11 March 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Ashrawi: “Israel Is Committing Extrajudicial Executions
IMEMC – Offensive Continues – Child, Elderly Man Killed, 18 Since Friday Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, stated Saturday that Israel is committing crimes and extrajudicial assassinations against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is seeking further provocation in order to destabilize the region, and to provoke the Palestinians into further retaliation. …
7 Palestinians, Including a Child, Killed and 24 Others Wounded
IMEMC – Raising Number of Victims of Ongoing Israeli Military Escalation against the Gaza Strip to 18 Deaths and 35 Injuries Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have continued the military offensive on the Gaza Strip, which they have initiated since Friday evening, 09 March 2012. This morning, two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were killed by an Israeli air strike. Thus, the number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of this offensive has risen to 18 and the number of those wounded has risen to 53. …
Settlers Attack Two Towns Near Hebron
IMEMC – A number of armed extremist Israeli settlers attacked, on Saturday, the outskirts of the towns of Yatta and Bani Neim, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron, while the residents were ordered by the army to stay home. …
Israeli airstrikes kill 3 in Gaza
3/11/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli airstrikes on Sunday killed three people in the Gaza Strip, including a 12-year-old boy, as cross-border violence continued for a third day. Medical spokesman in Gaza Adham Abu Salmiya said Ayoub Useila, 12, was killed in Jabalia refugee camp. His seven-year-old cousin was injured in the attack and….
Hebron man, teen ‘hospitalized after soldiers break up settler clash’
3/11/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces broke up a dispute between Palestinians and Israeli settlers near Hebron on Sunday, briefly detaining three Palestinians. Izhaq Izzat Jaber, 40, said Israelis from the Kiryat Arba settlement seized his mule and cart, prompting a heated argument between him and his son, and the group from the settlement. Israeli….
Gaza brigades claim rocket fire into Israeli cities
3/11/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza militants claimed responsibility for firing rockets into southern Israel, as two missiles landed in a residential area in Israeli city Beersheba on Sunday. Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed 18 Palestinians since Friday, when the assassination of the head of the Popular Resistance Committees sparked a volley….
PRC says militants survived Israeli airstrike
3/11/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Popular Resistance Committee that militants from the group’s armed wing had survived an Israeli airstrike on Saturday evening. The group said that one militant from the An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades sustained light injuries in the attack, which targeted the Beit Hanoun area of northern Gaza….
Egypt in ‘race against time’ to stop Gaza escalation
3/11/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) –Egypt is working extensively to prevent the escalation of cross-border violence between Gaza and Israel, the Egyptian ambassador to the Palestinian Authority said Sunday.” Egypt is in a race against time in order to halt hostilities as soon as possible to avoid further escalations,” Yasser Othman told Ma’an. Egypt…. Related: Hamas delegation arrives in Egypt for talks and Haniyeh: Factions respond positively to Egypt truce efforts
Israeli forces summon released prisoners near Hebron
3/11/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces raided the southern West Bank city of Yatta on Saturday evening, and delivered summons to three former prisoners to appear for questioning. Director of the Palestinian prisoners society in Hebron Amjad Najjar said Thiab Sameer Abu Qbeita, Othman Yasser Abu Iram, and Fawwaz Nawajaa received the orders. All three….
Abbas, Mashaal say Gaza escalation to be avoided
3/11/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Hamas chief-in-exile Khalid Mashaal on Saturday to discuss the ongoing cross border violence between Gaza and Israel, official news agency Wafa reported. Abbas also spoke with Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shallah, with the leaders agreeing that an escalation in the violence should be avoided. They agreed….
West Bank protests Israeli attacks on Gaza
3/11/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Dozens of Palestinians gathered in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday to protest Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip which have killed 18 people since Friday. Demonstrators called for a halt to the violence and condemned the silence of the international community over the deadly fighting, as they gathered….
In photos: Gazans mourn airstrike deaths
3/11/2012 – Reuters / Suhaib Salem – Gazans mourn the loss of relatives in Israeli airstrikes as cross-border violence continues for third consecutive day. 18 Palestinians have been killed since Friday, with at least 25 injured. At least six Israelis have been injured in rocket fire from Gaza….
Israeli forces block cars at Bethlehem checkpoint
3/11/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces held back for several hours hundreds of cars entering Bethlehem via a military checkpoint on Sunday morning, witnesses told Ma’an. Soldiers kept Palestinian-plated cars behind, creating severe traffic jams at the ‘container’ checkpoint, the main thoroughfare between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. An Israeli army spokesman did….
Hamas delegation arrives in Egypt for talks
3/11/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A Hamas delegation headed by Mahmoud Zahhar arrived in Egypt via the Rafah crossing late Saturday for talks, a security source in the coastal enclave told Ma’an. The talks with Egyptian officials will focus on the ongoing border violence between Gaza and Israel, as well as the fuel…. Related: Egypt in ‘race against time’ to stop Gaza escalation and Abbas, Mashaal say Gaza escalation to be avoided
Haniyeh: Factions respond positively to Egypt truce efforts
3/11/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Sunday that Palestinian factions in the coastal strip had responded positively to his contacts with Egypt to halt escalating violence between Gaza and Israel. Egypt is “working around the clock” to halt the fighting, Haniyeh said. Israeli airstrikes have killed 18 Palestinians in the….
