17 December 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Soldiers Kidnap Five Palestinians In Nablus
IMEMC – Israeli soldiers invaded, on Monday at dawn, different parts of the of the northern West Bank district of Nablus, broke into and searched several homes, and kidnapped five Palestinians including a school headmaster, and a Palestinian security officer. …
Four, Including A Wounded Resident, Kidnaped Near Ramallah
IMEMC – Israeli soldiers invaded, on Monday at dawn, Beit Reema village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, and kidnapped four residents, including three brothers, and a resident who was shot by the army. …
Israeli Soldiers Open Fire At Farmers In Gaza
IMEMC – Israeli soldiers attacked, Sunday, dozens of Palestinian farmers working on their lands in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip; damage was reported, no injuries. …
Israel approves 1,500 more settler homes in East Jerusalem
12/17/2012 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israel approved plans to build 1,500 more Jewish settler homes in East Jerusalem on Monday, an official said, days after provoking international protests against a project for another 3,000 such homes on land it captured in the 1967 Six-Day War. Washington had condemned the latest plans, for ultra-Orthodox neighborhood Ramat Shlomo, when they…. Related: Abbas orders UN envoy to complain to Security Council over settlements
Clashes erupt as Israeli forces raid Jenin village
12/17/2012 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Monday raided Jaba village in the northern West Bank, leading to clashes with locals. Five army jeeps entered Jaba village at around noon, and young men pelted soldiers with stones and bottles as soldiers fired tear gas and rubber bullets, witnesses told Ma’an. Soldiers ransacked several….
Abbas orders UN envoy to complain to Security Council over settlements
12/17/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas has instructed UN envoy Riyad Mansour to contact representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to stop Israeli settlement plans in East Jerusalem. Israel on Monday approved plans to build 1,500 more Jewish settler homes in East Jerusalem on Monday, an official said, days…. Related: Israel approves 1,500 more settler homes in East Jerusalem
Dismissed UNRWA employees protest in Bethlehem tent
12/17/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an)– Former employees of UNRWA are protesting their dismissal in a tent in Duheisha refugee camp near Bethlehem. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has laid off over 100 employees in what it says is a last resort after a reduction in donor funding. Hussein Shamarkha, 40, worked as a an assistant…. Related: Refugee camps to escalate UNRWA protests
Refugee camps to escalate UNRWA protests
12/17/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The heads of popular committees in refugee camps across the West Bank met Monday in Ramallah and agreed to escalate protests against UNRWA. Demonstrators will shut down all UNRWA offices on Tuesday to protest the dismissal of over 100 staff at the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, the committee chairman said…. Related:Dismissed UNRWA employees protest in Bethlehem tent
Blast shakes Lebanese border town near Israel
12/17/2012 – TAIR HARFA, Lebanon (Reuters) — A big explosion rocked the southern Lebanese town of Tair Harfa on Monday, five km from the border with Israel but there were no casualties, residents said. A Lebanese security source said the blast was caused by a rocket that had been fired into Lebanon during the 2006 war with Israel….
Pope tells Abbas of hope for Mideast solution after UN vote
12/17/2012 – VATICAN CITY (Reuters) — Pope Benedict told President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday the Vatican hoped the recent de facto recognition of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations would spur the international community to find a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Abbas, who is on a tour of Europe to thank countries that supported the Nov. 29….
West Bank teachers strike over unpaid wages
12/17/2012 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Teachers in the West Bank went on strike on Monday to protest continued delays by the Palestinian Authority to pay their wages. The general union of teachers decided late Sunday to stage a comprehensive strike in all West Bank schools as the PA failed to set a date for the payment….
Hamas ‘refuses Fatah rally’ in Gaza City square
12/17/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Hamas government in Gaza has refused a request to hold Fatah’s 48th anniversary celebrations in Gaza City’s al-Katiba Square, a Fatah spokesman said Monday. Fayez Abu Aita said Fatah “regretted” Hamas‘ refusal to allow the party to stage a festival in the square, which he…. Related: Hamas: Fatah can celebrate anniversary in Gaza
Public sector union announces strikes across West Bank
12/17/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority civil servants union on Monday accused Israel of collective punishment for withholding Palestinian tax revenues and announced strike action over non-payment of salaries. Union chief Bassam Zakarneh said government employees would strike from noon Tuesday until the end of the week. Civil servants have not received November salaries….
Hamas: Fatah can celebrate anniversary in Gaza
12/17/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Hamas-run Ministry of Interior has agreed to allow Fatah to celebrate its 48th anniversary in Gaza, a ministry spokesman said Monday. Islam Shahwan said government authorities would contact Fatah members to coordinate arrangements for the festival, adding that Hamas would permit the celebrations “to promote the atmosphere of unity…. Related: Hamas ‘refuses Fatah rally’ in Gaza City square
PLO official: Thousands flee Damascus camp
12/17/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Over half the Palestinian population of a Damascus refugee camp has fled, a PLO official said Monday, after Syrian forces killed 25 people in an aerial attack a day earlier. PLO official in Syria Anwar Abdul-Hadi told Ma’an that Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk camp had been suffering terrible conditions…. Related: Syrian troops, tanks gather outside Palestinian camp in Damascus and Palestinians flood into Lebanon after Damascus fighting
Syrian troops, tanks gather outside Palestinian camp in Damascus
12/17/2012 – BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian troops and tanks on Monday gathered outside the Palestinian Yarmouk camp in Damascus, scene of clashes between Palestinians loyal to President Bashar Assad and rebels backed by Palestinian fighters. Clashes inside the camp continued on Monday with thousands of people fleeing to nearby suburbs. Syrian jets bombed the camp on Sunday killing…. Related: PLO official: Thousands flee Damascus camp and Palestinians flood into Lebanon after Damascus fighting
Palestinians flood into Lebanon after Damascus fighting
12/17/2012 – MASNAA, Lebanon (Reuters) — Hundreds of Palestinian refugees living in Syria flooded into Lebanon on Monday after clashes raged between Palestinian factions loyal to and opposed to President Bashar Assad in a district of Damascus. A Reuters witness at the border said they came in buses and cars piled high with belongings. A Lebanese security source…. Related: PLO official: Thousands flee Damascus camp and Syrian troops, tanks gather outside Palestinian camp in Damascus
Man stabbed to death in Jerusalem
12/17/2012 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian man in his 20s was stabbed to death on Monday in Sur Bahir, south of Jerusalem. Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Al-Samari told Ma’an a Palestinian suspect was arrested at a checkpoint shortly after the incident. She said initial investigations suggest the stabbing followed a dispute between families….
