21 February 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
El-Eesawy Sentenced To Eight Months, His Hunger Strike Continues
IMEMC – Hunger striking Palestinian detainee, Samer Al-Eesawy, was sentenced Thursday by the Israeli District Court in Jerusalem to eight months imprisonment starting from the date of his arrest on July 7, 2012. …
Immediate action needed to ensure Israel respects hunger-strikers’ rights
IMEMC – Ramallah-Jaffa, 20 February 2013 – Addameer, Al-Haq and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-Israel) express their grave concern for the health of four Palestinian hunger-strikers and outrage at the continued use by Israel of administrative detention as a widespread practice to punish and suppress Palestinian dissent against the Israeli occupation. …
Fisherman Injured and Fishing Boat Damaged
IMEMC – PCHR Condemns the Israeli Forces’ Assaults on Palestinian Fishermen in Gaza Waters The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the Israeli Navy’s attacks against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip and expresses its deep concern for such escalation, which resulted in injuring two fishermen and partially damaging their boat today. …
Settlers Invade Qasra Village Near Nablus
IMEMC – Thursday February 21; a group of armed extremist Israeli settlers invaded, shortly after midnight, the village of Qarsa, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, broke into several homes and torched six cars that belong to the residents, the Arabs48 News Website reported. …
Soldiers Kidnap Two Children In Silwan
IMEMC – The Wadi Hilweh Information Center, in Silwan town in occupied East Jerusalem, reported that Israeli soldiers kidnapped, on Wednesday evening and on Thursday at dawn, two Palestinian children in the town, and took him to interrogation facilities. …
Samer Issawi sentenced to 8 months in prison
2/21/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli court on Thursday sentenced hunger-striker Samer Issawi to eight months in prison, but he has yet to face a military committee which could imprison him for 20 years. Issawi has been on hunger strike for 204 days. The magistrates court in Jerusalem sentenced Issawi for leaving Jerusalem, in violation…. Related: Lawyer condemns Issawi court decision
Witnesses: 1 shot, 2 detained in Israeli raids in Jenin
2/21/2013 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli forces shot a Palestinian in his leg and detained two people in raids in the Jenin district overnight Wednesday, witnesses said. Soldiers detained Samid Abu Haija from his home in al-Yamun, northwest of Jenin, and 24-year-old Mohammad Naser al-Sadi from Jenin refugee camp. In Birqin village, west of Jenin….
Witnesses: Israeli forces level farmland along Gaza border
2/21/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli military vehicles entered the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday and leveled farmland near the border, witnesses said. Six army vehicles entered east of Khan Younis, near al-Rawaydeh and al-Amour neighborhoods, and soldiers in watchtowers along the border opened fire, witnesses told Ma’an. No injuries were reported. An….
Dozens injured at Ofer protest for hunger strikers
2/21/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli forces clashed with hundreds of Palestinians protesting near Ramallah on Thursday in solidarity with long-term hunger strikers in Israeli jails. A Ma’an reporter said 29 protesters were injured by rubber-coated bullets and dozens more suffered tear gas inhalation. Prisoners minister Issa Qaraqe and Fatah central committee member Mahmud….
Israel hands eviction notices to Nablus villagers
2/21/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Thursday handed four Palestinians orders to evict their homes which are slated for demolition near Nablus in the northern West Bank, a Palestinian Authority official said. Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors settlement activities, told Ma’an that Mahmud Abu Jish, Fadi Ahmad, Nader Mohammad and Ahmad al-Karim were….
Official: Settlers torch 6 cars in Nablus village
2/21/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Armed settlers attacked a village south of Nablus overnight Wednesday and torched six cars, a Palestinian Authority official said. Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors settlement activity in the northern West Bank, said dozens of residents of the Esh Kodesh settlement outpost entered Qusra village firing heavily. They torched six cars, belonging to….
Palestinian Oscar nominee briefly detained in Los Angeles
2/21/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian Oscar nominee who was briefly detained and threatened with deportation in Los Angeles says the experience is a “daily occurrence” for Palestinians in the West Bank. Emad Burnat, whose “5 Broken Cameras” is competing for an Oscar in the Best Documentary Feature category, said US immigration officials took him….
Jerusalem archbishop visits solidarity tent for prisoners
2/21/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Archbishop Theodosius Atallah Hanna on Wednesday visited a solidarity tent near Ramallah for prisoners on hunger strike.”Our duty is to defend prisoners in Israeli detention because we love our land and our nation,” the Jerusalem archbishop said at the tent in al-Bireh. He called on all people to intensify solidarity….
PPS: Prisoner serving life sentence hospitalized
2/21/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — A Palestinian prisoner of Israel has been hospitalized after a sudden deterioration in his health, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said Thursday. Maisara Abu Hamdiah, 64, has been transferred from Rimon jail to Soroka Hospital, the PPS said in a statement. He has a serious glandular infection and cannot speak, the society….
Gaza man self-immolates in government office
2/21/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A man set himself on fire at a government office in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday, wounding himself and four others, witnesses and medics said. The man was seriously wounded after he self-immolated at an office for the Ministry of Social Affairs in Jabalia, witnesses told Ma’an….
Lawyer condemns Issawi court decision
2/21/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The director of the Palestinian prisoners’ club, Qadoura Fares, said the decision of an Israeli court not to release hunger-striker Samir Issawi showed the Israeli government was a “mafia.””The Israeli court sentences Issawi to eight months in prison under the charge that he went to Ramallah, so Ofer military…. Related: Samer Issawi sentenced to 8 months in prison
Netanyahu, Rubio in water-bottle toast to US, Israel ties
2/21/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — US 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 around the world in Washington last week. Photographers captured the cross-table gesture in Netanyahu’s office moments after Rubio….
Palestinian officials dismiss Livni’s appointment
2/21/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian leaders have reacted negatively to the appointment of Tzipi Livni as the head of the negotiations file with the Palestinians, describing it as a step backwards. Livni was responsible for the negotiations portfolio in 2006 and 2009, two years when little progress was made toward achieving a deal between the….
