4 June, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Qabha: “Real Reconciliation Does Not Exist In The West Bank”
IMEMC – Saturday June 04, 2011 – 14:25, Former Minister of Detainees, Hamas political official, Wasfi Qabha, stated that there are no real indications of reconciliation in the West Bank as the Palestinian security forces are still interrogating Hamas members and supporters.
Palestinian Protestors Break Into The Rafah Terminal
IMEMC – Saturday June 04, 2011 – 13:51, Dozens of Palestinian protestors from the Gaza Strip broke into the Rafah terminal that links between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, Saturday morning.
Israeli forces ransack home of acting supreme judge
6/5/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli forces ransacked the home of the acting supreme judge of Palestine and deputy chief of the Higher Judiciary Council Sheikh Yousif Id’eis early Saturday morning in Biddu near Ramallah. The sheikh was not home at the time, and soldiers gave his wife a warrant ordering him to go….
Tensions grow as Egypt restricts use of Rafah crossing
6/4/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Egypt opened its Rafah border with Gaza several hours later than scheduled Saturday, causing tension as hundreds of Palestinians waited to cross. The director of the Palestinian side, Salameh Barakeh, said Egypt decided to allow travelers to enter on foot rather than buses. The decision was difficult to implement due…. Related: Official says Rafah closed due to Egyptian restrictions
Israel seals Iraq Burin ahead of rally
6/4/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — The Israeli army declared a closed military zone in a northern West Bank village on Saturday ahead of a planned protest, a Palestinian Authority official said. PA settlement affairs official Ghassan Douglas said Israeli troops had been trying to stop anyone entering Iraq Burin, near Nablus, since Friday evening. Iraq Burin….
Palestinian hurt at protest near Ramallah
6/4/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — A security guard at an Israeli quarry in the occupied West Bank opened fire at Palestinians Saturday, activists said. Locals said one person from Budros was moderately injured by shrapnel. The hurt person was not immediately identified. The Palestinians were holding a peaceful rally west of Ramallah when the guard opened….
Abbas accepts French peace initiative
6/4/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday said he accepted a French initiative to relaunch stalled negotiations with Israel. In an interview with Reuters, the president said French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe’s proposal to host a peace conference in Paris in July offered a chance to resume talks. The last round….
Explosive device detonated in central Gaza City
6/4/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Unidentified assailants detonated an explosive device in front of a printing shop in Gaza City early Saturday, witnesses said. The blast caused damage to the building and a neighboring shop in Al-Wihda Street in the center of the city. No injuries were reported….
Official says Rafah closed due to Egyptian restrictions
6/4/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Egypt decided to allow travelers to enter on foot rather than buses Saturday at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and the Sinai, the director of the Palestinian side of the crossing said. Salameh Barakeh said Egypt’s decision was difficult to implement due to the number of patients, elderly…. Related: Tensions grow as Egypt restricts use of Rafah crossing
Palestinian injured at rally near Ramallah
6/4/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — A Palestinian protester from Budros village was injured Saturday at a non-violent demonstrationwest of Ramallah in the central West Bank, medics said…. Related: Palestinian hurt at protest near Ramallah
Hebron man found hanged
6/4/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Police on Friday opened an investigation into the death of a teenager found hanged in his home in Hebron in the southern West Bank. The body of Muhammad Abdul-Nasser As-Salayma, 19, was found by his mother, who alerted police and medics. Palestinian Red Crescent official Nasser Qabaja said medics took As-Salayma….
PA applauds US for keeping embassy in Tel Aviv
6/4/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian presidency welcomed Saturday US President Barack Obama’s deferral on transferring the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the official Palestinian news agency reported.” The American stance is encouraging and is in line with President Obama’s vision of establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967….
Report: Abbas knows UN won’t recognize state
6/4/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas has concluded that a statehood push at the United Nations will not advance the Palestinians’ cause, a senior Palestinian official reportedly said Saturday. The official told The Associated Press that Abbas’ initiative will be compromised by the fact that the Palestinians first have to….
Bethlehem worker dies in factory accident
6/4/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian worker died Saturday after a fall while working at a factory for readymade concrete in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Saturday. Jalal Ad-Dibs, 53, sustained head and chest injuries after falling eight meters into a cement container, said Abed Al-Halim Ja’afreh, head of ambulance services….
Yemen on brink after shelling wounds president
6/4/2011 – SANAA, Yemen (AFP) — Yemen teetered on the brink of a civil war as embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh vowed to hit back after being wounded when shells fired by dissident tribesmen slammed into his compound. Saleh, who has faced nationwide protests against his rule for the past four months, was “lightly wounded in the back….
10 injured in attack on Cairo police station
6/4/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Ten people were injured in an attack on a police station in central Cairo after a bus driver was killed, Egypt’s health ministry said on Saturday.” Most of the injuries were superficial,” following the attack on Friday during which police fired tear gas at stone-throwing protesters and one of their vehicles….
100,000 at Syrian protesters’ funerals
6/4/2011 – DAMASCUS, Syria (AFP) — More than 100,000 people turned out on Saturday for the funerals of dozens of protesters killed by Syrian security forces in the city of Hama, a rights group said.” More than 100,000 people started to take part in the funerals” of at least 53 people killed during anti-regime protests on Friday across….
