23 September 2011 , 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Full transcript of Mahmoud Abbas speech at UN General Assembly
IMEMC – Saturday September 24, 2011 – 04:14, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas addresses United Nations General Assembly after submitting application for recognition as independent Palestinian state to UN Chief Ban Ki-moon.
Excerpts Of Abbas’ UN Speech, Israel’s Response
IMEMC – Saturday September 24, 2011 – 03:54, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivered his historic speech at the United Nations on Friday, officially submitting the Palestinian bid for a Palestinian state with full membership at the United Nations. He denounced the ongoing Israeli violations, settlement activities and attacks, and confirmed the Palestinian willingness for comprehensive peace based on international legitimacy resolutions. Israel claims Palestinians do not seek peace.
Hamas: “Abbas’ Speech Filled With Contradictions”
IMEMC – Saturday September 24, 2011 – 03:28, Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, stated that the Friday evening speech of Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, at the United Nations, “is filled with contradictions, despite its emotional start”.
Protesters and Journalists Injured at Qalandia
IMEMC – Friday September 23, 2011 – 23:53, Palestinians protested, on Friday, at the Qalandia checkpoint that separates Ramallah from East Jerusalem resulting in injuries to both protestors and two journalists.
Injuries Reported in an-Nabi Saleh During Demonstration
IMEMC – Friday September 23, 2011 – 23:01, Injuries were reported, on Friday, in the West Bank village of an-Nabi Saleh following the Israeli military’s suppression of its weekly non-violent protest.
Abbas submits Palestinian-UN membership bid
IMEMC – Friday September 23, 2011 – 22:31, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas officially submitted his bid for a Palestinian state with full membership at the United Nations to the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon on Friday afternoon.
Israeli Forces Use Gas To Stop Nonviolent Protest In N’ilin
IMEMC – Friday September 23, 2011 – 20:15, Dozens of nonviolent protests suffered effects of gas inhalation in the weekly nonviolent anti-wall protest in the village of N’ilin near the West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday.
Dozens wounded in Bil’in’s weekly nonviolent protest
IMEMC – Friday September 23, 2011 – 19:05, Dozens suffered asphyxiation as a result of inhaling gas fired by Israeli soldiers against nonviolent protesters in the village of Bil’in near the West Bank city of Ramallah Friday.
5 Palestinian Men Arrested in East Jerusalem
IMEMC – Friday September 23, 2011 – 18:46, Ma’an News Agency are reporting that five Palestinians have been arrested, on Friday, in occupied East Jerusalem by Israeli police.
35 Year Old Palestinian Shot Dead by Israeli Military
IMEMC – Friday September 23, 2011 – 17:37, A 35 year old Palestinian man, Essam Kamal Badran, has been shot dead, on Friday, by the Israeli military in the village of Qusra, near Nablus.
Thousands cheer Abbas as Palestinians hail UN bid
9/23/2011 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — Tens of thousands of Palestinians erupted into cheers of victory across the West Bank on Friday, hailing their president’s historic bid for Palestinian UN membership. In central Ramallah’s Arafat Square, the crowd roared its approval at the news that President Mahmoud Abbas had handed over a formal request asking…. Related: Huge crowds pack West Bank cities to back UN bid and Abbas UN speech seen as inflammatory in Israel
Israeli forces kill Palestinian in northern West Bank
9/23/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Friday killed a Palestinian man and injured five others during clashes in Qusra village in the northern West Bank, medics said. Issam Kamal Odeh, 33, died after he was shot by two bullets in the neck and shoulders during confrontations after morning prayers, medical officials said. Mayor Hany…. Related: Medics: Israeli forces kill Palestinian in West Bank
5 Palestinians injured in clashes near Ramallah
9/23/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Friday shot and injured five Palestinians with rubber-coated steel bullets during clashes at the Qalandia checkpoint near Ramallah, a Ma’an correspondent reported. Clashes erupted when Israeli soldiers prevented Palestinians from crossing the checkpoint for Friday prayers in Jerusalem, a Ma’an reporter said. An Israeli….
Report: Settler official calls for speedy construction
9/23/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) —A settlement official on Friday called for accelerated construction of settler facilities in case the diplomatic wrangling over the Palestinian UN bid leads to a freeze on settlement building, Israeli media said. The Hebrew-language daily Maariv said the president of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc near the West Bank city of….
Full text: Abbas’ address to the General Assembly
9/23/2011 – A full transcript of President Abbas’ address to the 66th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 23, as released by the Palestinian Authority news agency. Mr. President of the General Assembly of the United Nations,Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations,Excellencies,Ladies and Gentlemen,At the outset, I…. Related: Abbas at UN: Palestine is being reborn and Thousands cheer Abbas as Palestinians hail UN bid
Fatah leader: Palestine has votes to pass Security Council
9/23/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (Ma’an) — A resolution admitting Palestine as a member state of the United Nations has the support of a majority of the Security Council, a top Fatah official said Friday.” We need the nine votes plus no veto. The nine votes are already there. We hope there will be no veto,” said….
Hit-and-run injures young boy in Hebron
9/23/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — An eight-year-old boy sustained serious injuries after being struck by a vehicle in east Hebron on Friday morning, eyewitnesses said. Taleb Jaber was left bleeding as the Israeli-plated car fled the scene by al-Baqaa village near the army-controlled H2 area in the West Bank city’s east, locals said. Israeli….
5 teens detained in Jerusalem
9/23/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli police detained five Palestinian teens in Jerusalem on Friday, after thousands of officers were deployed around the city ahead of President Mahmoud Abbas’s speech at the UN. Three were detained in Beit Hanina for throwing stones, an Israeli police spokesman said. Two young man were detained near Al-Aqsa…. Related: Israeli police deploy as Jerusalem alert level raised
Uncertainty clouds Palestinian bid for UN membership
9/23/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas will submit Palestine’s application for membership to the Security Council on Friday, but uncertainty surrounds the fate of the UN campaign. Palestinian officials say Abbas’ current strategy means that the membership bid will remain in the arena of the Security Council for some time….
IAEA adopts resolution against Mideast atomic bombs
9/23/2011 – VIENNA (Reuters) — Member states of the UN atomic agency adopted a resolution on Friday calling on all countries in the Middle East to join a global anti-nuclear treaty, after a debate that highlighted deep divisions between Israeland Arab states. Israel and the United States abstained in the vote on the Egyptian-proposed text, entitled “Application of…. Related: Israel sees ‘positive’ Arab move at IAEA meeting
Palestinian UN bid: US alerts citizens in Lebanon
9/23/2011 – BEIRUT (AFP) — The US embassy in Lebanon warned its citizens on Friday to avoid Palestinian refugee camps and large gatherings in light of the expected showdown at the United Nations over Palestinian statehood.” The US embassy in Lebanon is alerting US citizens to a possibility of a surge in demonstrations in Beirut and around Lebanon….
Israel sees ‘positive’ Arab move at IAEA meeting
9/23/2011 – VIENNA (Reuters) — Israelwelcomed as a “positive move” on Friday a decision by Arab states not to single out the nation with a resolution condemning its assumed atomic arsenal at a meeting of the UN nuclear agency. Arab delegations earlier said they would not submit a resolution entitled “Israeli Nuclear Capabilities” for a vote at the…. Related: IAEA adopts resolution against Mideast atomic bombs
Hamas to Abbas: Don’t beg for a state
9/23/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh on Friday urged President Mahmoud Abbas not to “beg” for a Palestinian state at the United Nations. Speaking to reporters after morning prayers in Gaza City, Haniyeh said Abbas’ bid for full membership of the United Nations “harms the dignity of the Palestinian….
Abbas at UN: Palestine is being reborn
9/23/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas asked the United Nations on Friday to recognize a state for his people, in an impassioned plea for the international community to take on responsibility for ending the six-decade conflict.”I am here to say, on behalf of the Palestinian people. . . We extend our hands to the…. Related: Full text: Abbas’ address to the General Assembly and Abbas UN speech seen as inflammatory in Israel
Interfax: Russia to vote for Palestinian UN membership
9/23/2011 – MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia will vote for Palestine to have full membership in the United Nations if the question of its recognition is presented to the Security Council, Interfax news agency cited a source within the Russian delegation as telling reporters on Friday.” If the question will be presented for a vote (within the Security Council…. Related: Russia ‘believes US, Israel behind Iran worm attack’
Hamas: Abbas ignored Palestinian aspirations
9/23/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas said Friday that President Mahmoud Abbas’ proposals to the United Nations failed to address Palestinians’ aspirations, party spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said. The official told Ma’an that by recognizing Israel and seeking UN membership for a Palestinian state on 22 percent of historic Palestine, Abbas “decreased….
Huge crowds pack West Bank cities to back UN bid
9/23/2011 – RAMALLAH (AFP) – Huge crowds packed into the main towns and cities of the West Bank on Friday as people turned out to support a Palestinian bid to seek UN membership, AFP correspondents said. The crowds began gathering as President Mahmud Abbas handed over a historic request to UN chief Ban Ki-moon in New York in…. Related: Thousands cheer Abbas as Palestinians hail UN bid and Abbas UN speech seen as inflammatory in Israel
Abbas UN speech seen as inflammatory in Israel
9/23/2011 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israelis reacted coolly on Friday to President Mahmoud Abbas’ quest for statehood recognition, and some said his impassioned speech at the United Nations had only succeeded in harming the chances of peace. Telling the UN General Assembly he wanted peaceful relations with Israel, Abbas painted a bleak picture of life for ordinary….
