22 March 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Abbas’ Speech in the news conference in Ramallah with President Obama
IMEMC – Below is the full text of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech in Ramallah in the press conference with US President Barack Obama on Thursday as interpreted. …
President Obama in Israel: “That so long as there is a United States of America, Ah-tem lo lah-vahd
IMEMC – United States President Barack Obama said there is a real chance for peace in the framework of the two-state solution. “I do not say peace guaranteed, but possible,” he said. …
2 critically injured by live fire in clashes near Jerusalem
3/22/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Two Palestinians were critically wounded on Friday during clashes with Israeli forces north of Jerusalem, medics said. Two Palestinian youths were shot with live fire, one in the pelvis and the other in the abdomen, after clashes broke out with Israeli forces in the Jerusalem-area village of Anata, medics told Ma….
6 children injured in Gaza explosion
3/22/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Six children were injured in an explosion in the Gaza Strip on Friday, a medical official said. Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra told Ma’an that six children aged 6 to 10 were moderately wounded when an unknown device exploded in Rafah. One child suffered serious injuries to his hand. [END]
Police: Rockets explode in southern Israel as Obama visits
3/22/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip landed on Thursday in a southern Israeli border town that US President Barack Obama mentioned in a speech on his arrival in Israel a day earlier. Police said there were no casualties but some damage in the attack on Sderot near the Gaza frontier. There was….
Settlers throw stones at car carrying Ramallah governor
3/22/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Settlers threw stones at a car carrying the governor of Ramallah on Friday, Ma’an’s correspondent said. Laila Ghannam was unharmed in the incident, which took place near Beit El settlement north of Ramallah. [END]
Hamas appeals to Egypt after Israel halves fishing zone
3/22/2013 – GAZA CITY (Reuters) — Hamas complained to Egypt on Friday after Israel suspended part of a Cairo-brokered truce agreement by halving Palestinian access to fishing waters in response to a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. Thursday’s salvo at the Israeli border town of Sderot, which caused no casualties, coincided with a visit to….
Protesters rally against Obama visit outside Bethlehem refugee camp
3/22/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Dozens of Palestinians demonstrated outside Bethlehem’s Duheisha refugee camp on Friday against US President Obama‘s visit to the city. Protesters chanted slogans against US foreign policy and President Obama, raising pictures of late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and Abu Ali Mustafa, who was the Secretary General of….
Israel releases 3 children detained in Hebron
3/22/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Three Palestinian children being held in Israeli custody were released on Friday, the Palestinian liaison department said. Ahmed Abdel Raouf Burgan, 15, Ahmed Abdel Muti Abu Mayaleh, 13, and Mohammed Abdul Muti Abu Mayaleh, 13, were released after being arrested in Hebron this week, a statement said. Twenty-year-old Muhammad Mahmou Abusackor….
Obama set to visit Bethlehem for ’26 minutes’
3/22/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Barack Obama makes his second visit as president to the occupied West Bank on Friday, capping a 48-hour tour that has mostly emphasized Israeli concerns. Before he heads to the Jordanian capital, a final blip on the US leader’s agenda is Bethlehem where Palestinian officials were scrambling Thursday…. Related: In photos: President Obama visits Bethlehem
Obama tries schmoozing in the holy land
3/22/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) – From old-fashioned schmoozing to “I feel your pain” appeals, President Barack Obama is wading into Middle East diplomacy with a personal touch he has rarely displayed on the world stage. It is the kind of charm offensive he has been trying to pull off — with decidedly mixed results — with political opponents back home….
Obama to shore up US ally Jordan on last Mideast stop
3/22/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — President Barack Obama flies to Jordan on Friday for talks with King Abdullah, a key US Middle East ally, that are expected to focus on the civil war in neighboring Syria and the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace diplomacy. Obama will head to Amman after the final day of his first official visit to…. Related: Obama, Jordan’s Abdullah offer united front on Syria
Hezbollah condemns Obama’s call for terrorist designation
3/22/2013 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Lebanon‘s Hezbollah condemned on Friday a call by US President Barack Obama for the militant Shi’ite group to be designated a terrorist organisation following a bomb attack on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year. The European Union has so far resisted US and Israeli pressure to blacklist Hezbollah, but….
Obama tours symbolic Israeli sites
3/22/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — US President Barack Obama visited Israel’s most powerful national symbols on Friday, paying homage at the Holocaust memorial and the graves of the founder of modern Zionism and assassinated prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. The image of Obama crouching in reflection after laying a wreath in the Yad Vashem memorial to the….
Strong winds and dust in Israel ground Obama’s helicopter
3/22/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Strong winds blowing clouds of dust grounded President Barack Obama‘s helicopter on Friday, forcing the US leader to make the short journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem by motorcade, Israeli police said. The route will take Obama through Israel’s barrier in the occupied West Bank, Israeli security sources said. Palestinians….
Obama visits Bethlehem’s Nativity Church
3/22/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — US President Barack Obama visited Bethlehem’s Nativity Church on Friday later than scheduled due to bad weather and an extended meeting with Israel’s prime minister. Obama‘s meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem overran by an hour, Israeli media reported. Meanwhile, strong winds blowing clouds of….
Gunmen seize Israeli, European tourists in Sinai
3/22/2013 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Masked gunmen in Egypt‘s Sinai Peninsula kidnapped two tourists, an Israeli man and a European woman, travelling between two coastal resorts, Egyptian and Israeli officials said on Friday. Tourists seized under similar circumstances earlier this month and last year were released unharmed. Security in the Sinai desert region has deteriorated since….
Obama: Israeli and Turkish prime ministers speak by phone
3/22/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan spoke by telephone on Friday, US President Barack Obama said in a statement, in an apparent bid to repair relations between the two US allies.” The United States deeply values our close partnerships with both Turkey and Israel, and we attach great….
Obama brokers Israel-Turkey rapprochement
3/22/2013 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israel apologized to Turkey on Friday for killing nine Turkish citizens in a 2010 naval raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla and the two feuding US allies agreed to normalize relations in a surprise breakthrough announced by US President Barack Obama. The rapprochement could help regional coordination to contain spillover from the Syrian civil….
