23 October 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Palestinian Child Injured By Settlers In Nablus
IMEMC – Palestinian sources have reported that a number of extremist Israeli settlers attacked, late on Tuesday at night, a Palestinian child after breaking into her family s home, in Burin village, south of the northern west Bank City of Nablus. …
Abbas: Israel Responsible For Likely Collapse Of Peace Talks
IMEMC – [Wednesday October 23, 2013] Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, stated that Israel is to be held responsible for the possible collapse of peace talks, and said that Tel Aviv must stops its violations, assaults and its settlement activities. …
Direct Talks Ongoing Behind Closed Doors
IMEMC – Israeli media sources have reported that Palestinian and Israeli negotiators held over the last four days three direct negotiations sessions, behind closed doors, and without making statements to the media. …
Child Hospitalized After Soldiers Violently Assault Him In Hebron
IMEMC – A number of Israeli soldiers attacked on Tuesday [October 22, 2013] a Palestinian child at one of the military roadblocks in the Old City of Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank. The child lost consciousness and was moved to a local hospital. …
Extremist Israeli Settlers Hurl Stones At Palestinian Cars In Bethlehem
IMEMC – [Tuesday Evening October 22, 2013] A number of extremist Israeli settlers gathered at the eastern entrance of Bethlehem city, near Hilwa Tomb bridge area, and threw stones at a number of Palestinian vehicles. …
Palestinians Breach Section Of Annexation Wall In East Jerusalem
IMEMC – Tuesday Evening October 22, 2013] A number of Palestinian youths managed to dig a hole in a section of the Israeli Annexation Wall, isolating the Al-Ezariyya town, east of occupied East Jerusalem. …
Child treated for shock after Nablus settler attack
10/23/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — An eight-year-old child was treated for shock on Wednesday following a settler attack in the Nablus village of Burin, a Palestinian Authority official said. Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors settlement activity in the northern West Bank bank, told Ma’an that a group of settlers from Yizhar attacked the Boursli family home with rocks and empty bottles. Sima Boursli, 8, suffered….
Thousands attend funeral for Ramallah man killed Tuesday
10/23/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Thousands of mourners on Wednesday participated in the funeral of a man shot dead a day earlier by Israeli forces near Ramallah. Muhammad Assi, 28, from Beit Liqya was killed Tuesday when Israeli soldiers stormed an area between the West Bank villages of Bilin and Kufr Nemeh, sparking a gunfight which ended at a cave, Palestinian witnesses and medics said. The….
Security source: Israeli forces raid Tulkarem
10/23/2013 – TULKAREM (Ma’am) — Israeli forces for the second day raided Tulkarem in the northern West Bank and searches cars and people, a Palestinian security sources said. The sources said four military vehicles raided the city and set up temporary checkpoints in the al-Salem neighborhood, where they searched cars and passersby. An Israeli military spokeswoman said she was not familiar with the raid. [END]
Settlers prevent Bethlehem farmers from reaching their land
10/23/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli settlers and military forces prevented dozens of Palestinian farmers from reaching their land east of Bethlehem on Wednesday. Armed settlers assaulted villagers from Tuqu while Israeli soldiers stood by and prevented them from reaching their land to harvest olives, a Ma’an reporter said. Head of Tuqu village council Taysir Abu Mifreh said that settlers from Noqedim also used….
Texas A&M University to open US’s first campus in Israel
10/23/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Texas A&M University on Wednesday pledged to build a campus in the city of Nazareth, making it the first US university to open a branch in Israel. A statement on Wednesday from the office of Israeli President Shimon Peres, who with Texas governor Rick Perry attended the signing in Jerusalem of the agreement to launch “Texas A&M Peace University”, said the….
Palestinians, Israelis discuss water in latest peace talks
10/23/2013 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — Palestinian and Israeli negotiators have held a new round of peace talks in Jerusalem, a Palestinian official said, saying it had focused on the issue of water resources. Monday’s session was attended by Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Palestinian negotiators Mohammed Shtayeh and Saeb Erakat, the official said. The official did not elaborate, but the question of water rights is….
Ambassador: Japanese delegation to visit Palestine in November
10/23/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A delegation of 65 Japanese will visit Palestine in November to participate in National Youth Week, Palestinian ambassador to Japan Waleed Siam told Ma’an Wednesday. National Youth Week, according to the Palestinian Authority news agency Wafa, “includes all sectors of Palestinian youth and will reflect the Palestinian people’s determination for freedom and independence.” Siam added that several….
Abbas: Israel to blame if peace talks collapse over borders
10/23/2013 – VILIUS (AFP) — President Mahmoud Abbas warned Tuesday Israel would be to blame if ongoing peace talks collapsed over its military control of a border with Jordan.”We will not accept it, and if they (the talks) collapse, they (Israelis) will be the reason for the collapse, not us,” Abbas told the Baltic News Service during a visit to Lithuania, current holder of the European Union….
PA anti-corruption unit signs agreement with EU fraud body
10/23/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority anti-corruption commission on Tuesday asked the European Anti-Fraud Office for information concerning any investigation it was conducting after a British newspaper alleged that the PA had misspent EU aid. The PA commission said that it made the request after signing a cooperation agreement with OLAF to allow the exchange of information on companies, individuals and organizations suspected of….
Italian delegation visits Palestine
10/23/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A delegation of Italian officials finished a three-day visit to Palestine Tuesday, the Italian consulate in Jerusalem said in a statement. The purpose of the delegation was to implement a memorandum of understanding between Italy and the Palestinian Ministries of Justice signed in November 2012, the statement said.”The delegation received the support of the General Consulate of Italy in Jerusalem….
PA cabinet condemns Assi shooting, Jerusalem bill
10/23/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority cabinet Tuesday condemned Israeli activity around the West Bank village of Bilin, including the killing of Mohammad Assi by the Israeli army, a statement said Wednesday. Assi was killed Tuesday when Israeli soldiers stormed an area between the West Bank villages of Bilin and Kufr Nemeh, sparking a gunfight which ended at a cave, Palestinian witnesses and medics….
Iran to launch Bushehr fuel line in 3 months
10/23/2013 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi said a fuel production line for its sole nuclear power plant will go on stream within three months, media reported on Tuesday.”The production line of enriched uranium dioxide (UO2) for the provision of fuel to the Bushehr power plant will be fully operational within next three months”, said Salehi during a visit to the….
Israel calls upon Palestinians to identify 2 bodies found near Haifa
10/23/2013 – TAYBEH (Ma’an) — Israeli police called upon several Palestinian families Wednesday to identify two bodies found burnt inside a car parked at a graveyard in the Haifa district of Israel on Oct. 14, an Israeli official told Ma’an.”There is no conclusion to the details of the identity of the bodies,” said Luba Samari, spokeswoman for the Israeli police. One family the….
Israel: failure of talks with Palestinians could harm us
10/23/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel’s top negotiator warned Wednesday that failure in peace talks could lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state with international backing on terms unfavorable to the Israelis.”Stalemate can
lead to a Palestinian state that would be forced on us – not as the outcome of negotiations that represent the Israeli interest,” Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who heads Israel’s….
Kerry calls for action from Iran on nuclear issue
10/23/2013 – ROME (AFP) – US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday said “words are no substitute for actions” on the Iran nuclear issue and said it was too early to talk about easing sanctions on the country. Speaking ahead of marathon talks in Rome with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Kerry said US sanctions on Iran could be revoked only once it is clear the country….
Abbas calls on corporations to cease activity in settlements
10/23/2013 – BRUSSELS (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called on international corporations Wednesday to cease doing business in Israeli settlements. Abbas’s statement came during a press conference in Brussels after he met with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy. This is not a step against Israel, Abbas said, but against the illegal settlements continuously being built on Palestinian land. Abbas said that….
