12 February 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Abu Rodeina: “Settlements Are Main Obstacle To Peace”
IMEMC – Palestinian Presidency Spokesperson, Nablil Abu Rodeina, stated Monday that the Israeli government must change Israel’s policies regarding the peace process. …
Airstrip Established In Illegal West Bank Settlement
IMEMC – Despite its illegality, the Israeli Army and the Aviation Department do not seem bothered by an illegal small airstrip established by a former Air Force pilot who lives in the Alumot illegal outpost, near the Itamar illegal settlement in the West Bank district of Nablus. …
Lawyer: Issawi ‘critical’ after 195 days on hunger strike
2/12/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Samer Issawi is in a critical condition after 195 days on hunger strike in an Israeli prison, a lawyer said Tuesday. Fadi Abedat, a lawyer for the Ministry of Prisoner Affairs, visited Issawi at Ramle prison clinic. Issawi has severe leg, kidney, head and chest pains and a slow pulse. He….
Israel arrests Hamas affiliates across West Bank
2/12/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces launched multiple arrest raids overnight Monday against Hamas affiliates in the West Bank, Hamas sources and locals said. Hamas leader Rafat Jamil Nasif, 45, was detained in Tulkarem in an arrest raid on his home, sources in the Islamist movement said. Nasif’s family were forced to stand…. Related: Hamas: West Bank arrests underscore election obstacles
Police: Hebron doctor assaulted outside hospital
2/12/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Police in Hebron arrested three people on Tuesday suspected of assaulting a doctor in the city. Omar al-Halyika was attacked by the men after leaving work at a hospital in Hebron, police told Ma’an, leaving him with minor injuries. Doctors in the hospital condemned all assaults on medical staff….
Israeli forces seize Jenin property to use as military base
2/12/2013 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli forces seized an under-construction property in Jenin on Tuesday to use as a military post, locals said. Israeli soldiers took control of a property belonging to Amin Abu Baker in Yabad village, forcing laborers to leave the site, a family member said. The workers argued with soldiers before being threatened….
PA official: Israel continues to withhold tax revenue
2/12/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – Israel is still withholding Palestinian tax revenue breaching the 2004 Paris agreement, an official in the Palestinian Ministry of Finance said Tuesday. Spokesman Rami Mahdawi told Ma’an that the ongoing breach “confirms that Israel is going on with its piracy on Palestinian money.” He referred to recentremarks by Israel….
Gaza government to demolish 75 houses built on public lands
2/12/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Members of the Abu Amrah family in Gaza City demonstrated Tuesday in front of offices of the Palestinian Legislative Council protesting a decision by the Hamas-run government to demolish 75 houses belonging to the family in the al-Rimal neighborhood. The governmentsays it decided to demolish the houses because they were….
Schools to operate regularly after union signs agreement with Fayyad
2/12/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – The Palestinian Authority has responded positively to several demands made by the union of teachers, and as a result the union decided to suspend strike, says the union’s speaker. Ahmad Suhweil told Ma’an Tuesday that he signed an agreement with prime minister Salam Fayyad according to which…. Related: Union: University staff to strike 2 days a week
Israeli forces arrest man at Gaza border crossing
2/12/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli forces arrested a man on Tuesday at a border crossing in north Gaza, security sources said. Muhammad Abu Daka, 31, had traveled with his mother from south Gaza to an Israeli hospital, where she was receiving treatment. On their way back to Khan Younis, Abu Daka was arrested at….
Gaza ministry denies Egypt closed tunnels
2/12/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza’s Ministry of Interior on Tuesday denied reports that Egypt had closed several smuggling tunnels a day earlier, a spokesman said. Islam Shahwan said in a statement that a network of tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border are operating as normal, with the Interior Ministry briefly closing tunnels last….
PLO officials say expectations low for Obama visit
2/12/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinian officials said Tuesday that the upcoming visit by US President Barack Obama is unlikely to aid the peace process. Obama plans to visit the region in spring, a White House official said last week, in his first trip to the region since taking office. Secretary-General of Palestinian People’s…. Related: US envoy reassures Israel on Iran ahead of Obama visit
US envoy reassures Israel on Iran ahead of Obama visit
2/12/2013 – TEL AVIV (Reuters) — A US official sought to reassure Israel this week on President Barack Obama‘s determination to curb Iran‘s disputed nuclear program, as the clock ticks on a threatened Israeli pre-emptive strike. The visit by Rose Gottemoeller, acting US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, was seen…. Related: PLO officials say expectations low for Obama visit
Australian named as Israel’s ‘Prisoner X’
2/12/2013 – LONDON (Reuters) — An Australian man committed suicide in a high-security Israeli jail in 2010 after being held for months in great secrecy, Australia’s ABC channel said on Tuesday, throwing new light on a case that has rattled Israel. The unsourced ABC story named the man, known previously only as “prisoner x”, as Ben….
Egypt court jails Israeli for 2 years, court sources say
2/12/2013 – CAIRO (Reuters) — An Egyptian court sentenced an Israeli man to two years in prison for crossing illegally into the Sinai peninsula, court sources said on Tuesday. Egypt said in December it had arrested the man after he slipped into the Sinai’s Taba region and took photographs of security buildings. State media at that….
Abbas to issue decrees on elections, unity govt
2/13/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas will issue decrees announcing elections and declaring a new unity government, a senior Fatah official said Tuesday. At a news conference in Ramallah, Azzam al-Ahmad said the two decrees would be issued at the same time. Abbas has already started consultations to form a unity government of technocrats….
Union: University staff to strike 2 days a week
2/12/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Public university staff will suspend classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays in protest over irregular salary payments, their union said Tuesday. The union said in a statement that the Ministry of Education had ignored its demands for staff to be paid on time. Spokesman Mohammad Tufaha said the union would not hesitate…. Related: Schools to operate regularly after union signs agreement with Fayyad
Hamas: West Bank arrests underscore election obstacles
2/12/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – The detention of Hamas supporters in the West Bank lays more obstacles before the intended general elections, a party official said Tuesday after Israel launched an arrest sweep. Mousa Abu Marzouq, deputy chief of the Islamic movement, wrote on his Facebook page that whether it is the Palestinian Authority or Israel…. Related: Israel arrests Hamas affiliates across West Bank
PA ministry closes bakery in Hebron
2/12/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Economy closed down a bakery in Hebron on Tuesday after it failed to abide by public safety regulations. The ministry said in a statement that the bakery failed to meet hygiene standards. Another bakery in the south West Bank city was issued a warning over hygiene standards. [END]
Obama says North Korea nuclear program threat to world security
2/12/2013 – WASHINGTON (Reuters) — President Barack Obama said North Korea’s latest nuclear test was a “highly provocative act” that hurt stability in the region and called its nuclear program a threat to US and international security.” The danger posed by North Korea’s threatening activities warrants further swift and credible action by the international….
