9 February 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Injuries Reported As Army Attacks Bil’in’s Weekly Protest
IMEMC – Israeli soldiers attacked, on Friday afternoon, the weekly nonviolent protest against the Annexation Wall and settlements, in Bil’in village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah; dozens suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation. Similar attacks have been carried out against protests in different parts of the West Bank. …
British businessman promises to resign as chairman of Israeli settlement exporter
IMEMC – Jimmy Russo, the Company Chairman of EDOM, has told Corporate Watch that he plans to resign from his chairmanship and “actively seek to sell” his 20% shareholding in the Israeli company on Thursday, Feb. 7th. …
Israel Approves 869 Units In West Bank Settlements
IMEMC – Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, approved on Friday the construction plans of a total of 869 units in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Palestine News Network (PNN) has reported. …
Activists construct new protest village in south Hebron
2/9/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Palestinians and foreign solidarity activists on Saturday set up a new protest village in the south Hebron hills, and vowed to remain there despite Israeli forces moving to dismantle the structures. Early Saturday, activists set up steel-framed tents near the Palestinian village of al-Tuwani, calling the encampment “Canaan”. Younis Arar, coordinator….
Farmers blocked from Hebron land
2/9/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces prevented nearly 150 farmers and activists from reaching their lands in Susiya in the south Hebron hills on Saturday morning, locals said. They said Israeli soldiers declared the area a closed military zone, but allowed Israeli settlers to remain in the area. Susiya is fighting a court battle against….
Gaza farmers call for boycott of Israeli firms
2/9/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hundreds of farmers marched towards Gaza’s border with Israel on Saturday to demand a boycott of Israeli agricultural firms, a local union said. The Union for Agricultural Work Committees in Gaza said in a statement that protestors also gathered in dozens of European cities to protest against Israeli company….
Israeli forces arrest woman at Nablus checkpoint
2/9/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces arrested a woman in Nablus on Saturday accused of carrying a knife, locals said. Alaa Muhammad Abu Zeitoun, 21, was arrested at Huwwara checkpoint in the northern West Bank city and taken to a nearby Israeli military base, witnesses told Ma’an. Palestinian sources said that liaison department….
Qaraqe: If a hunger striker dies, UN will lose credibility
2/9/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority minster of prisoners warned Saturday that if any of the Palestinians on hunger strike in Israeli jails dies the credibility of the UN and all international human rights organizations will be at risk. Issa Qaraqe urged international groups to intervene immediately in order to save the lives of….
Iran says English-language TV channel dropped in North America
2/9/2013 – DUBAI (Reuters) — Iran‘s English-language Press TV channel has been dropped from the satellite platform that allowed it to broadcast in the United States and Canada, the channel said. The state-owned, 24-hour network broadcasts world news and pro-government views beyond Iran‘s borders. Press TV had broadcast in North America on the….
Cyprus upgrades Palestine mission to embassy
2/9/2013 – NICOSIA, Cyprus (Ma’an) — Cyprus is upgrading Palestine’s mission in Nicosia to the status of embassy, official PA media said Saturday. Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis announced the upgrade on Friday at a press conference with PA foreign minister Riyad al-Malki, Wafa news agency reported. President Mahmoud Abbas welcomedthe Cypriot decision from Cairo, the news agency said. [END]
Lieberman says no solution to Israel-Palestine conflict
2/9/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israel has no chance of signing a permanent peace accord with the Palestinians and should instead seek a long-term interim deal, the most powerful political partner of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday. The remarks by Avigdor Lieberman, an ultra-nationalist whose joint party list with Netanyahu narrowly won a Jan. 22 election….
Gaza govt moves to prevent meningitis outbreak
2/9/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip is transferring prisoners to hospital for exams due to growing fears of a meningitis outbreak, Ma’an has learned. A man jailed by the Hamas government died of meningitis on Friday morning, the interior ministry said, and now detainees are being admitted….
DFLP leader: Hamas obstructing unity talks in Cairo
2/9/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian factions held a late-night meeting to discuss reconciliation but little was achieved, according to the secretary general of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Nayef Hawatmeh said the meeting lasted until dawn Saturday but ended without reaching “tangible results.””Everything is still hanging in the air. We haven….
Elections commission set to update Gaza register
2/9/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Central Elections Commission is ready to begin updating electoral registers in the Gaza Strip, the organization’s executive director said Saturday. Hisham Kahil said the commission has set up 256 centers for voter registration in Gaza, mainly in governmental and UN schools. All voters aged 17 and older….
