22 May 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Army Kidnaps 12 Children In Jerusalem
IMEMC – Wednesday, May 22 2013, The Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA) has reported that Israeli soldiers kidnapped twelve children, students of the Orphanage School in occupied East Jerusalem. …
Islamic Jihad Denies Involvement In Syrian Clashes
IMEMC – On Tuesday, May 21, the Islamic Jihad in Palestine denied accusations of involvement in the ongoing clashes between the Syrian army and armed groups in Syria, and said that its struggle is only against Israel. …
Israel Claims Arresting Two Hamas, Islamic Jihad “Cells” In Hebron
IMEMC – The Israeli Security Agency (Shabak) revealed Tuesday that the army managed to arrest, a month ago, members of two “cells” that belong to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements in the Hebron area, in the southern parts of the West Bank. …
Israel arrests PA security officers over 2011 settler death
5/22/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained three PA security officers overnight Tuesday accused of being involved in the 2011 death of a settler in Nablus, locals said. Israeli military vehicles raided the Tubas village of Tammun and detained Sergent Nawwaf Fahd Bani Audah, 25, after ransacking his home. Local village youths threw rocks at….
Witnesses: Undercover Israeli unit arrests man in Jenin
5/22/2013 – JENIN (Ma’an) — An undercover Israeli unit arrested a man in Jenin on Wednesday, locals said. Shuja Irsan al-Qureini was arrested after a Mercedes with Palestinian plates pulled up beside him in Jenin, witnesses said. The car had stopped in front of laborers heading to a nearby rubbish site, and the driver asked Rabee….
Israeli troops raid Beit Jala training center
5/22/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces raided a vocational training center in the Bethlehem-area town of Beit Jala on Wednesday, witnesses said. Military vehicles entered a northern area of Beit Jala and soldiers raided the center, which offers training courses to young people in handicrafts, IT and other vocational skills. Soldiers confiscated the identity cards….
Israeli forces consider tougher response to West Bank protests
5/22/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli Knesset security cabinet is scheduled Wednesday to address possible changes to the regulations governing Israeli soldiers operating in the occupied West Bank. According to the Israeli daily Maariv, three reserve commanders — Amram Mitzna, Danny Yatom and Uzi Dayan — have warned that Israel should immediately address the dangerous situation described….
Israeli soldier killed by mine explosion in Golan Heights
5/22/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli soldier was killed on Tuesday after a mine exploded in the occupied Golan Heights, Israel’s army said.” While clearing out minefields in the southern Golan Heights an IDF soldier was killed by an explosion and the whole incident is being investigated,” an Israeli military spokeswoman told Ma….
Egypt reopens Rafah after kidnapped soldiers released
5/22/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian police officers reopened the Rafah crossing on Wednesday following the release of seven Egyptian officers on Wednesday, military officials said. The crossing had been closed for 5 days following the abduction of the servicemen on Thursday by armed gunmen. The seven officers were released in a desert area south…. Related: Hamas congratulates Egypt after release of kidnapped officers and Bahar: We don’t intervene in Egypt’s internal affairs
Israel detains 5 students in Jerusalem
5/22/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained five students from a school belonging to an Islamic orphanage after they were accused of attacking a settler in Jerusalem, officials said Wednesday. Headmaster Mazen Jamjoum told Ma’an that Israeli troops raided the school and detained five students between the ages of 13 to 15. Jamjoum….
Hamas congratulates Egypt after release of kidnapped officers
5/22/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza premier Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday congratulated Egypt after seven kidnapped servicemen were released after six days in captivity.” This is an accomplishment for the Egyptian army, and a confirmation of sovereignty in Sinai,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri added. [END]
Bahar: We don’t intervene in Egypt’s internal affairs
5/22/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council on Wednesday said that Palestinians do not intervene in the internal affairs of Egypt. Ahmad Bahar congratulated President Muhammad Mursi on the release of seven kidnapped servicemen earlier in the day, and said he hoped Egypt would soon return to its position…. Related: Egypt reopens Rafah after kidnapped soldiers released and Hamas congratulates Egypt after release of kidnapped officers
IAEA: Iran speeds up installation of nuclear equipment
5/22/2013 – VIENNA (AFP) — Iran has accelerated the installation of advanced nuclear machines at its Natanz plant in the last three months, the UN atomic agency said in a report Wednesday. The International Atomic Energy Agency said that Iran has installed at Natanz almost 700 IR-2m centrifuges and empty casings, used to enrich uranium, compared with….
Mursi greets freed Egyptian officers in Cairo
5/22/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — Kidnappers freed Egyptian police and soldiers in the Sinai on Wednesday, as President Mohamed Mursi vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice and appealed to residents of the lawless peninsula to disarm. The conscripts, seized at gunpoint last week as they were returning from a leave of absence, arrived in Cairo following a…. Related: Egypt reopens Rafah after kidnapped soldiers released
Israel general sees increased risk of surprise war
5/22/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Middle East unrest increases the chance of a surprise attack on Israel, the head of its air force said on Wednesday, but added that he did not see an attack as imminent.” When you look (around) today I think that a surprise war can be born in very many configurations,” Major General Amir….
Teenager found dead in Hebron well
5/22/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — A teenager was found dead on Wednesday in a well near his home in the Hebron village of Dura, police said. The body of Ayid Darabee, 15, was pulled out of a well by civil defense crews and taken to a hospital in Hebron. Police have opened an investigation into the….
UN: Fighting displaces most Palestinians in Syria
5/22/2013 – HOMS, Syria (AFP) — The conflict in Syria has displaced more than two-thirds of Palestinian refugees living in the country, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees said on Wednesday.” We have registered approximately 530,000 Palestinian refugees. We believe that almost all of them, certainly maybe 70-80 percent, are displaced from their normal….