In photos: President Obama visits Bethlehem
3/22/2013 – Reuters / Ammar Awad / Jason Reed – US President Barack Obama visited Bethlehem’s Nativity Church on Friday, the final stage of his three-day visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories. Sparse crowds of onlookers were on the streets of the wind-swept Biblical city, where Obama spent only 35 minutes. At the Church of the…. Related: Obama set to visit Bethlehem for ’26 minutes’
Turkish PM expresses importance of strong ties with Israel
3/22/2013 – ANKARA (Reuters) — Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan underlined the importance of strong cooperation and friendship between Turkey and Israel in a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart on Friday, his office said.” Erdogan told (Israeli premier) Benjamin Netanyahu that he valued centuries-long strong friendship and cooperation between the Turkish and Jewish nations,” the statement from…. Related: Obama brokers Israel-Turkey rapprochement
Between Middle East visits, Obama dashes Arab hopes
3/22/2013 – CAIRO (Reuters) — President Barack Obama was greeted with calls of “We love you” when he visited Cairo in his first term, seeking to turn the page on the Bush era with talk of a new beginning for ties between the United States and the Muslim world. Four years on, Egyptians who attended the Cairo University….
Obama, Jordan’s Abdullah offer united front on Syria
3/22/2013 – AMMAN (Reuters) — US President Barack Obama and Jordan‘s King Abdullah presented a united front against Syrian President Bashar Assad on Friday as Jordan grapples with a refugee crisis caused by Syria‘s civil war. Obama, in Jordan following a visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank, pledged new aid to help…. Related: Obama to shore up US ally Jordan on last Mideast stop
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Mikati resigns
3/22/2013 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Lebanon‘s Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced his resignation on Friday after Shiite group Hezbollah and its allies blocked the creation of a body to supervise parliamentary elections and opposed extending the term of a senior security official.” I announce the resignation of the government,” Mikati told a news conference in the….
Medics: Teen killed in Hebron car crash
3/22/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Mohammad Mousa al-Dik, 15, was killed in a car accident in the al-Fahs area south of Hebron on Thursday evening, medics said. The teenager was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital, and police opened an investigation. [END]
6 hurt in north Lebanon clashes fueled by Syria
3/22/2013 – TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) — At lease six people were wounded in a second night of sectarian fighting in Lebanon‘s port city of Tripoli on Thursday, residents said, the latest sign of violence fueled by the civil war in neighboring Syria. The sounds of machine guns and rocket propelled grenades rocked neighboring districts t
hat are….
France, UK increasingly concerned over chemical arms in Syria
3/22/2013 – BRUSSELS (Reuters) — French and British foreign ministers have expressed growing concern over the apparent willingness of President Bashar Assad to use chemical weapons in the civil war in Syria. In a letter to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton dated March 21, Laurent Fabius and William Hague said:”The crisis is increasingly threatening regional stability….
Linked clashes: 2 killed in north Lebanon in third day of Syria
3/22/2013 – TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) — Two people were killed in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Friday in fighting fueled by the civil war in neighboring Syria, bringing the death toll in three days of clashes to six, security sources said. At least 35 were wounded, they said. Machine guns and rocket propelled grenades rocked neighboring….
Assad says Syria will wipe out those behind mosque attack
3/22/2013 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — President Bashar Assad vowed on Friday to purge Syria of “extremist forces” he accused of assassinating a leading Sunni Muslim cleric who backed his two-year battle against rebels and protesters. Assad made the pledge in a message of condolence over the death of Mohammed al-Buti, who was killed along with dozens of worshipers….
Obama: US aims to provide more aid to Jordan for Syria refugees
3/22/2013 – AMMAN (Reuters) — President Barack Obama said on Friday his administration would work with the US Congress to provide an additional $200 million in humanitarian support to Jordan this year to help with Syrian refugees. Speaking at a press conference with Jordan‘s King Abdullah, a key Middle East ally, Obama also said he welcomed….
Israel PM apologises for flotilla deaths
AlJazeera 22 Mar 2013 – Binyamin Netanyahu tells Turkish PM Recep Erdogan that families of those killed aboard Mavi Marmara will be compensated.
Palestine Cabinet Meeting Statement (48)
Palestine News Network
Israeli Human Rights Centre Objects to Detaining Palestinian Children
Palestine News Network
“The Fading Israeli – Palestinian Peace”
Palestine News Network
It’s Up to Obama
Palestine News Network
The Obama factor
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
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Palestinian Center for Human Rights
occupied Palestinian territory: UNRWA improves access to water in threatened West Bank community
Relief Web 22 Mar 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory Jenin, West Bank Displaced twice by two consecutive Arab-Israeli wars, Palestinian Bedouin refugee families from the Haifa area, in the north of today’s…
occupied Palestinian territory: Priority job creation programme to replace direct cash assistance
Relief Web 22 Mar 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: Jordan, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic UNRWA has announced that starting on 1 April 2013, more than 10,000 of the poorest refugee families from UNRWA’s…
Lebanon: Palestine refugees feel the brunt of water shortage in Lebanon
Relief Web 22 Mar 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory Held each year on 22 March, International World Water Day draws attention to the importance of freshwater and advocates for the sustainable…
occupied Palestinian territory: UNRWA stands firm in commitment to Palestine refugee youth, says Commissioner-General
Relief Web 22 Mar 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory Khan Younis, Gaza UNRWA Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi met today with young Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, exactly one year after the Agency…
occupied Palestinian territory: Following rocket fire from Gaza, UN urges restraint and protection of civilians
Relief Web 21 Mar 2013 – Source: UN News Service Country: Israel, occupied Palestinian territory 21 March 2013 – The United Nations today urged restraint by all parties following rocket fire from Gaze into civilian areas in southern Israel. “We condemn all rocket fire and call…
Cyprus revisits tax on deposits after Russian snub
The National 22 Mar 2013 – Pressure grows on government to draw up plan to win EU and IMF bailout.
Netanyahu says sorry for Turkish flotilla deaths
The National 22 Mar 2013 – Israel and Turkey to resume diplomatic ties after Israeli PM apologises for 2010 incident.
Emirati speaks out against mental health stigma
The National 22 Mar 2013 – Aida made countless visits to hospital, until a doctor suggested her symptoms may be connected to her mental well-being and not something physical.
