9 May 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Four Injured By Settlers Attack Near Nablus
IMEMC – The Wounded Are A Father And His Three Sons Thursday evening, May 9 2013, Palestinian medical sources reported that a Palestinian father and his three sons have been injured after a number of Israeli settlers hurled stones at their car near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, the Palestine News Network (PNN) has reported. …
Palestine Seeks Full Interpol Membership
IMEMC – The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank is seeking a full membership with the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO), internationally known as Interpol, and will be submitting an official application to the organization this coming August. …
PCHR Condemns Violent Dispersal Of Solidarity Sit-in In Khan Younis
IMEMC – The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the violent dispersal of a sit-in in solidarity with the Syrian people, held in Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip, attacks against participants, and the detention of a number of participants by members of the Palestinian police. …
Jordanians Protest In Front Of Israeli Embassy
IMEMC – Jordanian sources reported that dozens of Jordanian young men held a protest in front of the Jordanian embassy in Amman, while some tried to break into the embassy, demanding the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador due to ongoing Israeli attacks against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem. …
Army Demolishes Shops Near Jenin
IMEMC – Israeli soldiers invaded, on Thursday morning, the Barta’a village, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, declared the village a closed military zone, and demolished 12 shops. …
Soldiers Invade Hebron, Break Into Homes
IMEMC – Thursday May 9 2013, Israeli soldiers invaded Ithna town, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and Bab Az-Zawiya area in the city, broke into and searched several homes. …
Mayor: Israel razes 10 properties in Jenin industrial zone
5/9/2013 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli forces demolished on Thursday 10 commercial properties in the Bartaa industrial zone in Jenin, the local mayor told Ma’an. Mayor Ghassan Qabha said Israeli military bulldozers and vehicles began razing the properties at 6 a. m. , because they were not licensed. The installations demolished include a used car….
Israel approves 296 West Bank settler homes
5/9/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel has given the go-ahead to build nearly 300 homes in the settlement of Beit El near Ramallah, a spokesman said, in a move likely to spark tensions as Washington seeks to rekindle peace talks.” The Civil Administration has given the green light for 296 housing units at Beit El, but this is….
Clashes as PA police ‘mistakenly shoot woman’
5/9/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Clashes broke out overnight Wednesday between Palestinian Authority police and residents of the Sair village in Hebron after forces said they accidentally shot a woman. A number of minor injuries were reported in the incident as residents hurled Molotov cocktails and stones at PA police, residents said. Forces used tear gas….
Israel orders Yatta residents to demolish properties
5/9/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Thursday handed nine demolition orders to families near Yatta in the southern West Bank, a local official said. Troops issued Mahmoud al-Najada and his sons orders to demolish their properties east of Yatta, said Rateb al-Hbor, the Hebron popular committee coordinator. Al-Hbor urged human rights organizations to stop….
Israel won’t pursue criminal charges despite damning Gaza report
5/9/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Israeli army said Wednesday it has found no incidents warranting criminal investigations into the conduct of its soldiers during Operation Pillars of Defense, despite a report suggesting its inquiry was lacking. The army’s comments follow reports by Israeli rights group B’Tselem that the army had failed….
Israeli troops arrest dozens in West Bank raids
5/9/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained dozens of Palestinians on Thursday in dawn raids across the West Bank. Israeli forces detained 12 Palestinians in al-Zawiyah village, north of Salfit. Locals identified those detained as Ahmad Shaqir, 21, Jaber Shaqir, 24, Othman Dirar, 25, Asef Mahmud, 18, Yazan Shaqir, 20, Obada Radad, 20, Jihad Muqadeh….
Israel frees 2 long-term hunger strikers
5/9/2013 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israel released on Wednesday two long-term hunger strikers from custody after an Israeli military court reduced their sentences. Tareq Qaadan, 42, and Jafar Ezz al-Din, 41, from Araba in Jenin, said situations in Israeli prisoners were “dangerous”, particularly at the Rimon and Nafha jails, during a celebration held to mark their….
Israeli military court approves Issawi deal
5/9/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — An Israeli military jury on Thursday approved a deal to release Samer Issawi, who ended a 266-day hunger strike after reaching the agreement with Israeli military prosecutors. At Ofer military court, the military jury expressed disappointment with the “very lenient” deal but accepted it, Issawi’s lawyer Jawad Bolous….
Settlers stone Palestinian vehicle in northern West Bank
5/9/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – Extremist Jewish settlers hurled stones at a Palestinian vehicle near the northern West Bank village of Urif Thursday afternoon, locals told Ma’an. The attack resulted in material damage the vehicle, and no injuries have been reported. [END]
Palestinians, settlers discuss situation in Hebron
5/9/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Young Palestinians and Israeli settlers have held a series of meetings to discuss possible coexistence in Hebron in the southern West Bank, Israel’s Ynet news site reported Thursday. A short video was added to a report which highlighted that most of the Palestinian participants refused to reveal their identities….
Israeli forces detain 4 in Jenin village
5/9/2013 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained four Palestinians Thursday from the Burqin village in Jenin, locals said. Locals said seven Israeli military vehicles entered the village and raided a number homes. Four Palestinians were detained in the operation, including two brothers. Locals said those detained were between the ages of 16 and 18, adding….
Lawyer: Detainee awaiting surgery marks 20 years in jail
5/9/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A detainee awaiting heart surgery marked 20 years in Israeli detention, a statement issued Wednesday by the Detainees’ Center read. A lawyer for the center said he visited Mahmoud Suleiman, 65, from Gaza at the Ramla prison, where he is waiting to undergo surgery. Suleiman was detained in 1993….
Israeli forces ‘question 2 Palestinians with knife’ near Jenin
5/9/2013 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Thursday questioned two Palestinians carrying a knife at a checkpoint near Jenin, Israeli media reported. The driver argued with an Israeli guard at the Gilboa crossing and border guards noticed a passenger was carrying a knife, the news site Ynet said. Israel’s defense ministry….
Nativity deportees mark 11 years in exile
5/9/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – Twelve of 13 Palestinian resistance fighters deported to Europe in 2002 following an Israeli invasion of Bethlehem mark 11 years in exile Friday despite promises they would be repatriated after two years. In April 2006, during a major Israeli incursion into the West Bank Israel named Operation Defensive Shield, Israeli forces….
Family buries body of woman found near dump
5/9/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) – Hundreds of Jerusalem residents on Thursday joined a funeral procession for Minas Mahir Qasim, 20, who was found dead Monday near a dump site in an East Jerusalem village. The family received the body of Minas from Israel’s Abu Kabir Forensic Institute. It was then transferred to al-Maqasid al-Khayriyya….
Haniyeh welcomes Bahrain parliament delegation
5/9/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza premier Ismail Haniyeh welcomed on Wednesday a parliamentary delegation from Bahrain ahead of their three-day official visit to the coastal enclave. The delegation, which includes Bahrain Parliament Speaker sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Dhahrani, was greeted by Haniyeh in a tent erected on the ruins of the cabinet building in….
