17 May 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
17 Palestinians Injured In The Al-Arroub Refugee Camp
IMEMC – Friday, May 17, 2013; Palestinian medical sources reported that 17 Palestinians have been injured by rubber-coated metal bullets and gas bombs fired by Israeli soldiers invading the Al-Arroub refugee camp, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron. …
25 Palestinians Injured Near Ramallah
IMEMC – Friday evening, May 17 2013, Palestinian medical sources reported that approximately 25 Palestinians have been injured, including twelve who were shot by live rounds, during clashes that took place when Israeli soldiers invaded the Al-Jalazoun refugee camp and Silwad town, east of the central West Bank city of Ramallah. …
Soldiers Break Into The Negev Detention Camp, Attack Detainees
IMEMC – The Palestinian Detainees Study Center has reported that undercover forces of the Israeli military broke, on Thursday, into section 24 of the Negev detention camp, attacked the detainees and searched their beds and property. …
Protesters break through separation wall
5/18/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinians on Friday tore a hole through part of Israel’s separation wall in the outskirts of East Jerusalem, witnesses and a security official said. Protesters were marking the Nakba anniversary and upon reaching the wall they ripped a 4-meter hole in it, onlookers said. Clashes broke out after….
Lawyer: Palestinian suffering medical neglect in Israeli jail
5/17/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israel is refusing medical treatment to a Palestinian in Negev prison, the detainee’s lawyer said Thursday. Kareem al-Hasanat, from Bethlehem has been detained since 2004. He was treated in Hadassah Hospital in 2006, but was returned to prison and has only received pain killers since then, his lawyer told….
Israeli forces ‘interrogate Jerusalem children’
5/17/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces interrogated two Palestinian children in Jerusalem on Thursday, their father said. Iyad al-Awar told Ma’an that Israeli forces raided his home and tried to detain his children, 6-year-old Qassam and 5-year-old Nasrallah. Al-Awar prevented the arrest but troops handed him a warrant ordering him to….
Relative: Hunger striker moved to isolation cell in Israeli jail
5/17/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israel’s prison administration has moved hunger-striker Abdullah al-Barghouti to an isolation cell, his wife said Friday. Al-Barghouti went on hunger strike on May 2 to demand family visits, his wife told a prisoners center, adding that she had only been allowed to see him twice since his arrest. [END]
Laborers hurt after Israel police dog attack near Hebron
5/17/2013 – BETHLEHM (Ma’an) — Three Palestinian laborers were wounded on Friday in Beit Ula northwest of Hebron after Israeli forces fired rubber-coated steel bullets and unleashed police dogs at them, a local official said. Issa al-Amla, coordinator for the popular struggle committee, said that Omar Al-Amla, 31, and Abdulkadir Al-Amla, 28, suffered multiple dog bites….
15 injured in clashes in Beit Ummar
5/17/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Eight Palestinians were injured and one was detained on Firday in clashes in the village of Beit Ummar north of Hebron, a local official said. Spokesman of the popular committee Mohammed Ayad said that a 19-year-old was shot in the hand with a live bullet. Fourteen others were injured with….
3 injured as settlers attack Nablus villages
5/17/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Three Palestinians were injured in clashes in Urif village south of Nablus, a local official said. Settler monitoring official Ghassan Daghlas told Ma’an that three people were injured with both live and rubber-coated steel bullets. They were taken to a nearby hospital. Dozens of settlers set fire to lands….
Clashes in Kafr Qaddum and Bilin
5/17/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Dozens of Palestinians and international activists on Friday suffered tear-gas inhalation in clashes in Bilin near Ramallah and Kafr Qaddum near Qalqiliya, a Ma’an reporter said. Israeli forces fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets and stun grenades at protesters, who marked the 65 anniversary of the Nakba. Protesters….
Locals: Israel detains woman in Tubas
5/17/2013 – TUBAS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained a 24-year-old woman and clashed with Palestinians during a raid on Tubas overnight Wednesday, locals said. Forces raided Khalid Rashid Sawafteh’s home and detained his 24-year-old daughter Sireen Sawafeh. They ransacked the house and confiscated computers, locals told Ma’an. Palestinians threw stones….
Ultra-Orthodox Israelis protest over the draft
5/17/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews protested in Jerusalem on Thursday against any plans to make them undergo military service, a police spokesman said.” At least 15,000 haredim (ultra-Orthodox) gathered outside the army recruiting office in Jerusalem,” the spokesman said. He said the demonstrators threw stones and “other objects” at security personnel. Protesters also prayed….
Israeli troops detain Palestinian at flying checkpoint
5/17/2013 – TUBAS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained a 25-year-old Palestinian at a flying checkpoint in Tubas on Thursday, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said. Saji Daragmeh was detained at a flying checkpoint on the road between Tubas and Nablus inthe northern West Bank, the PPS said in a statement. 1 ) Mel / USA17/05/2013 15….
Israeli forces search jail cells for phones in Negev
5/17/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – The Palestinian detainees’ center said Friday that Israeli special forces raided section 24 at Negev prison on Thursday night damaging property and intensively searching belongings. Center official Riyad Al-Ashqar said in a statement that detainees at section 24 were surprised when special forces attacked the cell at 10 p….
2 prisoners released in Jenin
5/17/2013 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Friday released 35-year-old Bilal al-Razi to his home in Jenin after 11 years of imprisonment. Al-Razi was arrested in 2002 for his affiliation with al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.”The message I have from the prisoners is to work on our national unity,” Al-Razi said….