Egypt puts 48 on trial for sectarian violence
6/4/2011 – CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — Egypt’s public prosecutor on Saturday referred 48 people to trial for their involvement in deadly Muslim-Christian clashes last month. The 48 accused were referred to Cairo’s supreme state security court for “premeditated murder, harming public security, inciting sectarian tension, burning a church and possessing weapons with the purpose….
Egypt ex-finance minister gets 30 years in absentia
6/4/2011 – CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — Former Egyptian Finance Minister Yussef Boutros Ghali was on Saturday sentenced to 30 years in prison in absentia on corruption charges, an AFP correspondent said. Judge Magdi Ghoneim of the Cairo criminal court sentenced Ghali to 15 years for squandering public money by using cars held in customs and 15 years for….
UN chief calls on Bahrain leaders to uphold rights
6/4/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — UN chief Ban Ki-moon called on Bahrain’s influential crown prince to uphold international rights norms in dealing with opposition protests, a UN spokesman said Saturday. Ban met with Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa and the Gulf state’s foreign minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa at the UN headquarters….
Tense lull in Yemen capital as army rifts surface
6/4/2011 – SANAA (AFP) — A precarious calm returned to Yemen’s capital on Saturday as President Ali Abdullah Saleh vowed to hit back after he was wounded in shelling of his compound and a top general defected to the opposition. Sporadic shelling and rocket fire rattled Al-Hassaba district of northern Sanaa where dissident tribesman Sheikh Sadiq….
3 dead in clashes as Syria burials draw 100,000
6/4/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Security forces on Saturday killed three demonstrators in northwestern Syria, after more than 100,000 mourners turned out in Hama for the funerals of protesters, rights groups said. In Jishrash Shughur, “security forces opened fire to scatter more than 1,000 demonstrators protesting after the funeral of a civilian killed on Friday” in protests at….
Britain deploys top diplomat, helicopters to Libya
6/4/2011 – BENGHAZI, Libya (AFP) — British Foreign Minister William Hague flew to Benghazi on Saturday to meet rebels fighting to oust Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi after NATO deployed attack choppers for the first time. Russia’s top diplomat, meanwhile, warned that the NATO military operation in Libya was “sliding towards” a land campaign as warplanes again….
“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…
Yemeni president arrives in Saudi Arabia
AlJazeera 4 Jun 2011 – Ali Abdullah Saleh has arrived in Riyadh for medical treatment, a day after he was wounded in an attack on his compound.
Egypt sentences former finance minister
AlJazeera 4 Jun 2011 – Youssef Boutros-Ghali, tried in absentia, is ordered to serve 30 years in jail and pay over $5m.
Syrian forces shoot dead mourners
AlJazeera 4 Jun 2011 – Three demonstrators killed in northwest of the country during funeral procession for protesters killed on Friday.
Angry Gazans storm Rafah border crossing
AlJazeera 4 Jun 2011 – Egyptian authorities partially reopen terminal to pedestrians, after unexpectedly closing it for “maintenance”.
Kuwait protesters demand PM’s removal
AlJazeera 4 Jun 2011 – Thousands rally in Gulf state seeking dismissal of government, parliament’s dissolution and snap polls.
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.
Palestinians Storm Rafah Border Crossing
PNN – Gaza – PNN – Hamas border officials and witnesses have reported that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt was been stormed on Saturday by dozens of Palestinian protestors. The border,…
Abbas Hints Support for French Peace Plan
PNN – Ramallah – PNN – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday he was willing to meet with Israeli leaders in Paris this summer to re-start stalled peace talks, reported Reuters. Abbas told Reuters,…
Iranian leader Khamenei backs undivided Palestinian state
PNN – Tehran – PNN – The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, gave a live televised speech on Saturday in which he vocalised Iran’s support for the undivided country of Palestine , the…
Bethlehem Bible College Celebrates Graduation
PNN – Bethlehem – PNN – Bethlehem Bible College held a graduation ceremony to celebrate the students graduating from its biblical studies, tour guide and mass media programs Friday night. It was the 24th…
Turkey to be Offered Major Role by US in Peace Talks, if Gaza Flotilla Stopped
PNN – Ankara – PNN – The US is considering to offer Ankara the opportunity to host an Israeli-Palestinian peace summit, on the condition that it prevents a second Gaza flotilla scheduled for later…
June 5 March Cancelled; Protests Planned
PNN – Beirut – PNN – Organizers of the planned march from Lebanon into Israel have cancelled the march, opting instead for a series of strikes and protests, reported Haaretz on Friday. After the…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
IOF Arrest a Number of PLC Members and Political Activists in the West Bank
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Thursday, 02 June 2011
International Solidarity Movement
International human rights volunteers needed in Palestine
6/4/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – International Women’s Peace Service – The InternationalWomen’s Peace Service (IWPS) is a small team of international female human-rights activists in Palestine. We: provide accompaniment to Palestinian civilians (including farmers during the annual olive harvest), document and non-violently intervene in human-rights abuses , support Palestinians in their non-violent resistance to end the Israeli military…. Related: International Womens’ Peace Service
Alternative Information Center
For Palestinians, an Unjust Peace is No Peace at All
Alternative Information Center – On Sunday 5 June, Palestinian refugees will commemorate the 1967 expulsion by marching to the borders of Israel and attempting to return to their properties. Palestinian refugees are demanding peace, not surrender. And we also must…
Palestinians storm shut Egypt crossing-witnesses
Relief Web 4 Jun 2011 – Source: AlertNet Country: Egypt , occupied Palestinian territory First closure since reopened on routine basis last month Official says not notified of reason (Adds details, byline) By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA, June 4 (Reuters) – Egypt shut its border crossing with Gaza…
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…
Israeli Soldiers Attack West Bank Anti-Wall Protests, Injuring Six Civilians
4 Jun 2011 – Ramallah, (Pal Telegraph) – 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 number of West Bank communities.
