26 June 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Israel Begins The Evacuation Of Ulpana Settlement
IMEMC – On Tuesday Israeli officials started removing the illegal Ulpana settlement outpost, built on privately-owned Palestinian lands, close to the Beit El settlement near the central West Bank city of Ramallah. Israel vowed to build hundreds of new housing units in the West Bank in exchange to relocating the settlers. …
Abbas Welcomes Putin In Bethlehem
IMEMC – On Tuesday morning Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to the West Bank city of Bethlehem; the visit was described as “historic”. Several Palestinian officials participated in the special welcome ceremony. …
Israel Demolishes Historic Islamic Sites In Jerusalem
IMEMC – The al-Aqsa Foundation for Waqf and Heritage issued a press release on Monday revealing that Israeli bulldozers destroyed and demolished historic Islamic sites dating back to the Umayyad, Abbasid and Ottoman eras in occupied Jerusalem. …
Israeli forces ‘raid home of Tulkarem detainee, raze wall’
6/26/2012 – TULKAREM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces raided the home of a Palestinian detainee in the northern West Bank on Tuesday morning, razing the garden wall and a nearby fence, his family said. Seven military vehicles and a bulldozer surrounded the house of Hamada Abu Awad in Dhinnaba, east of Tulkarem, around dawn, witnesses told Ma….
Ministry: 70 prisoners killed in Israeli prisons since 1967
6/26/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Seventy Palestinians have been killed in Israeli jails since 1967, the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Detainee Affairs said Tuesday. The ministry’s report, released to mark the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, said 70 prisoners died “as a result of direct violence” by Israeli authorities. The most….
Israel frees MP after 18 months
6/26/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel on Tuesday released Palestinian MP Muhammad at-Tal after detaining him for 18 months without charge, a Ma’an reporter said. At-Tal, from Hebron, was detained in December 2010. He was previously detained by Israel in 2006 as retaliation for the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and spent over….
PA seeks heritage status for Bethlehem Old City
6/26/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority on Sunday will attend a session of the world heritage committee Sunday in Russia to lobby for adding the Old City of Bethlehem to the UNESCO list, officials said. The Palestinian Authority foreign minister, Riyad al-Malki, will submit his ministry’s bid in St. Petersburg in line…. Related: UNESCO must protect Bethlehem
Arrests made in Israeli Holocaust museum vandalism
6/26/2012 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israeli police said on Tuesday they had arrested three ultra-Orthodox Jews on suspicion of having spray-painted anti-Zionist slogans at the national Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial two weeks ago. The men, aged 18, 26 and 27, belong to an ultra-Orthodox group opposed to Israel’s existence and admitted to the vandalism, police spokesman….
Fatah congress calls for UN General Assembly bid
6/26/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Fatah’s party congress urged the Palestinian Authority leadership to press ahead with its bid for recognition by the UN General Assembly, at the conclusion of a two-day meeting on Sunday. The Fatah Revolutionary Council met in Ramallah to discuss Palestinian affairs and Fatah’s internal issues. President Mahmoud….
Hamas ‘could get world recognition’ after Mursi win
6/26/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The victory of Muhammad Mursi in the Egyptian presidential elections could enable Hamas to secure international recognition, an official in the party said Monday. The election of the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, the historic parent movement of Gaza-rulers Hamas, in neighboring Egypt was received with jubilation in the Gaza Strip. Ahmad Yousef….
Russian President Vladmir Putin visits Bethlehem
6/26/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Bethlehem on Tuesday morning for a brief meeting with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas. Putin arrived with a delegation of 400 Russian politicians, journalists, and business people, amid tight security on the streets of the West Bank city. The president visited the Nativity Church, believed…. Related: Abbas calls for peace conference in Moscow amid Putin visit
Abbas calls for peace conference in Moscow amid Putin visit
6/26/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas called on Tuesday for an international peace conference in Moscow after meeting with Russian President Vladmir Putin in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Putin, who met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, is on a brief Middle East visit that analysts say is to shore up…. Related: Russian President Vladmir Putin visits Bethlehem
UNESCO must protect Bethlehem
6/26/2012 – The following is an open letter signed by officials and thousands of priests, professors, artists, students, sportsmen, workers and others from Bethlehem to the members of the World Heritage committee. More than 2000 years have passed since the messenger of peace was born in Bethlehem. Though peace is still missing, the people of Palestine continue…. Related: PA seeks heritage status for Bethlehem Old City
Israel begins to evacuate Ulpana settler outpost
6/26/2012 – BEIT EL (Reuters) — Settlers on Tuesday began moving out of apartment blocs that Israel’s Supreme Court ruled had been built illegally on Palestinian-owned land, after reaching an agreement with the government to go quietly. A promise by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to build 851 new homes for settlers in the….
Egypt ‘to continue efforts’ for Palestinian reconciliation
6/26/2012 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — Cairo will continue its efforts to support Palestinian reconciliation, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Muhammad Amro said Tuesday. Amro said Egypt supported the Palestinian cause as part of its Arab commitment and its national interests, speaking to reporters after meeting UN envoy Robert Serry, the PA‘s official Wafa news….
Blaze erupts near Jerusalem
6/26/2012 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Firefighters from across Israel on Tuesday battled a huge blaze in Jerusalem, the Israeli news site Ynet reported. The blaze, in the Beit Shemesh area, was brought under control, Ynet said. Fire services commissioner Shahar Ayalon said the fire may have been caused by arson, the report added….
Hebron youth sentenced to 15 years for killing grandmother
6/26/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — A young man from Hebron town al-Samu was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment after he was convicted of killing his grandmother, public prosecutors said Tuesday. The man, referred to only as A. K. , was found by Hebron criminal court to have carried his 90-year-old grandmother from her bed at around….
PA committee destroys seized drugs
6/26/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — A drug control committee destroyed several batches of illegal narcotics in the West Bank on Tuesday. Committee chief Bashir al-Ouri said said the destruction of contraband substances had been pending before the courts since 1983, and on Tuesday it ruled in the committee’s favor. Batches of narcotics were destroyed….
4-year-old dies from Hebron car crash injuries
6/26/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — A toddler died on Tuesday from injuries suffered in a car crash in a Hebron village last week. Jenna Abu Sundos, 4, was critically injured in the collision in Abu Al Asja village, later succumbing to her injuries, a police statement said. Police have opened an investigation into the incident….
