7 August , 2011 — VTJP
News
Report: Fatah says Dahlan involved in poisoning Arafat
8/7/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Fatah has accused ousted party strongman Muhammad Dahlan of “having a hand” in poisoning late President Yasser Arafat, Arabic-language media reported Saturday. Arafat died in a Paris hospital in November 2004. The exact cause of his death remains a mystery, but popular belief among Palestinians holds that he was poisoned. According….
PA arrests brothers of Palestinian journalist
8/7/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Preventative Security forces raided the house of a Palestinian journalist in Nablus on Saturday and arrested two of her brothers in an apparent attempt to force her surrender. Majdoline Hassouneh has refused a summons to appear for questioning about her work, and even posted a copy of the document on her….
Israeli forces detain 4 in Beit Ummar
8/7/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces raided Beit Ummar on Saturday evening and detained four residents during a ceremony to honor Palestinian prisoners, Ma’an’s correspondent and the Israeli army said. Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and live ammunition during the raid on the town north of Hebron, witnesses said. An Israeli….
Hamas and Fatah agree to release political prisoners
8/7/2011 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — Hamas and Fatah have agreed to release all political prisoners after meeting in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the reconciliation deal signed in April, official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. The two factions also agreed to the formation of a committee to issue passports to Gaza residents before the end of….
PA absent from funeral of man hailed as ‘symbol of steadfastness’
8/7/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Former Bethlehem governor Salah Tamari expressed disappointment on Sunday that Palestinian Authority officials did not attend the funeral of Hajj Ibrahim Atallah, who he praised as “a symbol of Palestinian steadfastness.” Hajj Ibrahim Atallah remained in Zakariyya, a small hamlet built on his land, until his death aged 101. He managed….
Hamas employees’ wages late due to cash crisis
8/7/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Civil servants in Gaza will not receive their July salaries until the end of August due to government cash shortages, Hamas finance ministry official Ismail Mahfouz said Sunday. Speaking at the Gaza government’s information office, Mahfouz said that while some of the government’s income came from….
Tel Aviv exchange halts trade after 6% fall
8/7/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Trading on Israel’s Tel Aviv stock exchange was temporarily halted on Sunday after share prices fell six percent at the open on news of a US credit rating downgrade, public radio reported. Trading opened as normal on Sunday, the first day of Israel’s working week, but mandatory suspensions went….
Palestinian prisoners suffer food poisoning in Israeli jail
8/7/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Forty Palestinian prisoners being held in an Israeli prison contracted food poisoning on Sunday, the Minister of Prisoners Affairs Issa Qaraqe quoted detainees as saying. Prisoners being held in the Negev prison, southern Israel said they had suffered from nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after eating dairy products which had passed their….
Projectile fired from Gaza lands in southern Israel
8/7/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — A projectile fired from the northern Gaza Strip landed in southern Israel on Sunday with no injuries reported, Israeli news site Ynet reported. An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed that a projectile had landed in the Shaar Hanegev regional council. 1 ) James Hovland / USA 07/08/2011 22:04The anti-Palestinian….
Israel’s El Al airline resumes flights to Cairo
8/7/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel’s national airline El Al has resumed flights to Cairo after a five-month suspension. Flights to Cairo were suspended after a popular uprising erupted in the country, ousting former President Hosni Mubarak. El Al has been flying to the Egyptian capital for 30 years. Officials at Cairo airport told….
Israel’s Lieberman calls for severing ties with PA
8/7/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday that Israel should cut all ties with the Palestinian Authority, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported. The Palestinians are planning ‘unprecedented bloodshed’ after their United Nations statehood bid in September, Lieberman said, demanding that top Israeli officials move to break ties….
Rafah crossing open Monday for end of July, early August applicants
8/7/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Ministry of Interior in Gaza said Sunday that travel via the Rafah crossing on Monday will only be for passengers who registered to travel on July 31 and August 2. The ministry instructed travelers registered for July 31 to proceed to Abu Yousef An-Najjar hall in the southern city….
Pressure builds on Netanyahu after massive nationwide protests
8/7/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to announce on Sunday a new bid to calm anger over the cost of living in Israel, a day after nationwide protests by more than 250,000 people. A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Netanyahu would address the protests at his weekly cabinet…. Related: Netanyahu promises change after nationwide protests and Tel Aviv exchange halts trade after 6% fall
Gaza police seize ‘smuggling boat’
8/7/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Marine police in Gaza detained several men on Saturday suspected of smuggling goods on a small boat. Police said they seized the boat in southern Gaza close to the Egyptian coastline and referred the suspects for further investigations….
Fayyad urges international community to end occupation
8/7/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad called on the international community to actively guarantee an end to Israeli occupation and work towards establishing a Palestinian state along 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital. Fayyad’s comments came on Sunday as he received a Japanese delegation in Ramallah, headed by….
Netanyahu promises change after nationwide protests
8/7/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday promised change as he tried to ease growing anger over the cost of living after an unprecedented number of Israelis took part in nationwide protests. Speaking before a weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu acknowledged the frustration of the more than 250,000 people who took to the streets…. Related: Pressure builds on Netanyahu after massive nationwide protests and Tel Aviv exchange halts trade after 6% fall
Israel ex-president appeals rape conviction
8/7/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav went before the Israeli Supreme Court on Sunday to appeal his conviction and sentence for rape and sexual harassment, a justice ministry official said.” Katsav arrived at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem this morning, accompanied by his lawyers, to appeal his conviction and sentence,” the official said on….
Dmairi: PA supports popular resistance but not chaos
8/7/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority security services spokesman Adnan Dmairi said Sunday that the government supported non-violent popular resistance as long as it did not lead to “chaos.”In a statement, Dmairi said protests must not lead to chaos, loss of control or violence as Israel was looking for a pretext to attack the…. Related: PA absent from funeral of man hailed as ‘symbol of steadfastness’
Man and son shot and injured in Hebron
8/7/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — An unknown attacker shot and injured a man and his son in Hebron’s Abu Sneinah neighborhood on Sunday, police said. Medics at Al-Mizan Hospital in Hebron informed police that two men were admitted with gunshot wounds, a police report said. Police said initial investigations revealed that the men had….
Hamas fighter dies after car crash
8/7/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A member of Hamas’ military wing the Al-Qassam brigades died Sunday from injuries sustained in a car crash five days earlier, medics said. Mohammad Zaki Al-Hams died in Al-Shoka in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, medical sources told Ma’an….
