19 April 2013 — VTJP
News
17 injured in clashes in Beit Ummar
4/19/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Seventeen Palestinians were injured with rubber coated steel bullets in clashes in Beit Ummar village near Hebron, a local official said. A spokesman of the popular committee against the wall and settlements told Ma’an that the injured are aged between 15 and 22, and one of them was shot….
Loud blasts heard over Gaza Strip
4/19/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Residents reported hearing loud blasts across the Gaza Strip overnight Thursday from low-flying Israeli warplanes. The blasts were caused by Israeli F-16 planes breaking the sound barrier, but residents said the noises sounded like airstrikes, causing many to panic. [END]
3 injured at Nabi Saleh protest
4/19/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Two activists and a journalist were severely beaten by Israeli forces in clashes in Nabi Saleh village north of Ramallah on Friday, activists said. Dozens of Palestinians and activists participated in the village’s weekly protest in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces fired tear gas and rubber coated steel….
Clashes in Silwad near Ramallah
4/19/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Several Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces and settlers in Silwad village north of Ramallah, witnesses said. Israeli forces fired tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets at protesters, who were marching to their confiscated lands near Ofer settlement. Dozens of Israeli settlers were involved in the clashes. [END]
Settlers raise Israeli flag over West Bank church
4/19/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli settlers on Friday took over a monastery in a village near Ramallah and raised an Israeli flag over the building. Priest Aziz Raei told Ma’an that Israeli settlers used force to occupy the monastery and its adjacent chapel in al-Taybeh, a Christian village in the central West Bank….
Police: Gaza rockets hit southern Israel
4/19/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip hit southern Israel overnight without causing casualties or damage, a police spokeswoman told AFP on Friday.” Two rockets fell into uninhabited areas of the Eshkol region,” said Louba Samri. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the latest attack. The Gaza-Israel border has been largely quiet….
US unveils major arms deal with Israel, Saudi, UAE
4/19/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States unveiled plans Friday to sell $10 billion worth of advanced missiles and aircraft to Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in a bid to counter the threat posed by Iran. It was highly unusual for the Pentagon to announce an arms deal covering three countries and the move….
Family of al-Taj asks Saudi Arabia to provide medical treatment
4/19/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The family of Mohammad al-Taj, who Israel freed on health grounds on Thursday, has appealed to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment for the former prisoner. Al-Taj’s relatives and the Palestinian Prisoners Society made the joint appeal to Saudi Arabia, custodian of the holy mosques, on Friday. Israel pardoned al-Taj….
Israeli forces arrest man from Battir
4/19/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained a 47-year-old man from Battir, west of Bethlehem, at dawn Friday, locals said. Forces detained Haidar Muamar during a raid on his home, locals told Ma’an. A spokesman for Israel’s border police did not immediately return a call seeking comment. [END]
2 prisoners join solidarity hunger strike for Issawi
4/19/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Two Palestinians in Israel’s Negev prison on Friday announced an open hunger strike in solidarity with Samer Issawi. Issawi, 33, is in a critical condition in Israel’s Kaplan Medical Center after nearly nine months on hunger strike. He has lost half his body weight and is surviving….
Haniyeh arrives in Qatar
4/19/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Qatar on Friday, a spokesman for the Gaza government said. Taher al-Nunu said Haniyeh was welcomed by the deputy premier of Qatar, as well as Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal, who is based in Doha. [END]
Abbas pledges talks on new govt ‘in near future’
4/19/2013 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — President Mahmoud Abbas, under pressure to forge a national unity government, has pledged to launch talks “in the near future” on forming a new cabinet after the resignation of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. Abbas made the remarks late Thursday at a meeting of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which was….
Attackers torch Fatah leader’s car in Gaza
4/19/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Assailants set fire to the car of a Fatah leader in the southern Gaza Strip late Thursday, Fatah said Friday. Unidentified attackers torched Mahmud Hussein’s car outside his home in Rafah, Fatah said in a statement. Fatah condemned the attack and vowed to prosecute the perpetrators. Hussein is….
Hamas in talks as Palestinian unity momentum builds
4/19/2013 – DOHA (AFP) — Leaders of Hamas met in Qatar on Friday amid renewed impetus for a unity government after the resignation of prime minister Salam Fayyad, a Palestinian official said. Newly re-elected Hamas leader Khalid Mashaal chaired the meeting in his base in exile in Qatar, which was also attended by Hamas leaders from Gaza including….
