24 July , 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
UN Delays Publication Of Its Report On Israel’s Attack On Flotilla
IMEMC – Monday July 25, 2011 – 03:48, The United Nations accepted an Israeli request to delay the publication of its report on the Israeli attack on the MV Marmara Turkish ship last year, leading to the death of 9 Turkish peace activists. Israel claims that the request came to allow further Israeli-Turkish talks.
Israel To Construct More Units In Two Settlements In East Jerusalem
IMEMC – Sunday July 24, 2011 – 06:42, Israeli sources reported that the Israeli government intends to construct dozens of units in Jabal Abu Ghneim (Har Homa) and Pisgat Zeev illegal settlements built on Palestinian lands in occupied East Jerusalem.
Rafah crossing reopens after 2-day closure
7/24/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Rafah border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip will reopen Sunday after a two-day closure, crossings director Ayyoub Abu Shaar said. Abu Shaar told Ma’an that patients and people who reside in Egypt would be given priority to leave the Gaza Strip and those who had been….
Army: Projectile lands in Negev
7/24/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A rocket fired from Gaza landed in the Negev desert Sunday afternoon, Israel’s army said after a militant group reportedly claimed responsibility for launching five projectiles….
UNRWA responds to Gaza protests
7/24/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The UN agency for Palestinian refugees was forced to close its offices in Gaza City last week as protesters blockaded its entrances, angry at the slashing of UNRWA’s emergency programs. Demonstrators physically blocked the entrances of the agency’s offices with large vehicles after UNRWA removed tens of….
European parliamentarians to visit Gaza Strip
7/24/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – A high-profile delegation of European parliamentarians is scheduled to arrive Sunday in the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing on Egypt’s border. The Council for European Palestinian Relations said in a statement that members of the European parliament and national parliaments would visit Gaza to raise awareness of….
Iran accuses US, Israel of killing scientist
7/24/2011 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran on Sunday accused arch-foes the United States and Israel of masterminding the assassination of a scientist in Tehran, Dariush Rezaei-Nejad, who was reportedly associated with the defense ministry.” The American-Zionist terrorist act yesterday against one of the country’s scientists is yet another sign of the Americans’ degree of animosity…. Related: Iranian nuclear scientist shot dead
Rising home prices trigger Tel Aviv protests
7/24/2011 – TEL AVIV (AFP) — Tens of thousands of Israelis marched in the coastal city of Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest against rising housing prices and social inequalities, an AFP correspondent said. Brandishing banners and slogans which read “We want justice, not charity” and “When the government is against the people, the people are against the….
Iranian nuclear scientist shot dead
7/24/2011 – TEHRAN (AFP) — A nuclear scientist was shot dead on Saturday by unknown assailants on a motorcycle, the latest expert with links to Iran’s controversial atomic program to be targeted, local media reported.” A physics professor and nuclear scientist was assassinated a few hours ago in front of his house in Tehran,” Mehr news…. Related: Iran accuses US, Israel of killing scientist
Barak: Focus on Europe to stop UN bid
7/24/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Sunday that Israel must exert all efforts to avoid a confrontation with the Palestinian Authority over its plan to seek recognition at the United Nations in September. Barak told Israel’s Army Radio that his government’s main concern was to mobilize European….
Israeli musicians in row over Wagner performance
7/24/2011 – BERLIN (AFP) — The Israel Chamber Orchestra, set to perform in Bayreuth on Tuesday a work by Richard Wagner, the composer revered by the Nazis, are not on a “political mission,” director Roberto Paternostro said. The ensemble will play the Bavarian town in a performance coinciding with the popular Bayreuth Festival celebrating Wagner’s music….
Gaza student killed by celebratory gunfire
7/24/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A student was accidentally shot dead Sunday by her brother while celebrating her success in passing the Tawjihi high school exit exams, police said. Fatima Al-Masdar was killed by a stray bullet during celebratory gunfire to mark the release of Tawjihi results in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Al-Masdar….
Hamas condemns Norway attacks
7/24/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas on Saturday condemned the attacks in Norway that killed over 90 people, a statement posted on a website affiliated with the Islamist movement said.” Hamas is saddened by the terrible attacks which occurred in Norway,” the statement said.” We. . . denounce these heinous crimes and express our full solidarity with the….
PA and Britain sign $2 million deal for public sector
7/24/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority and Britain signed Sunday an agreement to support reforming and developing the Palestinian public sector, bringing $2 million of aid in the coming three years….
Israel approves new Eilat international airport
7/24/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel’s cabinet on Sunday approved plans for a new international airport near the southern resort town of Eilat, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Speaking ahead of his weekly cabinet meeting, in which the airport project was approved, Netanyahu said the airport would be located in Timna, northeast of Eilat, in….
Haniyeh honors top Tawjihi scorers
7/24/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday honored 10 students who received the top scores in the annual Tawjihi high school exam, and offered them scholarships. The scholarships will apply to students who choose to study inside the country or abroad, he said. In Ramallah, meanwhile, the undersecretary of….
Bloody clashes in Egypt despite democracy pledge
7/24/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Bloody clashes erupted in Cairo between protesters demanding political change and loyalists of the ruling military council, hours after the military ruler pledged democracy. Riot police fired tear gas at protesters who were being pelted with rocks and bottles by loyalists in the Abasseya district Saturday near the headquarters of the Supreme Council….
Syria tightens screws on Homs, Assad sacks governor
7/24/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — The Syrian army consolidated its grip on the hotbed city of Homs on Sunday, activists said, as embattled President Bashar al-Assad sacked the governor of a flashpoint province 48 hours after massive anti-regime protests. Security forces also rounded up hundreds of civilians in Damascus and made a spate of arrests in the town….
Norway attacks suspect to appear in court
AlJazeera 24 Jul 2011 – Confessed Norwegian shooter Anders Breivik will attend hearing after 93 killed in bomb blast and youth camp massacre.
Egypt to hold parliamentary vote in November
AlJazeera 24 Jul 2011 – Chief of the election commission says the voting for both houses of the parliament will take place simultaneously.
