6 January 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Netanyahu Claims Abbas Is Refusing To Resume Talks
IMEMC – Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed that Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, continues to ignore what he called “all Israeli efforts to resume direct peace talks”, and accused Abbas of placing “impossible preconditions”. …
Qalqiliya flooding exacerbated by separation wall
1/6/2013 – QALQILIYA (Ma’an) — Rainfall over the last 24 hours has flooded large tracts of land in Qalqiliya, with water unable to drain off in areas near Israel’s separation wall, locals said. Agricultural land and residential properties have been ruined by the excess water build-up, farmer Ahmad Salmi said, with flooding causing thousands….
Israeli undercover unit detains 6 youth in East Jerusalem
1/6/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — An undercover unit of the Israeli police detained six Palestinian youths in East Jerusalem neighborhood Silwan on Saturday evening. The force, who were dressed as Palestinians, detained four minors and two other youths in the restive district, police spokeswoman Luba al-Sumri said. She said the teens are wanted on suspicion of….
Abbas instructs embassies to refer to State of Palestine
1/6/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday issued instructions to Palestinian embassies around the world to change all references to the Palestinian Authority to State of Palestine after the UN vote in November. Palestine was voted in as a non-member state by the UN General Assembly on Nov. 29, 2012. No amendment should….
Sources: Deal to demilitarize Palestinian camp in Syria ‘imminent’
1/6/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — PLO leaders, the Free Syria Army and the Syrian regime forces are poised to conclude a deal to end the shelling and blockade of a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, sources in Syria told Ma’an on Saturday. The deal includes an end to Syrian army shelling of Yarmouk camp…. Related: PFLP-GC says reports of Yarmouk deal ‘incorrect’
PFLP-GC says reports of Yarmouk deal ‘incorrect’
1/6/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command on Sunday denied reports of an imminent deal to demilitarize a Palestinian camp in Damascus. Earlier, sources in Syria told Ma’an that PLO leaders, the Free Syria Army and the Syrian regime forces were poised to conclude a deal…. Related: Sources: Deal to demilitarize Palestinian camp in Syria ‘imminent’
Jailed Fatah leader: Streets must demand reconciliation
1/6/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti said Sunday that mass popular protests should be held to force political leaders from his party and Hamas to reconcile. In an interview from his cell, distributed by his political office, Barghouti called for a “Palestinian spring” to end the five-year division into separate West Bank….
Fatah, Hamas meet in Gaza
1/6/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Fatah and Hamas representatives met in Gaza on Saturday evening to discuss the long-stalled reconciliation process between their parties. Fatah delegates Nabil Shaath, Ahmad Nasser and Atef Abu Yousef met with Hamas figures Khalil al-Hayeh and Rawhi Moshtahi, Abu Yousef told Ma’an. He said the parties wanted to….
West Bank govt employees continue strike
1/6/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The union of government employees in the West Bank said Sunday it would continue its partial strike to protest salary delays. Public sector staff will strike on Wednesday and Thursday, and the same days the following week, the union said. The employees will also leave work from 11 a. m. to….
Netanyahu tries to hold back far-right surge before election
1/6/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scrambled on Sunday to hold back an opinion-poll surge by a far-right party, appealing in rare radio interviews for his supporters to stand by him in the Jan. 22 election. There is little doubt in Israel that Netanyahu’s conservative Likud, running jointly with former foreign minister….
Watchdog slams in-fighting among Israel’s top brass
1/6/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israel’s government watchdog criticized outgoing Defence Minister Ehud Barak and former armed forces chief Gabi Ashkenazi on Sunday over a relationship full of “loathing and mistrust” that had tarnished the hallowed military’s image. The findings detailed mud-slinging at the very top of Israel’s defense establishment and briefly….
Swine flu death toll rises to 14 in West Bank
1/6/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — A child and woman have died after contracting swine flu in the northern West Bank, bringing the death toll this winter to 14, the Palestinian health ministry said on Sunday. Health official Asaad al-Rimlawi said all those who died from the H1N1 virus had low immune systems. Many of the 365….
Opinion: Anti-normalization campaign must be more selective
1/6/2013 – By Dan Goldenblatt – In the context of Palestinian-Israeli relations (or lack thereof), the anti-normalization campaign is, to date, the most dominant campaign on the ground. It is the BDS National Committee whose role it is to “serve as the national reference point for anti-normalization campaigns within Palestine”. Being an Israeli who has a great deal….
Iranian parliament calls for inquiry over blogger’s death
1/6/2013 – DUBAI (Reuters) — Iran’s parliament called on Sunday for a special inquiry to investigate the death in detention of a blogger whose posts criticized the country’s leadership. In a case that provoked international outrage, Sattar Beheshti was arrested in his home on October 30 after receiving death threats, and died some days….
Syria’s Assad rejects dialogue with ‘puppet’ opposition
1/6/2013 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Syrian President Bashar Assad announced what he described as a peace plan on Sunday, calling for a reconciliation conference with “those who have not betrayed Syria“, to be followed by the formation of a new government and an amnesty. Appearing in an opera house in central Damascus packed with cheering supporters, the Syrian….
Egypt strengthens Islamist role in cabinet, eyes IMF deal
1/6/2013 – CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt reshuffled its government on Sunday to strengthen Islamist control and pledged to complete talks with the International Monetary Fund on a $4. 8 billion loan deal to stave off a currency crisis that risks igniting more unrest. A senior IMF official is due in Cairo on Monday to meet Egyptian leaders over….
