13 October 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Palestinian village continuously inhabited for 3,000 about to be destroyed by Israel
IMEMC – The Israeli High Court is set to rule on the forced expulsion of all of the residents of the village of Khirbat Zanuta, southwest of Hebron in the southern West Bank on Monday. …
Army Locates 2.5 Kilometer Tunnel Dug By Gaza Fighters
IMEMC – Israeli sources have reported that the Israeli army cleared for publication, Sunday, the uncovering of a border tunnel between Gaza and Israel, and that the tunnel was prepared to carryout “a large-scale attack”. …
Settlers attack Palestinians harvesting olives in Hebron
10/13/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli settlers attacked residents of the Hebron district village of Susiya while they were picking olives Saturday, injuring three Palestinians, a village councilman said. Jehad al-Nawal, head of Susiya’s village council, told Ma’an that the settlers beat and injured Nasser, Khalil and Sameeha al-Nawaj’a. Al-Nawal added that settlers often target Palestinians during the olive harvest….
Israeli forces to displace 7 Bedouin families during Eid
10/13/2013 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli forces told seven families in the Tubas district village of al-Malih in the Northern West Bank that they would have to evacuate their homes on Monday, the first day of Eid al-Adha, a local official told Ma’an Sunday. Israeli soldiers notified the families that the army would be conducting military drills in the area from 5 p. m….
Israel cuts off all civilian building supplies to Gaza
10/13/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel on Sunday froze shipments of building materials to the Gaza Strip after discovering an alleged “terror tunnel” entering its borders from the adjoining territory, a defense official said.”Due to security reasons, (the army) decided to stop for now the transfer of building materials into Gaza,” Guy Inbar told AFP. Inbar, spokesman for the Israeli defense ministry unit responsible for civilian affairs…. Related: Report: Gaza tunnel leading to Israeli town discovered
Report: Gaza tunnel leading to Israeli town discovered
10/13/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces discovered a secret tunnel leading from the Gaza Strip to the Israeli town of Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha loaded with explosives on Thursday, according to Israeli news agency Ynet. The tunnel was apparently 2. 5 km long and began near Abasan al-Saghira, just east of Khan Younis, and ended near the Israeli town of Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha. Reports on the…. Related: Israel cuts off all civilian building supplies to Gaza
Israel detains 3 suspects in settlement murder
10/13/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel has arrested three Palestinian suspects in the murder of a Jewish settler in the West Bank, its domestic security service said Sunday.”The Shin Bet, with the assistance of the army and the police, have arrested a number of those involved in the murder of Sarya Ofer,” the agency said in a statement. The Shin Bet said Odeh Farid Harub, 18, and….
Group: 200 Palestinians aboard Malta shipwreck boat
10/13/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian group in Syria said Sunday that over 200 Palestinians were aboard a boat which capsized off Malta’s coast on Friday. The Action Group for Palestinians in Syria said that at least 200 Palestinian refugees fleeing conflict in the country were aboard the boat, which left the Libyan port of Zwara on Thursday. Some 70 Palestinian refugees survived….
Families, students protest in Hebron against PA arrests
10/13/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — The families of students detained by Palestinian Authority security forces held a demonstration in the center of Hebron on Sunday to call for their release. Fifteen students were arrested and are being held for their political activity at Palestine Polytechnic University, demonstrators said. PA security forces said that the students have been in custody for 15 days for investigation, without providing….
South African hajj delegation to visit Jerusalem
10/13/2013 – MECCA (Ma’an) — More than 25 hajj pilgrims from South Africa will visit the Al-Aqsa mosque after completing the pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, a Ma’an reporter said Sunday. A South African pilgrim told Ma’an that he had established a travel agency in South Africa that encourages Muslim pilgrims to visit Al-Aqsa in East Jerusalem. The pilgrim said that after completing….
Egypt detains 277 undocumented migrants along borders
10/13/2013 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — Egyptian border guards detained 277 migrants attempting to cross Egypt’s borders without proper documents on Sunday, Egyptian security sources reported. The sources told a Ma’an reporter in Cairo that 166 of the migrants were detained in the southwest near Egypt’s borders with Libya and Sudan. The sources identified the detained migrants according to nationality, describing….
Two million Muslim pilgrims begin annual hajj
10/13/2013 – MECCA (AFP) — Some two million pilgrims poured out of the Muslim holy city of Mecca on Sunday to begin the annual hajj, their numbers reduced on fears of the deadly MERS virus. Saudi Health Minister Abdullah Al-Rabia told reporters late Saturday that authorities had so far detected no cases among the pilgrims of the virus which has killed 60 people worldwide, 51 of them in….
Heavy clashes after militants ambush police bus in North Sinai
10/13/2013 – El-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — An unspecified number of Egyptian policemen were injured in an attack by armed men on a bus near Sheikh Zuweid in the Sinai Peninsula on Sunday morning. A Ma’an correspondent said that an unspecified Wahhabi militant group attacked a bus carrying members of the Egyptian police near Abu Taweelah village in the northern Sinai Peninsula, near the Egyptian….
Key Syria opposition group refuses peace talks with Assad
10/13/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — A key group within the Syrian opposition National Coalition said Sunday it would not attend proposed peace talks in Geneva and would quit the Coalition if it participated.”The Syrian National Council, which is the biggest bloc in the Coalition, has taken the firm decision. . . not to go to Geneva, under the present circumstances (on the ground),” Council president George Sabra told AFP….
Iraq Kurd chief ready to hit militants in Syria, Iraq
10/13/2013 – ARBIL, Iraq (AFP) — Iraqi Kurdistan is prepared to strike militants anywhere, including neighboring Syria, but the Kurds must avoid being drawn into its civil war, the autonomous region’s president Massud Barzani told AFP. Barzani’s remarks came after militants carried out a late-September attack on a security service headquarters in the Kurdish region’s capital Arbil, killing seven people – a rare….