Deadly car bomb in south Yemen port of Aden
AlJazeera 24 Jul 2011 – At least four people killed and 21 injured after a car bomb explodes outside a military facility in southern city.
Panel probes Bahrain protest crackdown
AlJazeera 24 Jul 2011 – Fact-finding mission, appointed by the king, begins inquiry into the crackdown that left more than 30 people dead.
Iran denies attack targeted nuclear scientist
AlJazeera 24 Jul 2011 – State television says Dariush Rezainejad, killed in front of his home in Tehran, was masters student in electronics.
Israeli protesters march over housing costs
AlJazeera 24 Jul 2011 – Tens of thousands of demonstrators rally in Tel Aviv to protest against rising housing prices and social inequalities.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
A Girl and a Child Killed and 11 Others Injured Due to Misuse of Weapons
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Sunday, 24 July 2011
PCHR Testifies Before UN Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs in the Occupied Territories
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Sunday, 24 July 2011
PCHR Testifies Before UN Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs in the Occupied Territories
Relief Web 24 Jul 2011 – Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory Ref: 71/2011 PCHR Testifies Before UN Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs in the Occupied Territories On Friday, 22 July…
Israel declares Irraq Burin closed military zone
24 Jul 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli soldiers yesterday fired rubber bullets and tear gas at Palestinian protestors in Irraq Burin, a village in the south west of Nablus, causing several suffocation cases.
Tunisia’s new freedoms don’t apply to all
The National 23 Jul 2011 – The revolution in Tunisia brought free speech, but Samir Feriani is in jail for something he said, said Samir Ben Amor, one of his lawyers.
Captive hearts fly free with kites in Jerusalem’s Old City
The National 23 Jul 2011 – For the Palestinian youth, space restrictions and a municipal preference for spending money on recreation in Jewish areas mean the only way is up.
Israel looking into calling off Oslo Accords in response to Palestinian UN bid
Ha’aretz – Prime Minister’s Bureau confirmed that the National Security Council is discussing alternatives ahead of September, and would present them to the political echelon for a decision when it is done.
Shalit organizer: Netanyahu’s bureau trying to quash support for prisoner exchange deal
Ha’aretz – A letter sent to campaign activists noted the underwhelming response to a petition circulated among Knesset members calling for an exchange deal.
‘Arab Spring allows Palestinians to ramp up weapons smuggling into Gaza’
Ha’aretz – In the past months, Hamas has acquired improved rockets, ready-made explosive devices, anti-tank missiles and possibly anti-aircraft missiles.
Former Prime Minister Olmert gives final testimony in corruption trial
Ha’aretz – Olmert’s responses were an example of the way in which he dealt with embarassing questions from the judges and prosecution throughout the proceedings.
Did the German intelligence service protect the world’s most-wanted Nazi criminal?
Ha’aretz – Report claims German intelligence destroyed file of Nazi criminal, tried to recruit him into its ranks.
Israeli orchestra makes musical history by playing Wagner piece in Germany
Ha’aretz – The heads of the ensemble decided not to rehearse the piece in Israel, out of consideration for the public dispute over performing Wagner’s work in the country.
Jesus’ baptismal site in Jordan Valley reopens to pilgrims
Ha’aretz – Jordan Valley’s Qasr al-Yahud had essentially been closed for 44 years.
Activists report general strike in Syria towns
Ha’aretz – Syrian presidential adviser says that ‘map of reforms’ will make Syria a country of political pluralism.
Egypt military leader: We will respect all previously signed agreements
Ha’aretz – Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi says Egypt will keep working to achieve a stable and sustainable peace in the Middle East; vows to strengthen ties with all Arab states.
France to buy Israeli-made drones, 42 years after it banned weapons sales to Israel
Ha’aretz – Israel’s Aerospace Industry will sell France its largest and most sophisticated drone, the Eitan, four decades after President Charles de Gaulle placed a weapons embargo on Israel.
Iran: Murder of nuclear scientist is Israeli-American ‘act of terror’
Ha’aretz – Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says assassination of physics professor at his Tehran home on Saturday may have consequences.
Some 1,000 in Jerusalem block entrance to Knesset to protest housing crisis
Ha’aretz – Jerusalem demonstration comes after first major protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday; protesters move their ‘tent city’ to face Knesset building.
Israel seeks to strip convicted terrorists’ families of state allowances
Ha’aretz – Bill part of the ‘citizenship and loyalty’ initiative by Yisrael Beiteinu party; proposed law aims to revoke pension, welfare of families of Israeli citizens convicted of terror against the State of Israel.
Israel to build second international airport north of Eilat
Ha’aretz – New airport expected to ‘promote the economic progress of the city by freeing up land for tourism, commerce and housing.’
Obama, lawmakers seek to salvage U.S. debt deal
Ha’aretz – Obama, a Democrat, holds talks with House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner and other congressional leaders for 50 minutes.
Trustbuster: Cut credit card fees immediately
Ha’aretz – Fees should be cut by 10%, according to recommendations submitted by the Antitrust Authority over the weekend to the antitrust tribunal; reduction would amount to NIS 200 million a year.
Atias blames mayors, treasury in housing crisis
Ha’aretz – The mayors want to build large homes to attract well-off populations, and not young families, says Housing and Construction Minister Ariel Atias.
Netanyahu scolds Likud ministers: Give me ideas to solve housing crisis in Israel
Ha’aretz – At a cabinet meeting Sunday, PM demands Likud ministers ‘share the weight’ of the crisis, says he had been aware of the housing problem for years.
Netanyahu: I have been aware of Israel’s housing crisis for years
Ha’aretz – Prime Minister tells cabinet meeting he is working to fix ‘distorted reality’ with goal of providing affordable housing for students, young couples.
Israeli police arrest dozens following Tel Aviv housing protest
Ha’aretz – Tens of thousands march in central Tel Aviv, calling on government to find a solution to the housing shortage and high rent prices.
Excavations done at former Israelite capital Shechem
Jerusalem Post 25 Jul 2011 – Palestinian authorities say archeological park at Tel Balata set to open next year.
Coalition backs bill to help Grunis lead High Court
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Ministerial C’tee on Legislations approves bill to reduce term a Supreme Court president can serve.
