14 February 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
HRW: “Israel Violated International Law During Gaza War”
IMEMC – Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that Israel’s airstrikes against the Gaza Strip in the most recent war on Gaza in November of last year violated International laws of war, as the Israeli army bombarded areas that had no “legitimate military targets”. …
Israeli government gives convicted murderer 1.3 million for illegal takeover of Palestinian land
IMEMC – An Israeli settler who was released early from a life sentence for killing 3 Palestinians in 1983 has received compensation of 1.3 million NIS (around $250,000) from the Israeli Tax Authority for alleged damage to land that he has cultivated in the Hebron area – land that he illegally confiscated from its Palestinian owners. …
Gaza: Palestinian Boy dies; Three More Injured Due to Israeli Ordnance
IMEMC – Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Thursday that one boy was pronounced dead and three others injured in two separate incidents of Israeli army un-exploded ordnance detonated near them in the northern part of the costal enclave. …
Medics: Child dies of injuries from Gaza explosion
2/14/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Medical officials said Thursday that a young boy died two days after an explosion in the al-Sheikh Radwan area in the northern Gaza Strip. Imad Abu Qadrous, 5, died of severe head wounds and three others sustained injuries in the blast, said Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman for the ministry of….
2 injured by Israeli fire in north Gaza
2/14/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Two young Palestinian men were injured by Israeli fire in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday, medics said. A 20-year-old man was hit in the chest by gunfire east of Beit Hanoun, and is a moderate to serious condition, Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said. Another man, aged…. Related: 2 injured by Israeli fire in north Gaza
Palestinians ‘run roadblock’, injured by Israeli police fire
2/14/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Two Palestinians were hurt by Israeli police fire after they drove through a roadblock in the northern West Bank on Sunday, Israeli police said. Locals identified one of the wounded as Yasser Mohammed Nimer Abu Hamed, who was shot in the back while driving the car by the Israeli settlement Qarne….
Refugees once more: From Syria to Gaza
2/14/2013 – GAZA CITY (IRIN) — Ahmed Dweik’s family knows a thing or two about the refugee experience. Theirs started in 1948, when his father fled his Palestinian home town as Israeli forces captured the village of West Batani near Ashdod in present-day Israel. From there, he settled in a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip….
Vandals desecrate Muslim graves in Jerusalem
2/14/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Vandals spray-painted “Death to the Arabs” and anti-Muslim graffiti on graves in a Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem on Thursday, police said. The words “Price Tag” were also daubed in Hebrew on one of the 10 desecrated headstones, a slogan adopted by militant Jewish settlers who say they will exact retribution for any attempt….
‘Undercover Israeli force’ detains Beit Ummar man
2/14/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — An Israeli undercover force detained a Palestinian man in the southern West Bank town Beit Ummar early Thursday, locals said. Raed Rasem Aziz Ikhlayel, 25, was staying at a friend’s house in the Al-Turbeiqa neighborhood when the 15 undercover troops broke down the door around 6 a. m. , popular….
Militants in PA custody call for Israel amnesty, launch hunger strike
2/14/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Three Palestinians affiliated to militant groups launched a hunger strike on Thursday, calling on the Palestinian Authority to secure an amnesty deal with Israel so they can leave PA jail. In the years after the second intifada, Israel agreed to pardon hundreds of militants, mainly affiliated to Fatah, who had been….
‘Valentines Day vigil’ for prisoners in Gaza
2/14/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Palestinian activists held a Valentine’s Day vigil on Thursday to support prisoners jailed in Israel and the detainees on hunger strike. The group gathered in the city carrying roses and banners of support for Palestinian prisoners. One of the activists, Rihab Kanaan, told Ma’an: “On this….
Militant succumbs to wounds after training explosion
2/14/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A militant in the Gaza Strip died on Thursday after he was wounded in an explosion during training last week, medics said. Rani Othman Al-Abed, 25, died in al-Shifa hospital after the training accident in Khan Younis, south Gaza last Friday, according to health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra. [END]
Barghouti, UN urge action on Palestinian hunger strikers
2/14/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — MP Mustafa Barghouti on Thursday urged the world to act to save Palestinian hunger strikers as UN officials insisted Israel must charge or release the detainees. Samer Issawi has been on hunger strike for 197 days, and Tareq Qaadan and Jaafar Azzidine have refused food for 79 days. All are being….
Official: Egypt seizes car parts en route to Gaza
2/14/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian forces in Sinai on Thursday detained a suspected smuggler and seized a vehicle carrying car parts destined for the Gaza Strip, a security official said. An Egyptian official told Ma’an that forces stationed at Kamen al-Rayseh checkpoint in el-Arish stopped an unlicensed vehicle carrying the car parts….
Fatah leader meets Spanish envoy in Ramallah
2/14/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Fatah executive committee member Azzam al-Ahmad met Thursday with Spain’s envoy in Ramallah and said the situation in Palestine would become crucial in the coming months. Al-Ahmad and Alfonso Vázquez discussed the situation in the region and Palestinian national reconciliation during the meeting, a statement from al-Ahmad’….
Spy suicide scandal focuses attention on Israel’s foreign Jews
2/14/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — The jailhouse suicide of an Australian immigrant who may have betrayed Israel’s Mossad has focused attention on the agency’s recruitment of foreign-born Jews who could spy under cover of their native passports. After a three-year blackout was broken by an Australian TV expose, Israel on Wednesday acknowledged that a….
GCC rejects Iran proposal to include Syria, Bahrain in nuclear talks
2/14/2013 – ABU DHABI (Reuters) — Gulf Arab government dismissed as “interference” an Iranian suggestion that unrest in Syria and Bahrain be discussed at nuclear talks between world powers and Iran, accusing Tehran of constantly trying to destabilize some Arab states. The secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council said the bloc “categorically rejected” Iran’s proposal….
Minister: PA can’t afford road repairs
2/14/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority cannot afford to repair unusable roads in the West Bank, the minister of public works said Wednesday. The ministry has only $10 million of the $100 million needed annually to maintain the West Bank road network, Maher Ghneim told Ma’an. The US government had previously financed….
Fatah official Nabil Amr visits Gaza
2/14/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Fatah official and former ambassador to Cairo Nabil Amr visited Gaza on Thursday for the first time since Hamas took over the enclave. Amr, who resigned as ambassador to Egypt in 2009, arrived via Israel through the Erez crossing. He told Ma’an the visit was not political.”This….
