20 February 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Palestinian Injured, Two Kidnapped, Near Jenin
IMEMC – Wednesday evening, February 20; Israel soldiers invaded the town of Borqeen, south of the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and clashed with local youths wounding one and kidnapping two others; dozens have been treated for the effects of teargas inhalation. …
Eight Injured In Clashes With The Army Near Nablus
IMEMC – Palestinian medical sources in Nablus, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, reported that eight Palestinians have been injured, on Wednesday evening, during clashes invaded Qasra village, south of the city. …
Soldiers Kidnapped 19 Children In Two Weeks
IMEMC – Wednesday February 20; The Children’s Media Department at the Palestinian Ministry of Information reported that Israeli soldiers kidnapped 19 Palestinian children, and wounded dozens of children, in the first half of February. …
Israeli soldiers publish disturbing photos of Palestinians on Internet
IMEMC – An image of a Palestinian child in the crosshairs of a sniper rifle has gone viral on social media after being published by an Israeli soldier on Instagram last week. …
P.A Said To Be Holding Indirect Talks With Israel On Detainees Issues
IMEMC – The Maan News Agency reported that the Palestinian Authority (P.A) in the West Bank is holding indirect talks with Tel Aviv in an attempt to resolve the crisis of Palestinian detainees, holding open-ended hunger strikes in Israel prisons. …
Official: Israel destroys electricity grid in Nablus
2/20/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces demolished an electricity grid in Nablus on Wednesday, leading to clashes with local residents, a Palestinian Authority official said. Israeli bulldozers arrived in the village of Qusra at noon and destroyed an electricity grid in the area, cutting off power to dozens of residents, PA official Ghassan Daghlas told….
Israel blocks delivery of electoral rolls from Gaza to West Bank
2/20/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – Israel is impeding delivery of the Palestinian electoral registers from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank at the Erez crossing, officials in Ramallah said Wednesday. According to the sources, Israel has not given the Palestinian side approval to transfer the electoral rolls which the Palestinian Central Elections Commission has updated….
Hebron shepherd says assaulted by settlers
2/20/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — A shepherd in Hebron was hospitalized on Wednesday after being attacked by Israeli settlers, he told Ma’an. Nael Abu Iram, 26, told Ma’an he was herding his sheep east of Mitzpe Yair when residents of the Jewish settlement beat him. [END]
Nazareth activists set up tent to support hunger strikers
2/20/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Protesters in Nazareth erected a solidarity tent on Wednesday to show support for Palestinian hunger-strikers in Israeli jails, a local group said. Demonstrators set up a tent in Al-Ayin Square and a press conference was held to inaugurate the protest area, which will open on Thursday from 10 a. m. daily….
Photographing tragedy: What victims need is change
2/20/2013 – By Ramzy Baroud – When one looks at scenes of fleeing refugees from Syria via images of their squalid refugee camps and hears their pleas for solidarity, mercy or for God’s help to end their suffering, one finds eerie similarities between their experiences and those of the Palestinians, Lebanese and Iraqis. However, the worse….
Israeli soldier ‘reprimanded’ over Instagram photos
2/20/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel‘s army said Wednesday it had reprimanded a soldier after he was identified in photos uploaded online using drugs in uniform and posing nude with weapons. The pictures, discovered by the US-based Electronic Intifada website, show a young man identified as Osher Maman in a series of poses with….
Man injured in road accident with settler car
2/20/2013 – SALFIT (Ma’an) — A Palestinian was injured in Salfit on Wednesday after a car crash involving an Israeli car, civil defense forces said. A settler crashed into the back of Shadi al-Jamaini’s car and fled the scene, a civil defense statement said. [END]
PLO delegation head briefs Gaza factions on Syria visit
2/20/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The head of a PLO delegation briefed political factions in Gaza on Wednesday about a recent visit to Syria. Zakaria al-Agha headed a high-level delegation to Syria last week to discuss the situation of Palestinians caught up in the internal conflict. The PLO delegation met with Syrian officials, faction representatives….
Qatari charity supports Gaza fishermen
2/20/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Agriculture Ministry in Gaza on Wednesday distributed financial support to fishermen donated by a Qatari foundation. Fishing official Nizar Ayesh told Ma’an the cash assistance, provided by Qatar Charity, would allow fishermen to buy new boats and build a better future. Ayesh thanked Qatar for the support….
Official: Israel to close Gaza crossing for Jewish holiday
2/20/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities will close the Kerem Shalom crossing on Gaza’s border on Sunday for the Jewish holiday of Purim, a Palestinian crossings official said Wednesday. Nathmi Muhanna, PA crossings director, said in a statement that the Israelis had informed the Palestinian Authority of the closure. [END]
Gaza minister: Egypt tunnel crackdown will fail
2/20/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Egypt‘s crackdown on smuggling tunnels to the Gaza Strip will not succeed unless alternatives to importing produce are provided, an official in Gaza’s Hamas-run government said Wednesday. Several days ago, Egyptian forces began flooding smuggling tunnels under the Gaza border in a campaign to shut them….
Hamas govt releases 50 prisoners, ministry says
2/20/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Hamas government in Gaza released 50 prisoners on Wednesday, a statement from the interior ministry said. The prisoners had all served at least two-thirds of their sentence in rehabilitation centers and were released in a ceremony attended by prison officials. During the release ceremony, prisoners promised not to commit….
