5 October 2011 , 2011 — VTJP
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International Middle East Media Center
Quartet To Meet Next Sunday to Discuss Peace Process
IMEMC – Wednesday October 05, 2011 – 14:28, The U.S State Department confirmed that representatives of the International Quartet will meet next Sunday in Brussels to discuss the frozen Israeli-Palestinian peace process and ways it can be pushed forward, the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency reported on October 5.
Army Kidnaps Two Palestinian Youths South Of Nablus, Invades a Village East Tulkarem
IMEMC – Wednesday October 05, 2011 – 13:38, On Wednesday morning, Israeli army soldiers kidnapped two Palestinian youths from Qablan and ‘Urata village in the southern part of the West Bank city of Nablus, after breaking into their houses, the Ma’an News Agency reported.
European Council Calls Upon Member States to Support Palestinian UN Membership
IMEMC – Wednesday October 05, 2011 – 13:35, Secretary-General of the Palestinian Legislative Council, member of the Revolutionary Council of Fatah, Ibrahim Khreisheh, reported that the Parliament Association of the European Council overwhelmingly approved an action calling for European members of the Security Council to support the application of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for full U.N. membership, the Ma’an News Agency reported..
Settler Rams Vehicle Into A Palestinian Youth
IMEMC – Wednesday October 05, 2011 – 12:41, An Israeli settler hit a Palestinian youth with his car on Wednesday morning in al-Froosh village southeast of the West Bank city of Nablus, and fled the scene, the Ma’an news agency reported.
Israeli Army Kidnaps Five Residents in Qalqilia
IMEMC – Wednesday October 05, 2011 – 11:47, On Wednesday morning the Israeli army kidnapped five residents from Kufor Qaddom village in the eastern part of the West Bank city of Qalqilia, moving them to an unknown destination , Ma’an News Agency reported.
IPA Starts New Measures To Punish Detainees
IMEMC – Wednesday October 05, 2011 – 10:39, Israeli Maariv reported on Wednesday morning that the Israeli Prison Administration (IPA) has started a series of measures to increase pressure on the Palestinian detainees in an attempt to break their open-ended hunger strike.
Residents Hurl Shoes Us Convoy Of Diplomats In Ramallah
IMEMC – Wednesday October 05, 2011 – 02:29, A number of Palestinians hurled their shoes at a convoy of US diplomats in the West Bank city of Ramallah in protest of the US foreign policy towards the Palestinians, the AP reported.
Former prisoners join hunger strike
10/6/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Former detainees in Nablus started a hunger strike on Wednesday in solidarity with prisoners in Israel who are striking for the ninth consecutive day, a prisoners’ society said. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said former detainee and activist Sahar Abdo, who lives in Israel, has also joined the hunger strike…. Related: Israeli forces suppress sit-in near Ofer prison
Israeli forces detain 11 in overnight raids
10/5/2011 – QALQILIA (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained 11 people across the West Bank overnight Tuesday, the army said. A military spokeswoman told Ma’an that soldiers entered villages near Qalqiliya, Nablus, Ramallah and Hebron overnight and detained 11 people, who were taken for “security questioning.” Witnesses told Ma’an that troops raided Kafr….
Medics: Man injured in hit-and-run involving Israeli car
10/5/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — A 20-year-old man was injured Wednesday after being hit by an Israeli-plated car near Nablus in the northern West Bank, medics said. Nasser Abu al-Kabbash was run over while crossing the road in Beit Dajan, locals said, adding that the driver fled the scene. Al-Kabbash was taken to the Rafedia….
Israel lifts Gaza export ban to avert holiday ‘crisis’ – in Israel
10/6/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israeli officials will temporarily lift a ban on agricultural exports from the Gaza Strip to allow the entry of palm fronds used to mark a Jewish holiday, a newspaper report said Wednesday. Maariv, a Hebrew-language Israeli daily, said the defense ministry agreed to alllow 100,000 lulavs to enter Israel….
Palestine state quest wins first victory in UNESCO vote
10/5/2011 – PARIS (AFP) — Palestine won a first diplomatic victory in its quest for statehood on Wednesday when the UNESCO executive committee backed its bid to become a member of the cultural body with the rights of a state. Palestine’s Arab allies braved intense US and French diplomatic pressure to bring the motion before the…. Related: France opposes rapid Palestinian bid to join UNESCO and UNESCO mulls Palestine’s membership bid
Israeli forces suppress sit-in near Ofer prison
10/6/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli forces fired tear gas toward demonstrators Wednesday in front of the Ofer prison at a rally organized in support of the Palestinian detainees’ hunger strike. Dozens gathered in front of Ofer prison to send Israel a message that the people are standing with the Palestinian detainees in their strike…. Related: Former prisoners join hunger strike
Teachers protest at UNRWA’s Gaza City headquarters
10/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Thousands of teachers on Wednesday protested at UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City over the dismissal of a union official, a Ma’an correspondent reported. The Local Staff Union called for the general strike on Wednesday, the second such action in a week, to protest at UNRWA’s suspension….
Fatah responds to AP ‘fact-check’ of Abbas speech
10/6/2011 – A response to the Associated Press’ “fact-check” of President Mahmoud Abbas’ remarks to the General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2011, from the Fatah Foreign Relations Commission. The role of news agencies is very important, particularly in a region like the Middle East. Their role has been mainly understood as one of a service….
Israel dismisses deputy envoy to US over media leak
10/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israel has dismissed its deputy ambassador in Washington over an alleged 2009 leak to the media about secret discussions involving the United States, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday. They said that Dan Arbell, formerly the deputy director for North American affairs at Israel’s Foreign Ministry, was removed after another senior diplomat….
Erdogan: Israel a nuclear threat to the Middle East
10/5/2011 – PRETORIA, South Africa (AFP) — Israel is a “threat” to its region because it owns nuclear weapons, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.” I right now see Israel as a threat for its region, because it has the atomic bomb,” Erdogan said in a foreign policy speech during an official visit….
France opposes rapid Palestinian bid to join UNESCO
10/5/2011 – PARIS (AFP) — France said Wednesday that it opposed moves by the Palestinian Authority to seek rapid recognition as a full state member of the United Nations cultural organization UNESCO.” We don’t think UNESCO is the appropriate arena,” foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said, after Arab members of the world body said they wanted…. Related: UNESCO mulls Palestine’s membership bid and Palestine state quest wins first victory in UNESCO vote
UNESCO mulls Palestine’s membership bid
10/5/2011 – PARIS (Reuters) — The United Nations’ cultural agency has begun to review a draft resolution from the Palestinian delegation for full membership of the body, a UNESCO source said on Wednesday, the latest move to seek statehood recognition. President Mahmoud Abbas in September submitted a formal application to the UN Security Council for membership in…. Related: France opposes rapid Palestinian bid to join UNESCO and Palestine state quest wins first victory in UNESCO vote
‘Miles of Smiles’ convoy en route to Gaza
10/5/2011 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian Maj. -Gen. Jaber Al-Arabi said Wednesday that a new ‘Miles of Smiles’ convoy is on its way to Gaza after leaving Cairo for el-Arish, on the border. The convoy’s name is “Shuhada October” (the Martyrs of October) and it includes 43 ambulances and 10 tons….
Army: Teenager admits murdering settler family
10/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — A 19-year-old has confessed before an Israeli military tribunal to his involvement in the murder of a family of five Israeli settlers this year, the army said on Tuesday. An army statement said Amjad Awwad confessed to the the March 11 slayings in the West Bank settlement of Itamar. He is still….
Press freedom group: Rescind Gaza restrictions
10/5/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Reporters Without Borders is worried by the Gaza interior ministry’s adoption of new rules for foreign journalists that will restrict their access to the Gaza Strip, the group said Wednesday. Under the new rules, adopted in September, every foreign journalist wanting to visit the Gaza Strip will have to….