Protests in Jerusalem after al-Aqsa clashes
5/17/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Dozens of Palestinians in Jerusalem protested Friday after Israel granted access to right-wingers at the al-Aqsa compound. Protesters raised Palestinian flags and chanted for the protection of al-Aqsa in a rally in the Old City. Another protest was held in the Sheikh Jarrah area in Jerusalem with the participation of Palestinian and Israeli activists. [END]
Golan peacekeeping force suffers third abduction
5/17/2013 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — Syrian rebels seized three UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights in the third abduction in two months in the ceasefire zone between Syria and Israel, the UN said Thursday. The abduction of the three observers came as the United Nations struggles to persuade the Philippines to keep its troops in the Golan….
Egypt police close Rafah crossing in protest over kidnappings
5/17/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian police on Friday closed the Rafah crossing on Gaza’s border in protest at the abduction of their colleagues. The police closed the gates of Rafah crossing and prevented general and military intelligence officers from entering the terminal in protest at the kidnapping of their colleagues, a Ma….
Abbas leaves Egypt after 3-day trip
5/17/2013 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas left Egypt on Friday, after a 3-day trip. During the visit, Abbas met his Egyptian counterpart Muhammad Mursi and discussed recent Israeli actions at the al-Aqsa compound, and progress in Palestinian reconciliation. The president also met with Mohamed Raafat Shehata, the chief of the Egyptian General Intelligence….
Israel justice minister slams Russia arms to Syria
5/17/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni on Friday slammed Russian arms deals with Syria, after US media reported further weapons shipments to the Damascus regime. Livni’s comments also come in the wake of a surprise visit by CIA chief John Brennan to Israel to discuss the situation in Israel’s war-torn….
Turkey: No peace deal without Palestinian unity
5/17/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — Middle East peace will prove impossible without Palestinian unity, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Friday, suggesting Ankara could help reconcile the Fatah and Hamas parties.” The process of unity between Fatah and Hamas, this has to be achieved,” Erdogan told a Washington think tank during a visit to the United States….
German foreign minister reaffirms Israel ‘friendship’
5/17/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Visiting German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Friday reaffirmed his country’s friendship for Israel in “challenging times” for the region, as tensions mount over the Syrian conflict.” I want to underline that in these challenging times Germany stands alongside its Israeli partners,” Westerwelle said at the start of talks in Jerusalem….
Report: Israeli taxpayers bankroll Netanyahu home
5/18/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli taxpayers, already fuming at a draft belt-tightening budget which seeks to slash spending and hike taxes, paid $88,000 last year for upkeep of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private seaside home, the daily Haaretz reported Friday. It said that the spacious family home in the exclusive Caesarea resort is never used….
PA takes radio stations off-air over licensing debts
5/17/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority’s public prosecutor has temporarily taken some radio stations off-air in the West Bank after they failed to pay licensing fees, the Ministry of Communications said Friday. Undersecretary Suliman al-Zuhari told Ma’an that his ministry handed the public prosecutor the names of radio stations which….
Celebrated Palestinian historian, journalist dies at 93
5/18/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Celebrated Palestinian historian, author and journalist Nasser al-Din al-Nashashibi died on Friday at his home in Jerusalem on Friday aged 93. Al-Nashashibi was born in Jerusalem in 1920. He studied political science in Lebanon, and joined the Arab League’s Arab Office in 1945. He would later be appointed an….
Israel rabbi speaks out on being gay and Orthodox
5/18/2013 – NETANYA, Israel (AFP) — In openly displaying his homosexuality while serving as an Orthodox rabbi, Ron Yosef has broken a major taboo in the closed religious world that he inhabits. Although May 17 is to be marked International Day Against Homophobia, the biblical stance on homosexuality remains clearly laid out in Leviticus, one of the five….
Gaza pilgrims head to Mecca
5/17/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hundreds of Palestinians left Gaza on Thursday to perform pilgrimage to Mecca, an official in Gaza’s Ministry of Religious Affairs said. Some 350 pilgrims left Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Egypt’s border, and flew from El-Arish airport to Saudi Arabia, said Adel Sawalha director of the ministry’s pilgrimage department. [END]
KFC comes to Gaza … by tunnel
5/17/2013 – GAZA CITY (AFP) — Junk-food starved Gazans can now order Kentucky Fried Chicken to go thanks to a new smuggling service which brings takeout from Egypt via a network of underground tunnels. It’s not exactly “fast” — taking several hours to arrive, with the Palestinian delivery company behind it charging hefty prices to cover the….
Gunmen kidnap 7 Egyptian soldiers, police in Sinai
5/17/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — A jihadist group kidnapped seven Egyptian officers in Egypt’s Sinai early Thursday, security officials said. The servicemen were traveling to Cairo for their monthly vacation in two taxis when gunmen ambushed them in Wadi al-Akhdar, between el-Arish and Sheikh Zuweid cities, security sources told Ma’an. The….
Boy, 8, seriously hurt in Negev road accident
5/17/2013 – NEGEV, Israel (Ma’an) — An 8-year-old boy was hit by a car and seriously injured on Friday in the Negev town of Arara. The boy was taken to the Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, a Ma’an reporter said. Police have opened an investigation into the accident. [END]
War photographers share insight in new work
5/18/2013 – NEW YORK (AFP) — A new book presents eye witness accounts from photojournalists covering the Iraq war in an anthology of stories, individuals and acts of heroism that didn’t make headlines. In “Photojournalists on War: The Untold Stories from Iraq” photographer and writer Michael Kamber interviews 38 colleagues, including Patrick Baz of Agence France-Presse….
