25 August 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Swiss Forensic Experts To Examine Arafat’s Remains
IMEMC – Experts working for the Swiss Radiophysics Institute stated Friday that they will be arriving in the West Bank to examine the remains of the late president, Yasser Arafat, after receiving the approval of his widow, Soha Arafat. …
US State Department: Israel‘s investigation of Rachel Corrie’s death not credible
IMEMC – The US State Department has told the family of the late Rachel Corrie that the Israeli government has not been thorough or credible in their investigation of her death. …
Locals: Settlers destroy crops in Ramallah villages
8/25/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Settlers destroyed agricultural crops in two Ramallah villages on Saturday, locals said. Farmer Ramadan Sabri Abu Kamish told Ma’an that settlers from Hallamish uprooted trees and destroyed crops belonging to Jammala and Deir Ammar villages, northwest of Ramallah. The settlers damaged the land using sharp tools, Abu Kamish said….
Committee: Landowners protest against settlements in Yatta
8/25/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Landowners in the Hebron town of Yatta protested on Saturday against increasing threats to their land by Israeli settlements, a local committee said. International activists and co-existence groups also took part in the protest in Yatta, calling for an end to illegal settlement activity, a statement from the local committee against….
Family vows to continue search after Israel returns wrong body
8/25/2012 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — The family of a Palestinian whose body was supposedly returned by Israel in May say they have conclusive proof they were given the wrong corpse, and insist they will continue their quest for the truth. Nasser al-Buz, who co-founded Fatah’s Black Panther groups in Nablus in the late 1980s….
PA considers legal action against Israeli officials, settlers
8/25/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – The Palestinian Authority is considering taking legal action against Israeli leaders and settlers who practice “terrorism” against the Palestinian people, a legal advisor to President Mahmoud Abbas said Friday. Hasan al-Auri told Ma’an that the PA would seek to sue Israeli officials in international courts, and to prosecute settlers….
Increase in Israel permits seen as political move
8/25/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank were granted permits from the Israeli authorities to visit Jerusalem and cities across Israel during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr holiday. As the permits expired Friday, analysts and average Palestinians have been busy trying to decipher the sudden change in Israeli policy. Some….
Rafah crossing opens for humanitarian cases
8/25/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning for special humanitarian cases, the ministry of interior of the Hamas government in Gaza said. The ministry explained in a statement that priority would be given to people who urgently needed to renew their residence…. Related: Egypt reopens Rafah crossing with Gaza, sources say
Guardian US drops columnist who praised Israel violence
8/25/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Guardian parted ways Friday with a far-right American writer whose hiring at the newspaper’s US operation sparked outcry from Palestinian readers. Both parties “mutually agreed to go our separate ways and wish each other the best of luck,” said a statement on the departure of Joshua Trevino over…. Related: What’s gone wrong at The Guardian?
Intelligence official: Iran has duty to support Assad
8/25/2012 – DUBAI (Reuters) — Iran has a responsibility to support the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad as it fights an armed uprising, the head of the intelligence unit of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was quoted as saying Saturday. An Iranian lawmaker said a legislative committee would visit Syria to strengthen bilateral relations….
Haniyeh accepts invite to Non-Aligned summit
8/25/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Hamas-run government in Gaza confirmed on Saturday that Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh will attend the meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Iran next week, after West Bank officials had slammed Tehran for deepening the rift between the two authorities. Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Saturday urged his counterpart….
Union calls for release of Palestinian reporter in Syria
8/25/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Union of Journalists on Saturday called for the release of a Palestinian TV reporter who went missing in Syria earlier this week. Bashar Fahmi Amin al-Qaddoumi, 31, was reporting for Al-Hurra TV in Aleppo when he disappeared on Monday, along with his cameraman Cuneyt Unal. The journalists union said….
Security sources: Freed Egyptian prisoners behind Sinai attack
8/25/2012 – El-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian security officials told Ma’an on Saturday that several of those involved in an attack on a border post with Israel earlier this month are Jihadis who had been recently released from prison by the Egyptian president. The sources also said forensic authorities have determined the identities of….
