25 June 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Army Demolishes Sheds, Confiscates Water Tanks, In Wadi Al-Maleh
IMEMC – Israeli soldiers demolished, on Monday afternoon, several sheds used by Bedouins in Wadi Al-Maleh area, in the northern plains of the West Bank, and confiscated several water tanks used by the residents, in an attempt to force them to relocate and leave the area. …
Egypt Closes, Re-Opens The Rafah Terminal
IMEMC – On Sunday after Egyptian authorities closed the Rafah Border Terminal on the Gaza Strip without any prior notice and without providing any explanation for the move. The terminal was re-opened late Monday morning. …
16 Palestinian Injured Near Bethlehem
IMEMC – Palestinian medical sources in the West Bank city of Bethlehem reported, Sunday, that sixteen Palestinian workers were wounded when their van flipped over after Israeli soldiers chased it near Husan town. …
Israeli prison guards ‘forcing detainees to strip in cell raids’
6/25/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli prison services are raiding the cells of detainees who participated in a mass hunger strike, the PA Ministry of Detainee Affairs said Monday. Prison guards are raiding detainees’ cells at night and forcing them to strip, leading to clashes between jail authorities and prisoners, the ministry said in a….
Israeli forces ‘demolish tents in Tubas’
6/25/2012 – TUBAS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Monday demolished Palestinian tents and structures in al-Malih near Tubas, the local council said. The structures belonged to local farmers Ayed Zawahreh, Maryam Faqir, Ibrahim Abu Sabha and Ali al-Faqir, the council said in a statement, adding that women and children were left without shelter in the heat….
Israel demolishes Bedouin village for 39th time
6/25/2012 – NEGEV (Ma’an) — Israeli bulldozers demolished Bedouin village al-Araqib for the 39th time on Monday, a lawyer said. Ayman Odeh, who witnessed the demolition, told Ma’an that demolishing people’s homes should not be a routine for Israel. Israel considers al-Araqib and all Bedouin villages in the Negev illegal, while Bedouins….
Israel detains 2 Palestinians in dawn raid near Beit Ummar
6/25/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Monday detained two men, including the Imam of a mosque, in a village in the southern West Bank, a local official and the army said. Soldiers raided Safa, north of Beit Ummar, at dawn, popular committee spokesman Muhammad Awad said in a statement. They searched the home of….
PA’s role in hunger strike deal ‘like Oslo Accords’
6/25/2012 – By Charlotte Alfred – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A month after prisoners signed a deal to end their mass hunger strike in Israeli jails, prisoners groups warn Israeli authorities are not upholding their side of the bargain. Mourad Jadallah, legal researcher for prisoners rights group Addameer, told Ma’an that the problem goes back to….
Freed Gaza prisoners call for pledged support
6/25/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Several prisoners recently freed from Israeli jails have set up a protest tent to call on the president to fulfill his pledges of support to them upon their release. The prisoners gathered at the tent in the west of Gaza City on Sunday to rally for the promised “life with….
Israel releases Bethlehem MP from administrative detention
6/25/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities released Palestinian member of parliament Anwar al-Zaboun on Monday after holding him in detention without charge for 10 months, a prisoners group said. Al-Zaboun, who is from Bethlehem and was elected on the Hamas-affiliated Change and Reform list, was detained by Israeli forces on Aug. 26, 2011, the….
Mother appeals to Abbas to release son
6/25/2012 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — A woman on Monday appealed to President Mahmoud Abbas to release her son so he can attend his father’s funeral. Halmi Jermi, from Balata refugee camp in Nablus, told Ma’an she would not bury her husband without her son. Two of Halmi’s sons were detained…. Related: Hamas: PA detaining, torturing members
Report: Teen electrocuted at work in Israeli factory
6/25/2012 – Tel Aviv, Israel (Ma’an) — A 19-year-old Palestinian was electrocuted on Monday at work in a factory in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, the Israeli news site Ynet reported. The worker, from Tulkarem, was critically injured and taken to an Israeli hospital, Ynet said….
Zahhar vows to uphold Egyptian security
6/25/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar vowed late Sunday his party would never impinge on the security of neighboring Egypt, after the sympathetic Muslim Brotherhood candidate Muhammad Mursi was declared winner of Egypt’s presidential election.” The victory Mursi achieved is a victory for the program of triumph and liberation….
Egypt opens Rafah crossing, Israeli terminal closes
6/25/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Egypt opened its Rafah crossing to the Gaza Strip on Monday, after the country’s presidential election results were announced without sparking the feared unrest on the border. Rafah, the sole passenger crossing open to residents of Gaza, is open in both directions for travel, terminal director Ayyoub Abu….
Putin to visit Israel, West Bank
6/25/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Monday, in the first leg of a Middle East tour that will take him to the West Bank and Jordan on Tuesday. In Israel, Putin is scheduled to meet with President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Netanyahu, and attend the…. Related: Russia’s Putin seeks Mideast clout and to soothe Arabs and Iran, Syria on agenda for Putin’s Israel visit
Russia’s Putin seeks Mideast clout and to soothe Arabs
6/25/2012 – MOSCOW (Reuters) — Arab ambassadors delivered a clear message to Russia’s special Middle East representative this month as Syria‘s envoy watched in silent discomfort: You are on the wrong side of history. Russia’s envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, differed during the radio discussion with the Moscow-based ambassadors. He and…. Related: Putin to visit Israel, West Bankand Iran, Syria on agenda for Putin’s Israel visit
Negotiator: UN bid underway, US asked for delay
6/25/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — PLO negotiator Muhammad Ishtayya said Monday that the US and other foreign nations were pressing the Palestinian leadership to suspend its campaign for membership of UN bodies until after the US presidential election. Ishtayya told the official PA radio Voice of Palestine that the leadership had initiated the process of obtaining….
Nativity church deportees welcome election of Egypt’s Mursi
6/25/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A group of Palestinians exiled to the Gaza Strip after the siege on Bethlehem’s Nativity Church on Monday called on the newly-elected president of Egypt to work to end the political division between Gaza and the West Bank. The exiles say they hope Muhammad Mursi will maintain Egypt….
PA condemns Israeli plans to demolish West Bank village
6/25/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — The PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday condemned Israel’s decision to demolish a Palestinian village in Hebron. On June 12, Israeli forces handed Susiya — which is flanked by an Israeli settlement of the same name — demolition orders for each of its 50 buildings, a week after Israeli authorities…. Related: Israeli forces order Hebron village demolished after settler case
Al-Malki: Netanyahu misrepresented peace process
6/25/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki on Monday accused Israel’s premier Benjamin Netanyahu of misrepresenting the peace process. Netanyahu on Monday asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to relay his readiness to resume peace talks to President Mahmoud Abbas.”Either I will go to him or he can come to….