2 Bedouin mayors re-elected in Negev
10/23/2013 – BEERSHEBA (Ma’an) — Final municipal elections results were announced in four Negev Bedouin towns Wednesday morning, according to a Ma’an reporter in the Negev. In Rahat a second round will be carried out between the incumbent mayor Sheikh Fayiz Abu Suheiban and his competitor Talal al-Qreinawi two weeks later after the former received 37 percent of the votes and the latter got….
Popular Palestinian wedding singer shot dead
10/23/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Popular wedding singer Shafit Kabha was shot dead late Tuesday by unidentified gunmen in Umm al-Fahm, locals told Ma’an. Kabha, 53, sustained critical injuries in the attack and was taken to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center where doctors pronounced him dead. Israeli police said in a statement that an ambulance evacuated a man with critical gunshot wounds to the medical….
UN: Palestinian refugees in Syria face ‘extreme vulnerability’
10/23/2013 – NEW YORK (AFP) — Top UN official Jeffrey Feltman emphasized Tuesday the “extreme vulnerability” of Palestinian refugees in Syria as fighting there escalates. Speaking at the Security Council, the under-secretary for political affairs also called on member nations to give more generously to fund the UN Relief and Works Agency or UNRWA. He recalled the sinking off Egypt of a boat filled with Palestinian refugees and….
Missing Gaza man found dead in refugee camp
10/23/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The body of a Gaza man reported missing six months ago was found late Tuesday in Bureij refugee camp, police in Gaza said. Mahmoud Khalil Aloul, 23, went missing six months ago after not returning home one night and had not been seen since. Police said that an unidentified man in Bureij camp lured Aloul to his home before killing….
Coca-Cola Palestine celebrates 15th anniversary
10/23/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The National Beverage Company, a Palestinian franchise company of Coca-Cola, is marking 15 years since its modest launch in 1998. When the NBC first obtained a license to produce Coca-Cola products in Palestine, it started as a small business franchise with 47 employees. Today, it employs 370 people in three plants and four branches across the occupied West Bank and Gaza….
Militants kill 48 over two days in Iraq
10/23/2013 – BAGHDAD (AFP) — Militants killed 48 people in two days of attacks in Iraq that included a coordinated series of suicide bombings and shootings in which 25 police died, officials said Wednesday. Violence has reached a level not seen since 2008, and militants, including those linked to Al-Qaeda, frequently target Iraqi security forces and other government employees. Gunmen killed six people in the northern city of….
Iran ‘spares life of hanging survivor’
10/23/2013 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran has decided to spare the life of a convicted drug trafficker who survived a hanging, media reports on Wednesday quoted Justice Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi as saying. The reports follow calls from within Iran and appeals from international rights groups against the man found alive in a morgue facing execution for a second time.” The convict who survived (the death penalty) will not….
Meeting in Geneva to prepare Syria peace talks
10/23/2013 – NEW YORK (AFP) — UN and Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi will meet again in early November with US and Russian officials to prepare for a Syria peace conference, the United Nations said Tuesday. The preparatory meeting will be held in Geneva November 5 and will be followed the same day by a meeting with the other three permanent members of the UN Security Council — France….
US denies ties with Saudis under strain
10/23/2013 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — Relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia remain strong, a US official insisted Tuesday, brushing aside a report its key Gulf ally was seeking to distance itself from Washington amid differences over Syria. Asked if Riyadh had told Washington that it planned to cut back cooperation, the official replied: “Not to my knowledge has that message been sent to the State Department….
Tunisia police, gunmen killed in clash
10/23/2013 – SIDI BOUZID (Tunisia) (AFP) — Tunisia’s National Guard clashed with militants in the central Sidi Bouzid region on Wednesday, with fatalities on both sides, police and hospital sources told AFP.”At least two members of the National Guard and two from the other camp were killed,” an interior ministry official told AFP. A hospital source in the Sidi Ali Ben Aoun locality, where the….
2 killed in north Lebanon clashes over Syria
10/23/2013 – TRIPOLI (Lebanon) (AFP) — Two people have been killed and 33 wounded in three days of clashes in the Lebanese city of Tripoli between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad, a security official said Wednesday. The violence has closed schools and sent families into flight, with no sign by Wednesday evening of the fighting dying down.”Two people have been killed since Monday night….
Syria rebels shell Damascus main squares, kill 2
10/23/2013 – BEIRUT(AFP) — Syrian rebels shelled two of Damascus’s main squares Wednesday, killing two people and wounding at least four others, a monitoring group said. Meanwhile, mainstream and Islamist rebels pressed an advance against troops in Homs province aimed at capturing major weapons depots, rebels and the Syrian Observatory for Huma
n Rights said.”We have confirmed reports that at least two people were injured….
AlJazeera
Israel and US differ on Iran’s nuclear file
AlJazeera 23 Oct 2013 – US suggests safeguards could show Iran is not developing nuclear weapons, while Israel demands effective dismantlement.
Prisoners in Gilboa Jail Deprived from Family Visits
Palestine News Network
Shashat’s 9th Women Festival Launches in Palestine
Palestine News Network
Palestinian Youth and Sumud
Palestine News Network
Rihanna Mentions ‘Palestine’ During Performance in Tel Aviv
Palestine News Network
UK to Offer $15.5 million to UNRWA to Support Palestinian Refugees
Palestine News Network
Settlers Assault Farmers near Bethlehem
Palestine News Network
Israeli Soldiers Arrest Woman from Hebron
Palestine News Network
occupied Palestinian territory: Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine (A/68/363 S/2013/524)
Relief Web 23 Oct 2013 – Source: UN Security Council Country: occupied Palestinian territory Report of the Secretary-General Summary The present report is submitted in accordance with General Assembly resolution 67/23. It contains replies received from the parties concerned to the notes verbales sent by the…
occupied Palestinian territory: Women’s Voices: Samaher B.- Home demolition
Relief Web 23 Oct 2013 – Source: Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling Country: occupied Palestinian territory Name: Samaher B. Age: 35 Location: Mak-hul, West Bank Date of incident: 23 September 2013 Nature of incident: Property destruction On 23 September 2013, Israeli forces entered a…
Inside Mission Kosovo: How UAE offered glimmer of hope amid war
The National 23 Oct 2013 – A new documentary airing 9 p.m. Friday on National Geographic Abu Dhabi tells the story of the various ways the UAE Armed Forces provided aid to during its first humanitarian mission to Europe during the Kosovo War.
Warmer ties signalled for US-Pakistan s marriage of necessity
The National 23 Oct 2013 – The highest-level talks since 2009 mark a moment of optimism after the countries relationship fell to a low in 2011 after the US raid to kill Osama bin Laden, the capture of a CIA contractor in Lahore after he killed two men, and the US attack on a Pakistan military outpost that killed 24 soldiers. Taimur Khan reports
Abbas urges international firms to shun Israeli settlements
The National 23 Oct 2013 – The president of the Palestinian Authority urges international firms not to do business in Israeli settlements.
UAE and Iran discuss cooperation
The National 23 Oct 2013 – The eighth UAE-Iran Joint Consular Committee has begun a series of meetings in Tehran to discuss areas of consular cooperation and ways of promoting them.
US and Europe pressure SNC to attend Syria peace talks
The National 23 Oct 2013 – US and Europe apply intense pressure on the main Syrian opposition group to attend a long-delayed peace conference aimed at ending Syria’s civil war.
Prince George shown off at royal christening
The National 23 Oct 2013 – Britain’s baby Prince George has been christened in a private ceremony, with his proud parents Prince William and Kate giving the world a rare glimpse of their three-month-old son.
Kuwait wants Saudis to take up UN Security Council seat
The National 23 Oct 2013 – Kuwait is trying to persuade Saudi Arabia to take up the UN Security Council seat that Riyadh has spurned in protest at the world body s failure to end the war in Syria, a senior Kuwaiti official says.
