12 March 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
11 Detainees Wounded, One seriously, In Asqalan Prison
IMEMC – Israeli soldiers broke, on Monday at dawn, into Asqalan prison, and attacked dozens of Palestinian political prisoners, wounding eleven, one seriously. The soldiers tried to force several detainees to submit to naked body search. …
Father, Daughter, Killed In Israeli Air Strike
IMEMC – Death Toll Rises To 23 Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported Monday that a father and his daughter were killed when the Israeli Air Force bombarded Tal Az-Za’tar area in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. …
Airstrike Kills Child, Wounds Six In Northern Gaza, Death Toll 21
IMEMC – A Palestinian child was killed, on Monday morning, and six others were injured, while they were heading to school in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. 21 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 100 have been wounded by army Israeli fire since Friday evening. …
Palestinian Killed, 37 Wounded, In 7 Israeli Air Strikes
IMEMC – Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported that one Palestinian was killed, and 33 residents, mostly children, were injured in a new wave of Israeli air strikes targeting several areas in the coastal region, on Monday at dawn and Monday morning. …
35 Residents, Mainly Children, Wounded In Fresh Israeli Attack
IMEMC – The Israeli Air Force carried out, earlier on Monday at dawn, a new wave of air strikes targeting several areas in the Gaza Strip causing excessive damage while 35 Palestinians, most of them children, were injured. Resistance factions continue to fire homemade shells in retaliation to the Israeli offensive. …
5 killed, 46 injured in fourth day of Gaza airstrikes
3/12/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli airstrikes killed two Islamic Jihad militants and three civilians on Monday, bringing the death toll since Friday to 23 people, medics and Ma’an’s correspondent said. An airstrike on Monday afternoon in Beit Lahiya killed Muhammad al-Hasoumi, 65, and his daughter Faiza, 30, medical spokesman in…. Related:15-year-old killed in latest airstrike on Gaza and Medics: 2 killed in Israeli airstrike east of Gaza City
Medics: 2 killed in Israeli airstrike east of Gaza City
3/12/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Two Palestinians were killed Monday evening in Israeli shelling east of Gaza City, bringing the death toll in Gaza to 25 since Friday, medics said. Bassam al-Ajla and Muhammad Thaher were killed in an airstrike on the Shujaiyeh neighborhood, medical officials told Ma’an. They were members of the Al-Quds….
15-year-old killed in latest airstrike on Gaza
3/12/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A 15-year-old boy was killed and five others injured as Israel continued to launch airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Monday. Nayif Shaaban Qarmout was killed in Beit Lahiya, north Gaza, after Israeli warplanes launched an attack, Ma’an’s correspondent said. Five others were injured and…. Related: 5 killed, 46 injured in fourth day of Gaza airstrikes
Settlers destroy dozens of trees in Beit Ummar
3/12/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Settlers uprooted dozens of trees in the town of Beit Ummar, Hebron on Monday, local officials said. Muhammad Awad, spokesman of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements, said settlers destroyed more than 31 grape trees and 15 olive trees, together with other shrubbery. The land belongs to Hamad Salibi….
Lessons canceled in northern Gaza amid Israeli strikes
3/12/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Ministry of Education in Gaza announced Monday that afternoon classes will be canceled after Israeli forces bombed a school playground killing a student. Spokesman Motasem al-Minawi told Ma’an that the ministry convened after the bombing and decided to cancel afternoon lessons in northern Gaza. The ministry will….
In photos: Gaza counts human, material cost of airstrikes
3/12/2012 – Reuters / Ali Hassan, Suhaib Salem, Ahmed Zakot – Israeli airstrikes killed two Islamic Jihad militants and three civilians on Monday, bringing the death toll since Friday to 23 people….
Ministry: 11 prisoners injured in Israeli jail raid
3/12/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Eleven Palestinian prisoners were injured Monday when Israeli security officers raided Ashkelon prison in southern Israel, the PA Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs said. Heavily-armed guards raided the jail at 5 a. m. and strip-searched detainees, the ministry said in a statement. Clashes erupted when prisoners protested the raid and the….
Study: Children struggle to cope after Israeli detention
3/12/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Thousands of Palestinian children struggle with mental health problems and reintegration into society after they are detained by Israel, a new report on child detention says. According to the study released by Save the Children Sweden and YMCA-East Jerusalem on Monday, 90. 6 percent of detained children suffer Post Traumatic Stress…. Related: MENA: Post-trauma Rehabilitation of Palestinian Ex-detainee Children in the West Bankand Report: The Social Rehabilitation of Palestinian Child Ex-Detainees: A Long Run to Freedom (PDF)
Gaza militants claim rocket fire into Israel
3/12/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Militant groups in Gaza announced responsibility for firing rockets across the border as the Israeli army said 42 projectiles landed in Israel. The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said it fired 30 rockets into Israel. The armed wing of…. Related: Militant groups claim responsibility for launching projectiles
Settlers agree to leave illegal West Bank outpost – for a ‘settlement’
3/12/2012 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Settlers signed an agreement with the Israeli government on Sunday to leave the biggest illegal outpost in the occupied West Bank and move to a nearby site after months of negotiations to avoid their forced removal. But campaigners against settlements described the deal as a disgrace, as the families had been allowed to….
Jihad, PRC ‘will not accept’ Gaza ceasefire
3/12/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Islamic Jihad held a press conference on Monday warning that it would not agree to a truce with Israel while airstrikes continue to kill Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.” We will not agree on a ceasefire stipulated by Israel, neither do we accept a ceasefire while the lives of our….
Hamas leader sees Gaza truce, but depends on Israel
3/12/2012 – CAIRO (Reuters) — A truce is likely soon in the cross-border hostilities between Israeland Palestinians in Gaza but the timing depends on Israel, a senior Hamasofficial said on Monday.” I expect matters will calm down,” Mahmoud Al-Zahhar told Reuters in Cairo.” The statements coming from them (Israel) either in public or via mediators, especially Egypt, say….
Minister: Azerbaijan will not allow Iran attack
3/12/2012 – DUBAI (Reuters) — Azerbaijanwill not allow other countries to use its territory to launch an attack on neighboring Iran, Iranian media reported Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Safar Abiyev as saying on Monday. The former Soviet republic, which borders Iran, has friendly ties with the United States and Israel and has experienced increasing tension with Tehran….
8 trucks of medicine arrive in Gaza
3/12/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Eight truckloads of medicine arrived in the Gaza Strip on Monday from the West Bank, a crossings official said. Amidst Israeli airstrikes that have killed 23 Palestinians and wounded more than 80 in four days, Gaza medical spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya had appealed for medical supplies to the blockaded coastal….
Hamas: Egypt offered fuel in return for calm
3/12/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Egypt offered to provide fuel to Gaza if militants agree to a ceasefire with Israel, Hamas-affiliated MP Younis al-Astal said Monday. The Gaza Strip has faced up to 18-hour blackouts per day since Egypt cut fuel supplies through an underground tunnel network, and officials are negotiating an emergency route….
