26 April 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Army Attacks Nabi Saleh Nonviolent Protest
IMEMC – Israeli soldiers attacked, on Friday afternoon, the weekly nonviolent protest against the Israeli Annexation Wall and settlements, in Nabi Saleh village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah. This week’s protest was titled “our detainees will be victorious”. …
Seven Kidnapped In Silwad, Dozens Injured
IMEMC – Friday April 26, 2013, media sources reported that Israeli soldiers kidnapped at least seven Palestinians, while dozens of residents have been treated for the effects of teargas inhalation, after the army invaded Silwad town, east of the central West Bank city of Ramallah. …
Army Invades Hebron, Kidnaps Three Palestinians
IMEMC – Thursday evening, April 25, 2013, Israeli soldiers invaded the Bab Az-Zawiya area, in the center of Hebron city, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, and kidnapped three Palestinians. …
Israel Uproots Trees To Prepare For New Settlement In Bethlehem
IMEMC – Thursday April 25, 2013, Israeli bulldozers uprooted dozens of trees on a hill close to the Jabal Abu Ghneim (Har Homa) illegal settlement, east of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, in order to pave a new road that leads to a planned settlement neighborhood of 3000 homes for Jewish settlers. …
Soldiers Uproot 700 Olive Trees Near Jenin
IMEMC – Thursday April 25, 2013; Israeli soldiers uprooted more than 700 olive trees in Arraba area, close to the Dotan illegal Israeli settlement, near Arraba village, south of the northern West Bank city of Jenin. …
Army Invades Khan Younis, Uproots Farmlands
IMEMC – Thursday April 25, 2013; several armored Israeli military vehicles and bulldozers invaded an area east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, and uprooted Palestinian farmlands before withdrawing. …
Medics: Israeli forces shoot 17-year-old in Gaza
4/26/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A Palestinian teenager was shot by Israeli forces in Jabaliya refugee camp, medics said. Jameel Heesha, 17, was shot in his left foot near the northern border of Gaza Strip. He was taken to a nearby hospital with moderate injuries. An Israeli army spokeswoman did not immediately return a call….
Official: Israel fires at fishing boats off Gaza coast
4/26/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli gunboats on Thursday opened fire toward Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of the Gaza Strip, a local official said. Israeli forces opened fire at the boats off north-west Gaza as the fishermen as approached the three-mile limit Israel imposes along the coastline, said Mahfouth Kabariti, head of a….
Clashes at weekly protest near Ramallah
4/26/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Dozens of protesters on Friday suffered tear-gas inhalation in clashes with Israeli forces in Nabi Saleh village north of Ramallah, activists said. Palestinian and international activists participated in the village’s weekly protest in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners and against Israel’s settlements. Israeli forces fired tear gas and….
Israeli forces detain 4 children, parent in Hebron
4/26/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Friday detained four children for allegedly throwing stones in Hebron, locals said. The children, aged 8-12, were detained along with the father who tried to stop soldiers from detaining his son. [END]
Israel forces demolish ‘wildcat’ settler outpost
4/26/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli security forces overnight demolished two structures that Jewish settlers had erected to create a “wildcat” outpost in the occupied West Bank, a police spokesman said on Friday. Soldiers and border policemen razed the makeshift structures of the Oz Zion outpost near Ramallah without incident, Luba Samri told AFP. The security forces have….
Israel’s army to stop using white phosphorus
4/26/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel’s army has announced it will stop using munitions containing white phosphorus, for which it was internationally condemned during a military operation against Gaza in 2008-2009. Shells containing the chemical “will no longer be used,” the army said in a statement released late Thursday.” In around a year, the Israeli….
Israel detains 19-year-old near Bethlehem
4/26/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces arrested a 19-year-old from Arroub north of Hebron, witnesses said Friday. Mohammed An-Najmi was detained at a flying checkpoint south of Bethlehem, and was taken to Gush Etzion interrogation center. [END]
Body of Palestinian shot dead near Dead Sea arrives in Bethlehem
4/26/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The body of a Palestinian who was found shot to death near the Dead Sea was handed to his family by the Jordanian side on Friday afternoon, relatives said. The family confirmed that a funeral would be held on Friday afternoon. Salah Jahalin’s body was found Monday off the….
PA, USAID work to reduce Qalandia traffic
4/26/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority is working with the US Agency for International Development to reduce traffic on Qalandia road leading to Ramallah. The minister of public works, Maher Ghneim, said Thursday that his ministry is working with USAID on plans to build a bridge and a tunnel to ease traffic in the….
Iranian suspect tells Thai court ‘stunned’ to find bombs
4/26/2013 – BANGKOK (AFP) — An Iranian man whose legs were blown off during an alleged botched bomb plot last year against Israeli diplomats in Bangkok said Friday he found the explosives and was trying to dispose of them safely when they detonated. Saeid Moradi, 29, told a Bangkok court that he was about to leave Thailand when….
American celebrity chef brings culinary diplomacy to Bethlehem
4/26/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — US Consul Michael Ratney and celebrity chef Art Smith brought culinary diplomacy to Bethlehem on Friday, hosting a cooking competition for local young chefs. Smith, an American author, restaurant owner and television personality known for his appearances on Oprah Winfrey’s talk shows, has conducted presentations at culinary schools in….