Libya marks second anniversary of liberation from Qaddafi
The National 23 Oct 2013 – Government issues brief statement congratulating the people on the decisive day that ended tyranny and despotism but no official celebrations have been planned.
China, India sign Himalayan border cooperation agreement
The National 23 Oct 2013 – China and India signed a confidence-building accord Wednesday to cooperate on border defence following a standoff between armed forces of the two Asian giants in disputed Himalayan territory earlier this year.
Allies queue to demand answers on US snooping
The National 23 Oct 2013 – France is the latest in a growing list of nations Germany, Brazil and Mexico included that are demanding explanations from Washington.
No rift between Turkey and Gulf states, says country s UAE ambassador
The National 23 Oct 2013 – The Turkish ambassador to the UAE denied this week that there was any diplomatic rift between his country and the Gulf states.
Obama s aid payment to Egypt stymied by Republican senator over Coptic Christians
The National 23 Oct 2013 – First $60m package of post-coup economic aid to Egypt held up by opposition senator who cites crimes against Copts and other minorities.
Pope Francis expels German luxury bishop from diocese
The National 23 Oct 2013 – Pope Francis temporarily expels German bishop from his diocese over ¨ 31 million (Dh157m) project to build a new residential complex.
Nations debate giant Antarctic Ocean sanctuaries
The National 23 Oct 2013 – Multi-nation talks on creating two vast sanctuaries in Antarctic waters have begun, with official saying marine reserve protecting the pristine Ross Sea has better chance of success.
Australia s unseasonably early wildfires spark climate change debate
The National 23 Oct 2013 – As thousands of firefighters struggled to keep the flames at bay in baking heat and winds of up to 100 kph, another battle was being waged: a political row about the links between climate change and these unseasonably early fires.
Suicide bombers, gunmen kill 28 in Iraq
The National 23 Oct 2013 – Gunmen and suicide bombers driving explosives-rigged vehicles kill 25 police and three civilians in Iraq’s Anbar province overnight.
India-Pakistan border firing among worst in decade: army
The National 23 Oct 2013 – Indian army says cross-border firing with Pakistan is among the worst since a ceasefire agreement a decade ago, as one soldier dies and six are injured in overnight firing.
London uses van with X-ray machine to find tuberculosis
The National 23 Oct 2013 – Health officials are taking to the streets in an effort to stop the spread of the infectious lung disease, with a high-tech white van equipped with an X-ray machine that drives around London offering free check-ups.
Vatican launches cricket club, plans to take on the Church of England at Lord s
The National 23 Oct 2013 – The Vatican served up tea and cucumber sandwiches yesterday as it launched its own cricket club, challenging the Church of England to a match and vowing to take on Hindu holy men and Pakistan imams.
Uneasy calm on the West Bank following several violent incidents
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Seven hours but few details as Netanyahu and Kerry meet
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Germany: U.S. may have targeted Merkel’s cell phone
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Prince George christened with water from Jordan River
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Republican hopefuls Perry and Sandoval visit Israel
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
EU strives to skirt diplomatic row with Israel for the sake of scientific cooperation
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Jobbik’s menacing shadow over Hungary
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
10 takeaways from Israel’s local elections
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Ex-head of Hadassah still earns big, despite Israeli hospital’s financial turmoil
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Defense Minister: Israel closely monitoring situation in Syria, adhering to ‘red lines’
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Spielberg’s Schindler’s List archive transferred to Poland
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Israel’s fate in his hands, Netanyahu’s moment is now
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
In seven-hour Rome meeting, Kerry to press Netanyahu for answers on peace talks
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
The Onion deploys Jewish slurs to skewer Redskins owner
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Dollar drops to NIS 3.51 as U.S. expected to keep stimulus going
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Israeli ultra-Orthodox party proves a big loser in local elections
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
NATO: Russia may assist in destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Autumn flowers bloom in the Negev, water or not
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Israeli chefs to reconstruct extravagant Jewish-Polish banquet in Tel Aviv
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Young Turkish Jews emigrating due to anti-Semitism, tensions with Israel
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Saudi Arabia warns of ‘major’ shift away from U.S. over Iran and Syria policies
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Barkat retains Jerusalem, three mayors facing criminal charges re-elected
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Slain Boston Marathon bombing suspect linked to triple killings
Ha’aretz – 23 Oct 2013
Naftali Bennett s Tea Party
Ha’aretz – 22 Oct 2013
The unavoidable war
Ha’aretz – 22 Oct 2013
No liberalism in appointment of Flug as central bank governor
Ha’aretz – 22 Oct 2013
Stop calling them ‘infiltrators’
Ha’aretz – 22 Oct 2013
Woman faces U.S. immigration charges for lying about role in Israeli bombing
Ha’aretz – 22 Oct 2013
Back to Assad? New proof the rebellion is failing
Ha’aretz – 22 Oct 2013
Apathy and mistrust in Ramat Gan municipal elections
Ha’aretz – 22 Oct 2013
In appointing the new central bank chief, Bibi just followed the media
Ha’aretz – 22 Oct 2013
Single mom, former Black Hebrew, aspiring politician
Ha’aretz – 22 Oct 2013
After stumbling in Syria, NSA pushes blame on to Obama
Jerusalem Post 23 Oct 2013 – Leaks to the NYTimes reveal that much of the National Security Council is dissatisfied with the president: Those who wanted to avoid military action and were forced to justify it and those for it who missed the opportunity.
Why do voters reelect corrupt politicians to office?
Jerusalem Post 23 Oct 2013 – A bill is under consideration to force indicted officials into suspension.
Barkat victorious in Jerusalem mayoral race
Jerusalem Post 23 Oct 2013 – Incumbent beats challenger Lion by almost six percent; accuses Liberman, Deri of seeking to seize control of Jerusalem.
Moshe Abutbul beats out Eli Cohen in Beit Shemesh mayoral election
Jerusalem Post 23 Oct 2013 – Yesh Atid MK Dov Lipman accuses incumbent Mayor Moshe Abutbul for turning the elections into a religious war.
Politicians talk tough on terrorism at memorial for slain minister Rehavam Ze’evi
Jerusalem Post 23 Oct 2013 – Knesset remembers assassinated National Union minister with speeches honoring his commitment to Jewish sovereignty.
Texas A&M University to open branch in Nazareth
Jerusalem Post 23 Oct 2013 – The new institution, to be called the Peace Campus, will promote coexistence for the sake of education with a student population combining Arab, Jewish and foreign students.
Hundreds of leading dignitaries set to attend annual Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference
Jerusalem Post 23 Oct 2013 – 100 countries will be represented at Thursday’s conference.
Gedera voter breaks both hands trying to hang campaign banner
Jerusalem Post 23 Oct 2013 – Election day was a painful one for Pini Levi, president of the Gedera Rotary organization.
Israelis graduate with huge financial debt, survey shows
Jerusalem Post 23 Oct 2013 – National Union of Israeli Students: Students in 2013, spend NIS 1,165 more than they earn each month.
Reporter’s Notebook: To seal or not to seal
Jerusalem Post 23 Oct 2013 – After six decades of practice, it seems that there are still a few kinks to work out in voting procedures.
German TV: European jihadist teenagers fighting in Syria
Jerusalem Post 23 Oct 2013 – German intelligence head: Over 100 Muslims left Germany for Syria this year.
Court contends that Zaken asked for bribes on Olmert s behalf
Jerusalem Post 22 Oct 2013 – Prosecution finishes cross-examining former prime minister Ehud Olmert s bureau chief.
