29 June, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Israel Remove Structures In Illegal Settlement
IMEMC – Wednesday June 29, 2011 – 14:38, Five structures and two tents were raised in the illegal settlement outpost of Ramat Migro in the Northern West Bank on Wednesday morning. Two teenage girls were arrested for allegedly throwing a paint bottle at police during clashes between the Israeli military and the settlers.
Rabbi Ya’akov Yosef Expected To Be Arrested For Justifying The Killing Of Non-Jews
IMEMC – Wednesday June 29, 2011 – 14:29, After ignoring police summons, Rabbi Ya’akov Yosef faces arrest for a written endorsement of the Torat Hamelech, which justifies the killing of non-Jews, including babies, that pose a threat to the nation of Israel.
First Ships Of Freedom Flotilla 2 Set Sail
IMEMC – Wednesday June 29, 2011 – 12:14, The first of the Freedom Flotilla 2 ships have set sail for the rendezvous point in the Meditereannean Sea where it will meet the rest of the ships participating in the flotilla, according to Haaretz. It is unclear when they will meet up with the other participating ships including the US, Candian and the Greek/Norwegian/Sweedish contingent given bureaucratic delays and suspected sabotage to the Greek ship.
Israel passes draft law requiring Palestinians to pay for their own home demolitions
IMEMC – Wednesday June 29, 2011 – 12:10, A Committee of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) passed a first draft of a law that will require that Palestinians whose homes are destroyed by Israeli forces pay the Israeli government for the demolition costs.
“Hacktivist” Group To Target Israeli Knesset
IMEMC – Wednesday June 29, 2011 – 11:37, The decentralised hacker group “Anonomous” have declared the next target of their Distributed Denial of Service attacks (DDOS) to be the Israeli Knesset. The group, which are an anonymous collection of decentralised Internet hackers, have announced July 28th as the date for their planned attack on the Israeli Knesset web site code named “Operation Intifada”.
Fayyed Quells Palestinian Expectations Given A Successful Statehood Bid In September
IMEMC – Wednesday June 29, 2011 – 10:32, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Sallam Fayyed has said that a recognition of Palestinian statehood in September will not change facts on the ground in terms of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza strip.
UK Authorities Arrest Sheikh Raed Salah
IMEMC – Wednesday June 29, 2011 – 10:23, The British Authorities arrested late on Tuesday at night Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in “Israel” under the claim that he poses a threat to the public security in Britain.
Report: Raed Salah arrested in London
6/29/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — The head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh Raad Salah, was arrested in London on Tuesday evening, reports said. The sheikh spent the night in a prison cell, and is expected to be deported from the UK, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported citing a…. Related: Press Release: The facts and sequence of events surrounding Sheikh Raed Salah’s arrest
Detainee families to protest in Ramallah
6/29/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Families of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails and activists are planning a protest at Red Cross offices in Ramallah in solidarity with detainees on Wednesday. The conditions of Palestinian detainees have been deteriorating, with an increase in the number of those in solidarity confinement, enforced strip searches and humiliation, the detainees….
Minister says Israel to ban Hamas detainees from using phones
6/29/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — An Israeli minister said Wednesday Israel’s prison service would ban Hamas detainees from placing phone calls, in an apparent effort to put pressure on the Islamist group over a prisoner swap….
Israel ministers slam flotilla threat as ‘spin’
6/29/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Several Israeli ministers have accused the army of “spin” over its claims that activists on board a Gaza-bound flotilla plan to harm Israeli soldiers, Maariv newspaper reported on Wednesday. The paper quoted several unnamed members of Israel’s security cabinet as saying the claims were “media spin” and “public relations hysteria.” On….
Report: Fatah and Hamas to delay formation of unity government
6/29/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Fatah and Hamas have reportedly agreed to delay the formation of a unity government until after the UN September statehood bid due to an impasse in reconciliation talks over the position of prime minister. President Mahmoud Abbas suggested to Hamas through Turkish intermediaries that the first stage of reconciliation be delayed….
Gaza children aim to break world records
6/29/2011 – GAZA (Ma’an) — More than three thousand students from the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees are expected to break the first of four Guinness world records Thursday as part of a summer games program organized by UNRWA. The games, a six week recreational program now in its fifth year, are organized by….
President Abbas opens embassy in Azerbaijan
6/29/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas officially opened a Palestinian embassy in Azerbaijan on Wednesday, accompanied by PLO official Saeb Erekat, Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh and his advisor Mustapha Abu Ar-Rub….
British minister says time running out for two states
6/29/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — British Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt has called for a return to direct negotiations during a visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, a statement from the British consulate said Wednesday.” I look forward to discussing a range of issues with both Israeli and Palestinian officials and further….
Israeli innovators build new ‘Silicon Valley’
6/29/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — With a concentration of start-ups just behind that of Silicon Valley and an impressive pool of engineers, Israel is becoming the new standard for high-tech, with a unique business model. Internet-related activities contributed $12. 6 billion dollars to the Israeli economy in 2009, representing 6. 5 percent of GDP, according to a report….
Egypt police clash with protesters in Cairo
6/29/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egyptian security forces fired tear gas at protesters in Cairo during violent clashes that left several injured, an AFP photographer said. Tahrir Square, the epicenter of protests that toppled president Hosni Mubarak, was sealed off as police continued to fire tear gas into the early hours of Wednesday and a thick white cloud….
Syria troops storm villages killing 7
6/29/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syrian troops killed seven civilians on Wednesday when they stormed two villages in the northwest of the country to quash dissent against the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad, a rights activist said. The latest military action came as hundreds of lawyers staged a sit-in in the second city of Aleppo calling for freedom….
Jordanians demand trial of AFP bureau chief
6/29/2011 – AMMAN (AFP) — Scores of people demonstrated outside the AFP office in Amman Wednesday, demanding the trial of bureau chief Randa Habib over a report earlier this month that King Abdullah II’s motorcade had been attacked.” We do not want to see Randa Habib. The people want the downfall of Randa Habib,” around 100….
Fatah official: Palestinians may begin using dollars
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2011 – Maan- leading Fatah figure has revealed some of the means that might be used in the event the UN declines to take a positive decision on Palestinian statehood and its membership in the Security Council. “The Palestinian leadership will be…
Google chairman warns of censorship after Arab Spring
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2011 – BBC News- Speaking at a conference in Ireland, Eric Schmidt said some governments wanted to regulate the internet the way they regulated television. He also said he feared his colleagues faced a mounting risk of occasional arrest and torture in…
Gazans head to the beach
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2011 – Maan- Tourism facilities and entertainment sites in the Gaza Strip are preparing to host and service people from all social classes in Gaza this summer. The vice-chairman of the council of the Palestinian association of restaurants, hotels and tourism services…
Did Netanyahu’s office distribute a fake video against Gaza flotilla?