Egypt reopens Rafah crossing with Gaza, sources say
8/25/2012 – ISMAILIA, EGYPT/GAZA (Reuters) — Egypt reopened the Rafah border crossing with Gaza on Saturday, a lifeline for Gazans which had been closed for much of the month since an Aug. 5 attack on Egyptian guards, Palestinian and Egyptian security sources said. The move signals an advance in relations between Egypt’s new government lead…. Related: Rafah crossing opens for humanitarian cases
3 Hamas prisoners in PA jails ‘launch hunger strike’
8/25/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Three members of Hamas being held in Palestinian Authority jails went on hunger strike this week to demand their release, a statement from the Islamist group said Saturday. Osama Shahine, 28, has been on hunger strike for 3 days to protest his detention, having been arrested by PA security forces on….
Police: Child drowns in Salfit swimming pool
8/25/2012 – SALFIT (Ma’an) — A boy drowned on Friday in a swimming pool east of Salfit, police said. Nabil Muhammad Subhi Shlair, 11, was pulled out of a swimming pool in the village of al-Zawiya but died before arriving at hospital, a police statement said….
Man killed in Nablus bulldozer accident, police say
8/25/2012 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — A man was killed in Nablus on Saturday when a bulldozer collapsed on him, police said. Bassam Khalil Ibrahim Rizq, 48, was working in a stone quarry south of Nablus when the accident happened, a statement said. Police have opened an investigation into the incident….
Even as war rages, Syrian group plans for ‘Day After’
8/25/2012 – WASHINGTON (Reuters) — While war rages in Syria and the international community tries to unify the country’s disparate opposition forces, a small group of Syrians has completed plans for the day after President Bashar Assad falls. Their report, due out next week, is among the first substantive efforts by Syrians themselves to map out….
Syria arrests film-maker who helped victims of govt crackdown
8/25/2012 – AMMAN (Reuters) — Security forces in Syria have arrested a filmmaker and an actor who helped people made homeless or jobless by President Bashar Assad’s forces, their friends said on Friday, part of an apparent crackdown on the country’s secular intelligentsia. Arwa Nairabiya – who founded the “Damascus Dox Box” documentary film festival….
Military: Libya Islamists destroy Sufi shrines, library
8/25/2012 – ZLITAN (Reuters) — Conservative Islamists blew up the tomb of a 15th century Sufi scholar and burned down a library in the Libyan city of Zlitan, a military official said on Saturday, the latest attacks on sites in the region branded idolatrous by some sects. The attackers used bombs and a bulldozer to destroy a complex….
KUNA: Kuwaiti husband and wife kidnapped in Lebanon
8/25/2012 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Kuwait’s ambassador to Lebanon said two nationals of the Gulf Arab state had been kidnapped in the Bekaa region, Kuwait News Agency reported on Saturday.” The efforts to free two abducted Kuwaitis in Lebanon are ongoing and the embassy will do its best to bring them back,” ambassador Abdul-Aal al-Qanaei was….
Turkish minister plays down Syria link to Turkey attacks
8/25/2012 – ANKARA (Reuters) — Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has played down possible Syrian links to a recent rise in guerrilla attacks in Turkey, saying unrest across the border was not the cause of Turkey’s problems. Turkey has seen an upsurge in attacks over the past few weeks, including a car bombing in the southern….
Activists report ‘execution style’ killings near Damascus
8/25/2012 – AMMAN (Reuters) — The bodies of at least 79 people were found in a town close to Damascus on Saturday, according to activists who said many were young men who appeared to have been killed by Syrian troops “execution style”. The deaths would bring the toll from an offensive by President Bashar Assad forces on Daraya….
