28 December 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Security video of killing of Hebron circus student shows claim of ‘toy gun’ fraudulent
IMEMC – An Israeli security video recently leaked to the media shows that a Palestinian teenager who was killed at a checkpoint on December 12th was actually walking away from soldiers when he was shot in the back. The video shows absolutely no indication of the boy carrying any object that could be mistaken for a gun, as the Israeli military originally claimed. …
PCHR Weekly Report: 12 Palestinians wounded by Israeli troops, including 3 children
IMEMC – In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 20- 26 Dec 2012, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that 12 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli forces this week, including 3 children. In addition, at least 48 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children, were abducted in the West Bank. …
Report: Palestinians hold protest in Israeli city of Lod
12/28/2012 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Hundreds of Palestinians in the city of Lod, or al-Ludd in Arabic, demonstrated on Friday against attempts by Israel’s government to Judaize the city, Ynet reported. The protest in the Israeli city was organized by the Islamic Movement and other groups and saw demonstrators march from a….
Israeli army, settlers clash during outpost evacuation
12/28/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli security forces and settlers clashed on Friday during the attempted evacuation of an illegal settlement outpost north of Ramallah, Israeli media reported. Israeli security forces, including the army, police and border police, took part in the evacuation of Oz Zion outpost in an area near the illegal settlement of Bet….
UK slams Israel settlements, West Bank university upgrade
12/28/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — British minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt on Wednesday condemned Israel’s decision to issue approval for over 1,200 housing units in illegal settlements, a statement said. On Dec. 24 the Jerusalem District Planning Board approved 1,242 housing units in Mordot Gilo South and upgraded Ariel College to university….
Report: Iran will open suspect military base if threats dropped
12/28/2012 – DUBAI (Reuters) — Iran would let UN nuclear inspectors into a military base they suspect was used for atomic weapons-related work, if threats against the Islamic Republic are dropped, a government official was quoted as saying. The International Atomic Energy Agency believes Iran conducted explosives tests with possible nuclear applications at Parchin, a sprawling military base….
Hamas approves venue for Fatah anniversary events
12/28/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Celebrations in the Gaza Strip to commemorate Fatah‘s 48th anniversary will go ahead as planned, after Hamas officials approved a venue for the events late Thursday, a Fatah official said. Fatah had earlier announced it would cancel its anniversary celebrations in Gaza after the Hamas government rejected proposed locations….
Gaza ministry releases 6 Fatah detainees
12/28/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza’s interior ministry released 26 prisoners on Thursday, including 6 detainees affiliated with Fatah, an official said. Kamal Abu Madi, an official from the ministry, said in a press conference that the release of Fatah prisoners was a gesture to create a positive environment for national reconciliation. Six….
Netanyahu set to win Israel election but rightists gain
12/28/2012 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party is set to win a parliamentary election on Jan. 22 although the popularity of a far-right party opposed to Palestinian statehood is growing, polls showed on Friday. Two out of three surveys showed the right-wing Likud losing voters to political newcomer Naftali Bennett’….
Electricity company to install new West Bank meters
12/28/2012 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Jerusalem Electricity Company is set to install smart meters in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem to help improve efficiency, the company’s general manager said Friday. Hisham al-Umari told Ma’an that work will begin in February 2013 to replace over 14,000 meters in the three districts. The….
Japan donates $2 million to UNRWA
12/28/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Japan has donated $2 million to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, a statement from UNRWA said Thursday. The donation will go towards emergency bedding materials and hygiene kits for adults and babies in the Gaza Strip. It will also help provide non-food items to assist UNRWA in combating the….
Forbes ranks Ma’an most popular Palestinian news-site
12/28/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Ma’an News Agency is the 24th most popular news website in the Arab world and number one in Palestine, according to a new study published Thursday by Forbes Middle East. The report by the Arabic edition of world renowned Forbes magazine ranks the most popular online media in the….
Palestinian from Gaza killed in Syria, relatives say
12/28/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A Palestinian man from Gaza City was killed on Friday during fighting in Syria, relatives told Ma’an. Muhammad Qunneita, 31, was killed in Idlib, northwest Syria, his brother Bakr told Ma’an. Muhammad had only arrived in Syria four months ago, he added. In November, the PLO…. Related: 4 Palestinians killed in Syria refugee camp
Egypt’s Mubarak to stay in army hospital as health worsens
12/28/2012 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Egypt’s deposed leader Hosni Mubarak, who is serving a life sentence for his role in killing protesters during a 2011 revolt, will stay in an army hospital for at least two weeks after his health deteriorated, his lawyer said on Friday. The state of Mubarak’s already fragile health has….
Official: 2 al-Qaida suspects killed in Yemen drone strike
12/28/2012 – ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) — Two suspected al-Qaida-linked insurgents were killed in a drone strike in Yemen’s eastern region of Hadramout on Friday, a local security official said. The two men were riding a motorcycle west of the coastal town of al-Sheher when the pilot-less aircraft fired at them, the official told Reuters, declining to….