Obama, Netanyahu speak after Israel’s Syria raids
5/9/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President Barack Obama spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday, days after the latest Israeli air raids on Syrian targets and as Washington steps up its Middle East peace efforts. The White House said in a short statement that Obama and Netanyahu, who is visiting China, spoke by telephone, and discussed “regional….
Erekat: New settler homes ‘sabotage peace moves’
5/9/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel has signed off on plans for nearly 300 new settler homes near Ramallah, angering the Palestinians who accused the Israeli government Thursday of trying to “sabotage” US moves to rekindle peace talks. The announcement came just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly ordered a freeze on tenders for new West Bank…. Related: Israel approves 296 West Bank settler homes
Israel apologizes to Egypt over police attack on diplomats, clergy
5/9/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel has officially apologized to Egypt after Israeli police officers attacked Egyptian diplomats and a Coptic clergyman at a church in Jerusalem, Israeli state media reported Thursday. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry summoned Israel’s ambassador in Cairo after the attack during Orthodox Easter celebrations at the Church of the….
Haniyeh grants passport to influential cleric in Gaza visit
5/9/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The prime minister of the Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip granted influential Muslim cleric Yousef al-Qardawi Palestinian nationality and a diplomatic passport on Wednesday. Al-Qaradawi led a delegation of 50 clerics from 14 countries and was greeted by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Haniyeh, in a welcome address, said….
Jordanians protest after Israel holds Jerusalem mufti
5/9/2013 – AMMAN, Jordan (AFP) — A group of angry Jordanian youths demonstrated overnight near the Israeli embassy to protest against the detention of the mufti of Jerusalem, police and organizers said Thursday.” Around 25 young Jordanians held a sit-in last night near the Israeli embassy to protest Israeli practices in Jerusalem,” a police spokesman told AFP. The….
US is warned of Russia ‘arms sale to Syria’
5/9/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — Israel has warned the United States that Russia plans to sell sophisticated missile systems to Syria that would complicate any foreign intervention there, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Journal reported late Wednesday that Israel had provided information to Washington about the imminent sale to Syria of Russian S-300 missile batteries, advanced….
Netanyahu meets China president in Beijing
5/9/2013 – BEIJING (AFP) — Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, during a five day visit that the newly installed Chinese leader said had already “yielded rich fruits”. Netanyahu met Xi after the Israeli leader witnessed with China’s Premier Li Keqiang the signing of a series of….
Palestine calls emergency Arab League meeting
5/9/2013 – CAIRO (Ma’an) – Palestine has called an emergency meeting of the permanent representatives of the member states of the Arab League to discuss the recent Israeli escalation against Islamic and Christian holy places in Palestine, the ambassador of Palestine to Egypt Barakat al-Farra said. Al-Farra said the Israelis have been practicing a series of….
Hamas: PA forces detain 9 members in West Bank
5/9/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority security forces arrested nine Hamas members across the West Bank, Hamas said Thursday. Forces of the Fatah-led PA detained Hamas affiliates in Nablus, Ramallah, Qalqiliya and Hebron, Hamas said in a statement. [END]
Hezbollah says Syria to supply ‘game-changing arms’
5/9/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Syria will supply Israeli arch enemy Hezbollah with “game-changing weapons” despite airstrikes reportedly aimed at cutting off the flow of arms to the Lebanese Shiite group, its leader said Thursday.” You Israelis say your objective is to stop the capability of the resistance (against Israel) from growing. . . but Syria will provide (Hezbollah) with….
Teenager drowns near Qalandiya
5/10/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – A Palestinian teenager drowned Thursday in a body of water east of Qalandiya refugee camp, according to Palestinian officials. Civil defense teams faced serious difficulties trying to pull the body of the 17-year-old boy out of the mud. The body was taken to Palestine Medical Complex. [END]
Vatican prepares for historic Coptic leader visit
5/9/2013 – VATICAN CITY (AFP) — Coptic Orthodox leader Tawadros II arrives in Rome on Thursday for a historic four-day visit to meet Pope Francis — a sign of growing rapprochement between the Vatican and the Orthodox world. The meeting on Friday will be the first between an Egyptian patriarch of Alexandria and a head of the Roman Catholic….
NGO: Rebel chief wounded near Damascus
5/9/2013 – BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — The leader of the powerful jihadist rebel force, Al-Nusra Front, was wounded by army bombing near the Syrian capital on Wednesday, a watchdog said. Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani was wounded with other members of his group in southern Damascus province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, citing militants in the area. Observatory….
Assad says Hezbollah ‘a model for Syria’
5/9/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Syria will “give Hezbollah everything” in recognition of its support and will follow the militant group’s model of “resistance” against Israel, a Lebanese newspaper on Thursday quoted President Bashar Assad as saying. His comments, published by Al-Akhbar, reportedly came during meetings with Lebanese visitors in Damascus and appeared intended to refute….
Syria refugees ‘could hit 40% of Jordan population’
5/9/2013 – ROME (AFP) — The number of Syrian refugees flooding into Jordan could make up some 40 percent of the kingdom’s population by the middle of 2014, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said Thursday.” We have 10 percent of our population today, in the form of Syrian refugees, it is expected to rise to about….
American ‘stabbed outside Cairo embassy’
5/9/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — An American was stabbed in the neck as he came out of the US embassy in central Cairo on Thursday, a security official told AFP. The American was rushed to hospital after the attack in Cairo’s Garden City neighborhood near Tahrir Square, which houses several embassies and has seen a rise….
Syria welcomes US-Russia initiative
5/9/2013 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syria on Thursday welcomed a US-Russian initiative to find a political solution to its conflict, counting on ally Moscow to stand firm, even as Washington said President Bashar Assad would have to step down. US Secretary John Kerry, who announced the initiative earlier this week, said the embattled president would have to step….
Israel okays new settler homes near Ramallah
AlJazeera 9 May 2013 – Civil administration approves building of 296 units in occupied West Bank as US seeks to restart peace talks, army says.