Minister: Israel bombing killed captives in Lebanon
10/5/2011 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Israeli bombardments killed two Israeli soldiers whose capture by Hezbollah began a war in 2006 and whose bodies were returned to Israel two years later, a Lebanese minister said on Wednesday. Hezbollah handed over the bodies of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev in a prisoner exchange but never said how they died. Israeli….
Yasser Arafat’s scarf maker gets Internet lifeline
10/5/2011 – HEBRON (AFP) — Joudeh Hirbawi is not sure why young Palestinians do not want to wear the iconic black-and-white keffiyeh scarves his factory makes. But he has found another way to stay afloat. Instead of selling to a dwindling local market of old men and young activists, he is working with a group of Palestinians overseas….
Fatah official: Blair should go
10/5/2011 – RAMALLAH (Reuters) — A senior Fatah official called on Wednesday for the replacement of international Middle East envoy Tony Blair, saying the former British leader is biased in favor of Israel and is “of no use at all”. Mohammed Shtayyeh, a Central Committee member and confidant of President Mahmoud Abbas, told Voice of Palestine radio that…. Related: Abbas aide: PA still working with Blair
Al-Malki: PA to use all means to gain UN votes
10/5/2011 – AMMAN, Jordan (Ma’an) — The foreign minister in the West Bank government said Wednesday that Palestine will work by all legitimate means to garner votes in favor of UN membership.” We won’t surrender for the status quo, we’ll even speak repeatedly with the countries that announced they would vote against….
Ex-Israeli officials: ‘Price tag’ attacks could start intifada
10/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Following a recent increase in ‘Price tag’ attacks on Palestinian holy sites, former high-ranking Israeli security officials warned of the risk of a surge in violence across the region. The attack this week on a mosque in the village of Tuba-Zangariya in northern Israel, where the interior prayer hall and religious….
Abbas aide: PA still working with Blair
10/5/2011 – RAMALLAH(Reuters) — A senior Palestinian official on Wednesday added his voice to calls for the replacement of international Middle East envoy Tony Blair, but the office of President Mahmoud Abbas said it would carry on cooperating with the former British leader.” The Palestinian presidency will continue to work with the envoy of the international Quartet…. Related: Fatah official: Blair should go
Monetary authority: 50 million shekels allowed into Gaza
10/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Monetary Authority was able to get 50 million shekels into the Gaza Strip through coordination with the concerned sides, it said Wednesday. This has reduced the severity of the monetary crisis affecting salaries of public sector employees. The authority said it would continue its efforts to reduce the….
UNESCO executive committee backs Palestinian bid
10/5/2011 – PARIS (AFP) — The executive committee of the United Nations cultural organization UNESCO on Wednesday recommended that the world body accept Palestine as a full member with the rights of a state. The committee’s member states voted by 40 votes in favor to four against — with 14 abstentions — to approve the Palestinian bid, which…. Related: UNESCO mulls Palestine’s membership bid and France opposes rapid Palestinian bid to join UNESCO
Report: Hebron soldiers abandoned posts
10/6/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Eight Israeli soldiers are facing dereliction of duty charges for abandoning their post without permission in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, Israeli media reported Wednesday. The Ynet news site says the soldiers are accused of leaving one of the unit’s outposts after being asked to….
Japan offers grant to 2 municipalities
10/6/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Japan and two municipalities in the occupied West Bank signed on Wednesday a grant worth $212,549 by which the Japanese government will fund two projects in education and water. The official Palestinian Authority news agency Wafa said the representative of Japan to the Palestinian Authority, Naofumi Hashimoto, initiated the project with….
US condemns ‘dangerous and provocative’ mosque attack
10/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) – The United States on Tuesday condemned the “dangerous and provocative” attack on a mosque in a Bedouin village in northern Israel a day earlier.” We note that the Israeli Government also strongly condemned the attacks, and we endorse stepped-up efforts by law enforcement authorities to act vigorously to bring to justice….
Hunger strike takes toll on jailed Egypt blogger
10/6/2011 – CAIRO (Reuters) — An Egyptian blogger, who was jailed for spreading false information about Egypt’s military, is in declining health because of a hunger strike he began on Aug. 23, his family and rights groups said. His appeal was to be heard on Tuesday but was postponed to Oct. 11 because the judge said….
Turkey promises sanctions on Syria, despite UN vote
10/5/2011 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Turkey said on Wednesday it would impose sanctions on Syria despite the blocking of any UN measures against President Bashar Assad for his violent crackdown on dissent. Russia and China handed Assad a diplomatic victory on Tuesday by vetoing a Western-backed UN resolution that would have hinted at future UN sanctions on Damascus….
Egypt’s Tantawi says no army candidate for president
10/5/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt’s military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi on Wednesday denied rumors that the army planned to field a candidate in the next presidential elections, the official MENA news agency reported. There has been much speculation as to whether an army man would be the next president, particularly after increasing public appearances….
UN Resolution Threatening Action Against Syrian Government Fails
Palestine Note 5 Oct 2011 – Russia and China veto Western move to pressure Bashar Assad Arabiya – Russia and China early Wednesday vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution threatening action against Syria’s deadly crackdown on protests, opening up bitter international divisions over the Arab Spring….
Iraq denies immunity for US troops after 2011
AlJazeera 5 Oct 2011 – Daniel Shechtman forced scientists to reconsider the nature of matter with his discovery of quasicrystals.
Israeli scientist wins Nobel chemistry prize
AlJazeera 5 Oct 2011 – Turkish PM calls Israel out on its assumed possession of nuclear weapons amid already strained relations.
Erdogan brands Israel a regional ‘threat’
AlJazeera 5 Oct 2011 – Erdogan joins EU officials in vow to step up measures against Damascus, despite failure of UN resolution.
Turkey steadfast on Syria sanctions, Turkey steadfast on Syria sanctions
AlJazeera 5 Oct 2011 – Attorney general effectively nullifies verdict of special security court, which sentenced medics to jail over protests.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Delegation Visits Washington D.C. and Harvard
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
In Its Capacity as Arrigoni Family’s Legal Representative, PCHR Continues to Follow up the Arrigini Case
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
A land divided: Gate closures for Salim’s olive harvest by IOF
10/5/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 3 October 2011, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – As Palestinians in Salim began the first day of their annual olive harvest this morning, October 2nd, Israeli Occupation Forces locked the gate which gives those living in Salim access to their olive trees. The gate was unlocked at 7:00am to allow farmers to reach their…. Related: pictures of Salim’s olive harvest ordeal
Demolitions: Israel annexing more land in Kufr ad-Dik and Salfit
10/5/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 4 October 2011, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – On Tuesday around 11am the Israeli army carried out demolitions in the West Bank towns of Beit Ula and Kufr ad-Dik, destroying homes, animal pens, wells and hundreds of trees. Yousef Muhammed Turshan sat amongst the rubble that used to be the home for him, his wife….
Gaza: Planting in something dead
10/5/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Gaza- Around Gaza is a 300 meter “buffer zone,” a no go zone, a land of death. Gaza is not just a prison, it is a shrinking prison. Every time that Israel expands this zone, Gaza gets a little smaller. Every Tuesday, the Beit Hanoun Local Initiative and the International Solidarity Movement….
Youth arrested in Hebron over cereal
10/5/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 2 October 2011, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – On 2 October in Al Khalil (Hebron), the Israeli army and police arrested 2 Palestinian children based on petty, unfounded accusations whilst allowing settlers to employ violence with complete impunity. 13 year old Khaled Abu Snaeneh and 15 year old Said Abu Aisha were arrested and detained….
Jewish terrorist settler runs over two nurse students in Huwara
5 Oct 2011 – West Bank (Pal Telegraph) – 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.
Scottish firefighters travel to Palestine in aid mission
5 Oct 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) – Scottish firefighter team left Tuesday on a 2500 mile trip in order to deliver two fire engines and their equipments to Nablus’ fire department in support of the Palestinian people to control arsons by Jewish settlers, in the west bank, according to a report published by BBC.