Israel’s Oscar bid discomforts Netanyahu government
2/21/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — An Oscar-nominated Israeli documentary has brought little joy to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, the focus of the film’s criticism of Israel‘s policy toward the Palestinians. Featuring searingly confessional interviews with six former chiefs of the shadowy security service Shin Bet, “The Gatekeepers” portrays the 46-year-old….
Brigade threatens to fire rockets if hunger striker harmed
2/21/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Ahmed Abu Rish Brigades on Thursday threatened to fire rockets at Israel if any jailed hunger striker is harmed.” We will continue to work with rockets and we will not stand by idly. Military operations will be implemented to achieve the rights of prisoners and to free them,” brigades….
Hamas says PA detained 6 members in West Bank
2/21/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas on Thursday saidPalestinian Authority security forces detained six of its members in the West Bank. Forces from the Fatah-led PA detained Hamas members in Hebron, Nablus and Qalqiliya, Hamas said in a statement. [END]
DFLP chief hurt in Damascus explosion
2/21/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The head of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine was lightly injured on Thursday in a car bomb that shook central Damascus and killed several people, a DFLP official said. Nayef Hawatmeh, 74, suffered minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment when the bomb exploded near DFLP offices…. Related: Bomb hits central Damascus near ruling party building
Gaza govt releases 35 prisoners
2/21/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza’s Interior Ministry on Thursday released 35 prisoners for good behavior, halfway through their sentences. Hamas Minister of Justice Attallah Abu al-Sabah attended a ceremony to mark the prisoners’ release.”I’m glad to see young people who have returned to repentance and freedom and I….
Health union to go on strike for 2 weeks
2/21/2013 – RAMALLAH (MA‘an) — The union of health workers announced Thursday an open strike in all health facilities for two weeks. In a statement, the union said thatfrom Feb. 24 until March 10 workers will carry out a strike. Staff will work on an emergency basis by decreasing their numbers in all sectors and will….
Medics: Newborn dies after Gaza house fire
2/21/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A newborn baby girl died in hospital on Wednesday after she was severely burned in a house fire in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, medics said. Jannat Ahmad Abu Ihayyil died hours after she was admitted to intensive care at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Head of the emergency department….
Bomb hits central Damascus near ruling party building
2/21/2013 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — A big explosion shook the central Damascus district of Mazraa on Thursday, residents said, and Syrian state media blamed what it said was a suicide bombing on “terrorists” battling President Bashar Assad. Syrian television broadcast footage of at least four bodies strewn along a main street and firefighters dousing the charred remains of…. Related: DFLP chief hurt in Damascus explosion
Presidential adviser: Egypt election to begin April 28
2/21/2013 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Egyptian parliamentary elections will begin on April 28 and be held in four stages, Mohamed Gadallah, a legal adviser to President Mohamed Mursi, told Reuters on Thursday.” Parliamentary elections for 2013 will begin on April 28, over four stages,” presidential adviser Mohamed Gadallah said. [END]
Tunisia’s outgoing PM apologizes to Tunisian people
2/21/2013 – TUNIS (Reuters) — Tunisia’s outgoing prime minister Hamadi Jebali apologized on Thursday to the Tunisian people and urged them to unite to pull the country out of its political crisis. Jebali, head of government for 14 months, has refused to lead the next administration and his Islamist Ennahda party says it will soon name….
Israel sentences hunger-striking Palestinian
AlJazeera 21 Feb 2013 – Samer Issawi to serve at least one more month in jail, but fate remains unclear as additional case is pending.
Israeli Court Sentences Striking Prisoner Issawi to 8 Months
Palestine News Network
Poll: Large Majority of Palestinians Want Immediate Elections
Palestine News Network
Clashes Erupt Between IOF Forces, Palestinians at Ofer Israeli Prison
Palestine News Network
Israeli Occupation Arrests Student in Beit Ummar, Hebron
Palestine News Network
John Kerry Ignores Israel and Palestine in First Official Speech
Palestine News Network
Kerry Expected to Meet with Palestinian Peace Negotiator
Palestine News Network
A Week Before the Eviction of the Shamasneh Family: Sheikh Jarrah Residents Organize a Protest March
Palestine News Network
Jewish Settlers Attack Village Near Nablus
Palestine News Network
MADA: Israeli Occupation Carried Out 27 Arrests of Journalists during the Past Two Years
Palestine News Network
EUPOL COPPS Holds a Workshop on Community Policing
Palestine News Network
Hunger-Striking Prisoner Issawi: There is No Going Back
Palestine News Network
Immediate Action Needed to Ensure Israel Respects Hunger-Strikers’ Rights
Palestine News Network
Former Irish Hunger Striker to Samer Al Issawi “Stay Strong”
Palestine News Network
Eight Palestinians Injured During Confrontations in Nablus
Palestine News Network
Israeli Authorities Urged to Release Palestinian Cartoonist
Palestine News Network
Rights Groups Demand Court Explain Reduction in Sentences for Murder of Italian Activist
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Fisherman Injured and Fishing Boat Damaged; PCHR Condemns the Israeli Forces’ Assaults on Palestinian Fishermen in Gaza …
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
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Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Alternative Information Center
Palestinian civil society welcomes UN mission findings
Alternative Information Center – Palestinian civil society welcomes the findings and recommendations of the UN Fact Finding Mission on Israeli settlements. The Ramat Shlomo settlement in East Jerusalem (Photo: Wikipedia) The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC), a…
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Relief Web 21 Feb 2013 – Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: Egypt, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic General Information The number of Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR in Egypt is 18,404 individuals (6,883 families) as of 20th of February 2013. In addition, there…
013) 272 truckloads containing a variety of goods and 173 tons of gas were delivered into the Gaza Strip
Relief Web 21 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.
