4 October 2011 , 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Residents Hurl Shoes At Convoy Of US Ambassador In Ramallah
IMEMC – Wednesday October 05, 2011 – 02:29, As the convoy of U.S. Ambassador, Dan Shapiro, was driving in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday, several Palestinians threw their shows at the convoy to protest the American stance regarding the Palestinians U.N statehood bid, and its ongoing support to the Israeli occupation.
Massive Protest Held In Hebron In Support Of Political Detainees
IMEMC – Wednesday October 05, 2011 – 02:03, Thousands of Palestinians held a protest in the southern West Bank city of Hebron in solidarity with the political prisoners held by Israel in several prisons and detention camp, and called for their release.
Army Closes Ibrahimi Mosque for Muslims, Opens It to Israeli Settlers
IMEMC – Tuesday October 04, 2011 – 14:22, Israeli Military forces closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron in the West Bank today, October 4th, and only allowed Israeli settlers to enter it, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
Army Demolishes a House and Cowshed, Bulldozes Olive Orchard in Hebron
IMEMC – Tuesday October 04, 2011 – 13:42, The Israeli army demolished a house and cowshed, bulldozed an olive orchard, and confiscated two caravans in the village of Beit Ola, northwest of the West Bank city of Hebron, Palestine News & Info Agency (WAFA) reported on Tuesday.
Army Kidnaps Three Residents in Hebron
IMEMC – Tuesday October 04, 2011 – 13:31, The Israeli army kidnapped three Palestinians from the town of Halhoul north of Hebron on Tuesday, and invaded the town of ad-Dahreyeh south of Hebron, Palestine News & Information Agency (WAFA) reported.
Cutting Aid to Palestine Harms Interests of US and Israel
IMEMC – Tuesday October 04, 2011 – 13:13, The American Financial Times newspaper states that cutting off aid to the Palestinian Authority will damage the interests of Americans and Israelis, the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) reported today.
Settler Rams Vehicle Into Two Palestinian Sisters
IMEMC – Tuesday October 04, 2011 – 11:24, Two Palestinian sisters were injured on Tuesday when an Israeli settler hit them with his vehicle at the Huwwara Road, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, before fleeing the scene, the Maan News Agency reported.
Jailed Legislator Rejects Deportation Plea Bargain
IMEMC – Tuesday October 04, 2011 – 10:30, Detained legislator Ahmad Attoun, of Jerusalem, rejected an Israeli Court offer of expulsion from Jerusalem in exchange for his release. He also refused to sign a document stating that he will not return to the city.
Activities Launched To Support The Striking Detainees
IMEMC – Tuesday October 04, 2011 – 10:22, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention facilities started an open-ended hunger strike a week ago, after a Prison Service crack-down to punish the detainees while at the same time starting a campaign aimed at influencing world public opinion regarding prison conditions.
Hamas Leader Calls For Abducting More Soldiers
IMEMC – Tuesday October 04, 2011 – 10:01, Hamas political leader Khalil Al Hayya called on the Palestinian resistance factions to abduct more Israeli soldiers and settlers in order to trade them for Palestinian political prisoners, according to the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Information Center..
Witnesses: Israeli helicopters fire on southern Gaza
10/4/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli helicopters fired at homes in southern Gaza on Tuesday morning as bulldozers crossed the border and started digging up land, witnesses told Ma’an. Residents of Khan Younis said several military jeeps and bulldozers entered al-Qarara north of Khan Younis and started leveling agricultural land as the helicopters….
Minister: Israeli authorities refuse hunger strike demands
10/4/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israel’s prison administration has refused Palestinian detainees’ demands as prisoners enter their eighth day on hunger strike, the minister of detainees’ affairs in Ramallah said Tuesday. Issa Qaraqe said a meeting between prisoner representatives, the assistant general director of prisons and Israeli intelligence officers in Ramon prison….
Medics: 2 women injured after hit-and-run involving settler car
10/4/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Two women from the northern West Bank were injured on Tuesday morning in a hit-and-run incident involving an Israeli settler car, medics said. The women were hit as they crossed the main road of Huwwara village, south Nablus. Ahlam Bilal Hamad, 19, and her sister Saja, 18, suffered mild injuries in….
Palestinians protest against US in Ramallah
10/4/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinians rallied Tuesday against US diplomats who were visiting the occupied West Bank, shouting slogans outside a restaurant, onlookers said. Police kept the protesters away from the Ramallah restaurant where diplomats were hosting an event for graduates and other beneficiaries of US programs, a Ma’an correspondent said. About 20….
US discusses ways to keep aid flowing to PA
10/5/2011 – WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The Obama administration is lobbying Congress to unblock $200 million in aid for the Palestinian Authority that was frozen due to its bid for UN recognition of statehood over US and Israeli objections. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Monday the administration was in “intensive” discussions with key lawmakers who had put….
Army: Gaza rockets land in southern Israel
10/4/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Militants in Gaza fired two rockets into southern Israel on Tuesday causing no damage or injuries, an Israeli army spokeswoman said. Meanwhile, soldiers detonated five explosive device near the border in the central Gaza Strip, the army said in a statement. The military said soldiers identified the devices while….
Israel police: 4 held for throwing rocks
10/4/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli border guards detained on Tuesday four Palestinians in al-Tour neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem for throwing rocks at the passing cars, police said. The detained were taken for investigation in the police station in Jerusalem. Israeli police said there were no injuries or damage reported….
Bracing for UN bid fallout in Gaza
10/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (IRIN) — As reports come in that the US may be preparing to cut a substantial portion of the aid it gives to the Palestinian Authority over its bid for United Nations, people are bracing for possible consequences. Still branded a “terrorist” organization by the Quartet— the European Union, UN, US and Russia — the….
Al-Ahram: Egypt to draft new Israel gas deal
10/4/2011 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Egypt will soon finish drafting a new contract for gas exports to its neighbor Israel that includes a big increase in prices, a newspaper cited the petroleum minister as saying on Tuesday. Gas supplies to Israel have been disrupted by a series of attacks on the pipeline in the Sinai border region by….
Palestine joins Agatir free trade agreement
10/4/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Minister of Economy Hassan Abu Libdeh on Monday confirmed that Palestine has joined the Agatir free trade agreement. Signatories to the agreement Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan agreed to Palestine’s membership in New York on Sept. 26. Abu Libdeh said joining the group would allow Palestinian industry to benefit….
Israel’s Livni to visit Britain as war crime law amended
10/4/2011 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni will visit Britain this week now that a war crimes law that kept her away for fear of arrest has been changed. Livni’s centrist Kadima party said she would travel to London at the invitation of British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who telephoned her last week….
Peaceful protest to boost statehood bid
10/4/2011 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — A strictly non-violent protest campaign is underway to bolster the bid for full UN membership, officials say. In the run-up to September’s historic request to join the United Nations, Mahmoud Abbas and his leadership in Ramallah repeatedly stressed their commitment to non-violence and insistence on keeping demonstrations away from flashpoint areas….
Abbas on charm offensive in Europe, Latin America to push UN bid
10/5/2011 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — President Mahmoud Abbas flew to Europe on Tuesday to kick off a week-long tour which will also take him to Latin America to shore up support for his UN membership bid. The UN membership request, which Abbas formally presented to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sept. 23, is being studied by the….
Pentagon chief urges Egypt to boost Sinai security
10/5/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Tuesday “strongly urged” Egyptian authorities to provide better security in the Sinai Peninsula after Israel said an attack on its south was mounted from Egypt.” I am concerned about the situation in the Sinai,” Panetta told reporters after talks in Cairo with the country’s military….
PACE grants PNC ‘Àúpartner for democracy’ status
10/5/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Tuesday voted to grant “Partner for democracy” status to the Palestinian National Council, a statement from the body said. Netherlands representative Tiny Kox said the status “created new opportunities for the Palestinian people” and could be seen as part of the Arab….
Mideast Quartet envoys to meet on Sunday
10/4/2011 – WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Envoys from the Middle East Quartet — the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States — will meet in Brussels on Sunday to try to advance Israeli-Palestinian peace, the State Department said. The United States will be represented by David Hale, the US special envoy for Middle East peace, who will also….