Lawyers want Guantanamo gag order lifted
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 23, 2013- Defense attorneys for five detainees in the Sept. 11 conspiracy case asked the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal on Tuesday to lift restrictions that bar their clients from publicly discussing at an upcoming trial their alleged maltreatment by…
Projecting incitement upon the oppressed
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 23, 2013 – Ramona WadiThe Israeli minister for Strategic Affairs Yuval Steinitz declared in a report that Palestinians thrive upon incitement embedded within educational institutions. “Incitement is a serious obstacle to peace … The Palestinian Authority is aware of the…
Israel s latest stunt to keep settlement expansion away from critics
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 23, 2013 -Whilst peace talks between Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israel s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are currently underway, internationally deemed illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank continue to mushroom. Even if Netanyahu had agreed to Abbas…
Settlers attack Palestinian farmers in first week of olive harvest
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 23, 2013 – Near the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, the village of Burqa is home to around 2,000 Palestinians. Surrounded on three sides by the Israeli military as well as settler areas, the village is…
Rally for Ahmad Sa adat and Palestinian prisoners in Khan Younis
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 23, 2013 – The Campaign to Free Ahmad Sa adat delivered a message at a rally in Khan Younis, Gaza, Palestine, calling for freedom for Sa adat and all Palestinian prisoners on October 19. The mass rally in Khan…
Settlers prevent Bethlehem farmers from reaching their land
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 23, 2013 – Israeli settlers and military forces prevented dozens of Palestinian farmers from reaching their land east of Bethlehem on Wednesday. Armed settlers assaulted villagers from Tuqu while Israeli soldiers stood by and prevented them from reaching their…
Lies and Injustice: Canada s Ongoing Mistreatment of Omar Khadr
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 23, 2013 – Last week, in a court in Edmonton, Justice John Rooke, responding to a habeas corpus petition submitted in September by former Guant·namo prisoner Omar Khadr, issued a ruling ordering him to remain in a maximum security…
Video: Harsh conditions persist at checkpoints where Palestinian laborers enter Israel
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013 – In early June 2013, B Tselem field researchers documented conditions at Tarqumya Checkpoint in the southern West Bank and at Eyal Crossing in the northern West Bank, both of which serve as entry points into Israel…
A New Kind of War Is Being Legalized
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013 – There s a dark side to the flurry of reports and testimony on drones, helpful as they are in many ways. When we read that Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch oppose drone strikes that violate…
Syria News – October 22, 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013 – By the end of Tuesday the Coordination Committees were able to document 77 martyrs including 7 women and 9 children: 28 martyrs were reported in Damascus and its Suburbs, 21 in Aleppo, 10 in Homs, 6…
Sectarianism: Redrawing the Map of Middle East
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013 – …It is easy however to associate perpetual conflict with the supposedly inherently violent Middle East. For nearly two decades, many warned that American military intervention in Iraq would eventually “destabilize” the entire region. The term “destabilize”…
The Great Nothingness of Libya, Two Years After Muammar Gaddafi
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013 – The notion of a “Libya” has ceased to have any meaningful practical application. As a concept that either refers to some degree of national unity, an imagined community, sovereignty, or the exercise of authority by a…
Gaza s poorest struggle to survive
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013 – Salih Alwadiya is among Gaza Strip s poorest. The 61-year-old s home consists of a kitchen, several small rooms and a space devoted to cages full of pigeons and a goose. Many of his 20 children,…
Israel: Major International Cocaine Trafficking Hub
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013 – A June UN Office on Drugs and Crime World Drug Report named Israel for its “star role.” More on that below. Israel is a serial lawbreaker. Its rap sheet already overflows. This revelation adds another reprehensible…
Back in the business of killing
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013 – The campaign against America s enemies is silent and precise. Commanders fight without troops. They operate from CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia – their “troops” in front of computer screens in Nevada or New Mexico. Their…
Drone Victims Recount Horror of Follow-Up Strikes Launched Against People Rescuing Wounded
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013 – …On July 6, 2012, laborers from the Zowi Sidgi village were gathered in a tent after working a long day in the summer heat. Residents nearby could clearly see four drones were flying overhead. Then, as…
How the FBI blacklisted US largest Muslim civil rights group
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013 – Based on flimsy evidence, the FBI has sabotaged efforts to be on good terms with Muslim communities in the US by accusing the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) of being linked to a “terrorist organization.” Founded…
Obama Administration Has Launched Drone Strikes Against AQAP Suspects Who Could ve Been Captured
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013- Both Amnesty International and Human Right Watch (HRW) released reports on drone strikes launched by the United States, which included firsthand accounts of what happened from people who witnessed family, friends or others being killed or wounded….
Elderly Palestinian hit by settler car dies from injuries
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013 — An elderly Palestinian man knocked down by a settler car in Qalqiliya last week died on Tuesday from his injuries, relatives said. Abdul-Hafith Muhammad Tayyim, 75, was hit by a settler vehicle on the first day…
Arbitrary arrest and detention in Iraq
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – Ocotber 22, 2013 – ….Despite the legal weight behind the protection from arbitrary detention, Iraq continues to arbitrarily deprive Iraqis of their liberty at alarming rates. According to the Iraqi Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Human Rights, as of…
The impact of ten years of occupation on Iraqi children
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – Ocotber 22, 2013 – The impact of the war and ten years (2003-2013) of occupation by the US/UK-led coalition has resulted in a catastrophic situation for all Iraqi children. According to the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) around 3.5 million…
Arbitrary arrest and detention in Iraq
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – Ocotber 22, 2013 – ….Despite the legal weight behind the protection from arbitrary detention, Iraq continues to arbitrarily deprive Iraqis of their liberty at alarming rates. According to the Iraqi Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Human Rights, as of…
Mass executions in Iraq GICJ appeals to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in view of record executions in Iraq
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013 -On 8th and 9th October 2013 a new wave of executions was carried out in Iraq, during which 42 people were executed within only two days. This brings the number of people executed until October 2013 to…
” Will I be next? US drone strikes in Pakistan” (Full Report )
Uruknet 23 Oct 2013 – October 22, 2013-New evidence indicates that the USA has carried out unlawful killings in Pakistan through drone attacks, some of which could even amount to war crimes, Amnesty International said in a major new report released today.The report, ” Will I…
Much of Syria blacked out by rebel attack on gas pipeline: government
Daily Star 23 Oct 2013 Much of Syria, including the capital Damascus, was hit by a power cut late on Wednesday after rebels attacked a gas pipeline, state media said.
Tunisia PM says committed to ‘principle’ of resigning
Daily Star 23 Oct 2013 Tunisia’s Islamist Prime Minister Ali Larayedh said on Wednesday that his government was committed to the “principle” of resigning in line with a roadmap to end months of political deadlock.
Kuwait tipped for Security Council seat
Daily Star 23 Oct 2013 Saudi Arabia s unprecedented rejection of a U.N. Security Council place has pushed the world body into uncharted territory, but fellow Gulf nation Kuwait is emerging as an early front-runner to fill the seat.
Obama assures Germany’s Merkel U.S. not monitoring her communications: White House
Daily Star 23 Oct 2013 President Barack Obama on Wednesday sought to assure German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the United States is not monitoring her communications after Merkel raised the issue with Obama.
Merkel quizzes Obama on spying reports
Daily Star 23 Oct 2013 German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded answers from President Barack Obama Wednesday after learning U.S. spies may have monitored her phone, warning this would be breach of trust between allies.
Iraq PM warns of ‘war of genocide’ as attacks kill 49
Daily Star 23 Oct 2013 Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki warned on Wednesday that the country is facing a “war of genocide,” as officials said militants killed 49 people in two days of attacks.
Syria frees 16 women detainees after hostage deal
Daily Star 23 Oct 2013 Syrian authorities have released 16 women detainees as part of a weekend hostage exchange but more than 100 others are still being held, a prominent human rights activist said Wednesday.