UN chief alarmed by escalating violence in Syria
12/17/2012 – UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed alarm on Sunday at the worsening violence in Syria, including the reported mass killing of Alawites and alleged firing of long-range missiles on Syrian territory, Ban’s spokesman said.” The Secretary-General is alarmed by the continued dramatic escalation of violence in Syria over the past several….
Syrian forces surround Palestinian camp
AlJazeera 17 Dec 2012 – Troops stationed outside Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus day after air raid killed eight people there.
Israel approves 1,500 more settler homes
AlJazeera 17 Dec 2012 – Construction plan in Ramat Shlomo in East Jerusalem revived, prompting Palestinians to demand UN meeting over the issue.
Environmental Education Center Starts its Third Conference entitled “Eco-justice of Palestine”
Palestine News Network
Israeli Soldiers Shoot, Arrest Young Palestinian from Ramallah
Palestine News Network
Israeli Authorities Renew Administrative Detention of Omar al-Barghouti
Palestine News Network
UFree Network to Participate in Global ‘Electronic Day of Action’ in Support of Hunger Striking Prisoners
Palestine News Network
Hossam”: A Crime Committed Against the Prisoner Nahid Aqra
Palestine News Network
012
Palestine News Network
Italian Town Councils Take a Stand for Palestinian Rights, Oppose Companies Violating International Law
Palestine News Network
Cremisan VS the Israeli Apartheid Wall
Palestine News Network
UNRWA Calls on Syrian Authorities to Protect Palestinian Refugee Camps
Palestine News Network
IOF Shoots Palestinian Fishing Boats in Gaza, Palestinian Injured
Palestine News Network
IOF Troops Arrest Several Palestinians from the West Bank
Palestine News Network
International Solidarity Movement
Homes searched during Israeli incursion in H1 Hebron
12/17/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – By Team Khalil, 16 December 2012, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – One Palestinian was arrested and many were harassed by Israeli soldiers on Sunday evening between 6pm and 7:30 pm during an incursion into the Palestinian Authority controlled area of Hebron. Israeli occupation forces entered the Tel Rumeida area in H1. Homes and shops….
Three people shot in Madama, Palestine
12/17/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – 17 December 2012, International Solidarity Movement, Madama, Occupied Palestine – Israeli settlers, then the Israeli army violently attacked the village of Madama, near Nablus, West Bank. Three people were shot with live ammunition and one person was kidnapped by Israeli settlers. It all started at 10. 30 this morning when two brothers and their sister were attacked….
Alternative Information Center
Israeli foreign minister resigns
Alternative Information Center – Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman handed in his resignation at the weekly Cabinet meeting Sunday morning and declared “I am leaving temporarily.” Lieberman declares that he has broken no laws, and that his resignation allows him more…
Syrian Arab Republic (the): Syrian rebels take control of Damascus Palestinian camp
Relief Web 17 Dec 2012 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic (the) Mon, 17 Dec 2012 23:12 GMT Rebels control camp after pro-Assad fighters pull out Hundreds of Palestinian families flee to Lebanon Syrian VP most prominent figure to…
Lebanon: Palestinians flood into Lebanon after Damascus fighting
Relief Web 17 Dec 2012 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic (the) Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:19 GMT Source: Reuters // Reuters Hundreds of Palestinian families arrive at border Clashes rage in Palestinian district of Damascus Intra-Palestinian fighting in Syria…
Jordan: Rethinking the Response to Refugees in Jordan: Local Based Assistance, Urban Refugees and Host Communities
Relief Web 17 Dec 2012 – Source: US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Country: Iraq, Jordan, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic (the) The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) visited Jordan in July and November of 2012, to meet with refugees, government officials, and…
occupied Palestinian territory: Gaza fisherman shot, army arrests West Bankers
Relief Web 17 Dec 2012 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 12/17/2012 12:35 GMT GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, Dec 17, 2012 (AFP) – Israeli naval forces shot and wounded a Palestinian fisherman in waters off the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, sources on both…
occupied Palestinian territory: Israel green-lights 1,500 settler homes in east Jerusalem
Relief Web 17 Dec 2012 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 12/17/2012 19:19 GMT by Steve Weizman JERUSALEM, Dec 17, 2012 (AFP) – Israel gave the green light Monday for a plan denounced by Washington to build 1,500 settler homes in annexed east Jerusalem,…
Nearly 30,000 Egyptians turn out in UAE to vote on constitution
The National 17 Dec 2012 – Over six days of voting, a total of 13,470 ballots were cast at the Egyptian Embassy in the capital, and about 16,000 at the consulate in Dubai.
Assad’s deputy: we can’t win Syria’s civil war
The National 17 Dec 2012 – Views of top regime figure may be overture by Bashar Al Assad’s regime seeking to portray itself as ready for a political solution.
UAE’s Sheikh Abdullah urges Egypt to probe ‘plot’ claims
The National 17 Dec 2012 – The Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, yesterday urged the Egyptian ambassador to investigate “baseless” claims about the UAE in the Egyptian media.
Dialogue is key to Arab and Latino partnership, Abu Dhabi forum hears
The National 17 Dec 2012 – Latin American political heavyweights stress the need for teamwork if the two regions are to have a real effect on world organisations.
Muslim Brotherhood’s Libya affiliate Sawan bullish on progress
The National 17 Dec 2012 – Mohammed Sawan says his party’s star is rising amid growing unease about Libya’s elected government.
Somali pirates who hijacked UAE ship ‘did not mean any harm’
The National 17 Dec 2012 – Ten Somali pirates who hijacked the UAE ship MV-Arrilah in April last year did not mean any harm, their defence lawyer told a court yesterday.
UAE residents being asked to donate towards cost of world’s largest flag
The National 17 Dec 2012 – Flag will span 500,000 square metres and cost Dh11.75 million.
Egypt referendum dispute triggers protest call
The National 17 Dec 2012 – Opposition calls for mass protests over alleged polling violations after Islamists backing president Mohammed Morsi claim victory in constitution referendum.
