21 July , 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Soldiers Break Into Room Of Detained Fateh Leader, Barghouthi
IMEMC – Thursday July 21, 2011 – 19:19, Palestinian Ministry of Detainee at the dissolved government in Gaza reported Thursday that Israeli soldiers broke, on Wednesday at night, into the room of detained Fateh leader, Marwan Barghouthi, before forcing him into solitary confinement.
PCHR Condemns Punitive Measures against Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Jails
IMEMC – Thursday July 21, 2011 – 18:41, The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the decision taken by the Israeli Prisons Administration on Wednesday, 20 July 2011, to stop the higher education program provided to the Palestinian prisoners.
Yaalon: “Israel Will Not Apologize To Turkey”
IMEMC – Thursday July 21, 2011 – 18:27, Israeli “Strategic Affairs” Minister, Moshe Yaalon, stated Thursday that Tel Aviv will not issue any apology to Turkey for the Israeli attack against the Turkish Ship, MV Marmara, on May 31, 2010, leading to the death of nine Turkish peace activists.
Gaza Refugees Continue Their Sit-in Protest Outside UNRWA Building
IMEMC – Thursday July 21, 2011 – 17:51, For the second day, the Popular Committee for Palestinian Refugees in Gaza, continued the peace sit-in protest in front of the UNRWA building in Gaza City, in protest to due to the sharp decline in services provided by the international agency to the refugee in Gaza, organizers said.
Pro-Palestinian Groups Rally for Wave of Protests in the US in September
IMEMC – Thursday July 21, 2011 – 17:05, On Thursday a call was sent out by pro-Palestinian groups for people to join protests in Washington and in New York in support of the state bid by Palestinians at the UN in September.
Qassam Fighter Killed In A Tunnel Accident In Jabalia
IMEMC – Thursday July 21, 2011 – 16:57, The Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, issued a press release on Thursday stating that one of its members died when a siege-busting tunnel collapsed on him, in Jabalia town, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Troops Uproot Olive Orchards Near Jerusalem
IMEMC – Thursday July 21, 2011 – 16:38, Israeli army bulldozers uprooted, on Thursday morning, Palestinian olive orchards that belong to residents of Beit Iksa village, in occupied East Jerusalem, in order to build a section of the illegal Annexation Wall, and to allow the expansion of Ramot illegal settlement.
Ereikat: Israel Is Not Interested In The Peace Process
IMEMC – Wednesday July 20, 2011 – 17:05, Palestine’s chief negotiator Saeb Ereikat said that a recently-released YouTube video by Israel’s Foreign Ministry shows that Israel is not interested in the peace process.
Israeli Military Invades Villages, Residents Claim Troops Stole Gold
IMEMC – Wednesday July 20, 2011 – 15:54, Israeli forces invaded the village of Talluza near Nablus on Wednesday morning and kidnapped two Palestinians.
Israeli Airstrikes Hit Gaza, No Casulaties
IMEMC – Wednesday July 20, 2011 – 12:49, Israeli air force gunships launched air strikes on two sites in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning.
Human rights workers face aggression in Gazan waters
7/21/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An international monitoring boat was confronted by the Israeli navy on Wednesday in Gazan waters and targeted with high pressure water canons. Volunteers from Civil Peace Service Gaza together with Palestinian fisherman and international press were on board the boat at the time. Civil Peace Service Gaza works as part of….
UN: Marked increase in forced displacement of Palestinians
7/21/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released a report Thursday documenting alarming trends in the forced displacement of Palestinians in Area C. The OCHA report found that more demolitions have taken place so far in 2011 than in all of 2009 and 2010 combined. The Khan Al-Ahmar village….
Al-Qassam Brigades fighter dies in tunnel collapse
7/22/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The military wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam brigades, announced the death of one of their members Thursday in a tunnel collapse in the Gaza Strip. The military wing told Ma’an that Muhammad Junid, 25, from Jabalia died at dawn on Thursday after a smuggling tunnel collapsed. The Al-Qassam….
Ashrawi slams US for imposing Israeli position on Quartet
7/21/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — PA official Dr. Hanan Ashrawi issued a statement Tuesday strongly condemning a draft statement the United States tried to impose on Quartet members during their meeting in Washington last week.”Not only has the United States adopted wholesale the extreme positions advocated by Israel’s current hard-line government, it is….
Israeli restrictions ensure slow pace of Gaza reconstruction
7/21/2011 – RAMALLAH (IRIN) – The housing crisis in the Gaza Strip is not going to be resolved any time soon: Only a small number of the 40,000 units needed to meet natural population growth and the destruction of homes in Israeli military operations are being built, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs….
Israeli forces detain 7 people in Hebron
7/21/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained seven people from Al-Thahriyeh village south of Hebron on Wednesday night after raiding their houses. Israeli forces entered the village and broke into the home of Muhammad Al-Batat detaining him and his two sons Haitham and Adham, local witnesses said. Israeli forces also detained Rateb Samara, Mutab Wridat….
Israeli authorities raid Barghouti’s prison cell
7/21/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Ministry of Prisoners Affairs in the Gaza Strip said Thursday that Israel authorities had raided the room of imprisoned Fatah lawmaker Marwan Barghouti on Wednesday night.” Soldiers of the Israeli Shin Bet accompanied by soldiers of an undercover unit of the army raided Hadarim prison for the second time….
Egyptian authorities thwart smugglers at tunnel
7/21/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Egyptian authorities thwarted an attempt on Thursday to smuggle building materials into Gaza via a tunnel south of the Al-Barahmeh neighborhood in Rafah.”Egyptian security departments in Rafah had received information on a group of Egyptian and Palestinian smugglers trying to transport large amounts of cement and metal into Gaza….
MPs reject bill to probe ‘anti-Israeli’ NGOs
7/21/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP)— The Israeli parliament roundly rejected on Wednesday a bill that would have set up committees to investigate human rights groups accused of anti-Israel activity. The bill, sponsored by hard-line Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party, had been expected to fail after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not support….
Strike to be organized in solidarity with prisoners
7/21/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) —The Palestinian Center for Detainees announced Thursday that it is organizing a general strike in solidarity with detainees on hunger strike. The strike also aims to bring attention to the poor health of two detainees currently on hunger strike, Yousef Skafi and Atef Rweidat, who are in Ramla prison hospital. The….
3 bombs dismantled in Nablus
7/21/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) —Explosive experts from the Palestinian Authority police department were able to dismantle three unexploded bombs Wednesday in the village of Taluza near Nablus. The police received a phone call from a villager who reported the discovery of an unexploded bomb on village land. They then searched the area and found three….
Abbas: UN bid will not affect peace process
7/21/2011 – BARCELONA (AFP) — Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said his efforts to seek UN membership for the Palestinians would not affect negotiations “that we want to continue to have” with Israel. Abbas is in Spain as part of a foreign tour aimed at drumming up support for United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state amid a long….
Israeli minister rules out flotilla apology to Turkey
7/21/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel will not “take responsibility” for the deaths of nine Turkish nationals by apologizing to Ankara over its botched 2010 raid on a ferry heading for Gaza, a senior cabinet minister said on Thursday.” We are not ready to apologize, as apologizing is taking responsibility,” Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Yaalon told reporters in….
Abbas in Turkey for Palestinian envoys’ meeting
7/21/2011 – ISTANBUL (AFP) — Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Istanbul on Thursday for a gathering with his foreign envoys ahead of a Palestinian bid for UN recognition, Anatolia news agency reported. Abbas is to meet with Palestinian ambassadors, convening in Istanbul at the weekend, before leaving Turkey on Saturday afternoon, a Turkish diplomat said earlier Thursday….
Over 100 Palestinian NGOs call for political reconciliation
7/21/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Over 100 Palestinian NGOs issued a call on Wednesday urging the implementation of political reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah. The call “to bring success to the reconciliation agreement nationally and democratically” was signed by over 100 NGOs in Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank. The signatories urged both parties to….
President Abbas visits Barcelona football club
7/21/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas visited Barcelona football club in Spain on Thursday and discussed the possibility of building a Barcelona sports school in Palestine. Abbas toured the facilities of the Barcelona team and was given a briefing about the history and evolution of the football club, arguably one of the biggest clubs….
