4 April 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
PCHR: “In Light Of Ongoing Violations, Palestine Must Join The ICC”
IMEMC – PCHR urges President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership to follow through on recent statements they have made, in which they have pledged to sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). …
Excessive use of force as Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinian civilians and injure third in West Bank
IMEMC – On Wednesday evening, 03 April 2012, in an example of excessive use of force, Israeli forces killed two Palestinian civilians and injured a third from ‘Anabta village, east of Tulkarm, northern West Bank. …
Two Palestinians Killed, Three Injured Near Tulkarem
IMEMC – Naji Al-Balbisi, 18 died of wounds sustained earlier Wednesday from the village of Anabta near Tulkarem. Al-Balbisi is the second youth killed on Wednesday by Israeli military gunfire. …
Second Palestinian dies after Tulkarem shooting
4/4/2013 – TULKAREM (Ma’an) — A teenager identified as Naji al-Balbisi, 18, died after being shot by Israeli forces during clashes near Tulkarem late Wednesday, a Ma’an reporter said. The reporter said that the Israeli forces detained the body al-Balbisi for several hours, and then at 4 a. m. they handed the body to….
Tensions grow in Israeli jails after prisoner dies
4/4/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) “” Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are still on hunger strike after the death of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh, a report issued by PA ministry of prisoners affairs said Thursday. Prisoners still clash with prison guards in most of the Israeli jails as they are angry about the death of Abu Hamdiyeh. Detainees….
Israeli forces raid houses in Jerusalem
4/4/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) “” Israeli forces raided several houses in the Bab Hatta neighborhood in the Old City of Jerusalem late Wednesday, and assaulted several families, locals said Thursday. Locals told Ma’an that the Israeli forces raided the houses of the al-Basiti, Hassan Yousef, and Najib families. They damaged windows and doors and….
Thousands attend prisoner’s funeral in Hebron
4/4/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Thousands of mourners on Thursday attended the funeral of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh who died two days earlier in Israeli custody, Ma’an reporters said. A military funeral set off from al-Ahli hospital toward Abu Aished hospital in the Wadi al-Haria area south of the city. The body will be buried….
Minister: Autopsy shows Israel neglected prisoner
4/4/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The results of an autopsy on the body of a Palestinian prisoner who died in Israeli custody show his death was caused by medical negligence, a Palestinian official said. The results show that the Israeli prison service neglected the medical situation of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh for several years, the minister of….
Israeli troops shoot, injure 2 Palestinians in clashes near Bethlehem
4/4/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – Two young Palestinian men were injured Thursday evening in clashes with Israeli troops in the Am Rukba neighborhood of al-Khader south of Bethlehem, medics said. Director of ambulance and emergency services in Bethlehem district Abdul-Halim Jaafira told Ma’an that the two were hit by plastic-coated bullets. One of the….
Clashes continue in Hebron for third day
4/4/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) – For the third consecutive day, young Palestinians in Hebron in the southern West Bank continued to clash with Israeli troops Thursday protesting the death of cancer prisoner Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh in Israeli custody. A Ma’an reporter said a CNN cameraman was shot and injured by a live bullet. Additionally….
Armed group in Hebron threatens to avenge Abu Hamdiyeh
4/5/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) – A military wing affiliated to Fatah in Hebron in the southern West Bank on Thursday threatened to retaliate to the death of Palestinian prisoner Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh in Israeli custody. A representative of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Hebron said duringAbu Hamdiyeh’s funeral that “the group will not wait….
Egyptian navy intercepts weapons shipment in Red Sea
4/5/2013 – Preliminary checks on the ship revealed that it came from Israel’s Eilat Port and was headed to an African country. – CAIRO (Ma’an) — The Egyptian navy seized a ship loaded with weapons and ammunition in international waters in the Red Sea on Thursday, according to Egypt’s al-Shorouq newspaper.” A giant….
Salafists say Hamas made arrests for rocket attacks
4/4/2013 – GAZA CITY (AFP) — Hamas has arrested two hardline Islamists in connection with rocket attacks on Israel, sources close to a Salafist group in the Gaza Strip said Thursday. The Hamas interior ministry, however, denied any arrests had been made for “resistance against the occupation.” Hamas’s “internal security apparatus in the last two days….
UNRWA shuts down Gaza offices over protests
4/5/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The UN agency for Palestine refugees said Thursday it was closing offices in the Gaza Strip in response to a “dramatic and disturbing” escalation in demonstrations over the week. Protesters have been demonstrating outside UNRWA’s offices to protest a reduction in financial assistance to vulnerable Palestinian refugees, but….
Israeli court frees 10 detainees on bail
4/4/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli court decided to release 10 Palestinian prisoners on bail, the Palestinian prisoners society said Wednesday. The prisoners must not gather or be present at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem for 20 days, PPS said Wednesday. The defendants are Nasser Qaws, director of PPS office in Jerusalem, Imad al-Din al-Hussieni, Yousef….
Israeli forces tell Yatta man to demolish wells
4/4/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) – Israeli forces warned a man from Yatta in the southern West Bank that they would demolish his water wells and uproot his trees, according to a local Palestinian official. Rateb al-Habour, coordinator of the popular and national committee in Yatta, said the troops raided an area east of Yatta and handed….
Huwwara checkpoint closed due to clashes
4/4/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) – Israeli forces shut down Huwwara checkpoint south of Nablus on Thursday afternoon due to clashes between young Palestinians and Israeli troops stationed at the checkpoint. Local sources told a Ma’an reporter that several demonstrators were hurt as Israeli soldiers showered them with tear-gas canisters. Separately, a group of Palestinian….
Jordanian doctor arrives in West Bank
4/4/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) – After hours of waiting, Israeli authorities allowed a Jordanian doctor to access Palestine and head to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem. The doctor was supposed to arrive the forensic institute early on Wednesday to participate in an autopsy but Israel held him for hours at….
Abbas says freeing of prisoners Palestinian priority
4/4/2013 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday said the freeing of prisoners held by Israel was a “priority” for the leadership in the West Bank.” The Palestinian leadership gives priority to the prisoners issue and ending their suffering,” Abbas said in a speech to a meeting of his Fatah party in Ramallah.” We cannot be….
PA liaison offices secure release of 2 teenagers
4/4/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – Palestinian liaison officials in Ramallah and Jenin were able to secure the release of two Palestinian teenagers who were arrested by the Israeli army recently. Nineteen-year-old Muhammad Abu Fkheida, from Ramallah, was released on Wednesday night. He had been accused of throwing stones at Israeli troops. In Jenin, meanwhile, liaison officials….