In photos: Girl guides camp in Bethlehem
8/7/2011 – MaanImages / Jenny Baboun – Seventy girl guides camped in Talita Qumi school in Beit Jala near Bethlehem for the St Joseph Girl Guides’ 18th annual camp. Guides participated in scout, sporting and spiritual activities as well as voluntary work during the 6-day camp under the slogan “Together for peace….
2 killed, 192 injured in West Bank car accidents since start of August
8/7/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Two Palestinians were killed and 192 injured in 155 traffic accidents across the West Bank last week, a police statement said Sunday.” The traffic police had registered 155 traffic accidents during which two people were killed and 192 were injured, three of them are in critical condition, eight of them were….
Gulf, Israel stocks drop after US credit downgrade
8/7/2011 – KUWAIT CITY (AFP) — Stock markets in the energy-rich Gulf states and Israel dropped on Sunday as the historic US credit downgrading sent jitters across the region, with analysts expecting yet more losses.” Markets have reacted negatively to the US downgrade which could be very serious for the Gulf states. I think the Gulf stocks will….
Syria soldiers kill 4 in tank assaults
8/7/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syrian security forces backed by tanks killed at least four civilians as they moved to crush democracy protests in a central town and the flashpoint eastern city of Deir Ezzor on Sunday, an activist said. The crackdown came only hours after the government vowed to hold “free” elections by the year’s….
Gulf stocks drop after US credit downgrade
8/7/2011 – DUBAI (AFP) — Gulf stock markets dropped on Sunday a day after Saudi shares tumbled over five percent as news of the historic US credit downgrading sent jitters through the region’s markets. Following the Muslim weekend, the Dubai Financial Market Index opened trading down 4. 5 percent before clawing back some ground to end….
Iran arrests 17 youths over water fight
8/7/2011 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iranian police arrested 17 boys and girls over a water fight at a seaside park in the Islamic republic’s south, a senior judicial official said on Sunday.” Seventeen young boys and girls who were squirting water at each other were arrested on Friday in one of the beach parks” in the….
More than 50 killed as Assad defends Syria crackdown
8/7/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syrian forces backed by tanks killed more than 50 people on Sunday, activists said, as President Bashar Al-Assad defended the state’s duty to crack down on “outlaws.” The new bloodshed came as Pope Benedict XVI and the Arab League added their voices to mounting international condemnation of Syria’s brutal….
Israel ex-president appeals rape conviction
AlJazeera 8 Aug 2011 – Moshe Katsav to challenge seven-year prison sentence following rape and sexual harassment conviction in December.
‘Israel protests silent on occupation issue’
AlJazeera 8 Aug 2011 – Journalist Joseph Dana says Israeli society remains unwilling to discuss occupation of Palestinians.
Israelis rally for better economic conditions
AlJazeera 8 Aug 2011 – Faced with soaring cost of living, hundreds of thousands of Israelis camp in Tel Aviv to demand economic reforms.
Bahrain frees two former opposition MPs
AlJazeera 8 Aug 2011 – Move comes amid pro-reform gestures that state-appointed investigator says could lead to release of 150 more detainees.
Saudi Arabia withdraws ambassador from Syria
AlJazeera 8 Aug 2011 – King Abdullah for the first time forcefully joined growing Arab and international condemnation against Assad’s actions.
International Solidarity Movement
Palestinian female prisoners suffer in Ramadan
8/7/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 7 August 2011, Palestine Telegraph – Israeli prison administration decided to tighten its harsh measures against Palestinian female prisoners of Hasharon during the holy month of Ramadan. A researcher at the international solidarity foundation, Ahmed al-Betawi, stated that Israeli prison administration refused to allow female prisoners of Hasharon prison to purchase their food from canteen. He…. Related: Source
Alternative Information Center
Acting Student at Jenin’s Freedom Theatre Taken by Israeli Army
Alternative Information Center – At approximately 15:00 on Saturday 6 August, one of the third-year graduating students at Jenin’s Freedom Theatre was taken by the Israeli army at the Shave Shomeron checkpoint, located between the Palestinian cities Jenin and Nablus….
Ban disappointed at Israel’s approval of more settlements in East Jerusalem
Relief Web 7 Aug 2011 – Source: UN News Service Country: occupied Palestinian territory , Israel Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced his deep disappointment at the recent approval by the Israeli Government of plans for more than 900 housing units in East Jerusalem. “He reiterates that settlement…
Hamas, Fatah bid to seal reconciliation in Cairo
Relief Web 7 Aug 2011 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory CAIRO ‚Äî Rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas opened talks Sunday in Egypt aimed at implementing a reconciliation agreement struck in May, state news agency MENA reported. The two sides held consultations late…
One dead as Palestinians clash in Lebanon camp
Relief Web 7 Aug 2011 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory , Lebanon BEIRUT ‚Äî One person was killed and eight others wounded in Lebanon’s notorious Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp on Saturday when armed clashes erupted between rival factions, an official in the camp…
Palestinian female prisoners suffer in Ramadan
7 Aug 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli prison administration decided to tighten its harsh measures against Palestinian female prisoners of Hasharon during the holy month of Ramadan.
Shalit family protests outside Israeli cabinet
7 Aug 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph)-The parents of the captive Israeli soldier Jilad Shalit and dozens of activists continued their weekly protest outside the cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the occupied Jerusalem.
Israeli troops raid Hebron
7 Aug 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli troops raided Sunday several areas in the south West Bank city of Hebron and erected a number of military checkpoints at the main crossroads.
Israel puts pressure on human-rights organisations
The National 6 Aug 2011 – Right-wing government officials, legislators and pressure groups, angered at charges by rights organisations that Israel had committed war crimes during the attack on Gaza, launched a campaign to discredit groups.
GCC calls for end to violence in Syria
The National 6 Aug 2011 – The Gulf Cooperation Council urged an end to bloodshed in Syria and called for political reforms, as international pressure mounted on Damascus.
Man shot dead after firing on Saudi prince’s palace
The National 6 Aug 2011 – 1am gunfight near home of interior minister Prince Nayef.
Germany ‘shredded files relating to war criminal who settled in Syria’
The National 6 Aug 2011 – Something to hide’, say Nazi hunters and claims surrounding Eichmann aide prompt calls for closer look at the activities of former SS officers who sought refuge in Middle East.