International Solidarity Movement
Night raids continue in Burin
8/25/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Alma Reventos, 25 August, 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – On Thursday August 23, Mumen Mahmoud Raja, 18, was arrested at his home by Israeli occupation forces at 2:30 a. m. Around 2 a. m. around 60 Israeli forces invaded the Palestinian village of Burin, located south-west of Nablus. They came in six….
Video: Soldiers attack children in Nabi Saleh and forcibly separate them from their detained mother
8/25/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – August 25, 2012, Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, Occupied Territories – Army held six detainees over eight hours, raided houses in the village, injuring several residents and using live ammunition. During the weekly demonstration in the village of Nabi Saleh, yesterday, Friday, dedicated to support the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, some of the villagers of Nabi….
Syrian rebels free Lebanese hostage
The National 25 Aug 2012 – Syrian rebel fighters yesterday released a Lebanese man held hostage in Syria for three months. Tensions continue to rise in Lebanon over the civil war in Syria, with outbreaks of violence and a wave of abductions.
Only a third of school dropouts receive support from Israel’s Education Ministry
Ha’aretz – 25 Aug 2012
Lieberman to Haaretz: Israel must launch concerted campaign to delegitimize Abbas
Ha’aretz – 25 Aug 2012
Israel, U.S. divided over latest IAEA report on Iran
Ha’aretz – 25 Aug 2012
Migron residents ignore state’s offer to help them move
Ha’aretz – 25 Aug 2012
Israeli Environment Minister enacts stricter emission standards for diesel-powered cars
Ha’aretz – 25 Aug 2012
Migron residents: Settler leaders pressuring us to leave the outpost
Ha’aretz – 25 Aug 2012
Israeli woman dies in off-road competition in India
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – Gadera resident killed as “Desert Queen” outdoor adventure ends in disaster; two others injured.
Pedestrian protectors
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – Perhaps it is time for citizens to get involved and provide support to our Traffic Police.
First man on moon Neil Armstrong dead at 82
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – US media reports former astronaut dead; Armstrong underwent a heart-bypass surgery earlier this month.
Defining Israel’s capital
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – A free press is a fundamental element of any democratic society; however, there must be limits to freedom.
Analysis: There is no Gaza blockade
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – Egypt’s decision to reopen its border with Gaza effectively means there is no longer a security blockade on the Strip.
Syria activists report ‘execution style’ killings
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – Dozen of bodies found in Sunni town near capital; activists say Syrian troops shot young men shot at close range.
Syria activists report ‘massacre’ near Damascus
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – Activists say they found bodies of at least 200 people who appear to have been killed execution style.
‘Yes we can’ versus ‘You didn’t build that’
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – Sometimes one phrase can deflate the spirit of an entire nation.
LA hotelier condemns anti-Semitism, ducks protest
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – After jury assesses $1.6 million damage on hotel for tossing out Jewish group, manager agrees to fund 2 pro-Israel causes.
Sources: Egypt reopens Rafah crossing with Gaza
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – Move signals warming of relations between Egyptian government and Hamas; Egyptian military closes off 120 smuggling tunnels.
Abbas threatens to boycott Iran meeting over Hamas invite
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – Iran invites Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh to Non-Aligned Movement meet in Tehran; PA‘s Salam Fayyad says Haniyeh accepting invitation would be a “stab in the side of the Palestinian national project.”
Industrialist Munib Al-Masri talks peace, statehood
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – He says US should be less lopsided in its support for Israel, Netanyahu needs to take courageous steps.
Fayyad: Iranian invitation to Hamas ‘undermines unity’
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad protests Iran inviting Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh to the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran, saying it undermines PLO legitimacy as “sole representatives of Palestinian people.”
Iran: We all have a responsibility to support Syria
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – Ahead of NAM summit, Iran intelligence chief Hossein Taeb says “line of resistance must not be broken.”
Iran stirring tensions in Saudi Arabia
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – Saudi outreach to Ahmadinejad attempts to curtail destabilization of Eastern Province, where an estimated 2 million Shiites live.
