14 June 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Palestinian Injured In Nablus
IMEMC – A Palestinian man was injured on Friday [June 14] in Jama’in town, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, after being attacked by several Israeli soldiers during clashes that took place between local residents and extremist Israeli settlers. …
Man Injured By Army Fire In Gaza
IMEMC – Friday evening [June 14 2013] Palestinian medical sources have reported that a Palestinian farmer was shot by Israeli army fire, as he worked in his land in Deir Al-Balah, in central Gaza. …
Settlers Burn Two Cars In Jerusalem
IMEMC – Palestinian sources reported Friday [June 14 2013] that extremist Israeli settlers set ablaze two Palestinian cars in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, in occupied East Jerusalem. …
Abbas Meets Palestinian Climber Who Raised Flag On Everest
IMEMC – Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, met on Thursday [June 13 2013] the Palestinian climber who managed to reach the summit of the Everest, and raised the Palestinian flag. …
Seven Palestinians Kidnapped By The Army In West Bank
IMEMC – Israeli soldiers invaded on Friday at dawn [June 14 2013] various districts in the occupied West Bank, searched homes and kidnapped seven Palestinians in Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus and Jenin. …
Israel claims Uncovering Two Tunnels In West Bank
IMEMC – Israeli army sources reported Thursday [June 14 2013] that the army located two tunnels under a section of the Annexation Wall, close to the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia. …
Report: “Tel Aviv University Received Finances From Settler Group”
IMEMC – [Thursday June 13 2013] The Arabs48 News Website has reported that the Tel Aviv University is cooperating with right wing settler groups involved in excavations in Silwan Arab town, south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in occupied East Jerusalem. …
Suspected settler vandalism in East Jerusalem
6/14/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Suspected Jewish extremists torched two Palestinian cars in East Jerusalem and scrawled graffiti nearby, a police spokesman told AFP on Friday, in the latest “price tag” attack.”Overnight there were two vehicles that were burnt in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood,” Micky Rosenfeld said.”Police arrived at the scene and searched the area for suspects, they also discovered graffiti on the wall (that read….
Army: Israeli vehicle fired upon near Hebron
6/14/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) – A Palestinian on Friday shot at an Israeli vehicle south of Hebron, the Israeli army said. The Palestinian liaison office reported that it received word from its Israeli counterpart that a military vehicle was shot at near Khursa junction. The car fled the scene. An Israeli military spokeswoman said the vehicle was a bus. Israeli forces closed the entrance of al-Fawwar….
Gaza man seriously injured in self-immolation attempt
6/14/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Two brothers on Friday sustained injuries in the Gaza Strip after a self-immolation attempt to protest the destruction of a family-owned factory. Ibrahim al-Tartouri poured gasoline over his body and set himself ablaze, while his brother, Mohamed, was injured trying to help him.”Family members helped put the fire out,” their father told Ma’an.”Ibrahim was seriously injured….
Report: Israel finds tunnels under West Bank wall
6/14/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel’s army has uncovered two tunnels under the separation wall, used by Palestinians to enter Israel from the West Bank, Israeli media reported Friday. The tunnels were found under the wall near al-Tayba village in the northern West Bank, the Hebrew-language daily Maariv reported. Soldiers found two Palestinians trying to enter Israel through the tunnels, according to Maariv. Israel…. Related: Israeli army: No West Bank tunnels uncovered
Israeli army: No West Bank tunnels uncovered
6/14/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Israeli army dismissed a newspaper report Friday claiming its soldiers uncovered two tunnels underneath the separation wall used by Palestinians to infiltrate Israel. Hebrew-language daily Maariv reported that two tunnels were found under the wall near al-Tayba village in the northern West Bank. Soldiers found two Palestinians trying to enter Israel, the report said. But Israel’s army called…. Related: Report: Israel finds tunnels under West Bank wall
Haniyeh heads to Egypt for talks on reconciliation
6/14/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Friday left the Gaza strip for talks on reconciliation in Egypt, his adviser said, as the division entered its seventh year. Haniyeh will discuss reconciliation between his movement and the Fatah party, as well as the Palestinian situation, with the Egyptian leadership, Essam Daales told Ma’an. On Friday, the division of the….
Minister: Sweden may cut Palestinian aid
6/14/2013 – STOCKHOLM (AFP) — Sweden is considering slashing its aid to the Palestinian Authority because of a lack of progress in achieving a two-state solution, International Development Cooperation Minister Gunilla Carlsson said Friday. She told public broadcaster Swedish Radio that aid paid out to the Palestinians to build up their administration in Gaza and the West Bank had been aimed at strengthening the Palestinian side ahead of….
France condemns Israeli settlement plans
6/14/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — France on Friday condemned the building of over 1,000 new housing units in two West Bank settlements.”This illegal action contradicts the US government’s efforts helped by us to re-launch the peace process,” a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement. The statement called on the Israeli government to reverse the plans. [END]
UN chief: Israeli settlements undermine peace hopes
6/14/2013 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Friday slammed Israel’s settlement surge in the occupied West Bank as undermining hopes of ending the Middle East conflict by setting up a Palestinian state.”The secretary general is deeply concerned by the continuing expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank in violation of international law,” said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky. Ban was “particularly….
Hamas denies it has fighters in Syria
6/14/2013 – GAZA CITY (AFP) — Gaza’s Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh denied on Friday that members of the Palestinian movement were fighting in the Syrian civil war. He also rejected reports of internal divisions within the group over its ties with Iran and its ally, Lebanon’s powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah.”There is no truth to (claims) that Hamas fighters are in Syria, although….
