22 February 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Troops kidnap A Former Detainee, His Wife And Daughter
IMEMC – Palestinian security sources reported that Israeli soldiers kidnapped, on Wednesday at night, former political prisoner, Majdi Al-Ajouly, in addition to his wife and underage daughter, in Foqeen village, near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem. …
Palestinian Factions to meet in Cairo Thursday
IMEMC – Palestinian leaders are set to meet in the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Thursday to follow up the reconciliation agreement and the reforms of the Palestinian National Council. …
Israeli Prison’s Authority Move 120 Prisoners To Unknown Location
IMEMC – One day after the deal between the Palestinian Prisoner Khader Adnan who ended his hunger-strike after 66 days, the Israeli prisons’ administration transferred approximately 120 prisoners from Negev Desert Prison to an unknown location. …
Zahalka: “Lieberman’s Statements Reveal Israel’s Racist Nature”
IMEMC – Arab Member of Knesset (MK), Jamal Zahalka, of the National Democratic Assembly, strongly denounced the statements of Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, who attacked Arab members of Knesset, and stated that “they turned their parties into representatives of terrorist groups at the Knesset”. …
Army Invades Al-Khader, Clashes reported
IMEMC – Israeli troops invaded, on Tuesday afternoon, Al-Khader town, west of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and fired rubber-coated metal bullets and gas bombs at dozens of youth who hurled stones and empty bottles at them. …
Haniyya: “Gaza Electricity Crisis To Be Resolved Soon”
IMEMC – Ismail Haniyya, head of the Hamas-led Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip, stated that the electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip will be resolved soon, and that certain mechanisms to resolve the issue will be implemented soon, in direct agreement and cooperation with Egypt. …
Qalandia Refugee Camp Struggling Amidst Power Outages
IMEMC – Jerusalem Governor, Abudallah Siam, and the representative of the Jerusalem Electricity Company, held a meeting to discuss the repeated power outages in Qalandia Refugee camp, north of occupied East Jerusalem, and to try to find a solution ongoing technical and financial issues. …
Israel approves 500 housing units in Shilo settlement
2/22/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — PLO official Saeb Erekat condemned an announcement by Israel on Wednesday that it has approved over 500 housing units in the settlement of Shilo. Settlers from nearby Shvut Rachel also began restoring 200 homes after the civil administration legalized the outpost, Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority official who monitors settlement activities….
Administrative detainees to boycott military courts
2/22/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian prisoners society said Wednesday that administrative detainees are set to boycott Israeli military courts in protest against the practice of detention without charge. Detainees told the group that Khader Adnan‘s struggle has created an opportunity for them to fight against the practice of administrative detention. It is….
Israeli forces issue evacuation orders in Hebron village
2/22/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Wednesday delivered evacuation orders to residents of Beit Ula village in Hebron. Land owners told Ma’an they found the orders in their fields, dated Feb. 21. The orders said that the family had illegally obtained the land and must leave the property within 45 days. Coordinator….
Gaza bakeries face fuel shortage
2/22/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The president of Gaza’s bakery owners association said Wednesday that bakeries in the coastal enclave are suffering from a lack of fuel. Abdul Nasser al-Arjami told Ma’an that many bakeries will have to close down in the next few days due to the current fuel crisis….
Settlers try to rebuild illegal outpost in Hebron
2/22/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) – Israeli security on Tuesday prevented dozens of settlers from rebuilding an illegal outpost near Kiryat Arba east of Hebron in the southern West Bank. The outpost, Mitzpe Avihai was evacuated earlier in February. Coordinator of a local coalition Youths Against Settlements in Hebron Issa Amr told Ma’an that the….
Ashrawi urges EU to save two state solution
2/22/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi urged the EU to save the two state solution before Israeli policies destroy all ‘chances for peace’. Ashrawi made the comments during a Wednesday meeting with EU special envoy to the peace process Andreas Reinicke in Ramallah.” The Israeli government is still able….
Russia warns Israel not to attack Iran
2/22/2012 – MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russia warned Israel on Wednesday that attacking Iran would be a disastrous and played down the failure of a UN nuclear agency mission to Tehran, saying there is still a chance for new talks over the Iranian atomic programme.” Of course any possible military scenario against Iran will be catastrophic for the region….
Security forces detain 3 at Syria protests in Ramallah
2/22/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Scuffles broke out in Ramallah on Wednesday as pro and anti Assad demonstrators clashed in the city center. Pro-Assad supporters had organized a protest which was confronted by a group of anti-Assad demonstrators, a Ma’an correspondent said. Police intervened to break up the clash and detained three people. Thaer….
Palestinian leaders to meet in Cairo
2/22/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – President Mahmoud Abbas is set to chair a meeting Thursday in Cairo that will encompass chiefs of Palestinian factions, PLO leaders and the speaker of the Palestinian National Council. Selected independent figures will join the meeting, which is dedicated to discussing the latest political developments and the ongoing efforts toward Palestinian….
Gaza, Ramallah swap accusations over fuel crisis
2/22/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – The chair of the Palestinian Authority energy authority Omar Kittana says the Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip is politicizing the electricity crisis in an attempt to score political points. Asked about accusations that he threatened employees at the energy authority in Gaza, Kittana said, “I refuse to comment on this….
Hamas end internal dispute over Doha deal
2/22/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas officials met on Wednesday in Cairo and ended an internal dispute about the recent agreement signed in Doha, an official said. Izzat al-Rishq said that the movement has agreed on the principles of the agreement signed between Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal and President Abbas in Qatar. Mashaal met with Abbas….
Japan donates $10 million to UNRWA
2/22/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Japan’s government announced on Wednesday that it would donate $10 million to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. An agreement was signed in Amman by Commissioner-General of UNRWA Filippo Grandi and ambassador of Japan to Jordan Junichi Kosuge, a statement said.” At a time when the government and people….
