5 September 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Soldiers Invade Silwan
IMEMC – Dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded on Thursday evening [September 5, 2013] Wadi Hilweh in Silwan town, in occupied East Jerusalem, apparently in an attempt to kidnap some local youths. …
Israeli Police Kidnaps A Palestinian Child In Jerusalem
IMEMC – A number of Israeli Police officers invaded the Al-Suwwana neighborhood, in occupied East Jerusalem, and kidnapped a Palestinian child. …
Israeli Court Sentences Teenager To 14 Years
IMEMC – Seriously injured before the army kidnapped him The Ofer Israeli military court sentenced on Wednesday [September 4 2013] Mohammad Omar Rashed, 17, from Yatta town, near the southern West bank city of Hebron, to 14 years, including five on parole, and ordered him to pay a 6000 NIS fine. …
Palestinian man forced to demolish home in Jerusalem
9/5/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities forced a Palestinian to destroy his home in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, where he lived with his wife and five children. Shaker Nayef Jaabes bought the home in al-Mukaber from the previous owner in 2008. Several months later, Israeli authorities ordered him to pay a 50,000-shekel ($13,670) fine claiming the house was built without an Israeli license….
Settlers, Palestinians clash in Silwan
9/5/2013 – JEURSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli police protected Israeli settlers celebrating Jewish new year in a Palestinian neighborhood of East Jerusalem, a local organization said. Settlers arrived in Wadi Helwa on Thursday afternoon and performed rituals at the spring. They also danced on copies of the Quran, infuriating local Palestinians and sparking clashes, said Jawad Siyam, head of the Wadi Helwa Information Center. Police arrived and….
10 Fatah-affiliated students dismissed from Birzeit University
9/5/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) – The administration of Birzeit University has decided to dismiss 10 students affiliated to Fatah including a coordinator of the activities of Fatah-affiliated students in campus, a party spokesman said. Ahmad Assaf highlighted in a statement Thursday that the decision was surprising and that the Fatah movement rejected it strongly.”This is a dangerous move ignoring students’ demands and turning a….
Medics: Member of Hamas armed wing killed in mission
9/5/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A member of the military wing of Hamas was killed on Thursday morning in a “Jihadist mission” east of Gaza City, medics said. A Gaza emergency services official identified the al-Qassam Brigades member as Mohammad Lutfi Abed, 24, and said he was killed in a Jihadist mission. No other details of the incident were released. [END]
Egypt’s Tamarrod hosts delegation from Gaza
9/5/2013 – CAIRO (Ma’an) – The head of Egypt’s Tamarrod movement Mahmoud Badr hosted Wednesday evening a delegation representing the same movement in the Gaza Strip, Ma’an has learned. The meeting took place at the Tamarrod offices in Cairo, and was joined by public information officer of Egypt’s Tamarrod movement Muhammad Abdul-Aziz.”The meeting sought to transfer experiences and mechanisms….
Young Palestinians block off main road in Nablus
9/5/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) – Young Palestinian men on Wednesday evening shut off the main road between Nablus and el-Fara refugee camp in the northern West Bank urging the Palestinian Authority to release a number of young men. The men were detained during protests after the PA security services shot dead a young man in Askar refugee camp. Witnesses said that dozens of young men blocked….
Fatah holds sit-in for prisoners near Hebron
9/5/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Fatah on Wednesday organized a sit-in protest in Dura near Hebron in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails At the protest, Hebron governor Kamel Hamad stressed the Palestinian leadership’s support of prisoners. He called for the release of all Palestinians from Israeli jails, particularly those with health problems. Issa Qaraqe, minister of prisoner affairs, called on all Palestinians….
World Bank transfers $72.2 million to PA
9/5/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – The World Bank’s Multi-donor Trust Fund for the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan on Wednesday transferred $72. 2 million to the Palestinian Authority. The money, according to a World Bank statement, was donated by the governments of Kuwait, Australia, and the UK. It will be used for educational, health, social and other vital services. The Palestinian Reform and Development….
Italy donates 60 million euros to PA
9/5/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Italian government announced Wednesday that it will donate 60 million euros to the Palestinian Authority over a three year period. Head of the Foreign Affairs and International Relations Department of the Democratic party, Lapo Pistelli, made the announcement during a meeting with PA minister of finance Shukri Bishara. Pistelli said the Italian government would continue to support the Palestinian people….
Abbas to meet Kerry in London
9/5/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet Monday in London with President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians, the State Department said Thursday. Kerry, who has met with Abbas numerous times over the past five months, will next see him at the end of a September 6-9 trip that will also take him to Lithuania and….
Hamas plays down Egypt tensions, Gaza power squeezed
9/5/2013 – GAZA CITY (AFP) — Gaza’s Hamas prime minister on Thursday played down tensions between the Islamist movement and Egypt that have developed between the two sides followed the ouster of Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi. At the same time, the Gaza energy authority warned that the enclave’s sole power plant is in danger of shutting down within days because of a fuel shortage….
Hamdallah: PA signed agreement with teachers
9/5/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Caretaker Prime Minister Rami Handallah said Thursday that the Palestinian Authority has signed an agreement with the teachers’ union after it threatened strike action. Hamdallah said the agreement met the teachers’ demands, a statement from his office said. The PA has also transferred around 4. 7 million shekels ($1. 285 million) to Palestinian universities, Hamdallah said. The teachers’….
Nablus worker injured after fall
9/5/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — A Palestinian worker was injured Thursday after falling from a construction site in Nablus, medics said. Medics identified the worker as 45-year-old Jamal Mansour. He fell while he was working in a construction site at Bikar Street in al-Jabal al-Shamali area. He was transferred to al-Arabi hospital in Nablus. [END]
Obama to make G20 push for Syria strike
9/5/2013 – SAINT-PETERSBURG (AFP) — World leaders meet Thursday at a G20 summit in Russia where US President Barack Obama will strive to bridge deep divisions over his push for military action against the Syrian regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons. Obama cleared the first hurdle Wednesday in his race to win domestic congressional backing for punitive strikes but is also seeking broader international support. Speaking….
