6 July , 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Spanish flotilla activists occupy embassy in Greece
IMEMC – Thursday July 07, 2011 – 02:16, A group of Spanish activists have occupied their country’s embassy in Greece, calling for the release of an aid flotilla to the Gaza Strip.
BT Selem Release Footage Of Settler Attack
IMEMC – Wednesday July 06, 2011 – 16:24, Human rights organisation BT Selem has released footage of Israeli settlers from the Yitzhar settlement in the West Bank setting fire to fields near olive orchards belonging to Palestinians in the nearby villages of Burin and Huwara. The ensuing fire consumed dozens of dunams of land and 400 olive trees according to media.
Israeli Human Rights Org’s Express Support For Flotilla
IMEMC – Wednesday July 06, 2011 – 15:49, A group of Israeli human rights organisations have signed a letter supporting the Freedom Flotilla 2 and calling on the Greek and Israeli governments to allow it safe passage to Gaza. The letter has been signed by prominent organisations such as Rabbis for Human Rights, Gush Shalom, the Israeli Committe Against Housing Demolitions and the Alternative Information Centre.
UN Report Critical Of Israel’s Actions During Nakba Day
IMEMC – Wednesday July 06, 2011 – 14:39, The UN report into this years Nakba Day events along the Lebanese-Israeli borders has criticized Israels use of disproportionate force against protesters seeking to cross into Israeli held territory. The events of May 15th led to eleven Palestinian protesters being killed and 111 injured due to Israeli live fire.
Organizers Of “welcome To Palestine” Campaign Deny Alleged Intention Of Airplane Take Over
IMEMC – Wednesday July 06, 2011 – 12:51, The organizers of “Welcome to Palestine” campaign issued a press statement nullifying allegations of plans to take over airplanes on July 8 in Ben Gurion airports.
Palestinian Authority Disperse Demonstration By Use of Violence
IMEMC – Wednesday July 06, 2011 – 11:37, On Saturday July 2, 2011 Palestinian police and the Palestinian National Security Service injured over 20 peaceful Palestinian demonstrators in Hebron, according to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. Many of the demonstrators suffered injuries from beatings as well as tear gas inhalation.
Troops Kidnap Six Palestinians In The West Bank
IMEMC – Wednesday July 06, 2011 – 09:39, Israeli soldiers kidnapped on Wednesday at dawn six Palestinians in several parts of the occupied West Bank. Two Palestinians were kidnapped on Tuesday at night.
Three Injured As Army Bombards Gaza
IMEMC – Wednesday July 06, 2011 – 09:28, Israeli Air Force bombarded, late on Tuesday at night, an area east Gaza city causing damage to several structures and mildly wounding three residents.
French boat sets sail to Gaza
IMEMC – Wednesday July 06, 2011 – 08:40, As the Greek government prevents the departure of a number of Gaza-bound aid boats, one of the boats with the Freedom Flotilla, which was not docked in Greece, has managed to set sail for the Gaza Strip.
UN ‘slams Israel’ over Nakba Day bloodshed
7/6/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — A UN report into the bloodshed along the Israel-Lebanon border in May has slammed the Israeli army for using unnecessary force when firing on protesters, a newspaper reported Wednesday. The report was released by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon earlier this week and passed on to the 15 members of the Security Council, with….
Lone boat heads to Gaza as flotilla stalls in Greece
7/6/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — A lone French yacht with 12 people on board was on Wednesday the only vessel from a 10-ship flotilla to be heading for the Gaza Strip after the remaining vessels were tied up by red tape in Greece. The MV Dignite/Al Karama, which left Greek waters early on Tuesday, was heading….
Palestinian reported injured after Gaza airstrike
7/6/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli aircraft opened fire on the central Gaza Strip early Wednesday, injuring a Palestinian man and causing damage to property, medical officials said. Medics transferred the unidentified Palestinian to the Shifa Hospital west of Gaza City. Onlookers said aircraft fired two missiles toward structures near the Shejaya area of Gaza….
Israel lawmaker ‘narrowly escapes UK arrest warrant’
7/6/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — A member of Israel’s parliament narrowly escaped an arrest warrant issued for him in London over the weekend for suspicion of war crimes, Israeli media reported. The Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronot said Amir Peretz cancelled his trip to the UK after learning from Israel’s ministries….
Israeli forces arrest daughter of Al-Bireh mayor
7/6/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli forces arrested the daughter of the Mayor of Al-Bireh on Wednesday, the Palestinian Information Center reported.” Israel’s army has arrested Bushra Al-Tawil, 18, daughter of Jamal Al-Tawil, Mayor of Al-Bireh, after raiding her family home in the Um Ash-Sharayet neighborhood in Al-Bireh,” a researcher from the organization Ahmed….
Second Gaza aid boat hopes to leave Greece
7/6/2011 – ATHENS (AFP) — Pro-Palestinian campaigners said a second boat would try to leave Greek waters to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza Wednesday, joining a French yacht that left a day earlier. The “Juliano”, flying a Sierra Leone flag and hired by Greek, Norwegian and Swedish activists, would try and leave the port of…. Related: UN ‘slams Israel’ over Nakba Day bloodshed
Egypt approves entry of medical supplies to Gaza
7/6/2011 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian authorities approved the entry of five tons of medical supplies into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, authorizing a donation from the Arab Doctors Union. The shipment was delivered to a representative of the Palestinian Red Crescent at the Rafah crossing and taken into the Strip, a Ma’an….
68 Hamas members arrested since unity deal
7/6/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Palestinian security forces have been cracking down on Hamas members in the West Bank despite the implementation of a reconciliation deal, Hamas leaders said Wednesday. Hundreds of supporters of the party and Hamas leaders have been summoned by Palestinian Authority forces and 68 members have been arrested, a statement by….
Proposal to remove Arabic, English names rejected
7/6/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli government committee has rejected a proposal to cancel Arabic and English road sign names and replace them with the transliterated Hebrew versions. Israeli Transport Minister Yisrael Katz saw his proposal to change all names on road signs to the literal Hebrew translation rejected on Wednesday, according to Israeli daily….
Group says 3 detainees placed in solitary confinement
7/6/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Three Palestinians in Israeli custody were placed in solitary confinement Tuesday, a prisoners rights group said, as Israel stripped detainees of privileges under new guidelines. Rawhi Mishthi, Atef Al-Masri and Hassan Fayyad were placed in solitary confinement at the Hadarim prison in line with a new policy of pressuring Hamas by….
Soldiers seize Palestinian in raid on Bethlehem camp
7/6/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained a young man at dawn Wednesday in the occupied West Bank. Abdul Qader Al-Zighari, 24, of Duheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, was detained, his brother Ali said. An Israeli military spokeswoman told Ma’an the army arrested four Palestinians in the West Bank overnight….
Israel ready for Palestinian ‘flytilla’
7/6/2011 – LOD, Israel (AFP) — Squads of Israeli police were deployed at Tel Aviv airport on Wednesday, anticipating the arrival of hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists, a police spokesman said.” There are a hundred police from different units who are on standby and will make sure there won’t be any incidents at the airport,” Micky Rosenfeld….
Report: Iceland backs recognition of Palestinian state
7/6/2011 – AMMAN, Jordan (Ma’an) — Iceland’s foreign minister on Tuesday indicated that his country would support a Palestinian initiative to gain recognition of statehood, a Jordanian news service reported. Petra news quoted Ossur Skarphedinsson as telling an Arab League official charged with Palestinian affairs that Iceland supported recognition “in view of expected changes…. Related: Iceland Foreign Minister visits Gaza
PLO envoy to US condemns Gilo plans
7/6/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The PLO’s envoy in the US has strongly condemned recent announcements by the Israeli government approving the construction new settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem. The 900 housing units are to be built in the illegal settlement of Gilo, Israeli officials say.”The implementation of such a policy reiterates….
Fayyad: PA to pay debts, statehood not undermined
7/6/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Ramallah Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Wednesday that it is unacceptable to use the current financial crisis in the Palestinian Authority as a means to discredit the campaign for statehood. All states face financial troubles and need the correct procedures and oversight to overcome such problems, he said in a weekly….
Gaza PM: Egypt must improve Rafah crossing
7/6/2011 – GAZA (Ma’an) — The Rafah crossing is still not equipped to deal with the flow of Palestinians crossing into Egypt from the Gaza Strip, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Wednesday.”From the heart of the Rafah crossing, I appeal to the Egyptian leadership to ease the suffering of citizens, and on our part….