Official: Allenby to partially close for day
4/4/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Israeli-controlled crossing point between the occupied West Bank and Jordan will shut down Thursday for travelers from the Jordan side, a Palestinian official said. Nathmi Muhana, the director general of crossings, told Ma’an on Thursday that Israel informed the Palestinian side that the crossing would be closed on….
Bolivian president meets PMA chief in La Paz
4/4/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Bolivian President Evo Morales met with the Palestine Monetary Authority governor, Jihad al-Wazir, in La Paz on Thursday and expressed support for President Mahmoud Abbas. Al-Wazir handed an official letter and conveyed greetings from President Mahmoud Abbas to Morales, “who always expresses support to the Palestinian people’s resistance,” a….
Abbas says Israeli escalation endangers US peace efforts
4/4/2013 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — The Israeli army’s killing of two Palestinian youths in West Bank clashes jeopardizes US efforts to rekindle peace talks, President Mahmud Abbas said Thursday.” The Israeli government is behind this escalation,” Abbas said in a statement.”The Israeli government is responsible for the (negative) impact on US and international efforts to….
UK concerned by killing of 2 Palestinians
4/4/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The British foreign office said Thursday it was concerned about the deaths of two Palestinian teenagers and the Israeli military’s allegations that Palestinians attacked a post with firebombs.” We are deeply concerned about the deaths of two Palestinian teenagers in the West Bank and reports of the Israeli military….
Abbas ‘to suspend unilateral action against Israel’
4/4/2013 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — President Mahmoud Abbas will temporarily refrain from unilateral action against Israel to give US-brokered peace talks a chance to resume, a Palestinian official said on Thursday.” Abbas and the Palestinian leadership have decided to give a sufficient chance for (US Secretary of State John) Kerry’s efforts to succeed,” the official told….
Haniyeh returns to Gaza as deputy Hamas chief
4/4/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – Prime minister of the Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip Ismail Haniyeh on Thursday arrived in the coastal enclave after a five-day visit to Cairo. During his stay in Cairo, Haniyeh met with Egyptian officials and discussed several issues including Israeli violations of the truce Egypt brokered between Hamas and…. Related: Re-elected Hamas chief says will work for unity
Re-elected Hamas chief says will work for unity
4/4/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — The newly re-elected chief of Hamas, Khalid Mashaal, pledged on Thursday to work to end a rift with his West Bank rival, President Mahmoud Abbas. Mashaal, speaking at a pro-Palestinian conference in Cairo, “affirmed his movement’s solicitude for ending the division with its negative effects,” the Safa news agency quoted his…. Related: Haniyeh returns to Gaza as deputy Hamas chief
EU contributes 12 million euros to PA salaries
4/4/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The European Union has made a contribution to the payment of the March salaries and pensions of around 76,000 Palestinian civil servants and pensioners, the EU said Thursday. This contribution, of approximately 11. 75 million euros, was channelled by the European Commission through its PEGASE mechanism, a statement from the EU….
Nablus municipality driver killed in accident
4/4/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) – A Nablus municipality driver got killed on Thursday very early morning when a truck ran over him when he was bending to fix his car tire. Nablus police reported that the driver Usama Sleiman Salem, 57, died at the spot when a truck loaded with chickens ran over his body at….
US embassy tweets comic, sparking row with Cairo
4/4/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US embassy in Cairo briefly froze its Twitter account Wednesday after coming under fire from Egyptian leaders for tweeting a link to a US comedy show mocking President Mohamed Morsi. The embassy, which is a vociferous user of Twitter, shut down the account and deleted the tweet, which had linked to a….
Syria’s Assad slams Arab League
4/4/2013 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has lashed out at the Arab League and its decision to hand Syria’s seat to the opposition, saying the body “lacks legitimacy,” according to comments published on Thursday.” The Arab League lacks legitimacy. It’s a League that represents the Arab states, not the Arab people….
Lebanon proposes UN camps inside Syria
4/4/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Lebanese President Michel Sleiman on Thursday called for an international conference to discuss establishing UN-protected camps inside Syria, as his country struggles with a wave of refugees from the conflict. In a statement, Sleiman suggested that the camps be created “inside Syrian territory, far from conflict zones, be protected by United Nations forces….
UN: Close to 4 million displaced inside Syria
4/4/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The UN is hiking its estimates of people trapped in Syria after fleeing their homes, saying Wednesday some four million are now displaced inside the country and in dire need of international help. The figure, due to be officially released in the coming days, is a dramatic increase on earlier estimates of some….
Palestinians mourn prisoner’s death
AlJazeera 4 Apr 2013 – Violent clashes with Israeli army erupt in West Bank cities as man who died in Israeli custody is buried in Hebron.
Israel to Demolish Wells, Uproot Trees in Hebron
Palestine News Network
Abbas to Fatah Body: Settlements Pose Grave Danger to Peace
Palestine News Network
Presidency Warns of Implications of Israeli Escalation
Palestine News Network
Lawyer’s Affidavit Shows Prisoner Was Severely Ill a Month Ago
Palestine News Network
PMA Governor Discusses Cooperation with Bolivian President
Palestine News Network
‘The Soldier Answered his Screams with Laughter and Then Shot More Bullets’
Palestine News Network
Efforts For Jerusalem Are Crucial
Palestine News Network
Funeral of Prisoner Starts in Hebron
Palestine News Network
Industrial Production Index Decreases in February 2013, says Statistics
Palestine News Network
IOF Troops Assault, Arrest Two Children during Confrontations in Hebron
Palestine News Network
Israeli Soldiers Kill Two Teens near Tulkarm
Palestine News Network
Dozens of Suffocation Cases during Clashes in Jenin
Palestine News Network
MAP Concerned about Deteriorating Situation in Occupied Palestine Following Prisoner’s Death
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Excessive use of force as Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinian civilians and injure third in West Bank
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (28 Mar. 03 Apr. 2013)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Funeral procession for two young boys killed by the Israeli army in ‘Anabta
4/4/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 4th April 2013, International Solidarity Movement, “˜Anabta, Occupied Palestine, by Team Nablus – On Thursday 4 April the village of ‘Anabta, near Tulkarem buried two of their young men. Amer Nassar, 17 and Naji al-Balbisi, 18 were shot dead by the Israeli Army at the Enav checkpoint late on Wednesday evening. Despite reports last night….