High priest of Samaritans dies at home in Nablus
4/19/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — The high priest of the Samaritan sect Haroun Abu al-Hasan died at home in Nablus on Friday aged 84. Israeli media reported that Israeli ambulances from a nearby settlement rushed to the Samaritan leader’s home in Jirzim but medics could not revive him. [END]
5 injured in accident near Dead Sea
4/19/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Five Palestinians including three children were injured on Fridayin a road accident near the Dead Sea, police said. A police spokeswoman said a taxi overturned Friday evening, and the driver and a passenger were severely injured. Three children were mildly injured and taken to the hospital. [END]
Assad holds to hardline on rebel battle
4/19/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — With the conflict ravaging his country in its third year, Syrian President Bashar Assad is maintaining a hardline stance, insisting he will triumph over rebel forces and all but ruling out dialogue. In an interview broadcast on Wednesday, the embattled leader struck a combative tone, again dubbing the opposition forces fighting his regime….
Police kill Boston bomb suspect, hunt for second
4/19/2013 – WATERTOWN, Massachusetts (AFP) — Police killed one of the Boston marathon bombing suspects in a shootout early Friday and pursued a chaotic street-to-street manhunt for the second, officials said. NBC News reported that the two young men believed to be responsible for Monday’s carnage at the finish line of the prestigious race are brothers….
‘4 hit by buckshot’ as Egypt Islamists, rivals clash
4/19/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — Four persons were wounded by buckshot on Friday after opposition activists marched on thousands of Islamists rallying outside the Supreme Court in central Cairo demanding judicial reform, an official said. In the clashes, the two sides pelted each other with stones and Molotov cocktails and gunfire was heard, according to an AFP journalist….
IMF: Qatar aid to Egypt no substitute for IMF plan
4/19/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The International Monetary Fund said Friday that Qatar’s $5 billion in support for Egypt was not a substitute for the stalled IMF loan to help the country undertake reforms. IMF Middle East regional director Masood Ahmed said the Fund was still in talks to provide a multibillion-dollar loan to Cairo that….
Russia, Egypt call for quick Syria ceasefire
4/19/2013 – MOSCOW (AFP) — Russia and Egypt called for a ceasefire in Syria “as quickly as possible”, President Vladimir Putin said Friday, after a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Morsi.” Russia and Egypt support a ceasefire in Syria as soon as possible and the launch of negotiations,” between the regime and rebels, the Russian president said….
Mossad Launch Campaign Seeking Recruits via Social Networks
Palestine News Network
Urgent Concerns Over Death Threats Issued by Israeli Settlers To Activist
Palestine News Network
Salam Fayyad Doomed by Israel and Palestinian Enemies Alike
Palestine News Network
Israel Responds to Obama’s Generosity With Nastiness
Palestine News Network
Abbas Discusses Palestinian Issue with Italian General Consul
Palestine News Network
Palestinians for Boycotting Syrian, Iranian Goods
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
Police comb Boston for marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
The National 19 Apr 2013 – Massive manhunt after police kill the other suspect, his older brother, in a shootout. Taimur Khan reports from Boston
Day of violence in Iraq kills 35 ahead of vote
The National 19 Apr 2013 – Suicide bombing at Baghdad cafe and mortar strikes on mosque in run-up to provincial elections today.
Bahrain assures safety of F1 teams and fans during Grand Prix
The National 19 Apr 2013 – Pro-democracy groups are using the race to draw international attention to their demands. Elizabeth Dickinson reports
Islamic and Arab culture lost in UAE’s foreign schools
The National 19 Apr 2013 – The use of unadapted western education models is leading to a loss of valuable local knowledge and culture, experts say.
Russia’s Caucasus: breeding ground for militancy
The National 19 Apr 2013 – The suspects were identified by law enforcement officials and family members as Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, ethnic Chechens with ties to the Russian region.
UAE schools and universities need to do more to bolster national identity
The National 19 Apr 2013 – Students facing ‘intellectual imperialism’
Sheikh Khalifa orders aid for Pakistan earthquake victims
The National 19 Apr 2013 – The President has given the order for the UAE to offer emergency assistance to people living in Mashkeel.
