25 November 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Islamic Jihad Will Not Participate In New Elections
IMEMC – The Islamic Jihad Movement stated Friday that it will not participate in new presidential and legislative elections scheduled to be held in May next year. …
PCHR Weekly Report: 3 civilians wounded, 19 arrested in 68 Israeli invasions this week
IMEMC – In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 17- 23 Nov. 2011, 3 Palestinians, including a media worker, were wounded in a peaceful demonstration in al-Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. …
In photos: Israeli forces raze buildings across the West Bank
11/25/2011 – Israeli forces razed buildings across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including a mosque, solar panels providing electricity and a children’s rabbit hutch, witnesses said Thursday. The UN humanitarian affairs office says 488 Palestinian buildings have been demolished in 2011 displacing 887 people from their homes, more than twice the number in the….
Israeli forces ‘detain 4’ in Nablus, Jerusalem
11/25/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained four people overnight in Jerusalem and the northern West Bank early Friday morning, witnesses and officials said. Locals in Beit Furik, east of Nablus, told Ma’an that Israeli army jeeps raided the village at dawn. Soldiers detained Salim Bashir Imleitat, 26, after ransacking his home. An….
Report: Saboteurs blow up Egypt gas pipeline
11/26/2011 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Saboteurs blew up a gas pipeline 60 km west of the Egyptian town of al-Arish in northern Sinai on Friday, the latest in series of attacks, state news agency MENA reported. The blast caused little damage and did not start a fire because little gas was flowing through the pipeline at the time….
Israel reacts to Hamas-Fatah meet
11/25/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — The Hamas-Fatah rapprochement has hardened Israel’s resolve to maintain its stranglehold on Palestinian Authority tax monies, commentators said Friday. Hours after President Mahmoud Abbas held top-level talks with Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal at which they announced a new era of “partnership,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet to…. Related: Mashaal: Israel’s threats on reconciliation ‘don’t scare us’
Official: Islamic Jihad will not participate in elections
11/26/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Islamic Jihad will not take part in upcoming Palestinian elections, a leader in the Islamist movement, Nafeth Azzam, said Friday. The heads of Fatah and Hamas agreed in principle to hold elections in the near future, but a date was not set during the negotiations Thursday in Cairo, officials said. But….
Mashaal: Israel’s threats on reconciliation ‘don’t scare us’
11/25/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Exiled Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal said Friday that Israeli threats after reconciliation talks with Fatah leader President Mahmoud Abbas “would not scare us but rather assure us that reconciliation is the right track for the Palestinian people.” Mashaal and Abbas met in Cairo on Thursday for the first time since signing…. Related: Israel reacts to Hamas-Fatah meet
Official: Fatah asks Hamas to free 47 prisoners
11/25/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas has been given a list of 47 political prisoners that Fatah wants the Islamist movement to release from jails in the Gaza Strip, a top Fatah official said Friday. Zakaria al-Agha says Hamas also produced a list of political prisoners to President Mahmoud Abbas, who agreed to a request to….
Hamas, Islamic Jihad rally for Jerusalem
11/26/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Islamic Jihad and Hamas organized mass rallies in Gaza City on Friday demanding protection of Jerusalem’s Palestinian character and Muslim holy sites. After Friday prayers, Jihad supporters marched from al-Abbas mosque in the city, and Hamas gathered in Palestine Square, including Prime Minister in the Gaza-based government Ismail….
Haniyeh urges Abbas to ignore US demands
11/26/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh on Friday listed three basic factors needed to resolve a power-sharing deal with his Fatah rivals: ditch the US, stick to the terms of the May agreement, and find an alternative to Israeli tax-collection. Speaking at the al-Omari mosque in Gaza, Haniyeh urged Fatah…. Related: Analysis: Why Palestinians may reject US funds
Lebanon PM threatens to quit if Hariri court funds blocked
11/25/2011 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati has said he is ready to resign should his Hezbollah-dominated cabinet refuse to transfer funds to a UN-backed court probing the murder of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri.” I cannot imagine being prime minister of a government under which Lebanon breached its international commitments or isolated itself from….
Analysis: Why Palestinians may reject US funds
11/26/2011 – Daoud Kuttab – Few in Washington may realize that the issue of US funding for Palestine is the talk of the town in Ramallah and other Palestinian cities. And the talk is not pleasant. President Mahmoud Abbas has been telling aides that he plans to reject some $150 million in federal money earmarked for Palestinian security…. Related: Haniyeh urges Abbas to ignore US demands
Catholics, Muslims pursue dialogue in tense Mideast
11/26/2011 – BETHANY BEYOND THE JORDAN, Jordan (Reuters) — Only five years ago, critical remarks by Pope Benedict about Islam sparked off violent protests in several Muslim countries. Never very good, relations between the world’s two largest religions sank to new lows in modern times. This week, while protesters in the Arab world were demanding democracy….
