8 September 2013 — VTJP
News
Israeli forces issue 4 demolition orders in Jerusalem
9/8/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli municipality staff and police issued four demolition orders for commercial properties in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan on Sunday, a local group said. The Wadi Hilweh Information Center said that Israeli forces raided Silwan and issued demolition orders for the properties on the pretext that they were built without a license. The shops belong to the Qarain family and….
PA official: Settlers attack vehicles in Nablus
9/8/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — A group of extremist settlers attacked dozens of Palestinian vehicles in Nablus overnight Saturday, a Palestinian Authority official said. Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors settlement activity in the northern West Bank, told Ma’an that settlers threw empty bottles and stones at cars traveling on the Ramallah-Nablus road near the illegal Eli settlement. At least 25 vehicles were damaged, he added….
Israeli forces detain 9 in Jerusalem arrest raids
9/8/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained nine people in Jerusalem overnight Saturday, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said. Qasem al-Natsheh, Mahmoud Jaber, Ali Jaber, Tareq al-Zariyeh, Mohammad al-Shalabi, Abdullah al-Sanjalawi, Shadi Farha, and minors Nour and Majdi Al-Salabi were arrested in the Old City after Israeli forces raided their homes. An Israeli army spokeswoman said two people were detained in Hebron. [END]
Israeli forces clash with Al-Quds university students
9/8/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Al-Quds university students in Abu Dis on Sunday, witnesses said. An Israeli border police patrol stopped and searched several students at the main gate of the university in Abu Dis, inspecting identity cards and detaining several students for over an hour. Clashes broke out after university staff prevented Israeli forces from entering….
Israel arrests 4 Palestinians in Beit Ummar
9/8/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Sunday detained four Palestinians from Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, a local committee said. Mohanad Yousef Awad, 19, Khaldoun Mohammad Awad, 19, and Ali Ikhlayyil, 18, were arrested on their way to work in Jerusalem, said popular committee spokesman Mohammad Awad. Also Sunday, forces raided the homes of brothers Ahmad and Jamal Abu Hashem. Israeli forces handed notices….
Hebron woman detained for ‘attempting to stab soldier’
9/8/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained a woman in Hebron on Sunday for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier, witnesses said. Locals told Ma’an that Ayat Mahfouth, 20, was arrested in Shuhada street and taken to an unknown location. An Israeli army spokeswoman said soldiers detained a woman south of Hebron who was found to be carrying a 9. 5-centimeter knife during a routine security check. [END]
Palestinian officials slam talks, Israel complains of ‘leaks’
9/8/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli negotiator Yitzhak Molcho complained to the United States over the weekend regarding media ‘leaks’ by Palestinian officials, Israeli daily Haaretz reported Sunday. Molcho reportedly protested to US envoy Martin Indyk that statements made to the media by senior Palestinian officials “violated all the agreements” made with US Secretary of State John Kerry. Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams had…. Related: Israel okays 5,000 Palestinian work permits and Kerry: Israel, Palestinians ‘steadfast’ on peace talks
Beit Jala priest urges pope to help Palestinian Christians
9/8/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A priest in Beit Jala on Sunday wrote a letter to Pope Francis describing the ongoing persecution which Christians face under Israeli occupation. Father Ibrahim Shomali said that Christians in the West Bank suffer from land confiscation to build settlements, roads and the separation wall. Land from Cremisan monastery is also being seized to build the Israeli separation wall, he wrote….
Dozens demonstrate in Beit Jala against Syria military action
9/8/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Dozens of people held a demonstration in Beit Jala on Saturday to protest possible military action in Syria. The protest was organized by the Palestinian People’s Party, with demonstrators gathering in front of Beit Jala municipality building. Protestors waved Syrian and Palestinian flags and called for a political solution to the conflict. 1 ) Disdainful Arrogance / Germany 08/09/2013….
Abbas to visit UK, France
9/8/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Britain on Sunday to kick-off a European tour which will include a stop in France. Abbas is expected to meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron and foreign secretary William Hague.”As the Foreign Secretary has repeatedly said, there is no more urgent UK foreign policy priority than resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and 2013 is a….
Haniyeh urges refugees in Lebanon to form unified position
9/8/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday urged Palestinians in Lebanon to form a unified position towards unrest in the country related to fighting in Syria. Haniyeh said that the security and stability of Lebanon is paramount, and that the Palestinian position in Lebanon should be unified to protect all refugee camps in the country. Palestinians in Lebanon must not….
Hamdallah visits ex-prisoner in Vienna
9/8/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Caretaker Palestinian Authority prime minister Rami Hamdallah on Saturday visited an ex-Palestinian prisoner receiving medical treatment in Austria. Hamdallah, who is currently on an international tour to secure funding for the PA, visited Muhammad al-Taj in Vienna. The caretaker PM said that the PA will always do its best to support prisoners, whether through financial aid or rehabilitation programs. A member….
Israel okays 5,000 Palestinian work permits
9/8/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — The Israeli government on Sunday approved the allocation of 5,000 work permits for Palestinians from the West Bank, enabling them to work in Israel, an official told AFP.”The initial resolution stated that it was within the framework of the peace negotiations with the Palestinians and efforts to improve the Palestinian economy,” the official said on condition of anonymity.”But several ministers opposed…. Related: Palestinian officials slam talks, Israel complains of ‘leaks’ and Kerry: Israel, Palestinians ‘steadfast’ on peace talks
Kerry: Israel, Palestinians ‘steadfast’ on peace talks
9/8/2013 – PARIS (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday that Israel and the Palestinians are determined to push forward with peace talks.”Despite tough decisions that have to be made and despite pressure that exists on both sides. . . both the Palestinians and Israelis have remained steadfast in their commitment to continuing the talks,” Kerry said in Paris after a meeting with Arab League officials…. Related:Palestinian officials slam talks, Israel complains of ‘leaks’
Israel deploys Iron Dome system near Jerusalem
9/8/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel deployed its Iron Dome missile defense system near Jerusalem Sunday, an AFP correspondent said, as the United States lobbied for domestic and international support for military strikes against Syria. The correspondent said the battery was set up west of the city. A military spokeswoman would not comment on the deployment, saying only that “defense systems are deployed in accordance with situation assessments….
Obama’s Syria difficulties cause worries in Israel
9/8/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — President Barack Obama’s difficulties in securing support for a strike on Syria are seen by Israeli media and analysts as a sign of the decline of American deterrence in the Middle East. Congress will on Monday begin to debate military action proposed by Obama, who accuses Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime of perpetrating an attack with chemical weapons near….