Abbas calls Arab League chief over Gaza fighting
3/11/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas called the Secretary General of the Arab League on Sunday to discuss ways to end fighting between Gaza and Israel. Abbas raised the prospect of taking the case to the United Nations Security Council if the violence continues to escalate, in a phone call with Nabil al-Arabi. The….
Ahmadinejad: Iran doesn’t fear bombs and warships
3/11/2012 – DUBAI (Reuters) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has launched a fresh tirade against the West, saying the Islamic Republic does not fear military action, Iranian media reported on Sunday.” The Iranian nation doesn’t fear your bombs and warships and planes. Such weapons are worth nothing,” the Fars News Agency quoted him as saying on….
Evangelical church meets ‘at the checkpoint’
3/11/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — “The evangelical church is waking up,” says Alex Awwad, a founder of the Christ at the Checkpoint conference that packed out a Bethlehem hotel this week. Palestine’s small evangelical Christian population is often described as a minority within a minority. But it has a heavy responsibility. With this year….
Gaza textile workers laid off amid power crisis
3/11/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza’s textile union said Saturday that around 100 production houses have closed amid the power crisis in the coastal strip, with the loss of 1,000 jobs. Union chief Muhammad Hamdan said the factories and workshops that have shut down due to power cuts are the last remnant of….
Egypt MPs move to withdraw confidence from govt
3/11/2012 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Egypt’s parliament voted on Sunday to begin steps to withdraw confidence from the military-appointed government, a move that will pile pressure on the ruling generals to appoint a new cabinet led by the Muslim Brotherhood. A vote of no-confidence would take Egypt into new political waters and could set the stage….
16 civilians shot dead in Afghanistan in US rampage
3/11/2012 – KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) — One or more American soldiers shot dead 16 civilians, including nine children according to Afghan officials, in Afghanistan’s south on Sunday in what witnesses described as a deliberate massacre. NATO said they had detained one US soldier over the killings. Neighbours and relatives of the dead said they had seen….
Egypt army court acquits doctor over virginity test
3/11/2012 – CAIRO (Reuters) — A military court acquitted on Sunday an army doctor who was charged with carrying out a forced virginity test on a female detainee during protests last year, a court source said. Samira Ibrahim, an activist, had said she was forced to undergo a test in March. Her case and other similar ones stoked….
Annan says Syria deal will be tough, but is hopeful
3/11/2012 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan said it would be hard to reach a deal to halt bloodshed in Syria, but expressed optimism after meeting President Bashar Assad for a second day on Sunday.”It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be difficult but we have to have hope….
International Solidarity Movement
After much injustice, Beit Dajan debuts its peaceful resistance
3/11/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Jonas Weber, 9 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – Several hundred villagers gathered today in Beit Dajan to the first ever demonstration against the roadblock that has been 2 martyrs of Beit Dajan obstructing access to the village since the beginning of the second Intifada. The peaceful demonstration was met with a heavy tear gas from….
Bruqin: International Women’s Day Demonstration for Hana Shalabi
3/11/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Jeff, 8 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – Yesterday, several hundred people traveled from around the West Bank to the village of Bruqin to mark the occasion of International Women’s Day and protest against Israel’s continued imprisonment and confinement of hunger striker Hana Shalabi. Bruqin is Shalabi’s….
Caught on Tape: Drunk settlers in Al Khalil assault two international women; Israeli military admits special relationship with violent settlers
3/11/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – 11 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – On March 9 2012, 6 volunteers of International Solidarity Movement were walking down Shuhada Street near Checkpoint 55 at approximately 11 AM, when drunk settlers attacked the group and injured one international volunteer. About 5 drunk male settlers began to scream at and surround the internationals, yelling….
Alternative Information Center
BDS on Trial in Paris: A Masquerade
Alternative Information Center – A masquerade, lies and hypocrisy were once again on show last Thursday (8 March) in the Court of Appeal of Paris, where Olivia Zémor appeared for posting on the website www.europalestine.com a video of a boycott…
Gaza power plant shuts down for third time in a month
Relief Web 10 Mar 2012 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 03/10/2012 18:44 GMT GAZA CITY, March 10, 2012 (AFP) – The Gaza Strip’s sole power plant shut down on Saturday for the third time in a month due to a shortage of fuel,…
Commission on Status of Women Approves Seven Draft Texts, but Suspends Fifty-sixth Session Pending Approval of ‘Agreed Conclusions’ on Rural Women
Relief Web 10 Mar 2012 – Source: UN Commission on the Status of Women , UN Economic and Social Council Country: World , occupied Palestinian territory WOM/1904 Commission on the Status of Women Fifty-sixth Session 17th & 18th Meetings (AM & PM) Draft Resolution Reaffirming Israeli Occupation Major…
Israeli air strikes kill 15 in Gaza
Relief Web 10 Mar 2012 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory , Israel 03/11/2012 00:52 GMT by Mai Yaghi GAZA CITY, March 11, 2012 (AFP) – Israeli air strikes on Gaza killed 16 Palestinians, including a top militant, medics said early Sunday, as militants fired…
USAID Supports Gender Equality through Women’s Media Center
Relief Web 9 Mar 2012 – Source: US Agency for International Development Country: occupied Palestinian territory USAID’s Civic Engagement Program is empowering women through a project it is implementing together with the Women, Media and Development organization, commonly referred to as TAM, in Bethlehem City. The…
Two dead in Gaza vehicle explosion – witnesses
Relief Web 9 Mar 2012 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet Country: occupied Palestinian territory GAZA, March 9 (Reuters) – A vehicle exploded in the Palestinian territory of Gaza on Friday and medical sources said at least two people died in the blast. Read the full report…
012
Relief Web 9 Mar 2012 – Source: World Health Organization Country: occupied Palestinian territory In summary: ·In February, 91.5% (701 patients) of all patient applications for permits were approved, an improvement over the 2011 average of 90%. However, 10 patients (1.3%) who applied for a permit…
Syria bid to resolve Yusuf dispute
The National 11 Mar 2012 – Dubai police chief threatened to arrest cleric over criticism
Tit-for-tat strikes pose dilemma for Hamas
The National 11 Mar 2012 – Analysts say Hamas is trying to appear tough with Israel without alienating it allies, who want the rocket attacks to stop.
