1 November 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Soldiers Kidnap Eleven In West Bank, Desecrate Mosque
IMEMC – Updated: Thu 1 Nov. 13:22 Israeli soldiers invaded, on Thursday at dawn, the West Bank Districts of Hebron, Bethlehem and Tulkarem, and Ramallah, broke into and searched several homes, searched them, and kidnapped eleven residents. The army also desecrated a mosque in Ithna, near Hebron. …
Committee: Israel demolishes home near Jerusalem
11/1/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities demolished a house in the West Bank village of Anata for the sixth time early on Thursday, an Israeli group said. The house, northeast of Jerusalem, was last torn down on Jan. 23, and rebuilt by volunteers in the summer, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions said. It belongs….
Settlers assault farmers east of Qalqiliya
11/1/2012 – QALQILIYA (Ma’an) — A group of settlers from Kedumim settlement assaulted farmers in Jeit village east of Qalqiliya, locals said Thursday. Farmers were harvesting olives, and suddenly a group of settlers attacked them, they said. Israeli soldiers also assaulted farmers when they arrived. The farmers are Fakhri Yameen, 65, Alaa Yameen, Mohammad Yameen, Thaer….
Report: Settlers riot after outpost evacuation
11/1/2012 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Settlers hurled stones at Israeli forces after they razed three structures at the Kipa Sruga outpost near the illegal settlement of Yitzhar, Israeli media reported. Israel’s Ynet news said a settler was arrested on suspicion of violating a restraining order. [END]
Group: Israel extends solitary for Gaza engineer
11/1/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — An Israeli court extended on Thursday the solitary confinement of Dirar Abu Sisi, 42, the Palestinian prisoners society reported. Abu Sisi is jailed at Ashkelon prison and suffers from anemia and needs treatment. The detainee also has weak vision in his left eye, and problems in his right ear. Israeli prison….
Addameer: Israel renews detention of researcher
11/1/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli court extended the detention of human rights advocate Ayman Nasser for a further eight days on Thursday, Addameer said. Nasser, 42, was detained on Oct. 15 from his home in the village of Saffa, west of Ramallah. He has been working as a researcher for prisoners rights group Addameer….
Israeli paper releases details of Abu Jihad’s killing in Tunis
11/1/2012 – TEL AVIV (Ma’an) — An Israeli newspaper on Thursday published an interview with the commando who killed the PLO’s second-in-command more than 20 years ago. Israel never officially acknowledged its role in the April 1988 killing of Khalil al-Wazir, known as Abu Jihad. Most Palestinians had little doubt it was an Israeli….
Israeli forces ‘detain 2 women at West Bank checkpoints’
11/1/2012 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Thursday detained two Palestinian women in separate incidents at West Bank checkpoints, relatives said. Shirin Halahleh, the 29-year-old wife of former long-term hunger striker Thaer, was arrested at the “container” checkpoint between Bethlehem and Ramallah, Thaer said. Shirin was held for four hours at the Israeli terminal….
Amnesty: Israel must release Bassem Tamimi
11/1/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities must end the harassment, intimidation and arbitrary detention of Palestinian activist Bassem Tamimi, Amnesty International said Thursday. Tamimi was detained on Oct. 24 during a protest at an Israeli supermarket in a Jewish settlement near Ramallah. The non-violence leader from Nabi Saleh — a West Bank village which holds weekly….
Israeli army: Palestinian tried to stab soldier
11/1/2012 – QALQILIYA (Ma’an) — The detainee of a relative being arrested during a raid in the occupied West Bank tried to stab an Israeli soldier on Thursday, the Israeli army said. The soldier was unhurt, Israel’s settler news agency Arutz Sheva reported. An army spokesman said the Palestinian was transferred to police. Six….
Official: Travelers must register to exit Gaza
11/1/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Travelers hoping to exit the Gaza Strip must register in advance, a border official said Wednesday. Crossings director Maher Abu Sabha told Ma’an that the registration process was temporarily cancelled during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, but the policy is back in force now. Abu Sabha described….
PA applauds NGO call for settlement boycott
11/1/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority minister of national economy welcomed on Wednesday a report by 22 non-governmental organizations calling to boycott settlements. Jawad al-Naji said he hoped the report by religious groups and charities would have an impact on imports to Europe. The NGO report, issued Tuesday, called on the European Union to….
Israel’s Netanyahu, France’s Hollande eulogize slain Jews
11/1/2012 – TOULOUSE, France (Reuters) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined with French President Francois Hollande on Thursday in remembering victims of an al-Qaida-inspired gunman, with both pledging to fight anti-Semitism in France and around the globe. The ceremony for the seven people shot dead in March in the south of France, including three Jewish children and….
Abbas tells Israeli TV: No intifada on my watch
11/1/2012 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — President Mahmoud Abbas assured Israelis that he will not allow a new uprising against the occupation, in an interview with Israel’s Channel 2 TV on Thursday. Some Israeli government officials have voiced skepticism about Abbas‘s ability to deliver a peace accord, after he lost control of Gaza to Hamas….
Elections challenges filed in Bethlehem court
11/1/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A lawyer representing factions challenging the outcome of Bethlehem’s local elections say they filed a complaint in court on Wednesday. Attorney Majed Odeh told Ma’an that the group of five Palestinian factions are calling for a recount of votes from last month’s local elections in….
Fatah official casts doubt on existence of Hamas unity proposal
11/1/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad said Thursday that Egyptian officials told him they have not received a proposal from Hamas on reconciliation between their parties. Hamas leader Salah Bardawil told Ma’an on Wednesday that the party had outlined steps towards reconciliation in a paper handed to Egypt, and he hoped….
Haniyeh lauds Christian MP at Gaza funeral
11/1/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Political leaders joined Christian mourners at the funeral of a prominent Christian lawmaker in the Gaza Strip on Thursday. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh praised Husaam al-Tawil’s service to Palestine at the church ceremony in Gaza City. Al-Tawil died in Egypt on Wednesday after a long battle with….
Netanyahu rival blasts his ‘obsession’ with Iran
11/1/2012 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Kicking off his election campaign, Israeli opposition leader Shaul Mofaz on Thursday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being driven by an obsession to bomb Iran. Mofaz, head of the centrist Kadima party that quit Netanyahu’s coalition weeks ago citing differences over how to rein in Iran‘s nuclear program….
