2 February 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Weekly Protest Against The Wall, Settlements, Held In Bil’in
IMEMC – Protests Were Also Held In Different Parts Of West Bank Friday February 1, 2013; Dozens of Palestinians, Israeli and International peace activists held their weekly nonviolent protest against the Israeli Annexation Wall and Israel’s illegal settlements in the village on Bil’in, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah; dozens were injured after being attacked by the army. …
Israel evacuates Nablus protest village, dozens injured
2/2/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces evacuated a protest tent set up earlier on Saturday by Palestinian activists in Nablus, leading to clashes which injured at least 20 people. Earlier, around 200 people from across the West Bank set up the “Al-Manatir neighborhood” encampment in an area of Burin village that activists say is slated…. Related: Activists set up new protest village in Nablus, settlers shoot teen and In photos: Israel evacuates Nablus protest tent
ICRC urges Israel to allow family visits to hunger strikers
2/2/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The International Committee of the Red Cross is urging Israel to find a solution to save the lives of hunger-striking Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, and to allow their families to visit them. The ICRC is concerned that long-term hunger strikers Samer Issawi, Tareq Qadan, Jaffar Ezzedin and Ayman Sharawneh could suffer….
‘Miles of Smiles’ activists arrive at Gaza crossing
2/2/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — International activists arrived at a crossing into the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning ahead of a humanitarian aid convoy they had organized. An Egyptian security source said 50 Bahrainis and three Egyptians entered the Rafah land crossing and would be joined by 100 more activists later on Saturday. The humanitarian….
Man douses himself in fuel as police disperse Ramallah street-sellers
2/2/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — A Palestinian man attempted to set himself on fire on Saturday, at a protest against the removal of street-sellers in Ramallah. The youth doused himself in fuel before being stopped and arrested by police. Dozens of street-sellers had gathered in the main square of Ramallah, al-Manara, chanting slogans against a crackdown….
In photos: Israel evacuates Nablus protest tent
2/2/2013 – Reuters / Mohamad Torokman / MaanImages – Israeli forces evacuate “Al-Manatir neighborhood” protest tent in an area of Burin, Nablus, on Saturday, leading to clashes which injured at least 20 people. Seven people were arrested by Israeli forces and settlers attacked Burin with fire-bombs and rocks, damaging homes, cars and setting fire to olive trees. The encampment is…. Related: Activists set up new protest village in Nablus, settlers shoot teen and Israel evacuates Nablus protest village, dozens injured
Ex-Israeli security chiefs speak out in Oscar documentary nominee
2/2/2013 – NEW YORK (Reuters) — The Oscar-nominated documentary “The Gatekeepers” focuses on Israel, but its director says that all countries can gain insight about the risks that arise if secretive security agencies operate without adequate restraints. In “The Gatekeepers,” six former heads of Israeli internal security and intelligence agency Shin Bet reflect on their failures and successes….
Biden raises possibility of direct US-Iran talks
2/2/2013 – MUNICH (Reuters) — The United States is ready to hold direct talks with Iran if it is serious about negotiations, Vice President Joe Biden said on Saturday, backing bilateral contacts that many see as crucial to easing an international dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program. Speaking at a security conference in Munich, Biden said Iran….
Islamic Summit in Cairo to address Israel settlements
2/2/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Senior officials from member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation convened in Cairo on Saturday to prepare the agenda for next week’s 12th Islamic Summit, official news agency Wafa reported. Israeli settlement activities in Palestine will form part of the summit’s agenda, Wafa said.” We hope….
Man killed in Gaza drugs ambush
2/2/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A Palestinian man was killed by security forces during a drugs ambush in Gaza on Saturday. A drugs task force of the Palestinian police set up the ambush near the tunnel area in Rafah, south Gaza. Gaza interior ministry spokesman Sakam Shahwan said the suspected drug dealers fled when they….
Marine police rescue 2 fishermen off Gaza coast
2/2/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza’s marine police rescued two fishermen whose boat had overturned off the coast of northern Gaza on Saturday, police said. The fishermen were sailing near the al-Sudaniyeh coastal area. They were taken to hospital for treatment. [END]
Official: Reconvening parliament will delay unity talks
2/2/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Fatah official Faisal Abu Shahal said Saturday that reconvening the Palestinian Legislative Council before Palestinian elections would delay political reconciliation. The speaker of the defunct Palestinian parliament, Aziz Dweik, said Friday that the legislative body should resume work before any new national election. The Palestinian Legislative Council has not sat….
