2 July 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Israel Planning A Military College In Mount Olive
IMEMC – The Israeli Regional Planning and Construction Committee in Jerusalem approved, Monday, a plan to build a Military College near the Augusta Victoria Hospital in Mount Olive, in occupied East Jerusalem. …
Palestinian journalist beaten and arrested by PA police
IMEMC – The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) has condemned the beating of journalist Mohammed Jaradat, who was covering a march in the city of Ramallah on Saturday. …
Israel Continues To Pound Gaza, Injure Civilians
IMEMC – The Gaza Strip was besieged by airstrikes from the Israeli military once again Monday morning. Conflicting reports from Israeli and Palestinians sources leave the total number killed or injured unknown. …
After 83 Days on Hunger Strike, Detainee in Serious Condition
IMEMC – Diabetic Palestinian prisoner Akram Rikhawi has been on a hunger strike for 83 days and is at imminent risk of dying. According to the World Medical Association, in most cases death occurs between 42nd and 72nd days of hunger strike. …
Witnesses: Israeli forces erect checkpoint, raid stores in Jenin
7/2/2012 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli forces raided two mechanic stores in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Monday morning, before setting up a temporary checkpoint in a nearby town, witnesses said. Locals told Ma’an forces ransacked the car mechanic headquarters of Waleed Abu Ghali and Nasser Abu Daqqa in the Jenin….
Video: Border policeman kicks Palestinian child in Hebron
7/2/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli border police officer kicked a Palestinian child lying on the ground in central Hebron, according to footage released by Israeli rights group B’Tselem on Monday. A B’Tselem spokeswoman said the group would file a complaint with the Israeli army and police over the incident on….
Israeli jets fire on Gaza, no injuries
7/2/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli warplanes fired on the central Gaza Strip at dawn on Monday, without causing injuries. Israeli jets fired on a military site of Hamas‘ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, in the Zaitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, a Ma’an reporter said. Witnesses told Ma’an a group….
Activist: Forces detain 2, injure relatives in Beit Ummar
7/2/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces briefly detained two youths in Hebron town Beit Ummar on Sunday evening, activists said. Forces seized Muhammad Ali Abu Ayyash, 14, and Muhammad Ibrahim Abu Ayyash, 25, after raiding a vegetable store near the main entrance to the town, local committee spokesman Muhammad Ayyad Awad said. Relatives gathered around….
Press freedom group urges probe into reporter beating
7/2/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian press freedom group on Monday called for a government inquiry into the beating of a local journalist in a Ramallah police station after he was covering demonstrations on Saturday. The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms, MADA, said the assault on reporter Muhammad Jaradat “who was simply doing…. Related: Interior minister orders investigation into Ramallah clashes and Activists call for Ramallah police director dismissal
Activists call for Ramallah police director dismissal
7/2/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinian activists on Monday called for the Palestinian Authority to dismiss the head of police in Ramallah after two days of protests in the city were forcefully dispersed. The Palestinians for Dignity group also called for the dismissal of the director of the police headquarters in the city. The police’…. Related: Interior minister orders investigation into Ramallah clashes andPress freedom group urges probe into reporter beating
Gaza man who lost his legs cleans cars to support family
7/2/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Without legs, and with only one working eye and arm, Ibrahim Abu Thraya has not given up. Once a fisherman working on the Gaza shores, he was hit by an Israeli rocket in December 2008 during Israel’s war on the coastal enclave. Abu Thraya was with seven friends….
Jerusalem’s haven for Palestinian drug addicts
7/2/2012 – BETHELHEM (Ma’an) — On the outskirts of Jerusalem, there is a Palestinian drug den that social workers say is languishing under Israel’s failure to control the problem. Anti-drugs campaigner Abdul Jabbar Yaraqan told Ma’an TV the number of Palestinian drug addicts has reached 60,000 in the West Bank, East Jerusalem….
Ashrawi condemns violence against Ramallah protesters
7/2/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — PLO official Hanan Ashrawi on Monday condemned the violent suppression of weekend protests in Ramallah. Palestinian Authority police attacked demonstrators at a rally Saturday against a proposed meeting between President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel’s vice premier. A day later, police used brutal force at a demonstration against police brutality…. Related:Activists call for Ramallah police director dismissal and Interior minister orders investigation into Ramallah clashes
Center: Israel releases disabled detainee
7/2/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israel on Monday released a tetraplegic detainee after imprisoning him for 12 years, the Waed prisoners association said. Waed director Saber Abu Karsh told Ma’an that Muhammad Abu Labadeh, 35, spent 12 years in Israel’s Ramle prison. Abu Labdeh was released to the Erez crossing on….
US envoy warns of Mideast ‘spoilers’ in rare interview
7/2/2012 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — America is working with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to oppose parties who “seek to play a spoiler role” in the conflict, the US envoy in Jerusalem has said. In remarks published Saturday, Daniel Rubinstein said the US along with the “significant majority of the people of this region” backed a….
Israel sought $1 bln IMF loan for Palestinians
7/2/2012 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israel unsuccessfully sought a $1 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund for transfer to the Palestinian Authority to prevent its financial collapse, Israeli and Palestinian officials said on Monday. The IMF turned down the request, according to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, because it did not want to set a precedent of….
PA urges UN to protect Palestinians
7/2/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday urged the UN to protect Palestinians and implement international law in Palestine. The ministry called on the world body to protect Palestinian people under occupation and urged all countries to support the two-state solution and hold Israel accountable for ending the peace process….