Egypt’s Mursi never made overtures to Iran, says aide
6/26/2012 – DUBAI/CAIRO (Reuters) — An Iranian news agency said Egypt’s Islamist President-elect Muhammad Mursi had voiced interest in restoring long-severed ties with Tehran to create a strategic “balance” in the region, but a Mursi aide denied the interview ever took place. Iran‘s Fars agency said it spoke to Mursi a few hours….
Heavy fighting around Syrian capital
6/26/2012 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Syrian government forces and rebels were locked in heavy fighting outside Damascus on Tuesday, activists said, in the worst violence in the suburbs of the capital since an uprising against President Bashar Assad began 16 months ago. Video published by activists recorded heavy gunfire and explosions. A thick trail of blood on a….
NATO condemns Syria’s shooting down of Turkish jet
6/26/2012 – BRUSSELS (Reuters) — NATO states on Tuesday condemned Syria’s shooting down of a Turkish military plane as unacceptable but they stopped short of threatening any military response. Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said after an emergency meeting in Brussels of ambassadors from NATO’s 28 member states that Turkey had the support of all….
Oman court starts proceedings against activists
6/26/2012 – DUBAI (Reuters) — An Omani court has begun hearing the cases of activists accused of defamation and illegal assembly during protests demanding political reforms, and of criticizing the conduct of security agencies, a local newspaper said on Tuesday. Oman, an ally of the United States and Britain located on a major oil shipping route, has detained….
Beaten candidate Shafiq, under graft probe, leaves Egypt
6/26/2012 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Defeated presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq flew out of Egypt on Tuesday for a religious pilgrimage, aides said, a day after a prosecutor referred corruption lawsuits naming Shafiq to an investigating judge. Shafiq’s rival Muhammad Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood was declared winner of a presidential run-off on Sunday. A judicial source….
Analysis: A Muslim Brother leads Egypt, have no fear
6/26/2012 – LONDON (Reuters) — The election of Muhammad Mursi as the first democratically chosen Islamist president in the Arab world represents an historic achievement for the Muslim Brotherhood, the most influential religiously-based movement in the Arab world. After decades of persecution and incarceration, what is unfolding today clearly shows the weight and influence of the Muslim Brothers….
Red Cross chief exits after taking on Bush, Bashar
6/26/2012 – GENEVA (Reuters) — He struck a unique deal with Syrian President Bashar Assad, fought what he viewed as excesses in the US “war on terror”, compiled reports that exposed US mistreatment of detainees in Iraq, and fought for inmates’ rights at Guantanamo. Jakob Kellenberger, who describes himself as “the negotiator of last resort,” steps down….
Erdogan tells Syria beware Turkish wrath
6/26/2012 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told Syria to beware the wrath of Turkey after the shooting down of a warplane and said he had ordered the armed forces to react to any military threat from Syria near the two countries’ border. Erdogan’s warning to Syria reflected increased tensions not only….
Israel evicts settlers after landmark ruling
AlJazeera 26 Jun 2012 – Sixteen Israeli families forced from West Bank homes after supreme court ruled neigbourhood was built illegally.
PLO Calls to Withdraw the Israeli’s Membership From the United Nations
Palestine News Network
Israeli Forces Arrest Four Palestinians from the West Bank
Palestine News Network
The Muslims I Know
Palestine News Network
Abbas: Netanyahu Hasn’t Responded to Conditions to Resume Negotiations
Palestine News Network
The Evacuation of Ulpana in Beit El Settlement Starts Today
Palestine News Network
EU Adopts Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy
Palestine News Network
Victims of Torture Must Not Face Reprisals for Seeking Redress Through the UN
Palestine News Network
Special Concert for the French Musician JESERS, Beit Sahour
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
A Palestinian Killed and 19 Others Wounded Due to Heavy Fire in the Gaza Strip Celebrating Mursi Winning the Egyptian Presidential Elections
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Alternative Information Center
Settler Violence in the West Bank: September and October 2011
Alternative Information Center – Hebron and South West Bank In the early morning hours of September 9, settlers from Susiya Settlement in the south of Hebron burned a tent belonging to Jihad Nawaj’a and his wife. The villagers gathered and…
Video: settlers attack internationals in South Hebron Hills
Alternative Information Center – Watch video of how three masked settlers chased internationals in the South Hebron Hills Humra Valley on Monday, using a slingshot to throw rocks at them. The two internationals, based in the Palestinian village of At-Tuwane…
On Torture
Relief Web 26 Jun 2012 – Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights , Physicians for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory Announcement of New PUBLICATION – “On Torture” 26 June 2012 – International Day against Torture A journal published by Adalah, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and…
012: The Sustainable Future We Want
Relief Web 26 Jun 2012 – Source: UN Development Programme Country: World , Afghanistan , Bangladesh , Colombia , Democratic Republic of the Congo (the) , Djibouti , Egypt , Ethiopia , Guatemala , Haiti , Indonesia , Japan , Jordan , Kenya , Mali , Mozambique , occupied Palestinian territory , Rwanda , Senegal , Sierra Leone , Somalia , South Sudan (Republic of) , Sudan (the) ,…
012
Relief Web 25 Jun 2012 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: World , Afghanistan , Côte d’Ivoire , Democratic Republic of the Congo (the) , Mali , occupied Palestinian territory , Somalia , South Sudan (Republic of) , Sudan (the) , Syrian Arab Republic (the) , Yemen Mr. President, The Secretary-General’s…
EU Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions on Syria, Egypt, Human Rights, and more
Relief Web 25 Jun 2012 – Source: European Union Country: Syrian Arab Republic (the) , Afghanistan , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Egypt , occupied Palestinian territory , Pakistan President: Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Main results of the Council The Council discussed developments…
The writing is on the wall: Defense Minister must act to prevent next “Price Tag” incident
Relief Web 25 Jun 2012 – Source: Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories Country: occupied Palestinian territory 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…
A Palestinian Killed and 19 Others Wounded Due to Heavy Fire in the Gaza Strip Celebrating Mursi Winning the Egyptian Presidential Elections
Relief Web 25 Jun 2012 – Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory , Egypt The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the opening of heavy gunfire in an unjustified manner throughout the Gaza Strip yesterday, celebrating the winning of Dr. Mohammed Mursi,…
Annual Report and Accounts 2011–12
Relief Web 25 Jun 2012 – Source: Department for International Development Country: World , Afghanistan , Bangladesh , Democratic Republic of the Congo (the) , Ethiopia , India , Kenya , Myanmar , Nigeria , occupied Palestinian territory , Pakistan , Somalia , South Sudan (Republic of) , United Republic of Tanzania (the) Annual report: New results show UK…
Showering in America
Relief Web 25 Jun 2012 – Source: MIFTAH Country: occupied Palestinian territory By: Joharah Baker for MIFTAH One of my biggest indulgences when I make a trip to the United States is taking long hot showers. This may sound ridiculous to many, but to a Palestinian…
Over the Past Two Days: IOF Kills Eight Persons, Including Child; Injures 20, Including Six Children; Attacks 23 Houses; and Arrests Six Fishermen
Relief Web 24 Jun 2012 – Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory 47/2012 The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have continued their aggression against the Gaza Strip. Since the early morning hours of Tuesday 19 June and the evening hours of Wednesday…
Turkey’s Erdogan tells Syria: ‘Don’t put us to the test’
The National 26 Jun 2012 – Prime minister warns Syrian government that any military unit approaching Turkish border would be regarded as a threat and a target, following the downing of one of its military jets.