Palestinian Civil Police perform training exercises in Salfit
7/21/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian traffic police performed a variety of exercises in Salfit on Thursday in a bid to improve their capabilities. The training exercise was coordinated with EUPOL COPPS, an EU mission whose priorities include improving law and order in the West Bank. Instructors from the PCP’s training department conducted….
Fayyad: Salaries won’t be paid if financial crisis continues
7/21/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) —Palestinian Authority prime minister Salam Fayyad confirmed Thursday that if the financial crisis affecting the PA is not solved soon there will be difficulty in paying salaries to civil servants this month.” We found ourselves forced to pay half salaries,” he said, speaking about the situation facing the PA last month….
Saudi woman ‘to be tried for driving’
7/21/2011 – RIYADH (AFP) — A Saudi woman will be tried for taking the wheel, in what she said was an emergency, despite the ultra-conservative kingdom’s ban on females driving, Saudi daily Okaz reported on Wednesday. According to the newspaper, the unnamed 35-year-old was arrested in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, then released with….
Egypt swears in cabinet as protesters reject new line-up
7/21/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — New ministers in a sweeping reshuffle of Egypt’s cabinet took their oaths before the military ruler on Thursday, as the prime minister sought to appease protesters over the pace of reform.” The new ministers in the government of Essam Sharaf took their oaths. . . in front of the commander of the Supreme….
Jordan king urges media protection after assault
7/21/2011 – AMMAN (AFP) — Jordan’s King Abdullah II called on Thursday for protecting journalists after several reporters were beaten up as they covered a demonstration in Amman last week.” The king rejects what the journalists were subjected to last Friday, stressing that it was unjustified,” the state-run Petra news agency reported after the monarch met….
Record donor aid, record costs
Palestine Note 21 Jul 2011 – Ma’an- Institutional donor aid in 2010 was at its highest-ever level — US$16.7 billion — but so were aid costs, says aid watchdog Development Initiatives in its annual Global Humanitarian Assistance report, released today. The report, which looks at aid…
Belly dancer and metal band rock the boat
Palestine Note 21 Jul 2011 – The Los Angeles Times- Seeing a gorgeous dancer on stage with a heavy-metal band is nothing unusual. But when the dancer is Lebanese and the singer Israeli and they hold the flags of their respective countries — which remain in…
Murdoch’s ambitions in the Middle East
Palestine Note 21 Jul 2011 – Al Jazeera- Embroiled in a scandal that has global implications, Rupert Murdoch’s media empire is under fire due to the ongoing fallout resulting from the News of the World scandal. But while News Corp remains under heavy scrutiny in the…
For Refugees, a Frustrating Feeling of Permanence
Palestine Note 21 Jul 2011 – The New York Times- When Iraqi militias threatened Ghasswan Al Taee, 36, in 2006, he fled to Jordan . Five years later and with three children born here, his state of limbo has become a constant. Since 2003 an estimated four…
Israelis pay price of persecuting Palestinians with soaring cost of living
Palestine Note 21 Jul 2011 – UAE newspaper investigates crisis behind youth protests over housing Vita Bekker, The National – Danny Tavory regularly shows up at Tel Aviv’s biggest marketplace just before it closes for the night, when vendors sell fruit, vegetables and other products at…
Gaddafi rules out talks with Libya rebels
AlJazeera 21 Jul 2011 – Assertion comes as rebels say they have captured one of his important commanders on their way to the town of Zliten.
Situation dire in East African refugee camps
AlJazeera 21 Jul 2011 – Conditions in Dolo Aldo transit camp near Somalia-Ethiopia border “a good deal worse” than in Kenya.
Reports: Syrian security forces shelling Homs
AlJazeera 21 Jul 2011 – Videos show troops attacking densely populated parts of country’s third largest city with tank shells and machine guns.
Egypt’s protests persist despite new cabinet
AlJazeera 21 Jul 2011 – More than half of the ministers changed in reshuffle as military council faces pressure for faster and deeper reforms.
Pro-Palestinian Groups Rally for Wave of Protests in the US in September
PNN – Bethlehem -PNN Exclusive – On Thursday a call was sent out by pro-Palestinian groups for people to join protests in Washington and in New York in support of the state bid by…
Refugees in Gaza Protest at UNRWA HQ for Second Day
PNN – Gaza – PNN – The popular committee for refugees in Gaza continued on Thursday to organize protests outside the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City. The committee called for a sit-in on Wednesday…
Knesset Blocks Bill Calling for Investigations of NGOs
PNN – Tel Aviv – PNN – The proposal for a bill that would set up two inquiry panels to investigate Israeli NGOs was overturned in a Knesset vote on Wednesday night. Twenty-eight members…
Passionate Letter Highlights the Unrelenting Plight of Palestinian Prisoners
PNN – Ramallah – PNN – In a letter sent by Ms. Feda Abdelhady-Nasser, Charge d’Affaires, to the UN Secretary-General, the President of the Security Council and the President of the UN General Assembly,…
Qassam Fighter Dies in Tunnel Colapse in Gaza; 16 Arrested Including Hamas Leader in West Bank
PNN – Gaza/Ramallah – PNN – A fighter with the Qassam brigades, the military wing of Hamas, died Thursday, after a tunnel used to smuggle goods from Egypt collapsed on him. Mohammed Rezq Juneid,…
Abbas: UN Bid Does Not Change Willingness to Negotiate With Israel
PNN – Barcelona – PNN – Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday that his plan to seek Palestinian state recognition at the UN in September does not affect his willingness to restart…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Condemns Punitive Measures against Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Jails
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Thursday, 21 July 2011
Press conference by United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon on Security Council resolution 1701 (2006)
Relief Web 21 Jul 2011 – Source: UN Department of Public Information Country: Lebanon , Iraq , Israel , Jordan , occupied Palestinian territory , Syrian Arab Republic (the) In a wide-ranging press conference at Headquarters today, Michael Williams, United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, assessed the progress and setbacks in…
Israeli restrictions ensure slow pace of Gaza reconstruction
Relief Web 21 Jul 2011 – Source: Integrated Regional Information Networks Country: occupied Palestinian territory RAMALLAH, 21 July 2011 (IRIN) – The housing crisis in the Gaza Strip is not going to be resolved any time soon: Only a small number of the 40,000 units needed…
PCHR Condemns Punitive Measures against Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Jails
Relief Web 21 Jul 2011 – Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Country: Israel , occupied Palestinian territory The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the decision taken by the Israeli Prisons Administration on Wednesday, 20 July 2011, to stop the higher education program provided…
ILO grants US$ 100,000 for refugee women entrepreneurs
Relief Web 21 Jul 2011 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory The International Labour Organization and UNRWA signed a memorandum of understanding at Ankar Suites in Ramallah today, to support Palestine refugee women starting…
Spate of demolitions threaten Bedouin communities near Jerusalem
Relief Web 21 Jul 2011 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: occupied Palestinian territory (Jerusalem, 21 July 2011): Today, Mr Maxwell Gaylard, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) visited the Bedouin village of Khan Al Ahmar, together…
Humanitarian Fact Sheet on Area C of the West Bank, July 2011
Relief Web 21 Jul 2011 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: occupied Palestinian territory Area C Fast Facts Over 60 percent of the West Bank is considered Area C, where Israel retains control over security, planning and zoning. An estimated 150,000…
USAID Completes Vocational Education Support for Dar al Kalima College
Relief Web 20 Jul 2011 – Source: US Agency for International Development Country: occupied Palestinian territory Bethlehem, West Bank – On July 19th, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Program, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented with Save the Children…
Israeli authorities uproot olive trees in Beit Eska
21 Jul 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli occupation bulldozers started Thursday uprooting several olive trees and razing farmlands in the southwest of Beit Eska village in Jerusalem.
16 Palestinians arrested by Israel in WB
21 Jul 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli occupation forces arrested Thursday 16 Palestinians in raids of various parts in the West Bank.
Israeli gunboats fire at Gaza fishermen
21 Jul 2011 – Gaza Strip, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli navy opened yesterday massive fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Khan Younis in the south of Gaza Strip. No injuries were reported.