State prosecutors mull closing Holyland corruption case against Olmert
Ha’aretz – 19 Apr 2013
IAF helicopter crash occurred due to crack in rotor blade, not human error
Ha’aretz – 19 Apr 2013
Israeli airline employee unions meet Yair Lapid over ‘Open Skies’ agreement
Ha’aretz – 19 Apr 2013
Mission under way to save heroic Zionist murals from oblivion
Ha’aretz – 19 Apr 2013
U.S. to finalize $10b arms sale to Mideast allies amid Iran threat, New York Times Reports
Ha’aretz – 19 Apr 2013
Secular Jews make gains in the tug of war over Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 19 Apr 2013
Truck driver in fatal Nesher crash freed to house arrest
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Former PM Olmert to chair new venture capital fund
Ha’aretz – 18 Apr 2013
Palestinian activists seek to derail J’lem film
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – Palestinian activists try to sabotage filming of Franco-German movie that sets out to depict a day in the holy city.
Death toll revised to 12 in Texas plant blast
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – Twelve confirmed dead and approximately 200 injured in explosion at fertilizer plant; cause of blast still unknown.
Police kill Boston Marathon bomb suspect, hunting second
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – Manhunt continues for 19-year-old Dzhokar A. Tsarnaev; police kill 26-year-old brother Tamerlan after reports of gunfire and explosions following shooting of cop on MIT campus; Boston put under lockdown.
UN says Syria conflict a humanitarian catastrophe
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – UN aid chief Valerie Amos to take action necessary to end the “brutal conflict” that is “destroying Syria’s future.”
Lapid: We will not abandon aviation workers
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – FinMin vows to listen to industry requests on “Open Skies”; with strike looming, no results after meeting with El Al c’tee.
IAF returns helicopters to service after crash probe
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – Break in tail rotor, not human error or aircraft’s age, caused Cobra helicopter accident, IAF investigation finds.
Report: Israel, UAE, Saudis in huge US arms deal
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – ‘NY Times’ reports deal to address Iranian, other regional threats; Israel to be 1st foreign military to receive V-22 Osprey.
Olmert: Israel has quietly prevented a nuclear Iran
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – Former PM says Israel has done “many things quietly” to prevent Iran, but effort must be led by US.
Plans for monument irks Warsaw Jewish community
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – City council plans to erect monument in question near Museum of Polish Jews; could infringe on memory of murdered Jews.
Irish official: Israel boycott passed without debate
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – Boycott was reportedly adopted without any debate or discussion. Only proposer, seconder discussed item on agenda before vote.
‘Ari and Jeremy’ get jobs serving the Jewish people
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – US born former Knesset candidates and creators of Israel advocacy website will head leading Jewish groups in Israel.
US scientists to receive prestigious Technion prize
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – Two US professors will receive the Technion- Israel Institute of Technology’s prestigious Harvey Prize for research contribution.
J’lem to hold int’l ‘green pilgrimage’ conference
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – ‘Israel could set a trend and spur other pilgrimage sites to take innovative approaches in keeping their facilities sustainable.’
Germans in Bremen, Stuttgart lash out at Israelis
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – Doorman at anti-Semitism event bars Israeli from entering; city worker shows two-thumbs up to comment of family killed by Nazis.
Sephardi haredim complain to court about ‘ghettos’
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – High Court encourages petitioners against discrimination, limited quotas in schools to pursue case before order slated.
Shalom: Israel to set up gas profit fund like Norway
Jerusalem Post 19 Apr 2013 – Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom says Israel to allocate 3% of gas profits to fund that state can use for national needs.
Egypt: We will not be source of threat to neighbors
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – After Egypt denies accusation of Eilat rockets, Deputy Defense Minister Danon says Israel will work to maintain cooperation with Cairo.
John Kerry warns of ‘enclave breakup’ in Syria
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Ahead of “Friends of Syria” talks, ‘AFP’ reports US Secretary of State Kerry stressing timeliness of intervening in Syrian conflict.
Politics: No stranger to foreign policy
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Waiting in the wings for the position of foreign minister, Yuval Steinitz discusses how Israel will stop Iran and create two states for two peoples in spite of it all.