Health workers to go on strike Monday, official says
2/2/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Health workers in the West Bank will go on strike next week, the federation of healthcare unions said Saturday. Osama al-Najjar, the head of a healthcare union, told Ma’an that healthcare workers will strike from Feb 4-6 to protest dire work conditions and the late payment of salaries….
Peres asks Netanyahu to form new Israeli government
2/2/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israeli President Shimon Peres on Saturday formally asked incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new governing coalition following the Jan. 22 general election. Netanyahu will initially have 28 days to form a coalition. His rightist Likud-Beitenu party took a battering at the ballot box and won 31 seats, 11 fewer than….
PA officials seize 13 tons of expired food products in Ramallah
2/2/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority customs officials seized 13 tons of expired food products in Ramallah on Saturday, officials said. Sources in the department of consumer protection told Ma’an that the products were all Israeli and had been smuggled in from settlements. Customs officers raided a Ramallah apartment and found the goods….
Man killed in Gaza house fire
2/2/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A Palestinian man died Saturday in northern Gaza after his house caught fire, medics said, two days after a family of six died in a blaze. Raed Abu Hayya, 42, died when his house caught fire in the al-Saftawi neighborhood of northern Gaza. Medics said the fire was the result….
Video of protester stripped and beaten fires Egypt fury
2/2/2013 – CAIRO (Reuters) — After eight days of protests that killed nearly 60 people, a video of one demonstrator stripped naked, dragged across the ground and beaten with truncheons by helmeted riot police has fired Egyptians to a new level of outrage. Hamada Saber, a middle-aged man, lay in a police hospital on Saturday, the morning after….
Ahmadinejad to make first Egypt visit by Iran head in decades
2/2/2013 – CAIRO (Reuters) – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit Cairo next week, becoming the first Iranian president to travel to Egypt since Iran‘s 1979 revolution ruptured diplomatic ties between the two most populous countries in the Middle East. Ahmadinejad will head Iran‘s delegation to a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Cairo….
Syrian opposition leader to meet Iran’s foreign minister
2/2/2013 – MUNICH (Reuters) — Syrian opposition leader Moaz Alkhatib said on Saturday he would meet Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Germany this weekend to discuss finding a solution to the Syrian crisis.” I confirm that I will be meeting the Iranian foreign minister to discuss finding a way to remove the regime with the least….
Israelis evict Palestinian protest camp
AlJazeera 2 Feb 2013 – Activists and residents of area protesting illegal Israeli settlement activity forcefully removed by authorities.
“Hussam” Demands ICRC to Launch an Urgent Appeal to Save Hunger Striking Prisoners
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
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Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Know the law: murder
The National 2 Feb 2013 – The element of Sharia that requires the murder victim’s blood relatives to be consulted follows the Quranic verse: “Who so is slain wrongfully, We have given power unto his heir.”
French mum’s campervan odyssey with kids in tow brings her to UAE
The National 2 Feb 2013 – A French mother and her two children have arrived in the UAE in their latest stop of an epic adventure from Europe to South-East Asia – by camper van.
Police arrest man accused of raping women at knifepoint in lifts at night
The National 2 Feb 2013 – An Egyptian ‘women hunter’ has been arrested for threatening and rapping women using elevators at night, Abu Dhabi police have said.
Woman who insulted man who promised to marry her fined by Dubai court
The National 2 Feb 2013 – A man who had been with a woman for almost ten years during which promises of marriage were made, dumped the woman and married another, court hears.
Sharjah launches economic and social survey of Emiratis
The National 2 Feb 2013 – The Sharjah Statistics Centre (SSC) today launched the first field phase of the social and economic survey of the emirate’s nationals, the Wam news agency has reported.
Rainfall across the country, with more expected today
The National 2 Feb 2013 – The National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology said the whole country saw light to moderate rain on Saturday and will most likely again do so on Sunday morning.
Abu Dhabi plan to recycle waste
The National 2 Feb 2013 – Demolition waste makes up six million tonnes of overall waste in Abu Dhabi emirate, and the Centre of Waste Management is trying to find a way to monetise that.
