17 August , 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Palestine UN Observer: “Settlements Jeopardize Peace Efforts”
IMEMC – Thursday August 18, 2011 – 02:19, Palestinian Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, stated Wednesday that Israel’s insistence on constructing and expanding its illegal settlements in the occupied territories jeopardize all efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.
In a New Crime, IOF Kills Disabled Child in Central Gaza
IMEMC – Thursday August 18, 2011 – 00:48, On Tuesday evening, 16 August 2011, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed a Palestinian child from al-Nussairat refugee camp, who was 400 meters from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
The PA Takes Off-air A Palestinian Political Satire
IMEMC – Wednesday August 17, 2011 – 16:04, The Attorney General of the Palestinian Authority decided on Wednesday to take off air, a Palestinian satire show for its strong criticism of Palestinian Authority leaders and figures.
Palestinian Woman Sentenced To 20 Years For Stabbing An Israeli Soldier
IMEMC – Wednesday August 17, 2011 – 15:01, A Palestinian woman from Ramallah was sentenced to 20-year imprisonment after being indicted of stabbing an Israeli soldier at the Qalandia military checkpoint on the northern entrance of Jerusalem in 2008.
Palestinian Man Hit By Israeli Military Jeep Dies Of Wounds
IMEMC – Wednesday August 17, 2011 – 11:58, A Palestinian pedestrian died of wounds overnight when an Israeli border police jeep hit him in an East Jerusalem suburb, the Palestinian News Agency WAFA reported.
Settlers Torch Dozens Of Dunams Near Homesh Former Settlement In Nablus
IMEMC – Tuesday August 16, 2011 – 21:40, A group of armed extremist Israeli settlers torched on Tuesday evening dozens of dunams of farmlands near the Homesh former settlement, north of Nablus city, in the northern part of the West Bank.
Israel approves 227 Units In Ariel Settlement
IMEMC – Tuesday August 16, 2011 – 10:30, The Israeli government approved the construction of additional 227 units for Jewish settlers in Ariel illegal settlement, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
Resident Killed, Seven Injured, As Army Bombards Gaza
IMEMC – Tuesday August 16, 2011 – 10:04, Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported, on Tuesday at dawn, that one resident was killed and seven others were wounded in a series of air strikes carried out by the Israeli Air force targeting several areas in the coastal region.
Al-Walaja villagers rally to save oldest living olive tree from destruction by Israeli forces
IMEMC – Monday August 15, 2011 – 11:33, On Saturday August 13, 2011, a show of nonviolent popular resistance occurred in Al-Walaja village, west of Bethlehem.
Medics: Gaza teenager shot dead
8/17/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian teenager near the central Gaza Strip city of Deir Al-Balah late Tuesday, medical officials reported. Medics said the Palestinian, who was not identified, suffered “more than 10” gunshots to the head and upper body after soldiers east of the Al-Masdar area opened fire. Gaza….
Fuel, medicine ‘crisis’ in Gaza hospitals
8/17/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Muhammad Al-Kashef, a health ministry official in Gaza, warned Tuesday of a crisis hitting the sector as medicine shortages have plagued the enclave for two months. Al-Kashef said the ministry of health in Ramallah is largely responsible for the crisis after excluding Gaza from its legal share or 40 percent….
Detainees ministry: Israel threatens ‘mistreatment’ in prisons
8/17/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinians in Israeli jails have been threatened with worsening prison conditions, beginning at the start of September, the Ministry of Detainees in Ramallah said Wednesday. The Israeli Prison Administration informed Palestinian representatives in jail that “mistreatment” would begin at the end of the holy month of Ramadan, according to the PA….
Palestinian hit by Israel police jeep dies
8/17/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — A Palestinian pedestrian was killed overnight when an Israeli border police jeep hit him in an East Jerusalem suburb, the man’s family and a border police spokesman told AFP on Wednesday. The victim, 38-year-old Amin Talab Dabash, was hit by the jeep as it drove through an area near the….
PA: Settlers torch farmland near Nablus
8/16/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli settlers on Tuesday set fire to farm land in an evacuated settlement near Nablus, a Palestinian Authority official said. Settlement affairs official Ghassan Doughlas said settlers torched hundreds of trees around Homesh settlement shortly before Iftar, the traditional meal to break the daily fast in the Muslim holy month of….
Settlements expand, while Area C is bulldozed
8/17/2011 – RAMALLAH (IRIN) — Each year, hundreds of Palestinians in Area C have their homes demolished by the Israeli authorities because they are unable to obtain permits for their buildings, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Area C covers 60 percent of the West Bank with a Palestinian population of about….
Woman found guilty of stabbing soldier
8/17/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israel’s Ofer military court handed down a 20-year sentence to a Ramallah woman on Wednesday, who was accused of stabbing an Israeli guard at a Ramallah military checkpoint three years earlier. Sumoud Hasan Karaja, now 23, from the Ramallah-area village of Saffa, was detained during a home raid….
Al-Jazeera slams Israel’s arrest of correspondent
8/17/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) —Al-Jazeera expressed outrage on Tuesday at the Israeli authorities detention of their Afghanistan Bureau Chief seized at the border with Jordan a week ago. Samer Allawi was returning from a three-week holiday in his hometown of Sebastiya in the West Bank district of Nablus, a statement from the Doha-based satellite news….
Hamas divided on UN bid for recognition
8/17/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas leader Ismail Radwan sees the Palestinian Authority’s decision to go to the UN in September to seek recognition of statehood as just the latest in a series of unilateral decisions. Radwan told Ma’an that there should be consensus on a Palestinian national strategy, including how….
World powers condemn Israeli settlement move
8/17/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — The United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations attacked on Tuesday, Israel’s move to expand a West Bank settlement, calling it a threat to peace efforts. The latest public condemnation of Israel came amid intense efforts by Tony Blair, the envoy of the diplomatic Quartet, to get….
Report: Israel PM ‘snubs Clinton’ over Turkey apology
8/17/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel has rejected a US request to apologize to Turkey over its 2010 commando raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that killed nine Turkish activists, Israeli media reported on Wednesday. Unsourced reports by Israel’s two main radio stations said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu….
Hamas official: Party not moving headquarters to Cairo
8/17/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A senior Hamas leader said Wednesday that the party has no intention of moving its headquarters in exile from Damascus to Cairo. Salah Bardaweil rubbished reports that the recent visit to Egypt by exiled Hamas leader Khalid Mashaal was to discuss moving the party’s offices to Cairo.” Hamas has….
Lebanon upgrades Palestinian delegation to embassy
8/17/2011 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas hoisted the flag of “the state of Palestine” in Beirut on Wednesday as he inaugurated the Palestinian embassy in Beirut. The ceremony, which saw the Palestinian delegation upgraded to an embassy, was attended by Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and top Palestinian officials, including top PA official Saeb Erekat….
PM: Turkey won’t back down on demand for Israeli apology
8/17/2011 – ISTANBUL (AFP) — Turkey’s prime minister said Wednesday his country would never back down on demands for an apology from Israel over its 2010 commando raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that killed nine Turkish activists.” As long as Israel does not apologize, pay compensation and remove the embargo over Gaza, it is impossible….
PA takes satirical TV series off air
8/17/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Ramadan TV series that became notorious for its criticism of Palestinian Authority officials has been discontinued on the PA-run Palestine TV, Attorney General Ahmad Al-Mughni said Tuesday evening. Al-Mughni told Ma’an that the decision had been made to stop broadcasts of Watan Ala Watar [Homeland on a String….
Samaritan marks 8th year in Israeli prison
8/17/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — A Samaritan detainee from the West Bank marked his eighth year in Israel jail on Wednesday. Nader Mamdouh, 32, from Nablus, is being treated as a Palestinian and not a Samaritan, his parents told Ma’an. Samaritans, who number just 700 in two communities in the West Bank and Israel….
Barak confirms Israel, Hamas prisoner talks in Cairo
8/17/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has confirmed rumors that talks are taking place in Cairo between Israel and Hamas to negotiate a prisoner swap, the Israel daily Haaretz reported Tuesday. London based Al-Hayat newspaper had reported earlier Tuesday that Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal was to arrive in Cairo to….
Ashrawi: UN responsible for Palestinian state
8/17/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — PLO official Hanan Ashrawi said Tuesday that the United Nations was the proper place for questions of Palestinian self-determination, following a meeting with the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.”As the body charged with upholding international law,” Palestinians hold the UN responsible for the establishment of their….
Fatah official: Syrian violence to Palestinians ‘unacceptable’
8/17/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Syrian authorities’ targeting of a Palestinian refugee camp in Latakia is “unacceptable and unethical,” Fatah central committee member Tawfik At-Tirawi said Tuesday. Thousand of refugees from the Ramel camp were reported to have fled from their homes on Monday after Syrian started heavy shelling of the area, drawing widespread condemnation….
PA condemns conference hosted by hard-line Rabbi
8/17/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority condemned the Israeli government on Wednesday for allowing a conference hosted by a hard-line Rabbi to take place Tuesday in the Pisgat Zeev settlement in East Jerusalem.” The Israeli authorities’ ongoing and consistent tolerance towards hate speech and incitement against Palestinians leads to actions,” director of the….
EU condemns ongoing closure of East Jerusalem institutions
8/17/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The EU released a statement Wednesday condemning a decision by Israel to extend the closure of the Orient House and Chamber of Commerce in East Jerusalem.”The EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah deeply regret the recent Israeli decision extending once again the closure order against the Orient House and the….
Scuffles as Israeli MPs debate protests
8/17/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Hundreds of Israeli youngsters scuffled with police outside parliament on Tuesday as MPs held a special debate on the huge cost-of-living protests sweeping the country. The demonstrations were timed to coincide with a special parliamentary session called during the Knesset’s summer recess, to debate the government’s handling of a….
Israeli forces arrest ex-prisoner from Jenin
8/17/2011 – JENIN (Ma’an) — The Israeli army arrested a man on Tuesday night in the village of Kafr Rai, west of Jenin. Belal Nabil Saed Theyab was arrested as Israeli forces raided his home and searched the property, his family told Ma’an. Thayab had spent seven years in Israeli jails for being affiliated….
Al-Qassam field leader ‘dies of accident injuries’
8/17/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A field leader of Hamas’ armed wing died on Wednesday, the group said in a statement, noting he succumbed to wounds sustained in an unspecified accident days earlier. A statement from the Al-Qassam Brigades named the man as Mahmoud As-Safadi, from the Ad-Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City, but did….
