7 July , 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
UN Rapporteur Slams UN Report Backing Israeli Raid On Flotilla
IMEMC – Friday July 08, 2011 – 03:52, Olivier De Schutter, Special United Nations Rapporteur on the Right to Food, voiced strong criticism of a highly anticipated UN report that is said to back Israel’s attack against the Freedom Flotilla that was heading to Gaza to deliver food and medical supplies last year, leading to the death of nine Turkish activists.
Israel Instructs Air Lines To Cancel Tickets Of Passengers With “Welcome To Palestine” Campaign
IMEMC – Thursday July 07, 2011 – 20:17, Israeli ministry of Interior has sent out directives to all air lines asking them to cancel reservation of passengers Israel believes they are part of the “Welcome to Palestine Campaign”. The Israeli Authorities sent out a list of names to the airlines saying that their entry to Israel will be refused.
PA Government Ministers To Be Investigated For Corruption
IMEMC – Thursday July 07, 2011 – 15:42, Immunity from prosecution has been lifted from several PA government Ministers in order to allow investigations into charges they have been involved in instances of corruption according to Rafiq Natsheh, head of the anti corruption commission.
Majdal Shams Resident Imprisoned For Eight Months For Throwing Stones
IMEMC – Thursday July 07, 2011 – 14:59, A man from the Israeli Occupied Golan Heights has been sentenced to eight months in prison by an Israeli court for throwing rocks during the Naksa Day disturbances this year in which 22 people are said to have died due to Israeli live fire.
Final Witness To Testify In Rachel Corrie Case Sunday
IMEMC – Thursday July 07, 2011 – 14:38, Colonel Pinhas Zuaretz is scheduled to testify on Sunday July 10, 2011 as the final witness for the case involving the killing of Rachel Corrie. Rachel Corrie was an American activist for the ISM who was killed by a bulldozer when acting as a human shield to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home in the Gaza Strip in 2003.
US Reiterates Opposition To Palestinian Bid For UN
IMEMC – Thursday July 07, 2011 – 12:41, The US has once again set out its position against the PA seeking recognition of Palestinian statehood in September at the United Nations. The US’s standing envoy to the Middle East David Hale and senior US diplomat Dennis Ross have set out US objections to the move with Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat according to department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
Israel Prepares To Stop “Welcome To Palestine” Activists
IMEMC – Thursday July 07, 2011 – 11:16, Israeli police have been briefed on the arrival of international activists, taking part in the “Welcome to Palestine” programme, at Ben Gurian airport in Tel Aviv over the coming days. Hundreds of activists are set to arrive at the airport with the intention of announcing their plans of travelling to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
French boat to Gaza blocked in Crete
7/7/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — A lone French yacht carrying activists hoping to run the Israeli blockade on Gaza was on Thursday blocked in Crete by the Greek coast guard when it stopped to refuel, an organizer said.” The Dignite/Al Karama was taken to Sitia in Crete by the Greek coast guard after being stopped in a….
Israeli soldier injured by explosion in Gaza
7/7/2011 – GAZA (Ma’an) — An explosion in Khan Younis lightly injured an Israeli solider Thursday morning, Israeli media reported. Five Israeli tanks and several bulldozers entered approximately 300 meters into the southern Gaza governorate, witnesses said. Israeli daily Haaretz reported that an explosive device planted near the soldiers tank had exploded causing shrapnel wounds. An…. Related: Fatah group claims responsibility for Gaza explosion
PA report: Israeli settler violence on the rise
7/7/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli settler violence against Palestinians increased “dramatically” in June, according to a Palestinian Authority report released Wednesday. The report documented 139 attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank by the Israeli army and settlers during the month, including the demolition of 95 buildings and over 3600 olive trees and vines. Fires….
Israeli forces surround Jenin refugee camp
7/7/2011 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli forces entered Jenin Thursday morning, surrounding the city’s refugee camp, locals said Thursday, noting that no detentions were reported. Police told Ma’an that 15 Israeli military vehicles approached Jenin camp and surrounded it for around an hour, before withdrawing without any house raids or detentions….
Israel, Turkey reject UN flotilla report
7/7/2011 – ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) —A UN-sponsored report accused Israel of using force prematurely and causing “unacceptable” deaths in its assault of a Gaza-bound ship that killed nine Turks over a year ago, a Turkish source said Thursday. Israel and Turkey failed to reach agreement, refusing to sign the report about the Israeli raid on the Turkish…. Related: Official slams UN report supporting Israel on flotilla raid
US renews objections to Palestinian statehood bid
7/7/2011 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United Stateswarned Palestinians against seeking UN recognition of a future state not first defined in talks with Israel, as a top Palestinian official met with US diplomats.” We don’t see a contradiction between the efforts being exerted to revive the peace process and our bid to go to the UN…. Related: Erekat: UN bid to continue despite warning from US
Official slams UN report supporting Israel on flotilla raid
7/7/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — A UN rapporteur slammed a highly anticipated UN report on Thursday which is set to back a 2010 Israeli commando raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla which left nine people dead.” The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Prof. Olivier De Schutter, has received a draft of this report…. Related: Israel, Turkey reject UN flotilla report
Israel warily eyes ‘flytilla’ as boats run aground
7/7/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel battened down the hatches at its main airport on Thursday, awaiting hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists as Greece blocked the last boat in a scuppered campaign to ship aid to the Gaza Strip. Organizers of the “Welcome to Palestine” campaign, which some have described as the “flytilla,” say the 600 or so activists….
Unions demand that PA pays salaries
7/7/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The union for workers demanded Wednesday that the Palestinian Authority make every effort to pay public sector salaries, whether through bank loans, the Palestinian investment fund or loans from Arab countries. In a statement released Tuesday, the union said that a salary is a sacred right of the worker and must….
Hamas official: Abbas ‘not serious’ on reconciliation
7/7/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Leading Hamas official Salah Bardawil said Wednesday that President Mahmoud Abbas is “not serious” about implementing the terms of the reconciliation deal. Bardawil blamed Ramallah premier Salam Fayyad of “sponsoring a campaign” against the party, and coordinating with Israeli authorities on arrests and hounding members out of their jobs. The…. Related: Report: Hamas says Abbas delaying unity deal
Erekat: UN bid to continue despite warning from US
7/7/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — PLO official Saeb Erekat said Wednesday that Palestinians would continue with a UN bid for recognition of an independent Palestinian state, after meeting US officials in Washington DC. The United Stateswarned the Palestinians against seeking UN recognition of a future state not first defined in talks with Israel. In a press…. Related: US renews objections to Palestinian statehood bid
Egypt to increase passenger numbers at Rafah crossing
7/7/2011 – GAZA (Ma’an) — The Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Gaza Strip Mohammad Awad said Thursday that the government has received assurances from Egyptian officials that the country will begin increasing the volume of passengers using the Rafah crossing.”The problem of the crossing was presented to more than one official in the Egyptian….
Bulgaria unexpectedly rebuffs Israel over Palestinian UN bid
7/7/2011 – SOFIA (AFP) — Israel suffered an unexpected rebuff from close ally Bulgaria on Thursday when it failed to get its immediate backing against a planned Palestinian bid for statehood in September. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been traveling around European capitals to drum up support against the Palestinian bid at the United Nations, and has….
Report: Hamas says Abbas delaying unity deal
7/7/2011 – GAZA (Ma’an) — Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Zahar said Thursday that Palestinian political reconciliation is being held up by President Mahmoud Abbas.” President Abbas is insisting on names for the premiership that are rejected by Hamas,” Al-Zahar reportedly said during a press conference held at the Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza.”President Abbas is trying…. Related: Hamas official: Abbas ‘not serious’ on reconciliation
UNRWA: Name has not changed
7/7/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — An UNRWA spokesperson said Thursday that the Palestinian refugee agency has not changed its name, after reports of a new title sparked protests in Gaza on Tuesday. Adnan Abu Hasnah said the only change was a logo update which actually added the term UNRWA, in English and Arabic, to the….