UPDATED: Two teenagers murdered at checkpoint
4/4/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 4th April 2013, International Solidarity Movement, ‘Anabta, Occupied Palestine, By Team Nablus – At 22:30 on 3 April Israeli soldiers opened fire with live ammunition and killed a 17 year-old boy, from the village of ‘Anabta near Enav checkpoint and east of Tulkarm. Amer Nassar was murdered with a bullet to his chest….
occupied Palestinian territory: Israel/OPT: Stop use of excessive force against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank
Relief Web 4 Apr 2013 – Source: Amnesty Country: occupied Palestinian territory Israel’s military response to protests in the West Bank is failing to respect the human rights of Palestinians, Amnesty International said today as the number of Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli fire in the…
Sudan: Desert Locust situation update 3 April 2013
Relief Web 4 Apr 2013 – Source: Food and Agriculture Organization Country: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, occupied Palestinian territory, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen Hoppers hatching and forming bands along Nile River in Sudan The Desert Locust situation continues to remain serious in the Central…
occupied Palestinian territory: Abbas ‘to suspend unilateral action against Israel’
Relief Web 4 Apr 2013 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 04/04/2013 17:16 GMT RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories, April 4, 2013 (AFP) – President Mahmud Abbas will temporarily refrain from unilateral action against Israel to give US-brokered peace talks a chance to resume, a Palestinian…
occupied Palestinian territory: Statement on today’s demonstrations inside UNRWA compound in Gaza
Relief Web 4 Apr 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory Gaza Demonstrators today stormed the compound of the UNRWA Gaza Field Office in response to a programme cut necessitated by budget shortfalls. The…
occupied Palestinian territory: Anger as Palestinians bury prisoner, teens
Relief Web 4 Apr 2013 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 04/04/2013 14:28 GMT by Samih Shahine HEBRON, Palestinian Territories, April 4, 2013 (AFP) – Clashes rocked the West Bank on Thursday as thousands attended the funerals of a prisoner and two teenagers shot…
occupied Palestinian territory: The EU contributes €11.75 million to the Palestinian Authority’s March salaries and pensions
Relief Web 4 Apr 2013 – Source: European Union Country: occupied Palestinian territory Today the European Union has made a contribution to the payment of the March salaries and pensions of around 76,000 Palestinian civil servants and pensioners in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip….
The Red Brigade are empowering the women of India
The National 5 Apr 2013 – Since the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student in Delhi in December, women in India have formed the Red Brigade, a civilian group that aims to empower females to take back the streets, writes Gethin Chamberlain
Abbas delays Palestine UN statehood move to restart Israel peace talks
The National 4 Apr 2013 – Palestinian Authority president suspends bid to upgrade Palestine’s status for at least eight weeks but accuses Israel of provoking chaos as troops kill two teenagers. Vita Bekker reports
Egypt detainees well treated, says envoy to the UAE
The National 4 Apr 2013 – The 14 Egyptian detainees in the UAE are being treated well, the Egyptian ambassador to the UAE has said.
Saudi Arabia’s lay-off plan ‘could cost a million Indian jobs’
The National 4 Apr 2013 – Changes to the labour law could have catastrophic consequences for the 2.45 million Indians in Saudi Arabia and those in India who rely on money being sent from the country. Suryatapa Bhattacharya reports from New Delhi
Palestinian funerals draw thousands in tense West Bank
The National 4 Apr 2013 – Thousands of mourners turn out for the funerals of three Palestinians, including two teenagers killed by Israeli army gunfire in some of the worst violence in the occupied West Bank in years.
Sharjah ban on cigarette sales will apply to residential zones only
The National 4 Apr 2013 – Legislation will also apply to grocery shops situated near schools, and scope of the ban may be extended if the scheme is successful.
Archaeologists unearth ‘breathtaking’ ancient site at Iraqi home of Abraham
The National 4 Apr 2013 – British archaeologists have unearthed a sprawling complex near the ancient city of Ur in southern Iraq, home of the biblical Abraham.
Testing times for UK-Saudi relations
The National 4 Apr 2013 – Trial, inquiry into Britain’s relations with the kingdom and an arms contract squabble are putting a strain on ties. Omar Karmi reports from London
Court rules framer may continue force-feeding geese
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Court castigates Education Ministry for allowing dismissal of veteran schoolteacher without cause
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Anat Kamm suing Haaretz for revealing her as paper’s source
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
New IDF commander charged with preventing another intifada
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Widow of Polish resistance fighter to light torch at Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Archaeologists discover 1,500-year-old Byzantine wine press
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
IDF probe into death of two Palestinians in West Bank: No shots fired at army post
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Western Wall rabbi says women will not be arrested for praying at Kotel
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Air France fined for kicking pro-Palestinian activist off Israel-bound flight
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Gaza rockets fired at south Israel, as Palestinians clash with IDF in West Bank
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Tel Aviv revs up plans for citywide car sharing
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Abbas: Israel must clarify position on Palestinian borders ahead of talks
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Ahead of next round of talks, Iran says world must recognize its right to enrich uranium
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Meretz bill would give Haredim who leave the fold financial aid
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Tel Aviv area gets poorer while standard of living rises in West Bank settlements
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Employees at Israeli slaughterhouse caught showing cruelty to animals remain in jobs
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Jerusalem approves, then revokes, grant to combat secularization of Orthodox girls
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Shin Bet documents show illegal interrogation methods used against Palestinian prisoner
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2013
Anonymous hackers declare assault on Israel
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Hackers group threatens online attack on Holocaust Memorial Day; Internet security expert says attack not national security issue.
Israeli reporters covering Palestinians face threats
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Palestinian reporters, activists threaten Israeli colleagues covering Palestinian affairs beat; call for ban from W. Bank.
Peace letter
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Like the signatories of the letter to our prime minister, we in Israel also harbor hopes for peace.
Amidror: UNIFIL failing mandate to track Hezbollah arms
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Netanyahu’s national security adviser says UN observers did not report Hezbollah’s guerrilla armaments as required and argues that Israel cannot rely on foreign intervention for its security.
Turkish-Greek-Arabic coffee: Lessons for long-term enemies
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – As for Israel and Palestine – we do not have to wait for an additional 400 years at each other’s throat, let’s start drinking coffee together now.
A kvitel connecting generations
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – The kvitel was a prayer for the health of an ill relative. Attached to it was a handwritten request: “Please deliver this kvitel to the grave of my grandfather.”
UNRWA suspends Gaza distribution over riot at HQ
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – UN aid agency says demonstrators stormed its Gaza headquarters after the agency suspended some of its cash handouts.
Intentions and deeds: Parshat Shmini
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Good intentions are always wonderful, but the deeds which emanate from these intentions are not always wonderful.
Kotel Rabbi: Ban on WoW prayer won’t be enforced
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz says police will not arrest Women of the Wall saying Kaddish.
Is the Iron Dome effective?
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – The claim that Israel has not provided the US with accurate data on the Iron Dome’s performance is ridiculous.
Anonymous threatens cyber attack on Israeli sites
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Hackers group says it would attack Israeli websites on Holocaust Memorial Day; Knesset prepares for possible attack.