Elections commission deploys mobile teams to register voters
2/14/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Central Elections Commission has deployed mobile teams to schools in Gaza to cope with a high turnout of people registering to vote. Over 116,000 voters have registered since Monday in the West Bank and Gaza, the commission said in a statement. The commission has increased staff numbers at registration centers….
Customs officials seize meat, fake hair removal products in Hebron
2/14/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Palestinian customs officials on Thursday seized meat smuggled from Israel and counterfeit hair removal products in Hebron, the Joint Control Commission said. The commission, a committee of customs police and the national economy and health ministries, seized two refrigerator trucks carrying 17 tons of meat smuggled from Israel. It also confiscated….
Campaign to lower MP eligibility age launched in Gaza
2/14/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A group in Gaza have launched a campaign calling to lower the age of eligibility to sit for the Palestinian parliament. The group, calling itself 25-30, said the campaign aims to encourage young people to participate in politics, especially during a period of youth disillusionment after the division between….
Fatah official: Hamas asked to postpone reconciliation meeting
2/14/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad announced a new reconciliation meeting with Hamas on Thursday, and then said later that Hamas had asked to postpone the date. He told the official Voice of Palestine radio that the factions would meet in Cairo on Monday to appraise progress on the 2011 reconciliation deal. The….
Jerusalem patriarch lays cornerstone of Rawabi church
2/14/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III blessed the cornerstone of Rawabi’s first Greek Orthodox Church in the new Palestinian development town Rawabi near Ramallah on Tuesday. Completion of the church will coincide with the occupancy of the city’s first residents later this year, Rawabi’s developers said….
Teenager killed as Bahrain marks anniversary of uprising
2/14/2013 – DUBAI (Reuters) — A Bahraini teenager was killed by security forces on Thursday, an opposition website reported, as activists demonstrated on the second anniversary of an uprising demanding democratic reforms in the US-allied Gulf Arab state. The protests could mar reconciliation talks which began last week between opposition groups and the government and its loyalists in….
Civil servants shot in Sinai car robbery
2/14/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Masked gunmen on Thursday shot three civil servants and robbed a government car in Egypt’s Sinai, a security official said. The gunmen ambushed the car, belonging to the civil affairs directorate in el-Arish, and shot three passengers before fleeing in the vehicle, the Egyptian security officer told Ma….
Trial of al-Qaida plot suspects begins in Jordan
2/14/2013 – AMMAN (Reuters) — Eleven men went on trial on Thursday in a Jordanian military court accused of plotting to carry out suicide attacks in the capital, including on shopping malls and the US Embassy, judicial sources said. The Jordanian defendants, all suspected supporters of al-Qaida, pleaded not guilty to charges of “possession of explosives and plotting….
Obama stands by Hagel for defense secretary, White House says
2/14/2013 – WASHINGTON (Reuters) — President Barack Obama stands behind his nominee for defense secretary, former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, and Senate delays in Hagel’s confirmation are “unconscionable,” a White House spokesman said Thursday. Delays in Hagel’s nomination do not send a good signal to US allies or troops, White House spokesman Josh Earnest….
Egyptian regulator appeals against court’s YouTube ban
2/14/2013 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Egyptian authorities appealed on Thursday against a court order banning the video file-sharing site YouTube for a month over an amateur video that denigrates the Prophet Mohammad, saying the ruling was unenforceable.” The National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority has presented an appeal to halt implementation of the verdict,” said a statement from the Ministry….
UN concerned about Palestinian detainees
AlJazeera 14 Feb 2013 – UN human rights chief voices concern about health of hunger strikers who protest their detention without trial.
Israel admits it held Australian ‘Prisoner X’
AlJazeera 14 Feb 2013 – Officials confirm case as Canberra admits knowing about its citizen, a suspected Mossad agent who died in Israeli jail.
Human Rights Watch: 2012 Report Finds Violations from Israelis and Palestinians
Palestine News Network
UN Expert Calls For the Immediate release of Three Palestinian Hunger Strikers Held Without Charges
Palestine News Network
Pillay Concerned About Health of Palestinian Detainees
Palestine News Network
UN Concerned about Palestinian Detainees, Hunger Strikers
Palestine News Network
Rights Group: Israel Violated Laws of War in Gaza Offensive
Palestine News Network
Refugees Once More: Palestinian From Syria Return to Gaza
Palestine News Network
Vandals Spray Paint Hateful Graffiti in Muslim Cemetery in Jerusalem
Palestine News Network
Egypt Floods Gaza Tunnels, Cuts Lifeline
Palestine News Network
Update on Israel’s ‘Prisoner X’
Palestine News Network
Court Convicts 4 Israeli Officers of Abusing Palestinian in 2009
Palestine News Network
Settlers Storm Joseph Tomb, Confrontation Erupt
Palestine News Network
Arabists Abduct Young Palestinian in Beit Ummar
Palestine News Network
Israeli Court Places Palestinian Minor Under House Arrest
Palestine News Network
Malaysia Urges More Protection for Civilians in Palestine, Syria
Palestine News Network
360 Prisoners in Rimon Prison Launch 1-Day Strike
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
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Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
My family has been seperated
2/14/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 14 February 2013, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Divided Palestine, The Gaza Strip has often been called an “open air prison” in light of the illegal closure imposed on it by the Israeli authorities. However, the territory became a prison for many Palestinians long before the closure came into effect. In the early stages of….
Alternative Information Center
December settlement activity in Jerusalem
Alternative Information Center – Despite the apparent link between the UN decision and this new wave of decisions regarding settlement construction in Jerusalem and greater Jerusalem settlements, senior Likud officials claim that these decisions have a direct link to the…
occupied Palestinian territory: WFP Hands Reach Out In Flooding Aftermath
Relief Web 14 Feb 2013 – Source: World Food Programme Country: occupied Palestinian territory In the early days of this year, a snow storm followed by torrential rains and flooding wreaked extensive damage to whole areas and communities in the West Bank. The Jadallah family in…
occupied Palestinian territory: Becoming refugees once more: Palestinians from Syria return to Gaza
Relief Web 14 Feb 2013 – Source: IRIN Country: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey GAZA CITY, 14 February 2013 (IRIN) – Ahmed Dweik’s family knows a thing or two about the refugee experience. Theirs started in 1948, when his…
occupied Palestinian territory: Al Mezan Concludes Two Training Courses on “Enhancing Lawyers’ Capacity in Legal Framework and Supporting Human Rights”
Relief Web 14 Feb 2013 – Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory On Wednesday 13 February 2013, the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights with support from the United Nations Development Program/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP) concluded two…
013) 279 truckloads containing a variety of goods and 173 tons of gas were delivered into the Gaza Strip
Relief Web 14 Feb 2013 – Source: Government of Israel Country: occupied Palestinian territory The trucks were delivered through Kerem Shalom Crossing under the coordination of the Coordination and Liaison Administration in Gaza.