Palestinians take their case for statehood to Turkey
The National 21 Jul 2011 – Palestine is looking for votes to admit it to the UN as a nation, with the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmud Abbas, currently on a foreign tour aimed at lobbying world leaders to support the UN bid.
Yemenis put out buckets and pray for a downpour after no rain for two months
The National 21 Jul 2011 – Filling a 1,000-gallon water tank cost residents of Sanaa Dh22 in March. This week it neared Dh100. Most people live on less than Dh8 a day, so taps run dry and buckets are used for showers to save money for other needs.
US denies any plan to move Fifth Fleet from Bahrain
The National 21 Jul 2011 – Presence of Fifth Fleet in Bahrain has been a source of criticism in US since February, when demonstrations calling for greater political freedoms erupted in the kingdom.
Blogging community in Kuwait leads campaign against internet supply ‘price fixing’
The National 21 Jul 2011 – Campaigners say the companies that supply the local market with internet services have enraged customers this year by coordinating to raise prices and introduce daily quotas that limit downloading.
Egypt bows to pressure and replaces more than a dozen cabinet ministers
The National 21 Jul 2011 – As Tahrir Square fills up again with demonstrators, Egypt replaced a swath of ministers yesterday in response to demands from protesters who have held sit-ins for almost two weeks to press for faster changes.
Syrian army tanks fire on homes and help make arrests in Homs
The National 21 Jul 2011 – Smoke seen billowing from neighbourhoods as calls from mosque loudspeakers urge people to donate blood in hospitals.
Top Al Qaeda commander killed in Yemen
The National 21 Jul 2011 – Ayed Al Shabwani, an Al Qaeda leader in Marib province, was killed near the town of Zinjibar, a provincial capital that militants have controlled since May.
First visit by Iraqi PM to China takes in the sights
The National 20 Jul 2011 – Maliki is looking to Chinese companies to build Iraq’s infrastructure, from harbours to railways to airports, to co-operate on energy deals and to invest.
Syria tells US and French envoys not to leave capital without permission
The National 20 Jul 2011 – Two weeks after they angered the Assad regime by visiting a city that has become the centre of the country¬øs four-month uprising, Syria has ordered the French and US ambassadors they cannot travel outside Damascus without asking first.
Numbers of working mothers in Oman leap fourfold
The National 20 Jul 2011 – 32,000 Omani women have children and jobs today, up from just 8,000 in 1985, as old attitudes change. and parents shed their views that daughters’ roles are limited to getting married and raising children.
Apologise for flotilla deaths or I go to Gaza, Turkish PM tells Israel
The National 20 Jul 2011 – Erdogan gives Israel deadline of July 27 to apologise for the peace flotilla killings last year, or he will cross from Egypt into Gaza.
Lieberman deplores Netanyahu for leaning toward apology to Turkey
Ha’aretz – FM responds to reports that PM got legal advice that apologizing would forestall Turkish efforts to prosecute IDF soldiers, says Israel is showing weakness and inability to withstand pressure.
Senior Israeli ministers to decide next week whether to accept reconciliation with Turkey
Ha’aretz – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has withdrawn twice at last moment from signing similar agreement over the past year, due to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s strong objection.
IDF Civil Administration pushing for land takeover in West Bank
Ha’aretz – Inclusion of Jordan Valley, northern Dead Sea and area surrounding Ariel in ‘settlement blocs’ whose takeover the administration is advancing, would prevent establishment of Palestinian state with territorial contiguity.
Bradley Burston / The Israeli right fears for the dream
Ha’aretz – It is axiomatic in Israel that only the right can bring down the right. Where the Netanyahu government and the gutted left are concerned, the axiom may now be more applicable than ever. And sooner than one might have thought.
Poll: Majority of U.S. Jews support Mideast peace plan based on 1967 borders
Ha’aretz – J Street poll shows nearly half of American Jews oppose U.S. recognition of Palestinian state.
Israeli woman dies of allergic reaction after eating Nutella at Tel Aviv restaurant
Ha’aretz – 26-year-old, who was severely allergic to nuts, was promised by the restaurant that the chocolate spread on her Belgian waffle did not contain nuts.
Still singing after all these years; Paul Simon returns to Israel
Ha’aretz – The 70-year-old singer-songwriter will be staging his third ever performance in Israel at the Ramat Gan Stadium.
UN envoy to Lebanon says ceasefire with Israel holding up ‘very well’
Ha’aretz – Michael Williams says while Resolution 1701 that ended hostilities between IDF and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon being upheld, he has no way of knowing if Hezbollah has been receiving massive military aid.
Syrian army steps up camapaign in Homs
Ha’aretz – Shooting and explosions heard in old district of Bab Sbaa; activists say army fired at worshippers as they left a mosque in the early hours of the morning.
France FM: Gadhafi could remain in Libya if he gives up power
Ha’aretz – Alain Juppe says Muammar Gadhafi can stay in Libya ‘on condition, that he clearly removes himself from Libyan political life’; deal could see Gadhafi evade trial at ICC for crimes against humanity.
Iran claims to have shot down U.S. spy drone over nuclear site
Ha’aretz – Report comes a day after Iran confirmed it was installing a new generation of advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges.
Israel sees Libya as new source of smuggled weapons for Gaza
Ha’aretz – Vice PM says Hamas exploiting unstable situation in Libya to buy weapons from rebel smugglers.
Vice PM: Ankara making Israel-Turkey reconciliation impossible
Ha’aretz – Moshe Ya’alon says as long as Turkey insists Israel apologize for IDF raid that killed nine Turks in Gaza flotilla last year, the two sides will not be able to mend diplomatic relations.
Abbas: UN membership bid does not affect our will to negotiate
Ha’aretz – Palestinian president, who is on a European tour in an attempt to drum up support for the UN vote in September, says Palestinians ready to return to negotiating table.
Olmert accuses Netanyahu, Barak of lecturing abroad in exchange for money
Ha’aretz – Former PM denies accepting money for foreign lectures, believes flights were financed by his own frequent flyer miles.
Israeli doctors’ strike escalates as residents begin hunger strike
Ha’aretz – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly urged to intervene and bring about a breakthrough in the talks between the doctors and the Finance Ministry.
By the grace of God, and Mark Zuckerberg
Ha’aretz – Internet is prevailing over rabbis as Haredi advertisers seek ways to circumvent modesty.
Ben-Dov saves his good name – and your pension fund
Ha’aretz – One week after Tao Tsuot announced that it couldn’t pay its debts, controlling shareholder Ilan Ben-Dov says he is improving his offer to bondholders.
Simhon: Retailers do compete, but to detriment of consumers
Ha’aretz – Secret report on profit margins in Israel’s retail industry shows them to be ‘among the highest in the world,’ says Industry Minister.
AG to Netanyahu: Apologize to Turkey or face indictments for IDF troops
Ha’aretz – Sources say Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein believes apology would convince Turkey not to file lawsuits against IDF officers who took over the Mavi Marmara in 2010.
Nat’l Library accused of giving away rare books
Jerusalem Post 22 Jul 2011 – Claims come after library hands out over 25,000 books to public in annual book giveaway; one scholar says he found an 1872 Darwin translation.
Ashams radio launches campaign against murder of Arab women
Jerusalem Post 22 Jul 2011 – Nazareth area radio station calls on political, social, religious leaders to take active role in stamping out homicide of women in Arab society.
Two arrested over inappropriate Facebook messages
Jerusalem Post 22 Jul 2011 – Mother’s male friend beats man who was suspected of sending her daughter messages of sexual nature through social media site.
Road-safety plan aims to sharply cut traffic fatalities
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Recommendations formulated by Sheinin C’tee include improving infrastructure in Arab communities, adding police cars on main roadways.
Abbas: UN approval will allow us to treat Israel as equals
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – PA president says once Palestinians gain membership in UN, “we will surely resume peace talks with Israel”; Abbas adviser: If PA wins two-thirds support at UN, ‘Palestine’ could have status like Vatican.