Putin criticises Israeli settlements as ‘not constructive’
The National 26 Jun 2012 – Russian president criticises Israel’s expansion of Jewish settlements onto Palestinian territories, referring to move as “unilateral action” that is “not constructive”.
Shafiq ‘flies to capital’ as inquiry is launched
The National 26 Jun 2012 – Egypt to investigate losing candidate over public funds claims.
Judge issues ‘lenient’ sentence to Palestinian sex pair
The National 26 Jun 2012 – A son whose father threatened to lash him for having sex out of wedlock is cleared of the offence.
In election economics, Netanyahu has a fear of showing weakness
Ha’aretz – 26 Jun 2012
Netanyahu raises 2013 deficit target by NIS 15 billion
Ha’aretz – 26 Jun 2012
Israel asks court to delay deadline for demolition of West Bank neighborhood
Ha’aretz – 26 Jun 2012
More than 100 Orthodox leaders protest recognition of Conservative, Reform rabbis
Ha’aretz – 26 Jun 2012
Arson suspected as two fires spark chaos near Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 26 Jun 2012
Australian MPs urge: Moment of silence for “Munich 11” victims
Ha’aretz – 26 Jun 2012
Israel’s police chief: Violence during recent social protest was premeditated
Ha’aretz – 26 Jun 2012
Putin praises Abbas for his ‘responsible’ position in negotiations with Israel
Ha’aretz – 26 Jun 2012
Three ultra-Orthodox men arrested for vandalizing Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial
Ha’aretz – 26 Jun 2012
Israel evacuates half of Ulpana families
Ha’aretz – 26 Jun 2012
Israeli policeman charged with death of Palestinian child: If you don’t act, they think you’re weak
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Israeli ministerial auditors appeal High Court over inability to do their job
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Ramat Hasharon challenges ruling that forces mayor to pay court costs
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Four suspects arrested in fatal Hura drive-by
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Wildlife study in Ein Gedi threatened by preservation plan
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Galleries, artists, bookstores pull out of Tel Aviv’s White Night
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Jewish media mogul to invest in Israeli version of al-Jazeera news channel
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
Sloppy police work leads to release of dozens of protesters
Ha’aretz – 25 Jun 2012
‘Turkey deploys military vehicles on Syrian border’
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – On background of Syrian shooting down of Turkish fighter jet, Erdogan warns of Ankara’s “strong and devastating wrath.”
US intelligence sees protracted conflict in Syria
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Senior US intelligence officials see few cracks in Assad’s inner circle, dashing hopes Assad will fall soon of his own accord; Syrian military defections mostly low to mid-level.
Firefighters suspect arson in J’lem forest fire
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – One hundred dunams burned; Highway 1 closed for two hours; three people lightly injured.
MDA creates rabbinic body to provide religious guidelines
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – MDA has come under intense pressure from the ultra-Orthodox community in recent years to prevent haredi men serving together with women.
Assad says Syria in a ‘real state of war’
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Syrian president orders his newly appointed government to direct all its efforts at vanquishing the uprising against him.
Ulpana peace
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Thankfully, we were spared the humiliating scenes of Amona in which Jews clashed with Jews while Israel’s enemies watched with relish.
Providing hope for refugees in Tel Aviv
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – It is the State of Israel’s responsibility to give back and protect the vulnerable and the unprotected.
View From The Hills: Gush Etzion’s peaceful brewster
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Susan Levin is the only female “settler” brewster in all of Judea and Samaria and is the co-owner of the Lone Tree Brewery.
Gazans fire four rockets, Iron Dome intercepts two
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Rockets fired toward southern town of Netivot cause no injuries or damage; siren is sounded three times, sending residents running for cover; Palestinians fired a Kassam earlier in the day, damaging a building.
The boycott war
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – If Europe labels goods as “Israeli settlements produce,” it will become impossible for the companies to reach sales points abroad.
Egyptian human rights activist fears for his life
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – “Because of my work against the traffickers and my interviews given to the press, I will soon be killed,” says Hamdy al-Azazy,
US Senate urges Munich Olympic moment of silence
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Legislative body passes resolution calling on Olympic C’tee to commemorate Munich massacre at upcoming London games.
Still no peace partner
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Ben-Gurion realized that our adversaries’ concept of peace differed from what he later called true peace.
Jewish foundation creates ‘Jewish Nobel Prize’
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Group founded by Russian-Jewish oligarchs to bestow annual $1m prize for achievements in arts, sciences or activism.
Chief rabbis call denominations ‘poisonous’
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Amar says Reform and Conservative movements “poisoning the wells of holiness,” leading followers to “nethermost pit.”
Abbas renews call for peace conference in Moscow
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – PA president meets Russia’s Putin in Bethlehem, requests Moscow’s help releasing Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
German court declares circumcisions a crime
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Jewish group calls decision “unprecedented, dramatic interference in self-determination right of religious communities.”