Romney open to US troops securing Syrian WMDs
Jerusalem Post 25 Aug 2012 – Republican candidate says US must be ready “to take whatever action necessary” to prevent Hezbollah, Hamas gaining WMDs.
Jewish Democrats slam GOP for Ron Paul tribute
Jerusalem Post 24 Aug 2012 – NJDC calls on Romney to cancel Paul tribute at Republican convention due to his “disparaging of the Israel–US relationship.”
‘Iran covering building IAEA wants to inspect’
Jerusalem Post 24 Aug 2012 – Think-tank publishes satellite imagery showing “pink colored material” covering building at sensitive Iranian site.
Waging a moral war
Jerusalem Post 24 Aug 2012 – ‘When you draw near to a city to wage war against it, you shall call out to it for peace’ (Deut. 20:10).
Palestinian man in handcuffs Tasered by Israeli police in water park – video
The Guardian 25 Aug 2012 – A Palestinian man from East Jerusalem is repeatedly Tasered by Israeli security forces, including once after he has been put in handcuffs, while visiting the Maymadion water park in Tel Aviv
PHOTOS: Israeli forces crack down on weekly protest in Nabi Saleh
Uruknet
Guardian dumps Joshua Treviño
Uruknet
Julian Assange arrest plan revealed accidentally
Uruknet
West Bank oil and gas discovery looks set to prolong already intractable conflict
Uruknet
Libya : Massive damage to major sufi shrine follows fatal Zliten clashes
Uruknet
Syria: Neither Riyadh nor Tehran but Popular Revolution
Uruknet
US Drones Pound North Waziristan, Killing 18
Uruknet
Troubling Israeli Religious Fundamentalism
Uruknet
Military Resistance 10H12: Do Not Rely on Close Air Support
Uruknet
Tenuous calm in north Lebanon as Army conducts patrols
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 Tripoli is calm except for occasional sniper fire, following four days of fierce fighting during which 16 people were killed and 120 were injured.
Turkish minister plays down Syria link to Turkey attacks
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has played down possible Syrian links to a recent rise in guerrilla attacks in Turkey, saying unrest across the border was not the cause of Turkey’s problems.
Drone strike may have killed Haqqani network leader
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 A CIA drone strike in Pakistan may have killed the operational commander of the Haqqani network, the insurgent group behind some of the most high-profile attacks on Western and Afghan government targets in Afghanistan.
Syria army launches fresh assaults in main cities
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 Syrian army forces launch arrest raids and clash with rebels in the southwestern belt of Damascus in what activists say is a renewed bid to crush the insurgency in the capital “once and for all”.
Yemen minister escapes assassination bid
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 Yemeni Transport Minister Waed Bathib escaped an attempt on his life when his convoy came under gunfire in the southern port city of Aden, an aide told AFP.
Iran draws India closer with talks on Afghanistan
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 India, Iran and Afghanistan will hold talks on giving greater access to landlocked Afghanistan, a move that could also ease Iran’s isolation in the region, Indian officials say.
Libya Islamists destroy Sufi shrines, library: military
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 Ultra-conservative Islamists used bombs and a bulldozer to destroy the tomb of a 15th century Sufi scholar in the Libyan city of Zlitan, witnesses say, latest attack in the region on sites branded idolatrous by some…
Hamas team headed to Egypt for security talks
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 A Hamas delegation was to head to Cairo for security talks amid Egyptian anger at a deadly raid on an army post near the Gaza border earlier this month, officials from the Islamist group say.
Egypt blocks 120 tunnels in the Sinai: security sources
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 Egyptian military engineers have blocked 120 tunnels used for smuggling to and from the Gaza Strip since the start of operations in the neighboring Sinai Pensinsula, security officials say.
Flurry of hostage releases in Lebanon and Syria
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 There are signs of a breakthrough in the case of the Syrian hostages in Lebanon after the Meqdad family clan says that it will release all but four of its captives.
Kuwaiti couple kidnapped in east Lebanon
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 A Kuwaiti couple is kidnapped in the Bekaa, east Lebanon.
