27 April 2013 — VTJP
Peace, Love and Occupation? Tell Ben & Jerry’s to Stop its Complicity with the Israeli Occupation!
News
Israeli forces assault worshipers in Jerusalem, detain 4
4/27/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – Israeli forces detained Friday evening four young Palestinian men following clashes near Jerusalem Old City’s Lion’s Gate, says eyewitnesses. Locals told Ma’an that Israeli troops assaulted worshipers as they left the al-Aqsa Mosque through the Lion’s Gate after they performed Friday prayers. Elderly….
Israeli forces, villagers clash south of Bethlehem
4/27/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces clashed with villagers south of Bethlehem on Saturday, a local committee said. The popular committee against the wall said Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets and stun grenades at villagers in al-Khader. No injuries were reported. An Israeli army spokeswoman did not return calls seeking comment. [END]
In photos: Death of a dream; Gaza airport lies in ruins
4/27/2013 – MaanImages / Eva Pilipp – “For us, Palestinians from Gaza, it was a dream, a gate to the world. And this gate was beautiful,” Gaza journalist Ibrahim says. Inaugurated in 1998, Yasser Arafat International Airport had a short lifespan. Once able to handle 700,000 passengers per year, most of the airport was destroyed by Israel in 2001….
82-year-old Hebron woman challenges Israeli settlers, troops alone
4/27/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — In the heart of the old city of Hebron, an elderly woman insists on staying in her old house despite provocative practices by both settlers and Israeli troops. Um Salah, 82, told Ma’an TV on Thursday she had been living in her house for 70 years, and that she….
Gaza border authority shuts down 3 tunnels
4/27/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The crossings and border authority in Gaza on Saturday took control of three smuggling tunnels on the Palestinian side of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. The authority said the three tunnels were for smuggling prohibited materials. The three tunnels are 1 km away from the authority’…. Related: Egypt arrests 8 Palestinian tunnel smugglers
Egypt arrests 8 Palestinian tunnel smugglers
4/27/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian security forces detained eight Palestinian smugglers on Saturday in a border area near the Gaza Strip, security sources said. Security forces raided a smuggling tunnel in the Rafah area, arresting the men and seizing a truck carrying 22 liters of fuel, a fuel pump, and a hose, security sources…. Related: Gaza border authority shuts down 3 tunnels
Abbas says prisoner release crucial to peace efforts
4/27/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The release of Palestinian prisoners will reflect Israel’s commitment to peace talks, president Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday during a conference in Ramallah. Abbas made the comments in a prerecorded speech played at the opening session of the Freedom and Dignity conference to mark the 11th year since Israel’….
Shaath calls for larger China role in peace process
4/27/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath on Saturday called for China to play a larger role in the Middle East peace process, a statement said. Shaath made the comments during a meeting with a Chinese delegation in Ramallah, adding that as a world superpower China could play an active role in peace….
Official: Gaza domestic-use gas crisis unresolved
4/27/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – The Gaza Strip’s domestic-use gas crisis has been ongoing for about four months, a Gaza official said Saturday. During this period, the Gaza Strip has been receiving 120 tons of domestic-use gas everyday five days a week, says Abdul-Nasser Muhanna, the director general of the petroleum department in….
DFLP officials meet with Ismail Haniyeh
4/27/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A delegation from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine met with Gaza premier Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday. DFLP politburo member Salih Nasser told Ma’an that the party urged Haniyeh to implement reconciliation as soon as possible. The political parties also discussed political developments and Palestinian refugees….
Coptic businessman kidnapped in Rafah freed
4/27/2013 – EL-ARISH (Ma’an) – The Egyptian security services have managed to free a Coptic man and his son who were kidnapped on Thursday in Rafah by unidentified gunmen. Egyptians security sources told reporters that 50-year-old businessman Jamal Ayyad and his son Wajdi, 19, were freed Saturday morning after Sheikhs of Bedouin tribes exerted pressure….