Netanyahu urges action on Iran after meeting Putin
6/25/2012 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday it was time to ramp up sanctions against Iran to try to curb its nuclear program after discussing the matter with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin. In his first public comments on the inconclusive round of talks in Moscow last week between world powers and….
Spanish consulate launches West Bank film festival
6/25/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Spanish consulate in Jerusalem is launching a film festival in the West Bank this week. Three Spanish-language films will be screened for free in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jenin and Hebron starting Friday, the consulate said in a statement. Also supported by the Spanish Cooperation Office, the films aim to share a….
Fatah official: Mashaal, Abbas to set meeting date
6/25/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Fatah leader President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal are set to organize a meeting now the Egyptian presidential election results have been announced, a Fatah official said Monday. The heads of the rival political parties were scheduled to meet last Wednesday. The summit, the latest chapter of the….
Hamas: PA detaining, torturing members
6/25/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas on Monday accused Palestinian Authority security forces of detaining and torturing its members in the West Bank. Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, said in a statement that forces from the Fatah-led PA detained one party member in Nablus on Monday and three others in Ramallah last week. PA forces…. Related: Mother appeals to Abbas to release son
Report: Israeli soldiers arrested for aiding Sinai drug smugglers
6/25/2012 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Twelve Israeli soldiers have been arrested for helping smugglers to bring drugs from Egypt’s Sinai into Israel, the Israeli news site Ynet reported Monday. The soldiers are suspected of tipping off smugglers about army patrols along the Egypt-Israel border as well as selling drugs in Israel, Ynet….
Egypt’s Mursi says wants to expand Iran ties
6/25/2012 – DUBAI (Reuters) — Egypt’s Islamist President-elect Muhammad Mursi said in an interview with Iran‘s Fars news agency published on Monday that he wanted to expand ties with Tehran to create a strategic “balance” in the region. Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been severed for more than 30 years, but both….
Saudi says will enter women for London Olympics
6/25/2012 – RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) — Saudi Arabia will enter women athletes in the Olympics for the first time ever in London this summer, the Islamic kingdom’s London embassy said on Sunday. Human rights groups had called on the International Olympic Committee to bar Saudi Arabia from competing in London, citing its failure ever to….
Syrian officers defect, Turkey looks to NATO
6/25/2012 – ANKARA (Reuters) — A Syrian general and 38 other soldiers defected to Turkey overnight, state television said on Monday, days after Syria shot down a Turkish warplane, escalating tensions between the two neighbors. Turkey has summoned a NATO meeting for Tuesday to agree a response to the downing of its military reconnaissance jet in what it….
Iran, Syria on agenda for Putin’s Israel visit
6/25/2012 – NETANYA, Israel (Reuters) — Israeli President Shimon Peres on Monday urged visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin to take steps to avert the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran and to stop the bloodshed in Syria. Putin’s trip to Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan is seen as an effort to increase Russia’s clout…. Related: Russia’s Putin seeks Mideast clout and to soothe Arabs
Egypt’s Mursi takes revolution to palace
6/25/2012 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Muhammad Mursi, Egypt’s first freely elected president whose powers have already been curbed by the army, began work on a coalition on Monday after touring his new palace, once home of Hosni Mubarak who banned his movement for three decades. Declared winner on Sunday a week after a tumultuous run-off vote….
Turkey says ‘no intention’ of war after jet downed
6/25/2012 – ANKARA (Reuters) — Turkeysaid on Monday it had no intention of going to war with anyone after one of its jets was shot down by Syrialast week and said it would only act in accordance with international law.” Whatever is needed to be done will definitely be done within the framework of international law. We have….
Putin seeks to refresh Israeli relations
AlJazeera 25 Jun 2012 – Leaders discuss Iran‘s nuclear programme and Syria unrest during the Russian president’s short visit to Jerusalem.
Shoman Calls for Immediate Intervention to Save Children in Israeli Prisons
Palestine News Network
Large Fire Breaks Out in Palestinian Stores near the Old City of Jerusalem
Palestine News Network
Israeli Forces Arrest Palestinian, Summon Other from Jenin
Palestine News Network
We’re Living in the History Books: Blockade Keeps Gaza in Crisis
Palestine News Network
Putin Visits Palestine to Seek Negotiations, Today
Palestine News Network
Forces from the Israeli Navy Roam Al-Aqsa Mosque’s Yards
Palestine News Network
Maariv: Joint Israeli-American Training to Take Place in October
Palestine News Network
The Palestine Brief: Gaza Under Attack, Refugees Deteriorating Conditions, Palestine’s Water Controlled by Israel, ‘Unfi…
Palestine News Network
Israel Murders More Palestinians
Palestine News Network
Doma “Dolls”: The First Film Raises the Issue of Sexual Abuse in Palestinian Society
Palestine News Network
28 Scientists Most Influential in the Arab Scientists.. 52% of Whom Live Abroad
Palestine News Network
International Solidarity Movement
Jordan Valley: Palestinian family’s water confiscated, internationals arrested
6/25/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Rosa Andersson and Amina Simonsson, 25 June 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – On Thursday, June 21, Israeli forces confiscated a water tank from a Bedouin Palestinian family in the Jordan Valley, leaving them with no access to water. Three Swedish women were arrested for standing in solidarity with Palestinian women and children who….
Israel violently detains 5, injures bystander in East Jerusalem
Alternative Information Center – Five members of the Abu Humus family in the East Jerusalem village of Issawiya were detained at 4am Monday morning. Israeli police and border police conducted the detentions violently, beating the detainees (who were not resisting)…
Egypt’s president Morsi holds a poisoned chalice
The National 25 Jun 2012 – New leader faces daunting challenges as he attempts to unite a polarised society, regain control over writing a new constitution and steer the economy back from the edge of collapse.
Islamists’ jubilant but some are wary of Morsi
The National 25 Jun 2012 – Celebratory gunfire in Gaza Strip on news of Mohammed Morsi’s win, but quieter reception from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations.
Turkish jet was hit by Syrian ‘heat-seeking missile’
The National 25 Jun 2012 – Syria fired at aircraft sent to search for the wreckage, says vice PM.
Putin turns on the charm in Israel
The National 25 Jun 2012 – Russian president begins tour that seems designed to spin his country’s regional policies.
Towering achievement of its time
The National 25 Jun 2012 – The Dubai World Trade Centre was the tallest building in the Arab world until 1999.
