3 February 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Gaza; Two Fighters Injured In Clashes Between Fighters And Security Forces
IMEMC – Two Palestinian fighters of the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, have been injured during clashes that took place, Saturday, with members of the Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas, and members of the Hamas-run security forces of the Interior Ministry in Gaza. …
Dozens Injured Near Nablus As Army Attacks Protest Camp
IMEMC – Saturday evening – February 2; Palestinian medical sources reported that dozens of nonviolent activists have been injured after Israeli soldiers attacked nonviolent protesters who established “Al-Manatheer …
Netanyahu: “Government Priorities; Iranian File And Negotiations”
IMEMC – In a Televised speech he delivered, Saturday evening, after being officially tasked with forming the new Israeli government, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that his coming government will have two main priorities; preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and negotiating Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazin). …
Israeli forces arrest 11 in West Bank
2/3/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained 11 people in the West Bank overnight Saturday, locals and Israel’s army said. Dozens of military vehicles raided the village of Beit Fajjar, south Bethlehem, and arrested Mohammad Majed Amro Thwabteh, 20, Ali Mohammad Thwabteh, 28, Ihsan Hamied Takatka, 19, Mohammad Salih Thwabteh, 23, Jihad Ahmad….
Detainees suffer medical neglect in Israel jail, group says
2/3/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — A Palestinian prisoner in Israel’s Ramle jail is filing a complaint against prison authorities for medical neglect, a prisoners group said Sunday. Nahed Faraj Jadallah al-Aqra, 41, suffers from serious medical complications as a result of neglect and faces having his left foot amputated, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said….
3 detained in Nablus villages after clashes with army
2/3/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli troops clashed with Palestinians in two Nablus-district villages on Sunday evening, resulting in the detention of three Palestinians, locals said. Around 10 military vehicles raided Burin village, south of Nablus, and began firing tear gas and sound grenades towards people who throw stones at them. Muhammad Suhail Najar, 22, was….
Report: Israel plans buffer inside Syria
2/3/2013 – LONDON (Ma’an) — Israel is considering to build a buffer zone reaching inside Syria to protect itself from fundamentalist rebels on the other side of the border, The Times reported Sunday. The proposal is intended to secure the 47-mile border against a growing Islamist threat if President Bashar Assad’s embattled regime….
Assad says Syria can confront threats after Israel strike
2/3/2013 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — President Bashar Assad accused Israel on Sunday of trying to destabilize Syria by attacking a military research base outside Damascus last week, and said Syria was able to confront “current threats. . . and aggression”, state media said. Assad made the remarks in a meeting with Saeed Jalili, Iran‘s national security council secretary…. Related: Barak says reported Syria strike shows Israel is serious
Barak says reported Syria strike shows Israel is serious
2/3/2013 – MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) — Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Sunday an attack on a Syrian arms complex showed Israel was serious about preventing the flow of heavy weapons into Lebanon, appearing to acknowledge for the first time that Israel carried out the strike. Israel has maintained official silence over Wednesday’s raid, which…. Related: Assad says Syria can confront threats after Israel strike
DFLP: PA contacts Israel to allow exiled chief to return
2/3/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority has asked Israel to allow the exiled secretary general of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine to return to the West Bank from Syria, a DFLP official said Sunday. Senior DFLP leader Qais Abdel Karim, or Abu Leila, told Ma’an that Israel has not….
Egyptian forces rearrest escaped Palestinian prisoner, sources say
2/3/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian authorities in Sinai rearrested a Palestinian prisoner on Sunday who escaped from jail in late January, security sources said. The prisoner, identified only as M. A, escaped from the Wadi al-Natroun prison in El-Arish and had been hiding in a residential home in the north Sinai city, sources said….
Israel re-opens Nablus roads closed since second intifada
2/3/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Sunday reopened several roads in Nablus which had been closed for 13 years, the governor of the northern West Bank district said. Jibril al-Bakri told Ma’an that his office in Nablus worked extensively with the Israelis to have the roads reopened, after being closed since the….
Report: White House rebuffed plan to arm Syrian rebels
2/3/2013 – WASHINGTON (Reuters) — A plan developed last summer by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then-CIA Director David Petraeus to arm and train Syrian rebels was rebuffed by the White House, The New York Times reported on Saturday. The United States has sent humanitarian aid to Syria but has declined requests for weapons by rebels fighting….
New US Secretary of State Kerry calls President Abbas
2/3/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Newly-confirmed US Secretary of State John Kerry called President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday, official Palestinian Authority media reported. Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh told Wafa news agency that the leaders discussed holding a meeting soon on the peace process with Israel. Kerry said the US is aware of Palestine’s….
Islamic summit to recommend Palestine ‘safety net’
2/3/2013 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — The Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Cairo this week will recommend its members donate to a financial “safety net” for Palestine, according to a draft statement ahead of the conference. At a preparatory meeting of senior officials on Sunday, a statement was prepared calling on Islamic nations to donate to….