Obama warns Syria on chemical weapons
4/27/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President Barack Obama issued a new warning to Syria that using chemical weapons would be a “game changer” as he faced rising pressure at home and abroad to intervene in the civil war. But a day after US officials said they suspected that the deadly agent sarin had already been fired off…. Related: Syria says chemical weapons claims ‘barefaced lie’
Syrian rebels make DIY masks in case of gas attack
4/27/2013 – LATAKIA PROVINCE, Syria (AFP) — An empty soda bottle, crushed charcoal and cola-soaked gauze — Syrian rebels are scrambling to protect against chemical attacks by regime forces by cobbling together DIY gas masks from household items. US President Barack Obama has renewed a warning to Damascus that the use of chemical arms would cross a “red line….
Muslim body urges release of captive Syria bishops
4/27/2013 – JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation urged on Saturday an “unconditional” release of two bishops kidnapped this week in Syria. OIC secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu condemned the kidnapping on Monday of Aleppo’s Greek Orthodox Bishop Boulos Yaziji and Syriac Orthodox Bishop Yohanna Ibrahim by armed men as they were en….
Syria says chemical weapons claims ‘barefaced lie’
4/27/2013 – MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — US and British accusations that the regime in Damascus may have used chemical weapons are a “barefaced lie,” Syria’s information minister told Russian television Saturday.” First of all, I want to confirm that statements by the US Secretary of State and British government are inconsistent with reality and a barefaced….
Analysts: Syria spillover risk as Assad turns desperate
4/27/2013 – AMMAN (AFP) — Syria’s neighbors face a growing risk of the conflict spilling across their region as Bashar Assad turns to ever more desperate acts to halt rebels — including the alleged use of chemical weapons. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki voiced such concerns on Saturday when he said a new wave of sectarian strife….
International Solidarity Movement
Ni’lin continues to resist after 5 years of Israeli occupation and systematic land theft
4/27/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 27th April 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Ni’lin, Occupied Palestine, By Team Nablus – Around 50 Palestinians supported by around 20 international activists, demonstrated against the apartheid wall yesterday in Ni’lin, which is a village close to Ramallah. The residents attempted to dismantle the wall and were met with violence. Around 20 were….
Lebanon: For fifth consecutive year, Italy promotes dialogue through sports in Lebanon
Relief Web 26 Apr 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic Beirut 26 April 2013 For the fifth year, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Development Cooperation Office…
Syrian Arab Republic: Syria Humanitarian Needs Overview, 26 April 2013
Relief Web 26 Apr 2013 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey The humanitarian situation in Syria is catastrophic and continues to deteriorate at a rapid pace. Fierce fighting across large…
occupied Palestinian territory: Planting Seeds of Sovereignty in Palestine
Relief Web 26 Apr 2013 – Source: Grassroots Country: occupied Palestinian territory By Mina Remy When you hear “seed bank” what comes to mind? Is it perhaps a vault or a deep freezer stocked with seeds? Yes, Grassroots International partner the Union of Agricultural Work Committees’…
Kerry’s deadline may signal end of road for two-state solution
The National 27 Apr 2013 – The challenge by US secretary of state that ‘two states for two peoples’ will not be an option in two years signals a turning point in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Hugh Naylor reports from Ramallah
Iran’s clerics wary of Mashaei, the man who ‘bewitched’ Ahmadinejad
The National 27 Apr 2013 – Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei will likely run for president, adding drama and intrigue for the June 14 election. Michael Theodoulou reports
Karnataka’s quizmasters test Indians’ intellectual mettle
The National 27 Apr 2013 – The Karnataka Quiz Association spreads their passion to countries as far afield as the UAE, Malaysia and Germany. Samanth Subramanian reports from Bangalore
Back from Iraq, US veterans fight the effects of war
The National 27 Apr 2013 – Troops who have served in America’s ‘war on terror’ suffer at historic levels from psychological wounds and brain injuries. Taimur Khan reports from New York
New radar speed traps go live in Al Ain tomorrow
The National 27 Apr 2013 – The radar detection speed on Al Ittihad Ring Road has been set at 141 kph.
Video: Searching for red lines in Syria
The National 26 Apr 2013 – US President Barack Obama says the potential of chemical weapons in Syria to get into the wrong hands adds ‘increased urgency.’
Video: Anguish in Bangladesh as factory death toll tops 300
The National 26 Apr 2013 – Anger and grief in Bangladesh as the death toll passes 300 after a collapse of a building housing factories supplying Western brands.
Video: Five-year-old rape victim in India puts spotlight on child abuse
The National 26 Apr 2013 – he brutal abduction, rape and torture of a five-year-old girl in New Delhi puts spotlight on child abuse and the state of child protection in India.