Mayor: French journalists visit Jericho
2/22/2012 – JERICHO (Ma’an) — A delegation of French journalists and cameraman arrived in Jericho on Wednesday as part of a week long tour. The Mayor of Jericho Hasan Saleh welcomed the delegation, adding that the group will be filming everyday life in Palestine in preparation for an exhibition in France. The group said that they….
Public university employees enter 3rd day of strike
2/22/2012 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Employees in public universities and colleges in the West Bank and Gaza Strip entered the third day of a strike on Wednesday. Head of the employees union Khayriya Hamadneh said that she has not received any official response to the strike. The main demand of the strike action is a salary….
Gaza fisherman drowns off coast
2/22/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Civil defense in the Gaza Strip reported Wednesday that a Palestinian fisherman drowned while working off the coast. Ghanem Abu Jarad, 62, from Khan Younis was rescued by other colleagues but he died of his injuries, civil defense reported….
Witnesses: 2 Western journalists killed in Syria
2/22/2012 – AMMAN, Jordan (Reuters) — Two Western journalists were killed in the besieged Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday when shells hit the house they were staying in, opposition activists and witnesses said. They were Marie Colvin, an American working for Britain’s Sunday Times, and French photographer Remi Ochlik, the Syrian Network for Human Rights….
Al Ahly resume training after Port Said disaster
2/22/2012 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Al Ahly players held a minute’s silence Tuesday as they returned to training for the first time since 74 spectators were killed three weeks ago in a riot following a match against al-Masry in Port Said. In a report on their website (www. el-ahly. com) the club said some players missed….
Syria asks foreign journalists to report to government
2/22/2012 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Syria’s information ministry said foreign journalists illegally inside the country should report to the government on Tuesday, hours after bombardment of a rebel neighborhood in Homs killed two foreign journalists smuggled into Syria.” The ministry asks all foreign journalists that have entered Syria illegally to go to the nearest center for….
Over 80 people killed in Syria as Assad pounds Homs
2/22/2012 – AMMAN (Reuters) — Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces rained rockets and bombs down on opposition-held neighborhoods of the city of Homs on Wednesday, reducing buildings to rubble and killing more than 80 people, including two Western journalists. The barrages marked an intensification of a nearly three-week offensive to crush resistance in Homs, one of….
UN says humanitarian chief to head to Syria soon
2/22/2012 – UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) — UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos will head to Syria soon in an attempt to secure access for aid workers seeking to deliver emergency relief to people trapped in the country’s conflict zones, the United Nations said on Wednesday. UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon would dispatch….
Activists: Wounded French reporter at risk of bleeding to death
2/22/2012 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — A French journalist wounded in Syria is at risk of bleeding to death without urgent medical care, activists said on Wednesday, hours after she and five other journalists were hit by an army bombardment of a rebel stronghold. Edith Bouvier, a freelance journalist who was smuggled into Syria to report for the French….
France holds Syria responsible for safety of French citizens
2/22/2012 – PARIS (Reuters) — France holds Syria responsible for the safety of its citizens there, Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on Wednesday, after a French photographer was killed in a Syrian army bombardment of a rebel stronghold. Juppe said that a Syrian army ceasefire in order to give rapid access to humanitarian aid was “imperative”, adding that….
International Solidarity Movement
Settler Violence: Broken Glass on Shuhada Street
2/22/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Silvia, 21 February 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – Five years ago Abed Seder’s wife, Kefah, was shot five times in the chest by Israeli soldiers as she went onto her roof to check her water tank. She was 23 years old and left three sons motherless. He tells me his sons….
012, a day of international action
2/22/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – 21 February 2012, Samidoun – Organizational endorsements are welcome for this statement.”I hereby assert that I am confronting the occupiers not for my own sake as an individual, but for the sake of thousands of prisoners who are being deprived of their simplest human rights while the world and international community look on,” Sheikh Khader….
Opposition calls for foreign troops to secure Syria aid
The National 22 Feb 2012 – Fears for safety of humanitarian workers, as Syrian National Council asks for a foreign-intervention plan or temporary ceasefires to open up safe corridors for aid and medicine.
Nuclear weapons are a sin, says Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
The National 22 Feb 2012 – Iran’s supreme leader insists his country is not seeking nuclear weapons, claiming that “holding these arms is a sin as well as useless, harmful and dangerous”.
Lieberman: U.S., Russian warnings against Iran strike will not affect Israel’s decision
Ha’aretz – 22 Feb 2012
The boycott Israel movement’s small victories are far from sweeping success
Ha’aretz – 22 Feb 2012
Netanyahu: Situation in my office is painful in wake of Eshel affair
Ha’aretz – 22 Feb 2012
Report: Iranian terror cell in Thailand hid bombs in portable radios
Ha’aretz – 22 Feb 2012
Ministry: Patients may be getting fake Avastin
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2012
After Tal Law ruling, Israel is back to square one
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2012
Senior official at Netanyahu’s office to resign following Eshel affair
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2012
Israel’s High Court rules Tal Law unconstitutional, says Knesset cannot extend it in present form
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2012
Azerbaijan: Iranian, Hezbollah operatives arrested for plotting attack against foreign targets
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2012
IN PICTURES / Palestinians waiting to enter Israel at Eyal checkpoint
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2012
Israeli planning reform gets last-minute revision, drawing environmentalists’ ire
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2012
Tel Aviv chief rabbi calls on mayor to reverse decision to run buses on Shabbat
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2012
Interior Ministry staff in Upper Nazareth striking after cancer becomes oddly common in office
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2012
Israeli judge: The state is risking the lives of Eritrean refugees
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2012
Israel’s Eurovision song by Izabo leaked on YouTube
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2012
White House: Netanyahu, Obama to meet in Washington on March 5
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2012
Israeli court summons transportation minister, Histadrut leader to discuss railway strike
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2012
Israel opts for Italian training plane over South Korean competitor
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2012
A sweet dessert for breakfast may facilitate weight loss, Israeli researchers find
Ha’aretz – 19 Feb 2012
Israeli cabinet supports involuntary hospitalization of anorexia patients
Ha’aretz – 19 Feb 2012
Netanyahu’s shameful silence on the Eshel affair
Ha’aretz – 19 Feb 2012
Top Israeli ultra-Orthodox rabbi opens his eyes after two weeks in hospital in critical condition
Ha’aretz – 19 Feb 2012
Netanyahu thanks former bureau chief for service after resignation due to harassment scandal
Ha’aretz – 19 Feb 2012
Netanyahu’s bureau chief to resign over harassment scandal
Ha’aretz – 19 Feb 2012
Kfar Sava teachers declare mutiny against the time clock
Ha’aretz – 19 Feb 2012
Malaysia to extradite Iranian who fled Thailand after Bangkok attack
Ha’aretz – 19 Feb 2012
Man stabbed in forest near Beit Shemesh
Jerusalem Post 23 Feb 2012 – Police open an investigation after 40-year-old man found critically injured from several stab wounds.