Egypt interior minister survives assassination attempt
9/5/2013 – CAIRO (Ma’an) – Egypt’s interior minister Muhammad Ibrahim survived an assassination attempt Thursday when an explosive device was hurled at his convoy as he left his home in Nasr City headed to his office in the ministry. High-level security sources told Ma’an that gunmen hurled the explosive device from top of a residential tower. The device fell and exploded far….
Militants kill police officer in Sinai’s el-Arish
9/5/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Militants killed a police officer in a drive-by shooting n Egypt’s Sinai on Thursday, a security source said. Four men in a black car without license plates fatally shot 35-year-old Imad Rabee Mahmoud Abdullah in the head and chest in el-Arish, a coastal city near the border of the Gaza Strip, a security official told Ma’….
G20 leaders to discuss Syria over dinner
9/5/2013 – SAINT-PETERSBURG (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday the G20 would discuss the Syria crisis over dinner, as it seeks to overcome bitter divisions over a US-led push for military action against President Bashar Assad’s regime. With pressure mounting on the G20 group of nations to make concrete progress towards ending the conflict at their summit in Saint Petersburg, the United Nations announced….
Russian warships cross Bosphorus, en route to Syria
9/5/2013 – ISTANBUL (AFP) — Three Russian warships crossed Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait Thursday en route to the eastern Mediterranean, near the Syrian coast, amid concern in the region over potential US-led strikes in response to the Damascus regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons. The SSV-201 intelligence ship Priazovye, accompanied by the two landing ships Minsk and Novocherkassk passed through the Bosphorus known as….
Hezbollah rejects US ‘terrorist’ threats to hit Syria
9/5/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Lebanon’s Shiite movement Hezbollah, a key ally of the Syrian regime, on Thursday condemned plans for US-led military action against Damascus as “organized terrorism.” “US aggression against Syria, or the threat of it, is. . . organized terrorism and threatens the region and its people,” the group said after a meeting of its parliamentary bloc. It warned that any military action would pose….
Reports: Turkey beefs up military presence on Syria border
9/5/2013 – ANKARA (AFP) — Turkey has beefed up a military presence along its southern border with Syria in anticipation of strikes on the regime in Damascus, local media reported Thursday. A 20-vehicle convoy with a tank contingent was deployed to the border area of Yayladagi in Hatay province on Wednesday, and was followed by 15 more vehicles Thursday, Turkish news agency Dogan reported. Syria’s….
US envoy: Russia holding UN Council ‘hostage’ on Syria
9/5/2013 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) – US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power on Thursday accused Russia of holding the UN Security Council “hostage” over the Syria chemical weapons crisis. Power told reporters the Syrian government should not be allowed to act with impunity because it has Russian “patronage” blocking action by the Security Council over the suspected use of chemical weapons in the conflict. [END]
Memory Through Art as a Form of Resistance: John Halaka
Palestine News Network
Kerry: Arab Nations Offered to Bear Cost of Syria Strikes
Palestine News Network
A Fugitive in My Own Country
Palestine News Network
Report: 30 Palestinian Children from Qalqiliya are Still in Israeli Jails
Palestine News Network
Bethlehem Prisoner Ends 4-Month Hunger Strike
Palestine News Network
Israeli Minister: Al-Aqsa Mosque Must Be Open to Jews at All Times
Palestine News Network
PA Official: “Temporary Solutions” Will Not Be Accepted
Palestine News Network
Israel Begins Construction of 620 New Illegal Units
Palestine News Network
Industrial Production Index Increased by 8.26% during July, according to Statistics
Palestine News Network
PNN Launches Six New Community Radio Networks in Palestine
Palestine News Network
About 1.6 Million Palestinians Suffer Food Insecurity, says Statistcs Bureau
Palestine News Network
AIC: No to South Hebron Hill’s Firing Zone 918
Palestine News Network
New WikiLeaks Docs Expose Secretive, Unruly Surveillance Industry
Palestine News Network
Jordan Invites US Targets for Syrian Retaliation
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Organizes the International Criminal Law Moot Court Competition for the Second Year
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
occupied Palestinian territory: SDC launches a new CHF 20 million program to strengthen local governance for Palestinian democratic state-building in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Relief Web 5 Sep 2013 – Source: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Switzerland The Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation (SDC) launches a new Swiss program of CHF 20 millions to strengthen local governance for Palestinian democratic state-building in the West…
occupied Palestinian territory: PCHR Organizes the International Criminal Law Moot Court Competition for the Second Year
Relief Web 5 Sep 2013 – Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) will organize the International Criminal Law Moot Court Competition in the Gaza Strip on 07 and 08 September 2013. The International Criminal Law…
occupied Palestinian territory: Belgium Contributes US$ 8 million to Support Palestine Refugees
Relief Web 5 Sep 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: Belgium, occupied Palestinian territory 5 September 2013 East Jerusalem The Kingdom of Belgium has announced a new contribution of EUR 6 million (US$ 8 million) to…
Lebanon: EU-Lebanon: new support to improve security and social cohesion
Relief Web 4 Sep 2013 – Source: European Commission Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy `tefan F¸le met with the Ambassador of Lebanon to the EU Rami Mortada to discuss recent developments in the country and EU¥s support…
G20 overshadowed by prospect of Syrian strikes
The National 5 Sep 2013 – While Russian president Vladimir Putin resisted calls to include Syria on the agenda, the issue was to be discussed over a working dinner. Omar Karmi reports
Dubai police intercept half a ton of smuggled ivory
The National 5 Sep 2013 – The haul was described by police as one of the largest found in the emirate.
Help for the houbara, a hallmark of Emirati culture
The National 5 Sep 2013 – Conservationists talk about the importance of keeping a sustainable number of houbara in the wild.