Israel’s Livni faces rough road in push for peace
2/20/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Tzipi Livni’s coalition pact with right-winger Benjamin Netanyahu speaks volumes about the obstacles ahead for the moderate former Israeli foreign minister in her new task of pursuing peace. [sic] Expectations of a new peacemaking initiative have been raised by a planned visit to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan next month…. Related: Fake peace talks are far worse than no peace talks and With Livni as his fig leaf, Bibi can now form an extremist government
Union of civil servants to resume protests
2/20/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – The union of Palestinian civil servants announced Wednesday resumption of protests as the Palestinian government continues to fail to pay monthly wages regularly. Strikes in different ministries, according to a statement by the union, will be agreed on between ministers and the union’s different branches. Each minister will set….
West Bank teachers on strike Thursday
2/20/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) – The union of West Bank teachers says protest activities will continue and Thursday will be general strike across all West Bank schools. A spokesman of the union, Bassam Naim told Ma’an Wednesday that the union’s general secretariat decided after consultations with teachers and regional representatives to go….
Civil defense crews tackle Bank of Palestine blaze
2/20/2013 – QALQILIYA (Ma’an) — Civil defense crews on Wednesday extinguished a fire in a local Bank of Palestine branch in Qalqiliya, witnesses said. Assistant director of the bank branch, Abu Salah, said the fire broke-out in a stationary store and was likely caused by an electrical fault. No injuries were reported and the main building….
Newborn baby injured in Gaza house fire
2/20/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A day-old baby girl sustained third degree burns on Wednesday in a house fire in the northern Gaza Strip, a hospital official said. Jannat Ahmad Abu Ihayyil was admitted to intensive care at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, head of the emergency department Ayman Sahabani said. The newborn baby suffered….
Russia, Arab League see chance for start to Syria dialogue
2/20/2013 – MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russia and the Arab League see signs of hope that the rival sides in the Syrian civil war are willing to start talks to end nearly two years of conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and visiting Arab League head Nabil Elaraby said on Wednesday they were encouraged that both the Syrian government….
Saudi Arabia, Qatar press for more help to Syrian rebels
2/20/2013 – RIYADH/DOHA (Reuters) — Saudi Arabia and Qatar share the West’s alarm at the rise of al-Qaida-aligned groups in Syria, but say the answer is for outsiders like them to be more involved in backing rebels there. The two Gulf Arab states rooting for President Bashar Assad’s overthrow appear to be chafing….
Egypt govt offers convicted investors ‘reconciliation’
2/20/2013 – CAIRO (Reuters) — The Egyptian government moved on Wednesday to entice back convicted investors who have fled the country, offering them arbitration that could overturn verdicts issued in absentia and that may lead to “full reconciliation”. With the country deep in economic crisis, the move signals that Egypt may be seeking to draw on the finances….
Syrian refugees pour south to Jordan in nightly exodus
2/20/2013 – HAURAN PLAIN, Jordan (Reuters) — Under cover of darkness, the young mother steps through the muddy olive groves on the Syrian-Jordanian border, telling her children to hold tight to avoid getting lost in the stream of people fleeing south to safety. Her lower face covered with a white scarf, she carries a dark carrier bag while….
Journalists Protest Israeli Arrests of Reporters
Palestine News Network
Report Gives New Details of Mugniyah Assassination
Palestine News Network
UN Secretary-General “Deeply Concerned” About Hunger-Striking Palestinian Prisoners
Palestine News Network
More Disturbing Images from an IOF Soldier’s Instagram
Palestine News Network
Action Goup: Seven Refugees Killed by the Regime Forces in Syria
Palestine News Network
Turkish Trial on Mavi Marmara Incident to Restart on Thursday
Palestine News Network
Amid Pro-Palestine Talk, Irish Temper their Tone on Israel
Palestine News Network
Israeli Authorities Close Ofer Prison, Military Court
Palestine News Network
Israeli Forces Arrest Mother of Prisoner in Nafha Israeli Jail
Palestine News Network
Israel Denies It Will Free Palestinian Prisoners for Obama Visit
Palestine News Network
Israeli Coalition Talks Continue, Netanyahu “Extends Hand” to Palestinians
Palestine News Network
Israeli Forces Storm Bethlehem’s Refugee Camps, Arrest Palestinians
Palestine News Network
President Abbas Calls to Keep Syria’s Palestinian Refugees Out of Conflict
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
‘Can you tell me why I’m not allowed to go to the hospital?’
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR is Concerned Over the Life of Prisoner Derar Abu Sisi, Kept in Solitary Confinement in Ashkelon Prison
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Help us work towards justice in Palestine
2/20/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – Please donate for our work to continue through out 2013! The International Solidarity Movement is stepping into its thirteenth year of solidarity with the Palestinian people. What started as a few activists participating in actions against the Israeli occupation has developed into a movement of constant growth and change. Despite our growth and change, our deep…. Related: Donate to ISM
occupied Palestinian territory: The EU and the Netherlands contribute around €20.8 million to the Palestinian Authority’s payment of January salaries and pensions
Relief Web 20 Feb 2013 – Source: European Union Country: Netherlands, occupied Palestinian territory The European Union is making today a contribution of approximately €20.8 million to the payment of the January salaries and pensions of around 83,500 Palestinian civil servants and pensioners in the West…
Syrian Arab Republic: UNRWA Commissioner-General calls on donors to honour Syria funding pledges
Relief Web 20 Feb 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic Speaking yesterday at a meeting of the Syria Humanitarian Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, UNRWA Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi spoke of the…
occupied Palestinian territory: RCA to build four schools in Palestine
Relief Web 20 Feb 2013 – Source: Emirates News Agency Country: occupied Palestinian territory WAM Abu Dhabi, 19 Feb. 2013 (WAM) — The UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA) has agreed to build four schools in Palestine, RCA Chairman Ahmed Humaid Al Mazrouie announced today after the…
Extremists on the run, Mali free again to sing its song of tolerance
The National 20 Feb 2013 – Militants linked to Al Qaeda banned music when they took over northern Mali, but their harsh brand of Islam was an affront to a people proud of their rich culture. Alice Fordham reports from Bamako
US must not cut funding to North Africa and Middle East: Kerry
The National 20 Feb 2013 – In his first speech as US secretary of state, John Kerry stresses the importance of providing assistance to the regions’ struggling economies. Taimur Khan reports from New York
Hard times loom for fine rug trade in UAE
The National 20 Feb 2013 – Traders at the Blue Souq in Sharjah are trying to rekindle the love for handmade carpets, but diminished interest from young buyers and access to cheaper, machine-made products threaten to pull the rug from under them.Mitya Underwood reports, photographs by Razan Alzayani
US sanctions hit wrong target
The National 20 Feb 2013 – US sanctions banning the import of Iranian carpets, even through other countries, has had a significant effect on the number being produced.
