20 December 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
New Government Will Not be Formed Before Dec. 26
IMEMC – Member of the Political Bureau of the Hamas movement, Izzat Al-Rishiq, stated that the Palestinian factions met on Tuesday to discuss the implementation of the Unity Agreement, and decided that general elections will not be held before December 26th. …
Great Britain Donates £14.6 to Further Education in Gaza
IMEMC – During an official visit by the Department for International Development (DFID) to Gaza, the United Kingdom has pledged millions to help alleviate the pressure facing United Nation schools across the Gaza strip, with the money being earmarked to build a dozen new schools, and provide places for up to 24,000 students, half of whom will be girls. …
Southern Sudan President Visits Israel
IMEMC – The President of Southern Sudan arrived in Israel on Monday night for a short 24-hour visit that will include meetings with senior officials, and Israeli President, Shimon Peres. …
Israel Bulldozes Industrial Structures In Silwan
IMEMC – Israeli bulldozers destroyed on Tuesday industrial stalls in Ath-Thoury neighborhood, in Silwan, south of the Al Aqsa Mosque, in occupied East Jerusalem, as part of the destruction that is ongoing to a playground that belongs to the Ibrahimi College, a few meters away from the Jerusalem Wall. …
PSC accuses Lacoste Elysée Prize of ‘Palphobia’
IMEMC – Palestine Solidarity Campaign has denounced the decision by the Lacoste Elysée Prize to exclude artist Larissa Sansour from the final shortlist on grounds that her work is too ‘pro-Palestinian’, despite the museum having originally invited her to join the shortlist. …
Settlers Torch Cars Near Ramallah, Vandalize Mosque Near Hebron
IMEMC – In the fourth Israeli settler attack on a mosque in the past two weeks, Israeli settlers defaced another mosque near the southern West Bank city of Hebron on Monday, and in a separate incident set fire to five Palestinian cars near Ramallah. …
Troops Kidnap Three Palestinians In Jenin
IMEMC – Israeli soldiers kidnapped, on Tuesday at dawn, three Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp, in Jenin city, in the northern part of the West Bank, and took them to an unknown destination. Soldiers also invaded a number of nearby towns. …
182 Counties Vote For Palestinian Right TO Self-Determination
IMEMC – The Permanent Palestinian Observer at the United Nations, in New York – USA, Riyad Mansour, stated that 182 countries at the General Assembly voted Monday for the Palestinian right to self-determination. …
Soldiers Bulldoze A Road Near Nablus
IMEMC – Israeli soldiers bulldozed on Tuesday a road in Huwwara town, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. …
PA: Israeli forces demolish main road near Nablus
12/20/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Tuesday bulldozed a main road serving several villages in southern Nablus, a Palestinian Authority official said. Ghassan Daghlas, the PA official for monitoring settlement activity in the northern West Bank, told Ma’an that over 30 military vehicles entered the Nablus village of Beita before bulldozers demolished….
Israeli forces demolish Bedouin structures in Jordan Valley
12/20/2011 – JERICHO (Ma’an) — Israeli forces demolished several structures in a Bedouin village in the Jordan Valley on Tuesday. Fathi Khdeirat, coordinator of the Save the Jordan Valley campaign, told Ma’an that Israeli authorities delivered demolition orders to several residents of Fasayil village on Monday. Israeli bulldozers started demolishing the structures on Tuesday….
Israeli troops impose curfew over Nablus village
12/20/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces imposed on Tuesday a curfew on Yatma village south of Nablus, locals said. Forces imposed the curfew via loudspeakers until further notice as Israeli settlers claimed that armed men fired at Israeli settlers near Rechelim settlement on Nablus-Ramallah road, onlookers said. The villagers added that a large force was….
182 states back Palestine right to self-determination
12/20/2011 – NEW YORK (Ma’an) — The UN General Assembly adopted on Monday a draft resolution on the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, according to Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour. The resolution, says Mansour, was adopted by a vote of 182 in favor to seven against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru….
Palestinian factions walk out of Cairo meeting
12/20/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Eight Palestinian political factions have walked out of a reconciliation meeting meant to represent all parties after being told they could not participate because they were not part of the PLO. Sources who wished to remain anonymous told Ma’an that the Popular Resistance Movement, the Popular Resistance Committees…. Related: Hamas official cites progress at Cairo talks
Israeli forces detain 3 men trying to cross Gaza border
12/20/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained three men overnight Monday in the central Gaza Strip after they reportedly approached the security fence separating Israel and the coastal enclave. Witnesses said that the men were trying to cross the border illegally to work in Israel. Soldiers fired flares near the border and deployed forces….
Israeli forces detain 10 people across the West Bank
12/20/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained 10 people across the West Bank overnight Monday. An Israeli army spokeswoman said seven people were detained in Jenin, two in Duma village near Nablus, and one in Hebron. Head of Duma village council Abdul-Salam Dawabsha told Ma’an that Israeli military vehicles entered the village at….
Israeli forces close checkpoint, detain 2
12/20/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces closed Huwwara checkpoint south of Nablus and detained two Palestinians on Tuesday, witnesses said. Israeli forces closed the checkpoint on both sides after detaining the two Palestinians who were on their way out of Nablus, they said….
Clashes as Israeli forces raid Tulkarem, nearby camp
12/20/2011 – TULKAREM (Ma’an) — Israeli military vehicles raided Tulkarem and its refugee camp Tuesday afternoon, witnesses said, and clashes erupted between the troops and locals. Witnesses said five Israeli army vehicles moved into the eastern area of the city where clashes erupted. Palestinians threw rocks at the troops fired bullets and tear gas grenades in….
Ex-prisoner: Israeli rabbi deserves death
12/20/2011 – DAHYIAT EL-BARID (Reuters) — A prisoner released by Israel on Sunday as part of a swap for a captive soldier said the influential rabbi he was jailed for plotting to assassinate deserves to die. Salah Hamouri, 26, was one of 550 prisoners freed Sunday to complete a deal in which Israel released 1,027 prisoners for soldier….
PA cabinet slams settler ‘terrorism’
12/20/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority cabinet on Tuesday slammed the Israeli government for failing to prevent settler violence against Palestinian communities. The cabinet called on Israel to stop settler “terrorism” against Palestinians and urged the international community to prevent the “organized crimes” of settlers. In the weekly meeting in Ramallah, officials warned that….