Kurdish youth ponder the prospect of peace
The National 22 Mar 2013 – Among some members of the generations of Kurdish youth who have come of age during the fighting, the absence of gunfire, bomb blasts and air strikes are not the same thing as peace. That will only come, they say, when social reconciliation between Turks and Kurds occurs.
Pope Francis keen on “dialogue with Islam”
The National 22 Mar 2013 – Emphasising the conciliatory role of the head of the Catholic church, Francis noted that pontiff means “bridge-builder” and spoke of a need to embark on a new “journey” with countries with which the Vatican does not yet have relations.
Photo studio paints a pretty picture of UAE life for workers
The National 22 Mar 2013 – Photo-editing is proving popular with expat blue-collar workers for everything from winning hearts from afar to reconnecting families across continents, but superimposing heads on to stock images of men in smart suits is not to everyone’s taste.
American realities for Iraqi refugees restarting life in New York
The National 22 Mar 2013 – Escape from Baghdad promised so much for Omar and his young family, but their new life as refugees in the South Bronx is hardly the American Dream.
Myanmar declares state of emergency as town reels from anti-Muslim riots
The National 22 Mar 2013 – Several mosques have been destroyed and hundreds forced to flee their homes in Meikhtila since the riots broke out on Wednesday killing more than 30.
Obama’s speeches in Israel – the transcripts
Ha’aretz – 22 Mar 2013
Netanyahu phones Erdogan to apologize for deaths of Turkish citizens on Gaza flotilla
Ha’aretz – 22 Mar 2013
TIMELINE: Crisis in Israel-Turkey relations
Ha’aretz – 22 Mar 2013
Lieberman says apology to Turkey a ‘serious mistake’
Ha’aretz – 22 Mar 2013
Severe sandstorms choke Israel on last day of Obama visit
Ha’aretz – 22 Mar 2013
Israeli tourist kidnapped in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula
Ha’aretz – 22 Mar 2013
Acre mayor shot, moderately wounded
Ha’aretz – 22 Mar 2013
Technical failure caused helicopter crash that killed two IDF reserve pilots
Ha’aretz – 22 Mar 2013
Peres to Obama: Coalition will make it difficult for Netanyahu to make progress in negotiations
Ha’aretz – 22 Mar 2013
Bereaved parents turn grief into home for lone IDF soldiers
Ha’aretz – 21 Mar 2013
Post-revolutionary Tunisia may open gov’t to Jews
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – Drafters of Tunisia’s constitution considering plan to allocate permanent seats in the country’s new parliament to minorities.
Thousands of protesters, Islamists clash in Cairo
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – Violence erupts between Egyptian protesters, Muslim Brotherhood following stone-throwing exchange; 40 hurt.
Analysis: Obama’s diplomatic flourish amid sandstorm
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – Obama set such low expectations for the three-day trip that he can easily proclaim it is mission accomplished, having wooed sceptical Israelis, eased their fears over Iran and shown Palestinians that he had not forgotten their aspirations.
Israel denied World Cup qualifying victory
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – A 93rd-minute equalizer by Portugal denied Israel victory, tying score at 3-3 for 2014 World Cup qualifier in Ramat Gan.
Netanyahu apologizes to Turkey over 2010 Gaza flotilla
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – In dramatic development in Israel-Turkey ties, PM speaks by phone with Erdogan, voicing regret for loss of life in Mavi Marmara incident; apologizes for mistakes, promises compensation; two agree to normalize relations.
Two killed in Lebanon in Syria-linked clashes
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – In third day of Syria-related violence, machineguns and rocket propelled grenades rocked Tripoli districts.
Hamas appeals to Egypt over halved fishing zone
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – Israel shuts crossing, curbs fishing after rocket strike; Egypt says it has received complaints from Hamas and Israel.
Israeli tourist, girlfriend kidnapped in Sinai
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – Egyptian sources say security agencies contacting kidnappers to try to secure the pair’s release; criminal motive suspected.
Acre mayor Lankry shot in chest, moderately hurt
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – Lankry in stable condition at Nahariya Hospital after shooting near Kfar Yasif; police searching area for suspects, motive unclear.
Hezbollah slams Obama call for terrorist label
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – Lebanon condemns US president’s call for Shi’ite group to be blacklisted, says accusations part of Israeli smear campaign.
Soccer star Ronaldo angers anti-Israel fans
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – Facebook post of the Portuguese icon in Israel sparks flurry of responses writing that the land is Palestine not Israel.
Historic visit comes to close, Obama departs Israel
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – Ceremony nixed due to sandstorm; president visits Yad Vashem, says due to Israel’s existence, Holocaust will never happen again.
Syrian rebels said to be gaining ground in area near Israel
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says rebels have overrun several towns near Golan Heights, attacking gov’t positions.
New award to encourage ‘disruptive’ Zionist artists
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – Prize named after Jewish illustrator Arthur Szyk, whose work figured prominently in American, Zionist propaganda during WWII.
Top Remedia technologist given 2.5-year prison term
Jerusalem Post 22 Mar 2013 – CEO gets small fine; dark baby formula saga may finally end, or Black may appeal.
Watching Obama at Rabin Square
Jerusalem Post 21 Mar 2013 – It wasn’t the throng of hundreds of thousands that organizers had hoped for, but the rush-hour crowd did manage to bring some of the spirit of the speech to the square.
An Israeli teen meets Obama in J’lem
Jerusalem Post 21 Mar 2013 – 16-year-old Nicole Uzlaner asked to emphasize to US president the scientific relationship between US and Israel.
Obama’s Israel visit leaves Arabs upset
Jerusalem Post 21 Mar 2013 – Media across the Muslim world report on pessimistic reactions to US president’s warm words in Jerusalem for the Jewish state.
Palestinians disappointed with Obama
Jerusalem Post 21 Mar 2013 – PA decries US president’s stance on settlements, prisoners.
Obama, Israel and cyber warfare
Jerusalem Post 21 Mar 2013 – The emerging conservative US position on cyber warfare could significantly impact Israel’s ability to act aggressively in the future.
Unprepared for disaster
Jerusalem Post 21 Mar 2013 – Israel is preparing for a natural gas bonanza, but does not have a legal framework to deal with a potential environmental catastrophe.
How would Obama’s speech play in Ramallah?