Terror attack orphans to get NIS 550,000 in compensation
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Currently, those who lost both parents get less and new legislation will benefit an estimated 80 orphans from around 22 families.
Lebanon signs energy exploration deal with Iran
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Beirut’s signing of agreement may violate UN sanctions against Tehran; Iranian parliamentary delegation tours Lebanese border with Israel.
Court won’t allow Gaza couple to testify by video in suit
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – The Abu Azers should travel to a neutral country to give evidence, says Nazareth court judge says on couple’s lawsuit against the state.
Poll: Palestinians seek normalcy over statehood
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Disapproval of Hamas rose among Palestinians over past year, but two-thirds majority support kidnapping Israeli soldiers.
IDF in buying spree in anticipation of September
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Snipers will switch to non-lead rounds and will use new rules of engagement to diffuse potential riots in W. Bank and along borders.
Lieberman aghast about possible apology to Turkey
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – FM says Netanyahu about to fold under pressure again; comments come after Ya’alon says gov’t won’t apologize to Turkey, but J’lem may debate it.
Country engulfed in protest: Welcome sign of normalcy
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Analysis: It’s a luxury in our little part of the world to be able to focus on social and economic issues, not diplomatic and security ones.
Settlers rally at Migron ahead of demolition of 3 homes
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – During visit to outpost, Danon calls on PM to “agree to a compromise” over prevention of demolitions; thousands visit to show support.
‘We’re not bolting IMA, we’re trying to help reach a deal’
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Medical residents from a dozen hospitals stage walkout, say Treasury tried to “divide and rule” doctors by separating young from veterans.
PM to Al-Arabiya: Egypt likely to keep peace treaty
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Netanyahu also tells Arab network some settlements will be left outside Israel’s borders, says peace will come with recognition of Jewish state.
Heal the health system
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – The major overhaul that our health system so desperately needs can only be implemented by the leader of the State of Israel, PM Binyamin Netanyahu.
Protesters from TA tent city hold torchlight rally
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – March ends at high profile Gindi Towers luxury complex, billed as a preview of larger protest slated to take place over the weekend.
J Street poll: Obama’s Jewish support tops Republicans
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – But majority of US Jews critical of US president’s Arab-Israeli policy; separate poll shows Muslims blame West for domestic problems.
Please allow me to introduce myself
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – A (Not So) Innocent Abroad: It’s only appropriate that I begin my first column, of what will be a weekly series, with a proper introduction.
Giving terror statehood
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Peace for the Palestinians means no Israel and the right to commit pogroms against non-Muslims, as in any Arab society.
Race against space
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – A single bi-national state, in which Israelis, Palestinians enjoy equal civil, political rights, could ensure access to land they hold dear, sacred.
Palestinian unity talks to resume in Cairo
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Representatives of rival parties to meet in Egypt later this month; Fatah insistence on Fayyad as PA prime minister remains main obstacle.
Woman dies from allergic reaction to nut spread
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Family of woman agrees to donate her organs; 26-year-old ordered dessert at cafe, and despite alerting staff to allergy, received hazelnut spread.
Activists: Housing problem is far worse in Arab sector
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Galilee Society NGO says housing issues have been a concern for the Arab sector for years but received scant media coverage.
Safari surprise: A Tapir is born
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Ramat Gan Safari Park celebrates birth of Papaya, the newest addition to its collection of the endangered South American hog-like species.
Cool Capital: The streets are alive with the sound of music
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Check out the best events in Jerusalem this summer; Front Stage sees some of the country’s hottest bands take to the streets.
In search of the West Bank’s elusive Sufi Trail
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Palestinians hope rural tourism will lure tourists away from the beaten path.
Gunfire echos in Homs as Syria cracks down
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – Human rights group says regime forces making mass arrests in restive city where 33 have been killed since the weekend; tanks deployed.
The Weekly Schmooze: J-Vanka and baby makes three
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – A Jpost column wrapping up Jewish culture news worldwide:Ziggy Marley is jealous of Jews; an Israeli’s amazing hockey goal.
Mideast meets ‘Westend’
Jerusalem Post 21 Jul 2011 – The Museum on the Seam opens a new exhibition that examines the relations between the West and Islam.
Binyamin Netanyahu urges return to peace talks in rare Arabic TV interview
The Guardian 21 Jul 2011 – Binyamin Netanyahu’s interview with al-Arabiya marks the first time the Israeli PM has sat down with Arabic media since taking office Binyamin Netanyahu has given an interview for Arabic television in an attempt to bring the…
Israeli law constrains free speech, says New York Times
The Guardian 21 Jul 2011 – The Israeli government has been accused of violating the right to free expression by approving a law that penalises individuals and organisations that call for boycotts against Israel. The law effectively bans any public call for…
Negative Stereotypes Persist Between West and Muslims
IPS Westerners and Muslims continue to hold negative stereotypes of each other, although views of Muslims in the West appear to have improved marginally over the past five years, according to a new survey released here by the Pew Global Attitudes Project Thursday.
War Makes for Strange Bedfellows
IPS A soldier and an Islamist – both fleeing the crackdown on Syrian pro-democracy protesters and seeking refuge in neighbouring Lebanon – have discovered that they share similar views on the ongoing uprising.
EGYPT: ‘One Mubarak Goes, 18 Come In’
IPS Almost six months after the popular uprising that led to the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak, the honeymoon between protesters and Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) – initially portrayed as a “defender of the revolution” – appears to be over.
Israeli restrictions ensure slow pace of Gaza reconstruction
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – The housing crisis in the Gaza Strip is not going to be resolved any time soon: Only a small number of the 40,000 units needed to meet natural population growth and the destruction of homes in Israeli military operations are being built, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)….
Videos: Libya: SIRTE, 21th July 2011 – Massive Protests against NATO-Aggression
Uruknet “I cry about all this. …we are right, our leader is right, and we will be victorious,” said Iman Hussein, a university student wearing a watch whose face showed Gaddafi in uniform. Like many others at the rally, she said she saw Libya’s oil wealth as the real reason for Western involvement and the West’s encouragement of a…
Video: Syrian soldiers shoot and bombard civilian homes in Rastan
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – Leaked video showing soldiers firing an anti-aircraft gun at houses in Rastan last month, even though there isn’t any protests, and without knowing and without seeming to care, whether that house is occupied by a supporter or an opponent of the regime (or maybe someone who doesn’t care either way). This video fits widespread…
Amid the Murdoch Scandal, There’s an Acrid Smell of Business as Usual
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – Long before it was possible to hack phones, Murdoch was waging a war on journalism, truth, humanity, and succeeded because he knew how to exploit a system that welcomed his devotion to the “free market”. He may be more extreme in his methods, but he is no different in kind from many of those…
Iraqi Kurdish villagers arrested by Iranian troops in Iraq’s Kurdistan
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – Iranian troops arrested two villagers from the Iraqi Kurdistan region during their cross-border military offensives on Monday, say local officials. Weze village official Abdullah Ahmed told AK news that local residents Babakir Ahmed Bayeez and Amina Hussein were arrested and their livestock seized by Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard. The villages around the border Kurdish…
Gaza reality
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – After reading so many reports (for years) on Gaza’s failing health system and economy, I became a bit numb to the reality of what zero-stock drugs and supplies, and over 45% unemployment of the working age actually means. I know it means people with serious diseases like cancer, diabetes, hypertension, psychological disease, kidney failure……
Video:’West Ignoring Rebel War Crimes, Claim Civilians Fleeing To Tripoli’ In Libya
Uruknet
The Incoherence of the Slogans Is it recognition of the Palestinian state or recognition of Israel?
