27 July 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Israeli settler shoots live ammunition at Palestinian human rights house in Hebron
IMEMC – A group of human rights workers engaged in the project ‘Youth Against Settlements’ in Hebron, in the southern West Bank, reported that late Friday night, a group of activists were sitting in front of the group’s headquarters when a settler fired live rounds from an olive grove nearby. …
Israeli forces ‘evict protest village’ near Bethlehem
7/27/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces evicted a protest village near the Kfar Etzion settlement compound south of Bethlehem on Saturday, a local committee said. The Popular Struggle Committee Against the Settlements and the Wall said its activists pitched tents on land belonging to the Abu Ayyash family. Four hours later, the Israeli army arrived with an order to evict the protesters, the committee said….
Israel gives EU ‘cold shoulder’ over settlement guidelines
7/27/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel is giving the EU “the cold shoulder” in the West Bank, Israeli officials told AFP on Friday, following new European guidelines banning dealings with settlements. Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon had given instructions to Israeli officials to “freeze contacts with European Union representatives in Area C” of the West Bank, which is under full Israeli control, one official said.”It’s inconceivable….
Talks with Israel ‘to start Tuesday’
7/27/2013 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are to meet in Washington on July 30 for a round of talks after a three-year break in peace negotiations, a Palestinian official said on Saturday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official told AFP that the Palestinian delegation would be led by chief negotiator Saeb Erekat with the Israelis headed by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. US officials would….
In photos: Gaza’s tunnel trade
7/27/2013 – MaanImages / Eva Pilipp – At one stage an estimated 2,500-3,000 tunnels snaked their way under the desert fence between Gaza and Egypt. A recent crackdown by Egyptian authorities has seen an estimated 80 percent of tunnels closed, leading to a severe shortage of fuel and basic building material. In June, over 20,000 people lost their jobs in the construction industry as a result of shortages….
Protesters rally ‘for Egyptian people’ in Ramallah
7/27/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Dozens of Palestinian protesters rallied in Ramallah’s Al-Manara Square on Friday in solidarity with the Egyptian people. The protesters, mostly affiliated to Fatah, said the rally was held to express solidarity with the Egyptian people and against violence by the Muslim Brotherhood. Fatah Youth spokesman in Ramallah Muatazz Qaush said the rally “comes to confirm that the Palestinian people….
Radio: Israel set to increase Palestinian prisoner release
7/27/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Israeli government will increase the number of Palestinian prisoners set to be released as part of a gesture to the Palestinian side to resume peace talks, Israeli radio said Saturday. The number of prisoners released is set to increase to 102, a report on Israeli radio said. The issue will be addressed by Israel’s government on Sunday. Israel…. Related: Netanyahu: Will free 104 Palestinians in peace talks
Ex-ambassador: Rowhani ‘halted nuclear weapon programme’
7/27/2013 – PARIS (AFP) — Iranian President-elect Hassan Rowhani personally stopped the development of a clandestine nuclear weapon in 2003, a former ambassador to the country said Saturday. Writing in the International Herald Tribune newspaper, Francois Nicoullaud, France’s ambassador to Iran from 2001 to 2005, said he believed Rowhani was the “main actor” in persuading the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to halt the….
Netanyahu: Will free 104 Palestinians in peace talks
7/27/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel will free 104 Palestinian prisoners to coincide with the resumption of long-stalled peace talks brokered by the United States.”I agreed to free 104 Palestinians in stages, after the start of negotiations and according to progress,” he wrote on his official Facebook page. He did not give details on those to be freed or…. Related: Radio: Israel set to increase Palestinian prisoner release
PFLP slams Hamas closure of Ma’an, Al-Arabiya offices
7/27/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine on Saturday voiced concern over Hamas’ decision to close the Gaza offices of Ma’an News Agency and Al-Arabiya TV. The closure “violates the freedom of press, and embodies an oppressive police-based trend in dealing with all issues,” the PFLP statement said.”No matter what pretext the Hamas government and its….
