25 October 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Remains Of 36 Palestinians To Be Released
IMEMC – The Israeli government decided to release the remains of 36 Palestinians, buried at the numbers graveyard. The remains are for Palestinians involved in bombings and attacks; the decision angered the families of Israelis killed in those attacks. …
Israel To Issue Tenders For New Settlement Units
IMEMC – Israeli sources have reported that the Israeli Housing Ministry is planning to issue tenders for the construction of hundreds of units in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, this coming week. …
P.A Allegedly Foils “Drone Attack” Targeting Israel
IMEMC – Israeli sources have reported that Palestinian security officers allegedly managed to uncover and foil a drone attack planned by the Hamas movement, in Hebron, in the southern part of west Bank. …
Abbas, Ashton, Meet In Brussels
IMEMC – Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, held on Thursday a meeting with EU Foreign Policy Chief, Catherine Ashton, in Brussels, and discussed the political process, and the EU decision regarding products of Israeli settlements. …
Israel To Vote on Draft Law Preventing Release Of Detainees
IMEMC – Israeli daily, Maariv, has reported that the Israeli cabinet will be holding a vote on a new law meant to prevent the government from releasing Palestinian political prisoners. The votes only comes a few days before Israel implements second phase of releasing detainees. …
Settlers uproot 30 olive trees in Huwwara
10/25/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli settlers on Friday uprooted 30 olive trees in Huwwara village south of Nablus, an official said. Ghassan Daughlas, who monitors settlement activities in the northern West Bank, told Ma’an that settlers from Yitzhar settlement uprooted 30 olive trees that belong to Dawod Salim Odeh. More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the West Bank and East….
Israel occupies Jenin house, turns it into a military base
10/25/2013 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli forces took control over an inhabited Palestinian house and turned it into a military base in the village of Yabad, near Jenin, in the northern West Bank on Friday. Two Israeli military vehicles raided the house of Atef Khalil Abu Baker in the al-Maloul area south of Yabad municipality, and subsequently stationed themselves on the roof of the house at….
Protests across West Bank violently dispersed by Israel, 2 injured
10/25/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian demonstrations across the occupied West Bank on Friday, leaving several Palestinians injured and dozens suffering from excessive tear gas inhalation. Israeli forces opened fire with tear gas canisters, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets at demonstrations against the Israeli separation wall taking place in Bilin and Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah, and in al-Masara, near Bethlehem….
Palestinian ‘hurls bomb’ at settler school bus
10/25/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian near the northern West Bank village of Yabad hurled an improvised explosive device at an Israeli settler school bus early Friday, the Israeli army said. None of the children on the bus were injured, a spokeswoman for the army told Ma’an. The Israeli news site Ynet reported that there was no damageto the bus. Police were still….
Israel denies EU delegation entry to Gaza
10/25/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Israeli government on Wednesday denied an official European Union delegation entry to the Gaza Strip, claiming the visit would strengthen the ruling Hamas movement. Six members of an EU Parliament delegation to the Palestinian Legislative Council were due to visit Gaza from Oct. 27-30 in a trip largely focused on social, economic and humanitarian issues, including visits to UNRWA….
France fears US hacked president, was Israel involved?
10/25/2013 – PARIS (AFP) — France believed the United States attempted to hack into its president’s communications network, a leaked US intelligence document published on Friday suggests. US agents denied having anything to do with a May 2012 cyber attack on the Elysee Palace, the official residence of French presidents, and appeared to hint at the possible involvement of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, a….
Suspected car bomb targets PRC leader in Gaza
10/25/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The car of a Popular Resistance Committee leader exploded in the northern Gaza Strip late Friday, locals said. Witnesses told Ma’an that unknown suspects were seen planting explosives on a car belonging to a PRC leader identified as A. D. The car later exploded, with no injuries reported. [END]
Jerusalem elections boycott sends ‘strong’ statement to Israel
10/25/2013 – Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist and former professor of journalism at Princeton University. Once again Palestinians living in Jerusalem have made a powerful political statement about the future of the holy city by staying away from the municipal polls. Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot reported that Palestinians avoided the elections of what Israelis call the united city of Jerusalem.”Less than 1 per cent of….
Israeli forces summon 6 Palestinians for questioning
10/25/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Friday evening summoned for interrogation five Palestinians in Aida refugee camp north of Bethlehem and another from Sila al-Harithiya in Jenin. They instructed them to meet with Israeli intelligence officials on Friday, locals said. Israeli forces raided Aida camp early Friday and inspected several houses there. They handed notifications to Moath Eid Abu Aker, 20, Khader Ahmad Baker….
Israel weighs Palestinian prisoner release
10/25/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli ministers are to meet Sunday to approve the release of a second batch of Palestinian prisoners under the terms of renewed peace talks, media said. Maariv daily said Thursday that 26 prisoners would be freed, the same number as in the first tranche in August. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said two days before the July 30 resumption of talks that he had….
Ashton urges reconciliation in talks with Abbas
10/25/2013 – BRUSSELS (AFP) — European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Thursday called for the end of divisions between Palestinians, in talks with President Mahmoud Abbas. A statement from Ashton’s office said she reaffirmed support for Palestinian state-building and the need for Palestinians to reconcile “as an important element for the unity of a future Palestinian state and for reaching a two-state solution.”Hamas….
Israeli media: PA foils Hamas plot to send armed drone into Israel
10/25/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority security forces thwarted a plan by Hamas to launch an explosives-laden drone into Israel from Hebron, Israeli media reported Friday. The Times of Israel news site reported that the alleged plot was discovered as a result of the PA’s detention of several students from a Hebron university. During the investigation, PA security reportedly found that the drone….
Rafah crossing opens for second group of pilgrims
10/25/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A second and final group of pilgrims from the Gaza Strip returned home Friday via the Egyptian Rafah crossing into the blockaded territory, the Hamas religious affairs minister said. Ismail Radwan said that the first group consisted of 770 pilgrims and arrived on Thursday after spending one night in el-Arish. Egyptian authorities decided to open Rafah briefly for pilgrims performing….
PA police arrest 3 suspected drug dealers in Tulkarem
10/25/2013 – TULKAREM (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority police on Friday arrested three suspected drug dealers in Tulkarem. Police said in a statement that an ambush was set up for the suspects while entering Tulkarem. Over 47 grams of hashish were seized in the raid. [END]
Fatah member killed in south Lebanon refugee camp
10/25/2013 – BEIRUT (Ma’an) — Gunmen on Friday killed a Fatah member in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon in southern Lebanon. A Palestinian source from the camp said that unidentified gunmen shot Mesaad Hujair, a member of the joint Palestinian security force, dead on al-Fawqani Street. The bullet penetrated Hujair’s eye and exited from the back of his head. He was taken….
Iran blasts ‘unfair’ UN report on human rights record
10/25/2013 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran on Thursday angrily rejected as “unfair” and politically-motivated a UN report which said the Islamic republic’s human rights record showed no sign of improvement. The report “describes the human rights situation in Iran in a completely unfair light and with political motivations,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said in a statement carried by the state broadcaster. Iran will not allow….
