24 November 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Arafat’s Body To Be ExhumedTuesday
IMEMC – Tawfiq Tirawi, head of the Palestinian committee that is investigating the assassination of Palestinian President, Yasser Arafat, stated that Arafat’s grave will be opened this coming Tuesday in order to exhume his body for forensic analysis as part of the investigation into his death. …
Gaza children return to rubble-strewn schools
11/24/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Pupils returning to schools in the Gaza Strip on Saturday found many had been reduced to rubble after Israel’s eight-day bombardment of the coastal enclave. Gaza’s ministry of education said 52 schools had sustained moderate to severe damage during the Israeli bombing campaign. Ministry director Mahmoud….
Palestine complains to UN after Israel violates Gaza ceasefire
11/24/2012 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) – Palestine’s UN observer has submitted a complaint to the UN Security Council after Israeli forces violated the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip on Friday. Ambassador Riyad Mansour told reporters he filed a complaint after Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man and injured 19 others Friday morning east….
Hamas: Ceasefire deal does not include end to arms smuggling
11/24/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – The ceasefire agreement signed Wednesday with Israel did not include a commitment by Egypt to prevent smuggling of arms into the Gaza Strip, a senior Hamas leader said. Izzat al-Rishiq wrote on his Facebook page Saturday that “it is not true, as some claim, that the agreement included that Egypt will…. Related: Hamas says fishing limit to extend under ceasefire deal
Hamas says fishing limit to extend under ceasefire deal
11/24/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – Egyptian, Israeli and Palestinian officials representing the Hamas-run government in Gaza will meet next Monday in Cairo to discuss the aftermath of the ceasefire agreement. The Office of Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said he was informed by the director of Egyptian intelligence that Israel agreed to allow Gaza fishermen…. Related: Hamas: Ceasefire deal does not include end to arms smuggling
US: Mideast nuke talks will not occur next month
11/24/2012 – WASHINGTON(Reuters) — Talks planned for next month on banning nuclear weapons in the Middle East will not take place, the United States said on Friday, a development likely to anger Arab states but please Israel. The State Department announced that the mid-December conference on creating a zone free of weapons of mass destruction, or WMD…. Related: UK hopes Mideast nuclear talks can be held next year
UN, partners renew pledge to protect journalists
11/24/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — During a UN-led meeting in Vienna, the world body and its partners on Friday renewed their pledge to improve safety for journalists and prosecute those who commit acts against them through a new plan to protect media workers. The UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue….
Russia experts to participate in Arafat exhumation
11/24/2012 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) – Russian experts will help exhume Yasser Arafat’s body in December, the spokesman of the Russian foreign ministry Alexander Lukashevich said Saturday. Palestinian ambassador to Russia Faed Mustafa also confirmed that a team of Russian experts would arrive in Ramallah for that purpose. Mustafa highlighted that the Palestinian Authority was…. Related: Arafat body to be exhumed in murder inquiry
Netanyahu’s high-stakes game in Gaza
11/24/2012 – By Ramzy Baroud – Many key phrases have been presented to explain Israel’s latest military onslaught against Gaza, which left scores dead and wounded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is flexing his muscles in preparation for the Israeli general elections in January, suggested some. It is Israel’s way of testing the administration….
UK hopes Mideast nuclear talks can be held next year
11/24/2012 – LONDON (Reuters) — Britain said on Saturday it hoped a conference on banning nuclear weapons in the Middle East could take place “as soon as possible”, after the United States said it would not be held next month. The US State Department said on Friday that the conference could “not be convened because of present conditions…. Related: US: Mideast nuke talks will not occur next month
Iran: Gaza conflict shows Israel must ‘bow’ to Palestinian rights
11/24/2012 – DUBAI (Reuters) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the head of the Hamas government in Gaza on Saturday that eight days of cross-border fighting showed that Israel had no choice but to “bow” to Palestinian rights, according to Iran’s IRNA news agency. Hamas has basked in what it called a victory against Israel after….
Hamas leader expects Iran support to grow
11/24/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip said on Saturday the group will continue to procure weapons after its ceasefire with Israel, and he expects support from Iran to the movement to grow further.” We have no choice but to continue to bring in weapons by all possible means….
Haniyeh applauds Palestinian media for Gaza coverage
11/24/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza prime minister Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday praised the Palestinian media for their positive role in covering Israel’s eight-day assault on the coastal enclave. Haniyeh telephoned Ma’an News Agency’s editor-in-chief Nasser Lahham to give thanks for the support that West Bank media outlets gave….
Arafat body to be exhumed in murder inquiry
11/24/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The body of late president Yasser Arafat will be exhumed on Tuesday in an investigation to establish if he was murdered, a Palestinian official said. Tawfiq Tirwai, who heads the committee to investigate Yasser Arafat’s death, made the announcement during a news conference Saturday in Ramallah. Nov. 27 will…. Related: Russia experts to participate in Arafat exhumation
Fatah delegation will visit Gaza Sunday
11/24/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Fatah leader Amin Maqboul said Saturday he will visit the Gaza Strip on Sunday with a delegation from his party. The visit was requested by Fatah chief President Mahmoud Abbas, he said. The 11-member delegation will visit the wounded and families of those killed after Israel’s eight-day bombardment….