Israel Hands Demolition Orders to 9 Homes and Sheds near Hebron
Palestine News Network
Israel Continues to Target Minors in the West Bank
Palestine News Network
Israeli Forces Demolish Shops, Structures in Jenin
Palestine News Network
Livni, Kerry Meet as 296 Settlement Units Approved in Beit El
Palestine News Network
German Orchestra to Tour the West Bank
Palestine News Network
Israel Releases Oldest Administrative Detainee
Palestine News Network
MADA: Israeli Violations Still Pose a Threat on the Lives of Journalists
Palestine News Network
B’Tselem: Harm to Palestinian Civilians Higher in Second Half of Last Israeli Aggression on Gaza
Palestine News Network
PCHR Condemns Action by Ministry of Interior Preventing Travel to Jerusalem by Director of WHO oPt Office
Palestine News Network
MADA Is Demanding to Hold Those Involved in Attacks on Journalists in Khan Younis Accountable
Palestine News Network
“Life Is A Catastrophe Now”
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (02 – 08 May 2013)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
occupied Palestinian territory: Clearing of Landmines in Husan
Relief Web 9 May 2013 – Source: Government of Israel Country: occupied Palestinian territory In 1967 the Jordanians placed landmines in the fields of Husan, which is located near Bethlehem. Since then, the village has grown and expanded, and houses have been built in close proximity…
occupied Palestinian territory: “Medicine is the Bridge to Peace”
Relief Web 9 May 2013 – Source: Government of Israel Country: occupied Palestinian territory Cooperation and coordination in the health field continue: the Health Coordinator at the Civil Administration coordinated the visit by Palestinian Minister of Health at hospitals in Israel. As part of the visit,…
Coronavirus must be reported immediately, Abu Dhabi health authority warns
The National 9 May 2013 – The Health Authority of Abu Dhabi wants healthcare providers to inform them immediately in case of novel coronavirus.
Gunmen kidnap son of former Pakistan PM on eve of elections
The National 9 May 2013 – Attackers in cars and on motorbikes kill two of Ali Haider Gilani’s aides and bundle him away on last day of campaign before elections. Taimur Khan reports from Karachi
Nawaz Sharif the front-runner in Pakistan poll ‘but everything can change’
The National 9 May 2013 – The latest polling data suggest tomorrow’s historic election is far too close to call. Taimur Khan reports from Karachi
Save cord blood, Sharjah women told
The National 9 May 2013 – This comes as the Breast Feeding Friends Society begins its cooperation with Cryo-Save Arabia, a private cord blood stem cell bank.
Dubai opens a new mosque
The National 9 May 2013 – A large number of worshippers went to the opening ceremony of the new mosque in Al Barsha.
Cleveland kidnapping suspect held on $8m bail
The National 9 May 2013 – Three women suffered prolonged sexual and psychological abuse and had miscarriages during a decade of captivity, official says.
Bodies of men killed in Abu Dhabi tower blaze to be flown home
The National 9 May 2013 – The three Pakistani men were killed as they slept as fire engulfed the flat they shared in Abu Dhabi.
Beware of cyber attacks, Middle East governments warned
The National 9 May 2013 – Regional governments must take more stringent measures to secure their military and government satellite communications, according to experts.
Paving the way to an indivisible Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
Officer to be disciplined for inaction in Tel Aviv murder
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
Did Yossi Olmert’s testimony hurt or help his brother? Jury’s still out
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
While Netanyahu schmoozes in China, Lapid takes the heat back home
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
Police close inquiry into letter against top Likud minister
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
U.S.-born Knesset member denies calling for shutting down yeshivas
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
After investing NIS 50m, treasury halts construction of detention center for African migrants
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
Rabbi recruits seminary girls to protest non-Orthodox worship at Western Wall
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
Habayit Hayehudi stalls bill to protect income of Israeli authors
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
Is the social protest returning to the streets?
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
Chinese president urges Israeli, Palestinian leaders to ‘build trust’
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
Israel asks Russia to block Syria arms sale
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
Dozens of Jordanians rally outside Israeli embassy in Amman following Temple Mount riots
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
B’Tselem: More than 50% of Palestinians killed in Israel’s last Gaza operation were civilians
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
Israeli government plan aims to replace green spaces with high-density housing
Ha’aretz – 9 May 2013
Haredi school girls to protest Women of the Wall
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Women of Wall to conduct monthly prayer service at Western Wall; set to be met by protest devised by United Torah Judaism MKs.
‘Turkey would support US-led no-fly zone in Syria’
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Erdogan says he would back no-fly zone suggested by US lawmakers.
Analysis: After Syria attack, Assad seeks Hezbollah support
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Syrian leader says he may pass more advanced weapons to Lebanese group – a move Nasrallah welcomes, and that could change the region’s strategic balance.
Turkey: Syria crossed US chemical weapons red line
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Erdogan: Burns on Syrian wounded at Turkish hospitals were from WMDs; adds opposition doesn’t have access to WMDs.
Ayalon is a scoundrel
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – “Former deputy foreign minister Ayalon knows how to knock an ambassador down, but does not know where his own place is”.
Their loss is our loss
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Lack of Palestinian leadership, directions loss for the entire Palestinian people; Israel’s fate entwined.
Savir’s Corner: National priorities
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – “A state budget should reflect the priorities of the state; policy planning should come before budget planning”.
Another Track: The inconvenient truth
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – The only constructive course of action for Obama is to tone down his insincere anti-Assad rhetoric and to quit sounding the identical refrain for both Syria and Iran.
Parshat Bamidbar: Division of the tribes
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – There could be no greater period than this one for internalizing the message of the division of the nation among the 12 tribes.
Netanyahu: Nuclear Iran could easily disrupt oil supply
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Prime minister tells Chinese president that Tehran blocking the oil flow would be more likely if it acquired nuclear weapons because it would be less prone to retaliation; also discusses Chinese four-point peace plan.
First Person: All’s normal on the Golan
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Family visits North amid reports of IAF strikes into Syria, steady drone of far-off artillery fire, large volume of IDF routine maneuvers.
UN withdraws Golan observers from Position 86
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – UN relocates peacekeepers after rebels kidnap members of force, but assures that they will maintain presence along Syrian border.
‘Israelis, Palestinians want US strides on conflict’
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – PEW Poll: Populations hold differing views on peaceful two-state solution, means to achieving an independent Palestinian state.
Facebook negotiating to buy Waze for $1 billion
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – If the $500 million deal is realized, this will be Facebook’s third acquisition in Israel, first two beingFace.com and Snaptu.
Nasrallah: Hezbollah will help Syria recapture Golan
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Nasrallah says Syria will provide Hezbollah with advanced arms after Israel reportedly launched raids in Syria.
UN report slams Israel on east Jerusalem economy
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – UNCTAD report finds 77% of non-Jewish households in J’lem live below poverty line, compared to 25% of Jewish families.
Gideon Sa’ar probe to close over lack of evidence
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Police: Findings of police exam did not include any evidence indicating the need for criminal investigation against the minister.
Peretz demands NIS 70m. for ammonia tank transfer
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Environment Minister says intent to cut greenhouse gas emissions project from budget is “ridiculous.”
Iran vows response to alleged IAF strike in Syria
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Tehran says it will respond with “blows under the belt”; Assad: We will turn Syria into a resistance nation.
Aussie super-runner completes Israel Trail
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – English-Australian ultra-marathoner wants more after finishing 1,009 km. Israel Trail run despite foot infection.
Tourist Association says VAT will reduce tourism 14%
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Association files injunction with the High Court of Justice to prevent the imposition of the tax on tourists.
PM says Hawking needs to study facts about Israel
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – “There are false theories in politics and the slandering of Israel is one of them,” Netanyahu says in China.