Excerpts from Syrian President Assad’s speech
1/6/2013 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — The following are excerpts from President Bashar Assad’s speech in Damascus on Sunday in the capital’s Opera House. Hope born from pain – “Today we meet and suffering permeates Syrian land and there is no place for joy in any corner of the country while security and safety are absent….
Kuwaiti gets 2 years for insulting emir on Twitter
1/6/2013 – KUWAIT (Reuters) — A Kuwaiti court sentenced a man to two years in prison for insulting the country’s ruler on Twitter, a lawyer following the case said, as the Gulf Arab state cracks down on criticism of the authorities on social media. According to the verdict on Sunday, published by online newspaper Alaan, a….
Report: Arab League to meet over Syria refugees in Lebanon
1/6/2013 – BEIRUT (Ma’an) — Arab foreign ministers will meet next week in Egypt to address the issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Lebanese media reported Sunday.” [Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Adnan] Mansour was informed Sunday that the Arab league has agreed to hold a meeting on the case of Syrian refugees in Lebanon,” the….
Kuwaiti forces disperse protesters with stun grenades
1/6/2013 – KUWAIT (Reuters) — Security forces used stun grenades to disperse hundreds of opposition activists trying to stage a march in Kuwait on Sunday, part of a series of protests against what they see as a rubber-stamp parliament, and made several arrests. Protest marches have grown more frequent in the US-allied oil producer since the opposition boycotted….
Obama ‘to nominate Hagel as Pentagon chief’
AlJazeera 6 Jan 2013 – Ex-Republican Senator, under scanner for his stands on Israel, likely to replace Leon Panetta, senior official reveals.
Israel’s PM plans to build Syria-Golan fence
AlJazeera 6 Jan 2013 – Binyamin Netanyahu pledges to erect 70km barrier along eastern edge of occupied Golan Heights to stop “jihad” fighters.
MADA Publishes a Study on the Judiciary and the Media
Palestine News Network
It’s Time for UK Action on Israeli Settlements
Palestine News Network
UFree to Join a 24-Hour Mass Hunger Strike in Solidarity with Palestinian Hunger Striker Samer al- Issawi
Palestine News Network
International Solidarity Movement
Qusra settler attack, two hospitalised
1/7/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 6 January 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Qusra, Occupied Palestine – At around 2 p. m. seven settlers attacked a farm on the outskirts of Qusra. The farm belongs to Abu Nasser and his wife Nedda who are both in their sixties. Nedda confronted the settlers after seeing them on their property cutting olive trees, warning them off….
Israeli soldiers vandalise Hebron home and arrest a student
1/6/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – By Team Khalil, 6 January 2013, International Solidarity Movement, West Bank – Israeli occupation forces in Hebron raided a home, arrested a Palestinian and smashed his family’s belongings in the early hours of the morning. Thirteen soldiers who came with two dogs broke down the door, arrested Ahmed Sharabati, 22, and vandalised the property….
Alternative Information Center
Zoabi: Racism is part of Israel’s ruling consensus
Alternative Information Center – In a July 2011 interview, MK Hanin Zoabi told the AIC that “When it comes to the rights of Palestinians in Israel, there is no difference between opposition and coalition.” Zoabi’s concern that racism has become…
Morsi unveils cabinet reshuffle as economic crisis bites
The National 6 Jan 2013 – Choice of finance minister labelled ‘baffling’ as pound hits new lows and price rises continue. Bradley Hope reports from Cairo
UAE Egyptians celebrate Coptic Christmas
The National 6 Jan 2013 – Egyptian Christians across the UAE gather at the St Antonious Coptic Orthodox Church to celebrate Coptic Christmas.
Zayed University graduates get a chance of a master’s grant
The National 6 Jan 2013 – Applications for the much-coveted Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Higher Education Grant are open.
Palestinian PM blames cash crisis on lack of Arab aid
The National 6 Jan 2013 – The Palestinian government is close to being ‘completely incapacitated; largely because Arab countries have not delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in promised aid, PM says.
Assad’s vow to fight dashes hopes of fast end to Syrian war
The National 6 Jan 2013 – Touted ‘comprehensive solution’ to the Syrian crisis fails to eventuate, destroying hopes that a political breakthrough might be in the offing. Phil Sands reports from Damascus
Iraqi PM warns of regional polarisation
The National 6 Jan 2013 – Nuri Al Maliki warns of ‘polarisation’ across the region as he marks the anniversary of the founding of the country’s armed forces.
Preserving the wonders of UAE’s Wadi Wurayah
The National 6 Jan 2013 – Efforts to preserve Fujairah’s Wadi Wurayah are underway as the wadi is known for being the last refuge of rare animals and hundreds of plant species.
Cameron quandry for EU anniversary
The National 6 Jan 2013 – UK leader faces impossible political balancing act, wanting looser ties as Europe moves ever closer.
