12 July 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Israeli Supreme Court Postpones Amona Eviction
IMEMC – Date Moved from July 15 to July 24 The Israeli Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the eviction of the Israeli settlement of Amona would be moved from its July 15 date. The eviction of the Central West Bank hilltop settlement has been moved to July 24 to avoid coinciding with Tisha B’av . …
Israeli housing minister urges construction of 10,000 settler homes
IMEMC – Uri Ariel, the housing minister for the State of Israel, was quoted as saying on Thursday that Israel must build 10,000 homes for illegal settlers in East Jerusalem and the West Bank in order to alleviate “the housing crisis.” …
Canadian writers urge Israel to halt evictions of thousands of Palestinians and Negev Bedouins
IMEMC – Seventy prominent Canadian writers, including Michael Ondaatje (The English Patient), Yann Martel (Life of Pi), Lorna Crozier, and Lisa Moore (Open), wrote an open letter to Canadian and Israeli officials urging Israel to cease its plans to evict Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills, and to reject the Begin-Prawer Plan that would forcibly relocate 20,000-70,000 Bedouins from their homes in the Negev. …
Minister: Israel must build 10,000 new settler homes
7/12/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel is ready to “immediately” build 10,000 homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to lower housing costs, Housing Minister Uri Ariel was quoted as saying on Thursday.”To immediately alleviate the housing crisis we must massively build in (East) Jerusalem and the settlement blocs in Judea and Samaria,” the Yediot Aharonot newspaper quoted Ariel as telling a parliamentary committee.”Settlements like….
Watch: Israeli soldiers detain 5-year-old Hebron boy
7/12/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces briefly detained a five-year-old Palestinian boy in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, drawing condemnation Thursday from rights activists. Footage shot by the Jerusalem-based B’Tselem group showed soldiers dragging the distraught toddler into an army jeep after accusing him of throwing a rock in the Palestinian city. B’Tselem denounced Wadi Maswadeh’s detention….
Demonstrations across West Bank
7/12/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Dozens of protesters on Friday were lightly wounded in demonstrations across the occupied West Bank. In al-Maasara village south of Bethlehem, dozens suffered tear-gas inhalation as Israeli forces dispersed a protest against water shortages in the village for over 50 days and in solidarity with prisoners in Israeli jails. Protesters raised Palestinian flags and posters of prisoners and chanted for national….
Officials: Israel detains Palestinian at Erez crossing
7/12/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Thursday detained a 54-year-old man returning to Gaza at the Erez crossing on the Israeli border, Palestinian officials said. Israel closes the Erez crossing to most Palestinians, but Mohammad Abu Harbid, 54, had been granted permission to enter Israel to accompany his sick brother. Abu Harbid’s brother had sought medical treatment in Israel but died in hospital. [END]
‘Don’t attack,’ Iranian filmmaker says in Israel
7/12/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Exiled Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf has urged Tel Aviv not to attack arch-rival Iran over its nuclear programme, in a visit to Israel to promote his new film.”I love you, but please do not attack Iran. It is not the solution, it would only aggravate the situation,” the well-known director said at a news conference to promote his latest film, The Gardener….
Police: 75,000 perform Ramadan prayers at Al-Aqsa
7/12/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Around 75,000 worshipers prayed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem for the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, Israeli police said. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said around 75,000 prayed at the mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, and that so far there had been no incidents. Israel’s army allows Palestinian men aged over 40 and…. Related: Tens of thousands at Aqsa mosque on first Friday of Ramadan
Tens of thousands at Aqsa mosque on first Friday of Ramadan
7/12/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Tens of thousands of Palestinians performed prayers in the al-Aqsa mosque on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. The number of worshipers was around 250,000, the head of Islamic endowments said. Sheikh Azzam al-Ahmad said that a huge number of people arrived at the al-Aqsa compound from the West Bank and “we hope the number increases in the…. Related: Police: 75,000 perform Ramadan prayers at Al-Aqsa
Police investigate death of Nablus teen
7/12/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Police are investigating the death of a 17-year-old whose body was found at his family’s farm in Deir Sharaf near Nablus on Thursday. Police identified the teenager as Imad Mwafaq Zaghoul and said a rope was found near his body. The cause of death was not immediately clear and an autopsy will be performed, police told Ma’an. [END]
Egypt rival rallies planned as tensions soar
7/12/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — Activists for and against ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi have called rival rallies for the first Friday of Ramadan, as tensions soar over the army’s overthrow of the Islamist leader. The Muslim Brotherhood, the influential group from which Mursi emerged, has vowed to keep protesting until he is reinstated, and has called separate rallies across Cairo. But the group’s….
Officials: US set to deliver F-16s to Egypt
7/12/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States is pressing ahead with plans to deliver four F-16 fighters to Egypt despite a military coup against President Mohamed Mursi, a US official said Thursday.”It’s still the status quo,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP. There was no decision to halt the scheduled transfer of the warplanes or to cut off other….
Saudi princess charged with human trafficking in US
7/12/2013 – LOS ANGELES (AFP) — A Saudi princess was to be released from US jail on bail after being charged with enslaving a Kenyan woman, forcing her to work in abusive conditions and withholding her passport. Meshael Alayban, 42, one of six wives of a grandson of the Saudi King Abdullah, paid a $5 million bond and surrendered her passport, the Orange County, California district attorney’….
Analysts: Jordan ‘relieved at downfall’ of Egypt Islamists
7/12/2013 – AMMAN (AFP) — Jordan breathed a sigh of relief when Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood president was ousted because of the influence of its own opposition Islamists who have pressed for reforms, analysts say. King Abdullah II and the government were quick to congratulate Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court Adly Mansour hours after he was declared caretaker president by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi following….