Palestinians plan border protests today
The National 4 Jun 2011 – Rallies are being organised for today that plan to emulate those held on May 15, when thousands of unarmed Palestinians, many of them refugees or their descendents, stormed Israel’s borders from Lebanon and Syria and staged protests in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
34 protesters killed in Syria
The National 3 Jun 2011 – President Bashar al Assad’s forces renewed their assault on towns seen as key to the demonstrations calling for an end to his family¬øs 40-year rule.
Thousands march in Tel Aviv in support of Palestinian state based on 1967 borders
Ha’aretz – Around 5,000 people participate in march that was organized under the title ‘Netanyahu said no – We say yes to a Palestinian state’.
Abbas welcomes French bid to revive peace talks with Israel
Ha’aretz – French FM offered this week to host talks to discuss ideas for a Palestinian state raised last month by Obama, aiming to avert a showdown at the UN in September.
Billionaire Sammy Ofer to be laid to rest today
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Shipping magnate, who died Friday, spent final weeks embroiled in controversy over allegedly selling tanker to Iran.
Al Jazeera: Yemeni VP is declared acting leader
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi is now acting president and commander of armed forces of Yemen following exit of Ali Abdullah Saleh to Saudi Arabia; Saleh is seeking medical treatment following assault on presidential palace.
Out There: Israel, laid back
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – There is still one major plane that sharply differentiates between life here and in the Diaspora: the trajectory of our youth.
Unarmed demonstrators — the new threat to Israel
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Israel is finding itself facing new, dire challenges — challenges for which it has failed to prepare and for which it has yet to think of a response.
Our water woes
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Even the Knesset and the government are taking an unprecedented interest, albeit a belated one, in our water bills.
Conquering Masada
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – My Word: A performance of ‚ÄòAida’ by the Israeli Opera at Masada turns into a special night at the opera.
Peace prize for Chomsky draws ire in Australia
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Israel critic wins Sydney Peace Prize “for inspiring the convictions of millions about a common humanity and for unfailing moral courage.”
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh headed to Saudi Arabia
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Saleh’s exit is seen as possible first step in transfer of leadership; President is seeking foreign medical care following attack on his compound; Saudi Arabia also claims to have brokered truce.
Saleh headed to Saudi Arabia; Yemen VP now acting president
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Saleh’s exit is seen as possible first step in transfer of leadership; President is seeking foreign medical care following attack on his compound; Saudi Arabia also claims to have brokered truce.
Tel Aviv: Thousands protest for Palestinian state
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Left-wing demonstrators on march from Rabin Square to Tel Aviv Museum of Art call on Netanyahu to accept Obama’s outline for peace talks.
Report: Saleh headed to S. Arabia for medical treatment
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Arab media reports Yemeni president has indeed left the country following attack on palace; Saudi Arabia says they have mediated fresh ceasefire.
‘Iran does not back uprisings stirred up by US’
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran supports “popular and anti-American” movements, explaining Tehran’s lack of support for Syria protesters.
US anti-circumcision comic is ‘grotesque,’ ADL says
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Male Genital Mutilation Bill group’s book features “Monster Moyel,” blond superhero in support of SF bill; ADL decries anti-Semitic stereotypes.
PA praises Obama decision not to move embassy to J’lem
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Abu Rudaineh: Notification that embassy to remain in TA “affirms that the world and the US don’t recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”
Ya’alon: We mustn’t fear September scare tactics
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Strategic affairs minister rejects notion that Palestinian bid for UN unilateral declaration of state will lead to int’l isolation.
Former Egyptian finance minister sentenced to 30 years
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Youssef Boutros-Ghali tried in absentia for profiteering and abusing state and private assets; also ordered to pay millions in fines.
Egypt court sentences former minister to 30 years
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Youssef Boutros-Ghali tried in absentia after going on the run following Mubarak’s departure; also ordered to pay millions in fines.
Whereabouts of Yemen’s Saleh in question after attack
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – After shelling of presidential palace, Arabiya reports Yemeni president flown to Saudi Arabia for treatment; officials deny claim.
Report: Hamas drafts final Schalit deal in Cairo
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Gaza newspaper says Hamas officials met to discuss final agreement; additional report says Israeli diplomats also present.
