18 October 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Body Of Slain Palestinian Still Held By Israel
IMEMC – The Israeli Authorities are still holding the body of Younis Radayda, who was shot and killed on Thursday allegedly after he drove into a military base, and said that his body will be handed to the Palestinians Sunday, the Palestine News Network (PNN) has reported. …
Radayda Family: “Our Slain Son Did Not Intend To Attack Soldiers”
IMEMC – Family of Younis Ahmad Radayda, who was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers on Thursday, stated that he did not intend to harm any soldiers or person, and that he accidentally drove into the military base. …
Dr. Erekat: “Israel Does Not Want Peace”
IMEMC – Chief Palestinian Negotiator, Dr. Saeb Erekat, stated on Thursday evening that the current peace talk, held between Israel and the Palestinians behind closed doors, are not leading to any positive outcome, and that the Israeli government is foiling any chances for a peace deal. …
Israelis open fire at Bilin protest, dozens of Palestinians injured
10/18/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Dozens of Palestinians suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation and one was wounded after being shot by a tear gas canister as Israeli forces opened fire on demonstrators in the West Bank town of Bilin on Friday afternoon. Dozens of Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists were taking part in a protest against the Israeli separation wall that runs through Bilin. Israeli….
Israeli forces detain 5 in raids, clashes
10/18/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained five Palestinian young men in separate incidents late Thursday, locals and a spokeswoman for the Israeli army told Ma’an. Locals said that the Israeli forces raided three houses in the Nablus district village of Beita, detaining three Palestinians: Omar Hilal, 19; Wasim Jihad Labib Nasser, 17; and Yousef Mohammad Abed al-Aziz Afana, 20. The Israeli soldiers….
Geneva talks herald new ‘era’ for Iran nuclear dispute
10/18/2013 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iranian analysts hailed Thursday the latest round of nuclear talks with world powers as a “new era” and a “new spring”, praising Tehran’s insistence on its right to enrich uranium. There was no breakthrough at the two days of talks in Geneva, but most participants welcomed the positive atmosphere of the negotiations, the first since April. Iran showed more flexibility during….
Jaziri cleared of wrongdoing in Israeli pullout row
10/18/2013 – PARIS (AFP) — Tunisian tennis player Malek Jaziri has been cleared of any wrongdoing after being ordered by his federation not to take part in a match against an Israeli opponent. The Association of Tennis Professionals, which governs the men’s game, said that the International Tennis Federation will now rule over whether the Tunisian tennis federation should be punished.”The investigation by the ATP….
Poll: Most Israelis support Netanyahu’s Iran stance
10/18/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Most Israelis support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stance on the Iran nuclear issue after Tehran met world powers in Geneva this week, an opinion poll showed on Friday. Some 58 percent of respondents to the question, “How would you rate Netanyahu’s recent performance in the global arena vis-a-vis Iran? “said it was good (41 percent) or very good (17….
Allenby Bridge to operate 24 hours on Saturday
10/18/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority Director of Crossings Nathmi Muhana said on Friday that the Allenby Bridge will operate 24 hours on Saturday in order to accommodate Palestinians returning from Hajj. Allenby Bridge, also referred to as al-Karama Crossing, will open at 7 a. m. and will remain open until late evening on Sunday, Muhana said during an exclusive interview with Ma’an….
Egyptian policeman shot dead in el-Arish
10/18/2013 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — A group of gunmen shot dead a sergeant in the Egyptian police early Friday, security sources said. Ibrahim Ahmad Lashin, 30, was heading to his office in el-Arish when masked gunmen opened fire. His body was transferred to el-Arish military hospital, and will be taken by military jet to Cairo. At least 2,000 have been killed and more than 3,000….
Saudi rejects seat on ‘double-standards’ Security Council
10/18/2013 – RIYADH (AFP) — Saudi Arabia rejected membership of the UN Security Council on Friday, a day after it was elected to the body, accusing it of “double-standards” in resolving world conflicts.” Work mechanisms and double-standards on the Security Council prevent it from carrying out its duties and assuming its responsibilities in keeping world peace,” the foreign ministry said.” Therefore Saudi Arabia. . . has no other option but….
Monitor: Fierce clashes in Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor
10/18/2013 – Beirut (AFP) — Syrian rebels advanced in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor after fierce clashes with regime troops overnight, during which jihadist fighters executed 10 soldiers, a monitoring group said Friday.” Clashes took place overnight between rebels and regime forces in several neighborhoods in the city of Deir Ezzor,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based group also reported regime air strikes on….
Lebanese official in Syria for deal on kidnapped ‘pilgrims’
10/18/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — A senior Lebanese security official headed to Damascus on Friday to discuss a prisoner exchange deal that could free nine Lebanese citizens kidnapped by Syrian rebels last year. Major General Abbas Ibrahim would deliver a new list of Syrian prisoners that the kidnappers want released in an exchange, Lebanese Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told Voice of Lebanon radio. Ibrahim, who heads Lebanon’….
Egypt closes Cairo squares anticipating Brotherhood demos
10/18/2013 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — Egyptian authorities closed all main squares in Cairo on Friday after the Muslim Brotherhood called for protests, a Ma’an correspondent reported. Egyptian authorities deployed police heavily throughout the city and closed down Tahrir Square, al-Nahda Square, al-Mahata Square, Raba al-Adawiya Square and Ruski Square. Cairo’s security forces said that Muslim Brotherhood supporters were striving to incite violence….