‘Fear of Romney should bring Palestinians to table’
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – World Jewish Congress’s Ron Lauder says they should negotiate because an Obama defeat would worsen the deal for them.
Right of Reply: An off-hand comment
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Mr. Leibler appointed himself spokesperson for world Jewry, proclaimed that Rabbi Schneier should be named persona non grata.
Danino denies disproportionate response to protests
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Police chief says disturbances were planned; activist calls claims of violence by protesters “ridiculous.”
Egypt court rejects army powers to arrest civilians
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Army arrest power had smacked of Mubarak’s emergency law; Morsy to name Copt, woman among six vice-presidents.
Heavy fighting rages around Syrian capital
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Over 160 reported killed in past 48 hours; rebels cut old Damascus-Beirut road; fighting near Republican Guard bases.
Knesset extends Lindenstrauss term by 3 months
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – In 24-hour period, bill passes allowing State Comptroller to finish Harpaz probe; Justice Ministry: Move is unconstitutional.
PM expands budget deficit instead of raising taxes
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Netanyahu raises deficit ceiling to 3%; Yechimovich calls decision a move in the right direction, but not far enough.
Firefighters gain control of J’lem forest fire
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Highway 1 reopens to traffic in both directions; 23 fire crews, six planes battled blazes in Jerusalem-area forests; 3 injured.
Appaholic: Travel Israel
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Book your tickets and let us handle the rest: Five apps to plan your most memorable Israel vacation.
Man uses internet to lure in, sexually assault minor
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Court convicts 36-year-old man of sexually assaulting 13.5-year-old girl after using internet to trick her into coming to his home.
Meretz leaves TA council coalition in protest
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Artists and clubs boycott White Night in solidarity with social justice protests.
Firefighters battle Jerusalem area blazes
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Fire at Motza intersection prompts closure of Highway 1, evacuation of Ma’aleh Hachamisha; 23 fire crews battling blazes.
Erdogan: Turkish army to respond Syrian violations
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – On background of Syrian shooting down of Turkish fighter jet, Erdogan warns of Ankara’s “strong and devastating wrath.”
#USelections2012: 2 Fast 2 Furious
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Ahead of a make-or-break week, Obama’s executive privilege goes viral; Romney’s finds anonymous Twitter detractors; Hillary rocks a funky Mardi Gras look.
Danino accuses TA protesters of instigating ‘chaos’
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – Inspector-general denies police used excessive force in breaking up social justice protest; arrestee points to absence of police video.
Turkey: Syria knew identity of jet before shooting
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – In letter to UN’s Ban Ki-moon, Ankara says radio communications show Syrians knew jet was Turkish; NATO to meet on incident.
Police arrest 4 over Yad Vashem hate graffiti
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – The 4 are also suspected of vandalizing Ammunition Hill and landmarks in the Jordan Valley around Remembrance Day.
Online agricultural network to link Israel, India
Jerusalem Post 26 Jun 2012 – New initiative marks further step in program overseen by MASHAV.
‘Eritrea won’t accept forced citizen repatriation’
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – “Thank you for betraying your country,” Eritrean envoy tells asylum-seeker at Knesset panel; 144 S. Sudanese head back to Juba.
At Putin’s side, an army of Jewish billionaires
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – “We have to keep our Jewishness and be united in the Diaspora,” says Russian Jewish Congress VP.
Arabic manuscripts from J’lem libraries to go online
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – EU project aims to preserve, protect Arab heritage, language.
Breakthrough could help treat degenerative diseases
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Hadassah experts produce human embryonic stem cell lines without animal contamination.
Defections reflect doubts among Assad loyalists
Jerusalem Post 25 Jun 2012 – Analysis: Syrian rebels, having begun as an uprising against recognized authorities, are beginning to look more like a rival center of power in country.
Munich Olympics massacre: the fight for remembrance
The Guardian 26 Jun 2012 – Israeli coach Andrei Spitzer was one of those murdered at the 1972 Games. His widow, Ankie, explains why she is determined to see their memory finally honoured in London For 40 years, through nine Olympic Games…
Israel subjecting Palestinian children to ‘spiral of injustice’
The Guardian 26 Jun 2012 – Foreign Office-backed delegation of UK lawyers says treatment may stem from belief every Palestinian child is potential terrorist A belief that every Palestinian child is a potential terrorist may be leading to a “spiral of injustice”…
West Bank’s route 60 a ‘road of death’ for Palestinian children
The Guardian 26 Jun 2012 – Palestine-Israel bureaucratic hold-ups and emergency services delays turned an accident on a dangerous road into a tragedy Manar Juwali’s five-year-old daughter Miri is lying in a drug-induced coma after suffering burns to 75% of her body….
Israelis Grapple with an Unfinished War
IPS As the threat of war against Iran and its allies in Lebanon and Gaza lingers, questions arise over a war launched 30 years ago. Israel’s far-reaching invasion of Lebanon launched in June 1982 wasn’t an easy choice. Veterans still grapple with this controversial episode of Israel’s history whose name, objectives…
Israeli Guns Hold University Degrees Away
IPS After more than 25 years spent fighting for women’s rights in the Gaza Strip, Andaleeb Shehadeh is now struggling for the right to complete her university education. “This kind of studies is very important for the women who are active in women’s rights in the Gaza Strip,” the 46-year-old mother…
OP-ED: Bahrain Repression Belies Government Stand on Dialogue
IPS Bahrain remains a repressive state, and civil rights are violated daily. Forty-one years ago, Bahrain celebrated its independence as a budding democracy. This December it will celebrate its forty-second independence as a practitioner of repression and reprehensible autocracy. Unfortunately, Washington continues to tolerate Manama’s undemocratic actions. The Jun. 18 report…
Israel: promised land for Jews … as long as they’re not black?
Uruknet
Libyan ex-PM’s extradition illegal, says Marzouki
Uruknet
The Long Roots of the NYPD Spying Program
Uruknet
Israeli policeman charged with death of Palestinian child: If you don’t act, they think you’re weak
Uruknet
Military Resistance : 10F16 Boots
Uruknet
012 : A Video Roundup
Uruknet
012
Uruknet
Machinations in Paraguay Obama’s Second Latin American Coup?