Teen found hanged in Bethlehem village
7/27/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A teenage boy was found hanged in the basement of his home near Bethlehem on Saturday, security officials said. Ibrahim Muhammad Rashayda, 17, was found dead by family members. Police have launched an investigation into the incident. [END]
Woman killed in Qalqiliya hit-and-run accident
7/27/2013 – QALQILIYA (Ma’an) — A woman was killed late Friday in a hit-and-run accident south of Qalqiliya in the northern West Bank, medics said. Mahdiyya Ahmad Qasim Radi, 55, was killed instantly after being hit by a vehicle on a main road. The driver fled the scene. The victim’s body was transferred to a local hospital and police officers are searching for the suspect. [END]
Medics: 75 Mursi supporters killed in Egypt clashes
7/27/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — At least 75 supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi were killed in clashes with police in Cairo early on Saturday, doctors at an Islamist-organised field hospital said. Another 1,000 people were wounded in the violence on the road to Cairo airport, said the medics at the hospital set up by Mursi’s supporters at their protest camp in the nearby Nasr….
Sinai militants attack Egypt military targets
7/27/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Militants launched multiple attacks against Egyptian military targets in Sinai on Friday, security officials said. Militants fired rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and machine guns at seven military bases in Sheikh Zuweid, causing material damage but no injuries. A police station was also hit in the attacks, security official said. Militants have conducted daily attacks on security forces in Sinai since the….
Bomb ‘wounds policeman’ in Tunis port
7/27/2013 – TUNIS (AFP) — A bomb wounded a policeman in a car park outside a police post in the port of Tunis on Saturday, a witness and two radio stations said. The blast hit at 5:45 am in La Go
ulette in the northern outskirts of the Tunisian capital, the witness and the Express FM and Shems FM radio stations said. It occurred as a policeman approached….
Egypt police blame clashes on Islamists, deny lethal force
7/27/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — An Egyptian police general and spokesman blamed the Muslim Brotherhood for deadly Cairo clashes on Saturday and denied officers fired live rounds. Police “did not use more than tear gas” in the clashes, said General Hany Abdel Latif in a televised statement, accusing Islamist protesters of starting the violence. [END]
Emotions high as slain Tunisia opposition leader buried
7/27/2013 – TUNIS (AFP) — Thousands of Tunisians took to the streets Saturday for the funeral of an opposition leader assassinated with the same weapon that killed a colleague, as tensions soared after anti-government protests. Draped in the red and white Tunisian flag, Mohamed Brahmi’s coffin was saluted by soldiers as the cortege left his home in the Tunis neighborhood of Ariana for El-Jellaz cemetery. Emotions….
Dozens die in Egypt as clashes erupt at Mursi rally
7/27/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — Dozens of Mohamed Mursi’s supporters were shot dead early Saturday in the deadliest incident in a month as violence erupted after huge rallies for and against the ousted Islamist president. Mursi’s camp said more than 100 people were killed. An AFP correspondent counted 37 bodies in an Islamist-run field hospital at Cairo’s Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, and the….
NGO: Aleppo missile toll hits 29 dead, mostly children
7/27/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — At least 29 people, including 19 children, died in a missile strike by regime forces on the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, a watchdog said Saturday, revising an earlier toll.”At least 29 people, including 19 children and four women, were killed in Aleppo’s Bab Nairab neighborhood in a surface-to-surface missile strike by regime forces” on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for….
Security: Over 1,000 escape in Libya prison break
7/27/2013 – BENGHAZI, Libya (AFP) — More than 1,000 inmates, mostly common law offenders, escaped during a prison riot and attack on Saturday in the restive Libyan city of Benghazi, a security official told AFP.”There was a riot inside Al-Kuifiya prison, as well as an attack from outside. More then 1,000 prisoners escaped. Special forces called in as reinforcements were given orders not to fire at the….
Egypt Islamists defiant after Cairo carnage
7/27/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — The 37 men had converged on the Egyptian capital from across the nation to show their support for deposed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. But on Saturday, they lay on a mosque’s bloodied marble floor, their names and cities of origin scrawled in black marker pen on white body bags. Mohammed al-Bahi, who died with a faint smile on his face, had….
Syria peace hopes fade after rebels’ talks with West
7/27/2013 – NEW YORK (AFP) — Syria’s main opposition group wanted to talk about their “desperate” need for weapons, but Western leaders they met this week preferred to discuss floundering hopes for a peace conference. The two sides seemed to be talking past each other. The diplomatic dance around the Syrian National Coalition tour just confirmed that President Bashar Assad and his rebel opponents are nowhere….
International Solidarity Movement
‘Shabbat shalom’ – no peace for Palestinians in Hebron this Saturday
7/28/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 28th July 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team, Hebron, Occupied Palestine – Stone and egg-throwing, beating and kicking, headscarves torn off and an arrest based on two soldiers lying. This sunny Saturday in Hebron (Al-Khalil) was all about settler youth attacking innocent Palestinians and internationals while soldiers looked the other way. Today, 27th of July, the Shabbat started as usual in Hebron with the settler tour….