Mohammed Morsi moves to Mubarak palace after Egypt election win
The National 25 Jun 2012 – New president-elect moves into one of the palaces used by his ousted predecessor Hosni Mubarak.
Putin told Israel he is not obligated to Syria’s Assad, senior officials say
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Israel goes all out for Russia’s Putin, who arrives 90 minutes late
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
IDF soldiers suspected of drug trafficking along Israel’s border with Egypt
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Author: Israel can claim the title of the most racist state in the developed world
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
In wake of raucous rally, vast majority of Israelis support renewal of social protests
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Haredi woman gives birth during vow of silence, hides newborn under dress
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Israel Police mishandled arrests during Tel Aviv social protest, sources say
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Peres to Putin: Israel knows Russia will prevent Iran from getting nuclear arms
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Settler leader: Hilltop youth more dangerous to settlements than Netanyahu, Barak
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Eritrea envoy at Knesset: We are demonized in the world just like Israel
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Putin: Israel, Russia strive for peaceful resolution to Iran nuclear issue
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Magen David Adom sets up panel to dictate religious guidelines for volunteers
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Writers call off White Night literary event to protest violence of Tel Aviv police
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Putin arrives in Israel to discuss West’s standoff with Iran
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Thousands of ultra-Orthodox protest in Jerusalem against Tal Law replacement
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Israel to transfer ownership of Jerusalem landmark to Russia
Ha’aretz – 24 Jun 2012
Film festival posters depicting a drawing of a woman vandalized in Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 24 Jun 2012
Agriculture Ministry seeking to move all of Israel’s pig farms to country’s south
Ha’aretz – 24 Jun 2012
UN cites Israeli wastewater treatment plant as global model
Ha’aretz – 24 Jun 2012
Student union gets hefty donation from Dankner foundation
Ha’aretz – 24 Jun 2012
Video shows police manhandling protester during Tel Aviv rally
Ha’aretz – 24 Jun 2012
TA planning committee approves new residential neighborhood at former Bezeq compound
Ha’aretz – 24 Jun 2012
Judge cancels indictment against Acre dad who missed visitations
Ha’aretz – 24 Jun 2012
Israel’s oldest kibbutznik dies at age 107
Ha’aretz – 24 Jun 2012
Only 3 percent of animals survive lab experiments
Ha’aretz – 24 Jun 2012
Bill would give watchdog more time to complete Harpaz probe
Ha’aretz – 24 Jun 2012
Supreme Court handled cases faster in 2011
Ha’aretz – 24 Jun 2012
Indictment says former prisoner assisted Gaza terror group
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – 32-year-old PA resident allegedly received thousands of dollars in return for helping Hamas.
‘TA won’t tolerate violence from protesters, police’
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Mayor Huldai: City will allow peaceful social justice demonstrations as long as they are approved, nonviolent.
Women may get 7 years back pay for discrimination
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Itzik, Katz propose amendment to equal pay law, which would increase time for which women can sue by 5 years.
How will the insulted sultan respond?
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Syrian air defenses downed a Turkish F-4 which was completely unarmed and flying solo on a test mission for Turkish national radar system.
Is Israel using Assad, or is he using Israel?
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Does this remind you of Egypt? So what position should Israel take, if it must take any?
PM: Israel, Russia agree on Iran nuclear danger
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – On warm visit to Israel, Putin vague on Iran sanctions, Syrian arms, but calls for renewed Israeli-Palestinian talks.
Alinksy’s ideas can help Israel, too
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – The refusal of Israel’s national camp to coalesce with anyone outside of their circles causes them to fail.
Borderline Views: Studying Yiddish in the desert
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Enrollment in basic Yiddish language courses, doctoral and postdoctoral students carrying out research into Yiddish is rising.
Bilingual education strengthens Jewish-Arab relations
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – On My Mind: Neveh Shalom was not the first institution of Arab-Jewish cooperation in Israel to suffer an attack this year.
Encountering Peace: Congratulations, Egypt!
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – I believe that in the end the democratic forces in Egypt will overpower the dictatorial tendency of military rulers.
IDF to deploy radars along Egyptian border
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Decision to deploy radar systems comes amid concern that terror groups in the Sinai will escalate rocket attacks against Israel.
A Hamas victory at the UN Human Rights Council
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – A Hamas-affiliated organization and its supporters held an “informal parallel meeting” promoting the destruction of the Jewish state.
‘Mah tovu’ and Tannhauser – separating masterpiece, creator
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Sweet honey is regurgitated by an insect. The royal blue (tchelet) dye used for tzitzit is harvested from an impure slug called hilazon.
Barak warns Egyptian regime on terror from Sinai
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Defense Minister says Israel will closely watch security developments, “respect” democratic process in Egypt.
The ‘Polish death camps’ uproar
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Unwarranted outrage when a simple correction would have sufficed.
‘Wish You Were Here’ kicks off Australian Film Festival
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Writer/director Kieran Darcy-Smith discusses his suspenseful first feature about the aftermath of a Southeast Asian vacation turned ugly.
Labor MKs upset Putin shunned Yechimovich
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Visiting heads of state typically meet with opposition leader, but Putin’s trip avoided protocol as a mere “working visit.”
Last gay Jewish Holocaust survivor dies
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Gad Beck, a resistance fighter during World War II, passes away in Berlin days before his 89th birthday.
Morsy denies Iranian interview on peace ‘review’
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Egyptian president-elect’s spokesman calls reported Fars News interview dealing with Camp David, Iran a “fabrication.”
Police assessing response to social justice unrest
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Critics say heavy-handed response to Tel Aviv, J’lem protests exacerbated situation, that officers were unprepared.
IDF arrests 12 soldiers for assisting drug smugglers
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Military and Israel Police run undercover operation that nabs soldiers, NCOs who allegedly passed information to smugglers.
17 IDF soldiers arrested for alleged drug-smuggling
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Undercover operation nabs soldiers, NCOs who allegedly passed information to smugglers across Egyptian border.
EU affirms Iran oil ban, dismisses Greek concerns
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Ban on Iranian crude over its nuclear program goes into effect in July 1; Greece fails to obtain exemptions.
Barak: We will monitor peace treaty with Egypt
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – After Morsy says he’ll review peace accords, Barak says Israel will closely watch security developments, “respect” democracy.
Morsy says he’ll ‘review’ peace treaty with Israel
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – In interview with Iranian media, Egyptian President-elect says he wants to restore ties with the Islamic Republic.
Riots signal trouble for Tunisia’s Islamist leaders
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Ennahda struggles to govern, failing to satisfy secularists and Salafists.