Russia ‘believes US, Israel behind Iran worm attack’
9/23/2011 – MOSCOW (AFP) — Russia believes Israel and the United States were responsible for unleashing the malicious Stuxnet computer worm on Iran’s nuclear program last year, a top official said on Friday.” We are seeing attempts of cyberspace being used by some states to act against others — of it being used for political-military purposes,” said…. Related: Interfax: Russia to vote for Palestinian UN membership
Ban hands Palestinian bid to Security Council
9/23/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — UN chief Ban Ki-moon has handed over a request for a state of Palestine to be admitted as a full member of the UN just hours after it was submitted by President Mahmoud Abbas. A spokesman for Ban’s office said Friday the letter given to the UN leader earlier had….
Israeli police deploy as Jerusalem alert level raised
9/23/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Thousands of Israeli police were set to deploy in Jerusalem on Friday, in preparation for potential demonstrations as President Mahmoud Abbas delivers a speech at the UN later in the day. An Israeli police spokesperson told Ma’an Palestinian men under 50 years-old would be prevented from accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque…. Related: 5 teens detained in Jerusalem
Medics: Israeli forces kill Palestinian in West Bank
9/23/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man Friday evening in the northern West Bank during clashes with soldiers and settlers, medics said. Issam Odeh, 33, was killed during clashes in the village of Qusra, near Nablus, medics said. According to locals in the village, settlers arrived at the scene and…. Related: Israeli forces kill Palestinian in northern West Bank
Palestinians proud but wary ahead of UN bid
9/23/2011 – RAMALLAH (Reuters) – Palestinians expressed a mix of pride and wary anticipation on Friday as their president prepared to present an application for United Nations membership for the state of Palestine in the face of fierce opposition from the United States and Israel. Flags and portraits of the late Yasser Arafat and President Mahmoud Abbas draped….
Netanyahu: Peace impossible through UN resolutions
9/23/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly on Friday that he was reaching out to the Palestinian people but cautioned that peace could not be won with a UN resolution.” I extend my hand to the Palestinian people,” he told the 193-nation assembly, shortly after President Mahmoud Abbas….
Diplomats: Quartet agrees statement on Mideast talks
9/23/2011 – NEW YORK (Reuters) – The Quartet of Middle East peace mediators has reached agreement on a statement that it hopes will bring Israeland the Palestinians back into peace negotiations, diplomats familiar with the matter said on Friday. Ministers from the Quartet — the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States — are expected to meet….
UN chief hopes Israel, Palestinians to heed Quartet
9/23/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he hoped members of the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators would end months of deadlock on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and issue a statement on Friday.” I hope that we will issue a Quartet statement right after this meeting, and I sincerely hope that the parties will….
Ashton: Mideast Quartet sets framework for new talks
9/23/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) — European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said on Friday the Quartet had agreed on a statement calling for direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians to resume within one month and complete within one year. Ashton said the Quartet — the EU, the United Nations, the United States and Russia — had draw….
Arabs say Palestinian statehood bid long overdue
9/23/2011 – By Edmund Blair and Dina ZayedCAIRO (Reuters) — The Palestinian president’s call for statehood at the United Nations was a step many Arabs feel was long overdue but they expect the dramatic gesture to change little because of a looming US veto.” This is the first time for us to see this kind of….
Quartet sets timetable for new Mideast talks
9/23/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The “Quartet” of Middle East mediators proposed on Friday that Israeland the Palestinians should meet within one month to agree on an agenda for resumed peace talks. In a statement, the Quartet — the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia — said it wanted to see comprehensive proposals within three….
Italy and Cyprus donate motorbikes to PA police
9/23/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Italy and Cyprus donated 31 motorbikes to Palestinian Authority police on Tuesday at a ceremony in Ramallah. The donation was coordinated by EUPOL COPPS, a European mission to improve law and order in the West Bank. The Piaggio MP3 motorbikes are intended to raise the operational capacity of PA police and….
Police and prosecutors study Finnish investigation model
9/23/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian police and public prosecutors are studying the Finnish model of cooperation between the institutions over criminal investigations, a press statement said Friday. Palestinian officers and prosecutors visited local police, prosecution and court experts in Finland, the EU police mission to the Palestinian territories (EUPOL COPPS) said. The study tour focused….
Amnesty: Syrian forces torture, murder detainees
9/23/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Amnesty International said Friday it had new evidence that Syrian forces were torturing prisoners held during the unrest that has beset the nation since March. The international human rights groups said the mutilated body of 18-year-old Zainab al-Hosni of Homs, discovered by her family at a morgue, was “particularly shocking….
Yemen president back in Sanaa after 3 months in Saudi
9/23/2011 – SANAA (AFP) — Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is back in Sanaa after more than three months in Saudi Arabia where he was treated for wounds received in a bomb attack on his compound, state television said Friday. Saleh, who has since January faced massive street protests demanding he step down, was hospitalized in Riyadh on….
Police, protesters clash in Bahrain
9/23/2011 – DUBAI (AFP) — Clashes Friday between Bahraini security forces and protesters left five policemen wounded and dozens of demonstrators suffering from tear-gas inhalation, the authorities and activists said.” Five policemen were injured in clashes today (Friday), with one of them sustaining second degree burns from a homemade incendiary device,” the ministry of interior said in a….
Letter to President Abbas
Palestine Note 23 Sep 2011 – 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false Dear Mahmoud Abbas, I write this letter on the eve of your request for full UN membership. I feel compelled to express my support, not as a Palestinian sympathizer…
Standing Ovation for Abbas Speech at UN General Assembly
Palestine Note 23 Sep 2011 – US delegation remains silent Al Jazeera – Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has handed over a historic request to UN chief Ban Ki-moon asking the United Nations to admit the state of Palestine as a full member. The Palestinian leader won…
“If they can get what they want without concessions, why negotiate?”
Palestine Note 23 Sep 2011 – Presidential hopeful Rick Perry asks a great question, “If they [Palestinians] perceive they can get what they want from the U.N. without making any concessions why should they negotiate with Israel? It is a great question. But let’s take a…
Yemen’s Saleh calls for ceasefire on return
AlJazeera 24 Sep 2011 – Protesters killed in violence following surprise arrival of the president in Sanaa after three-month absence.
Palestinians set to submit UN bid
AlJazeera 24 Sep 2011 – Despite US threats to veto the move, President Mahmoud Abbas will go ahead and ask the UN to admit Palestine as a state.
Al Jazeera’s Nir Rosen on the Syrian uprising
AlJazeera 24 Sep 2011 – Journalist who reported for weeks during protests, discusses government attempts to spark sectarian civil war.
Confrontations on Qalandia checkpoints. Injuries in Ni’lin
PNN – PNNJerusalem-Confrontations between Palestinians and the Israeli army broke out at the Qalandia checkpoint, northern occupied Jerusalem, this afternoon.According to witnesses, the Israeli army attacked and showered youth trying to reach the checkpoint…
Settlers run over a Palestinian child near Qeriat Arbat, Hebron
PNN – PNNHebron-The Red Star of David drove a Palestinian child to the hospital after he was run over by an Israeli car. The car belonged to two settlers who fled the scene. Confrontations…
Bill Clinton: Netanyahu’s government is an obstacle for the peace process
PNN – PNNNew York- In a speech in New York about peace and the Middle East, former US president Bill Clinton said, Since Netenyahu won the elections, he ignored all the understandings that both…
Abdullah warns about effects of Palestinian’s failure at the UN
PNN – PNNAmman- In a radio interview with King Abdullah II of Jordan, he states that the failure of the Palestinians at the UN will have serious negative effects on the region, remembering the…
Israel refuses Sarkozy’s suggestion to give Palestine ‘Observation State’ at the UN
PNN – PNN Ramallah- France Press reported that Israel, today, declared its refusal to the French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s suggestion to give “Observation state” status to Palestine at the UN. A spokesman from the…
In Tel Aviv, a Right of Return in Theory Only
PNN – by Brendan Work and Sara DeGregoriaWith statehood questions swirling at the UN, few analyses bother to dwell on perhaps the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s most intractable issue: the UN-sanctioned right claimed by more than…
International Solidarity Movement
Essam Aoudhi: Martyred in defense of Qusra
9/23/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 23 September 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – Today Essam Kamal Abed Aoudhi, a 35 year old father of 8 children from the village of Qusra, was murdered by the Israeli army as they fired live ammunition indiscriminately into a crowd of villagers gathered in their village. From the nearby outpost of Esh Kodesh (“Holy….