NGO: Qaeda front group kills Syria rebel chief
7/12/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — An Al-Qaeda front group operating in Syria has killed a rebel chief in a firefight in the coastal province of Latakia, a monitoring group said on Friday. The killing comes amid soaring tensions between the mainstream rebel Free Syrian Army and its supporters and groups affiliated to Al-Qaeda, mostly made up of non-Syrian fighters. Better known as Abu Bassir al-Jeblawi, rebel chief Kamal….
Mandela’s wife says now ‘less anxious’ about his health
7/12/2013 – JOHANNESBURG (AFP) — Graca Machel, the wife of ailing South African icon Nelson Mandela, said Friday she is now less anxious about his condition, five week
s into his hospitalization.”He continues to respond positively to treatment. I would say that today I’m less anxious than I was a week ago,” she told state-backed SABC television. [END]
Watchdog: Shelling kills 15 in Damascus
7/12/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Fifteen people were killed Friday in shelling in Syria’s capital, among them six in the heart of the city, as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan entered its third day, a watchdog said.”Six people were killed when three shells (likely launched by rebels) hit Baghdad Street in the center of the city. Nine others were killed in massive (regime) shelling….
UAE announces first case of MERS-virus infection
7/12/2013 – ABU DHABI (AFP) — Health authorities in the UAE have announced that an 82-year-old man has been diagnosed with the MERS coronavirus infection, the first case to be recorded in the Gulf state. The Emirati citizen who contracted the SARS-like virus suffers from cancer and is being treated in hospital in the capital, Abu Dhabi health authority said in a statement carried by WAM state….
US calls on Egyptian army to release Mursi
7/12/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States on Friday called on the Egyptian military and interim leaders to free deposed president Mohamed Mursi for the first time since he was detained over a week ago. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States agreed with Germany’s earlier appeal for Mursi to be released and was “publicly” making the same request. 1 ) aguanac / France 12….
AlJazeera
Israeli group decries juvenile’s detention
AlJazeera 12 Jul 2013 – Rights group urges Israeli military to “change tactics” when dealing with Palestinian youth in Occupied West Bank.
Thousands of Palestinians Perform Friday Prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque
Palestine News Network
Israel Ready to Build 10,000 More illegal Settler Units
Palestine News Network
Video Footage: Israeli Soldiers Detain Five-Year-Old Palestinian in Hebron
Palestine News Network
Kerry Set to Make 6th Mideast Visit Next Week
Palestine News Network
Israeli Court Sentences Palestinian MPs
Palestine News Network
Ahrar: Israel Violates International Laws by Legalizing Law to Force-Feed Hunger Strikers
Palestine News Network
UFree Denounce Abduction of Palestinian in Egypt by Israeli Mossad
Palestine News Network
Settlers Uproot Hundreds of Olive Trees in Nablus
Palestine News Network
Population of Palestine at Mid 2013 is 4.42 Million, says Statistics Bureau
Palestine News Network
Dr. Ashrawi: “International Community, UN Must Invest in a Just Peace”
Palestine News Network
International Solidarity Movement
Settlers from illegal colony of Itamar destroy 1,500 Palestinian olive trees
7/12/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 12th July 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team, Awarta, Occupied Palestine On the morning of Thursday 11th July, villagers from Awarta found that 1,500 of their olive trees had been cut down over the last month by settlers from the illegal settlement of Itamar. When they attempted to highlight this crime with media coverage, the mayor and several journalists were detained for several hours by….
occupied Palestinian territory: Support Arab-Israeli peacemaking by beefing up UNDOF
Relief Web 12 Jul 2013 – Source: International Crisis Group Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic Ofer Zalzberg, The Times of Israel On 12 June Austria withdrew its contingent of 378 peacekeepers – more than one-third of the total — from the United Nations Disengagement…
occupied Palestinian territory: Ceremony for Mothers of Children with Disabilities
Relief Web 12 Jul 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory Birzeit, West Bank Creating knowledge, empowering mothers After a four-day camp for children with disabilities, organized in Ramallah by the United Nations Relief…
occupied Palestinian territory: UAERC contributes US$ 2.1 million to UNRWA for East Jerusalem Health Centre
Relief Web 12 Jul 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory Amman The Red Crescent Society of the United Arab Emirates (UAERC) has signed an agreement with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (…
occupied Palestinian territory: Gaza’s Fishermen Case Study, July 2013
Relief Web 12 Jul 2013 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: occupied Palestinian territory Abdallah is a 53-year-old fisherman from a refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. He owns a boat, which he runs together with four of his seven…
World: Attacks on Education: The impact of conflict and grave violations on children’s futures
Relief Web 12 Jul 2013 – Source: Save the Children Country: Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, occupied Palestinian territory, Pakistan, Syrian Arab Republic, World Children’s Futures at Risk On July 12, 2013, youth delegates from around the globe will meet at the…
Morsi supporters out in force amid calls to halt Brotherhood arrests
The National 12 Jul 2013 – United States, Germany and the United Nations raise say detentions go against the “inclusiveness” promised by Egypt’s new rulers.
150-year-old religious treasure goes on display at mall for Ramadan
The National 12 Jul 2013 – A 150-year-old religious icon, the Damascene mahmal, has taken up a temporary home at Dubai Mall for ramadan.
First case of coronavirus to be confirmed within the UAE.
The National 12 Jul 2013 – Previous cases were only confirmed after the patients had left for treatment abroad. An Emirati man died in hospital in Germany in March, and a Frenchman who had been visiting Dubai died in May.
Palestinians say destruction of olive groves is an Israeli ‘terror campaign’
The National 12 Jul 2013 – Villagers in Awarta say that Israeli settlers have felled more than 1,000 of their trees in the past month, which highlights the challenges faced by the roughly 80,000 Palestinian families living under Israel’s occupation who depend on the olive industry for their livelihood.
Families of inmates receive support during Ramadan
The National 12 Jul 2013 – The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charity and Humanitarian Establishment granted the DCPI 70 coupons each worth 800 – a total of Dh 56,000. Dar Al Ber Society handed over 10 coupons worth Dh5,000 and 37 coupons valued at a total of Dh3,700 to help 19 families of Emirati and expat inmates.