Jerusalem Post 21 Mar 2013 – Analysis: While the US president’s speech got roaring applause in Jerusalem after providing his listeners with a balanced amount of honey and vinegar, the question remains whether this was the audience Obama needs to convince.
iEngage: Passover and Israel: A tale of two realities?
Jerusalem Post 21 Mar 2013 – The story of Egypt depicts a vision of history in which God is the sole or primary force and we but passive bystanders whose job it is to watch.
Sometimes it takes three to tango
Jerusalem Post 21 Mar 2013 – Obama’s greatest ally in Israel is Shimon Peres. He is the one who defended Obama even during the difficult times, when Israelis referred to him as Hussein.
Another Tack: Bad Jews = Good story
Jerusalem Post 21 Mar 2013 – Israel is presumed guilty even when proven innocent- even when exculpated by an ultra-hostile body like UNHRC.
Into the Fray: ‘The New York Times’ versus the Jews
Jerusalem Post 21 Mar 2013 – Over the last fortnight, the so-called “paper of record” has ratcheted up its bias and bile a notch or two.
My Word: Obama and the essence of Passover
Jerusalem Post 21 Mar 2013 – A strong Israel is essential, as Obama recognizes, to protect not only the Jews everywhere, but the free world.
Noam Chomsky: ‘No individual changes anything alone’
The Guardian 22 Mar 2013 – Noam Chomsky is one of the world’s most controversial thinkers. Now 84, he reflects on his life’s work, on current events in Syria and Israel, and on the love of his life – his wife It…
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The Guardian 22 Mar 2013 – Follow how the day unfolded in the aftermath of the assassination of the pro-Assad Sunni cleric Sheikh Mohammad Said Ramadan al-Buti Matthew Weaver
Netanyahu apologises to Turkish PM for Israeli role in Gaza flotilla raid
The Guardian 22 Mar 2013 – Obama brokers call between Netanyahu and Erdogan as Israel says sorry for role in 2010 naval raid that left nine Turks dead Barack Obama has persuaded Israel to apologise to Turkey for the loss of nine…
Barack Obama passes separation wall on road to Bethlehem
The Guardian 22 Mar 2013 – Desert storm forces US president to abandon helicopter and travel to West Bank city by road Barack Obama ended his three-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories with a desert storm disrupting his schedule, forcing…
Barack Obama visits Holocaust memorial on final day in Israel – video
The Guardian 22 Mar 2013 – The US president visits Yad Vashem, Israel’s official Holocaust memorial, in Jerusalem
Barack Obama remembers Holocaust victims at Israeli memorial
The Guardian 22 Mar 2013 – US president says Yad Vashem memorial shows ‘the depravity to which man can sink’ but also offers hope As the voices of a children’s choir rose to the roof of the stark and sombrely lit Hall…
Obama’s oratory v the reality of Israeli inertia over a Palestinian state | Michael Cohen
The Guardian 22 Mar 2013 – Obama delivered a fine speech in Jerusalem, but is he willing to invest the political capital to turn words into action on peace? President Obama gave a excellent speech in Jerusalem Thursday about the prospects for…
Barack Obama’s Israel and West Bank visit: Israeli press reaction
The Guardian 22 Mar 2013 – Israeli journalists and commentators give their verdict on US president’s trip to Jerusalem and Ramallah Nahum Barnea, Yedioth Ahronoth We’ve had speeches in abundance. Nonetheless, Obama‘s speech was unique and special. It consisted of a skillfully…
As Iraq Anniversary Fades, “Strategic Narcissism” Stands out
IPS After a week of retrospectives on the tenth anniversary of Washington’s ill-fated invasion of Iraq, the most compelling consisted of a retrospective of the retrospectives. It came from Marc Lynch, an expert on Arab public opinion at George Washington University and prominent blogger on the foreignpolicy.com website. The flood of…
Guerillas and Civilians Converge for Peace
IPS It was only seven in the morning when Mohamed Abdi spread out a rug a few metres away from an artillery crater, up in the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq. This Iraqi Kurd from Suleimaniyah, 260 kilometres northeast of Baghdad, was ready to celebrate the Newroz – the Kurdish and…
The World Flocks to its Forum
IPS In the final countdown to this year’s World Social Forum (WSF), Tunisian civil society and the country’s capital, Tunis, prepares for an influx of over 50,000 visitors. With the dates of the forum set for Mar. 26-30, uncompleted tasks are being fast-tracked while the university campus that will host the…
The Brotherhood Enters its Empowerment Phase
Uruknet
Obama says settlements aren’t the issue
Uruknet
The Real Threat is Already Happening! The Ugly Truth Behind Obama’s Cyber-War
Uruknet
Iran Open to Direct US Talks
Uruknet
Muslim Brotherhood Holds Sway Over Syrian Opposition
Uruknet
Obama to Palestine: “Drop Dead”
Uruknet
Obama’s visit reinforces the victimhood status of the oppressor
Uruknet
Ancient community on verge of extinction in Iraq
Uruknet
Not Enough Water in the West Bank?
Uruknet
Mother’s Day in Gaza: A Time for Sorrow
Uruknet
Things to do in the springtime cool
Daily Star 22 Mar 2013 With temperatures repeatedly breaking 30 degrees Celsius of late, there have been days when one could be forgiven for thinking Lebanon has skipped spring and moved directly to its soupy summer season this year.
How the Lebanon players stacked up
Daily Star 22 Mar 2013 Abbas Hasan: 6/10 – Rarely called upon for most of the game and can’t be faulted for the concession of either goal. Was assured inside his box and acted as the fifth defender for Lebanon when…
Inspired Lebanon decimate Thailand 5-2
Daily Star 22 Mar 2013 Lebanon banished the painful memories of last month’s match-fixing scandal and romped to a 5-2 victory over Thailand Friday in their second match in Group B of Asia Cup 2015 qualification.
UN chief warns of growing water scarcity
YNet News, 22 Mar 2013 – ….
Hamas applaud Erdogan for winning apology from Israel
YNet News, 22 Mar 2013 – ….
Assad vows revenge after mosque bombing
YNet News, 22 Mar 2013 – ….
Euro rises on hopes Cyprus for bailout plan
YNet News, 22 Mar 2013 – ….