Sources: Abbas meets Hamas figures in West Bank
11/24/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas met Saturday evening with Hamas figures in the West Bank at his Ramallah office, according to sources present at the meeting. The meeting discussed Abbas’ bid for upgraded UN membership, due for a vote on Thursday, as well as reconciliation between Hamas and his Fatah party, attendees….
Gaza journalist dies in Cairo
11/24/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – Palestinian journalist Ali Muhammad al-Agha died early Saturday in Cairo, family members said. He was 37. According to his family, al-Agha had been on vacation for 10 days when he felt pains and was evacuated to a hospital in Cairo late Friday where medics announced his death Saturday morning. Family….
Egypt’s Brotherhood calls protest to support Mursi
11/24/2012 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood called for a mass demonstration in Cairo on Tuesday to show support for President Mohamed Mursi, who is facing a storm of protest for issuing a decree that expanded his powers. In a statement published on its website, the Brotherhood also called for shows of support in public….
Lebanon army seizes men suspected of bomb plot against Shiites
11/24/2012 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — The Lebanese army said on Saturday it had arrested five Syrian men found with explosives and suspected of planning an attack on a Shiite Muslim procession on Sunday. The war in neighboring Syria, pitting majority Sunni Muslim rebels against President Bashar Assad’s inner circle of Alawites – an offshoot of Shiite Islam….
Official: Cairo will invite factions for reconciliation talks
11/24/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Egypt will invite Palestinian factions to Cairo to resume reconciliation talks after Palestine’s bid for a UN status upgrade this week, a political official said Saturday. Khalil Assaf, who heads the coalition of independents in the West Bank and also chairs the public freedoms committee established under the reconciliation….
Dubai plans massive tourism and retail project
11/24/2012 – DUBAI (Reuters) — Dubai announced plans for a huge tourism and retail development including the largest shopping mall in the world, a fresh sign that the glitzy emirate has recovered its commercial ambitions after a crippling corporate debt crisis three years ago. The development, on the outskirts of Dubai’s current downtown area, will include….
Morocco says breaks al-Qaida cell sending youth to Mali
11/24/2012 – RABAT (Reuters) — Morocco said on Saturday it had broken up a militant cell that was training youths to send them to fight in Mali, which has become the focus of international concern over the spread of Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. The interior ministry said in a statement on state news agency MAP it….
Date set for Arafat’s body to be exhumed
AlJazeera 24 Nov 2012 – Former Palestinian leader’s body to be tested for polonium following probe suggesting he may have been poisoned.
Israel eases some Gaza border restrictions
AlJazeera 24 Nov 2012 – As part of truce deal, Israel allowing farmers to visit land and fishermen to head further out to sea, residents say.
After the Truce Deal: Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Civilian , Wound 20 Others in Khan Yunis
Palestine News Network
Dr. Mustafa Barghouti: Israel’s Actions Threaten the Sustainability of the Ceasefire
Palestine News Network
MADA: ‘Yes’ to Holding Those Who Abuse Journalists to Account
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
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Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
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11/24/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – 24th November 2012, World Social Forum Free Palestine – See: www. wsfpalestine. net – From 28 November through 1 December, thousands of activists, organizers, youth, faith-based groups, trade unions, musicians, academics, and more will converge on Porto Alegre, Brazil for the first ever World Social Forum dedicated exclusively to Palestine. For those who are unable to join…. Related: World Social Forum Free Palestine
Update: Voices of Resistance
11/24/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – Haidar Eid, professor (Tel Al Hawa, Gaza) – “On November 19th, while death and destruction was still pouring down on Gaza I wrote: “Gaza 2009 was the Sharpeville and Guernica of Palestine. Gaza 2012 is Palestine’s Soweto 1976, that will lead inexorably to implementation of the Right of Return and the end of ALL….
occupied Palestinian territory: Hamas deploy police on Israel border to prevent incidents
Relief Web 24 Nov 2012 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 11/24/2012 16:42 GMT GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, Nov 24, 2012 (AFP) – Hamas temporarily deployed police on Gaza’s border with Israel to prevent incidents that could imperil a fresh truce, sources said on…
occupied Palestinian territory: After the ceasefire
Relief Web 24 Nov 2012 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet Country: occupied Palestinian territory By David Rohde Nov 23 (Reuters) – For now, the fighting has stopped in Israel and Gaza. But let’s be honest, this is the latest round in a long and bitter struggle….
occupied Palestinian territory: Gaza crisis ends in a ceasefire; Palestinians call for political unity ahead of UN bid [November 17 – November 24]
Relief Web 24 Nov 2012 – Source: MIFTAH Country: occupied Palestinian territory The past week started off with continued shelling of Gaza by Israel as Hamas and other factions fired rockets into Israel while Egypt was trying to facilitate a ceasefire between the two sides. A…
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Relief Web 24 Nov 2012 – Source: UN Children’s Fund Country: Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic (the), Turkey HIGHLIGHTS SYRIA: This week, over 1,100,000 measles doses supplied by UNICEF were pre-positioned at governorate level in preparation for the measles campaign, which will…
Cleaning product spilt on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road causes accidents
The National 24 Nov 2012 – A bus crashed into a barrier, spilling cleaning products across Sheikh Zayed Road and causing two further accidents.
Threat of school closure adds to parents’ woes in Dubai
The National 24 Nov 2012 – Al Farooq Pakistani Islamic School could close over a rent dispute, adding to an already serious shortage of places.