Jewish terrorist settler runs over Palestinian civilian
5 Oct 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) – Jewish settler Wednesday ran over a Palestinian man from Frush Beit Dajan, a village east of Nablus in the northern West Bank, said local sources.
Prisoners’ hunger strike enters 9th day
5 Oct 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph)-Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have entered their ninth day of hunger strike protesting Israeli humiliating policy practiced against them.
Nobel literature jury hires non-European experts to broaden scope of prize
The National 5 Oct 2011 – Move comes after criticism that the Swedish Academy, which picks the literature winners, is too euro-centric in its selections.
Unesco committee boosts Palestinian statehood bid
The National 5 Oct 2011 – The Unesco executive committee backed Palestine’s bid to become a member of the cultural body with the rights of a state by 40 votes in favour to four against, sending the bid through to a meeting of the organisation’s general assembly.
Jailed Bahrain doctors and nurses to be given retrials after outcry
The National 5 Oct 2011 – A civilian court retrial has been ordered for 20 medical personnel sentenced to long prison terms as alleged backers of anti-government protests.
Iran’s cinemas threaten to close in protest over high costs
The National 5 Oct 2011 – Protest action by cinema owners would be the first highly visible message of opposition to Ahmadinejad’s key economic policy, launched last December, of cutting Iran’s $100bn-a-year subsidy bill.
Shiite cleric calls for calm after protesters clash with Saudi force
The National 5 Oct 2011 – ‘Harsh retribution’ promised after 11 members of the government’s security forces are injured in village attack.
Crisis-hit Syria in U-turn on imports ban
The National 5 Oct 2011 – Business chiefs flex their muscles to get ban overturned as more international economic sanctions loom against embattled Assad regime.
‘Sad day for Syrians and UN’ after ‘targeted measures’ veto
The National 4 Oct 2011 – The French foreign minister criticises China and Russia for their decision to veto a UN Security Council resolution targeting Syria.
Source: EU moves toward new sanction on Iran and Syria
Ha’aretz – Sanctions may include blacklisting the Syrian central bank and imposing asset freezes and visa bans on Iranian individuals.
After criticism, Palestinians say will cooperate with Quartet envoy Tony Blair
Ha’aretz – Senior Palestinian political figures say Mideast Quartet representative Blair ‘useless’ and ‘no longer trusted to be an impartial mediator.’
Israel: Palestinian UNESCO bid is rejection of negotiations
Ha’aretz – Membership request in UN cultural agency seen as test case for support for Palestinian statehood; U.S. warns will cut funding to agency if bid successful.
Source: UNESCO board votes to recommend Palestinian membership
Ha’aretz – Forty out of 58 states on board of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization vote in favor; Israel Foreign Ministry says move a ‘rejection’ of path of negotiations with Israel.
Palestinians to request UNESCO membership
Ha’aretz – Request comes day after the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe grants the Palestinian National Council “Partner for Democracy” status.
Report: German mediator has not arrived in Egypt for Shalit swap talks
Ha’aretz – Palestinian sources tell Al-Hayat that Gerhard Conrad has finished his role as mediator for Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange deal and will not return to Egypt.
Lebanese minister: Goldwasser, Regev were killed by IDF fire
Ha’aretz – Hezbollah’s capture of IDF soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev on the northern border sparked the 34-day Second Lebanon War in 2006.
Russia, China, thwart anti-Syria UN Security Council resolution
Ha’aretz – U.S. ‘outraged’ over veto of resolution, calls for Security Council to adopt ‘tough, targted sanctions’ on Syria.
IN PICTURES / Israel’s Nobel laureates
Ha’aretz – Ten Israelis have won Nobel prizes since the state was created in 1948, in a range of fields from chemistry to literature.
‘This is a celebration for all of science,’ says Israel’s newest Nobel laureate
Ha’aretz – President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulate Daniel Shechtman on winning the 2011 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
Israel’s Daniel Shechtman wins 2011 Nobel Prize in chemistry
Ha’aretz – WATCH: Professor at Haifa’s Technion becomes Israel’s tenth Nobel recipient for his discovery of patterns in atoms.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dies aged 56
Ha’aretz – Apple’s creative visionary dies after a years-long and highly public battle with cancer and other health issues; Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and U.S. President Barack Obama pay tribute.
Israel Defense Forces: Rock-throwing in West Bank reaches new high
Ha’aretz – Incidents of rock-throwing in September reach 33 percent more than monthly average of past year with 498 incidents and two Israelis dead.
Clear as crystal: Daniel Shechtman speaks to Haaretz, April 2011
Ha’aretz – Three decades ago, Prof. Dan Shechtman looked into an electron microscope and couldn’t believe what he saw. His discovery led to a new field of study and an ongoing candidacy for a Nobel Prize.
Turkey PM: Israel a nuclear threat to Middle East
Ha’aretz – Erdogan’s comment, another sign of deteriorating Israel-Turkey ties, comes during trip to South Africa.
Libya militia finds mass grave with 200 bodies
Ha’aretz – Official from site of the mass grave says corpses collected from streets and hospitals following rebel assault on the Libyan capital in late August.
Syria TV airs interview with woman reported dead
Ha’aretz – Humans Rights activists had said that Zainab al-Hosni was the first woman to die in Syrian custody since uprising began in March.
Ahmadinejad: Missile shields won’t prevent collapse of Zionist regime
Ha’aretz – Iranian leader criticizes Turkey for agreeing to allow NATO to station an early warning radar station in southeastern part of country; says system meant to defend Israel.
Doctors’ mass resignation prevented by Israel’s Labor Court
Ha’aretz – The National Labor Court president is expected to review the state’s demand for injunctions to stop the current round of resignations.
‘Death has silenced Porat’s voice, but not love of nation’
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin among those eulogizing Hanan Porat as popular settler leader and former MK is laid to rest in Gush Etzion.
Livni set to visit UK after jurisdiction law changed
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Opposition leader will become first Israeli official to visit Britain since law allowing citizens to bring war crimes charges curtailed.
Tel Aviv to shut down bike rental service on Yom Kippur
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Shas city council member Babayouf tells ‘Post’ he asked Mayor Huldai to make move in order to avoid offending city’s religious residents.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dies at 56 after illness
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Silicon Valley icon succumbs to cancer after years-long battle; had resigned as CEO of world’s largest technology corporation in August.
Technion’s Shechtman becomes nation’s 10th Nobel laureate
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Materials scientist overcame ridicule to show world the seriousness of his new type of crystal; Netanyahu: Prize reflects intellect of our people.
The magnificent 10: Israel’s Nobel laureates
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Technion scientist Dan Shechtman joins nine other Israelis who have previously won the illustrious prize in various fields.
Sarah Palin decides not to run for US president in 2012
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Republican sends letter to supporters putting to rest speculation that she would seek nomination to challenge Obama: “My family comes first.”
Clinton: UNESCO should ‘think again’ on Palestinians
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – US secretary of state says Washington may cut funding to UN cultural agency if vote on Palestinian membership proceeds: “The decision about status must be made in the United Nations and not in auxiliary groups.”
Labor Court freezes doctors’ resignations for one day
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Residents at Rambam vote not to accept PM’s request to wait a few days to examine suggestions raised during previous night’s meeting.
Peres initiative opens door to future scientists, inventors
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Peres doesn’t want to wait for students to graduate from high school. He wants to get them into the system at as early an age as possible.
World leaders learn latest in water, energy, city planning
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – The tour, which concludes in mid October, includes leaders from gov’t branches, universities, development foundations and other types of NGOs.
Health basket committee for 2012 appointed
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Deputy Health Minister MK Ya’acov Litzmansays the members are professionals and among the leaders in their fields.
President’s Succot open-house to focus on environment
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Once a year, the residence of the president of Israel can be visited by Israelis, tourists without an appointment or an official invitation.