Union: PA employees to receive salaries
10/4/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Government employees will receive their September salaries by Wednesday, the head of the civil servants’ union Bassam Zakarnah said Tuesday. The Ministry of Finance in Ramallah informed the union that wages for civil servants in the West Bank and Gaza were distributed to banks on Tuesday, Zakarnah said. In recent….
Pioneer of Israel’s settler movement dies
10/4/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Hanan Porat, a former Israeli parliamentarian who was a driving force behind the Jewish settlement movement in the West Bank, died of cancer Tuesday, his family said. He was 67. Born in 1943 in British Mandate Palestine, he was raised on a kibbutz built by Holocaust survivors near the West Bank town of….
Hamas militant dies in training drill
10/4/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A militant affiliated to the armed wing of Hamas was killed in the Gaza Strip during a military drill on Monday night. Al-Qassam Brigades fighter Osama Adel Awad, 19, from the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, “died a martyr” during the drill, according to an announcement broadcast over mosque….
Erekat: Defense chief says US committed to two states
10/5/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Monday that the United States is committed to a two state solution, PLO official Saeb Erekat told Ma’an.” Panetta confirmed to (President Mahmoud) Abbas that US president Barack Obama remained committed to the two-state solution and would dedicate efforts to protect that solution….
UK minister condemns north Israel mosque arson
10/4/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The United Kingdom’s Minister for the Middle East and North Africa Alistair Burt said Tuesday that he strongly condemned the attack on a mosque in northern Israel a day earlier.”This intentionally provocative attack on a place of worship is appalling. I note that Prime Minister Netanyahu has also….
Firefighters tackle blaze in Tulkarem
10/4/2011 – TULKAREM (Ma’an) — Firefighters contained a large fire which ripped through an area of olive trees in the village of Beit Lid in the northern West Bank on Monday evening. The blaze was extinguished after damaging over 200 olive trees, the civil defense said in a statement. Witnesses said the fire was caused by….
Turkey PM to announce sanctions against Syria
10/4/2011 – ANKARA (AFP) — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that his government is soon to announce sanctions against neighboring Syria.” We can no longer remain spectator to the developments in Syria. There are serious deaths of innocent, defenseless people. We cannot say ‘this should continue’,” Erdogan was quoted as saying by….
Egypt ‘to end emergency when security permits’
10/4/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt’s state of emergency, which allows authorities to detain suspects without charge, will not be lifted until stability returns, its military ruler said in comments published on Tuesday. Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who took charge when a popular uprising ousted President Hosni Mubarak in February, said the state of emergency would….
Arab Spring sparks sharp fall in foreign investment
10/4/2011 – KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait (AFP) — The flow of foreign direct investment into the Arab world is expected to slump by 17 percent in 2011, with countries that saw popular uprisings worst hit, a pan-Arab organization said on Tuesday. FDI inflows into 21 Arab nations are forecast to fall to $55. 1 billion this year compared to….
US Congress Freezes $200 Million In Aid For Palestine
Palestine Note 4 Oct 2011 – Reuters – Economic and humanitarian projects deemed vital for peace in the Middle East are threatened by a freeze on $200 million in aid by U.S. Congress members opposed to a Palestinian bid for statehood at the United Nations, Palestinians…
Gaza’s ‘baby boom’ generation, Gaza’s ‘baby boom’ generation
AlJazeera 4 Oct 2011 – Move by congress in response to bid for full UN membership called “counterproductive to peace efforts”.
US aid for Palestinians in jeopardy, US aid for Palestinians in jeopardy
AlJazeera 4 Oct 2011 – Supporters fear Mikael Nabil’s continuing detention amounts to “death sentence” for jailed blogger.
Concern for Egyptian hunger-strike blogger, Concern for Egyptian hunger-strike blogger
AlJazeera 4 Oct 2011 – Fourteen hurt in Gulf city, officials say, as Saudis vow to come down on “division instigators” with an “iron fist”.
Several killed in Yemen as UN mediation fails
AlJazeera 4 Oct 2011 – The move, drafted by France along with Britain, Germany and Portugal, received nine votes in favor and four abstentions.
Saudi Arabia blames riots on ‘outside forces’
AlJazeera 4 Oct 2011 – Two civilians reported killed by mortar fire in a market in the capital as thousands return to the streets.
Israeli Bulldozers Raze Farmlands, Army arrests eight Palestinians and Settler runs over sisters
PNN – PNN/ Israeli vehicles razed agricultural land in east Al-Qarara, northern Khan Yunis in Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning. According to sources, several Israeli bulldozers have razed agricultural land in the region, near…
PNN: Activities to support the prisoners and calls to end their suffering
PNN – PNN The Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli Jails have started six days ago a hunger strike after the Israeli Prison Service cracked down on prisoners after the media and political campaign that…
Israeli Army Arrests Six Palestinians in the West Bank
PNN – PNNThe Israeli army arrested Monday morning six Palestinians from the West Bank claiming that they are wanted for investigation and they led them to unknown destination.According to Hebrew media resources the Israeli…
Israeli Bulldozers Raze Farmlands In Al-Walajeh
PNN – PNNThe Israeli Bulldozers have started razing farmlands in Al-Walajeh village northwest Bethlehem.The Mayor of Al-Walajeh, Salah Khalifeh, informed that a large number of Israeli soldiers accompanied with bulldozers invaded the village at…
International Solidarity Movement
Nablus joins West Bank and Gaza in support of prisoner strike
10/4/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 3 October 2011, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – Hundreds marched in Nablus today to protest against the harsh conditions endured by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and to show solidarity with over 150 prisoners currently on hunger strike. Prisoners from the leftist PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) movement began open-ended hunger strikes….
Alternative Information Center
SAMS for Uncle Sam: Radical Peace – People Refusing War
Alternative Information Center – Merna al-Marjan is a young Iraqi who is currently in Germany studying European history. We talked in her dormitory room, a spartan but functional cubicle in a building that embodies a hopeful change in European history:…
New AIC Film: Sheikh Jarrah
Alternative Information Center – In the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, Israeli NGOs and state authorities have worked more than a decade to evict 550 Palestinian residents from their homes in order to build a Jewish settlement, rationalizing that…
Co-operation between the Council of Europe and the emerging democracies in the Arab world
Relief Web 4 Oct 2011 – Source: Council of Europe Country: Egypt , Libya , Morocco , occupied Palestinian territory , Syrian Arab Republic (the) , Tunisia Provisional edition Resolution 1831 (2011) The Parliamentary Assembly has been following with great interest and concern the evolution of the “Arab spring”: the popular…
U.S. scrambles to keep Palestinian aid flowing
Relief Web 4 Oct 2011 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet Country: occupied Palestinian territory , United States of America (the) 03 Oct 2011 22:21 Source: Reuters // Reuters By Andrew Quinn and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON, Oct 3 (Reuters) – The Obama administration is lobbying Congress to unblock $200…
Request for Partner for Democracy status with the Parliamentary Assembly submitted by the Palestinian National Council
Relief Web 4 Oct 2011 – Source: Council of Europe Country: occupied Palestinian territory Provisional edition Resolution 1830 (2011) In adopting Resolution 1680 (2009) on the establishment of a “Partner for Democracy” status with the Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly resolved to establish a new status…
Bedouin relocation – Threat of displacement in the Jerusalem periphery
Relief Web 4 Oct 2011 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: occupied Palestinian territory Around 2,300 Bedouin reside in 20 communities in the hills to the east of Jerusalem. More than 80% of them are refugees. Over two-thirds are children. The…
Bracing for Palestinian statehood bid fallout
Relief Web 4 Oct 2011 – Source: Integrated Regional Information Networks Country: occupied Palestinian territory GAZA CITY, 4 October 2011 (IRIN) – As reports come in that the USA may be preparing to cut a substantial portion of the aid it gives to the Palestinian Authority (…
Human Rights Council concludes eighteenth session
Relief Web 3 Oct 2011 – Source: UN Human Rights Council Country: World , Burundi , C?¥te d’Ivoire , Haiti , Libya , occupied Palestinian territory , Sierra Leone , Somalia , South Sudan (Republic of) , Sudan (the) , Syrian Arab Republic (the) , Yemen ROUND UP 30 September 2011 Adopts 31 Resolutions, 2 Presidential Statements,…
The Palestine Red Crescent (PRCS) facilitates the social integration of individuals with mental retardation
Relief Web 2 Oct 2011 – Source: Palestine Red Crescent Society Country: occupied Palestinian territory Ramallah – Through a series of programs and activities, the PRCS Home Enrichment program, which is run by the Rehabilitation and Ability Development Department, has become the gateway for individuals with…
Israeli army arrests 8 palestinians in WB
4 Oct 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli occupation forces arrested on Tuesday morning eight Palestinian citizens from different parts of the Wes Bank.
