11 January 2012 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Peres: “We Should Not Have Assassinated Arafat, Abbas Is A Partner In Peace”
IMEMC – In an interview that was conducted by the New York Times five months ago, and was only published Wednesday, and was republished by the Israeli Radio, Israeli President, Shimon Peres, stated that Israel should not have assassinated late Palestinian President, Yasser Arafat, adding that “without Arafat, the current situation is more complicated.” …
Palestinian Youth Killed By Israeli Fire In Gaza
IMEMC – Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported that a Palestinian teenager was shot and killed by Israeli military fire, while another resident was wounded, east of Jabalia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. …
Dozens Injured In Bil’in As Army Attacks Weekly Protest
IMEMC – Soldiers Attack Weekly Protests In West Bank The Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bil’in, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, reported that dozens of protesters were treated for the effects of teargas inhalation after the army attacked local, Israeli and international peace activists conducting the weekly nonviolent protest against the Annexation Wall and Settlements. …
Palestinians Install “Outpost” On Palestinian Lands in East Jerusalem
IMEMC – Hundreds of Palestinians installed tents declaring what they called Bab Ash-Shams Palestinian village, near the Az-Zayyim village, east of occupied East Jerusalem; the tents were installed on areas that Israel regards as E1 and intends to build thousands of units for Jewish settlers on Palestinian property. …
PCHR Weekly Report: 7 wounded, including 3 children, by Israeli troops this week
IMEMC – In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 03- 09 January 2013, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that 2 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded during Israeli invasions of the West Bank, and 1 in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against peaceful protests in the West Bank. 4 protesters, including 2 children, were wounded. Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against peaceful protests in the West Bank. 4 protesters, including 2 children, were wounded. …
Official: Israeli forces kill man, wound another in north Gaza
1/11/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli forces fired at the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, killing one man and injuring another, medics said. Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra told Ma’an that Anwar Muhammad al-Mamlouk, 22, was killed by Israeli fire east of Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. Another man was seriously….
Official: Settlers destroy over 200 olive trees in Nablus
1/11/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Settlers destroyed over 200 olive trees in a Nablus village on Friday, an official said. Dozens of settlers from the illegal outpost of Esh Kodesh raided the village of Qusra early Friday and uprooted at least 210 olive trees, settlement monitoring official Ghassan Daghlas told Ma’an. The trees were….
Palestinian activists set-up protest tents in E1 area
1/11/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hundreds of Palestinian activists set up protest tents on Friday in the controversial E1 corridor area near Jerusalem as part of the non-violent resistance movement against Israel’s occupation, a local group said. Said Abdullah Abu Rahma, the coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Bilin…. Related: Ashrawi praises popular resistance in E1 area
Official: 2 workers trapped in Gaza tunnel collapse
1/11/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Two workers were trapped in a Gaza smuggling tunnel on Friday as heavy rain caused several underground passages to collapse, civil defense crews said. Muhammad al-Maydneh, spokesman for civil defense crews in Gaza, told Ma’an that the Palestinian side is communicating with Egypt in order to save the….
Ashrawi praises popular resistance in E1 area
1/11/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — PLO leader Hanan Ashrawi praised Palestinian activists on Friday after hundreds of people set up protest tents in the controversial E1 corridor area near Jerusalem.” This initiative is a highly creative and a legitimate non-violent tool to protect our land from Israeli colonial plans,” a statement said. Earlier, Palestinian activists had…. Related: Palestinian activists set-up protest tents in E1 area
PA ministry: Israel prison cells flood due to heavy rainfall
1/11/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Prison cells in Israel’s Gush Etzion detention center have flooded due to heavy rainfall, the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Detainees said Friday. Hussein al-Sheikh, a PA lawyer, said that floodwater has ruined prisoners’ mattresses, clothes and blankets. Prisoners have called on Israeli prison authorities to transfer them to….
PA delegation discusses prisoners with Egyptian, Arab officials
1/11/2013 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — A delegation from the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Detainees met with Egyptian and Arab League officials in Cairo on Friday to discuss the issue of Palestinians jailed by Israel. The delegation, led by PA minister of detainees Issa Qaraqe, held talks on Palestinian hunger strikers and the re-arrest of prisoners released….
4 children injured in Gaza house fire
1/11/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Four children were seriously wounded in a house fire late Thursday in the Gaza Strip, medics said. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman of Gaza’s health ministry, told Ma’an that four relatives from the al-Far family were injured in the blaze, with one in a critical condition. The fire….
Teenager found dead in Nablus
1/11/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — A 19-year-old man was found dead in Nablus on Thursday, police said. The man, from Askar refugee camp, was transferred to hospital after his body was found by police. There were rope-marks around the unidentified man’s neck, police said, with ongoing investigations to determine the cause of death. [END]
Report: Israel army closes border road with Egypt
1/11/2013 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israel’s army closed a main road running parallel to its border with Egypt on Friday, Israeli media reported. Road 10 and an area 300 meters to its west were closed to all civilian vehicles, unless they had coordinated their plans with Israel’s military in advance, Israeli daily Ynet reported. [END]
Opinion: Peres answers half of the dilemma of Arafat’s death
1/11/2013 – By Abdul-Hakim Salah – Though his response is not an official confirmation that Israel was involved in the murder of late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat, Israeli president Shimon Peres did not deny that the late Palestinian leader was assassinated when asked during a New York Times interview whether he thought the leader “should be assassinated.” On….
