlin wall
Uruknet Jun 2, 2011 – I continue to be sad, shocked but also inspired by what I see and hear in my working tour in Germany. I remain cautiously optimistic because lessons of history, as sad as they are, provide an unmistakable map for the future. Hitler (and Zionists) who aimed to leave Europe with no Jews have failed….
Obama Administration: Continuing the Bush Abu Ghraib Torture Cover Up
Uruknet June 2, 2011 – The Obama Administration has once again taken a stand in favor of covering up the crimes of the Bush regime. On May 27, 2011 in an amicus brief, Obama’s Acting U.S. Solicitor General, Neal Katyal, advised the Supreme Court not to hear a 2004 lawsuit that claims employees of U.S. corporate military contractors CACI…
Iraq: Protest Organizers Beaten, Detained Security Forces Should Stop Targeting Activists
Uruknet June 2, 2011 – Iraqi authorities have detained, interrogated, and beaten several protest organizers in Baghdad in recent days, Human Rights Watch said today. Iraqi authorities should stop the attacks and charge or release those being held, Human Rights Watch said. In Iraqi Kurdistan, a protest organizer, Isma’il Abdullah, was abducted, stabbed, and beaten on May 27, 2011….
Iraq snapshot – June 2, 2011
Uruknet June 2, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, Adam Kokesh prepares for the Dance Party this Saturday at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Iraqi government releases false totals for May (and the press doesn’t say a word), the continued effects of Nancy Pelosi’s decision to sell out the peace movement, and more…Since March 2010, a wave of assassinations and…
Crushed Ice in Nuseirat: My Gaza Refugee Camp Revisited
Uruknet June 2, 2011 – ‘Do you remember Mahmoud?’ asked Abu Nidal, my neighbor from nearly 20 years ago, when I lived in Gaza. “Yes, of course, I do,” I answered. I remembered him as yet another troublemaking child among the Nuseirat Refugee Camp’s numerous rabble-rousers. He was defined by a stream of snot that never seemed to dry….
Israeli navy forces Gazan fishermen to cast nets inland
Uruknet June 2, 2011 – Bassam El-Najjar once made his living from the seas off Gaza’s coast. For two decades he set out each morning to catch tuna, sardines and mackerel from the waters of the eastern Mediterranean. Not any longer. Now El-Najjar drops his nets into a large fish pool dug in the earth of a 0.5 hectare…
What Does the ICC Stand For? The Imperialist Crime Cover-Up
Uruknet June 2, 2011 – ….There is more solid evidence of the civilian victims of NATO bombing, including the three baby grandchildren of Moammer Kadhafi, than of the “crimes against humanity” attributed by Ocampo to the Libyan leader. But the French public has been mesmerized by the propaganda portraying Kadhafi as a bloodthirsty ogre whose only desire is to “…
The war in Libya ‘is not a war’. Really?
Uruknet June 2, 2011 – Yesterday [Wednesday], the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) announced it would continue combat operations in Libya for at least another 90 days. Nato. The president went to Nato on Libya, not the US Congress, as the constitution requires. The US has thus far provided 93% of the cruise missiles, 66% of the personnel, 50%…
Israeli forces bulldoze crops in northern Gaza during harvest period
Uruknet June 2, 2011 – Israeli Occupation Forces have begun bulldozing agricultural crops in the north of the Gaza Strip just shortly before they were due to be harvested by farmers. Farmers and eyewitnesses told Quds Press that just as farmers were preparing to harvest their annual wheat and barley crop near the border in the north of the…
Hamas in Gaza, Damascus spar over unity deal
Uruknet June 2, 2011 – Senior Hamas figures are trying to play down a public spat between leaders in the Gaza Strip and Damascus over which base makes decisions on negotiating with Israel. Mahmoud Zahhar, a senior official in Gaza, and Izzat Ar-Rishiq, a high-ranking politburo member in Damascus, have spent years as party delegation members in and out…
Lebanon bans all vegetable imports from Europe
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 Lebanon ceased vegetable imports from all European countries Friday, following a recent outbreak of the deadly E. coli virus, which has led to the death of at least 19 people so far.
