8 May 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Supreme Court Decides to Remove Palestinians Their Homes In Jerusalem
IMEMC – The Palestinian News Network, PNN, reported that the Israeli Supreme Court has decided to remove the families of Ghazi Zalloum and Ismail Wazwaz from their homes in the neighborhood of Alqurma in the occupied Old City of Jerusalem in favor to replace them with Israeli settlers. The court claimed that both properties belonged to Jews before 1948, the year Israel was created in the historic land of Palestine. …
Army Breaks Into Popular Committee Office In Ramallah
IMEMC – The Maan News Agency reported that Israeli soldiers invaded, on Tuesday at dawn, the office of Stop The Wall, a grassroots organization that campaigns against the Israeli separation wall, in Ramallah and confiscated all their files and computers after trashing the office. …
Kadima To Join Coalition With Likud
IMEMC – Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who also heads the Likud Party, has reached an agreement with Shaul Mofaz, head of the Kadima opposition party, to form a new national unity government. …
Israel Opens Karam Abu Salem Commercial Crossing to Gaza
IMEMC – Ma’an News Agency reported Monday that the Israeli authorities have opened the Karam Abu Salem Commerical Crossing for goods and aid, and will pump large quantities of diesel for the power plant of Gaza. …
Israeli forces raid anti-wall campaign office in Ramallah
5/8/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli forces stormed the offices of a grassroots campaign against the separation wall in Ramallah early Tuesday, the group said. Ten military jeeps raided the Stop the Wall campaign office and forces seized two laptops, three hard drives and ten memory cards containing files and photos, and archive material, the organization….
Israeli authorities ‘uproot trees in Hebron village’
5/8/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities uprooted around 350 trees while leveling fields in a southern West Bank village on Tuesday morning, the Land Research Center said. Bulldozers, escorted by Israeli forces, demolished stone terraces and uprooted around 100 olive trees on 13,000 square meters of land belonging to Hasan Muhammad Abdul-Ghani Al-Amlah in the….
Long-term hunger striker not backing down
5/8/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A Palestinian hunger striker who has gone without food for 70 days said Tuesday he had no plans to back down despite suffering severe medical complications. Thaer Halahla, 33, from Hebron, wrote in a letter published by a prisoner rights group that he was suffering rapid heart rate, low blood….
Rally for prisoners held at Abbas compound
5/9/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinians demonstrated Tuesday in front of the presidential headquarters in Ramallah accusing the Palestinian Authority of negligence toward prisoners on hunger strike. The demonstrators said the PA was letting its prisoners minister Issa Qaraqe take up the issue, but failing to internationalize the prisoner’s cause and seeking to condemn….
3 Palestinians detained near Bethlehem
5/8/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained three Palestinians Tuesday during a raid of their houses in Herodium area east of Bethlehem, locals told Ma’an. Some 20 vehicles raided the village at around 10 a. m. , and forces used dogs to conducts searches which damaged furniture and belongings inside the homes. Ali Abu….
Outpost advocates pursue price tag demolitions in court
5/9/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A tiny village of Palestinian families in the southern West Bank has had an unwelcome visitor in recent months.” He comes with small weapons and his camera, sometimes with armed forces, sometimes with settlers,” Susiya resident Nasser Nawajeh says. The armed visitor is Ovad Arad, the Judea and Samaria Director of….
EU funds Palestinian elections commission
5/9/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The European Union on Tuesday agreed to fund projects to support the Central Elections Commission, the CEC announced. The EU will provide 674,370 euros ($878,200) to boost the CEC’s capacities and strengthen its civic engagement in the West Bank and Gaza, the CEC said in a statement. The funding….
Israeli agricultural body considers Gaza tomato import
5/8/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli agricultural body is considering importing tomatoes from the Gaza Strip in response to a sudden price increase, Israeli media said Sunday. The Secretary of the Vegetable Growers’ Association in Israel says it is considering buying produce from the Gaza Strip, even though the growing process is not monitored….
EU: Israel must allow medical, family visits to hunger-strikers
5/8/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The European Union offices in the Palestinian territory on Tuesday expressed concern about the deteriorating health condition of Palestinian prisoners on hunger-strike for over two months. Israel’s Supreme Court on Monday rejected the appeals of administrative detainees Bilal Diab, 27, from Jenin, and Thaer Halahla, 33, from Hebron — who….
Fatah: Israeli prison doctors neglecting duties
5/8/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli prison doctors are subjecting hunger-striking detainees to a “slow death” by their medical negligence, prisoners said Tuesday. In a message to Fatah’s committee in Gaza, prisoners said Shadi al-Rekhawi suffers from partial paralysis. Al-Rekhawi, who has been on hunger strike since April 17, was born in Rafah…. Related: PA calls for international action on prisoners and Rally for prisoners held at Abbas compound
Iran complains of nuclear double standards
5/8/2012 – DUBAI (Reuters) — World powers should focus on scrapping nuclear weapons and abiding by their own non-proliferation commitments rather than speculating about Iran’s peaceful atomic work, the Iranian foreign ministry said on Tuesday. The broadside by the ministry’s spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast appeared to be a response to a US call the previous….
PA calls for international action on prisoners
5/8/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority cabinet on Tuesday called on the international community to immediately intervene on behalf of hunger-striking prisoners in Israeli jails. Hundreds of Palestinians are on hunger strike in protest of poor prison conditions. Two of them are believed to be seriously ill after refusing food since late February. Ministers…. Related: Fatah: Israeli prison doctors neglecting duties and Rally for prisoners held at Abbas compound
ICG report: 2-state prospects ‘as dim as ever’
5/8/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A new report from the International Crisis Group questions the credibility of the Mideast peace process nearly two decades since Oslo and 13 years since a deal should have been reached. The report, released this week, concludes that prospects for a two-state solution “are as dim as ever.””The international community…. Related: ICG: The Emperor Has No Clothes: Palestinians and the End of the Peace Process
Middle East nuclear talks thrown into doubt
5/8/2012 – VIENNA (Reuters) — Talks on ridding the Middle East of nuclear weapons looked in doubt on Tuesday as the Western official organizing them said he had yet to secure the needed attendance of all countries in the region. The statement by Finnish diplomat Jaakko Laajava at a meeting in Vienna was a sign of the difficulties….
Netanyahu forges unity govt, election delayed
5/9/2012 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — In a surprise maneuver, Israel’s parliament postponed plans to vote for an early national election on Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forged a deal for a broader coalition with the centrist Kadima party, officials said.” We have been rescued from holding an early election. There will be a broad-based government….
West Bank university staff to suspend classes for sit-in
5/9/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — University staff in the West Bank will suspend work on Tuesday to hold a protest in Ramallah, a union representative said. The Palestinian universities’ employees union council said they will hold the sit-in outside the Palestinian Legislative Council headquarters to protest the government’s negligence towards higher education. Spokesman….