Uruknet
Hunger strikers’ situation pending
Uruknet
Gunman robs Dbayyeh bank of estimated $100,000
Daily Star 26 Jun 2012 An armed man robbed the Banque Libano-Française branch in Dbayyeh north of Beirut Tuesday morning, fleeing with an estimated $100,000, security sources told The Daily Star.
More evidence to be shown at Texas bomb plot trial
Daily Star 26 Jun 2012 More FBI agents and experts will be taking the stand as prosecutors build their case against a Saudi man accused of gathering chemicals and other materials to try to build a bomb.
Bittersweet homecoming for South Sudanese from Israel
Daily Star 26 Jun 2012 Stepping off the airplane onto a rare bit of tarmac in South Sudan, Victoria Jozef dropped to the ground, tears streaming down her face, as she saw her newly independent country for the first time.
Assad says Syria in a “real state of war”
Daily Star 26 Jun 2012 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said his country was in a state of war and ordered his newly appointed government to direct all its efforts towards vanquishing the uprising against him.
Red Cross chief exits after taking on Bush, Bashar
Daily Star 26 Jun 2012 He struck a unique deal with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, fought what he viewed as excesses in the U.S. “war on terror”, compiled reports that exposed U.S. mistreatment of detainees in Iraq, and fought for inmates’…
Gaza militants fire four rockets at Israel, army says
Daily Star 26 Jun 2012 Palestinians fired four rockets into southern Israel on Tuesday, the third day of a fragile truce declared by Gaza militants, the military told AFP.
Erdogan tells Syria beware Turkish wrath
Daily Star 26 Jun 2012 Erdogan told Syria to beware the wrath of Turkey after Friday’s shooting down of a warplane and said he had given orders to the armed forces to react to any threat approaching Turkish borders from Syria.
Israel starts vacating West Bank outpost
Daily Star 26 Jun 2012 Residents of Israel’s Ulpana settlement outpost in the West Bank began leaving their homes on Tuesday in compliance with a court ruling that their homes are illegal.
Egypt court rules military cannot arrest civilians
Daily Star 26 Jun 2012 An Egyptian court suspended on Tuesday a government decision allowing military police and intelligence to arrest civilians.
Jordan FIFA VP condemns killing of Iraq footballers
Daily Star 26 Jun 2012 FIFA vice-president for Asia, Jordan’s Prince Ali, on Tuesday condemned the killing of nine local football players in a bombing in the southern Iraqi city of Hilla.
Yemen says al-Qaeda land mines killed 73 this week
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – ….
‘Abusive’ officer promoted to commander post
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – Despite recommendation to dismiss him, officer accused of beating soldiers moves up in ranks ….
Protest needs real leaders
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – Op-ed: Israel’s social protest too important to be squandered by exaggerated zeal, vandalism ….
Haredim threaten ‘all out war’ over Tal Law
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – ….
Molotov cocktail hits Tunisian consulate in Libya
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – ….
Report: 13 officers desert Syrian army
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – ….
4 rockets fired at Netivot; 2 intercepted
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – Despite calm, rocket fire continues as four Gaza rockets fired at Israel. Two intercepted by Iron Dome, two hit open areas; no injuries ….
Syria’s Assad says country in a ‘real state of war’
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – ….
Does Shin Bet exploit family to pressure detainees?
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – Rights group says security agency threatens to harm suspects’ relatives to extract confessions ….
Aharonovitch: Government didn’t try to stop social protest
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – Internal security minister dismisses as ‘nonsense’ claims that government tried to stop social protest ….
State motions to postpone Ulpana eviction
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – State asks High Court to extend deadline for relocation of evicted Ulpana homes to November ….
Israeli implicates ex-girlfriend in false Russia terror plot
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – Man decides to get back at ex-girlfriend by sending Russia police terror alert from her computer ….
The Jerusalem challenge
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – Op-ed: Jews need new language that bridges ancient sentiments, Jerusalem’s new realities ….
Fire in Jerusalem area under control
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – IAF, firefighter teams nationwide scrambled to Jerusalem area to battle dual-focal blaze near capital; 4 people suffer smoke inhalation injuries. Fire Services: Blaze under control ….
Judicial lynch at Ulpana
YNet News, 26 Jun 2012 – Op-ed: Top institutions use power arbitrarily, without due process to prevent settlement expansion ….
Palestinian Information Center
AOHR: Israel, the sole country to have legalized the use of torture
PIC – AOHR called on the international human rights organizations, in a statement on Tuesday on the International Day against Torture, to bring lawsuits against perpetrators of torture, whoever they are.
A Zionist plan to establish a Jewish museum under al-Aqsa mosque
PIC – AFEH issued a statement on Tuesday revealing that the occupation authorities had recently ratified a budget of four million shekels (more than one million dollars) to establish a Jewish center.
Events in solidarity with hunger striking political prisoners escalate
PIC – The southern West Bank city of Al-Khalil is witnessing popular events supporting the hunger striking political prisoners in PA jails, while detainees’ families vowed to escalate their protests.
Nativity church deportees congratulate Morsi
PIC – Nativity church deportees in Gaza congratulated Mohamed Morsi on winning the Egyptian Presidential election, calling him to work to end the political division between Gaza and the West Bank.
IOF soldiers arrest two brothers
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested two Palestinian brothers in Al-Khalil on Tuesday after ransacking their family home, relatives said.
IOF soldiers arrest youth, prohibits entry to eastern Yatta
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired at a Palestinian car and arrested its driver after chasing him near Kiryat Arba settlement in Al-Khalil on Tuesday, local sources said.
Israel to move main military posts to Negev region
PIC – An agreement was signed in the israeli premier’s office under which the Israeli army will evacuate five military posts in the 1948 occupied lands to other places in the Negev, Galilee and Lod regions.
MP Al-Zaboun: the prisoners have high spirits after Mursi’s victory
PIC – Palestinian Legislative Council member, Anwar Al-Zaboun, confirmed that the prisoners’ issue needs to unite efforts in order to get them released.
Occupation jails six minors between 5 and 12 years
PIC – Israeli court issued harsh verdicts against six Palestinian children from the town of Azzun east of Qalqilya in the West Bank, in addition to heavy fines against each of them.
PA security services continue to torture political prisoners
PIC – PA security continued the arrest campaign among the citizens and Hamas supporters, arresting one of them in Nablus, and transferring a number of detainees in Halhul to hospitals due to torture.