Bahrain court frees senior opponent as trial opens
10/25/2013 – DUBAI (AFP) — A Bahraini criminal court released prominent Shiite opposition figure Khalil Marzooq at the opening of his trial Thursday for inciting “terrorist crimes” and set the next hearing for Nov. 18. Marzooq, an ex-MP and a senior figure in the main Al-Wefaq opposition formation who was arrested on Sept. 17, appeared in court in the presence of his lawyers and observers from several foreign….
Norway rules out destroying Syrian chemical arms on its soil
10/25/2013 – OSLO (AFP) — Norway said Friday it would not be able to accommodate a request from the United States to help destroy Syria’s chemical arsenal on its soil, saying the schedule was too tight.”With the understanding of the United States we have concluded that. . . it’s no longer appropriate to consider Norway as a site for the destruction (of the weapons),” Foreign….
Bombings near Baghdad leave 12 dead, 19 wounded
10/25/2013 – BAGHDAD (AFP) — Ten bombings and a shooting killed at least 12 people and wounded 19 in Iraq on Friday, officials said. Nine bombs exploded in and around the city of Baquba, north of Baghdad, killing a total of seven people and wounding eight, a police officer and a doctor said. Three of the dead and two of the wounded were from the same family, the….
Tunisia shooting, boycott threat cloud bid for new talks
10/25/2013 – TUNIS (AFP) — A shooting in a Tunis suburb and the threat of an opposition boycott clouded a new attempt on Friday to open crisis talks with Tunisia’s Islamist-led government. The three-month deadlock between the government and the mainly secular opposition has paralyzed Tunisia’s political transition nearly three years after the January 2011 overthrow of veteran strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali….
5 dead in Syria-related clashes in north Lebanon
10/25/2013 – TRIPOLI, Lebanon (AFP) — The death toll from five days of clashes in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli between supporters and opponents of the Syrian regime has climbed to five, a security official said Friday. With the clashes intensifying, another 47 people have been wounded since gun-battles broke out on Monday while an interview with Syrian President Bashar Assad was being aired on television….
Palestinians Made Their Biggest Concession by Recognizing Israel within ’67 Borders, says UN Rapporteur
Palestine News Network
Ashrawi Denounces Recent Israeli Reports on Settlement Expansion
Palestine News Network
Bomb Hurled at Settlers’ Bus in West Bank
Palestine News Network
Israel Urges More illegal Settlements in Hebron
Palestine News Network
Syrian Arab Republic: Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos Security Council briefing on Syria, New York, 25 October 2013
Relief Web 25 Oct 2013 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic As Delivered Mr. President, Thank you for the opportunity to update the Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria. I would like to begin…
Syrian Arab Republic: UK Aid Syria Response – 22nd October 2013
Relief Web 25 Oct 2013 – Source: Department for International Development Country: Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland As conflict continues to rage in Syria, millions of people are in desperate need of assistance….
Syrian Arab Republic: Refugees Eating Dogs to Beat Starvation
Relief Web 25 Oct 2013 – Source: Inter Press Service Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic By Mutawalli Abou Nasser DAMASCUS, Oct 25 2013 (IPS) – Acute food shortages have reached desperate levels in the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus. Leading religious figures in the…
Afghanistan: Polio this week – As of 23 October 2013
Relief Web 24 Oct 2013 – Source: Global Polio Eradication Initiative Country: Afghanistan, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Israel, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, occupied Palestinian territory, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan (Republic of) World Polio Day – 24 October! Partners, governments, civil society and communities worldwide are…
Car bomb kills 20 outside mosque in Syria as Brahimi meets opposition
The National 25 Oct 2013 – UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi meets the head of the Free Syrian Army and other commanders as part of a regional tour aimed at rallying support for peace talks.
EU leaders vow to end deaths of Mediterranean migrants
The National 25 Oct 2013 – Action plan decided in Brussels includes three principles: prevention, protection and solidarity.
Canadian ‘adultery website’ not welcome in Singapore, says minister
The National 25 Oct 2013 – Singapore expansion plans of an international dating service promoting adultery has ignited a social media protest and a sharp rebuke from the city-state’s social affairs minister.
Video: Germany, France demand ‘no-spy’ agreement with US
The National 25 Oct 2013 – German Chancellor Angela Merkel demands that the United States strike a “no-spying” agreement with Berlin and Paris by the end of the year, saying alleged espionage against two of Washington’s closest EU allies had to be stopped. Sarah Toms reports.
Video: China court upholds life sentence for Bo Xilai
The National 25 Oct 2013 – A Chinese high court rejects an appeal by former senior politician Bo Xilai against his life sentence for corruption and abuse of power. Sarah Toms reports.
Norway rejects US request to destroy Syrian chemical weapons
The National 25 Oct 2013 – OSLO // Norway rejected a US request to help destroy Syria’s chemical arms, arguing that the Scandinavian nation was an unsuitable site because it lacked suitable staff, equipment and regulations. Washington asked Nato-member Norway last month to help destroy some of Syria’s chemical arsenal in a deal brokered with Moscow after an August 21 attack in the suburbs of Damascus killed 1,400 people. Several other nations are also being asked.
Kenya’s Ruto must attend all sessions of ICC trial: judges
The National 25 Oct 2013 – Kenyan deputy president William Ruto must attend all sessions of his trial at the International Criminal Court unless specifically excused.
Indian teen kills herself after Facebook row with parents
The National 25 Oct 2013 – A 17-year-old has committed suicide in western India after a row with her parents who told her she had to stop using Facebook, police say.
Australia woman ‘left decomposing for months’ as daughter went on fraudulent spending spree
The National 25 Oct 2013 – An elderly Australian woman lay dead for months in her home as her adult daughter, who apparently used air freshener to mask the smell, fraudulently accessed her bank accounts, police said Friday.
Elderly Australian couple become drug mules after winning ‘Canada holiday prize’
The National 25 Oct 2013 – It seemed like a dream come true, a free holiday to Canada complete with new luggage, until the Australian couple involved realised they had unwittingly become drug mules.
Mortuary worker charged with stealing from victims of Kenya mall attack
The National 25 Oct 2013 – A worker at a Nairobi mortuary has been charged with stealing belongings from two bodies, including that of a relative of the president, brought in during the siege of the Westgate shopping mall
Top Egyptian TV satirist Bassem Youssef is back
Ha’aretz – 25 Oct 2013
Medical ethics program to focus on BRCA ‘Jewish’ gene mutation
Ha’aretz – 25 Oct 2013
Who’s to blame for the blow dealt to Lieberman and Deri in Jerusalem mayoral elections?