Al-Nunu: Fatah delegation to visit Gaza
5/9/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A delegation of Fatah officials headed by Nabil Shaath will visit the Gaza Strip, a spokesman for the Hamas-led government said Tuesday. Taher al-Nunu said Shaath phoned Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh to propose the delegation’s visit. Haniyeh welcomed the visit, al-Nunu said. Hamas and Fatah have been….
Erekat recovering from heart attack
5/8/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Senior PLO official Saeb Erekat is in a Ramallah hospital after suffering a mild heart attack, informed sources said Tuesday. Erekat underwent catheterization surgery and is now in a stable condition in the Ramallah medical compound. Senior officials minister of civil affairs Hussein Al-Sheikh and intelligence chief Majed Faraj called Erekat….
Palestinian Airlines to resume flights
5/8/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian national airline plans to resume weekly flights between Amman, Jordan and El-Arish, Egypt, a company official said Tuesday. Captain Ziad al-Beda, director-general of Palestinian Airlines, said flights will operate twice weekly and could be increased depending on demand. The flight will operate Wednesdays to ease the burden of Palestinians….
Fatah leader: President committed to prisoners
5/8/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — A member of the Fatah central committee spoke on behalf of the president Tuesday saying the prisoners’ cause is shared by Mahmoud Abbas and the Ramallah-based leadership. Jamal Muhsein said the prisoners are the PA‘s “top priority.”Speaking outside a sit-in tent in Al-Bireh, where thousands demonstrated Tuesday….
Fayyad: Palestinians isolated, short of funds
5/8/2012 – Deep freeze – Attempts by Abbas, who rules in the West Bank, to bridge this divide over the past year have failed amid mutual recriminations and plans to hold long-awaited elections this month across the Palestinian territories were shelved.” The reconciliation process is in the deep freeze. Let’s face it,” Fayyad said, adding that….
In muddle of Libya’s finances, billions go missing
5/8/2012 – TRIPOLI (Reuters) — Months after rebels brought down the extravagant dictatorship of Moammar Gadhafi, the disarray in Libya’s state finances at the end of last year was so bad the new leadership did not know the size of state assets, how their money was being spent, or what had happened to more than $2….
Egypt officer found shot dead in north Sinai
5/8/2012 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian authorities found the body of an army officer who had been shot dead in the northern Sinai late Monday, officials said. Military officials identified the victim as 35-year-old officer Abdullah Abdul-Minem. His body was found with a bullet wound in the head in Sheikh Zuweid city near El-Arish….
Arab League chief warns of civil war in Syria
5/8/2012 – BEIJING (Reuters) – Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi warned on Tuesday rising violence in Syria could tip the strife-torn country into civil war, and expressed support for the peace plan of UN-Arab League Special Envoy Kofi Annan. Al-Arabi also said that an escalation in violence in Syria, where 14 months of bloodshed has claimed more than….
Egypt frontrunners face their pasts on vote trail
5/8/2012 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Two of the top contenders for Egypt’s presidency are confronting a similar challenge on the campaign trail: their past. Leading Islamist Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh and veteran diplomat Amr Moussa are both facing scrutiny over their former affiliations, one to the Muslim Brotherhood and the other to the administration of deposed….
No Qatar-China rift seen despite Al Jazeera spat
5/8/2012 – DOHA (Reuters) — China’s expulsion of an Al Jazeera correspondent underlines Chinese sensitivity about foreign media coverage, but an official of the Qatar-based network said it would not upset ties between Doha and Beijing, which are major trading partners. Al Jazeera closed its English-language news channel’s China bureau on Tuesday after authorities….
US says increasing support to Syrian opposition
5/8/2012 – UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) — Syria has not complied with a UN-backed peace plan and the United States is increasing “non-lethal” support to the opposition groups trying to oust President Bashar Assad, US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said on Tuesday.” We are increasing our support to unify and strengthen the opposition through non-lethal assistance….
Ramallah holds rally for jailed Palestinians
AlJazeera 8 May 2012 – Hundreds take to the streets of West Bank city to express solidarity as a mass hunger strike enters its fourth week.
Alternative Information Center
Joint Palestinian-Israeli declaration in support of Palestinian political prisoner struggle
Alternative Information Center – Mobilize all possible efforts in solidarity with the Palestinian political prisoners in their struggle for justice!
Palestinian Prisoners’ Battle of ‘Empty Stomachs’ Continues
Alternative Information Center – Thaer Halahleh and Bilal Diab’s petitions to the Israeli High Court regarding their administrative detention orders were rejected yesterday, four days following their High Court hearing on 3 May. Thaer and Bilal are on their 71…
Stop the Wall office raided by Israeli military
Alternative Information Center – At 1.30am this morning ten armored jeeps of the Israeli Occupation Forces surrounded and raided the offices of Stop the Wall in Ramallah.