Abu Dhabi’s College of Arts aims to create the career artists
The National 2 Feb 2013 – Zayed University’s course is giving talented youngsters a brush with the business world to put them in the frame for a job in art
Right-wing groups use ‘right of return’ to evict Arabs from East Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 2 Feb 2013
Israel dismantles West Bank tent communities, leaving residents to face the elements
Ha’aretz – 2 Feb 2013
Peres formally tasks Netanyahu with forming Israel’s next government
Ha’aretz – 2 Feb 2013
U.S. media gives new account of alleged Israeli attack on Syria
Ha’aretz – 2 Feb 2013
Turkey’s FM denounces Syria’s Assad for not responding to alleged Israeli strike
Ha’aretz – 2 Feb 2013
Clashes in West Bank village after Palestinians erect protest camp
Ha’aretz – 2 Feb 2013
Syria strikes back? Hackers break into Haaretz emails, threaten more attacks
Ha’aretz – 2 Feb 2013
Opinion: Roll up your sleeve
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – The Health Ministry has done nothing to persuade Israelis to get the annual flu shot. But it can be done, with creative thinking.
Twelve Steps to a bearable, beneficial divorce
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – American author, psychotherapist adapts the technique of Alcoholics Anonymous to help people heal and restart their lives.
Wiesenthal Center dean labels Augstein ‘anti-Semite’
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Rabbi Abraham Cooper says ‘Der Spiegel’ columnist Jakob Augstein is an “anti-Semite” for first time since the outbreak of dispute.
‘Failure to blacklist Hezbollah undermines security’
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – London conference discusses EU failure to list Hezbollah as terrorist organization as “undermining security goals.”
Jews bicker over fate of Warsaw synagogue
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Poland to decide whether to demolish 6 Twarda Street after request from Jewish leaders to remove building in former ghetto.
Iran vows support for Syria against ‘conspiracies’
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Davutoglu accuses Assad of inaction after IAF strike, suggests failure to respond is due to “secret agreement” with Israel.
DFLP head Hawatmeh seeks to return to West Bank
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – PA seeks permission to allow Nayef Hawatmeh to move to West Bank from Jordan, despite movements commitment to armed struggle.
Congress members ask Obama to send Egypt F-16s
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Ros-Lehtinen says US must reevaluate foreign policy objectives following Morsi’s anti-Semitic comments and recent violence.
Report on incitement ‘another Goldstone Report’
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Scientific Advisory Panel member warns of document on Palestinian and Israeli schoolbooks as potentially controversial.
Syrian TV shows images of alleged Israeli air raid
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Footage of damage to military research center in Jamarya, which Syria claims was target of an IAF strike, is shown on official Syrian state television.
IDF evicts 200 Palestinians from new tent city
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Army forcibly remove activists from ‘Al-Manatir’ after clashes near Nablus; Palestinians say IDF use live ammunition.
Yemen confirms seized weapons ship is Iranian
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Seizure on January 23 was coordinated with the US navy; weapons thought to be destined for Shi’ite insurgents in Yemen.
Out There: Name Power
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Some challenges of being a new immigrant in Israel
UNHRC and Israel
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Not showing up was hardly ideal, but better this than more spectacles of the sort staged invariably by the UNHRC.
Syrian opposition chief meets US, Russia and UN
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Russia is potential broker between the opposition and the Assad regime; Biden convinced that Assad “must go.”
PM calls on all factions to join unity government
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Netanyahu urges Abbas to resume peace talks; main objectives of new gov’t deal with Iran, economy, equalizing national burden.
Biden raises possibility of direct US-Iran talks
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – US vice president says Washington ready to talk to Tehran if its serious, adds US would inform allies of direct negotiations.
Video of protester stripped, beaten fires Egypt fury
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Man in hospital after beating by Cairo riot police; video recalls images from 2011 anti-Mubarak revolt.
Syrian opposition chief to meet US, Russia and UN
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – US vice-president Biden says “tyrant” Assad has to go; Russia’s Lavrov says this position keeps the war going.
Bar Refaeli stars in racy Super Bowl commercial
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – Israeli supermodel kisses a nerd in GoDaddy.com ad that promises to be one of the Super Bowl’s most memorable commercials.
Russia-US Jews to honor Ed Koch at Limmud event
Jerusalem Post 1 Feb 2013 – Over 600 participants to attend Limmud FSU Summit in New Jersey, where special conference will be held for former NY mayor.