Security: Libya military police chief killed in Benghazi
10/18/2013 – BENGHAZI, Libya (AFP) — Libya’s military police chief, Colonel Mustapha al-Barghathi, was shot dead on Friday in the restive eastern city of Benghazi, the security services said. Unknown assailants gunned down Barghathi outside his home, Colonel Abdullah al-Zaidi, spokesman for the security services, told AFP. [END]
World Cup hosts Qatar struggling with ‘forced labor’ issue
10/18/2013 – LONDON (AFP) — World Cup host Qatar is only just beginning to understand that it has a “huge problem” with the “forced labor” of South Asian migrants, the publishers of the first Global Slavery Index said on Friday. Qatar is under mounting pressure to end the exploitation of migrant workers as it embarks on a multi-billion-dollar construction program for the 2022 football World Cup. The Australia-based….
Iran accuses Israel of damaging nuclear talks
AlJazeera 18 Oct 2013 – Foreign minister says frustrated Israel wants to scupper nucle
ar negotiations that began earlier this week in Geneva.
World: Global Food Security Update – Issue 12, October 2013
Relief Web 18 Oct 2013 – Source: World Food Programme Country: Afghanistan, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, occupied Palestinian territory, Pakistan,…
World: Migrant deaths in Mediterranean spark debate, but little action
Relief Web 18 Oct 2013 – Source: IRIN Country: Eritrea, Italy, Libya, Malta, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, World JOHANNESBURG, 18 October 2013 (IRIN) – Migrants have been losing their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean on unseaworthy, overcrowded vessels for years, but until two…
World: UNHCR highlights dangers facing Syrians in transit, urges countries to keep borders open
Relief Web 18 Oct 2013 – Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: Egypt, Italy, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, World GENEVA, October 18 (UNHCR) – With growing numbers of Syrians seeking safety in Europe, the UN refugee agency said on Friday it is concerned…
India police arrest crew of US antipiracy ship
The National 18 Oct 2013 – The 35, who include British, Estonian, Ukrainian and Indian nationals, are arrested over the stash of some 35 assault rifles and around 5,600 rounds of ammunition.
Syrian regime jets pound rebels after intelligence general killed
The National 18 Oct 2013 – The death of General Jamaa Jamaa in Deir Ezzor is a major victory for rebels fighting the regime of Bashar Al Assad.
Saudi Arabia rejects seat on UN Security Council
The National 18 Oct 2013 – Kingdom denounces the council’s ‘double standards’ regarding Syria in an unprecedented move that shocks diplomats. Elizabeth Dickinson reports
Hindu holy man’s dream sparks $50 billion treasure hunt in India
The National 18 Oct 2013 – Archaeologists began digging for treasure beneath a 19th century fort in northern India today, after a popular Hindu holy man said a former king appeared to him in a dream and told him of a cache worth US$50 billion.
Saudi Arabia declines UN Security Council seat, cites ‘double standards’
The National 18 Oct 2013 – Saudi Arabia said it will not take its United Nations Security Council rotating seat, citing ‘double standards’ that made it hard for the world body to end conflict and wars.
Video: CCTV footage shows terror as Nairobi mall comes under attack
The National 18 Oct 2013 – Newly released CCTV footage shows the terrifying scenes from the Nairobi shopping mall where shoppers were gunned down indiscriminately. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.
Video: Repercussions loom in wake of US shutdown
The National 18 Oct 2013 – Washington remains divided as the political repercussions loom from a 16-day government shutdown and a close brush with a debt default. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.
Video: Australia fires threaten more homes
The National 18 Oct 2013 – Bushfires destroy at least 100 homes and threaten more near Australia’s largest city, Sydney. Paul Chapman reports.
Lebanese Shi’ite pilgrims kidnapped in Syria freed
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Pope Francis e-mails Jewish American professor about presence of God during Holocaust
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Solving the Syria chemical weapons crisis in the shadow of the Cold War
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Have security checks in Israeli offices finally gone too far?
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Now that Deri controls Shas, will he abandon non-Haredi Mizrahi Jews?
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Iran FM: Israel seeking to undermine progress of nuclear talks
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Israel’s calls for a tough stance on Iran are falling on near deaf ears
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Bedouin sign language may be the key to human language development
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Family of Palestinian bulldozer attacker claims Israeli army framed him
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Report: U.S. mulls unfreezing Iranian assets in exchange for nuke concessions
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Overcoming past pains, West begins to imagine possible nuclear deal with Iran
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Israelis welcome the rain
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Likud MK proposes bill to ease controls on medical marijuana
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Herzliya wants to build breakwaters to save its beaches
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
New York Times heads launch global edition at Jaffa event with Haaretz
Ha’aretz – 18 Oct 2013
Israel must tax firms, not vilify them
Ha’aretz – 17 Oct 2013
Occupation by trickery
Ha’aretz – 17 Oct 2013
Netanyahu plus cigar equals Churchill
Ha’aretz – 17 Oct 2013
The supreme irony: You are not Israeli
Ha’aretz – 17 Oct 2013
Bulldozer attack on Israeli base joins sequence of terror that can no longer be ignored
Ha’aretz – 17 Oct 2013
For Israel, there’s no better leader than Netanyahu
Ha’aretz – 17 Oct 2013
UN agency calls for states outside Mideast to grant Syrian refugees asylum
Jerusalem Post 18 Oct 2013 – UNHCR: Average daily exodus of 4,000 Syrians need support.
Russia slams Saudi Arabia for refusing UN Security Council membership
Jerusalem Post 18 Oct 2013 – “The kingdom’s arguments arouse bewilderment,” says Moscow.