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2011 – Haaretz- Did Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office distribute a fake anti-flotilla video? This is exactly what some American bloggers have been claiming, after probing a video that was uploaded to YouTube on Sunday. (Please visit the site to view this…
Development plan for abandoned Palestinian village stirs up a troubled past
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2011 – The Washington Post- Flanked by busy highways and tucked into terraced slopes of the Jerusalem hills, a crumbling Palestinian village abandoned more than 60 years ago has become the focus of a struggle over memory and heritage. The nearly 3,000…
Palestinians lobby in the Netherlands for UN recognition vote
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2011 – The National- Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is venturing into the Netherlands during the next few days, a country with one of the most pro-Israel governments in Europe and one that has made its opposition to a possible Palestinian membership vote…
Arab nations face growing crisis in trying to keep down price of bread
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2011 – The National- In the days after Tunisia’s January revolution, with food lorries paralysed by mounting insecurity, Mourad Ouenniche ran out of flour. “We tried to explain the situation to customers,” said Mr Ouenniche, whose bakery in a working-class district was…
Narrowing the space for debate
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2011 – It is time to set the record set. I cannot pretend to speak on behalf of others, but I am willing to bet that there are like-minded people who share my view that opposition to occupation does not equate to…
‘IDF has no way of stopping mass non-violent protest in West Bank’
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2011 – As IDF prepares for possible uprising in September, some officials express doubts on containing a nonviolent movement Haaretz – As September draws nearer, the Israel Defense Forces has been conducting drills in order to contend with the possibility of a…
France confirms arms supply to Libya rebels
AlJazeera 29 Jun 2011 – By arming civilians, France becomes first NATO country to admit supplying weapons to rebel areas in Libya.
Fresh clashes in Cairo’s Tahrir Square
AlJazeera 29 Jun 2011 – More than 1,000 injured as police fire tear gas at thousands frustrated by slow pace of change since Egypt’s revolution.
Syrian army ‘kills four in Idlib province’
AlJazeera 29 Jun 2011 – Troops kill at least four people in village of Rameh, as Syrian forces press on in a tank-led assault, activists say.
Deaths in accidental air strike on Yemen bus
AlJazeera 29 Jun 2011 – Four civilians killed by government bombing of bus in south, as 26 troops and 17 fighters die in separate clashes.
UK detains Palestinian-Israeli leader Salah
AlJazeera 29 Jun 2011 – Leader of Islamic Movement in Israel detained during speaking tour to Britain for breaching alleged travel ban.
Bahrain king orders ‘fact-finding’ committee
AlJazeera 29 Jun 2011 – King says independent committee of international human rights activists will probe protests that began in February.
Long-suppressed Shias shape new Iraq
AlJazeera 29 Jun 2011 – Persecuted by Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s Shia population is increasingly influencing the political and religious landscape.
Yemen villagers ‘seek refuge from shelling’
AlJazeera 28 Jun 2011 – Villagers near Sanaa tell Al Jazeera they have taken shelter in caves because government forces have bombed their homes.
Gaza Flotilla Begins Journey, but Faces Setbacks
PNN – Athens – PNN – One of the 10 ships set to take part in the upcoming Gaza flotilla is already en route to the meeting point in international waters while other ships…
Army Razes Illegal Outpost of Ramat Migron
PNN – Northern West Bank – PNN – Israel’s Civil Administration razed five structures and two tents that make up the Ramat Migron outpost, on Wednesday morning. Police closed off the entrance to the…
British Consular General Visits Bethlehem; Speaks with Volunteers
PNN – Bethlehem — PNN exclusive — Victoria Delacroix – Sir Vincent Fean, the British Consular General for the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza vsited Bethlehem Bible College on Wednesday to speak with…
British Police Arrest Islamic Movement Leader
PNN – London — PNN — Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, was arrested last night in London while on a speaking tour of the UK….
International Solidarity Movement
Kite flying in Beit Hanoun
6/29/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – Beit Hanoun – Every Tuesday morning there is a demonstration against the Occupation in Beit Hanoun, when people march into the buffer zone, demand an end to the occupation, and are met with more bullets from the occupation. Today was different and yet the same; today we didn’t go into the buffer zone, but….
Join demonstration in Kufr Qaddoum, July 1st
6/29/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – Kufr Qaddoum – On Tuesday June 28, ISM visited the village of Kufr Qaddoum in northern Nablus following a call for action after 6 years of no active demonstrations. Abdul Ra’ouf Hamsa, representative of the local council, and his assistant, Saqer Obwed, explained to ISM the main problem faced by the villagers. Since 2003….
Palestinian man still under arrest after demonstration in Beit Ommar on Saturday
6/29/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – Beit Ommar – Two international activists are released following their arrest and court hearing in Jerusalem, while a Palestinian man is still under custody following a peaceful demonstration in Beit Ommar that occurred on June 25th. The two international activists and a 22 year old Palestinian were brutally arrested during a peaceful demonstration in Beit Ommar….
Palestine’s UN gamble
Relief Web 29 Jun 2011 – Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies Country: occupied Palestinian territory By Haim Malka Jun 29, 2011 In the coming weeks, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) will likely submit a formal request to the United Nations for full membership status….
Gaza flotilla begins controversial journey despite sabotage allegations and UN concerns
Relief Web 29 Jun 2011 – Source: Minivan News Country: occupied Palestinian territory A flotilla of ships hoping to breach an Israeli naval blockade to deliver cargo they claim contains vital aid and support for Palestinian territories has begun its journey from the Mediterranean Sea this…
As the flotilla approaches, Gisha warns: Gaza residents don’t need more aid, they need to export and travel
Relief Web 29 Jun 2011 – Source: Gisha Country: occupied Palestinian territory ¬? 83% of Gaza’s factories are closed or working at 50% or less capacity ¬? Israel forbids export from Gaza: not a single truck allowed since May Wednesday, June 29, 2011 – As the…
Future of Two-State Solution, Arab Peace Initiative, Quartet Road Map Examined at Brussels Meeting
Relief Web 28 Jun 2011 – Source: UN General Assembly Country: Israel , occupied Palestinian territory GA/PAL/1205 Speakers Look at Current Prospects For Middle East Peace from European Perspective (Received from a UN Information Officer.) BRUSSELS, 28 June — The viability of the two-State solution, the importance…
With Deadlines Looming, Secretary-General Calls on International Community to Help Resumption of Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations
Relief Web 28 Jun 2011 – Source: UN General Assembly Country: Israel , occupied Palestinian territory GA/PAL/1204 European Role in Fostering Middle East Peace Under Consideration as International Meeting Opens in Brussels (Received from a UN Information Officer.) BRUSSELS, 28 June — Given the frozen state of…
Implementation of policy towards the Gaza Strip — update June 2011
Relief Web 28 Jun 2011 – Source: Government of Israel Country: Israel , occupied Palestinian territory The GDP in the Gaza Strip rose by 15% in 2010 and unemployment dropped. Following is a status report on the implementation of civilian policy for the Gaza Strip. The policy…
Plan of Action 2011-2013 West Bank and Gaza Strip
Relief Web 28 Jun 2011 – Source: Food and Agriculture Organization Country: occupied Palestinian territory EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS), recurrent conflict and increasing restrictions over natural resources, markets and services are depriving families of their basic needs for survival and…
Israel expolits Gays to attack Freedom Flotilla aid convoy
29 Jun 2011 – London, (Pal Telegraph) – bizarre video where a gay activist claims he was prevented from taking part in the upcoming Gaza-bound flotilla because of his sexual orientation has been exposed as an Israeli hoax.
Saudi Arabia pledges $70 million for Gaza housing
29 Jun 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) – Saudi Arabia pledges $70 million for Gaza housing Report– UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Britain to deport Israeli Islamic leader Sheikh Raed Salah
The National 29 Jun 2011 – The head of the Islamic Movement in Israel and a vocal critic of Israeli policies was arrested at his London hotel on Tuesday on charges of entering the country illegally as he was preparing to address a meeting yesterday in the British parliament attended by several MPs.