Quartet ‘concerned’ by Israeli settlement move
8/17/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — The United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations on Tuesday attacked Israel’s move to build new Jewish-only housing in the West Bank as a threat to peace efforts.” The Quartet is greatly concerned by Israel’s recent announcements to advance planning for new housing units in….
Israel ministers debate Palestinian UN bid
8/17/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel’s security cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss possible security scenarios in September when Palestinians try to secure UN membership, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.” The ministerial committee on security held a debate ahead of likely events in September in light of the Palestinian leadership’s intention….
Report: Israel government to renew investment in Eilat
8/16/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli cabinet committee decided Tuesday to renew investment in the southern resort city of Eilat, Hebrew-language media reported. The Israeli daily Maariv said the decision was taken after Jordan increased its budget to develop Al-Aqaba and a tourist boom was reported in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. The economic and….
Increased consumption leads to scarcity in dates
8/16/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The lack of dates in Palestinian markets is due to increased consumption at Ramadan and an end to the harvesting season, Minister of Agriculture Ismail Idiq told Ma’an. The shortage will end by August 25, he said. There is also a lack of refrigerators to store large quantities of….
Syria’s Latakia under fire, sniper attacks
8/17/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syrian forces raked Latakia with machinegun fire Tuesday and pressed a crackdown in the port city that has already killed dozens and sent Palestinian refugees fleeing, activists and residents said.” The heavy machinegun fire and bullets were intense in areas of Latakia, Ramel, Masbah al-Shaab and Ain Tamra for more than three hours….
Egyptian army detain 4 armed men near Sinai gas plant
8/17/2011 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian troops detained four armed men near a natural gas processing plant in the northern Sinai, security officials told Ma’an. Egyptian officials said soldiers detained the men and confiscated their weapons during a routine patrol of the area. A security guard at the plant told the army that…. Related: Egyptian forces seize Sinai weapons depot
Egyptians at odds over Mubarak’s off-camera trial
8/17/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egyptians, who were glued to their television screens for the two first sessions of ousted president Hosni Mubarak’s trial, have been divided by the judge’s decision to remove the cameras. The public trial of Mubarak, accused of corruption and the murder of hundreds of demonstrators, was one of the….
Egyptian forces seize Sinai weapons depot
8/17/2011 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian security forces said they had seized a mega-factory for manufacturing weapons in the northern Sinai town of El-Arish on Tuesday night. Explosives, rockets and other weapons were captured, and a suspect was detained at the scene, security officials told Ma’an. The Egyptian army and police have flooded…. Related: Egyptian army detain 4 armed men near Sinai gas plant
Jordan political reform plans welcomed
8/17/2011 – AMMAN, Jordan (AFP) — Jordan has taken a “positive step” in drawing up plans to reform its constitution, analysts said as opposition leaders called the move insufficient to effect political change. The proposals, including the creation of a constitutional court, come as Jordan has been beset for months by growing popular demands for political, economic and….
Russia to keep up Syria arms sales
8/17/2011 – ZHUKOVSKY, Russia (AFP) — Russia said Wednesday it would maintain arms sales to Middle East ally Syria despite US pressure because the United Nations had failed to impose sanctions against President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime. The comments from the head of Russia’s state weapons exporter came just days after US Secretary of State….
Swiss widen sanctions against Syrian regime
8/17/2011 – GENEVA (AFP) — Switzerland widened sanctions against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime on Wednesday, adding 12 individuals to a list of key players under financial embargo and travel restriction.” These restrictive measures have been decreed due to the violent repression that the army and the Syrian security forces have enforced for two months to….
At least 10 dead, Syria makes sweeping arrests
8/17/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Security forces on Wednesday killed at least 10 people and made sweeping arrests, activists said, as Western and Arab countries sought a special UN session on Syria’s crackdown on dissent. President Bashar Al-Assad, meanwhile, met with the central committee of the ruling Baath party, in power since 1963, for the first….
UN-backed tribunal publishes Hariri indictment
8/17/2011 – THE HAGUE (AFP) — A UN-backed court probing the assassination of Lebanon’s former prime minister Rafiq Hariri said Wednesday it had enough evidence to try four Hezbollah members, as it published the full indictment. While the court had previously named the four suspects, its decision to release more than 20,000 pages of evidence was….
Two jailed for 6 months for insulting Egypt military
8/17/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt’s military, which faces growing condemnation for cracking down on critics, on Wednesday sentenced two men to six months in prison each for chanting anti-military slogans, a prosecution official said. One of the men, 18-year-old activist Hassan Said, was arrested in a central Cairo square on August 2, a day….
Hamas bans Gaza students from studying in U.S.
Palestine Note 17 Aug 2011 – Haaretz- Hamas has banned eight teenage students with scholarships to study in the United States -from leaving the territory, a Palestinian rights group said Wednesday. The move appeared to be part of an intensified Hamas campaign against independent groups that…
Israel-Palestinian conflict writ large on road signs
Palestine Note 17 Aug 2011 – BBC- “Where are you going?” asked the friendly, but slightly over-familiar, Jewish-Israeli boy sitting next to me on the plane from London. “I work in Jerusalem,” I replied. His smile instantly turned to a scowl. “It’s not Jerusalem,” he said….
U.S. Senator seeks to cut aid to elite IDF units operating in West Bank and Gaza
Palestine Note 16 Aug 2011 – Haaretz- U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy is promoting a bill to suspend U.S. assistance to three elite Israel Defense Forces units, alleging they are involved in human rights violations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Leahy, a Democrat and senior…
Abbas in Lebanon to rally support for UN bid
Palestine Note 16 Aug 2011 – Ma’an- President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Beirut Tuesday to seek support for the Palestinian bid for UN membership in September, which will come as Lebanon serves as head of the Security Council. Abbas will meet with President Michel Sleiman, Prime…
Al Jazeera journalist held in Israeli prison
Palestine Note 16 Aug 2011 – Al Jazeera- Samer Allawi, Al Jazeera Arabic’s Kabul bureau chief, has been brought before an Israeli military court, almost a week after he was arrested by Israeli officials when he tried to cross the border between Jordan and the occupied…
Palestinian Refugees Flee Syrian Troops
Palestine Note 16 Aug 2011 – PLO condemns violence as “part of the crimes against humanity” targeting Palestinians and Syrians alike Arabiya – Syria came under sharp Arab and international condemnation on Tuesday after activists said gunboats pounded Latakia port, forcing thousands of Palestinians to flee…
Regional powers turn up pressure on Syria
AlJazeera 17 Aug 2011 – Arab leaders are increasing pressure on Syria, urging President Assad to end the bloodshed.
Quartet alarmed by Israel’s settlement plans
AlJazeera 17 Aug 2011 – Mediating group says it is ‘greatly concerned’ by recent announcement to advance planning for new housing units.
Turkish FM: ‘Syrian army still in key towns’
AlJazeera 17 Aug 2011 – Witnesses dispute government reports that security operations have ended in Deir ez-Zor and areas of Latakia.
Yemeni leader vows to return ‘home soon’
AlJazeera 17 Aug 2011 – Ali Abdullah Saleh says he will return soon during broadcast from Saudi Arabia where he is recovering from attack.
UN tribunal releases Hariri indictment
AlJazeera 17 Aug 2011 – UN tribunal investigating former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri’s killing lifts confidentiality restrictions.
Talks Making Progress, But Palestine UN Bid Still Inevitable
PNN – New York – PNN – Ron Proser, Israeli envoy to the UN has stated that talks between the Israelis and Palestinians mediated by Tony Blair are going well, but the Palestinians still…
Preserving Palestinian Heritage One Stitch at a Time
PNN – Hebron – Emily Lawrence – PNN / The Electronic Intifada – A walk through the markets of the Old City in Hebron is a sobering reminder of the effects of the Israeli occupation…
Israeli Military Recommends Fatah Prisoners’ Release
PNN – Bethlehem – PNN – The Israeli military has advised politicians to grant several concessions to Palestinians ahead of their bid for statehood at the UN in September, according to ynetnews.com. The options…
UNRWA: Thousands of Palestinians Flee Syrian Violence in Latakia
PNN – Damascus – PNN – UNRWA has reported that over 5000 Palestinians have fled a refugee camp beside the besieged city of Latakia in Syria, as President Assad continues his clamp down on…
U.S. Senator Wants to Stop Aid to Elite Israeli Military Units
PNN – Washington – PNN – U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont, has promoted a bill to suspend U.S. assistance to three elite Israeli military units, the Israel Navy’s Shayetet 13 unit,…
1 Dead, 5 Injured After Israeli Airstrike in Gaza
PNN – Gaza – PNN – According to Hamas medical sources, five Israeli airstrikes against targets this morning killed one gunman, injured two others and injured three civilians including a boy. The boy was…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
In a New Crime, IOF Kills Disabled Child in Central Gaza
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Wednesday, 17 August 2011
PCHR Denounces Gaza Ministry of Education’s Decision to Prevent Students Having Scholarships to Study in USA from Leaving Gaza
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Wednesday, 17 August 2011
PCHR Is Shocked by Declaration of the Ministry of Interior in Gaza Regarding Travel of Representatives of Programs and Projects of NGOs and Institutions
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Israel Approves Thousands of Illegal Settler Housing Units in Occupied East Jerusalem
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Monday, 15 August 2011
International Solidarity Movement
75 year old woman shot in Johr al-Dik
8/17/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 16 August 2011, International Solidarity Movement, Gaza Strip – Selma Al Sawarka, or Um Ahmad, is an active woman, a mother of seven, and a grandmother of 35, who has never quit working. August 10, 2011 dawned like most days do for her; she went out to graze her family’s goats. She took her….
As protesters hold Iftar in the ‘buffer zone,’ Israeli bulldozers sever Gaza’s links with the world
8/17/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 16 August 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza – On Tuesday, August 9, members of the International Solidarity Movement — Gaza Strip joined the Beit Hanoun Local Initiative for its weekly protest by the Erez Crossing against the Israeli-imposed “buffer zone.”During Ramadan, these protests take the form of Iftars with local farmers threatened by Israeli incursions….