Syria death toll likely approaching 70,000, says UN rights chief
2/12/2013 – UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) — The death toll in Syria is likely approaching 70,000 with civilians paying the price for the UN Security Council’s lack of action to end the nearly 2-year-old conflict, the UN human rights chief said Tuesday. Navi Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights, repeated her call for Syria….
Bahrain Air closes down, blames political unrest
2/12/2013 – DUBAI (Reuters) — Small carrier Bahrain Air said on Tuesday it was shutting down, blaming political unrest in the island kingdom and the government’s refusal to pay it compensation. The privately owned airline, launched in 2008, has four planes and was flying to about a dozen destinations in the Middle East and south Asia….
Israel approves 90 new settler homes
AlJazeera 12 Feb 2013 – Israeli prime minister approves illegal construction in West Bank’s Beit El, a Jewish settlement north of Jerusalem.
Boulos: Doctors Express Grave Concerns about Issawi’s Health
Palestine News Network
Minors in Israeli Jails Make a Toy, IPS Punishes Them
Palestine News Network
Israeli Soldiers Assault Palestinians in Hebron
Palestine News Network
Israel Begins Construction on Magharba Gate Bridge in Jerusalem
Palestine News Network
Israeli Authorities Raze Agricultural Lands in Negev
Palestine News Network
Netanyahu Stands by Two-State Solution
Palestine News Network
Israeli Occupation Seeks Confiscation of Lands North of Jerusalem
Palestine News Network
Israeli Forces Demolish Home, Shed, and Well Near Hebron
Palestine News Network
IOF Troops Arrest 13 Palestinians, Including Hamas Leader
Palestine News Network
Abu Rudineh: Israeli New Housing Units a Blow to Obama
Palestine News Network
North Korea Confirms Third Nuclear Test
Palestine News Network
Egyptian Court Sentences Israeli to 2 Years Jail
Palestine News Network
Pope Resigns, Citing Age and Lack of Strength
Palestine News Network
Government of Japan Supports the Establishing of an X-Ray Unit in the Hebron Emergency Center
Palestine News Network
“MADA” Demands an End to Occupation’s Series of Attacks on Journalists
Palestine News Network
AICafe: Saying Goodbye to Akiva Orr, Screening Matzpen
Palestine News Network
International Solidarity Movement
BREAKING NEWS: Internationals arrested and hospitalised for trying to plant trees in Urif
2/12/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 12 February 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Urif, Nablus, Occupied Palestine – UPDATE: All of those detained today have been released and the Brit who was pepper sprayed has been let out of hospital – At around 11am this morning, a group of internationals including three volunteers from the Michigan Peace Team travelled to Urif in Nablus. They….
Buildings demolished in Beit Awwa
2/12/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – By Team Khalil, 11 February 2013, International Solidarity Movement, West Hebron Hills, Occupied Palestine – Four buildings were demolished in Beit awwa, one journalist hit in the leg with tear gas canister and treated in hospital. On the morning of Monday 11th February Israeli occupation forces bulldozers protected by soldiers entered the village of Beit Awwa….
The ambitious goals to make the UAE an even better place to live
The National 12 Feb 2013 – Formulated in 2010, Vision 2021 represents the ideals of the country’s future that guide its public policy. By its 50th National Day, the goal is to be considered one of the best countries in the world.
Holidays boost to make private sector jobs more appealing to Emiratis
The National 12 Feb 2013 – Speaking at Dubai summit, Sheikh Mansour outlines the inequality between the two sectors, which includes Government workers having more time off and higher wages.
Saudi king’s half-brother and Riyadh governor dies
The National 12 Feb 2013 – Riyadh governor Prince Sattam bin Abdul Aziz, a half brother of the Saudi king, has died, state news agency SPA reported without saying what caused his death.
UAE minister praises those who want to find work
The National 12 Feb 2013 – Almost 40 per cent of those receiving social welfare are capable of finding gainful employment, the Minister of Social Affairs has said.
Mansour: Youth must be properly prepared for Emiratisation to succeed
The National 12 Feb 2013 – Education needs further development, says Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister.
‘Beware of taking loans’, says UAE Deputy Prime Minister
The National 12 Feb 2013 – The Deputy Prime Minister has urged all citizens to be wary of “blindly” applying for personal loans they cannot afford to pay back.
Pope Benedict to retire to renovated monastery after summer retreat
The National 12 Feb 2013 – Roman Catholics set to have a new pope by Easter as Vatican announces retiring pontiff will live in monastery after spending time at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo.
Coca-Cola habit a factor in mother’s death, coroner says
The National 12 Feb 2013 – A New Zealand woman’s 10-litre (2.2 gallon) a day Coca-Cola habit was a major factor in her death, a coroner has found, urging the soft drink giant to put health warnings on its caffeinated products.
Israel’s censorship laws shine a spotlight instead of hushing up the blunder
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
‘No place in Israel for Palestine,’ says Naftali Bennett in maiden Knesset speech
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Generation of ’48 proves too racy for Israeli stamps
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Israeli education body reverses decision to close BGU politics department
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Inadequate judges kept on bench due to poor pensions, say Grunis and Beinisch
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Expect fewer ministers with funny titles in next Israeli government
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Israeli Reform and Conservative rabbis petition court demanding equal pay
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
On the web, the genie is out of the bottle
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Polish-British sociologist Zygmunt Bauman rejects call to cancel lectures in Israel
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Bulgaria asks Europol to hunt down Hezbollah men suspected in Burgas attack on Israelis
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Does the Mossad still use the passports of immigrants to Israel?
