18 April 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
UC Berkeley student senate votes to divest from companies that profit from Israeli Occupation
IMEMC – After a ten hour debate that began Wednesday evening and continued through the night, the Student Senate at the University of California – Berkeley voted to divest University funds from three companies that profit from Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. …
Activists remove section of Israeli Wall in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners
IMEMC – This Palestinian Prisoners Day, April 17th 2013, Palestinian and international activists cut down a fenced section of the Israeli apartheid wall in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli occupation jails. A section of around ten metres was torn down near Ofer prison, where Palestinian prisoners can be tried in military court or held by Israeli forces. …
Child from New Orleans sentenced to serve in adult prison in Israel
IMEMC – A 14-year old boy from New Orleans, Louisiana was sentenced on Wednesday to a two-week term in an Israeli prison, after having been abducted on April 5th by Israeli forces while sleeping in his family’s home in the West Bank. …
Israeli forces demolish store belonging to Bedouin orphans
4/18/2013 – BEERSHEBA, Israel (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Thursday demolished a store belonging to orphans in Wadi al-Niam, a Bedouin village in the Negev.”The demolition is immoral and unjustifiable. How can a state which claims to be an oasis of democracy and equality explain demolition of orphans’ homes and means of living? ” said….
Prisoners on hunger strike in solidarity with Issawi
4/18/2013 – Nablus (Ma’an) — Nine Palestinian prisoners began a hunger strike on Wednesday in solidarity with long term hunger-striker Samer Issawi, a statement issued by the Detainees’ Center said. Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine detainees said they would end their strike upon Issawi’s release to East Jerusalem. The latest solidarity….
Israeli forces bulldoze farm shelters near Bethlehem
4/18/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Thursday demolished two agricultural shelters in a village south of Bethlehem, the al-Khader popular committee said. Israel bulldozed the farm shelters in the al-Haboun area of al-Khader to provoke farmers and to keep them away from their land, said committee member Ahmad Salah. The shelters belonged to Hasan….
Israel indicts alleged Jerusalem attack plotters
4/18/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — An Israeli court on Thursday filed charges against five Palestinians from East Jerusalem accused of plotting deadly attacks on Israelis at a flashpoint religious site in the city, court documents said. A statement by the Shin Bet domestic security service said they were among seven suspects arrested last month who planned to open….
Israel bars Gaza runners from Bethlehem marathon
4/18/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel has refused to grant permission to 26 runners from the Gaza Strip to travel to the West Bank to run in the first Bethlehem marathon on April 21, officials said on Thursday. The race, which begins at the Nativity Church, is the first event of its kind in the West Bank with…. Related: Bethlehem police prepare for Palestine marathon
Palestinians, Israeli soldiers clash near Bethlehem
4/18/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Eleven Palestinians were treated for tear gas inhalation on Thursday after Israeli forces clashed with youths near Bethlehem, medics said. Israeli forces fired rounds of tear gas at protesters in the Um Rukba neighborhood of al-Khader, a Red Crescent official told Ma’an. An Israeli military spokeswoman told Ma’….
Dozens of settlers visit Solomon’s Pools
4/18/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Dozens of settlers from Efrat visited Solomon’s Pools in Bethlehem on Tuesday as part of Israel’s independence day celebrations. The settlers were escorted by Israeli troops and performed religious rites on a hilltop overlooking the pools, located near the Palestinian village of Artas. The group was confronted….
Israel PM says could block weapons to Syrian rebels
4/18/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged caution over international calls to arm Syrian rebels and reserved the right for the Jewish state to block the supply of weapons that could be turned against it. Speaking to the BBC, the Israeli prime minister said if advanced arms fell into the hands of Islamist….
Bethlehem police prepare for Palestine marathon
4/18/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Police in Bethlehem have started preparations for the city’s marathon, due to be held on Sunday. Director of Bethlehem police Alaa Shalabi said large numbers of police will be deployed on all main streets to ensure the safety of runners. Over 250 Palestinian and international runners are set to…. Related:Israel bars Gaza runners from Bethlehem marathon
Israeli forces ‘detain teens, child’ in al-Arrub refugee camp
4/18/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Thursday detained two teenagers and a child in the al-Arrub refugee camp in the southern West Bank, a local popular committee spokesman said. Mohammad Awad said Israeli soldiers raided the camp and detained 11-year-old Abdulla Abu Sharar, Odai Nemr Jawabreh, 18, and Wisam Salih al-Badawi, 19. [END]
Israel to release sick prisoner
4/18/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – Israel will release sick Palestinian prisoner Muhammad al-Taj Thursday after a serious deterioration in his health, says the Palestinian ministry of prisoners affairs. Al-Taj has been serving a 15-year sentence since 2003. He has recently been suffering from pulmonary failure. Undersecretary of the Palestinian ministry of prisoners’ affairs Ziad…. Related: Ministry: Al-Taj stable but may need surgery
Ministry: Al-Taj stable but may need surgery
4/18/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Mohammad al-Taj, who Israel freed on Thursday, is in a stable condition but may require dangerous surgery, a Palestinian Authority Health Ministry official said. Israel released al-Taj, who had carried out two long-term hunger strikes, on health grounds. He was transferred to intensive care at thePalestine Medical Complex in Ramallah.” He…. Related: Israel to release sick prisoner
Limited building supplies to enter Gaza
4/18/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities on Thursday opened the Kerem Shalom border crossing in northern Gaza for limited import and export, a Palestinian Authority official told Ma’an. The 450 trucks entering Gaza include cement, iron, gas and building material and other goods, said PA liaison officer Raed Fattuh. Flowers and herbs….
PA liaison secures release of child in Israeli custody
4/18/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority Liaison Office said Wednesday it had secured the release of a 10-year-old boy that was being held in Israeli custody for allegedly throwing stones, a statement said. The child was released after the liaison office contacted Israeli authorities. PA officials urged the boy’s family to….
Haniyeh heads to Qatar for talks with emir
4/18/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The prime minister in Gaza’s Hamas-run government left the Gaza Strip on Thursday for Qatar to meet Emir Shiekh Hamad Bin Khalifeh, an official said. A spokesman says Ismail Haniyeh will discuss reconstruction projects in Gaza as well as national reconciliation with Hamas’ rival faction Fatah, which….