Palestinians scrap march after Lebanese Army bans border protest
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 Palestinian officials announced Friday the cancellation of a mass march to the Blue Line following a refusal by the Lebanese Army to allow Sunday’s planned demonstration along the southern border.
Mikati hopes to form government within days
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati said Friday efforts have been intensified to overcome remaining hurdles to the formation of a new government.
Two Lebanese arrested for bid to defraud Ghana bank
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 A Lebanese man was arrested by Interpol in Ghana for attempting to defraud a bank of around $4.4 million, according to a Ghanaian newspaper.
Qabbani says resistance alone can liberate Palestine
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 Lebanon’s grand mufti said Friday that resistance was the only means to liberate Palestine and guarantee the return of Palestinian refugees.
Qabalan renews calls for swift Cabinet formation
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 The vice president of the Higher Shiite Council reiterated calls for a swift formation of the Lebanese Cabinet.
MP Pharaon calls for transitional government
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 March 14 MP Michel Pharaon called Friday for the formation of a transitional government to hold early parliamentary elections after the failure of the March 8 coalition to form a Cabinet.
Jumblatt and Qassar open rebuilt wing for charity
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt and Caretaker Minister of State Adnan Qassar inaugurated Friday a rehabilitated section in the headquarters of a charity in the Chouf.
Fayyad: March 14 looking to obstruct strong state
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 Hezbollah’s Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Ali Fayyad said Friday the March 14 alliance was determined to obstruct the establishment of a strong Lebanese state.
Top Sidon figures urge president to resume dialogue
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 A gathering of Sidon’s political and religious figures called Friday for the resumption of National Dialogue, under the sponsorship of President Michel Sleiman, in a bid to bridge the widening gaps among Lebanese parties.
Rifi orders that posters of him be removed from Tripoli’s streets
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 The head of the Internal Security Forces ordered Friday the removal of his portraits from his home city, while a judicial source told The Daily Star Maj. Gen.
Rai: No need to separate God from the state
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 The culture of religious, political and economic diversity is fundamental to the survival of Lebanon, Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai said Friday.What is the culture of Lebanon?
Refugees cannot be ignored: UNRWA
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 Displaced Palestinians will become a destabilizing force in the region if their demands continue to be ignored, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency warned Friday.
Rival pro-Assad, anti-regime rallies staged at Omari Mosque
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 A pan-Islamist party held a sit-in in support of the Syrian uprising inside Omari Mosque in Beirut Friday, while pro-regime demonstrators gathered outside and chanted in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The woes of a Lebanese woman who chose to marry a foreigner
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 In her tiny apartment, the paint on the wall gradually fades away and a 12-inch television struggles to stay on.
Coming this summer: A pristine beach and sewage-free sea in Sidon
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 Like its sister Phoenician cities of Tyre and Jbeil, Sidon has been able to boast of a rarity in Lebanon: a public beach.
Stigma around HIV/AIDS persists in Lebanon
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 This Sunday will mark three decades since the first detected case of AIDS and although the number of cases has stabilized in Lebanon, experts stress that stigma surrounding the disease and the discrimination faced by those…
NGOs laud benefits of cross-cultural education
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 Through cross-cultural education, religious and cultural diversity becomes an opportunity for societies rather than a burden, according to organizers of an international conference held Friday.
Rifi has broken no laws: judicial source
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 ISF chief did not break any laws during the recent telecoms dispute, a source told The Daily Star.
Syria bloodshed undermines Assad’s gestures
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 President Bashar al-Assad has tried brute force and political concession, often simultaneously, to quell protests in Syria but neither has halted the uprising and his double-edged tactic may alienate a vital support base.
China meets Libya rebels in latest blow to Gaddafi
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 China makes its first confirmed contact with Libyan rebels in the latest diplomatic setback for Gadhafi, and France says it is working with those close to the veteran ruler to persuade him to leave power.