Truck fire snarls traffic on main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
Top Israeli security official to visit India, month after New Delhi terror attack
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
Report: Hamas, Islamic Jihad chiefs committed to Gaza cease-fire
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
Netanyahu: Israel has dealt strong blow to Gaza terrorist groups
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
Iron Dome intercepts Gaza rockets over Ashdod, as escalation continues for third day
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
Lull in rocket barrage as Hamas reports ceasefire
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Rocket firing appears to come to a halt, as Hamas TV reports that Israel informed Egypt it would stop IAF strikes in Gaza; over 160 rockets and mortar shells fall on Israel in 3 day period.
Facing Hamas
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Unfortunately, sooner or later our leaders will be forced to confront Hamas.
Analysis: Creating diplomatic maneuverability
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Because of Iron Dome‘s success, Israel’s leadership is under less pressure from the public which is under rocket fire.
Candidly Speaking: Can Obama be trusted?
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Obama is asking Israel to trust him and await the outcome of sanctions without providing a time frame for sanctions.
Israel calls on UN to condemn rocket attacks from Gaza
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Israel’s deputy ambassador to UN sends lett calling on UN secretary general, Security Council to do everything in their power to “stop rocket fire… on Israeli civilians, in violation of int’l law.”
Reality Check: A true friend
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – A true friend will act exactly the way US President Obama has acted toward Israel throughout his presidency.
Jewish Ideas Daily: A convenient hatred
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – With some 1,000 books currently in print on the subject, does the world desperately need another tome on anti-Semitism?
Migron settlers sign relocation agreement
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – W. Bank outpost to be moved 2 kms away from present location as part of deal which residents say “will prevent civil war.”
From hated politician to beloved president
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Peres is the most popular figure in Israel today, with 81% of the public expressing satisfaction with his performance.
The Region: Factors affecting a war with Iran
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – It is quite right to be worried and hesitant about entering a war with Iran.
‘Egypt warned PRC that Qaisi’s life was in danger’
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Egyptian intelligence, local sources warned of Israel’s intention to assassinate organization’s leader, PRC spokesperson says.
‘Egypt warned PRC that Qeisi’s life was in danger’
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Egyptian intelligence, local sources warned of Israel’s intention to assassinate organization’s leader, PRC spokesperson says.
Jewish identity and democratic values
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – In Israel, as in many other countries in the world, religious identity and democracy are not mutually exclusive.
Far-right MK defies police and enters Nazareth
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – National Union MK Ben-Ari takes advantage of parliamentary immunity and enters city to protest Balad, MK Zoabi.
Palestinian seeking truce, Israel not in hurry
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Two Palestinian parties say Egypt is playing a major role in efforts to end violence between terrorists, IDF; Hamas says its working with Palestinian factions to broker ceasefire.
Mofaz warns Livni will split Kadima if she loses
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Kadima leadership candidate says Livni shouldn’t run in elections; Livni responds that her opponent is playing politics.
Iran: Bring Israeli leaders to justice for crimes
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Tehran’s Foreign Ministry calls Israeli actions in Gaza “war crimes”, “state terrorism”; Egypt working to halt escalation.
A week after snowstorms: 30 degrees in Tel Aviv
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Weather forecasters said heatwave would be temporary, predicting seasonal temperatures and rain later this week.
IDF to deploy 4th Iron Dome battery within weeks
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – IAF colonel says system demonstrating impressive results; Iron Dome has intercepted 39 rockets since start of escalation.
The water district
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Don’t miss out on the Nature and Heritage Preservation Week events at the national parks, especially in the Upper Galilee.
‘US might not know if Iran started building nuke’
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – ‘LA Times’ quotes senior US officials as saying Washington not necessarily able to detect Tehran’s clandestine activities.
Jerusalem homeless evicted ahead of marathon
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Sacher Park tent-dwellers distressed about lack of permanent solutions.
IDF: Increase in Schalit prisoners’ terror activity
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Top IDF official voices notes dramatic increase in attempts by Palestinian terror groups to smuggle money into West Bank.
Raising the white flag
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Rise of syncretic religions promotes chaos, not harmony between different faiths.
Gantz: IDF will respond to all rocket attacks
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Amid worst flare-up in Gaza since October, IDF chief says Israel isn’t interested in escalation; Netanyahu tells cabinet: Despite killing of terror mastermind, attack emanating from Sinai remains a danger.