Medics: 1 dead in fall from Israel construction site
11/1/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian laborer, 45, died Thursday after he fell from a tall building under construction north of Tel Aviv, medical officials said. [END]
Fatah official seriously injured in Lebanon
11/1/2012 – LEBANON (Ma’an) — A Fatah official in Lebanon was seriously wounded on Thursday after he was shot several times in a Palestinian refugee camp, Lebanese press reported. Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star said a gunman wearing a balaclava shot Imad al-Saadi with an automatic rifle in Ein al-Hilweh camp. Al-Saadi was taken to hospital….
Woman missing in Sinai
11/1/2012 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Dozens of Egyptians on Thursday protested the disappearance of a 30-year-old woman in Sinai’s el-Arish. The 30-year-old woman from a prominent family went missing Wednesday evening after taking a taxi to visit a relative, a Ma’an correspondent said. Her family believes she was kidnapped….
22 killed in Riyadh fuel truck blast
11/1/2012 – RIYADH (Reuters) — At least 22 people were killed when a fuel truck crashed into a flyover in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Thursday, triggering an explosion that brought down an industrial building and torched nearby vehicles, officials and state media said. Health ministry spokesman Saad al-Qahtani said 135 people were injured in the disaster. He….
China proposes new initiatives for Syria ceasefire
11/1/2012 – BEIJING (Reuters) — China said Thursday it had proposed a new initiative to head off an escalation of violence in Syria, including a phased, region-by-region ceasefire and the establishment of a transitional governing body. The plan, proposed on Wednesday to Lakhdar Brahimi, the visiting United Nations-Arab League joint peace envoy on Syria, “is an extension of….
Syrian rebels kill 28 soldiers in checkpoint attacks
11/1/2012 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Rebels killed 28 Syrian army soldiers on Thursday in an attack on three checkpoints around the town of Saraqeb, which straddles the country’s main north-south highway, an opposition-linked group said. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that opposition activists in Saraqeb, in the northern province of Idlib bordering Turkey….
Greek journalist tried over Swiss bank list
11/1/2012 – ATHENS (Reuters) — Greek lawyers launched their defense of a prominent journalist on Thursday charged with breaking private data rules after he published the names of more than 2,000 wealthy Greeks believed to be holding Swiss bank accounts. The printing of the “Lagarde List” by magazine editor Costas Vaxavanis has touched a nerve in almost-bankrupt Greece….
Kuwaiti ex-MP held over emir remarks to be freed on bail
11/1/2012 – KUWAIT (Reuters) — Kuwaiti authorities have decided to free a prominent opposition politician on bail after charging him with insulting the ruling emir, his lawyer said on Thursday. Although OPEC member Kuwait has avoided the kind of mass pro-democracy unrest seen in other Arab countries, tensions have mounted between the elected parliament and the government, dominated….
Syrian rebels fight unwanted battle with Kurds
11/1/2012 – KASTAL, Syria (Reuters) — After a week of clashes between anti-government rebels and Kurdish militants in Syria’s Aleppo province, the two sides are observing a tenuous truce. It is a war within a war which neither side wants.” We want to fight the regime and instead we are fighting a new front that we….
Tunisia says foiled plot to kidnap local Jews
11/1/2012 – TUNIS (Reuters) — Tunisian security forces arrested four people for allegedly plotting to kidnap local Jews and hold them for ransom, an Interior Ministry official said Thursday. There are less than 2,000 Jews in Tunisia, mostly living in Zarzis and the nearby island of Djerba in the south of the country.” The security forces aborted a….
Turkey using anti-terrorism law to quash debate
11/1/2012 – GENEVA (Reuters) — Turkey is using a vague counterterrorism law to prosecute many activists, lawyers and journalists, often holding them for long pre-trial periods without access to a lawyer, United Nations human rights experts said on Thursday. The UN Human Rights Committee said after reviewing Turkey’s record for the first time that the right….
Doctors: Risk of death close for Turkish hunger strike
11/1/2012 – ISTANBUL (Reuters) — Jailed Kurdish militants on hunger strike in Turkey may start to die within the next 10 days, Turkey’s main medical association warned on Thursday, saying the prime minister’s dismissal of the protest as a “show” risked hardening their resolve. The hunger strike entered its 51st day on Thursday, with….
Pakistani couple kill daughter who talked to a boy
11/1/2012 – ISLAMABAD (Reuters) — A Pakistani couple killed their teenage daughter by pouring acid on her face and body after they caught her talking to a boy, police and a doctor said on Thursday. The parents of the 16-year-old confessed to police in Kotli, a town in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, that they attacked their daughter after she….
Israel ‘admits killing Arafat deputy’
AlJazeera 1 Nov 2012 – Testimony published in Israeli daily claims the 1988 killing of Abu Jihad in Tunis was planned by the Mossad spy agency.
Israeli Court Extends the Solitary Confinement of Prisoner Abu Sisi
Palestine News Network
Israeli Occupation Raid Beit Ummar, Break into a Prisoner House
Palestine News Network
Israeli Warships Open Fire at Palestinian Fishing Boats in Gaza
Palestine News Network
Britain Must Atone for its Sins in Palestine
Palestine News Network
Communicating Properly
Palestine News Network
PFLP: Hamas is Currently Unconcerned about Reconciliation
Palestine News Network
The National Beverage Company Coca – Cola/Cappy Palestine
Palestine News Network
Israel ‘to Blame for Palestinian Jobless’
Palestine News Network
Campaigners Raise New Questions About Batsheva Funding
Palestine News Network
MADA Condemns Continued Prosecution of Journalists, Writers on the Back of their Opinions and Writings
Palestine News Network
Conference on a Music Video Project to Tackle the Issue of Honour Crimes
Palestine News Network
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Relief Web 1 Nov 2012 – Source: International Crisis Group Country: World , Georgia , Guinea-Bissau , Lebanon , Myanmar , Philippines (the) , Republic of Korea (the) Renewed violence broke out in Myanmar’s Rakhine State on 21 October involving Muslim and Buddhist communities. Official figures report the death toll from the…
Bloomberg comes out for Obama
The National 1 Nov 2012 – New York mayor splits with former party to back the president.
New York power will not be restored for another 10 days
The National 1 Nov 2012 – More than 4.6 million homes and businesses are without power. as thousands remain stranded in fetid floodwaters and toll from superstorm Sandy rises.
People flock to Abu Dhabi Beats on the Beach and F1 FanZone
The National 1 Nov 2012 – It was a scene uniquely UAE: teenagers alongside women in niqabs and workers enjoying a night off, all there for the breeze, the music and the racing cars.
Energy ‘windfall’ claim may be campaign rhetoric, but Fairfield booms
The National 1 Nov 2012 – As analysts dispute claims by both President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney that a production boom will enable the US to achieve ‘energy independence’, a town of 5,000 is raking in the money.
