24 January 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Residents Detained in Hebron
IMEMC – On Tuesday Morning, the Israeli army kidnapped two Hebron residents near Ibrahim Mosque, and moved them to undisclosed location, the Palestinian news agency, Ma’an, reported. …
Dr. Dweik Receives Six Months Administrative Detention
IMEMC – The Israeli Military Court at the Ofer Israeli prison, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, decided to imprison the elected head of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Dr. Aziz Dweik, to six months administrative detention. …
Man Dies Of Wounds Sustained In 2002
IMEMC – Palestinian medical sources reported on Thursday that resident Hamid Ahmad Sahloul, 42, from the western refugee camp in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, died of wounds sustained in an Israeli incursion in 2002. …
Army Carries Out Four Airstrikes Against Gaza
IMEMC – Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip reported that the Israeli Air Force carried out, on Tuesday at dawn, four airstrikes targeting areas in the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip. Earlier on Tuesday several residents were injured in a number of airstrikes. …
Israel Obstructs Meeting Between Abbas and Jewish Leaders In Britain
IMEMC – Israeli daily, Haaretz, reported that Jewish leaders in Britain cancelled a meeting that was scheduled with Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, following intense pressure from the Israeli embassy in London, and Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem. …
Israel orders jail without charge for PLC speaker
1/24/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — An Israeli military court on Tuesday ordered the detention of Palestinian parliamentary speaker Aziz Dweik for six months without charge. Dweik, who was seized by Israeli forces at a Ramallah checkpoint on Thursday, heads the Palestinian Legislative Council. His lawyer Fadi Qawasmi said Ofer military court gave the administrative detention order….
Israeli forces seize MP in Ramallah
1/24/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained Palestinian lawmaker Abul Jabbar Fuqaha from his Ramallah home on Tuesday morning, the fourth MP from a Hamas-affiliated party seized by Israel in five days. Early Tuesday, Israeli soldiers ransacked Fuqaha’s home in the Al-Maysoun neighborhood of West Bank city Ramallah, before detaining the lawmaker. Fuqaha…. Related: Erekat: MP detentions exposes Israel approach to peace and Inter-Parliamentary Union meets on MPs held by Israel
Israel demolishes 10 buildings near Jericho
1/24/2012 – JERICHO (Ma’an) — Israeli forces demolished ten buildings in the Jordan Valley village al-Auja on Monday, residents told Ma’an. The soldiers leveled new shops being constructed at the village’s northern entrance, belonging to residents Diab Abdul Hamid, Nujom and Yasser Abdul Rahman, Muhammad Abdul Rahman and Fesal Hussein. The owners….
Forces demolish home in Jerusalem village
1/24/2012 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem village Anata early Tuesday, the owner told Ma’an. Ahmad Omar said troops and bulldozers surrounded his house in the al-Fheidat neighborhood at dawn, and summoned his relatives to empty the house contents. The soldiers razed his home at 3 a….
Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza, no injuries
1/24/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli warplanes launched three airstrikes in north and south Gaza Strip early Tuesday, with no reports of injuries, witnesses and security officials said. Israeli F16 fighter jets fired three missiles at fields near al-Shaymaa school in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, two missiles at an open area west of….
Israeli troops ‘raid east Salfit village’
1/24/2012 – SALFIT (Ma’an) — Israeli forces raided the Kifl Hares village east of Salfit and closed the entrances of the village, searching cars and checking identity cards, witnesses said. Omar al-Shater said he was stopped by Israeli soldiers in army jeeps. They searched his car and checked his identity, he said, alleging they were attacked….
Gaza man dies after 10-year fight with injuries
1/24/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A Gaza man wounded by Israeli fire a decade ago has died of complications from his injuries, his family told Ma’an. Hamid Ahmad Sahloul, 42, from Khan Younis refugee camp, was injured by shrapnel from an Israeli missile which killed and injured several people in 2002, relatives said….
Official: Israel to demolish school, homes near Hebron
1/24/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Tuesday issued demolition orders to a school and homes near Hebron in the southern West Bank, local officials said. Bani Naim spokesman Imad Amer said forces handed notices to Shuhada al-Haram school and three homes east of the village. The municipality condemned Israel’s continuous demolitions in….
Report: Israeli consulate in US shut after anthrax scare
1/24/2012 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — The Israeli consulate in northern US city Boston was shut on Monday after six diplomatic missions received envelopes containing white powder, prompting an anthrax scare, Israeli media reported. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told Israeli Army Radio on Tuesday that the packages contained flour and not anthrax. The….
Israel attorney general orders investigation of mufti
1/24/2012 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israel’s Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has ordered police to launch an investigation against the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Israeli news reports said Monday. Sheikh Mohammed Hussein is suspected of incitement to violence and racism, Ynet News reported….
Israeli forces detain teacher near Ramallah
1/24/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Tuesday detained a teacher after raiding her home in Arura village near Ramallah, a rights group said. Israeli soldiers smashed the windows of Narmin Saleh’s home and confiscated her cell phone and computer before blindfolding and detaining her, the Mandela Institute for Human Rights said in….
First truckload of furniture leaves Gaza
1/24/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel on Sunday allowed one truckload of furniture to leave the Gaza Strip in the enclave’s first export of non-agricultural goods since 2007, an Israeli legal rights group said. The furniture will be showcased at an expo in Jordan, but Israel continues to ban the sale of Gaza produce….
US: New UN council no more favorable to Palestinians
1/24/2012 – NEW YORK (Reuters) — Security Council dynamics are no more favorable now to a Palestinian UN membership bid than they were last year despite a partial change in the council makeup, the US ambassador to the United Nations said on Monday. In the teeth of strong opposition from the United States and Israel, the Palestinian delegation….
Erekat: MP detentions exposes Israel approach to peace
1/24/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — PLO official Saeb Erekat said Monday that Israel’s recent detentions of Palestinian lawmakers exposed its attitude to peace talks between the sides. Erekat is holding exploratory talks with Israeli envoy Yitzhak Molcho in Jordan, after the international Quartet pushed for the sides to present border and security proposals by…. Related: Israeli forces seize MP in Ramallah and Inter-Parliamentary Union meets on MPs held by Israel
EU’s Ashton to visit region in bid to restart talks
1/24/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will travel to Israel and the occupied territories on Tuesday for a three-day visit aimed at restarting peace talks which have stalled since 2010. The trip follows four rounds of meetings between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in the Jordanian capital, brokered by the Quartet of….
Report: Mashaal to visit Jordan with Qatar emir
1/24/2012 – AMMAN (Ma’an) — Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal will visit Jordan on Sunday with the Emir of Qatar, a Jordanian official said Tuesday.” King Abdullah (II of Jordan) will host Crown Prince of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Tamim al-Thani and Mashaal to express brotherly relations,” information minister Rakan al-Majali told AFP. The official Qatari news…. Related: Hamas denies Mashaal’s family summoned in Syria
Inter-Parliamentary Union meets on MPs held by Israel
1/24/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Inter-Parliamentary Union’s committee on the Middle East on Tuesday met to discuss the imprisonment of members of the Palestinian parliament. The head of the Fatah bloc of lawmakers, Azzam Ahmad, headed a delegation representing the Palestinian Authority at the committee’s meeting in Geneva. The meeting came….