Dangerous inmate tries to escape Lebanon prison
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 A dangerous Yemeni inmate, who belongs to the radical Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam group, tries to escape Lebanon’s largest prison.
Dead man, wounded companion found in car trunk south of Beirut
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 Two Lebanese men, one dead and the other wounded, are found in the trunk of a car in Khalde, south of Beirut.
Iran has duty to support Assad: intelligence official
Daily Star 25 Aug 2012 Iran has a responsibility to support the government of Bashar Assad as it fights an armed uprising, the head of the intelligence unit of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was quoted as saying.
Unemployed man sets himself on fire in Egypt
YNet News, 25 Aug 2012 – ….
Egypt official: Israel understands our right to secure Sinai
YNet News, 25 Aug 2012 – ….
Syria activists report ‘execution style’ killings near Damascus
YNet News, 25 Aug 2012 – ….
South African hypocrisy
YNet News, 25 Aug 2012 – Op-ed: Pretoria criticizes Israeli ‘oppression’ of Palestinians in West Bank, but justifies massacre of 34 miners ….
Palestinian Information Center
Nunu affirms Haneyya’s participation in NAM summit
PIC – Palestinian premier in Gaza Ismail Haneyya is to participate in the Non-Aligned Movement’s summit conference scheduled to open in Tehran by the end of the month, Taher Al-Nunu said Saturday.
IOA approves new settlement project in occupied Jerusalem
PIC – Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) approved a project to build a new settlement neighborhood in Jabal Abu Ghneim (Har Homa) settlement, including the construction of 68 housing units.
Patient captive Hani Abu Sabaa maltreated in Israeli jails
PIC – Hani Abu Sabaa, 40, has been subjected to maltreatment while in the Israeli Megiddo prison, the Ahrar center for the studies of prisoners and human rights said.
Jewish settlers ruin olive trees south of Al-Khalil
PIC – A gang of Jewish settlers from Havat Maon settlement at dawn Saturday destroyed about 40 olive trees in Al-Hamra area of Tuwani village south of Al-Khalil city.
Al-Quds int’l calls for Arab and Islamic political moves to protect Aqsa
PIC – Al-Quds international institution called on the Arab League and the organization of Islamic cooperation to take a united position curbing Israel‘s intents to divide and Judaize the Aqsa Mosque.
Israeli power provider to cut electricity to PA areas if debts not paid soon
PIC – The Hebrew radio said the Israeli electricity company threatened the PA to cut off electric power to its areas in the West Bank and Jerusalem if it did not pay its debts in September.
Palestinian citizen arbitrarily tasered by Tel Aviv policeman
PIC – Haaretz newspaper said an Israeli policeman physically assaulted a Palestinian citizen in Tel Aviv during Eid Al-Fitr holiday and kept using a stun gun against him without any guilt.
IOF arrests Palestinian from Gaza and two others from al-Khalil
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested an unarmed Palestinian from the Gaza Strip after he had infiltrated inside the territories occupied in 1948.
IOF soldiers open fire at southern Gaza town
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened machinegun fire at eastern Khuza’a town at dawn Saturday, local sources told the PIC reporter.
Russia Reiterates Support for Abbas as Palestinian Leader
WAFA – 25 Aug 2012
Settlers Cut Off 30 Olive Trees south of Hebron
WAFA – 25 Aug 2012
Britain Expresses Deep Concern over Settlements Construction
WAFA – 25 Aug 2012
PEX Report: Al-Quds Index Up
WAFA – 22 Aug 2012
Israel’s slowing economy may pose trouble for Netanyahu
LA Times 25 Aug 2012 – The long-resilient economy has hit a rough patch, so the prime minister has pushed through a set of austerity measures, drawing criticism. And more fiscal challenges may be in the offing. JERUSALEM — Israel‘s once-envied economy, which dodged the recent credit crunch and grew even…
Hamas Says Egypt Will Reopen Crossing Into Gaza
New York Times 25 Aug 2012 – Hamas officials said they expected the Rafah crossing to fully open on Sunday for the first time since the Aug. 5 border attack that killed 16 Egyptian soldiers.