Peres hails Red Army in ceremony attended by Putin
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – President thanks visiting Russian counterpart for courage of soldiers facing Nazi Germany; Putin thanks Israel over honor.
Sites and Insights: The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – In the Holy Land, geographical connections often have spiritual implications.
Egypt’s Morsy says he’ll review peace treaty with Israel
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – In interview with Iranian media, Egyptian President-elect says he will not take executive action on Camp David accords without input from gov’t; adds he wants to expand bilateral ties with Iran to create “balance” in region.
Syrian officers defect, Turkey looks to NATO
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – General among 199 defectors who cross into Turkey overnight; Ankara takes issue of downed fighter jet to NATO meeting.
IDF releases central Israel land for civilian use
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Defense Ministry to evacuate 5 IDF bases in central Israel; Barak: agreement “historic,” will ease country’s housing crisis.
Alternatively Speaking: Keeping cool
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Alternative medicine enthusiast Natalie Marx answers your questions:What are the best foods for our bodies during the summer?
‘Not if you can possibly avoid it’
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – So a social worker once said about seeking aid from the welfare authorities. Here’s why.
China urges calm after Syria downs Turkish jet
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Hong Lei, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, says he hopes parties will “adhere to diplomacy” as Turkey takes issue to NATO.
Malaysia to extradite Iranian for attack on Israelis
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Thai police suspect Iranian national of involvement in terrorist attack targeting Israeli diplomats in Bangkok earlier this year.
Morsy: I will work to expand bilateral ties with Iran
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Newly-elected Egyptian president says strengthening of relations with Tehran will “create a balance of pressure in the region”; comments come after Morsy promises to “preserve int’l obligations” in apparent reference to Israel.
J’lem: 5,000 protest plans to draft haredim
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Ultra-Orthodox in Mea She’arim don sackcloth, ashes in “mourning” over gov’t plans to draft haredim into IDF, civil service.
New leaders take reins of ‘Yated Ne’eman’
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Although old management team took legal steps to prevent ouster, haredi public seems to be shoring up new administration.
Police: Hi-tech worker grew pot at factory
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Employee at Kiryat Gat production site charged with growing marijuana, distributing it to fellow employees.
Gov’t publishes int’l bid for Kishon River mud cleanup
Jerusalem Post 24 Jun 2012 – Tender involves excavating contaminated bottom layer of riverbed and then purifying the contents.
Jewish Agency vows to grow despite budget woes
Jerusalem Post 24 Jun 2012 – Sharansky: Fostering Jewish identity best way to encourage aliya.
Analysis: Israeli security under Morsy
Jerusalem Post 24 Jun 2012 – The question that bothers Israel is what will happen several months or a year from now after Morsy settles in to the presidential palace in Cairo.
Mohamed Morsi victory unsettles Middle East neighbours
The Guardian 25 Jun 2012 – Domestic issues will dominate the president’s agenda, but Egypt’s relations within the Middle East will require sensitivity Mohamed Morsi’s victory in Egypt’s presidential election has brought him congratulations from across the Middle East. But there have…
Vladimir Putin arrives in Israel to discuss sanctions against Iran
The Guardian 25 Jun 2012 – Talks will focus on halting Tehran’s nuclear programme but will also cover Syria and Egyptian election The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, arrived in Israel on Monday with an entourage of about 400 ministers, advisers, security personnel…
This Football Is a Game of Dispossession
IPS The football teams are back in their refugee camps in Algeria, and no, FIFA has taken no note of this tournament. And the television cameras are all at the Euro cup. These boys played well enough, even if nobody was around to watch. “They would slip in the first matches…
Presidential Showdown Brings Egypt to the Brink
IPS A week after Egypt’s presidential runoff between the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi and Mubarak-era premier Ahmed Shafiq, the military’s preferred candidate, both men continue to claim victory amid tit-for-tat allegations of electoral fraud. Many Egyptians fear an official declaration for either candidate – expected imminently – could lead to a…
Israeli military court sentences Palestinian child to 8 year
Uruknet
Report: 85 arrested at Tel Aviv rally
Uruknet
Iraqi authorities order closure of 44 news organisations
Uruknet
You Are The Laboratory
Uruknet
16 Palestinians, Including 4 Children, Killed In One Week
Uruknet
Obama hails Islamist Morsi’s Egypt vote victory
Uruknet
Iran hails Islamist Morsy’s Egypt vote victory
Uruknet
Targeted Killings: Obama’s Pragmatic Solution to Failing to Close Guantanamo
Uruknet
Israeli Authorities Breach Last Month’s Prisoner Agreement
Uruknet
Iraq cuts US archaeology cooperation over archives
Daily Star 25 Jun 2012 Iraq has cut cooperation with the United States on archaeological exploration because Washington has not returned Iraq’s Jewish archives.
Two wounded in attack on Pakistan TV office-police
Daily Star 25 Jun 2012 Gunmen on motorcycles opened fire at the offices of a Pakistani television news channel in the southern city of Karachi on Monday, wounding two people.
Kuwait government submits resignation
Daily Star 25 Jun 2012 Kuwait’s cabinet submitted its resignation to the Gulf state’s ruler in a move some parliamentarians believe could be a first step out of the latest crisis that has stalled legislation and blocked reforms in the major…
Iraq bomb kills 9 young soccer players, fans-officials
Daily Star 25 Jun 2012 Nine young soccer players and fans were killed when a bomb exploded near a pitch in southern Iraq, in the latest of a wave of attacks raising fears of a return to widespread sectarian violence.
Israeli army says soldiers suspected of drug-running
Daily Star 25 Jun 2012 Israeli military police have arrested 15 people, most of them soldiers, accused of helping smuggle drugs from Egypt’s Sinai peninsula across the southern Israeli border.
Al-Qaida trains Norwegian to attack
Daily Star 25 Jun 2012 European security officials say a Norwegian man has received terrorist training from al-Qaida’s offshoot in Yemen and is awaiting orders to attack the West.
Iraq says it curbs media including BBC, VoA
Daily Star 25 Jun 2012 An Iraqi Communications and Media Commission official said Monday it had decided to restrict 39 media outlets including the BBC and Voice of America.
Syrian forces fire at second Turkish plane -Turkey
Daily Star 25 Jun 2012 Turkey said on Monday Syrian forces had fired towards a Turkish military transport plane involved in a search for an F-4 reconnaissance jet shot down by Syria last week, but the second aircraft was not brought…
144 South Sudan citizens sent back home
YNet News, 25 Jun 2012 – ….
US general: African extremist groups linking up
YNet News, 25 Jun 2012 – ….