Report: Cairo airport officials warn Israeli bodyguard carrying weapon
3/12/2012 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — Egyptian security officials at Cairo airport remonstrated the bodyguard of the Israeli ambassador for flying on a civilian air carrier while carrying weapons, Egyptian press said on Monday. Israeli embassy staff arrived in Egypt from Tel Aviv on the Air Sinai airline on Sunday, when a gun and live ammunition were….
PLO envoy at the UN condemns Israeli ‘terrorism’
3/12/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The PLO ambassador at the UN on Sunday sent a letter to UN officials to update them on the current round of violence in the Gaza Strip. Riyad Mansour condemned Israel’s “violence and terrorism against the Palestinian people,” saying the latest escalation threatens stability in the region. The fragile….
UK minister calls for restraint amid Gaza fighting
3/12/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The British Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East on Monday condemned attacks targeting civilians, as fighting between Gaza and Israel reached its fourth day. Alistair Burt said in a statement he is “deeply concerned,” by the clashes which have killed 23 Palestinians since Friday, amid volleys of rockets fired from….
UN ‘gravely concerned’ by Israel, Gaza violence
3/12/2012 – UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) — United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday he was extremely worried by a recent flare-up in violence between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.” I am gravely concerned at the latest escalation between Gaza and Israel and once again civilians are paying a terrible price,” Ban told the UN Security….
Clinton urges both sides to restore calm in Gaza
3/12/2012 – UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel and called on all sides to try to restore calm.” Let me also condemn in the strongest terms the rocket fire from Gaza into Southern Israel, which continued over the weekend,” Clinton said during an appearance….
Fatah: Hamas responsible for militant leader’s life
3/12/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Fatah on Monday accused Hamas of detaining militant leader John Misleh and called for his immediate release. Misleh is a leader in the Fatah-affiliated al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. He was detained by Hamas authorities as he returned to Gaza from Egypt on Sunday, Fatah said. Fatah holds Hamas responsible for Misleh’…. Related: 012: Al-Aqsa brigades claim responsibility for projectile and Dec 2011: Militant groups claim responsibility for firing projectiles
6 children hospitalized with food poisoning
3/12/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Six children were hospitalized Monday with food poisoning near Hebron in the southern West Bank, police said. The children – aged between two and 11 – are from the same family in Halhul and became sick from food consumed at home while their parents were out, a police statement said. One child in….
Activists: At least 50 killed, tortured in Homs
3/12/2012 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Dozens of civilians were killed in cold blood in the Syrian city of Homs, opposition activists and Syrian state media said on Monday, although they disputed responsibility for what both sides called a massacre. The carnage in Homs, as well as a military assault on the northwestern city of Idlib, coincided with a….
Fear as death squads hunt Iraq’s gays and ’emos’
3/12/2012 – BAGHDAD (Reuters) — The man holds up two pictures of his friend, which tell the story of what it now means to be gay in Iraq. One photograph, which the man keeps on his mobile phone, is a portrait of a handsome youth with a stylish haircut. The other, a printed snapshot taken last month, shows….
Syria opposition calls for Arab, Western intervention
3/12/2012 – ISTANBUL (Reuters) — The opposition Syrian National Council called on Monday for military intervention by Arab and Western governments, including the establishment of a no-fly zone across all of Syria to protect civilians from President Bashar Assad’s forces. George Sabra, a spokesman for the SNC, told a news conference in Istanbul that the broad-based….
Israel and Gaza factions ‘agree on truce’
AlJazeera 12 Mar 2012 – Egyptian official says Cairo has mediated a deal to end four days of violence in which 25 Palestinians have died.
International Solidarity Movement
Burying Ayoub
3/12/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Nathan Stuckey, 11 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, Gaza – Twelve year old Ayoub Assalya was murdered today. He was walking to school when an Israeli missile landed next to him. It was seven A. M. He is another casualty of Israel’s latest attack on Gaza. For three days now Gaza has been…. Related: 012
Idhna: A family without windows
3/12/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Peige, 12 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – After three years of marriage Amani and Hussein Batran wanted a house of their own, somewhere to raise their two children, 4 year old Khalil and 3 year old Layali. They took out two loans from the bank and construction began. Now, three years later….
In Photos: Ni’lin chisels through Zionism
3/12/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Rune, 13 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – Like every Friday, on March 9th residents of the Ni’lin village west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, went to protest against the Apartheid wall, which encloses their lands and denies them of basic human rights. A part of the protest was….
New military gate limits access to Beit Iksa land
3/12/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – 12 March 2012, WAFA News Agency – A new military-controlled road gate the Israeli army had set up on Monday in the village of Beit Iksa, northwest of Jerusalem, raised concern of possible takeover of almost 2000 dunums of land as it limits access to agricultural land, according to residents. The soldiers also took over a house…. Related: Source: WAFA
Alternative Information Center
Israel’s Gaza Violence: Military Sales to Increase?
Alternative Information Center – Will Israeli military sales increase following Israel’s current round of violence toward the Gaza Strip, and its parallel testing of the marketable Iron Dome anti-rocket system? Sergio Yahni explores.
Popular protest in North Africa and the Middle East (ix): Dallying with reform in a divided Jordan
Relief Web 12 Mar 2012 – Source: International Crisis Group Country: Jordan , occupied Palestinian territory Amman/Brussels, 12 March 2012: The season of Arab uprisings has not engulfed Jordan, but nor has it entirely passed the nation by. Pillars of the regime are showing cracks, and it…
The impact of cash transfers on nutrition in emergency and transitional contexts: A review of evidence
Relief Web 12 Mar 2012 – Source: ODI – Humanitarian Policy Group Country: World , Afghanistan , Haiti , Kenya , Malawi , Myanmar , Niger (the) , occupied Palestinian territory , Somalia , South Sudan (Republic of) , Sri Lanka , Swaziland , Zimbabwe Key messages Malnutrition is caused by inadequate dietary intake and disease, which in…
IOF continued offensive on Gaza for 4th consecutive day: 5 Palestinians, including a child and an old man and his daughter, killed and 38 others wounded since yesterday afternoon, raising deaths to 23 and injuries to 73
Relief Web 12 Mar 2012 – Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory Ref: 34/2012 Date: 12 March 2012 Time: 12:30 GMT Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have continued the military offensive on the Gaza Strip, which they initiated on Friday evening, 09 March…
Israel-Gaza violence rages into fourth day
Relief Web 12 Mar 2012 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet Country: occupied Palestinian territory , Israel 23 Palestinians, 5 of them civilians, killed since Friday Islamic Jihad, Israel at loggerheads, Egypt seeks truce France, Russia urge end to violence (Updates death toll) By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA, March…
EU supports Palestine refugees rehabilitating their shelters in Lebanon
Relief Web 12 Mar 2012 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: Lebanon , occupied Palestinian territory 11 March 2012, Beirut, Lebanon An innovative new project of the European Union (EU) will give Palestinian families living in refugee camps…
No one-size-fits-all solution to world’s water woes
Relief Web 12 Mar 2012 – Source: ICRC Country: World , Ethiopia , occupied Palestinian territory News Release 12/51 Geneva (ICRC) The suffering of tens of millions of people worldwide who face a desperate, daily struggle to find clean drinking water and who live in unsanitary conditions is…
Floods and cold wave, DREF operation n° MDRPS006
Relief Web 12 Mar 2012 – Source: IFRC Country: occupied Palestinian territory Summary: CHF 106,394 has been allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 7 March, 2012 to support the Palestine Red Crescent Society in delivering assistance to some 2,400 beneficiaries, and partly…
Helping refugee women to fend for themselves
Relief Web 12 Mar 2012 – Source: Integrated Regional Information Networks Country: Egypt , Eritrea , Ethiopia , Iraq , occupied Palestinian territory , Somalia , Sudan (the) CAIRO, 12 March 2012 (IRIN) – Fatma Soleman’s small table at a special International Women’s Day bazaar in a suburb of the Egyptian capital,…
More Palestinian patients treated in Israel in 2011
Relief Web 12 Mar 2012 – Source: Government of Israel Country: occupied Palestinian territory According to the Civil Administration, over 100,000 Palestinians received medical care in Israel – a 13% increase; over 100 Palestinian doctors interning at Israeli hospitals. (Source: IDF website) Cooperation between Israelis and…
US and Russia clash in UN over Syria
The National 12 Mar 2012 – US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said that Syrians were entitled to defend themselves against a government that massacred its own people.