Call for action: Stop Prawer Plan!
7/27/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 27th July 2013, Stop Prawer Plan, Palestine – We call on international solidarity activists to organize demonstrations on 1 August in their own cities, and to spread awareness of the biggest impending ethnic cleansing campaign against Palestinians by Israel since 1948 through writing petitions, sharing information on the Naqab and Prawer Plan, or by any other show of activism. On Monday, July 15, thousands of Palestinians…. Related: Stop Prawer Plan
Video – Fifth Canaan protest village built on annexed Palestinian land in the middle of the illegal Gush Etzion Colonial block
7/27/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – 27th July 2013, International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team, Canaan village, Occupied Palestine – The Canaan protest village was built for the fifth time today, the 27th July 2013, annexed Palestinian land in the middle of the illegal Gush Etzion Colonial block next to the illegal colony of Migdal Oz. The nonviolent protesters stayed in the tent on their land for around an hour and a half….
Can the stars’ power be harnessed on Earth?
The National 27 Jul 2013 – Crucial experiments are about to begin on the world’s most advanced nuclear fusion reactor, the Joint European Torus (JET) near Oxford, England.
UAE hepatitis screening rules have been relaxed
The National 27 Jul 2013 – Mandatory tests for hepatitis C no longer exist and visa screening and deportation for hepatitis B only applies to certain professions.
UAE’s ‘silent epidemic’ must be addressed, doctors say
The National 27 Jul 2013 – Globally, about 240 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B and about 150 million with hepatitis C but many people are not even aware of their conditions.
Sharjah clamps down on illegal advertisers
The National 27 Jul 2013 – For years residents have complained about illegal flyers, and the piles of rubbish they create. Anyone caught posting flyers and business cards are now being warned on arrests and fines.
Stakes are raised in Dubai’s gold-for-weight payout
The National 27 Jul 2013 – More than 5,000 people have registered for Dubai’s ‘Your Weight in Gold’ initiative.
Fossils show Abu Dhabi was once a savannah
The National 27 Jul 2013 – Railway officials and scientists in Abu Dhabi have cooperated to protect a new site of fossils between six and eight million years old.
Dh600,000 for Abu Dhabi worker injured in fall
The National 27 Jul 2013 – Worker left partially paralysed and incontinent after falling from the 59th to 58th storey of an under-construction tower building has been awarded Dh600,000 compensation.
Remembering Zayed: nation led by its loving father
The National 27 Jul 2013 – Picture gallery: Sheikh Zayed had boundless love for children, his own and those he considered his own as leader of the country. He valued their opinions and was strong in his knowledge that if they were well educated, the nation¿s future was safe.
Cops make wave of arrests following deadly Petah Tikva car bombing
Jerusalem Post 27 Jul 2013 – Target allegedly associate of crime figure killed last month.
Hamas condemns Egyptian authorities’ decision to charge Morsi with links to movement
Jerusalem Post 27 Jul 2013 – Egypt warns Haniyeh: Keep out of internal Egyptian affairs.
Egyptian military launches operation ‘Desert Storm’ to root out Sinai terrorists
Jerusalem Post 27 Jul 2013 – Operation comes as 20 cops, soldiers killed in Sinai this month.
UN: Agreement reached with Syria on chemical arms probe
Jerusalem Post 27 Jul 2013 – Unknown if Syria will give the UN inspectors access to areas that they wish to investigate.
Egyptian security forces shoot dead dozens of pro-Morsi supporters
Jerusalem Post 27 Jul 2013 – Health Ministry says 65 killed; Brotherhood spokesman Ahmed Aref says 66 people killed and another 61 “brain dead.”
Syrian rebels prod Russia to halt support for Assad regime
Jerusalem Post 26 Jul 2013 – Opposition leaders meet with UN Security Council for first time in meeting organized by Britain.
Nine dead in Egypt clashes as turmoil rages across country
Jerusalem Post 26 Jul 2013 – Ousted president Morsi to be charged with murder.
Myra Noveck & the New York Times: Another Journalist with Children in the Israeli Military
Uruknet
Cemetery Living in Gaza
Uruknet
Iraq snapshot
Uruknet
Mizan center slams Israel’s kidnapping of patients at Beit Hanoun crossing
Uruknet
Prosecution delivers closing arguments in Manning trial
Uruknet
Israel launches ‘price tag’ attack par excellence in response to EU settlement directive
Uruknet
Museums for Palestinian refugees “light up past before 1948”
Uruknet
Military Resistance 11G9 How It is
Uruknet
Has Geneva II been dropped?