A Review of Palestinian Legislation from a Women’s Rights Perspective
Relief Web 23 Sep 2011 – Source: UN Development Programme Country: occupied Palestinian territory Executive Summary and Recommendations Women and girls face entrenched institutional, legal, and social discrimination in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) as a result not only of the Israeli occupation, but also because…
Ban receives Palestinian application for UN membership
Relief Web 23 Sep 2011 – Source: UN News Service Country: occupied Palestinian territory 23 September 2011 — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas today submitted an application for Palestine to become a United Nations Member State. Mr. Abbas handed over an application to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon…
Humanitarian aid for Palestinians shouldn’t be necessary
Relief Web 23 Sep 2011 – Source: Guardian Country: occupied Palestinian territory Op-ed by Ross Mountain The huge amount of money spent on aid wouldn’t be needed if the international community pressed Israel to lift the blockade and respect international law, and pushed for a political…
Palestinian bid for UN recognition
Relief Web 23 Sep 2011 – Source: ACT Alliance , Christian Aid , International Orthodox Christian Charities , Lutheran World Federation , Lutheran World Relief , Norwegian Church Aid Country: occupied Palestinian territory As talks continue at the United Nations on the membership status of Palestine, ACT Alliance, working in the…
Le Secr?©taire g?©n?©ral fixe ?† l’Assembl?©e g?©n?©rale ¬´ cinq imp?©ratifs ¬ª pour ¬´ fa?ßonner le monde de demain ¬ª
Relief Web 23 Sep 2011 – Source: UN General Assembly Country: World , Afghanistan , C?¥te d’Ivoire , Democratic Republic of the Congo (the) , Haiti , Iraq , Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (the) , occupied Palestinian territory , Pakistan , Somalia , South Sudan (Republic of) , Syrian Arab Republic (the) AG/11147 Assembl?©e g?©n?©rale Soixante-sixi?®me session 11e,…
Le ¬´ printemps arabe ¬ª et les questions africaines mobilisent l’attention des ?©tats membres au deuxi?®me jour du d?©bat g?©n?©ral
Relief Web 22 Sep 2011 – Source: UN General Assembly Country: World , Afghanistan , Central African Republic (the) , Chad , C?¥te d’Ivoire , Democratic Republic of the Congo (the) , Egypt , Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (the) , occupied Palestinian territory , Somalia , Sudan (the) , Syrian Arab Republic (the) , Tunisia , Western Sahara , Yemen AG/11151…
In Year of Clarion Calls for Reform in Middle East, North Africa, World Leaders in General Assembly Urged ‘Not to Lose Our Nerve’ in Supporting New Freedoms
Relief Web 22 Sep 2011 – Source: UN General Assembly Country: World , Afghanistan , Central African Republic (the) , C?¥te d’Ivoire , Croatia , Democratic Republic of the Congo (the) , Georgia , Guinea , Iraq , Kenya , Kyrgyzstan , Lebanon , Liberia , Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (the) , occupied Palestinian territory , Rwanda , Somalia , South Sudan (Republic of) ,…
UN rights expert calls on the world to recognize the reality of Palestinian statehood
Relief Web 22 Sep 2011 – Source: UN Human Rights Council Country: occupied Palestinian territory GENEVA (22 September 2011) — The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Richard Falk, called on every United Nations Member State to recognize…
Israeli Settlers Train Women To Use Weapons
23 Sep 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) – The Israeli military is arming and training West Bank settlers in preparation for mass protests by Palestinians that it expects to erupt around the time that the UN is asked to recognise a Palestinian state, according to a leaked document .
Israeli Settlers attack Palestinians, burn 60 Olive Trees
23 Sep 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli settlers from Yitzhar, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, uprooted and destroyed 60 olive trees in Madama village, south of Nablus, according to local sources.
Israel bans Muslim worshipers praying in Jerusalem
23 Sep 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli police Friday banned Palestinian males who are under 50 years of age from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque as the Palestinians get ready to ask for United Nations membership. No restrictions were imposed on females.
Israel urged to reconsider punishing Palestinians over UN campaign
23 Sep 2011 – London, (Pal Telegraph) – US and European negotiators have urged Israel to refrain from taking punitive measures against Palestinians if they press ahead with their attempt to win recognition of their state at the United Nations.
With statehood application, Abbas tells UN “moment of truth” has come
The National 23 Sep 2011 – President’s speech was cheered by thousands of Palestinians who rallied in the West Bank, many waving Palestinian flags and some carrying Mr Abbas’s photograph.
Saleh’s surprise return shows he still calls the shots
The National 23 Sep 2011 – The move was a power play, analysts say, showing that Mr Saleh was still the one pulling the strings in Yemen.
Clashes continue after Saleh returns to Yemen
The National 23 Sep 2011 – President Ali Abdullah Saleh calls for a ceasefire but clashes continue in Sanaa as protesters continue their demonstrations.
Billionaire Palestinian fears for the viability of a Palestine state
The National 22 Sep 2011 – Founder of powerful Padico conglomerate backs bid but blasts lack of peace negotiations and asks: ‘What does Netanyahu want from us? Does he want to throw us into the sea or the desert?’
Palestinians submit statehood bid to United Nations
The National 22 Sep 2011 – President Mahmoud Abbas calls further negotiations with Israel “meaningless” as long as settlements continue to be built on land that Palestinians claim for their state.
President Saleh returns to Yemen
The National 22 Sep 2011 – The Yemeni leader was badly wounded in an attack on a mosque in the presidential compound three months ago and has been undergoing treatment in Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu at UN: Palestinians can get state only after peace with Israel
Ha’aretz –
Abbas at UN: Palestinians ready to return to talks based on 1967 borders
Ha’aretz – Palestinian President speaks to world leaders in New York after he officially submits the Palestinian application for full UN membership.
Chemi Shalev / A clash of narratives as Abbas and Netanyahu duel it out at the UN
Ha’aretz – Both Abbas and Netanyahu spoke well, from their own point of view, but each spoke past each other and to completely different audiences.
Mideast Quartet sets timetable for renewed Israeli-Palestinian talks
Ha’aretz – Timetable aims to reach peace agreement before end of 2012; brief Quartet statement makes no proposals to bridge core issues dividing Israelis and Palestinians.
Abbas officially submits Palestinian application for full UN membership
Ha’aretz – UN Security Council to take up Palestinian bid on Monday in unusually fast development.
Issacharoff & Harel / All quiet on the West-Bank front — for now
Ha’aretz – Both the IDF and the PA were interested this week in preventing friction in the territories; but what happens if Palestinians begin to march on a settlement, whose armed on-call squad responds before the army arrives?
Facing ghosts of an impoverished Israeli past
Ha’aretz – In his new film, nominated for 11 Israeli Academy Awards, Marco Carmel delves into the richness and mystique of the culture into which he was born – without pandering to a mainstream audience.
Jon Stewart lampoons Obama’s stance on Palestinian statehood
Ha’aretz – Popular satirist and host of The Daily Show implies that the Palestinian UN bid is legitimate because ongoing negotiations with Israel have not borne fruit.
Full transcript of Netanyahu speech at UN General Assembly
Ha’aretz – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the 66th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, following Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech.
IDF issues urgent terror warning along Israel-Egypt border
Ha’aretz – Israeli defense officials believe Hamas planning terror attack on Israel in attempt to distract from Abbas’ UN bid.
Palestinians rejoice as Abbas submits UN application for statehood
Ha’aretz – Festive atmosphere prevails with main street in downtown Ramallah filled with a large procession of young men, many carrying portraits of Abbas, and all chanting ‘Abu Mazen’ – Abbas’ nickname — over and over.
Israel Labor Court rules train workers’ strike illegal
Ha’aretz – Tel Aviv District Labor Court rules sanctions imposed by Israel Railway workers following breakdown of talks with management are illegal; delays continue in 78% of train services.
Israeli intellectuals back Palestinian statehood in Tel Aviv rally
Ha’aretz – Former MK Yael Dayan criticizes Israeli leadership for calling Palestinian bid at UN ‘unilateral,’ asking: ‘Isn’t the occupation unilateral?’
Fed sends world markets plunging
Ha’aretz – Global fears strike Tel Aviv: TA-25 drops 4.3%, banks plummet 4.6%.
PM agrees to cut defense budget
Ha’aretz – Netanyahu approved an agreement Tuesday evening before taking off for the U.S., which state the defense budget will be cut by NIS 3 billion a year, starting next year.
Bank Leumi is the guarantor for its own Tao Tsuot bonds
Ha’aretz – Leumi’s guarantees to Tao are covered by collateral worth about NIS 100 million in Tao’s securities’ portfolio, and personal guarantees covering 37% of the debt from Tao Tsuot controlling owner Ilan Ben-Dov. The total debt to series B1 bondholders is NIS 115 million.
Here comes the rain again: Autumn makes surprise Israel visit
Ha’aretz – Significant rainfall, the first of the season, reported across central, north Israel, with as much as 10mm of rain predicted to fall.
A clash of narratives as Abbas and Netanyahu duel it out at the UN
Ha’aretz – Both Abbas and Netanyahu spoke well, from their own point of view, but each spoke past each other and to completely different audiences.
Full transcript of Abbas speech at UN General Assembly
Ha’aretz – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses UN General Assembly after submitting application for recognition to UN Chief Ban Ki-moon.
Hamas: Abbas relinquishing Palestinian rights with UN bid
Ha’aretz – Ismail Haniyeh says Palestinian people do not beg the world for a state, and the state can’t be created through decisions and initiatives; states liberate their land first and then the political body can be established.
Report: Palestinian killed in West Bank clashes with Israeli forces
Ha’aretz – Palestinians report 35-year-old man killed near Nablus by IDF fire; clashes erupt in East Jerusalem when masked youths hurl rocks at Israeli security forces.