18 years on and Terry’s legacy is still running in Abu Dhabi
The National 20 Feb 2013 – Since the first feet pounded the streets of Abu Dhabi in 1995, the capital’s annual Terry Fox Run has become a vital source of funding for cancer research.
Palestinians have little faith Livni can influence peace talks
The National 20 Feb 2013 – ‘What we’re interested in is not big names but policies,’ Palestinian negotiators say.
Prosecution witness gives confusing testimony in Pistorius case
The National 20 Feb 2013 – Testimony by detective Hilton Botha of the South African Police Service leaves prosecutors rubbing their temples, as he misjudged distances and acknowledged a forensics team left in the toilet bowl one of the bullet slugs fired at Reeva Steenkamp.
Emirati dropout who went back to studies to get a job
The National 20 Feb 2013 – Dr Natasha Ridge, executive director of the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, blames unqualified teachers for the unpleasant experiences boys have at school.
Arrest of Lebanese in Cyprus sheds light on Hezbollah’s EU operations
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Netanyahu’s drivers win pay raise of thousands of shekels
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Nigeria arrests Iranian terror cell planning attacks on Israeli, U.S. targets
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Livni to join Netanyahu coalition, but divide remains deep on Haredi draft
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Israel’s high court rules Haredi schools must give standardized tests
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Israeli film mogul arrested for tax evasion
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Tzipi Livni denies reports: I haven’t decided on Hatnuah’s second minister
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Zionist Federation of Australia slams claims that Israel programs serve as Mossad recruitment service
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Religious Zionists vie for post of Israel’s chief Ashkenazi rabbi
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
U.S. think tank: Iran nuke unlikely to start Mideast arms race
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Drug busts force closure of six Tel Aviv nightclubs, ahead of Purim party season
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Buried under a Jaffa street, a 1,500-year-old industrial site
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Inventor of ‘wonder patch’ scam for predicting heart attacks gets seven years in jail
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Residents of Palestinian village accuse Israeli authorities of harassment
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Two Australian Jews recruited to Mossad alongside Ben Zygier, Der Spiegel reports
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Zygier’s cell was not suicide-proof nor under supervision, says prisons chief
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Prisoner hunger strike unites Palestinian activists
Ha’aretz – 19 Feb 2013
PM’s office hints Zygier worked for Mossad
Ha’aretz – 19 Feb 2013
Court orders state to answer Meretz housing petition
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Efforts aimed to force government to implement 1998 law to help poor buy their apartments.
Keeping MKs in line
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – The spectacle of MKs thumbing their noses at the law is bad for the country and doubly disastrous for the Knesset.
The great Kotel schlep
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – On Purim at the Kotel, I will refuse pompous demands – in this case that women keep quiet.
Rubio: Ties must remain above US political battles
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – US senator says Israel–US friendship must remain above political fray; Rubio, PM bump water bottles in allusion to infamous gulp.
Washington Watch: Iran watching US response to NK nuke test
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Secretary Kerry has said Iran will be watching the response to the latest North Korean nuclear and missile tests. So will the rest of the world.
Bennett: Joining coalition possible despite Livni
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Bayit Yehudi head mocks Livni’s ability to reach a deal with Abbas; Yishai holds talks with Lapid, accuses him of leaking meeting.
Doing business – tangible peacemaking
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Anyone interested in conflict resolution works to bring the sides together, people-to people, not just leadership teams negotiating.
Nigeria busts terror cell plotting attacks against Israelis
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Security forces arrest three members of an Iranian-linked terror cell allegedly planning to launch attack against Israeli, US citizens, Army Radio reported; Nigeria searching for fourth suspect.
Media Comment: Media darkness
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – A debate on the use of gag orders or on the need for military censorship is always welcome.
Encountering Peace: Israeli-Palestinian peace is achievable
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – This agreement is possible. The concessions within are not losses but gains and both sides will be able to stand tall and declare peace and victory.
The Middle East and Israeli elections
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – The big elephant in the room that concerns Israel’s security and the middle class’ burden on an economic level stays ignored by most: the conflict.
Egypt court rules policemen may grow Islamic beards
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Ruling ends decades-old ban of beards in police force enforced in Mubarak era; move seen as victory for often bearded Muslim Brotherhood.
NGO to rescue drunk girls at Purim festivities
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Volunteers will patrol J’lem streets to offer help to inebriated young girls who are “at risk of being abused by men who lure them away.”
UN report hints at slowdown in Iran nuclear arsenal
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – IAEA report may provide world powers with chance to progress in negotiations; powers to make “substantial, serious offer.”
Lessons from Sophie Scholl’s anti-Nazi resistance
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – The remarkable story of the White Rose resistance is little known outside of Germany.
Kerry: Aid will stop Iran obtaining deadly weapons
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – In first major address, Secretary of State Kerry says aid allows US to ensure Iran will never endanger American allies, interests.