Russia urges Syrian govt to pursue dialogue with opponents
12/28/2012 – MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged the Syrian government on Friday to act on its stated readiness for dialogue with opponents, amid a diplomatic push to end a 21-month-old conflict in Syria.” We actively encouraged. . . the Syrian leadership to make as concrete as possible its declared readiness for dialogue with the opposition…. Related: Syria opposition leader rejects Moscow invitation
Syria opposition leader rejects Moscow invitation
12/28/2012 – ALEPPO PROVINCE, Syria/BEIRUT (Reuters) — Syria’s opposition leader has rejected an invitation from Russia for peace talks, dealing another blow to international hopes that diplomacy can be resurrected to end a 21-month civil war. Russia, President Bashar Assad’s main international protector, said on Friday it had sent an invitation for…. Related: Russia urges Syrian govt to pursue dialogue with opponents
Iraqi Sunnis stage big anti-government rallies
12/28/2012 – RAMADI, Iraq (Reuters) — Thousands of protesters from Iraq’s Sunni Muslim minority poured onto the streets after Friday prayers in a show of force against Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, keeping up a week-long blockade of a major highway. Around 60,000 people blocked the main road through Falluja, 50 km west of the capital….
Abbas warns Israel of disbanding PA
AlJazeera 27 Dec 2012 – Palestinian leader says he will disband the Palestinian Authority if Israel does not renew talks after January poll.
Zionism: An Ongoing Project
Palestine News Network
Dozens of Cases of Suffocation in Bil’in Weekly March
Palestine News Network
Euro-Mid: Investigation Suggests Israel Violated International Law by Targeting Civilians
Palestine News Network
International Activists Enter Gaza on Solidarity Mission
Palestine News Network
Electoral System Needs Reform
Palestine News Network
One Released; 12 MPs Remain in Israeli Jails
Palestine News Network
Israeli Authority Delivers Confiscation Warning to a Family in Bethlehem
Palestine News Network
100 Settlers Raid Hebron Village, Set Mobile Houses on Khader Lands in Bethlehem
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
4 Years Since Operation Cast Lead
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
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Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Palestinian facing charges after settler violence in Madama
12/28/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – 28 December 2012, International Solidarity Movement, Urif and Madama, Occupied Palestine – This week the settlers and soldiers based at the Yizhar settlement have been attacking the village of Urif on a daily basis, firing tear gas on school children, attacking farmers working their land, and imposing unannounced curfews on the village. The villagers of Urif said…. Related: Madama attack – Harrowing account from the Nassar family
Support the communities of Fasay’il al Wusta
12/28/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – 28 December 2012, Jordan Valley Solidarity, Fasay’il al Wusta, Occupied Palestine – Located in-between the settlements of Petza’el and Tomer in area C, the community in Fasay’il al Wusta is prevented from accessing running water or electricity, they are not allowed to tarmac the stony track that is the only….
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Relief Web 28 Dec 2012 – Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic (the) Over 24,000 Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR in December; UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres and EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva visited Syrian refugees in…
occupied Palestinian territory: Thousands remain without water, power one month after attack on Gaza (Electronic Intifada)
Relief Web 28 Dec 2012 – Source: EWASH Country: occupied Palestinian territory 28 december 2012 by Eva Bartlett On 17 November, four days into Israel’s eight-day assault on the Gaza Strip, deputy Israeli Prime Minister Eli Yishai publicly called for the Israeli army to “blow Gaza…
occupied Palestinian territory: CWS Emergency Appeal: Gaza Humanitarian Crisis
Relief Web 28 Dec 2012 – Source: Church World Service Country: occupied Palestinian territory EMERGENCY APPEAL: GAZA HUMANITARIAN CRISIS APPEAL # 6828 APPEAL GOAL: $100,000 DECEMBER 28, 2012 SITUATION: Recent cross-border violence in Palestinian-controlled Gaza and Israel has worsened the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where, following an…
Syrian Arab Republic (the): Biscay Regional Government of Spain contributes EUR 115,000 to UNRWA’s Syria humanitarian response plan
Relief Web 28 Dec 2012 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic (the) The Biscay regional government of Spain has contributed nearly EUR 115,000 to the Syria humanitarian response plan of…
Syrian Arab Republic (the): Nowhere to run
Relief Web 27 Dec 2012 – Source: IRIN Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic (the) DAMASCUS, 27 December 2012 (IRIN) – At a school-turned-shelter in an upscale neighbourhood of the Syrian capital, sheets hanging from makeshift clotheslines divide classrooms into separate sleeping quarters for the…
Moscow’s call for opposition to talk with Assad rejected
The National 28 Dec 2012 – Two Syrian air force generals defect to Turkey. The defections come as rebels besiege the military air base of Mannagh near the Turkish border.