Brooklyn College’s academic freedom increasingly threatened over Israel event | Glenn Greenwald
The Guardian 2 Feb 2013 – New York politicians join the Alan Dershowitz-led campaign to dictate to colleges what academic events they can hold (updated below) On Tuesday, I wrote about a brewing controversy that was threatening the academic freedom of Brooklyn…
Turkey’s EU Hopes Could Free Media
IPS As negotiations in Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union remain stalled, many worry that the Turkish government has little incentive to curb its ongoing crackdown on media freedoms and freedom of expression. “Reviving Turkey’s accession process to the EU is crucially relevant to press freedom in the country for…
Tens of thousands call for Iraq PM’s ouster (Videos)
Uruknet
Yemen: Scores of children on prison hunger strike after minor sentenced to die
Uruknet
‘US a police state, Obama consciously allows torture’ – CIA veteran John Kiriakou
Uruknet
Two years on, Benghazi threatens “another revolution” in Libya
Uruknet
Israeli mayor of Ramallah-area settlement wants to annex Palestinian city as “South Beit El”
Uruknet
Israeli soldiers shoot two Gaza teens
Uruknet
Iraq Announces 21 Executions in a Day
Uruknet
VIDEO: Egyptian police strip, beat man in front of presidential palace
Uruknet
Report: Israel detained 350 Palestinians in January
Uruknet
PM says Syrian-style revolt impossible in Iraq
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 Iraq’s prime minister says that a Syrian-style revolt against the government “will not happen” in his country, despite mounting street protests by minority Sunnis against his Shiite-led rule.
Ahmadinejad to make first Egypt visit by Iran head in decades
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit Cairo next week, becoming the first Iranian president to travel to Egypt since Iran‘s 1979 Revolution ruptured diplomatic ties between the two most populous countries in the Middle East.
Syrian opposition head to meet Iran Foreign Minister: source
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 The head of the Syrian opposition Moaz Alkhatib will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich, a diplomatic source says.
Iran pledges full support to Damascus: Jalili
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 A senior Iranian security official pledges the full support of Tehran for the Syrian regime, its close ally, Syrian state television says.
Syria opposition chief meets Russia’s Lavrov in Munich
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 The head of the Syrian opposition Moaz Alkhatib says he met Russia’s foreign minister on the sidelines of a conference in Munich and has been invited to visit Moscow.
National Bank of Egypt chairman resigns
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 The chairman of the state-owned National Bank of Egypt, the country’s largest bank by assets, has resigned from his post and his resignation accepted by the prime minister, the cabinet says.
Jordan flood kills elderly man
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 A flash flood in southern Jordan kills an elderly man as torrential rains and heavy snowfall sweep the desert country, trapping 300 people who had to be rescued, officials say.
Egypt opposition hardens stance, seeks Mursi trial
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 Egypt‘s main opposition group side with calls to oust the ruling Islamists after deadly clashes left the presidency scrambling to contain fallout from footage of police brutalizing a man.
Israeli forces dismantle Palestinian encampment
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 Israeli troops fire tear gas and stun grenades in a clash with rock-hurling Palestinians as the forces tried to dismantle an encampment that activists set up in the West Bank to protest Israeli restrictions on building…
Iran rial hits all-time dollar low: trackers
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 Iran‘s currency plummets to an all-time low, registering a more than 21-percent drop in a span of two weeks against the U.S. dollar, currency tracking websites and money changers say.
Egypt PM says chaos threatens economy
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 Egypt‘s prime minister says the street violence and political unrest that has engulfed the country for more than a week is threatening the nation’s already ailing economy.
Egypt: Ex-interior minister gets new jail sentence
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 An Egyptian court has sentenced the country’s former interior minister to three years in prison after finding him guilty of abusing his position in power by forcing police conscripts to work on his mansion and land…
‘Nassib Lahoud Square’ inaugurated in Beirut
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 Solidere inaugurates the Nassib Lahoud Square in Downtown Beirut in honor of the late politician.
Iran space official: Photo shows wrong monkey
Daily Star 2 Feb 2013 A senior Iranian space official says one of two official photos of its famed simian space traveler depicted the wrong monkey, but that the primate really did fly up into orbit and return safely.
French parliament backs main clause in gay marriage law
YNet News, 2 Feb 2013 – ….
Yemen says intercepted Iranian ship carrying weapons
YNet News, 2 Feb 2013 – ….
23 killed in Taliban attack on Pakistan army post
YNet News, 2 Feb 2013 – ….
NATO chief dismisses Russian missile defense worry
YNet News, 2 Feb 2013 – ….
Turkey: US Embassy bomber had terror conviction
YNet News, 2 Feb 2013 – ….
Window is closing
YNet News, 2 Feb 2013 – Op-ed: Israel’s failure to resume negotiations with moderate Palestinian leadership bolsters extremists ….
Palestinian Information Center
Resheq calls for sanctions against Israel
PIC – Political bureau member of Hamas Ezzet Al-Resheq has called for reactivating international sanctions against Israel for persisting in its settlement drive in the occupied Palestinian land.
Hamas strongly condemns demolition of Gate of Freedom
PIC – Hamas strongly condemned the IOF demolition of Bab al-Horiyya village (Gate of Freedom) established by Palestinian activists in Burin village to protest confiscation of Palestinian land.