Obama: Order needed in Syria when Assad leaves
YNet News, 22 Mar 2013 – ….
Through Obama’s eyes
YNet News, 22 Mar 2013 – Op-ed: US president sees Israel as a strong country which must make decisions rather than seek sympathy ….
Obama: The Jewish organ grinder’s monkey
PIC – Didn’t any of Obama‘s advisers tell him that a Jewish state is merely a euphemism for transforming Israel by way of ethnic cleansing into a pure Talmudic Jewish entity free of Christians and Muslims
Exiled Jerusalem MP addresses meeting in House of Lords
PIC – On Wednesday night, a meeting in the House of Lords, heard testimony, via phone, from a member of the PLC on his exile from Jerusalem to the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Demonstration in support of Palestinian captives in Jenin
PIC – Palestinian residents of Arraba, south of Jenin, demonstrated Friday in support of Palestinian captives on hunger strike and captives Muhammad Mardawi and Sami al-Oweidi..
Bardawil: Obama has turned his back to all Arabs
PIC – Hamas leader Dr. Salah Bardawil called on Palestinian political leaders in the PA and the factions to review the Palestinian political program to face the repercussions of the remarks made by Obama.
New York Times: Israeli Iron Dome failed in the recent war on Gaza
PIC – The American New York Times newspaper reported that some American weapons experts started raising doubts about the efficiency of Israel’s Iron Dome system, used in the recent war on Gaza.
IOF intensifies its presence in al-Khalil
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces reinforced on Friday the military presence in different parts in the center of al-Khalil, in the southern West Bank.
Hamas organizes a march in northern Gaza in rejection to Obama’s visit
PIC – Thousands of citizens in the northern Gaza Strip participated in the mass rally called for by Hamas in Jabalya refugee camp on Thursday evening in rejection of Obama‘s visit to occupied Palestine.
Israeli police restrict entry of worshipers into Al-Aqsa Mosque
PIC – Occupation forces have imposed restrictions on the entry of Palestinians under 50 years of age into al-Aqsa Mosque to perform Friday prayers.
Forcible curfew in Ramallah during Obama’s visit
PIC – Ramallah and Al-Bireh city have witnessed a state of tension during Obama‘s visit to the PA headquarters Thursday afternoon, where PA security services imposed a complete ban on movement.
Hamas: IOA steps up its aggression against Jerusalem
PIC – The IOA seeks through escalating its systematic aggression against Jerusalem and Arab and Islamic monuments in the city to impose a fait accompli by calling for the division of al-Aqsa.
Abbas Receives Obama in Ramallah
WAFA – 21 Mar 2013
Obama facilitates reconciliation between Israel and Turkey
LA Times 22 Mar 2013 – Before the end of President Obama‘s trip, Israel’s prime minister apologizes for the 2010 killing of nine Turkish activists aboard a ship headed for the Gaza Strip. JERUSALEM — President Obama brokered a diplomatic reconciliation between key Middle East allies Israel and Turkey at the…
Jordan feeling the strain of Syrian refugee influx
LA Times 22 Mar 2013 – The financially strapped kingdom grapples with the added burden of sheltering the Syrian refugees who continue to arrive and now number nearly 500,000. JABIR, Jordan — The Jordanian officer slowly cut the rudimentary dressing that covered the boy’s left arm. Patches of red ooze seeped…
Obama repositions himself as broker for Mideast peace
LA Times 21 Mar 2013 – Staking out a more active role in the process, President Obama portrays himself to Israelis as ‘a friend who is deeply concerned and committed to your future.’ WASHINGTON — President Obama‘s involvement in the tortuous Middle East peace process can be divided into three chapters,…
Lebanese Prime Minister Resigns as Sectarian Tensions Rise
New York Times 22 Mar 2013 – Najib Mikati resigned on Friday and called for a unity government to rescue Lebanon from deepening divisions over the war in Syria, which threatens to spill over the border.
At Yad Vashem in Israel, Obama Urges Action Against Racism
New York Times 22 Mar 2013 – Israel’s apology for errors in a 2010 raid on a ship bound for Gaza thawed relations with Turkey and gave President Obama a solid achievement as he closed out his Middle East visit.
The Lede: Arab Student Explains Why He Heckled Obama in Jerusalem
New York Times 22 Mar 2013 – The 24-year-old Arab-Israeli student who interrupted President Obama’s speech in Jerusalem on Thursday explained his comments and why he said them in an interview on Friday.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Resigns
New York Times 22 Mar 2013 – Najib Mikati’s departure threatens to leave a void in Lebanon’s highest ranks at a time of rising tensions and sporadic violence inflamed by the civil war in Syria.
Egyptian Women Take on Sexual Assault Problem
New York Times 22 Mar 2013 – The increase in attacks against women has illustrated a continuing hostility toward politically active women.
At War Blog: Waiting for War, and Working to Fit In
New York Times 22 Mar 2013 – A general assignment reporter from Manhattan, Michael Wilson worked hard to fit in among the Marine officers in Kuwait and Iraq.