Women in Gaza welcome PA restrictions on salary payments
4/26/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A new restriction on salary payments for Palestinian Authority employees in Gaza has brought new freedom to some female workers in the enclave. The Fatah-led PA in the West Bank in April refused to pay salaries to its employees in the Gaza Strip whose bank accounts could be accessed by….
Abbas to meet Mursi in reconciliation push
4/26/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas will head to Cairo in May to advance reconciliation between his Fatah party and Hamas, a senior Fatah official said Friday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Abbas would meet Egypt’s President Mohammad Mursi and Egypt’s intelligence chief during the….
Analysis: Fayyad’s resignation is a crisis for Abbas
4/26/2013 – By Ghassan Khatib – The seemingly inevitable resignation of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has left Palestinians in the occupied territories, and their president, knee deep in trouble. The bowing out of such a prominent figure — the man responsible for the two positive events of the last decade — has created anxiety and worry among Palestinians. Fayyad reformed….
Obama to meet Jordan king, Syria atop agenda
4/26/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President Barack Obama on Friday will host Jordan’s King Abdullah II for White House talks that are sure to focus on Syria, after Washington said Damascus had likely used chemical weapons. Just over a month after the king welcomed Obama to Amman, the US president wants to discuss “Jordan’….
Obama wants ‘definitive judgment’ on Syria chemical arms
4/26/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President Barack Obama is awaiting a “definitive judgment” on whether the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against rebel fighters before taking action, the White House said Friday. The statement from Washington came as the Syrian opposition urged the UN Security Council to take immediate steps, possibly even by imposing a no-fly zone….
Israeli army breaks up Palestinian march
AlJazeera 26 Apr 2013 – Troops use tear gas and rubber bullets to prevent about 500 Palestinians marching towards an illegal West Bank outpost.
Sources to PNN: Israel Rules in Favor of Building Separation Wall on Lands of Cremisan Valley
Palestine News Network
MADA Condemns Israeli Violations Against Palestinian Journalists
Palestine News Network
3 Molotov Cocktails Thrown at IOF Post, North of Hebron
Palestine News Network
Report: Israel Prisons ‘Failed To Prevent’ Prisoner X Suicide
Palestine News Network
Palestinian, Israeli, and International Organisations Issue Joint Statement Regards Palestinian Victims
Palestine News Network
Jordan: Birth Pains of Democratic Politics
Palestine News Network
Israeli Racism Codified by Law
Palestine News Network
Discussion about Nabi Saleh Village with Bassem and Nariman Tamimi
Palestine News Network
Raising Awareness to Palestinian Deaf Community through Music
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PNGO and Human Right Organizations in the Gaza Strip Organizea Conference on “Education Law 1/2013 from Human Rights’ Pe…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (18- 24 April 2013)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Israeli forces try to crush protest at Hagai roadblock
4/26/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 26th April 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine, By Team Khalil – On Friday 26th April, around sixty Palestinian and international activists were met with dozens of teargas rounds and rubber-coated steel bullets while protesting against a road closure in the Wad al-Huriyeh area of Hebron. The road is adjacent to the illegal Israeli settlement….
Palestinian villages protest together against illegal settlement outpost
4/26/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 26th April 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Silwad, Occupied Palestine – Around six hundred Palestinians along with a small number of international and Israeli activists participated in today’s demonstration in the lands between Silwad and Deir Jreer, in protest against both settler violence and settlement expansion. A new illegal outpost of Ofra settlement consisting of….
Obama promises further investigation into use of chemical weapons
The National 26 Apr 2013 – President advises prudence as pressure grows for US to act
Emirati children given a chance to play CSI
The National 26 Apr 2013 – The week-long Med-Camp 2013, which will take place at the Abu Dhabi campus of Khalifa University, begins on June 23.
Financial help needed for Abu Dhabi special needs school to keep operating
The National 26 Apr 2013 – Parents of the pupils pay a fee but this only covers about half the cost for teaching each child so the Future Centre for Special Needs indulges in fundraising to maintain its lifeline service.
Let games begin in Abu Dhabi special-needs house of smiles
The National 26 Apr 2013 – Future Centre for Special Needs has launched its inaugural UAE-wide Skills Challenge 2013, a competition on May 15 and 16 that will invite 130 special-needs children from centres across the UAE to compete on vocational skills.
Abu Dhabi hotel managers worry about oversupply
The National 26 Apr 2013 – With several hotels due to open before summer, existing big brands balance check-in numbers against need to avoid an aggressive price war.
Kurdish peace will make Turkey ‘major power’ in Middle East
The National 26 Apr 2013 – Analysts say that a political solution to end the conflict with Kurdish separatists would bolster Turkey’s economy and strengthen its drive to become the leading power in the region.
Husband ‘threatens to pour acid over his wife’ in Dubai
The National 26 Apr 2013 – Man threatened to disfigure with acid his wife of 27 years after she filed for divorce, hears court.
Belarus and the UAE strike military deals
The National 26 Apr 2013 – Belarus has provided military vehicles and gun-control systems to the UAE since 2007.