Nablus court sentences man to 7 years for ‘aiding enemy’
7/7/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — A Nablus court sentenced a man to seven years imprisonment and hard labor on Thursday for collaboration with Israel. The man, identified only as A. J. from Nablus in the northern West Bank, was charged with aiding the Israeli military since 2005. Public Prosecutor’s Office representative Hussam Khalaf said….
Fatah group claims responsibility for Gaza explosion
7/7/2011 – GAZA (Ma’an) — An armed group affiliated with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs brigade, the armed wing of Fatah, claimed responsibility on Thursday for detonating an explosive charge near Israeli armored vehicles in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.”Our fighters had detonated an explosive charge on three Israeli military bulldozers and five tanks when one of the…. Related: Israeli soldier injured by explosion in Gaza
Prisoner marks 10 years in Israeli jails
7/7/2011 – GAZA (Ma’an) — The Center for Detainees in the Gaza Strip reported Thursday that Nidal As-Sarafiti from Gaza City has been held in Israeli jails for 10 years now. Sarafiti was detained in 2002 and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. The center did not say on what charges Sarafiti was being held….
UK to deliver $420 million to PA over next 3 years
7/7/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Ramallah Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and the British minister for international development Alan Dankin signed an agreement Thursday which will provide the Palestinian Authority with ¬£262 million [$420 million] between 2011-2014. The aid agreement will go towards supporting the PA’s budget and will be allocated to development projects….
Ministers facing corruption charges lose immunity
7/7/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority anti-corruption chief announced Thursday that the legal immunity of several ministers has been removed to make way for corruption charges. Head of the anti-corruption commission Rafiq An-Natsheh told state radio broadcaster Voice of Palestine that President Mahmoud Abbas supported the move in order to end corruption in the….
PCBS: Graduate unemployment improving, but slowly
7/7/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Close to half of Palestinian graduates were unemployed in 2010, the official Palestinian statistics agency said Wednesday, noting a slight decrease in unemployment from 2009. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said 44. 8 percent of Palestinians who completed university degrees were not in employment, an improvement on the 2009 figure….
Yemen continues to inspire amid great odds
7/7/2011 – 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’….
UN chief: Killing in Syria ‘must stop’
7/7/2011 – GENEVA (AFP) — UN chief Ban Ki-moon called Thursday on the Syrian regime to stop the killings in its crackdown on anti-government protests, stressing that “we cannot go on like this.” “In Syria meanwhile, the killing continues. This must stop,” said the UN secretary-general.” I call on the Syrian leadership to deliver on its commitments and….
25 face trial for murder during Egypt’s uprising
7/7/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt’s public prosecutor on Wednesday referred 25 people to trial for murder during the uprising, which included a bizarre scene when supporters of then president Hosni Mubarak charged protesters on horses and camels. Former parliament speakers and Mubarak regime stalwarts Fathi Surur and Safwat al-Sherif were among the 25 accused of….
Israel ‘angry’ over UN report on Nakba deaths
Palestine Note 7 Jul 2011 – Al Jazeera – Israeli officials are allegedly boycotting a UN official in Lebanon after he wrote a report criticising the country’s response to border clashes between Palestinian protesters and the Israeli army in May. Media in Israel reported on Wednesday…
Hamas arrests male hairdresser for Gaza woman’s haircut
Palestine Note 7 Jul 2011 – BBC News- Until now, the law had not been enforced, but this week at least one male hairdresser in Gaza was arrested. Male hairdressers for women are regarded by many Muslims as against Islamic tradition. The move is seen as…
Israel Debates Two-Day Weekends, and Its Lifestyle
Palestine Note 7 Jul 2011 – The New York Times- There is a bar-stool analysis of the Israeli-Arab conflict positing that tensions would subside significantly if the entire region would adopt a two-day weekend instead of the day-and-a-half many countries, including Israel , have lived with for…
Unions demand that PA pays salaries
Palestine Note 7 Jul 2011 – Ma’an- The union for workers demanded Wednesday that the Palestinian Authority make every effort to pay public sector salaries, whether through bank loans, the Palestinian investment fund or loans from Arab countries. In a statement released Tuesday, the union said…
Reconciliation: To Be or Not To Be?
Palestine Note 7 Jul 2011 – The travails of brokering a unity deal Peter Lagerquist, Foreign Policy – The reconciliation accord formally signed by Hamas and Fatah on May 2 is beginning to show its first cracks. The two movements agreed to jointly contest new elections…
Ministers facing corruption charges lose immunity
Palestine Note 7 Jul 2011 – Ma’an- The Palestinian Authority anti-corruption chief announced Thursday that the legal immunity of several ministers has been removed to make way for corruption charges. Head of the anti-corruption commission Rafiq An-Natsheh told state radio broadcaster Voice of Palestine that President…
PCBS: Graduate unemployment improving, but slowly
Palestine Note 7 Jul 2011 – Ma’an- Close to half of Palestinian graduates were unemployed in 2010, the official Palestinian statistics agency said Wednesday, noting a slight decrease in unemployment from 2009. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said 44.8 percent of Palestinians who completed university…
Israeli Druze sentenced to 8 months in prison for violence on Naksa Day
Palestine Note 7 Jul 2011 – Haaretz- A Nazareth court sentenced a Majdal Shams resident to eight months in prison for hurling rocks at Israeli security forces on Naksa Day, June 5th. The resident of the northern Druze village, 37-year-old Nasser Shaer, was also fined 2,500…
Israel, Turkey reject UN flotilla report
Palestine Note 7 Jul 2011 – Ma’an- A UN-sponsored report accused Israel of using force prematurely and causing “unacceptable” deaths in its assault of a Gaza-bound ship that killed nine Turks over a year ago, a Turkish source said Thursday. Israel and Turkey failed to reach…
Proposal to remove Arabic, English names rejected
Palestine Note 7 Jul 2011 – 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…
Palestinians between reconciliation and impasse
Palestine Note 7 Jul 2011 – Peter Lagerquist, Foreign Policy – The reconciliation accord formally signed by Hamas and Fatah on May 2 is beginning to show its first cracks. The two movements agreed to jointly contest new elections in late 2012 and were scheduled to…
Fayyad: PA to pay debts, statehood not undermined
Palestine Note 7 Jul 2011 – 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…
Egypt readies for ‘march of a million people’
AlJazeera 7 Jul 2011 – Frustrated people prepare to go back to Tahrir Square in a bid to start a sit-in until their revolution demands are met.
Israel prepares for ‘fly-in’ activists
AlJazeera 7 Jul 2011 – Several hundred extra security forces ready for expected Friday arrival of West Bank-bound pro-Palestinian Europeans.
Yemen president Saleh appears on TV
AlJazeera 7 Jul 2011 – Ali Abdullah Saleh makes his first appearance after being severely wounded in a bomb blast at his palace last month.
Lebanese government wins parliament vote
AlJazeera 7 Jul 2011 – Government of Hezbollah-backed PM Najib Mikati secures its position as Western-backed opposition walks out before vote.
‘Hundreds flee’ Syrian city of Hama
AlJazeera 7 Jul 2011 – About 1,000 people have fled the city fearing another crackdown on protests, rights group says.
Israel ‘angry’ over UN report on Nakba deaths
AlJazeera 6 Jul 2011 – Country’s media says government boycotting UN official over his report on Israeli response to Lebanon border clashes.
