17 March 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Soldiers Broke Into Detention Camps 6 Times Last Week
IMEMC – Palestinian Researcher specialized in detainees’ affair, Riyadh Al-Ashqar, stated that Israeli soldiers broke into prisons and detention centers six times last week, attacked and violated the rights of the Palestinian detainees, and wounded eleven. …
PA ‘rejected Shalabi deportation’
3/17/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority minister of prisoners said Saturday that Israel offered to deport hunger-striker Hana Shalabi to the Gaza Strip, but the government rejected the offer. Issa Qaraqe said that “We did not agree on such a proposal, neither do we legitimize deportation.” The minister did not specify when the offer….
Soldiers break up Beit Ummar protest, 3 injured
3/17/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces blocked protesters in Hebron-district village Beit Ummar on Saturday, injuring three Palestinians, witnesses said. Dozens of Israeli soldiers stopped the demonstrators from reaching Israeli settlement Karmi Zur, injuring three members ofthe National and Popular Committees, witnesses said. Those wounded were identified as group secretary Ahmad Abu Hashem, 48, group….
Shaath: PA faces halt in bank lending
3/17/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath said on Saturday the Palestinian Authority is facing a severe financial crisis, as avenues to borrow cash from banks are cut off. Two new reports by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank this week warned that the Palestinian government’s economic crisis will have…. Related: IMF warns PA may face cuts without more aid and Fayyad: PA to cut expenses if donors fall short
Israeli forces storm Hebron village, detain 2
3/17/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) – Israeli forces on Saturday morning briefly detained two Palestinian teenagers in the southern West Bank village of Beit Ummar north of Hebron. Local activist Muhammad Ayyad Awad said Israeli troops ransacked two homes. The soldiers detained 15-year-old Alaa Anees Abu Maria and 15-year-old Muhammad Nuaman Zaaqiq before they were….
IMF warns PA may face cuts without more aid
3/17/2012 – WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The International Monetary Fund on Saturday urged donors to meet their aid pledges to the Palestinian Authority, warning that unless funding was forthcoming it would be forced to cut public wages and social benefits to address a deepening fiscal crisis. The IMF said the aid-dependent Palestinian economy had entered a “difficult phase” with…. Related: Fayyad: PA to cut expenses if donors fall short and Shaath: PA faces halt in bank lending
Palestinian forces targeted in Syria explosion
3/17/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A vehicle belonging to the Palestine Liberation Army exploded in Damascus’ Yarmouk refugee camp on Saturday, killing several people, sources in the city told Ma’an. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion, or who was behind it. Syrian authorities immediately cordoned off the area and prevented….
Egypt envoy: Gaza factions will keep Israel truce
3/17/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Egyptian ambassador to the Palestinian Authority said Saturday that he was confident a truce between Gaza factions and Israel will hold, stemming further violence. Egypt brokered the truce beginning at 1 a. m. Tuesday to halt four days of Israeli airstrikes that killed 26 Palestinians and injured more than 80….
Fatah official condemns Israel use of police dogs
3/17/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Fatah official Abbas Zaki called on Saturday for an international campaign against Israel’s use of police dogs to break up popular protests in the West Bank. A Palestinian man was injured in a demonstration in Nablus village Kafr Qaddum on Friday when Israeli border police released a dog which…. Related:Protesters hurt in West Bank protests and When teargas and rubber bullets are not enough: Israeli soldiers release the hounds on unarmed Palestinian protesters
Gaza protests fuel crisis at Rafah border
3/17/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Dozens of Palestinians gathered at the Rafah crossing into Egypt on Saturday, to protest continuing fuel shortages in the Gaza Strip. Protesters, including several village heads, carried banners saying: “Gaza without electricity: Until when? ” and “Bring fuel to hospitals.” The demonstration called for the electricity company in Gaza to connect….
Public university employees suspend strike action
3/17/2012 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — The union for public university and college employees announced Saturday that they have suspended their strike action for one week. The group said in a statement that the suspension was a goodwill gesture to give the Palestinian Authority an opportunity to start “constructive dialogue.” The Palestinian Authority has set up a….
Abbas: Minor obstacles hinder unity government
3/17/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – President Mahmoud Abbas said Friday that formation of a technocrat government faced minor obstacles. During a meeting with the speaker of the Jordanian parliament Abdul-Karim Ad-Daghmi, in his office in Ramallah, Abbas highlighted that he and Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal agreed in Doha on creating a technocrat government to operate for….