Lapid: I’ll deliver my major speeches outside the Knesset
Ha’aretz – 26 Apr 2013
Iran likely behind drone that Israel intercepted opposite Haifa coast
Ha’aretz – 26 Apr 2013
IDF breaks up Palestinian march toward West Bank settlement
Ha’aretz – 26 Apr 2013
U.S. academic nonprofit votes in favor of boycotting Israeli academia
Ha’aretz – 26 Apr 2013
Security guard who shot wife in front of daughter charged with murder
Ha’aretz – 26 Apr 2013
Amnesty calls for release of Palestinian writer in Israeli detention
Ha’aretz – 26 Apr 2013
Bulgaria blows up bus in Burgas bombing reenactment
Ha’aretz – 26 Apr 2013
Deputy FM warns: Inaction on Syrian chemical arms sends message to Iran
Ha’aretz – 26 Apr 2013
Israeli-Arab activists set out in motorcade to protest anti-women violence
Ha’aretz – 26 Apr 2013
Unsavory affairs in Lieberman case leave bad taste
Ha’aretz – 26 Apr 2013
At the Lieberman trial, an ‘old friend’ tells a thrilling spy tale
Ha’aretz – 26 Apr 2013
Israeli civilians own 292,265 firearms – but does that make the country safer?
Ha’aretz – 26 Apr 2013
Decomposing body discovered in car near Israel’s Dimona reactor
Ha’aretz – 25 Apr 2013
A government of, by and for the tycoons
Ha’aretz – 25 Apr 2013
‘Lebanese army ups presence on Israel border’
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Day after F-16 shoots down drone from Lebanon off Haifa, Lebanese media reports IAF jets fly over villages in south Lebanon.
Cameron downplays possibility of military action in Syria
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – British PM says limited, but growing evidence of chemical weapons use by Assad regime which would constitute a “war crime”; however, he joins US, Turkey and EU in saying further evidence needed for military intervention.
UK downplays chance of military action in Syria
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – British PM says limited, but growing evidence of chemical weapons use by Assad regime which would constitute a “war crime.”
Bulgaria reenacts Burgas bus bomb attack
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Investigators blow up bus in hopes of finding more information; EU decision to blacklist Hezbollah likely dependent on probe.
Germans fascinated by Nazi era eight decades later
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Interest in the darkest chapter of their history seems stronger than it has ever been. 40,000 people visited Nazi exhibition in first 3 months.
IDF to stop using phosphorus for smokescreens
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Chemical to be replaced with Israeli-developed alternatives; smoke-screening permitted under international humanitarian law.
Man charged with killing wife in front of daughter
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – 52-year-old allegedly shoots wife twice in family car because she wanted a divorce; suspect claims it was an accident.
Egypt’s Pope says Islamist rulers neglect Copts
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Pope says there is “rejection” and “social isolation”; attacks on churches has increased after rise of Islamists to power.
Poll: UK Jews believe BBC is biased against Israel
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – As BBC prepares to welcome new Jewish director of current affairs, poll finds many believe network is not supportive of Israel.
Western Wall rabbi questions Sharansky plan
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz vows to fight against “the slightest deviation” from customary practice at the Western Wall.
Car hits ambulance in Tel Aviv police chase, 6 hurt
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Suspects abandon vehicle, fleeing on foot after crashing into car, ambulance; police apprehend 1 suspect; 6 lightly hurt.
US officials: Canada terror suspect traveled to Iran
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Suspects charged with plotting to blow up railroad carrying passenger trains recieved “guidance” in Iran from al-Qaida.
Syrian opposition: Prove Obama’s words aren’t empty
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Clashes rage through Syrian city Hama; 7 killed, dozens injured; rebels call on White House to act on statements made by president supporting belief that Syrian President Bashar Assad has used chemical weapons.
Boston suspects NY bomb plan was ‘spontaneous’
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – NYC officials say Boston bombing suspects’ plans to bomb NY were spur-of-the-moment; parents maintain sons’ innocence.
Rabbi protests Dutch paper’s anti-Israel cartoon
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Jewish rights rabbi sends letter of protest over cartoon which portrays Israel as a threat to world peace.
Pentagon refutes F-35 fighter jet cyber threat
Jerusalem Post 25 Apr 2013 – F-35 program manager says he’s ‘not that confident’ about certain elements of security systems; Israel to receive 20 F-35s in 2015.
Analysis: Hezbollah drone a publicity stunt
Jerusalem Post 25 Apr 2013 – Drone sent into Israel is meant to remind the Lebanese public that Hezbollah is still defined by its jihad against Israel.
Diaspora Affairs: ‘We are ready to fight’
Jerusalem Post 25 Apr 2013 – The Ukrainian Jewish Committee’s Eduard Dolinsky opens up to the ‘Post’ about the Jewish response to the rise of the Ukrainian nationalist party Svoboda.
Stupendously stupid or surreptitiously sinister
Jerusalem Post 25 Apr 2013 – Into the fray: The unilateral two-state initiative endorsed by INSS this week is clearly not a ‘creative’ pro-peace measure but a demonstrably anti-settler one.
