24 May 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Detainee Continues Hunger Strike, Demands Release
IMEMC – Palestinian detainee, Ayman Issa Hamdan, who went on hunger strike 27 days ago, rejected an Israeli “offer” for an additional six-month extension of his Administrative Detention, without trial, and demanded his unconditional release. …
Settlers Puncture Car Tires Near Bethlehem, Write Racist Graffiti
IMEMC – A number of extremist Israeli settlers punctured tires of five vehicles near the Gilo Israeli settlement, illegally built on Palestinian lands near Beit Jala city, in the West Bank district of Bethlehem. …
PCHR Weekly Report: 17 civilians wounded, including 12 children, by Israeli troops this week
IMEMC – In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 16 – 22 May 2013, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded during incursions in the West Bank. In addition,14 protesters, including 12 children, were wounded during peaceful protests at the entrance of al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah. …
World Bank To Grant P.A. $55 Million
IMEMC – The World Bank Board of Executive Directors advised its Board of Governors to authorize the US$55 million replenishment of the Gaza and West Bank Trust Fund, a World Bank press release said Thursday. …
Detainee taken to hospital as health declines
5/24/2013 – The detainee had announced he was refusing to take medications in protest of medical negligence. – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – Israeli prison authorities transferred on Thursday night detainee Mansour al-Shahatit from Ramon prison to Soroka Hospital, after his health seriously deteriorated. Mansour’s father told Ma’an that “detainees at Ramon called me and….
Israeli forces raid Negev prison block
5/24/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – Israeliforces raided a cell block at Negev prison searching for cell phones, a prisoners rights activist said Friday. Riyad al-Ashqar of the detainees center for studies said in a statement that special forces raided the Negev jail’s cell block 6 looking for cell phones being used by detainees. [END]
Kerry: Israel, Palestinians must take hard decisions for peace
5/24/2013 – TEL AVIV, Israel (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Friday to take “hard decisions” to revive the Middle East peace process.” We’re getting toward a time now when hard decisions need to be made,” he told a news conference in Tel Aviv at the end of….
Haniyeh urges Egypt to rethink Israel peace deal
5/24/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The prime minister of the Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip called Friday on Egypt to reconsider the Camp David peace accords with Israel. Ismail Haniyeh said duringnoon prayers that Egypt would be better off if its leaders reconsidered or even canceled the US-brokered peace agreement. He also called on….
Islamic Jihad leader: Fatah, Hamas not ready to end split
5/24/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Talks between Fatah and Hamas on Tuesday and Wednesday accomplished little as the parties failed to reach any agreement, a top Islamic Jihad official said Thursday. Abu Imad al-Rifaei, the Islamist group’s representative in a committee preparing for national elections, told Ma’an that the talks focused on….
Shark attacks fisherman off Gaza coast
5/24/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – A Gaza fisherman was attacked on Thursday evening by a shark off the coast, leaving him with moderate injuries. Locals told Ma’an that the fisherman, named as Hamed Salah, 30, was pulling in fish when the three-meter shark attacked him. Hamed was taken to the emergency room at….
Russia: Syria regime agrees to attend peace conference
5/24/2013 – MOSCOW (AFP) — Russia said on Friday that the Damascus regime had agreed “in principle” to attend an international peace conference on the Syria crisis that is expected to take place in Geneva in June.” We note with satisfaction that we have received an agreement in principle from Damascus to attend the international conference, in the….
Syria opposition peace talks enter second day
5/24/2013 – ISTANBUL (AFP) — Syria’s main opposition group is set to hold a second day of talks Friday, mulling a new US-Russian peace initiative to end the two-year civil war while the regime vows to crush the insurgency. Holding its seventh general assembly meeting since its creation last November, the National Coalition is expected to….
Lebanese president cautions Hezbollah over Syria role
5/24/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Lebanon’s President Michel Sleiman cautioned the Shiite group Hezbollah on Friday over its militia fighting alongside regime troops in neighboring Syria.” The resistance is more noble and more important than anything, and should not get bogged down in the sands of dissension, whether in Syria or Lebanon,” he said in a….
US: Kerry to meet Lavrov for Syria talks in Paris
5/24/2013 – JERUSALEM, Israel (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry is to meet Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Paris on Monday for talks on Syria’s conflict, a senior US State Department official has said. They will meet “to continue discussions from their meeting just a few weeks ago in Russia, and….
US, Turkey, Qatar call for UN rights debate on Syria
5/24/2013 – GENEVA (AFP) — The United States, Turkey and Qatar called Friday for an urgent debate on Syria at the UN’s top human rights body next week, citing the escalating conflict and the regime’s assault on the central town of Qusayr.” We have the honor to request the Human Rights Council to hold….
Kerry urges hard decisions for peace talks
AlJazeera 24 May 2013 – On his fourth visit to Middle East, US secretary of state pushes Israeli and Palestinian leaders to resume negotiations.