Thousands of Ramadan bags to be handed out
The National 12 Jul 2013 – The packs have a guide to fasting and detailed prayer and meal times.
New IVF project expected to boost camel births
The National 12 Jul 2013 – A new laboratory dedicated to improving birth rates of camels in Dubai is expected to complete by September.
Consumers in Dubai more aware of their rights, say the people who receive their complaints
The National 12 Jul 2013 – Thousands of people have complained to the Dubai Department of Economic Development about businesses or services.
Report: Israel behind recent strike on Syria missile depot, U.S. officials say
Ha’aretz – 12 Jul 2013
Israel’s new U.S. envoy: Influential policy hound or another ‘CNN Ambassador’?
Ha’aretz – 12 Jul 2013
Appointment of new Bank of Israel governor hits snag amid allegations of Hong Kong shoplifting
Ha’aretz – 12 Jul 2013
Justice Minister Livni phones Abbas on occasion of Ramadan
Ha’aretz – 12 Jul 2013
High Court pushes back eviction of Amona outpost
Ha’aretz – 12 Jul 2013
Supreme Court to Tel Aviv: Draft guidelines for removing homeless from public spaces
Ha’aretz – 12 Jul 2013
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef endorses his youngest son for Sephardi chief rabbi
Ha’aretz – 12 Jul 2013
Economies of ScaleIO: EMC buys Israeli virtual storage startup for estimated $200-300 million
Ha’aretz – 12 Jul 2013
One third of Israeli Jews want Temple rebuilt in Jerusalem, poll finds
Ha’aretz – 12 Jul 2013
Israel puts off decision on whether to draft 5,100 ultra-Orthodox Jews
Ha’aretz – 11 Jul 2013
Homeless Palestinian man finds more than 120 Israeli ID cards in trash behind Jerusalem Interior Ministry office
Ha’aretz – 11 Jul 2013
Israel’s AG asks chief rabbi hopeful to explain anti-Arab statements
Ha’aretz – 11 Jul 2013
Court upholds lawsuit against Kinneret beach operator in deaths of two brothers
Ha’aretz – 11 Jul 2013
Polio virus spreading across Israel via sewer systems
Ha’aretz – 11 Jul 2013
Are Israel’s Orthodox parties trying to inch back into coalition through yeshiva funding negotiations?
Ha’aretz – 11 Jul 2013
The biggest problem with Israel’s new biometric database: Police misusing citizens’ data
Ha’aretz – 11 Jul 2013
US officials: Israel is responsible for Syrian missile depot attack
Jerusalem Post 12 Jul 2013 – Three anonymous US officials tell ‘CNN’ Israel was targeting Russian-made Yakhont anti-ship missiles; FSA spokesman says rebels not responsible for strike; Moshe Ya’alon insists Israel is “sticking to red lines.”
In rural Syria, a rare peace threatened by sectarian war
Jerusalem Post 12 Jul 2013 – The western rural region of Homs is an unusual model of coexistence in Syria’s brutal two-year-old civil war, home to a mix of religious groups with conflicting political loyalties.
Two haredim charged with assaulting police during mob attack on haredi soldier
Jerusalem Post 12 Jul 2013 – Braun and Krischavski, who threw stones, metal bars, water buckets on police, could face at least 3 years in jail.
US, Germany call on Egyptian army to release Morsi
Jerusalem Post 12 Jul 2013 – Brotherhood tries to mobilize support for Morsi’s reinstatement.
Egyptian army plans operation against terror in Sinai
Jerusalem Post 12 Jul 2013 – Another report says Cairo to close Rafah crossing “indefinitely.”
Syrian refugees in Jordan beg for food during Ramadan
Jerusalem Post 12 Jul 2013 – Refugees say they don’t have much holiday spirit.
New front opens in Syria as rebels say al-Qaida attack means war
Jerusalem Post 12 Jul 2013 – Rebels respond to assassination of one of their top commanders; last week Islamist group beheaded a rebel in Idlib.
High Court delays evacuation of W. Bank outpost Amona
Jerusalem Post 12 Jul 2013 – Evacuation delayed until J’lem court adjudicates conflicting property claims between settlers, Palestinians.
Egypt braces for more protests, prays for calm
Jerusalem Post 12 Jul 2013 – Muslim Brotherhood calls for march after week of bloodshed.
Militants kill Egyptian policeman in Sinai attack
Jerusalem Post 12 Jul 2013 – Hardline Islamist groups intensify attacks in lawless Sinai as third police this week dies from such strikes.