Police arrest Beitar fan suspected of arson
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Following arson attack on the Beitar management offices, police arrest fourth suspect who admitted involvement in attack.
‘5 Broken Cameras’ director said held at LAX
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Palestinian director detained at LAX for not providing “proper” Oscars invitation, US filmmaker Michael Moore tweets.
Supreme Court okays ACRI ‘Prisoner X’ findings
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Judges allow NGOs to publish details of their filings dealing with the case of “Prisoner X,” which has been kept under gag order.
Australia Zionist group: No Mossad recruitment plan
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Zionist Federation of Australia: Media claims that Israel programs are recruitment camps for Mossad “uninformed and mischievous.”
Hadera Mayor blames rivals for Molotov attack
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Haim Avitan says “campaign of incitement” to blame after a motorcyclist threw a Molotov cocktail at his car, warehouse set alight.
Haifa unemployment rises to ‘alarming’ rate
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Businesses in the periphery are ‘first to pay price of slow down.’
Hitler and Frankenstein run for office in India
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – State level elections in Meghalaya have shone a light on the most unusual list of candidates.
Russia, Arab League see chance for Syria dialogue
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Ahead of Syrian FM’s trip to Moscow, Russian FM meets with Arab League secretary-general, foreign ministers of Arab states.
Expert: Iran nuke won’t start Mideast arms race
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – US think tank says fear of arms race is “overplayed”; Riyadh announces plan to build 17 gigawatts of atomic energy by 2032.
Report: Zygier was not alone in Mossad recruitment
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Two other Australian-Israelis, Paul Y. and David Z., were working for Mossad at the same time as Ben Zygier, ‘Der Spiegel’ reports.
Back to the future
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – The Obama Administration needs to arm the Free Syrian Army to prevent another Spain or Afghanistan
Better late than never
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – The attempt to cover up the Zygier/Alon affair caused Israel more harm than good
Shake-up in religious Zionism
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Will Bayit Yehudi give in to the old order or keep its promise to start something new?
Winds of change
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – With the signing of two Muslim players, Beitar Jerusalem appears ready to shake off its racist image
Oscars-bound Palestinian film-maker describes ‘unpleasant’ LAX detention
The Guardian 20 Feb 2013 – Emad Burnat, who made 5 Broken Cameras, said US officials doubted his credentials and threatened to send him home An Academy-nominated Palestinian film-maker has spoken of the “unpleasant experience” of being detained by US immigration officials…
Tzipi Livni ‘won’t be fig leaf’ for Netanyahu if he doesn’t want peace
The Guardian 20 Feb 2013 – Ian Black: Centrist Israeli politician to lead future negotiations with Palestinians. But substantive talks still look unlikely. Tzipi Livni’s appointment as Israel‘s justice minister is a significant first step in Binyamin “Bibi” Netanyahu‘s laborious construction of…
1,200 acres of West Bank land annexed to kibbutz in Israel
Uruknet
ICE Officers Detain Oscar-Nominated Palestinian Filmmaker & Threaten to Deport Him
Uruknet
Gaza: ‘Can you tell me why I’m not allowed to go to the hospital?’
Uruknet
“Iraq and the Betrayal of a People – Impunity Forever?”
Uruknet
Veolia suffering “expensive” damage due to Palestine campaigners’ publicity, says financial expert
Uruknet
Israel blocks delivery of electoral rolls from Gaza to West Bank
Uruknet
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Uruknet
When lives hang in the balance
Uruknet
Military Resistance 11B14: Professor Droney
Uruknet
Egypt tries to lure back exiled businessmen
Daily Star 20 Feb 2013 Egypt‘s government on Wednesday allowed convicted businessmen who fled the country since a popular uprising to negotiate an end to corruption charges from abroad.
Diplomats: Iran starts upgrade of nuclear site
Daily Star 20 Feb 2013 Western diplomats say Iran has started installing high-tech machines at its main uranium enrichment site that are capable of accelerating activity that can produce reactor fuel and – with further upgrading – the core of a…
Egypt rights groups allege rising police brutality
Daily Star 20 Feb 2013 Egyptian rights groups alleged Wednesday that police abuse and brutality are on the rise in detention centers and at demonstrations.
Syria rebels threaten to fire on Lebanon’s Hezbollah
Daily Star 20 Feb 2013 A commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army warned on Wednesday that his forces would target Lebanon‘s Hezbollah unless the powerful militant group stops shelling territory held by the insurgents.
U.K. backing Lebanon stability: Hague
Daily Star 20 Feb 2013 The United Kingdom is exerting efforts to maintain stability in Lebanon, British Foreign Secretary William Hague says in talks with Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Israel’s Livni faces rough road in peace push with Palestinians
Daily Star 20 Feb 2013 Tzipi Livni’s coalition pact with right-winger Benjamin Netanyahu speaks volumes about the obstacles ahead for the moderate former Israeli foreign minister in her new task of pursuing peace with the Palestinians.
Choices loom for Obama on climate change
Daily Star 20 Feb 2013 President Barack Obama, who rarely uttered the words “climate change” or “global warming” during the second half of his first term and during his re-election campaign, has re-inserted it boldly back into his lexicon.
Iran economy far from collapse as sanctions tighten
Daily Star 20 Feb 2013 Hossein Ahmad, an Iranian who runs a jewellery shop in wealthy Dubai, marvels at the spending power he sees on show during his monthly trips to Tehran, a year after U.S. sanctions largely froze Iran out…
Palestinian director held on way to Oscars: Moore
Daily Star 20 Feb 2013 Palestinian director Emad Burnat was held briefly at Los Angeles’ LAX airport as he arrived for the Oscars, where his latest movie is nominated, filmmaker Michael Moore said.
