3 November 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Palestinian Injured By Settlers Near Nablus
IMEMC – Palestinian medical sources in Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank, reported that a resident was injured during clashes with Israeli soldiers who invaded the Orif village, south of Nablus, and clashes with dozens of local resident. …
Gaza Ark To Sail From Gaza
IMEMC – Preparations are ongoing to launch the “Gaza Ark” ship, this time not to sail to Gaza to break the siege, but to sail from Gaza carrying peace activists and Palestinian made goods to sell in international markets. …
18 Palestinians Kidnapped In East Jerusalem After A Settler Was Stabbed
IMEMC – The Israeli Police kidnapped 18 Palestinians in Ras Al-Amoud and Silwan neighborhoods, in occupied East Jerusalem after an unknown assailant stabbed, on Friday evening, a Jewish settler in Ras Al-Amoud. …
Turkish PM To Visit Gaza
IMEMC – Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stated that he intends to visit the Gaza Strip soon, to express solidarity with the Palestinian people. …
PA official: 1 injured in settler raid on Nablus village
11/3/2012 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Settlers raided the Nablus village of Urif on Saturday, injuring one man, a PA official said. Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors settler activity in the northern West Bank, told Ma’an that over a dozen settlers raided the village, leading to clashes with locals. Walid Safadi, 19, received head injuries in….
PFLP condemns Abbas remarks on return
11/3/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine joined Hamas on Saturday condemning remarks by President Mahmoud Abbas to an Israeli TV channel. The leftist faction said Abbas‘ apparent surrender of his right to return to his childhood village Safed conflicted with PLO resolutions affirming the right of return…. Related: Abbas aides say Hamas outrage over right of return unfounded and Israel’s Peres welcomes ‘courageous’ words from Abbas
Abbas aides say Hamas outrage over right of return unfounded
11/3/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas‘ aides hit back Saturday against accusations from Hamas that the president had given up on the right of return in an interview with Israeli TV. As Hamas premier Ismail Haniyeh reiterated his condemnation of Abbas‘ remarks, political adviser Nimr Hammad noted that Haniyeh’s party…. Related: PFLP condemns Abbas remarks on return and Fatah leader says UN bid does not affect the right of return
Israel’s Peres welcomes ‘courageous’ words from Abbas
11/3/2012 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israeli President Shimon Peres hailed President Mahmoud Abbas as a courageous partner for peace on Saturday after the Palestinian leader made clear his support for a two-state solution to the decades old conflict with Israel.” (Abbas‘s) courageous words prove that Israel has a real partner for peace,” Peres said in a…. Related: Abbas aides say Hamas outrage over right of return unfounded
Fatah leader says UN bid does not affect the right of return
11/3/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Fatah leader in Gaza Yahya Rabah said Saturday that the UN bid for non-member status does not affect the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Rabah told Ma’an that the Palestinian Authority is seeking recognition as a state under occupation, pointing out that the right of return is…. Related: Abbas aides say Hamas outrage over right of return unfoundedand Israel’s Peres welcomes ‘courageous’ words from Abbas
2 Palestinians detained in Egypt’s Sinai
11/3/2012 – EL-ARISH (Ma’an) — Egyptian forces detained two Palestinians Friday evening after chasing them in the tunnel areas bordering the international zone east of Rafah crossing, officials said. The men, who were from Gaza, were taken to investigation and confessed that they sneaked into Egypt last month and were coming back to Gaza through the….
Israeli army: 3 Syrian tanks breach Golan buffer zone
11/3/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Three Syrian tanks entered a demilitarized zone of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday, the Israeli army said. Israel has filed a complaint to UN authorities overseeing the buffer zone, an army spokeswoman said. The tanks entered Bir-Ajman village to battle Syrian rebels, a few kilometers from an Israeli army outpost….
Fatah, leftists oppose Fayyad plan for unity govt
11/3/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Fatah opposes Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s proposal to form a unity government now, but would consider it sometime after the UN bid, a party official said Friday. Fayyad last week presented a plan to the PLO leadership to form a more inclusive factional government, according to two executive committee….