Bahrain police open fire at protesters in capital
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 Bahraini police fire tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters marching toward the landmark Pearl Square in the country’s capital Friday, two days after authorities lifted emergency rule
Moroccan protests draw tougher response
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 An increasingly tough police response to street protests in Morocco may hand the “Arab Spring” demonstrations a political asset they have conspicuously lacked so far — widespread sympathy among the population.
Attack against Yemen’s Saleh killed imam, guards
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 Fierce fighting engulfed the Yemeni capital, where residents cowered in their homes as explosions rocked the city.
Mikati to abstain from parliamentary session
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 Prime Minister-designate says he will not attend the parliamentary session scheduled for June 8 in order to prevent further political division,adding that he hopes to form a new Cabinet and end the dispute over the session.
Sister of former Tunisian president arrested
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 A sister of former Tunisian President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali has been arrested, authorities said, making her the latest of several of his relatives to be detained since a revolt overthrew him in January.
Palestinians call off Sunday’s march to border
Daily Star 3 Jun 2011 Palestinians in Lebanon’s refugee camps call off a weekend march to the Lebanon-Israel border to mark the 44th anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
Billionaire Sammy Ofer dies
YNet News, 3 Jun 2011 – Israeli tycoon whose business fell under suspicion of having ties with Iran….
Health Ministry: Avoid eating German vegetables
YNet News, 3 Jun 2011 – Authorities warn Israelis traveling to Germany against consuming fresh….
Report: Lebanese ‘Naksa Day’ march postponed
YNet News, 3 Jun 2011 – Lebanon’s al-Akhbar newspaper, Palestinians sources claim planed march on….
IDF gearing for next wave of Palestinian protests
YNet News, 3 Jun 2011 – Security forces ready for riots, mass marches on Israel’s borders as part of….
Ex-Mossad Chief in eye of storm, again
YNet News, 3 Jun 2011 – Dagan’s support of Saudi peace initiative stirs new controversy. Ex-Shin Bet….
US boat to join Gaza-bound flotilla
YNet News, 3 Jun 2011 – American ship carrying Jewish passengers to sail in June’s flotilla to ‘play….
Rahm Emanuel: Obama committed to Israel
YNet News, 3 Jun 2011 – In ‘Washington Post’ op-ed former White House chief of staff reassures US Jews….
Last chance for peace talks? Peres, Abbas meet
YNet News, 2 Jun 2011 – President Peres, PA leader Abbas meet in Italy, discusses attempts to revive….
Republican Romney: Obama hurt US-Israel ties
YNet News, 2 Jun 2011 – Mitt Romney officially announces presidential run, slams Obama for treating….
Transsexuals out of Pride Parade?
YNet News, 2 Jun 2011 – Porn site owner pulls bid to fund transsexual float at Tel Aviv Pride Parade….
Netanyahu vows to defend borders
YNet News, 2 Jun 2011 – Ahead of next wave of Arab protests against Israel, prime minister says IDF will….
Sheikh: Terror suspect possessed by devil
YNet News, 2 Jun 2011 – Truck driver who went on rampage during ‘Nakba Day’ was in difficult mental….
Palestinian Information Center
Settlers attack Palestinian villagers in Nablus and Ramallah districts
PIC – Dozens of fanatic Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian villagers to the south of Nablus resulting in clashes in which two Palestinians were injured and three others were arrested by the IOF.
Zionist prison authorities transfer lawmaker Zeidan to Megiddo jail
PIC – Zionist prison authorities transferred former Palestinian minister and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Abdul Rahman Zeidan to Megiddo jail.
Rajoub: There are at least 14 dying captives at Ramlah prison
PIC – Yaser al-Rajoub, who was freed from an Israeli occupation jail on Thursday evening, called on human rights organisations to intervene to pressure occupation to free 14 other dying captives.
Calls in West Bank for broad participation in marking the Naksa
PIC – A statement issued by the various Palestinian groups including unions and civil society called for broad participation in the marking of the 44th anniversary of the Naksa.