Ha’aretz – 25 Oct 2013
Al-Qaida linked rebel leader killed, Syrian state TV claims
Ha’aretz – 25 Oct 2013
Malfunction at power plant causes brief power outages across Israel
Ha’aretz – 25 Oct 2013
Syria rebels, Assad forces clash in Golan Heights near Israeli border
Ha’aretz – 25 Oct 2013
Report suggests Israel behind attempt to hack into French communication network
Ha’aretz – 25 Oct 2013
Suspected murderer of ex-girlfriend arrested after two-day manhunt
Ha’aretz – 25 Oct 2013
Armored Corps to be restructured in face of budget cuts
Ha’aretz – 25 Oct 2013
Two ultra-Orthodox operatives swung Jerusalem elections for Barkat
Ha’aretz – 25 Oct 2013
Palestinians ask 50 countries to demand commercial sanctions on settlements
Ha’aretz – 25 Oct 2013
Raised on the Holocaust
Ha’aretz – 25 Oct 2013
Rehavam Ze’evi’s ‘heritage’ is one to repudiate, not celebrate
Ha’aretz – 24 Oct 2013
Iran may be one month from nuclear bomb
Ha’aretz – 24 Oct 2013
Germany, France demand ‘no-spy’ agreement with U.S.
Ha’aretz – 24 Oct 2013
Iran’s nuclear program today, ours tomorrow?
Ha’aretz – 24 Oct 2013
In waiting mode: Israel grapples with unclear Iranian threat
Ha’aretz – 24 Oct 2013
Jerusalem’s stone-hugging hypocrites, at it en force
Ha’aretz – 24 Oct 2013
Police in Egypt use teargas on protests in Suez, Alexandria
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – Thousands of supporters of ousted president Morsi protest.
7 activists protesting ‘occupation’ arrested in Hebron
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – Jewish visitors expected to commemorate bible figure, Sarah.
Watch: Finance Minister Yair Lapid addresses Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – Lapid presents his party’s view on the path to peace with the Palestinians in speech before hundreds of diplomats.
Lebanon to vaccinate all children under 5 after suspected polio cases in Syria
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – WHO says 22 people have symptom of disease in eastern Syria; Lebanon hosts more than 700,000 Syrian refugees.
On the border with Syria, the land of war
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – The ‘Post’ joins the commander of a Nahal Reconnaissance Company on the Syrian frontier and witnesses clashes between rebels and forces loyal to Assad.
Palestinian official: PA pressing 50 countries to cut business ties with settlements
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – Mohammad Shtayyeh to ‘Financial Times’: PA petitioning countries to “withdraw investment or freeze activities”.
Norway nixes US request to destroy Syrian chemical weapons
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – Norwegian FM: Country lacks equipment, legal means to store waste.
Bayit Yehudi MKs, Danon link terror attacks to prisoner release
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – Deputy defense minister: Release endangers Israel’s security; Bayit Yehudi calls on ministers to vote for bill against release.
Makeshift grenade hurled at Israeli school bus in West Bank
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – IDF: No injuries, damage reported in incident west of Jenin.
Elkin: Israel-EU ties to fray without deal on settlements
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – Deputy FM: Breaking ties with Israel would be mistake for Europe.
US: No sanctions lifting at front end of Iran nuclear talks
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – WH aide: Iran must take “concrete steps” before sanctions relief.
Sheldon Adelson’s ‘Bomb empty Iranian desert’ comment
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – I would hope that the alarm engendered by Sheldon’s statement on US action against a nuclear Iran will engender a much stronger protest against Tehran’s actual development of an atomic weapon.
Out & About: Top 10 things to do
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – Cellist Gavriel Lipkind will perform with the Rishon Lezion Symphony, as well as open the orchestra’s recital series and tour Israel with chamber programs.
My Word: One city, one vote, one world
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – Local elections take place all over the world, but most of them are just that: local; in J’lem, on the other hand, votes can have a global impact.
Into The Fray: Dereliction of duty
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – Continued impotence and incompetence in the (mis)conduct of Israel’s public diplomacy is becoming not only strategic threat to the country but is beginning to imperil Jewish communities abroad.
Analysis: Can Israel legally justify a preemptive air strike on weapons transfers?
Jerusalem Post 25 Oct 2013 – While the IDF has a history of preemptive strikes, recent reports are of a strike on defensive missiles en route to Hezbollah, not WMDs.
Steinitz: Talks between Iran, West may take ‘several months’ to produce tangible results
Jerusalem Post 24 Oct 2013 – Intelligence minister tells Post Tehran has yet to show real willingness to give up nuclear program.
ISIS estimates Iran could build a nuclear bomb within a month
Jerusalem Post 24 Oct 2013 – Expert: Iran is shortening time needed to convert low-enriched uranium to weapons-grade; WH to Senate: Delay new sanctions.
Report: US monitored the phone calls of 35 world leaders
Jerusalem Post 24 Oct 2013 – Guardian report, based on documents leaked by Edward Snowden, does not disclose identity of politicians.
Column one: Israel’s European challenge
Jerusalem Post 24 Oct 2013 – Only be exposing the truth behind the lies will we strengthen our European friends and so increase the possibility that our relations with Europe may improve one day.