PFLP: Egypt unrest will not affect upcoming unity talks
2/3/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Unrest in Egypt will not affect an upcoming PLO committee meeting in Cairo, an official from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said Sunday. PFLP official Kayid al-Ghoul told Ma’an that “it is possible to find a place to meet away from the chaos and unrest….
Gaza man dies after falling into a well
2/3/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A man died in the Gaza Strip on Sunday after falling into a well, the civil defense said. Nashwan Mansour, 41, fell into a well in Rafah and died before rescue crews could get to him, a statement said. [END]
ATM machines vandalized in central Gaza
2/3/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Six cash machines in the central Gaza Strip were vandalized overnight Saturday, locals said. Eyewitnesses told Ma’an that vandals destroyed the screens of six ATM machines near al-Bureij refugee camp. [END]
Activists: Regime shelling kills 2 in Damascus Palestinian camp
2/3/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Two men were killed and more than 20 injured when Syrian government forces shelled a Palestinian refugee neighborhood in Damascus, activists said. A group based in the al-Yarmouk camp, the Yarmouk committees — Syrian revolution, said regime troops fired mortars at Al-Waseem mosque, causing the casualties. The shelling took place after hundreds….
7 Egyptians killed in Sinai crash
2/3/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Seven Egyptians were killed and dozens injured in a car crash in the Sinai peninsula on Sunday, officials said. A tourist bus traveling to Sharm al-Sheikh collided with a private vehicle, causing it to overturn, security sources told Ma’an. Medics said many of the 28 injured were in….
Egyptian dies of wounds as toll from protests rises to 57
2/3/2013 – CAIRO (Reuters) — An Egyptian man shot during protests in Cairo died of his wounds on Sunday, medics said, increasing to 57 the death toll in the bloodiest week of President Muhammad Mursi’s seven months in power. The man, 26, had been shot on Friday near the presidential palace, where youths and police had….
Man stripped and beaten blames Egyptian police
2/3/2013 – CAIRO (Reuters) — A man who was beaten and dragged naked across the ground during a demonstration on Friday told the public prosecution that Egyptian riot police were responsible for the incident, reversing an earlier statement in which he blamed demonstrators. A video of Hamada Saber, 48, being beaten with truncheons by helmeted police has infuriated….
Turkish PM slams Israel over Syria attack
AlJazeera 3 Feb 2013 – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of waging “state terrorism” after it struck targets in Syria.
IOF Troops Demolish ‘Bab Al-Horriya’ Village
Palestine News Network
Israeli Military Units Break into the Negev Prison
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Calls for Investigation of Killing of a Man by Palestinian Police
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Hope in the eye of a camel
The National 3 Feb 2013 – Despite living in arid deserts, camels rarely suffer eye disease. Now a project that began with a UAE grant is studying how proteins in the tears of camels could help treat severe eye conditions in humans.
View from a Damascus roof: mortars, MiGs and men at war
The National 3 Feb 2013 – In the limbo between rebel-held suburbs and the defiant ‘normality’ of the city centre, Syrians have learnt to grow thick skins. Phil Sands reports from Damascus
Abu Dhabi hosts ‘Oscars’ of the apps
The National 3 Feb 2013 – A total of 18,000 apps from 160 countries have been whittled down over the last eight months to a shortlist of just 40 that will vie for the top spot at the World Summit Award.
UAE will supervise Dh1.1bn Syria refugee aid
The National 3 Feb 2013 – The UAE‘s Dh1.1 billion pledge to Syrian refugees will be delivered by the country itself, and not go through intermediaries, says the Foreign Minister.
More than 21,000 exit permits issued to Banglsdeshis in UAE
The National 3 Feb 2013 – Bangladeshis throng their embassy in the UAE a day before the amnesty ends, with more than 21,000 exit permits issued so far.
One last push for UAE departure certificate
The National 3 Feb 2013 – Illegal residents of the UAE rush to their respective embassies on the last day of the amnesty deadline.
Slow response to UAE amnesty as illegals fear they cannot return
The National 3 Feb 2013 – The Philippine Embassy estimates there are about 10,000 Filipinos in the country illegally, but only 1,635 have come forward to seek help so far.
Bangladeshis lead rush to leave as UAE amnesty expires
The National 3 Feb 2013 – Thousands have taken advantage of the amnesty offer so far, and those who do not have been warned they will have to pay up if discovered.