Start preparing now for the Yom Kippur fast
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Experts agree that the optimal way to end the fast is to drink a couple of glasses of water or a sugared drink.
The price of gas
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Higher excise duties are higher taxes ‚Äì nothing but another indirect deduction from our incomes. They aren’t carved in stone.
Time to upgrade the US-Israel strategic relationship
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – As a senior US military commander recently put it: “among all our military allies, I admire the Israelis most of all.”
Media Comment: What happened to that ‘diplomatic tsunami’?
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – The tsunami predicted to hit Israel in the month of September went the way of so many other predictions that have been made about the Mideast.
Europeans want another settlement freeze from PM
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Gilo project expected to be discussed at upcoming EU foreign ministers meeting; Quartet envoys to meet again.
Signing out of Judaism
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Israel’s ultra-Orthodox hegemony is a threat to Jewish peoplehood.
Candidly Speaking: Obama administration maintains pressure
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – We must not underestimate the serious implications of the US administration’s fierce condemnation of homes in J’lem suburb Gilo.
Fundamentally Freund: The ‘P’ word
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Just last week, this prejudicial profanity was repeatedly flung at Israel in the wake of approval for 1,100 new housing units in Gilo.
Why isn’t there peace? Because of Israel, of course!
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – The main element of Israeli-Palestinian talks is that only the Palestinian side is allowed to make demands.
A special prayer for Yom Kippur
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – “That this be a year in which You will carry us up to the Land of Israel, in joy, settling in forever.”
Boycotting Israel – a crime against humanity
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – The gap between vibrant, researching, developing and contributing Israel and the country portrayed in the media and in academic papers is vast.
New genetic evidence links Spanish Americans to Jews
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Genetic mutations viewed as predominantly Jewish, like breast cancer or Bloom’s syndrome, were popping up at a notable rate among Hispanos.
Libya militia says finds mass grave with 200 bodies
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Commander of Tripoli’s military council displays corpses from grave he says contains hundreds more; officials plan to begin identifying remains.
Is the Arab world poised for a growth spurt?
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Report says that reforms could spur region’s economies to expand 6% annually, labor force participation must be increased.
Reform, Conservative, Orthodox unite against Biden
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Leaders of the three movements are expected to criticize US vice president at Rosh Hashana toast over his comments on Pollard.
‘Arson at mosque part of plot to rid Palestine of Islam’
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Hamas’s Haniyeh says that “Zionist rabbis” called for burning of Tuba Zanghariya mosque as part of larger plot to silence “voice of Islam.”
Tantawi: Sinai’s security situation is 100% secure
Jerusalem Post 5 Oct 2011 – Egyptian military ruler responds to comments by US defense secretary, says Egypt in control of areas in Sinai where troops can be deployed.
Esc and Ctrl: Jon Ronson in Tel Aviv – video
The Guardian 5 Oct 2011 – In the third episode of Jon Ronson’s series about controlling the internet, he returns to his earlier investigation into online astroturfing Jon Ronson
Letters: Israel’s stance in the community of nations
The Guardian 5 Oct 2011 – On Thursday Palestinians are protesting about the latest instance of ethnic cleansing by the Israeli government. In the Beer Sheba (Beer es Saba) region of southern Israel about 30,000 inhabitants are about to be driven from…
Israeli plane in isolated West Bank field – any clues?
The Guardian 5 Oct 2011 – Crumbling hulk of passenger plane yields no indications of history I was driving back from Tubas in the northern West Bank earlier this week with my colleagues Luke Browne and Sufian Taha, when we spotted the…
The plight of the Negev’s Bedouin | Talab el-Sana
The Guardian 5 Oct 2011 – The oldest inhabitants of the Negev may be forced to relocate under Israel’s new land ownership plan In my travels I have seen how far awareness of the Palestinian issue has spread ‚Äì in contrast to…
Nobel Prize in Chemistry for dogged work on ‘impossible’ quasicrystals
The Guardian 5 Oct 2011 – Daniel Shechtman, who has won the chemistry Nobel for discovering quasicrystals, was initially lambasted for ‘bringing disgrace’ on his research group A scientist whose work was so controversial he was ridiculed and asked to leave his…
West Leads in Wielding Veto Powers at Security Council
IPS When Russia and China exercised a rare double veto against a Western resolution aimed at punishing Syria, the two big powers were repeating a similar feat derailing two earlier resolutions: one against Myanmar (Burma) in 2007 and the other against Zimbabwe in 2008.
Sirte residents turn anger on Libya’s new rulers
Uruknet October 5, 2011 – Many residents of Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi’s birth-place, blame Libya’s new rulers and their Western allies for the death and destruction unleashed on their city by weeks of fighting. Most are reluctant to talk openly about their allegiances, for fear they will be branded as members of a pro-Gaddafi fifth column. Yet their anger and…
Home ¬ª Top Stories ¬ª Sirte residents turn anger on Libya’s new rulers (Reuters) Sirte residents turn anger on Libya’s new rulers
Uruknet October 5, 2011 – Many residents of Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi’s birth-place, blame Libya’s new rulers and their Western allies for the death and destruction unleashed on their city by weeks of fighting. Most are reluctant to talk openly about their allegiances, for fear they will be branded as members of a pro-Gaddafi fifth column. Yet their anger and…
OPT: Bracing for Palestinian statehood bid fallout
Uruknet October 5, 2011 – As reports come in that the USA may be preparing to cut a substantial portion of the aid it gives to the Palestinian Authority (PA) if the Palestinian statehood bid is successful, people in the occupied Palestinian territory are bracing for possible consequences. Still branded a “terrorist” organization by the Quartet (European Union, UN,…
European Council Calls Upon Member States to Support Palestinian UN Membership
Uruknet October 05, 2011 – Secretary-General of the Palestinian Legislative Council, member of the Revolutionary Council of Fatah, Ibrahim Khreisheh, reported that the Parliament Association of the European Council overwhelmingly approved an action calling for European members of the Security Council to support the application of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for full U.N. membership, the Ma’an News Agency reported….
Video: Libya: Sirte Inside, 03.10.2011, NATO destroy the entire city
Uruknet
Another NATO-backed interim government in Libya
Uruknet October 5, 2011 – After a lengthy delay, the chairman of the National Transitional Council (NTC) in Libya, Mohammed Abdul-Jalil, announced the formation on Monday of a new “interim government.” Virtually all the current NTC ministers were reappointed, after Jalil admitted the council had been unable to come to any agreement over ministerial changes. The NTC, a pro-imperialist…
The New York Times: Distorting and Suppressing Truth for Power –
Uruknet October 5, 2011 – Imagine winning 106 Pulizer Prizes awarded for excellence in journalism, more than any other broadsheet, for delivering managed, not real news, information and opinion. Imagine doing it since 1851. Imagine being called the “newspaper of record,” producing “All the News That’s Fit to Print.” Imagine an establishment publication representing wealth and power, backing corporate…
A Palestinian political prisoner’s take on Israel’s protest movement
Uruknet October 5, 2011 – The recent wave of protests in Israel, which pretend to call for social justice, is one of the most powerful and massive mobilization to ever happen in the country. An unprecedented character of this movement, one should add, is its pretension to create an open space for groups, as well as individuals. The dynamics…
NATO protection of civilians’ – propaganda and pretence to escape war crimes trials
Uruknet October 5, 2011 – … This propaganada allowed a mobilisation of the international community and the passing of UN Resolution 1973 which imposed the No-Fly Zone. It is UN Resolution 1973 which NATO argues provides the legal basis for the coalition operation in Libya as NATO makes clear in their Factsheet on Operation Unified Protector: United Nations Security Council…
Are Democracy Now!’s Libyan Correspondents Feeding Us the State Department and Pentagon Line on Libya?