Uruknet
Hezbollah, allies have to be represented in next Cabinet: MP
Daily Star 27 Jul 2013 Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad says the resistance group and its allies should be fully represented in the next Cabinet or the government will never form.
Lebanese police arrest wanted man for drug trafficking
Daily Star 27 Jul 2013 Lebanon police arrested “one of the most dangerous men” wanted for drug trafficking, the Internal Security Forces say.
Egypt’s Mursi likely to go to same prison as Mubarak-minister
Daily Star 27 Jul 2013 Egypt’s deposed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, who has been accused of murder and other crimes, is likely to be transferred to the same Cairo prison where former leader Hosni Mubarak is now held, the interior minister…
Rai visits Zahle, praises residents for housing refugees
Daily Star 27 Jul 2013 Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai thanks Zahle residents for their care of thousands of Syrian refugees who settled in east Lebanon during a rare visit to the region.
Syria says agreement reached on UN chemical probe
Daily Star 27 Jul 2013 Talks between the Syrian government and a U.N. delegation tasked with investigating chemical weapons allegations in the nation’s civil war have “resulted in an agreement on ways of moving forward,” Syrian state media says.
Wildfires extinguished in south Lebanon
Daily Star 27 Jul 2013 The Army and Civil Defense personnel put out wildfires in two southern towns, the military says in a statement.
Syrian forces make gains in assault on rebel Homs: NGO
Daily Star 27 Jul 2013 Regime forces backed by Hezbollah now control half of the Khaldiyeh district of Homs after ousting rebels in fierce fighting in the central Syrian city, a watchdog says.
Report: Iran’s Ahmadinejad to set up university
Daily Star 27 Jul 2013 An Iranian news website says outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has obtained clearance to establish a technology university in Tehran after he leaves office next week.
Death toll from Pakistan marketplace bombs now 57
Daily Star 27 Jul 2013 The death toll from a pair of overnight bombings at a busy market in a Shiite-dominated region of northern Pakistan rose to 57, officials say.
Gemayel says effect of EU decision minimal
Daily Star 27 Jul 2013 Kataeb leader Amin Gemayel urges Hezbollah to reassess its political stance in Lebanon in light of the EU’s decision to list the party’s military wing as a terrorism organization, a move which he described as having…
Libya protesters attack Islamist party after killings
Daily Star 27 Jul 2013 Protesters attacked offices of Libya’s Muslim Brotherhood on Saturday as demonstrations sparked by a wave of assassinations in the eastern city of Benghazi turned violent, an AFP correspondent says.
Syrian refugees in Lebanon face suspicion
Daily Star 27 Jul 2013 Many regard the Syrians with suspicion and are worried that the refugees, most of them Sunni Muslims, would stay in the country permanently, upsetting Lebanon’s delicate sectarian balance.
Emotions high as slain Tunisia opposition leader buried
Daily Star 27 Jul 2013 Thousands of Tunisians took to the streets for the funeral of an opposition leader assassinated with the same weapon that killed a colleague, as tensions soared after anti-government protests.
Habayit Hayehudi to oppose prisoners release
YNet News, 27 Jul 2013 – ….
More than 1,000 inmates escape Libyan prison
YNet News, 27 Jul 2013 – ….
Egypt death toll climbs to 65 in Cairo
YNet News, 27 Jul 2013 – ….
Israel wins 6 medals in Mathematical Olympiad
YNet News, 27 Jul 2013 – ….
Netanyahu: Releasing prisoners is incredibly tough decision
YNet News, 27 Jul 2013 – ….
Who really wants peace?
YNet News, 27 Jul 2013 – Op-ed: Israel, Palestinian Authority want very different things from renewed peace negotiations ….
Palestinian Information Center
Activists set up Canaan-5 tent village near settlement bloc
PIC – Palestinian activists set up on Saturday morning Canaan-5 tent village near the Gush Etzion settlement bloc in Bethlehem to the south of the West Bank.
Khudari: Preventing EU officials’ access to Gaza tightens its siege
PIC – MP Jamal Khudari said that the Israeli decision to halt EU representatives from entering the Gaza Strip reveals Israel’s true image that aims to tighten Gaza siege.