Thousands gather in Tahrir as Egypt rulers ‘appoint PM’
11/25/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) —Thousands of Egyptians streamed into Tahrir Square on Friday ahead of a new mass rally to demand the end of military rule, capping a week of protests and deadly clashes just days before the first polls since Hosni Mubarak’s ouster.” Last Chance Friday. . . stability or chaos,” ran the headline of the….
Study: Explosion in Arabic tweets since Arab Spring
11/25/2011 – PARIS (AFP) — The popularity of Twitter has soared in the Arab world over the past year, a study has revealed, reflecting the key role of the social networking site in the “Arab Spring” revolutions. Online Twitter messages, or tweets, in Arabic rocketed from 99,000 a day in October 2010 to over two million last month….
Thousands rally in Egypt on ‘last chance Friday’
11/25/2011 – By Marwa Awad and Tom PerryCAIRO (Reuters) — Tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to military rule converged on Cairo’s Tahrir square Friday in what activists say will be the biggest day yet in a week of demonstrations in which 41 people have been killed. The military men who took over after….
Egyptians take up arms amid insecurity
11/25/2011 – CAIRO (IRIN) — It took Ahmed Fawzi, a College of Islamic Studies graduate, only a few hours after seeing a man robbed and killed by a group of criminals to buy a gun.”I just did not want to be killed like this innocent man,” Fawzi, 26, told IRIN.”My father died years ago and I….
US defeated in bid on cluster bomb accord
11/25/2011 – GENEVA (Reuters) — A US-led push to regulate, rather than ban, cluster munitions failed Friday after 50 countries objected, following humanitarian campaigners’ claims that anything less than a outright ban would be an unprecedented reversal of human rights law. While the United States, China and Russia want rules about the manufacture and use of cluster….
Columnist says assault shows why Egypt revolt goes on
11/25/2011 – CAIRO (Reuters) — An Egyptian-American columnist who said she was sexually assaulted by Egyptian riot police this week said her experience showed why protesters are pressing their demands for democratic government, nine months after Hosni Mubarak was toppled. Riot police also broke Mona Tahawy’s hand and arm during the assault on Wednesday night near….
International Solidarity Movement
Four houses and one mosque fall to Israeli demolitions in Susiya
11/25/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – By Fida Far, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – Four houses and one mosque were destroyed this morning, November 24th, in the villages in the south of the West Bank. Around 10 am, fifty soldiers and seven police cars arrived to village Susiya. Two bulldozers destroyed the house of Musa Magna’s family and two….
Hebron: Family members share their stories of settler abuse
11/25/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – By Alistair George, 22 November 2011, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – As thousands of Israeli settlers and Zionists crowded into Hebron on Friday night, November 19th, and Saturday for Shabbat Chaye Sarah – celebrating Abraham’s biblical purchase of land on the site of the Ibrahimi Mosque, some Palestinian neighbourhoods experienced a surge in….
No go zone protest in Beit Hanoun
11/25/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – By Nathan Stuckey, 24 November 2011, International Solidarity Movement, Gaza – We gathered in the road in front of the Agricultural College of Beit Hanoun, the same place that we gather every week. There were about forty people, members of the Beit Hanoun Local Initiative, the International Solidarity Movement and citizens of Beit Hanoun. Like every….
Palestinian women: Our problems are worse in Jerusalem
The National 25 Nov 2011 – Rather than report crime to Israeli police, Palestinian families tend to sort out issues at home, a process that rarely favours women.
Bungled arrest of Ahmadinejad aide highlights Iranian strife
The National 25 Nov 2011 – The bungled attempt to arrest Ali Akbar Javanfekr, the top press adviser to Iran’s president, was the most dramatic illustration yet of the intensifying power struggle among the country’s hardliners.
Morocco votes in first election since reforms
The National 25 Nov 2011 – The main contenders in the Moroccan election were the moderate Islamist Justice and Development party and a handful of liberal, secular parties.
Rival protests reveal a divided Egypt
The National 25 Nov 2011 – The massive rival protests come just three days before the country’s planned first elections since Hosni Mubarak was forced from power in February.
Arab Spring causes the focus of study
The National 23 Nov 2011 – Study into root causes of the Arab Spring finds that women make up the majority of bloggers in many Arab countries.
Arab League prepares sanctions on Syria, who fails to meet deadline
Ha’aretz – League readies for discussions on sanctions, which could target flights and central bank, after Damascus fails to sign agreement that would allow observers to be sent in to Syria.
Syria: ‘Foreign-backed’ attack kills 10 air force personnel
Ha’aretz – Military spokesman says armed terrorist group killed air force personnel, including six pilots; 3,500 people estimated to have been killed since uprising began.
Haaretz exclusive / How a serial criminal got help from an Israeli government minister
Ha’aretz – Immigrant Absorption Minister Sofa Landver pursued business ties with serial criminal Gregory Lerner. Her former chief of staff had links to Alexei Zakharenko, a Russian tycoon who disappeared two years ago. New facts from police files, published here for the first time.
Yossi Verter / Netanyahu’s newspeak
Ha’aretz – The prime minister feels he is working with a sense of messianism. ‘Perhaps they call this the libel law,’ he declared. ‘I call it the law for publishing truth.’