African migrants still scaling security fence on Israel-Egypt border
Ha’aretz – 27 Apr 2013
Channel 10 journalist Emmanuel Rosen takes leave of absence following harassment claims
Ha’aretz – 27 Apr 2013
Wildfires burn across north as Israel prepares for Lag Ba’omer holiday
Ha’aretz – 27 Apr 2013
Mixed responses in Lebanon to drone intercepted by Israel
Ha’aretz – 27 Apr 2013
IDF soldiers will not face criminal charges as Gaza flotilla deal to become Turkish law
Ha’aretz – 27 Apr 2013
Now out of the government, Israel’s ultra-Orthodox parties fumble for a plan
Ha’aretz – 26 Apr 2013
Evidence of sarin use puts US intelligence at a crossroads
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – US cautious after Iraq war, 2007 concerns of suspected Syrian nuclear plant construction, requests UN investigation based on ‘credible’ proof; Oren: Israel ‘not pressuring’ Washington to intervene militarily.
Boy complains about parents abuse on Facebook
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Parents arrested after 14-year-old writes post on police Facebook saying they regularly hit him for the past 6 years.
Unavoidable measures
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – The Knesset has approved legislation in preliminary reading that prohibits illegal migrants from transferring funds abroad.
Out there: Work watchers
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – There are three things man can sit and watch for hours on end: water, fire, and another man working.
Religious reform lies in Bayit Yehudi’s hands
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Legislation on rabbinic courts expected to pass ministerial c’tee, while changes to chief rabbi selection process put on hold.
Cyprus, don’t put your king on the chopping block
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Cyprus must immediately undo its plans for confiscation of assets and shelve any further ideas of taking money from bank deposits.
Part of 9/11 plane found in lower Manhattan
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – A piece of landing gear believed to be from one of the airplanes that crashed into the World Trade Center found.
Saved by the BBC
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – ‘Why do you need radio when there’s Internet?’ asked the bemused young woman at the British Council.
Local exposure to dance
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Tel Aviv Dance 2013 in the Suzanne Dallal Dance Center features three works by four young choreographers.
Syrian rebels making homemade gas masks
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Masks made from container, coal, cotton soaked in soda; rebels say alerts of imminent use of chem. weapons by regime are more frequent.
Game on – and on, and on
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Living with, and documenting, 4 J’lem gamers was a powerful life lesson for filmmaker Gal Fridman.
Abbas urges cooperation for Palestinian unity
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Israeli gov’t official says Palestinian reconciliation is a move in the wrong direction, would damage peace process.
As temperature rises, firefighters battle blazes
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Emergency services put on high alert ahead of Lag B’Omer; two suffer burns from fire in Ben Shemen forest.
Syria: Chemical weapons claims are ‘barefaced lie’
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Syrian information minister says accusations made by US, UK that the Assad regime used chemical weapons are “inconsistent with reality”; accuses the US of trying to “cover those who are really behind use of chemical weapons.”
Heat wave causes outbursts of fires across Israel
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Fire department put on high alert ahead of Lag Ba’Omer; firefighters battle blazes near Yavne’el, Karkom, in Haifa, Rishon.
Obama reaches out to Jews over US budget
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Administration officials are soliciting Jewish support in their bid to end congressionally mandated budget cuts.
‘US asks Israel to hold back on response to drone’
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Lebanese paper reports US asked Israel to show restraint to not divert int’l attention from the alleged use of WMD in Syria.
Bomb plot suspect sparks debate in Canada
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – The suspect, Raed Jasser is revealed to be a Palestinian man, who was pardoned after nearly being deported in 2004.
TV anchor on leave after sexual abuse allegations
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Channel 10 reporter Emanuel Rosen says claims he sexually harassed ten female co-workers are “unfounded.”
Asian American academic group boycotts Israel
Jerusalem Post 27 Apr 2013 – Group’s resolution accused Israeli universities of being complicit in govt’s violations of international law.
EU rebukes Israel for West Bank demolitions
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – The EU expresses “serious concern” for the demolition of 22 Palestinian structures in the West Bank, east J’lem.
Man gets 5 years for role in NYC shul bomb plot
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Morrocan-born US citizen sentenced to five years under terror statute for plotting to blow up synagogues in New York City.