Syria crisis: White House seeks ‘facts’ on chemical weapons finding – as it happened
The Guardian 26 Apr 2013 – Follow live updates after the US acknowledged for the first time that the Assad regime has probably used chemical weapons Tom McCarthy Matthew Weaver Paul Owen
Religious fundamentalists could hold the key to Middle East peace | Jonathan Freedland
The Guardian 26 Apr 2013 – Israel’s ultra-orthodox parties – so long deemed part of the hawkish right – might just unlock the two-state solution Everybody knows that religious fundamentalists are part of the Middle East’s problem. Everybody knows that Muslim and…
West Bank convent loses appeal over Israeli separation barrier route
The Guardian 26 Apr 2013 – Catholic group criticises ruling after seven-year legal battle over barrier that will separate Cremisan nuns from most of their land Israel is expected to press ahead with construction of the vast West Bank barrier around a…
Spring Brings Worse for Shias
IPS The mob that surrounded the home of Mohamed Nour, an Egyptian Shia living in Cairo’s Bab El-Shaariya district, claimed it was on a mission to “inoculate” Egypt against Shia religious beliefs. Without intervention, Shia doctrine would spread across Egypt “like a cancer,” they had warned. Born a Sunni Muslim, Nour…
Medical racism: Israel hospital director complains that too many African babies are being born
Uruknet
‘Tell Us About Jail – Just In Case’
Uruknet
Iraq: Executions Surge but No Action on Reform
Uruknet
Israel delivers stop work order to Hebron clinic
Uruknet
US & France Intervene in Mali To Protect Land & Resource Grabs, Not Because of Al Qaeda
Uruknet
Derrida and the Crisis of French Zionism
Uruknet
Free Lynne Stewart Now
Uruknet
Syria News – April 24, 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet
Beirut, bombs, babes: a Mideast thriller
Daily Star 26 Apr 2013 When reading a novel with a first-person narrator, no matter how selfish, inept or unsympathetic, readers are likely to find themselves rooting for the protagonist.
Choucair celebrated at Tate Modern
Daily Star 26 Apr 2013 In the spring of 1951, the Lebanese ambassador to France ducked into a Paris gallery to see the debut exhibition of a young artist from Beirut.
UN calls for restraint in Iraq as over 200 killed
Daily Star 26 Apr 2013 The United Nations warned on Friday that Iraq is at a “crossroads” and appealed for restraint, as four days of violence, including several attacks on mosques, killed more than 200 people.
NYPD: Part of 9/11 plane’s landing gear discovered
YNet News, 26 Apr 2013 – ….
Bomb kills 9 near Pakistan political party office
YNet News, 26 Apr 2013 – ….
UN chief urges Syrian access for UN chemical team
YNet News, 26 Apr 2013 – ….
Turkey becomes partner of China-, Russia-led security bloc
YNet News, 26 Apr 2013 – ….
Jew hatred at UN schools
YNet News, 26 Apr 2013 – Op-ed: West Bank schools funded by US, Europe produce next generation of terrorists ….
A Palestinian boy shot by Israeli fire east of Jabalia
PIC – A Palestinian boy was wounded by Israeli fire on Friday evening in the east of Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip.
Violent clashes erupt in fields threatened with confiscation near Silwad
PIC – Violent clashes broke out on Friday between Israeli forces and Palestinian citizens, who came to perform Friday prayers in their fields threatened with confiscation near the town of Silwad.
PA security arrest Quds Press reporter in Ramallah
PIC – PA security apparatuses in the West Bank arrested on Friday afternoon the correspondent of Quds Press agency in Ramallah journalist Khaldun Mazloum.
Bardawil: Abbas stopped the reconciliation and Hamas is ready for debate
PIC – Hamas leader Dr. Salah Bardawil held the Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas “personally” responsible for the failure of the reconciliation process, to comply with “American conditions.”
Israeli gunboats target fishing boats off the coast of Gaza
PIC – The Israeli occupation gunboats pounded at dawn Friday Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli artillery attacks northern Gaza
PIC – Israeli artillery fired on Friday night several shells towards Palestinian citizens’ lands in the north of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip.
IOA prevents WB worshipers from entering Jerusalem
PIC – The Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) have banned on Friday morning many worshipers from the West Bank from having access to Jerusalem under the pretext of military orders.
GMJ to take place on 7th June 2013
PIC – The International Executive Committee of the GMJ declared that this year’s march is to take place across the globe on Friday 7 June, the 46th anniversary of the occupation of the eastern Jerusalem.
Atta Ayyash’s family appeals for his release
PIC – The family of Palestinian prisoner Atta Ayyash appealed for his release. Haj Ayyash was arrested by the occupation authorities two weeks ago on Karama bridge as he was leaving the West Bank to Jordan.
Hamas calls for keeping Palestinian rfugees out of the conflict in Syria
PIC – Hamas condemned the continued clashes in the Palestinian refugee camp of Handarat north of Aleppo and the continued shelling and siege of many other Palestinian camps.