Alternative Information Center
Israel, Hamas Renew Prisoner Exchange Negotiations
Alternative Information Center – “No visits for Gilad, no visits for you”. This was the slogan chanted by a group of some 50 Israelis who attempted to halt a bus carrying Palestinian families on their way to visit detained relatives…
AIC Video: New Protest Camp in Jerusalem
Alternative Information Center – Single mothers, supported by students and the independent trade union movement, established a new protest camp in Jerusalem on 15 August 2011.
Monthly report: Referral of patients from the Gaza Strip in July 2011
Relief Web 17 Aug 2011 – Source: World Health Organization Country: occupied Palestinian territory A 33-year-old male heart disease patient died after his two requests to cross Erez checkpoint to access the hospital to which he was referred by the Palestinian Ministry of Health were both…
One person killed and five injured in a new Israeli escalation against the Gaza Strip; Al Mezan condemns the Israeli escalation and calls on the international community to intervene
Relief Web 17 Aug 2011 – Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) escalated their attack on the Gaza Strip. In the morning hours of Tuesday 16 August 2011, Israeli aircraft launched five aerial attacks on different…
Local EU Statement on the closure extension of the Orient House and the Chamber of Commerce of East Jerusalem
Relief Web 17 Aug 2011 – Source: European Union Country: occupied Palestinian territory The EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah deeply regret the recent Israeli decision extending once again the closure order against the Orient House and the Chamber of Commerce of East Jerusalem. These institutions…
Growing Palestinian displacement in West Bank Area C
Relief Web 17 Aug 2011 – Source: Integrated Regional Information Networks Country: occupied Palestinian territory RAMALLAH, 17 August 2011 (IRIN) – Each year, hundreds of Palestinians in Area C have their homes demolished by the Israeli authorities because they are unable to obtain permits for their…
Preparedness programme helps young people to build a better future in Jordan
Relief Web 17 Aug 2011 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory , Jordan By Miriam Abu Hamdan 16 August 2011 Amman, Jordan “I want to be a professional photographer and I will get there,” said…
UNICEF oPt Monthly Update, July-August 2011
Relief Web 17 Aug 2011 – Source: UN Children’s Fund Country: occupied Palestinian territory , Israel Overview: Focus on Gaza More than half of the 1.5 million people living in Gaza are children below the age of 18, who need special protection. These 800,000 children and adolescents…
World powers condemn Israeli settlement move
Relief Web 16 Aug 2011 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory UNITED NATIONS — The United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations on Tuesday attacked Israel’s move to expand a West Bank settlement as a threat to peace efforts. The new…
Israeli troops kill Palestinian after deadly air strikes
Relief Web 16 Aug 2011 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories — Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man on Tuesday in the Gaza Strip as he came near to the border with Israel, Palestinian medics and witnesses said….
Quartet condemns expansion of Israeli settlements
17 Aug 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph)-The middle east Quartet of the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nation condemned on Wednesday the ongoing construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Jerusalemite citizen killed after hit by Israeli jeep
17 Aug 2011 – Jerusalem, (Pal Telegraph)-A Jerusalemite citizen died yesterday after being hit by an Israeli military jeep in the southeast of Jerusalem.
Settlers torch agricultural lands near Jenin
17 Aug 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Dozens of Israeli settlers set fire yesterday to several dunums planted with olive trees in Bart’a, a village in the south of Jenin.
Israeli forces shoot dead Palestinian in Gaza
17 Aug 2011 – Gaza Strip, (Pal Telegraph)-A Palestinian citizen was killed Tuesday evening by Israeli gunfire in the east of al-Musader area, central Gaza Strip.
Israel brings 360 Jews from US, Canada
16 Aug 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph)-According to Israeli radio, 360 Jews arrived Tuesday at Ben Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv to live in the occupied territories of 1948.
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza kill 1 Palestinian, injure 10
16 Aug 2011 – Gaza Strip, (Pal Telegraph)-One Palestinian was killed and ten were injured Tuesday at dawn as Israeli warplanes targeted several sites in Gaza Strip.
Former Palestinian power broker fighting for political survival
The National 17 Aug 2011 – Mohammed Dahlan is fighting for his political life. Colleagues in the Fatah faction that now runs the West Bank expelled him from the group in June. They have accused him of everything from corruption to building his own private militia.
Rights groups see bills as targeting Arabs
The National 17 Aug 2011 – Two legislative initiatives appear to be the latest attempt by Israel’s predominantly right-wing parliament to target Israeli Arabs, who make up about a fifth’s of Israel’s population.
Algerian fuel key to Libyan battle
The National 17 Aug 2011 – War in Libya has paralysed fuel production there. That makes Algerian fuel and the men who traffic it decisive in the battle for Libya, increasingly a war of attrition as rebels try to strangle the regime of Col Muammar Qaddafi.
Egyptian activists and army at odds over US aid
The National 16 Aug 2011 – Egypt’s military rulers imply that anti-government protesters are stooges of foreign powers by taking money from a United States aid agency.
Continuing violence in Syria prompts Turkey to consider tougher stance
The National 16 Aug 2011 – Turkey is getting increasingly frustrated with the violence in Syria and is considering a formal declaration that the regime of Bashar Al Assad has lost its legitimacy.
Former regime insider says only democracy can save Syria
The National 16 Aug 2011 – Only a shift to democracy can save Syria from looming sectarian violence, says the former minister of state under president Hafez Al Assad.
Turkey issues ‘final words’ of warning to Syria
The National 15 Aug 2011 – Jordan and Palestinians also join with US in condemning Bashar Al Assad’s brutal response to the five-month uprising against his regime.
Rebels say they are just 50km from Tripoli
The National 15 Aug 2011 – They control most of Zawiya and fighters claim a victory in march on capital, as a key Qaddafi minister seemingly defects.
Turkey plans diplomatic assault on Israel after its refusal to apologize for Gaza flotilla raid
Ha’aretz – Senior official in Jerusalem says decision not to apologize at this point was primarily to allow a UN report on the raid to be released.
Issacharoff & Harel / Israel and Hamas both have an interest in showing progress on Shalit deal
Ha’aretz – Despite interest, there is still distance between intensive negotiations and the signing of a deal, resulting from both substantive disparities in parties’ positions and considerations each party has against arriving at a resolution.
Leading Labor Party candidate: I don’t see Israeli settlements as a crime
Ha’aretz – Shelly Yachimovich claims settlement building was completely consensual move; says it was Labor Party that founded the settlement enterprise in the territories.
Shin Bet accused of exceeding its authority in Mer-Khamis murder case
Ha’aretz – Lawyers: Murder not classified as security crime, therefore Shin Bet has, by law, no authority to investigate.
Zvi Bar’el / When it comes to Israel and Turkey, stupidity is also a strategic asset
Ha’aretz – Israel is set on showing the world that it will not surrender to Turkey’s demand for an apology, but is simultaneously foiling the opportunity to use it as an ally in face of Syria and Iran.
Hezbollah chief: Hariri indictment contains ‘no direct evidence’
Ha’aretz – Hassan Nasrallah responds to the indictment accusing four members of the militant Shi’ite group of taking part in killing former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Fatah-Hamas reconciliation stalls over Palestinian statehood bid
Ha’aretz – Senior Fatah official says, ‘We are not giving the Americans or anyone else a reason to shun us because of the reconciliation or anything else.’
Muslim militant says David Letterman’s ‘tongue deserves to be cut out’
Ha’aretz – Militant calls Letterman a ‘lowly Jew’ in response to talk show host’s joke about death of leading al-Qaida member; Letterman is not a Jew.
Hamas bans Gaza students from studying in U.S.
Ha’aretz – Palestinian Center for Human Rights says Hamas rejected travel request by eight teenagers who were granted AMIDEAST scholarships.
Israeli man murdered in armed robbery of Hod Hasharon store
Ha’aretz – Two armed robbers shoot a thirty-year old man who chased them down a main road following their robbery of a jewelry and watch store.
Lieberman trades jibes with social justice protesters in Sderot
Ha’aretz – Foreign Minister accuses demonstrators of being ‘shouters for hire,’ announces plan for free daycare, bonuses for IDF soldiers.
Israeli singer accused of extortion has remand extended by six days
Ha’aretz – Judge says there is ‘serious suspicion’ that Margalit Tzan’ani is involved in the allegations against her.
Israeli disappears in Zambia after hippopotamus flips boat
Ha’aretz – Avim Yariv, 39, was on rafting trip with his children; Israeli consul in Kenya to travel to Zambia to assist search efforts.
Happy Birthday, Mr. President: Peres turns 88
Ha’aretz – Shimon Peres celebrates his birthday at the 110th anniversary of village Kfar Tavor in the Lower Galilee.
For first time, foreign worker’s child born and educated in Israel to be deported
Ha’aretz – Arrest of four-year-old girl whose mother is from the Philippines points to further implementation of new Israeli new policy.
Dozens of Israelis rally outside emergency Knesset session on social protests
Ha’aretz – Opposition leader Tzipi Livni says Israelis created ‘summer of hope’; most government seats at session remained empty.
Top Israeli singer Margalit Tzan’ani arrested for alleged blackmail, link to crime ring
Ha’aretz – Singer, known in Israel as ‘Margol’, made headlines last week for criticizing social protest movement; interrogated for using services of crime organization to collect debts.
Tel Aviv apartment prices plunge by up to 15% as housing protests sweep Israel
Ha’aretz – Real estate rates fell by average of 6.5% in second quarter of 2011, with 0.5% decline in rental price in July alone.
Rare statue of Hercules found in northern Israel
Ha’aretz – Archeologists discover marble statue in excavation site in Jezreel Valley, depicting the Greek demigod holding a club decorated with the skin of the Nemean lion he killed according to legend.
Glenn Beck calls Israel social protesters ‘communists’
Ha’aretz – The conservative pundit, currently in Israel for a mass rally to ‘Restore Courage’ in Jerusalem, pokes holes in ‘extreme left’ protesters’ demands.
Single Israelis look for love in ancient cave
Ha’aretz – 60 single men and women hold a speed-dating marathon in a 2,000-year-old quarry, to mark the Jewish festival of love.
Striking Israeli doctors agree to mediated talks with Finance Ministry
Ha’aretz – Israel Medical Association agrees to mediation on condition the negotiations last a week, over the course of which public health care institutions can continue to strike.