Red Crescent: Over 1,500 evacuated from besieged Damascus suburb
10/13/2013 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syria’s Red Crescent said Sunday that it has evacuat
ed at least 1,500 people since the previous day from a Damascus suburb besieged by the Syrian army for months.”Around 1,500 people, most of them women and children, were evacuated from a point on the outskirts of Moadamiyet al-Sham and taken to shelters,” Red Crescent head of operations Khaled Erksoussi told AFP….
British aid to help Jordan cope with Syrian refugees
10/13/2013 – AMMAN (AFP) — Britain said on Sunday it will give Jordan £12 million ($19 million) to help local communities in the country cope with hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.”Jordan will receive urgently needed support to keep essential public services running and prevent tensions between local people and growing numbers of Syrian refugees,” British International Development Secretary Justine Greening said.”The United Kingdom will provide….
Gunmen kidnap Red Cross workers in war-ravaged Syria
10/13/2013 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Gunman abducted seven International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent staff on Sunday in Idlib province, one of the main theaters of Syria’s brutal war, the ICRC said. It came as two suicide car bombings blasted Damascus and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, or SARC, said it evacuated hundreds of people from a suburb of the capital that the….
Malala says she’s no Western puppet
The National 13 Oct 2013 – Malala Yousafzai hits back at claims that she has become a figure of the West, insisting she is proud to be a Pakistani.
Ahead of talks, Iran says it won’t ship enriched uranium abroad
The National 13 Oct 2013 – On the eve of nuclear talks, surrounded by the most optimism in years, Iran rejects a key Western demand. Michael Theodoulou reports
Arab Spring economic hardships erode Mecca gold sales
The National 13 Oct 2013 – Visitors from Arab countries traditionally buy jewellery during the Haj, often taking home necklaces, rings and bracelets to loved ones. But not this year.
Red Cross says seven missing aid workers in Syria kidnapped
The National 13 Oct 2013 – Unidentified armed men take six Red Cross aid workers and a member of the Syrian Red Crescent.
More UAE residents are heading abroad for Eid
The National 13 Oct 2013 – With Eid Al Adha falling midweek some workers are getting up to nine days off – and making the most of the break by travelling abroad.
American found hanged in Egypt police cell
The National 13 Oct 2013 – The body of James Henry, 55, was found at noon at the Ismailiya Awal police station.
Philippines cleans up after Typhoon Nari
The National 13 Oct 2013 – Major clean-up operation underway after Typhoon Nari pounds the archipelago’s north as authorities issue storm warning for the east of the country.
Indian temple stampede kills more than 90
The National 13 Oct 2013 – Stampede near a Hindu temple was triggered by a rumour a bridge might collapse after being struck by a heavy vehicle.
The children left behind by China’s economic migrants
The National 13 Oct 2013 – An estimated 60 million mostly rural Chinese children are being raised by relatives, strangers or left to fend for themselves as their parents move to the cities in search of paid work. Hannah Gardner reports
Libya PM ‘determined’ to tackle illegal immigration
The National 13 Oct 2013 – Ali Zeidan says he has asked the EU for training and equipment to prevent illegal immigrants from leaving Libya for Europe.
India counts cost of Cyclone Phailin’s destruction
The National 13 Oct 2013 – At least 14 people are killed and crops worth more than a billion dirhams are destroyed, but preparation and a bit of luck help prevent heavy casualties. Samanth Subramanian reports
Thousands farewell Vietnamese war hero Vo Nguyen Giap
The National 13 Oct 2013 – Hundreds of thousands of people flood the streets of Vietnam’s capital to bid a final farewell to the legendary war hero who led the nation to victory over the French and then the Americans.
India’s cyclone effort a step in right direction
The National 13 Oct 2013 – India deserves full credit for its official response this week to Cyclone Phailin
1,500 evacuated from besieged Damascus suburb
The National 13 Oct 2013 – Syria’s Red Crescent evacuates at least 1,500 people from Damascus suburb that has been under siege by the Syrian army for months.
Video: House bid rejected, Senate Democrats and Republicans now negotiating
The National 13 Oct 2013 – Amid a whirlwind of events following a partial federal government shutdown, Senate Democratic and Republican leaders are now at negotiating table.
Video: Kerry-Karzai security talks make progress
The National 13 Oct 2013 – As US-Afghan negotiations finish up in the capital, a suicide bomber kills four in Jalalabad.
Video: Sierra Leone troops helping in fight against al Shabaab in Somalia
The National 13 Oct 2013 – The African Union has launched another campaign against the al Shabaab militant group in Somalia and troops from Sierra Leone are joining the fight.
In pictures: Cyclone Phailin forces hundreds of thousands to flee homes
The National 13 Oct 2013 – Hundreds of thousands have been evacuated from their homes as Cyclone Phailin hits eastern India.
