14 March 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Gaza: Boy Dies of Wounds Sustained on Monday; Jetfighters Bomb Gaza City
IMEMC – Seven year-old, Baraka Al Mughrabi, died, on Wednesday midday, after succumbing to wounds he sustained during an Israeli air raid targeting Gaza City on Monday. His death brings the death toll due Israeli military escalations targeting the costal enclave since last Friday to 26. …
Settlers Attack and injures a Palestinian near Jenin
IMEMC – Group of Israeli settlers attacked, on Wednesday, a Palestinian man from the village of Yabod near the northern West Bank city of Jenin. …
Child dies from injuries sustained amid Gaza violence
3/14/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A 7-year-old boy died Wednesday from injuries sustained days earlier amid escalation between Israel and Palestinian armed groups, medics said. Medical spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya said Baraka al-Mughrabi was seriously wounded in an explosion that killed a 15-year-old schoolboy in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday. While medical….
Israeli warplanes bomb north Gaza, no injuries
3/14/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli warplanes bombed the northern Gaza Strip early Wednesday, causing damage but no injuries, casting uncertainty over a truce deal agreed 24 hours earlier. Israeli airstrikes hit an open area west of Gaza City, sparking a large fire that burned down a wood warehouse and damaged nearby homes, a Ma….
Study: Israeli ‘state land’ illegally taken from West Bank
3/14/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel has designated some 900,000 dunams of the occupied West Bank as Israeli state land, using procedures that break local and international laws, an Israeli human rights group said Wednesday.” Large swaths of land have been classified state land and designated for use by settlements, despite the fact that they belong…. Related: B’Tselem: Under the Guise of Legality: Declarations on state land in the West Bank
Witnesses: Israeli forces demolish Bethlehem car wash
3/14/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces demolished a car wash facility in a Bethlehem village on Wednesday, witnesses said. Car wash owner Sabri Shosha told Ma’an that troops surrounded Husan village while bulldozers tore down his business. The facility had been demolished by Israeli forces previously, Shosha said, adding that he had never….
Group says 5 brothers detained in Qalqiliya
3/14/2012 – QALQILIYA (Ma’an) — Israeli forces arrested released detainee Muhammad Masalha, 29, from the Hajja village east of Qalqiliya in the West Bank and four of his brothers during a village raid, a rights group said Tuesday. The Palestinian prisoners society says Muhammad and his brothers, Khader Masalha, 23, Saed Masalha, 30, Rasem Masalha, 38….
Palestinian prisoners mark 18 years in Israeli jail
3/14/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Two Palestinians marked 18 years in Israeli jails on Wednesday, the detainees center said. Khaled Muhammad, from Qalqilia, was detained in 1995 and sentenced to 20 years. Naeem Al-Shawamreh, 43, from Hebron was sentenced for life. He has a 17-year-old daughter he has never met, the detainees center said….
Analysis: Compete on sacrifices, not leadership
3/14/2012 – By Maath Musleh – On March 15, 2011, Palestinians took to the streets in the occupied West Bank and Gaza calling for unity and elections to the Palestinian National Council. The youth took the lead, inspired by the Arab uprisings, mainly in Tunisia and Egypt. Was it a trend or a natural development? What lasting effects….
Lawyer: Wounded teen ‘mistreated’ in Israel hospital
3/14/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — A Palestinian teenager shot in a clash with Israeli forces near Hebron last week is being poorly treated in an Israeli hospital, a lawyer for the PA detainees ministry said on Wednesday. Muhammad Rashid, 16, was detained on Thursday when forces surrounded the home of a released prisoner in Yatta. An….
In photos: Building aflame after Israeli airstrike on Gaza
3/14/2012 – Reuters / Suhaib Salem, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa – Palestinian firefighters extinguish a fire at a building after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City early Wednesday. Israel’s army said it was responding to eight rockets fired into south Israel. A truce to end four days of fighting was agreed 24 hours earlier….
Israeli forces ‘detain car dealer’ at Erez crossing
3/14/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Wednesday detained a Palestinian car dealer at the Erez crossing on the Gaza-Israel border, his family told Ma’an. Ahmad Subhi al-Kahlout’s relatives say they were informed that he is being held at al-Majdal prison in southern Israel. It is unclear why he was….
PLO official: Abbas will not threaten to dismantle PA
3/14/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — PLO Executive Committee member Ghassan al-Shaka told Ma’an late Tuesday President Mahmoud Abbas will not threaten to dismantle the Palestinian Authority in a forthcoming communique to Israel. Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Monday that Abbas will warn if Israel does not stop settlement building, release Palestinian prisoners, and recognize…. Related: Erekat: Abbas to send Netanyahu letter
Palestinian writers disavow Gilad Atzmon
3/14/2012 – For many years now, Gilad Atzmon, a musician born in Israel and currently living in the United Kingdom, has taken on the self-appointed task of defining for the Palestinian movement the nature of our struggle, and the philosophy underpinning it. He has done so through his various blogs and Internet outlets, in speeches, and in….
A Palestinian Christian response to Michael Oren
3/14/2012 – By Faysal Hijazeen – As the parish priest of Ramallah, an op-ed by Israel’s envoy to the US gave me pause for thought. Michael Oren’s article spoke volumes of Israel’s unending misrepresentation of Palestinian daily life. The presence of our 13 Latin Patriarchate Schools throughout the West Bank and Gaza…. Related: Michael Oren, Wall Street Journal: Israel and the Plight of Mideast Christians
Opinion: Gaza, Iran should not divert US from seeking peace
3/14/2012 – By George S. Hishmeh – After failing to twist the arms of Barack Obama over Iran‘s alleged nuclear arms potential, Benjamin Netanyahu thought he could do better with the Palestinians especially those in the Gaza Strip. But, if anything, the four-day oppressive bombardment by the Israeli Air Force which killed 26 Palestinians and wounded….