Back to South Sudan
YNet News, 25 Jun 2012 – Migrants leave Israel: 144 infiltrators from South Sudan sent back to their homeland ….
Immigration policy, now
YNet News, 25 Jun 2012 – Op-ed: Being only Western democracy lacking an immigration policy, Israel needs one urgently ….
Officials: 11 killed in 2 Iraq bombings
YNet News, 25 Jun 2012 – ….
Bomb squad neutralizes explosives planted on car in Karmiel mall
YNet News, 25 Jun 2012 – ….
US lauds Morsi’s commitment to treaty with Israel
YNet News, 25 Jun 2012 – ….
Did IDF troops aid Sinai drug smugglers?
YNet News, 25 Jun 2012 – IDF soldiers, career officers suspected of warning smugglers about army patrols along border ….
Iron Dome developers to receive Israel Security Award
YNet News, 25 Jun 2012 – This September, engineers who designed Israel’s anti-missile system will be recognized for their efforts to enhance Israel’s security ….
Yishai: Drafting haredim ‘incest, idolatry’
YNet News, 25 Jun 2012 – Shas chairman meets with chairman of Plesner Committee as reports indicate that initial recommendations for alternative model to Tal Law are about to be announced ….
Putin arrives in Israel, inaugurates WWII memorial
YNet News, 25 Jun 2012 – Russian president greeted at airport by Foreign Minister Lieberman, inaugurates Netanya memorial for Soviet soldiers who fought Nazis during WWII ….
Haredim rally against IDF enlistment
YNet News, 25 Jun 2012 – Thousands led by Eda Haredit gather in Jerusalem at dawn to protest committee’s intention to recommend haredim enlist in army, perform national service ….
Palestinian Information Center
The good news from Cairo
PIC – There is no doubt that the election of Muammed Morsi as President of Egypt is a heartening news for all free men and women around the world.
Palestinian rally demands release of critically ill prisoner
PIC – Relatives of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and human rights activists have staged a sit-in in Al-Khalil and asked for the release of Ala’a Hassuna whose life is in imminent danger.
Human rights center: Palestinian prisoners are locked up with criminals
PIC – The Palestinian Center for Prisoners’ Studies held occupation authorities and prison service fully responsible for the Palestinian female prisoners’ lives in Hasharon prison..
Six political prisoners launch the empty stomachs’ battle in PA jails
PIC – Two political prisoners joined the open hunger strike launched by the political detainees bringing the number of hunger strikers in PA jails to six detainees..
Israel uses water as a weapon against the indigenous population
PIC – A local Palestinian official in the Negev desert, south of Palestine occupied in 1948, accused the occupation of using water as a weapon in order to displace people of Negev..
Abu Marzouk: No direct or indirect talks with Israel
PIC – Deputy political bureau chairman of Hamas Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk has affirmed that his movement had no direct or indirect contact channels with Israel.
Celebrations in West Bank and Gaza Strip over Mursi’s election victory
PIC – Mass celebrations were held throughout the West Bank and the Gaza strip over the victory of Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mursi in Egypt’s presidential elections.
Jerusalemite sentenced to 18 months for throwing stones on light rail
PIC – An Israeli court sentenced a 19-year-old Jerusalemite youth to one and a half years in jail for throwing stones at a light railway train in occupied Jerusalem.
Israeli newspapers express fears of Islamic rule in Egypt
PIC – Israeli newspapers expressed concern about the victory of the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi in Egypt’s presidential election.
Abbas Receives Egypt’s Ambassador
WAFA – 25 Jun 2012
Israeli Forces Destroy Tents, Shacks in Jordan Valley
WAFA – 25 Jun 2012
Israel Releases Lawmaker from Bethlehem
WAFA – 25 Jun 2012
Israel Arrests Several Palestinians including Elderly and Teen
WAFA – 25 Jun 2012
Infrastructure Cost Up in May, Says Statistics Bureau
WAFA – 25 Jun 2012
Egypt President-elect Mohamed Morsi moves into Mubarak palace
LA Times 25 Jun 2012 – Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, moves to form a Cabinet and calm the nation. He also seeks to strengthen his hand against the military. CAIRO — Egyptian President-elect Mohamed Morsi on Monday moved into the palace of the man who once jailed him….
Muslim Brotherhood candidate wins Egyptian presidential vote
LA Times 25 Jun 2012 – Crowds in Tahrir Square cheer, but vow to remain until the army cedes power. President-elect Mohamed Morsi calls for unity after winning 51.7% of the vote. CAIRO — The historic election of Egypt’s first Islamist president collided immediately with the political reality that the ruling…
Turkey account of jet downing contradicts Syria’s
LA Times 24 Jun 2012 – The Turkish warplane had ‘briefly violated Syrian airspace’ but was back in international territory when it was downed by Syria, Turkey’s foreign minister says. BEIRUT — The Turkish military jet downed by Syrian antiaircraft batteries was back in “international airspace” when it was hit without…
Egypt election results fill Tahrir Square with joy
LA Times 24 Jun 2012 – Tens of thousands gather to celebrate the victory of Egypt’s first Islamist president. But the realists in the crowd acknowledge hard work ahead. CAIRO — Egyptians wept and hugged as fireworks exploded in Tahrir Square and their world suddenly changed.
Islamist Morsi wins Egypt presidential vote
LA Times 24 Jun 2012 – Egypt’s election commission has declared Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood the winner of Egypt’s first free elections by a narrow margin over Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister under deposed leader Hosni Mubarak.
Defections, Downed Turkish Jet Worsen Syria Crisis
New York Times 25 Jun 2012 – Syria was hit by a rash of military defections and new European Union sanctions on Monday, as Turkey accused the country of shooting at a second Turkish plane, a state news agency said.
Vladimir Putin Visits With Israeli Leaders
New York Times 25 Jun 2012 – The visit by the Russian president showed both the progress of Israeli-Russian relations and the stark differences over challenges in the Middle East.
Named Egypt’s Winner, Islamist Makes History
New York Times 25 Jun 2012 – Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood moved into the presidential office last occupied by Hosni Mubarak on Monday, claiming a symbolic triumph and a potent weapon for the Islamists.
Challenges Multiply for Presidential Winner in Egypt
New York Times 25 Jun 2012 – Mohamed Morsi will have to spar with the generals who stripped much of the power from the presidency and overcome the doubts of those who chose his opponents or didn’t vote.
Tunisia Extradites Qaddafi’s Prime Minister to Libya
New York Times 25 Jun 2012 – The former prime minister, Al Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi, is the first senior official of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s government to be returned for trial under Libya’s transitional leadership.