Fayyad: PA to cut expenses if donors fall short
3/17/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Saturday that his government would reduce expenses in the coming stage if donor countries fail to pay aid they pledged to the Palestinian Authority. Fayyad, in a hospital in Hebron undergoing routine checks, reiterated that the PA would face a serious financial situation if funding does…. Related: IMF warns PA may face cuts without more aid and Shaath: PA faces halt in bank lending
Enforced disappearances are a stain on the Palestinian Authority
3/17/2012 – By Philip Luther – “Life is hard without him,” says Shereen Ayash, who has lived without knowing the fate of her husband Ismail Ayash since he disappeared from Palestinian Authority custody in 2002. Their daughter Jihan was three months old at the time; she is 10 now. She has no recollection of visiting him in prison….
Palestinian factions meet in Lebanon
3/17/2012 – BEIRUT (Ma’an) — Fatah central committee member Azzam Ahmad met on Friday with several Palestinian officials in Lebanon, a statement said. A meeting was held in the Palestinian embassy in Beirut between Hamas’ representative in Lebanon Ali Baraka, Islamic Jihad representative Abu Imad al-Rafai, Palestinian Ambassador to Lebanon Ashraf Dabbour and secretary of….
Lebanese cleric gives voice to Sunni Islamists
3/17/2012 – SIDON, Lebanon (Reuters) — A protest by Sunni Islamists in the heart of Beirut has catapulted a relatively unknown cleric onto Lebanon’s national stage and highlighted divisions in the country over the Syria crisis. The softly spoken Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir, from the southern coastal city of Sidon, brought hundreds of supporters into the center….
Syrian security hit by deadly car bombs
3/17/2012 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Two large explosions hit Damascus on Saturday, killing several security force personnel and civilians, state television reported, blaming what it said were terrorists behind the year-long uprising against President Bashar Assad. Video from a blast at an intelligence center showed the front of the building blown away, with numerous burnt out cars littering….
Safe in Turkey, a family flees rape, torture in Syria
3/17/2012 – BOYNUYOGUN, Turkey (Reuters) — It took three long days for 60-year-old Abdullah, his wife and son to hike across the hills to Turkey from their Syrian coastal city of Latakia, stopping only to hide from patrolling soldiers or to eat the sandwiches his wife had prepared for their escape. When they finally reached their destination….
Sexy photo in hacked Assad e-mails causes comment
3/17/2012 – LONDON (Reuters) — A provocative photograph of a near-naked young woman appears among e-mails apparently sent to Syrian President Bashar Assad and hacked by opposition activists who shared them with Western media. On Saturday, London’s Daily Telegraph published an edited version of the photograph, which has been seen by Reuters among the original e-mails….
Boat sinks off Libya coast, 5 killed
3/17/2012 – ROME (Reuters) — Five migrants were found dead on Saturday on a small boat off the coast of Libya while another 51 were rescued after the vessel sent out an SOS when its engine stopped working, according to the Italian coastguard. The seven-meter-long boat was in Libyan waters some 137 km south of the Italian island….
Libya says Gadhafi spy chief arrested in Mauritania
3/17/2012 – NOUAKCHOTT/TRIPOLI (Reuters) — Mauritania arrested Moammar Gadhafi’s ex-spy chief, Abdullah al-Senussi, after he arrived on an overnight flight, officials said on Saturday, triggering a three-way tussle for his extradition. Senussi, who for decades before the late dictator’s fall inspired fear and hatred in ordinary Libyans, is sought by the Hague-based International….
Adviser: Egypt Coptic Christian Pope Shenouda dies
3/17/2012 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Egyptian Coptic Christian Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of most of Egypt’s estimated 12 million Christians, died on Saturday from old age, his political adviser told Reuters. Bells tolled in Cairo’s Abbasiya district, site of Egypt’s main Coptic cathedral, as the news spread. Shenouda, 88, became the….
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
012)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Beit Dajan gears up for continued resistance
3/17/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Robin, 15 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – On the 14th of March 2012 two internationals from ISM went to Beit Dajan to talk about the recent upstart of demonstrations in the village. We met with Naser Abu Jaish who is the administrative manager in the municipality. Beit Dajan is a village with….
The education of common grounds: From al Nabka to Black History Month
3/17/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Lina, 18 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – Last month we celebrated the 36th annual African American History Month. The origins of this month come from the need to study the major contributions that Black people brought to America.”The fact is that the so-called history teaching in our schools and colleges is….
In photos: Beit Ommar weekly protest
3/17/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Younes Arar, 17 March 2012, Beit Ommar Popular Committee – The Beit Ommar Popular Committee organized today’s weekly peaceful protest adjacent to Karmei Tzur colony built on the stolen land of Beit Ommar farmers. When we arrived next to the so called security fence surrounding the colony, more than 60 heavily armed Israeli….