Protests in Gaza against UNRWA name change
7/6/2011 – GAZA (Ma’an) — The popular committee for Palestinian refugees intends to organize a sit-in protest in front of Gaza UNRWA offices on Tuesday, after reports said that the organization is changing its name. Mueen Okal, head of the popular committee, said the sit-in will be peaceful. Changing the name of the organization will carry….
2 Palestinians arrested in West Bank raid
7/6/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israel’s army carried out a large operation in a village south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank overnight, onlookers said. Two Palestinians were seized in the raid on Iraq Burin, witnesses said. Soldiers raided homes and destroyed property, they added. The detainees were identified as Ahmad Fqeeh, 16….
French protest boat still headed toward Gaza
7/6/2011 – ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — A French motor yacht slipped out of Greek waters Tuesday in an attempt to break Israeli’s naval blockade on Gaza, reviving an international campaign that appeared to have ground to a halt. The “Dignite al Karama” is so far the only boat in a planned flotilla organized by pro-Palestinian activists…. Related: UN ‘slams Israel’ over Nakba Day bloodshed
Iceland Foreign Minister visits Gaza
7/6/2011 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — The Foreign minister of Iceland Ossur Skarphedinsson entered the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing on Tuesday morning as part of a high-profile delegation from Iceland. The delegation will discuss ways to achieve Palestinian reconciliation, Egyptian security sources told Ma’ans El-Arish correspondent…. Related: Report: Iceland backs recognition of Palestinian state
Israel FM: Meet unilateralism with unilateralism
7/6/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israel’s foreign minister on Wednesday warned the Palestinians against a planned statehood bid saying it would have consequences, news reports said. Avigdor Lieberman said “unilateral steps will require unilateral responses” in the event the Palestinians seek recognition from the UN in September, The Jerusalem Post reported. There….
Drugs suspect arrested in Hebron
7/6/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) – Palestinian police on Wednesday arrested a suspected drug dealer in Hebron. Following up on a lead, police said they tracked the dealer and caught him “red handed” in his car. The suspect, who was not identified, was taken into custody pending charge, a statement said….
Syria troops ‘kill 22’ in Hama crackdown
7/6/2011 – NICOSIA, Cyprus (AFP) — Syrian troops killed at least 22 people in a crackdown they launched in the flashpoint central city of Hama, a human rights group said Wednesday.” At least 22 people were killed in Hama and more than 80 wounded, some of them seriously,” Ammar Qurabi of the National Organization for Human Rights said….
Rights group slams Bahrain’s ‘violent repression’
7/6/2011 – DUBAI (AFP) — Human Rights Watch on Wednesday accused Bahrain of carrying out a “campaign of violent oppression” against its citizens and called for an end to abuses. Pro-reform protesters took to the streets of Bahrain on Feb. 14, but security forces crushed the demonstrations a month later in a bloody crackdown followed by sweeping arrests….
Egyptians back on the streets over slow transition
7/6/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Five months after the overthrow of president Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians are being asked to return to the streets for new mass protests amid frustration over the military rulers’ handling of a promised transition to democracy. Hailed as heroes for not siding with Mubarak during the Jan. 25 uprising, the ruling military council….
Independence Day Lessons
Palestine Note 6 Jul 2011 – July 4th is celebrated as America’s Independence Day. In the West Bank and Gaza it is merely Nakba Day 23,061. That’s what you get when you marry poor leadership, planning and tactics with unclear goals. And the Palestinians have been…
PFLP: Fatah and Hamas lack will to end rivalry
Palestine Note 6 Jul 2011 – Ma’an- The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said Tuesday that Hamas and Fatah lacked the political will to end their rivalry. Palestinian factions signed a deal in Cairo on May 4 to form a unity government to end…
Haniyeh: No division between Fatah and Hamas
Palestine Note 6 Jul 2011 – Ma’an- Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday that there was no division between Hamas and Fatah, despite slow progress towards political reconciliation. Reconciliation is moving slowly on several issues but major division has been overcome and it is time…
Gaza flotilla: ‘Solidarity more important than aid’
Palestine Note 6 Jul 2011 – The Guardian- Support for the aid flotilla is universal in Gaza, partly because of the aid it aims to deliver, but more popularly because of the symbolism it holds. Khalil Shaheen, head of economic and social rights at the Palestinian…
Heated debate over Palestinian prisoners in Israel
Palestine Note 6 Jul 2011 – BBC News- The entrance to the Abu Jihad Museum for the Prisoners’ Movement closely resembles a jail. Step inside the revolving steel door topped by barbed wire and you stand behind bars that surround the ticket desk. Exhibits at the…
America; Second Declaration of Independence.
Palestine Note 6 Jul 2011 – America, the great country and power that it is, is in deep trouble, failing in many of its wars: Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Libya. Failing in its drug war and in its war on terrorism, the country also has a…
Gaza mobilizes for Freedom Flotilla
Palestine Note 5 Jul 2011 – Joe Catron – An international flotilla of nine ships and hundreds of crew and passengers is a huge undertaking, in Gaza as much as anywhere. Mahmoud Elmadhoun knows this better than most. A member of Gaza’s Higher Government Committee, as…
Israel boycotts UN official over Nakba report
AlJazeera 6 Jul 2011 – Country’s media says government boycotting UN official over his report on Israeli response to Lebanon border incursion.
Somali militia lifts aid ban amid drought
AlJazeera 6 Jul 2011 – Al-Shabab welcomes “Muslim and non-Muslim” foreign aid groups as region faces worst drought in 60 years.
Riots outside Suez security building
AlJazeera 6 Jul 2011 – Protesters burn police cars and pelt government buildings with stones after police officers accused of killings bailed.
NZ journalist deported from Yemen
AlJazeera 6 Jul 2011 – Glen Johnson, a freelance journalist held in southern Yemen for two weeks, has been released, his family says.
‘Crimes against humanity’ claims in Syria
AlJazeera 6 Jul 2011 – Human rights group accuses Damascus over May siege of Talkalakh, while up to 22 reported killed in crackdown in Hama.
Yemen claims forty al-Qaeda fighters killed
AlJazeera 6 Jul 2011 – State news agency reports that fighters killed after trying to take over military camp in Abyan province.
Thomson Foundation’s Inquirer Award on the Hunt for Oustanding Journalist
PNN – London – PNN – The Thomson Foundation, an organization which provides media training as well as management and consultancy services to journalists and communications professionals, launched on Wednesday the Inquirer Award 2011…
Rawabi Visit for Lord Mayor of London
PNN – Ramallah – PNN – On Tuesday the Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Michael Bear, along with British Consulate General Sir Vincent Fean, visited Rawabi, the first Palestinian planned city. The pair along…
Welcome to Palestine Campaign Set For Friday
PNN – “We strongly stress that we campaign for a just peace and for the freedom and security of both the Palestinian and the Israeli people” Bethlehem – PNN – As nearly 600 international…
Flotilla Update
PNN – Athens – PNN – The ten ships of Freedom Flotilla Two, as a result of diplomatic arm-twisting and sabotage have faced a variety of setbacks as they attempt to break the Israeli…
Arab League Requests Palestinian Statehood from U.N.
PNN – New York -PNN – Victoria Delacroix – Reuters has reported that the Arab League has requested U.N. membership for a Palestinian State in Gaza and the West Bank. They have also requested…
UN Issues Report Condemning Israel for Unnecessary Use of Force Against Nakba Demonstrators
PNN – New York – PNN – The United Nations has issued a report condemning Israel for its unnecessary use of force against the Nakba Day protesters. The report, drafted by the UN Special…
International Solidarity Movement
12 people left homeless in Khallet Sakariya
7/6/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 5 July 2011, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – At 6 am this morning the Israeli military demolished a water cistern and one house containing 12 persons, 6 of whom are children, in Khallet Sakariya. The military arrived with 13 cars and more than 55 soldiers as well as a bulldozer. The family had not received….
Iraq Burin Raided
7/6/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – More than 300 Israeli soldiers raided the village Iraq Burin at approximately 10:30pm to 5am commencing on the 5th July. Soldiers accompained by dogs forcefully entered all 150 houses within the village. The searches commenced with the families and children having to wait outside for further instructions. Two males (15 and 23) were….
Gaza summer camp teaches service, struggle
7/6/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement – At Vittorio’s funeral in Gaza the crowds chanted “Viktor is with the fisherman, Viktor is with the farmers”, Vittorio is still with the people of Gaza. He lives on in their hearts. He has been honored with a football tournament in Rafah, with a street in Gaza, with a school….