Hundreds march in Cairo demanding Mursi ouster
5/18/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — Hundreds of people marched on Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Friday calling for Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed Mursi to resign and demanding early elections, AFP correspondents and local media reported. The demonstration was called by a number of opposition groups, including the Al-Dustur party of former UN atomic watchdog chief….
Obama and Erdogan demand Assad step down
5/17/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — Amid a flurry of moves to organize peace talks to end Syria’s bloody civil war, US President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted Bashar Assad must step down. The two met Thursday in Washington as efforts to bring the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition together at….
HRW: Evidence of torture by regime in Syria’s Raqa
5/17/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Documents and torture equipment found in Syrian security buildings in rebel-held Raqa show detainees were tortured when President Bashar Assad’s regime held sway over the city, Human Rights Watch said on Friday. A team of researchers working for HRW toured Raqa in northern Syria in April, a month after the city….
UN: Syria refugee tally tops 1.5 million
5/17/2013 – GENEVA (AFP) — More than 1. 5 million Syrians have fled their conflict-ravaged homeland, the UN’s refugee agency said Friday, warning that the real figure could be even higher as the tally only reflected those who register with aid groups. Dan McNorton, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, told reporters that close….
France says opposed to Iran attending Syria conference
5/17/2013 – PARIS (AFP) — France said Friday it is opposed to having Iran attend a peace conference on Syria despite Damascus’s ally Russia wanting Tehran’s presence at the event expected in the first half of June. Foreign ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot said: “We do not want Iran. The Syrian crisis is contagious and….
Cleric: Iran women cannot stand for presidency
5/17/2013 – TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Women can not contest Iran’s June 14 presidential election, a member of the electoral watchdog said in media reports on Friday, dashing the hopes of some 30 female candidates.” The law prohibits women from being president,” said hardline cleric and former judiciary chief Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, quoted by the Mehr….
Ultra-Orthodox Jews protest Israel army draft
AlJazeera 17 May 2013 – Thousands of men rally in Jerusalem against plans to enrol them into military, saying it would harm their way of life.
Palestinian Journalist Naser al-Din al-Nashashibi Dies in Jerusalem
Palestine News Network
Ahrar: Israel Practices Racial Discrimination Against Administrative Detainees
Palestine News Network
Israel Razes 40 Dunums of Agricultural Land near Nablus
Palestine News Network
Jumping The Fence
Palestine News Network
UN Secretary-General Warns Netanyahu Over International Law Violations in Jerusalem
Palestine News Network
Number of Syrian Refugees Tops 1.5 Million, says UNHCR
Palestine News Network
Dr. Ashrawi Slams Israeli Plans to Legalize Illegal Settler ‘Outposts’
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (08 – 15 May 2013)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Live ammunition fired at Deir Jarir demonstration against land grab and settler violence
5/17/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 17th May 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Team Nablus, Deir Jarir, Occupied Palestine – The village of Deir Jarir today, 17th May, held its fourth consecutive weekly demonstration to protest Israeli land grab and settler violence against its villagers. The rally was violently suppressed by Israeli forces, who shot large amounts of tear gas and rubber coated….
New women’s center hosts educational Nakba commemoration event
5/17/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 17th May 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Asira Al-Qibliyyah, Occupied Palestine, Team Nablus – The event ended in a Palestinian dabkah performance by a local girls dabkah group, celebrating culture and proving that Palestinian history has not been forgotten. A new women’s center in Asira Al-Qibliyyah hosted an event for women and children in commemoration….
Lebanon: ICRC presses ahead with effort to aid Syrian refugees
Relief Web 17 May 2013 – Source: ICRC Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic 17-05-2013 Operational Update Refugees from the fighting in Syria continue to stream into Lebanon. The ICRC is determined to do its part in the effort to help them. The humanitarian…
occupied Palestinian territory: Against Push for Peace Talks, Outposts Continue Israeli Land Grab
Relief Web 16 May 2013 – Source: Inter Press Service Country: occupied Palestinian territory By Jillian Kestler-D’Amours ASIRA AL-QIBLIYA, Occupied West Bank, May 16 2013 (IPS) – Ibrahim Makhlouf reaches for two wooden planks lying in the hallway and places them expertly in an L-shape along…
occupied Palestinian territory: Al Mezan: 65th Anniversary of Palestinian Nakba calls for ending Palestinian catastrophe through justice, human rights, and democracy
Relief Web 16 May 2013 – Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory Today marks the 65th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba: the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people in 1948, which left most Palestinians as refugees in and outside of Palestine….
Dubai stalker showed teenager pornographic images before trying to molest her, court told
The National 18 May 2013 – Driver is accused of stalking a 13-year-old girl and showing her pornographic images.
Russia defends its weapons contracts with Syria
The National 17 May 2013 – UN secretary general meets Russian president as Moscow says it is operating within international law in supplying the Assad regime with defence systems.
Iraq attacks kill more than 40 people
The National 17 May 2013 – The attack, combined with yesterday¿s bombing at a Sunni funeral to the south of the capital, deepened fears Iraq may be headed toward a new round of sectarian conflict.
Violence taints Qatar’s PSG dream
The National 17 May 2013 – When the Qatari sovereign fund bought PSG, hopes were high that the fans would leave behind their reputation for racism and thuggery. But after France’s richest club won the league, celebrations turned ugly as supporters clashed with riot police in Paris.
Tiptoe through the tulips … in Abu Dhabi
The National 17 May 2013 – Marina Mall has recreated a famous Austrian park, Volksgarten, much to the delight of expatriates who will not be able to escape the summer heat.