Families flee Homs after 45 killed
The National 12 Mar 2012 – Syria’s information minister, Adnan Mahmoud, accused Saudi Arabia and Qatar of supporting “terrorists”.
Three deny supporting terror group
The National 12 Mar 2012 – Three men accused of joining a Somali branch of Al Qaeda appear at the state security court.
Irish citizen held in Dubai after name appears on Interpol list
The National 12 Mar 2012 – Death sentence fear in Egypt for mum given asylum by Ireland
Despite call for sanctions, India keeps trading with Iran
The National 12 Mar 2012 – Energy-hungry India buys US$14 billion worth of oil from Iran a year but sells Tehran just $2.7 billion of goods.
Egypt official: Israel, Gaza militants agree to ceasefire
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2012
IDF strike kills two militants in Gaza, as rockets continue to hit southern Israel
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2012
Israeli delegation cannot travel to U.S after MK Ben Ari denied entry visa
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2012
WATCH: YouTube video purports to show Israeli border police tossing gas grenade at Palestinians
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2012
Israel, Gaza ceasefire within 48 hours, says Egypt’s PA envoy
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2012
Egyptian parliamentary committee urges recall of Israel envoy in response to IDF strikes on Gaza
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2012
Netanyahu: Israel is prepared to step up fighting against Gaza if rockets continue
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2012
Lieberman: Hamas would cease to exist without Iran’s support
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2012
Gaza rockets strike 40 km south of Tel Aviv, on fourth day of heavy barrage
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2012
Heavy rocket barrage strikes south Israel, on day 4 of cross-border violence
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2012
Israeli air strike kills two Gaza militants after four rockets fired toward Be’er Sheva
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2012
Ex-Israeli spymaster: Iran response to Israeli attack would be devastating
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
IDF to extend Iron Dome range to stop rockets more than 40 km from Gaza
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
Court jails doctor for distributing pedophiliac images
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
Sex-harassment charges spur teacher’s suspension, police probe
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
Lawmakers submit 1,500 objections to Netanyahu’s planning and construction bill
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
Gaza rockets pummel Israel’s south for third day; 200,000 students ordered to stay home
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
Gaza rockets penetrate Israeli defense system due to Iron Dome malfunction
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
Indian journalist involved in Delhi attack on Israeli embassy also connected to Bangkok bombers
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
Gaza rockets strike residential neighborhood in Be’er Sheva
Ha’aretz – 11 Mar 2012
Alfei Menashe Council head Eliezer dies of cancer at 57
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Hisdai Eliezer, who was one of the founders of Alfei Menashe, was a vocal opponent of the 2005 disengagement from Gaza.
‘Financial help for workers in South needed’
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Officials urge gov’t to formulate comprehensive compensation package for businesses, employees in rocket-scarred areas.
‘Fortunately, God loves us,’ says Ashdod man
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Ashdod resident tells ‘Post’ about narrow escape from rocket that slammed into sidewalk across the street from his hair dressing business.
PM calls on court to authorize Migron agreement
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – 50 Migron families sign document agreeing to refrain from any further construction at site of their current outpost.
Searching for cover in Ofakim
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – The “Code Red” sounded shortly after she spoke and within minutes the boys were back in the parking lot kicking the ball around.
Egypt: Israel, Gaza terror groups agree to cease-fire
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Both sides “agree to end the current operations,” Egyptian security official says; Islamic Jihad hits Gedera as IDF readies for possible use of Iranian-made Fajr rockets.
Rafael hopes Iron Dome success will up int’l sales
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Success rate of over 90 percent in recent fighting boost the defense system’s image abroad.
Ministry launches bill on oil spills
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Bill will regulate preparedness and response routines for coping with marine and beach-side oil spills.
Yair Lapid: Palestinians not ready to make peace
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – “Lapid Bill 2,” intended to harm the former journalist politically, passes first reading in Knesset.
Borderline Views: Israel Prize for Druckman
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – There is no one more worthy of receiving the prestigious Israel Prize for lifetime achievement than Rabbi Druckman.
The Kurdish quiet spring
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – The big question mark is if Kurds will be able to enhance their national cause for self-determination.
The Flip Side: All ears
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – “It wasn’t we, the ‘frummies,’ against those weird non-observant Jews. It was just all of us, together.”
social sexual obsession destroying America
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – No Holds Barred: This week I plan, God willing, to formalize my candidacy for New Jersey’s Ninth Congressional District.
Encountering Peace: Planning beyond the possible
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – The status quo is not sustainable, and leaders need to start going beyond what is presently thought to be possible.
PRC, Islamic Jihad vow to continue fighting
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Terrorist groups say would accept truce only if it does not appear as “capitulation” to Israel.
Terra Incognita: ‘McCarthyism’ vs. free speech
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – The Israeli misuse of the word as a synonym for criticism has been seemingly due to an ignorance of historical record.
Saying no to ‘double genocide’
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – The term contends that Europe experienced two genocides, the Soviet and the Nazi.
Obama vs. Israel: Priority No. 1? Stop Israel
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – the Obama administration has acquiesced to yet another round of talks with the Iranian mullahs.
Why safeguard a tortured history?
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – It is a truism: ours will be the last generation to live in the company of Holocaust survivors.
Rivlin cancels delegation after US refuses MK visa
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – State Department says MK, a former Kahane student, is part of a terrorist group.
PM discusses expanding operations in Gaza
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Rocket launching by Iran-backed groups shows danger of what might be if Tehran gets nuclear weapons, Netanyahu says.
Arab Israelis charged with passing Hamas funds
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Two allegedly gave money to security prisoners, passed hundreds of thousands of dollars to be deposited in Chinese bank.
Quartet issues bland statement on Gaza violence
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – After UN meeting, group calls for calm in south, and for Israelis, Palestinians to remain engaged.