Alternative Information Center
14 Palestinians Displaced as Israel Demolishes Home in West Bank
Alternative Information Center – Fourteen Palestinians were displaced yesterday (5 July) in the West Bank village of Khallet Sakariya when dozens of Israeli soldiers demolished the home of Mohmoud Khaleel Sa’ad Odeh. Odeh’s family, which includes 4 children, has temporarily…
600 Internationals to Challenge Israeli Blockade of West Bank on 8 July
Alternative Information Center – Approximately 600 European and American citizens, including numerous families with children, will land at Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport this Friday, 8 July, in response to an impassioned ‘call to action’ by some 15 Palestinian civil society organizations….
Israel Reacts Hysterically to Welcome to Palestine Initiative
Alternative Information Center – The Israeli government has responded with hysteria to the Welcome to Palestine Initiative, in which hundreds of international activists will openly declare their intention to visit Palestine when landing in Tel Aviv on 8 July. Sergio…
Clashes between PA Police Forces, Islamic Activists in Hebron
Alternative Information Center – Hizb-ut Tahrir (the Party of Liberation), an Islamic political organization, attempted to stage demonstrations across the West Bank on Saturday 2 July despite opposition from the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, which blocked a planned gathering in Ramallah….
Palestine UN membership a debate for Council in July
Relief Web 6 Jul 2011 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet Country: occupied Palestinian territory Security Council debate on Middle East due July 26 Palestine membership issue likely to discussed Quartet meeting due mid-July Flotilla panel date still unclear By Megan Davies UNITED NATIONS, July 5 (Reuters)…
Speech by HR/VP Catherine Ashton on North Africa and the Arab world
Relief Web 6 Jul 2011 – Source: European Union Country: Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (the) , Algeria , Bahrain , Egypt , Jordan , Lebanon , Morocco , occupied Palestinian territory , Syrian Arab Republic (the) , Tunisia , Yemen SPEECH/11/504 European Parliament Strasbourg, 6 July 2011 Mr President, Honourable Members, the last time I spoke in…
Gaza Freedom Flotilla actions
6 Jul 2011 – London, (Pal Telegraph) – The passengers of the ten boats of the 2011 Gaza Freedom Flotilla continued pushing back against the restrictions of the Greek government today, joined by citizens of countries around the world whose governments’ policies stand in stark contrast to the will of their peoples. Here are today’s developments:
Israeli troops assault Burin village
6 Jul 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli occupation forces invaded Wednesday Irraq Burin village in the southwest of Nablus, local sources said.
Israeli warplanes bombard Gaza overnight
6 Jul 2011 – Gaza Strip, (Pal Telegraph)- Israeli air forces bombarded yesterday night a smuggling tunnel in the north of Gaza Strip without causalities reported, according to Israeli radio.
Oman jails 12 more after Sohar protests
The National 6 Jul 2011 – Prosecution says 12 were not genuine protesters but ‘there to riot and cause harm to the public’.
Israel plans ‘firm action’ against hundreds of planned ‘fly-in’ protesters
The National 6 Jul 2011 – 600 activists plan to fly in to Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel and openly declare the West Bank as their destination, in protest against what they say is Israel’s routine and illegal deportation of foreigners who say they are bound for the Palestinian territory.
Somali pirates using Yemen’s Socotra island as fuel base to extend their range
The National 6 Jul 2011 – Insurers concerned over location of new supplies hub for pirate motherships, close to Gulf of Aden and eastern seaboard of Yemen.
Bahrain sentences three Iranian spies to 10 years in jail, says newspaper
The National 6 Jul 2011 – Two foreigners and a Bahraini sentenced in their absence for spying for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard between 2002 to 2010 ‘in the Kingdom of Bahrain and abroad’.
Yemen facing humanitarian crisis and needs urgent international aid says UN
The National 6 Jul 2011 – Report finds 9 million Yemenis are struggling to get the food they need and up to 10,000 families are malnourished as food prices soar six months after huge protests began against the regime of the country’s president, Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Government and protesters both invoke Hama massacre of 1982
The National 6 Jul 2011 – Assad regime openly compares present situation with that of the early 1980s, insisting that now, as then, Syria facesan armed Islamic insurgency, while opposition activists use massacre as reminder of regime brutality and casual sacrifice of blood.
Kuwait’s new mosque is more than a nod to the Taj Mahal
The National 6 Jul 2011 – The As-Sadeeqa Fatimatul Zahra Mosque, built in the style of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s iconic memorial to his wife and opened this year, is already gaining a reputation as one of Kuwait’s most distinctive buildings.
Israel prepares for arrival of hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists
Ha’aretz – Five leftists from Belgium, France refused entry to Israel; hundreds more expected.
Israel fears Iran and North Korea strengthening ties
Ha’aretz – Israeli officials say Pyongyang is helping Iran develop its military nuclear program, add that if Iran was only interested in nuclear energy for civilian purposes, Russia’s aid should suffice.
Turkmenistan rejects Israeli ambassador, says he is ‘Mossad spy’
Ha’aretz – Turkmen Foreign Ministry says Israel’s designated ambassador Haim Koren’s past employment as instructor at the National Security College is proof of his involvement in espionage.
Gaza flotilla probe: IDF used excessive force but naval blockade legal
Ha’aretz – The final findings of the UN commission that investigated the events last May do not call for Israel to apologize; Israeli official: Turkish-Israeli reconciliation talks deadlocked.
Israel deports five ahead of anticipated influx of pro-Palestinian activists
Ha’aretz – 600-1,200 activists were expected to attempt entry to Israel as counterpart to the Gaza flotilla.
Palestinian negotiator: no contradiction between UN vote and peace process
Ha’aretz – Following a meeting with Acting Middle East Envoy David Hale and diplomat Dennis Ross, Erekat says he does not expect Quartet’s July meeting to ‘invent the wheel.’
Arrest warning prompts retired Israeli general to cut short London visit
Ha’aretz – Danny Rothschild, who coordinated IDF operations in the early 90s, cancels scheduled events and returns to Israel a day after former Labor leader Amir Peretz leaves after similar warnings.
Top Egyptian politician calls Holocaust, 9/11 fabrications
Ha’aretz – Ahmed Ezz El-Arab, leader of the secular Wafd Party, tells the Washington Times the Holocaust is a lie, adding Anne Frank’s memoirs ‘fake.’
U.S. officials to meet with top PA negotiator in bid to push Obama policy for talks
Ha’aretz – Saeb Erekat scheduled to meet with Acting Middle East Envoy David Hale, diplomat Dennis Ross at U.S. State Department; State Department spokesperson: ‘Our goal is to get these parties back to the table’.
Livni refuses to sign letter calling for prisoner release in exchange for Shalit
Ha’aretz – Opposition leader Tzipi Livni, along with four other Knesset members, meet with Shalit family and lobbyists; of five, only one MK signs.
Israel gets backing of Romania ahead of UN vote on Palestinian statehood
Ha’aretz – PM Benjamin Netanyahu continues to Bulgaria in effort to drum up opposition to Palestinian plan; FM Lieberman: A unilateral move will force Israel to retaliate.
In Pictures / A Hasidic wedding in Bnei Brak
Ha’aretz – Hasidic Jews celebrate the union of a young couple.
International team reveals: Paz Gas Company responsible for contaminated jet fuel
Ha’aretz – International Air Transport Association sends in independent team to investigate source of contaminated jet fuel at Ben-Gurion Airport in May.
The banks’ gain from our trading in securities: NIS 3.2 billion a year
Ha’aretz – Their fees are seven times higher than at investment banks.
Atias meddling in tenders, ILA claims
Ha’aretz – ILA officials, including director Yaron Bibi, complained about the interference to the Justice Ministry.
Sunday off? Not if the treasury has its way
Ha’aretz – Tourism firms are pro, teachers and religious con; unions simply flummoxed.
Israeli Arab Committee demands release of detained Islamic leader
Ha’aretz – British ambassador to Israel says U.K. issued the order due to Salah’s extremist positions.
Lieberman: Palestinian PM does not deserve any goodwill gestures
Ha’aretz – Foreign minister slams Israel’s plan to transfer 84 bodies of terrorists to Palestinian Authority, says Israel also has unilateral moves in response to Palestinian UN bid.
Swiss company cancels deal to sell cement to Gaza flotilla organizers
Ha’aretz – Interbulk to return 25,000 euros to Swedish activists who intended on transporting some 3,000 tons of cement as aid to Gaza on flotilla.
Netanyahu: Israel must be resolute in face of pro-Palestinian provocateurs at airport
Ha’aretz – Prime minister orders security forces to prevent infiltration into Israel’s borders, as hundreds of activists plan to enter Israel by air as counterpart to Gaza flotilla.