Greek donation opens new health centre for Gaza refugees
Relief Web 8 May 2012 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory , Greece 8 May 2012 Jabalia, Gaza Strip The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) opened a new health centre today, serving Palestine…
Dignity and rights in urban spaces: Groundbreaking urban planning in the Middle East
Relief Web 8 May 2012 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory , Germany Berlin/Jerusalem A new exhibition has opened in the Deutsches Architektur Zentrum DAZ in Berlin which showcases groundbreaking community participation in urban planning…
Local EU Statement on Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike
Relief Web 8 May 2012 – Source: European Union Country: occupied Palestinian territory The EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah are concerned about the deteriorating health condition of the Palestinians held in administrative detention in Israel who have been on hunger strike for more than two…
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Relief Web 7 May 2012 – Source: Government of the United Arab Emirates Country: Yemen , Lebanon , Libya , occupied Palestinian territory , Pakistan , Syrian Arab Republic (the) , United Arab Emirates (the) This month’s issue covers the following topics: UAE aid news Ewa’a Shelters for Women and Children Yemen:…
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Relief Web 7 May 2012 – Source: International Crisis Group Country: occupied Palestinian territory EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Does anybody still believe in the Middle East Peace Process? Nineteen years after Oslo and thirteen years after a final settlement was supposed to be reached, prospects for a two-state…
Palestinian and Lebanese children learn “peace through sport” at games funded by Italy
Relief Web 7 May 2012 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: Lebanon , Italy , occupied Palestinian territory A three-day sports event giving hundreds of Palestinian and Lebanese children some much-needed healthy and competitive fun was launched today in…
Opening Roads and Improving Accessibility in Judea and Samaria
Relief Web 7 May 2012 – Source: Government of Israel Country: occupied Palestinian territory IDF and Cogat have made an effort to facilitate Palestinian movement throughout the area by reopening six important roadways. Date: 03.05.12 The terror attacks of the Second Intifada forced Israel to close…
Abbas says ready to restart peace process if Netanyahu offers ‘anything promising or positive’
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
In turnabout, Netanyahu urges ministers to find way to leave Ulpana intact
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
Haaretz poll: Israelis see Netanyahu, Mofaz motivated by political gain
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
How the deal was struck / Under cover of a Knesset session
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
‘Shaul and I’
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
Israel’s AG mulling charges against ‘Jenin, Jenin’ director
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
Archaeological find stirs debate on David’s kingdom
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
Lapid to U.S. Conservative rabbis: You are the gatekeepers of Jewish identity
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
Hundreds of Israelis take to the streets to protest unity deal between Netanyahu and Mofaz
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
U.S. Vice President Biden: No options off table on Iran nuclear program
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
After Netanyahu-Mofaz deal, ultra-Orthodox parties must contend with waning political power
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
Formation of Israeli unity cabinet shows Netanyahu blinked first, again
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
Palestinian official: Israel’s new unity cabinet must freeze all settlement activity
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
Israeli crime boss Yitzhak Abergil strikes plea bargain with U.S. court
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
Netanyahu, stunning Israel by forging unity bloc, defends move as pro-stability
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
Mofaz-Netanyahu cabinet may pave the way for an Israeli strike on Iran
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
Netanyahu’s move for unity with Kadima unleashes political storm
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
High Court may have ruled against West Bank outpost, but the story isn’t over
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
After securing unity cabinet with Kadima, Netanyahu is now king of Israeli politics
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
The winners and losers in Netanyahu’s surprise move for unity with Kadima
Ha’aretz – 8 May 2012
Court rejects petition by Palestinian hunger strikers against detention
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2012
Harpaz says Gabi Ashkenazi tasked him to dig for dirt on Defense Minister Barak
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2012
Rambam’s tomb to get high-tech facelift, against the sage’s own wishes
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2012
Knesset panel backs plan to snuff out tobacco advertising
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2012
Ministry of Education wants Israel’s schools more artsy, not fartsy
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2012
Israel to subsidize costly genetic tests for high-risk pregnancies
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2012
Israel triumphs in existential battle, against blue-leaved plants
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2012
Hill of horrors
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2012
At-risk teenage girl held at police station for 20 hours
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2012
Lapid lauds Kadima on return ‘home’ to Likud
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – In an address to the Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Movement in Atlanta, Yesh Atid leader says new unity gov’t strengthens his status.
HelioFocus demonstrates solar-thermal system
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – “The real challenges are ahead, to convert successful technology to a successful commercial size,” chairman says.
Reform time
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Smaller parties need to be encouraged to join larger parties. Voters need to be encouraged to choose larger, more mainstream parties.
Zionism is in our DNA
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Israel’s first pioneers were optimists who believed in the power of people to change the course of history.
First thoughts on a unity government
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – The first question is whether or not this move was somehow motivated by Netanyahu’s plans for contending with Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
In My Own Write: Second families
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – “How do I use the advantages of my current stage in life to be the best parent I can be to my children?”
National freedom demands a two-state solution
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Upon first glance, a one-state solution appears to be a decent, liberal solution to a seemingly intractable problem.
Toward confederation
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Palestinians know approximately what they will have to accept. Finding the least bad solution consonant with defeat is their unenviable task.
Abbas warns death of Palestinian prisoner would be disaster
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Palestinian Authority president says that the death of any of the hundreds of Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli prisons could trigger a backlash that might slip out of control.
Abbas warns against death of Palestinian prisoner
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Palestinian Authority president says that the death of any of the hundreds of Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli prisons could trigger a backlash that might slip out of control.
In TA, J’lem, protestors rally against unity gov’t
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Hundreds gather in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem hours after Kadima joins coalition; Livni: Young people deserve value-based politics.
PM calls on Abbas to return to negotiating table
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – PA asks national unity coalition adopt a platform of peace; Netanyahu: I hope Abbas will use opportunity resume talks.
Syria faces halt in diesel from Russia, others
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Diesel shortages are already hurting the local economy; no deliveries of petroleum products have been seen in 4 weeks.
Biden: Window closing for Iran diplomacy
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – US vice president stresses Israel’s right to take action it sees necessary, speaking to Conservative Movement assembly.
TA to seek new minibus lines on Saturdays
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Plan would add eight new private minibus lines to existing Saturday transportation, connecting Center, beaches to outlying neighborhoods.
Candidly speaking: Unity gov’t – opportunities and dangers
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – There was no ideological obstacle preventing the Likud and Kadima, both essentially pragmatic (and opportunistic) centrist political parties, from forming a unity bloc.
ICRC, UN appeal for Palestinian hunger strikers
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Int’l Red Cross urges Israel to transfer 6 prisoners to hospital, to allow family visits; UN also expresses concern.
Analysis: A new balance at the cabinet on Iran
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – By inserting Shaul Mofaz and Kadima into the government, Netanyahu may be trying to tighten ranks ahead of a possible war.
Umm al-Fahem man convicted of homophobic attacks
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Umm al-Fahem resident convicted of beating, threatening two men in Or Yehuda because of their sexual orientation.
Court convicts lawyer of aiding Hamas
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Khaled Dasouqiby smuggled phones to security prisoner Ziad Qawasmeh, a convicted member of the Hamas terror group at Ketziot Prison.
Hebrew U discovery reshapes understanding of Temple
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Discovery of three small shrines have revealed use of ancient architectural consistent with Solomon’s Temple
Interpol holds int’l conference in TA
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Police commissioner tells Interpol European Conference he hopes French authorities arrest men accused of running over, killing Zeitouni.
Officials warn of Syrian civil war, 7 killed
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Arab League Chief Elaraby, head of Red Cross warn of dangers of escalating military action in Syria.
‘Egypt launches op to purge Sinai of terrorists’
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Security forces in Sinai arrest Egyptians and Palestinians linked to Hamas’s armed wing, according to “Al Shorouk.”
High Court upholds state of emergency
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Decision comes 13 years after petition is filed; Israel has been in declared state of emergency since 1948.
Unity deal draws mixture of disgust and delight
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Yacimovich: No one will forget this trick; Lapid slams “disgusting political alliance”; Peres, Dagan congratulate Mofaz.
Lag Ba’omer: Celebration or tragedy?
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Prof. Kolbrener and Dr. Hazony talk about the significance of the upcoming holiday.
With election charade, Assad bides time
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Analysis: The scheduled vote is part of the strange, alternate reality that the Syrian regime seeks to create around itself.
Gov’t approves copayments for independent psychotherapy
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Litzman, who presented the request, says that the rates reflect those previously approved for Maccabi Health Services.
Oleander bush tempts, nearly kills baby
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – Jaffa mother rushes to hospital after her one-year-old son eats plant leaves, which are poisonous.
Groups call on gov’t to up solar energy quotas
Jerusalem Post 8 May 2012 – “More rooftop panels can decrease the need for polluting diesel generators,” say environmental activists.