US, UN slam Syrian violence; Russia ‘concerned’
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Clinton blasts Assad for attacks during Annan visit; West urges Russia, China to stop blocking UNSC action.
‘Arab revolts led to Islamization, instability’
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – ‘Arab Spring’ is wrong term to describe region’s unrest, says INSS study marking year since start of protests.
Egypt convicts Israelis for arms smuggling
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Life sentences handed out to Israelis, one of whom was tried in absentia; Ukranian man also convicted.
Passover preparations
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Purim is over and the Passover preparations begin. Here are some recipes to whet your appetite and get you in the spirit.
Hamas sees ceasefire soon; PRC, Islamic Jihad don’t
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Hamas leader Zahar demands Israel stop Gaza attacks; PRC, Islamic Jihad: No ceasefire while air strikes continue.
The media’s dangerous failure
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – We now know a politicized press fed us false information for years about a vital security issue.
Iran backs Assad, blames West for Syria carnage
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Tehran says US, allies pouring massive amounts of weaponry into Syria; dozens of civilians, including kids killed in Homs.
Defense continues to shift blame to brother in Maoz trial
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Prosecutor: Despite twins’ shared DNA, defendant’s wrongful accusation is attempt to “put a noose around his brother’s neck” for parents’ murder.
Man charged with Jerusalem murder
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Michael Aronson allegedly covered body of 80-year-old victim with salt to mask odor.
Man killed while walking dog in Ramle
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Six Arab-Israeli youths are arrested in connection of the shooting death of a 51-year-old Jewish resident of the city.
Photo gallery: Rockets, air strikes continue on fourth day
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – View pictures of air strike results, launched rockets, rocket-caused damage, funeral of terrorist.
Israel to lead World Water Forum session
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Landau: We will challenge other countries to double their rate of sewage treatment by 2025.
HU fetes innovators’ commercial achievements
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – University marking National Science Day with informal ‘Professors in Slippers’ presentations.
Civil Service tribunal accepts Eshel plea bargain
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2012 – Eshel to receive a severe reprimand for his conduct; accused of forming inappropriate, unacceptable relationship with R.
Ashdod under fire: Slower, but business as usual
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Families spend the day off school watching the Iron Dome anti-rocket system in action.
Court to decide Eini’s challenger in Histadrut race
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Internal Histadrut court previously ruled that Cabel couldn’t rule because he hadn’t paid monthly membership for year.
Brian Jonestown Massacre to make Israel debut
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Eclectic psychedelic cult rockers coming to wreak havoc on Tel Aviv in July.
UK witchcraft trial raises awkward questions
Jerusalem Post 11 Mar 2012 – Witchcraft murder necessitates urgent action to curb superstitious atrocities.
Four in ten Americans believe the US will attack Iran this year
The Guardian 12 Mar 2012 – Poll shows voters split over whether there will be a military conflict between the two countries over Tehran’s nuclear programme Four in ten Americans believe the US will attack Iran this year. A Poll Position survey…
It is Israel’s fears, not a nuclear Iran, that we must tame | David Grossman
The Guardian 12 Mar 2012 – Israelis must resist Netanyahu’s rhetoric. An attack on Iran will bring certain disaster, to forestall one that might never come In his speeches, Binyamin Netanyahu likes to fire up his audiences with frequent references to the…
Obama aiding Tehran by pursuing diplomatic solution, Republicans claim
The Guardian 12 Mar 2012 – Congressional Republicans say the president has not been supportive enough of Israel over any possible threat from Iran Scores of Republican members of Congress have written to Barack Obama accusing him of aiding Tehran’s alleged pursuit…
Gaza violence: ‘we don’t want to escalate but maybe we have no choice’
The Guardian 12 Mar 2012 – Rockets from militants are slamming into Israeli cities, Israeli air strikes are killing Palestinian children, and no end is in sight The yellowing skin on the boy’s face was pocked with black marks from the blast….
Israeli air strikes kill three in Gaza
The Guardian 12 Mar 2012 – Two Palestinian militants and a schoolboy die as cross-border fighting escalates Israeli air strikes have killed two Palestinian militants and a schoolboy in Gaza as Palestinian rocket squads barrage southern Israel in escalating fighting that has…
Gaza air strikes kill 20 Palestinians
The Guardian 12 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…
Israeli officer ‘can’t remember’ why Palestinian was left to die by side of road
Uruknet March 12, 2012 – A policewoman in the trial of two colleagues charged with dumping a Palestinian car thief on the side of a road, where he died of dehydration, on Sunday repeatedly responded to questions in court by saying she did not remember… In 2008, Abu Jariban, who had illegally entered Israel from Gaza, was…
Lebanon: Thousands of Syrian refugees receiving little or no aid
Uruknet March 12, 2012 – In a crumbling housing project in the port city of Mina, Syrian refugees Umm Jaafar Homsi and Umm Ammar wait for the men to come home. They mind the children, who don’t have access to education; they clean the apartment – built to house four people but which is now sleeping 18…
Israel initiates bloodbath on Gaza… which continues 4 days later
Uruknet March 12, 2012 – …As the Israeli army continues its military attacks against the Gaza strip those attacks that started since Friday 10th of march at 5:30 pm and continue targeting Palestinian resistance men. Those offensive acts are illegal according to international law, every human is entitled a trial, and assassination act is illegal while resisting…
The never-ending targeting in Iraq
Uruknet March 12, 2012 – Iraqi Christians have suffered wave of attacks since the start of the Iraq War, the most brazen being the October 31, 2010 attack on Baghdad’s Our Lady of Salvation Church. These waves of attacks led many to become refugees which is why they make up a surprisingly large percent of Iraq’s external…
Libyan human rights abuses ‘deeply concerns’ Ban Ki-moon
Uruknet March 12, 2012 – Illegal arrests, revenge attacks and deaths following torture in secret prisons are continuing in Libya by armed militias with the new government failing to establish an effective judicial system, according to the Secretary General of the United Nations… Up to 6,000 detainees, including women and children, remain in private jails run by…
Afghans doubt US lone assassin claim
Uruknet March 12, 2012 – Afghans expressed doubt on Monday that a single US Army soldier could have shot and killed 16 civilians in houses over 2km apart and burned the bodies afterward… Abdul Rahim Ayubi, a lawmaker from Kandahar province, said the houses that were attacked were over 2 kilometers apart, raising questions about how a…
Gaddafi ‘contributed €50m to Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential election fund’
Uruknet March 12, 2012 – Damaging new claims have emerged about the funding of Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 election campaign and his links with former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi emerged. The French investigative website Mediapart claims to have seen a confidential note suggesting Gaddafi contributed up to €50m (£42m) to Sarkozy’s election fund five years ago. Similar allegations…
I Don’t Want To See Their Faces; I Don’t Want To Hear Them Scream