A protest march in Jordan to mark the Naksa
PIC – Hundreds of people participated in a march that started at the Hanbali mosque after the Friday prayers towards the Ras Al-Ain district to mark the 44the anniversary of 1967 Naksa.
Zionist plan to banish 30,000 Palestinians from Negev
PIC – The Israeli occupation government is planning to displace around 30,000 Palestinian citizens from their villages in the Negev desert, south of occupied Palestine..
AF launches new campaign to remind Muslims about Jerusalem and Aqsa Mosque
PIC – The Aqsa Foundation that caters for Muslim holy shrines in occupied Palestine has decided Thursday to unleash new campaign with the aim to remind Arabs and Muslims about Jerusalem and the Aqsa.
PLC: Gaza Strip faces health catastrophe due to shortage in medicine
PIC – MP Khamis Al-Najjar, the chairman of the health committee in the Palestinian parliament, has strongly condemned the Israeli occupation for preventing the entry of medicine to the besieged Gaza Strip.
Murra: There are American and European attempts to revoke right of return
PIC – Ra’fat Murra, a Beirut-based Hamas official, criticised outside interference to try and stop activities on 5th of June to mark the 44th anniversary of the Naksa..
Israel wishes liberals in the next Egyptian elections ‘good luck’
PIC – Officially, Israeli officials say they don’t want to appear as interfering in the next Egyptian elections, slated to take place in September.
Eishel captives punished for protesting, women’s section at Hasharon raided
PIC – 03/06/2011 – 10:57 AM
Palestine Exchange Closes Week at Gain
WAFA
Israel Arrests, Harasses Palestinian Activists
WAFA
Settlers Attack Palestinian Motorists
WAFA
Gaza Prisoner Enters 22nd Year in Israeli Jail
WAFA
FRANKLIN LAMB: Israelis Rush for Second Passports
Intifada-Palestine: 3 Jun 2011 – PALESTINIANS RIGHT OF RETURN DEMONSTRATIONS “The number of Israelis thinking of leaving Palestine is climbing rapidly according to researchers, while many more, with actual millennial roots but victims of ethnic cleansing, prepare to exercise their right of Return.” By FRANKLIN LAMB… more
Halper’s Alarm call to Mobilize Worldwide Support for “September Moment”
Intifada-Palestine: 3 Jun 2011 – International civil society is Palestinians’ “most important ally” by Stuart Littlewood I hope the grey suits in the Palestinian Authority regularly receive ICAHD’s monthly newsletter ‚Äì ICAHD being Jeff Halper’s excellent organisation, the Israeli Campaign Against House Demolitions. And I especially… more
Yemen president injured in attack on residential compound
LA Times 3 Jun 2011 – President Ali Abdullah Saleh is slightly wounded when a rocket is fired into his compound during a prayer service. Four others are a killed, and hope for a peaceful resolution to a tribal conflict appear to be lost. A rocket fired into his residential compound…
Attacks in Iraq town kill 23
LA Times 3 Jun 2011 – In Tikrit, 18 are killed when a bomb explodes as people are finishing afternoon prayers, and five more die in a suicide bombing at a hospital. At least 23 people were killed in a pair of bombings Friday in Saddam Hussein’s hometown, Tikrit.
Yemeni President Wounded in Palace Attack
New York Times 3 Jun 2011 – It was the first time that President Ali Abdullah Saleh had been the target of an attack during months of political turmoil.
Syrian Protesters Mass Again Despite Harsh Crackdown
New York Times 3 Jun 2011 – Large crowds turned out on Friday despite the shutdown of the country’s Internet. Dozens of deaths were reported in Hama.
Suicide Bombers Attack a Mosque and a Hospital in Iraqi City
New York Times 3 Jun 2011 – In Tikrit, the hometown of Saddam Hussein, an imam and several local government officials are among 19 people killed in the attacks.