Israeli forces invade southern Gaza Strip
4 Oct 2011 – Gaza Strip, (pal Telegraph)- Israeli military vehicles invaded on Tuesday agricultural lands in the east of al-Qarara, an area in the north of Khan Younis.
2 Palestinian girls hit by settler’s car in Nablus
4 Oct 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Two Palestinian girls were moderately injured Tuesday morning after being hit by an settler driving a speeding car in Hawara, a village in the south of Nablus.
Palestinians demonstrating at destruction of mosque met with police tear gas
The National 4 Oct 2011 – Villagers say peaceful protest against the desecration of the Noor Mosque was met with Israeli police hurling tear gas canisters and stun grenades.
Saleh plays the anti-terrorism card in bid to keep power in Yemen
The National 4 Oct 2011 – Yemeni president signals to US that his regime is ‘an indispensable component in the fight against Al Qaeda’, say analysts.
Syrian diplomats systematically harassing emigre dissidents, says Amnesty International
The National 4 Oct 2011 – Amnesty has documented cases of intimidation by Syrian diplomats involving more than 30 activists in eight countries including Britain, Canada, France, Germany and the US.
US suspends $81m in aid to Palestine over UN statehood bid
The National 4 Oct 2011 – Palestinian Authority attacks US Congress’s ‘counterproductive’ decision to freeze than $80m of USAid projects, saying it reflects a ‘blind bias’.
Top Syrian Army defector safe in Turkey
The National 4 Oct 2011 – Colonel Riad Al Asaad, new commander of the rebel Syrian Free Army, rubbishes claims he was arrested and says 10,000 soldiers have deserted the regime and are now attacking security forces.
Official at Israel’s U.S. embassy dismissed for leaking sensitive info
Ha’aretz – It is not known whether Dan Arbell, who has held several senior postings in his more than 20 years of service, will return to Israel or whether he will be reassigned within the ministry.
Israel court censures police for overzealous interrogation of Palestinian teen
Ha’aretz – Case begins with rocks thrown at an Egged bus in 2009, leading to arrest of a boy, 13-years-old at the time, and living nearby, ending with his acquittal several weeks ago.
Court to rule on legality of Israeli ultra-Orthodox ‘Taliban sect’
Ha’aretz – Decision follows what appears to be the conclusion of an international family drama involving two sisters from Beit Shemesh who belong to the Taliban sect.
Palestinian protesters accost U.S. diplomats during West Bank visit
Ha’aretz – Following Congress cut of PA aid funds, Palestinian protesters urge boycott of U.S. products, saying Washington ‘cannot blackmail us with your money.’
Journalists ask Israel to tone down security checks on Arab media
Ha’aretz – Statement comes after Al Jazeera cameraman invited to interview President Shimon Peres was told to remove his pants during a security check.
Emboldened by key victory, Israeli social activists move to expand consumer boycotts
Ha’aretz – Itzik Alrov, who started the cottage cheese boycott campaign, a few months ago, joined other social activists in a visit to Strauss headquarters on Tuesday.
U.S. Defense Secretary fails to secure Egypt release of accused Israeli spy
Ha’aretz – Egypt charges Ilan Grapel, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen who says he was working for a Cairo legal aid project at the time of his arrest, of being a Mossad agent ‚Äî a claim Israel denies.
Assad: Syria will shower Tel Aviv with rockets if attacked by foreign powers
Ha’aretz – Iranian news agency quotes remarks made by Syrian president during August meeting with Turkish FM; Assad: It will take Damascus 6 hours to mobilize against Israel.
Palestinian National Council granted observer status at European assembly
Ha’aretz – Partial membership of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) means PA has two years to renounce terrorism, recognize Israel’s right to exist.
Netanyahu urges Israeli medical residents to further postpone planned walkouts
Ha’aretz – Following two-hour meeting, PM says understands residents’ distress and their ‘desire to ensure proper work conditions and to secure a future for doctors in the public health system.’
Netanyahu to meet Israeli medical residents in bid to end health system crisis
Ha’aretz – Planned meeting would be first time PM, who is acting Health Minister, intervened in talks between Finance Ministry, residents’ representatives.
Police slam ‘reckless’ clashes with Israeli Arabs after mosque arson attack
Ha’aretz – Hundreds of youths clash with police in Upper Galilee village overnight Monday, blocking roads and setting fire to buildings; former village council chief says incident ‘only harms us.’
Sonol CEO, at launch of new fuel: Competition has reached gasoline
Ha’aretz –
Ometz petitions for criminal probe into claims of corrupt gas dealings in Egypt
Ha’aretz – After being turned down by the State Prosecutor and the State Comptroller, the Ometz good government advocacy group has petitioned the High Court of Justice.
Brands survey: Tnuva losing crown as dairy queen of Israel
Ha’aretz – Closer look shows the public is hopping mad, but still buying.
Pioneer of Israeli settler movement Hanan Porat dies at 67
Ha’aretz – Netanyahu pays tribute to the driving force behind Israel’s settlement of the West Bank, who died Monday of cancer.
Israel Police on high alert as clashes ensue following mosque arson
Ha’aretz – Security forces disperse youth in Tuba-Zanghariyya after ‘price tag’ arson of local mosque; police bracing for Israeli Arab revenge attacks as well as acts of settler violence over holidays.
Trajtenberg warns MKs: Israel’s next social protest won’t be peaceful
Ha’aretz – Head of government-appointed committee on socioeconomic change urges MKs to accept social recommendations, says markets controlled by monopolies and politicians removed from citizens.
A close look at Israel’s Hasidic communities
Ha’aretz – In his new book, Haaretz photographer Gil Cohen-Magen chronicles the every day life of Hasidic Jews in Israel.
U.S. Defense Secretary arrives in Egypt in bid to free accused Israeli spy
Ha’aretz – Egypt has jailed Ilan Grapel, 27, over allegations that the U.S.-born Israeli is a Mossad agent; Panetta’s visit comes after a day of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Former Mossad chief: Iran far from achieving nuclear bomb
Ha’aretz – Dagan says military strike is not Israel’s preferred option for dealing with Islamic Republic’s growing nuclear program; also says Israel has contributed to its own deteriorating strategic situation.
Iran threatens to expand uranium enrichment if nuclear swap deal falls through
Ha’aretz – Swap would see Iran’s low-enriched uranium exchanged for nuclear fuel rods from France; international community says swap does not address key issue of uranium enrichment.
Egypt said set to charge Israel higher prices for gas exports
Ha’aretz – Move follows series of attacks on the pipeline in the Sinai border; new government claims previous deal fixed gas prices below market rates.
Report: German mediator arrives in Cairo for Shalit talks
Ha’aretz – Hamas has expressed reservations regarding Gerhard Conrad, claiming that he supports the Israeli position, and demanding that Egyptian mediators must remain in the picture.
Protecting Trajtenberg
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – This paper, along with leading economists, including Stanley Fischer, has come out strongly in favor of the Trajtenberg recommendations.
No lessons learned
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – More than a decade has passed since the October 2000 clashes. There is good reason that this period has become known as ‘the lost decade’ for Arab-Jewish relations in Israel.
INPA ups security to prevent ‘4 Species’ thefts
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – The heightened presence of supervision and enforcement comes as part of a nationwide effort to curb damage inflicted upon the trees.
‘Garbage mountain’ to be Succot destination
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Visionary behind the revamped park says he’s amazed what he had always seen as an “eyesore” is now covered with tree sapplings, pergolas.
Jerusalem light rail to force major bus changes
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Heart of the changes is a switch from long bus routes that wind through multiple neighborhoods as they cross the city, to shorter bus routes.
Court to hear 3 claims of institutionalized discrimination
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Justices to hear petitions involving airport security procedures, the “Nakba Law” and Arab representation on the Israel Land Council.
