29 June 2013 — VTJP
News
Frequent border closures add to Gaza gas woes
6/29/2013 – GAZA CITY (IRIN) — Frequent closures of the only crossing for commercial goods between Israel and the Gaza Strip have left the coastal territory short of gas for cooking and heating, businessmen say, affecting businesses, agricultural production and health services. Kerem Shalom crossing reopened on 26 June after two days of closure, described by the Israeli military as a response to rocket fire from Gaza. Israel….
Palestinian shot dead in Sinai, wife critically injured
6/29/2013 – CAIRO (Ma’an) – A Palestinian man was shot dead and his Egyptian wife was critically injured Friday by unidentified gunmen in the northern Sinai Bedouin town of Sheikh Zuweid, according to Egyptian security sources. Ahmad Al-Marzouq Abu Bakra, 35, and his wife Yusriya Shehata Ahmad, 30, were travelling in their private car in the al-Ajra neighborhood of Sheikh Zuweid before the vehicle came under….
Report: Israel arrests unarmed Palestinians crossing Gaza border
6/29/2013 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — An Israeli army unit arrested two unarmed Palestinians who crossed the Gaza Strip border fence near Kisufim, Israeli media reported Saturday. Israel’s Ynet news site said the soldiers fired in the air but did not injure the Palestinians. It said they were taken for interrogation. [END]
3 Palestinians detained in el-Arish with fake documents
6/29/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) – Egyptian security officers on Friday detained three Palestinians in the northern Sinai town of el-Arish with fake university admissions, security sources said. They told Ma’an that officers in Al-Rayyis neighborhood stopped three Palestinians who presented fake university papers claiming they are Egyptian citizens. However, after inspection and interrogation, the three allegedly admitted they were Palestinians from Gaza who….
Hamas: New Israel war on Gaza unlikely
6/29/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – Israel is not likely to wage another war on the Gaza Strip, though it is possible a conflict could erupt elsewhere in the region, says Hamas official Salah Bardawil. The senior official told Ma’an Saturday that Israel was likely to point its guns at another area “after Israel obtained a green light from the US.” He added that the….
Kerry extends Mideast peace mission into third day
6/29/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry extended for a third day on Saturday his shuttle diplomacy between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, raising speculation of progress in reviving long dormant peace talks. In a commute to which he has grown accustomed, Kerry will take a helicopter from Jerusalem to Amman to see President Mahmoud Abbas before returning in the evening to follow up with….
Iran’s Rowhani envisages detente with world
6/29/2013 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Moderate president-elect Hassan Rowhani said Saturday his victory opened a new path for Iran to engage constructively with the international community and ease tensions raised by Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.”Moderation in foreign policy means neither surrender nor confrontation but constructive and efficacious interaction with the world,” Rowhani said in his first live televised speech since being elected on June 14 to….
Hamas warns against ‘futile’ negotiations
6/29/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Hamas movement said Saturday that peace negotiations with Israel were ‘futile’, as US Secretary of State John Kerry extended his shuttle diplomacy between Israeli and Palestinian leaders for a third day. The Islamist movement warned Fatah and the Palestinian Authority against the “mirage” of negotiations, and called on the PA to reject pressure from the United States….
PA premier’s security vehicle involved in road accident
6/29/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A security vehicle accompanying caretaker prime minister Rami Hamdallah was involved in a road accident near Bethlehem on Saturday, medics said. The accident occurred after a PA security jeep hit a settler car near Tuqu junction. Red Crescent official Abdul Halim Jaafra told Ma’an that three Palestinians were injured and taken to a hospital in Beit Jala. Both Israeli….
Egypt security seizes weapons in Sinai
6/29/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian security forces on Saturday seized a missile, hand grenades, automatic weapons, and ammunition inside a car near the central security building in Rafah, a Ma’an reporter said. Security forces announced an emergency alert and said extremist groups had issued threats to sites in the Sinai. Security sources told Ma’an that the weapons were found in….
Lebanon tourism pays the price for Syria’s war
6/29/2013 – ALEY, Lebanon (AFP) — Dia’s restaurant in the Lebanese resort village of Aley is deserted. Most years, he caters to thousands of rich Gulf Arab tourists and to visiting expats, but this year no one has come.”Usually, there’s so many people here that even finding a parking spot is hard. Now, there’s so few people that we let them….
US official: Obama will not visit Mandela
6/29/2013 – PRETORIA (AFP) — US President Barack Obama will not visit his political hero Nelson Mandela in hospital, out of deference for the anti-apartheid icon’s “peace and comfort,” a US official said Saturday. Obama and his wife Michelle will however spend time with Mandela’s family to offer “thoughts and prayers at this difficult time,” the official said, as the US leader arrived in….