High Court hears challenge to disengagement pardons
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Law pardons arrested, charged protesters in 2005 disengagement; Petitioners say measure discriminates against Arabs.
Cabinet okays new Eilat airport
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Shalom said the building of an additional airport at Timna was important, but was not an alternative to Ben-Gurion.
Students burst into Knesset c’tee to protest housing prices
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Group of 15 says Finance C’tee discussion “irrelevant to renters’ troubles,” threaten “what happened in Greece will happen in Israel.”
PA leadership rallying support for UN bid
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Erekat says he doesn’t know when the PA request will be submitted to the UN, there is no deadline for filing such a request.
Over 140 hurt as Egyptians rally against military rulers
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Thousands march to Defense Ministry calling for reforms and chanting ‚Äòpeaceful, peaceful.’
Migron outpost gets last minute reprieve
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – State asks for a 30-day delay in the demolition of three homes Sasson Report determined were built on private Palestinian land.
Over 4,000 ultra-Orthodox flock to J’lem employment fair
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Event organizer: “We had no idea so many people would show up for this.”
Candidly Speaking: Obama and the Jewish vote
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – New polling on American Jewish attitudes towards the US president shatters conceptions of automatic Liberal support.
The Region: The nightmare of international guarantees
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – History has taught us that on security matters we can only trust ourselves.
Israel’s epic chess game
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – The Palestinians are about to make a fatal error. Israel must not hesitate to declare “checkmate.”
Fueling Israel’s future
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – In light of recent gas finds, the country must navigate its energy policy wisely.
The summer of our discontent
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – The Israeli media have been a driving force in fueling recent protests.
On new riches, tents and trickle-down behaviorism
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – The government’s quick-fix solutions won’t solve the economy’s deeply rooted problems.
Norway’s challenge
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Europe’s fringe right-wing extremists present a real danger to society. But Oslo’s devastating tragedy should not be allowed to be manipulated by those who would cover up the abject failure of multiculturalism.
Israel Orchestra confronts taboo at Wagner shrine
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Performance will be first Israeli group to play Wagner in Germany; conductor says it’s time to separate Wagner’s music from his worldview.
UN flotilla report to be delayed until late August
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Release of Palmer report intended to give Israel and Turkey time to formulate an agreement both sides find acceptable.
1,000 demonstrate for affordable housing in Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Following massive rally against high rent prices in Tel Aviv; tent city moves from next to Old City to Knesset to downtown Jerusalem.
1,000 demonstrate for affordable housing at Knesset
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – PM says planning c’tees are among most cumbersome in world, need to be reformed; Steinitz: Housing prices likely to drop by end of year.
Jewish groups provide aid for E. African drought crisis
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Israeli and Jewish humanitarian aid organizations pitch in as 11.3 million people across East Africa in need of emergency food.
Wining and dining with a view
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – The Pontifical Institute Notre Dame is no longer just a destination for its guests, but now a stop for wine and cheese enthusiasts thanks to a new rooftop restaurant.
‘Norway attack suspect aired anti-Muslim, pro-Israel views’
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – 1,500 page manifesto credited to Anders Behring Breivik, accused of killing spree, lays out worldview including extreme screed of Islamophobia, far-right Zionism, and venomous attacks on Marxism and multiculturalism.
Olmert testifies for the last time in corruption trial
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Former prime minister spars verbally with state attorney Korb as he continues to deny corruption allegations against him.
Ramadan may hold the key to the Arab Spring
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Most observers of Arab politics are betting that the special practices of Ramadan are likely to stir the pot – but only after dark.
Peres calls Norway’s King; PM: Israel can empathize
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Netanyahu releases statement saying Israel identifies with the disaster, is in shock after Norway terror attack leaves at least 98 dead.
Court orders release of 8 arrested in TA housing rally
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – All but one are released on conditions, including a one-week ban from entering “Tent City” protest camp; police had sought remand extension.
Czechs, Italy pull out of Durban III. Where are others?
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – The admirable decision not to participate in the upcoming UN “anti-racism” extravaganza should serve as a wake-up call for other democracies.
Poverty is not restricted to the unemployed, study says
Jerusalem Post 24 Jul 2011 – Taub Center study: 14% of Israelis are “working poor”; “people protesting about housing prices are not same people below poverty line.”
Israeli orchestra to perform Wagner in Germany at Bayreuth opera festival
The Guardian 24 Jul 2011 – Israel Chamber Orchestra will play Siegfried Idyll, challenging seven-decade taboo surrounding composer’s antisemitic links The Israel Chamber Orchestra will play a work by Richard Wagner, Hitler’s favourite composer, in Germany on Tuesday, challenging a seven-decade taboo….