Top US Jews urge PM to make ‘sacrifices for peace’
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – More than one hundred US leaders pen letter to Netanyahu, calling on him to make Israel’s readiness for peace clear to Obama.
‘Egypt seizes Iranian ship loaded with weapons’
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Ship’s cargo contains 45 ton of weapons, was reportedly heading to Egypt; Egypt says ship was Togolese, not Iranian.
Abbas: Israel seeks to start a third intifada
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Members of Fatah’s armed wing say they are waiting for a “green light” from Abbas to “respond to Israeli crimes.”
‘Hamas arrests global jihadis firing at Israel’
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Hamas reportedly arrests al-Qaida inspired group believed to be behind the rocket attacks in past three days.
Anat Kam sues ‘Haaretz’, Uri Blau for NIS 2.6 m.
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Kam, in jail for leaking classified documents to Blau, claims publishing pictures of the documents led to her arrest.
Anat Kamm sues ‘Haaretz’, Uri Blau for NIS 2.6 m.
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Kamm, in jail for leaking classified documents to Blau, claims publishing pictures of the documents led to her arrest.
Jalili: Iran to defend nuclear plans with more rigor
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Chief nuclear negotiator sounds defiant note ahead of talks with world powers, says after election Iran to defend right to enrichment.
The Weekly Schmooze: Count the Omar
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Jewish culture news worldwide: Jewish NY childhoods; Jon Stewart diplomacy and Paul Rudd pranks Conan.
Voices of Jerusalem: Innovative ‘Ima’
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – The dynamic woman behind successful Facebook group ‘Brand New Mamas’ speaks to the ‘Post’ about being a new mom.
Syrian regime sending militias to Iran for training
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Activists say Assad’s government is sending guerrilla fighters to train at secret base in Iran to bolster its armed forces.
Lights go out in Jordan from Amman to Dead Sea
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – The resource-poor kingdom, which imports 97 percent of its energy has in the past two years seen the annual cost of those purchases soar above $5 billion.
Against all odds
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Not all Jews went “as sheep to slaughter,” as they engaged in uprisings and breakouts at camps, death pits and mass murder sites, as well as attacks on the German military.
An American Holocaust story relived
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – A new documentary to be aired on Remembrance Day tells the story of two Americans who rescue 50 children from the Holocaust.
Israeli Nobel laureates get new appointment
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Prof. Avraham Hershko and Prof. Aharon Ciechanover of the Technion get nod to join a prestigious cancer academy.
Nissan takes over Hadassah surgical department
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – US-born Nissan completed his internship and a residency in surgery at Hadassah University Medical Center.
Pharmacy students demand end to license delays
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2013 – Student Association demands that ministry push through amendment to legislation to change the situation.
Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli soldiers in West Bank
The Guardian 4 Apr 2013 – Clashes come as militants fire rockets at Israel for third day, sparking fears of fresh wave of violence after five months of calm Palestinian protesters clashed with soldiers after thousands of mourners turned out for the…
Syria civil war: clashes continue in Damascus – as it happened
The Guardian 4 Apr 2013 – • ’79 killed’ in attacks across Syria • Regime forces ‘training in Iran’ • Syrian media attacks Jordan for hosting training of rebels • Click here for a summary of today’s key events Paul Owen
Israeli troops shoot dead two Palestinian youths in West Bank
The Guardian 4 Apr 2013 – Youths aged 17 and 18 killed as confrontations enter a third day following the death of a Palestinian prisoner in an Israeli jail Israeli troops have shot dead two Palestinian youths in the occupied West Bank,…
Guarded Optimism Over Iran Nuclear Talks
IPS With talks over Iran’s nuclear ambitions set to resume Apr. 5 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, there is guarded optimism that negotiators can build on the moderate breakthroughs made in discussions held earlier this year. “The last rounds of talks in Almaty (in February) and in Turkey (in March) have increased hopes…
Report Calls to Engage Iran’s People While Preventing Nuke
IPS The U.S. should not only focus on the short-term goal of “suspending or delaying” Iran’s alleged quest for a nuclear weapons capability, but also on “curtailing Iran’s other worrisome activities in the region while encouraging – or at least, not derailing – a better relationship with the citizens of the…
As Iraq Becomes Iran-Like
IPS Armoured vehicles and thousands of soldiers masked in black balaclavas guard the entrance to the city of Mosul, 350 kilometres northwest of Baghdad. Arriving here gives one the unmistakable feeling of entering a territory that is still under occupation – only this time, the Iraqi Federal soldiers, not the U.S….
Libya Fights Increased Drug Trafficking
IPS In Libya, a dose of LSD or the painkiller tramadol costs 78 cents, and a joint of cannabis is 7.80 dollars. Here, drugs are affordable to the poor for a simple reason. “Slashing prices is a way to create demand and open up a market,” a Western diplomat tells IPS…
Syria News – April 2 , 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet
Expanding Draconian Computer Fraud and Abuse Act Powers
Uruknet
Legal Group Launches to Aggressively Challenge US Government Prosecutions of Whistleblowers
Uruknet
Suffocating Under Siege, Gaza Welcomes Tourism
Uruknet
4 newspapers attacked in Baghdad
Uruknet
Israel’s New Generation of Racists (Video)
Uruknet
Bassem Youssef Mocks the Brotherhood Rule
Uruknet
EXCLUSIVE: FSA says Muslim Brotherhood ‘must act like any opposition group in Syria’
Uruknet
Costs of Iraq, Afghanistan wars could rise to $6 trillion
Uruknet
Israel Criticised for Harsh Treatment of Palestinian Children
Uruknet
Close to 4 million displaced inside Syria: UN
Daily Star 4 Apr 2013 The UN is hiking its estimates of people trapped in Syria after fleeing their homes, saying Wednesday some four million are now displaced inside the country and in dire need of international help.
No agreement on Syria access for UN chemical arms inspectors
Daily Star 4 Apr 2013 The United Nations and Syria have not yet agreed on how much access a team of chemical weapons inspectors will have to investigate allegations that such arms were used recently in the Syrian conflict.
Afghan relations with Pakistan at new low
Daily Star 4 Apr 2013 Afghanistan accused Pakistan on Thursday of placing unacceptable conditions on efforts to bring peace to the country after nearly 12 years of war.
EU worried about Egypt’s civil society proposals
Daily Star 4 Apr 2013 The European Union’s envoy to Cairo urged Egypt’s Islamist-led authorities on Thursday not to rush through legislation on civil society and NGOs that could curb an embryonic democracy.
Syrian govt guerrilla fighters being sent to Iran for training
Daily Star 4 Apr 2013 The Syrian government is sending members of its irregular militias for guerrilla combat training at a secret base in Iran, in a move to bolster its armed forces drained by two years of fighting and defections,…
Egypt navy intercepts arms-laden ship from Israel: security
Daily Star 4 Apr 2013 Egypt’s navy on Thursday seized a weapons-laden ship and detained its crew who had set off from the Israeli port of Eilat en route to the African country of Togo, security officials said.