Egypt braces for new mass protests after deadly clashes
6/29/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt braced for nationwide protests against Islamist President Mohamed Morsi on Sunday to mark the anniversary of his turbulent maiden year in office after violence at rival demonstrations killed three people, including an American. Washington warned Americans against travel to Egypt for fear of further violence as antagonism intensifies between Morsi’s Islamist supporters and the mainly secular opposition who accuse him….
Fears of MERS virus at hajj pilgrimage
6/29/2013 – GENEVA (AFP) — Virologists are casting a worried eye on this year’s Islamic hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia as they struggle with the enigmatic, deadly virus known as MERS which is striking hardest in the kingdom. Little is known about the new pathogen, beyond the fact that it can be lethal by causing respiratory problems, pneumonia and kidney failure. It can be transmitted between….
NGO: Syrian army launches new Homs offensive
6/29/2013 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syrian troops launched an offensive on several rebel-held parts of Homs city on Saturday, an NGO said, pounding the districts with air raids and mortar fire.”Warplanes carried out two consecutive raids against areas under siege in Homs city, as well as carrying out heavy shelling against the same districts,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.”The shelling is focused on the….
International Solidarity Movement
‘Knocking on the gates of Jerusalem’: demonstration against injustice of Israeli occupation
6/29/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 29th June 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team, Bethlehem, Occupied Palestine – Today, Saturday 29th June, a group of Palestinian activists demanded access to the occupied city of Jerusalem through the gate in the Apartheid Wall in Bethlehem. Their nonviolent demonstration also aimed to highlight Palestinian opposition to the US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit, but was met with violence from the Israeli….
Settler attack fended off by vigilant residents of Azzun
6/29/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 29th June 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team, Azzun, Occupied Palestine – On June 18, settlers hung up a banner in the town of Azzun, threatening to take over the town. Later that day, the town was attacked by settlers, supported by the Israeli army. Local residents successfully fended off the attack through massive mobilizations. The town of Azzun is the home of about 10. 000….
Video: Gaza in Shadows
6/29/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 29th June 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Gal·la, Gaza, Occupied Palestine – I tried to collect some pictures offering a glimpse of the situation in the Gaza Strip, a closed, besieged place put under a blockade by the Israeli Zionist state. Despite the everyday misery and difficulty, people carry on with their lives and try to do their best in order to survive in such an…. Related: Video – Vimeo
Syrian Arab Republic: Syria: Emergency Response Fund Monthly update – May 2013
Relief Web 29 Jun 2013 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic OVERVIEW The function of the ERF is to support the delivery of humanitarian response activities in Syria and the neighbouring countries…
Sheikh Khalifa: Born leader’s pathway to prosperity
The National 29 Jun 2013 – Since succeeding the late Sheikh Zayed, the UAE’s founding father, as President in November 2004, Sheikh Khalifa has brought his long experience at senior levels of leadership to bear in charting the modernisation of the seven-emirate federation.
UAE development model is accessible to all, says Mohammed bin Rashid
The National 29 Jun 2013 – The UAE model for development and progress is accessible to all, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said yesterday.
UAE delegates promote empowerment of women
The National 29 Jun 2013 – A delegation led by the Deputy FNC Speaker Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, is visiting Washington and New York to promote the UAE’s efforts in empowerment of women.
UAE has the energy to face the future
The National 29 Jun 2013 – Progress UAE: Ambitious projects and an aggressive shift towards solar power and renewable energy are core principles of the UAE’s future sustainability policy.
Indian donor gives Dh1.5m for 1,000 prisoners
The National 29 Jun 2013 – Generous jewellery company chairman will also pay for flights home for former inmates to reunite them with families for Ramadan.
Morsi’s year-long shift from hero to villain of Tahrir
The National 29 Jun 2013 – When Mohammed Morsi won the Egyptian presidency a year ago his first stop was Tahrir Square. Today, he would not dare enter it.
Tensions high as Egypt braces for mass demonstrations
The National 29 Jun 2013 – Tensions flared in Egypt yesterday on the eve of mass demonstrations planned against the president Mohammed Morsi.
Fitness fans put to the test at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Waterworld
The National 29 Jun 2013 – Residents seeking an adrenaline rush went head to head yesterday to be crowned winner of Yas Waterworld’s Survival of the Fittest challenge.