Fatah military wing urges Hamas to release detainees
1/11/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Fatah’s armed wing on Friday called on Hamas to release all prisoners from the movement jailed in Gaza, a statement said. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades urged the Islamist group to release all Fatah detainees and end the division, adding that armed struggle is the right way to liberate Palestine….
Official: Man dies from Fatah Gaza rally injuries
1/11/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A 21-year-old man died on Friday from wounds sustained during Fatah’s 48th anniversary celebrations in Gaza last week, a party official said. Muhammad Tayeh was electrocuted during the celebrations in Gaza City and transferred to a hospital in Israel, Fatah leader Jamal Obeid told Ma’an….
Gaza electricity company to install prepaid meters
1/11/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — An electricity company in the Gaza Strip is set to install pre-paid meters throughout the territory, its public relations director said Friday. Jamal Dardasawi told Ma’an that tens of thousands of meters will be installed for selected customers, including companies and commercial organizations, starting in Gaza City. The….
Turkish PM: Evidence suggests Paris murders internal PKK feud
1/11/2013 – ISTANBUL (Reuters) — The execution-style killing in Paris of three Kurdish female activists, including a founder of the PKK militant group, appears to have been the result of an internal feud, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. Sakine Cansiz, a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, and two fellow activists were found….
Turf war feared after Syrian rebel leader killed
1/11/2013 – AMMAN (Reuters) — The killing of a senior Islamist rebel commander near Syria‘s border with Turkey could indicate a turf war between armed groups that will hamper their struggle to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, sources told Reuters. Thaer al-Waqqas, northern commander of al-Farouq Brigades, one of Syria‘s largest rebel groups, was….
Rebels say have seized helicopter base in Syria
1/11/2013 – BEIRUT/GENEVA (Reuters) — Rebels seized control of one of Syria‘s largest helicopter bases on Friday, opposition sources said, in their first capture of a military airfield used by President Bashar Assad’s forces. Fighting raged across the country as international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi sought a political solution to Syria‘s civil….
Turkey puts its Europe missions on alert after Paris killings
1/11/2013 – ISTANBUL (Reuters) — Turkey has put its diplomatic missions in Europe on alert and asked the French authorities to boost security around its interests there after the shooting in Paris of three Kurdish activists, a Turkish official said on Friday.” We asked the French authorities to increase the level of security around our interests and representations….
Saudi Arabia gives $10 million for Syrian refugees in Jordan
1/11/2013 – ABU DHABI (Reuters) — Saudi Arabia will send aid worth $10 million to help Syrian refugees in Jordan, where severe winter weather has compounded their misery, the state news agency SPA reported on Friday. The first shipment of supplies, including blankets, covers and mattresses, has already been dispatched, the agency said. In Jordan’s Zaatari….
Egyptian army officer shot dead in Sinai, sources say
1/11/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — An Egyptian army officer was shot dead on Friday in the northern Sinai peninsula, Egyptian security sources said. The officer was shot in the head in the city of El-Arish by a sniper “seemingly affiliated to extremist groups,” the sources told Ma’an. The Egyptian officer was identified as….
Palestinian activists build E1 tent ‘outpost’
AlJazeera 11 Jan 2013 – Informal settlement erected in contentious occupied West Bank area east of Jerusalem to create “facts on the ground”.
Transportation Strike Paralyzes West Bank
Palestine News Network
IOF Bans Civilians from Route 10 near Egypt Border
Palestine News Network
Israeli Occupation Warns Israelis from Entering Area B
Palestine News Network
Settlers Uproot 210 Olive Trees in Nablus
Palestine News Network
Syria: More than 50 Killed in Aerial Strikes
Palestine News Network
US Congress to Debate Visa Exemption for Israelis
Palestine News Network
Abbas’ Newfound Courage
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
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Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Palestinians Establish a new Village, Bab Alshams, in Area E1
1/11/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – January 11th, 2013, PSCC, Bab Alshams, Occupied Palestine – 250 men and women from across Palestine establish this morning a new Palestinian village named “Bab Alshams” (Gate of the Sun). Tents were built in what Israel refers to as area E1 and equipment for long-term living was brought. The group released the following statement: We, the….
occupied Palestinian territory: Israeli fire kills Palestinian in Gaza: medics
Relief Web 11 Jan 2013 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 01/11/2013 19:17 GMT GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, Jan 11, 2013 (AFP) – Israeli soldiers shot dead one Palestinian and wounded another in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, a spokesman for the territory’s…
Syrian Arab Republic (the): Volunteers deal with the effects of freezing temperature across the Middle East
Relief Web 11 Jan 2013 – Source: IFRC Country: Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic (the) By Raefah Makki Several countries in the Middle East continue to experience severe winter weather that has so far caused casualties across the region and increased the suffering…
occupied Palestinian territory: Aid agencies tread gingerly in Area C
Relief Web 11 Jan 2013 – Source: IRIN Country: occupied Palestinian territory RAMALLAH/AL-JIFTLIK, 11 January 2013 (IRIN) – As night descends in the Jordan Valley in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), a family in the village of Ras Al-Ahmar lights a small paraffin lamp in the…
occupied Palestinian territory: Settlers suspected of vandalising Palestinian olive trees
Relief Web 11 Jan 2013 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 01/11/2013 13:21 GMT NABLUS, Palestinian Territories, Jan 11, 2013 (AFP) – Around 200 olive trees in a northern West Bank village were discovered vandalised on Friday, with residents blaming settlers from a nearby…
Obama and Karzai agree troops’ role
The National 11 Jan 2013 – “Starting this spring, our troops will have a different mission – training, advising, assisting Afghan forces,” said the US president.