6,000 fans treated to a glimpse of life in the F1 pit lane
The National 1 Nov 2012 – More than 6,000 get a first look at the track for the pit lane walk ahead of today’s practice.
Aleppo field hospital reveals grim reality of war in once-vibrant city
The National 1 Nov 2012 – The 140-kilometre journey from the Turkish border to the battleground of Aleppo may be perilous but no place reveals more about what has befallen this city than the Dar Al Shifa field hospital. Youssef Hamza reports from the hospital
739,000 travel for free in Dubai on Public Transport Day
The National 1 Nov 2012 – Some commuters spent hours scouring the stations for a chance to win a new bicycle in the ‘Find the Key’ contest, one of the competitions and events planned for the day.
Musandam traders fear Iran strike
The National 1 Nov 2012 – Sanctions on Iran have brought a windfall to many Omani traders but they fear their profitable business may vanish if Israel follows through with threats to attack Iran.
Nearly 4,000 counterfeit goods seized by Dubai police last month
The National 1 Nov 2012 – Dubai police and municipality inspectors arrested 177 street vendors, 104 illegal butchers and fish cleaners, 40 beggars and 16 car washers last month.
State school pupils in Abu Dhabi lift skills in language
The National 1 Nov 2012 – State school pupils in the emirate have made significant strides in language skills, the results of a test have shown.
Israeli Teachers strike at cutbacks in program for dropouts
Ha’aretz – 1 Nov 2012
Netanyahu supporters scramble to dissuade Kahlon from running on separate ticket
Ha’aretz – 1 Nov 2012
PA President: As long as I am in power, there will be no third intifada
Ha’aretz – 1 Nov 2012
Court orders indictment of settler, not only of Palestinian, on assault charges
Ha’aretz – 1 Nov 2012
At Toulouse ceremony, French president says security of French Jews is a ‘national cause’
Ha’aretz – 1 Nov 2012
State to shut down psychiatric hospital over suspicions of patient abuse, cover-up
Ha’aretz – 1 Nov 2012
Israeli vegan activists to protest animal ‘Holocaust’ by tattooing livestock numbers
Ha’aretz – 1 Nov 2012
Israel’s bottle collection project caps a decade of recycling success
Ha’aretz – 1 Nov 2012
Israeli security forces, settlers clash after state moves to demolish West Bank outpost
Ha’aretz – 1 Nov 2012
New Kadima campaign to hit Netanyahu on security issues
Ha’aretz – 31 Oct 2012
Likud minister Kahlon weighing formation of party that would challenge Netanyahu’s social policies
Ha’aretz – 31 Oct 2012
E-rotic bestseller gives Israeli digital market a passionate boost
Ha’aretz – 31 Oct 2012
Regulating mental health / Embarrassing and scandalous
Ha’aretz – 31 Oct 2012
Police arrest 70 Neveh Yaakov psychiatric hospital staffers after year-long probe into physical, sexual abuse and neglect
Ha’aretz – 31 Oct 2012
Rami Levy joins Netanyahu’s ‘100-day team’
Ha’aretz – 31 Oct 2012
Kibbutz leader withdraws from Labor primary
Ha’aretz – 31 Oct 2012
Week before court challenge, plan to privatize prison hostels is shelved
Ha’aretz – 31 Oct 2012
Lights on!
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – The winter months officially began and all drivers are now required to turn on headlights when driving on inter-city roads
Hollande vows to ‘relentlessly fight anti-Semitism’
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – “Jews of France must be aware that the republic will do everything to protect them and to give them security,” says French president.
Hague tribunal slams Iran for mass murder
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – A non-binding legal tribunal accuses Tehran leaders for massive human rights violations done during 1980s regime.
President Obama, a friend
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – As a general rule and ethical principle, Israelis should refrain from enunciating their preferences and defer the decision to American voters.
Iranian commander: Our missiles can penetrate the Iron Dome
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Deputy chief of Iranian armed forces Masoud Jazayeri accuses Israel of “psychological warfare and propaganda,” warns that a strike on Tehran could lead to the Jewish state’s annihilation, Fars news agency reports.
Savir’s Corner: Center-Left and extreme Right
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – It’s not the right-wing of Menachem Begin, who respected democracy, but rather an outlook prevalent today in the European extreme right-wing parties of nationalism, driven by populism, and not necessarily always by the rule of law.
Another Tack: How Obama saves Israel
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Obama’s attitude to troublesome little Israel is chillingly like Chamberlain’s was vis-à-vis the unfortunate Czechs.
Editor’s Notes: Realizing a challenging dream
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – SHALVA is building a world-class center for challenged children in Jerusalem.
Sinai Salafists threaten Israel, Egypt security
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Fears Iranian weapons smuggled from Sudan could reach jihadi groups as Egypt continues to struggle to exert control over Sinai.
Abbas calls on PM to return to the negotiating table
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – In interview with Channel 2, PA leader vows that as long as he is president there won’t be a third Intifada, pushes for talks.
How the Egyptian legal system saved Camp David
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Since Morsi’s election as president in June, the Camp David agreement has become the focal point of a political struggle between critics.
Kadima campaign slogan: Bibi’s endangering us
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Mofaz accuses PM, FM of leading the country irresponsibly; Kadima campaign echoes Johnson commercial using mushroom cloud.
Shin Bet: Gaza trader funneled millions to Hamas
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Security forces arrest metal trader, believed to have sold materials to Hamas‘s military wing in Gaza.
Romney or Obama, Israel will see steady US course
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Course is set for US-Israel ties, regardless of election; Iran the main focus with emphasis on diplomacy, not war.
Erekat warns of US, Israeli ‘retaliation’ after UN bid
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Chief PLO negotiator says Washington, J’lem may take punitive measures in response to Palestinian bid to upgrade to non-member state, says institutions need to prepare for reactions to “avoid a state of internal chaos.”
Ask the Israelis: Which candidate’s best for Israel?
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – ‘JPost’ hits the streets of Tel Aviv to ask regular Israelis who they they think would be the better US president.
Tunisia: Kidnapping plot against local Jews foiled
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Security forces arrest four people for allegedly plotting to hold local Tunisian Jews to ransom, interior ministry official says.
Likud ramps up efforts to prevent Kahlon departure
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Shas sees rush to support Sephardic minister as proof they’re necessary; Rivlin to Kahlon: Come home, you’re part of Likud DNA.