Egypt’s upheaval makes waves across region
The Guardian 12 Jul 2013 – The state of play in Tunisia, Libya, Gaza, Israel, Turkey, Jordan and Morocco after the ousting of Mohamed Morsi in Egypt Tunisia The country whose uprising sparked the Arab spring has largely resisted shockwaves from the…
Palestinian boy, five, ‘held by Israeli troops’ – video
The Guardian 12 Jul 2013 – Footage released by Israeli human rights group B’Tselem appears to show the Israeli army detaining a five-year-old Palestinian boy
Hamas claims increased contact with European countries
The Guardian 12 Jul 2013 – Islamist group ruling Gaza says governments including UK and France trying to establish open dialogue despite isolation policy European governments including Britain have stepped up back-channel contacts with Hamas despite an official EU policy of political…
European countries step up Hamas contact despite EU policy of isolation
The Guardian 12 Jul 2013 – Hamas says governments including Britain and France are trying to establish open dialogue with Islamist group ruling Gaza European governments have stepped up back-channel contacts with Hamas despite an official EU policy of political isolation, in…
Saudi Women’s Rights Activists to File Prison Appeal Friday
IPS Two Saudi Arabian women’s rights activists are filing an appeal on Friday after being sentenced to 10 months in prison for helping a woman who had allegedly been abused by her husband. On Jun. 15, Wajeha Al-Huwaider and Fawzia Al-Oyouni were convicted by a district court in Al-Khobar of “takhbib”,…
Egypt Orders Arrest of Brotherhood Leader
IPS Egypt’s prosecutor’s office has ordered the arrest of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie on charges of inciting violence outside the Republican Guard headquarters where 51 people were killed, the state news agency MENA has reported. Other senior Brotherhood officials were also ordered on Wednesday to be detained, including Badie’s deputy…
Q&A: No Justice for Tortured Bahraini Journalist
IPS Nazeeha Saeed, Credit: Christophe Meireis In May 2011, almost a year and half after a Tunisian street vendor’s self-immolation sparked waves of revolution still rocking the Middle East, Bahraini journalist Nazeeha Saeed was tortured during her 13-hour detention before signing a confession she was not allowed to read. Saeed, who…
Update on the ongoing individual hunger strikes
Uruknet
Interactive timeline shows 8 years of Israel boycott gains
Uruknet
Pelican Bay Prison Hunger-Strikers’ Stories: Gabriel Reyes
Uruknet
Washington Post’s WikiLeaks/Snowden/Greenwald Conspiracy Theory
Uruknet
New Prisoner X: Mossad Hides Its Dirty Secrets in Ayalon Prison
Uruknet
Freedom in the hands of the people, not inthe hands of the military or the guards
Uruknet
Syrians say they have given up on U.S. weapons promises
Uruknet
Americans Need to See the Violence of War, Police and Torture
Uruknet
Tehran art auction lures spenders amid hard times
Daily Star 12 Jul 2013 Some arrived in Porsches or BMWs, which were whisked away by valet parking attendants. The hotel lobby was awash with the celebrated and powerful including A-list actors, artists and captains of commerce.
US sources: Israel behind last week’s attack in Latakia
YNet News, 12 Jul 2013 – ….
Paramedics: Man drowned in Ashkelon beach
YNet News, 12 Jul 2013 – ….
Tens of thousands march for ousted Egyptian leader
YNet News, 12 Jul 2013 – ….
Turkey, Iran call for Ramadan ceasefire in Syria
YNet News, 12 Jul 2013 – ….
France: 6 killed in train derailment, 9 gravely injured
YNet News, 12 Jul 2013 – ….
Two faces of anti-Semitism
YNet News, 12 Jul 2013 – Op-ed: ‘New anti-Semitism’ substitutes hatred of the Jew with demonization of Israel ….
Palestinian Information Center
Most Palestinians still supportive of President Mursi
PIC – As tens of thousands of Muslims converged on the Aqsa Mosque for the Friday prayers, worshipers displayed prominently portraits of the deposed Egyptian President Muhammed Mursi.
Hamas demands PA to stop security coordination with the occupation
PIC – Hamas strongly condemned the systematic crimes of the occupation against Palestinian captives, and the international and Arab silence regarding the poor conditions of prisoners.
Bahar denounces the unjust sentences against Palestinian MPs and leaders
PIC – Dr. Ahmed Bahar condemned the Israeli District Court’s resolution on Thursday sentencing to actual prison MP Mohammad Totah and former Jerusalem minister Khaled Abu Arafa.
PCHR warns of Israeli intention to force-feed hunger striking captives
PIC – PCHR warned of occupation authorities’ intention to apply a law that will allow the authorities force-feed prisoners on hunger strike, which forms a real danger on the lives of captives.
90% of infrastructure projects in Gaza stopped due to closure of crossings
PIC – The Palestinian government in Gaza confirmed the suspension of works in 90 per cent of infrastructure projects, implemented by Gaza municipalities, due to the closure of the crossings.
UFree calls for better treatment of Palestinians in Egypt
PIC – UFree Network to Defend the Rights of Palestinian Political Prisoners and Detainees expressed deep concern over the Egyptian authorities’ treatment of Palestinians since July 2 ,2013.
Al-Khudari: Gaza suffers economic suffocation
PIC – MP Jamal Khudari, head of the Popular Committee against the Siege, said that Gaza suffers economic suffocation due to the ongoing Israeli siege imposed since 7 years on the strip.
The release of 3 prisoners from Gaza
PIC – The Israeli authorities have released on Thursday three prisoners from the Gaza strip after serving 9 years in custody.
Tens of thousands are expected to pray at Al- Aqsa on Friday
PIC – Tens of thousands headed to al-Aqsa mosque to perform the first Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramadan despite the Israeli security restrictions.
U.S. resists pressure to offer a new nuclear deal to Iran
LA Times 12 Jul 2013 – Some want a bold proposal and one-on-one U.S.-Iran nuclear talks now that a new president has been elected. But the White House says ‘the onus is on Iran.’ WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is rejecting calls for it to offer a bold diplomatic proposal to…
U.S. calls for Morsi’s release by Egypt military
LA Times 12 Jul 2013 – The Obama administration says ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi should be released, as the Islamist’s backers vow a sit-in until the coup is reversed. CAIRO — The Obama administration called Friday for Egypt’s ousted Islamist president to be released from military detention, as his supporters…
Slaying of Syrian rebel commander exposes opposition tension
LA Times 12 Jul 2013 – BEIRUT — The shooting death this week of a rebel commander in northern Syria — apparently at the hands of an Al Qaeda-linked militant faction — has exposed tension between the disparate forces fighting to oust President Bashar Assad.
Saudi princess is free on $5-million bail in human trafficking case
LA Times 11 Jul 2013 – She is accused of confiscating Kenyan woman’s passport and forcing her to work 16 hours a day at a condo complex in Irvine for meager pay. The Saudi princess and her family had crossed the globe in May with an entourage of servants and settled…
Egypt army defends role in deadly clashes with Morsi supporters
LA Times 11 Jul 2013 – Egypt’s military expands its account of the Cairo clash that killed 51 Islamists, suggesting a propaganda battle with the Muslim Brotherhood. CAIRO — With supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi calling for another mass rally Friday, Egypt’s military gave a fuller accounting of its role…
Syrian Rebel Infighting Undermines Anti-Assad Effort
New York Times 12 Jul 2013 – Rebel factions in Syria are attacking each other in a series of killings, kidnappings and beheadings, undermining the effort to topple President Bashar al-Assad.