Young boy recovering after near drowning
The National 17 May 2013 – A six-year-old boy is in recovery after almost drowning during a family outing to a Sharjah beach
UAE congratulates Pakistani President
The National 17 May 2013 – UAE Ambassador to Pakistan meets with Nawaz Sharif
New radar opposite Abu Dhabi University
The National 17 May 2013 – Abu Dhabi Police install new radar to help limit accidents
U.S. warns Russian missiles may embolden Syria’s Assad, prolong conflict
Ha’aretz – 17 May 2013
German FM to Peres: Nuclear-armed Iran is not an option
Ha’aretz – 17 May 2013
A day after violent protest, Haredi coverage ranges from delicate criticism to complete disregard
Ha’aretz – 17 May 2013
Report: Russia sends advanced missiles to Syria, signaling commitment to Assad
Ha’aretz – 17 May 2013
MK Litzman questioned on suspicion of breach of trust
Ha’aretz – 17 May 2013
Economy grew at sluggish 2.8% rate in quarter
Ha’aretz – 16 May 2013
Arab and ultra-Orthodox towns to get less space for parks under new guidelines
Ha’aretz – 16 May 2013
Erdogan: Palestinian unity is imperative for peace process
Jerusalem Post 17 May 2013 – Turkish PM to meet with Hamas leaders, Abbas in visit next month.
Syria’s Nusra Front eclipsed by Iraq-based al-Qaida
Jerusalem Post 17 May 2013 – Iraqi al-Qaida fighters’ goal is not toppling Assad, but the anti-Western jihad of the organization’s leader Ayman al-Zawahri.
Westerwelle: Nuclear Iran is not an option for Germany
Jerusalem Post 17 May 2013 – Guido Westerwelle meets with Netanyahu, Peres in J’lem; expresses support for US initiative to restart peace process, stresses it is important not just to talk, but also act; Peres: There should be no compromise on Iran.
Turkey detains prime suspect in car bombings
Jerusalem Post 17 May 2013 – Vehicles used in bombings that killed more than 50 were registered to M.G., who was arrested near Syrian border.
Trump eager to build Israel golf course
Jerusalem Post 17 May 2013 – Trump to Ashkelon mayor: I’m excited about plans to build a world-class golf center along the beautiful Mediterranean coast.
Angry Egyptian police close crossing with Gaza
Jerusalem Post 17 May 2013 – Crossing closed to protest kidnapping of Egyptian security forces in Sinai; move leaves hundreds of Palestinians stranded.
Israeli official: We underestimated Assad regime’s strength
Jerusalem Post 17 May 2013 – Senior defense official: Israel thought Assad would fall sooner.
US lawmakers to PA: Axe official who praised terror
Jerusalem Post 17 May 2013 – Congress members call on Abbas to oust Fatah official who said murderer of Jewish man in W. Bank in April was a heroic fighter.
Report: Russia sends Assad ‘ship killing missile’
Jerusalem Post 17 May 2013 – Russia delivers Yakhont missiles, warships to Assad; Lavrov: Arms deal won’t change regional balance of power.
PM draws red lines in media, not on cartoon bombs
Jerusalem Post 17 May 2013 – Netanyahu sends message to Syria through the ‘New York Times,’ that Assad will forfeit regime if he acts against Israeli strikes.
Cabinet may define ‘price tag’ as terror attacks
Jerusalem Post 17 May 2013 – Livni, Aharonovitch “see eye to eye on the need for more serious steps to be taken” to deal with “price tag” attacks.
Hungarian PM’s adviser to visit Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post 17 May 2013 – Zsigmond Perényi to discuss recent anti-Semitism in his country with Foreign Ministry officials.
Free skin check could save your life from melanoma
Jerusalem Post 17 May 2013 – Some 300 health fund clinics will offer free checks for moles by dermatologists as part of Skin Cancer Awareness Week.
Jalili: Iran doesn’t recognize Israel’s ‘red line’
Jerusalem Post 16 May 2013 – Iranian negotiation says he would continue resisting int’l community demands on nuclear program if elected president.
Desert divisions
Jerusalem Post 16 May 2013 – A heated debate can be expected when Knesset reads draft law on the explosive issue of regulating Beduin settlement in the Negev.
Into the Fray: Deciphering delegitimization
Jerusalem Post 16 May 2013 – For a secure Israel to regain legitimacy, the idea of a Palestinian state must be discredited as a possible means of resolving conflict.
My Word: The black hole of BDS
Jerusalem Post 16 May 2013 – It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that Israel is under constant threat of missile attack.
Another Tack: While we keep kvetching
Jerusalem Post 16 May 2013 – Territorial swaps were already discussed by then-premier Ehud Barak in his near-desperate peace-drive of 2000-2001.
Column One: Obama and the ‘official truth’
Jerusalem Post 16 May 2013 – Obama administration targets those who oppose, expose failure of president’s policies.