Qalqiliya directorate of education staff issue collective resignation
9/8/2013 – QALQILIYA (Ma’an) — Staff from the Qalqiliya directorate of education collectively resigned on Sunday from the general union of Palestinian teachers. The staff members resigned because they were excluded from a recent agreement between the PA and the union of teachers, a statement said. It is not the first time that administrative staff members have been excluded from agreements with the PA regarding salaries….
Tubas protesters demand PA opens hospital
9/8/2013 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Dozens of protesters on Sunday demanded the Palestinian Authority open a recently-constructed hospital in Tubas. Protesters held signs condemning the delay in opening the Turkish Hospital, which has been ready to open for 10 months. The hospital was funded by the Turkish government, and the corner stone was laid in 2008. Construction began in 2010, and the hospital was ready to….
Gunmen kill 2 Egyptian soldiers in Sinai
9/8/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Two Egyptian soldiers were killed late Saturday by gunmen in the Sinai city of Sheikh Zuweid, security officials said. Unidentified gunmen opened fire at soldiers positioned in the village of al-Fatat before fleeing the scene. Egyptian forces on Saturday launched the largest military operation in Sinai since the 1973 war with Israel, bombing at least 12 locations in the peninsula….
Graphic videos of Syria victims surface
9/8/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — A US congressional panel posted videos of Syrian victims, many of them children, as the White House presses its case for a strike against Damascus. The 13 graphic videos were shown to members of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, according to the panel’s website, which says they “explicitly claim to show victims of a chemical or poison gas attack.” The….
Egyptian forces continue Sinai crackdown
9/8/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian army helicopters launched airstrikes in the Sinai peninsula on Sunday for the second consecutive day. Helicopters stuck targets in Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid, shelling weapons caches and houses. The villages of al-Mahdiyya and al-Muqataa were hit by missiles, witnesses told Ma’an. Reports of casualties and damage have yet to be announced. The airstrikes will be followed by….
Report: 5 Jordanians killed in Syria in last 24 hours
9/8/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Five Jordanian citizens have been killed in Syria over the past 24 hours, according to the government controlled SANA news agency. Sufyan Khalil, Ahmad al-Haj and Ahmad Tawil were killed in clashes with Syrian regime forces in Deraa. SANA reported that the Syrian army had killed a group of “terrorists.”[END]
US plans for ‘3 days of attack’ on Syria
9/8/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The Pentagon is readying more intense and longer attacks on Syria than originally planned, set to last three days, the Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday. War planners now aim to unleash a heavy barrage of missile strikes to be followed swiftly by additional attacks on targets that may have been missed or remain standing after the initial launch, the Times cited officials….
Egypt army disconnects phone networks in North Sinai
9/8/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian security forces on Sunday shutdown telecommunication networks in Sinai on the second day of a crackdown against armed groups in the peninsula. Landline and cell phone networks were disconnected to prevent contact and coordination between armed groups, an Egyptian security official told Ma’an. However, militants are using Israeli and Palestinian mobile networks to bypass the shutdown of….
Syria’s Assad ‘denies ordering chemical attack’
9/8/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has denied he was behind a chemical attack last month and called on lawmakers to reject planned US military strikes warning of possible retaliation, CBS television said Sunday.”He denied that he had anything to do with the attack,” CBS veteran correspondent Charlie Rose said, after earlier interviewing Assad in Damascus.”He denied that he knew there was a….
Syria rebels seize famed Christian town Maalula
9/8/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Syrian rebels, including jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda, have taken control of the historic Christian town of Maalula north of Damascus, a watchdog and residents said on Sunday. The town, home to around 5,000 people, is strategically important for rebels, who are trying to tighten their grip around the capital and already have bases south and west of Damascus. Maalula, around 55 kilometers from….
Arab ministers agree Syria attack crossed ‘global red line’
9/8/2013 – PARIS (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday that Arab Le
ague ministers had agreed at talks in Paris that Syria crossed a “global red line” in its alleged chemical weapons attack. Kerry said a number of Arab countries were willing to sign a statement agreed by 12 countries of the G20 that called for a reaction to the alleged attack, and that they….
Jihadist group claims bomb targeting Egypt minister
9/8/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — An Al-Qaeda-inspired group based in Egypt’s Sinai has said it was behind a bombing that targeted the interior minister in a failed assassination attempt, a statement on militant Islamist forums said.”God has allowed your brothers in Ansar Beit al-Maqdis to shatter the security organization of the murderer Mohammed Ibrahim through a martyrdom operation,” the group said in the online statement….
Egypt army keeps upper hand as country eyes transition
9/8/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — The deadly crackdown on Islamists across Egypt could radicalize their ranks and at the same time further bolster the powerful army during the country’s transitional phase, experts say. Violence has gripped Egypt since July 3, when the army deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi following massive demonstrations against his turbulent one-year rule. The military has appointed an interim president and government, but….
Obama gears for all-out push on Syria
9/8/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — Washington was Sunday engaged in a diplomatic offensive at home and abroad with US President Barack Obama gearing for an all-out push to persuade skeptical Americans to back strikes against the Syrian regime. With US lawmakers returning Monday from a summer break and set to debate whether to approve limited US military action in Syria, a crucial week looms for America with the….
US urges EU to postpone Israel settlement ban
AlJazeera 8 Sep 2013 – EU imposed ban in July on giving aid to Israeli organisations in illegal settlements in occupied West Bank.
Arab League says Assad crossed ‘global red line’ with chemical attack
The National 8 Sep 2013 – Some members throw their support behind a US missile strike as diplomacy continues. Elizabeth Dickinson reports
The net effect of a tough summer in Abu Dhabi
The National 8 Sep 2013 – The past few months at Mina fish market have been the hardest for many years, as scorching heat has taken a heavy toll on the fish supplies.
Arab world reluctant over Mideast peace talks
The National 8 Sep 2013 – Qatar criticises Israel for building Jewish settlements after John Kerry briefs Arab diplomats in an effort to garner support for nascent Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.
Abu Dhabi turns to yellow school buses to drive up pupil safety
The National 8 Sep 2013 – School buses in the capital have now been fitted with GPS tracking systems, CCTV networks and other safety systems as the new academic year gets underway.
Stability, quality of teachers and facilities are key challenges this UAE term
The National 8 Sep 2013 – Schools face the challenge of keeping a stable environment for students who may be on the move due to regional conflict.
UAE couple accused of killing daughter remanded in custody
The National 8 Sep 2013 – The mother is accused of torture and murder. The father, who is considered an accomplice in the case, is accused of neglect.
Putin ally set to win tight Moscow mayoral election: exit polls
The National 8 Sep 2013 – The exit polls by pollsters FOM and VTsIOM, which are both seen as favouring Kremlin candidates, put the Kremlin-backed incumbent, Sergei Sobyanin, in the lead with about 53 per cent.