Dozens of Bodies Are Found in Town Outside Damascus
New York Times 25 Aug 2012 – Daraya has been the focus of what activists described as a scorched-earth campaign by Syrian troops to wipe out rebels.
Wave of Syrian Refugees Strains Region
New York Times 25 Aug 2012 – Many refugees are housed in schools, which will soon open, and camps that are not prepared for winter.
An Exodus Rattles the Neighbors
New York Times 25 Aug 2012 – Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq are struggling to cope with a surge of refugees from the fighting in Syria, and the emergency relief efforts undertaken so far appear to be inadequate and have underestimated the needs of the fleeing Syrians.
U.S. Says Peaceful Solution to Iran Nuclear Bid Still Viable
New York Times 25 Aug 2012 – The United States insisted Friday that diplomatic solutions remained in the Iranian nuclear crisis, despite new evidence that Iran is bolstering its ability to produce a type of uranium used for bomb fuel.
Syrian Forces Strike Again in Suburbs of Damascus
New York Times 25 Aug 2012 – Syrian troops continued to pound the suburbs of Damascus on Friday, as fighting raged in Aleppo and rebels in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour reported seizing a contested armory.
Trevino Fired by Guardian
Tikun Olam – The Guardian today fired Josh Trevino , a development that alas, was long overdue. But the reason it offered for doing so will make many scratch their heads. Essentially, the editor says she (are you ready?) discovered he was a paid lobbyist for a foreign government. Hello. …
Israeli Settler: ‘If I see her coming, no matter what age she is 3, 4, 7, I’ll f*ck her over’. Israeli Soldier: ‘No problem’
Mondoweiss – Listen to the settler discuss these Palestinian girls with the Israeli soldier. 0:04 – Soldier: “But you’re getting in our way, don’t you understand? You’re getting in our way.” 0:07 – Settler: “I’ll stand on the side. I’ll stand on this side, but If I see…
Exile and the Prophetic: When the (Jewish) student is ready
Mondoweiss – Normal 0 false false false EN–US X-NONE X-NONE This post is part of Marc H. Ellis’s “Exile and the Prophetic” feature for Mondoweiss. To read the entire series visit the archive page. Returned home today. Long flight. Many thoughts. On Romney’s blood money, Romero’s life. Our…
‘Forward’ editor Eisner challenges US Jews to acknowledge ‘extraordinary wealth, status and political power’
Mondoweiss – Five months ago at the J Street conference in Washington, Jane Eisner, the editor of the Jewish newspaper The Forward, gave an important speech about Jewish power (video above). I’ve been meaning to type up her comments ever since; and now’s the time. Eisner spoke as…
Lieberman: Israel Should Undermine Abbas
The Foward Breaking News 25 Aug 2012 – Israel should present Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas with an ultimatum, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said this weekend: If he doesn’t resume negotiations and abandon his unilateral campaign for UN recognition as a state, Israel will cease to see him as a legitimate negotiating partner. Click…
Illegal Migron Settlers Facing Eviction
The Foward Breaking News 25 Aug 2012 – Israel’s security forces are preparing to forcibly evict the 30 Migron families living on land that is undisputedly privately owned by Palestinians. The settlers were said to have met during the night to decide whether or not to cooperate and leave the settlement on Sunday or…
Australians Reopen Probe Into ’82 Bombings
The Foward Breaking News 25 Aug 2012 – Australian counter-terror agents have reopened an investigation into the bombings of the Israeli Consulate and a Jewish social club in Sydney 30 years ago. Click here for the rest of the article…
Rachel Corrie Remembered at Demonstration in Beit Ommar
Palestine Solidarity Project 25 Aug 2012 – Weekly demonstrations in Beit Ommar resumed on Saturday, August 25, 2012, after a month long break for Ramadan. The main focus of the demonstration was the upcoming verdict of the lawsuit filed by the family of the American activist Rachel Corrie against the state of Israel….