Moderate Islamists claim Moroccan election win
Ha’aretz – Justice and Development Party hopes to press Islamic finance; King Mohammed backs gradual change in reply to Arab Spring; voter turnout of 45% higher than 2007 polls, but on lower voter numbers.
U.S. Treasury to brief UAE, Israel on Iran pressure
Ha’aretz – U.S. undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence will brief allies on new actions to increase financial pressure on Tehran.
Amos Schocken / The necessary elimination of Israeli democracy
Ha’aretz – Haaretz publisher and owner Amos Schocken says there is a difference between the apartheid of South Africa and what is happening in Israel and in the territories, but there are also similarities.
Israel’s chief rabbi responds to Haaretz’s ‘Without the Rabbinate’ series on Orthodox Jews
Ha’aretz – Following a series of articles about Orthodox Israelis turning to rabbis outside the official Rabbinate for religious services, Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar granted Haaretz an unprecedented interview. His message: Things are only getting ‘better and better.’
Libya leader thanks Sudan for weapons that helped former rebels oust Gadhafi
Ha’aretz – Mustafa Abdel Jalil makes first official visit to Khartoum, after relations between Libya and Sudan had been strained during Gadhafi’s rule.
UN says ready to aid Arab League peace mission to Syria
Ha’aretz – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomes league proposal to send observer mission to Syria and strongly urges Damascus to give its ‘consent and full cooperation.’
Ahmadinejad calls on Iranians to remain united against Western sanctions
Ha’aretz – Iran president tries to downplay sanctions, says British decision to cut ties with Iran banks and French decision to stop importing oil from Iran is irrelevant.
Afraid of the public outcry: Netanyahu averts nay vote on ‘tycoon haircut’ law
Ha’aretz – The Ministerial Committee for Legislation realized earlier this week that the bill did not command a majority in the cabinet or Knesset.
TASE falls for the ninth straight day: TA-25 falls another 1.1%, down 8% for the week
Ha’aretz – European debt crisis continues to spook investors; The benchmark TA-25 fell another 1.1%.
Osem’s third-quarter profit undented by social protests
Ha’aretz – For the first nine months Osem, controlled by Swiss multinational Nestle, reported a net profit of NIS 273 million, up nearly 13% from the NIS 242 million in January-September 2010.
‘Black Friday’ gives way to ‘Buy Israel Week’
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Jewish and pro-Israel groups, Israeli companies and retailers are joining together to promote Israeli products.
Arab League prepares for Syria sanctions
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Syria misses deadline as violence reportedly kills six civilians and 10 soldiers; sanctions aimed at ending violence could target flights, central bank.
Islamist party says won Morocco poll
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party says it won the largest number of seats in parliamentary elections.
Islamist party claims Moroccan election win
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party says it won the largest number of seats in parliamentary elections.
New prime minister exposes divisions in Egypt
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Ganzouri, who was prime minister from 1996 to 1999, is seen as economic liberalizer, but cautious on privatization.
Arms smugglers thrive on Syrian uprising
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Lebanese arms dealer says the first months of anti-Assad protests across the border rocketed prices skyward.
US Treasury to brief UAE, Israel on Iran pressure
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Washington will explain declaration of Tehran as “money laundering concern,” discuss possible steps on central bank.
US, EU call for quick transition in Egypt
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – EU calls for independent investigation into violence; White House: solution should be “devised by Egyptians.”
’10 Syrian army members killed in attack on base’
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Syrian military says air force personnel killed during “terror attack” which “enemies benefited from, particularly Israel.”
Terrorists bomb Sinai gas line 8th time this year
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Egyptian authorities say damage is minimal because natural gas pumping had not yet resumed in pipeline.
Turkey says it won’t tolerate Syria bloodshed
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Ankara warns “there are steps we can take in consultation with the Arab League”; Arab League sanctions on flights to Syria, trade and bank agreements to go into full effect.
‘Iran has no oil export to France to be sanctioned’
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Italy pushing companies to stop buying oil; EU will likely discuss Iran sanctions in upcoming FMs meeting.
The Numbers Crunch: Tweet like an Egyptian
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – All 5 most-read JPost stories on Iranian threat; US news coverage focuses on domestic issues.
Hamas: Israeli threats won’t stop unity gov’t
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Likud MK: I will petition international community to isolate Palestinian unity gov’t including Hamas.
Jerusalem wary as Abbas moves closer to Hamas
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Likud MK: I will petition international community to isolate Palestinian unity gov’t including Hamas.
Egypt braces for fresh rally against military rule
Jerusalem Post 25 Nov 2011 – Million-man march is billed as “the Friday of the last chance” for civilian handover; activists spurn army’s choice for new PM.
Hamming it up: Kosher ‘pork’ coming soon
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – Chief rabbi approves import of organic goose meat, which according to three non-Jewish chefs, tastes exactly like pork.
Sikrikim member arrested in Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – Man in extremist ultra-Orthodox group is nabbed on suspicion of vandalism, assaulting police officer and causing public disturbance.