Illegal extension to Mount of Olives mosque almost complete
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – J’lem municipality says building under freeze order but being treated sensitively; police say building violations are city’s responsibility.
Biden slammed for anti-Pollard comment
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Former Democratic senator says he was “disappointed,” surprised by US vice president’s comments saying he opposes Israeli agent’s release.
US ‘outraged’ after Russia, China veto Syria UN resolution
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – US envoy to UN Rice says “the courageous people of Syria can now clearly see who on this Council supports their yearning for liberty.”
Researchers at TAU, Europe place robotic brain chip in rat
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Scientists hope “robotic cerebellum” computer chip may one day help human paralysis victims, something that could be 10-15 years away.
Ahmadinejad: ‘NATO radar won’t stop fall of Zionist regime’
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Iranian president slams Turkey for hosting early-warning system; “We have told our Turkish friends that it was not right.”
IDF boosts security around Eilat amid threats
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Navy increases Red Sea patrols for holiday season; intelligence reports say Palestinian terror groups planning additional attacks in area.
Israel’s no. 2 in US suspended for alleged Iran info leak
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Leak reportedly took place before Arbel’s assignment to Washington; the widely respected diplomat is expected to undergo disciplinary procedure.
Confusion, sorrow over Tuba Zanghariya mosque arson
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Local Jews offer solidarity and condolences to those shocked and shaken by vandalism; residents say they don’t understand why they were targeted.
The difference between Arafat’s pride, Abbas’ humiliation
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Yalla Peace: What I saw in the 2 speeches of Arafat and Abbas was a reflection in how the dynamics of the conflict has changed.
IMA: No compromise yet over demands by medical residents
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Residents agree to delay their mass resignations following a meeting with Prime Minister, and formally health minister, Netanyahu.
Terra Incognito: Disingenuous taxation
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – The ultra-wealthy in many countries are claiming that they want to be taxed more, but are they being serious?
US says Israel, PA support new Quartet approach to talks
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Quartet mandated deadline for re-starting talks now 18 days away; US State Department welcomes Israel’s readiness to resume negotiations.
New Apple iPhone fails to wow investors, fans
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Newly minted CEO Tim Cook launches first major product at Apple Central without former boss Steve Jobs.
Room for expression
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – From its founding day, Amir Orian’s Room Theater has been a source of inspiration for theater artists and audiences alike.
Israeli cave: World’s first factory?
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Archeologists say Paleolithic production line made cutting tools by the 1000s; Qassem’s inhabitants were possibly early form of Homo sapiens.
Health of jailed pro-Israel Egyptian blogger worsens
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Appeal postponed of Maikel Nabil, a critic of Egypt’s army; family say his health is declining because of a six-week hunger strike.
Palestinian council gets ‘Partner for Democracy’ status
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – In return for status in Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Palestinians say they willl hold “free and fair elections.”
Panetta visits Cairo, calls on Egypt to release Grapel
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – US defense secretary says he’s confident Cairo will be fair; thanks Egypt’s interim ruler for help in handling mob attack on Israeli embassy.
‘Anti-Semitic incidents across US rise slightly in 2010’
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – ADL audit: States with highest totals are those with significant Jewish populations such as California, New York, New Jersey, Florida.
Gush Emunim leader and former MK Hanan Porat dies at 67
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Netanyahu expresses “deep sorrow” at death of former Knesset member Hanan Porat, says his Zionist “fervor never waned for an instant.”
‘If NATO attacks Syria, we’ll fire missiles at Tel Aviv’
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Syria’s Assad says Damascus can call on Hezbollah to launch rocket attack on Israel if western countries take “crazy measures,” FARS reports.
Prosecution request severe sentence for hit-and-run driver
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Tal Mor convicted of manslaughter, abandoning scene of accident after killing cyclist; he dragged cyclist’s body for 100s of meters along road.
Medical residents arrive at Netanyahu’s office for talks
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – Resident representatives abandon meeting at Finance Ministry; PM discusses planned resignations with deputy health minister Litzman.
Libyan Jew demands new regime tackle anti-Semitism
Jerusalem Post 4 Oct 2011 – David Gerbi to ‘Post’: Failed bid to reopen synagogue in Tripoli has transformed debate on rights of Jews in country.
In their own Words: A report on the situation facing Palestinian children detained inoccupied East Jerusalem
Uruknet October 3, 2011 – DCI-Palestine has submitted a second report to the UN on the situation facing Palestinian children detained in occupied East Jerusalem. This follows DCI-Palestine’s submission on 19 July 2011 of 45 cases relating to the detention of Palestinian children from the occupied West Bank, under the Israeli military court system. The Report covers a six…
Fran?ßois Abu Salem, founder of the Palestinian National Theatre, dies at 60
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – Palestinian theater has lost one of its heroes. Fran?ßois Abu Salem, founder of the influential Palestinian National Theatre, was found dead on Sunday near his home in al-Tira, a suburb of Ramallah. The cause of death is still uncertain, though suicide is a likely possibility. Abu Salem was born in 1951 to a French…
NATO assault on Sirte inflicts more Libyan civilian casualties
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – The coastal Libyan city of Sirte is under ferocious bombardment from NATO in the air, and militia fighters aligned with the National Transitional Council (NTC) on the ground. Tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped in the area, and are being subjected to indiscriminate rocket, mortar and missile attacks. The military operation has also…
Saudi Security Forces Wounded in Attack in Eastern Province
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – Eleven members of the Saudi Arabian security forces were wounded by attackers armed with machine guns and Molotov cocktails during unrest in a Shiite Muslim town in the east, the official Saudi Press Agency said. Saudi Arabia accused an unnamed “foreign country” of seeking to undermine the stability of the kingdom through rioting in…
Palestinians protest against US in Ramallah
Uruknet October 4, 2011 — Palestinians rallied Friday against US diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank, throwing shoes and shouting slogans outside a restaurant, onlookers said. Police kept the protesters away from the Ramallah restaurant where diplomats were hosting an event for graduates and other beneficiaries of US programs, a Ma’an correspondent said. About 20 activists watched by the…
The Complete Guant?°namo Files: WikiLeaks and the Prisoners Released in 2006 (Part Four of Ten)
Uruknet October 3, 2011 – In late April, I worked with WikiLeaks as a media partner for the publication of thousands of pages of classified military documents – the Detainee Assessment Briefs – relating to almost all of the 779 prisoners held at Guant?°namo since the prison opened on January 11, 2002. These documents drew heavily on the testimony…
This Week in Palestine
Uruknet October 3, 2011- A British High Court determined Friday evening that the arrest of Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the Islamic Movement in 1948 Palestine, upon landing in the United Kingdom two months ago, was illegal, and as such, Salah is eligible to receive compensation from the state. This ruling comes after the British removed a law that…
Syria News – October 3, 2011 ( Videos)
Uruknet October 3, 2011 – Homs: Rastan: The military operations have stopped in the city after many martyrs have fallen and more than 3000 detainees were held in the cement manufacturing company and schools, some of the detainees have also died from the effect of the torture. The city is still suffering shortage in nutrition products and also medical…
Israeli press complicit in dehumanization of Palestinian victims
Uruknet October 3, 2011 – This post was written at the request of a close friend, who asked me to publicize the deaths of Muatasam Adwan and Ali Khalifa, killed during a nighttime raid by the IDF in the Qalandia Refugee Camp, on the first day of the Ramadan fast. Everyone has been occupied with the wave of protest…
UN statistics show that Israel’s occupation is more aggressive
Uruknet October 3, 2011 – New statistics from the United Nations demonstrate that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip is becoming more aggressive and dangerous for Palestinian civilians. A report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied territories (UNOCHA) has revealed an increase in Israel’s demolitions of Palestinian houses and…
Awlaki Drone Launched From New Drone Base
Uruknet October 3, 2011 – The US drone that assassinated American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen was launched from one of the Obama administration’s newly constructed bases on the Arabian Peninsula. It was only a few weeks ago that reports were first released about the Obama administration’s new construction of “a constellation of secret drone bases,” as they were…
Israel Builds Settlements, and Wants Talks
Uruknet October 3, 2011 – Days after his half-hearted conciliatory U.N. appearance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already approved the construction of 1,100 flats in occupied East Jerusalem. Yet on Sunday, he threw his support behind the new Mideast Quartet’s peace plan with the Palestinians. “Israel is welcoming the Quartet’s call for direct negotiations without pre-conditions between Israel…
Striking Palestinian Detainee Suffers Health Deterioration
Uruknet October 3, 2011 – The health condition of Palestinian detainee, Akram Mansour, 52, witnessed a sharp deterioration Monday as he continue his hunger strike along with hundreds of detainees imprisoned by Israel. Held in Asqalan prison, Mansour suffers from a brain tumor, and repeatedly loses consciousness. The Israeli Prison Administration is still refusing to provide him with specialized…
Patenting “The Staff of Life” Is Ruinous to Iraq’s Agriculture
Uruknet October 3, 2011 – In my early teens in Iraq, in the late fifties and early sixties, I used to accompany my father to farms to buy wheat grain for our own consumption, and a few sacks more to sell in the village to make some profit. I remember the discussions between my father and the small farmers…
7,000 US troops in Iraq in 2012?