Turkey: Relief Was Delivered To The Hundreds And Thousands Disaster Victims
Relief Web 21 Feb 2013 – Source: Government of Turkey Country: Myanmar, occupied Palestinian territory, Somalia, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey The TRCS which has been delivering relief to the people in needs regardless of race, religion, language, gender and nation for 145 years, has responded to…
occupied Palestinian territory: Training on the use of reclaimed water f
or agriculture
Relief Web 21 Feb 2013 – Source: Government of Israel Country: occupied Palestinian territory Author: Menachem Adoni As part of the cooperation that exists between the Agriculture Officer at the Civil Administration and the Palestinian Authority, a seminar was held on the subject of using reclaimed…
Australia is more prepared for storms after a Dh110m donation from UAE
The National 22 Feb 2013 – As Queenslanders braced for the monsoon season, a Dh110 million donation from Abu Dhabi meant they had new emergency infrastructure to protect them.
Damascus hit by its deadliest bombing in Syria war
The National 21 Feb 2013 – The attacks, which killed more than 50 people, came as the opposition umbrella group, the Syrian National Coalition, was meeting in Cairo to discuss proposals to hold conditional talks with President Bashar Al Assad’s regime.
Hyderabad blasts kill more than 20
The National 21 Feb 2013 – Hyderabad deputy inspector of police Shiv Kumar said “this is a terror attack for sure”, although he added that there had been no claim of responsibility.
Rebel truce with Kurds is shaky, say experts
The National 21 Feb 2013 – Turkey’s logistical support for the Arab rebels was a signal of its displeasure with the Kurdish militants on its border but Ankara and the Syrian opposition realised that the fighting threatened to spiral out of control.
Police put top officer on Blade Runner case
The National 21 Feb 2013 – Battling embarrassment in the glare of a global media spotlight, South African police named the nation’s most senior detective to take over, as preliminary hearings to decide whether Oscar Pistorius can go free on bail were adjourned until today.
Idex Abu Dhabi: An exhibition that just grows and grows
The National 21 Feb 2013 – Idex 2013: The International Defence Exhibition and Conference was launched 20 years ago with 350 companies from 24 countries. This week it attracted 1,112 companies from all over the world and already half the floor space has been booked for 2015, Kyle Sinclair and Awad Mustafa report
Emiratis train with the best to foil cyber threat
The National 21 Feb 2013 – Idex 2013: The team will be working on identifying targeted cyber attacks and dealing with them at a Cyber Threat Centre in the UK.
Idex visitors take a look at advanced portable airport body scanners
The National 21 Feb 2013 – Idex 2013: The ThruVision scanner was presented this week for the first time in the Middle East at the exhibition.
Bennett, Lapid, Mofaz coordinate coalition moves
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2013
Former MK receives death threats
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2013
Israel’s chief justice sides with rabbis in divorce case, drawing fire from women organizations
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2013
Visiting U.S. Senator Marco Rubio: U.S. shouldn’t dictate policy on settlements
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2013
Iran installs advanced centrifuges at Natanz to speed up nuclear work
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2013
Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike given 8 month sentence
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2013
UNHRC drone-strike investigator: Israel would be wise to cooperate
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2013
Israeli lawyer charged with stealing NIS 5 million from clients
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2013
Dangerous Galilee road sees fourth traffic death in 3 days
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2013
1,000 Palestinians march to IDF prison in support of hunger strikers
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2013
Drugs, guns and bound Palestinians: An Israeli soldier’s photo album
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2013
Trial of Israeli Arabs accused of lynching Jewish terrorist disrupted by demonstration
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2013
Netanyahu’s coalition-building stalls over ‘lenient’ plan for ultra-Orthodox draft
Ha’aretz – 21 Feb 2013
Hadera mayor’s car destroyed in suspected arson
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish women hit glass ceiling in higher education
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Israeli NGO pressed for disclosure about Zygier six months before suicide
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Israeli 12-year-old sent by parents to Thailand monastery to get cured of cancer
Ha’aretz – 20 Feb 2013
Negev’s kalaniyot drape rolling fields
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Stretching from January to the end of February, depending on the flowers, the Darom Adom festival draws approximately 300,000 visitors per month.
Knesset big spenders: Ariel and Gilon
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – MKs’ expenditures range from websites to refreshments to amplifiers.
Experts decry EU ‘delays’ on Hezbollah sanctions
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Israeli analysts believe European reluctance to label Hezbollah a terrorist group stem from fear of antagonizing organization.
Ayalon to ‘Post’: Liberman portrayed Israel as belligerent
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – “In 4 years there was a failure,” former deputy FM says, “and it would be wrong for the country, for the Foreign Ministry and for Liberman, to put him in that position again.”
Egypt’s Morsi calls elections beginning April 27
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Islamist-led administration hopes election of new parliament will help stabilize Egypt so economy in deep crisis can start recovery.
Several Palestinians, 3 journalists hurt in Ofer riots
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Palestinians throw stones and roll burning tires, while soldiers fire tear gas and rubber bullets in protest supporting hunger strikers.
Mom prays for daughter after Nazareth acid attack
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Suspected attacker, who had been stalking 16-year-old girl for years, leaned into her bedroom window and threw acid in her face.
Netanyahu: Iran closer than ever to nuclear bomb
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – IAEA report: 180 centrifuges hooked up at Natanz, Iran‘s main uranium enrichment plant; PM calls findings “very grave.”
Listen to the people
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – By including Livni’s party in the coalition and by offering Yacimovich the Treasury portfolio (if news reports are true) while allowing Yesh Atid and Bayit Yehudi to languish, Netanyahu is performing a disservice to the voters who went to the polls on January 22.
Savir’s Corner: Raising expectations
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – For peace to be sustained, it must be inclusive of mainstream constituencies and legitimized by them.
Another Tack: Not created equal
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 –
Not a coincidence
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – The story of the Purim miracle took place when the nation was returning to the Land of Israel after the first exile, which lasted 70 years.
My learned and distinguished colleague
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – In Israel, you learn early on that you must butt-in and speak out, and if you don’t act like the herd, you will not be heard.
Editor’s Notes: What about a mini-region?
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Prof. Uriel Halbreich proposes a confederation of Israel, Jordan and Palestine.
My Word: The Prisoner X factor
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Intelligence, in both senses of the word, and a touch of Israeli chutzpah – an unbeatable combination.
‘Gazans seek elections as Hamas support declines’
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – AWRAD poll shows support for Hamas declined since December; 68% support negotiations if Israel halts settlement construction.