Vote early, vote often
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2012 – By voting in the US elections, immigrants serve Israel and America alike.
Dudu Fisher brings ‘Jerusalem’ to the Bible Belt
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2012 – With career that spans over 30 years, covers several continents, 60-year-old performer ventures into Missouri.
Pole dancing without the striptease
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2012 – A religious settler opens a “ladies only” studio in Jerusalem, empowering women with a unique form of exercise.
This TUC boycott has morphed into bigotry | Daniel Taub
The Guardian 8 May 2012 – Discriminating against Israelis in the name of the Palestinian cause hurts any progressive agenda for a negotiated peace An NHS conference on conflict resolution for managers and union representatives has turned into a sobering lesson in…
Egyptians v Saudi Arabia: it’s all got rather messy | Magdi Abdelhadi
The Guardian 8 May 2012 – Putting Mubarak in the dock upset Gulf’s patriarchal order. Saudi Arabia is trying to play hardball but it may not work While protesters were fighting street battles with the military police in Cairo last week, Egyptian…
Washington’s war of words against Iran | Jasmin Ramsey
The Guardian 8 May 2012 – The Obama administration has ramped up its rhetoric to meet hawkish demands that punitive sanctions deliver regime change The United States claims that sanctions against Iran are designed to convince it to change its behavior on…
Binyamin Netanyahu avoids early election by forming unity government – video
The Guardian 8 May 2012 – The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has called off early elections after reaching a deal with the Kadima opposition for a broader coalition government
Bahrain may not be Syria, but that’s no reason for activists to turn a blind eye | David Wearing
The Guardian 8 May 2012 – How do we decide which human rights abuses to focus on? Not by listening to those who tell us ‘it’s worse in another country’ A violent crackdown on a broad-based, pro-democracy movement is, with the best…
Israel deal does not make a strike on Iran less likely
The Guardian 8 May 2012 – The Iranian-born Shaul Mofaz is thought to oppose unilateral military action but the former chief of staff is used to taking orders from Netanyahu and the deal has secured Ehud Barak’s position Does the overnight political…
Iran worries Arabs – but they don’t want war | Wadah Khanfar
The Guardian 8 May 2012 – There is no Arab appetite for the chaos caused by an Israeli or western attack on Iran, despite fears over its expansionism The image of Iran in the Arab public mind has changed during the last…
How Likud-Kadima deal strengthens Netanyahu’s hand
The Guardian 8 May 2012 – Deal means coalition will no longer be dependent on narrow vested interests and will keep hawkish defence minister in place Israel’s middle-of-the-night political earthquake has left prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the head of a big,…
Israel’s Netanyahu strikes surprise coalition deal
The Guardian 8 May 2012 – Netanyahu calls off early elections after reaching a deal with Kadima opposition for a unity government The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has called off early elections after reaching an agreement to broaden his coalition by…
U.S.: Ethnic Minority Youth Lead New Wave of Student Activism
IPS In December 1985, The New York Times reported on what was believed to be the first anti-apartheid conference of U.S. high schools discussing divestment from corporations operating in South Africa.
U.S. Should Forge “New Partnership” With Turkey, Report Says
IPS Major changes that have swept both Turkey and its neighbourhood since the Cold War require Washington to forge a “new partnership” with Ankara, according to a new report released Tuesday by the influential Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
Illegal and Brutal Detainment Lives on in Yemen
IPS “They made me drink my own urine,” said one former detainee, Addam Ayedh al-Shayef, describing his experiences in detainment in Yemen. “When I refused to drink it, they electrocuted me. After I came home, I would dream I was still being tortured and I’d wake up screaming.”
Mubarak Still Has His Billions
IPS More than a year since president Hosni Mubarak was removed from power, the money he allegedly syphoned from Egypt during his 29-year rule remains beyond the reach of authorities attempting to recover it.
Libyan rebels storm prime minister’s office
Uruknet May 8, 2012 – Gunmen from a former rebel militia stormed and occupied the office of Libya’s interim prime minister, Abdurrahim al-Keib on Tuesday. At least one man was reported killed, paramedics said. Several dozen pickup trucks with heavy machine guns surrounded the building as government negotiators met the former rebels, who are demanding back pay…
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Uruknet May 8, 2012 – Since 2011 US counter terrorism operations in Yemen have been conducted by both the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency. Attacks are aimed at Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and more recently, Ansar al-Sharia. US activity may also consist of naval bombardments and air strikes, often in conjunction with, or in…
Horowitz smear will only invigorate boycott Israel campaign
Uruknet May 8, 2012 – On 24 April, The New York Times featured a large ad in which David Horowitz smeared the Palestinian campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel. According to Horowitz, BDS represents a Nazi-like boycott of Jewish businesses, bears indirect responsibility for the recent murder of a rabbi and three Jewish children…
Torture: The Bush Administration on Trial
Uruknet May 8, 2012 – Law-abiding US citizens have been appalled that Jose Rodriguez, the director of the CIA’s National Clandestine Service until his retirement in 2007, was invited onto CBS’s “60 Minutes” program last weekend to promote his book Hard Measures: How Aggressive CIA Actions After 9/11 Saved American Lives, in which he defends the use…
Palestinian Prisoners’ “Battle of the Empty Stomachs” Continues: Thaer Halahleh and Bilal Diab Surpass 70 Days on Hunger Strike
Uruknet May 8, 2012 – Thaer Halahleh and Bilal Diab’s petitions to the Israeli High Court regarding their administrative detention orders were rejected yesterday, four days following their High Court hearing on 3 May. Thaer and Bilal are on their 71st day of hunger strike and at immediate risk of death. In complete disregard to their critical…
US attack kills 5 Afghan kids
Uruknet May 8, 2012 – Yesterday, I noted several reports from Afghanistan that as many as 20 civilians were killed by two NATO airstrikes, including a mother and her five children. Today, the U.S. confirmed at least some of those claims, acknowledging and apologizing for its responsibility for the death of that family… This happens over and…
In Israel’s Jails, Prisoners are Dying to Live
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – It is hard to think about anything but the prisoners these days. Politics and politicians are more often than not, mundane and insincere, speaking with forked tongues. Contrastingly, one thought about the prisoners languishing in hospital beds and in prison cells, starving for their dignity is enough to pump life and conviction…
012 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – The number of martyrs has risen to 31 thus far, including 5 children, 2 women and 5 defected soldiers: 11 martyrs were reported in Homs, including 6 martyrs who died earlier and their corpses were found today,7 martyrs in Hama, 6 martyrs in Deir Ezzor, 2 martyrs in Idlib, 2 martyrs in…
Washington Targets OWS
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – Last October, Obama told ABC News: “The most important thing we can do right now is those of us in leadership letting people know that we understand their struggles and we are on their side, and that we want to set up a system in which hard work, responsibility, doing what you’re…
Guantánamo’s 9/11 show trials
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – I have been going to Guantánamo Bay since 2004 to observe the military commissions originally established by the Bush administration to try accused terrorists. It was painfully apparent on Saturday that despite some improvements, not enough has changed. The commissions remain a cynical tool to obfuscate the fact that the US sanctioned…
10 hunger strike prisoners hospitalized in critical condition