Union: Teachers to strike for 2 weeks over salaries
11/3/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The teachers union in the West Bank announced Saturday they will hold half-day strikes for two weeks, blaming the Palestinian Authority government for ignoring their salary demands. School teachers will leave at 12 p. m. each day starting Sunday, and on Tuesdays will not go into work at all, union head….
Governor: Murder suspect arrested in Jenin village
11/3/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A man accused of murder in a family dispute was arrested by police in Jenin on Saturday, the governor of Jenin said. Talal Dweikat told Ma’an that an unidentified man was arrested in the village of Ajja on suspicion of murdering Shair Abdulrahman Maali, 50. Maali was stabbed on….
Official: Fayyad fractures right hand in Ramallah fall
11/3/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad fractured his right hand on Saturday after a fall in Ramallah, the PA health minister said. Hani Abden told Ma’an that Fayyad tripped over while carrying out work in Ramallah and was taken to hospital where doctors found he had broken a bone….
Gunmen rob Egyptian government employee in Sinai
11/3/2012 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Armed gunmen stole over 80,000 Egyptian pounds ($13,000) from an Egyptian government employee in Sinai on Saturday, a Ma’an correspondent said. A group of masked men stopped a car carrying an Egyptian official from the ministry of social affairs and robbed him at gunpoint. The money was intended….
Security sources: Gunmen kill 3 policemen in Egypt’s Sinai
11/3/2012 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Three Egyptian policemen died on Saturday when gunmen fired on their car in the northern Sinai Peninsula city of el-Arish before escaping, security sources said. Disorder has spread in Sinai since autocrat Hosni Mubarak was ousted in a popular uprising last year, with Islamist militants stepping up attacks on security forces and the….
Hamas rejects Abbas ‘right of return’ remarks
AlJazeera 3 Nov 2012 – Ismail Haniyeh says president’s remarks apparently rejecting Palestinian refugees’ right of return are very “dangerous”.
Jerusalem holy site may shut over water bill
AlJazeera 3 Nov 2012 – Church of Holy Sepulchre locked in dispute with Israeli water company over millions in unpaid bills.
President Abbas: As Long as I am in Power, There will be No Third Intifada
Palestine News Network
Hamas: PA Security Arrests Two of Our Leaders, Summonses Three Others
Palestine News Network
Future Association and (ACF) Implement School Health Education Seminar
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Organizes Workshop on Reality of Elementary Education in the Gaza Strip
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Palestinian youth arrested and 4 detained at Nabi Saleh weekly demonstration
11/3/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Naseem Roberts, 2nd November 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – One Palestinian Youth was arrested and four others: two Israelis and two internationals were detained during the Friday non-violent weekly demonstration in Nabi Saleh. People from the village met in the main square of the village from 11:30am onwards. At 12pm the demonstration….
Syrian rebels attack regime air base with modern arsenal
The National 3 Nov 2012 – Rebels attacked a major air base in north-west Syria yesterday, using sophisticated weapons that demonstrated their increasing military strength.
Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood blasts Halloween party as ‘Satanic’
The National 4 Nov 2012 – Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood on Saturday condemned Halloween celebrations held in an Amman cafe as “Satanic” and homosexual, while a newspaper reported acts of vandalism at the party.
Himachal vote will be first guide to India’s 2014 elections
The National 3 Nov 2012 – After a two-week campaign laced with corruption allegations, India’s two main political parties face off today in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh.
India’s Congress party tries to rally the faithful
The National 3 Nov 2012 – Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh to address huge crowd.
Fears over US-led bid to unite Syria opposition
The National 3 Nov 2012 – Discord overshadows talks on replacing the Syrian National Council.
Gunmen kill 3 policemen in Sinai city
The National 3 Nov 2012 – Disorder has spread in Sinai since Hosni Mubarak was ousted in a popular uprising last year, with Islamist militants stepping up their attacks on security forces and the Israeli border.