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – Is it recognition of the Palestinian state or recognition of Israel? The question concerns the surprising Syrian statement that announced Damascus’s recognition of the state of Palestine on the borders of June 4th, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital – a statement that represents the latest example of the incoherence of the slogans…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (14- 20 July 2011)
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – …Summary : Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (14 – 20 July 2011): Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed a Palestinian worker in a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. They also wounded 10 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the…
Human rights workers face aggression in Gazan waters
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – – An international monitoring boat was confronted by the Israeli navy on Wednesday in Gazan waters and targeted with high pressure water canons. Volunteers from Civil Peace Service Gaza together with Palestinian fisherman and international press were on board the boat at the time. Civil Peace Service Gaza works as part of a non-violent…
Qaddafi’s forces push rebels back from Tripoli
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – Libyan rebels said a fierce counter-attack by forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Qaddafi had checked their gains on a front line east of Tripoli. A rebel spokesman in Zlitan, on the coast road 160 kilometres east of the capital, said pro-Qaddafi forces backed by tanks had surrounded rebels who had seized the nearby town…
Video : Battle for Libya: Brega 20th july 2011
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – BREGA 20th july 2011: WITHOUT REBELS, WITHOUT FIRE ! What is probelm with western liers which they call “journalists” ?!? Why they dont say one -JUST ONE time TRUTH about this war?
Social and Economic Inequality in Israel
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – Notably since the early 1980s, neoliberalism began replacing New Deal/Great Society values to the detriment of millions harmed. It means markets know best so let them, liberating enterprise to move capital, goods and services freely, benefitting the few at the expense of the many. Britain’s Thatcher and America’s Reagan were pivotal figures, endorsing elitism,…
IRAQ: Youth unemployment driving emigration
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – A just released national youth survey in Iraq says youth unemployment is running at over 20 percent and many young people are thinking of emigrating. Up to 23 percent of males and 21 percent of females aged 15-24 are unemployed, according to a 2009 National Youth Survey by the government and the UN Population…
Tanks, Gunfire, Destruction in the streets as Syrian Forces attacks Homs City
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – Homs: Many injured have fallen, including Mohammad Abdul Razzaq Khaled from the neighborhood of Khaldieh. Khaldieh is subject to shelling with heavy weapons and to random gunfire from machineguns that are mounted on vehicles that are roaming the streets of the neighborhood. Three buildings burnt up and many martyrs and wounded fell an…d cannot…
Israeli media warns of escalation in international legal action against senior officials
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – Media sources in Israel have warned about the escalation of international legal campaigns to pursue Israeli officers and officials on charges on war crimes against the Palestinian people. According to Channel 10 television, three new lawsuits have been filed recently against senior Israeli officials in the Spanish Courts by participants of the 2010 Freedom…
Katna is empty from its youth and men
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – Hundreds were arrested during a raid of the city of Katna. Around 350 detainees on Saturday and around 120 detainees on Sunday and other detainees during the subsequent days were transferred to Almntka branch, military security in Damascus. These detainees were taken to the headquarters at the tenth division in the army before being…
Support the Hunger Strikers of Pelican Bay, California, Calling for An End to Solitary Confinement as Official US Prison Policy
Uruknet July 21, 2011 – On July 5, I received a press release from the Prison Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition in Oakland, California. Under the heading, “Prisoners Across at Least 6 California Prisons Join Pelican Bay Hunger Strikers: Strike Could Involve Thousands of Prisoners,” it read: More than 100 hours into an indefinite hunger strike started at Pelican Bay…
Western Hubris on Full Display at So-Called Libya Contact Group
Uruknet July 20, 2011 – July 20, 2011 – The Libya Contact Group (LCG) is “largely coordinated by Atlantic ex-colonial powers and anxious Arab autocrats who are most deeply committed to the bombing campaign against Gaddafi,” pretending to be a “united effort by ‘the leaders of the world.'” Its primary job is to circumvent the UN Security Council. The…
‘Israel-firsters’: Murdoch and Other Villains
Uruknet July 20, 2011 – … I’ll leave the last word on Israel’s evil machinations to Sir Gerald Kaufman, the straight-talking Jewish MP. He said in a Commons debate in January 2008: “Is it not a fact that only international action can bring to an end the humanitarian disaster caused by collective punishment imposed by the gang of amoral thugs…
Water resources in Masafer-Yatta, the South Hebron Hills
Uruknet July 20, 2011 – Starting on Friday 1 July, I stayed for one week in at-Tuwani (Ô?çÔªüÔªÉÔªÆÔ?çÔªßÔª?‚Äé Ô?çÔªüÿ™ŸàÿߟÜÿ©), the small Palestinian village about 9 miles to the south of Hebron in the area known as Masafer-Yatta or the South Hebron Hills. At-Tuwani is in Area C under full Israeli control[1], and around 350 people live in the village….
Iraq snapshot – July 20, 2011
Uruknet July 20, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, Ad Melkert ‘brief’s the UN Security Council on Iraq, Ad Melkert ‘mistates’ (lies) repeatedly, Jalal Talabani orders a vice president to sign off on the execution orders (his hands are clean!), Senator Patty Murray leads the fight for Vietnam veterans suffering from the effects of Agent Orange, and more….
Panic as US Warplanes Attack Southern Iraq Two Days of Live Ammo Raids Have Locals Scared, Puzzled
Uruknet July 20, 2011 – The latest indication yet that the Obama Administration’s much vaunted “end” to the war in Iraq last year was entirely illusory, reports are pouring in from southern Iraq’s Maysan Province that US warplanes launched a number of live ammunition attacks just north of Amara. Iraqi security forces confirmed the attacks, and it appears that…
Refugee children rally to save Bethlehem playground
Uruknet July 20, 2011 – — “I have a right to play”, “I have a right to live in a clean environment”, “I have a right to express myself”. Those were some of the signs and slogans carried by children at a recent protest at Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem. Some of these young protesters were barely five years…
Israeli/Washington Peace Process Rejectionism
Uruknet July 20, 2011 – Pretending to restart Israeli/Palestinian peace talks, Quartet representatives met in Washington on July 11. Attending were Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and former UK Prime Minister/reinvented war criminal/current Middle East envoy Tony Blair. Ahead…
Video – Libya: The mainstream media invent new map of Libya … a closer look!
Uruknet
Libya’s rebels poised to attack as Gadhafi refuses to quit
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Libya’s rebels sought to consolidate their progress in the east Thursday and ramped up for a pre-Ramadan offensive in the west as Moammar Gadhafi’s refusal to quit blocked a political solution.
Syrian opposition plans unity demonstrations to quell sectarian fears
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Syrian opposition groups are planning to stage protests Friday under the banner Friday day of National Unity in response to reports of violent sectarian clashes in the central city of Homs this week.
Rai lambasts politicians over disputes, wants new covenant
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Citing chronic political disputes, Patriarch Beshara Rai called on rival leaders to agree on a new national charter to replace the 1943 National Covenant which has regulated the relationship and coexistence between Christians and Muslims…
Kahwagi tours French military bases
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Lebanon’s Army commander, Gen. Jean Kahwagi, visited air and navy bases and met with French military officials Thursday during his official visit to Paris.
Cellphones found on Roumieh inmates
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Several inmates in Roumieh prison were allegedly found in possession of mobile phones and prepaid phone cards Wednesday, a security source told The Daily Star.
Library set to break world record Sunday
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 The Guinness Book of World Records will declare Baaqlin National Library the library with the largest number of books exchanged among patrons Sunday.
Lebanese citizen’s remains returned from Israel
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 The remains of a Lebanese civilian found in Israel were transported to Lebanon Thursday, following the intervention of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Father accidently kills 14-year-old son in Tyre
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 A 14-year-old boy was killed in Tyre Thursday when he was accidently run over by a crane driven by his father, according to the National News Agency.
Fadlallah’s office says Ramadan to start Aug. 1
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 The first day of Ramadan will fall on Monday, Aug. 1, according to the office of the late Shiite cleric, Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.
Anthropologist laments destruction of ruins by treasure hunters
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Parts of a Byzantine church at the top of Jabal al-Kenaiseh were destroyed by treasure hunters, according to anthropologist Chamoun Mouannes…
Election reform NGO furious at its exclusion
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 After it criticized the authorities for moving too slowly on electoral reform, a local NGO slammed its exclusion from a government committee to draft a new electoral law for parliamentary elections.
Country sees spate of armed robberies, burglaries
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Gold, diamonds and bathroom appliances were among the targets in several armed robberies and burglaries that took place across the country in the past 24 hours and topped Thursday’s police reports.
Mexican-Lebanese cultural reconnection
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 They’ve been here less than a week but already some are planning their next trip to Lebanon.