The real player in the power struggle among Israel’s top military brass: Iran
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Barak, Ashkenazi claim vindication from Comptroller report
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Netanyahu probed last year for allegedly accepting money from businessman
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Israeli non-profit for teen drug addicts needs cash infusion to survive
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Case dropped against Israeli teen suspected of firebombing Palestinian taxi
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
It’s time for a criminal probe into the Harpaz affair
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Palestinian PM Fayyad slams Arab donors for failing to deliver aid to PA
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Aluf Benn / Comptroller’s report highlights top brass’ deep distrust and moral decay
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Comptroller report highlights the deep distrust and moral decay of Israel’s top brass
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Netanyahu pledges to build fortified fence along Israel-Syria border
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
State Comptroller: Office of former IDF chief Gabi Ashkenazi led efforts to gather dirt on Barak
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Israel’s ‘anonymous’ statistics surveys aren’t so anonymous
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Israel braces for stormiest week of the winter
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Netanyahu calls for right-wing support, fearing unification of center-left bloc
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Yacimovich welcomes Livni’s call for united centrist front
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Huge turnout at Fatah rally in Gaza surprises Hamas, PA
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2013
Assad rallies soldiers in show of defiance
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Opponents scoff as Syrian leader unveils “peace plan” at Damascus Opera House.
Stormy weather set to blow across country
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Snow possible in the capital late Wednesday or early Thursday, forecasters say.
Analysis: Bruised, but hardly defeated
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Harpaz, Viner may be given prison time; Ashkenazi, Barak, aides will likely face political backlash.
Barak: This is only the beginning
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Harpaz Report calls for criminal investigation, committee of inquiry against those involved, says defense minister.
Digital archive of election material launched
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – National Library in Jerusalem launches digital archive comprised of election material dating back to the first Knesset elections.
J14 protest leader to face indictment in TA court
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Daphni Leef to face charges of using violence to prevent arrest, obstructing a police officer, and taking part in a disturbance.
The Region: Is Israel losing support?
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – This isn’t really about Israel, it’s about the liberal Democratic intellectual (or pseudo-intellectual) upper middle class milieu claiming Israel is wantonly throwing away support by acting irrationally.
Israeli entrepreneurship and the developing world
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Knowledge of the developing world and the needs of its people is going to be a crucial element for future success on a global level.
Post-election plan for the Center-Left
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Think About It: There is no reason to believe that as long as Netanyahu has a Right-religious majority, he will voluntarily opt for a softer, more liberal course, which is apparently contrary to his DNA.
Bayit Yehudi: Don’t blow this opportunity
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Candidly Speaking: Bayit Yehudi must not blow this unique opportunity to reform Israeli society, bring an end to the era of haredi domination, promote Jewish values and enable religious Zionism to reclaim the central religious role in the state.
‘Businessman allegedly gave PM 1000s of shekels’
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – A-G investigating allegation businessman passed cash to Netanyahu via his driver; police: No evidentiary basis to claim.
Palestinian irresponsibility
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Instead of choosing a path of self-empowerment and accepting responsibility for their own fate, Palestinian leaders have opted yet again for the well-traversed road of self-victimization.
Jailed Barghouti calls for Palestinian ‘spring’
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Fatah leader calls for popular protests in West Bank, Gaza to force his party and Hamas to end dispute, achieve Palestinian unity.
Obama to nominate Hagel for defense secretary
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Choice will likely set up a confirmation battle in Senate over whether former senator is a strong enough supporter of Israel.
Right slams Deri’s call for deal with Palestinians
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Eldad warns Shas could “drown Israel in blood” following ‘Post’ interview in which Deri backed long-term deal with PA.
Israel public sector: Women earn 24% less than men
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Annual reports on salaries finds a 23.9% pay gap between incomes of men and woman on government payrolls in 2011.
Groups split on funds for Sandy-damaged shuls
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Jewish organizations are divided over whether federal emergency funds should be used to restore houses of worship.
State Comptroller’s recommendations for Knesset law
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Recommendations include procedures for appointments of the IDF chief of staff.
Israeli parties unite in call for Pollard’s release
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Ten parties across the political spectrum sign a letter asking Peres to increase efforts to bring about release of Israeli agent.
‘Harpaz offered to spy on Defense Minister Barak’
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – State Comptroller Report describes a deteriorating relationship between two most important figures in the defense community.
Report: Harpaz acted alone in IDF document forgery scandal
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – State Comptroller criticizes Ashkenazi, but says former IDF chief of staff’s aide egged Harpaz on, blasts Barak for abuse of power in undermining top IDF officers; document aimed to discredit nominee for chief of staff.
‘Harpaz acted alone in document forgery scandal’
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – State Comptroller criticizes Ashkenazi, but says former IDF chief of staff’s aide egged Harpaz on, blasts Barak for abuse of power.
Tourist on Temple Mount
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – A first-person account of ascension to the Mount demonstrates the sad reality that as a Jew, one is an outsider there.
Oldies, but goodies
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Some tastes take us on a trip down memory lane. Check out these recipes for your favorite old school comfort foods.
Eilat police arrests suspects in attacks on migrants
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Police nab four Eilat men who carried out a series of violent attacks and robberies on African migrants in the southern city.
PM: Global Jihadists moving into Golan border area
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Netanyahu directs Defense Ministry to build fences on all of Israel’s frontiers, “first and foremost on our border with Syria.”
Tel Aviv women wear winter in style
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Documenting women in Israel and their knack for looking fantastic, no matter what the occasion.
EU: Assad must quit to allow political transition
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Syrian president offers peace plan, calls on foreign powers to stop arming rebels; opposition: speech aimed to foil diplomatic efforts.