Refugees Eating Dogs to Beat Starvation
IPS A resident in the Palestinian Yarmouk camp in Damascus prepares to slaughter a dog to feed his family as food supplies run out under siege. Credit: Mutawalli Abou Nasser/IPS. By Mutawalli Abou Nasser DAMASCUS, Oct 25 2013 (IPS) Acute food shortages have reached desperate levels in the Yarmouk refugee camp…
Israel occupies Jenin house, turns it into a military base
Uruknet 26 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 — Israeli forces took control over an inhabited Palestinian house and turned it into a military base in the village of Yabad, near Jenin, in the northern West Bank on Friday. Two Israeli military vehicles raided the…
NSA Spied on U.N. Diplomats in Push for Invasion of Iraq
Uruknet 26 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – Despite all the news accounts and punditry since the New York Times published its Dec. 16 bombshell about the National Security Agency s domestic spying, the media coverage has made virtually no mention of the fact…
Continuing at Guantanamo: Force-feeding hunger-strikers
Uruknet 26 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013- Here s a query: Could the US government march Shaker Aamer and my other Guantanamo clients from their cells, line them up single-file against the recreation yard wall, and execute them by firing squad? Could it strap…
Converging Trends of Totalitarianism Eavesdropping, Drones, an Integrated Posture
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – We are taught to pick-and-choose, but defining the nature of society, its propensity to democracy or fascism, is not like entering the ice cream parlor and selecting chocolate or strawberry. Policies are not discrete. When POTUS…
Turning the Palestinian right of return into a practical reality – video
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – Palestinians have fiercely defended their right to return to the lands and villages they were forced to leave between 1947 and 1949 as Israel was created. This video by refugee rights group Badil, Introduction to Practicalities…
Syria Protests October 25, 2013 ( The Friday of “Solution is in the Hague not in Geneva” ) : A Video Roundup
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 –
9/11 Suspects Lawyers to Obama: Declassify Rendition, Detention & Interrogation Program Details
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – Military defense attorneys for suspects the United States government has put on trial for their alleged involvement in the September 11th attacks have written a letter to President Barack Obama requesting that his administration take the…
Obama and Drone Warfare Serialization of Political Murder
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – At the last moment, checking Webster s on serialization, I was struck by its application to music-“based on a series of tones in an arbitrary but fixed pattern without regard for traditional tonality”-which, transposed to political…
No Delight for the People of the World The Wages of US Imperialism
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – Corporate imperial militarism controls U.S. society and wages destructive occupations abroad to serve the capitalist interests of the war-making, armaments manufacturing class whose bombs eradicate human beings for profit. Externalized racism and depleted uranium radiation warfare…
Israel To Issue Tenders For New Settlement Units
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – Israeli sources have reported that the Israeli Housing Ministry is planning to issue tenders for the construction of hundreds of units in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, this coming week. Israeli daily, Haaretz, quoted…
The “Hizballah Execution Video”: Confirmation of Shia Militia Involvement
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – On October 8, 2013, the news website, NewLebanon.info released a video claiming to show members of Lebanon s Iranian-backed Shia Islamist Hizballah, executing what appeared to be wounded men they pulled from the back of a van. The slain men…
Mounting Protests Against Remote-Control Killings European Drone War
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 -While there is rightly much media attention on the US drone war in Pakistan and Yemen, there is a very different but over-looked “drone war” taking place in Europe right now. In parliamentary committee rooms, in company…
West Bank village marks 7 years of popular resistance
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – The markedly stone-free protests in al Ma asara are nevertheless violently suppressed by the Israeli army. “We see the soldiers here with their guns, their boots, their shields and their helmets protecting the wall – but…
Drones cast a shadow over the right to life
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 -On Oct. 25, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will debate a report recently submitted by Christof Heyns, the incumbent United Nation s Special Rapporteur, on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions. The report provides a rigorous legal…
BDS campaign is erecting counter-siege on Israel
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – …All this shows that the Palestinian-initiated and led international campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions is achieving something highly significant – only eight years after the BDS National Committee s collective document that formalised the Palestinian…
Please tell me, Mr President, why a US drone assassinated my mother
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – The last time I saw my mother, Momina Bibi, was the evening before Eid al-Adha. She was preparing my children s clothing and showing them how to make sewaiyaan, a traditional sweet made of milk. She…
Former head of Mossad says U.S. is spying on Israel
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – Israel s former head of Mossad, Danny Yatom, has said that he was not surprised by the news circulating that Washington had tapped the phones of European leaders, who are allies, saying the United States spies…
Armed Militias Rule Libya, Primed For Backlash At Sign of Western Meddling
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – This well-reported article by Will Crisp at the Christian Science Monitor has two important findings. First, disparate armed militias are really who rules Libya, not the government. Second, these militias are motivated to wrest even more…
The Lisbon Statement – October 2013: ACCOUNTABILITY & JUSTICE FOR IRAQ
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 24, 2013 – … The political process and the regime imposed upon Iraq are an integral part and continuation of the US strategy to divide and conquer its resistance to imperialism and neo-liberalism. The policy of the current regime is…
Guantanamo authorities block detainee from watching film depicting his daily ordeal
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013- Authorities at Guantanamo Bay have refused to let Shaker Aamer watch a film depicting the ordeal endured daily by him and other detainees at the prison. The animation, made by the Guardian using testimony provided by the…
Palestinian boy beaten at checkpoint leads to clashes in Hebron
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – On Tuesday 22nd October in Khalil, a15-year-old Palestinian was beaten for not having identification (ID) that the Israeli government does not issue until the age of 16. At approximately 2:30pm on Tuesday, Mahmod from Tel Rumeida (…
Protests across West Bank violently dispersed by Israel; 2 injured
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 25, 2013 – – Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian demonstrations across the occupied West Bank on Friday, leaving several Palestinians injured and dozens suffering from excessive tear gas inhalation. Israeli forces opened fire with tear gas canisters, stun…
Syria News – October 24, 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 24, 2013 – By the end of Thursday the Coordination Committees were able to document 43 martyrs including 4 women, 7 children and 4 martyrs under torture: 15 martyrs were reported in Damascus and its Suburbs; 12 in Homs;…
US concerned over Turkey s choice of Chinese defence system
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 24, 2013 – The United States is “seriously concerned” about Turkey s decision to counter possible missile threats from Syria and elsewhere with the help of a Chinese defence system. The declaration by Francis Ricciardone, the US ambassador in…
Le Monde: France in NSA s Crosshairs
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 24, 2013 – On October 1, French newspaper Le Monde headlined “France in the NSA s crosshair: phone networks under surveillance.” Previous articles explained. NSA operates lawlessly. It does so by rules it invents. It spies globally. Enormous amounts…
Obama left increasingly isolated as anger builds among key US allies
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 24, 2013 – International anger over US government surveillance has combined with a backlash against its current Middle East policy to leave President Obama increasingly isolated from many of his key foreign allies, according to diplomats in Washington. The…
Iraq Government Again Denies Permits To Anti-Pension Protests
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 24, 2013- In August and October 2013 thousands of Iraqis went to the streets across the country to protest the pensions that government lawmakers receive. Some were met by friendly officials and went about their business peacefully. In other…
The Lisbon Statement – October 2013: ACCOUNTABILITY & JUSTICE FOR IRAQ
Uruknet 25 Oct 2013 – October 24, 2013 – … The political process and the regime imposed upon Iraq are an integral part and continuation of the US strategy to divide and conquer its resistance to imperialism and neo-liberalism. The policy of the current regime is…
Gaza: self-evident, oft-forgot humanity
Daily Star 25 Oct 2013 Scottish author Louisa Waugh was sitting in a hotel cafe with a colleague, drinking sage-infused tea when Israeli intelligence assassinated the senior commander of a Palestinian militant group in a car bomb explosion. He was traveling…
Footballers union: Player trapped in Qatar is human rights issue
Daily Star 25 Oct 2013 The case of French footballer Zahir Belounis, prevented from leaving Qatar in a contractual dispute with a local club, is a violation of human rights, the world players’ union FIFPro said.
Antar pledges services to Cedars after retirement U-turn
Daily Star 25 Oct 2013 Lebanon’s most decorated footballer, Roda Antar, sensationally came out of retirement earlier this week and will now line up for the Cedars in their decisive Asia Cup qualifiers against Kuwait and Iran on Nov. 15 and…
Russia toughens anti-terrorism law ahead of Olympics
YNet News, 25 Oct 2013 – ….
Syrian TV: Head of Jabhat al-Nusra killed
YNet News, 25 Oct 2013 – ….
Obama admin seeks pause in new Iran sanctions push
YNet News, 25 Oct 2013 – ….
Diplomats: No confirmation Iran halted higher-grade enrichment
YNet News, 25 Oct 2013 – ….
‘Chayei Sarah’: Relationship suitability test
YNet News, 25 Oct 2013 – What principles should guide us in our quest for ideal relationship? A little more of what we love and want, a little less of what we think we ‘need’ to do. Of course this path does not guarantee successful relationship, but it may prevent a little suffering along the way ….