Mufti: Ma’an editorial ‘contradicts religion’
3/14/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Mufti of Jerusalem on Wednesday criticized a Ma’an editorial reflecting on Greek and religious mythology. Published last Wednesday, editor-in-chief Nasser Lahham discussed the relationship between men and women in light of stories of Adam and Eve, and Greek god Zeus. Sheikh Muhammad Hussein told Ma’an he….
Erekat: Abbas to send Netanyahu letter
3/14/2012 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas will send a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to set the foundations for a Palestinian state,PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat said Wednesday. The long-awaited missive was first announced several weeks ago. PLO officials said it will repeat the leadership’s demand that Israel stop building…. Related: PLO official: Abbas will not threaten to dismantle PA
Islamic Jihad: 2 members detained by PA
3/14/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Islamic Jihad movement on Wednesday accused security forces in the West Bank of detaining two of their members. Palestinian Authority security forces arrested two Islamic Jihad members in Hebron on the basis that they were planning a demonstration against the recent Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, the movement said in….
Unity deal ‘next year’
3/14/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas’ leadership in the Gaza Strip is unlikely to follow through on its end of the reconciliation deal with Fatah anytime soon, a senior party official said Wednesday. The party’s external leadership agreed in Qatar to implement the deal in a joint announcement by politburo chief Khalid Mashaal….
PCBS: Prices rise 3 percent over past year
3/14/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Prices rose in the Palestinian territory by nearly 3 percent in the past year, a release by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday. The consumer price index rose 2. 81 percent in February 2012 compared to the same month in 2011, while the highest price rise was on alcoholic….
Economic crime investigators, prosecutors train in Finland
3/14/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian economic crime investigators and prosecutors traveled to Finland for training to improve cooperation between units, the EU mission to improve law and order in the West Bank said Wednesday. Finnish judges, prosecutors and police gave presentations to the Palestinian delegation, emphasizing the need for police and prosecutors to recognize economic….
PA to compensate farmers with $1.3 million for storm losses
3/14/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority will compensate farmers who suffered financial losses during storms in February and March, the Palestinian Government Media Center said on Wednesday. The PA Agriculture Minister estimates Palestinian farmers lost 10 million shekels ($2. 64 million) from their livelihoods during the storms. The Palestinian Authority cabinet allocated five million….
PA issues findings on deadly school bus crash
3/14/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday approved the report of a ministerial investigation committee into a deadly school bus crash last month. Six elementary school children and a teacher were killed when the vehicle collided with a truck near the Jaba checkpoint north of Jerusalem on Feb. 16. The crash, which wounded….
Syria forces attack town, Annan receives Assad response
3/14/2012 – AMMAN (Reuters) — Heavily armed forces loyal to President Bashar Assad pounded the southern city of Deraa with anti-aircraft fire on Wednesday, reasserting control over rebel strongholds a year after the start of the Syrian revolt. On the diplomatic front, the UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan was considering Damascus’s response to “concrete proposals” that….
Ahmadinejad grilled by hostile Iran parliament
3/14/2012 – DUBAI (Reuters) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was summoned to parliament on Wednesday for an unprecedented grilling by lawmakers who accused him of economic mismanagement and making “illegal” appointments. Less than two weeks after a drubbing in parliamentary elections, Ahmadinejad became the first president in the Islamic Republic’s history to be called before the….
Syria violence divides Druze in occupied Golan Heights
3/14/2012 – MAJDAL SHAMS, Golan Heights (Reuters) — Kameel Khater’s friends used to creep out at night to spray anti-Israeli slogans on the walls of their village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. These days they have a different target for their graffiti – the government of near neighbor Syria. Khater, 35, is one of about 10,000 Druze….
International Solidarity Movement
Beit Furik, Nablus: Family unable to attend funeral for son killed in recent Gaza air strikes
3/14/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Jonas Weber, 13 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – “We called him Nassr, but I think his real name was Mahmoud,” says Ahmed while we were on the bus from the Beit Furik municipality building. Outside the bus window, the walls of the little town just outside of Nablus are plastered with freshly….
Mapping a pattern of Israeli violence in Burin
3/14/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – 13 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – The pattern of settler and military invasion of Burin, a village near Nablus, is what locals and internationals are mapping to brace themselves for more property damage, violence, and threats by nearby illegal settlements and hardcore adherents to the volatile “Price Tag Campaign.”If the pattern continues….
The mourning tent of a martyr
3/14/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Nathan Stuckey, 14 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – Nayif Qarmout was murdered yesterday; he was also buried yesterday, in a small cemetery in the heart of Jabalia, the refugee camp where he lived. He was only 14 years old. He was murdered by an Israeli missile while playing football with his friends….