Israel braces for storm with 100 km/h winds
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – Forecasters expect one of the rainiest weeks in recent memory, with showers falling from the North to the Negev.
‘Russian ships gathering off Syria to deter West’
Jerusalem Post 6 Jan 2013 – ‘Sunday Times’ quotes Russian diplomat as saying Russian marines being deployed to deter ground op; Assad to speak.
Israel to build border fence between Golan Heights and Syria
The Guardian 6 Jan 2013 – Binyamin Netanyahu pledges to defend boundary against infiltration and terrorism, amid fears over Syrian civil war Israel is to build a huge steel fence along the boundary between the Golan Heights and Syria amid fears that…
European Court orders damages for CIA torture victim
Uruknet
Ethnic cleansing the nice way
Uruknet
Denying Palestinian rights is the core issue in Israeli elections
Uruknet
013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet
Groups Decry Obama’s Failure to Close Guantanamo
Uruknet
‘Price Tag’ Attack in Palestinian Village Caught on Tape
Uruknet
Mass protests against government spread in Iraq (Videos )
Uruknet
Hanin Zuabi – Not here to be loved
Uruknet
Egypt policeman killed in Sinai
Daily Star 6 Jan 2013 Security officials say unidentified gunmen shot and killed an Egyptian policeman in northern Sinai’s main city of el-Arish.
Dispute between U.N. troops and s. Lebanon residents
Daily Star 6 Jan 2013 A dispute erupts between a number of residents in Aita Shaab and United Nations peacekeepers based in the south of the country, the National News Agency reports.
First Christmas for Egypt Copts under Islamist rule
Daily Star 6 Jan 2013 Egypt’s minority Coptic Christians celebrate on Monday their first Christmas under Islamist rule and amid a climate of fear and uncertainty for their future.
Excerpts from Syrian President Assad’s speech
Daily Star 6 Jan 2013 The following are excerpts from President Bashar al-Assad’s speech in Damascus in the capital’s Opera House.
Tehran air pollution leaves 4,460 dead: health official
Daily Star 6 Jan 2013 Air pollution in Tehran has left 4,460 people dead in a year, a health official says in reports, with another sounding the alarm over high dose of carcinogens in domestically-made petrol.
Arabs to meet over Lebanon’s Syrian refugees
Daily Star 6 Jan 2013 Arab foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Cairo next to week to address the growing number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, the country’s National News Agency says.
Turkey says United Nations must stop Assad blocking aid
Daily Star 6 Jan 2013 Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu says the UN needed to take a clear stance on Syria and send a message to Assad not to prevent the distribution of aid.
Palestinian PM blasts Arab donors
Daily Star 6 Jan 2013 The Palestinian prime minister is blaming Arab countries that haven’t delivered promised aid for an escalating financial crisis in the Palestinian territories.
Schwarzenegger: Film violence not linked to school shooting
YNet News, 6 Jan 2013 – ….
Russia kills militants suspected of Christmas attack plan
YNet News, 6 Jan 2013 – ….
7 people killed in bar in northern Mexico
YNet News, 6 Jan 2013 – ….
Venezuela looks for missing plane with Missoni CEO
YNet News, 6 Jan 2013 – ….
US: Assad’s speech ‘detached from reality’
YNet News, 6 Jan 2013 – ….
Before it’s too late
YNet News, 6 Jan 2013 – Op-ed: Former Shin Bet chief’s impression of country’s top decision-makers should terrify us all ….
Fallacy of pre-1967 borders
YNet News, 6 Jan 2013 – Op-ed: Palestinian call for return to pre-1967 borders attempt to bypass historical realities, omit two decades of military defeats ….
Assad to give speech Sunday
YNet News, 5 Jan 2013 – Syrian president to speak about latest developments in Syria in first speech since June ….
Morsi in 2010: Zionists are descendants of apes
YNet News, 5 Jan 2013 – Egyptian media outlets circulate video showing President Morsi harshly coming out against Israel and calling for armed resistance against ‘criminal Zionist entity’ ….
Settlers, Palestinians clash; woman injured
YNet News, 5 Jan 2013 – IDF says settlers, Palestinians hurl stones at each other in Esh Kodesh outpost. Settlers claim Palestinians broke vineyard fences ….
Report: Iran FM to visit Cairo for talks on ties, Syria crisis
YNet News, 5 Jan 2013 – ISNA reports Salehi to discuss ‘regional and international matters’ with Egyptian counterpart Amr and President Morsi next week ….
Israeli fighting Assad ‘can’t go home’
YNet News, 5 Jan 2013 – Arab Israeli who joined rebel forces in Syria says they burned his passport, refuse to allow him to leave ….
New Zealand: Israeli woman killed in car crash
YNet News, 5 Jan 2013 – Rental vehicle in which 61-year-old Israeli was travelling in smashes into tree in South Island town of Te Anau ….
Will Assad’s ‘Lionesses’ save him?
YNet News, 5 Jan 2013 – Video posted online shows soldiers in all-women battalion during military parade with Assad’s photo in background; Syrian army chief tells soldiers ‘continue holy operations’ ….
US deports Iranian accused of nuclear smuggling
YNet News, 5 Jan 2013 – Amirhossein Sairafi pleaded guilty in 2010 to conspiracy, money laundering and violating 1995 Iran trade embargo ….