Special police unit evacuates Bedouins; ‘it’s not easy,’ officer says
YNet News, 25 Oct 2013 – Yoav Unit set up ahead of expected Knesset approval of Bedouin resettlement bill; officers already razing illegal homes in Negev. Adalah: Unfortunately, Bedouins viewed as security risk, demographic problem ….
Deputy FM: Israel-EU ties to fray without compromise on settlements
YNet News, 25 Oct 2013 – Elkin says EU financial ban on Israeli institutions operating in West Bank jeopardizes multi-million dollar research deal. ‘We are the start-up nation. It would be a big mistake for Europe to lose its relations with Israel,’ he says ….
Bomb hurled at school bus in West Bank; no injuries
YNet News, 25 Oct 2013 – Security forces canvassing area near Yaabud village after bomb hurled at settler school bus ….
Merkel: US spying has shattered allies’ trust
YNet News, 25 Oct 2013 – Addressing revelations that NSA swept up more than 70 million phone records in France and may have tapped her cell phone, German chancellor says ‘spying among friends, that cannot be’ ….
US: No sanctions easing at front end of Iran talks
YNet News, 25 Oct 2013 – Top White House official says Washington would have to see ‘concrete steps’ from Islamic Republic before it pursues sanctions relief. ‘It’s going to be important to test Iranian intentions,’ he says ….
Novel explores Baghdadi Jews of Kolkata
YNet News, 25 Oct 2013 – ‘The Man with Many Hats’ by Jael Silliman offers rare glimpse into life of tiny community which was last of Jewish communities to settle in India and first to leave it, but made significant contributions to city’s cultural and commercial life ….
Bereaved parents denounce decision to hand over terrorists’ bodies
YNet News, 24 Oct 2013 – Parents who lost sons, daughters in terrorists bombings shocked, outraged to learn government intends to hand over terrorists’ bodies to PA. ‘They’re killing us slowly,’ bereaved father says ….
ISIS: Iran’s bomb-making timeline shortens
YNet News, 24 Oct 2013 – Institute for Science and International Security estimates Iran could produce enough weapons-grade uranium for one bomb in less than two months, if it uses all its 20% stockpile. Tehran parliamentarian says Iran has enough enriched fuel for medical reactor ….
Habayit Hayehudi to present bill prohibiting prisoners’ release
YNet News, 24 Oct 2013 – Naftali Bennett’s party announces it will raise bill forbidding political prisoners’ release to vote on Sunday, shortly before second group of prisoners to be released ….
Bill providing benefits to veterans resubmitted for approval
YNet News, 24 Oct 2013 – Motion that caused storm comes before ministerial committee: According to proposal by MK Yariv Levin, benefits will be given to those who serve in IDF, or do civil, national service ….
‘Making pure girls’: Decade of female circumcision captured in film
YNet News, 24 Oct 2013 – Two Kurdish filmmakers interview men, women from Kurdistan impacted by female genital mutilation (FGM), impact custom itself, law regarding it in process ….
White House to push Senate to delay new Iran sanctions
YNet News, 24 Oct 2013 – WH seeks to persuade lawmakers to hold off on package of new sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program, senior Senate aide says ….
Egyptian Islamists call for protests over Morsi trial
YNet News, 24 Oct 2013 – Supporters of deposed president call on Egyptians to hold mass protests on November 4 as Morsi’s trial opens ….
Palestinian Information Center
Israeli settlers raid village in al-Khalil
PIC – Dozens of extremist Jewish settlers, at dawn Friday, raided al-Tawani village in the southern West Bank district of al-Khalil.
PA security raid the home of leader Abu al-Hayja
PIC – PA security elements, at dawn Friday, raided the home of imprisoned leader Jamal Abu al-Hayja, in a barbaric manner and threatened his wife unless her son Hamza surrenders himself in two days.
PA security arrest father of political prisoner
PIC – The PA security agencies arrested on Thursday the father of political prisoner Ahmad Hamdan. The same agencies detained a university student and a writer in the cities of al-Khalil and Qalqilya
PA forces arrest and summon 2 liberated prisoners
PIC – PA security forces have continued arrest and summons campaigns against Palestinian citizens in the occupied West Bank, where two liberated prisoners were arrested and summoned..
Alaa Hammad continues his hunger strike since 177 days
PIC – Jordanian prisoner Alaa Hammad, 35, sentenced to 12 years, continued his hunger strike launched since 176 days despite his serious health deterioration.
Livni: Israeli-Palestinian conflict hinders Israeli-Arab relations
PIC – Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni stressed the need to intensify Israeli efforts to achieve progress in negotiations with Palestinians in order to develop closer ties with Arab alliances.
High tensions prevail in Negev prison
PIC – A state of high tension prevailed in Negev prison after Israeli Prison Services (IPS) imposed harsh penalties against administrative detainees as a response to their protests in different prisons.
Israel prevented from participating in Horizon 2020 project
PIC – The Israeli Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Peri admitted that there are difficulties during negotiations with the European Union to allow Israel into Horizon 2020 due to EU boycott.
ECESG condemns Israeli ban on European Parliament’s visit to Gaza
PIC – The European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza (ECESG) strongly condemned the Israeli rejection of an official visit next week by a European Parliament delegation to Gaza..
In Syria, the number of political parties is skyrocketing
LA Times 25 Oct 2013 – Dissidents estimate 200 parties have been established, each jockeying to present itself as the best alternative to President Bashar Assad’s government. ALEPPO, Syria — In the newly opened office of the Islamist Liberation Party, the chairs were still covered with plastic and the walls were…
The Lede: It’s ‘Sisi-Mania,’ as Nationalist Fervor Sweeps Through Egypt
New York Times 25 Oct 2013 – A robust media campaign in Egypt promoting the leadership qualities of Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, as the replacement for deposed President Mohamed Morsi, often features lavish praise.
The Lede: Islamists Repress Syria’s Citizen Journalists
New York Times 25 Oct 2013 – In northern Syria this month, opposition activists say a radio station that aired criticism of Qaeda-linked militants was closed down by the Islamists and one citizen journalist was kidnapped.
U.N., Fearing a Polio Epidemic in Syria, Moves to Vaccinate Millions of Children
New York Times 25 Oct 2013 – Officials said that the discovery a few weeks ago of a cluster of paralyzed young children in Deir al-Zour, a heavily contested city in eastern Syria, had prompted their alarm.
Norway Rejects U.S. Request to Help Destroy Syrian Chemical Weapons
New York Times 25 Oct 2013 – The Foreign Ministry in Oslo cited regulatory constraints and time pressures after mulling the request for several weeks.
In Quake-Prone Israel, Public Is Advised to Take Cover, This Time Outside
New York Times 24 Oct 2013 – As recent tremors raise fears, a new safety campaign instructs people who have long been told to rush indoors during a rocket attack to do the opposite during a big earthquake.