‘Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius charged with killing model girlfriend
The National 15 Feb 2013 – Star athlete who was the first double amputee to compete at an Olympics is alleged to have shot his 30-year-old girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp four times.
Israel’s ‘Prisoner X’ gave no sign of suicidal tendencies
The National 14 Feb 2013 – The Australian who apparently killed himself in an Israeli prison was considering a plea bargain for being a double agent, lawyer says. Kathy Marks reports from Sydney
Israel renews effort to displace Bedouin
The National 14 Feb 2013 – Netanyahu’s new plan would uproot thousands of families in the Negev desert who struggle with poverty and land restrictions not imposed on Jews. Hugh Naylor reports from Jerusalem
Morsi’s graduate son snares plum Egypt job at 66 times lowest salary
The National 14 Feb 2013 – Egypt’s aviation minister has defended the hiring of President Mohammed Morsi’s graduate son, Omar, to an internally-advertised government job for $5,000 a month when lowest starting salary for government job can be as low as $75.
Abu Dhabi lift man denies of a string of attempted rapes
The National 14 Feb 2013 – An Egyptian man was accused yesterday of preying on Asian women by following them as they left hotels in the capital and pouncing on them as they reached their homes.
Kerry’s first foreign trip as US secretary of state to focus on Syria
The National 14 Feb 2013 – New US secretary of state readies proposals designed to persuade Al Assad to step down. Taimur Khan reports from New York
Turkey builds closer oil links with Kurds, angering US
The National 14 Feb 2013 – As Turkey pushes ahead with plans to boost ties with Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Washington says extension of direct economic links could cause the collapse of the Iraqi state. Thomas Seibert reports from Istanbul
Defence experts compare notes on industrial cooperation at UAE meeting
The National 14 Feb 2013 – More than 500 defence industry experts shared notes on the future of industrial cooperation at the two-day Abu Dhabi International Offset Conference that wrapped up yesterday.
Senior official: Just a handful of prisoners held in Israel without public’s knowledge
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
First reporter to snoop around Zygier is ‘surprised’ at outcome
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
Australian broadcaster says Israeli reaction ‘confirms’ its Zygier story
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
Two Jerusalem vets could be charged with negligence over dog poisonings
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
IDF troops left behind classified documents after Pillar of Defense
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
Saving Foreign Ministry for Lieberman is ‘shaky ethics,’ say jurists
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
Source: Israel offered Zygier’s family millions in compensation
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
The ‘Prisoner X’ affair was a catastrophe for Israel, and must be investigated
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
Jewish-Australian leadership remains silent on Ben Zygier, or ‘Prisoner X’
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
Thursday’s top stories on the Prisoner X affair
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
IDF boots on the ground get better eye in the sky
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
Report: Ben Zygier planned to expose Mossad’s use of Australian passports
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
Four Israeli border policemen convicted of abusing young Palestinian boy at checkpoint
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
Man from north Israel charged with sexually harassing dozens of young girls on Internet
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
Israel shells out almost a fifth of national budget on defense, figures show
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
Ben Zygier, ‘Prisoner X,’ told Australian friends he was a Mossad agent
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
Inside Yigal Amir and Prisoner X’s prison cell, which was designed to prevent suicides
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
Israeli mayor David Amar could be indicted for major building code violations
Ha’aretz – 14 Feb 2013
MK’s Knesset Talmud lesson elicits scorn from haredi media
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Kikar Hashabbat accuses Yesh Atid Mk Ruth Calderon of seeking to bring a “new enlightenment” to the haredi world to integrate them into Israeli society.
‘73% of Israeli Jews support universal draft’
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Israel Democracy Institute poll finds that 44% of Israeli Jews say it is more important that haredim join workforce than army
Into the Fray: Intellectual warriors
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Israel’s greatest strategic challenge, its gravest strategic failure, its grimmest strategic danger is the (mis)conduct of its public diplomacy.
iENGAGE: On the passing of Rabbi David Hartman
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – His infectious vitality, his enthusiasm and charm, dispelled any awkwardness before it could arise.
Lapid vows not to join coalition with Shas
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Yesh Atid leader quoted in closed conversations as declaring he will not sit together with Shas in Netanyahu’s government; reportedly says he is not even “considering” the move; spokesman refuses to confirm or deny report.
‘There are no two sides. We are brothers.’
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – US-born MK Dov Lipman’s inaugural Knesset address.
Another Tack: What arm-twisting?
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Both Obama and Netanyahu will swear up and down that the upcoming visit is the culmination of a wonderful friendship.
Savir’s Corner: Africa
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – While there is indeed a growing awareness of the gaps between rich and poor, the situation has not really improved.
Models and modesty
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – As with so many things, we take our cue as to how to behave from the people we see around us, particularly those in the public eye.
US Senate to vote on motion to end Hagel debate
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – After Republicans attempt to block US defense secretary Chuck Hagel’s confirmation, Senate decides to hold vote to clear the way.
Parshat Truma: Giving of ourselves
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – A person who gives of his strengths or of his money gives mainly of himself.
Yacimovich demands answers to Teva’s low tax rate
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – At Finance C’tee, Labor chairwoman demands discussion after Teva Pharmaceuticals reportedly paid a .3% tax rate.
The struggle for Jewish identity
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Israel’s Zionist character has been challenged over the past few years by two communities.
Bulgarian government denies meetings with Hamas
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Gov’t deny official meetings after Hamas legislators arrive in first visit to EU country since its terrorist blacklisting in 2003.
Film unearths racist undertones of Dutch culture
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – “Only Decent People,” examines the fraught relations between the country’s Jewish population and other minorities.