Europol: Hezbollah linked to 2012 Bulgaria bombing
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Statement by EU’s police body indicates it has adopted Bulgaria’s findings that Hezbollah was behind Burgas terror attack.
Israeli judoist takes bronze at Europe contest
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Yarden Gerbi scales the podium at the Judo European Championships in Budapest for a second straight year.
Monastery loses court battle on security fence
Jerusalem Post 26 Apr 2013 – Lawyers say Bethlehem Catholic monastery lost seven-year legal battle against building of Israeli security fence on its land.
Palestinians Fight Unlawful Deportation
Uruknet
Egypt: Ten Months of the Muslim Brotherhood
Uruknet
The Oppressor and the Oppressed
Uruknet
Time for a Credible Narration of History
Uruknet
Israeli settlement policy poised for further aggressiveness
Uruknet
‘The World’s Most Exclusive Club’: Obama’s Speech at the Bush Library Dedication
Uruknet
Iraqi forces kill 43 Iraqis and destroy six mosques
Uruknet
An exhibition of historical oppression
Uruknet
Hunger-striking for freedom and dignity
Uruknet
Yemen military intelligence official assassinated
Daily Star 27 Apr 2013 Two suspected Islamist militants shoot dead a provincial military intelligence chief in Yemen, a security official says, the latest in a series of assassinations in the impoverished state’s lawless south and east.
Palestinians’ Abbas says to start talks on unity government
Daily Star 27 Apr 2013 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he will begin talks with rival factions including Islamist Hamas to form a unity government, a crucial step towards healing years of damaging internal divisions.
Egypt opposition files court case to reveal budget
Daily Star 27 Apr 2013 Several Egyptian opposition groups have filed a court case to force the government to disclose the proposed national budget.
Eight Syrian hostages released in north Lebanon
Daily Star 27 Apr 2013 Eight Alawite Syrians are released after weeks of being held hostage by the Ahmad tribe in the Wadi Khaled region of north Lebanon.
Chemical weapons claims ‘barefaced lie’: Syrian minister
Daily Star 27 Apr 2013 US and British accusations that the regime in Damascus may have used chemical weapons are a “barefaced lie,” Syria’s information minister tells Russian television.
Kurdish forces deploy near Iraq’s disputed Kirkuk
Daily Star 27 Apr 2013 Kurdish security forces are deployed near the disputed north Iraq city of Kirkuk, a top Kurdish official says, a move allegedly aimed at combating militants, as a wave of violence killed more than 200 people.
Bomb blast destroys election office in NW Pakistan
Daily Star 27 Apr 2013 A bomb blast has destroyed an election office in a Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border, officials say, the latest violence ahead of historic polls next month.
‘Al-Qaeda’ gunmen kill 5 Yemen soldiers, says official
Daily Star 27 Apr 2013 Suspected Al-Qaeda militants kill five Yemeni soldiers in an attack on a checkpoint southeast of Sanaa, an official says, while two assailants are reportedly killed.
Kurd rebels to leave Turkey by autumn: commander
Daily Star 27 Apr 2013 Kurdish rebels are unlikely to complete their announced withdrawal from Turkey into their safe haven in northern Iraq until autumn, the insurgents’ top commander says in an interview.
100,000 people at grave of Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai
YNet News, 27 Apr 2013 – ….
Abbas made honorary Naples resident
YNet News, 27 Apr 2013 – ….
Russia had wiretap on bomb suspect
YNet News, 27 Apr 2013 – ….
Egypt opposition files court case to reveal budget
YNet News, 27 Apr 2013 – ….
Rocket explodes in Sdot Negev Regional Council
YNet News, 27 Apr 2013 – ….
Islamic indoctrination in Boston
YNet News, 27 Apr 2013 – Op-ed: How much more bloodshed is needed for Obama to understand that Israeli concessions will not bring peace? ….
Will the PA sell out to Israel for U.S. money?
PIC – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said recently the Obama administration would offer the Palestinian Authority (PA) billions of dollars for development.
Khudari: Continuation of building the wall intensifies isolation of West Bank
PIC – MP Jamal Khudari, head of the Popular Committee against the Siege, condemned the decision of the Israeli judiciary to continue construction of the apartheid wall near Bethlehem.