U.S. doubts on Syria lie in how sarin exposure occurred
LA Times 27 Apr 2013 – Intelligence agencies are confident the poison gas was released but are less sure about whether Bashar Assad’s regime is responsible or even whether it was deliberate. WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence agencies unanimously agree that Syrians have been exposed to deadly sarin gas in recent weeks,…
White House suspects Syria used chemical weapons, seeks inquiry
LA Times 25 Apr 2013 – A senior official says the U.S. is still evaluating the evidence that indicates sarin gas was used. Some in Congress say a ‘red line’ has been crossed. WASHINGTON — The White House said for the first time that there was evidence Syria had used chemical…
Bashar Assad’s forces reportedly take key Syria township
LA Times 25 Apr 2013 – Some rebels dispute that the supply hub of Otaiba, east of Damascus, has fallen to the government. BEIRUT — The Syrian government says its forces this week seized a strategic township east of Damascus after weeks of fighting, but some opposition activists dispute the asserted…
Israel says it shot down drone near Lebanon
LA Times 25 Apr 2013 – It’s the second such incident in about seven months, but this time Hezbollah denies responsibility. JERUSALEM — Israel said Thursday that it shot down an unmanned aircraft that had entered Israeli airspace off the northern coast near Haifa, the second such incident in nearly seven…
Israel Sees Obama’s Response on Syria as Gauge for Iran
New York Times 26 Apr 2013 – Israeli leaders say they are watching President Obama’s response to Syria’s apparent use of chemical weapons for clues about how he might handle the Iranian nuclear issue.
White House in No Rush on Syria Action
New York Times 26 Apr 2013 – The White House said it wanted more information about the use of chemical weapons before deciding whether President Obama’s “red line” had been crossed.
At War Blog: Should Gun Restrictions Be Placed on Veterans With PTSD?
New York Times 26 Apr 2013 – A Marine Corps veteran turned journalist explores the contentious issue of whether veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder should be allowed to possess firearms.
Cameron Cites Evidence of Chemical Warfare in Syria
New York Times 26 Apr 2013 – Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking on a BBC show, echoed the caution of the Obama administration and ruled out direct British military intervention.
National Briefing | Washington: Obama Is Asked to Reconsider Repatriation of Yemenis
New York Times 26 Apr 2013 – Senator Dianne Feinstein said Thursday that the Obama administration should consider lifting a ban on repatriating low-level detainees to Yemen from Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
U.S. Says It Suspects Assad Used Chemical Weapons
New York Times 25 Apr 2013 – The assessment could test President Obama’s repeated warnings that the use of chemical weapons by President Bashar al-Assad might precipitate American intervention in Syria.
Jerusalem to Name Street for Sheldon Adleson
Tikun Olam – In a distinct departure from custom, the Jerusalem municipality announced that it would name a street for American casino magnate, Sheldon Adelson. In Israel, streets are named after individuals after they pass away. I haven’t yet heard of one named for someone still living. Given Adelson’s…
Israeli Judicial Review Finds Jail Personnel Negligent in Zygier Suicide, But State Refuses to Prosecute
Tikun Olam – Ynet list of prison authorities found negligent by an Israeli judge in Zygier death In perhaps the closing chapter of the sad tale of Ben Zygier, the judge tasked by the State to investigate the suicide of the Mossad agent, released (and Hebrew ) her hitherto partially…
In huge demonstration against lawless settler outpost, 500 Palestinians are teargassed by Israeli army
Mondoweiss – Protesters march to Israeli outpost near Israeli settlement of Ofra Photo: Noah Browning (April 26, 2013) Reuters ’ Noah Browning reports that 500 Palestinians were violently dispersed by the Israeli army as they marched toward an illegal Israeli settler outpost northeast of Ramallah. The protesters came…
Delegation of librarians and archivists headed to Palestine as ‘truth-seekers and info-skeptics’
Mondoweiss – Here is a great cause if ever there was one: 18 librarians and archivists from North America and Europe will be traveling out to Palestine this summer to help preserve cultural materials and records there and, when they return, to seek to challenge western myths about…
‘NYT’s interview with Lanny Davis leaves out his fervent Israel-lobbying
Mondoweiss – Lanny Davis is in addition to his other colorful achievements, an Israel lobbyist. He was out front for Israel during the butchery of the Gaza war, volunteering to do media appearances for the rightwing Israel Project . He then set up a consultancy with Josh Block, the…
‘Palestinians be damned’ — Khalidi explains the American role in the peace process
Mondoweiss – Khalidi Rashid Khalidi’s latest book on the conflict may be his most important in terms of policy. Brokers of Deceit documents as no work has before the record of American double-dealing during the peace process. For 40 years, the United States government managed the negotiations closely…
Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Plotting To Bomb New York Synagogues
The Foward Breaking News 26 Apr 2013 – A man was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison for plotting to blow up synagogues in New York City, only the third conviction under a state terror statute passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks. Click here for…
Europol Finds Links Between Hezbollah and Bulgaria Bombing
The Foward Breaking News 26 Apr 2013 – The European Union’s police body, Europol, said in a report that “indications suggest possible links” between Hezbollah and a deadly terrorist attack in Bulgaria last year. Click here for the rest of the article…
Bethlehem Monastery Loses Legal Expansion Battle to Israel Separation Wall
The Foward Breaking News 26 Apr 2013 – A Catholic monastery and convent in a secluded valley outside Bethlehem lost a seven-year legal battle against the building of Israel’s separation wall on its land on Friday, according to its lawyers. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israeli Army Breaks Up 500 Person Palestinian March on Jewish Settlement
The Foward Breaking News 26 Apr 2013 – Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse about 500 Palestinian villagers marching toward a Jewish settlement outpost in the occupied West Bank on Friday. Click here for the rest of the article…
Africa: Protection of Aid Workers and Stronger Regional Cooperation Key Priorities At 8th Mena Conference
allAfrica.com 26 Apr 2013 – [IFRC]Tehran -At the close of the 8th Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Conference, held in the Iranian capital Tehran, 104 participants from across the region expressed their commitment and support for the Tehran Declaration which was announced by the Mr Georges Kettaneh, Secretary General of…
Egypt: Raising Nation’s Flag On Highest Mountain Peak in Sinai
allAfrica.com 26 Apr 2013 – [Egypt Online]Celebrating the 31st anniversary of Sinai Liberation Day, the Egyptian flag appeared on the highest mountain peak in Sinai.