Alternative experts panel vows to address Israel’s ‘unacceptable’ economic policy
Ha’aretz – Team of some 60 academics and public figures vows to present practical possibilities for changing priorities; team’s leaders current economic policy causes ‘widespread and shameful’ poverty.
Lieberman: Israel’s rejection of apology to Turkey came too late
Ha’aretz – FM tells Channel 2 that the fact it took Israel so long to decide it will not apologize over the Gaza flotilla raid shows it lacks confidence.
Turkey PM: Israel ties won’t improve without apology for Gaza flotilla raid
Ha’aretz – Erdogan responds to Netanyahu’s decision on Wednesday not to apologize for the IDF raid on Gaza-bound ship in 2010.
Netanyahu to Clinton: Israel won’t apologize to Turkey for Gaza flotilla raid
Ha’aretz – PM Netanyahu informs U.S. Secretary of State Clinton that Israel will not accept an outline for restoring relationship with Turkey.
Palestinian sources: Hamas leader won’t soften demands for Shalit swap
Ha’aretz – Khaled Meshal to hold talks Wednesday with Egyptian intelligence chief, General Murad Muwafi, Al-Hayat reports.
Hamas: Israel retreated from its ‘extreme position’ on Shalit deal
Ha’aretz – Senior Hamas official says Israel has been showing much more flexibility regarding its demands in a prisoner exchange deal to secure the release of captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Mideast Quartet ‘greatly concerned’ by Israel’s recent settlement plans
Ha’aretz – Israel recently announced plan for 277 homes in Ariel settlement in West Bank and more than 900 housing units in Har Homa neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
Israel detains Al Jazeera’s Kabul bureau chief in West Bank
Ha’aretz – IDF arrests Samer Allawi, a senior Palestinian journalist at Al Jazeera in Afghanistan, at a border crossing in West Bank last week; Allawi brought before a military court on Tuesday.
Barak confirms ‘grain of truth’ to rumors of renewed Shalit talks
Ha’aretz – London-based Al-Hayat reports Hamas political chief on way to Cairo; Palestinian sources say Israel showing willingness to compromise.
Hamas political leader due in Cairo for talks on Shalit deal
Ha’aretz – London-based Al-Hayat reports Khaled Meshal to discuss prisoner swap in third round of negotiations; sources say Israel showing signs of compromise.
IDF airstrike on Gaza Strip reportedly kills Hamas gunman
Ha’aretz – Israel Air Force targets five locations, foiling attempted terrorist attack; Hamas says one gunman killed, two wounded and three civilians wounded, among them a boy.
U.S.: Israeli construction in Ariel ‘deeply troubling’
Ha’aretz – White House joins Palestinian criticism of Israel’s plan to construct 277 homes in the West Bank settlement of Ariel.
Jordan calls on Syria to ‘put an immediate end to violence’
Ha’aretz – Syrian troops continue harsh security crackdowns in central and coastal cities, leaving at least three people dead and hundreds arrested.
Palestinians: Ariel construction destroys remnants of peace efforts
Ha’aretz – Defense Minister Ehud Barak has approved the building of 277 apartments the West Bank settlement of Ariel, defying U.S. criticism of continued settlement construction
IDF promotes colonel who justified hitting Palestinian detainees
Ha’aretz – Colonel Itai Virov, former commander of Kfir brigade, to be promoted to brigadier-general, will be head commander for infantry soldiers and paratroopers.
Israel approves 227 new homes in West Bank settlement of Ariel
Ha’aretz – Defense Minister Ehud Barak okays largest housing project in single settlement since establishment of the Netanyahu government.
Activists: Syrian forces kill nine people in Homs
Jerusalem Post 18 Aug 2011 – Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad kill nine people in assault on city; dead include two protesters shot by pro-Assad militiamen after nightly Ramadan prayers.
Suspect in Schalit scam just a fall guy, says lawyer
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Defense lawyer says Ronen Bar-Shira is an innocent dupe in a larger scam, asks court to drop charges.
Criminals integrated within entertainment world, police say
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Singer Tzanani remanded for six more days; alleged victim, agent Assaf Atadegi, says “no one threatened me.”
Glenn Beck rally could spark violence, warn Arab MKs
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – US radio show host to ‘Post’: Event will be different than people expect; MK Ahmed Tibi: “Glenn Beck is a ‘bizarre, neo-fascist comedian.”
Turkey: Syrian situation may become Libya-style civil war
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Assad regime reportedly hounding dissidents abroad as ‘Zionist’ agents; Former US official: Expel Syrian ambassador from Washington.
Ovadia Yosef’s daughter meets J’lem tent protesters
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – “It’s impossible to do everything at once, but we have to do something,” Adina Bar Shalom tells leaders.
6 families file petition over public housing wait list
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Justice Ministry slams Housing Ministry for leaving families in limbo for years.
‘Appoint Israeli Arabs and women to Trajtenberg Committee’
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Rights groups petition High Court, demanding changes in socioeconomic committee.
Pastrami on rye still a New York City staple
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – 2nd Avenue Deli opens new location despite new health trends.
The corner of Rothschild and Madrid
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Seeking to share ideas and learn from each others, Tel Aviv social protesters hold video chat with more experienced counterparts in Spain.
On the corner of Rothschild and Madrid
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Tent-city activists hold live video chat with Madrid’s ‘May 15’ protesters, jointly prepare for next month’s int. anti-bank ‘Day of Rage’.
104 would-be soldiers arrive en masse to join IDF
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Nefesh B’Nefesh flight lands from New York with 359 new immigrants.
Abbas raises PA flag at Beirut embassy dedication
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Lebanese PM attends ceremony; PA president says following Palestinian statehood, Palestinians in Lebanon will receive Palestinian passports.
Fundamentally Freund: End US aid to the PA
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Why on earth should Washington continue to fund Abbas and company when they do not hesitate to frustrate the aims of American foreign policy?
Are we in for early elections?
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – It looks like no matter who heads the government, there is a serious problem of governability, which is largely the result of the political fragmentation.
Washington Watch: Is Bibi bluffing on borders?
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Netanyahu has shown a proclivity for exhausting all the alternatives before making difficult ideological decisions.
Candidly Speaking: Social protest — reality and delusion
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – The government must now demonstrate compassion and a willingness to listen to the genuine grievances of the people. But at the same time, it must retain its nerve and avoid being panicked by populists.
Egypt’s top Islamic authority hosts talks on constitution
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – The country’s most prestigious religious institution, Al-Azhar, holds conference; Amr Mousa, ElBaradei attend alongside Brotherhood, Wafd.
Norway is pro-Palestinian — and pro-Israeli
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – The response of the Norwegian people and their government to the terror attacks on July 22 has been overwhelmingly in favor of not politicizing the event.
Human shields: Back to reality
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – The current rules and their application have allowed the blatant use of human shields to successfully tie both hands of a democratic state by preventing it from defending itself.
Peace Train
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – The Jerusalem Light Rail, scheduled to begin operation Friday, has the potential of becoming a vehicle for city unity.
One-sided humor is not funny
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – For too long, satire on television appeared to belong to the Left. In recent years, the popular show ‘Latma’ has proven that humor can come from the Right as well.
Cutting the pie
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Whose interests do we prefer when the national cake doesn’t expand as much as the appetite for bigger and bigger bites of it?
Nasrallah: Hariri indictment contains ‘no direct evidence’
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Indictment published, says phones link 4 Hezbollah suspects to Rafik Hariri assassination.
Herschkowitz: Protesters have clear political interest
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Likud, Shas ministers have been careful not to say anything negative about the protests, which polls show are supported by the general public.
EU urges Israel to let Palestinians reopen e. J’lem offices
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – PLO headquarters and Arab Chamber of Commerce in east Jerusalem shut down by police during Second Intifada for fronting illegal activities.
Lawsuits, complaints lead PA to cut satirical TV series
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Abed Rabbo calls decision “a grave breach of freedom of expression and creativity”, says order creates dangerous precedent.
Hariri calls on Hezbollah to hand suspects to tribunal
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Indictment published, says phones link 4 suspects to Rafik Hariri assasination; Sa’ad Hariri urges Nasrallah, Lebanese gov’t to cooperate.
Analysis: Assad puts Hamas in corner over Syrian assault
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – Group has been silent over attacks on Palestinian refugees in Syria; Speculation still lingering that Hamas leaders may leave Damascus.
Erdogan: No closer Israel ties without ‘Marmara’ apology
Jerusalem Post 17 Aug 2011 – PM’s office denies reports Clinton pressured Netanyahu to apologize; Foreign Ministry has no plans to replace retiring Turkish ambassador.
Jerusalem’s long-awaited light railway splits opinion
The Guardian 17 Aug 2011 – Some critics say project’s completion is latest example of tightening Israeli grip on Arab east of city After a decade of disruption, missed deadlines, bust budgets and a clamour of criticism, the first passengers will on…
Israel’s former Soviet immigrants transform adopted country
The Guardian 17 Aug 2011 – Russian-speaking Jews who arrived over the past 20 years have integrated little, but influenced everything from culture to politics At Bar Putin, in the heart of Jerusalem, you can down vodka shots in homage to the…
Understanding is key to a two-state future for Israelis and Palestinians | Lorna Fitzsimons
The Guardian 17 Aug 2011 – A Palestinian state can become a reality, but only through an agreement with Israel that meets the requirements of both sides Many have become disillusioned with the idea of a negotiated two-state solution for Israelis and…
It’s a good time to be a lesbian
The Guardian 16 Aug 2011 – Around the world, attitudes are changing and understanding is growing — but that still doesn’t mean that equality has been achieved Taiwan will witness something few could have predicted later this month, when 60 lesbian couples…
Int’l Pressure Mounts as Syrian Crackdown Grows More Violent
IPS Though many expected the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to bring a significant boost to the beleaguered Syrian opposition movement, the past two weeks have instead brought the bloodiest government offensives to date.
MIDEAST: To Save From the Sea, and the Siege
IPS It’s a sunny Gaza morning and although a work day, the beach along Sheik Rajleen has enough people on it to keep Gaza’s small number of lifeguards busy and alert. From a simple, raised wooden hut, a team of three monitor the sea, periodically calling out to swimmers below to…
EGYPT: Sinai Simmers in Security Vacuum
IPS Even before the recent revolution, Egypt’s strategic Sinai Peninsula – inhabited mostly by restive Bedouin tribesmen – had a reputation for lawlessness. But in the months since the popular uprising that led to Mubarak’s February ouster, the situation in Sinai appears more precarious than ever.