Top IRGC commander in Lebanon killed in Syria
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – According to Iranian embassy in Lebanon, Revolutionary Guard commander was killed in an attack by “armed terrorist groups.”
‘Hamas 3’ convicted after Red Cross office sit-in
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Court finds Hamas MPs guilty of illegally residing in Israel, terrorist membership after 569 day sit-in to protest their arrest.
College probes ejection of Jewish students
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Brooklyn college launches investigation after students claim security removed them from pro-Palestinian BDS event.
Israel falls 20 places in World Press Freedom Index
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Reporters Without Borders report attributes fall to IDF actions in the West Bank; cites military censorship as “structural problem.”
ADL defends Galliano over ‘Hasidic’ garb controversy
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – ‘NY Post’ story under headline “Shmuck!” skewers former Dior designer for supposedly dressing as Hasid for New York Fashion Week.
Lawyer to ‘Post:’ Zygier didn’t want plea bargain
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Alleged spy linked to everything from Mabhouh killing to straw companies selling faulty equipment to Iran.
WATCH: Israelis in flash mobs against violence
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Activists organize one billion women to get together and dance to end violence against women and girls.
High Court rejects Zoabi’s appeal against Knesset
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Balad MK: Court sending anti-democratic message; Levin: Judges to blame for Zoabi continuing to support terror within Knesset.
The Weekly Schmooze: Who’s your Jewish valentine?
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – The hottest Jewish culture news worldwide: Barbie loves Israel; Bulletproof Stockings rock; anti-Semitism on SNL?
‘Price tag’ suspects vandalize Muslim cemetery
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Vandals angry over demolition of homes in W. Bank spray-painted words, Jewish stars on 10 gravestones in Muslim cemetery in J’lem.
Taste TLV: Top 5 romantic hotels in Tel Aviv
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Spoil your loved one this Valentine’s Day by taking them to one of Tel Aviv’s many luxury boutique hotels.
Ramat Gan Mayor in court for start of graft trial
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Zvi Bar accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of shekels in return for promoting certain real estate projects.
‘Threat vigilance’ can also help reduce risk
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – High-anxiety gene could protect against PTSD on battlefield, TAU, IDF and US Army researchers discover.
‘Zygier suspected of revealing Mossad secrets’
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – ‘Al-Jarida’ says Australian-born Zygier, named abroad as Mossad agent jailed by Israel, offered Dubai info on killing of Hamas leader in 2010; Australian sources tell media “he may well have been about to blow whistle.”
Attorney says he met ‘Prisoner X’ day before his death
Jerusalem Post 14 Feb 2013 – Leading criminal attorney Avigdor Feldman tells Channel 10 that prisoner was charged with “grave crimes” and that negotiations for a plea bargain were ongoing; says “there was no heart string” interrogators didn’t pull.
Israeli’s Prisoner X: how much did Australia know? – video
The Guardian 14 Feb 2013 – Former Australian secret intelligence agent, Warren Reed, and Jewish-Australian journalist Antony Loewenstein, discuss the case of Ben Zygier, known as Israel’s Prisoner X
Israel’s Prisoner X driven to suicide by interrogation, lawyer suggests
The Guardian 14 Feb 2013 – Lawyer for Australian-Israeli Ben Zygier says his client was discussing plea bargain just before his death in prison in 2010 Ben Zygier – the man known as Israel’s Prisoner X, an Australian-Israeli citizen who died in…
U.S. Urged to Lean Harder on Bahrain’s Ruling Family
IPS On the eve of the second anniversary of the uprising in Bahrain, the administration of President Barack Obama is being urged to press the royal family to make genuine compromises with the predominantly Shi’a opposition. Among other measures, experts here are calling on the Pentagon to prepare plans for relocating…
Obama’s State of the Union: Afghanistan Drawdown & the Covert Drone War
Uruknet
US university lecturer’s shocking hate speech against Arab, Muslim students condemned (Video)
Uruknet
Italy’s ex-intelligence chief given 10-year sentence for role in CIA kidnapping
Uruknet
The Nation magazine and Obama’s assassination program
Uruknet
Obama defends drone assassinations in State of the Union address
Uruknet
After 200 days on hunger strike, Ayman Sharawna is dying in an Israeli prison
Uruknet
Egypt : Lawyer demands investigation into new police torture claims
Uruknet
Uganda: Women in Iraq Claim Their Body Parts Were Sold
Uruknet
NATO Airstrike Kills 10 Afghan Civilians
Uruknet
The Relentless Importance of Closing Guantánamo
Uruknet
Republicans to block Hagel vote over Benghazi
Daily Star 14 Feb 2013 The U.S. Senate’s top Democrat attacked Republican senators Thursday for blocking Chuck Hagel’s nomination to be President Barack Obama’s next secretary of defense.
Britain warns of Syria jihadist threat to Europe
Daily Star 14 Feb 2013 The longer Syria‘s conflict goes on, the greater the risk it will breed a new generation of battle-hardened militants who will pose a threat to Britain and other countries in Europe.
Syria armed group kidnaps 40 civilians: watchdog
Daily Star 14 Feb 2013 An armed group in northwest Syria on Thursday hijacked a bus and kidnapped at least 40 civilians, mostly women and children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Bulgaria distances itself from Hamas delegation visit
Daily Star 14 Feb 2013 Bulgaria on Thursday distanced itself from a Hamas parliamentary delegation’s visit to the European Union member state, saying it would not meet with government officials.
Report: NKorea upgrading rocket launch site
Daily Star 14 Feb 2013 North Korea is upgrading one of its two major missile launch sites, apparently to handle much bigger rockets, and some design features suggest it is getting help from Iran, a U.S. research institute said Thursday.
Iraq frees French reporter held for taking photos
Daily Star 14 Feb 2013 Iraq on Thursday freed on bail a French reporter held for three weeks for allegedly taking unauthorised photographs of security installations in Baghdad.
Syria rebels seize oil field, town
Daily Star 14 Feb 2013 Syrian rebels captured most of an eastern oil field and stormed a military base in the south, anti-regime activists said Thursday, further chipping away at President Bashar Assad’s hold on the country’s hinterlands.