‘Water crisis as much about management as nature’
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Expert says solutions should include increased water recycling and reuse as well as more effective pricing mechanisms.
Chosen Bites: Good things in small packages
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Slow Braised Short Rib Kreplach can be a perfect alternative to the traditional hamantaschen for Purim.
‘Israel responsible for child in Thai monastery’
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – NGO to Post: State accountable for welfare of child with leukemia living in Bangkok without his family; child seeks to return to Israel.
UK convicts 3 Islamists for plotting another 9/11
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Judge warns convicts to expect life in prison as plot intended to create “another 9/11” in campaign to bomb crowded areas.
Ancient industrial installation found under Jaffa
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Workers find “impressive remains” from the Byzantine era, according to the Antiquities Authority.
Peres crop circle
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Drawing was created at Kibbutz Tel Yosef by the artist Peter Weiner; believed to be biggest field drawing ever created in Israel.
Sharon opposed findings of Sabra, Shatilla probe
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Declassified protocols show then-defense minister saying report finds Israel responsibile, makes massacre seem like genocide.
Hunger-striker Essawi sentenced to eight months
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Following clashes during march in solidarity with hunger-striking detainees, J’lem court sentences prisoner Essawi to term in prison.
‘Offensive’ Julia Louise Dreyfus ad pulled from YES
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Satellite TV provider pulls commercial off the air following social media protest of Israeli feminist group.
Voices of Jerusalem: Theatrical threads
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – Purim special: Loren Minsky speaks to Shira Friedman, the creative force behind Trumpeldor, a second-hand and vintage store.
Car bomb kills over 50 near Damascus ruling party HQ
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – TV footage shows charred bodies, widespread damage; explosion on road near Baath offices, Russian Embassy; activists report other blasts in Syria.
The Purim Schmooze
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – The hottest Jewish culture news worldwide: Lena Dunham’s Purim Spiel, Gangsta megilla story; Ahmadinejad e-cards.
Abusive journalism
Jerusalem Post 21 Feb 2013 – When a newspaper claims that an Orthodox rabbi defended a sex offender, you have to ask, is that really what happened?
TAU students advance to regional finals for Hult Prize
Jerusalem Post 20 Feb 2013 – Worldwide social good competition will grant $1 million to winning team.
The Israel-Palestine drama will play out at the Oscars | Amy Goodman
The Guardian 21 Feb 2013 – Films from each side of the settlement walls have broached the conflict at the Oscars, despite a detained director The Academy Awards ceremony will make history this year with the first ever nomination of a feature…
George Galloway: ‘I don’t debate with Israelis’ – video
The Guardian 21 Feb 2013 – George Galloway walks out of a debate at Christ Church college at Oxford University on Wednesday after finding out that another debater was an Israeli citizen
George Galloway refuses to debate with Israeli student at Oxford
The Guardian 21 Feb 2013 – Respect MP accused of racism after walking out of West Bank debate at university, saying: ‘I don’t debate with Israelis’ George Galloway has been accused of racism after walking out of a debate at Oxford University…
Despite Right-Wing Opposition, Hagel Looks Set for Confirmation
IPS Despite an appeal Thursday by 15 right-wing Republican senators for President Barack Obama to withdraw the nomination of Chuck Hagel as his next defence secretary, the former Republican senator from Nebraska appears virtually certain to be confirmed as Pentagon chief by the full Senate next week. The fact that his…
Drones not only killing ‘particular people’ but rescuers as well: LHC
Uruknet
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Uruknet
The American Dimension of the Egyptian Revolution
Uruknet
Israeli settlers escalate attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem
Uruknet
Samer Issawi sentenced to 8 months in prison
Uruknet
Why has an Israeli Soldier’s Instagram Photo Sparked More Outrage than Israeli War Crimes?
Uruknet
Israel’s War Criminal of the Year Award
Uruknet
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Uruknet
Soldiers’ confessions prove shocking Israeli Instagram photo soldiers not just a few bad apples
Uruknet
Iran installing new nuclear equipment: IAEA
Daily Star 21 Feb 2013 Iran has begun installing next-generation equipment at one of its main nuclear plants, a new IAEA report said Thursday, drawing condemnation from the United States.
Ransom, retribution fuel Syria’s kidnap spree
Daily Star 21 Feb 2013 When you’re kidnapped in Syria, you may not know if you’ve been taken for your political views or your bank balance.
Hague urges Syria’s Assad to talk to the opposition
Daily Star 21 Feb 2013 British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Thursday urged President Bashar al-Assad’s regime to respond positively to an offer of dialogue by Syrian opposition chief Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib.
Tunisia’s Islamist Ennahda to pick hardliner for PM
Daily Star 21 Feb 2013 Tunisia’s main Islamist Ennahda party will pick a hardliner to replace moderate outgoing Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali after he declined to head the next government, a party official said on Thursday.
Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops
Daily Star 21 Feb 2013 Hundreds of Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli security forces Thursday, hurling rocks and burning tires at a West Bank demonstration to show solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Egypt’s Mursi to call elections for April – source
Daily Star 21 Feb 2013 Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi will call a parliamentary election starting in April, a presidential source told Reuters on Thursday, saying the vote would be held in three or four stages.
Syrian opposition says Assad cannot be part of deal
Daily Star 21 Feb 2013 The opposition Syrian National Coalition is willing to negotiate a peace deal under U.S and Russian auspices to end the country’s civil war but President Bashar al-Assad cannot be a party to any settlement.
Bulgaria did not request EU blacklist Hezbollah: envoy
Daily Star 21 Feb 2013 Bulgarian Charge d’Affaires to Lebanon says Sofia did not request that Hezbollah be blacklisted as a terror group when it submitted its report to the European Union into the Burgas bus bombing.
STL postpones trial date of Hezbollah suspects
Daily Star 21 Feb 2013 The STL postpones the trial date of the four Hezbollah suspects accused in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the court says.
EU: Iran heightens nuclear concerns
YNet News, 21 Feb 2013 – ….
Likud, United Torah Judaism negotiators meet in Jerusalem
YNet News, 21 Feb 2013 – ….