MIDEAST: Divided We Execute
IPS The execution of a Palestinian father and son by Hamas security forces in Gaza throws up a sharp difference over the death penalty between Gaza and the West Bank. In the West Bank a temporary moratorium is in place.
EGYPT: Labour Unions Shake Off Old Masters
IPS The trade union federation that ex-dictator Hosni Mubarak used to repress labour movements and mobilise regime support for sham elections during his 30-year rule has been disbanded, striking a powerful blow to the old order.
OP-ED: Save Egypt’s Judiciary, Save Its Revolution
IPS The appearance of Hosni Mubarak in the opening of his trial reassured millions of Egyptians that their revolutionary struggle was not in vain. But, as Egypt and the world watch the resumption of proceedings today, the truth about Mubarak’s ability to participate in his trial is still unclear.
Tareq Aziz asks for speedy execution: lawyer
Uruknet August 17, 2011 – Iraq’s former deputy premier Tareq Aziz has called on Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to accelerate his execution because of his worsening health, his lawyer told AFP on Wednesday. “His health condition is very poor and he asked me to convey a message to Mr Maliki, calling on him to execute him as soon as…
Assad puts Hamas in corner over Syrian assault
Uruknet August 17, 2011 – Syria’s crackdown on government opponents has deeply embarrassed the Palestinian group Hamas, which is anxious not to anger its backers in Damascus while at the same time hoping not to alienate its supporters at home… A Gaza youth Organization tried to stage an anti-Assad rally on Tuesday evening, but plain-clothed Hamas security police showed…
Black Libya City Said to Fall to Rebel Siege
Uruknet August 17, 2011 – The mostly black town of Tawurgha has fallen to NATO-backed rebels after a long siege, according to al-Jazeera, the Qatar-based media mouthpiece for the rebels. It is an event only racists could celebrate, a triumph of hate and Euro-American arms and money over an enclave of dark-skinned Libyans descended from Africans once sold in…
Syria: Stories of death
Uruknet August 17, 2011 – Apparently, the repressive regime in Damascus has gone totally out of control not only because it is not capable of containing the people’s revolution but also because it is no longer able to control its actions and reactions. This is what exposes the shameful reality of this regime and the crimes it commits against…
Bahrain probe shuts office due to angry mob
Uruknet August 17, 2011- A commission probing Bahrain’s crackdown on Shiite-led protests said Tuesday it has closed its office after being stormed by people angered by media claims it has cleared authorities of crimes against humanity. The Bahrain Commission of Inquiry said in an emailed statement that it will continue its investigation from outside the office, insisting that claims…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (04- 10 Aug. 2011)
Uruknet August 17, 2011 – Summary – Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (04 – 10 August 2011): Shooting: During the reporting period, a Palestinian woman and two activists of the Palestinian resistance were wounded by IOF in the Gaza Strip. On 09 August 2011, Israeli soldiers positioned at…
Palestinian youth killed by military jeep
Uruknet August 17, 2011 – A Palestinian youth, Amin Talib Dabash, died late last night 16 August after he was run over by a military jeep belonging to the Israeli ‘border guards’, in the area between Um Tuba and Jebal Abu Ghunaym, south of Al Aqsa Mosque. Eyewitnesses said the driver deliberately targeted the young man who was on…
In a New Crime, IOF Kills Disabled Child in Central Gaza
Uruknet August 17, 2011 – On Tuesday evening, 16 August 2011, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed a Palestinian child from al-Nussairat refugee camp, who was 400 meters from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. The victim’s family told a PCHR field worker that their child had a…
Syrian forces kill 16 in Homs, thousands protest in Aleppo (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet August 17, 2011 – At least 16 people were killed in the Syrian flashpoint city of Homs by forces loyal to President Bashar Al Assad on Wednesday, according to activists. Meanwhile, thousands demonstrated against the regime in Aleppo’s Jabri square and several neighborhoods. Those killed included two protesters shot dead by pro-Assad militiamen, known as shabbiha, in front…
Former Counterterrorism Czar Accuses Tenet, Other CIA Officials of Cover-Up
Uruknet August 16, 2011 – With the tenth anniversary of 9/11 just a month away, the intelligence failures leading up to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have started to attract fresh scrutiny from former counterterrorism officials, who have called into question the veracity of the various government probes that concluded who knew what…
Daily Rogue State Israeli Lawlessness
Uruknet August 17, 2011 – It begs the question why Israelis put up with lawless governance harming them as well as Palestinians. When will weeks of social injustice outrage arouse them to embrace universal equity? Why haven’t Martin Luther King’s words hit home that, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” In Israel and Occupied Palestine, Arabs and…
Fuel, medicine ‘crisis’ in Gaza hospitals
Uruknet August 17, 2011 – Muhammad Al-Kashef, a health ministry official in Gaza, warned Tuesday of a crisis hitting the sector as medicine shortages have plagued the enclave for two months. Al-Kashef said the ministry of health in Ramallah is largely responsible for the crisis after excluding Gaza from its legal share or 40 percent of supplies like medications…
Gaza’s Lifeguards Fight Sea and Siege
Uruknet August 17, 2011 – It’s a sunny Gaza morning and although a work day, the beach along Sheik Rajleen has enough people on it to keep Gaza’s small number of lifeguards busy and alert. From a simple, raised wooden hut, a team of three monitor the sea, periodically calling out to swimmers below to move to calmer waters. “…
After wave of attacks, US signals troops could stay in Iraq
Uruknet August 17, 2011 – After a string of deadly bombings and shootings in Iraq Monday, the Obama administration again indicated its willingness to keep US troops in the country after a December 31 deadline for their withdrawal. Monday’s attacks produced the country’s largest single-day death toll in over a year, with at least 89 people killed and 315…
Fixing a house, falsehood and contradictions in Zionist claims, and new book
Uruknet August 16, 2011 -On Saturday August 13, 2011, another episode of nonviolent popular resistance occurred in Al-Walaja. The Israeli army had mobilized in large numbers in anticipation of whatever we were planning. De struction of the land is briefly halted when workers take off for the weekend (on the Sabbath). But the army must create problems and be…
PCHR Is Shocked by Declaration of the Ministry of Interior in Gaza Regarding Travel of Representatives of Programs and Projects of NGOs and Institutions
Uruknet August 16, 2011 – The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) is shocked and strongly denounces the declaration issued by the Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza regarding the travel of representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and institutions to the West Bank or abroad. PCHR believes that this trend is one of a series of decisions…
PLO accuses Syrian forces of crime against humanity’
Uruknet August 16, 2011 – An assault by Syrian security forces on a Palestinian refugee camp in the coastal city of Latakia amounts to a crime against humanity, a senior official in the Palestine Liberation Organization said. Syria came under sharp Arab and international condemnation after rights activists said gunboats pounded Latakia port, forcing thousands of Palestinians to flee…
Military Resistance 9H11: Toxic Leaders
Uruknet August 16, 2011 – …The number of American troops killed this year has jumped, ahead of their planned withdrawal. Monday’s strikes against security forces across the country made it the deadliest day of the year for Iraqis, and it came in many forms: car bombs, homemade bombs and armed fighters. By sundown, when Iraqis broke their fast in…
Racism in the Galilee part 2: Underrepresentation in Upper Nazareth
Uruknet August 16, 2011 – On 22 June, Adalah, a Palestinian rights NGO in Israel, sent a letter to the mayor of Upper Nazareth, Shimon Gapso, insisting he address the under-representation of Palestinians in his municipality. Palestinians are a significant minority in Upper Nazareth-up to 17 percent according to official statistics-which is not mirrored in the municipal system, of…
Netanyahu Spurns Social Justice Demands
Uruknet August 16, 2011 – Unaffordable housing prices ignited mass social justice protests in Israel. At issue is settlement developments at the expense of other construction, creating a supply/demand imbalance enough to cause prices to skyrocket. Israelis demand that issue be addressed responsibly. In response, Netanyahu’s government announced thousands of illegal new West Bank/East Jerusalem settlement units on stolen…
Hamas releases detained Gaza activist
Uruknet August 16, 2011 – Hamas security officials released a prominent Gaza rights activist Tuesday, several days after he was repeatedly interrogated and detained over his participation in a French conference about Palestinian activism, his brother said. Mohammed Matar, 25, was released hours after international media reported his arrest, according to his brother, Salem Matar. His colleagues had also…
Australia cracks down on BDS
Uruknet August 16, 2011 – IN ONE of Australia’s most severe crackdowns on civil liberties in decades, four pro-Palestine activists were arrested in dawn raids on August 9 in the city of Melbourne. The raids are part of an ongoing attempt by the Victorian government, the Victoria Police and the Zionist establishment to target activists involved in the boycott,…
Rebels seek to take Zawiyah refinery, detail transition
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Libya’s rebels pushed to strangle two supply lines to Tripoli Wednesday hoping to ratchet up pressure on the regime as their leaders prepared for the transition to democracy.
Assad refuses to bow down to foreign pressure
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Syrian troops detained scores of people in Damascus and the coastal city of Latakia in overnight raids as President Bashar Assad’s regime…
Abbas inaugurates Palestinian Embassy in Beirut
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas raised his country’s flag for the first time at an official embassy in Beirut Wednesday…
STL unveils Bellemare’s case
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 The U.N.-backed court probing the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri disclosed Wednesday virtually the entire contents of its indictment…
Patriarch discusses diaspora electoral vote
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 The prospect of voting by Lebanese abroad in the 2013 parliamentary polls was discussed Wednesday by the Maronite patriarch, amid conflicting views on whether the development will actually come to pass.
No Hezbollah link to Antelias blast: Charbel
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Interior Minister Marwan Charbel reiterated that last week’s explosion in Antelias was not the work of Hezbollah, after the March 14 camp accused the government of seeking to cover up for the party.
FPM serious about resigning over electricity
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Former Minister Mario Aoun said Wednesday that the Free Patriotic Movement ministers are serious about resigning from the two-month-old Cabinet if the draft electricity law is not approved during Thursday’s Cabinet session.
Redacted STL indictment clarifies evidence against the 4 accused
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 The following are excerpts from the public redacted version of the STL indictment. For the full redacted text visit www.stl-tsl.org.