Off the Beaten Track: Elijah’s cave of surprises
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Hiding in the shadow of Mount Carmel is a cave full of mystical stories and superstitions.
Rebel attack in Idlib kills 28 Syrian army soldiers
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Observatory for Human Rights confirms ambush on three checkpoints around northern province of Idlib, bordering Turkey.
Poll: Yacimovich preferred leader of Center-Left
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Labor party head leads Olmert, Livni, Mofaz and Lapid in a number of scenarios posed by Israel Radio poll.
Filling the seismic gap of national responsibility
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Make no mistake, the Netanyahu-Liberman pact is good for the country.
Morsi removed Arab peace plan from UN speech
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Egyptian president did not deliver a portion of his speech that endorsed the Saudi-initiated peace plan, JTA discovers.
Torn between two worlds
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Iranian-Israelis watch with trepidation the tensions between their native land and adopted country.
Main witness in Olmert Holyland trial hospitalized
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Fraud case put on hold after main witness “S.D.,” hospitalized again; unclear when proceedings are scheduled to restart.
Israelis, Jews climb Kilimanjaro for charity
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Third annual mountain climb adds additional $200,000 for Wolfson Medical Center’s operations funded by Save A Child’s Heart.
Mother and daughter attacked by bat
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Two women given rabies vaccinations in the ER after stray bat accidentally scratches them
‘Israel uses more pesticides than any OECD country’
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Agriculture Ministry: CBS report doesn’t take into account significant decrease of pesticides in recent years.
‘Israel’s water infrastructure is secure, advanced’
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Massachusetts-based Jeffrey Rosen touts Israel’s security technology and understanding of water issues.
HU study: Transitional justice in war-torn countries
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Conference probes if models of transitional justice in war-torn countries can be applied to Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
NGO: Israel businesses inaccessible to disabled
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – Access Israel says cinemas, restaurants, pubs, sports stadiums and synagogues don’t comply with accessibility regulations.
‘Restrictions on Modi’in park exclude haredim’
Jerusalem Post 1 Nov 2012 – ACRI say closure of park to non-residents during holidays is illegal, discriminatory; city denies targeting ultra-Orthodox visitors.
‘Syrian pro-Assad militias similar to Iran’s Basij’
Jerusalem Post 31 Oct 2012 – The US has previously accused Syria of creating Shabiha armed militia, modeled on Tehran’s paramilitary force.
Israeli supermarkets announce price hikes
Jerusalem Post 31 Oct 2012 – Shufersal, Mega to raise prices of hundreds of products; social protest leader Alrov, Yishai call on public to boycott chains.
Activists launch ‘Kosher without Certification’
Jerusalem Post 31 Oct 2012 – Plan calls for alternative method of kosher certification; Rabbinate says current system only way to trust businesses.
Letters: UK’s responsibility to the Palestinians
The Guardian 1 Nov 2012 – Today is the 95th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration , when the then foreign secretary, Arthur Balfour, signed a fateful letter to Lord Rothschild announcing that the British government “view with favour the establishment in Palestine of…
Israel acknowledges killing Palestinian deputy in 1988 raid
The Guardian 1 Nov 2012 – Military censor clears newspaper to publish interview obtained at least 12 years ago with commando who killed Abu Jihad Israel has acknowledged after nearly 25 years of secrecy that it killed a deputy of the late…
Sheldon Adelson’s billions shape US politics as many question his influence
The Guardian 1 Nov 2012 – Casino mogul is sparing no expense to get Romney elected, a win that would benefit his businesses and his bank account Every day three scenes, on the surface unconnected, unfold in different corners of the world….
Israel’s red line on Iran: 240 kg
The Guardian 1 Nov 2012 – Officials have defined Netanyahu’s red line by the size of Iran‘s 20%-enriched uranium stockpile Since Binyamin Netanyahu picked up a fibre-tip pen and drew his famous red line on a cartoon bomb at the UN General…
Binyamin Netanyahu’s visit to France met by protests – video
The Guardian 1 Nov 2012 – Pro-Palestinian protesters gather to demonstrate against a visit to France by the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu
Egypt’s Women Rebel Against Harassment
IPS Egyptian bullies who sexually harass women in the streets, often taking advantage of mob situations and the anonymity these provide, are getting a taste of their own medicine – and they don’t like it. Due to the plague of sexual harassment, which the Egyptian authorities have appeared unwilling to address…
Algeria Skips the Revolutionary Spring
IPS As the Arab Spring continues to rage across the Middle East and North Africa, the gaze of the international media has largely passed over a country that was once known for its restive population, its long and bloody decolonisation struggle and revolutionary zeal. Algeria has remained uncharacteristically quiet during the…
From MI6 Al Qaeda Plot to Kill Gaddafi to Spying on Domestic Dissent: An MI5 Whistle Blower’s Story
Uruknet
Syria : Rightists and Leftists Against the Revolution
Uruknet
HSBC Caught in New Drug Money Laundering Scandal
Uruknet
Israeli authorities issue eviction notices to Jerusalemites
Uruknet
American democracy and the “disposition matrix”
Uruknet
Survival and Dignity in an Afghan Winter
Uruknet
Israeli court acquits border policeman in death of 10-year-old Naalin protester
Uruknet
On “Bombing Them” The Twisted Logic of Drone Warfare
Uruknet
Video: Israeli Soldiers Torture and Arrest a Woman in Hebron
Uruknet
Libyans, Tunisia policeman planned to kidnap Jew: police
Daily Star 1 Nov 2012 Four Libyans and a Tunisian policeman have been arrested on suspicion of plotting to kidnap a young Jew and hold him for ransom, a senior police officer said on Thursday.
Morocco arrests nine-member ‘terror cell’: ministry
Daily Star 1 Nov 2012 Morocco on Thursday announced the arrest of a nine-member “terrorist cell” that authorities said planned to set up a training camp in the rugged Rif mountainous region from which to launch attacks.
Syrian rebels fight unwanted battle with Kurds
Daily Star 1 Nov 2012 After a week of clashes between anti-government rebels and Kurdish militants in Syria’s Aleppo province, the two sides are observing a tenuous truce.
Tunisia: Suspect in US consulate attack held
Daily Star 1 Nov 2012 A jailed Tunisian man is “strongly suspected” of being involved in the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that killed four Americans, a top Tunisian official has confirmed.
Abbas hints has no “right of return” to home in Israel
Daily Star 1 Nov 2012 Abbas made a rare if symbolic concession to Israel on Thursday, saying he had no permanent claim on the town from which he was driven as a child during the 1948 war of the Jewish state’s…
Fugitive Iraq VP handed second death term
Daily Star 1 Nov 2012 Iraq’s vice president Tareq al-Hashemi, a critic of premier Nuri al-Maliki and one of the country’s top Sunni officials, was handed a second death sentence in absentia on Thursday.