Gunmen attack Egyptian military base in Sinai
5/22/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Gunman opened fire on a military base in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula early Wednesday, a Ma’an reporter said. Gunmen affiliated with Jihadist groups attacked a base in the Rafah area of Sinai, sources told Ma’an, firing heavily at three military vehicles. Egyptian forces fired back….
Canada warns of possible Iraq ‘civil war’
5/22/2013 – OTTAWA (AFP) — A spate of deadly violence risks plunging Iraq into a sectarian civil war, Canada’s top diplomat warned, adding that a Canadian was among the latest victims.” The security situation in Iraq has been fragile for many years,” Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said in a statement.” But the type of violence….
At least 11 dead as clashes rage in Lebanon’s Tripoli
5/22/2013 – TRIPOLI, Lebanon (AFP) — At least 11 people have died and more than 100 been wounded in three days of Syria-related clashes in Lebanon’s flashpoint city of Tripoli, a security source said on Wednesday. Fighting between Sunni and Alawite residents of the city was continuing for a fourth day on Wednesday but clashes had….
Friends of Syria meet as conflict escalates
5/22/2013 – AMMAN (AFP) — Backers of the Syrian uprising were to meet in Amman with the opposition Wednesday to discuss a US-Russian proposal for peace talks, as the two-year conflict escalated close to the border with Lebanon.” Today’s effort. . . is part of a political path aimed at ending the violence and bloodshed,” Jordanian Foreign Minister….
Syria opposition urges rebels to join Qusayr battle
5/22/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Syria’s opposition urged fighters across the country Wednesday to “rush to the rescue” of rebel stronghold Qusayr and appealed to the international community to set up a humanitarian corridor to the embattled town. Acting National Coalition opposition chief George Sabra issued the call for rebel reinforcements to the town as Syrian….
Mursi appeals to Egypt opposition for unity
5/22/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi appealed Wednesday to the opposition for unity, in the face of criticism he is failing the revolution that brought him to power almost a year ago.” To all those who love Egypt, to the opposition, those who love this country and care for its interests, let’s proceed….
Kerry urges Assad to commit to peace ahead of talks
5/22/2013 – AMMAN (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry called on Syrian President Bashar Assad on Wednesday to make “a commitment to find peace in his country,” ahead of a meeting of the Friends of Syria group in Amman. Speaking at a press conference with his Jordanian counterpart, Nasser Judeh, Kerry said a US-Russian proposed conference….
Gunmen kill 12 at Baghdad brothel
5/22/2013 – BAGHDAD (AFP) — Gunmen shot dead at least seven women and five men at a Baghdad brothel on Wednesday, in the same area where alcohol shops were hit by a deadly attack last week, officials said. Iraq is struggling to contain a wave of violence that, with the latest unrest, has killed more than 400 people….
Success Requires Consequences for Israel for Failure
Palestine News Network
Kairos Palestine Condemns Kidnapping of Two Bishops in Syria
Palestine News Network
EU is Concerned about Reports of Torture, ill Treatment of Detainees by Palestinian Law Enforcement Agencies
Palestine News Network
IPI Executive Board Welcomes Two New Members
Palestine News Network
First Arab Elected to IPI Board, Demanding Israel Freedom of Movement for Palestinian Journalists
Palestine News Network
ICHR Report: Abuse in Palestine on the Rise
Palestine News Network
Israel Moves the Dean of Hamas Prisoners to Gelb’o Prison
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
“Who would want to live in a place like this?”
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR refutes findings of Israeli committee concerning killing of Mohammed al-Durrah
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
‘No-one can explain to me why’
5/22/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 22 May 2012, International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team, Kafr Qalil, Occupied Palestine – The Israeli army invaded seven family homes in the village of Kafr Qalil, south of Nablus, between 1am and 2am on 20th May. They trashed the properties and people’s possessions and stayed in them for several hours apiece. Lastly, they arrested….
Photo Essay: Sabastiya remembers 65 years of the Nakba
5/22/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 22th May 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Team Nablus, Sabastiya, Occupied Palestine – In community remembrance of the Nakba, Sabastiya villagers observed 15 minutes of a full lights-out. Villagers sang Palestinian songs together in a show of community and collective continued remembrance of the devastation and displacement caused by the Nakba and the effects of the Nakba….
occupied Palestinian territory: Upcoming period will be critical to talks on ending crisis in Syria, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Security Council told
Relief Web 22 May 2013 – Source: UN Security Council Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic SC/11013 Security Council 6969th Meeting (AM) Grave Turmoil’ Threatens Regional Stability, Warns United Nations Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Process With “grave turmoil” on the ground threatening…
Syrian Arab Republic: Fighting displaces 70-80% of Palestinians in Syria: UN
Relief Web 22 May 2013 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic 05/22/2013 14:35 GMT HOMS, Syria, May 22, 2013 (AFP) – The conflict in Syria has displaced more than two-thirds of Palestinian refugees living in the country, the UN Relief and…
Lebanon: In Lebanon, Palestine refugee children from Syria in UNRWA schools receive school bags, clothing from UNICEF
Relief Web 22 May 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic Around 3,400 Palestine refugee children from Syria now continuing their education in UNRWA schools in Lebanon received school uniforms,…
Syria rebels in plea for weapons to hold Qusayr
The National 22 May 2013 – US secretary of state condemns Hizbollah role in war and tells Assad assistance for opposition will be stepped up if he fails to join new peace talks. Hugh Naylor reports from Amman
Soldier hacked to death in London ‘terrorist incident’
The National 22 May 2013 – Shocking footage emerges of man with bloodied hands saying the victim was killed “because Muslims are dying every day”.
India will do all in its power to promote Afghan stability
The National 22 May 2013 – India said yesterday it will do all within its means to promote stability in Afghanistan after visiting president Hamid Karzai said he had given a military “wishlist” to the Indian government.