Poll: 67% of centrist Israelis wouldn’t elect party that splits Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
Urbanites at higher risk for Salmonella, Israeli study shows
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
Israeli greens up in arms over building plans on last stretch of major sand dunes
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
Shas’ unexpected campaign target: Religious Zionist party Habayit Hayehudi
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
Israeli treasury balks at striking nurses, but plans massive raise for Ashdod Port workers
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
Likud officials bemoan ‘boring’ campaign strategy
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
Livni refuses to rule out joining Netanyahu-led government
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
Israel approves construction of 1,500 homes in East Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
WATCH: IDF video shows Israeli officer shooting Palestinian who attacked guard
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
A Palestinian boycott of Israeli goods won’t hurt Israel
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
State to High Court: Israeli settlers to be evacuated from Hebron house by April
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
State had one week to appeal release of South Sudanese migrant, but tried to deport him instead
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
Report: Three-quarters of Israelis see socioeconomic collapse as bigger existential threat than Iran
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox rabbis fail to heal election split
Ha’aretz – 17 Dec 2012
Israeli nurses, treasury resume talks in bid to end two-week strike
Ha’aretz – 16 Dec 2012
Ronny Ron appeals conviction for granddaughter’s murder, blames child’s mother
Ha’aretz – 16 Dec 2012
Police make progress in Bar Noar shooting case
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Tel Aviv police announce significant development in investigation into 2009 shooting at gay youth center that left 2 dead.
UN sees risk of escalation in Syria-Israel tensions
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – US and Russian-drafted UN Security Council resolution warns tensions between Israel, Syria could escalate in Golan.
Palestinian and Israeli injured in Yitzhar clashes
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Clashes outside the Yitzhar settlement in the West Bank broken up through riot dispersal means.
IDF video shows Hebron teen shooting
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Army releases clip that purports to show incident in which female Border Police officer killed a 17-yr-old Palestinian.
Iranian official heads to Moscow for Syria talks
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Amid escalating violence in Syria, Iranian deputy FM heads to Russia to discuss crisis with counterpart Mikhail Bogdanov.
MKs debate at Jerusalem Open House
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin joined representatives from many of the left-wing parties at gay and lesbian community center.
No Holds Barred: Jewish lust verses Christian love
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Interestingly, whereas Christianity believes that marriages should be based on love and friendship, Judaism believes they should be based on lust and desire.
Paper peace, paper god
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Let’s stop worshiping the false god, and let’s stop pretending that the PLO and Hamas ever want to be our friends.
Encountering Peace: Partners in dispute
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Partnership doesn’t come naturally and it doesn’t exist when only one side wants it. Partnership has to be created and nurtured and built on and supported.
Morsi: The new Pharaoh or a beacon of democracy?
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – So will there be democracy in Arab countries? That would seem unlikely in the immediate future.
A Turkish Muslim perspective on the Shoah
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – As Turks, as Muslims as much as we want the welfare of humanity, we want Jews to live in peace as well.
A second term Obama administration and the Mideast
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – The changes in the region will force Obama to make some difficult decisions on how to act regarding Egypt, Syria, Palestinians, and Iran.
A-G recommends against banning Zoabi runn
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Weinstein says there isn’t enough evidence to warrant disqualifying Zoabi, UAL-Ta’al, Balad, Strong Israel from Knesset run.
Livni, Peretz present ‘revolutionary’ economic plan
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – In response to “Latet” poverty report, Livni Party suggests differential Value Added Tax.
Ministry to advance approvals of 6,500 units in east J’lem
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – After three years in limbo following major diplomatic crises between US, Israel, 1,500 apartment units in Ramat Shlomo receive final approval; more units expected to be approved throughout the week; PA condemn decision.
Abu Dhabi develops tunnel vision
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – New tunnel will to ease traffic congestion.
Palestinians flood to Lebanon amid Syrian violence
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Palestinian refugees living in Syria flee to Lebanon after clashes erupt in Damascus district; Syrian troops surround refugee camp.
Poverty report paints disturbing picture of Israel
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Annual alternative poverty report says 2012 is a “bad year” for Israel with increase in begging, hunger and social inequality.
Security forces arrest terror suspects in Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Police arrest several Palestinian residents from Shuafat refugee camp on suspicion of recent Molotov, stone throwing attacks.
Syrian FM: Palestinians must not shelter terrorists
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Troops, tanks surround camp as refugees flee to Lebanon; Al-Moualem tells Ban Ki-moon Palestinians should expel terrorists.
Iranian FM: Nuclear deadlock with West must end
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Salehi says Iran, world powers are both ready to “exit the current stalemate” over the Iranian nuclear program.
Yemeni Jews to be participate in national dialogue
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Analysts: The inclusion of the small Jewish community in the NDC could be a first step to making them equal.
Wandering Jew: View from Vienna
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Austrian capital is filled with rich Jewish history, including Holocaust memorial and museum dedicated to Sigmund Freud.
Man breaks into Bnei Brak military arms factory
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Police arrest man suspected of breaking into a factory owned by defense firm Elbit Systems, attacking female security guard.
Funerals to begin for Newtown shooting victims
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Jewish-American Noah Pozner and Jack Pinto, both victims of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, to be laid to rest.
Explosion rocks Lebanese town near Israel border
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – Lebanese security source says blast caused by undetonated rocket fired by Israel during 2006 war with Hezbollah.
250 b. barrels of shale discovery a ‘game-changer’
Jerusalem Post 17 Dec 2012 – US expert celebrates find, says molecular research of new resource will provide better understanding of alternative fuels.
Most Israelis have supplemental health insurance
Jerusalem Post 16 Dec 2012 – Health Ministry says Arab citizens are significantly less likely to purchase extra coverage.
CIA: Pollard’s life sentence due to ‘Post’ interview
Jerusalem Post 16 Dec 2012 – Declassified CIA damage assessment of Jonathan Pollard case says he violated plea bargain terms by giving interview to ‘Post.’