Kerry’s shuttle diplomacy yet to yield solid results
Ha’aretz – 29 Jun 2013
Israeli children go on vacation, but dangers of Internet lurk ahead
Ha’aretz – 29 Jun 2013
Danny Danon poised to be elected head of Likud Central Committee
Ha’aretz – 29 Jun 2013
Assad forces bombard Homs; IDF deploys Iron Dome system near Haifa
Ha’aretz – 29 Jun 2013
Security cabinet member says Israel, Palestinians nowhere near renewal of peace talks
Ha’aretz – 29 Jun 2013
WATCH: Israeli artists say ‘don’t touch our Arak’
Ha’aretz – 29 Jun 2013
In sudden move, Chief Rabbi Amar extends visit in Spain, makes Shas sweat
Ha’aretz – 29 Jun 2013
Israeli official confirms four-way Amman peace summit likely
Ha’aretz – 29 Jun 2013
Turkey: As order is restored, fears of a witch hunt surface
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2013 – The protests have been winding down since riot police retook Gezi Park in a June 15 raid, which was followed by mass arrests.
‘I only had one beer, tops’
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2013 – The Post’s Ben Hartman tags along with a police cruiser on one of the most busiest nights on the calendar for revelers.
Violence breaks out in Egypt ahead of mass protest today
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2013 – Protest organizers said 22 million people signed a petition calling on President Mohamed Morsi to quit, though the claim has not been independently verified; Obama expresses concern.
Likud ministers clash ahead of internal election
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2013 – Erdan, Katz trade verbal jabs before Sunday’s elections.
Israeli hospital treats two injured Syrian nationals
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2013 – Ziv Medical Center hospitalizes 2 hurt in Syrian conflict, Army Radio reports.
Palestinian PM’s security escort collides with Israeli car
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2013 – Vehicle accompanying Rami Hamdallah crashes in W. Bank accident.
Nationwide operation to fight drunk driving commences
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2013 – “It’s only the really drunk ones who put up a fight.”
Three drown over the weekend, many receive treatment
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2013 – 16 people require treatment for drowning-related incidents during a weekend which saw rough seas along the shore line.
Obama urges dialogue instead of violence in Egypt
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2013 – US president calls for dialogue, warns of regional spillover; Three people, including an American student, were killed in rioting.
Iran’s Rouhani vows to balance hardline, reformist demands
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2013 – Islamic Republic’s new president says nation voted for change, seeks diverse cabinet.
Assad’s forces launch offensive in Homs city
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2013 – Troops loyal to Damascus regime attempt to recapture rebel-held area at center of two year conflict.
US citizen killed in Egypt identified as Jewish student
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2013 – Andrew Pochter, an active member at the Kenyon Hillel, was stabbed in Alexandria, Egypt during violent weekend protests.
Clashes in Egypt during anti-Morsi protest kills two
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2013 – Two killed after protesters storm Brotherhood’s Alexandria office, adding to tensions ahead of rallies aimed to unseat president.
Syrian rebels seize Deraa in battle for cradle of revolt
Jerusalem Post 28 Jun 2013 – Fall of army post holds strategic significance, where the peaceful protest that turned into a civil war began.
Israeli authors fight to stop eviction of Palestinian villagers from army zone
The Guardian 29 Jun 2013 – 25 Israeli authors sign petition as Palestinians face being evicted from caves in live-fire training zone and moved to nearby town On the sun-baked, windswept, near-barren hills of the southern West Bank, a thousand Palestinian villagers…
Military Resistance 11F12 in the Wind
Uruknet
Leaving the US to Seek Asylum Doesn’t Make Snowden Any Less of a Whistleblower
Uruknet
Escalation of Price Tag Attacks in West Bank and East Jerusalem
Uruknet
Palestinian hospitals face closure amid debt crisis
Uruknet
Riyadh let down by the U.S. or its foreign policy?
Uruknet
Israel’s racists step up attacks on Palestinian citizens
Uruknet
Egypt steps up Gaza tunnel crackdown, dismaying Palestinians
Uruknet
Speaking out for Lynne
Uruknet
NSA Spying: So They Are Listening In, After All
Uruknet
Journal: Witness to a child arrest in occupied Hebron
Uruknet
Three German aid workers missing in Syria for 45 days
Daily Star 29 Jun 2013 Three German aid workers have been missing in Syria for 45 days were likely kidnapped, their employer said Saturday.
Egypt MPs quit parliament in support of anti-Mursi movement
Daily Star 29 Jun 2013 A group of secular-leaning deputies resign from Egypt’s acting Parliament in support of the people, they say, on the eve of mass rallies planned against Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.
Sniper fire kills two in north Lebanon
Daily Star 29 Jun 2013 Sniper fire in Tripoli claims the lives of at least two people as tensions escalated between rival neighborhoods in the northern Lebanese city, security sources said.
Egypt group: 22 million signatures against Mursi
Daily Star 29 Jun 2013 The youth group leading the campaign against Egypt’s president says it has collected the signatures of 22 million Egyptians who want to remove the Islamist leader.