In Some Parts of Egypt, Bad Times Remained Bad
New York Times 12 Jul 2013 – In the impoverished Egyptian town of Fayoum, conditions never improved during Mohamed Morsi’s presidency and the future now seems unsettled and unpromising.
Islamists Step Up Protests in Egypt
New York Times 12 Jul 2013 – Hundreds of thousands of Islamist supporters rallied across Egypt pressing for the ousted president’s reinstatement.
The Lede: Parents Mourn Photographer Killed in Cairo
New York Times 12 Jul 2013 – As the parents of Ahmed Assem, a 26-year-old photographer for a Muslim Brotherhood newspaper who was killed on Monday, mourned his death, Egyptian bloggers discovered disparaging remarks about Christians on the dead man’s Facebook page.
Blast in Northern Iraq City Kills 19, Officials Say
New York Times 12 Jul 2013 – Iraqi officials said a bomb exploded inside a crowded coffee shop in Kirkuk, wounding 26.
Hardening Split in Egypt as Islamists Stage Huge Demonstrations
New York Times 12 Jul 2013 – The size of the protests underlined the large section of society that has rejected the military intervention that deposed President Mohamed Morsi.
The Lede: Malala Yousafzai, at U.N., Calls on World Leaders to Provide Education to Every Child
New York Times 12 Jul 2013 – On her 16th birthday, Malala Yousafzai spoke at the United Nations and called on world leaders to make education available and compulsory for every child.
Prisoner X, the Sequel: Israeli Censorship Run Amok
Tikun Olam – Every man has a name given to him by God and by his parents. …Every man has a name given him by the sea and by his death. – Zelda Every man deserves a name. Every man deserves the deeds of his life no matter how…
Aboushi Gains Some Yardage
Muzzlewatch – By Marilyn Neimark When the usual suspects– David Horowitz’s Front Page Magazine and Debbie Schlussel’s blog –went ballistic over the NFL’s NY Jets draft of Brooklyn born, Palestinian American Oday Aboushi, it looked poised to go viral as more mainstream venues, such as yahoo sports and…
First stop for presidential contenders begins with I, but it’s not Iowa
Mondoweiss – Report from the Hill: Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said he will visit Israel this October, the clearest sign yet he is considering running for president in 2016. “We will be going to Israel to bring together Arabs, Christian and Jews in an educational forum,” Perry…
Video: Palestinian students call on US students to recognize their conditions– and divest
Mondoweiss – I produced this film “Palestinian Students Call to Divest for Justice” along with two friends from al Ma’sara, near Bethlehem, Mahmoud Elddin and Moath al Lahham. We wanted to bring the difficult reality of life under occupation as Palestinian students experience it to the gaze of the…
We scoop the New York Times and Washington Post and publish– a recipe for Ramadan (Circassian Chicken)
Mondoweiss – What’s under that lid– for Ramadan? One of our efforts at t
his website is to do to Islamophobia what was done to anti-Semitism over the last century: making its expression unacceptable in American mainstream culture. And while I can claim no position of leadership on this…
False arrests in the South Hebron Hills village of Umm al-Kheir
Mondoweiss – Saturday July 7th, 2013. We’re called urgently to Umm al-Kheir. When we arrive, a woman is shouting and people from the village are running down the hill. Abdallah starts running ahead of me with his big camera. He sprints incredibly quickly for this rough terrain. People…
Goddamn the neoconservatives
Mondoweiss – For many years I declared that the neoconservative moment is over, and every time I was wrong. The neocons hung around, they kept their status and influence. There were enough liberals who were tarred by having bought into the neocons’ chief mistake, Iraq, that the neocons…
Jewish and Arab Groups Jointly Lobby Lawmakers for 2-State Push
The Foward Breaking News 12 Jul 2013 – A Jewish public policy umbrella and a Palestinian group that advocates for two states jointly lobbied Congress for Secretary of State John Kerry’s bid to restart peace talks. Click here for the rest of the article…
30% of Israelis Want Third Temple Built on Temple Mount
The Foward Breaking News 12 Jul 2013 – Right-wing organizations devoted to the Temple Mount are buoyed by a new poll they commissioned finding that 30 percent of Israeli Jews support rebuilding the Jewish Temple on the site. Click here for the rest of the article…
Police Could Misuse Data From New Israeli Biometric Security System
The Foward Breaking News 12 Jul 2013 – When Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar launched the trial period for Israel’s biometric database on Sunday, he almost pleaded with the public not to be alarmed. “There is no reason to panic,” he said, promising that the system that was set up “met the highest standards of…
Morocco: Connecting Across Cultures
allAfrica.com 12 Jul 2013 – [State Department]Networking solutions firm Cisco earned the Award for Corporate Excellence for helping to establish a thriving technology sector in the West Bank.
Interview with Amani Inshasi– a teacher’s perspective on life in Gaza
Rachel Corrie Foundation 12 Jul 2013 – Hi! My name is Masanobu Okada, and I am a summer intern for the Rachel Corrie Foundation. I am currently studying International Studies / Peace & Conflict Resolution at Soka University of America in California, and expect to graduate next spring. I had a chance to sit…
Exiting the open air prison: Freedom of movement and the Gaza crossing to Egypt
Rachel Corrie Foundation 12 Jul 2013 – FREE EVENT! ALL ARE WELCOME SUNDAY, JULY 14th @ 6:30pm Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art, 300 5th Ave SW. Downtown Olympia, WA The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice is delighted to once again welcome Mr. Ayman Nijim to Olympia. As a participant, and now…
A Modest Proposal for the Solution of the Palestinian Refugee Problem
The Magnes Zionist 12 Jul 2013 – These days all eyes are focused on Egypt. Over the last few months all eyes have been focused on Syria. Wherever the next Arab crisis will be, you can be sure that all eyes will not be focused on the Palestinians. I just heard MK Naftali…
US seeks release of detained Morsi
BBC 12 Jul 2013 – The US calls on Egypt’s interim leaders to free deposed President Mohamed Morsi, as rival protests continue on the first Friday of Ramadan.