Convicted terrorist who tried to blow up Israeli plane fails to win parole
The Guardian 17 Dec 2012 – Judge upholds decision that Nezar Hindawi must remain in jail after planting bomb in pregnant fiancee’s hand luggage in 1986 A convicted terrorist who has served 26 years in prison for trying to blow up an…
Syrian army tanks close in on Damascus Palestinian camp
The Guardian 17 Dec 2012 – Residents fear Assad loyalists will enter in search of rebel groups after refugees become drawn into conflict in Syria Syrian tanks have closed in on the entrances to the largest Palestinian camp in Damascus after battles…
Ceasefire Means ‘Nothing’ to Gaza Fishers
IPS Shortly after Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire agreement on Nov. 21, the Israeli navy abducted 30 Palestinian fishers from Gaza’s waters, destroyed and sank a Palestinian fishing vessel, and confiscated nine fishing boats in the space of four days. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) reported that fourteen…
Occupation Can’t Stifle Innovation
IPS Afnan Hamad stands proudly in front of a booth at the Ramallah Cultural Palace exhibition hall, three plastic bottles filled with discoloured liquid on the table in front of her. “We designed a device to convert plastic waste into gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuel,” explains the 23-year-old chemical engineering graduate…
Some Take Cannabis Illicitly, Israelis Take it Seriously
IPS With his shaky hands, eighty-year-old Moshe Roth can barely pour the green powder into his pipe. Seated in a wheelchair, he murmurs in a trembling voice, “Even the scent’s good.” He survived the Holocaust as a child; he survived a stroke two years ago and almost lost the use of…
Christmas message from the mayor of Bethlehem
Uruknet
PA condemns Syrian regime after Yarmouk attack
Uruknet
Syria warplanes bomb mosque in Palestinian refugee camp , killing 25 (Video )
Uruknet
Peter Beinart’s Open Zion apologizes for one smear against BDS activists, but then spreads another
Uruknet
The referendum and 20 billion dollars from Qatar
Uruknet
Egypt opposition alleges referendum rigging as Islamists claim victory
Uruknet
Racism and discrimination key to Jewish hegemony in Jerusalem
Uruknet
God Damn You, America, and Your White, Privileged Grief
Uruknet
012 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet
Corruption just an everyday occurrence in Afghanistan
Uruknet
US-Iraq ties still evolving a year after war’s end
Daily Star 17 Dec 2012 A year after the last American troops rumbled out of Iraq, the two countries are still trying to get comfortable with a looser, more nuanced relationship as the young democracy struggles to cope with political upheaval…
Unrest marks Tunisia revolution anniversary event
Daily Star 17 Dec 2012 Protesters threw stones and tomatoes and booed Tunisian leaders Monday at a ceremony marking two years since the start of an uprising that changed regimes around the Arab world.
Iran cautiously ponders Syria after Assad
Daily Star 17 Dec 2012 It wasn’t exactly a break-up moment between Iran and ally Bashar Assad. But Tehran’s whiplash diplomacy over the weekend suggested its embrace of the Syrian president could be cooling.
Egypt referendum dispute triggers protest call
Daily Star 17 Dec 2012 Egypt’s opposition is calling for mass protests on Tuesday over alleged polling violations after Islamists backing President Mohamed Morsi claimed victory in the first round of a referendum on a new charter.
Clinton gets accountability report on Benghazi attacks
Daily Star 17 Dec 2012 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday received an official review of the September attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.
Syria PM makes rare visit to Aleppo
Daily Star 17 Dec 2012 Syria’s prime minister made a rare visit to the war-torn city of Aleppo on Monday and pledged $4 million in aid, a state television station said.
Movement seen in fiscal fight talks
Daily Star 17 Dec 2012 Obama and the Republican leader of the U.S. House met at the White House on Monday in hopes of continuing to make progress on a plan to deal with the “fiscal cliff” crisis that threatens the…
Egypt’s new public prosecutor resigns
Daily Star 17 Dec 2012 Egypt’s new public prosecutor, appointed by President Mohamed Mursi last month, has resigned from his post, judicial sources and the main state newspaper al-Ahram said on Monday.
Israel pushes on with east Jerusalem building plan
Daily Star 17 Dec 2012 Israel on Monday said it was pushing forward with plans to build hundreds of homes in a Jewish settlement of east Jerusalem, risking renewed tensions with the Palestinians and its Western allies over the contentious project.
Iran’s supreme leader “likes” Facebook
Daily Star 17 Dec 2012 Facebook – banned in Iran due to its use by activists to rally government opponents in 2009 – has an unlikely new member: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Wave of Iraq attacks kills 48 people
Daily Star 17 Dec 2012 A wave of attacks targeting both Iraqi security forces and civilians killed 48 people on Monday, in a second day of deadly violence ahead of the first anniversary of the withdrawal of US forces.
UN to step up contact with opposition inside Syria
YNet News, 17 Dec 2012 – ….
The Lieberman within me
YNet News, 17 Dec 2012 – Op-ed: Yaron London discusses his constant battle with ‘chronic disease’ most Jews have contracted ….
Syrian rebels take over Palestinian camp in Damascus
YNet News, 17 Dec 2012 – ….
US man arrested after threatening school on FB
YNet News, 17 Dec 2012 – ….
While nurses strike, Ashdod dock workers get raises
YNet News, 17 Dec 2012 – ….
Labor: J’lem building is ‘redundant and harmful’
YNet News, 17 Dec 2012 – ….
First Zoabi, then you
YNet News, 17 Dec 2012 – Op-ed: Extreme rightists blame Arab party – not occupation – for all of Israel’s troubles ….
Italian betrayal
YNet News, 17 Dec 2012 – Op-ed: Rome’s surprising support for Palestinians based on domestic political considerations ….
Palestinian Information Center
IPS pressures hunger strikers
PIC – The Israeli prison service (IPS) has been pressuring Palestinian hunger strikers to dissuade them from continuing their strike, Muhjat Al-Quds Foundation said on Monday.
Poll: Sharp increase in Hamas’s popularity following Gaza war
PIC – A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip showed a noticeable increase in Hamas’s popularity.
IOF kidnap 15 Palestinians, 11 of them today in W. Bank
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Sunday and Monday stormed different areas of the West Bank and kidnapped 15 Palestinian civilians during violent raids on their homes.
Occupation postpones trial of three female prisoners
PIC – The Israeli occupation authorities have postponed the date for trial of three Palestinian female prisoners for the mid of next January.
The occupation puts 10-year-old child on trial
PIC – The occupation authorities have transferred today two children from the village of Kafr Dan west of Jenin, to a military Court for trial, to join dozens of Palestinian children in occupation jails.
Islamic Jihad: bombing the Yarmouk refugee camp is a criminal act
PIC – The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine condemned “the criminal bombing” of the Yarmouk refugee camp in the Syrian capital Damascus, by the Syrian regime on Sunday.