Ahmadinejad vows to fight poll ban on his chosen heir
The National 22 May 2013 – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he’ll challenge a ban on his chosen successor from running in next month’s Iranian presidential elections. Michael Theodoulou reports
UAE-based trio on top of the world
The National 22 May 2013 – Sharjah man and two Dubai residents take Everest in their stride
EU terror listing for Hizbollah wing
The National 22 May 2013 – Britain pushes for the EU to add Hizbollah’s military wing to its terror list because of evidence that the group was behind a bus bombing in Bulgaria in July that killed five Israelis and their driver.
Deals signed for 4,000 Emirati jobs
The National 22 May 2013 – The jobs boost is the second phase of the Absher Initiative, which was launched last year by President Sheikh Khalifa to strengthen Emiratisation in the private sector.
Kidnapped Egyptians set free
The National 22 May 2013 – Authorities claim cooperation between Sinai leaders and Egypt’s military secured agreement after president declared no negotiation.
New restrictions help banks collect; and helped trigger Be’er Sheva man’s rage
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
U.S. Congress committee approves measure to back Israel in case of nuclear Iran attack
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
Man behind Israeli report on infamous killing of Mohammed al-Dura has right-wing ties
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
WATCH: Minute-by-minute footage of the Be’er Sheva bank shooting spree
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
Bennett deputy permits use of ritual baths for non-Orthodox Jews, then recants
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
In wake of Netanyahu’s bed debacle, state comptroller launches probe
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
IAEA: Iran expanding sensitive nuclear capacity, but remains below Israeli ‘red line’
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
Report: German intelligence revises estimate, says Assad regime growing stronger
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
IAF chief: Assad regime arming itself with advanced Russian weaponry
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
Low-cost airline Ryanair mulls Israel-Auschwitz route
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
Germany officially backs EU terror label for Hezbollah’s military wing
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
Israel and the Palestinians have launched a mutual charm offensive on Kerry
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
Police officer fired into bathroom stall where Be’er Sheva bank hostage was being held, Knesset learns
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
Israel Police suspect Bedouin man in connection with two daughters’ murders
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
Israeli blogger faces arrest for urging citizens to create ‘chaos’ against government
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
Supreme Court orders Israel’s AG to explain law allowing confiscation of Palestinian land in Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
Be’er Sheva bank reeling from deadly shooting as victims are laid to rest
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
Date palms across Israel fall prey to beetle infestation
Ha’aretz – 22 May 2013
Turkey translates Prophet’s sayings for 21st Century
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Turkish religious leaders anxious over “radical” new set of hadiths that have been examined in terms that the average modern Turk can understand.
Berman: Claims Conference staff unaware of fraud
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Claims Conference chairman denies to ‘Post’ of any knowledge of fraud within organization since 2001 probe.
Friends of Syria demands Hezbollah, Iran withdraw
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Alliance calls for immediate withdrawal of Iranian fighters, Hezbollah from Syrian territory; says armed presence “regional threat.”
Jordanian FM hopeful Kerry will relaunch talks
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Nasser Judeh in Amman says US Secretary of State’s round-the-clock-efforts may create “inducing environment” to relaunch Israeli-Palestinian negotiations; Kerry scheduled to meet Netanyahu, Peres, Livni in Jerusalem.
Shalom: Gas exports to be capped at 40%
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – As companies explore, drill through Israel’s eastern Mediterranean waters, export allowances have become a topic of contention.
Smartphone app updates bus proximity in real time
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – The iPhone and Android app NetBus is the brainchild of four young men who came up with the idea during their army service.
Complaints lead ministry to examine math tests
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Chief mathematics inspector becomes target of phone threats; Piron condemns “violent behavior.”
J’lem to offer free checkups for hearing awareness
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Every year, more and more young people are losing their hearing because of exposure to high decibels.
Jordan Red Cross tours J’lem women’s health clinic
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Jordanian visitors tell Orthodox clinic brass that they are planning to open a similar clinic for women in the Hashemite kingdom soon.
Labor faction chairman Herzog forms lobby for IBA
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – One option is to close down the existing enterprise and start again from scratch with a new operating format, greatly reduced payroll.
Claims Conference leaders must resign now
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Candidly Speaking: Scandals, failure at top level of leadership relay need for reform; Reuven Merhav hopeful to take over major role.
Bar-Ilan honors Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Philanthropist and former Mossad chief among those receiving honorary doctorates.
‘I won’t let Bikur Cholim close,’ says Gamzu
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Health Ministry director-general tells ‘The Jerusalem Post’ that hospital now being run “in an impressive manner.”
A crisis over parking?
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Ongoing debate questions whether minorities are paying the price in Quebec’s debate over the place of religion.
With Hezbollah coffins, Syria now exporting conflict
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – The Shi’ite militia’s drive to save Syria’s president is testing Lebanon’s own fragile, sectarian peace.
Forget ‘Start-up Nation,’ please
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – The start-up nation does create wealth, but the economic model is conducive to the tremendous concentration of wealth.
US Jewish groups help out after Oklahoma tornado
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – “Unfortunately, this isn’t the first nor will it be the last disaster to hit Oklahoma, so we’re setting up a fund to reflect that,” says Rabbi Vered Harris.
LA elects first Jewish mayor since 1878
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Democrat Eric Garcetti, 42, defeats Wendy Greuel to become mayor of US city with 2nd largest Jewish population.
Media Comment: The IBA’s ‘reformation’
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – MKs bashes blunders of Israel Broadcasting Authority during Knesset c’tee meeting discussing reforms of state-sponsored TV operations.
Washington Watch: Is Hillary inevitable?
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Hillary Clinton has the popularity, organization, money and Bill supporting her likely nomination as Democratic candidate in 2016 elections.
Another battle of hearts and minds
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Now that Israel has made its new official decision on the al-Dura affair public, will media around the world admit their mistake?