Poet laureate of the camel world
The National 11 Jan 2013 – Harab Salem Al Menhali is old enough to remember a UAE where the camel was all to the local population and almost all communication was oral. Now in his 80s, he keeps alive the traditional art of singing songs and reciting poems to the animals, especially at festivals. Anna Zacharias reports
Charity makes public appeal for food items in Labor of Love drive for camp’s cleaning staff
The National 11 Jan 2013 – Abu Dhabi charity is organising a food drive for the cleaning staff at West Coast Company.
‘Multimillion’ Serbia deals
The National 11 Jan 2013 – UAE to sign multimillion euro deals with Serbian government. Investments to be made in military, agriculture and development fields according to senior officials.
Syrian rebels capture regime air base
The National 11 Jan 2013 – Helicopter forces have played a major role in the regime’s continued offensive against rebels but it is unclear whether Al Assad’s foes are strong enough to hold the base they took control of on Friday.
High winds cause havoc along coast
The National 11 Jan 2013 – Hotel beach areas flood and tourist operators left idle, but malls get Shopping Festival bonus. Wind gusts reaching up to 65 kph hit the coast yesterday leaving beach goers and coastal areas ‘ankle deep’ in water.
Man jailed for sex outside of marriage
The National 11 Jan 2013 – Man charged with sex outside marriage after his dead lover was found in his hotel room is sentenced to three months in prison.
Iranian opposition leaders in the spotlight ahead of poll
The National 11 Jan 2013 – Placed under house arrest by the regime, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karrubi are standing by their “principled position” and have called for the “ruling apparatus” to recognise “the people’s right to self-determination”.
U.S. objects to planned release of Lebanese terrorist murderer of U.S., Israeli diplomats
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2013
Hamas: IDF soldiers kill Palestinian along Gaza border
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2013
Hoping to wrest Western Wall from ultra-Orthodox’s grip, groups petition High Court
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2013
Palestinians erect tent city in E-1 to protest settlement construction
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2013
With eye on terror attacks, IDF closes Negev’s Route 10
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2013
Latest Maariv poll shows a Likud-Beiteinu comeback
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2013
Yacimovich: Labor needs 25 seats to form coalition
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2013 – Labor head claims Likud worth 21 mandates when separated from Yisrael Beytenu; slams Livni, Lapid as “here today, gone tomorrow.”
Netanyahu tells US Senators: My priority is Iran nuke march
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2013 – In meeting with visiting US Senators, Netanyahu expresses appreciation of US moves against Tehran; Minority Leader McConnell touts “broad bipartisan support for Israel”; IAEA chief “not optimistic” about upcoming Iran talks.
Palestinians pitch tents in sensitive E1 corridor
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2013 – After Netanyahu attacked by int’l community for announcing plans to build in E1, Palestinians erect 20 steel-framed tents in area.
Rebels say they seized helicopter base in Syria
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2013 – Syrian military strikes back with air strike after rebels capture strategic base in northern Syria, weakening Assad’s grip in region.
France rabbi meets Hollande over gay marriage bill
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2013 – French president invites religious leaders to Elysee Palace ahead of planned protests against law allowing same-sex marriage.
Livni hits PM as ‘Post’ poll shows her party sliding
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2013 – The Movement head warns PM “leading to an end of the Jewish state,” asserts Israel has a legitimate Palestinian peace partner.
IDF bans civilians from Route 10 near Egypt border
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2013 – Gantz prohibits civilians from driving near border without prior coordination with the army, according to a new directive.
‘Post’ poll: Likud Beytenu gains, Bennett slides
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2013 – According to Smith Research poll, Netanyahu and Liberman’s joint list gains support for the first time in over a month.
Class OK despite fear child handed out pain killers
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2013 – Twenty-six nursery school children in Rehovot taken to hospital after they were thought to have swallowed pain-relief pills.
Weather keeps medical emergency services busy
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2013 – MDA rushes several women to hospitals to give birth, while others give birth at home because no time to get them there via ambulance.
Analysis: A tale of two Tel Aviv bombings
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2013 – Separated by 7 weeks and 1 city block, 2 bombings in TA met with radically different media coverage.
Parshat Va’era: Thank you to water and earth
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2013 – The Egyptians were struck by ten plagues before they agreed to set Am Yisrael free from servitude. Of them, we read in our weekly Torah portion, Parashat Va’era, of seven plagues: blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts, pestilence, boils and hail.
Netanyahu: The pathology
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2013 – Into The Fray: The venomous ad hominem attacks on the PM by his political opponents have long exceeded the limits of rational criticism and reasoned dissent.
One in four Israeli seniors cannot afford heating
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2013 – Survey shows around 160,000 individuals are unable to pay for house heating this winter, must choose between food or heating.
My Word: Talking heads
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2013 – For someone of Yuval Diskin’s stature and background it should be obvious that there are many problems that can be fixed, but silence – once broken – remains broken.
Politics: A political guide for the perplexed
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2013 – With a quarter of voters undecided, the ‘Post’ maps out party platforms on key issues.
Ask the Rabbi: Do norms of modest attire change?
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2013 – The Talmud prohibits exposure of any areas that “should normally be covered.”
Tradition Today: Is the Torah true?