Interior minister orders investigation into Ramallah clashes
7/2/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — PA Minister of Interior Said Abu Ali said Monday he will form a committee to investigate clashes between police and protesters in Ramallah in the last two days. Youth had gathered in Ramallah on Saturday to protest the leadership’s scheduling of a meeting with the Israeli vice premier. Police…. Related: Press freedom group urges probe into reporter beating andActivists call for Ramallah police director dismissal
Hamas calls off election registration in Gaza
7/2/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A day before electoral registration was due to start in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas government announced on Monday it was calling off the process due to repression of its members in the West Bank. The movement also cited the failure to begin registration for elections to the Palestine Liberation…. Related: Hamas adviser: West Bank detentions hamper unity
Hamas adviser: West Bank detentions hamper unity
7/2/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Fatah’s ongoing detention of Hamas members in the West Bank has hampered national reconciliation, a senior Hamas official said Monday. Yousef Rizqa, political adviser to Gaza’s Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, said security forces in the Fatah-run West Bank refused to free Hamas affiliates despite court…. Related: Fatah: Hamas thwarting reconciliation and Hamas leader: Fatah plans electoral fraud
Abbas: Media should be free
7/2/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday called on Palestinian media to free itself from just reporting about him or following news agencies. In an interview with official PA radio Voice of Palestine he called on government media to be independent, truthful, and follow up news stories. He said both official radio and….
University staff threaten to resume strike
7/2/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Staff at government universities threatened to resume a strike over salary disputes in a letter to the Ministry of Education on Saturday. Employees of government universities and technical colleges have been engaged in strikes since February, demanding a raise in salaries to match the wages of private universities. Their union on….
Hamas leader: Fatah plans electoral fraud
7/2/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas leader Mahmud Zahhar on Monday defended his party’s decision to suspend voter registration in the Gaza Strip, accusing Fatah of planning electoral fraud. Zahhar told Voice of Palestine radio that Fatah planned to commit election fraud, adding that the Central Elections Commission was dominated by Fatah members, effectively…. Related: Hamas calls off election registration in Gaza and Hamas adviser: West Bank detentions hamper unity
Fatah: Hamas thwarting reconciliation
7/2/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Fatah on Monday accused Hamas of halting reconciliation by suspending voter registration in the Gaza Strip. Hamas suspended the work of the Central Election Commission on Monday, a day before it was due to start updating the electoral roll in Gaza. Fatah spokesman Fayez Abu Aita said in a statement….
Turkey says scrambled jets as Syria aircraft near border
7/2/2012 – ANKARA (Reuters) — Turkey’s armed forces command said on Monday it had scrambled a total of six F-16 fighter jets in three separate incidents responding to Syrian military helicopters approaching the border on Sunday, but there was no violation of Turkish airspace. It said in a statement the jets had been scrambled from….
Al-Rikhawi’s Health Deteriorating
Palestine News Network
Haaretz Claims: Israel Sought to Lend the PA $100 Million Dollars
Palestine News Network
Several Palestinians Injured in IOF Airstrike on Gaza
Palestine News Network
Israeli Soldier Injured in a Bomb Explosion n Nabi Saleh
Palestine News Network
Maariv: Molcho Meets Egyptian Officials to seek Security Cooperation ‘Secretly’
Palestine News Network
Ashrawi Condemns the Suppression of Peaceful Protests
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Authority Expands ‘Security’ Raids Throughout West Bank
Palestine News Network
MADA Demands an Investigation into Attack on Journalist Mohammed Jaradat
Palestine News Network
Celebration of Palestinian Music with the Jadal Group
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Condemns the Shooting of PLC Member Shami al-Shami
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
The spirit of Ni’lin in the face of apartheid
7/2/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Steve Plaank, 2 July 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – On Friday, June 29th, dozens of residents of the Palestinian village, Ni’lin demonstrated in opposition to the ongoing apartheid carried out by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). The village of Ni’lin is located near the 1967 Green Line and has….
Facebook error snared India’s ‘voice of terror’
The National 2 Jul 2012 – The man who allegedly guided 10 terrorists through the gun rampage that killed 166 people in India’s financial capital gave himself away by opening a Facebook account.
West Bank faces cash crisis after $100m IMF request is rejected
The National 2 Jul 2012 – Plan by Israel to borrow US$100 million from the International Monetary Fund to loan to Palestinians was rejected as they have no state of their own.
Egypt’s new government to approach IMF for economic aid
The National 2 Jul 2012 – Adviser close to the new president says request could come in weeks.