Nigeria: Presidency Silent Over N6.2 Billion Internet Monitoring Contract
allAfrica.com 26 Apr 2013 – [Daily Trust]The Presidency was yesterday silent over a report that Nigeria awarded a $40million (N6.2 billion) internet monitoring contract to an Israeli security firm, Elbit Systems Ltd.
Balloon Release During the Weekly Protest
Palestine Solidarity Project 26 Apr 2013 – Friday 26th of April the Popular Committee of Beit Ommar, PSP, members of the Women Committee together with international and Israeli activists organized their weekly demonstration near the settlement of Karmei Tzur. The demonstrators had prepared one hundred balloons filled with helium. The activists made a…
Female Detainee Released from Israeli Prison
Palestine Solidarity Project 26 Apr 2013 – On Sunday 21st of April, Manar Zawareh was released after spending one year in an Israeli prison, a statement issued by the Detainees’ Center in Bethlehem said. The Center arranged an event to celebrate her homecoming and Zawareh called for the release of female detainees in…
Planned protests force cancellation of JNF and Friends of the IDF fundraiser in Scotland
Global BDS 26 Apr 2013 – An event to be held at a St Andrews hotel, aimed at raising funds for the Friends of the IDF and the JNF, has been cancelled on police advice in the face of serious mobilisations for planned protests. Palestine activists, human rights campaigners and students joined…
Brazil says no to Israeli arms
Global BDS 26 Apr 2013 – “PASSPORT!” demanded the Israeli security guard in English as he approached demonstrators at the Latin American Aerospace and Defense (LAAD) fair, which took place April 9-12 at the RioCentro Convention Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This surreal scene unfolded as a tiny group of activists…
Syria chemical arms ‘a game changer’
BBC 26 Apr 2013 – US President Barack Obama vows a “vigorous investigation” into reports Syria has used chemical arms, warning they will be a “game changer” if proven true.
Israel ‘to scrap phosphorus shells’
BBC 26 Apr 2013 – Israel says it is to stop using artillery shells containing white phosphorus, which it was criticised for during the 2008-09 Gaza conflict.
Why Not Criticize the Kuwaiti Opposition?
Al-Akhbar Blogs 26 Apr 2013 – I am never happy when government loyalists are pleased with my writings. Although I am not interested in criminalizing government supporters for their political position, I am also not interested in having my critique used for their interests. Related Articles: Liberals without Liberalism: The Kuwaiti Example…
Haifa Drone: Provocation or Deterrence?
Al-Akhbar Opinion 26 Apr 2013 – Protesters march on 13 April 2013 in Washington, DC, demanding and end to the use of drones in war by the US military. (Photo: AFP – Shannon Curran) Protesters march on 13 April 2013 in Washington, DC, demanding and end to the use of drones in…
Records for Beirut’s Uncertain Times
Al-Akhbar News 26 Apr 2013 – Beirut Autopsy of a City 2010, mixed-media installation, dimensions variable views from MORI Art Museum, Tokyo, “Arab Express”, 2012 Beirut Autopsy of a City 2010, mixed-media installation, dimensions variable views from MORI Art Museum, Tokyo, “Arab Express”, 2012 Because Lebanese history remains a deeply contentious subject,…
Palestinian monastery loses court battle over apartheid wall
Al-Akhbar News 26 Apr 2013 – A Palestinian youth rides his bicycle next to Israel’s apartheid wall on the outskirts of Jerusalem in an undated photo. (Photo: AFP – Ahmad Gharabli) A Catholic monastery and convent in a secluded valley outside Bethlehem lost a seven-year legal battle against the building of Israel’s…
Lebanese Bargain Over US Money Laundering Charges
Al-Akhbar News 26 Apr 2013 – Furthermore, the US authorities purported Hezbollah benefited financially from the criminal activities of Joumaa’s network. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Furthermore, the US authorities purported Hezbollah benefited financially from the criminal activities of Joumaa’s network. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Washington has made new money laundering and terrorism finance accusations…
Israeli forces demolish settler outpost, attack Palestinian protest
Al-Akhbar News 26 Apr 2013 – A Palestinian demonstrator from the West Bank village of Deir Jarir, northeast of Ramallah, waves the Fatah movement flag as he marches with fellow protestors against construction on their land by members of the nearby Jewish settlement of Ofra on 26 April 2013. (Photo: AFP -…
Explosions target Iraqi mosques, killing four
Al-Akhbar News 26 Apr 2013 – Bombs exploded at four mosques in the Baghdad area after prayers Friday, killing four people and raising the death toll from a four-day wave of violence in Iraq to 195, officials said. Iraqi security forces also began moving back into the northern town of Sulaiman Bek…
Syrian refugee count exceeds 1.4 million: UNHCR