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2013 – I am seeking ethical truths and values by which to live, then I turn to the Torah – the teaching of Moses.
Hot jazz, cool cats
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2013 – The Red Sea Jazz Festival heats up in Eilat.
In Plain Language: Follow the leader
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2013 – We are going back to the polls not only to elect a Knesset, but to chart the country’s course for the foreseeable future.
Think Again: The damage is done
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2013 – Why did President Barack Obama nominate Chuck Hagel for the position of secretary of defense?
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The Guardian 11 Jan 2013 – Follow how the day unfolded as Syrian rebel groups took strategic Taftanaz military airbase after weeks of fighting Matthew Weaver Jon Henley
Netanyahu Suffers From Being Too Popular
IPS “We feel like we finally live a normal life in a normal country,” marvelled a popular radio host. Normalcy – this rare appreciation by Israelis of the privilege to indulge in small talk about the stormy weather that’s wreaked the whole region – is so abnormal here. They’re reeling from…
Former Mossad chief: truce in Gaza is not the end of fighting
Uruknet
Israeli soldiers violently break into five homes in the Al Ayn Camp
Uruknet
Human Rights Watch: Time to stand with human rights defenders
Uruknet
013 : A Video Roundup
Uruknet
133 children die a day in Afghanistan
Uruknet
Taking It Personally
Uruknet
Historic old city of Jeddah awaits life-saving and expensive restoration
Daily Star 11 Jan 2013 In the heart of Saudi Arabia’s sprawling Red Sea port city of Jeddah, centuries-old buildings tilt and buckle above the historic district’s narrow alleys, withering away in the absence of decisive action to protect them.
Israel left wing sees Jewish state’s end
Daily Star 11 Jan 2013 An apocalyptic tone has crept into Israel’s hitherto muted election season, with opposition leaders and others sounding increasingly desperate warnings that a few more years of rule by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s heavily favored right wing…
US objects to planned release of Lebanese militant
YNet News, 11 Jan 2013 – ….
Mali president declares state of emergency
YNet News, 11 Jan 2013 – ….
US top court to review free speech of HIV/AIDS groups
YNet News, 11 Jan 2013 – ….
Saudi king grants women seats on advisory council
YNet News, 11 Jan 2013 – ….
Obama: Taliban must renounce terrorism for reconciliation
YNet News, 11 Jan 2013 – ….
Hand that rocks the intifada
YNet News, 11 Jan 2013 – Op-ed: West Bank resident says Palestinians can no longer ignore attacks by extremist settlers ….
France: Lebanese involved in Israeli’s murder paroled
YNet News, 10 Jan 2013 – French court grants parole to George Abdallah, 61, who planned the murder of Israeli diplomat Yaacov Bar-Siman-Tov in 1982 ….
Obama nominates Jack Lew as Treasury secretary
YNet News, 10 Jan 2013 – President expresses ‘complete trust’ in outgoing White House chief of staff who is also an observant Jew ….
Fatah gunmen form new organization
YNet News, 10 Jan 2013 – Palestinians in Balata refugee camp announce establishment of ‘army of free fighters’ in response to PA‘s weapons confiscation drive ….
Iran tries to improve ties with Egypt
YNet News, 10 Jan 2013 – In visit to Cairo, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi praises Egypt‘s revolution and its new Islamist government; tries to play down differences over Syria ….
Outrage in Hungary over article against Roma
YNet News, 10 Jan 2013 – In newspaper column, founding member of Hungary’s ruling party says ‘Roma are animals, they’re unfit for coexistence’ ….
2 terror cells exposed in West Bank
YNet News, 10 Jan 2013 – IDF and Shin Bet arrest two terror cells active in stone throwing, rioting and attempted shooting attacks in West Bank ….
Hamas flagship university grooms Hebrew teachers
YNet News, 10 Jan 2013 – Gaza institution adds Hebrew to list of degrees; ‘It is the language of our enemies, but it is also the language of our neighbors,’ Gazan Hebrew instructor says ….
Accident prevented at Ashdod Port
YNet News, 10 Jan 2013 – Stormy weather causes ship’s mooring line to break, sending ship adrift; maritime pilot steers vessel just before collision with nearby freighter; ammunition containers fall to sea ….
Soldiers face jail time for selling info to smugglers
YNet News, 10 Jan 2013 – Plea bargains for two Gaza Division soldiers who leaked classified data on IDF activity to smugglers on Egyptian border ….
Car explodes in Tel Aviv; 9 hurt
YNet News, 10 Jan 2013 – Blast goes off on busy road in what appears to be attempt on life of crime boss; motorcyclist attached bomb to car before fleeing, witnesses say ….
Egypt: Palestinian rivals agree to enact unity deal
YNet News, 10 Jan 2013 – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal meet in Cairo, agree to implement unity deal, official says ….
Palestinian Information Center
The ultimate catch-22
PIC – Spokespersons representing Fatah and Hamas have been speaking auspiciously about the prospects of reconciliation between the two groups, following Egyptian-moderated talks in Cairo this week.
Settlers uproot 210 olive trees south of Nablus
PIC – Israeli settlers continued their attacks in various parts of the West Bank, where a number of them uprooted more than 200 olive trees from the territory of Qasra village south of Nablus.
Hundreds of Palestinians detained without evidence
PIC – Hundreds of Palestinians are jailed in Israeli prisons for long years for fake charges without evidence but used as a way of punishment carried out by the Israeli authorities against the prisoners.