Social Affairs: Women without a name
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – In 2011 as many as 24 women were murdered in Israel by their partners or relatives. Thousands more suffer from abuse.
Security and Defense: Marching out of tune
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – Question of soldiers having to listen to women singing at IDF ceremonies arises amid claims military undergoing radicalization.
Into the Fray: Dismantling democracy
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – The underpinnings of Israeli democracy are being imperiled by those purporting to be its staunchest defenders.
Column One: Calling things by their names
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – The US will withdraw in defeat from Iraq, and pro- American forces in the region and the US itself will reap the whirlwind of Washington’s irresponsibility.
In Plain Language: The ghost of Judaism past
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – Prague, by all accounts, is a charismatic and captivating city. Architecturally, aesthetically, historically, it is a feast for the eyes and heart.
Guest Columnist: The debt years of our lives
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – There is one critical difference between the financial crises of 2011 and 2008: Today, the very policies that had enabled the Israeli economy to weather the storm are under attack.
A Dose of Nuance: A tale of two funerals
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – images of the sea of black – and only black – on the streets of Jerusalem during Rabbi Finkel’s funeral ought to be a reminder of how different our world is from the world that Y.L. Peretz.
Keep Dreaming: Taking religion seriously
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – Yes, the time has come for all of us to start taking religion seriously, and ourselves, perhaps, a little less so.
Think Again: Why we weep for Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – If you want to understand a person or a community, observe what he or they honor:
The Guard: A movie gem
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – A coastal Irish village sets the scene for this well-written,well-acted, well-intentioned drama
A new adventure
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – The Inbal Pinto Dance Company sweeps audiences into an alternate reality with its latest work, ‘Bombyx Mori’.
Simple folk
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – The Israeli Opera opens its new season with two well-known pieces that depict the lives of ordinary people.
A View From Israel: Democracy and Hypocrisy
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2011 – The bills being debated in the Knesset threaten the Left – but that doesn’t mean they threaten democracy.
Sounds Jewish podcast: Israel’s tent protesters
The Guardian 25 Nov 2011 – Joining Jason Solomons in the studio this month are Hagai Segal, Middle East politics lecturer at the New York University in London, and artist Jacqueline Nicholls . Were the summer tent protests in Israel the inspiration for…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (17- 23 Nov. 2011)
Uruknet November 25, 2011 – Summary : Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (17-23 November 2011): Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF wounded 3 Palestinians, including a media worker, who were participating in a peaceful demonstration in protest against settlement activities in al-Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah….
Egypt protesters get US support for power transfer
Uruknet November 25, 2011 – Tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to military rule converged on Cairo’s Tahrir square Friday, while the White House hardened its rhetoric, urging Egypt’s military to give way “as soon as possible” to full civilian rule. “Full transfer of power to a civilian government must take place in a just…
Libyan prisoners tortured by rebels in Khoms
Uruknet November 25, 2011 – “THE treatment was inhuman,” said Doctor Osama Mussa, as the prison guards around him looked uneasy. “They burnt people with cigarettes, beat their feet, hung men by their arms – look here,” he said, showing dark swollen rings and scars around his and other prisoners’ wrists and arms. “They put people in…
Syria News – November 24, 2011 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet November 24, 2011 -Thursday passed with 35 martyrs that have been identified by name, among them a pregnant woman and two children. 34 people were killed in Homs alone, while one person was killed in Dael… Homs: Martyrdom of Faris Radwan (27 year-old). He was arrested yesterday morning by shabiha and last night people found his…
Ancient Assyria’s monuments have suffered mostly due to U.S. invasion
Uruknet November 24, 2011 – The archaeological sites belonging to the Assyrian empire have suffered a great deal since the 2003-U.S. invasion, according to Antiquities Department’s spokesperson Abdulzahra al-Talaqani. Talaqani said despite the withdrawal of U.S. occupation troops, security conditions in the northern city of Mosul have not improved enough to allow rehabilitation. Talaqani said the presence…
Fallujah Remembered by a US Marine who Helped Destroy it in 2004
Uruknet November 24, 2011 – It has been seven years since the 2nd siege of Fallujah — the American assault that left the city in ruins, killed thousands of civilians, and displaced hundreds-of-thousands more — the assault that poisoned a generation, plaguing the people who live there with cancers and their children with birth defects. It has…
Pushing Palestinians out of East Jerusalem, one family at a time
Uruknet November 24, 2011 – For decades, the Sumarins have lived in Wadi Helweh, at the entrance of Silwan, a neighborhood in East Jerusalem. But one week ago, the family received an order telling them they must leave. If they don’t, they will face eviction by force. Himnuta, a subsidiary of the Jewish National Fund (JNF-KKL), justifies…
Iraq: 19 people killed, dozens injured by 3 bombings in southern Iraqi oil city
Uruknet November 24, 2011 – A string of bombings in a southern oil city killed 19 people Thursday evening and injured dozens more, a grim sign of the security challenges Iraq will face after American troops go home. The U.S. military is drawing down its troops ahead of an end-of-December deadline to have all American forces out…
What was Iraq’s role in the export of banned US-made web watching gear to Syria?