Hardships Mounting for Refugees Inside Syria
New York Times 24 Oct 2013 – With millions displaced inside the country and an estimated $30 billion in infrastructure damage, the humanitarian crisis dwarfs any conceivable aid effort and could set Syria’s development back decades.
The Toll of War
New York Times 24 Oct 2013 – War’s toll weighs heavily on millions inside Syria, as government services, like bakeries, begin to crumble.
Meet the pro-Israel donors who boosted Cory Booker’s Senate run
Mondoweiss – Incoming Senator Cory Booker in September 2012. (Photo: Jamelle Bouie/Flickr) Senator-elect Cory Booker, who was boosted during his campaign by pro-Israel donors, is set to arrive in the halls of Congress on October 31. Booker made his name as Newark mayor and won a special election…
‘The Nation’ should stage a debate between Alterman and Blumenthal
Mondoweiss – Max Blumenthal has responded to Nation columnist Eric Alterman’s criticisms of his book with a piece in The Nation, saying: When stripped of distortions and mistakes, Alterman’s commentary on Goliath is reduced to crude insults. Meantime, Eric Alterman has now criticized Blumenthal’s book Goliath for a…
Yeshiva University map removes the Green Line
Mondoweiss – A concerned Jewish friend notes : Several days ago Yeshiva University held the 8th Annual Medical Ethics Society Conference called “Prescribing for a Nation” and the flyer for the conference had a large map of Israel with no Green Line, no West Bank and Gaza, no Palestinian…
‘We need to remove all the posters from the system’ — Boston censors the Palestinian narrative
Mondoweiss – This just in. Ads in the Boston transit system depicting the loss of Palestinian lands to Israel are being taken down, days after they were put up, because the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority “fielded numerous complaints.” Here’s the email that Henry Clifford of Connecticut, who arranged…
Rabbi Boteach defends Adelson’s ‘glib’ nuking comment, PR firm calls it ‘innocuous’
Mondoweiss – Richard Joel, Miri Adelson, Sheldon Adelson, Bret Stephens, Shmuley Boteach, and Boteach’s daughter. Woman at left unknown Shmuley Boteach is angry about what he calls misrepresentations of comments made at his panel the other night at Yeshiva University. He is defending Sheldon Adelson in the Jerusalem…
Samantha Power breaks down after visiting Rwandan genocide memorial
Mondoweiss – This is moving. From Samantha Power’s twitter feed . The US ambassador to the UN visited the memorial to the Rwanda genocide in Kigali two weeks ago and broke down afterward, speaking to local media (and posted by this human rights organization ). Note the humility in her…
Support My Appearance at Major U.S. University
Tikun Olam – I’m delighted that I’ve been invited to speak to the Jewish student community at a major U.S. university. I’d be participating in a speaker series whose previous participants were some of the major players in the American Jewish community. Those of you who’ve read my critiques…
Long road to getting ban relaxed on Saudi women drivers
BBC 25 Oct 2013 – Campaigners determined to lift ban on Saudi women drivers
Syria rebels doubt death report
BBC 25 Oct 2013 – Syrian rebels cast doubt on claims that the head of the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has been killed in western Syria.
Car bomb targets Syrian mosque
BBC 25 Oct 2013 – At least 40 people, some of them children, have been killed in a car bomb blast outside a mosque in Syria’s Damascus province, activists say.
Sheldon Adelson’s Nuke Iran Call Sparks Anger in Spain
The Foward Breaking News 25 Oct 2013 – Sheldon Adelson’s call for a nuclear strike on Iran is causing overseas business problems for the billionaire casino magnate. Click here for the rest of the article…
Fake Hasidic Professor Busted in Poland
The Foward Breaking News 25 Oct 2013 – A 46-year-old man who pretended to be an Israeli professor has been arrested in Poland for having defrauded three Polish colleges in 2010, the Polish media reported. Click here for the rest of the article…
Breaking Down What Iran Is Really Putting on the Table
The Forward New 25 Oct 2013 – The papers have been full of hopeful headlines about Iran’s charm offensive. But what is the Islamic Republic really offering — and should we take it seriously? Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Egypt’s Interim PM Arrives in UAE
allAfrica.com 25 Oct 2013 – [Aswat Masriya]Egyptian interim Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi landed in the United Arab Emirates on Friday in his first official visit abroad since he assumed office in July.
Egypt: Egypt, Saudi Arabia Mull Opening a New Maritime Line
allAfrica.com 25 Oct 2013 – [Egypt Online]Egypt and Saudi Arabia are discussing re-operating maritime line between Suez’s Port Tawfiq port and the Saudi port of Jeddah to transport passengers, the Suez Governor el-Arabi el-Serouri said.
Egypt: Cairo Reiterates Call for Israel’s Joining of NPT
allAfrica.com 25 Oct 2013 – [Egypt Online]In his speech before the first committee of the General Assembly for getting rid of nuclear weapons, Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister of Egypt for Disarmament, International Security and Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy Ambassador Dr. Sameh Aboul-Enein reiterated that Egypt calls for Israel’s joining of…
Syria: Polio epidemic fears grow
BBC 25 Oct 2013 – The number of suspected cases of polio among children in Syria is believed to have risen sharply, with at least 22 people now thought to be suffering from the disease, health officials say.
Grassroots Jewish Groups Push for Tough Line on Iran, Despite Barack Obama’s Thaw
The Forward New 25 Oct 2013 – President Obama is moving toward a deal which he hopes will end the nuclear standoff with Iran. Grassroots Jewish groups want a much tougher line — and are ready for a fight. Click here for the rest of the article…
Sheldon Adelson Defends Call for Nuclear Strike on Iran as ‘Hyperbole’
The Foward Breaking News 24 Oct 2013 – Sheldon Adelson admitted calling for the U.S. to carry out a nuclear strike on Iran. But the casino mogul insisted it was harmless ‘hyperbole’ to advocate a tougher stance. Click here for the rest of the article…
Long road to getting ban relaxed on Saudi women drivers
BBC 25 Oct 2013 – Campaigners determined to lift ban on Saudi women drivers
Qatar ex-pats shocked after UK teacher’s suspected murder
BBC 25 Oct 2013 – Qatar ex-pats shocked after UK teacher’s suspected murder
Syria rebels doubt death report
BBC 25 Oct 2013 – Syrian rebels cast doubt on claims that the head of the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has been killed in western Syria.
Car bomb targets Syrian mosque
BBC 25 Oct 2013 – At least 40 people, some of them children, have been killed in a car bomb blast outside a mosque in Syria’s Damascus province, activists say.
Faced with legal threats, Saudi women activists drop plan for “drive-in” protest
Al-Akhbar News 25 Oct 2013 – Saudi activist Manal Al Sharif, who now lives in Dubai, drives her car in the Gulf Emirate city on October 22, 2013, as she campaigns in solidarity with Saudi women preparing to take to the wheel on October 26, defying the Saudi authorities, fight for women’s…
Lebanon Labor Activists Discuss Union Reform
Al-Akhbar News 25 Oct 2013 – Gharib and others at the gathering expressed concerns about the lack of participation by the rank and file and the inability of union officials to mobilize the workers they represent. (Photo: Al-Akhbar) Gharib and others at the gathering expressed concerns about the lack of participation by…
What Did the Qatari Minister Tell His Saudi Counterpart?