Egyptian interior minister’s convoy bombed
The National 5 Sep 2013 – Powerful bomb blast that injured at least 20 people has raised fears of a bloody insurgency. Alice Fordham reports from Cairo
EU panel backs UAE visa-free travel bid
The National 5 Sep 2013 – The committee will vote on the report this month, after which it will go before the full European Parliament and Council of Ministers for approval by the middle of next year.
Adihex 2013: Busy day as falcons fly off the shelves
The National 5 Sep 2013 – Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed is one of thousands of visitors who head to the falcon stands at Abu Dhabi’s hunting exhibition.
Mechanic in fatal Dubai lift fall wore safety gear
The National 5 Sep 2013 – The Indian man slipped while he was installing lifts at a building under construction in Al Karama area on April 17 last year.
Oman’s government sues editor over story about homosexuals
The National 5 Sep 2013 – The government of Oman is suing the editor of a weekly tabloid, state news agency ONA said yesterday, after suspending it from publication for running a story about homosexuals.
Friday sermon: Knowledge is a gift from Allah
The National 5 Sep 2013 – ‘One of the greatest blessings of Allah is that human beings were bestowed upon by knowledge,’ the sermon says.
Defecting Assad ally reaches Istanbul
The National 5 Sep 2013 – Bashar Al Assad’s former defence minister has reached Istanbul after a defection that betrays cracks in the president’s support among his own Alawite sect.
Kenya may leave international court
The National 5 Sep 2013 – Kenya’s parliament has begun action to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, just before the country’s president and deputy president face trial at The Hague for allegedly inciting post-election violence.
Iran foreign minister tasked with nuclear talks: presidency
The National 5 Sep 2013 – The announcement comes three weeks before Iran and the UN atomic watchdog are to resume talks in Vienna over Tehran’s controversial nuclear programme.
WWE hero The Miz teaches Abu Dhabi children how to fight off bullies
The National 5 Sep 2013 – The wrestling star tells children in the American Community School about his own painful experiences and urges them to tackle problem.
Abu Dhabi firm to provide first women-only cruise in the Gulf
The National 5 Sep 2013 – Constant demand for a women-only cruise convinced Belevari Marine to look into providing a cruise with an all-female crew.
Man jailed for spying on UAE sheikhs for Iran
The National 5 Sep 2013 – A Pakistani man was found guilty of passing on details and images of members of the Ruling Family to Iranian intelligence.
Obama urged to suspend Egyptian aid
The National 5 Sep 2013 – Senior aides to US president recommend that assistance to Egypt be suspended in response to the military’s removal of the country’s first democratically elected leader.
‘Zorro of the niqab’ renounces French nationality for presidential bid
The National 5 Sep 2013 – Businessman nicknamed ‘Zorro of the niqab’ for his support of French Muslim women fined for covering their faces in public is standing for the Algerian presidency. Colin Randall reports
Praise for Dubai officials who provided real-time tweets on ‘explosive belt woman’
The National 5 Sep 2013 – The deputy chief of Dubai Police praised officials for their efforts in providing real-time updates during the 13-hour standoff with the woman with an ‘explosive belt’ on Sunday.
Feeding Five Hundred: Emirati’s catwalk to film fame
The National 5 Sep 2013 – Al Harthi’s debut movie was chosen from 2,372 entries and is the only Arab film to screen at this year’s Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival in the UK.
Pakistan arrests ‘plotter’ in killings of 10 foreign trekkers
The National 5 Sep 2013 – The June 22 attack was the deadliest assault on foreigners in the country for a decade and was claimed by a purported new faction of Pakistan’s umbrella Taliban movement.
Don’t attack Syria, world leaders tell Obama at G20 summit
Ha’aretz –
5 Sep 2013
Israel-Turkey reconciliation talks near breakthrough, Turkish official says
Ha’aretz – 5 Sep 2013
Will Hassan Rohani restore Tehran’s relations with the West?
Ha’aretz – 5 Sep 2013
In Rosh Hashanah video Netanyahu stresses importance of ‘Candy Crush’ skills
Ha’aretz – 5 Sep 2013
Iran’s Khamenei warns of U.S. loss over intervention in Syria
Ha’aretz – 5 Sep 2013
Palestinian official: Israeli proposal for provisional borders unacceptable
Ha’aretz – 5 Sep 2013
Chief Rabbi Lau urges better treatment for chickens in kapparot ritual
Ha’aretz – 5 Sep 2013
Russia: U.S. strike on Syria’s nuclear installations could be ‘catastrophic’
Ha’aretz – 5 Sep 2013
Anthony Weiner’s meltdown over his wife Huma
Ha’aretz – 5 Sep 2013
Egypt’s interior minister survives bomb attack
Ha’aretz – 4 Sep 2013
Iranian FM: Tehran never denied the Holocaust, the man who did is gone
Jerusalem Post 5 Sep 2013 – In Twitter exchange, Iran’s new FM Javad Zarif suggests Ahmadinejad, not Iran, was behind Holocaust denials.
Video shows two men firing RPGs at ship transiting Suez Canal
Jerusalem Post 5 Sep 2013 – Features a logo of a black Islamist flag of “al-Firqan Brigade.”
Iran’s foreign ministry to lead nuclear talks with world powers
Jerusalem Post 5 Sep 2013 – Since 2007, sporadic negotiations have been conducted by Saeed Jalili.
US: Russia holding UN Security Council hostage to protect Syria’s Assad
Jerusalem Post 5 Sep 2013 – UK says it has new evidence that Syria used chemical weapons.
EU sides with Russia’s Putin, urges against US ‘military solution’ in Syria
Jerusalem Post 5 Sep 2013 – European Council President Herman Van Rompuy says only a diplomatic solution could end the “terrible bloodshed” in Syria.
Pope urges world leaders for peaceful solution to Syria crisis
Jerusalem Post 5 Sep 2013 – Pope Francis: Military solution in Syria would be futile.