Under the Guise of Legality: Israel’s Declarations of state land in the West Bank
Relief Web 14 Mar 2012 – Source: Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories Country: occupied Palestinian territory The issue of land ownership in the West Bank has recently been on the Israeli public agenda following a High Court ruling that the settlement…
Getting down to business in Khan Dunoun refugee camp
Relief Web 14 Mar 2012 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory , Syrian Arab Republic (the) Engaging youth in Syria On a quiet street in Khan Dunoun, a Palestine refugee camp near Damascus, a colourful…
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Relief Web 14 Mar 2012 – Source: Government of France Country: occupied Palestinian territory , France As the Prime Minister told his Palestinian counterpart, Mr. Salam Fayyad, yesterday during their meeting on the sidelines of the World Water Forum in Marseille, France has decided to transfer €10…
Occupied Lives: Switching off hospitals
Relief Web 14 Mar 2012 – Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory The reality generated by Israel’s longstanding illegal closure, the international sanctions against Gaza’s authorities, and political in-fighting between the Ministries in Gaza and Ramallah, has resulted in a fuel and…
012 – 2014
Relief Web 13 Mar 2012 – Source: UN Development Programme Country: occupied Palestinian territory EXECUTIVE SUMMARY UNDP/PAPP’s Development for Freedom: Empowered Lives. Resilient Nation: 2012 – 2014 places the Palestinian People at the centre of development programming geared to support their aspiration for Statehood. It focuses…
A Cease-Fire in the South: MDA Summarizes Four Days of Fighting
Relief Web 13 Mar 2012 – Source: Magen David Adom in Israel Country: Israel , occupied Palestinian territory Since last Friday, MDA’s forces have been on extremely high alert in the southern part of Israel in order to provide life-saving care to those who were injured as…
Khan Al Ahmar students: We’re still in school
Relief Web 13 Mar 2012 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory 13 March 2012 Khan Al Ahmar, West Bank The dusty land surrounding the four classrooms was filled with the shrieks of happy children…
Scholarships offer talented students a chance at a better future
Relief Web 13 Mar 2012 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory One year after the start of the “Arab Spring”, where have these momentous events left increasingly marginalised, Palestine refugee youth? They will number…
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Relief Web 13 Mar 2012 – Source: Government of France Country: occupied Palestinian territory , France Comme le Premier ministre l’a annoncé le 12 mars 2012 à son homologue palestinien M. Salam Fayyad, lors de leur entretien en marge du Forum mondial de l’eau à Marseille, la…
China risks tragedy without reforms, Wen Jiabao warns
The National 14 Mar 2012 – The Chinese premier also says the Arab Spring revolutions had created “the demand for democracy by the Arab people must be respected and truly responded to”.
Flippant Ahmadinejad mocks Iran parliament grilling
The National 14 Mar 2012 – Hauled before a largely hostile parliament for questions on his economic and political management, the Iran president gave few direct answers and, to their fury, made light of the proceedings.
Salafists start political party in Yemen
The National 14 Mar 2012 – Encouraged by the political gains of the Al Nour party in Egypt’s last election, Salafists announce their intentions of engaging in politics in post-Saleh Yemen.
Annan’s mission ‘may bring peace’ in Syria
The National 14 Mar 2012 – Mediation efforts by the former UN chief has failed to halt the violence, but may yet help solve the year-long crisis.
Report: Iran officials told Assad to focus on Israel to divert attention from Syria crisis
Ha’aretz – 14 Mar 2012
Israel Police expel Harvard students from Palestinian village
Ha’aretz – 14 Mar 2012
Obama: Window for diplomatic solution to Iran nuclear standoff is ‘shrinking’
Ha’aretz – 14 Mar 2012
Azerbaijan official: Iran trained suspects to attack Israeli targets
Ha’aretz – 14 Mar 2012
Netanyahu: Gaza violence shows Israel cannot afford to be lax on Iran nuclear threat
Ha’aretz – 14 Mar 2012
After a decade, Israel court acquits collector of forging Jesus’ brother’s tomb
Ha’aretz – 14 Mar 2012
Azerbaijan arrests 22 suspects in plot to attack Israeli, U.S. targets
Ha’aretz – 14 Mar 2012
Palestinian boy dies of wounds as result of militant fire
Ha’aretz – 14 Mar 2012
Huge billboard wrap covers up ‘nonexistent’ renovations
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2012
Man gets 8 yrs for forging invoices worth millions
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Defendant avoided punishment 15 years by convincing doctors he was suffering from a serious psychiatric complaint.
Critics slam Sa’ar equating haredi test with Bagrut
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Education Minister allows alternative test taken by haredi women to qualify as “bagrut” exam.
Shocking situation
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Some of us have already been hit with the latest electricity bills, which are a whopping 25 percent higher than in the comparable period last year.
Seeking justice for terrorists
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Anger should be directed where it belongs: at our own government for making deals with the devil.
Remembering the massacre
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – There is no better time than the first anniversary of the Itamar massacre to call for a halt to the demonization of “the settlers.”
Washington Watch: Can’t buy me love
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – The enthusiasm deficit has haunted Mitt Romney throughout the long and winding primary season, but loathing might save him.
Saudi Arabia says it has closed its embassy in Syria
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Oil state’s foreign ministry says decisions to withdraw all diplomats and staff made “in light of the current events in Syria.”
Fundamentally Freund: Putting Israel’s home front at risk
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – If the government does not maintain clean, well-stocked shelters, it will only deter citizens from seeking them out when they need them most.
Media Comment: David Regev – the new ombudsman
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – In less than three months, Regev used his authority more than his predecessor did in a decade.
‘Israel will protect itself even if America objects’
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – PM Netanyahu says ‘Gaza is Iran,’ blames Gaza withdrawal for enabling Teheran to set up a forward ‘terrorist base’
The housing trap
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Israeli homeless, those who decide to support them must continue the fight until reasonable proposals are made and rules become fair.
‘If I were Palestinian I’d kidnap soldiers’
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Noam Schalit says, “we also kidnapped British soldiers when we were fighting for our freedom,” in an interview with Channel 10.
Misunderstanding the Talmud’s concept of modesty
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Significant component of the Jewish concept of ‘tzniut’ is maintaining the inherent sanctity and privacy of our bodies.
‘Azerbaijan arrests 22 over terror plot’
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Azeri National Security Ministry: Suspects cooperated with Iranto carry out attacks on Israeli, US embassies, AFP reports.
Planning reform leaves citizens behind
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – It is regrettable that the government once again views planning and economics as a closed science separate from the society it serves.
Obama: Window for diplomatic Iran solution is shrinking
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – US President says administration will do “everything we can” for diplomatic solution, but urges Tehran to “seize this opportunity” to negotiate; says he is “determined” to prevent Iran acquiring nuke.
State asks High Court to delay Migron evacuation
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – In appeal, state says it plans to expand nearby Kochav Yaakov settlement by 70 dunams to accommodate Migron residents.