Another Republican senator backs Hagel for Pentagon chief
YNet News, 21 Feb 2013 – ….
NATO to consider maintaining larger Afghan force
YNet News, 21 Feb 2013 – ….
Hezbollah’s test
YNet News, 21 Feb 2013 – Op-ed: Lebanese journalist says Shiite terror group must show restraint amid Israeli ‘provocations’ ….
There won’t be another opportunity
YNet News, 21 Feb 2013 – Op-ed: In open letter, head of ‘Be Free Isra
el‘ tells Lapid many Israelis are pinning their hopes on him ….
Palestinian Information Center
Turkey studies the striking prisoners’ demands
PIC – A group of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have sent a letter to Turkish President, Abdullah Gul, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, urging them to save the prisoners on hunger strike.
Settlers burn 6 vehicles in Nablus
PIC – Israeli settlers continued their attacks in different areas of the West Bank, where they attacked, after midnight, Palestinian houses and vehicles in the village of Kasra south of Nablus..
New Palestinian prisoner declares hunger strike
PIC – The captive Younis Hroub, from of al-Khalil, has declared a hunger strike, protesting against his continued administrative detention, human rights sources revealed.
IOF arrests 19 Palestinian children in two weeks
PIC – The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested during the first half of February at least 19 Palestinian children, and injured other dozens, a Palestinian report revealed.
Medical error was about to kill the prisoner Mouqda
PIC – The sick prisoner Mansour Mohammed Mouqda, sentenced to life imprisonment, stated that a doctor in Ramla prison hospital was about to kill him as a result of medical error.
IOF soldiers arrest youth, prevent family from farming their land
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested a Palestinian youth at the Container roadblock, to the north east of Bethlehem, at dawn Thursday.
Israeli forces arrest two Jerusalemite minors
PIC – Israeli occupation soldiers stormed Silwan town, south of occupied Jerusalem, at dawn Thursday and nabbed two Palestinian boys.
Israeli Court Sentences Striking Prisoner Issawi to 8 Months
WAFA – 21 Feb 2013
Fayyad Condemns Israeli Sabotage of Property
WAFA – 21 Feb 2013
Poll: Large Majority Wants Immediate Elections
WAFA – 21 Feb 2013
Israeli Soldiers Clash with Protesters near Ramallah
WAFA – 21 Feb 2013
Israel to Demolish Nablus Area Homes
WAFA – 21 Feb 2013
Press Freedom Group Demands Release of Cartoonist
WAFA – 21 Feb 2013
Striking Prisoner Issawi: There is no Going Back
WAFA – 21 Feb 2013
Jewish Settlers Attack Village near Nablus
WAFA – 21 Feb 2013
PEX Report: Al-Quds Index Up
WAFA – 20 Feb 2013
Massive car bomb in Syria kills dozens
LA Times 21 Feb 2013 – The blast near a Baath Party office in Damascus kills at least 53 and injures 235, mostly civilians, official news reports say. The government and the rebels accuse each other. BEIRUT — A powerful car bomb ripped through central Damascus, the Syrian capital, on Thursday,…
Israel’s Dan Meridor on the future of the Likud Party
LA Times 20 Feb 2013 – The longtime member of Netanyahu’s party says it faces a historic identity crisis that could affect its ability to govern. JERUSALEM — Israel‘s conservative Likud Party may have dominated last month’s national elections, but it faces a historic identity crisis that could affect its survival…
The Lede: Police Brutality, Catalyst for Egypt’s Revolution, Continues Under Morsi
New York Times 21 Feb 2013 – More than two years after Egyptians took to the streets to demand Hosni Mubarak’s resignation and an end to impunity for the security forces, activists say civilians are still raped, tortured and killed in police custody.
The Lede: Syrian Television’s Most Outraged Bystander
New York Times 21 Feb 2013 – The same man on the street has been featured in at least 19 reports on state-run television channels in Syria since the uprising began.
Iran Upgrading Nuclear Equipment, Inspectors Say
New York Times 21 Feb 2013 – Just days before new talks with the West, inspectors said Iran was installing a new generation of equipment for enriching uranium that could help it produce fuel more quickly.
The Lede: Assad Denies Starting War in New Interview
New York Times 21 Feb 2013 – The German filmmaker Hubert Seipel made video of his recent interview with President Bashar al-Assad of Syria available to The Lede.
Bombings in Syrian Capital Kill at Least 72, Opposition Says
New York Times 21 Feb 2013 – A blast on Thursday near the Damascus headquarters of President Bashar al-Assad’s ruling party killed mostly civilians but also security forces, opposition sources said.
Testimony in Trial of Hezbollah Operative Continues in Cyprus
New York Times 21 Feb 2013 – A Hezbollah operative, Hossam Taleb Yaacoub, said at his trial on Thursday that he was told to record the arrival times of flights from Israel to Cyprus.
The Lede: Reporters in Syria See No End in Sight
New York Times 21 Feb 2013 – The war between President Bashar al-Assad’s troops and rebel forces remains a mix of the sectarian, political and personal that has turned streets, workplaces and homes into rubble-strewn battlegrounds.
Damascus Car Bomb Kills at Least 31, Activists Say
New York Times 21 Feb 2013 – At least 31 people were killed by a car bomb which struck the central Damascus district of Mazraa on Thursday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Yosef Maiman set to leave Ampal
Globes Energy & Water – Maiman’s resignation is part of the hearings at the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on the transfer of control of the company.
IEC to raise up to $6b overseas
Globes Energy & Water – IEC plans to use some of the proceeds to meet its NIS 11 billion in debt payments and recycling of loans due this year.
Woodside sees 80% exports from Leviathan
Globes Energy & Water – Woodside plans to invest $1.12 billion in developing Leviathan, the company’s largest capital investment in 2013.
Gasoline price set to rise by NIS 0.15 per liter next week
Globes Energy & Water – The price of self-service 95 octane gasoline could again top NIS 8 per liter.
Post-election poll shows Likud-Beitenu collapse
Globes Main News – The Panels poll found that Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid would win 30 Knesset seats, and Likud-Beitenu only 22 seats.