Jerusalem turns racetrack for F1 Peace Roadshow
6/14/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — The Ferrari and Marussia Formula One teams burnt rubber in the first Jerusalem F1 Peace Roadshow on Thursday, roaring around the Holy City at speeds of up to 240 kilometers per hour. Tens of thousands of excited spectators were at the event, with some of the world’s fastest cars tearing up the streets on a 2. 8-kilometer circuit which passes….
Sarin: a lethal nerve gas that kills in minutes
6/14/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — Sarin, a deadly nerve gas which the United States now says the Syrian regime has used against rebel forces, was developed by Nazi scientists in 1938. Originally conceived as a pesticide, sarin was used by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime to gas thousands of Kurds in the northern town of Halabja in 1988. A cult also used the odorless, paralyzing agent….
US F-16s, missiles to stay in Jordan after drill
6/14/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States will keep F-16 fighter jets and Patriot anti-missile weapons in Jordan after a joint military exercise ends this month, a US defense official said Thursday. The US administration, which is weighing a decision to arm rebels fighting in neighboring Syria’s civil war, also planned to keep a unit of US Marines on amphibious ships off the coast….
US toughens stance on Syria after ‘nerve gas attacks’
6/14/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States dramatically toughened its stance on Syria, accusing Bashar Assad of using chemical weapons against his people and promising “military support” to rebel forces. President Barack Obama’s administration announced it had conducted a review of intelligence reports and concluded that Syrian regime forces had used banned arms, including the nerve gas sarin, in attacks that killed up to 150….
NATO urges Syria to allow UN weapons inspection
6/14/2013 – BRUSSELS (AFP) — NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Friday welcomed a “clear” US statement accusing the Syrian regime of using chemical weapons and said Damascus must let the UN investigate the allegations.”I welcome clear US statement. Urgent that Syria regime should let UN investigate all reports of chemical weapons use,” he said on Twitter, adding that the use of chemical weapons was “completely….
Syria women, children ‘vulnerable in Jordan camps’
6/14/2013 – AMMAN (AFP) — The UN’s children’s agency called Friday for urgent help for Syrian refugees in Jordan, saying women and children are increasingly exposed to gender-based violence and abuse as they struggle to survive.”Without a scaling up of the international donor community’s response, the situation for Syrian refugees in Jordan will only get worse. The international community must act….
UK agrees with US on Syria chemical weapons use
6/14/2013 – LONDON (AFP) — Britain said Friday it agreed with the United States’ assessment that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons and called for a “strong, determined” international response. Foreign Secretary William Hague said Britain would be discussing that response “urgently” with the United States, France and other countries, including at a G8 summit next week. Prime Minister David Cameron has put finding a political….
Nasrallah: Hezbollah will stay involved in Syria war
6/14/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Lebanon’s Shiite movement Hezbollah will stay involved in the Syrian conflict, after having helped the regime win back control of the key town of Qusayr, its leader Hassan Nasrallah said Friday.”Before Qusayr is the same as after Qusayr. Nothing has changed,” he said in a televised speech.”Where we need to be, we will be. . . We will continue to assume our responsibilities.”[END]
Syria calls US claims on chemical weapons use ‘lies’
6/14/2013 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syria on Friday slammed Washington’s claims that it had used chemical weapons in its fight against rebels, accusing the United States of “lies” based on “fabricated information”.”The White House published a statement full of lies about the use of chemical weapons in Syria, based on fabricated information, through which it is trying to hold the Syrian government responsible for such….
Ban terms Israeli settlement push illegal
AlJazeera 14 Jun 2013 – UN chief terms proposed building of 1,000 homes in two occupied West Bank settlements ‘violation of international law’.
Sweden to Reduce Aid to Palestinians
Palestine News Network
Settlers Set Fire to Two Vehicles in Occupied Jerusalem
Palestine News Network
Israel Bans Shirin Issawi from Practicing Her Job for 2 More Years
Palestine News Network
UN Study: At Least 93,000 People Killed in Syria Conflict
Palestine News Network
The Dandanat Music and Dance Festival Launches in Bethlehem
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (05 – 12 June 2013)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Israeli army detains a 10-year-old during the weekly demonstration in Kafr Qaddum
6/14/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 14th June 2013, International Women’s Peace Service, Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine – On Friday 14 June, the Israeli army arrested a 10-year-old child during the weekly protest in Kafr Qaddum. Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the villagers; many local residents suffered from tear gas inhalation. At approximately 12:00, when residents and international solidarity activists started gathering for the….
Residents of Beit Hanina stand against eviction
6/14/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 14th June 2013, International Solidarity Movement, RamallahTeam, Beit Hanina, Occupied Palestine – On Monday, June 10, a group of fifty-three Palestinians living in the Beit Hanina neighborhood of East Jerusalem received eviction orders from the Israeli authorities. These families have been living in Beit Hanina for over 40 years and for nearly the past 20 years have been fighting off repeated attempts by Israeli officials and….