IOA blocked travel of 23 Palestinians in one week
PIC – The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) blocked the travel of 23 Palestinian West Bankers via the Karame crossing over the past week.
Dozens of martyrs and thousands of injuries among Morsi’s supporters
PIC – The number of martyrs among Morsi’s supporters has increased to more than 130, most of them were directly shot in the head, chest and heart, field hospital in Rabaa Al-Adaweya and media reports said.
Settlers expand outpost built on Palestinian lands in Bethlehem
PIC – Jewish settlers on Friday expanded a settlement outpost built on Palestinian lands in the town of Khedr near Bethlehem to the south of the occupied West Bank.
Health condition of hunger striker Batran worsening
PIC – The health condition of hunger striker Emad Al-Batran has rapidly deteriorated in Israeli custody.
Hamas condemns decision to detain Morsi on charges of collaborating with it
PIC – Hamas movement strongly condemned the decision of Egyptian judiciary to detain the elected President Mohamed Morsi for 15 days on charges of collaborating with Hamas.
Barghouthi: Railway plan, the ultimate Israeli attempt to annex WB
PIC – Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI), said that Israel’s railway plan is its ultimate attempt to annex the West Bank.
IOF soldiers raid Al-Khalil, arrest youth
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested a Palestinian young man in Arub refugee camp in Al-Khalil at dawn Saturday.
Teenager Found Hanged to Death near Bethlehem
WAFA – 27 Jul 2013
EU Concerned by Israeli Restriction on its Activities in West Bank
WAFA – 27 Jul 2013
Military Orders Demolition of Homes, Water Well
WAFA – 27 Jul 2013
Activists Set Up Tent Village near Bethlehem-Area Settlements
WAFA – 27 Jul 2013
Army Arrests Farmers for Demanding Right to their Land
WAFA – 27 Jul 2013
Prisoner on Hunger Strike for Three months, says Group
WAFA – 27 Jul 2013
Israel Radio: Government to Release 104 Prisoners
WAFA – 27 Jul 2013
Abbas Receives Telephone Call from Kerry
WAFA – 27 Jul 2013
Newspapers Review: Egypt Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 27 Jul 2013
White House-Congress divide on Iran nuclear sanctions widens
LA Times 27 Jul 2013 – Obama administration eases some sanctions in the wake of Hassan Rouhani’s election. Some lawmakers want even more, fearing time is short to block a nuclear bomb. WASHINGTON — The election of a more moderate president in Iran has sharpened the conflict between the White House…
Thousands Gather to Bury a Slain Tunisian Politician
New York Times 27 Jul 2013 – Demonstrators gathered for the funeral of Mohamed Brahmi in a show of force against the government, which many blame for the assassination.
Syrian Government Blamed for Ballistic Missile Attack
New York Times 27 Jul 2013 – At least 18 people were killed in a ballistic-missile attack by government forces on Aleppo, Syria, monitors there said Saturday.
Scores of Demonstrators Killed in Egypt
New York Times 27 Jul 2013 – Armed civilians and police officers opened fire on protesters against Egypt’s new government Saturday, witnesses said, leaving at least 49 dead and casting doubt on prospects for a deal between the military and its Islamist opponents.
Once a ‘King of Romance,’ Now an Angry Militant
New York Times 27 Jul 2013 – Fadel Shaker, a Lebanese superstar singer who was called “the king of romance,” renounced his musical career to take up arms.
Chomsky says ‘Snowden should be honored’ for ‘telling Americans what the government was doing’
Mondoweiss – Watch live streaming video from genevapressclub at livestream.com Noam Chomsky spoke yesterday at the Geneva Press Club in Switzerland. Ilene Cohen pointed me to Chomsky’s comments on Edward Snowden, at 1:22:00. My own opinion is that Snowden should be honored. He was doing what every citizen…
Mr. Secretary, you are no Jimmy Carter
Mondoweiss – Carter and Kerry, in a meeting of the Secretary of State with The Elders , global leaders, earlier this week I wonder what it is that other people see about Secretary of State John Kerry’s Israeli-Palestinian breakthrough that I’m missing. The fundamentals haven’t changed. The Palestinian Authority’s…
Egypt bars Gaza fishermen from sailing into Egyptian waters
Mondoweiss – Blockaded Gaza Egypt bans Gaza fishermen from its waters Al-Monitor 25 July by Abeer Ayyoub — Palestinian fishermen have been banned by Egyptian authorities from sailing into Egyptian waters. It is the latest punitive measure slapped on Gaza following President Mohammed Morsi’s overthrow on July 3….