EU diplomats: Israel’s national security adviser reprimanded us over our critical policy
Ha’aretz – Yaakov Amidror rebuffed by European diplomats for taking ‘arrogant’ tack.
Netanyahu anticipates ‘enormous change’ in Israel’s economy
Ha’aretz – As market spirals down, the prime minister announces formation of panel to meet with protest leaders.
Yossi Verter / Netanyahu missed the opportunity to subdue Israel’s swelling social protests
Ha’aretz – The prime minister’s response is a case study in mismanagement.
Arab media calls social protests ‘Israeli Spring’
Ha’aretz – Many Arabic-language papers compare local struggle to the Arab world’s recent revolutions and boast that Israel is following in their footsteps.
Saudi king recalls ambassador to Syria over protester deaths
Ha’aretz – Abdallah bin Abdel Aziz calls upon Damascus to quickly implement serious reforms.
Knesset panel denies Defense Ministry request for NIS 620m increase
Ha’aretz – Committee axes request to up budget when it learns ministry’s intent is to use the money to pay some of its debts to various military industries.
Israel to compensate contractor for canceling plan to build West Bank settlement
Ha’aretz – The government Menachem Begin authorized the establishment of Ramat Kidron in July 1981.
Seven reasons why Israel’s stock market is bound to crash
Ha’aretz – The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange benchmark TA-100 index is 16% below its peak level from January.
Israel court allows egg extraction from deceased woman in unprecedented ruling
Ha’aretz – Family of Hen Aida Ayish who was fatally injured in a car accident a week-and-a-half ago requests that her eggs be extracted and frozen after donating her organs for transplant.
‘Knesset may not complete its tenure due to Israel’s social protests’
Ha’aretz – Reuven Rivlin, the Knesset Speaker, says he believes elections will be moved ahead of the November 2013 date.
Tel Aviv mayor: Housing protest has a limited lifespan
Ha’aretz – Ron Huldai stresses at press conference that tent city is ‘a protest, and all protests eventually end.’
Katsav lawyer: My client may have lied about having sex with plaintiff
Ha’aretz – Attorney Avigdor Feldman tells court there is a ‘reasonable chance’ Former President Moshe Katsav and the complainant in his rape case, A. from Tourism Ministry, had consensual sex.
The earth moves as quake measuring 4.2 felt across Israel
Ha’aretz – U.S. Geological Survey says earthquake epicenter was in Mediterranean Sea, 71 km northwest of Tel Aviv.
Israeli government approves guidelines for medical marijuana
Ha’aretz – Cabinet agrees on arrangements and supervision of marijuana supply in medical centers and for research; 6,000 people in Israel currently treated with medical cannabis.
Day after 300,000-strong protests across Israel, Netanyahu warns ‘government can’t satisfy everyone’
Ha’aretz – PM announces formation of special economic team to address soaring costs of living; team includes government ministers, academics and experts from private sector.
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange opens to 6% losses as global crisis felt in Israel
Ha’aretz – Losses come as international markets are left reeling by Standard & Poor’s downgrade of U.S. credit rating for first time in history.
A day after 300,000 march for social justice, Netanyahu government pledges change
Ha’aretz – PM to present special panel tasked with addressing the mounting public protests; Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz to head the team.
Israel protest leaders prepare for third weekend of mass rallies
Ha’aretz – Protests to be held in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem; Police close off major arteries in Tel Aviv; 500 protesters demonstrate at Shomrim junction in the north.
Lieberman: Israel should cut all ties with Palestinian Authority
Ha’aretz – Foreign minister says Palestinians planning ‘unprecedented bloodshed’ against Israel after United Nations vote on statehood in September.
Barak warns Gaza militants may resume terror attacks against Israel
Ha’aretz – Defense minister says Israel keeping track of ‘additional attempts beneath the surface to carry out terror activities, not only via rocket fire, but also by other means.’
Colombians who smuggled drugs in their bodies hospitalized
Jerusalem Post 8 Aug 2011 – TA: Police say suspects have so far excreted 2.5 kilograms of liquid cocaine, could release more.
Chabad rabbi released after Ecuador kidnapping
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Rabbi Tomer Rotem abducted by an Israeli man who was well known to the Chabad representative and his wife.
Math and physics teen winners honored at Beit Hanassi
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – High schoolers bring home medals from competitions in Thailand, Amsterdam and Poland.
Wikipedia co-founder Wales visits Rothschild tent city
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Jimmy Wales says “it’s wonderful that in the democracy here, people have the right to go out and express their opinion.”
Fights break out at Tel Aviv tent city
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Skirmishes start after passerby begins shouting at group of settlers and supporters calling for housing crisis to be solved by massive building in West Bank.
Chinese army chief due in Israel next week
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – In signal of growing Sino-Israeli ties, meeting between Beijing’s top general, IDF chief Gantz follows Barak’s trip to China 2 months ago.
81 congressmen to visit Israel in coming weeks
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – 55 Republican, 26 Democratic congressmen to arrive for week-long trips sponsored by American Israel Education Foundation; about 20% of US House of Representatives to visit by summer’s end.
IAF seeks system to prevent choppers from attacks
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Israel Air Force closely following reports regarding apparent downing of US Army helicopter.
Saudi king says he will withdraw ambassador from Syria
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – “Syria should think wisely before it’s too late and issue reforms,” King Abdullah says; Syrian tank assaults kill more than 60.
Major plan to expand geriatric care goes to Knesset
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Reform would simplify bureaucracy and head off “tsunami of elderly” in coming decades.
Social workers to protesters: Don’t forget society’s poor
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – While the middle class struggle is authentic and justified, it is important not to forget the weaker socioeconomic populations.
A world without Israel?
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Why do we “afflict” ourselves for 25 hours when we have returned to the Jewish state and built a wonderful country from the ground up?
The US loan guarantees
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Israel first requested loan guarantees from United States in September 1991 in the midst of wide-scale immigration to Jewish state.
Paint it black!
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – A couple of weeks ago, there were those calling the demonstrators all sorts of names, from spoiled brats to anarchists.
Radio Israel
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – There is no public oversight; Only leverage elected officials have over Army Radio is threaten its right to sell commercial airtime.
The doctors’ strike: There is a better way
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – If we’re prepared to learn from experience of other countries, there’s better way than suffering periodic disruption of public services.
It’s not easy to say ‚ÄòI’m sorry’
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – For the people of a religion that places a huge premium on peace, we need Turkey more than Turkey needs us.