Hamas denies Mashaal’s family summoned in Syria
1/24/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas on Tuesday denied reports that the wife and children of party leader Khalid Mashaal were summoned by police in Syria. Arabic-language newspapers had reported that Mashaal’s wife and children were summoned and that his daughter Fatima and her husband were detained. Hamas accused Fatah and its affiliated…. Related: Report: Mashaal to visit Jordan with Qatar emir
Netanyahu cites Holocaust lesson in dealing with Iran
1/24/2012 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing the lessons of the Nazi Holocaust and the danger a nuclear-armed Iran, said on Tuesday that Israel must not shy from acting alone to thwart any threat to its existence. Addressing parliament ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27, Netanyahu praised a European….
Elections office opens in Gaza
1/24/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Gaza headquarters of the Central Elections Commission reopened Tuesday and will start work Wednesday, officials said. CEC director Jamil Khalidi received keys for the Gaza City office a day after the commission’s chairman Hanna Nasir lamented its closure. Nasir said Monday that the Hamas-led government had failed….
Unity committee to discuss detainees with Gaza officials
1/24/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The cross-party committee set up to implement national reconciliation agreed Tuesday to meet with Gaza security officials to arrange the release of political prisoners, coordinator Khalid al-Batsh said. Al-Batsh, an Islamic Jihad leader, told Ma’an the Freedom Committee would discuss the files of people detained for their political….
Al-Quds University student council boycotts classes
1/24/2012 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — The student council of Al-Quds University said it was boycotting classes after it failed to reach an agreement with the administration over a financial dispute, the third such protest in a West Bank university in the past week. The council complained in a statement that the university administration had not responded….
Man who imprisoned daughter to face Israeli court
1/24/2012 – RAMALLAH (Reuters) — The father of a 21-year-old Qalqiliya woman who says he imprisoned her in a bathroom for a decade will face Israeli court this week, police said. Palestinian police said the man admitted to holding Baraa Melhem since she was 11-years-old, when forces discovered her after hearing shouts inside the house on….
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Condemns Storming ICRC Head Office and Detention of PLC Member Toutah and Former Minister Abu ‘Arafa
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Tuesday, 24 January 2012
IOF Arrest Patient at Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing in the Northern Gaza Strip; PCHR Fears he is Subjected to Torture,
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Monday, 23 January 2012
International Solidarity Movement
Beit Hanoun demonstration under fire
1/24/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Nathan Stuckey, 25 January 2012, International Solidarity Movement, Gaza Strip – Gaza was treated to a strange new sight today, not really new, but something that has not been seen in Gaza in a long time: tear gas. In Gaza protests are not smashed with tear gas and clubs like in the West Bank, they….
In Palestine, to exist is to resist
1/24/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Melinda Tuhus, 24 January 2012, In These Times – Behind the headlines, Palestinians are using nonviolent direct action to protest the status quo. WEST BANK, PALESTINE – On November 15, Mazin Qumsiyeh and other Palestinian activists boarded public bus number 148, an Israelis-only bus that normally takes Jews from the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ariel…. Related: Source: In These Times
Live ammunition fired at peaceful demonstrators in Gaza Buffer Zone
1/24/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – 24 January 2012, International Solidarity Movement – In a peaceful demonstration into the Gaza buffer zone that began around 10:30am today, January 24 2012, demonstrators report that at least 50 rounds of live ammunition were fired directly at Palestinian and international solidarity activists. Contact: Nathan Stuckey, International Solidarity Movement activist – Phone Number: 00970597650864 Email: GazaISM….
Alternative Information Center
Ana Moura’s audience doesn’t want her to play Israel
Alternative Information Center – The opinions of Ana Moura’s audience at her recent Glasgow performance were clear, “Don’t perform in Israel – support the appeal from Palestinian civil society for a cultural boycott of Israel.”
January 25 anniversary: Egyptians, their police and a trust deficit
The National 24 Jan 2012 – Bradley Hope, Foreign Correspondent, reports on an ambitious attempt to rebuild a relationship destroyed by 60 years of brutality and oppression.
Abu Dhabi Award winners saluted
The National 24 Jan 2012 – Ten extraordinary emirate residents were honoured with Abu Dhabi Awards yesterday for their contributions to fostering goodwill in the community.
Traffic projects get the green light
The National 24 Jan 2012 – Motorway to Saudi border and light-rail transit system among projects receiving funding.
New centres to ease special needs shortage
The National 24 Jan 2012 – Plans to construct at least three state-of-the-art autism centres in the capital and Al Ain will ease a shortage of school spaces for special needs children.
Fines for firms flouting food rules
The National 24 Jan 2012 – Eateries must send a staff member for municipality training or face fines.
GCC pulls monitors out of Syria
The National 24 Jan 2012 – The move follows Saudi Arabi’s decision on Sunday to withdraw its monitors because it said Syria was ignoring its obligations under a GCC-brokered peace deal.
Errant owners have utilities cut off
The National 24 Jan 2012 – Residents who failed to comply with warnings were cut off by the municipality.
Jaipur Literature Festival: is the writing on the wall?
The National 24 Jan 2012 – Organisers face some increasingly tough questions, has the festival – yet another highly visible symbol of India’s yawning social divide – become a victim of its own success?
Erdogan accuses France of fascism after passing Armenian genocide bill
The National 24 Jan 2012 – Turkey reacts furiously to a French law making it illegal to deny that a massacre of Armenians in 1915 was genocide.
Text bid to boost blood donations
The National 24 Jan 2012 – Initiative follows tweet by Sheik Mohammed that inspired hundreds.
24 green schools to be built in capital
The National 24 Jan 2012 – Campuses are part of 10-year plan to revamp public education in Abu Dhabi.
Saadiyat announces landmark museums
The National 24 Jan 2012 – Executive Council announcment would put forward budgets and opening dates for four museums.
Kadima split as it prepares for Livni-Mofaz showdown
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
U.S. to grant three-year extension of loan guarantees to Israel
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
Israeli comedy show parodies the Birthright experience
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
IDF chief warns Hezbollah on overseas terror plots
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
Man arrested in firebombings of two New Jersey synagogues
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
Israel to UN: Tomorrow will be too late for action against Iran
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
Israeli film ‘Footnote’ nominated for Oscar award
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
Israel Attorney General to investigate Jerusalem mufti for incitement
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
EU to push Israel, Palestinians to return to full peace talks
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
Hamas leader to make historic visit to Jordan
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
Iran: EU oil sanctions will have ‘serious consequences’
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
Gulf states to quit Arab League mission in Syria
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
South Korea looking to buy Israel’s Iron Dome aerial defense system
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
Report: Senior official in Netanyahu’s office harassed employee
Ha’aretz – 24 Jan 2012
Bedouin take control of Egypt holiday resort, demand $660,000 ransom
Ha’aretz – 23 Jan 2012
Israeli architects want to revamp contest to plan National Library in Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 23 Jan 2012
Israel High Court bars Palestinian from studying abroad over nonexistent evidence
Ha’aretz – 23 Jan 2012
As treatments improve, blindness in Israel halves
Ha’aretz – 23 Jan 2012
AP’s senior editor tells Haaretz: Pyongyang reports will not be censored
Ha’aretz – 23 Jan 2012
Barak seeks wage hike for IDF troops in mandatory service
Ha’aretz – 23 Jan 2012
Study: Israeli-born college graduates earn twice as much as their Ethiopian counterparts
Ha’aretz – 23 Jan 2012
Technion developing 3 tiny, unique satellites
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Devices could locating missing, in distress persons.