Knesset members brace for intensive winter session
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Jerusalem candidate Leon attacks Haredim in Russian press
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Israel must stay calm and avoid provocations
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Iran willing to hold direct talks with U.S. on sidelines of Geneva conference
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Kerry on Iran: No deal is better than a bad deal
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
West Bank village inhabited for 3,000 years faces eviction
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef memorial service draws tens of thousands
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Pope sets March date for joint pilgrimage with rabbi
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Israeli stocks lose early gains Sunday on debt ceiling jitters
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Temporary truce enables mass evacuation from Damascus suburb
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Word of the Day / Dash: Sending more than a smidgen of regards
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Turkish students arrested for Nazi salute at Majdanek
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Rome vows to prevent funeral of convicted war criminal Priebke
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
U.S. citizen found dead in Egypt prison cell
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Gaza bodybuilders get their grease on
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Leak leads to discovery of mega-tunnel from Gaza to Israel
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
A new American Jewish generation arises, alienated from intransigent Israel
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Two Palestinians confess to murdering retired Israeli colonel
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
East Jerusalem residents: City lied about contested highway
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
A shul for secular Jews in America
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Netanyahu buries bill that would apply Israeli law to occupied West Bank
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
Iran rejects demand to ship uranium stockpiles abroad
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
IDF soldiers uncover and destroy Gaza tunnel leading into Israel
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
House shutdown talks fail, focus shifts to bipartisan Senate leadership for compromise
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
34 migrants drown, survivors reach Malta
Ha’aretz – 13 Oct 2013
A tale of two former ministers
Ha’aretz – 12 Oct 2013
A dangerous illusion
Ha’aretz – 12 Oct 2013
Stop the expulsions
Ha’aretz – 12 Oct 2013
Stop, you’re scaring the children: Fear as a cornerstone in Israeli education
Ha’aretz – 12 Oct 2013
Israeli students clammy to humanities
Ha’aretz – 12 Oct 2013
Kinneret kibbutz celebrates centennial and a history of ‘sacred stubbornness’
Ha’aretz – 12 Oct 2013
Shin Bet investigating whether Jordan Valley assailant knew victims prior to attack
Ha’aretz – 12 Oct 2013
Yitzhak Rabin memorial rally draws 30,000 people
Ha’aretz – 12 Oct 2013
Strong earthquake strikes near Crete, felt in Israel
Ha’aretz – 12 Oct 2013
Supreme Court hears appeal to stop road slated to traverse capital neighborhood
Jerusalem Post 13 Oct 2013 – Residents say the 1.8 kilometer highway will cut Beit Safafa into sections.
Abutbol accuses Cohen supporters of Beit Shemesh electoral violence
Jerusalem Post 13 Oct 2013 – Two Abutbol workers were attacked by Cohen activists while putting up campaign posters, mayor’s campaign alleges.
Lion: If elected holy city mayor I will strip Meretz of responsibility for east Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post 13 Oct 2013 – Current portfolio head calls it ‘sour grapes,’ says candidate tried to get party to join coalition.
50 people rally for cooperation between Israelis, African migrants in Tel Aviv
Jerusalem Post 13 Oct 2013 – Activist says event meant to show real problem is not migrants, but municipality, gov’t policies, lack of resources.
An unlikely dig
Jerusalem Post 13 Oct 2013 – The archeological site at Tel Esur, on the coast south of Haifa, allows students to discover ancient artifacts – as well as their own capabilities.
Mufti of Jerusalem calls for preachers throughout the world to speak about Al-Aksa Mosque
Jerusalem Post 13 Oct 2013 – Popular Arab daily runs article stating recently deceased Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is going to hell.
Students in Israel not satisfied with quality of academics
Jerusalem Post 13 Oct 2013 – Highest scores are recorded in private colleges, followed by colleges of Education and public colleges.
Debt and a series of threats drove Tel Aviv man to set himself alight
Jerusalem Post 13 Oct 2013 – Acquaintances tell the ‘Post’ the troubling story of a 55-year-old Russian-speaking Israeli and father of two.
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal to head Hamas delegation to Iran
Jerusalem Post 13 Oct 2013 – Hamas denies intention to relocate Hamas int’l HQ to Tehran.
Court surprises state, releases Kotel shooter to house arrest
Jerusalem Post 13 Oct 2013 – Court reasons that “the risk to public security that the accused represents can be tempered” under full house arrest.
State indicts Jerusalem mother accused of murdering two kids
Jerusalem Post 13 Oct 2013 – Police say Carina Brill told investigators she had killed her children because she was “not a good mother.”
IDF uncovers Palestinian terrorist tunnel leading from Gaza to kibbutz in Israel
Jerusalem Post 13 Oct 2013 – Underground passageway – built with Israeli concrete slabs – took over a year to build, say army sources, was 3rd discovered this year.
Egypt strongman raps Hagel over US decision to cut aid
Jerusalem Post 12 Oct 2013 – Cairo hints it could seek assistance elsewhere giving Washington less leverage to stabilize Arab world’s most populous country.
Rabin’s grandson urges Netanyahu to lead Israel to peace with Palestinians
Jerusalem Post 12 Oct 2013 – Tens of thousands gather in Tel Aviv for rally marking 18 years to assassination of former premier.
Military Resistance 11J5 Dwindling
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – More than a decade since the U.S. launched Operation Enduring Freedom on Oct. 7, 2001, there are still 54,000 American troops in Afghanistan. That is more, by far, than at any time during the first seven…
Taliban statement Statement of Islamic Emirate regarding UN mandate to extend NATO mission in Afghanistan
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 -Regretfully, the United Nations Security Council on Thursday extended the mandate of NATO mission in Afghanistan to continue the occupation of this country, spill the blood of Afghans, killings, vexing, bombardment, raids and savagery for another year….
Civil drones join military drones falling from the skies
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – As regular readers will know, Drone Wars UK tracks crashes of the larger type II and III military UAVs in our Drone Crash Database (details of UAV classifications here). We have just updated our list with…
Palestinians Right to Resist
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states “(e)veryone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” No one has the right to deny them. Resisting lawless occupation is universally recognized. Palestinians may use “all…
Syrian National Council rejects Geneva peace talks
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – The largest group in Syria s opposition coalition says it will not take part in proposed peace negotiations in Geneva. Syrian National Council leader George Sabra said the group would pull out of the umbrella coalition…
Assange: Snowden safe but journalists dealing with him at risk (FULL VIDEO)
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – Edward Snowden is safe in Russia, but the fates of journalists who helped him and published his leaks are now of more concern for WikiLeaks, Julian Assange said in an exclusive interview with RT Spanish Behind…
Meshaal to Tehran: Return of the Prodigal Son?