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Poll: 71.5% of young Israeli Arabs oppose national service
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Justice Minister: Reports that Australian committed suicide in Israeli prison must be checked
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Israel’s flagship airline El Al to lay off 200
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Israeli court approves highway bisecting Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Prime Minister’s Office calls emergency meeting with heads of Israeli media outlets
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Likud-Beiteinu attempts to woo Lapid with new IDF conscription plan
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Prisoner suicide led to attorney general calling gag orders into question
Ha’aretz – 12 Feb 2013
Analysis: Obama unlikely to support Cairo opposition
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – American expert says Egyptian President Morsi mimicking Turkey’s Erdogan by working to take over armed forces.
Court to rule on company storing umbilical cord
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – Tel Aviv court to decide fate of blood bank Biocord for alleged mishandling of donors’ cord blood donations, noncompliance.
Arab MK to raise issue of prison hunger strikes
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – Jamal Zahalka aims to use Obama visit as leverage for prisoners’ releases, sends letter to UN, Egypt’s Morsi seeking help.
Data: Kids with special needs suffer more abuse
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – National Council for the Child present data showing children with special needs suffer more abuse than other youngsters.
Dan David Foundation names winners for prize
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – International award given for scientific, technological, cultural or social achievements which have strong impact on society.
Grunis: Unfit judges are a ‘ticking bomb’
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – Legal Forum for Justice request Supreme Court president act to dismiss judges whom court administration declared unfit for duty.
Court rejects petition to stop Beit Safafa highway
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – Residents furious that road will cut east Jerusalem Arab neighborhood in two, say city plans both outdated and illegal.
Hagel approved as Pentagon chief by Senate panel
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – The Senate Armed Services Committee approve Hagel as next US secretary of defense, voting 14-11; Hagel to face full Senate.
No end in sight for Gush Katif expellees
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – It’s been far too long without a remedy, and still there is no end in sight.
Likud sources: Netanyahu offered Bennett top jobs
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – Source says offer, which includes Education Ministry, conditioned on Bayit Yehudi conducting marathon coalition talks over 48 hours to become first party to join coalition; Bayit Yehudi accuses Likud of political spin.
Lapid, Israel’s new political maverick, is part of problem
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – It seems we are destined to suffer under the boot of big government for a long time to come.
Benedict’s papacy
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – Benedict truly and sincerely wanted closer relations between the Church and Jews and worked to this end, but good intentions are not always enough.
A thank you to Rabbi David Hartman, Dr. Menachem Elon
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – As part of the Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT) and Yeshivat Maharat families, they had a common point – their unconditional support for our vision, our programs and our institutions.
In My Own Write: On fitness and fatness
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – The New Jersey governor’s obesity sends a message to us all – but it might not be the one you think.
UK MP faces disciplinary action for ‘Jew’ quips
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – David Ward, already sanctioned by party for anti-Jewish remarks, to face disciplinary process for further offensive comments.
Bayit Yehudi’s budding religious Zionist revolution
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – Long cowed by the haredim and its own hardal wing, mainstream religious Zionism is fighting back
UN rights chief: Syria death toll nearing 70,000
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – Navi Pillay says civilians paying the price for UN Security Council’s inaction on Syria; calls on Council to refer Damascus to ICC.
MKs blow cover off censored security affair
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – MK Tibi asks in Knesset: Is it true an Australian citizen under a different identity committed suicide in an Israeli prison?
Hamas says IDF wants to sabotage Palestinian unity
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – After IDF raids W. Bank homes, Hamas says arrests designed to negatively impact elections, destroy reconciliation with Fatah.
Iran denies agreeing to probe of Buenos Aires bombing
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – Tehran denies it has allowed investigators to question Iranian officials over the ’94 bombing of Buenos Aires that killed 85 people,
Sharansky says women should not be arrested at Kotel
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – JAFI chairman to submit recommendations for resolution of Kotel crisis to PM within first month of new coalition.
Jerusalem placed on high alert amid terror threat
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – Police, firefighters, paramedics in state of increased preparedness as result of intelligence reports of terror threat to capital.
Police arrest seven who stole M16s from IDF base
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – Police, Shin Bet announce arrest of 4 Palestinians, 3 Israeli Arabs that stole weapons from a West Bank settlement, IDF base.
German pastor: Anti-Israel film boosts Nazi support
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – A German court ruled that a pastor will continue to be able to describe a film about Israel-Palestinian conflict as anti-Semitic.
Nothing says ‘Olive You’ like chocolate cake
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – This Valentine’s Day, try using olive oil when baking chocolate cakes; your heart and your beloved’s will thank you.
Team wants Israel to be third country to reach moon
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – Team SpaceIL is entering Google space race with a nanorocket bearing Israeli flag.
ADL thanks Pope for support of Israel and Jews
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – After announcing his resignation, The Anti-Defamation League thanks Pope Benedict XVI for treating Jews as his “loving brothers and sisters.”
The brothers that enable the rocket siren
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – Lt.-Col. Ilan Itah and his brother Maj. Levi Itah play critical roles in enabling Israel’s alert system.
US reassures Israel on Iran before Obama visit
Jerusalem Post 12 Feb 2013 – American official reiterates US “commitment to preventing a nuclear Iran,” ahead of Obama‘s upcoming visit.
World’s first King Herod exhibition opens in Jerusalem – video
The Guardian 12 Feb 2013 – Jerusalem’s Israel Museum launches the world’s first exhibition on the life and legacy of the ancient Roman King Herod the Great on Tuesday
Israel unveils Herod’s archaeological treasures
The Guardian 12 Feb 2013 – Herod’s mausoleum headlines Israel‘s most ambitious archaeological show but Palestinians say treasures should stay where they were found A magnificent mausoleum in which King Herod the Great, the biblical-era ruler of Jerusalem and the Holy Land,…
Israel’s ‘Prisoner X’ was Australian Mossad agent, documentary claims
The Guardian 12 Feb 2013 – Israel has never acknowledged prisoner’s existence and has gone to extraordinary lengths to stifle media coverage of case Like the fictional Man in the Iron Mask, Israel‘s infamous “Prisoner X” was allegedly held in solitary confinement…
Gaza Gags Civil Liberties
IPS Gaza is becoming increasingly radicalised as Hamas continues its crackdown on civil liberties, press freedom and the rights of women. In the last few weeks a number of journalists have been arrested and accused of being involved in “suspicious activities”, several detainees shot dead by police during arrest attempts, and…
Drones and Our National Religion
Uruknet
New Book Says Israeli Census ‘Denationalizes’ Palestinians
Uruknet
Hamas: Egypt imposed travel restrictions on Gazans
Uruknet
What’s in a name? Quite a lot
Uruknet
The NDAA and the Death of the Democratic State
Uruknet
Miss a Traffic Ticket, Go to Jail? The Return of Debtor Prison (Hard Times, USA)
Uruknet
Christians in Libya fear for safety
Uruknet
Death toll rises as Kashmir tension persists
Uruknet
Israel detains 124 Palestinians in one week
Uruknet
DOJ kill list memo forces many Dems out of the closet as overtly unprincipled hacks
Uruknet
Death toll in Iran exile camp attack rises to seven: MEK
Daily Star 12 Feb 2013 The death toll from a weekend mortar and rocket attack on an Iranian exiles’ camp in Iraq rose Tuesday to seven, the People’s Mujahedeen of Iran, or the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) said.