Egypt’s Cabinet fails to satisfy, protests planned
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Egypt’s prime minister promised Thursday to set up an anti-corruption body and work to end a 30-year-emergency law to placate protesters demanding faster reforms.
Everything but apology to Turkey for Mavi Marmara killings
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Israel is debating whether to say sorry for nine Turkish deaths on board a Gaza-bound activist ship last year…
Egypt women work to protect rights from Islamist groups
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Feminists dismayed that Egypt’s revolution is failing to advance their cause are trying to rally disparate women’s groups to defend women’s rights from perceived threats from Islamists and other conservatives.
Cyprus coalition partners urge non-partisan administration
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 The junior partner in Cyprus’s two-party coalition Thursday urged sweeping changes and the formation of a non-partisan administration, a sign of growing dissent with the government after a deadly munitions blast.
Yemen claims an Al-Qaeda leader killed in battle
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 A Yemeni Al-Qaeda leader and 10 soldiers have been killed in a south Yemen battle, a military source and medics said Thursday, as a top official said the U.S. had provided logistical support to a unit…
Egypt’s new caretaker Cabinet
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 The following is the lineup of the caretaker government, the second since a nationwide revolt overthrew Mubarak in February:
Iraq’s Mehdi Army splinters into dozens of rogue hit squads, gangs
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mehdi Army has spawned dozens of renegade splinter groups which frequently assassinate Iraqi officials on behalf of foreign sponsors, Sadrist and security officials say.
Ethiopian peacekeepers pour into troubled Sudanese border region
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Ethiopian peacekeepers have started to arrive in Sudan’s flashpoint Abyei region and will begin operations by the end of the week, official media reported Thursday, paving the way for the army’s withdrawal.
Iran cautiously welcomes Russia’s nuclear offer
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has cautiously welcomed a Russian proposal for bringing Iran back to talks over its nuclear program, the official news agency reported Thursday.
Court adjourns 2 more Ben Ali corruption trials
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 A Tunisian court Thursday opened and quickly adjourned two more trials of ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, now living in exile in Saudi Arabia, accusing him of corruption and property fraud.
Bus crash in south Morocco kills 14, injures 35 others
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 A head-on collision between two buses killed 14 people and injured 35 in southern Morocco Thursday, an official told AFP.
Syria unrest hitting Lebanese tourism: Abboud
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Lebanon’s tourism minister said Thursday the country has lost most of its visitors as a result of the upheaval in neighboring Syria.
Iranian delegation tours Lebanon-Israel border
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 A delegation from the Iranian Shoura Council toured the Lebanese-Israeli border in the south Thursday, stopping at Fatima Gate only moments after Israeli soldiers finished repair work on the border fence and called off border patrols.
Ramadan starts Aug.1: Fadlallah
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah’s institute said Thursday the Muslim holy month of Ramadan will begin Aug.1.
Teen brothers kidnapped in east Lebanon released
Daily Star 21 Jul 2011 Two teenage brothers kidnapped near Baalbek, east Lebanon, over the weekend have been released, a security source told The Daily Star Thursday.
Foreign press fed up with PM’s Office?
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – The Foreign Press Association in Israel sent a sharp letter to the Prime Minister’s Office Thursday, complaining of multiple humiliating incidents, which the organization … ….
Israel sees Libya as new source of arms for Gaza
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – Libya has become a new source of smuggled weaponry for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, a senior Israeli official said on Thursday. With eastern Libya largely held by … ….
IPS finds cell phone in Barghouti’s cell
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – The Israeli Prison Service said Thursday they discovered a cellular phone in Marwan Barghouti’s prison cell in Hadarim Prison during a routine search. The Fatah’s former … ….
PM: Abbas missing chance for peace
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned to the Arabic media Thursday in an attempt to lure the Palestinians back to peace talks. The Prime Minister’s Office said … ….
Dutch unblock charity assets after Hamas accusation
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – An Amsterdam court overturned on Thursday a government freeze on assets of a charity accused of funneling funds to Palestinian militant group Hamas, citing a lack of … ….
Israel gives back to Texas orphans
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – Jewish couple Josh and Robin Berry from Texas were pro-Israeli activists. At the beginning of the month they were killed in a horrific road accident that left their three … ….
Netanyahu vows to solve housing crisis
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – “The plight is genuine and I embrace the protesters,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday, in light of the growing public protest over the lack of affordable … ….
Yaalon despairs of talks with Turkey
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – Vice premier sees no way forward in relations with Ankara while stance over….
Hackers claim to breach NATO security
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – Computer hackers’ group ‘Anonymous’ says it breached NATO security, accessed….
Border Guard officer jailed over drug offenses
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – Court sentences Aviel Amar to nine months in prison for possession of marijuana,….
Restaurant error leads to woman’s death
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – Efrat Chen just wanted evening out with friends, but restaurant staff’s mistake….
NYC: Parents of slain Hassidic boy set up charity
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – Family of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky, brutally murdered in Jewish neighborhood in….
Iran mulls Russian proposal for nuclear talks
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said to ‘cautiously welcome’ a bid by Moscow to renew….
Ehud Olmert’s angry outburst in court
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – Former prime minister takes a jab at Benjamin Netanyahu during court testimony,….
IDF places anorexic soldier in custody
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – Army arrests female soldier for desertion despite the fact she weighs 34 kilos…..
Report: Rudolph Hess’s gravesite destroyed
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reports that gravesite of Hitler’s right….
Protesting doctors hospitalize selves
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – Residents fight IMA’s agreement with Treasury by creating long ER lines, staging….
Tibi petitions High Court over ‘Nakba deniers’ bill
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – MK demands explanation into Knesset presidium’s decision to dismiss debate on….
Israel urged to stop faking foreign passports
YNet News, 21 Jul 2011 – Various countries send strong message to Israel saying they are aware their….
Palestinian Information Center
Shabak agents kidnap Palestinian prisoner from his jail cell
PIC – Israeli Shabak officers stormed a room for Hamas prisoners in Hadarim jail and kidnapped Akram Jibrin after handcuffing him in front of his jail mates in the first such incident in Israeli jails.
Qassam Brigades fighter dies in tunnel collapse
PIC – A fighter from the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, died on Thursday morning after a tunnel used by Gaza Strip resistance forces collapsed on him.
MB: Open Rafah border without hindrance
PIC – The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has called on the Egyptian foreign ministry to shoulder its responsibilities regarding the Palestinians and open up the Rafah border crossing without hindrance.
IOF soldiers detain 16 Palestinians including Hamas leader, children
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up 16 Palestinians in various West Bank areas at dawn Thursday including Hamas leader and well-known reformist Ghanim Sawalme.
UNRWA headquarters closed off for second day
PIC – Dozens of Palestinian refugees have closed the doors of the UN Relief and Works Agency headquarters in Gaza city and sat in there for the second day to protest the agency’s decline in services.
IPS isolates detained MP Barghouthi
PIC – The Israeli prison administration in Hadarim jail stormed the room of detained Fatah MP Marwan Al-Barghouthi and took him to solitary confinement after claiming he was using a mobile phone.
PA security arrests two Hamas supporters, summons others
PIC – West Bank security agencies have continued to persecute Hamas’s supporters at a time when the political leadership of the Fatah party has issued statements on its commitment to reconciling with Hamas.
Christian Zionists embrace the very people who call Jesus “Hitler of Bethlehem”
PIC – Christian supporters of Israel reassert their nearly hysterical embrace of the Zionist apartheid regime, including the policies of ethnic cleansing of non-Jews (Muslims and Christians).