Encountering Peace: Who is not a peace partner?
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Israeli-Palestinian peace talks can’t be conducted in public or by the public; Netanyahu holds responsibility to negotiate with Abbas.
Thanks to Kuperwasser al-Dura report, truth is on its way
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – I strongly recommend that the State of Israel establish another investigative committee to determine the problems which led to this situation.
Reforming the ports
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – It is the duty of a government to serve the people who installed it in office and break up corrosive monopolies.
Police release portion of bank shooting video
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Video from surveillance camera shows part of shooting in Bank Hapoalim branch in Beersheba after gag order lifted.
‘Soldier killed in London in suspected terror attack’
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – British PM Cameron calls national security meeting after “shocking” killing of man believed to be serving soldier; 2 suspects shot by police at the scene; eyewitnesses say attackers use machete-like knives.
Invasive beetle may cause trees to fall
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Agriculture Ministry warns of falling trees due to infestation of the red palm weevil that consumes wood from the inside out.
‘Iran ups nuke capacity, but below Israel red line’
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – UN nuclear watchdog: Tehran installing hundreds of centrifuges, transported research reactor to central town of Arak.
Anti-sexual harassment bills clear hurdle
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Harassers to be fined up to NIS 150,000, “Sex Tape Bill” passes vote; MK Roisin: Market loses a billion shekels each year due to harassment.
Amid Syria tensions, IAF chief says ‘surprise war’ a threat
Jerusalem Post 22 May 2013 – Eshel says S-300 missile defense system “on the way” to Syria.
Military Resistance 11E13: Now and Forever
Uruknet
Deep in Enemy Territory – Fast Times in Palestine
Uruknet
Syrian army displays an old Israeli-made Jeep as “proof of aid to rebels” (Video)
Uruknet
Guantanamo Force-Feeding Constitutes Torture
Uruknet
Is France to Start Killing People ‘the American Way’?
Uruknet
New Sleaze Allegations Tarnish JPMorgan Chase’s ‘Teflon Don’
Uruknet
Walking Tours Connect Palestinians to Their Past
Uruknet
U.K.: Where reading can send you to jail
Uruknet
Tunisia Salafist spokesman released on bail
Daily Star 22 May 2013 Ansar al-Sharia spokesman Seifeddine Rais, detained in the Tunisian city of Kairouan at the weekend as police enforced a government ban on its annual congress, was released on bail on Wednesday, the Salafist group said.
UK official: London attack could be terror-related
Daily Star 22 May 2013 Two men attacked another man near a London military barracks Wednesday, in what British authorities were investigating as a possible terror act. One man is dead and two others were injured.
Man murdered in London in suspected Islamist terror attack
Daily Star 22 May 2013 A man believed to be a serving British soldier was brutally murdered Wednesday near a London barracks in what Prime Minister David Cameron said appeared to be a terrorist attack.
Iran expands nuke technology
Daily Star 22 May 2013 The U.N. atomic agency on Wednesday detailed rapid Iranian progress in two programs that the West fears are geared toward making nuclear weapons.
U.S. may boost Syria rebels if Assad won’t talk peace
Daily Star 22 May 2013 The United States and its allies are ready to increase support for Syria’s rebels if President Bashar al-Assad refuses to discuss a political solution to his country’s civil war, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said…
Egypt to boost fuel supply to ease power shortages
Daily Star 22 May 2013 The Egyptian government said on Wednesday it would supply more gas and diesel to power stations to deal with electricity shortages that have worsened in recent months after the cash-strapped country failed to import enough fuel.
Beersheba shooter buried in secret
YNet News, 22 May 2013 – ….
US: We’ll back Israel if it defends itself against Iranian nuke threat
YNet News, 22 May 2013 – ….
US says 4 Americans were killed in counterterrorism ops
YNet News, 22 May 2013 – ….
Syrian rebels seize base, kill 40 soldiers
YNet News, 22 May 2013 – ….
Molotov cocktails thrown at IDF force near Hebron
YNet News, 22 May 2013 – ….
Strategic stone
YNet News, 22 May 2013 – Op-ed: Palestinians realize certain photos can cause more damage than anti-Israel resolutions in UN ….
Avoid hasty religious reform
YNet News, 22 May 2013 – Op-ed: Bennett’s proposal to cancel regional division of marriage registration areas meant to grab headlines ….
Israel killing the two-state solution
PIC – The Palestinian leadership believes it is highly unlikely that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will make any significant progress during his current visit to the region, due to start Thursday.
Palestinians in the Negev raise their case to the Arab League
PIC – Lawyer Talab Sani’a, head of Steering Committee of Arabs of the Negev visited the Arab League headquarters in Cairo to inform the Egyptian and Arab officials about Israeli plans targeting Negev.
Jewish extremists run over a Palestinian female student near Safed
PIC – A female student at the Safed College, in the northern 1948-occupied territories, sustained injuries after being run over deliberately by Jewish extremists’ vehicle on her way to college.
Khatib condemns Israel’s prevention of UN delegation from visiting Jerusalem
PIC – Sheikh Kamal Khatib, deputy head of the Islamic Movement in the 1948-territories condemned the occupation’s decision to prevent the UNESCO delegation from visiting Jerusalem.
Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood calls for effective participation in Jerusalem march
PIC – Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan has officially announced its participation in the Global March to Jerusalem, which is to take place on 7 June, on the anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem.
IOF raids Nablus, arrests 5 Palestinians
PIC – Israeli Occupation Forces launched at dawn on Tuesday an arrest campaign in Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, 4 Palestinians were arrested.
Deterioration in hunger striker Abu Daoud’s health status
PIC – The Israeli Prison Service (IPS) has transferred the prisoner Ayman Abu Daoud, 39 days on hunger strike, from Ramle prison hospital to Afula hospital due to his urgent need for intensive care.