Uruknet October 5, 2011 – Is the independent media movement’s flagship radio-TV show Democracy Now! pushing the State Department and Pentagon line on Libya instead of “going where the silence is” and telling the truth without fear or favor? Are its Libyan correspondents embedded with the US-backed Libyan rebels to such an extent that they have minimized and failed…
Syrian Roundup and Analysis: UN Resolutions, Rastan and Zainab al Hosni
Uruknet October 5, 2011 – …Firstly, I’d like to say that I have little time for people who dismiss such accounts, especially misguided leftists who insist on the highest standards of journalistic accuracy for a country where foreign media are banned and who, in usual circumstances, would never insist on such accuracy from places under siege such as Gaza (…
SIRTE: ALSO HOSPITAL BOMBED
Uruknet October 5, 2011 – The Sirte hospital was hit various times in the NATO and NTC (National Transitional Council) forces bombings on the city, still under control of loyalists of Colonel Muammar Gheddafi, said to MISNA sources of the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross).”The humanitarian situation is dramatic. The walls of the hospital are charred by…
Syria News – October 4, 2011 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – We’ve received this testimony on phone call from Rastan to the LCC media center. Communications returned for a few minutes to the town so he hurried to tell the news, facts and crimes that he witnessed the regime carry out in his little town over the last week. Crimes which he and his family…
Call from the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – …We are inspired in our struggle for justice by the sacrifice and courage of so many in the year behind us – the late Troy Anthony Davis, the Georgia prison strikers, Mumia Abu Jamal, Ahmad Sa’adat, Leonard Peltier, the people of Gaza confined to an open-air prison – and in front of us: the…
Prison Hunger Strike Updates
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – Palestinian prisoners in several prisons, including Nafha prison, reported that they were threatened that family visits would be denied in retaliation for their participation in the hunger strike. Israeli prison officials told the prisoners that for each day they spent on hunger strike, they would be banned from family visitation for 1 month. In…
Threat: Palestinian Political Prisoners in Israel
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – There are many harrowing passages in the excellent new edited volume by Abeer Baker and Anat Matar on the processes of administrative detention and imprisonment of Palestinians in Israel; some of them are even in the book’s academic chapters. But the most harrowing, and paradoxically the most hopeful, is the account Osama Barham gives…
Tzipi Livni to visit UK after change in arrest law
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – The former Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, will meet the foreign secretary, William Hague, in Britain on Thursday in the first test of a new law governing arrest warrants for war crimes. Westminster magistrates court issued an unprecedented arrest warrant for Livni in 2009 – a move that led to an review of the…
May we Never, Ever Become Like Them
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – This morning another mosque was burned. This time it was located in a Palestinian village inside Israel, a novelty for Jewish extremists who usually target Palestinian villages in the West Bank. The mosque burning is just the last in a chain of “price tag” measures taken by bitter settlers who are angry at their…
NATO Rebels Gunfire stops Red Cross from going in Sirte to help civilians
Uruknet
* News * World news * Tzipi Livni Former Israeli minister Tzipi Livni to visit UK after change in arrest law
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – The former Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, will meet the foreign secretary, William Hague, in Britain on Thursday in the first test of a new law governing arrest warrants for war crimes. Westminster magistrates court issued an unprecedented arrest warrant for Livni in 2009 – a move that led to an review of the…
Palestine, the economy of occupation
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – This September, the Palestinian Authority (PA) carried out a report on the economic consequences of the Israeli occupation. The research showed that Palestine lost $7 billion in 2010 in missed revenues and profits. The research proved something many have believed: the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is a money-machine. “Without Israel’s…
US academic and cultural BDS campaign condemns convictions of Irvine 11
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – The US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI) released a press statement on 3 October condemning the recent convictions of the Irvine 11. They are urging scholars and academic institutions nationwide to admonish the guilty charges and stand in solidarity with the Irvine 11 students, who were convicted on 23…
Ismael Mohamad / United Press International US academic and cultural BDS campaign condemns convictions of Irvine 11
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – The US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI) released a press statement on 3 October condemning the recent convictions of the Irvine 11. They are urging scholars and academic institutions nationwide to admonish the guilty charges and stand in solidarity with the Irvine 11 students, who were convicted on 23…
Iraq snapshot – October 4, 2011
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – Chaos and violence continue, the Congress hears about more money wasted in the wars (trillions that will be wasted — trillions), a protest of faith leaders against the war takes place in Los Angeles this Friday and they plan to be arrested, Iraq agrees to ‘trainers,’ US Senator Patty Murray tackles the issue of…
Bailout Roulette
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – Daily the charade continues as world economies crater. Longtime financial analyst and Progressive Radio News Hour regular Bob Chapman says systematic global risk “lurks around every corner.” The European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) wants governments to increase bailing out banks close to failure. Taxpayers become lenders of last resort. When they’re their contribution falls…
Anatot Pogrom Victims Suffered Sexual Abuse
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – 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 telling you little that was newsworthy or that you didn’t know already. I’ve already reported here that senior Israeli police…
Sirte: “Rebels” force Red Cross aid convoy to turn back
Uruknet October 4, 2011 — A Red Cross convoy carrying aid to Libya’s besieged city of Sirte had to turn back on Monday because Libyan interim government forces unleashed a barrage of fire. Government forces on the other side of the city, Moammar Gadhafi’s home town, broke weeks of deadlock by pushing into a district of Sirte where their…
Life inside besieged Libyan city “unimaginable”
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – Fleeing besieged Sirte, Ali Durgham couldn’t stop the tears as he described how his father had been killed by a stray shell as he walked to the mosque with his brother. “He died in my arms,” Durgham said. “I buried him yesterday.” The young man’s uncle is now in Sirte’s Ibn Sina hospital —…
Life inside besieged Libyan city “unimaginable”
Uruknet October 4, 2011 – Fleeing besieged Sirte, Ali Durgham couldn’t stop the tears as he described how his father had been killed by a stray shell as he walked to the mosque with his brother. “He died in my arms,” Durgham said. “I buried him yesterday.” The young man’s uncle is now in Sirte’s Ibn Sina hospital —…
Cabinet skirts STL funding issue
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 The Cabinet held a marathon session Wednesday, appointing former Minister of State Adnan Sayyed Hussein at the head of the Lebanese University…
Turkey to press ahead with Syria sanctions after ‘historic’ vetoes
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Turkey said Wednesday it would impose sanctions on Syria despite the blocking of any U.N. measures against President Bashar Assad for his crackdown on dissent.
Libyan NTC forces break through to Sirte center
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Libyan forces fought their way, street by street, into the center of Moammar Gadhafi’s birthplace of Sirte Wednesday…
Mikati, Kahwagi tackle military, security affairs
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Prime Minister Najib Mikati met Wednesday with Lebanese Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi ahead of the commander’s visit to the United States and discussed the country’s military and security affairs.
March 14 secretariat: Time to make STL decision
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 The March 14 General Secretariat said that the time has come for the government to reach a final decision on funding the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Yerevan university grants honorary degree to Berri
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 The Armenian State University of Economics in Yerevan granted Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri an honorary doctorate in economics, the National News Agency reported Wednesday.
Rai denies fears over fate of Maronites, slams media ‘lies’
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai dismissed any concerns over the future of his church’s community Wednesday, denying recent media reports that he feared for the fate of Lebanon’s Maronites.
Khalil: Israel killed own men in 2006 bombing
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 An Israeli raid during the 2006 war in Lebanon killed two Israeli soldiers held captive by Hezbollah, according to a senior aide to a Lebanese leader allied to the group.
March 14 officials condemn Syria’s Tuesday cross-border incursion into Bekaa
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Officials from March 14 parties condemned Wednesday an incursion into the Bekaa by the Syrian army a day earlier, which local residents said resulted in damage to several farmers’ homes.
Failure to fund STL ‘gift’ to Lebanon’s enemies
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Failure to fund the United Nations-backed court investigating the assassination of statesman Rafik Hariri would be a gift to Lebanon’s enemies, Britain’s new ambassador to Beirut said Wednesday.