Woman loses unborn baby in Gaza road accident
2/9/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A pregnant woman lost her unborn child on Saturday after being hit by a car in Gaza City, locals said. The unidentified pregnant woman and her father were hit by a car as they crossed the street in a Gaza City neighborhood, causing severe injuries to the woman’s….
10 injured in Bethlehem road accident, locals say
2/9/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Ten people were injured on Saturday in a road accident south of Bethlehem, locals said. A truck collided with a private vehicle in the village of Tuqu, witnesses told Ma’an, moderately injuring 10 people. The victims were evacuated to hospital by the Palestinian Red Crescent. [END]
Sinai man shot dead amid clash between families
2/9/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — A man shot dead in the northern Sinai on Friday, amid a running dispute between two families in the area. Sbaih Sumari Sbaih, 40, was shot in the head while driving in the city of el-Arish when his car was intercepted by gunmen, security officials said. Two others in a….
UN: Lebanon may need camps for flood of Syrian refugees
2/9/2013 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Lebanon should consider setting up transit centers to absorb the waves of refugees fleeing neighboring Syria and may have to establish formal refugee camps if the influx continues, a United Nations refugee official said. The tiny and fragile Mediterranean state already hosts 260,000 refugees — equivalent to 6. 5 percent of its population — and….
Iraq’s Maliki: Assad could hold on for years
2/9/2013 – RIYADH (Reuters) — Syrian President Bashar Assad could survive two more years of revolt despite US expectations of a more imminent fall, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was quoted as saying on Saturday. Maliki, a Shiite Muslim, is seen as close to Assad’s main ally Iran, but has been careful not to express support….
Tunisian Islamists rally in show of strength
2/9/2013 – TUNIS (Reuters) — Thousands of Islamists marched in Tunis on Saturday in a show of strength a day after the funeral of an assassinated secular politician drew the biggest crowds seen on the streets since Tunisia’s uprising two years ago. About 6,000 partisans of the ruling Ennahda movement rallied in support of their leader….
State media: Assad makes minor government changes
2/9/2013 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Syria‘s President Bashar Assad appointed new oil and finance ministers on Saturday, state media said, announcing a limited reshuffle during a deep economic crisis. Syria‘s near two-year revolt against Assad, which has turned into a civil war, has ravaged infrastructure and halved the output of staple crops. It is….
Egypt to try 26 alleged militants for plotting attacks
2/9/2013 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Twenty-six alleged Islamist militants, including two former military officers, will stand trial on terrorism charges, accused of planning attacks against the Egyptian state, the official news agency MENA said on Saturday. The state security prosecutor said they had formed an extremist organization that advocated sedition against public authorities and called for jihad against….
Lebanon’s Christian Patriarch prays for peace in Syria
2/9/2013 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — The head of Lebanon’s Maronite Catholic church, Patriarch Beshara al-Rai, prayed in an old Damascus church on Saturday for an end to Syria‘s civil war. Rai, whose church has 900,000 members in Lebanon, a quarter of the country’s population, is on the first visit to Syria by….
Israel destroys W Bank protest camp
AlJazeera 9 Feb 2013 – Soldiers forced Palestinian activists to evacuate West Bank camp set up in protest against illegal Israeli settlements.
IOF Foils Establishment of New Palestinian Tent Village
Palestine News Network
Cyprus Upgrades Palestine’s Diplomatic Status to Embassy
Palestine News Network
International Solidarity Movement
Call to action: A new protest village on Saturday, 9 February
2/9/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – Update on 9 Feb by ISM: At 6. 30 am a protest tent was built nearby the road to the Karmel settlement near Yatta, South Hebron Hills. Two other tents were ready to be built when army destroyed the standing tent and confiscated the two other. Activists made a circle of stones as a symbol….
Israeli politician attacks Palestinians in Hebron
2/9/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – Update: Issa Amro was arrested yesterday afternoon and accused of assaulting Baruch Marzel. Issa was released yesterday night on bail. – By Team Khalil, 9 February 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine – A non-violent activist group was attacked last night by a gang of settlers including the ultra right-wing Israeli politician Baruch Marzel. Members of….
Olive planting in Madama as part of international day of action
2/9/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 9 February 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Nablus, Occupied Palestine – Today was the International Day of Action for the Boycott of Israeli Agricultural Products, with corresponding actions all around the world. ISM-Nablus decided to show support for the people of the village of Madama by planting olive trees together with activists from the Yamen Culture and….
Prayers as first Al Ain bus crash victims are sent home
The National 9 Feb 2013 – Seven bodies due to go back today, and remaining 12 on Tuesday.
Boy, 14, wins UAE spelling bee
The National 9 Feb 2013 – ‘Wallaby’ wins Pranathi Dh25,000 and a trip to the US after fierce competition.