Obama’s Grand Bargain? Israel Apologizes to Turkey, Promises Mavi Marmara Compensation
Tikun Olam – In a remarkable about-face after three years of adamant refusal, Bibi Netanyahu has apologized to Turkey’s premier for Israel’s 2009 massacre on the Mavi Marmara. He’s also promised financial compensation to the families of the nine Turkish citizens murdered during the attack. Reports also indicate an…
Obama to Palestine: “Drop Dead”
Tikun Olam – Way back in the 1970s, New York City was on the verge of bankruptcy and its leaders appealed to the Republican president, Gerald Ford, for help. His answer was a curt, No. From this the New York Daily News originated one of the most memorable headlines…
Passover: the freedom to question and to re-tell our stories
Jewish Voice for Peace – Read Passover message from Rabbi Margaret Holub, and gather additional readings to bring to your Seder Table! I just got back from South Africa, where I was interviewing Dutch Reformed Church leaders about apartheid. In those conversations, I heard a lot of recitations of Afrikaner history,…
Berkeley student association passes resolution condemning Islamophobic hate speech
Mondoweiss – Graphic: @BerkeleySJP Last month Alex Kane reported how student activists exposed a video of University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) Hebrew lecturer Tammi Rossman-Benjamin using inflammatory Islamophobic rhetoric accusing student Palestinian rights activists of being anti-Semites with ties to terrorist organizations. UCSC Committee for Justice in…
BDS activists protest the Jewish National Fund in Philadelphia
Mondoweiss – “Ethnic cleansing is a crime – justice now in Palestine!” Chanting with great energy and exuberance, the Philadelphia Coalition for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel (Philly BDS) was once again a colorful and vocal presence in protest at the annual local fundraiser for The Jewish…
Obama’s visit will produce no meaningful talks, mainstream voices say
Mondoweiss – Here is a roundup of mainly-mainstream voices’ responding to Obama‘s diplomacy yesterday. Last night Chuck Todd on NBC Nightly News emphasized the fact that Obama had now completely abandoned his opposition to settlements, and wants Abbas to enter negotiations without any freeze on the illegal…
‘They have stones, we need drones’: Israeli activists tell Obama ‘thank you for supporting our Apartheid state’
Mondoweiss – From the YouTube page : President Obama thank you for supporting and protecting our Apartheid state. And a special thank to the American people for donating over the years more than 230 Billion Dollars of your tax money for enabling our military and Jewish superiority in the…
Obama brokers Netanyahu apology to Turkey over ‘Mavi Marmara’ attack
Mondoweiss – The following is from a White House press pool report– written by a reporter, circulated by the White House– from Israel today. Two senior admin officials came back to address the issue of the phone call between [Israeli PM Benjamin] Netanyahu and [Turkish PM Recep] Erdogan….
Barack Obama Jets Out of Israel on High Note After Surprise Diplomatic Win
The Foward Breaking News 22 Mar 2013 – President Barack Obama flew out of Israel in a duststorm on Friday, leaving behind a trail of symbolic gestures and fine oratory that should help preserve the status quo at a time of regional upheaval. Click here for the rest of the article…
Benjamin Netanyahu Apologizes to Turkey Over Gaza Flotilla Debacle — Ties Restored
The Foward Breaking News 22 Mar 2013 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologised on Friday to Turkey for errors that might have led to the deaths of nine Turkish activists during a 2010 raid on a boat off the Gaza Strip, his office said in a statement. Click here for the rest of…
Egypt Lifts Ban on Film About Jews
The Foward Breaking News 22 Mar 2013 – Egyptian authorities rescinded a ban on the screening of a documentary about Egyptian Jews. Click here for the rest of the article…
Barack Obama Visits Holocaust Memorial and Yitzhak Rabin’s Grave
The Foward Breaking News 22 Mar 2013 – President Barack Obama visited Israel’s most powerful national symbols on Friday, paying homage at the Holocaust memorial and the graves of the founder of modern Zionism and assassinated prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. Click here for the rest of the article…
Miss Israel Titi Aynaw Gets ‘Wildest Dreams’ Meeting With Obama
The Forward New 22 Mar 2013 – Miss Israel Titi Aynaw said ‘I’ll never forget’ meeting President Obama. He was pretty impressed too, complimenting the Ethiopian-born stunner on her looks — and height. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Egypt President Heads Delegation to Arab Summit in Doha
allAfrica.com 22 Mar 2013 – [Aswat Masriya]President Mohamed Mursi will head an Egyptian delegation to the Arab Summit taking place in the Qatari capital next Tuesday, the Middle East News Agency reported an unnamed source as saying.
South Africa: SA Condemns Chemical Weapons in Syria
allAfrica.com 22 Mar 2013 – [SA Info]South Africa has condemned the reported use of chemical weapons in the civil war in Syria earlier this week.
South Africa: South Africa Condemns the Alleged Use of Chemical Weapons in the Syrian Conflict
allAfrica.com 22 Mar 2013 – [SA Govt]The South African Government is deeply concerned over reports emanating from Aleppo, Syria, that on Tuesday, 19 March 2013, 16 people lost their lives and 100 more were injured in what appears to be an attack using chemical weapons.
Israeli apology for flotilla deaths
BBC 22 Mar 2013 – Israel apologises to Turkey for any errors that resulted in the deaths of nine activists during the raid on a flotilla bound for Gaza in 2010.
Lebanon’s PM Mikati steps down
BBC 22 Mar 2013 – Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announces the resignation of his entire government, divided over planned elections and the unrest in Syria.
Egypt activists clash with Islamists
BBC 22 Mar 2013 – Opposition protesters in Egypt clash with Muslim Brotherhood supporters in several towns, ransacking and setting ablaze the Islamist movement’s offices.
Obama pledges extra $200m to Jordan
BBC 22 Mar 2013 – US President Barack Obama pledges to give Jordan an additional $200m (£131m) to help deal with the growing number of Syrian refugees in the country.