Thu: TA 25 down 0.2% on week after heavy losses today
Globes Main News – Mellanox, EZchip and the banks led the losses while Delek Drilling and Avner bucked the market.
IBI downgrades Israel Chemicals
Globes Main News – IBI cited weak results expected for the fourth quarter of 2012 due to potash market volatility.
Galia Maor receives Leumi salary boost
Globes Main News – The bank‘s former CEO will receive a monthly salary of NIS 35,000 to continue as chairwoman of Bank Leumi Switzerland.
Zim union threatens to renew sanctions
Globes Main News – Workers committee
chairman: They are refusing to pay the 3% raise promised for next July, accept 100 layoffs, and greater managerial flexibility.
Chagall work sells for $314,500 at Tel Aviv auction
Globes Macro Economics – A late Marc Chagall work from 1981, “Bouquet in a Green Vase”, was sold for at an auction by Matsart at the Tel Aviv Hilton.
Saar May Be Forced to Resign Due to Sex Scandal
Tikun Olam – I’ve just recorded my latest video segment for Israel’s Social TV on the most recent developments in the Gideon Saar sex scandal. Jerusalem Post reports that he may be forced to step down as education minister if there is a full investigation. Though at this point…
Judicial Post Mortem: Zygier Tranquilized Before Death, Body Bruised
Tikun Olam – Zygier’s cell The Israeli judge appointed to investigate the death of Prisoner X (aka Ben Zygier) took two years to do so. She released her report only six weeks before Australian TV broke the story open by identifying Zygier as the victim. Yesterday, a mere eight…
Two social critics who used Nazi analogy– Mark Rudd, Betty Friedan
Mondoweiss – Last week we ran Jerry Slater’s post saying that comparisons of Israel‘s behavior to Nazi Germany’s conduct, in the documentary The Gatekeepers, are exaggerated. Jerry points out that Israel‘s conduct in the occupation does not approach actual Nazi crimes. Well, by coincidence, this Tuesday the New…
Video: ‘TMZ’ interviews Emad Burnat on LAX detention
Mondoweiss – Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. Palestinian Director Emad Burnat — TSA Treated Me Like Dirt – Watch More Celebrity Videos or Subscribe TMZ covers what it calls, “the story of the day” and interviews 5 Broken Cameras director Emad Burnat on being detained at…
NPR blames the victim: Emad Burnat brought suffering to Bil’in by filming occupiers
Mondoweiss – An appalling report on the great film “5 Broken Cameras, ” by Larry Abramson of NPR last night, suggested that filmmaker Emad Burnat had brought violence upon his tiny occupied village, Bil’in, by seeking to document the oppression. Here (thanks to Susie Kneedler) is the end of…
Khader Adnan leads Red Cross protest in solidarity with Palestinian hunger strikers
Mondoweiss – Khader Adnan and hunger strikers in the lobby of the ICRC, al-Bireh, Monday 18 February 2013. “I consider myself a sample of what happens on a hunger strike,” said Khader Adnan, one of the West Bank’s most revered former administrative detainees, from a mattress on the…
Schumer describes Hagel’s come-to-Jesus moment
Mondoweiss – The two Chucks bro’ down, as reported by the WSJ blog : Defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel “almost had tears in his eyes” when Sen. Chuck Schumer explained during a private meeting his objection to Mr. Hagel’s use of the term “Jewish lobby,” Mr. Schumer recalled Wednesday….
Benjamin Netanyahu Not Happy With Israel’s Oscar-Nominated ‘Gatekeepers’
The Foward Breaking News 21 Feb 2013 – An Oscar-nominated Israeli documentary has brought little joy to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, the focus of the film’s criticism of Israel’s policy toward the Palestinians. Click here for the rest of the article…
Forward’s Larry Cohler-Esses Wins Prize for Hamas Interview
The Forward New 21 Feb 2013 – Larry Cohler-Esses, assistant managing editor of the Forward, has won the second annual David Twersky Journalism Award for his exclusive interview with Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzook. Click here for the rest of the article…
Eying ‘Historic’ Oscars Win, Palestinian Gets Cold Shoulder From Israeli Officials
The Forward New 21 Feb 2013 – When Israeli films were nominated for Oscars in the past, Israel’s consulate organized receptions and viewing parties. This year, there is no contact with one. Click here for the rest of the article…
Nigeria: SSS Busts Alleged Iran-Linked ‘Spy Network’
allAfrica.com 21 Feb 2013 – [Daily Trust]The State Security Service (SSS) yesterday said it has smashed a spy linked to an Iranian-backed terror group which was working on plans to assassinate former military president retired General Ibrahim Babangida and former Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki and attack American and Israeli…
Angola: Iran, Bangladesh to Strengthen Co-Operation
allAfrica.com 21 Feb 2013 – [ANGOP]Luanda –Iran and Bangladesh intend to boost the co-operation with Angola, mainly in the sector of economy, as well as commercial exchange, Angop has learnt.
BDS Movement Position on Boycott of Individuals
Global BDS 21 Feb 2013 – The Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), the largest coalition of Palestinian unions, mass organisations, refugee networks and NGOs that leads and and sets the guidelines for the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, supports all principled action in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice and…
Iran ‘installs advanced centrifuges’
BBC 21 Feb 2013 – The UN’s nuclear watchdog says Iran has begun installing advanced centrifuges at one of its nuclear plants, drawing an angry US reaction.
Many injured in West Bank protests
BBC 21 Feb 2013 – More than 60 people have been injured in
clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli army in the West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent says.