Palestinian Information Center
International day of hunger strike in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners
PIC – UFree has declared its support for and participation in the international day of hunger strike in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation jails.
Salhab warns of ongoing Israeli excavations under the Aqsa
PIC – The Israeli occupation authorities’ diggings under and in the vicinity of the Aqsa Mosque are still ongoing, Abdulazeem Salhab, the chairman of the Islamic Waqf council in occupied Jerusalem, said.
IOA tries to blackmail the prisoner Sharawna
PIC – Palestinian human rights parties confirmed that the Israeli intelligence service offered the prisoner Sharawna 4 tough choices in order to end his suffering..
IOF arrests two Palestinians in al-Khalil, storms homes in Bethlehem
PIC – The IOF arrested two Palestinians from al-Khalil, in the southern West Bank, while dozens of settlers accompanied by an Israeli Minister raided an area at the entrance of Beit Ummar village.
Waed: IOA continues to prevent winter clothing for prisoners
PIC – Waed association for the support of Palestinian prisoners confirmed that the Israeli authorities still prevents their own winter clothing for the sixth year in a row in violation of their rights.
Israeli court rejects Jerboni’s appeal
PIC – Ahrar center for Prisoners studies and human rights said in a statement that the Israeli court rejected the appeal of the prisoner Lina Jarboni, 39, from 1948 occupied Palestinian territories.
Hamas: Ayyash’s way is the strategic option for the defense of our people
PIC – Yahya Ayyash had imposed through his resistance and steadfastness and martyrdom operations a qualitative balance in the conflict with the enemy, said Fawzi Barhoum..
Bahar urges Egyptian youth to contribute to documenting Israeli crimes
PIC – Dr. Ahmed Bahar, the First Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council, confirmed that the Arab Spring revolutions contributed to the resistance’s victory..
IOA extends Ammar’s administrative detention houre before his due release
PIC – Ahrar center for Prisoners studies and human rights confirmed that the IOA renewed the administrative detention for Sheikh Ahmad Mohammad Ammar, 57, from Ramallah hours before his due release.
Hamdan: Refugee camps in Syria should be neutralized
PIC – Osama Hamdan, who is charge of foreign relations in Hamas movement, said that his movement was not at present nor in the past a party to the conflict in Syria.
Eastern Christians Begin Christmas Celebrations in Bethlehem
WAFA – 6 Jan 2013
Weather Forecast: Cold Air Mass Dominates through Wednesday
WAFA – 6 Jan 2013
Syria journalists caught in middle of conflict
LA Times 6 Jan 2013 – In Syria‘s war, ‘the definition of who is considered the enemy is getting broader,’ one analyst says, increasingly putting journalists in the cross hairs. BEIRUT — Sandra Alloush says she loved her work as an announcer for an official Syrian television news channel, and saw…
In Yemen, chewing khat offers ritual and repose
LA Times 5 Jan 2013 – The stimulant qualities of the plant’s narcotic leaves make it this desert nation’s most lucrative crop. But it also saps resources and arouses growing opposition. SANA, Yemen — Lithe men with ladders fan through the grove in the morning light. They joke and taunt. Hands…
Israel Plans to Build Syrian Border Fence
New York Times 6 Jan 2013 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a barrier was needed to protect Israel from “infiltration and terrorism” by extremists.
Assad Says Syria ‘Accepts Advice but Not Orders’
New York Times 6 Jan 2013 – President Bashar al-Assad ruled out talks with the armed opposition and ignored its demand that he step down, instead using a nearly hourlong speech to justify his crackdown.
Assad Outlines New Syria Peace Plan
New York Times 6 Jan 2013 – President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, in a rare speech on Sunday, struck a defiant tone even as he called for a national reconciliation conference to bring an end to the country’s bloodshed.
Ministry mulls recalling Steinmetz, Sagi licenses
Globes Energy & Water – Sources inform ”Globes” that Teddy Sagi and Beny Steinmetz’s companies have not yet submitted work plans for drilling their licenses.
IDE wins desalination contracts worth $650m in US
Globes Energy & Water – The Delek and Israel Chemicals joint venture will supply design and supply equipment for the Carlsabad desalination plant in San Diego, and operate it for 30 years.
Better Place also struggling in Denmark
Globes Main News – Only 176 Renault Fluence ZE electric cars were sold in Denmark in January- November 2012.
Apple interest in Waze “fabrication” – report
Globes Main News – “CBS” site “CNET”: A source familiar with Apple says it has no plans to acquire the social navigation app developer.
Sun: Mellanox corrects upwards
Globes Main News – Mellanox clawed back a small amount of its recent losses, while Teva had the biggest gain among Tel Aviv 25 shares on the day’s biggest turnover.
Dankner plans restructuring to release NIS 2 billion
Globes Main News – IDB Development wants to sell Clal Insurance to Koor. Koor bondholders are expected to object.
Ceragon lowers Q4 guidance
Globes Main News – A large customer requires additional acceptance procedures for equipment purchased, delaying recognition of $11-14 million revenue to 2013.
Foreign homebuyers haven’t returned since Gaza missiles
Globes Main News – Real estate agents who work with foreign buyers said that they cancelled purchases of homes and sold apartments, even at a loss.