Mosque where Assir preached handed over to Sidon mufti
Daily Star 29 Jun 2013 Lebanese Army hands control of the Bilal bin-Rabah Mosque, formerly occupied by Salafist Sheikh Ahmad Al-Assir, to the mufti of Sidon as clean-up work commences in Abra, the scene of recent gunbattles.
Egypt protest blast was explosive device: sources
Daily Star 29 Jun 2013 A fatal blast during a protest against Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi in the Suez Canal city of Port Said was caused by a home-made hand grenade, security sources say.
Obama tells Egyptians to talk, not fight
Daily Star 29 Jun 2013 U.S. President Barack Obama expresses concern about political clashes in Egypt and calls on President Mohammad Mursi to be more “constructive” in moving the country forward.
Market bomb, shooting kill 7 in Iraq
Daily Star 29 Jun 2013 Iraqi officials say a bomb has gone off in an outdoor market in west Baghdad, one of two attacks in Sunni-majority parts of the country that have left seven dead.
Syrian army, backed by jets, launches assault on Homs
Daily Star 29 Jun 2013 Assad’s forces launch a major offensive against rebels in Homs, a centre of the two-year-old uprising, in their latest drive to secure an axis connecting Damascus to the Mediterranean.
U.S. State Department identifies American killed in Egypt
Daily Star 29 Jun 2013 The State Department has identified the American killed in Egypt during violent clashes between government supporters and opponents.
Kerry conducts shuttle Mideast diplomacy
Daily Star 29 Jun 2013 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry keeps up his frenetic Mideast diplomacy, shuttling again between Palestinian and Israeli leaders in hopes of restarting peace talks.
Iran’s Rouhani hints will balance hardline, reformist demands
Daily Star 29 Jun 2013 Iran’s president-elect Hassan Rouhani says he will appoint ministers from across its political spectrum as Iranian voters had chosen a path of moderation over extremism.
Egypt prepares for worst ahead of Sunday protest
YNet News, 29 Jun 2013 – ….
70 protest outside Lapid’s home against economic policy
YNet News, 29 Jun 2013 – ….
Facebook is pulling ads from racy, violent pages
YNet News, 29 Jun 2013 – ….
Official: Kerry could meet with Abbas a third time
YNet News, 29 Jun 2013 – ….
Popularity rating of Brazil president plummets
YNet News, 29 Jun 2013 – ….
Liberal-traditional dialogue with brick wall
YNet News, 29 Jun 2013 – Op-ed: Woman for the Wall co-founder explains why traditional Judaism prefers slow, wait-it-out stance to changes in female roles ….
Palestinian Information Center
Kerry’s last effort
PIC – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has been shuttling between Amman and Occupied Jerusalem in an effort to revive stalled “peace talks” between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Israel decides to transfer schools from Wadi Ni’am village
PIC – Citizens in the Negev announced an open strike in the schools of Wadi Ni’am village in protest at the Israeli authorities’ intention to move the schools to another nearby village.
Jordanian detainees enter their 58 day of hunger strike in Israeli jails
PIC – The Jordanian prisoners on Friday entered the 58th day of their hunger strike which they started on the second of May to pressure the Israeli prison authority to respond to their just demands.
Khudari to Kerry: The only way to achieve peace is to end the occupation
PIC – MP Jamal Khudari said, addressing U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, that the only way to achieve peace is to end the occupation and establish a Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital.
Hunger striker Saidi stops drinking water
PIC – Hunger striker Awad Al-Saidi has stopped drinking water as of today Saturday to protest his continued isolation by the Israeli prison authority.
Addustour: Kerry is to hold a quartet meeting in Amman soon
PIC – Jordanian newspaper Addustour said that John Kerry might launch a quartet meeting in Amman soon, serving as a springboard for bilateral talks between the Palestinians and Israelis.
Political detainee Qaher Abu Kamal transferred to hospital in Ramallah
PIC – Palestinian intelligence service in Ramallah on Friday morning transferred political prisoner Qaher Abu Kamal to the hospital after his health deteriorated as a result of his ongoing hunger strike.
Settlers attack two Palestinian buses in Jerusalem
PIC – Palestinian sources in Jerusalem said Jewish settlers attacked buses carrying 100 Palestinian children participating in a summer camp organized by Health Work Committees in Silwan.
Haneyya: We do not bank on Kerry’s visits
PIC – Premier Ismail Haneyya said his government does not count on the current visit of US secretary of state John Kerry and warned the PA of falling into the trap of the peace process once again.