The Weekly Schmooze: Spring Break Forever
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Jewish culture news worldwide: Sarah Silverman goes artsy; Ashton and Mila head to Israel; Jewish stars make a splash at the Met Ball.
Shas supporters threaten MK Shaked’s life
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – “Apologize to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef as soon as possible, or you’ll die,” reads one of dozens of messages Bayit Yehudi MK received.
Four words which sum up the BBC
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – If the word ‘terrorist’ is good enough for a despot like Assad, it’s good enough for the BBC.
‘Palestine was never a Jewish homeland’
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Egyptian scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi says Muslims would never make any concessions, recognize Israel.
Kerry: Jordan is a key player in peace process
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – “Jordan borders Israel and has already engaged in many activities regarding security, trade and relations,” Kerry says.
PA, US slam plans for 296 homes in Beit El
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – Palestinian Authority says new construction plans could sabotage US efforts to revive peace process.
iENGAGE: The Middle East exchange rate
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – The reality of our regional predicament is relevant in assessing how we best advance our values in the face of such danger and hostility.
Israel asks Russia not to sell Syria missiles
Jerusalem Post 9 May 2013 – J’lem raises objections to $900m. sale of air-defense system that would help Assad fend off foreign military intervention.
Church of Scotland agrees to reword report on Israeli settlements
The Guardian 9 May 2013 – Senior church figures help to defuse row over report entitled the Inheritance of Abraham? by making Israel stance clear The Church of Scotland has moved to defuse a furious row with Jewish leaders and the Israeli…
Stephen Hawking’s support for the boycott of Israel is a turning point | Ali Abunimah
The Guardian 9 May 2013 – Boycotting Israel as a stance for justice is going mainstream – Israelis can no longer pretend theirs is in an enlightened country A standard objection to the Palestinian campaign for the boycott of Israel is that…
Stephen Hawking’s Israel boycott: when politics doesn’t need poster children | Jennifer Lipman
The Guardian 9 May 2013 – This isn’t Darfur. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is complex and well known, so Hawking isn’t taking the role of George Clooney Stephen Hawking, perhaps the greatest mind of our era, has backed a boycott in protest over…
Stephen Hawking: Furore deepens over Israel boycott
The Guardian 9 May 2013 – Political motive revealed after Cambridge University first claimed scientist’s non-attendance was on medical grounds The celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking became embroiled in a deepening furore today over his decision to boycott a prestigious conference in Israel…
Syria crisis: rebels defect to jihadi group
The Guardian 9 May 2013 – Follow live updates after the Guardian reveals a surge in defections from the rebel Free Syrian Army to the al-Qaida-linked group Jabhat al-Nusra Matthew Weaver Guardian readers
Hope, Scepticism Over U.S.-Russian Accord on Syria Conference
IPS The surprise accord reached by the U.S. and Russia in Moscow Tuesday to try to convene an international conference to resolve the two-year-old civil war in Syria as soon as the end of this month has been greeted with equal measures of hope and scepticism. If nothing else, the agreement…
Yediot Aharonot: Israel sent secret message to Assad to ease tension
Uruknet
Yair Shamir: Profile of Israeli Extremism
Uruknet
(Thaer Ganaim / Maan Images) Warren Buffett signs $2 billion check in support of Israeli apartheid
Uruknet
Egypt’s cabinet reshuffle a win for Muslim Brotherhood
Uruknet
Iranian FM: Qatari PM Due in Tehran Next Week
Uruknet
Will Libya fall apart after Gadhafi?
Uruknet
Yarmouk Siege Statement – The Camps are Above the Siege
Uruknet
Barbara Lee and Dick Durbin’s ‘nobody-could-have-known’ defense
Uruknet
Settlers use rocks and sharp tools to attack 50 and 65 year-old farmers in Beit Furik
Uruknet
Iran envoy to Cyprus recalled after extradition to U.S.
Daily Star 9 May 2013 Iran has recalled its ambassador to Cyprus for consultations after an Iranian national was recently extradited from the island to the United States on suspicion of violating U.N. arms sanctions, Cyprus’s foreign minister said on Thursday.
Finnish, Austrian hostages freed from Yemen
Daily Star 9 May 2013 A Finnish couple and an Austrian student abducted in Yemen by Al-Qaeda militants more than four months ago have been freed and have arrived safety in Vienna, authorities said on Thursday.
Israeli settler housing in West Bank ‘counterproductive’: US
Daily Star 9 May 2013 The United States warned Israel on Thursday that its reported plans to build additional settlement housing in the West Bank were “counterproductive.”
US Senate opens debate on immigration reform
Daily Star 9 May 2013 A US Senate committee opened debate Thursday on an immigration reform bill backed by President Barack Obama, which would lead to legal status for millions of people in the country without papers.
Brahimi to stay on as Syria envoy after Russia-US bid: UN
Daily Star 9 May 2013 Lakhdar Brahimi has withdrawn a threat to resign as UN-Arab League envoy on the Syria conflict after Russia and the United States launched a joint political initiative, officials said Thursday.
Iraq issues new tender for minimum 30,000 T rice
Daily Star 9 May 2013 Iraq issued a new tender to buy at least 30,000 tonnes of rice with origins from the United States, Uruguay, Thailand and Argentina, the Iraqi trade ministry said on Thursday.
Hezbollah says to support groups seeking to target Israel in Golan
Daily Star 9 May 2013 Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said Thursday his party was ready to assist resistance groups seeking to liberate the occupied-Golan Heights.
Syria to equip Hezbollah with game-changing arms: Nasrallah
Daily Star 9 May 2013 Nasrallah says Syria will supply Hezbollah with game-changing weapons and that his party is ready to assist resistance groups seeking to liberate the Golan Heights.
Arabs making dangerous concessions over Palestine: Hezbollah
Daily Star 9 May 2013 Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah slams Arab states, saying they are willing to make dangerous concessions over the Palestinian cause.
Syria to hit back ‘painfully’ if Israel strikes again
Daily Star 9 May 2013 Syria will “respond immediately” to any new Israeli attack against its territory, its deputy foreign minister told AFP on Thursday, after two reported Israeli strikes on military targets last week.
Russian missiles in Syria would be ‘destabilising’: Kerry
Daily Star 9 May 2013 Secretary of State John Kerry says the transfer of advanced missile defense systems from Russia to Syria would be a “destabilizing” factor for Israel’s security.
Sheikhs attacked in Beirut give testimony
Daily Star 9 May 2013 Investigative Judge Ghassan Oueidat hears the testimonies of two sheikhs who were attacked in Beirut earlier this year.
MK Slomiansky questioned for voter fraud allegations
YNet News, 9 May 2013 – ….
Church of Scotland report angers Jewish community
YNet News, 9 May 2013 – ….
UN envoy to Syria to keep role
YNet News, 9 May 2013 – ….