Uruknet March 12, 2012 – Suppose a foreign army had been rummaging around the United States for a decade… Then suppose, just occasionally, at intervals, one or several of those soldiers or pilots or special forces teams or secret espionage units burned a bunch of civilians for no good reason any of us could see? Mowed em…
Kandahar : American soldiers torched 11 corpses, say residents
Uruknet March 12, 2012 – Eleven of the sixteen bodies killed by US soldiers last Sunday morning, in Panjwae district of southern Kandahar province, were later burned using cloth and blankets by the perpetrators, say eye witnesses. Local resident in Najibyan, Habibullah said foreign troops rained on two houses in the village and a third house in…
In propaganda battle, Israeli PM Spokesperson tweets old photo
Uruknet March 12, 2012 – . A tweet by Ofir Gendelman, a spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, showing a picture of a mother and two children seeking cover from a rocket attack… The picture was from 2009. Asked by a journalist why he knowingly posted old pictures without mentioning when they are from, the Prime Minister’s…
IOF Continued Offensive on Gaza for 4th Consecutive Day: 5 Palestinians, Including a Child and an Old Man and His Daughter, Killed and 38 Others Wounded Since Yesterday Afternoon, Raising Deaths to 23 and Injuries to 73
Uruknet March 12, 2012 – Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have continued the military offensive on the Gaza Strip, which they initiated on Friday evening, 09 March 2012. Today, 3 Palestinian civilians (a child and an old man and his daughter) have been killed and 36 others, including 19 children and 7 women, have been wounded. Two members…
Under the Rubble of Gaza, The Real Reason Israel Attacks
Uruknet March 12, 2012 – …For one, Israel does not like even a whiff of Palestinian reconciliation. Even though we Palestinians have failed miserably in bringing about unity, Israel sees the effort itself as a threat. So what better way to push back even these feeble efforts than to bomb Gaza, undermine Hamas‘ authority there and hopefully…
012 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet March 11, 2012 – Number of martyrs has risen to 108 so far! 70 martyrs have fallen in Homs (including 45 killed in the massacre of Karm Al-Zaitoun), 25 martyrs in Idlib, 5 martyrs in each of Damascus Suburbs and Aleppo; and 1 martyr in each of Damascus, Lattakia and Daraa. Homs: Another massacre orchestrated by…
Israel Terror Bombs Gaza
Uruknet March 11, 2012 – Imagine living years under deplorable isolated siege conditions. Imagine also enduring regular Israeli land, sea and air attacks. Gazan resistance groups launch Grad missiles, home-made rockets, and mortar shells in self-defense. Israel calls them “unprovoked” attacks. Palestinian freedom fighters vow to continue their liberating struggle. Under international law, it’s their right, and…
Impeachment for Libyan War of Aggression; 2-minute Pulitzer-cartoonist video
Uruknet March 11, 2012 – … Importantly, war law prohibits the use of force, or armed attack by a nation’s military. The US twisted this simple definition in their “legal” argument (section II, page 6) to claim their use of force in armed attacks on Libya was legal because: 1. The US had an “interest” in using force….
Giving up on reconciliation
Uruknet March 11, 2012 – … 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…
All in it together
Uruknet March 11, 2012 – If a perfect storm ever bore down on an Arab leader, 2011 is the year. The conflict over how to handle Libya’s political problems darkened on Tuesday when tribal leader and militia commanders declared their commitment to the creation of a semi-autonomous region in the eastern part of the country, namely Cyrenaica…
012 : A Video Roundup
Uruknet
Military Resistance 10C6: Generals Fear for Their Lives
Uruknet March 11, 2012 -Afghan soldiers and police say the recent burning of Qurans by U.S. personnel has seriously undermined their trust in their American counterparts, suggesting that the decade-long campaign to win hearts and minds has not only failed but also threatens the Obama administration’s exit strategy. “We are tired of the Americans here,” said Mohammad…
US air strikes in Yemen kill 45 “suspected Qaeda militants”
Uruknet March 11, 2012 – U.S. drone attacks killed at least 25 al Qaeda-linked fighters including one of their leaders while a Yemeni air force raid killed 20 more in the south, sources said on Saturday, in the biggest airstrikes since Yemen’s new president took office. Militants have expanded their operations in southern Yemen during months of…
Gaza activists prepare for Israeli Apartheid Week
Uruknet March 11, 2012 – 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…
Israeli Buffer Zone State Terror
Uruknet March 11, 2012 – …After decades of extreme oppression, Palestinians are committed to resist until free, though doing it extracts a huge toll. Under protracted siege, Gazans suffer most of all, including by Israel’s imposed Buffer Zone. It’s a no-go “access-restricted” free-fire area, extending from Israel’s border fence well into Gaza’s most arable land. Palestinians entering…
Escalation in south: IDF takes summer Gaza spin out for 2nd round
Uruknet March 11, 2012 – The new round of violence in Gaza began with the assassination of a Popular Resistance Committees official – and the IDF trotted out an old lie to defend it. As these lines are being written, we are in the third day of yet another round of violence in Gaza, in which at…
At least 45 women and children killed in Homs massacre (Video) ?
Uruknet March 11, 2012 — At least 45 women and children were killed in the Syrian city of Homs late Sunday, opposition activists said, hours after the U.N. special envoy to Syria met with the country’s president in an effort to reach a diplomatic solution to end the violence.The killings occurred in the Homs neighborhood of Karm…
Daily Star
Iran executed 670 in 2011, says UN investigator
Daily Star 12 Mar 2012 Iran executed some 670 people last year, most of them for drug crimes that do not merit capital punishment under international law and more than 20 for offences against Islam.
Azerbaijan will not allow Iran attack – minister
Daily Star 12 Mar 2012 Azerbaijan will not allow other countries to use its territory to launch an attack on neighbouring Iran.
Egypt’s parliament wants Israel’s ambassador out
Daily Star 12 Mar 2012 Egypt‘s Islamist-dominated parliament unanimously voted on Monday in support of expelling Israel’s ambassador in Cairo and halting gas exports to the Jewish state.
Iran cancels home ceremony for Oscar winner
Daily Star 12 Mar 2012 Iranian authorities canceled a ceremony in honor of the country’s Oscar-winning director even though the government had hailed his win as a triumph over a competitor from Israel.
Report: Gaza truce reached
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – Egypt confirms report, Israel says quiet will be met with quiet; terrorists threaten to expand rocket range ….
Egyptian official: Truce went into effect at 1:00 am
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – ….
Egyptian official: Israel, Palestinians agree on truce
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – ….
Israel lets aid into Gaza
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – Gaza border crossings to remain open for delivery of goods, medical care despite ongoing rocket attacks ….
Police: Total of 42 rockets hit Israel Monday
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – ….
Israel denies reaching ceasefire agreement
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – ….
Arab Knesset member: Jewish blood no purer
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – Emotions run high as Arab Knesset members accuse Israel of instigating Gaza fighting ….
Jews must fight evil
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – Op-ed: Targeted killings of terror leaders are moral acts in line with Jewish value of self-defense ….
IDF official: Army ready for ground op in Gaza
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – Iran encouraging Islamic Jihad to fire rockets at Israel, escalation could prompt ground incursion, senior officer says. IDF hasn’t used all measures at its disposal, he says ….
IDF: Terrorists using human shields
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – Gaza terrorists firing rockets from densely populated areas, civilians hurt in Israeli strikes as result of Palestinian tactics, army says; some 25 Arabs killed in fighting so far ….