Ramadan has something to offer all faiths
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Despite being primarily an occasion for Muslims, Ramadan provides an opportunity for soul-searching, reflection, bridge-building.
Holon slum’s tent city nothing like Rothschild Boulevard
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Jesse Cohen slum is home to a far more desperate side of tent city movement, where hard-luck stories far outnumber acoustic guitars.
Budget uncertainty leaves defense funding undecided
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Knesset c’tee votes down Defense Ministry request for additional NIS 620m; Mofaz says ministry not operating in “good faith.”
‘Fatah, Hamas agree to release all political prisoners’
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Factions meet in Cairo to rekindle Palestinian reconciliation talks; Ma’an news agency reports agreement reached on prisoner release.
Israelis gather at Times Square to support rent protests
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Israeli students studying at US universities, pitch several tents in New York and shout slogans in Hebrew in support of the welfare state.
PA commission of inquiry: Dahlan helped poison Arafat
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Ousted Fatah official asked a security officer to burn former Palestinian leader’s medicine bottle, report claims.
Syrian tank assaults kill more than 60 in two cities
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Troops attack in eastern city of Deir al-Zor and near Homs as Arab League criticizes violence; Assad says he’s protecting against terrorists.
Uproar in Egypt as US funnels aid to civil societies
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Critics see Washington’s assistance to groups not authorized by the interim authorities in Cairo as a ruse to “serve American interests.”
Housing protests make for strange bedfellows
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – MK Ya’acov Katz (National Union), MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List-Ta’al) join protests, find different reasons, solutions for the crisis.
Hacking encouraged, even prized, at Vegas geek fest
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Hackers put in the public eye after high-profile cyber attacks this summer; Convention attendee: “We don’t do crime, we’re not criminals.”
End all contact with the PA, Lieberman says
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – FM: Palestinians planning unprecedented violence in September; PA can’t have both security cooperation, try to bring Hague charges against IDF.
Gazans show no sympathy for Mubarak during trial
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Palestinians in the coastal strip describe personal grievances against former Egyptian president, namely restrictions he placed on travel.
Syrian tanks storm eastern city, defying UN appeal
Jerusalem Post 7 Aug 2011 – Assault on Deir al-Zor tears down protective barricades set up by residents, kills twenty; Ban Ki-moon: stop use of force immediately.
Israelis plan million-strong march as protesters call for social justice
The Guardian 7 Aug 2011 – Campaigners vow ‘more pressure and more people’ after 300,000-strong demonstration across country Activists behind spiralling protests in Israel plan to build on one of the biggest marches ever seen in the country by piling on “more…
EGYPT: State Media has New Bosses, Old Habits
IPS Six months since the fall of Hosni Mubarak, the state media organs that once glorified the dictator’s policies and glossed over his failures have new leaders. Yet the mindset of decades of authoritarian rule remains intact, say media experts.
Fear of Arrest
Uruknet August 6, 2011 – The author of the following text is anonymous. But his deeds have rocked the foundations of our world in Syria. He is one and he is everyone. I don’t know his whereabouts. He is probably already dead or in prison. Or maybe he is still roaming the streets of cities and towns in Syria…
Report: Hamas and Fatah agree to release political prisoners
Uruknet August 7, 2011 — Hamas and Fatah have agreed to release all political prisoners after meeting in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the reconciliation deal signed in April, official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. The two factions also agreed to the formation of a committee to issue passports to Gaza residents before the end of Ramadan, as well…
What is happening in Hama..Report of a person that escaped from it today.
Uruknet August 7, 2011 – I left Hama a little bit ago, heavy shelling of the city was still ongoing. It started at Sohour time (before dawn) before 06:00am using fixed machine guns (M85). The military and security forces stormed Jizdan neighborhood and Ajzeh roundabout. Four doctors that worked in Hourani hospital were killed. A christian lady was shot…
66 reportedly killed in Syrian army attacks on two cities (WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEOS)
Uruknet August 7, 2011 – At least 66 civilians were killed Sunday in attacks by the Syrian army on two cities where mass anti-government protests have been held, activists said. Fifty people were killed in a large-scale army assault in the north-eastern city of Deir al-Zour, according to the opposition group Federation of the Coordination Committees of the Syrian…
Report: Fatah says Dahlan involved in poisoning Arafat
Uruknet August 7, 2011 – Fatah has accused ousted party strongman Muhammad Dahlan of “having a hand” in poisoning late President Yasser Arafat, Arabic-language media reported Saturday. Arafat died in a Paris hospital in November 2004. The exact cause of his death remains a mystery, but popular belief among Palestinians holds that he was poisoned. ..According to Al-Jazeera’s Arabic-language…
Iraq: Phantom Electricity Contracts …
Uruknet August 6, 2011 – Dr. Jawad Hashim is the previous Iraqi Minister of Planning in the 1970s. He found out that the Ministry of Electricity had signed at the beginning of July 2011 two billion dollars plus contracts with Canadian and German companies. He investigated the matter online and proved, with documents, that the Canadian company Capgent is…
End of the American Empire
Uruknet August 6, 2011 – China’s call today for a new global reserve currency to replace the dollar spells the beginning of the end of the American Empire. China holds most of the dollar credit in the world, and that of course gave China a powerful incentive to maintain dollar hegemony. That China now views the risks to world…
PHOTOS: J14 movement holds largest protest in Israel’s history
Uruknet August 6 2011 – Around 300 thousands Israelis took the streets on Saturday night, calling for social justice and the introduction of a welfare state. Estimates are that this has been the largest demonstration in the country’s history. The biggest of several rallies took place in Tel Aviv, where over 200,000 marched to the government building on Kaplan…
The Wrong Struggle
Uruknet August 6, 2011 – Nearly three weeks ago angry young residents of Tel Aviv took to the streets to protest soaring housing prices. The protests have rapidly reached different sectors of the Israeli society. The Israeli media has propagated the event as a glorious democratic manifestation, while Western media rushed to compare it to the people revolutions in…
Could Arab staying power ultimately defeat Zionism?
Uruknet August 6, 2011 – There is an Arabic word you come across a lot when Palestinians talk about their future. Sumud means steadfastness, and it has turned into a strategy: when the imbalance of power is so pronounced, the most important thing to do is to stay put. Staying put against overwhelming odds is regarded as a victory….