Diplomat confirms Iran nuclear upgrade
Daily Star 14 Feb 2013 Adding weight to its announcement of a nuclear upgrade, Tehran has shown high-level U.N. officials high-tech equipment positioned at its main uranium enrichment site meant to vastly accelerate output of material that can be used for…
Hariri slams Hezbollah’s arms, ‘monopoly’ over Shiites
Daily Star 14 Feb 2013 Former prime minister slams Hezbollah’s arms and what he says are attempts to monopolize and exploit the Shiite sect in Lebanon, reiterating his commitment to the March 14 coalition.
Hariri: Hezbollah will use all means to retain weapons
Daily Star 14 Feb 2013 Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri says Hezbollah remains adamant on holding onto its weapons and will do all in its power to maintain its arsenal.
Hariri says arms issue mother of all of Lebanon’s problems
Daily Star 14 Feb 2013 Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri says the issue of arms in Lebanon poses the greatest danger to this small Mediterranean country.
Hariri says will return to participate in Lebanon elections
Daily Star 14 Feb 2013 Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri says he will return to Lebanon for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Republicans block Hagel vote for now
YNet News, 14 Feb 2013 – ….
Soldier lightly wounded from stone throwing in WB
YNet News, 14 Feb 2013 – ….
Horsemeat: French company blamed, UK arrests
YNet News, 14 Feb 2013 – ….
3 Palestinians found with AK-47, arrested
YNet News, 14 Feb 2013 – ….
Indictment on ‘Prisoner X”s suicide considered
YNet News, 14 Feb 2013 – ….
How Brooklyn College legitimized BDS
YNet News, 14 Feb 2013 – Op-ed: Few places in the US are as hostile to Israel as the typical college campus ….
Palestinian Information Center
Israeli settlers desecrate Muslim cemetery
PIC – Israeli settlers have scrawled anti-Arab graffiti on the headstones in an ancient Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem.
Student march in solidarity with the striking prisoners
PIC – Students in Arraba village, south of Jenin, have organized on Thursday morning a mass student march in solidarity with Palestinian captives in Israeli jails.
Israeli incursion into northern Gaza
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Thursday carried out amid intensive gunfire a limited incursion into the northern area of the Gaza strip.
Sabri: IOA works to reduce percentage of Palestinians in Jerusalem
PIC – Head of the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem, Sheikh Ikrema Sabri, warned against the Israeli demolition policy that has escalated recently targeting Palestinian houses in Jerusalem.
Striking prisoners to continue their hunger strike till victory
PIC – The striking prisoners have confirmed that they will continue their hunger strike until their demands are met despite the Israeli pressures to force them to break their strike..
IOA threatens demolition of 20 installations in Jerusalem
PIC – The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) served notices to owners of 20 industrial installations in Jaba village to the north west of occupied Jerusalem.
Three children wounded in explosion of ordnance
PIC – Three Palestinian children were wounded on Thursday when an explosive device exploded in Beit Hanun, north of the Gaza Strip.
Jewish settlers storm Nablus city, clash with young men
PIC – A large group of extremist Jewish settlers escorted by soldiers stormed Amman street and Yusuf’s tomb east of Nablus city, and clashed with Palestinian young men.
Israeli special force kidnaps young man in Al-Khalil village
PIC – Israeli undercover soldiers kidnapped a Palestinian young man from his family home in Beit Ummar village, north of Al-Khalil, on Thursday.
Ramallah Municipality Holds Seminar on Stray Dogs Campaign
WAFA – 14 Feb 2013
Israeli Police Arrest Jerusalem Resident over Call for Strike
WAFA – 14 Feb 2013
Muslim Graves in West Jerusalem Vandalized
WAFA – 14 Feb 2013
Red Cross says its Ramallah office will Remain Closed
WAFA – 14 Feb 2013
Newspapers Review: Abbas on Government, Elections Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 14 Feb 2013
Consumer Price Index Up in January, Says Statistics Bureau
WAFA – 14 Feb 2013
Prisoners Strike in Solidarity with Hunger Strikers
WAFA – 14 Feb 2013
PEX Report: AL-Quds Index Up
WAFA – 11 Feb 2013
Anger is growing among Iraq’s Sunnis
LA Times 13 Feb 2013 – The minority population is increasingly frustrated by what it sees as Shiite Prime Minister Nouri Maliki’s sectarian politics. It seeks a fundamental change in the culture of Iraq’s government. RAMADI, Iraq — The call to prayer echoes across the quiet highway in western Iraq and…
Syria rebels battle for airports in Aleppo region
LA Times 13 Feb 2013 – Opposition fighters are trying to sever supply lines to President Bashar Assad’s troops. The rebels managed to gain partial control of railroads, activists say. BEIRUT — Syrian rebels brought tanks, mortar launchers and homemade rockets to bear Wednesday in their offensive to seize the international…
Syrian Rebels Claim Near Control of a Key Province
New York Times 14 Feb 2013 – Dominating the oil-rich Hasaka province would mark a third major gain this week by insurgents, who also took a hydropower dam and an air base.
Israel’s Prisoner X Linked to Dubai Assassination in New Report
New York Times 14 Feb 2013 – A report from Kuwait says Prisoner X, identified as an Australian-Israeli man, was involved in a 2010 assassination in Dubai and had provided “names and pictures” to the authorities there.
The Lede: Teenager Killed in Bahrain on Protest Anniversary
New York Times 14 Feb 2013 – A Bahraini teenager was shot and killed during clashes with the kingdom’s security forces on Thursday, as protesters marked the second anniversary of the protest movement.
At War Blog: Interpreters’ Accomplishments Fail to Translate Into Visas
New York Times 14 Feb 2013 – On the battlefield, individuals with language skills are rare and highly prized. Once their job is done, however, they do not always receive much protection from the militaries they serve.
Israel Museum’s Herod Show Draws Anger Over Use of West Bank Objects
New York Times 14 Feb 2013 – The Palestinian Authority says the exhibition is a violation of international law because much of its material was taken from the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Op-Ed Contributors: Aftermath of Revolution
New York Times 14 Feb 2013 – The Arab uprisings confirm that revolutions often do not usher in democracy.
Op-Ed Columnist: The Story of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad
New York Times 14 Feb 2013 – The story of Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister, is a case study in wasted opportunity.
Nuclear Watchdog Says No Accord Reached With Iran
New York Times 14 Feb 2013 – An International Atomic Energy Agency official said that inspectors had not been given access to a site which they suspect may have been used for testing bomb triggers.
Turkish cos want to buy Leviathan gas
Globes Energy & Water – Energy market sources say that gas deliveries to Turkey by pipeline could begin by 2016.