Israeli Soldiers Arrest Two Palestinian Teens
WAFA – 29 Jun 2013
EU Provides €10M to Impoverished Families
WAFA – 29 Jun 2013
Abbas Holds Second Round of Talks with Kerry
WAFA – 29 Jun 2013
Weather Forecast: Hot to Mild Temperature
WAFA – 29 Jun 2013
Iran’s president-elect touts ‘moderation’ in address
LA Times 29 Jun 2013 – Hassan Rowhani calls for ‘constructive interaction’ in foreign policy and endorses a free news media. TEHRAN — Bolstering his centrist image, Iranian President-elect Hassan Rowhani on Saturday vowed “moderation” in foreign and domestic affairs in his first major nationally televised address since his surprising election…
In Egypt, Islamists prepare to counter Morsi foes
LA Times 29 Jun 2013 – Hundreds gather in Cairo for a show of support for President Mohamed Morsi, whose first anniversary in office is expected bring massive protests. CAIRO — Many among the hundreds of Islamists gathered beneath a scorching sun read the Koran, marched with sticks past flags of…
Syria opposition reports assault on rebels in Homs
LA Times 29 Jun 2013 – Aerial bombardment of rebel-held districts of Homs by Syrian government forces are reported. The Homs area has strategic significance for both sides in the war. BEIRUT — Opposition activists on Saturday reported a major government assault on rebel positions in the central city of Homs,…
Mounting political tensions leave Egyptians fearful of civil war
LA Times 28 Jun 2013 – Hundreds of thousands of allies and detractors of President Morsi take to the streets ahead of the one-year anniversary of his inauguration. CAIRO — Hundreds of thousands of supporters and critics of Egypt’s Islamist president marched in rallies Friday amid warnings from clerics that deepening…
Sending Missiles to Syrian Rebels, Qatar Muscles In
New York Times 29 Jun 2013 – Qatar’s arms supply effort underlines the small but rich nation’s outsize role in a volatile region.
Syria Attacks Rebel-Held Area in New Push to Retake City
New York Times 29 Jun 2013 – The Syrian military led an attack against rebel-held areas in the central city of Homs, which has existed as a divided city throughout much of the two-year uprising.
Kerry Extends Israel Trip Amid Speculation on Talks
New York Times 29 Jun 2013 – In a hectic day of shuttle diplomacy, Secretary of State John Kerry struggled to close a deal to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
U.S. Student Killed in Egypt Protest Was Drawn to a Region in Upheaval
New York Times 29 Jun 2013 – Andrew Pochter was killed in Alexandria during antigovernment protests, and was working there this summer as an intern at a nonprofit organization.
President-Elect of Iran Says He Will Engage With the West
New York Times 29 Jun 2013 – In remarks on Saturday, Hassan Rouhani also said he would fulfill his electoral promises to allow more freedom for the Iranian people.
Egypt, Its Streets a Tinderbox, Braces for a Spark
New York Times 29 Jun 2013 – A year after Egypt’s first credible presidential election, the ballot box has failed to deliver on promises of unquestioned legitimacy or the nonviolent resolution of political disputes.
Syrian Rebels Claim Big Gains in City Where Protests Began
New York Times 28 Jun 2013 – The southern city of Dara’a would represent a rare military victory in recent weeks for the insurgency.
Leak inquiry launched over ‘NYT’ story on American-Israeli cyberwar targeting Iran
Mondoweiss – General James Cartwright is in the crosshairs of the Obama administration’s latest leak investigation. (Photo: D. Myles Cullen/U.S. Army/Wikimedia Commons The Obama administration’s war on leaks has now ensnared General James Cartwright , a four-star general and a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a…
Israel issues demolition notice for every single structure in West Bank village of Susiya
Mondoweiss – Land, property theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Restriction of movement ‘We will not give up; to give up is to die” – Susiya resists mass demolition orders Susiya (ISM) 27 June by Khalil Team — Today, June 27, 2013, the Israeli Civil Administration served thirty-four demolition…
Gaza in shadows
Mondoweiss – From the video’s Vimeo page : I tried to collect some pictures offering a glimpse of the situation in the Gaza Strip, a closed, besieged place put under a blockade by the Israeli Zionist state. Despite the everyday misery and difficulty, people carry on with their lives…
‘Courage is Contagious’: Glenn Greenwald electrifies Chicago crowd speaking on Snowden, journalism and the NSA
Mondoweiss – Friday night in Chicago Glenn Greenwald addressed the Socialism 2013 conference live via Skype and reflected for the first time on what the past month has been like for him in the wake of his interview with Edward Snowden, and subsequent disclosures regarding the National Security…
Israel’s Most Dangerous Enemy
The Forward Leonard Fein 29 Jun 2013 – Ad: The Truth About Dalits – Highly Acclaimed! The Absolute Truth About Dalits, Caste System And Untouchability. Separates The Reality From The Misinformation. Accomplished And Well-known Author. 40% Payout.