Israeli media allege the arrest of 2 military cells in al-Khalil
PIC – Israeli media sources claimed on Thursday the arrest of 13 Palestinians over the past month in al-Khalil including 2 military cells affiliated to Hamas and Jihad movements.
Arab International Women’s Forum Holds Conference in Birzeit
WAFA – 22 May 2013
House Arrest of Prisoner’s Mother Extended
WAFA – 22 May 2013
Group: Ex-Hunger Striker Contracts Hepatitis C from Israeli Prison Clinic
WAFA – 22 May 2013
Paterson, New Jersey, First US City with Palestinian Flag on City Hall
WAFA – 22 May 2013
Israeli Forces Arrest 6 Palestinians in West Bank
WAFA – 22 May 2013
PEX Report: Al-Quds Index Up for Fourth Day in a Row
WAFA – 22 May 2013
Egypt Re-opens Rafah Crossing following Release of Abducted Soldiers
WAFA – 22 May 2013
Israel Receives Kerry with Home Demolitions, says Ministry
WAFA – 22 May 2013
Israeli Police Arrest Students for Allegedly Hitting a Settler
WAFA – 22 May 2013
Undercover Israeli Units Nab Palestinian, Attack another in Jenin
WAFA – 22 May 2013
Iran president denounces aide’s disqualification from election
LA Times 22 May 2013 – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad plans to ask Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to intervene. Ex-President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, also disqualified, won’t appeal. TEHRAN — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday denounced as unjust the supervisory electoral body’s disqualification of his top aide from next month’s presidential poll…
IHT Special: In Morocco, TV Is Part of Power Game
New York Times 22 May 2013 – The Royal Palace retains control over networks as it has for years, but the government seeks change, plummeting the industry into crisis.
Iran Pushes Ahead With Nuclear Plant That Worries West
New York Times 22 May 2013 – Iran is pressing ahead with the construction of a research reactor that could offer it a second way of producing material for a nuclear bomb, a U.N. report showed on Wednesday.
Germany and Britain Push to List Hezbollah as a Terror Group
New York Times 22 May 2013 – A day after Britain’s announcement, Germany also said it supported listing the military wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, a move that could hurt its fund-raising.
Egyptian President Announces Release of Officers Kidnapped in Sinai
New York Times 22 May 2013 – President Mohamed Morsi said seven Egyptian security officers who were abducted nearly a week ago had been freed, ending increasing anxiety over the government’s grip on security in the region.
Latitude: Revisiting the Alleged Killing of a Palestinian Boy by Israeli Forces
New York Times 22 May 2013 – A new report by the Israeli government absolves its forces of killing a Palestinian boy in 2000. I once thought it was guilty, now I half believe it. But why?
Iran and Hezbollah’s Support for Syria Complicates U.S. Strategy on Peace Talks
New York Times 21 May 2013 – The stepped-up support President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has received from Iran and Hezbollah appears to have fortified his belief that he can hang on to power and prevail militarily.
Noble Energy declares discovery at Karish
Globes Energy & Water – Karish has a gross mean of 1.8 trillion cubic feet of gas; the market had expected 2 trillion.
IES to build 400-MW power station at Palmachim
Globes Energy & Water – The project will cost NIS 1.9 billion.
Shemen Oil to raise NIS 43m today
Globes Energy & Water – With the resumption of the drilling of the Yam 3 well, licensee Shemen Oil has filed a draft prospectus to raise up to a gross NIS 43 million.
Energy Minister to reduce gas export quota – report
Globes Main News – “Yediot Ahronot” reports that Silvan Shalom will present a decision on the subject for cabinet approval in the coming few weeks.
Mellanox CEO threatens delisting from TASE
Globes Main News – Entropy Consultants is leading opposition to Eyal Waldman remaining both chairman and CEO.
Wed: Mobile carriers weigh on market
Globes Main News – Partner had the biggest loss among Tel Aviv 25 shares, after publishing its financial report, Cellcom also fell, but Bezeq rose.
Citi sees BoI cutting rate further 25 bp next week
Globes Main News – Analyst David Lubin cites falling inflation expectations, weak domestic demand, and the stabilization of the shekel.
Shekel again weakens
Globes Main News – Market sources believe the Bank of Israel will lower the interest rate for June by a further 25 basis points to 1.25%.
Shlomo Maoz: Arabs pay higher interest rates
Globes Macro Economics – “If I live in Israel and I’m Bedouin or Arab, the interest rate I pay is higher. The closer I get to the White Men and Tel Aviv, the interest rate I pay falls.”
State Comptroller to probe public officials’ expenses
Globes Macro Economics – Joseph Shapira’s announcement follows media reports on a rise in expenses for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Horror: Gush Etzion Settlers Wake Up to Find Google Says They Live in Palestine!