4 children injured in house fire in Jabaliya
PIC – Four children were seriously wounded in a house fire late Thursday in Jabaliya camp, in the northern Gaza Strip.
Syrian regular army arrests 2 Palestinians in Daraa
PIC – Elements of the Syrian regular army arrested, on Thursday evening, two Palestinian refugees from Daraa refugee camp.
Masri: Hamas extends its hand towards reconciliation
PIC – Hamas leader, Mushir al-Masri, praised the positive spirit prevailing in the Palestinian arena these days, and stressed on Hamas‘s adherence to achieve reconciliation that preserves the rights.
Haniya and the factions’ leaders discuss conditions of Palestinians in Syria
PIC – Ismail Haniya, Gaza’s Prime Minister, met on Thursday leaders and representatives of the Palestinian factions in his office in Gaza City, and they discussed the conditions of Palestinians in Syria.
Mishaal meets Al-Arabi in Cairo
PIC – Hamas leader Khaled Mishaal met the Secretary-General of the Arab League Nabil Al-Arabi in Cairo on Thursday evening and discussed Palestinian national reconciliation..
Details of the Hamas-Fatah agreement in Cairo
PIC – Informed sources confirmed that the meetings between Fatah and Hamas in the Egyptian capital Cairo resulted in an agreement on six key issues.
Israeli settlers flood Zbobah village in Jenin
PIC – Rainwater flooded houses in the village of Zbobah west of Jenin after the settlers opened the floodgates of their sewage system and drowned the village’s land and homes.
PEX Report: Al-Quds Index Up
WAFA – 9 Jan 2013
Syrian rebels say they’ve seized strategic Taftanaz air base
LA Times 11 Jan 2013 – Opposition fighters claim a victory in northwestern Idlib province, hoping to slow the deadly airstrikes that have been a trademark of President Bashar Assad’s forces. BEIRUT – After weeks of fighting, Syrian rebels said Friday that they had seized a strategic air base in northwestern…
Review: ‘Uprising’ details the Egyptian revolution
LA Times 11 Jan 2013 – In ‘Uprising,’ writer-director Fredrik Stanton uses news clips, footage and interviews to recount the uprising that led to Hosni Mubarak’s toppling. That the Egyptian revolution of early 2011 was launched via Facebook is just one of the many extraordinary aspects of the whirlwind movement that…
Plenty of Theories, and Enemies, in Killing of 3 Kurds in Paris
New York Times 11 Jan 2013 – The brother of one of three Kurdish women found shot to death in Paris said he considered it a professional assassination aimed at derailing peace talks.
Syrian Rebels Say They Seized Key Base in North
New York Times 11 Jan 2013 – The rebel claims came as the international envoy on the Syria crisis met with Russian and American officials in hopes of finding a political solution to the conflict.
Saudi Arabia’s King Lets Women Sit on Advisory Council
New York Times 11 Jan 2013 – King Abdullah for the first time granted women seats on the Shura council, but they will have to wear conservative Islamic head covering and use doors, offices and seating areas separate from the men.
The Lede Blog: Palestinians Rally Support Online for West Bank Protest Camp
New York Times 11 Jan 2013 – About 200 Palestinian activists set up camp, and a Twitter feed, on Friday in a part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank just east of Jerusalem known as E1.
A Trail of Bullet Casings Leads From Africa’s Wars to Iran
New York Times 11 Jan 2013 – Researchers worked for years to locate the source of rifle and machine-gun ammunition in war-torn regions. The manufacturer was not one of Africa’s usual suspects.
Palestinians Set Up Camp in Israeli-Occupied West Bank Territory
New York Times 11 Jan 2013 – Scores of Palestinian activists and international supporters erected tents on Friday in a hotly contested piece of Israeli-occupied West Bank territory known as E1.
The New York Times: Israel’s True Friends
Jewish Voice for Peace – Israel’s True Friends , Roger Cohen, The New York Times , January 7, 2013. PRESIDENT Obama’s decision to nominate Chuck Hagel, a maverick Republican with enough experience of war to loathe it, as his next secretary of defense is the right choice for many reasons, chief among them…
The New York Times: In Defense of Hegel for Defense
Jewish Voice for Peace – In Defense of Hegel for Defense , Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times , January 9, 2013. Critics are pounding President Obama’s choice for defense secretary , Chuck Hagel, as soft on Iran, anti-military and even anti-Semitic. This is a grotesque caricature of a man who would make…
Dr Barghouti helps to establish “Bab al Shams” village in E1
Palestine Monitor – Palestinian National Initiative Press Release January 11, 2012 Dr Mustafa Barghouti, The leader of the Palestinian Initiative participated today in the establishment of “Bab al Shams” (Gate of the Sun) village in the so called…
‘NYT’ (literally) erases the occupation from coverage of Bab al-Shams
Mondoweiss – Good news: the New York Times covered the inspiring Bab al-Shams story . Bad news: they erased the occupation from the story. Here was the original headline on the story published today: Screenshot taken from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Several hours later it was changed to: Screenshot from…
Think Hagel represents meaningful change for US foreign policy? Think again.