Despite Street Protests and Pleas of Rights Groups, Grand Prix Schedules a Bahrain Race
New York Times 3 Jun 2011 – Ignoring pleas from human rights activists, organizers scheduled the Bahrain Grand Prix for October, after it had been delayed because of an antigovernment uprising.
Former Spy Chief Questions Israeli Leaders’ Judgment
New York Times 3 Jun 2011 – Meir Dagan said that with recent retirements, including his own, “there is no one to stop” the prime minister and defense chief from making rash decisions.
Death of Israeli Tycoon Is Latest Twist in Scandal
New York Times 3 Jun 2011 – The Ofer Brothers Group is at the center of a storm over alleged dealings with Iran, stirring a debate about links between wealth, power and Israeli intrigue.
The Art World’s New Darlings
New York Times 3 Jun 2011 – With Iraq, Egypt, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia all showing at the Venice Biennale, Middle Eastern art was Topic A at parties.
Heavy fighting in capital of Yemen
WSWS – Heavy fighting between anti-government rebels and forces loyal to president Ali Abdullah Saleh raged through Wednesday night and into Thursday in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. Dozens of people were believed killed, many of them civilians caught in the crossfire between tribal militiamen and various factions
Egyptian doctors threaten to renew strike
WSWS – Hundreds of doctors marched from the doctors’ syndicate to the Egyptian Cabinet offices with their unmet demands on May 29, threatening to go back on strike.
AT-TUWANI: CPT releases video about Israeli intelligence incursion
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine – On Monday May 23, Israeli intelligence entered At-Tuwani, escorted by about fifteen soldiers. In the operation the Israeli military invaded a local leader’s house, demanded that villagers stop their nonviolent resistance andthreatened violent retaliation if the Palestinians persist asserting theirrights to the land.Christian Peacemaker Teams has…
HEBRON/AL-KHALIL: Settlers Injure Palestinian with Stones
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine – On 2 June, two boys, residents of the Beit Hadassah settlement in Hebron’s Old City, ages 14 and 15, threw multiple stones at Palestinians walking in the market below. Some of the rocks were as large as 5 inches. One nine year old Palestinian boy was…
Emmylou Harris Tribute to Kate McGarrigle, ‘Darlin’ Kate’
Tikun Olam – Tribute to Kate McGarrigle with Emmylou Harris and Kate’s family (Richard Termine) And now for something completely different. My I-P junkie friends ( I say that lovingly!) will hopefully bear with me as I delve into one of my passions, one which has been stilled over the…
New York Times: Americans Joining Flotilla to Protest Gaza Blockade
Jewish Voice for Peace –
New at Truthout, ‘Washington Visit, Bibi’s Waterloo?’
Tikun Olam – My latest story at Truthout, Washington Visit: Bibi’s Waterloo? It summarizes my thinking about the disaster that was Bibi’s Washington visit (both for U.S. and Israeli policy), and conversely the hopeful international developments that militate against Bibi’s rejectionism and Israel’s seemingly endless Occupation. Related posts: New…
Sami Ofer Dies
Tikun Olam – Sami Ofer One of the two brothers leading Israel’s largest conglomerate, Ofer Brothers, passed away yesterday (Hebrew and English ). He was Sami Ofer, 89, a native of Romania who was brought to Israel by his parents at the age of 2 in 1924. The elder…
State Department kicks can down the road on Israel’s crippling of Munib Masri
Mondoweiss – A case we’re following . Matt Lee of the AP again brought up Israel’s shooting of American citizen Munib Masri at the State Department yesterday , and Mark Toner said they’re aware of the case. Yes and the family is begging for American action. Where’s the action Jackson?…
White Shirts in Jerusalem cry ‘Butcher the Arabs’
Mondoweiss – What has Zionism done to Jewish identity? I ask that question a million times a day, but this video of Jerusalem day, June 1, is particularly poignant. Celebrating the reunion of Jerusalem following the ’67 War, the demonstration is reminiscent of Freud’s father telling him about…
Where is Congress/Obama on Israel’s crippling of American citizen Munib Masri?