Egypt security leaders welcome Hamas delegation in Cairo
4/18/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Egyptian security leaders on Thursday welcomed a Hamas delegation led by Gaza premier Ismail Haniyeh to Cairo. Haniyeh and 10 Hamas leaders will fly from Cairo’s International Airport to Qatar, where they will meet Emir Shiekh Hamad Bin KhalifehHaniyeh is expected to discuss national Palestinian reconciliation and reconstruction….
Allenby Bridge to open Friday for commercial goods
4/18/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The West Bank-Jordan border crossing will open for commercial goods on Friday following liaison between Palestinian, Jordanian and Israeli authorities, a PA crossings official said Thursday. The Allenby Bridge is usually closed on Fridays, the local weekend, but will open from 8 a. m. to 3 p. m. to facilitate the….
Israel frees sick prisoner
4/18/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – Israel released sick Palestinian prisoner Muhammad al-Taj Thursday after a serious deterioration in his health, the Palestinian ministry of prisoners affairs announced. Al-Taj had been serving a 15-year sentence since 2003. He recently began suffering from pulmonary failure. He was immediately transferred to the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah to….
Analysis: Salam Fayyad doomed by Israeli and Palestinian enemies alike
4/18/2013 – By Daoud Kuttab – When Salam Fayyad took over the Ministry of Finance, the number one complaint against the Palestinian leadership was corruption. I should know: In 1996 I was jailed for seven days because the small TV station I was running dared to broadcast live a session of the newly elected Palestinian Legislative Council dealing….
Fatah official hospitalized in Ramallah
4/18/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — A senior Fatah official collapsed Thursday during remarks at a workshop at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Ramallah in the central West Bank, officials said. Tawfiq Tirawi, a member of Fatah’s central committee, was transferred to hospital, a Fatah source said. The source, speaking on the condition of….
Fatah calls for release of party member in Gaza
4/18/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Fatah called on Thursday for the release of a detained party-affiliated man held in a Hamas jail in Gaza, a party statement said. Fatah says Ramzi Kallab was arrested by Hamas security forces after returning from Egypt to the Gaza Strip. The statement accused Hamas of carrying out a campaign….
Minister: Hamas to release some collaborators
4/18/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The government in Gaza will release a number of convicted collaborators who have served two-thirds of their sentences, the interior minister said Thursday. Fathi Hammad said the Hamas government took a dual approach, deterring collaboration with Israel through punishment as well as rehabilitating offenders. At a workshop about collaboration in….
Faction leaders urge Fatah, Hamas to implement unity agreement
4/18/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – Representatives of 12 Palestinian factions convened in Gaza City Thursday to discuss the aftermath of the resignation of former prime minister Salam Fayyad. The resignation came in tandem with completion of electoral registers in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the conveners said urging rival factions of Hamas and….
Fatah-affiliated bloc wins Hebron University student elections
4/18/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) – The Shabibeh (Youth) Students Bloc affiliated to Fatah won Hebron University’s student senate elections Thursday. The list won 23 seats while the Hamas bloc won 17, and a bloc representing the leftist parties won one seat. The Palestine Belongs To All bloc won no seats. Out of 5,766 eligible….
School year extended in Gaza, West Bank
4/18/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – The ministry of education of the Hamas-run government in Gaza announced Thursday that the school year would end on June 3. Minister of education Osama al-Muzayni said in a statement that the summer holiday would start June, 4. The decision to extend the school year by three days came to….
German tourist dies of heart attack in Bethlehem
4/18/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An 81-year-old German tourist died Tuesday of a heart attack at a restaurant in a Bethlehem, medics said. The tourist was declared dead upon arrival at Beit Jala Governmental Hospital, director of Bethlehem police public relations Loai Zrekat told Ma’an. The German representative to the Palestinian Authority was….
Elderly man killed in Hebron car accident
4/18/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Jawad Jawdat al-Muhtaseb, 60, died of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Wadi al-Tufah area in Hebron on Thursday, Palestinian police said. The accident was caused by a collision between two cars. The elderly man was seriously wounded and transferred to al-Ahli hospital but he died in the intensive….
Boy, 9, hanged by swing near Jenin
4/18/2013 – JENIN (Ma’an) — A nine-year-old boy died near Jenin on Thursday after he was strangled by the rope of a swing, a local official said. Qusai Issam Khader was playing on the swing when the incident happened, said al-Araqa village council head Ayid Wakid. His body was taken to a public hospital in Jenin….
Palestinian ‘Arab Idol’ contestant hospitalized
4/18/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian contestant on MBC’s popular singing competition Arab Idol was hospitalized Thursday after he was found unconscious backstage, the satellite channel reported. Muhammad Assaf, from the Gaza Strip, was taken to intensive care where he is in a stable condition, MBC said. Assaf has reached the semi-finals of….
Gaza fire fighters quash blaze at store
4/18/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza’s fire and rescue service on Thursday extinguished a blaze that broke out in a print store in the central Gaza Strip. The fire was caused by an electrical fault and no injuries were reported, Gaza fire services directer Gamal Suheil said. Extensive damage was caused to printers….
Egypt’s Mubarak goes back to prison
4/18/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was transferred Thursday from a military hospital back to prison to await a retrial in May over his role in the deaths of protesters in 2011, a security source said. Mubarak was taken by ambulance to Tora prison under heavy security escort, the source told AFP. Egypt’….
Kuwait makes good on $300 mn pledge for Syria aid
4/18/2013 – GENEVA (AFP) — Kuwait has come through with the $300 million it pledged towards aid for stricken Syrians at a January donor’s conference, the emirate and the United Nations said Thursday, urging other nations to follow its lead.” We are. . . matching our words with our deeds,” Kuwait ambassador Dharar Abdul-Razzak Razzooqi told reporters in….
Syria troops seize strategic Homs village
4/18/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Syrian troops captured a strategic village in central Homs province on Wednesday, putting pressure on rebel forces in the area, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights watchdog said. The army seized Abel, on the main route between the city of Homs and Qusayr, a rebel stronghold near the border with Lebanon, the Observatory….
Analysts: Jordan ‘forced’ into Syria conflict
4/18/2013 – AMMAN (AFP) — Jordan is being dragged into Syria’s conflict as more and more US troops head to Amman, analysts say, amid a warning by Syrian President Bashar Assad the kingdom could be engulfed by his country’s war.” The escalation has become public. At the beginning of the crisis Jordan was trying….