Mondoweiss – The nomination of Chuck Hagel is being celebrated in some circles (including here on this site) as a strike against war with Iran and a colossal failure for the Israel lobby. But even assuming he’s confirmed, there is very little evidence that Hagel will do much…
Palestinians establish new village– Bab al-Shams, ‘Gate of the Sun’– in Occupied E1
Mondoweiss – First new Palestinian village since 1967 in the E1 area between East Jerusalem and the West Bank, established January 11, 2013. (Photo: ActiveStills) Today in a show of defiance against Israel’s occupation and announced settlement expansion in the E1 area between East Jerusalem and the West…
Sen. Kirk aide said to be point-man in campaign against Hagel
Mondoweiss – Richard Goldberg speaks for Kirk’s family after stroke Jan.2012, Dr. Richard Fessler (photo: couriernews.suntimes) Illinois Senator Mark Kirk’s chief of staff has his hands full. Richard Goldberg is said to be manning the unofficial headquarters of the campaign to knock out Chuck Hagel as the next…
Excavation aimed at establishing Jewish claim to Jerusalem causes cave-in in occupied neighborhood
Mondoweiss – Israeli policemen assault MK Taleb Al-Sane – NAZARETH (PIC) 10 Jan — Israeli police forces assaulted Arab member of the Israeli Knesset Talab Al-Sane on Wednesday while trying to protest the demolition of two Arab homes in Tal Al-Saba‘ village….
Vote now for G4S as the worst Corporation of the Year
Mondoweiss – British security giant G4S has been nominated for the Worst Company in the World award in the annual The Public Eye Awards 2013 . G4S is complicit in human right violations around the world. G4S services Israel’s oppression of Palestinians by maintaining and profiting from Israel’s prison…
Hamas: IDF Soldiers Kill Palestinian Along Gaza Border
The Foward Breaking News 11 Jan 2013 – IIsraeli troops shot dead a Palestinian and seriously wounded another in the northern Gaza Strip near the border with Israel on Friday, the Islamist group Hamas and hospital officials said. Click here for the rest of the article…
Justin Bieber Sued for ‘Assaulting’ Israeli Bodyguard
The Foward Breaking News 11 Jan 2013 – The Israeli former bodyguard of teen idol Justin Bieber reportedly sued the pop star for assault. Click here for the rest of the article…
Palestinians Pitch Tents on Land Planned for Settlements
The Foward Breaking News 11 Jan 2013 – Palestinians from villages in the occupied West Bank near Jerusalem pitched tents on Friday on land Israel has earmarked for a new urban settlement, looking to preserve the area for an independent Palestinian state. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Israeli President Tells Nation – No Bikini, No Tourism
allAfrica.com 11 Jan 2013 – [Aswat Masriya]Israeli President Shimon Peres says he was not surprised by the denial of President Mohamed Mursi about sending him a letter, but by the fact that he sent him one in the first place.
Egypt: Iranian FM and Other Officials Pay Visit to Nation
allAfrica.com 11 Jan 2013 – [Aswat Masriya]Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi arrived to Cairo on Wednesday evening with other Iranian officials to discuss regional affairs with the Egyptian government.
Sudan: Bashir’s Sudan and Iran – an Alliance of Terror
allAfrica.com 11 Jan 2013 – [Sudan Tribune]Israeli warplanes attacked Sudan’s military-industrial complex at al-Yarmouk on October 23, 2012. While the raid set-back Sudan’s weapons production – including delivery by Sudan of Iranian Fajr-5 missiles to Hamas in Gaza – additional measures are needed to prevent Sudan’s export of deadly weapons to…
Rebels ‘overrun Syria airbase’
BBC 11 Jan 2013 – Rebels are reported to have taken control of a strategic airbase in north-western Syria after weeks of fierce fighting with government forces.
Tent protest over West Bank plan
BBC 11 Jan 2013 – Dozens of Palestinians pitch tents in an area of the West Bank where Israel recently announced plans to press ahead with new settlement homes.
Saudi king names women to council
BBC 11 Jan 2013 – Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah appoints women to a fifth of the seats in the previously all-male consultative Shura Council.
Farmer ‘shot dead in Gaza Strip’
BBC 11 Jan 2013 – A Palestinian farmer in the northern Gaza Strip has been killed by Israeli gunfire, Palestinian medical sources say.
Why is HRW Unwilling to Stand with Human Rights Defenders?
US Campaign to End the Occupation 11 Jan 2013 – Phyllis Bennis is co-founder of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. Human Rights Watch: Time to stand with human rights defenders It is disappointing to see HRW’s unwillingness to stand with those who are working to promote and defend human rights. Al Jazeera English…
The Mahdi and Iran’s Foreign Policy
Al-Akhbar Opinion 11 Jan 2013 – Iranians stand in a subway train headed to northern Tehran, on 3 January 2013. (Photo: AFP – Behrouz Mehri) Iranians stand in a subway train headed to northern Tehran, on 3 January 2013. (Photo: AFP – Behrouz Mehri) How does Mahdism influence Iranian foreign policy? It’s…
Rebels take over Syrian airbase as SNC bids for further recognition
Al-Akhbar News 11 Jan 2013 – A member of the Free Syrian Army talks on a radio near Menagh military airport in Aleppo’s countryside on 10 January 2013. (Photo: Reuters – Mahmoud Hassano) Activists and insurgents claim that Syrian rebels have seized a strategic air base in the northern part of the…
A Quiet End to the Death Penalty in Lebanon?