Parliament receives Alphabet Day draft law
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Change and Reform bloc MP Neamatallah Abi Nasr submitted Wednesday a draft law in Parliament to dedicate a day to celebrate the creation of the alphabet by the Phoenicians.
Workshop tackles media role in death penalty issue
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 A two-day workshop on the role of media in fighting death penalty was launched Wednesday by Human rights organizations Penal Reform International and Alef.
No fear for Christians in Lebanon, Syria: Hazim
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Greek Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim said Wednesday that there is no fear for Christians living in Lebanon and Syria but only of forces working to destroy us.
Bahia Hariri praises teachers’ noble message
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Sidon MP Bahia Hariri, head of the Education and Culture Parliamentary committee, said Wednesday that teachers continue to carry out and preserve their noble message bearing responsibility for the future of their communities and nations.
Al-Rouwad halts series on Aoun assassination bid after threats
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 The editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper, al-Rouwad, has decided to end a series on the attempted assassination on Michel Aoun’s life after her publication began receiving threats.
Activists kick off campaign to reopen debate on war criminals
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 A group of independent activists are launching a campaign to prosecute Lebanese war criminals and abolish the 1991 Amnesty Law, a move experts see as a very important step toward opening a debate on political impunity…
Mansourieh residents rally against high-voltage electricity lines with road block, sit-in
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Residents of Mansourieh and neighboring towns took to the streets early Wednesday, blocking roads and preventing Electricite Du Liban workers from installing high-voltage electricity lines in the area.
Widespread road works frustrate motorists
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Typical of road works in Lebanon, the timing of widespread street repairs has coincided with the approach of autumn and the rainy season, when the country’s already intolerable traffic is compounded with the addition of school…
Gaza teachers protest U.N. suspension
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Thousands of Gaza teachers quit classes Wednesday to protest the U.N. refugee agency’s suspension of a Palestinian staffer, raising tension between UNRWA and Gaza’s Islamist Hamas rulers.
Abbas pursues statehood drive in Strasbourg
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas arrived in Strasbourg Wednesday to address parliamentarians from Council of Europe states, pursuing his drive for U.N. recognition.
Egypt’s army will not field presidential candidate
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Egypt’s army will not propose a candidate in the upcoming presidential election, its military ruler said Wednesday, denying speculation that it may have in mind a military nominee who could be seen as out of step…
UNESCO to let members vote on Palestine membership
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Palestinians moved a step closer to full membership in the U.N. cultural agency Wednesday after its board decided to let 193 member states vote on the issue later this month, the latest stage in a Palestinian…
Palestinians want ‘useless’ envoy Blair replaced
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 A senior Palestinian official called Wednesday for the replacement of international Middle East envoy Tony Blair, saying the former British leader is biased in favor of Israel and is of no use at all.
Iraqi leaders want U.S. trainers without immunity
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Iraqi leaders have said that they need U.S. military trainers to stay beyond a year-end deadline for American forces to leave but that the troops should not be granted immunity from prosecution.
Bahraini sentencings brings toll to over 80
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 A security court in Bahrain Wednesday sentenced 19 people, including a 16-year-old Iraqi football player, to up to five years in prison for taking part in Shiite-led protests against the Gulf nation’s Sunni rulers.
Saudi cleric asks Shiite protesters to avoid arms
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 A Saudi Shiite village where protesters clashed with police was calm Wednesday as a prominent cleric urged his followers to avoid the use of firearms and fingers of blame were pointed at Iran.
Kuwait braces for graft scandal showdown
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 OPEC member Kuwait is bracing for a major political showdown over a graft scandal involving MPs as the opposition mounts a campaign to oust the prime minister.
‘Decapitated’ Syrian woman appears on TV
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 The mother of Zainab al-Hosni, a young Syrian woman who appeared on state television Wednesday to deny rights groups reports that she had been tortured and killed, has confirmed the woman is her daughter, Human Rights…
Amnesty slams China, Russia for vetoing Syria resolution
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Amnesty International slammed Wednesday Russia and China for vetoing a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Syria on a crackdown the U.N. says has led to the death of around 3,000 people.
Attacks kill six in south Yemen
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Rival attacks by suspected Al-Qaeda militants and pro-government militiamen east of the Yemen’s main southern city Aden on Wednesday killed six people, tribal sources said.
March 14 slam incursion into Lebanon by Syrian army
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 March 14 officials condemn an incursion into the Bekaa by the Syrian army, which locals say damaged several farmers’ homes.
Bahrain jails 13 over bid to burn police station
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Bahraini special court sentences 13 Shiites to five years in jail for trying to set ablaze a police station during democracy protests, the chief military prosecutor said
Sirte residents turn anger on Libya’s new rulers
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Many residents of Sirte, Moammar Gadhafi’s birth-place, blame Libya’s new rulers and their Western allies for the death and destruction unleashed on their city by weeks of fighting.
Israel a threat to region because has nukes: Turkey
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Israel is a threat to its region because it owns nuclear weapons, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday.
Mansourieh residents protest high-voltage power lines
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 Residents in Mansourieh, in the Metn district of Mount Lebanon, took to the streets early Wednesday in protest against a plan to put in high-voltage transmission lines on their land.
Israeli raid killed Israeli captives in 2006: Lebanese minister
Daily Star 5 Oct 2011 An Israeli raid during the 2006 war in Lebanon killed two Israeli soldiers held captive by Hezbollah, according to a senior aide to a Lebanese leader allied to the group.
Medical residents reject PM’s offer; set to resign
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – Health system crisis reaches boiling point as over 700 residents poise to tender….
Turkish PM: Israel a nuclear threat
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – Relations between Jerusalem, Ankara slip further as Turkish PM warns Israel’s….
Hundreds of Nazi probes reopened
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – German prosecutors reopen hundreds of dormant investigations of former death….
Russia: Suspected Chinese spy detained
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – Moscow’s security service say they detained suspected Chinese spy who tried to….
Lebanon: Goldwasser, Regev killed by Israeli bombing
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – Memoirs by Lebanon’s Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil claim IDF bombing near….
8 soldiers go AWOL over cleanup duty
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – Paratroopers Brigade soldiers take offense to commander’s orders, abandon their….
Deputy ambassador to US suspended over media leak
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – Dan Arbel suspected of leaking sensitive information to the media in 2009; will….
Biden to US Jews: Israel is our dearest ally
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – WASHINGTON ‚Äì At an annual event held at the US Vice President’s residence in honor of the Jewish New Year, US Vice President Joe Biden said that “Israel is America’s … ….
IDF to open school for military cooperation
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – Strengthening the link between the ground and the air ‚Äì The IDF is set to open a first-of-its-kind school designed to improve cooperation between the Air Force and Ground … ….
Foreign Ministry employees support suspended colleague
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – The Foreign Ministry’s employee committee has written a letter of support to its employees in Israel and abroad following Wednesday’s announcement of the immediate … ….
Prof. Shechtman: Nobel impossible without microscope
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – Recipient of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Professor Daniel Shechtman, returned Wednesday to where it all began ‚Äì his laboratory in the Technion ‚Äì and revealed the … ….
Egypt: Sinai is 100% secure
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – Egyptian military ruler Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi said Wednesday that the security in the Sinai Peninsula was “100% under control,” a day after a US Defense … ….
High Court rejects cadet’s petition over woman’s singing
YNet News, 5 Oct 2011 – The High Court of Justice on Wednesday rejected a petition filed by IDF cadet Yoel Glickman, who was dismissed from an officers’ course after refusing to listen to a … ….
Palestinian Information Center
Abu Zuhri lauds protests at U.S. Ambassador Ramallah visit
PIC – 05/10/2011 – 10:30 AM
Rocket lands in Ashkelon as Israel bolsters forces in south
PIC – A rocket-propelled grenade landed Tuesday evening in the coastal city of Ashkelon in the 1948-occupied territories as Israel has decided to boost troops in the southern 1948-occupied territories.