Iran has tested nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, says Britain
The National 29 Jun 2011 – British foreign secretary says Iran has been carrying out covert ballistic missile tests and rocket launches, including testing missiles capable of delivering a nuclear payload, in contravention of UN resolution 1929.
Syrian troops storm villages and kill seven as lawyers stage Aleppo sit-in
The National 29 Jun 2011 – As hundreds of lawyers staged a sit-in in Aleppo calling for freedom and the release of prisoners, and regime loyalists held a counter-protest, Syrian troops killed seven civilians yesterday when they stormed two villages in the north-west to quash dissent.
King of Bahrain orders independent inquiry into protests
The National 29 Jun 2011 – King Hamad tells cabinet: ‘We still need to look at what happened to know all the details of February and March and evaluate those events as they really were.’
Ahmadinejad warns ultraconservatives against arresting members of his government
The National 29 Jun 2011 – Under-pressure Iranian president says he has a ‘legal, national and ethical duty to defend my colleagues.’
Violence erupts again in Cairo’s Tahrir Square
The National 29 Jun 2011 – Police fire tear gas as more than 1,000 are injured in fresh Egyptian violence brought on, observers say, by continuing anger and dissatisfaction after overthrow of Mubarak.
Stores losing millions from shoplifting in Oman
The National 29 Jun 2011 – Just four shops in Muscat had goods worth an estimated Dh2.4m stolen from the shelves, according to one expert.
Saudi Arabia bans Filipino and Indonesian maids
The National 29 Jun 2011 – The kingdom said it will no longer issue work permits for domestic workers from Indonesia and the Philippines after the two countries issued new hiring guidelines insisting on more information about employers and a mandatory minimum wage.
Battle for football stadium between Yemeni soldiers and militants sees nearly 50 killed
The National 29 Jun 2011 – Government warplanes were called in to bomb the militants in order to lift the siege and allow the soldiers to escape.
Israel accused of ‘sabotage’ against Gaza-bound flotilla
The National 29 Jun 2011 – A stepped-up campaign by an Israeli government desperate to prevent a breach of its blockade on the Palestinian territory has included damage to two of the ships due to be used and a hoax video, according to the flotilla organisers.
Netanya man suspected of stabbing Palestinian worker due to nationalist motives
Ha’aretz – Palestinian man found stabbed in the chest two weeks ago; 23-year-old suspect says stabbing occurred because victim was ‘staring at his sister’.
Gas leaks into south Israel nature preserve after pipeline burst
Ha’aretz – Pipe collapses while Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company performing maintanence in Tzin Valley.
U.S. Senate passes resolution threatening to suspend aid to Palestinians
Ha’aretz – Resolution 185 calls on Palestinians to halt bid for unilateral recognition at UN, calls on Obama to veto September vote.
‘IDF has no way of stopping mass non-violent protest in West Bank’
Ha’aretz – IDF conducts drills in preparation for potential uprising in wake of Palestinian bid to seek UN recognition in September.
U.K. to probe how Islamic Movement leader in Israel entered country despite travel ban
Ha’aretz – Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement, arrested in London on Wednesday.
Israel to crack down on Hamas prisoners’ contact with Gaza leadership
Ha’aretz – New move comes as government steps up effort to toughen conditions of Palestinian security prisoners.
Gaza flotilla begins to form as first ship heads toward maritime meeting point
Ha’aretz – French ship already set sail; still unclear when rest of ships will be joining after encountering problems in Greek port, which activists claim was sabotage by Israel.
Islamic Movement leader in Israel arrested in London
Ha’aretz – Head of northern branch of Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh Ra’ad Salah, expected to be deported from U.K.; reason for arrest unknown.
Iran says US exploits Syria uprising to save Israel
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman accuses US of “trying to harm Syria as it is playing a prime role in opposing Israel in the region.”
Israel hopes flotilla delay will reduce participation
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Number of expected participants drops from 1,500 to 350; Free Gaza Movement leader says flotilla not likely to set sail for number of days; organizers accuse Israel of sabotaging Irish ship.
Saudi official: Riyadh will seek nukes if Iran gets them
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – “We cannot live in a situation where Iran has nuclear weapons and we don’t. It’s as simple as that,” kingdom official tells ‘Guardian’.
What does Abbas really want?
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Washington Watch: The PA president needs the world’s help to get down from the tree he climbed up.
Religious extremism and the democratic Jewish state
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Candidly speaking: Despite mistakes by the police, the riots following Rabbi Lior’s detainment were disgraceful.
Hostility exposed on Isawiya streets
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Where police are unwilling to enter, hostile pockets of potentially lethal danger are created for anyone who unintentionally wanders in.
Two determined mothers attempt to redefine integration
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Beth Steinberg, Miriam Avraham understand need for non-formal educational program, both have child with Down’s syndrome.
2,000-year-old ossuary authentic, say researchers
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Stone chest was used for secondary bones burial, belonged to daughter of Caiaphas high priests, from Second Temple period.
Hysteria, ‘hasbara’ and the flotilla
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Rattling the Cage: Israel’s propaganda machine is in full swing prior to the ships’ upcoming arrival.
Israel ain’t what it used to be
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – This land that we call home needs to be more than a mere ideological vision; I need to be able to afford to live here.
We won’t let US derail our statehood bid, says PA official
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Following warning by US senators that aid will be cutoff if Abbas goes to UN, PA says we can’t “sacrifice freedom for financial aid.”
Tank or tent? We need to decide
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Israel’s complexity, and the nature of the world’s response to it, is in danger of defeating us.
National unity, democracy and the heritage of the Altalena
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Faith in democracy prevented civil war 63 years ago. Will it do the same in the future?
‘Israelis face uncertainty in aftermath of Arab revolution’
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Journalist panel with Herb Keinon, Khaled Abu Toameh from ‘Jerusalem Post’ speaks to Jewish parliamentarians about ME, peace process.
Lebanon’s leaders face economic-credibility problem
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Analysts lower outlook, stock market falls as Mikati’s Hezbollah-dominated government takes office.
Actor in suspected hoax video: Clip not made by gov’t
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Omer Gershon, who portrays gay rights activist “Marc” in anti-flotilla video, is Israeli but not working with gov’t, he claims.
Ya’alon: Flotilla participants will try to harm soldiers
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Strategic affairs minister is convinced there are “violent elements” in the flotilla, participants plan to attack IDF solders.
2nd rabbi ignores summons over book controversy
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Cops want to ask Ya’acov Yosef about alleged endorsement of ‘Torat Hamelech’ which allows Jews to kill gentiles under certain conditions.
Over 1,000 hurt as Egyptian police clash with youths
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Protests return to Cairo’s Tahrir Square, this time over what protesters claim are delays in court hearings for ex-Egyptian president Mubarak, gov’t officials.
Southern hospitality served up in Rosh Ha’ayin
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Four New Orleans chefs tour the country using their culinary skills as a way to build bridges between communities.
Jews, Muslims condemn Dutch ritual slaughter bill
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – EJC calls bill “blatantly discriminatory” and a violation of human rights against the country’s Jewish community.