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – Palestine’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Dr Riyad Mansour, has warned of a grave threat to the lives of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails. He made the disclosure after 10 prisoners were transferred to hospital following a dramatic deterioration in their health condition. According to letters sent by Ambassador…
Afghan Soldier Kills US Marine, Marking 19 Attacks This Year
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – An Afghan soldier shot and killed a U.S. Marine on Sunday, wounding another, in the nineteenth such attack from Afghan forces on NATO soldiers this year. After this latest incident, there have been 12 NATO soldiers killed in 19 such attacks in the first five months of this year, compared with 35…
012 : A Video Roundup
Uruknet
Military Resistance 10E1 : No Excuse
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – Sitting among family in this Jordanian town on the Syrian border, an ex-army intelligence officer recounted how he worked against rebel forces by intimidating family members to prevent military defections. Now he’s a defector. At the start of the Syrian revolution a year ago, the 21-year-old said he sat in his barracks…
Zionist History: A Short Quiz
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – Take this test to find out how much you know about the gradual shift in Israeli political thought over the decades. Not long after Israel celebrated its 64th Independence Day on April 26, a friend prepared a quiz of sorts. She read out loud political quotes to about ten guests who were…
Libya: Blanket Amnesty for Rebel Atrocities
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – If and when there ever comes a time when Libyan rebels face charges for their own crimes against humanity, it will be muted, to some degree, by a protective new law issued by Libya’s ruling National Transitional Council (NTC). It was issued on May 3rd, alongside new laws punishing officials of the…
Three NATO service members killed in eastern Afghanistan
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – At least 3 coalition forces were killed following a roadside improvised explosive device explosion in eastern regions of the country on Monday. NATO-led International Security Assistance Force following a statement on Monday announced, Three NATO service members died following an improvised explosive device attack in eastern Afghanistan today. The statement did not…
Barghouthi: Prisoners united behind hunger strikers
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi said Sunday that Palestinian prisoners would remain united to support detainees on hunger-strike. Prisoners affiliated to different political factions and in prisons across Israel all support the hunger strikers, who are “fighting a battle for freedom and dignity,” the Fatah leader said in a letter received by…
Qalqilya District: an inhumane situation established by the Israeli authority
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – The family of Al Shour live an almost unimaginable life full of degrading Israeli regulations in the Qalqiliya governate. Their village of Arab Ramadin is namely located in Area C and since the establishment of the wall has been totally isolated. The family lives in exile on their own land. One of…
The American character
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – …So here we have one of America’s most conventional pundits correctly warning of America’s soon-to-be-irreversible transformation into a limitless domestic Surveillance State, and none of that will even be acknowledged, let alone debated, in our election. Zakaria is absolutely correct that this is the behavior of a nation of “scared, fearful, losers,”…
Every president is a war president Politics protects the garrison state
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – …Military considerations increasingly shape – and warp – our entire system of democracy and law. Despite the absence of any major threat to our safety and independence, we have become a garrison state, permanently mobilized for incessant intervention. It’s a safe bet that whoever wins in November, we will be embroiled in…
The forever war
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – THE BEST way to make sense of the Obama administration’s statements about its plans to “wind down” the decade-old occupation of Afghanistan is to recall the words of author George Orwell: “Political language…is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”…
How America Became A Torture Nation
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – Since I began researching Guantánamo and the “war on terror” on a full-time basis over six years ago, my motive has been to pierce the lies told about the prisoners, falsely tarred as “the worst of the worst,” even though most of them were rounded up for money, or through poor intelligence,…
In ruling against hunger strikers, Israel high court shows its fear of security services
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – Today, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahleh, two Palestinian prisoners who have been on hunger strike for 70 days against their detention without charge or trial and are close to death. Yet the judges also appeared to send a signal that Israeli authorities should find…
First Madeleine Albright, now Price Harry: The Strange World of Humanitarian Awards
Uruknet May 7, 2012 – Humanitarian Awards are surely taking on a whole new meaning. The end of April brought the obscenity of the announcement that Madeleine Albright, a woman prepared to sacrifice children by proxy(i) was to be awarded America’s highest honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for her role as a long time champion of…
012
Uruknet May 7, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, Bradley Manning’s case gets more coverage (from the only radio program you can count on to supply it), the White House has apparently bungled again meaning that the deaths of 5 US service members will go unpunished, the Iraqi political crisis continues with charges and counter-charges tossed around, and…
Palestinian president ready to engage with Israel
Daily Star 8 May 2012 President Abbas said he was ready to engage with Israeli PM Netanyahu on a Middle East peace agreement if he proposes “anything promising or positive”.
Libya ex-rebels mount deadly raid on PM office
Daily Star 8 May 2012 Libyan security forces on Tuesday repelled armed demonstrators who had surrounded and stormed government headquarters in Tripoli, a senior official said.
Media watchdogs decry Egypt attacks on reporters
Daily Star 8 May 2012 Two media rights groups condemned the Egyptian army for assaulting and arresting journalists who were covering a recent violent crackdown on antimilitary protests in Cairo.
EU asks Israel to let families visit hunger strikers
Daily Star 8 May 2012 Israel must urgently allow Palestinian prisoners in the advanced stages of a hunger strike to receive all necessary medical treatment and family visits
Obama, Romney target middle-class voters with ads
Daily Star 8 May 2012 President Obama pressed a deadlocked Congress to take action on an election year “to do” list of economic proposals to promote job creation and help families refinance their mortgages.
Libya holds first civilian trial of alleged Gaddafi supporters
Daily Star 8 May 2012 Libya began its first civilian trial of alleged supporters of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime on Tuesday, officials said.
Afghan leader: airstrikes could undermine US pact
Daily Star 8 May 2012 Afghanistan’s president has warned that civilian casualties caused by NATO airstrikes could undermine the cooperation agreement he just signed with the U.S.
UK convicts 9 for participating in child-sex ring
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – ….
Palestinian president ready to engage with Israel
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – ….
North Carolina votes on gay marriage ban
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – ….
Senior gov’t officials to meet with Catherine Ashton
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – ….
Abbas: Death of hunger striking prisoner would be ‘disaster’
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – ….
Livni at Tel Aviv rally: Israel needs different politics
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – Hundreds demonstrate against Bibi-Mofaz unity deal. ‘This isn’t just about social justice anymore – we’re fighting for our country’s character,’ Meretz MK says ….
Israel’s disgraceful alliance
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – Op-ed: Shameful Mofaz-Bibi deal shatters centrist dream, Israelis should only vote for men of principle ….