Egypt women protest sex assault at site of attacks
Daily Star 12 Feb 2013 Washington’s envoy on human rights cautioned Tuesday against the failure of Egypt’s government to identify the perpetrators behind a growing number of gruesome attacks against female protesters.
Bahrain Air closes down, blames political unrest
Daily Star 12 Feb 2013 Small carrier Bahrain Air said on Tuesday it was shutting down, blaming political unrest in the island kingdom and the government’s refusal to pay it compensation.
Abbas warns over Palestinian prisoner hunger strike
Daily Star 12 Feb 2013 Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas Tuesday called on the international community to intervene urgently in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails.
Obama to announce large Afghan troop pullout
Daily Star 12 Feb 2013 President Barack Obama will announce the pullout of nearly half of U.S. forces still in Afghanistan but was expected to focus on domestic issues.
Bahrain police fire tear gas at protest: witnesses
Daily Star 12 Feb 2013 Bahraini police fired tear gas and stun grenades Tuesday to disperse protesters trying to march to Pearl Square, the now-crushed symbol of their uprising that they occupied two years ago, witnesses said.
UN: Syria death toll probably approaching 70,000
Daily Star 12 Feb 2013 Syria‘s intensifying civil war has probably killed over 9,000 people since the beginning of the year, bringing the likely death toll near 70,000, the U.N. human rights chief said Tuesday.
Libya needs help to secure borders – foreign minister
Daily Star 12 Feb 2013 Libya’s foreign minister called on Tuesday for Western and Arab allies to help seal his country’s borders to stop defeated Islamist rebels coming in from Mali and further destabilising the strife-hit oil producer.
Egypt court jails Israeli for two years – court sources
Daily Star 12 Feb 2013 An Egyptian court sentenced an Israeli man to two years in prison for crossing illegally into the Sinai peninsula, court sources said on Tuesday.
Rebels capture air base in northern Syria
Daily Star 12 Feb 2013 Rebels captured a military air base near Aleppo on Tuesday and stormed another that protects the city’s international airport, their second straight day of major strategic conquests, activists said.
US Senate votes to renew, expand Violence Against Women Act
YNet News, 12 Feb 2013 – ….
US Senate panel approves Hagel nomination as Pentagon chief
YNet News, 12 Feb 2013 – ….
Ex-Los Angeles cop exchanges fire with authorities
YNet News, 12 Feb 2013 – ….
Ehud Barak, Panetta meet in Washington
YNet News, 12 Feb 2013 – ….
Lebanon receives Bulgarian report on bus bomb
YNet News, 12 Feb 2013 – ….
Losing the home
YNet News, 12 Feb 2013 – Op-ed: Seasoned politician such as Netanyahu should have know he’d pay a price for ‘two states’ speech ….
Palestinian Information Center
Issawi in danger … the occupation preparing itself for any escalation
PIC – Hebrew media revealed that leadership of the southern region in the occupation army has raised state of readiness in light of possibilities of escalation in case of the death of Samer al-Issawi.
Hamas: Israeli detention of Palestinian leaders will not break their will
PIC – The Hamas movement has strongly condemned the arrest campaign launched by the occupation against its members and Islamic bloc university students in the occupied West Bank at dawn Tuesday.
Mishaal stresses on Hamas’ adherence to reconciliation
PIC – Khaled Mishaal, head of the political bureau of Hamas said that his movement wants a real national partnership and an end to the division, stressing that the PLO is there to achieve national rights.
Israel approves the building of 60 new housing units near Ramallah
PIC – The Israeli civil administration of the West Bank has approved the construction of 60 new housing units in Beit El settlement near Ramallah, the Hebrew radio said on Tuesday.
IOF soldiers disperse solidarity march by force
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) used force to disperse a peaceful demonstration organized by Birzeit university students in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners.
Dozens of Israeli soldiers break into the Aqsa mosque
PIC – Dozens of Israeli army soldiers stormed the Aqsa mosque on Tuesday morning as the Aqsa Foundation warned of the escalation in such acts.
Captives Ezzedine and Qa’dan transferred to the hospital
PIC – Families of hunger striking captives, Jafar Ezzedine and Tarek Qa’dan expressed deep concern after the urgent transfer of the two prisoners to hospital on Monday evening..
Occupation escalates its attacks in the Al-Aqsa Mosque
PIC – The occupation bulldozers have recently demolished Islamic historic buildings and properties in order to build a synagogue and police and service stations.
Gaza government warns against accelerating Judaization in Jerusalem
PIC – The Palestinian government in Gaza has severely warned against the acceleration of Judaization process in the occupied city of Jerusalem.
Haniyeh calls on human rights institutions to save prisoners
PIC – Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has met with a delegation from the Danish Red Crescent headed by Mohamed Kaissi, praising their efforts in support of the Palestinian people.
EUPOL COPPS Offers Police Traffic Training
WAFA – 12 Feb 2013
Abbas Sends Ban ki-moon Urgent Letter over Striking Prisoners
WAFA – 12 Feb 2013
Israeli Soldiers Harass People in Hebron, Clashes Erupt
WAFA – 12 Feb 2013
Israel Begins Work on Magharba Gate Bridge in Jerusalem
WAFA – 12 Feb 2013
Newspapers Review: Voter Registration in Gaza Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 12 Feb 2013
PEX Report: AL-Quds Index Up
WAFA – 11 Feb 2013
Bombing on Syria border may have targeted opposition leader
LA Times 12 Feb 2013 – A minibus explosion on the Turkey side of the Bab Hawa border crossing occurs just after George Sabra of the Syrian National Coalition passes through. BEIRUT — A minibus explosion at a crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border killed more than a dozen people Monday, and…
At War Blog: Saving Karachi’s Street Children, One Goal at a Time
New York Times 12 Feb 2013 – Whether they realize it or not, Karachi’s street children are freeing themselves from the clutches of lethal drugs, unconscionable abuse and gang violence by participating in the Street Child World Cup soccer competition in 2014.