Axl Rose lands in Israel ahead of Tel Aviv concert
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
House of ex-President Shamir’s daughter broken into while family attends his funeral
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Israel to begin recording settler land claims
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Netanyahu’s choice
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Religious Zionists lose legal battle over Rabbi Kook’s former Jerusalem home
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Israeli mayors fight bid to build natural gas plants in towns
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Romney to visit Israel ahead of U.S. presidential vote, Netanyahu aide says
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Researchers uncover ornate Talmud-era synagogue in Israel
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Israel Justice Ministry questions police officer seen choking protester in video
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Kenya official: Iranian agents planned attack against Israeli, U.S. targets
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Israel arrests Golan Heights resident upon return from studies in Syria
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Report: Israeli warplanes strike espionage facility in South Lebanon
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Report on Haredi army service to be released, despite Netanyahu move to disband panel
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
6-year-old Israeli-born and Filipino migrant mother to be deported in 20 days, court rules
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Israel’s leaders attend Jerusalem funeral of former PM Yitzhak Shamir
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Mofaz threatens to break up Israel’s unity cabinet, as Netanyahu disbands panel on Haredi IDF service
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
State’s witness in Holyland case: I gave Olmert over $1 million in bribes
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
WATCH: Palestinian child kicked by Israeli Border Police in Hebron
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Tel Aviv hospital bars African migrants from visiting patients, citing health concerns
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Yeshiva head calls for intervention in Syria to ‘save Ishmaelites’
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Diabetes patient gets highest-ever compensation in class-action suit against Israeli drug company
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Israeli killed, five injured in pipe explosion near Dead Sea
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Israelis pay final respects to former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Parents of hit-and-run victim demand France extradite suspects
Ha’aretz – 2 Jul 2012
Israel sought to borrow $100 million from IMF to prevent collapse of Palestinian Authority
Ha’aretz – 1 Jul 2012
U.S. Jewish activist Brian Lurie replaces Naomi Chazan as New Israel Fund chief
Ha’aretz – 1 Jul 2012
State Comptroller raps Israel’s political parties for dodgy real estate practices
Ha’aretz – 1 Jul 2012
Be’er Sheva becomes first Israeli city to ban drinking alcohol in public at night
Ha’aretz – 1 Jul 2012
Israel’s High Court postpones date for removal of Ulpana homes
Ha’aretz – 1 Jul 2012
Egypt’s new president, Mohammed Morsi, vows to support Palestinians
Ha’aretz – 30 Jun 2012
Iran’s UN envoy criticizes U.S., EU over nuclear talks
Ha’aretz – 29 Jun 2012
Jordan’s king meets Meshal in latest gesture to Hamas
Ha’aretz – 28 Jun 2012
With Tal law, Netanyahu’s coalition failed its first test
Ha’aretz – 28 Jun 2012
Founder of IDF’s Haredi battalion blasts ‘arrogance’ of state’s enlistment panel
Ha’aretz – 28 Jun 2012
‘Iranians help Hezbollah build tunnels in Lebanon’
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Beirut newspaper ‘Al-Joumhouria’ cites ‘security study’ saying terror group has upgraded underground structures.
Dignitaries bid final farewell to Israel’s 7th PM
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – PM, Peres eulogize former PM Shamir at Mt. Herzl; Netanyahu: Shamir devoted himself to the continuity of the Jewish people.
New mentoring initiative offers ‘Super Nanny’
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Set of initiatives – including a personal mentor – hope to empower and better equip parents with disabilities.
‘TV coverage of violence exacerbates chronic pain’
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Experts find that ‘exposure to media’ predicts increase in pain’s intensity, as well as its sensory component.
Historic opportunity
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – A historic opportunity seems to be slipping from the government’s hands.
Israeli, Vienna politician slam anti-Israel measure
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Green Party deputy in Austrian parliament decries measure as “one-sided,” “directed only against Israel.”
Leaving no one behind in today’s Europe
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Europe’s economies will eventually be restored. But without vigilant action against the fomenters of hatred, Europe’s promise may not.
Going green pays off!
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – The world needs a green transition. That is crucial to our children’s and grandchildren’s welfare.
Ethiopian Jewish community remembers a great leader
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – I wanted to write a short letter in honor of a man who was greatly admired, and will be remembered by, the Ethiopian Jewish community.
Shamir: Israel’s least appreciated prime minister
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – I once asked Shamir: Would have ceded any land? He turned to me with a sudden jerk of his head and said, “Not one inch.”
Shamir and the Stern Gang
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Shamir may have had the bad luck of inheriting the underground Lehi from the murdered charismatic poet Avraham Stern.
The integrity of ‘no’
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Do not negotiate on your core ideology. This is what guided Shamir in his steadfast defense of the rights of the Jewish people.
‘Egypt doesn’t seek war, but cold peace to get brittle’
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Former envoy to Cairo Yitzhak Levanon says Islamist President Mursi will likely want to re-open the peace treaty with Israel, including the military annex that regulates the number of troops Egypt can have in Sinai.
From Zion to Zion: My Utah weekend with Republicans
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Mormonism sees itself as related to Judaism, identifying itself with Old Testament Zionism and founding their new Zion in Utah.
Israelis, Palestinians speculate over nixed meeting
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Both sides rife with speculation over cause for last-minute cancellation of Abbas-Mofaz meeting.
Court frees Filipino family until deportation
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Following petition, court order allows foreign workers, 6-yr-old daughter to remain out of custody until deportation on July 23rd.
‘IAF strikes Hezbollah target in Lebanese territory’
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Lebanese media states strike either targeted spying device or Hezbollah telecommunications line; IDF refuses to confirm attack.
PM: Shamir always remained a soldier serving Israel
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Prime minister, Peres eulogize former PM Shamir at Mt. Herzl; Netanyahu: Shamir understood importance of national unity.
Mofaz threatens to quit gov’t over Keshev C’tee
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Warning follows Netanyahu’s announcement that he is canceling c’tee charged with increasing haredi enlistment in the IDF.
PM: Iran continues to enrich uranium despite talks
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – “Iran is showing contempt for the whole world, and plans to enrich beyond 20%,” Netanyahu tells Knesset c’tee.
1 dead, 9 injured in pipe explosion in South
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Pipe explodes at Mekorot water treatment facility; one person in critical condition, 4 seriously hurt; cause under investigation.
Border Police probing officer filmed kicking child
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Video shows officer apprehending 9 year old in Hebron, another officer kicking him; officials call the incident inexcusable, wrong.