Gov’t to crackdown on Hamas prisoners’ cellphone use
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Public security minister looks to act on Netenyahu’s vow to toughen prisoners’ conditions; MK Danon says move is “not enough.”
Israeli director picks up award at Detroit film festival
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Guilhad Emilio Schenker’s ‘Lavan,’ which tells the story of a prison guard who falls in love with an inmate, wins Best Short Film.
Syria tank assault kills 11 near Turkey border
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Jabal al-Zawya residents say 2 youths among the dead; Human rights activist claims that troops fired randomly on border village of Rama.
Tnuva reduces price of cottage cheese
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Food giant praises consumer power in uproar over dairy costs, pledges to hold reduced price until at least year’s end; Strauss, Tara follow suit.
Jewish parliamentarians push tools for ‘re-legitimization’
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Minister Livnat says gov’t seeks “quality minority” in Palestinian statehood vote at UN; lawmakers discuss relationship between Jews, Israel.
Gaza flotilla makes Internet splash
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Before convoy sets sail, social media clashes come in from both sides; IDF vows to stop flotilla before it reaches Gaza.
Rabbi Yosef refuses police summons for questioning
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s son is last of rabbis who endorsed ‘Torat Hamelech’ to ignore police summons; arrest now appears likely.
Average Israeli spent nearly half of 2011 working for gov’t
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Tax Freedom Day marks the first day of the year that Israelis begin to earn money for themselves.
Man ‘stabbed Palestinian for gazing at his sister’
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Netanya resident confesses to following, stabbing construction worker; suspect’s remand extended through end of legal proceedings.
An Israeli trap for Britain | Haneen Zoabi
The Guardian 29 Jun 2011 – In arresting Sheikh Raed Salah, the UK authorities support the persecution of Arab citizens of Israel The decision to ban the Palestinian leader Sheikh Raed Salah from entering Britain, and then to arrest him , was transparently…
Sheikh Raed Salah: Islamic Movement leader loathed by the Israeli right
The Guardian 29 Jun 2011 – Salah’s organisation is disliked — but legal — in Israel, so why has the UK government objected to his presence? Sheikh Raed Salah, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel and veteran mayor of one…
Britain accused of collaborating with Israel over Salah arrest
The Guardian 29 Jun 2011 – Arab Israelis and Palestinians say arrest of Sheikh Raed Salah in London is ‘strange’ and ‘illegitimate’, and call for his release Arab Israelis and Palestinians have accused the British government of collaborating with Israel in detaining…
Leading Palestinian activist arrested in London
The Guardian 29 Jun 2011 – Theresa May says investigation has been launched into how Sheikh Raed Salah was allowed in despite travel ban The home secretary, Theresa May, has ordered “a full investigation” after a leading Palestinian activist in Israel entered…
Egypt, Libya and Middle East unrest – 29 June 2011
The Guardian 29 Jun 2011 – ‚Ä¢ Cairo’s Tahrir Square sees worst violence since Mubarak fell ‚Ä¢Five Saudi women drivers arrested, says activist ‚Ä¢ France has parachuted weapons to Libyan rebels Read the latest summary 4.14pm: Before I wrap here’s a summary…
PALESTINE: Freedom Flotilla Ready to Sail Despite Threats and Sabotage
IPS As the 10 ships of the Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human make their final preparations to set sail for the Gaza Strip, purported acts of sabotage have been added to threats from Israel.
Israel threatens violence against Gaza aid convoy
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – Israel has threatened violent repression against the Freedom Flotilla II aid convoy, due to sail this week for Gaza. On Monday Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet ordered the Israeli Defence Force to “act resolutely” to stop the flotilla. The order called on the armed forces to “avoid friction” with the passengers “as far as is possible.”…
Flotilla: Even state officials say Netanyahu, IDF spread lies
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – The top story in two of Israel’s leading daily papers yesterday was a bombshell: The IDF unveiled plans by flotilla passengers to kill soldiers trying to stop the ships from getting to Gaza… The reports of the murderous intentions of the flotilla activists traveled around the country and across the world. Not for the…
Black Caucus on Libya War: The Good, the Confused, and the Hopeless
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – At this critical juncture in history, the Congressional Black Caucus is near useless to the cause of peace. The recent congressional vote on Libya shows that, in the CBC, “there are more Confused members than Good, and The Good are outnumbered four to one by The Hopeless.” Much of the Caucus has bought into…
Syria tank assault kills 11 near Turkey border
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – Syrian troops shot dead 11 villagers on Wednesday, residents said, as authorities pressed on with a tank-led assault that has driven thousands of refugees across the northwest border with Turkey. The assault on Jabal al-Zawya, a region 35 km south of Turkey that has seen spreading protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule, was launched…
The blockade on Gaza began long before Hamas came to power
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – … Sari Bashi is the founder and director of Gisha, an Israeli NGO that advocates for Palestinian freedom of movement. She says that the gradual closure of Gaza began in 1991, when Israel canceled the general exit permit that allowed most Palestinians to move freely through Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Non-Jewish residents of…
Report: Fatah and Hamas to delay formation of unity government
Uruknet June 29, 2011 — Fatah and Hamas have reportedly agreed to delay the formation of a unity government until after the UN September statehood bid due to an impasse in reconciliation talks over the position of prime minister. President Mahmoud Abbas suggested to Hamas through Turkish intermediaries that the first stage of reconciliation be delayed and the status…
NEW YORK TIMES ATTEMPTING TO MAKE GAZA LOOK LIKE PARADISE
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – Instead of presenting a TRUE picture of what Gaza is today, the New York Times has published a report today showing a Gaza that only exists in their dreams. Rather than describing the dire health conditions that exist because of the Israeli siege on the region, the unemployment and shortage of housing, the article…
Petition from Gaza: Break the siege, support Freedom Flotilla II
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – We Palestinians of Gaza want to live at liberty to meet Palestinian friends or family from Tulkarem, Jerusalem or Nazareth; we want to have the right to travel and move freely. We want to live without fear of another bombing campaign that leaves hundreds of our children dead and many more injured or with…
Al Jazeera World: Staying Human
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – A documentary about Vittorio Arrigoni, the Italian peace activist whose passion for helping the Palestinian people, lead to his death. He moved to Gaza in 2008 to work for the International Solidarity Movement. He was kidnapped and killed by a Salafi group in April 2011…
Attacks target activists in Iraqi Kurdistan
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – Iraqi Kurdish authorities must immediately launch an independent investigation into attacks on those with links to pro-reform protests, Amnesty International said today after a human rights lawyer was shot. Karwan Kamal, a lawyer defending the protesters in the city of Sulaimaniya, was directly hit and two others were hurt when a gunman fired at…
Israeli Anti-Freedom Flotilla II Propaganda
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – On June 27, its press release headlined, “GAZA, WE ARE COMING. Despite pressure and threats of violence, flotilla will sail.” On June 27, A US Boat to Gaza Audacity of Hope press conference reiterated a determination to sail despite threats, pressure and other measures used to stop it. Participants on board all 10 ships…
Riyadh will build nuclear weapons if Iran gets them, Saudi prince warns
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – A senior Saudi Arabian diplomat and member of the ruling royal family has raised the spectre of nuclear conflict in the Middle East if Iran comes close to developing a nuclear weapon. Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to Washington, warned senior Nato military officials that the existence of such…
Egypt:: Political leaders and analysts condemn police response to protests