Gaza fishermen swamped by Israeli gunboats and water cannon
The Guardian 24 Jul 2011 – Harriet Sherwood watches the Israeli navy force back Palestinians who dispute ‘security’ fishing limit Hani al-Asi, a fisherman since the age of 11 and a father with 12 mouths to feed, had just begun throwing his…
Gaza fishermen: ‘They will fire bullets and shoot water at me’ – video
The Guardian 24 Jul 2011 – Our reporters experience first hand Israeli efforts to intimidate Gaza fishermen and keep their fishing trips ever closer to shore Harriet Sherwood Mat Heywood
Uruknet
The free citizens of Homs will not abandon the blood of the martyrs and the rights of the Syrian people
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – Interior Minister and Hisham Bakhtiar head of National Security arrived to the city of Homs and are currently staying at Safir Homs hotel … There is information that the Prime minister and political leaders of Homs may join them. They intend to invite scientists, political and economic figures, city notable and the activists of the…
A Link to the Murdoch Scandal? Under the Radar Firm Sells Phone Tracking Tools to Police, Intelligence Agencies
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – Following revelations earlier this year by The Tech Herald that security firms with close ties to the Pentagon ran black ops for major U.S. banks and corporations, it became clear that proprietary software developed for the military and U.S. intelligence was being used to target Americans. Those firms, including now-defunct HBGary Federal, parent company…
Libya: NATO Strikes Civilian Spots
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – Foreign media in Libya has shown what the government said were the sites of a number of NATO air strikes on civilian targets. Journalists were taken to Zlitan, while air strikes were ongoing. A number of loud explosions and smoke rose on the horizon from several miles away. In Zlitan Hospital male patients in…
Iran, Syria and Iraq to sign biggest gas transfer deal to Europe
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – Iran, Syria and Iraq are going to sign the biggest deal for transfer of Iran’s gas to Europe on Monday. Iranian Oil Ministry Caretaker Mohammad Aliabadi as well as oil ministers of Iraq and Syria would join the ceremony and choose name of the pipeline in Assaluyeh, southern Iran, said the Chief Executive of…
International community to Gaza’s kids: You can’t be free, but you can be in the Guinness Book of World Records
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – The children of Gaza are on a roll, as far as the Guiness Book of World Records goes. A few days ago, as part of the fifth annual Summer Games organized by UNRWA, 5,922 Gaza kids set a world record for creating the largest-ever hand painting – a 5,620-square-metre mosaic of handprints. Last week…
Israel To Construct More Units In Two Settlements In East Jerusalem
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – Israeli sources reported that the Israeli government intends to construct dozens of units in Jabal Abu Ghneim (Har Homa) and Pisgat Zeev illegal settlements built on Palestinian lands in occupied East Jerusalem. The first project includes the construction of nearly 97 units in Abu Ghneim with a total cost of 130 Million Shekels. It…
Hellhole: The Most Devastating Article About Long-Term Solitary Confinement in US Prisons, and Why It Is Torture
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – With contested claims that the three-week long hunger strike in California’s prisons has come to an end (as I discussed in a recent article, The California Prison Hunger Strike Opposing Solitary Confinement as Torture – and the Insulting Response of Prison Officials), the horrendous human rights abuses in America’s prisons may once more slip…
Libya: NATO war crimes – Taking action
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – I hereby present evidence of NATO war crimes in Libya against international legally binding agreements, presenting the facts and allegations open for investigation by the competent bodies; in the name of humanity I request those with powers to take this one stage further, confirming that Humankind has reached an acceptable level of civilization. I…
Iranian Detention of US Activist, Journalist Nears Two-Year Mark
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – July 31st marks exactly two years since Iranian authorities seized three Americans – Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd, and Josh Fattal – in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan and falsely accused them of espionage on behalf of the US government. All three are progressive, anti-imperialist activists, which not only makes the charges against them particularly…
Gaza: the grades
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – For the past week students have been counting the days until their high school exam results are released. Tawjihi, the last year of high school, is notoriously difficult in Palestine, and many students feel that this year was among the more difficult tests. Some here feel that the reason the test has become more…
Still blaming Muslims
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – …However, if you want to understand the attitude of the punditocracy to fascist terrorism, consider the query put by BBC News to the former Norwegian Prime Minister yesterday: “Do you think not enough attention was paid to those unhappy re immigration?” Or, consider this New York Times article blaming the failure of multiculturalism. Or,…
Cairo: Anti-SCAF march attacked
Uruknet Julu 24, 2011 – The planned 23 July march on SCAF headquarters in Heliopolis started from Tahrir sometime close 5pm. The march was initially around five thousand strong, but soon swelled to more than 20,000 protesters. I’m giving here the most conservative estimate; some friends think the numbers went up to 50,000. Where did those people come from?…
The Declaration of Yarmouk Camp Free Men
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – We demand freedom for all our Palestinian detainees in the Syrian regime prisons. Starting off with the violent security campaign which affected the people of Yarmouk Camp, south of the capital, Damascus and which resulted in the arrest of a group of Palestinians on Tuesday night of 2011-7-19. That is after their clear stand…
Captive hearts fly free with kites in Jerusalem’s Old City
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – At dusk, the skies over the city’s ancient and congested heart erupt into a frenzy of activity. That is when the Palestinian youth of Jerusalem’s Old City congregate near Damascus Gate or climb on to the roofs of their clustered homes with plastic kites. For the casual observer, it is a spectacle of brilliantly…
Syria tightens screws on Homs, Assad sacks governor
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – The Syrian army consolidated its grip on the hotbed city of Homs on Sunday, activists said, as embattled President Bashar al-Assad sacked the governor of a flashpoint province 48 hours after massive anti-government protests. Security forces also rounded up hundreds of civilians in Damascus and made a spate of arrests in the town of…
Gaza fishermen swamped by Israeli gunboats and water cannon
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – Hani al-Asi, a fisherman since the age of 11 and a father with 12 mouths to feed, had just begun throwing his lines into the Mediterranean when an Israeli gunboat sped towards his traditional hasaka. With a machine gun mounted at the rear and half a dozen armed soldiers on the bridge, the navy…
RAPE of LIBYA : GREAT MAN MADE RIVER reason for NATO attack
Uruknet July 24, 2011 – BREAKING NEWS- IMPORTANT- NATO are targeting the pipe factory of the Great Man Made River in the city of Brega, where pipes are manufactured to compensate for damaged pipes of the river, THE ONLY SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER and irrigation for 4.5 MILLION the people of Libya!!! IMMINENT HUMANITARIAN DISASTER!!…. A unique Libyan project,…
Military Resistance 9G17: Soldiers Defy a Dictator
Uruknet EIGHTEEN DAYS into a hunger strike that began on July 1, prisoners in the SecurityHousing Unit (SHU) at Pelican Bay State Prison and elsewhere in California are putting their lives on the line to protest cruel prison conditions. On July 1, some 400 residents of Pelican Bay State Prison’s SHU began an indefinite hunger strike to draw attention…
NATO ties with Libyan Islamic Fighting GroupExiled Islamists Watch Rebellion Unfold at Home .