Erekat: Israel searching for new partner
12/20/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel has sent messages to some countries that President Mahmoud Abbas is not its partner and it is thus looking for alternative security and economy options, a PLO official said Tuesday. Saeb Erekat said Israel hoped to destroy the Palestinian Authority and the peace process. He added that Israel’s….
Factions to address key issues in Cairo meeting
12/20/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Palestinian factions are scheduled to meet Tuesday mid-morning in Cairo to discuss the reconciliation deal signed in May, a Hamas official said. Ismail Radwan told Ma’an that among other issues, the parties will discuss the formation of an elections committee, the reactivation of the Palestinian Legislative Council, forming…. Related: Hamas official cites progress at Cairo talks and Palestinian factions walk out of Cairo meeting
Hamas official cites progress at Cairo talks
12/20/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A member of the Hamas political bureau said Tuesday that attendees at a meeting to discuss reconciliation postponed the decisive issue of PLO membership until later in the week. Izzat al-Risheq said “elections dates were discussed and agreed on forming a central elections committee. The committee is formed from one…. Related: Palestinian factions walk out of Cairo meeting and Factions to address key issues in Cairo meeting
100 killed in Syria as Arab League moves on peace plan
12/20/2011 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — More than 100 people were killed in Syria on Monday, rights activists said, as the Arab League announced an advance party would be sent to the country this week to pave the way for monitors who will try to help end nine months of violence. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on….
Egypt Tahrir clashes rage on for fifth day
12/20/2011 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Egyptian police and soldiers fired weapons and used batons and teargas for a fifth day on Tuesday in the latest effort to clear Cairo’s central Tahrir Square of opponents of army rule, amid mounting international concern about the violence. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned as “shocking” incidents such as….
Arab Spring puts woman’s rights in the spotlight
12/20/2011 – TRIPOLI (Reuters) — At a pre-wedding evening party in central Tripoli, a group of Libyan women sing traditional songs to the beat of a drum as they prepare to apply henna to the bride’s hands and feet. Clapping her hands to the music as she waited for the bride to appear, 23-year-old Sarah….
Police brutality in Egypt focuses minds
12/20/2011 – CAIRO (IRIN) — One of the key moments in the build-up to the Jan. 25 uprising and the overthrow of Egypt’s former President Mubarak was the alleged beating to death of a young man, Khaled Said, by police in Alexandria — an event which galvanized Egyptians around the issue of police brutality. Amid allegations of….
Egypt military personnel to be tried for violence
12/20/2011 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Egyptian military personnel accused of taking part in violent clashes and human rights violations against protesters will be prosecuted by military courts, an official said on Tuesday. As clashes between protesters and soldiers firing guns and teargas entered a fifth day, military officials want to show that anyone accused of having a role….
Group says 47 killed, forces ambushed in Syria
12/20/2011 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — At least 47 people were killed in Syria on Tuesday including 14 members of President Bashar Assad’s security forces who were ambushed by rebels in the south of the country, an activist group said. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said among the dead were 23 people killed in fighting….
Israel condemned at UN over settlements
AlJazeera 21 Dec 2011 – Regional groups on UN Security Council censure Israel over settlement activities in occupied Palestinian territories.
Ashrawi Thanks 182 Countries for Supporting Palestinian Self-Determination
PNN – PRESS RELEASEPLO Executive Committee member and Palestinian lawmaker, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, thanked the 182 countries in the United Nations General Assembly that voted in favor of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination…
Op Ed: Lo and Behold, We Caved In
PNN – by Mousa AlshanteerThe word “ignorant” undermines the actions taken by many American companies over the past few days. I’m sure many of us have heard about Lowe’s recent pulling of ads from…
Israeli Forces Arrest Eight Citizens from Jenin Camp, Nablus, Gaza
PNN – PNNOn Tuesday, Israeli forces arrested three citizens from Jenin refugee camp, Jenin city, and Yamoun village. Secure sources told Palestinian official news wire Wafa that Israeli forces the city of Jenin and…
Israeli Forces Demolish Paved Road in Hawara Village
PNN – PNNOn Tuesday, Israeli forces demolished a four kilometer-long paved road in the village of Hawara village, south of Nablus. The mayor of Hawara, Mu’in al-Damidi, told Palestine official news wire Wafa that…
Assaf: There Are “Secret Understandings†Between Fatah, Hamas
PNN – PNNOn Tuesday, Khalil Assaf, a leading independent politician in the West Bank, said that there are “secret understandings” between Fattah and Hamas. He called on the two parties to execute a long-promised…
MADA Demands Distribution of Banned Palestinian Newspapers
PNN – MADA The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) renewed its call upon Palestinian decision makers to allow for the unconditional distribution of previously banned Palestinian newspapers in the West Bank…
International Solidarity Movement
Drones in the shower, F-16s on the street: On leaving Gaza
12/21/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – By Radhika Sainath, 20 December 2011, Notes from Behind the Blockade – I made the long journey out of Gaza last week. I must say, though I will miss the dozens of people who invited me into their homes, shared their stories, cooked me lunch, put up with my bad Arabic, boiled me countless glasses of…. Related: Notes from Behind the Blockade
Military court in Gaza holds another session to consider the case relating to the death of Italian solidarity activist, Vittorio Arrigoni
12/21/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 20 December 2011, Palestinian Center for Human Rights – On Monday 19 December 2011, the Permanent Military Court in Gaza held the ninth session in Gaza City to consider the case relating to the death of the Italian solidarity activist, Vittorio Arrigoni. Lawyers from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) attended the session in their…. Related: Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Alternative Information Center
French fashion brand boots Palestinian artist for being too “pro-Palestine”
Alternative Information Center – Palestinian photographer Larissa Sansour has found herself abruptly kicked out of a pretsigious art competition, which is co-sponsored by the French fashion brand Lacoste. After Sansour was shortlisted as a finalist, Lacoste requested that she be…
Life and death in the seam zone
Alternative Information Center – A young Palestinian man shares his personal story of life in the seam zone—the area of the West Bank that falls on the Israeli side of the separation barrier—and how movement restrictions may have cost his…
Grave matters: Israel violates Muslim religious lands
Alternative Information Center – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced the recent rash of desecration and vandalism of mosques and Muslim cemeteries. But the destruction of Muslim religious properties in Israel is, in fact, institutionalized and has a long…
WATCH: protest in Shu’fat against new checkpoint
Alternative Information Center – On Sunday, December 18, Israelis, internationals, and Palestinians gathered at the new permanent checkpoint outside of the Shu’fat refugee camp to protest restrictions on freedom of movement and the Israeli occupation. Watch the demonstration in this…
Syrian Arab Republic (the): General Assembly adopts more than 60 resolutions recommended by Third Committee, including text condemning grave, systematic human rights violations in Syria
Relief Web 19 Dec 2011 – Source: UN General Assembly Country: Syrian Arab Republic (the) , Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (the) , Myanmar , occupied Palestinian territory , World GA/11198 Sixty-sixth General Assembly Plenary 89th Meeting (AM) Also Adopts New Protocol to Child Rights Convention; Wide Range of Resolutions…
World: Remarks by High Representative Catherine Ashton at the AFET Committee in European Parliament in Strasbourg, 12 December 2011
Relief Web 19 Dec 2011 – Source: European Union Country: World , Egypt , Kenya , occupied Palestinian territory , Serbia , Somalia , Tunisia , Turkey Brussels, 13 December 2011: Can I begin by thanking all members of the AFET Committee for the support and involvement that you have shown over the…
World: The Peace and Security Department of the African Union Commission and the Secretariat of the League of the Arab States (LAS) Held a Consultative Meeting at the AU Headquarters.