Mondoweiss – I’m late on everything, including a report from the Nakba Day protests in Lebanon on March 15th that one of those struck by Israeli bullets— and maimed— is an American member of a prominent Palestinian family, Munib Masri, 22. Apparently he was paralyzed. And again I…
Glasnost‚Äì Clemons to ‘Atlantic,’ Goldberg from ‘Atlantic’ to ‘Tablet’
Mondoweiss – This is interesting, Steve Clemons of New America Foundation has a big new media job at the Atlantic. And Jeffrey Goldberg is leaving that shop. Atlantic Media Company president Justin Smith announced today that Steve Clemons has joined The Atlantic as Editor-in-Chief of AtlanticLIVE [this seems…
Dagan says, grab the Saudi initiative (of how many years ago?)
Mondoweiss – There’s that line that history is like a horse running by the window and you have to jump out on to it when you have the chance. Well the Saudi Peace Plan is some years old, some of the dictators are gone; also it was said…
Dagan for P.M.
Tikun Olam – Meir Dagan, Bibi’s chief nemesis (Yael Tzur) Who’d a thunk it? A man I reviled in the aftermath of the al-Mabouh assassination is actually talking sense and looking smarter by the day. In fact, every time he opens his mouth he only reminds Israelis (at least…
Constellations Aligned Against Occupation
Tikun Olam – Those who protect Israel’s borders have grown quite jumpy in light of the Nakba Day penetrations of five Israeli borders. The control tower of the Haifa military air force base reported the possibility of enemy aircraft in the skies above the base. Several Israeli jets were…
Orbit privatizing subsidiary on NASDAQ
Neged Neshek – Orbit Technologies is floating its subsidiary Orbit Communications on the NASDAQ list. Orbit is listing the subsidiary for two main reasons. [T]he first is to sever its market cap on the TASE [Tel Aviv Stock Exchange] and the market cap that will be set in the…
Drama pending in IAI head battle
Neged Neshek – Ehud Barak on Wednesday (1 June) informed Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) head Yair Shamir that he would not be appointed for a third term to head the country’s largest arms firm. Shamir was appointed by Barak’s political rival Shaul Mofaz and reappointed three years ago by…
Popular Committee Member Harassed, Served in Midnight Military Incursion
Palestine Solidarity Project 3 Jun 2011 – At 2:00 am on Friday, June 3rd, Israeli military forces entered Beit Ommar and made their way to the home of Popular Committee member and PSP coordinator Mousa Abu Maria. When they could not immediately find him, the soldiers woke Abu Maria’s neighbor to direct them….
NAM ministers express concerns about 6,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons
Middle East Monitor 3 Jun 2011 – The final declaration of the Non-Aligned Movements’ Ministerial Conference and Commemorative Meeting on Arab and Palestinian prisoners, which was held in Indonesia and attended by 120 countries, emphasised the impact that the prisoners’ issue has on Palestinian society and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The statement read; “this…
Dagan urges Tel Aviv to adopt Saudi initiative
Middle East Monitor 3 Jun 2011 – Meir Dagan, the former chief of Israel’s external intelligence body, Mossad, urged the Netanyahu government to launch a new political initiative with the aim of ensuring Israel’s existence in the region. In his first comments on the main “challenges” facing Tel Aviv, Dagan stated that…
Israel plans to displace 30,000 Palestinians from the Negev
Middle East Monitor 3 Jun 2011 – Israeli media outlets have unveiled a government plan to displace 30,000 Palestinians from their villages in the Negev, which the authorities refuse to recognise. They would be forced to move to existing Palestinian towns that would be expanded, such as Rahat, Kseifa and Hura. The…
Hamas and recognition: goals and cautions
Middle East Monitor 3 Jun 2011 – The clampdown on Hamas continues: despite some clear sky here and there, the demands are the same; recognition of Israel as a Jewish state in exchange for recognition of the movement’s legitimacy. It must choose between staying in power by recognising Israel or abandoning its democratic…
Troops ‘kill 34’ at Syria protest
BBC 3 Jun 2011 – At least 34 people were killed when security forces opened fire on a crowd of about 50,000 people in the central city of Hama, activists say.