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 -Khaled Meshaal will visit Iran. This has been confirmed by Al-Monitor s sources in Tehran, but still unconfirmed – to us and Meshaal – is the timing. It was obvious that relations between Hamas, the strong Palestinian…
Controversy over Taliban arrest overshadows Kerry Afghanistan talks
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – Reports that the US arrest of a senior Taliban
commander was carried out despite his being in the custody of the Afghan government threatened on Saturday to overshadow talks between the US secretary of state, John…
For Israeli soldiers, social media has become a showcase of horrors
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – In the summer of 2010, a chubby-cheeked twenty-year-old girl from Ashdod named Eden Abergil posted on her Facebook page. Nestled among the photos of Abergil and her friends during their army service and labeled “The army . . ….
Why are you polite when you ask the soldiers not to shoot at the Gaza farmers?
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 -Gaza, the Palestinian enclave on the Mediterranean coastline, continues to suffer from the ongoing siege by the Israelis. Farmers as well as fishermen are regularly shot by Israeli troops on land and sea, as they go about…
Brutal methods used against Guantanamo hunger strikers revealed as fears grow for Shaker Aamer
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – Men cleared for release but still detained in Guantanamo have revealed the methods used to attempt to break the hunger strike by authorities at the US prison. The revelations come amid growing fears for the health…
How the World Health Organisation Covered Up Iraq s Nuclear Nightmare
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – Last month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published a long awaited document summarising the findings of an in-depth investigation into the prevalence of congenital birth defects (CBD) in Iraq, which many experts believe is linked to…
Syria and its chemical weapons What we are not being told
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – … Since the Assad regime and Russia both deny that Syrian government forces were responsible for the August attacks, it s relevant to ask whether either type of munition has been declared to the OPCW as part…
West Bank village inhabited for 3,000 years faces eviction
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – His mother gave birth to him “under the sheep,” says Ribhi Al Battat, 60, hence his unique ability to translate the animal s every bleating and gesture. I forgot to ask him at the end of…
Emir of Qatar reaches out to President al-Assad
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – – Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is said to have expressed a keen desire to mend bridges with Syria. The Emir wants to smooth things over with Syria. Sources further added that rather than discuss the…
Egypt: Reduced US Military Aid to Prompt Eastern Shift?
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – The US administration has consistently used threats of suspending aid to blackmail countries that it fails to subdue. However, when it comes to Egypt, things are a bit more complicated since the security of Israel comes…
Generation Palestine – Book Review
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – Generation Palestine is a timely and enlightening work. For all the reading available on Palestine/Israel, I am usually left with a combination feeling of despair for the overall situation combined with admiration for the steadfastness of…
Israeli forces to displace 7 Bedouin families during Eid
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 — Israeli forces told seven families in the Tubas district village of al-Malih in the Northern West Bank that they would have to evacuate their homes on Monday, the first day of Eid al-Adha, a local official…
Continued settler harassment and international arrested in Hebron
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – Ocotber 13, 2013 -One international was arrested after settlers fenced off the Asseh family home for a second day in a row in Hebron s Tel Rumeida area. Yesterday, early Saturday morning, settlers tied a fence across the exit of…
Watch the Shocking New Animated Film About the Guantánamo Hunger Strike
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 13, 2013 – …Speaking about the film, Reprieve s Strategic Director, Cori Crider, said, “The details of what goes on in Guantánamo are either completely hidden from the public or censored. Even what my clients say to me, their…
Edward Snowden says NSA surveillance programmes hurt our country (Video)
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 12, 2013 -The National Security Agency whistleblower, Edward Snowden, has said that the mass surveillance programmes used by the US to tap into phone and internet connections around the world is making people less safe. In short video clips…
Bombers, Gunmen Kill 47 Across Iraq
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 12, 2013 – At least 47 were killed and 50 more were wounded in several shootings and bombings. A truck bombing at a Samarra market killed 24 people and wounded 30 more.Four people were killed and seven more were…
Military Resistance 11J4 Shut It Down
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 12, 2013 – According to reports, at least 13 US troops were severely injured following deadly explosions in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan earlier this week.The attack which took place in Panjwai district of southern Kandahar province on Sunday…
A concerted attack on Palestinian identity
Uruknet 13 Oct 2013 – October 12, 2013 – Palestinians are up-in-arms over the latest attempts by Israel to introduce its “homegrown” educational curriculum in Arab schools in occupied East Jerusalem. Ever since the current academic year started early last month, Palestinians have expressed their…
Obama, Pelosi say ‘clean’ bills needed for debt ceiling, restart
Daily Star 13 Oct 2013 President Barack Obama spoke by phone on Sunday with Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, to discuss the need for “clean” legislation that would increase the debt limit for a year and restart…
Kerry on Iran: Diplomatic window ‘cracking open’
Daily Star 13 Oct 2013 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the window for diplomacy with Iran over its nuclear program is “cracking open,” but that “no deal is better than a bad deal.”
Gunmen kidnap 7 Red Cross workers in Syria
Daily Star 13 Oct 2013 Gunmen abducted six Red Cross workers and a Syrian Red Crescent volunteer after stopping their convoy early Sunday in northwestern Syria, a spokesman said, in the latest high-profile kidnapping in the country’s civil war.
Israeli PM drops settler bill that sparked uproar
Daily Star 13 Oct 2013 Israel’s prime minister abandons a contested labor bill for female settlers that critics claimed would entrench Israeli control of the West Bank.
Libya PM ‘determined’ to tackle illegal immigration
Daily Star 13 Oct 2013 Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan says he is “determined” to tackle illegal immigration, two days after a boat carrying migrants sank between the North African country and Malta, killing dozens.
Red Cross workers abducted in Syria: State media
Daily Star 13 Oct 2013 Gunmen kidnap a number of Red Cross workers in northwest Syria after opening fire on their vehicles, Syrian state agency reports.
London: 4 arrested for allegedly planning terror act
YNet News, 13 Oct 2013 – ….