Al-Akhbar News 26 Apr 2013 – A Syrian Turkmen offers tea to his grandson next to his tent at a make-shift refugee camp some kilometers away from the Syria-Turkey border on 23 April 2013. (Photo AFP – Miguel Medina) The number of Syrians who have fled the country has surpassed 1.4 million,…
The Rival Camps of Iran’s 2013 Presidential Elections
Al-Akhbar Politics 25 Apr 2013 – A man adjusts a huge Iranian flag on the seats as some areas remain empty and others are full of fans, during Iran’s Esteghlal soccer match with Qatari Al-Rayyan, at the Azadi stadium in Tehran, on 23 April 2013. (Photo: AP – Vahid Salemi) A man…
Michel Aoun: For the Orthodox Law, No Election Boycott
Al-Akhbar Politics 25 Apr 2013 – We would like to see Speaker Berri call for a general assembly as soon as possible or on any date of his choosing. (Photo: Bilal Jawich) We would like to see Speaker Berri call for a general assembly as soon as possible or on any date…
Israel Prepares for a Partitioned and Chemical Syria
Al-Akhbar Politics 25 Apr 2013 – The newly built Israeli border with Syria is seen on the Israeli side of the annexed Golan Heights near Quneitra on 24 April 2013. (Photo: AFP – Menahem Kahana) The newly built Israeli border with Syria is seen on the Israeli side of the annexed Golan…
Syria chemical arms ‘a game changer’
BBC 26 Apr 2013 – US President Barack Obama vows a “vigorous investigation” into reports Syria has used chemical arms, warning they will be a “game changer” if proven true.
Israel ‘to scrap phosphorus shells’
BBC 26 Apr 2013 – Israel says it is to stop using artillery shells containing white phosphorus, which it was criticised for during the 2008-09 Gaza conflict.
Articles
Gaza has a date with bullets and smoke
Oraib Al-Rantawi, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 4/24/2013
“Gaza is in for a new round of operations, like Pillar of Cloud and Cast Lead…”
Israel is, once again, beating the war drums against Gaza. This time it is on the grounds of the missiles from Sinai that hit Israel, which it claims came from Gaza (or rather its launchers). However, it knows with certainty that Hamas, or any other known Palestinian group, have nothing to do with the Eilat missiles, but insists on punishing Gaza, along with its people and political groups, for something they didn’t do. Netanyahu frankly said that Gaza must pay the price for “the two Eilat missiles.”
Anyone reading Israel’s positions and statements following the two Eilat missiles definitely realises that the centre of gravity in Israel’s current thought is no longer clipping Gaza’s claws and teeth, rather turning its people and resistance into border guards, assigning or authorising them to guard the geographic borders of Gaza, along with its surrounding ground and maritime borders.
Since no one in the Gaza Strip would, under any circumstances or threats, accept this dirty job Israel will use its military power to raise the material and human expense for anything coming out of the Gaza Strip or its surroundings. Not only for the resistance and factions in Gaza, but for its people, infrastructure, its resources, and means of survival. Israel will make the Gazans think twice before launching missiles or projectiles from Gaza or its parties, even if those launching them are not from Gaza or those with ‘international Jihad’ agendas who are not, in any way, associated with the national cause to liberate Palestine.
This is the same equation that has been used by Israel while dealing with the Palestinian Authority (PA), the PLO, Fatah, and Yasser Arafat for years since the establishment of the PA (1994) until the building of the protection barrier in 2002…. more.. e-mail
When racial profiling is a national policy
Noam Sheizaf, +972 Magazine 4/25/2013
Palestinian citizens have many rights in Israel, but they are not equal citizens. Only by removing all discriminatory elements from the legal system will Israel cease to be a democracy of racial profiling.
Following one of his visits to Israel, Jewish-American journalist Jeffrey Goldberg praised last year the ease with which he underwent the security procedures at Ben-Gurion International Airport, compared with the long waits he experienced in U.S terminals. Racial profiling made all the difference: while Israeli Jews and many white Westerners – especially those with Jewish names – are rushed through the lines in Israeli terminals and gates, every person with a Muslim or Arab name or appearance – including Israeli citizens – is subject to long interrogations and searches. Solely by being Jewish, Goldberg is entitled to better treatment than Israeli citizens who actually live here.
Racial profiling at Ben-Gurion has received some attention in recent years because its discriminatory nature is so obvious: at the airport, one can actually see the Arab families being taken to a separate security check. Yet racial profiling is more than just a security technique which aims to make boarding more pleasant for non-Arab passengers. It is – especially under the Netanyahu governments – a national policy.