Dubai to build world’s biggest mall…again
The National 24 Nov 2012 – A massive new development unveiled by the Ruler of Dubai is to include the world’s biggest shopping mall – to beat the Dubai Mall – and more than 100 hotels.
Egyptian judges resist Morsi ‘assault’
The National 24 Nov 2012 – The country’s highest court joins growing list of leaders and activists denouncing power grab by Egypt’s Islamist president.
Dubai’s 2020 vision of 25 million expo visitors
The National 24 Nov 2012 – City wants to bring in 25 million people during a six-month world’s fair.
UK may ease visa rules for Emiratis
The National 24 Nov 2012 – The move comes after an announcement made by prime minister David Cameron during his visit to the country earlier this month.
Dubai private cricket museum bowls children over
The National 24 Nov 2012 – The cricket treasury now fills a spacious 4,000 square foot gallery located in the walled compound of Mr Bhatia’s Jumeirah residence.
Ambition is key to smashing glass ceiling
The National 24 Nov 2012 – Speakers at the Arab Women Leadership Forum stressed the importance of networking, training and personal ambition to help women climb the corporate ladder.
Bid to save stretch of untouched coastline runs into IDF obstacle
Ha’aretz – 24 Nov 2012
As Likud members head to polls, Netanyahu fights to keep party’s moderate image
Ha’aretz – 24 Nov 2012
In keeping Gaza truce with Israel, Hamas shows it has much more to lose
Ha’aretz – 24 Nov 2012
Jabari deputy likely to be Hamas’ next military commander
Ha’aretz – 24 Nov 2012
Police chief wants reform as Lieberman case falters
Ha’aretz – 24 Nov 2012
Israel’s Labor Party attacks Livni plan to throw hat into election race
Ha’aretz – 24 Nov 2012
Israel eases hold on Gaza border after truce deal, Hamas says
Ha’aretz – 24 Nov 2012
Iran’s Ahmadinejad: Gaza flare-up shows Israel’s must ‘bow’ to Palestinian rights
Ha’aretz – 24 Nov 2012
Hamas official says group won’t stop arming, despite truce with Israel
Ha’aretz – 24 Nov 2012
Palestinians: IDF arrests Hamas MP in West Bank
Ha’aretz – 24 Nov 2012
Middle East nuclear talks will not occur next month, says U.S.
Ha’aretz – 23 Nov 2012
Palestinians to UN Security Council: Israel’s breach of cease-fire threatens calm
Ha’aretz – 23 Nov 2012
Lebanon’s Nasrallah congratulates Hamas over ‘victory’
Ha’aretz – 23 Nov 2012
Clashes continue into the night in Egypt
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Prominent leader ElBaradei says there can be no talks with Egypt’s president until he rescinds “dictatorial” decree.
Fatah: We also fought against Israel in Pillar of Defense
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Gaza-based armed groups tied to Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party claim they fired 516 rockets at Israel during recent conflict; Fatah Central Committee member praises Hamas, Islamic Jihad, says Abbas was not against the “resistance.”
Settler group encourages double-voting in Likud
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Justice Ministry finds 2,800 illegal redundancies in the two right-wing parties’ membership.
Health Scan: Synthetic spinal discs fight back pain
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – One-tenth of people suffering from degenerated discs suffer from longterm pain and disability.
Living with The Beast on the teeter-totter
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – A Canadian/American registered nurse writes in an unusual new autobiography how she suffered for decades from bipolar disorder.
Expert: Innovators must expand to developing world
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Market expert tells ‘Post:’ Israel right to update solar tariffs; subsidies becoming less relevant.
Supplying Gaza
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Despite shipments of basic commodities to Gaza, we are pilloried as imposers of blockades and creators of humanitarian crises –nonexistent though they are – in the Strip.
Bankrupting terrorism – one interception at a time
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Iron Dome is a game-changer that not only consigns Hamas’ and Hezbollah’s current terror model to the trash can, it completely undermines the military doctrines of all of Israel’s enemies.
Hamas: Ending arms smuggling not part of truce
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Hamas official Risheq says deal with Israel to end fighting doesn’t include Egyptian commitment to stop flow of weapons into Gaza.
Out There: Rocket attacks and the rivers of Babylon
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – When a war breaks out, there is so much to worry about, so much that preoccupies the mind.
Israeli-PA row shaping up over Palestinian UN bid
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Israeli official warns Abbas “will pay a price” for statehood bid after PA president rebuffs US, European requests to postpone move.
Lessons learned?
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – If policy changes turn out to have strengthened Israeli deterrence, the ceasefire may last longer than the few years of the previous round.
Egyptian opposition: No dialogue with Morsi
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Prominent leader ElBaradei says there can be no talks with Egypt’s president until he rescinds “dictatorial” decree.
Yesh Atid adds Haredi candidate Dov Lipman
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Exclusive to ‘Post:’ Anglo activist Lipman announces he will be in top 20 on Yair Lapid’s party list for the next Knesset.
Lebanese army arrests Syrians for Shi’ite bomb plot
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Five men arrested for planned attack on Muslim procession; plot follows sectarian strife in Pakistan, 7 killed in roadside bomb.
Abbas refuses int’l requests to postpone UN bid
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – PA president turns down US, European requests to delay upgraded statehood bid; officials hope Gaza op will increase supporters.
Ahmadinejad: Israel must ‘bow’ to Palestinian rights
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Iranian president phones Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh, says Gaza op shows that “Zionists have reached the dead point.”