IEC sees electricity rate hike without second Tamar pipeline
Globes Energy & Water – IEC: Electricity rates will rise from 2015, unless the Natural Gas Authority’s decision on the distribution of gas from the Tamar pipeline is changed.
Modiin’s Gabriella partners refuse to fund drilling
Globes Energy & Water – Adira Energy and Brownstone Energy accuse Modiin Energy of being in breach of the partnership agreement for the license.
Water treatment co Atlantium raises $9m
Globes Energy & Water – Atlantium will use the proceeds to accelerate development of its new ballast water treatment product.
“Aggressive tax planning like organized crime”
Globes Main News – Tax chief Doron Arbeli says tax evasion in Israel is so severe that the time has come to do something.
El Al CEO: We’ll make El Al profitable
Globes Main News – Elyezer Shkedy: FIMI’s entry into El Al will be the most significant step since the airline was privatized.
Thu: EZchip plunge drags down TASE
Globes Main News – Mellanox and NICE Systems rose strongly, but EZchip fell sharply after lowering its guidance.
Dankner makes improved offer to bondholders
Globes Main News – Nochi Dankner is offering to inject NIS 50 million more into IDB Holding and to increase the equity component by 5%.
IDB CEO: There are hidden agendas
Globes Main News – Haim Gavrieli: There are quite a few parties cynically trying to take over excellent assets.
Yachimovich: Why is Teva paying negligible tax?
Globes Macro Economics – “Huge corporations pay pennies, while small and mid-sized enterprises pay the full companies tax,” Shelly Yachimovich said.
NY’s LGBT Center acting like medieval church: bans Sarah Schulman
Muzzlewatch – When I was growing up in Philly, my mother always complained that if we had to live in the heart of a city, it should be New York. New York, as opposed to our small-minded town, lived in our dreams as the land of the intellectual…
Israel boosters threaten civil rights claim against Brooklyn College and suggest barring student activists from campus
Mondoweiss – Neil Sher threatened to file a civil rights claim against Brooklyn College over the ejection of four students from the Brooklyn College BDS panel last week. On his right is CUNY trustee Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, who suggested that groups like Students for Justice in Palestine may have…
A defense of ‘respectful separation’ from 1955 and today
Mondoweiss – Consider this a sequel to the post ” A defense of ‘Separate but Equal’ from 1950 and today .” Mira Sucharov writing for Open Zion : The agunah metaphor to which Jerry Haber likens the conflict—the Palestinians as a wife forever chained to a husband who refuses to grant…
Pentagon issues new combat-related medal for drone operators
Mondoweiss – (Image: AP ) It’s award season, with the recent Golden Globes and Grammy telecasts and lots of buzz about the upcoming Oscars, so it’s no wonder that the Pentagon didn’t want to be left out of the fun. That’s why they’ve come up with a new medal…
Israel’s Identity Crisis: The practical difficulties of a Jewish and democratic state
Mondoweiss – (Photo: David Silverman/Getty Images) Israel refers to itself as both ‘a Jewish state’ and ‘the Middle East’s only democracy’. This article will ascertain what constitutes the former, why being deemed both a Jewish state and legitimate democracy is of great importance to Israel and finally, the…
Dueling ads in Houston
Mondoweiss – We reported on this Houston billboard last month , on Richmond west of Fondren: Houston’s Stop $30 Billion to Israel billboard has hardly been up a week and already it’s stirring controversy. So here comes the controversy: Advocacy Groups Team Up to Counter Anti-Israel Ads The international…
Anti-Arab Vandals Hit Jerusalem Muslim Cemetery
The Foward Breaking News 14 Feb 2013 – Vandals spray-painted “Death to the Arabs” and anti-Muslim graffiti on graves in a Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem on Thursday, police said. Click here for the rest of the article…
Swansea’s Israeli Soccer Star Itay Schechter Skips Training Trip to Dubai
The Foward Breaking News 14 Feb 2013 – An Israeli soccer player for a British team is sitting out a team visit to Dubai because of tensions between the emirate and Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israel’s Prisoner X Was Facing ‘Grave Crimes,’ Australian Lawyer Says
The Foward Breaking News 14 Feb 2013 – An Australian immigrant, reported to have been recruited by Israel’s Mossad spy agency, was charged with grave crimes before he committed suicide in an Israeli jail, one of his lawyers said on Thursday. Click here for the rest of the article…
Is BDS Hate Speech?
The Forward Editorial 14 Feb 2013 – FORWARD EDITORIAL : The Anti-Defamation League is seeking to brand the boycott Israel movement as anti-Semitic ‘hate speech.’ Are they right? Yes and no. Click here for the rest of the article…
Prisoner X Spy Scandal Shines Light on Jewish Immigrants in Israel
The Forward New 14 Feb 2013 – The jailhouse suicide of suspected Israeli double agent Prisoner X spotlights the Mossad’s recruitment of foreign-born Jews who could spy using their native passports. Click here for the rest of the article…
Islamists ‘capture Syrian oil town’
BBC 14 Feb 2013 – Fighters from the Islamist al-Nusra Front have captured a town close to Syria‘s oil city of Hasaka, according to foreign-based anti-Assad organisations.
Iran funeral Revolutionary Guard
BBC 14 Feb 2013 – A funeral is held in Tehran for Gen Hassan Shateri, a commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard recently killed while travelling from Syria to Lebanon.