IOA transfers three Hamas leaders to interrogation centers
PIC – Tadamun Foundation for Human Rights said that the Israeli occupation authorities have recently transferred three detained Hamas leaders to interrogation centers.
Hamas calls on Abbas to complete reconciliation according to agreements
PIC – Hamas called on PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah members and the Palestinian factions to start implementation of reconciliation according to what was agreed upon.
Abu Marzouk appeals to UNRWA to open office in Egypt
PIC – Deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau Mousa Abu Marzouk urged UNRWA to open an office in Egypt to serve the Palestinian refugees who fled their homes in Syria.
EU concerned over Israel destruction of Palestinian installations
PIC – EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah expressed serious concerns on Friday about the demolitions on 23 and 24 April of 22 installations in 8 locations across the West Bank including East Jerusalem.
Jewish settlers poison water well in Al-Khalil
PIC – Jewish settlers poured poisonous material in a Palestinian water well south of Al-Khalil on Friday night.
Families concerned over fate of two kids kidnapped by IOF in Jalboun village
PIC – Palestinian families of two kids expressed their concern over the fate of their sons after they were kidnapped and one of them was wounded on Friday by the Israeli occupation forces.
Human Rights Center demands to know the fate of prisoner Zahran
PIC – A Palestinian human rights center called on the human rights organizations to intervene with the IOA to reveal the fate of prisoner Mahmoud Zahran, who was taken to an unknown location.
Freedom of Prisoners Determines Israel’s Commitment to Peace, says Abbas
WAFA – 27 Apr 2013
Israeli Committee Rejects Appeals Against Path of Wall in Beit Jala
WAFA – 27 Apr 2013
Abbas to Begin Consultations on Unity Government
WAFA – 27 Apr 2013
Local EU Missions Concerned About Wave of Israeli Demolitions
WAFA – 27 Apr 2013
Weather Forecast: Hot Conditions Through Midweek
WAFA – 27 Apr 2013
Fire Kills 4 Brothers at Camp for Syria Refugees
New York Times 27 Apr 2013 – Four brothers who had fled the civil war in Syria were killed in a fire in the Zaatari refugee camp near Jordan’s northern border, the aid worker who runs the camp said Saturday.
Islamist Rebels’ Gains in Syria Create Dilemma for U.S.
New York Times 27 Apr 2013 – The armed opposition fighting President Bashar al-Assad’s government has become radicalized, leaving the United States with no obvious allies.
Obama Avoids Swift Response to Report on Syria Arms
New York Times 26 Apr 2013 – The president said he would respond “prudently” and “deliberately” to evidence that Syria has used chemical weapons, tamping down any expectations that he would take swift action.
Syria Rebels Say Plane from Iraq Bombed Eastern City
New York Times 26 Apr 2013 – Activists say an attack in the east may have originated in Iraq.
Veteran Israeli TV Political Reporter Accused of Sexual Harrassment, Rape
Tikun Olam – Emmanuel Rosen with Channel 2 newscaster Dana Weiss (Eli Shohat/Flash90) Walla published an article yesterday about a veteran Israeli TV reporter accused of repeated instances of sexual harassment of female colleagues. A former Channel 2 newscaster, Gadi Sukenik, aired the charge and said it involved a…
Send in the clowns
Mondoweiss – This is tragic. It appears that the 92d Street Y in New York is having an event on May 16 called “Time to Lead: A Blueprint for … the peace process”– featuring Jason Alexander, the loser character on Seinfeld, and Dennis Ross, the loser character in the…
A Catholic heritage community is next on the occupation’s chopping block
Mondoweiss – Outdoor service conducted by the Salesian convent in the Cremisan Valley, a Palestinian hamlet ordered to be carved up with the separation wall by an Israeli court. (Photo: Catholic Philly) Alcohol drinkers in the West Bank know the Cremisan Valley as the agricultural lands where sacramental…
Post-Boston vulnerability will at last force Americans to consider ‘why they hate us’
Mondoweiss – I had lunch in Washington two days ago with a leftwing friend who said that the Marathon bombing has left him afraid that it could happen on Massachusetts Avenue. This is the significance of the bombing, he said: it marks a new moment in American vulnerability….