Weinstein: Bat Yam’s decision not to depose Lahiani ‘extremely unreasonable’
Jerusalem Post 18 Oct 2013 – Attorney-general slams decision by Bat Yam City Council not to fire and ban from reelection mayor indicted on fraud, bribery charges.
Northern Israel, Tel Aviv welcome in rainy weekend
Jerusalem Post 18 Oct 2013 – Scattered showers, colder temperatures a welcome respite; conditions expected to become unseasonably warm, dry by Monday.
Saudi Arabia refuses UN Security Council seat, citing body’s double standards, failures
Jerusalem Post 18 Oct 2013 – Kingdom reportedly frustrated with US foreign policy decisions; demands reforms in council.
Yair Lapid – The man with the purse strings
Jerusalem Post 18 Oct 2013 – Finance minister sits down with ‘Post’ to discuss fight to prevent economic collapse, unusual allies and the peace process.
Saudis, UAE to get US bunker-buster bombs, cruise missiles in deal worth $11b.
Jerusalem Post 18 Oct 2013 – News of arms purchase comes as Gulf states concerned over Iran and its efforts to extend its influence throughout the region.
Capture of Israeli ‘spy’ birds harming wildlife preservation
Jerusalem Post 17 Oct 2013 – A rare Bonelli’s Eagle, an alleged spy for Israel, was shot down, wounded by a Lebanese hunter, a cause of concern for Israel’s wildlife preservation.
Arab-American Attorney Abdeen Jabara: I Was Spied on by the National Security Agency 40 Years Ago
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 – As more revelations come to light about the National Security Agency, we speak to civil rights attorney Abdeen Jabara, co-founder of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. He was involved in a groundbreaking court case in the 1970s…
Minister threatens to withdraw from coalition if concessions are made to Palestinians
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 -The leader of Israel s Jewish Home Party and Minister of the Economy Naftali Bennett has threatened to withdraw from the government coalition if negotiators agree to grant concessions to the Palestinians in peace talks. In a…
Recognising the right of return is not optional
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 – Fortress Europe s tyrannical border continues to claim lives. Last week there was another terrible shipwreck in the Mediterranean which claimed the lives of dozens of desperate, fleeing refugees. It came only a week after the…
The CIA s Resistance to 6,300-Page Report on the Agency s Use of Torture
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 – The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence produced a 6,300-page report on the CIA s detention and interrogation program that has still not been declassified in some form for the public to read. And, now New Yorker…
American Raids in Libya & Somalia Expose Military Lawlessness
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 – The recent raids in Libya and Somalia expose the “utter lawlessness of the U.S. military, the U.S. government, and the CIA,” said Michael Ratner, President Emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights. “What s shocking about…
Syria s revolution behind the lines
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 – Manbij is a poor and rural town of some 200,000 people in north eastern Syria. The city is half an hour s drive from the border with Turkey and the vital Tishrin Dam. It sits in…
NSA surveillance programs facilitate global drone war
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 -Documents leaked by Edward Snowden and published in the Washington Post Wednesday show that NSA surveillance operations play a key role in the global campaign of assassinations being waged by the Obama administration. The Post s report, “…
Jerusalem s system of checkpoints inside Palestinian neighborhoods of the holy city
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 – I m standing in Jerusalem, but behind a five-lane, metal turn-stop, gated, chain-linked, barbed-wire military instillation. There s a call box with a button to alert the Israeli army when pedestrians want to pass. Even though…
Disruptions at Rafah Crossing highlight Israel s duty to enable Gazans travel abroad
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2018 – In September 2005, Israel completed its Disengagement Plan from the Gaza Strip. Notwithstanding, Israel has retained control over all entry and exit points to and from Gaza, with the exception of Rafah Crossing. Israel controls Gaza…
Militia rivalries threaten new war in post-revolt Libya
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 – When gunmen snatched Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan from his Tripoli hotel last week, it was a rival armed militia he thanked for his rescue hours later.Even for Libyans accustomed to their democracy s unruly beginnings,…
Saudi rejects seat on double-standards Security Council
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 – Saudi Arabia declined to take up the non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council on Friday, citing “double standards” in the international organization hampering its ability to end international conflict. Riyadh cited a number of international…
Reclaiming Judaism from Zionism
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 -When the Zionist movement appeared in Eastern Europe in the 1880s, it found it very difficult to persuade the leading rabbis and secular Jewish thinkers of the day to support it. The leading rabbis saw the political…
Watch the video on Israeli racism The New York Times didn t want you to see
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 – …Blumenthal explained to Consortium News how The New York Times commissioned the 11-minute video, but after the paper s editors saw it, refused to publish it: I was asked to submit something by The New York…
US must release data on civilian drone casualties, says UN report
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 – A report by a UN expert urges the US to release its own data on the level of civilian casualties caused by drone strikes and attacks the lack of transparency surrounding CIA and US special forces…
Time to uphold the law on racism and hate speech in Israel
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013- This past Thursday, Israel s Channel 2 News posted on a news item on its Facebook page about a tragedy in Hebron: four Palestinians girls had died after they were forgotten in a car (actually, the girls…
Today, As Guantánamo Hunger Strikers Seek Relief in Washington Appeals Court, A US Protestor Will Be Force-Fed Outside
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 – Today, at 11 am Eastern time (4 pm GMT), lawyers for three prisoners still held at Guantánamo Bay – including the last British resident, Shaker Aamer – will ask the appeals court in Washington D.C. to…
Israelis open fire at Bilin protest, dozens of Palestinians injured
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 18, 2013 — Dozens of Palestinians suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation and one was wounded after being shot by a tear gas canister as Israeli forces opened fire on demonstrators in the West Bank town of Bilin on…
Military Resistance 11J7 Then and Now
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 17, 2013 – Michael Herr s brilliant, bitter, and loving book was hailed as a masterpiece when it was published in 1977, and the critical consensus has held steady ever since. Somehow, a young journalist whose previous experience consisted…
The Pentagon s Guantanamo Review Board — Progress or Procrastination?