Uruknet October 3, 2011 – In Iraq, Political Stalemate II continues. The political blocs are set to meet up at Iraqi president Jalal Talabani’s home Tuesday evening in an attempt to reach some form of understanding. Political Stalemate I (the period following the March 7, 2010 elections) ended when the political blocs and the US brokered the Erbil Agreement….
Activists: Syrian regime detains 3,000 in 3 days
Uruknet October 3, 2011 – Syrian troops going house to house have detained more than 3,000 people in the past three days in the rebellious town of Rastan, which saw some of the worst fighting of the 6-month-old uprising recently, activists said Monday. Over the past week, the military fought hundreds of army defectors who sided with anti-regime protesters…
Witnessing the Censored Exhibit: “A Child’s View from Gaza”
Uruknet October 3, 2011 – A Child’s View from Gaza, a traveling exhibit of the artwork of Palestinian children living in the Gaza Strip, opened in downtown Oakland, California this week as scheduled, despite the fact that the Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland (MOCHA) canceled their agreement to house the project this Fall. After the news on September…
Thousands rally for prisoners in Israeli jails
Uruknet October 3, 2011 — Thousands of people in the West Bank and Gaza staged demonstrations on Monday in solidarity with Palestinian detainees on hunger strike in Israeli jails. The rallies were held as inmates saw through the seventh consecutive day of a hunger strike to protest against worsening conditions for Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. Around 2,000 people…
The slaughter in Sirte
Uruknet October 3, 2011 – NATO countries led by the US, Britain, and France are committing terrible war crimes in the Libyan city of Sirte. In their frenzied drive to crush all remaining resistance in the North African state, NATO and its proxy militia forces aligned with the National Transitional Council are unleashing indiscriminate military force, killing civilians and…
Syria News – October 2, 2011 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet October 2, 2011 – Number of martyrs today in Syria reached to 9, 3 in Khan Shaikhoun, 3 in Homs one of them is from Rastan,2 in Daraa and 1 in Idlib… Idlib: about 250 soldiers have been split with four officers in Kafernaboudeh village who clashed with the army and overfilght by warplanes over the region, also…
Over 70 dead in Mogadishu suicide attack
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 A car bomb tore through a government compound in Mogadishu Tuesday, killing more than 70 people in the deadliest attack by Somalia’s Al-Shabaab rebels in their five-year insurgency.
Saudi Arabia blames unrest in east on ‘foreign power’
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Saudi Arabia said Tuesday, that Monday night’s clashes which wounded 14 people, including 11 policemen, in its oil-rich Eastern province…
Russia, China veto Syria resolution; Lebanon abstains
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Russia and China vetoed Tuesday a European-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Syria…
Lebanese man gets 24 years for London murder
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 A Lebanese man has been jailed for at least 24 years for murdering a woman whose body was dumped in a suitcase at Heathrow airport.
Authorities seek arrest of Hizb ut-Tahrir member
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 An arrest warrant was issued Tuesday against a member of Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir for inciting hatred against Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai and the Lebanese Army.
Warrant issued for retired army general for spying
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 An arrest warrant in absentia was issued Tuesday against a former Lebanese Army general on felony charges of spying for Israel.
Sleiman orders probe into Casino corruption
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 President Michel Sleiman instructed Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi Tuesday to delegate judicial authorities to start an investigation over media reports of financial corruption at Casino du Liban, a source close to the president told The Daily…
Syrian tanks cross border, fire at abandoned factory
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Syrian tanks crossed the Lebanese-Syrian border into the Bekaa town of Arsal Tuesday and fired at an abandoned factory to manufacture batteries after suspecting the presence of armed individuals inside it, the state-run National News Agency…
Palestinian cancer patients protest meager funding for treatments
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 More than 50 Palestinian cancer patients staged a sit-in Tuesday in front of UNRWA’s office in the refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh, calling on the agency to increase its financial contribution for cancer treatment.
New measure helps disabled secure housing loans
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 A new measure to help Lebanese with disabilities secure housing loans, in a bid to ensure equality between all Lebanese, was announced by Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour during a news conference at the ministry…
Qassem says Rai stance coincides with Hezbollah vision
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem praised Tuesday the recent stances of Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai saying they coincide with his party’s vision.
Sleiman’s change of heart over Murr’s Leaks scandals
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 As both Wikileaks and Truth Leaks scandals have made clear, political positions in closed rooms differ from those expressed in public.
Nasrallah, Bassil discuss political developments
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah met his ally in the Free Patriotic Movement Energy and Water Resources Minister Jibran Bassil, said a Hezbollah statement Tuesday.
Berri visits Armenia, lashes out at Israel
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri lashed out at Israel in a speech before the Armenian Parliament Tuesday, declaring that the armed struggle will continue as long as Lebanon is under threat.
U.S. envoy: Lebanese Army has duty to protect Syrian opposition
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly stressed Tuesday the importance her government placed on the Lebanese Army to protect members of the Syrian opposition living in Lebanon.
Ambassador says Syria will emerge stronger from unrest
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel-Karim Ali, said Tuesday that Syria will emerge stronger from the current crisis…
Future bloc: STL’s funding is not subject to debate
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 The dispute over the financing of a U.N.-backed court took a new twist Tuesday when Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun…
Israel police on alert after attack on mosque
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Israeli police were on high alert in the north of the country Tuesday, as locals protested against a recent attack which targeted a mosque, police said.
Abbas heads for Europe, Latin America over U.N. bid
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas flew to Europe Tuesday to kick off a week-long tour which will also take him to Latin America to shore up support for his U.N. membership bid.
Council of Europe body gives Palestinians ‘partner’ status
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 The parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe Tuesday granted the Palestinian National Council Partner for Democracy Status in only the second time such a status has been awarded.
Palestinian state projects feel the pinch of U.S. aid freeze
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Economic and humanitarian projects deemed vital for peace in the Middle East are threatened by a freeze on $200 million in aid by U.S. Congress members…
Panetta visits Egypt in bid to defuse tension with Israel
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was in Cairo Tuesday in an effort to defuse tensions between Egypt and Israel that have risen since the end of Hosni Mubarak’s rule.
Cyprus blast report prompts calls for Christofias’ resignation
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 President Demetris Christofias was urged to resign or call an early election by a leading rival Tuesday after a report blamed him for a devastating munitions blast, Cyprus’ worst peacetime disaster.
Bahrain authorities prohibit Shiite ‘human chain’ rally
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Bahraini authorities banned Tuesday the Shiite opposition from organizing a demonstration against the jailing of medics and activists over their roles in pro-democracy protests quelled in mid-March.
The art of spying at the U.N. General Assembly
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 When Iran’s president accused the U.S. at the United Nations General Assembly last year of orchestrating the Sept. 11 attacks, American diplomats were not caught flat-footed by the tirade.
Fleeing Sirte residents:revolution wasn’t worth it
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Families flowed out of Moammar Gadhafi’s besieged hometown Tuesday, exhausted and battered by weeks of hiding from shelling and gunbattles with no meat or vegetables or electricity…
France, Sweden warn Syria after harassment, attacks on opponents abroad
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 France and Sweden Tuesday warned Syria against attacking or intimidating Syrian opposition in exile, amid reports of assaults and threats in European capitals.