Teenager dies in Beersheba after being stabbed in brawl
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Authorities assume fight was a result of an intense argument between two youths; police have arrested on 16-year-old in connection with the case.
Abbas cautiously accepts French peace-conference proposal
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Erekat says that Abbas has informed French FM that if Netanyahu officially accepts the principle of the two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 lines “then we will accept the [French] proposal.”
Ahmadinejad predicts US demise, Israel’s disappearance
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Speaking at Khomeini shrine, Iranian president says “war on hegemony” close to its end, “monotheistic movement” will see success.
Jordanians demand annulment of 1994 peace treaty
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jun 2011 – Demonstrators burn flags, chant against “Zionist presence” in Jordan, request closure of Israeli embassy and extradition of ambassador.
MIDEAST: Killer Butterfly Takes Wing
IPS “Look, a swallowtail!” A 70-year old moustachioed man hops jubilantly between rocks and prickly flowers, chasing a butterfly. “And look here!” What looks like a dragonfly hovers around in a mechanical whirr of transparent wings.
Doctors on Israel’s Forty-Four Year Occupation
Uruknet June 4, 2011 – Under international law, Israel’s 44 year occupation is oppressive and illegal for having: — attacked a nonbelligerent state; — annexed it forcefully; — exploited its resources and people; — stolen their land and property; — violated their human rights by collective punishment, war and numerous crimes against humanity; and — failed to recognize Palestinian…
Bahrain summons Iraqi charge d’affaires in aftermath of ship controversy
Uruknet June 4, 2010 – Bahrain on Saturday summoned the Iraqi charge d’affaires to express its indignation and condemnation of the statements made by Iraqi MP Ahmad Chalabi to a local TV station… Al Chalabi and his bloc had planned to send a ship carrying around 80 Iraqi figures, including journalists, doctors and activists as well as assistance to…
Palestinians in Syria, Lebanon cancel marches to Israel’s borders
Uruknet June 4, 2011 – Palestinians in Syria canceled plans to march to the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday’s anniversary of the 1967 war in which Israel captured the territory. Palestinians in Lebanon have also scrapped border rallies. Similar protests turned deadly on 15 May when thousands of Arab protesters mobilized by calls on Facebook surged…
NATO deploys attack helicopters in Libya
Uruknet June 4, 2011 – NATO has announced it has successfully deployed attack helicopters in Libya for the first time. British and French choppers are said to have attacked and destroyed a road checkpoint and radar site. It comes just a few days after NATO extended its intervention mission in Libya. Recent weeks have seen intensified allied strikes on…
Injured Yemeni President accepts Saudi offer for care; Saudi king intervenes for cease-fire
Uruknet June 4, 2011 – Yemen’s embattled president accepted an offer from the Saudi monarch to seek treatment in his kingdom after being wounded in a rocket attack, raising the possibility Saturday that he could leave the country after nearly four months of mass protests seeking to end his 33-year rule. A flurry of conflicting reports about President Ali…
Disastrous US jobs report points to deepening slump
Uruknet June 4, 2011 – US payrolls grew by a paltry 54,000 in May and the official unemployment rate rose to 9.1 percent, an increase of 0.3 percent since March, according to the monthly employment report released Friday by the Labor Department. The dismal jobs data were in line with recent figures on home sales and prices, manufacturing, auto…
Six protesters killed in Syria, 100,000 mourn the dead, abyss’ warned
Uruknet June 4, 2011 – Syrian security forces shot dead at least six protesters in the northern town of Jisr Al Shugour while tanks rolled toward the southern entrance of the central city of Hama, an activist rights group said. Head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, said fresh clashes erupted in the northern town…
Tensions grow as Egypt restricts use of Rafah crossing
Uruknet June 4, 2011 – – Egypt opened its Rafah border with Gaza several hours later than scheduled Saturday, causing tension as hundreds of Palestinians waited to cross. The director of the Palestinian side, Salameh Barakeh, said Egypt decided to allow travelers to enter on foot rather than buses. The decision was difficult to implement due to the number…
Ain’t No New Thing: Reflections on the Whitey House Gil Scott-Heron Dies at 62
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – The commanding voice that named the names, that directed a musical letter of rage (air mail special) to whitey on the moon, and lived to see a revolt (if not a revolution) televised from Egypt, has died. Gil Scott-Heron died Friday afternoon at age 62 in NYC’s St. Luke’s Hospital. I don’t know what…
We are not going to shoot you; we are with you’: a Syrian soldier speaks
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – He is a 21-year-old soldier and illiterate. But this young man does not need to read and write to know that shooting at unarmed protesters by government forces is wrong. He was ordered to shoot, refused to do so, and in late April joined protesters calling for the fall of the Syrian regime in…
“a system to defend Israel from outer space”
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – So Congress just appropriated 235.7 million dollars for the David’s Sling and Arrow 3 missile defense systems, alongside investment for the development of a system to defend “Israel from outer space, against Iranian missiles” (serious). That is tossed into the pot atop $205 million to fund the Iron Dome missile batteries, and $3 billion…
Iraq snapshot – June 3, 2011
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – June 3, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, Iraq is slammed by bombings, activists demonstrate in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square despite intimidation efforts by security forces, Adam Kokesh gears up for his dance party, and more…Youth activists and others (including The Great Iraqi Revolution community) gathered in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square to honor the detainees lost in…