Iran begins naval war games in Strait of Hormuz
The National 28 Dec 2012 – Iran launched six days of major naval exercises around the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, proclaiming they would demonstrate its “defensive” capabilities and send a “message of peace and friendship to regional countries”.
Dhow sailing races in Abu Dhabi are postponed due to dangerous sea conditions
The National 28 Dec 2012 – Forecasters warn against venturing out to sea over the weekend due to strong winds.
Emirati gets green light for Burj Khalifa climb and base jump
The National 27 Dec 2012 – Mountaineer Saeed Al Memari will be able to climb the Burj Khalifa and jump off its summit, but not on New Year’s Eve during a fireworks display.
Dubai man to run gruelling desert race
The National 28 Dec 2012 – Businessman had not done any exercise in years and had hit 103kg when his cousin urged him to sign up for Marathon Des Sables
Abu Dhabi municipality takes road to a greener environment
The National 27 Dec 2012 – Abu Dhabi’s green road manual will result in material being reused to lay roads and a reduction in the use of water and energy.
Judges in Abu Dhabi face a busy but significant year ahead
The National 28 Dec 2012 – Verdicts due in a number of major death, drugs and security trials. The judiciary is also focusing on raising awareness of UAE law for residents and visitors
A maid in Dubai is treated with affection
The National 28 Dec 2012 – Leny Alzaga, a housemaid in Dubai, earns more than $800 a month and has a laptop and a BlackBerry.
5 policemen lightly wounded as IDF tries to evacuate West Bank outpost
Ha’aretz – 28 Dec 2012
Lieberman: Only Abbas’ resignation could renew negotiations with Israel
Ha’aretz – 28 Dec 2012
Poll: Netanyahu, Lieberman joint list slides to 33 Knesset seats
Ha’aretz – 28 Dec 2012
Deri: Likud-Beiteinu is party of ‘Russians and whites’
Ha’aretz – 28 Dec 2012
Israel Health Ministry overturns decision on health basket cervical cancer vaccine
Ha’aretz – 28 Dec 2012
Israeli Bank worker killed in spa fire during office outing
Ha’aretz – 27 Dec 2012
UN to convene pledging conference for Syria aid
Jerusalem Post 28 Dec 2012 – United Nations aims to secure over $1.5 billion to help save the lives of millions of Syrians; AFP cites rights group saying rebels attacked regime troops guarding Aleppo airport, over 121 people killed in one day.
‘Fatah reinstates plans for Gaza anniversary event’
Jerusalem Post 28 Dec 2012 – Ma’an reports that anniversary plans back on after Hamas relents and gives approval for use of Gaza City square for Fatah celebration.
New clip of Hebron shooting tells a different story
Jerusalem Post 28 Dec 2012 – Unedited video of incident in which female Border Police officer killed a 17-yr-old Palestinian brings new details to light.
Syria opposition rebuffs Russian call for talks
Jerusalem Post 28 Dec 2012 – Moscow says Assad’s exit cannot be precondition for talks; Brahimi in Moscow to discuss peace proposals.
The dangers of favoring one child over another
Jerusalem Post 28 Dec 2012 – This week’s Torah portion, Vayehi, presents another example of patriarch Jacob’s flaws with the blessings of his grandsons.
Bennett: Liberman, Netanyahu scandals politicized
Jerusalem Post 28 Dec 2012 – Bayit Hayehudi head says it is no coincidence that Liberman indictment, “Bibi-Tours” report come out just before elections.
Russia urges Syrian dialogue with opponents
Jerusalem Post 28 Dec 2012 – Moscow says Assad’s exit cannot be precondition for talks; Brahimi in Moscow Saturday to discuss peace proposals; Russia has invited head of opposition Syrian National Coalition.
Deri apologizes for ‘Russians and whites’ comment
Jerusalem Post 28 Dec 2012 – Shas official had warned Sephardim that “only Shas will take care of them” in next gov’t after Liberman insulted Shas Minister Attias.
IRNA: Iran starts navy drills in Strait of Hormuz
Jerusalem Post 28 Dec 2012 – Six-day military maneuvers aimed at showcasing Iran’s military capabilities in a vital oil and gas shipping route.
‘Iran slowed uranium enrichment, may want deal’
Jerusalem Post 28 Dec 2012 – ‘NY Times’ report says Iran diverting enriched uranium to non-military reactor; Iran begins navy drill in Strait of Hormuz.
Brahimi heads to Moscow for talks on Syrian crisis
Jerusalem Post 28 Dec 2012 – Assad has also reportedly dispatched a senior diplomat to Moscow for consultations.
Druse MK wins prize for helping preserve Hebrew
Jerusalem Post 28 Dec 2012 – Kadima MK Akram Hasson wins Golden Inkwell Word prize, becoming first non-Jew to receive a prize of this kind.