Annan holds 2nd round of talks with Syria’s Assad
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – UN-Arab League envoy attempts to make progress in efforts to promote a ceasefire after 1st round of talks yields few results.
Egypt working to halt escalation of Gaza violence
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Cairo’s envoy to Palestinian territories, calls Israeli attacks in Gaza “unjustifiable,” rejects claims of terror threat from Sinai.
Photo gallery: Rocket attacks rain down on South
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – View pictures of launched rockets, rocket-caused damage, air strikes, funeral of terrorist.
Analysis: Easy to start, hard to end
Jerusalem Post 10 Mar 2012 – Israel knew that it could expect rockets when it made the decision to assassinate the leader of the PRC.
Up to the challenge
Jerusalem Post 10 Mar 2012 – At age 21, Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov has already captured a number of coveted prizes in Israel and abroad.
Israeli military release footage of air strikes that killed 18 Palestinians – video
The Guardian 11 Mar 2012 – Prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu pledges tough action over rockets launched from Gaza
Gaza air strikes kill 18 Palestinians
The Guardian 11 Mar 2012 – Boy, 12, among dead as Israeli PM says forces have ‘extracted a very high price’ and rockets are fired into Israel from Gaza A 12-year-old boy was killed in Gaza on Sunday amid a spiralling round…
A typical Gaza wedding | Harriet Sherwood
The Guardian 11 Mar 2012 – Marriage celebrations reveal a side of life in the city that westerners rarely see: joyful, glamorous and feminine She slips through the door resembling any other Gaza girl, head scarf and jilbab concealing her hair and…
Israel Faces an Army of the Ultra-Orthodox
IPS The High Court of Justice in Israel has annulled the 2002 Tal Law that had allowed Yeshiva students – scholars of Jewish religious texts – to avoid an otherwise mandatory service in the Israeli army. While politicians on the left and right welcome the court’s decision, the Haredim community considers…
7 Palestinians, Including a Child, Killed and 24 Others Wounded, Raising Number of Victims of Ongoing Israeli Military Escalation against the Gaza Strip to 18 Deaths and 35 Injuries
Uruknet March 11, 2012 – Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have continued the military offensive on the Gaza Strip, which they have initiated since Friday evening, 09 March 2012. This morning, two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were killed by an Israeli air strike. Thus, the number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of this offensive has risen…
Cageprisoners exclusive: 16-year old girl targeted by FBI for being ‘too Muslim’
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – In 2005, 16-year old Amatur-Rahman was already being monitored by FBI agents in the US, seemingly due to her increasing interest in her faith. After being approached by FBI agents, including a British-born Pakistani Muslim female officer, she was arrested and detained for seven weeks without charge. She was subsequently deported to…
012 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – The number of martyrs of Syria today has raised to 63, 46 martyrs in Idlib, of whom 16 were killed in an ambush in Jisr Al-Shoghour,Eight martyrs (including 5 defected soldiers) in Daraa “Gasam, Inkhel,Jasem and Giza” ,five martyrs in Homs, three martyrs Damascus Suburbs “Daraya and Douma” and a martyr in…
No guards to protect 700 Mesopotamian sites in Iraq’s Kirkuk
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – There are 700 archaeologically significant sites in the northern Province of Kirkuk but there are only 20 guards to protect them from smugglers and illegal diggers, the head Antiquities Department in the province said… He said there were already “encroachments” on several ancient mounds in the province. “We have registered 60 violations…
Hezbollah rejects Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – Hezbollah’s number two Sheikh Naim Qassem rejected Saturday the idea of establishing refugee camps for Syrians fleeing violence in their country, saying these would ultimately pose a threat to Lebanon and its neighbor. “We cannot accept refugee camps for Syrians in Lebanon because any camp for Syrians in Lebanon will turn to…
Youth Movement Promotes US Military Presence in Central Africa
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – …The platform of social media is being used in unprecedented new ways, one such example is a new online documentary about the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), an extremist rebel group operating in Central Africa. The documentary is unprecedented, not for its educational attributes but for its capacity to use visual branding, merchandising…
The Greek agony
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – In his novel 1984, George Orwell coined the term “Newspeak” for an ideologically charged language that stands reality on its head. The word “haircut” as applied to the write-down of Greek government debt should be added to the vocabulary of Newspeak. What is publicly presented as the financial markets’ “sacrifice,” a “waiver”…
Targeting Iraqi youth
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – The targeting of Iraqi youth continues. Alsumaria TV reports that cleric Moqtada al-Sadr declared today that Emo youths were the scourge of society, insane, a dark evil within the Muslmin community and called for their deaths (“finish them off under the threat of law”). … Ahmed Rahseed and Mohammed Ameer (Reuters) report today, “…
The Women of Palestine and the Struggle for Liberation
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – Hayat Al-Balbisi had always wanted to be a teacher. But her father was dead, her mother paralyzed and sick at home, her sister blind, leaving the family with no supporter. So Hayat, a student at the Teachers College in Jerusalem, decided to search for a job to support her family and support…
The strangulation of a village
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – Sheikh Nasri looks resigned as he describes his home as “the most terrorised village in the country”. With 34,000 uprooted trees in the last two years and some 4,800 dunams of land stolen, the village of Al Jab’a has little to smile about. Eighteen of the one hundred houses in Jaba have…
Canada’s Zionist lobby exposed in new book