After Silicon Valley, TA ranks best for tech startup
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Tel Aviv ranked the No. 2 startup ecosystem in the world by researcher Startup Genome.
Gaza sees eased restrictions on fishing, farming
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Hamas officials, PM confirm Israel doubles fishing limit for Gazan fisherman on coast following Egyptian brokered truce.
Egyptian judges strike to protest Morsi decree
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Decision comes as youth, police clash near Tahrir Square, one day after more than 300 hurt in demonstrations across country.
Arafat to be exhumed next week in poison probe
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Investigation into former Palestinian leader’s death to begin after traces of poisonous substance allegedly found on his clothes.
Yacimovich to Livni: Don’t form party, join Labor
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Labor leader says if Livni forms her own party it will only serve to further fragment Center bloc that opposes Netanyahu.
US nixes talks to create nuclear-free Middle East
Jerusalem Post 24 Nov 2012 – Development likely to anger Arab states but please Israel; UK says conference being postponed rather than cancelled altogether.
Israel’s people are angry, but Netanyahu was right not to invade Gaza Strip | Gershon Baskin
The Guardian 24 Nov 2012 – It remains to be seen whether the prime minister’s show of strength will prove an effective deterrent A bad ceasefire is better than a good war. The majority of Israelis feel differently. The eight-day Gaza campaign…
Briefly President, Now Pharaoh
IPS When Mohamed Mursi was sworn in as president in June there were concerns that the first democratically elected president in Egyptian history would be subservient to the military council that had ruled the country since dictator Hosni Mubarak was toppled in early 2011. But by August, Mursi had pulled off…
Gaza’s Bloodshed Now Demands Unity of Fatah and Hamas
Uruknet
Revisiting Dust-Covered Dreams
Uruknet
Killing before the Calm: Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Civilians Escalated before Cease-fire
Uruknet
SHC seeks report on Dr Aafia’s missing son
Uruknet
Gaza Assault Shows a New Egypt
Uruknet
Guantanamo: A legacy of shame
Uruknet
The voices of Gaza’s children
Uruknet
Sweden harassing Iraqi refugees, rights group say
Uruknet
Iraq’s unveiled women face rising crackdown
Uruknet
Thousands fill Tahrir on Friday to protest Morsi’s new ‘dictatorial powers’ (Videos )
Uruknet
Egypt’s Brotherhood calls protest to support Mursi
Daily Star 24 Nov 2012 Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood call for a mass demonstration in Cairo to show support for President Mohammad Mursi, who is facing a storm of protest for issuing a decree that expanded his powers.
Israel said to ease restictions on Gaza fishing and farming
Daily Star 24 Nov 2012 Israel eases restrictions on Gaza fishermen on Saturday, further implementing a three-day-old truce brokered by Egypt after a week of fierce fighting, Palestinian officials said.
Top judicial body slams Mursi’s ‘unprecedented attack’
Daily Star 24 Nov 2012 Egypt’s highest judicial authority on Saturday slammed a decree by Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi that makes his decisions immune from judicial oversight as an “unprecedented attack.
Shiites mix Ashura rituals with politics in Iraq
Daily Star 24 Nov 2012 Shiite Muslims marching during Ashura rituals in the Iraqi shrine city of Karbala on Saturday mixed mourning the death of Imam Hussein over 1,300 years ago with chants condemning modern politicians.
Syria rebels ready final assault on Sheikh Suleiman base
Daily Star 24 Nov 2012 Rebels who have besieged Sheikh Suleiman army base for nearly two months are confident it will fall in days, giving them full control of a swathe of northwest Syria from Aleppo to the Turkish border.
Arafat’s remains said to be exhumed Tuesday
Daily Star 24 Nov 2012 Remains of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will be exhumed Tuesday as part of a renewed investigation into his death, a Palestinian investigator said Saturday.
U.N. rights team to visit Bahrain next week over crackdown
Daily Star 24 Nov 2012 U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay sends a team of experts to Bahrain next week to discuss how the Gulf state can improve its rights record.
Hezbollah-Hamas ties at stalemate, official says
Daily Star 24 Nov 2012 Syria’s crisis has caused a stalemate in the relation between Hezbollah and Hamas, Osama Hamdan, a Hamas official in Lebanon says.
Iran president congratulates Hamas on ‘victory’
Daily Star 24 Nov 2012 Iran’s President Mahmud Ahmadinejad congratulates Gaza’s Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya in a telephone call on a “great victory” over Israel.
Afghan ‘girl-in-green’ revisits Ashura massacre site
Daily Star 24 Nov 2012 In a brave gesture of defiance against suicide bombers, Afghanistan’s “girl-in-green” on Saturday revisits the scene of a Shiite Muslim holy-day massacre that made her image world famous.
Back to school in Gaza after Israel offensive
Daily Star 24 Nov 2012 Tens of thousands of children are returning to school in the Gaza Strip after eight days of cross-border fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, which rules the coastal enclave.
Israeli attack against Lebanon unlikely: Russia
Daily Star 24 Nov 2012 Russia rules out the possibility of an Israeli attack against Lebanon anytime soon, the country’s ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin says.
Egypt reformist warns of turmoil from Morsi decree
YNet News, 24 Nov 2012 – ….
Fire breaks out at State Dept., 3 seriously hurt
YNet News, 24 Nov 2012 – ….