Kerry warns of Syria break-up
4/18/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Thursday that the conflict raging in Syria could cleave it into rival enclaves, as he prepares for weekend talks on the crisis in Turkey. The aim of the next Friends of Syria talks in Istanbul on Saturday is “to get everybody on the same page with….
First Palestine Marathon Launching Sunday
Palestine News Network
Israeli Forces Demolish Two Agricultural Barracks in Al-Khader
Palestine News Network
Newspapers Review: Prisoner Day Focus of Dailies
Palestine News Network
Kerry: Window for 2-State Solution May be Closed Within 2 Years
Palestine News Network
PCHR Concerned by ISS Ban on Travel by 2 Civilians via Rafah International Crossing Point
Palestine News Network
Fayyad Focuses in his Last Weekly Radio Address on the Big Challenges Facing Palestinians
Palestine News Network
Carter Center Expresses Concern Over Palestinian Prisoners
Palestine News Network
Report: 4900 Palestinians Detained in Israeli Jails
Palestine News Network
Erekat Calls on Ashton to Save Life of Issawi
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Prisoners Subjected to War Crime of Deportation
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (11- 17 April 2013)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Activists remove section of apartheid wall in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners
4/18/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 17th April 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine – This Palestinian Prisoners Day, the 17th April 2013, Palestinian and international activists cut down a fenced section of the Israeli apartheid wall in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli occupation jails. A section of around ten metres was torn down near Ofer prison, where Palestinian….
Salfit continues to suffer from illegal settlement sewage
4/18/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 18th April 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Salfit, Occupied Palestine, By Team Nablus – The agricultural district of Salfit, about 25 miles north of Jerusalem, is facing health and environmental problems throughout its villages because of a constant stream of sewage from nearby illegal Israeli settlements, most notably Barkan and Ariel settlements which also hold illegal factory….
Urgent concerns over death threats issued to UN Human Rights defender, Issa Amro
4/18/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 18th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine, By Team Khalil – There are growing concerns for the safety of non-violent Palestinian activist and organiser Issa Amro, following a recent letter to Israeli security forces from Israeli settlers of Hebron, accusing Amro of terrorism and incitement, and warning that a failure of the Israeli authorities….
Associated Press win Breaking News photography prize
The National 20 Apr 2013 – The highlight of this year’s Pulitzer prizes for journalism was a remarkable achievement by photographers from the Associated Press.
Boston bombings test strength of new Muslim role in American society
The National 18 Apr 2013 – For many, the tragedy last Monday is the first gauge of efforts to find a place in US political and civil life after 9/11. Taimur Khan reports from Boston
US fertiliser plant explosion kills 15
The National 18 Apr 2013 – Texas governor describes explosion that was heard 60km away as a ‘nightmare scenario’ for the small farming community of West.
Syrian opposition berates Assad over ‘isolation from reality’
The National 18 Apr 2013 – Syrian National Council calls president ‘insane’ and ‘blind to the devastation he has wreaked’. Phil Sands reports
Dubai Police push for child safety
The National 18 Apr 2013 – More than 50,000 pupils will be taught topics ranging from seat belts to bullies as campaign organisers visit schools.
US man charged over sending letters laced with ricin to Obama
The National 18 Apr 2013 – A man accused of mailing letters laced with the deadly poison ricin to US President Barack Obama and other officials claims that he uncovered a conspiracy to sell human body parts on the black market and that ‘various parties within the government’ were trying to ruin his reputation.
Cross-cultural skills much sought after in UAE
The National 18 Apr 2013 – Employers want cultural experience in workers, study finds.
Ahmadinejad blames US presence for regional insecurity
The National 18 Apr 2013 – Iran’s president lambasts the presence of US-led western naval forces as the ‘main reason for insecurity’ in the Arabian Gulf. Michael Theodoulou reports
Israel seeking to buy $2.67 billion in fuel from U.S.
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Haniyeh heads to Doha for talks that could spur Palestinian reconciliation
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Missiles fired into Israel from Gaza; no casualties recorded
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Israeli courts increasingly ruling in favor of the environment
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Israel says Gaza cooperation increased in 2012, despite Pillar of Defense
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Israel’s secular voters buoyed Bennett’s Habayit Hayehudi at polls, study finds
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Yair Lapid pushes Netanyahu off the Time 100 list
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Israel’s AG issues new directive on rights of Palestinians living outside Jerusalem, inside separation fence
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Defense Ministry to allocate NIS 60 million to prevent cuts to reservists’ compensation
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Five East Jerusalem men indicted over botched plot to kill Jews near Western Wall
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
After Texas blast, Israeli experts at odds over dangers of Haifa ammonia storage tank
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Sexual remark to female prosecutor lands Israeli judge in the hot seat
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Israeli plan to rebuild Herod’s tomb scrapped due to experts’ criticism
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Mortality rate from heart attacks down 50 percent in 10 years among Israelis
Ha’aretz – 17 Apr 2013
First female chauffeur for an Israeli cabinet minister starts work
Ha’aretz – 17 Apr 2013
Egypt: We will never be a source of threat to Israel
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – After Egypt denies accusation of Eilat rockets, Defense Minister Danon says Israel will work to maintain cooperation with Cairo.
Kerry warns of ‘enclave breakup’ in Syria
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Ahead of “Friends of Syria” talks, ‘AFP’ reports US Secretary of State John Kerry stressing timeliness of intervening in Syrian conflict.
FBI releases photos, video of Boston suspects
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Suspects have been identified and FBI says they are armed and very dangerous, 1 is seen planting the bag that exploded.
The coming canard: ‘Constructive unilateralism’
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Into the Fray: Does Aussie philanthropist Lowy realize he is helping promote a South Lebanon-like reality on the fringes of Greater TA?
Berkeley students pass Israel divestment resolution
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – By a narrow vote, the students voted to approach the administration about divesting from companies with IDF connections.
Rescuers search for survivors of Texas plant blast
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Death toll in explosion at fertilizer plant ranges from 5-15, is likely to change, 160 injured; cause of blast still unknown.
Responding to terror
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Judging from afar here in Israel, the reaction in the US to the atrocious violence carried out this week during the Boston Marathon is exemplary.
Lapid backs equal status for non-Orthodox groups
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Finance minister publicly backs Women of the Wall; Ben-Dahan: Bayit Yehudi will veto changes to religious status quo.