Mofaz: I joined coalition for Israel’s future
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – After taking leading role in political drama that ended with Kadima joining Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, Shaul Mofaz speaks out about decision ….
Yair Lapid: Unity gov’t ‘chance of a lifetime’
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – Rookie politician tells supporters Bibi-Mofaz unity deal left his Yesh Atid party as ‘only representative of sane middle class’ ….
Bedouin girl: ‘I lied about being held hostage’
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – Three Shfaram residents were arrested after 18-year-old, a resident of the Negev, told police that she had been locked in a basement for refusing to have an abortion ….
Jerusalem: Ads warn parents – keep daughters away from Arabs
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – Ad made to look like imaginary wedding invitation distributed throughout Jerusalem’s streets in bid to demonstrate what would happen if parents fail to keep watch over their daughters ….
Haredi factions unfazed by unity deal: Mofaz isn’t Livni
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – Heads of ultra-orthodox parties do not believe broad coalition will lead to mass haredi recruitment to army or national service. Shas’ Yishai: Netanyahu won’t do anything foolish ….
Palestinians don’t have high hopes for Mofaz
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – New unity deal catches Palestinians by surprise but officials doubt change will lead to resumption of peace talks ….
Unity deal’s winners & losers
YNet News, 8 May 2012 – Op-ed: Bibi gained quiet, Mofaz avoided political demise; Yachimovich and Lapid hung out to dry ….
Palestinian Information Center
Abu Zuhri calls on EU to take practical steps for saving the prisoners
PIC – Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman, considered the EU’s call for the Zionist occupation to respect the prisoners’ rights and provide them with medical treatment an insufficient step.
The “Investment Forum” asks for explanation to barring entry of delegates
PIC – The “Investment Forum in Palestine” demanded from the Egyptian authorities to disclosure the reasons behind barring Arab businessmen from entering Gaza and participating in an investment conference.
Palestinian delegation hands Blair a letter about Prisoners’ Strike
PIC – A delegation of prisoners’ families committee, Palestinian Islamic and national forces representatives, and the PPS in Jerusalem handed, on Monday, a letter to the official envoy of the Quartet.
Occupation bulldozes lands in Al-Khalil
PIC – Zionist bulldozers bulldozed, on Tuesday morning, large areas of agricultural land in the town of Beit Ula north-west of Al-Khalil.
UN official: Gaza does not receive the required attention
PIC – The new Director of operations of Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees “UNRWA”, Robert Turner, said he will launch a campaign to draw attention to the difficult conditions in the Gaza Strip.
Gaza Health crisis worsening
PIC – Dr Ashraf Kodra, Gaza Health Ministry spokesman, warned of the serious health situation in Gaza due to lack of medicines in the ministry’s warehouses, pointing out that 202 types of medicines..
IOF troops crack down on solidarity rally
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired rubber bullets and teargas canisters at Palestinian citizens near the entrance to Beit Ummar village, north of Al-Khalil, at noon Tuesday.
IPS bargaining prisoners to end their strike
PIC – The Israeli prison services (IPS) has offered hunger striking prisoners to release those who completed two thirds of their sentence in return for ending their hunger strike.
1948 Arabs to stage events and general strike on 64th Nakba Anniversary
PIC – The Arab political parties and popular committees in the 1948 occupied lands decided to form a committee to make outstanding preparations for the 64th anniversary of the Palestinian nakba.
3rd letter from Assayed: Health conditions of hunger strikers worsening
PIC – In a third letter leaked from his cell, senior Hamas official Abbas Assayed said that some of his fellow hunger strikers in Gilboa jail suffered serious health deterioration.
Erekat Recovers from Minor Cardiac Arrest
WAFA –
Abbas Reiterates Commitment to Serious Peace Process
WAFA –
Exhibition Showcases Plans to Improve Refugee Camps
WAFA –
Abu Rudeineh Calls on New Israeli Government to Make Peace, not War
WAFA –
Newspapers Review: Striking Prisoners’ Appeals Rejected
WAFA –
Israeli Court Agrees to Release Activist on Bail
WAFA –
Israeli Forces Raid Office of Popular Campaign against Settlements
WAFA –
EU Concerned Over Health of Palestinian Striking Prisoners
WAFA –
In Syria, specter of civil war looms larger amid violence
LA Times 9 May 2012 – U.N. envoy Kofi Annan says violence has continued amid a cease-fire and warns that a descent into civil war could have implications beyond Syria. BEIRUT — Violence in Syria has continued amid a cease-fire, increasing concern that the country is descending into a civil war…
Israel’s unity deal fuels talk of moderate shift
LA Times 9 May 2012 – With the Kadima party in his coalition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can pursue a more moderate path on issues such as peace talks and Iran, analysts say. JERUSALEM — The surprise unity government announced Tuesday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has many observers predicting…
Syrian opposition boycotts parliamentary elections
LA Times 7 May 2012 – Activists say the voting is illegitimate, but the government hails the multiparty elections, which are Syria‘s first, as a major step toward reform. BEIRUT — Opposition activists across Syria on Monday boycotted parliamentary elections they dismissed as illegitimate, and instead called for a general strike….
Suicide Mission Volunteer Was Double Agent, Officials Say
New York Times 8 May 2012 – In an extraordinary intelligence coup, the would-be suicide bomber dispatched by the Al Qaeda branch in Yemen last month infiltrated the terrorist group and volunteered for the mission, officials said.
Shaul Mofaz Agrees to Join Benjamin Netanyahu’s Coalition
New York Times 8 May 2012 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu significantly expanded his power, creating the broadest coalition government in recent memory.
Shaul Mofaz Broadens Israel Coalition’s Views on Iran
New York Times 8 May 2012 – Shaul Mofaz, a former Israeli defense minister and now the leader of the centrist Kadima Party, seemed to offer a more moderate stance to balance any call to rush into military action against Iran.
Syria Still Violating Cease-Fire, U.N. Envoy Says
New York Times 8 May 2012 – Kofi Annan, who also represents the Arab League, said that monitors have helped to ease the violations, but that the peace plan is still in jeopardy.
Interpol Responds to Iraq’s Call for Help in Arresting Vice President
New York Times 8 May 2012 – The international police organization issued a call Tuesday for help in arresting Tariq al-Hashimi on terrorism charges, stepping into a bitter fight in Iraq.
Despite U.S. Nudge, India and Iran Keep Economic Relations
New York Times 8 May 2012 – This week’s diplomatic choreography — with the Americans and the Iranians in New Delhi — provided a window into the realpolitik of Iranian sanctions.
The Female Factor: Losing Faith With Protesters in Bahrain
New York Times 8 May 2012 – Three expatriate Western women living in Bahrain say that during anti-government demonstrations last year they sympathized with protesters — but not any longer.
Nuclear Inspector Dies in Iran Crash
New York Times 8 May 2012 – A South Korean nuclear inspector on a mission for the United Nations was killed, and a Slovakian inspector was injured, when their car overturned.