Obama’s tarmac diplomacy between Israel and Turkey looks like more political theater, without pressure
Mondoweiss – Remember when Obama brokered a breakthrough between stalemated leaders of Israel and Turkey at Ben-Gurion airporton his trip to Israel and Palestine back in March? Well now there is a standstill over the Turkey/Israel reconciliation because neither side is backing down. Israel finally apologized in March…
Is the Egyptian revolution regime change?
Mondoweiss – This post is part of Marc H. Ellis’s “Exile and the Prophetic” feature for Mondoweiss. To read the entire series visit the archive page . The Guardian reports that 38 Morsi supporters are dead with many more wounded after demonstrations turned violent in the early hours this…
Dozens of Protesters Injured in Egypt in Clash Between Army and Brotherhood
The Foward Breaking News 27 Jul 2013 – Egyptian security forces shot dead dozens of supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi on Saturday, witnesses said, days after the army chief called for a popular mandate to wipe out “violence and terrorism”. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israel Set To Release 104 Palestinian Prisoners Before Peace Talks
The Foward Breaking News 27 Jul 2013 – Israeli ministers on Sunday are expected to approve the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails since before the Oslo Accords were signed, and not 82 prisoners as was previously stated. Click here for the rest of the article…
Young Philadelphians Volunteer in Israeli Partner City Netivot
The Foward Breaking News 27 Jul 2013 – Partnerships between American and Israeli cities are common. But few are as strong as Philadelphia and Netivot, which recently hosted 15 student volunteers. Click here for the rest of the article…
Palestinians Suffer in Cell Phone Dark Ages — and Point Finger of Blame at Israel
The Forward New 27 Jul 2013 – Tech-savvy Palestinians have as many smart phones as anyone. But they’re stuck in a bygone technological era — and many angrily blame the Israeli occupation. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt protesters ‘to be dispersed’
BBC 27 Jul 2013 – Egypt’s interior minister warns that supporters of the ousted president Mohamed Morsi will ‘soon’ be dispersed, as scores died in clashes with security forces.
Kuwaitis vote amid boycott call
BBC 27 Jul 2013 – Kuwaitis vote for a new parliament for the second time in less than a year, amid a boycott of the poll by some opposition groups.
Lebanon: Courts Kill Smoking Ban
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jul 2013 – Examining the police force’s records a year after the law passed, shows they filed no less than 500 reports against establishments and individuals who broke the law. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Examining the police force’s records a ye
ar after the law passed, shows they filed no less…
PKK leader demands retrial
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jul 2013 – Kurd leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned in Turkey since the late 1990s, has demanded his retrial under legal reforms that took effect in April, one of his lawyers said Saturday. “These reforms pave the way for a new trial for all those convicted who…
Kuwait parliamentary elections proceed despite opposition boycott
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jul 2013 – Kuwaiti men display their identity cards as they wait to cast their votes at a polling station in Kuwait City on 27 July 2013. (Photo: AFP – Yasser al-Zayyat) Kuwaitis voted on Saturday in the Gulf emirate’s second parliamentary election in eight months with a less…
Protesters ransack Muslim Brotherhood offices in Libya
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jul 2013 – Libyan protesters stand amidst scattered documents after ransacking the offices of Muslim Brotherhood-backed Party of Justice and Construction, in the Libyan capital Tripoli on 27 July 2013. (Photo: AFP – Mahmud Turkia) Thousands of Libyans protested on Saturday against parties including the Muslim Brotherhood blamed for…
Egypt army shoots live bullets at Mursi supporters, kills more than 70
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jul 2013 – An injured Egyptian supporter of the deposed Egyptian president Mohammed Mursi is given medical aid by doctors in a field hospital after clashes with riot policemen in Cairo early on 27 July 2013. (Photo: AFP – Ahmed Mahmud) Updated at 3:55pm: Egyptian security forces shot dead…
Tens of thousands attend funeral of slain Tunisian politician
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jul 2013 – Tunisian soldiers salute as they load the coffin of assassinated opposition leader Mohammed Brahmi during his funeral procession on 27 July 2013 in Tunis. (Photo: AFP – Fethi Belaid) Updated at 4:00pm: Tens of thousands of Tunisians turned out for the funeral of assassinated secular politician…
Lebanon: European Schizophrenia After Hezbollah Blacklisting
Al-Akhbar Politics 26 Jul 2013 – The EU Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst paid two of the party’s officials a visit to reassure them that the decision will not affect relations with the group’s “civilian wing.” (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) The EU Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst paid two of the party’s officials…
Egypt protesters ‘to be dispersed’
BBC 27 Jul 2013 – Egypt’s interior minister warns that supporters of the ousted president Mohamed Morsi will ‘soon’ be dispersed, as scores died in clashes with security forces.