After Student’s Killing, Egypt Braces for New Protests Against Government
The Foward Breaking News 29 Jun 2013 – Mass demonstrations across Egypt on Sunday may determine its future, two and half years after people power toppl
ed a dictator they called Pharaoh and ushered in a democracy crippled by bitter divisions. Click here for the rest of the article…
No Sign of Breakthrough as John Kerry Peace Talks Drag On
The Foward Breaking News 29 Jun 2013 – Secretary of State John Kerry extended his Middle East peace mission on Saturday, shuttling between Jerusalem and Amman for more talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on reviving their stalled negotiations. Click here for the rest of the article…
John Kerry Extends Mideast Diplomatic Push
The Foward Breaking News 29 Jun 2013 – Secretary of State John Kerry extended his Middle East peace mission on Saturday, shuttling between Jerusalem and Amman for more talks with Palestinians and Israelis on reviving their stalled negotiations. Click here for the rest of the article…
Raging Egypt Anti-Government Protests Spread, Killing American Student
The Foward Breaking News 29 Jun 2013 – Three people, one an American, were killed when protesters stormed an office of Egypt’s ruling Muslim Brotherhood in Alexandria, adding to growing tension ahead of mass rallies aimed at unseating the Islamist president. Click here for the rest of the article…
Slain College Student Andrew Pochter Driven by Jewish Values to Help Egypt
The Forward New 29 Jun 2013 – Andrew Pochter, who was stabbed to death in Egypt, was remembered as a curious, passionate and idealistic young Jewish man. ‘He really wanted to help people.’ Click here for the rest of the article…
Crowds gather for anti-Morsi rally
BBC 29 Jun 2013 – Protesters gather in Cairo for a mass rally to demand the resignation of Egypt’s Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, a year after he came to power.
Egypt: A Brief Account of Mursi’s First Year
Al-Akhbar Opinion 29 Jun 2013 – An Egyptian man crosses a railway track as a giant poster against President Mohamed Morsi hangs from electrical cables near the presidential palace in Cairo on 29 June 2013. (Photo: AFP – Gianluigi Guercia) An Egyptian man crosses a railway track as a giant poster against…
Egypt’s Tamarrud: A Revolution for the Lazy?
Al-Akhbar News 29 Jun 2013 – Egyptian opposition supporters hold their national flag during a demonstration against President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo’s landmark Tahrir Square on 29 June 2013. (Photo: AFP – Gianluigi Guercia) Egyptian opposition supporters hold their national flag during a demonstration against President Mohamed Morsi…
Egypt Journalists Respond to Mursi’s Attack on the Press
Al-Akhbar News 29 Jun 2013 – An Egyptian opposition supporter holds a crossed-out picture of President Mohammed Morsi as hundreds gather for a demonstration against Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo’s landmark Tahrir Square on 29 June 2013. (Photo: AFP – Gianluigi Guercia) An Egyptian opposition supporter holds a crossed-out picture…
Femen activists go topless inside Swedish mosque
Al-Akhbar News 29 Jun 2013 – Swedish police officers arrest an activist of feminist group Femen after staging a topless protest inside a Mosque in Stockholm, Sweden on 29 June 2013. (Photo: AFP – Jonas Ekstromer) Three feminist activists from the radical protest group Femen staged a topless protest inside a Stockholm…
Lebanon arrests activists after filing charges against an MP’s bodyguards
Al-Akhbar News 29 Jun 2013 – Police on Saturday detained five activists after they attempted to press charges against bodyguards belonging to a Lebanese MP who attacked them at a Beirut cafe Friday night. Nadine Moawad, a co-founder of the Nasawiya feminist collective where the attack occurred last night, said she, six…
Bodyguards for Lebanese MP attack Beirut cafe
Al-Akhbar News 29 Jun 2013 – A scuffle erupted Friday night at a Beirut cafe when armed bodyguards belonging to right-wing Lebanese MP Nadim Gemayel pulled guns on activists after they chanted against the parliament’s recent extension of its mandate. In a statement posted online, activists from the Nasawiya feminist collective said…
Egypt clashes kill four ahead of mass anti-Mursi demos
Al-Akhbar News 29 Jun 2013 – Opponents of Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi burn the content of a Freedom and Justice Party office in the coastal city of Alexandria on 28 June 2013. (Photo: AFP) Four people were killed in Egypt on Friday as clashes erupted during rival demonstrations for and against Islamist…
Egypt’s Calm Before the June 30 Storm
Al-Akhbar Politics 28 Jun 2013 – A picture of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi burns on the ground as hundreds of Egyptian anti-government protesters shout political slogans against Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi on 26 June 2013 in Cairo, Egypt. (Photo: AFP – Gianluigi Guercia) A picture of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi burns on…
Specter of Civil War Haunts Egyptians
Al-Akhbar Politics 28 Jun 2013 – Egyptians look on as a mob in the village of Abu Mussalam attacked Shiite Muslim men gathered in a house after they allegedly refused to leave, on 23 June 2013. (Photo: AFP – STR) Egyptians look on as a mob in the village of Abu Mussalam…
Qatar Emir Tamim: Against Sectarianism,
Al-Akhbar Politics 28 Jun 2013 – A handout picture released by the Jordanian Royal Palace shows Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein congratulating the former emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and his son, the new Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (Photo: AFP – HO / Youssef…
Crowds gather for anti-Morsi rally
BBC 29 Jun 2013 – Protesters gather in Cairo for a mass rally to demand the resignation of Egypt’s Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, a year after he came to power.