Tikun Olam – Yisrael HaYom headline: “Anger in Gush Etzion: Google suggests to settlers use a browser of the “State of Palestine” To quote Joseph Conrad’s Captain Kurtz on his deathbed: “the horror!” Yisrael HaYom conveys (English translation thanks to Sol Salbe) the dismay and consternation with which residents…
Bennett Appoints Settler Extremist Rabbi as Chief of “Jewish Identity Administration”
Tikun Olam – Rabbi Ronitsky’s “greatest hits” of hatemongering New political powerhouse, Religious Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett, a “moderate” settler leader, has appointed former IDF Chief Rabbi Avichai Ronsky to be chief of a little outfit he’s calling the Jewish Identity Administration. Currently, the rabbi is rosh yeshiva in…
‘Forward’ piece on destruction of Palestinian neighborhood fronting Western Wall is not embraced by all ‘Forward’ readers
Mondoweiss – Here you will find a fabulous piece of reporting by the Forward’s Ben Lynfield on the destruction of the Mughrabi Quarter of Jerusalem on the last day of the Six Day War in 1967 so as to create a plaza for Jews to go to the…
Israel cracks down on American travel to West Bank by requiring tourists to obtain military permit
Mondoweiss – Ben Gurion Airport Israeli authorities have implemented another way to impede free access to the occupied Palestinian territories for American travelers. Haaretz ’s Amira Hass reported over the weekend that Israel is now forbidding “tourists from the United States and other countries to enter the territories…
Bradley Manning rally to feature, Ellsberg, Ann Wright, Dan Choi, Sarah Shourd
Mondoweiss – Nathan Fuller answers my question in this short interview I did with him a couple weeks back in Brooklyn. Fuller is organizing buses to bring people to a rally ahead of the start of Manning’s court martial trial in two weeks. Fuller’s site BradleyManning.org…
Another ‘NYT’ piece buys Israel’s al-Dura report– which PA spox calls ‘fantastical’ racist propaganda
Mondoweiss – My friend Dubai Pauli, an avid news junkie and Times reader, is on the job again. Because he lives in the Emirates, with the eight hour time difference, I get early warnings of items of interest from the “paper of record.’ Pauli sent me early notification…
Jewish philanthropies stay away from org dedicated to Yiddish culture because it doesn’t focus on Israel or the Holocaust
Mondoweiss – Yiddishkayt is a cultural and educational center in Los Angeles that runs programs focused on Yiddish culture. It looks like they do interesting work, including the Helix project which sends young people to Eastern Europe to learn about the history of Eastern European Jewry beyond the…
Israel Warns of Attack if Syria Regime Falls
The Foward Breaking News 22 May 2013 – Israel is prepared to attack Syria to prevent advanced weapons reaching jihadi rebels or Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon if President Bashar al-Assad is toppled, Israel’s air force chief said on Wednesday. Click here for the rest of the article…
25,000 Attend Hasidic Wedding of the Year
The Foward Breaking News 22 May 2013 – Some 25,000 people took part Tuesday night in the wedding in Jerusalem of the eldest grandson of the amdor, or leader, of the Belz Hasidic sect, one of the largest Hasidic sects in the world. Click here for the rest of the article…
Ahmadinejad to contest bar on ally
BBC 22 May 2013 – Iran’s President Ahmadinejad says he will contest the disqualification of his ally Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei from next month’s presidential poll.
Kerry condemns Hezbollah over Syria
BBC 22 May 2013 – US Secretary of State John Kerry says Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran are perpetuating President Bashar al-Assad’s “campaign of terror” in Syria.
Gunmen kill 12 in Baghdad brothel
BBC 22 May 2013 – Gunmen burst into a brothel in eastern Baghdad, killing seven women and five men, in the latest violence in a week of bloodshed in Iraq.
Amnesty condemns abuse ‘inaction’
BBC 22 May 2013 – Amnesty International accuses governments of using state sovereignty as an “excuse” for failing to intervene in emergencies such as in Syria.
Libyan Society Held Hostage to Trauma
Al-Akhbar Opinion 22 May 2013 – A man shows an empty bullet shell that he found outside a police station that was attacked and fired by gunmen to avenge the death of a colleague in an overnight incident on 15 May 2013 in the Libyan eastern city of Benghazi. (Photo: AFP -…
UNRWA: Up to 80% of Palestinians in Syria displaced by conflict
Al-Akhbar News 22 May 2013 – The conflict in Syria has displaced more than two-thirds of Palestinian refugees living in the country, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees said on Wednesday. “We have registered approximately 530,000 Palestinian refugees. We believe that almost all of them, certainly maybe 70-80 percent,…
Iraq to overhaul military command after spate of attacks
Al-Akhbar News 22 May 2013 – Iraqis look at the remains of a car bomb that detonated in the Kamaliya area of eastern Baghdad on 20 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – Ali al-Saadi) Iraq’s prime minister has ordered a shake-up of his military command after a week-long spike of militant attacks that…
Akkar to Qusayr: Let God Be On Your Side
Al-Akhbar News 22 May 2013 – A boy watches as Lebanese soldiers deploy along the demarcation line between Tripoli’s Bab al-Tabbneh Syria street, and the Jabal Mohsen area, north of the capital Beirut, on 21 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – Joseph Eid) A boy watches as Lebanese soldiers deploy along the demarcation…
Syria: Qusayr Battle Far From Over
Al-Akhbar News 22 May 2013 – A handout picture released by Syria’s opposition-run Shaam News Network shows a Syrian youth rebel fighter running in a destroyed street of the southern city of Daraa during clashes with government troops on 21 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – HO SHAAM NEWS NETWORK) A handout picture…
Syrian rebels call for Qusayr reinforcements ahead of conference
Al-Akhbar News 22 May 2013 – A handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on 20 May 2013, allegedly shows a Syrian soldier scanning the area for hostiles in the the town of Qusayr. (Photo: AFP / SANA) Syria’s main opposition alliance on Wednesday urged fighters to come from around…
Hamas says would be willing to close Gaza smuggling tunnels
Al-Akhbar News 22 May 2013 – A smuggler carries fast food to be delivered through an underground tunnel linking the Gaza Strip to Egypt, on 13 May 2013 in Rafah. (Photo: AFP) The Hamas government in Gaza said Tuesday that it is willing to close down all smuggling tunnels at the Egyptian…
Bekaa: Mourning and Celebrating Qusayr’s Dead
Al-Akhbar Politics 21 May 2013 – Members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah carry the coffin of their comrade Fadi Mohammed al-Jazzar during his funeral in southern Beirut on 20 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – STR) Members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah carry the coffin of their comrade Fadi Mohammed al-Jazzar during his funeral in southern Beirut…
The Battle for Qusayr: Decisive Victory or War of Attrition?