Leumi sees higher unemployment
Globes Macro Economics – Bank Leumi predicts only 2.8% growth in 2013.
Flooding halts Tel Aviv-Haifa trains
Globes Macro Economics – Earlier in the day seven people were trapped by floods at Herzliya railway station before being rescued by local firemen.
BDS– Lebanon style
Mondoweiss – Israeli produce in Spinneys, south Lebanon Jan. 1, 2013. (Photo:Mohammed Zaatari) Imagine, federal authorities showing up when Israeli goods appear in the produce section! From The Daily Star : A Lebanese shopper discovered several food items made in Israel in one of Lebanon’s largest retailers Tuesday. While…
Hagel opposition will likely be Republicans for Israel
Mondoweiss – CNN says the now-inevitable Hagel nomination is going to break along party lines, not pro-Israel lines. If it’s Republicans versus Democrats on Hagel, then Hagel’s a shoo-in. What will Rachel Maddow do? I’m betting she’ll line up on the Dem side behind Hagel, accepting his apologies…
Hagel looms — will AIPAC dare to take him on?
Mondoweiss – One of the most extraordinary dramas of the modern presidency, the Floating of Chuck Hagel, in which a fundamental question of the People versus A Special Interest was debated in the media thanks to White House leaks– with powerful zealots and editorial page writers and tweeters…
Israel’s Military Chiefs Full of ‘Loathing’: Report
The Foward Breaking News 6 Jan 2013 – Israel’s government watchdog criticised outgoing Defence Minister Ehud Barak and former armed forces chief Gabi Ashkenazi on Sunday over a relationship full of “loathing and mistrust” that had hurt the military’s hallowed national image. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israel Far Right Rise Poses Test for Netanyahu
The Foward Breaking News 6 Jan 2013 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scrambled on Sunday to hold back an opinion-poll surge by a far-right party, appealing in rare radio interviews for his supporters to stand by him in the Jan. 22 election. Click here for the rest of the article…
Beleaguered Assad Defiant in Rare Speech
The Foward Breaking News 6 Jan 2013 – A defiant President Bashar al-Assad called on Sunday for national mobilisation in a “war to defend the nation”, describing rebels fighting him as terrorists and agents of foreign powers with whom it was impossible to negotiate. Click here for the rest of the article…
Tunisia: Tunisian Hospital to Be Built Shortly in Gaza
allAfrica.com 6 Jan 2013 – [Tunis Afrique Presse]Tunis -‘Al Ghaith Nefaa’ association Chairman Dr. Imededdine Sheriff announced that a Tunisian hospital will be built shortly in the Gaza Strip by means of collected donations.
US condemns Assad ‘puppet’ speech
BBC 6 Jan 2013 – A speech by Syria‘s Bashar al-Assad denouncing opponents as “puppets of the West” is dismissed by the US, which calls it “detached from reality”.
‘Palestine’ to be used officially
BBC 6 Jan 2013 – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tells West Bank officials to prepare to put the words “State of Palestine” on public documents.
The Palestinian ID Cards War
Sabbah report 6 Jan 2013 – The system of ID cards is used as a weapon to further cement the fragmentation of the Palestinian population as it confines the Palestinians to their geographic Israeli-controlled Bantustans, forbidding Palestinians with Gaza IDs entry into the West Bank and Jerusalem and vice versa. Read More:…
Zoabi: Racism is part of Israel’s ruling consensus
AIC: Israeli Society 6 Jan 2013 – In a July 2011 interview, MK Hanin Zoabi told the AIC that “When it comes to the rights of Palestinians in Israel, there is no difference between opposition and coalition.” Zoabi’s concern that racism has become part of Israeli national consensus, and that everything outside of…
Note to Artists: Say No to The Israeli Visa
Al-Akhbar News 6 Jan 2013 – A masked Palestinian youth covers his face during clashes with Israeli security forces in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya on 14 February 2012 (Photo: AFP – Ahmad Gharabli) A masked Palestinian youth covers his face during clashes with Israeli security forces in the east Jerusalem…
In Memory of Alem Dechasa
Al-Akhbar News 6 Jan 2013 – A demonstration in Beirut for domestic workers rights, 2 weeks after Alem Dechasa died (Photo: Haytham al-Moussawi) A demonstration in Beirut for domestic workers rights, 2 weeks after Alem Dechasa died (Photo: Haytham al-Moussawi) The situation of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon, structured by a lack…
Netanyahu: Israel to erect new wall in Golan
Al-Akhbar News 6 Jan 2013 – Israel’s far-right prime minister on Sunday said the country would erect a new security fence along its armistice line with Syria in order to protect itself from “infiltrations and terror.” Speaking at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting, Benjamin Netanyahu noted that a new, fortified…
Iran urges ‘judicial action’ over blogger death
Al-Akhbar News 6 Jan 2013 – Iran’s parliament on Sunday urged “judicial action” against police officers involved in the death of a blogger last year while in detention, adding he may have died from “shock.” “The most likely cause of death could be shock, which, if proved, could have been caused by…
Yemen sentences five Qaeda suspects
Al-Akhbar News 6 Jan 2013 – Yemen’s state security court has sentenced five alleged al-Qaeda militants to up to 10 years in prison for carrying out attacks against security forces and supporting the group logistically in the southern province of Abyan in 2011. The court on Sunday gave the defendants sentences ranging…
Israel arrests six Palestinian youths
Al-Akhbar News 6 Jan 2013 – Palestinians throw stones at Israeli security forces during clashes in the northern village of Qusra, south of the city of Nablus, in the Israeli occupied West Bank, after Jewish settlers from the nearby Esh Kodesh outpost used the cover of fog to approach the town with…
Syria: The Story of How Jihad Was Declared
Al-Akhbar Politics 5 Jan 2013 – A Syrian girl rides her bicycle in an almost deserted street in the Teshrin neighborhood of the Qabun area in Damascus on 3 January 2013. (Photo: AFP – Omar Al-Khani) A Syrian girl rides her bicycle in an almost deserted street in the Teshrin neighborhood of…
US condemns Assad ‘puppet’ speech
BBC 6 Jan 2013 – A speech by Syria‘s Bashar al-Assad denouncing opponents as “puppets of the West” is dismissed by the US, which calls it “detached from reality”.