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – In the summer of 2009, an academic conference co-sponsored by York University and Queen’s University proceeded without incident at the Glendon College Campus in Toronto, Ontario. Leading up to the event, however, York officials anticipated demonstrations and campaigns aimed at halting graduate contributions to the university. One expects academic events to be…
012 : A Video Roundup
Uruknet
Israel’s Ruthless Golani Brigade
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – On February 28, 1948, David Ben-Gurion formed Golani to help ethnically cleanse Palestine during Israel’s War of Independence. Ariel Sharon was one of its first commanders. Earlier he was a notorious Hagana terror gang one and Alexandroni death squad head. In 1953, he established the infamous Unit 101. It included lawless cutthroats…
Iraqi government complicit with emo and LGBT massacres
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – The Iraqi Interior Ministry knew about the plan to massacre emo’ youths and LGBT people and are complicit in up to 100 killings, new evidence suggests. Gay Star News can exclusively reveal that Iraqi officials had a list of people who were scheduled for slaughter but did nothing to protect them. And…
Palestinian Children Inherit Political Separation
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – For Taiseer Khatib and his wife Lana, the most difficult aspect of Israel’s policy of forced family separation is the impact it is having on their children. “Our children are paying the price psychologically. We are trying to protect them, but they have a good sense of what’s going on and they…
The Kazakhstan Massacre: Killing Hope to Benefit US Geopolitical Interests
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – December 16, 2011, should have been, at minimum, a fairly bright day for the people of Kazakhstan marking the country’s Independence Day and 20th birthday. But rather than being a moment of celebration, it became a day of brutal repression and death, a bloody scene in the regional center of Zhanaozen …The…
No Talks With Opposition Groups, Assad Says ?
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – A top diplomat came face to face Saturday with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in an attempt to stop the carnage while on the streets, security forces continued to kill with impunity. Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan met with al-Assad in Damascus in negotiations aimed at pushing the Syrian leader to order…
Envoy dismays Syrian opposition by backing political solution
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – THE Syrian opposition reacted angrily to calls by Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary-general, for dialogue with the government of the President, Bashar al-Assad, saying Mr Annan was ”living on Mars”. On the eve of Mr Annan’s arrival in Damascus yesterday, activists reported a further 82 deaths across the country, including…
Doctor King and the Obama Doctrine: Undoing the Dream of Justice
Uruknet March 10, 2012 – An alternative scenario rooted in ghastly reality: WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama today bestowed posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom awards on the “Deep Six” team of national security operatives who carried out the extrajudicial killing of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. “For too long, these heroes have gone…
Gaza power station shuts for third time
Uruknet March 10, 2012 — Gaza’s sole power station was shut down on Saturday evening due to lack of fuel supplies, the third closure in the past month. A Ma’an correspondent said parts the Gaza Strip were plunged into darkness, but limited power was available in some locations. The new closure comes just days after the plant…
Iran’s UN fact sheet: Weapons track not confirmed
Daily Star 11 Mar 2012 Nine years ago, the United States invaded Iraq after telling the world that Saddam Hussein had covert weapons programs that could build nuclear arms.
Israeli air strikes kill 15 in Gaza
Daily Star 11 Mar 2012 Israeli air strikes on Gaza killed 15 Palestinians, including a top militant, medics said on Saturday, as militants fired 100 rockets into the Jewish state.
Hezbollah: U.S. mission in Lebanon running operations against Syria
Daily Star 11 Mar 2012 The deputy head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, accused the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon Sunday of running smuggling operations and arming groups against Syria.
Hapoel Tel Aviv punished after derby loss
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – ….
Slandering the Jewish state
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – Op-ed: Instead of criticizing ‘Israeli apartheid,’ rights group should focus on Syria, Saudi Arabia ….
Hamas: Egypt working ‘around the clock’ to halt violence
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – More than 40 rockets hit Israel Sunday, but Islamist group says armed factions ‘responded positively’ to Cairo’s truce efforts; army chief Gantz cancels US trip due to escalation. IDF spokesman: Islamic Jihad acting as ‘long arm’ of Iran ….
Report: Airstrike kills 3 militants in south Yemen
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – ….
Migron residents, State sign evacuation deal
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – After months of negotiations, residents of West Bank settlement sign voluntary evacuation agreement in local synagogue. Deal states they’ll relocate to nearby hill. ‘We had no choice,’ they say ….
Rocket explodes near Ofakim; 2 near Eshkol Regional Council
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – ….
Chief of staff cancels New York trip due to Gaza escalation
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – ….
200 Palestinian owned olive tree saplings uprooted near Tekoa
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – ….
‘Iron Dome has its failings’
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – With Beersheba suffering two direct hits in less than an hour, Air Force tries to lower public’s expectations of rocket interception system. ‘There is no hermetic seal’ ….
PM to southern council heads: IDF dealing heavy blows
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – Netanyahu visits Iron Dome battery, says army will continue to target ‘those trying to harm civilians’ ….
Israel, hit Gaza hard
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – Op-ed: Israel should use Gaza’s language, which is different than language of Western logic ….
Gantz: IDF will continue to retaliate to rocket fire
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – Rockets continue to hit south; one Grad intercepted, another hits empty school in Beersheba. IDF chief says Israel does not seek escalation ‘but Hamas controls Gaza’ ….