Al-Akhbar Politics 21 May 2013 – A Syrian soldier sits inside a tank as troops take control of the village of Western Dumayna, some seven kilometers north of the rebel-held city of Qusayr, on 13 May 2013. (Photo: AFP -Joseph Eid) A Syrian soldier sits inside a tank as troops take control…
Ahmadinejad to contest bar on ally
BBC 22 May 2013 – Iran’s President Ahmadinejad says he will contest the disqualification of his ally Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei from next month’s presidential poll.
Kerry condemns Hezbollah over Syria
BBC 22 May 2013 – US Secretary of State John Kerry says Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran are perpetuating President Bashar al-Assad’s “campaign of terror” in Syria.
Gunmen kill 12 in Baghdad brothel
BBC 22 May 2013 – Gunmen burst into a brothel in eastern Baghdad, killing seven women and five men, in the latest violence in a week of bloodshed in Iraq.
Amnesty condemns abuse ‘inaction’
BBC 22 May 2013 – Amnesty International accuses governments of using state sovereignty as an “excuse” for failing to intervene in emergencies such as in Syria.
Egyptian hostages freed in Sinai
BBC 22 May 2013 – Mohammed Morsi calls for the people of Sinai to give up their arms after seven members of the Egyptian security forces abducted in the region are freed.
More centrifuges at Iran plant – UN
BBC 22 May 2013 – The UN’s nuclear watchdog says hundreds of advanced centrifuges have been fitted at Iran’s Natanz nuclear plant.
Articles
There’s been a sea change in US opinion on the conflict
Pamela Olson, Mondoweiss 5/21/2013
Pamela Olson’s book tour for Fast Times in Palestine took her all over the US, including to California, Oklahoma, Washington, Colorado, and many major cities on the east coast. She wrote this blogpost describing her reception.
I resolved at the beginning not to sugarcoat anything or promote false equivalencies. In presentations and interviews, I was clear about the Wall stealing land, the horrors of “administrative detention,” and many other injustices. If people asked tough questions that required speaking about racism, oppression, and American support of a de facto apartheid situation, I answered forthrightly. (For an example, you can view my talk at the Palestine Center in DC here.)
I braced myself every time, waiting for the backlash.
To my shock, it never came.
People were receptive, interested, thoughtful, and sometimes skeptical, but almost never hostile or disbelieving. Some crowds were self-selected, but others were more mainstream, including a banquet in eastern Washington attended mostly by retirement-age pillars of the community.
At the banquet, one man asked a leading question that blamed the Palestinians for their plight, and another asked about Hamas’ charter. I answered calmly, offering historical and political context and analogies about Sinn Fein and Apartheid. The audience seemed to be nodding along with me, as if my answers made sense to them. more.. e-mail
Dispelling modern myths of Muslim anti-Semitism
Mark R. Cohen, posted by Dahlia Scheindlin, +972 Magazine 5/20/2013
An academic chapter about the history of Muslim relations with Jews provides a refreshing rejoinder to the tired assumption that Muslim society and culture are fundamentally anti-Semitic. In this post, I am hosting a short comment by the author, explaining his argument.
On one of my many trips to Israel, in January 2012, words spoken at the celebration of the founding of the PLO in Ramallah were disseminated far and wide via the Internet by Palestine Media Watch, shocking many in and outside of the country. Introducing the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, one of the officials referred to the “enemy” (Israel) as “apes and pigs,” quoting a famous verse from the Qur’an according to which God, through His prophet Muhammad, censures the “Sabbath breakers” for violating (Jewish) law and condemns them to be transformed into “apes and pigs.” In his own speech, the Mufti quoted an equally famous Islamic hadith: “’The Hour (of Divine Judgment and Resurrection) will not come until you fight the Jews. The Jews will hide behind rocks or trees. Then the rocks or trees will call out: ‘Oh Muslim, Oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him; except for the Gharqad tree, which is the friend of the Jews.’ Therefore it is no wonder that you see Gharqad trees surrounding the Israeli settlements and colonies.” This hadith, with its anti-Semitic overtones, is famously quoted in the Hamas “Platform” as license to kill Jews.
Anti-Semitism in the contemporary Muslim world is real. It pervades the media in the very countries that are most inimical to Israel. It appears in political speeches, in cartoons, in the press and on Middle Eastern radio and television. It resonates all too familiarly with the anti-Semitism that fueled the Holocaust. more.. e-mail
The Egypt-Israel peace test
Tamara Wittes and Itamar Rabinovich, Al Jazeera.com 5/20/2013
In a region as volatile as the Middle East, no country can afford to take peace for granted.
The rocket strikes that a militant Islamist group fired last month from the Egyptian Sinai into the Israeli city of Eilat served as yet another reminder of how delicate bilateral relations remain two years after Egypt’s revolution. Terrorist activity could easily cause a crisis on the border, with the potential to trigger an unwanted confrontation that would threaten the peace treaty that normalised bilateral relations in 1979. To avoid such an outcome, Israel and Egypt must take convincing action now to uphold the treaty.
Last November, when hostilities erupted in Gaza, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi mediated a swift resolution, even providing a guarantee for the cease-fire with Gaza’s ruling Hamas. Morsi thus implicitly recommitted Egypt to upholding peace on the border and to playing a constructive role in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This boosted confidence in Israel that the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s ruling party, would uphold the 1979 peace treaty. But Morsi has not explicitly endorsed peace with Israel and has avoided direct engagement with Israeli leaders.
Preserving peace is in both countries’ interests. The attack on an Egyptian army outpost in the Sinai last summer, in which armed militants killed 16 soldiers, demonstrated that terrorism threatens Egypt just as it does Israel.