Iranian official: We’ll hold direct talks with US at Geneva
YNet News, 13 Oct 2013 – ….
Syrian in fair condition at Ziv Medical Center
YNet News, 13 Oct 2013 – ….
US veterans groups take shutdown protest to White House gates
YNet News, 13 Oct 2013 – ….
Kerry on Iran: Diplomatic window ‘cracking open’
YNet News, 13 Oct 2013 – ….
We’ve learned nothing from Rabin murder
YNet News, 13 Oct 2013 – Op-ed: Keeping late premier’s memory alive not enough; anti-democratic legislation must be blocked ….
Chabad looking for young Jewish stars
YNet News, 13 Oct 2013 – Jewish Kids Got Talent contest invites children from around world to present unique talents, be it act of charity, singing ability (boys only) or memorizing Torah verses by heart. Winners to get $1,000 for their school or favorite organization, $500 for themselves ….
Obama still clueless on Egypt
YNet News, 13 Oct 2013 – Op-ed: Rather than suspend aid, US should support army fighting to prevent Egypt from becoming Islamic state ….
Nobel laureate escaped Nazis when small
YNet News, 13 Oct 2013 – Martin Karplus, one of three scientists who won prestigious prize in chemistry, describes in autobiography how attitudes towards him and his family changed even before Nazi takeover of Austria. ‘My brother and I were called dirty Jew boys’ ….
Couple gets anti-Semitic wedding video
YNet News, 12 Oct 2013 – British cameraman captures his own racist remarks about Jewish couple on film, sends them unedited version. ‘I don’t think I blame Hitler,’ he is heard saying as he films bride and groom dancing ….
Palestinian Information Center
Coup junta must stop threatening Gaza
PIC – The recurrent threats to invade Gaza and murder and maim Palestinians, say pundits in both Egypt and occupied Palestine, is a reflection of the failure and moral bankruptcy of the Sisi coup.
Hamas: Closing tunnels without alternative permits occupation to blackmail Gaza
PIC – Hamas movement condemned the closure of tunnels without providing an alternative in light of the occupation new announcement to prevent the entry of construction materials into the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Undercover units kidnap 15 citizens in the west of al-Khalil
PIC – Israeli Special Units kidnapped on Saturday more than 15 Palestinian citizens from the town of Deir Samit, west of al-Khalil during a raid into the region.
Settlers attack dozens of cars near Nablus
PIC – Dozens of Jewish settlers attacked on Saturday night and at dawn Sunday tens of Palestinian vehicles, in the vicinity of the city of Nablus in the north of the West Bank.
Tadhamun: Israeli attacks on Palestinian schools escalate
PIC – Tadhamun Foundation for Human Rights states that the recent weeks have seen a remarkable escalation in the attacks of the Israeli soldiers and settlers on Palestinian schools and students.
IOF soldiers nab two young men, expand base in Al-Khalil
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested two young men in Al-Khalil city at dawn Sunday including a teenager and started to expand an army base south of the city.
Dozens suffer breathing difficulty in IOF quelling of protestors
PIC – Dozens of Palestinian young men suffered breathing difficulty after Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired teargas canisters at them in Jaba village, south of Jenin, on Sunday.
Health of captive Shawamra on the decline
PIC – The health condition of prisoner Naim Shawamra from Dura town in Al-Khalil has seriously deteriorated as of late.
IOF orders families to evacuate their homes for two days
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) notified seven families in the Jordan Valley on Sunday that they have to evacuate their homes for two days.
Resheq: The peace talks will end with abortion
PIC – Ezzat Al-Resheq said that the Palestinian authority’s negotiations with the Israeli occupation regime would not culminate with success because it works beyond the Palestinian national consensus.
Adviser to Abbas Meets General Italian Consul in Ramallah
WAFA – 13 Oct 2013
Israel to Evacuate Residential Tents in Jordan Valley
WAFA – 13 Oct 2013
Presidency Denies Reports Envoy to Syria Carried Letter
WAFA – 13 Oct 2013
Allenby Crossing with Jordan Closed on Tuesday
WAFA – 13 Oct 2013
Israeli Settlers Terrorize Hebron-Area Village, Assault Residents
WAFA – 13 Oct 2013
Statistics Bureau: Over $10B in Value Output in 2012
WAFA – 13 Oct 2013
Newspapers Review: Plan to Divide Al-Aqsa Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 13 Oct 2013
Syria: Seven Red Cross workers abducted, aid group says
LA Times 13 Oct 2013 – BEIRUT — Gunmen waylaid a humanitarian convoy in northern Syria on Sunday and abducted seven people working with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the aid group said.
U.S. citizen detained in Egypt is found dead in jail cell
LA Times 13 Oct 2013 – CAIRO — An American citizen detained by Egyptian authorities since late August was found hanged in his jail cell on Sunday, U.S. and Egyptian officials said. Egyptian authorities described the death as an apparent suicide.
Eyes in Doha Are on Damien Hirsts and Warhols
New York Times 13 Oct 2013 – As Qatar raises its profile in the contemporary art world, dealers and artists don’t want to miss out.
Bombings Kill at Least 34 People in Iraq
New York Times 13 Oct 2013 – Much of the violence was concentrated in mainly Shiite provinces in southern Iraq, including four bombings in Kut Province that killed 15 people.
Egyptian Officials Say American Killed Himself in Prison
New York Times 13 Oct 2013 – James Lunn had been detained for more than six weeks after his arrest in the Sinai Peninsula in a security sweep in August.
Special Report: Gulf States Face Lack of Qualified Citizens for Energy Jobs
New York Times 13 Oct 2013 – The political upheaval sweeping the Arab world has pushed Gulf governments to offer more jobs to citizens, but they lack the experience of the expatriates they are supposed to replace.