The release of a War Criminal
Uruknet August 6, 2011 – War Criminal Charles Graner was released from prison today. It’s amazing to read the candy valentines to him from the press. He got a dishonorable discharge and was sentenced to 10 years (he only served six) after, as CNN noted in real time, being found “guilty of 10 charges, including aggravated assault, maltreatment and…
Charges mount of NATO war crimes in Libya
Uruknet August 6, 2011 – The Italian government has demanded an investigation into whether a NATO warship engaged in the war against Libya ignored the plight of a boatload of refugees, contributing to the deaths of as many as 100 people from hunger and thirst. The vessel arrived at Lampedusa, an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea between Sicily…
Media group urges UN probe of strike on Libya TV
Uruknet August 6, 2011 – An international media safety group has joined calls Friday for the United Nations to investigate NATO’s bombing of Libyan television, which reportedly killed 3 people and injured 15. The International News Safety Institute (INSI) asked U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to determine whether last week’s airstrike amounted to a breech of a 2006 Security Council…
Hamas security forces seize suspected rocket firers
Uruknet August 6, 2011 – — Hamas security forces in the Gaza Strip on Saturday detained two members of an Islamist group suspected of firing rockets at Israel, the group said in a statement. Tawhid wal Jihad, a Salafist organization, confirmed that Hamas security forces had detained two of its members in an early morning raid.”Forces from the government…
Israeli army detains Freedom Theater actor
Uruknet August 6, 2011 — Israeli forces on Saturday detained an acting student of the iconic Freedom Theater at a checkpoint near Jenin, theater staff said. Rami Awni Hwayel, 20, was detained, handcuffed and blindfolded at Shave Shomeron checkpoint in the northern West Bank. He was returning from rehearsals in Ramallah, the theater said in a statement. An Israeli…
What is a Tank with the Flag of Qatar doing in Benghazi?
Uruknet August 6, 2011 – After the killing of Abdel-Fattah Younis on July 28, 2011, chaos erupted in Benghazi. A few videos were going round on Youtube that showed us a lot of shootings taking place in Benghazi. In one of the videos you could see a tank rolling through the streets. The peculiar thing about a particular tank…
US Intelligence contradicts US government’s optimistic picture of Libyan rebels
Uruknet Despite the official claims of the US government in regards to their trust in the Libyan rebels, US intelligence channels paint another picture of the situation in Libya. Unedited Brief from a US intelligence channel on August 4, 2011 . Libyan loyalist forces, which are usually described as “demoralized” in Western media accounts based on rebel sources, consistently mount…
Rude Awakening
Uruknet August 6, 2011 – In 2008, a protracted global depression began, criminally manufactured by Wall Street and Washington scoundrels, complicit with major European partners. Why? To permit greater financial and other corporate consolidation, more power, and ability to buy favored assets cheap, profiting hugely at the expense of millions of working households. At the same time, Washington’s got…
Qatari plane supplies ammunition to Libya rebels
Uruknet August 6, 2011 – A Qatari plane made a quick stop in the rebel-held Libyan city of Misrata on Saturday to offload ammunition destined for rebel fighters, sources with knowledge of the flight said. Officials at the airport acknowledged a Qatari plane landed at Misrata airport but declined to reveal details of its contents. “The plane offloaded six…
Britain’s Secret Post-9/11 Torture Policy Revealed: Was Tony Blair’s Government Guilty of “Developing Something Close to a Criminal Policy”?
Uruknet August 6, 2011 – As the British government’s toothless torture inquiry is abandoned by ten NGOs and lawyers for the former Guant?°namo prisoners, who have long recognized that it was nothing more than a whitewash, but have now given up on even trying to engage with it, politicians in the Tory-led coalition government are not the only ones…
Saleh leaves Saudi hospital, stays in kingdom
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has left the hospital in Saudi Arabia more than two months after being wounded in an attack on his palace compound in Sanaa, Yemen’s state news agency said Sunday.
Libya rebels deny losing hold on Bir al-Ghanam
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Libyan rebels said Sunday they were firmly in control of the town of Bir al-Ghanam, a staging post about 80 km south of Tripoli
Syrian tanks storm Deir al-Zour
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Syrian tanks stormed a city in the east of the country Sunday, crushing makeshift barricades, opening fire and seizing the central square, residents said…
Lebanon doesn’t interfere in Syria’s internal affairs: Mansour
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour reiterated Lebanon’s rejection of interference in the affairs of neighboring Syria during talks with President Bashar Assad Sunday…
Families of detained Islamists stage demonstration in Tripoli
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Dozens of families of detained Islamists held a protest in the northern city of Tripoli Sunday, announcing the beginningof a hunger strike over Parliament’s decision not to reduce prison sentences.
Rival protests on Syria planned in Martyrs Square
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Conflicting demonstrations are due to be held in Martyrs Square Monday evening, as both those in support and those against the Syrian government meet to voice their opinions, sparking fears of possible violence.
Ain al-Hilweh refugees reeling after latest clashes
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Residents of the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh are devastated by the extensive damage to their property after hours of armed clashes…
Modest but happy Ramadan celebrations in Palestinian camps
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 It’s an hour before the Ramadan fast ends, and Shatila’s children are growing restless.
Kataeb Party elects new 16-member politburo, adopts bylaws
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 The Kataeb (Phalange) Party elected new members to its top office Sunday, following a three-day conference over the weekend.
Mikati slams Brotherhood statement against him
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Sources close to Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Sunday a statement attributed to the Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood criticizing Mikati had been issued locally, a reference to Lebanese opposition groups.
Hezbollah: UNHCR report on Syria false
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Hezbollah has denied reports that its members were involved in the killing of Syrian soldiers who had deserted the regime, the party said in a statement Sunday.
Rai calls for new social contract among Lebanese
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai voiced hopes Sunday that the national dialogue which President Michel Sleiman has called for would develop into a national conference…
Netanyahu vows change after massive protests
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised change Sunday as he tried to ease growing anger over the cost of living after an unprecedented number of Israelis took part in nationwide protests.
Israeli foreign minister wants ties with Palestinians severed
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Israel’s foreign minister warned Sunday that the Palestinian Authority plans unprecedented bloodshed next month after an expected symbolic United Nations endorsement of Palestinian independence.
Gulf bloc urges end to Syrian bloodshed
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Gulf Arab states turned up the heat on Damascus Saturday, joining a growing chorus of pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad as Western leaders continued to condemn the crackdown on protesters by Syrian forces.