The BDS Movement Under Fire
Palestine News Network
Rights of Children in Palestine
Palestine News Network
Protests by Settlers Demanding IOF Ease Rules of Engagement in West Bank
Palestine News Network
BBC Poll: 52% See Israel’s Influence As Negative
Palestine News Network
Hague: Israel Losing Support in UK Due to Settlements
Palestine News Network
Symphony For Palestine- A Concert Tour to East Jerusalem, West Bank
Palestine News Network
Israeli Authorities Release MP Fathi Qarawi
Palestine News Network
Israeli Denial and the Nakba
Palestine News Network
J Street’s Pipe Dreams of Peace
Palestine News Network
International Solidarity Movement
Photo essay: Gas, frisbees and the Apartheid Wall in Ni’lin
5/24/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 24th May 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Team Nablus, Ni’lin, Occupied Palestine – Friday demonstrations continue in the village of Ni’lin in protest against the Occupation and Apartheid Wall which runs through the village’s land. During this particular demonstration on the 24th May 2013, there were no injuries and those who….
occupied Palestinian territory: Supporting Palestinian reform efforts to achieve fiscal sustainability and improve public financial management
Relief Web 24 May 2013 – Source: World Bank Country: occupied Palestinian territory With the World Bank’s support through the Development Policy Grant (DPG) Program III, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) was able to expand property tax collection from 22 municipalities in 2008 to 37 in…
occupied Palestinian territory: Filtering Gaza’s contaminated water
Relief Web 24 May 2013 – Source: Islamic Relief Country: occupied Palestinian territory Islamic Relief is providing 200 female-headed households with water filtration systems in Gaza. The reverse osmosis filtration units will provide 200 vulnerable families with access to safe drinking water. For the last few…
occupied Palestinian territory: Unique Australian multi-faith partnership to improve Palestinian health
Relief Web 24 May 2013 – Source: AngliCORD Country: occupied Palestinian territory Hundreds of Palestinian children in the West Bank and Gaza Strip will have access to improved healthcare thanks to our new multi-faith partnership. Project Rozana brings together Anglican Overseas Aid, the Hadassah Australia Foundation…
Syrian Arab Republic: UNRWA will continue to provide emergency assistance to displaced Palestine refugees, Commissioner-General says on a visit to Syria
Relief Web 24 May 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic UNRWA Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi visited Syria on 21-23 May to see first-hand the impact of conflict and displacement on Palestine…
Syrian Arab Republic: Concern for Syrians stuck at Jordanian border
Relief Web 24 May 2013 – Source: IRIN Country: Jordan, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic AMMAN/DUBAI, 24 May 2013 (IRIN) – Thousands of people are gathering in villages in southern Syria, unable to seek refuge in Jordan because of insecurity along the border or, according…
occupied Palestinian territory: Humanitarian Monitor Monthly Report – April 2013
Relief Web 24 May 2013 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic HIGHLIGHTS ● In the West Bank, Palestinian injuries from Israeli security forces in 2013 twice as high as in 2012. ● Children as young…
Syrian rebel groups plan to attack Hizbollah in Lebanon
The National 24 May 2013 – Retaliation to Hizbollah fighting for Bashar Al Assad in Syria threatens to turn civil war into a regional conflict.
Iran’s Rafsanjani should enter race…over 200 metres, says ally
The National 24 May 2013 – Ali Akbar Rafsanjani’s supporters say the reason he was barred from Iran’s elections is because he posed a threat to the regime. But critics say the cleric, 78, is too old to run. To prove Rafsanjani has what it takes, one of his allies came up with a novel way to show that Rafsanjani is still up to the challenge.
Parents with prams call for safer pavements in Abu Dhabi
The National 24 May 2013 – Mothers say they have to drag pushchairs along the dirt and grass or walk on the road, and that kerbs need more stroller-friendly ramps.
UK police make new arrests in soldier murder case
The National 24 May 2013 – The two women and a man were detained following the killing of Lee Rigby, who was hacked to death with knives and cleavers on Wednesday while new details also emerged about the two prime suspects.
1.5m-square-metre indoor theme park in Dubai due to open early next year
The National 24 May 2013 – Tickets for giant adventure facility will ‘not be overpriced’
Rubbish recycled into art to help charities
The National 24 May 2013 – Four large sculptures made out of recycled materials are to be auctioned in Abu Dhabi in early June.
There’s nothing goofy about this UAE surfer’s feats
The National 24 May 2013 – A sign on a beach in San Diego ignited Mohammad Bin Merjan’s passion for that perfect wave.
Fun classes teaching children to love Arabic
The National 24 May 2013 – An Arabic language centre in Dubai aims to revive the language for Emirati youth.