‘Palestine’ to be used officially
BBC 6 Jan 2013 – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tells West Bank officials to prepare to put the words “State of Palestine” on public documents.
In pictures: Orthodox Christmas
BBC 6 Jan 2013 – Around the world, Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas
Articles
Endless ‘debate over two-state solution’ is cover for the real story, annexation of West Bank
Philip Weiss, Mondoweiss 1/1/2013
One of the wiser political observations I’ve read lately was from Joseph Dana in the National: “the debate about the two-state solution has become an important diversion from discussing the true nature of Israeli colonialism.” I’ve noticed the same thing, from rightwingers and even liberal Zionists: Keep talking about the need for the two state solution, so that no one talks about land policies that have made it impossible.
When the truth is that Israeli governance is moving toward annexation (as Annie Robbins and Allison Deger have repeatedly pointed out). Here are two good treatments of the annexation push in mainstream media. First Dana at the National:
“Much to the dismay of the international community and proponents of a two-state solution, Israel recently announced that it would begin planning for settlement creation in the E-1 area east of Jerusalem. Israeli settlements in this area would effectively sever Palestinians from Jerusalem save for a few access roads carefully controlled by Israeli soldiers. When – not if – Israel begins building in E-1, it will end the two-state solution paradigm as we have come to understand it.
“Threatening to cement the further entrenchment of the status quo are the upcoming early elections in Israel. Israel is heading for early elections in January on a platform that confirms the future entrenchment of the status quo. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, is set to cruise to victory with one of the most openly antagonistic and right-wing coalitions in Israel’s history. His coalition will include a collection of right-wing politicians who call for varying degrees of annexation in the West Bank.
“‘The Israeli election does not signify a chance for change, but the opposite: we are more likely to end up with a government that has the maintenance of the status quo as the centre of its policy,’ said the Israeli journalist Noam Sheizaf about the upcoming elections. ‘Probably the only issue all coalition partners can agree on is the status quo.'” — See also:Denying Palestinian rights is the core issue in Israeli elections more.. e-mail
Abbas contemplates dissolving PA
Khaled Amayreh, Al-Ahram Weekly 1/2/2013
Mahmoud Abbas is again threatening to collapse the Palestinian Authority if Israeli attitudes don’t change. Many believe he is serious this time.
Frustrated by the continuation of Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, notwithstanding international criticisms, Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas this week threatened to dissolve the Palestinian self-rule regime if the next Israeli government continues to pursue an anti-peace approach.
Israel is scheduled to hold general elections 22 January that many observers say will produce an extreme right wing government.
Speaking in interview with Haaretz newspaper, Abbas said he would only wait a few weeks and if the Israeli posture didn’t change, he would have a real surprise for the Israelis and the world at large.
“If the next Israeli government refuses to honour peace commitments and keeps up seizing our land and building settlements, I will ask [Israeli Prime Minister] Binyamin Netanyahu to sit down in my place. I will throw the keys [of the PA] unto him and leave.”
Abbas has made numerous threats to dissolve the PA in the past but failed to act on them. However, sources close to the aging Palestinian leader, as well as some serious pundits, argue that, “This time is going to be different.”
“This time he seems to be serious. He seems to have realised that the situation cannot continue as it has been where Israel defies the entire world by stealing our land and killing the prospects of establishing a viable Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital,” said Abbas Zaki, a prominent Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) official and confidante of the PA leader. more.. e-mail
Despite dissatisfaction, U.S. Jews won’t be abandoning Israel that soon
Brent E. Sasley, +972 Magazine 1/4/2013
It is true that many in the U.S. Jewish community are not happy with current Israeli policies. But in the face of countervailing trends, it is not clear this will change the community’s overall levels of attachment and support.
In a recent op-ed in Haaretz, Bradley Burston argues that U.S. Jews are moving away from Israel because of the government’s illiberal domestic politics and intransigent foreign policies. He believes that by 2013 they may just “secede” altogether from a country doing things they don’t want done in their name.
There are certainly signs pointing in that direction. Peter Beinart identified these trends in 2010, and in 2001 Steven Rosenthal wrote a (not very good) book about it, Irreconcilable Differences?
But there are other factors militating against such an outcome, or at least slowing down the process far more than liberals and progressives think.