Key Syria rebel ‘killed by rival’
BBC 12 Jul 2013 – A Free Syrian Army commander is reported to have been killed by a rebel group linked to al-Qaeda in an escalating struggle within the opposition.
Israel accused over boy’s detention
BBC 12 Jul 2013 – The Israeli army is accused of illegally detaining a five-year-old Palestinian boy for throwing stones in the West Bank – a claim the military disputes.
Israel ‘secretly holds Prisoner X 2’
BBC 12 Jul 2013 – The existence of a second “Prisoner X” being held in secret conditions in jail prompts comments in the Israeli parliament and media.
Egypt’s Muslim Brothers: An Early Suicide
Al-Akhbar Opinion 12 Jul 2013 – An Egyptian man, supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood and Egypt’s ousted president Mohamed Morsi kisses a poster of him as worshipers gather for a dusk payer outside Cairo’s Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque on 11 July 2013, during the second day of Islam’s holy fasting month of Ramadan. (…
Egypt refusing entry to Syrian refugees: UN
Al-Akhbar News 12 Jul 2013 – Egypt has turned back several flights carrying hundreds of Syrians after tightening visa rules following the toppling of President Mohammed Mursi, the UN refugee agency said on Friday. Egypt this week introduced visa requirements for Syrians after local media accused Syrian Islamists of joining deadly clashes…
Two Saudis sentenced to prison for protesting monarchy
Al-Akhbar News 12 Jul 2013 – A Saudi special court has sentenced two men to eight and nine years in jail, respectively, for taking part in protests in Eastern Province, SPA state news agency said on Friday. The first defendant was found guilty of joining three protests in the town of Awamiya,…
Thousands in Egypt protest Mursi’s detention
Al-Akhbar News 12 Jul 2013 – Egyptian supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and deposed president Mohammed Mursi perform Friday noon prayer outside Cairo’s Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque on 12 July 2013. (Photo: AFP – Marwan Naamani) Tens of thousands of supporters of ousted president Mohammed Mursi gathered Friday vowing
to keep fighting for…
Week In Photos (5 July – 12 July)
Al-Akhbar News 12 Jul 2013 – A protestor runs as police used water cannon during clashes on Istiklal avenue, in Istanbul on 8 July 2013. (Photo: AFP – Bulent Kilic) A protestor runs as police used water cannon during clashes on Istiklal avenue, in Istanbul on 8 July 2013. (Photo: AFP -…
Israel tests new missile that could reach Iran
Al-Akhbar News 12 Jul 2013 – Israeli tanks are seen in the occupied Golan Heights in Syria on 12 June 2013. (Photo: AFP – Menahem Kahana) Israel on Friday staged what it said was a planned test of a rocket propulsion system at a military base on the Mediterranean coast. Israeli media,…
Damascus: The Military Geography of Normalcy
Al-Akhbar News 12 Jul 2013 – A vendor sells goods bearing Islamic texts in central Damascus on 9 July 2013 as Syrians shop in preparation for the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. (Photo: AFP – STR) A vendor sells goods bearing Islamic texts in central Damascus on 9 July 2013 as…
The CIA: Al-Qaeda Dispatched 16 Tons of Explosives to Lebanon
Al-Akhbar Politics 11 Jul 2013 – the American side claimed to have credible information that an al-Qaeda-linked group rigged two large trucks with up to seven tons of explosives each for detonation in Dahiyeh. the American side claimed to have credible information that an al-Qaeda-linked group rigged two large trucks with up…
US seeks release of detained Morsi
BBC 12 Jul 2013 – The US calls on Egypt’s interim leaders to free deposed President Mohamed Morsi, as rival protests continue on the first Friday of Ramadan.
Key Syria rebel ‘killed by rival’
BBC 12 Jul 2013 – A Free Syrian Army commander is reported to have been killed by a rebel group linked to al-Qaeda in an escalating struggle within the opposition.
Israel accused over boy’s detention
BBC 12 Jul 2013 – The Israeli army is accused of illegally detaining a five-year-old Palestinian boy for throwing stones in the West Bank – a claim the military disputes.
Deadly bomb attack hits Kirkuk
BBC 12 Jul 2013 – At least 38 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a bomb attack in a cafe in Iraq’s northern city of Kirkuk, officials say.
Israel ‘secretly holds Prisoner X 2’
BBC 12 Jul 2013 – The existence of a second “Prisoner X” being held in secret conditions in jail prompts comments in the Israeli parliament and media.
Saudi princess ‘enslaved’ Kenyan
BBC 11 Jul 2013 – A woman described as a Saudi princess is arrested in California and accused of human trafficking after a Kenyan woman allegedly escaped from her home.
Articles
One child’s detention in Hebron embodies the sickness of an entire regime
Ami Kaufman, +972 Magazine 7/11/2013
It takes a racist regime to produce images like this. Nothing less.
I urge readers to look closely at the pictures and videos posted today by Mairav Zonszein, which show the detention of a five-year-old in Hebron. As Mairav correctly points out, the whole process is very calm. Very routine.
I’d add one more adjective: very racist.
Look at those smug soldiers, not even flinching once or thinking twice about detaining a five-year-old. As if there’s no other way for the most powerful army in the region to handle a child who threw a stone.
Look at them, surrounding him, four or five soldiers armed to their teeth with shiny black assault weapons, his parents nowhere in sight. (Here’s where the hasbara folks go: “Well what kind of parents let a kid bla bla bla bla?” Go on, do it. Let’s just get it out of the way early.)