Uruknet November 24, 2011 – The US government is trying to figure out how US-made surveillance gear came to be used against Syrian activists. The goods were supposedly bound for Iraq….The devices allegedly arrived in Syria in October 2011, the same time that they were supposed to be delivered to Iraq. Earlier in 2011, the US military…
Alice Walker: “Going through Israeli checkpoints is like going back in time to American Civil Rights struggle”
Uruknet November 24, 2011 – American Pulitzer Prize winning author, Alice Walker, was a juror with the Russell Tribunal on Palestine which took place in South Africa this year. A prolific writer of novels, poetry and short stories her books, fiction and non-fiction, have sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. While she is most well-known for “…
Freedom Ride and more
Uruknet November 24, 2011 – This weekly compilation is rich with material to choose from: amazing videos and stories from our first freedom ride, a video call to action for the Global March to Jerusalem, a positive action example, a story from Haaretz on our friend Ashraf AbuRahmah, Moshe Dayan’s widow saying that Zionism had run its…
Yemeni gunmen shoot five dead after president agrees to step down
Uruknet November 24, 2011 – Pro-government gunmen shot five people dead in the Yemeni capital on Thursday, a day after the president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, signed a deal agreeing to end his 33-year rule in exchange for immunity from prosecution. The bloodshed coincided with a bout of fierce clashes between youth activists and opposition leaders, casting doubt…
Thanksgiving Hypocrisy
Uruknet November 24, 2011 – On November 25, 2009, a New York Times editorial headlined, “A Thanksgiving Toast,” saying: “Sitting down with friends and family today, there will be thanks for the steady currents, flowing out of the past, that have brought us to this table….And there will be prayerful thanks for the future.” Fact check : At…
Libya’s New Government for 2012
Uruknet November 24, 2011 – …The post of Minister of Defense, the leader of the nation’s external military (count-down to a new war with Chad…) went to “Osama Juwali, commander of the Zintan fighters who arrested Seif,” and perhaps of the Zintan fighters who recently shot the hell out of Tripoli hospital and killed a few people…
Gassing the revolution: The US origins of Tahrir’s tears
Uruknet November 24, 2011 – Egyptian security forces are digging deeper into their budget with each volley of increasingly fatal US-made tear gas they launch at demonstrators. The human cost of the violent crackdown in central Cairo is increasingly clear — among the 39 fatalities reported to date, several are said to have died of asphyxiation caused…
Families face threat of eviction in Jerusalem
Uruknet November 24, 2011 – Palestinian residents of Musrara, a small yet bustling thoroughfare in Jerusalem, are being evicted from their homes and businesses. The neighborhood in question – often called Arab Musrara -begins opposite Damascus Gate and runs up to the intersection of Highway 1, comprising roughly 20 shops and cafes. Behind the row of businesses…
Syria News – November 23, 2011 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet November 23, 2011 – Security and army forces today shot 17 martyrs. 5 were in Homs; 3 in Idlib; 3 in Daraa; 3 in Hama; 2 in the Damascus Suburbs; and 1 in Tartous… Daraa: Tafas: Martyrdom of Easa Mahmoud Al-Reidawy, and Mohammad Al-Bardan, where they were found in the plain and their corpses are now…
Cairo rally: One day we’ll kill all Jews
YNet News, 25 Nov 2011 – Arab hate: A Muslim Brotherhood rally in Cairo’s most prominent mosque Friday turned into a venomous anti-Israel protest, with attendants vowing to “one day kill all … ….
US Treasury to brief Israel on Iran pressure
YNet News, 25 Nov 2011 – The US Treasury will send its top national security official to the United Arab Emirates and Israel this weekend to brief government officials on new US actions to … ….
TV journalist: I was sexually assaulted in Cairo
YNet News, 25 Nov 2011 – Another sexual assault on Cairo’s streets? A French TV journalist says she was punched and roughed up, then sexually assaulted while covering protests in Egypt’s Tahrir … ….
Syria: 10 troops killed in strike on base
YNet News, 25 Nov 2011 – The Syrian military said on Friday that 10 air force personnel, including six pilots, were killed in an attack on a base and said the action proved foreign involvement in … ….
Sinai forces on high alert over Jihad threat
YNet News, 25 Nov 2011 – While tens of thousands of protesters are amassing in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the Sinai Peninsula is heating up. Egyptian security forces on Friday raised the alert … ….
‘LAF will fight against Israel in next conflict’
YNet News, 25 Nov 2011 – A mysterious blast in a Hezbollah depot in South Lebanon rocked the relatively quiet northern sector this week prompting reports that Israel was behind the explosion. On … ….
Egypt: Tens of thousands rally in Tahrir Square
YNet News, 25 Nov 2011 – CAIRO – Tens of thousands of Egyptian anti-regime protesters are gathered at Cairo’s Tahrir Sqaure in a resumption of demonstrations. They are chanting, “Leave, leave!” … ….