No fear: Students take exam under fire
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – More than 70 Beersheba students decide to ignore rockets, show up for exams ….
Analysis: Gaza presses Israel
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – Terror groups boost rate of rocket fire in order to press Israel to agree to ceasefire terms ….
Say no to surgical strikes
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – Op-ed: Assassinating senior terrorists is morally right, but paralyzes much of the country ….
Obama is bluffing on Iran
YNet News, 12 Mar 2012 – Op-ed: Israel should realize by now that US president will never attack Iran or support Israeli attack ….
Palestinian Information Center
Israeli raid kills Palestinian school child
PIC – Israeli warplanes launched a series of air raids on the Gaza Strip on Monday the latest of which targeted a school in northern Gaza killing a student and wounding six others.
An old man and his daughter killed in Israeli artillery shelling
PIC – A 65-year-old Palestinian man and his 30-year-old daughter were killed at noon Monday when Israeli artillery shell blasted in their home to the east of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.
Quds Brigades: Calm only at resistance’s conditions
PIC – The armed wing of Islamic Jihad movement, the Quds Brigades, has affirmed that calm would be only restored according to Palestinian resistance’s conditions.
Palestinian prisoners start protest steps in solidarity with Gaza
PIC – Palestinian prisoners in most Israeli jails started on Monday protest steps against the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip that started on Friday.
Israel threatens an all-out war on Gaza
PIC – The Israeli occupation army has threatened to expand its aggression on Gaza Strip and increase its air strikes that could later turn into an all-out war.
IOF soldiers raid ex-prisoner’s home
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) broke into the home of ex-prisoner Nafez Al-Shawamre south of Doura town in Al-Khalil province on Monday.
Jewish settlers destroy dozens of trees in Beit Ummar
PIC – A big number of Jewish settlers stormed the village of Beit Ummar, to the north of Al-Khalil, on Monday and uprooted olive trees and destroyed grapevines.
Health of hunger striker badly deteriorates
PIC – Palestinian captive Hana’ al-Shalabi who has been on hunger strike over the past 26 days is suffering a serious deterioration to her health according Physicians for Human Rights.
8 Palestinians arrested in the West Bank
PIC – IOF troops at dawn Monday arrested eight Palestinians in different areas of the West Bank on the pretext they are wanted by the occupation.
Two Killed in Latest Israeli Airstrike on Gaza
WAFA – 12 Mar 2012
Report says Arrest of Children Traumatizes them, their Families
WAFA – 12 Mar 2012
New Venture to Help Small and Medium-Size Companies
WAFA – 12 Mar 2012
Quartet Principals Discuss Political Developments
WAFA – 12 Mar 2012
Prisoners Refuse Strip Search, Clash with Police
WAFA – 12 Mar 2012
“Mowing the lawn”: On Israel’s latest massacre in Gaza and the lies behind it
Intifada-Palestine: 12 Mar 2012 – A wounded Palestinian child is checked by doctors at a hospital in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, on March 11, 2012, following a fresh Israeli air raid, bringing the death toll from strikes since March 10 to 17 and… more
The Tribal Nexus: Zionists And “Anti-Zionists” Unite To Ensure The Survival Of “Israel
Intifada-Palestine: 11 Mar 2012 – by Jonathan Azaziah “Greater Israel” is the pinnacle state of Morphing Zionism; an “Israeli Empire” is the ultimate goal of the Zionist entity. Jesus Christ (A.S.), revered by Christians and Muslims alike as the Messiah, and cherished by Muslims as the… more
Syria authorities, opposition trade blame in civilian deaths
LA Times 13 Mar 2012 – Dozens are killed in Homs, possibly as part of a grisly PR campaign. Hillary Rodham Clinton criticizes Syria’s Bashar Assad and spars with a Russian diplomat. Dozens of civilians were murdered in the strife-torn city of Homs, the Syrian government and opposition activists said Monday,…
Turkey struggles in the role of Mideast power during Syria crisis
LA Times 11 Mar 2012 – Turkey, once friendly to Syria, Iran and Iraq, has seen its relations with all three tested as it has tried to stop the violence in Syria. Turkey envisions itself as a Middle East power, a dynamic Islamic democracy with a thriving economy that can help…
French Surgeon, Jacques Bérès, Recalls Slipping Into Syria Last Month
New York Times 12 Mar 2012 – The doctor smuggled himself into Homs, Syria, in February and operated on 89 people before the government’s relentless assault forced him to leave.
Massacre Is Reported in Homs, Syria
New York Times 12 Mar 2012 – Opposition activists said on Monday that soldiers and thugs had rounded up scores of civilians overnight in Homs and killed dozens of them, which Syria denied.
The New Islamists: Muslim Brotherhood Leader Rises as Egypt’s Decisive Voice
New York Times 12 Mar 2012 – Khairat el-Shater, a leader of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and an advocate for moderation and modernization, says that recent elections have proved that Egyptians want an explicitly Islamic state.
U.S. Syria Intervention Would Be Risky, Pentagon Officials Say
New York Times 12 Mar 2012 – Senior Pentagon officials are stepping up warnings that military intervention in Syria would be a daunting operation with the potential for killing thousands of civilians.
Killings Alarm Young Iraqis, Including Gays
New York Times 12 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.
The New Islamists: The New Islamists: An Unlikely Liberal in Egypt’s Presidential Race
New York Times 12 Mar 2012 – Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, an Islamist stalwart who used to be a popular leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, is the leading liberal in the presidential race.
In Gaza, New Conditions Shape Old Fight
New York Times 12 Mar 2012 – The success of Israel’s Iron Dome antirocket missile system has had an impact on the recent outbreak of hostilities with the Palestinians.