What kind of Israel do we want?
Jerusalem Post 23 Feb 2012 – The conversation has switched from external threats to internal divides, Hartman Institute’s Becker tells Conference of Presidents.
Statistics bureau: Rise in single mothers
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Some 4,900 single Jewish women in Israel gave birth in 2010, nearly double the 2,600 single women who gave birth in 2000.
Race team could give boost to Israel – at Daytona 500
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Car entered by America Israel Racing to attempt to qualify during ‘Gatorade Duels.’
TA deputy mayor: Shabbat buses would help poorer residents
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Deputy Mayor Asaf Zamir says Saturday transportation would provide welcome relief to city’s poorer residents.
Road projects in e. J’lem get 0.5b.m
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Nir Barkat and Yisrael Katz announce plan which will create 32 new roads and improve existing roads in the capital’s Arab neighborhoods.
Teens convicted of death by negligence
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Jerusalem District Juvenile Court convicts two teenagers for fatally beating a man over the head with a wooden plank.
Controversial figure can leave W. Bank after 6 years
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Court rules that Palestinian human rights leader may leave West Bank, following travel ban based on confidential security information.
Egypt will keep treaty, Presidents Conference hears
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Ruth Lapidot, Prof. Shlomo Avineri, Dore Gold speak at Jerusalem convention.
‘9 in 10 firefighter suffer post-traumatic stress’
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – New Ben-Gurion University study examined the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among firefighters, how they cope.
Iran says it’s ready to cooperate on Thailand bombing
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast “expresses Iran’s readiness” to identify culprits of Bangkok bombings, blames “US and Zionist officials” for accusing Iran.
The Tal Law
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – The mindset of this court, regardless of who presides over it, is still extra-activist.
Three tweets expose the false hope combating intolerance
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – The OIC-led campaign to recognize defamation of religion as a violation of international human rights stretches back to 1999, it ended in 2011.
Hatred: Coming soon to a campus near you
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – The film ‘Crossing the Line’ exposes the growing anti-Israel sentiment taking root on college campuses across North America.
PA, UN slam plan to authorize outpost, homes
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Civil Administration advances plan to retroactively authorize Shvut Rachel outpost, homes in Shiloh settlement.
The power of film not given its due in the Middle East
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Yalla Peace: I’ve always asked where is the Arab-made version of ‘Exodus’?
Media Comment: The watchdogs
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – If Israel is bashed, if anti-Zionism rages, if anti-Semitism is allowed to run rampant without response, we have only ourselves to blame.
Obama – good for the Jews?
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – It’s time to ask the question through another lens to ensure Israel isn’t a partisan issue in US.
Washington Watch: Watching the Arab vote
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Romney, Santorum and Gingrich have done little discernible to court Michigan’s Arab- American voters.
Fundamentally Freund: t’s time for a Gaza offensive
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – This mounting threat can no longer be ignored, and it is time for Israel to launch a wide-scale military offensive in Gaza.
The Arab media and Israel
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Why did the Fogel murderers’ relatives, amid such widespread censure, choose to describe the killers as “heroes”?
C’tee proposes businesses separate holdings
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Report suggests separating financial, non-financial holding; Kadima, Labor accuse Netanyahu of using report for publicity.
Kremlin: Russia, Iran oppose intervention in Syria
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Medvedev, Ahmadinejad discuss “dramatic situation developing around Syria.”
Argentine train crashes killing 49 people
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – More than 600 wounded in Argentina’s worst rail accident in more than 30 years; official suspect faulty brakes caused crash.
PM names new PMO communications director
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Lior Dan becomes PR chief following Hendel’s resignation; Netanyahu wishes staff told him about Eshel before the press.
Tunisia, Egypt Islamists signal bigger religion role
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Islamists in both countries strike more Islamic tones despite months spent reassuring critics.
Gantz welcomes court decision on ‘Tal Law’
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – IDF chief of staff says there is “too much tolernace for those who don’t serve”; Liberman: Israel Beiteinu will propose new law.
Abbas, Mashaal in Cairo to form unity government
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Hamas announces its leaders have agreed on Qatari-backed reconciliation agreement, despite Abbas serving as interim PM.
PA angry over Israeli leaks regarding Amman talks
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Erekat says Israel, PA agreed that “exploratory” talks in Jordanian capital would be confidential, Jerusalem leaked information to media to destroy chances for resuming peace process.
Discovering the Jerusalem from the time of Jesus
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Every wondered what Jerusalem looked like 2000 years ago? Archeological finds in the Jewish Quarter yield clues.
‘Vagina Monologues’ to open in Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Proceeds from the production of Eve Ensler’s play benefit the Jerusalem Rape Crisis Center in memory of Linda Feldman.
‘Iran investors eye Egypt amid row with US’
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Iranians want to invest in Egyptian industrial, tourist sectors especially amid Cairo-Washington row, Al Arabiya reports.