Hezbollah’s Role in Syria
Al-Akhbar Opinion 22 Mar 2013 – An image made available by the Syrian Arab News Agency on 21 March 2013 shows remains and the carpeted floor covered with blood inside of the Iman Mosque in the Mazraa neighbourhood of the Syrian capital Damascus, after a suicide attack on 21 March 2013. (Photo:…
The Road to Bethlehem: Obama’s Commute and the Palestinians’
Al-Akhbar Opinion 22 Mar 2013 – US President Barack Obama stands alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Shimon Peres prior to departing from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, on 22 March 2013. (Photo: AFP – Saul Loeb) US President Barack Obama stands alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin…
How Lebanon’s Politicians Plan to Foil the Oil
Al-Akhbar Opinion 22 Mar 2013 – Flames rise from a petrol tanker after it was set on fire by protesters in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on 14 March 2013, to halt it from reaching Syria. (Photo: AFP – STR) Flames rise from a petrol tanker after it was set on…
Mikati announces his resignation
Al-Akhbar News 22 Mar 2013 – Updated at 9:50pm: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced his resignation Friday evening, effectively dissolving the current government. In a televised address, Mikati said he was stepping down due to an impasse over a new election law and parliament’s refusal to extend the tenure of the…
Gunshots wound protesters in fresh Cairo clashes
Al-Akhbar News 22 Mar 2013 – An Egyptian man is treated in an ambulance after being injured during clashes part of a protest of members of Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in front the party’s headquarters in Cairo on 22 March 2013. (Photo: AFP – Khaled Desouki) Opposition protesters clashed with Islamists near the…
Gunmen, sticky bomb kill five in Iraq
Al-Akhbar News 22 Mar 2013 – Attacks in Iraq on Friday killed at least five people, including two pro-government militiamen and a police officer, officials said, the latest violence to hit the wartorn country less than a month ahead of provincial elections. In the deadliest attack, gunmen killed Hussein Musleh and two…
Israel cuts back Gaza fishing access
Al-Akhbar News 22 Mar 2013 – Boats are anchored at the port in Gaza City under a hazy weather on 14 March 2013. (Photo: AFP – Mohammed Abed) Israel suspended part of a Cairo-brokered truce agreement Friday by halving Palestinian access to fishing waters as punishment for a rocket attack from the…
The (Media) Crisis in Syria
Al-Akhbar News 22 Mar 2013 – Reporter interviews residents and fighters in a neighbourhood in the eastern Syrian town of Deir Ezzor on 19 February 2013. (Photo: AFP – Zac Baillie) Reporter interviews residents and fighters in a neighbourhood in the eastern Syrian town of Deir Ezzor on 19 February 2013. (Photo:…
Death toll reaches 49 in Damascus mosque attack
Al-Akhbar News 22 Mar 2013 – The death toll from a massive suicide explosion in a Damascus mosque Thursday rose to 49, Syrian state media reported Friday , as the country’s president vowed to “cleanse” the country of extremists. Among the dead was Mohammed Saeed al-Bouti, a prominent Sunni cleric who sided with…
Iraq: Stories of Betrayal Swirl Around Fall of Baghdad
Al-Akhbar Politics 21 Mar 2013 – An election campaign banner of Iraq’s State of Law coalition sits on the plinth of Saddam Hussein’s statue in Baghdad on 20 March 2013. (Photo: AFP – Ahmad Al-Rubaye) An election campaign banner of Iraq’s State of Law coalition sits on the plinth of Saddam Hussein’s…
Hebron: Revolting Against the PNA and the Occupation
Al-Akhbar Politics 21 Mar 2013 – An Israeli soldier disperses a group of Palestinian and foreign protesters in the old city center of Hebron in the occoupied West Bank, as many Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza demonstrated on 20 March 2013 against a visit by US President Barack Obama to…
Israeli Settlers Continue to Attack Palestinians with Impunity
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Israeli apology for flotilla deaths
BBC 22 Mar 2013 – Israel apologises to Turkey for any errors that resulted in the deaths of nine activists during the raid on a flotilla bound for Gaza in 2010.
Lebanon’s PM Mikati steps down
BBC 22 Mar 2013 – Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announces the resignation of his entire government, divided over planned elections and the unrest in Syria.
Egypt activists clash with Islamists
BBC 22 Mar 2013 – Opposition protesters in Egypt clash with Muslim Brotherhood supporters in several towns, ransacking and setting ablaze the Islamist movement’s offices.
Obama pledges extra $200m to Jordan
BBC 22 Mar 2013 – US President Barack Obama pledges to give Jordan an additional $200m (£131m) to help deal with the growing number of Syrian refugees in the country.
Tourist kidnapped in Egypt’s Sinai
BBC 22 Mar 2013 – Two tourists, an Israeli man and a Norwegian woman, have been kidnapped by armed men in the Sinai peninsula in Egypt, security officials say.
Articles
Obama, Israel and Palestine
Robert Fantina, CounterPunch 3/22/2013
No Hope for Change
One wonders when, if1ever, the nonsense that spews forth from the mouths of the U.S.’s elected, so-called representatives, ceases. Less than five months after his victory over a truly frightening opponent, President Barack Obama went to the Middle East to dance to the tune of his puppet-master, Israel, and, while there, to throw a worthless bone to the Palestinians.
Mr. Obama reiterated the U.S.’s support for Israel’s security, as if Israel was some vulnerable, third world country surrounded by powerful enemies. Israel is, and for years has been, the beneficiary of the United States’ most generous largess, amounting to a total of $8,500,000.00 per day in military aid alone, for a staggering total of $3,102,500,000 in 2012. Compare this to the amount of military aid that the U.S. gives to Israel’s mortal enemy, Palestine: $0.
The U.S. president, when meeting with the corrupt and ineffective Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said this: “Palestinians deserve a future of hope. Palestinians deserve a state of their own.” Pretty words, indeed, but as meaningless as all Mr. Obama’s half-hearted and ineffectual efforts on behalf of the Palestinian people. He once again urged direct talks, without preconditions, with Israel.
As has been pointed out repeatedly, Israel has no interest in negotiations. Real negotiations can only occur between two parties, each of which has something the other wants, and each of which must surrender something, in order to obtain from the other, what is wanted. Israel is free to take from the Palestinians whatever it wants, without consequences. Israel daily arrests Palestinians, including children, and holds them indefinitely, without charge. The international community, and certainly the U.S., says nothing. Palestinians in Israel jails are tortured. The response from the international community, including that self-proclaimed bastion of human rights, the U.S., is silence…. more.. e-mail
A Draft-Dodging, Zionist Friendly, Rghtwing Texan Islamist to lead Syria?
Franklin Lamb, Damascus, CounterPunch 3/22/2013
Could the White House Have Dreamt for More?
For the past year, a plan C or D, depending on how one numbers the failed US-Israel projects in Syria was badly needed for those presuming to topple the Assad government.
And this week, according to Congressional staffers, both Tel Aviv and the White House are pinching themselves in disbelief over their good luck with installing republican leaning conservative Dixie businessman, the congenial, Ghassan Hitto, as Syria’s new interim Prime Minister.
Securing the key position for Mr. Hitto, a decision made last year, was not so easy and had to be approached gingerly. But finally, after weeks of sometimes intense debate within Syrian opposition circles, Washington, Ankara, Doha and Tel Aviv among others, managed to appoint their preferred guy. “The White House thought Hitto was the best of a bad lot”, one Congressional committee source, whose work load includes Syria, explained to this observer. “Bottom line, he’s an American, nearly thirty years here makes Ghassan one of us. And who cares if he came here as young man to dodge military service in Syria. Many of us dodged our draft during Vietnam and what’s important is that we can count of him!”