Report: Dissent within Hezbollah over involvement in Syria
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Unconfirmed report in ‘Asharq al-Awsat’ cites unidentified sources as saying Hezbollah fighters refuse to fight in Syrian civil war in support of President Bashar Assad; Syrian rebels urge Lebanon to reign in Hezbollah.
‘Dissent within Hezbollah over involvement in Syria’
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Unconfirmed report cites unidentified sources as saying Hezbollah fighters refuse to support President Bashar Assad.
A Greek lesson: The distance between Good and Evil
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – On the weekend leading to the Greek Lent, I enjoyed several lunches (which lasted the entire afternoon and evening) with Greek friends of my dearest friend, Antonis.
Who will give me a Sunday?
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – A proposal for once-a-month long weekends in Israel.
We Hereby Declare
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – On Independence Day eve, I had the privilege of participating in “We Hereby Declare,” an event created by the Bina Center.
Oklahoma rep. criticized for ‘Jew down’ comment
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Oklahoma House of Representatives politician used phrase “try to Jew me down” on House floor, but later apologized.
Parshat Aharei Mot Kedoshim: Social holiness
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – The list of instructions for creating a proper, humane society which appears in this week’s Torah portion is written under an interesting title which needs to be clarified: “You shall be holy.”
Responsibility and accountability
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Accountability should not mean automatic decapitation when a mistake is made. If we oust our leaders when they err, we will end up with inexperienced leaders, making worse mistakes.
Wanted: A true partner
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Remembrance Day and Independence Day elicit for me conflicting feelings of pain and pride, of grief and joy, since they fall only one week apart.
Obama: US will find perpetrators of Boston bombing
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – US president takes part in memorial service as FBI searches for 2 men seen on video taken near the marathon finish line.
E. J’lem Palestinian residents to receive benefits
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – State: Palestinians in east Jerusalem neighborhood legal ‘no man’s land’ to get court-ordered extended benefits.
Feiglin: Time for a single, non-ethnic chief rabbi
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Likud MK Moshe Feiglin calls for unification of Sephardi and Ashkenazi chief rabbi roles, says Rabbi Lipman is first on-board.
Liberman: Jews are losing the battle for the Negev
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Liberman’s comments were made while he toured Beduin settlements in the Arava, many of which are considered illegal.
International Journalism Institute opens at IDC
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – IDC Herzliya has opened a new journalism institute which aims to ‘promote tolerance and understanding…through journalism.’
iENGAGE: In Praise of Uni-Tasking
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – So many issues jostle for priority on Israel’s agenda, but in the end multitasking will only help us manage them, not resolve them.
Ya’alon retracts decision to cut reservists funds
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Defense minister allocates NIS 60m. for reservists after Bennett threatens defense funding over decision to cut reservists’ grants.
Pink Floyd bassist freezes call to boycott Israel
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Roger Waters to hold back letter calling on fellow musicians to boycott Israel; blames Israel for frozen peace process.
TIME most influential list: Lapid in, Netanyahu out
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – ‘TIME’ magazine snubs Netanyahu, says Lapid has “swagger” to become next PM in its annual list of important players.
Iran: Israel incapable of military strike on us
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – As Iran holds annual Army Day parade in Tehran, Islamic Republic’s top military brass reject notion that Israel could launch solo attack on its nuclear program: “The Zionist regime is not so unwise as to commit suicide.”
Israeli airlines to strike over ‘Open Skies’ deal
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Unions at El Al, Arkia, and Israir will ground all flights on Sunday unless cabinet freezes approval of EU “Open Skies Agreement.”
Poisonous frog smuggling plot thwarted at airport
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Officials catch suspect trying to smuggle about 30 poison dart frogs at Ben Gurion airport.
5 charged for plot to kill Jews praying at Temple Mt
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – E. J’lem Palestinians indicted for conspiring to carry out shooting and kidnapping attacks against worshipers, security forces.
Kerry: Two years left to reach two-state solution in Middle East peace process
The Guardian 18 Apr 2013 – US secretary of state tells House foreign affairs committee that ‘window for a two-state solution is shutting’ after ‘years of failure’ The chance to create a Palestinian state alongside Israel will be lost within one to…
Like the Mossad? Israeli intelligence makes social media recruitment drive
The Guardian 18 Apr 2013 – Clandestine service in online hunt for men and women who ‘possess daring, wits and finesse’ and enjoy foreign travel Prisoner X may not have been the ideal advertising tool. But the debacle of the Mossad agent…
OP-ED: Ian Henderson and Repression in Bahrain: A Forty-Year Legacy
IPS Ian Henderson’s death announcement Apr. 15 in Bahrain brings to an end the life of a British expatriate who was the architect and supervisor of the harsh internal security policies of the al-Khalifa ruling family since the early days of independence over 40 years ago. Henderson’s life’s work intertwined intimately…
Palestinian Expulsions Mapped in Hebrew
IPS Fireworks went off over the Tel Aviv skyline this week as thousands of flag-waving Israelis marked the 65th anniversary of their country’s founding. At the same time, a smaller group of Israeli activists explored the other, most often ignored, side to their country’s creation: the forced displaced of hundreds of…
Syria News – April 16 , 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet
America the Blind The Boston Marathon Bombing, Drones and the Meaning of Cowardice
Uruknet
Facing violence, Nabi Saleh maintains its resistance against the Israeli occupation
Uruknet
The Report of the Constitution Project’s Task Force on Detainee Treatment (Full Report )
Uruknet
Reaping the Whirlwind: A Violent Act Again in a Violent Nation
Uruknet
Tales of Reagan’s Guatemala Genocide
Uruknet
Iraq snapshot – April 16, 2013
Uruknet
Rockets strike Israel from Gaza -reports
Daily Star 18 Apr 2013 Two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip struck inside Israel after nightfall on Thursday, causing no damage or injury, Israeli media reports said.
Pakistan’s Musharraf flees court to avoid arrest
Daily Star 18 Apr 2013 Musharraf fled court in a speeding vehicle Thursday to avoid arrest after his bail was revoked in a case involving his decision to fire senior judges while in power over five years ago.
Activists: Rebels capture base in central Syria
Daily Star 18 Apr 2013 Syrian rebels captured a military base in the strategic Homs province on Thursday as opposition fighters fought to expand territory under their control near the Lebanese border, activists said.