Video: Farming in Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip
6/14/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 14th June 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Gal·la, Gaza, Occupied Palestine – Saber Al-Zaneen, coordinator of farmers in Beit Hanoun (north Gaza Strip), explains how difficult it is for farmers to work in that area, the disproportional violence they have to face daily and the danger they are exposed to with no reason. [END]
Lebanon: Responding to the Needs of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon
Relief Web 14 Jun 2013 – Source: UN Population Fund Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic More than 450,000 refugees have crossed the borders from Syria into Lebanon as of the end of April 2013, according to estimates by the UN High Commissioner for…
occupied Palestinian territory: UN chief ‘deeply concerned’ by Israel’s continuing West Bank settlement expansion
Relief Web 14 Jun 2013 – Source: UN News Service Country: occupied Palestinian territory 14 June 2013 – Calling reported ongoing settlement construction in the West Bank “unhelpful” and a “deeply worrisome trend,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today renewed his calls on Israel to heed the global…
occupied Palestinian territory: Collective punishment in Gaza must end: Israel’s blockade enters its 7th year – UN Special Rapporteur
Relief Web 14 Jun 2013 – Source: UN Human Rights Council Country: occupied Palestinian territory GENEVA, 14 June 2013 – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, Richard Falk, called today on Israel…
Syrian Arab Republic: Legal Status of Individuals Fleeing Syria – Syria Needs Analysis Project – June 2013
Relief Web 14 Jun 2013 – Source: MapAction, Assessment Capacities Project Country: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey Overview By June 2013, over 1.6 million people fled Syria in search of protection and access to essential services. Their legal status is…
Reckless Dubai driver racks up Dh240,000 in traffic fines during two-week period
The National 14 Jun 2013 –
US policy shift on Syria about more than red lines
The National 14 Jun 2013 – The United States’ decision to supply Syrian rebels with weapons was motivated by Assad’s victory in Qusayr and containing Iran, not just chemical weapon attacks
Iran election energised by surge in support for moderate candidate
The National 14 Jun 2013 – Just a month ago the election had looked like being a predictable and dull affair but that changed this week when the only reformist candidate dropped out to boost the chances of a moderate cleric, Hassan Rowhani.
First mass at new church in RAK
The National 14 Jun 2013 – About 8,500 Catholics flock to the opening service of the Saint Anthony of Padua Church, where the priest thanked the Ruler for his donation of land for the new building.
Transplant boss pulls it all together to come first
The National 14 Jun 2013 – Roberta Al Housani-Blakely, the UAE’s first Certified Clinical Transport Coordinator, sets sights on a national organ register.
Syria’s rebels call for weapons as regime plans new onslaught
The National 14 Jun 2013 – Rebel forces ask US to supply arms, including anti-tank and aircraft missiles, as Assad regime troops mass for major offensive to retake Aleppo
A medical home away from home for Emiratis
The National 14 Jun 2013 – Older Emirati patients can get quality care in live-in facilities that mimic home.
Growing problems of an ageing Emirati population
The National 14 Jun 2013 – Long-term inpatient facilities for older Emiratis are slowly coming online.
Foreigners without a legion: Golan peacekeeping force lacks any real power
Ha’aretz – 14 Jun 2013
In Israel’s ruling coalition, discord grows over peace process with Palestinians
Ha’aretz – 14 Jun 2013
Ya’alon: Kerry peace move has failed so far; Arab League initiative is ‘spin’
Ha’aretz – 14 Jun 2013
LGBT activist implicated in gay youth center shooting released to house arrest
Ha’aretz – 14 Jun 2013
Livni to sponsor groundbreaking Knesset bill allowing same-sex civil partnership
Ha’aretz – 14 Jun 2013
As Barnoar details emerge, a community looks inward at itself and outward at Israel
Ha’aretz – 14 Jun 2013
Israeli ministers mull job and housing preferences for former IDF soldiers
Ha’aretz – 14 Jun 2013
Parents fuming after youth movement books ‘fun day’ at amusement park that segregates Jews and Arabs
Ha’aretz – 13 Jun 2013
The race for Israel’s Sephardi chief rabbi: Who will be anointed Ovadia Yosef’s spiritual heir?
Ha’aretz – 13 Jun 2013
Iran: Hassan Rohani leads early poll results
Jerusalem Post 15 Jun 2013 – Interior minister of Iran says 401,949 of 826,649 valid votes cast for Hassan Rohani; closest contender pulls 126,896 votes; voting extended due to high turnout.
Source: US likely to aid Syrian rebels with RPGs
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – Syrian rebel commander urges West to supply heavy weapons to counter Assad forces after US says to help arm opposition.
Nasrallah vows to back Assad as UNHRC condemns Hezbollah
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – Hezbollah leader says group will not be deflected from goals.
Gunshots follow Hezbollah celebratory gunfire ban
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – After Nasrallah speech in which he criticizes celebratory gunshots as dangerous and provocative, sound of gunfire echoes in Beirut.
UN skeptical of US drums on Syria chemical arms
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – “The validity of information on alleged use of chemical weapons cannot be ensured,” Ban says, calling for independent probe.
Egypt Brothers backs Syria jihad, slams Shi’ites
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – Muslim Brotherhood accuses Hezbollah of launching “sectarian war” as movement joins call to wage jihad against Assad gov’t.
French court orders Twitter to ID anti-Semites
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – The court is giving Twitter 15 days to divulge details of users who posted anti-Semitic comments on Jewish organizations pages.
‘Sweden considering reducing aid to Palestinians’
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – Report: Swedish diplomat Gunilla Carlsson outlines reasons for financial support for Palestinians, why it might be lowered.
‘US studying Syria no-fly zone near Jordan border’
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – ‘Wall Street Journal’ reports buffer zone near southern border with Jordan would be used to train rebels, protect refugees.
LGBT activist Shaul Ganon released on house arrest
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – Ganon denies direct or indirect connection to Bar Noar murders.
LGBT activist Shaul Ganon released to house arrest
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – Ganon, one of the founders of the Bar Noar, denies direct or indirect connection to murders at LGBT center.
US: NSA surveillance thwarted dozens of attacks
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – White House: Surveillance led to arrest of Chicago man planning to bomb Danish paper, stopped Islamist plot to bomb NYC subway.
‘Assad hopes to unite war-torn Syria against Israel’
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – Syrian president says calls on all Syrian factions to join Palestinian forces in long term resistance in the Golan.