Minister Livnat’s car parks in disabled spot
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – Mother of boy with cerebral palsy denied access to disabled parking spot outside Tel Aviv arts center before Purim show; minister apologizes, says especially sensitive to disabled people’s needs ….
Israel warns Shalit detainees
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – IDF, Shin Bet summon Palestinian prisoners freed in Shalit deal for talk as terror fears grow ….
Thank you, Iron Dome
YNet News, 11 Mar 2012 – Op-ed: Without innovative anti-rocket system, IDF would be operating inside Gaza by now ….
Palestinian Information Center
Gazans need to be armed to defend themselves
PIC – The ongoing pornographic killings in the Gaza Strip at Israel’s criminal hands underscore the urgent need for arming these proud and oppressed Gazans to defend themselves and their children.
Haneyya: Egypt exerting big efforts to end the Israeli aggression
PIC – Palestinian premier in Gaza Strip said on Sunday that Egypt was exerting big efforts to halt the Israeli aggression on the enclave that claimed the lives of 18 Palestinians so far.
Woman, child injured in fresh Israeli raid
PIC – A fresh Israel air raid near the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis on Sunday evening wounded a child and a woman, local sources said.
Hamdan: Hamas will not give up armed resistance
PIC – Osama Hamdan, a Hamas leader, has said that the Israeli military escalation against the Gaza Strip was part of the Israeli aggressive nature.
Israeli raid kills an old man
PIC – A 60-year-old Palestinian man was killed in downtown Gaza city in an Israeli air raid at noon Sunday, local sources told the PIC.
Jewish settlers attack foreign solidarity activists near Nablus
PIC – Jewish settlers attacked a group of foreign solidarity activists and Palestinian shepherds while heading to their land in Khirbat Yanun near Aqraba village in Nablus.
Political detainee in PA jail rushed to hospital
PIC – The PA intelligence apparatus carried political detainee Anas Abu Markhia to hospital after one week of going on hunger strike, local sources in Al-Khalil said on Sunday.
Batesh: No room for calm amidst Israeli escalation
PIC – Khaled Al-Batesh, a leader of the Islamic Jihad movement, has asserted in a TV statement that there is no room for talk about calm in Gaza since the Israeli aggression on the enclave did not stop.
IOF soldiers arrest three Palestinians in Halhul
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up three Palestinian citizens including two of one family from their homes in Halhul village, to the north of Al-Khalil, at dawn Sunday.
Palestinian detainee bleeding in detention
PIC – The health of Palestinian detainee Mahmoud Al-Muslemani is rapidly deteriorating and is suffering from internal bleeding in Israeli captivity.
All the News from All Angles
Intifada-Palestine: 11 Mar 2012 – Bahrainis rally for political reforms in Budayia City, West of the capital Manama, on March 9, 2012. Paul Balles This morning burning tires on the highway filled the air with black smoke and blocked traffic. Yesterday, Molotov cocktails killed a policeman… more
“We Control America”
Intifada-Palestine: 11 Mar 2012 – By: Jamal Kanj In meeting with settlers in the “Jewish only” colony of Ofra in 2001, Benjamin Netanyahu was caught on camera explaining how he sabotaged the Oslo peace accords and bragging that: “… America is something that can be moved… more
The Accusation Of “Anti-Semitism” I: Zionism, “Jewish Israelis” And Revisionism
Intifada-Palestine: 11 Mar 2012 – by Jonathan Azaziah Prelude: In the wake of my two-part deconstruction of “mask of Zion” wearer Uri Avnery and the grave intellectual and ideological problems within the International Palestine Solidarity Movement, I was accused of “anti-Semitism” by a well-known voice within… more
Peace envoy to Syria is optimistic despite failed talks
LA Times 12 Mar 2012 – Former U.N. chief Kofi Annan leaves Syria after two days of talks with President Bashar Assad. ‘We have to have hope,’ he says. A special peace envoy to Syria failed to win a cease-fire agreement after two days of talks with President Bashar Assad, but…
Syria activists keep parallel medical system supplied
LA Times 11 Mar 2012 – As casualties mount in Syria, volunteers risk their lives to ferry medicine and other supplies to underground clinics used by the opposition.
Kofi Annan meets with Syria President Bashar Assad
LA Times 11 Mar 2012 – As tanks reportedly attack rebels in Idlib, the former U.N. chief holds talks in a bid to head off what world leaders fear could become a full-fledged civil war. A high-level peace envoy urged Syrian President Bashar Assad to take “concrete steps” to end the…
Skeptics doubt U.S. can be certain about Iran’s nuclear progress
LA Times 11 Mar 2012 – Iran‘s record of deceit fuels worry over President Obama’s assurances that he’ll know if Tehran starts trying to build a nuclear weapon. Despite President Obama’s assurances that the United States will know if Tehran begins to secretly build a nuclear bomb, some senior officials familiar…
U.N. Envoy Leaves Syria Without Deal to End Conflict
New York Times 11 Mar 2012 – As the conflict ground on with heavy shelling in Idlib, Kofi Annan, a former secretary general, said he was optimistic about the possibility of a deal to end the fighting.
Gaza Fighting Continues, Despite Truce Efforts
New York Times 11 Mar 2012 – Egypt and Hamas made efforts to restore calm on Sunday, as cross-border violence between Israel and smaller Palestinian groups killed two civilians.