Copts look for new pope to be their protector in Egypt
The National 3 Nov 2012 – One of three men will be chosen as leader of 8 million believers.
Israel ambiguous over air strike on Sudan
The National 3 Nov 2012 – Analysts said Israel’s long-standing policy of ambiguity has been a reliable weapon along with its arsenal of F-16s, pilotless-drones and alleged nuclear bombs for softening the political fallout from decades of covert operations in the region.
Tunisia’s young Salafis claim they are being persecuted
The National 3 Nov 2012 – Tunisia’s growing ultraconservative minority say they are unfairly marginalised by teachers, peers and the public, as religious unrest bubbles across the country.
Most users ‘do not know they are being phished’
The National 3 Nov 2012 – 11,000 PC users surveyed by internet security firm.
Israel Air Force crews to try out next-generation fighter jets by 2016
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2012
Bust of Winston Churchill, Israel’s ‘forgotten friend,’ to be unveiled in Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2012
IDF reprimands settler official over illegal construction
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2012
Greek Orthodox leader slams clergy for encouraging IDF service
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2012
Likud’s Kahlon decides not to run in upcoming Israeli elections
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2012
Peres: PA president is partner for peace; Netanyahu: Abbas’ words are empty
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2012
Three Syrian tanks enter demilitarized zone in Golan Heights
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2012
Jewish settler stabbed by two Palestinians in East Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 2 Nov 2012
Haifa to join European air monitoring project
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Pan-European project called CITI-SENSE aimed at increasing cooperation and awareness regarding air pollution.
Hadassah Medical Organization gets a Zionist rabbi
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Rabbi Moshe Klein, former deputy director of the conversion administration, to succeed Rabbi Yaacov Rakovski, who died earlier this year.
Ministry: 2015 Renewable energy goals in sight
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Following the establishment of additional solar installations, the solar sector will be able to meet about 92 percent of its interim goal for 2015.
Former health official Hai-Am quits Yesh Atid
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Party encounters first signs of trouble; media reports say Haim-Am listed as number twelve on Yesh Atid list.
Analysis: German-Iranian trade booming
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Myth of impossibility of unilateral sanctions persists.
Group blasts Austria for Iranian money laundering
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Simon Wiesenthal Center says aide to Ahmadinejad used trips to Vienna to circumvent sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
INSS’s war game simulates regional scenarios
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – What would the first 48 hours after an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities be like?
German gov’t ups funding of research with Israelis
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Germany contributes 10m euros in 2013 to fund research in Israel and to stimulate scientific cooperation in the two countries.
Coping with the emotional toil of fertility problems
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – A one-of-a-kind Jerusalem voluntary organization helps couples deal with the stresses of IVF, miscarriage and similar life events.
Shas launch campaign for upcoming election
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Movement says its central goal is focusing the attention on social matters and preserving the Jewish character of Israel.
Hatred in Ukraine
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – The anti-Semitism that was unfashionable in postwar Western Europe is burgeoning again in the shape of anti-Zionism, whereas in Ukraine it is vulgar and in-your-face.
Frighteningly small world
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Earthquakes in New Zealand, terror attacks in Europe, storms in North America – all are made easier if you face them together, helping each other.
A tale of two ‘wilayets’
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – One can only conjecture Iranian plans and achievements in the Balkans, but the size of Iran’s embassy in Sarajevo testifies to the importance Iran places on Bosnia.
Peres lauds Abbas’s negotiations plea, PM rejects it
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – President says PA president proved in word and deed that he is a partner for peace, while Netanyahu’s office says Abbas rebuffed his offer to meet without preconditions, but the offer “still stands.”
Non-Zionist MK Henin tops Zionist Legislation Index
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Henin: Zionism and democracy are contradictory; Likud’s Levin, Habayit Hayehudi’s Orlev also honored for Zionist activity.