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 17, 2013 – …Trials for the remaining prisoners, however, are not included as part of the review process, according to the statement released by the Pentagon. Detainees can challenge the legality of their incarceration through the U.S. court system,…
NYT s Iraq War History, Still Misleading
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 17, 2013 – The New York Times had an interesting piece on October 14 telling the story of Jose Bustani, the former director general of the intergovernmental Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, who was ousted by the…
The Peace Poets Write from Kabul
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 17, 2013 – Late at night, I sit alone in the office of The Afghan Peace Volunteer s house in Kabul. The mountain cold wrapped itself around me. I finally got the Internet to work and found a message…
Harper Government Ignores Torture Opponents Call to Ban Dick Cheney from Canada or Prosecute Him
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 17, 2013 – Lawyers from the National Lawyers Guild (U.S.), International Association of Democratic Lawyers, European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (Germany), Brussells Tribunal (Belgium), International Initiative to Prosecute US Genocide in Iraq (Iraq, Egypt, Spain), Lawyers Against…
Blackwater Mercs Face New Charges Over 2007 Iraq Massacre
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 17, 2013- Four former Blackwater fighters are facing new manslaughter charges today related to the September 2007 massacre of 17 Iraqis, civilians and police, in Nisoor Square. The incident centered around claims that a woman driving a Kia sedan…
“Gaddafi supporters are tortured in Libyan jails” – tribe union s spokesman
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 17, 2013 -A delegation of Libyan tribes is visiting Moscow. Bassem al-Hashemi Sol, the press secretary of a Libyan tribal association, spoke about the aims of the visit and the current situation in Libya in an exclusive interview with…
Report: EU to bypass its own anti-settlements guidelines
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 17, 2013 – Israeli and European officials are reportedly nearing an agreement that would allow Israeli institutions to continue operating freely in the West Bank while enjoying EU grants. In coordination with Israeli officials, the EU is about to…
Syria News – October 17, 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 17, 2013 – By the end of Thursday, the Coordination Committees were able to document 81 martyrs, including 11 children and 7 women: 32 martyrs were reported in Aleppo; 14 in Damascus Suburbs; 10 in Deir Ezzor; 9 in…
US Inflating Threats in Africa to Justify Expansion
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 17, 2013 – The U.S. has deployed “200 Marines to a naval base in Sicily for possible operations in Libya,” according to UPI, the latest in the establishment of “a network of bases in Italy as launch pads for…
UK, France and Ireland complicit in treatment of Iranian man facing second hanging
Uruknet 18 Oct 2013 – October 17, 2013 -A number of European countries are complicit in the treatment of an Iranian man sentenced to death on drugs offences, who survived being hanged but will face a second attempt once “his health condition is good enough,”…
Experiencing Morocco as a woman traveling alone
Daily Star 18 Oct 2013 So you travel … only? asked the woman sitting next to me in halting but intuitive English as we sat in the packed compartment on a train speeding through Moroccan farmland. We were the sole unveiled, unaccompanied…
Ghaddar: ‘I have a lot of catching up to do’
Daily Star 18 Oct 2013 The story of Lebanon forward Mohammad Ghaddar is quite a strange one.
Report: IAF jets circling above Beirut, Lebanon
YNet News, 18 Oct 2013 – ….
Expert: Reactor gives NKorea more bargaining power
YNet News, 18 Oct 2013 – ….
French police: Hostage-taker gives himself up
YNet News, 18 Oct 2013 – ….
Gunmen kill police officer in Egypt’s Sinai
YNet News, 18 Oct 2013 – ….
New York man arrested, charged with trying to join Al Qaeda
YNet News, 18 Oct 2013 – ….
Survey: Europe’s Jews fear for their safety
YNet News, 18 Oct 2013 – Study conducted by European Agency for Fundamental Rights finds nearly quarter of Jews avoid looking conspicuously Jewish for fear of anti-Semitism ….
Museum tells Shoah survivor to return relic
YNet News, 18 Oct 2013 – Holocaust survivor’s family urges NY’s highest court to let them keep ancient gold tablet that their late father somehow obtained in Germany after World War II. Berlin museum: Reparation has nothing to do with this case ….
Lithuania moves to legalize ritual slaughter
YNet News, 17 Oct 2013 – European country seeks to expand its exports amid ban in neighboring Poland on kosher, halal slaughter of livestock for food. Tiny Jewish community welcomes move ….
Palestinian Information Center
19 European organizations call for saving thousands of Palestinians in Syria
PIC – Palestinian organizations based in Europe have appealed urgently to save thousands of Palestinians in the Yarmouk Refugee Camp in Damascus..
Palestinians mark 2nd anniversary of Wafa al-Ahrar deal
PIC – The Palestinian people marked today the second anniversary of the first phase of Wafa al-Ahrar deal that was signed between Hamas movement and Israeli occupation under Egyptian mediation in 2011.
Danon declares his total rejection of Palestinian statehood
PIC – Danny Danon, the Israeli Deputy War Minister, the right-wing of Likud party, declared his total rejection of the idea of a Palestinian state.