Jordan Valley: Three families invaded by one hundred Israeli soldiers in Al Jiftlik
3/17/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Kim, 17 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – On March 15th at 16:00 we got a call about three house demolitions in the village of Al Jiftlik, near the Jordan Valley. We threw ourselves into the first public transportation vehicle to take us to the village. It was dusk when we came to….
Nablus: 2 youth arrested during night raids into Burin
3/17/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Lydia, 13 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – On Monday, 12 March at 9pm, the soldiers were making themselves comfortable yet again in the village of Burin. Around 6 jeeps entered and 10 jeeps surrounded the village. It seemed for a while it was just another evening of playground antics with the soldiers….
Settlers Attack Child in Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Al-Khalil
3/17/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Joshua, 17 March 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – On Saturday, March 17 2012, illegal settlers in Al-Khalil (Hebron), guarded by Israeli Occupation Forces soldiers, trespassed onto the private property of the Abu Ayesha family and proceeded to attack fifteen year old Said, striking him on his arms. The settlers refused to begin leaving….
Video: IDF caught in a lie about Tristan Anderson
3/17/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Allison Deger, 16 March 2012, Mondoweiss – Following a police investigation that closed with no criminal charges against the Israeli military, new video evidence in Tristan Anderson’s last round for justice – a civil suit – was brought forth, identifying the solider who injured the peace activist with a long-range tear gas canister in 2009.”Sergeant…. Related: Mondoweiss
When teargas and rubber bullets are not enough: Israeli soldiers release the hounds on unarmed Palestinian protesters
3/17/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – 17 March 2012, Ni’lin Village – In Kufur Qaddoum, clashes between Israeli Border Police officers who shot tear-gas projectiles and rubber-coated bullets and local youth who threw stones at the forces developed. Roughly 15 minutes later – in a scene that seemed as if it was taking place in the American South of the 1960s….
Two rockets hit Israel as Gaza truce firms up
Relief Web 16 Mar 2012 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory , Israel 03/16/2012 19:39 GMT JERUSALEM, March 16, 2012 (AFP) – Militants in the Gaza Strip fired two rockets into southern Israel on Friday, officials said, as a fledgling truce in and around the…
Lieberman refused to have luggage checked at South Korea’s airport
Ha’aretz – 17 Mar 2012
Iran: Israel ‘a barking dog’ that will not dare attack Islamic Republic over nuclear program
Ha’aretz – 17 Mar 2012
Israeli leftist activists: We are being sexually harassed in the West Bank
Ha’aretz – 17 Mar 2012
India links Delhi terror attack on Israeli embassy to botched Thai bombing
Ha’aretz – 17 Mar 2012
IDF says Gaza’s Islamic Jihad severely damaged
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – All schools in South set to reopen; IDF impressed by Islamic Jihad’s ability to launch more than 300 rockets during five main days of hostility; Israel satisfied with Egypt’s role in cease-fire.
BGU develops new way of testing for cancer
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Health Scan: “Fingering” Obesity – why babies should learn to feed themselves; protective Parkinson gene.
Conduct medical research close to home
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – An obsolete state regulation makes it difficult for community institutions to carry out valuable health studies.
India asks Malaysia to extradite bombing suspect
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Investigators hone in on key suspect, an Iranian national, in embassy bombing; Indian Muslims to protest Kazmi’s arrest.
Setting aside the law
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – British Jonathan Hasson and Australian Ryan Shandler speak about going from law school to a combat unit in the IDF.
Reporter’s Notebook: More than just a race
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Jerusalem’s second annual marathon again raises runners’ morale in the shadow of terror.
Nazi war criminal Demjanjuk dies at 91 in Germany
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Former Ohio autoworker was stripped of US citizenship and convicted of helping murder 28,000 Jews at Sobibor.
German Jews slam ‘Israel apartheid’ comment
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Social Democrat chairman Sigmar Gabriel to meet Israel’s ambassador and German Jewish leader.
Iraq militia frees US hostage after 9 months
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Former soldier says he was reportedly released as a goodwill gesture; UN mission confirms he was released to it.
Bye-bye, Bamba
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – This is one baby that deserved being thrown out with the bathwater.
My Word: Missiles and Bamba
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – The Bamba baby has accompanied Israelis through the good times and the bad but won’t make it to London for the Olympics.
Remembering the attack on the Buenos Aires Israeli Embassy
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – The State of Israel will not rest until those who committed this atrocious crime receive justice.
S. Sudanese rally in TA against deportation
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – The state has set an April 1 deadline for South Sudanese to return to their newly-established state.
Sexual abuse allegations lodged in W. Bank yeshiva
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Accused counselor is being held by police, who suspect he abused students at another school as well.