Electronic campaign in support of striking prisoners launched in 9 languages
PIC – An electronic media campaign in support of hunger striking prisoners in Israeli jails was launched today in order to spread awareness about the hunger striking prisoners..
Israeli tourism ministry to carry out new settlement project in Silwan district
PIC – Wadi Hilwa information center said the Israeli ministry of tourism intends to carry out a new settlement project in Hawsh Qaraeen road in Silwan district, east of occupied Jerusalem.
Abbas Meets Italian Prime Minister in Rome
WAFA – 17 Dec 2012
Abbas Meets Vatican’s Pope Benedict XVI
WAFA – 17 Dec 2012
PEX Report: Al-Quds Index Up
WAFA – 17 Dec 2012
Teachers go on Strike to Protest Salary Delay
WAFA – 17 Dec 2012
Abbas, UNRWA Denounce Targeting Palestinian Refugees in Syria
WAFA – 17 Dec 2012
Silwan Renovation Serves only Settlers, say Residents
WAFA – 17 Dec 2012
U.S. panel delivers report assessing blame for Benghazi attack
LA Times 17 Dec 2012 – The report on the Libya attack precedes testimony by panel members to Congress, setting the stage for a clash between the administration and GOP critics. WASHINGTON — A high-level State Department investigative panel turned over a secret report Monday assessing blame for the deadly terrorist…
Thousands flee Palestinian camp near Damascus, fearing attack
LA Times 17 Dec 2012 – Thousands flee the Yarmouk camp near Damascus, fearing an attack by Syrian government forces. BEIRUT — Thousands of residents were fleeing a densely populated Palestinian district outside Damascus Monday amid rumors that Syrian government forces were massing and poised to attack.
Egypt’s new prosecutor resigns amid judicial feud with president
LA Times 17 Dec 2012 – Egypt’s prosecutor, Talaat Ibrahim, resigns as tensions persist between judges and President Mohamed Morsi. CAIRO — Egypt’s public prosecutor, appointed by President Mohamed Morsi last month, resigned from his post Monday amid ongoing tension between the nation’s judiciary and the president.
Syria forces reportedly bomb Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp
LA Times 16 Dec 2012 – Fighting rages in the massive camp, which has experienced divided loyalties during the rebellion against Syrian President Bashar Assad. BEIRUT — Battles raged Sunday in a sprawling Palestinian refugee camp outside Damascus as Syrian government troops pressed an offensive against rebels on the outskirts of…
Egypt voters appear to approve draft constitution in 1st round
LA Times 16 Dec 2012 – In the first round of a referendum, the Islamist-backed draft charter passes by about 56%, showing the power of the Islamist movement in Egypt. CAIRO –- Approval of Egypt’s controversial draft constitution in an initial round of voting revealed the grass-roots power of Islamists even…
World Briefing | Mideast: 30 Die in Bombings and Gunfire in Several Iraqi Cities
New York Times 17 Dec 2012 – A wave of attacks across Iraq on Monday killed at least 30 people and wounded dozens more.
Syria Warns Palestinians Not to Aid Rebels as Camp Residents Flee
New York Times 17 Dec 2012 – The warning appeared to reflect the sensitivity President Bashar al-Assad attaches to the loyalty of the country’s Palestinians, an important element of what remains of his political legitimacy.
E1 on West Bank is Empty but Full of Meaning
New York Times 17 Dec 2012 – A battle over E1, a largely empty patch of the West Bank, speaks to the seemingly insurmountable differences between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Syrians Airstrike Kills Palestinian Refugees
New York Times 17 Dec 2012 – Government forces killed at least eight people in the Yarmouk district of Damascus and reportedly drove dozens of formerly pro-government Palestinian fighters to defect to the rebels.
The Lede Blog: Israeli Embassy Deletes ‘Christmas Thought’ Attacking Palestinians From Facebook
New York Times 17 Dec 2012 – A “Christmas thought” posted on an Israeli Embassy Facebook page on Monday said that if Jesus lived in the modern world he would “probably end up being lynched in Bethlehem by hostile Palestinians.”
Crossrider CEO: The money is not important
Globes Main News – After the $37 million sale to Teddy Sagi, Koby Menachemi was up to 2 am solving a bug in a new version of the cross-browser extension.
Steinitz sees faster growth
Globes Main News – The minister of finance now predicts that Israel’s economy will grow by 3.5% in 2013.
El Al to replace flight manuals with iPads
Globes Main News – Dispensing with 40 kilograms of paper per flight will save the airline up to $560,000 annually.
Mon: Teva and Mellanox still falling
Globes Main News – Teva fell despite setting up a South Korean joint venture and Mellanox again lost ground as the market fell for the fourth-straight session.
Teva enters joint venture in South Korea
Globes Main News – Teva will sell both innovative and generic products via Korean company Handok Pharmaceuticals.
PhotoMedex extends agreement with Japanese distributor
Globes Main News – According to PhotoMedex, independent research shows that its no!no! Hair is the leading women’s hair removal device in Japan.
Rafael finds alternative as Sanmina-SCI Lod plant faces closure
Globes Aerospace & Defense – Sanmina-SCI Israel produces electronic cards used in the Iron Dome rocket interception system.