Panel unpicks Egypt’s Islamist constitution
The National 8 Sep 2013 – Panel dominated by secularist parties and liberal public figures has convened for the first time to look into key revisions of disputed articles of Islamist-backed 2012 constitution.
Kidnappers free daughter of Qaddafi’s former spy chief
The National 8 Sep 2013 – The daughter of Libya’s former spy chief Abdullah Al Senussi, who was reportedly kidnapped last week, has been freed.
Dubai students let their hair down in first week of school term
The National 8 Sep 2013 – Dubai public schools opt for first week of fun to prepare children for learning.
Parents brand Arabic teaching in UAE private schools a ‘disaster’
The National 8 Sep 2013 – Um Omar, an Emirati mother of five, pays about Dh300,000 in tuition fees a year and is unhappy her children have not been taught the skills to master the language.
Dubai roads at standstill as students get back to school
The National 8 Sep 2013 – A lot of commuters were stuck in traffic, with some taking to Twitter to express their dismay.
Volunteers from UAE change lives of Brazil’s poor
The National 8 Sep 2013 – Working with a not-for-profit social development organisation, Monyati Initiatives, the group built six wooden homes in a favela in Sao Paulo.
A cruel fate for a charity stalwart from UAE
The National 8 Sep 2013 – Pakistan-born Mubashir Niaz had dedicated much of his time to his charity which provided clean water, schools and health care for poverty-ridden parts of his home country. Last week the Abu Dhabi engineer drowned as he launched the latest of his charity s projects, writes James Doran
Lion caught roaming streets of Kuwait
The National 8 Sep 2013 – A passerby lured a runaway lion roaming an upmarket suburb of Kuwait into his car and then called the police for help, an incident that raised concerns about wild animals kept as pets there.
New York University Abu Dhabi welcomes students from more than 70 countries
The National 8 Sep 2013 – A total of 175 students have joined the universityøs undergraduate programme for the start of the academic year.
Indian troops fail to quell Hindu-Muslim riots
The National 8 Sep 2013 – Tensions between the groups were sparked two weeks ago when Muslims killed a Hindu. Samanth Subramanian reports
Traffic chaos with two-hour delays in Sharjah as schools reopen
The National 8 Sep 2013 – A police spokesman said 60 patrols had been deployed to help the flow of traffic, with 38 patrols on roads in the eastern regions of Khor Fakkan, Kalba, and Dibba Husn.
How Rudd blew his Australian election campaign
The National 8 Sep 2013 – Australia’s five-week general election race featured Twitter and Instagram photos, viral karaoke and gaffes galore. Kathy Marks reports from Sydney
Pakistani president Zardari ends first full term in office
The National 8 Sep 2013 – Pakistan’s president, Asif Ali Zardari, has stepped down, leaving his official residence after a record five years in power overshadowed by worsening security and a weakening economy.
Israel refuses to let Polish aid worker back into country
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
Syria, Iran and Russia working on counter-proposal to U.S. strike
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
The impure alliance between officials and settlement construction
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
Bus driver guilty of manslaughter in fatal 2008 crash
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
Egypt fighting first-ever serious battle against Sinai terror, says Israeli official
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
Iron Dome deployed in J’lem area; Ya’alon: Any U.S. Syria decision will impact Israel
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
Exit polls shows Putin ally winning Moscow poll, rival cries foul
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
Facebook is ‘crap’, says Gunter Grass
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
PM caves in to right on Palestinian work permits
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
Qatari FM: Israeli settlement construction is obstacle to peace
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
Enforcer of West Bank building laws promoting development in his settlement
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
Proposal: Equip all police officers with mini video cameras to wear during arrests
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
Syrian rebel to Haaretz: U.S. mustn’t turn Syria into another Iraq
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
Ties between Israel and Egypt only getting stronger, despite regional tension
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
Israelis beware: Your phone doesn t know daylight saving time has been pushed back
Ha’aretz – 8 Sep 2013
Embattled Negev Textile offered NIS 3 million loan to head off its closure
Ha’aretz – 7 Sep 2013
Israel ranks 27th in competitiveness, but third for innovation
Ha’aretz – 7 Sep 2013
Second wave of holiday tourists to flow through Israel’s main airport this week
Ha’aretz – 7 Sep 2013
Saddam Hussein of Damascus
Ha’aretz – 7 Sep 2013
Israel should be more than Yad Vashem with an air force
Ha’aretz – 7 Sep 2013
The pillar of fire that went before the peace camp
Ha’aretz – 7 Sep 2013
The Yom Kippur War controversy: Silence is Golda
Ha’aretz – 7 Sep 2013
Israel to review asylum request citing fear of genital mutilation
Ha’aretz – 7 Sep 2013
New year, old habits: Thousands of Israelis flock to familiar haunts
Ha’aretz – 7 Sep 2013
Israel lodges complaint with Washington over alleged Palestinian peace talk leaks
Ha’aretz – 7 Sep 2013
The top headlines you might have missed during the holiday / Haaretz Newsline, September 8
Ha’aretz – 7 Sep 2013
In run-up to congressional vote, likelihood of Assad strike on Israel still deemed ‘low’
Jerusalem Post 8 Sep 2013 – Prime Minister’s Office refuses to relate to reports that Obama enlisted Netanyahu to urge congressmen and heads of AIPAC to support a limited military action against Syria.
Sderot mayor stages one-man Jerusalem protest over funding cuts to city
Jerusalem Post 8 Sep 2013 – Gov’t disputes mayor’s claim that it has cut NIS 25 million for residents basic needs since 2009.
Egyptian army continues operation against Sinai terrorists
Jerusalem Post 8 Sep 2013 – Operation which killed 9 terrorists on Saturday resumes south of Rafah; Security forces destroy 118 terror centers, arms caches.
Western Wall shooter to plead not guilty
Jerusalem Post 8 Sep 2013 – Police originally thought June shooting was a result of mistaken identity after accused thought victim was a terrorist.
Assad: Syria’s allies will retaliate in response to US strike
Jerusalem Post 8 Sep 2013 – Syrian leader denies that he was behind chemical weapons attack.
Court sentences man to 27 months in prison for racist-motivated attempted arson
Jerusalem Post 8 Sep 2013 – Man intended to target African migrants; says he was provoked by inflammatory rhetoric from Eli Yishai, Miri Regev.
700-year-old stone relief of lion found in Nimrod Fortress National Park in Golan Heights
Jerusalem Post 8 Sep 2013 – Israel and Nature Parks Authority says crusader era fortress likely contains two other undiscovered lion reliefs.
Qatar chides Israel on settlements as US seeks Arab support for peace talks
Jerusalem Post 8 Sep 2013 – FM of Arab emirate says settlements are “obstacle” and a “source of concern that directly affect negotiations.”