New IDF military college to move to east Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Interior Ministry approves National Defense College plan to build structure on Mount of Olives; Peace Now slams move as “crazy.”
2nd day of ‘Holyland’ ends; more Olmert revelations
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – State witness: I gave Olmert NIS 1.5 m., cigars. Once gave ’emergency’ $10,000 to Olmert through former PM‘s driver.
Ancient shul, Samson mosaic found in Galilee
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – The mosaic contains a Hebrew inscription, tells Samson story, as part of 1,600-year-old synagogue.
1 killed, 10 hurt in blast at drilling site in South
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Pipe explodes at Mekorot drilling site, releasing toxic chemicals; one person in critical condition, four seriously wounded.
Maoz lawyers: Prison Service ‘lost’ threatening note
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Daniel Maoz, accused of murdering parents, claims he received a threatening note while incarcerated in October.
Top 5: Foreign food eateries in Tel Aviv
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Food enthusiasts at Taste TLV give their verdict on the best that the Tel Aviv dining scene has to offer.
Alternatively Speaking: All about bug bites
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Alternative medicine expert Natalie Marx answers your questions: What essential oils or foods keep bugs away?
Rivlin eulogizes Shamir as coffin arrives at Knesset
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Former PM‘s only weakness was his love for Israel and family; Yitzhak Shamir will be laid to rest alongside wife at Mount Herzl after passing away in TA at age 96; Peres, Netanyahu to eulogize the late prime minister at funeral.
State witness: I gave Olmert NIS 1.5 m., cigars
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – “S.D.”, testifying in the Holyland trial, alleges that when meeting with former PM, they gave each other hugs, kisses.
Former PM Yitzhak Shamir to be buried today at Mt. Herzl
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – Shamir will be laid to rest alongside wife after passing away in TA at age 96; coffin to be brought to Knesset where public will be invited to pay respects; Peres, Netanyahu, Rivlin to eulogize former PM at funeral.
Lindenstrauss slams parties over real estate
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – State Comptroller’s Report finds failures in Labor, Likud, Meretz, Hadash, National-Religious handling of assets.
Introducing Israel’s Olympians: Lee Korzits
Jerusalem Post 2 Jul 2012 – So lofty are the expectations that anything but a medal will be one of the biggest disappointments in Israeli Olympic history.
New Israeli Deputy PM Undercuts Strategy of Pressure on Obama
IPS By staking out a policy line on Iran reflecting the views of the Israeli national security leadership, Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz has undercut the Benjamin Netanyahu government’s carefully planned strategy to get U.S. President Barack Obama to threaten war against Iran if it doesn’t give up its nuclear programme….
The Never-Ending Negotiations
Uruknet
The Angry Arab Golden Blender Awards
Uruknet
Iraq attacks kill three: officials
Daily Star 2 Jul 2012 Shootings and bombings in Baghdad and north of the capital killed three people on Monday, including a policeman, security and medical officials said,.
Turkey claims 25 Kurdish rebels killed in Iraq
Daily Star 2 Jul 2012 Turkey’s military on Monday claimed that its air raids inside Iraq last week killed 25 Kurdish rebels in their hideouts.
Palestinians detain dozens in weapons crackdown
Daily Star 2 Jul 2012 Abbas has launched his broadest weapons crackdown in years, for the first time confronting his own loyalists, including rogue security officers and gunmen linked to his Fatah movement.
UN report: NKorea violating sanctions
Daily Star 2 Jul 2012 North Korea continues to violate U.N. sanctions by attempting to ship arms to Syria and Myanmar and illegally importing luxury goods.
ICC staffers held in Libya released
Daily Star 2 Jul 2012 Libya released on Monday four International Criminal Court staffers who had been held for nearly four weeks on allegations that they shared documents that could harm national security with Moammar Gadhafi’s imprisoned son Seif al-Islam Gadhafi.
Iran MPs seek to shut Hormuz for EU-bound tankers
Daily Star 2 Jul 2012 Iranian MPs have signed a draft law aimed at banning Europe-bound oil tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz to punish EU nations that slapped sanctions on the Islamic republic.
UN confirms Saudi dissident, group off al Qaeda list
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – ….
ICC staffers held in Libya released
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – ….
Yitzhak Shamir’s mistake
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – Op-ed: Firm Israeli response to Iraqi missile attacks in first Gulf war would have delayed Mideast arms race ….
Plesner Committee member: Historic opportunity missed
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – Professor Yedidia Stern tells Ynet PM‘s decision to dissolve committee tasked with drafting new IDF draft law ‘politicized an important social issue.’ Mofaz aide: No point in meeting with Bibi ….
Italian chef slain by co-worker in Jamaica kitchen
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – ….
Burglars break into Yitzhak Shamir’s daughter’s house during funeral
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – ….
Barak: Gov’t must find way to regulate equal distribution of burden
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – ….
Video: Border Guard officer kicks Palestinian boy
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – Footage captured by B’Tselem shows two Border Guard officers assaulting boy in Hebron. Child’s father: He didn’t provoke them ….
Mofaz threatens to quit government
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – Kadima leader says Netanyahu’s decision to dissolve committee deliberating universal draft violates unity agreement ….
Yitzhak Shamir laid to rest
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – Leaders, family members attend funeral of Israel’s seventh prime minister at Mount Herzl ….
Will Egypt’s Morsi change?
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – Op-ed: As opposed to West, Arab countries view Muslim Brotherhood’s rise to power as bad omen ….