Lapid says he could replace Netanyahu as PM in 18 months
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
Lebanon: Explosion in Tyre raises fears of Israeli air strike
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
Problems with Israeli cellular networks prompt suspicions of cyber-attack
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
Netanyahu tells Kerry Israel’s new government will be ‘committed to peace’
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
IDF chief Benny Gantz lands in U.S. for talks on Mideast security situation
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
Netanyahu aide quits coalition talks, will serve instead as envoy in talks with Palestinians
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
As coalition talks begin, Yesh Atid presents its list of demands to Netanyahu
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
Both Israel and Palestinians demonize other side in school textbooks, study finds
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
Assad discusses Israeli ‘strike’ with Iran: Syria can confront threats and aggression
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
Israel Police preventing release of report on flawed school security
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
Shin Bet nabs Islamic Jihad cell plotting to kidnap Israelis
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
Lapid celebrates Yesh Atid’s electoral success with an ode to the Beatles
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
Israeli right-wing groups use ‘right of return’ to evict Arabs from East Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
CIA report on Yom Kippur War: Israel had nuclear arsenal
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
Clinton’s resignation is Netanyahu’s missed opportunity
Ha’aretz – 3 Feb 2013
Israel dismantles Arab tent communities in West Bank, leaving residents to face the elements
Ha’aretz – 2 Feb 2013
Group of US Jewish leaders to visit France, Israel
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations to arrive in J’lem on its 39th annual leadership mission to Israel.
Newborn dies from rare meconium inhalation
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Baby develops severe respiratory distress from damage to her respiratory system.
Candidates court Jews in LA mayoral race
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Los Angeles’s proportionally small Jewish population may hold the key to election victory.
Ministry warns against use of Elraz ‘natural kits’
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Health Ministry warned the public against using researcher Hanan Elraz’s “natural kits,” which claim to help cancer patients.
J’lem after-school staffers strike over salary cuts
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – The Trajtenberg Committee decided to lower the cost of after-school programs in order to ease the situation of working parents.
Techniques for early diagnosis of cancers save lives
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Men and women who follow a healthful lifestyle and feel no unusual pain may be carrying a malignant tumor.
Hungary orders Holocaust denier to visit Auschwitz
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Court orders Gyorgy Nagy, Hungary’s first convicted Holocaust denier, to visit Yad Vashem or Auschwitz-Birkenau.
New MKs get acclimated at the Knesset
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Labor’s Hilik Bar: I feel like I’m back in first grade.
Analysis: Lupolianski may dodge the Holyland bullet
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Judge David Rozen: I don’t know why former Jerusalem mayor was even indicted.
IDF re-enters Burin after Molotov cocktail thrown
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Border Police, IDF go into W. Bank village in search of suspect who threw Molotov cocktails at military vehicle; one arrested.
Kerry calls PM, Abbas, pledges allegiance to peace talks
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – New US sec. of state discusses Mideast peace, Iran, Syria with Netanyahu, pledges to work to restart negotiations in phone call to PA President Abbas; Peres tells Kerry: Elections could lead to renewed peace negotiations.
Parties play hard to get as coalition talks begin
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Lapid prefers to “bring down PM in a year and a half” over flexibility; Yishai: Haredi enlistment will bring civil war.
Betar’s foes
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – As many as a few hundred xenophobic Betar Jerusalem soccer fans do not seem to get it.
Candidly Speaking: Hypocrisy, deceit, evil at the UN
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Israel is the first country to boycott the annual human rights review presented at the bogus United Nations Human Rights Council.
How water became a weapon in Arab-Israeli conflict
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – The conflict between the Palestinians and Israel is fought on many fronts nowadays.
Better Place sales rise on leasing schemes
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Electric-car company Better Place starts 2013 on a better note, increases car sales 136% over average monthly sales in 2012.
The Region: A deliberate campaign to bash Israel
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Not a mistake, misunderstanding, or well-intended criticism.
A third term for Netanyahu
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – On Saturday night President Shimon Peres assigned the task of forming Israel’s 33rd Government to Netanyahu for the third time.
Reality Check: Racism in soccer
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Football, indeed all sport and popular culture, can be a force for good, shaping a more tolerant, open society.
Liberman to insist on electoral reform
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Though Yisrael Beytenu will not be holding coalition talks because it ran with Likud, it will demand change in electoral system.
‘Sunday Times’: Scarfe cartoon ‘serious mistake’
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – UK paper issues “unreserved apology” on editorial page for cartoon depicting PM cementing wall with Palestinian blood.
Egyptian dies of wounds as death toll rises to 57
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Man dies after being shot during protests in the bloodiest week of Morsi’s seven months in power.
Iran hedges on nuclear talks with six powers or US
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Tehran says Biden’s offer for direct talks is a “step forward”, but more needed; Iran yet to reply to offer from six powers.
Gantz to meet US counterpart amid regional tension
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – The two security chiefs are expected to discuss challenges and assess the latest Mideast regional security picture.
Words of advice from senior MKs to rookies
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Rivlin tells new members that throwing water prevents proper discourse, “we must restore public’s faith in the Knesset.”
Ukrainian fish cuisine
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Festive Ukrainian fish specialties can add some scale to your menu choices.
Erdogan on Syria hits: History won’t forgive Israel
Jerusalem Post 3 Feb 2013 – Damascus able to confront “aggression” against it, Syrian President Assad says in response to purported Israeli strikes.