Iran’s Khamenei presents war scenarios
YNet News, 25 Nov 2011 – In an unusual step, Iran’s spiritual leader publishes commentary on official….
Mashaal: Netanyahu threats don’t scare us
YNet News, 25 Nov 2011 – Israeli state officials warn Abbas against getting too close to Hamas after….
Sarkozy: My remarks were taken out of context
YNet News, 25 Nov 2011 – In meeting with Jewish leaders French President Nicolas Sarkozy explains why he….
Palestinian Information Center
IOF troops demolish mosque near Yatta, arrest two girls
PIC – IOF troops on Thursday demolished a mosque after storming Khirbat al-Mafqara to the east of the town of Yatta in the southern West Bank district of al-Khalil.
Mishal: Threats of the occupation proves we are on the right path
PIC – Khaled Mishaal, said on Friday that the threats issued by the Zionist government following the announcement of agreement between Hamas and Fatah “do not frighten us..
Arab League warns against holding a European conference in occupied Jerusalem
PIC – The Arab League warned during a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the consequences of holding the WHO, the European Region its first conference in occupied Jerusalem on 28 November 2011.
Hamdan: Popular resistance necessitates ending security coordination
PIC – Osama Hamdan, head of international relations in Hamas, said that what is required after the Abbas-Mishaal meeting in Cairo is a relaxation of security measures in the West Bank..
Islamic Jihad: The future of Palestinian people requires thorough deliberations
PIC – The Islamic Jihad movement welcomed the agreement to end the discord between Hamas and Fatah after a meeting between the leaders of the two factions in Cairo on Thursday.
IOF troops arrest a number of Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem
PIC – IOF troops raided the village of Beit Fourik to the east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus and arrested a young man. The family of the young man does not know where their son was taken to.
Friday prayers held at the Samrin family home threatened with confiscation
PIC –
Majali: Mishaal’s visit to Jordan within a week
PIC – 23/11/2011 – 06:48 PM
Islamic Jihad to stage massive march in support of Jerusalem next Friday
PIC – 24/11/2011 – 10:09 AM
IOA threatens to raze Palestinian school
PIC – 24/11/2011 – 10:10 AM
Israel killed 20 journalists over the past decade
PIC – 24/11/2011 – 10:14 AM
Resheq criticizes US position on Palestinian reconciliation
PIC – 24/11/2011 – 10:19 AM
German Federal Criminal Police Conducts Crime Scene Photography Training
WAFA
A Goal for Peace; Real Madrid, UNRWA Unite For Palestine Refugee Children
WAFA
The Arab Spring – Hello or Goodbye to Democracy?
Intifada-Palestine: 25 Nov 2011 – by Alan Hart Israeli democracy fades to black (the black of the blank screen at the end of a film). That was the headline over a recent article by Lawrence Davidson, an American professor of Middle East history. He argued that… more
Misc
No Syria agreement on Arab League demand; violence persists
LA Times 25 Nov 2011 – As clashes in several cities and towns reportedly leave as many as 27 dead, a deadline passes without Syria agreeing to an Arab League demand that it accept monitors or face sanctions. Fierce clashes were reported in Syria on Friday as a deadline passed with…
Mass protests intensify against Egyptian junta
WSWS – Clashes continued yesterday in cities across Egypt, on the fifth day of mass protests demanding the overthrow of the US-backed Egyptian military junta.
Yemeni president signs deal to step down
WSWS – The GCC agreement is a cynical arrangement patched together by the government and the opposition parties under Washington’s tutelage in a bid to end protests demanding an end to the pro-US regime.