CIA chief John Brennan makes surprise Israel visit for Syria talks
The Guardian 17 May 2013 – Unannounced meeting with PM Netanyahu and senior Israeli figures comes amid concerns over Syrian weapons The CIA chief has made an unexpected visit to Israel to meet senior political and military figures to discuss the deteriorating…
Syria: Obama pins hopes on peace talks
The Guardian 17 May 2013 – Barack Obama is maintaining his cautious approach to Syria by pinning hopes on an international conference on the crisis which Russia insists must involve Iran Matthew Weaver Guardian readers
KFC smuggled to Gaza from Egypt via tunnels– video
The Guardian 17 May 2013 – A delivery company in Gaza is transporting Kentucky Fried Chicken from Egypt through underground tunnels for residents
Walking Tours Connect Palestinians to Their Past
IPS The view from the Al-Qatrawani shrine, a stop along the Sufi Trail in the village of ‘Atara in the West Bank. Credit: Jillian Kestler-D’Amours/IPS A reddish-brown dome sits atop an ancient stone house, used hundreds of years ago for prayer. It peeks out from the surrounding trees as the rolling…
Tribes Keep Uneasy Peace in Southern Libya
IPS Tebu security staff at Saharan oil fields in southern Libya. Credit: Rebecca Murray/IPS Kaltoum Saleh, 18, is elated to graduate from her overcrowded high school in the remote Saharan town of Ubari, near the Algerian border. Saleh, a member of Ubari’s indigenous Tebu tribe, says that for decades under former…
Arab Magazine Challenges Attitudes About Arab Women
IPS Yara Mashour, editor of Lilac magazine, wants to confront and challenge stereotypes of Arab women. Credit: Pierre Klochendler/IPS With a subtle blend of colour and shadow, 20-year-old Sumoud Farraj prepares for a photo shoot. Next month, along with three other young Arab women, she’ll appear in a designer miniskirt on…
13 year-old Palestinian boy shot and beaten by settlers, leg broken
Uruknet
Syria News – May 15, 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet
Children bear the brunt of Israeli incursions into Kfur Qaddoum
Uruknet
Spies “R” Us
Uruknet
“If you wanted to live, you left”
Uruknet
IDF Agrees to Forego Use of White Phosphorus Sorta
Uruknet
CAGEPRISONERS EXCLUSIVE: Fortress of War: how one Guantanamo prisoner survived a massacre
Uruknet
Radicalized = Weaponized = Kill at Will
Uruknet
Gunmen attack Baghdad liquor stores, 12 killed
Uruknet
New Guantanamo policy: Genital “pat down”
Uruknet
Virgin Radio launch rocks Beirut
Daily Star 17 May 2013 Creator of the Virgin Group empire Sir Richard Branson joined more than 1,700 revelers this week in Beirut’s White nightclub to launch 89.5 FM Virgin Radio.
YNet News
IDF, Palestinians clash near Ramallah
YNet News, 17 May 2013 – ….
Bombs targeting Sunnis kill at least 76 in Iraq
YNet News, 17 May 2013 – ….
Kerry to visit Israel next week
YNet News, 17 May 2013 – ….
US concerned Russian missiles may embolden Assad
YNet News, 17 May 2013 – ….
Man fires gun in live broadcast from Cannes Festival
YNet News, 17 May 2013 – ….
Playing your role: A Middle East peace drama
YNet News, 17 May 2013 – Op-ed: Actor Jason Alexander explains his decision to help resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict ….
Israeli authorities demolish 18 Palestinian houses in the Negev
PIC – The Israeli authorities’ bulldozers accompanied by a large police force and special units demolished on Thursday morning 18 Palestinian houses in the village of Atir in the Negev..
The Preventive apparatus kidnaps a student from Birzeit University
PIC – Elements of PA’s apparatuses kidnapped on Thursday the student at Birzeit University Ibrahim Arouri from outside the university in Ramallah.
Ramallah intelligence service summons a journalist for interrogation
PIC – The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) said the Palestinian intelligence service summoned on Wednesday journalist Haroun Abu Ora for interrogation..
Calls for adopting a law for Palestinian wounded
PIC – Palestinian researchers have called for adopting a law for Palestinian wounded in order to rehabilitate and reintegrate them in the Palestinian society.
MP Abusir: the international community is involved in the Palestinian Nakba
PIC – MP Abusir said that the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people are still continued since the Nakba till today.
Human Rights center condemns settlers’ intention to storm al-Aqsa
PIC – A Palestinian human rights organization condemned the Israeli settlers’ intention to storm al-Aqsa courtyards on Thursday to mark the so-called Shavuot Feast.
The prisoner Sheikh Khaled al-Hajj released
PIC – An Israeli Court released on Thursday the prominent leader in Hamas movement Sheikh Khaled al-Hajj after being subjected to interrogation for several weeks.
Israel plans to legalize four unauthorized West Bank outposts
PIC – Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now said on Thursday that the Netanyahu government wants to give retroactive approval to four unauthorized West Bank settlement outposts slated for demolition.
Odwan calls for adopting law of return for Palestinian refugees
PIC – Dr. Essam Odwan, Head of the Hamas Department of Refugee Affairs, called on Arab Parliaments to adopt the return law for Palestinian refugees issued by the PLC.
Administrative detainees to start a hunger strike at the beginning of June
PIC – The Palestinian administrative prisoners in Israeli jails decided to launch an open-ended hunger strike at the beginning of the month of June.
Syrian soldiers warned daily of sectarian dangers, defectors say
LA Times 17 May 2013 – The rising divisions may guarantee that fighting will continue even if President Bashar Assad falls, setting the stage for a civil war between Sunni, Alawite, Shiite and other militias. MARAAT NUMAN, Syria — Each morning, after saluting the Syrian flag and before the warplanes take…
U.S. decries Russia weapons sale to Syria
LA Times 17 May 2013 – Joint chiefs chairman says the missiles, as well as Russia’s buildup of warships in the region, will ’embolden’ President Bashar Assad. WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Friday condemned Russia’s delivery of advanced antiship missiles to Syria and its buildup of warships in the eastern…
Iran delays presidential election lineup
LA Times 16 May 2013 – The Guardian Council is expected to approve 10 candidates. It is still mulling the fate of two last-minute prospective candidates who have shaken up the race. TEHRAN — Iranians must wait until next week to find out who will be on the ballot in next…
Leak ended informant’s rare opportunity, U.S. officials say
LA Times 16 May 2013 – Saudi-born Briton had gained the trust of terrorists in the Yemeni branch of Al Qaeda and helped foil a bomb plot, they say, but his work was cut short by Associated Press and newspaper reports. WASHINGTON — Disclosure of a highly classified intelligence operation in…
Ex-Iran President Seeks Comeback Against Odds
New York Times 17 May 2013 – Fed up with Iran’s stumbling economy, most Iranians yearn for policies that stimulate business while lowering prices.