Australian activists: ‘Don’t buy Israeli apartheid for Christmas’
Mondoweiss – On December 7, more than 140 Palestine solidarity activists and human rights supporters in Melbourne staged a peaceful BDS action as part of the “Don’t Buy Israeli Apartheid for Christmas” national week of action around Australia. The Melbourne action was organised by Students for Palestine and…
‘National Geographic’ and the Gaza Strip
Mondoweiss – There’s an exceptionally good story about Gaza published in December’s National Geographic . The writer, James Verini, captures the reality of the Strip in somber colors. He also humanizes the Palestinians in ways few other mainstream publications have managed to do: Our interpreter, Ayman, told us that…
Exile and the Prophetic: An Israeli plots her escape from Israel
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. When you’re stuck inside of Israel with the Diaspora and Christian blues again, you have to figure a way out. Those Israelis…
The mosque too small to die
Mondoweiss – I stumbled upon the astonishingly artful video this morning as I was viewing other works by the Palestinian filmmaker, Amer Abdeen. Initially I assumed it was someone’s demolished home and out of curiosity, translated the title. “Demolition of a mosque south of Hebron.” Still curious I…
Israeli army releases video of Dec. 12 killing of Palestinian youth at Hebron checkpoint
Mondoweiss – The Israeli military has released, on an Arabic YouTube channel , this surveillance video of the shooting of Mohammed Salayme last Wednesday, Dec. 12, at a checkpoint in Hebron. The captions on the video describe a “Palestinian male” arriving at the checkpoint– the “border police” — talking…
‘Jews Against Islamophobia’ condemns latest round of Geller ads in NYC
Mondoweiss – Jews Against Islamophobia issued the following press release this morning: Jewish Groups Condemn (Yet Again) Ads Promoting Hate and Anti-Muslim Bigotry: Call for Unequivocal Repudiation of Islamophobia Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 The Jews Against Islamophobia (JAI) Coalition condemns the latest hate-mongering ads, sponsored by the American…
U.N. Sees Risk of Escalation in Golan
The Foward Breaking News 17 Dec 2012 – A U.S. and Russian-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution to extend a peacekeeping mission in a demilitarized zone between Syria and Israel warns that tensions between the neighbors could escalate as Syria’s civil war spills into the area. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israel Approves 1,500 More Settlement Homes in East Jerusalem
The Foward Breaking News 17 Dec 2012 – Israel approved plans to build 1,500 more Jewish settler homes in east Jerusalem on Monday, an official said, days after provoking international protests against a project for another 3,000 such homes on land it captured in the 1967 Six-Day War. Click here for the rest of…
Pope Benedict Hopes Statehood Will Spur Peace
The Foward Breaking News 17 Dec 2012 – Pope Benedict told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday the Vatican hoped the recent de facto recognition of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations would spur the international community to find a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Click here for the rest of the article…
AJC Turns Towards Israel, Global Advocacy
The Forward New 17 Dec 2012 – The century-old American Jewish Committee is cutting back on its domestic political agenda and research in favor of Israel and global advocacy. Click here for the rest of the article…
Angola: Relations Between Nation and Palestine Excellent
allAfrica.com 17 Dec 2012 – [ANGOP]Luanda -The ambassador of Palestine to Angola, Najah Al Rhman, on Sunday in Luanda said that the relations between both countries are “excellent and traditional” and guided by mutual friendship and solidarity.
Egypt: Contacts Underway to Suspend Israel’s Decision to Demolish Egyptian Memorial in West Bank
allAfrica.com 17 Dec 2012 – [Egypt Online]Egypt started contacts to suspend Israeli’s decision to demolish a memorial of Egyptian soldiers in the West Bank, Egyptian Ambassador to the Palestinian Authority Yasser Othman said.
Egypt: Nation Bans Dealing With Some Libyan, Saudi Companies Over Labor Violations
allAfrica.com 17 Dec 2012 – [Egypt Online]Manpower Minister Khaled el-Azhari has decided to ban dealing with a number of Libyan and Saudi companies for violating the rights of their Egyptian workers.
Egypt: Mursi Greets Kazakhstan On National Day
allAfrica.com 17 Dec 2012 – [Egypt Online]President Mohamed Morsy on Thursday 13/12/2012 sent a cable of greetings to his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev on the occasion of Kazakhstan’s National Day.
Egypt prosecutor offers to resign
BBC 17 Dec 2012 – Egypt’s newly appointed public prosecutor Talaat Ibrahim offers to resign from his post after protests from the judiciary.
Neither side can win – Syria VP
BBC 17 Dec 2012 – Syrian Vice-President Farouq al-Sharaa tells a Lebanese newspaper neither the government’s forces nor the rebels can win the 21-month-old conflict.
Jerusalem settlement plan backed
BBC 17 Dec 2012 – The Israeli interior ministry gives preliminary approval to controversial plans to build 1,500 more homes at a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem.
Tomato protest for Tunisia leader
BBC 17 Dec 2012 – Protesters throw tomatoes and stones at Tunisia’s President Moncef Marzouki in the town of Sidi Bouzid, where the Arab Spring started two years ago.
Chris Hedges: Egypt’s New Pharaoh And The Useful Idiots
Sabbah report 17 Dec 2012 – The lines are drawn. Morsi and the Brotherhood have been exposed as the heirs of the old dictatorship in new garb. The struggle for an open society is being waged by the betrayed on the streets of Egyptian cities. It will be a fight to the…
Richard Falk: Understanding Hamas after Khaled Meshaal’s Gaza speech
Sabbah report 17 Dec 2012 – Is the true voice of Hamas discernable at this point? There seems to be a sharp contrast between the sweeping language of Meshaal’s words spoken at the anniversary demonstration in Gaza and his far calmer, focused, and accommodating tone in interviews and other statements during the…
James M. Wall: The fate of human dignity is in our hands
Sabbah report 17 Dec 2012 – Human dignity for the Palestinian people is in the hands of the world in 2013. Barack Obama knows that he and his nation play an essential role in delivering that dignity to the Palestinian people. Benign neglect will not be his policy. James M. Wall: The…
Israeli foreign minister resigns
AIC: Israeli Society 17 Dec 2012 – Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman handed in his resignation at the weekly Cabinet meeting Sunday morning and declared “I am leaving temporarily.” Lieberman declares that he has broken no laws, and that his resignation allows him more time to campaign for the January 2013 elections (Photo: Beytenu.org)…
Bernard Lewis and His Reputation
Al-Akhbar Blogs 17 Dec 2012 – In the measured (mildly critical) response to Edward Said’s Orientalism , Maxime Rodinson commented in La Fascination de l’Islam that Said was effective in shaking the arrogant self-confidence of some classical Orientalism. Rodinson did not mention Lewis, but he may have been talking about him. There is…