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – Ongoing clashes between protesters and police around Tahrir Square have elicited outrage among politicians, who accuse the Interior Ministry of reviving the “oppressive” methods of Mubarak’s times. Politicians and analysts point to the clashes as evidence of the need for further and faster reform within the government. “What happened is unacceptable under any circumstances…
Egypt police clash with youths; over 1000 hurt ‚Äé
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – Egyptian security forces clashed for a second day in Cairo with hundreds of youths demanding that the country’s military rulers speed up prosecution of police officers accused of brutality during mass protests that forced Hosni Mubarak to step down. More than 1,000 people have been injured, a senior official said. In scenes reminiscent of…
Press Release: The facts and sequence of events surrounding Sheikh Raed Salah’s arrest
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – The facts and sequence of events surrounding Sheikh Raed Salah’s arrest . Sheikh Raed Salah arrived in London on Saturday 25th using his Israeli passport to enter Britain legally as he has done many times before. He was not questioned by anyone and there was no indication of the existence of an exclusion order. Over…
Army storms northwest Syria villages killing seven
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – Syrian troops killed seven civilians Wednesday when they stormed into two villages in the northwestern province of Idleb, a rights activist told AFP. Tanks rolled into Mar-Ayan and Ihsem “opening fire and killing at least seven people,” an activist in the region of Jabal al-Zawiyah, home district of the two villages, told AFP in…
Report: Raed Salah arrested in London
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – — The head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh Raad Salah, was arrested in London on Tuesday evening, reports said. The sheikh spent the night in a prison cell, and is expected to be deported from the UK, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported citing a spokesman. The movement spokesman…
Freedom Flotilla Ready to Sail Despite Threats and Sabotage
Uruknet June 29, 2011 – – As the 10 ships of the Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human make their final preparations to set sail for the Gaza Strip, purported acts of sabotage have been added to threats from Israel. The flotilla, which will attempt to break through Israel’s blockade of Gaza for the second year in a row,…
U.S. Boat rejects Israeli Army allegation of violence
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – Passengers on the U.S. boat to Gaza rejected as ludicrous and provocative an unsubstantiated accusation by the Israeli Army that passengers in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla plan to kill IDF soldiers with chemical weapons. The Jerusalem Post reported on Tuesday an Israeli Defense Forces allegation that some passengers on the flotilla had prepared sacks…
PCHR Strongly Denounces Assaults by Local Media
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) denounces the media assault by some local media, which claim that PCHR demanded the release of the Israeli soldier who is held by Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza. On Monday morning, 27 June 2011, a number of local websites published a news item entitled “The Palestinian Center…
Video : ‘Athens police worse than anything we’ve seen before’
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – RT talks to financial journalist Demetri Kofinas from Athens…
Obama’s Singularities
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – ….Consider “These long wars will come to a responsible end.” What is the “responsible end” for a war instigated and entered into on the basis of lies to the American people, to the soldiers of the United States, and to the nations United as Colin Powell testified to a platter of fabrications shoved down…
U.S. Media Imagine Nonexistent Mass Rape in Libya, But are Blind to Mass Murder of Black Africans
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – U.S. media show no remorse for falsely reporting that Libyan soldiers were using rape as a weapon of war, although Amnesty International has “not found any evidence or a single victim of rape or a doctor who knew about somebody being raped.” Yet these same fraudulent journalists are blind to the murder of hundreds…
Video – Eyewitness Libya: Cynthia McKinney
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – By a margin of 2-to-1, people in the United States oppose the war in Libya, and there is growing Congressional opposition. The Obama White House offered an absurd rationale for its refusal to comply with the War Powers Act of 1973, asserting that the massive bombing of Libya by U.S., British and French war…
Committee finalizes Lebanon Cabinet policy statement
Daily Star 29 Jun 2011 A political source told The Daily Star Wednesday the article dealing with the STL would stress Lebanon’s respect to international resolutions and the continuation of the tribunal process without harming Lebanon’s unity and stability.
Iran’s president denounces arrests of his allies
Daily Star 29 Jun 2011 President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Wednesday denounced the arrests of several allies, as a months-long power struggle within Iran’s ruling system flared between the president and rival hard-liners.
Yemen air raid kills civilians amid fierce clashes
Daily Star 29 Jun 2011 A Yemeni airstrike killed four civilians and wounded 12 near the militant-held southern city of Zinjibar Wednesday as fighting on the ground left 16 soldiers and at least two militants dead.
Bahrain sets up fact-finding team for recent unrest
Daily Star 29 Jun 2011 Bahrain’s king ordered the formation of an independent fact-finding team Wednesday to investigate weeks of protests that rocked the Gulf island nation earlier this year, the state news agency said.
Connelly meets Aoun, says concerned over Hezbollah accusations
Daily Star 29 Jun 2011 We view these accusations as an attempt to deflect attention away from internal tensions in Hezbollah, U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly said Wednesday.
French PM congratulates Mikati on new Cabinet
Daily Star 29 Jun 2011 The message of congratulations was conveyed to Mikati by French Ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pieton who visited him at the Grand Serail.
Deal on STL policy statement article reached: source
Daily Star 29 Jun 2011 An agreement on the text of the policy statement article dealing with the controversial Special Tribunal for Lebanon has been reached, a senior political source told The Daily Star Wednesday.
Attack on UNIFIL a ‘message’ to international community: Future MP
Daily Star 29 Jun 2011 Future bloc MP Kazem al-Kheir said Wednesday that an attack with stones on U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon was a message to the international community.
Optimism running high on policy statement
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 An agreement between parties in the Cabinet on how to deal with the disputed Special Tribunal for Lebanon appeared close Tuesday, according to ministerial sources.
STL ‘suspects’ Hezbollah commander
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 The Special Tribunal for Lebanon will finalize its indictment next week, and it will contain the name of a Hezbollah commander among others accused of the crime, diplomatic and judicial sources told The Daily Star Tuesday.
Qabbani: Faith, will and determination only way out
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani said Tuesday that we only need faith, will, and determination to get out of the confusion in which we are living.
Two arrested in army raid in Bekaa Valley
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Two men were arrested during a raid launched by the Lebanese Army in the Bekaa Valley town of Saadnayel, a statement issued by the military said Tuesday.
U.N. peacekeepers injured in clash with southerners
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Two U.N. peacekeepers were injured Monday night after being pelted with stones by residents of a southern Lebanon village, an official from the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon told The Daily Star Tuesday.
Geagea announces new LF bylaws, slams government
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 The Lebanese Forces (LF) supports the Arab uprisings and oppose the influence within Lebanon of fading Arab regimes, LF leader Samir Geagea said Tuesday.
Mikati: Lebanon endorses an independent Palestinian state, rejects refugees’ settlement
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Tuesday that Lebanon was preparing to deal with the Palestinian Authority’s attempt to seek recognition as a U.N. member state at the General Assembly in September.
All work and little play for Lebanese students this summer
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Summer apparently doesn’t only conjure up images of holidays for Beirut students, as many have chosen to follow summer courses in a bid to finish their degree and start working as early as possible.
Traffic stops as activists protest against absence of women in Cabinet
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Traffic stalled and offices stood still for five minutes Tuesday as women’s rights activists protested against the exclusion of female ministers in the new Cabinet.