US undecided on seeking new Syria UN vote, says gains Arab support
Jerusalem Post 8 Sep 2013 – Kerry says White House is carefully listening “to all our friends”; meets with number of Arab foreign ministers in Lithuania.
Iranian FM: US will ignite a fire across the Middle East if it attacks Syria
Jerusalem Post 8 Sep 2013 – In Baghdad for first official trip abroad as Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif warns, “Those who are short-sighted and are beating the drums of war are starting a fire that will burn everyone.”
Poll shows support for cuts to haredi sector, skepticism over enlistment law
Jerusalem Post 8 Sep 2013 – 93% of haredi community opposes gov’t measures on religion and state.
‘Syria chemical attack victims taken for secret tests in UK’
Jerusalem Post 8 Sep 2013 – The Sunday Times quotes Syria opposition leader as saying that tests showed evidence of sarin gas.
Bus driver guilty of manslaughter for crash that killed 24 Russian tourists
Jerusalem Post 8 Sep 2013 – 2008 crash near Eilat was one of the worst traffic accidents in Israeli history; reports that driver may appeal to Supreme Court.
White House faces fateful vote on Syrian strike
Jerusalem Post 7 Sep 2013 – Obama is to address the US from the White House on Syria on Tuesday, a day before the Senate is scheduled to vote on the resolution.
Road Safety Authority activates Eilat helicopter rescue system
Jerusalem Post 7 Sep 2013 – Move made in effort to significantly reduce the time it takes to transport injured drivers to the hospital.
Report: Iran, Syria and Hezbollah planning response to attack on Syria
Jerusalem Post 7 Sep 2013 – Iran, Hezbollah look to prop up Assad if he is in danger of falling.
German jihadis kill Syrian Christians
Jerusalem Post 7 Sep 2013 – Expert says the number of German Islamists in Syria has increased from 60 to 150 in the last six months.
Syria crisis: Obama urges Americans to back strikes – live updates
The Guardian 8 Sep 2013 – ” Kerry says west not be ‘silent spectators to the slaughter’ ” Obama’s faces ‘biggest crisis of his presidency’ over Syria ” Pope makes fresh appeal against military action in Syria ” New poll underlines British…
Syria crisis: UN ambassador Power says ‘There is no risk-free’ option as it happened
The Guardian 6 Sep 2013 – Follow live updates as Syria continues to divide world leaders at the G20 summit Tom McCarthy Matthew Weaver
A fugitive in my own country
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 5, 2013 – Erez faded away slowly behind us. A panicked search for my watan, homeland, gripped me as I took in my first glimpses of Palestine. The driver, having uncovered my unacquainted introspection of my country, quickly assumed…
Syria: It s Still a Revolution, My Friends
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 5, 2013 -No matter what your position on the potential U.S. strikes on Syria (I m against), all I ask is, DON T be a hater who denies the existence of the grassroots youth who began the Syrian revolution…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (29 August- 04 September 2013)
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 5, 2013 – Summary: Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (29 August – 04 September 2013). Shooting: During the reporting period, a Palestinian child died of wounds he…
Attack on
encryption is the worst news yet Snowden s Latest: The NSA Has Effectively Destroyed Internet Privacy
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 5, 2013 – The revelations this week by whistle-blower Edward Snowden (through documents provided to the Guardian, the New York Times and Propublica) prove that the NSA, working with its British counterpart The Government Communications Headquarters(or GCHQ), has conducted…
The twisted logic of intervention
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 5, 2013 – ..Why does the U.S. assume the right to inflict a military assault on Syria–or any other country it decides should be “punished”? First, it has to be said that this is a very American conversation. Not…
AFRICOM s Gigantic “Small Footprint”
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 5, 2013 – Here s a question for you: Can a military tiptoe onto a continent? It seems the unlikeliest of images, and yet it s a reasonable enough description of what the U.S. military has been doing ever…
Israeli Court Sentences Teenager To 14 Years
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 5, 2013 – The Ofer Israeli military court sentenced on Wednesday 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…
The historical truth about Bedouin expulsion from the Negev
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 5, 2013 – 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…
Jerusalemite Shaker Ja abees self-demolishes his house in Jabal Al-Mukabber
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 5, 2013 – Jerusalemite citizen, Shaker Ja abees self-demolished his house in Jabal Al-Mukabber because of building without a permit. Ja abees told Wadi Hilweh Information Center that 7 individuals live in the house, Shaker, his wife and his…
Latest generous offer leaked: Israel wants to control Jordan River and 40% of West Bank while Palestinians get temporary borders
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 5, 2013 – 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…
Syria News – September 4, 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 4, 2013 – By the end of Wednesday the cordination committees were able to document 72 martyrs including 9 women,10 children: 25 Martyrs were reportede in Damascus and its suburbs;18 in Aleppo;11 in Idlib;6 in Homs;4 in Deir Ezzor;4…
What happens when an IDF colonel overrules Israel s High Court
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 5, 2013 – …Last month we reported that after a three-year sisyphean legal struggle, the IDF finally implemented a High Court of Justice order that Ali Shabana be allowed to access his land; and that the son of the…
Syria News – September 4, 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 4, 2013 – By the end of Wednesday the cordination committees were able to document 72 martyrs including 9 women,10 children: 25 Martyrs were reportede in Damascus and its suburbs;18 in Aleppo;11 in Idlib;6 in Homs;4 in Deir Ezzor;4…
Manning Lawyer Submits Request for Presidential Pardon from Obama
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 4, 2013 – The civilian defense attorney for Pvt. Bradley Manning, who now goes by Chelsea Manning, has filed an application for a presidential pardon or commutation of Manning s sentence. The filing contains a letter written by her…
U.S. Still Hasn t Armed Syrian Rebels
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 4, 2013 – In June, the White House authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to help arm moderate fighters battling the Assad regime, a signal to Syrian rebels that the cavalry was coming. Three months later, they are still waiting….
Israel Stalls, Drags Out Peace Talks
Relief Web 8 Sep 2013 – September 4, 2013 – Information leaked to Al-Monitor from the hush-hush Palestinian-Israeli peace talks reveal that negotiators are stuck on where they should begin. Palestinians want the talks to begin where they left off the last time substantive talks took…
Members of U.S. Congress question White House approach on Syria
Daily Star 8 Sep 2013 The White House pressed its case on Sunday for military action in Syria but faced an uphill fight in Congress, where several prominent lawmakers said they have not been persuaded to approve strikes against Syrian President…
Italian journalist freed after being kidnapped in Syria
Daily Star 8 Sep 2013 Italian journalist Domenico Quirico, kidnapped in Syria in early April, has been freed, the foreign ministry in Rome said on Sunday.