UAE and China forge Dh148bn trade links
The National 9 Feb 2013 – Sunday marks the biggest holiday in China, the Lunar New Year, and will be celebrated across the UAE by many immigrants and visitors.
Tunisians rally in support of government, Ennahda
The National 9 Feb 2013 – Despite political disagreement on response to politician’s murder, demonstrators resist blaming government.
Bahrain set to resume talks on consensus
The National 9 Feb 2013 – Opposition vows to keep up protests while concern is raised by political groups at the lack of agenda for the discussions.
Universities design their own iPad apps for students
The National 9 Feb 2013 – Federal universities planning iTunes-U packages to deliver mobile learning for all students.
New children’s clinic to take the hurt out of hospital
The National 9 Feb 2013 – UAE-funded centre aims to redefine palliative care.
New tactics needed in war on cancer
The National 9 Feb 2013 – A permanent cure for some cancers may be impossible. But that doesn’t mean the situation is hopeless.
Likud-Beiteinu and Yesh Atid sources: Lapid to join coalition
Ha’aretz – 9 Feb 2013
Netanyahu lawyer defends $18,000 advisory position at Plant Board
Ha’aretz – 9 Feb 2013
Two people wounded in south Tel Aviv car explosion
Ha’aretz – 9 Feb 2013
Tel Aviv peace rally planned to welcome Obama to Israel
Ha’aretz – 9 Feb 2013
Lieberman: Comprehensive peace with Palestinians impossible, conflict must be managed
Ha’aretz – 9 Feb 2013
Sources close to Israel’s Education Minister say rivals trying to damage him with fake letter
Ha’aretz – 9 Feb 2013
Israeli forces remove new Palestinian tent village in West Bank
Ha’aretz – 9 Feb 2013
Israelis invite Obama to speak at Rabin Square
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – Facebook initiative “Speech for Peace” seeks to bring the US president to Tel Aviv to address the Israeli public directly.
Meet the MK: Ya’acov Asher
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – The UTJ MK and former Bnei Brak mayor aims to improve the relationship between local and national government.
Analysis: Iran and Egypt, elusive common ground
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – The elephant is in the room even if nobody appears to notice it.
Police on high alert for Betar vs Sakhnin
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – Some 400 policemen stood guard at Teddy Stadium to keep the peace at Betar Jerusalem’s potentially volatile showdown.
Two brothers hurt in south Tel Aviv car bombing
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – Police believe incident was an attempted criminal hit on the two victims, who suffered moderate and serious injuries in explosion.
New cyber-security startups launched in Beersheba
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – An incubator will be located in the new Beersheba Technology Park near the university and the new technological campus of the IDF.
No more falling between the cracks
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – A private company performs chemotherapy in two community clinics – at no cost to cancer patients.
Likud: Netanyahu yet to decide on foreign minister
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – Senior Likud officials says PM has not yet decided if Lapid or Liberman will be FM; Ayalon: Lapid should get job, not Liberman.
Ahead of Obama visit, Liberman says peace deal impossible
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – Former FM advocates negotiating for long-term interim accord: Anyone thinking that in center of tsunami shaking Arab world it is possible to get a magical solution of comprehensive peace with the Palestinians doesn’t understand.
Adar strides forward
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – Mordechai made the point that every Jew is responsible for every other Jew.
The EU and Hezbollah
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – Europe permits a dormant terrorist potential to thrive in its midst and it knows so.
Car explodes in likely criminal hit in TA; 2 hurt
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – In what police believe was a criminal attack, car explodes causing serious injuries to one man and lightly injuring another.
Israel’s transportation policy: contradictory
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – Will the next government repair some of the flaws in our system?
The whitewashing of hate
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – What did this report hide from the world? That the overall message throughout the PA‘s school system is the rejection of Israel’s right to exist.
Hamas blames Abbas after unity talks falter
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas member, holds Abbas responsible for the failure of the Egyptian-sponsored Cairo reconciliation talks.
Iran says English TV channel axed in North America
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – New US sanctions lead to blacklisting of Iranian broadcasting; station was blocked in Europe in October.
Egypt court suspends YouTube over anti-Islam film
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – Court orders blocking of YouTube for 1 month for broadcasting ‘Innocence of the Muslims’, which sparked unrest in Muslim world.
Iraqi PM: Assad could hold on for years in Syria
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – In interview with Saudi paper, Maliki says he doesn’t believe Syrian president will fall “even after two years.”
UN: Lebanon may need camps for Syrian refugees
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – Refugee influx equivalent to 6.5 percent of population; UNHCR advises setting up at least two transit centers.