ETA calls for talks over ‘definitive end’ with Spain, France
YNet News, 24 Nov 2012 – ….
Syria: Rebels take control of military airport
YNet News, 24 Nov 2012 – ….
Bomb kills four Yemenis marking Shi’ite Muslim Ashura festival
YNet News, 24 Nov 2012 – ….
With all due respect
YNet News, 24 Nov 2012 – Op-ed: Livni’s appeal to Peres to return to politics driven by cynical attempt to misuse support he receives as representative of the State ….
Arafat’s Grave to be opened Tuesday, says Official
WAFA – 24 Nov 2012
Activist: Israelis to Expand Settlement near Bethlehem
WAFA – 24 Nov 2012
Newspapers Review: Israel Ceasefire Breach Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 24 Nov 2012
University Students Clash with Israel Forces in Jenin
WAFA – 24 Nov 2012
Europe Welcomes Gaza Ceasefire
WAFA – 22 Nov 2012
Yasser Arafat’s body to be exhumed as cause of death is sought
LA Times 24 Nov 2012 – Many Palestinians believe he was poisoned by Israel in 2004. Forensic experts will see whether tissue samples match July tests that found radioactive traces on his belongings. RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian Authority announced Saturday that it would exhume the body of Yasser Arafat…
Syria refugee influx a crisis for Lebanon’s Shatila camp
LA Times 24 Nov 2012 – The population of the Shatila Palestinian camp on the outskirts of Beirut has nearly doubled to 25,000 since the start of the Syrian conflict, further straining the overtaxed enclave. BEIRUT — When clashes between Syrian rebels and government forces spilled into his Palestinian neighborhood outside…
Egypt judges denounce Morsi maneuver, threaten strike
LA Times 24 Nov 2012 – The Supreme Judicial Council urges President Mohamed Morsi to reverse his decree removing his office from judicial oversight. A broad strike by judges could cripple the court system. CAIRO — Political tension sharpened Saturday when judges threatened a nationwide strike and condemned President Mohamed Morsi…
Political cease-fire ends in Israel
LA Times 23 Nov 2012 – A truce with Hamas in place, campaigning for Israel’s January elections takes off. Observers say the conflict at best will be a neutral factor for Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Likud Party. JERUSALEM — Soon after the cease-fire took effect this week between Israel and…
Egypt unrest flares over Morsi’s move to broaden his power
LA Times 23 Nov 2012 – Clashes erupt and political offices aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood are burned in response to President Mohamed Morsi’s decree to free his office from judicial oversight. CAIRO — Clashes erupted across Egypt over President Mohamed Morsi’s decree expanding his authority, a move that sharpened lines…
Rival Palestinian factions’ success brings them closer
LA Times 23 Nov 2012 – Hamas‘ recent battle with Israel and Fatah’s expected victory at the U.N. have resurrected the Palestinian cause and provide the two sides a new chance at unity that has long eluded them. GAZA CITY — The Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah are intense rivals that…
News Analysis: On This, 2 Sides Agree: Fighting Hardened Positions
New York Times 24 Nov 2012 – The eight days of fighting between Hamas and Israel have left more than 160 people dead, and have dimmed hopes for reviving an already-moribund peace process.
Hamas Announcement Further Clouds Truce Talks
New York Times 24 Nov 2012 – The Hamas prime minister announced progress regarding restrictions on movements of fishermen and farmers, which the Israeli prime minister’s office denied.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Achieved by Leaving Thorny Issues Unresolved
New York Times 24 Nov 2012 – American officials assert that they have helped lay a foundation for progress in Gaza, but that careful attention is required in the days and weeks ahead.
Winter Threatens Syrian Refugees as Aid Falls Short
New York Times 24 Nov 2012 – Because of a lack of funds or access, hundreds of thousands face the onslaught of winter with inadequate shelter, senior government officials and relief organizations said.
Morsi Urged to Retract Edict to Bypass Judges in Egypt
New York Times 24 Nov 2012 – Judges rebelled against an edict by President Mohamed Morsi exempting his decrees from judicial review, calling for a judges’ strike as protesters took to the streets for a second day.
Palestinian Death Shows Confusion Over Gaza Truce
New York Times 24 Nov 2012 – The fatal shooting of a Palestinian man did not fracture the cease-fire that ended eight days of fighting between Hamas and Israel. But it did showcase the confusion that remains over the deal.