Israel detains actor from Jenin’s Freedom Theater
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Israeli forces detained an actor from Jenin’s Freedom Theater Saturday at a West Bank checkpoint, according to the Maan news agency.
Syrian protesters win support of Iraqi kinsmen
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Along Iraq’s western frontier, Syria’s unrest is stoking local sympathies and security fears in a Sunni Muslim heartland where Iraqis share strong tribal loyalties with their Syrian kin.
Saudi security forces kill gunman near interior minister’s palace
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Saudi security forces killed a gunman early Saturday after he fired at a checkpoint near the interior minister’s palace in Jeddah, the state news agency said.
Tripoli residents break fast by candlelight
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Ahmad and his family stocked up on food for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan but daily power cuts in the war-stricken Libyan capital mean supplies are rotting in the freezer.
Kuwait to build port despite threat
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Kuwait said Sunday that threats by Iraqi militants will not deter the oil-rich emirate from completing the construction of a controversial megaport between the neighboring nations.
Sadr: American military trainers may be targets
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Iraq’s fiercely anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has warned that U.S. military trainers will be targets if they stay in the country beyond a deadline for American troops to leave.
Egypt’s Wafd may quit pact with Islamists
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Egypt’s liberal Wafd party said Sunday it may quit an electoral deal with the Muslim Brotherhood, highlighting growing tensions between liberals and Islamists over their vision for Muslim-majority Egypt.
Iraqi PM sacks electricity minister over irregular deals
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has dismissed his electricity minister after the government said an investigation had uncovered irregularities in power contracts with two foreign companies, a source in Maliki’s office said Sunday.
Iran parliament to examine pipeline explosions: MP
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Iran’s parliament is to examine recent energy pipeline explosions to see to what extent sabotage or technical problems were to blame…
Bahrain releases 2 Shiite ex-lawmakers pending their trial
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Bahrain ordered the release of two former MPs arrested in May after a crackdown on Shiite-led protests pending their trial in a civilian court, state news agency BNA said Sunday.
Al-Shabaab militants leaving famine-hit Somali capital
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Islamist fighters withdrew overnight from almost all their bases in the famine-struck Somali capital, the most significant gain for the embattled U.N.-backed government in four years.
Somalia fighters remain serious threat despite quitting Mogadishu
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 African peacekeepers have forced Somalia’s Al-Shabaab Islamists to abandon their campaign to hold the capital Mogadishu
Gadhafi forces launch western offensive: rebels
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Rebels in the western Libyan town of Zliten were said to be low on ammunition and on the defensive on Sunday, as forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi attacked from the south and southeast.
Kuwait will build megaport despite threat: official
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Kuwait said on Sunday that threats by Iraqi militants will not deter the oil-rich emirate from completing the construction of a controversial megaport between the two nations.
Roumieh prisoner dies from self-immolation
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 An inmate from Lebanon’s Roumieh prison set himself on fire Sunday morning, then died from the burns, according to a security source.
Lebanon against interference in Syria, Mansour tells Assad
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour reiterated Sunday his government’s rejection of interference in the affairs of its neighbor Syria during talks with President Bashar Assad.
Families of detained Islamists hold protest in Tripoli
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Dozens of families of detained Islamists held a protest in the northern city of Tripoli Sunday, announcing a hunger strike over Parliament’s decision not to reduce prison sentences.
Authorities eradicate more hashish fields in Bekaa
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Lebanon’s Directorate of General Security announced Sunday that 120,000 square meters of hashish had been destroyed in its campaign to eradicate drugs in the Bekaa Valley.
Lebanon decision at U.N. not confrontational: Mansour
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 Adnana Mansour defended Sunday Lebanon’s disassociation with a U.N. Security Council statement last week condemning the violence in Syria and said the decision did not imply a confrontation with the international community.
Rai meets Sleiman at Beiteddine, heads Mass in Deir al-Qamar
Daily Star 7 Aug 2011 President Michel Sleiman held talks Sunday with Maronite Catholic Patriarch Beshara Rai at Beiteddine.
Lebanon’s annual gas share estimated at $4 bln
Daily Star 5 Aug 2011 Lebanon’s share of gas in the Middle East is valued at $4 billion annually, Professor Nabil Khalifeh, a geopolitics analyst, said Friday.
‘Hush TA tent city for Tisha B’Av’
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel sent Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai a letter on Sunday, asking him to prevent the “festivals of Rothschild Boulevard’s tent city from … ….
Likud puzzled by PM’s social team
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – Senior sources in the Likud questioned on Sunday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to name over a dozen socioeconomic cabinet members to a “social team” tasked … ….
‘Syrian army crackdown grotesque’
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – WASHINGTON – United States’ Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford slammed Syria for continuing its military crackdown on civilian in the city of Hama. In an interview with … ….
Fatah, Hamas agree on prisoners’ release
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – Hamas and Fatah delegations met in Cairo on Sunday to discuss ways to implement the Palestinian reconciliation agreement the two factions signed in late April. Fatah … ….
Rightists march in Tel Aviv: Protest anarchistic
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – Some 100 extreme right-wing activists staged a small march in Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard on Sunday evening, and protested what they called the “anarchistic nature of … ….
Over 1,000 parents stage ‘strollers’ march’
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – The protest continues: A day after some 300,000 people staged mass rallies to protest the high cost of living, some 1,300 parents held a “strollers’ march” in the cities … ….
Defense budget hits snag
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – The Knesset’s Joint Defense Budget Committee declined on Sunday a request by the Defense Ministry for additional funds. The NIS 620 million (roughly $175.6 million) … ….
Pollard marks 57th birthday behind bars
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – The Committee Working for Pollard’s Release urges public to send convicted spy….
‘Knesset unlikely to see term’s end’
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin believes next general elections will predate….
Arab League expresses ‘growing concern’ over Syria
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – Pan-Arab group ‘distressed’ over prolonged violence in Damascus, as death toll….
TASE slump worse since November 2008
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – TA-25 down 7%, TA-100 falls 7.2% following downgrade of US credit rating….
FM: PA planning unprecedented violence
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – Avigdor Lieberman says violence and bloodshed in September will be on a scale….
4.2 earthquake hits Israel
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – Epicenter of tremor at sea, 60 kilometers deep and 800 kilometers off Israel….
Lieberman: TA cafes packed
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – Day after 300,000 Israelis took to the streets, FM pours cold water on growing….