Youtube launches paid subscription channels
YNet News, 9 May 2013 – ….
Iran recalls Cyprus ambassador
YNet News, 9 May 2013 – ….
The Russian card: S-300 to prevent intervention in Syria
YNet News, 9 May 2013 – Analysis: Russia hopes ground-air missiles sale to Assad will deter US, NATO from action in Syrian civil war and from arming rebels ….
Who does Abbas represent?
YNet News, 9 May 2013 – Op-ed: Israel must demand Palestinian general elections be held before peace negotiations resume ….
Emily’s choice
YNet News, 9 May 2013 – Op-ed: UK ambassador to Israel says there is no contradiction between his Jewishness, loyalty to Britain ….
Livni, Kerry meet as Ya’alon advances Beit El construction plan
YNet News, 8 May 2013 – Justice minister discusses peace talks with US state secretary while defense minister approves plan to build 296 housing units in West Bank, in accordance with Ulpana eviction accords ….
Iranians urged to join Shiite fighters in Syria
YNet News, 8 May 2013 – Website affiliated with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calls on Iranians to volunteer to protect holy Shiite sites currently under threat in Syria ….
Lapid: Budget to affect all sectors, not only working class
YNet News, 8 May 2013 – Finance minister addresses impending austerity measures in press conference with Histadrut chairman; insists cuts will affect all sectors of Israeli society, not only middle class ….
Baby left in car dies
YNet News, 8 May 2013 – Father of 11-month-old questioned for suspicion of negligent homicide, after baby left in car for hours dies en route to hospital ….
Haredi soldiers request exemption from uniform
YNet News, 8 May 2013 – Haredim serving in IDF suffer abuse from community angered by conscription; request to ride public transportation for free without uniform to save face; however, IDF refuses ….
Jordanian prisoners embrace hunger strikes in bid to pressure Israel
YNet News, 8 May 2013 – Following Palestinian counterparts, Jordanian security prisoners try to secure release armed with hunger strikes, as families lobby Amman to release loved ones ….
Kurdish rebels begin Turkey withdrawal, fuelling peace hopes
YNet News, 8 May 2013 – Some of the 2,000 PKK fighters based in Turkey set to begin trekking through mountains to bases in northern Iraq. Mayor of Semdinli, where insurgency was launched, says ‘this town has never known normalcy, it has always been in the cross-hairs of war’ ….
Syria cut off from global Internet as civil war rages
YNet News, 8 May 2013 – Google report pages shows traffic to Google services pages from war-torn country suddenly stopping shortly before 3 pm Tuesday. Center for Democracy: Indefensible violation of human rights ….
Sheikh Yousuf al-Qaradawi, welcome to Palestine
PIC – The last time al-Qaradawi visited the Gaza Strip was in 1958. Then, he urged the people of Palestine to cling to their homeland..
Jewish settlers chop down olive trees in Al-Khalil
PIC – Jewish settlers chopped down 15 olive trees near Susiya area in Yatta town, south of Al-Khalil, on Wednesday.
Detainee Ayman Abu Daoud on 25th day of hunger strike
PIC – Detainee Ayman Abu Daoud entered on Thursday his 25th day of hunger strike protesting his detention by the Israeli occupation forces.
Halahle’s detention extended
PIC – The Israeli occupation authorities on Thursday extended the detention of Thaer Halahle, from Kharas village in Al-Khalil, until Monday.
Qaradawi: I am sure of Gaza victory
PIC – Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, expressed his certainty of the victory of Gaza, stressing on the nation and its scholars’ support for the Palestinian cause.
Report: 56,000 Palestinian refugees fled Syria to neighboring Lebanon, Jordan
PIC – The action group for Palestinians in Syria has said that around 6,000 Palestinian refugees had left Syria for Jordan while around 50,000 others had gone to Lebanon.
Israelis stage music festival near Al Aqsa Mosque disturbing worshipers
PIC – Al Aqsa Foundation for Waqf and Heritage said that Jewish youths organized on Wednesday a march, on the 46th anniversary of the occupation of Jerusalem..
Occupation notifies the demolition of a mosque in the Negev
PIC – The Israeli occupation authorities have notified, a few days ago, to demolish the only mosque in the village of al-Far’a in the Negev, southern the 1948-occupied Palestine, Palestinian sources said.
Israeli government officially starts dividing Al Aqsa Mosque
PIC – Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs revealed official attempts to divide Al Aqsa Mosque between Muslims and Jews..
UN Report: Israeli Policies Hindered Development in East Jerusalem
WAFA – 9 May 2013
Israel to Demolish 9 Homes and Sheds near Hebron
WAFA – 9 May 2013
Israelis Demolish Shops, Structures near Jenin
WAFA – 9 May 2013
EU Official Calls for Support for US Peace Efforts
WAFA – 9 May 2013
Senate bill aims to toughen Iran sanctions
LA Times 8 May 2013 – The measure could block Iran’s access to crucial foreign reserves. Senators hope to achieve legislation for a full embargo against Iran. WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation Wednesday that would sharply toughen U.S. economic sanctions on Iran despite administration calls for Congress…
Hezbollah Threatens Israel Over Syria Strikes
New York Times 9 May 2013 – The Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, suggested that Syria would retaliate by providing his fighters with weapons that Israel wants to keep out of the militant group’s hands.
IHT Special: Resentment Grows Against Syrian Refugees in Jordan
New York Times 9 May 2013 – As refugees continue to flow across the border, Jordanians are suffering economically.
At War Blog: Celebrating a Wife Who Has Had to Spend Mother’s Day Alone
New York Times 9 May 2013 – A Marine Corps veteran reflects on the sacrifices his wife made in raising their children during his two combat deployments.
Syrian Refugees in Jordan Struggle to Survive
New York Times 8 May 2013 – More than half the 500,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan are under 18. “They can’t see beyond, frankly, the next day,” an aid worker says.
U.S. Fears Russia May Sell Air Defenses to Syria
New York Times 8 May 2013 – The delivery of the Russian S-300 missile batteries would represent a major qualitative advancement in Syria’s air defenses.
Bill Would Deny Iran Access to Foreign Exchange Reserves
New York Times 8 May 2013 – A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation that would deny the Iranian government access to its foreign-exchange reserves in the banks of other countries.
Katzman sells NIS 80m block of Ormat shares
Globes Energy & Water – Norstar has lost NIS 600 million on its investment in the geothermal power company.
Sewage treatment co Mapal Green Energy raises £1.5m
Globes Energy & Water – The company has signed its first UK deal with Anglian Water Services.
Discount Bank CEO: We must streamline
Globes Main News – Reuven Spiegel told striking workers: The bank cannot increase its salary cost disproportionately to the bank’s income.
Facebook in advanced talks to buy Waze
Globes Main News – If the $500 million deal is realized, this would be Facebook’s third acquisition in Israel.