No ‘disproportionate’ reaction to Gaza flare-up
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Analysis: The latest round of Israeli-Palestinian fighting followed a predictable pattern – up to a certain point.
2 Grad rockets fired toward Beersheba
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Iron Dome shoots 1 down; Maj.-Gen. Russo says the IDF might need to launch a larger-scale operation in Gaza in the future.
Police bust ring helping people bypass exit-bans
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Police arrest former Shin Bet employee, ex-cop for accepting bribes in exchange for smuggling people illegally out of Israel.
Yishai: Activists welcome to adopt infiltrators
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Interior Minister quips activists could adopt S. Sudanese infiltrators; Ministry would consider allowing adopted refugees to stay.
Katsav refuses to submit DNA sample to national database
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – The Prison Service is gathering samples from all prisoners to help solve future, past crimes.
Mixed ruling on major antiquities forgery case
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Antiquities dealer acquitted of forging inscription on burial box of Jesus’s brother, convicted on other charges.
Top 5: Contemporary art hotspots
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Though J’lem is most renowned for its ancient and religious art, the city also offers a vibrant contemporary art scene.
Funeral held for Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua Hager
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – PM eulogizes Vizhnitz Rebbe: “We have lost a dear man… one who led one of the most important communities in the Jewish world.”
Parents in rocket-hit South to receive full wages
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Treasury, Histadrut agree parents who stayed home from work with children during escalation of rockets will receive full wages.
Fraud unit busts human smuggling scheme
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Police arrest former Shin Bet employee, ex-cop for accepting bribes in exchange for smuggling people illegally out of Israel.
Masada beckons with new amenities
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Masada is simply a must for first-time visitors but a spectacular new museum have also put it on the map for repeat visitors.
13 years for man who abducted, stabbed girlfriend
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Haifa District Court sentences man who admits to committing violent acts against his girlfriend after she tried to break up with him.
Wine Talk: The cork conundrum
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Is the cork still the ideal way to keep wine in the bottle?
Ahmadinejad faces hostile lawmaker questions
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – First president to be summoned by parliament in Iran‘s history, Ahmadinejad accused of wasting resources on gov’t handouts.
Syrian forces, rebels clash in southern border city
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Syrian, rebel forces continue fighting in Deraa; Annan reviews Syria’s plans to end the violence.
Dutch state-funded TV offers anti-Semitic game
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – In downloadable game, players can use ‘Anne Frank card’ to colonize West Bank, ‘Jewish stinginess’ card to gain resources.
Groups petitions court over anti-boycott law
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Coalition of nine human and civil rights groups file petition, calling law “price tag on legitimate political statements.”
Poll: 75% of Israelis value scientific R&D
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Three-quarters of the public think the state invests too little money in academic research and development, poll states.
Potable water system wins Intel competition
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Pair of Netanya high school pupils developed a system using solar rays to disinfect and clean water supplies.
Man convicted of ’86 murder of his girlfriend
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – 58-year-old escaped to Jordan after murdering Amira Jabris, extradited from US after serving 8 years for fraud.
Rabbi Druckman praises hesder IDF recruits
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Druckman- Israel Prize laureate and head of Yeshivat Or Etzion- praises new IDF recruits at induction ceremony.
More Israelis buying private health insurance
Jerusalem Post 14 Mar 2012 – Health Ministry official says basic basket and insurance offer good protection, private purchase unneccesary.
Threats and opportunities for a non-nuclear Iran
The Guardian 14 Mar 2012 – If a US war with Iran does occur, what will happen with the UK’s coalition government ( Editorial , 6 March)? All the Conservatives’ instincts will be to join in on America’s side. Labour will support them. That…
The killing of Zuhair al-Qaissi exposes Israel’s attitude to its supreme court | Mya Guarnieri
The Guardian 14 Mar 2012 – Did the Palestinian leader killed by Israeli forces plan an attack? Without transparency, there’s no accountability to the court The recent escalation between Israel and Gaza began after Israeli forces assassinated Zuhair al-Qaissi , a leader of…
Palestinians prepare to lose the solar panels that provide a lifeline
The Guardian 14 Mar 2012 – Israel is planning to demolish ‘illegal’ solar panels that are the only source of electricity for Palestinians in West Bank villages Two large solar panels jut out of the barren landscape near Imneizil in the Hebron…
Xenophobia Rises from Ashes of Greek Economy
IPS Last January, several pupils coming out of a high school in Kallithea, a central residential neigbourhood in Athens, attacked a Pakistani passer-by.
Frustrated by the Euro, Greece Turns to Alternative Currencies
IPS “Watch out! The caustic soda is dangerous,” shouts Rea Pigiaki, while she blends the soda with lavender to prepare her scented soaps, which are very famous in Ierapetra, a small town in Southeast Crete.
Palestinian Rights Retreat to Backburner
IPS The latest tit-for-tat confrontation which earlier this week pitted Israel against Islamist factions operating from the Gaza Strip follows a conditioning pattern which highlights the marginalisation in the international arena of the Palestinian aspirations to freedom and independence.
Libyan Youth Yearn for Normalcy
IPS Young men and women socialise together at Tripoli University’s ‘campus B’ tarmac parking lot as they prepare to sit for examinations during this tumultuous school year.