The Obama Surveillance State
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – …Big Brother got even bigger under the first “Brotha” president, Barack Obama. Government also became even more secretive. “The Obama Justice Department says that only the executive branch has the power to determine what information courts ought to have” – a novel doctrine that wreaks havoc with the rights of people accused of crimes,…
Before and After September: The Struggle for Palestinian Rights Must Intensify
Uruknet June 3, 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 of the Palestinian people. These marches, led mostly by young Palestinian refugees, gave new impetus…
PALESTINE/ISRAEL: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – Imagine. September 22nd (or 23rd or 24th), the day after the Security Council recognizes Palestine as a member state within the 1967 borders and it is ratified in the General Assembly by more than 150 countries: The Palestinian flag joins that of 192 other member states, all of whose territorial integrity is ensured by…
Israel plans to displace 30,000 Palestinians from the Negev
Uruknet June 3, 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 plan that will be presented to the Israeli government…
A Shameless Secretary General versus Freedom Flotilla 2
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – It is expected that at the end of June, Freedom Flotilla 2 will set sail for Gaza carrying various forms of humanitarian aid, including medical, educaional, and construction materials. This second flotilla will consist of 15 ships, including the Mavi Marmara sailing from Istanbul, but also vessels departing from several European countries, and carrying…
PLC: Gaza Strip faces health catastrophe due to shortage in medicine
Uruknet June 3, 2011 – 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 that, he said, faces health catastrophe. In a press conference the committee held in Gaza over the matter, Najjar asserted that the Gaza Strip…
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…
Wounded Yemeni president in Saudi Arabia for treatment
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 Saudi sources said Riyadh had brokered a ceasefire between rival clans and political elites. The streets of Sanaa, which had rung with gun and rocket fire in recent days, were quiet as night fell and the…
3 dead in Syria clashes as burials draw 100,000
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman said more than 100,000 people attended the funerals of at least 53 people killed during anti-regime protests on Friday, all but five of them in Hama.
Palestinians agree to attend Mideast conference
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 Nabil Abu Rdeneh, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the Palestinians were prepared to go to Paris and were waiting for Israeli and American responses.
NATO helicopters ratchet up pressure on Gaddafi
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 Aircraft of the NATO-led alliance also hit targets in Tripoli, where at least six powerful explosions were heard. A Reuters correspondent in the Libyan capital said aircraft could be heard overhead at the time of the…
EU urges Lebanon to lift European vegetable ban
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 The EU Saturday urged Lebanon to immediately lift its recent ban on vegetable imports from the European Union.
Egypt ex-finance minister gets 30 years in absentia
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 Former Egyptian finance minister Yussef Boutros Ghali was Saturday sentenced to 30 years in prison in absentia on corruption charges, an AFP correspondent said.
100,000 at Syria protester funerals: rights group
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 More than 100,000 people turned out on Saturday for the funerals of dozens of protesters killed by Syrian security forces in the city of Hama, a rights group said.
Soueid: Hezbollah knows its project is over
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 Arab revolts in the region and a decline in Iran’s influence is forcing Hezbollah to realize it can no longer impose its program on the Lebanese people, the general secretary of the March 14 movement said…
Witnesses: Palestinians storm shut Egypt crossing
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 Egypt shut its border crossing with Gaza Saturday for the first time since opening it on a routine basis last month, and angry Palestinians stormed the gates in protest, Hamas officials and witnesses said.
Khamenei: Iran backs Arab uprisings unless pro-U.S.
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 Iran backs all Muslim uprisings except those stirred up by Washington, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday, a stance that explains Tehran’s lack of support for anti-government protesters in ally Syria.
Saleh recovering from wounds after attack
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 President Ali Abdullah Saleh was recovering from head wounds Saturday, officials said, a day after an attack on his palace escalated a conflict that has brought Yemen to the brink of civil war.
Khamenei backs ‘undivided country of Palestine’
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday that Iran backs “the undivided country of Palestine which belongs to the Palestinians,” in speech broadcast live on state television.
Driver kills 3 Egyptian soldiers at checkpoint
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 Egyptian security officials say a truck driver drove through a checkpoint in this northern Sinai city, killing three soldiers and badly injuring a fourth as they slept in their tent.
Lebanon’s Arabic daily digest – June 4, 2011
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Saturday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.
Five escape detention center in Baabda
Daily Star 4 Jun 2011 A group of five men have broken out of a detention center in Baabda, police sources said Saturday.
Lebanon Palestinians scrap border march
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.
Lebanon bans 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.
Mikati hopes to form Cabinet 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.
Ex-Egyptian finance minister gets 30 years in jail
YNet News, 4 Jun 2011 – Yussef Boutros Ghali, nephew of former UN secretary-general convicted on….