ISF blames globalization and modern technology for poor drug prevention results
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Globalization and modern technologies are hampering drug prevention in Lebanon, the Internal Security Forces said this week, as the pharmaceutical industry vowed to tighten up standards.
Syrian refugees in Lebanon suffer from poor conditions
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Hundreds of Syrians have crossed into Lebanon in the past few days, settling in houses that suffer from overcrowding and shortages of food and medicine.
Activists: Israel sabotaged Irish vessel too
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – VIDEO – Israel has managed to sabotage another vessel seeking to reach the Strip, this time in Turkey, one of the organizers of an international aid flotilla to the … ….
Teachers in civics war
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – The Education Ministry’s decision to strengthen Jewish identity studies in civics classes at the expense of democracy studies is creating tension and rifts among teachers … ….
AG to rule on MK Zoabi probe soon
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein is expected to make a decision soon on whether to launch a criminal investigation against Knesset Member Hanin Zoabi (Balad) for … ….
Salah ‘knew his arrest was political’
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – The Islamic Movement’s northern branch is planning a rally outside the British Embassy in Tel Aviv on Thursday, in protest of Sheikh Raed Salah’s arrest during a visit to … ….
Rabbi’s students: Authorities have lost their way
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – The students of Rabbi Dov Lior at the Nir Yeshiva in Kiryat Arba don’t accept the assumption that the rabbi’s arrest was made from legitimate motives. They feel that the … ….
US Senate: Cut aid if PA declares state
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – The US Senate approved a bill Wednesday that calls for suspension of American aid to the Palestinian Authority if it insists on carrying out a plan to gain UN recognition … ….
1st woman commands sniper platoon
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – Among the graduates of the Ground Forces officer course Wednesday at the Officers’ Training School (Bahad 1) was one Second Lieutenant Noy, a combat soldier in the … ….
Ireland: Avoid harming flotilla activists
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – PM Kenny urges Israel not to take any action that could cause injury or harm to….
Police chief: All citizens equal before law
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – Commissioner Danino says Rabbi Lior’s arrest was necessary, vows to probe….
UK: Iran tested nuclear-capable missiles
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – British Foreign Secretary Hague says Islamic Republic has been carrying out….
Report: Jordan to oppose PA statehood bid
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – Senior official tells UAE-based al-Bayan newspaper that Amman’s national….
‘Israel to block Hamas inmates’ phones’
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – Internal Security Minister Aharonovitch presents to Knesset restrictions to be….
UK probes Raed Salah’s entry into country
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – British home secretary announces London launched urgent inquiry into how Islamic….
Gaza-bound flotilla underway
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – French ship which departed Saturday apparently skipped Athens stop, en route to….
Outpost razed; settlers clash with police
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – Three buildings at illegal outpost Ramat Migron demolished; two girls arrested….
Students take Israeli PR personally
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – Group travels to UK at own expense to talk to British students; next on agenda:….
Raed Salah arrested after UK appearance
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – Leader of Islamic Movement’s northern branch enters Britain without a problem….
Flotilla organizer pledges no violence
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – Israeli expat Dror Feiler addresses claims some activists intend to harm IDF….
Report shows flaws in firefighting squadron
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – Planes purchased after Carmel fire might not be suitable for Israel’s….
Israel to Seizure 189 Dunums of Palestinian Land in Nablus
WAFA
Fayyad Declares Re-routing Bilin Barrier a Victory
WAFA
Ailing Prisoner in Israeli Jails Resumes Hunger Strike
WAFA
Israeli Court Rules to Evict 8 Arab Families in Ramla
WAFA
Abbas Affirms Intention to Seek UN Recognition in September
WAFA
British Authorities Arrest Raed Salah
WAFA
DEMYSTIFYING 9/11: ISRAEL AND THE TACTICS OF MISTAKE
Intifada-Palestine: 29 Jun 2011 – Courtesy: veteranstoday.com “I am also absolutely certain as a strategic analyst that 9/11 itself, from which all else flows, was a classic Mossad-orchestrated operation. But Mossad did not do it alone.” By Dr. Alan Sabrosky * / Intifada Palestine Many years ago I… more
Syria Pulls Armed Forces Back From Some Areas
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – A withdrawal has surprised even some activists and diplomats.
Clashes Ease in Cairo, but Underline Nation’s Fragile Condition
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – The clashes between residents and security forces were the first since the protests that toppled the government of Hosni Mubarak.
Strategic Site Is Captured by Militants in Yemen
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – The insurgents took over a sports stadium that had been used to store food and other provisions for about 2,000 government soldiers.
Bahrain Will Probe Charges of Rights Violations
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – Bahrain’s king said Wednesday that an independent commission will investigate allegations that protesters’ rights were violated during the deadly crackdown on anti-government unrest.
Egyptian Seeds Are Linked to E. Coli in Germany and France
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – European health officials have cautiously identified contaminated fenugreek seeds as a probable common link between the large outbreak in Germany and a smaller one in France.
5 Reported Detained as Saudi Women Drive
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – Five women were arrested for defying a religious fatwa in Saudi Arabia forbidding women to drive cars.
Special Report: Middle East: Tensions Beneath the Stability in the U.A.E.
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – Though the United Arab Emirates have not been touched by the unrest that has marked the past few months elsewhere in the region, its rulers are taking measures to stamp out dissent.
Middle East: The Fish That Lay the Golden Eggs
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – Abu Dhabi is talking caviar on a scale that would make czars blush.
US strives to engineer post-Saleh regime in Yemen
WSWS – As fighting continues in Yemen, with US warplanes and drones striking targets inside the country, Washington is working to form a pliant regime in the country.
Israel threatens violence against Gaza aid convoy
WSWS – Israel has threatened violent repression against the Freedom Flotilla II aid convoy, due to sail this week on route to Gaza.
Tunisian interim government delays Constituent Assembly elections
WSWS – On June 8, the interim Tunisian government decided to postpone the Constituent Assembly elections to October 23.
Irish flotilla ship will not sail to Gaza due to extensive sabotage
Mondoweiss – It pains me to write this. IRISHSHIPTOGAZA.ORG Terrible news has reached us in the early hours of Thursday — the Irish Ship To Gaza, MV Saoirse, has been SABOTAGED, presumably by agents of Israel. The damage is extensive, and indeed, if it had gone undetected apparently…
WikiLeaks document on Gaza blockade puts Israel’s flotilla hasbara to shame
Mondoweiss – As the second “Freedom Flotilla” to Gaza attempts to overcome the various obstacles in its way, the Israeli security establishment is busy trying to confuse people about the economic situation in Gaza. There’s just one big problem with their strategy: a cable written by a U.S….
Jewish Summer Camps: Nostalgia for Bygone Liberal Zionist Past
Tikun Olam – I am a product of the Jewish summer camp movement. I attended Camp Ramahs in New England (Palmer, MA), American Seminar ( Nyack , NY) and Glen Spey, NY between 1967 and 1970. They played a formative role in the development of my Jewish, spiritual and intellectual identity….