Wiesenthal ranks top 10 anti-Semites, Israel-haters
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – Muslim Brotherhood’s rise in Egypt catapults two religious figures into No. 1 spot on Simon Wiesenthal Center’s year-end list.
Expert: Bring US ‘Clean Cities’ program to Israel
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – Meital Stavinsky, who works with Israeli cleantech firms says Israeli version of US initiative could reduce oil dependence.
Gifted Druse students get head start on science
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – President Peres presides over launch of Technion Sparks program.
IFCJ donates four new fire trucks
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – International Fellowship of Christians and Jews donates vehicles during week which marks 2 years since Carmel forest fire.
Famed Gulf War US General Schwarzkopf dies at 78
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – ‘Stormin Norman’, who headed coalition which drove Saddam Hussein from Kuwait, dies at Tampa, Florida home.
SPNI: Save Palmahim beach
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – Environmental groups lead campaign to prevent extensive building plans, maintain natural coastline in area.
Next stop for the Arab Spring?
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – Surrounded by instability, the ruling regimes in both Sudan and Jordan face challenges to their holds on power.
A nation once again?
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – Kurds gain from regional tectonic shift in northeast Syria following the Assad regime’s retreat back to Damascus.
Into the Fray: Debating disobedience
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – Is the Likud once again planning to use the military to impose evacuations of Jewish communities? If not, why did it opt to make Bennett’s remark an issue of such centrality?
My Word: Look for the helpers
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – They might not be superheroes, and they might not be able to stop the world constantly getting back into trouble, but look around and you’ll see helpers, heroes and human angels.
Palestinian rift erupts after Fatah nixes Gaza event
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – Fatah officials decide to cancel anniversary celebrations in Gaza citing Hamas refusal to hold rallies in two of Strip’s main squares.
Rethinking Jewish Life: ‘For the Sake of Heaven’?
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – The debate on the Women of the Wall is about the collective future of the Jewish democratic state and of the Jewish people.
A dose of Nuance: New Year’s Eve, 2063
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – New Year’s Eve 2063. Israel is 115 years old. The Jewish State is much as it was in 2013, only more so.
Consider This: No more room under the carpet
Jerusalem Post 27 Dec 2012 – While Weberman is behind bars, many are still unnamed and continue to destroy the souls of young boys and girls because of a conspiracy of silence surrounding rabbinical sexual misconduct.
Israel criticised by Britain over West Bank university
The Guardian 28 Dec 2012 – Foreign Office says upgrade for college in settlement of Ariel will prove an obstacle to peace in the region The British government has warned that the official authorisation of Israel’s first settlement university will create another…
Israel criticised by Britain over West Bank university plan
The Guardian 28 Dec 2012 – Foreign Office says proposal for college in settlement of Ariel will prove an obstacle to peace in the region The British government has warned that the official authorisation of Israel’s first settlement university will create another…
Voices from the Occupation: Abdullah B. – Fisherman
Uruknet
Gaza’s Only Fisherwoman Continues to Sail
Uruknet
Israel’s colonial strangling of Bethlehem
Uruknet
Military Resistance 10L17 : the North Country Dead
Uruknet
Human Rights Get Short Shrift in Israel
Uruknet
012 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet
America’s Failing Drone War in Yemen
Uruknet
In Another Direct Message Against Peace; Israel Approves 942 Settlement Units
Uruknet
The settlement that broke the two-state solution
Uruknet
US Special Forces Accused of Raping Afghan Women During Raid
Uruknet
The Arab Spring: Framing it. Ignoring it
Daily Star 28 Dec 2012 Glancing at the film scene this year, a casual onlooker might imagine that the Middle East, Lebanon included, has become acclimatized to the ferment of the Arab Spring.
Stocks tumble as ‘fiscal cliff’ deadline nears
YNet News, 28 Dec 2012 – ….
UN to seek $1.5 billion for Syrian needy
YNet News, 28 Dec 2012 – ….
AP source: Obama not making new ‘cliff’ offer
YNet News, 28 Dec 2012 – ….
Greek ex-finance minister caught up in scandal
YNet News, 28 Dec 2012 – ….
Rebels besiege airports in northern Syria
YNet News, 28 Dec 2012 – ….
Israel needs life-saving surgery
YNet News, 28 Dec 2012 – Op-ed: Leaders allowing ‘cancerous’ occupation to continue are condemning Israel to horrible fate ….
Hitler statue unveiled at site of Warsaw Ghetto
YNet News, 27 Dec 2012 – As part of controversial Italian artist’s new exhibit, statue depicting Hitler kneeling in prayer placed at center of what was largest Jewish ghetto in Nazi-controlled Europe. Wiesenthal Center: Senseless provocation ….