Striking a balance on religion and state
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Deputy minister Eliahu Ben-Dahan calls for a reform in the provision of religious services, but says his Bayit Yehudi party will boycott any attempt to institute civil marriage.
My Word: Singing Israel’s praises
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – There was a point on the country’s 65th Independence Day when I thought everybody – Israel’s friends and Israel’s foes alike – must be smiling, if not laughing out loud. Actually, there were two such moments.
A winning team (or not)
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – The current government was supposed to bring about wide-ranging socioeconomic change. At least it should, based on the outcome of the election.
Another Tack: Amira, daughter of Rosa
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Rosa Luxemburg’s spirit is alive and well in 21st century Israel. It thrives among her assorted homegrown doctrinal descendants.
Column One: Israel: The happy little country
Jerusalem Post 18 Apr 2013 – Netanyahu thought a moment and said, “I’d like to be remembered as the leader who preserved Israel’s security.”
Letters: Mordechai Vanunu’s suffering
The Guardian 19 Apr 2013 – Nine years ago , Mordechai Vanunu was released from Ashkelon prison in Israel. He had served the full 18 years of his sentence – including over 11 years in solitary confinement – for blowing the whistle on…
Kerry’s Mideast Trip Seen as “Going Through the Motions”
IPS Despite repeated pledges of his determination and enthusiasm for resolving the long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian impasse, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent trip to the region has provoked more scepticism than hope among observers in Washington. Speaking in Tel Aviv on Apr. 9, Kerry called his talks with Israeli Prime Minister…
The Staggering Cost of Israel to Americans
Uruknet
Child poverty in US among the highest in developed world
Uruknet
Iraq snapshot – April 18, 2013
Uruknet
Vandalism of Christian sites in Palestine inspires London art show
Uruknet
Maliki Threatens Political Rivals
Uruknet
Report: How settlers turn Palestinian lands into illegal outposts
Uruknet
My Village Was Attacked By US Drones in Yemen
Uruknet
Israeli forces bulldoze farm shelters near Bethlehem
Uruknet
Official ‘concern’ over Issawi’s health
Uruknet
Obama: Boston capture closes chapter in tragedy
Daily Star 20 Apr 2013 President Barack Obama says the capture of a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing closes what he calls “an important chapter in this tragedy.”
Beirut City Centre offers a slew of new outlets
Daily Star 19 Apr 2013 The opening of City Centre Beirut brings with it approximately 50 new retail outlets, from bustling burger joints exported from New York City to accessibly priced women’s apparel just in time for summer.
Straight off the bat: Foreign cricket players hope to pique Lebanese interest
Daily Star 19 Apr 2013 The English may have invented the game, but in Beirut they’re the newest cricketers in town.
Mark Webber hits the 200th GP mark
Daily Star 19 Apr 2013 Formula One’s most controversial race, the Bahrain Grand Prix with its simmering backdrop of tear gas and petrol bombs, might just give Mark Webber something to celebrate Sunday.
Alonso eyes second straight F1 win in Bahrain
Daily Star 19 Apr 2013 Having ended a 12-race drought with a dominant victory in China, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso is quickly emerging as the most likely candidate to end the dominance of Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel.
Boston Marathon bombing suspect captured
YNet News, 19 Apr 2013 – ….
Prince Harry says he’ll beat US, others to S. Pole
YNet News, 19 Apr 2013 – ….
10 Jordanian police injured at Syrian refugee camp
YNet News, 19 Apr 2013 – ….
Classmates: Bomb suspect was on campus this week
YNet News, 19 Apr 2013 – ….
Fatma forgotten yet again
YNet News, 19 Apr 2013 – Op-ed: Current economic policies don’t enable Arab Israelis to support their families with dignity ….
Russian newspaper: Israel injects Palestinian prisoners with dangerous viruses
PIC – Russian press sources revealed that the Israeli authorities inject Palestinian prisoners in its detention centers with “dangerous viruses” that lead to death in the long term.
Mother of captive and leader Jamal Tawil dies
PIC – The mother of administrative detainee and leader Sheikh Jamal Tawil, former mayor of al-Bireh, died on Friday morning in the town of al-Bireh after a struggle with illness.
Resheq calls for confronting plans to displace Bedouins from Jerusalem
PIC – Ezzat Resheq condemned the occupation new plan to deport the Bedouin communities from Khan al-Ahmar, in eastern Jerusalem, to Nowayma village near Jericho in the Jordan Valley.