Gadhafi will ‘fight to the end’: former Libyan PM
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 TUNIS: Moammar Gadhafi’s former prime minister said Tuesday he believed the deposed leader was still in Libya and would carry on fighting the country’s new leaders until the end.
Ex-Lebanese Army general wanted on spy charges
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 An arrest warrant in absentia was issued Tuesday against a former Lebanese Army general on felony charges of spying for Israel.
Nasrallah, Bassil meet, discuss local, regional developments
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah met his ally in the March 8 movement Energy Minister Jibran Bassil, a statement from the resistance group said Tuesday.
Texas nuclear physics student on trial in Iran
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 An Iranian studying nuclear physics in the United States went on trial in Tehran on Tuesday for having contact with “hostile countries”, his lawyer said.
Turkey PM to announce sanctions against Syria
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that his government is soon to announce sanctions against neighboring Syria.
Hizb ut-Tahrir member arrested for attacks on Rai, army
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Arrest warrant issued Tuesday for member of Hizb ut-Tahrir for inciting hatred against Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai and the Lebanese Army.
Berri blasts Israel, reiterates commitment to 425, 1701
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Berri blasted Israel Tuesday for ignoring U.N. decisions stipulating a cessation of hostilities and withdrawal of occupied territories and reiterated his commitment to resolutions 425 and 1701.
Electricity workers hold sit-ins across Lebanon
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 A series of sit-ins were held in the capital as well as in north and south Lebanon Tuesday by Electricite du Liban employees over worker’s demands.
Army has duty to protect Syrian opposition in Lebanon: U.S.
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly stressed Tuesday the importance her government placed on the Lebanese Army to protect members of the Syrian opposition living in Lebanon.
For Syrian activists abroad ‘there’s no turning back’
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 For many, the benefit of expressing their opinions outweighs the cost of continuing to live in fear for their loved ones, a sentiment that would have been hard to come by six months ago.
Europeans to seek U.N. vote on Syria crackdown
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 European nations were to seek a vote Tuesday on a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Syria’s crackdown on protests, a day after Washington stepped up sanctions against Damascus.
Lebanese gets 24 years for murder of woman found in suitcase
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 A Lebanese man has been jailed for at least 24 years for murdering a woman whose body was dumped in a suitcase at Heathrow airport.
Mikati denies secretly meeting Moallem in Syria
Daily Star 4 Oct 2011 Mikati denied Tuesday reports he had secretly met with Syrian Foreign Affairs Minister Walid Moallem and former Syrian intelligence chief Rustom Ghazaleh at Damascus airport.
Russia, China veto UN resolution against Syria
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that Tuesday threatened sanctions against Syria if it didn’t immediately halt its military crackdown against … ….
Iran: NATO radar in Turkey serves to protect Israel
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – Iran criticized Turkey on Tuesday for agreeing to allow NATO to station an early warning radar in the southeast of the country that will serve as part of the alliance’s … ….
PM asks medical residents to delay resignation
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has finally become involved in the health crisis which threatens to see hundreds of medical residents resign this week. Netanyahu met … ….
NYC East River chopper crash kills 1; 4 rescued
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – A helicopter with five people aboard crashed into the East River on Tuesday afternoon after taking off from a launch pad on the riverbank, killing one person and … ….
4 Tuba Zangaria residents arrested for vandalism
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – VIDEO – Four residents of the Tuba Zangaria village were arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of torching a regional council building and vandalizing a community center and a … ….
Panetta urges Egypt to free Ilan Grapel
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called on Egypt on Tuesday to release a US-Israeli dual national who was detained in June on charges of spying for Israel. Israel’s … ….
Report: Assad threatens to attack Tel Aviv in case of NATO strike
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – Syrian President Bashar Assad on Tuesday threatened to set fire to the Middle East, and especially to Israel, if NATO attacks Syria, the Iranian Fars news agency … ….
Jerusalem mayor slams Gilo construction critics
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – Nir Barkat defends plan to build 1,100 housing units in Gilo, claims government….
Second suspect in Fogel family murder pleads guilty
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – Amjad Awad, charged with murder of five members of Fogel family in Itamar….
High Court says law encouraes haredim not to learn core studies
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – However, justices say it appears there is no legal claim to petition urging….
Gush Emunim founder Hanan Porat passes away
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – Former MK Hanan Porat (67) who served in Knesset for nearly 15 years passes away….
Hamas says nothing new in Shalit deal
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – Prisoner Affairs Ministry in Gaza claims surprising visit by German mediator….
Highest-ranking Syrian defector takes refuge in Turkey
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – A high level Syrian officer takes refuge in Turkey after deserting army, as….
Meitzav exam results show improvement in all subjects
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – The Education Ministry reveals positive scores of 2010/2011 school growth….
Iran postpones monkey’s ride into space
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – “One cannot give a set date for this project and as soon as our nation’s….
US: There is still money in PA pipeline
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – In spite of senate, congress decision to halt aid to Palestinian Authority, US….
Tuba Zangaria residents torch regional council building
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – Bedouin town whose mosque fell prey to ‘price tag’ arson sees clashes between….
Kam testimony exposed: ‘I tried to be a hero’
YNet News, 4 Oct 2011 – In her court testimony, released for publication at Ynet’s request, Kam said she….
Palestinian Information Center
Bardawil: Hamas does not ponder an alternative location for its leadership
PIC – Dr. Salah Al-Bardawil, a Hamas leader, has categorically denied Lebanese press reports that the Hamas leadership was planning to move its headquarters from Damascus to Manama.
MP Attoun refuses to leave Jerusalem in deal for freedom
PIC – MP Ahmed Attoun has rejected a deal to leave Jerusalem in exchange for his freedom as court has convened for the first time in a banishment case since his arrest a week ago.
Over 8,000 teachers to sit-in at UNRWA headquarters amid strikes
PIC – More than 8,000 Palestinian teachers are planning on holding a sit-in inside of the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza to protest the dismissal of the chairman of UNRWA Arab staff union Suhail al-Hindi.
Mosque burning draws int’l anger as unrest rocks ’48-occupied territories
PIC – The arson of a mosque in the Upper Galilee Valley has drawn worldwide anger as the OIC has called on Israel to shoulder responsibilities as an occupying force..
Israeli media: Grapel could be released in prisoner swap deal
PIC – Talks of a prisoner swap for the release of Israeli spy Ilan Grapel surround a trip by US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to Egypt amid fears of mass Egyptian anger should Grapel be released.
Jewish settler runs over two nurse students in Huwara
PIC – A Jewish settler crashed his vehicle into two female university students in the enclave town of Huwara, 6 miles south of Nablus in northern West Bank.
Court postpones final ruling in Salah deportation appeal
PIC – A UK immigration court postponed Monday the final ruling on a deportation appeal filed by Palestinian political leader Raed Salah.
Hayya champions capture of more soldiers to trade them for Palestinian prisoners
PIC – Khalil Hayya, a political bureau member of Hamas, has urged Palestinian resistance factions to capture more Israeli occupation soldiers to trade them for freedom of Palestinian freedom fighters.
Raids in Ashkelon, Nafha prisons as thousands join hunger strike
PIC – Special units raided cells in the Israeli Ashkelon and Nafha prisons as thousands of Palestinian prisoners have joined a seven day hunger strike.
Scottish Firefighters Travel 2500 Miles to Nablus to Support Palestinians
WAFA
PACE Grants ‘Partner for Democracy’ Status to Palestinian National Council
WAFA
Israeli Forces Destroy Two Barracks, Water Well in Salfit
WAFA
PA Makes Continuous Efforts to Gain Ninth Vote, says al-Malki
WAFA
Israel Air Force Fires at Palestinian Houses in Khan Younis
WAFA
Prisoners’ Meeting with Israeli Prison Administration Fails
WAFA
Public Salaries to be Paid Wednesday, says Official
WAFA
Israeli Forces Demolish House, Raze Land in Hebron
WAFA
Palestine to be PACE Partner for Democracy, says Fatah Official
WAFA
Chomsky on “Occupy Wall Street” and Israel Imminent Collapse [VIDEO]
Intifada-Palestine: 4 Oct 2011 – U.S in vicious cycle of social & economic issues, it’s about time for some protest. – Israel now on the way to South Africa style isolation. – U.S backed dictators but shifted policy when they were overthrown. – EU takes cowardly…more
House Committee Chair Places Hold on Palestinian Aid
Intifada-Palestine: 4 Oct 2011 – House Committee Chair Places Hold on Palestinian Aid JTA – The Global network of the Jewish people WASHINGTON (JTA) ‚Äî U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is holding back nearly $200 million in humanitarian aid… more
Palestinian Prisoners’ Hunger Strike Continues ‚Äì Now is the Time for International Solidarity!