NATO, Russia could play role in eliminating Syrian chemical arms
Daily Star 23 Oct 2013 NATO and Russia could play a role in eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles if they were asked to do so by the United Nations, said U.S., NATO and Russian officials on Wednesday.
Egypt military officers back army chief for president
Daily Star 23 Oct 2013 After months of turmoil in Egypt, military officers are pushing popular army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to run for president, after the 2011 uprising had inspired hopes for democratic change in a country long dominated by…
Two Dutch men guilty of preparing to fight in Syria
Daily Star 23 Oct 2013 A Dutch court has found two men guilty of preparing to travel to Syria to fight with rebels battling to oust President Bashar Assad, verdicts prosecutors say will help other such cases in the future.
Syria rebels advance towards arms depots: Activists
Daily Star 23 Oct 2013 Syrian mainstream and Islamist rebels press an advance against troops in Homs province aimed at capturing major weapons depots, rebels and activists say.
Haifa: Furor breaks out after glitch misplaces 5,000 votes
YNet News, 23 Oct 2013 – ….
Scathing UN report details Iran rights abuses
YNet News, 23 Oct 2013 – ….
Pakistan’s Sharif says urged Obama to end drone strikes
YNet News, 23 Oct 2013 – ….
Norway tried to stop Kenya suspect
YNet News, 23 Oct 2013 – ….
Crash in Ramla Junction leaves pedestrian seriously wounded
YNet News, 23 Oct 2013 – ….
Peace with Jordan invaluable
YNet News, 23 Oct 2013 – Op-ed: Israel may pay heavy price one day for taking peace treaty with Hashemite Kingdom for granted ….
American Jews ready for Thanksgivukkah
YNet News, 23 Oct 2013 – Extremely rare convergence this year of Thanksgiving, start of Hanukkah creates frenzy of Talmudic proportions ….
Smell of political garbage
YNet News, 23 Oct 2013 – Op-ed: Current electoral system makes it virtually impossible for mayors to do their job ….
China seeking Jewish book owner
YNet News, 23 Oct 2013 – Family from Shanghai trying to locate refugee who fled Nazi-occupied Europe, owned over 2,000 books they have looked after since 1943 ….
Palestinian Information Center
Mufti of Jerusalem: Aqsa Mosque solely Islamic and could not be divided
PIC – Sheikh Mohammed Hussein, the Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestinian territories, has denounced ‚¨ SZionist feverish attempts‚¨ ù to divide the Aqsa Mosque temporally and spatially between Muslims and Jews.
Waed: Captive Hammad in serious danger
PIC – Jordanian captive Ala‚¨ “!a Hammad is passing through a life threatening stage after 175 days of hunger strike, Waed society for prisoners said in a statement on Wednesday.
IOA planning new railway into OJ
PIC – The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) are planning the construction of a new railway line that would extend from the entrance of Jerusalem into the Old City.
Hamas: The UN, Feltman look at things with one eye
PIC – Hamas strongly denounced Jeffrey Feltman, the deputy secretary-general of the UN, for considering the tunnel that was discovered lately east of Khan Younis a breach of the truce agreement.
Halahleh’s father calls for his release
PIC – The father of the prisoner Thaer Halahleh appealed on Wednesday to all human rights institutions to intervene to get his son released in light of his sharp health deterioration.
4 minors arrested in Nablus
PIC – Settlers attacked last night several houses in Burin village south of Nablus, while Israeli forces arrested four minors in the city.
Aruri urges resistance in W. Bank for more heroic operations against occupation
PIC – Member of Hamas’s political bureau Saleh Aruri called on the armed wings of the Palestinian factions in the West Bank for more heroic operations against the Israeli occupation and its lackeys.
IOF raids al-Khalil, arrests 5 Palestinians including a girl
PIC – The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) raided at dawn on Wednesday several areas in southern occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil, where they arrested 4 Palestinians and set up a number of barriers.
Turkish Hackers attack Israeli sites
PIC – Turkish hackers have launched a cyber attack on Israeli websites, as a response to the Israeli threats against Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan, Turkish media sources revealed.
Palestinian prisoners in Gilboa prison deprived from family visits
PIC – The Israeli authorities continued depriving the Palestinian prisoners in Gilboa prison from family visits including Eid al-Adha visits since ten days ago.
Abbas Calls European, Foreign Companies to Stop Operating in Israeli Settlements
WAFA – 23 Oct 2013
European Official Denies Report of Misuse of Funds by PA
WAFA – 23 Oct 2013
Ninth Women Film Festival to Open in Gaza, West Bank
WAFA – 23 Oct 2013
PEX Report: Index Unchanged
WAFA – 23 Oct 2013
Italian Ministry of Justice Delegation Concludes Visit
WAFA – 23 Oct 2013
Rights Advocates Say New Hollywood Group Close to Israeli Government
WAFA – 23 Oct 2013
Britain Announces £15M Support for Syria s Palestinian Refugees
WAFA – 23 Oct 2013
Soldiers Arrest Hebron-area Woman at Checkpoint
WAFA – 23 Oct 2013
Inspectors in Syria expect to meet key chemical disarmament deadline
LA Times 23 Oct 2013 – Equipment for producing chemical weapons has been destroyed at nearly all sites declared by Syria, the OPCW says. The deadline is Nov. 1. WASHINGTON International inspectors expect to destroy Syria’s ability to produce new chemical weapons by Nov. 1, the first major deadline in…
Egypt orders arrests of police in Muslim Brotherhood deaths
LA Times 22 Oct 2013 – CAIRO–In an unusual signal of willingness to hold security forces accountable for abuses, an Egyptian prosecutor ordered the arrests of four police officers in connection with the deaths of more than three dozen Muslim Brotherhood detainees more than two months ago, state media reported Tuesday….
Middle East Peace Talks Continue, Under the Radar
New York Times 23 Oct 2013 – Negotiators for Israel and the Palestinians are adhering to Secretary of State John Kerry s admonition not to disclose the content of the meetings.
At War Blog: An Afghan Interpreter Seeks a Visa That Is Unlikely to Come
New York Times 23 Oct 2013 – A Marine argues that if leaders applied more industriousness to the special visa program for Afghan nationals who help with the war effort, they could prevent more linguists from being trapped in paperwork.
Kerry Seeks to Reassure Israel on Iran
New York Times 23 Oct 2013 – Secretary of State John Kerry has been confronting frictions from America s key Middle East allies over the direction of its policies in the region.
Obama s Uncertain Path Amid Syria Bloodshed
New York Times 22 Oct 2013 – President Obama s effort to reconcile his conflicting impulses on Syria has been reflected in a far more contentious debate among his advisers than previously known.
In a Harvest, Palestinians Cast a Light on Hardship
New York Times 22 Oct 2013 – Palestinians and the advocacy groups that support them are using the olive harvest, a beloved annual ritual, to highlight hardships under Israeli occupation.
Cairo Journal: Egyptians Abandoning Hope and Now, Reluctantly, Homeland
New York Times 22 Oct 2013 – Amid unrelenting turmoil since President Mohamed Morsi s ouster, many who had postponed an urge to leave say they are joining a new exodus.
Rights Group Warns Against Bahrain s Use of Tear Gas Against Protesters
New York Times 22 Oct 2013 – Human Rights Watch cites a government order of 1.6 million tear gas canisters and says its misuse has caused deaths and serious injuries.
Pollen Study Points to Drought as Culprit in Bronze Age Mystery
New York Times 22 Oct 2013 – Analysis of pollen grains from sediment beneath the Sea of Galilee and the western shore of the Dead Sea indicate drought caused a Late Bronze Age collapse.
U.S. and 10 Other Nations Back Peace Talks, but Syrian Moderates Are Uncertain
New York Times 22 Oct 2013 – The group of nations known as the London 11 says the creation of a transitional government would be crucial to a settlement.