Warning of Israeli plan to deport the Bedouins in the Khan al-Ahmar
PIC – Bedouin communities in Khan al-Ahmar held press conference on Thursday to explain the dimensions of the occupation authorities’ scheme that aims to expel them to Nowayma village near Jericho.
IOA prevents Jerusalem Shopping Spring Festival
PIC – The so-called Israeli Homeland Security Secretary issued on Thursday a decision to prevent Jerusalem Shopping Spring Festival under the pretext of being held under the auspices of the PA.
MP Abu Halabiya warns of continued Israeli tunneling under al-Aqsa mosque
PIC – MP Ahmed Abu Halabiya, head of Jerusalem Committee in the Palestinian Legislative Council, warned of the continued Israeli tunneling under and around al-Aqsa mosque.
On the anniversary of Rantisi’s martyrdom, Hamas renews commitment to resistance
PIC – The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas renewed its pledge to the martyrs’ blood, and its commitment to the resistance option to liberate and defend the Palestinian people’s rights.
IOA releases prisoner Mohammed al-Taj after health deterioration
PIC – The Israeli Occupation Authorities released the sick Palestinian prisoner Muhammad al-Taj on Thursday after a serious deterioration in his health.
IOA imposes house arrest on prisoner’s mother
PIC – Magistrate’s Court decided to impose house arrest and bail on prisoner’s elderly mother Intisar Haj from Beit Sira, west of Ramallah.
In Jerusalem, activist hopes to restore Gypsy pride
LA Times 19 Apr 2013 – Amoun Sleem runs a community center to help Gypsy youths fight poverty and discrimination, which she once faced herself. JERUSALEM — Growing up poor and motherless in the slums of Jerusalem’s Old City, Amoun Sleem dropped out of school at age 7 after her teacher…
More U.S. Aid to Syria’s Rebels, With Conditions
New York Times 19 Apr 2013 – The delivery of new nonlethal aid approved by President Obama will hinge in part on promises by the opposition to protect minorities and to abide by the rule of law, according to an official.
Top U.N. Rights Official Denounces Iraqi Executions
New York Times 19 Apr 2013 – The official, Navi Pillay, accused the Baghdad government of killing prisoners “like animals in a slaughterhouse.”
U.S. Selling Arms to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Emirates
New York Times 18 Apr 2013 – A $10 billion deal would provide missiles, warplanes and troop transports to help Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates counter any future threat from Iran.
New Chemical Weapons Allegations in Syria Conflict
New York Times 18 Apr 2013 – Britain and France have informed the United Nations that there is credible information suggesting that Syria’s government has used chemical weapons in the civil war, diplomats said.
Possible Boston Marathon Suspects in Running Gun Battle, Finally Captured
Tikun Olam – Tonight, there appears to be a major development in the Boston Marathon bombing case. Several hours ago, someone shot and killed an MIT security guard. This set off a vast manhunt for the killers. They apparently carjacked several vehicles including a State Police SUV, from which…
Divestment win at UC Berkeley this morning
Jewish Voice for Peace – Like hundreds of others in the overflow crowd last night, I’m completely exhausted after having spent 10 hours straight listening to an extraordinary night of emotional testimony about divestment at UC Berkeley. I’m so proud to tell you that at 5:30 this morning, Associated Students at…
Preparing for Iran?: US on verge of $10 billion arms deal with Israel, Saudi Arabia and UAE
Mondoweiss – The New York Times reports: The Defense Department is expected to finalize a $10 billion arms deal with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates next week that will provide missiles, warplanes and troop transports to help them counter any future threat from Iran. A…
Boston Marathon bombings unleash a new wave of Islamophobia
Mondoweiss – An anti-Park 51 protester in New York City in September 2010 (Photo: David Shankbone/Wikimedia Commons) It’s happening again: another collective freakout steeped in Islamophobia. The Boston Marathon bombings have unleashed the anti-Muslim sentiment that bubbles under the surface and always shines bright in times of national…
Colbert: ‘Let’s fix Palestine’
Mondoweiss – The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes , Indecision Political Humor , Video Archive (Hat tip Karen Platt) Why are we posting this inspired riff from Stephen Colbert, mocking Brad Paisley’s clumsy/stupid racism in a song called “Accidental Racist”? Because at the end of the bit,…
Johannesburg demo against Israeli Independence Day ends in violence