Report: 17 Palestinians killed in Syria over the past week
PIC – 17 Palestinians were killed in war-torn Syria over the past week including eight on Sunday while 14 were kidnapped from a bus, a report on the conditions there said on Saturday.
IOF soldiers demolish another protest village
PIC – Israeli occupation forces and Jewish settlers demolished “Bab al-Horriya” village set up by Palestinian and foreign activists on lands threatened with confiscation near the village of Burin.
Israeli military units break into the Negev prison
PIC – Israeli special military units stormed the Negev desert prison for the fifth consecutive time over the past ten days, and attacked the Palestinian prisoners.
Euro-mid observer hails UN report on settlement
PIC – The Euro-mid observer for human rights hailed the UN human rights council for its recent report that condemned Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Turkish project providing jobs for wounded Gazans launched
PIC – MP Jamal al-Khudari announced the start of the “Irada” project providing jobs for 400 Palestinians who have been affected by the aggression on Gaza and those with special needs.
Qaraqe: Egypt makes intensive efforts to save striking prisoners’ lives
PIC – Issa Qaraqe, Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, said that Egypt has been making intensive efforts to save lives of hunger striking prisoners whose health conditions have gravely deteriorated.
Ministry of prisoners: 4,750 detainees in Israeli jails, including 198 kids
PIC – The Palestinian ministry of prisoners’ affairs said the number of prisoners detained in Israeli jails rose at the end of January to 4,750 detainees, including 198 minors and children.
Ministry: Candles most likely cause of fire in Dhuheir family home
PIC – Gaza Interior Ministry exposed the preliminary results of its investigations into the fire that broke out in the house of the citizen Hazem Dhuheir and caused his death along with his family.
Group Welcomes UNHRC Report on Settlements
WAFA – 2 Feb 2013
Activists Build New Tent Village near Nablus
WAFA – 2 Feb 2013
PA Seeking to Bring DFLP leader into West Bank
WAFA – 2 Feb 2013
PEX Report: Al Quds Index Down
WAFA – 31 Jan 2013
Protesting in Egypt because they have nothing else
LA Times 1 Feb 2013 – Legions of angry young men without prospects battle Egypt‘s police. They have no political agenda, only anger. CAIRO — They are a bedraggled front line, shock troops with scabbed faces and gunshot wounds, many of them boys with runny noses and sandaled feet, standing beyond…
Dror Moreh’s ‘The Gatekeepers’ sheds light on Israel’s Shin Bet
LA Times 1 Feb 2013 – Former leaders open up as never before to director Dror Moreh, whose ‘Gatekeepers’ delivers a harsh appraisal of the agency’s role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel’s Shin Bet — think of it as a combination of the CIA and the FBI — prides itself on…
The Lede Blog: Photos of Two Iranian Space Monkeys Were a Mix-up, an Official Says
New York Times 2 Feb 2013 – A senior official at Iran‘s space agency confirmed on Saturday that state media reports on the launching of a monkey into the thermosphere had used images of two different monkeys.
The Lede Blog: Frank Video of Mass Sexual Assault in Cairo Is Released by Anti-Harassment Activists
New York Times 2 Feb 2013 – Egyptian activists released a brutally frank video on Friday, urging volunteers to join their campaign against sexual assaults during demonstrations.
The Lede Blog: New Photographs Stir Doubts About Bashar’s Baby and Iran’s Space Monkey
New York Times 2 Feb 2013 – New images appear to cast doubt on the accuracy of two of the week’s most widely-reported stories: the rumored pregnancy of Syria‘s first lady, and the pioneering space flight of an Iranian monkey.
Marxist Group Claims Attack on Embassy in Turkey
New York Times 2 Feb 2013 – A group with a history of political violence denounced American foreign policy and condemned Turkey’s policy of supporting Syria’s rebels against Bashar al-Assad’s government.
In Behind-Scene Blows and Triumphs, Sense of Clinton Future
New York Times 2 Feb 2013 – The instincts of Hillary Rodham Clinton, the departing secretary of state, were often more activist than those of a White House that has kept a tight grip on foreign policy.
Egypt’s Government Apologizes After a Beating Is Televised
New York Times 2 Feb 2013 – The rare apology comes a day after officers stripped and beat a man two blocks from the palace of President Mohamed Morsi during clashes between protesters and riot police officers.
Syrian Opposition Leader Confers With U.S. and Russia
New York Times 2 Feb 2013 – There was no sign of progress in separate talks between Sheik Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib and American and Russian officials at a conference in Munich.