50 million Iranians head to polls to replace Ahmadinejad
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – Khamenei says he doesn’t “give a damn” about accusations ballot is unfair.
Turkish protesters positive after meeting Erdogan
Jerusalem Post 14 Jun 2013 – Taksim Solidarity: Erdogan promises to abide by court ruling on park plans, hold referendum if court rules in government’s favor.
Poland, Czechs balk on blacklisting Hezbollah
Jerusalem Post 13 Jun 2013 – Denmark, Sweden, Germany and France reportedly support blacklist during EU meeting convened by the United Kingdom.
Meet your new burekas shapes
Jerusalem Post 13 Jun 2013 – Rabbinate spends months on flaky challenge of changing the appearance of popular pastry.
Jewish social entrepreneurs connect in Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post 13 Jun 2013 – ROI summit brings together Diaspora and Israeli Jews to compare notes on new initiatives.
MKs prepare for long night of budget voting
Jerusalem Post 13 Jun 2013 – Lapid’s budget expected to encounter resistance in coalition; if budget not approved by July 30, early election to be scheduled.
‘After Syria chemical arms use, US to arm rebels’
Jerusalem Post 13 Jun 2013 – Obama administration says Assad regime has crossed “red line,” citing clear evidence that they have used chemical weapons.
Behind the Lines: A cross-border sectarian war
Jerusalem Post 13 Jun 2013 – Iraq is becoming the latest country to be swept up by the sectarian violence that has split Syria.
Security and Defense: Simulating war
Jerusalem Post 13 Jun 2013 – Once the purvey of pilots, simulators are now being used by tank crews, artillery gunners and even infantry.
Column One: Oil brings us to a better place
Jerusalem Post 13 Jun 2013 – Unlike the situation with Better Place, economic laws of supply and demand work in favor of Israel’s energy solution.
Understanding politics in Israel: The limousine theory
Jerusalem Post 13 Jun 2013 – Into the Fray: How is it that, time after time, the electorate ends up with a gov’t adopting precisely the policy it urged voters to reject?
ACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging NSA’s Patriot Act Phone Surveillance
Uruknet
A left-wing response to left-wing delusions on Syria
Uruknet
Former CIA Employee, Snowden, Blows Whistle on NSA’s Dragnet Surveillance
Uruknet
Israel steals water from Jordan Valley pushing Palestinians to leave their homes
Uruknet
Google & Facebook Discussed Secret Systems for U.S. to Spy on Users
Uruknet
Palestinian Injured By Settler’s Fire Near Qalqilia
Uruknet
Criticism of Israel’s human rights record branded “anti-Semitism”
Uruknet
The Uncertain Fate of the U.S.-NATO Installed Libyan Regime
Uruknet
Air Force Bans Personnel from Reading News Stories Reporting NSA Scandal
Uruknet
‘It can’t happen here’ just did
Uruknet
Another Iraq candidate killed ahead of provincial polls
Daily Star 15 Jun 2013 A Sunni Arab candidate in Iraqi provincial elections due next week was shot dead as he left Friday prayers in the main northern city of Mosul, officials said.Muhanad Ghazi was gunned down as he walked home…
Sarkis names Lebanon squad for Asia Championship
Daily Star 14 Jun 2013 Lebanon coach Ghassan Sarkis has named the primary squad of the national basketball team, consisting of 18 players, ahead of the FIBA ASIA Championship which will be held in Manila Aug. 1-11.
US to supply Syrian rebels with guns, ammo, anti-tank weapons
YNet News, 14 Jun 2013 – ….
UK: Al-Qaeda groups tried to get chemical weapons
YNet News, 14 Jun 2013 – ….
Suspicion: Barnoar shooting suspect dealt drugs
YNet News, 14 Jun 2013 – ….
US to UN: Syria regime used sarin twice in Aleppo
YNet News, 14 Jun 2013 – ….
White House: Syria no-fly zone would be costly and difficult
YNet News, 14 Jun 2013 – ….
Fanning the flames of haredi extremism
YNet News, 14 Jun 2013 – Op-ed: Rhetoric against ultra-Orthodox encouraging entire haredi community to refuse integration in Israeli society ….
Palestine Information Center
PA security arrest Hamas elements in WB, Hamas slams PA political arrests
PIC – PA security forces continued arrest and summons campaigns against Hamas elements in the West Bank targeting 11 of them, in addition to extending the arrest of 11 other political detainees.
Shaath: PA spending on Israeli security more than education budget
PIC – The leader in Fatah movement, Nabil Shaath stressed that his movement is” doing the utmost to prevent a violent uprising”, stressing that an intifada (uprising) doesn’t have to be violent.
Hamas delegation leaves Gaza for Cairo reconciliation talks
PIC – A delegation of Hamas movement figures headed by MP Salah Bardawil accompanied by seven members left Gaza via Rafh crossing to Cairo on Thursday.
Part of Palestinian Refugee Week… PRC Participates in UN Human Rights Session
PIC – The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) took part in the 23rd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Palestinian student sentenced to 10 years in Israeli jails
PIC – An Israeli court sentenced on Thursday a Palestinian student at Abu Dis University in occupied Jerusalem to 10 years imprisonment, and a fine of 2,000 Jordanian dinars.
Media campaign to stop incitement against Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
PIC – Hamas movement has launched on Thursday a media campaign against the continued incitement against Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
Elad funds excavations in Silwan
PIC – Elad, right-wing Israeli settlement organization, is “indirectly paying the salary of a Tel Aviv University researcher heading an archeological dig in East Jerusalem,” Haaretz revealed.