US Consulate in Jerusalem Honors Palestinian Winner in Singing Competition
WAFA
Al-Quds Index Closes Week at Loss
WAFA
Newspapers Review: Abbas, Europe and the Middle East Conflict Focus of Dailies
WAFA
Israeli Bulldozers Uproot Olive Trees in Jerusalem
WAFA
Israeli Authorities to Demolish Three Palestinian Dwellings
WAFA
Israeli Gunboats Fire at Palestinian Fishing Boats in Gaza
WAFA
Israeli Soldiers Severely Beat Palestinian Worker in Bethlehem
WAFA
Weather Forecast: Hot Weather Continues Today, Tomorrow
WAFA
WILLIAM A. COOK: The Death of Democracy
Intifada-Palestine: 21 Jul 2011 – Palestinians commemorating Nakba (Catastrophe) William A. Cook “The right to freedom of expression is a fundamental one, necessary to protect the exercise of all other human rights in democratic societies because it is essential for holding governments accountable to the public” (… more
Feltman Visits Brandishing the Dahiyeh Doctrine and Neocon “Realities”
Intifada-Palestine: 21 Jul 2011 – Dr. Franklin Lamb Tripoli, Libya Libyan civilians have learned a thing or two from three decades of Lebanon’s experience with Israel’s five wars against that Levant country. Indeed NATO is using the same bombing, media, political and diplomatic strategy in Libya… more
For Libyan rebels, a funeral is no somber event
LA Times 20 Jul 2011 – As 11 fighters are laid to rest in Benghazi, the mourners celebrate their deaths as bringing the country one step closer to life without Kadafi. A long convoy of dust-caked gun trucks descended Wednesday afternoon on downtown Benghazi, horns honking and guns blasting skyward.
Pentagon mulls NATO request for more U.S. drones in Libya campaign
LA Times 21 Jul 2011 – A U.S. official says sending more Predator drones would require moving them from war zones, and counter-terrorism operations elsewhere, and that some U.S. officials and commanders oppose the move. The Obama administration is considering sending more Predator drones and other surveillance planes to bolster the…
Lyrical Message for Syrian Leader: ‘Come on Bashar, Leave’
New York Times 21 Jul 2011 – “Come on Bashar, leave,” is the refrain as Syrians revel in the delights of speaking and singing their minds.
Syrian Forces Crack Down in Restive City With Raids and Gunfire
New York Times 21 Jul 2011 – Syrian security forces tightened their grip on the central city of Homs, firing machine guns randomly and arresting scores of people in house-to-house raids, residents and activists said.
Senior Leader of Yemeni Qaeda Branch Is Said to Be Dead
New York Times 21 Jul 2011 – Government officials in Yemen have reported that a senior leader of the Yemeni-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was killed in fighting in the south of the country.
Egypt Rulers Outline Plan for Elections
New York Times 21 Jul 2011 – Egypt’s interim military rulers established a system for what is promised to be the first free and open elections in the country’s history.
Diplomatic Memo: As U.S. Steps Back, Europe Takes Bigger Role in Mideast Peace Push
New York Times 21 Jul 2011 – With Middle East talks at a standstill, the Obama administration now finds itself on the sidelines, and Europe is emerging as the key diplomatic actor.
Elbit subsidiary wins Boeing contract
Neged Neshek – Elbit Systems subsidiary M7 Aerospace has won a contract from Boeing to supply inboard flap assemblies for the KC-135 Stratotanker. Elbit acquired M7 in December, 2010 through its Elbit Systems of America subsidiary.
Gilat to provide satellite services to Russian ministry
Neged Neshek – Gilat has been selected to provide communication services to Russia’n province Yakutia’s Ministry of Finance. Gilat will provide the SkyEdge II broadband satellite system in collaboration with a local firm. The SkyEdge II is deployed in Texas, Kazakhstan and elsewhere.
Plasan Sasa opens new US facility
Neged Neshek – Kibbutz Sasa based Plasan Sasa is opening a manufacturing facility in Walker, Michigan to manufacture carbon composites. Plasan Sasa – a firm featured in a hideous article from the business website Globes – is a key armor supplier for the US and other militaries and already…
ADS Dominator gets first export contract
Neged Neshek – Aeronautics Defense Systems has signed its first export contract for the Dominator UAV . The Dominator is based off of the Austrian firm Diamond Aviation’s DA42 aircraft. It is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV that competes with General Atomics’ Predator and Israel Aerospace Industries’ Heron, amongst others….
One-state solution (Israeli style): New Knesset bill to extend Israeli law to settler museums
Mondoweiss – Knesset approves first reading of bill to extend Israeli law over West Bank museums Haaretz 20 July — The Knesset passed a preliminary reading on Wednesday of a bill that would extend Israeli law to museums in West Bank settlements. The bill passed by a vote…
Fleitz of Fancy & A New Diehl on Iran: An update on fear-mongering about Iran’s nuclear program
Mondoweiss – It has been nearly seven months since I wrote,” The Phantom Menace: Fantasies, Falsehoods, and Fear-Mongering about Iran’s Nuclear Program ” (posted here on Mondoweiss), atime-line of false U.S., Israeli, and European assertions regarding the supposed inevitability and immediacy of a nuclear-armed Iran,hysterical allegations that have been…
Knesset member Haneen Zoabi ‘democratically’ stripped of parliamentary privileges
Mondoweiss – In May of 2010, the Mavi Marmara sailed from Turkey with the mission of reaching Gaza. Remember? I will not go into details of what may or may not have happened, or what was or was not being transported, aboard that ship and its companions while…
Obama is basing policy on Elliott Abrams’s ideas, not his own –Siegman
Mondoweiss – An excellent point from the great Henry Siegman at Huffington Post . It is about the power of the Israel lobby in American politics, on the Democratic side too. And so the question is: Why is Obama nullifying his own ideas in favor of a Republican neoconservative’s…
Israel Will Apologize to Turkey
Tikun Olam – I must admit that I actually feel a slight twinge of sympathy for poor Yvet Lieberman. He was abandoned by his boss, the prime minister, in today’s Knesset vote rejecting putting human rights NGOs on the hot seat for their work in Israel. The foreign minister…
Taking on TIAA-CREF, with pain and outrage
Mondoweiss – Today in Charlotte, North Carolina, CREF, part of TIAA-CREF (Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America and the College Retirement Equities Fund), a $400 billion finanical services, investment and retirement company, held its annual shareholders’ meeting. The company elected trustees, considered shareholder resolutions and “any other…
Israel rejects Turkish conditions for a resumption of security coordination
Middle East Monitor 21 Jul 2011 – Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon has said that the Turkish government has decided not to resume security coordination with Tel Aviv. Such coordination stopped in mid-2010 following Israel’s assault on the Freedom Flotilla during which nine Turkish peace activists were killed by Israeli forces. The…
Egyptian Armed Forces approve Erdogan visit to Gaza via Rafah
Middle East Monitor 21 Jul 2011 – The Egyptian Supreme Council for the Armed Forces has given official approval to a Turkish request for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to visit the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border gate. According to Egyptian journalist Ibrahim Al Darrawy, who heads the Palestinian Studies Centre, Mr….
Refugees protest outside UNWRA headquarters in Gaza
Middle East Monitor 21 Jul 2011 – EXCLUSIVE PICTURES Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip have continued to stage protests outside the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) in Gaza in response to shortages and a lack of assistance, as well as the agency’s decision “to change its name…
Israeli media warns of escalation in international legal action against senior officials
Middle East Monitor 21 Jul 2011 – Media sources in Israel have warned about the escalation of international legal campaigns to pursue Israeli officers and officials on charges on war crimes against the Palestinian people. According to Channel 10 television, three new lawsuits have been filed recently against senior Israeli officials in the…
New cabinet amid Egypt protests
BBC 21 Jul 2011 – More than a dozen new Egyptian ministers are sworn in, as protesters camped out in Cairo’s Tahrir Square demand more radical reforms.
‘Idiot box’
BBC 21 Jul 2011 – Is Egypt’s state TV still stuck in the past?
Articles
The Beginning of the End for Fateh?
Natalia Simanovsky, Palestine Note7/19/2011
It was announced this week that Fatah suffered heavy losses in the Nablus Chambers of Commerce and Industry elections, with the resounding win going to independents. Independent parties such as Nablus for All, which won 4 seats, and the Independent Party, which won 7 seats, garnered a total of 73 percent of the vote. I usually refrain from making a general conclusion based on a single event, but the recent elections in Nablus give me reason to pause. And it is not just about the elections; rather, my concern (if I may call it that) stems from what has been on the minds and lips of many pundits, Palestinians and commentators for what seems to be a very long time, that is, are we seeing the beginning of the end for Fateh? I have spent nearly one year traveling back and forth from the West Bank and in my journeys I have engaged in countless discussions regarding various political issues, including the political longevity of Palestinian Prime Dr. Salam Fayyad, President Mahmoud Abbas and Fateh. I have spoken to Palestinians of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds and I must admit that I am no closer in answering whether we are going to see the unraveling of Fateh in the near future than when I was studying Palestinian politics in London.