Kuwait warns of harsher measures against protests
Daily Star 1 Nov 2012 Authorities in Kuwait warned they will use harsher measures to crack down on anti-government demonstrators defying bans on protest gatherings in the increasingly tense Gulf nation.
At least 23 killed in Riyadh fuel truck blast
Daily Star 1 Nov 2012 At least 23 people were killed when a fuel truck crashed into a flyover in the Saudi capital Riyadh, triggering an explosion that brought down an industrial building and set fire to nearby vehicles.
Syria rebels tolerate extremists despite West’s fears
Daily Star 1 Nov 2012 The West has raised fears Syria’s revolution is falling into the hands of Islamic extremists, but many rebels, and even some peaceful activists, say they are willing to tolerate jihadist fighters for lack of a better…
Obama, Romney back on attack as campaign hits final stretch
Daily Star 1 Nov 2012 Obama and Romney were back on the attack on Thursday, breaking a storm-induced campaign truce to hit the road and pound home their closing messages in the final stretch of a tight battle for the White…
Bahrain activist sentenced for anti-king web posts
Daily Star 1 Nov 2012 Bahrain says a civil court has sentenced an online activist to six months in prison on charges of insulting the Gulf nation’s king in Twitter posts.
Amnesty urges Israel to free Palestinian activist
Daily Star 1 Nov 2012 Amnesty International on Thursday called on Israel to release Palestinian activist Bassem Tamimi “immediately and unconditionally,” after he was again arrested during a protest in the West Bank.
US officials: No delays in rescue effort in Libya
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – ….
Weakness invites provocations
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – Op-ed: Obama has been supportive of Israel, but he is perceived as internationally weak president ….
Suspect in US home bombings caught after car chase
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – ….
Some Muslim clerics say Sandy is God’s punishment
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – ….
Syria rebels kill 78 soldiers, attack checkpoints
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – ….
Canada arrests 103 in drug trafficking ring
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – ….
Kadima: Netanyahu obsessed with Iran
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – Party leader Mofaz tells reporters only thing PM cares about is ‘bombing Iran‘ ….
Iron merchant caught transferring money to Hamas
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – Shin Bet, police trace Gazan iron merchant that used his Israeli visa to transfer millions of dollars and iron to Hamas military wing ….
Israel tourism campaign embarrassing
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – Op-ed: How civilized can a country be if it uses a battle scene to convince foreigners to visit? ….
PM at Jewish school in Toulouse: Nation of Israel lives
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – Netanyahu, French President Hollande visit Jewish school targeted by radical Islamist terrorist. PM tells ceremony ‘hatred of Jews threatens humanity’ ….
NIS 100K worth of wedding fireworks seized
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – Police crack down on extravagant fireworks use in Arab weddings; in latest incident, groom arrested at Shuafat refugee camp ….
Health Ministry to close down Neve Yaakov facility
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – Following exposure of abuse scandal Health Ministry looking for alternative accommodation for 155 patients ….
Defense Ministry downsizes New York mission
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – Government to cut more than 40% of staff after significantly downsizing operations in Europe ….
Major-General Gadi Shamni quits IDF
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – Outgoing IDF military attach? in Washington announces retirement ….
Levy Report serves Israel haters
YNet News, 1 Nov 2012 – Op-ed: J Street president says legalizing West Bank outposts would endanger Israel’s future as Jewish state ….
Palestinian Information Center
Prisoner Zabin meets his child Muhannad for the first time
PIC – Ms. Dalal, the prisoner Ammar Zabin’s wife, confirmed that her husband, 37, from Jenin district sentenced to 26 life terms with 25 years, has met his son Mohannad for the first time since his birth.
IOA turns the prisoner Abu Maria to administrative detention
PIC – The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) have decided to turn the leader in the Islamic Jihad, Wahid Hamdi Abu Maria, 45, from Beit Ummar village, north of al-Khalil, to administrative detention.
Palestinian Media Forum condemns arrest of Journalist
PIC – The Palestinian Media Forum strongly condemned the arrest of the Jerusalemite photojournalist Iyad Rifai by the Israeli forces after raiding his house in Jerusalem.
The IOF desecrate mosque arrest 9 West Bankers
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have desecrated at dawn on Thursday a mosque west of the city of al-Khalil in the occupied West Bank, and arrested eight Palestinian youths.
ort: 292 Palestinians arrested, 15 Martyrs during October
PIC – In its monthly report Ahrar center for human rights and prisoners studies stated that 292 Palestinians were arrested in addition to 15 killed in the Gaza strip.
Young Palestinian nabbed for alleged attempt to attack soldier
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested a Palestinian youth in Qalqilia city at dawn Thursday claiming that he attempted to stab a soldier.
IOF raid houses of Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials in Jenin
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces raided at dawn Thursday the towns of Yamoun and Silat Al-Harithiya to the west of Jenin city and interrogated Palestinian senior leaders from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Hamas holds Britain responsible for the suffering of Palestinian refugees
PIC – The refugees department in Hamas movement held Britain politically and morally responsible for the suffering of the Palestinian people.
Father Hanna slams attempts to recruit Christian Arabs in Israeli army
PIC – Father Attallah Hanna, the archbishop of Sebastia in Jerusalem, strongly denounced the Israeli army for its attempts to recruit Christian Palestinians from the 1948 occupied lands.
IOF soldiers raze five installations in Tobas
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) razed five installations used by Bedouin shepherds in Khirbit Ebzeiq north of Tobas city on Wednesday.
“Qalandiya International” Highlights Palestinian Suffering through Art
WAFA – 1 Nov 2012
US Consul General Visits Mahmoud Darwish Museum in Ramallah
WAFA – 1 Nov 2012
Carter Center Supports Leaders’ Calls to Investigate Human Rights Violations
WAFA – 1 Nov 2012
Foreign Liabilities Amount to $2,571.5 m in 2011, says Statistics Bureau
WAFA – 1 Nov 2012
Striking Prisoner Wins Freedom
WAFA – 30 Oct 2012
Spotlight Returns to Abbas Abdi, Iranian Hostage Taker
New York Times 1 Nov 2012 – Abbas Abdi, who is featured in the new movie “Argo,” says Iran and the United States can solve their problems only through secret negotiations.