Shtar power
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – The haredi hip hop ensemble create fresh beats and Sephardi melodies on its debut album.
Qurei calls for reconsidering one-state solution
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Former PA PM says two-state solution lost momentum, one-state solution should be considered despite “endless problems.”
Fatah says Iran trying to block Palestinian unity
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Following Hamas visits to Iran, Fatah says the Islamic Republic is paying Hamas leaders in Gaza to block reconciliation efforts.
Fatah accuses Iran of trying to block Palestinian unity
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Following Hamas visits to Iran, Fatah says the Islamic Republic is paying Hamas leaders in Gaza to block reconciliation efforts; attempts to implement unity agreement at an impasse.
‘Diplomat says Saudis are arming Syrian rebels’
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Report of Saudi armaments comes as Iraq tells Iran it will not permit arms shipments to Syria to cross its airspace.
Tnuva workers to pull cottage from the shelves
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – As part of labor dispute, workers at the dairy company will block the staple from distributors.
Baghdad to Iran: No arms to Syria over Iraq
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Iraqi gov’t statement comes one day after the US said it was consulting with Baghdad about overflights transporting materiel.
Einstein can rest easy, neutrinos obey speed limit
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – New experiment appears to debunk measurements which flew in the face of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.
Ohio man born in Shoah’s shadow seeks answers
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Seeking Kin: Sol Factor hopes to discover half-siblings who can shed light on his first life as Meier Pollak.
IMF: Palestinians may face cuts without more aid
Jerusalem Post 17 Mar 2012 – Report estimates financing gap of about $500 million, urges PA to cut expenditures; Aid donors meeting in Brussels next week
Mashaal meets Erdogan, decries Gaza operations
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2012 – During visit to Ankara, Hamas leader tells Turkish PM Israel used Gaza as experiment to test Iron Dome, IDF weapons.
Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei: God’s dwelling place
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2012 – Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day’ (Vayakhel; Exodus 35:3).
Indian police make Iran link to New Delhi bomb and Bangkok explosions
The Guardian 17 Mar 2012 – Police call for extradition of Iran-linked suspects and cite connections with car bomb that wounded Israeli diplomat’s wife Indian police have said a bomb attack that wounded an Israeli diplomat’s wife in New Delhi last month…
Leaked emails : is Aljzeera journalist Nir Rosen an informant for the Syrian regime?
Uruknet March 17, 2012 – Translated leaked email from Khaled to Assad relaying intelligence information from Nir Rosen during his stay in Baba Amr Homs… The opposition gave specific instructions to decrease the clashes with the regime’s army in order to save the lives of opposition fighters until the weapon shipment arrives. Nir Rosen was also able…
012 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet March 16, 2012… Hama: Two children were martyred in the neighbourhood of al-Arba’en after opening fire on demonstrators… Raqqa: Many demonstrators got martyred and wounded when security forces opened fire at the massive demonstration that emerged in the city today…Raqqa: Martyrdom of child Hamad Khaled Al-Jardawi, 4 years old. He was killed by security forces fire…..
The Complete Guantánamo Files: WikiLeaks and the Prisoners Released in 2007 (Part Three of Ten)
Uruknet March 16, 2012 -Freelance investigative journalist Andy Worthington continues his 70-part, million-word series telling, for the first time, the stories of 776 of the 779 prisoners held at Guantánamo since the prison opened on January 11, 2002. Adding information released by WikiLeaks in April 2011 to the existing documentation about the prisoners, much of which was…
To Rachel with love – A Poem
Uruknet First they came for the land ripping roots like teeth from the smiling faces of children. They come for the mothers who cry for yesterday’s trees and the memories of destroyed villages. Bleeding women who clutch the air for stolen children and mourn the martyrs of tomorrow….