Medical state of girl attacked with acid stabilizing
YNet News, 20 Feb 2013 – ….
Diplomats: Iran starts upgrade of nuclear site
YNet News, 20 Feb 2013 – ….
IDF thwarts drug-smuggling attempt from Egypt
YNet News, 20 Feb 2013 – ….
Egypt tries to lure back exiled businessmen
YNet News, 20 Feb 2013 – ….
Nigeria secret police say terror group broken up
YNet News, 20 Feb 2013 – ….
Why does the world target Israel?
YNet News, 20 Feb 2013 – Op-ed: By singling out Israel, human rights activists abandon those who really suffer from apartheid ….
Palestinian Information Center
Clashes in Nablus in support of prisoners continue for the 3rd day
PIC – Clashes erupted on Wednesday afternoon between Palestinians and Israeli forces at the southern entrance to the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, near the Hawara military checkpoint.
Barhoum: Assigning Livni peace talks with PA determines features the next phase
PIC – Fawzi Barhoum said that announcement that Tzipi Livni would handle efforts to renew peace talks with Palestinians determines features of the next stage and put an end to negotiation process.
Environmental disaster threatens residents of Nablus because of settlers’ waste
PIC – Dozens of trucks emptied their cargo of the settlers’ waste in an abandoned landfill, located on the lands of the villages of Deir Sharaf and Qusin, west of the city of Nablus.
Leader in Islamic Jihad and his brother on hunger strike in PA jails
PIC – One of the leaders of Islamic Jihad and his brother, detained in the Palestinian Authority’s jails, announced entering a hunger strike until their release.
IOA extends the cartoonist Mohammed Saba’na’s arrest
PIC – Salem Military Court has extended the detention of Palestinian cartoonist Mohamed Fayek Abdul Ghani Saba’na, 34, from the town of Qabatiya in Jenin, to February 28..
IOA extends detention of 11 Jerusalemites
PIC – The so-called Israeli Magistrate and District Courts in occupied Jerusalem has renewed on Tuesday the detention of 11 Jerusalemites from different parts of the occupied city of Jerusalem.
Report: ten million Israelis violate the sanctity of Buraq wall
PIC – Palestinian foundation in occupied Jerusalem confirmed that the Buraq square west of al-Aqsa Mosque became a daily target by the Israeli occupation.
IOA prevents three students from entering al-Aqsa for 2 weeks
PIC – Israeli occupation police arrested on Tuesday morning three Palestinian youths participating in study circles at al-Aqsa Mosque, where they were taken to Qishleh interrogation center.
Israeli bulldozers destroy thousands of dunums of cultivated land in the Negev
PIC – Israeli bulldozers have destroyed thousands of dunums of cultivated land belonging to Palestinians in the village of Wadi Naam in occupied southern Negev in 1948-occupied Palestine.
8 Palestinians Injured during Confrontations in Nablus
WAFA – 20 Feb 2013
EUPOL COPPS Holds Workshop on Community Policing
WAFA – 20 Feb 2013
Presidency: “We don’t Interfere with Israel’s Internal Affairs”
WAFA – 20 Feb 2013
Rights Groups Demand Explanation for Reducing Sentence of Activist’s Killers
WAFA – 20 Feb 2013
PEX Report: Al-Quds Index Up
WAFA – 20 Feb 2013
Journalists Protest Israeli Arrest of Reporters
WAFA – 20 Feb 2013
Newspapers Review: Prisoners Continue to Dominate Headlines
WAFA – 20 Feb 2013
PA to Pay its Employees Part of January Salary
WAFA – 20 Feb 2013
Syria rebels say they don’t have the weapons to end the war
LA Times 19 Feb 2013 – Opposition leaders mostly blame the U.S., which they believe is pressuring Persian Gulf allies to keep heavy weapons out of rebels’ hands. BEIRUT — Just when they expected a flood of heavy weapons to help them make a major push against the forces of President…
The Lede: Palestinian Filmmaker Describes Detention at Los Angeles Airport
New York Times 20 Feb 2013 – The Palestinian filmmaker Emad Burnat, who had a hard time convincing immigration officers at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday that his invitation to the Academy Awards was real, described his brief detention in a statement.
IHT Special: Women Face Fight to Keep Their Rights in Tunisia
New York Times 20 Feb 2013 – In post-revolution Tunisia, new freedoms for some are threatening long-cherished ones for others — particularly those for women.
IHT Special: Lebanon Voting Plan Stirs Sectarian Fervor
New York Times 20 Feb 2013 – A controversial draft law would limit voters to casting ballots for candidates from their own sect. Proponents say the law would ensure fairer elections.
Wrestlers to Protest Olympic Ruling to Drop Sport
New York Times 20 Feb 2013 – Wrestlers from the world’s top wrestling nations plan to lie on their mats Thursday in Tehran to protest a decision by the International Olympic Committee to drop wrestling from the 2020 Games.
Egyptian Demonstrators Temporarily Shut Down Port on Suez Canal
New York Times 20 Feb 2013 – Demonstrators shut down a major port at the Mediterranean entrance to the Suez Canal, ignoring President Mohamed Morsi’s promises of economic development.
On Trial, Man Says Hezbollah Scouted Israeli Targets in E.U.
New York Times 20 Feb 2013 – Hossam Taleb Yaacoub was arrested in Cyprus in July, less than two weeks before a busload of Israelis was blown up in an attack in Bulgaria that has been linked to Hezbollah.
Former Lebanon Minister and Syrian Co-Defendants Could Face Death Penalty
New York Times 20 Feb 2013 – A Lebanese military court charged a former government information minister and a Syrian security official of a conspiracy to kill political and religious leaders and foment sectarian strife.