For Syrian children, a picture tells a thousand words
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Children from Syrian in Turkish refugee camps draw the horrors from their home country they say they witnessed.
Top 5 Cinema Hot Spots
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Movie aficionados, get in the spirit of the Oscars by catching one of the nominated films at these top movie spots in Jerusalem.
‘Iran missiles may be able to hit US in 2-3 years’
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Steinitz says Iran investing billion of dollars to develop inter-continental ballistic missiles.
ICRC seeking to clinch humanitarian truce in Syria
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Assad forces kill 19 in Homs, including 2 journalists; Syrian troops raid northern villages, killing 27; US hints at arming rebels.
‘59% oppose bill to punish prostitution clients’
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Poll finds that most Israelis against criminal penalties for those paying for sexual services; half think such a law would be ineffective.
Activists: Army shelling kills 17 in Syria’s Homs
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Earlier, Assad’s forces raid northern villages, killing 27; 2 western journalists killed in Homs; US hints at arming rebels.
Huldai: There will be buses in Tel Aviv on Shabbat
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Deputy Mayor Asaf Zamir says Saturday transportation would provide welcome relief to city’s poorer residents.
It only goes from bad to worse for Betar fans
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Sinai Says: Times are tough for Betar J’lem fans and there’s no reason to think they’ll get better any time soon.
Assad’s forces raid northern villages, kill 27
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Opposition group calls killings a “massacre”; US hints at possibility of arming rebels; 2 western journalists killed in Homs.
Web ballot on Dead Sea renovation launched
Jerusalem Post 22 Feb 2012 – Public can now vote on what shape the NIS 833 million rehabilitation of the Dead Sea will take in the coming years.
Green groups: Publish building approval bill in full
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2012 – Henin asks comptroller to thoroughly examine “anti-social and anti-environmental” legislation before it goes to Knesset.
Letter: End Israeli policy of jail without charge
The Guardian 22 Feb 2012 – We welcome the decision of Khader Adnan to end his hunger strike against Israel‘s inhuman practice of “administrative detention” ( Israel agrees release deal for Palestinian hunger striker , 22 February). His hunger strike was a desperate measure…
My husband, Khadar Adnan, has shed light on Israel’s disregard for human rights | Randa Musa
The Guardian 22 Feb 2012 – Through his own suffering, Khadar has helped expose the plight of Palestinians held under ‘administrative detention’ by Israel The name of my husband, Khadar Adnan, has now become known across the world . Four months ago he…
Egypt-US Standoff Could Hit 40,000 NGOs
IPS The ongoing crackdown by Egypt‘s military rulers on a handful of civil society groups accused of receiving illegal foreign funds has far-reaching implications for the estimated 40,000 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in the Arab world’s most populous country.
FM Radio Spells Change, Success for Mideast Women
IPS Nisreen Awwad moves closer to the microphone as she signs off to her listeners, the words “Nisaa FM: music, change, success” displayed prominently over her left shoulder.
Indefinite Detention, Spy Drones, and More School of the Americas Tactics Come Home
Uruknet February 22, 2012 – The military strategies of the School of the Americas, used for decades to support dictators and block political opposition in Latin America, are now being applied to repress and punish dissenters in the U.S. Even as opposition rises to the school’s human rights abuses south of the border, Congress and President Obama…
The Defenders of the Lie
Uruknet February 22, 2012 – …Conspiracies, lies, intricately constructed theories, statistics and arguments are deployed to protect this master of shadows and his kingdom of smoke and mirrors. These people, the defenders of the Lie, serve their master for reasons known only to them. It baffles me why anybody would wish to keep such an animal -…
012, a day of international action
Uruknet February 22, 2012 – As of January 2012, 4,417 Palestinian political prisoners are held in jails in Israel, including 170 children and 6 women. Just like Khader, 310 prisoners are held – without charge or trial – under administrative detention including over 20 lawmakers. In solidarity with them, and to broaden Khader’s struggle, we will actively…
Palestinian prisoners to boycott Israeli military courts
Uruknet February 22, 2012 – Palestinian prisoners under administrative detention have shelved their differing political allegiances in order to jointly boycott Israeli military courts, announced the Palestinian Prisoner’s club on Wednesday. This action taken by those who have been detained without charge or a trial, the club explained, is a rejection of the legitimacy of these courts…
NYPD spying program aimed at Muslims
Uruknet February 22, 2012 – The hallmark of a Surveillance State is that police agencies secretly monitor and keep dossiers on not only those individuals suspected of lawbreaking, but on the society generally, including those individuals about whom there is no suspicion of wrongdoing. For the past year, the Associated Press has systematically exposed how the New…
An Open Letter to President Abbas
Uruknet February 22, 2012 – Dear President Abbas, There was visible and audible euphoria at the UN General Assembly in September when you announced Palestine’s application for UN membership, at UNESCO’s Paris headquarters in October when Palestine was admitted as a member state and at UNESCO again in December when the Palestinian flag was formally raised in…
Iraq third most deadly for journalists in 2011
Uruknet February 22, 2012 – The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a new report entitled “Attacks on the Press in 2011.” The report notes that, since 1991, 151 journalists have been killed in Iraq and five are known to have been killed last year… The ‘good’ news in ‘free’ Iraq never ends, Al Mada reports the judiciary…
Greece: The Epicenter of Global Pillage
Uruknet February 22, 2012 – Predatory bankers make serial killers look good by comparison. Their business model creates crises to facilitate grand theft, financial terrorism, and debt entrapment. They steal all material wealth and then some. They systematically rob investors and strip mine economies for self-enrichment. They demand they get paid first. They hold nations hostage to…
Bil’in: Seven Years of Popular Resistance
Uruknet February 22, 2012 – Every Friday, for six consecutive years, the small village of Bil’in has held popular resistance demonstrations against the Israeli “separation barrier” and its subsequent annexation of the majority of the village’s agricultural land. On February 17th 2012, Bil’in celebrated its seventh anniversary of weekly resistance demonstrations against the wall. Despite Israeli attempts…