Syrian defector General Ali Habib arrives in Istanbul
Jerusalem Post 5 Sep 2013 – Fugitive Alawite ex-defense minister reaches Istanbul; opposition figure says Habib could play important role after Assad.
Iran vows to support Syria ‘to the end,’ but rules out sending arms, troops to Damascus
Jerusalem Post 5 Sep 2013 – Iranian MPs: “We will be ready to sacrifice our lives beside our Syrian brothers against the (front) line of infidels and oppressors.”
Egypt minister survives assassination attempt
Jerusalem Post 5 Sep 2013 – Remote-controlled bomb blows up as convoy drives through Cairo’s Nasr City district; at least 2 killed, 10 injured in explosion.
Report: Hezbollah preparing to defend Damascus, strike Israel if Syria situation worsens
Jerusalem Post 5 Sep 2013 – Hezbollah will only attack Israel if Iran approves strike; source says 10,000 fighters have been recruited by the Shi’ite group.
Palestinian comedians traverse unknown boundaries
Jerusalem Post 5 Sep 2013 – Investors sought as art form comes of age.
Israeli religious schools balk at sex education
Jerusalem Post 5 Sep 2013 – Education Ministry allows censors to neuter science textbooks.
Former Syria defense minister reportedly defects in break with Assad
Jerusalem Post 4 Sep 2013 – Syrian opposition official: General Ali Habib has escaped to Turkey, but hasn’t joined rebels; Syrian state television denies claims.
Pentagon official: Halt of aid to Egypt would cost US billions
Jerusalem Post 4 Sep 2013 – Despite halting delivery of 4 F-16 fighter jets, Obama administration has yet to make a decision on aid after Morsi ouster.
Iran Looms over Syria Debate for Pro-Israel Groups
IPS With Congress still deliberating over Barack Obama s request for authorisation to take military action against Syria, the powerful Israel lobby here has taken the lead in pressing the president s case. But in addition to echoing the administration s view that Damascus alleged violations of international norms against the use of chemical…
Ex-World Leaders Urge U.S. to Forego Military Attack on Syria
IPS The United States, which is preparing to launch a military strike on Syria, is being cautioned by several former world leaders and Nobel Peace laureates to seek a political solution to the ongoing crisis and forego armed intervention in the beleaguered Middle Eastern nation. Former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan…
Alleged Rafsanjani Audio Blames Assad for Chemical Attack
Uruknet 5 Sep 2013 – September 2, 2013 – An audio file reportedly of Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani s voice has surfaced, in which he says that the people of Syria have been “attacked by chemical weapons by their own government.”Rafsanjani s office at the Expediency…
Military Resistance 11I2 the Second Time Around
Uruknet 5 Sep 2013 – September 2, 2013 – Air Traveler Detained, Abused And Tormented By TSA, FBI, NYPD And JetBlue With Blindingly Stupid Questions: Oops; Traveler Was Hindu, Not Muslim : A couple of weeks ago, I was scheduled to take a trip from New…
Three Crises for Hamas
Uruknet 5 Sep 2013 – September 2, 2013 – The call by Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas prime minister in Gaza, to different factions and personalities in the territories it controls to join Hamas in sharing the administration and the management of the Gaza Strip came as…
MdM Launches Project to Address Impact of Settlers Violence on Mental Health of Nablus Residents
Uruknet 5 Sep 2013 – September 2, 2013 -In response to rising Israeli settlers attacks on Palestinian villages and military activities in Nablus governorate, Me decins du Monde (MdM) started a new project in May 2013, providing psycho-social support to Palestinian communities most affected by…
U.S. senator says DVD of Syrian chemical attack ‘horrendous’
Daily Star 5 Sep 2013 The head of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday said a DVD prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency showing YouTube videos of victims of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria was “horrendous.”
U.S. gives up on U.N. Security Council in Syria crisis, blames Russia
Daily Star 5 Sep 2013 The United States declared on Thursday that it has given up trying to work with the U.N. Security Council on Syria, accusing Russia of holding the council hostage and allowing Moscow’s allies in Syria to deploy…
Power: Russia holding Security Council ‘hostage’
Daily Star 5 Sep 2013 U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power shrugged off President Vladimir Putin’s claim that Russia might support a U.N. resolution authorizing military force against Syria.
Iran will support Syria ‘to the end’: military chief
Daily Star 5 Sep 2013 Iran will support Syria “until the end” in the face of possible US-led military strikes, the chief of Iran’s elite Quds Force unit was quoted Thursday by the media as saying.
Bomb wounds 11 outside Pakistan girls’ school
Daily Star 5 Sep 2013 A bomb wounded 11 people, mostly children, when it exploded outside a Pakistani girls’ school on Thursday, a doctor said.
Russia to highlight Syria strike risks at UN nuclear meet
Daily Star 5 Sep 2013 Russia said Thursday it would warn a meeting of the UN’s atomic watchdog next week that any US military strikes in Syria could hit a nuclear research reactor there.
S. Korea raises possible Syria-N. Korea weapons link
Daily Star 5 Sep 2013 South Korea’s defence ministry Thursday called for fresh attention to North Korean chemical weapons, suggesting such arms might have been traded between Pyongyang and Syria.
UN Syria envoy heading to Russia to help G20 peace push
Daily Star 5 Sep 2013 The UN-Arab League envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi is heading to Russia to help UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s efforts at the G20 to organise a peace conference to end the conflict, the UN said Thursday.
Syria opposition could meet within weeks -Spanish foreign min
Daily Star 5 Sep 2013 Syrian opposition groups may meet again within four to six weeks, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said on Thursday.
Kerry to discuss Syria on Europe trip, meet Abbas
Daily Star 5 Sep 2013 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will discuss Syria, Egypt and Israeli-Palestinian peace talks with European officials on a weekend trip to Vilnius, Paris and London, where he will see Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the State…
UK: We have new evidence poison gas used in Syria
Daily Star 5 Sep 2013 U.K. scientists have found new evidence that poison gas was used last month outside the Syrian capital of Damascus, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday.