Syrian forces pound city of Homs
BBC 29 Jun 2013 – Syrian armed forces launch an offensive on rebel-held districts of the city of Homs, say activists, as state TV claims “great success”.
VIDEO: Politics tears Egyptian families apart
BBC 28 Jun 2013 – Egypt is bracing for rival mass demonstrations, amid tight security in the increasingly polarised nation.
Articles
Culture, Palestinian identity and resistance
Emma Mancini, Alternative Information Center 6/29/2013
It’s not easy to define the identity of a people, the characteristics that transform a community into a recognisable nation. Often, identity passes for culture and the memory of tradition and history. The past that is still present. A tour in Dura, a Palestinian village located near Hebron in the southern West Bank, clarifies the meaning of grassroots culture and what kind of results are possible in the difficult process of identity-building.
Our trip starts in the city of Hebron, in the art gallery of one of Palestine’s most renowned artists, Yousef Katalo. The gallery is full of paintings, covering the walls, on the ground. Bright colors, smooth curves and strong images accompany our chat. “My art is on the side of the weak, the poor, the oppressed,” Katalo says to the Alternative Information Center (AIC). It goes against the corrupt leaderships, who hold Palestine and its people hostage. With my paintings I want to send a message that can create political and social awareness.
“I don’t remember when I started: as a child, I already had a paintbrush in my hand. I studied art in Israeli prison, where I spent seven years of my life before Oslo agreement. Then I was detained by the Palestinian Authority and I continued to make art. At the beginning it was too difficult to obtain materials and tools to make art inside the jail, so the prisoners were using coffee and tea. All our works were confiscated by the Israeli authorities, but we managed to hide the smallest pieces”.
After the time in prison, Katalo transformed art into his life: he opened an art gallery in Hebron, the Turab Gallery, and started to hold exhibitions in Palestine and in Arab and European countries. “For some years, I couldn’t travel outside,” he says, “and even today I face many problems when I go abroad. But my work is well known now, here and outside of Palestine. For me art is a tool of knowledge. It’s holy, as is the human being and his cleverness”. more.. e-mail
Prime minister’s resignation reveals problems at the PA
Hani Almasri, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 6/29/2013
The Palestinian Authority prime minister’s recent resignation was sudden and without warning. But what made Rami Hamdallah pack his personal effects into a car and drive away from his office, leaving an unidentified official to tell waiting journalists that he had sent his resignation to PA headquarters?
If there were operational difficulties, why didn’t Hamdallah ask to meet President Mahmoud Abbas to present his list of complaints and try to find solutions? Speculation is rife that he did call Abbas after finding out that one of his deputies was a signatory for PA financial transactions, didn’t like the answer he got and left in a fit of pique.
Maybe the truth is a little more complicated, with pressure from the US and Europe, as well as some Arab countries, to go back to negotiations with Israel without preconditions. Could there also be the issue of internal friction within the PA itself? And what about Hamdallah’s political naiveté and inexperience in not realising that his appointment to a titular role in a presidential system would be bound to frustrate him? He couldn’t form his own government or appoint his own deputy; no wonder he was frustrated. What made him accept the position in the first place? We may well ask.
There is a lot of anger at Hamdallah’s resignation, not least because his timing and the manner of his going have revealed a lot of the problems which beset the Palestinian Authority.
The foremost of these is its lack of legitimacy. Post-Oslo, the Palestine Liberation Organisation shrunk in almost direct proportion to the swelling of the PA to the extent that it no longer represents the people of Palestine. This was very obvious when Hamas won the 2006 election so comprehensively. There has been no meeting of the Palestinian National Council despite so many of its members dying and others getting very old and infirm. The PA’s frame of reference, the PLO, has thus shrunk in its authority and representative constitution. more.. e-mail
Children in the crosshairs: Lessons from the al-Dura affair
Brad Parker, +972 Magazine 6/28/2013
The continued discussion of the almost 13-year-old Al-Dura affair reflects the current Israeli government’s inability to conduct serious and impartial investigations into violations of Palestinian rights.