Syrian Rebels Claim to Have Seized Military Airfield and Warplanes
New York Times 12 Feb 2013 – The development, if confirmed, represents the second strategic setback for President Bashar al-Assad’s government this week.
Australian Report Unveils Israel’s ‘Prisoner X’
New York Times 12 Feb 2013 – An Australian news report that identified a mysterious prisoner as a Mossad agent is testing Israeli censorship.
The Lede: Australian Report on Israel’s ‘Prisoner X’ Suggests Melbourne Man Was Mossad Agent
New York Times 12 Feb 2013 – The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Tuesday that a man referred to in Israel as “Prisoner X,” who was jailed and died under mysterious circumstances in 2010, might have been an Australian-born Israeli who worked for Israel‘s secret service, the Mossad.
Former Italian Military Officials Sentenced in Abduction of Abu Omar
New York Times 12 Feb 2013 – The cleric, Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, was kidnapped in Milan as part of the American “extraordinary rendition” program and flown to Egypt, where he says he was tortured.
Iran Converts Enriched Uranium to Reactor Fuel, Reports Say
New York Times 12 Feb 2013 – Because uranium converted into reactor fuel is more difficult to enrich to a weapon-grade purity, the move could limit the expansion of Iran’s stockpile.
El Al fires 200
Globes Main News – CEO Elyezer Shkedy: The company is committed to continue streamlining to adjust its operations to the changing market conditions.
Environment Ministry opposes Red-Dead Sea link
Globes Main News – The World Bank’s plan for an underground pipeline would destroy the Dead Sea, the Environmental Protection Ministry says.
Elbit and Boeing team on aircraft defense systems
Globes Main News – Elbit Systems will offer its Systems’ Directed Infrared Counter Measure (DIRCM) systems for military aircraft.
Tue: Tamar partners lead market gains
Globes Main News – Isramco, Avner, and Delek Drilling all rose, but Teva had the biggest loss among Tel Aviv 25 shares
Hapoalim to liquidate Zisser’s Elbit Imaging shares
Globes Main News – The sale will frustrate Elbit Imaging’s efforts to reach a debt settlement with its bondholders, led by York Capital and DK Partners.
Steinitz halves dairy price hike
Globes Macro Economics – “In view of the fact that we are talking about a sharp price hike for a basic product, I find it proper to moderate the committee’s recommendation.”
High-tech exports slip
Globes Macro Economics – Export Institute: Even during the global crisis in 2009, Israeli high-tech exports grew by 5%.
Research finds unmanned systems help soldiers on battlefield
Globes Aerospace & Defense – Research at Ben Gurion University found that having to absorb growing quantities of real-time data does not harm soldiers’ attentiveness.
Fallout from Zygier Case
Tikun Olam – Ben Zygier Today, three brave Israeli MKs dared ask the Israeli attorney general, Yaakov Neiman, what he knew about the fate of Ben Zygier, the Australian-Jewish Mossad agent disappeared by Israel’s intelligence apparatus in 2010. Neiman answered that if the story was true, that he knew…
Prisoner X was Mossad Agent, Ben Zygier
Tikun Olam – Yossi Melman’s censored report on Mossad agent, Ben Zygier Back in 2010, I reported that Israel had arrested an unidentified individual, and imprisoned him in total secrecy in an Israeli jail. The cell he occupied had once housed Yigal Amir. Even his jailers didn’t know who…
Famed Conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, May Boycott Israel After Abusive Shin Bet Airport Screening
Tikun Olam – Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Israel Philharmonic I’ve written many posts about the abusive treatment Israel’s security police mete out to distinguished foreign visitors to Israel. They’ve included professors invited to address conferences in the country, an Israeli law professor, the daughter of a Supreme Court justice,…
How the JCRC inspired New York officials to fight BDS
Mondoweiss – New York City Council members posing with JCRC-NY Vice President and CEO Michael Miller ( fourth from left ) and Israeli Minister of Information and Diaspora (and settler) Yuli Edelstein ( center ), September 2012. When New York public officials criticized Brooklyn College for hosting a BDS event with Judith…
‘New York Daily News’ distorts why student Israel advocates were tossed from Brooklyn College event (updated)
Mondoweiss – The Brooklyn College campus (Image via Forbes) The New York Daily News continues to add fuel to the fire over the disturbance involving four student activists affiliated with Zionist organizations who were kicked out of the Brooklyn College event last week on the boycott, divestment and…
‘Birthright’ goes to Lebanon: Israel admits popular tourist attraction is located on Lebanese land
Mondoweiss – Young Leadership Israel Advocacy Program visits Misgav Am on a trip organized by the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee in 2011. (Photo: Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee) Two weeks ago Israeli authorities admitted that a kibbutz and popular tourist destination called Misgav Am is situated on…
A defense of ‘Separate but Equal’ from 1950 and today
Mondoweiss – Reader JH sends along: Story of the Good White Southerner ( circa 1950 ) I am a good White person. I believe in a separate but equal society. My red line is the separate part, because those agitating to allow Coloreds to eat in the same restaurant and…
Obama’s 2-day schedule in Israel/Palestine: 3 hours in Ramallah, 45 hours celebrating the special relationship
Mondoweiss – The following schedule is from Ynet . Note Obama will discuss Jonathan Pollard and “lay a wreath on Herzl’s tomb as a gesture to Zionism” before spending a morning in Ramallah: Obama is scheduled to land in Ben Gurion International Airport around noon on Wednesday, March 20….