U.S. sees no viable path forward on Syria in U.N. Security Council
Daily Star 5 Sep 2013 The United States declared on Thursday that there is “no viable path forward” in the U.N. Security Council on Syria because Russia is holding it hostage in an effort to protect the government of Syrian President…
15 killed by suspected sect members in Nigeria
YNet News, 5 Sep 2013 – ….
Paramedics find dead body in Kiryat Motzkin apartment
YNet News, 5 Sep 2013 – ….
Amid Syria fears, Botticelli work will not arrive in Israel
YNet News, 5 Sep 2013 – ….
US envoy sees no viable path forward on Syria in UNSC
YNet News, 5 Sep 2013 – ….
UK: We have new evidence poison gas used in Syria
YNet News, 5 Sep 2013 – ….
How to make a shofar for High Holidays
YNet News, 5 Sep 2013 – In honor of Jewish New Year, JN1 visits one of only three shofar factories in world to discover how kosher ram’s horn is created ….
The utopianists return
YNet News, 5 Sep 2013 – Op-ed: Post-WW1 pacifist spirit returning to British parliament, White House; no reason to expect happier ending this time around ….
Palestinian Information Center
Haneyya: attempts to drag the resistance into side battles will fail
PIC – Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneyya said that there are attempts to drag the resistance and the Gaza Strip into side battles away from the occupation, but these attempts will fail.
IOA extends two minors’ arrest
PIC – The Israeli Magistrate’s Court has extended the arrest of two minors from the Old City and released two other young men under conditions.
European aid convoy subjected to shelling in Damascus
PIC – European al-Wafaa campaign’s members survived Wednesday the bombing of an area in Damascus they were in. Two Syrian citizens were killed in the bombing while passing through the area.
Due to the Jewish holidays, Palestinian freedom of movement restricted
PIC – Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have prevented residents, living in Barta’a, Um Rayhan, and Daher Maleh villages in Jenin isolated behind the Apartheid Wall, from leaving their villages.
Protests in Nablus, 6 arrests among Hamas’s supporters
PIC – Tensions have re-prevailed in Fara‚¨ “!a refugee camp in Nablus as clashes erupted between the residents and PA forces.
International Report: Gaza Blockade, ‚¨ SSlow Death‚¨ ù and ‚¨ SCollective Punishment‚¨ ù
PIC – The EuroMid Observer for Human Rights has issued a field report documenting the social, economic, and humanitarian crisis that engulfed Gaza over the past few years since the imposition of the siege.
The European support for the PA helps it violate human rights in West Bank
PIC – The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Britain (AOHR) called on the European Union to exert pressure on the Palestinian Authority “to stop arbitrary arrests and torture.”
Prisoner Turabi back to interrogation after 11 years of detention
PIC – Tadhamun Foundation for Human Rights reported that the Israeli intelligence restarted questioning a prisoner from Nablus after 11 years of detention.
Ofer sentences a Palestinian child to 14 years
PIC – The Israeli Ofer Military Court sentenced Palestinian boy Mohammed Omar Rashid, 17 from the town of Yatta south of al-Khalil, to 14 years imprisonment, in addition to paying a fine of 6000 shekels.
Radwan: the negotiations encourage the Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa
PIC – Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs in Gaza Dr. Ismail Radwan condemned the repeated raids into Al-Aqsa Mosque and the calls by the settlers to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Groups Urge Norway to Reinstate Investment Ban on Israeli Company
WAFA – 5 Sep 2013
Iran’s Rouhani outmaneuvering hard-liners on Syria, nuclear talks
LA Times 5 Sep 2013 – TEHRAN — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani appears to be outmaneuvering hard-liners with his move Thursday to take control of stalled nuclear negotiations and in curbing bombastic vows to defend ally Syria from threatened U.S. airstrikes.
Senate panel backs U.S. strike on Syria
LA Times 4 Sep 2013 – The Senate Foreign Relations Committee votes 10 to 7 to authorize a punitive missile attack. The House appears far more reluctant. WASHINGTON The Senate took a crucial step Wednesday toward authorizing a punitive strike on Syria but deep reluctance was evident in the House,…
The Lede: Iran s Foreign Minister Opens a Twitter Channel to the West
New York Times 5 Sep 2013 – Iran s new foreign minister engaged in a flurry of Twitter diplomacy on Thursday.
Woman Who Wrote About Life Under the Taliban Is Killed
New York Times 5 Sep 2013 – Sushmita Banerjee, an Indian who married an Afghan, was abducted and shot 18 years after being sentenced to death by militant leaders for refusing to wear a burqa in public.
Brutality of Syrian Rebels Posing Dilemma in West
New York Times 5 Sep 2013 – Many Syrian rebels have adopted some of the chillingly ruthless tactics of the government, raising the prospect that a military strike could strengthen extremists.
Egypt s Interior Minister Survives Assassination Attempt
New York Times 5 Sep 2013 – Egyptian security officials said a powerful bomb ripped through a convoy of cars carrying the minister, Mohamed Ibrahim, raising fears of a turn toward terrorist violence.
New U.S. Envoy to U.N. Strongly Condemns Russia
New York Times 5 Sep 2013 – The ambassador, Samantha Power, in her first extensive public remarks on Syria, said Russia was holding the Security Council hostage in taking action.
Across a Border, Iraqis See Replays of Past and Fears for Future
New York Times 5 Sep 2013 – As the debate over military action in Syria has unfolded in the West, Iraqis see the fate of the two countries as inextricably intertwined.
At War Blog: Lasting Lessons of a Rosh Hashana Amid a Naval Buildup
New York Times 5 Sep 2013 – As tensions flared in the Middle East, the mission was to perform a symbolic ritual in Kuwait on the first day of the Jewish year.