Rights Group Says It Finds Proof of Torture in Syria
New York Times 17 May 2013 – Human Rights Watch said Friday that visits to two Syrian security centers contained proof of widespread, arbitrary detentions and torture by the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
At Least 66 Killed in Bomb Blasts in Iraq
New York Times 17 May 2013 – The attacks made Friday one of the bloodiest days this year, as the country struggles to contain sectarian violence.
Soldier Gets Life Without Parole in Iraq Killings
New York Times 17 May 2013 – Sgt. John Russell was sentenced on Thursday after being convicted on Monday of killing five fellow service members at a combat stress clinic in Iraq in 2009.
Russia Provides Syria With Advanced Missiles
New York Times 16 May 2013 – Antiship cruise missiles could make it more difficult for the United States and its allies to impose a naval embargo, establish a no-fly zone or carry out airstrikes in support of Syria’s rebels.
Mother of Jewish Teen Killed on Brooklyn Bridge Speaks Out About Killer’s Arrest
The Foward Breaking News 17 May 2013 – The mother of Ari Halberstam, a Jewish teen who was murdered nine years ago on the Brooklyn Bridge, speaks out about the arrest of her son’s murderer who has ties to Hamas. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt Closes Gaza Border After Kidnapping of Police
The Foward Breaking News 17 May 2013 – Egyptian police blocked the crossing into the Gaza Strip on Friday in protest against the kidnapping of seven of their colleagues by Islamist gunmen, witnesses said. Click here for the rest of the article…
IDF Stung by Billion Dollar Budget Cuts, But Bonus Looms on Horizon
The Foward Breaking News 17 May 2013 – It’s best to take with a grain of salt the complaints that will be voiced in the near future by the General Staff about the implications of the cuts included in the state budget passed this week. True, in the years ahead, the Israel Defense Forces…
Russian Arms Shipment to Syria ‘Destabilizes’ Region, Says Livni
The Foward Breaking News 17 May 2013 – Israeli Justice Minister Tzippi Livni warned that “Israel has a right to defend itself” in the wake of reports that Russia provided advanced naval missiles to Syria. Click here for the rest of the article…
Mother of Jewish Teen Killed on Brooklyn Bridge Speaks Out About Arrest
The Forward New 17 May 2013 – The mother of Ari Halberstam, a Jewish teen who was murdered on the Brooklyn Bridge, speaks out about the arrest of a man involved in her son’s murder who has ties to Hamas. Click here for the rest of the article…
Is Steven Hawking’s Decision To Boycott an Israeli Conference Boon to BDS?
The Forward New 17 May 2013 – In the battle between supporters and boycotters of Israel, Steven Hawking’s decision to join the BDS camp made a big statement. But will it impact the movement long-term? Click here for the rest of the article…
Ghana: Rawlings Pleads With Israel to Distance Herself
allAfrica.com 17 May 2013 – [Ghanaian Chronicle]An ex- President of the Republic of Ghana, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, has, at a conference of former heads of state in Bahrain, called on Israel to restrain itself in its involvement in the conflict in Syria.
Israel: UN expert warns against Israel’s plans for a six-lane settlement highway in East Jerusalem
Global BDS 17 May 2013 – GENEVA (13 May 2013) – United Nations Special Rapporteur Richard Falk today called for an immediate halt to construction of a settlement highway in Beit Safafa (East Jerusalem), also known as the ‘Begin Highway.’ Mr. Falk urged the Israeli Government, in particular the Ministry of Transport,…
Letter of the Palestinian Postal Service Workers’ Union to the South African Communication Workers on the 65th commemoration of the Nakba
Global BDS 17 May 2013 – Sisters and brothers of South Africa, dear to our hearts, Fraternal greetings from Palestine, We address you today as we commemorate the grim anniversary of our Nakba, our national catastrophe, and as our days continue to be filled with calamities and sufferings. While the living conditions…
Past Due: Sixty Five Years and the Ongoing Nakba
Global BDS 15 May 2013 – May 15, 2013 marks the 65th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, which resulted in the catastrophic expulsion of the over 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and land in 1948, and creation of the first batch of Palestinian Refugees. Some three-quarters of the Palestinian Arab population or over 750,000…
Nakba Day protest calls for end to EU funding of Israeli arms companies
Global BDS 15 May 2013 – On the 15th of May we remember Nakba day. In 1948 the state of Israel was born and 750 000 Palestinians were made refugee. On this symbolic day 30 activists of the Belgian peace organizations ‘Vrede vzw’, ‘Vredesactie’ and the solidarity movement ‘Intal’ organised an action…
‘More than 1.5m’ Syrian refugees
BBC 17 May 2013 – The UN’s refugee agency says that more than 1.5m people have fled the conflict in Syria, and warns the total is likely to be far higher.
Saudi man in self-immolation protest
BBC 17 May 2013 – A Saudi man has died after setting himself on fire in protest at his treatment by authorities, the BBC has learned.