Mondoweiss – Protest Israeli Independence Day April 15, 2013 Israeli Independence Day protest Johannesburg April 15, 2013 A protest against Israeli Independence Day at the Gold Reef City Casino in Johannesburg turned violent on Monday night after members of the South African Palestinian solidarity activist community were reportedly…
Palestinian Activists Tried To Derail Major Jerusalem Documentary
The Foward Breaking News 19 Apr 2013 – Palestinian activists tried to derail an ambitious European documentary shot in Jerusalem this week, complaining that the film would reinforce an image of Israeli sovereignty over the deeply divided city. Click here for the rest of the article…
Roger Waters Still ‘Considering’ Call to Fellow Musicians To Boycott Israel
The Foward Breaking News 19 Apr 2013 – Pink Floyd guitarist Roger Waters said he was still considering whether to call on musicians to boycott Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Two Gaza Rockets Strike Israel, No Injuries
The Foward Breaking News 19 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. Click here for the rest of the article…
In Boston’s Heavily Jewish Suburbs, Shock and Re-Sparked Memories
The Forward New 19 Apr 2013 – The terror in Boston brought back painful memories for some of its Jewish residents — memories of the Holocaust, Argentina and Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
South Africa: Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim Concluded a Visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran
allAfrica.com 19 Apr 2013 – [SA Govt]The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ebrahim I Ebrahim has concluded a successful visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran that took place from 16-18 April preceded by the Fourth Bilateral Consultation between South Africa and the State of Qatar held on 14-15…
Bahrain protest draws thousands
BBC 19 Apr 2013 – Thousands of anti-government protesters block a major motorway in Bahrain in a march ahead of Sunday’s F1 Grand Prix in the Gulf kingdom.
Egypt Seeks IMF Loan at Any Cost
Al-Akhbar News 19 Apr 2013 – A member of the 6th of April movement holds a courgette, which represents corruption and nepotism in Egyptian culture, during an anti-government demonstration demanding the release of political prisoners outside the Egyptian High Court in Cairo on 17 April 2013. (Photo: AFP – Gianluigi Guercia) A…
US to close “major” arms deal with Saudi and UAE: Israeli official
Al-Akhbar News 19 Apr 2013 – US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel hopes to finalize a major arms deal with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates during a visit to the Middle East this week, and also discuss fresh military supplies to Israel, an Israeli official said on Friday. The accord is…
Syria: Amnesty is Issued, but Where are the Prisoners?
Al-Akhbar News 19 Apr 2013 – An internally displaced Syrian youth holds an empty pot as he lines up for food distribution in the Maiber al-Salam refugee camp along the Turkish border in the northern province of Aleppo on 17 April 2013. (Photo: AFP – Dimitar Dilkoff) An internally displaced Syrian youth…
Syria: Qamishli’s Kurds Fight Two Enemies at Once
Al-Akhbar News 19 Apr 2013 – A Syrian Kurdish refugee from the majority-Kurdish Sheikh Maqsud district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, prepares a tea in a yard next a school used as a refugee camp in northern city of Afrin on 9 April 2013. (Photo: AFP – Dimitar Dilkoff) A…
Jordan’s Islamists reject US troop deployment
Al-Akhbar News 19 Apr 2013 – Jordan’s Islamist opposition on Friday denounced the presence of US troops in the kingdom due to deteriorating security in neighboring Syria, urging a rethink of the deployment. “The government must review its decision to authorize the deployment of foreign troops on Jordanian soil,” the Islamic Action…
Saudi opens luxury resort to “rehabilitate” Qaeda prisoners
Al-Akhbar News 19 Apr 2013 – Local and international media representatives are given a tour of a new center for the rehabilitation of suspected “terrorists” and potential al-Qaeda recruits in Riyadh on 9 April 2013. (Photo: AFP) Saudi Arabia is hoping to turn jailed al-Qaeda militants off terrorism with counselling, spa treatments,…
Ghazi Aridi: Lebanese MP Falls From Jumblatt’s Favor
Al-Akhbar Politics 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…
Sultan Erdogan Clamps Down on Turkish Media
Al-Akhbar Politics 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 Politics 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,…
The Sluggish Revival of Baghdad’s National Museum
Al-Akhbar Politics 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…
In the Week of Palestinian Prisoner’s Day Israel Arrests 44 Palestinians
Al-Haq 19 Apr 2013 – Ad: How To Win Any Election (kit – A Complete Guide To Winning Elections – 5 Ebooks And Sample Documents, Including A 178 Page Elections Guide That Shows Everything You Need To Know To Win Your Next Election!