Murdered Bedouin sisters laid to rest in shared grave
Ha’aretz – 24 May 2013
Obama’s counter-terrorism speech cause for alarm for Israeli policy makers
Ha’aretz – 24 May 2013
Yesh Atid stands alone on new ultra-Orthodox IDF draft plan
Ha’aretz – 24 May 2013
Kerry departs, urges Israel and Palestinians to ‘make hard decisions’
Ha’aretz – 24 May 2013
Did John F. Kennedy admire Hitler?
Ha’aretz – 24 May 2013
IDF doesn’t tell when it boots soldiers for aggressive behavior
Ha’aretz – 24 May 2013
Settlers demand IDF ease rules of engagement in West Bank
Ha’aretz – 24 May 2013
Israeli doctors rethink the way they test young couples for genetic diseases
Ha’aretz – 23 May 2013
Companies in Israeli settlement challenge fee for employing Palestinians
Ha’aretz – 23 May 2013
Lebanon: Hezbollah shouldn’t spark sectarian conflict
Jerusalem Post 25 May 2013 – Suleiman warns of guerrillas averting focus from Israel.
‘Assad has enough sarin to wipe out Damascus, Aleppo, Homs’
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – Exiled Syrian chemical arms scientist speaks to Al Jazeera.
Turkey builds wall at Syria border crossing
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – Following death of 65 people in border towns bombings, Ankara constructs a 2.5km long twins walls, beefs up border security.
Hamas: Israel poisoned Gaza patients with gas
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – Hamas health minister says Israel provided carbon monoxide instead of nitrous gas used for anesthesia.
New book: Could Germany have a Jewish chancellor?
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – Political thriller ‘The Jewish Candidate’ sheds light on the right-wing extremist violence that has plagued Germany since 1990.
Kerry: Israelis, Palestinians nearing crunch time
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – After two days of meetings, Kerry says he had “very productive” talks with the both sides.
Iran denies it has forces in Syria
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – “The true enemies of Syria make up these accusations to provoke the people of this country,” says Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Revealed: Olmert’s peace offer to the Palestinians in 2008
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – Former prime minister Olmert says he blames Livni and Barak for breakdown of negotiations with Palestinians; magazine obtains map sketched by Abbas with offered Israeli territorial concessions.
Nochi Dankner set to lose control of IDB
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – Bondholders reach deal, may oust Dankner from conglomerate that controls companies such as Cellcom, Shufersal.
Russia says Syria agrees in principle to conference
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – Foreign Ministry spokesman of Russia criticizes was it calls attempts to undermine peace efforts.
Peres to Hague: Our hearts are with you over London attack
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – In a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Hague, President Peres says that though the process to renewing Palestinian-Israeli talks is long and hard, it is important to note positive developments in the area.
Google mulls buying Waze presaging bidding war
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – Facebook has held talks to buy Waze for as much as $1 billion, two people familiar with the matter said earlier this month.
Hague: Israel losing UK support due to settlements
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – British foreign secretary says settlement activity causing support for Israel to wane in UK, other European countries.
Analysis: Sinai is becoming a major threat to Egypt
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – Morsi wary of fighting terror while trying to defuse opposition; Brothers don’t understand what is needed is not military buildup.
Muslim writer touts Israeli tolerance of minorities
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – “This country does not fit the description of an apartheid state,” says author Qanta Ahmed in visit to Israel.
Shalom: Zemach Committee protocols to be published
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – Gas export recommendations released to public; Peretz: “The export of 40% of our natural gas does not meet the real needs of the citizens.”
Walking buses: Parents bring kids to school on foot
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – Program seeks to reduce the number of cars on the road for unnecessarily short distances.
UK, Israel agree to expand scientific cooperation
Jerusalem Post 24 May 2013 – Two sides agree that scientific and research projects will be increased despite calls in Britain for academic boycott of Israel.
‘Israel backing Hungary to chair Holocaust forum’
Jerusalem Post 23 May 2013 – Senior adviser to Prime Minister Orban says Israel backing Budapest’s quest for chairmanship of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
Olmert: W. Bank policies behind bad int’l press
Jerusalem Post 23 May 2013 – Former PM says public diplomacy hurt by presence in territories, “while millions of Palestinians live there without equal rights.”
Experts deny Israel may directly intervene in Syria
Jerusalem Post 23 May 2013 – Ex-officials in a ‘New York Times’ report say Israeli intervention in Syria unlikely, unwise.
Remote-control machine gun repairs just got quicker
Jerusalem Post 23 May 2013 – IDF Southern Command’s Maintenance Unit introduces innovation in remote weapons station repair that protects lives by limiting risk in hostile environments.
Infrastructure: Smart customers seek smart grids
Jerusalem Post 23 May 2013 – At Tel Aviv conference, experts hail smart grids as future of energy management as solutions to conserving energy and money for households and governments.
Rule of Law: Israel’s legal headache
Jerusalem Post 23 May 2013 – Does throwing African migrants in detention centers for three years without standard legal proceedings violate international law? Or is it just enforcement of Israel’s sovereign right to maintain border security?