Intifada-Palestine: 4 Oct 2011 – The Campaign to Free Ahmad Sa’adat www.freeahmadsaadat.org + info@freeahmadsaadat.org Twitter: http://twitter.com/ freeahmadsaadat As Palestinian prisoners’ hunger strike enters its second week , international solidarity is needed now, more than ever. Prisoners are being sent to isolation in increasing numbers, family visits are being… more
U.S. prods Egypt to repeal emergency law
LA Times 4 Oct 2011 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta raises U.S. concern about the law, which allows detention without charge, with Egypt’s military rulers. He also calls for the release of a U.S.-born student. The Obama administration is urging Egypt’s military government to repeal a sweeping law giving it…
Jewish extremists suspected in Israel mosque attack
LA Times 3 Oct 2011 – The mosque in Tuba-Zangaria is set on fire and vandalized. Arab leaders say they suspect the attack was inspired by statements from rabbis in the nearby ultra-Orthodox town of Safed. Jewish extremists are suspected of torching a mosque in a northern Israeli town Monday, the…
Syria government blames ‘terrorist group’ for killing mufti’s son
LA Times 3 Oct 2011 – The religious leader praises President Bashar Assad the day after the deadly attack. Meanwhile, urban battles and assassinations lead some to warn that a new and bloodier chapter may be beginning. The Syrian government on Monday blamed “terrorist” attackers for killing the son of a…
In a Changed Libya, Schools Face New Challenges
New York Times 4 Oct 2011 – Weeks after rebels took over Libya’s capital, schools there are struggling with politically divided student bodies, attendance problems and outdated textbooks.
Syria Revokes Ban on Imports of Consumer Goods
New York Times 4 Oct 2011 – A decision in Syria to ban imports of consumer goods sent prices soaring and provoked outrage among a business elite that has until now backed the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad.
Russia and China Block United Nations Resolution on Syria
New York Times 4 Oct 2011 – A resolution demanded the immediate end to all violence in Syria. European members of the Security Council had weakened references to sanctions in an attempt to prevent a veto, to no avail.
Egypt’s Military Unsure When It Will Relinquish Power, U.S. Says
New York Times 4 Oct 2011 – Not even Egypt’s interim military rulers know when they plan to relinquish power to a new civilian government, the United States Ambassador to Egypt, Anne W. Patterson, said Tuesday.
Iraqis Say No to Immunity for Remaining American Troops
New York Times 4 Oct 2011 – At a meeting, leaders in Iraq agreed on the need to keep military trainers into 2012 but rebuffed a key American demand.
Hanan Porat, Jewish Settlement Leader, Dies at 67
New York Times 4 Oct 2011 – Mr. Porat opposed the removal of Jews from any land in exchange for peace with Israel’s neighbors.
Tunisia’s Interim Leader Essebsi Defends Gradualist Path
New York Times 4 Oct 2011 – Tunisia’s transitional prime minister, Beji Caid Essebsi, who has a record of pressing for change from within, says freedom cannot be granted all at once.
Colorlines: Tempers Flare Over Cancellation of Palestinian Youth Art Exhibit
Jewish Voice for Peace –
Egypt’s “independent” unions seek to end strikes, prop up junta
WSWS – The renewed upsurge of the Egyptian working class sparked by the disastrous social conditions and a deepening economic crisis is sending shock waves through the Egyptian ruling elite.
The slaughter in Sirte
WSWS – In their frenzied drive to crush all resistance in the north African state, NATO and its proxy militia forces are unleashing indiscriminate military force, killing civilians and destroying buildings and infrastructure.
US sells arms to Bahraini dictatorship as repression continues
WSWS – The Pentagon will provide the dictatorship in Bahrain with an additional $53 million worth of weapons.
NATO assault on Sirte inflicts more Libyan civilian casualties
WSWS – Tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped in the area, and are being subjected to indiscriminate rocket, mortar and missile attacks.
Anatot Pogrom Victims Suffered Sexual Abuse
Tikun Olam – Image from publication, ‘The True Right’ with caption: ‘Nazileftist smashed with blows.’ If all I did in this post was tell you about the suffering of Israeli peace activists who were beaten and brutalized at a pogrom at Anatot a few days ago, I would be…
NYT reviewer: Small group of Bush advisers will take real reason for Iraq war to their (restless) graves
Mondoweiss – These are the first and last paragraphs of the New York Times review (by Thomas Powers) of former spook Paul Pillar’s new book. Pillar worked for 28 years at the CIA and the National Intelligence Council, often on Middle East…
‘Ready for a Tahrir moment?’ ‚Äì Occupy Wall Street, the ‘Arab Spring’ and Israel/Palestine
Mondoweiss – The Occupy Wall Street protests taking place in New York, and spreading across the country, continue to grow. If you haven’t yet, please check it out , and read these profiles of ” the 99 percent ” who are inspiring, and inspired by, the protests. Although it has become…
Settlers run over two Palestinian sisters, if Palestinians did this their homes would be demolished by now
Mondoweiss – link to us.rd.yahoo.com Medics: 2 women injured after hit-and-run involving settler car NABLUS (Ma’an) — Two women from the northern West Bank were injured on Tuesday morning in a hit-and-run incident involving an Israeli settler car, medics said. The women were hit as they crossed the…
US aid to PA withheld over statehood bid, Hamas, and ‘failure to recognize Israel’s right to exist as Jewish State’
Mondoweiss – From Haaretz : The Congress made its first official statement about the blocking of almost $200 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority on Monday, calling it a “tool of Congressional oversight.” Bradley Goehner, Communications Director of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, explained the funding has…
Dagan, Panetta Warn Bibi Against Iran Adventure
Tikun Olam – If you only read the Israeli English language press from earlier today you’d get an entirely skewed idea of Leon Panetta’s visit to Israel and his consultations with Ehud Barak. The Haaretz story says Panetta warned Israel against pursuing policies regarding Iran that were not “coordinated”…
Nigeria: Arab-Israeli Conflict – Still, Not Yet Salaam
allAfrica.com 4 Oct 2011 – One year after late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat defied the Arab world to sign a unilateral peace agreement with Israel, Prof Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, then of the Department of Political Science of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and now of the United Nations, presented a paper…
Nigeria: Nation Shies On Palestinian UN Bid
allAfrica.com 4 Oct 2011 – Nigeria is refusing to say how it will vote when the United Nations Security Council decides on the Palestinians’ request for U.N. membership, as increasing diplomatic pressure mounts on the oil-rich West African nation.
Nigeria: Country’s Support for Palestine Justified – Akinyemi
allAfrica.com 3 Oct 2011 – Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, yesterday, hailed Nigeria’s continuing support for the admittance of the Palestine as a member of the United Nations (UN) and said it was justified to do so. Palestine is currently on observer status at the UN.
Nigeria: Palestine Statehood – Why State’s Vote Counts
allAfrica.com 3 Oct 2011 – AS non-permanent member of the 15-member body of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Nigeria will cast a vote on Palestinians’ bid to have a nation of their own.