IAEA won’t discuss Israel’s ‘nuclear capabilities’ after Arab proposal dropped
Ha’aretz – Behind-the-scenes diplomacy at the International Atomic Energy Association leads to Arab states withdrawing their motion.
Clashes break out between Palestinians and Israel security forces in East Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – Masked youths throw rocks at Israeli police and border guards, but massive protests have still not materialized ahead of Palestinian statehood bid at United Nations.
At the UN, Netanyahu returns to the scene of his prime
Ha’aretz – When he steps up to the podium at the UN General Assembly today, Netanyahu will also be revisiting his ‘glory days’ in New York.
Bill Clinton: Netanyahu isn’t interested in Mideast peace deal
Ha’aretz – Former U.S. President says a cynical perspective of Prime Minister’s calls for negotiations ‘means that he’s just not going to give up the West Bank’.
Syrian forces kill 11, protesters plead for help
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2011 – Activists say nine of killings took place in Homs, two others in Damascus suburbs; “Help Syria, it’s bleeding,” signs read near capital.
Saleh returns to Yemen, US demands he step down
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2011 – His reappearance raises big questions over future the fractious Arabian Peninsula state, which has been paralyzed by protests since January.
Palestinians riot in West Bank ahead of Abbas speech
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2011 – IDF responds by using tear gas to disperse demonstrators at Kalandiya; Ahronovitch holds security evaluation meeting in J’lem with Danino ahead of UN speeches; 6 youths arrested for throwing stones in separate incidents.
Man, baby killed when car overturns near Kiryat Arba
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2011 – Judea and Samaria police arrive at scene to investigate incident; no rock throwing took place, according to IDF soldiers.
‘Teen becomes first female to die in Syrian custody’
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2011 – 18-year-old Zainab al-Hosni’s mutilated body discovered by chance by family while identifying her activist brother’s corpse at morgue, Amnesty says.
IAEA adopts resolution against Mideast atomic bombs
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2011 – After debate showing deep divisions between Israel, Arab states, UN atomic agency members ask Middle East to join global anti-nuclear treaty.
Rain falls in Tel Aviv, Haifa, western Galilee
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2011 – Downpours expected to spread to South; rain to continue throughout weekend, accompanied by drop in temperature, storms.
This Week in History: Israel launches into space
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2011 – Space program, which has suffered its share of setbacks, allowed Israel to join exclusive club of nations capable of launching satellites into space.
‘US budget cuts won’t affect military aid to Israel’
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2011 – White House, Congress officials clarify that financial crisis won’t affect aid; “Obama authorized sale of bunker bombs to Israel,” ‘Newsweek’ reports.
‘Netanyahu is key reason that peace deal not reached’
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2011 – Bill Clinton quoted as saying during roundtable with bloggers that Sharon’s peace efforts were scuttled when Likud party returned to power.
Abbas confirms he’ll ask for full membership at UN
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2011 – Despite growing pressure, PA president tells Palestinian-American leaders in NY that he’s determined to present state bid request to UNSC.
US envoy: Assad losing support among key constituents
Jerusalem Post 22 Sep 2011 – Army still cohesive although less than in May; Alawite leaders no longer consider their future connected to Assad.
Not-so-sweet new year — honey costs skyrocket
Jerusalem Post 22 Sep 2011 – Price of honey is 3.5 times higher than in the US because of governing system which prevents competition, importation.
Analysis: The downgrading of the Palestinian UN bid
Jerusalem Post 22 Sep 2011 – Just as the flotilla crisis fizzled away despite the hype, so will the Palestinian statehood crisis; Israel is not as isolated as it seems.
Security and Defense: Challenging times
Jerusalem Post 22 Sep 2011 – The IDF finds itself preparing for war that could erupt out of upheaval sweeping region and, at the same time, working to contain Palestinian demonstrations.
Legal Affairs: No grounds for complacency
Jerusalem Post 22 Sep 2011 – Considerable legal hurdles would hinder any attempt to bring complaints against Israeli officials to the International Criminal Court.
NGO: 45% workers will go unpaid during holiday season
Jerusalem Post 22 Sep 2011 – Nearly half of the county’s workforce will not receive a full salary during the upcoming holidays because they do not receive a global monthly salary.
Daughter’s dream allowed in rape conviction
Jerusalem Post 22 Sep 2011 – Memory experts tell court dream enabled 22-year-old woman to recall father’s abuse 12 years earlier.
Into the Fray: ‘Ground Control to Major Tom (Friedman)’
Jerusalem Post 22 Sep 2011 – ‘New York Times’ columnist Tom Friedman emerging as disingenuous charlatan whose blatant anti-Israeli bias is increasingly detached from reality.
Column One: Israel’s path to victory
Jerusalem Post 22 Sep 2011 – Israel has nothing to lose, everything to gain from going on the offensive. Our friends in US Congress have shown us a path that lays open to us to follow.
Court: TA protesters, City Hall must continue talks
Jerusalem Post 22 Sep 2011 – Tent protesters, TA municipality should return to negotiating table over future of Rothschild Blvd. encampment, recommends Supreme Court.
Choose Life!
Jerusalem Post 22 Sep 2011 – “I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life” (Deut. 30:19)
Martin Rowson on Palestine’s bid for statehood — cartoon
The Guardian 23 Sep 2011 – Mahmoud Abbas has asked the UN for official recognition for Palestine as a state Martin Rowson
Abbas defies US with formal call for Palestinian recognition by UN
The Guardian 23 Sep 2011 – Palestinian leader appeals to conscience of world as Netanyahu rejects claim problem lies with Israel Mahmoud Abbas has formally asked the United Nations to recognise a Palestinian state, defying intense US pressure to abandon the move…
Palestine: ‘After 63 years’ suffering — enough, enough,’ says Abbas
The Guardian 23 Sep 2011 – Jonathan Freedland on the impassioned plea for the UN to give its blessing to the creation of a Palestinian state It was the United Nations that determined the fate of the Palestinian people more than six…
Palestinian statehood: a game of chicken | Editorial
The Guardian 23 Sep 2011 – Obama is not taking the burden of the Israel-Palestine conflict on his shoulders. He is passing it on to others Last year in his annual address to the general assembly, Barack Obama promised that this time…
A token state of Palestine is a compromise too far | Ghada Karmi
The Guardian 23 Sep 2011 – Pushing only for limited statehood at the UN risks strangling future progress towards genuine justice The Palestinian statehood show at the UN is finally on the road. With his application this week to the UN secretary…
Palestinian man shot dead in clash with Israeli soldiers
The Guardian 23 Sep 2011 – Man shot dead in West Bank village hours before Mahmoud Abbas’s request to the UN for recognition of a Palestinian state A Palestinian man has been shot dead in a clash with Israeli soldiers and settlers…
Palestinian statehood goes to UN in key moment for peace process
The Guardian 23 Sep 2011 – Mahmoud Abbas will postpone security council vote but has broken US hegemony over peace talks, diplomats say Mahmoud Abbas submits his bid for recognition of Palestine as a state to the UN on Friday. The submission…
Defying U.S., Palestine Seeks U.N. Recognition for Statehood
IPS If there were any lingering doubts the Palestinians would not be able to garner the support of an overwhelming majority of member states at the United Nations, they were laid to rest when the 193-member General Assembly Friday gave a rousing and rapturous welcome to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Looking for Democracy in Wake of Arab Spring
IPS Civil society and government leaders gathered at World Bank headquarters in Washington on Thursday to debate the future direction of social and government accountability in the Middle East and North Africa.
Israeli forces kill Palestinian in northern West Bank
Uruknet September 23, 2011 — Israeli forces on Friday killed a Palestinian man and injured five others during clashes in Qusra village in the northern West Bank, medics said. Issam Kamal Odeh, 33, died after he was shot by two bullets in the neck and shoulders during confrontations after morning prayers, medical officials said. Mayor Hany Abu Murad named…
Fatah leader: Palestine has votes to pass Security Council
Uruknet September 23, 2011 – … A resolution admitting Palestine as a member state of the United Nations has the support of a majority of the Security Council, a top Fatah official said Friday. “We need the nine votes plus no veto. The nine votes are already there. We hope there will be no veto,” said Muhammad Shtayyeh, speaking after…
Mahmoud Abbas speech at the UN – The full official text
Uruknet September 23, 2011 – ….The time has come for our men, women and children to live normal lives, for them to be able to sleep without waiting for the worst that the next day will bring; for mothers to be assured that their children will return home without fear of suffering killing, arrest or humiliation; for students to…
Abbas: No pressure will deter UN statehood initiative
Uruknet September 23, 2011 — President Mahmoud Abbas said Friday that no amount of pressure could deter him from the UN membership bid, and he was not authorized to discuss any proposals for a return to negotiations with Israelis while in New York. Abbas addressed around 200 representatives from the Palestinian community in the US at his New York…
High treason, barbarity and the importance of the Geneva Conventions in Libya
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – On Saturday 17th September, as reported by Al Jazeera, Ahmed Bani, the interim government’s military spokesman, said gave army personnel still loyal to Gaddafi a last chance to join the ranks of former rebel fighters: “The soldiers and officers who will not heed this last call will be accused of high treason.” The invocation…
Barack Obama VS Those Craaaazy Republicans: Is He the Lesser Evil, or the More Effective Evil?