Yemen south separatists to return to national dialogue
Daily Star 8 Sep 2013 Yemen southern separatists agreed Sunday to return to national reconciliation talks after receiving assurances the future of their region will be discussed, the United Nations and an opposition chief said.
NATO air strike “killed civilians” :Karzai
Daily Star 8 Sep 2013 President Hamid Karzai has condemned a NATO air strike in Afghanistan’s lawless east that Afghan officials say may have killed up to eight civilians, the latest evidence of friction between the president and his international backers.
Jihadist group claims bomb targeting Egypt minister
Daily Star 8 Sep 2013 An Al-Qaeda-inspired group based in Egypt’s Sinai has said it was behind a bombing that targeted the interior minister in a failed assassination attempt, a statement on militant Islamist forums said.
US would notify Israel hours before Syria attack :Israeli official
Daily Star 8 Sep 2013 The United States would notify Israel hours in advance of an attack on Syria, an Israeli official said on Sunday.
Turkey adds troops, weapons on southeastern border with Syria
Daily Star 8 Sep 2013 Turkey has bolstered its defences and deployed additional troops on its southeastern Syrian border in recent days as the United States tries to build international support for a military strike on Syria.
Abductors free daughter of Libya’s ex-spy chief
Daily Star 8 Sep 2013 The daughter of Libya’s ex-spy chief under dictator Moammar Gadhafi was released by her abductors after her tribe cut off the capital’s water supply, officials said Sunday.
Israel deploys Iron Dome system near Jerusalem: AFP
Daily Star 8 Sep 2013 Israel deployed its Iron Dome missile defence system near Jerusalem Sunday, an AFP correspondent said, as the United States lobbied for domestic and international support for military strikes against Syria.
Al-Qaida claims Iraq bombs that killed at least 50
Daily Star 8 Sep 2013 The Iraqi branch of al-Qaida claimed responsibility Sunday for a wave of coordinated car bomb attacks that killed more than 50 people in Baghdad, as two new attacks killed another five in the latest outbreak of…
Assad says those aligned with him will retaliate in case of attack: CBS
Daily Star 8 Sep 2013 Assad suggested there would be retaliation by those aligned with him for any attack on Syria – CBS
Syria’s Assad denies chemical weapons use; U.S. presses case for strike
Daily Star 8 Sep 2013 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denied that he was behind a chemical weapons attack on the Syrian people, as the White House on Sunday pressed ahead with the uphill effort of persuading Congress to approve a military…
Far-right leader charged over London protest
YNet News, 8 Sep 2013 – ….
Glitch resolved, NASA probe on its way to the moon
YNet News, 8 Sep 2013 – ….
Russian gay law raises alarm among Olympic sponsors
YNet News, 8 Sep 2013 – ….
Sderot mayor clears protest tent: Cuts will be canceled
YNet News, 8 Sep 2013 – ….
Italian journalist freed after being kidnapped in Syria
YNet News, 8 Sep 2013 – ….
Man of the year
YNet News, 8 Sep 2013 – Op-ed: Egypt’s General al-Sisi has declared war on villains; he has no patience for democracy nonsense ….
Religious schools balk at sex ed
YNet News, 8 Sep 2013 – Education Ministry allows Orthodox teachers, principals to censor science textbooks, removing chapter dealing with reproduction, preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Feminist groups slam decision ….
Disarm Israel of nuclear weapons
YNet News, 8 Sep 2013 – Op-ed: Israel says nuclear-free Mideast will be possible only when peace is established, but continues occupation ….
French chief rabbi reflects on past year
YNet News, 8 Sep 2013 – In honor of Rosh Hashana, Rabbi Michel Gugenheim expresses his hopes for better image of Israel, Mideast peace and end to anti-Semitism ….
Psychiatrist: Bashar and Asma Assad match made in hell
YNet News, 7 Sep 2013 – In op-ed published on Fox News website Dr. Keith Ablow analyzes marriage of Syria’s ruthless dictator and his shopping-obsessed wife ….
Netanyahu unimpressed by Iranian greetings for Jewish New Year
YNet News, 7 Sep 2013 – PM says in statement Iranian regime ‘will be judged only by its actions and not by greetings’ ….
30 gunmen hurt in helicopter assault in Sinai
YNet News, 7 Sep 2013 – In largest military operation since Yom Kippur War, Egyptian military bombs 12 targets in northern Sinai where jihadists were holed up; six Gaza smuggling tunnels also hit ….
Kerry urges EU to delay ban on Israeli firms in West Bank
YNet News, 7 Sep 2013 – Top US diplomat asks European FMs to consider postponing implementation of guidelines on aid to Israeli entities operating in West Bank; urges EU to support peace talks ….
Egyptian troop column moves into the Sinai
YNet News, 7 Sep 2013 – Army official says new troops will ‘clean’ areas near Gaza border; sappers defuse defused three mortar rounds placed on railway tracks near Suez Canal ….
Rodman says he met North Korean leader again
YNet News, 7 Sep 2013 – Visibly agitated, former NBA star says ‘not his job’ to ask Kim Jong Un about imprisoned US citizen Kenneth Bae ….
Palestinian Information Center
Occupation notifies demolition of commercial structures in Silwan
PIC – Jerusalem Municipality handed out on Sunday afternoon administrative demolition orders against a number of commercial structures, and a sports stadium in the town of Silwan in Jerusalem.
Abu Zuhri: Rumours about ‚¨ SRebellion‚¨ ù in Gaza aim to break resistance
PIC – Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri denied that there are demonstrations in Gaza against the government, and stressed that rumours about a rebellion in the Strip represents a desperate attempt to break the resistance.
Abu Sabha: Egypt partially opens Rafah crossing
PIC – The Egyptian authorities partially opened the Rafah crossing on Sunday morning, after the announcement of its closure on Saturday due to the tense security situation in the Sinai.
Government: Israel uses negotiation to impose fait accompli on Jerusalem
PIC – The Palestinian government in Gaza said the occupation authorities are using the negotiation process as a cover to impose a fait accompli on the occupied city of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Resheq blasts Kerry‚¨ “!s call on EU to delay ban on financial aid to settlements
PIC – Political bureau member of Hamas Ezzet Resheq has strongly denounced US secretary of state John Kerry‚¨ “!s call on the European Union to shelve the ban on financial assistance to Israeli settlements.
Haneyya calls for neutralizing refugee camps in Lebanon
PIC – Gaza premier Ismail Haneyya has called for neutralizing Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and keeping them aloof from internal issues.