One of my kids is the exact same age. I’m trying to think what this kind of event would do to her, and I shudder. (Hasbara: “Ami, it wouldn’t happen because you’re more responsible than typical Palestinian parents.” Shut up, racists – who aren’t under occupation, by the way.)
It takes a racist regime to produce specimens of masculinity such as these – to not care one bit about the huge stress this child is in. One has to be in an extreme state of apathy toward that child in order to treat him like that. And apathy like that can only be the product of racism.
The nerve, to put a child so young in an army jeep.
To handcuff and blindfold his father, right in front of his eyes…. more.. e-mail
A glimpse into Gaza’s tunnels
Hayat Yehia, Al-Ahram Weekly 7/9/2013
A conduit for smugglers, the lifeline of a beleaguered people, a bonanza for racketeers — what is the reality behind the Gaza tunnels?
Palestinians, especially members of Hamas, the Islamist group now in charge of Gaza, have long been accused of meddling in Egyptian affairs. Such accusations took on a bitter note following the killings of Egyptian soldiers in Rafah nearly a year ago and the more recent abduction of soldiers in Sinai two months ago. Claims that Hamas members once broke into a prison in Wadi Al-Natroun to free Palestinian inmates and members of the Muslim Brotherhood, including the former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, have given the controversy a political edge.
Relations with Gaza also took a new turn recently when an Egyptian court passed a ruling ordering the government to close down the tunnels leading out of Gaza and into Egypt. A few weeks ago, the Egyptian army launched Operation Eagle, during which it apparently flooded most of the tunnels with water. News reports say that the army has already destroyed 75 per cent of the tunnels. What is the truth behind these allegations?
Just days before Al-Ahram Weekly went to Gaza to inspect the tunnels, British tabloid newspapers such as The Sun and Daily Mirror, along with BBC television, ran pictures of a KFC worker apparently using the tunnels in Gaza to deliver fast-food meals. The pictures caused uproar in Egypt, and Israel used them in order to claim that Gaza was not really starving, despite its six-year siege. Israeli spokesman Ofir Gendelman, posting on Twitter, quipped that “Gazans are buying Kentucky fried meals from Arish and smuggling them through the tunnels. Is Gaza really as hungry as all that?”
Walking through the Rafah crossing into Gaza in June, the present writer was approached by a security man on the Egyptian side who whispered that “you cannot imagine the money these Palestinians are making. Each one of them has enough to support dozens of Egyptians.” more.. e-mail
The British Labour / Israel Dinner Date
James Elliott, CounterPunch 7/10/2013
Why Miliband Will Do Little for Middle East Peace or Palestinian Liberation
As the British Labour party leadership desperately tried to contain the fallout from the Falkirk fixing scandals last week, with allegations flying around that both candidates had broken party rules, every politician, journalist and Labour activist was offering their views on who was at fault and what should be done. Next, allegations were made first by Labour Uncut, then by The Sun, that Unite activists had tried to deselect Blairite shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander. It was in the shrill noise and raucous denunciations of ‘uber-Blairites’ trying to wreck the party and ‘militant lefties’ trying to make it unelectable that Douglas Alexander’s alarming speech to the Labour Friends of Israel’s annual lunch went completely unnoticed.
The annual meeting of the Labourite branch of the UK’s Israel lobby was well-attended as ever. Senior shadow cabinet members present included Ed Balls, Stephen Twigg, Liam Byrne, Jim Murphy and Douglas Alexander himself, who was delivering the keynote address, a role that Ed Miliband has performed in previous years, when he addressed a room that also included Alan Johnson, Yvette Cooper and Tessa Jowell.
Whilst Miliband had been hesitant in the past on announcing full-throttle support for all Israel is and does, Douglas Alexander wooed supporters in Labour’s latest desperate scramble with the Tories to impress the Israel lobby. In his speech Alexander said, ‘I do not want Israel’s existence to be tolerated or simply accepted, but recognised and celebrated.’ He made no mention of the illegal occupation, nor the Palestinian citizens of Israel, who are presumably
supposed to celebrate the fact that, according to Human Rights Watch, Israel has reserved over 90% of its land for Jewish use only, and pursues ‘discriminatory policies’ that include forced evictions and home demolitions of indigenous Bedouin.
Douglas Alexander made no mention in his ‘celebrations’ of a state which has detained 40% of Palestinian men in its jails since the military occupation began in 1967 and regularly tortures and abuses prisoners, whilst reserving 40% of the occupied West Bank for its illegal settlements, which now contain over half a million Israeli Jews. No mention of Israel’s crimes was made. — See also: Tens of thousands at Aqsa mosque on first Friday of Ramadan more.. e-mail
Who is the US arming in Syria? President Assad rubs his hands at news of rebel split
Robert Fisk, The Independent 7/12/2013
The President would be the FSA’s best ally in war against Islamists.
Bashar is a happy man today. Long did America and the EU rub their hands with delight each time a minister or general left Assad to collaborate with the regime’s enemies.
Every split within the Assad government was paraded as the “tipping point”. And now, suddenly, what Assad’s lads had been telling us for months – that it is their enemies who are divided – turns out to be true. The bodies of Kamal Hamami and his brother are the proof. The rebels are split. The Islamists and the Free Syrian Army are at war.
The Obamas and the Camerons are going to have to catch their breath. They, after all, want – or wanted – to send weapons to the FSA, the secular, “heroic” resistance fighting for “democracy” against the fascist regime of the dictator in Damascus. And our leaders can still make the argument that the FSA are the guys we should be arming, now that the al-Qa’ida outfits have started killing the FSA leadership. If the good guys in the FSA are now fighting the bad guys of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, we should help them.