Israel Confirms Killing Arafat Deputy in 1988
New York Times 1 Nov 2012 – Israel acknowledged Thursday it killed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s deputy in a 1988 raid in Tunisia, lifting a nearly 25-year veil of secrecy and allowing a rare glimpse into the shadowy world of its secret operations.
China Presents Plan to End Syrian Conflict
New York Times 1 Nov 2012 – The proposal calls for a phased-in truce and a stronger international response to the refugee crisis, but does not demand that President Bashar al-Assad step down.
Video Said to Show Executions by Syrian Rebels
New York Times 1 Nov 2012 – The execution of a group of prisoners, apparently soldiers or militiamen, appears to be evidence of a war crime by the rebels, human rights activists said.
Saudi Arabia: Fuel Truck Explodes, Killing Many
New York Times 1 Nov 2012 – A fuel truck exploded after hitting part of a bridge on Thursday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, engulfing buildings and cars in flames and killing at least 22 people and injuring more than 110.
“Israel lags behind Cyprus”
Globes Energy & Water – The hot topic at this week’s Eco Energy conference was the determination shown by the Cypriot government in developing its gas reserves, in contrast to the dithering in Israel.
Likud-Beytenu weakens; Labor surges
Globes Main News – Together, Likud and Yisrael Beytenu turn out to be less than the sum of their parts – a lot less if the challenge from Moshe Kahlon materializes.
Intel CEO launches Israel education project
Globes Main News – Paul Otellini came to Jerusalem to announce Intel’s $5 million investment in science and technology in Israeli high schools.
Teva reports revenue growth, repeats guidance
Globes Main News – US revenue rose 33% in Q3, and Copaxone sales continued to climb. Non-GAAP profit beat estimates, but the company made a GAAP loss.
Thu: Tel Aviv 25 up 0.8% on week
Globes Main News – Teva rose slightly after reporting third quarter results, while technology shares NICE Systems and Mellanox recorded strong gains.
Drahi ups HOT offer again
Globes Main News – A recommendation against the previous offer by Entropy Consultants is apparently behind the move.
Moshe Wertheim appointed temporary Mizrahi Tefahot chairman
Globes Main News – Wertheim, 82, will serve as chairman in November, replacing Jacob Perry who has joined Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party.
Shlomo Maoz: Netanyahu called after Excellence fired me
Globes Macro Economics – Former Excellence-Nessuah chief economist Shlomo Maoz tells “Globes” about his decision to run in the joint Likud-Yisrael Beitenu list in the upcoming elections.
IDF Unit 8200: Coming Soon to a Theater Near You
Tikun Olam – The U.S. Army ad slogan may be: “The Army needs a few good men.” But IDF Unit 8200?s slogan is: “The IDF needs a few good hackers.” Actually not a few, more like hundreds if not thousands. As I’ve reported here, Unit 8200, Israel’s equivalent to…
The Jewish Daily Forward: Will Upgrading West Bank College Boost Boycott Movement?
Jewish Voice for Peace – Israel’s government was hoping to toss a bone to the right wing by upgrading a college in the West Bank settlement of Ariel to university status. It could just end up helping the movement to boycott Israel. Will Upgrading West Bank College Boost Boycott Movement? Nathan…
Arab Jews are focus of Georgetown U event
Mondoweiss – I just heard about this. Tonight and tomorrow at Georgetown University, they’re holding a conference titled, “After Jews and Arabs: Reinventing the Levant…” The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies is sponsoring the event; I believe non-Georgetown-affiliated can RSVP here to attend . (I wonder what the speakers…
For just $50, you can hear Wieseltier and Halevi talk about the US relationship with Israel
Mondoweiss – As obsessed as I am with the Israel lobby, even I have been-there/done-that feelings about this event sponsored by the Jewish Week (official price $50). Frankly the only reason to go would be to hear some crazy stuff and laugh about it. a “Special Conversation with…
Mamet sees creeping totalitarianism in Obama 2
Mondoweiss – Amazing that the Jewish Journal of LA is running this nutty piece by David Mamet directed to Jews who are voting for Obama. The statement about a liberal government being inherently indisposed toward Israel ought to be true, by the way. The other pronouncements– alternative reality: …
Ed Koch assures Jews, Obama will maintain ‘commitment to Jewish state’ in second term
Mondoweiss – In endorsing Obama for a second term, Ed Koch offers himself as the mayor of American Jews: I’m proud to stand with Obama because he’s listened to the Jewish community and proven himself a true friend of Israel…. Koch says he was proud to hear Obama…
Secret Israel NIE warns of irreversibility of Israeli colonization
Mondoweiss – This post originally appeared on the Palestine Center’s blog Permission to Narrate . How much longer can the two-state solution survive? It seems analysts in the American intelligence community realize that it is in serious danger. This is what a National Intelligence Estimate prepared by the CIA…
Mahmoud Abbas Concedes No Right of Return
The Foward Breaking News 1 Nov 2012 – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made a rare if symbolic concession to Israel on Thursday, saying he had no permanent claim on the town from which he was driven as a child during the 1948 war of the Jewish state’s founding. Click here for the rest of…
Bibi and Hollande Recall Victims of Toulouse
The Foward Breaking News 1 Nov 2012 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined with French President Francois Hollande on Thursday in remembering victims of an al Qaeda-inspired gunman, with both pledging to fight anti-Semitism in France and around the globe. Click here for the rest of the article…
Amerian Cities Meet in Israel on Fighting Terror
The Foward Breaking News 1 Nov 2012 – Counterterrorism officials from five U.S. cities met with their counterparts in Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Settlers Battle Troops Over Illegal Expansion
The Foward Breaking News 1 Nov 2012 – Israeli settlers rioted and battled security forces during the razing of a West Bank outpost. Click here for the rest of the article…
Las Vegas Jews Caught in Adelson’s Shadow
The Forward New 1 Nov 2012 – The long shadow of casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson looms over Las Vegas as the election nears. Despite economic woes, Israel is dominating the debate in Nevada. Click here for the rest of the article…
Sudan: Iranian Warships Leave Sudan After Three-Day Stay
allAfrica.com 1 Nov 2012 – [Sudan Tribune]Khartoum -Two Iranian warships departed on Wednesday from an eastern port in Sudan after a four-day stay which fueled speculations about military cooperation between the two countries less than a week after Khartoum accused Israel of bombing a Sudanese arms factory rumored to be linked…
Libya: U.S. State Department Daily Press Briefing: Sudan & Libya
allAfrica.com 1 Nov 2012 – [State Department]Excerpt from the United States Department of State daily press briefing:
Egypt: Court Says Camp David Suit Out of Its Jurisdiction
allAfrica.com 1 Nov 2012 – [Aswat Masriya]Egypt’s Administrative Court dismissed on Tuesday an appeal to annul the Camp David Peace Accord between Egypt and Israel.