1000 new housing units in Bethlehem
PIC – Minister of Housing and Construction, Uri Ariel, declared on Thursday plans to build on thousand new housing units in Gush Etzion settlement bloc built on Palestinian lands in Bethlehem.
Prisoner Khozeimeh suffers a serious illness
PIC – The prisoner Yasser Walid Khozeimeh’s family warned of the serious health condition of her son, stressing that he suffers a serious and rare illness.
Al-Aqsa Foundation condemns organizing Formula 1 race in occupied Jerusalem
PIC – Al-Aqsa Foundation warned that the aim behind organizing Formula 1 car race in the vicinity of the Old City wall and al-Aqsa mosque is the reinforcement of Judaization projects.
WAFA Assumes Presidency of Alliance of the Mediterranean News Agencies
WAFA – 14 Jun 2013
Tourism in Palestine an Act of Solidarity, says Minister of Tourism
WAFA – 14 Jun 2013
Getting U.S. weapons to Syria rebels will take weeks
LA Times 14 Jun 2013 – President Obama’s decision to arm the opposition draws both praise and criticism. Either way, it faces a number of logistical hurdles. WASHINGTON — Delivering weapons and ammunition to beleaguered Syrian rebels will take weeks, White House officials acknowledged Friday as the administration’s decision to supply…
Iran presidential election underway
LA Times 13 Jun 2013 – In Iran’s presidential election, the three front-runners are conservatives, but Hassan Rowhani, a moderate, has gained momentum in recent days. TEHRAN — Millions of Iranians headed to the polls early Friday to choose a new president in balloting that has taken on a competitive edge…
Turkey’s leader agrees to halt park project
LA Times 13 Jun 2013 – After meeting with protesters, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he’ll freeze a development project in popular Gezi Park in Istanbul, let a referendum decide. ISTANBUL, Turkey — Besieged Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed Friday to freeze construction in a popular Istanbul park…
U.S. says Syria used chemical weapons, will send arms to rebels
LA Times 13 Jun 2013 – White House declares that the government of Bashar Assad crossed a ‘red line’ with sarin gas in spring. Some U.S. lawmakers call for more forceful action. WASHINGTON — The White House declared Thursday that Syria had crossed a “red line” by using chemical weapons in…
The Lede: Latest Updates on Election Day in Iran
New York Times 14 Jun 2013 – The Lede is following developments in Iran, where voters went to the polls on Friday in the first presidential election since the disputed contest in 2009.
Syria Presses Aleppo Attack; Rebels Size Up U.S. Vow of Aid
New York Times 14 Jun 2013 – A rebel stronghold convulsed with some of the heaviest fighting in months, as activists debated how the United States’ decision to send arms would affect their fight to topple the Syrian president.
Heavy Pressure Led to Decision by Obama on Syrian Arms
New York Times 14 Jun 2013 – When President Obama agreed to send small arms and ammunition to Syrian rebels, he had to be almost dragged into the decision from advisers, critics and even Bill Clinton.
In Iranian Election, Moderates Lead in Initial Returns
New York Times 14 Jun 2013 – Early Saturday, officials at the Interior Ministry said that a cleric, Hassan Rowhani, and the mayor of Tehran, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, were leading in the polls in Iran’s presidential election.
U.S. Allies Weigh Response to Chemical Weapons Charge
New York Times 14 Jun 2013 – Syria said the Obama administration was “full of lies” in alleging the use of chemical weapons, and American allies were trying to decide what to do.
The Effort to Stop ‘The Attack’
New York Times 14 Jun 2013 – Why Ziad Doueiri’s movie about a suicide bombing has not been released in any Arab country.
Can We Imagine the Life of a Terrorist?
New York Times 14 Jun 2013 – A steady proliferation of books and films try to make sense of what drives suicide bombers. But few get it right.
Death Toll in Syrian Civil War Near 93,000, U.N. Says
New York Times 13 Jun 2013 – Navi Pillay, the United Nations human rights chief, said the figure was probably understated and called for an end to the violence.
CPI up 0.1% in May
Globes Main News – The rise is less than analysts had predicted. Prices of cigarettes and electricity rose steeply.
Scailex bond offering raises NIS 135m
Globes Main News – The company has sought to raise NIS 200 million.
Michael Burrows Exposed as Former Mossad Agent, All-Around Poseur
Tikun Olam – Michael “Ross” Burrows, ex-Mossad agent, after running the Vancouver half-marathon For the past decade, someone using the alias Michael Ross has made the rounds of the media and publishing world claiming to be a former Mossad agent. The story he told was impressive…on the surface. In…
The Huffington Post: Some Things Never Change: The Prawer Plan and the Legacy of the Nakba
Jewish Voice for Peace – JVP’s Rabbi Alissa Wise writes about the 30,000 Bedouin facing permanent displacement because of the recent decision by Israeli ministers to approve Israeli minister Benny Begin’s newest version of the Prawer Plan. Some Things Never Change: The Prawer Plan and the Legacy of the Nakba , Rabbi…
‘I was not a party to, and never will be, to the planting of trees on expropriated and stolen land’: Former South African Ambassador to Israel rejects JNF trees planted in his name
Mondoweiss – Trailer for the film The Village Under the Forest . Former South African Ambassador to Israel, Ismail Coovadia, has announced that he will be returning a certificate given to him announcing that 18 trees were planted in his honor by the Jewish National Fund (JNF). The trees…
Will Rush Holt– who questioned Israel’s policy of ‘total devastation’ in Gaza– stand by Palestine in NJ Senate race?