Rafik Hariri’s Legacy: All That Remains
Al-Akhbar News 14 Feb 2013 – A Lebanese Sheikh stands at the gravesite of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in downtown Beirut on 14 February 2013. Thursday marks the eighth anniversary of Hariri’s assassination. (Photo: Jamal Saidi – Reuters) A Lebanese Sheikh stands at the gravesite of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri…
Adania Shibli: A Decade of Palestinian Artists in Paris
Al-Akhbar News 14 Feb 2013 – A piece by Hani Zorob titled: A Long Egyptian Series. A piece by Hani Zorob titled: A Long Egyptian Series. The award-winning Palestinian novelist Adania Shibli interviewed 15 up-and-coming Palestinian artists for her new book, Hirak , or Movement . Related Articles: Qalandiya Festival: Life and Art in…
Seven killed in attacks on Iraq’s north
Al-Akhbar News 14 Feb 2013 – A series of attacks targeting mostly security officials in Iraq’s north left at least seven people dead on Thursday, state media reported. A bomb detonated near a security patrol in the Shurah area south of Mosul killed two police officers and injured a third. A separate…
Iranian commander killed in Damascus
Al-Akhbar News 14 Feb 2013 – Assailants shot dead an Iranian Revolutionary Guards chief in an ambush on the way from Damascus towards the Lebanese capital, the Iranian authorities said on Thursday. Iran’s elite fighting force named him as commander Hassan Shateri, in a statement that said he was killed on Tuesday. “…
UN Still Awaits Delivery of Vast Syrian Aid Pledges
Al-Akhbar News 14 Feb 2013 – A Syrian man gestures after getting bread in the northern city of Aleppo on 14 February 2013. (Photo: Bulent Kilic -AFP) A Syrian man gestures after getting bread in the northern city of Aleppo on 14 February 2013. (Photo: Bulent Kilic -AFP) Of all the countries…
Vigilante Leagues Enforce New Order on Tunisia Streets
Al-Akhbar News 14 Feb 2013 – Members of Tunisian Islamist party Hizb-Ut-Tahrir hold flags and anti-France placards during a protest in front of the Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul near the French embassy in Tunis on 14 February 2013 in Tunis. (Photo: Gianluigi Guercia – AFP) Members of Tunisian Islamist party…
Qatar’s Signal Dropped in North Africa Telecom Deal
Al-Akhbar Politics 13 Feb 2013 – A general view of damage caused by a siege by Islamist militants in early January at the Tiguentourine Gas Plant in In Amenas, 1600 km southeast of Algiers, in this 31 January 2013 file photo. (AFP) A general view of damage caused by a siege by…
More than 30 Palestinians arrested by Israeli Forces in One Week
Al-Haq 14 Feb 2013 – Ad: The Truth About Dalits – Highly Acclaimed! The Absolute Truth About Dalits, Caste System And Untouchability. Separates The Reality From The Misinformation. Accomplished And Well-known Author. 40% Payout.
Islamists ‘capture Syrian oil town’
BBC 14 Feb 2013 – Fighters from the Islamist al-Nusra Front have captured a town close to Syria‘s oil city of Hasaka, according to foreign-based anti-Assad organisations.
Teenager killed in Bahrain protests
BBC 14 Feb 2013 – A teenage boy in Bahrain has been shot dead during protests to mark the second anniversary of a failed uprising.
Iran funeral Revolutionary Guard
BBC 14 Feb 2013 – A funeral is held in Tehran for Gen Hassan Shateri, a commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard recently killed while travelling from Syria to Lebanon.
Kuwait activist acquittals welcomed
BBC 14 Feb 2013 – Human rights groups welcome the acquittal of five Kuwaiti online activists accused of insulting the ruling emir on Twitter.
Articles
Advertising a nightmare
Dr. Sabri Saidam, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 2/14/2013
The following article was responding to a Jerusalem Post advertisement of Israeli settlements in Occupied East Jerusalem. It was published first in the Israeli English daily.
Far from being a “dream,” for thousands of Palestinians new settlements constitute a real-life nightmare.
For some weeks, The Jerusalem Post has been running an advertisement under the title “A Dream Come True,” promoting two Israeli settlements in occupied east Jerusalem. Beit Orot and Ma’alot David are two illegal colonies established in the heart of highly populated Palestinian areas.
Far from being a “dream,” for thousands of Palestinians under Israeli occupation, such settlements constitute a real-life nightmare.
The “neighborhoods,” as they are described in the advert, are internationally recognized as illegal settlements.
There are over 200 Israeli settlements or colonies throughout the recently-admitted and internationally- recognized “the occupied” State of Palestine. These so-called “neighborhoods” qualify in accordance with international law, to be categorized as a war crime.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have become settlers on occupied land by accepting incentives to move into illegal buildings and compounds like the ones advertised in this newspaper. As the window of opportunity for the twostate solution continues to close and Israel’s occupation continues to oppress the Palestinians within their own country on a daily basis, advertising settlements in occupied land is morally reprehensible, to say the very least. more.. e-mail
Creative resistance, Israeli intransigence
Khaled Amayreh in occupied Palestine, Al-Ahram Weekly 2/6/2013
Palestinians are turning to novel non-violent strategies to confront Israel’s ongoing colonial settlement policy.
In their seemingly endless struggle against Israel’s colonialist occupation, Palestinians are increasingly resorting to novel and generally non-violent methods of resistance against harsh Israeli army tactics.
This week, Palestinian activists from the village of Burin, south of Nablus, pitched tents and assembled some barricades in an effort to assert their land rights in an area constantly coveted by Jewish settlers.
However, as soon as the Palestinian “settlement” was started, the Israeli army hastened to dismantle the modest structures, arrest the peaceful activists and declare the locality a “closed military zone”.
The impromptu hamlet is called “Al-Manateer”, meaning gatekeepers, and is located in Area-B according to the Oslo Accords, which is supposed to fall under Palestinian Authority control. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the so-called “civil administration” had informed the Israeli army that Al-Manateer was outside Israeli control and that it had no authority to enter the village.
However, Israeli army commanders in the region refused to heed the instructions, apparently in deference to settlers.
Settlers or pro-settler military officers have long penetrated the Israeli army in the West Bank. According to the Hebrew press, some of these officers prefer to heed edicts from their “community rabbis” than instructions from military superiors. Hence, the army refuses orders to vacate settlement outposts, notwithstanding their illegality having been built on stolen Palestinian private land. more.. e-mail
VIDEO – Theater of the oppressed
By Social TV, +972 Magazine 2/12/2013
The ‘Combatants for Peace’ theater group held a workshop in the Palestinian village of Izbat Tabib in order to help people whose homes are under threat of demolition. The group is using a unique method of a non-violent struggle called ‘the theater of the oppressed.’ The method allows the audience to experience different situations the characters must cope with – instead of only talking about them. Our reporter, Noam Foreman, accompanied the group for its activities.
Israel Social TV is an independent media NGO working to promote social change, human rights, social justice and equality, and to mobilize its viewers towards activism. — See also: YouTube: The Oppressed Theatre more.. e-mail
Zionism neoliberal style
Charlotte Silver, Al Jazeera.com 2/11/2013
Attempts to prettify Israel’s land-grabbing policies are not new, but have metamorphosed over time.