Nasrallah says March 14 targeting Shiites
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah accused the opposition March 14 parties Wednesday of seeking to sabotage the Shiites’ relations with the Sunnis…
March 14 hails release of STL indictment
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 The opposition March 14 coalition, including politicians from former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s Future Movement…
Jewelry worth $200,000 stollen from Mtaileb home
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 A burglar stole jewelry worth $200,000 from a home in Mtaileb in Metn and a carjacking took place on the highway near the village of Adloun, the National News Agency reported Wednesday.
Various fires break out throughout Lebanon
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Civil Defense workers contained a fire that broke out in the Aley branch of a cosmetics chain and extinguished several other fires across the country Wednesday.
Road work on hold until funds are allocated
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Jbeil MP Simon Abi Ramia said discussions in the Cabinet over public spending were being behind recent delays in road works, adding that all of Lebanon is awaiting asphalt.
Escaped inmate from Aley Prison apprehended
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 A Palestinian fugitive who escaped from Aley Prison over three weeks ago was arrested Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces.
Couple missing for a month found dead in Jbeil
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 A Lebanese couple who have been missing since last month were found dead Wednesday.
Nassib Lahoud resumes Renewal responsibilities
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 The Democratic Renewal Movement met for the first time Tuesday under its leader former MP Nassib Lahoud since he returned to Lebanon last week after a long absence in France, where he received medical treatment.
Reform campaign urges proportional representation
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 The Civil Campaign for Electoral Reform said in a statement Tuesday that only a proportional representation system was capable of preserving diversity in Lebanon, in response to earlier comments by MP Walid Jumblatt…
Parliament passes no-smoking law
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Parliament endorsed a long-awaited tobacco control law proposal Wednesday banning smoking in indoor public spaces as well as tobacco advertisements, and requiring larger pictorial warnings on cigarette packs.
Franjieh warns leaders of country’s sectarian dangers
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh has warned that Lebanon was heading toward destruction if rival political leaders continued to behave in a sectarian and revengeful manner.
Abbas receives leading Christian politicians’ endorsement
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday met with the leaders of the Kataeb (Phalange) and Lebanese Forces parties, both of whom confirmed support for an independent Palestinian state.
Ain al-Hilweh not content with Abbas’ call to give up arms
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Residents of the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp reacted to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ agreement to hand over arms in the country’s refugee camps to the Lebanese authorities with disbelief and defiance Wednesday.
Russia will continue to sell arms to Syria
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Russia’s top arms exporter said Wednesday it intended to continue selling weapons to Syria…
Egypt’s military court sentences 5 to death for robbery, murder
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 An Egyptian military court Wednesday sentenced five men to death after they robbed a gas station and killed a police commander during the getaway…
Syria’s Palestinian crackdown tests friendship with Hamas
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Syria’s crackdown on government opponents has deeply embarrassed the Palestinian group Hamas, which is anxious not to anger its backers in Damascus while at the same time hoping not to alienate its supporters.
Palestinian reconciliation stalls over statehood bid
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 The Palestinians’ surprise agreement to unite their dueling governments was supposed to have boosted their efforts to unilaterally declare a state.
Turkish warplanes hit PKK bases in Iraq after ambush kills 8 soldiers
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Turkey bombed bases of the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq Wednesday, a PKK spokesman said, hours after the rebel group claimed an ambush that killed at least eight Turkish soldiers.
U.S. says it conducted unilateral Iraq airstrikes in self-defense
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 The U.S. military carried out two unilateral airstrikes in Iraq in June that did not involve Iraqi forces, both of them in self-defense to prevent attacks, the main U.S. military spokesman in Iraq said Tuesday.
Iranian hard-liners seek payback in parliamentary elections
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Iran’s internal power struggles are shifting into election mode with hard-line political forces banding together to groom candidates for next year’s parliamentary elections and punish the allies of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Iran says dozens killed in push on Kurdish rebels
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday they had killed dozens of Kurdish rebels in a military campaign that critics say has endangered civilians across the border in Iraq.
Zawiyah residents welcome freedom from Gadhafi
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 The day Libyan rebels advanced into the strategic city of Zawiyah, Moammar Gadhafi’s forces clamped down on the local hospital.
Yemen opposition forms council to wrestle power from Saleh
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Yemen’s opposition met Wednesday to elect a national council aiming to take power from President Ali Abdullah Saleh…
Erdogan urges Islamic states to step up assistance for Somalia
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Turkey’s prime minister Wednesday urged rich Muslim nations to come to famine-hit Somalia’s aid, saying they bore some responsibility for the crisis for ignoring the poverty in the country.
Somalia famine aid stolen; U.N. investigating
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Thousands of sacks of food aid meant for Somalia’s famine victims have been stolen and are being sold at markets in the same neighborhoods where skeletal children in filthy refugee camps can’t find enough to eat…
Tunisia recalls ambassador from Syria
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 The Tunisian government has recalled its ambassador in Syria for “consultations”, the foreign ministry announced Wednesday.
Hezbollah rejects STL indictment, says lacks solid evidence
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasralh rejected Wednesday the unsealed indictment released earlier in the day by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), saying it lacked solid evidence.
Bellemare welcomes unsealing of STL indictment
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellmare welcomed Wednesday the release of the full indictment in the case of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Hariri calls on Nasrallah to take historic stance, cooperate with STL
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Former PM Rafik Hariri hailed the unsealing of the indictment in the case of the assassination of his father as a turning point in achieving justice and urged Hezbollah to surrender four of its members suspected…
Rebels launch push to consolidate Tripoli siege
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Libyan rebels launched an assault on an oil refinery on Wednesday to drive the last remaining troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi out of a city on Tripoli’s outskirts and consolidate a siege of the capital.
Iran Guards to keep up raids on Iraq-based Kurd rebels
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 The Revolutionary Guards will carry on operations against Kurdish rebels in northwest Iran along the Iraqi border despite strains with Iraq, a commander of the elite force said on Wednesday.
Israel PM snubs Clinton over Turkey apology: report
Daily Star 17 Aug 2011 Israel has rejected a US request to apologise to Turkey over its 2010 commando raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that killed nine Turkish activists, local media reported on Wednesday.
Hebrew University ranks 57th in world
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – The Hebrew University in Jerusalem has been ranked the 57th best university in the world, in a list of the top 500 universities worldwide. The list, which is … ….
Umm al-Fahm protest: ‘Barak a war criminal’
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – Dozens of Umm al-Fahm residents gathered in the city’s main road on Wednesday and protested against Defense Minister Ehud Barak who held a surprise visit in the area. … ….
Hamas bans Gaza students from studying abroad
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – A Palestinian human rights group is condemning Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers for preventing teenage students with scholarships to study in the US from leaving the … ….
‘Assad should quit over crackdown, Mubarak says’
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – Ousted President Hosni Mubarak criticized Syrian President Bashar Assad over his regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters over the past five months, Egyptian daily al … ….
PA to soften UN statehood bid?
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – The Palestinian Authority has spent the past few days trying to advance a move to soften its bid for recognition at the UN in order to gain wider support among European … ….
Assad puts Hamas in corner over Syrian assault
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – Syria’s crackdown on government opponents has deeply embarrassed the Palestinian group Hamas, which is anxious not to anger its backers in Damascus while at the same time … ….
Margalit Tzanani’s remand reduced to 6 days
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – The Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday extended the remand of popular Israeli singer Margalit Tzanani by nine days, but it was later reduced to six days. … ….
Netanyahu to Clinton: No apology to Turkey
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces Israel will not apologize to Turkey,….
Iranian FM: Tehran ready to resume nuclear talks
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – Ali Akbar Salehi says Russian proposal will aid negotiations of its nuclear….
Tribunal publishes indictment in Hariri murder
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – International tribunal, accused by Hezbollah of being an Israeli plot against….
‘Mossad plotted to harm Egyptian fertility’
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – Egypt’s Al-Ahram daily claims Israeli Ofir Harrari accused of spying for Israel,….
Israel’s embassy in Turkey might not have new ambassador
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – Jerusalem concerned Turkey won’t approve replacement for Ambassador Gabby Levy,….
Iran’s hard-liners seek payback in next election
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – Newly formed bloc of 15 ultraconservatives factions – united by absolute loyalty….
Zambia: Hippo attacks Israeli tourist
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – Attorney Aviyam Yariv, 39, goes missing in Africa after hippo flips tourist….
Syrian opposition mocks Nasrallah in video
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – Satiric clip staring masked woman ridicules Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah for….
Mashaal to discuss Shalit with Egyptian intel chief
YNet News, 17 Aug 2011 – Hamas’ Hamdan claims Israel softened its ‘stubborn’ positions in negotiations to….
Mideast Quartet alarmed by Israel settlement plans
YNet News, 16 Aug 2011 – UN-named foursome voices harsh condemnation of Israel’s Ariel, east Jerusalem….
Palestinians: IDF kills youth near Gaza border
YNet News, 16 Aug 2011 – Hamas government officials say 18-year-old shot dead by Israeli troops near….
Treasury, Defense Ministry at odds over budget cuts
YNet News, 16 Aug 2011 – Defense officials slam Treasury’s hints of NIS 2 billion budget cuts in favor of….
Palestinian Information Center
Prisoner seeks freedom ahead of four month death sentence
PIC – 16/08/2011 – 10:48 AM
One killed, seven wounded in series of Israeli raids
PIC – 16/08/2011 – 10:51 AM
Hamas warns of repercussions after new settlement plans
PIC – 16/08/2011 – 03:06 PM
Dweik: Abbas must be clear with Palestinians on peace talks
PIC – 16/08/2011 – 03:54 PM
Israeli security detains five Jerusalemites over the past 24 hours
PIC – 16/08/2011 – 04:02 PM
MP Abu Ras: Arab silence to blame for violation of holy sites
PIC – 16/08/2011 – 04:21 PM
Israel detains Al-Jazeera reporter over alleged ties with Hamas
PIC – 16/08/2011 – 04:43 PM
Resheq: Hamas backs any effort leading to recognition of Palestinian rights
PIC – 16/08/2011 – 05:00 PM
Mishaal in Cairo to discuss inter-Palestinian reconciliation
PIC – 17/08/2011 – 10:43 AM
Israeli patrol car deliberately runs over Jerusalemite, kills him
PIC – A Jerusalemite man was killed on Tuesday night after an Israeli border police patrol car ran over him south of the Aqsa Mosque, eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter.