Panetta denies Cairo trip was aimed at prisoner swap
PIC – U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has denied that his trip to Cairo was essentially aimed at clinching a prisoner swap for Ilan Grapel, a suspected Israeli spy who was captured in Egypt.
IOF troops round up 11 Palestinians in West Bank
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested 11 Palestinians in the West Bank provinces of Ramallah, Al-Khalil, Qalqilia, and Nablus at dawn Wednesday.
20 Palestinians arrested in protests following mosque arson
PIC – Israeli occupation police arrested at dawn Wednesday 20 Palestinians following a day of rage over the burning of a mosque in the Upper Galilee area..
Palestinian injured in surge in vehicular attacks by settlers
PIC – A Jewish settler crashed his vehicle into a 20-year-old Palestinian native of the West Bank village of Furoush Bayt Dajan in the second hit-and-run incident in the last 24 hours.
Senior official at Israel’s U.S. embassy dismissed for leaking sensitive info
PIC – The Deputy Ambassador to Washington, Dan Arbel has been dismissed after leaking what was described as highly sensitive information to the media.
Hamas: Crackdowns on hunger strikes will increase prisoners’ will
PIC – Hamas has said crackdowns in the face of a mass hunger strike rocking the Israeli prisons would only bolster the determination of the Palestinian captives.
Erdogan: Israel’s nuclear weapon a threat to region
PIC – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Israel’s nuclear weapons is a threat to the region, Turkey’s Anatolia news agency said.
Sit-in to demand arrest of Livni ahead of UK visit
PIC – British rights groups will hold a sit-in on Thursday outside of the British government offices in London to protest an expected visit by former Israeli FM and Kadima party leader Tzipi Livni.
Despite her intransigence, Israel is losing the future
PIC – Since its misbegotten birth, Israel has relied on military might almost exclusively in order to impose its will and gain the legitimacy of the fait accompli.
FEDIC Approves Palestine’s Full Membership
WAFA
Israeli Soldiers Repress Peaceful Sit-in Supporting Prisoners
WAFA
US Calls to Reject Palestine’s Membership in UNESCO
WAFA
UNRWA Continues to Stand Firm with Children of Gaza
WAFA
50 Million Shekels Allowed into Gaza
WAFA
Abu Rudeineh: We will Continue to Deal with Blair
WAFA
Abbas Meets Ashton in Strasbourg
WAFA
UNESCO Board Recommends Palestine’s Membership
WAFA
Japan Grants West Bank for Education and Water
WAFA
Reporters Without Borders: Hamas Restricts Foreign Journalists Access to Gaza
WAFA
Newspapers Review: Prisoners’ Hunger Strike Dominates Dailies
WAFA
Final Farewell to Francois Abu Salem in Ramallah
WAFA
Netanyahu, Deception, and His “Jewish State” Demand
Intifada-Palestine: 5 Oct 2011 – “Netanyahu, a master of deception, is using every gimmick possible to keep knowledge of Israel’s injustice towards the Palestinians from the American public. He says that Israel would like to be the first to recognize Palestine. His wish may come true… more
Vigil for Palestinian Hunger Strikers at Israeli Embassy in Dublin
Intifada-Palestine: 5 Oct 2011 – Palestinian prisoners associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) began a hunger strike last week on September 27 against conditions imposed on detainees by the zionist regime. The prisoners are calling for an end to the humiliating… more
Libya revolutionaries burn, loot village homes
LA Times 5 Oct 2011 – Fighters from Misurata, which suffered greatly during the uprising against Moammar Kadafi, have trashed homes and stolen goods in the ex-leader’s reputed birthplace. Forces loyal to Libya’s transitional leaders looted and burned civilian homes Wednesday in the recently captured village of Abu Hadi, near ousted…
Israeli wins Nobel for chemistry
LA Times 5 Oct 2011 – Dan Shechtman endured years of criticism and isolation for his discovery of a new form of crystal with a pattern that defied the known laws of nature. But the finding proved to be correct. Israeli scientist Dan Shechtman was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry…
Syrian Woman Thought Dead Appears to Be Alive
New York Times 5 Oct 2011 – The family of a Syrian woman who was reported to have been killed by armed men loyal to the government of President Bashar al-Assad, said Wednesday that they now think she is still alive.
Bahrain Voids Medical Workers’ Jail Terms, Ordering Retrials
New York Times 5 Oct 2011 – Judicial authorities in Bahrain nullified the convictions and prison terms given to 20 medical workers last week by a court prosecuting cases arising from civil unrest in the country.
Palestinians Win Initial Vote on Unesco Bid
New York Times 5 Oct 2011 – The Palestinians gained initial approval for full membership in Unesco, the final approval of which could result in a withdrawal of aid to the United Nations by the United States.
United Arab Emirates Invests in Mobile Internet
New York Times 5 Oct 2011 – The new mobile data network installed by Emirates Telecommunications Corp. is said to be the most sophisticated of its kind in the region.
Conference of Presidents Denounces Mosque Burning, Sorta…
Tikun Olam – Malcolm Hoenlein, pro-Israel ideologue behind the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations has released an alternately soothing and mendacious public statement about the mosque burning at Tuba-Zangariyye , near Safed. It begins with a suitable statement of regret at the act of religious violence. But then…
As UNESCO moves toward Palestinian recognition, Congress threatens to cut funding
Mondoweiss – While all eyes have been on the Palestinian Authority’s bid for statehood at the United Nations, the PA has been busy pursuing other creative, if less formal and significant, ways to promote the idea and fact of a Palestinian state. Yesterday the Palestinian National Council won “…
Esc and Ctrl: The Guardian investigates Israeli internet hasbara
Mondoweiss –
Better days will come
Mondoweiss – I got email from an American woman who lives in California, which said “please Kawther, know that there are many Jewish people in the U.S who feel this way. Salam, Noelle.”. She meant the gloomy sadness in the heart and memory of each Palestinian since the…
Study finds Israeli occuption costs Palestinians $6.9 billion a year in lost commerce
Mondoweiss – The Guardian reports on a new study showing that the Israeli occupation has deprived the Palestinian economy of $6.9 billion, which would amount to 85% of the current Palestinian gross domestic product. This is the result of daily occupation practices, such as lack of freedom of…
Even in times of austerity, some spending is inviolable
Mondoweiss – From the New York Times article ” Foreign Aid Set to Take a Hit in U.S. Budget Crisis “: The House appropriations subcommittee, controlled by Republicans, proposed cutting the administration’s request by $12 billion, or 20 percent, to $47 billion, with $39 billion for operations and aid and $…
Shin Bet Slaps Gag Order on Safed Mosque Burning Investigation
Tikun Olam – Village mosque of Tuba Zangariyye after being torched by suspected Jewish extremists (Oded Balilty/AP) An Israeli journalist has told me there is a gag order concerning any reporting on the Shin Bet’s investigation into the mosque burning in the Israeli Palestinian village, Tuba-Zangariyye ,just outside Safed….
Minority age in West Bank raised to 18, violation of minor’s rights continues
B’tselem 4 Oct 2011 – The army has raised the age of minority in the West Bank from 16 to 18. B’Tselem welcomes the change, which comports with the customary age of minority around the world, including in Israel. However, the accompanying amendments are marginal, and military legislation continues to enable…
(en) Britain, Tory Party Conference Demo
A-infos 5 Oct 2011 – On Sunday 2nd October, members of Solidarity Federation* were amongst those who descended on Manchester to demonstrate at the start of the Tory Party Conference. 30,000 people took part in the march, and there was an occupation of Albert Square which at the time of writing…
Palestinians push for Unesco seat
BBC 5 Oct 2011 – The UN cultural agency Unesco agrees to put to a vote a Palestinian bid for full membership – another step in the Palestinian campaign for recognition as a state.