“I can’t take part in these crimes”: Israeli refusenik interviewed
Uruknet March 14, 2012 – Earlier this week, 18-year-old Israeli Noam Gur publicly announced her intention to refuse mandatory service in the Israeli army. Set to be drafted next month on 16 April, Gur stated in an open letter: “I refuse to take part in the Israeli army because I refuse to join an army that has,…
New report reveals how Israel reclassified privately owned Palestinian land as state land (Full report )
Uruknet March 13, 2012 – A New B’Tselem report examined Israel’s policy of declaring land in the West Bank “state land“. The research reveals that large areas were classified as state land for the use of settlements even though the land was actually privately or collectively owned by Palestinians. This was achieved by re-writing the interpretation to…
012 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet March 13, 2012 – The number of today’s martyrs has reached 46, with 9 in Damascus Suburbs, 12 in Homs, 7 in Hama, 2 in Aleppo and Daraa, one in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor. The rest are from Idlib.. Idlib: Maarat Al-Noman: The regime’s army committed a new massacre where 7 martyrs have fallen after a…
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Uruknet March 13, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, CIA Director David Petraeus talks to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan about Iraq’s political crisis, the State Dept and White House remain silent on the targeting of Iraqi youth, French oil giant Total is interested in a deal with the KRG, the US is bound by international law…
American Massacres Have Been Common for Centuries
Uruknet March 13, 2012 – For hundreds of years Americans have been committing massacres of women and children, old men and sometimes even young men, mostly unarmed or armed only with primitive weapons. The early massacres were mostly of Indians who refused to leave their lands when Americans decided it was God’s will that they steal those…
Court System Provides Little Justice for Palestinians How Israel Stacks the Legal Deck
Uruknet March 13, 2012 – Palestinian baker and activist Khader Adnan captured headlines recently for a 66-day hunger strike that led him to the brink of death. His ordeal began in the dead of night on Dec. 17, 2011, when Israeli soldiers broke down the door of his West Bank home. Adnan was arrested before his terrified…
Syria: Army Planting Banned Landmines Witnesses Describe Troops Placing Mines Near Turkey, Lebanon Borders
Uruknet March 13, 2012 – Syrian forces have placed landmines near the borders with Lebanon and Turkey in recent weeks and months, Human Rights Watch said today, based on reports and confirmations from witnesses and Syrian deminers. Civilian casualties have already resulted, the witnesses said. The Syrian army should cease its use of antipersonnel landmines and recognize…
Settlers Expand Hebron Settlement
Uruknet March 13, 2012 – A group of extremist Israeli settlers expanded, Tuesday, the illegal Negahot settlement outpost on the expense of privately owned Palestinian lands in Doura city, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron. Local sources reported that, a few days ago, the settles brought several trucks loaded with cement and construction materials. The…
012 : A Video Roundup
Uruknet
What Happened to Palestine’s Railways?
Uruknet March 13, 2012 – Not all is doom and gloom here in the UK. The North Norfolk Railway (Poppy Line) put on its Spring Steam Gala last weekend and a good time was had by young and old. Their cute little J15 was celebrating her 100th birthday, dwarfed by wildlife artist David Shepherd’s mighty ‘Black Prince’….
Fear as death squads hunt Iraq’s gays and “emos”
Uruknet May 13, 2012 – 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,…
Psychologists Paid by Guantanamo’s Masters Will Never Dismantle Their House of Torture
Uruknet March 13, 2012 – Amid disturbing reports that psychologists were involved in the abuse and torture of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere, the American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force on Psychological Ethics and National Security (PENS) met in the summer of 2005. Over two days, they considered whether the Bush administration’s no-holds-barred “enhanced interrogation” policies…
Silent Palestinian Warriors
Uruknet March 13, 2012 – On March 8, Palestinian women rallied in Gaza and Ramallah to mark International Women’s Day. Activities were held in various cities, villages and refugee camps. Women in Palestine are united by a shared struggle, untold hardship, and also a legendary ability to withstand, survive and flourish under the harshest of circumstances. Even…
Palestinian Christians attacked for challenging Christian Zionism
Uruknet March 13, 2012 – “Christ at the Checkpoint: Hope in the Midst of Conflict” was a five-day event organized by Bethlehem Bible College earlier this month. Christian theologians, academics and church leaders were invited to meet with the local Palestinian church and challenge the Christian Zionist influence within the evangelical movement. The conference attracted major speakers…
New York Times Wages War on Palestine
Uruknet March 12, 2012 – …On March 9, Times writers Fares Akram and Isabel Kershner headlined, “Israeli Airstrikes Kill Militants in Gaza,” saying: Israeli air strikes killed Zuhir al-Qaisi, Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) secretary-general. PRC member Mahmoud Hanani was also killed. Both men died when two IDF missiles struck their car. Neither threatened Israel now or earlier….
Israeli forces fire on Gaza funeral, 3 injured
Uruknet March 13, 2012 — Israeli forces opened fire on a funeral procession east of Gaza City on Tuesday, injuring three Palestinians, hours after a truce was agreed to halt cross-border violence. Mourners carried the bodies of Bassam al-Ajla and Muhammad Thaher, who were killed in an airstrike in the city’s Shujaiyeh neighborhood on Monday evening, to…
Fragile Gaza truce holds as Israel warns on Iran
Daily Star 14 Mar 2012 A fragile truce that ended four days of violence between Israel and Gaza militants appeared to be largely holding on Wednesday, despite sporadic rocket fire and air raids.
‘Bibi, Barak use security forums as rubber stamp’
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – Members of Security Cabinet, eight-minister security forum complain that PM, defense minister exclude them from crucial decision making process ….
Swiss bus crash kills 28, including 22 children
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – ….
IDF: We hit launch site, terror tunnel
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – ….
A Dutch lesson for Israel
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – Op-ed: As Dutch euthanasia uproar shows, UN human rights body only cares about Israel ….
Grads fired at Beersheba; IAF strikes Gaza
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – Fragile truce shaken as Gaza terrorists fire rockets at Negev communities. Iron Dome intercepts two projectiles; IAF retaliates with strike on east Strip terror hub ….
Political sources: Israel will not respond to rocket fire
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – ….
Palestinians: No injuries in IAF strike
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – ….
IAF strikes target in Gaza Strip
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – ….