Gaza man shot dead in Israel’s latest aggression
PIC – A Palestinian man was shot dead Tuesday night in Israel’s latest aggression on the Gaza Strip.
Gaza gov’t: Israeli raids intentionally heighten tensions
PIC – The Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip has said that it was interested in maintaining calm in the Strip, charging Israel with deliberately escalating military attacks.
Neve Daniel municipality secretly expanding settlement by night
PIC – The municipal council of the Neve Daniel settlement west of Bethlehem has been taking advantage of the Ramadan season to expand the internationally illegal settlement founded on the land of Al-Khadr.
Attoun: IOA crimes in Jerusalem “racial cleansing”
PIC – Jerusalemite MP Ahmed Attoun has denounced the hit-and-run accident in which an Israeli military vehicle ran over and killed a Palestinian man in occupied Jerusalem on Tuesday.
IOF troops deploy in Silwan to search for weapons, find nothing
PIC – Israeli troops and special forces backed by choppers stormed the Silwan town, south of occupied Jerusalem, on Wednesday and were deployed in Batn Al-Hawa and Ein Bir Ayub suburbs, local sources said.
PA preventive security detains son of Hamas MP
PIC – Elements of PA preventive security apparatus in the West Bank detained Mustafa the son of Hamas MP Mahmoud Musleh on Wednesday, eyewitnesses reported.
IOF launches arrest sweep, burns down farmland in Jenin vicinity
PIC – Israeli occupation forces launched wide-ranging arrest sweeps around the West Bank city of Jenin, and burned dozens of dunams of farmland west of the city.
Deportation appeal should end in Salah’s favor in coming weeks
PIC – Supporters of Raed Salah, the leader of the Islamic movement in Israel, have become more and more confident that his deportation case would end in his favor within the next few weeks.
As to Shalit, the ball is still in the Israeli court
PIC – Professors, lawmakers, medical doctors, teachers, engineers, intellectuals and college students in the thousands have been thrown in Israel’s cruel jails..
Israel to Recruit 70 Countries to Vote against Recognizing Palestine, Says Israeli Official
WAFA
Abbas, Lebanese Prime Minister Inaugurate Palestinian Embassy in Lebanon
WAFA
Israeli Authority Isolates Lawmaker Marwan Barghouti in Solitary Confinement for Indefinite Period
WAFA
Israeli Government Supports Extremism, Charges Official
WAFA
Hamas Detains WAFA’s Correspondent in Gaza
WAFA
Hamas Bans Students from Leaving to US
WAFA
Palestine TV Comedy Show Pulled Off the Air
WAFA
Teenager Israel Killed in Gaza was Handicapped, says Rights Center
WAFA
Ashton Regrets Israeli Decision to Expand Settlements in the West Bank
WAFA
Israeli Guards Fire at Palestinian Farmers in Hebron
WAFA
Israelis, Palestinians brace for massive statehood protests
LA Times 17 Aug 2011 – As a U.N. decision on Palestinian statehood approaches, both sides say they’re committed to keeping the West Bank rallies peaceful. But not everyone is reassured. Palestinians say it will trigger the biggest West Bank demonstrations in years. Israelis are bracing for another intifada.
Hariri slaying inquiry says calls pointed to Hezbollah
LA Times 17 Aug 2011 – Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s slaying was the result of a plot by the Shiite militia, according to a 47-page indictment. Hezbollah says the indictment is aimed at weakening Lebanon. International jurists Wednesday released details of how an analysis of cellphone calls led investigators…
Israel refuses to apologize to Turkey for flotilla deaths
LA Times 17 Aug 2011 – Israel’s government, defying U.S. pressure, refuses to apologize for killing nine Turkish activists last year on board a pro-Palestinian protest flotilla. Defying U.S. pressure to mend fences with Turkey, the Israeli government said Wednesday that it would not apologize for killing nine Turkish activists last…
Syria’s stable currency amid crisis fuels speculation
LA Times 16 Aug 2011 – Observers wonder whether another country, presumably ally Iran, has poured cash into Syria’s economy, which has collapsed along with its stock market, tourism industry and foreign investment. A sharp discrepancy between Syria’s nose-diving economy and its relatively stable currency is fueling speculation among observers that…
Film on Iranian hostage ploy will be shot mostly in L.A.
LA Times 16 Aug 2011 – At the height of the Iranian hostage crisis, artist-turned CIA technical officer Tony Mendez pulled off a stunning ploy when he helped six American diplomats in the Canadian embassy in Tehran escape by disguising them as members of a Hollywood film crew.
Resistance Transforms a Once Mute Syrian City
New York Times 17 Aug 2011 – The dissent and defiance in Homs, Syria, underline the degree to which the uprising has transformed life in a country once remarkable for its dearth of politics.
Yemeni Opposition Leaders Form National Council
New York Times 17 Aug 2011 – Seven months after protesters took to the streets, the opposition formed a council as a government-in-waiting.
Israel Says It Won’t Apologize to Turkey for Deadly Flotilla Raid
New York Times 17 Aug 2011 – Turkey demanded an official apology, compensation to victims’ relatives and a lifting of the Gaza blockade as conditions for normalizing relations.
Indictment in Hariri Assassination Is Published
New York Times 17 Aug 2011 – A U.N.-backed tribunal investigating the killing of a former Lebanese leader released its indictment against members of Hezbollah named in the killing.
Attacks in Iraq Heighten Political Tensions
New York Times 17 Aug 2011 – One day after a deadly series of attacks, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki appointed a member of his governing coalition as acting defense minister, drawing anger among Sunnis.
Protest marches, tent city protests continue in Israel
WSWS – At least 75,000 Israelis took to the streets Saturday in 15 cities nationwide to protest high living costs and the domination of the Israeli economy by a handful of billionaires.
After wave of attacks, US signals troops could stay in Iraq
WSWS – After a string of bombings and shootings in Iraq, the Obama administration again indicated its willingness to keep US troops there after a December 31 withdrawal deadline.
Waging Nonviolence: Co-oping BDS: Progressive except Palestine
Jewish Voice for Peace –
‘Leahy Law’ seeks to hold all countries to the same standard, including Israel
Mondoweiss – Josh Ruebner writing in The Hill about Sen. Patrick Leahy’s call to block US funding to three Israeli military units who have committed human rights violations: The “Leahy Law,” as it is commonly known, prohibits the United States from providing any weapons or training to “any…
Some of the violence, deaths and injuries in Palestine this week include…
Mondoweiss – The Palestinians are being brutalized by Israeli violence which is subsidized with American tax dollars. This is not an all inclusive list as Palestinians are reporting that violence against them has increased during Ramadan, with attacks getting worse during the hours preceding them breaking their fast ….
The ‘untamed wildernesses’ of Israeli and American colonialism
Mondoweiss – A June editorial in +972 Magazine examined the (non-)utility of the argument ” Who started it in 1948? ” One thing that struck me about the points of the argument regarding the disposition of land in the British Mandate of Palestine was how similar the Zionist…
AL-KHALIL (HEBRON): Vacations from the Occupation
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine – When an unexpected surprise–like a small, fragile flower pushing itself through a cement block–occurs, I feel a certain bliss, a moment of awe, an instant vacation. For a moment, all is well. Some such moments I have felt working in Hebron for the last three years…
AL-KHALIL (HEBRON): Two goats killed after Israeli soldiers attack Palestinian shepherd in Bani Na’im
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine – At 6:30 p.m. on 14 August 2011, Israeli soldiers attacked a Palestinian shepherd and his two sons in Bani Na’im, east of Hebron, chasing the shepherd off his land and causing the deaths of two goats.
PALESTINE REFLECTION: The clarity of thirteen-year-olds
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine – A couple months ago, I gave a presentation to a grade eight English class, on the work of CPT and the Israel/Palestine conflict. I tried to describe the situation there in a way they could relate to using the following scenario: One year ago, a boy…
I watch as Jewish settlements engulf East Jerusalem
Mondoweiss – I went strolling through occupied East Jerusalem around our neighboring settlement, Pisgat Zee’v, the other day… The Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina is now surrounded by settlement construction. Neve Yaakov on the north now meets Pisgat Ze’ev on the east. You can see the area of…
Co-oping BDS, part I: Progressive except Palestine
Mondoweiss – Once, in the bulk goods aisle of the Park Slope Food Coop, a wild-haired woman stood next to me and scrutinized the coffee-grinder settings. “I’m using it for an enema,” she explained. “It needs to be very fine.” I suggested the espresso grind. This is exactly…
‘That’s How Every Empire Falls’
Tikun Olam – Way back in the dark ages when I first began writing this blog, I called it an mp3 blog and featured some of my favorite music from around the world. Those posts and songs are still here, though they’ve been subsumed under thousands of posts about…
Pres. Perry’s First Two Executive Orders: Convert Jews and Hang Fed Governors
Tikun Olam – Don’t get on Rick Perry’s bad side if you want to leave Texas in one piece (Tom Pennington/Getty) When I read about Rick Perry’s prayer service in which he invited a faux–or “messianic”–rabbi to urge the conversion of Jews to Christianity, I knew I was gonna…
Aipac 81: Whoring and Schnorring
Tikun Olam – There’s an old country saying, “If I’m lyin’ I’m cryin’,” which isn’t at all the same as the Israeli satiric saying “shooting and crying.” But Antony Loewenstein retweeted my post about the 81 shining Congressional stars who took Aipac’s gelt and joined its recent Israel junket….