Poll: Trust in government, Obama approval slips
Daily Star 18 Apr 2013 President Barack Obama’s re-election glow is gone. Congress’ reputation remains dismal. And only about one in five Americans say they trust the government to do what’s right most of the time, an Associated Press-GfK poll finds.
Morocco death for apostates fatwa sparks controversy
Daily Star 18 Apr 2013 A fatwa published this week by Morocco’s higher council of religious scholars (CSO) calling for the death penalty for Muslims who renounce their faith has sparked fierce controversy in the country.
Bahrainis protest ahead of F1 motor racing event
Daily Star 18 Apr 2013 Hundreds of protesters waved banners and chanted against the Bahrain government on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Formula One race.
Syria conflict a humanitarian catastrophe: U.N.
Daily Star 18 Apr 2013 Syrian families have been burned in their homes, people bombed waiting for bread, children tortured, raped and murdered and cities reduced to rubble in Syria’s two-year-old war that has sparked a humanitarian catastrophe.
FBI: Tests show ricin in letters to Obama, senator
YNet News, 18 Apr 2013 – ….
Evidence of Syrian chemical weapons use reported
YNet News, 18 Apr 2013 – ….
Boston bombing suspects’ photos released
YNet News, 18 Apr 2013 – ….
Number of Syrian refugees to EU increases five-fold
YNet News, 18 Apr 2013 – ….
Netanyahu worried Syrian Islamists gain chemical weapons
YNet News, 18 Apr 2013 – ….
Dove of peace hasn’t died
YNet News, 18 Apr 2013 – Op-ed: President Peres knows that real independence is one which allows us not just to do, but also to dream ….
Hamas: Jerusalem under real danger
PIC – A report issued by the Information Office of Hamas on Thursday stressed that the Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem are exposed to a real danger aimed to obliterate their landmarks.
An Israeli MK intends to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque
PIC – Likud MK Miri Regev, appointed Wednesday to chair the Knesset Interior and Environmental Affairs Committees, announced she will enter al-Aqsa Mosque..
Abu Zuhri: U.S. pressure disrupts reconciliation process
PIC – Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesman for Hamas movement, asserted that the remarks made by John Kerry prove that American pressures are the real cause behind the obstruction of reconciliation.
Occupation issues harsh sentences against Palestinians accused of stone throwing
PIC – The Palestinian Prisoners’ Center for Studies said that the sentences issued by Israeli courts against Palestinian stone throwers at Israeli occupation soldiers have significantly increased.
Hammad: We have arrested quite a number of spies
PIC – Minister of the Interior and National Security in Gaza Fathi Hammad confirmed that quite number of spies, who have not surrendered themselves during the recent amnesty, have been arrested.
IOF arrest 7 Palestinians from the West Bank
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested at dawn on Thursday seven citizens after launching raid and search campaigns in different parts of the occupied West Bank.
Sudden deterioration of the prisoner Arede’s health status
PIC – The sick prisoner Sami Arede’s family, from Arraba village, confirmed that their son, detained in Megiddo prison, was transferred urgently yesterday for treatment after a sudden health deterioration.
Report: 2 Palestinians killed, 30 wounded and 45 detained in Gaza
PIC – Al Mezan Center for Human Rights confirmed that two persons were killed, 30 were injured, and 45 were arrested by the IOF during the first four months of 2013 in violation to the buffer zone.
Israeli pressures on EU countries to deny entry to liberated prisoner Sarsak
PIC – The Israeli Foreign Ministry has sent diplomatic letters to the EU countries urging them to deny entry to the Palestinian liberated prisoner and footballer Mahmoud Sarsak..
Abbas Meets with Italian General Consul
WAFA – 18 Apr 2013
Urgent Concerns over Death Threats Made by Israeli Settlers to Activist
WAFA – 18 Apr 2013
Carmen the Gypsy Dances to Palestinian Fingertips and Swiss Voices
WAFA – 18 Apr 2013
Fayyad Calls for General Elections in his Farewell Speech
WAFA – 18 Apr 2013
Newspapers Review: Prisoner Day Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 18 Apr 2013
Britain, France press for U.N. inquiry on Syria chemical arms use
LA Times 18 Apr 2013 – The European nations say evidence including soil samples and witness testimony indicates the Syrian regime may have used small amounts of chemical weapons. WASHINGTON — The British and French governments have asked the United Nations to investigate what they believe is credible evidence that the…
Secretary of State John Kerry urges against new Iran sanctions
LA Times 18 Apr 2013 – He asks Congress to allow more time for diplomacy, saying new penalties could embolden Tehran hard-liners as elections near. WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John F. Kerry implored Congress on Thursday not to impose tough new sanctions on Iran, warning that such a move could…
Step toward possible military intervention in Syria
LA Times 17 Apr 2013 – The Pentagon is sending about 200 troops to Jordan to help deliver aid to refugees and to plan for possible military action, including a rapid buildup of forces. WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is sending about 200 troops to Jordan, the vanguard of a potential U.S….
Syria’s Bashar Assad warns ‘terrorism’ will come back to West
LA Times 17 Apr 2013 – President Bashar Assad says the U.S. and Europe are supporting his Islamist opponents, which will come back to haunt them. He also has words for Jordan. BEIRUT — Syrian President Bashar Assad warned in a television interview Wednesday that the war against his government risked…
Kuwait Gives Syria Aid Effort $300 Million
New York Times 18 Apr 2013 – United Nations relief agencies expressed gratitude for the $300 million deposit from Kuwait but warned it is not nearly enough.
Foreign Agencies in Gaza Protest New Exit Permit Rules
New York Times 18 Apr 2013 – The aid organizations said the new permit requirements were an effort by the Hamas-led government to collect information that is none of its business.
Israeli Officials Stress Readiness for Lone Strike on Iran
New York Times 18 Apr 2013 – In advance of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s visit, Israeli officials warned that Israel is prepared and able to carry out a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities by itself.
Emirates Seize Terror Suspects
New York Times 18 Apr 2013 – The authorities in the United Arab Emirates said they had arrested seven members of a “terrorist cell” accused of plotting attacks in the emirates and their neighbors.
Op-Ed Contributor: Springtime in Saudi Cyberspace
New York Times 18 Apr 2013 – With social media as their vehicle, Saudis are threatening to take control of their country’s destiny.