Syrian rebels: Assad used phosphorus bombs
YNet News, 27 Dec 2012 – Rebels upload video allegedly showing town near Damascus after phosphorus bombing; Assad’s security detail reinforced to include food taster ….
Foreign activists enter Gaza on solidarity mission
YNet News, 27 Dec 2012 – Delegation organized by French group EuroPalestine delivers drugs, surgical supplies, and French textbooks to residents of Hamas-ruled territory ….
UK ‘very disappointed’ by Ariel university upgrade
YNet News, 27 Dec 2012 – Minister Alistair Burt says ‘disappointing’ Israeli decision to recognize West Bank institution as full-fledged university creates ‘another obstacle to peace’; lauds PA‘s ‘measured response’ to settlement plans ….
Iran’s Ahmadinejad fires only female minister
YNet News, 27 Dec 2012 – Health Minister Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi, first woman minister since 1979 Islamic revolution, criticized colleagues over shortages of critical medicines for treatment of cancer, multiple sclerosis, blood disorders ….
Missile defense during Gaza op cost NIS 100M
YNet News, 27 Dec 2012 – Minister Dichter says Israel must make sure West Bank not ‘contaminated’ with improved military capabilities of Gaza, Lebanon terrorists ….
Combo platter: Sushi, sashimi, cocaine
YNet News, 27 Dec 2012 – Sushi restaurant responsible for supplying over 300 customers with drugs; Tel Aviv narcotics division arrests five suspects, including restaurant owner ….
NY newspaper’s handgun permit map draws criticism
YNet News, 27 Dec 2012 – ‘We felt sharing information about gun permits in our area was important in the aftermath of the Newtown shootings,’ publisher says. Think tank: Data ‘too indiscriminate’ ….
West Bank clashes: Explosive device hurled at soldiers
YNet News, 27 Dec 2012 – Palestinians throw stones, Molotov cocktails at IDF forces as tension mounts; Jewish teens indicted for ‘price tag’ attack ….
Report: Iran to open military base if threats dropped
YNet News, 27 Dec 2012 – Iranian deputy FM says country willing to open military bases for inspection; conditions move on West backing down ….
PM: We’ll protect ourselves from Syrian threat
YNet News, 27 Dec 2012 – Netanyahu tells graduates of IAF pilots course they are now part of Israel’s ‘powerful long arm.’ Barak: Air Force proved its might during Gaza op ….
Poll: Gaza op not Israeli victory
YNet News, 27 Dec 2012 – Survey results seem to indicate widespread dissatisfaction with government’s decision not to proceed with ground invasion to eliminate rocket arsenal ….
Egypt’s Mubarak to be moved to army hospital
YNet News, 27 Dec 2012 – Ousted president to be moved out of prison clinic on recommendations from medical report ….
Palestinian Information Center
New Israeli way to seize the territory of Bethlehem
PIC – Palestinian popular bodies engaged in active defense against settlement revealed a new way devised by a settlement association to size lands of al-Khader village..
Justice Ministry: Human Rights Watch’s report on aggression is unfair
PIC – Dr. Mazen Haniyeh, Palestinian Minister of Justice, said that the report of Human Rights Watch was not fair, but it Justifies targeting civilians by the Israeli occupation.
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PIC – Palestinian Health Information Center (PHIC) of the Palestinian Ministry of Health stated in its report that 278 Palestinians were killed during 2012, mostly during the last Israeli aggression.
Israelis call for the killing of Palestinians through incitement online movies
PIC – Inciting calls against Palestinians have escalated within the Israeli army especially after broadcasting movies by the so-called organization “Faithful Recruits”..
Abu Sisi reveals news details of his kidnapping in Ukraine
PIC – Al Tadhamon Foundation for Human Rights revealed on Thursday more details about the kidnapping of the captive Dirar Abu Sisi from Ukraine by elements of the Israeli Mossad on 18th of February 2011.
MP Natshe released after 2 years of administrative detention
PIC – The Israeli occupation authorities have released the detained MP Sheikh Mohammed Jamal Natshe, 54 from the city of al-Khalil, after an administrative detention that lasted nearly two years.
Jordan’s Islamists denounce the reception of Natanyahu in Amman
PIC – The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan has denounced the reception of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Amman and keeping the visit secret by the official authorities.
Trial of prisoner al-Issawi postponed for a week
PIC – An Israeli court in occupied Jerusalem decided on Thursday to postpone looking into the case of prisoner Samer al-Issawi, 30, from the town of Issawiya in occupied Jerusalem.
Lakhdar Brahimi works to revive Syria peace plan
LA Times 27 Dec 2012 – The envoy tries to draw Syria’s government and rebels into talks on a transitional government, but the role of President Bashar Assad may be a sticking point. BEIRUT — Peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi made a new push Thursday to draw Syrian officials and rebels into…
The Lede Blog: Bahrain Detains Officer for Slapping Man
New York Times 28 Dec 2012 – This week in Bahrain, an officer who slapped a man with a baby in his arms was detained after video of the incident attracted wide attention.