US designates Samaha a “global terrorist”
Al-Akhbar News 17 Dec 2012 – The United States on Monday added former Lebanese information minister Michel Samaha, who is charged with plotting to bomb sites in Lebanon, to its list of global terrorists. The US Department of State issued a statement announcing that Lebanese-Canadian Samaha has been identified as a “Specially…
Vatican hopes UN Palestinian vote brings peace
Al-Akhbar News 17 Dec 2012 – Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone shake hands at the Vatican Monday. (Photo: AFP – Claudio Peri) Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone shake hands at the Vatican Monday 17 December 2012.The Palestinian president,…
Syria: Armed Opposition Takes Yarmouk Refugee Camp
Al-Akhbar News 17 Dec 2012 – Palestinians carry the coffin of Zakaria Abu al-Hassan during his funeral in al-Yarmouk camp near Damascus 6 June 2011. (Photo: Reuters – Khaled al-Hariri ) Palestinians carry the coffin of Zakaria Abu al-Hassan during his funeral in al-Yarmouk camp near Damascus 6 June 2011. (Photo: Reuters -…
No Praise for Lebanon Judge Who Released Qazzi
Al-Akhbar News 17 Dec 2012 – How can a hand not be ashamed, not tremble, when it signs a decision to release an agent like Qazzi. This is abhorrent. It is shameful. (Photo: Haytham al-Moussawi) How can a hand not be ashamed, not tremble, when it signs a decision to release an…
Gunmen kill Yemeni security officer
Al-Akhbar News 17 Dec 2012 – Masked men shot dead a military intelligence officer in southern Yemen on Monday, a local security source said, the latest in a series of killings targeting security officials in the Arabian Peninsula state. Two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on Shaker al-Bani late on Sunday…
Borj Rahal: A Small Town Resists Occupation
Al-Akhbar News 17 Dec 2012 – The star is Khazna Ghazal, 85. She sits on the rubble of her house, which was demolished by the Israeli bulldozers in revenge against her son Ali Khrais. (Photo: Hasan Bahsoun) The star is Khazna Ghazal, 85. She sits on the rubble of her house, which…
Exclusive Interview: Syrian VP Farouk Al-Sharaa Proposes Alternative to War
Al-Akhbar Politics 17 Dec 2012 – A picture taken on 26 August 2012 shows Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa in Damascus. (Photo: AFP – Louai Beshara) A picture taken on 26 August 2012 shows Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa in Damascus. (Photo: AFP – Louai Beshara) Damascus – Did [Syrian Vice-President] Farouk…
From Manama to Gaza: Solidarity Between Bahrain and Palestine
Al-Akhbar Politics 16 Dec 2012 – A Palestinian family visits a mosque in Gaza City as the sun sets on 14 December 2012. (Photo: AFP – Mohammed Abed) A Palestinian family visits a mosque in Gaza City as the sun sets on 14 December 2012. (Photo: AFP – Mohammed Abed) As the…
North Iraq bomb attacks kill 25
BBC 17 Dec 2012 – At least 25 people have been killed and dozens wounded in a series of bomb blasts in northern Iraq, officials say.
Egypt prosecutor offers to resign
BBC 17 Dec 2012 – Egypt’s newly appointed public prosecutor Talaat Ibrahim offers to resign from his post after protests from the judiciary.
Neither side can win – Syria VP
BBC 17 Dec 2012 – Syrian Vice-President Farouq al-Sharaa tells a Lebanese newspaper neither the government’s forces nor the rebels can win the 21-month-old conflict.
Jerusalem settlement plan backed
BBC 17 Dec 2012 – The Israeli interior ministry gives preliminary approval to controversial plans to build 1,500 more homes at a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem.
Scans show Pharaoh’s throat was slit
BBC 17 Dec 2012 – Conspirators murdered Egyptian King Ramesses III by slitting his throat, experts now believe, based on a new forensic analysis.
Bahrain plays down dialogue calls
BBC 17 Dec 2012 – Bahrain’s information affairs minister accuses the opposition of “misusing” a call for dialogue, saying it will only begin once it “stops violence”.
Articles
‘My brother is dying’: an urgent appeal from family of hunger striker Samer Issawi
Malaka Mohammed, Gaza City, Electronic Intifada 12/17/2012
Samer Issawi has just turned 33. He spent his birthday on hunger strike.
On Sunday I phoned his sister Shireen. “Save Samer, he is dying,” was the first thing she said. Samer had gone without food for 138 days.
“The last news we got was on 14 December when the Israeli occupation court refused to release Samer on bail. I have received news from different sources indicating that my brother has recently started suffering from severe pain in all of his body especially in his muscles, abdomen and kidneys.
“He has an acute vitamin B-12 deficiency. His body has begun to eat his muscles and nerves. It seems he has lost the control of his limbs as a result of malfunction of the nerves. His vision is frail as a result of fainting four to five times a day and his body is covered with bruises. He is vomiting blood, his heart is weakening and he can barely breathe.”
I asked Shireen: “When have you seen your brother?”
“Like a skeleton”
“No one has met or spoken to him since his current arrest. I have seen him on Thursday [13 December] when he appeared in court. He looked like a skeleton sitting in a wheelchair, and he can’t move or walk. My brother was put in the slaughterhouse of Ramleh Prison Hospital during his first month of the strike. A month later he was put in a small cell as a punishment. He suffered the solitary confinement in a two-meter square room, meant to pressure him to end his strike.” more.. e-mail
The Struggle for Land Rights Near the Gaza Border
Joshua Brollier, Antiwar.com 12/17/2012
GAZA CITY — Yesterday in al-Faraheen, Gaza, Israeli Occupation Forces shot and wounded an unarmed 22-year-old farmer, Mohammed Qdeih, from behind. Mohammed and nine others went out to their fields in the early afternoon, walking approximately 250 meters from the Israeli border. Within minutes, two heavily armed Israeli military jeeps rushed to the security fence. They issued a warning for the farmers and residents to leave the area and shortly thereafter the Palestinians, intimidated by the heavy military presence, began to head back to the village of Abasan. The soldiers were not satisfied and opened fire, piercing Mohammed’s right arm from the backside. Israeli forces continued to shoot rounds of live ammunition while Mohammed and the others frantically evacuated and waited for an ambulance. Another young Palestinian, 19, was shot yesterday near the border in Jabaliya.
Under the siege, Israeli “closed military zones” have confiscated up to 35% of Gaza’s arable land, which was previously used for fruit and olive orchards, wheat and various vegetables. With nearly half of Gaza’s population designated as “food insecure” by U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the farming industry having been crippled from the inability to export products under the Israeli blockade, this land is essential for the livelihoods of thousands of farmers and residents of Gaza. Even so and given that four Palestinians have been killed and over 50 injured since the Nov. 21, 2012 ceasefire agreement, one might ask why anyone would risk their life and venture near the border at all.