Uruknet July 23, 2011 – The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group was formed in 1995 with the goal of ousting Colonel Qaddafi. Driven into the mountains or exile by Libyan security forces, the group’s members were among the first to join the fight against Qaddafi security forces, although the new transitional leadership has sought to distance itself from the fighters…
Nepotism in hiring and US combat operations continue in Iraq
Uruknet July 23, 2011 – Dar Addustour reports on the way important, high-paying jobs are parceled out in Iraq: Nepotism. So being Moqtada al-Sadr’s cousin, for example, translates into a job as an MP (Jaafar Mohammed Baqir al-Sadr has since resigned fromthe Parliament). Tareq al-Hashemi (Iraq’s Sunni vice president) ensures that his nephew (Asad al-Hashemi) is employed. Nouri al-Maliki’s…
IDF Shoots Live Ammunition at ISM Activists at Sea
Uruknet July 23, 2011 – On Saturday the ISM crew for CPS Gaza rode out on the trawler that rescued us during the second attack on the Oliva on Thursday, July 14th. As I mentioned before, the Oliva project is currently on an indefinite hiatus. Nils, Joe and I went to the port at 7:10 am and we rode…
NATO airstrikes pound Tripoli military command control site
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Explosions rocked central Tripoli for the second night in a row Sunday and Britain said weeks of NATO bombardment had inflicted extensive damage on Moammar Gadhafi’s heavily fortified compound.
Syria sacks governor after mass protest in Homs
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 The Syrian army consolidated its grip on the hotbed city of Homs Sunday, activists said, as embattled President Bashar Assad sacked the governor of a flashpoint province 48 hours after massive anti-regime protests.
Hariri: Hezbollah promoting campaign against my family
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri has accused Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah of sponsoring what he called hatred media campaigns against the Hariri family…
Karami hails resistance during Bint Jbeil event
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Sports and Youth Minister Faisal Karami said Sunday that had it not been for Hezbollah’s resistance against the Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory, Israel would have plundered Lebanon’s offshore oil and gas reserves years ago.
Mansour sends letter of support to Norway PM
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour sent a message to Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg Sunday condemning the attacks that left 93 people dead.
Lebanon submits request to extend UNIFIL mission
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Lebanon submitted a request to extend the mandate of UNIFIL forces for a year to U.N. Secretary General Bank Ki-moon, sources told The Daily Star Sunday.
Hezbollah: War victims shouldsue state officials
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Victims of the July 2006 war with Israel should file lawsuits against Lebanese officials and Western governments for assisting the Jewish state during the conflict, Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Nawaf Mousawi said Sunday.
National dialogue in the making
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 With most politicians on vacation outside of Lebanon, there has been little recent development in the political arena and attention is now focused on the Cabinet session Aug. 2, which will see a new round of…
Fadlallah says Israel sole foe of Lebanon’s Shiites and Sunnis
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 The son of the late Shiite preacher Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah told a delegation from the Future Movement Sunday that Sunnis and Shiites had no enemy other than Israel, adding that dialogue was the only recourse…
Pro- and anti-Assad demonstrators clash in Bir Hassan
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Clashes erupted Sunday between about 200 pro- and anti-Syrian protesters in the Beirut neighborhood of Bir Hassan, after 2,000 people rallied in Hamra in a peaceful demonstration in support of the government in Damascus.
Jumblatt: Some in Syria impeding reform
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt said Sunday that some members of the Syrian regime were not interested in making good on the promises of reform made by President Bashar Assad…
Mystery surrounds murder of Iranian academic
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Iran Sunday accused the United States and Israel of masterminding the assassination of an academic in Tehran, Dariush Rezaei-Nejad.
Manama panel to investigate security role in protests
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 A commission tasked by Bahrain to investigate weeks of protests that rocked the Gulf island kingdom said Sunday it would look at the role of the security forces in the unrest and examine charges of torture.
Abbas says Israeli settlements forced U.N. statehood bid
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Palestinians’ bid for membership at the United Nations was forced upon them by Israel’s refusal to halt settlement building and end its occupation.
Israeli MPs divided over flotilla apology
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday he would not quit the coalition government if it decides to apologize to Turkey for the killing of pro-Palestinian Turks on board an activist ship last year.
Riyadh denies deploying fresh troops to Bahrain
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Saudi Arabia has been rotating some of its troops in Bahrain, the Bahraini state news agency BNA said Saturday, following reports more Saudi troops may have been sent to quell unrest in the Gulf island state.
PKK rebels kill 3 Turkish soldiers in ambush as tensions escalate
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Kurdish rebels shot dead three Turkish soldiers in an ambush late Saturday night in the south eastern province of Mardin, security sources said Sunday.
Cairo sit-in continues after bloody clashes
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Hundreds of protesters were still camped out in Cairo’s Tahrir Square Sunday following a night of bloody clashes with rival demonstrators loyal to the ruling military council.
Suicide bomber kills 9 soldiers in Yemen’s Aden province
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 A suicide bomber Sunday detonated a truck packed with explosives at an army camp in Aden, killing nine soldiers, a military source said, amid raging battles between troops and Islamist militants.
Iraq security says Al-Qaeda cell dismantled
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Iraqi security forces have smashed an Al-Qaeda network allegedly responsible for more than 100 killings in Baghdad, an anti-terrorism official said Sunday.
Lebanon requests extension of UNIFIL mandate
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Lebanon submits request to U.N. to extend mandate of UNIFIL forces for a year, sources say Sunday.
Syria tightens screws on Homs, Assad sacks governor
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Syrian army consolidates its grip on the hotbed city of Homs, according to activists, as embattled President Bashar al-Assad sacks the governor of a flashpoint province 48 hours after massive anti-government protests.
Documents burned during break-in at Akkar municipality
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Unidentified individuals break into the municipality building in Akkar’s Al Bayra village and set fire to a number of municipality documents, the National News Agency reports.
Syrian army locks down Homs amid Damascus arrests
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Syrian army takes control of several neighborhoods in Homs, the scene of deadly violence last week, while security forces conduct a spate of arrests in Damascus, activists say.
Victims of 2006 war should sue Lebanese officials: Hezbollah
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc MP Nawaf Mousawi says victims should file lawsuits in Lebanese courts and international courts against Lebanese officials and Western governments who worked against the country.
Iran blamed U.S., Israel for killing of scientist
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Darioush Rezaie, 35, a university lecturer, was shot dead by gunmen in eastern Tehran on Saturday.