Gaza bakeries face fuel shortage
Uruknet February 22, 2012 — The president of Gaza’s bakery owners association said Wednesday that bakeries in the coastal enclave are suffering from a lack of fuel. Abdul Nasser al-Arjami told Ma’an that many bakeries will have to close down in the next few days due to the current fuel crisis. The Gazan ministry of economy provided…
Libya : Kufra Battles Kill Over 100
Uruknet February 22, 2012 – … At least 113 people from the Toubu tribe and another 23 from the Zwai tribe have been killed in the town of Kufra since fighting erupted on February 12, the sources said. “We are under siege since a week. Since the start of the clashes, 113 people (from our side) have been…
2 Journalists Are Among 80 Killed in Syrian Shelling (videos)
Uruknet February 22, 2012 : Syrian security forces shelled the central city of Homs on Wednesday, the 19th day of a bombardment that activists say has claimed the lives of hundreds of trapped civilians in one of the deadliest campaigns in nearly a year of violent repression by the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Among the more than…
My husband, Khadar Adnan, has shed a light on Israel’s disregard for human rights
Uruknet February 22, 2012 – The name of my husband, Khadar Adnan, has now become known across the world. Four months ago he was unknown outside of our homeland, Palestine. His hunger strike of 66 days has transformed him into a global figure and a shining symbol of my people’s struggle. Our life was turned upside down…
012
Uruknet February 21, 2012 – February 21, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, veterans issues in the US include a call to suicide prevention which then resulted in criminal charges against the veteran, Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi delivered a speech yesterday on the charges against him, ane more… February 9th, Human Rights Watch noted that Iraq had…
DCI File Complain About Abuse and Maltreatment of Detained Palestinian Children
Uruknet February 21, 2012 – Defense for Children International (DCI) in Palestine submitted a complaint to the legal supervisor of the Israeli government and the Israeli prisons’ administration on behalf of a 16 year old child, Rashid C, from Hares village. DCI demanded an immediate investigation into the physical and psychological abuse and maltreatment of Rashid by…
Iraq: This Year’s Official Executions Already Surpass 2011?s
Uruknet February 21, 2012 – According to a justice ministry official, the Iraqi government has officially executed 69 people during 2012. Last year, only 68 people suffered the death penalty during the entire year. Four of the recently condemned were put to death yesterday. Two of them were found guilty on terrorism charges, while the other two…
Cruelest demolition’ kills Palestinians’ sheep and signals political tension with Europeans
Uruknet February 21, 2012 – We often report about house demolitions, but it is something else to see one up close. Two days ago in Palestine I saw “the cruelest demolition” in the tiny village of Sadat a Thaale in the southern West Bank. Last Wednesday morning, the Israeli civil administration came into the village, which is…
012 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet February 21, 2012 – The number of martyrs in Syria today has risen to 108, including 10 children, 3 women and 5 defected recruits. In Idlib city alone, there were 55 martyrs, 47 in Homs, 3 in Damascus suburbs (Hamouriya, Madaya and Douma), 2 in Deir Ezzor and also one martyr in Aleppo…Homs: The fall of…
UN Special Rapporteur Condemns Israel of De-Facto Annexation of the West Bank
Uruknet February 21, 2012 – Concluding a ten day visit to the region yesterday (Monday, February 20th), United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Prof. Richard Falk stated that “the information I received paints a picture of increasing efforts by Israel to deny Palestinians their right of self-determination. Ever-increasing and expanding Israeli settlements; ever-increasing confiscation…
Tunisia, Egypt Islamists signal bigger religion role
Daily Star 22 Feb 2012 After months of reassuring secularist critics, Islamist politicians in Tunisia and Egypt have begun to lay down markers about how Muslim their states should be.
Saudi extends rally on banks, petchems; most Gulf up
Daily Star 22 Feb 2012 Saudi petrochemical and banking stocks helped the index hit a new three-and-a-half year high on increased interest in local equities, as most Gulf markets while Egypt declined for a second day.
Iran Internet disruption points to government control
Daily Star 22 Feb 2012 Millions of Iranians have experienced disruption to email and Internet access, raising fears Iran’s leaders have been testing new ways to step up control of web traffic ahead of a parliamentary election.
Ruling could spark coalition crisis in Israel
Daily Star 22 Feb 2012 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced the unwelcome possibility of a coalition crisis on Wednesday after Israel‘s Supreme Court, in a landmark decision.
Iraq insurgents reject sending arms, fighters to Syria
Daily Star 22 Feb 2012 Two Islamist militant groups in Iraq have rejected a call by al Qaeda to aid Syrian rebels in their revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.
Russia, Iran oppose foreign intervention in Syria-Kremlin
Daily Star 22 Feb 2012 The presidents of Russia and Iran said on Wednesday the crisis in Syria must be resolved peacefully without foreign intervention, according to a Kremlin statement.
Putin praises Cold War moles for stealing US nuclear secrets
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – ….
Time for Shabbat change
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – Op-ed: There is no Jewish reason to decide for others whether to travel by bus on Shabbat ….
US Congress members receive threatening letters
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – ….
Syrian opposition: 100 killed, 800 arrested in Damascus
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – ….
Caught on camera: Palestinian hurls brick at car
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – Teacher driving home to West Bank settlement finds herself target of rock salvo – daily occurrence in area, she says ….
Ex-IDF chief Halutz backs Mofaz in Kadima race
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – ….
US: Israeli settlements not ‘constructive’
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – ….
Navy’s new super-sub revealed
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – Foreign media say Israel‘s navy ready to test advanced, German-made submarine said to be virtually undetectable by radar, able to launch nuclear missiles ….
PM’s 5th spokesman in 3 years – Liran Dan
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – Netanyahu accepts Yoaz Hendel’s resignation amid tensions over Eshel sex scandal ….
The silence of the West
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – Op-ed: Fogel massacre anniversary reminds us that world tolerates murder of Jewish children ….