Palestinians have had varying experiences near the fence. There have been some successes with farming and some incidents resulting in death and serious injuries. The agreement between Israel and Hamas clearly stated that Israeli forces would “refrain from targeting residents in the border areas” and to “stop all hostilities in the Gaza Strip land, sea, and air including incursions and targeting of individuals.” Hamas and other factions have held up their end of the bargain with not a single rocket being fired from Gaza. more.. e-mail
Hardened moderation
Saleh Al-Naami, Al-Ahram Weekly 12/18/2012
More flexible on reconciliation with Fatah, Hamas is using its resistance gains against Israel to confirm its refusal of occupation and insistence on liberating all of Palestine.
Journalists were relieved to find a foothold on top of the residential building that overlooks Green Square, in South Al-Rimal district in southern Gaza City, where Hamas held a celebration marking its 25th anniversary Saturday. Atop this building they were able to see the entire scene and estimate how many showed up for the celebration — around 250,000-300,000 people. This is a very large number considering there are 1.5 million Palestinians in the entire Gaza Strip.
Since the early hours vans, cars and motorcycles starting arriving from north and south on Salaheddin Street towards Green Brigade Square. Some even used the three-wheeled tuk-tuk motorcycles and donkey-drawn carts.
Hamas’s celebration this year was unlike any other because for the first time the overseas leadership of the group attended, most prominently Khaled Meshaal, the director of Hamas’s politburo, and his deputy, Moussa Abu Marzouk. Thousands of foreign guests from the Arab and Islamic world were also present, and since not all of them could be housed at the small number of hotels in Gaza, many were guests in the homes of Hamas members.
Looking at the front rows, the diverse nationalities present were striking. There were Egyptians, Mauritanians, Sudanese, Qataris, Malaysians, Britons of Asian ancestry and Turks. Even more interesting was how well they interacted with the events at the celebration although most of them would not know Arabic, and there was no simultaneous translation.
The positions Hamas expressed at the event have profound implications for the future of the conflict with Israel and the future of reconciliation with Fatah…. more.. e-mail
A ’truly’ Jewish democracy: On the ideology of Likud’s Moshe Feiglin
Tomer Persico, +972 Magazine 12/17/2012
Moshe Feiglin is one of the Likud party’s most extreme members, and one of its most clear and systematic ideologues. He is the head of the party’s ‘Jewish Leadership’ group, and the 23rd name on the Likud-Beitenu list for the next Knesset elections. The following is an attempt by religion researcher Tomer Persico to assess Feiglin’s views on popular sovereignty and democracy.
The coming elections in Israel will introduce many new faces to the Knesset. Unless something very surprising happens, among those will be Moshe Feiglin, who heads a group called Jewish Leadership and has for the past dozen years attempted, unsuccessfully to date, to be elected in the Likud Party’s primary elections in a high enough spot in order to become an MK (*Jewish Leadership, however, was able to assist the candidacies of some of the Likud’s most hawkish members of Knesset, among them Yariv Levin, Danny Danon and Tzipi Hotovely).
Feiglin is by any judgment one of the most methodical and principled thinkers in Israel’s right wing camp, and an effort to comprehend his thought is in order. Below I will attempt an examination of Moshe Feiglin’s concept of the democratic regime. I stress this is an attempt, as Feiglin did not write about it at length, and on the other hand there are writings of Feiglin’s I haven’t read yet. What makes it easier for me to position Feiglin’s political-civic stance is the fact that he has referred to the issue specifically.
For instance, in the chapter (containing several articles) titled “The Jewish State – Democracy and regime” in his 2005 book, “The War of Dreams” (Milkhemet Ha’Khalomot) Feiglin writes about democracy that:
“As I see it, democracy is but a method for changing government without violence….” more.. e-mail
Plastic to petrol scheme unveiled at Ramallah science show
Electronic Intifada: 17 Dec 2012 – Jillian Kestler-D’Amours Ramallah 17 December 2012 “Made in Palestine” displays how inventions continue despite occupation.more
Ceasefire Means ‘Nothing’ to Gaza Fishers
In Gaza: 17 Dec 2012 – Mohammed Baker (70) has been fishing for half a century. He remembers the days when Palestinian fishers could go out to sea without fear of being attacked, arrested or killed. first published at IPS -by Eva Bartlett Shortly after Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire agreement on Nov. 21, the Israeli navy abducted 30 Palestinian fishers from Gaza’s waters, destroyed and sank a Palestinian fishing vessel, and confiscated nine fishing boats in the space of four days. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) reported that fourteen fishers from a single family, stationed just three nautical miles from the coast of the Gaza Strip, were all arrested on Dec 1. Some fishers were only two miles off Gaza’s coast when they were attacked with machine gun fire and arrested by the Israeli Navy. Ranging from the ages of 14 to 52, the majority in their late teens and early twenties,…more
Understanding Hamas at 25: Beyond the Tired Language
Dissident Voice: 17 Dec 2012 – “In a moment of high theatre he dropped to his knees, placed his lips on the ground and kissed the land he has commanded by proxy”. This is how Robert Tait of the British Telegraph worded the moment Khaled Meshaal arrived in Gaza on December 7. Tait’s report on what many in Gaza and elsewhere consider a watershed event in the history of the Islamic movement, was mostly consistent with mainstream reporting on any event concerning the impoverished and besieged Strip: often biased, selective and devoid of real understanding or empathy. Media reporting on Hamas is doubly provocative, controversial and similar to political stances towards Hamas. However, in the eyes of Israel, through the prism of its media and among Israel’s western supporters, Hamas is an unequaled terrorist organization, sworn to destroy Israel and unlike the other ‘moderate’ Palestinians – for example, western-backed Palestinian Authority – it refuses to recognize…more
Connection to the Land Cannot Be Broken
Dissident Voice: 17 Dec 2012 – Gaza City – Yesterday in al-Faraheen, Gaza, Israeli Occupation Forces shot and wounded an unarmed 22 year old farmer, Mohammed Qdeih, from behind. Mohamed and nine others went out to their fields in the early afternoon, walking approximately 250 meters from the Israeli border. Within minutes, two heavily armed Israeli military jeeps rushed to the security fence. They issued a warning for the farmers and residents to leave the area and shortly thereafter the Palestinians, intimidated by the heavy military presence, began to head back to the village of Abasan. The soldiers were not satisfied and opened fire, piercing Mohamed’s right arm from the backside. Israeli forces continued to shoot rounds of live ammunition while Mohamed and the others frantically evacuated and waited for an ambulance. Another young Palestinian, 19, was shot yesterday near the border in Jabaliya. Under the siege, Israeli “closed military zones” have confiscated up to 35…more
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The New Dark Age 