Egyptian Court Acquits Doctor Over ‘Virginity Tests’
New York Times 11 Mar 2012 – The ruling by a military court came after a civilian court had concluded that the military had wrongly forced detained protesters to undergo forced “virginity tests.”
In Iraq, Killings Strike Fear in Gay and Emo Youths
New York Times 11 Mar 2012 – A recent spate of killings and intimidation aimed at gay Iraqis and teenagers dressed in brash Western fashions is sending waves of fear through Iraq’s secular circles.
Israel is sucking up all the oxygen in the White House
Mondoweiss – Obama had his 9th meeting with the leader of which state of 7 million people last week? Editor: Last weekend at Occupy AIPAC, Bruce Wolman remarked that the lobby demands so much diplomatic attention from the White House that it takes away Obama’s ability to deal…
Israel’s bogus case for bombing Gaza obscures political motives
Mondoweiss – Max Blumenthal In the last two days, Israeli forces have killed at least 15 residents of the Gaza Strip and wounded over 30. Among the dead are two young boys (see here and here ), while the wounded included a reporter from the Ma’an News Agency and…
#USWeaponBombGaza trends globally
Mondoweiss – link to www.palestine-info.co.uk ‘–> link to www.imemc.org link to www.imemc.org ‘–> link tonews.yahoo.com link to www.palestinemonitor.org link to mondoweiss.net link to angryarab.blogspot.com ‘–> link towww.youtube.com link to palestinechronicle.com ‘–> link to dissidentvoice.org link to www.presstv.ir link towww.youtube.com link to www.amnesty.org link to www.bbc.co.uk…
US attack on Iran would alienate Muslims worldwide — NPR
Mondoweiss – Paul Pillar In the last week or so, Robert Siegel at National Public Radio has raised American blood pressure with three interviews of hawks on Iran: American-Israeli ambassador Michael Oren , Atlantic correspondent and former Israeli soldier Jeffrey “Point of No Return” Goldberg , and Israeli security analyst…
Obama victory over Netanyahu gained support, time
Mondoweiss – Chris McGreal in the Guardian says that Obama slam-dunked Netanyahu this week, and that the world applauds it, even Israel. By doing so, Obama has gained time, McGreal says. In his speech to Aipac, Obama took aim at Israel for “too much loose talk of war”….
David Grossman on Israeli Attack Against Iran: ‘It Would Destroy Chance of Peace for Generations’
Tikun Olam – Tweet David Grossman (Ben Heine) In an interview in The Nation , David Grossman, Israel’s leading novelist and moral conscience, expresses the conviction that Bibi Netanyahu and Ehud Barak want a war against Iran: …He said he had “a very bad feeling” that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…
Egypt: Egypt-Saudi Arabia Trade Exchange Up to $31 Billion
allAfrica.com 11 Mar 2012 – [Egypt Online] Egyptian Transport Minister Galal Moustafa al-Saeed on Saturday 10/3/2012 said the proposed bridge linking between Egypt and Saudi Arabia will double trade exchange to around $31 billion in two years.
Annan ‘optimistic’ over Syria
BBC 11 Mar 2012 – Envoy Kofi Annan says he is optimistic after more talks with the Syrian leader, but admits there is no deal yet to end the bloodshed.
Egypt clears virginity test medic
BBC 11 Mar 2012 – A military court in Egypt acquits an army doctor accused of carrying out forced “virginity tests” on women protesters, state media reports.
Articles
Testimonies from the heart of darkness
Tamar Fleishman, Al-Ahram Weekly 3/8/2012
In the second instalment of her reports from the occupied West Bank, Tamar Fleishman describes sentences handed down in Israeli military courts.
What does a military judge know about childhood in the Qalandiya refugee camp, about growing up in the shadow of the Wall, or by the checkpoint that in its very essence is an expression of violence? What does such a judge know of a habitat of poverty and wretchedness that for a while now has been serving as a hunting ground for soldiers who with no hesitation follow a commander that says “make them feel hounded” and perform what is known in their jargon as a “violent patrol”? Both of these expressions are to be found in testimonies from Israeli soldiers.
What do military judges know about a life of precariousness, where locked doors are burst open in the middle of the night, when a father’s arms and a mother’s bosom aren’t able to provide protection in the face of incriminations, thefts, false accusations and beatings?
On the way to Ofer on the occupied West Bank I always hope that I will not recognise those on trial, that anonymity will be preserved, and that I will only get a glance of their desperation. I always hope that the names will not be familiar and that the faces will not be carved in my memory. However, these hopes were crushed one morning when I froze in front of a child, the youngest of those I had seen on the bench on trial.
Ibrahim Abul-Aish was 16, but his body appeared smaller than would be expected at that age. This was before the Israeli authorities changed the age of adulthood for Palestinian children, in order to create the appearance of equality before the law. Up until recently, anyone who had reached his or her 16th birthday was considered an adult in the eyes of the Israeli military court system. more.. e-mail
Giving up on reconciliation
Saleh Al-Naami, Al-Ahram Weekly 3/8/2012
After some hope of overcoming internal divisions, Palestinian factions are as far from reconciliation as they ever were.