UN envoys slam Russia for arms sales to Syria
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – UK, France, US criticize Russia at UN council meeting; Syria accounts for 7 percent of Russia arms exports-group .
Hospitalized twins’ parents, grandmother arrested
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Arrests represent dramatic turn in investigation, come after days of conflicting reports of cause of injuries.
Pressuring Iran
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – “Islamic Republic is paying an increasingly high price for its stubborn insistence on developing nuclear weapons.”
Enough is enough for Pollard!
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Jonathan Pollard broke the law and deserved to be punished. But he has served long enough and should be freed.
Israel sure Palestinians won’t walk away from Jordan talks
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Despite Palestinian threats to walk away from low-level talks in Amman, Israel sees negotiations continuing after this week because int’l community wants more talks, gov’t officials say.
In my own write: Playing pretend
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Pity our children, who will have to contend with the results of an ongoing, indefinite suspension of reality.
Terra Incognita: Hamas’s ‘Jerusalem 4’ down to 0
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Are the four Hamas officials simply good bargaining chips for the long game?
Yalla Peace: Palestinians’ worst enemy – themselves
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – If Palestinian groups would band together, perhaps they would achieve something- after 100 years of failure.
United, we stand divided…
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – It seems the only thing Israeli society has in common is prejudice against ‘the other’.
‘World has not internalized Holocaust lessons’
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – In Knesset speech, Netanyahu cites genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Sudan, implies ongoing genocide in Syria.
Egypt frees pro-Israel blogger after 10 months
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Amnesty report finds few Egyptian parties willing to commit to freedom of religion, women’s rights.
Vice PM Shalom: ‘Migron is eternal’
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Migron residents are “salt of the earth, the best we have,” Shalom says during visit to West Bank settlement.
Bloody towel leads to thief’s capture after 1 year
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – DNA taken from a towel recently matched with suspect’s DNA, leading to his arrest.
Sun hurls strong geomagnetic storm toward Earth
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Strongest geomagnetic storm in more than six years forecast to hit Earth’s magnetic field on Tuesday.
Israel to United Nations: Take action against Iran
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Prosor rebukes Jerusalem mufti for reciting hadith calling “killing Jews” a “sacred goal.”
A-G orders investigation into Jerusalem Mufti
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Cleric to be investigated on suspicion of incitement after citing hadith calling on Muslims to kill Jews.
Demjanjuk seeks German gov’t funding to sue tabloid
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Demjanjuk wants some $33,000 to sue the news organization for calling him “beast of the concentration camp.”
IDF Chief warns Hezbollah over terror threats
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Gantz tells terror group not to “test our resolve” after threats around Mughniyeh assassination anniversary.
MK Rotem reprimanded for ‘less than beast’ insult
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Knesset Ethics Committee censures Israel Beiteinu MK for “rude and insulting language” against Meretz MK Gal-On.
Hamas leader Mashaal to visit Jordan next week
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Mashaal to make first official visit to Jordan since Hamas‘s banishment in 1999, Jordanian official says.
Israeli film ‘Footnote’ nominated for Oscar
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Movie is the 10th Israeli film to be nominated for prestigious foreign language Academy Award.
Dankner suspected of fraudulently obtaining loan
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – State Attorney’s Office announces intention to indict former Bank Hapoalim chairman subject to a hearing.
Beit Shemesh: 3 haredim arrested for attacking woman
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Ultra-Orthodox Jews surround woman’s car, throw stones and slash her tires, leaving her lightly injured.
Arab League to ask UNSC to back Syria peace plan
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Gulf states to withdraw monitors from mission; Syria says it will will hold constitutional referendum in a week.
Top 5 Jerusalem bookstores
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – It’s perfect weather to snuggle up with a good read, so head to these places for an excellent selection of books.
Gulf states pulling monitors from Syria mission
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Following Saudi announcement that it was recalling its representatives from the Arab League mission, GCC follows suit.
Report: Senior PMO official accused of harassment
Jerusalem Post 24 Jan 2012 – Army Radio reports Justice Ministry looking into allegations official read personal messages, followed young female staffer.
Activists praise rejection of chicken coop reform
Jerusalem Post 23 Jan 2012 – Knesset Education, Culture and Sport Committee rejects Agriculture Ministry proposal for stricter legislation on chicken battery cages.
J’lem deputy mayor suspended over Holyland indictments
Jerusalem Post 23 Jan 2012 – Simchayoff is one of 13 people indicted on allegations of giving and receiving bribes in one of largest corruption scandals in country’s history.
Suspect arrested in Lod hit-and-run
Jerusalem Post 23 Jan 2012 – Traffic police arrest man on suspicion of being linked to hit-and-run accident that killed a young man as he crossed the street with his wife.
4.5 years for Egged driver who caused deaths of 5 people
Jerusalem Post 23 Jan 2012 – 5 were killed and dozens more injured when Ghanem Bahajat’s Egged bus 361 collided with a large truck at Gilon junction in 2010.
Ethiopian-born Israel Radio former director gets 2nd chance
Jerusalem Post 23 Jan 2012 – Tsega Melaku will be given a second hearing to tell the IBA tenders committee why she should not have been dismissed.
Court hears integration obstacles to Ethiopia aliya
Jerusalem Post 23 Jan 2012 – Government seen as backtracking on commitments made in 2010.
‘Al-Hayat’: Abbas and Mashaal to visit Gaza Strip
Jerusalem Post 23 Jan 2012 – Hamas leader asked Egypt to grant him passage through Rafah; visit will be ‘first of its kind’ for Mashaal, ‘Al Hayat’ reports.
Mofaz labels ‘Tal Law’ a failure
Jerusalem Post 23 Jan 2012 – MKs call for better legislation to ensure more haredi men enlist in the army.
Russia sells dozens of combat aircraft to Damascus
Jerusalem Post 23 Jan 2012 – Russian daily ‘Kommersant’ reports Syria, Russia inked $550 million deal for Yak-130 jets in December.
Saving dogs with spinal cord injuries
Jerusalem Post 23 Jan 2012 – Injured dogs offer a great opportunity to take the next step in treatment, which could substantially reduce paralysis.