Relief Web 19 Dec 2011 – Source: African Union , League of Arab States Country: World , occupied Palestinian territory , Somalia , South Sudan (Republic of) , Sudan (the) Addis Ababa – 19 December 2011: The Peace and Security Department of the African Union Commission and the Secretariat of the…
World: FAO Component of the Consolidated Appeals
Relief Web 19 Dec 2011 – Source: Food and Agriculture Organization Country: World , Afghanistan , Central African Republic (the) , Chad , Côte d’Ivoire , Democratic Republic of the Congo (the) , Djibouti , Haiti , Kenya , Libya , Niger (the) , occupied Palestinian territory , Philippines (the) , Somalia , South Sudan (Republic of) , Sudan (the) , Yemen ,…
Hundreds of children, elderly at risk for abuse, neglect
Jerusalem Post 21 Dec 2011 – Comptroller report says government failure to share information, follow-up on cases puts minors and elderly at risk.
40% of those killed in Israel traffic accidents Non-Jews
Jerusalem Post 21 Dec 2011 – Report slams road infrastructure in non-Jewish sector.
Lindenstrauss delays ‘harsh’ report on Carmel fire
Jerusalem Post 21 Dec 2011 – Cabel mocks Netanyahu, calling him ‘muscular visionary’; Comptroller: Report is among most detailed and largest in Israel’s history.
A new women’s party?
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Journalist Judy Nir-Mozes Shalom is considering forming a women’s rights party to run in the next general election.
Agency refuses to show women on J’lem bus ads
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Cnaan insists that political group pay deposit against potential damage by haredi extremists.
Sufganiyot with humous?
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – A unique Arab-Jewish initiative turned out better than expected.
Stenzler wins court case, will stay head of JNF
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Petah Tikva District Court prevents Defense Minister Ehud Barak efforts to unseat JNF head after two-year legal battle.
Protests again thwart Israeli-Palestinian meeting
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Palestinian political activists protest meetings designed to “normalize” relations for second time in a week.
Fatah, Hamas postpone unity gov’t talks
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Agreement reached on the formation of a central elections commission to prepare for presidential and parliamentary votes.
Egypt Salafist says party will honor Israel peace
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Leading Islamist Nour party officials backtrack from remarks, leaving mixed signals.
Are we hearing Iranian voices?
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Voice of America disappoints Iranians who rely on Israel’s Farsi channel.
Fearing cyber attacks, Iran moves websites
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – New Internet security arrangements were announced a year after Stuxnet virus attacked computers at Bushehr nuclear reactor.
Women’s retirement
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – We have breathing space to address gender-based inequalities in the labor market before raising women’s retirement age.
Netanyahu, let our people come!
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – We must not rest until Ethiopian Israelis are all reunited with their loved ones from Gondar and Addis Ababa.
At least 47 killed in Syria, including 14 in ambush
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Two-day death toll passes 100 as Assad signs agreement to admit Arab League monitors, rights group says.
The motif of light in Jewish tradition
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – The Temple menorah served no practical purpose; It was a symbol of the holiness of the place, its relation to light.
Israel, American Jews – familiar to Palestinians
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Yalla Peace: Christmas is more than a religious holiday to Christians, as opposed to Hanukkah for Jews and Ramadan for Muslims.
Center Field: Sloppy but not self-hating
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Calling Thomas Friedman an anti-Semite or a self-hating Jew is simplistic and offensive.
Lost hope of 2011
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Only when the news cycle shifted to the Arab Spring did the NGOs direct substantial resources to Arab countries.
‘Bright tag’ candles at ‘price tag’ scenes
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Forum of 30 organizations will light candles each night of Hanukka at scenes of “price tag” attacks to “answer terror with light.”
The rule of law? Don’t make them laugh
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Kids won’t respect law and democracy if elites abuse both with impunity.
UN Security Council members line up to criticize Israel
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Britain, France, Germany and Portugal say settler violence damaging prospects of renewed peace talks; Russia, Palestinians slam US silence on recently announced West Bank building plans.
PM: Ephraim attack ‘a stain on Israeli democracy’
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Netanyahu, Barak attend Hanukka ceremony at IDF base attacked by right-wing extremists last week.
The brotherhood portent
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Commentators have expressed doubt about the ability of the rival governments in Ramallah and Gaza to reach true reconciliation.
Iran says invites UN nuclear agency to visit
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Western diplomats tend to see such invitations as attempts by Iran to buy time and ease international pressure.
US commander visits Israel to finalize missile drill
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Israel, US to hold largest ever missile defense exercise this spring; thousands of US soldiers will be deployed in Israel.
Can Reform Jews be politically conservative?