Burying Ayoub Assalya
Mondoweiss – link to palsolidarity.org link to www.maannews.net link to www.pchrgaza.org link to www.maannews.netlink to www.maannews.net link to www.maannews.net link to www.haaretz.com link to www.ynetnews.com link towww.ynetnews.com link to www.haaretz.com link to www.maannews.net link to www.maannews.net link to english.wafa.ps link to www.imemc.org link to english.wafa.ps link…
Report from the Saturday morning settler ‘real estate tour’ in Hebron
Mondoweiss – Golani Brigade in Hebron/al-Khalil. (Photo: Alternative Information Center) Friday, March 9: first full day on team On the way to join Friday prayers at a protest tent in Tel Rumeida, three of us stopped to stand with a Palestinian man who was being detained by a…
‘I refuse to join an army that has, since it was established, been engaged in dominating another nation’: Interview with Israeli refuser Noam Gur
Mondoweiss – Friend and contributor Dena Shunra put us in contact with Noam Gur, currently undergoing the process of refusing to serve in the Israeli army. Noam is an 18 years old, queer feminist vegan activist currently living in Kiryat Motzkin, near Haifa, but was born and raised…
Israel kills 23 in Gaza, wounds 73, most of them civilians –PCHR
Mondoweiss – ( Photo: Reuters/Ma’an ) Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have continued into their fourth day, and reports from sources on the ground say that today’s bombings have killed three civilians. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) , which holds consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)…
’60 Minutes’ goes in for casual racism about ‘Arabs’
Mondoweiss – Lesley Stahl1 I was very pleased that “60 Minutes” used its lead piece last night, an interview by Lesley Stahl of former Mossad chief Meir Dagan, to try and stop war on Iran. Dagan is against it. But I was disgusted by the talk about “Arabs.”…
Dirar Abusisi: First Kidnapped by Mossad, Now Abused in Israeli Prison
Tikun Olam – Tweet Recent photo of Dirar Abusisi after losing 55 lbs in prison Dirar Abusisi while on haj, before his kidnapping Dirar Abusisi, who just marked the second anniversary of his kidnapping by Israeli and Ukrainian intelligence agents, is literally wasting away in an Israeli prison. He…
Au Liban, le scandale vient par le gouvernement
Voltaire Network 12 Mar 2012 – Par Ghaleb Kandil Les preuves se multiplient sur la responsabilité de l’Etat libanais, plus particulièrement du gouvernement, dans la transformation du Liban en base-arrière pour agresser la Syrie. Devant ces réalités, les communiqués du Conseil des ministres sont devenus un phénomène vocal, en attendant qu’ils soient…
The Western bankruptcy and the sanctions on the media outlet
Voltaire Network 12 Mar 2012 – International affairs Editorial The Western bankruptcy and the sanctions on the media outlet Ghaleb kandil Media freedom and the right to express one’s opinions and positions are considered to be the main products promoted by the West led by the United States in the Third World,…
The Bloody Road to Damascus: The Triple Alliance’s War on a Sovereign State
Voltaire Network 11 Mar 2012 – From this inside look into the destabilization process of Syria, Professor James Petras, adduces that ‘there is clear and overwhelming evidence that the uprising to overthrow President Assad is a violent power grab led by foreign-supported fighters who have killed and wounded thousands of Syrian soldiers,…
Negotiating peace or al-Assad’s departure?
Voltaire Network 11 Mar 2012 – The diplomatic efforts of U.N.-Arab League Special Envoy Kofi Annan, on the one hand, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on the other hand, are running into the blatant bad faith of Qatar, France and their protégés. Mr. Annan could not initiate mediation between the Syrian…
Egypt: Unesco Resolution Against Syria Important Message to Regime
allAfrica.com 12 Mar 2012 – [Egypt Online] Egypt considered a resolution adopted by the United Nations cultural agency condemning Syria for its crackdown on a year-long uprising as an important message to the Syrian regime.
Egypt: Interior Minister Meets With Saudi, Indian Ambassadors in Cairo
allAfrica.com 12 Mar 2012 – [Egypt Online] Minister of Interior Mohammed Ibrahim hold a meeting on Friday 09/03/2012 with Saudi Ambassador in Cairo Ahmed Qatan on bilateral relations.
Egypt: Foreign Minister Tells Clinton Nation Rules Out Military Option to Solve Syrian Crisis
allAfrica.com 12 Mar 2012 – [Egypt Online] Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr received on Friday 09/03/2012 a telephone call from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss the latest developments regarding the Syrian crisis and means to stop violence in the Arab country.
Beit Ommar Organizes Second Womens’ Conference Against the Occupation
Palestine Solidarity Project 12 Mar 2012 – On Saturday, March 10th, 2012, more than 400 Palestinian women, supported by Israeli and international activists, gathered in the village of Beit Ommar for the second womens’ organizing conference of popular resistance to the occupation. Women of all ages arrived in the village from various parts…
Gaza Attacks Are Yet Another Setback to Peace
Arab American Institute 12 Mar 2012 – These attacks will only further erode the Palestinian people?s already shaken belief in the viability of peace, brokered with a partner that continues to treat the Palestinian territories without any regard for sovereignty, or even human life. It also erodes the legitimacy of the United States…
‘More than 8,000’ killed in Syria
BBC 12 Mar 2012 – More than 8,000 people have died since protests erupted in Syria, a UN official says, as a peace envoy is due to meet a Syrian opposition group.
Truce ‘agreed’ after Gaza clashes
BBC 12 Mar 2012 – A truce has been agreed between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza after four days of deadly clashes, an Egyptian official says.
West Bank settlers agree to move
BBC 11 Mar 2012 – Jewish settlers in the biggest illegal outpost in the West Bank strike a deal with the government to relocate to a state-built community.
B’Tselem: Wars have rules too. Remove civilians from the cycle of violence
B’tselem 11 Mar 2012 – In light of the recent escalation in violence around the Gaza Strip, the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem has repeated its demand that all parties to the conflict take all feasible measures to protect civilians from the impact of the fighting.
Articles
Study: Children struggle to cope after Israeli detention
Ma’an News Agency 3/12/2012
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Thousands of Palestinian children struggle with mental health problems and reintegration into society after they are detained by Israel, a new report on child detention says.
According to the study released by Save the Children Sweden and YMCA-East Jerusalem on Monday, 90.6 percent of detained children suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after release.
Released minors often are unable to return to school, experience bed-wetting, anxiety attacks and nightmares, the report says. Families and communities suffer from stigmatization, and become increasingly conservative as fear grows of further detentions, it adds.
“Detention is especially stressful for a child, their coping mechanism is not developed yet,” Save the Children’s Kete Shabani said at the report launch in Ramallah. Last year, the youngest child seized by Israel forces was seven years old, and around 700 children are detained every year, she added.
Yousef al-Dusuqi, from Jerusalem, told reporters his detention last November was “terrorizing”.
Heavily armed forces broke into his home, dragging him from bed at 3 a.m. al-Dusuqi, who was 16 at the time, recounted. “I asked to say goodbye to my family, they refused.”
“They started hitting and verbally assaulting us in the military jeep. Afterward we got to the interrogation room … they hit me in order to extract information, they wanted me to confess to certain things.” — See also: MENA: Post-trauma Rehabilitation of Palestinian Ex-detainee Children in the West Bank and Report: The Social Rehabilitation of Palestinian Child Ex-Detainees: A Long Run to Freedom (PDF) more.. e-mail
Israel’s Walls and Wars Strategy Begins to Fail
Rami G. Khouri, Agence Global 3/12/2012
BEIRUT — The visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United States received the lion’s share of publicity about Israel’s position in the Middle East and the world last week, but the real story about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict rests elsewhere. The great tale that goes largely unrecognized reflects that combination of bubbling forces around the world — grassroots, professional, political — that achieve two important things: to assert that the world will not forever acquiesce in the systematic denial of the national rights of the Palestinian people, and to apply new forms of pressure on Israel to end its systematic oppression of Palestinians that more and more is routinely compared to Apartheid South Africa.
Two simultaneous developments brought this to mind last week — one in Beirut and the other in many countries. In Beirut, I was struck by the force of a two-day conference on health conditions of Palestinians in and outside Palestine, co-organized by the American University of Beirut Faculty of Health Science, Birzeit University and The Lancet, the London-based leading international journal on public health. The gathering of 75 or so health researchers from around the world was impressive, especially the opening remarks of Lancet editor Richard Horton.