Thu: Banks drag market down
Globes Main News – Discount Bank fell furthest as the labor dispute intensified.
Shekel resumes gains
Globes Main News – Pioneer Financial Planning’s Shmuel Ben-Arie: Stanley Fischer will likely cut the interest rate this month, or next month at the latest.
3D printing co Stratasys teams with Scheu Dental
Globes Main News – The collaboration will offer orthodontic labs a complete digital solution.
Fischer calls budget “responsible”
Globes Macro Economics – We cannot meet the fiscal challenge we face by focusing solely on one section of the population, the Governor of the Bank of Israel said.
Netanyahu wanted budget delayed; Lapid refused
Globes Macro Economics – The Finance Minister insisted on giving ministers a week to review the budget proposals.
Lapid’s paradise postponed
Globes Macro Economics – The Finance Ministry needs to make clear an intention to push through the reforms we really need.
Peres to Lapid: You didn’t run away from the crisis
Globes Macro Economics – President Shimon Peres: The nation must get through this period together, while maintaining a safety net for the poor and the weak.
Treasury deal with Histadrut averts strike
Globes Macro Economics – Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Histadrut chief Ofer Eini agreed that the public workers pay hike will be postponed until 2015.
Jerusalem Day’s unforgiving mix of nationalism and Judaism
Mondoweiss – Israeli girls sing and dance in front of the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City for Jerusalem Day, May, 8 2013. (Allison Deger/Mondoweiss) The girls were standing by the girls and the boys by the boys as the Yeshiva field trippers amassed on the outskirts…
Ethnocracy on display: Cabinet ministers approve Israeli plan to forcibly displace Bedouin citizens
Mondoweiss – Israeli security forces stand guard while the Bedouin village of Al Araqib is demolished (Photo: Getty Images) Israel is moving ahead with a plan that will forcibly displace Bedouin citizens against their will. On May 6, Israeli cabinet ministers gave their seal of approval to the…
Musab Shawer sentenced to 5 months as Israel continues to target journalists
Mondoweiss – Palestinian broadcast journalist Musab Shawer Al-Tamimi Another young Palestinian talent has been locked away by Israel. Broadcast Journalist Musab Shawer Al-Tamimi (22), who worked at Al-Khalil (Hebron)Radio, was sentenced to 5 months in prison on World Press Freedom Day. Israeli forces first abducted Shawer before dawn…
Israeli right-wing flys off the deep end following Hawking boycott
Mondoweiss – As can be imagined there have been a wide range of Israeli responses to Stephen Hawking’s decision to boycott the Israeli Presidential conference. While it would be a stretch to imagine a majority of Israelis would support the move, the baseness of some of the right…
US promotes regional states/Israeli alliance against Iran while leading provocative naval drills in the Gulf
Mondoweiss – Saudi analyst: If Israel wants to attack Iran or bomb them … … the Gulf states will stand by them [referring clearly to Israel]. The U.S. is promoting a military alliance among Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey in order to counter…
Hezbollah Vows To Get New Weapons From Syria
The Foward Breaking News 9 May 2013 – Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Syria would respond to Israeli raids around Damascus by giving his group sophisticated new weapons, the outcome Israel said its attack was launched to avert. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israel Occupation Saps East Jerusalem Economy, U.N. Report Says
The Foward Breaking News 9 May 2013 – The Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem is driving its Palestinian residents into deeper economic isolation and they face far greater poverty than Jewish neighbours, said a U.N. report on the city at the heart of the Middle East conflict. Click here for the rest of the…
Rabbis Recruit Ultra-Orthodox Girls for Western Wall Prayer Counter Protest
The Foward Breaking News 9 May 2013 – Thousands of girls from ultra-Orthodox seminaries in Jerusalem are expected to protest at the Western Wall on Friday, in response to a court ruling permitting the Women of the Wall prayer group to hold non-Orthodox services in the central plaza of the holy site. Click here…
Why Facebook May Pay $1B for Israeli Waze
The Foward Breaking News 9 May 2013 – Facebook is currently in advanced negotiations to buy the Israeli navigation company Waze. The total purchase price is said to be roughly $1 billion, significantly higher than the $200 million to $300 million Facebook is believed to have offered Waze only six months ago. Click here…
Angola: Israel’s Ambassador Highlights Engagement Towards Co-Operation
allAfrica.com 9 May 2013 – [ANGOP]Luanda -The ambassador of Israel to Angola, Irit Savion-Waidergon, on Wednesday here highlighted the engagement of the Angolan and Israeli authorities in the reinforcement of the bilateral relations, ANGOP has learnt.
Sydney University Student Representative Council passes BDS motion
Global BDS 9 May 2013 – The Student Representative Council at the University of Sydney passed a motion endorsing Associate Professor Jake Lynch’s academic boycott of Israel this week. The motion was brought forth in response to attacks against Associate Professor Jake Lynch for refusing to assist Dan Avnon – a visiting…
Sheffield University dumps Veolia, capping successful year for UK student Palestine movement
Global BDS 9 May 2013 – The University of Sheffield has decided not to renew its waste collection contract with multinational corporation Veolia following a campaign initiated by the campus Palestine Society and supported by the student union. The campaign called on the university to cut ties with the company over its…
Five reasons why Hawking is right to boycott Israel
Global BDS 9 May 2013 – As announced by the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine ( BRICUP ) and subsequently covered by The Guardian , Reuters and others, world-renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist Professor Stephen Hawking has decided to heed the Palestinian call for boycott, and pull out of an Israeli conference…
Oberlin Students Vote for Divestment
Global BDS 6 May 2013 – Oberlin, OH: In a historic moment on Sunday May 5th, Oberlin College Student Senate voted to divest from a set of 6 companies that profit from the occupation and oppression of Palestinians. Oberlin College Students for a Free Palestine (SFP) presented a resolution calling for divestment…
‘No post-war role’ for Syria’s Assad
BBC 9 May 2013 – US Secretary of State John Kerry says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would have no role in a political settlement to Syria’s conflict.
Israel approves new settler homes
BBC 9 May 2013 – Israel has approved the construction of nearly 300 new Jewish settler homes at Beit El, near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
Talks over Israel report controversy
BBC 9 May 2013 – The Church of Scotland holds “useful” discussions with the Jewish community over a controversial report which questioned the divine right of Jews to the land of Israel.
Resistance Considers its Options: Limited Confrontation or Open War?