Reservists: PM, Mofaz sold us out
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – Activists campaigning for equal distribution of the burden say dissolution of Plesner Committee proves coalition ‘never wanted real alternative to Tal Law’ ….
Netanyahu dissolves Plesner Committee
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – Committee tasked with drafting alternative to Tal Law dissolved following bitter disagreements over haredi enlistment. Addressing Mofaz, PM says ‘let’s take over reins together’ ….
Iran plans to fire Shahab, Zelzal missiles during drill
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – Revolutionary Guard launches three-day missile drill called Great Prophet 7. According to Iranian media, Guard plans to fire ‘dozens’ of missiles, including Shahab and Zelzal models ….
Medieval injustice in Jerusalem
YNet News, 2 Jul 2012 – Op-ed: Focus on social protest ‘vandals’ and apathy towards exclusion of women in capital signal victory for the dark side ….
Palestinian Information Center
Mishaal: Resistance, martyrdom our strategic path toward liberation
PIC – Political bureau chairman of Hamas Khaled Mishaal has said that resistance and martyrdom would remain his movement’s strategic option to achieve liberation of Palestine.
Tawtheeq: The IOF launched 58 deadly strikes on Gaza last month
PIC – The central commission for documentation and pursuit of Israeli war criminals-Tawtheeq said the IOF bombed the Gaza Strip in last June more than 58 times during which 19 Palestinians were killed.
Abu Zuhri: Hamas ‘temporarily’ suspends voter registration in Gaza
PIC – Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman, confirmed that Hamas government in the Gaza Strip has “temporarily” halted voter registration until achieving an agreement between the parties involved.
Dozens of soldiers and settlers break into Aqsa mosque
PIC – Dozens of Israeli soldiers and settlers stormed the Aqsa mosque on Monday in three groups and strolled inside its plazas.
Five more detainees in PA jails join the hunger strike
PIC – Five detainees in the PA intelligence prison in Al-Khalil have announced they are going on open hunger strike as of today Monday protesting their detention despite court orders for their release.
IOF soldiers serves summonses to young men in Al-Khalil villages
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed three villages in Al-Khalil on Monday and served summonses to three young men for interrogation at intelligence headquarters in Etzion detention center.
Al-Qassam: We back the national unity but not with an Israeli-allied party
PIC – Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said it backs the Palestinian reconciliation, but it should not be with parties working for the Israeli occupation and the Americans.
Aqsa foundation: Secret excavations are still underway in Al-Maghariba ramp
PIC – The Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage said the IOA is carrying out nowadays secret excavations and demolitions of historical ruins in the area of Al-Maghariba Gate.
students launch hunger strike protesting political detention
PIC – A group of university students affiliated with the Islamic bloc at University of Al-Khalil decided to go on a hunger strike on Monday to demand the release of their colleagues held by the PA security.
Abbas Defends Freedoms, Demands Obeying Law
WAFA – 2 Jul 2012
Hamas Suspends Work of Elections Commission in Gaza
WAFA – 2 Jul 2012
Circus School calls on Cirque du Soleil not to perform in Israel
WAFA – 2 Jul 2012
PEX Report: Al-Quds Index Up
WAFA – 2 Jul 2012
Israeli Airstrike on Gaza Injures Two Palestinians
WAFA – 2 Jul 2012
Newspapers Review: Daily says PA Facing Worse Financial Crisis
WAFA – 2 Jul 2012
Tension rises along Turkey-Syria border
LA Times 2 Jul 2012 – Turkey reports scrambling jets after detecting Syrian helicopters, in the latest example of how the nations’ shared frontier has become a potential tinderbox. BEIRUT — Turkey said Sunday that it had scrambled fighter jets along its increasingly tense border with Syria after Syrian helicopters were…
Iran plans war games as EU oil embargo begins
LA Times 2 Jul 2012 – The exercise, called the Great Prophet 7, involves firing missiles at models of foreign bases. Meanwhile, officials in Tehran downplay the oil embargo’s effect. TEHRAN — As a European Union oil embargo took effect, a defiant Iran said Sunday that it was beginning a new…
Iran Takes Defiant Steps Over New Sanctions
New York Times 2 Jul 2012 – Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz and announced a three-day missile testing exercise in what were seen as a saber-rattling responses to the new sanctions on its oil exports.
Hamas Suspends Voter Registration in Gaza
New York Times 2 Jul 2012 – Hamas said it suspended the elections commission for not treating its supporters in the West Bank fairly, halting one of the only tangible steps toward reconciliation with the rival Fatah Party based in the West Bank.
Dozens of Syrian Soldiers Defect En Masse to Turkey
New York Times 2 Jul 2012 – In one of the largest mass military defections since the Syrian conflict began 16 months ago, the soldiers entered the town of Reyhanli with a group of refugees, Turkish news agencies reported.