France Pledges 100 Million US Dollars to Palestinian People
PNN – Ramallah — PNN — The French government pledged 100 million US dollars in support of the Palestinian people on Thursday; money that will be directed towards development projects as well as humanitarian…
Washington Calls Palestinian and Israeli Back to Negotiating Table
PNN – Washington – PNN – The United States reiterated its position against the Palestinians’ statement in September at the UN General Assembly. Victoria Luland, spokesperson of the US State Department, told reporters that…
Adam Keller, Gush Shalom, letter to the Minister of Internal Security, Yitzhak Aharonowitz
PNN – Dear Sir, According to reports in the media, the Prime Minister has entrusted you with handling what is known as the Fly-In, i.e. hundreds of peace activists from abroad who are scheduled…
Welcome to Palestine Organisers Deny Israeli Allegations that they are a Fly Flotilla to Gaza
PNN – Bethlehem — PNN — Organisers of the Welcome to Palestine campaign issued a press release denying Israeli allegations that they intend on going to Gaza and cause disruptions at Ben Gurion airport….
South African ASA Ruling: Israel Can be Labelled an Apartheid State
PNN – Johannesburg – PNN – Earlier this week in a bold statement against Israel, South Africa’s media watchdog the ‘Advertising Standards Agency’ (ASA), dismissed complaints relating to an advert of 5fm radio that…
International Solidarity Movement
Final witness in Rachel Corrie’s case to testify
7/7/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – Rachel Corrie Foundation – Former Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade Commander, Colonel Pinhas (Pinky) Zuaretz — the final witness in the case — is scheduled to testify Sunday, July 10, in the Corrie civil trial against the State of Israel. Colonel Zuaretz was the commanding officer of the Israeli military’s Gaza Division’…. Related: Rachel Corrie Foundation
Remembering Vittorio Arrigoni—Stay Human summer camp
7/7/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Gaza Strip – At Vittorio’s funeral in Gaza the crowds chanted “Viktor is with the fisherman, Viktor is withthe 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….
CPT: Israeli Army Destroys 9 Water Tanks in Palestinian Village
7/7/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 6 July 2011, Christian Peacemaker Team, Hebron – Late Tuesday morning, around 11:30, a convoy of Israeli Army, civil administration, and border police arrived in the Palestinian village of Amniyr accompanying a flat bed truck with a front end loader and a backhoe. Israeli settlers having a picnic at the settlement outpost next to the…. Related: Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine Projects
An Effective Aid Program for Australia: Making a real difference – Delivering real results
Relief Web 7 Jul 2011 – Source: Australian Agency for International Development , Government of Australia Country: Indonesia , Afghanistan , Australia , Bangladesh , Cambodia , Egypt , Iraq , Lao People’s Democratic Republic (the) , Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (the) , Myanmar , occupied Palestinian territory , Pakistan , Papua New Guinea , Philippines (the) , Solomon Islands , Sri Lanka ,…
Humanitarian Situation in the Gaza Strip – July 2011
Relief Web 7 Jul 2011 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: occupied Palestinian territory Gaza Fast Facts – The population of Gaza is 1.6 million, with over 50% under 18. 38% of Gazans live in poverty. 31% of the…
Britain sets out four year plan to tackle poverty in OPTs
Relief Web 7 Jul 2011 – Source: Department for International Development Country: occupied Palestinian territory , United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the) Britain has set out how it plans to tackle poverty in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) over the next four years, International…
US House to warn Palestinians on statehood bid
Relief Web 6 Jul 2011 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory By Olivier Knox (AFP) WASHINGTON ‚Äî The US House of Representatives closed ranks Wednesday to warn the Palestinians that they risk cuts in US aid if they pursue UN recognition of a future…
Al Mezan: Remains of the Deceased Are Not Bargaining Chips; International Community Must Intervene to Ensure Respect for International Law in Transfer of Palestinian Bodies Held in Israel to their Families
Relief Web 6 Jul 2011 – Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory , Israel Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continue to hold a large number of bodies of Palestinians killed in actions connected to the conflict with Israel. The Israeli Minister of Defense (…
Gazan prisoner enters his 10th year inside Israeli jails
7 Jul 2011 – Gaza Strip, (Pal Telegraph)-A Palestinian prisoner called as Nedal Sarafiti, a resident of Gaza city, entered Thursday his 10th year in a row inside Israeli jails.
Swedish flotilla ship sets sail for Gaza
7 Jul 2011 – Gaza Strip, (Pal Telegraph)-The Swedish Norwegian ship, part of the humanitarian convoy, started yesterday evening its journey to the besieged Gaza Strip.
Israeli tanks open fire on southern Gaza Strip
7 Jul 2011 – Gaza Strip, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli occupation forces invaded Thursday at morning the area of al-Farahin in the east of Khan Younis, southern Gaza strip.
Saleh appears on Yemen TV, bandaged and burnt
The National 7 Jul 2011 – With his face burnt and his hands covered with bandages after he was injured in a blast at his palace compound early last month, Yemeni president says operations were a ‘success’ but gives no return date.
China dismisses reports of Jiang Zemin’s death
The National 7 Jul 2011 – Speculation as former president fails to attend celebration of the 90th anniversary of the ruling Communist Party’s founding.
Israel intensifies security for ‘flytilla’ airport protests
The National 7 Jul 2011 – Commentators say Israel is overreacting and giving 600 activists attention they want for planned demonstration at Ben Gurion airport to protest against routine deportation of passengers who openly say they will visit the Palestinian territory.
Arab Spring bad for region’s economies says UN report
The National 7 Jul 2011 – Wave of pro-democracy uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa is stalling economic growth in countries affected, says report on progress towards achieving the UN¬øs anti-poverty targets.
Over-fishing forces Kuwait to consider two-year ban
The National 7 Jul 2011 – Boats catch 20 times less than they did in the early 1990s and the scarcity of local fish has caused prices to surge.
Ordinary Libyan men lay down their lives for freedom
The National 7 Jul 2011 – General in rebel army is killed in action, but opposition fighters hope pincer movement will allow them to advance to the capital.
Israel to recognize South Sudan as independent state
Ha’aretz – As government scrambles to head off Palestinian bid for statehood at UN, it conducts secret contacts with embryonic South Sudanese state.
UN report on Gaza flotilla delayed to enable Israel-Turkey talks
Ha’aretz – Palmer report on Israel’s raid on Mavi Marmara to come out July 27; Israeli, Turkish officials working to mend diplomatic rift.
Israel Police decrease presence at airport after pro-Palestinian activists stopped abroad
Ha’aretz – Police believe most of the 300 pro-Palestinian activists blacklisted by Israel to be prevented from flying at airports abroad; Israel security forces lower state of alert.
Bradley Burston / Israel’s message: Hate thy pro-Palestinian activist
Ha’aretz – Where Israel is concerned, a democracy that cannot bring itself to allow non-violent protest has already turned on itself.
Netanyahu falls short of securing Bulgarian pledge against Palestinian UN bid
Ha’aretz – PM meets with Bulgarian counterpart in Sofia, commends him on Bulgaria’s Holocaust record in effort to buttress Balkan bonds ahead of UN vote on Palestinians state in September.
Syrians block Hama streets with burning tires to keep security forces out
Ha’aretz – Security forces fire in residential areas, dozens of families flee to nearby town, say activists.
Murdoch closes News of the World following phone-hacking scandal
Ha’aretz – After 168 years, tabloid to shut down due to claims that it hacked into the phones of relatives of dead British soldiers, missing children, and victims of the 2005 London bombings.
Cement, weapons, cars — you name it, Gazans will smuggle it
Ha’aretz – Israel’s blockade on the Gaza Strip has created a booming smuggling business through hundreds of tunnels; for a few thousand dollars, one can even rent a small one.
Israel instructs foreign airlines to prevent departure of 300 pro-Palestinian activists
Ha’aretz – Transportation Ministry hands foreign airlines blacklist of 300 passengers who will be refused entry to Israel; move may prevent activists from reaching Israel.