Israel Falls to 112th Place in Press Freedom Index
Tikun Olam – Israel ranked in “noticeable problems” category on world press map Reporters Without Borders 2013 Press Freedom Index ( full report ) has just been published. Last year, Israel was ranked 92nd and it sunk a further 20 spaces to 112th this year (out of 179 ranked). The fall…
Teen puts SodaStream’s Superbowl Ad to shame
Mondoweiss – SodaStream builds seltzer-makers in occupied territory on the West Bank, but even as a global boycott campaign is gaining traction, the company is seeking to rebrand itself with a $4 million Superbowl ad-buy tomorrow– describing itself as ” holistic and environmentally friendly “–when anyone who has studied…
‘The tide of public opinion is turning’ — Committee for Open Discussion of Zionism commends Brooklyn College
Mondoweiss – January 31, 2013 Karen L. Gould President, Brooklyn College 2900 Bedford Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11210klgould@brooklyn.cuny.edu Dear President Gould: The Committee for Open Discussion of Zionism (CODZ) supports and applauds your determination to stand firm against recent attempts by Zionist alumni/ae, students, and media to…
‘Most moral’ army in the world is looking more and more like Bull Connor enforcing Jim Crow
Mondoweiss – Pepper spraying Palestinian activists The above picture of activists getting pepper-sprayed was posted by the Palestinian activist site AlQadiPal and retweeted by Joseph Dana . It was reportedly taken today at the new Palestinian “outpost,” Al Manatir, a group of tents set up near Burin outside Nablus….
Full transcript of Chuck Hagel hearing before Senate Armed Services Committee
Mondoweiss – I believe we can call the Senate Armed Services Committee’s confirmation hearing of Chuck Hagel on Thursday historic: for the savage questioning by Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham and John McCain that many have compared to McCarthyite attacks, and for the exposure of the Israel lobby’s influence…
Hagel hearing word count: Israel 178, Iran 171, military suicides 2
Mondoweiss – Hagel word cloud In “Why Hagel Laid Down ,” Peter Beinart concedes that Obama/Chuck Hagel’s strategy of pulling in his horns and rolling over on any criticism of Israel in the confirmation hearing on Thursday has set back Beinart’s dream of attaining a two-state solution in the…
Iran Threat Is Paramount For New Israeli Government, Says Netanyahu
The Foward Breaking News 2 Feb 2013 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday took on the job of forming a new government and said its most important task would be to ensure that Iran does not gain nuclear arms. Click here for the rest of the article…
Bibi Formally Asked To Form Israel Government
The Foward Breaking News 2 Feb 2013 – Israeli President Shimon Peres on Saturday formally asked incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new governing coalition following the Jan. 22 general election. Click here for the rest of the article…
Biden Raises Possibility of Direct U.S.-Iran Talks
The Foward Breaking News 2 Feb 2013 – The United States is ready to hold direct talks with Iran if it is serious about negotiations, Vice President Joe Biden said on Saturday, backing bilateral contacts that many see as crucial to easing an international dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Click here for the rest…
Barack Obama Mourns Death of Ed Koch
The Foward Breaking News 1 Feb 2013 – President Obama mourned the passing of New York Mayor Ed Koch, noting among Koch’s passions his love for Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Somalia: Syria, Somalia Were Most Dangerous Countries for Journalists in 2012
allAfrica.com 2 Feb 2013 – [HRInfo]On-going armed conflicts and insurgency make Syria and Somalia the world’s most dangerous places for journalists, according to the annual figures on journalist deaths compiled by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
MARCH 16TH – SAVE THE DATE!
Rachel Corrie Foundation 2 Feb 2013 – On March 16, 2013, we mark the 10th anniversary of Rachel Corrie in Gaza. At the Rachel Corrie Foundation, we are planning a dynamic week-end of events to kick off a year of activities. We’ll highlight Palestine solidarity; justice, freedom, peace for the Middle East; and…
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Rachel Corrie Foundation 2 Feb 2013 – We spent a warm inaugural week-end in Washington DC this past month and were inspired – rallying and marching to the White House with friends chanting, “No blank check for Israel.” There was a magnificent inaugural eve Peace Ball at Arena Stage envisioned and realized by…
Iran unveils ‘stealth’ fighter
BBC 2 Feb 2013 – Iran unveils a new home-made combat jet – the single-seat Qaher-313 (Dominant-313) – which officials say can evade radar.
Netanyahu asked to form coalition
BBC 2 Feb 2013 – Israeli President Shimon Peres asks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new government following last month’s parliamentary election.