Report: Hamas hands Egypt ‘final answer’ on Shalit deal
YNet News, 4 Jun 2011 – Palestinian sources say Hamas’ Deputy Politburo Chief Moussa Abu Marzouk gives….
Abbas nods at French bid to revive talks
YNet News, 4 Jun 2011 – Palestinian president ‘accepts in principle’ proposal to renew negotiations….
‘No calm in Mideast as long as Israel exists’
YNet News, 4 Jun 2011 – Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterates call against Jewish State, says….
Syrians relive Hama massacre
YNet News, 4 Jun 2011 – Three decades after tens of thousands die in military crackdown ordered by….
Obama delays relocation of US Embassy to Jerusalem
YNet News, 4 Jun 2011 – Following predecessors’ footsteps, US president tells Congress embassy to stay….
Dozens killed in Syria protests
YNet News, 3 Jun 2011 – (Video) Another deadly Friday as anti-Assad demonstrations spread: Opposition….
US: Peace summit instead of flotilla
YNet News, 3 Jun 2011 – Turkish newspapers say Washington considering asking Ankara to host….
Stars mistaken for enemy aircraft
YNet News, 3 Jun 2011 – Air Force control tower sends out two warplanes, two assault helicopters towards….
March to Lebanon-Israel border canceled
YNet News, 3 Jun 2011 – Organizers say Sunday’s planned procession marking 1967 war’s anniversary will….
Report: Syrian forces kill 34 protesters
YNet News, 3 Jun 2011 – Hama residents say security forces, including snipers, fired from automatic….
Palestinian Information Center
Qassem: Israel will persist in attempts to foil Palestinian reconciliation
PIC – Professor of political science in Najah University Abdulsattar Qassem has affirmed that Palestinian national forces would foil the Israeli attempts to abort the national reconciliation agreement.
Washington trying to block sail of freedom flotilla
PIC – The US administration is trying to convince Turkey to block the sail of the Freedom Flotilla 2, which is carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, a Hebrew daily reported on Saturday.
Egyptian authorities close Rafah terminal without reasons given
PIC – The Egyptian authorities closed the Rafah border terminal with Gaza Strip on Saturday without giving any reason for the step, Ayub Abu Shaar, the director of the Rafah terminal police, said.
IOF cracks down on fresh West Bank protests
PIC – Dozens of Palestinians and pro-Palestinian activists from abroad sustained breathing difficulties on Friday after the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) cracked down on marches across the West Bank.
Malaysian PM expresses support for Palestinians during PLC tour
PIC – Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak expressed his firm support for the Palestinians as top Palestinian legislator visited Malaysia on Thursday.
Haneyya: Palestinians on threshold of promising future
PIC – Gaza prime minister Ismail Haneyya has said that Hamas had successfully merged between resistance of the Israeli occupation and governance.
Abbas welcomes French initiative to resume Israel peace talks
PIC – PA president Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed a proposal by France to resume peace talks with Israel and hinted that he would not unilaterally seek statehood from the United Nations in September.
Rafah crossing closed for technical, administrative reasons
PIC – Rafah border police chief Salama Baraka has said that the border crossing opened permanently by Egypt last month has recently been shut down for technical and administrative problems.
PFLP rejects French initiative, calls it a gift for Netanyahu
PIC – The French initiative calling for resumption of peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel does not meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people, a responsible source in the PFLP said.
Bardawil: Abbas approval of French peace proposal “hasty”
PIC – Senior Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil has condemned Abbas’s approval of the French proposal designed to urge the Palestinians to resume peace talks with Israel.
Official report: Gaza population 1.7 million
PIC – 04/06/2011 – 08:45 AM
IOF declares Nablus village closed military zone
PIC – 04/06/2011 – 09:00 AM
Jewish Settlers Destroy Vineyard in Beit Ummar
WAFA
Quarry’s Israeli Guards Injure Palestinian Protester in Ramallah Area
WAFA
Abu Rudeineh Welcomes Keeping US Embassy in Tel Aviv
WAFA
Erekat Calls on World to Recognize Palestinian State
WAFA
EUPOL COPPS helps Justice Ministry build International Cooperation
WAFA
Israeli Army Declares Nablus Area Village Closed Military Zone
WAFA
Tel Aviv Rally to Call for Palestinian Statehood
WAFA
Silwan Residents Clash with Israeli Police
WAFA
Intifada Palestine
Move Over AIPAC challenges business-as-usual in Washington
Intifada-Palestine: 4 Jun 2011 – Hundreds of activists across the US converged in the capital for the Move Over AIPAC conference last month. (Flickr) by Linda Khoury / The Electronic Intifada Late last month AIPAC , the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, held its 2011 annual policy conference… more
The Ruined Village Palestinians will Never Forget
Intifada-Palestine: 3 Jun 2011 – The ruins of Lifta are the final remains of the Palestinian hamlets that fringed Jerusalem until 1948. Now plans to bulldoze them are causing outrage Yacoub Odeh shows film-maker Mat Heywood around his deserted home village, now under threat from Israeli… more
Americans Are Joining Flotilla to Protest Israeli Blockade
Intifada-Palestine: 3 Jun 2011 – By LAURIE GOODSTEIN When an international flotilla sails for Gaza this month to challenge Israel ‘s naval blockade of the Palestinian territory, among the boats will be an American ship with 34 passengers, including the writer Alice Walker and an 86-year-old… more