Police identify 300 of the pro-Palestinian activists to arrive in Israel
Ha’aretz – Security forces on alert for activists planning to arrive in coming days to show solidarity for Palestinian cause.
Israeli Druze sentenced to 8 months in prison for violence on Naksa Day
Ha’aretz – A 37-year-old resident of Majdal Shams was convicted of wounding a policeman on June 5, when thousands of Syrians tried to breach the border with Israel.
Israeli banks freeze 26,000 Labor Party membership forms
Ha’aretz – Forms frozen due to improper payment method; move due to strengthen candidates Yachimovich and Mitzna, may harm Peretz and Herzog.
Gal Hershkovitz leading candidate for budgets director
Ha’aretz – Gal Hershkovitz is said to be Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz’s leading candidate for position of ministry budgets director.
Firms slash food ads in wake of cottage cheese protest
Ha’aretz – Israel’s three major dairy producers – Tnuva, Strauss and Tara – reduce their advertising budgets for dairy products by 83%.
Land agency chief Yaron Bibi quits after rift with Atias
Ha’aretz – Bibi accuses Atias of improper interference in the Israel Lands Administration’s work, while Atias complains the agency is functioning poorly under Bibi.
IDF soldier lightly wounded by explosive device near Gaza
Ha’aretz – This is the first significant incident in the strip after few months of relative calm in area; appears as though tensions on the rise.
Abbas postpones formation of unity government in bid to appease Western allies
Ha’aretz – PA leaders fear unity government will derail efforts to win UN nod in September to establish Palestinian state.
U.S. man accused of planning bomb attack in Israel for Hezbollah
Ha’aretz – Faouzi Ayoub, 44, faces one count of passport fraud for attempting to enter Israel illegally, according to August 2009 indictment that was only unsealed in U.S. District Court in Detroit within past week.
Palestinian official: UN vote on statehood won’t contradict 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.’
Man gets 4.5 years in prison for molesting underage girl
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – According to charge sheet, offenses took place sometime in 2007 or 2008, when the defendant was alone with his young sister- in-law in her bedroom.
Aid stolen from Holocaust survivors
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Volunteers from the Association for Immediate Help for Holocaust Survivors say organization was devastated by a violent robbery.
Summer most dangerous time for traffic fatalities
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Forty-six people died in road accidents in the month of May — the highest numbers of traffic fatalities recorded in a single month since 2008.
Brotherhood to join ‘Friday of Persistence’ rally
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Rally likely to bolster “million-person protest” by those unhappy with way military council has been running Egypt since fall of Mubarak.
‘Latma’ produces new flotilla song
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – The song, a parody of the Beach Boys famous 1964 hit “Fun, Fun, Fun,” is sung by “The Audacity of Dopes” band, titled, “Guns, guns, guns.”
European farm-product ban adds to Egypt’s woes
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Agricultural exports join list of foreign-currency-earnings trouble spots after Egyptian fenugreek seeds were fingered as source of outbreak.
What are the limits of the public’s right to know?
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – The newspaper has already admitted invading the privacy of eight individuals, but the number of accusations is in the thousands.
UN ‘Marmara’ report held to allow more J’lem-Ankara talks
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Report finalized but UN delaying publication so Israel, Turkey can continue seeking formula to repair ties; Palmer report expected to uphold legality of Gaza blockade, lay some responsibility on Turkey.
The Sunday imperative
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Shortening the work week will undoubtedly have the downside of hurting economic output.
Grapevine: 35 years after Entebbe
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – A survivor visits Peres, Australians remember Frank Stein, and the Ofers redirect their presents.
New Levi’s ad campaign echoes Arab Spring uprisings
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Jeans company eyes under-30 market; “this campaign is about returning to pioneering spirit of brand. Today, optimism is power.”
PM says Israel not overreacting to ‘air flotilla’
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Meeting with Bulgarian prime minister, Netanyahu says “every country has basic right to prevent infiltration, provocateurs in its territory.”
Gaza flotilla all but over as most activists return home
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – A few dozen activists remain in Athens to fight for the release of the ships, a sharp drop from the 350 who arrived there in June.
Murdoch stuns critics, shuts down scandal-hit paper
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – UK tabloid ‘News of the World’ shuts down after 168 years following growing voicemail hacking scandal that, shocking staff, public.
Four ex-cops under threat from criminals given firearms
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Former Nahariya police officers who were convicted for targeting a mob boss in 2006 also given bodyguards; one officer was shot last week.
Four ex-cops under threat from mafia given firearms
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Former Nahariya police officers who were convicted for targeting a mob boss in 2006 also given bodyguards; one officer was shot last week.
HU scientists make cancer understanding breakthrough
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Hebrew University scientists identify molecular basis for DNA breakage, which results in the development of cancer.
Tense quiet at B-G airport ahead of ‘Flightilla’
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Police, border officials await arrival of hundreds mainly European pro-Palestinian activists taking part in event “Welcome to Palestine.”
SA: Israeli apartheid ad not in contravention of rules
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – South African Jewish group loses appeal to Advertising board over campaign saying: “Be on the right side of history, boycott Israel.”
MKs leave NATO seminar during Iranian’s speech
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – MK Shai calls Iranian speech “an insult to int’l community;” Eldad calls for Israel apply Iraqi model to conflict with Palestinians.
PM commends Bulgarian history in bid for support
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Netanyahu acknowledges Bulgaria’s treatment of Jews during WWII, in bid to draw support away from vote on Palestinian statehood at UN.
MK visits Salah in UK prison with legal team
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Sanaa: It’s outrageous that the Foreign Ministry did not lift a finger to help Salah. If he was a Jew, they would have done something.
Doo-Wop Girls: Doing their thing
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Three singers from the center of the country are working hard to revive a style of harmony that was immensely popular in the US and other Western countries a half-century ago.
A glass act
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Accompanied by 90 elongated tear-shaped hollow objects, ‘Different Trains’ takes Steve Reich’s original composition in a different direction.
Zuckerberg announces Skype video chat on Facebook
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – The agreement deepens Facebook’s cooperation with Microsoft Corp, which is in the process of buying Skype.
Majdal Shams man gets 8 months for Naksa Day rioting
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Nasser Shaer, 37, first person sentenced for throwing rocks at security forces during Syria border skirmishes, admits to charges in plea deal.
The Weekly Schmooze: I’m on a boat!
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – A Jpost column wrapping up the hottest Jewish culture news:DIY PEZ-uzahs, “Tajew” instead of Taboo; Duchovny shills for HOT.
‘Like for Israel’ takes on flotilla advocacy
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Entrepreneur duo take to social media to rally pro-Israel supporters around the world.
‘Negev oil spill: Israel’s worst environmental disaster’
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Environmental Protection Ministry orders Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Co. to stop work after cleanup efforts in Nahal Zin deemed ineffective.
Report: Country’s big 3 dairy producers are a cartel
Jerusalem Post 7 Jul 2011 – Gov’t policies at fault, says economist; Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies says gov’t sanctions cartelization of sector.
Israel braces for Gaza protest ‘flytilla’
The Guardian 7 Jul 2011 – Activists from Welcome to Palestine campaign expected to land in Tel Aviv after blocking of aid flotilla Israel was bracing itself on Thursday for an expected attempt by hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists to fly into the…
MIDEAST: Egypt-Israel Gas Pipeline Targeted
IPS The pipeline that carries Egyptian natural gas to Israel was attacked by unknown perpetrators on Monday (Jul. 4), the third such incident since the Jan. 25 Revolution that ended the rule of longstanding former president Hosni Mubarak.
MIDEAST: Mosques Carry the Scars of War
IPS “The mosque was just 100 metres from our house. We prayed there every day, five times a day. But it was more than a house of prayer,” says Mohammed, a Beit Hanoun resident, of one of the 34 mosques completely destroyed during the 23-day Israeli war on Gaza in 2008-2009….