012
Uruknet March 16, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, the targeting of Iraqi youth continues, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch issue statements decrying the targeting, US State Dept spokesperson Victoria Nuland accuses the US military of offering safe harbor to a terrorist camp (she’s given a chance to walk it back by an AP correspondent but chooses…
Israeli Budget Reinforces Discrimination Against 1948 Palestinians
Uruknet March 16, 2012 – Israel’s alleged efforts to lift its Arab population from poverty and unemployment appear to be nothing more than hollow words in light of recent Knesset debates over this year’s state budget. On Monday March 5, Israeli ministers, members of the parliament, and representatives from various non-governmental organizations convened at the Knesset to…
012 : A Video Roundup
Uruknet
Starving for Freedom: Six Years on the Abduction of Ahmad Sa’adat – One Month on the Hunger Strike of Hana Shalabi
Uruknet March 16, 2012 – March 14-15, 2012 marks the sixth anniversary of the attack on Jericho prison and the Israeli abduction of Palestinian national leader Ahmad Sa’adat and his comrades, who had been held under U.S. and British guard in a Palestinian Authority prison. For the past three years, since March 18, 2009, Ahmad Sa’adat has…
Those Bodies in Baghdad Are of Gay Men
Uruknet March 16, 2012 – Dozens of bodies bludgeoned to death pop up in Baghdad’s dusty streets like the remains of a wreckage on a beach. They are the corpses of homosexuals and followers of the emo’ fashion who dare to break with the strict canons of the Shia orthodoxy in power. “They crushed his head with…
IDF soldiers release attack dog on unarmed Palestinian protesters (video)
Uruknet March 16, 2012 – Soldiers released an attack dog on unarmed Palestinians at a Friday anti-occupation demonstration in the West Bank village of Kufr Qaddoum, report eyewitnesses that include an AP photographer. According to a report from Jonathan Pollack, a political activist, Border Police officers released an army dog at a group of protesters who were…
Iraq: Investigate Emo’ Attacks
Uruknet March 16, 2012 – The government of Iraq should immediately investigate and bring to justice those responsible for a targeted campaign of intimidation and violence against Iraqi youth seen as belonging to the non-conformist “emo” subculture, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission said today. The attacks have created…
Administrative Detention: Israel’s Way of Bypassing Justice
Uruknet March 16, 2012 – There is no doubt that the historic hunger strike by Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, a leading member of Islamic Jihad – which lasted for 66 days – cast a light on the injustice of the occupation’s administrative detention law. Now female prisoner, Hana Shalabi, is doing the same. She has just completed…
In memory of a hero: Rachel speaks truth
Uruknet March 16, 2012 – On the anniversary of Rachel Corrie‘s martyrdom today, the rain fell in quiet tears that watered Palestine in a confusing emotion of remorse and yet optimism-the same optimism we hear in the voice of Rachel’s diaries and actions. It rained on Kufr Qaddoum where attack dogs clenched in their jaws the peaceful…
Palestinian Political Prisoners; the Struggle for a Free Palestine Continues
Uruknet March 16, 2012 – Today, Palestinian political detainee Hana’ Ash-Shalabi, held captive in Israeli dungeons without trial or charge, is on her 29th day of an open-ended hunger strike against her illegal detention. Hana’ continues the fight against injustice, determined, steadfast and strong, while Palestinians, solidarity activists and conscientious people all over the world stand in…
012 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet March 15, 2012 – The Syrian Network for Human Rights has documented 99 victims in several areas in Syria, mostly in Idlib where another massacre was discovered this morning on a farm in Wadi Khalid, 23 bodies were found blindfolded and executed, among those killed five children and a woman including four defected army… Idlib: Maaret…
Egypt officials expect U.S. to unblock military aid
Daily Star 17 Mar 2012 Egyptian officials involved in recent negotiations with U.S. diplomats said on Saturday they believed that Washington planned to unblock military aid to Egypt.
Egypt Coptic Christian Pope Shenouda dies: adviser
Daily Star 17 Mar 2012 Egyptian Coptic Christian Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of most of Egypt’s estimated 12 million Christians, died on Saturday from old age, his political adviser told Reuters.
U.N. team to leave for Syria Monday
Daily Star 17 Mar 2012 A U.N. team mandated by international envoy Kofi Annan will leave for Damascus on Monday, the former U.N. secretary general’s spokesman said.
Rallies for and against Assad return to Martyrs’ Square
Daily Star 17 Mar 2012 Around 400 people opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad demonstrated in Downtown Beirut Saturday, marking one year since the start of the uprising in Syria, as a pro-Assad protest took place some 200 meters away.
Sexy photo in hacked Assad e-mails causes comment
Daily Star 17 Mar 2012 On Saturday, London’s Daily Telegraph published an edited version of the photograph, which has been seen by Reuters among the original e-mails.
Turkey calls for Palestinian unity
Daily Star 17 Mar 2012 Turkey’s president has called for “unity and solidarity” between the Palestinian factions during a meeting with Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal.
Hezbollah, Cypriot FM discuss obstacles to offshore oil extraction
Daily Star 17 Mar 2012 Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad met with Cyprus’ Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis Saturday and discussed issues of mutual concern including Lebanon’s maritime border dispute with Israel.
Iraq tells Iran no arms to Syria to cross its territory
Daily Star 17 Mar 2012 Iraq has informed Iran that it will not permit arms shipments to Syria to pass through or over its territory.
Venezuela police suspected in killing of consul’s daughter
YNet News, 17 Mar 2012 – ….