Al-Akhbar News 11 Jan 2013 – The death penalty is not a solution and has not helped reduce crime. It only increased the number of victims. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) The death penalty is not a solution and has not helped reduce crime. It only increased the number of victims. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah)…
Georges Abdallah is Free
Al-Akhbar News 11 Jan 2013 – When Georges returns to his village, sheep will be slaughtered and the church bells will ring. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) When Georges returns to his village, sheep will be slaughtered and the church bells will ring. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Next Monday, 14 January 2013, at dawn at…
In historic first, 30 women appointed to Saudi Shura Council
Al-Akhbar News 11 Jan 2013 – A stock photo taken on 24 March 2008 shows a Saudi woman in the capital Riyadh. (Photo: AFP – Hassan Ammar) Saudi King Abdullah appointed 30 women to the previously all-male consultative Shura Council in decrees published on Friday, marking a historic first as the ruler…
Palestinians reclaim land slated for Israeli settlement, create new village
Al-Akhbar News 11 Jan 2013 – Palestinians Friday morning inaugurated a tent village named Bab al-Shams in an area near Jerusalem referred to by Israelis as E1, defying an immediate eviction notice from the Israeli civil administration and military. The group is entitled to a six day grace period before they are…
Sri Lanka recalls ambassador to Saudi to protest citizen’s execution
Al-Akhbar News 11 Jan 2013 – Sri Lankan activists hold up a portrait of Rizana Nafeek as they shout slogans during a protest in Colombo on 11 January 2013, following her execution by Saudi authorities. (Photo: AFP – Ishara S.Kodikara) Sri Lanka recalled its envoy to Saudi Arabia Thursday after the execution…
UAE-Egypt Crisis: Mubarak and Iran Lurk in the Background
Al-Akhbar Politics 10 Jan 2013 – An Egyptian truck loaded with gravel enters through the Rafah border crossing, between Egypt and Gaza on 29 December 2012 as building material for the Qatari grant projects begin arriving. (Photo: AFP – Said Khatib) An Egyptian truck loaded with gravel enters through the Rafah border…
The Ballooning Cost of Living in Damascus
Al-Akhbar Politics 10 Jan 2013 – People build a snowman on 10 January 2013 in the Syrian capital of Damascus after heavy snow falls. (Photo: AFP – Louai Beshara) People build a snowman on 10 January 2013 in the Syrian capital of Damascus after heavy snow falls. (Photo: AFP – Louai Beshara)…
Israeli Army Dog Attacks 92-Year-Old Palestinian Woman in Jenin
Al-Haq 11 Jan 2013 – Ad: What 300 Million Americans Need To Know – 75%-some 300 Million Native Born Citizens Of The Several States Of The United States Of America Have Lost (ie Abandoned, By Lack Of Knowledge) Their Political Status (their Nationality), Have Contracted Away Their Unalienable Rights, And Become…
Rebels ‘overrun Syria airbase’
BBC 11 Jan 2013 – Rebels are reported to have taken control of a strategic airbase in north-western Syria after weeks of fierce fighting with government forces.
Tent protest over West Bank plan
BBC 11 Jan 2013 – Dozens of Palestinians pitch tents in an area of the West Bank where Israel recently announced plans to press ahead with new settlement homes.
Saudi king names women to council
BBC 11 Jan 2013 – Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah appoints women to a fifth of the seats in the previously all-male consultative Shura Council.
Bahrain activist risks arrest
BBC 11 Jan 2013 – A leading human rights activist risks arrest by returning to Bahrain to see her jailed father.
Farmer ‘shot dead in Gaza Strip’
BBC 11 Jan 2013 – A Palestinian farmer in the northern Gaza Strip has been killed by Israeli gunfire, Palestinian medical sources say.
Thirteen killed in Bahrain fire
BBC 11 Jan 2013 – A fire at a building housing workers in the Bahraini capital Manama kills 13 people, officials say.
Articles
BBC’s cruel excuses for ignoring Palestinian hunger strikes
Amena Saleem, London, Electronic Intifada 1/10/2013
The BBC didn’t find newsworthy the mass protests in solidarity with hunger striking Palestinian prisoners.
For almost 170 days, Samer Issawi, held without trial, has been refusing food in an Israeli jail. Aged just 33, he is now skeletal and his family says his life is on the line.
His fellow prisoner, Ayman Sharawna, is also refusing food. Like Issawi, he is being held by Israel under administrative detention, a system which ignores all due process and interns civilians without charge, trial or sentencing for an indefinite period of time.
Both Issawi and Sharawna are protesting against their arbitrary imprisonment and the brutal conditions under which they, and other prisoners, are held.
Their protest, a peaceful weapon of resistance against Israel’s occupation of their land, has been ignored by the largest state-funded global broadcaster in the world, the BBC.
This is despite the fact that it is not an isolated act of resistance, but part of a mass nonviolent uprising in the form of hunger strikes by Palestinian prisoners that began in September 2011 and was further fueled in December that year by Khader Adnan’s refusal to take food.
Inspired by Adnan, other prisoners, both male and female, began hunger strikes. Then, on a single day in 2012 — Palestinian Prisoners’ Day — 1,200 Palestinians held in Israel’s jails began an open-ended hunger strike, a figure which quickly grew to an estimated 2,000. more.. e-mail
The ’State of Palestine’ exists
John V. Whitbeck, Al Jazeera.com 1/10/2013
While the PLO will continue to represent all Palestinians, those living in the state will get new Palestinian passports.
On January 3, Mahmoud Abbas, acting in his capacities as the President of State of Palestine and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, signed “Decree No. 1 for the year 2013”. While he did so with minimal ceremony or fanfare, and while the change formalised by this decree should surprise no one after the UN General Assembly’s overwhelming vote on November 29 to upgrade Palestine’s status at the United Nations to “observer state”, this change is potentially historic.