At War Blog: Treasure Hunters in Uniform: ‘Monuments Men’ Remembered
New York Times 20 Feb 2013 – As the Germans bombed and invaded Europe during World War II, they also stole millions of works of art from museums, churches, universities and homes. A relatively unknown Allied unit known as the “Monuments Men” tracked down many of these spoils of war — often at great personal risk.
Israel awards first Golan oil drilling license
Globes Energy & Water – The license was awarded to Genie Energy, headed by former minister Effie Eitam. Shareholders include Lord Jacob Rothschild, and Rupert Murdoch.
Isramco obtains $500m Deutsche Bank loan
Globes Energy & Water – The company will use the loan to finance its share of the development of the Tamar gas field.
Wix to raise $75m on Wall Street – report
Globes Main News – “Bloomberg” reports the website builder has chosen JPMorgan Chase as underwriter. The IPO gives Wix a value of $400 million.
US cuts jeopardize Iron Dome, Arrow
Globes Main News – The US budget cut could reduce aid to Israel by $729 million, including $429 million for anti-missile programs, Washington sources say.
Wed: Isramco fuels market gains
Globes Main News – Tamar partner Isramco rose strongly after obtaining a Deutsche Bank loan, and Teva gained ground on the day’s biggest turnover.
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Globes Main News – 2012 revenue rose 51% to $436.3 million and non-GAAP net profit rose to $50 million.
Viola set to take over Gaon Holdings for NIS 70m
Globes Main News – If a deal is reached Gaon chairman Moshe Gaon will lose control of the company founded by his late father, Benny Gaon.
Slowdown threatens to become recession
Globes Macro Economics – The new government will have to figure out how to reduce spending while simultaneously preventing a surge in unemployment.
IDF develops missile data analysis system
Globes Aerospace & Defense – The Revital system is a kind of black box, which documents in real time the missile’s trajectory to target.
Despite Palestinian Director’s Oscars Hassle, Customs Insists U.S. ‘Welcoming’
The Foward Breaking News 20 Feb 2013 – A Palestinian filmmaker on his way to the Academy Awards said on Wednesday he was held at Los Angeles International Airport and threatened with deportation before being allowed into the United States. Click here for the rest of the article…
Marco Rubio and Benjamin Netanyahu Toast Israel Ties — With Water Bottles
The Foward Breaking News 20 Feb 2013 – Senator Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toasted their nations’ close ties on Wednesday with a click of plastic water bottles reminiscent of the Republican’s sip seen ‘round the world in Washington last week. Click here for the rest of the article…
Sequestration Budget Cuts Would Slash Aid to Israel
The Foward Breaking News 20 Feb 2013 – Sequestration could lead to cuts in military assistance to Israel, Jordan and Egypt, Secretary of State John Kerry told Congress. Click here for the rest of the article…
Prisoner X Case Raises Ugly Issue of ‘Dual Loyalty’ for Australia Jews
The Foward Breaking News 20 Feb 2013 – As more details have seeped out about the mysterious life and death of Israel’s Prisoner X – identified last week by an Australian TV program as Ben Zygier – the wall of silence surrounding those who knew him has begun to show some cracks. Click here…
Gays Debate ‘Pinkwashing’ as N.Y. Center Reverses Ban on Israel-Related Events
The Forward New 20 Feb 2013 – A prominent backer of the claim that Israel uses its record on gay rights to ‘pinkwash’ mistreatment of Palestinians has won the right to speak at a major New York LGBT center. Click here for the rest of the article…
Kenya: Israel Celebrates 50 Years With Food Festival
allAfrica.com 20 Feb 2013 – [The Star]Israel celebrity Chef, Omer Miller and the world famous percussionist Gilad Dobrecky were recently in Kenya week to inaugurate and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Israel‘s relationship with Kenya.
Join in the worldwide observances of March 16th
Rachel Corrie Foundation 20 Feb 2013 – Are you looking for an event to join to commemorate the anniversary of Rachel’s stand in Gaza? Would you like resources for your event? If you would like to see you event added to this listing, please email the event information to info@rachelcorriefoundation.org . Additionally, send us…
Russia proposes direct Syria talks
BBC 20 Feb 2013 – Russia and the Arab League say they want to broker direct talks to end the Syria crisis as the opposition prepares to hold a two-day summit in Cairo.
Livni joins Israeli government
BBC 20 Feb 2013 – Former Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni agrees to join a new coalition led by the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Women sworn in on Saudi council
BBC 20 Feb 2013 – Saudi King Abdullah swears in 30 women to the previously all-male Shura Council, seen by many as a major step in female participation in public life in the kingdom.
Iran ‘set up Bahrain militant cell’
BBC 20 Feb 2013 – Bahrain accuses Iran‘s Revolutionary Guards of setting up a militant cell to carry out attacks and assassinations, but government critics are sceptical.
Sexual Violence in Egypt: Can Men Protect Us?