Key Obama Officials Differ on Syria in Testimony
New York Times 18 Apr 2013 – The differing assessments came as the White House was considering what next steps to take in a conflict that has killed more than 70,000 and defied resolution.
Assad Frames Syrian Struggle as Him Against Western Colonizers
New York Times 17 Apr 2013 – In an interview conducted on Syria’s Independence Day, President Bashar al-Assad reveals that his views on the country’s civil war have only hardened.
Yam 3 drilling to resume soon
Globes Energy & Water – The partners in the Yam 3 well should be able to overcome the problems at the well within a few days believe well-informed sources.
Electricity rates to rise 6.5% retroactively
Globes Energy & Water – The Public Utilities Authority (Electricity) will meet Monday to approve a 6.5% rate hike, which will apply retroactively from April 1.
Lapid proposes tax cut for first-time homebuyers
Globes Main News – The Finance Minister also proposes higher purchase tax rates on luxury homes.
Israeli carriers to strike over open skies
Globes Main News – Unions at El Al, Arkia, and Israir will ground all flights on Sunday unless the cabinet halts the EU open skies agreement.
Regulator seen approving Dankner debt deal
Globes Main News – The Bank of Israel will need to tread carefully, but will probably approve the NIS 150 million write-off for Nochi Dankner’s Ganden.
Thu: Tel Aviv 25 down 2.1% on short week
Globes Main News – The banks continued to fall and Israel Chemicals and Israel Corp. resumed their tumble.
IDB bondholders to ask court to impose settlement
Globes Main News – The bondholders representative wants the court to impose a debt settlement on the operational holding company of Nochi Dankner’s IDB Holding.
New Treasury chief bound by conflicts of interest
Globes Macro Economics – Yael Andoran is banned from dealing with issues related to Israel Corp., El Al, Clal Health, Viola Group, and the Dan bus company.
Haaretz Columnist Confirms Two Unarmed Palestinian Teenagers Executed by IDF
Tikun Olam – Two Palestinian teenage boys executed by trigger-happy IDF soldiers Recently, I wrote a post about two Palestinian teenagers murdered by the IDF near Tulkarem. I said in my post that the IDF story that they were killed as they threw fire bombs at an IDF security…
Chris Matthews suggests that Boston suspects are Arabs
Mondoweiss – I’ve watched about as much as a sentient being can stand of cable coverage of the FBI’s announcement of suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing case– an hour or so– and in that time Chris Matthews kept hinting that the suspects are Arabs. He wondered whether…
After all-night debate, Berkeley student senate calls on university to divest from 3 companies profiting from occupation
Mondoweiss – Packed house at Anna Head Alumnae Hall UCBerkeley for Senate divestment hearing Huge news. A victory for the BDS movement, in Berkeley, at 8:30 a.m. today EST. THE DIVESTMENT BILL PASSES! #UCBDivest — Berkeley SJP (@BerkeleySJP) April 18, 2013 Reported by the Daily Californian, Jeremy Gordon:…
Israel Project brags on planting story in CNN and taking 38 journalists on helicopter trips in Israel
Mondoweiss – Israel Project “Intellicopter” with top-tier foreign journalists Today I got the fundraising letter below from the Israel Project where it claims credit for this February story in CNN on “Israeli hospital treats wounded from Syria .” If you read the article, there is no mention of…
Which lobby is more powerful?
Mondoweiss – President Obama is taking the “gun lobby” head on. He thinks the phrase is useful politically. In his rage yesterday over the Senate’s failure to approve weak gun-control measures, he called the lobby out for lying : But instead of supporting this compromise, the gun lobby and…
Entering Gaza by ‘subway’
Mondoweiss – “There’s an odd, unnerving sensation about trying to cross a border without the consent of the authorities.” – Robert Fisk, The War of Civilization. Entering the tunnel to Gaza (Photo: Miko Peled) I had been trying to visit Gaza for several years, but all my attempts…
U. Cal-Berkeley Senate Passes Bill Calling for Divestment From Settlements
The Foward Breaking News 18 Apr 2013 – A student senate at the University of California, Berkeley narrowly passed a measure calling on the school to divest from three companies with dealings in the West Bank. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israelis Visit Turkey in New Sign of Diplomatic Spring
The Foward Breaking News 18 Apr 2013 – An Israeli delegation will visit Turkey for the first time in three years next week in another sign of thawing relations since the United States brokered a breakthrough in March, but any further advancement in ties was expected to be incremental. Click here for the rest…
Larry Ellison Tops $812B Forbes List of Jewish Billionaires
The Foward Breaking News 18 Apr 2013 – The 165 Jewish billionaires around the world have $812 billion in joint wealth, Forbes Israel reported. Click here for the rest of the article…
Jewish Ethics and Biotech Innovation Clash in Supreme Court’s BRCA Gene Case
The Forward New 18 Apr 2013 – The Supreme Court is hearing a case involving the BRCA gene mutation that can lead to breast cancer. Along with innovation and profits, the health of Jewish women hangs in the balance. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Refugees Taken Hostage in ‘Lawless’ Sinai
allAfrica.com 18 Apr 2013 – [ThinkAfricaPress]Many refugees, mostly from Eritrea, are being kidnapped and held hostage by criminal networks working in the largely lawless Sinai Peninsula.
Egypt: U.S. Defense Secretary to Visit Nation, Middle East On April 20
allAfrica.com 18 Apr 2013 – [Aswat Masriya]U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will pay an 8-day visit to Egypt and the Middle East region starting April 20, the United States Department of Defense reported on Wednesday.
Egypt: Nation Signs Tourism Agreement With Iraq’s Kurdistan
allAfrica.com 18 Apr 2013 – [Aswat Masriya]Egypt’s Minister of Tourism, Hisham Zaazou, has signed with his counterpart in Iraq’s Kurdistan an agreement to enhance tourism cooperation.
Egypt: Army Says Nation Not Threat to Neighbors Following Attack in Israel
allAfrica.com 18 Apr 2013 – [Aswat Masriya]Egypt’s army spokesman said on Wednesday that the armed forces have formed a technical team to check the validity of an Israeli announcement that two airstrikes hit its city of Eilat from Sinai early today.
Beit Ommar Youth Arrested After Only Two Months in Freedom
Palestine Solidarity Project 18 Apr 2013 – In the early morning of Wednesday April 17th, soldiers from the Israeli Occupation Forces entered the village of Beit Ommar. At 2.30 a.m., they surrounded the house of Mohammed Ahmad Abu Maria and his family. The soldiers searched Mohammed’s house for two hours and destroyed many…
Israel ‘will act on Syria weapons’
BBC 18 Apr 2013 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells the BBC that Israel has a right to prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands in Syria.