Report: WH nixed Clinton plan to arm Syria rebels
Jerusalem Post 2 Feb 2013 – ‘New York Times’ says Obama administration feared such a move could draw US into the conflict, arms could fall into wrong hands.
Kerry begins at State Department with calls to Israeli and Palestinian leaders
The Guardian 3 Feb 2013 – New secretary of state tells Mahmoud Abbas he is ‘very interested in the peace process’ and plans trip to the Middle East Phone calls to the political leaders of Israel and Palestine were among John Kerry’s…
Perversity and Injustice at Gitmo
Uruknet
Palestinians erect third West Bank outpost, are attacked by IDF, settlers
Uruknet
Egypt : In new twist, prosecutors now claiming other protesters stripped, beat man
Uruknet
Israel Falls to 112th Place in Press Freedom Index
Uruknet
Activists set up new protest village in Nablus, settlers shoot teen
Uruknet
013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet
What I learned about empire in the West Bank
Uruknet
UNHRC condemns Israel
Uruknet
Iraqis push for probe into ‘terrifying acts of brutality’ by UK troops
Uruknet
Amelia Hill is a Dirty Liar
Uruknet
New US secretary of state places first phone calls
Daily Star 3 Feb 2013 John Kerry spoke with the president of Israel and his Turkish, Canadian and Mexican counterparts in his first phone calls as the new US secretary of state, officials said Sunday.
Egypt takes delivery of U.S. fighter jets
Daily Star 3 Feb 2013 The United States has delivered four F-16 fighter jets to Egypt, Egypt‘s military and a U.S. military delegation said on Sunday, highlighting military links between the two countries despite Egypt‘s political upheaval.
Libyan TV crew ‘beaten up’ in parliament: channel
Daily Star 3 Feb 2013 Security guards at Libya’s parliament have beaten up a crew of Alassema, an independent television network, the channel tells AFP.
Asiacell shares sold on Iraq bourse in major float
Daily Star 3 Feb 2013 The Iraqi mobile phone company Asiacell sells a 25 percent stake to investors, raising close to $1.3 billion in one of the region’s largest share offers in years.
Report: Lebanon blast result of stun grenade
YNet News, 3 Feb 2013 – ….
Religious Zionist rabbis meet with haredi rabbis
YNet News, 3 Feb 2013 – ….
Report: Blast in Tyre; Israeli warplanes circle in sky
YNet News, 3 Feb 2013 – ….
John Kerry calls PM Netanyahu
YNet News, 3 Feb 2013 – ….
Conflicting accounts by Egypt man dragged naked
YNet News, 3 Feb 2013 – ….
They’re not all al-Qaeda
YNet News, 3 Feb 2013 – Op-ed: Idea that all our enemies would use any weapon to destroy us based on paranoia, ignorance ….
Not your suckers anymore
YNet News, 3 Feb 2013 – Op-ed: Civil war possible if haredim refuse to accept changes demanded by younger generation ….
Palestinian Information Center
The Ikhwan’s multi-faceted foes
PIC – I have no doubt that the vast majority of Arab masses would like to see an authentic but moderate, workable and non-violent version of Sharia adopted and implemented as Law of the land.
Abu Zuhri: US foreign policy still biased in favor of Israel
PIC – Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, has said that there was no hope of a real and essential change in the US foreign policy in the second term in office of president Barack Obama.
Israeli intelligence claims arresting Jihad cell planning to kidnap soldiers
PIC – The Israeli Shabak, the counterintelligence agency, claimed on Sunday that a cell affiliated with Islamic Jihad movement was arrested.
Khudari asks Islamic summit to save Jerusalem
PIC – Independent MP Jamal Al-Khudari has called on the 12th Islamic summit scheduled to be held on Wednesday and Thursday to save occupied Jerusalem from Judaization.
Mishaal: Hamas will not accept temporary borders for Palestine
PIC – Khaled Mishaal, head of the political bureau of Hamas, announced that saying his movement accepted a Palestinian state with temporary borders is fabrication.
Occupation sentences 8 children to imprisonment
PIC – Ofer Court in the west of Ramallah sentenced to imprisonment eight children from the town of Beit Ummar, north of al-Khalil, on Sunday.
Occupation intensifies attacks in various areas in West Bank
PIC – National Bureau for the Defense of Land said in its weekly report that the Israeli occupation authorities are still continuing the policy of ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley.
Waed: occupation still prevents visits of a number of prisoners’ families
PIC – Waed Society for prisoners and ex-prisoners said that the forces of the IPS continue to prevent a number of prisoners’ families from visiting their sons in the Israeli occupation jails.
Taher al-Nunu: electricity crisis is caused by occupation
PIC – Taher Nunu, Gaza government spokesman, held the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Masri calls on the nation’s leaders to support resistance
PIC – Mushir al-Masri, called on the Arab and Islamic nation’s leaders and peoples to participate in a strategy for the Liberation of Palestine and to support the armed resistance.