‘1-in-5 Americans experiences mental illness’
Jerusalem Post 23 Jan 2012 – Substance dependence and abuse rates higher among those experiencing mental illness, report reveals.
Israel jails Palestinian parliament speaker without trial
The Guardian 24 Jan 2012 – Aziz Dweik’s six-month imprisonment is an attempt by Israel to thwart reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, says his office An Israeli military court has ordered the speaker of the Palestinian legislative body to be jailed for…
War Crimes Immunity for Ousted Leaders Under Fire
IPS As ousted political and military leaders in the Middle East continue to seek immunity from war crimes prosecutions, the United Nations and international human rights groups are taking an increasingly tough stance against such legislation in Yemen, Egypt, and possibly in a post-conflict Syria.
Cracks Widen in Syrian Economy
IPS As the Syrian uprising enters its tenth month, the country’s economy is suffering. Since last March, the Syrian government has been cracking down on pro-democracy protests, and the once peaceful uprising has morphed into a full-blown armed rebellion in areas such as Homs, Hama and Jabal al-Zawiya.
Eyewitness to Israel’s ethnic cleansing
Uruknet January 24, 2012 – AT 4:45 a.m. on the morning of August 2, 2009, the family of Miraym Al-Ghawi was awakened by pounding on the door of their home in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem. A small bomb was detonated, throwing open the door. Through it walked masked and armed Israeli commandoes, who dragged the Al-Ghawis, including…
Israel demolishes Palestinian bedouin homes, again
Uruknet January 24, 2012 – Israeli forces overnight demolished the home of a Bedouin family near Jerusalem for the fifth time, an Israeli NGO said, as Israel’s uprooting of Palestinians from their native lands intensify. Israel’s Civil Administration, the military body that oversees the West Bank, confirmed the demolitions. “During the night, there were five demolitions of…
Official: Israel to demolish school, homes near Hebron
Uruknet January 24, 2012 — Israeli forces on Tuesday issued demolition orders to a school and homes near Hebron in the southern West Bank, local officials said. Bani Naim spokesman Imad Amer said forces handed notices to Shuhada al-Haram school and three homes east of the village. The municipality condemned Israel’s continuous demolitions in the area which…
Gaddafi’s green flag raised in Libyan town after bloody uprising… as civil war fears rise
Uruknet January 24, 2012 – Libya’s ramshackle government lost control of a former Gaddafi stronghold today after locals staged an armed uprising. Forces loyal to ousted, and now dead, leader Muammar Gaddafi seized control of Bani Walid and then raised in celebration the deposed regime’s green flag on hundreds of buildings. The re-taking of the town, which…
012 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet January 23, 2012 Number of martyrs rose to 36 in Syria today including 3 children and 2 defected recruits and 2 men who died under turture: 12 martyrs in Homs,11 martyrs in Idlib,6 martyrs in Daraa,3 in Damascus Suburbs and a martyr in each of BoKamal, Raqqa,Damascus and HasakehHoms: Martyrdom of child Obaida Al-Shamy (13 years…
Connect with the Palestinian Students’ Campaign for Academic Boycott of Israel (PSCABI)
Uruknet January 23, 2012 – A collective of students in Gaza has formed Palestinian Students Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel (PSCABI). These students are seeking to expand their collaboration and participation in events and activities with solidarity activists at international universities. PSCABI members participate in many activities here in Gaza and are heavily involved in…
US Media Iraq Reporting: See No Evil
Uruknet January 23, 2012 – The Iraq war may be over, at least for US troops, but the cover-up of the atrocities committed there by American forces goes on, even in retrospectives about the war. A prime example is reporting on the destroyed city of Fallujah, where some of the heaviest fighting of the war took place……
012
Uruknet January 23, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, we explore the silence on the political crisis and the connection to the silence on Iraqi women, and more. Actions do have consequences and the decision by the White House to back Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister in 2010 has had very serious consequences for Iraq and that becomes…
Iraq bans visiting Saddam Hussein’s grave
Uruknet January 23, 2012 – The Iraqi government has banned individuals’ visit to the grave of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in Salahudin province … The Iraqi government prevented visits to the tombs either from the individuals or governmental establishments for two years. “The Iraqi cabinet directed authorities of Salahudin province to take all necessary measures to prevent…
Julian Assange: The Rolling Stone Interview
Uruknet January 23, 2012 – …The creation of WikiLeaks was, in part, a response to Iraq. There were a number of whistle-blowers who came out in relation to Iraq, and it was clear to me that what the world was missing in the days of Iraq propaganda was a way for inside sources who knew what was…
America’s Great Divide Between Rich and Poor
Uruknet January 23, 2012 – … Wrongheaded policies assure growing misery while America’s rich never had it so good. That’s the dilemma voters face in an election year when neither party offers solutions. Instead, they assure growing wealth disparity, greater poverty, and human misery. Only grassroots activism can change things. OWS protests show promise. Nothing will happen easily…
22 years behind bars for a ‘crime of compassion’
Uruknet January 23, 2012 – …Clinton’s Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, asked on the CBS program 60 Minutes if the sanctions-related deaths of a half million Iraqi children were worth it, famously replied, “We think the price is worth it.” … As Clinton rakes in $100,000-plus speaking fees for trotting out such tripe,New York oncologist Dr. Rafil Dhafir,…
Iran puts US and Israel on ‘collision course’
Uruknet January 23, 2012 — ISRAEL has warned the US‘s top general that it will give Washington just 12 hours’ notice if it decides to launch a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities…Publicly the Americans and Israelis are playing down their differences. But Ron Ben-Yishai, a leading defence commentator, wrote last week on the Ynet website that “Israel…
The Only Guilty Marine in the Haditha Massacre Faces Three Months in Jail
Uruknet January 23, 2012 – In a Camp Pendleton courtroom, a judge finally sentenced the last of the eight Marines accused of murdering two dozen Iraqi civilians in Haditha, ten of whom were women and children. After striking a plea bargain that reduced the charge from murder to “voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and dereliction of duty stemming…
US drone strike kills 4 in North Waziristan
Uruknet January 23, 2012 – At least four people were killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan tribal region on Monday, security sources said. According to residents, one drone fired two missiles at a vehicle in Datta Khel of North Waziristan. The second U.S. drone launched two missile strikes at the house of a local…
PCHR is Concerned over Subjecting Him to Torture, IOF Arrest Patient at Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing in the Northern Gaza Strip
Uruknet January 23, 2012 -. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns arresting a Palestinian patient from the Gaza Strip by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing. The patient was heading to a hospital in the West Bank for medical treatment. PCHR is concerned that he may be subjected to torture,…
Israeli forces seal off occupied West Bank town
Uruknet January 23, 2012 – Israeli occupation forces sealed the entrances to the town of Azzun, east of Qalqilya in the northern West Bank, on Saturday, isolating it from the surrounding area for a short time. In a telephone interview with the local media, the Mayor of Azzun said that the closure was effected by several Israeli…
Gaddafi loyalists seize control of Bani Walid
Uruknet January 23, 2012 – Supporters of ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have seized control of the town of Bani Walid after clashes with a militia loyal to the new government in which four people were killed, witnesses told Reuters. A resident of Bani Walid, about 200 km south-east of Tripoli, said the sides fought using heavy…
Fresh attack on police in troubled Nigeria’s Kano city
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 Gunmen opened fire and threw explosives at a police station in the Nigerian embattled city of Kano on Tuesday.