Tunnel From Gaza Found in Israel, Army Says
New York Times 13 Oct 2013 – Responding to the discovery, the Israeli military said it had suspended the flow of building materials into Gaza because the tunnel could have been used for an attack against soldiers or civilians.
Family Man One Day, Rebel Fighter the Next
New York Times 12 Oct 2013 – Thousands of men who once held ordinary jobs in Syria have turned into part-time fighters, leaving their refugee families to return to the war.
Union threatens strike over Teva layoffs
Globes Main News – Teva unit Teva Tech workers committee chairman Eli Zohar: We’re ready for a long strike, and we’ll raise money to survive.
No oil at Yam 3
Globes Energy & Water – Despite finding signs of oil in preliminary tests last month, Shemen Oil announced today that Yam 3 is a dry hole.
Chaim Hurvitz: Teva layoffs exaggerated
Globes Main News – The Teva director says most cutbacks will come in production while retirements and freezing hiring will reduce layoffs.
Sun: Teva fails to lift market
Globes Main News – The market fell despite Teva’s continued rise since announcing cutbacks, but Oil Refineries resumed its slide.
Playtech buys 3% stake in Ladbrokes
Globes Main News – Playtech now has a market cap of £2.1 billion, higher than Ladbroke’s market cap of £1.75 billion.
N.Y. town fosters ‘anti-Christian’ hatred against Roger Ailes, says Ailes editor
Mondoweiss – Roger Ailes Here’s some crazy news from my town. An editor who answers to Roger Ailes, the Fox News president, is accusing my Hudson Valley community of fostering “anti-Christian” feeling against Ailes and his family. First the back story. Roger Ailes moved to Philipstown, N.Y., six…
‘Why are you polite when you ask the soldiers not to shoot at the Gaza farmers?’
Mondoweiss – Gaza, the Palestinian enclave on the Mediterranean coastline, continues to suffer from the ongoing siege by the Israelis. Farmers as well as fishermen are regularly shot by Israeli troops on land and sea, as they go about their daily lives. In this short video, some insight…
Home sales down 22% in August
Globes Main News – Finance Ministry: Preliminary data for September indicate a further drop in home sales.
The ‘Trickle-Down Security State’
Mondoweiss – This is part of Marc H. Ellis’s “Exile and the Prophetic” feature for Mondo
weiss. To read the entire series visit the archive page . It’s amazing and so generous when people in high positions protect us. I get goose bumps just thinking about. And the trickle-down effect…
Wholesalers: Agriculture Ministry inflating cucumber, tomato prices
Globes Macro Economics – The Plants Production and Marketing Board is inflating prices in favor of farmers, claim wholesalers in the Zerifin fruit and vegetable wholesale market.
Tower CEO: We’re targeting $1b annual sales in 2015
Globes Main News – Russell Ellwanger told “Reuters” that, “our biggest focus is on sustainable GAAP net profit.”
‘The bra is a security threat’: Harassment and interrogation at Ben Gurion airport
Mondoweiss – Anonymous is 21 years old and lives in Berkeley, California. Her father is a Jordanian Palestinian and her mother is a British Jew. The following trip took place in September, 2013. I took a deep breath and looked around at my surroundings. I mostly kept tabs…
Insiders selling as TASE nears peak
Globes Main News – Companies’ controlling shareholders have sold more than NIS 3 billion of shares since the beginning of the year.
Pentagon opts for Rockwell-Elbit F-35 pilot helmet
Globes Aerospace & Defense – Work on a second helmet being developed by BAE Systems will be halted.
Regulator wants cash back from IEC workers
Globes Energy & Water – Despite concerns that the IEC reform may be derailed, the Director of Wages says employees must repay irregular supplements.
Koor sells further block of Credit Suisse shares
Globes Main News – Koor has sold 6.2 million Credit Suisse shares for 175.9 million Swiss francs.
New BoI governor within days, Lapid tells “Globes”
Globes Main News – One of the three candidates approved by the Turkel Committee – Prof. Zvi Eckstein, Prof. Mario Blejer, or Victor Medina – will be appointed to the post.
Iranian Sabotage Compromises Entire Israeli Drone Fleet, Saudi Arabia Stations Israeli Drones for Iran Attack on Its Territory
Tikun Olam – Israel’s hopelessly compromised Harpy drone fleet was to take out Iran’s air defenses. (Rheinmetall Defense) A few days ago, I published two different reports: one on Israeli war games simulating an attack on Iran; the second on Iranian sabotaging of four Israeli drones over the past…
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Memorial Draws 40,000
The Foward Breaking News 13 Oct 2013 – Some 40,000 people participated in a memorial for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef in Jerusalem at the end of the mourning period. Click here for the rest of the article…
Iran rejects shipping out uranium
BBC 13 Oct 2013 – Iran will not allow any of its enriched uranium to be shipped abroad, the deputy foreign minister says, rejecting a key demand of Western powers.
Red Cross workers kidnapped in Syria
BBC 13 Oct 2013 – Seven Red Cross and Red Crescent workers have been kidnapped by gunmen in north-west Syria, the International Committee of the Red Cross says.
Turkish Students Make Nazi Salute at Majdanek
The Foward Breaking News 13 Oct 2013 – Two students from Turkey were arrested in Poland for using a Nazi salute on a group of Israeli students visiting the Majdanek concentration camp. Click here for the rest of the article…
VIDEO: Footage from inside Gaza tunnel
BBC 13 Oct 2013 – The Israeli army says it has discovered a tunnel running 1.7km (1 mile) from the Gaza Strip into Israel.
Key Syria bloc rejects peace talks
BBC 13 Oct 2013 – The Syrian National Council, the biggest opposition coalition, says it will not take part in peace talks while Syrians are still suffering.