Israeli officers expect more resistance operations in West Bank
PIC – Israeli military officers have expressed fear that resistance activities in occupied West Bank will continue, saying that “more incidents are expected in the coming period.”
IOF storms Aroub camp, suffocation cases were reported
PIC – A number of suffocation cases were reported among Palestinians including children in Aroub Refugee Camp north of al-Khalil when Israeli forces fired tear gas bombs at their homes during a raid.
Haniyeh calls for an Arab-Islamic response to Israeli threats
PIC – Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called for an Arab-Islamic response that lives up to the seriousness of Israeli threats to Al-Aqsa Mosque and occupied Jerusalem.
Palestinian killed by Israeli fire north of Jerusalem
PIC – Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) shot and killed on Thursday evening a Palestinian citizen while driving a tractor north of occupied Jerusalem.
Settlers attack and damage Palestinian vehicles in Nablus
PIC – Jewish settlers have stoned and smashed Palestinian vehicles’ windows in different areas south of Nablus, in the northern West Bank.
IPS transfers the prisoner Ibrahim Hamed to Shatta prison
PIC – A state of tension is still prevailing among the Palestinian prisoners in Gilboa prison following the IOF break-in into the prisoners’ rooms Monday.
Saudi Arabia rejects Security Council seat, lashes U.N. as failure
LA Times 18 Oct 2013 – A day after the United Nations elected Saudi Arabia to a prestigious seat on the Security Council, the Saudi leadership refused to accept the position and lashed out at the world body for “double standards” and failure to protect peace.
Militants attack troops in southern Yemen, kill 12
LA Times 18 Oct 2013 – SANA, Yemen — In the latest attack by suspected Al Qaeda militants in a former stronghold, an explosives-laden vehicle blew up inside a military base in southern Yemen on Friday, killing an estimated 12 soldiers and injuring more than a dozen others, military and security…
Legal experts teach Syrian rebels to prevent human rights abuses
LA Times 18 Oct 2013 – Activists work near the front lines to train Syrian rebels on international humanitarian law, hoping to avert rights abuses and war crimes. GAZIANTEP, Turkey — When law student Ibrahim Olabi concluded his presentation to a group of Syrian rebels, the fighters had some difficult questions…
As Iran Shifts, Hard-Liners See Threat to Battle Cry
New York Times 18 Oct 2013 – The revolution’s leading slogan, “Death to America,” is becoming a political battleground as a new president steers the country away from a confrontational posture toward the West.
Saudi Arabia Rejects U.N. Security Council Seat in Protest Move
New York Times 18 Oct 2013 – A day after winning a highly coveted Security Council seat, Saudi Arabia angrily cited the body’s response to Syria and Iran in turning it down.
A Top Syrian Intelligence Officer Is Killed in Fighting
New York Times 18 Oct 2013 – Gen. Jamea Jamea, a respected figure in the country’s powerful inner circles of intelligence and military leaders, is the most senior security figure confirmed dead in more than a year.
At War Blog: The Most Lethal Weapon Americans Faced in Iraq
New York Times 18 Oct 2013 – The explosively formed penetrator or EFP allowed insurgent forces to hide these weapons far from the road, better camouflaging them and making them far more deadly.
White House Weighs Easing Iran Sanctions’ Bite With Slow Release of Assets
New York Times 17 Oct 2013 – The United States could free up frozen Iranian assets in installments as a reward for taking steps to curb its nuclear program.
Erdogan, Syrian Rebels’ Leading Ally, Hesitates
New York Times 17 Oct 2013 – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has long backed the Syrian rebels. But Turkey shelled rebel positions this week, signaling concern about the dominance of radical Islamist groups.
Top Syrian Army General Reported Killed in Battle
New York Times 17 Oct 2013 – One of Syria’s most powerful military officers was killed in fighting with Al Qaeda-linked fighters in an eastern province largely controlled by the rebels, Syria’s state-run television reported.
Nakba in The New Yorker, BDS in Variety
Mondoweiss – Ruins of Lydda in 1948 A couple of mainstream breakthroughs. Neither is perfect, of course, but both break important ground (almost despite themselves). The first and most striking is Ari Shavit’s piece in The New Yorker in which he tells the horrifying story of the conquest…
For Eric Alterman defending Israel trumps longtime friend and employer
Mondoweiss – After writing a very negative review (online behind a paywall) of Max Blumenthal’s new book, Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel , for the upcoming edition of The Nation magazine, Eric Alterman wrote some additional thoughts on Blumenthal’s book in a separate post at the website…
Rothchild’s ‘Voices Across the Divide’ opens at Boston Palestinian film festival Monday
Mondoweiss – Voices Across the Divide Exciting news. Last April we featured The Palestinian narrating, and the Jew listening — a new film about the Nakba by Alice Rothchild. At the time Rothchild was raising money for her new documentary Voices Across the Divide though Indiegogo. On her…
Jerusalem’s system of checkpoints inside Palestinian neighborhoods of the holy city
Mondoweiss – A-Zeitim checkpoint in East Jerusalem, between the neighborhoods of Abu Dis and At-Tur. (Photo: Allison Deger) I’m standing in Jerusalem, but behind a five-lane, metal turn-stop, gated, chain-linked, barbed-wire military instillation. There’s a call box with a button to alert the Israeli army when pedestrians want…
‘The Nation’ tries to balance pro- and anti-Israel voices inside the lib-left
Mondoweiss – Folks are talking about the fact that though Nation Books published Max Blumenthal’s book Goliath , The Nation has put Eric Alterman’s attack on the book on the cover of its latest issue, right alongside a piece by Blumenthal, with the headline “Two Views on Israel.” The…