Further House Demolitions Ordered in Beit Ommar
Palestine Solidarity Project 25 Aug 2012 – Younes holding the demolition order for his Beit Ommar home. Further House demolitions are set to take place after Israeli occupation authorities issued demolition orders for two homes in Beit Ommar, Hebron on Wednesday. The Israeli Civil Administration officials, accompanied by soldiers, issued the orders to…
Syria reporter’s body flown home
BBC 25 Aug 2012 – The body of Japanese reporter Mika Yamamoto, killed in the Syrian city of Aleppo, is repatriated, as three other journalists remain missing.
Muslim shrines attacked in Libya
BBC 25 Aug 2012 – Ultraconservative Islamists are blamed for the latest attacks in Libya against pilgrimage sites used by followers of Sufi Islam.
The Lebanese Waiting Game
Al-Akhbar Opinion 25 Aug 2012 – It would be naive to think that what is happening in Lebanon today is simply the inevitable ripple effect of the crisis in Syria. (Photo: Adel Karoum) It would be naive to think that what is happening in Lebanon today is simply the inevitable ripple effect…
Lebanon: A Failed Version of Justice
Al-Akhbar News 25 Aug 2012 – A Lebanese man carrying a weapon crosses Syria street in the neighbourhood of Bab al Tabanneh in Tripoli, on 25 August 2012 following a night of clashes between Bab Al Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen. (Photo: AFP – Sam Tarling) A Lebanese man carrying a weapon crosses…
Sidqi Al-Makt: Free at Last
Al-Akhbar News 25 Aug 2012 – Makt was not allowed family visits, as both an individual punishment for him specifically and as part of a policy of collective punishment for a large number of his comrades in prison. Makt was not allowed family visits, as both an individual punishment for him specifically…
Egypt Anti-Brotherhood demonstration ends
Al-Akhbar News 25 Aug 2012 – Egyptian protesters ended Saturday a two-day demonstration demanding the ouster and dissolution of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood. Mohammad Abou Hamed, former MP of the elected parliament dissolved by the now-deposed supreme military council, had called for the rally on August 24th to denounce “the Muslim brothers’…
Libya Islamists destroy Sufi artifacts
Al-Akhbar News 25 Aug 2012 – Conservative Islamists blew up the tomb of a 15th century Sufi scholar and burned down a library in the Libyan city of Zlitan, a military official said Saturday, the latest attacks on sites in the region branded idolatrous by some sects. The attackers used bombs and…
Abducted Lebanese released by FSA
Al-Akhbar News 25 Aug 2012 – Lebanese Ali Omar hugs his mother at their house in southern Beirut after they were informed that his brother Hussein Omar, one of 11 Lebanese Shiite pilgrims taken hostage by Syrian rebels in May, had been released on 25 August 2012. (Photo: AFP – Stringer) Lebanese…
Kuwaiti kidnapped in Lebanon’s Bekaa
Al-Akhbar News 25 Aug 2012 – Lebanese security men check the car used by a Kuwaiti man living in Lebanon when he was seized in the town of Howsh al-Ghanam in the Bekaa valley, on 25 August 2012. (Photo: AFP – Stringer) Lebanese security men check the car used by a Kuwaiti…
Tripoli Trouble: Winners and Losers
Al-Akhbar Politics 24 Aug 2012 – A Lebanese gunman takes cover from a fire in the Bab al-Tabbaneh district of the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on 24 August 2012, as clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian factions continue. (Photo: AFP – Anwar Amro) A Lebanese gunman takes cover from a fire…
Articles
Israeli lies unchecked, Palestinian perspectives censored on BBC
Amena Saleem, Glasgow, Electronic Intifada 8/24/2012
One of the most obvious examples of bias by the BBC is the taxpayer-funded broadcaster’s habit of inviting Israeli politicians or the Israeli government spokesperson, Mark Regev, onto its programs to speak without challenge. Meanwhile, Palestinians and those who would convey a Palestinian perspective are not given the same opportunity.