Egypt’s league starts amid protests
BBC 2 Feb 2013 – The Egyptian football league resumes after a year’s absence despite a week of deadly violence in Cairo and Port Said.
Saudi King Moves His Son One Step Closer to Throne
Al-Akhbar News 2 Feb 2013 – A picture taken on 4 December 2011 shows then Saudi intelligence chief Prince Muqrin bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud attending the ‘The Gulf and The Globe’ security forum in Riyadh. (Photo: Fayez Nureldine – AFP) A picture taken on 4 December 2011 shows then Saudi intelligence chief Prince…
Ersal Ambush Leaves Death and Question Marks
Al-Akhbar News 2 Feb 2013 – The Lebanese army believes its patrol was attacked during the arrest of a wanted man. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) The Lebanese army believes its patrol was attacked during the arrest of a wanted man. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) An attempt by the Lebanese Army to arrest a suspected…
Time: Israel and US could launch more airstrikes into Syria
Al-Akhbar News 2 Feb 2013 – A Free Syrian Army fighter walks in front of a building destroyed during clashes in the Haresta neighborhood of Damascus on 1 February 2013. (Photo: Reuters – Mohammed Abdullah) Israel hit several targets during its raid in Syria earlier this week, contradicting earlier reports, as sources…
Israeli army, settlers attack new Palestinian neighborhood
Al-Akhbar News 2 Feb 2013 – Israeli soldiers shot a 17-year-old Palestinian with live fire as a group of activists established a new neighborhood in the embattled village of Burin, activists reported Saturday. Four others were also reportedly wounded in the raid. The army, backed by stone-throwing settlers, also attacked a school…
US gave Syrian rebels $50 m in non-lethal assistance: Biden
Al-Akhbar News 2 Feb 2013 – US Vice President Joseph Biden delivers a speech during the second day of the 49th Munich Security Conference on February 2, 2013 in Munich, southern Germany as world leaders, ministers and top military gather for talks with the spotlight on Syria, Mali and Iran. (Photo: AFP…
Israeli Strike on Syria: Seizing an Opportunity
Al-Akhbar Politics 1 Feb 2013 – A damaged military vehicle that belonged to the Syrian Army in Homs on 30 January 2013. (Photo: Yazan Homsy – Reuters) A damaged military vehicle that belonged to the Syrian Army in Homs on 30 January 2013. (Photo: Yazan Homsy – Reuters) For five years, Israel…
Russia invites anti-Assad leader
BBC 2 Feb 2013 – Syrian opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib is invited to Moscow during his first direct talks with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.
Protesters confront Egyptian PM
BBC 2 Feb 2013 – Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Qandil says he was confronted by “youths and troublemakers” on Cairo’s Tahrir Square amid continuing opposition protests.
Iran unveils ‘stealth’ fighter
BBC 2 Feb 2013 – Iran unveils a new home-made combat jet – the single-seat Qaher-313 (Dominant-313) – which officials say can evade radar.
Netanyahu asked to form coalition
BBC 2 Feb 2013 – Israeli President Shimon Peres asks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new government following last month’s parliamentary election.
Egypt’s league starts amid protests
BBC 2 Feb 2013 – The Egyptian football league resumes after a year’s absence despite a week of deadly violence in Cairo and Port Said.
Articles
Palestinians erect third West Bank outpost, are attacked by IDF, settlers
Haggai Matar, +972 Magazine 2/2/2013
In third such project in as many weeks, hundreds of Palestinians erect new neighborhood of Burin, calling it Manatir, or Bab Al-Huriya (Gate of Freedom). The activists and village residents were quickly attacked by IDF soldiers and local settlers.
Some 300 Palestinians from the village of Burin and the popular committees against the wall and settlements set up a new neighborhood on village lands, according to reports, calling it Manatir or Bab Al-Huriya (Gate of Freedom). Israeli forces were quick to respond, sealing off the area to prevent supporters from coming in, and attacked the activists with tear gas, rubber-coated bullets and live bullets. Settlers were also attacking Palestinians in the area.
The new neighborhood, or outpost, was set up Saturday morning on privately owned lands in Burin, a village in Area B near Nablus, which has suffered greatly from settler violence in recent years. Activists on the scene told +972 that settlers have been expanding their activities on village lands, backed by soldiers, who in every instance of conflict declare the area a closed military zone and force only the Palestinians off the land – thus allowing the settlers to maintain control. The settlers of this region around Yitzhar are generally known as some of the most militant throughout the West Bank.