Avigdor Lieberman used the Jerusalem mayoral election to attempt a right-wing takeover of Likud (and almost got away with it)
Mondoweiss – Overlooking the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem. (Photo: Allison Deger) Yesterday Jerusalem s mayor Nir Barkat barely kept his seat as mayor of Jerusalem in Israel s municipal elections. Representing the Likud party, Barkat was just able to fend off rivals from religious and…
Pressure on Tamar partners to cut gas price
Globes Energy & Water – The Electricity Authority has lowered its production tariff, to which the gas supply agreements to private power producers are linked.
IEC to disconnect Better Place charging points
Globes Energy & Water – Electric vehicle owners are being asked to pay Israel Electric Corp. directly for recharging batteries.
El Al CEO reports interest from investors
Globes Main News – Elyezer Shkedy spoke as El Al inaugurated its first Boeing 737-900, which makes its maiden flight to Paris on Thursday.
Texas A&M University campus to open in Nazareth
Globes Macro Economics – The Texas A&M Peace University is in a favorable location for Israel’s Arab population and aims to foster coexistence between Arabs and Jews.
Wed: Bezeq depresses market
Globes Main News – Stocks fell today, with Bezeq leading the way after a Citi downgrade, and Babylon slashed because of its troubles with Yahoo!.
Liberal Zionists call on ADL to cease publishing anti-Israel sh*tlist because it will alienate U.S. Jews
Mondoweiss – Two days ago the Anti-Defamation League, which is dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism, issued a list of the top ten anti-Israel organizations in the U.S. This shocking sh*t-list (PDF here ) includes Jewish Voice for Peace, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and CODEPINK and suggests that the groups…
Yeshiva U panel concludes Israel and Jews face destruction from: Iran, assimilation and occupation critics
Mondoweiss – The right-wing crew assembled at Yeshiva University last night didn t definitively answer the question that brought them there: Will Jews Exist? But what did emerge in spades was a ton of handwringing over Jewish assimilation, the existential threat Iran posed and Israel s image on college campuses along…
Peace process should yield bumper crop of memoirs
Mondoweiss – Laura Blumenfeld Many have pointed out that the peace process is an industry, a full employment program for Washington experts. Well, the latest beneficiaries are journalists. Reports are that the Obama administration s penchant for hiring writers continues with the State Department hiring of Laura Blumenfeld to…
Domestic issues mess up Bibi’s agenda
Globes Macro Economics – Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu must worry about tax burdens and housing when he’d rather be interviewed by CNN about Iran and Syria.
Amdocs sues T-Jat for extortion
Globes Main News – Amdocs has filed a counter-suit against the Israeli start-up for deliberate, calculated, and malicious sabotage.
Leumi CEO Our main challenge is streamlining
Globes Main News – Rakefet Russak-Aminoach told shareholders that voluntary early retirement for veteran employees brings more significant results.
Compensation fund meant for Pakistani drone victims going to US-based NGOs instead
Mondoweiss – The remnants of a US drone strike on August 29, 2012 in Khashamir, Yemen. The strike killed three alleged members of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a policeman, and a cleric who preached against the armed group. (Photo: Reuters via Human Rights Watch ) Recent reports on…
Palestinian cameraman shot in the head by Israeli soldier while covering military operation near Bil in
Mondoweiss – Video: The martyr Mohammed Assi 22 Oct by Haitham Khatib He was killed on the land of Bil in after being wanted for a year. His body was confiscated by the Israeli army despite the villagers attempt to claim it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E2mZWY8XCQ Video 2: Mohammed Assi 22…
What Comes Next: A new generation will rise to inspire, unify and liberate
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…
Small defense cos face tough times
Globes Aerospace & Defense – Small and medium defense manufacturers saw exports fall last year and IDF cutbacks aren’t helping.
Citi downgrade starts Bezeq slide
Globes Main News – Analyst Michael Klahr has cut his recommendation to “Sell”, prompting a reaction affecting the whole market.
Adelson says Obama should fire atomic weapon at Iran, not negotiate
Mondoweiss – Last night in New York, Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire supporter of Israel, said that the U.S. should fire a nuclear weapon at Iran rather than negotiate. He said that if Obama fires a weapon into the desert, killing no one, and then threatens to send the…
Babylon tumbles following revenue warning
Globes Main News – Yahoo! has not suspended its Babylon agreement despite the deficiencies but the online translation company’s revenue will fall.
Biggest cities re-elect their mayors
Globes Main News – Nir Barkat triumphed in Jerusalem while Ron Huldai was voted in for a fourth term as mayor of Tel Aviv.
Shekel continues to gain ground against dollar
Globes Main News – FXCM Israel: It looks like new Bank of Israel Governor Karnit Flug will intervene very aggressively in the foreign currency market.
Naturalized Palestinian Woman Lied About Conviction in Supermarket Bombing
The Foward Breaking News 23 Oct 2013 – A naturalized American citizen of Palestinian descent could be deported for lying about her conviction in the deadly bombing of a Jerusalem supermarket. Click here for the rest of the article…
Explosion near airport in Damascus
BBC 23 Oct 2013 – An explosion near the airport in Syria’s capital, Damascus, is followed by a blackout in parts of the city, state media say.
Infographic: St. Louis Veolia Timeline
US Campaign to End the Occupation 23 Oct 2013 – Check out this infographic from St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee . Since late 2012, the PSC has joined other local organizations in opposing a city contract with Veolia .
Take Action: SodaStream #bebottlefree Campaign
US Campaign to End the Occupation 23 Oct 2013 – SodaStream has recently partnered with #besomebody , a motivational movement that is on a a 25 college, 50 day tour across the United States. SodaStream writes that they are “reminding people to be awesome, be fizzy, and be bottle free” and using #bebottlefree to promote their products….
River Jordan Water Used for Prince George Christening
The Foward Breaking News 23 Oct 2013 – Britain s Prince George was christened on Wednesday in a service attended by just 21 guests, a small and private ceremony for a baby whose parents want to shield him from too much media intrusion. Click here for the rest of the article…
Lithuanian Rabbi Leib Shteinman Attacked by Religious Intruder
The Foward Breaking News 23 Oct 2013 – Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, the leader of the non-hasidic Lithuanian Ashkenazi community, was attacked at his home in Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Sheldon Adelson Says Two-States ‘Russian Roulette’ Calls Palestinians ‘Syrian’
The Forward New 23 Oct 2013 – Sheldon Adelson believes that allowing Palestinian statehood is playing Russian roulette. He doesn t know the difference between Shia and Sunni Muslims. And he wants to be a bossy Chinese man in a future life. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu Clashes With U.S. on Iran Nuclear Policy
The Foward Breaking News 23 Oct 2013 – U.S. and Israeli officials differed over Iran s nuclear programme on Wednesday as Israel called for its effective dismantlement and the United States suggested safeguards could show that it is peaceful rather than military. Click here for the rest of the article…
Sweden’s Syrian asylum offer
BBC 23 Oct 2013 – Why many refugees from Syria head for Sweden
Ghana: Israel to Share Climate Change Experience With Ghana
allAfrica.com 23 Oct 2013 – [Ghanaian Chronicle]Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, H.E Sharon Bar-li has reiterated Israel’s willingness to cooperate with Ghana, particularly with tertiary educational institutions and research bodies in the country’s fight against climate change.
Britain s Chief Rabbi Embraces Limmud, Despite Protest From Ultra-Orthodox
The Forward New 23 Oct 2013 – British Jews don t eat Chinese food on Christmas instead many of them head to Limmud. And this year, in a controversial move, the U.K s new chief rabbi will join them. Click here for the rest of the article…
Nigeria: Jonathan Leaves for Pilgrimage, Official Visit to Israel
allAfrica.com 23 Oct 2013 – [This Day]President Goodluck Jonathan will today embark on holy pilgrimage to Israel. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, Jonathan will meet with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset.