The dancing cop at Al Manara
Mondoweiss – The dancing cop at Al Manara On Monday night in New York, Pamela Olson will appear at the New School and read from her memoir of Palestine. Below is the opening of a story, “Deep in Enemy Territory,” that Olson posted on her blog but did…
Memo to Francis: Israel’s occupation wall to separate elderly nuns from Catholic monastery
Mondoweiss – Land, property theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Apartheid West Bank convent loses appeal over Israeli separation barrier route Guardian 26 Apr by Harriet Sherwood — Catholic group criticises ruling after seven-year legal battle over barrier that will separate Cremisan nuns from most of their land –…
The View of Boston, From Israel
The Forward Leonard Fein 27 Apr 2013 – Ad: Restoring The Republic Ebook Series – Compare The Key Differences Between A Democracy And A Republic, Uncover Trojan Horses Being Used In American Society Today To Destabilize Free Enterprise And Promote Socialism And What Legal Safeguards The Founding Fathers Placed In The U.s.
Hundreds of Jews Gather at Tunisia Synagogue
The Foward Breaking News 27 Apr 2013 – Africa’s oldest synagogue is playing host to that rarity in the Arab world – a religious gathering of hundreds of Jews drawn from Europe and Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Mahmoud Abbas Vows New Talks With Hamas for Palestinian Unity
The Foward Breaking News 27 Apr 2013 – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday he would begin talks with rival factions including Islamist Hamas to form a unity government, a crucial step towards healing years of damaging internal divisions. Click here for the rest of the article…
Jews and Palestinian Backers Face Off in Rome at Liberation Day Parade
The Foward Breaking News 27 Apr 2013 – Jewish and pro-Palestinian demonstrators faced off in Rome during a parade marking the World War II liberation of Italy. Click here for the rest of the article…
Chemical Weapons Charade in Syria
Al-Akhbar Blogs 27 Apr 2013 – Let us be clear. The United States can verify absolutely nothing about the use of chemical weapons (CWs) in Syria. Any suggestion to the contrary is entirely false. Don’t take it from me – here is what US officials have to say about the subject: read…
Sheikh Assir Declares Arrival of His Mujahideen in Syria
Al-Akhbar News 27 Apr 2013 – Lebanese Sunni Muslims register their names to join Syrian rebels fighting against the regime, at the headquarters of controversial Lebanese Salafist leader in the southern city of Sidon on 25 April 2013. (Photo: AFP – STR) Lebanese Sunni Muslims register their names to join Syrian rebels…
Lebanese Expats Prepare for a Post-Chavez Venezuela
Al-Akhbar News 27 Apr 2013 – Handout picture released by Venezuela’s presidency office showing Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro (C) speaking after inaugurating windmills in the border state of Zulia, Venezuela on 26 April 2013. (Photo: AFP – HO) Handout picture released by Venezuela’s presidency office showing Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro (C) speaking…
Bomb targets Benghazi police station
Al-Akhbar News 27 Apr 2013 – An explosion hit a police station in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Saturday, causing extensive damage but no casualties, a security source said. “The explosion damaged a large part of the building. An explosive device was probably thrown,” the source said on condition of…
Egypt arrests 12 alleged Black Bloc members following clashes
Al-Akhbar News 27 Apr 2013 – An Egyptian child kicks a burning police van after unknown attackers torched it during clashes outside the Egyptian presidential palace on 26 April 2013 in Cairo, Egypt. (Photo: AFP – Mohammed el-Shahed) Egyptian police arrested 12 alleged members of the Black Bloc – an anonymous anarchist…
Iraq premier cautions against sectarianism
Al-Akhbar News 27 Apr 2013 – Iraqi anti-government gunmen from Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province march during a protest in Ramadi, west of Baghdad, on 26 April 2013. (Photo: AFP – Azhar Shallal) Updated 2:19 pm: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki pointed a finger on Saturday at the civil war…
Maliki warns of sectarianism threat
BBC 27 Apr 2013 – Iraq’s prime minister warns that a plague of sectarianism is threatening Arab nations, after the most widespread violence there since US troops left.
Mother tells of Dubai ‘torture’
BBC 27 Apr 2013 – The mother of British man Grant Cameron, who is accused of drug offences in Dubai, speaks of the “horror story” of his alleged torture by police.
UN calls for restraint in Iraq
BBC 26 Apr 2013 – The UN envoy to Iraq, Martin Kobler, calls for restraint by all sides amid a wave of violence that has left more than 150 people dead since Tuesday.