Kahlon not running, but Likud is still ‘home’
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Following rumors the communications minister would form a new party, Kahlon says the break is from politics, not Likud.
Poll: Obama, Romney tied with three days to go
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – The candidates head back to crucial swing states in attempt to tip the balance; Obama polls at 47%, Romney at 46%.
Power returns to lower Manhattan, but many waiting
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Sandy death toll rises to 110; fuel flowing again after New York Harbor reopened; New York City subway service mostly restored.
PA: Abbas did not relinquish right of return
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Palestinian Authority president slammed for Channel 2 interview; adviser says Abbas referred to state within ’67 borders.
Three Syrian tanks enter Golan Heights buffer zone
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Defense establishment believes move was related to infighting, IDF lodges UN complaint, waits for it to oversee withdrawal.
Report: Sinai gunmen fire on police car, killing three
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Three Egyptian policemen die when gunmen fired on their car in al-Arish before escaping, according to security sources; violence follows increasing lawlessness in the Sinai Peninsula.
Abbas aides respond to outrage over right of return
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – PA president slammed for Channel 2 interview; PA adviser responds to say Abbas referred to state within ’67 borders.
Analysis: Why has New Jersey been forsaken?
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2012 – Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, “the most famous Rabbi in America,” says nothing should excuse New Jersey looking like Armageddon.
Abbas: No justification for Gaza rocket attacks
Jerusalem Post 2 Nov 2012 – In Channel 2 interview, PA president denounces Hamas, firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel; denies Fayyad resignation.
Palestinians furious with Abbas for giving up refugees’ right to return
Uruknet
Bani Walid residents victims of political score-settling
Uruknet
New report by European groups highlights growing consensus for ban on Israeli settlement goods
Uruknet
Archbishop Hanna Denounces Israeli Attempts To Recruit Christians To The Israeli Army
Uruknet
Remembering Abu Jihad and why, really, the Israelis killed him
Uruknet
Show Us the Benghazi Drone Videotape
Uruknet
PFLP: Hamas is Currently Unconcerned about Reconciliation
Uruknet
Israeli promises of family reunification fall short
Uruknet
Abbas to push UN vote this month on observer state status for Palestine, Israel promises retaliation
Uruknet
Egyptian Police Continue Beatings, Get Raises
Uruknet
Israel: Syria tanks enter Golan demilitarized zone
Daily Star 3 Nov 2012 Israel’s military says three Syrian tanks have entered the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights.
North Korea says proud of its human rights record
Daily Star 3 Nov 2012 North Korea’s U.N. delegation declared on Friday that it was proud of Pyongyang’s social system and human rights record and rejected as baseless a U.N. monitor’s report that described appalling human rights abuses in the reclusive…
Obama 2nd term: Leverage, lessons learned, legacy
Daily Star 3 Nov 2012 If he is re-elected Tuesday, President Barack Obama would try to apply the leverage of his victory toward a lasting economic revival on his terms, guided by political lessons learned and the legacy he wants.
Gunmen kill 3 policemen in Egypt’s Sinai: security sources
Daily Star 3 Nov 2012 Three Egyptian policemen are killed when gunmen fire on their car in the northern Sinai Peninsula city of al-Arish before escaping, security sources say.
Tomb of ancient princess unearthed near Cairo
Daily Star 3 Nov 2012 Egypt‘s antiquities ministry says that Czech archaeologists have unearthed the 4,500-year-old tomb of a Pharaonic princess south of Cairo.
Assad must step down before dialogue: opposition figures
Daily Star 3 Nov 2012 A group of key Syrian political opposition figures have ruled out dialogue with Damascus before President Bashar al-Assad steps down and pledged their support for the armed revolt.
Wounded Fatah official dies at S. Lebanon hospital
Daily Star 3 Nov 2012 A Fatah official who was shot and severely wounded earlier this week dies of his wounds at a hospital in the southern coastal city of Sidon.
PA: Hamas, Israel discussed foiling Palestinian UN bid
YNet News, 3 Nov 2012 – ….