Kuwaitis vote amid boycott call
BBC 27 Jul 2013 – Kuwaitis vote for a new parliament for the second time in less than a year, amid a boycott of the poll by some opposition groups.
Mass jailbreak from Libyan prison
BBC 27 Jul 2013 – More than 1,000 inmates escape from a jail in the restive Libyan city of Benghazi – a day after the killing of a local activist triggered unrest.
Tunisia state funeral for murdered MP
BBC 27 Jul 2013 – Tunisia holds a state funeral for opposition leader Mohamed Brahmi who was killed on Thursday – the second such incident this year.
BBC correspondent Jon Leyne dies
BBC 27 Jul 2013 – Jon Leyne, one of the BBC’s most experienced and travelled correspondents, dies of a brain tumour at the age of 55.
Articles
Resuming the negotiations which never really stopped
Dr. Abdul Sattar Qassem, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 7/27/2013
‘Israel and America use negotiations to buy more time for Israel to build more facts on the ground.’
The news that Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are to be resumed after a publicly announced three year break hasn’t been confirmed by the release of any formal agreement between US Secretary of State John Kerry and the Palestinian Authority. This, of course, may never materialise, but we can consider the fact that negotiations have never actually stopped.
The Palestinian Authority did say that talks were being stopped until Israel put a freeze on its illegal settlement programme but there have been secret discussions in Jerusalem and Amman. However, the PA was not being entirely honest when it described the Amman talks as just “exploratory”.
What’s more important is that the Palestinian Authority announced the stopping of negotiations on one hand while continuing its security and administration coordination with the Israelis on the other. The Israelis care little for talks but care dearly about security, which has been at the core of agreements signed with the Palestinians, whose security agencies act as Israeli proxies in the occupied territories. If a Palestinian throws a stone at illegal Jewish settlers, Palestinian security forces will pursue him; when a Palestinian baby is born, the details and ID number are sent to the Israeli Civil Administration in the West Bank.
If the Palestinian Authority had been serious about putting pressure on Israel, it would have stopped all security coordination, at which point we would have seen a harsh response from the Israelis. Stopping negotiations doesn’t have any such effect; in fact, the Israelis have continued to build illegal settlements, which the PA condemns but does nothing to try to stop.
Israel and America use negotiations to buy more time for Israel to build more facts on the ground. For more than 20 years the Palestinians have not been given any of their national rights; all they have received is money in exchange for their cooperation…. more.. e-mail
The irrelevance of peace talks
Talal Alyan, +972 Magazine 7/27/2013
The world may continue to circle its favorite conflict with hypotheticals and speculation, but to Palestinians the objective remains the same: to continue to build pressure against the occupation.
It’s hard to determine what is less interesting: headlines about the potential resumption of peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis or the ensuing debates about what a solution should look like.
The cynicism on both sides goes without saying. But it doesn’t seem to inhibit the eruption of discourse on the subject. The whole spectacle is tiresome for a number of reasons, the most salient being that the conversation about what a solution will look like, what will be compromised and what will be granted, is entirely premature.
Moving beyond the traditional skepticism about even getting the two parties together, Israel is not in a position where it is compelled to surrender anything. In the absence of any real pressure, it continues to be unlikely that Israel, by its own volition, will address Palestinian demands with any seriousness. It is not simply a commentary on Israeli politics to point out this glaring fact; very few nations forfeit anything without at least some dimension of compulsion.
And for whom exactly does Mahmoud Abbas speak? A return to negotiations has already been rejected by significant segments of Palestinians, who continue to regard the U.S. as anything but an honest broker. The Palestinian Left has been clear on its position, with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine member Jamil Mizher commenting, “twenty years of absurd negotiations achieved a big zero, and only helped the occupation to execute its plans of expansion.” Islamists share the sentiment. Hamas and the Islamic Jihad both remark that negotiations will be detrimental to Palestinian objectives, their purpose being to help Israel save face. Fatah, Mahmoud Abbas’s party, even issued a statement demanding that negotiations be based on the ‘67 Green Line.