Kadima Joins Israeli Governing Coalition to Stave Off Electoral Debacle
Tikun Olam – Tweet “Listen carefully: I will not join Bibi’s government. Not today, not tomorrow, and not after I become head of Kadima on March 28th. This is an evil, failing, and pig-headed government and Kadima, under my leadership, will succeed it in the next elections. Clear enough?…
Biden gives Israel the green light on Iran in speech to rabbinical convention
Mondoweiss – Joe Biden addressing the the 2012 Rabbinical Assembly National Convention (Photo: Creative Loafing ) Speaking to an international assembly of 1,600 conservative rabbis in Atlanta today , self-proclaimed Zionist Joe Biden said that Israel still had time to attack Iran if it so chooses. “The window…
Israeli military raids office of human rights organization ‘Stop the Wall’; steals computers and hard drives
Mondoweiss – Broken door to the Stop the Wall office in Ramallah. (Photo: Stop the Wall) Today, Stop the Wall issued the following press release: At 1.30am this morning ten armored jeeps of the Israeli Occupation Forces surrounded and raided the offices of Stop the Wall in Ramallah….
Shaul Mofaz, Netanyahu’s new partner, ordered ‘revenge’ op that killed Palestinian police in 2002
Mondoweiss – Benjamin Netanyahu and Shaul Mofaz (Photo: Getty Images Europe) For analysis of what the new coalition deal struck by Benjamin Netanyahu means, read Paul Mutter’s take . But I wanted to look at the other man at the center of the deal: Shaul Mofaz. Mofaz is a…
‘Battle of the Empty Stomachs’: Thaer Halahleh and Bilal Diab surpass 70 days on hunger strike
Mondoweiss – link to www.addameer.org ‘–> link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link towww.maannews.net link to edition.cnn.com link to www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk link to www.palestine-info.co.uk ‘–> link to www.maannews.net ‘–> link to blog.endtheoccupation.org ‘–> link to www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk link towww.stopthewall.org link to www.haaretz.com link to www.imemc.org ‘–> link to…
In ‘Nation’ BDS debate, Barghouti demands rights, Avishai pleads to protect ‘progressive and creative’ Israeli elites
Mondoweiss – Omar Barghouti is finally in the Nation . He has a piece in the first round of a forum on BDS . The exchange comes on the heels of the dust up within the magazine over the Park Slope Food Co-op boycott and Ben Adler’s Twitter meltdown . From…
Still a Proud, Disappointed Zionist
The Forward Leonard Fein 8 May 2012 –
Street Protests Erupt Over Israeli Coalition Deal
The Foward Breaking News 8 May 2012 – Hundreds of people took to the streets of Tel Aviv to protest the coalition deal struck between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former opposition leader Shaul Mofaz. Click here for the rest of the article…
Biden: Israel Can Decide Whether To Strike Iran
The Foward Breaking News 8 May 2012 – Israel still has time to strike Iran and the right to decide for itself whether to do so, Vice President Joe Biden said. Click here for the rest of the article…
Labor Leader Blasts ‘Alliance of Cowards’
The Foward Breaking News 8 May 2012 – Israel Labor Party leader Shelly Yacimovich slammed the maneuver as “an alliance of cowards,” and the most ridiculous zig-zag in Israel’s political history, which no one will ever forget. Click here for the rest of the article…
P.A. Negotiator Saeb Erekat Suffers Heart Attack
The Foward Breaking News 8 May 2012 – Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator in peace talks with Israel, suffered a heart attack. Click here for the rest of the article…
Hebrew Charter Schools Focus on Israel
The Forward New 8 May 2012 – Hebrew-language charter schools are gaining new acceptance. Now they are positioning themselves to cultivate a new generation of ambassadors for Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Tantawi Hails Local-Saudi Relations
allAfrica.com 8 May 2012 – [Egypt Online] Head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi met on Monday 7/5/2012 with Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Ahmed Abdel Aziz Qattan.
Egypt: Zend – Country, Saudi Have Historic Relations
allAfrica.com 8 May 2012 – [Egypt Online] The Judges Club chairman Counselor Ahmed el-Zend hailed on Monday 7/5/2012 the historic relations binding Egypt and Saudi Arabia
South Africa: Why Was MTN’s Social and Ethics Committee Only Established Two Years After the Crackdown On Political Opposition in Iran?
allAfrica.com 8 May 2012 – [DA] The response by Mr Sifiso Dabengwa, Chief Executive Officer of the MTN Group (Ltd), to my request for information concerning alleged human rights violations raises more questions than it answers on the company’s business practices in Iran.
2 Mass Demonstrations in Beit Ommar for Imprisoned Hunger Strikers Met with Israeli Military Violence
Palestine Solidarity Project 8 May 2012 – On May 8th, 2012, there were multiple demonstrations in Hebron, Beit Ommar and surrounding villages in solidarity with the prisoners on hunger strike . In Hebron, students from the Hebron district came together and marched in the center of town. Close to one thousand people were present…
Libyan Violence Continues to Escalate
Arab American Institute 8 May 2012 – As the Annan Peace Plan in Syria totters on the brink of collapse, it’s important to look to Libya to see how international involvement often has long and unintended consequences for future stability.
DC Activists Mark Al-Nakba
Arab American Institute 8 May 2012 – On Tuesday, May 15th, hundreds of people are expected to gather in front of the White House at 6:30pm to commemorate the Nakba, marking the 64th anniversary of Palestinian dispossession.
Libya PM office suffers gun attack
BBC 8 May 2012 – The office of Libyan PM Abdurrahim al-Keib is attacked by ex-rebels demanding compensation promised by the government, leaving at least one guard dead.
Al-Qaeda bomb ‘foiled by insider’
BBC 8 May 2012 – A bomb plot by a Yemen-based al-Qaeda group involving an updated “underwear bomb” was foiled by insider infiltrating a terror cell, US officials say.
Hunger striker in Israel hospital
BBC 8 May 2012 – A Palestinian who has been on hunger strike for 71 days in protest at his detention by the Israeli authorities is transferred to a civilian hospital.
Netanyahu agrees coalition deal
BBC 8 May 2012 – Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu strikes a surprise deal with the opposition Kadima party to form a new coalition, avoiding an early general election.
Stop the Wall offices raided by Israeli military
US Campaign to End the Occupation 8 May 2012 – At 1:30am on Tuesday, May 8, 2012, ten armoured jeeps of the Israeli occupation forces and intelligence surrounded and raided the offices of Stop the Wall in Ramallah. The Israeli military stole two laptops, three hard drives and ten memory cards containing files and photos, as…
In Their Name, We Remember the Nakba
US Campaign to End the Occupation 8 May 2012 – To the memory of all who have lost their land, homes, lives during the Nakba and to this day, m ay Palestinians around the world never lose hope. In Their Name, We Remember The NAKBA Come congregate with us- 531 of us, 1 for every village…
No closure in killing of 21 Gaza family members
B’tselem 8 May 2012 – An op-ed by Jessica Montell, first published in the Jerusalem Post On 4 January 2009, at the start of the ground phase of operation Cast Lead, about 100 members of the extended a-Samuni family were huddled inside one house in the a-Zeitun neighborhood of Gaza City….