Minor quake hits northern Israel
YNet News, 3 Nov 2012 – Earthquake with magnitude of 3.4 felt in Haifa and surrounding regions; no damage, injuries reported ….
Sudan blocks UN force from investigating deaths
YNet News, 3 Nov 2012 – ….
Earthquake hits northern Israel
YNet News, 3 Nov 2012 – ….
Kahlon ‘sticking with decision’ to take break from politics
YNet News, 3 Nov 2012 – ….
Obama, Romney tied 3 days before election
YNet News, 3 Nov 2012 – ….
Peres: Abbas true partner for peace
YNet News, 3 Nov 2012 – President lauds Palestinian leader’s remarks on borders, says majority of Israelis want two-state solution ….
Diseased soccer family
YNet News, 3 Nov 2012 – Op-ed: Soccer fans’ abhorrent behavior reflection of racist, vulgar and violent Israeli society ….
Fire erupts in Golan; apparently caused by Syria infighting
YNet News, 3 Nov 2012 – Army says shrapnel from Syria may have started blaze in Mount Hosek area; IDF outpost not damaged ….
Israel pushing ahead in medical marijuana industry
YNet News, 3 Nov 2012 – Number of Israelis who have official government permission to consume marijuana increasing dramatically. ‘When people see how suffering people are benefitting, I’m sure everyone will get behind it,’ Minister Edelstein says. Holocaust survivor: It’s helping me cope ….
Palestinian Information Center
Are there no limits to Abbas’s shamelessness?
PIC – “I visited Safad before once, But I want to see Safad, it is my right to see it, but not to live there,” Abbas told the Israeli channel 2, speaking in English from Ramallah in the West Bank.
Alliance of Palestinian Forces in Lebanon denounces Abbas’ serious remarks
PIC – The Alliance of Palestinian Forces in Lebanon denounced remarks by PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas regarding the right of return, and his rejection of a third Intifada.
ADU: Abbas’s statements shocking
PIC – The Quds committee in the Arab Doctors Union criticized the recent statement of Mahmoud Abbas, the PA chief, in which he renounced the right of return for millions of Palestinian refugees.
MP Halaiqa: Abbas lost legitimacy
PIC – Samira Halaiqa, MP for Hamas movement, condemned remarks made by PA President Mahmoud Abbas to an Israeli TV channel.
Health of detainee deteriorates in detention center
PIC – The health condition of Ammar Al-Uwewe has worsened in the Israeli Maskobeh detention center in occupied Jerusalem, his family said on Saturday.
Israeli gov’t markets lands in east J’lem for building 5,000 housing units
PIC – Israel’s land administration and its ministry of construction and housing started to market vast tracts of Palestinian lands in east Jerusalem for the construction of more than 5,000 housing units.
Erdogan: I will visit Gaza soon
PIC – The Turkish Prime Minister has renewed his intent to visit Gaza, stressing that lifting the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza is one of the Turkish demands to restore the Turkish-Israeli relations.
PA security services arrest four Hamas cadres in Nablus and al-Khalil
PIC – The PA security apparatuses continued their political arrest campaign waged against Hamas cadres in the West Bank arresting three of them in the city of al-Khalil and a fourth in Nablus.
IOF soldiers break into Fawwar refugee camp
PIC – A large Israeli military force, accompanied by intelligence officers, raided Fawwar refugee camp in al-Khalil on Saturday morning, eyewitnesses reported.
Demonstration at British embassy in Cairo to condemn Balfour Declaration
PIC – Scores of supporters of the Arab Nasserite Party organized on Friday a march from the party headquarters in Talaat Harb Street towards the British embassy to condemn the Balfour Declaration.