The emotional state of Mohamed Motlaq, a Hamas MP, was clear to everyone as he met his eldest son Moaz when the latter was released after being imprisoned by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s intelligence agency. What evoked Motlaq’s emotional state was the sharp deterioration in Moaz’s health because of the brutal torture he endured in prison. The MP said Moaz suffered the same torture that many Hamas activists suffer in the prisons of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and views it as a tax that Palestinians must pay because of continued political fractures. The families of Hamas members imprisoned by the PA confirm that their relatives are being tortured, while dozens of arrests and interrogations are reported.
The Palestinian scene is depressing. One month after signing the Doha Declaration facts on the ground are far from reconciliatory, which proves that tensions between the two main political groups — Fatah and Hamas — have deepened since the Doha Declaration despite meetings of the factions in Cairo. In fact, new issues of contention have come to light between Hamas and Fatah, making it impossible to reach agreement on implementing the Doha Declaration under current conditions.
Fatah has threatened Hamas with “unexpected measures” if it carries out the death sentence issued by a military tribunal in Gaza against a Fatah activist convicted of killing a leading figure in Hamas during confrontations between the two groups that started in mid-2007. Fatah spokesman Osama Al-Qawasma warned: “If Hamas takes such action, it will exacerbate the Palestinian scene and destroy conciliatory efforts.” Al-Qawasma said that the death sentence would “assassinate conciliation”.
However, the interior ministry in Gaza countered that this is a man convicted of murder and that this type of criminal cannot be categorised as a “political prisoner”. more.. e-mail
Bomb-Iran week turns ’Syrious’
Jim Lobe, Asia Times 3/10/2012
WASHINGTON – This past week was supposed to be all about Iran – at least, that’s how Israel and its powerful US lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), had planned it – and why the US should prepare to bomb it very, very soon if its leadership doesn’t cave into Western demands to abandon its nuclear program.
By week’s end, however, the most urgent foreign policy issue with which US policymakers and their media camp followers were grappling was whether to bomb Syria first instead.
Remarkably, the sudden deviation was triggered by Tuesday’s dramatic call on the floor of the senate by Republican Senator John McCain for the US to provide decisive support to rebels battling to oust the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
“The only realistic way to do so is with foreign air power,” declared McCain, whose strategy was swiftly endorsed by his two hawkish fellow-travellers, Republican Senator Lindsay Graham and independent Senator Joseph Lieberman.
“The United States should lead an international effort to protect key population centres in Syria, especially in the north, through airstrikes on Assad’s forces,” he declared, touching off a vigorous new debate that radiated from the Capitol to the Pentagon and the White House about how deeply and how violently to become involved in yet another predominantly Muslim Middle Eastern country.
While Defence Secretary Leon Panetta rejected McCain’s proposal, the administration appears to be moving closer to providing some forms of “non-lethal” equipment to the opposition by week’s end.
What was most remarkable about the move by the “Three Amigos”, as they are sometimes called in part, was its timing. more.. e-mail
Gaza Activists Prepare for Israeli Apartheid Week
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Mar 2012 – By Rana B. Baker and Joe Catron – Gaza After two successful Israeli Apartheid Weeks (IAWs) in 2010 and 2011, the Palestinian Students’ Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel (PSCABI), together with the One Democratic State Group (ODSG) and the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), are gearing up for Gaza’s third IAW. PSCABI is a group of young Gaza students and recent graduates who are highly committed to the Palestinian civil society call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. They founded the organization early in 2009, shortly after Operation Cast Lead, on their belief that Gaza should encourage and further inspire international solidarity groups around the world. PSCABI has established links with numerous universities and student groups in many countries including the United States, Great Britain, and Italy, and will hold joint events with several over Skype during IAW, which begins…more
Israel, the US Watchdog in the Middle East
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Mar 2012 – By Hasan Afif El-Hasan Britain and France won World War I and divided the Arab countries to the east of the Mediterranean, and Britain issued Balfour Declaration that designated Palestine as a homeland for worldwide Jews. And when Israel was created in 1948, Israel placed itself on the side of the colonial powers including the French in Algeria. Israel has become the West main consideration as a political and military constituent in the Middle East. When President Nasser of Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, the artery for the tankers carrying oil to the West, Israel joined the colonialist Britain and France in declaring war on Egypt provoking world-wide condemnation and forcing even the US to call for restraint to avoid confrontation with the Soviet Union. Israel proved itself in the Suez War as an accomplished team player, a serious military power and the West colonialists provided it with the first…more
Why Boycott Strauss?
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Mar 2012 – By Vacy Vlazna The Palestinian Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement was given an unlikely boost last month with strident calls in Israel to boycott the Strauss Group after two months of protests outside the homes of its company’s executives including its chairman, Ofra Strauss. BDS activists looked on bemused by the sweet irony of a ‘solidarity’ that committed the cardinal sin of anti-semitism – boycotting Jewish businesses which has long raised the false spectre of Nazi comparisons. When Australian BDS activists targeted Strauss’ Max Brenner outlets last year, Australia’s now ex-prime-minister-ex-foreign-minister joined the anti-boycott fray with a politically motivated sanctimonious statement, ”As an individual citizen – that is me, K. Rudd – I am here because I object to the boycotting of Jewish businesses”. So why were angry Israelis calling for boycott against the Jewish Strauss company? Well, not because the Strauss Group, Israel’s second largest food company with a…more
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The New Dark Age 