Fire station chief: Bnei Brak home lacked safety approval
YNet News, 17 Mar 2012 – ….
4 badly hurt in Bnei Brak retirement home fire
YNet News, 17 Mar 2012 – Fire possibly caused by short circuit. Total of 17 elderly people suffer from smoke inhalation, taken to hospitals in the area ….
Egypt officials expect US to unblock military aid
YNet News, 17 Mar 2012 – ….
4 seriously injured in Bnei Brak fire
YNet News, 17 Mar 2012 – ….
Iraq warns Iran against sending arms to Syria
YNet News, 17 Mar 2012 – ….
Hundreds protest refugees’ deportation in Tel Aviv
YNet News, 17 Mar 2012 – Social activists, asylum seekers protest decision to deport South Sudanese citizens while dozens of Tel Aviv residents hold counter protest in support of deportation ….
Israeli judge: Demjanjuk was ‘Ivan the Terrible’
YNet News, 17 Mar 2012 – Judge who sat on panel that sentenced Nazi war criminal to death in 1988 says believes ‘without shadow of a doubt’ that he was ‘Ivan the Terrible’ ….
The Iron Dome illusion
YNet News, 17 Mar 2012 – Op-ed: Success of missile defense system makes us forget about real issue: Gaza’s terror hotbed ….
Islamic Jihad seeks ‘balance of terror’ with Israel
YNet News, 17 Mar 2012 – Group’s military wing leader Abu Ibrahim says ‘our rockets are not meant to kill Israelis, but to make them suffer as we do’; claims group in possession of weapons that could hit beyond Ashdod ….
Palestinian Information Center
Jewish hypocrisy: vociferous on Sudan, but silent on Israel
PIC – Zionist-Jewish leaders everywhere are quite versed in the art of hypocrisy and dishonesty. Their moral inconsistency cries out to the seventh heaven.
Tadamun society condemns Israel’s use of dogs to suppress Palestinian protestors
PIC – The Tadamun society strongly denounced the Israeli occupation forces for using police dogs to subdue protest marches or to arrest civilians, affirming such action violates international law.
Sit-in staged at Rafah terminal asking Egypt to end Gaza fuel, power crisis
PIC – Palestinian citizens and notables staged a sit-in at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza on Saturday demanding an end to the fuel and power crisis.
Israel allocates millions of dollars for building synagogues in O. Jerusalem
PIC – The Israeli municipality of occupied Jerusalem has earmarked millions of dollars to build more synagogues and other Jewish institutions in a bid to Judaize the occupied holy city.
Number of Palestinian detainees on hunger strike on the rise
PIC – Megiddo prison administration transferred the prisoners, who went on hunger strike in solidarity with Hana Al-Shalabi, to other prisons, lawyer Jawad Boulus said.
Jewish settlers cut off hundreds of olive trees in Nablus village
PIC – Jewish settlers cut off hundreds of fruitful olive trees in Duma village, south of Nablus city, on Friday night, local sources said.
UFree: MP Haj Ali may not survive his hunger strike and should be let go
PIC – The European network-Ufree said Palestinian lawmaker Ahmed Al-Haj Ali has entered a life-threatening stage and may not survive if his hunger strike continues for more days.
IPS isolates dozens of prisoners in Negev
PIC – The Israeli prison service (IPS) isolated dozens of Palestinian prisoners in the Negev jail after they revolted against the suppressive measures and refused to stand for the daily count on Saturday.
Israel unveils its grid of tunnels under Aqsa Mosque and Old City
PIC – The Jerusalem committee against the wall and settlement said there is a network of tunnels under the foundations of the Aqsa Mosque and the Old City of Jerusalem.
012
Intifada-Palestine: 17 Mar 2012 – more
Social Networking Goes Viral
Intifada-Palestine: 17 Mar 2012 – by Paul Balles The election of Barack Obama ushered in the use of political networking that hadn’t been seen before. Amazingly, the message failed to register in the minds of the Republican candidates now vying for votes as nominees. Instead of… more
Iran Intelligence Crisis Showed Difficulty of Assessing Nuclear Data
New York Times 17 Mar 2012 – Discerning the intentions of Iran’s leaders on the crucial steps to building a nuclear bomb is the most covert aspect of one of the world’s most difficult intelligence collection targets.
Yemen’s New President Is Facing Unrest in the South
New York Times 17 Mar 2012 – Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Yemen’s new president, faces many challenges, but possibly none as daunting as that in the south, where many are eager for secession.
Coptic Pope Dies in Egypt Amid Church’s Struggles
New York Times 17 Mar 2012 – The death of Pope Shenouda III comes at a time of rising fears for Egypt’s Coptic Christians, who have felt increasingly vulnerable since President Hosni Mubarak’s fall.