100 medical specialists resign
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – Senior doctors join more than 1,000 residents who have resigned over wages,….
Attorney compares Katsav to Demjanjuk
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – At Supreme Court appeal hearing, Katsav’s lawyer insists ex-president lying,….
Assad: Outlaws terrorizing population
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – Syrian president’s statement follows reports of at least 24 dead in military….
Muslims in world’s tallest tower face longer fast
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – Burj Khalifa residents living above 80th floor need to wait longer to break fast….
Half of gov’t to form ‘social’ team
YNet News, 7 Aug 2011 – Day after 300,000-strong protest, Netanyahu vows to provide ‘real solutions, not….
Palestinian Information Center
Russia secretly expelled security official in Israeli embassy
PIC – The deputy chief of the security department of the Israeli embassy in Russia was forced by the Russian authorities to flee the country over criminal activity some eighteen months back.
Haneyya stresses: All Palestinian prisoners should be freed
PIC – Palestinian premier in the Gaza Strip Ismail Haneyya has stressed that all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation jails should be freed.
Israeli soldiers tried to rape teen during interrogation
PIC – Israeli soldiers attempted to rape a teen under interrogation in Etzion, sources revealed Sunday.
OCHA: Jewish settlers persistent in their attacks on Palestinian property
PIC – The office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in the occupied lands said the attacks waged by Jewish settlers on Palestinian agricultural properties in the West Bank continued last week.
PA, Israel security forces agree to thwart September demonstrations
PIC – The Israeli newspaper Haaretz has revealed that Palestinian Authority security officials have agreed with those of Israel not to allow a violent escalation to develop during September.
Israeli authorities impose house arrest on Palestinian child
PIC – An Israeli court has imposed house arrest on a 15-year-old Palestinian child in Silwan town in occupied Jerusalem.
Prosecutor blocks lawsuit against Israeli ambassador to Jordan
PIC – The public prosecutor of the Amman court has blocked a lawsuit filed by a Jordanian woman against the Israeli ambassador to Jordan and five of his assistants.
Some of entitled medicines to arrive in Gaza in days
PIC – Munir al-Bersh, the Gaza health ministry’s director-general of pharmaceuticals, said a portion of entitled medicines are scheduled to arrive in the Gaza Strip within the next few days.
IOA cuts off water to Jenin neighborhoods
PIC – The municipal council in Jenin city strongly denounced the Israeli water company Mekorot for cutting off arbitrarily the water supply for the fourth consecutive day to many neighborhoods in the city.
Fatah says Dahlan poisoned Arafat
PIC – A panel of high-ranking Fatah leaders has accused former Gaza strongman Muhammed Dahlan of complicity in poisoning the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Hamas calls for urgently stopping growing Judaization activities in Palestine
PIC – 07/08/2011 – 10:57 AM
Fatah Official Says Talks with Hamas Were Fruitful, Goals Achieved
WAFA
Cuban Foreign Minister: Cuba Supports Palestinian Right to Statehood
WAFA
Organization for Islamic Cooperation Calls on UN to Stop Israeli Settlement Activities
WAFA
PA’s Central Election Commission Conducts Training for Registration Supervisors
WAFA
40 Palestinian Prisoners Suffer from Food Poisoning in Israeli Naqab Prison
WAFA
Palestinians Will Soon Come Full Circle
Intifada-Palestine: 7 Aug 2011 – Former Palestinian diplomat Afif Safieh said the Palestinians became ‘unreasonably reasonable’ in the early 1970s. Photograph: Dan Chung for the Guardian by Sam Bahour The Palestinian national liberation movement has reached its end. As the Palestinian leadership – if there is… more
PAUL BALLES: War on Error
Intifada-Palestine: 6 Aug 2011 – Paul Balles Error is not a typo. Israel’s terror has been America’s error. I’ve never been much of a fan of conspiracy theories, though most raise questions that should be answered. In 2003, I questioned both the official story of 9/11… more
City of Aleppo seems in own world amid revolt elsewhere in Syria
LA Times 6 Aug 2011 – Aleppo’s reluctance to join the revolt goes beyond any alleged cowardice. Financially stable, it was less likely to rise up, and residents have been made complacent by enticements and thick security. Two days before black smoke left a pall over Hama, a bloodied symbol of…
Syrian Military Mounts Assault on Another City
New York Times 7 Aug 2011 – The Syrian military defied growing condemnation and deployed tanks in the restive Deir al-Zour, killing dozens, activists said.
Yemeni President, Hurt in Bombing, Leaves Saudi Hospital
New York Times 7 Aug 2011 – Ali Abdullah Saleh, severely wounded in a June bomb attack, is now in a government residence in Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain Releases Two Former Lawmakers
New York Times 7 Aug 2011 – The move appeared to be aimed at diffusing tensions in Bahrain, although activists said the government continued to crack down on nightly demonstrations.
Moktada al-Sadr Warns U.S. Troops to Leave Iraq
New York Times 7 Aug 2011 – Al-Sadr reiterated his threat to have his thousands of followers attack any United States troops that stay past the current Dec. 31 deadline to leave Iraq.
Retired U.S. diplomat says Palestinian disillusionment is the worse it’s been in 40 years, and US credibility is destroyed
Mondoweiss – A friend with much experience and wide contacts in the Middle East passed along the following evaluation of the current situation in Israel/Palestine by an anonymous (to me, not to my friend) retired American diplomat: The following are impressions from a week of conversations with Palestinians….