PM: Sanctions haven’t stopped Iran’s nuclear quest
Jerusalem Post 23 May 2013 – Netanyahu tells UK’s Hague that new IAEA report “shows clearly that Iran is continuing to expand its nuclear enrichment program.”
Into the Fray: Can the people trust the government?
Jerusalem Post 23 May 2013 – The people of Israel are confronting a crisis of credibility. Can they trust the people elected to lead them?
My Word: The signs and the songs
Jerusalem Post 23 May 2013 – The country’s growing financial problems also continue to make headlines. Here, the writing on the wall should read: Mind the growing gap.
Two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict slipping away, says Hague
The Guardian 24 May 2013 – British foreign secretary says there is no ‘plan B’ and warns of consequences of failure of US mission to revive peace process The British foreign secretary, William Hague, has warned of the risks of failure of…
Syria agrees to take part in peace conference, Russia claims
The Guardian 24 May 2013 – Russia claims the Assad regime has agreed in principle to attend next month’s peace conference in Geneva while the opposition consider whether it will turn up Matthew Weaver Guardian readers
Envisioning an international treaty banning drones
Uruknet
Video: Israel prohibits Gazan children from visiting imprisoned fathers
Uruknet
The Monster in the Mirror
Uruknet
Was the London killing of a British soldier ‘terrorism’?
Uruknet
Iraq: Motahedoon accuses the government of supporting armed militias
Uruknet
Pakistan’s Military, Incoming PM Agree to Stop US Drones
Uruknet
Gazans Dying to Enter Israel
Uruknet
Palestinian hospitalized after IDF handcuffs, abandons him at checkpoint
Uruknet
US Justice Department defends journalist email search
YNet News, 24 May 2013 – ….
Hezbollah deputy chief: If needed, we’ll help Syria in Golan
YNet News, 24 May 2013 – ….
Arad Police commander resigned before being dismissed, Ynet learns
YNet News, 24 May 2013 – ….
Gay rights advocates rally in Georgia
YNet News, 24 May 2013 – ….
Lapid: Peri Committee conclusions a victory for Israel
YNet News, 24 May 2013 – ….
The voices of BDS
YNet News, 24 May 2013 – Op-ed: Pro-Palestinian groups hijacked narrative of peace and justice, yet in reality they yearn for Israel’s destruction ….
Gaza Health Ministry accuses occupation of trying to kill patients in Gaza
PIC – The Health Ministry in Gaza accused the Israeli occupation of trying to poison Palestinian patients as they discovered that Nitrous Oxide cylinders actually contained Carbon Dioxide Gas (CO2).
The IOF arrests 12 citizens from West Bank
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces arrested 12 Palestinian youths at dawn Thursday from different parts in the occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, for interrogation.
Prisoner Abdullah Barghouthi suffers frequent fainting
PIC – The Jordanian prisoner Abdullah Bargouthi, a leader in al-Qassem brigades, decided to stop drinking water, Tadamun Foundation revealed.
Occupation hands out dozens of demolition notices in Jerusalem
PIC – The occupation municipality in Jerusalem handed to dozens of citizens notifications informing them of its intention to issue administrative demolition orders..
Israel frees Palestinian MP and member of Qassam Brigades
PIC – Israeli authorities on Thursday released MP Fathi Ali al-Qarawi, from Tulkarem, in the northern West Bank and the al-Qassam affiliate captive Majdi Ibrahim from al-Khalil.
Israeli soldiers shoot at Palestinian citizen northern Gaza Strip
PIC – A Palestinian young man was injured on Thursday afternoon by Israeli fire to the east of Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip, medics told PIC’s correspondent.
Limited Israeli incursion into southern Gaza
PIC – Israeli military vehicles crossed the border line with the Gaza Strip east of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, early Thursday.
Israeli special units storm the Negev desert prison
PIC – Israeli Prison Service’s special units stormed on Thursday morning, Section 6 in the Negev desert prison, and conducted a large-scale search campaign that lasted several hours.
Arab and Turkish businessmen visit Gaza
PIC – A delegation of Arab and Turkish businessmen arrived on Thursday in the Gaza Strip on a solidarity trip.
Protests in Ramallah against Kerry’s visit
PIC – Dozens of Palestinians held a rally in the city of Ramallah to condemn the visit by the US Secretary of State John Kerry’s to the occupied West Bank on Thursday.