Mondoweiss – The leading candidate to replace the late Frank Lautenberg in the Senate from New Jersey is of course Newark Mayor Cory Booker; and as Max Blumenthal reported here the other day , Booker reflects a fervent establishment Zionism. Well, one of the other New Jersey Democrats who…
Report from Yemen: ‘I thought the United States was all about democracy and the rule of law. Instead, what you’re teaching us is the law of the jungle.’
Mondoweiss – Medea Benjamin and Awda Al Shubati. (Photo: Pam Bailey) Awda is 12 years old and has never seen her father. Her mother was pregnant in 2001 when her father, Abdulrahman Al Shubati, traveled to Pakistan to earn extra money as a teacher of the Qur’an. However,…
Another 1150 settlements in two West Bank Jewish colonies
Mondoweiss – Land, property theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Apartheid Israel presses ahead with new settlement plans JERUSALEM (Reuters) 13 June — Israel is pressing on with plans for more than 1,000 new homes in two West Bank settlements, officials said on Thursday, moves that could complicate U.S….
Afraid of burgeoning civil rights meme, ‘WSJ’ lobbyist maligns Arab women, Palestinian protesters, and Alice Walker
Mondoweiss – Another sign that we’re winning. This piece in the Wall Street Journal denying that the struggle for equal rights in Palestine has an “analogy” in the civil-rights struggle against Jim Crow doth protest too much. The author, Richard Friedman, a leader of the Jewish Federations in…
Hasidic Women Sweat Over Lack of Female Lifeguard
The Foward Breaking News 14 Jun 2013 – Ultra-Orthodox women in Brooklyn, want to experience the joys of summer like anyone else. But that may not be possible this year, due to a lack of female lifeguards. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israeli Parents Object to Trip to ‘Apartheid’ Fun Park
The Foward Breaking News 14 Jun 2013 – Parents of teenagers from the Bnei Akiva youth movement are up in arms over the movement’s plan to hold an annual event at the Superland amusement park in Rishon Letzion, citing the park’s policy of segregation. Click here for the rest of the article…
West Africa: U.S. Sanctions Alleged Hezbollah Supporters in West Africa
allAfrica.com 14 Jun 2013 – [VOA]The United States has imposed sanctions on four Lebanese citizens it accuses of aiding efforts by militant group Hezbollah to expand into West Africa.
Nigeria: Jordan, A Kingdom Steeped in History, Culture
allAfrica.com 14 Jun 2013 – [Vanguard]Yousef Suleiman is a proud Jordanian, who is ready to sell the country as a tourist destination like a good sales person. It is not surprising, therefore, that he is here in Nigeria doing the ground work for the commencement of operations of the Royal Jordanian…
Tunisia: Returning Jihadists Raise Security Fears in Nation
allAfrica.com 14 Jun 2013 – [Magharebia]Tunis -Tunisian families launched a distress call last Thursday (June 6th) for the repatriation of their children still trapped in war-torn Syria.
Iran awaits presidential vote result
BBC 14 Jun 2013 – Counting is under way in Iran’s presidential election after millions of voters went to the polls to choose a successor to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Syria condemns chemical weapon ‘lie’
BBC 14 Jun 2013 – Syrian officials reject claims of chemical weapons use as “a caravan of lies”, hours after the US said it would give the rebels “direct military aid”.
Formula 1 racing cars in Jerusalem
BBC 14 Jun 2013 – Tens of thousands of spectators have turned out to watch Formula 1 racing teams roar around the edge of Jerusalem’s Old City.
Ask the State Department about Palestinian Refugees!
US Campaign to End the Occupation 14 Jun 2013 – Anne C. Richard, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, will be interviewed by Cheryl Benton, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, to discuss “Refugee Assistance, the Human Face of Foreign Policy” in recognition of World Refugee Day, which…
An Appeal to Hezbollah: Tell the World Your Story
Al-Akhbar Opinion 14 Jun 2013 – Supporters of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement shout slogans while waving Hezbollah flags in Mashghara in the western Bekaa Valley on 25 May 2013 during a ceremony marking the 13th anniversary of Israel’s military withdrawal from Lebanon. (Photo: Mahmoud Zayyat) Supporters of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement shout slogans while…
Polls close in Iran presidential election
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jun 2013 – Iranian women hold their documents as they queue to vote in the first round of the presidential election at a polling station in Tehran on 14 June 2013. (Photo: AFP – Atta Kenare) Voting in Iran’s presidential election has ended after an extension of four hours…
Turkey demands names of medics treating injured protesters
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jun 2013 – The Turkish health ministry has opened an inquiry into the volunteers who provided first aid to protesters injured in two weeks of anti-government unrest, the national doctors’ association said Friday, vowing not to cooperate. “We were notified that an investigation has been launched into the improvised…
Nasrallah accuses West of hypocrisy over Syria
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jun 2013 – Hezbollah supporters listen to a televised speech by Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut’s southern suburbs on 14 June 2013. (Photo: Haytham al-Moussawi) Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday defended his party’s intervention in Syria’s two-year long war, accusing Western and Arab governments of hypocrisy for sending…
Week In Photos (7 June- 14 June 2013)
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jun 2013 – A typical Roman horse-drawn carriage calles “botticella” is driven in Rome on 11 June 2013. (Photo: AFP – Filippo Monteforte) A typical Roman horse-drawn carriage calles “botticella” is driven in Rome on 11 June 2013. (Photo: AFP – Filippo Monteforte) A solar halo is seen from…
Iraq gunmen kill another provincial candidate
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jun 2013 – A candidate in Iraqi provincial elections due next week has been shot dead as he left Friday prayers in the main northern city of Mosul, officials said. Muhanad Ghazi was gunned down as he walked home from the mosque in east Mosul. At least six candidates…
Israel Schemes for a Stake in the Nile
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jun 2013 – A picture taken on 28 May 2013 shows the Blue Nile in Guba, Ethiopia, during its diversion ceremony. Egypt will demand that Ethiopia stop construction of a Nile river dam and warned “all options are open” if it harms its water supply, advisers to President Mohamed…
Beirut: Luxury Condo Lobby Now Roman Bath Museum
Al-Akhbar Series and Features 13 Jun 2013 – In a few weeks, archaeologists will finish integrating the Roman baths on property 616 Saifi, finally turning the building’s entrance into a bonafide museum. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) In a few weeks, archaeologists will finish integrating the Roman baths on property 616 Saifi, finally turning the building’s…
Iran’s Presidential Election: Rebellion of the Third Generation
Al-Akhbar Politics 14 Jun 2013 – An Iranian woman regiesters before casting her vote in the presidential election at a polling station in Tehran on 14 June 2013. (Photo: AFP – Atta Kenare) An Iranian woman regiesters before casting her vote in the presidential election at a polling station in Tehran on…
Iran awaits presidential vote result
BBC 14 Jun 2013 – Counting is under way in Iran’s presidential election after millions of voters went to the polls to choose a successor to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Syria condemns chemical weapon ‘lie’
BBC 14 Jun 2013 – Syrian officials reject claims of chemical weapons use as “a caravan of lies”, hours after the US said it would give the rebels “direct military aid”.