In the recently adopted revisions to the Prawer Plan, which would forcibly relocate up to 70,000 Bedouins in the Negev, Israeli Knesset Member Benny Begin attempts to distract attention from the overtly racist tone of the original plan proposed in 2011. Instead of characterising Bedouins, whose impoverished communities are scattered across the vast Negev, as illegal squatters, foreign invaders and land robbers, Begin’s report coolly asserts the mutual advantage the Prawer Plan will have on Jewish and Bedouin communities alike.
Disregarding the fact that Bedouins have uniformly rejected the Prawer Plan, Begin writes:
“It is the government’s responsibility to take action in order to enable the Bedouins to extricate themselves from these circumstances and to grant them, and particularly the younger generation the tools necessary to successfully cope with the challenges of the future.”
The language of benevolence and goodwill decorates Begin’s 16-page report and disguises the Plan’s actual intention of displacement as one of “development”. At least 44,000 Bedouin citizens of Israel will be displaced from their homes if the plan goes forward.
Attempts to prettify Israel’s land-grabbing policies are not new, but have metamorphosed over time. Once the Jewish National Fund’s tree-planting project greenwashed the expropriation of Palestinian land; today, promises of egalitarian progress through joint industrial zones and a blossoming private sector accompany the Zionist project in the Negev. more.. e-mail
call for action for Samer Issawi and Palestinian Political Prisoners in Zionist Jails
In Gaza: 14 Feb 2013 – Allison Weir’s excellent: AP and Amnesty International: Are you just waiting for him to die? Samer Issawi has lived for 33 years, 1 month, and 27 days. I hope he lives another day. He has been on a hunger strike now for six and a half months. Gandhis’ longest hunger strike was 21 days. The IRA’s Bobby Sands and nine other Irish hunger strikers died in 1981 after strikes lasting from 46 to 73 days. Issawi’s internal organs are starting to shut down, he can no longer walk, he is reportedly suffering loss of vision and vomiting blood, it is difficult for him talk, and he is increasingly near death. He has lost half his body weight. One of the main ideas behind such nonviolent resistance is that world awareness will bring pressure on behalf of the sufferer. Yet, U.S. news outlets are not covering Issawi’s hunger strike. It appears…more
Becoming Refugees Once More: Palestinians from Syria Return to Gaza
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Feb 2013 – By IRIN Ahmed Dweik’s family knows a thing or two about the refugee experience. Theirs started in 1948, when his father fled his Palestinian home town as Israeli forces captured the village of West Batani near Ashdod in present-day Israel. From there, he settled in a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, further south, until the 1967 Arab-Israeli war pushed him to search for an easier life abroad. He went first to Egypt to study, then to Yemen to find work. That is where Dweik was born. But like his father, he too sought better opportunities, migrating to Syria to look for a better paying job and settling close to Yarmouk, the largest camp for Palestinian refugees in Syria. “But what happened to my father after the 1967 war happened to me in 2012,” Dweik told IRIN. In mid-2011, Dweik was in Yarmouk when the authorities opened fire on demonstrations…more
Western Media and Israel: The Definition of Insanity
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Feb 2013 – By Jamal Kanj Western media is obsessed with presenting a positive spin on everything related to Israel, while trivializing good and accentuating negative news on Palestine. It’s admirably free in many aspects, but when it comes to discussing Israel the Western media loses its spark. Disingenuous news spin and Israeli pampering are doing peace a great disservice. In 2003, the Israeli government of Ariel Sharon rejected a road map for peace by adding 14 conditions. Western media downplayed the provisions, emphasizing only Sharon’s pretense at approval. Now, the same media wants the public to believe that Israel’s anti-peace coalition lost seats in the current Israeli election. At first glance, this may appear speciously accurate. But the media fails to impart that the pro-peace camp did not gain any new support. While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have lost direct party control over some members of the Knesset, this did not…more
No More Truthless Heroes: Glorifying the Chris Kyle’s Story
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Feb 2013 – By Joshua Brollier On February 11, 2013, the New York Times reported about the funeral of retired Navy Seal sniper Chris Kyle, portraying him as a “warrior and family man.” The highly politicized and massive public funeral, held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, points to the severe moral schizophrenia our nation has internalized. We see ourselves as the shining “city on a hill” and therefore a U.S. citizen who kills people in other lands becomes an unquestionably renowned hero. This must appear offensive and ridiculous to many people living beyond U.S. borders. Mr. Kyle was a man who professed “no regret” for killing 160 people during his four tours in Iraq. A fellow soldier and former Marine, struggling with PTSD, murdered Kyle at point blank range while they were practice shooting for fun and “therapy” at a gun range in Texas. Despite the bizarrely karmic nature of his death…more
Syrian Civil War Grounded To a Stalemate
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Feb 2013 – By Zachary Fillingham Opposition troops in Syria have largely come to be referred to as the Free Syria Army (FSA), but this title belies the fact that the anti-Assad side of the civil war equation is composed of several disparate groups, all with conflicting visions for a post-Assad Syria. In reality, the FSA was born out of a group of largely Sunni Syrian Army deserters led by Riyad al-Assad, and that is likely more or less the composition that remains to this day. The FSA claims to have now assembled a force of 40,000 men, but analysts have pegged the number at closer to 10,000. The more generous estimate that the FSA touts might include Islamist foreign fighters that are active in the Syrian theatre, a group that shares the FSA’s short-term goals without falling under its immediate command structures. This disconcerting mix of ‘wholesome’ army deserters and ‘unwholesome’ Islamists…more
Teatime in Tihar Jail – A Poem
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Feb 2013 – By Ramzy Baroud – with Rafiq Kathwari He sipped then walked slowly head held high greeting the hangman with a gentle nod eyes sunk to heart beard grew defiant remembering the judge asking to repeat alphabets of servitude Instead he roared names of forefathers who too died standing tall like the Himalayas And on that last stroll he remembered his mother’s tender touch his son Ghalib named after the poet he loved friends long gone his silly dreams heaven above this playground where unruly children refuse to learn the etiquette of captivity in rooms with no windows only high grey walls where they pumped petrol into his anus to break Afzal Guru countless others of same skin and soul His face the color of parched earth lips never ceased reciting one last poem the hangman swore for God’s unruly children to live forever Free (Ramzy Baroud, Feb 13, 2013 –…more
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