What Comes Next: Rights, not ‘arrangements’
Mondoweiss – This post is part of “What Comes Next?: A forum on the end of the two-state paradigm.” This series was initiated by Jewish Voice for Peace as an investigation into the current state of thinking about one state and two state solutions, and the collection has…
Israeli Jews must become ‘indigenized’ to the Arab world, Blumenthal tells Lustick
Mondoweiss – Yesterday I went to an event at the University of Pennsylvania , featuring Max Blumenthal discussing his book Goliath , with Ian Lustick, Penn political scientist and author of the recent groundbreaking piece in the New York Times on the end of the two-state paradigm. My video excerpt (…
The influential Israeli diaspora
Mondoweiss – At a panel on Israel yesterday at the University of Pennsylvania , Ian Lustick and Max Blumenthal spoke about how many Israeli Jews are gettin out of Dodge. Blumenthal said (at 22:00) that Israel’s doomsday-and-apartheid political culture is causing the enlightened young to flock to more sophisticated…
I have eyes, I have eyes (for a people being cleansed and ghettoized)
Mondoweiss – This is part of Marc H. Ellis’s “Exile and the Prophetic” feature for Mondoweiss. To read the entire series visit the archive page. Sometimes we find comfort in strange places. After reading Arnold Eisen’s trite remarks on the 100 th anniversary of the birth of the…
At time of Obama visit to Israel/Palestine, settlement construction increased 70 percent
Mondoweiss – Land, property theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Threats to non-Jewish historic sites Peace Now: ‘Settlement construction rises by 70%’ [with map] IMEMC 17 Oct — The Israeli Peace Now movement issued a report on Israeli settlement construction and expansion activities, and revealed that settlement construction increased…
Cronyism Israel-Style: ‘That’s What Friends are For’
Tikun Olam – Remember that wonderful Bachrach-David song, That’s What Friends are For ? It should be the ironic sound track of this post about the cronyism and self-dealing of one of Israel’s better-connected political operatives, Zeev Bielski . Bielski is a former Kadima MK and power broker who…
Lebanese hostages in Syria ‘freed’
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – Nine Lebanese Shia pilgrims held hostage in Syria since May 2012 have been freed, the Lebanese interior minister says.
US warns Syria over ‘mass hunger’
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – The US urges the Syrian government to allow immediate aid convoys to starving civilians cut off for months in rebel-held suburbs of Damascus.
Swiss seize a million fake tablets
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – Customs agents at Zurich airport seize a million fake anti-anxiety pills en route from China to Egypt, Swiss officials say.
Egypt: 1,000 Egyptian Pilgrims Return Home
allAfrica.com 18 Oct 2013 – [Egypt Online]One thousand Egyptian pilgrims on board of three EgyptAir flights arrived in Cairo International Airport early Friday.
U.S. Could Unfreeze Iranian Assets if Steps Are Taken To Curb Nuclear Program
The Foward Breaking News 18 Oct 2013 – The Obama administration is considering freeing up Iranian assets if Tehran takes specific steps to curb its nuclear program, a senior administration official said. Click here for the rest of the article…
Gunmen assassinate Libya commander
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – Masked gunmen kill a Libyan military police commander in Benghazi, the latest in a series of assassinations of high-profile security officials.
New York Mayoral Candidate Joe Lhota Lambasted for Synagogue Slipup
The Foward Breaking News 18 Oct 2013 – Mayoral candidate Joe Lhota seemed to have a woman problem on his hands at a campaign stop in Borough Park, Brooklyn, where he made multiple faux pas involving women in the Orthodox neighborhood. Click here for the rest of the article…
Kerry and Netanyahu To Meet in Rome To Discuss Peace Talks and Iran
The Foward Breaking News 18 Oct 2013 – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet in Rome with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss talks with the Palestinians and Iran. Click here for the rest of the article…
Ghana: Israel Supports Muslims to Mark Eid-Ul-Adha
allAfrica.com 18 Oct 2013 – [Ghanaian Chronicle]The Israeli mission in Ghana, led by Ambassador Sharon Bar-li, has carried on the tradition of gifting the Muslim community of Ghana with 4 sacks of rice and 4 rams (Signifying the Four Great Caliphs of Islam) towards this year’s Eid-ul-Adha festival at a short…
Lebanese hostages in Syria ‘freed’
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – Nine Lebanese Shia pilgrims held hostage in Syria since May 2012 have been freed, the Lebanese interior minister says.
US warns Syria over ‘mass hunger’
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – The US urges the Syrian government to allow immediate aid convoys to starving civilians cut off for months in rebel-held suburbs of Damascus.
Nine Lebanese held by Syrian rebels since May 2012 released
Al-Akhbar News 18 Oct 2013 – Nine Lebanese Shia pilgrims who were kidnapped by a rebel group in northern Syria over a year ago have been released, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel announced on Friday night. The pilgrims are currently being transported from Syria through the northern border to Turkey where a top…
Six killed by bomb in Baghdad street
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – A car bomb in a street in the Iraqi capital Baghdad kills six people, the latest incident in a spate of worsening sectarian violence.
Swiss seize a million fake tablets
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – Customs agents at Zurich airport seize a million fake anti-anxiety pills en route from China to Egypt, Swiss officials say.
UN ‘not notified’ of Saudi snub
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – UN chief Ban Ki-moon says he has received no official notification from Saudi Arabia that it will turn down a seat on the UN Security Council.