Israeli Army can’t provide evidence of flotilla’s violent plans, story unravels
Mondoweiss – Israelis woke up to a front page Jerusalem Post story claiming flotilla passengers planned violence against soldiers. The story has completely unraveled. On June 27, the Israeli army released a highly suspect claim that passengers on the flotilla planned to kill and maim Israeli soldiers. The…
The ‘No Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza’ Canard: From massacre myopia to blockade blindness
Mondoweiss – On Monday, former IDF prison guard Jeffrey Goldberg approvingly quoted an excerpt from a recent anti-Gaza Flotilla opinion piece by Irish columnist Kevin Myers. Myers’ snide commentary is full of historical revisionism, factual errors, total fabrications, racist anti-Arab and Palestinian stereotyping, and an adolescent overuse of…
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar cancels plans to attend Jerusalem Film Fest following ‘Nakba Day violence’
Mondoweiss – From a US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation press release: The Jerusalem Film Festival foreign office has confirmed that legendary basketball star and actor Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reversed plans to visit Israel due to concerns arising “after the Nakba Day violence.” Abdul-Jabbar was slated to present…
Brits, Bibi’s Poodles, Arrest Sheikh Salah Preparing to Address Parliament
Tikun Olam – Sheikh Raed Salah: why are David Cameron and Bibi Netanyahu afraid of this man? The Tory British government, ever Bibi’s loyal poodle, has arrested Sheikh Raed Salah , head of the Islamic Movement (Northern Branch) the day before he was to address the UK parliament at the…
Beit Ommar resident arrested at Container Checkpoint
Palestine Solidarity Project 28 Jun 2011 – Around 2 pm on 27 June 2011, Yousef Abu Hashem was arrested from the Container checkpoint between Bethlehem and Abu Dis. As of 12 pm on June 28, PSP has no further information about when he will be released or charged. Yousef is the son of…
Weekly Focus: Detention of children in East Jerusalem 21-28 June
Al-Haq 28 Jun 2011 – (2011-06-29)
Tim Pawlenty’s Bold New Middle East Plan Neither Bold, Nor New
Arab American Institute 28 Jun 2011 – In a speech this morning at the Council on Foreign Relations, Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty laid out his campaign’s Middle East platform, accusing his Republican opponents of ‘isolationism’ and attacking President Obama’s sluggish response to the Arab Spring. Promising to ‘speak plainly’ about the ‘the…
Sarkozy and “Holy Shalit”
Middle East Monitor 29 Jun 2011 – It was a humanitarian gesture of some signficance for French President Nicolas Sarkozy to send a letter to Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who is being held captive in Gaza, expressing solidarity with him and assuring him that France, of which he’s a citizen, is not going…
Press Statement: Mr. Raed Salah and the Secretary of State for Home Department
Middle East Monitor 29 Jun 2011 – Press Statement Issue Date: 29th June 2011 Mr. Raed Salah and the Secretary of State for Home Department Mr. Salah arrived in London on Saturday 25th June 2011 using his Israeli Passport. He was not aware of any purported exclusion order made by Secretary of State…
Parliamentary event will go ahead despite detention of Sheikh Raed Salah
Middle East Monitor 29 Jun 2011 – Sheikh Raed Salah, Palestinian political leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel was detained by the UK Border Authority Police late Tuesday night. He was invited by the Middle East Monitor [MEMO] and has been taking part in a speaking tour, speaking to British parliamentarians, academia…
Press Release: Raed Salah’s lawyers refute press allegations over travel ban
Middle East Monitor 28 Jun 2011 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Last week Sheikh Raed Salah issued a statement via the Middle East Monitor in reaction to allegations made against him in the British press to the effect that he had made anti-Semitic statements in the past. Sheikh Raed’s statement refuted those allegations and…
Egypt probes Tahrir Square clash
BBC 29 Jun 2011 – Egyptian officials order a probe into overnight clashes between police and protesters that injured hundreds of people in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.
Bahrain king orders protest probe
BBC 29 Jun 2011 – The king of Bahrain announces an independent investigation into the protests which rocked the Gulf island nation in February and March.
Hague’s concern over Iran tests
BBC 29 Jun 2011 – Foreign Secretary William Hague says Iran has been testing missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
Israeli Anti-Freedom Flotilla II Propaganda
Sabbah report 29 Jun 2011 – According to an unnamed defense official, “The picture emerging here is that some of the flotilla participants clearly intend a violent clash,” when, in fact, he knows this is a bald faced lie, an Israeli specialty, regurgitated by major media flacks, while suppressing Israel’s intention either…
Author Alice Walker Joins U.S. Aid Ship to Confront Israeli Naval Blockade of Gaza
Sabbah report 29 Jun 2011 – Speaking about the American boat to Gaza, Walker said, “I am going to Gaza because my government has failed to understand or care about the Gazan people, but worse than that, it is ignorant of our own history in the United States.”
“After you Brother!” Qadaffi stays and Obama leaves?
Sabbah report 28 Jun 2011 – Gaddafi has survived assaults of various types from US Presidents’ Ford, Carter, Reagan, George Bush 1, Clinton, George Bush 2, and Obama. Vegas book makers are giving odds he’ll be the leader of Libya’s Fatah Revolution after the voters retire Obama, whose broken promises included telling…
Alice Walker: Why I’m sailing to Gaza
Sabbah report 28 Jun 2011 – It is justice and respect that I want the world to dust off and put — without delay, and with tenderness — back on the head of the Palestinian child. It will be imperfect justice and respect because the injustice and disrespect have been so severe….
Thank Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for Slam-Dunking Israeli Apartheid!
US Campaign to End the Occupation 29 Jun 2011 – June 28, 2011
Articles
An Israeli trap for Britain
Haneen Zoabi, Middle East Monitor (MEMO)6/29/2011
In arresting Sheikh Raed Salah, the UK authorities support the persecution of Arab citizens of Israel
The decision to ban the Palestinian leader Sheikh Raed Salah from entering Britain, and then to arrest him, was transparently not based on any serious examination of his political activities. It was an ugly kneejerk response to the growing hostility of the Israeli establishment and its supporters abroad towards anyone opposing its racist policies – and a rising tide of Islamophobia in Europe.
Salah is head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, and three times elected mayor of the Palestinian town of Umm el-Fahm. He and I represent different political organisations and traditions. But there are no legal or legitimate reasons to pursue him. The Israeli persecution of him has recently intensified, as have its attacks on leaders of Palestinian citizens of Israel more generally.
So have its demands that those of us struggling for equality recognise Israel as an ethnically or religiously defined Jewish state. There is no other meaning to a “Jewish state” except the recognition of the legitimacy of granting privileges to Jews in Israel at the expense of Palestinian citizens, annulling the legitimacy of our struggle for real democracy.
Because I took part in the first freedom flotilla to break the illegal and inhuman siege of Gaza, the Israeli establishment has waged a propaganda campaign against me, accusing me of “terrorism”, and demanding the withdrawal of my parliamentary immunity and citizenship. This will be difficult to implement, but it threatens my political legitimacy and defines me as a “risk”. more.. e-mail
A New Palestinian Strategy Unfolds
Rami G. Khouri, Agence Global6/29/2011
BOSTON — While the Arab world is experiencing a historic series of citizen revolts against non-democratic governments, something equally significant is happening among Palestinians in their struggle with Israel and Zionism. Very slowly, almost imperceptibly, Palestinians seem to be making a strategic shift in their mode of confrontation with Israel, from occasional military attacks towards a more non-violent and political confrontation. This seems to be driven by two factors: that various kinds of armed struggle against Israel, by Palestinians or Arab state armies, have had little or no impact on changing Israeli policies, and, that non-violent political protests are more in keeping with the spirit of the moment in the Arab world, where unarmed civilians openly confront their oppressors and in most cases seem to be making headway.