Syrian Opposition Gets Supplies but Unity Is Elusive
New York Times 25 Jun 2012 – A network of activists has taken advantage of the tensions between Turkey and Syria to build a supply chain for those opposed to President Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Jewish Federation Cancels Geller Speech
Tikun Olam – Tweet Wonder of wonders, the Los Angeles Jewish Federation either understood the lunacy of hosting a lecture by Pam Geller , or they were embarrassed beyond belief by the Council for Islamic-American Relations press release that announced Geller’s public event, that was to be hosted by the…
MSCI statement on Caterpillar: Key factor in the downgrade was ‘on-going controversy associated with use of the company’s equipment in the occupied Palestinian territories’
Mondoweiss – MSCI is a leading provider of socially responsible investing indices that funds use to monitor, and determine, their investments. The firm made headlines last week when it dropped Caterpillar from several of its indices . Today, MSCI issued a statement to explain the move, here it is…
Shadid’s cousin ignites argument over ‘NYT”s role in his death; his widow refuses to join
Mondoweiss – As Politico reported and several friends have communicated to me, the late Anthony Shadid’s cousin Ed Shadid gave a very dignified commemoration at the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee’s gathering on the weekend in which he accused the New York Times of killing the renowned Arab-American writer by…
CBS pulls down billboards calling for end to US aid to Israel
Mondoweiss – Stop30Billion billboard on Melrose Avenue — before and after Two weeks back we reported on 23 billboards being put up in the Los Angeles area calling for an end to aid to Israel. The ads have been torn down by the billboard operator, CBS Outdoor, which…
Sam Harris, uncovered
Mondoweiss – Sam Harris The Devil sucks in the most devout. In theology fanatics make for easier marks for conversion than moderates because of the jitters and fright common to all such breeds who fear their minds will be colonised by the Satanic advance of the secular world….
Homecoming
Mondoweiss – Photo: Sarah Ziyad “This is where mom would have walked back and forth between the house and our farm,” Dad said, gesturing from the sycamore tree towards the gently sloping hills. We were mostly quiet. Dad picked up a stick and half-heartedly flicked the tall grass…
Exploiting Jewish Fear on Iran
The Forward Leonard Fein 24 Jun 2012 –
Police Acted Improperly at Tel Aviv Protests
The Foward Breaking News 25 Jun 2012 – Police officers violated protocol during the arrest of social protest activists in Tel Aviv rally on Saturday night, the suspects’ legal representatives and police officials told Haaretz on Monday. Click here for the rest of the article…
Berman Slams Group for Anti-Israel Billboard
The Foward Breaking News 25 Jun 2012 – U.S. Rep. Howard Berman slammed a Los Angeles-area group for anti-Israel billboards that call for an end to U.S. aid to Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Putin: Russia Wants To Resolve Iran Standoff
The Foward Breaking News 25 Jun 2012 – Israel and Russia will continue consultations geared at resolving the nuclear standoff with Iran through peaceful means, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, adding that Israel-Russia relations are based on a “deep friendship.” Click here…
Tutu Condemns Israel’s Anti-African Crackdown
The Foward Breaking News 25 Jun 2012 – Archbishop Desmond Tutu responded to the outrage of a Jewish journalist in Cape Town over Israel’s policy towards African immigrants. Click here for the rest of the article…
Anti-Islamic Activist Blocked From L.A. Speech
The Forward New 25 Jun 2012 – A speech by anti-Islamic activist Pamela Geller was abruptly cancelled by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, prompting a protest. Click here for the rest of the article…
Africa: Israel/Africa – Denying Refugee Rights
allAfrica.com 25 Jun 2012 – [AfricaFocus] Last week Israel began deportation of South Sudanese and Ivorian asylum seekers. Other asylum seekers, primarily from Sudan and Eritrea, remain in an indefinite limbo, with no procedure established for individual evaluation of their claims to refugee status and no rights to work or social…
Nigeria: Israel Confident of Nigeria’s Victory Over Terror
allAfrica.com 25 Jun 2012 – [Vanguard] Abuja – The out-going Israeli Ambassador in Nigeria, Mr Moshe Ram, weekend, expressed confidence that Nigeria will come out victorious in the current war against terror.
Tunisia: Assad’s Militiamen ‘Ambushed and Killed’ in Aleppo
allAfrica.com 25 Jun 2012 – [Tunis Afrique Presse] Damascus – At least 26 regime supporters were killed in an ambush in the northern province of Aleppo on Friday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Rwanda: Israel Strengthen Ties
allAfrica.com 25 Jun 2012 – [Rwanda Express] Israel Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Orite Noked, met with President Paul Kagame to discuss ways of strengthening cooperation in agriculture and rural development between Rwanda and Israel.
Support Presbyterian Divestment!
Rachel Corrie Foundation 25 Jun 2012 – From June 30th through July 7th, Presbyterians from all over the United States will gather in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for the 220th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. During this gathering, commissioners elected from local Presbyterian communities will vote on many important matters, including a recommendation…
TIAA-CREF Drops Caterpillar Stock from Social Choice Fund!
Rachel Corrie Foundation 25 Jun 2012 – Two major victories against Caterpillar, Inc. have occurred in the past few days. Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) removed Caterpillar from its World Socially Responsible Index, a list that socially responsible investment (SRI) funds use to determine their investments. Because of this, TIAA-CREF quickly divested its…
Carnegie Center Releases Guide to Syria Crisis
Arab American Institute 24 Jun 2012 – The Carnegie Middle East Center has put together a useful guide to the crisis in Syria, with fairly comprehensive portraits of the coalitions, parties and movements, and personalities involved in the 17-month uprising.
Mursi builds Egyptian government
BBC 25 Jun 2012 – Egypt’s president-elect, Mohammed Mursi, moves into his new office at the presidential palace and begins work on forming a government.
Syrians ‘shot at second plane’
BBC 25 Jun 2012 – Turkey says Syria fired on one of its planes taking part in the rescue operation for a Turkish warplane shot down by Syrian forces last week.
Israel urges Putin action on Iran
BBC 25 Jun 2012 – Israel urges visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin to take a stronger line on curbing Iran‘s nuclear ambitions.
Libya ex-PM extradition ‘illegal’
BBC 24 Jun 2012 – Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki says his country’s extradition of Libyan ex-PM al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi back to Libya was “illegal”.