Israeli Court Sentences Eight Teens to Jail
WAFA – 3 Feb 2013
PEX Report: Al-Quds Index Up
WAFA – 3 Feb 2013
Israeli Settlers Uproot Tens of Olive Trees in Burin
WAFA – 3 Feb 2013
PEX Report: Al Quds Index Down
WAFA – 31 Jan 2013
Under Egypt’s political unrest seethes the rising anger of the poor
LA Times 2 Feb 2013 – Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood often seem to be without answers on the battered economy, and analysts wonder whether a new revolution will rise from the slums. CAIRO — Hands caked in plaster, hammers scattered at his side, Yousry Abdelaziz toils away almost forgotten in…
Far-left group says it bombed U.S. Embassy in Turkey
LA Times 2 Feb 2013 – The outlawed Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front, or DHKP-C, asserts that the suicide bombing that killed a Turkish guard was in response to U.S. policy in the Mideast, reports say. BEIRUT — An outlawed far-left group that accuses the Turkish government of doing Washington’s bidding in…
Palestinian farmer, activist, filmmaker — and Oscar nominee
LA Times 2 Feb 2013 – Emad Burnat talks about how he progressed from filming his newborn to teaming with an Israeli to create ‘5 Broken Cameras,’ a documentary about his village’s fight against Israeli occupation. BILIN, West Bank — Like many Palestinians, West Bank farmer Emad Burnat punctuates his life…
Iran’s Foreign Minister Calls for New Round of Nuclear Talks
New York Times 3 Feb 2013 – Iran’s foreign minister restated a call for direct talks with Washington, but his comments were viewed as more atmospheric than definitive.
Syrian Weapons Center Said to Be Damaged
New York Times 3 Feb 2013 – The weapons research center has been the target of sanctions because of intelligence suggesting that it was the training site for engineers who worked on chemical and biological weaponry.
Suicide Attack Kills Dozens in Northern Iraq
New York Times 3 Feb 2013 – An assault on a provincial police headquarters in Kirkuk by a suicide car bomber and other attackers left at least 35 people dead and dozens wounded, the police said.
The Lede Blog: Two Iranian Space Monkeys Got Confused, 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.
Marxists Claim Bombing of U.S. 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 support for Syrian rebels.
Gasoline taxes are gov’t cash cow
Globes Energy & Water – Israelis will continue for years to pay European-level excise while receiving a developing world public transportation system.
Modiin Energy’s Gabriella partners refuse payments
Globes Energy & Water – Canada’s Adira Energy and Brownstone Energy have not deposited their letters of credit for the hiring of a rig to drill at the license.
Rafael to display Iron Dome at Aero India
Globes Main News – Rafael’s anti-missile systems are attracting interest from the world’s militaries, after Iron Dome’s success in intercepting rockets.
Treasury launches war on tax evasion
Globes Main News – Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz: We will collect NIS 2 billion this year, and NIS 6 billion in 2014.
Thornburg becomes party at interest in Check Point
Globes Main News – Thornburg Investment Management seems to have bought shares sold by FMR, which halved its stake in Check Point.
Sun: Mellanox, Perrigo power strong market gains
Globes Main News – Perrigo rose on strong financials and announcing an acquisition on Friday and Mellanox corrected upwards.
SodaStream CEO: Consumers will still see banned ad
Globes Main News – Daniel Birnbaum: In the US, ads are usually rejected because they show too much tits and ass.
Raw material imports plummet
Globes Macro Economics – Manufacturers Association: Imports of raw materials for industry fell by 6% in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Eini: Workers won’t be Netanyahu’s ATM
Globes Macro Economics – Histadrut chairman Ofer Eini made a direct threat against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including a general strike if workers are harmed.
Netanyahu’s policies taint coalition partners
Globes Macro Economics – Partnership with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his party is tantamount to buying toxic assets.
Kinneret rises further 10.5 cm over weekend
Globes Macro Economics – The lake is now 1.8 meters below the upper red line, which denotes that the lake is full.
Jerusalem Post’s Anti-Semitism Fetish Leads to Likely Irish Hoax Report
Tikun Olam – J’Accuse! The Jerusalem Post is known for perpetrating hoaxes based on fake reports of anti-Semitism. It published a story purporting that Norway was riddled with anti-Semitism. Turns out the report was written by someone who made almost all of it up. He mistook his own personal…
Republican Jewish Coalition Lies Saying Didn’t Make Anti-Hagel Robocalls
Tikun Olam – Caller ID confirms Republican Jewish Coalition anti-Hagel robocall which group denies making A few days ago I posted here that I received an anti-Hagel robocall from the Republican Jewish Coalition. Jim Rutenberg picked up on my report and included it in his post at the NY…
Report: Hillary pushed for Middle East peace deal, Obama wasn’t interested
Mondoweiss – More evidence that we will see no push on Israel/Palestine in a second Obama administration. The New Yorker’s John Cassidy, on the Takeaway on Friday, was asked by John Hockenberry if former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pushed the White House on any issue. Cassidy said:…
Is Ed Koch’s passing another sign of lobby’s generational fade?