Formula 1 racing cars in Jerusalem
BBC 14 Jun 2013 – Tens of thousands of spectators have turned out to watch Formula 1 racing teams roar around the edge of Jerusalem’s Old City.
Bahraini ‘disappears in UAE jail’
BBC 14 Jun 2013 – The family of a 33 year old Bahraini man who was arrested nearly two months ago in the United Arab Emirates have had no word as to his whereabouts.
Articles
100 year old Israeli general: We razed Arab villages, so what?
Gil Ronen, Arutz Sheva, Israeli Occupation Archive 6/14/2013
Brig. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Pundak is celebrating his hundredth birthday. Pundak was the commander of the 53rd Battalion of the Givati Brigade in the War of Independence and went on to supervise the establishment of the Armored Corps. He was also Ambassador in Tanzania and a founder of Arad.
In an interview on IDF Radio, Pundak confirmed that forces under his command razed Arab villages in 1948. “My conscience is at ease with that, because if we hadn’t done so, then there would be no state by now. There would be a million more Arabs,” he said.
Asked why he still finds it so important to lecture to soldiers, at his advanced age, he explained: “Just like in 1948, the country is in a state of danger – and if the Jews do not fight as we did in the War of Independence, the state is in danger.” He predicted that if a war breaks out again, Jews will be capable of the same kind of self-sacrifice as in 1948.
“When there is a war, people unite,” he explained. “Afterward, they form parties and become divided.”
He spoke with pain of the 145 soldiers who were killed under his command over the years, and said that if they woke up miraculously and saw the divided country of today, “they would run back to their graves.”
And yet, when asked if he feels proud of his country, he said that his pride runs “as high as the rooftop.” — See also: Source: Israel National News more.. e-mail
Why Arabs Must Worry
Ramzy Baroud, CounterPunch 6/13/2013
Sectarianism and the Irrational New Discourse
My friend Hanna is Syrian and also happens to be Christian. The latter fact was rarely of consequence, except whenever he wished to boast about the contributions of Arab Christians to Middle Eastern cultures. Of course, he is right. The modern Arab identity has been formulated through a fascinating mix of religions, sects and races. Christianity, as well as Islam, is deeply-rooted in many aspects of Arab life. Needless to say, the bond between Islam and Christianity is simply unbreakable.
“I am Christian, but, in terms of culture, I am equally a Muslim,” he told me by way of introduction to a daunting realization. “But now, I am very worried.”
Hanna’s list of worries is long. Lead amongst them is the fact that Christian Arabs in some Arab societies are increasingly viewed as ‘foreigners’ or ‘guests’ in their own countries. At times, as was the case in Iraq, they are punished by one extremist group or another for embracing the same religion that US-western zealots claim to represent. Churches were blown up in brutal retribution for a savage war that President George W. Bush and many of his ilk maintained to be between good and evil, using the most brazen religious references as they savaged Iraq, sparing neither Muslims nor Christians.
During the early years of the war, many Arab intellectuals seemed wary of the sinister divide that the US was erecting between religions, sects and communities. Many in Arab media referenced past historical experiences when other imperial powers – namely Britain and France – resorted to the ‘divide and conquer’ stratagem. Those attempts in the first half of the 20th century resulted in much bloodshed and lasting scars in many communities. Lebanon is the obvious example with Iraq prevailing. more.. e-mail
’Infiltrators’ or refugees: back to Jewish history
Michel Warschawski, Alternative Information Center 6/12/2013
2000 men, women, children and even newborn babies are held in what can only be described as a concentration camp (one must make a clear distinction between concentration camp and extermination camp). According to the amendment of the ‘Law against Infiltrations’ adopted by the last Knesset and currently pending review by the Supreme Court, Israel can hold in unlimited (sic) detention any person who illegally entered Israeli territory and claims asylum. These refugees, essentially from Sudan and Eritrea, are claiming the obvious: returning to their country may well be a death penalty for them.
The Israeli behaviour is barbarian. On the one hand, it is building an electronic fence to prevent entry for people escaping hunger or death and, on the other, it arrests those who manage to enter and detains them until they sign a document in which they “voluntarily” accept deportation.