Armenian genocide: disputed massacres of 1915-17
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 Armenia and Turkey are at odds over whether the massacres and deportations of Armenians between 1915 and 1917 by their Ottoman rulers should be described as genocide.
NATO not mulling intervention in Iran, Syria: top commander
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 NATO is not considering any involvement in Syria or Iran, the alliance’s top commander in Europe said on Tuesday, after Russian claims that such plans were afoot.
Nigeria must do more to protect citizens: Amnesty
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 Global rights watchdog Amnesty International said Tuesday the Nigerian government should do more to protect its citizens.
Lebanon upholds verdict over general’s Israel leaks
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 Lebanon’s military court on Tuesday upheld a verdict against a former army general and politician currently allied with Hezbollah who was convicted of leaking information to Israel.
Syria, Bahrain, Yemen get worst ever press freedom ranking
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 Syria, Bahrain, Yemen received their worst ever press freedom ranking Wednesday in Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) index for 2011.
60 hours of video a minute uploaded to YouTube
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 YouTube said Monday that 60 hours of video are being uploaded every minute to the video-sharing site and it is attracting more than four billion views a day.
Nigeria’s Boko Haram killed 935 people since 2009
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 The Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram has killed at least 935 people since it launched an uprising in 2009.
UK nuclear watchdog toughens stance on waste reuse
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 Britain’s nuclear watchdog has hardened its stance against a proposal by U.S.-Japan joint venture GE Hitachi to dispose of UK radioactive waste in a plutonium-burning reactor.
New EU data laws command the tide but not the cost
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 ew data-protection proposals from the EU to help people regain control of personal information from sites like Facebook could prove as effective as commanding the tide.
Google hit by new anti-trust complaint in Europe
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 The French online shopping website Twenga has filed a complaint against Google at the European Commission.
Libya says will strike back if Kadhafi men behind unrest
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 Libya said it will strike back if diehards of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi were behind deadly clashes in his former bastion of Bani Walid.
Abu Dhabi resumes Louvre, Guggenheim projects
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 Abu Dhabi has approved a raft of projects including the delayed branches of the Louvre and Guggenheim museums after a review of development plans.
Iran says sanctions to fail, repeats Hormuz threat
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 Iranian politicians said they expected the EU to backtrack on its oil embargo and repeated a threat to close the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane if the West succeeds in preventing Tehran from exporting crude.
Iraq hits out at Turkey as ties worsen
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 Baghdad hit out at alleged Turkish provocations after Ankara said it would speak out if sectarian conflict erupted in Iraq, in a dramatic worsening of tensions between the two neighbours.
Protests mount in Poland over anti-piracy pact
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 Thousands of people rallied in Warsaw Tuesday and nearly 100 Polish websites shrouded their pages in black to protest at Poland’s plan.
Last of secret John F. Kennedy tapes released
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 The final 45 hours of White House recordings secretly taped during John F. Kennedy’s time in office were released on Tuesday.
‘The Artist,’ ‘Hugo’ lead the way in Oscar nods
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 Silent-era throwback film The Artist and Martin Scorsese’s Hugo led the pack of Oscar nominees on Tuesday, including nods in the best film category, in the race for the world’s top movie honors.
3 civilians killed in Syria: activists
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 Syrian troops stormed Hama following large protests in the flashpoint central city on Tuesday.
U.N. lauds Lebanese officials for safeguarding stability
Daily Star 24 Jan 2012 U.N. interim Special Coordinator for Lebanon Robert Watkins praised Tuesday the role played by Lebanese officials in ensuring Lebanon’s stability in the face of regional turmoil.
5 police shot dead in town outside Mexico City
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – ….
Let Hanin Zoabi speak
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – Op-ed: Allowing hostile Arab MK to express her views proves that Israel is a real democracy ….
Victim of haredi attack: I thought I was going to die
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – Beit Shemesh resident Natalie Mashiah, who was assaulted by haredim while hanging signs in a synagogue, says she begged assailants to leave her alone, but they wouldn’t. ‘Some 50 people stood by and watched. Nobody said or did anything,’ she recounts ….
US lauds Egypt’s first steps toward democracy
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – ….
European Parliament marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – ….
Report in Azerbaijan: Attempt on Israeli envoy’s life thwarted
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – ….
Salafi protesters cleared from Tunisian university
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – ….
Palestinian parliamentary speaker gets 6 months in jail
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – Military Court sentences Aziz Dweik to administrative detention. Speaker’s bureau: Arrest part of Israel’s attempt to undermine Palestinian reconciliation efforts, political life ….
Watch: Palestinian teens open fire on Israeli car
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – Security forces detain several West Bank Palestinians suspected of carrying out attacks on troops, civilians ….
Fatah operative jailed for pre-Oslo crimes
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – Ursan As’ad, an Israeli Arab, moved to Lebanon and planned terror attacks that never materialized, but justices say deterrence must be considered because peace not yet attained. Dissenting opinion: Reduce 7-year sentence because he backs peace process ….
PM: World silent while Iran, Hezbollah threaten to destroy Israel
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Netanyahu tells special Knesset session ‘world condemns Gilo construction, but not mufti’s call to kill Jews.’ Speaker: We can’t deny tragedies of other nations ….
AG orders probe against Jerusalem mufti
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – Sheikh Hussein suspected of incitement to violence and racism after citing a hadith claiming the end of days will not happen until Muslims kill Jews in religious battle ….
PM aide accused of harassing woman – Natan Eshel
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – Initial examination into claims by Civil Service Commission finds no grounds for criminal investigation ….
What about human rights?
YNet News, 24 Jan 2012 – Op-ed: Why do Arabs under Israel’s control get more attention than anyone else? ….
Palestinian Information Center
Israel imprisons Dweik for six months without trial
PIC – The Israeli occupation authority (IOF) ordered the detention of Dr. Aziz Dweik, speaker of the Palestinian legislative council, for six months behind bars without appearing before court.
IOF soldiers arrest another MP less than a year after his release
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested Palestinian MP Abdul Jabar Fuqaha from his home in Ramallah at dawn Tuesday less than a year after his release, his wife said.
IOF soldiers fire at protesting Palestinians near Nabi Yusuf
PIC – Hundreds of Jewish settlers escorted by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed the Nabi Yusuf shrine to the east of Nablus city at midnight Monday.
Red Cross urged to uncover fate of Palestinian detainee
PIC – The prisoners’ center for studies appealed to the Red Cross to work on uncovering the fate of a Palestinian prisoner from Jenin who has been barred from seeing his family for about seven months.