Clergy says Crisis over Church Water Bill could Trigger Conflict
WAFA – 3 Nov 2012
Newspapers Review: Crisis over Holy Sepulcher Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 3 Nov 2012
Local Coca Cola Company Thriving Against All Odds
WAFA – 3 Nov 2012
Advisor to Abbas says President did not Give Up Right of Return
WAFA – 3 Nov 2012
Striking Prisoner Wins Freedom
WAFA – 30 Oct 2012
U.S. officials counter criticism in Benghazi attack
LA Times 2 Nov 2012 – Reports from Fox News and other outlets suggest gross negligence by President Obama, the CIA and the Pentagon. U.S. officials issue a detailed response. WASHINGTON — Maryland insurance executive Christopher Moody believes much of the news media is missing a major scandal in how the…
Syria Rebels Attack Key Base in Bid to Disrupt Airstrikes
New York Times 3 Nov 2012 – Rebel forces attacked the Taftanaz air base early on Saturday morning in fighting with government forces that reportedly continued into the afternoon.
Israeli Justice Endorses Continued Abuse of Dirar Abusisi
Tikun Olam – Dirar Abusisi, after having lost 1/3 of his body weight from two years in Israeli custody Israeli Mossad agents collaborating with Ukrainian authorities kidnapped Gaza civil engineer Dirar Abusisi on a Ukrainian train over two years ago. He was spirited to a Kiev apartment and by…
BDS is a necessary, ethical response to a brutal occupation worsened by 20 years of Oslo
Mondoweiss – This piece first appeared on Jewish Currents (a secular website) . Author Donna Nevel gave us permission to republish. As Jewish activists working to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine, we take exception to Philip Mendes’ criticism of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) in “ Why BDS…
More divorce news: US Jews ‘don’t care enough about Israel’s survival’
Mondoweiss – More on the coming divorce between American Jews and Israel. The LA Jewish Journal’s Sammy Levine proselytizes American Jews to care about Israel for the sake of Jewish safety here. (Thanks to Annie). According to an American Jewish Committee survey, when asked what political issue was…
Is the ‘New York Review of Books’ afraid of Islam?
Mondoweiss – I believe that the answer to the question in my headline is Yes, and the best evidence is a line in a recent piece in the New York Review saying that during the Arab spring, Islamists have “corrected history” by reviving “the era of musulmans sans…
‘Flotilla is absolutely flying!’: Two-year-old filly ‘Flotilla’ owned by Qatari sheikh wins Breeders’ Cup race
Mondoweiss – Yesterday, ten days after the emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, became the first head of state ever to visit Gaza , two-year-old filly Flotilla, owned by another member of the Qatari ruling family, Sheikh Mohammed al-Thani, thrilled racegoers who are supporters of the Gaza…
It’s Thanksgiving vs. Palestine in one California Congressional race
Mondoweiss – Eight term incumbent Rep. Mary Bono Mack is running the above ad against upstart challenger Dr. Raul Ruiz . The New York Times recently called the race in California’s 36th District ” one to watch .” Bono Mack (who is married to Rep. Connie Mack of Florida) is…
Brazil’s barbarians at Israel’s gate: South American Israel lobby tries to shut down World Social Forum on Palestine
Mondoweiss – 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. I was supposed to travel to Brazil later this month to speak at the World Social Forum Free Palestine conference in Porto…
Syrian Tanks Enter Golan Amid Chaos
The Foward Breaking News 3 Nov 2012 – Three Syrian tanks entered the demilitarised zone in the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria on Saturday, an Israeli military spokeswoman said. Click here for the rest of the article…
Rebels ‘attack key Syria airbase’
BBC 3 Nov 2012 – Rebels in Syria say they are locked in a fierce battle with government troops to capture the key airbase of Taftanaz in the north.