1-1/2 Mile Gaza ‘Terror Tunnel’ Led to Kibbutz Kindergarten
The Foward Breaking News 13 Oct 2013 – A recently uncovered tunnel between Gaza and an Israeli kibbutz was full of explosives and ended near a kindergarten. Click here for the rest of the article…
The Numbers Show an Intolerant Israel
The Forward Leonard Fein 13 Oct 2013 – Ad: When America Bankrupts What Happens To You? – Who Isn’t Talking About The Sinking Global Economy?! How To Survive A Global Financial Crisis And Currency Collapse Provides Proven Strategies, Techniques And Information That Every American Needs To Know To Survive The Worst Financial Crisis Ever!…
Africa: Thursdays in Black – Zero Tolerance for Violence Against Women
allAfrica.com 13 Oct 2013 – [WCC]The World Council of Churches (WCC) is working toward the revival of “Thursdays in Black”, a campaign against sexual and gender-based violence. The emphasis is pertinent to the theme of the WCC’s upcoming assembly: “God of life, lead us to justice and peace”.
Egypt: UN Envoy – Nuclear-Free Middle East Egyptian Priority
allAfrica.com 13 Oct 2013 – [Egypt Online]Egypt’s permanent mission to the United Nations held two seminars in cooperation with the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs on clearing the Middle East region of weapons of mass destruction.
‘Gay’ Puppets in Israel Ad Campaign Spark Debate
The Foward Breaking News 12 Oct 2013 – The goal was merely to promote clean energy in Israel — but television ads starring a pair of male puppets called “plug” and “socket” have instead unleashed a debate about gay pride. Click here for the rest of the article…
Iran rejects shipping out uranium
BBC 13 Oct 2013 – Iran will not allow any of its enric
hed uranium to be shipped abroad, the deputy foreign minister says, rejecting a key demand of Western powers.
Red Cross workers kidnapped in Syria
BBC 13 Oct 2013 – Seven Red Cross and Red Crescent workers have been kidnapped by gunmen in north-west Syria, the International Committee of the Red Cross says.
VIDEO: Footage from inside Gaza tunnel
BBC 13 Oct 2013 – The Israeli army says it has discovered a tunnel running 1.7km (1 mile) from the Gaza Strip into Israel.
US man found hanged in Egyptian cell
BBC 13 Oct 2013 – Egyptian officials order an inquiry into the death of a US citizen found dead in a police cell, in what the US embassy says was “an apparent suicide”.
Gaza ‘terror tunnel’ found in Israel
BBC 13 Oct 2013 – Israel suspends deliveries of building supplies to the Gaza Strip after discovering a long tunnel out of the Palestinian territory into Israel.
Key Syria bloc rejects peace talks
BBC 13 Oct 2013 – The Syrian National Council, the biggest opposition coalition, says it will not take part in peace talks while Syrians are still suffering.
Bomb attacks kill ten in Iraq
Al-Akhbar News 13 Oct 2013 – A series of bombs killed at least ten people in Iraq on Sunday ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, police and medical sources said. Altogether 11 bombs were detonated by remote control. The deadliest attack took place in the city of Hilla, 100 kilometers…
Israel bars building materials shipments from entering Gaza Strip
Al-Akhbar News 13 Oct 2013 – Israel on Sunday froze shipments of building materials to the Gaza Strip after discovering an alleged “terror tunnel” into the Jewish state from the adjoining territory, a defense official said. “Due to security reasons, (the army) decided to stop for now the transfer of building materials…
Iraqi Kurdistan president says willing to strike “terrorist criminals” in Syria
Al-Akhbar News 13 Oct 2013 – President of Iraqi Kurdistan autonomous region, Massoud Barzani answers AFP’s journalists’ questions during an interview on October 12, 2013 in the northern Kurdish city of Arbil. (Photo: AFP – Safin Hamed) Iraqi Kurdistan is prepared to strike militants anywhere, including neighboring Syria, but the Kurds must…
Syrian National Council won’t attend Geneva II peace talks
Al-Akhbar News 13 Oct 2013 – Updated at 2:30pm: A key group within the Syrian opposition National Coalition said Sunday it would not attend proposed peace talks in Geneva and would quit the Coalition if it participated. “The Syrian National Council, which is the biggest bloc in the Coalition, has taken the…
Iran rejects calls to ship out uranium stockpile
Al-Akhbar News 13 Oct 2013 – Iran will not agree to ship out its stockpile of enriched uranium, one of its main negotiators said Sunday ahead of crunch talks with world powers on its nuclear program. “We will negotiate about the volume, levels and the methods of enrichment but shipping out the (…
Two million pilgrims come to Mecca for hajj despite MERS virus fears
Al-Akhbar News 13 Oct 2013 – Muslim pilgrims wait for performing morning prayer in Mecca’s Grand Mosque, on October 13, 2013, as hundreds of thousands of Muslims have poured into the holy city of Mecca for the annual hajj pilgrimage. (Photo: AFP – Fayez Nureldine) Some two million pilgrims poured out of…
VIDEO: Challenges for the Egyptian economy
BBC 12 Oct 2013 – BBC Arabic’s Khaled Ezzelarab looks at how Egypt’s new government is dealing with the economic challenges facing the country.
VIDEO: Trying to be green in the desert
BBC 12 Oct 2013 – Desley Humphrey visits The Change Initiative – a company that has won awards for being green.
Articles
From Italy to Israel/Palestine: Activists share insights on popular struggle
Riccardo Carraro, +972 Magazine 10/13/2013
Since 1994, activists in the Italy’s Susa Valley have been engaged in a popular struggle against government plans to build a 57 kilometer high-speed railway. On a trip to the West Bank, the Susa Valley activists came to better understand life under Israeli occupation, and came away with new insights for their own struggle back home.
When we use the term “popular struggle” we usually mean it in the context of collective, grassroots participation in a fight that is inclusive of several sectors of society, without distinction based on gender, age, culture, etc. And although each popular struggle has its own specificities and characteristics, there are common elements shared by all popular struggles: rejection of a strict division of labor, determination to participate, to take back one’s life, as well as one’s personal and communal destiny.