Al-Akhbar Opinion 9 May 2013 – Syrian youths play baby foot in the Bustan al-Qasr area in the northern city of Aleppo, on 6 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – STR) Syrian youths play baby foot in the Bustan al-Qasr area in the northern city of Aleppo, on 6 May 2013. (Photo: AFP…
Nasrallah: Israel can’t stop Syria from aiding Hezbollah
Al-Akhbar News 9 May 2013 – An image grab from Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV shows Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, giving a televised address from an undisclosed location on 9 May 2013. (Photo: AFP/ HO Al-Manar) The recent Israeli air raids near Damascus will not succeed in removing Syria from the “equation…
Lebanon’s Unhappy Skies
Al-Akhbar News 9 May 2013 – Lebanon remains without a regulatory body for its civil aviation sector, which complicates the process of hiring and training qualified local experts to facilitate the implementation of international and national regulations. (Photo: Marwan Bou Haidar) Lebanon remains without a regulatory body for its civil aviation sector,…
Qubbah, Tripoli: Security Forces Back Down on Building Violations
Al-Akhbar News 9 May 2013 – Now, one is hard-pressed to find a building in Qubbah that doesn’t have additional floors. The increase of migrations from Akkar and al-Dinniyeh to Qubbah was a boon for such violations. (Photo: Adel Karroum) Now, one is hard-pressed to find a building in Qubbah that doesn’t…
Damascus Ready to Normalize Relations with Cairo: Time is on Our Side
Al-Akhbar News 9 May 2013 – US Secretary of State John Kerry Egypt’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr and Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu attend the “Friends of Syria” meeting on 20 April 2013 in Istanbul. (Photo: AFP – Hakan Goktepe) US Secretary of State John Kerry Egypt’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel…
Imprisoned “UAE 94” call for investigation into torture claims
Al-Akhbar News 9 May 2013 – A group of 94 suspects charged with plotting against the United Arab Emirates is seeking an independent investigation into their claims of abuses in custody. Their letter to the UAE’s president, released by activists on Thursday, comes after the prosecution wrapped up its case this week,…
Gunmen kill police officer in south Yemen
Al-Akhbar News 9 May 2013 – Gunmen on a motorbike shot dead a police officer in south Yemen on Thursday, a security official said, a day after three senior air force pilots were killed in a similar al-Qaeda-style attack. “The officer, Mohammed Ahmed Saleh al-Koobi, was shot with a silenced weapon while…
Khamenei to Assad: Full and Unlimited Support
Al-Akhbar Politics 8 May 2013 – Israeli infantry soldiers of the Golani brigade take part in exercises during their deployment in the Israeli annexed Golan Heights, near the border with Syria, on 6 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – Menahem Kahana) Israeli infantry soldiers of the Golani brigade take part in exercises during…
Tunisians Fear Jihadis En Route to Capital
Al-Akhbar Politics 8 May 2013 – Besma Khalfaoui Belaid (C), holds up the images of her assassinated husband Chokri Belaid during a May Day rally in the capital Tunis, on 1 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – Fethi Belaid) Besma Khalfaoui Belaid (C), holds up the images of her assassinated husband Chokri Belaid…
Egypt: Minister Shuffle Boosts Brotherhood Hegemony
Al-Akhbar Politics 8 May 2013 – Egyptian Salafists shout religious and political slogans as they march towards the Egyptian National Security building on 2 May 2013 in Cairo. (Photo: AFP – Gianluigi Guercia) Egyptian Salafists shout religious and political slogans as they march towards the Egyptian National Security building on 2 May…
‘No post-war role’ for Syria’s Assad
BBC 9 May 2013 – US Secretary of State John Kerry says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would have no role in a political settlement to Syria’s conflict.
Cyber gang ‘stole $45m’ from ATMs
BBC 9 May 2013 – Seven people are charged in the US over an alleged bank heist which saw cybercriminals steal $45m (£29m) from ATMs using Middle East-based banks.
Three Europeans released in Yemen
BBC 9 May 2013 – Two Finnish nationals and an Austrian man abducted in Yemen in December are freed on the border with Oman.
Israel approves new settler homes
BBC 9 May 2013 – Israel has approved the construction of nearly 300 new Jewish settler homes at Beit El, near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
Tunisian held over Canada bomb plot
BBC 9 May 2013 – A Tunisian man who allegedly met one of the men suspected of plotting to bomb a Canadian train has been charged with visa fraud in New York, prosecutors say.
Official describes Benghazi attack
BBC 9 May 2013 – A top US official tells Congress he was “stunned” by the Obama administration’s explanation for the deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi.
Articles
Five reasons why Hawking is right to boycott Israel
Ben White, Al Jazeera.com 5/9/2013
Hawking should be commended for pulling out of an Israeli conference as a protest at Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
As announced by the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) and subsequently covered by The Guardian, Reuters and others, world-renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist Professor Stephen Hawking has decided to heed the Palestinian call for boycott, and pull out of an Israeli conference hosted by President Shimon Peres in June. After initial confusion, this was confirmed – Hawking is staying away on political grounds.
Here are five reasons why Professor Hawking is right to boycott:
5. Whitewashing apartheid
The Israeli government and various lobby groups use events such as the “Presidential Conference” to whitewash Israel’s crimes past and present, a tactic sometimes referred to as “rebranding”. As a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official put it after the 2009 Gaza massacre, it is the kind of approach that means sending “well-known novelists and writers overseas, theatre companies, [and] exhibits” in order to “show Israel’s prettier face, so we are not thought of purely in the context of war”. “Brand Israel” is all about creating a positive image for a country that is the target of human rights campaigners the world over – as if technological innovations or high-profile conferences can hide the reality of occupation and ethnic cleansing.
4. Shimon Peres
Despite his reputation in the West as a “dove”, Peres’ career to date includes war crimes in Lebanon, support for collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza…. more.. e-mail
Religious persecution and Israeli exceptionalism
Stuart Littlewood, Redress 5/9/2013
US watchdog turns blind eye to Israel’s religious rights violations
It’s hilarious.
I’m still rolling on the floor laughing my socks off at a report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
What’s the joke? Well, it’s no joke really. The USCIRF has just released its 2013 Annual Report on the world’s worst violators of religious freedom. And – you simply won’t believe this – it doesn’t even mention the worst offender of all, Israel.
Truly. It’s like Israel doesn’t exist.
Persecution of Christians and Muslims
I am regularly bombarded with reports of Israel’s religious persecution of Christians and their Muslim brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. This week included an account of how Israel continues to cause “countless difficulties” for Palestinian Christians and Muslims trying to reach their holy sites. “It is not only that Israel has isolated our occupied capital from the rest of our country – forcing our people to apply for special military permits to access their families and holy places for religious occasions – but even Palestinians from Jerusalem were beaten when trying to reach the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” said Hanna Amireh, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee and Head of the Presidential Committee on Church Affairs.
The Israeli forces turned a religious occasion into a battle camp scenario, she said…. more.. e-mail
Arab spring, Palestinians and the right of return
Nassar Ibrahim, AIC & OPGAI, Alternative Information Center 5/6/2013
While the Arab world is the theatre in which global changes and clashes are being played out, Hamas and Fatah continue with old strategies developed under radically different conditions, without leveraging current changes to alter the rules of the game governing Palestinian national rights. Palestinian leadership requires a courageous abandonment of narrow manoeuvres which have failed to carry the heavy and symbolic Palestinian cause in all of its dimensions and to ensure fundamental rights. Nassar Ibrahim explains.