Abbas Receives UK Foreign Secretary
WAFA – 23 May 2013
Abbas Receives Kerry, Discusses Reviving Peace Process
WAFA – 23 May 2013
Drone program had largely run its course
LA Times 24 May 2013 – By the time President Obama announced the new limits, the campaign had been scaled back sharply, because of criticism and waning targets. WASHINGTON — President Obama took pains to place the new restrictions on targeted killings he announced Thursday into the context of a broad…
U.S. plans to move Iranian exile group out of Iraq hit snag
LA Times 24 May 2013 – Mujahedin Khalq leaders are resisting the transfer of the Marxist-Islamist group’s members to other countries. But Iraq’s government tires of protecting them. WASHINGTON — The State Department’s decade-long effort to find a new home for a controversial Iranian opposition group has ground to a near…
Obama’s drone limits may bolster ties with Pakistan
LA Times 24 May 2013 – But Islamabad continues to insist the drone campaign does more harm than good and should be shut down. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — President Obama’s commitment to scaling back the use of unmanned aircraft to kill suspected terrorists could pave the way for improved relations between the…
Russia says Syria will attend peace conference
LA Times 24 May 2013 – The government of President Bashar Assad has agreed ‘in principle’ to participate at the talks in Geneva, Moscow says. The opposition’s stance is still unclear. BEIRUT — Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government has agreed “in principle” to participate in a U.S.- and Russian-sponsored peace conference…
Obama reveals conflicted thinking on drone strikes
LA Times 23 May 2013 – In a major speech, President Obama tries to answer critics of drone strikes but also raises his own questions. WASHINGTON — At times defensive, solemn, lawyerly and personal, President Obama on Thursday offered a rare glimpse of the burden that the nation’s fight against terrorism…
Obama puts restrictions on drone program
LA Times 23 May 2013 – Setting a new tone on U.S. counter-terrorism policy, he also lifts the ban on sending Guantanamo prisoners home. WASHINGTON — Reining back the aggressive counter-terrorism strategy he has embraced for five years, President Obama declared clear, public restrictions for the first time on using unmanned…
New Computer Attacks Come From Iran, Officials Say
New York Times 24 May 2013 – The recent attacks seem to be aimed at sabotage rather than stealing information, United States officials say.
The Saturday Profile: Kilian Kleinschmidt: Calm Boss at Center of a Syrian Refugee Camp’s Chaos
New York Times 24 May 2013 – Kilian Kleinschmidt, who runs an overcrowded Syrian refugee camp in Jordan for the United Nations, is a ruddy-faced German who thrives in international disasters.
Battle for Syrian Town Spurs Sectarian Fighting in Northern Lebanon
New York Times 24 May 2013 – Fighting for the Syrian town of Qusayr has been unusually fierce, and the tenacity of rebels against better-armed opponents has given the battle strong symbolic significance.
Ending Mideast Visit, Kerry Calls for Leadership
New York Times 24 May 2013 – After meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials, Secretary of State John Kerry urged them to “demonstrate leadership” to find a way back to direct peace talks.
Russia Says Syria Will Attend Geneva Peace Talks
New York Times 24 May 2013 – The United States and Russia agreed this month to pull together the peace conference, with Russia responsible for bringing the government of Bashar al-Assad to the table.
Lives: Flying With the Black Ravens
New York Times 24 May 2013 – Thirty years after my father’s death, I went looking for him in his old squadron.
Latitude: Egyptians Try To Complete the 2011 Revolution
New York Times 24 May 2013 – Young Egyptians are trying to re-boot the revolution.
Google joins race to buy Waze – report
Globes Main News – Media reports say there is a bidding war with Google and Facebook prepared to pay $1 billion for the navigation and traffic report app.
Obama Reins in War on Terror, Drone Warfare
Tikun Olam – It’s hard to be categorically optimistic about anything Barack Obama says since he’s let so many down so much. But his statements about drone strikes and the war on terror , while not everything one would wish, were a vast improvement over U.S. policy for the past…
Hezbollah Escalates Syrian Civil War
Tikun Olam – Hezbollah fighters headed to Qusayr (AFP/Getty) Hezbollah and its sponsors Iran and Syria have made a calculated decision to escalate the violence inside that country by inserting large contingents of its fighters in the fight for Qusayr. The battle for that strategic town is turning out…
May San Francisco buses run ads critical of Israel?
Jewish Voice for Peace – A few months ago, I was appalled to see anti-Palestinian ads in San Francisco MUNI buses that referred to Arabs and Muslims as uncivilized and as “savages”. Read more and take action.