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – The last refuge of Obamaphiles is that no matter how many times the First Black President double-crosses us by cutting Medicare and Medicaid, no matter how completely be betrays his voters us by ignoring black unemployment, by deporting one million Latinos, by protecting the banksters responsible for the foreclosure crisis and by invading, bombing,…
The Occupation That Time Forgot The Disappearance of Palestine
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – It’s the show that time and the world forgot. It’s called the Occupation and it’s now in its 45th year. Playing on a landscape about the size of Delaware, it remains largely hidden from view, while Middle Eastern headlines from elsewhere seize the day. Diplomats shuttle back and forth from Washington and Brussels to…
“Rome Wasn’t Burned In A Day”: Replacing Liberal Timidity With Leftist Passion
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – Why is it that self-termed progressives are in full retreat (and have been for decades) from the witless army of angry clowns and hack illusionists of the U.S. rightwing? One contributing factor involves the sterile cultivation of the persona of the “reasonable liberal,” a type favored and rewarded by the status quo-protective power brokers…
Video: Tripoli – NATO-rebel checkpoint in the morning, 09/20/2011 – Disturbing images!
Uruknet
Syria News – September 22, 2011 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – …Number of martyrs today in Syria reached to 7 so far, 5 in Homs, 1 in Hama and 1 in Idlib … Idleb: Abdelrahim Ahmad Qaitoum (50 years) from the city of Hass has been martyred in a random gunfire while passing by a checkpoint in Kafar Nabel.Homs: martyrdom of Abudlhakem Shaar who was in…
Iraq snapshot – September 22, 2011
Uruknet September 22, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, Iraqi Christians continue to be targeted, Nouri continues to look unhinged, a US Senate committee digs for answers but few are provided, Senator David Vitter has to remind Adm Mike Mullen that Congress is part of the political leadership, Senator Patty Murray asks the Labor Dept to help connect veterans and…
UPDATED – WikiLeaks: The Unknown Prisoners of Guant?°namo (Part One of Five)
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – In May, when I first began analyzing in depth the classified military documents released by WikILeaks at the end of April (a project on which I worked as a media partner), I began with 84 stories that were previously unknown, as all that had been revealed about these prisoners previously were their names and…
BDS Update: Buttressing an Independent Palestine
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – A new Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) campaign was launched this summer by the United Church of Canada, which will try to persuade six companies operating in Canada – Caterpillar, Motorola, Ahava, Veolia, Elbit Systems and Chapters/Indigo – to stop supporting the Israeli occupation. “The Campaign follows similar campaigns launched some time ago by…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (15 – 21 Sep. 2011)
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – Summary : Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (15 – 21 September 2011): Shooting: During the reporting period, two Palestinians, including a child, died of wounds they had sustained by IOF in the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, 4 Palestinian civilians, including two children,…
US Republicans call for annexation of West Bank if Palestinian UN bid goes ahead
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – A number of Republican members of the US Congress have submitted a bill saying that Israel should annex the occupied West Bank if Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas carries on with his bid for UN recognition of an independent Palestinian state. According to CNN, 30 members of congress, led by Republican Joe Walsh (Illinois),…
Lieberman warns Netanyahu of coalition break-up if punitive measures aren’t taken against the Palestinians
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – Israel’s Foreign Minister has warned Benjamin Netanyahu that the governing coalition will fall part if the Prime Minister doesn’t take punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority for its decision to bid for independent statehood at the United Nations. A report in Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper claims that Avigdor Lieberman has demanded that Netanyahu responds…
Obama’s UN Debacle
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – Like a slow-motion train wreck, one that everyone knew was coming months ago, the president succumbed shamelessly to the domestic political pressure from the Israel lobby, its Republican party allies, and the menacing Benjamin Netanyahu, the thuggish prime minister of Israel. In one speech, Obama smashed to pieces every hopeful speech, false-start peace initiative…
Obama-Style Deficit Reduction
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – On September 8, Obama’s “American Jobs Act” address to Congress was a thinly veiled campaign speech. More on it below. On September 19 came Act Two to enlist support for “Living Within Our Means and Investing in Our Future” by cutting $4 trillion over 10 years (for starters with more to come) from Medicare,…
Obama Hosts International Debut for Libya’s Racist and Thoroughly Non-Revolutionary Regime
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – The United States and the corporate media would have you believe that President Obama and the U.S. corporate media are celebrating the triumph of a “revolution” in Libya. But there was no revolution. “‘Revolutionaries’ – African revolutionaries – do not name their fighting units ‘the Brigade for Purging Slaves, Black Skin.'” And they have…
RIP Troy Davis: Your Killers Should Be Ashamed
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – Despite an eleventh hour appeal to the US Supreme Court, Troy Davis, on death row in Georgia for 20 years, was executed last night, by lethal injection, at 11pm, local time. The Supreme Court took four hours to turn down his appeal for clemency, even though rumors had spread that his execution would be…
War and shopping – an extremism that never speaks its name
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – Looking for a bookshop that was no longer there, I walked instead into a labyrinth designed as a trap. Leaving became an allusion, rather like Alice once she had stepped through the Looking Glass. Walls of glass curved into concentric circles as one “store” merged into another: Armani Exchange with Dinki Di Pies. Exits…
Israeli “administrative detention” punishes entire family
Uruknet September 22, 2011 – The latest Israeli administrative detention order against Palestinian nurse and ambulance officer Ayed Dudeen – issued only two months after Dudeen was released from almost four years spent in Israeli custody without charge – has once again highlighted the destructive and harmful impact that this Israeli policy has on Palestinian families. “It is horrible…
Palestinian boy loses left eye in Israeli quelling of demonstrators
Uruknet September 22, 2011 — A Palestinian child lost his left eye on Wednesday when Israeli occupation forces fired teargas canisters at demonstrators near Qalandia in occupied Jerusalem. Medical sources said that 13-year-old Ahed Wahdan was seriously injured in his left eye when a teargas canister hit him in the face. They said that he was carried to Ramallah…
Israeli press wary over Obama’s ‘Zionist’ UN speech
Uruknet September 22, 2011 — Israeli newspapers were unanimous Thursday in characterizing US President Barack Obama’s UN speech as hugely supportive of Israel, but some argued it was perhaps too much of a good thing. “The American embrace” was the front-page headline of the Maariv daily, while the top-selling Yedioth Aharonoth took a similar line, summing up the impact…
Video: Libya: Sirte Inside – TNC and NATO war crimes 21.09.2011
Uruknet
Thousands rally in West Bank for statehood bid
Uruknet September 21, 2011 – While Palestinians are defenseless and under attack in villages and cities around the West Bank, thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, and Hebron to show support for the United Nations bid for Statehood…. It worth noting that this rally was probably the biggest rally held in Ramallah since the…
Saleh’s return to Yemen sparks fears of further violence
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 President Ali Abdullah Saleh returned to Yemen after a three-month absence calling for an end to heavy fighting Friday, but opponents said they feared more bloodshed and the United States demanded he relinquish power.
Syrian teenage girl found beheaded, mutilated
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 A young woman was found beheaded and mutilated, reportedly by Syrian security agents…
It’s about time
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Defying U.S. and Israeli opposition, Palestinians asked the United Nations Friday to accept them as a member state…
Atlantic Council honors late Rafik Hariri
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 The Atlantic Council, a U.S. institution which promotes transatlantic cooperation, honored the late former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri this week in New York.
Qassem: March 14 has lost its wager
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said Friday the March 14 alliance had lost its wager on the collapse of Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government after members of the March 8 coalition reached an agreement…
Lebanese to visit Cyprus for demarcation talks
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 A team of Lebanese experts will visit Cyprus to discuss the agreements covering the demarcation of maritime borders between the two countries, and between Cyprus and Israel.
Palestinians, Lebanese support Abbas bid, U.S. issues warning
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Palestinian groups in Lebanon and their allies mobilized in a show of support for the Palestinian bid for statehood Friday.
Sleiman says he has urged Assad to pass reforms
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Expressing his worry about the unrest in Syria, President Michel Sleiman said Friday he has encouraged Syrian President Bashar Assad to proceed with democratic reforms…
Christian leaders fail to agree on electoral reform
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Christian leaders failed to agree upon proposed changes to the parliamentary electoral law Friday…
Clashes rage ahead of Bahrain by-election
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Clashes Friday between Bahraini security forces and protesters left five policemen wounded and dozens of demonstrators suffering from tear-gas inhalation…
Yemen’s great survivor Saleh returns home after treatment
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who returned home Friday after more than three months of medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, has ruled through three decades of Middle East turmoil.
Hamas: Bid for statehood has no substance
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Palestinians should liberate their land, not beg for recognition at the United Nations, the Islamist group Hamas said Friday, firmly rejecting President Mahmoud Abbas’ quest for statehood at the U.N. General Assembly.
West Bank enthralled by U.N. statehood bid
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Thousands of jubilant Palestinians thronged around outdoor screens in town squares across the West Bank Friday to see their president submit his historic request for recognition of a state of Palestine to the United Nations.
Israeli soldiers gun down Palestinian man in West Bank clash
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man during a clash between West Bank villagers and Israeli settlers Friday, according to witness and military accounts.