VIDEO: On Ferrari patrol with the Dubai police
BBC 27 Apr 2013 – The Dubai police force has added a Ferrari FF to it’s fleet, following the recent addition of a luxury Chevrolet and Lamborghini.
Articles
Israeli coalition parties join forces to reduce land allocated to Bedouin
Noam Sheizaf, +972 Magazine 4/26/2013
Parties agree to put a five-year time limit on the evacuation of the unrecognized Bedouin villages. Rights groups warn that if the government plan is implemented, some 30,000 Palestinian-Bedouin will be expelled from their homes and resettled in unsuitable townships.
Members of the four leading coalition parties have reached an agreement that would further cut the land designated for resettlement of the Bedouin population in the Negev (Naqeb), Israeli daily Maariv reports.
Israeli governments have been working on a policy that would solve the issue of the unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev for the past decade. Under the latest plan – commonly referred to as the Prawer plan – the government would forcibly expel between several thousand (according to the government) and up to 30,000 Palestinian Bedouin from their current villages, while several villages will be recognized and become eligible for government services and infrastructure.
The Bedouin who are slated to be removed from their homes will receive monetary compensation and offered new houses in existing townships.
Today, however, Maariv reports that prominent members of Knesset from all major coalition parties agreed to further limit the Prawer Plan. MKs from Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, Netanyahu’s Likud and the settlers’ Jewish Home decided to remove modifications made in the plan by former Minister Benny Begin, who was appointed by the previous government to adjust the initial outline to the needs of the population on the ground.
While Bedouin leaders and rights groups weren’t satisfied with Mr. Begin’s work, his negotiations with the local population were scrutinized by the Right, which demanded the government forcefully evacuate most of the unrecognized villages, and opposed any negotiations with the local Bedouin citizens. more.. e-mail
Victory letter of Samer Issawi
Samer Issawi, translation by Tariq Shadid, Alternative Information Center 4/25/2013
Now, I plead for a continuation of the popular movement and its escalation on all fronts, in order to struggle for our political prisoners. I also call for the continuation of the political and diplomatic mobilization to internationalize the issue of the political prisoners, and to turn to the International Criminal Court in order to indict the judges of the occupation under international law, for the crimes that are being perpetrated against the Palestinian people.
God is Great, Praise be to God
God is Great, Praise be to God
God is Great, Praise be to God
I thank God above all for this victory, and for his generosity in granting it to me.
To start this letter, I would like to offer my apology to all who supported me in this battle, a battle of dignity and loyalty to the martyrs of Gaza, and the wounded and distressed as a result of the animosity they were exposed to when the Zionists waged a failed attempt to free the Israeli soldier “from inside of the can”, as they call it. However, they found it be a wide open space, despite the advanced technology that they possess, and despite the support from all over the world, and despite having intelligence services from all countries of the world at their disposal, they were unable to liberate him.
I was wishing for my release to be immediate, and this was my standpoint, but after a number of political prisoners started an open-ended hunger strike in solidarity with me, and being afraid for their well-being, and out of concern for the prisoners movement, and not wanting them to suffer for my sake from the same things I suffered during my hunger strike…. more.. e-mail
How humanitarians trumped neo-cons in Libya
Dan Glazebrook, Asia Times 4/25/2013
Slouching Towards Sirte: NATO’s War on Libya and Africa by Maximilian Forte
Book Review
The media has gone very quiet on Libya of late; clearly, liberal imperialists don’t like to dwell on their crimes. This is not surprising. The modus operandi of the humanitarian imperialist is not one of informed reflection, but only permanent outrage against leaders of the global South; besides, in the topsy-turvy world of liberal interventionism, the “failure to act” is the only crime of which the West is capable.
As Forte puts it, their moral code holds that “If we do not act, we should be held responsible for the actions of others. When we do act, we should never be held responsible for our own actions.” With Muammar Gaddafi dead, the hunt is on for a new hate figure on whom to spew venom (Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, North Korean leader Kim Jong-eun); far more satisfying than actually evaluating our own role in the creation of human misery. This is the colonial mentality of the liberal lynch mob.