The Lives They Lived: Lawrence Anthony, Lion Whisperer
New York Times 28 Dec 2012 – The wildlife conservationist rescued the Baghdad Zoo’s war survivors.
Iran’s Slowing of Enrichment Efforts May Show It Wants Deal
New York Times 28 Dec 2012 – Some observers see signals in the Iranians’ diversion of medium-enriched uranium to a small research reactor.
Military Analysis: Battle for Aleppo Shows Weaknesses of Both Sides
New York Times 28 Dec 2012 – Growing rebel successes in the six-month fight for Aleppo have not come without setbacks, costs and questions about Syria’s future.
At War Blog: Slain in Their Sleep, Afghan Police Betrayed By Their Own
New York Times 27 Dec 2012 – The fear of insider attacks has been an even bigger concern for Afghan security forces than it has been for NATO and American forces.
Chuck Hagel And Israel: The Wrong Question
Muzzlewatch – by Mitchell Plitnick Chuck Hagel is not exactly my kind of guy. Hagel is an old-school Conservative Republican and his voting record in the Senate lines up pretty well with that image. He was poor on civil rights, favored the rich in economic matters, generally opposed…
Do not let settlers expel us from our home in Sheikh Jarrah
Mondoweiss – A banner is displayed at the entrance of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in March, 2009. (Photo: Anne Paq/ Activestills ) To whom it may concern, My name is Ayoub Shamasneh and I live in Um Haroun, Sheikh Jarrah. My wife and I are living here with our…
Neocons, wearing jackboots, are suddenly on the defensive over Hagel
Mondoweiss – The Chuck Hagel debate has moved into a new phase: the neoconservatives are completely on the defensive. NYT op-eds by Tom Friedman (“Give Chuck a Chance “) and James Besser (“Don’t Let Pro-Israel Extremists Sink Chuck Hagel”) have now successfully positioned Hagel as a centrist being attacked…
Israel orders Palestinians to pay 2,500 shekels to delay home demolitions while court considers case
Mondoweiss – link to www.maannews.net link to www.maannews.net link to 972mag.com link to electronicintifada.net link to www.maannews.net link to 972mag.com link towww.haaretz.com link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link to 972mag.com link to www.pchrgaza.org link to www.maannews.net link to english.wafa.ps link to palsolidarity.orglink to palsolidarity.org link to www.palestine-info.co.uk link…
Exile and the Prophetic: Gender equality is worth struggling for. Gender equality within Constantinian Judaism isn’t.
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. Constantinian Judaism is an amalgam of religion and politics. Christianity pioneered it in the 4th century and beyond. Any Constantinian formation– including…
Orlando paper feels it has to balance local woman’s op-ed explaining Nakba with Israeli gov’t official’s response
Mondoweiss – The Orlando Sentinel has published a stirring piece on Gaza by Rasha Mubarak , who is a Palestinian-American community organizer in Orlando, explaining the role of the refugee crisis in the establishment of the ghetto that is Gaza. But it has to be balanced by a piece…
Since when is the left embracing Chuck Hagel, a nationalist, establishment figure?
Mondoweiss – Chuck Hagel (Photo: CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES) The neoconservative smear campaign against former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel has caused a crop of liberals and progressives to jump to his defense. But others further on the left have questioned whether those interested in a new U.S. policy towards…
Israeli Soldiers Clash with Outpost Settlers in West Bank
The Foward Breaking News 28 Dec 2012 – Some 200 settlers clashed with Israeli security forces attempting to evacuate the West Bank outpost of Oz Zion. Click here for the rest of the article…
Report: Ron Dermer To Become Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S.
The Foward Breaking News 28 Dec 2012 – Ron Dermer, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu, is set to replace Michael Oren as Israel’s ambassador to the United States, an Israeli newspaper reported. Click here for the rest of the article…
Bibi Set To Win Election, But Rightists Gaining Ground
The Foward Breaking News 28 Dec 2012 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party is set to win a parliamentary election on Jan. 22 although the popularity of a far-right party opposed to Palestinian statehood is growing, polls showed on Friday. Click here for the rest of the article…
NYT: Iran Slowed Down Nuclear Advance, Seeks Talks
The Foward Breaking News 28 Dec 2012 – Iran has slowed down its nuclear program, signaling its willingness to negotiate its future, the New York Times reported. Click here for the rest of the article…
Nechemya Weberman’s Unique Band of Relatives
The Forward New 28 Dec 2012 – You think your family has issues? Nechemya Weberman’s cousins include an anti-Zionist who’s chummy with Iran and a ‘garbologist’ who picked through Bob Dylan’s trash. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Egypt, Russia Reject Foreign Intervention to Defuse Syrian Crisis
allAfrica.com 28 Dec 2012 – [Egypt Online]Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr asserted on Friday 28/12/2012 Egypt and Russia reject any foreign intervention to defuse the Syrian crisis. “We believe in Egypt that the change will happen undoubtedly in Syria. But that change should safeguard the unity of Syria,” Amr said at…
Russia urges Syria rebel talks
BBC 28 Dec 2012 – Russia says it is ready to hold talks with Syria’s opposition, but rebel spokesman Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib said they had rejected the offer.