Hamas slams kidnapping of two Jerusalemite officials from Red Cross
PIC – The Hamas Movement strongly denounced the kidnapping of Palestinian officials Khaled Abu Arafa and Mohamed Totah after a violent Israeli raid yesterday on the Red Cross headquarters in Jerusalem.
IOF troops arrest two Palestinian boys
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained two Palestinian minors on Monday in the Yatta village of Al-Khalil, local sources said.
Detained Jihad leader to continue hunger strike until his release
PIC – Islamic Jihad leader Sheikh Adnan Khader has vowed to continue in his hunger strike in Israeli custody until his release, a lawyer for the Palestinian prisoner’s association said on Monday.
Parliament Speaker Gets Six Months Administrative Detention
WAFA – 19:37-RAMALLAH, January 24, 2012 (WAFA) – An Israeli military court in Ofer army camp, near Ramallah, Tuesday sentenced Palestinian parliament speaker from Hamas, Aziz Dweik, to six months administrative de…
Israeli Army Fires Live Ammunition at Gaza Demonstrators
WAFA – 19:03-GAZA, January 24, 2012 (WAFA) – Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition and tear gas on Tuesday at a peaceful demonstration near the northern Gaza borders with Israel, according to a statement by the I…
Abbas Leaves Chuvashia Heading Home
WAFA – 18:41-CHEBOKSARY, January 24, 2012 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas left the Russian Republic of Chuvashia Tuesday, the last leg of a tour that took him to Britain, Germany and Russia, heading home. …
Elections Commission Receives Keys to Gaza Offices from Hamas
WAFA – 18:03- GAZA, January 24, 2012 (WAFA) – The Central Elections Commission (CEC) announced Tuesday that it has received keys to its closed offices in the Gaza Strip from Hamas, which would allow it to s…
Ashrawi Condemns Israeli Arrest of Palestinian Lawmakers
WAFA – 15:39-JERUSALEM, January 24, 2012 (WAFA) – PLO Executive Committee Member, Hanan Ashrawi, strongly denounced the recent arrests of four Palestinian lawmakers, Aziz Dweik, Khaled Abu Arafeh, Mohananed Totah …
Israeli Forces Arrest Lawmaker in Ramallah
WAFA – 15:25-RAMALLAH, January 24, 2012 (WAFA) – Israeli forces Tuesday arrested Palestinian lawmaker Abdel Jabbar Fuqaha’, after raiding his house in al-Masyun area, in Ramallah governorate, according to WAFA cor…
Rallies Condemning Israeli Raid of Red Cross Office, Arrest of Hamas Officials
WAFA – 14:13-JERUSALEM, January 24, 2012 (WAFA) – Dozens of Jerusalemite legal figures of various movements and factions Rallied on Tuesday in front of the European Union’s headquarters in the East Jerusalem neigh…
Newspapers Review: Israeli Arrest of Palestinian Officials Dominate Dailies
WAFA – 13:55-RAMALLAH, January 24, 2012 (WAFA) – The three Palestinian Arabic dailies Tuesday focused on the Israeli arrest of two Hamas officials, including one Palestinian parliament member, in Jerusalem. Al-Ay…
EU Must Hold Israel Accountable for its Violations, Says Ashrawi
WAFA – 13:46-RAMALLAH, January 24, 2011 (WAFA) – PLO Executive Committee Member, Hanan Ashrawi Tuesday said that the European Union must hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law and peace, s…
Abbas Holds Bilateral Talks with President of Chuvashia
WAFA – 11:09-CHUVASHIA, RUSSIA, January 24, 2012 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday held bilateral talks with President of the Republic of Chuvashia, Michael Ignatieff. Abbas briefed Ignatieff on the …
Israel Demolishes House near Jerusalem
WAFA – 11:05-JERUSALEM, January 24, 2012 (WAFA) – Israeli bulldozers Tuesday demolished a Palestinian-owned house in Anata, a town northeast of Jerusalem, under the pretext that it was build without a permit, said…
Weather Forecast: Cloudy Skies, Rise in Temperature
WAFA – 10:55-RAMALLAH, January 24, 2012 (WAFA) – Cloudy skies continue to dominate Tuesday’s weather with a slight rise in temperature to 14 degrees Celsius, potential scattered showers, according to the Palestine…
Zionist publisher: Kill American President…
Intifada-Palestine: 24 Jan 2012 – Courtesy Gawker.com By: Jamal Kanj* – Intifada-Palestine.com In a “ What would you do* ” article on January 13, 2012, Andrew Adler, owner and publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times, suggested that Israel should consider three options, one of which “… more
Stop the Pro-Israel Lobby
Intifada-Palestine: 24 Jan 2012 – The ‘consultation’ on a statutory lobby register may be a window of opportunity by Stuart Littlewood – Intifada-Palestine.com The Queen needs a new royal yacht. But the British government says it can’t afford to buy her one. The £80 million for… more
The Brainwashing of the Jews
Intifada-Palestine: 24 Jan 2012 – By Dr. Elias Akleh – Intifada-Palestine.com There are increasing indications, although slim but hopeful, that more Israeli Jews are awakening to the satanic realities of the Zionist Greater Israel Project in the heart of the Arab World. The Jews in… more
Fear reigns in Syria city at the center of the uprising
LA Times 24 Jan 2012 – Residents of Homs say they are afraid of the random gunfire in an increasingly sectarian conflict. Gunfire crackled in the alleyways as Ramah Sawah hurried home from work.
EU imposes Iran oil embargo
LA Times 24 Jan 2012 – The European Union’s oil boycott is part of a U.S.-led campaign of sanctions to pressure Iran to return to talks over its nuclear enrichment program. Europe slapped a boycott on Iranian oil Monday, signaling that the Islamic Republic’s second-largest market is likely to dry up…
Egypt Military Council Partly Curbs State of Emergency Law
New York Times 24 Jan 2012 – Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi said Tuesday that the military government would limit its use of extra-judicial arrests and detentions to cases of what he called “thuggery.”
Stalemate Deals Grief and Fury in Syria
New York Times 24 Jan 2012 – As Syria’s government rejected a new peace plan proposed by the Arab League, a tour of Homs on Monday provided a glimpse of the ceaseless violence in the city.
Deadly Explosions Rattle Baghdad
New York Times 24 Jan 2012 – A series of explosions in Shiite neighborhoods killed nine civilians and wounded dozens more on Tuesday.
Unrest Strands Iraqis in Syria Awaiting American Visas
New York Times 24 Jan 2012 – Thousands of refugees were left stranded after the United States stopped processing visas in Damascus, saying the situation was too volatile to send officials for required interviews.
Israeli Police Arrest 2 Palestinian Legislators at Protest
New York Times 24 Jan 2012 – The arrests, along with remarks by a Muslim cleric, are seen as a blow to prospects for negotiations on restarting peace talks.
Anger in Iraq After Plea Bargain Over 2005 Haditha Killings
New York Times 24 Jan 2012 – Iraqis were outraged to learn that the Marine considered the ringleader of the 2005 killings in Haditha had pleaded guilty Monday to a reduced charge and faced a maximum of three months in jail.