UN Security Council to discuss Palestinian bid for statehood in July
Ha’aretz – Security Council to hold open debate on Middle East on July 26, according to provisional calendar.
NIS 220m. cleanup plan proposed for Kishon River
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Environmental Protection Ministry announces significant improvement in water quality due to cease in wastewater flow from Haifa Chemicals.
Attack of the jellyfish!
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Gelatinous creatures muck up filters at Hadera power plant; Global warming, overfishing may be contributing to glut of local species.
Sagan sentenced to nine years for killing outside TA club
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Victim’s family says sentence is too lenient; father of three was killed by single strike to the head with motorcycle helmet last year.
Capital light rail to roll August 19
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Arbitrators say stop lights will have to be reprogrammed later; CityPass predicts traffic jams until signals can be coordinated.
Hamas-Fatah reconciliation was put on hold
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Hamas official says consultations ongoing but two sides failed to agree on identity of caretaker prime minister.
President honors youth who lost life fighting Carmel Fire
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – In May of this year, the IAF inaugurated its firefighting squadron bearing Elad’s name in perpetuity.
‘Sundays off’ proposal excites some, dismays others
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – The findings of the Netanyahu-appointed committee will be released in October, when the Knesset returns from its summer recess.
American picks IDF service over elite US Army Rangers
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – “People fight here for a reason: To keep Israel alive. And for me, the US army did not have as much meaning as the Israeli army,” Dabush says.
The unwelcome fly-in
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – The stage-managed production obviously has more to do with a propaganda ploy than with breaking the anyway fictional siege on Gaza.
Yonatan Netanyahu’s odyssey: From Harvard to Entebbe
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – This week marks the 35th anniversary of the operation to rescue hijacked Air France passengers in which the heroic commander was killed.
Gender ghettos in Iranian universities
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – The Iranian people are the only force capable of ending this repressive and arrogant religious rule.
Israeli-Turkish talks in NY fail to find way to end crisis
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Talks continue, despite harsh disagreement over ‘Marmara’ apology; PM says legitimacy of Gaza blockade needs to be acknowledged; outline of UN report: Blockade is legal but Israel used “excessive” force.
Dismantle the Iranian Auschwitz
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Fundamentally Freund: The sad fact is that diplomacy has failed; its only effect has been to give the Iranians more time to achieve their malicious aims.
Support the flotilla with its faults
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Rattling the Cage: The choice is easy: I dislike the flotilla much, much less than I do the status quo with the Palestinians.
UK MP Ann Clwyd likens Livni to Raed Salah
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – MP: “Ironic” that UK law protects one opposition leader from detainment and not the other; Amir Peretz leaves London early to avoid arrest.
Washington Watch: Ships of fools
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – After failing to launch the sea flotilla, its organizers are now orchestrating a futile fly-in.
Labor drive invites corruption
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – New Labor Party “members” unlikely to vote for the party in national elections cast doubt on the legitimacy of a recent membership drive.
Obama intensifies pressure on PM
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Candidly speaking: Administration that reneged on previous US commitments does not have the right to dictate one-sided concessions.
Libyan rebels push towards Tripoli on two fronts
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Rebels in Misrata push west, at least 14 fighters killed; NATO says it has no confirmation Gaddafi seeking way out.
Mid-air blast tank shell winner of Defense Prize
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Kalanit can explode midair over hiding terrorists and can breach concrete walls; shell has been successful in hitting Gaza terror cells.
Israel-China relations growing deeper
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Technology focus expands to revive defense ties and boost academic exchanges between 2 countries; China sees Israel as critical player in ME.
Anne Frank a ‘fake,’ says ‘liberal’ Egyptian leader
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Tirade comes on sidelines of conference honoring late US congressman, Shoah survivor Tom Lantos; Brotherhood: Shari’a is only option for reform.
Woman sentenced to 24 years for murdering pregnant neighbor
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Mazal Bar-Osher stabbed her pregnant neighbor Tali Atar repeatedly following a row over the cleanliness of the building,
‘Financial crisis doesn’t mean we’re not ready for state’
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Fayyad says only $331m. of $970m. promised to gov’t was received; Abed Rabbo accuses Arab countries of not meeting their pledges.
Syrian security forces round up dozens in Hama
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Tanks deployed near Baath Party headquarters; death toll from latest crackdown in city rises to 22; Amnesty urges UN to take Syria to ICC.
Police prepare for arrival of ‘air flotilla’ activists
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists due to arrive at airport; PM: I’ve ordered all security agencies to avoid unneeded confrontations.
Libya rebels seize village from pro-Gaddafi forces
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Rebel fighters take control of Al-Qawalish following six-hour battle; evidence of fast withdrawal by forces loyal to Libyan leader.
Nigerian doctor brings Israeli health practices back home
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – Video: Sunday Olasanmi is one of 16 African students learning at Hebrew University to improve the public health of their home countries.
‘Romania won’t support PA statehood bid at UN’
Jerusalem Post 6 Jul 2011 – While Romanian PM says he supports 2-state solution, no guarantee made during Netanyahu’s visit that Bucharest will vote against UN move.
Gaza flotilla: ‘Solidarity more important than aid’
The Guardian 6 Jul 2011 – As the second Gaza flotilla continues its attempts to leave Athens, Ruqaya Izzidien speaks to residents of Gaza about the significance of the action to breach Israel’s blockade Support for the aid flotilla is universal in…
Gaza aid flotilla banned from setting sail – video
The Guardian 6 Jul 2011 – A flotilla of aid ships seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza has been halted by Greek authorities
GREECE: Activists Protest Ban Confining Gaza Freedom Flotilla to Port
IPS Some 30 Spanish activists are occupying the embassy of their country in the Greek capital to demand that their government pressure Greece to allow the Freedom Flotilla II – “Stay Human” to set sail for the Gaza Strip.
MIDEAST: Germany to Deliver Weapons to Saudi Arabia
IPS The decision by the German government to deliver 200 state-of-the-art armoured tanks to Saudi Arabia, despite the Wahhabi monarchy’s human rights record and its recent violent intervention in Bahrain to repress the popular rebellion against the local ruling family there, illustrates the rhetorical nature of Western support to the so…
LIBYA: Civilians Killed in Misurata Shelling
IPS At least 11 people have been killed and dozens more wounded in shelling by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, around the besieged rebel enclave of Misurata, the rebels say.
MIDEAST: Women on a Political Backslide
IPS Following five months of bitter political wrangling, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati finally announced a new government in mid-June. But while many Lebanese feel relieved over the long overdue appointments, gender equality campaigners despair that there is not a single female among 30 ministers appointed to the new Cabinet. It…
UN Report Critical Of Israel’s Actions During Nakba Day
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – The UN report into this years Nakba Day events along the Lebanese-Israeli borders has criticized Israels use of disproportionate force against protesters seeking to cross into Israeli held territory. The events of May 15th led to eleven Palestinian protesters being killed and 111 injured due to Israeli live fire. According to Israeli news agency…
The Syrian Armed Gangs do not exist and the “Dialogue” is a ruse
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – The point which seems that the defenders of the Syrian regime do stress today, is that the military and security crackdowns are directed against organized armed groups which are dispersed all over the country. This has become the cornerstone of the official “narrative”, directed to the local audience [inside of the country] but to…
Villagers in Bil’in celebrate removal of the Wall: “we have become an example for everyone.”