CBS Pulls Down L.A. Billboards
US Campaign to End the Occupation 25 Jun 2012 – From US Campaign member group Coalition to Stop $30 Billion to Israel. Please read and take action! CBS Pulls Down L.A. Billboards Opposing Weapons to Israel Call CBS today and tell them to PUT OUR BILLBOARDS BACK UP! On June 11 the Coalition to Stop $30…
After Pressure, Jewish Federation Cancels Event Featuring anti-Muslim Speaker
US Campaign to End the Occupation 25 Jun 2012 – Pamela Geller is probably one of the best known “experts” on Islam who gained tons of media attention for her anti-Muslim rhetoric after founding Stop the Islamization of America, an organization that has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Geller…
Major Expose in FP Spotlights Human Rights Impact of Aid to Israel
US Campaign to End the Occupation 25 Jun 2012 – Major props to Zach Toombs and R. Jeffrey Smith at the Center for Public Integrity for publishing a major expose in Foreign Policy last week entitled ” Why Is the U.S. Selling Billions in Weapons to Autocrats? ” Unlike so many other mainstream DC organizations that take up…
The Writing Is on the Wall: Defense Minister Must Act to Prevent Next “Price Tag” Incident
B’tselem 25 Jun 2012 – Anticipating possible settler reprisals to the evacuation of the Ulpana Hill, human rights organizations call on security services to prepare in advance. Five human rights organizations sent an urgent letter to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Judea and Samaria Police District Commander Amos Yaakov, and GOC Central…
If you smile, the world will smile with you
B’tselem 25 Jun 2012 – On the afternoon of 16 January 2012, there was a Palestinian protest in the orchards of the Tel Rumeida neighborhood in Hebron. During the protest, B’Tselem video volunteer Diaa al-Hadad, age 19, was detained for a few minutes and released. That same night, a unit of…
Does Egypt Have a New President?
Al-Akhbar Blogs 25 Jun 2012 – There are celebrations in some quarters in the Arab world. Some are celebrating the defeat of Ahmad Shafik (the candidate of Israel, US, EU, Saudi Arabia, and the old regime order of Egypt.) Some are celebrating the assumption of Islamism to power in Egypt. Others are…
Egypt’s Blessed Coup
Al-Akhbar Opinion 25 Jun 2012 – Fireworks explode as supporters of Muslim Brotherhood’s presidential candidate Mohamed Morsy celebrate his victory in the election at Tahrir Square in Cairo 24 June 2012. (Photo: Reuters – Amr Abdallah Dalsh) Fireworks explode as supporters of Muslim Brotherhood’s presidential candidate Mohamed Morsy celebrate his victory in…
Egypt under the Islamists: Acquisition or Partnership?
Al-Akhbar Opinion 25 Jun 2012 – Muslim Brotherhood’s president-elect Mohamed Mursi speaks during his first televised address to the nation at the Egyptian Television headquarters in Cairo 24 June 2012. (Photo: Reuters – Stringer) Muslim Brotherhood’s president-elect Mohamed Mursi speaks during his first televised address to the nation at the Egyptian Television…
Lebanese television station attacked
Al-Akhbar News 25 Jun 2012 – A leading Lebanese television station was attacked on Monday night by unknown assailants who allegedly fired automatic guns at the offices. The headquarters of Al-Jadeed in the Beirut area of Wata al-Msaytbeh were attacked by unknown masked men, with a number of security guards violently assaulted….
G4S: The Soldiers of Global Corporation
Al-Akhbar News 25 Jun 2012 – The scale of the work G4S do in Lebanon is unclear, and it is not uncommon to see men in clothes with the company’s logo guarding private companies in Beirut’s Hamra. (Photo: Al-Akhbar – Archive) The scale of the work G4S do in Lebanon is unclear,…
Syrian Pound: Between Inflation and a Hard Place
Al-Akhbar News 25 Jun 2012 – A banker carries a load of money as he walks past an image of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at a bank in the capital in Damascus on 28 February 2012. (Photo: AFP – Anwar Amro) A banker carries a load of money as he walks…
Will Egypt’s new president really be in control?
Al-Akhbar News 25 Jun 2012 – Mohamed Mursi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, has yet to take the oath of office, but his ability to shape the Arab world’s biggest nation is limited before he even starts by interim constitutional measures decreed by the army. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (…
Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan returns
Al-Akhbar News 25 Jun 2012 – Iran‘s ambassador to Azerbaijan, withdrawn last month in protest at Baku’s hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest, has returned to his post in a sign of easing tension between the Caspian Sea neighbors. Tehran recalled its ambassador for consultations after Iranian clerics criticized Baku for hosting…
Tunisian cartoonist loses Prophet appeal
Al-Akhbar News 25 Jun 2012 – A Tunisian court on Monday upheld a seven year sentence against a young Tunisian who posted cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad on Facebook, in a case that has fueled allegations that the country’s new Islamist leaders are gagging free speech. Jabeur Mejri was convicted of upsetting…
Syria: New Government, Little Hope
Al-Akhbar Politics 25 Jun 2012 – Syrian anti-regime fighters and civilians are reflected in the window of a car during the funeral on 23 June 2012 of one of the victims of the previous day’s shelling on the rebel stronghold of Qusayr, outside the flashpoint Syrian city of Homs. (Photo: AFP -…
Israeli Espionage: Nostalgia for the Better Days
Al-Akhbar Politics 24 Jun 2012 – The Israeli agent Mustafa Taleb in a photograph published in Yediot Ahronot on Friday. The Israeli agent Mustafa Taleb in a photograph published in Yediot Ahronot on Friday. Israeli spy operations in Lebanon are nothing new. They go back several decades, to the times of the…
Articles
PA’s role in hunger strike deal ’like Oslo Accords’
Charlotte Alfred, Ma’an News Agency 6/25/2012
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A month after prisoners signed a deal to end their mass hunger strike in Israeli jails, prisoners groups warn Israeli authorities are not upholding their side of the bargain.
Mourad Jadallah, legal researcher for prisoners rights group Addameer, told Ma’an that the problem goes back to the Palestinian Authority’s role in the deal, and its attitude to prisoners in general.
After approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees joined administrative detainees on hunger strike on April 17, Israel pledged to provide “facilitation” on hunger strikers’ demands — namely ending solitary confinement, allowing family visits, and improving living conditions in jail.
A prisoners representative also said at the time that Israel committed not to renew detention without trial orders, although with the disclaimer — providing there is no new information that requires their imprisonment.
Working around the terms
Jadallah said the deal fell short in two ways — the language it used, and by not including the issue of administrative detention in the written agreement.
With this latitude, Israel has been able to dash hoped-for changes to the prisoners situation. On June 11, prisoners met the Israeli prison authorities in Nafha jail as the first stage of the “facilitation”, Jadallah said. more.. e-mail
Why did Palestinian leadership neglect hunger striking athlete?