Remembering Abu Jihad and why, really, the Israelis killed him
Sabbah report 3 Nov 2012 – Soon after first Intifada started on 9 December 1987 the day-to-day management, direction and co-ordination of the first intifada was, in fact, taken over, as planned, by Abu Jihad, then Arafat’s deputy and most likely successor as well as commander of the PLO’s scattered and mission-less…
The Worst Palestinian
Al-Akhbar Blogs 3 Nov 2012 – Abu Mazen will enter Palestinian history: he will be remembered as one of the worst Palestinians ever. He will be remembered in the same league as the Nashashibis before 1948, who along with the Hashemite royals were on the payroll of the Zionists. read more
Lebanon Says Goodbye to Buddha Bar, Tourists
Al-Akhbar News 3 Nov 2012 – Lebanese cuisine remains steadfast despite all circumstances (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Lebanese cuisine remains steadfast despite all circumstances (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Lebanon’s tourist sector reported steep losses in 2012. Business owners have cut into employee wages while others have left the tourist market entirely. Yet is it…
From the Balfour to the Abbas Declaration
Al-Akhbar News 3 Nov 2012 – Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas chairs a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Ramallah, Palestine on 26 July 2011. (Photo: AFP – Abbas Momani) Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas chairs a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Ramallah,…
Amal’s Boys: Playing it Straight
Al-Akhbar News 3 Nov 2012 – We don’t claim to be pure or well-behaved in any way, but we are satisfied with sitting back and watching the March 14 forces fritter away all that they have struggled for over the past few years (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) We don’t claim to be pure…
Two Egyptian policemen killed Sinai’s El-Arish
Al-Akhbar News 3 Nov 2012 – Two Egyptian policemen died on Saturday when gunmen fired on their car in the northern Sinai Peninsula city of al-Arish before escaping, security sources said. A police source said the attackers were probably Islamist militants who Egyptian forces have been hunting – the biggest security crackdown…
Syrian rebels attack northern airbase
Al-Akhbar News 3 Nov 2012 – Syrian rebels said Saturday they had launched a major assault on a northern airbase used to deploy regime air power, on the eve of a crucial meeting to decide the future of the opposition. The attack on the Taftanaz base, from where helicopter gunships raid opposition…
Syria opposition says Assad resignation pre-condition to dialogue
Al-Akhbar News 3 Nov 2012 – A group of key Syrian political opposition figures have ruled out dialogue with Damascus before President Bashar al-Assad steps down and pledged their support for the armed revolt. The consensus was reached at talks in Amman attended by 25 opposition figures ahead of a key meeting…
Ain al-Helweh: Armed Anarchy Becoming Mundane
Al-Akhbar Series and Features 2 Nov 2012 – Market vendors in the camp have also suffered from the violence and are among the most vocal in demanding that the weapons be brought under control. (Photo: Haytham AlMoussawi) Market vendors in the Ain al-Helweh camp have also suffered from the violence and are among the…
Egyptian Police Continue Beatings, Get Raises
Al-Akhbar Politics 2 Nov 2012 – A group of bearded policemen takes part in a protest in uniform in front of Interior Ministry building in Cairo, 31 October 2012 (Photo: Reuters – Mohamed Abd El Ghany) A group of bearded policemen takes part in a protest in uniform in front of Interior…
Living in the Zone: A Parallel Lebanese Reality
Al-Akhbar Politics 2 Nov 2012 – The tight security did not stop her from visiting her property again. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) The tight security did not stop her from visiting her property again. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) A Lebanese family returns from decades abroad to find their home subsumed into a politician’s sprawling…
Rebels ‘attack key Syria airbase’
BBC 3 Nov 2012 – Rebels in Syria say they are locked in a fierce battle with government troops to capture the key airbase of Taftanaz in the north.
Egyptian Copts await a new pope
BBC 3 Nov 2012 – A blindfolded child will draw the name of the next Egyptian Coptic pope from a box in a ceremony in Cairo on Sunday.
Gunmen kill three in Sinai attack
BBC 3 Nov 2012 – Two Egyptian police officers and a soldier are killed by gunmen in the northern Sinai city of El Arish, officials say.
Articles
Israeli Ministry of Tourism map annexes over 60% of the West Bank
Jonathan Cook, Israeli Occupation Archive 11/2/2012
Is Israel preparing to annex Area C, as a growing number of analysts have recently been speculating?