IDF thwarts new Palestinian outpost attempt
Jerusalem Post 9 Feb 2013 – IDF spokesmen says army evacuated small Palestinian village near Yatta in the West Bank, which activists named “Canaan.”
Blizzard hammers US, 5 dead, 700,000 lose power
Jerusalem Post 8 Feb 2013 – 2,200 flights canceled, record snow in Maine; road travel bans lifted; nuclear power plant loses power.
Israelis shocked by racist football chants bringing shame to a once proud team
The Guardian 9 Feb 2013 – Arsonists torched the offices of Beitar, the Jerusalem club whose recent signing of two Chechen Muslims has provoked an uproar The blackened remnants of prized football trophies stood on a shelf in the torched office. On…
West Bank violence following settlement protest – video
The Guardian 9 Feb 2013 – Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank on Saturday at a protest against Jewish settlements in the area
Marriage Made in Civil Heaven
IPS One couple’s modest marriage in Lebanon has catapulted them into media limelight and sparked a national debate pitting the Prime Minister against the President while eliciting stern condemnation from leading religious figures. Their union is both exceptional and controversial – it is the first civil marriage in the country. In…
America’s Global Torture Network
Uruknet
“Free prisoners or I go to bed hungry” : Syria cartoonists lambast opposition chief
Uruknet
The Idiocies of “Oversight” and “Accountability”
Uruknet
Fleets of Drones Descend on Africa
Uruknet
Brennan’s CIA Confirmation Hearing as ‘Kabuki Oversight’ & Anwar al-Awlaki’s Posthumous Trial
Uruknet
Open letter to President Obama
Uruknet
Netanyahu’s Office: “No Change On Settlements Policy”
Uruknet
Fabulous Shit
Uruknet
The strange case of Veolia
Uruknet
Bulgaria asks for help probing anti-Israeli attack
Daily Star 9 Feb 2013 Bulgaria has asked Australia, Canada, Israel and Lebanon for help investigating last year’s bus bombing that killed six people, officials from its interior ministry say.
Netanyahu ally: Peace with Palestinians impossible
Daily Star 9 Feb 2013 A powerful partner of Israel’s prime minister has called peace with the Palestinians “impossible,” saying the conflict between them and Israel can only be “managed.
Obama visit could see three-way summit: Israel minister
Daily Star 9 Feb 2013 Netanyahu, Abbas and Obama could hold a three-way summit during the U.S. president’s upcoming visit, Israel’s deputy foreign minister says.
Islamists in key ministries must quit government: Tunisia PM
Daily Star 9 Feb 2013 Islamists in key ministries must quit government: Tunisia PM
S. Lebanon residents snatch memory card belonging to UNIFIL
Daily Star 9 Feb 2013 Residents of south Lebanon briefly block a road in front of Belgian peacekeepers and steal a memory card belonging to one of the patrol’s members, security sources say.
Syria’s new government line-up
Daily Star 9 Feb 2013 Syria‘s President Bashar al-Assad names seven new ministers in a government reshuffle.
Accord evades Fatah, Hamas in Palestinian unity bid
Daily Star 9 Feb 2013 Palestinian factions meeting in Cairo to seal a reconciliation deal between Fatah and Hamas are to hold a second round of talks after the failure of initial efforts, delegates say.
Tunisia PM to resign if new cabinet bid fails
Daily Star 9 Feb 2013 Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali tells Tunisian media he will step down if he fails in his effort to form a new government within days, after his Islamist party rejected the plan.
Lebanon Maronite patriarch arrives in Syria: state TV
Daily Star 9 Feb 2013 Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai arrives in Damascus to attend the enthronement of Syria‘s Greek Orthodox leader, Yuhanna X Yazigi, Syrian state television says.
Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya: Arsal incident due to military error
Daily Star 9 Feb 2013 Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya says the recent deaths of two soldiers in Arsal, east Lebanon, was due to an unsuccessful Lebanese Army operation and urges authorities to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of Hmayyed.
Tensions rise in Tunisia as PM threatens to quit
Daily Star 9 Feb 2013 Tunisia’s prime minister threatens to quit and warns of chaos unless key ministries held by fellow Islamists go to independents in a new government of non-partisan technocrats.
Iran says its English channel dropped by satellite
Daily Star 9 Feb 2013 Iran‘s English-language channel Press TV says it has been dropped by the satellite that broadcast its signal to North America.
UN chief condemns attack on Iran dissidents in Iraq
YNet News, 9 Feb 2013 – ….
Peace Now seeks to reserve Rabin square for Obama visit
YNet News, 9 Feb 2013 – ….
‘Gatekeepers’ wins Berlin’s Cinema for Peace top prize
YNet News, 9 Feb 2013 – ….