Britain urges Saudi Arabia not to paralyse convict
Daily Star 4 Apr 2013 Britain on Thursday urged Saudi Arabia not to carry out the “grotesque” punishment of paralysis for a man whose alleged crime took place when he was just 14 years old.
Thousands of Palestinians protest in West Bank
Daily Star 4 Apr 2013 Thousands of outraged Palestinians took to the streets of the West Bank, joining funeral processions and demonstrations after two protesters were killed by Israeli troops and a Palestinian prisoner died of cancer in Israeli custody.
NATO: F-16 crashes in Afghanistan, killing pilot
Daily Star 4 Apr 2013 NATO says an American F-16 fighter jet has crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing the U.S. pilot.
Iran, 6 powers meet for nuclear talks
Daily Star 4 Apr 2013 Iran and world powers trying to curb Iran’s nuclear progress are coming to the negotiating table this week with the window shrinking on diplomacy.
Reelected Hamas chief says will work for unity
Daily Star 4 Apr 2013 The newly reelected chief of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, pledged on Thursday to work to end a rift with his West Bank rival, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas.
China: 5th person dies of H7N9 avian flu
YNet News, 4 Apr 2013 – ….
Jordan aid to rebels raises tensions with Syria
YNet News, 4 Apr 2013 – ….
US: John Kerry will give 5% of his salary to State Department
YNet News, 4 Apr 2013 – ….
Israel: UN observers failing mandate to track Hezbollah arms
YNet News, 4 Apr 2013 – ….
Suspected murder in Ashkelon: Woman found dead in flat
YNet News, 4 Apr 2013 – ….
A really nice rabbi
YNet News, 4 Apr 2013 – Op-ed: Immoral Orthodox monopoly threatening the unity of the Jewish people ….
Going against the flow
YNet News, 4 Apr 2013 – Op-ed: In order to make history, Obama and Netanyahu must cut sweet talk and start working ….
Tens of thousands in al-Khalil mourn the martyr Abu Hamdiya
PIC – Tens of thousands of people from al-Khalil participated on Thursday in the funeral of captive Maysara Ahmed Abu Hamdiya, 65, who died as a result of the Israeli authorities’ medical neglect.
Report: More than 40 Jerusalemites denied entry to the Aqsa Mosque last month
PIC – The information center of Wadi Hilwa district said that the IOA last March issued decisions barring more than 40 Jerusalemites from visiting the Aqsa Mosque for different periods.
Mishaal asserts prisoners’ issue on top priorities of Hamas
PIC – Khaled Mashaal, head of Hamas’s political bureau stressed that the issue of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails is on the top of his movement’s national priorities.
Al-Khalil: Occupation serves demolition notice of a water well
PIC – Occupation authorities handed on Thursday to a Palestinian citizen from the town of Msafer Yatta nine notifications to demolish water well and remove the livestock pens in his lands.
Hamas: Shura Council meeting was held in a democratic atmosphere
PIC – Hamas movement confirmed that the meeting of its Shura Council, which has renewed confidence in the Political Bureau headed by Khaled Meshaal, was held in an atmosphere of “democracy.”
Prisoners in the Negev refuse to take medication
PIC – The Palestinian Center for Prisoners’ Studies confirmed that the patient prisoners in the Negev desert prison announced to stop taking their medicines on Wednesday evening.
Egypt: investigations of the Rafah atrocity continue
PIC – Omar Amer, spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency,confirmed that no practical steps have been taken yet with regard to the Qatari proposal of holding a mini summit for Palestinian reconciliation.
Abu Zuhri calls on Abbas to prosecute abusers of Qatar
PIC – Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesman for Hamas movement, stated that Mahmoud Abbas’s objection to the abuse of Qatar by Fatah students is not enough.
Fayyad Condemns Israeli Usage of Live Bullets against Protesters
WAFA – 4 Apr 2013
Israel to Demolish Wells, Uproot Trees in Hebron
WAFA – 4 Apr 2013
Palestinians Bury Tulkarm Teens killed by Soldiers
WAFA – 4 Apr 2013
Presidency Warns of Implications of Israeli Escalation
WAFA – 4 Apr 2013
Abbas to Fatah Body: Settlements Pose Grave Danger to Peace
WAFA – 4 Apr 2013
Funeral of Prisoner Starts in Hebron
WAFA – 4 Apr 2013
Clashes Erupt in and near Hebron
WAFA – 4 Apr 2013
Israeli Soldiers Kill Two Teens near Tulkarm
WAFA – 4 Apr 2013
Dozens of Suffocation Cases during Confrontations in Jenin
WAFA – 4 Apr 2013
Texas Refinery Is Saudi Foothold in the U.S.
New York Times 4 Apr 2013 – The Motiva refinery in Port Arthur, the largest in the United States, ensures a bigger market for Saudi crude and a stronger global voice for the kingdom.
At War Blog: The Road to Failure in Iraq
New York Times 4 Apr 2013 – Adnan Pachachi, a longtime political leader, describes what went wrong with the American effort in Iraq.
Syria’s Refugees Overwhelming Relief Efforts and Host Countries, U.N. Official Says
New York Times 4 Apr 2013 – Filippo Grandi, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, predicted that by the end of 2013, the flow of refugees would swamp humanitarian resources.
West Bank Funerals Become Displays of Defiance
New York Times 4 Apr 2013 – The funerals of a Palestinian prisoner who died in Israeli custody and two Palestinians killed in clashes with Israeli forces set off angry calls for resistance on Thursday.
Noble Energy raises Tamar gas estimate to 10 TCF
Globes Energy & Water – Noble Energy said that Tamar’s five subsea wells now produce gas totaling 300 million cubic feet per day.
NIS 3b invested in water infrastructures in 2012
Globes Energy & Water – The steady increase in desalinated water production and of recycled treated wastewater, and greater efficiency have enabled the water supply to recover after seven years of drought.
Ormat unit signs $254m Indonesian geothermal deal
Globes Energy & Water – The first phase of the 330-megawatt Sarulla geothermal power station in Sumatra is due to begin operating in 2016.
BoI to require banks to seek inactive account owners
Globes Main News – The Bank of Israel will also require the banks to ensure the value of funds in inactive accounts.
Better Place needs to raise $500m
Globes Main News – The electric car venture will need to raise at least $500 million over the next four years to reach the operating break-even point.
Shekel strengthening halted
Globes Main News – FXCM Israel: A combination of economic, geo-political and global factors continues to support the appreciation of the shekel in the short term.