Nigeria: Arms Import – U.S. Masterminded Trial of Iranian in Nigeria – Iran
allAfrica.com 1 Nov 2012 – [Daily Trust]Tehran -Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has blamed what he called Zionist plot by those who want to destroy relationship between Iran and Nigeria for the trial of Iranian businessman in Nigeria over alleged illegal arms importation.
Gunmen occupy Libyan parliament
BBC 1 Nov 2012 – Gunmen break through security and occupy Libya’s parliament building in a dispute over the choice of cabinet ministers.
Lid lifted on PLO man’s killing
BBC 1 Nov 2012 – Israel’s military censor clears for publication an interview with a commando who killed the deputy of Palestinian chief Yasser Arafat in 1988.
Kuwaiti ex-MP released on bail
BBC 1 Nov 2012 – Prominent Kuwaiti opposition politician Mussallam al-Barrak is freed on bail after being arrested for allegedly insulting the emir at a protest rally.
Syria rebels ‘take checkpoints’
BBC 1 Nov 2012 – Rebel attacks on army checkpoints on the main road between Syria’s biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo, leave 28 soldiers dead, reports say.
Another (made for Israel) global disaster derailed
Sabbah report 1 Nov 2012 – To the chagrin of Israeli leaders, the US military might have derailed, for now, another world disaster, fearing the cost of war in protracted conflict. Another (made for Israel) global disaster derailed was published by Sabbah Report . Get Daily Newsletter , follow on Twitter . Support through Sabbah…
Before and After: Boycotting National Dialogue
Al-Akhbar Opinion 1 Nov 2012 – Lebanese flags placed by anti-government protesters are seen on barbed wire securing the area in front of the government palace in downtown Beirut 25 October 2012. (Photo: Reuters – Jamal Saidi) Lebanese flags placed by anti-government protesters are seen on barbed wire securing the area in…
Iraqi Chaldeans in Lebanon Lining Up to Leave
Al-Akhbar News 1 Nov 2012 – A woman lights a candle for the siege victims at Our Lady of Salvation church in Baghdad, Iraq, on 9 Nov 2010. (Photo: AP – Khalid Mohammed) A woman lights a candle for the siege victims at Our Lady of Salvation church in Baghdad, Iraq, on…
Twenty eight soldiers executed in Syria amid airstrikes: opposition
Al-Akhbar News 1 Nov 2012 – A member of the Free Syrian Army talks to a woman during a patrol to search for pro-government forces in Haram town, Idlib Governorate, October 26, 2012. (Photo: Reuters – Asmaa Waguih) A member of the Free Syrian Army talks to a woman during a patrol…
Fatah cadre killed in Lebanon Palestinian refugee camp
Al-Akhbar News 1 Nov 2012 – Fatah official Imad al-Saadi was assassinated in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el Helweh Thursday, according to the Lebanese news agency el-Nashra. Residents nearby said they heard extensive gunfire at the time of the killing. (Al-Akhbar)
US denounces Bahrain protest ban
Al-Akhbar News 1 Nov 2012 – A US State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday that the country was “deeply concerned” over the Bahraini government’s recent decision to ban all public gatherings. Bahrain moved to ban all protests earlier this week, taking a step further in cracking down on anti-government protests, which have…
A Nightmare Trip Through Lebanon’s Bureaucracy
Al-Akhbar News 1 Nov 2012 – Marwan ventured to yet another cashier’s desk to make the second payment, but it was closed for the day. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Marwan ventured to yet another cashier’s desk to make the second payment, but it was closed for the day. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) A maze…
Opposition website: nine Iranian female prisoners begin hunger strike
Al-Akhbar News 1 Nov 2012 – An Iranian opposition website says at least nine female political prisoners have begun a hunger strike in protest of snap body searches and abuse by prison guards. The kaleme.org late Wednesday said the women prisoners started the strike after female guards at Evin prison in northern…
A Tourist’s Guide to Gaza: Not Your Lonely Planet
Al-Akhbar Series and Features 1 Nov 2012 – Two Palestinian girls read the Koran at a summer camp for the study of Islam’s holy book organised by the Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza City on 18 June 2011. (Photo: AFP – Mahmud Hams) Two Palestinian girls read the Koran at a summer camp for…
Lebanon’s Hula Massacre: 64 Years on History’s Sidelines
Al-Akhbar Series and Features 31 Oct 2012 – Hula would see a justice of sorts when it become one of the first villages to be liberated from Israeli occupation on 22 May 2000. (Photo: Hasan Bahsoun) Hula would see a justice of sorts when it become one of the first villages to be liberated…
A Ghost Trial at the Hariri Tribunal
Al-Akhbar Politics 1 Nov 2012 – the STL may have to go through the whole trial from beginning to end after many years have passed if the accused suddenly decide they want to be present for a retrial. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) the STL may have to go through the whole trial from…
The Threefold Siege on Syria’s Harem
Al-Akhbar Politics 31 Oct 2012 – A member of the Free Syrian Army watches for snipers during fighting against pro-government forces in Harem town, Idlib. On 25 October 2012. (Photo: Reuters – Asmaa Waguih) A member of the Free Syrian Army watches for snipers during fighting against pro-government forces in Harem town,…
Five Water Wells Demolished in Jenin
Al-Haq 1 Nov 2012 – Ad: Book: World Order Death – The Book Is Illustrated. Content Shows How, Politically, The So-called “new World Order” Is Dying Worldwide. It Tells How This “world Order” Can Affect The Reader And Family. Book Has High Search Engine Placement.
Gunmen occupy Libyan parliament
BBC 1 Nov 2012 – Gunmen break through security and occupy Libya’s parliament building in a dispute over the choice of cabinet ministers.
Lid lifted on PLO man’s killing
BBC 1 Nov 2012 – Israel’s military censor clears for publication an interview with a commando who killed the deputy of Palestinian chief Yasser Arafat in 1988.
Kuwaiti ex-MP released on bail
BBC 1 Nov 2012 – Prominent Kuwaiti opposition politician Mussallam al-Barrak is freed on bail after being arrested for allegedly insulting the emir at a protest rally.
Syria rebels ‘take checkpoints’
BBC 1 Nov 2012 – Rebel attacks on army checkpoints on the main road between Syria’s biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo, leave 28 soldiers dead, reports say.