Egypt police seal border with Gaza
BBC 17 May 2013 – Egyptian police sealed off the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip in protest at the abduction of seven security personnel in Sinai.
Religious protest over Israel draft
BBC 17 May 2013 – Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews protest in Jerusalem against plans to force members of their community to serve in the Israeli military.
Egypt Celebs Declare ‘Rebellion’ Against Mursi
Al-Akhbar News 17 May 2013 – Egyptian political activist Ahmed Douma smiles and flashes the “V” for victory sign as he stands behind dock bars during his trial in Cairo on 13 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – Khaled Desouki) Egyptian political activist Ahmed Douma smiles and flashes the “V” for victory sign…
Israel’s Syrian Media Games
Al-Akhbar News 17 May 2013 – Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian protestor as clashes broke out outside Damascus gate in Jerusalem on 15 May 2013 during a rally to mark the 65th Nakba or “catastrophe” of the Jewish state’s creation in 1948. (Photo: AFP – Jack Guez) Israeli security forces arrest…
Iraq attacks on mosque, funeral kill 49
Al-Akhbar News 17 May 2013 – Updated 6:58 pm: Two bombs near a mosque and another targeting a funeral procession killed 49 people in Iraq on Friday, officials said. One bomb exploded as worshippers were departing the Saria mosque in the city of Baquba while a second detonated after people gathered at…
Tunisia may allow Salafi rally following threats
Al-Akhbar News 17 May 2013 – Tunisia’s government will decide by Saturday whether to allow or ban Salafis from holding their annual congress, the interior minister said on Friday, warning however that “death threats” from radical Islamists will not be tolerated. “The final decision will be taken today or tomorrow,” Lotfi Ben…
Russia rebuffs criticism over Syria arms shipments
Al-Akhbar News 17 May 2013 – Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addresses a joint press conference in Warsaw, Poland on 10 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – Wojtek Radwanski) Russia’s foreign minister on Friday brushed off Western criticism of Moscow for supplying weapons to Syria’s government. “I do not understand why the media…
Egyptian Copt to sue Israel over beating
Al-Akhbar News 17 May 2013 – Christian Orthodox worshippers hold up candles lit from the “Holy Fire” as thousands gather in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City on 4 May 2013 during the ‘Holy Fire’ ceremony on the eve of the Orthodox Easter. (Photo: AFP – Gali Tibbon)…
Stories from the Nakba: Memories of Stolen Lives
Al-Akhbar Series and Features 16 May 2013 – A Palestinian girl holds a replica of a house key, representing the front door key of am abandoned home, as she attends the 65th Nakba day or “Day of Catastrophe” rally in Gaza City, on 15 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – Mohammed Abed) A Palestinian girl…
Band of Kurdish Fighters Receive Cold Iraqi Welcome
Al-Akhbar Politics 16 May 2013 – A female Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighter works on her laptop after arriving in the northern Iraqi city of Dohuk on 14 May 2013, after leaving Turkey as part of a peace drive with Ankara. (Photo: AFP -Safin Hamed) A female Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighter…
Saudi’s Faisal Warms Up to Iran…Conceding Nothing
Al-Akhbar Politics 16 May 2013 – Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi looks past his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu during the opening of a ministerial meeting in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah, by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on 13 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – STR) Iranian Foreign Minister Ali…
Deadly blasts target Iraqi Sunnis
BBC 17 May 2013 – More than 60 people have died in attacks in and around Baghdad, apparently targeting Sunnis, in the worst day of violence in Iraq for months.
‘More than 1.5m’ Syrian refugees
BBC 17 May 2013 – The UN’s refugee agency says that more than 1.5m people have fled the conflict in Syria, and warns the total is likely to be far higher.
Saudi man in self-immolation protest
BBC 17 May 2013 – A Saudi man has died after setting himself on fire in protest at his treatment by authorities, the BBC has learned.
British child dies at Egyptian hotel
BBC 17 May 2013 – A British child has died in a pool at a hotel waterpark in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, travel company First Choice says.
Egypt police seal border with Gaza
BBC 17 May 2013 – Egyptian police sealed off the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip in protest at the abduction of seven security personnel in Sinai.
Religious protest over Israel draft
BBC 17 May 2013 – Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews protest in Jerusalem against plans to force members of their community to serve in the Israeli military.
Articles
A diary of violence: Nakba Day protests in East Jerusalem
Sahar Vardi, +972 Magazine 5/17/2013
One activist’s diary of the arrests and violence that Israeli police used against Palestinian protesters in East Jerusalem on Nakba Day, 2013.
Scene 1:
A few dozen Palestinians march down Bab A-Zahara Street with a police van behind them, they head toward Damascus Gate for the Annual commemoration of the Nakba. Police cavalry pass the marchers, turn around, block the sidewalk on which the protesters are marching and start galloping towards them. Another line of border policeman prevents those who managed to pass from walking toward Damascus Gate, but they’re too late, half the protest is already at Damascus Gate.
Scene 2:
About 200 hundred Palestinians are chanting on the stairs in front of Damascus Gate when we hear yelling from the road. Half-a-dozen policemen gather around a Palestinian man standing on an elevated part of the sidewalk who is refusing to move. A policeman holds his hand and tells him he’s arrested. The man doesn’t resist, but doesn’t move either. Four or five border policemen surround him from all sides, grab him, punch him – and punch him. A border policewoman reaches over a low fence and punches him again and again, just because she can. The man is brought down to the ground; a policeman sits on his head and yells, “turn around onto your stomach!” The policeman next to me laughs and says, “why do they need so many policeman for one man?” The police push away everyone gathered around him, including photographers, using the police horses. I find myself squashed between a horse and the low fence. When the horse moves and I hold my aching back, a policeman comes to me and says, “you should really be more careful.” more.. e-mail
Palestinians seek unity
Khaled Amayreh in occupied Jerusalem, Al-Ahram Weekly 5/14/2013
Israeli encroachment on Al-Aqsa Mosque continues to threaten peace, while Palestinian reconciliation talks resume in Cairo with a large gap to close.