But history suggests that the good guys might turn into the bad guys and that the bad guys might win. What if the Islamists wipe out the FSA? Then our weapons really will fall into the “wrong hands” rather faster than they would have done anyway – since guns are money in civil wars and al-Nusra and the rest have the cash to buy anything we give the FSA. Then there’s the argument that does not occur to the Hagues and Kerrys of this world: that if the FSA really do want to polish off their former fundamentalist allies, then their obvious ally is the chap in the presidential palace in Damascus.
Bashar would be only too ready, surely, to help the FSA against the regime’s Islamist “terrorist” antagonists – and maybe offer the FSA a dignified reunification with the government army…. more.. e-mail
Though small, Palestine’s queer movement has big vision
Electronic Intifada: 12 Jul 2013 – Activists focused on sexuality realize that building alliances with other groups will take time.more
Gaza Palestinians still stranded abroad by Egypt’s restrictions
Electronic Intifada: 12 Jul 2013 – Palestinians deported from Cairo have no clear idea of when they will be allowed home.more
Iraq: Between Drug Dealers and Death Squads
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Jul 2013 – By Hussein Al-alak As a result of nationalized oil, during the 1980’s the Government of Saddam Hussain had run literacy campaigns, which saw illiteracy drop to less than 10% of Iraq’s entire population. UNESCO applauded the fact that Iraqi’s were able to access free education and come out with qualifications and employment on the other side. It was stated in 1998; “UNESCO said that Iraq was one of the only countries in the world where, even if you were born in absolute poverty, with illiterate parents you could come out of the education system either a brain surgeon, archaeologist or whatever you wished to become.” What has tragically replaced education, stability and employment is an increasing subservience to alcohol and drugs, with “violence, unemployment and poverty” leading to a dramatic “increase in alcohol abuse,” according Younis Obeidi, a psychiatrist at the Ibn Rushd Hospital. Kamel Ali, head of the Iraqi…more
Egypt, Failed Democratic Experiment in Polarized Nation
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Jul 2013 – By Hasan Afif El-Hasan Democracy cannot be reduced to a system of rules and procedures unconcerned about deep-seated social contradictions and inequalities in the political process. Democracy is not only a method aimed solely at the formation of a government. Democracy provides a compromise between the powers and responsibilities of the majorities and the powers and rights of the minorities. The political majority rules but the minority must be protected from the tyranny of the majority. People living in democracy must treat each other politically as equals regardless of their social status, religion and political views. Men and women of any political community in a real democracy must see beyond their families, their tribes and their houses of worship that regard the other
s as strangers with suspicion as if the others are not people of the same country sharing a common humanity. Despite its simple and reasonable political programs, democracy…more
Samih Al Qasim and the Arab Men of Letters
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Jul 2013 – By Talal Alyan Arab poetry has, in some circles, become regarded as being synonymous with political resistance. The role of the written word has been fundamental in reinforcing our commitment to assorted causes and marginalized groups. It has also been irreplaceable in emboldening our cultural links, a political act to be sure in the context of the region. However, there seem to be aspects of Arab political verse that tend to be eclipsed by the more traditional slogans of resistance. By that I mean that sometimes the most commanding works are not those that espouse unwavering nationalism, but instead those that reflect the uncertainty and grief of the landscape. And much akin to the subject of their work, these poets are commonly fated to the same devastation and end. It is hard to find Arab writers whose perspectives remained linear throughout their literary careers. There lie in the writing of…more
‘Palestinian Settler’: Israel’s Indigenous Invaders
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Jul 2013 – By Neve Gordon and Nicola Perugini On June 24th the “Prawer Plan for the Arrangement of Bedouin-Palestinian Settlement in the Negev” passed its first reading in the Israeli parliament. If implemented, the Plan will constitute “the largest single act of forced displacement of Arab citizens of Israel since the 1950s”, expelling an estimated forty thousand Palestinian Bedouin from their current dwellings. The Plan’s ultimate objective is to Judaize the Israeli Negev. In order to do this, however, seventy thousand (out of 200,000) Bedouin who currently live in villages classified as ‘unrecognized’ by the Israeli government must be moved. The government already forbids them from connecting to the electricity grid or the water and sewage systems. Construction regulations are also harshly enforced, and in 2011 alone about a thousand Bedouin homes and animal pens – usually referred to by the government as mere “structures” – were demolished. There are no paved…more
Now They Want the Temple Rebuilt
Dissident Voice: 12 Jul 2013 – Haaretz reported today that one third of Israeli Jews want the Temple rebuilt in Jerusalem. Apparently dozens of movements in Israel are attempting to change the status quo at Haram Ash-Sharif, widely considered the third holiest site in Islam. They aim towards a resurrection of the Jewish Temple at the site. Some are reconstructing ceremonial objects used in the Temple in the past, while others are making practical preparations for its rebuilding, including a renewal of animal sacrifice. Others deal in political lobbying and with encouraging Jews to visit the Mount. “Attempts to distance the People of Israel from its holiest site have failed,” said Yehuda Glick, spokesman for the forum of Temple Mount organizations that commissioned the survey. Among religious Jews questioned, 43% support reconstruction of the Jewish shrine. However, the poll also reveals that more than 31% among Israel secular Jews also support such an initiative. Though it…more
No Evidence for Charge Iran Linked to JFK Terror Plot
Dissident Voice: 12 Jul 2013 – IPS — Alberto Nisman, the Argentine prosecutor who was prevented by Argentine President Cristina Kirchner from testifying before a U.S. House subcommittee investigating alleged Iranian terrorist networks in the Americas here this week, claimed in a recent report that Tehran was involved in a 2007 plot to blow up fuel tanks at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. But his report offers no actual evidence that Iran was ever even aware of the airport plot, and the official documents in the case indicate that the U.S. government found no such evidence either. Nisman’s sensational charge appears to be aimed at undermining the Argentine government’s recent agreement with Iran to jointly determine the truth about the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires in which 85 people were killed. Nisman also wrote a “request for arrests” in 2006 charging that the entire Iranian government leadership was responsible…more
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The New Dark Age 