Ahmadinejad Adviser Accuses Brazil of Ruining Relations
New York Times 24 Jan 2012 – An adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Brazil’s new president was undoing the work of her predecessor, but it was unclear whether he spoke for the Iranian leadership.
US-NATO war crimes in Libya
WSWS – A report released last week by Middle East human rights groups presents extensive evidence of war crimes carried out in Libya by the United States, NATO and their proxy “rebel” forces.
European Union imposes oil embargo on Iran
WSWS – The EU sanctions are an act of economic war that heightens the danger of a slide into military hostilities.
Tribute to a Palestinian ‘Gandhi’ — Mahmoud Abu Rahma of Al Mezan
Mondoweiss – Mahmoud Abu Rahma, who was attacked last week The unrecognized heroes of Palestine are the human rights investigators. Their job is to investigate and expose the atrocities committed against their people, no matter who the perpetrator — Israeli or Palestinian. Nine times out of 10, they…
Seeing Rawan Yaghi on Skype
Mondoweiss – On Sunday I got up early to do a Skype call to Gaza. Yousef Aljamal was hosting a session of the Center for Political Development Studies . Yousef’s students were going to ask me questions about the role of the Israel lobby and the American Jewish community…
Some elephants aren’t fit to print: ‘NYT’ front-pages Adelson gift to Gingrich PAC without a word about Israel!
Mondoweiss – Sheldon and Miriam Adelson This is so shocking it’s funny. LOL funny. ROTFLMAO funny. The New York Times has a long front-page story by Nicholas Confessore about Sheldon Adelson’s wife Miriam donating another $5 million to the Gingrich campaign and there is no mention of Adelson’s #…
Ynet manufactures new threat to promote Ben White book
Mondoweiss – Israel’s self-delegitimization campaign intensifies as Ynet , the website of Israel’s second largest daily, publishes a news article headlined, “Zoabi Endorses Anti-Semitic Author.” The article, which also appears in print in Hebrew , is a shocking exposé that reveals that Palestinian-Israeli Knesset member Haneen Zoabi actually wrote a…
Global Military Index Ranks Israel Most Militarized Nation in World
Tikun Olam – The Bonn International Center for Conversion maintains the Global Military Index, which lists the nations of the world according to the level of militarization of their societies. Coming in first again in 2012 is Israel. Here are the criteria used to determine a country’s ranking: With…
Adelson Doubling Down on Gingrich
Tikun Olam – Sheldon Adelson is doubling-down on his fair-haired white boy, Newt Gingrich, with a second $5-million Super PAC gift given through his wife, Miriam. If God forbid, Newtie wins the nomination I’d bet we can expect gifts in the $50-100 million range from Big Shel. This gift,…
Israel arrests two more Palestinian lawmakers in Jerusalem
Mondoweiss – link to www.maannews.net link to www.maannews.net link to silwanic.net link to www.maannews.net link to www.haaretz.com link to www.haaretz.com link to www.ynetnews.com link to palsolidarity.org link to www.nilin-village.org link to www.maannews.net link to www.maannews.net link to silwanic.net link to www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk link to silwanic.net link to www.haaretz.com link…
Putin and the rise of the Russian power
Voltaire Network 24 Jan 2012 – International affairs Editorial: Putin and the rise of the Russian power The world is anticipating the Russian presidential elections, although their outcome has already been settled in favor of the return of Vladimir Putin to the presidency, in an event which will complete Kremlin’s exit from…
Media confusion around the Arab League meeting
Voltaire Network 23 Jan 2012 – The observer mission submitted its report to the Arab League. After five hours of debate, the Ad Hoc Ministerial Council extended the mission by one month within the framework of its first plan, while adopting a second one. These events have given rise to contrasting interpretations….
The pro-Western opposition rejects Arab League report before it’s out
Voltaire Network 22 Jan 2012 – The Syrian National Council (pro-Western) continues to press for the Arab League to refer the case of Syria to the UN Security Council. However, the AL observers’ report is likely to fly in the face of the Atlanticist version of events and validate that of the…
Egypt: Jordan Briefs Egypt About Amman Talks’ Outcome
allAfrica.com 24 Jan 2012 – Egypt Online (Cairo)-Minister of foreign affairs Mohamed Kamel Amr met on Monday 23/1/2012 with Jordanian counterpart Nasser Gouda at the foreign ministry’s Tahrir Palace. The meeting came during a visit by the Jordanian minister to attend the Arab League which discusses the situation in Syria.
RNC Endorses One-State Solution (No Kidding)
Arab American Institute 23 Jan 2012 – The RNC thinks they just did Israel a favor by whitewashing the illegality of its occupation of the Palestinian territories, but failed to notice that they just demanded that all these Palestinians living under occupation be granted equal rights as Israelis. In effect, the RNC just…
Palestinian youth and students condemn UK student propaganda tour of Israel
Global BDS 24 Jan 2012 – Open letter to UK student activist participants in propaganda tour of Israel from Palestinian students and youth We, Palestinian students and youth organisations, were shocked and disappointed to learn of your all expenses paid junket to Israel, involving prominent Labour party student activists and organised by…
Syria extends Arab League mission
BBC 24 Jan 2012 – Syria agrees to extend the mandate of the Arab League observer mission in the country by a month, Syria’s state-run news agency says.
Egypt ‘to end’ state of emergency
BBC 24 Jan 2012 – Egypt’s generals say the state of emergency will be lifted partially on Wednesday, the first anniversary of the uprising against Hosni Mubarak.
Confusion surrounds Libya clashes
BBC 24 Jan 2012 – Libyan government officials deny claims from the town of Bani Walid that pro-Gaddafi forces were responsible for an outbreak of fighting on Monday.
UK forces ‘could be sent to Gulf’
BBC 24 Jan 2012 – An escalation of a dispute with Iran could see Britain sending military reinforcements to the Gulf, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond says.
Articles
In Palestine, to Exist Is to Resist
Melinda Tuhus, In These Times 1/24/2012
Behind the headlines, Palestinians are using nonviolent direct action to protest the status quo.
Few readers of mainstream media are aware of Palestinians’ longstanding creative efforts to use non-violent direct action in their struggle for self-determination.
WEST BANK, PALESTINE – On November 15, Mazin Qumsiyeh and other Palestinian activists boarded public bus number 148, an Israelis-only bus that normally takes Jews from the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ariel to Jerusalem. The bus took the group to the Hizma checkpoint, just outside the northern entrance of Jerusalem, where activists resisted authorities’ efforts to remove them. Eventually, as a camera broadcast the action online, eight people were pulled from the bus and arrested. They were charged with “illegal entry to Jerusalem” and “obstructing police business.”