The Lede: Rumsfeld Derides Obama as the So-Called Commander in Chief
New York Times 5 Sep 2013 – In speeches and television interviews, the former defense secretary has made frequent remarks about President Obama s response to the use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians.
The Lede: On Assad s Social Media Accounts, an Effort to Project Calm
New York Times 5 Sep 2013 – Syria s president has sought to project an air of normalcy on social media, though the terrain has been largely dominated by the rebel brigades and activist groups that oppose him.
The Lede: Looking at Syria and Seeing Bosnia, Not Iraq
New York Times 5 Sep 2013 – Some supporters of military intervention in Syria argue that there might be more to learn from the United States-led bombing campaign that helped to end the brutal sectarian civil war in Bosnia in 1995 than from the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Op-Ed Contributors: What Sir William Would Do in Syria
New York Times 4 Sep 2013 – Intervention in Syria without a political plan for peace is folly.
Op-Ed Columnist: The Era of Disbelief
New York Times 4 Sep 2013 – This time, Americans are questioning everything as they should.
Rosh Hashanah 5773
Tikun Olam – Given the fateful events happening right now in Syria and Egypt and the possibility for similar ones happening in Iran later in the year, it seems hollow to wish everyone a peaceful, prosperous New Year. But hope springs eternal and the leaders of the world may…
NYT article raises questions about possible US allies in Syria as rebels ransack Christian village
Mondoweiss – Screenshot from the New York Times video Syrian Rebels Execute 7 Soldiers. The New York Times has a high profile article today by C.J. Chivers centered around a chilling video of Syrian rebels executing captured Syrian soldiers (you can watch it here ). The article titled …
Latest generous offer leaked: Israel wants to control Jordan River and 40% of West Bank while Palestinians get temporary borders
Mondoweiss – (Photo: Reuters) The Associated Press offers the first inside look inside the restarted Israeli-Palestinian peace process and it isn t pretty. An unnamed Palestinian official has leaked Israel s proposals so far: The Palestinian official said formal talks on borders have not yet started, and that negotiations have…
Newest political bedfellows Obama & Adelson
Mondoweiss – The looming U.S. attack on Syria is certainly bringing some interesting alliances to the fore. Bloomberg lays out an Israel lobby 101 in describing the push in the American Jewish community for war. From Adelson New Obama Ally as Jewish Groups Back Syria Strike : The pro-Israel…
Stewart and Colbert push opposition to Syrian strike
Mondoweiss – The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes , The Daily Show on Facebook Check out Jon Stewart s skewering humor in Groundhog Deja Clusterf@#k (above). Stewart returned to the Daily Show from his 12-week summer hiatus with engines in full sneering throttle over US plans…
Israeli military nets $8.8 million in Chicago fundraiser
Mondoweiss – (Left to right) Marina Waglter, Yanatan Rehoven, Daniel Gamlieli and Brigadier General Yakov Shaharabani with Lil and Alfy Nathan, Sara and Corey Goldberg, Sherry and Michael Goldberg (Photo: Romy Modlin) Here s an update on IDF fundraising largesse in the U.S. Every time I see these press…
Israel Proposes ‘Temporary’ Borders for Palestine in Peace Talks, Reports Claim
The Foward Breaking News 5 Sep 2013 – Israel has remained silent in the face of a deluge of Palestinian leaks that reportedly outline Israel s positions in the six rounds of talks held over the last month. According to a report by the Associated Press, Israel suggested the establishment of a Palestinian state with…
Usually-Stern Benjamin Netanyahu Offers ‘Candy Crush’ Rosh Hashana Greeting
The Foward Breaking News 5 Sep 2013 – In a YouTube clip released for Rosh Hashanah, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has us thinking he is going to deliver another one of his stern warnings about the threats facing Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
New 24-Hour Israeli Channel Aims for Alternate Perspective on Middle East
The Forward New 5 Sep 2013 – i24 News, a just-launched 24-hour news channel, seeks to present a different view of the Middle East. It s based in Israel, but its target audience is the entire world. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Egypt Prepares to Repay Qatari Loan in Days If Necessary
allAfrica.com 5 Sep 2013 – [Egypt Online]Egypt is prepared to repay within days $2 billion (LE1.28 billion) that Qatar deposited with Central Bank in Egypt (CBE) in May if talks to convert the funds into bonds do not succeed, CBE official said on Wednesday 4/9/2013.
Angola: Foreign Minister Defends Exploration of All Peace Mechanisms for Syria
allAfrica.com 5 Sep 2013 – [ANGOP]The Angolan Foreign Affairs Minister, Georges Rebelo Chikoti, defended on Wednesday in Lisbon the need for exploring all possibilities that lead to peace in Syria because any military intervention in that country may cause more damages, deaths and destruction.
Liberia: Liberia Condemns Alleged Chemical Attacks
allAfrica.com 5 Sep 2013 – [NEWS]… In Syria
South Africa: There Should Be No Tolerance for Antisemitism in Palestinian Solidarity
allAfrica.com 5 Sep 2013 – [GroundUp]A demonstration framed ‘as a silent protest against racism’ held at Wits University on 28 August turned out to be anything but an embodiment of the principles of the anti-racism it espoused when a small group of the protesters sang ‘dubula e juda’ (shoot the Jew).
Civil Society Organizations to Norway: Reinstate ban on investment in settlement-building company Africa Israel
Global BDS 5 Sep 2013 – Three Palestinian and one US-based civil society organization have urged Norway s Ministry of Finance to reinstate a prohibition on investment by Norway s Government Pension Fund Global in two Israeli companies Africa Israel and Danya Cebus due to their ongoing construction of homes in the…
G20 ‘split’ as US hits out at Russia
BBC 5 Sep 2013 – G20 leaders are divided over Syria at the end of the first day of their Russian summit, as the US envoy to the UN shows her frustration at Moscow.
Rouhani makes nuclear talks change
BBC 5 Sep 2013 – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says the foreign ministry will head nuclear talks with the West, in what could herald a less hardline approach.