Yemen suicide bombing kills soldiers
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – At least six soldiers are killed and 10 others wounded in a suicide car bomb attack at an army base in the south of Yemen, military officials say.
Tunisia leaders forced from ceremony
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – Angry members of Tunisia’s security forces drive President Moncef Marzouki and Prime Minister Ali Larayedh from a memorial ceremony for two policeman killed by militants.
EU donates $96 million to Syrian refugees ahead of Lebanese winter
Al-Akhbar News 18 Oct 2013 – A Syrian refugee boy sits with his mother as they beg on a Beirut sidewalk on September 18, 2013. (Photo: AFP – Joseph Eid) The European Union is donating an additional 70 million euros in aid to help Syrian refugees in Lebanon during the winter months,…
Syrian intelligence chief killed
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – A senior Military Intelligence officer, who activists said was close to President Bashar al-Assad, has been killed in eastern Syria.
Activists urge Korea to cancel massive tear gas shipment to Bahrain
Al-Akhbar News 18 Oct 2013 – Bahraini protesters take cover from tear gas and bird shots fired by riot police on October 12, 2013 following the funeral of Yussef al-Nashmi, who died in police custody. (Photo: AFP – Mohammed al-Shaikh) Rights activists have launched a campaign urging South Korea to cancel an…
Global Wealth Distribution Shows Growing Inequality
Al-Akhbar News 18 Oct 2013 – Akkar region is by far the poorest area in Lebanon, while only six Lebanese individuals from only two families have a combined wealth of $14 billion. (Photo: Al-Akhbar) Akkar region is by far the poorest area in Lebanon, while only six Lebanese individuals from only two…
US pressed over drone attack data
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – A UN investigator, Ben Emmerson, calls on the US to provide greater transparency about its drone strikes and civilian casualties.
Wadi al-Safi, Like Us, Longed for a Real State
Al-Akhbar Opinion 18 Oct 2013 – President Michel Suleiman reported on his Twit
ter account that a commemoration stamp would be issued in the singer’s name. (Photo: AFP – Louai Beshara) President Michel Suleiman reported on his Twitter account that a commemoration stamp would be issued in the singer’s name. (Photo: AFP -…
Lebanon: Dismal Conditions for Police in Dahiyeh
Al-Akhbar News 18 Oct 2013 – One officer recounted an incident where a vehicle almost ran him over because its driver could not see him in the dark. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) One officer recounted an incident where a vehicle almost ran him over because its driver could not see him in the…
Week In Photo (10 October – 18 October)
Al-Akhbar News 18 Oct 2013 – This picture taken on October 10, 2013 shows old apartment blocks in Yangon. (Photo: AFP – Ye Aung Thu) This picture taken on October 10, 2013 shows old apartment blocks in Yangon. (Photo: AFP – Ye Aung Thu) A man walks through the rain with an…
Gunmen assassinate Libya commander
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – Masked gunmen kill a Libyan military police commander in Benghazi, the latest in a series of assassinations of high-profile security officials.
Attackers gun down Libyan military commander
Al-Akhbar News 18 Oct 2013 – Unidentified gunmen fatally wounded Libya’s military police force commander as he left his house in the eastern city of Benghazi to attend Friday prayers, a security source said. “Several shots hit Ahmed al-Barghathi. He was brought to hospital but later died there,” the source said. The…
Suicide bomber kills five Yemeni soldiers at army base
Al-Akhbar News 18 Oct 2013 – A suicide bomber killed at least five Yemeni soldiers on Friday in a suspected Islamist militant attack on a military base in the south of the country, a Yemeni military official said. Militants linked to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) are increasingly targeting Yemeni army…
Egypt denies holding Syrian refugees
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – Egypt has described as inaccurate an Amnesty International report that accuses it of unlawfully detaining hundreds of Syrian refugees.
Syrian refugees prefer UK to France
BBC 18 Oct 2013 – The fate of the Syrian refugees, stuck in Calais
Saudi Arabia declines UNSC seat, citing “double standards”
Al-Akhbar News 18 Oct 2013 – Saudi Arabia said on Friday it was declining its United Nations Security Council rotating seat, citing “double standards” that made it hard for the world body to end conflict and wars. “The kingdom sees that the method and work mechanism and the double standards in the…
Lebanon Cruises on Scientology’s “Way to Happiness”
Al-Akhbar Series and Features 17 Oct 2013 – A file photo taken on November 24, 2011 shows a masked member of the Church of Scientology demonstrating in front of the Paris courthouse, to protest against the appeal trial on the Church of Scientology’s fraud conviction. (Photo: AFP -Joel Saget) A file photo taken on…
Articles
Why Are So Many Jews Leaving Israel?
Uri Avnery, CounterPunch 10/18/2013
The Descenders
THOSE WHO are interested in the history of the Crusades ask themselves: what brought about the Crusaders’ downfall? Looking at the remnants of their proud fortresses all over the country, we wonder.
The traditional answer is: their defeat in the battle of the Horns of Hattin, twin hills near the Lake of Galilee, in 1187, by the great Muslim Sultan Salah ad-Din (Saladin).
However, the Crusader state lived on in Palestine and the surroundings for another hundred years.
The most authoritative historian of the Crusades, the late Steven Runciman, gave a completely different answer: the Crusader kingdom collapsed because too many Crusaders returned to their ancestral homelands, while too few came to join the Crusaders. In the end, the last remnants were thrown into the sea (literally).
THERE ARE vast differences between the Crusader state that existed in this country for two hundred years and the present State of Israel, but there are also some striking similarities. That’s why their history always attracted me.