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – A conference hosted by the Union for Reform Judaism fails to attract a significant number of politically conservative Jews.
Palestinian parties walk out of unity talks in Cairo
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Fatah delegation head tells eight factions they are not a part of PLO; factions include Popular Resistance Committees.
Audit reveals failures of local authorities
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Comptroller’s report uncovers authorities’ failures in child protection, home front safety, inequalities in Arab municipalities.
Gulf Arabs back unity after hinting at Iran threat
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Move echoes Saudi king’s call for the Gulf to form a “single entity”; leaders call for Syria to embrace Arab League plan to end violence.
Vote for the top environment story of 2011
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Shortlist includes: Dead Sea, going green in Israel, natural gas discoveries, a garbage garden, the Kinneret.
CITYsights: Christian community honored
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Minster of Tourism wishes all a good holiday and express Israel’s desire to have a continued prosperous relationship with the Christian world.
Film shows spread of conservative Islam in secular Syria
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – In “The Light In Her Eyes,” Houda al-Habash opens up the school she runs where 1000s of girls come for Koran classes.
Comptroller announces delay of Carmel fire report
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Lindenstrauss: Report is one of the most detailed and largest in Israel’s history, in it are particularly interesting findings.
Arab League: Monitors to arrive in Syria by month’s end
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – “Syrian conflict too complex for Western involvement,” League chief Nabil Elaraby says.
Arab League: Monitors in Syria by month’s end
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – “Syrian conflict too complex for Western involvement,” League chief Nabil Elaraby says.
Egypt Tahrir clashes rage on for fifth day
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Armed security forces fire weapons, use batons, teargas in latest security operation; death toll rises to 13.
Ethiopian rabbi’s brother helps those left behind
Jerusalem Post 20 Dec 2011 – Emanuel Hadane takes up cause of more than 20,000 Ethiopians of Jewish descent who are not eligible under Israeli government criteria to make aliya.
Margol sentenced to six months of community service
Jerusalem Post 19 Dec 2011 – “I am so sorry for the situation I got into,” popular singer Margalit Tsanani says before being sentenced.
EU launches 10m.-euro Gaza desalination project
Jerusalem Post 19 Dec 2011 – PA water chief: Inequities, blockade amplify Gaza crisis; Erdan says plant unrelated to Israeli actions.
Smokers fined NIS 1,000 in nation’s hospitals
Jerusalem Post 19 Dec 2011 – Hospital in Nahariya says its inspectors, all hospital employees, have been specially trained by Israel Police, the courts.
Public warned against ‘radioactive bracelets’
Jerusalem Post 19 Dec 2011 – Bracelets of EQ type worn for “improving balance” found to have high amount of uranium concentrations.
Ex-Palestinian prisoner: No regrets on Yosef plot
Jerusalem Post 19 Dec 2011 – PFLP member freed as part of Schalit deal says former Sephardi chief rabbi is “a symbol of racism and fanaticism.”
Talk the good talk
Jerusalem Post 19 Dec 2011 – Popular American talk show host Doug Stephan recently brought his golden voice to Israel for a week of broadcasts.
Apple buys Israeli flash storage maker in $500m deal
The Guardian 20 Dec 2011 – Anobit sold after a week of speculation surrounding the companies Apple has bought Israel’s Anobit, a maker of flash storage technology, for up to $500m (£319m), the Calcalist financial daily reported on Tuesday, following almost a…
Security Council Remains Grounded by Political Manipulation
IPS When Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin briefed reporters recently, he offered some biting criticisms of the growing political manipulation of the most powerful body at the United Nations: the 15-member Security Council.
Israel Bulldozes Industrial Structures In Silwan
Uruknet December 20, 2011 – Israeli bulldozers destroyed on Tuesday industrial stalls in Ath-Thoury neighborhood, in Silwan, south of the Al Aqsa Mosque, in occupied East Jerusalem, as part of the destruction that is ongoing to a playground that belongs to the Ibrahimi College, a few meters away from the Jerusalem Wall. Israel is trying to remove…
Land swap deals concluded under occupation are illegal, rights group warns Palestinian leaders
Uruknet December 20, 2011 – Palestinian human rights organization Al Haq published a new report on the illegality of land swap’ agreements on 8 December. The exchange of territory may form part of the solution of final status issues. However, as long as Israel occupies the Palestinian territory, any land swap’ agreement has no value because it…
Can the U.S. Government close social media accounts?
Uruknet December 20, 2011 – The Obama administration and The New York Times are teaming up to expose and combat the grave threat posed by a Twitter account, purportedly operated by the Somali group Shabab, and in doing so, are highlighting the simultaneous absurdity and perniciousness of the War on Terror. This latest tale of Dark Terrorist…
10,000 Egyptian women march against military violence and rule (Videos)
Uruknet December 20, 2011 – Prompted by the image of three soldiers stripping a female protester naked and violently assaulting her, thousands of women marched on Tuesday from Cairo’s Tahrir Square to the nearby Press Syndicate chanting, “Egyptian women are a red line” and “Down with military rule.” Women of all ages and backgrounds converged on the…
Are we not humans?
Uruknet December 20, 2011 – Last night, Israeli authorities released another 550 Palestinian prisoners in the second stage of a prisoner swap deal with Hamas, the ruling party in the Gaza Strip, according to which Hamas released the abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit who had been held in Hamas’s captivity for more than five years. Two things…
Sunni leaders warn of sectarian chaos in Iraq
Uruknet December 20, 2011 – Two leading members of Iraq’s largest and most powerful Sunni tribe have warned of imminent sectarian chaos in the wake of the US withdrawal, claiming that the government of prime minister Nouri al-Maliki is promoting an anti-Sunni agenda… Sheikh Ali Hatem Sleiman al-Duleimi, whose Baghdad compound was recently confiscated after he publicly…
Sectarian Feud Roils Post-U.S. Iraq Politicians Accuse Shiite Prime Minister of Maneuvering to Curb Sunni Power
Uruknet December 20, 2011 – …The flare-up began with a bid last week by Sunni leaders in Diyala province to win more autonomy from Baghdad through a referendum. The effort was quickly crushed by days of protests organized by tribes and political parties allied to the Shiite-led central government, with the aid of security forces reporting to…
Security forces kill 4 in morning attack on Tahrir, says doctor
Uruknet December 20, 2011 – Violent clashes between protesters and joint forces from the Egyptian Army and police re-erupted in Tahrir Square at the crack of dawn Tuesday, with four deaths reported. Yamen El Genedy, a doctor at the Omar Makram Mosque field hospital, told Ahram Online that he saw four people admitted at 8 this morning….