Palestinian political and religious leaders have issued a stern warning to Israel against “tampering with the status quo at the Haram Al-Sharif [Noble Sanctuary] in East Jerusalem,” saying incessant Israeli efforts to arrogate “prayer rights” for Jews at the exclusively Islamic shrine would cause a huge conflagration in the region and beyond.
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas said Israeli provocations and violations of the mosque’s sanctity were “totally unacceptable and could transform the region into a powder keg”.
The warnings came following statements by Israeli officials, including parliamentary leaders, asserting efforts to promulgate laws allowing Jews to “have full freedom” to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque and its spacious courts and esplanades.
Sheikh Mohamed Hussein, the grand mufti or supreme religious authority of Jerusalem, said Israeli plans and designs would create a tinderbox in Jerusalem and the rest of occupied Palestine.
“Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere will never accept this provocation and will try to thwart it by all means necessary. This is the ultimate red line for us. The Israelis and the world should listen carefully to what I am saying,” he said.
Hussein was briefly detained by the Israeli occupation authorities last week after he reiterated these warnings publicly. more.. e-mail
Standing Against Oppression in Palestine
Ismail Patel, CounterPunch 5/17/2013
Free Gaza
Three years ago, I left Britain and flew to Turkey with the intention of joining the Freedom Flotilla bound for the shores of Gaza. Our intention was to break the illegal and immoral siege that was slowly draining the life from the densely populated land. I boarded the Mavi Marmara to take hope to the people of Gaza. What ensued was one of the toughest and most heartbreaking experiences of my life. Over 500 of us were on board the ship, and nine were dead before the end of our journey, having been shot and killed with a total of 30 bullets.
My faith means I believe that they were all martyrs, who were killed while attempting to stand up against oppression. Their families celebrate their heroism. However, the state of Turkey and the international community owes them a debt – to ensure that Israel is brought to account for their deaths. Immediately afterwards I wrote, ‘war is failure of diplomacy and since diplomacy is a scarce commodity in the Holy Land we need to make sure those conducting war have a standard to adhere to, and upon those whom war is being conducted have a legal recourse. Otherwise failure of diplomacy will be a matter of course for war to ensue and Israel is taking advantage of this to its limit.’
The full-scale military attack on our ship by the Israeli commandos was incomprehensible. A civilian ship on international waters was attacked by one of the most sophisticated military’s in the world using deadly gunfire. There was no opportunity to negotiate as the attack was launched in the dead of the night, and in the aftermath, the Israeli navy was forced to scrounge around the ship to find ‘evidences’ for its disproportionate and insane attack. Thus, a ludicrous pile of kitchen knives and fire-safety axes were showcased to the world as the ‘deadly weapons’ which we had on board. more.. e-mail
A fair and just consideration of Susya’s master plan
Abe Hayeem, APJP, Israeli Occupation Archive 5/17/2013
From: Abe Hayeem
Chair, Architects & Planners for Justice in Palestine, London, UK
To: Head of the Civil Administration,
Brigadier General Moti Almoz, Beit El
Dear Brigadier General Almoz
Re: A Fair and Just Consideration of Susya’s Master Plan
Shalom!
This is an appeal for you to follow the recommendations of the International Court of Justice regarding the building of the Separation Wall and all of the Israel settlements in the occupied West Bank. They are totally illegal under international law, the 4th Geneva Convention, and the UN Charter of Human Rights which gives indigenous people, in this case the Bedouin of Susya and surrounding areas of the Hebron Hills and the Jordan Valley, the right to practice their traditional way of life, and the right to a home on their own land. The ICJ has demanded that the wall and settlements be dismantled, and that the ‘high contracting parties’ must take action to ensure that the ruling of 2004 is implemented.
Although Israel has achieved a more or less de facto annexation of the whole of Area C, which constitutes 62% of the West Bank, this is an indisputably illegal annexation, which is in serious breach of the Geneva Conventions. Thus any building of illegal settlements for Israelis, as serious breaches, are classified as war crimes…. — See also: Source: Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine more.. e-mail
Settlers attack West Bank farmer twice a week
Electronic Intifada: 17 May 2013 – Even if Israel considers settlement outposts to be illegal, it is still facilitating their construction.more
Palestinian refugees are not at your service
Electronic Intifada: 17 May 2013 – Translator Moe Ali Nayel was shocked by the arrogance of a recent group of Harvard students interviewing in Sabra refugee camp.more
Women of the Wall
Dissident Voice: 17 May 2013 – There was this Israeli man who from time to time put a slip of paper in the cracks between the stones of the Western Wall, asking God for favors – as Jews have been doing for centuries. They believe that the gates of heaven are located directly above the Wall, making it easy for their missives to arrive quickly. The man always wondered what all the other petitioners were requesting from the Almighty. One night his curiosity got the better of him. In the wee hours of the morning he stole to the Wall, extracted all the pieces of paper and checked them. All of them were stamped “Request Denied”. This joke is typical for the attitude of a great many Israelis towards the edifice that every few months or so sets off a political and religious pandemonium. Now it is happening again. A group of feminist Jewish women (mostly…more
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The New Dark Age 