Rabbi Ovadia: Lapid a yeshiva-hating miscreant
YNet News, 9 Feb 2013 – ….
Egypt to try 26 alleged militants for plotting attacks
YNet News, 9 Feb 2013 – ….
Age of innocence over
YNet News, 9 Feb 2013 – Op-ed: Obama‘s visit to region will bolster US-Israel ties, but it will not reignite peace process ….
Palestinian Information Center
Israel approves construction of 869 housing units in West Bank settlements
PIC – Israeli war minister, Ehud Barak, approved on Friday the construction of a total of 869 new settlement units in the West Bank.
IOA orders demolition of 16 apartments in Jerusalem
PIC – Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) ordered the demolition of a Palestinian residential building inhabited by eighty Jerusalemite citizens near the Old City in occupied Jerusalem.
Settlers close road, IOF soldiers storm home of wanted Palestinian
PIC – Jewish settlers, backed by Israeli occupation forces, closed the main road linking southern Al-Khalil villages to northern areas of the district on Saturday.
Rizqa: Resuming negotiations with Israel puts obstacles before reconciliation
PIC – Palestinian government in Gaza warned the Palestinian Authority and its president, Mahmoud Abbas, against responding to U.S. pressure and resuming negotiations with Israel.
Negev prisoners hold IOA responsible for life of Sharawne
PIC – Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli Negev prison held the Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) responsible for the life of hunger striker Ayman Sharawne.
Shelling and blockade continue to plague refugee camps in Syria
PIC – Daraa camp for Palestinian refugees in Syria witnessed heavy shelling that led to a state of panic and material damage, the workgroup for Palestinians in Syria stated in a report on Friday.
Health minister starts Arab tour
PIC – Dr. Mufid Al-Mikhelilati, the health minister in Gaza, has started a tour of two Arab countries to solicit support for his ministry’s needs.
Expert warns: Aqsa Mosque entered very dangerous stage
PIC – Analysts opined that demolishing Islamic buildings in the northern side of Buraq Square by IOA was in preparation for construction of a huge synagogue adjacent to the Aqsa Mosque.
IOF attacks West Bank peaceful marches
PIC – Israeli occupation forces suppressed the West Bank‘s peaceful weekly anti-apartheid wall and settlements marches, launched this week under the slogan of solidarity with the hunger striking prisoners.
Confrontations in all areas of occupied Jerusalem
PIC – Violent confrontations took place on Friday between Israeli occupation forces and inhabitants of various areas of occupied Jerusalem that inflicted casualties in lines of civilians.
Cyprus Upgrades Palestine’s Diplomatic Status to Embassy
WAFA – 9 Feb 2013
Newspapers Review: Meeting in Cairo Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 9 Feb 2013
Activists Set up New Tent Village near Hebron
WAFA – 9 Feb 2013
Egypt Court Orders Block on YouTube Over Anti-Islam Video
New York Times 9 Feb 2013 – A Cairo court ordered the government to block access to YouTube for 30 days for carrying an anti-Islam film that set off deadly riots last year.
Mortars Kill 6 in a Refugee Camp in Iraq
New York Times 9 Feb 2013 – Several dozen shells fell on the camp near the Baghdad airport, which houses members of Mujahedeen Khalq, or M.E.K., an Iranian opposition group.
Cabinet Shift Within Syria Seems Aimed at Economy
New York Times 9 Feb 2013 – President Bashar al-Assad appointed seven new ministers, a move that appeared intended to shore up the country’s ravaged economy.
Lighthearted Videos Show Syrian Soldiers and Rebels Dancing
New York Times 8 Feb 2013 – Two videos that show Syrian soldiers and rebels dancing and singing have provoked sharply different political reactions.
A Faceless Teenage Refugee Who Helped Ignite Syria’s War
New York Times 8 Feb 2013 – A young man from Dara’a, Syria, carries a burden — maybe an honor, too: He knows that he and his friends helped start an uprising.