The Syrian Crisis and the Unravelling of the Arab Levant
Al-Akhbar Opinion 28 Dec 2012 – A Free Syrian Army fighter covers the entrance to a tunnel during a fight with Army forces at Menagh military airport north Aleppo 27 December 2012. (Photo: Reuters – Mahmoud Hassano) A Free Syrian Army fighter covers the entrance to a tunnel during a fight with…
Anti-government protests sweep Iraq
Al-Akhbar News 28 Dec 2012 – Iraqis take part in an anti-government demonstration in Falluja on 28 December 2012. (Photo: Reuters – Thaier al-Sudani) Tens of thousands of protesters opposed to Iraq’s prime minister blocked the main highway to Syria and Jordan for the sixth consecutive day on Friday, a move the…
Video shows Israeli soldier kill teen
Al-Akhbar News 28 Dec 2012 – A new unedited video surfaced Thursday showing an Israeli soldier firing what appeared to be the ‘kill shot’ that ended the life of a 17-year-old Palestinian at a Hebron checkpoint earlier this month. The video shows the soldier fire three shots at Mohammed al-Salamey after provoking…
Lebanese protest at US embassy for prisoner’s release
Al-Akhbar News 28 Dec 2012 – Around 100 demonstrators called for the release of a former Lebanese communist fighter from French jail outside the US embassy in Awkar Friday. They were protesting an appeal by French prosecutors last month of a Paris court’s decision to grant parole to Georges Ibrahim Abdallah. “We…
In UAE Travel Warning, a Tourist Boycott of Lebanon
Al-Akhbar News 28 Dec 2012 – A “no gun” sign is plastered over a traffic sign in the trendy neighborhood of Gemmayze in the Lebanese capital Beirut on 22 December 2012. (Photo: AFP – Patrick Baz) A “no gun” sign is plastered over a traffic sign in the trendy neighborhood of Gemmayze…
Syrian opposition leader will seek “every way” to arm FSA
Al-Akhbar News 28 Dec 2012 – Syrian opposition chief George Sabra said Friday that his coalition would try in “every way” to supply the Free Syrian Army with weapons, and denounced the international community for failing to arm the rebels, according to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency. The Syrian National Council president added that…
Beirut Digital District: High-Tech Development or Gentrification?
Al-Akhbar News 28 Dec 2012 – The space was conceived as a place where people of all ages and interests can come to interact and experiment with electronics and technology. The space was conceived as a place where people of all ages and interests can come to interact and experiment with electronics…
Lebanon’s Political Fouls on the Court
Al-Akhbar Politics 27 Dec 2012 – is current round of enthusiasm for the team comes on the eve of 2013 parliamentary elections thus rendering all attempts to distance the club from politics a failure. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) is current round of enthusiasm for the team comes on the eve of 2013 parliamentary…
Russia urges Syria rebel talks
BBC 28 Dec 2012 – Russia says it is ready to hold talks with Syria’s opposition, but rebel spokesman Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib said they had rejected the offer.
US Gen Norman Schwarzkopf dies
BBC 28 Dec 2012 – Retired US General Norman Schwarzkopf, who led troops in the 1991 Gulf War, has died aged 78 in Tampa, Florida.
Articles
U.S. Complicity in Israel’s Deadly Actions in Gaza
Josh Ruebner, 12/27/2012
On November 18, an Israeli air force pilot flying a U.S.-made F-16 fighter jet fired a missile at the four-story home of the al-Dalu family in Gaza City, killing ten members of the family and two from the al-Muzannar family next door.
An on-site investigation conducted by Human Rights Watch concluded that the attack was a “clear violation of the laws of war” and demanded that those “responsible for deliberately or recklessly committing a serious violation of the laws of war should be prosecuted for war crimes.”
Israel’s bombing of the al-Dalu home was the single deadliest attack in an eight-day offensive last month against the blockaded and occupied Palestinian Gaza Strip that killed at least 160 Palestinians, of whom 105 were civilians and 34 children, according to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights.
Two weeks ago, on International Human Rights Day, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that the United States works to advance “the universal freedoms enshrined” in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which includes the “right to life, liberty and security of person.” “When governments seek to deny these liberties through repressive laws and blunt force,” she intoned, “we stand against this oppression and with people around the world as they defend their rights.”