PA Works on Making Old City of Bethlehem World Heritage Site
WAFA – 26 Jun 2012
Abbas Calls on Russia to Hold International Peace Conference
WAFA – 26 Jun 2012
PEX Report: Al-Quds Index Up
WAFA – 26 Jun 2012
Abbas Receives Russian President in Bethlehem
WAFA – 26 Jun 2012
Israeli Forces Raid House, Demolish Wall and Shed east of Tulkarem
WAFA – 26 Jun 2012
Israel Evacuates Ulpana Settlement
WAFA – 26 Jun 2012
Weather Forecast: Tuesday’s Temperature above Average
WAFA – 26 Jun 2012
Egypt court strikes down martial law decree
LA Times 27 Jun 2012 – The ruling comes after an outcry from rights groups. It sets back Egypt’s military rulers, who have moved to tighten their grip and limit presidential powers. CAIRO — A move by Egypt’s ruling generals to revive martial law was blunted Tuesday by a court that…
Turkey to seek NATO support over downing of jet by Syria
LA Times 26 Jun 2012 – An official says Turkey will ask NATO to consider the matter an attack on all its members. Analysts see little prospect of military action against Syria now. BEIRUT — Turkey hinted it would ask its NATO allies to consider Syria’s downing of a Turkish jet…
Turkey Warns Syrian Forces Not to Approach Border
New York Times 26 Jun 2012 – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday threatened a military response if Syrian forces approached the Turkish border, hardening the tone over Turkey’s downed warplane.
Free Syrian Army Attacks Elite Damascus Guards
New York Times 26 Jun 2012 – The Free Syrian Army launched what they described as an exploratory attack on an elite Republican Guard base, which is near the Presidential Palace, in Damascus late Monday.
Jewish Settlers Begin Evacuation of Ulpana
New York Times 26 Jun 2012 – Jewish families began leaving Ulpana after their homes were declared illegal because they sit on Palestinian land.
Battir Journal: Palestinian Village Tries to Protect Landmark
New York Times 26 Jun 2012 – Conservation experts say ancient terraces and a Roman-era irrigation system in Battir, the West Bank, are threatened by Israel’s plans to build a section of its security barrier.
Iran’s Vice President Rahimi Makes Anti-Semitic Speech
New York Times 26 Jun 2012 – The speech by Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, who blamed Judaism’s holiest book, the Talmud, for causing the global spread of illegal drugs, seemed bound to further isolate Iran just days before new sanctions.
Assad Supporters Suspected in New Beirut Incidents
New York Times 26 Jun 2012 – Gunmen threw up roadblocks early Tuesday morning manned by young men who were apparently supporters of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
NATO Gives U.N. List of Unexploded Bomb Sites in Libya
New York Times 26 Jun 2012 – The information about 313 possible sites of unexploded munitions lacks crucial specifics that would help ordnance-clearing teams working in the country.
Social Justice Movement Support in Israel, Wide and Deep
Tikun Olam – Tweet Haaretz just released a poll showing that despite an escalation of violence on the part of the police and Tel Aviv municipality, Israelis expressed strong support for the social justice movement. 67% wish the movement would renew its activities and a similar amount believe last…
Pro-Israel literary subculture is poised to champion Shani Boianjiu, as it did Risa Miller
Mondoweiss – Guns and drones can break our bones, but words can also hurt us. –Reaction of a fictional Palestinian character to works of Risa Miller and Shani Boianjiu. The recent controversy about Jewish-Israeli writer, Shani Boianjiu (see here , here , here and here ), reminds me of an…
Channeling Beinart, Yoffie says settlements are ending US Jewish love affair with Israel
Mondoweiss – Rabbi Eric Yoffie, in my humble opinion, was the man who, as head of the Reform Movement, turned a movement once known for its deep commitment to social justice and universalism into a front for Israel’s colonial occupation of Palestine. Reform rabbis quickly learned what Yoffie…
Reminder: ‘New Yorker’ fiction parody contest ends in 3 days!
Mondoweiss – Late last Friday, we announced a New Yorker fiction parody contest — inspired by the magazine’s publication of a short story told from the standpoint of an Israeli soldier saying that Palestinians were begging soldiers to shoot them so that they could get into the headlines…
Life without a lobby: Putin visits both sides, praises Palestinians ‘responsible’ conduct
Mondoweiss – Barack Obama is watching this. Vladimir Putin did what he has not done, visited Israel and Palestine, and met with both Netanyahu and Abbas. Putin shrugged off anti-Iran demands from Netanyahu and Shimon Peres and made it clear that Palestinian statehood is fine with him. Putin…
Israeli writers protest J14 arrests with cultural boycott—Palestinians still ignored
Mondoweiss – Saturday’s J14 arrests sparks call for cultural boycott from writers opposed to the BDS movement. (Photo: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org) Last Thursday, Israeli writers swiped a tactic from the BDS movement and called for a cultural boycott against Tel Aviv’s White Night festival , exposing the Jewish exclusivity…
Exploiting Jewish Fear on Iran
The Forward Leonard Fein 26 Jun 2012 –
Gilad Shalit Meets Mayor Michael Bloomberg
The Foward Breaking News 26 Jun 2012 – Gilad Shalit met New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at City Hall for a brief ceremony on the sixth anniversary of the day Shalit was captured by Hamas. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israel Deports 150 More African Immigrants
The Foward Breaking News 26 Jun 2012 – Israel deported 150 more migrants from South Sudan. Click here for the rest of the article…
Putin Insists He’s Open-Minded on Syria
The Foward Breaking News 26 Jun 2012 – Russian President Vladimir Putin told senior Israeli officials on Monday that while he was not obligated to Syrian President Bashar Assad, he urged the West to think carefully before trying to remove him, a senior Israeli diplomatic sources said on Monday. Click here for the rest…
Israeli Child-Killer: We Can’t Show Weakness
The Foward Breaking News 26 Jun 2012 – An Israeli Border Police officer charged with causing the death of a 10-year-old Palestinian boy in the West Bank four years ago claims that although he was in a bullet-proof vehicle, he felt he had to respond after stones were thrown at the car. Click here…
Israel Was ‘Key’ Issue in Caterpillar Dump
The Forward New 25 Jun 2012 – A corporate ratings agency cited Israel as a ‘key’ reason that Caterpillar was dumped from its socially responsible stock index. The move handed a big victory to boycott Israel activists. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Obama Calls Mursi, Backs Transition to Democracy
allAfrica.com 26 Jun 2012 – [State Department] President Obama called Dr. Mohamed Morsi today to congratulate him on his victory in Egypt’s presidential election.