By this decree, the “Palestinian Authority”, created for a five-year “interim” period pursuant to the “Oslo” Declaration of Principles signed on the White House lawn in September 1993, has been absorbed and replaced by the “State of Palestine”, proclaimed in November 1988, recognised diplomatically by 131 of the 193 UN member states and supported in the recent General Assembly vote by an additional 28 states which have not yet formally recognised it diplomatically.
After citing the November 29 General Assembly Resolution, Article 1 of the decree states: “Official documents, seals, signs and letterheads of the Palestinian National Authority official and national institutions shall be amended by replacing the name ‘Palestinian National Authority’ whenever it appears by the name ‘State of Palestine’ and by adopting the emblem of the State of Palestine.” Concluding, Article 4 states: “All competent authorities, each in their respective area, shall implement this Decree starting from its date.”
In his correspondence, Yasser Arafat used to list all three of his titles under his signature – President of the State of Palestine, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation and President of the Palestinian National Authority (in that order of precedence)…. more.. e-mail
Israelis Must Rise Up To Avert National Disaster
Alon Ben-Meir, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 1/10/2013
I believe it is about time for the “Arab Spring” to reach the Israeli shores. It is time for the Israelis to rid themselves of the bondage of occupation and be free again. It is time to stop zealots and messianic leadership from gradually bringing Israel to the brink of national disaster. Israelis can no longer remain complacent in the face of their country’s growing isolation and the mounting danger of forsaking the prospect of a two-state solution, which remains the only viable option to save Israel as a democratic Jewish state. It is time for the Israelis to rise up before it is too late and demand an end to the conflict with the Palestinians.
Notwithstanding the failure of successive Israeli governments in the past to reach a peace agreement and regardless of the fact that the Netanyahu government, contrary to its public utterances, implemented policies that torpedoed any prospect for an agreement, it is time for the Israelis to ask themselves the question: where do we go from here? The nature of the Israeli political system, along with the current political landscape lacking in visionary and courageous leaders, will more than likely dim any hope for a peaceful breakthrough any time soon. Only the Israelis who are not deceived by the relative calm and economic prosperity and who are not swayed by demagoguery and siege mentality will realize that the country is on a path of self-destruction. They must now rise and demand the restoration of Israel to the principles set by its founders: a free, democratic, and strong home for the Jews, living in dignity, walking the high moral ground with their heads held high.
Nearly a year and a half ago hundreds of Israelis went to the streets demanding affordable housing, better wages and less taxation while bitterly complaining about the rising cost of food and gasoline, but no one demanded an end to the occupation on which the government on average spends over $6 billion annually on overall security and military expenditures. Beside the misappropriation of funds, how many Israelis really believe that Israel can “keep on growing and prosper” while it continues to occupy Palestinian land against the will of its people at a staggering cost?…. more.. e-mail
Peres answers half of the dilemma of Arafat’s death
Abdul-hakim Salah, Ma’an News Agency 1/11/2013
Though his response is not an official confirmation that Israel was involved in the murder of late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat, Israeli president Shimon Peres did not deny that the late Palestinian leader was assassinated when asked during a New York Times interview whether he thought the leader “should be assassinated.”
On November 27, 2012, the body of late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat was exhumed in an investigation to establish if he was murdered by Israeli agents using the hard-to-trace radioactive poison, Polonium.
The decision to open the grave came after the Lausanne Hospital in Switzerland said in August 2012 that high levels of polonium were discovered on Arafat’s clothes, supplied by his widow Suha for a television documentary.
Since Arafat’s death, debate has raged about the mysterious circumstances surrounding his demise, with many Palestinians pointing the finger at Israel, which confined Arafat to his headquarters in Ramallah for the final two and a half years of his life after a Palestinian uprising erupted.
Other explanations have been put forward, with some Israeli officials suggesting he was killed by rival Palestinian factions, or even succumbed to AIDS.
In the recent interview with the New York Times, Israeli president Shimon Peres said he opposed Israel’s policy of targeted assassinations as a weapon to achieve political goals. The interviewer, Ronen Bergman, an analyst for the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, highlighted that Peres had opposed Israel’s assassination of the PLO’s number two leader Khalil al-Wazir (known as Abu Jihad) in Tunis in 1988. more.. e-mail
Dr Barghouti helps to establish “Bab al Shams” village in E1
Palestine Monitor: 11 Jan 2013 – Palestinian National Initiative Press Release January 11, 2012 Dr Mustafa Barghouti, The leader of the Palestinian Initiative participated today in the establishment of “Bab al Shams” (Gate of the Sun) village in the so called…more
A Significant Defeat for the Zionist Lobby?
Dissident Voice: 11 Jan 2013 – I would like the headline to be a statement but it has to be a question. As I write it looks as though the Zionist lobby realises that it overplayed its hand in smearing Chuck Hagel in the hope of causing President Obama to back off nominating him for the post defense secretary. The implication is not that the lobby’s stooges in the Senate will refrain from giving Hagel a hard time at his confirmation hearing, but that they will not risk, at least for a while, further public exposure as Israel Firsters by causing the nomination to be rejected. How much Obama himself is to be credited with outflanking the Zionist lobby on this occasion is a good question. There is certainly a case for saying that by authorising the leaking of Hagel’s name well in advance of the presidential nomination, Obama was deliberately provoking the Zionist lobby (and…more
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