Brutalism, Style and Russian Oligarchs
Tikun Olam – Ulyana Sergeenko, fashion model and wife of Russian oligarch (Tommy Ton/TRUNKARCHIVE.COM) I don’t usually write about fashion (and this post is only peripherally about that subject) but I do find photographs often to be compelling political and visual statements. So, today’s post. In order to understand…
Occupation’s Chickens Coming Home to Roost: Israeli Social Justice Protesters Stalked by IDF Surveillance Vehicle
Tikun Olam – IDF Stalker spy vehicle prowling streets of Tel Aviv (Hadar Cohen) Yesterday’s social justice protests in Tel Aviv witnessed a new low for the Big Brother-national security state. Tel Aviv police employed an IDF battlefield command vehicle called suitably, Stalker (or Raccoon) and manufactured by Rafael ,…
Shin Bet Arrests Israeli Druze at Golan Border, Holds Him Incommunicado Under Gag
Tikun Olam – Dr. Eyad Jamil al-Jawhari, arrested by Israel’s secret police at the Syrian border UPDATE : I’ve just spoken to Eyad’s brother Radwan and Eyad’s attorney. Dr. al-Jawhari was arrested at the Kuneitra border crossing on June 28th. On June 29th he was arraigned at Nazareth court for…
Israel strikes its own spy system in Lebanon
Mondoweiss – Israeli spying system discovered by the Lebanese military in 2011. (Photo: AP/Lebanese Army) Amidst weeks of observing lo- hanging drones over Lebanon, today Lebanese state media reported that Israel fired missiles into Southern Lebanon last week, destroying an Israeli spying device after Hezbollah discovered it. The…
Head’s up Mr. President– Romney’s going to Israel
Mondoweiss – Jodi Rudoren scoop in the Times , from Jerusalem. Mitt Romney , the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, will visit Israel this summer to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders, [Ron Dermer] a senior aide to the prime minister confirmed on Monday evening…. This will be…
Funding the occupation is taking a side
Mondoweiss – Opponents of divestment from Caterpillar , Hewlett-Packard , and Motorola by the Presbyterian Church (USA) have couched their position in the language of balance and parity. A Washington Post column hopes “that churches will not embrace one-sided approaches.” A petition by pro-Israel groups similarly accuses the PCUSA of “…
Activists occupy the rooftop of Olympic security provider G4S over rights abuses
Mondoweiss – (Photo: InMinds/Stop G4S campaign) Activists are staging a rooftop occupation at the headquarters of security multinational G4S near Crawley, West Sussex, in protest at what they claim are “illegal and criminal activities” in both the UK and Palestine/Israel. Early this morning, two activists climbed on top…
Saying he had no political agenda in Israel, foodie Lebovitz promises to explore his Arab heritage
Mondoweiss – Twice in recent weeks, we have slammed foodie David Lebovitz for passing along Israeli propaganda as straight reporting about food. ( Here and here .) Others have evidently gone after Lebovitz at his own site, and stung by the criticisms, Lebovitz has responded in an earnest postscript to…
Israel Confronts Strangers In Its Midst
The Forward Leonard Fein 1 Jul 2012 –
Exploiting Jewish Fear on Iran
The Forward Leonard Fein 1 Jul 2012 –
Romney Plans Visit to Israel
The Foward Breaking News 2 Jul 2012 – This summer, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is planning to do exactly what candidate Barack Obama did in 2008: visit Israel. It will be, of course, inspite of what Obama did as president, visiting both Cairo and Ankara, but stopping short of visiting Jerusalem. Click here…
Palestinian Authority Faces ‘Worst’ Fiscal Crisis
The Foward Breaking News 2 Jul 2012 – The Palestinian Authority is facing its “worst financial crisis” yet, according to a PA official, because of a foreign aid shortfall and the rejection of a $100 million loan by the International Monetary Fund. Click here for the rest of the article…
Bibi: Don’t Blame Me for Mofaz-Abbas Snafu
The Foward Breaking News 2 Jul 2012 – Vice Prime Minister and Kadima chairman Shaul Mofaz continues to claim that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is behind the torpedoing of his meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, which was meant to take place on Sunday. Click here for the rest of the article…
Ancient Temple Floor Uncovered in Israel
The Foward Breaking News 2 Jul 2012 – The remains of an ancient synagogue were discovered in northern Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Church Group Considers Israel Divestment
The Forward New 2 Jul 2012 – The boycott Israel movement celebrated when Caterpillar was downgraded. Now, a Presbyterian group is considering divesting from companies deemed to support the Israeli occupation. Click here for the rest of the article…
Yitzhak Shamir, ‘True Zealot’ for Israel
The Forward New 1 Jul 2012 – Of all the prime ministers since Israel’s independence in 1948, Yitzhak Shamir is the only one who was a true zealot, a devotee of his vision for the Jewish people. Click here for the rest of the article…
Namibia: Namibia/Palestine Sign Agriculture Mou
allAfrica.com 2 Jul 2012 – [New Era] Namibia and Palestine signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Friday to co-operate in areas such as the financing of joint agriculture projects, research in agro-technology, food security and more.
Zimbabwe: Social Media’s Role in Local Polls
allAfrica.com 2 Jul 2012 – [Zimbabwe Independent] SYRIA has recently become one of the hottest spots on earth and a centre of world attention for its protracted unrest that has degenerated into civil war. Armed conflict, costing more lives with each passing day, has not subsided since March 2011 and on…
Egypt: Netanyahu Calls On Morsi to Honor Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty
allAfrica.com 2 Jul 2012 – [New Times] ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appealed to Egypt‘s new president Mohamed Morsi to honor the 1978 peace treaty between the two nations, officials told Xinhua Sunday.
Egypt: Syria Rebels to Boycott Cairo Opposition Talks
allAfrica.com 2 Jul 2012 – [Tunis Afrique Presse] Damascus – Syria-based rebel fighters and activists said they would boycott an opposition meeting in Cairo on Monday, denouncing it as a “conspiracy” that served the policy goals of Damascus allies Moscow and Tehran.
Jusoor and IIT Offer Scholarships for Syrian Undergraduates
Arab American Institute 2 Jul 2012 – Jusoor, a global network designed to support the economic development of Syria , has partnered with the Illinois Institute of Technology to offer accelerated admission and scholarship assistance for up to 50 Syrian undergraduates.