Palestinian journalist goes into hiding, fearing arrest by P.A. for her coverage of protest
Mondoweiss – link to www.youtube.com link to www.maannews.net link to palestinesolidarityproject.org link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link to silwanic.net link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link to silwanic.net link to silwanic.net link to www.maannews.net link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link to www.maannews.net link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link to www.theglobeandmail.com link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link to palestinesolidarityproject.org link…
IDF detains 3rd member of Jenin’s Freedom Theatre
Mondoweiss – The Jenin Freedom Theatre issued a press release today: acting student Rami Awni Hwayel, 20, has been arrested by the IDF. Batool Taleb, one of the female acting students who was in the car with Rami describes what happened: “When they got to our…
What is Palestinian statehood up against? (US Israel lobby group organizes junket for 18 ambassadors from mostly-little countries)
Mondoweiss – The Israel Project is a major rightwing Israel lobby group, based in Washington. Its board of advisers easily mixes liberals like Senator Ron Wyden and Rep. Howard Berman with rightwingers like Rep. Allen West and Senator Mark Kirk. That’s the game: there are no political differences…
Feminist triumph in West Bank somehow escapes probing eye of western media
Mondoweiss – The Western media rarely misses stories about honor killings in the Arab world because it’s an opportunity to make Arabs look like savages while pretending to care about Arab or Muslim women, but, they managed to ignore this one. Ma’an: West Bank murder smashed the lie…
IDF Arrests Jenin Freedom Theater Actor, Audience Now Awaits Godot…and Pozo
Tikun Olam – Rami Hwayel, arrested Freedom Theater actor playing Pozo in Waiting for Godot (Freedom Theater) The Jenin Freedom Theater, whose founder Juliano Mer-Khamis was murdered several months ago, is about to perform Waiting for Godot under famed Israeli director and human rights activist, Udi Aloni. But after…
Beit Ommar invaded by Israeli Military
Palestine Solidarity Project 7 Aug 2011 – Early in the morning of August 7th, Israeli soldiers launches a pre-dawn raid into the village of Beit Ommar. At approximately 12 a.m., the Israeli military closed off the village of Beit Ommar. Firing bullets and launching stun grenades and tear gas, dozens of soldiers entered…
Only Israelis sympathise with Mubarak
Middle East Monitor 7 Aug 2011 – It was not surprising to see Israeli officials expressing great sympathy for ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak as they objected to him being put on trial, not least because he gave the Zionist state thirty years of stability. One of the main objectives of Mubarak’s regime…
Saudi Arabia recalls Syria envoy
BBC 7 Aug 2011 – Saudi Arabia withdraws its ambassador from Syria calling the crackdown there “unacceptable”, in a major escalation in foreign pressure.
VIDEO: Massive protests in Israel
BBC 7 Aug 2011 – At least a quarter of a million Israelis have staged marches over the rising cost of living.
Articles
Israel’s ‘real estate revolution’ is not about justice or peace
Gilad Atzmon, Redress8/8/2011
It is almost amusing to discover that some of the most clichéd Marxists around are so taken in by the current Israeli popular protests, which they foolishly interpret as a manifestation of the “Israeli revolutionary spirit”. They are convinced that now that the Israeli “working class” are rising, peace will inevitably prevail.
Yet, in fact, what we are really seeing unfold in Israel (at least for the time being) is the total opposite of a “working class” awakening. Indeed, some in Israel are calling it the “Real Estate Protest” because, basically, what the protestors are seeking are assets: they all wish to have property, a house of their own. They want to be landlords. They want the key, and they want it now. What we see in Tel Aviv has no similarity whatsoever to the struggles taking place in Cairo’s Al-Tahrir Square or in Athens. At the most, the Israeli demonstrations are mimicking some manifestations of a struggle for justice or socialist protest.
But that is where the similarities end . “Let’s forget about Palestine and concentrate on us, the Jews”
Motti Ashkenazi, a legendary Israeli anti-establishment figure, wrote in the Israeli news website Ynet that “another left is needed [in Israel], a left that is primarily concerned with the poor of its country rather than with the plight of our neighbours.”
In clear terms that cannot be interpreted otherwise, Motti Ashkenazi is exploring what he considers to be a necessary shift in Israeli “progressive” thought, and what he appears to conclude is this: forget about Palestine; let’s once and for all concentrate on “us”, the Jews. Ashkenazi continues: “We need another left, a modest one. Instead of a vision for the entire Middle East, it had better present a vision of the state of Israel.” more.. e-mail
Academic claims Israeli school textbooks contain bias
Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem, The Observer, The Guardian8/7/2011
Nurit Peled-Elhanan of Hebrew University says textbooks depict Palestinians as ‘terrorists, refugees and primitive farmers’
Nurit Peled-Elhanan, an Israeli academic, mother and political radical, summons up an image of rows of Jewish schoolchildren, bent over their books, learning about their neighbours, the Palestinians. But, she says, they are never referred to as Palestinians unless the context is terrorism.
They are called Arabs. “The Arab with a camel, in an Ali Baba dress. They describe them as vile and deviant and criminal, people who don’t pay taxes, people who live off the state, people who don’t want to develop,” she says. “The only representation is as refugees, primitive farmers and terrorists. You never see a Palestinian child or doctor or teacher or engineer or modern farmer.”
Peled-Elhanan, a professor of language and education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has studied the content of Israeli school books for the past five years, and her account, Palestine in Israeli School Books: Ideology and Propaganda in Education, is to be published in the UK this month. She describes what she found as racism– but, more than that, a racism that prepares young Israelis for their compulsory military service.
“People don’t really know what their children are reading in textbooks,” she said. “One question that bothers many people is how do you explain the cruel behaviour of Israeli soldiers towards Palestinians, an indifference to human suffering, the inflicting of suffering. People ask how can these nice Jewish boys and girls become monsters once they put on a uniform. I think the major reason for that is education. So I wanted to see how school books represent Palestinians.” more.. e-mail
Is Israel officially giving up on democracy?
MJ Rosenberg, Al Jazeera8/6/2011
New laws aim to make democracy subservient to the orthodox religious beliefs of a minority of citizens.
It is hard to believe that anyone would give credence to reports of the supposed moderating of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s terms for negotiating an agreement with the Palestinians. But, incredibly, some people actually take him seriously. Quite rightly, however, the Palestinians don’t.
Here is the Jerusalem Post’s description of the new Netanyahu “framework”:
“Israeli officials said this framework would be a package deal whereby Israel would agree to entering negotiations using the 1967 lines, with mutually agreed upon swaps, as the baseline of talks; and the Palestinians would agree that the final goal of negotiations would be two states, a Palestinian one and Jewish one.”
The Post views this framework as a concession because the Palestinians would get “something they have long sought”: They “would get the 1967 lines as the baseline” for negotiations.
What? The 1967 lines have always been the starting point for negotiations, going back to United Nations Security Resolution 242 of November 1967. What else could they be?
Israel, obviously, wouldn’t want negotiators to use the 1948 lines as the baseline. In fact, no Israeli government ever questioned that the 1967 lines would be the baseline for negotiations until Netanyahu came to Washington in May and said that he rejected that commitment. After the 1967 war, Prime Minister Levi Eshkol famously said that Israel was in a position to “negotiate peace with the Arabs” because it now had territory it could give up. And every prime minister since has agreed. Except Netanyahu. more.. e-mail
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