Mosab Qashoo, +972 Magazine 6/23/2012
The Palestinian leadership’s silence regarding the plight of national footballer Mahmoud Sarsak and other Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike derives from the fear that the more empowered Palestinians become in their opposition to Israeli occupation, the more likely they are to overthrow the Palestinian Authority.
Anyone following the Palestinian struggle will have heard about Mahmoud Sarsak, the imprisoned Palestinian footballer who this week ended a hunger strike of over three months. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) have been publicizing their upcoming meeting with the head of the Israeli Kadima party, Shaul Mofaz, leaving a striking absence of any official comment on Sarsak’s situation.
It seems very bizarre that the PA and PLO ignored one of their national heroes, a rising star in the society’s most popular sport, who was on the brink of death. He was the easiest person to defend. He has never been involved in politics, is not a member of a political party, and had all the necessary Israel-issued permits. He was one of the youngest people to make the Palestinian national soccer team. Above all, he has not been charged or convicted by Israel of any wrongdoing, although Israel held him for three years.
Even considering the PA and the PLO more cynically, any politician could have seen a man in such a situation as a gift from the political gods. Imagine the affirmation they would have received if they negotiated his release. Imagine the photo-ops of officials visiting the soccer team Sarsak was supposed to join when he was seized by Israel. They could have even organized children’s soccer games in his honor. Yet these authorities didn’t not take advantage of this opportunity, neither for selfless nor for self-serving gains. more.. e-mail
It doesn’t matter how much the occupation costs
Ami Kaufman, +972 Magazine 6/24/2012
Asking how much the occupation costs is like a bank robber asking how much the gas cost to get to the bank.
I have so many things I want to write about, and so little time. Day jobs… you gotta hate ‘em.
I particularly want to write about #J14, about the escalation in the south, and a zillion other things. Inshallah I’ll find the time.
But one thing has been on my mind lately that I need to get off my chest, before I lose it: The cost of the occupation.
Every once in a while you’ll hear someone say that the occupation costs us so much money. Money that could have gone to health, education, infrastructure and whatever.
Well, the question in itself is, how to say…. stupid. For two reasons:
1) Corporate capitalism – Even if there was no occupation to fund, the money Israel would “save” would never trickle down to the middle class, to the 99%. Why? Because corporate capitalism wouldn’t let it. It would still stay on top, with all the tycoons. It would just be more for them to enjoy.
I’ve heard that the occupation cost 100 billion shekels since it began. Just recently, the Adva Institute published a report on the burden of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with similar numbers. It said that “between 1989 and 2011, the Ministry of Defense received budget increments totaling NIS 48 billion (2010 prices) earmarked for the conflict with the Palestinians”. So, that’s just over 2billion shekels a year. A lot of money, you say? I don’t.
Why? Because what Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz did just this week is a perfect example of how corporate capitalism dwarfs those numbers…. more.. e-mail
Cinema club run by Palestinians in Israel makes its mark
Electronic Intifada: 25 Jun 2012 – Sawsan Khalife’ the Galilee 25 June 2012 An emerging network of Palestinian filmmakers in Israel aims to connect with filmmakers in neighboring Arab countries — and mentor a new generation of Palestinian artists.more
My Response to Liberal Zionists: BDS is Not Extremism
Palestine Chronicle: 25 Jun 2012 – By Samah Sabwai (Watch a video recording of the article below). Leading Liberal Zionists have come out in impressive numbers calling for the boycott of settlements. But I have to warn you there is something to dread; they want you to buy Israeli products instead. They say they want to save Israel from a dangerous extremist threat. Namely: the Israeli gov’t and the BDS! Yes, they’ve lumped us together as two extreme versions calling for one state. Both? Extreme? In other words, liberal Zionists are telling us that Palestinian resistance, boycott sanctions and divestments that calls for equality between Palestinians and Jews is as extreme as Netanyahu’s plan for erasing the green line and colonizing all of historic Palestine. In such deranged twisted views, Palestinians demanding to be equal to Jews are perceived to be as extreme as the Jews who uproot olive trees, scorch Palestinian fields and demolish Palestinian…more
How Pro-Israel Lobby Fails This Simple Test
Palestine Chronicle: 25 Jun 2012 – By Stuart Littlewood Have you read this in the Wall Street Journal ? It is not difficult to figure out why the Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee feels he has to write such nonsense. The real puzzle is why a publication with the standing of the Wall Street Journal feels the need to print it. • “No universities existed in the West Bank until Israel opened them after the 1967 war,” claims Mr Harris. This will surprise the Vatican and many Catholics in the US. The first university in the West Bank was Bethlehem, opened in 1973 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers with the co-operation of the Vatican’s Congregation for Oriental Churches. It has been closed at least 12 times by the Israeli invader and shelled by Israeli tanks. Its staff and pupils are continually harassed by the Israeli occupation forces. Birzeit became a university in 1975…more
Leila Khaled and the Struggle for Palestinian Liberation
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Jun 2012 – By Ron Jacobs There was once a time not so long ago when the world seemed to be full of revolutionary heroes. These heroes were both men and women. The actions and accompanying commitment of these individuals inspired millions of others to join movements and organizations dedicated to a vision of social justice and freedom that understood colonialism and racism to be their primary opposition. From Martin Luther King, Jr. to Rosa Parks; from Huey Newton to Assata Shakur; and Che Guevara to Leila Khaled, the list of such individuals is too great to recount here. Their enemies included secret and not-so-secret police, intelligence agencies dedicated to their murder, and governments both liberal and reactionary whose lot lay with the imperial powers in Washington, London and elsewhere in the North. The presence of such men and women made them targets for those opposed to their vision. Simultaneously, the fact of…more
Are Palestinians Being Scapegoated Over Army Killings in Lebanon?
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Jun 2012 – By Franklin Lamb – Beirut The killings of three Palestinian refugees this past week including Ahmad Qassim from Nahr al Bared ( ‘cold river’) camp near Tripoli and 15 year old Khaled al-Youssef from Ein el Helwe (‘ the beautiful eye’) 30 miles south of Beirut in Saida, and the wounding of more than a dozen others by the Lebanese army were not, as some Lebanese politicians are claiming, “ accidental security incidents”. They were avoidable negligent homicides as much so as Zionist occupation forces and settler/colonists in Palestine regularly commit. It is true that Lebanon’s army, like the country itself, is confessionalized and as it has done before, the army will likely fracture if a civil conflict erupts. It is also undertrained, weak on discipline, and ill equipped. But from this observer’s experience and learning from friends in the army, the least that can be said on its behalf is…more
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