Gaza teen treated for burns in Israel
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – Palestinian boy, 15, admitted to Kaplan Hospital in serious condition. Israel believes injuries caused by rocket launching pad; boy’s father claims he was hurt in IAF drone strike ….
IAF, Polish Air Force hold joint exercise
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – First of its kind cooperation between Israeli, Polish militaries sees air forces carrying out joint sorties, mock attacks and interceptions ….
IPS: We won’t end prisoner’s hunger strike
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – Prison Ethics Committee decided against force-feeding Palestinian prisoner Hana Shalabi, who has been on hunger strike for 28 days ….
FIDF raises $26 million for Israel
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – Annual IDF fundraiser in New York City raises NIS 98 million for Israel’s fighting forces ….
Payoff scandal clouds Israel’s airport security
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – Undercover police probe exposes criminal scheme to circumvent hold-departure orders. Thousands of criminals believed to have been able to flee Israel by bribing corrupt officials ….
Real test yet to come
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – Op-ed: Despite latest Gaza victory, Israel still a hostage of terror groups and their missiles ….
The big loser – Hamas
YNet News, 14 Mar 2012 – Op-ed: Islamic Jihad gains growing popularity as Gaza Strip becomes more radical ….
Palestinian Information Center
Israeli artillery shelling targets central Gaza
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces on Tuesday night fired a number of artillery shells into the central Gaza Strip, but no casualties were reported, according to local sources.
Child dies of injures suffered from Israeli military attack
PIC – A Palestinian child on Wednesday morning was proclaimed dead of serious wounds he sustained during the recent Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.
300 captives in Nafha desert prison on hunger strike for second day
PIC – Palestinian sources said on Wednesday afternoon that 300 Palestinian captives in the Nafha desert prison are on hunger strike for the second day running.
Haneyya invites Clinton to Gaza to witness Israel’s atrocities
PIC – Palestinian premier Ismail Haneyya called on US secretary of state Hillary Clinton to visit the Gaza Strip to see the enormity of Israel’s war crimes.
IOA refuses to allow travel for treatment for MP Beitawi
PIC – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has refused to allow the travel of MP Hamed Al-Beitawi to Jordan for badly needed medical treatment, local sources said.
Power authority: We transferred $2m to Egypt but no fuel arrived
PIC – The power authority in Gaza said on Wednesday that it had transferred the sum of two million dollars to Egypt as a payment in advance in return for fuel supplies but nothing arrived in the Strip yet.
Adalah center calls for closing section 4 of Nafha prison
PIC – Adalah center demanded the Israeli prison authority and the internal security ministry to close section 4 in Nafha jail and move its prisoners to a healthier and cleaner place inside the same prison.
IOF soldiers raze car wash
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) razed a Palestinian car wash and repair garage in Husan village to the west of Bethlehem on Wednesday, local sources said.
Shalabi on 28th day of hunger strike
PIC – Hunger striker detainee Hana’s Shalabi has addressed an appeal to administrative detainees in Israeli jails to reject the policy of administrative custody, without trial or charge.
MP Al-Haj Ali starts open hunger strike
PIC – The international Tadamun society for human rights said Palestinian lawmaker Ahmed Al-Haj Ali, 72, started an open hunger strike in protest at his detention administratively in Megiddo prison.
Perceptions of the Syrian Uprising from Shatila Camp
Intifada-Palestine: 14 Mar 2012 – Franklin Lamb The uprising in Syria has re-opened some old wounds in Shatila camp and between the Baathist Assad regime, now in its 41st year, and Lebanon’s Palestinian refugees. Franklin Lamb (Beirut) Shatila Palestinian refugee camp, despite being targeted over the… more
In Israel, Druze community divided over military service
LA Times 14 Mar 2012 – Druze Arabs say they do not get the support they deserve after serving in the military. Some say such service has driven a wedge between them and other Arabs. Amal Asad began his barrier-breaking military career in the Israel Defense Forces after being drafted just…
Syrian troops press offensive in Idlib after rebels retreat
LA Times 14 Mar 2012 – The assault in Idlib, on the heels of the Homs advance, suggests the Syrian government is making headway against the poorly armed rebels. Syrian troops pressed an offensive Tuesday in rugged northwestern Idlib province after forcing a rebel retreat from the strategic regional capital, opposition…
Amid New Claims of Torture, Syria Maintains Assaults
New York Times 14 Mar 2012 – The Syrian military’s assaults on Idlib and other locations came as a new report claimed that Syrians detained in the crackdown faced a scale of torture that had not been witnessed for decades.
Iranian Parliament Summons Ahmadinejad
New York Times 14 Mar 2012 – The questioning of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over economic mismanagement was the first interrogation of its kind since Iran’s 1979 revolution.
Iran May Not Open a Site to Nuclear Inspectors
New York Times 14 Mar 2012 – Iran signaled on Tuesday that it was unwilling to grant a request by international nuclear inspectors for access to a restricted military complex.