Herod Exhibit at Israel Museum Sparks Dispute With Palestinians
The Foward Breaking News 12 Feb 2013 – The first major museum exhibition on the divisive biblical figure of Herod the Great has provoked a modern-day row between Israel and the Palestinians over who has the right to dig up his artefacts. Click here for the rest of the article…
U.S. Ambassador Urges Egypt’s Mohammed Morsi To Address Economic Woes
The Foward Breaking News 12 Feb 2013 – The United States has urged Egypt to move fast to agree a loan deal with the IMF, reform its energy sector and guarantee investors against “arbitrary acts” to avert a deeper slide in its economy. Click here for the rest of the article…
Barack Obama Will Give Live Speech to Israeli Crowd
The Foward Breaking News 12 Feb 2013 – President Obama is scheduled to deliver an address directly to the Israeli people during his two-day visit to Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Iran Denies Officials Will Faces Questions in Argentina Jewish Center Bomb Probe
The Foward Breaking News 12 Feb 2013 – Iran denied on Tuesday it had agreed to allow international investigators to question Tehran officials over the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires as part of a plan to form a truth commission. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: WFP Provides Food Assistance to the Poorest Syrian Refugees in Egypt
allAfrica.com 12 Feb 2013 – [WFP]Cairo -The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has begun providing assistance through food vouchers to more than 7,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees in Egypt.
Zimbabwe: Iran Celebrates 34th Islamic Revolution Anniversary
allAfrica.com 12 Feb 2013 – [The Herald]ZIMBABWE joined the Iranian community in celebrating the 34th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the Shar monarchy. Addressing guests who attended the celebrations in Harare today, Islamic Republic of Iran ambassador to Zimbabwe Cde Mohammad Pournajaf said his country had achieved a…
Syria opposition ‘seizes air base’
BBC 12 Feb 2013 – Syrian rebels have captured a military air base near the northern city of Aleppo, activists say, a day after taking control of a major dam.
Mystery Israel prisoner ‘identified’
BBC 12 Feb 2013 – A mystery prisoner reported to have hanged himself in 2010 in an Israeli jail where he was secretly held was an Australian national, an Australian news programme has reported.
Europol handed Burgas bomb findings
BBC 12 Feb 2013 – Bulgaria gives Europol the names of two people it suspects of involvement in the Burgas bus bombing that killed five Israeli tourists and a driver.
Kuwait: Who is the Most Vulnerable?
Al-Akhbar Blogs 12 Feb 2013 – After the sentencing of three former MPs to three years in jail for defaming the Kuwaiti emir, the opposition’s confidence in intimidating authorities has significantly decreased. The few weeks before the December 2012 parliamentary elections marked the last victory for the opposition. The new parliament is…
Lebanon: Another Lost Opportunity for Change
Al-Akhbar Opinion 12 Feb 2013 – The message behind publishing The Impossible Vindication “elect us and you will see.” (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) The message behind publishing The Impossible Vindication “elect us and you will see.” (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) The publication of the Free Patriotic Movement’s (FPM) book The Impossible Vindication , which details…
Israel bars reports on secret prisoner
Al-Akhbar News 12 Feb 2013 – Israel’s Office of the Prime Minister on Tuesday summoned the owners and top editors of country’s media establishments to forbid them from publishing reports on a prisoner who had been secretly jailed in 2010. read more
Egypt police blame “masked men” for children destroying hotel
Al-Akhbar News 12 Feb 2013 – Dozens of masked men carrying wooden sticks and knives smashed the glass front of a luxury hotel in Cairo on Tuesday before fleeing, according to a security official cited by AFP. But videos uploaded to YouTube by witnesses showed dozens of children to be the attackers….
Lebanon: Syrian Students Prop Up Public Schools
Al-Akhbar News 12 Feb 2013 – For the current 2013 school year, the schools that once struggled to fill their classrooms are now replete with new students. (Photo: Rameh Hamieh) For the current 2013 school year, the schools that once struggled to fill their classrooms are now replete with new students. (Photo:…
How Lebanese Banks are Getting Rich at Citizens’ Expense
Al-Akhbar News 12 Feb 2013 – Less than 500 depositors control $62 billion of deposits in Lebanese banks. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Less than 500 depositors control $62 billion of deposits in Lebanese banks. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Contrary to the fear-mongering of the “rentier lobby,” Lebanese banks managed to turn impressive profits in…
Qatif Uprising: Demanding Inclusion
Al-Akhbar News 12 Feb 2013 – A man runs through snow after a snowstorm in the desert, near Tabuk, 1,500 km from Riyadh on 1 February 2013. (Photo: Mohamed Alhwaity- Reuters) A man runs through snow after a snowstorm in the desert, near Tabuk, 1,500 km from Riyadh on 1 February 2013. (…
Saudis protest for female political prisoners
Al-Akhbar News 12 Feb 2013 – Anti-riot police face off with protesters in Saudi Arabia’s eastern Gulf coast town of Qatif on 11 March 2011. (Photo: Reuters) Saudi protesters demanded the release of female political prisoners Monday outside the al-Safra (the Yellow) prison in Buraidah, north of Riyadh. Those detained had been…
Russians Glimpse Light in Syrian Darkness
Al-Akhbar Politics 11 Feb 2013 – Syrian rebels relocate a T-72 tank in the village of Kfarruma in the flashpoint Syrian province of Idlib near the border with Turkey, on 10 February 2013. (Photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas – AFP) Syrian rebels relocate a T-72 tank in the village of Kfarruma in the flashpoint…
Syria opposition ‘seizes air base’
BBC 12 Feb 2013 – Syrian rebels have captured a military air base near the northern city of Aleppo, activists say, a day after taking control of a major dam.
Mystery Israel prisoner ‘identified’
BBC 12 Feb 2013 – A mystery prisoner reported to have hanged himself in 2010 in an Israeli jail where he was secretly held was an Australian national, an Australian news programme has reported.
Europol handed Burgas bomb findings
BBC 12 Feb 2013 – Bulgaria gives Europol the names of two people it suspects of involvement in the Burgas bus bombing that killed five Israeli tourists and a driver.
Articles
PHOTOS: A West Bank battle fought with olive trees
Alternative Information Center 2/12/2013
Photos by Ryan Rodrick Beiler
Accompanied by an international volunteer, a Palestinian farmer plants an olive tree in Ein Al-Qassis, which is surrounded by Israeli settlements and targeted by settler activists.
It’s a West Bank land battle in which olive trees have become the weapon of choice. With Israeli settlements surrounding them on every hillside, international volunteers join Palestinian farmers in planting seedlings in an area called Ein Al-Qassis, belonging to the Palestinian village of Al Khader. The YMCA Joint Advocacy Initiative, which organized the planting, chose this area because of its particular vulnerability—surrounded on all sides by Israeli settlements of the Gush Etzion bloc: Efrat, Elazar, and Allon Shevut, including an outpost connected to the latter. Like all Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, Gush Etzion’s are illegal under international law.