Knesset Bill Would Criminalize Speech
Tikun Olam – Among a raft of new authoritarian bills and legislation proposed or passed by the current Knesset is one that will essentially criminalize speech. Under a proposed new libel law, plaintiffs would no long even have to prove damages to win tens of thousands from defendants. Penalties…
Abbas and Mashaal: Commitment hailed a new era of ‘partnership’
Mondoweiss – Khaled Meshal, left, the leader of Hamas, and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, who leads the Fatah movement, met Thursday in Cairo to discuss a unity government.(Credit: Reuters) While many of us were celebrating Thanksgiving yesterday Abbas and Mashaal met in Cairo, the first…
Israeli newspaper owner says Obama can’t stop settlers’ ‘apartheid regime’ because of ‘Jewish lobby’
Mondoweiss – Amos Schocken in Haaretz’s offices. (Photo: Michal Chelbin/ The New Yorker ) Amos Schocken, owner of Haaretz, writes in Israel (not here, no way) that the settler movement Gush Emunim is building an “apartheid regime” in Israel and Palestine and that it is supported by the “Jewish lobby”…
Palestinian thinkers weigh in on the threats to attack Iran
Mondoweiss – In the last two weeks, reports from Israel revealed threats to carry out a strike against Iran’s nuclear sites. Iran, in return, vowed to retaliate immediately in the event of any of its sites being attacked. The issue of how to handle the Israeli threat to…
Israel plans forced transfer of 27,000 Bedouins in West Bank and Jerusalem
Mondoweiss – link to palsolidarity.org link to www.jordanvalleysolidarity.org link to www.maannews.net link to english.wafa.ps link to english.wafa.ps link to occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com link to www.washingtonpost.com link to realisticbird.wordpress.com link to www.maannews.net link to palsolidarity.org link to www.maannews.net link to www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk link to www.maannews.net link to english.wafa.ps link to www.youtube.com link…
On Shabbos the rabbi stood outside neighbor’s house shouting F-you at his ‘Free Palestine’ bumper sticker
Mondoweiss – Rich Siegel Rich Siegel, the musician who lives in a NJ suburb that is heavily-populated by orthodox Jews , says he is being harassed again for his anti-Zionist views. The Teaneck Suburbanite’s Howard Prosnitz reports : A well-known local activist for Palestinian causes has filed harassment charges against…
Call to Close Ben Gurion University Department for Alleged ‘Leftist’ Bias
Tikun Olam – The assault on academic freedom on Israeli campuses continues apace with a slimy report in Yediot Achronot which brays about a review of the department of politics and government at Ben Gurion University. The committee appointed by the Israeli Council for Higher Education recommended closing the…
Egypt’s new PM appeals to nation
BBC 25 Nov 2011 – Prime Minister-designate Kamal Ganzouri asks Egyptians to “give me a chance” as tens of thousands rally in Cairo against the military rulers.
Syria defies Arab League deadline
BBC 25 Nov 2011 – An Arab League deadline passes for Syria to allow in observers or face sanctions, as new evidence emerges of protests turning into an armed insurgency.
VIDEO: Syria: BBC undercover in Homs
BBC 25 Nov 2011 – An Arab League deadline for Syria to allow an observer mission or face sanctions has passed with no response from Damascus to the ultimatum.
International Libertarian Statement of Solidarity with the Egyptian popular Struggle by Libertarian Socialist Movement – Egypt (ca, it)
A-infos 25 Nov 2011 – On the weekend 19-20th a new wave of mass protest all over Egypt broke out because of the systematic violence of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) against the Egyptian masses. People are tired of its dictatorial behaviour, the use of extreme force against…
Articles
Alice Walker: ‘Going through Israeli checkpoints is like going back in time to American Civil Rights struggle’
Dr. Hanan Chehata, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 11/24/2011
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
American Pulitzer Prize winning author, Alice Walker, was a juror with the Russell Tribunal on Palestine which took place in South Africa this year. A prolific writer of novels, poetry and short stories her books, fiction and non-fiction, have sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. While she is most well-known for “The Colour Purple” she is also a dedicated political activist and campaigner. MEMO’s Dr. Hanan Chehata caught up with Ms Walker in Cape Town to ask her why she has been so drawn to the Palestinian cause. During the course of the interview the similarities between the Palestinian struggle for liberation and the African-American struggle during the Civil Rights era is evident. She expresses her belief that “Americans have a duty to be active in the defence of Palestinian people” and further proposes that the illegal settlements paid for unwittingly by American tax payers should be lived in by the Palestinians to whom the land belongs and who should all “come home”.
Hanan Chahata: How and why did you first get involved in Palestinian activism?
Alice Walker: I married a Jewish man, a lawyer, and we were together during the Six Day War [1967] and we were very glad because the assumption then was that Israel was always the underdog and always threatened and so we felt really good that it could defend itself, blah, blah, blah. But we disagreed over the land question because I said they have to give the land back right away. I said, “OK the war is over, now give the land back.” He said, “No they [Israelis] need that land because if they don’t have that land the Arabs, generally, will bomb Israel.” I just didn’t buy it. I thought that if you take a people’s land you do them damage, a harm that they will never recover from. So that started my interest. I was aware of the massacres in Sabra and Shatila [massacres in Beirut, 1982]; I was aware of Golda Meir saying there was no such thing as a Palestinian and so on…. more.. e-mail
Why Palestinians may reject US funds
Daoud Kuttab, Ma’an News Agency 11/26/2011
Few in Washington may realize that the issue of US funding for Palestine is the talk of the town in Ramallah and other Palestinian cities. And the talk is not pleasant.
President Mahmoud Abbas has been telling aides that he plans to reject some $150 million in federal money earmarked for Palestinian security.
Abbas’ opposition is principled. The funds are part of an $800 million grant from the US Agency for International Development that Congress appropriated in June 2009.
Shortly before the funds were disbursed this summer, however, the larger grant was held up by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. A Republican from Florida, Ros-Lehtinen, now chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, placed an informational hold on this budgetary line item in August. It is her prerogative to do so as a member of Congress.
But rather than delay the funds to investigate a concern, the hold was meant as punishment — a warning to the Palestinian Authority not to seek recognition as an independent state at the United Nations General Assembly meeting the following month.