2 Blasts Strike Near Government Agencies in Damascus
New York Times 17 Mar 2012 – Explosions hit intelligence and security buildings in Damascus, the capital, killing or wounding dozens of civilians and security personnel, Syrian state news media reported.
Sadrists in Iraq Free American Who Says He Was Kidnapped
New York Times 17 Mar 2012 – The American, identified as Rand Hultz, said he was kidnapped last June by a group loyal to the anti-American cleric Moktada al-Sadr.
Massive anti-government protest in Bahrain
WSWS – On Friday, tens of thousands demonstrated against the monarchist regime in Bahrain, a key US ally in the Middle East.
Obama reiterates war threats as Iran, major powers agree to new talks
WSWS – After a bellicose speech before a pro-Israel lobbying group and a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Obama reiterated the US readiness to attack Iran.
Obama, Netanyahu discuss Iran war options
WSWS – The White House talks followed Obama’s speech to the principal Israeli lobby group in Washington, pledging support for Israel in any future military confrontation.
Obama menaces Iran with military threat
WSWS – Washington reportedly asked Moscow to tell Iran that it had one “last chance” to reach a negotiated settlement and avoid US military action.
JVP statement on Park Slope Coop BDS Vote
Jewish Voice for Peace –
Huffington Post: For a Just and Lasting Peace in God’s Land
Jewish Voice for Peace –
Afghan parliamentary team says many Americans were involved in massacre in which army accuses one
Mondoweiss – Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, suspected in the shooting of 16 civilians in Afghanistan NBC NEWS The US soldier allegedly responsible for the massacre of 16 civilians in Afghanistan has been identified as Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales . Bales, 38, was deployed to Afghanistan in December…
Kill other peoples, but not your own
Mondoweiss – I am currently immersed in the culture and politics of Syria as producer of a four-day festival, Reel Syria 2012 , here in London and in Edinburgh. We have invited Syrian artists and writers, including the cartoonist, Ali Ferzat , novelist Manhal al-Sarraj and musician, Samih Choukeir, to…
The Clementi family’s compassionate statement
Mondoweiss – I’m on a misanthropic kick. I think that people are selfish and mean. I believe the truth of the Colonel Sherburn chapter in Huck Finn, that humanity is vicious and cowardly and easily swayed. And our religions are outmoded and encode the worst impulses in tribal…
In Nabi Saleh, two protesters are struck by rubber bullets
Mondoweiss – link to palsolidarity.org link to english.wafa.ps link to josephdana.com link to english.wafa.ps link towww.imemc.org link to popularstruggle.org link to www.ynetnews.com link to www.ynetnews.com link to palsolidarity.orglink to www.maannews.net link to news.yahoo.com link to www.maannews.net link to www.maannews.net link towww.maannews.net link to www.imemc.org link…
How important is it to the Times (and us) that Greg Smith is Jewish?
Mondoweiss – Everyone is talking about Greg Smith’s smashing explanation of his resignation from Goldman, Sachs , as well they should be. A great moral document, it might actually change the “toxic and destructive” Wall Street environment that so nauseated the 12-year Goldman veteran. (Yes I’m a dreamer). The…
URGENT – Syria: Foreign fighters amassing on Turkish and Jordanian borders
Voltaire Network 17 Mar 2012 – Damascus, 5:50 p.m. – Several hundred Libyan Al-Qaeda fighters (former Libyan Islamic Fighting Group) have arrived in recent weeks at various hotels in Amman (Jordan). They suddenly moved out on Friday, 16 March 2012 to relocate to an unknown destination. Simultaneously, a coming and going of…
Six Ways the Media Has Misreported Syria
Voltaire Network 17 Mar 2012 – The media rhetoric on Syria legitimizes and reinforces the official position of NATO and the GCC, at the cost of serious omissions and gross falsehoods. Afshin Mehrpouya sets the record straight regarding six major issues and disproves all the consensual conclusions that such distortions have led…
Beit Ommar Popular Committee Leads Weekly Demonstration Near Karmei Tsur
Palestine Solidarity Project 17 Mar 2012 – On March 17th, 2012, about 30 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists marched towards the fence surrounding the Karmei Tsur settlement near Beit Ommar, as part of the Beit Ommar Popular Committee’s weekly peaceful demonstration. Karmei Tsur settlement was built on land stolen from Palestinian farmers. Many…
Libya demands handover of Senussi
BBC 17 Mar 2012 – Libya formally requests that Mauritania hand over Col Gaddafi’s former spy chief Abdullah al-Senussi, also sought by the International Criminal Court and France.