On Wednesday, Philippe Karsenty, a French media analyst, was convicted of defamation for accusing a French television network of orchestrating video footage of the famous shooting of 12-year-old Mohammad al-Dura in Gaza during September
2000. Over the past 13 years, the shooting has been at the center of Israeli nationalist sentiments of victimization, whether by the media, the international community or anyone else that criticizes Israeli policies toward Palestinians.
While the verdict may do little to chip away at the Israeli exceptionalism the incident at least in part helped to intensify, the continued discussion of the almost 13-year-old shooting highlights the indifference Israeli officials have toward the calculated destruction of life in Gaza.
Last month, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, received an Israeli government report that not only asserted there was no evidence to suggest that Israeli forces shot the boy, but also brazenly claimed the boy probably escaped unscathed. Netanyahu initiated the investigation last year because, in his opinion, the incident had been used repeatedly to slander Israel’s reputation.
Despite the fact that an Israeli general acknowledged that al-Dura had been hit by Israeli gunfire, Minister for International, Intelligence and Strategic Affairs Yuval Steinitz proclaimed the shooting “a modern-day blood libel against the State of Israel.” Speaking at the report’s release, Netanyahu declared that the al-Dura affair was an example of “the ongoing, mendacious campaign to delegitimize Israel” and that “there is only one way to counter lies, and that is through the truth.” He then reiterated, “Only the truth can prevail over lies.” Mr. Netanyahu, let us consider the facts. more.. e-mail
Artists, activists and theater lovers gather to protest closure of Palestinian children’s festival
Matt Surrusco, +972 Magazine 6/28/2013
At East Jerusalem demonstration against the banning on an annual children’s festival, friends of el-Hakawati Theater share past memories and present disappointment.
Festival programs and posters were laid out on a table outside the theater. More were stacked in an office on the floor, still in packaging.
At el-Hakawati, the Palestinian National Theatre in East Jerusalem, approximately 50 people gathered Thursday evening to condemn the Israeli government’s banning of a children’s puppet festival, which would have been held for its 19th year this month.
“This place is supposed to be full of children today,” said Mohammad Halayka, el-Hakawati’s executive director.
While there were no kids present, colorful, handmade puppets created by theater staff as decoration for the festival were displayed in the lobby and audience seating area of the theater. Attendees were a mix of Palestinian theater staff, family and friends, Israeli activists and Meretz Jerusalem officials.
According to a program for the festival, Thursday would have been “From Child to Child Day” at el-Hakawati, with several local groups performing. Halayka said children would have performed on stage for other children. Most of the shows were billed appropriate for children ages six and up.
“While you are handing me this order [banning the week-long festival], children are drawing butterflies in the other room,” making decorations for the festival, Halayka said he told the Israeli officer who gave him the order from the Israeli Public Security Ministry on June 20. more.. e-mail
Maximum Land with Minimum Palestinians: The Annexation of Area C
Palestine Chronicle: 29 Jun 2013 – By Sam Gilbert Early this month Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem published a report on Israel’s policy in Area C and its implications for the population of the West Bank. Less then a week later Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, in the midst of Kerry’s attempts to start the stalled peace talks, reiterated his plan to annex all of Area C to the Israeli state, bringing with it the 350,000 some od settlers as well as 62% of land of the West Bank. In a conference held by the settler Yesha Council Bennett said “the attempt to establish a Palestinian state in our land has ended .. That we need to Annex area C of the West Bank now because the idea of creating a Palestinian state there is over.” Bennett’s comments were met with international condemnation, the timing of his words seen as purposefully undermining Kerry’s attempt to restart the stalled…more
Kerry and Chutzpah
Palestine Chronicle: 29 Jun 2013 – By Uri Avnery If you happen to bump into John Kerry at Ben Gurion Airport, you may wonder whether he is coming or going. He may well be wondering himself. For many weeks now he has been devoting most of his precious time to meetings with Benjamin Netanyahu a
nd Mahmoud Abbas, trying to get these two people together. It is about half an hour’s car ride between the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem and the Palestinian President’s Mukata’ah in Ramallah. But the two are more distant from each other than the Earth and Mars. Kerry has taken it upon himself to bring the two together – perhaps somewhere in outer space. On the moon, for example. Together for what? Ah, there’s the rub. The idea seems to be a meeting for meeting’s sake. We have watched this procedure for many years. Successive American presidents have undertaken to bring the two…more
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The New Dark Age 