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – Last Friday, 1 July, the village of Bil’in celebrated the return of half of their land that had been confiscated by Israel. Since the construction of the Wall in 2004, around 600 acres of property had been, in effect, annexed to Israel. It took Bil’in four years to get their land back. They took…
24 Martyrs in Hama for the past two days
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – After sacking the mayor of Hama and bringing back General Mohamad Mofleh (rumors he was imprisoned) – the head of military security branch and responsible for the death of 70 people in one day in Hama – the residents of Hama have been warned about their city to be next on the list of…
From Cartagena to Tegucigalpa: Imperialism and the Future of the Honduran Resistance
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – Just over a month ago, on May 22, 2011, the Cartagena Accord was signed by the Venezuelan, Colombian, and Honduran governments. The event facilitated the return of ousted Honduran President, Manuel Zelaya (also a signatory to the Accord), to Tegucigalpa on May 28, and the readmission of Honduras into the Organization of American States (…
Video documentation: Settler sets fire to field in Burin
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – On Thursday, 30 June, around noon settlers torched fields surrounding the Yizhar settlement. The action apparently was in response to the knife-point carjacking of a vehicle belonging to a Yitzhar settler the previous night as she was driving through the Village of Huwara. The fires consumed dozens of dunams of land, including, according to…
Audacity of Hope: Inside Report Aboard U.S. Ship’s Dramatic Challenge to Greek Ban on Gaza Flotilla
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – A French boat carrying eight people as part of the 10-ship Freedom Flotilla to the Gaza Strip has left Greek waters, defying a ban imposed by Greece under heavy pressure from Israel and the United States. The small boat is the first to elude Greek authorities after two ships were stopped since Friday. Carrying…
Hama is beacon of resistance 30 years on from massacre
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – Residents of Syria’s fourth-largest city, Hama, continue to challenge the government’s authority in a tense standoff with security forces who have encircled the city for a fourth consecutive day, and were shutting down power and water supplies to most neighbourhoods of the city. The death toll from the siege of Hama had by Wednesday…
WikiLeaks and the Guantánamo Prisoners Released from 2002 to 2004 (Part Two of Ten)
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – In late April, WikiLeaks released its latest treasure trove of classified US documents, a set of 765 Detainee Assessment Briefs (DABs) from the US prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Compiled between 2002 and January 2009 by the Joint Task Force that has primary responsibility for their detention and interrogation of the prisoners, these detailed…
Human Dignity in Jerusalem
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – …Thus the Los Angeles based Simon Wiesenthal Center’s ongoing project to build a “Center for Human Dignity,” or alternatively the “Museum of Tolerance, on part of the Mamilla cemetery is not the first indignity that this venerable site has witnessed. This construction project has continued in spite of repeated protests by Palestinians and Israelis,…
Video from activists on board Canadian flotilla ship
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – This video was contributed by activists on board the Canadian ship from the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, depicting the Greek coast guard taking over the ship as it headed for international waters.
Lone boat heads to Gaza as flotilla stalls in Greece
Uruknet July 6, 2011 — A lone French yacht with 12 people on board was on Wednesday the only vessel from a 10-ship flotilla to be heading for the Gaza Strip after the remaining vessels were tied up by red tape in Greece. The MV Dignite/Al Karama, which left Greek waters early on Tuesday, was heading slowly towards Gaza,…
Let Us Sail to Gaza
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – Freedom Flotilla II participants demand their lawful right to deliver vital humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, an Israeli/Washington/Greek conspiracy block them. Nonetheless, they persist, trying to overcome imperial ruthlessness and succeed. A June 27 Jerusalem Post (JP) editorial called their mission “Ships of fools,” saying: Organizers “seem to be foolishly throwing caution to the…
Iraq embarks on a new execution campaign’
Uruknet July 5, 2011 – The Iraqi government has approved court decisions calling for the execution of 291 more Iraqis found guilty on charges of terrorism. The ruling to execute so many Iraqis in one batch was signed by Vice-President Khudair al-Khuzai. Thousands of Iraqis have been executed since 2009. The former human rights minister, Wajdan Michael, estimated that…
Report reveals crimes against humanity in Syrian town (Full Report)
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – The brutal methods used in a devastating Syrian security operation in the western town of Tell Kalakh may constitute crimes against humanity, Amnesty International said today in a new report. Crackdown in Syria: Terror in Tell Kalakh documents deaths in custody, torture and arbitrary detention that took place in May when Syrian army and…
Bahrain: Interview with Trade Union Heads
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – …The reinstatement of nearly 2,000 sacked workers must be on the national dialogue agenda. The Bahraini trade unions are having a very difficult time. The GFBTU is attacked daily in the media. There have been pictures of me on the television for example accompanied by very negative comments about my participation in the demonstrations….
Children not exempt from widespread torture in Israeli detention
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – Sleep-deprived and suffering from a broken leg, 16-year-old Muhammad Halabiyeh endured days of torture at the hands of Israeli soldiers and police officers, who punched him repeatedly in the face and abdomen, shoved needles into his hand and leg and threatened the Palestinian teenager with sexual abuse. Arrested near his home in the East…
Yemenis are not mere “protesters,” they inspire us all
Uruknet July 5, 2011 – The Yemeni people are unrelenting in their demands for democracy. Millions of individuals continue to stage rallies across their country in a display of will that is proving the most robust of all the Arab revolutions. The Yemenis face great challenges, however, including the political vacillation of their country’s opposition and US military and…
Syrian city resists deadly army offensive
Uruknet July 5, 2011 – Residents of Hama in Syria are resisting an army advance that has reportedly claimed 14 lives as violence returned to the flash-point city. Barriers have been erected at entrances Hama to stop tanks and armoured columns re-entering en masse, five days after the largest anti-regime demonstration yet seen in the four month Syrian uprising….
NATO Parliamentary Assembly convenes with representative from Iran
Uruknet July 5, 2011 — Special Group for the Mediterranean and the Middle East of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Parliamentary Assembly convened on Monday with representative from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Representatives from 25 countries will discuss the latest political and security issues in Mediterranean, Middle East and Persian Gulf during the two-day event. This the first…
Two-pronged rebel advance on Tripoli
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Rebel fighters seized a village south of the Libyan capital and another group advanced toward Tripoli from the east Wednesday in the biggest push in weeks toward Moammar Gadhafi’s main stronghold.
Hama dissidents rounded up, Aleppo stages pro-regime rally
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Syrian forces rounded up dozens of people around Hama Wednesday, a day after shooting dead 22 people, activists said…
Municipal building target of arson attack
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 An arson attack reportedly targeted a municipal building in Nabatieh, while 50,000 square meters of green cover went up in flames, security sources told The Daily Star Wednesday.
Traffic accidents kill 2 men, leave 1 injured
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Two men were killed and one injured in car accidents across the country Wednesday.
Man assaults family and stabs brother
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 A man attacked his brother after spraying a narcotic substance in his home that rendered his stepmother and her disabled son unconscious, a security source said Wednesday.
National Cement Company promptly cleans up oil spill
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 The National Cement Company in Chekka spent Wednesday cleaning up the remnants of an oil spill that took place overnight…
Multiple thefts net cash and cars
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Cash and cars were targeted in robberies across the country Wednesday, security sources told The Daily Star.
MENA governments unprepared for natural disaster risks: U.N. report
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Middle Eastern and North African countries are falling behind global averages in reducing the risks of natural disaster, according to a United Nations report released Wednesday in Beirut.
Sidon excavations unearth 5,000-year-old antiquities
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Excavations led by a delegation from the British Museum at the Frères’ archaeological site in the old city of Sidon unearthed Wednesday antiquities from 5,000 years ago.
Pain persists for families of the other victims
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 When Ihsan Nasser’s husband died, her life turned around 180 degrees.
200 migrants drowned en route to Saudi arabia
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Nearly 200 African migrants were feared drowned Tuesday after a boat carrying them to Saudi Arabia caught fire off Sudan’s northeastern coast, a semiofficial news agency reported.
North Sudan deploys troops in S. Kordofan
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 North Sudan massed what looked like a large convoy of troops in its Southern Kordofan oil state, the site of clashes that have threatened the peaceful secession of the South, a satellite monitoring group said Wednesday.
Al-Shabaab taps ransoms paid to Somali pirates
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Ransoms paid to Somali pirates to free merchant vessels are ending up in the hands of Islamist militants, laying shipping groups open to accusations of breaching international sanctions…
Mauritanian troops on alert after Al-Qaeda raid on army base
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Mauritanian soldiers patrolled the town of Bassiknou Wednesday after Al-Qaeda-linked extremists attacked a nearby army base which houses an anti-terrorist unit, a military source said.
Iranians rich and poor caught in sanctions net imposed by West, U.N.
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Sanctions on Iran are aimed at hampering its nuclear program, but ordinary people both rich and poor are getting caught in their tightening net.
Doubt over Bahrain dialogue as more arrested
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Bahrain’s opposition Wednesday cast doubt on the success of a national dialogue for reforms in the Gulf kingdom as Bahrain sentenced one of its citizens and two foreigners to 10 years in prison for spying for…
Oman jails 12 more protesters, total now 80
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 An Omani court jailed 12 protesters from the coastal city of Sohar for up to three-and-a-half years, a local paper said Wednesday, bringing the total number of people sentenced for taking part in the unrest to…
U.N. chief says peace deal possible between Cyprus and Turkey
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon will seek a peace deal within a year from Cypriot leaders engaged in reunification talks Thursday, a source close to the matter said, signalling growing frustration with a slow process that is…
Gaza flotilla thwarted; flytilla set to take off
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 A lone French yacht with 12 people on board was Wednesday the only vessel from a 10-ship flotilla to be heading for the Gaza Strip after the remaining vessels were tied up by red tape in…
‘No God’ film angers Salafists and incites secular tensions in Tunis
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Six months after Tunisia’s uprising, religious tension is rising over the limits of freedom of expression, as Islamists challenge the dominance of liberals in what was once a citadel of Arab secularism.