Coalition urges SF authorities to refrain from stigmatizing political ads
Jewish Voice for Peace – Civil rights organizations call upon San Francisco authorities to resist pressure to stigmatize Muni bus ads that quote Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu characterizing Israeli policies as apartheid. SAN FRANCISCO 05/23/2013) – Civil rights organizations call upon San Francisco authorities to resist pressure to…
SF officials describe ‘apartheid’ label as ‘intolerance alienating the Jewish community’
Mondoweiss – Scott Wiener Things are escalating here in the Bay Area over American Muslims for Palestine’s (AMP) “End Apartheid Now” Muni bus ads . Seven out of twelve members of San Francisco’s board of supervisors have stepped into the fray, requesting San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) to…
In electric atmosphere, Medea Benjamin takes over the president’s speech
Mondoweiss – Medea Benjamin shouts as President Obama speaks at the National Defense University in Washington, DC, May 23, 2013. (Photo: AFP) An almost unheard of thing happened near the end of President Barack Obama’s much anticipated speech on counterterrorism Thursday: a critic publicly challenged him on the…
Bradley Manning blows chance to have a gay wedding
Mondoweiss – Gay greetings, LGBT-town! I’m your out-and-proud lesbian pundit. You may recognize me from my latest blog entry, “How Gay Was My Condo.” Today, I bring you a hard-hitting work of in-depth political analysis re: Private First Class Bradley Manning. It seems some malcontents on the Board…
Weiner’s Park Ave apartment belongs to man whose ‘only agenda’ is Israel
Mondoweiss – Today’s New York Times has a profile of Huma Abedin , Anthony Weiner’s wife and an aide to Hillary Clinton, that describes Abedin as the driving force behind Weiner’s political resurrection and bid to be NY mayor. It states: The couple live in a spacious Park Avenue…
UN and Hunter College events feature plight of Bedouin refugees, due to be expelled again from E-1
Mondoweiss – One of the travesties of the E-1 settlement plans that Israel has announced to connect occupied East Jerusalem with the West Bank settlements is the situation of the Jahalin Bedouin refugees. On these dry hills live 3000 Bedouins who are not allowed to build anything, can’t…
Obama’s Speech on Counter-Terrorism Raises Concerns Among Israeli Lawmakers
The Foward Breaking News 24 May 2013 – Israeli intelligence experts, defense mavens and foreign policy gurus should be poring over President Barack Obama’s address to the National Defense University by now. Many of them, one can safely posit, won’t like what they’re reading, in the text and between the lines. Click here for…
Iran Denies Supporting Assad’s Army in Syria War
The Foward Breaking News 24 May 2013 – ran on Friday denied it has forces in Syria supporting President Bashar Assad’s army, one day after foreign backers of the Syrian leader’s rebel foes demanded Tehran withdraw its fighters from the country’s territory. Click here for the rest of the article…
Early Peace Discussions With Israelis and Palestinians ‘Very Productive’, Says Kerry
The Foward Breaking News 24 May 2013 – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that his shuttle talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on prospects for reviving direct negotiations had been “very productive”. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: President Discusses Bilateral Relations With Qatari Premier
allAfrica.com 24 May 2013 – [Aswat Masriya]President Mohamed Mursi met with Qatari Premier and Foreign Minister Hamad Bin Jassim on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations between the countries and ways to develop them.
Syria opposition ready to negotiate
BBC 24 May 2013 – Syria’s main opposition coalition says it is willing to attend an peace conference next month only if President Bashar al-Assad agrees to step down.
Thousands protest in Bahrain sit-in
BBC 24 May 2013 – Tens of thousands of Bahrainis participated in a sit-in on Friday in protest at a raid on a senior Shia cleric’s home.
‘Hard decisions’ needed for peace
BBC 24 May 2013 – US Secretary of State John Kerry says “hard decisions” will be needed for peace after two days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Obama addresses Guantanamo, drone warfare in policy speech
Al-Akhbar News 24 May 2013 – Protesters stand next to a model of a drone during a demonstration calling for an end to targeted killings and indefinite detentions outside of Fort McNair on 23 May in Washington, DC. (Photo: AFP – Mandel Ngan) Twelve years after the “war on terror” began, President…
The High Cost of Lebanese Industry
Al-Akhbar News 24 May 2013 – The minister believes that many industries, already located in several industrial areas around Beirut and Mount Lebanon, are not eager to relocate. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) The minister believes that many industries, already located in several industrial areas around Beirut and Mount Lebanon, are not eager to…
Beirut: The Syrian Market in Bourj Hammoud
Al-Akhbar News 24 May 2013 – Here, you buy four sardine cans instead of three from another place, which means you get more food for the same price to feed your large family. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Here, you buy four sardine cans instead of three from another place, which means you get…
Syria: Army Tightens Grip on Fighters in Qusayr
Al-Akhbar News 24 May 2013 – A handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency on 20 May 2013, allegedly shows a Syrian soldier scanning the area for hostiles in the the town of Qusayr in Homs province. (Photo: AFP – SANA) A handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News…
A Coup by Tabbaneh Field Commanders: “We Have the Final Say”
Al-Akhbar News 24 May 2013 – A Lebanese army’s armoured personal carriers (APC) mounted with anti-aircraft heavy machine gun patrols on 24 May 2013 in a street of Jabal Mohsen in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. (Photo: AFP -Ghassan Sweidan) A Lebanese army’s armoured personal carriers (APC) mounted with anti-aircraft heavy…