Tunisian troops kill 6 in clashes with infiltrators from Algeria
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Clashes this week between Tunisian soldiers and an armed group that crossed the border from Algeria left six dead among the infiltrators, a Western diplomatic source said Friday.
Libya’s NTC to announce new government in coming days
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Libya’s interim rulers said Friday they would announce a new government within the next few days, signaling a breakthrough in previously unproductive efforts to form a more inclusive administration to lead the war-torn North African country.
The secret life of a ‘super fixer’ in new Libya
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Flanked by two colleagues, a 60-something Englishman quietly worked the lobby of Benghazi’s Tibesti Hotel last week, targeting people likely to be the power brokers in a new Libya.
Sehnaoui enters controversial Telecoms Ministry floor
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Telecoms Minister enters the second floor of the Telecoms building which was the center of a heated debate earlier this year when the former minister was prevented from entering it by security forces.
Palestinians make history at U.N.
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas makes history in his people’s long quest for statehood as he formally asks the United Nations to admit Palestine as a full member state.
Bahrain police block protest march to capital
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Massive police force blocks protesters trying to march to Bahrain’s capital, witnesses say, a day before a key by-election to fill parliamentary seats vacated by opposition leaders in protest at the crushing of popular unrest in…
U.S. sold bunker-busting bombs to Israel: report
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 President Barack Obama secretly authorized the sale of 55 powerful bunker-busting bombs to Israel, Newsweek magazine reports on its online edition Friday.
France denies Sarkozy said no home for Christians in region
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 French Embassy denies a report in a Lebanese newspaper that President Nicholas Sarkozy told the Maronite patriarch that Lebanese and Syrian Christians should move to the European Union as they are no longer welcome in the…
Hezbollah were capable of killing Hariri: Alloush
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Hezbollah had the capability to assassinate former statesman Rafik Hariri in 2005, Future Movement official Mustafa Alloush says, but proving that they did so is up to the tribunal.
Palestinians, Israeli troops clash in Jerusalem
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Palestinians calling for U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state clash with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, just hours before their president, Mahmoud Abbas, was to deliver his widely anticipated request to the world body.
Amnesty: Woman believed killed in Syrian custody
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Eighteen-year-old Syrian woman whose mutilated body was discovered in a morgue believed to be the first female to die in custody during the country’s 6-month-old uprising.
U.S. warns citizens in Beirut of rallies ahead of Palestine bid
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 U.S. Embassy in Lebanon sends emergency message to all U.S. citizens warning of a possible surge in demonstrations over the next few days, ahead of the Palestinian application for U.N. membership.
10 ISF personnel freed after Lebanon prison riot
Daily Star 23 Sep 2011 Two-hour riot at Lebanon’s notorious Roumieh prison ends with 17 people wounded and the freeing of 10 Lebanese Army soldiers taken hostage by prisoners in the terrorist unit.
Syria crackdown risks sectarian strife: U.S. ambassador
Daily Star 22 Sep 2011 President Bashar Assad is losing support among key constituents and risks plunging Syria into sectarian strife by intensifying a bloody crackdown on demonstrators, the U.S. ambassador to Damascus said Thursday.
Abbas, Israel draw U.N. battle lines
Daily Star 22 Sep 2011 Israelis and Palestinians balked Thursday at backing away from positions that have stalled negotiations for years…
Erdogan assaulted in UN building
YNet News, 23 Sep 2011 – NEW YORK — An unidentified man on Friday tried to assault Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech at the United … ….
US court: Students guilty of disrupting Israeli envoy
YNet News, 23 Sep 2011 – Jurors found 10 Muslim students guilty Friday of disrupting a lecture by the Israeli ambassador at a California university in a case that stoked a spirited debate about … ….
Quartet: Peace deal by 2012
YNet News, 23 Sep 2011 – The International Quartet of Middle East mediators proposed on Friday that Israel and the Palestinians should meet within one month to agree an agenda for new peace talks … ….
Urgent terror alert in southern Israel
YNet News, 23 Sep 2011 – IDF forces in southern Israel boosted their alert level Friday evening following concrete information about the intention of Hamas and other terror groups to carry out an … ….
Top Hezbollah man ‘disappears’
YNet News, 23 Sep 2011 – A senior Hezbollah militant has been missing for several days and according to Lebanese sources, his disappearance may be connected to the arrest of four people suspected … ….
Israeli student receives special gift from Ahmadinejad
YNet News, 23 Sep 2011 – Before he took to the podium to make his speech at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad first met with a group of students, where … ….
‘Obama sold special bombs to Israel’
YNet News, 23 Sep 2011 – The upcoming issue of Newsweek, which is set to hit newsstands on Monday, claims that two years ago US President Barack Obama secretly approved the transfer of 55 … ….
Bill Clinton: Netanyahu to blame for failure of peace process
YNet News, 23 Sep 2011 – Yearning for leaders of the past, former US President says ‘two great tragedies….
Durban III conference held amid counter events
YNet News, 23 Sep 2011 – As in previous years, Israel, the US and 11 Western countries did not take part….
Obama tells rabbis: Bond with Israel unbreakable
YNet News, 23 Sep 2011 – Obama continues to court Jewish vote: Following what is being seen as a….
Palestinian Information Center
IOF troops kill Palestinian man in Qusra
PIC – Israeli occupation troops and settlers attacked the village of Qusra to the south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus resulting in the death of a 37-year-old local man.
Violent confrontations in Jerusalem
PIC – Clashes between local youth and Israeli occupation police broke out Friday afternoon in a number of neighbourhoods of occupied Jerusalem resulting in dozens of injuries and arrests.
Obama’s UN speech is unjust, immoral and unprincipled
PIC – Obama’s excessive praise of Israel caricatured an insecure president that fears telling the truth, a leader that shakes at the very thought of uttering the “wrong words”..
Bardaweel: PA’s September statehood bid a trap to liquidate Palestinian cause
PIC – Dr. Salah al-Bardaweel, a Hamas leader and member of its bloc at the PLC, rejected Abbas’s statehood bid within the 1967 borders, as a unilateral move that concedes most of historic Palestine.
IOF troops raid Silwan suburb, clash with local youth
PIC – Violent clashes between local youth and IOF troops broke out in different streets of the Jerusalem suburb of Silwan, south of the Aqsa Mosque. IOF troops disguised as Arabs were deployed.
At the pretext of searching for mobile phones, police raid Askalan prison
PIC – Nachshon prison police raided the Askalan prison on the pretext that they were looking for smuggled mobile phones, causing extensive damage to prisoners’ property.
Occupation police restrict worship at the Aqsa Mosque
PIC – The Israeli occupation police declared a state of alert in occupied Jerusalem which started Friday morning. A large number of police was deployed in the occupied city..
Abu Zuhri:Obama’s speech reflect total bias to Israeli occupation
PIC – Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, said on Thursday that the speech made by US President Barak Obama at the UN reflects total American bias in favour of the Israeli occupation.
Full Official Text of President Mahmoud Abbas’ Speech at the UNGA
WAFA
Israel Bans Males under 50 from Praying at Al-Aqsa Mosque
WAFA
Palestine 194 Calls on UN Members to Support Palestinian Bid
WAFA
Teenager Arrested for Violating House Arrest
WAFA
Demonstration in Denmark in Support of UN Bid
WAFA
At U.N., Iran president again denounces U.S.
LA Times 22 Sep 2011 – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad excoriates the U.S. and its allies, blaming them for centuries of misery, including the current global economic turmoil. Dozens of diplomats walk out. With his now-familiar mix of bombast, politics and theater, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday denounced the United States…
President Ali Abdullah Saleh makes surprise return to Yemen
LA Times 23 Sep 2011 – Saleh’s arrival is a dramatic gamble by a leader skilled at brinkmanship. But it is unclear whether he can save his presidency or calm escalating factional fighting gripping his impoverished country. Nearly four months after he was severely wounded in an assassination attempt, President Ali…
Misurata, proud of its role in Libya revolt, looks to the future
LA Times 23 Sep 2011 – Despite an urban tableau of wartime destruction, Misurata — an emblem of the uprising against Libya’s Moammar Kadafi — has made strides in reclaiming a sense of normality amid the disarray. Its principal commercial drag, Tripoli Street, could be the Hollywood set for an urban…
Returned U.S. envoy to Libya doesn’t see long-term insurgency
LA Times 22 Sep 2011 – In his first public comments since returning to Libya, Ambassador Gene Cretz voices hope that moderate elements will prevail as authorities seek to craft the nation’s first representative government. Fugitive leader Moammar Kadafi remains a danger and Libya faces “stubborn resistance” from former regime loyalists,…
Old rivals trade accusations of abuse after Libyan town’s fall
LA Times 22 Sep 2011 – Predominantly black refugees from pro-Kadafi Tawurgha may stand accused of war crimes. But the Misurata rebels who drove them out may face charges of ethnic cleansing. The green flag still flutters from some homes in this desert town, a remnant of its profound loyalty to…
Palestinians Rally in West Bank for Abbas Speech
New York Times 23 Sep 2011 – Thousands massed in cities in the West Bank on Friday to watch President Mahmoud Abbas formally announce the Palestinians’ request for full membership in the United Nations.