In his analysis of research as a tool for social justice, equity and addressing power and inequity, in Palestine, refugee camps around the region, and throughout the world, he said that research and universities can play an active role in promoting justice, citizenship, voice and accountability. They can generate knowledge in the service of “defending universal principles of human rights and human dignity.”
Specifically addressing The Lancet’s interest in disseminating research about health conditions of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, he said that university research is a form of peaceful resistance and non-violent protest that oppose forces that use health or medicines as an instrument of war…. — See also: Articles and reports from The Lancet regarding health issues in occupied Palestine, March 2009 more.. e-mail
Auschwitz complex
Editorial, The Economist, Israeli Occupation Archive 3/8/2012
6 March 2012
During his meeting with Barack Obama on Monday, Bibi Netanyahu said Israel “must have the ability always to defend itself, by itself, against any threat.”
“I believe that’s why you appreciate, Mr. President, that Israel must reserve the right to defend itself,” Netanyahu said. “After all, that’s the very purpose of the Jewish state, to restore to the Jewish people control over our destiny. That’s why my supreme responsibility as prime minister of Israel is to ensure that Israel remains master of its fate.”
News flash: Israel is not master of its fate. It’s not terribly surprising that a country with less than 8m inhabitants is not master of its fate. Switzerland, Sweden, Serbia and Portugal are not masters of their fates. These days, many countries with populations of 100m or more can hardly be said to be masters of their fates. Britain and China aren’t masters of their fates, and even the world’s overwhelmingly largest economy, the United States, isn’t really master of its fate.
But Israel has even less control over its own destiny than Portugal or Britain do. The main reason is that, unlike those countries, Israel refuses to give up its empire. Israel is unable to sustain its imperial ambitions in the West Bank, or even to articulate them coherently. Having allowed its founding ideology to carry it relentlessly and unthinkingly into what Gershom Gorenburg calls an “Accidental Empire” of radical religious-nationalist settlements that openly defy its own courts, Israel is politically incapable of extricating itself. The partisan battles engendered by its occupation of Palestinian territory render it less and less able to pull itself free. It is immobilised, pinned down, in a conflict that is gradually killing it. Countries facing imperial twilight, like Britain in the late 1940s, are often seized by a sense of desperate paralysis. For over a decade, the tone of Israeli politics has been a mix of panic, despair, hysteria and resignation. more.. e-mail
Palestinian Christians attacked for challenging Christian Zionism
Electronic Intifada: 12 Mar 2012 – Emily Lawrence Bethlehem 12 March 2012 Christian theologians, academics and church leaders recently converged in Bethlehem to meet with the local Palestinian church and challenge the Christian Zionist influence within the evangelical movement.more
Israel initiates bloodbath on Gaza… which continues 4 days later
In Gaza: 12 Mar 2012 – * injured Palestinians from Israel’s latest attacks on Gaza (photo by: Mohamed Majdalawi) As Gaza endures its 4th day of intense bombing from Israeli F-16s, V58 fighter planes, Apache helicopters, UAVs and warships, please take the time to look at these websites and read these key articles: Mohamed Majdalawi, Palestinian, Jabaliya camp, photos and thoughts Omar Ghraeib, Palestinian from Gaza website and photos Jenny Graham: Irish in Gaza Ali Abunimah: “Mowing the lawn”: On Israel’s latest massacre in Gaza and the lies behind it : Israel provoked this violence and according to some Israeli commentators its goals are to escalate pressure for war with Iran and to drag Hamas away from diplomacy and back into violence. Sunday’s victims of the Israeli bombing included Ayoub Useila, 12, of Jabalya refugee camp, whose seven year-old cousin was injured, and Adel al-Issi, 52, a farmer near Gaza City . Others suffered horrifying injuries, as recounted…more
Palestinian Folkloric Fairy Tales: Palestinian Painter, Bissan Rafe
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Mar 2012 – By Federico Cao ‘Someone once described my work as emotive and powerful without the need for jargon yet criticized that my politics use art as its tool; to which I simply replied: ‘Politics are the opinions or sympathies of a person, the total complex of relations between people living in society’ (Merriam Webster). Be it governmental, emotional or spiritual, it comes down to every single form of art being a political dogma.’ — Bissan Rafe Often times the concept of the Palestinian cause is associated with suffering, pain, occupation and martyrdom; thus it is always refreshing when an occasional positive, more pure association breaks such stereotypes. Bissan Rafe, a fast emerging Palestinian-American artist evokes a breath of fresh air with her latest project breaking away from such stereotypes. A multimedia artist and writer based in Texas (USA), whose work personifies an old Mejana song, a story echoing the plight of…more
Israel Will Not Attack Iran
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Mar 2012 – By Uri Avnery Israel will not attack Iran. Period. The United States will not attack Iran. Period. The United States will not attack. Not this year, nor in years to come. For a reason far more important than electoral considerations or military limitations. The United States will not attack, because an attack would spell a national disaster for itself and a sweeping disaster for the whole world. “If you want to understand the policy of a country, take a look at the map,” said Napoleon. Minutes after an attack is launched, Iran will close the Strait of Hormuz, through which passes almost all the oil exported by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq and Iran – 40% of the world’s sea-borne oil passes through the strait. A few minutes after that, oil prices will rise, will double, triple or quadruple – and the U.S. and global…more
As “Blockbuster Drug” Bubble Bursts, Big Pharma Takes Jobs Overseas
Dissident Voice: 12 Mar 2012 – It is no consolation to the roughly one out of 600 families who lost their homes in the U.S. but Wall Street made a lot of money slicing and dicing mortgages it knew would implode, while hiding risks. Financial giants, like AIG, are still buzzing along and neither penalties or new laws will prevent a future crash, say financial analysts, because the risky business models have not really changed. A similar Big Pharma bubble, leavened with risky blockbuster drugs that also blew up, is now bursting. Like Wall Street’s bundled high risk loans, the “tide” created by Big Pharma’s high risk drugs raised many ships during the 2000s from advertising, public relations and medical communication agencies to TV and radio stations, medical journals and doctor/pitchmen who shoveled in its marketing budgets. But now the joy ride is over and Pharma is shedding jobs and settling billions in claims without changing…more
Playing Beach Tennis While the Helicopters Pass By
Dissident Voice: 12 Mar 2012 – We don’t know if we should stay. Late afternoon on the beach in Bat Jam south of Tel Aviv. There is a cool breeze. Just a few middle aged men dare to take a swim. A couple play tennis on the beach. Dogs are being walked. The seafood tastes wonderful and to that a full white wine. It is fantastic to be here on a Sunday afternoon. Then we hear the sound of choppers. Three helicopters slowly approach us from the north. We see the couple playing beach tennis stop for a shortly while. They look up at the three large birds. They say something but continue playing before the birds have passed over their heads. Shortly thereafter come two more. Now no one reacts. Five helicopters carrying heavy rockets. Five rockets that are already aimed towards the south, to a small strip south of Tel Aviv — Gaza. I have experienced this before,…more
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The New Dark Age 