Palestinians pessimistic about Kerry’s lukewarm peace plan
Al-Akhbar News 24 May 2013 – US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during a news conference in Tel Aviv on 24 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – Jim Young) US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Israel’s government on Friday to prevent further settlement construction where possible to help revitalize Middle East…
Stranded at the Rafah Crossing
Al-Akhbar Politics 23 May 2013 – Palestinians wait for relatives to cross back into the southern Gaza Strip through the Rafah border terminal with Egypt, on 22 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – Said Khatib) Palestinians wait for relatives to cross back into the southern Gaza Strip through the Rafah border terminal with…
Iraq: Western Fire and Northern Wind
Al-Akhbar Politics 23 May 2013 – Iraqis inspect the damage following an explosion in the Kamaliya area of eastern Baghdad on 20 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – Ali Al-Saadi) Iraqis inspect the damage following an explosion in the Kamaliya area of eastern Baghdad on 20 May 2013. (Photo: AFP – Ali Al-Saadi)…
Syria: Opposition’s Booby Trap Blueprint for Qusayr
Al-Akhbar Politics 23 May 2013 – A handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency on 22 May 2013 shows a soldier of the Syrian government forces pointing his weapon from a trench as he secures the army’s positions in the city of al-Hamidiyeh near Qusayr in Homs province. (Photo: AFP…
Israel Fears War of Attrition in Golan
Al-Akhbar Politics 23 May 2013 – An Israeli Merkava tank maneuvers during a drill in the Israeli annexed Golan Heights near the border with Syria on 24 April 2013. (Photo: AFP – Menahem Kahana) An Israeli Merkava tank maneuvers during a drill in the Israeli annexed Golan Heights near the border with…
Palestinian Workers Attacked by Israeli Police Dogs in an Attempt to Cross the Wall
Al-Haq 23 May 2013 – Ad: Survive Any Food Crisis – 75% Comm – Survive Any Food Crisis Is A New Crisis Survival Product Offering 75% Commissions And Awesome Conversions. Works Well With Go Green, Solar, Eco, Conspiracy, Survival Websites.
Syria opposition ready to negotiate
BBC 24 May 2013 – Syria’s main opposition coalition says it is willing to attend an peace conference next month only if President Bashar al-Assad agrees to step down.
‘Poor response’ to Iraq abuse claims
BBC 24 May 2013 – The UK government’s response to claims that British troops abused and unlawfully killed civilians in Iraq is inadequate, the High Court rules, but it stops short of ordering a public inquiry.
Thousands protest in Bahrain sit-in
BBC 24 May 2013 – Tens of thousands of Bahrainis participated in a sit-in on Friday in protest at a raid on a senior Shia cleric’s home.
‘Hard decisions’ needed for peace
BBC 24 May 2013 – US Secretary of State John Kerry says “hard decisions” will be needed for peace after two days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Obama defends ‘just’ drones war
BBC 24 May 2013 – President Obama defends the use of drones as a “just war” of self-defence against deadly militants, and a campaign that has made America safer.
Articles
Justice must prevail if European and American claims to civilisation have any meaning at all
Ibrahim Hewitt, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 5/24/2013
Israel was established as part of a cynical process of neo-imperialism during and after the First World War.
In the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, the Israelis have the most compliant of “partners for peace” ready and willing to make huge concessions and yet illegal settlements continue to grow; human rights violations continue apace; and 65 years of occupation and oppression look set to become endless. This tells us all we really need to know about the mindset of Israel and its leaders, and “right or wrong” supporters: they are not interested in peace in any form, and certainly not a peace in which justice is also given to the victims of Israeli aggression over the past half-a-century and more.
Visiting Interpal’s projects in Jordan this week has, as usual, been an eye-opener. No matter how bad you think the situation is, close inspection on the ground reveals it to be worse. Just as in Lebanon, which I visited a month ago, landlords are exploiting refugees – Palestinian and Syrian – at their most vulnerable, charging exorbitant rents for little more than converted animal stores. Trying to imagine the mental turmoil this must cause to someone who has already had to leave their homes with little more than what they can carry is impossible; we can only guess what it must be like, and will probably be far from the reality. Now multiply that by many thousands, indeed millions, and we are faced with a humanitarian catastrophe playing out under our noses.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague and other foreign ministers were also in Amman this week for a meeting of the “Friends of Syria”; little will result from the get-together, no matter how well-intentioned (let’s give them the benefit of the doubt) for the simple reason that in international relations right and wrong play second-fiddle to “interests”. If it was in America’s interests for the war in Syria to be stopped, one way or the other, it would be stopped. The same is true about the incredibly asymmetric conflict in the Holy Land….more.. e-mail
Time for ‘Kerry Peace Plan’
George S. Hishmeh, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 5/23/2013
It is anyone’s guess what Secretary of State John Kerry has up his sleeve when he visits the Holy Land for the fourth time this week, among other key stopovers elsewhere in the Middle East. True, his objective is to kick-start peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis, moribund for several years, but what are the chances of success when he has so much on his plate, particularly Syria?