Nigeria: Jonathan Embarks On Pilgrimage Today
allAfrica.com 23 Oct 2013 – [Daily Trust]President Goodluck Jonathan will today embark on a pilgrimage to Israel.
Nigeria: Nigeria, Israel in Historic BASA Agreement
allAfrica.com 23 Oct 2013 – [Daily Trust]The federal government will within the week sign a first-ever Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the State of Israel.
Libya al-Qaeda suspect in US court
BBC 23 Oct 2013 – Suspected Libyan militant leader Abu Anas al-Liby, seized earlier this month in a US raid in Tripoli, appears for a second time in a New York court.
Tunisia declares mourning for police
BBC 23 Oct 2013 – Tunisia’s president declares three days of national mourning for eight officers killed by suspected militants in central Sidi Bouzidi province.
Explosion near airport in Damascus
BBC 23 Oct 2013 – An explosion near the airport in Syria’s capital, Damascus, is followed by a blackout in parts of the city, state media say.
How serious is the ‘rift’ in US-Saudi relations?
BBC 23 Oct 2013 – How serious is the US-Saudi row?
Police killed in west Iraq attacks
BBC 23 Oct 2013 – At least 19 policemen and three civilians have been killed in a series of attacks overnight in the western Iraqi province of Anbar, officials say.
South Lebanon Police Outgunned
Al-Akhbar News 23 Oct 2013 – This course is part of a plan launched recently to make the municipal police more effective locally. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) This course is part of a plan launched recently to make the municipal police more effective locally. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) In the summer of 2013, Lebanon s…
Lebanon: Berri Calls for Change in Amal
Al-Akhbar News 23 Oct 2013 – The centerpiece of the change underway is to fast track younger party members, particularly from the universities. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) The centerpiece of the change underway is to fast track younger party members, particularly from the universities. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Has the Arab Spring contagion finally…
Syria s Next Major Battle Set for West Ghouta
Al-Akhbar News 23 Oct 2013 – An opposition fighter holds a position on the front line in Syria’s northeastern city of Deir Ezzor on October 15, 2013. (Photo: AFP – Ahmad Aboud) An opposition fighter holds a position on the front line in Syria’s northeastern city of Deir Ezzor on October 15,…
AUDIO: ‘My father – friend to Bin Laden’
BBC 23 Oct 2013 – The son of Abu Anas Al-Liby reveals his father was friends with Osama Bin La
den, but did not believe in killing innocent people.
UN denounces 15-year sentence for dissident Qatari poet
Al-Akhbar News 23 Oct 2013 – The United Nations human right s commission denounced on Tuesday Qatar s decision to uphold a 15-year prison sentence for a well-known poet, calling the court ruling clearly disproportionate. read more
Egypt security forces conduct arrest sweep in restless Sinai Peninsula
Al-Akhbar News 23 Oct 2013 – Militants killed an Egyptian soldier in Sinai on Wednesday, while security forces made 72 arrests in a sweep of the peninsula to hunt suspects wanted for a bomb attack, officials said. The soldier was killed in the Tamada area of central Sinai, a medic and a…
Guantanamo lawyers denounce gag order on torture allegations
Al-Akhbar News 23 Oct 2013 – This January 19, 2012 file photo reviewed by the US military shows a shadow of a soldier next to a placard on the fence line of the “Camp Five” detention facility of the Joint Detention Group at the US Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (Photo:…
Ahead of dialogue, Tunisian protesters call for resignation of government
Al-Akhbar News 23 Oct 2013 – A Tunisian woman hands a rose to a riot policeman as she joins opposition activists during a demonstration in Tunis’ central Habib Bourguiba Avenue on October 23, 2013 demanding the resignation of Tunisia’s Islamist-led government, ahead of a national dialogue aimed at ending months of political…
Brahimi: Only a political solution can end Syrian conflict
Al-Akhbar News 23 Oct 2013 – UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi gives a joint press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari upon his arrival in Baghdad on October 21, 2013. (Photo: AFP – Khalid Mohammed) UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi insisted Wednesday that only a political solution will help end the “…
Yemeni ‘burns daughter to death’
BBC 23 Oct 2013 – A 15-year-old Yemeni girl was burned to death by her father for getting in touch with her fiance before their wedding, police say.
Syria frees 14 women prisoners as part of hostage exchange deal
Al-Akhbar News 23 Oct 2013 – Syrian authorities have released 14 women detainees as part of a weekend hostage exchange but more than 100 others are still being held, a prominent human rights activist said Wednesday. Nine Lebanese hostages held for 17 months by a rebel group in northern Syria were exchanged…
Sweden’s Syrian asylum offer
BBC 23 Oct 2013 – Why many refugees from Syria head for Sweden
Overnight attacks kill 28 in Iraq’s Anbar province
Al-Akhbar News 23 Oct 2013 – Gunmen and suicide bombers driving explosives-rigged vehicles killed 25 police and three civilians in a series of coordinated attacks in Iraq’s Anbar province overnight, officials and doctors said on Wednesday. The attacks, which hit the western province between 10:00 pm and midnight Tuesday, also wounded a…
Teenager dies in Bahrain explosion
BBC 23 Oct 2013 – A 17-year-old boy was killed while transporting a bomb that exploded in a predominantly Shia village in Bahrain, police allege.
Libya al-Qaeda suspect in US court
BBC 23 Oct 2013 – Suspected Libyan militant leader Abu Anas al-Liby, seized earlier this month in a US raid in Tripoli, appears for a second time in a New York court.
Syrian Women Excluded From Prisoner Exchange
Al-Akhbar Politics 22 Oct 2013 – Turkish Airline pilot Murat Akpinar (R), who was kidnapped in Beirut in August, hugs his son upon arrival at the Istanbul Ataturk airport on October 19, 2013. (Photo: AFP – Ozan Kose) Turkish Airline pilot Murat Akpinar (R), who was kidnapped in Beirut in August, hugs…
Articles
Jerusalem bill: A return to anti-democratic legislation?
Dahlia Scheindlin, +972 Magazine 10/22/2013
By a 5-4 majority, a ministerial committee on Sunday approved a bill that proposes to require 80 Knesset members to approve any negotiations about the future of Jerusalem before the issue can even be discussed in peace talks, as reported by Israeli press.
It sounds like a technicality: the bill is far from passing as law, as it still requires a Knesset vote. Although members of the prime minister s Likud-Beitenu party and Naftali Bennett s Jewish Home party drove support in the committee, Netanyahu himself opposes the bill, reports Times of Israel. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who has emerged as the main pragmatist in this government on all things related to the two-state solution, has submitted an appeal to the cabinet against the bill. Still, there are a few things this moment indicates.
First, the committee vote could actually provide concrete signs of which ministers are prepared to block or open the door to negotiations over Jerusalem, which could mean more than all their bluster. Recall that in the past Yair Lapid has indicated a maximalist position on Jerusalem. Livni s active opposition to the bill indicates some commitment to a solution, not just a process. As for Netanyahu, his opposition may possibly imply a slow thaw in his mind over the status of Jerusalem as part of negotiations and a solution. In recent statements he has omitted his normal insistence on Jerusalem as the eternal, undivided capital, which was not lost on observers like Ben Birnbaum, whose excellent piece in the New Republic tracks this development and gives context to Israeli leaders who have, over the years, made the shift to accepting a compromise on Jerusalem when they get serious about a two-state peace process. The most recent one, Birnbaum points out, was Likud s own Tzachi Hanegbi.
For two-state advocates, that s the good news. Now the bad…. — See also: Could a referendum on a peace agreement actually pass?more..e-mail
Remembering Dina Goor, graceful human rights revolutionary
Alma Biblash and Libby Lenkinski, +972 Magazine 10/21/2013
Few people can say that they changed direction later in life and started an influential human rights organization. Dina Goor didn t stop at just one. She believed in her ability to change and influence and called on everyone in her world to join her.