West Bank Tensions Simmer Amid Palestinian Statehood Bid
New York Times 23 Sep 2011 – The question Palestinian and Israeli security forces are facing is whether the relative quiet of the past few years is nearing an end.
Erdogan Criticizes Israel at U.N. – Ahmadinejad Speaks, Too
New York Times 23 Sep 2011 – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey enumerated a long list of grievances with Israel, and Iran’s president delivered an anti-Western tirade.
Accused of Fighting for Qaddafi, Tawerga Residents Face Reprisals
New York Times 23 Sep 2011 – More than a month ago, as Qaddafi forces retreated from their town, virtually all of Tawerga’s estimated 30,000 residents fled the city, fearing wrath from their neighbors in Misurata.
Syrian Officer, Harmoush, Reappears After Defecting to Turkey
New York Times 23 Sep 2011 – After a very public defection from the Syrian army via YouTube, Lt. Col. Hussein Harmoush made a very public about-face on Syrian state television. Why is a mystery.
Yemen’s President Saleh Abruptly Returns From Saudi Arabia
New York Times 23 Sep 2011 – Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen’s president, left for medical treatment in early June, after an attack on his palace.
NATO powers indifferent to Libyan refugees
WSWS – The same NATO countries that waged war on Libya in the name of “protecting civilians” have given “an abysmal response to the plight” of refugees from this conflict.
Obama at the UN: The arrogant voice of imperialism
WSWS – President Obama’s empty and arrogant sermon to the United Nations Wednesday was laced with platitudes about “peace”, designed to mask Washington’s predatory policies.
JVP Statement on Irvine 11 verdict
Jewish Voice for Peace –
Settlers Burn Palestinian Fields: ‘In Blood and Fire Shall Judea Rise’
Tikun Olam – ‘In blood, fire and pogroms shall Judea rise again’ It’s fall harvest time in Palestine, which means its the season of pogroms, hooliganism and arson for Israel’s radical settlers who take delight in destroying everything Palestinian they can get their hands on. But after all, they’re…
A roundup of opinions from a busy week at the UN
Mondoweiss – Video: Will Palestinian statehood make a difference in Gaza? 22 Sept — Julie Webb-Pullman: In recent days I interviewed Gazans working in an office building in Gaza City, people in the street, and some students at the Al Azhar University. I asked first what they thought…
Palestine Spring, Bibi’s Winter of Discontent
Tikun Olam – Mahmoud Abbas delivered his UN speech today to rapturous applause from the assembled delegates. Bibi Netanyahu—not so much. In one especially telling passage he likened the Palestinian demand for statehood to the Arab Spring, calling it the Palestinian Spring. DidiRemez offers a scan fromMaariv which notes…
Breaking: ‘Irvine 11‚Ä? found guilty on two charges for protesting Michael Oren
Mondoweiss – Update : Electronic Intifada reports over twitter that the students will not be sentenced to jail time, but instead will have three years probation and will have to do 56 hours of community service at a non-profit. The probation will be dropped if the community service is…
Abbas brings Tahrir to New York, and some of our media seem to be on board
Mondoweiss – CNN broadcast Mahmoud Abbas’s speech to the General Assembly today with a split screen of a huge, respectful, flagwaving crowd in Ramallah. Truly inspiring optics: Tahrir Square had come to New York. Myself I found the Abbas speech hugely moving. It pulsated with history, with the…
Mondoweiss liveblogs the UN General Assembly speeches
Mondoweiss – All eyes are on Palestine today as Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is set to address the United Nations (UN) General Assembly about his request for UN recognition of a state of Palestine. Tune in here as Mondoweiss liveblogs the Abbas speech and Israeli Prime…
Internationalize this conflict — Rabbani
Mondoweiss – Mouin Rabbani at the Hill begins by stating what is now obvious to all, US policy is in Topsy Turvy land: Washington’s embrace of the Netanyahu government and its agenda has become so comprehensive that it would be fair to conclude that guaranteeing Israeli impunity in…
70% of Israelis Endorse UN Acceptance of Palestinian State
Tikun Olam – The Truman Institute at the Hebrew University has done a poll of Israeli and Palestinian opinion about the PA’s UN bid for statehood. Remarkably, the poll finds nearly 70% of Israelis prepared to accept a Palestinian state through a UN vote. This despite the opposition of…
Obama as Captain America, Saving Day for Israel
Tikun Olam – Barack Obama as Captain Israel, striking a blow for Bibi, Occupation, and the status quo (Maariv) A Maariv cartoonist captures the shame of Barack Obama’s UN performance, at which he stood tall for Israel, even taller than Bibi Netanyahu. In fact, Israeli columnist Nahum Barnea called…
Quartet at Loggerheads Over Disagreement on Peace Negotiations
Tikun Olam – Whatever you may say about the Palestinian plan to apply for statehood at the UN, you must concede it has overturned just about everyone’s apple cart of consensus and expectations. Apparently, it has caused a deep rift within the Quartet itself. That body arrogated to itself…
Veterans Today Supports Palestinian Statehood to Increase American National Security
Intifada-Palestine: 23 Sep 2011 – Veteranstoday.com , the most widely read Military and Foreign Affairs Online Journal, urges President Obama to end the cycle of endangering American national security through continued ‘blank check’ support for Israel. This multi-decade policy has been a disaster not only for American… more
Velayati elected Secretary General of the Conference on Islamic Awakening
Voltaire Network 23 Sep 2011 – The final declaration of the First International Conference on Islamic Awakening, which brought to Tehran 600 delegates from 80 countries – representing the main political and religious currents in the Muslim world – decided on a reading of the Arab revolutions centered on civilization. In contrast…
The age of the Reaper
Voltaire Network 23 Sep 2011 – Arrogance and shameless doublespeak reign supreme in world diplomacy. Respect for international law and human rights is a farce. Never has this come across so blatantly as in President Obama’s speech on 21 September before the UN General Assembly. Revealing in terms of the hypocrisy and…
Kenya: Local Group Supports Palestine
allAfrica.com 23 Sep 2011 – An organisation called the Kenya Palestine Solidarity Movement yesterday voiced support for the application by Palestine to be recognized as a state by the United Nations. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will today present a formal request for full UN membership for a state of Palestine.
Nigeria: Israelis Celebrate White House Stance On Palestinian Statehood
allAfrica.com 23 Sep 2011 – ISRAELI newspapers were unanimous yesterday in describing the UN speech by U.S. President Barack Obama, as hugely supportive of Israel, but some argued it was perhaps too much of a good thing.
Africa: Palestinians Backed By South Africa On Quest for Statehood
allAfrica.com 23 Sep 2011 – SOUTH Africa, a key United Nations (UN) Security Council member, gives total support to the Palestinian bid for full membership of UN, President Jacob Zuma has said.
Africa: Will the Fire in the Israeli Embassy Spread to the Whole Region?
allAfrica.com 23 Sep 2011 – The fire at the Israeli embassy in Cairo on 8 September probably won’t ‘turn into a bushfire’, writes Gabriele Habashi, but it does give the Egyptian military an excuse for clamping down on protests by ordinary people in the eyes of the international community.
Congress Sets Back Peace Process
Arab American Institute 23 Sep 2011 – In a final attempt to forgo a confrontation at the U.N., the Obama Administration held a closed meeting yesterday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Washington hoped to avoid a showdown at the U.N. by pressuring Abbas to submit a request for recognition for statehood without forcing…
Is Israel now the unofficial 51st State of the United States of America?
Middle East Monitor 23 Sep 2011 – President Barack Obama has done us all a favour with his speech to the United Nations; rarely, if ever, has a US president made it so obvious what many of us started to believe years ago, namely that Israel is now the unofficial 51st State of…
Mideast peace talks ‘must resume’
BBC 23 Sep 2011 – The Middle East Quartet urges Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace talks within a month, after the Palestinians ask the UN to recognise their state.
Turkey ‘seizes Syria arms ship’
BBC 23 Sep 2011 – Turkey says it has seized a Syrian ship with weapons, in another sign of rapidly deteriorating relations between the two countries.
Iran leader makes new 9/11 claims
BBC 22 Sep 2011 – Iran’s president says he does not believe the WTC towers could have been destroyed by aircraft alone, after lambasting Western nations at the UN.
Syrian woman ‘dies in detention’
BBC 23 Sep 2011 – An 18-year-old whose brother opposed the regime of Syria’s president is believed to be the first woman to die in custody in Syria, Amnesty says.
The one-sided US veto: an astounding display of hypocrisy
Sabbah report 23 Sep 2011 – The US has never considered using its veto power to stop Israel from carrying out unilateral moves aimed at undermining peace. Instead, the US has frequently used its veto to prevent the condemnation of Israeli policies that breach international law. Now the Obama administration wants to…
Lockerbie Libya Syria; Who To Frame Next
Sabbah report 23 Sep 2011 – New evidence in the Pan Am 103 bombing over Lockerbie is clearing the name of Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, who was convicted and sentenced during the Camp Zeist Trial. As many intelligence experts have suggested for years, the evidence is leading towards persons in Germany, with ties…
Israel’s panic-stricken UK fans urge more lopsided negotiations
Sabbah report 23 Sep 2011 – Note the old trick of emphasising Israel’s security while planting the idea that Palestine must make do with a barely “viable” existence. You never hear these jokers talk about a secure Palestine and a viable Israel.