63% of Iranians Say, Continue Nuclear Program Regardless of Sanctions
Tikun Olam – Now repeat after me: Sanctions…do…not…work. I coulda told Obama that before he waded neck deep into the Big Muddy on that one…in fact, I did . A new Gallup poll of Iranians presents what the Washington Post euphemistically calls “worrying” signs that the western sanctions are…
The Perfect Solution for Obama’s Messy Counter-Terror Problem
Tikun Olam – With President Obama’s drone strikes and assassination lists coming under increasing scrutiny from the press and U.S. Senate; and John Brennan coming in for some rough questioning by overly inquisitive solons, I have the perfect solution: hire Israel to do take over the job. We’ve privatized…
The Strange Case of Likud Rock Star, Education Minister, Inveterate Womanizer, Gideon Saar
Tikun Olam – Current Israeli education minister, Gideon Saar, is a strange case in Israeli politics. He’s young(ish), attractive, and popular with the Likud rank and file. As a reward for tallying the second highest vote totals in the Party primaries he was appointed election campaign chair. His performance…
Following Palestinian call, protests held in 40 European cities demanding end to international trade with Israeli agribusiness
Mondoweiss – Earlier today we published a report on a protest in Gaza that was part of a global day of action calling to boycott Israeli agricultural companies. There were also protests held across Europe which is a primary market for Israeli agricultural companies . From a Palestinian BDS National…
Despite increased media attention, there is nothing new about Israel targeting Palestinian youth
Mondoweiss – There was a noticeable increase in British coverage of Israel’s occupation in January, with The Guardian and the BBC running stories on the string of recent killings by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Israel’s refusal to co-operate with the UN’s Human Rights Council . Whilst greater…
Eric Alterman’s bias revealed as he warns against the ‘red menace’ of BDS
Mondoweiss – According to Eric Alterman writing in Open Zion (“ Brooklyn College and the BDS Debate ,” February 7), the BDS movement and its “naive, idealistic” fellow-traveling dupes are the modern day equivalents of 20th century Stalinists. And the “predicament” now facing “liberals” (i.e., people like Alterman)…
‘Daily News’ jumps on ‘Jews tossed from Brooklyn College’ claim (updated)
Mondoweiss – The Daily News is trying to stir the anti-Semitism pot in a story about Thursday’s Brooklyn College forum on boycott: “FORUM FUROR: 4 Jews tossed from BDS meet at Brooklyn College.” Corinne Lestch reports : Brooklyn College faced a new uproar Friday after booting four Jewish students…
In pictures: Farmers rally for Israeli agriculture boycott in Gaza ‘buffer zone’
Mondoweiss – Hundreds of Palestinian farmers marched to the Gaza Strip’s Israel-imposed “buffer zone” this morning, where they rallied and planted olive trees. The demonstration, organized by the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) , was part of a global day of action for boycotts of Israeli agricultural companies…
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel Coalition Partner Rules Out Peace With Palestinians
The Foward Breaking News 9 Feb 2013 – Israel has no chance of signing a permanent peace accord with the Palestinians and should instead seek a long-term interim deal, the most powerful political partner of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt Blocks YouTube Over Notorious Anti-Islam Flick
The Foward Breaking News 9 Feb 2013 – An Egyptian court ordered the suspension of online video service YouTube for a month on Saturday for broadcasting a film insulting the Prophet Mohammad, state media reported. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Egypt Signs Deal for Political Consultations With Bangladesh
allAfrica.com 9 Feb 2013 – [Egypt Online]Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs Salwa Moufid and the Bangladeshi foreign ministry undersecretary co-signed a memorandum of understanding at the Foreign Ministry’s HQ on Thursday 07/02/2013 to establish a mechanism for political consultations between the foreign ministries in the two countries.
Attack on Iranian exile camp in Iraq
BBC 9 Feb 2013 – Five people are killed in an attack on a camp in central Iraq housing members of the People’s Mujahideen Organisation of Iran, officials say.
Lawmakers Threaten Funding of Brooklyn College for Hosting Event on BDS Campaign Against Israel
Sabbah report 9 Feb 2013 – New York politicians are threatening to cut funding to Brooklyn College if the school hosts a forum Thursday night about the BDS movement. The council members’ threat is just one of several efforts by local lawmakers, from Congress on down, to pressure Brooklyn College to remove…
Lawrence Davidson: The Gatekeepers – demolishing the Zionist narrative
Sabbah report 9 Feb 2013 – To date, Israel’s leaders and Zionist supporters have shown an amazing capacity to ignore all criticism. The newly re-elected prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has let it be known that he has no intention of watching The Gatekeepers. It is also questionable how many of those who…
Activists death fuels anti-Muslim Brotherhood sentiment in Tanta