Gantz: IDF has room for everyone
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – In first response to court ruling against Tal Law, army chief says IDF capable of providing ‘comfortable environment’ for haredim ….
State approves housing units in Shilo post factum
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – Civil Administration issues construction permits for 505 new housing units, retroactively approves 190 units previously built in West Bank settlement ….
Knesset rejects mandatory service bills
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – As House reels from High Court’s decision to revoke Tal Law, Knesset members debate, dismiss legislation calling for mandatory military, civic service for all citizens ….
Netanyahu’s moment of truth
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – Op-ed: High Court’s ruling on Tal Law will force PM to do what scares him most – make a decision ….
IDF defers Iron Dome deployment in TA
YNet News, 22 Feb 2012 – Military temporarily suspends planned positioning of Iron Dome battery in central Israel, reassigns it back to southern sector ….
Palestinian Information Center
Israeli troops storm Negev jail
PIC – Heavy armed Israeli soldiers stormed ward 7 in the Negev desert prison assisted by dogs and assaulted prisoners on Tuesday evening.
Israeli bulldozers damage wheat fields in the Negev
PIC – Bulldozers of the land of Israel department leveled Palestinian wheat and barley fields in the Negev region, the Israeli radio said on Wednesday.
Israeli policemen arrest 18 Palestinians over Aqsa incidents
PIC – Israeli policemen arrested 18 Palestinians for involvement in the recent Aqsa demonstrations, the Hebrew radio said on Wednesday.
Tadamun: Israeli jailers transfer two ill brothers to Ramla jail
PIC – The international Tadamun (solidarity) society for human rights said two brothers in serious medical condition were transferred from the 1948 occupied land to the hospital of Ramla prison.
Haneyya: Radical steps to be taken to solve Gaza power crisis
PIC – Palestinian premier Ismail Haneyya said the problem of electricity in Gaza would be solved radically through certain mechanisms agreed upon with the Egyptian side.
IOA authorizes building of 500 new housing units in West Bank
PIC – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has endorsed the building of 500 new settlement units in Shilo settlement in the area between Ramallah and Nablus in the West Bank.
IOA confiscates 30 dunums of Palestinian land in Yatta
PIC – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has decided to expropriate 30 dunums of Palestinian cultivated land to the east of Yatta village south of Al-Khalil.
Hamas hold Israel fully responsible for any act against Aqsa Mosque
PIC – Hamas held the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the consequences of its persistent support and protection for its Jewish extremists who escalated recently their break-ins at the Aqsa Mosque.
IOF soldiers kidnap three Palestinians in Gaza Strip
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) kidnapped three Palestinian citizens to the east of Rafah, south of Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, local sources said.
Mishaal-Abbas meeting in Cairo
PIC – Political bureau chairman of Hamas Khaled Mishaal is to meet with Fatah leader and PA chief Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss efforts to form a new government under chairmanship of Abbas.
Abbas, Meshaal to Continue with Reconciliation
WAFA – 22 Feb 2012
Dance Group Urged to Cut Ties to Brand Israel Campaign
WAFA – 22 Feb 2012
UN Deplores Israeli Decision to Expand Settlement
WAFA – 22 Feb 2012
Erekat Condemns Decision to Build 500 Housing Units in Settlements
WAFA – 22 Feb 2012
Administrative Detainees to Boycott Israeli Courts
WAFA – 22 Feb 2012
Largely unnoticed, Maarat Numan, Syria, fends off a regime
LA Times 23 Feb 2012 – The city near the Turkish border has been in a standoff with President Bashar Assad’s forces for months. It keeps fighting, and keeps digging graves. The first shot, apparently fired by a government sniper, scattered children who had gathered near a forlorn pair of rusted…
Calls grow for Assad departure after journalists killed in Syria
LA Times 23 Feb 2012 – Amid allegations that Syria targeted the Homs building where Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik were working, the U.S. and others condemn President Bashar Assad. Two Western journalists were killed Wednesday in the central Syrian city of Homs, prompting renewed condemnation of the government of President…
Ghastly Images Flow From Shattered City of Homs, Syria
New York Times 22 Feb 2012 – During the sustained Syrian Army assault on Homs, videos of the violence are offering a stunningly vivid picture, sometimes live or at least in real time, of life in the city.
Marie Colvin’s Mother Recalls Her Determination to Get the Story
New York Times 22 Feb 2012 – The mother of Marie Colvin, a veteran correspondent for The Sunday Times of London, said her daughter had always been determined to cover the story.
Two Western Journalists Killed in Syria Shelling
New York Times 22 Feb 2012 – The work of Marie Colvin, an American reporter working for The Sunday Times of London, and Rémi Ochlik, a French photographer, foiled Syria’s efforts to limit coverage of the conflict to the outside world.
Chávez Appears to Use Venezuelan Fuel to Help Syrian Leader
New York Times 22 Feb 2012 – The Venezuelan shipment under President Hugo Chávez flies in the face of international efforts to isolate President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and pressure him to step down.
Medvedev Honors Ali Ukla Ursan, a Controversial Syrian Writer
New York Times 22 Feb 2012 – Ali Ukla Ursan, who received the Pushkin Medal, has publicly applauded the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and expressed strong anti-Semitic views.
Refugees From Syria on Edge in Lebanon
New York Times 22 Feb 2012 – Many residents of the Syria’s restive Homs province have increasingly tried to find refuge in Lebanon. Escape involves a short but perilous journey across the border.
Scott Ritter’s Other War
New York Times 22 Feb 2012 – The former United Nations weapons inspector and fierce critic of the Iraq invasion is still fighting, but now against only himself.
Two Journalists Shared Desire to Bear Witness in World’s Hot Spots
New York Times 22 Feb 2012 – Marie Colvin, 56, an American correspondent, covered war-torn regions for The Sunday Times of London, and Rémi Ochlik, 28, a French freelancer, was a rising star among photojournalists.