Viola to lend NIS 250m to Ben-Dov’s Scailex, Suny
Globes Main News – The loans are subject to Suny reaching a debt settlement, which will guarantee that the company.
Former Treasury chief: Housing prices will fall
Globes Macro Economics – Ben-Zion Zilberfarb predicts that housing prices will fall, and jeopardize the banks.
Spacecom to raise NIS 300-400m in bond offering
Globes Aerospace & Defense – The cash will be used to make early repayment of existing loan debt.
Israel defense firms court Turkish military
Globes Aerospace & Defense – An Israel defense company official told “Defense News,” “We don’t expect an immediate return to the good old days.”
Hamas Hardliner, Al-Zahar, Voted Off Leadership Council
Tikun Olam – Mahmoud al-Zahar, deposed from Hamas senior leadership council Shlomi Eldar reports at AI Monitor that Mahmoud al-Zahar, Hamas’ former foreign minister and a member of the group’s top leadership, has been removed from that body in recent voting. This was the same election process that reaffirmed…
Boston conference to explore the realization of the Palestinian right of return
Mondoweiss – The first Palestinian Right of Return Conference to occur in the United States took place at Boston University in 2000. The conference, which featured prominent academics such as Noam Chomsky and the late Edward Said, was an effort by proponents of Palestinian rights to advocate for…
Just another Shin Bet interrogation
Mondoweiss – I was fortunate this week. I had a quick and easy crossing from Jordan back into Israel. No delays, no questions, no invasive body searches and no lengthy rummaging through my luggage. The border guard sitting next to the computer took my passport, opened it and…
Israeli military kills two Palestinian teenagers near Tulkarm in the West Bank
Mondoweiss – Palestinians carry the bodies of Amer Nassar 17, and Naji Balbisi 18 into a mosque during their funeral in Anabta, West Bank, Palestine. April 4, 2013 (Photo: Darren Whiteside/Reuters) Late last night the Israeli military killed two more Palestinian teenagers, Amer Nassar 17, and Naji…
Kevin Coval’s ‘Schtick’ – A take-no-prisoners Jewish classic
Mondoweiss – I’ve just finished Chicago hip-hop poet Kevin Coval’s soon-to-be-released book, “Schtick” (Haymarket Books) – a collection of poems that takes aim and fires at the sensitive edge of every nerve ending in the American Jewish psyche. It’s a new take-no-prisoners Jewish classic. Coval has long been…
When it comes to North Korea, everyone’s a coldblooded realist
Mondoweiss – I’m not sure how afraid to be of North Korea’s threats to attack us with nuclear weapons. But the media sure are calming me down. North Korea is “bluffing,” says the Washington Post ‘s Max Fisher. Richard Engel says that Kim Jong-un, the north Korean leader,…
Natan Sharansky Vows Women Won’t Be Charged for Kaddish at Western Wall
The Foward Breaking News 4 Apr 2013 – Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky met Thursday with Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, chairman of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, to express his shock at a letter sent by police warning that women would be arrested for reciting the Kaddish mourner’s prayer at the Western Wall. Click here…
Stav Shaffir, Youngest Israeli Knesset Member, Has Net Worth of $20K
The Foward Breaking News 4 Apr 2013 – MK Stav Shaffir, the Knesset’s youngest member and one of the leaders of the 2011 social-justice protests, has a net worth of approximately NIS 75,000 ($20,650). Click here for the rest of the article…
American Jewish Leaders Push Benjamin Netanyahu To Trade Land for Peace
The Foward Breaking News 4 Apr 2013 – More than one hundred U.S. Jewish leaders urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make clear “Israel’s readiness to make painful territorial sacrifices for the sake of peace.” Click here for the rest of the article…
Thousands Mourn 2 Palestinian Teens Killed by Israeli Troops on West Bank
The Foward Breaking News 4 Apr 2013 – Thousands of mourners turned out on Thursday for the funerals of three Palestinians, including two teenagers killed by Israeli army gunfire in some of the worst violence in the occupied West Bank in years. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Armed Forces Deny Discussing Re-Demarcation of Egypt-Israel Borders With President
allAfrica.com 4 Apr 2013 – [Egypt Online]Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defense and Military Production General Abdel-Fatah el-Sisi said that the Armed Forces would continue to perform their national duties in protecting the homeland and the achievements of the great Egyptian people.
Egypt: FM Condemns Israeli Policies Against Palestinian Prisoners
allAfrica.com 4 Apr 2013 – [Egypt Online]Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamal Amr condemned on Wednesday 3/4/2013 the Israeli policies against the Palestinian prisoners that resulted in the death of prisoner Maysara Abu Hamida.
North Africa: Jihadists Target Maghreb Expats
allAfrica.com 4 Apr 2013 – [Magharebia]Casablanca -Authorities in the Netherlands raised the country’s terrorism alert level last month, citing concerns over the radicalisation of young people and jihadists traveling to and from Syria.
Rachel Corrie: BBC admits failings
Rachel Corrie Foundation 4 Apr 2013 – Published: March 26, 2013 at PalestineCampaign.org The BBC has admitted that a reference it made to Israeli soldiers dying on the same day US activist Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza was not ‘duly accurate’. No Israeli soldiers were…
Land Day
Palestine Solidarity Project 4 Apr 2013 – On March 30th a number of citizens from the town of Beit Ommar joined by Youth Power participated in the town’s weekly demonstration. Demonstrators walked towards an area of land that has been threatened of being confiscated by the Israeli army, which is near Karmie Tzors…
Funeral Attack
Palestine Solidarity Project 4 Apr 2013 – On the, 28th of March the Israeli soldiers attacked a funeral procession for Ne’ma Adi. At the entrance of Beit Ommar the procession tried to pass across to the funeral gate near the Israeli check point located at the entrance to the town. When the mourners…
West Bank clashes follow funeral
BBC 4 Apr 2013 – Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Hebron following the funeral of a Palestinian prisoner who died in Israeli jail.
UN halts Gaza food aid after attack
BBC 4 Apr 2013 – The UN says it is suspending all its food distribution centres in the Gaza Strip after protesters angered by aid cutbacks stormed one of its compounds.
Iran defiant ahead of nuclear talks
BBC 4 Apr 2013 – Iran again strongly defends its controversial nuclear programme ahead of a new round of talks with world powers in Kazakhstan.
Air France fined for discrimination
BBC 4 Apr 2013 – A French court fines Air France 13,000 euros for removing a pro-Palestinian activist from a flight to Israel because she was not Jewish.