Nobel win for crystal discovery
BBC 5 Oct 2011 – Israeli Daniel Shechtman is named the sole winner the Nobel prize for chemistry, for his discovery of the structure of quasicrystals – a form that sceptics said was impossible.
UNWRA teachers stage general strike
Middle East Monitor 5 Oct 2011 – EXCLUSIVE PICTURES UNWRA staff have organised a general strike; they have halted studies, closed all schools and gathered thousands of teachers outside the main headquarters in Gaza City in a teacher’s demonstration. The demonstrators sent a letter to the commissioner of agency headquarters which warns against…
Palestinian factions unite to march in solidarity with prisoners hunger strike
Middle East Monitor 5 Oct 2011 – EXCLUSIVE PICTURES The Supreme National Committee for solidarity with Palestinian detainees on hunger strike in Israeli prisons and detention centres has organised marches and demonstrations across the West Bank. The Palestinian prisoners club has also called for demonstrations in support of the striking prisoners. On Tuesday…
Arab League condemns attacks by Israeli settlers
Middle East Monitor 5 Oct 2011 – The Arab League has condemned the attacks by Israeli settlers on mosques in Occupied Palestine, the latest of which was an attack on Al Noor Al Kabir Mosque in the Upper Galilee village of Tuba-Zangaria. Unlike previous recent attacks, this one took place inside Israel (“1948…
Israeli court decides to release parliamentarian “on condition that he is deported”
Middle East Monitor 5 Oct 2011 – An Israeli court has decided to release Jerusalem parliamentarian Ahmed Abu Atoun on condition that he is deported from his own country. The prosecution, meanwhile, asked for time to appeal against the decision on the grounds that Atoun “is dangerous for the security of Israel, even…
Congress halts aid to the Palestinians despite opposition by Administration
Arab American Institute 5 Oct 2011 – Congress officially announced on Monday that security aid to the Palestinian Authority as well as much needed humanitarian aid has been blocked in response to the Palestinian leadership’s attempt to gain UN recognition. ‘These are mainly humanitarian and development projects — it is another kind of…
Countdown: Vol. 10, No. 17
Arab American Institute 5 Oct 2011 – Joe Lieberman (I-CT) just became the first U.S. Senator to call for a no-fly zone over Syria. What makes this proposition complicated is that a no-fly zone would have to entail ‘attacks on Syrian military assets’ in order to make the measure enforceable. This comes only…
South Africa: Syria – What Happened to Country’s Foreign Policy Backbone?
allAfrica.com 5 Oct 2011 – It has been reported that yesterday South Africa’s representative in the United Nations Security Council refused to ratify a proposal supporting the aspirations of the Syrian people who want a new government after 40 years of Assad family rule.
Articles
A Palestinian political prisoner’s take on Israel’s protest movement
Ameer Makhoul, Gilboa Prison, Electronic Intifada10/5/2011
The people demand social justice! But for all?
The recent wave of protests in Israel, which pretend to call for social justice, is one of the most powerful and massive mobilization to ever happen in the country. An unprecedented character of this movement, one should add, is its pretension to create an open space for groups, as well as individuals.
The dynamics that guard these protests are that of a social movement. However, the content of the demonstrators’ demands should be subjected to a serious discussion and critique. One of the major contradictory aspects of this movement is the exclusive understanding of the value of social justice. Social justice is a universal value, but for the protesters in Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard, it is limited only to the internal dynamics of Israeli society.
On Rothschild Blvd., the root cause of the social injustices Israelis face are a taboo — that is, the occupation, colonial racism, militarization of all life’s aspects and the prevailing, aggressive neoliberal thought and system. These issues are deeply related to the Israeli state-building process.
The Israeli social protests should be seen in light of two major border-crossing developments: the Arab peoples’ uprisings, an example of how when the people move, nothing is impossible; and second, the growth of the international and globalized social movement. The latter, day by day, is gaining a popular character that is challenging the world’s neoliberal elites in what we know as the “wealthy” nations and their current crisis, impacting the entire world. more.. e-mail
US Intervention and the Syrian Uprising
Ramzy Baroud, CounterPunch10/5/2011
Down a Failed Path
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 ‚Äì and as confirmed by various WikiLeaks cables ‚Äì 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 Gallop website on June 25, 2009, Steve Crabtree described a decision by the Barack Obama administration to send a US ambassador to Syria (the first one in six years) as an “important signal that it seeks improved relations between the two countries”. One of the unstated objectives of this was to “contend with widespread anti-US sentiment among Syrians”.
According to a March 2009 poll, nearly two-thirds of Syrians (64%) have unfavorable views of the United States, and more (71%) disapprove of the US leadership. One could argue that such views are sensible, considering the US’s history of anti-Syria policies, and its lack of support for the Syrian people’s urgent call for democracy and reforms. more.. e-mail
An educational ad captures Israel’s culture of fear
Roi Maor, +972 Magazine10/1/2011
In other countries, when you say “education is our future”, you usually mean that it will determine the level of prosperity and accomplishment we can hope to achieve. In Israel, the “future” is meant quite literally, in the sense that without education, we would have no future because we would all be dead.
How deep is the culture of fear in Israel? Every day seems to bring a fresh piece of evidence indicating it is quite deep indeed. Last week, I was waiting for the bus, when I saw this poster on the bus stop:
The picture, taken by me, is unfortunately not very clear. The message at the top says “Don’t leave us behind!” The bottom lines read: “Say no to the chalkboard and chalk! Because education is my future. Yours. [The future of] all of us!” The ad is attributed to “HighQ”, an Israeli corporation (with a name in English, for some reason) which specializes in preparing students for the matriculation exams and SATs. The name of the company is followed by the slogan “Presentations in class are not an extra. They are your grade!”
So far, the poster seems relatively unproblematic, if a bit short on understatement and originality. What is truly scary, quite literally, is the text at the very middle of the poster (which I managed to capture a bit more clearly):
It reads: “Yesterday, they said on the news that Israel has the most advanced missiles in the world. They said that our technological progress is the only reason we have not yet been thrown into the sea. I’m a little scared. I don’t know how to swim very well…” This text is presented as a quote attributed to “Maya, soon to be ten years old”, presumably, the girl whose picture appears next to the text. more.. e-mail
Truth and Falsehood in Syria
Palestine Chronicle: 5 Oct 2011 – By Jeremy Salt ‚Äì Ankara As insurrection in Syria lurches towards civil war, the brakes need to be put on the propaganda pouring through the western mainstream media and accepted uncritically by many who should know better. So here is a matrix of positions from which to argue about what is going on in this critical Middle Eastern country: 1. Syria has been a mukhabarat (intelligence) state since the redoubtable Abd al Hamid al Serraj ran the intelligence services as the deuxieme bureau in the 1950s. The authoritarian state which developed from the time Hafez al Assad took power in 1970 has crushed all dissent ruthlessly. On occasion it has either been him or them. The ubiquitous presence of the mukhabarat is an unpleasant fact of Syrian life but as Syria is a central target for assassination and subversion by Israel and western intelligence agencies, as it has repeatedly come…more
Killing the Preacher: ‘Mowing Grass’ in Yemen
Palestine Chronicle: 5 Oct 2011 – By Eric Walberg Radical Muslim cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki, the victim of assassination by US forces 30 September, was born in New Mexico in 1971, educated at Colorado State University in engineering, and radicalised while preaching in US mosques and visiting Afghanistan in the 1990s. His sermons attracted a large following, first in Denver and then San Diego, where he completed a Masters in education. Though in the FBI’s sites from 1999, he became a media star after 9/11, interviewed by National Geographic and the New York Times as a moderate, articulate American Muslim. He condemned the attacks, stating “There is no way that the people who did this could be Muslim, and if they claim to be Muslim, then they have perverted their religion.” On IslamOnline.net six days after the 9/11 attacks, he suggested that Israeli intelligence agents might have been responsible, and that the FBI “went into the roster…more
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