Riot police attack Bahrain protest
Al-Akhbar News 21 Feb 2013 – Riot police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds who had gathered in Bahrain’s western coastal town of Malkiya on Thursday to mark the two-year anniversary of the death of a young activist, witnesses reported on Twitter. Police attacked marchers as they carried Bahraini flags and portraits…
Hariri trial postponed indefinitely
Al-Akhbar News 21 Feb 2013 – A judge at the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon has postponed the start of the landmark trial in absentia of four Hezbollah members charged in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Judge Daniel Fransen says the proposed March 25 start date cannot go…
Dubai Takes on Al-Jazeera: Foes of the Muslim Brotherhood Unite
Al-Akhbar News 21 Feb 2013 – The studio once used by the al-Hayat-LBC (Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation) channel before the cancellation of its merger is now being leased by al-Ghad. (Photo: Al-Akhbar) The studio once used by the al-Hayat-LBC (Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation) channel before the cancellation of its merger is now being leased…
Samer Issawi to be released March 6, pending military ruling
Al-Akhbar News 21 Feb 2013 – Israeli prison service police surround Palestinian prisoner Samer al-Issawi flashes the V-sign for victory as he is wheeled in his wheel chair down a ramp to a waiting police van after his hearing in Magistrate’s Court in Jerusalem, on February 19, 2013. Some 800 Palestinians serving…
Israel Presses EU to Place Hezbollah on Terror List
Al-Akhbar News 21 Feb 2013 – Palestinian children inspects a burnt car in the West Bank village of Qusra near Nablus on 21 February 2013. Israeli settlers torched seven cars in the northern West bank village of Qusra, (Photo: AFP – Jaafar Ashtiyeh) Palestinian children inspects a burnt car in the West…
Lebanon’s Electoral Infidelity Law
Al-Akhbar News 21 Feb 2013 – The majority of MPs defended the Orthodox Gathering proposal on the grounds that it provides the best way of achieving proper representation for Lebanon’s Christians. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) The majority of MPs defended the Orthodox Gathering proposal on the grounds that it provides the best way…
The PNA: Kapos of the West Bank
Al-Akhbar Politics 21 Feb 2013 – An Israeli soldier stands guard at a concrete barrier near Ramallah on February 19, 2013 as hundreds of Palestinian students protested in support of prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli prisons. (Photo: AFP – Abbas Momani) An Israeli soldier stands guard at a concrete barrier near…
The Orthodox Draft Law: Bargaining From the Brink
Al-Akhbar Politics 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 Politics 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…
Lebanese Prison Cell…Phones!
Al-Akhbar Politics 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…
Family of Samer al-‘Issawi Subjected to Repeated Harassment by Israeli Military
Al-Haq 21 Feb 2013 – Ad: New Player In The Food Crisis Niche! 75% Comm + Hot Upsells – Food Crisis Survival Is A New Product For The Survivalist Market Paying 75% Commission. Sells To: Solar, Green, Renewable, Power, Eco, Food, 2012 And More. Banners, Emails, Etc. Visit: www.thefoodcrisis.org/affiliate
Deadly bomb rocks Syrian capital
BBC 21 Feb 2013 – At least 53 people are killed in a car bombing in Damascus, which the Syrian foreign ministry blames on “terrorist groups linked to al-Qaeda”.
Iran ‘installs advanced centrifuges’
BBC 21 Feb 2013 – The UN’s nuclear watchdog says Iran has begun installing advanced centrifuges at one of its nuclear plants, drawing an angry US reaction.
Many injured in West Bank protests
BBC 21 Feb 2013 – More than 60 people have been injured in clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli army in the West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent says.
Morsi calls Egyptian elections
BBC 21 Feb 2013 – Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi says parliamentary elections will start on 27 April and be held in four stages, ending in June.
Yemen forces fire on demonstrators
BBC 21 Feb 2013 – Security forces in the Yemeni city of Aden fire on demonstrators calling for independence, killing at least four and wounding many others.
Dubai police ‘deny Britons’ torture’
BBC 21 Feb 2013 – Dubai police deny allegations they beat and gave electric shocks to three British men awaiting trial on drugs charges, according to media reports.
Articles
Fake peace talks are far worse than no peace talks
Noam Sheizaf, +972 Magazine 2/20/2013
With Tzipi Livni joining Netanyahu’s government and President Obama heading to the region, we might be in for another round of a pseudo-’peace process,’ which has become a code name for an attempt to impose ‘a deal’ on a Palestinian pseudo-leadership.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Mahmoud Abbas, meeting in Washington in 2010. A process for the sake of a process could end in nothing, but could also lead to a violent escelation (photo: State Department photo/ Public Domain)
Hatnuah – Tzipi Livni’s new party that won six seats in the last Israeli elections – was the first Knesset party to sign a coalition agreement with Binyamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu needs another 24 Knesset members to have the minimum majority for a ruling coalition. It is very unlikely that he will fail to get them.
Livni was appointed as justice minister, a member of the security-diplomatic inner cabinet, and as the head of the negotiating team with the Palestinians. It is a deal that made both sides happy: Netanyahu won’t be blamed by the Right for offering “concessions” to the Palestinians (I put the word “concessions” in quotation marks because only in the distorted vocabulary of the peace process is giving the Palestinians their most basic human rights regarded as a favor), while Livni can claim to have a significant enough role to justify her position in a right-wing government, especially after leading an anti-Bibi campaign.
From Netanyahu’s point of view, Livni’s support outweighs her relatively small party. In the last elections, the prime minister lost both Ehud Barak (retired from politics) and Dan Meridor (demoted in the Likud primaries), leaving him without an acceptable liaison to the international community, most notably, the United States…. — See also: With Livni as his fig leaf, Bibi can now form an extremist government more.. e-mail
Collaboration between IDF, settlers reaching point of no return
Yesh Din, written by Yossi Gurvitz, +972 Magazine 2/17/2013
Israeli democracy is being severely compromised by the army’s collaboration with the settlers, and the fact that more and more Israeli citizens now see the occupation as the natural order of things.
The following complaint was received from M., a resident of a village near Qalqiliya:
“Last night, at about 7:30 p.m., we were all in the house. Suddenly I heard a noise outside, including the engine sound of a military vehicle. We didn’t leave the house and I looked through the window. I saw a military jeep parked west of the house, some 150 meters down the road towards the town center. I also saw a large group of settlers moving on the road bordering my house. A military jeep was driving before the mass of settlers, with another jeep behind them. The sun had already set, but I could see what was going outside because there is a lamppost outside my house. The lights of the jeeps were on, and some of the settlers were carrying flashlights. Suddenly we heard stones hitting the house, the greenhouse and the courtyard. Luckily, all the windows of the house are covered, so no stones went in.