“Such a law stains the entire Israeli law system” state an editorial last month of Haaretz, “by transforming a refugee into a criminal”. Israel signed the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, but is obsessed by the “demographic” issue in maintaining the Jewish character and majority of Israel. To resolve this contradiction, Israel cynically denies the label of ‘refugee’ to men, women and children who are obviously refugees, and labels them instead as “infiltrators”. “Infiltrators” was also the name given in the 1950s and 1960s to Palestinian armed group trying to cross the borders…
As with many other crimes committed by the Israeli authorities, this is also a slap in the face of our history: thousands of Jews were trying to escape Nazi Germany to other European countries, in particular to Switzerland, but in vain. Authorities then denied them the status of refugees attempting to escape persecutions and eventually death, treating them instead as…infiltrators. more.. e-mail
Why Obama is Declaring War on Syria
Franklin Lamb, Beirut, CounterPunch 6/14/2013
The End of Syria as We Know It?
The short answer is Iran and Hezbollah according to Congressional sources. “The Syrian army’s victory at al-Qusayr was more than the administration could accept given that town’s strategic position in the region. Its capture by the Assad forces has essentially added Syria to Iran’s list of victories starting with Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq, as well as its growing influence in the Gulf.”
Other sources are asserting that Obama actually did not want to invoke direct military aid the rebels fighting to topple the Assad government or even to make use of American military power in Syria for several reasons. Among these are the lack of American public support for yet another American war in the Middle East, the fact that there appears to be no acceptable alternative to the Assad government on the horizon, the position of the US intelligence community and the State Department and Pentagon that intervention in Syria would potentially turn out very badly for the US and gut what’s left of its influence in the region. It short, that the US getting involved in Syria could turn out even worse than Iraq, by intensifying a regional sectarian war without any positive outcome in sight.
Obama was apparently serious earlier about a negotiated diplomatic settlement pre-Qusayr and there were even some positives signs coming from Damascus, Moscow, and even Tehran John Kerry claimed. But that has changed partly because Russia and the US have both hardened their demands. Consequently, the Obama administration has now essentially thrown in the towel on the diplomatic track. This observer was advised by more than one Congressional staffer that Obama’s team has concluded that the Assad government was not getting their message or taking them seriously and that Assad’s recent military gains and rising popular support meant that a serious Geneva II initiative was not going to happen. more.. e-mail
Teen novel depicts Israeli settlements as unnatural
Electronic Intifada: 14 Jun 2013 – William Sutcliffe’s The Wall features an extremist who shoots Palestinian olive trees.more
Palestine Game-changers
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Jun 2013 – By Vacy Vlazna Swaggering precariously on his defunct divine right of peace-broker at the American Jewish Committee annual love-fest for Israel, US Secretary of State Kerry, regurgitated with braggart aplomb the tiresome ultimatum on the Palestinian/Israel peace process, “If we do not succeed now, we may never get another chance.” Seems Kerry is the last to know that the US’s stint as ‘honest broker’ is beyond passé as is his ultimatum. We know that there are many game-changers that can set in motion a genuine peace process with just outcomes for Palestinians and Israelis. Palestinian Unity A major game-changer will come the day the majority of Palestinians shed the 65 year-old debilitating tribal mindset and swap party loyalties for absolute loyalty to Palestine’s sovereign independence. Unity would not mean reconciliation between the PA and Hamas governments for both are pawns in Israel’s rule and divide stratagem. Both maintain their illusory…more
The Painted Frog of Palestine
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Jun 2013 – By Jeremy Salt The good news from Palestine is that the ‘painted frog’ of the Huleh valley is not extinct after all. Recently it turned up again after not having been seen for the past half century. Behind the disappearance of the painted frog stands a much bigger story, the fate of the Huleh valley after the conquest of Palestine by the Zionists and behind that story is the reality behind one of the foundation myths of the Zionists, that of a barren, stagnant and empty land awaiting redemption in the hands of the Jewish people. In the 19th century the Huleh wetlands were one of Palestine’s prize natural assets. They were formed over millennia by three rivers flowing south into the Huleh valley from their headwaters in Syria, the Hasbani, the Banias and the Liddan. The valley stretched for a distance of about 25 kilometers in length and six…more
Modern Day Slave Trade
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Jun 2013 – By Jamal Kanj Last summer I purchased trousers from a well-known US fashion designer in San Diego. I liked the fit and the price, so I paid and walked away not knowing where they were made or who made them. Putting the trousers on at home, I was surprised to find out they were actually made in Bahrain. The vast majority of garments sold in US retail stores are made overseas. US and European fashion designers establish relations with suppliers based on profit, regardless of where the product is made or the working conditions. The world’s little-regulated free trade agreements, competition between fashion designers and the craving of Western consumers for low-cost products traditionally drive the fast-growing outsourcing of textile manufacturing to countries that lack protection for workers and where unions do not exist. The collapse of the Rana Plaza building in the Savar district of Bangladesh’s capital last April,…more
Syrian Terrorists Massacre Dozens of Civilians in Hatlah Village, Der Ezzor
Dissident Voice: 14 Jun 2013 – The Western press was mute on the Syrian war on June 12th as reports came of another massacre carried out by the so called “rebels”, who are, in fact, members of al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda affiliated groups. Among those massacred in the village of Hatlah in the region of Deir e Zohr were dozens of women and children. Reports of the massacre vary from 30 to 100. The French press didn’t seem too interested in dwelling on the massacre, which is surprising given their deep concern for the “protection of the civilian population” and indefatigable advocacy of “humanitarian intervention” in the Syrian conflict. Le Monde , who published two sensational reports recently which purported to “prove” that the Syrian “regime” had used chemical weapons “on its own people” — without presenting a shred of credible evidence to back up their claims — attempted to play down the crime against humanity committed…more
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The New Dark Age 