Stormy changes in the Arab world, the region and the world mark this current period of time, a historic moment of clashes amongst military, cultural, political and social strategies and projects. For various reasons the Arab world as a whole, its individual component states, the local political and social forces together with the area’s geopolitical status, are now the primary global theatre for these direct clashes. The results of these clashes will apparently decide the future of the Arab world for decades, in addition to the destinies of the nations and political forces intimately involved in these struggles.
In the midst of these ongoing clashes, which are occurring on various levels, the active global political forces interacting on a comprehensive level will reformulate the very reality of the Arab world; some social and political forces will rise while others will fall. Some bets will succeed while others will fail. Some axioms will disappear while new facts will occupy their place.
In the context of this confrontation, the strategies of regional and global intervention focus on the following two fundamental circles: the first to follow-up the experience of the Muslim Brotherhood, which came to power in the biggest Arab country, Egypt, as well as in Tunisia and Libya, in an attempt to control this experience and set the rhythm of redrawing the map of international alliances. more.. e-mail
Israel’s Syria strategy to weaken Hezbollah and profit from chaos
Israeli Occupation Archive 5/8/2013
TRANSCRIPT: Shir Hever Interview on The Real News Network – 7 May 2013
PAUL JAY, SENIOR EDITOR, TRNN: Welcome to The Real News Network. I’m Paul Jay in Baltimore.
Israel apparently has bombed inside Syria, as most people that follow the news know by now. Originally, the propaganda or PR around this event was that they were bombing chemical weapons on their way to Hezbollah. Now the story seems to be they were taking out some kind of advanced rocketry (we’re told by The Washington Post, at least) that was being sent from Iran to Hezbollah. One way or the other, Israel does not seem to be hiding the fact that they made such a strike.
Now joining us to discuss Israeli strategic thinking in all of this is Shir Hever. Shir is a political economist. He works regularly with The Real News. He joins us now where he’s working in Germany.
Thanks for joining us again, Shir.
SHIR HEVER, ECONOMIST, ALTERNATIVE INFORMATION CENTER: Hi, Paul. Thanks for having me.
JAY: So what do you make of what Israel’s tactical strategic positioning is towards the current situation in Syria?
HEVER: I think it’s very important to keep in mind that the Israeli strategy is very short-term. While a lot of regional forces like Turkey and global forces, the United States and Russia, are playing a complicated game and manipulating what’s happening in Syria, Israel is mostly concerned about its domestic politics. — See also: Shir Hever Interview on The Real News Network more.. e-mail
SodaStream “treats us like slaves,” says Palestinian factory worker
Electronic Intifada: 9 May 2013 – An employee describes the claims on a promotional video by the fizzy drink firm as “lies.”more
It’s All about Appeasing Israel
Palestine Chronicle: 9 May 2013 – By Jamk Kanj US Secretary of State John Kerry has succeeded in tailoring yet another peace initiative to appease Israel. But it took Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu no time to effectively reject the offer, telling Kerry and company it was not occupation – it was all “about a Jewish state”. American diplomacy in the Middle East must be barren and dull. On average, every three to five years – after full consultations with Israel – the US comes up with a new peace plan. Israel’s typical response is conditional approval, rendering such proposals dead on arrival. In meeting with Kerry, Arab officials accompanied by a Palestinian “fig leaf” agreed last week to amend the Arab Peace Initiative. They essentially consented to terms demanded by Israel to swap areas seized in 1948 with lands occupied in 1967, but this is like allowing a bank robber to use the cash he…more
Zionism– The Real Enemy of the Jews – Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 9 May 2013 – Reviewed by Ludwig Watzal (Zionism – The Real Enemy of the Jews, by Alan Hart, Clarity Press, Atlanta 2009-2010, Vol. I-III) Alan Hart’s trilogy on the devastating impact of Zionism not only on the Palestinian people but also on Judaism is the most comprehensive and best analysis that has ever been written on this subject. The author takes the readers on an epic journey through a cocoon of propaganda lies that kept the Westerners, especially the U. S. Americans in line with a movement, which has been violating every value Western democracies pretend to defend. The massage on the cover of the first volume is clear: “Almost everything you have been conditioned to believe about the making and sustaining of conflict in the Middle East is not true. Israel’s existence has never – ever – been in danger from any combination of Arab military force. Zionism’s assertion that Israel’s Jews…more
Syria: Enough Is Enough
Palestine Chronicle: 9 May 2013 – By Jayantha Dhanapala The two-year-old conflict in Syria rages on with the embattled dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad and his Ba’ath Party withstanding the attacks of a motley group of rebels supported by the West and by the money bag monarchies of Saudi Arabia and Qatar with Israel not far behind. Dictatorships – whether unelected, elected or inherited – are of course unacceptable in this day and age when the palpable consent of a sovereign people is paramount for the governance of independent countries. However, no regime change by self-appointed guardians of democracy from abroad can replace a genuine movement for change by the people, of the people and for the people. Applicable international law, even in the implementation of the controversial ‘Responsibility to Protect’ doctrine, is very clear on this – only the Security Council can take action in the name of maintaining international peace and security. The tenth anniversary…more
Canadians Should be Concerned: The Harperites’ Love Affair with Israel
Palestine Chronicle: 9 May 2013 – By Yves Engler While the Harper Conservative government has loudly proclaimed its close ties to Israel, most Canadians would be surprised to learn the Tories have decided to make the two countries blood brothers. In the international affairs equivalent of a Mafia initiation ceremony Canada has sworn undying loyalty and to be a faithful soldier in Israel’s cause. Think that’s an exaggeration? Consider the following: • Since Stephen Harper took office the two nations defence ministers and top generals have repeatedly visited each other’s country. These visits have resulted in various accords and “the [two] countries have agreed to exchange secret defense information,” according to a June 2012 CBC summary of government briefing notes. • The week before last the head of Canadian Forces visited Israel to deepen “cooperation between the two militaries.” Reportedly, Thomas Lawson met his Israeli counterpart, the Defense Minister and various other senior military officers. According…more
I Knew a Hero Once: My Uncle Mahmoud, in My Memory, 40 Years On
Palestine Chronicle: 8 May 2013 – By Rana Abdullah There are no heroes in the country of my birth. Heroes put themselves in danger then prevail. When every waking hour heralds a life or death decision, while the world turns a collective blind eye to this crime, and buries their shame in a mountain of platitudes, there are no heroes, for in my country danger is a normal condition. If heroism is an estimation of valour in the face of overwhelming odds, then no amount of plaudits, medals or recommendations will ever suffice for the people of Palestine. Theft, insults, denigrations and death, the legacy of a war we did not start, a colonization we could not seek, a wrong not ours to right and the world’s recompense for a crime we did not commit against a people we barely knew. There are no heroes in the country of my birth, for heroes are admired. Generations…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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