Absolving Mursi of the Responsibility
Al-Akhbar Blogs 4 Apr 2013 – Cairo – The debate that emerged in the aftermath of the March 22 clashes outside the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters is incorrectly being perceived as absolving the authorities of responsibility. read more
Lebanon: The Madness of Baabda and Jumblatt’s Bazaar
Al-Akhbar Opinion 4 Apr 2013 – Ivory Coast’s president Alassane Ouattara and Lebanon counterpart Michel Sleiman greet supporters during president Sleima’sn welcoming ceremony at Abidjan airport on 14 March 2013. (Photo: AFP – Issouf Sanogo) Ivory Coast’s president Alassane Ouattara and Lebanon counterpart Michel Sleiman greet supporters during president Sleima’sn welcoming ceremony…
Hamas arrests two accused of firing rockets
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2013 – Hamas, which governs in the Gaza strip, has arrested two hardline Islamists in connection with rocket attacks fired across the border, sources close to a Salafist group said Thursday. The Hamas interior ministry, however, denied any arrests had been made for “resistance against the occupation.” Hamas’s “…
French court strikes down Georges Abdallah’s release
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2013 – A file picture taken on July 3, 1986 shows former Lebanese militiaman George Ibrahim Abdallah and famous French lawyer Jacques Verges (in foreground) during his trial for being an accomplice in the murder of two diplomats including Charles Ray of the US and Israeli Yacov Barsimantov,…
Egypt: Interior Ministry Takes Revenge in Alexandria
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2013 – Egyptian students from Egypt’s Islamic al-Azhar University shouts slogans as they take part in demonstration in front of Sheikh al-Azhar’s office in Cairo on 2 April 2013 (Photo: AFP – Mohammed Al-Shahed) Egyptian students from Egypt’s Islamic al-Azhar University shouts slogans as they take part in…
No More Khatib-isms for Syrian Opposition
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2013 – Syrian internally displaced people carry their belongings in the Atme camp, along the Turkish border in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, on 19 March 2013. (Photo: AFP – Bulent Kilic) Syrian internally displaced people carry their belongings in the Atme camp, along the Turkish border…
Sudan and Egypt: Islamist Partners or Reluctant Allies?
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2013 – An Egyptian protester holds bread along with a flyer reading in Arabic “Danger, no to loans that lead to poverty” during a rally in downtown Cairo against the visit of a delegation from the International Monetary Fund on 3 April 2013. (Photo: AFP – Khaled Desouki)…
Air France fined for forcing non-Jewish passenger off flight to Tel Aviv
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2013 – A French court on Thursday ordered Air France to pay a 10,000 euro ($12,800) fine for having ordered a French woman off a flight to Tel Aviv because she was not Jewish. Ankour was taken off the plane in the southeastern city of Nice after an…
Global Leftist Bazaar Visits Tunisia
Al-Akhbar Series and Features 3 Apr 2013 – A Concert by Lara al-Alayan organized by the Palestinian Youth Delegation at the World Social Forum in Tunis on 29 March 2013. (Photo: Wissam al-Saliby) A Concert by Lara al-Alayan organized by the Palestinian Youth Delegation at the World Social Forum in Tunis on 29 March…
Lebanon: Mikati Shuffled Out of PM Game
Al-Akhbar Politics 3 Apr 2013 – Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati walks at the Grand Serail, the government headquarters in Beirut 12 March 2013. (Photo: Reuters – Jamal Saidi) Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati walks at the Grand Serail, the government headquarters in Beirut 12 March 2013. (Photo: Reuters – Jamal Saidi)…
West Bank clashes follow funeral
BBC 4 Apr 2013 – Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Hebron following the funeral of a Palestinian prisoner who died in Israeli jail.
UN halts Gaza food aid after attack
BBC 4 Apr 2013 – The UN says it is suspending all its food distribution centres in the Gaza Strip after protesters angered by aid cutbacks stormed one of its compounds.
Iran defiant ahead of nuclear talks
BBC 4 Apr 2013 – Iran again strongly defends its controversial nuclear programme ahead of a new round of talks with world powers in Kazakhstan.
Air France fined for discrimination
BBC 4 Apr 2013 – A French court fines Air France 13,000 euros for removing a pro-Palestinian activist from a flight to Israel because she was not Jewish.
UK concern at Saudi paralysis ruling
BBC 4 Apr 2013 – The UK urges Saudi Arabia not to carry out a “grotesque” sentencing of paralysis for a man as punishment for paralysing another man.
Singapore probes football officials
BBC 4 Apr 2013 – Singapore’s anti corruption agency, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), says it is investigating three Lebanese football officials.
Articles
The Cruelty That Keeps Empires Alive
Noam Chomsky, AlterNet 4/2/2013
Like many other oppressive countries, Israel’s chief tools of control are through humiliation, degradation and terror.
Editor’s Note: This article is adapted from the Edward W. Said lecture given by Noam Chomsky in London on March 18, 2013.
The Swedish novelist Henning Mankell tells of an experience in Mozambique during the civil war horrors there 25 years ago, when he saw a young man walking toward him in ragged clothes.
“I noticed something that I will never forget for as long as I live,” Mankell says. “I looked at his feet. He had no shoes. Instead he had painted shoes on his feet. He had used the colors in the ground and in the roots to replace his shoes. He had come up with a way to keep his dignity.”
Such scenes will evoke poignant memories among those who have witnessed cruelty and degradation, which are everywhere. One striking case, though only one of a great many, is Gaza, which I was able to visit for the first time last October.
There violence is met by the steady resistance of the “samidin” – those who endure, to borrow Raja Shehadeh’s evocative term in “The Third Way,” his memoir on Palestinians under occupation, 30 years ago.
Greeting me on my return home were the reports of the Israeli assault on Gaza in November, supported by the United States and tolerated politely by Europe as usual.
Israel isn’t Gaza’s only adversary. Gaza’s southern border remains largely under the control of Egypt’s dreaded secret police, the Mukhabarat, which credible reports link closely to the CIA and the Israeli Mossad. more.. e-mail
Turkey’s Unsustainable Politics in the Middle East: Israel vs. The Rest
Ramzy Baroud, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 4/2/2013
‘Confused’ may be an appropriate term to describe Turkey’s current foreign policy in the Middle East and Israel in particular. The source of that confusion – aside from the appalling violence in Syria and earlier in Libya – is Turkey’s own mistakes.
The Turkish government’s inconsistency regarding Israel highlights earlier discrepancy in other political contexts. There was a time when Turkey’s top foreign policy priority included reaching out diplomatically to Arab and Muslim countries. Then, we spoke of a paradigm shift, whereby Ankara was repositioning its political center, reflecting perhaps economic necessity, but also cultural shifts within its own society. It seemed that the East vs. West debate was skillfully being resolved by politicians of the Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, along with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, appeared to have obtained a magical non-confrontational approach to Turkey’s historic political alignment. ‘The Zero Problems’ policy allowed Turkey to brand itself as a bridge between two worlds. The country’s economic growth and strategic import to various geopolitical spheres allowed it to escape whatever price meted out by Washington and its European allies as a reprimand for its bold political moves – including Erdogan’s unprecedented challenge of Israel.