Film director Ken Loach recently learned that for the BBC, Palestine remains a taboo.
On 23 July, Loach was at the Royal Albert Hall in London to listen to a performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, performed by the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. The orchestra consists of Israeli, Palestinian and other Arab musicians, and is conducted by Daniel Barenboim, who formed the orchestra in 1999 with the late Palestinian academic and activist Edward Said.
So when Loach was asked during the intermission for an interview by BBC Proms, which was recording the concert for later broadcast, he considered it reasonable to air his thoughts on the nature of the orchestra as well as the music.
Loach said that he spoke to the BBC journalist for five minutes, during which time he said: “Seeing Israelis and Arabs, including Palestinians, sitting side by side on the stage makes us confront the issue of the continuing oppression of the Palestinian people, and I shall be thinking of them when I hear the music tonight.”
These were typically compassionate words from a director whose films, including Land and Freedom about the revolutionaries who fought in the Spanish Civil War, often reflect his keen sense of justice. more.. e-mail
Palestine’s big sister South Africa: precedents and pitfalls
Thayer Hastings, Alternative Information Center 8/23/2012
On 10 August South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation announced it would cancel visits to Israel by mayors and other members of municipalities in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province. As usual, SA is setting precedents when it comes to foreign relations with Israel, but Palestinian and Israeli visionaries should be wary of how they utilize the SA model when strategizing for decolonization.
In 1994 South Africa became Palestine’s older sister/brother. However, economic inequality and a capacity for violence stand out as contradictions of the Rainbow Nation.
SA cancels officials’ visits to Israel
The decision is perceived as a win for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Campaign and as a setback for the pro-Israel lobby in South Africa, the SA–Israel Forum, which had advocated for and organized the trips. The SA–Israel Forum had sought to promote agricultural and technological cooperation between the South African community and the Israeli state.
Pro-Israeli South Africans demonstrated against the decision, suggesting prejudiced intentions behind the cancelation by singling out Israel over countries with questionable human rights records such as Myanmar or Syria.
Following the cancellation, Deputy of International Relations Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim said to the Mail and Guardian weekly newspaper: “Israel is an occupier country that is oppressing Palestine, so it is not proper for South Africans to associate with Israel. We discourage people from going there, except if it has to do with the peace process.” more.. e-mail
Israeli Warmongering
Nicola Nasser, CounterPunch 8/22/2012
The Missing Option to Defuse Iran “Threat”
To keep “all options on the table” in the U.S. – Israel plans to change the incumbent Syrian and Iranian regimes and neutralize what both countries perceive as an imminent “threat” is a formula missing the only feasible option to defuse their perceived threat peacefully, which is obviously much cheaper in money and human souls.
On August 19, Israeli former head of the Operations Directorate of the Israeli military, Maj. Gen. (res.) Uri Saguy, wrote in Haaretz that late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak “Rabin strove to achieve agreements with our neighbors before the Iranians got a bomb. If we had peace accords today with the Arab countries and with the Palestinians, what exactly would the Iranians’ conflict with us be about?”
Giving priority to making peace with Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian people on the land – for – peace basis, which is the essence of the Arab Peace Initiative proposed by the 22 – member states of the Arab League in 2002, would disarm Iran of its Arab, Palestinian credentials and create a new regional environment that would in turn render any Arab alliance with Iran unnecessary and would uncover Iranian regional expansion as an endeavor sought per se by Tehran.
Instead, Israel is running away from peace making to warmongering, risking embroilment of the United States in a war on Iran that Washington does not want, at least for now.
Four-star chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey said on August 19 that he has been conferring with his Israeli counterpart Benny Gantz on a regular “bi-weekly” basis and “we’ve admitted to each other that our clocks are turning at different rates.”… more.. e-mail
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The New Dark Age 