Al-Akhbar Blogs 9 Feb 2013 – Tanta – Every Friday, Khaled Abdul-Razeq takes his paint and brushes down to the site of demonstrations. Stationed at a small table near the Gharbya governorate building in Tanta, he is surrounded by kids and adults brandishing blank paper and cardboard waiting for their turn. In…
From Tel Aviv to the Beirut Duty Free: Israeli Products Spotted at Airport
Al-Akhbar News 9 Feb 2013 – Lighters spotted in Beirut’s Airport bore the logo of James Richardson, the company that has operated the principal duty free license at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel since the 1980s. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Lighters spotted in Beirut’s Airport bore the logo of James Richardson, the company…
The Splintered History of the Tunisian Left
Al-Akhbar News 9 Feb 2013 – A protester gestures to police during a demonstration near the Interior Ministry in Tunis on 8 February 2013. Tens of thousands of mourners chanted anti-Islamist slogans on Friday at the Tunis funeral of secular opposition leader Chokri Belaid. (Photo: Zoubeir Souissi – Reuters) A protester gestures…
Images surface of secret US base in Saudi
Al-Akhbar News 9 Feb 2013 – Images of a secret American drone base in Saudi Arabia purportedly surfaced in US media Thursday. According to Wired , the magazine responsible for locating the secret base on Bing Maps, the images, “…may or may not be the secret US drone base revealed by reporters earlier…
Assad government ready for talks with opposition: minister
Al-Akhbar News 9 Feb 2013 – A Free Syrian Army fighter walks through a dust-filled stairwell after a comrade fired a B-10 recoilless gun at Syrian Army soldiers in the Haresta neighbourhood of Damascus February 7, 2013. (Photo: Reuters – Goran Tomasevic) A Free Syrian Army fighter walks through a dust-filled stairwell…
Al-Nahda calls for rally after Tunisian opposition figure’s funeral
Al-Akhbar News 9 Feb 2013 – A Tunisian protester kicks a tear gas canister fired by policemen during clashes following the funeral of assassinated opposition leader Chokri Belaid in Tunis on 8 February 2013. (Photo: AFP – Fethi Belaid) Members of Tunisia’s main ruling Islamist party called for a rally in the…
Lebanon may need refugee camps for Syrians: UN
Al-Akhbar News 9 Feb 2013 – A displaced Syrian vendor sits on his motorcycle as he wait for customers at the refugee camp of Qah along the Turkish border in the village of Atme in the northwestern province of Idlib, on February 7, 2013. More than half of the estimated 300,000 Syrian…
Egypt Cleric Advocates Death for Dissidents
Al-Akhbar Politics 8 Feb 2013 – An Egyptian anti-government protester walks past a banner readind “Resist” during a demonstration outside the Egyptian high court in the Egyptian capital Cairo to protest against the death of protesters during last week’s demonstrations against Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood on 7 February 2013. (Photo: AFP…
Damascus “Open” to Khatib’s Dialogue Initiative
Al-Akhbar Politics 8 Feb 2013 – A Free Syrian Army fighter prepares to fire a B-10 recoilless gun in the Harasta neighborhood of Damascus on 7 February 2013. (Photo: Mohammed Abdullah – Reuters) A Free Syrian Army fighter prepares to fire a B-10 recoilless gun in the Harasta neighborhood of Damascus on…
Egypt: Sexual Assault as a Political Weapon
Al-Akhbar Politics 8 Feb 2013 – Egyptians opposing President Mohamed Mursi hold an effigy mocking him in Tahrir square in Cairo 8 February 2013. (Photo: Reuters – Mohamed Abd El Ghany) Egyptians opposing President Mohamed Mursi hold an effigy mocking him in Tahrir square in Cairo 8 February 2013. (Photo: Reuters -…
Palestinian Activists Continue to Oppose Israel’s Creeping Annexation
Al-Haq 9 Feb 2013 – Ad: How To Survive The Coming Food Crisis – 70% Commissions & 50% On Rebills. Promote A Free 30-page Ebook That Educates Prospects About The Coming Food Shortages. The Follow-up Series Sells A Monthly Interview Series About Food Preparedness And Urban Survivalism.
Tunisian PM pledges new government
BBC 9 Feb 2013 – Tunisia’s PM says he will quit if a technocratic government is rejected next week, amid a crisis triggered by the killing of an opposition leader.
Attack on Iranian exile camp in Iraq
BBC 9 Feb 2013 – Five people are killed in an attack on a camp in central Iraq housing members of the People’s Mujahideen Organisation of Iran, officials say.
VIDEO: Syrian students face fees crisis
BBC 8 Feb 2013 – Nearly 50,000 people in Britain have signed an online petition urging the government to give more support to the hundreds of Syrian students studying here.
Articles
Gaza farmers launch call to boycott Israeli produce
Joe Catron, Gaza City, Electronic Intifada 2/8/2013
Dozens of Palestinian farmers and fishermen rallied in the Gaza seaport this week, launching several days of actions across the Strip to support boycotts of Israeli agricultural corporations.
Upcoming events will include a march by farmers, ending with the planting of olive trees, near the “buffer zone” around Gaza’s boundary with Israel on Saturday.
The protests, organized locally by the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), are part of a day of action coordinated globally by UAWC, other Palestinian agricultural organizations, and the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee.