The signs of Palestinian political struggle, as opposed to militarism, are most visible in four dimensions or incidents these days. The first were the two days in May and June when symbolic numbers of Palestinian refugees marched to the borders of Israel to proclaim their right to return to their homes. Israel as usual replied with gunfire, killing over a dozen Palestinians. The scene at the Qalandia checkpoint in the West Bank north of Jerusalem was especially poignant, as Palestinian young men used slingshots — that great Hebrew Bible symbol — to pester the Israeli soldiers in full battle gear on the rooftops raining teargas down on them. I suspect this is not the last time we will see unarmed Palestinian civilians march en masse in affirmation of their rights, whether in Israel, in Israeli-occupied Palestinian lands, or around the world.
The second is the flotilla of ships that will set sail next week from nearby Mediterranean ports to break the Israeli siege of Gaza, even though the siege has been eased somewhat in recent months, especially since the new Egyptian government opened the Rafah crossing to a nearly normal flow of trade. The flotilla follows half a dozen others that have made the journey in the last 3 years with the same purpose — to challenge the Israeli sea blockade and affirm the rights of Palestinians to have normal contacts with the rest of the world. more.. e-mail
The Sanitized Version of Neoconservatism
Stephen Sniegoski, Intifada-Palestine6/27/2011
Neoconservatism and American Foreign Policy: A Critical Analysis
A number of books have come out recently dealing with the neoconservatives, which have been published by mainstream presses. It is significant that these works acknowledge some obvious truths that were denied and even largely taboo some time ago.
They admit, for example, that neoconservatives not only exist (something that was denied a few years ago, most especially by the neocons themselves), but that they have been influential in shaping American policy in the Middle East, a view that continues to be rejected even by many critics of American foreign policy–e.g., Noam Chomsky and his acolytes, who see American foreign policy shaped only by all-powerful corporate interests. What these books still conceal, however, is the fact that the neocons are motivated by their Jewish ethnicity and the interests of the state of Israel. Instead the neocons are made to appear as an ideological group loyal solely to what they believe is good for the US. Consequently, this approach, despite allowing for some elements of truth, distorts the overall picture in a serious way.
Neoconservatism: The Biography of a Movement (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2010), by Justin Va?Øsse, which I have reviewed last August, reflects this partial truth approach. The current essay will focus on another recent work of this genre, Neoconservatism and American Foreign Policy: A Critical Analysis (New York: Routledge, 2011), authored by Danny Cooper, who is a lecturer at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. [A subsequent review will be of Neoconservatism and the New American Century by Maria Ryan (New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2010). more.. e-mail
Student-built racing car shows Gaza ingenuity
Electronic Intifada: 29 Jun 2011 – Rami Almeghari The Electronic Intifada Khan Younis In the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, a team of vocational college students, with the help of two mechanical engineers, built a racing car — the first of its kind in the besieged coastal territory.more
US Invigorates Policy at Gaza’s Expense
Palestine Chronicle: 29 Jun 2011 – By Ramzy Baroud United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made a series of stern and fiery statements recently, giving the impression that war is somehow on us once again. Oddly, Clinton’s sudden reappearance on the Middle East diplomacy scene was triggered by the brave attempts of peace activists to break the siege on Gaza. In recent months, as Arab nations settled old scores with their insufferable dictators, US foreign policy started taking a backseat. Attempts at swaying Arab revolts teetered between bashful diplomatic efforts to sustain US interests – as was the case with Yemen – and military intervention, as in Libya, which is still being marketed to the US public as a humanitarian intervention, as opposed to the war it actually is. The indecisiveness and double-standards on display are hardly new. The US’s stance during the Tunisian popular revolution ranged between complete lack of interest (when the…more
Actions, Not Words Needed in Yemen
Palestine Chronicle: 29 Jun 2011 – By James Gundun — Washington, D.C. Although she didn’t leave a scratch on his brutal crackdown, Hillary Clinton recently launched a metaphysical barrage at Syria’s strongman, Bashar al-Assad. In an op-ed to Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat, the Secretary of State boldly declared, “There is no going back in Syria.” “President Assad’s violent crackdown has shattered his claims to be a reformer,” Clinton wrote on June 17th. “For years, he has offered pledges and promises, but all that matters are his actions. A speech, no matter how dutifully applauded by regime apologists, will not change the reality that the Syrian people, despite being told they live in a republic, have never had the opportunity to freely elect their leaders. These citizens want to see a real transition to democracy and a government that honors their universal rights and aspirations.” Although her every word applies to Yemen’s revolution, never has Ali Abdullah Saleh…more
Break the Siege, Support Freedom Flotilla II
Palestine Chronicle: 29 Jun 2011 – Besieged Gaza, Occupied Palestine We Palestinians of Gaza want to live at liberty to meet Palestinian friends or family from Tulkarm, Jerusalem or Nazareth; we want to have the right to travel and move freely. We want to live without fear of another bombing campaign that leaves hundreds of our children dead and many more injured or with cancers from the contamination of Israel’s white phosphorous and chemical warfare. We want to live without the humiliations at Israeli checkpoints or the indignity of not providing for our families because of the unemployment brought about by the economic control and the illegal siege. We are calling for an end to the racism that underpins all this oppression. We ask: when will the world’s countries act according to the basic premise that people should be treated equally, regardless of their origin, ethnicity or colour — is it so far-fetched that a Palestinian…more
Don’t Attack Flotilla: Open Letter to Senator Kirk
Palestine Chronicle: 29 Jun 2011 – (An Open Letter to Illinois Senator Mark Kirk, from three constituents, responding to his call for U.S. Special Forces to attack a flotilla of ships that will sail to Gaza.) Senator Mark Kirk 524 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC, 20510 June 29th, 2011 Dear Senator Kirk, We are Illinois residents writing to you from Athens, Greece. Just before leaving the United States, we wrote to inform your office about our intent to sail on “The Audacity of Hope,” as part of the US Boat to Gaza project. In our letters, we explained why we were traveling to Gaza. We told you of our previous experiences living among Palestinians who lack access to basic necessities, such as clean water, because of the blockade. Referring to Gaza as the world’s largest open-air prison, we mentioned how hard it has been for people to rebuild after previous lethal assaults, especially the Operation…more
‘The Message of the Soul’: 20th Annual MPAC Media Awards
Palestine Chronicle: 29 Jun 2011 – By Elana Golden ‘Recognizing Voices of Courage and Justice’ was the caption on the two large TV screens looming over the glitzy ballroom of the Sheraton Parkway Hotel in Los Angeles where the 20th annual Media Awards event presented by MPAC (Muslim Public Affairs Council), and attended by five hundred guests, took place on June 25th. The 2011 honorees were Hiam Abbass, the actress in the feature film Miral, portraying Hind Husseini, the Palestinian woman who in 1948, in wartorn Jerusalem, took in 55 Palestinian orphans and established a school for orphaned girls; Leonard Dick and Ted Humphrey, co-producers of two episodes in the CBS series The Good Wife that tackle stereotypes about Islam and Muslims; and Rashid Ghazi and Ash-Har Quraishi, the director and producer of the full length documentary film Fordson — about a Detroit high school football team, comprised of Muslim Americans, having to play a game…more
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The New Dark Age 