And just as some Americans were beginning to believe that our government may be afflicted with a congenital incapacity to learn from our past mistakes, installing Hitto, “should keep hope alive and we should not give up”, according to our Ambassador in Beirut, Maury Connelly. “Look what we achieved in Libya” she lectured a visiting delegation recently. After the meeting, one participant deadpanned, “Good lord! If that woman had not been Jeff Feltman’s office favorite for whatever reason, she might still be serving coffee to State Department visitors at 2201 C St NW, Washington, DC!”…. more.. e-mail
Thought-provoking art exhibition imagines earthquake in Palestine
Daryl Meador, Birzeit, Electronic Intifada 3/18/2013
The exhibition Jericho — Beyond the Celestial and the Terrestrial appears small, compiled of one major work or installation by each of the five artists involved. But the show — now running at the Birzeit University Museum in the occupied West Bank — is built upon long processes of research and creativity, resulting in several extensive and atypical considerations of the city of Jericho.
Part of the Cities Exhibition, founded by Ramallah-based artist Vera Tamari, it follows a series of other shows based on studies of West Bank cities. The past editions have focused on Jerusalem, Ramallah and Nablus.
Curator Yazid Anani proposed that each artist develop his or her work around a different conceptual theme: contemporaneity, land, humanity, wildlife and cosmos.
Palestinian artist Iyad Issa, exploring the idea of contemporaneity, organized a fleet of brightly-colored four-wheeled vehicles to take participants off-roading in Jericho. The cars visited desert terrain, refugee camps, housing developments built of steel, and the archaeological site of Hisham’s Palace, among other locations in the city.
In the exhibition, a bright red jeep faces a wall. Visitors are allowed to enter the jeep and watch video footage of the excursions projected on the wall in front of it. The simulated tours were meant to explore the idea of Jericho as an oasis, surrounded by the existing conflict, but the sites that the jeeps visited allowed for speculation on some of the contradictions in this idea, and in the development of the city. more.. e-mail
Ya’alon – forever tainted by cancer
Mitchell Plitnick, Souociant, Israeli Occupation Archive 3/19/2013
The picture is is not pretty. Israel finally has a new government in place, and we now know who its ruling triumvirate is. Most importantly, Benjamin Netanyahu will appoint a staunch hawk, Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon, to replace retiring Defense Minister Ehud Barak. We would do well to consider this selection.
In Israel, major decisions on security and policy are made by small circles of people. In the Netanyahu government, there has been the so-called “Group of Eight” consisting of the most powerful and influential ministers, and military and intelligence leaders. The composition of that group is likely to change now, but something like it will certainly be a key decision-making forum.
When it comes down to it, Bibi makes the decisions, but he is heavily influenced by the Defense and Foreign ministers. The Foreign Ministry is being held in trust for Avigdor Lieberman, who has been serving in that post, until he can legally resume his position. He is currently under indictment on charges of breach of trust and fraud. Until then, Netanyahu will be acting Foreign Minister as well as Prime Minister.
These are known quantities and our knowledge of them certainly gives no reason for hope. What about Ya’alon replacing Barak, who was himself hardly a man of peace? Longtime Israeli peace activist Uri Avnery describes Ya’alon as “…an extreme militarist, who sees all problems through the sights of a gun.”
That seems apt. Ya’alon appreciates very little outside of military strategy, which is problematic as Defense Minister. That role, as is the case in many countries, requires political and diplomatic savvy as well as military. Particularly in an Israeli context. more.. e-mail
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has reneged on promises to Palestine
Electronic Intifada: 22 Mar 2013 – Amira Howeidy Cairo 21 March 2013 Egypt’s policies toward Gaza — where it is currently destroying tunnels that are a lifeline — are a barometer of the country’s foreign policy independence — or lack thereof — since the fall of Mubarak.more
Peace Fraud: Obama Fails to Demand Halt to Illegal Settlements
Palestine Chronicle: 22 Mar 2013 – By Stuart Littlewood Miko Peled doesn’t mince words: “The Israeli-Palestinian issue is, politically, a toxic wasteland that no US president in his right mind would want to clean up. It has become a vicious cycle of deceit and double standards, and it will contaminate any US politician who tries to clean it up.” And one after another, they run away from the challenge. And so it has been with Obama. This week the world’s greatest peace fraud came to the Holy Land and funked it. Frankly, if that’s the best he can do after four years in the job he has no business calling himself a world leader. But I don’t necessarily agree with Peled’s remark. Any US president who fails to drain the stinking swamp in his backyard – i.e. the AIPAC breeding ground – deserves to be consigned to the wastepaper basket of history as a political pansy….more
Ten Years On: Murder and Mayhem Prevail in Iraq
Palestine Chronicle: 22 Mar 2013 – By Ernest Corea – Washington, D.C. Anniversaries are usually treated as occasions for celebration. They are given special names as in “golden” for a fiftieth anniversary and “tin” for a tenth. Goodwill is in the air, food and drinks are brought out, and “don’t worry, be happy” is the overarching theme for all concerned. Not so in contemporary Iraq, where the tenth anniversary of the US invasion of that country fell on March 19, 2013. The event was not commemorated with joyous activity. Instead, murder and mayhem prevailed. International news agencies reported that Baghdad was wracked by death and destruction on the tenth anniversary of the invasion. Over 50 people were reported dead in a wave of bombings that ripped through the capital and its environs. Sporadic sectarian violence has continued throughout the post-Saddam period. So has corruption, as near-anarchy continues to dominate post-invasion Iraq. The Washington Post comments that…more
A Zionist Smear Campaign: Setting the Record Straight
Dissident Voice: 22 Mar 2013 – In April 2012, Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT), a Zionist organization headed by Charles Jacobs, began a smear campaign against Muslim students, the staff of Spiritual Life Center, and some faculty at Northeastern University. The APT posted three videos on the internet accusing Muslims students at Northeastern University of advocating ‘Islamic extremism’ and concocting charges of anti-Semitism against several members of the faculty and staff of the Spiritual Life Center at Northeastern University. I was one of the principal targets of these smears. After launching the videos, the AMP has used a variety of tactics to bring pressure on Northeastern University to ‘punish’ the faculty it had targeted in one of its smear videos. When this campaign persisted I decided to write a letter to the President of Northeastern in November 2012 providing some background to APT’s smear campaign. At the time I had no intention of circulating this…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 