His focus on resurrecting the peace process has triggered some excitement in this strife-torn region, but not surprisingly everywhere. His first success was to get the Arabs to amend their Arab Peace Initiative, much to the disappointment of some Palestinians, which was launched in 2002 by the 22-member League of Arab States and endorsed thereafter by the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained mum though his chief negotiator, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, welcomed the gesture as “good news”. Even former prime minister Ehud Olmert was quoted as saying that’s “an opportunity that must be seized [since] it’s a very important development.”
What is more amazing is that Netanyahu has never spelled out his vision for a peace agreement, insisting that his expansionist plans in the West Bank — now accommodating about half a million Israeli colonists — would not stop, even temporarily, while the two parties are pursuing their negotiations. This is why the Palestinians want him to commit himself to a discernible settlement before the talks start. more.. e-mail
US moves toward full Iran trade embargo
Jim Lobe, Asia Times 5/23/2013
WASHINGTON – The US Congress moved closer on Wednesday to imposing a full trade embargo against Iran and pledged its support to Israel if it felt compelled to attack Tehran’s nuclear program in self-defense. The senate voted 99-0 to adopt a resolution that urged President Barack Obama to fully enforce existing economic sanctions against Iran and to “provide diplomatic, military and economic support” to Israel “in its defense of its territory, people and existence”.
Washington, it said, should support Israel “in accordance with United States law and the constitutional responsibility of congress to authorize the use of military force” if Israel “is compelled to take military action in legitimate self-defense against Iran’s nuclear weapons program.”
The measure also re-affirmed the official policy of the Obama administration that it would take whatever action necessary to “prevent” Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
At the same time, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Republican-led House of Representatives unanimously approved new sanctions legislation that, if passed into law, would blacklist foreign countries or companies that fail to reduce their oil imports from Iran to virtually nil within 180 days.
The same bill would expand the current blacklisting of companies that do business with Iran’s financial sector to include those engaged in the country’s automotive and mining sectors, as well.
In perhaps its most controversial section, the bill also eliminates President Obama’s ability to waive most sanctions for national-interest or national-security reasons. more.. e-mail
Why aren’t Israeli F-16s over Beirut headline news?
Electronic Intifada: 24 May 2013 – When Israel claims to shoot down a drone, it is front-page news; when Israel invades Lebanese airspace, it is unreported.more
Sexuality and gender taboos challenged by Haifa project
Electronic Intifada: 24 May 2013 – “Singing Sexuality” aims to create safe space to raise tough questions within Palestinian society.more
“This time they destroyed everything”: Uprooted Bedouins face more evictions
Electronic Intifada: 24 May 2013 – Israel will soon put a plan to forcibly displace up to 40,000 Palestinian Bedouins on its statute books.more
Old Masters and the Masters of War: Guernica – Gaza
Palestine Chronicle: 23 May 2013 – By Vacy Vlazna The Israeli military occupation is not only an external experience of ubiquitous soldiers, guns, teargas, tanks, F16s , Apache helicopters, warships, checkpoints, prisons, it is a virulent pathogen that infects and debilitates the psyches and bodies of its living hosts – the men, women and children of Palestine contaminating every precious instant of their lives from the first breath to death. The omnipresence of Israeli aggression is strikingly conveyed in internationally acclaimed Gazan artist, Mohammed Al Hawajri’s new exhibition, Guernica – Gaza 2010-2013, featuring 28 extraordinary artworks which present the Israeli reign of terror invading the artistic vision of certain Old Masters. I was sent images of Al Hawajri’s paintings via Facebook and his creativity astonished me. I am neither art connoisseur nor critic, but I’d like to share, from an activist perspective, how the incompatible juxtaposition of Old Masters, and the Israeli masters of war can expand…more
United against Scholarship
Dissident Voice: 24 May 2013 – In the last few years we have been witnessing the emergence of a self-gratifying populist culture in the midst of the Palestinian scholarly discourse. Two years ago we watched Ali Abunimah ’s lecture about ‘culture’ and politics setting a new record of intellectual ignorance. We then came across ‘anti’ racist Israel boycott campaigner Omar Barghouti preaching in favour of biological determinism. This week I came across Columbia Professor Joseph Massad’s Last of the Semites , a talk on Zionism and anti-semitism the Professor delivered in Stuttgart last month. Unfortunately Massad repeats the exact same pattern. Watch Massad’s Lecture: Let’s us examine some of Massad’s ideas. Towards the end of his talk Massad concludes that “whereas Israel insists that European Jews do not belong in Europe and must come to Palestine, the Palestinians have always insisted that the homelands of European Jews were their European countries and not Palestine.” Nice set-up of…more
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The New Dark Age 
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