In this volatile environment, reverting to a confrontational relationship with Israel would be extremely dangerous, inviting the risk of another disastrous war. Upholding the peace treaty with Israel would have the opposite effect, enabling Egypt to pursue its goals of consolidating the military’s authority at home and enhancing its influence throughout the Middle East. more.. e-mail
Women of the Wall
Uri Avnery, CounterPunch 5/17/2013
Breaking the Taboo
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 of American origin, of course) insists on praying at the Wall clad in praying shawls (talith) and wearing phylacteries (tefillin). They are physically attacked by the orthodox, the police have to restrain them, the Knesset and the courts intervene.
Why? According to Jewish religious law, women are not allowed to wear praying shawls, and certainly not phylacteries, which orthodox men put on their brow and forearm. They are not allowed to mingle with men at the holiest place of Judaism. more.. e-mail
J Street’s pipe dreams of peace
Electronic Intifada: 22 May 2013 – A prominent Israel lobbyist hears “talk of peace” in the air; what air is he breathing?more
Video: Protest Against G4S Outside Israel’s Ofer Prison
Palestine Chronicle: 22 May 2013 – British-Danish security firm G4S has been severely criticized for its operations in the occupied Palestinian territories and in prisons and detention centers in Israel, including those housing children and “administrative detainees” held without charge or trial. On 17 April Palestinian organizations called for action against G4S for its role in Israeli prisons where Palestinian political prisoners from the occupied territories are held in contravention of international law. The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre in London published Michael Deas’s report on the call and invited G4S to respond. G4S submitted an update with old statements that does not address the criticism of the provision of services to prisons in Israel. Meanwhile, about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners bellow out their ill-treatment in a mass hunger strike. For more information click here .more
Syria as a Game-Changer: US Political Impotence in the Middle East
Palestine Chronicle: 22 May 2013 – By Ramzy Baroud In an article published May 15, 2013, American historical social scientist Immanuel Wallerstein wrote, “Nothing illustrates more the limitations of Western power than the internal controversy its elites are having in public about what the United States in particular and western European states should be doing about the civil war in Syria.” Those limitations are palpable in both language and action. A political and military vacuum created by past US failures and forced retreats after the Iraq war made it possible for countries like Russia to reemerge on the scene as an effective player. It is most telling that over two years after the Syrian uprising-turned bloody civil war, the US continues to curb its involvement by indirectly assisting anti-Bashar al-Assad regime opposition forces, through its Arab allies and Turkey. Even its political discourse is indecisive and often times inconsistent. Concurrently, Russia’s position remains unswerving and constantly…more
Tales in a Kabul Restaurant
Palestine Chronicle: 21 May 2013 – By Kathy Kelly – Kabul Since 2009, Voices for Creative Nonviolence has maintained a grim record we call the “The Afghan Atrocities Update” which gives the dates, locations, numbers and names of Afghan civilians killed by NATO forces. Even with details culled from news reports, these data can’t help but merge into one large statistic, something about terrible pain that’s worth caring about but that is happening very far away. It’s one thing to chronicle sparse details about these U.S. led NATO attacks. It’s quite another to sit across from Afghan men as they try, having broken down in tears, to regain sufficient composure to finish telling us their stories. Last night, at a restaurant in Kabul, I and two friends from the Afghan Peace Volunteers met with five Pashtun men from Afghanistan’s northern and eastern provinces. The men had agreed to tell us about their experiences living in areas…more
Will the Jordanian Parliament Expel the Israeli Ambassador from Amman?
Palestine Chronicle: 21 May 2013 – By Ali Younes – Amman A large majority of Jordanian Members of Parliament (MPs) voted last week to pass a resolution to force the government to expel the Israeli ambassador from Amman over Israeli settlers attacks and attempts to occupy the Islamic holy site Al Aqasa Mosque in Jerusalem. The resolution was sponsored by MP Yehiya Al Suad and was passed by a majority of 89 votes, enough to topple the government of Prime MinisterAbdullah Nsour from power if he declined to act on it. Although the resolution is not binding, the MPs however can force a vote of no confidence against his government and bring it down if the government did not expel the ambassador. On the surface this sounds like a very serious hard politics and democracy in action by the MPs. But according to many Jordanian analysts and experts I talked to here in Amman, this whole…more
Palestinian-American Plants Flag on top of Everest, Dedicates Climb to Political Prisoners
Palestine Chronicle: 20 May 2013 – By Ira Glunts Palestinian-American Raed Zidan became the first Palestinian to reach the summit of the earth’s highest mountain last Saturday, dedicating his climb to Palestinians – especially political prisoners. Zidan was one of 35 foreigners, along with 29 Nepalese Sherpa guides, intent on reaching the summit and raising a million dollars to promote education in Nepal. Calling themselves “Arabs With Altitude,” Zidan was joined by two men from Qatar and Iran, and by 25-year-old Raha Moharrak, who became the first Saudi Arabian woman to reach the world’s tallest peak. According to Ynet: “Raed Zidan was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents who immigrated from a village near Qalqilya. Zidan, who is living in the US, is a seasoned mountaineer who had previously scaled Mount Kilimanjaro. There, as on top of Nepal [Everest], he erected a Palestinian flag, saying he dedicates his feat to Palestinians, especially those “languishing” in Israeli…more
Everybody Must Get…Straight!
Dissident Voice: 22 May 2013 – The global condition can at any time be likened to the situation on the sinking Titanic with its crew re-arranging deck chairs and throw pillows as the ship continues to submerge. This analogy may not quite fit the present status of the global center, the USA. Here, the situation at a mental health crisis center under a full moon while suffering a shortage of powerful tranquilizers might seem pleasant by comparison. As always under profit and loss economics, increasing numbers face growing hardship bordering on absolute disaster while some enjoy ever more lavish splendor with their servant class living in relative if temporary comfort. Just another day at empire’s headquarters. The imperial subjects in the rest of the world suffer far more with the austerity religion of fundamentalist capital turning Europe into a snake pit of material inequality. Things are much worse in the Middle East with savagery increasing in…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visithttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 
Leave a comment