Egypt: Experts Speculate Scenarios for Egypt-Israel Relations Under Mursi
allAfrica.com 26 Jun 2012 – [Aswat Masriya] On Sunday, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Mursi was named Egypt’s first democratically-elected president, ending a transition period ruled by a military council.
Egypt: Mursi Calls for Closer Iran Ties
allAfrica.com 26 Jun 2012 – [Tunis Afrique Presse] Cairo – Egypt’s Islamist President-elect Mohammed Morsi has said he wants to restore long-severed ties with Tehran to create a strategic “balance” in the region, in an interview published on Monday with Iran‘s Fars news agency.
Egypt: Hezbollah Congratulates Mursi, Hopes Egypt Leads
allAfrica.com 26 Jun 2012 – [Aswat Masriya] In a statement, Hezbollah congratulated Egypt’s President-elect Mohamed Mursi for the confidence the Egyptian people granted him.
Syria in state of war, says Assad
BBC 26 Jun 2012 – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says his country is in “a state of war” as fierce fighting is reported in the suburbs of the capital Damascus.
Egypt suspends military arrests
BBC 26 Jun 2012 – An Egyptian court suspends a government decision allowing military police to arrest civilians, judicial sources say.
West Bank settlers leave outpost
BBC 26 Jun 2012 – Israeli authorities begin to evacuate dozens of Jewish settlers from an unauthorised West Bank outpost after a court orders it to be dismantled
Israel museum attack arrests made
BBC 26 Jun 2012 – Three ultra-Orthodox men are arrested over the defacing of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem with graffiti refererring to Hitler.
Occupation and Apartheid E-Cards
US Campaign to End the Occupation 26 Jun 2012 – Reposted from the blog Sixteen Minutes to Palestine . Parodies can be valuable when they force people to consider reality from a different perspective. But most of these e-cards aren’t parodies. It’s what millions of people have to live through every single day. Families who come from…
The Israeli government’s “price tag” operation
B’tselem 26 Jun 2012 – On Wednesday, 20 June 2012, the Israeli government’s Ministerial Committee on Settlement Affairs approved an agreement to evacuate five buildings in Ulpana Hill, a neighborhood of the Beit El settlement. Following the approval, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the significance of the agreement is in…
In Solidarity with Al-Jadeed TV to Avoid ‘Seeing Stars’
Al-Akhbar Opinion 26 Jun 2012 – Inside Al-Jadeed television studios. (Photo: Marwan Bu Haidar) Inside Al-Jadeed television studios. (Photo: Marwan Bu Haidar) A new precedent was set in Beirut Monday night as an armed attack targeted Al-Jadeed television, of which we saw parts developing on live TV. The attack shed light on…
“New Lara Fabian” faces Lebanon boycott calls
Al-Akhbar News 26 Jun 2012 – A French singer is facing calls to apologize for her support for Israel or abandon a Middle Eastern tour, a few weeks ahead of a planned performance in Lebanon. In a case echoing that of Belgian-Italian singer Lara Fabian, who abandoned her trip to Lebanon earlier…
Mohammed Mursi: An Oath of Obedience
Al-Akhbar News 26 Jun 2012 – Merchandise bearing images of Muslim Brotherhood’s President-elect Mohamed Mursi are displayed for sale at Tahrir Square in Cairo 25 June 2012. (Photo: Reuters – Amr Abdallah Dalsh) Merchandise bearing images of Muslim Brotherhood’s President-elect Mohamed Mursi are displayed for sale at Tahrir Square in Cairo 25…
Iranian oil tankers head to Syria
Al-Akhbar News 26 Jun 2012 – Three Iranian tankers are returning to Syria for the first time since April, according to shipping data and sources, in a sign Syria has succeeded in negotiating fresh supplies of badly needed diesel from their allies. Diesel, or gasoil as it is known in the industry,…
US drone kills four in Pakistan
Al-Akhbar News 26 Jun 2012 – A US drone strike targeting an alleged rebel compound in a Pakistan’s northwestern tribal district late Tuesday, killed at least four people, security officials said. The unmanned aircraft fired two missiles on the compound in the Shawal area, some 50 kilometers southwest of Miranshah, the main…
Al-Qaeda In Syria: New Leader at the Helm
Al-Akhbar News 26 Jun 2012 – A silhouette of an soldier at the entrance on Ein al-Helweh camp in Sidon. (Photo: Hassan Bahsoun) A silhouette of an soldier at the entrance on Ein al-Helweh camp in Sidon. (Photo: Hassan Bahsoun) Radical Islamist groups are evolving in Syria. An audio recording has been…
Egypt court outlaws military arrests
Al-Akhbar News 26 Jun 2012 – Female Egyptian supporters of new president-elect, Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi, wave their national flag in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. (Photo: AFP 0 Marwan Naamani) An Egyptian court on Tuesday overturned a government decree allowing the army to arrest civilians, a setback for military rulers preparing to…
Israeli Media: Fearing The Future of Egypt’s Direction
Al-Akhbar Politics 26 Jun 2012 – A man reads the Israeli daily newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, displaying the front cover’s headline reading in Hebrew: “Darkness in Egypt,” in Jerusalem on 25 June 2012. (Photo: AFP – Menahem Kahana) A man reads the Israeli daily newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, displaying the front cover’s headline reading…
G4S in Israel: The Soldiers of Global Occupation
Al-Akhbar Politics 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,…
Articles
UNESCO must protect Bethlehem
Ma’an News Agency 6/26/2012
The following is an open letter signed by officials and thousands of priests, professors, artists, students, sportsmen, workers and others from Bethlehem to the members of the World Heritage committee.
More than 2000 years have passed since the messenger of peace was born in Bethlehem. Though peace is still missing, the people of Palestine continue to carry the message of hope, justice and peace brought to us by Jesus Christ.
After 45 years of illegal Israeli occupation, a window of opportunity has been opened: countries like yours can make a difference and invest in peace by recognizing the State of Palestine on the 1967 border and support our effort to protect our city, Bethlehem, and list it as World Heritage in Danger. This is our overdue right.