Israel escalates violations against Palestinian prisoners in its jails
Middle East Monitor 4 Oct 2011 – EXCLUSIVE PICTURES Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons have embarked on a hunger strike in protest over poor conditions of detention and ill-treatment. Yesterday, Israeli prison authorities took action against a number of the hunger strikers placing them in solitary confinement. There currently over 6,000…
Egypt supports Palestinian conditions for the resumption of negotiations with Israel
Middle East Monitor 3 Oct 2011 – Egypt’s Foreign Minister has confirmed that his country supports the Palestinian Authority’s conditions for the resumption of negotiations with the Israeli government based on “clear parameters and an end to settlement building and expansion”. Negotiations, said Mohamed Amr, must also have a clear time-frame and international…
Netanyahu and the Jewish state
Middle East Monitor 3 Oct 2011 – “It is not possible to terminate negotiations without starting them.” This precious piece of wisdom was uttered by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with BBC Arabic TV. He could and should have enlightened us further by adding, “…and even if we start these…
Arab League official calls US Congress more dangerous than Israel’s Knesset
Middle East Monitor 3 Oct 2011 – A senior official at the Arab League has called the US Congress “more dangerous than the Knesset” because of its stand on the Palestine-Israel conflict. Ambassador Mohamed Sobeih, the Arab League’s Assistant Secretary General for Palestine Affairs, was speaking to journalists when he added that the…
UN resolution on Syria is vetoed
BBC 4 Oct 2011 – China and Russia veto a UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria over its crackdown on anti-government protesters.
US Palestinian aid block censured
BBC 4 Oct 2011 – Senior US and Palestinian officials criticise a Congress freeze on $200m US aid to the Palestinians imposed in response to their UN membership request.
Concern for jailed Egypt blogger
BBC 4 Oct 2011 – The family of a jailed Egyptian blogger say his health is seriously at risk, as a military tribunal adjourns a court hearing for three weeks.
Articles
Reflections on the Abbas statehood speech
Richard Falk, Al Jazeera10/4/2011
There is a natural disposition for supporters of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination to suppose that the Palestinian statehood bid must be a positive initiative, because it has generated such a frantic Israeli effort to have it rejected. Despite the high costs to United States diplomacy in the Middle East at this time of regional tumult and uncertainty, the US has committed itself to exercise its veto on Israel’s behalf if that turns out to be necessary. To avoid the humiliation of disregarding the overwhelming majority opinion of most governments in the world, the US has rallied the former European colonial powers to stand by its side, while leaning on Bosnia and Colombia to abstain, thereby hoping to deny Palestine the nine votes it needs for a Security Council decision, without technically casting a veto.
On the side of Palestinian statehood, one finds China, Russia, India, South Africa, Brazil, Lebanon, Nigeria, and Gabon, the leading countries of the South, the main peoples previously victimised by colonial rule. Is not a comparison of these geopolitical alignments sufficient by itself to resolve the issue of taking sides on such a litmus test of political identity? The old West versus the new South.
Add to this the drama, eloquence, and forthrightness of Mahmoud Abbas’s historic speech of September 23 to the General Assembly, which received standing ovations from many of the assembled delegates. Such a favourable reception was reinforced by its contrast with the ranting polemic delivered by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who insulted the UN by calling it “the theatre of the absurd” while offering nothing of substance that might make even mildly credible his strident rhetoric claim to support “peace,” “direct negotiations” and “a Palestinian state”. The deviousness of Netanyahu was made manifest when, a few days later, the Israeli government announced that it had approved 1,100 additional housing units in the major settlement of Gilo, east of Jerusalem. This was a bridge too far even for Hillary Clinton, who called the move “counter-productive” and which Europeans regarded as deeply disappointing and confidence-destroying – so much so that Netanyahu was openly asked to reverse the decision.more.. e-mail
Mosque attacks: On the rise since 2009, but no indictments
Aziz Abu Sarah, +972 Magazine10/4/2011
The burning of the Tuba mosque in the Galilee should not come as a surprise to anyone. The criminal and terror acts of burning mosques and desecrating Muslim sites have become an accepted norm under Israel’s rule. There is no fear from committing such attacks, since law enforcement officials have done nothing to prosecute the perpetrators.
Some quick research I did found that attacks on Muslim sites have peaked since 2009. Since then, there have been numerous attempts and successful attacks on mosques and Muslim cemeteries. On September 5, a mosque in Qasra, a village south of Nablus was burnt. Earlier in April, a mosque in Huwara, also outside Nablus was burnt . In June, A mosque in el-Mughayer, a village outside Ramallah, was torched. Other mosques were burnt in the south as well. Beit Fajjar mosque, outside Bethlehem was also torched and holy books were desecrated and burnt. No one was indicted for any of these attacks.
The attack on the Tuba mosque in the Galilee caught a lot of attention because it is the first mosque to be torched inside Israel. However, a similar attempt was carried out in 2009, when an attempt to burn a mosque in Tiberias was not successful. The police dismissed the attack because the tire used failed to catch on fire. No one was arrested.
In 2009 and 2010 here were many successful mosque attacks within the West Bank. In 2009 radical settlers torched a major mosque in Yasof village. In May 2010, a mosque outside Huwara was burnt and a graffiti of the Star of David was left on the wall of the mosque. Another mosque was set on fire in Luban al-Sharqiya, a Palestinian village south of Nablus.
Israeli leaders have condemned the attacks publicly, but failed to do anything to stop them…. more.. e-mail
The never-ending war against clich?© and jargon
Robert Fisk, The Independent10/1/2011
Asked to give a talk on the Middle East last week, I read on my invitation: “We want to bring visionaries, innovators, doers, funders, connectors, and their community into one space…With all of these people gathered into one space, it’s inevitable that sparks will happen, ideas will find momentum, and positive change will take [sic] birth.”
Now I have not the slightest intention of participating in this particular “space”. I won’t have anything to do with an invitation written in so clich?©d a language, including all the trappings of pseudo-academese psychobabble and happy-clappy optimism. These are words of emptiness and exclusion, of elitism and trend, of a conference held for the sake of holding a conference. Of nothing.
I’ve raged before about “space”, except for its use in “spaceman” or “spaceship”. But it has now become a contagion. In just a few days I’ve made a collection of examples from people who choose words for up-to-date verbal prestige rather than meaning. In Moscow this week, Joy Neumeyer, reviewing a Dali exhibition, wrote that the curator has “transformed the museum space into a surrealist installation”. “Space” is totally redundant here. From Paris, I learn that the Champs-Elysés is a “commercial space”. In The Oldie, I note that in Camden Market, a flag of Che Guevara now “shares space” with a Duke and Duchess of Cambridge-themed Union Flag.
In Beirut, an American University professor tells the world that the late Lebanese historian Kamal Salibi “created a space in which Lebanon’s singularity is underlined by placing Lebanon in its Arab context…”, while another Arab writer informs his readers that the Syrian regime’s “assets” are “bunched into an increasingly smaller and smaller space”. In The Irish Times, I read that a Sligo bookshop, much loved and now closed, was a “shared space”, while a spokeswoman for Dublin Port says her company needs “a long quayside space” (“space” surely once more redundant). more.. e-mail
The Syrian Uprising: US Follows a Failed Path
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Oct 2011 – By Ramzy Baroud United States ambassador to Syria Robert Ford is quite a feisty diplomat. He shows up unannounced and uninvited at various hot spots in the country, greeted with varying degrees of enthusiasm and, oftentimes, anger. When he made a highly touted appearance in the city of Hama in July, residents reportedly greeted him with flowers. However, his appearance at the home of an opposition figure in Damascus on September 29 earned him a salvo of tomatoes and rocks from angry protesters. Naturally – and as confirmed by various WikiLeaks cables – American diplomats don’t behave independently from the main organ of US foreign policy in Washington, the State Department. It is also safe to assume that Ford’s alleged solidarity visits throughout Syria were not intended to cater to a Syrian audience. We all know how most Syrians feel about US foreign policy in the region. Writing in the…more
Speaking Uncountable Words against Occupation
Dissident Voice: 4 Oct 2011 – A headline in early September drove home the moral bankruptcy of the supporters 1 of the occupation of Palestine: “Unionist slams ‘ludicrous and racist’ anti-Israel drive.” The unionist railed against the Boycott, Divestments, and Sanctions ( BDS ) movement because, according to the Australian , it was “potentially racist, ludicrous and a recipe for a civil war in the Middle East.” Once again, it is the oppressed and those who oppose oppression who were being demonized as “ludicrous” and “racist” not the oppressors and those who support oppression. Anyone endowed with an iota of critical thinking ability would readily realize that when one group oppresses another group, then it is the oppressor that is primarily guilty of discrimination, and hence, it is racist. That the divisive words of one unionist (who should know fully well that solidarity is the foundation necessary for achieving social justice) presents backwards logic and the Australian newspaper reports…more
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The New Dark Age 
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