Abu Marzouk: It is a ceasefire and not a truce with the occupation
PIC – Deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau Mousa Abu Marzouk said that the Palestinian resistance in Gaza had agreed on calm with the Israeli occupation and not a truce as some people think.
Khudari asks Ashton to supply Gaza with fuel
PIC – Independent MP Jamal Al-Khudari has asked Catherine Ashton, the European Union‚¨ “!s foreign commissioner, to supply the Gaza Strip‚¨ “!s sole power generation station with fuel.
IOF soldiers burn down ancient olive trees, break gate of monastery
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) burned down a number of olive trees, some of which are one thousand years old, and broke the gate of a monastery south of Bethlehem on Saturday evening.
Jewish settlers attack, damage Palestinian vehicles
PIC – Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles passing along the Nablus-Ramallah road and damaged 25 cars.
West Jerusalem Municipality Notifies to Demolish Playground in Jerusalem
WAFA – 8 Sep 2013
Suffocation Cases among Students in Clashes with Israeli Soldiers
WAFA – 8 Sep 2013
Newspapers Reviews: Military Action in Syria Dominates Dailies
WAFA – 8 Sep 2013
Illiteracy Rate Drop in 2012, says Statistics Bureau
WAFA – 8 Sep 2013
Settlers Break Glass of 20 Cars near Nablus
WAFA – 8 Sep 2013
Egypt Islamist party proves savvy, pragmatic, analysts say
LA Times 8 Sep 2013 – The Nour Party’s calculated moves during the crisis have helped the group cement a place as the new voice for political Islam in Egypt, some say. CAIRO On the mid-August day that Egyptian security forces killed hundreds of Islamist protesters, throwing the country into…
Pentagon adjusts plans for more intense attacks on Syria
LA Times 7 Sep 2013 – U.S. war planners are preparing for three days of attacks on Syria, a longer bombardment than originally envisioned. WASHINGTON The Pentagon is preparing for a longer bombardment of Syria than it originally had planned, with a heavy barrage of missile strikes followed soon after…
Visiting Republicans Laud Egypt s Force
New York Times 8 Sep 2013 – Michele Bachmann and two other House Republicans pledged solidarity against the Muslim Brotherhood, which they, like Cairo s new leaders, deem a terrorist group.
Assad Denies Attack in Interview With Charlie Rose
New York Times 8 Sep 2013 – The interview with President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, which took place on Sunday at the presidential palace in Damascus, will be broadcast on Monday by CBS and PBS.
Assad Denies Gas Attack; White House Presses a Strike
New York Times 8 Sep 2013 – As the White House chief of staff appeared on Sunday morning news shows to make the administration s case for an airstrike, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria said in a CBS interview that his government was not behind a chemical attack.
Two Deadly Attacks in Afghanistan
New York Times 8 Sep 2013 – Officials reported a drone strike in Eastern Afghanistan that killed up to 16 people and a Taliban assault in another province that killed 4 intelligence officers and injured over 120 civilians.
Kerry Announces Saudi Support for Syrian Strike
New York Times 8 Sep 2013 – Meeting with Arab League foreign ministers, Secretary of State John Kerry said other declarations of support would come soon.
Zardari of Pakistan Ending His Presidency
New York Times 8 Sep 2013 – President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan is ending his term in office, becoming the first democratically elected president in the country s history to complete his full tenure.
With the World Watching, Syria Amassed Nerve Gas
New York Times 7 Sep 2013 – Despite an international effort to block it, Syria s governing Assad family exploited large loopholes, lax enforcement and a far greater emphasis on limiting the spread of nuclear arms.
Netanyahu Scoffs at Iranian Greetings
New York Times 7 Sep 2013 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said in a statement that he was unimpressed by reports that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani issued greetings for the Jewish New Year.
Kerry and French Foreign Minister Appeal Together for Strike Against Syria
New York Times 7 Sep 2013 – Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, who appeared with Secretary of State John Kerry, argued that a punishing military strike was needed to redraw the red line against the use of chemical weapons.
In Egypt, a Welcome for Syrian Refugees Turns Bitter
New York Times 7 Sep 2013 – Syrians, along with other foreigners, were made scapegoats as the military took power and warned of external plots to destabilize Egypt, unleashing a suffocating xenophobia in the news media and on the streets.
Celebration is premature for Shemen Oil
Globes Energy & Water – The size of the oil discovery at Yam 3 will depend on the net thickness of the strata and the kind of rock.
Shemen finds oil at Yam 3
Globes Energy & Water – Shemen Oil and Gas says that the oil at the Yam 3 well off the cost of Palmachim is of high quality.
Ormat signs new agreement with S California PPA
Globes Energy & Water – The 10-year agreement for the Heber 1 plant is at a fixed price.
IMI board set to approve privatization
Globes Main News – The privatization plan to be approved this week includes the voluntary retirement of 950 of Israel Military Industry’s 3,000 employees.
Galmed plans Nasdaq IPO at $100m value
Globes Main News – Galmed Pharmaceuticals, which i
s developing a treatment for fatty liver disease, could hold the offering by December.
Sun: Partner leads market losses
Globes Main News – Partner and Oil Refineries were the biggest losers on the Tel Aviv 25 Index, while Perrigo and Elbit Systems bucked the market.
Societe Generale: Shekel a safe haven
Globes Main News – The bank says any weakness because of the tension with Syria is a buying opportunity.
Valley Telecom to pay NIS 38m for Alvarion
Globes Main News – The court advised Sigma Wave to withdraw its bid in view of the support for Valley Telecom by Alavarion’s employees and secured creditors.
New GDP methodology means lower taxes possible
Globes Macro Economics – The new methodology boosted GDP for 2013 by NIS 66 billion, from NIS 964 billion to NIS 1.03 trillion.
U.S. House Closing in on 218 Votes Opposing Syria Attack
Tikun Olam – The unthinkable may be about to happen. As Washington prepares for a series of dramatic debates and votes in the House and Senate for attacking Syria, the NY Times is reporting that opponents are closing in on the 218 votes needed to torpedo Obama s plans. The…
Jews without Israel
Mondoweiss – This post originally appeared September 6, 2013 on Corey Robin s blog . In shul this morning, the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the rabbi spoke at length about the State of Israel. This is more surprising than you might think. I ve been going to this shul since…
Western Wall Rabbi Condemns Muslims for Riot on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount
The Foward Breaking News 8 Sep 2013 – The rabbi of the Western Wall called on the world to condemn riots by Muslims on the Temple Mount during Rosh Hashanah. Click here for the rest of the article…
U.S. Vows To Give Israel Warning of Syria Attack
The Foward Breaking News 8 Sep 2013 – The United States would notify Israel hours in advance of an attack on Syria, an Israeli official said on Sunday. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israel Protests Palestinian Leaks on ‘Temporary Borders’ Over Rosh Hashana
The Foward Breaking News 8 Sep 2013 – Israel has protested what it says are Palestinian officials leaks to the media about the content of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Click here for the rest of the article…
Syria Chaos Puts Off Loan of 15th-Century Botticelli Fresco to Israel
The Foward Breaking News 8 Sep 2013 – Concerned by war clouds over Syria, Italy is holding off loaning a 15th century masterpiece by Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli to Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Morocco: Moroccan Launches Jihadist Group in Syria
allAfrica.com 8 Sep 2013 – [Magharebia]A long-time Moroccan jihadist launched an al-Qaeda inspired group in Syria.