‘NYT’ coverage of Gaza attacks downplays civilian suffering
Mondoweiss – ( Photo: MediaBistro.com ) Ethan Bronner may be on his way out , but the New York Times ’ habitual deference to the Israeli government’s line isn’t about to leave with him. The latest example: Isabel Kershner and Fares Akram’s coverage of the recent Israeli air raids on…
Elite Israeli ‘sniper squad’ raids Palestinians in prison, injures 11
Mondoweiss – Israeli prison. (Photo: mdot) Early Monday morning an elite “control and restraint” unit and a massive number of soldiers raided Palestinians in an Israeli prison with tear gas and rubber bullets, leaving 11 injured. The raid took place just one week after a group of Palestinian…
Palestinian and Palestine-solidarity activists issue critique and condemnation of Gilad Atzmon
Mondoweiss – In the past two weeks Palestinian and Palestine-solidarity activists have issued two separate statements regarding Gilad Atzmon. I posted one in the Mondoweiss comment section here , and it generated quite a bit of discussion. Yesterday, a second statement was issued by Palestinian activists . Both are posted…
Fighting from civilian areas? Perfectly understandable– in Syria
Mondoweiss – From a story about Syrian violence on NPR Monday night: “Melissa Block speaks with Al Jazeera correspondent Anita McNaught about Syria’s governmental crackdown on Idlib. She was there over the weekend, and is now in Antakya, Turkey, on the border with Syria.” BLOCK: Let me ask…
IDF fundraiser at Waldorf Astoria raises $26 million
Mondoweiss – Uriel Heilman has a JTA report on Tuesday night’s $1,000-a-plate fundraiser for the Israeli military at New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel. The event featured video messages from Gilad Shalit and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. One of the stars of Tuesday night’s dinner — which raised $…
114. French soldiers and “journalists” operating the secret war in Syria
Voltaire Network 14 Mar 2012 – « What does the French intervention in Damascus has to do with the Gripen purchase and the scrapping of modernized Swiss armored personnel carriers? » / « Basic resistance against the reduction of the army in Switzerland » / « Destruction plan for 350 armoured infantry fighting vehicle,…
South Africa: NCACC Must Investigate and Stop the Sanctions-Busting Helicopter Parts Deal With Iran
allAfrica.com 14 Mar 2012 – [DA] The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that Jeff Radebe, Chairperson of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), and Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry, must urgently investigate allegations of sanctions busting involving Iran.
West Bank Green Energy Project Creating Tension between Israel and Germany
Joseph Dana 14 Mar 2012 – Germany has long been a leader in sustainable energy projects throughout the world. Last month, a German funded green energy project in the West Bank ran into some trouble when Israeli authorities ordered its demolition. Questions about the project’s future, which supplies various Palestinian communities with…
Syria troops ‘take northern city’
BBC 14 Mar 2012 – Syrian government forces take control of the north-western city of Idlib, after days of clashes with rebel fighters, opposition activists say.
Ahmadinejad grilled by Iran MPs
BBC 14 Mar 2012 – The Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, appears in parliament to answer questions from MPs about his foreign and domestic policy decisions.
BBC cyber-attack ‘linked to Iran’
BBC 14 Mar 2012 – The BBC says its Persian Service has been targeted by a “sophisticated cyber-attack” which it is linking to other attacks on the channel which broadcasts to Iran.
Libyan group transfer journalists
BBC 14 Mar 2012 – Two British journalists held in Libya are transferred by a militia to government control after three weeks in captivity.
US Campaign Thanks Cassandra Wilson for Supporting Cultural Boycott
US Campaign to End the Occupation 14 Mar 2012 – In late February, US jazz singer Cassandra Wilson canceled a schedule performance at the Holon International Women’s Festival in Israel. Wilson, a world-renowned vocalist, canceled her performance after appeals from boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) activists encouraging her to respect the Palestinian call for BDS . According…
Articles
Under the Guise of Legality: Declarations on state land in the West Bank
B’tselem 3/14/2012
Summary, March 2012
Since the 1979 judgment of the High Court of Justice in the Elon Moreh case, which prohibited the requisition of private Palestinian land to build civilian settlements, the settlement enterprise has been based on the use of state land. However, the amount of land recorded in the land registry as government property prior to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in 1967 was limited (527,000 dunams, 9 percent of the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem), and was concentrated in the Jordan Valley. The Central Mountain Ridge region contained almost no state land.
Following the court’s ruling in the Elon Moreh case, and in line with policies of building settlements throughout the West Bank, including on the Central Mountain Ridge, the State of Israel declared more than 900,000 dunams as state land. Over the years, B’Tselem and other human rights organizations criticized Israel’s declarations policy, both on procedural grounds – Palestinians were often denied the right to effectively object to the declaration – and on the substantive claim that the declarations were intended to promote an unlawful objective: the establishment of settlements, which, because it creates permanent change in occupied territory, is forbidden under international law.
B’Tselem’s new report considers the subject from a novel perspective: it examines the declarations policy from the aspect of the local land laws, the most important being the Ottoman Land Code of 1858. The report provides a detailed analysis of the 1858 Code and the Ottoman, British Mandatory, and Jordanian land laws that amended and revised it. The report also discusses relevant court rulings from the Mandatory period. The analysis shows that Israel’s application of its declarations policy was unlawful, since it classified some land as government property even though, under the local Law, it was private Palestinian property. more.. e-mail
Mapping a pattern of Israeli violence in Burin
International Solidarity Movement 3/14/2012
”We know in the village that from 9 PM until the early morning that the village is no longer ours, it is the military playground.”
The pattern of settler and military invasion of Burin, a village near Nablus, is what locals and internationals are mapping to brace themselves for more property damage, violence, and threats by nearby illegal settlements and hardcore adherents to the volatile “Price Tag Campaign.”
If the pattern continues, the next attack will be settlers, according to local ISM coordinator, Lydia. “Within a few days after that, Burin should be due a visit from the soldiers.”
According to notes and statistics prepared by Lydia, a British volunteer stationed in Burin, it is predicted that soldiers will enter the village with approximately 8 to 12 jeeps, which has been the range of jeeps the military bring to raid the village in a three week span. This comes following today’s settler attack and military incursion into the village, which resulted in the confirmed arrest of 2 16 year old boys. Lydia has been barred from entering the village at times when ISM has been notified of these attacks through the use of a makeshift checkpoint, and she notes that the same did happen today at the entrance of Burin. Typically military remains present for around 4 hours, which has been a consistent amount of time stayed during each of these invasions.