Tappin pleads guilty over weapons
BBC 1 Nov 2012 – A retired London businessman extradited to the United States pleads guilty to selling weapons parts to Iran.
Morocco ‘dismantles terror cell’
BBC 1 Nov 2012 – Morocco says it has dismantled a terrorist cell planning to set up a training camp in the northern Rif mountains.
Articles
The war on the Palestinian olive harvest
Alon Aviram, +972 Magazine 10/30/2012
Some 80,000 Palestinians families depend on the annual olive harvest for their livelihoods. This year alone, settlers, with the backing of the army, have destroyed or damaged thousands of olive trees, threatening both a major source of income and an age-old agricultural custom.
Dry shrubs and a mishmash of makeshift tarpaulin shelters cover parts of this parched valley in the South Hebron Hills. The carcass of a car rests in the bottom of a cistern. According to Breaking the Silence, an organization of veteran combatants that works to expose to the Israeli public to the realities of the occupation, it had been placed there by local settlers in order to contaminate collected rainwater with rust. This is the village of Susya al-Qadima. There is an absence here of local infrastructure, as Israeli civil authorities repeatedly deny building permits, and the entire village has been issued pending demolition orders. Unlike the much younger neighboring Jewish settlement of Susya, it doesn’t get much more arid and inaccessible in the West Bank than here.
Last Saturday, Israeli Border Police declared an area belonging to Susya al-Qadima a closed military zone, effective immediately. An officer waved papers at us and stated that he was legally warranted to force everyone out of the valley. We noticed that the orders were outdated, unsigned, and dictated that only Israelis were prohibited from entering the specified site. This did not stop the temporary expulsion of Palestinian locals.
An activist beside me from Taayush, the Israeli and Palestinian organization which uses non-violent direct action to try and end the occupation, was detained as he argued against the authority’s actions. He was handcuffed and marched to the army pillbox overlooking the valley. The Border Police prohibited locals from farming their own land, manhandled us, and threatened anyone who remained in the area with arrest…. more.. e-mail
UN finds ‘crisis of dignity’ as settlers destroy Palestine’s olive trees
Jillian Kestler-D’Amours, Electronic Intifada 10/30/2012
SALEM (IPS) – Affixed to a large cement bloc, the rusted, gray gate leading Palestinian farmers from the northern West Bank village of Salem to their olive groves was opened for four days this year.
“The road is closed by this gate and it’s closed except for two times in the year,” said Adley Shteyeh, a member of the Salem local committee.
Salem residents own approximately 10,000 dunams of land on the eastern side of their village (a dunam is the equivalent of 1,000 square meters). The area can only be accessed with a permit issued by the Israeli military authorities and after crossing the gate and Israeli settlement bypass road.
“Usually we need ten days or more to do our work on the other side [of the bypass road],” Shteyeh said. Over his shoulder, a handful of villagers could be seen cutting branches off their trees, to make sure they get all the olives before their permits run out.
Last week, two Palestinian farmers from Salem attempted to cross the bypass road in a tractor to access the olive trees. Before they could manage to do so, an Israeli military jeep blocked their passage. Moments later, this reporter witnessed two more army jeeps arrive on the scene.
Then, about a dozen Israeli soldiers held a group of Palestinian and international supporters, who were on a tour of the village, and local Palestinian residents, on the suspicion that Palestinian youth from the village threw stones at nearby Israeli settlers. more..e-mail
SJP is Crucial to Palestinian Rights Activism in the US
Haneen Ali, CounterPunch 11/1/2012
Educational Equality
This weekend, the second national conference of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) will take place at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. SJP is a nationwide network of student-led organizations advocating for human rights and equality in Palestine and Israel. There are over 50 chapters across the country and the number is increasing. Some work to raise awareness of the issues Palestinians are facing, while others have moved to the more rigorous action of implementing the nonviolent Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign called for by Palestinian civil society in 2005. But while SJP is growing, our opponents still have access to far greater resources and support from outside organizations, as well as the sympathy of many university administrators and local and state politicians.
The first national SJP conference took place at Columbia University last year. We expected 100 attendees and were delighted when some 350 supporters turned out. Since then, many new chapters have been started with new challenges and new accomplishments. This year’s edition will offer workshops addressing various topics, including dealing with opposition groups, mobilizing BDS campaigns, starting new chapters, and building bridges in local communities.
As students and recent graduates, SJP members are particularly sensitive to the plight of Palestinian students who are denied their right to education because of restrictions on movement and other obstacles imposed by Israel. Palestinians from the occupied territories who wish to study abroad face great difficulties getting permission from Israeli authorities. In particular, students from Gaza, including Fulbright Scholars, are frequently prevented from traveling to pursue their studies at institutions of higher learning in the West Bank and elsewhere. In the West Bank itself, approximately 500 Israeli checkpoints, roadblocks and other obstacles to movement make it difficult for students to freely access schooling. more.. e-mail
Justice Without Universal Applicability Is an Empty Slogan
Dissident Voice: 1 Nov 2012 – If the US can recognize the historic Jewish claim to Middle East land, then it should recognize this historic precedent with Indian nations. – Vine DeLoria Jr. 1 Social justice advocates and activists consider social injustices to be anathema. That a segment of humanity should suffer injustices is morally reprehensible, and few would deny that the longer the injustices continue, the more reprehensible the injustice becomes. Social justice is a matter of immediacy; people are suffering, and one moment longer is another moment too long. A while back I posed a question to a Canadian 2 advocacy journalist for Palestinian rights, citing a moral precept as espoused by anarchist professor Noam Chomsky–namely that people should focus criticism firstly on the crimes of their own states. 3 For the record, I realize that Chomsky’s remark could be misconstrued as restrictive in that he calls for concentration on the crimes of one’s…more
Ex-British Envoy Told the Truth
Dissident Voice: 1 Nov 2012 – Peter Jenkins, Britain’s former representative on the International Atomic Energy Agency, has told the debating union at Warwick University that a “just war” is not a Jewish notion. Jenkins was obviously telling the truth but the Zionist Jewish Chronicle is not happy. The retired Foreign Office diplomat, speaking in a debate on nuclear proliferation in Iran, said: “Israelis don’t practise an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, they practise ten eyes for an eye and ten teeth for a tooth.” He also added that “the idea that a just war requires the use of force to be proportionate seems to be a Christian notion and not a Jewish notion.” The JC reported this week that the remark prompted the Zionist Federation opposition speaker Jonathan Sacerdoti to call out ‘shame”. Sacerdoti spoke to the audience in a capacity of “a son of a Holocaust survivor”, he said…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 