Plans for 900 more settlements in East Jerusalem fast-tracked
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Plans to build 900 new homes in Gilo, a mostly Arab area of East Jerusalem are being fast-tracked by the city council, settler watchdog Peace Now charged Tuesday.
Gul approves new Turkish government
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 President Abdullah Gul approved a new Cabinet Wednesday, including a minister to oversee Turkey’s European Union bid…
Egypt braces for mass protests demanding promised reforms
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Five months after President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster, Egyptians are being called to return to the streets for new mass protests amid frustration over the handling of a promised transition to democracy.
Iran opposition: U.S. plans for Iraq camp will spur massacre
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 The leader of an exiled Iranian opposition group rejected a U.S. proposal to move the residents of a dissident camp in Iraq to a new location following deadly clashes in April, saying the plan would lead…
Yemen faces humanitarian crisis: U.N.
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Yemen needs urgent international aid to head off a humanitarian crisis, a U.N. mission visiting the impoverished country said Wednesday, warning of collective punishment against civilians.
Tribunal does not serve the interest of Lebanon: MP Rifai
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Since when have we expected any justice from the international community? … it was established to serve the interest of dominant countries, Kamel Rifai said.
MPs quarrel in Lebanon Parliament
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 A quarrel erupted in Parliament Wednesday between Future Movement MP Khaled Daher and MP Assem Qanso, after Daher accused the March 8 member of insulting him during his speech to the chamber.
Bkirki urges Parliament to grant Cabinet confidence vote
Daily Star 6 Jul 2011 Parliamentarians should give Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s Cabinet the vote of confidence for it to carry out its duties, a statement released by the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate said Wednesday.
Who said what at Tuesday’s stormy session
Daily Star 5 Jul 2011 The following are excerpts taken from speeches given by MPs during the vote of confidence at Tuesday’s parliamentary session.
March 14 thinks tactics, some fear revenge policy
Daily Star 5 Jul 2011 The March 14 coalition announced Monday that they are launching a national and democratic opposition, according to a statement issued from the Bristol Hotel.
Roux: STL fugitives now in need of lawyers
Daily Star 5 Jul 2011 The defense chief of a U.N.-backed court which has indicted Hezbollah members over the murder of Lebanon’s ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri urged Tuesday those charged to get lawyers, warning they were now fugitives.
Tribunal denies its president is biased in favor of Israel
Daily Star 5 Jul 2011 The U.N.-backed court probing the assassination of statesman Rafik Hariri has hit back at claims made by Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah that the tribunal favors Israel.
Nasrallah: Justice in Hariri case key to sustained stability
Daily Star 5 Jul 2011 Hezbollah’s leader said Tuesday that serving justice into the 2005 assassination of Statesman Rafik Hariri was the way to stability in Lebanon, reiterating Hezbollah’s rejection of accusations that it was involved in the killing.
Chatter and boredom on Parliament’s menu
Daily Star 5 Jul 2011 Although they began the day attentive, many MPs eventually showed signs of boredom as Tuesday’s first Parliament session on the Cabinet’s policy statement stretched for more than four hours.
MPs spar with silk gloves on
Daily Star 5 Jul 2011 March 14 lawmakers launched scathing verbal attacks on Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s Cabinet Tuesday, setting the tone for what they promised would be a fierce opposition to a government they consider to be controlled by Hezbollah…
‘Nay’ to Mikati Cabinet: March 14 MPs
Daily Star 5 Jul 2011 The March 14 coalition launched a scathing attack against PM Najib Mikati and his Cabinet at a Parliament session convened to discuss the new Cabinet’s policy statement, setting the tone for a fierce opposition toward the…
11 hotel guests hurt by pepper spray leak
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – The Caesar Hotel in Tiberias was evacuated Wednesday night because of a gas leak scare which injured 11 people. Emergency teams evacuated some 500 guests from the … ….
IDF tank shell wins Israel Defense Prize
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – The Defense Ministry on Wednesday awarded the prestigious Israel Defense Prize to a team charged with developing the new Calanit artillery shell, which has been praised … ….
Hamas arrests man for styling women’s hair
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – The Hamas government in Gaza has arrested a man for violating a recent legislation that prohibits men from styling women’s hair, the BBC reported Wednesday. The … ….
Gantz slams rightist attacks on IDF commander
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz visited the Or Etzion yeshiva Wednesday and called for an end to the targeting of Judea and Samaria Division Commander Brigadier-General … ….
China grants Israel envoy honorary citizenship
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – Israeli ambassador to China Amos Nadai received honorary citizenship Wednesday to the city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, in southwest China. Nadai is the … ….
Sources: Flotilla report says blockade legal
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – A report on the 2010 Free Gaza flotilla, postponed Wednesday due to stalemated talks between Israel and Turkey, contains harsh criticism against both states but insists … ….
Juliano ship heads for Gaza
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – The Gaza-bound Juliano ship left Greece Wednesday afternoon, after suffering huge delays due in part to a ban set by Athens on the departure of flotilla ships from its … ….
Activist: We only want to tour Palestine
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – Dozens of police, Border Guard officers deploy in Ben Gurion Airport, instructed….
Peres: Rabbis must shun extremism
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – President, Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar agree to work together to settle rift over….
Ahmadinejad opposes sex segregation at universities
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – Iranian president dismisses plans to separate men, women in Islamic Republic’s….
Livni refuses to sign Shalit deal letter
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – Shalit family getting MKs to sign letter in which they declare they will endorse….
FM won’t apologize to Turkey
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – Avigdor Lieberman says extending official apology to Ankara over tragic events….
Peretz evades UK arrest warrant
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – MK cuts trip short to avoid getting arrested for alleged Labanon War crimes,….
Security Council to discuss Palestine bid in July
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – Open Security Council debate on Mideast scheduled for July 26; Quartet to meet….
Israel gears for pro-Palestinian fly-in
YNet News, 6 Jul 2011 – Government determined to prevent provocations at Ben Gurion Airport as some 500….
Palestinian Information Center
UN slams Israel over Nakba anniversary bloodshed
PIC – Ban Ki-moon blamed Israel for the killing and injury of many Palestinian refugees who were commemorating the Nakba anniversary last May near the Palestinian-Lebanese border fence.
270 Palestinians kidnapped last month
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) persisted in its kidnapping of Palestinians last June and detained more than 270 of them, including 33 children and four women.
Spanish activists seize their embassy in Athens to protest Gaza flotilla ban
PIC – 21 Spanish activists took over their country’s embassy in central Athens on Tuesday in protest of a decision by the Greek authorities banning the sailing of their vessels for the besieged Gaza Strip.
Salah trial postponed, suspected Israeli war criminal flees country
PIC – British authorities have postponed the trial of Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel, due to the absence of a judge that has the power to decide in his case.
IOF soldiers arrest teen daughter of municipality chief
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested at dawn Wednesday the teenage daughter of El-Bireh municipal council chairman from her home only two days after completing her final secondary school exams.
Dweik meets with Russian ambassador to Palestine
PIC – Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Aziz Dweik met Wednesday with Russian ambassador to the Palestinian territories Alexander Rodakov.
Haneyya: Palestinian suffering at Rafah crossing still unresolved
PIC – Palestinian premier in Gaza Ismail Haneyya has said that the Palestinian people’s suffering at the Rafah border terminal was still there and called on the Egyptian leadership to end it.
Abu Marzouk: More complicated issues will follow prime ministry impasse
PIC – Moussa Abu Marzouk has called on Fatah to make a choice on who it will nominate as premier of the transition government ensuing Palestinian unity deal in order to get past the current impasse.
Bardawil: Continued West Bank persecution proves Abbas “unserious” on unity
PIC – Senior Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil said the West Bank security forces’ continued political persecution of Hamas’s men confirms that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is “unserious”.
Hamas condemns Britain for bowing to Zionist lobby
PIC – Hamas strongly condemned the British government for overlooking the arrest of Zionist war criminal Amer Peretz, the former Israeli war minister, while fabricating pretexts to arrest Sheikh Raed Salah.