Randa Musa: ‘My husband, Khader Adnan, has shed a light on Israel’s disregard for human rights’
Mondoweiss – link to www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk link to electronicintifada.net link to www.maannews.net link to 972mag.com link to www.google.com link to www.maannews.net link to www.ynetnews.com link to www.maannews.net link to www.ipsnews.net link towww.bbc.co.uk link to www.alternativenews.org link to www.jpost.com link to www.haaretz.com link to 972mag.com link towww.middleeastmonitor.org.uk link…
Who’s who behind the Olympia Food Co-op lawsuit
Mondoweiss – The first court hearing in the lawsuit against the Olympia Food Co-op will commence on Thursday, February 23. The lawsuit seeks to force the Olympia Food Co-op, the first US grocery store to publicly honor the boycott of Israeli products, to nullify the boycott and once…
Why Israel freed Khader Adnan
Mondoweiss – Khader Adnan will reportedly be released in April, assuming no new evidence is introduced to uphold the assessment that he is a high-risk threat as a member of Islamic Jihad. He has ended his hunger strike after his lawyers and the High Court of Justice worked…
Visualizing Palestine: Hunger strikes
Mondoweiss – For a larger image see here , for more on Visualizing Palestine see their website visualizingpalestine.org . hungerstrike
Why young Palestinians chant the word ‘thawra’
Mondoweiss – The deal to release hunger striker Khader Adnan came about because he had embarrassed Israeli authorities, because of international attention, and because of Palestinian demonstrations in solidarity (as experts from the Institute for Middle East Understanding explained yesterday). Last week in Palestine I went to one…
Khader Adnan Ends Hunger Strike in Triumph
Tikun Olam – Palestinian political prisoner Khader Adnan ended his 65 day hunger strike in an Israeli prison last night, after Israeli authorities made a deal that he would be released in April at the end of his current term. There are a few conditions that might allow Israel…
France’s secret war against the Syrian people
Voltaire Network 22 Feb 2012 – During the assault on the rebel stronghold in the district of Bab Amr in Homs, the Syrian army took more than 1,500 prisoners, mostly foreigners. Of these, a dozen French nationals requested the status of prisoner of war, refusing to give their identity, rank and unit…
012-02-20, Syrian Crisis Updated
Voltaire Network 22 Feb 2012 – Homs Shooting is heard in Al-Mraijah neighborhood and activists talk about RPGs have been fired on the neighborhood by armed rebels. A vehicle with 10 gunmen, 135 guns and 10 RPGs is seized in Homs; 24 gunmen riding a bus in Al-Braij area get arrested with…
Webster Tarpley: “Iran can survive economic sanctions”
Voltaire Network 22 Feb 2012 – “Economic sanctions are a game that two can play,” Webster Tarpley told RT. Iran decided not to wait until July 1, when the EU oil embargo comes into effect, instead imposing its own “boycott on the offending powers, starting with the two biggest imperialist bullies on…
Egypt: Al-Azhar Sheikh Receives Invitation to Participate in Conference to Promote Jerusalem
allAfrica.com 22 Feb 2012 – [Egypt Online] Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim invited Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar Ahmed al-Tayeb to visit Qatar to participate in the Doha international conference to promote Jerusalem, which is held on February 26 and 27, 2012.
Egypt: Iran to Invest U.S.$1.5 Bn in Nation
allAfrica.com 22 Feb 2012 – [Egypt Online] Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri approved on Tuesday 21/2/2012 that Iran Garment Holding Company would establish two new plants for producing small automobiles and manufacturing and filling gas cylinders with $1.5 billion investments.
Africa: UN Experts in Iran to Discuss Concerns of Nuclear Programme
allAfrica.com 22 Feb 2012 – [UN News] A five-member group of experts from the United Nations atomic energy watchdog is today continuing its visit to Iran, where the members are holding talks with officials about international concerns over the country’s nuclear programme.
Looking Past Yemen’s Election
Arab American Institute 22 Feb 2012 – Like Libya and Syria, Yemen?s future remains highly uncertain, and will likely have far-ranging effects on the region for decades to come.
Khader Adnan takes aim at Israel and gives Palestinians hope
Joseph Dana 22 Feb 2012 – Since 1967, Israel has maintained a framework of laws and statutes to govern all aspects of life in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Israel’s occupation law is enforced by soldiers and administered in court rooms by military judges in uniform. Many, if not most, of the laws…
Homs reporters’ deaths condemned
BBC 22 Feb 2012 – The killings of two Western journalists in Homs among 60 reported deaths across Syria spark further outrage towards the Damascus government.
US dismay at IAEA Iranian visit
BBC 22 Feb 2012 – The White House expresses disappointment on the barring of UN nuclear inspectors from a site in Iran, calling the visit a “failure” for Tehran.
Rally Tomorrow to Support Olympia Food Co-op!
US Campaign to End the Occupation 22 Feb 2012 – Responding to the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel, the Olympia Food Co-op voted in July 2010 to boycott Israeli products until Israel ends the occupation, respects Palestinian human rights, and complies with international law. Pro-Israel forces responded by filing a lawsuit…
Articles
Tel Aviv is no haven for asylum seekers
Charlotte Silver, Al Jazeera.com 2/22/2012
African refugees going to Israel take a harrowing journey to get there – only to be left to fend for themselves.
Ramallah, West Bank – The notion of a “Jewish and democratic state”, never a feasible reality, continues to unravel as its inherent racism is revealed in a new way. Any political discussion of refugees that are of the wrong ethnicity inevitably refers to African migration to Israel as an “existential threat”. Labelling these refugees as “threats” allows the state to criminalise and imprison them. Meanwhile, the country continues to solicit immigrants from East Asia to fulfil the need for cheap labour, and Jewish immigrants to battle the internal demographic war.