Abbas, of course, made the Palestinians’ application for statehood in September. And Palestinians note that when President Obama addressed the UN General Assembly in September 2010, he said he hoped that “when we come back here next year, we can have an agreement that will lead to a new member of the United Nations — an independent, sovereign state of Palestine, living in peace with Israel.” more.. e-mail
Support today’s Freedom Riders by ending US support for Israeli apartheid
By Josh Ruebner, Redress 11/24/2011
Fifty years ago, Freedom Riders braved beatings and arson by supremacists intent on maintaining apartheid in the Jim Crow South. By challenging segregated transport through non-violent action, these African American and white activists set in motion a process that ultimately dismantled segregation. While the struggle for racial justice continues, at least this shameful chapter of formal racial discrimination is history.
“Freedom”, “Dignity”, “We Shall Overcome”
Reflecting on this anniversary, Member of the House of Representatives John Lewis, one of the main organizers of the Freedom Rides, noted that they “changed America. Before the movement … people were afraid… That fear is gone. People can walk, live, work and play with a sense of dignity and a sense of pride.”
Fired by the same drive for dignity and pride, six Palestinian non-violent activists last week boarded an Israeli settler bus to draw the world’s attention to the segregated transport systems and apartheid conditions they endure under Israel’s brutal 44-year military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank and East Jerusalem. Echoing Frederick Douglass, spokesperson Hurriyeh Ziadah said: “Our rights will not voluntarily be handed to us, so we are heading out to demand them.”
While attempting to ride from the occupied West Bank into occupied East Jerusalem, non-violently demanding their right to benefit from infrastructure created by Israel on their land, the Israeli military stopped the bus, physically removed and arrested the riders who held signs reading “Freedom”, “Dignity” and “We Shall Overcome”. more.. e-mail
Assassinating Egyptian Dreams
Palestine Chronicle: 25 Nov 2011 – By Ahmed Amr – Cairo Nostalgia for more innocent times is a comforting refuge when hope is scarce. This week, as we inhaled a toxic dose of tear gas in Tahrir Square, we were all gasping for a resurrection of the spirit of the January uprising that led to the spectacular fall of the House of Mubarak. Many Egyptians would give their right arm to relive the spirit of the 18 glorious days that dazzled our collective imagination and filled our hearts with hopes and dreams of a new dawn for young and old. Those dreams have been assassinated and we know the identity of the assassin. For nine long months, we have witnessed an undeclared but unrelenting war of attrition against the Egyptian revolution. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces led by Field Marshall Tantawi has executed one of the most brilliant counter-revolutions in modern history. Even if…more
Is Britain Plotting with Israel to Attack Iran?
Palestine Chronicle: 25 Nov 2011 – By Jonathan Cook – Nazareth Last February Britain’s then defense minister Liam Fox attended a dinner in Tel Aviv with a group described as senior Israelis. Alongside him sat Adam Werritty, a lobbyist whose ‘improper relations’ with the minister would lead eight months later to Fox’s hurried resignation. According to several reports in the British media the Israelis in attendance at the dinner were representatives of the Mossad, Israel’s spy agency, while Fox and Werritty were accompanied by Matthew Gould, Britain’s ambassador to Israel. A former British diplomat has now claimed that the topic of discussion that evening was a secret plot to attack Iran. The official inquiry castigating the UK’s former defence secretary for what has come to be known as a “cash-for-access” scandal appears to have only scratched the surface of what Fox and accomplice Adam Werritty may have been up to when they met for dinner in…more
OWS: Apartheid Wall Comes Full Circle
Palestine Chronicle: 25 Nov 2011 – By M. I. Bhat When Arab streets started swelling with anger political pundits in the West tried to explain it away as public outburst against poverty, unemployment and dictatorial suppression, and spin it as the flowering of Obama’s Cairo speech extolling and inciting democracy — of course, without a word acknowledging American contribution to the installation and sustenance of those Arab dictators. They conveniently ignored the fact that protests were mass revolution that included businessmen, Government officials, professionals, entrepreneurs, techies and the like who apparently lived comfortable lives. Hardly a few saw it for what it actually was: Human yearning for justice and dignity not just for themselves but also for others around them, which supremely includes long-suffering Palestinians – a people that humiliates and mocks Arab pride for the past six decades. The “Arab Spring,” as the West eulogizes the Arab revolutions, was expected to remain largely unique to…more
The Arab Spring: Hello or Goodbye to Democracy?
Dissident Voice: 25 Nov 2011 – “ Israeli democracy fades to black ” (the black of the blank screen at the end of a film). That was the headline over a recent article by Lawrence Davidson, an American professor of Middle East history. He argued that the suppression of the democratic rights of non-Jews in Israel is coming full circle with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likudniks and settlers now targeting the rights of Jews as well. Events in Cairo provoked this question: Are we witnessing the fading to black of the prospects for freedom and democracy in Egypt, or, is resurgent people power going to make it impossible for the military to maintain its controlling grip? (Presumably there would be limits to how many Egyptian civilians Egyptian soldiers were prepared to kill even if the generals, desperate to protect their wealth and privileges, ordered the suppression by all means of protests and demands for real democracy). Events…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 