First, although Burston correctly notes that most of the American community is composed of liberal-leaning Jews, the emerging role of Orthodox and (politically) conservative Jews within U.S. politics on Israel is mitigating their influence. The growing Orthodox community in the U.S. is far more conservative on social and economic issues than the rest of the Reform-dominated community.
The Orthodox are therefore more likely to tie themselves to Republicans who, according to the Pew Research Center, are themselves more likely to express strong support for Israel than Democrats. The results of the New York 9th Congressional District election in September 2011 underline this: the Orthodox Jewish constituents of the heavily Democratic electorate in that district voted for Republican Bob Turner despite the fact that the Democratic candidate was himself an Orthodox Jew.more.. e-mail
Internationalising the issue of Palestinian prisoners
Nabil Sahli, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 1/4/2013
The plight of Palestinian detainees being held by Israel has an important place in the general framework of the Palestinian national cause because it has affected a huge number of people. Almost 750,000 Palestinians have been arrested by Israel since the start of the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967; that’s around 17% of the total population. The issue will be there as long the Israeli occupation of Palestine is.
The importance of this matter makes it imperative to get it placed firmly on the international agenda. Palestine’s new status at the UN may help to do just that.
Arrests are one tactic used by the Israelis to deter young Palestinians from protesting against the Israeli occupation. Palestinians’ legitimate resistance is thus being curbed, despite international law. The prisoners are now citizens of a state recognised internationally and thus have recourse to international law and its various mechanisms.
UN recognition, even as a non-member state, transfers the legal position of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation from a national body to a state, and that state is under occupation. Palestinian detainees, therefore, now have a legitimate claim to be classed as prisoners of war, not criminals or “terrorists”. As such, they are regarded in law as being held hostage by Israel and should be released without delay.
Some law professionals point to the presence of international legal rights and commitments that the state of Palestine now enjoys like any other state in the international community. They empower it to demand the legitimate rights of Palestinians through joining various UN institutions, where it can sign-up to treaties and conventions, such as the Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as join the International Criminal Court. It is through these that Palestine can pursue Israeli leaders suspected of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, removing the legal cover that Israel has used and abused in the way that it treats prisoners. In short, Israel now faces being brought to account for its actions before the international community. more.. e-mail
Educating Stanley Jordan: Facebook Showdown Produces BDS Victory
Palestine Chronicle: 6 Jan 2013 – By Rima Merriman On January 5th, to everyone’s surprise, noted American jazz/jazz fusion guitarist and pianist Stanley Jordan posted this news that was music to the ears of BDS activists everywhere: “My performance at the Red Sea Jazz Festival has been cancelled. I apologize for any inconvenience to anyone.” Those who had been tracking the debacle will know that this is a reversal of his earlier decision, one in which he had announced he would go forward with his gig. Although he did not say why, or even attribute his own agency in his new announcement, the backlog on Facebook is telling. On Dec. 24th, Jordan posted this update on his Facebook page explaining that he had “received several messages from people requesting that I cancel my performance at the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Israel,” for which he was billed as the headlining artist for the Israeli festival (his…more
Denying Palestinian Rights is the Core Issue in the Israeli Elections
Palestine Chronicle: 6 Jan 2013 – By Rashid Shahin For the Palestinians, especially in the occupied territories, Israeli elections always mean an acceleration of actions against them; it means more violations of human rights, collective punishment, more arrests, land confiscation and other unjust measures. In general, it is an unpleasant event. Israeli political parties compete between each other as to how they will deal more harshly with the Palestinians, how they will create more obstacles before the peace settlement and obstruct peace negotiations, and how they will frustrate the ambitions of the Palestinians to have their own independent state. After 45 years of occupation and more than six decades of conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, Palestinian people and leaders have experienced the goals of Israel and what it wants with the aim of planting this colonialist apartheid regime in the center of the Middle East, and in the heart of the Arab world. Any issue related…more
The Color of Our Zayt and Za’tar – A Poem
Palestine Chronicle: 6 Jan 2013 – By Nasser Barghouty When the celestial colors fuse they choose yours an unforgiving cosmic green with depths and wounds (un)seen as it has always looked gleamed off your homeless eyes and will always do till time dies (un)foreseen To us zaytooni and fest yet dark and distant to the rest When they blink in hymn those homeless eyes two celestial fires are lit by them and sent far and near across a dream sphere where colors mingle and dance in cheer looking for that qamar that is our zayt and za’tar Sheltered they shall find it on the surreal side of those homeless eyes from us from time and from the rest who had long lost that polished guise while they roamed for that ancestral home those homeless eyes who made zayt and za’tar with light love color and sighs Sheltered they shall find it atop the celestial dome waiting…more
The Case for Boycotting, Divesting, and Sanctions against Israel
Dissident Voice: 6 Jan 2013 – Recently, the government of South Africa endorsed sanctions against Israeli goods, cultural events and academic exchanges. This move, made by a government founded in opposition to a policy of exclusion, discrimination and persecution very similar to the regime Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank currently live under, is a major advance for the movement against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The policy of occupation, ever more commonly referred to as Israel’s version of apartheid, is the reason the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement exists. Birthed during the first Intifada in the late 1980s, this movement continues to gain support from around the world. Indeed, support for the movement has already surpassed a comparable moment in the historical movement against South African apartheid the BDS call is based on. Despite the movement’s recent successes, the drive to expand it remains an uphill battle. In addition to the harsh opposition…more
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The New Dark Age 