All popular struggles have in common the capacity to choose, claim dignity, and react to violence, repression, and abuse of power. A struggle becomes “popular” when it is not implemented solely by leaders but by common people. A struggle is popular when both the elderly and young can participate, each one through their own contribution.
In a popular struggle, the process of “activation” is as important as the results you achieve, it is precisely through that process that one obtains the greatest outcomes.
I recently returned from a journey to Israel/Palestine with a delegation of Italian activists from the Susa Valley. During our trip we visited various local groups engaged in popular struggle, including in Nabi Saleh, Al-Araqib, Bil’in, South Hebron Hills and Jaffa.
Since 1994, the Susa Valley has been the site of NO TAV, a popular struggle against the construction of a high-speed railway in the valley….more.. e-mail
Court denial of Israeli nationality reinforces discrimination
Ben White, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 10/7/2013
Last week, in response to a long-running legal challenge, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled in favour of the status quo whereby the country’s population registry does not allow “Israeli” as a permitted nationality. What at first glance appears confusing sheds light on a little known aspect of Israel’s discriminatory ethnocracy.
In denying the existence of an Israeli nationality distinct from a Jewish one, court President Asher Grunis and Justices Uzi Vogelman and Hanan Melcer upheld a 2008 Jerusalem District Court verdict, and also echoed the outcome of a similar case brought before the Supreme Court in the 1970s.
Israeli ID cards and population registry feature an ‘ethnicity’ category, or ‘nationhood’/nationality (Hebrew: le’om), with the most common being ‘Jewish’ and ‘Arab’ (for Palestinian citizens of Israel). The defeated petitioners sought the right to replace ‘Jewish’ with ‘Israeli’, a campaign led for decades by Prof. Uzzi Ornan.
The Supreme Court’s ruling, excerpts of which have been translated for MEMO by Ofer Neiman (see here), is essential reading for those looking to understand the ways in which Israel seeks to maintain itself ostensibly as both a “Jewish and democratic” state.
Summarising the grounds on which the case had already been rejected, Judge Uzi Vogelman cited the Jerusalem District Court’s conclusion that “a ruling on the existence of an Israeli nationality would have far reaching and crucial implications for the identity of the state, its character and its future”.
Judge Meltzer, meanwhile, took the time while expounding his own opinion to lay out “three central elements” in which “the recognition of the legitimacy of Israel’s existence as a Jewish state is grounded”, citing the UN General Assembly resolution in 1947 on partition…. more.. e-mail
Musical road for ‘Autostrad’ is bumpy
Daoud Kuttab, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 10/9/2013
This week, a Jordanian band went on a tour that included the Golan Heights, Nazareth, Haifa, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. But the popular music group which is rated as one of the top five in the region faced a concerted social media and online attack as having participated in a politically unacceptable act.
The attack focused on the fact that the band members received visas from the Israeli embassy in Amman. They are accused of normalising with the Israelis. Entry into Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, Nazareth or Haifa is not possible without a visa. The permits issues by the Palestinian Authority in coordination with and after the approval of the Israelis are valid only in West Bank cities like Bethlehem and Ramallah.
The band, Autostrad, identifies itself as “an Ammani world, reggae, funk band from Jordan”.
Fronted by lead singer Yazan Alrousan, Autostrad was formed in 2007 with guitarist Hamza Arnaout, keyboardist Wisam Qatawneh, bassist Avo Demerjian, saxophonist Bashar Abdelghani and drummer Burhan Ali.
The online and social media campaign was launched by a number of young Jordanians and Palestinians, including some who are citizens of Israel.
In an article published on a number of progressive sites, the writer says the band is welcome to Palestine only after it is liberated. A hashtag with “come after it is liberated” also went viral as attacks against the music group mushroomed.
Efforts to boycott Israel are generally focused on international academics wanting to visit Israeli towns, not Palestinian locals inside Israel.
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel says that it has developed guidelines on this issue in consultation with Palestinian civil society organisations since 2007. more.. e-mail
Invisible Strife in a Moribund Middle East
Fadi Elhusseini, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 10/10/2013
In a fractious, rife-with-conflicts Middle East, nothing is spared; worship houses are attacked; sport clubs, schools and markets become unsafe with continued upticks in violence. Now, attention is focused on the Syrian dilemma, which has been colored in a sectarian hue: Sunni- Shiite/Alawi conflict. Nevertheless, another invisible fray is taking place in that region, but it is so very dim that one might barely be aware of it.
Though the dust of the coup in Egypt has not yet settled, a piqued US administration expressed its resentment, mostly because it was not expecting it. It had already sought to foster closer ties and forge relations, either knowing or hoping that the new “moderate” Islamists in power would deliver what their predecessors did not. Yet, with Egypt’s June 30 coup, or what many call “the Second Revolution,” regardless of our assessment of whether it was or was not serving Egypt’s national interests, serious repercussions followed and a big surprise resonated on the other side of the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia’s position came as a surprise, not only opposing the US, but rather supporting and funding Egypt’s new rule. How did this happen? This firm and clear position comes despite the two countries’ alliance and after decades of absolute harmonious positions on regional issues. Libya under former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, Iraq under former President Saddam Hussein, Iran and Syria are just a few examples. Since the oil crisis in the seventies of the last century, Saudi official positions seemed calm in dealing with regional crises and its national and regional interests have been to a large extent in line with US positions.
There has not been any change in the structure of Saudi decision-making to make us think that the reason for this particular change is of a strategic nature. The Saudi political line has remained consistent and in accordance with previously adopted positions on regional issues (i.e. Saudi Arabia’s stance toward the US decision to attack Syria went along with the US position). Therefore, there must be a strong reason, one that is powerful and made Saudi Arabia not only defy the US, but also provide full support to the new government in Egypt. more.. e-mail
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