Egypt Coptic Christian Pope dies
BBC 17 Mar 2012 – The head of Egypt’s Coptic Christian Church, Pope Shenouda III, has died at the age of 88, Egyptian state TV announces.
Bedouin ‘end Sinai monitor siege’
BBC 16 Mar 2012 – Armed Bedouin demonstrators in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula lift their siege of a base used by foreign peacekeepers, security sources say.
Violent clashes shake Libya city
BBC 16 Mar 2012 – Clashes at a rally calling for a semi-autonomous region in Libya have left one person dead in the eastern city of Benghazi, reports say.
Articles
The Enigma of Israel
Gabriel Kolko, CounterPunch 3/16/2012
Creating a Warrior State
Zionism was supposed to make Jewish existence “normal;” very different than in a Diaspora peopled by goyim, but there is nothing ”normal” in the life and culture of Israel today—which has not lived in peace with its neighbors, much less let the Palestinians have elementary human rights in the lands in which they have lived for thousands of years. If war is the criteria of “normal” existence, then Zionism has become a failed nightmare. It was, when first conceptualized, not supposed to be this way.
Instead of the original dream of A. D. Gordon, Nachman Syrkin, Dov Ber Borochov, and those influenced by the anti-industrial scouting “wanderfogel” concept (which also played a role in Nazi ideology) or Tolstoy (who influenced some Zionist theorists), it turned out very differently. Israel today, the realization of the Zionist theory, bears little relationship to the original concept, which was much more attune to the fact that Palestine was peopled by Arabs and they were also human beings who deserved to have rights. In its own way, the original Zionist formulations, ignoring the fact there was also a contradiction in wanting to set up a homeland in an area the Jews had not lived for thousands of years and was scarcely Western—as they were themselves now—was much more realistic and fair about the rights of Arabs who were native to that country.
Instead, Israel today has become a danger to the region and to itself, so much so that it cannot exist much longer with its own contradictions and the evolving balance-of-power and the spread of advance technology to every nation with the money and will to use it. It cannot maintain a nuclear monopoly because any oil-rich state can make or buy nuclear bombs. It cannot go to war with every state in the region that has the money and capability to make nuclear weapons with risking its very existence, or without provoking an exodus out. more.. e-mail
Palestinian rights fall on deaf ears
Pierre Klochendler, Asia Times 3/16/2012
JERUSALEM – 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 marginalization in the international arena of the Palestinian aspirations to freedom and independence.
The cross-border hostilities adhered to a pre-scripted, inescapable template: the targeted killing by Israel of Zuhair al-Qaisi, the leader of the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), a dissident Islamist faction in Gaza, for the purpose of foiling a planned “terror attack”; PRC and Islamic Jihad (another defiant group) retaliating with rockets fired on cities in southern Israel; Israeli jets bombing Islamic Jihad and PRC targets.
All in all, 26 Palestinians (22 militants and four civilians) were killed during the four-day escalation. Scores were wounded on both sides. About 200 rockets hit Israel’s south, more than during any previous round since the Gaza war on Hamas in 2008-9. Anti-missile “Iron Dome” batteries intercepted 90% of the projectiles that risked hitting Israeli population centers.
And then, as usual, Egypt stepped in, re-installed the fragile status quo ante which had prevailed since the previous round of hostilities in October 2011. The next round is probably only a matter of time, concur Israelis and Palestinians.
Meanwhile, diplomatically-correct expressions of concern for the loss of civilian lives and calls for restraint notwithstanding, the UN Security Council was immersed in a quasi-academic periodic debate about the 14-month Arab awakening. Palestine is being largely ignored. more.. e-mail
Enforced disappearances are a stain on the Palestinian Authority
Philip Luther, Ma’an News Agency 3/17/2012
“Life is hard without him,” says Shereen Ayash, who has lived without knowing the fate of her husband Ismail Ayash since he disappeared from Palestinian Authority custody in 2002.
Their daughter Jihan was three months old at the time; she is 10 now. She has no recollection of visiting him in prison as a baby.
Shereen and Jihan are not alone: the families of five other men await with growing desperation any news of their sons, brothers, fathers and husbands who all disappeared on that day 10 years ago from Salfit Detention Center in the northern West Bank.
“Each one of them is dear to his family,” said the wife of another disappeared.
Before they disappeared, these men had been detained on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations that they had collaborated with the Israeli intelligence services, at a time when the Israeli army was conducting devastating military operations to suppress the second intifada.
They were never tried.
During visits to the detention center, the families noticed marks of beatings and burns on the men’s bodies. When they were contacted by the Palestinian intelligence services to be told that the men had somehow “escaped” on March 12, 2002, they feared the worst. more.. e-mail
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visithttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 