Since last October, our beloved country, Palestine, has been a full member of UNESCO. We considered this step as a message of hope for the preservation of our city and its holy sites. Now that day has come; we ask you to join us in protecting our city, Bethlehem, and its rich heritage. Help us preserve the Church of the Nativity and other holy sites so that their message of peace to humanity can be preserved.
Bethlehem, its Old City and churches have been victims of deliberate Israeli military attacks, in 1967 and again between 2001 and 2002. Most of what was restored by the international community after the Oslo Accords was signed in 1994 was destroyed by Israeli occupation forces. Our nomination as a World Heritage Site is not only a right, it is a need.
We call on you to lend Bethlehem your voice and vote in favor of the inclusion of Bethlehem as a World Heritage Site. The time for our long overdue admission is now. The international community has a legal and moral responsibility to protect our sites…. — See also:PA seeks heritage status for Bethlehem Old City more.. e-mail
Religious groups are infiltrating secular politics in Israel
Saleh Naami, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 6/24/2012
Israel is possibly the only country in the world where the religious right has taken the initiative to infiltrate secular political parties in an apparent effort to increase their influence and grip on the state. This phenomenon has been attracting attention in the past three years because of its real-time effects that are capable of re-drawing the fault lines in Israeli politics and the repercussions this may have on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
A reflection of the growing influence of religion in secular parties was the result of a meeting convened two months ago by the Executive Committee of the ruling Likud party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu. The Prime Minister was embarrassed when religious members of the Executive managed to persuade a majority to refuse Netanyahu’s initiative to appoint a person loyal to him at the head of the Committee. The religious members wished to appoint a figure even more extreme than Netanyahu’s candidate.
It was reported in the Israeli press that Netanyahu was stunned when he saw how many of the 2,000+ members of the Executive Committee are bearded and wear the kippa (skull-cap), and belong to the religious Zionist wing which advocates more settlements and Judaisation of occupied Palestinian land.
Although religious infiltration of secular parties has been more noticeable in the past three years, it started quietly more than a decade ago in a manner that shows it is part of a scheme designed to exercise the greatest influence on decision-making circles in Israel. This would be done through penetrating the secular parties, particularly those on the political right, as they look set to run Israeli governments for the foreseeable future. more.. e-mail
The game of buying time
Saleh Al-Naami, Al-Ahram Weekly 6/21/2012
A new initiative tabled by Shaul Mofaz has nothing to do with real peace with the Palestinians.
It is difficult to keep track of how many media interviews Shaul Mofaz, acting Israeli prime minister, was given to publicise a political initiative aiming at reviving negotiations with the Palestinian Authority (PA). In order to make his initiative seem serious, Mofaz declared that re-launching talks will be based on 1967 borders, and that he will seek to meet with PA President Mahmoud Abbas to present the proposal to him. Mofaz’s proposal coincided with recurrent leaks by Israel about ongoing secret talks between Saeb Ereikat, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, and an envoy of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
For the Palestinians, Mofaz’s initiative is not impressive and should not be dealt with seriously, especially as it comes at a time when there is a big boom in settlement building in the West Bank by the government in which Mofaz is a member. Not only that, but Mofaz himself has played a leading role in efforts to find legal formulae to legalise settlements that are built without permits from the Israeli government, and the Israeli Supreme Court has ordered their removal.
If that were so, then why did Mofaz put forward the proposal? Raviv Drucker, a political commentator on Israel’s Channel 10, believes the initiative is a role swap between Mofaz and the extreme right in Netanyahu’s coalition. According to Drucker, hardline forces on the right — led by a large bloc of Knesset members and ministers in the ruling Likud Party headed by Netanyahu — flagrantly insist on forging ahead on not only with settlement plans but also in passing laws in the Knesset that legitimise the annexation of private Palestinian land that settlers take by force. more.. e-mail
The Predicament of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Jun 2012 – By Ramzy Baroud When Lebanese security reportedly killed 18-year-old Ahmad al-Qasim over a documentation dispute in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp, the camp’s Palestinian refugee population erupted in anger and dismay. Within a few days of the June 15 incident, the outrage had spread and more refugees were killed. Fouad Muhi’edeen Lubany was killed on June 18, as a crowd of mourning refugees attempted to bury the first victim of Nahr al-Bared, near Tripoli in the north. Another victim of the violence was Khaled al-Youssef, who was shot in Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp, near Saida, about 30 miles south of Beirut. More Palestinians were reportedly injured, along with three Lebanese security officers. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon exist on the margins of a larger political question concerning the country’s irreconcilable sectarian, factional and familial divides. This makes it somewhat difficult to place the tragedy of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon within a…more
Iraq, Libya, Syria: We Have No Right to Play God
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Jun 2012 – By Jonathan Cook In a traditional cowboy movie, we know what to do: we look for the guy wearing the white hat to be sure who to cheer, and for the one wearing the black hat to know who deserves to die, preferably gruesomely, before the credits roll. If Hollywood learnt early to play on these most tribal of emotions, do we doubt that Washington’s political script-writers are any less sophisticated? Since 9/11, the United States and its allies in Europe have persuaded us that they are waging a series of “white hat” wars against “black hat” regimes in the Middle East. Each has been sold to us misleadingly as a “humanitarian intervention”. The cycle of such wars is still far from complete. But over the course of the past decade, the presentation of these wars has necessarily changed. As Hollywood well understands, audiences quickly tire of the same contrived…more
Truth Dies in War
Dissident Voice: 26 Jun 2012 – The Houla massacre is a turning point in the Syrian conflict. Supported by the accounts of UN observers, the Western public blames the Syrian army for the bloodbath. This version can be doubted based on reports from eye-witnesses, according to whom the civilians were killed by Sunni rebels. The Houla massacre was a turning point in the Syrian drama. The worldwide outrage was great as 108 people, among them 49 children were killed in Houla on May 25. Calls for a military intervention to put an end to the bloodshed in Syria became louder and the violence in the country has unrelentingly increased ever since. Based on Arabic news channels and the UN observers visit on the next day, world opinion almost unanimously accuses the regular Syrian army and the regime-affiliated Shabiha for the mass murder. The German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) questioned this version on the basis of…more
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