This week, on a visit to the Israel’s tourism bureau in Nazareth, I came across an official brochure, “Your Next Vacation: Israel”, that suggests the answer. The brochure is supplied to travel agents around the world as well as to hundreds of thousands of tourists who arrive in Israel each year.
Inside is a map, produced by the Ministry of Tourism, that shows both Israel and the occupied territories. Helpfully, it incorporates Israel’s interpretation of the territorial demarcations created by the Oslo Accords of the mid-1990s.
Oslo divided the West Bank into three parts temporarily – for a period of five years – while Israel and the Palestinians were supposed to negotiate a final-status agreement that, it was widely assumed, would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
Area A, the smallest part of the West Bank and restricted chiefly to the main Palestinian cities, was placed under the full control of the newly created Palestinian Authority.
Area B, mainly covering the areas around the cities, was under the shared control of the PA and Israel, with Israel taking charge of security matters and the Palestinians responsible for civil affairs.
Today, Areas A and B together cover about 39 per cent of the West Bank.
But by far the largest portion of the West Bank, Area C, was handed over to Israel’s full control. It was assumed by most observers that this land, 61 per cent of the West Bank, would eventually become the territorial bulk of a future Palestinian state. — See also: Source more.. e-mail
Are there no limits to Abbas’s shamelessness?
Khalid Amayreh in the West Bank, Palestinian Information Center 11/3/2012
Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas never fails to surprise us all, his friends and foes alike.
In an interview with the Israeli television last week, Abbas declared that he had no right to live in Safad, his home-town, from which his family and thousands of other Palestinians were uprooted and expelled in 1948 at the hands of Zionist invaders from Eastern Europe who then occupied more than 75% of historical Palestine, with the active support of Britain and other western powers.
“I visited Safad before once, But I want to see Safad, it is my right to see it, but not to live there,” Abbas told the Israeli channel 2, speaking in English from Ramallah in the West Bank.
Abbas said that as far as he was concerned, Palestine included only the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
“Palestine for me is the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This is now and forever. This is Palestine for me. I am a refugee, but I am living in Ramallah. I believe the West Bank and Gaza Strip are Palestine and the other parts are Israel.”
Furthermore, Abbas said he wouldn’t allow a new intifada or uprising against Israel as long as he remained at the helm of the regime in Ramallah.
Referring to Palestinian resistance against the Israeli military occupation as “terror,” Abbas said Palestinians would never start a new intifada under his leadership.
“We don’t want to use terror; we don’t want to use force. We don’t want to use weapons. We want to use diplomacy. We want to use politics and negotiations and peaceful resistance.” more.. e-mail
Das System
Uri Avnery, CounterPunch 11/2/2012
An Unbridled Lust for Power
To a foreigner, like myself, the US election system looks cockeyed.
The president is elected by an “electoral college”, which does not necessarily reflect the will of the people. This system, rooted in the realities of the 18th century, has no connection with the conditions of today. It easily leads to the election of a president who has attracted the votes of only a minority, depriving the majority of its democratic rights.
Because of this archaic system, the final three days of the campaign are devoted solely to “swing states” – those whose electoral college votes are still in doubt.
At best, a curious way of electing the leader of the world’s mightiest power and self-proclaimed champion of democracy.
The system of electing governors, senators and representatives is also very dubious, as far as democracy is concerned. It’s the ancient British system of “winner takes all”. This means that there is no chance at all for ideological or sectarian minorities to be represented in the entire political system. New and controversial ideas have no chance.
The philosophy behind such a system is to prefer stability over full democracy, slow down change and innovation or prevent it altogether. It is typical for a conservative aristocracy.
It seems that no serious voices in the US advocate change in the system. If President Obama or President Romney is elected this week by a tiny majority in Ohio, whatever the popular vote nationwide, so be it. After all, the system has worked well enough for more than 200 years, so why tinker with it now? more.. e-mail
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The New Dark Age 
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