IDF Murders Gazan in First Major Ceasefire Violation
Tikun Olam – Heavily armed, threatening Gazans gather at border fence before IDF killed one and wounded 10 The ink was barely dry on the ceasefire document Israel signed, before it had already violated the terms by killing a 20 year old Gazan farmer and wounding ten others who’d…
Crisis in Gaza, Seattle Community Meeting
Tikun Olam –
My little child
Mondoweiss – This photo inspired me to write these words… My little Child, One day you will return to your normal life, you’ll go back to your school, You will walk along the streets that you used to walk and play at, Everything is going to be as…
UK’s Owen Jones: ‘What people on earth would tolerate…’
Mondoweiss – Owen Jones , popular 27 year old UK author /pundit/panelist and weekly columnist for the Independent caused quite a stir Thursday night (” Twitter went mental “) on the BBC’s ‘Qu estion Time ‘. The host reads off a question, ‘Do you think Israel was justified in bombing Gaza after…
Exile and the Prophetic: Square one
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. With the breaking news all around us, we can’t forget the fundamentals or the real issue, what needs to be done? Is…
Avigdor Lieberman: Israel will eventually need to reoccupy Gaza, overthrow Hamas
Mondoweiss – link to www.jpost.com link to www.maannews.net link to www.imemc.org link to www.maannews.net link towww.maannews.net link to www.ynetnews.com link to www.maannews.net link to www.maannews.net link towww.maannews.net link to www.maannews.net link to electronicintifada.net link to www.ipsnews.net link toelectronicintifada.net link to electronicintifada.net link to www.maannews.net link…
Munayyer: Fundamental change needed in Israeli and US policy towards the Palestinians
Mondoweiss – Hats off to Yousef Munayyer. Earlier this week the New Yorker published When the Smoke Clears in Gaza , advising “fundamental change” was needed in Israel’s approach to their relationship with Palestinians: “new paradigm.. based on equality”. Thanksgiving day, the New York Times published Munayyer’s wake up…
Rudoren is a step in the right direction
Mondoweiss – Phil , Adam and Rania Khalek have done a thorough job of covering Jodi Rudoren’s outlook, at least as it’s communicated through her social media feeds and work as a journalist. While I agree completely with their conclusions I don’t get the sense that Rudoren is malicious…
Morsi Power Grab Crisis Bares Egypt Divisions
The Foward Breaking News 24 Nov 2012 – Youths clashed with police in Cairo on Saturday as protests at new powers assumed by President Mohamed Mursi stretched into a second day, confronting Egypt with a crisis th a t has exposed the split between newly empowered Islamists and their opponents. Click here for the…
Hamas Sounds Defiant Note as Truce Holds
The Foward Breaking News 24 Nov 2012 – Israel eased restrictions on Gaza fishermen on Saturday, further implementing a three-day-old truce brokered by Egypt after a week of fierce fighting, Palestinian officials said. Click here for the rest of the article…
Yasser Arafat’s Body Will Be Exhumed
The Foward Breaking News 24 Nov 2012 – The body of the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will be exhumed on Tuesday, eight years after his death, in an investigation to establish if he was murdered, a Palestinian official said on Saturday. Click here for the rest of the article…
Nigeria: Pilgrims Secured From Crisis Zone – NCPC Boss
allAfrica.com 24 Nov 2012 – [Daily Trust]Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Mr. John Kennedy Opara, has said pilgrims from Nigeria have been prevented from visiting sites located in crisis areas within Israel and Palestine before the ceasefire.
Nigeria: Gaza – Qatari Emir’s Next Difficult Task
allAfrica.com 24 Nov 2012 – [Daily Trust]Many theories abound as to why Israel struck once again in Gaza, leaving the trail of death and destruction it usually does after such a show of aggression. Some people believe that Israeli leaders always need to add a war against Palestinians to their CV…
Nigeria: On Gaza, Again
allAfrica.com 24 Nov 2012 – [Daily Trust]Unthinkable just two years ago, all of a sudden the historically-spineless Arabs found some steel in their veins – and they were lining up to visit Gaza and show solidarity with the Palestinians who were under the umpteenth bombardment from the Israelis.
Tanzania: Mufti Condemns Gaza Atrocities
allAfrica.com 24 Nov 2012 – [Daily News]THE Chief Sheikh, Mufti Sheikh Shaaban Issa bin Simba, has condemned recent Israeli atrocities against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in which innocent men, women and children were killed.
Updates on Gaza, West Bank Arrests, and WHAT YOU CAN DO!
Palestine Solidarity Project 24 Nov 2012 – Greetings from Occupied Palestine. As many know, Israel was forced to agree to a ceasefire with the resistance in Gaza on Friday. Reports from Palestinian and international human rights organizations say that in the 8 day offensive, 173 Palestinians were killed, at least 67% of which…
Sure, you could say this was a Twitter War.
Joseph Dana 24 Nov 2012 – Sure, you could say this was a Twitter War. You would say that, of course, because Israel announced the launch of the fighting on Twitter. You would say that because after the fighting started, a second front opened on social media, including a brief Twitter pissing…
Lebanon holds ‘plotting’ Syrians
BBC 24 Nov 2012 – Five Syrians possessing explosives are arrested in Lebanon amid speculation they were planning an attack on Lebanese Shia Muslims.
Arafat to be exhumed on Tuesday
BBC 24 Nov 2012 – The body of Palestinian leader is to be exhumed on Tuesday, Palestinian officials announce, for tests to find whether he died of poisoning.
Behind the Pillar of Cloud – Gaza Severely Maimed
Sabbah report 24 Nov 2012 – The consequences of the recent assault on Gaza will only be visible when the dust has settled. But it will surely not depart from the aim expressed by former Israeli official Dov Weisglass in 2006: “The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but…
Few facts, a lot of racism: Palestine in US media
Sabbah report 24 Nov 2012 – American media does not only disregard atrocity of Israel bombardment of Gaza, but also promote the theory that identifies “being Muslim” as becoming a terrorist. Few facts, a lot of racism: Palestine in US media was published by Sabbah Report . Get Daily Newsletter , follow on Twitter ….