Bahrain protest draws thousands
BBC 19 Apr 2013 – Thousands of anti-government protesters block a major motorway in Bahrain in a march ahead of Sunday’s F1 Grand Prix in the Gulf kingdom.
Mortar attack ‘kills seven’ in Iraq
BBC 19 Apr 2013 – At least seven people are killed in a mortar attack on a Sunni mosque in northern Iraq, police say, a day before provincial polls.
Articles
Detained: Testimonies from Palestinian children imprisoned by Israel
Text and photos by Samar Hazboun, +972 Magazine 4/19/2013
Detained: Testimonies from Palestinian Children Imprisoned by Israel’ uncovers one of the most painful experiences that Palestinian children endure in the ongoing Israeli occupation. Through interviews with ex-detainees and mothers of minors presently in detention, the project documents their stories and aims to lend a voice to those who are silenced from fear of negative repercussions.
Over the past 11 years, according to Defence for Children International, some 7,500 children have been detained in Israeli prisons and detention facilities. Muhammad Daoud Dirbas, at the age of six, was the youngest child to have been detained by Israeli soldiers. Such practices are considered illegal under international law, as are other policies that children are subjected to, such as solitary confinement.
I started working on “Detained” about one year ago, because of the lack of visual documentation on the subject. I contacted some human rights organizations, which put me in contact with a few children. Unfortunately, those children refused to be interviewed; having been contacted several times by journalists, they were afraid of repercussions. I then decided to contact people I knew from Palestinian cities like Nablus and Hebron where child detention is most prevalent. Through these friends, I was able to find and contact additional children. Sadly, it was quite easy to find them since it is such a common phenomenon.
In most cases, I found children who suffer from various traumas. Some were not able to talk about what had happened in prison; others burst into tears, and it was sometimes hard for me to hold my own tears back as I was conducting the interviews. Many children agreed to talk to me “off the record”; I thus know their stories but was not able to officially interview them or take their pictures. In some cases, I was able to talk to the parents once the child left the room, and thus obtained more detailed information about how the children were dealing with what had happened to them. more.. e-mail
Vandalism of Christian sites in Palestine inspires London art show
Sarah Irving, London, Electronic Intifada 4/18/2013
Around the walls of the main gallery at London’s Mosaic Rooms hang images of broken graves, bearing inscriptions in Arabic. On some, the headstones have been smashed to pieces; on others, the covers of tombs have been removed or cracked so that skulls, limb bones and ribcages are visible.
This is the destruction left by one of several incidents of vandalism at the Christian Palestinian cemetery in Lod in present-day Israel. This was once the important Palestinian city of al-Lydd, birthplace of the late Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader George Habash and the rap group DAM. Now Lod/al-Lydd is notorious for the walls which confine its Palestinian communities and discrimination against them in providing basic services such as garbage collection.
The images were taken by the late Yaqoub Monayer — like Habash, a Palestinian Orthodox Christian from al-Lydd — who reported the desecration to the police. When no culprits were found, he was given his photos back, and he left them in a kitchen drawer.
The photographs were almost thrown away by Yaqoub’s wife Samira, but instead her grandson, artist and filmmaker Dor Guez, found them and added them to the digital archive he is assembling, a huge chronicle of the Christian community in Palestine. The images featured in the Mosaic Rooms exhibition, Dor Guez: 40 Days, originate from this archive.
The archive holds thousands of images, although Guez confines himself to scanning them and then returns each photograph and object to its owners. “I’m not interested in conserving objects,” he said, but admitted that he does “preserve” meaning and memory, if not material items. more.. e-mail
In Praise of Emotion
Uri Avnery, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 4/19/2013
IT WAS a moving experience. Moments that spoke not only to the mind, but also – and foremost – to the heart.