The time of an Israeli attack cannot be predicted since they have been so random, adding to the psychological games that the Israeli military enjoys playing to keep the villagers vulnerable. The residents of Burin know it is always coming, but when is the mystery. more.. e-mail
A Palestinian Christian response to Michael Oren
Faysal Hijazeen, Ma’an News Agency 3/14/2012
As the parish priest of Ramallah, an op-ed by Israel’s envoy to the US gave me pause for thought. Michael Oren’s article spoke volumes of Israel’s unending misrepresentation of Palestinian daily life.
The presence of our 13 Latin Patriarchate Schools throughout the West Bank and Gaza, for over 150 years, is a living witness to the coexistence of Palestinian Christians and Muslims.
We have never faced in our schools or society the supposed persecution of Christians by Muslims to which Mr Oren referred in “Israel and the Plight of Mideast Christians,” published Friday in the Wall Street Journal.
Contrary to Oren’s statements, the persecution of Christians here is caused mainly by the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory. This occupation humiliates us, destroys our economy, causes demographic changes and deprives millions of the freedom of movement and their right to decent lives, in addition to the confiscation of land.
These are the main ways Christians are persecuted in Palestine.
As anyone with eyes can see, the wall that Israel has imposed has negatively affected the lives of Palestinians and has confiscated a large amount of what is left of Palestinian land.
Oren claims that Israel “allows holiday access to Jerusalem’s churches to Christians from both the West Bank and Gaza.” In reality, the countless fixed and flying checkpoints have turned our lives into hell.
Israeli obstacles and practices do not differentiate between Muslims and Christians, and are imposed over a whole nation. The bullets that fired against Palestinians do not differentiate between Christians and Muslims. — See also:Michael Oren, Wall Street Journal: Israel and the Plight of Mideast Christians more.. e-mail
“I can’t take part in these crimes”: Israeli refusenik interviewed
Electronic Intifada: 14 Mar 2012 – Jillian Kestler-D’Amours 14 March 2012 Eighteen-year-old Noam Gur, the first Israeli to reject mandatory military service this year, speaks out about refusing to partake in Israel’s ongoing crimes against humanity even if it means jail time.more
Finding Hope At Occupy AIPAC
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Mar 2012 – By Tom Compton How can one start to describe the events, emotions and encouragements experienced at the 2012 Occupy AIPAC event in Washington, D.C., timed to coincide with the annual meeting of the most powerful foreign lobby in the United States, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Occupy AIPAC was organized by the fearless ladies of Code Pink and the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, a coalition of over 350 activist organizations around the U.S., dedicated to fighting for peace and justice for Palestinians in Israel and around the world. We had them outnumbered! There were about 300 Occupy AIPAC challengers compared to the reported 13,000 attendees and speakers at the AIPAC convention that included the President of the United States of America. The “Occupiers” know that might does not make right. It was amazing to meet such a diverse cross section of people… from a Palestinian college…more
For Three Days the Fire Blazed
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Mar 2012 – By Tamar Fleishman – The West Bank Since Talat Ramia’s murder tranquility had yet to be restored to the streets of Ar-Ram. For the past three days the younger residents had been going out to the streets and protesting against the murder of their friend, while the army pushes them back with a barrage of fire and gas grenades. “He was only twenty five, from a very poor family, his brother is the one who cleans cars at the checkpoint…”, said my friend A’ who added: “Even though I didn’t know him very well, I wanted to cry when they told me the soldiers had killed him for no reason, really it was for no reason…” And ever since that Friday the place was in flames. On top of the anger and rage over the loss of Talat Ramia was the frustration that had been piling up and increasing over…more
Motherhood Celebrated in Irish, Palestinian War Literature
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Mar 2012 – By Yousef M. Aljamal – Gaza Gaza Center for Political and Development Studies (CPDS) held Tuesday, March 13 a lecture on Palestinian and Irish Women in War Literature, delivered by Dima T. Tahboub, comparative literature professor, with the presence of Palestinian activists and students. The lecture began with an opening speech by Dr. Mahmoud Alhirthani, CPDS chairman, in which he welcomed the guest and stressed the importance of the topic being discussed. The lecture quoted Chinua Achebe’s saying “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter”, in reference to the history of the occupied people being defamed by their oppressors. She continued, “If we have stories, people know us. We are what we say. We are the story we tell”. Palestine is always connected to Ireland in terms of struggle, defiance and steadfastness. “Within the academic world, the associations between Ireland…more
A Farewell to a Purity of Arms
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Mar 2012 – By Richard Lightbown In response to the recent Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip Hillary Clinton repeated the political mantra “Israel has the right to self-defence”. The statement is absolutely true of course, but that right does not allow Israel to commit offensive strikes on its neighbours or to get its retaliation in first. Nor does it permit attacks on civilian areas, and under no circumstances does it legitimize the use of experimental weapons in civilian areas (to which I shall return later). It is routinely said that by firing rockets from the Gaza Strip, terrorists who indiscriminately attack southern Israel are using the civilian population of Gaza as a human shield against retaliatory attacks by Israeli forces. This does not absolve those forces from recklessly attacking civilian areas. As the International Committee for the Red Cross explains “Parties to a conflict are prohibited to target civilians and required to…more
United State of Emergency: Outlawing Dissent
Dissident Voice: 14 Mar 2012 – During the 1967 Six Day War, a series of strict emergency laws were enacted across the Arab World, most notably in Egypt and Syria. Police powers became absolute while constitutional rights were suspended; any non-governmental political activity such as street demonstrations, rallies, protests, and organization of dissident political groups was quickly crushed by the iron fist of dictators. The laws were called temporary defensive measures, emergency acts that would be lifted once the nation was safe again. The laws were simply left in place. The rulers of Egypt and Syria, content with their power, decided to concede nothing to their citizens. Tens of thousands of people found themselves imprisoned for extended periods of time, simply for demanding the principles of democracy already encoded in their constitutions or being critical of the government. The emergency laws provided these autocratic regimes with the authority to force their will onto to their people…more
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The New Dark Age 