Richard Falk: Welcoming the Gaza ceasefire: First impressions
Sabbah report 24 Nov 2012 – Arab governments was far more pro-active, Hamas was treated as “a political actor” with sovereign authority, Abbas, have been sidelined, overshadowed, and irrelevant. Israel accepted obligations toward the people of Gaza that it would never have agreed to before war. Richard Falk: Welcoming the Gaza ceasefire:…
Robert Fisk: One of Israel’s great leftist warriors wants peace with Hamas and Gaza – but does the Knesset?
Sabbah report 24 Nov 2012 – PLO and Hamas want peace, but Israel want a Jewish state from the Mediterranean to the Jordan river, then what they are doing makes sense up to a point. Robert Fisk: One of Israel’s great leftist warriors wants peace with Hamas and Gaza – but does…
The Art of Conflict: Theater of War
Al-Akhbar News 24 Nov 2012 – Standing before the photographs of French artist Emeric Lhuisset, portraying fighters in majestic poses, the fallen silently mourned, the air thick with gun smoke amid a verdant mountain setting, an eerie sense of familiarity pervades. The dramatic images of Theater of War – an exhibit currently…
Explaining Mursi’s Decisions
Al-Akhbar News 24 Nov 2012 – An anti-Mursi protester carries a sign that reads: “Go away Mursi, Egypt is too big for you. People want the fall of the regime” during a sit-in at Tahrir square to protest a decree issued by President Mohamed Mursi in Cairo 24 November 2012. (Photo: Reuters…
The Right Time for a Coup in Sudan?
Al-Akhbar News 24 Nov 2012 – Sudanese Information Minister Ahmed Bilal Osman speaks during a press conference in the capital Khartoum on 22 November 2012 (Photo: AFP – Ebrahim Hamid) Sudanese Information Minister Ahmed Bilal Osman speaks during a press conference in the capital Khartoum on 22 November 2012 (Photo: AFP -…
Judge strike planned in Egypt over Mursi power grab
Al-Akhbar News 24 Nov 2012 – Judges in the major Egyptian city of Alexandria announced Saturday that they would go on strike after a decree granted sweeping powers to President Mohammed Mursi. The presidential decree issued Thursday night granted Mursi near-absolute power, shielding his decisions from judicial review until the final drafting…
PA complains to Security Council about Israel ceasefire violation
Al-Akhbar News 24 Nov 2012 – The Palestinian Authority’s UN observer has submitted a complaint to the UN Security Council after Israeli forces violated an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestine’s Ma’an news agency. The Israeli army killed one person and injured 19 at the Gazan border area…
Army arrests five accused of Ashoura bomb plot
Al-Akhbar News 24 Nov 2012 – The Lebanese army has raided the home of five Syrian nationals in Nabatiyeh where 450 grams of explosive material, and three explosive charges were discovered, according to an army statement Saturday. The suspects were accused of planning to use the explosives at Ashoura commemorations this weekend,…
Mohammad al-Daif: The “Phantom” Hamas Leader
Al-Akhbar Politics 23 Nov 2012 – Gunmen from the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, line up outside the house of their late leader Ahmed Jaabari, after mourners finished visiting his family to pay their condolences in Gaza City on 22 November 2012. (Photo: Marco Longari) Gunmen from the Ezzedine…
Palestinian families under fire in the Gaza Strip
Al-Haq 24 Nov 2012 – Ad: Wake Up America: How To Survive Change And Obama Without Guns, Money – The Fed Warned Banks To Be Ready For Possible Collapse Between The Election And Inauguration, And Not To Count On Government Bailout. How To Survive What’s Coming Begs A Better Understanding Than…
Egyptian judges call for strike
BBC 24 Nov 2012 – Egyptian judges call for a nationwide strike amid protests against a decree by President Mohammed Mursi to grant himself sweeping new powers.
Lebanon holds ‘plotting’ Syrians
BBC 24 Nov 2012 – Five Syrians possessing explosives are arrested in Lebanon amid speculation they were planning an attack on Lebanese Shia Muslims.
Arafat to be exhumed on Tuesday
BBC 24 Nov 2012 – The body of Palestinian leader is to be exhumed on Tuesday, Palestinian officials announce, for tests to find whether he died of poisoning.
Articles
Welcoming the Gaza ceasefire: First impressions
Richard Falk, Al Jazeera.com 11/24/2012
The latest ceasefire between Gaza and Israel portends to positive developments – if it lasts.
The Gaza ceasefire, unlike a similar ceasefire achieved after Operation Cast Lead four years ago, is an event that has a likely significance far beyond ending the violence after eight days of murderous attacks. It is just possible that it will be looked back upon as a turning point in the long struggle between Israel and Palestine.
Many have talked about “the fog of war”, but it pales besides the “the fog of truce making”, and in our media-infected air, the outcomes are already being spun in all possible directions. Supporters of each side give their own spin allowing both to proclaim “victory”. But as with the violent phases of the conflict, it is clarifying to distinguish the more persuasive claims and interpretations from those that are less persuasive. What follows is one such attempt at such clarification.
It remains too soon to tell whether the ceasefire will hold for very long, and if it does, whether its central provisions will be implemented in good faith. At this early moment, the prospects are not promising. Israel has already used excessive violence to disperse Palestinians who gathered on the Gaza side of the border to celebrate what they thought was their new freedom to venture close to the border. Israeli security forces, after firing warning shots, killed one Palestinian civilian and wounded another 20 others with live ammunition. The Israeli explanation was that it had given warnings, and since there had been no agreement implementing the ceasefire, the old regime of control was still in place. It is notable that Hamas protested, but made no moves to cancel the ceasefire or to retaliate violently, but the situation remains tense and fragile. more.. e-mail
The Big Winner is Hamas
Uri Avnery, CounterPunch 11/23/2012
The mantra of this round was Once And For All.