Al-Akhbar Opinion 25 Oct 2013 – Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, head of the Syrian opposition delegation, appears on a screen as he addresses the opening of the Arab League summit in the Qatari capital Doha on March 26, 2013. (Photo: AFP – Karim Sahib) Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, head of the Syrian opposition delegation,…
Ten bombings shake Iraq, killing 11 and wounding scores
Al-Akhbar News 25 Oct 2013 – Ten bombings and a shooting killed at least 12 people and wounded 19 in Iraq on Friday, officials said. Nine bombs exploded in and around the city of Baquba, north of Baghdad, killing a total of seven people and wounding eight, a police officer and a…
Saudi Restores Libyan Spy Chief’s Role as Global Shadow Broker
Al-Akhbar News 25 Oct 2013 – Members of the Saudi special police unit perform during a parade in Mecca, on October 9, 2013, as more than two million Muslims have arrived in the holy city in the lead up to the annual hajj pilgrimage. (Photo: AFP -Fayez Nureldine) Members of the Saudi…
Tunisia PM reiterates vow to resign amid doubts on crisis talks
Al-Akhbar News 25 Oct 2013 – A Tunisian policeman stands guard at the site of an exchange of fire between police forces and members of a Salafi group on October 25, 2013 in front to the al-Nasr college in Tunis. (Photo: AFP – Fethi Belaid) Tunisia’s Islamist premier Ali Larayedh made a…
Casualty toll rises as Tripoli clashes intensify
Al-Akhbar News 25 Oct 2013 – Smoke billows from Tripoli’s Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood during clashes with the neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen on October 25, 2013. (Photo: AFP – Joseph Eid) Clashes between the neighborhoods of Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh in Tripoli continued for a fourth day on Friday, as casualties continued…
Week In Photo (18 October – 25 October)
Al-Akhbar News 25 Oct 2013 – A tourist poses next to a two-metre-high blood red sculpture of a head blowing bubble gum by Qian Sihua, which is part of the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition which runs on the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk in Sydney, on October 25, 2013. (Photo: AFP…
Israel prepares release of 32 Palestinians imprisoned before Oslo Accords
Al-Akhbar News 25 Oct 2013 – An Israeli ministerial committee met to finalize the names of long-term Palestinian prisoners to be released as part of a deal to resume peace talks, media reported on Friday. The prisoners being considered for release have been in Israeli jails since before the 1993 Oslo Accords….
Syria: Polio epidemic fears grow
BBC 25 Oct 2013 – The number of suspected cases of polio among children in Syria is believed to have risen sharply, with at least 22 people now thought to be suffering from the disease, health officials say.
Belgium dilemma over Syrian ‘jihadis’
BBC 25 Oct 2013 – Concern over European ‘jihadis’ who come back from Syria conflict
Norway turns down request to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons
Al-Akhbar News 25 Oct 2013 – Norway said Friday it would not be able to accommodate a request from the United States to help destroy Syria’s chemical arsenal on its soil, saying the schedule was too tight. “With the understanding of the United States we have concluded that… it’s no longer appropriate…
The Saudi soldier making waves a conceptual artist
BBC 25 Oct 2013 – The Saudi Arabian colonel seeking change through conceptual art
VIDEO: Deadly boat sinking brought to life
BBC 25 Oct 2013 – Newsnight spoke to a family from Damascus who were thrown into the sea after the boat they were trying to get to Europe on capsized after being shot at off the Libyan coast
VIDEO: Sex attack suspects ‘branded’ in Cairo
BBC 24 Oct 2013 – Sexual violence in Egypt has reached epidemic proportions, according to human rights campaigners.
Kuwait: Chicken Soup With the Emir
Al-Akhbar Politics 24 Oct 2013 – The Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah speaks during the opening ceremony of the International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria at Bayan palace in Kuwait City on January 30, 2013. (Photo: AFP – STR) The Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah speaks…
Hamas’ Return to Resistance Camp Complicated
Al-Akhbar Politics 24 Oct 2013 – A Palestinian woman shouts slogans during a protest organised by the Hamas movement in Gaza City on September 24, 2013. (Photo: AFP – Mahmud Hams) A Palestinian woman shouts slogans during a protest organised by the Hamas movement in Gaza City on September 24, 2013. (Photo:…
Articles
Palestinians again boycott Jerusalem municipal polls
Daoud Kuttab, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 10/24/2013
Once again Palestinians living in Jerusalem have made a powerful political statement about the future of the holy city by staying away from the municipal polls. Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot reported that Palestinians avoided the elections of what Israelis call the united city of Jerusalem. “Less than 1 per cent of Palestinians in East Jerusalem voted in the Jerusalem municipal elections,” the daily said on its Ynet website. The absence of participation in neighbourhoods such as Sur Baher, Beit Hanina, Shufat, Issawia Abu Tur as well as the old city of Jerusalem is not new. Since the 1967 occupation of the city and its unilateral annexation, Palestinians have publicly opposed participation in the municipal elections, which combined West Jerusalem to that of East Jerusalem. Municipal elections in Israel include voting for both mayor and city council. Running for mayor were three Israeli right-wing, ultra-right-wing and religious candidates. City council elections include 31 seats and members are not elected by neighbourhoods or location but based on political party slates. Usually one or two council members are elected from the left-wing Meretz Party, while the majority council is divided between Likud, Labour and religious parties. Usually no Arab parties or candidates run for the Jerusalem municipal elections. Palestinians and most of the world support the creation of a Palestinian state on all areas occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem, which is considered by Palestinians as their future capital. Former US president Bill Clinton had suggested during and after the 2000 Camp David summit that Arab neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem be part of the Palestinian state while Jewish areas belong to the state of Israel. Both parties publicly agree that the city shouldn’t be divided but fail to explain how that will exist in reality if two independent and sovereign states are created. The Clinton parameters, which are widely seen as the closest suggestion for sharing the city of Jerusalem, call for unhindered access to the holy sites, especially those in the old city. more.. e-mail
The Sectarian War at Hand: Redrawing the Middle East Again
Ramzy Baroud, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 10/23/2013
The warm waters of the Gulf look quiet from where I am sitting, but such tranquility hardly reflects the conflicts this region continues to generate. The euphoria of the so-called Arab Spring is long gone, but what remains is a region that is rich with resources and burdened with easily manipulated history that is in a state of reckless transition. No one can see what the future will look like, but the possibilities are ample, and possibly tragic.
In my many visits to the region, I have never encountered such a lack of clarity regarding the future, despite the fact that battle lines have been drawn like never before. Governments, intellectuals, sects and whole communities are lining up at both sides of many divides. This is taking place to various degrees everywhere in the Middle East, depending on the location of the conflict.