Last Sunday, on the eve of Israel’s Remembrance Day for the fallen in our wars, I was invited to an event organized by the activist group Combatants for Peace and the Forum of Israeli and Palestinian Bereaved Parents.
The first surprise was that it took place at all. In the general atmosphere of discouragement of the Israeli peace camp after the recent elections, when almost no one dared even to mention the word peace, such an event was heartening.
The second surprise was its size. It took place in one of the biggest halls in the country, Hangar 10 in Tel-Aviv’s fair grounds. It holds more than 2000 seats. A quarter of an hour before the starting time, attendance was depressingly sparse. Half an hour later, it was choke full. (Whatever the many virtues of the peace camp, punctuality is not among them.)
The third surprise was the composition of the audience. There were quite a lot of white-haired old-timers, including myself, but the great majority was composed of young people, at least half of them young women. Energetic, matter-of-fact youngsters, very Israeli.
I felt as if I was in a relay race. My generation passing the baton on to the next. The race continues.
BUT THE outstanding feature of the event was, of course, its content. Israelis and Palestinians were mourning together for their dead sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, victims of the conflict and wars, occupation and resistance (a.k.a. terror.) more.. e-mail
Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone on the Middle East, anti-Semitism and the United States
Amelia Smith, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 4/17/2013
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Ken Livingstone’s first encounter with Palestinians was in 1966 on a hitchhiking trip through North Africa. Stumbling across the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) office in Algiers, he spent hours inside listening to stories of their parents who had been driven out of their land. “It’s really only then that I became aware of the scale of the problem,” he explains.
“I thought no one lived there and that’s why the Jews went there. I think there just wasn’t anything like the blanket media coverage that you get today, no one had film or even photographs of the expulsion of the Arab communities during 1948 or anything like that.”
Livingstone is from the 1960s generation, one that protested against inequities across the world, such as the Vietnam War. “We were challenging injustice everywhere, so the Palestinian cause fitted in with that,” he explains; but back then speaking out about the conflict was hard. “The one big difference was that because of the Holocaust it was much more difficult to get people to engage with.”
One year after his experience in the PLO office in Algiers Israel launched the Six-Day War. “My recollection is there was overwhelming support for Israel, and people like myself saying this was wrong.” Nowadays, he points out, public opinion has fallen dramatically; a 2010 BBC World Service poll put Israel simply 2% ahead of North Korea (19% and 17% respectively) in the popularity stakes and it’s not difficult to see why. more.. e-mail
“Don’t serve in Israel’s military,” refusenik urges compatriots
Electronic Intifada: 19 Apr 2013 – Natan Blanc has served 120 days in prison for objecting to Israel’s war crimes.more
Zionism and the United States Congress
Palestine Chronicle: 19 Apr 2013 – By William James Martin The ideology, or political project, of Zionism which underlies the creation of the State of Israel had, in fact, a Christian origin rather than a Jewish one, as writings can be found dating from the 1500’s, written by Christian clergymen in England advocating the migration of Jews to the Holy Land. The migration of Jews to Palestine was also advocated by Napoleon Bonaparte. The first Jewish presentations of Zionism were written by Moses Hess in 1862 and 20 years later by Leo Pinsker, both of the Russian Pale, with each writer advocated a separate state for Jews. Twentieth century Zionism was initiated by Theodore Herzl who, likewise, advocated a separate state for Jews in his book, Der Judenstaat, written in 1896. One year later he formed the World Zionist Congress which held its first meeting in Basel Switzerland in that same year. What to do with…more
Divestment at UCSB
Palestine Chronicle: 19 Apr 2013 – By Richard Falk A few days ago I spoke to a student audience in support of a divestment resolution that was to be submitted for adoption at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The resolution was narrowly defeated the next day in the UCSB Student Senate, but this series of student initiated efforts to urge several campuses of the University of California to divest from corporations doing a profitable business selling military equipment to Israel represents an encouraging awakening on the part of American youth to the severe victimization of the Palestinian people by way of occupation, discrimination, refugee misery, and exile, a worsening set of circumstances that has lasted in its various forms for several decades, and shows no signs of ending anytime soon. Ever since the nakba of 1948, either traditional diplomacy, nor the United Nations, nor armed struggle have been able to secure Palestinian rights, and…more
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The New Dark Age 