Syria ‘crossed global red line’
BBC 8 Sep 2013 – The US secretary of state says he and Arab League foreign ministers have agreed at talks in Paris that Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons crossed a “global red line”.
Libya ex-spy chief’s daughter freed
BBC 8 Sep 2013 – Abductors of the daughter of Libya’s former intelligence chief, Abdullah al-Senussi, release her after kidnapping her on Monday.
Italian and Belgian freed in Syria
BBC 8 Sep 2013 – Italian journalist Domenico Quirico and Belgian teacher Pierre Piccinin da Prata are released after being kidnapped in Syria in April.
Assad urges US to call off assault, promises retaliation
Al-Akhbar News 8 Sep 2013 – A Pakistani boy holds a placard in Karachi on 8 September 2013. (Photo: AFP – Asif Hassan) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has denied in an interview with CBS television that he was behind a chemical attack last month and called on lawmakers to reject a planned…
Kidnappers release Gaddafi spy chief’s daughter
Al-Akhbar News 8 Sep 2013 – The daughter of Libya’s ex-spy chief Abdullah Senussi, who was reportedly kidnapped last week, has been freed, a member of her tribe said on Sunday. Senussi was intelligence chief for Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, and his daughter Unud had completed a 10-month jail term when she was…
Egypt launches more airstrikes against Sinai Islamists
Al-Akhbar News 8 Sep 2013 – Egyptian military helicopters carried out a second day of air raids on Sunday in the Sinai Peninsula, where they are facing an insurgency by Islamist militants, witnesses said. Apache helicopters hit targets in north Sinai near the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip, witnesses said….
US to strike “many more” than 50 targets in Syria: report
Al-Akhbar News 8 Sep 2013 – Protesters demonstrate against US plans to attack Syria on 7 September 2013 in Los Angeles. (Photo: AFP / Getty Images – David McNew) The United States is readying more intense and longer attacks on Syria than originally planned, set to last three days, the Los Angeles Times…
NATO airstrike kills 10 civilians in Afghanistan
Al-Akhbar News 8 Sep 2013 – At least ten civilians, including four children, have been killed in a NATO airstrike in eastern Afghanistan, Afghan provincial officials said Sunday. “At least four women, four children and two civilian drivers were killed in a NATO airstrike in Wattapur district of Kunar province,” Kunar Police…
Syria ‘crossed global red line’
BBC 8 Sep 2013 – The US secretary of state says he and Arab League foreign ministers have agreed at talks in Paris that Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons crossed a “global red line”.
Libya ex-spy chief’s daughter freed
BBC 8 Sep 2013 – Abductors of the daughter of Libya’s former intelligence chief, Abdullah al-Senussi, release her after kidnapping her on Monday.
Italian and Belgian freed in Syria
BBC 8 Sep 2013 – Italian journalist Domenico Quirico and Belgian teacher Pierre Piccinin da Prata are released after being kidnapped in Syria in April.
Anti-government protests hit Tunis
BBC 7 Sep 2013 – Tens of thousands of demonstrators have marched in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, calling for the resignation of the Islamist-led government.
VIDEO: Obama: ‘Can’t turn blind eye’ on Syria
BBC 7 Sep 2013 – President Obama has urged members of the US Congress to support military action against the Syrian government.
Articles
Settler shoots at Palestinian, police find no criminal culpability
Yesh Din, written by Yossi Gurvitz, +972 Magazine 9/8/2013
The Judea and Samaria Police outdid itself by closing a case of shooting at a Palestinian for lack of criminal culpability.
This blog has dealt extensively with one of the most dysfunctional organizations around, to wit, the Judea and Samaria Police District (JSPD), which manages to look even worse than regular Israeli police. (Judea and Samaria is the name used by Israel to describe the West Bank.) That should have immunized yours truly from being shocked by it; and yet, our volunteers are now helping search for my dropped jaw.
Let s begin with the facts: there is a village called Burin. Unfortunately for it, it is adjacent to a series of settlements and illegal outposts. One of the latter is Givat Ronen. In the Palestinian house closest to the outposts lives a man called Bruce Lee (after the famous Karate star) Eid. He and his family members have been suffering violence and abuse by the settlers for quite some time.
At the beginning of April, Bruce-Lee Eid lodged a complaint with the JSPD about three related incidents. In the first one, which took place on March 31, Bruce-Lee Eid noticed a settler he is familiar approaching his house; the settler is called R. In his complaint, Bruce-Lee Eid noted he knows R. since the latter tends to herd his flock on Bruce-Lee Eid s lands. R. was accompanied by a minor and a third person. According to the complaint, R. threatened to murder Bruce-Lee Eid, and at one point drew a gun and fired into the air. The minor and the third person began chasing Bruce-Lee Eid and his family members into the house, while the minor pointed at them what appeared to be an M-16 assault rifle and vocally made firing sounds. A military force reached the scene, drove off the settlers, detained the minor and reach the conclusion the rifle was fake, but refrained from arresting them. more..e-mail
Gaza s enemies come out of the woodwork
Lama Khater, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 9/5/2013
Suddenly, blood no longer holds any weight between brothers and no one affiliates with the common thread of Arabism. Talk of an Arab army’s aggression towards Gaza is normalised and portrayed as an acceptable outcome in many Arab media outlets.
In an era of Arab degradation, in which many dictators have tightened their grip, the maximum limits of the tragedy have been reached when it comes to Palestinian officials’ silence and inability to condemn the tragedy they are facing. Their inaction can be classified as an act of betrayal and active participation in the Zionist crime against Palestine and its people.
In this critical phase of the Arab Spring, which gives rise to tyrants who sow the seeds of hatred towards Palestine and Palestinian resistance in their attempts to cause incitement, the fruit of their efforts will be ugly. Tyrants will step on the bodies of the pure and destroy any positive signs in the Islamic world.
The Egyptian army is currently waging an unprecedented war with its blockade of the Gaza Strip. The media openly speaks of bringing Hamas to its knees; why? It is the only entity of the Palestinian resistance that functions outside the binds and limitations of the Israeli occupation.