The YMCA is not the only organization targeting this area. Israeli settler activists known as “Women in Green” have also focused on Ein Al-Qassis, which they call by a Hebrew name “Netzer”. As their web site states, “One of the places where Women in Green plant trees to safeguard Israel‘s Statelands, is Netzer; in the heart of Gush Etzion, between Elazar and Alon Shvut.” They lay claim to this as part of their “G-d given Biblical Homeland” and plant trees there to show their “opposition to the abandonment of parts of our homeland and to the return of Israel to the “Green Line”, the pre-1967 borders.”
A recent article in Israeli media quotes Women in Green leaders saying that their goal is, “To prevent the Arabs from taking over the land.” They target areas designated by the Israeli government as so-called “state land”—meaning that the Israeli government has not recognized private ownership by Palestinians or anyone else…. more.. e-mail
Brooklyn College battle reveals hidden agenda of ‘liberal Zionism’
Max Blumenthal, New York City, Electronic Intifada 2/12/2013
As soon as it was clear that the pro-Israel forces opposed to the forum on boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) held at Brooklyn College on 7 February had badly overreached, and that their crude invective and histrionic behavior was alienating broad sectors of mainstream intelligentsia, liberal Zionist writers and activists injected what seemed like a much more sensible narrative into the debate.
Presenting themselves as progressive advocates of academic freedom, the pro-Israel liberals pushed back against the zealots who demanded Brooklyn College’s political science department withdraw its sponsorship from the BDS forum. At the same time, however, they warned political fellow travelers against falling for the appeal of BDS, characterizing the movement as dangerously radical, and potentially destructive to Jewish life.
An editorial published in Tablet Magazine by the pro-Israel writer Yair Rosenberg typified the liberal line against BDS. After issuing his token support for the Brooklyn College political science department’s “right” to sponsor the BDS panel, Rosenberg lashed into the progressive MSNBC host Chris Hayes and The New York Times editorial board for supposedly “whitewashing the movement’s radicalism” (“New York Times, MSNBC whitewash BDS,” 6 February 2013).
Hayes and the Times had erred, Rosenberg argued, by failing to acknowledge that the BDS movement not only seeks to end Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian land, but that it also calls for the right of Palestinian refugees to return to land forcibly expropriated from them by the State of Israel. According to Rosenberg, the right of return is a “radical goal” because it “denies the Jewish right to self-determination.” more.. e-mail
Biased new study skirts around racism in Israeli school books
Nurit Peled-Elhanan, Electronic Intifada 2/12/2013
Mention of Israeli colonization in Palestinian textbooks was faulted in biased study.
A new report on Palestinian and Israeli school books has elicited much debate (“Israel shoots back: ‘Look beyond the textbooks,’” The Times of Israel, 6 February).
The report — by academics in Tel Aviv, Bethlehem and the American university Yale — is short. Yet it raises some poignant questions (“Victims of our own narratives? Portrayal of the other in Israeli and Palestinian school books,” Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land, 4 February [PDF]).
Israeli educators who hastened to pronounce it biased were quite right. Such a study cannot be symmetrical, for it examines two education systems, one of which is entirely subjugated to the other. A reminder of this situation is found in the introduction of the report. It notes that the Wye River Memorandum — signed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in 1998 — included an “explicit statement about incitement.”
The agreement states that “the Palestinian side would issue a decree prohibiting all forms of incitement to violence or terror, and establishing mechanisms for acting systematically against all expressions or threats of violence or terror. This decree would be comparable to the existing Israeli legislation which deals with the same subject.
No such caution is mentioned with regard to the Israeli regime of occupation, even though Israel is regularly taken to task by the United Nations for its aggressive behavior. — See also: Victims of our own narratives? Portrayal of the other in Israeli and Palestinian school books and Israel shoots back: ‘Look beyond the textbooks more.. e-mail
Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden Come Clean on Iran?
Franklin Lamb, Tehran, CounterPunch 2/12/2013
Sanctions are Inhumane and Immoral
Clinton: “Well, first, let me say on the medicine and on food and other necessities, there are no sanctions.” This statement is utter nonsense and Mrs. Clinton knows it.
Azadeh, a graduate law student from Tehran University, on the sidelines of Iran’s Third Annual Hollywood is reminded her interlocutors, of the obvious damming admissions last week by two US politicians:
“’It would be a defense lawyer’s worst nightmare wouldn’t it? I mean to have one’s clients, in this case the Vice-President of the United States and the outgoing Secretary of state confess so publicly to serial international crimes against a civilian population?’ The confessions and the crimes, she correctly enumerated to her audience, were those admitted to by US Vice-President Joe Biden and outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this past week.
“Both of the US officials, in discussing US relations with the Islamic Republic, openly admitted that the US-led sanctions against Iran (and Syria) are politically motivated and constitute a “soft-war” against the nearly 80 million people of Iran (23 million people in Syria) in order to achieve regime change.
“Mrs. Clinton, was the first of the dynamic duo to be heard from. She acknowledged that the harsh US sanctions were intended to target and send the people of Iran a message. “So we hope that the Iranian people will make known their concerns… so my message to Iranians is do something about this.”