Scandal-hit Israeli tycoon dies
BBC 3 Jun 2011 – Sami Ofer, a billionaire Israeli businessman at the centre of a scandal over business contacts with Iran, dies aged 89.
VIDEO: Can Syria’s Assad cling to power?
BBC 3 Jun 2011 – President Bashar al-Assad is fighting off the greatest challenge to four decades of rule by the Assad family in Syria, as protests continue on the country’s streets.
US Steps Up Anti-Arab Cyber Propaganda War
Sabbah report 3 Jun 2011 – The idea is to use social media to spread “positive” messages about the United States and its allies such as Israel. While the Pentagon says it is a bid to counter violent extremist and enemy ideologies, we all know it’s a propaganda war tool.
(en) Ireland, Workers Solidarity #121 – The media and the Garda rape remarks
A-infos 3 Jun 2011 – The media narrative regarding the Corrib Garda rape remarks played out with sickening predictability. Sticking as closely as possible to the Garda Press Office line, the news media decided that this was an isolated incident: yes, it was inappropriate for Garda?? to joke about raping captive…
(en) Anarkismo.net: The People’s Committees in Egypt by José Antonio Gutiérrez D.
A-infos 3 Jun 2011 – The popular committees in Egypt, as in many other revolutions throughout history (and without further action, as in other countries shaken by the “Arab spring”), were born to play a protective role in a situation of uncertainty and vacuum power, where the institutions of the old…
Articles
My Gaza refugee camp revisited
Ramzy Baroud, Ma’an News Agency6/3/2011
“Do you remember Mahmoud?” asked Abu Nidal, my neighbor from nearly 20 years ago, when I lived in Gaza.
“Yes, of course, I do,” I answered. I remembered him as yet another trouble-making child among the Nuseirat refugee camp’s numerous rabble-rousers. He was defined by a stream of snot that never seemed to dry. Although loud at times, he had always been helpful and pleasant.
But now, unlike so many others who emerged from the camp’s rusty doors and narrow alleyways to greet me after my long absence, Mahmoud was nowhere to be seen.
“He is in heaven now,” said Abu Nidal. His voice, which had been so cheerful about my arrival, suddenly became muffled. The years of hurt over the loss of his son had culminated into one moment. He paused and wiped tears.
A poster on the wall showed the face of a handsome, bearded man. He had been killed during an Israeli army raid into Gaza a few years ago. The poster dubbed him, “The Great Martyr Mahmoud Fa’iq al-Hajj.”
I placed my right hand on Abu Nidal’s shoulder and said, as is customary in these situations: “We are all your children.” Abu Nidal nodded gratefully, and the neighbors began recalling the names of other martyrs. Soon, we began to read Al-Fatiha, asking God to bless the souls of all those who had perished in Gaza.
It has been many years since I last stood here, in the Red Square. Named after the many people who were killed at the hands of Israeli soldiers during the First Uprising of 1987, the once open area has shrunk, like many other spaces in and around the refugee camp. more.. e-mail
America’s coming Nakba
William Cook, Al-Ahram Weekly6/2/2011
Is the US reaping the effects of its military domination of the Middle East and unconditional support for Israel?
“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 megalomaniac 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?” — US author Chalmers Johnson in The Sorrows of Empire.
Johnson’s prescient observations, made years ago, erupted in full view of the world community recently as Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and US President Barack 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 long as agreements providing billions of dollars for security police, military training by the US and technical and ordnance support secured these dictators in power. But with America forced to do the bidding of its adopted child by the “corpocracy” that governs the empire and its unending need for wars to sustain its economic growth, it finds itself woefully weak as its forces futilely attempt to contain terrorism throughout the Middle East.