Palestine — Hope or Despair?
Sabbah report 23 Sep 2011 – The main difference between Netanyahu and Abbas was that the Israeli leader could not say “Yes” to President Obama and the Palestinian could not say “No”.
Palestine at the United Nations
US Campaign to End the Occupation 23 Sep 2011 – September 23, 2011
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US Campaign to End the Occupation 23 Sep 2011 – September 20, 2011
Articles
Abbas’s legacy to his nation
Daoud Kuttab, Ma’an News Agency9/22/2011
When Palestinian leaders decided to go to the United Nations to seek Palestinian recognition, they knew it would anger Tel Aviv and possibly Washington. But they didn’t expect the reaction that ensued.
Both the US and Israel are on record as supporting Palestinian statehood. The UN rarely has the ability to produce decisions with teeth unless the US and other Western allies are forcefully behind it.
Israel is about to declare an emergency situation in the occupied territories and the Obama administration is in emergency mode as if Palestinians were declaring war.
The idea of Palestine becoming a permanent member of the United Nations originated, say Palestinians, from none other than US President Barack Obama.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2010, Obama said he hoped that “when we come back here next year, we can have an agreement that will lead to a new member of the United Nations – an independent, sovereign state of Palestine, living in peace with Israel.”
The Palestinians decided to take the US president at his word.
Obama’s efforts to rekindle the Middle East peace process was met by Israel’s refusal to carry out a temporary settlement freeze. more.. e-mail
Israel still doesn’t understand cost of occupation
Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad, Ma’an News Agency9/22/2011
After 63 years of occupation and conflict, Israel still does not understand the cost of its daily occupation of Palestinian land and continues to go in the wrong way to gain temporary security benefits for itself.
Recent Palestinian efforts for full UN membership have resulted in an international diplomatic strategy, with most countries supporting a declaration of Palestinian statehood. On the other side, a different kind of movement is going on, a movement that offered everything possible in order to prevent the Palestinian leadership from bidding for international recognition of the Palestinian right to live in a state of their own.
The Palestinian declaration has become a nightmare for some politicians and leaders. They are dealing with it as if it is a threat to their national security and the stability of the region, forgetting about the basic principles of democracy, freedom and the right of self-expression.
Israel has continued to deal with the declaration by asking one question and one question only: Will there be a new intifada?
How will the army deal with the possible demonstrations? Are Israeli security forces ready to shut the Palestinians down? What about activating emergency laws that allow the Israeli security forces to imprison Arabs and put them in new isolated areas?
These are the questions that political and military analysts were trying to find answers for. Others in the Israeli media decided to go to Ramallah and report from its streets to try to calm down Israeli public opinion that the streets are empty and no one cares for the Palestinian diplomatic battle at New York. more.. e-mail
Israeli Rejectionism — Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 23 Sep 2011 – By Ludwig Watzal (Zalman Amit/Daphna Levit, Israeli Rejectionism. A Hidden Agenda in the Middle East Peace Process, Pluto, London-New York, pp 208.) After having negotiated for 20 years with different Israeli governments about a solution to the conflict in the Middle East, the Palestinian leadership is sick and tired of the charade that the U. S., the rest of the West and even the occupied Palestinians under the rule of Mahmud Abbas call “peace process”. Abbas asks the United Nations to grant the “State of Palestine” full membership status. The Israeli government fiercely opposes this move and so does the U. S. Since 1967, when Israel’s violations of international norms were brought before the UN Security Council time and again, the U. S. government has backed it off-hand. For the large majority of U. S governments, Israel was always the “good guy” even after it attacked the USS liberty in…more
Full Official Text of President Mahmoud Abbas’ Speech at the UNGA
Palestine Chronicle: 23 Sep 2011 – New York – September, 23 2011 Mr. President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, At the outset, I wish to extend my congratulations to H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser on his assumption of the Presidency of the Assembly for this session, and wish him all success. I reaffirm today my sincere congratulations, on behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian people, to the government and people of South Sudan for its deserved admission as a full member of the United Nations, wishing them progress and prosperity. I also congratulate the Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, on his election for a new term at the helm of the United Nations. This renewal of confidence reflects the world’s appreciation for his efforts, which have strengthened the role of the United Nations. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Question Palestine…more
Obama’s Speech, Abu Mazen’s Gamble
Palestine Chronicle: 23 Sep 2011 – By Uri Avnery A wonderful speech. A beautiful speech. The language expressive and elegant. The arguments clear and convincing. The delivery flawless. A work of art. The art of hypocrisy. Almost every statement in the passage concerning the Israeli-Palestinian issue was a lie. A blatant lie: the speaker knew it was a lie, and so did the audience. It was Obama at his best, Obama at his worst. Being a moral person, he must have felt the urge to vomit. Being a pragmatic person, he knew that he had to do it, if he wanted to be re-elected. In essence, he sold the fundamental national interests of the United States of America for the chance of a second term. Not very nice, but that’s politics, OK? It may be superfluous — almost insulting to the reader — to point out the mendacious details of this rhetorical edifice. Obama treated the…more
BDS Update: Buttressing an Independent Palestine
Palestine Chronicle: 22 Sep 2011 – By Eric Walberg A new Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) campaign was launched this summer by the United Church of Canada, which will try to persuade six companies operating in Canada — Caterpillar, Motorola, Ahava, Veolia, Elbit Systems and Chapters/Indigo — to stop supporting the Israeli occupation. “The Campaign follows similar campaigns launched some time ago by the US Presbyterian Church and the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church. We have launched ‘Occupied with Peace’ after almost two years of discernment and information gathering,” says spokesperson Jean Lee. The UK’s Trades Union Congress voted to reconsider its ties with Israel’s national trade union federation Histadrut, reaffirming its policy to encourage affiliates, employers and pension funds to disinvest from, and boycott the goods of companies who profit from illegal settlements, the Occupation and the construction of the Wall. In a most unusual boycott move, on 1 September, London cultural…more
Quest for Palestinian Statehood: Question of Peace and War
Palestine Chronicle: 22 Sep 2011 – By Eyad El Sarraj – Gaza Israeli right wing Likud government and Labour (peace maker!) President and other Zionists are alarmed and angry because Palestinians are going ahead to request state membership of the UN. The US President (Nobel peace!), administration and the congress are also upset. The Zionist lobbies, Aipac and Jstreet are all up in arms to frustrate the Palestinian move. Why? Because: 1- Israel is the only country in the world that has not declared its official borders. By accepting a Palestinian state to UN with its 1967 borders, automatically Israel borders will be known and official. The Zionist idea of the Greater Israel takes all historical Palestine and Jordan while no other state should be in the same area. It is interesting to note that some groups like Islamic Jihad oppose the Palestinian request of UN membership because they believe that all of historical Palestine is…more
Canadian Government under Israeli Control
Dissident Voice: 23 Sep 2011 – How pro-Israel is Stephen Harper’s government? It is so pro-Israel that Canada will vote no in the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state on only half the land that Canadian diplomats promised Palestine 60 years ago. It is so pro-Israel that it will support illegal settlers and the extreme right in blocking this small step towards righting a historical wrong despite Canada spending tens of millions of dollars on training Palestinian police and other “state-building” measures. It is so pro-Israel that it will do this despite a higher percentage of Canadians supporting the Palestinian’s bid for UN membership than voted Conservative in the last election. Two and a half months ago Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird criticized the Palestinian statehood bid, labeling it a “public-relations” exercise. On Friday Harper reiterated this position. “Canada views the action as very regrettable and we will be opposing it,” the Prime Minister…more
Another “Symbolic Victory”: Abbas’ New Political Gambit
Dissident Voice: 23 Sep 2011 – When Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas decided to go to the United Nations to request the admission of Palestine as a full member, he appeared to have had an epiphany. Had he finally realized that for the past two decades he and his party, Fatah, have gone down a road to nowhere? That Israel was only interested in him as a conduit to achieve its colonial endeavor in the remaining 22 percent of historical Palestine? That his national project — predicated on the ever elusive ‘peace process’ — achieved neither peace nor justice? Abbas claims to be serious this time. Despite all US attempts at intimidation (for example, by threatening to withhold funds), and despite the intensifying of Israeli tactics (including the further arming of illegal Jewish settlers to combat possible Palestinian mobilization in the West Bank), Abbas simply could not be persuaded against seeking a UN membership this September….more
American Tragedy
Dissident Voice: 23 Sep 2011 – Ynet ‘s Washington reporter, Yitzhak Ben-Horin, produced last night a clear and succinct reading of Obama’s recent UN General Assembly address: “Likudnic in the White House.” “Netanyahu could not have written it better.” “Obama at this point, is in line with the Likud party.” “Obama is a pro-Israel president … Since January 2009, he provided Israel with all its needs both in diplomacy and in terms of security” Obama is not performing too well in the polls. He clearly needs the Jewish Lobby on his side. The American president ‘provided’ yesterday and the lobby was quick to react- “Israel has no better friend in the world today,” wrote the president of the National Council of Jewish Democrats, David Harris. According to Ynet , hours before his UN General Assembly Address Obama sought to ensure that prospective Jewish voters pay close attention to his speech. Three of Obama’s aides held a conference…more
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The New Dark Age 