Some listening concluded she meant food riots and inflation riots to overthrow the Iranian government…. more.. e-mail
“I was determined to live with dignity,” says freed hunger striker Akram Rikhawi
Electronic Intifada: 11 Feb 2013 – Rami Almeghari Rafah 11 February 2013 Prisoner’s daughter recalls pain of not having her father around on her wedding day.more
‘We Grow, They Bulldoze, We Re-Plant’: Palestinian Farmers Call for Israeli Agricultural Produce Boycott
In Gaza: 10 Feb 2013 – Published at IPS – By Eva Bartlett Tawfiq Mandil, 45, stands amongst hundreds of Palestinian farmers, activists, and international supporters in the Gaza Strip’s eastern Zeitoun district, about half a kilometre from the border with Israel. They are renewing a call for the boycott of Israeli goods. “The Israeli army destroyed my house and my five dunums of land (a dunum is 1,000 square metres) on the last day of the attacks in 2009, as well as 20 other homes,” he says. With signs reading ‘Boycott Israeli Agricultural Products’ and ‘Support Palestinian Farmers’, Mandil and others protesting Israeli oppression of Palestinian farmers joined together Saturday to plant olive trees on Israeli-razed farmland and to implore international supporters to join the boycott of Israeli agricultural produce. Mandil believes that the boycott is his only hope for justice for Palestinian farmers being targeted by the Israeli army and oppressed by Israel. “We…more
Haj Sami Sadeq and the struggle for Al Aqaba
Palestine Monitor: 28 Jan 2013 – Al Aqaba is a small Palestinian village located in the northern Jordan Valley, home to around 300 residents. Since 1999 Haj Sami Sadeq has been the mayor of this town, facing a constant struggle…more
We Have Enough Money to Last Us One Month: Please Take Action to Support the Palestine Chronicle Now
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Feb 2013 – Dear Readers and Friends, We know that the Palestine Chronicle means more to you than the 4,000 dollars we have raised so far. We are immensely grateful to our readers who translated their appreciation of our work into action by making a contribution, but we require some serious and immediate help on your part so that we may continue to provide you with quality journalism about Palestine and the Middle East. Without your help, we will not be able to continue for more than one month. As a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, we assure you that the vast majority of all work invested in the making the Palestine Chronicle is voluntary. However, we still have expenses that must be handled and quickly so. By operating on a shoestring budget, the Chronicle has managed to remain independent for over 13 years, and we intend to do so for many years to come….more
Iraq at the Brink: A Decade after the Invasion
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Feb 2013 – By Ramzy Baroud Soon after the joint US-British bombing campaign ‘Operation Desert Fox’ devastated parts of Iraq in Dec 1998, I was complaining to a friend in the lobby of the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad. I was disappointed with the fact that our busy schedule in Iraq – mostly visiting hospitals packed with injured or Depleted Uranium Victims – left me no time to purchase a few Arabic books for my little daughter back in the states. As I got ready to embark on the long bus journey back to Jordan, an Iraqi man with a thick moustache and a carefully designed beard approached me. “This is for your daughter,” he said with a smile as he handed me a plastic bag. The bag included over a dozen books with colorful images of traditional Iraqi children stories. I had never met that man before, nor did we ever meet again….more
Palestinians’ Life in the Shadow of the Barrier Wall
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Feb 2013 – By Hasan Afif El-Hasan Since 1967 Israeli-Arab war, the Palestinians in the occupied lands have to contend in their daily lives with Jewish-only settlements, settler-only highways, check points and roadblocks, earth mounds and trenches, land confiscation, house demolition, raids, detention, extrajudicial assassinations, and daily attacks on besieged Gaza. And in 2002, Israel started building the barrier wall in and around the West Bank delineating unilaterally a de facto Israeli border. The wall delivered settlements and land for their growth on the Israeli side of the wall. The Arab League managed to bring the subject to the attention of the UN Security Council, but the US vetoed a resolution condemning the construction of the wall as a violation of international law. The wall, many observers refer to as the ‘Apartheid wall’, was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice in a 2004 advisory opinion because it was built in the…more
The Southern Man and His Cosmopolitan Ghetto: Lapid and the Israeli Center
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Feb 2013 – By Neve Gordon – Israel Former anchorman and middle-class darling Yair Lapid stunned the Israeli political scene in the recent elections. His party, Yesh Atid (There is a Future) won 19 seats, second in size only to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s Likud-Beiteinu alliance, thus ensuring that Lapid will play a pivotal role in the next government. But who is Lapid and what exactly does he stand for? In Israel he is considered a northerner. The label refers to upper middle-class secular nationalists who live in northern Tel-Aviv. They are hard-working professionals who nonetheless find time to frequent the city’s busy cafes and restaurants. With yuppie-like qualities, they brush shoulders with tycoons and bohemians alike and consider themselves to be liberal cosmopolitans, tolerant and progressive. The problem, of which this social class is well aware, is that northern Tel-Aviv is a tiny bubble that is always…more
Why the War on Terror Endures: Spawning Terror over There
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Feb 2013 – By Steve Breyman Believe the War on Terror has been an unmitigated disaster? Find it difficult to wrap your head around the Long War’s long list of horrors? Think the Obama administration and Congress’s willingness to wage the War indefinitely is murderous myopia? Think again: the War on Terror is good at any number of things. It shifts yet more war-making power from the legislative to the executive branch. It bolsters the size and power of the US military. It creates the largest and most expensive intelligence complex in human history. It enriches government contractors, new firms and legacy suppliers alike. It justifies unprecedented assaults on civil liberties. It enrolls both major political parties and all prominent national politicians. It furthers the militarization of American society. Above all, it reproduces itself. The War on Terror spawns terror where it belongs: far from America’s shores. It’s not supposed to, of course,…more
Arrested Development: B’Tselem on the Impact of the Israeli Wall
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Feb 2013 – By Ludwig Watzal In its recent report, Arrested Development: The Long Term Impact of Israel’s Separation Barrier in the West Bank , B’Tselem, the Israeli human rights organization, examines the ramifications of the Wall and the so-called security fence on nearby Palestinian communities. Its construction started in 2002. On July 9th, 2004, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion that Israel’s building of this monstrous Wall was illegal and should be stopped immediately. For the damage done, Israel should pay reparations. The verdict was unanimous because the Wall is being built on occupied Palestinian land. As always, the Israeli governments disregarded the order of the ICJ and kept on constructing to this very day. Only a few miles are left and the Palestinian people will be totally walled in. Despite the massive breach of international law, the international community remains silent. In five sections, the report examines the…more
Bahraini Regime Holds Gun to Head in “Negotiations”
Dissident Voice: 12 Feb 2013 – The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei described recent American offers of bilateral talks with Iran as tantamount to the US holding negotiations with a gun to the head. The same apt metaphor, expressing the futility of conducting political talks under extreme duress, applies equally to the internal politics of Bahrain. Today sees the beginning of yet another “national dialogue” in which the US-backed Al Khalifa regime has invited political opponents to – ostensibly – negotiate a solution to the country’s long-running crisis. The tiny Persian Gulf kingdom has been racked by daily political turmoil since a popular uprising erupted two years ago – on 14th February 2011. Presumably, the regime now feels safe in holding discussions with the existing opposition parties – discussions within political parameters that have been bludgeoned by months of withering state terrorism and repression. The main opposition bloc, Al Wefaq, has already…more
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