Egypt protesters dejected, but still out for change
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Hundreds of protesters were still camped out in Cairo’s Tahrir Square Sunday following a night of bloody clashes with rival demonstrators loyal to the ruling military council.
Lebanon cannot survive without Hezbollah: Aoun
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Free Patriotic Movement leader says Lebanon’s future is closely tied to the permanence of the resistance, given that Israel did not wish to achieve peace.
Tripoli bombed, Gadhafi lashes ‘colonial plot’
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 NATO warplanes blitz a string of military targets in Tripoli, as the embattled Libyan leader blames a “colonial plot” for the conflict engulfing his country.
Suicide bomber in pickup kills 7 in Yemen: officials
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Suicide bomber driving a pickup truck kills seven people and wounds 18 others when his payload detonates at a military camp in Yemen’s main southern city of Aden.
Lebanon condemns Norway attack
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour sends message to Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg Sunday condemning the attacks that left 92 people dead.
Lebanon improves on failed state score
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Lebanon ranks as 43rd most failed state, fifth in MENA region, down from last year’s position at 34, according to Failed States Index.
Fresh blasts in Tripoli after NATO airstrikes
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Fresh explosions rock Tripoli and its suburbs early Sunday after NATO said its warplanes had hit a military command center in the Libyan capital.
Embattled Gadhafi heaps praise on ailing Mubarak
Daily Star 24 Jul 2011 Libyan leader heaps praise on toppled Egyptian leader, describing him as “poor and modest” and saying he deserves honor rather than humiliation.
Charbel to keep ISF from engaging in politics
Daily Star 23 Jul 2011 Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said Sunday he will keep the Internal Security Forces away from politics.
Semiweekly Cabinet talks needed: SSNP
Daily Star 23 Jul 2011 Asaad Hardan, the head of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, called for devoting a weekly Cabinet session to discussions on the socioeconomic situation in the country.
Russian journalist seeks asylum in Israel
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – Russian journalist Sergey Kuznecov has applied for political asylum in Israel, saying that should he return to his hometown of Yekaterinburg, his life will be in danger. … ….
‘West’s involvement in hit on scientist uncertain’
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – Iran’s Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi said Sunday that Darioush Rezaie, who was the target of an assassination in Tehran Saturday, was not connected to Iran’s … ….
Sheikh Salah turns artist?
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – The leader of the Islamic Movement’s Northern Branch, Sheikh Raed Salah who was recently released from a London prison, has managed to call attention not only to his … ….
Housing crisis protesters march on Knesset
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – Following the recent success of the Tel Aviv protests against housing prices, the “tent protest” has reached Jerusalem, as sources say a thousand people marched towards … ….
Barak seeks to delay Migron razing
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are expected to ask the High Court to postpone the demolition of three permanent structures at the … ….
Watch: Oslo gunman’s video manifesto
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – The 1,500-page manifesto published online by Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian arrested for the killing of at least 93 people in the double terror attack which took … ….
Release of Palmer report postponed
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – Jerusalem sources told Ynet Sunday that the Release of the UN’s Palmer report, probing the raid on the first Gaza flotilla, has been postponed to mid-august. The … ….
PM admits: Apartments too expensive
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – Netanyahu tries to pacify public after housing protest by promising reform in….
Bill revoking terrorists’ benefits gets thumbs up
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – Ministerial Legislation Committee backs Yisrael Beiteinu bill suggesting….
Arab world outraged by Norway attack allegations
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – Prior to killer’s apprehension, local, international media blamed Islamists for….
Report: UN panel rules IDF boarded Marmara ‘to kill’
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – UN commission to publish findings on IDF raid on Turkish flotilla vessel,….
Lieberman: No reason to apologize to Turkey
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – Cabinet ministers set to discuss last year’s flotilla raid before UN committee….
Iran blames US, Israel for killing of scientist
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – Parliament speaker says ‘terrorist US-Israeli action’ is another example of….
Norway gunman says acted alone
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – Police say Anders Behring Breivik admitted to both bombing and shooting, but not….
Norway youths discussed Palestine prior to attack
YNet News, 24 Jul 2011 – Forty-eight hours before Friday massacre, teens participating in ruling party….
Palestinian Information Center
Gaza Foreign Minister says concerned UN statehood bid is ‘media stunt’
PIC – Dr. Mohammed Awad, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Gaza, has expressed concerns that PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s statehood bid with the UN is no more than a media stunt.
Health ministry: The crisis of medicines is still ongoing in Gaza
PIC – The Palestinian ministry of health said the crisis of medicines is still ongoing in the Gaza Strip and condemned the unconstitutional government in Ramallah city for contributing to this crisis.
Committee of political detainees holds Abbas responsible for prisoner’s life
PIC – The family committee of political detainees in the West Bank held Mahmoud Abbas fully responsible for the life of hunger striker Mohamed Al-Aruri, 24, after his health deteriorated very badly.
Israeli Knesset passes record number of racist laws
PIC – The preliminary reading passage of a bill placing West Bank museums under Israel law would not be the last racist law passed by the Knesset.
Lieberman: My gov’t will not apologize to Turkey
PIC – Israel’s foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman renewed his government’s insistence on not apologizing to Turkey over the killing of nine Turkish aid activists last year.
IOF armored vehicles roll into central Gaza
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in armored vehicles raided the central Gaza Strip near Breij refugee camp on Sunday morning and bulldozed cultivated land lots, local sources said.
UFree: Israel and its supporters are the real source of terrorism
PIC – The European network for the defense of Palestinian prisoners’ rights (UFree) strongly denounced the terrorist attacks in Norway and accused Israel of being behind what happened on Friday.
European parliamentarians land in Gaza Strip for visit
PIC – A high-profile delegation of European parliamentarians has landed in the Gaza Strip on Sunday on a visit set to last several days.
Independents call for urgent implementation of unity deal
PIC – The leadership of the Consortium of Independent Palestinians has called for urgent implementation of the Palestinian unity deal as the Palestinians face major challenges.
Israeli court extends prison period of longest held administrative detainee
PIC – The Israeli Ofer military tribunal has extended the period of administrative detention of one of the longest held Palestinian administrative detainees in Israeli prisons.