Fresh Israeli raid wounds 3 Palestinians
PIC – 06/07/2011 – 09:35 AM
Palestinian Prisoner punished for refusing to stand up for Israeli officer
PIC – 06/07/2011 – 09:36 AM
IOA bars 8-years old Palestinian girl from travel
PIC – 06/07/2011 – 09:38 AM
Prisoners’ families stage West Bank sit-ins amid demands
PIC – 06/07/2011 – 09:40 AM
West Bank rabbi calls for annexing West Bank to Israel
PIC – 06/07/2011 – 09:43 AM
Candlelit rally in J’lem in solidarity with officials threatened with exile
PIC – 06/07/2011 – 09:47 AM
IOF soldiers storm village, round up civilians
PIC – 06/07/2011 – 09:49 AM
Frattini: Italy to Open Cultural Center in Palestine
WAFA
Gush Shalom Protests against Netanyahu’s Measures Towards Internationals
WAFA
Ashton: Possibility of Resuming Israeli-Palestinian Talks Following Changes in ME and Obama’s Speech
WAFA
Airport Police on High Alert for Arrival of Pro-Palestinian Activists
WAFA
Israeli Strikes Kill Two, Injure Two in Gaza
WAFA
PA says No Israeli Products in Saudi Arabia
WAFA
UN Report Holds Israel Responsible for Nakba Day Killings
WAFA
JEFF GATES: Imbedded Crises
Intifada-Palestine: 6 Jul 2011 – ”Our financial health is directly related to our national security.” – Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman, Joint Chiefs **** This is the second in a series of four articles by Jeff Gates Those old enough to remember the promise… more
Palestinian People Power – Could It Be A Game-Changer?
Intifada-Palestine: 6 Jul 2011 – Palestinians must now demonstrate Right to Return by Alan Hart “In my view getting up and marching to the borders of pre-1967 Israel is what the Palestinians should now do, and not only the Palestinians of the occupied West Bank and… more
FRENCH FLOTILLA BOAT SETS SAIL FOR GAZA
Intifada-Palestine: 6 Jul 2011 – “] Activists on board the Tahrir were forced by the Greek coast guard to sail back to Crete on Monday [Tahrir A French boat has set sail for Gaza from Corsica in the latest attempt by activists to deliver aid to… more
Egyptians race to capture the spirit of Tahrir Square
LA Times 6 Jul 2011 – Several universities and archives have rushed to record interviews with protesters and collect artifacts, digital and otherwise, of the revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak. With the future still uncertain, the effort is fraught with tension and risk for participants. The questioner reads evenly from a…
Libyan rebels said to advance in west
LA Times 6 Jul 2011 – Rebel fighters in the Nafusa Mountains say they’ve driven out Kadafi’s forces from Qawalish. Kadafi’s regime announces treason charges against rebel leaders. Even as Libyan rebels reported driving government forces from another mountain town in western Libya on Wednesday, Moammar Kadafi’s regime in Tripoli said…
U.S. willing to leave 10,000 troops in Iraq past year’s end, officials say
LA Times 5 Jul 2011 – Keeping U.S. troops in Iraq after the departure deadline would require accord of Iraq’s deeply divided government. The Iraqis have not made a formal request for U.S. troops to stay. The White House is prepared to keep as many as 10,000 U.S. troops in Iraq…
Linked bombings kill 36 in Iraq town
LA Times 5 Jul 2011 – A car bomb and a smaller explosive device detonate near a parking area for municipal employees in Taji outside Baghdad as people report to work. A car bomb and a smaller explosive device detonated Tuesday morning close to a parking area for municipal employees in…
Protester seriously injured in Egypt uprising has died
LA Times 5 Jul 2011 – Mahmoud Mohamed, 23, suffered a fractured skull, pelvis and legs and was blinded in one eye when he was attacked and run over by security forces during protests in Cairo in January. Mahmoud Mohamed, an Egyptian protester profiled last month by The Times after he…
Memo From Jerusalem: Israel Looks to Economics in Debate Over Weekends
New York Times 6 Jul 2011 – There is a conflict about whether to move to a full two-day weekend and, if so, what days it should include.
Death of Whistleblower Is Test for Tunisia’s New Rulers
New York Times 6 Jul 2011 – A computer technician for the city of Sidi Bouzid said he was privy to corruption among members of Tunisia’s now dissolved former ruling party. His family says this knowledge led to his death.
Creating a Children’s Refuge in Morocco’s Worst Slums
New York Times 6 Jul 2011 – A center in Casablanca is trying to lure marginalized children away from the troubled paths so often followed by those living in squalor.
World Briefing | MIDEAST: Gaza: Israeli Missile Strike Kills Two
New York Times 6 Jul 2011 – An Israeli missile strike killed two Palestinians and wounded a third in central Gaza, despite an unofficial cease-fire between Hamas and Israel since Spring.
Saudi Arabia bans maids from Indonesia and the Philippines
WSWS – The ban follows limited criticism by Jakarta over the beheading of an Indonesian maid working in Saudi Arabia who was found guilty of killing her abusive Saudi employer.
Egyptians protest state defense of police violence
WSWS – Protests have erupted in Cairo, Suez and Alexandria demanding the jailing of police accused of large-scale violence during the revolutionary movement that forced out longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak.
Ynet: Juliano leaves Greece to join French boat in flotilla to Gaza
Mondoweiss – According to Ynet , a flotilla boat, the Juliano, has left Greek waters and is sailing to rendezvous with the French boat Dignite/Karama. The two boats are forming a “small but high quality flotilla” which will attempt to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. Dror Feiler,…
Israel used disproportionate force against Nakba Day protesters, UN says
Mondoweiss – A new United Nations report has come to the obvious yet important conclusion that Israel used disproportionate force when it opened fire on refugees who marched on the Lebanon-Israel border during this year’s Nakba day protests. Seven people were killed and 111 injured in these protests,…
Gov’r Deval Patrick gives Tribe hummus a tax break. Oy
Mondoweiss – Lately Alice Rothchild appeared on Arabic Hour, Arab-American community television, to talk about boycott. We asked her for a summary of the show, which you can watch here. I was asked to discuss local Boston area efforts in the realm of BDS so… I outlined the…
US Boat to Gaza participants prepare to return home as Greece continues to prevent ships from joining Freedom Flotilla
Mondoweiss – US Boat to Gaza passengers participate in a rally in Athens. The following update was sent out this morning by the US Boat to Gaza : The presence of the U.S. Boat to Gaza in Athens is winding down. For more than 2 weeks the 37 passengers (…
Rightwing militias steal land in occupied territories, with support of Israeli gov’t
Mondoweiss – This is the original Jewish paramilitary, Hashomer (“guard”/”guardian” in Hebrew), founded in Palestine at the beginning of the 20th century. (Photo credit: Jewish Agency ) And these are the Israeli self-styled “New Guardians”, the HaShomer HaChadash , illegally entering land belonging to a Palestinian family in the South…
Israel: ‘Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid’
Tikun Olam – Whenever peace activists devise a new means of challenging Israel’s Occupation, whether it be BDS, Nakba protests, the Gaza Flotilla, the September UN vote on Palestinian statehood, or the Flight of Return, the primary response from Israel seems something verging on outright or barely controlled hysteria….
Col. Pinhas Zuaretz Will Testify on July 10 in Final Hearing in Corrie Trial
Rachel Corrie Foundation 6 Jul 2011 – Corrie Family and Legal Team to Hold Press Conference Monday, July 11, at American Colony Hotel, Jerusalem FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 7, 2011 (Haifa, Israel – July 7, 2011) – Former Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade Commander, Colonel Pinhas (Pinky) Zuaretz – the final witness in the…
“Yousef Ikhlayl” Summer Camp Begins in Beit Ommar
Palestine Solidarity Project 6 Jul 2011 – The Center for Freedom and Justice, a close partner of the Palestine Solidarity Project, is currently hosting its second annual summer camp for 150 youths, age 8-14, in the Beit Ommar area. Campers have so far participated in two of the three weeks of the camp,…
Living the Occupation
Arab American Institute 6 Jul 2011 – Between 2000 and 2007, Israeli restrictions on Palestinian movement have forced 69 babies to be born at checkpoints, of whom 35 babies and 5 mothers died due to lack of access to medical care.
Gaza’s government challenges the blockade
Middle East Monitor 6 Jul 2011 – EXCLUSIVE PICTURES In spite of the overwhelming odds, the Palestinian Government in Gaza is sparing no effort to challenge the blockade imposed on the sector by setting up public facilities for its people. The government is also seeking alternative means for people to carry on normal…
“Unreasonable behaviour” – a thought-crime?