Lebanon s Sham Private Sector Strike: Big Business Takes a Day Off
Al-Akhbar Opinion 5 Sep 2013 – To be sure, it had no popular base to lean on, broad or otherwise, or a class-based or political alliance either. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) To be sure, it had no popular base to lean on, broad or otherwise, or a class-based or political alliance either. (Photo:…
Opposition slams setup of pan-Arab human rights court in Bahrain
Al-Akhbar News 5 Sep 2013 – Bahraini riot policemen fire tear gas to disperse protesters during clashes with riot police following an anti-regime demonstration on 4 September 2013 in the village of North Sehla, west of Manama. (Photo: AFP – Mohammed al-Shaikh) Bahrain’s main opposition group has criticized an Arab League decision…
Car bomb in Damascus kills four
Al-Akhbar News 5 Sep 2013 – Four people were killed and six others injured in a car bomb attack in western Damascus on Thursday, state news agency SANA reported. The blast hit near a research and testing center affiliated with the ministry of industry in the Sumaria neighborhood of the Syrian capital. “…
Geagea Fights for Prestige in the Era of Prince Bandar
Al-Akhbar News 5 Sep 2013 – Sources close to decision-making circles in Saudi say that Geagea has fallen down the list of priorities for the Saudis in Lebanon. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) Sources close to decision-making circles in Saudi say that Geagea has fallen down the list of priorities for the Saudis in…
Lebanon: New Order Grips the Progressive Youth Organization
Al-Akhbar News 5 Sep 2013 – However, several PSP members maintain that Jumblatt plays a major role in keeping it as it is. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) However, several PSP members maintain that Jumblatt plays a major role in keeping it as it is. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) The Progressive Socialist Party is confusing….
Saudi-Egyptian Relations: Fault Lines of a Future Conflict
Al-Akhbar News 5 Sep 2013 – In this handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency, Bahrain Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa (L) meets with Egypt’s interim president Adly Mansour (R) on 2 September 2013 in Cairo. (Photo: AFP -EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY) In this handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency,…
US Senate committee approves resolution for Syria strike
Al-Akhbar News 5 Sep 2013 – A protester holds up her hand, which is covered in red paint, as US Secretary of State John Kerry testifies during a hearing on “Syria: Weighing the Obama Administration’s Response” before the House Foreign Affairs Committee 4 September 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Photo:…
Gaza: Egypt Army Establishes Border Security Zone
Al-Akhbar Politics 4 Sep 2013 – A Palestinian worker rests at the entrance of a smuggling tunnel dug beneath the Gaza-Egypt border in the southern Gaza Strip on 27 August 2013. (Photo: AFP – Said Khatib) A Palestinian worker rests at the entrance of a smuggling tunnel dug beneath the Gaza-Egypt border…
G20 ‘split’ as US hits out at Russia
BBC 5 Sep 2013 – G20 leaders are divided over Syria at the end of the first day of their Russian summit, as the US envoy to the UN shows her frustration at Moscow.
Egyptian minister survives blast
BBC 5 Sep 2013 – Egyptian Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim survives a bomb attack in Cairo, which he condemns as a “cowardly assassination bid”.
Rouhani makes nuclear talks change
BBC 5 Sep 2013 – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says the foreign ministry will head nuclear talks with the West, in what could herald a less hardline approach.
Confusion over ‘Rouhani tweets’
BBC 5 Sep 2013 – A row over tweets claiming to be from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has highlighted confusion over the Twitter accounts used.
Articles
The historical truth about Bedouin expulsion from the Negev
Dan Gazit, +972 Magazine 9/5/2013
As nearly 40,000 Bedouins face displacement from their homes as a result of the Begin-Prawer plan, when propagandists on behalf of the state are circulating lies about the Bedouin invasion of national land, it is important to hear the historical facts from an expert who has been living in the region for many years.
Dan Gazit, 76 years old, is an archaeologist from Kibbutz Gvulot, who has done a lot to discover and preserve the ancient history of the Bsor region. He regularly writes about his archaeological findings and the general history of the Negev in his column in Kacha Ze[ That s the way it is ], a magazine serving the residents of the Negev s Eshkol Regional Council. In the 104th edition of the magazine (August 2012), Gazit turned his gaze toward the recent history of his surroundings the events of the War of Independence and the fate of the Negev Bedouin in the years 1948-1952. His fascinating article follows.
Now, when nearly 40,000 Bedouins are facing the threat of being uprooted from their homes as a result of the Begin-Prawer plan, when propagandists on behalf of the state are circulating lies about the Bedouin invasion of national land, it is important to hear the historical facts from an expert who has been living in the region for many years. These facts are probably well-known to many Israelis who lived and were active in the Negev in the 50s but would rather forget them (for an illuminating historical research of Israeli policy towards the Bedouins during Israel s first years, click here). In the midst of the expulsion operation carried out against the al-Arakib tribe in the Rahat area, at the end of 1951, the Negev s military governor, Michael Hanegbi, explained that the reasons for the expulsion were not just security-related, but also economic:
“The Bedouins control an area of around 100,000 Dunams of fertile land in that area, which stands in the way of planning more dense settlement in the area and further development.”
This could have been written nowadays by planners at the Israel Land Administration or the Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing.more..e-mail
The price of Oslo, a new documentary from Al Jazeera s Palestine under the microscope team
Dr Azzam Tamimi, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 9/5/2013
I’ve just watched on Al-Jazeera Arabic with interest, amusement and amazement the first part of a new documentary called “The Price of Oslo” produced by Al-Jazeera Programmes Department as part of its series entitled: “Palestine Under the Microscope”. The second part is supposed to be aired next Thursday. I understand that Al-Jazeera English will be airing an English version of the documentary soon.
In its amazing first part, The Price of Oslo reveals untold facts and uncovers documents never before available to the general public about how the Oslo accords between Israel and the PLO came to be. It provides testimonies volunteered by those who were closely associated with the making of Oslo on the Norwegian, Palestinian and Israeli sides.