When we watch this video, our hearts fill with the heartbreak of missing her.
Dina Goor was an elegant woman made of fire. When most people think about retirement, they start planning their years of rest and relaxation; Dina made her plans to change reality.
She was an elite model. She was an interior designer. She was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother.
They say that once we reach a certain point in life, people don t change we no longer shift our worldviews. Dina s heart was so open and her yearning for a just society so great that she immediately knew what she had to do. It wasn t retirement.
Dina s arrival at the Qalandiya checkpoint a decade ago in her grey Volkswagen Golf, her perfectly straight, grey, shoulder-length hair and her grey sweater, changed the face of the human rights movement in Israel. She joined Machsom Watch, then founded Yesh Din and then the Human Rights Defenders Fund, all part of an unparalleled era in the evolution of this movement a movement working to create a society that Dina dreamt of on behalf of her grandchildren and all of us. She did all of this with humility and love.
…Dina never worried about things like having an office from which to send out press releases. Until her last day, Dina was a field worker…. — See also: YouTube: Dina Goor – Interview Excerptsmore..e-mail
The late White House reporter Helen Thomas on the United States and the Middle East: ‘The U.S. has lost its honour.’
Mark Mondalek, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 10/22/2013
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
During his first news conference in February 2009, President Obama prefaced his question from veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas as his “inaugural moment” after calling on her. Thomas responded with a two-part question on whether or not Pakistan was maintaining safe havens in Afghanistan “for these so-called terrorists” and if he knew of any country in the Middle East that had nuclear weapons. “He dodged that one,” she remarked on the latter.
That July, after a heated exchange with press secretary Robert Gibbs over the Obama administration’s attempts at controlling the press, Thomas made headlines in declaring how even Richard Nixon had never tried to control the media in such a way. “What the hell do they think we are, puppets?” she griped. “They’re supposed to stay out of our business. They are our public servants. We pay them.”
The presidential “honeymoon,” as they say, was over, at least as far as Thomas was concerned. Little did she know at the time, however, that her historical reign as “dean” of the White House press corps would soon be drawing to an end as well.
In May 2010 during Jewish Heritage Celebration Day, Thomas was informally asked to make a comment on Israel while out on the White House lawn. “Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine,” she replied. When asked where the Israeli populace in occupied Palestinian territories should relocate to, she said that they should “go home,” and cited Poland and Germany as her first examples.
The video went viral a week later. Thomas retired within a matter of days…. more..e-mail
Strains tear US ties with Middle east allies
Jim Lobe, Asia Times 10/23/2013
WASHINGTON – New and unexpected strains in Washington’s ties with two of its closest Middle Eastern allies – Saudi Arabia and Turkey – have underlined the difficult challenges the administration of President Barack Obama faces in navigating its way in the region’s increasingly treacherous and turbulent waters.
While neo-conservatives, many Republicans and other hawks here claim that Washington’s Middle Eastern difficulties are due chiefly to Obama’s desire to disengage from the region and his failure to aggressively assert Washington’s interests, militarily if necessary, others argue that the forces unleashed by the 2003 Iraq invasion and the so-called Arab Spring have transformed the area in ways that defy US control.
“[F]or all our unmatched military power, Americans no longer command the ability to shape trends in the Middle East,” according to Chas Freeman, Jr, a highly decorated retired foreign service officer who served as US ambassador to Riyadh during the Gulf War. “Delusions of imperial omnipotence die hard.”
Among other trends, “regional actors are redoubling their efforts to recruit outside powers to support them,” he told the Arab-US Policymakers Conference here Tuesday. “This could produce some startling geopolitical realignments.”
US officials were taken completely by surprise Friday when, in a bitter denunciation of the UN’s failure to effectively address the ongoing civil war in Syria, as well as the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Saudi Arabia renounced the coveted seat on the UN Security Council to which it had just been elected for the first time by the General Assembly.
Adding to the shock was a front-page report in the Wall Street Journal Tuesday about a meeting between unnamed European diplomats and Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar Bin Sultan al-Saud in Jeddah…. more..e-mail
Gaza researchers determined to record Nakba generation before time runs out
Electronic Intifada: 23 Oct 2013 – Two projects aim to preserve Palestinian history and challenge Israeli myths. more..
General Abdel-Fattah Sisi is No Colonel Gamal Abdel-Nasser
Palestine Chronicle: 23 Oct 2013 – By Hasan Afif El-Hasan Nasser had first-hand experience with the 1948 war in Palestine when he and his infantry battalion were besieged by the Israelis, and he was wounded in a place called Fallouga. The defeat of the Arab armies by Israel, according to Nasser was caused by the corruption of existing Arab order, the monarchies, the regimes of the beys and pashas, the large landlords and the feudalists. The disastrous 1948 war set the stage for the 1952 coup under Nasser by virtue of his war record in Palestine and concern about Egypt that was a British colony. The 1952 Egyptian military coup was staged by members of the Free Officers group under Gamal Abdel-Nasser s leadership and later on developed into a revolution that established Egypt as an independent state and a major international player. Nasser came at a critical moment in history when Egypt was practically a British…more
Does Harper Support JNF s Racist Land Use Policies?
Palestine Chronicle: 23 Oct 2013 – By Yves Engler In Canada it is illegal to restrict the sale of property to certain ethnic or religious groups but many of our business people and politicians promote an organization that does exactly that in Israel. Into the 1950s restrictive land covenants in many exclusive neighborhoods and communities across Canada made it impossible for Jews, Blacks, Chinese, Aboriginals and others deemed to be non- white to buy property. It was not until after World War II that these policies began to be successfully challenged in court. In 1948 Annie Noble decided to sell a cottage in the exclusive Beach O Pines subdivision on Lake Huron to Bernie Wolf, who was Jewish. During the sale Wolf s lawyer realized that the original deed for the property contained the following clause: The lands and premises herein described shall never be sold
, assigned, transferred, leased, rented or in any manner whatsoever alienated to, and…more
Is it Really Israel s New Racism?
Dissident Voice: 23 Oct 2013 – This must-see short documentary by David Sheen and Max Blumenthal is about the appalling treatment of African migrants in Israel. The film reveals a most ugly manifestation of Jewish ethnocentrism, exclusivism and bigotry, but you may notice that none of the Israeli racists in the film identifies as a Zionist or showed any concern for the Zionist nature of Israel. Instead they, and without exception, express their deep concern with the Jewish State its Jewish character and matters pertaining to the Jewish religion and Jewish purity . We see MK Ben Ari on camera saying We are not an immigration State, & our state is different it is a Jewish State & for me the Jewish people are precious& this is our only Jewish state , and PM Benjamin Netanyahu speaks about demographic fears and the Jewish character of Israel. For over a decade now, I have been suggesting that Israeli racism…more
Palestinians Entitled to Defend Themselves
Dissident Voice: 23 Oct 2013 – The Palestinian Government stressed that the Palestinian people and resistance have the right to defend themselves by all possible means against Israel s undeterred war crimes and aggressions. Spokesman for the Palestinian Government, Ihab AL-Ghusain, stated on his facebook page No one can deny the Palestinians thinking of new ways to confront the high-tech military apparatus of the Israeli occupation. The Gaza Strip citizens had been subjected to two wars and thus entitled to defend themselves, Ghusain said, adding that digging tunnels is a defensive tactic innovated by the Palestinian resistance. AL-Ghusain found odd the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman s statement that digging the [recently discovered] tunnel is a violation of the cease-fire agreement [mediated by Egypt between Hamas and the Israeli occupation after Israel’s 8-day war in November 2012], overlooking the Israeli violations of it. The Israeli occupation has not stopped violating the cease-fire agreement ever since its…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 