Are Palestinians ready to confront the PA?
Joseph Dana 2 Jul 2012 – Half a year since Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas went to the United Nations with a bold bid for statehood recognition, the security situation in the West Bank is deteriorating rapidly. Last month, the governor of the northern West Bank city of Jenin died of a…
Freed ICC staff fly out of Libya
BBC 2 Jul 2012 – Four staff members from the International Criminal Court held in Libya on accusations of spying fly out after four weeks’ detention.
Rights chief plea on Syria arms
BBC 2 Jul 2012 – UN human rights chief Navi Pillay says “further militarisation” of the crisis in Syria by other countries must be avoided “at all costs”.
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B’tselem 2 Jul 2012 – A B’Tselem video volunteer documented an Israeli Border Police officer kicking a Palestinian child while another officer held the boy. The incident took place on the 29th of June 2012 near the Tomb of the Patriarchs, in Hebron’s H2 area. The child, Abd a-Rahman Burqan, who…
Lebanese Army Antics
Al-Akhbar Blogs 2 Jul 2012 – When Israel was building a barrier along the Lebanese-Palestinian border recently – in violation of the armistice agreement of 1949 which Israel violates year after year – the Lebanese Army stood by to protect the Israeli terrorist state from attacks by Lebanese. read more
Lebanon: A Call for Coexistence
Al-Akhbar Opinion 2 Jul 2012 – PM Mikati during the recent round on the National Dialogue, 25 June 2012. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) PM Mikati during the recent round on the National Dialogue, 25 June 2012. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) To rely on the National Dialogue roundtable to resolve the domestic crisis in Lebanon…
Palestinians in Lebanon: No Resting in Peace
Al-Akhbar News 2 Jul 2012 – Temporary solutions such as burying “relatives on top of each other” are no longer feasible. The cemetery can no longer receive any more dead people. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) Temporary solutions such as burying “relatives on top of each other” are no longer feasible. The cemetery can…
Egypt: Keeping Tabs on Mursi’s Promises
Al-Akhbar News 2 Jul 2012 – Egypt‘s first Islamist president Mohamed Mursi attends during his meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at the presidential palace in Cairo 2 July 2012. (Photo: Reuters – Amr Abdallah Dalsh) Egypt‘s first Islamist president Mohamed Mursi attends during his meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet…
Israel hits spying device in south Lebanon
Al-Akhbar News 2 Jul 2012 – An Israeli F-16 I fighter jet takes off during an air show. (Photo: AFP – Jack Guez) Israeli warplanes struck south Lebanon on Monday afternoon in a rare attack on the country since Israel’s war on Lebanon in 2006, the National News Agency confirmed. Israeli jets…
Yitzak Shamir: An Ideology of Violence
Al-Akhbar News 2 Jul 2012 – A man holds a portrait of former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir as his body lies in state at the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) in Jerusalem on 2 July 2012. (Photo: AFP – Gali Tibbon) A man holds a portrait of former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir…
Jordan’s Summer Festivals: Homegrown Alternative Music
Al-Akhbar News 2 Jul 2012 – Alternative music has made a strong comeback in Jordan this year, with the release of debut albums by some local artists and groups. Alternative music has made a strong comeback in Jordan this year, with the release of debut albums by some local artists and groups….
Mosque attacked in Bahrain crackdown
Al-Akhbar News 2 Jul 2012 – A mosque in northern Bahrain was partially destroyed while a number of activists were arrested in the latest crackdown by security forces, a rights group and an opposition political party said on Monday. In three days of clashes beginning on Friday, Bahraini police used shotgun pellets,…
Beirut’s Dahiyeh: The Rise of the Outlaws
Al-Akhbar Politics 1 Jul 2012 – Hezbollah has repeatedly declared at the highest levels that it wants, indeed needs, the security forces to come into the area to combat crime. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) Hezbollah has repeatedly declared at the highest levels that it wants, indeed needs, the security forces to come into…
Articles
Report by British jurists reminds of the horrors of Israeli child detention
Yossi Gurvitz, +972 Magazine 6/29/2012
The report – which specifies at least six violations of the UN convention on children’s rights – spotlights the horrors Israelis have grown accustomed to.
A report by a group of distinguished British jurists, published on Tuesday, reached the conclusion that Israel violates the Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), of which it is a signatory, by its behavior in the Occupied Territories, and that in a few cases it is also in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The report was made at the behest of the British Foreign Ministry, whose officials said they intend to “challenge Israel” over its policy regarding the detention of Palestinian children.
The report itself is measured and careful, and in and of itself, contains little that is new to anyone familiar, for instance, with B’Tselem’s report on the issue. It reports what every Israeli must know and what many Palestinians have experienced: the invasion of a home at night; the dragging of a child out of his bed; handcuffing and blindfolding him, even though he is no threat to the armed-to-the-hilt gunmen who detain him; dragging him away into a far interrogation facility, without the presence of a relative; a hostile interrogation, often including threats of violence and sometimes actual violence; the demand to incriminate others; the prevention of contact with a relative or a lawyer; the long detention, months turning into years, without a trial; and that trial’s foregone conclusion, known well in advance.