A number of those interviewed in the first part of the Price of Oslo attest to the fact that Oslo was the personal project of Yasser Arafat, PLO Chairman and Head of the Fatah Movement at the time, himself. He was the one who initiated the project and insisted upon the Norwegians to help him establish a secret back channel to negotiate a settlement with the Israelis. This followed an endeavour by former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to persuade Yasir Arafat, as early as 1974, long before the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Isrel were reached, to seek a negotiated settlement with the Israelis.
What motivated Yasser Arafat to turn his face toward Oslo, the Norwegian capital, was his belief that Norway was the most Zionist and por-Israel country in the Western hemisphere. Some of his associates told him that the Norwegian government at the time was headed by the socialist Labour Party whose politicians believed that Israel was an embodiment of the socialist project.
In the documentary, which was made over a period of more than one year and was shot in Norway as well as in Palestine, Norwegian politicians state that the starting point in the relationship between Norway and Yasser Arafat was he creation in 1978 of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)…. more..e-mail
Pro-Israel groups mix Iran into Syria debate
Jim Lobe, Asia Times 9/5/2013
WASHINGTON – With the US Congress still deliberating over Barack Obama’s request for authorization to take military action against Syria, the powerful Israel lobby here has taken the lead in pressing the president’s case.
But in addition to echoing the administration’s view that Damascus’ alleged violations of international norms against the use of chemical weapons must be punished, pro-Israel groups are focusing their appeals at least as much, if not more, on stopping what they say is Iran’s nuclear-weapons program.
“The Syria issue needs to be largely understo
od through the context of Iran,” said Michael Makovsky, the director of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA), as he unveiled his organizations’s latest report, “Strategy to Prevent a Nuclear Iran”, here on Wednesday.
“Stopping a nuclear-capable Iran is the gravest, most pressing national security threat facing the United States today,” he added, quoting from the introduction of the report, the product of a task force that included several former George W Bush administration officials, several retired flag officers, and Ambassador Dennis Ross, who served as Obama’s top adviser on Iran for most of his first term.
“(I)f there isn’t a [congressional] response to the crossing of the red line [against the use of chemical weapons], the Iranians will draw the lesson that when we create red lines, we don’t mean it,” Ross said.
“So when the administration makes it clear that prevention [of Iran’s acquisition of a nuclear weapon] is the objective, [the failure to act on Syria] will make it look more rhetorical than real,” according to Ross, who currently serves as counselor to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), a pro-Israel think tank. more..e-mail
Saudi and Israel share interest in action against Syria and Iran
Al Quds Newspaper, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 9/4/2013
If President Barack Obama has disappointed the Syrian opposition by seeking congressional approval for an attack on Syria, he did the same to America’s allies in the Middle East. It is true that Israel and Saudi Arabia have no love for each other, but they are both pressuring their mutual ally to attack the Assad regime. Their sights are not just set on Syria, but also on their common enemy Iran.
The Syria-Iran connection was clear in Israel’s response to the sudden decision by Obama to delay or possibly cancel an air strike against Syria. Israeli officials said that a seemingly lenient response to Assad’s chemical weapon attack might encourage Iran to go ahead and develop nuclear weapons. If that happens, said the Israelis, then they will attack Iran unilaterally because they can no longer trust Washington to do so.
Neither of the US allies disputed publicly with Obama. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country is “calm and confident”, while Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal was content with renewing his call on the “the international community” to stop Assad’s violence in Syria.
Although Saudi Arabia is not as keen as Israel to attack Iran, it shares its concern that they may both have lost confidence in Washington to tackle what Riyadh regards as Tehran’s efforts to extend Iranian influence over the Arab world.
Obama reassured Netanyahu last year that he is “always ready to defend Israel”, while the prime minister is now reassuring Israelis that they can manage their own affairs without America’s hesitant protection in confronting Iran, which has called for the destruction of Israel but denies developing nuclear weapons. “The citizens of Israel are well-aware that we are ready for any potential scenario,” said Netanyahu, “and all Israeli citizens must know that our enemies have extremely strong reasons which stop them from testing our strength and our ability.” more..e-mail
Syria
In Gaza: 4 Sep 2013 – Friends, Please take a look at the resources below, even if you are in the pro- rebel camp (and choose to ignore the huge influx of non-Syrian, US/Saudi-backed, paid and ideological mercenaries). It isn t a merely black and white issue, wherein if you don t take the side of the (al-Qaeda majority, Saudi and US-backed) rebels you are thus pro-government. It is actually possible to examine Syria without projecting the typical Western, colonial, know-better attitude. What is genuinely needed is the political solution that the Syrian government has already shown willingness to participate in, unlike certain mercenary-rebel-elements and their backers. Bottom line: another Libya, another Iraq& won t help Syria and certainly won t surgically remove perceived threats to the US s existence. What a potential bloody humanitarian right-to-protect (right to bomb and pillage) intervention will do is rape yet another country of everything, including its culture, history, identity, and of course people& and further…more
Paul Jay: Portrait of an Anti-Zionist Zionist
Dissident Voice: 5 Sep 2013 – Introduction by Gilad Atzmon A few weeks ago some of us were rather amused to see Max Blumenthal , in conversation with Paul Jay (The Real News Network), deliver the usual anti-Zionist Zionist (AZZ) spiel. After the program many Palestinian solidarity and anti-war commentators were outraged and demanded that Jay provide me with a right to reply. So Jay approached me, asked to clarify a few issues and promised to come back to me shortly with an answer. I didn t hold my breath because since the incident I had learned a little about Jay s political affiliations and motivations. Yesterday, he came back with his answer (see below) which he manages to stuff with a pile of confused and jumbled arguments that convey profound intellectual ignorance and are riven with a host of embarrassing contradictions. But one thing was for sure. Gilad Atzmon would not be appearing on Jay s show. Why? Because, above…more
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The New Dark Age 