Gazans barred from West Bank marathon
BBC 18 Apr 2013 – Israel is refusing permission for Palestinian runners from Gaza to join a marathon in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Israel to release sick Palestinian prisoner: official
Al-Akhbar News 18 Apr 2013 – A Palestinian youth sells corn at a beach in Gaza City during sunset on April 17, 2013 as Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza Strip marked Prisoners’ Day with a series of low-key rallies, as inmates themselves staged a hunger strike. (Photo: AFP – Mohamed…
Sultan Erdogan Clamps Down on Turkish Media
Al-Akhbar News 18 Apr 2013 – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses on April 16, 2013 members of his ruling Justice and Development Party at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara. (Photo: AFP – Adem Altan) Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses on April 16, 2013 members of his ruling Justice…
Sheikh Assir Targets Saida’s Shia Mosque
Al-Akhbar News 18 Apr 2013 – Marwan Charbel gave Assir permission for his protest so long as he stayed 500 meters away from al-Zahraa complex. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Marwan Charbel gave Assir permission for his protest so long as he stayed 500 meters away from al-Zahraa complex. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) On Monday,…
Ghazi Aridi: Lebanese MP Falls From Jumblatt’s Favor
Al-Akhbar News 18 Apr 2013 – First, Aridi’s financial “bulge” has become the talk of the town and Baissour’s most urgent concern, according to a regular visitor to Jumblatt’s residence in Mukhtara. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) First, Aridi’s financial “bulge” has become the talk of the town and Baissour’s most urgent concern, according…
UAE arrests seven alleged al-Qaeda members
Al-Akhbar News 18 Apr 2013 – Emirati policemen patrol in an especially modified Lamborghini Aventador on April 16, 2013 in the Gulf emirate of Dubai.(Photo: AFP – Karim Sahib) Emirati policemen patrol in an especially modified Lamborghini Aventador on April 16, 2013 in the Gulf emirate of Dubai.(Photo: AFP – Karim Sahib)…
The Sluggish Revival of Baghdad’s National Museum
Al-Akhbar News 18 Apr 2013 – picture taken on 22 March 2003 shows AFP reporter Ezzedine Said looks checking a city map in a room used by the press at the Palestine Hotel in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. (Photo: AFP – Ammar Abed Rabbo) AFP reporter Ezzedine Said looks at a Baghdad…
Syrian Christians Seek Refuge Beyond Lebanon
Al-Akhbar Politics 17 Apr 2013 – A picture released by Save the Children on 27 March 2013 shows Ambassador to Save the Children, Samantha Cameron, meeting Syrian children, during her visit to a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. (Photo: AFP / Save The Children – Jonathan Hyams) A picture released by…
Battle for Damascus: Regime Fights on Four Fronts
Al-Akhbar Politics 17 Apr 2013 – A young Syrian boy holds a bag as he collects plastic and metal items in a garbage dump in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on 17 April 2013. (Photo: AFP -Dimitar Dolkoff) A young Syrian boy holds a bag as he collects plastic and metal…
Israel ‘will act on Syria weapons’
BBC 18 Apr 2013 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells the BBC that Israel has a right to prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands in Syria.
Baghdad cafe hit by deadly bombing
BBC 18 Apr 2013 – At least 27 people, including two children, have been killed and scores hurt in a bomb attack on a cafe in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, officials say.
Fresh clashes in Bahrain ahead of F1
BBC 18 Apr 2013 – Fresh clashes erupt in Bahrain ahead of this Sunday’s Formula 1 motor race, as activists call for the race to be cancelled.
Gazans barred from West Bank marathon
BBC 18 Apr 2013 – Israel is refusing permission for Palestinian runners from Gaza to join a marathon in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
UAE arrests ‘al-Qaeda suspects’
BBC 18 Apr 2013 – Seven members of an alleged al-Qaeda cell have been arrested over plans to attack targets in the United Arab Emirates, officials tell state media.
Soldiers ‘hanged Iraqi teenager’
BBC 18 Apr 2013 – A teenager killed in Iraq was tortured and hanged by British troops, his uncle claims at the Al-Sweady inquiry.
Articles
The quiet population transfer that dares not speak its name
By Yesh Din, written by Yossi Gurvitz, +972 Magazine 4/18/2013
A quiet phenomenon has been taking place over the last decade: the quiet dispossession of the Palestinians from their lands, which in turn increases their despair and leads them to abandon their villages. All this is done in our name and with our funds, but the government makes certain Israelis remain ignorant of the facts.
Yesh Din published one of most comprehensive reports, The Road to Dispossession (which has its own mini-site), dealing with the illegal outpost Adei Ad. The outpost sits between four Palestinian villages and robs them of their lands. The information we gathered shows a quiet phenomenon of the last decade: the dispossession of the Palestinians from their lands, which in turn increases their despair and leads them to abandon their villages. In other words, a quiet population transfer, paving the road to the annexation of Area C to Israel. The annexation is already in practice: Yesh Din recently received a letter saying the government intends to whitewash the outpost Derekh Avot, by declaring the Palestinian lands on which it sits to be public lands.
Yesh Din documented 96 criminal offenses carried out by Israeli civilians around Adei Ad, where 26 families reside. The number would look more impressive once one recalls that these are only the offenses the organization managed to record (Yesh Din was founded in 2005, Adei Ad in 1998 – Yesh Din’s ability to investigate events prior to 2005 is very limited). Thus, it should be stated that there are many undocumented offenses. Among these Yesh Din can track: 21 offenses deal with violence against Palestinians, 47 with property crimes, and 28 offenses of taking over land. The Israeli police closed almost all of the cases, and in 92% of the cases, the investigators failed to do their job and find the culprit.