Recently, Israel has engaged in a dialogue with the American administration in an attempt to be made part of the visa waiver program. The effort reached a dead end because the Israelis wanted to reserve the right to refuse entry to “certain U.S. citizens” – i.e. Muslims – beyond the right to individual refusal which both countries will obviously keep. It even got to the point that AIPAC lobbied Congress to agree to discrimination against its own citizens by a foreign country, with no success. more.. e-mail
Fayyad’s resignation is a crisis for Abbas
Ghassan Khatib, Ma’an News Agency 4/26/2013
The seemingly inevitable resignation of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has left Palestinians in the occupied territories, and their president, knee deep in trouble. The bowing out of such a prominent figure — the man responsible for the two positive events of the last decade — has created anxiety and worry among Palestinians.
Fayyad reformed the financial system, an administration that was compromised by corruption and irregularities. Both the elected parliament and the international community put pressure on the late President Yasser Arafat to clean things up. He appointed Fayyad as finance minister in June 2002 for that express purpose, and gave him the confidence and power to enable him to succeed.
Fayyad then proceeded to lead collective efforts to end chaos and lawlessness that prevailed after Hamas beat out Fatah at the polls in 2006 and fighting ensued, with Hamas ultimately taking control over Gaza and Fatah in sad straits. At that time, President Mahmoud Abbas called upon Fayyad to form an emergency government and gave him the necessary authority and confidence to reform the security branches and achieve law and order.
The combination of financial reforms and law and order, together with improved economic management, was responsible for regaining the confidence of the public and donors and ensuring economic growth from 2008 to 2011. One of the byproducts of this was Fayyad’s increasing popularity to become, in almost all polls, the fourth most favored political personality after Abbas, Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh and jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti.
The combination of his established international credibility and this popularity made Fayyad a political threat to Fatah leaders, particularly given an early (albeit quiet) succession fervor resulting from President Abbas’ repeated vows not to run in any future elections. more.. e-mail
Eminent Europeans: Drop the Oslo Peace Process
Peter Belmont, CounterPunch 4/25/2013
Mere Words from Lady Ashton’s Group of 19
What we’re doing in the Middle East isn’t working. In fact, it’s making things worse.
That’s the upshot of a letter from a group of 19 prominent Europeans to the E.U.’s top foreign policy official, Lady Catherine Ashton. The former officials, drawing on their time as top policy-makers in European governments, urged Ashton to break with past policies and make bold changes in the way the E.U. classifies various facets of the concept. The signers—organized by the European Eminent Persons Group on the Middle East Peace Process—implied that while the E.U. has a record of solid statements on the conflict, these statements just aren’t enough.
The “peace process” has a long history. Depending on whom you ask, it will be described as the last best chance for the “just and lasting” Israeli/Palestinian peace hoped for in UNSC 242 (1967)—or it will be described as a sham devised by Israeli politicians and acquiesced in by the USA—and also by the EU in the view of the 19, the European Eminent Persons Group on the Middle East Peace Process. It is seen by many people as a sham, namely, as a way, continuously over many years, for Israel to appear to be negotiating toward peace whilst actually grabbing Palestinian private and public territory and dispossessing the Palestinians of the occupied territories much as Israel earlier dispossessed the Palestinian remnant, the 15%, who remained inside Israel after the war of 1948.
It appears that the 19, the European Eminent Persons Group on the Middle East Peace Process, have come to the conclusion that the second is the correct view and that the “peace process” should be scrapped. Politicians do not come to the announcement of such a view overnight…. more.. e-mail
Palestinian children unite in song
Electronic Intifada: 26 Apr 2013 – Satellite helps connect refugee children across the Middle East.more
Before you believe the Zionists’ propaganda and lies…
In Gaza: 26 Apr 2013 – …read Richard Falk’s original piece (not the various Zionist- distorted versions): A Commentary on the Marathon Murders The dominant reactions to the horrific bombings on April 15th, the day of the running of the Boston Marathon, as well as the celebration of Patriots Day , have been so far: compassion for the victims, a maximal resolve to track down the perpetrators, a pundit’s notebook that generally agrees that Americans have been protected against terrorist violence since 9/11 and that the best way to prevail against such sinister adversaries is to restore normalcy as quickly as possible. In this spirit, it is best to avoid dwelling on the gory details by darkly glamorizing the scene of mayhem with flowers and homage. It is better to move forward with calm resolve and a re-commitment to the revolutionary ideals that midwifed the birth of the American nation. Such responses are generally benevolent, especially…more
The Racist JNF Tax Fraud
Dissident Voice: 26 Apr 2013 – In 2010 the Auditor General apparently called on the Canada Revenue Agency to “investigate or revoke” the Jewish National Fund’s charitable status. But this request seems to have been ignored in deference to a “charity” that has long participated in the erasure of Palestinians’ presence from their historic homeland. Through an Access to Information request Montreal-based activist Ron Saba recently received dozens of Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) documents concerning the Jewish National Fund (JNF) of Canada. In probably the most explosive revelation, the “2010 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada Chapter 7 – Registered Charities” includes a question to the CRA about revoking the charitable status of the JNF. “If a registered charity undertakes illegal activities abroad, what action will the CRA take? Will the CRA investigate or revoke the registered status of the Jewish National Fund?” While the released documents provide little more detail, apparently the Auditor…more
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The New Dark Age 