Palestinian businessmen ask for European pressure to end Gaza siege
PIC – 24/07/2011 – 07:46 AM
Erdogan: No normalization without Israel’s apology, lift of Gaza siege
PIC – 24/07/2011 – 08:10 AM
Popular committee for refugees suspends UNRWA protests
PIC – 24/07/2011 – 08:56 AM
Palestinian prisoner deprived of necessary operation
PIC – 24/07/2011 – 09:16 AM
Hamas slams terrorist attacks in Norway
PIC – 24/07/2011 – 09:20 AM
Violent confrontations after IOF storms Doheisha refugee camp
PIC – 24/07/2011 – 10:00 AM
Peru, Ecuador to Vote for Palestinian Membership in UN
WAFA
Palestinian Prisoner Dies Seven Months After his Release
WAFA
Abbas Meets Erdogan in Istanbul
WAFA
Captured Kadafi soldiers tell rebels they have doubts
LA Times 23 Jul 2011 – Some Libyan government troops say they have no choice but to fight. Many are certain they are battling foreign extremists seeking to take over Libya. Moammar Kadafi’s frontline soldiers are well-fed and well-supplied, even down to the occasional single-serving bottle of Jim Beam.
March Against Egypt’s Military Collapses Into Violence
New York Times 24 Jul 2011 – The first major protest aimed squarely at Egypt’s transitional military rulers ended Saturday night in violent clashes with neighborhood youths.
Bomber Hits Convoy at Port City in Yemen
New York Times 24 Jul 2011 – A suicide bomber killed at least six soldiers and wounded more than a dozen others in the port city of Aden, a government spokesman said.
Iranian Scientist Gunned Down at Home
New York Times 24 Jul 2011 – A man was killed in what some Iranian officials believe is an assassination campaign against the nuclear program.
Breivik manifesto outlines virulent right-wing ideology that fueled Norway massacre
Mondoweiss – A detailed manifesto reportedly written by the alleged perpetrator behind the Norway massacre was posted on the web yesterday by an American blogger . Titled “2083: A European Declaration of Independence,” it sheds significant light on the virulent and extreme right-wing, anti-Islam and anti-immigrant ideology which…
International community to Gaza’s kids: You can’t be free, but you can be in the Guinness Book of World Records
Mondoweiss – Part of record-setting canvas created by Gaza children. Credit: UN News Service The children of Gaza are on a roll, as far as the Guiness Book of World Records goes. A few days ago, as part of the fifth annual Summer Games organized by UNRWA, 5,922…
US is walking back Obama’s ‘1967’ line
Mondoweiss – Daniel Levy at Foreign Policy reports on a US draft statement on Palestine for the Quartet (EU, UN, US, and Russia) that the other members of the Quartet rejected earlier this month. Levy says the US was pulling a “fast one” by using the statement to…
Liberal Jewish media moralists could do more home cookin
Mondoweiss – Yesterday I was driving (to Cape Cod, for my mother’s birthday) when I caught On the Media on NPR and heard Brooke Gladstone interviewing Calvin Trillin about his coverage of the Freedom Riders 50 years ago. The segment was a bath of moral affirmation. Trillin reflected…
More video emerges of Israeli military attack on Gazan fishermen and international observers
Mondoweiss – link to adam-keller2.blogspot.com link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link to www.independent.co.uk link to www.haaretz.com link to www.paltelegraph.com link to english.wafa.ps link to cpt.org link to www.maannews.net link to ingaza.wordpress.com link to palestinesolidarityproject.org link to palestinevideo.blogspot.com link to english.pnn.ps link to english.wafa.ps link to www.maannews.net link…
Anders Breivik, Norwegian Terror Suspect, Admirer of Israel, Avigdor Lieberman
Tikun Olam – The death toll from the savage attack in Norway has risen to 92 today. Anders Breivik, a radical rightist who posted regularly to a neo-Nazi internet forum, is the only suspect arrested so far in the killings. Electronic Intifada published excerpts of a 1,500 page…
Demonstrators Assaulted in Beit Ommar, 2 Arrested
Palestine Solidarity Project 23 Jul 2011 – Demonstrators were assaulted in Beit Ommar today, as Israeli military forces attacked the village’s demonstration against the recent rapid expansion of building work in the illegal Karmei Tsur settlement. Fifty demonstrators, consisting of local Palestinians, Israelis, and international solidarity activists marched from the village and attempted…
Egypt opposition vow to stay put
BBC 24 Jul 2011 – Opposition supporters in Egypt vow to continue their protests after two days of violent confrontations with the army and men in plain clothes.
Rising pressure
BBC 24 Jul 2011 – Slow pace of reform raises suspicions in Egypt
Articles
Was the Massacre in Norway a reaction to BDS?
Gilad Atzmon, Gilad Atzmon7/24/2011
I learned last night from an Israeli online journal, that two days before the Utoya Island massacre, AUF’s (Labour Party’s youth movement) leader Eskil Pedersen gave an interview to the Dagbladet, Norway’s second largest tabloid newspaper, in which he unveiled what he thinks of Israel.
In the course of the interview, Pedersen stated that he “believes the time has come for more drastic measures against Israel, and (that he) wants the Foreign Minister to impose an economic boycott against the country.”
Pederson went on to say, “The peace process goes nowhere, and though the whole world expect Israel to comply, they do not. We in Labour Youth will have a unilateral economic embargo of Israel from the Norwegian side.”
The AUF Labour Party Youth Movement have been devoted promoters of the Israel Boycott campaign, The Dagbladet newspaper reporting that “The AUF has long been a supporter of an international boycott of Israel, but the decision at the last congress, demands that Norway imposes a unilateral economic embargo on the country and it must be stricter than before.”
“I acknowledge that this is a drastic measure”, stated Pedersen, “but I think it gives a clear indication that we are tired of Israel’s behaviour, quite simply”.