BAHRAIN: U.S. Experts Sceptical Over Dialogue
IPS As Bahrain’s government launches its much-touted “national dialogue” with members of civil society, experts here are expressing scepticism that it will defuse growing tensions in the strategically located Gulf kingdom, let alone promote genuine reform.
Gazans protest in solidarity
Uruknet July 7, 2011 – Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in the Gaza port on Thursdy in solidarity with the freedom flotilla that has been held by Greece from sailing to the besieged enclave. Among those gathered were several disabled children who were expecting wheelchairs and other crucial medical supplies from the flotilla. “The ships carry hope for the disabled…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (30 June- 06 July 2011)
Uruknet July 7, 2011 – Summary : Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (30 June – 06 July 2011): Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed two Palestinians and wounded a third one in the Gaza Strip. A Palestinian civilian also died of a previous wound in the West Bank….
Left-wing leader warns Muslim Brotherhood of alliance with US
Uruknet July 7, 2011 – Reservations by Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood over the US Administration’s use of the expression “resuming” contacts reveals the group’s awareness of the probable dangers that stem from opening up to Washington, which in general does not enjoy the “appreciation” of the Egyptian people. Despite the Muslim Brotherhood’s immediate welcoming of US Secretary of State Hillary…
Profiles in Courage
Uruknet July 7, 2011 -… One might observe that those who aid the ruling class in their games of deception are an exceedingly useful adjunct to that ruling class. It’s so helpful to keep those people who might otherwise consider a very different course of action distracted, weak and thus firmly in line. One might even say that those “…
Freedom Flotilla 2 spotlights blockade on Gaza
Uruknet July 7, 2011 – … This is a struggle against imperialism. On June 25, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated, “We do not believe that the flotilla is a necessary or useful effort…and we think that it’s not helpful for there to be flotillas that try to provoke actions by entering into Israeli waters and creating a situation…
We will return to Gaza until Palestine is free
Uruknet July 7, 2011 – As you will probably know from press reports, our efforts to sail the US boat to Gaza – the Audacity of Hope – has fallen short of its mission. We had expected to be confronted by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in Gazan or international waters. Instead, we were confronted with Greek commandos in…
“Stop alla guerra Nato in Libia: scriviamo ai membri non belligeranti del Consiglio di Sicurezza Onu”
Uruknet 7 luglio 2011 – Alcuni paesi della Nato, con l’alleanza di alcune petromonarchie del Golfo, stanno conducendo da tre mesi in Libia una guerra illegale a sostegno di una delle due fazioni armate che si affrontano; una guerra fondata su informazioni false, portata pervicacemente avanti con vittime dirette e indirette; una guerra che continua malgrado le tante occasioni…
Yemen’s Saleh appears on TV, offers to share power
Uruknet July 7, 2011 – Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh appeared on television on Thursday for the first time since an assassination attempt a month ago and said he was ready to share power within the constitution’s framework. Saleh, who is recovering in Riyadh after the June 3 bomb attack on his presidential compound, showed signs of severe burns…
General strikes reported in Syrian cities – Video Roundup
Uruknet July 7, 2011 – Protest organisers reported general strikes in several Syrian cities on Thursday over the continuing crackdown by security forces loyal to the president, Bashar al-Assad. Local coordination committees said strikes were taking place in Hama, the current focus of unrest, along with parts of Homs and cities in Idlib province in the country’s north… ideo…
The Strange Silencing of Liberal America
Uruknet July 7, 2011 – …On 15 June, I was due in Santa Fe, having been invited to share a platform with the distinguished American journalist David Barsamian. The foundation was also to host the US premiere of my new film, The War You Don’t See, which investigates the false image-making of warmakers, especially Obama. I was about to…
“Education Denied: Israel’s Systematic Violation of Palestinian Children’s Right to Education
Uruknet July 7, 2011 – The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) releases today a new report titled “Education Denied: Israel’s Systematic Violation of Palestinian Children’s Right to Education” which was prepared for the July 2011 High-Level Segment of UN-ECOSOC in Geneva, Switzerland. PCHR will attend this session, which will review the implementation of the education-related Millennium Development Goals (…
US Reiterates Opposition To Palestinian Bid For UN
Uruknet July 7, 2011 – The US has once again set out its position against the PA seeking recognition of Palestinian statehood in September at the United Nations. The US’s standing envoy to the Middle East David Hale and senior US diplomat Dennis Ross have set out US objections to the move with Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat according to…
Reports: Obama pushing for cuts to Social Security, Medicare
Uruknet July 7, 2011 – For months, the standard narrative among progressive commentators was that Republicans were outrageously exploiting the debt ceiling deadline to impose drastic entitlement cuts on a resisting and victimized Democratic President (he’s weak in negotiations!), but The Post article makes clear that the driving force behind these cuts is the President himself, who is pushing…
IDF Castrator Earns Second-Highest National Award
Uruknet July 7, 2011 – One of Israel’s most decorated and veteran officers, Amos Horev, recently earned the ‘Security of Israel Prize’ for Lifetime Achievement (Hebrew) in a ceremony presided over by Pres. Shimon Peres and defense minister Ehud Barak. This is the second highest national award offered after the Israel Prize. Among his achievements, he was also president…
Israel prepares brutal response to Gaza flotilla ship
Uruknet JUly 7, 2011 – Israeli government officials have said plans are in place to prevent by force a French ship carrying humanitarian aid from reaching the Gaza Strip. The vessel Dignity is in international waters, after having left Greece last week. It is part of the planned 10 ships in the Freedom Flotilla II. The flotilla aims to…
Is NATO using dirty bombs in Libya?
Uruknet July 7, 2011 – When Libyan rebels requested NATO air support to help them in their fight against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, they might have gotten more than they bargained for, and might be paying for it for a long time to come. Several scattered reports released since the conflict began (here’s a good one) claim that some…
French boat to Gaza blocked in Crete
Uruknet July 7, 2011 — A lone French yacht carrying activists hoping to run the Israeli blockade on Gaza was on Thursday blocked in Crete by the Greek coast guard when it stopped to refuel, an organizer said. “The Dignite/Al Karama was taken to Sitia in Crete by the Greek coast guard after being stopped in a nearby port…
Military Resistance 9G7: Endless Betrayal
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – …”On the street in front of Parliament, protesters are banging drums, chanting and waving, singing. The crowd is huge, politically diverse and overwhelmingly peaceful. “There are people here from all walks of Greek society; at times the rhetoric is that of a national resistance…A fiery middle-aged surgeon-turned-activist, Dimitris Antoniou, explained his legal challenge to…
Why is Greece Blockading Gaza?