Glenn Beck: J14 Protesters ‘Communists’
Tikun Olam – Glenn Beck, once again proving he’s one of the biggest idiots on the planet (barring genuine monsters like Moamar Qaddafi, Kim Jong Il and Bashar Assad), has called the J14 tent protesters who’ve been demonstrating in massive waves of hundreds of thousands around the country, “Communists :…
Sen. Pat Leahy Proposes Banning U.S. Military Aid to IDF Occupation Forces
Tikun Olam – Shayetet 13: ‘Why did you kill so few?’ Senator Pat Leahy (Dem. VT), at the instigation of some of his Vermont constituents, is proposing to add three IDF special forces units to the list of those military forces to which the U.S. may not offer aid :…
Palestinian journalists hold rally in solidarity with Shevchenko
Middle East Monitor 17 Aug 2011 – EXCLUSIVE PICTURES Palestinian journalists organised a rally yesterday, 16 August under the theme ‘Don’t silence the media’ in solidarity with Russian journalist, Maxim Shevchenko, following death threats against him as a result of his vocal support for the Palestinian Cause. The sit-in was held in front…
US senator working on a bill to suspend aid to IDF units
Middle East Monitor 17 Aug 2011 – Israeli media outlets have reported that a US Democratic Party senator is working toward proposing a bill to suspend US aid to elite Israeli Defence Forces units on the grounds that those units are involved in human rights violations against Palestinian citizens in the West Bank…
Palestinian youth killed by military jeep
Middle East Monitor 17 Aug 2011 – A Palestinian youth, Amin Talib Dabash, died late last night 16 August after he was run over by a military jeep belonging to the Israeli ‘border guards’, in the area between Um Tuba and Jebal Abu Ghunaym, south of Al Aqsa Mosque. Eyewitnesses said the driver…
Israeli Knesset calls for Sharon’s medical expenses to be shared by his family
Middle East Monitor 16 Aug 2011 – The Finance Committee of the Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, has approved a decision for the family of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to pay half of his medical care expenses. Sharon has been in a coma for five years and the annual cost of looking after…
Trial ordered for Hariri suspects
BBC 17 Aug 2011 – A UN-backed tribunal publishes charges against four suspects in the assassination of Lebanon’s Rafik Hariri, saying it has enough evidence to try them.
Syria targets port for fourth day
BBC 16 Aug 2011 – Syrian troops again open fire on the port of Latakia, reports say, in the fourth day of an assault that has drawn growing international condemnation.
Israeli forces kill two in Gaza
BBC 17 Aug 2011 – The Israeli military has killed two Palestinians in Gaza Strip, one in an air strike and another as he approached the border fence, officials say.
Israel backs Ariel settler homes
BBC 16 Aug 2011 – Israel approves the building of nearly 300 homes in a settlement deep inside the occupied West Bank, drawing criticism from the US and Palestinians.
Daily Rogue State Israeli Lawlessness
Sabbah report 17 Aug 2011 – It begs the question why Israelis put up with lawless governance harming them as well as Palestinians. When will weeks of social injustice outrage arouse them to embrace universal equity?
Does AIPAC Have Only Two Major Donors?
Sabbah report 16 Aug 2011 – 55 Republicans and 26 Democrats will enjoy “educational” trips to Israel funded by the AIPAC. Who are the two people now providing the lion’s share of AIPAC’s funding?
81 House Members Enjoy Hiatus In Israel
Sabbah report 16 Aug 2011 – Eighty-one members of the US House of Representatives-about 20 percent of the total membership-are enjoying a late summer week-long, all-expenses paid trip to Israel.
Spotlight on Occupied Palestine
Sabbah report 16 Aug 2011 – Lawrence Davidson argues that while leveling charges of incitement at the Palestinian educational system, Israelis themselves have been practicing on their own children a form of indoctrination that vilifies Palestinians and Arabs.
Articles
Palestine needs a political solution, not aid
Ben White, Al Jazeera8/16/2011
The funds recieved by the Palestinian Authorities have cast a shadow over the liberation that people are demanding.
Part of the Israeli government’s response to critics of its Gaza policy is to deny that there is a “humanitarian crisis” in the coastal territory. The implication being that participants in initiatives such as the flotilla are not concerned with “aid” but seek to cause a political “provocation”. In a similar vein, recent news of the opening of a five star hotel in Gaza prompted Israel lobby group AIPAC to suggest that the flotilla’s real aim was to “delegitimise Israel”.
Rather than go into the specifics of Gaza’s socio-economic plight – excellent resources can be found at Gisha/Gaza Gateway, PCHR-Gaza, and OCHA – it is important to emphasise a point missing from Israel’s propaganda and also neglected by some rights activists: Palestinians are seeking liberation, not aid. The conditions Palestinians are suffering from have political origins and political solutions. This is not a natural disaster; for more than 40 years, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank have been subject to a military regime shaped by the priorities of colonial settlement and apartheid control.
Pro-Israel lobby groups in the West like to explain Israel’s Gaza policies as first and foremost a response to “terror”, and aimed at preventing arms smuggling. Unexplained is why Israel almost entirely prevents Palestinians from exporting goods out of Gaza, why the military enforces a “buffer zone”, targeting farmers and fishermen, and why Israel continues to separate Gaza from the West Bank in contravention of their designation as a “Single Territorial Unit”.
Furthermore, Israeli officials are on record as framing the siege as a form of collective punishment. In 2008, then PM Ehud Olmert said that there was “no justification” for allowing “residents of Gaza to live normal lives while shells and rockets are fired from their streets and courtyards [at Israel]”…. more.. e-mail
Why was the PA hosting American Kabbalah tourists in Nablus?
Michelle Gyeney, Nablus, Electronic Intifada8/17/2011
The message cut through the narrow passageways and abundant staircases of Nablus with remarkable speed on 11 August: a huge group of tourists was on their way to the city, and the governate was in desperate need of local, English-speaking tour guides to lead these invitees throughout Nablus. In exchange for 100 shekels (about $30), each guide was expected to lead his or her group through the Ottoman-era Old City as well as to religious sites such as Joseph’s Tomb and Bier Yacob church — and, most importantly, to refrain from political discussion of any kind throughout the day.
Official guests of the Palestinian Authority, the 1,200 students of the Kabbalah International Center in Los Angeles — wearing matching white t-shirts bearing Arabic, English, or Hebrew messages of peace — streamed into Nablus throughout the day and ended their visit in the downtown area where the visitors took part in the inaugural launch of “Peace and Freedom Day.” As part of this new Nablusi celebration, governor Jibril al-Bakri, his deputy Anan al-Ateera, and a number of other community officials spoke about the need for peace and statehood and then led the crowd in singing peace-related songs. While the Nablus governate was the official coordinator of the day, several of the roughly 100 Palestinian participants, including tour guides, organizers and volunteers, were quick to suggest that the invitation for the Jewish mysticism group came at the behest of PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
The themes of peace and freedom were discussed without reference to their political context and were simply described as abstract concepts that Palestinians should have the right to enjoy. Ironically, the organizers’ emphasis that guides not discuss political issues with their groups was, in and of itself, an affront to Palestinian freedom. Further complicating the matter was the logistical impossibility of leading people through the Old City, which was a bastion of the resistance movement and bore a heavy civilian burden during both intifadas, without referencing politics. more.. e-mail
Donors help keep Palestinians in cages
Electronic Intifada: 16 Aug 2011 – Charlotte Silver The Electronic Intifada Ramallah International aid donors are using Palestine as a laboratory for a neo-liberal economic experiment.more
Why was the PA hosting American Kabbalah tourists in Nablus?
Electronic Intifada: 17 Aug 2011 – Michelle Gyeney The Electronic Intifada Nablus The Palestinian Authority cooperated with Israeli forces to host a fabricated “Peace and Freedom Day” rally in Nablus, while prohibiting local Palestinian tour guides from discussing politics with Kabbalist tourists from the US .more
Gaza’s Lifeguards Fight Sea and Siege
In Gaza: 17 Aug 2011 – In the face of the siege, Gaza’s lifeguards have created their own rescue equipment. SHEIK RAJLEEN, Gaza, Aug 17, 2011 (IPS) By Eva Bartlett- It’s a sunny Gaza morning and although a work day, the beach along Sheik Rajleen has enough people on it to keep Gaza’s small number of lifeguards busy and alert. From a simple, raised wooden hut, a team of three monitor the sea, periodically calling out to swimmers below to move to calmer waters. “I’ve known how to swim since I knew how to walk,” says Ahmed el Basha, 42, one of Sheik Rajleen’s lifeguards. “I’m a fisher, my father is a fisher, and my grandfather was a fisher. Most of the lifeguards in Gaza are from fishing families, so they know how to swim well. But we also take training courses in first aid and in sea rescue from the Civil Defence.” In the besieged…more
The Arab Spring: Tribute to People Who Value History
Palestine Chronicle: 16 Aug 2011 – By Jamil Toubbeh In his review of Margaret MacMillan’s book, Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History (2009), David Kennedy writes: humans live in history, a few write it, others read it; some are made or broken by it, most try to make use of it, “usually by ransacking the past for analogies to explain the present and to predict the future,” but most routinely botch it. The late distinguished scholar, Ben E. Perry (1915-1970), had a passion for history, cultures, languages and a penchant for detail. In his excavation of cultures and languages he had the discipline of a humanist, perhaps matching that of Ibn Khaldun or Ibn al-Muqaffa. If the three were living today, they would conclude that the Arab Spring represents a prelude to democracy and human rights in the 21st century–the value in history to advance rather than destroy humankind. I met Perry in a…more
US-Arab Disconnect: Revolutions Restate Region’s Priorities
Palestine Chronicle: 15 Aug 2011 – By Ramzy Baroud As the Arab Spring continues to challenge dictators, demolish old structures and ponder roadmaps for a better future, the US remains committed to its failed policies, misconceptions and selfish interests. Arabs may disagree on many things, but few disagree on the fact that there is now no turning back. The age of the dictator, the Mubaraks and Ben Alis is fading. A new dawn with a whole new set of challenges is upon us. Debates in the region are now concerned with democracy, civil society and citizenship. The only Arab intellectuals who still speak of terrorism and nuclear weapons are those commissioned by Washington-based think tanks or a few desperate to appear on Fox News. Put simply, Arab priorities are no longer US priorities, as they may have been when Hosni Mubarak was still president of Egypt. Leading a group of “Arab moderates,” Mubarak’s main responsibility was…more
Egyptian Military Junta Complicit in Israeli Siege of Gaza
Dissident Voice: 17 Aug 2011 – more
Narrative Is Open to All
Dissident Voice: 17 Aug 2011 – I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them, but to understand them. — Baruch Spinoza Daniel Cohen (fictitious name) is deeply admired by many. He is a humanist, an anti Zionist and he is also a man of great integrity. A week ago, Daniel decided to challenge my views, and launched a courageous debate. Being a gracious man, he might have hoped to open my eyes to some ‘categorical mistakes’ he believed I was making. For my part, I was very open to his criticism and engaged in the dialogue. Daniel was not happy with the way the exchange has evolved. Though he circulated his comments and my interventions to his close Jewish friends, he made it clear that he wanted to stop the exchange at a certain stage. Daniel was very angry with me. He also made it clear…more
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The New Dark Age 