Al-Akhbar Blogs 20 Feb 2013 – Many of the so-called revolutionaries thought it was not the right time to talk about gender equality, that women gain rights as the political struggle proceeds, and that the gender-related issues raised are pushed by western-liberal propaganda. Many times, I thought the incidents of sexual harassment…
Lebanon: Taking on the Sectarian System
Al-Akhbar Opinion 20 Feb 2013 – Monday’s protest at the parliament building could have been mistaken for a small group of people queuing up outside a government office. (Photo: Haytham Al-Moussawi) Monday’s protest at the parliament building could have been mistaken for a small group of people queuing up outside a government…
Oscar-nominated Palestinian director detained at LAX
Al-Akhbar News 20 Feb 2013 – Palestinian director Emad Burnat (L) stands next to his son Jibril as he speaks to the audience after a screening of his Oscar-nominated documentary “5 Broken Cameras” in the West Bank city of Ramallah January 28, 2013. (Photo: Reuters – Mohamad Torokman) Palestinian director Emad Burnat (…
The Orthodox Draft Law: Bargaining From the Brink
Al-Akhbar News 20 Feb 2013 – No one has died but that does not mean no one was injured. (Photo: Haytham Al-Moussawi) No one has died but that does not mean no one was injured. (Photo: Haytham Al-Moussawi) On Tuesday, 19 February 2013, the joint parliamentary committees approved the Orthodox Gathering draft…
Jumblatt’s Proposition to the King
Al-Akhbar News 20 Feb 2013 – This time, the Progressive Socialist Party leader wanted Riyadh to listen to what he had to say rather than the other way around. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) This time, the Progressive Socialist Party leader wanted Riyadh to listen to what he had to say rather than the…
Military judge seeks death penalty for Lebanon ex minister
Al-Akhbar News 20 Feb 2013 – A picture dated on on April 14, 2009 shows Lebanese former information minister Michel Samaha attending the opening of the Syrian-Lebanese Relations Conference, with the participation of 150 prominent intellectuals and researchers from both countries, in Damascus. A Lebanese judge on February 20, 2013, demanded the…
Lebanese Prison Cell…Phones!
Al-Akhbar News 20 Feb 2013 – He indicated that criminals are active from the inside
in arranging operations outside prison. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) He indicated that criminals are active from the inside in arranging operations outside prison. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Officials at Lebanon’s Roumieh prison are unable to get their hands on…
Bahrain says Iran, Hezbollah behind “terror cell”
Al-Akhbar News 20 Feb 2013 – Bahraini women hold placards as they take part in a memorial service for teenager Hussein al-Jazeeri (Jazizi) which later erupted into clashes with riot police in the village of Daih, west of Manama, on February 19, 2013. The 16-year-old was killed in Daih on February 14,…
Exclusive: The Final Hours of Imad Mughniyeh
Al-Akhbar Politics 19 Feb 2013 – The explosion was heard around 10:20 pm. Some people rushed to the location, including those Mughniyeh was seeing in the apartment. (Photo: Wael Ladki) The explosion was heard around 10:20 pm. Some people rushed to the location, including those Mughniyeh was seeing in the apartment. (Photo:…
Egypt: Salafis and Muslim Brotherhood Part Ways
Al-Akhbar Politics 19 Feb 2013 – A woman walks past a graffiti of the electoral slogan for Salafi political party Al-Nour in Toukh in El-Kalubia, about 25 km northeast of Cairo 31 December 2011. (Photo: Reuters – Amr Abdallah Dalsh) A woman walks past a graffiti of the electoral slogan for Salafi…
Russia proposes direct Syria talks
BBC 20 Feb 2013 – Russia and the Arab League say they want to broker direct talks to end the Syria crisis as the opposition prepares to hold a two-day summit in Cairo.
Livni joins Israeli government
BBC 20 Feb 2013 – Former Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni agrees to join a new coalition led by the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Women sworn in on Saudi council
BBC 20 Feb 2013 – Saudi King Abdullah swears in 30 women to the previously all-male Shura Council, seen by many as a major step in female participation in public life in the kingdom.
Iran ‘set up Bahrain militant cell’
BBC 20 Feb 2013 – Bahrain accuses Iran‘s Revolutionary Guards of setting up a militant cell to carry out attacks and assassinations, but government critics are sceptical.
Syria footballer ‘killed by mortars’
BBC 20 Feb 2013 – A Syrian footballer has been killed in a mortar strike near a stadium in the capital, Damascus, a state news outlet says.
Articles
Pictures speak volumes in Oscar-nominated Israeli films
Jonathan Cook, Israeli Occupation Archive 2/20/2013
Israelis have been revelling in the prospect of an Oscar night triumph next week, with two Israeli-financed films among the five in the running for Best Documentary. But the country’s right-wing government is reported to be quietly fuming that the films, both of which portray Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories in a critical light, have garnered so much attention following their nominations.
Guy Davidi, the Israeli co-director of 5 Broken Cameras, one of the finalists, said industry insiders had warned him that pressure was being exerted on the Academy to stop the films winning the award.
“Many people in Hollywood are working very hard to make sure that neither film wins,” he said. “From Israel’s point of view, an Oscar would be a public relations disaster and mean more people get to see our films.”
The film is a searing account by Palestinian filmmaker Emad Burnat of a six-year period in his West Bank village during which the residents protested non-violently against an Israeli wall that cut off their farmland.
Israeli soldiers are shown beating, tear-gassing and shooting the villagers and solidarity activists.
The other Israeli-backed contender, The Gatekeepers, directed by Dror Moreh, features confessions by all six former heads of the Shin Bet, the main agency overseeing Israel’s occupation, since 1980. All are deeply critical of Israel’s rule over the Palestinians, with one even comparing it to the Nazis’ occupation of Europe.
Both films have won critical acclaim. This month The Gatekeepers won the Cinema for Peace Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film has also been picked up by a major distributor, Sony Pictures Classics. — See also: Oscars-bound Palestinian film-maker describes ‘unpleasant’ LAX detention more.. e-mail
‘Gangnam Style’ parody puts spotlight on Gaza siege
Eva Bartlett, Gaza City, Electronic Intifada 2/18/2013
GAZA CITY (IPS) – “We wanted to do something to bring focus to the plight of Palestinian political prisoners, of which there are around 5,000 in Israeli jails, including hunger strikers, children, women,” said Mohannad Barakat, 30, one of seven Palestinians who have made a version of the pop song “Gangnam Style” based on life in Gaza.