Uruknet JUly 6, 2011 – Greece, although poor for a European country, is tied into those networks. It was not unreasonable to hope that Papandreou would let the Freedom Flotilla sail. But it should not be a surprise that he quashed the project, either, especially in the wake of the loosening of ties between Turkey and Israel in the…
Al Mezan: Remains of the Deceased Are Not Bargaining Chips; International Community Must Intervene to Ensure Respect for International Law in Transfer of Palestinian Bodies Held in Israel to their Families
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continue to hold a large number of bodies of Palestinians killed in actions connected to the conflict with Israel. The Israeli Minister of Defense (MoD) has suspended a plan to hand over 86 bodies, including those of members of the Islamic Jihad and Hamas movements and all of those who…
Australia ‘linked to Abu Ghraib abuses’
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – Australia’s military conspired with US guards to deny the Red Cross access to prisoners held at Iraq’s notorious Abu Ghraib jail, including a high-value detainee, said documents published Tuesday. Its officials also misled the public on the legality of interrogations, before prisoner abuse was exposed in photographs that shocked the world in May 2004,…
July 6th Update from the U.S. Boat to Gaza
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – The presence of the U.S. Boat to Gaza in Athens is winding down. For more than 2 weeks the 37 passengers (someone was added at the last moment), 4 crew members and about 12 people in the support team there worked hard to make sure our boat – The Audacity of Hope – could…
Red Cross alarmed by Libya situation, fears worse
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – Health care and food supplies are deteriorating in Libya, but the Gaddafi government has managed to keep paying wages and subsidies in areas under its control, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Tuesday. The independent aid agency voiced concern the humanitarian situation could deteriorate further if fighting breaks out in the…
Activists conducting ‘fly in’ to Israel
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – This Friday, July 8, hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists are planning to fly to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport in a display of solidarity with Palestinians living in the occupied territories. According to organisers, at least 500 people have already scheduled flights to Israel, including Palestinians that will fly from Europe, North and South America,…
The never-ending US presence in Iraq
Uruknet July 6, 2011 – The Obama administration has been debating how large a force to propose leaving in Iraq. It made its proposal now in hopes of spurring a request from Prime Minister Nouri Maliki’s government, and to give the Pentagon time to plan, the officials said. The troops would be based around Baghdad and in a small…
Saleh appears on TV, burned and bandaged
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 A badly burned and barely recognizable Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh appeared on television Thursday for the first time since an assassination attempt a month ago and said he was ready to share power within the…
U.S. envoy in Hama ahead of rallies to reject dialogue with Assad
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 The U.S. said Thursday its envoy to Syria is in the besieged city of Hama to show solidarity with residents protesting against President Bashar Assad’s regime…
Police impersonators arrested in Dbayyeh
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 Three men were caught impersonating policemen during an attempted robbery in Dbayyeh Thursday, a security source told The Daily Star.
Syrian truck fired at in Akkar village
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 A man shot at a Syrian truck after it entered a field in the village of Abboudieh on the northern Lebanese-Syrian border.
Tanker driver makes off with 20,000 liters of gas
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 A tanker truck carrying 20,000 liters of gasoline was stolen by its driver, who sold the fuel to a gas station in Kfar Shima Thursday, according to the National News Agency.
Man fatally shoots 70-year-old attacker
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 A man fatally shot his attacker during an altercation at his home in Beirut Wednesday night, a security source said.
Armed confrontation leads to RPG fire
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 Two rocket-propelled grenades were fired during a confrontation between groups of armed men Thursday in Baalbek, the National News Agency said.
NGO program improves prisoner treatment
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 A local NGO is spearheading a bottom-up approach to improve the treatment of prisoners by training and monitoring security officers, a method that it and the Internal Security Forces say is working.
Dom study highlights community’s plight
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 The Dom people suffer from strong discrimination, live in extreme poverty and have poor access to education, said the first study conducted on the community in the country.
Lebanon gets failing grade on MDGs
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 As the U.N. releases its Millennium Development Goals Global Report 2011 Thursday, attention is shifting to the many hurdles ahead, which for Lebanon range from countering devastating environmental degradation to reducing regional income disparities.
Arab states’ silence on Syria uprising speaks volumes
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 Arab governments were swift to condemn Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi in February when he tried to crush a popular uprising with machine guns and heavy artillery.
Settler assaults rise dramatically in June
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 Attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian farmland and crops increased dramatically in June, a report released by the Palestinian Authority has shown.
‘Flytilla’ grounded in Paris, flotilla boat intercepted in Greece
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 Israel battened down the hatches at its main airport Thursday, awaiting hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists as Greece blocked the last boat in a scuppered campaign to ship aid to the Gaza Strip.
U.N. finds Mavi actions legal, Israel-Turkey talks collapse
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 A U.N. rapporteur Thursday slammed a highly anticipated U.N. report set to support the legality of an Israeli commando raid on an aid flotilla aimed at breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza which left nine people dead…
Fresh corruption charges launched against Ben Ali
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 Two fresh lawsuits have been launched against ousted Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and son-in-law on corruption charges, the official TAP news agency said Wednesday.
Mauritania president pitches dialogue
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 Mauritanian President Mohammad Ould Abdel-Aziz has proposed to open a dialogue with the opposition over an eight-point plan to enhance democracy, national unity and public liberties, according to a copy obtained by AFP Thursday.
Bahrain opposition aims to boycott select dialogue sessions
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 Bahrain’s main Shiite opposition formation intends to shun parts of the national dialogue which the authorities say aims to bring forward reforms in the restive kingdom, a member said Thursday.
Referendum win likely short-term endorsement for Moroccan king
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 Moroccan voters’ endorsement of a new constitution may provide only a short-term boost for King Mohammad if concrete change is not delivered to silence the country’s growing protest movement.
Israel OK with German arms sale to Saudis
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 A top Israeli official said he was unaware of a disputed German deal to sell hundreds of tanks to Saudi Arabia but had complete confidence in the German government, in an interview published Thursday.
Secularists call for civil marriage on eve of Egypt protests
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 Dozens of Egyptians protested Thursday to demand the introduction of civil marriages, ahead of calls for one million people to join a protest today by secular activists unhappy with the way the military council has been…
Rebels advance on Tripoli as U.S. blocks support
Daily Star 7 Jul 2011 Rebels battling Moammar Gadhafi pressed ahead Thursday with day two of a NATO-backed offensive after seizing a desert hamlet south of Tripoli and reported gains in their push along the coast from the east.
News of the World shut down amid scandal
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – News International announced Thursday it is shutting down the News of the World, the best-selling tabloid at the center of Britain’s phone hacking scandal. James … ….
Tali Fahima wants job in Ramallah
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Israeli pro-Palestinian activist Tali Fahima, known for her close relationship with Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades commander Zakaria Zubeidi and her recent decision to convert … ….
Israel bars 300 activists from flying to Israel
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Israeli security has distributed a blacklist among foreign airlines, featuring names of 300 activists who will not be allowed on Israel-bound flights. The measure comes … ….
Incoming tourists receive flowers
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Representatives of Israel’s Tourism Ministry handed out flowers to people arriving in Ben Gurion International Airport Thursday evening, as promised earlier by Minister … ….
Report: Obama’s father said he’d be put up for adoption
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – The Boston Globe reported Thursday that US President Barack Obama’s parents may have planned to give him up for adoption prior to his birth, but then changed their minds. … ….
Flotilla report delayed at Turkey’s behest
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Though an inquiry committee investigating the 2010 flotilla has already drawn conclusions, the UN has agreed to postpone its due date for the report until Turkey and … ….
Flotilla activists about to give up?
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Norwegian Gaza-bound flotilla activists are expected to hold a press conference Friday morning in Norway to announce their decision to retract and make their way back … ….
Gaza fly-in organizers thank Bibi for PR
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Left wing activists set to take part in ‘Gaza fly-in’ grateful to Israeli prime….
Prosecutor: Olmert attacks those who create problems for him
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Tensions rise as Prosecutor Uri Korev pushes former PM to talk about Talansky…..
‘Naksa Day’ rioter sentenced to prison
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Nazareth Magistrates’ Court sentences Majdal Shams resident to eight months in….
ICAO: Paz to blame for jet fuel contamination
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – International Civil Aviation Organization says Paz Aviation Assets responsible….
Tourism Ministry launches ‘welcome mat offensive’
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – While police gear to handle hundreds ‘Gaza fly-in’ activists with determination,….
Iranian submarine returns home
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Tehran-made ‘Yunis,’ whose voyage included sail in Red Sea, returns to base….
IDF force comes under fire near Gaza fence
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Roadside bomb explodes near IDF tank operating next to security fence in….
Leak causes Negev’s worst ever environmental disaster
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Ministry takes out work cessation order against Eilat-Askelon Pipeline Company,….
Israel unlikely to condemn Turkey over Palmer report
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Coming UN report on first Gaza flotilla contains harsh criticism against Ankara,….
US: Unsealed indictment reveals terror plot against Israel
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Faouzi Ayoub was arrested by Shin Bet in West Bank nearly decade ago after….