Yesterday we also learned that mass-murderer Anders Behring Breivik was openly enthusiastic about Israel…. — See also: JPost: Beware of the European populists and JPost: Norway’s challenge more.. e-mail
For human rights advocates, supporting BDS is a no-brainer
Nadia Hijab, 7/21/2011
Making the Palestinian case has never been a problem. It is a powerful story grounded in universal principles of human rights and in international law. The question has always been how to shift the balance between one of the strongest military powers in the world and a people struggling with occupation, inequality, and exile.
That question began to be answered in the mid-2000s. The International Court of Justice issued its advisory opinion in 2004, affirming the illegality of Israel’s wall and settlement enterprise, the Palestinian right to self-determination, and the applicability of international law. The ICJ opinion reinforced a resurgent Palestinian civil society movement not seen since the Madrid and Oslo peace processes defused the first intifada or uprising.
The 2005 Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (also known as BDS) marked the first anniversary of the ICJ opinion, becoming another strand in Palestinian non-violent resistance that included the popular struggle against Israel’s separation wall in the Palestinian villages directly impacted by its route.
International solidarity activists flocked to both the popular struggle and BDS. However, while it costs time and money to travel to Palestine, anyone can join a boycott or divestment campaign, or lobby for state sanctions wherever they live. This is one of the strengths of the global BDS campaign. Others strengths include:
* The campaign is Palestinian-led, and the people whose rights have been violated are now gradually imposing their agenda on a sterile, US-Israeli led process.
* The call clearly spells out Palestinian goals—self-determination, freedom from occupation, justice for the Palestinian refugees, and equality for the Palestinian citizens of Israel. This is important because the peace process had reduced Palestinian rights to haggling over land percentages….. more.. e-mail
Seeking signs of health
Samah Jaber, 7/21/2011
For those who lament the Palestinians’ use of violence and sigh, saying, “Where is the Palestinian Gandhi?” here is the answer: Israel delegitimizes all tools of resistance. Most recently, the Israeli parliament passed legislation making it possible to punish any public call for economic, cultural or academic boycott of the Israeli occupation and its settlements.
A boycott is a very reasonable tool of resistance, one used by many nations—the Irish, the Indians, the Jews—against their respective tyrants. With the notable exception of the state of Israel that continued providing the apartheid regime of South Africa with weapons, boycott was even international policy at one time. At an individual level, each person is entitled to choose to give or not give oxygen to entities that contradict their personal values.
While Israel’s new law is meant to empower the settlers and intimidate the international movement in solidarity with Palestinians, it also generates many thoughts about the Palestinian stance on the boycott. Some Palestinians have a very stratified, complicated and enmeshed relationship with Israelis.
I, a Palestinian, am writing about the boycott while enjoying a learning experience in London in the presence of Israeli colleagues. In October, I will start a three-year study program at the Israeli Institute of Psychoanalysis. In East Jerusalem, where I live, many Palestinians work in Israeli institutions and when they get sick, are treated in Israeli hospitals. Many Palestinians from the West Bank can only find work in Israeli settlements, and let us not forget the tragic reality that the infamous separation wall was built by Palestinian hands.
….One can be sure that there is no win-win situation between the occupied Palestinian nation and the Israeli occupation. The more the occupation expands its settlements, the more it develops its racist policies, the more we suffocate in occupied land. more..e-mail
the grades
In Gaza: 24 Jul 2011 – For the past week students have been counting the days until their high school exam results are released. Tawjihi, the last year of high school, is notoriously difficult in Palestine, and many students feel that this year was among the more difficult tests. Some here feel that the reason the test has become more difficult Palestine-wide is, with over 20,000 university and college graduates already sitting unemployed in Gaza alone, not to mention thousands more in the occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, more challenging exams might persuade potential students to go to trade schools or open small businesses like small grocery stores, to decrease the number of new university students and future unemployed. An ironic solution for a nation which prides itself on its high rates of education and higher education. I’ve constantly marveled that Palestinians not only pursue higher education in the face of unimaginable obstacles under occupation…more
Gaza’s Tunnels: An Inside Perspective
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Jul 2011 – By Alexandra Robinson – Gaza ‘Complimentary tour of the Rafah tunnels.’ I received this offer a few weeks after arriving in Gaza. In a conversation I was having with my colleague, Joe Catron, it came up that a friend of ours from Gaza City had given an open invitation for us to tour the tunnels. For the purpose of this article we’ll refer to her as ‘X.’ After reading about much of the controversy of the tunnels and the political obstacles they have posed for Hamas since officially taking over the operations in 2007, I jumped at the proposition. Actually managing to get into the tunnels was not such an easy task and ended up taking Joe and I two separate attempts. Our first venture to Rafah was with X, who had initially invited us. Our other colleague from the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) joined us and brought a friend…more
Death of Democracy
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Jul 2011 – By 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.’ — (Human Rights Watch, ‘When Speech Offends,’ February-March 2006). Contrary to Fox News and Benjamin Netanyahu, Democracy is neither alive nor well in the United States or Israel; indeed it is dying a slow, agonizing death as each nation writhes in pain in adjoining beds unaware that the intravenous feeding tubes controlled by their respective Knessets drip poison into their life sustaining veins. Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, in the voice of Carlo Strenger, carries the warning: “The flood of anti-democratic laws that were proposed, and partially implemented, by the current Knesset, elected in February 2009, constitute one of the darkest chapters in Israeli history. The opening salvo was provided by Foreign Minister Avigdor…more
Post-Modern Imperialism: Great Games III
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Jul 2011 – By Gilad Atzmon Though the number of critical voices concerning Israel, Zionism and Jewish power is growing steadily, a clear distinction can be made on the one hand between contributors who operate within the discourse and are politically oriented, and others who transcend themselves above and beyond any given political paradigm. The former category refers to writers and scholars who operate ‘within the box,’ accepting the restrictive measures of a given political and intellectual discourse. A thinker who operates within such a framework would initially identify the boundaries of the discourse, and then shape his or her ideas to fit in accordingly. The latter category refers to a far more challenging intellectual attempt: it includes those very few who operate within a post-political realm, those who defy the dictatorship of ‘political-correctness’, or any given ‘party-line’. It relates to those minds that think ‘out of the box’. And it is actually…more
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The New Dark Age 
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