Articles
The Arab visits to the Jerusalem mosques: Those who care need to act
Ghassan Khatib, Bitterlemons 5/7/2012
Several weeks ago, at a Doha conference promoting solidarity with occupied East Jerusalem, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas encouraged Arabs and Muslims to visit the occupied city as a form of support for Palestinians under occupation. This call generated a great debate, one simultaneously enflamed by a series of controversial visits to Jerusalem holy sites by prominent Arab personalities. Among these visitors were the sheikh of al-Azhar mosque in Cairo (one of the top religious leaders in the Muslim world), a high-ranking member of the Jordanian royal family, and a number of prominent Egyptian Copts.
There have been three main positions adopted in this debate. The first was to criticize and attack these visits because they might be considered normalization of relations with Israel. (Visiting Jerusalem requires an Israeli visa or permit or other facilitation and Israel controls the borders of the Palestinian territories and is in direct control of occupied East Jerusalem.) The most prominent figure leading the criticism of the Palestinian president’s request that supporters of the Palestinian cause visit Jerusalem and of the actual visits that took place was Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who is based in Doha and appears regularly on the al-Jazeera satellite channel. He is known as being supportive of Islamic political movements in the Arab world and he is also a critic of the Oslo agreements and the Palestinian Authority.
On the other side of the fight was the Palestinian Authority’s minister of Islamic Waqf, Mahmoud al-Habbash, who was very vocal and articulate in defending the idea of Arabs and Muslims visiting East Jerusalem. He argued that these visits support the Palestinian right to Jerusalem, constitute a form of solidarity with Palestinians in the city, and boost the Arab and Islamic presence at Arab and Christian holy sites in East Jerusalem. more.. e-mail
Hamas questions student elections
Khaled Amayreh, Al-Ahram Weekly 5/3/2012
College elections results spur doubts as to the possible fairness of general elections in the West Bank due this year.
While a nearly euphoric Fatah celebrated the results of recent student elections in the West Bank, Hamas dismissed the results as being the outcome of falsification and manipulation by the Fatah-dominated security agencies.
Hamas also accused Israeli occupation authorities of launching a witch-hunt campaign against suspected Islamist students, thus discouraging them from taking part in the elections lest they get arrested by the Israeli army, which still controls every nook and cranny in the West Bank.
Israel doesn’t deny the charge and says openly it won’t allow Hamas to rebuild its power base in occupied territory. The Israeli army did arrest a number of students affiliated with the Islamic Student Bloc (ISB) for indulging in activities deemed illegal.
Since at least 2007, Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) have been partners in a security coordination arrangement that many observers believe targets Hamas supporters. PA security agencies have detained, interrogated and even tortured students affiliated with the ISB.
Moreover, Israeli leaders warn from time to time that they won’t allow Hamas any semblance of freedom to campaign for possible elections. Israel considers Hamas a “terrorist organisation” for refusing to recognise as legitimate the Israeli occupation of historic Palestine. Hamas argues that Israel, which occupied Palestine and banished its native Palestinians by force, killing thousands in the process, is in no position to lecture the world about terror since the Hebrew state itself is a war crime. more.. e-mail
Israel stokes the ’Iran threat’
Kaveh L Afrasiabi, Asia Times 5/8/2012
Germany’s highly public delivery last week to Israel of its fourth nuclear-armed capable submarine has been accompanied by Israeli spin regarding its significance as a warning signal to Iran, thus raising the question of timing: why is Israel tacitly presenting the specter of a nuclear attack on Iran when Tehran is showing signs of compromise in the ongoing talks on Tehran’s nuclear program?
The “P5+1”, also known as the “Iran Six” – the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia) plus Germany – are due for another round of talks this month with Iran in Baghdad, Iraq.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the submarine would increase Israel’s capabilities and strength “in the face of the growing regional challenges”.
The Dolphin-type military submarine is one of six Israel has ordered from Germany, which subsidizes the submarines. Each submarine costs half a billion dollars. The sub was presented to Israeli officials in Hamburg, Germany, on Thursday and is expected to arrive in Israel in 2013, following final tests, the Washington Post reported.
Israel has used the occasion to remind Tehran of Israel’s clear and present menace, given the submarine’s 1,500 kilometer range, making it capable of hitting targets in and around the capital city of Tehran. There is, though, no official confirmation that Israel has armed the subs it already has with nuclear weapons. Similarly, Israel has never acknowledged that it has a nuclear arsenal. more.. e-mail
Too many tears have been shed in Palestine; let us laugh again
Electronic Intifada: 8 May 2012 – Yousef M. Aljamal Gaza Strip 8 May 2012 My mother recently spent 32 days in the West Bank, where she was born and raised. A day for every year she has lived in Gaza.more
Tumultuous Israeli Politics Will Not Usher Peace
Palestine Chronicle: 8 May 2012 – By Ramzy Baroud Israel is currently experiencing the kind of turmoil that may or may not affect its political hierarchy following the next general election. However, there is little reason to believe that any major transformations in the Israeli political landscape could be of benefit to Palestinians. Former politicians and intelligence bosses have been challenging the conventional wisdom of right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu through a series of charged statements and political rhetoric. A few weeks ago it sounded rather like a political fluke when former chief of the Israeli Mossad, Meir Dagan called an attack on Iran “the stupidest thing I have ever heard.” His comment was then widely dismissed, but other voices have since joined the discussion. Yuval Diskin, former head of the Israeli internal intelligence, the Shin Bet, went even further, as he questioned the abilities of both Netanyahu and Barak, accusing them of promoting ‘messianic…more
Demographic Majority: At What Cost?
Palestine Chronicle: 8 May 2012 – By Jamal Kanj In the US, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a Jewish Human Rights organization, prescribes racial integration, equality and multiculturalism for America society. ADL and other Jewish organizations work closely at local levels with school administrators throughout the US educating young children the virtues of tolerance and multiculturalism. Naturally and as a promoter of racial equality, ADL wouldn’t shy away from denouncing or calling leaders and presidential candidates racists if they were perceived insensitive for the concerns of the Jewish community or other minorities in the US and Europe. In Europe, French Jewish leaders, including ADL condemned Marie Le Pen the founder of the National Front (FN) as racist and anti-Semite for calling to protect the French Christian culture from nonwhites and non-Christian’s influence. In the US, Jewish organizations and other mainstream political parties would have no qualm calling White politicians racists, should any of these politicians dare describing…more
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