US: Israel included in terror watch list by mistake
YNet News, 7 Jul 2011 – Israel erroneously included in Department of Homeland Security blacklist…..
Palestinian Information Center
IOF soldiers advance hundreds of meters south of Gaza Strip
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) advanced hundreds of meters to the east of Khan Younis on Thursday morning amidst indiscriminate shooting and firing of smoke bombs.
Al-Mezan: Bodies should not be used as bargaining chips
PIC – Palestinian organizations have criticized Israel for backing out of handing over 86 bodies of Palestinian martyrs, saying the bodies must not be used as bargaining chips.
Medical aid convoy lands in Gaza
PIC – A medical aid convoy sent by the Arab Medical Union has delivered some five tons of aid to the Gaza Strip after landing on Wednesday.
Security arrests longest running spy in Gaza Strip
PIC – Security services have arrested the longest running Israeli agent in the Gaza Strip, security sources said.
IOF storm Issawiya area, violently attack its young men
PIC – A number of Palestinian young men from Issawiya district were badly wounded last night when an Israeli military force stormed their area all of a sudden and started to open fire at them.
Timimi breaks hunger strike after freed from isolation
PIC – The Israeli HaSharon prison has transferred prisoner Ahlam al-Tamimi from isolation to the Palestinian prisoner population as part of a deal that ended the prisoner’s hunger strike.
Greek authorities detain the French ship while refueling at Crete
PIC – Organizers of the Freedom Flotilla II announced on Thursday that the French ship that was part of the fleet was detained at a Crete port at the orders of the Greek authorities.
More than a half million settlers in West Bank, East Jerusalem
PIC – The Israeli Population Registry said Thursday that there are more than 334,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
Tamimi still on hunger strike
PIC – The Waed society for prisoners affirmed that the Palestinian prisoner Ahlam Al-Tamimi was still on hunger strike for the 9th day running insisting on meeting all her demands.
Report: The number of children kidnapped this year markedly rose
PIC – Ansar Al-Asra (advocates for prisoners) society said it documented the detention of 1, 552 Palestinian citizens in the first half of this year, including 215 children.
Second flotilla ship sets sail to Gaza
PIC – 07/07/2011 – 09:14 AM
Ihsanoglu strongly condemns the building of more housing units in OJ
PIC – 07/07/2011 – 09:19 AM
Israeli military court sends MP Zeidan to administrative detention
PIC – 07/07/2011 – 09:25 AM
Abbas: ‘We will go to UN if Negotiations Fail’
WAFA
Abbas Congratulates Obama on Independence Day
WAFA
Cabinet Ministers under Investigation for Corruption
WAFA
Palestinian Sentenced to Seven Years on Charges of Collaboration with the Enemy
WAFA
France Pledges $100 million to Support PA in 2012
WAFA
Palestine-Sri Lanka Fiscal Agreement
WAFA
European Former Leaders Call for Recognizing Palestinian State
WAFA
Israeli Army Shoots Towards Palestinian Homes in Khan Younis
WAFA
Mansour: International Community Must Stop Israel’s Breach of International Law
WAFA
On Flotillas and the Law — An Analysis by Dr. Lawrence Davidson
Intifada-Palestine: 7 Jul 2011 – by Dr. Lawrence Davidson Part I — Civil Society Movements vs. Corrupt Politics When it comes to the struggle against Israel’s policies of oppression there are two conflicting levels: that of government and that of civil society. The most recent example… more
Starving Gaza Is Not Cricket
Intifada-Palestine: 7 Jul 2011 – Neither is stopping the aid flotilla sailing Flotilla activists demonstrate onboard the French “Louise Michel” boat at a marina in the port of Piraeus near Athens July 4, 2011. The Dignite, also from France, has set sail for Gaza. Setting sail… more
Syrian activists and security forces brace for protests
LA Times 7 Jul 2011 – Democracy activists, rejecting a government call for talks as a sham, plan another Friday of huge protests, this one dubbed a day of ‘no dialogue.’ Security forces continue their siege of Hama. Syrian authorities have intensified a campaign to detain the same opposition activists with…
Human-rights groups urge action on Syria
LA Times 6 Jul 2011 – Three major human-rights groups express separate concerns about the Syrian regime’s crackdown on the pro-democracy movement. The groups say the international community should hold the Syrian leadership accountable. A trio of major human-rights groups on Wednesday sounded separate alarms about the violent crackdown against the…
Yemen President Speaks on TV for First Time Since Injury
New York Times 7 Jul 2011 – President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen appeared on television Thursday for the first time since he was injured in a bombing of his presidential compound’s mosque a month ago.
Air Goes Out of Protests in a Leaderless Yemen
New York Times 7 Jul 2011 – The enthusiasm of some youthful protesters in Yemen has waned during a political deadlock and economic crisis.
American Ambassador to Syria Visits Focal Point in Uprising
New York Times 7 Jul 2011 – Robert S. Ford, the American ambassador to Syria, made an unannounced visit on Thursday to Hama, a central Syrian city that has become a focal point for the four-month uprising.
U.N. Report Criticizes Israel for Actions at Border
New York Times 7 Jul 2011 – A new United Nations report strongly criticizes Israel for using live fire against unarmed demonstrators who tried in May to breach its border fence from Lebanon.
Memo From Jerusalem: Israel Debates Two-Day Weekends, and Its Lifestyle
New York Times 7 Jul 2011 – There is a conflict about whether to move to a full two-day weekend and, if so, what days it should include.
South African advertising watchdog rules that Israel can be referred to as an ‘apartheid state’
Mondoweiss – South Africa ASA ruling: Israel can be labeled an apartheid state Johannesburg (PNN) 7 July — Earlier this week in a bold statement against Israel, South Africa’s media watchdog the ‘Advertising Standards Agency’ (ASA), dismissed complaints relating to an advert of 5fm radio that called for…
UN report on ‘Freedom Flotilla I’ was questioned from the start
Mondoweiss – Media outlets are reporting that the results of a United Nations inquiry into last year’s raid on the first “Freedom Flotilla” is set to be released soon, though diplomatic wrangling between Turkey and Israel appear to have held up publication of the report for now. The…
Ron Paul blasts ‘transparently one-sided’ Congress on Israel/Palestine
Mondoweiss – Ron Paul’s statement yesterday on that Congressional resolution opposing the Palestinian statehood initiative in the U.N. and opposing Hamas-Fatah reconciliation: Mr. Speaker I rise in opposition to this resolution. While I certainly share the hope for peace in the Middle East and a solution to the…
Israel deports five activists and bars journalists from boarding plane in preparation for ‘Welcome to Palestine’ campaign
Mondoweiss – Israel is gearing up for the ” Welcome the Palestine ” campaign. Five activists have already been detained and deported , and El Al Airlines barred two Dutch journalists from boarding a flight from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv to cover the protest and the flotilla to Gaza. Mazin Qumsiyeh,…
In response to biased IDF report on Gaza, the International Red Cross says ‘the situation is grave and serious’
Mondoweiss – In late April the spokesman of the Israeli army (IDF) published an interview with Mathilde Redmatn , deputy director of the Red Cross in Gaza. According to this article Redmatn says that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza, life seems to be reasonably normal, products are…
IDF Castrator Earns Second-Highest National Award
Tikun Olam – One of Israel’s most decorated and veteran officers, Amos Horev, recently earned the ‘Security of Israel Prize’ for Lifetime Achievement (Hebrew) in a ceremony presided over by Pres. Shimon Peres and defense minister Ehud Barak. This is the second highest national award offered after the Israel…
Ex-Foreign Minister Livni claims that Israel’s standing in the world is sliding
Middle East Monitor 7 Jul 2011 – Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni has criticized Benyamin Netanyahu’s government for “searching for superficial issues and ignoring the essence” while running Israel’s affairs. According to the ex-Foreign Minister, the way that current ministers are operating “is losing Israel its friends and taking the country’s international standing…
Israeli fury over UN report denouncing IDF force against Nakba Day protesters
Middle East Monitor 7 Jul 2011 – Israel has reacted with fury to a UN report which holds the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) responsible for the deaths of a number of refugee protesters on Nakba Day in May. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has criticized the IDF, saying that the force used by…
Why the British Government should recognise the independent State of Palestine and its Territorial Integrity
Middle East Monitor 7 Jul 2011 – A Caabu Briefing Paper 1. Introduction 1.1 The Oslo Accords which were intended to lead to peace between Israelis and Palestinians were signed as long ago as 1993. Yet today what is still called the “peace process” is leading nowhere. Over the years Palestinian negotiators have…
South African advertising and media watchdog rules that Israel can be called an “apartheid” state
Middle East Monitor 7 Jul 2011 – A bold ruling by South Africa’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has dismissed all complaints relating to a radio advert which called for a boycott of Israel and compared the Zionist state to Apartheid South Africa. The ruling referred to a message broadcast on South African Broadcasting…
Syria accuses US of ‘interfering’
BBC 7 Jul 2011 – Syria accuses the US of “interfering” after US ambassador Robert Ford travels to the flashpoint city of Hama on the eve of expected protests.