NATO helicopters join Libya mission
LA Times 4 Jun 2011 – French and British helicopters attack targets around Port Brega, the first use of such aircraft in the NATO campaign. Rebel leaders hail the move, but it is unclear whether it will signal a new rebel offensive. French and British attack helicopters hit targets in Libya…
Boat carrying migrants from Libya capsizes; 200 feared dead
LA Times 3 Jun 2011 – At least 200 passengers, mostly West Africans and South Asians, are missing and feared drowned in the Mediterranean. Tunisian rescuers saved 570 of the Italy-bound passengers. At least 200 migrants, mostly sub-Saharan Africans and South Asians, were missing and feared drowned after an overcrowded boat…
Dozens reported killed as Syrians continue protests
LA Times 3 Jun 2011 – Security forces open fire on protesters in several cities as thousands turn out across Syria against Bashar Assad’s regime. Analysts see a protracted, bloody standoff. Thousands of antigovernment protesters marched in Damascus, Homs and other Syrian cities Friday in opposition to President Bashar Assad, chanting, “…
Sammy Ofer dies at 89; Israeli business tycoon
LA Times 3 Jun 2011 – The billionaire’s powerful, family-owned conglomerate recently came under scrutiny for alleged commercial dealings with Iran, Israel’s archenemy. Reporting from Jerusalem — Israeli billionaire Sammy Ofer, whose powerful, family-owned conglomerate is under scrutiny for alleged dealings with Iran, died Friday in Tel Aviv after a long…
Yemeni Leader Arrives in Saudi Arabia for Treatment
New York Times 4 Jun 2011 – Yemen’s embattled president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, arrived in Saudi Arabia for urgent medical treatment a day after being wounded in an attack on the presidential compound, Saudi officials said
Syrian Tanks Move in on City as Thousands Mourn Protesters’ Deaths
New York Times 4 Jun 2011 – Thousands took to the streets of Hama, site of a government massacre in the 1980s, to honor at least 65 protesters killed by security forces the day before.
Israel Braced for Clashes During Border Protests
New York Times 4 Jun 2011 – Three weeks after fighting erupted, more marches are planned on the anniversary of an Israeli victory.
Despite Protests, Grand Prix Schedules Race for Bahrain
New York Times 4 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.
Iraqi Militants’ Families Face Reckoning in Blood
New York Times 4 Jun 2011 – Tribal leaders say that scores of family members of insurgents have been attacked and killed in recent years as Iraqis turned against Al Qaeda and other militant groups.
A Former Spy Chief Questions the Judgment of Israeli Leaders
New York Times 4 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.
Yemen fighting wounds president and prime minister
WSWS – Rockets fired by an anti-government militia struck the presidential compound, killing at least seven people, and wounding President Ali Abdullah Saleh and many other top government officials.
New White House page on Israel’s security says nothing about settlements or occupation, but tons about Iran, Goldstone, slaughter of innocent Israelis, delegitimization
Mondoweiss – The Obama White House has unfurled a new web-page , it’s called “Advancing Israel’s Security and Supporting Peace.” It’s obviously geared toward appeasing the lobby. There is one reference to the status quo being “unsustainable,” but all references to Palestinians are calls on them to advance peace…
Another video from that terrifying White-shirt rally on June 1 in occupied Jerusalem
Mondoweiss – A couple of times in the last few years I’ve heard stories of Palestinians who say they trembled in fear when they saw someone wearing a yarmulke. Because their entire experience of people wearing yarmulkes was, intimidation, violence. In the two stories I remember, these Palestinians…
White phosphorus in West Bank?
Mondoweiss – and other news from Today in Palestine: Land, property, resources theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Settlers Anxiety and fear are the lasting wounds of extremist attack on 11-year-old boy Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) 3 June — An 11-year old boy attacked by Israeli extremists on Jerusalem Day,…
‘Dozens killed’ at Syria protests
BBC 4 Jun 2011 – More than 60 people were killed in Syria during protests after Friday prayers, most of them in the central city of Hama, human rights activists say.
Forty-Four Years of Occupation
Sabbah report 4 Jun 2011 – Palestine “has been under criminal occupation for 44 years. During that time, (Israel) committed the worst crimes against humanity, violating every international instrument. The occupier has killed tens of thousands of our struggling people, most of them defenseless civilians. There have been over 800,000 instances of…
Syria Shuts Down the Internet As Revolt Gains Steam
Sabbah report 4 Jun 2011 – Internet intelligence firm Renesys reported on its blog that starting at 3:35 UTC yesterday, approximately two-thirds of all Syrian networks became unreachable from the global Internet. The networks that are not reachable include, substantially, all of the prefixes reserved for SyriaTel’s 3G mobile data networks, and…
Articles
Halper’s Alarm call to Mobilize Worldwide Support for ‘September Moment’
Stuart Littlewood, Intifada-Palestine6/3/2011
International civil society is Palestinians’ “most important ally”
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 ‚ÄòPalestine/Israel: Where do we go from here?’