Some countries are directly engulfed in bloody and defining conflicts – revolutions gone stray, as in Egypt, or uprisings turned into most-destructive civil wars as in Syria. Conversely, those who are for now spared the agony of war, are very much involved in funding various war parties, transporting weapons, training fighters and leading media campaigns in support of one party against another. No such elusive concept as media objectivity exists anymore, not even in relative terms.
Yet in some instances, the lines are not drawn with any degree of certainty either. Within the ranks of Syria’s opposition to the Ba’ath regime in Damascus, the groups are too many to count, and their own alliances shift in ways that few in the media seem to notice or care to report. We arbitrarily write of an ‘opposition’, but in reality there are no truly unifying political or military platforms, whether it be the Supreme Military Council, the Syria National Council or the Syrian National Coalition. In an interactive map, formulated by Al Jazeera mostly on what seems like wholesale conclusions, the military council “claims it commands about 900 groups and a total of at least 300,000 fighters.” The claim of actual control over these groups can be easily contended, and there are numerous other groups that operate based on their own agendas, or unified under different military platforms with no allegiance to any political structure, not those in Istanbul or elsewhere. more.. e-mail
Ten Explosive U.S. Government Secrets about Israel
Grant F. Smith, Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy 10/22/2013
Absent greater transparency, Americans should assume the worst
In 1968 Director of Central Intelligence Richard Helms wrote urgently to Attorney General Ramsey Clark and President Lyndon B. Johnson that some highly enriched uranium fueling Israel’s Dimona nuclear reactor was stolen from America. LBJ reportedly uttered, “Don’t tell anyone else, even [Secretary of State] Dean Rusk and [Defense Secretary] Robert McNamara.” The FBI immediately launched a deep investigation into the inexplicably heavy losses at the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation NUMEC in Pennsylvania and the highly suspicious activities and Israeli connections of the Americans running it. The CIA was tasked to find out what was going on in Israel, and compiled thousands of documents about the incident. (PDF) Although CIA officials in a position to know unofficially went on record claiming a diversion had occurred, for decades the CIA has thwarted declassification and release of the LBJ memos. On October 18, 2013 the only appeals panel with the power to overrule the CIA—
the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel ISCAP—sent notification that Americans are not yet ready to know the contents of the memos (ISCAP decision PDF). This denial of public release of decades-old secrets concerning U.S.-Israel relations is far from unique. Although the Obama administration promised unprecedented transparency, it has emasculated the public’s ability to give informed consent on a wide range of key foreign policy issues. A review of ten particularly toxic U.S. secrets about Israel suggests stakeholders should start assuming the worst but most logical explanation.
In 2006 former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld famously told reporters at an Iraq war briefing “There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don’t know we don’t know.” Bush administration secrecy and Rumsfeld’s pithy quotes failed to quell gradual public awareness that the ill-fated invasion was launched on purposely fabricated pretexts….. more.. e-mail
Israelis, Saudis Just Getting Started in Opposing U.S.-Iran Detente
Mitchell Plitnick, 10/24/2013
The trick to finding an agreement between the P5+1 world powers and Iran has become clear: keep Israel and Saudi Arabia out of the room. (But don’t expect them to be happy about it.)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is touring the globe now with his message of doom about an impending Iranian nuclear weapon. “It will be tragic if (Iran) succeeds in avoiding the sanctions,” Netanyahu said in Rome on Tuesday.
That statement comes on the heels of his Meet the Press appearance where he said: “I think the pressure has to be maintained on Iran, even increased on Iran, until it actually stops the nuclear program, that is, dismantles it.”
Netanyahu is an accomplished speaker with the media. He is trying to move the United States closer to his own views on Iran’s nuclear program while minimizing the appearance of a difference between U.S. and Israeli positions on the issue. But, despite proclamations from figures like Vice President Joe Biden that “there is no daylight” between U.S. and Israeli positions on security, the inescapable fact is that such daylight is shining rather brightly between the two erstwhile allies.
That light was on display when Secretary of State John Kerry met with Netanyahu in Rome. While speaking as allies who are in agreement on Iran, they said very different things about what they expect. Kerry stated again that the Obama administration would be seeking concrete proof of a peaceful nuclear program in Iran before lifting sanctions. By now, that’s a standard disclaimer, but it’s so self-evident that it really doesn’t need to be stated.
Or it wouldn’t need to be said but for Netanyahu’s endless warnings about nefarious Iranian plots of deception centered around acquiring the nuclear weapon that both U.S. and Israeli intelligence agree Iran stopped any motion toward a decade ago. more.. e-mail
Containment of Holocaust Education: Lessons Unlearned
Palestine Chronicle: 25 Oct 2013 – By Zarah Louis In England, The Holocaust has been a compulsory theme in the history curriculum since 1991 and it was the first European country to make it so. So seriously is this taken that in 2012, the British Government (courtesy of the British taxpayer) allocated £1.8 million into Holocaust Education funding . The decision as what exactly should be included in these lessons is left to the individual establishment or teacher, some may choose to condense it into a couple of lessons and for others it may be spread over the course of a few weeks and nothing detrimental can be implied towards those that choose the former option. Assistance can also be forthcoming from the Holocaust Educational Trust which works “in schools, universities and in the community to raise awareness and understanding of the Holocaust, providing teacher training, an outreach program for schools, teaching aids and resource material. One…more
Susan Abulhawa’s My Voice Sought The Wind – Poetry Review
Palestine Chronicle: 25 Oct 2013 – By Vacy Vlazna Susie Abulhawa, Palestinian poet, exile, mother, lover, friend, stands naked in My Voice Sought The Wind ; her collection of trenchant and beautiful poems replete with honesties and literary seductions. Reading her poems is akin to being in conversation with a lyrically intelligent and passionate woman; a conversation that is at once intimate and universal shifting vividly in place and time, in emotion and insight, in self and the people of her poetic landscape. There’s something so right, so apt that her first poem for this book is The Gift of Olive Oil for like the essence of the olive, her poetry is ‘A token/ Something from the soil of things shared ‘ and the ‘heritage’,‘longing’ and ’a wound’ are its recurring songlines. And each poem, when you linger and ‘Press it between your tongue and palate’ will yield unexpected revelations into the darkness and radiance of human…more
Iran’s Nuclear File
Dissident Voice: 24 Oct 2013 – With the recommencement of nuclear talks between Iran and the six world powers, hopes have been revived that more than a decade of conflict and dispute between the two sides can finally come to an end and the concerns over the possible diversion of Iran’s nuclear activities toward an atomic weapon will be completely allayed. The international observers hailed the latest round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 (Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States) on October 15 and 16 in Geneva as constructive, calling it a step forward on the path of finding a conclusive and definite resolution for Iran’s nuclear standoff. The Iranian negotiators demanded that the contents of the talks remain undisclosed until an agreement is reached. Their demand sounds reasonable as it will prevent the mass media from spreading falsehoods regarding the details of the agreement yet to be reached and also…more
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The New Dark Age 