Sirte and Misrata: A tale of two war-torn Libyan cities
Uruknet December 20, 2011 – Scrambling over rubble, Hamid Mishri picks his way through what is left of his house. Not much. Something catches the elderly man’s eye. “Grad rocket,” he says with a weary look, as he bends down to pick up a piece of twisted metal. “Everything has been destroyed. I can’t even shut my…
Israeli forces demolish Bedouin structures in Jordan Valley
Uruknet December 20, 2011 — Israeli forces demolished several structures in a Bedouin village in the Jordan Valley on Tuesday. Fathi Khdeirat, coordinator of the Save the Jordan Valley campaign, told Ma’an that Israeli authorities delivered demolition orders to several residents of Fasayil village on Monday. Israeli bulldozers started demolishing the structures on Tuesday. Steel structures belonging…
Video: John Pilger answers Obama’s claim that US military is “finest fighting force in history”
Uruknet December 19, 2011 – Announcing the Iraq war was ended, Barack Obama told US troops on 14 December 2011, “The United States military is the finest fighting force in the history of the world.” What he didn’t say is that since 1945 the US military has been directly responsible for the deaths of over 10 million…
Iraq: not free from foreign domination U.S. retaining thousands of troops, wants colonial relationship
Uruknet December 19, 2011 – …The U.S. occupiers disbanded the entire government and shut down all vital service systems, such as health care and food distribution. The occupation deliberately pitted religious and ethnic groups against each other, using the classic methods of colonial divide-and-rule. This policy greatly exacerbated sectarian violence that took a toll in the hundreds…
Destruction of Waqf: The Grave Offences of the Israeli State
Uruknet December 19, 2011 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced the recent rash of desecration and vandalism of mosques and Muslim cemeteries. But the destruction of Muslim religious properties in Israel is in fact institutionalized and has a long history. Jewish settlers torched a mosque near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on December 15….
Military Resistance 9L15: Celebration Time
Uruknet December 19, 2011 – … The American invasion so disrupted the country that she and her family were forced to abandon their home. Their fine house, with its rose-studded garden, is home to someone else now. The Khadim family, after fleeing to Syria, returned to Baghdad and squatted in a drafty, two-bedroom apartment in an abandoned doctor’s…
The Nightmare is Now Israel’s Too
Uruknet December 19, 2011 – There is a hint of poetic justice in the events of the last week. It may not be politically correct to relish in this justice, but it is only natural. Extremist Israeli settlers have recently turned some of their manic wrath on their own government alongside the ever escalating violence against the…
Syria News – December 19, 2011 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet The number of today’s martyrs rose to 48 martyrs including two children and a woman. 9 martyrs from Idlib “Kansafra”, three martyrs in Damascus, 14 martyrs from Daraa, 12 martyrs from Homs, three martyrs in Qoriya in Deir Ezzor, three martyrs in Hama, two martyrs in Saraqeb, and a martyr in both Damascus Suburbs and Hassakeh. ……
Thanks a lot to all who sacrificed their lives for the corporate crime families
Uruknet December 19, 2011 – A new day is upon us. And let us never forget those who gave us this chance: the untold number of Iraqis who’ve given their lives; more than one million Americans, military and civilian, who have served in Iraq; nearly 4,500 fallen Americans who gave their last full measure of devotion; tens…
Prisoner release: The number game of Israel
Uruknet Yesterday marked the so called completion of the prisoner swap agreement, which commenced on October 18, 2011, when Gilad Shalit was released for a total of 1,027 Palestinians to be released from Israeli prisons in two separate waves. Yet it must be noted that the numbers do not change any of the ideology or tactics employed…
Palestinians prisoners are out of jail, but not yet free
Uruknet December 19, 2011 – Celebrations marking the release of 550 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails stretched into the early hours of yesterday morning, but life outside prison will not necessarily mean freedom from the long arm of Israeli authorities. Just ask Fakhri Barghouti. Mr Barghouti walked out of jail in October, part of the first phase…
Iraq snapshot – December 19, 2011
Uruknet December 19, 2011. Chaos and violence continue — and that’s just within the government as Iraq looks for a handbasket to go to hell in….There are actually two opponents Nouri is attacking. Let’s walk through. Saturday, Ines Tariq (Al Mada) reported on the controversy over whether or not the country’s Supreme Court has issued an arrest…
America’s Iraq experience: Invasi. Eradicavi. Turbavi.
Uruknet December 19, 2011 – Julius Caesar undoubtedly was showing off with his: Veni. Vidi. Vici (I came. I saw. I conquered) when referencing to his short war outside Zela (Zile) in Turkey over two millennia ago. Similarly, if we were to use a short catchy-comment for the almost nine years America has invested in its “Iraq…
Settlers attack carol singers near Nablus
Uruknet December 19, 2011 – Settlers attacked a Palestinian choir bus returning from a carol concert in Nablus on Saturday evening, choristers told Ma’an. The singers, from Bethlehem Bible college, said five men attacked them on a quiet road outside of the northern West Bank city. “A rock smashed through the window, and glass shattered everywhere inside,”…
Ad-Dameer Denounces Daily Arrests In Shu’fat Refugee Camp
Uruknet December 19, 2011 – The Ad-Dameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association denounced the Israeli Army for the daily kidnappings of children and youth at the Shu’fat refugee camp, in occupied East Jerusalem, adding that the army kidnapped more than 21 youths, including 11 children in the last 15 days. Lawyer of Ad-Dameer stated that the…
US targeted over failure to condemn Israel
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Fourteen frustrated members of the U.N. Security Council pointed a finger at the US Tuesday for blocking any condemnation of Israel’s accelerated settlement construction in Palestinian territory.
Bahrain releases female blogger pending trial
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Bahraini authorities on Tuesday ordered the release on bail of Shiite female blogger Zainab al-Khawaja, whose rough arrest was exposed worldwide through YouTube.