The point is not to dwell on the pessimism that already surrounds every aspect of the conflict. There is no Palestinian consensus that rejects peace talks or even a two-state settlement…. more.. e-mail
Israel’s reaction to the latest UN Security Council debate
Ramona Wadi, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 7/27/2013
Israel regaled the UN Security Council with yet another regurgitated exercise in rhetoric, as the recent developments regarding the alleged peace process were debated, shedding light upon a process which fluctuates between empowerment and dependence. At a crucial time when public opinion is shifting in favour of Palestinian self-determination, the peace process essentially remains ensnared within imperial dynamics, as the US continues to assert its role in the prolonged occupation.
Riyad Mansour, permanent observer of the State of Palestine
, reiterated the formal acceptance of a two state solution, thus portraying the prevalent subservient attitude towards achieving a form of peace which fails to address the ramifications of the occupation. While calling attention to Israel’s criminal activities against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the willingness to participate in peace talks seemed mired within the confines of compromise. Failure to implement the two-state solution, according to Mansour, ‘would lead to political, legal and popular efforts to fulfil the inalienable human rights and legitimate national aspirations of the Palestinian people’. Mansour also called upon Israel to show ‘real commitment to peace through deeds’.
Adopting the usual victimised stance, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, declared recent decisions a hindrance to peace and called for caution, in order to eliminate any disruption to the peace process. Criticism was directed against the latest EU decision to withhold financial grants to entities operating beyond the Green Line, with Prosor offering a misrepresentation of Palestinians’ perception of the decision. According to Prosor, the EU regulations were perceived by Palestinians as a reward for their ‘unilateral’ actions, in reference to Palestinian resistance against Israel’s illegal occupation, thus acting as a deterrent for peace negotiations. The Israeli ambassador to the UN also unleashed condemnations regarding the UN’s monthly reports detailing the occupation’s violations of international law. Prosor stated that Israeli statistics convey a total of 2,737 ‘terror attacks’ in 2012, although Israel’s wide definition of what constitutes a terror attack was avoided, rendering the alleged total subject to considerable debate and doubt. more.. e-mail
International community endangers peace process
Sergio Yahni, Alternative Information Center 7/23/2013
Negotiations assume Israel wants to coexist with a Palestinian state, although the EU and US are too afraid to ask if this is accurate.
The road to peace won’t emerge from the temptations of political realism, an approach that failed time and time again in processes of de-colonisation. Palestinians simply won’t give up their demands, just as the Vietnamese, Algerians and South Africans didn’t. The road to peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict bypasses policies aimed at minimising risks and maximising benefits within a given power relationship. Peace will be the consequence of adopting a rights- based approach, in which the concept of right is clearly defined as non-negotiable.
Despite over twenty years of heavily subsidised negotiations, there is no peace between Palestinians and Israelis. It is difficult to believe that the current round of negotiations set to begin in Washington DC will be different. Beyond Israeli unwillingness to part with the territory it occupied in 1967, two incorrect assumptions of the international community render negotiations potentially fruitless.
The first wrong assumption is that rational international relations are defined in terms of power and stability in order to minimise risks and maximise benefits. Given the current relations of force between Israel and the Palestinians, it is “rational” that the Palestinians will be forced to make the major concessions to render a peace agreement possible.
However, the history of de-colonisation has demonstrated that nations in their struggle for self determination are ready to defy this concept of “rationality”. The Vietnam and Algeria wars prove that liberation struggles succeed when they rise above the existing relations of forces, pulling a political victory out of a military defeat.
Despite Israel’s overwhelming military might, it has failed to force the Palestinians to accept its political concerns. Most likely Israel will continue to fail on this level in the future. more.. e-mail
Peace Talks: A New Chapter in an Old Book
Dissident Voice: 27 Jul 2013 – New negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians may begin next week, with much talk of a “new chapter” in the seemingly intractable conflict. A new chapter, perhaps, but who is writing the book? Any public discussion about the “peace process” is tense, in part because there is no widely shared understanding of the history and politics of — even an appropriate terminology for — the conflict. That’s as true in the United States as in Palestine and Israel. I never gave much thought to the question until I was 30 years old, in the late 1980s. Before that, I had a typical view of the conflict for an apolitical American: It was confusing, and everyone involved seemed a bit crazy. With no understanding of the history of the region and no framework for analyzing U.S. policy in the Middle East, it was all a muddle, and so I ignored it. That’s…more
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The New Dark Age 