As a result of several international obligations, the government has found it difficult to create new settlements since 1999. A government resolution from 1995 forbids the creation of new settlements…. — See also: The Road to Dispossession more.. e-mail
The Invention of the Land of Israel by Shlomo Sand – review
Donald Sassoon, The Guardian, Israeli Occupation Archive 4/18/2013
In this second volume of his trilogy of Jewish studies, Sand explores how the ‘Land of Israel’ was invented, and debunks popular nationalist mythology
In 2009, Shlomo Sand published The Invention of the Jewish People, in which he claimed that Jews have little in common with each other. They had no common “ethnic” lineage owing to the high level of conversion in antiquity. They had no common language, since Hebrew was used only for prayer and was not even spoken at the time of Jesus. Yiddish was, at most, the language of Ashkenazi Jews. So what is left to unite them? Religion? But religion does not make a people – think of Muslims and Catholics. And most Jews are not2 religious. Zionism? But that is a political position: one can be a Scot and not a Scottish nationalist. Besides, the majority of Jews, including many Zionists, have not the slightest intention of going “back” to the Holy Land, much preferring, and who can blame them, to stay put in north London, or Brooklyn or wherever. In other words, “Jewish People” is a political construct, an invention. Now Sand tells us, in this second volume of what will be a trilogy, that even the ”Land of Israel” was invented. Guardian readers who happen to be Jewish should brace themselves for the third volume: The Invention of the Secular Jew. All this takes considerable chutzpah.
The “Land of Israel” is barely mentioned in the Old Testament: the more common expression is the Land of Canaan. When it is mentioned, it does not include Jerusalem, Hebron, or Bethlehem. Biblical “Israel” is only northern Israel (Samaria) and there never was a united kingdom including both ancient Judea and Samaria.
Shlomo Sand: The Invention of the Land of Israel
Even had such a kingdom ever existed and been promised by God to the Jews, it is hardly a clinching argument for claiming statehood after more than 2,000 years. It is an irony of history that so many past Zionists, most of whom were secular Jews, often socialist, used religious arguments to buttress their case…. — See also: Source: The Guardian more.. e-mail
So we don’t shift from ’caretaker’ to ’de facto’ government
Oraib Al-rantawi, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 4/18/2013
We are now at a point where all options are open, ranging from Fayyad keeping his position, to the return of ‘Fayyadism’ without Fayyad.
Dr Salam Fayyad resigned after Palestinians had had enough of the blatant and bold international interventions in their internal affairs; and after attempts to impose a high commissioner on them reached boiling point. This became evident from the stances and statements of US Secretary of State, John Kerry. However, the man who has become a difficult figure in the internal Palestinian equation elevated his administration from ‘caretaker’ government to a ‘de facto’ government.
One of the likely scenarios for the next stage could be the transformation of the current caretaker Palestinian administration – the longest ever in history – into a de facto government, which may last for days or weeks, maybe even months or years. This entire issue has not been decided yet.
Another scenario, which is more optimistic, is that the Palestinians will establish a National Unity government in accordance with the Doha agreement and accords and understandings made earlier in Cairo. However, because the Palestinian horizon is still stormy, the process of reconciliation will delay this option at least in the next couple of months. In the interim, we will see hints of active political movement toward negotiations and efforts to revive the peace process. This means that Fayyad would continue to conduct affairs for the next few months.
The third scenario would include the appointment of a Prime Minister and an interim government, provided that they are students and graduates of the “Fayyad” school of thought and meet the standards of the donors for the economic peace project. John Kerry unveiled this project after he failed to approach the hottest political portfolios in the final solution negotiations for the Palestinian issue. more.. e-mail
Israel and the electronic war
Saleh Al-Na’ami, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 4/18/2013
Israel believes in a hypothesis that says the higher the level of technology that is used in its infrastructure facilities and sensitive civil and military institutions.Despite the wide scale reaction caused by recent electronic attacks on Israel which targeted ministry websites and government facilities on the internet, it may be asserted that this attack is far from being electronic warfare of significant concern to the government and its strategic think tanks which work around the clock to protect the country from harm.
What stirs fear in Israel is facing an electronic attack that directly targets its strategic facilities connected to the internet, such as infrastructure (electricity, water, transportation, and banking … etc.), leadership committees, military control networks and satellites as well as all advanced technologies connected to the internet.
Scenario of Israeli panic
Israel believes in a hypothesis that says the higher the level of technology that is used in its infrastructure facilities and sensitive civil and military institutions, the higher the chances of them becoming susceptible to “hostile” electronic attack. This, it is believed, will not only bring to a standstill the functioning of these facilities and institutions and lead to paralysis in the life of the state, but could even lead to the death of a large number of civilians and militants.
It is very important that we give a small example that explains the size of damages that Israel is afraid it may incur as a result of an electronic attack on its infrastructure such as the damage that could result from attacks on the computerized control that manages traffic lights. more.. e-mail
Vandalism of Christian sites in Palestine inspires London art show
Electronic Intifada: 18 Apr 2013 – Artists show that Christian communities share a “culture, not just a faith.”more
In Lebanon, even Coffee is Political
Palestine Chronicle: 18 Apr 2013 – By Jamal Kanj Lebanon commemorated the 38th anniversary of its Civil War last week. In the days leading up to April 13, 1975 the country was virtually divided across sectarian lines. The military presence of the Palestine Liberation Organization and its perceived alliance with the Lebanese left and Muslims against the right wing, predominantly Maronite Christians, only complicated the division. Today, Lebanon is not much wiser and no less divided. The conflict in neighboring Syria, between President Bashar Al Assad and the armed opposition, is reverberating on every street corner in the country. Last week I joined a childhood friend at a coffee shop in Beirut. I was unaware at the time, but even agreeing on a meeting place had its political nuances. He suggested Zawaya Cafe on Hamra Street. In addition to catching up, we talked about the history of Al Hamra district and I lamented how its coffee…more
A Hundred Deir Yassins and Counting
Dissident Voice: 17 Apr 2013 – Few with any sense of intellectual or historical integrity would still question the bloody massacre that took place in the village of Deir Yassin 65 years ago, claiming the lives of over 100 innocent Palestinians. Attempts at covering up the massacre have been dwarfed by grim details by well-respected historians, including some of Israel’s own. Even narratives offered by historians such as Benny Morris – an honest researcher who remained committed to Zionism despite the ghastly history he had himself uncovered – presented a harrowing version of the events that unfolded on that day: “Whole families were riddled with bullets… men, women, and children were mowed down as they emerged from houses; individuals were taken aside and shot. Haganah intelligence reported ‘there were piles of dead. Some of the prisoners moved to places of incarceration, including women and children, were murdered viciously by their captors…” It was the Irgun Zionist…more
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The New Dark Age 
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