Qumsiyeh hopes this recent “freedom ride” – possible because a bus driver let them ride by mistake, he said – will spark the same kind of response that its namesake did across the United States in the early 1960s, when interstate bus trips helped end racial segregation in the South. Qumsiyeh, author of Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment, says other examples of nonviolent resistance include protests of the separation barrier (which many Palestinians call an “apartheid wall”) that has effectively turned 10 percent of Palestinian land into Israeli land since its construction began in 2002; school girls holding class in the street when they can’t get to their schools because of Israeli interference; and farmers braving Israeli intimidation to harvest olives. “For us to exist on this land is to resist,” says Qumsiyeh, who teaches at Bethlehem and Birzeit universities.
Most readers of mainstream media in the United States think of the First Intifada (1987-92) as the stone-throwing uprising and the Second Intifada (2000-2004) as the attack of the suicide bombers…. more.. e-mail
Would another Obama term be better for Israel/Palestine than Romney?
Noam Sheizaf, +972 Magazine 1/23/2012
The answer: Not necessarily.
In a side note to my post on Newt Gingrich yesterday, I wrote that as far as the Israeli-Palestinian issue is concerned, I don’t see a big difference between a second Obama term and a Romney presidency. This remark got more attention than my comments on Gingrich, which were at the center of the post, so I’d like to elaborate on them a bit.
If I were an American citizen, I would probably vote for Barack Obama in 2012, mainly due to his positions on domestic issues. While far from being perfect – especially on personal freedoms – Obama is way better than Republican alternatives on abortion, healthcare, gay rights and more – at least as far as I can tell from afar. Plus, future nominations to the Supreme Court alone provide a good reason to prefer him. The sad reality of the two-party system is that the liberal base has very little bargaining power against an incumbent president.
Still, I am not American, and this blog deals mainly with local politics. On that front, Barack Obama wasn’t able to produce better results than George W. Bush. In fact, if you deal only with the Israeli-Palestinian issue, he might have actually been worse. I say “might,” because Bush had to deal with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and Barack Obama with Netanyahu, so it’s very hard to compare the two.
President Obama made at least one critical mistake – the appointment of Dennis Ross as special envoy – and many tactical ones, ending up with the worst of all scenarios: he is perceived as anti-Israeli and pays the political price for it, while in fact his policies are more comfortable for the Israeli right than those of any other president before him…. more.. e-mail
Israel, Iran and the US: Axis of instability
Ahmed Moor, Al Jazeera.com 1/24/2012
Ratcheting up geopolitical tension isn’t likely to contribute to peace or stability.
Cairo, Egypt – In Iran, it doesn’t take much to capture the interest of “terrorists”. The pursuit of a career in material sciences, for instance, is enough to animate their small minds.
Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan was a 32-year-old Iranian father and a nuclear scientist. Earlier this month, an assassin attached a magnetic explosive device to his car in Tehran. The bomb was detonated and both Ahmadi-Roshan and his driver were killed in the explosion.
In the civilised world, the lives of scientists and other civilians are formally protected from directed inter-state violence. Numerous international norms and conventions are designed to isolate civilians from the most brutal consequences of armed conflicts. In war, the act of deliberately targeting civilians or their infrastructure is a criminal one. In the absence of war, however, the act of targeting civilians is terrorism. And assassinating civilians in order to affect political subterfuge is an especially ugly kind of terrorism.
Events unfolded predictably after Ahmadi-Roshan’s murder. The Iranian government quickly blamed the US and Israelis for perpetrating the assassination (the British were tacked on for good measure). The US and the British responded with fast and vociferous denials, while the Israelis only offered mealy mouthed non-denials.
Unsurprisingly, it has been reported that Israeli Mossad agents were responsible for killing the young scientist; the hit had all the agency’s flamboyant and theatrical hallmarks. Equally unsurprising was the extent to which the US went to distance themselves from the ill-advised Israeli decision to terrorise civilians in Tehran. After all, the two countries have vastly different interests when it comes to igniting another war in the Gulf. more.. e-mail
“We won’t be silenced,” say students arrested over Peres boycott call
Electronic Intifada: 24 Jan 2012 – Yara Sa’di 24 January 2012 Three Palestinian students at the College of Engineering in Jerusalem have been put under house arrest for a week after calling for a boycott of a speech by Israeli President Shimon Peres.more
Interview: rapper Sphinx on why Egypt uprising had a hip-hop soundtrack
Electronic Intifada: 24 Jan 2012 – Alexander Billet 24 January 2012 Hesham Alofoq (aka Sphinx) of the Egyptian hip-hop group Arabian Knightz speaks to The Electronic Intifada about the history of hip-hop in Egypt and the Middle East, the future of the Egyptian uprising, and the role that music plays in the revolt.more
Stop the Pro-Israel Lobby
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Jan 2012 – By Stuart Littlewood The Queen needs a new royal yacht. But the British government says it can’t afford to buy her one. The £80 million for the project must come from private sources. “Leading British companies will… be asked to donate funds in exchange for naming rights to various decks and facilities on board,” says The Guardian. Does this mean Her Majesty will be seen entertaining in the Goldman Sachs stateroom and sipping daiquiris on the Starbucks sun-deck? Will she shelter from squalls in the Murdoch salon and arrive and depart via the Revlon helipad? The last royal yacht, Britannia, was a highly successful tool for promoting Great Britain Limited. That being the case, such an important national asset ought to be government funded, not sponsored by tacky brand names. £80 million is chickenfeed in the great scheme of things. Why are we so hard up that there’s not enough…more
The Puzzling Matter of the Israeli Liberals
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Jan 2012 – By Ramzy Baroud Regardless of who may rule Israel, little change ever occurs in the country’s foreign policy. Winning parties remain obsessed with demographics and retaining absolute military dominance. They also remain unfailingly focused on their quest to initiate racist laws against non-Jewish residents of the state, and continue to hone the art of speaking of peace, while actually maintaining a permanent state of war. Every few years the media become captivated by Israeli democracy. Commentators speak of right, left, center, and anything in between. Despite Israeli elections still being a year and a half away, media pundits are already discussing possible outcomes of the vote against the peace process, economic reforms, social equality, and so on. In a recent article, Israeli columnist Uri Avnery decried the fact that the main opposition to the right-wing parties — “the Likud, the Lieberman party and various ultra-nationalist, pro-settlement and religious factions” —…more
The Jirga Medal of Honor
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Jan 2012 – By Ralph Nader The U.S. war in Afghanistan is testing so much futuristic detect and destroy weaponry that it can be called the most advanced all-seeing invasion in military history. From blanket satellite surveillance to soldiers’ infra-red vision to the remotely guided photographing, killer drones to the latest fused ground-based imagery and electronic signal intercepts, the age of robotic land, sea, and air weaponry is at hand. U.S. and NATO soldiers and contractors greatly outnumber the Taliban, whose sandals and weapons are from the past century. Still, with the most sophisticated arsenals ever deployed, why are U.S. generals saying that less than 30,000 Taliban fighters, for almost a decade, have fought the U.S. led forces to a draw? Perhaps one answer can be drawn from a ceremony that could be happening in various places in that tormented country. That is, a Jirga of elders awarding a young fighter the Jirga…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 