Mondoweiss – Koch headstone As you all know now, Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York and a dedicated Zionist, died three days ago at 88. American obituaries have been a little less than forthcoming about the Zionism. NPR’s Joel Rose didn’t mention Israel. The New York…
Emad Burnat in LATimes– will he be the first Palestinian to win an Oscar?
Mondoweiss – Emad Burnat, Bilin, Palestine. His movie “5 Broken Cameras” is nominated for an Oscar in the documentaries category. ( Edmund Sanders / Los Angeles Times / February 2 , 2013 ) “The Gatekeepers” is racking up mainstream attention like no tomorrow . And meantime, that other documentary about the occupation that is…
Hagel’s ‘caged animals’ line echoes Israeli soldier at checkpoint– ‘the animals are locked’
Mondoweiss – In his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee last Thursday, Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel was forced to eat his words, describing Palestinians as caged animals: Sen. [Mike] LEE [Republican of Utah]: OK, Senator, my time’s expired. I need to ask you one more…
The liberal publicity line on ‘Zero Dark Thirty’
Mondoweiss – The director and the screenwriter of “Zero Dark Thirty,” Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal, in the two months since the release of the film have tried and discarded a number of defenses against accusations by Jane Mayer, Karen Greenberg, Glenn Greenwald, Dan Froomkin and others who…
Israeli Supermodel Bar Refaeli’s Ad Is Too Sexy for the Super Bowl
The Foward Breaking News 3 Feb 2013 – Is Bar Refaeli too hot for the Super Bowl? The sexy Israeli supermodel had to tone down her smooch in an ad for the big game — but we’ve got the original! Click here for the rest of the article…
Paper Apologizes for Bloody Bibi Cartoon
The Foward Breaking News 3 Feb 2013 – The Sunday Times of London apologized for publishing an editorial cartoon depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu building a wall on the bodies of Palestinians and using their blood as cement. Click here for the rest of the article…
Ehud Barak Says Syria Strike Shows Israel Is Serious
The Foward Breaking News 3 Feb 2013 – Defence Minister Ehud Barak said on Sunday an attack on a Syrian arms complex showed Israel was serious about preventing the flow of heavy weapons into Lebanon, appearing to acknowledge for the first time that Israel carried out the strike. Click here for the rest of…
Former President Bill Clinton Leads Dignitaries at Ed Koch Funeral
The Foward Breaking News 3 Feb 2013 – Bill Clinton will be there to tell Ed Koch one last time that he did just fine. Click here for the rest of the article…
Ed Koch Remained Proudly Jewish to the End, Whether in Israel or New York
The Forward New 3 Feb 2013 – Ed Koch never hid his Jewish heritage. He wore it like a badge of honor, whether he was on the streets of New York or amid the intifada in Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Advocates for Religious Pluralism in Israel Buoyed by Election Results
The Forward New 3 Feb 2013 – Proponents of religious pluralism in Israel are in a jubilant mood these days. They believe the surprise results of the elections may lead to greater acceptance of non-Orthodox Judaism. Click here for the rest of the article…
Brooklyn College Blasted for Sponsoring Boycott Israel Event
The Forward New 1 Feb 2013 – In a January 31 letter, the congress members and mayoral candidates decried the department’s co-sponsorship of the February 7 event and urged its withdrawal “rather than send the message to [Brooklyn College] students and to the world that the divisive perspective offered by the organizing groups…
Assad: Israel destabilising Syria
BBC 3 Feb 2013 – Syria‘s embattled President Assad has accused Israel of trying to “destabilise” his country, in his first remarks on a reported Israeli air strike.
Iran seeks ‘authentic’ US talks
BBC 3 Feb 2013 – Iran welcomes the US vice-president’s offer of bilateral nuclear talks, but wants the US to show “a fair and real intention to resolve the issue”.