“The soldiers remained inside their jeeps during the entire event. The stoning went on for about 10 minutes. When the settlers passed the house, I think there were some 200 men and women there, they shouted “Dirty Arabs,” “Go to Saudi Arabia”, “Death to Arabs.” The settlers went on marching towards the center of the town, then there was quiet. Later, some of the settlers came back and stood next to my water cistern.
“I immediately called the town hall and other residents to inform them of what was going on. Nobody came to help us but we were told that in the center of the town there were four more army jeeps which were using tear gas to prevent any attempt of gathering on the part of the villagers who might have tried to repel the settlers. more.. e-mail
Jerusalem’s refugee camp: Abandoned by the state
Chen Misgav, +972 Magazine 2/17/2013
Although the Shuafat refugee camp is under the jurisdiction of the Jerusalem Municipality, one look at the lack of basic infrastructure, the sewage running in the streets and the unsafe conditions reveal that it is part of a different world.
Several weeks ago, during a late Saturday morning, a group of 20 Jewish-Israelis leave their cars at the entrance to an intimidating military checkpoint outside Shuafat refugee camp. We are meeting with A., a representative of the Jerusalem Committee Against the Wall and the Settlements, who will be giving us a tour of the camp. We walk in line, marching the few hundred meters of narrow road that bypasses the checkpoint, surrounded by wired fences and overlooking the local version of the separation wall. Toward the end of the road, we reach a one-direction turnstile passage – one that only allows entry into the camp.
This is the entrance to Shuafat refugee camp; a part of Jerusalem’s municipal territory, yet hundreds of light years away from the city we know – that same city which is only a few minutes drive from where we currently stand. An Israeli Jew doesn’t just walk into this landscape, as you could tell from the puzzled looks on the faces of the Border Policemen who would watch us leave a few hours later. We are greeted by a man on a motorcycle who shouts at us in Arabic: “What was forcefully taken will only be returned by force!” The man on the motorcycle waits a while to make sure we understand what he has said and then moves on. His cry is understood as a condemnation of all dialogue and cooperation with Israeli Jews. His words spark doubts an
d hesitation among us.
Shuafat refugee camp[1] was established between 1965 and 1966 by the Jordanian regime and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to house refugees who formerly resided in the Old City of Jerusalem until 1948…. more.. e-mail
Scouting Palestinian Territory, 1940-1948: Haganah Village Files, Aerial Photos, and Surveys
Rona Sela, Jerusalem Quarterly File 2/20/2013
Winter Issue
In the years between 1943 and1948, squads of young scouts from the Haganah, the prestate armed organization and forerunner of the Israel Defense Forces, were employed to gather intelligence about Palestinian villages and urban neighborhoods1 in preparation for a future conflict and occupation, and as part of a more general project of creating files on target sites.2
The information was usually collected under the guise of nature lessons aimed at getting to know the country, or of hikes that were common in that period. The scouts systematically built up a database of geographical, topographical and planning information about the villages and population centers. This included detailed descriptions of roads, neighborhoods, houses, public buildings, objects, wells, caves, wadis, and so forth.
Overall, this intelligence effort was known as the “Village Files” project, reflecting the fact that most of the sites about which information was collected were the numerous Palestinian villages existing in Palestine before 1948, and that documenting those villages was a central mission. The scouts’ work included perspective sketches, maps, drawings and photographs of each village and its surroundings. The maps used by the scouts were collected in a secret base on Mapu Street in Tel Aviv, located in a cellar that was given the cover name of “the engineering office” and code-named “the roof.”
Detailed information about the villages was meticulously catalogued and organized in files by the planning bureau of the Haganah general staff, then held in the organization’s territorial command centers around the country. Over time, in order to broaden the existing information in the files, Haganah commanders decided to photograph the villages from the air…. more.. e-mail
After victorious hunger strike, Palestinian football star returns to Gaza for life of activism
Electronic Intifada: 21 Feb 2013 – Rami Almeghari Rafah 21 February 2013 Mahmoud Sarsak hopes to live a normal life but cannot forget his time inside Israeli jail.more
Jim Crow in Palestine: parallels between US and Israeli racism
Electronic Intifada: 21 Feb 2013 – Curtis Bell Portland 21 February 2013 Boycotts helped end segregation in the American South. Hopefully they can achieve similar results for Palestinians.more
On ‘The invention of the Jewish People’
Palestine Chronicle: 21 Feb 2013 – By Jamal Kanj The Invention of the Jewish People was a book written by Shlomo Sand, an Israeli professor of history at the University of Tel Aviv. The author wasn’t probing a belief system, but Zionist fabrications of a spurious common lineage for people of the Jewish faith. Sand argues the implausibility of Jews having a common ethnic identity as Judaism was originally, like Christianity and later Islam, a “proselytising religion”. The notion of Judaism as a “race”, rather than a religion of various races, is incompatible. The results of a recently published study by Israeli-American geneticist Dr Eran Israeli Elhaik at John Hopkins University have scientifically and genetically validated Sand’s research. The idea of a “nation race” was progressively developed and reinforced over centuries of segregated Jewish communities in Europe. With the rise of German nationalism in the 19th century, Jewish historian Heinrich Graetz “retrospectively” crafted a discrete identity…more
Bulgaria’s Hezbollah “Hypothesis” and the EU Terror List
Dissident Voice: 20 Feb 2013 – When Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov made a public statement on February 5 that the government linked the July 18, 2012, terror bombing of an Israeli tourist bus to Hezbollah, it was a spectacular development with far-reaching political implications. This Bulgarian conclusion has significantly increased the pressure on the European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation. Although the EU had long avoided taking this step, the US and Israel have been pressing hard ever since the Burgas bombing to bring Europe’s position on Hezbollah with their stand. Bulgaria’s naming of Hezbollah as the culprit appeared to make such a European decision possible. But was that really what Bulgarian investigators had found? A closer examination of the Bulgarian investigation reveals that the investigators had not, in fact, come to the conclusion desired by Washington and Tel Aviv by mid-January. But the Bulgarian government had to avoid being on the…more
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The New Dark Age 