Now, America finds itself bereft of power, bereft of resources and bereft of friends, manipulated by Zionists like Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert and Netanyahu who disdain America’s weakness, holding its Congress prisoner by coercion, bribery and deceit — the very strategies that Israel has used against the people of the Middle East to create the illusion of peace. more.. e-mail
Analysis: Europe’s move
Tom Moerenhout, Ma’an News Agency6/3/2011
The game of diplomacy has come at full speed. The 1967 borders and the recognition of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations in September are at its center. A third intifada lies undeniably within the game’s gamble.
Kicked off by US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the world is witnessing first hand either the unfolding of a historic moment, or the beginning of a new violent conflict. Or both.
Despite their powerful status at the diplomatic level, the US and Israel only have two votes among 192 in the UN General Assembly. The European Union has 27. Eyes and lobby are already turning towards European countries. What will be Europe’s move?
The recent EU-US crack
Recent exchanges have pointed to a EU-US divide on UN recognition. While calling each other David and Barack, Cameron avoided what Obama said about UN recognition in September. Instead the the UK Prime Minister congratulated the president on his visionary speech setting the 1967 borders as the basis of negotiations.
While last week Obama publicly announced that the US would make the argument against UN recognition “in our various meetings around the world,” it is crystal clear that with regards to this particular foreign policy issue, the influence of the United States in Europe is waning.
Cameron’s ignoring was a polite way of avoiding a second humiliation of the US president in one week. more.. e-mail
Provocation against Palestinians on “Jerusalem day”
Electronic Intifada: 3 Jun 2011 – Jillian Kestler-D’Amours The Electronic Intifada Jerusalem As thousands of right-wing Israeli settlers descended on Jerusalem to celebrate the so-called unification of the city this week, Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem were confronted by extreme provocations and the stark reality that their city remains very much divided.more
Move Over AIPAC challenges business-as-usual in Washington
Electronic Intifada: 3 Jun 2011 – Linda Khoury The Electronic Intifada Washington, DC Late last month AIPAC , the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, held its 2011 annual policy conference in Washington, DC . Just across the street hundreds of social justice activists from all corners of the United States, in addition to a handful of internationals, met with the formidable goal of building a counter-force to AIPAC .more
Mobilization for ‘September Moment’
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Jun 2011 – By Stuart Littlewood I hope the grey suits in the Palestinian Authority regularly receive ICAHD’s monthly newsletter – ICAHD being Jeff Halper’s excellent organisation, the Israeli Campaign Against House Demolitions. And I especially hope they pay close attention to the June edition just out, because it contains a must-read article by Jeff himself headed ‘Palestine/Israel: Where do we go from here?’ Halper looks ahead to the Palestinians’ “September moment”, when they intend to go for independence and apply for admission to the UN, and how the PA must move quickly to mobilize civil society support worldwide. “Mahmoud Abbas and the PA in general should see this as an integral part of the Palestinian strategy. International civil society is the Palestinians’ most important ally, but as non-Palestinians we can only organize in response to a Palestinian Call. “Mobilization,” he says, “should begin with a Call for Support issued by the elected…more
Crushed Ice in Nuseirat: My Gaza Refugee Camp Revisited
Dissident Voice: 3 Jun 2011 – GAZA– “Do you remember Mahmoud?” asked Abu Nidal, my neighbor from nearly 20 years ago, when I lived in Gaza. “Yes, of course, I do,” I answered. I remembered him as yet another troublemaking child among the Nuseirat Refugee Camp’s numerous rabble-rousers. He was defined by a stream of snot that never seemed to dry. Although loud at times, he had always been helpful and pleasant. But now, unlike so many others who emerged from the camp’s rusty doors and narrow alleyways to greet me after my long absence, Mahmoud was nowhere to be seen. “He is in heaven now,” said Abu Nidal. His voice, which had been so cheerful about my arrival, suddenly became muffled. The years of hurt over the loss of his son had culminated into one moment. He paused and wiped tears. A poster on the wall showed the face of a handsome, bearded man. He…more
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The New Dark Age 