The effort follows the 28 January announcement that South African fruit importer Karsten Farms had severed its ties with Israeli agricultural exporter and settlement producer Hadiklaim. The precedent-setting victory came after a year of successful campaigning by South Africa’s Palestine Solidarity Alliance and BDS South Africa.
It also follows a 30 September day of action coordinated with UAWC by Canadian activists.
“We must boycott Israeli agriculture because these products support settlements and the siege, while we can’t even export outside the Gaza Strip,” Mourad Qidah, a farmer in Khuzaa, said after the port gathering. “We need to support our own products.”
“I’m in danger”
Israel tightly restricts the Gaza Strip’s imports and exports, flooding local markets with agricultural and other goods while preventing nearly all Palestinian products from leaving…. more.. e-mail
Golan Heights braces for more fighting
Jillian Kestler-d’amours, Asia Times 2/9/2013
MAJDAL SHAMS, Occupied Golan Heights – After Israeli war planes reportedly bombed targets in Syrian territory last week, individuals and groups in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are quietly preparing for the possibility of escalating violence between Syria and Israel.
“We can feel that the presence of the Israeli army in the Golan has been increasing in the last week. People started to prepare for a war situation,” said Dr Taiseer Maray, director general of the local group Golan for the Development of the Arab Villages.
Israeli security sources reported this week that an Iron Dome missile defense system had been placed on Israel’s northern border with Syria and Lebanon. The move came less than a week after Israeli jets were suspected to have bombed a weapons convoy inside Syria, near the Lebanese border.
Media reports speculated that the weapons were destined for Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah, which fought a month-long war with Israel in 2006. The Syrian government, however, said a scientific research Centrex on the outskirts of Damascus was the target of the Israeli raid.
Syrian officials accused Israel of trying to “destabilize” Syria. They also used the Israeli attack to discredit the opposition movement in Syria, arguing it proved that external forces are responsible for the ongoing uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
While Israel hasn’t formally taken responsibility for the bombing, defense minister Ehud Barak said the strike was “proof that when we say something we mean it. We don’t think [Syria] should be allowed to bring advanced weapons systems into Lebanon.” more.. e-mail
Can Two Walk Together?
Uri Avnery, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 2/8/2013
“COMPARED TO the Knesset it could have been, this is a very good Knesset!”
I heard this, in so many words, from at least ten former Knesset members and others, as we were drinking orange juice in the Knesset foyer. I could have said it myself (and probably did).
It was the opening session of the new Knesset, and former members were invited to a reception with the new ones. Then we were seated in the plenum hall.
I did not attend the last few times, but this time I was curious to see the new members – 49 out [“of”] 120, an unprecedented number – some of whom I had never even heard of before.
It was really a good sight. Some of the new people were leaders of the social protest movement of summer 2011, some investigative reporters from the media, some social workers. Some fascists remained, but the worst were gone.
The change was not large enough to make me jump into the air from sheer joy, but enough to be glad. Beggars cannot be choosers.
IT WAS a ceremonious occasion, with trumpets and all. Up to a point. Unlike the British, Jews have no talent for pomp and circumstance. Real Jewish synagogues – not the Western European copies of Catholic churches – are quite chaotic. more.. e-mail
Khamenei plays hardball with Obama
M K Bhadrakumar, Asia Times 2/9/2013
It was an extraordinary week in the politics of the Middle East and it ended appropriately by being rounded off with a reality check lest imaginations ran riot.
Three major happenings within one week would have to be taken as the inevitable confluence of a flow of developments and processes: the offer by the Syrian opposition of a bilateral dialogue with the Bashar al-Assad regime; the historic visit of an Iranian president to Egypt; and the public, unconditional offer by the United States of direct talks with Iran and the latter’s ready acceptance of it.
Yet, they are interconnected. First, the Syrian kaleidoscope is dramatically shifting despite the continuing bloodbath. Unless the European countries drop their arms embargo on Syria (which expires on March 1 anyway) and decide to arm the rebels, the stalemate will continue.
The mood in Western capitals has shifted in the direction of caution and circumspection, given the specter that al-Qaeda affiliates are taking advantage. If anything, the hurricane of militant Islamism blowing through Mali only reinforces that concern and reluctance.
Suffice to say, what prompted the Islamist leader of the Syrian National Coalition, Moaz al-Khatib, last weekend to show willingness to take part in direct talks with representatives of the Syrian regime – and pushed him into meeting with Russian and Iranian foreign ministers – was as much the disarray within the Syrian opposition and his failure to form a credible “government-in-exile” as his acute awareness that the Western mood is now cautious about Syria. more.. e-mail
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