Post-Gaddafi Libya at Heart of Regional Violence
Al-Akhbar Opinion 3 Feb 2013 – Dogon ethnic group women walk back to the village they on 1 February 2013 in Binta. (Photo: Eric Fefenberg – AFP) Dogon ethnic group women walk back to the village on 1 February 2013 in Binta. (Photo: Eric Fefenberg – AFP) What comes to pass along…
Kuwait jails activist for five years over Twitter remarks
Al-Akhbar News 3 Feb 2013 – US-backed Kuwaiti royal family has launched a widespread crackdown on dissent in the country. (Photo: AFP – Yasser al-Zayyat) Kuwait’s lower court on Sunday sentenced an opposition youth activist to five years in jail “with immediate effect” for insulting the emir on Twitter, a rights group…
Egypt beating victim recants story, says police to blame
Al-Akhbar News 3 Feb 2013 – A man whose beating was broadcast on live television, enraging the Egyptian opposition, on Sunday blamed police for the abuse after initially having claimed they saved him from protesters. The presidency described the footage of police dragging and abusing the naked man during deadly clashes outside…
Disappeared Under Yemen’s Saleh, Activist Found Alive Decades Later
Al-Akhbar News 3 Feb 2013 – Yemeni men chew qat as they attend a rally in Sanaa on 24 January 2013. (Photo: Khaled Abdullah – Reuters) Yemeni men chew qat as they attend a rally in Sanaa on 24 January 2013. (Photo: Khaled Abdullah – Reuters) When Mathar al-Iriani was disappeared in…
Egypt State TV: Victim denies video showing him beaten by police
Al-Akhbar News 3 Feb 2013 – A man who was beaten and dragged across the ground naked by Egyptian riot police during a demonstration on Friday was shown on state television blaming the incident on demonstrators. A video of Hamada Saber, 48, being beaten with truncheons by helmeted police has infuriated the…
Israelis say Syria strike shows “when we say something we mean it”
Al-Akhbar News 3 Feb 2013 – srael’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak gestures during a podium discussion on the third day of the 49th Munich Security Conference on 3 February 2013 in Munich, southern Germany as world leaders, ministers and top military gather for talks with the spotlight…
At least 30 killed in Iraq suicide blast
Al-Akhbar News 3 Feb 2013 – Iraqi firefighters and security forces inspect the damage after a car bombing followed by an assault by grenade-throwing gunmen on a police headquarters in the northern city of Kirkuk on 3 February 2013. (Photo: AFP – Marwan Ibrahim) At least 30 people were killed and 85…
Saudi King Moves His Son One Step Closer to Throne
Al-Akhbar Politics 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 Politics 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…
Assad: Israel destabilising Syria
BBC 3 Feb 2013 – Syria‘s embattled President Assad has accused Israel of trying to “destabilise” his country, in his first remarks on a reported Israeli air strike.
‘Many die’ in Iraq police attack
BBC 3 Feb 2013 – At least 16 people are killed as a police headquarters in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk is attacked by a suicide bomber and gunmen, medical sources say.
Naked beaten Egyptian blames police
BBC 3 Feb 2013 – An Egyptian man dragged naked through the streets of Cairo admits police were to blame, after earlier blaming protesters.
Iran seeks ‘authentic’ US talks
BBC 3 Feb 2013 – Iran welcomes the US vice-president’s offer of bilateral nuclear talks, but wants the US to show “a fair and real intention to resolve the issue”.
Iraqi mobile firm raises $1.3bn
BBC 3 Feb 2013 – The Iraqi mobile phone operator Asiacell raises $1.3bn (£828m) on the Iraq stock market, doubling the value of the companies listed there.
Articles
Photos: Israeli forces attack Palestinian protest village
Activestills, +972 Magazine 2/3/2013
Palestinian activists create a new village, Al Manatir, on private Palestinian land near the West Bank village of Burin threatened by nearby Israeli settlements. Israeli forces violently evacuate the area, resulting in arrests and injuries.
In the early morning hours of Saturday, February 2, Palestinian activists erected a new protest village in the spirit of Bab Al-Shams on a hilltop overlooking the West Bank village of Burin. Named Al Manatir, the new village’s location was selected to protest the expansion of nearby Israeli settlements and the violence and harassment Burin’s residents frequently face from settlers.
According to the action’s organizers,
“Hundreds of Burin’s residents, together with Palestinian activists from across Palestine, established a new makeshift neighborhood of huts and tents in the village today, on lands threatened by confiscation by the adjacent Jewish-only settlement of Har Brakha. The new neighborhood is named Al-Manatir, after the traditional stone huts Palstinians built in their agricultural lands, which were used as shelter for the watchmen of the fields. In recent years, the village of Buring has suffered from frequent Settler attacks, launched from both the Har Brakha and the Yitzhar settlements. Activists stress that their main goal is to sustain presence on the land, as means of protecting it from confiscation and establishing the rights of Burin’s residents to their land. Shortly after the structures were established, groups of settlers from Har Brakha started to convene in the area and attack the Palestinians by throwing stones at them.”
The Israeli military soon arrived on the scene, and though they separated settlers from Palestinians, they proceeded to violently eject Palestinians from the newly created village – despite the fact that it was created on Palestinian land belonging to the inhabitants of Burin. Though soldiers stood idly by as settlers carried away several of Al Manatir’s shelters, the military attacked Palestinian activists with tear gas, sound grenades and pepper spray…. more.. e-mail
What about Palestinian ghettos in the West Bank?