US man found guilty of conspiring to help al-Qaida
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 A U.S.-born man was convicted Tuesday of conspiring to help al-Qaida by translating and distributing publications and of plotting to kill US soldiers in Iraq.
Iran moves websites to guard against cyber attacks
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Iran has moved most of its government websites from foreign-based hosting companies to new computer facilities inside the country, to protect them against cyber attacks.
Syrian air force, navy on manoeuvres against ‘aggression’
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 The Syrian navy and air force conducted live-fire manoeuvres on Tuesday to test their preparedness to repulse “any aggression against the homeland,” the official SANA news agency reported.
Experimental malaria vaccine shows early promise
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 British scientists have developed an experimental malaria vaccine that may have the potential to neutralise all strains of the most deadly species of malaria parasite.
Clashes in Senegal’s Casamance region kill 13
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Fighting between separatist rebels and Senegal troops left 13 people dead on Tuesday, in the latest violence to hit the Casamance enclave, the military said.
BlackBerry’s U.S. business shrank further in Q3
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Research In Motion’s sales in the United States fell for a fifth straight quarter in the third quarter even as the BlackBerry maker’s overall revenue jumped by $1 billion from a year earlier.
Egypt military ‘regrets transgressions’ to women
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Egypt’s military on Tuesday “strongly regretted” what it called “transgressions” against protesters, in a statement addressed to women after soldiers beat and stripped a female demonstrator.
EU nations ‘dismayed’ by new Israeli settlements
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 European Union powers led condemnation by UN Security Council members Tuesday of Israel’s increased settlements in the occupied territories and growing attacks by settlers on Palestinians.
Google, KKR invest in California solar project
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Online search and advertising giant Google is teaming with investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. to develop four solar energy farms serving the Sacramento Municipal Utility District in California.
Yemeni soldiers battle al-Qaida-linked militants
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Yemeni soldiers battled al-Qaida-linked militants outside the southern city of Zinjibar.
Paul McCartney to cover songs that inspired Beatles
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Paul McCartney will kick off 2012 with an album of cover tunes and two original songs, he said on Monday, offering fans a glimpse of the music that inspired one of the biggest rock bands ever,…
Iran says it invites UN nuclear agency to visit
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Iran has invited the U.N. nuclear watchdog to visit for talks.
Journalists detained in Turkey
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Turkish police on Tuesday detained some 40 people, including journalists, as part of a growing investigation into a Kurdish group.
Cocky Simon Cowell vows ‘X Factor’ will improve
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 X Factor creator Simon Cowell said on Monday he was probably too cocky when he launched the U.S. TV talent show earlier this year, boasting it would overtake his old program, No. 1-rated American Idol.
Lebanese Army arrests ring of ID forgers
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 The Lebanese Army has arrested a ring of forgers who copied and sold identity cards, university degrees and other legal documents, a military communiqué said Tuesday.
Spain parliament approves Rajoy as prime minister
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Spain’s parliament voted to make conservative leader Mariano Rajoy the new prime minister on Tuesday
Chaz Bono, fiancee call off engagement
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Transgender celebrity activist Chaz Bono and his fiancee Jennifer Elia have broken off their engagement and separated after six years of dating, the former Dancing with the Stars contestant said on Monday.
Gulf Arabs back unity after hinting at Iran threat
Daily Star 20 Dec 2011 Gulf Arab leaders on Tuesday endorsed Saudi King Abdullah’s call to form a “single entity” after hinting at Iranian threat.
Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian in Gaza
WAFA
NATO vs. Syria
Intifada-Palestine: 20 Dec 2011 – CIA analysts are skeptical regarding the march to war. The frequently cited United Nations report that more than 3,500 civilians have been killed by Assad’s soldiers is based largely on rebel sources and is uncorroborated. by Philip Giraldi Americans should be… more
Ethnic Cleansing of Invented People
Intifada-Palestine: 20 Dec 2011 – Mourners carry the body of Palestinian activist Mustafa al-Tamimi during his funeral in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh on December 11, 2011 (Photographer: ABBAS MOMANI Copyright/Source: AFP/Getty Images) By Miko Peled Mostafa Tamimi from Nabi Saleh, Bahjat Zaalan and… more
This Holy Land battle focuses on tourists’ wallets
LA Times 19 Dec 2011 – Israel and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority compete for Christian pilgrims’ business in Bethlehem, where scores of buses arrive each day to visit Jesus’ birthplace. A 45-foot-high artificial Christmas tree towers over Manger Square, and downtown Bethlehem is festooned with sparkling decorations. There’s even a…
Syria bows to pressure, will admit Arab peace observers
LA Times 19 Dec 2011 – A team of legal, administrative, financial and rights experts is expected to arrive in days, but opposition activists, citing continued violence, say the move is a ploy. Under mounting international pressure, Syria said Monday that it would admit Arab observers to monitor a regional peace…
Thousands of Women Mass in Major March in Cairo
New York Times 21 Dec 2011 – The demonstration grew by the minute into an extraordinary expression of anger at the treatment of women by the military police.
Qaddafi Son Seif al-Islam Is Alive and Held by Rebels, Rights Group Says
New York Times 21 Dec 2011 – Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi is alive and being held by a rebel militia outside Tripoli, according to an American organization that was granted access to him.
Iraqi Vice President Denies Ordering Assassinations
New York Times 20 Dec 2011 – The political crisis in Iraq deepened on Tuesday, as Tariq al-Hashimi said that Shiite-backed security forces had induced false confessions against him.
Currency Plunge Roils Iran as Further Sanctions Loom
New York Times 21 Dec 2011 – The rial tumbled to its lowest level ever against the dollar in panic selling caused by increased economic isolation, inflation and worries about government solutions.
Pentagon Officials Qualify Panetta’s Iran Remarks
New York Times 21 Dec 2011 – Comments by Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta on the country’s nuclear-weapons progress were based on an aggressive timeline, senior Pentagon officials said Tuesday.
Terror Suspect Is Convicted in Plot to Aid Al Qaeda
New York Times 21 Dec 2011 – A jury found Tarek Mehanna guilty on all charges Tuesday, after prosecutors said he had helped Al Qaeda by promoting violent jihad on the Internet.