Concern for Fateh’s demise is premised on a number of factors. One such factor relates to transparency, or rather lack thereof. Fateh’s track record is shoddy at best and at worst downright disgraceful. Although let’s not kid ourselves, the corruption that plagued (and perhaps still does plague) Fateh is not unique in any sense of the word. Looking back on hindsight, Hamas’s electoral victory in the 2006 elections was the public’s protest at Fateh’s long-standing political and socio-economic mismanagement. Fast forward to today and we see evidence from all sides that nepotism, corruption and mismanagement are at an all-time low, thanks largely, although not solely, to Fayyad…. more.. e-mail
A Graeco-American opera
Kathy Kelly, Athens, Al-Ahram Weekly7/14/2011
The struggle to free Palestine took on epic dimensions this summer.
It looked like a scene from Verdi: the dashing young troubadour declaiming from a balcony of a palace in Athens, defying the angry gods in the Parthenon above. Stage left, his fellow revolutionaries entered, hung banners and flashed peace signs. Together they sang a rousing chorus, resolutely refusing to end their occupation of the Spanish embassy until their government assured them that their boat “The Guernica” (recalling Pablo Picasso’s 1937 mural excoriating fascism) could sail to relieve the suffering of besieged Gazans.
Like other boats in the “Freedom Flotilla II” aiming to end the naval blockade of Gaza, the Spaniards’ boat was blocked from sailing by bureaucratic measures imposed by the Greek government. This was unacceptable to the activists. On 4 July, the Spanish ambassador to Greece agreed to meet with only four of the Spanish activists, but at a pre-arranged time, one of the four had gone downstairs, opened the door and ushered in 17 others to help them occupy the embassy. Three days later, they issued an eloquent statement explaining why they still refuse to leave. They call for an end to the illegal blockade of Gaza and for immediate release of their boat so that it can soon reach Gazan shores.
I came to Greece as an activist passenger on the United States flotilla boat The Audacity of Hope, also blocked by the Greek government. We tried to escape to international waters but were towed back to dock by heavily-armed boats of the Greek Coast Guard. Referring to the valiantly Spaniards, one of our comrades grumbled, “That’s what your group should be doing.”
He’s right. And yet, crucial and telling differences exist between the Embassy of Spain in Athens, where I counted exactly one security guard nonchalantly keeping watch on the first afternoon of the Spanish activists’ demonstration, and the Embassy of the US in Athens, which takes up about four square blocks of land…. more.. e-mail
No choice but the UN for Palestinians
Lara Friedman, Foreign Policy, Palestine Note7/20/2011
The Palestinian leadership seems determined to bring its case for statehood to the U.N. in September. The details remain unknown, but that hasn’t stopped pundits and groups from staking out hard-line positions opposing the effort. These reactions consist of a lot of hype and some measure of hysteria. It’s time for a dose of clear thinking and common sense. The reality is that some Palestinian initiative is almost certain to come before the U.N. in September. Palestinians have lost faith in the negotiated approach to the peace process, and have settled on this new strategy without asking for American or Israeli approval. Indeed, the hysteria they are provoking only makes the strategy more attractive given their inability to get a meaningful response to anything else they propose.
UN General Assembly
Those who are truly concerned about what that could mean for Israel should be pressing for bold U.S. action to avert a collision at the U.N., rather than simply criticizing the Palestinians and demanding that they desist. The bold action, for example, could be in the form of a serious initiative to re-accredit peace efforts and give the Palestinians a real reason — not just a thin pretext — to change course, or a U.S.-backed initiative to transform the proposed U.N. action on Palestine into something broader, like a Security Council resolution embracing key peace parameters. Absent such an effort, the Palestinians will have a hard time backing off their U.N. strategy, even if they want to.
This should not be taken to mean that there are no reasons for concern. A U.N. resolution won’t resolve the issues of borders, refugees, security and Jerusalem, nor can it end the occupation. It cannot build support on both sides for an acceptable final status agreement. Only negotiations that involve both Israel and the Palestinians can achieve these goals — something that the Palestinian leadership itself has recognized. more.. e-mail
Eyewitness: Golan Heights demonstrators just wanted to return home
Electronic Intifada: 20 Jul 2011 – Adri Nieuwhof The Electronic Intifada The bloodbath in the occupied Golan Heights on Nakba Day could have been worse if it wasn’t for a medical team led by Taiseer Maray.more
gaza reality
In Gaza: 21 Jul 2011 – After reading so many reports (for years) on Gaza’s failing health system and economy, I became a bit numb to the reality of what zero-stock drugs and supplies, and over 45% unemployment of the working age actually means. I know it means people with serious diseases like cancer, diabetes, hypertension, psychological disease, kidney failure… suffer for want of treatment, and that the thousands of new university and college graduates sit jobless, parents sit jobless and line for food aid, families suffer. But the words “shortage” or “suffer” or “crisis” don’t suffice. Nor even the numbers or facts which should shock, especially considering that these are long-term shortages, increasing by the year: -180 of the 480 essential medications at zero -190 of the 700 essential medical disposables at zero -rubber gloves are being re-used, disposable tubes re-sterlized -200 kidney patients waiting to receive dialysis from machines without filters because filters unavailable…more
Ground Your Warplanes, Save the Horn of Africa
Palestine Chronicle: 21 Jul 2011 – By Ramzy Baroud ‘When you are hungry, cold is a killer, and the people here are starving and helpless.’ Not many of us can relate to such a statement, but millions of ‘starving and helpless’ people throughout the Horn of Africa know fully the pain of elderly Somali mother, Batula Moalim. Moalim, quoted by the British Telegraph, was not posing as spokesperson to the estimated 11 million people (per United Nations figures) who are currently in dire need of food. About 440,000 of those affected by the world’s “worst humanitarian disaster” dwell in a state of complete despair in Dadaab, a complex of three camps in Kenya. Imagine the fate of those not lucky enough to reach these camps, people who remain chronically lacking in resources, and, in the case of Somalia, trapped in a civil war. All that Batula Moalim was pleading for was “plastic sheeting for shelter, as…more
Fast Times in Palestine – Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 21 Jul 2011 – By Hatim Kanaaneh (Review of Pamela Olson’s ‘Fast Times in Palestine,’ Mason Hill Press, New York, 2011.) Right after glancing at the first page, I knew I fancied this book and envied its author. For a few years now I have been struggling with the urge to write an account of life in my community that would attract readers not because of its subject matter or politics but because of its style and plot. It would be read for pleasure and inform incidentally. Right away I realized Pamela Olson had done exactly that. The first blurb on the first page said it: “The result is a moving, inspiring account of life in Palestine that’s enormously informative yet reads like a novel.” Yet, as I speed-read through the enchanted account of Olson’s year and a half in Palestine, I realized that my scheme was easier dreamt than implemented: In Ramallah she…more
The Mavi Marmara Will Go Whenever the Palestinians Need It
Dissident Voice: 21 Jul 2011 – In mid June, Bülent Y?ld?r?m, chairman of the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, declared that the Mavi Marmara ship, which was hard hit in the Israeli raid, could not take part in the “Freedom flotilla II” but will “definitely set sail for Gaza when it completes repair and maintenance works.” Was it a realistic decision for the flotilla organizers to set sail without the Mavi Marmara ? Huseyin Oruç, deputy of the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation explains his position in this interview. Silvia Cattori : How many Turks are here in Athens waiting to sail with the “Freedom flotilla”? Huseyin Oruç : We are about twenty people from Turkey ready to participate in the “Freedom flotilla II” in different ships. There are only a few places in the boats. In each boat there is a Turkish participant. We have people in the Canadian boat, the Spanish boat, the French boat, the Greek boat, the International…more
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The New Dark Age 