All of which is well known. So well known, our hearts have grown callous. How many Israeli adults did not see Palestinian children sitting on the ground, hands cuffed behind their backs, their eyes blindfolded with gun cloth? Those who dwell in darkness grow used to it. And then a group of British jurists comes along, turning a searchlight at them, and show them how far they are from the civilized norm. In a few cold sentences they remove the thin film of “the only democratic country in the Middle East,” leaving you just with a “country in the Middle East.” — See also: Israel subjecting Palestinian children to ‘spiral of injustice’ and Convention on the Rights of the Child more.. e-mail
Israel’s cynical campaign to pit Arab Jews against Palestinian refugees
Richard Irvine, Electronic Intifada 7/1/2012
Belfast
Israel’s new diplomatic campaign to draw attention to the forgotten plight of Jews from Arab countries is an attempt to use historical injustices to justify current injustices. It is also a lost opportunity.
After years of denial and neglect, the Israeli government has rediscovered the issue of the Mizrahi — Jews from Arab countries. Following up on a successful 2008 US Congress resolution, Danny Ayalon, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, has instructed diplomats to request that foreign parliaments recognize the refugee status of Jews forced from Arab countries.
That many Jews were forced out and that the Mizrahi community was almost entirely destroyed is not in doubt. More than 850,000 Jews left or fled the Arab world between 1948 and 1990. Many because of persecution or fear of persecution, others in response to the “call” of Zionism (see Philip Mendes, “The Forgotten Refugees: The causes of the post-1948 Jewish exodus from Arab Countries”). However, that the Arab states bear a legal and moral responsibility to those who left as refugees is indisputable, yet this is scarcely what lies behind Israel’s new diplomatic initiative.
Behind the facade of what Ayalon claims is a quest for the truth, the real intent is simply to nullify the right of return for Palestinians displaced and dispossessed by Israel. By highlighting the plight of Arab Jews while simultaneously placing the blame on the Arab states for the creation of both exiled communities, Israel hopes to escape its own legal and moral responsibilities.
As an Israeli foreign ministry document distributed to journalists states: “A true solution to the issues of refugees will only be possible when the Arab League will take responsibility for its role in creating the Jewish and Palestinian refugee problem” (“Changing tack, foreign ministry to bring ‘Jewish refugees’ to fore,” Times of Israel, 3 April 2012). more.. e-mail
Did the New York Times Lead Anthony Shadid to His Death?
Alison Weir, CounterPunch 6/29/2012
Burying the Story Along with the Body
Anthony Shadid was an astounding journalist.
By 43 he was legendary for his courage and lyrical, powerful reporting. He had received the Pulitzer Prize twice for his moving reports from the middle of the Iraq war and had built, as the Washington Post noted, “one of the most storied careers in modern American journalism.”
He had reported from the chaos of war zones and had survived multiple crises. In Libya he had been kidnapped, beaten, and held for six days. In Palestine he had survived an Israeli bullet fired at him from 25 feet away.
“They were looking to kill me,” Anthony said afterward. The bullet passed through his left shoulder, sheared off part of a vertebra, and exploded out his right shoulder. An inch difference would have left him paralyzed, a little further, dead.
But he survived, continued his evocative reports, and didn’t plan on getting killed. He had a wife and two young children, and used his experience to gauge what he could do and what was too foolishly risky to undertake.
Until his final trip.
His death in Syria on February 16, 2012 sent shock waves through newsrooms around the country. Numerous articles described his bravery, brilliance, and elegiac prose.
The Los Angeles Times called him “one of the most prolific and poetic correspondents to cover the Middle East” and compared him to World War II’s Ernie Pyle. more.. e-mail
Cyberwarfare: US, Israel’s electronic attacks on Iran and Palestinians
Electronic Intifada: 2 Jul 2012 – Asa Winstanley London 2 July 2012 The Electronic Intifada contributor Asa Winstanley examines who is behind escalating cyberwar in the Middle East.more
Zionist Attempt to Whitewash Gaza Realities
In Gaza: 2 Jul 2012 – * Child’s View from Gaza Two weeks ago, while Beit Zatoun hosted “ A Child’s View from Gaza ,” a s eries of drawings made by Palestinian school children in Gaza, I spoke to a small audience about the lives of Palestinians , particularly children, in occupied Palestine, occupied Gaza under siege. Anyone who knows of Gaza under the Israeli-led siege and closures since 2006 (or as Amira Hass argues , a steadily worsening closure since the ’90s) knows that Palestinians in Gaza have been rendered destitute, 80% of whom are food aid-dependent. In brief, the various factors contributing to this manufactured poverty are: –“Israel’s” closing of Palestinian borders to exports (formerly Gaza’s Palestinians exported fruits to European markets, clothes, furniture and edible goods to occupied West Bank, “Israeli” and neighbouring Arab countries’ markets, to name some of the exports now halted) –“Israel’s” closing of Palestinian borders to workers who formerly worked…more
Key Interests Prevent Russia from Abandoning Syria
Palestine Chronicle: 2 Jul 2012 – By Nikolas K. Gvosdev After months of diplomatic exchanges, public shaming at the United Nations, even a direct tête-à-tête between presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, the United States has been unable to change the Russian position on Syria. Understanding why the Russian side is so adamant in its support for the regime of Bashar al-Assad could help in limiting the fallout generated by this ongoing disagreement on the larger trajectory of U.S.-Russian relations. Both Washington and Moscow share an aversion to revolutionary upheavals in the region that threaten well-established interests. The relatively muted U.S. response to some of the steps taken by the Egyptian military to limit the powers and authority both of the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated parliament and of the newly elected civilian president Mohamed Morsi reflects the perspective that key U.S. objectives, including maintaining the security relationship…more
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