JEFF HALPER — CALL TO MOBILIZE WORLD WIDE SUPPORT FOR ‘SEPTEMBER MOMENT
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 representatives of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Territory (the National Unity government), together with Palestinians of the refugee camps, those inside Israel and of the Diaspora. Immediately following this, grassroots activists throughout the world could issue a Civil Society Call to support the Palestinian initiative at the UN, to be signed by thousands of supporters and delivered to the UN in September.” more.. e-mail
Jerusalem for All
Sami Jamil Jadallah, Palestine Note6/2/2011
Jerusalem, the city of the faithful, is too important to be left to the present Israeli and Palestinian leadership. A united, open Jerusalem for All is a must. A city central to the believes of billions of Jews, Christians and Muslims must not be held hostage to the political agenda of few millions of die hard Evangelical Christian Zionists and Zionist Jews.
For over 63 years ever since the founding of Israel, Jerusalem was administer first by Jordan until the 67 War with the resulting transfer of the entire city of Jerusalem, East and West under the total control of Israel.
It is true that there was a separation wall between East and West along the armistice line of 48 and it is true that Israelis were not permitted to visit and worship at the Wailing Wall; however Jordan never planned and carried out anything that will erase Jewish history in Jerusalem. Unlike Israel, which is making sure that its 67 War never stops and its assault on Jerusalem never stopped, making sure that it erases all Muslim and Christian presence in the Holy City.
The Palestinians especially under Arafat PLO and even Mahmoud Abbas’ PA, never gave Jerusalem any importance. When Arafat and the PLO had tens of billions in its coffers, the PLO never took any concrete steps to help the Arabs, Christians and Muslims of East Jerusalem and the surrounding areas to withstand the on going assault on their presence in Jerusalem and never had a well funded plans to offset the well organized ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem of its Muslims and Christians citizens, which culminated in the ethnic cleansing of more than 100,000 Arab citizens who were forced to leave the city where they lived for centuries to allow room for new immigrants with suspected Jewish origin to move in and take their place. Arafat was too much of a coward to lead his people on a peaceful march toward Jerusalem. more.. e-mail
International law and the problem of enforcement
Lawrence Davidson, Redress6/5/2011
Lawrence Davidson traces the flaws built into the International Criminal Court that allow some states to get away with crimes to the exceptionalism and superiority complexes afflicting countries such as Russia, China and the US, which is also “tied so closely to the criminal behaviour of the Israelis that it has dedicated itself to protecting Israeli nationals as well”.
Anthropomorphizing the nation state
One of the defining characteristics of modern Western culture is individuality. Most people in the West take it for granted that they have the right to free expression and personality development.
However, in practice, this right is not open ended. It is fine if you want to express yourself as a musician, a painter, a film maker, a writer, etc. Equally legitimate is your desire to express yourself as an engineer, accountant, bus driver or auto mechanic.
Things become very different if you have a great desire to express yourself as a thief or want to develop your personality as a serial killer. There are rules, in the form of laws, against these latter avenues of expression. If you choose to ignore these laws there are police forces and courts systems that will seek to force you to do so. Another way of saying this is that within states or nations, people usually must confine their right of self expression to activities that do not impinge in a harmful or unwanted way on others in the community
It was at the end of the 18th century and throughout the19th century that Western leaders of both established nations and aspiring nationalities began to apply this language of self expression to the nation state. In other words, they claimed the same right of self expression for the collective as for the individual…. more.. e-mail
Israel’s Pompous Posturing and Idle Threats
Dissident Voice: 4 Jun 2011 – There are few things Israel and its war-mongering supporters here in the United States hate more than not being taken seriously as a fearless and invincible military powerhouse, able to threaten and destroy its perceived adversaries at will and with totally impunity and unaccountability. One of those things is being considered weak, tentative, and incapable. Another is not being considered at all. It is no wonder, then, that recent comments by former Mossad chief Meir Dagan about Israel’s inability to attack Iran have been met with frustration and consternation by those hoping for a military strike, or at very least, the credible threat of one. In the wake of Israeli cabinet minister Moshe Ya’alon’s call this week for the “civilized world” to collectively launch an illegal assault against Iran on Israel’s behalf, Dagan — who has recently been playing the role of Hasbara Spoiler Extraordinaire by referring to the advocacy…more
A State for Jews
Dissident Voice: 4 Jun 2011 – I grew up in North Carolina and was around for the transformation to an integrated society where in the laws of the state and nation became color-blind; and blacks were afforded equal protection under the law. My parent’s generation were generally decent honorable people who wished no one harm, neither black nor white, they believed in the humane treatment of everyone, but many also believed in the doctrine of separate but equal. This doctrine had been affirmed by the US Supreme Court in 1896 — Plessy v Ferguson — and the court contained such notables as Oliver Wendel Holmes. A subsequent decision, Brown vs the Board of Education , 1954, was essentially unimplemented until the mid to late 1960’s with the onset of the administration of Lyndon Johnson. This transformation was a difficult one for many, but certainly not all, my parent’s and grandparent’s generation. It is hard for me, and…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 