Yet, when it comes to U.S. policy toward Palestinians, this rhetoric rings hollow. The United States arms Israel to the teeth, fails to uphold U.S. human rights laws when Israel uses U.S. weapons to commit abuses of Palestinians and, up to this point, has thrown around its diplomatic heft in international forums to shield Israel from the war crimes prosecutions advocated for by Human Rights Watch and others. — See also: PCHR – Ongoing Israeli Offensive on Gaza: Palestinian Civilian Deaths Rise to 58, Including 18 Children… and Israel Misuses U.S. Weapons against Palestinians: Case Study of F-16 Fighter Jets more.. e-mail
A Person Called Nobody
Uri Avnery, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 12/28/2012
SUDDENLY, I realized that a new star had appeared on the political firmament of Israel. Until yesterday I did not even know of its existence.
A respected public opinion poll posed a Nixonesque question: From which politician would you buy a used car? The answer was stunning: not a single politician reached the mark of even 10%. Except one who would be trusted by a massive 34% of potential voters: a certain Nobody.
This was not the only question to which the voters showed a marked preference for this mysterious candidate. When asked with which candidate they would like to spend an evening, only 5% preferred Shelly Yachimovitch, and even the smooth Binyamin Netanyahu attracted only 20%, while Nobody easily headed the list with 27%.
Whom do you trust most? Again Nobody won with 22%, followed by Netanyahu with 18%. Who cares most for you and your problems? 33% voted for Nobody, followed far behind by Shelly with 17% and Netanyahu with only 9%.
I have never met this Nobody. I don’t even know whether he/she is young or old. Why did he/she not set up a new party, seeing that it would be a shoo-in?
Since it is too late to enter the fray, it is absolutely certain that Netanyahu will be the great victor. He will be the next Prime Minister. He simply has no competitor.
IN MANY languages, including Hebrew, one speaks of the “political game”. But, as far as I know, nobody has yet devised a real game, even for children. more.. e-mail
Israel set for the poll
Khaled Amayreh in occupied Jerusalem, Al-Ahram Weekly 12/25/2012
With Israel continuing to swing to the right, Tel Aviv presses ahead with more settlement building, destroying the possibility of peace.
With less than a month before Israeli elections, scheduled for 22 January, most public opinion polls forecast a big win by right-wing political parties that reject the establishment of a viable Palestinian state.
According to the latest projections, right-wing parties, both secular and religious, are expected to win as many as 70 seats in the Knesset, the 120-seat Israeli parliament.
All other parties, including a few and dwindling peace-minded groups, are expected to lose significantly as Israeli Jewish society keeps drifting to the right.
This trend is being further enforced by the growing emigration to Western countries by tens of thousands of middle-class Israeli liberals, fed up with what they say is the transformation of Israel into “an obscurant and intolerant state”.
Roni Shaked, a prominent veteran Israeli journalist expects the next Israeli government to be “probably the most extremist in Israel’s history”. “I am sorry to say that the next government will make any talk about the chances for peace unrealistic. We are about to experience some really tough years,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who is expected to win a comfortable victory in the upcoming elections, continued to make strenuous efforts to further woo right-wing voters to his camp. Most of these efforts are at the Palestinians’ expense, including recent decisions to build thousands of additional settler units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. more.. e-mail
Are the Palestinians Ready to Share a State with Jordan?
Daoud Kuttab, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 12/26/2012
In the summer of 1993, I was granted a rare scoop as a Palestinian journalist: an exclusive interview with the prime minister of Israel at the time, Yitzhak Rabin, the first ever given to a reporter working for a leading Palestinian newspaper. Midway way through the one-hour meeting, I asked Rabin for his vision as to the ultimate political status of the West Bank and Gaza in 15 or 20 years. Rabin, who at the time, we later discovered, had approved the Oslo back-channel, took a puff at a cigarette given to him by one of his aides, and answered that he envisions It being part of an entity with Jordan.
I remember this response almost 20 years later, and at a time now when the Oslo Accords — which Rabin signed on the White House lawn in September 1993 — have all but been declared dead by all parties involved. Mahmoud Abbas, who signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Israel on behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) that fall, is now on the verge of leaving political life with no clear successor for him or for the Palestinian Authority that has been established in parts of the West Bank since the agreement’s implementation in 1995.
The failure of this approach has led some to suggest other avenues of breaking up the logjam — the result of U.S. President Barack Obama’s lack of political will and the failure of the rest of the world to pick up the pieces without U.S. involvement. It is in this political limbo that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is finding itself toying with an old-new formula: A role for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
In a meeting with members of the Ebal charity in October, which is made up of Jordanians of Palestinian (Nablus) origin and hosted by Jordan’s speaker of the upper house, Taher al Masri, Jordan’s Prince Hassan bin Talal opened up the issue…. more.. e-mail
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The New Dark Age 