Villagers erected several tents and huts, but were quickly attacked by settlers who started throwing stones at them. Soon enough the army got involved as well, fighting the Palestinians back into the village and sending at least one resident to the hospital with a bullet in the leg. By the afternoon, access roads to the village were sealed off, settlers have been reported to be attacking Palestinian cars on nearby roads and the villagers and activists were trying to regroup to march back to the outpost. — See also: Israel evacuates Nablus protest village, dozens injured and Activists set up new protest village in Nablus, settlers shoot teen more.. e-mail
The Birthright project: relocation and procreation
Belen Fernandez, Al Jazeera.com 2/2/2013
A “birthright” programme that sends youth to Israel promulgates a sense of “fabricated entitlement”.
Over the last 13 years, the Taglit-Birthright Israel programme has escorted over 340,000 young Jewish people on 10-day, all-expenses-paid excursions to the Jewish state. During the trip, which costs approximately $3,000 USD per capita – ie five times the annual per capita income of Gaza in 2009 – youth are presented with a thoroughly airbrushed, fantastical version of the country and are encouraged to immigrate.
Eligibility requirements for the tour include possession of one Jewish grandparent and the ability to pass an interview without raising suspicions as to potential ulterior motives for participation in the project, such as determination to use it as a platform for pro-Palestinian activism.
The first irony that should come to mind when contemplating the programme is, of course, that persons who possess no physical connection to what is now Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories are magically endowed with a “birthright” not available to persons with, say, four Palestinian grandparents – or who were themselves born in the land in question.
The structuring of the Birthright programme around a fabricated entitlement exonerates the policy of ethnic cleansing upon which the Jewish state was erected and underscores the difficulty with which any sliver of unadulterated reality can penetrate the 10-day itinerary.
Vigorous dancing and hormonal encounters
The Birthright Israel Foundation’s annual report for 2012 specifies that programme participants “discover themselves, in person and in spirit, as part of our homeland”: more.. e-mail
Woe to the Victor!
Uri Avnery, CounterPunch 2/1/2013
Poor Lapid!
“VAE VICTIS!” was the Roman cry. Woe to the vanquished.
I would alter it slightly: “Vae Victori”, Woe to the victor!
The outstanding example is the astounding victory Israel won in June, 1967. After weeks of approaching doom, the Israeli army beat three Arab armies in six days and conquered huge stretches of Egyptian, Syrian and Palestinian territory.
As it turned out, this was the greatest disaster in our history. Intoxicated by the very size of the victory, Israel started down a road of political megalomania, which led to the dire consequences from which we are unable to free ourselves to this very day. History is full of such examples.
Now we have witnessed the totally unexpected election success of Ya’ir Lapid. It may turn out to be the same story in miniature.
LAPID WON 19 seats. His is the second largest faction in the 120-seat Knesset, after Likud-Beitenu, which has 31 seats. The composition of the House is such that it is almost impossible for Binyamin Netanyahu to form a coalition without him.
The former TV star is in the position of a child in a candy store, who can take whatever he desires. He can pick and choose any government post he fancies for himself and his minions. He can impose on the Prime Minister almost any policy.
That’s where his troubles start…. more.. e-mail
Israel chooses to turn inwards
Saleh Al-Naami, Al-Ahram Weekly 1/30/2013
The success of newcomer Beit Atid in Israel’s elections shows that while all Israeli factions agree on their stance against Arabs, internal issues will now dominate the agenda.
Shaul Cohen, member of the Central Committee of the ruling Likud Party, was furious when he saw Yair and Avner, the sons of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, arriving with their father to the auditorium where Netanyahu would give an address celebrating the results of the elections. There was a sizeable drop in the number of seats for the Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu alliance in parliament, from 42 to 31.
Watching the two young men in disdain as they made their way under heavy security, Cohen said: “Netanyahu handled Likud as if it was a family affair, and this is the painful outcome no one expected.”
Israeli television reported many demonstrations on Tuesday evening, the night when the results of the elections were announced, which expressed what members of Likud’s Central Committee protested about Netanyahu’s performance and inability to run the country. Israeli voters punished Likud, and while angry members of Likud’s Central Committee were stabbing party leaders in the back, celebrations were underway for Beit Atid Party headed by former reporter Yair Lapid and its surprising victory.
Beit Atid came second place in the elections by winning 19 seats, despite the fact that it was only formed a few months ago and contested the elections for the first time. Meanwhile, its young leader has no experience in government, politics or the military, unlike the leaders of other parties. But economic and social factors were decisive for voters. more.. e-mail
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The New Dark Age 