George S. Hishmeh, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 2/3/2013
After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was dealt a severe political lynching in this month’s national election that ousted many of his supporters, he is now walking a tightrope in his search for new partners. But some of his likely new colleagues, who have just surfaced — some gloriously — do not seem very keen on sticking their necks out for the mercurial Netanyahu, whose days in the premiership are believed to be numbered.
What is disturbing about the new Israeli ‘stars’ are their views about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, an issue that was hardly discussed in their recent election campaigns. Take for example Yair Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid, seen as Israel’s new leading star who reportedly sees himself as Netanyahu’s successor. Lapid, for example, does not want to divide occupied Jerusalem where Palestinians hope to have their capital in the eastern sector, or pull out of Israeli colonies where some 500,000 have illegally settled in the Palestinian West Bank. But his main concern is Israel’s ultra-orthodox community whose members are not subjected to compulsory military service.
On the other hand, J.J. Goldberg, a prominent American journalist, highlighted Yaakov Perry as the “man to watch” in Lapid’s team. He reported that as “a banker since leaving the Shin Bet [secret service] in 1994, [Perry] has emerged in recent years as one of the most energetic and creative actors in the peace camp”.
Peter Beinart, editor of OpenZion.com at The Daily Beast website, and author of The Crisis of Zionism, writes that US President Barack Obama “should feel at least a little hope” considering the results of the Israeli elections, mainly because “Netanyahu is [now] weaker … and if Obama wants, he’ll be well-positioned to hasten Netanyahu’s demise, and push Israel towards elections that just might produce a Lapid-led government more open to a viable Palestinian state.” Beinart, acknowledged that this is “still a relative long-shot, but given the stakes, It’s worth a try.” more.. e-mail
Confronting racism and fear of ’the other’ in Israel
Maya Schkolne, +972 Magazine 2/3/2013
Over-compensated nationalism and the fear of ‘the other’ all contribute to untenable racist attitudes among Israelis toward Palestinians. But racism doesn’t develop in a vacuum and in the context of the current reality, it is entirely unsurprising.
Standing in the cold and dark by the checkpoint on Highway 60, the soldier appeared genuinely taken aback. He had called us off the bus after spotting my friend’s Israeli passport. Since we were in Area C, we were legally permitted to be there. But what were two young Jewish women – one Israeli and one South African-Israeli – doing on a bus with Palestinians? His initial surprise progressed into concern. “Is everything fine,” he asked. “Has anything happened to you?” The question felt extraordinarily ironic considering at that moment we felt more anxious than we had all day.
I started to sense a familiar, creeping unease. I feel it each time my wellbeing in relation to Palestinians is questioned, each time I hear “it must be dangerous.” It is counter-intuitive to discount the fear expressed by this soldier and Israeli society at large; it is tangible and sometimes based on direct acts of violence. However, it is the extent to which Israelis and Diaspora Jewry refuse to interrogate their fear and their refusal to examine their own behavior that I find remarkably problematic.
I gazed warily at the soldier and responded that we were perfect, that we had spent a sad but wonderful day in the incredibly beautiful village of Battir.
His nostrils flared. “Wonderful?”
My resentment was rising.
I could have left the soldier’s astonishment hanging. But I was unable to bite my tongue, and in the calmest manner possible, I proposed an idea: “Perhaps if you give it a chance, you’ll realize that many Palestinians aren’t dangerous.”
I had clearly provoked him. “Are you saying that Palestinians are humans? But they’re terrorists.” more.. e-mail
Desperate opposition drags Egypt from one crisis to another
Dr. Bashir Nafi, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 2/3/2013
Egypt is in dire need of a solution, and soon.
The desperate opposition groups in Egypt are dragging the country into a new crisis even before it has emerged from the previous one, which appears to be endless. It’s varying degrees of severity depend on internal opportunities or external pressures. As a result, Egypt is now wedged firmly between an opposition that will accept nothing less than the ousting of the democratically-elected President and seizing control without a popular mandate; Arab forces that are doing everything possible to sink the country into a state of chaos and paralysis; and security agencies in a state of turmoil.
The latest flare-up is the public reaction in Port Said to the harsh sentence given to football fans found guilty of very serious crimes during a riot at a match last year. Although some reaction was expected from both the victims’ supporters and the friends and families of the accused, the protests turned the streets of Port Said into a battlefield. Armed groups even tried to storm the city’s prison and release its inmates. It is unusual for Egyptians to protest so violently against the sentences handed down in criminal cases. However, with the rising political tension and encouragement for the violence, the opposition groups have exploited their dominance in the media to call for a coup. In fact, the demonstrations on the anniversary of the January 25th Revolution were used to provide cover for outlaw gangs and anarchists, who made the judicial rulings another excuse to escalate civil disturbances.
Ever since 22 November last year, the day of the constitutional referendum, the opposition leaders in Egypt have refused the president’s invitations for dialogue; instead, they have questioned his legitimacy. Indeed, protestors have gone so far as to try to storm the presidential palace. more.. e-mail
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The New Dark Age 
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