Brutal violence at the hands of their own governments has forced tens of thousands of people from the horn of Africa into Israel. In response the state has approved a significant rearrangement of its ministries’ budgets, allowing it to pour significantly more money into efforts that punish these refugees for seeking asylum in Israel – a place which has long advertised itself as the only democracy in the Middle East.
State officials estimate that around 2,000 asylum seekers enter the country every month. Most of the men end up in Levinsky Park in southern Tel Aviv. At any time during the day or night, one can find young black African men sitting on the park’s benches, swings and concrete walls. In late January, a man who lived in the park died from exposure during the night.
The majority of the men who live in Levinsky Park are from Eritrea and Darfur. They are luckier than most of their compatriots who remain in the perilous countries from which they have fled, but not so fortunate as those who manage to make it to the USA or Europe. For these refugees, Israel is considered a last-resort destination due to its rapidly worsening conditions for refugees and asylum seekers. more.. e-mail
Never mind Johnny Rotten, real punks boycott Israel
Alexander Billet, Electronic Intifada 2/20/2012
Chicago
“If Elvis-fucking-Costello wants to pull out of a gig in Israel because he’s suddenly got this compassion for Palestinians then good on him. But I have absolutely one rule, right? Until I see an Arab country, a Muslim country, with a democracy, I won’t understand how anyone can have a problem with how they’re treated.”
These words weren’t spoken by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. They didn’t crawl from the bile of AIPAC, Newt Gingrich or some hardened, right-wing ideologue from the heart of the Israel’s illegal settlements. They came from the mouth of John Lydon, a.k.a. Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols.
Most devotees of punk rock stopped taking Lydon seriously well before he started shilling for Country Life butter. To be sure, any and all credibility he once had from his work with the Pistols, or, for that matter, later on with Public Image Ltd (PiL), flew out the window years ago.
It’s also true that the Pistols idiotically paraded around in swastikas during their early years. Still, even taken with that grain of salt, Lydon’s words are profoundly troubling. Like it or not, the former Rotten is considered a granddaddy of punk rock. It’s not far fetched to imagine someone reading his words and thinking his flagrant racism, his willful defense of an apartheid state, are somehow the punk norm. It’s for this reason that Punks Against Apartheid exists.
In the summer of 2011, Punks Against Apartheid came together as an ad hoc formation of BDS activists and punk fans (a formation that, in the interest of full-disclosure, includes this writer). The goal was initially modest: draft a letter and petition urging Jello Biafra, formerly of The Dead Kennedys, to cancel his gig in Tel Aviv with his band The Guantanamo School of Medicine. more.. e-mail
Court gives Israel “licence to pillage” West Bank, say rights groups
Electronic Intifada: 22 Feb 2012 – Jillian Kestler-D’Amours Jerusalem 22 February 2012 JERUSALEM (IPS) – After a recent Israeli high court decision allowed Israeli companies to maintain quarrying and mining activities in the occupied West Bank, human rights activists say the decision has opened the door to Israel’s pillaging of other Palestinian resources.more
Stop the JNF campaign makes steady gains as Israel charity goes “on the retreat” in UK
Electronic Intifada: 22 Feb 2012 – Asa Winstanley London 22 February 2012 Because of the efforts by Palestine solidarity activists to expose the colonization project of the Jewish National Fund, 2012 could perhaps be the organization’s last year holding charity status in the UK.more
An Open Letter to President Abbas
Palestine Chronicle: 22 Feb 2012 – By John V. Whitbeck Dear President Abbas, There was visible and audible euphoria at the UN General Assembly in September when you announced Palestine’s application for UN membership, at UNESCO’s Paris headquarters in October when Palestine was admitted as a member state and at UNESCO again in December when the Palestinian flag was formally raised in your presence (and mine). Since then, nothing … It is understood that you agreed with the Quartet to freeze Palestine’s diplomatic initiatives until January 26 to permit a final effort to initiate meaningful negotiations with Israel. Predictably, that effort failed. However, January 26 has long passed. Still, nothing … I shared your surprise that, with nine of the states on last year’s UN Security Council having already extended diplomatic recognition to the State of Palestine, you could not line up even the nine affirmative votes for Palestine’s admission as a member state necessary to force the…more
False Prophets of Peace – Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 22 Feb 2012 – Reviewed by Ludwig Watzal (Tikva Honig-Parnass, False Prophets of Peace. Liberal Zionism and the Struggle for Palestine, Haymarket Books, Chicago, Ill. 2011, 262 pp.) This book explores the Israeli Zionist Left’s discourse regarding the, Jewish and democratic” State of Israel and all of its ramifications. Such undertaking was overdue because it exposes Zionist left-wing intellectuals as hypocrites. It was not the Israeli right that did the “dirty“ work of legitimatizing colonization, oppression, expulsion, discrimination and dispossession of the original owners of the land, the Palestinians, but left-wing “liberal” intellectuals, especially those of the Zionist Labor movement. They provided not only the political, legal and military establishment with ideological legitimacy but also with a “scientific” one. Through their intellectual twists and turns, they laid the foundations for governmental policies that “have made possible Zionist colonialism in the Apartheid settler state of Israel” (193), writes Tikva Honig-Parnass in her unique book. The…more
US-China’s Dangerous Contest for Asia-Pacific
Palestine Chronicle: 22 Feb 2012 – By Ramzy Baroud On two occasions in my life I found myself living close to the South China Sea. The sea became my escape from life’s pressing responsibilities. But there is no escaping the fact that the deceptively serene waters are now also grounds for a nascent but real new cold war. China takes the name of the sea very seriously. Its claim over the relatively massive water body – laden with oil, natural gas and other resources – is perhaps ‘ill-defined’, per the account of the BBC (Nov 3, 2011), but it is also very serious. Countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei are uneasy but are caught in a bind. China’s growing regional influence – to some, perhaps ‘encroaching hegemony’ – is an uncontested fact of life. To challenge – or balance – the rising Chinese power, these countries face a most difficult choice: accepting China’s…more
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The New Dark Age 