“We must put an end to this (the rockets, Hamas, the Palestinians, the Arabs?) Once and For All!” – this cry from the heart was heard dozens of times daily on TV from the harassed inhabitants of Israel’s battered towns and villages in the South.
It has displaced the slogan which dominated several decades: “Bang And Finish!”
It did not quite work.
The big winner emerging from the cloud is Hamas.
Until this round, Hamas had a powerful presence in the Gaza Strip, but practically no international standing. The international face of the Palestinian people was Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian National Authority.
No more.
Operation Pillar of Cloud has given the Hamas mini-state in Gaza wide international recognition. (Pillar of Cloud is the official Hebrew name, though the army spokesman decreed that the English name, for foreign consumption, should be Pillar of Defense.) Heads of state and droves of other foreign dignitaries made their pilgrimage to the Strip.
First was the powerful and immensely rich Emir of Qatar, owner of Aljazeera. He was the first head of state ever to enter the Gaza strip. Then came the Egyptian prime minister, the Tunisian foreign minister, the secretary of the Arab League and the collected Arab foreign ministers (except the one from Ramallah.) more.. e-mail
Why Gaza?
Assaf Kfoury, Israeli Occupation Archive 11/22/2012
Three weeks before Israel launched its Operation Pillar of Defense on November 14, 2012 I was part of an academic delegation on a short trip to the Gaza Strip on October 18-22. For the mainstream media, October was a “normal” time, because hardships endured by Gazans are not newsworthy when there are no F-16’s dropping laser-guided smart bombs. That one or two Gazans were killed by Israeli army patrols from one week to the next in October, because they had transgressed the limits of the Israeli siege, went largely unnoticed.
But such are the ethical standards of the mainstream media, genuflecting to power and ignoring the oppressed. One way to see through the ideological fog is to experience “normal” conditions from close range. Inside the Gaza Strip in October, we directly witnessed the devastating effects of the sanctions, the siege, the sea blockade and – more fundamentally – the long systematic evisceration that Gaza has suffered over several decades.
On November 14, 2012 Israeli President Shimon Peres explained why Israel launched its Operation Pillar of Defense by saying “for the past five days there has been constant missile fire at Israel and mothers and children cannot sleep quietly at night.” In response to Mr. Peres’ one-sided compassion: If the sleepless nights of Palestinian mothers and children also count for something, honesty dictates a very different chronology.
On November 5, a 20-year old Palestinian civilian, Ahmad al-Nabaheen, was shot dead by Israeli soldiers after inadvertently drifting close to the border. On November 8, a 13-year old Palestinian boy playing soccer near his house, Hamid Younis Abu Daqqa, was killed by machine gun fire, either from Israeli helicopters or tanks that had crossed into Gaza territory…. more.. e-mail
Netanyahu’s high-stakes game in Gaza
Ramzy Baroud, Ma’an News Agency 11/24/2012
Many key phrases have been presented to explain Israel’s latest military onslaught against Gaza, which left scores dead and wounded.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is flexing his muscles in preparation for the Israeli general elections in January, suggested some. It is Israel’s way of testing the administration of Egyptian President Muhammad Mursi, commented others. It was a stern message to Iran, instructed few. Or that Israel is simply assessing its ‘deterrence’ capabilities. And so on.
But there is more than those ready-to-serve analyses. It has been four years since Israel mixed up the cards through an unhindered show of force. Last time it did so was in 2008-09, in a 22-day war it termed ‘Operation Cast Lead’. Then, it killed over 1,400 Palestinians and wounded over 5,000 others. Excluding Israel’s diehard supporters, the general consensus was, including that of many UN and international rights organizations: Israel committed war crimes and crimes against humanity deserving of international tribunals and due retribution.
Of course, none took place. The US government and media stood as an impenetrable shield between Israel’s accused war criminals and those daring to level accusations. Four years later little has changed. Then as it is now, Israel was embarking on national elections, and since ‘security’ is Israel’s enduring strategy whether in national or international politics, it was suddenly realized that Gaza posed a ‘security threat’, thus had to be suppressed or at least taught a lesson.
Never mind that a truce was in effect and was mostly holding up, that it was Israel that provoked Palestinian factions to retaliate – before the retaliation was itself considered the original act of aggression as willfully validated by mainstream western media. more.. e-mail
Pillar of Impotence
Dissident Voice: 24 Nov 2012 – In the past week, the people of Gaza have been subject to some serious Israeli attacks. Some Hamas leaders and militants have been murdered and many more Palestinians — innocent civilians, babies, kids women and elders — have lost their lives. Yet, Gaza is celebrating, and the Hamas leadership was never more popular. So here is an interesting anecdote that deserves our attention. During the recent clashes Gazan militants launched more than 1500 rockets at Israel. These rockets caused rather limited damage with six known Israeli fatalities. Militarily at least, this is far from a great achievement. And yet the Gazans are celebrating. Would Israelis be happy to learn that 1500 of their rockets had had such limited effect? Would any western army accept such a result at such a cost? The answer is a categorical NO. But the Palestinians are ecstatic, why, because they know they have won the…more
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