For the governments that lead us into war, of course, it makes perfect sense that we do not stop to look back at the last invasion before impatiently demanding the next one – if we realized, for example, that the 1999 bombing of Serbia – the textbook “humanitarian intervention”- actually facilitated the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo it was supposedly designed to prevent, we might not be so ready to demand the same treatment for every other state that falls short of our illusory ideals.
That is why this book is so important. Thoroughly researched and impeccably referenced, it tells the story of the real aims and real consequences of the war on Libya in its historical perspective. more.. e-mail
Syria and sarin gas: US claims have a very familiar ring
Robert Fisk, The Independent 4/28/2013
Reports of the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons are part of a retold drama riddled with plot-holes.
Is there any way of escaping the theatre of chemical weapons? First, Israeli “military intelligence” says that Bashar al-Assad’s forces have used/have probably used/might have used/could use chemical weapons. Then Chuck Hagel, the US Defence Secretary, pops up in Israel to promise even more firepower for Israel’s over-armed military – avoiding any mention of Israel’s more than 200 nuclear warheads – and then imbibing all the Israeli “intelligence” on Syria’s use/probable use/possible use of chemical weapons.
Then good ol’ Chuck returns to Washington and tells the world that “this is serious business. We need all the facts.” The White House tells Congress that US intelligence agencies, presumably the same as Israeli intelligence agencies since the two usually waffle in tandem, have “varying degrees of confidence” in the assessment. But Senator Dianne Feinstein, chairman of the Senate intelligence committee – she who managed to defend Israel’s actions in 1996 after it massacred 105 civilians, mostly children, at Qana in Lebanon – announces of Syria that “it is clear that red lines have been crossed and action must be taken to prevent larger-scale use”. And the oldest of current White House clichés – hitherto used exclusively on Iran’s probable/possible development of nuclear weapons – is then deployed: “All options are on the table.”
In any normal society the red lights would now be flashing, especially in the world’s newsrooms. But no. We scribes remind the world that Obama said the use of chemical weapons in Syria would be a “game changer” – at least Americans admit it is a game – and our reports confirm what no one has actually confirmed. Chemical arms used. In two Canadian TV studios, I am approached by producers brandishing the same headline. I tell them that on air I shall trash the “evidence” – and suddenly the story is deleted from both programmes. Not because they don’t want to use it – they will later – but because they don’t want anyone suggesting it might be a load of old cobblers. 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 15 th , 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
Haj Sami Sadeq and the struggle for Al Aqaba
Palestine Monitor: 28 Jan 2013 – Al Aqaba is a small Palestinian village located in the northern Jordan Valley, home to around 300 residents. Since 1999 Haj Sami Sadeq has been the mayor of this town, facing a constant struggle…more
New Power behind the Israeli Rightwing: The Russians Came
Palestine Chronicle: 27 Apr 2013 – By Uri Avnery When the huge immigration wave from the Soviet Union arrived in 1990, we were glad. First of all, because we believe that all immigration is a good thing for the country. This, I believe, is generally the case. Second, because we were convinced that this specific group of immigrants would push our country in the right direction. These people, we told ourselves, have been educated for 70 years in an internationalist spirit. They have just overthrown a cruel dictatorial system, so they must be avid democrats. Many of them are not Jews, but only relatives (sometimes remote) of Jews. So here we have hundreds of thousands of secular, internationalist and non-nationalist new citizens, just what we need. They would add a positive element to the demographic cocktail that is Israel. Moreover, since the pre-state Jewish community in the country (the so-called “yishuv”) was largely shaped by immigrants…more
Boston Marathon Bomber Should Be Tried for His Crimes, Not His Religion or Ethnicity
Palestine Chronicle: 27 Apr 2013 – By Ali Younes In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, the American political environment is increasingly moving toward placing Islam itself on public trial not the actions of those who committed the crime. Mainstream American media outlets are increasingly focusing the suspects’ faith and whether he was radicalized here at home or abroad in Russia. Fox News’ Sean Hannity deplored the Obama administration on his show for not using the term “war on terror” as he placed the “rise of radical Islamists” as the main threat to America’s national security. His guest conservative commentator Patrick Buchanan warned that “what we see is the rise or the resurrection of Islam.” He also added that the “great objective of Islam in that part of the world is to drive out the foreigners, the Jews, the Christians, Americans and imperialists.” Buchanan continued in an angry accusatory tone that “they have one God…more
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The New Dark Age 