All of this is being met with indifference by a wide range of the Arab public and Gaza’s enemies creep out of the woodwork. This group of malicious and corrupt people are the same individuals who invested in the epidemics plaguing the Arab word and benefited from the Arab nation’s weakened state and lack of will. They were bound to address some of their impulsive degradation towards Gaza so that they would be able to implement the same vices and grab the reins of authority. Dirt has been cast over the glimmer of hope cowering under the ashes of the revolutions. more..e-mail
Preliminary observations on the rise of Islamic movements
Majed Kayali, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 9/4/2013
As long as a party is non-violent, it should be encouraged to participate in the democratic process. This includes the Muslim Brotherhood.
Given the involvement and degree of relative success of the Islamic movements perhaps we should be referring to the “Islamic Spring”, not the “Arab” version. It is worth considering some general observations about this phenomenon with regards to the rise of Islamic movements across the Arab world.
The first notable point is that the movements and groups are not homogeneous as some would like us to believe. They are varied, just like other civil society organisations and political parties. Egypt has (for now) its Freedom and Justice Party of the Muslim Brotherhood; the Salafi Al-Nour Party; the Middle Party; Strong Egypt Party; the Sufi Movement (two branches); various other Salafi groups; and so-called “Jihadist” and “Takfiri” groups. All of these cover the Sunni and Shia wings of Islam.
Such variety is normal within the Muslim community. Where the difficulties arise is when each one thinks that it alone has the truth and answers to all problems, and then goes so far as to denounce other Muslims and Islamic groups. The secular and leftist parties have similar problems, although they are convinced that only faith-based parties have such issues. In any
case, faith-based parties have just as much right as secular parties to be involved in the political arena, especially in a country where faith plays such a major role in society.
It is interesting that secularist opprobrium appears to be reserved for the Islamic parties such as Al-Nahda in Tunisia and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt which have had electoral success…. more..e-mail
By attacking Syria, Obama is making a political point, not a moral one
Dr. Sarah Marusek, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 9/6/2013
However as Gideon Levy correctly points out in an article recently published by Haaretz, nobody on this planet can seriously consider the US, the “country responsible for the most bloodshed since World War II some say as many as 8 million dead at its hands in Southeast Asia, South America, Afghanistan and Iraq,” to be a moral superpower.
Like many US presidents passed, President Obama is determined to violently attack others in the name of morality and the common good. He and other American exceptionalists tell us that the US has a moral obligation to enter into the Syrian conflict, even though any such military intervention goes against international law and popular will. The UN Security Council has not sanctioned any attack on Syria and so far the situation has not met the standards for a humanitarian intervention under the so-called responsibility to protect norm. Furthermore, not only is international opinion against military intervention in Syria, but a new Washington Post-ABC News poll reveals that around six out of ten Americans also oppose the proposed US military strike.
Nevertheless, President Obama appears more determined than ever to conduct an extra-legal military assault against the Syrian regime, we are told, in the name of morality supposedly in response to a chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of Damascus on Wednesday, 21 August that was allegedly carried out by President Al-Assad’s forces.
Any use of chemical weapons is indeed reprehensible. However as Gideon Levy correctly points out in an article recently published by Haaretz, nobody on this planet can seriously consider the US, the “country responsible for the most bloodshed since World War II some say as many as 8 million dead at its hands in Southeast Asia, South America, Afghanistan and Iraq,” to be a moral superpower.
Especially considering that the US has often used chemical weapons in the past…. more..e-mail
worse than 2007
In Gaza: 7 Sep 2013 – When I spoke with Saber today, his voice again sounded much weaker than I ve ever heard it. Saber usually lives up to his name, Sabr , resilience and patience. But today, he, like Emad a week ago, spoke of how Gaza was as bad, was worse than, it had been in 2007. No fuel, no milk, soon no bread. Long line-ups for gas people wait for hours for a container of gas. Do you remember how morning usually were in Gaza, with taxis filling the street, taking students to school and university and people to work? There re virtually no taxis now. People are sad, very sad. People want to breath. Electricity& we have it for just 4 hours a day now, 6 maximum. And now, new reports that the border is again closed indefinitely, as if the previous weeks of closures didn t suffice. Filed under: siege on Gazamore
Israel s Lobbyists Pushing Hard for another War in the Middle East
Palestine Chronicle: 8 Sep 2013 – By Jeremy Salt Ankara Two million refugees out of Syria, some of them Palestinian refugees from 1948 and 1967 and some Iraqi refugees from 2004. They are the consequences of war and yet the raging beast that is devouring the Middle East is still not satiated. Another war looms. Another country already devastated is to be shattered by missile attacks. Who wants this war: who could want it? Who could even think of avenging the dead by calling for more killing? It is not the people of the world. All polls show they are against it. Not just the people of Latin America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia and China but the American people, the British people, the French people and the Turkish people. It is only the politicians who want this war: Obama, Kerry, Hagel, McCain and others in the US; Cameron and Hague in Britain; Hollande…more
Munich, Syria, and Intervention
Palestine Chronicle: 8 Sep 2013 – By Binoy Kampmark Historical analogies can be effective tools to command attention. They can also be grotesque fabrications and dangerous distortions. Each historical event has its own locale of development, its own forces, and distinctiveness. Analogy, for that reasons, can only be suggestive, never conclusive. The Munich Analogy is one such object of abuse. In 1938, Czechoslovakia was effectively surrendered to Nazi Germany by agreement at Munich, part of Western Europe s appeasement strategy in the wake of a rampant Adolf Hitler. This was a crude version of land for peace give the land to Nazi Germany, and keep the peace in Europe. Europe was still war stricken by the First World War. The episode has been much misunde
rstood, and often such misunderstandings become the basis of analogies. This awareness is not evident in such individuals as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who has leapt at the analogy at…more
The Return of the Golems
Palestine Chronicle: 8 Sep 2013 – By William A. Cook AIPAC urges Congress to grant the President the authority he has requested to protect America s national security interests and dissuade the Syrian regime s further use of unconventional weapons. The civilized world cannot tolerate the use of these barbaric weapons, particularly against an innocent civilian population including hundreds of children. (AIPAC, 9/3/2013) To understand AIPAC s press statement to the US Congress and the American people, we must understand what is not said: urges means demands ; protect America s national security interest means protect Israel s national security interests ; dissuade means destroy ; Syrian regime s further use of unconventional weapons means prevent by total destruction Syria s use of the weapons Israel uses against Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey and the Palestinian people ; civilized world cannot tolerate the use of these barbaric weapons means Israel, which does use these barbaric weapons even against children as in the Christmas devastation of Gaza in 2008/9,…more
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The New Dark Age 