The “Gangnam Gaza Style” parodies the video for the chart-topping South Korean pop song “Gangnam Style.” Gaza’s version the injects sordid realities of Palestinians’ lives under Israeli military occupation and a siege that has lasted for a number of years.
“We wanted to tell the outside world about the impossible circumstances under which we live: that our airport has been destroyed, our fishermen are prevented from accessing their sea, that half our population is out of work, that we use tunnels instead of border crossings and donkeys because fuel is scarce.”
The Gazan rendition of the Korean dance video highlights some of Gaza’s most urgent problems under the siege, including daily power outages, fuel shortages, lack of freedom of movement and unemployment.
Dressed in black, heads wrapped with the traditional black and white kuffiyehs (traditional checkered scarves), five men and two children perform a fusion of “Gangnam Style” moves and dabke, the energetic dance found in many Arab countries. Filmed over a two week period, using a cell phone camera, the clip cost roughly $100 to make.
“Everything was destroyed”
The four-and-a-half minute video hops from Gaza’s coast, polluted with the untreatable sewage pumped into the sea at the rate of 90 million liters per day, to gas-less filling stations, to the tunnels which serve as border crossings and bring Israeli-banned construction materials into Strip, long devastated by Israeli bombing. more.. e-mail
With Livni as his fig leaf, Bibi can now form an extremist government
Larry Derfner, +972 Magazine 2/20/2013
With Tzipi Livni in the next government, Netanyahu doesn’t need Yair Lapid anymore – he can have the haredim and Naftali Bennett and pacify Obama, all at once.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [file photo], Amos Ben-Gershom/GPO Give the devil his due: Bibi pulled off a masterstroke yesterday by signing Tzipi Livni’s Hatnuah party to his coalition. Now he’s got clear sailing to his ideal government – one made up of the right wing and ultra-Orthodox, his base, but one that also keeps Obama and the Europeans off his back by giving the appearance – completely hollow – that he intends to try to move toward peace with the Palestinians. That’s Livni’s role, and she’ll be happy to play it; she’s been given the job of heading up negotiations with the Palestinians, which is what she always wanted, and it saves her from dying politically in the opposition with her six measly Knesset seats.
The important thing is that Netanyahu doesn’t need Yair Lapid anymore. Lapid was a problem – if Netanyahu gave in to his core demand to draft the haredim into military or civilian national service, he would have a haredi intifada on his hands and the haredim for enemies. But if on the other hand he rebuffed Lapid, whose Yesh Atid is the second largest party, he wouldn’t have enough support in hand to build a coalition, for which he needs a majority of the 120-member Knesset. But now he’s g
ot Livni’s Hatnuah. Which means he can scoop up the haredim as well as Naftali Bennett’s far-right Jewish Home party, which, despite Bennett’s rhetoric, doesn’t want to draft the haredim because that would mean a schism with the settlers, and really only wants to expand settlements, strengthen Jewish nationalism and bash the Palestinians, which Likud-Beiteinu and the prospective haredi parties in the government want to do, too, and which Livni won’t have the power to stop. — See also: Fake peace talks are far worse than no peace talks more.. e-mail
Photographing Tragedy: What the Victims Actually Want
Palestine Chronicle: 20 Feb 2013 – By Ramzy Baroud When one looks at scenes of feeling refugees from Syria, browse through images of their squalid refugee camps, hears their plea for solidarity, for mercy, for God’s help to end their suffering, one finds eerie similarities between their experiences and those of Palestinians, Lebanese, Iraqis. The worse part of the tragedy, however, is when it is so prolonged, by whichever factor, to the extent, that the video footage, the photo and the personal accounts, which are meant to delineate an urgent reality, themselves become the ever-present state of affairs, a painful and humiliating status quo. But is there a line of demarcation that people cross, where they cease to represent a real crisis – humanitarian, political, or any other – to merely subsist in their anguish, simply counting days in their UN-supplied blue tents, waiting for salvation, and getting none? What is the use of a journalist…more
Video Game Review: Presidential Drone Hit List – Satire
Palestine Chronicle: 20 Feb 2013 – By Barb Weir Presidential Drone Hit List makes you work to find the people you’re supposed to kill, but the job of doing so is relatively easy and without risk. The Good -Large variety of targets and theatres of operation – Multiple tasks: gather intelligence, identify potential targets, get approval, assassinate – Quick learning curve; doesn’t require nearly the skills of an on-board pilot -No cost: the CIA teaches and pays you to play -You never run out of targets; killing one enemy creates many more – No need for a declaration of war The Bad – Waiting for the target to be approved is sometimes boring – Beyond the explosion itself, you never get to see your kill up close -You are sworn to secrecy and only get to share your kills with a few co-workers – You are not allowed to question policy Presidential Drone Hit List (PDHL)…more
Photographing Tragedy: What Victims Actually Want
Dissident Voice: 20 Feb 2013 – When one looks at scenes of fleeing refugees from Syria via images of their squalid refugee camps and hears their pleas for solidarity, mercy or for God’s help to end their suffering, one finds eerie similarities between their experiences and those of the Palestinians, Lebanese and Iraqis. However, the worse part of the tragedy occurs when it is so prolonged that video footage, photos and personal accounts meant to delineate an urgent reality, wind up becoming the ever-present state of affairs, a painful and humiliating status quo. But is there a line of demarcation that people cross, where they cease to represent a real crisis – humanitarian, political, or any other – merely subsisting in their anguish, simply counting days in their UN-supplied blue tents as they await salvation? What is the use of a photo when the human conscience has grown numb, and barely appreciates the artistic expression of…more
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The New Dark Age 