Bahrain Women Take Pride in Vital Protest Role
New York Times 20 Dec 2011 – Both Sunni and Shiite, many women in Bahrain seem ready to criticize what they see as shortcomings of the government and the opposition.
Settlers have carried out over 100 attacks on Palestinians in 2011
Mondoweiss – link to www.palestine-info.co.uk ‘—> link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link to english.pnn.ps link to electronicintifada.net link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link to www.ynetnews.com link to www.aljazeera.com link to huff.to link to us.rd.yahoo.com link to us.rd.yahoo.com Jewish colonists carry out over 100 racist attacks on Palestinians in 2011…
UK, France, Germany and Portugal condemn Israeli plan to build 1,000 new settlements homes
Mondoweiss – The UK, France, Germany and Portugal – the EU members of the 15-seat UN Security Council (Germany and Portugal are rotating members, the UK and France are permanent members) issued a joint statement today requesting that Israel cease all settlement construction in both East Jerusalem and…
Bed Bath & Beyond flash mob: Stop selling illegal Israeli settlement products
Mondoweiss – On Saturday, December 10, International Human Rights Day, a flash mob took over the wedding registry section of the Bed Bath & Beyond in Larkspur, Calif. The flash mob consisted of a mock wedding in which four brides committed to boycott illegal Israeli settlement products, namely…
We will not be silent releases new t-shirt designs
Mondoweiss – Sarah Wellington. (Photo: WeWillNotBeSilent.net) The activist and artist who designed the “we will not be silent” shirts that adorn demonstrators from the Occupy Wall St. movement to Palestine solidarity protests are expanding their t-shirt collection with the addition of 35 new designs . All over New York…
The Colonial Frontier at Home: Extrajudicial executions, surveillance drones and indefinite military detention
Mondoweiss – Predator drone on display at the Reno Air Races. (Photo: VariFrank.com) Senate and House negotiators have drafted a final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) “that includes specific authorization for the use of long-term indefinite detention without trial.” The hullabaloo surrounding the NDAA relates…
Free Syrian Army commanded by Military Governor of Tripoli
Voltaire Network 19 Dec 2011 – In the wake of the “Arab Spring” and NATO interventions, both official and secret, Qatar seeks to impose Islamist leaders wherever possible. This strategy has led it not only to fund the Muslim Brotherhood and to hand Al-Jazeera over to them, but also to support Al…
The defeat of the American empire
Voltaire Network 19 Dec 2011 – Arab Affairs Editorial: The defeat of the American empire When the United States decided to invade and occupy Iraq, its government firstly adopted this step to impose unilateral hegemony over the world. The planners of this war based it on the intimidation of all the international…
South Sudan: Govt Leader Makes First Visit to Israel
allAfrica.com 20 Dec 2011 – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir on Tuesday visited Israel for the first time for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials, a diplomatic source told AFP.
South Sudan: President Arrives in Israel
allAfrica.com 20 Dec 2011 – The president of South Sudan Salva Kiir started a visit to Israel on Tuesday for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that will focus on repatriating illegal Sudanese refugees who flowed into the Jewish state over the last few years.
Yalla Change Roundtable Marks Arab Spring Anniversary
Arab American Institute 20 Dec 2011 – On the one-year anniversary of the Arab Spring, AAI hosted a roundtable discussion with Syrian democracy activist Rami Nakhle, Al Jazeera?s ?The Stream? co-host Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, a select group of journalism and communications students from all across Egypt, and Arab American students and activists. The purpose…
‘Scores die’ in new Syria clashes
BBC 20 Dec 2011 – Scores of civilians, troops and army deserters are killed in Syria, opposition activists report, in a second day of heavy bloodshed.
Egypt women protest over violence
BBC 20 Dec 2011 – Egyptian women rally in Cairo against the treatment of protesters, after a woman was stripped and beaten in a case which sparked outrage.
Israel criticised by UN groupings
BBC 20 Dec 2011 – All the regional groupings on the UN Security Council condemn Israeli settlement activities in occupied Palestinian territories, in a surprise move.
Articles
Israel, wake up and smell the coffee
Gideon Levy, Ha’aretz 12/18/2011
Years of rioting against Palestinians, uprooting of trees, vandalism, arson, destruction, dispossession, theft, rocks and axes didn’t cause a ripple, but one rock to the head of a deputy brigade commander made all the difference.
If I could, I’d send a modest bouquet of flowers as a gesture of thanks for the work of the rioters – the ones who infiltrated the Ephraim Brigade base in the West Bank last week. They achieved, at least for a moment, what others had failed to do: stir Israeli public opinion and maybe even the army and government against the West Bank settlers.
Good morning, Israel. You’ve woken up? Years of rioting against Palestinians, uprooting of trees, vandalism, arson, destruction, dispossession, theft, rocks and axes didn’t cause a ripple here. But one rock to the head of a deputy brigade commander, Lt. Col. Tzur Harpaz, made all the difference.
An all-out riot. Jewish terrorism. There are militias in the West Bank, settler-terrorists in a no-man’s-land. And all this due to a rock that drew a few drops of sacred Jewish blood.
Here they are again: arrogance and nationalist ideology. How is it possible that terrorism has arisen from the Chosen People? How could a few drops of blood from one person shock more than streams of other people’s blood? How did the rock that scratched Harpaz’s forehead reverberate immeasurably more than the teargas canister that ripped through the forehead of Palestinian Mustafa Tamimi, killed four days earlier by soldiers from the army Harpaz serves in?
No, the right wing’s hilltop youth haven’t endangered the State of Israel. They haven’t even distorted its image, as it’s now popular to proclaim. What do you want from them? They’ve been made accustomed to think that anything goes….. more.. e-mail
A summary of Alain Gresh’s ’Reflections on the meaning of Palestine’
Zulaikha Abdullah, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 12/20/2011
Reflections on the Meaning of Palestine – Author(s): Alain Gresh – Source: Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 41, No. 1 (Autumn 2011), pp. 67-81 – Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the Institute for Palestine Studies
Dr. Alain Gresh is deputy-director and editor-in-chief of the French monthly, “Le Monde diplomatique” and a specialist on the Middle East. He has authored of a number of books including “The PLO, The Struggle Within”; “An A to Z to the Middle East” co-authored with Dominique Vidal; and “L’Islam en questions” co-authored with Françoise Germain-Robin and Tariq Ramadan.