Middle East Monitor 6 Jul 2011 – Sheikh Raed Salah, a political leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel and three times elected mayor of the Palestinian city of Umm al-Fahm, was arrested last week from a London hotel. Normally, you would think one would have to commit a crime, or at least…
Al Orabi: Palestinian reconciliation necessary to diplomatic fight at the UN
Middle East Monitor 6 Jul 2011 – Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Menha Bakhoum, has stated that Egyptian Foreign Minister, Mohamed Al Orabi, has received a verbal message from Palestinian Authority leader, Mahmoud Abbas, regarding the latest developments in Palestinian reconciliation and ways of reviving peace negotiations. In a press statement published…
IDF General Rothschild cuts UK trip short amid concerns of arrest warrant
Middle East Monitor 6 Jul 2011 – Retired Israeli Maj.Gen. Danny Rothschild has left the UK amid concerns of a potential arrest warrant being issued by the British courts today. The Israeli Army Radio is reportedly to have announced that Rothschild was forced to cut his UK trip short after being advised…
Israel ‘angry’ at Lebanon report
BBC 6 Jul 2011 – Israeli officials are reportedly boycotting a UN official in Lebanon who wrote a report criticising Israel’s response to a Palestinian border protest.
Gaza hairdresser jailed over gender ban
BBC 6 Jul 2011 – The Hamas authorities in Gaza arrest a male hairdresser for cutting women’s hair, enforcing a ban passed last year.
Palestinian people power – could it be a game-changer?
Sabbah report 6 Jul 2011 – Just imagine it… Several hundred thousand or better still one or two million Palestinians or more marching peacefully to the 1967 borders.
Settlers torch farmland in Burin
B’tselem 6 Jul 2011 –
Articles
My Jerusalem Diaries
Rana B Baker, CounterPunch 7/1/2011
What a pity to be asked if you have ever been to your capital city and all that you have to say is, “I would love to go there one day,” or that “the last time I visited Jerusalem I was nine years old.” There could be a third way to answer this question: yes, I passed by it, but I was not allowed to step out of the bus because I didn’t have the special permit required for such visits.
Indeed, the first picture my mind summons up for Jerusalem is from 11 years ago, in 2000, when I went there for the first time with my parents, grandmother and older sister. I was staring at a crowd of Rabbis through the window of the bus that carried us to Jerusalem. They looked alike: dressed in black outfits and black hats with straggling beards and two curls dangling from their whiskers. I asked my mother who they were. She answered “religious Jews”.
My parents held my hands as we all got out of the bus among other “tourists”, many of whom were Palestinians like us. I was too naïve to realise that this visit could be the first and last time I would walk in the Holy Land for many years to come.
I don’t know what happened next, but I do remember that we went to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. I was fascinated by the grandeur of the Dome of the Rock as it proudly basked in the sun, which made it look even more beautiful. My mother handed me a prayer rug and prayer gown and told me to pray. I unrolled the rug, wore the gown and performed my prayer in the yard of the Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa under the blue sky of the Old City.
I remember relishing the special flavour of Jerusalem embedded in its Nabulsi Kunafeh (a Palestinian dessert) at a shop in one of the markets of Jerusalem’s seven-gated Old City. more.. e-mail
Palestinian people power – could it be a game-changer?
Alan Hart, Redress 7/7/2011
Because Israel’s leaders prefer land to peace and there’s nothing any American president can do about that so long as the Zionist lobby and its stooges in Congress call the shots on US policy for Israel/Palestine, it’s obvious that the Palestinians have nothing to gain, only more to lose, from politics and diplomacy. So what, really, can they do themselves to press their claim for an acceptable minimum amount of justice? (By definition an acceptable minimum amount of justice requires a complete end to Israel’s 1967 occupation with provision for Jerusalem to be an open, undivided city and the capital of two states). The terror option
Way back in the early 1980s, Major-General (then retired) Shlomo Gazit, the best and the brightest of Israel’s former directors of military intelligence, said the following to me in a private conversation. “If we [Israel’s Jews] had been the Palestinians, we’d have had our mini-state long ago.” He meant that they would have played the terror card. Simply stated (he knew he didn’t have to spell it out to me), they would have bombed Israeli government offices and commercial centres and properties of all kinds and blasted transport and other communication facilities to cause maximum disruption and destruction.
And they would have done so knowing that their terrorism, provided it was ruthless enough and sustained, would be effective, would eventually cause many Israeli Jews to say to their government, “We’ve had enough, do a deal with the Palestinians.” (They would also have had the evidence of their own experience to go on. In 1947-48, mainly by terrorism, they drove out first the occupying British and then about 800,000 Arabs.) more.. e-mail
The House of Saud paranoia
Pepe Escobar, Asia Times 7/7/2011
A very quiet summit recently took place at a North Atlantic Treaty organization (NATO) base in Molesworth, in the United Kingdom. Facing the British was none other than Prince Turki al-Faisal, former director general of Saudi Arabia’s feared Mukhabarat (intelligence services), and once a very close friend of slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Prince Turki was there to explain the House of Saud’s take on the great 2011 Arab revolt. In a nutshell; he told the British – and the Americans – to forget their silly ideas about “democracy”. This was all an Iranian plot.
The deployment of Saudi Arabian troops in Bahrain and Yemen, and the deployment of Wahhabi mercenaries in Libya and Syria
was nothing other than tools to fight in ideological combat – and engage in hardcore repression – against the spread of Shi’ite Iran’s influence.
The icing in this desert cake is the ongoing transformation of the Gulf Cooperation Council – in fact now a Gulf Counter-Revolution Cub – into an alliance of Sunni monarchies, with the incorporation of Jordan and Morocco to current members Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
The House of Saud remains the proverbial staunch ally of the Washington/London “special relationship” – its petrodollars ($300 billion in oil revenues in 2011, made possible by owing 12% of global oil production) buying everyone in sight from Egypt to Libya and Palestine, while Arab al-Qaeda-linked networks merrily bolster the uprisings in both Libya and Syria. more.. e-mail
Children not exempt from widespread torture in Israeli detention
Electronic Intifada: 6 Jul 2011 – The Electronic Intifada Sleep deprived and suffering from a broken leg, 16-year-old Muhammad Halabiyeh endured days of torture at the hands of Israeli soldiers and police officers, who punched him repeatedly in the face and abdomen, shoved needles into his hand and leg, and threatened the Palestinian teenager with sexual abuse.more
Israeli checkpoints kill women in childbirth, says new study
Electronic Intifada: 6 Jul 2011 – The Electronic Intifada For three years now a United Kingdom medical journal The Lancet has been working with Palestinian health professionals and researchers to document the effects of stressful living — coping with economic difficulties and shortages, restrictions on movement, political tensions and fear of outside attack — and has just published its latest findings.more
Bringing hope and history to Balata camp youth
Electronic Intifada: 6 Jul 2011 – Mel Frykberg The Electronic Intifada Balata refugee camp The Yaffa Community Center, named after the city of Jaffa in present-day Israel, was established in 1996 by a group of Palestinian intellectuals. It was established to teach the next generation of Palestinians about their culture, history and the Palestinian political struggle.more
Yemen Continues to Inspire Amid Great Odds
Palestine Chronicle: 6 Jul 2011 – By Ramzy Baroud The Yemeni people are unrelenting in their demands for democracy. Millions continue to stage rallies across their country in a display of will that is proving the most robust out of all the Arab revolutions. The Yemenis face great challenges, however, including the political vacillation of their country’s opposition, and the US’ military and strategic interests in Yemen. Al Jazeera described Abdul Hameed Abu Hatem as a mere ‘protester’. However, the man’s demands show a purity and genuineness that is consistent with the chants of millions of Yemenis from all over the country. “We are calling for freedom, justice, order and a civil government. We demand that the public income is used by the public and that people have equal job opportunities,” said Abu Hatem, during a pro-democracy rally in Sana’a attended by an estimated 250,000 Yemenis. In order for such thoughtful demands to be met, a…more
Sabotage is Name of Israeli Game
Palestine Chronicle: 6 Jul 2011 – By Stuart Reigeluth There is no lack of creativity, viciousness and connivance in Israeli and European attempts to dissuade and discourage the “Freedom Flotilla II” from leaving Greece for Gaza. The list is long, too long to enumerate here, of blatant Israeli instances of grotesque repression against Palestinian identity, culture and livelihood. Two of the most famous Palestinian non-violent activists to be killed were the political cartoonist, Naji Ali, shot in the back in London in July 1987 and the short story writer, Gassan Kanafani, killed in a car bomb in Beirut in July 1972. Then there was the destruction of the Palestinian Research Centre in Beirut in 1982 by the Israelis. Twenty years later in September 2002, the Israeli army destroyed the newly rebuilt Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre in Ramallah. And in December 2008-January 2009, Israel flattened the American International School in Gaza (as well as many other less…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 