Israel braces for Gaza ‘flytilla’
BBC 7 Jul 2011 – Israel steps up security at Tel Aviv airport, ahead of the expected arrival of 500 pro-Palestinian activists, most of them French, on Friday.
MPs vote in new Lebanon cabinet
BBC 7 Jul 2011 – Lebanon’s government wins a parliamentary confidence vote, after a heated debate over the tribunal investigating the killing of former PM Rafik Hariri.
Starving Gaza is not cricket
Sabbah report 7 Jul 2011 – Starving Gaza is not cricket. Neither is stopping the aid flotilla sailing. Setting sail with the Gaza Flotilla is no Sunday afternoon game of cricket.
Palestine’s “last village” faces the bulldozers
Sabbah report 7 Jul 2011 – Jonathan Cook reports on plans by Israel to demolish the Palestinian village of Lifta, near Jerusalem, in order to build holiday homes for wealthy foreign Jews and to erase for Israelis “all troubling reminders of an earlier Palestinian presence”.
Gazan reality faces political spin as flotilla considers its next moves
Sabbah report 7 Jul 2011 – Richard Lightbown describes the reality of extreme hardship in the Gaza Strip, “denied by world political leaders who know the facts better than anyone”, that has led to the formation of yet another flotilla for Gaza, and chronicles the Israeli, US and European dirty tricks aimed…
Let Us Sail to Gaza
Sabbah report 7 Jul 2011 – Whether or not flotillas reach Gaza, Israel lost the war. The whole world knows what America’s media won’t report, and what growing numbers of Jews condemn. Many, in fact, express disgust about a lawless nation in their name.
Articles
We will return to Gaza until Palestine is free
Richard Levy, Redress7/8/2011
As Greece, Turkey, Israel and — behind the scenes — the US conspire to abort this year’s humanitarian aid flotilla to Gaza, Richard Levy, a passenger on the Audacity of Hope, US boat to Gaza, pledges to remain steadfast until victory and Palestine is free.
As you will probably know from press reports, our efforts to sail the US boat to Gaza — the Audacity of Hope — has fallen short of its mission.
We had expected to be confronted by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in Gazan or international waters. Instead, we were confronted with Greek commandos in the waters near Pireaus. As one passenger put it, “Israel has outsourced the blockade to Greece, Turkey and other countries.” It gained their cooperation through heavy diplomatic pressure from its allies (most significantly the US) and economic threats. Presently, eight boats headed for Gaza carrying passengers from 22 countries are locked down in Greek and Turkish ports.
Although the intended mission was not accomplished, the stories of the boats’ attempts to sail gained considerable international press coverage and shined a light, once again, on Israel’s morally and legally indefensible imprisonment of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Israel’s claim that its blockade is for security only is utterly belied by the fact that it blocks building materials (much needed since thousands of homes and hundreds of schools were destroyed during the “Operation Cast Lead” bombardment two years ago), it refuses to allow students to study abroad, people to visit families outside of the zone, to seek medical services outside or to export their goods. Plainly, this is not about security. It is the collective punishment of 1.6 million Gazans because some voted for Hamas.more.. e-mail
Financial crisis again for PA
Khaled Amayreh, Al-Ahram Weekly7/7/2011
Once again, Israel appears set to financially strangle the Palestinians in order to get from them the concessions it wants.
Another financial crisis has hit the Palestinian Authority (PA), affecting its ability to pay salaries to as many as 200,000 employees and civil servants.
The PA, which is not a sovereign entity, relies to a large extent on foreign aid, including semi-regular contributions from the US, EU and oil-rich Arab countries.
Many observers contend that the nearly complete dependence of the PA on foreign aid severely restricts its ability to pursue independent national policies, such as achieving national reconciliation with the main Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas, and also adopting more strident policies vis—-Àú-vis Israel.
In addition to the political strings attached via dependence on foreign aid, the PA can hardly pursue long-range economic and financial planning that would put the Palestinians in a better position to free themselves from the Israeli occupation.
Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who is viewed favourably by Western donors, said only half the usual salaries would be deposited in banks in July and that the other half would be paid when funds became available. Fayyad’s aides said the main problem stemmed from Arab donor countries’ failure to pay their pledged contributions on time. more.. e-mail
Failed peace talks led Palestine to the UN
Daoud Kuttab, Al Jazeera7/7/2011
Palestine’s plan to declare statehood in the UN is the only nonviolent alternative to failed negotiations.
Israeli government officials and much of the Israeli population seem to be dead set against Palestinians going to the UN for recognition of an independent Palestinian state. The Palestinian attempt to obtain full membership in the UN has been called “an attempt to delegitimise Israel”, a “unilateral act”, a “crime”, and even “a declaration of war” against Israel.
If negotiations are not producing any results, and if the Palestinian leadership is looking for a nonviolent alternative to failed peace negotiations, what else is there to do but to ask the world’s highest international body to intervene?
The idea of becoming a permanent member of the UN originated in the UN itself – by none other than the president of the United States.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly on September 23, 2010 President Obama said he hoped that “when we come back here next year, we can have an agreement that will lead to a new member of the United Nations – an independent, sovereign state of Palestine, living in peace with Israel.”
Since that time, the peace talks have failed once again because of Israel’s refusal to extend the moratorium on building illegal Jewish-only settlements in the areas designated for the Palestinian state. This refusal continued despite generous promises made by the US to Israel if it agreed to extend the settlement freeze for a mere three months so that the negotiations could resume. more.. e-mail
Siege and sewage make farmed fish a temporary option for Gaza
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Destroyed Mosques Carry the Scars of War
In Gaza: 7 Jul 2011 – Imad Aqel mosque in Jabaliya the morning it was destroyed by Israeli targeted bombing, December 2008 GAZA CITY, Jul 7, 2011 (IPS) By Eva Bartlett — “The mosque was just 100 metres from our house. We prayed there every day, five times a day. But it was more than a house of prayer,” says Mohammed, a Beit Hanoun resident, of one of the 34 mosques completely destroyed during the 23-day Israeli war on Gaza in 2008-2009. The Israeli bombing on Jan. 4, 2009, which flattened the Omar Ibn Abdul Aziz mosque on the main north-south street in Beit Hanoun, also damaged the numerous surrounding homes and the local sports club. “The blast sent rubble to our house,” Mohammed recalls. “Now we have to go to one 15 minutes away, one we don’t know intimately.” According to Dr Hassan Saifi, assistant to the Minister of Religious Affairs in Gaza, a quarter…more
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