“Reflections on the meaning of Palestine” is adapted from a chapter of Dr Gresh’s latest book, “De quoi la Palestine est-elle le nom?”, and published in the Journal of Palestine Studies. It is a compelling, succinct and candid essay analysing the intricacies of the Palestine question within a European context. It addresses such topical issues as why Palestine has become a “universal cause”; and the amplified significance of the Jewish question, in its dual aspects of anti-Semitism and philo-semitism, to the conflict. Finally it reflects on how lessons from the South African experience may be applied to the situation in Israel-Palestine.
What does Palestine represent?
“At the crossroads between East and West, South and North, Palestine symbolises at one and the same time the old world, marked by the hegemony of the North, and the gestation of a new world founded on the principle of equality between peoples.” more.. e-mail
Republicans on Israel-Palestine
Azmi Ashour, Al-Ahram Weekly 12/15/2011
The party political game was always going to favour the Islamists over the revolutionaries, which puts a question mark above the legitimacy of the elections.
On 7 December 2012, six Republican candidates for president (Ron Paul was not invited) appeared before the Republican Jewish Coalition (NRC) to campaign for Christian votes. There are Jewish Republicans, to be sure, but not enough to make a difference in this primary contest. No, the real prize that drew the candidates to the NRC event were the 40 per cent of Republican primary voters who are declared “born-again” Christians who fervently believe that Israel can do no wrong and that it is their religious duty to support any and all Israeli policies as a prerequisite to hasten the “Day of Judgement”.
The speeches were mostly filled with hysterical criticism of President Obama’s “appeasement” of Israel’s enemies and hyperbolic praise for Israel (with the exception of John Huntsman who, after a few pandering platitudes, spoke mostly about the economy— and was greeted with “stony silence”). Because their remarks included such irresponsible charges and promises, I have included significant excerpts below in order to give a flavor of how out of touch today’s Republican Party is from current Middle East realities:
NEWT GINGRICH: “As president, on my first day in office, I will issue an executive order directing the US Embassy in Israel to be moved to Jerusalem as provided for in the legislation I introduced in Congress in 1995. The United States should explicitly reject the concept of a right of return for Palestinian refugees. The so-called right of return is a historically impossible demand that would be a demographic disaster and mean the end of the Jewish state of Israel. We are for a right to prosperity, a right to freedom, a right to the rule of law, a right to private property, but we must be totally opposed to a right of return. [And] the United Nations camps system must be replaced by a system of earned income and property rights to restore dignity and hope to every Palestinian.” more.. e-mail
Eclectic new album highlights Israel’s jailing of Palestinian children
Electronic Intifada: 20 Dec 2011 – James Edwards The Electronic Intifada Dublin Lost Youth – Songs of Solidarity, a new benefit album for a young Palestinian theater performer arrested and imprisoned by Israel on his way to tour Ireland, Scotland and England in 2005, has been released.more
‘Palestinian Clowns’ Are Everywhere
Palestine Chronicle: 20 Dec 2011 – By Sam Bahour – The West Bank Some Palestinians refuse to just sit still and accept their fate as a permanently, militarily occupied people. One would think by now that Palestinians would have received the message loud and clear – the world couldn’t care less about their fate. But no, these Palestinians just refuse to sit still. They continue to defy their reality and can be seen across the Holy Land – jumping, climbing, swinging, falling, tripping, singing, twirling, juggling, cycling, tight roping, and the like. Their nerve! To think they can attempt to live a normal life when the powers that be are spending billions, literally, to cause a collapse of Palestinian society. And who is it exactly I speak of? Palestinian clowns. No, I’m not taking a swing at the political leadership, at least not here. I’m talking about the real thing: circus clowns, like in clowns that…more
Hamas at 24: Politics of Resistance in Changing Middle East
Palestine Chronicle: 20 Dec 2011 – By Ramzy Baroud Ever since Hamas emerged victorious in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections, myriad public opinion polls revealed that its popularity in the Occupied Territories was on a steady decline. However, there are actually few indications that Hamas as a popular movement will be departing the Palestinian political landscape anytime soon. Ongoing talks in Cairo between Hamas and Fatah officials, sometimes involving the Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas himself, indicate that Hamas’ imprint is likely to be felt in political institutions like the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the near future. In the few weeks following the latest round of unity talks between Abbas and Hamas’ leader, Khalid Mesha’al, in Cairo, Hamas has outdone itself in commemorating its anniversary. The Gaza rally on December 14 was a stage for Hamas leaders to recount the achievements of their movement over the course of 24 years, including the number of…more
Muslims Are Just Like You and Me – Obviously
Palestine Chronicle: 20 Dec 2011 – By Elana Golden An anti-Muslim fringe group in Florida claims All American Muslim reality TV series wrongly portrays Muslims in America as normal people and not as Jihadi Islamist terrorists who are plotting to kill us. As a result, the home improvement chain Lowe’s pulled their ads from the show. In Romania, where I was born, Jews were believed by some to have tails and drink the blood of Jesus on the Passover holiday. On a Christmas Day at a Bucharest hospital where I was born, nurses rejoiced with my mother that she would name me Christina and she was afraid to tell them she was a Jew (thus will not call me Christina.) In Israel, where I grew up, Romanians were said to be thieves. Yes, thieves. I am sensitive to racism, prejudice and generalization. I am interested in the personal story and amazed to see again and again…more
Culture and the Right Hand of the State
Dissident Voice: 20 Dec 2011 – Between 24-27 November 2011, the Government of Israel held “Israeli Film Days” at Filmbase in Temple Bar, Dublin’s “cultural quarter”.In advance of this event, the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) requested Filmbase to reconsider its decision to host the festival : At a time when Irish peace activists have been illegally imprisoned in Israel after their humanitarian ship the MV Saoirse was hi-jacked in international waters by Israeli commandos, hosting these ‘Israeli Film Days’ sends out the worst possible message: that Filmbase is indifferent to its exploitation as a site of propaganda for the state that perpetrates such atrocities. To cancel the event at this point would… be perceived worldwide as an honourable gesture of solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people who have called for an international cultural boycott of the Israeli state. The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) also issued an “ Open Letter…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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