Lately I was reminded of Runciman’s conclusion because of the sudden interest of our media in the phenomenon of emigration. Some comments bordered on hysteria.
The reasons for this are two. First, a TV network reported on Israeli descenders abroad, second, the award of the Nobel chemistry prize to two ex-Israelis. Both caused much hand-wringing.
“Descenders” (Yordim) is the Hebrew term for emigrants. People coming to live in Israel are called “ascenders” (Olim), a term akin to pilgrims…. more.. e-mail
Report: EU to bypass its own anti-settlements guidelines
Noam Sheizaf, +972 Magazine 10/17/2013
Israeli and European officials are reportedly nearing an agreement that would allow Israeli institutions to continue operating freely in the West Bank while enjoying EU grants.
In coordination with Israeli officials, the EU is about to introduce a solution that would allow Israeli institutions — which are invested in or profit from the occupation — to enjoy EU grants, according to a report in the Israel’s Maariv newspaper (Hebrew).
The new directives will enable Israeli companies and institutions to divert money into investments in the settlements and in Jewish enterprises beyond the Green Line through subsidiaries or divisions, all while receiving EU grants through their main operational budgets. If implemented, the new mechanism would allow Israel to join the prestigious Horizon 2020 program, which should result in 300 million euros of support to Israeli scientific and academic institutions.
Last July, the EU published a Commission Notice regarding EU grants, prizes and programs in Israel and the occupied territories. The most important article stated that, “Israeli entities will be considered eligible as final recipients [of grants and prizes] if they do not operate in the territories [conquered on June 1967].” According to the guidelines, Israeli institutions that applied for EU grants would be required to declare that they do not operate beyond the Green Line (read the full guidelines here).
The guidelines are not binding for EU member-states and do not apply to individual Israeli citizens.
The Commission Notice received much attention in Israel and was perceived as the first actual step against Israel’s colonization of the West Bank to be taken by the international community. more.. e-mail
It’s time to put an end to Israel’s don’t ask-don’t tell nuclear policy
Pam Bailey and Medea Benjamin, Al Jazeera 10/18/2013
The P5+1 countries are encouraged by the nuclear talks with Iran, but Israel remains a spoiler despite its own nukes.
The negotiations this week in Geneva between Iran and the “P5+1” (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States – plus Germany) offer a promising vehicle for avoiding another destructive war. The talks came on the heels of a virtual uprising by the American people that stopped President Barack Obama’s plan to attack Syria, clearly demonstrating their desire to resolve conflicts at the negotiation table rather than at the point of a gun.
However, Israel and its allies in the US Congress continue to lobby against a deal that would meet Iran in the middle, insisting on a “zero-enrichment” policy that is a deal-breaker for Iran.
The Israeli cabinet said in a statement Tuesday that “Israel does not oppose Iran having a peaceful nuclear energy programme. But as has been demonstrated in many countries, from Canada
to Indonesia, peaceful programmes do not require uranium enrichment or plutonium production. Iran’s nuclear weapons programme does.”
The elephant in the room
The Israeli cabinet’s statement is more than ironic, in light of Israel’s own nuclear-weapons programme – often called the world’s “worst-kept secret” because of the taboo surrounding any public discussion of its existence.
The Washington Post’s Walter Pincus is one of the few journalists openly questioning this obvious hypocrisy. He writes, “When the Israeli prime minister asked (at the UN), ‘Why would a country that claims to only want peaceful nuclear energy, why would such a country build hidden underground enrichment facilities?’ I thought Dimona.” more.. e-mail
The Nakba in the New Yorker
Marilyn Kleinberg Neimark, MuzzleWatch 10/18/2013
The publication of Avi Shavit’s “Lydda, 1948: A city, a massacre and the Middle East Today” in The New Yorker, October 21, 2013, is a welcome chink in the wall of silence around the Nakba, the forced dispossession and expulsion of over 700,000 Palestinians from their homes and land before, during, and after the creation of the Jewish state. That’s a very good thing, regardless of what one thinks of Shavit’s conclusions.
For decades, the subject was declared off-limits, even for a former Israeli prime minister who wanted to talk about brutalities he’d witnessed himself. As David Shipler reported in the New York Times in 1979, in “Israel Bars Rabin From Relating ’48 Eviction of Arabs,” a “censorship board composed of five Cabinet members prohibited former Prime Minister Rabin from including in his memoirs a first-person account of the expulsion of 50,000 Palestinian civilians from their homes” in Ramle and Lydda (Lod) during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. (Rabin attributed the expulsion orders to David Ben Gurion.)
But thanks to the research in the late 1980s of the New Historians ( Benny Morris’sThe Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947-1949; Simha Flapan’s The Birth of Israel; Ilan Pappé’s The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, among others) and, more recently, the work of Zochrot, the events of 1947-1949 have been discussed and angrily disputed within Israel, despite the efforts of a variety of right-wing organizations to prevent such discourse and of Israeli legislationto penalize commemoration of the Nakba (American Jews on the other hand have been more successful in stifling discussion, at least until now.)
In vivid, excruciating, undeniable, documented detail, Shavit’s New Yorker article describesboth the massacre of hundreds and the expulsion of 35,000 residents of Lydda. And with astonishing bluntness, Shavit states:
“Lydda is the black box of Zionism. The truth is that Zionism could not bear the Arab city of Lydda….” — See also: The New Yorker: Lydda, 1948 (paywall) more..e-mail
Reclaiming Judaism from Zionism
Electronic Intifada: 18 Oct 2013 – It is imperative to reconnect to Jewish heritage before it was corrupted by Zionism. more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 