Indeed, there was a link between the growing influence of Turkey among Arab and Islamic countries and Turkey’s challenge to Israel’s violent behavior in Palestine and Lebanon, and its rattling against Syria and Iran. Turkey’s return to its political roots was unmistakable, yet interestingly, was not met by too strong an American response. Washington couldn’t simply isolate Ankara and the latter shrewdly advanced its own power and influence with that knowledge in mind. Even the bizarre anti-Turkish statements by Israeli officials sounded more like incoherent rants than actual foreign policy. more.. e-mail
Ideological rigidity and political realism
Ahmad Abu R’tema, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 4/2/2013
I attended two meetings this week in Gaza which were also attended by Wadah Khanfar, the former director general of Al-Jazeera, Basheer Nafi, of Al-Jazeera Centre for Studies and a group of academics and youth, most of whom would be classed as Islamists.
My attendance was unexpected but provided a valuable opportunity to assess two distinct perspectives on Middle East issues. The first belonged to a generation of Palestinian youth who were born and raised in a besieged enclave, largely isolated from the world. Theirs is a narrowed point of view imposed on them by the geographic, political and social conditions in which they grew up. The other perspective was represented by a group of enlightened individuals who have travelled the world and mingled with different cultures and people, have accomplished research, participated in social and political activities, and kept up with global changes.
It was not easy to conceal the cultural gap between the two groups. Just as the visiting speakers were very practical, the discourse of the youth revealed their integrity, sincerity, sacrifice, love of heroism and pride in their religion and history. However, their speech also revealed a lack of understanding of reality and an inability to balance between heroism and sacrifice on one side, and political realism and awareness of the great developments that have affected political thought globally over recent decades and centuries. Of course, some enlightened youth who understood the modern world took part, but most were remote from reality and yet wielded considerable social influence.
What was noticeable from these talks is that rigid ideology in the Gaza Strip not only outweighs political realism but also has no room for it. Ideological speech is characterised as strict and harsh, whereas political speech engages grey areas and compromise…. more.. e-mail
Terror and the Israeli occupation
Alan Hart, Redress 4/4/2013
Is terror an option for the occupied and oppressed Palestinians?
My answer is “No” but I think the question needs to be asked. It was provoked in my mind by a recent article published in the Israeli news website Ynet by Ziv Lenchner, described as a left-leaning, Jewish Israeli artist.
Lenchner’s article, published on 28 March and entitled “Israelis to Obama – we don’t care, don’t bother us”, took the discussion about what most Israeli Jews really want – disengagement from the occupied West Bank or annexation – beyond the answer given by Noam Sheizaf in the Israeli newspaper Maariv on 4 December 2012. The headline over his piece was “We have become addicted to the status quo”What Israelis want
Sheizaf wrote:
“A well-known cliché in Israeli political discourse refers to a high rate of support among the Jewish public for a two-state solution. As the claim goes, despite the second Intifada and the rounds of fighting against Hamas in Gaza, most Jews still prefer this solution to the annexation of the Palestinian territories. Political scientists and journalists are thus consistently surprised as to why Israelis turn their backs on parties that espouse dividing the land and evacuating settlements, and choose to vote for those whose actions push a peace agreement further and further away. In a conference held at Tel Aviv University, a well-known researcher announced, “The Israeli public is simply not rational”.
Sheizaf challenged that researcher’s judgement…. more.. e-mail
The right of return is a core issue for Palestinians; let’s realize it
Electronic Intifada: 4 Apr 2013 – Raed Habayeb Boston 4 April 2013 A conference in Boston this weekend will explore the practical steps towards achieving justice for Palestinian refugees.more
Why do survivors of massacre by Israeli soldier face imprisonment?
Electronic Intifada: 4 Apr 2013 – Sawsan Khalife’ Shefa Amr 4 April 2013 Eden Natan Zada had murdered four Palestinians by the time he was confronted by locals in Shefa Amr, yet those accused of killing him could be jailed for many years.more
Palestinian Amer Nassar, Aged Seventeen: A Last Poem
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Apr 2013 – By Felicity Arbuthnot Last night and overnight, two unarmed teenagers, cousins Amer Nassar (17) and Naji Abdul-Karim Balbeisi (18) were shot dead by Israeli Defence Force troops. The two were from the village of Anabta, near the town of Tulkarm, in Palestine’s West Bank. Tulkarm was founded in the 13th century, its name derived from the Aramaic “Toor Karma” meaning “mount of vineyards.” Amer died from a bullet in his chest at 22.30 on Wednesday night, according to eye witnesses. Hearing shots, three boys from the village went out and found Amer lying on the ground, with soldiers standing over him. When they tried to reach him, the soldiers opened fire, injuring one, Fadi Abu-A’sr, in the arm, and subsequently hospitalized. The three say that ambulance crews were prevented from reaching Amer for thirty vital minutes, with threats to shoot anyone attempting to intervene. Deiyaa’ Nasser, who did attempt to…more
Just another Shin Bet Interrogation
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Apr 2013 – By Awad Abdel Fattah I was fortunate this week. I had a quick and easy crossing from Jordan back into Israel. No delays, no questions, no invasive body searches and no lengthy rummaging through my luggage. The border guard sitting next to the computer took my passport, opened it and looked at the screen, presumably to check for any special alert. Unlike previous occasions, she didn’t leave her seat and disappear into another room to take instructions on what to do next. She simply handed back the passport, and I walked outside to my car. For years, on almost every occasion, I have been routinely delayed and harassed for no apparent reason upon my return to Israel, whether following a speaking engagement or a personal trip, which I do with increasing infrequency given my treatment by these officials. A month ago I went through the humiliating routine on my return…more
US Aid: Opium for the Palestinian Authority
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Apr 2013 – By Jamal Kanj Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed a $3.9 billion national budget for the 2013 fiscal year just one day before the March 31 deadline. The budget was approved without the required constitutional review and endorsement of the Palestine National Council. The state’s projected revenue for this year is $2.6bn, leaving a deficit of $1.3bn to be bridged by international benefactors. Budget approval came on the heels of US President Barack Obama’s visit, during which he revealed a decision to release approximately $500 million in US aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA). This includes $295.7m withheld by Congress last year to punish the PA for upgrading its status at the United Nations (UN). The remaining $200m was for budgetary assistance in 2013. By releasing the aid to the PA, Obama bypassed the US Congress’s objections by declaring that it was in “the security interests of the US”. The freezing…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 