3 November 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Peace Now: “Israel Issues New Tenders For 1889 New Settlement Units”
IMEMC – Israeli Peace Now Movement issued a press release denouncing a new Israeli decision of the Israeli Government of Benjamin Netanyahu, to build additional 1889 units for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, and in occupied Jerusalem. …
Resistance In Gaza Downs An Israeli Drone
IMEMC – Palestinian fighters in the Gaza Strip declared, Sunday November 3, 2013, that it managed to down an Israeli drone flying over the northern part of the Gaza Strip. …
Body Of Slain Fighter Located
IMEMC – Bodies Of Two Fighters Still Burried Under Rubble After three long days of search, the body of slain fighter, Khaled Abu Bakra, was located, on Saturday evening under the rubble of tunnel bombarded by the Israeli army on the border near Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. …
Israel To Build Wall In Jordan valley
IMEMC – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to build a wall in the Jordan valet, on the border between the occupied West Bank and Jordan. The decision was met with rejection and condemnation from the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. …
Kerry Starts Middle East Tour
IMEMC – U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, started a Middle East Tour in which he plans to visit a number of countries, including Tel Aviv, the Palestinian territories. …
Soldiers Invade Different Parts of West Bank
IMEMC – Homes Searched, Several Residents Abducted [Sunday Morning November 3, 2013] Dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded various districts in the occupied West Bank, broke into homes, kidnapped Palestinians, and installed several roadblocks before stopping and interrogating dozens of residents. …
Maariv: Netanyahu plans to build wall at Jordanian border
11/4/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he intends to build a separation barrier between the West Bank and Jordan after completing walls on the Egyptian and Syrian borders, according to a report by the Israeli newspaper Maariv on Sunday. Netanyahu plans to construct the wall in order to send a message to Palestinians who oppose Israeli presence in the Jordan Valley….
Militants ‘shoot down’ Israeli drone over Gaza Strip
11/3/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Palestinian militant groups in Gaza shot down an Israeli drone in the northern Gaza Strip, military sources in Gaza told Ma’an Sunday. A spokesperson for the Israeli army confirmed that a reconnaissance drone crashed while on an “executive mission,” but said that it malfunctioned due to a technical problem. Sources within Gaza’s military groups denied the….
Israeli bulldozers destroy Palestinian lands south of Nablus
11/3/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli bulldozers razed and dug up agricultural lands near the Palestinian village of Qusra in the southern part of Nablus on Sunday morning. Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority official who monitors settler activities in the northern West Bank, told Ma’an that Israeli bulldozers from the nearby settlement of Migdalim entered the lands early in the morning and began to….
Israeli forces prevent Palestinian olive harvest in 2 villages
11/3/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Sunday prevented Palestinians in two villages across the West Bank from accessing their orchards in order to harvest olives on their lands, activists said. Women, children, and elderly residents of the central West Bank village of al-Janiya were escorted by activists from the “You’re not alone” campaign to harvest olives on Sunday morning. Israeli forces deployed….
Israeli settlers threaten to evict villagers
11/4/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli soldiers and settlers on Sunday threatened the people of Umm al-Khair village east of Yatta with eviction, a local anti-settlement committee official said. Ratib al-Jbour said that a group of settlers accompanied by Israeli forces threatened to evict villagers from their houses according to notices previously given to property owners. A verbal and physical confrontation erupted between the villagers and….
South Africa FM: Struggle of Palestinians is ‘our struggle’
11/4/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — South Africa’s foreign minister strongly criticized the Israeli occupation of Palestine and compared the situation in the occupied territories to apartheid in South Africa on Friday.” The struggle of the people of Palestine is our struggle,” South Africa’s The Times quoted her as saying.” The last time I saw a map of Palestine, I couldn’t….
Gaza crews still searching for bodies of 2 men killed by Israel
11/3/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Civil defense crews are still looking for the bodies of two men killed by an Israeli airstrike on Friday, an official at Gaza’s ministry of health told Ma’an. After finding the body of Khalid Abu Bakra, the official said, crews had to postpone the search for the other two bodies in order to coordinate with Israel….
PLO threatens to take Israel to UN on settlements
11/4/2013 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — The PLO threatened to go to the UN Security Council over Israel’s announcement on Sunday of tenders to build more than 1,800 settler homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.”The PLO is considering a mechanism to go the Security Council and the UN against these new Israeli decisions, especially as there are international resolutions that consider settlements illegal,” senior….
Gas stations union suspends strike
11/3/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — West Bank gas stations suspended a strike Sunday to protest the Ministry of Finance’s decision to force stations to fully pay for fuel before receiving it. The union of gas station owners said the decision was made to postpone the strike, set to begin 4 p. m. Sunday, during a meeting at the Ramallah Chamber of Commerce. The union….
Palestinian man shot near Kiryat Gat
11/3/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian man from Dura was injured after unknown assailants opened fire on him near the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, according to Israeli police. The man, whose name was not given, was in his 20s and suffered bullet wounds in his leg. Police spokesman Luba al-Samari said that the man went on his own to the police station in….
Kerry vows US backing for Egypt interim rulers
11/4/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday his country is committed to working with Egypt’s interim rulers, on his first visit to Cairo since the army ousted president Mohamed Morsi. On the eve of the opening of Morsi’s trial, Kerry was in Cairo to shore up ties with a key ally and ensure it moves ahead on plans….
Tunisia extends emergency rule as crisis talks hit delays
11/4/2013 – TUNIS (AFP) — Tunisia on Sunday extended a state of emergency in place since its 2011 uprising, as politicians remained deadlocked in talks to choose a new premier at a time of rising Islamist unrest. The presidency said it was extending until end of June the state of emergency, which has been renewed by periods ranging from one to three months over the past year and….
King says Syria refugee influx depleting Jordan
11/3/2013 – AMMAN (AFP) — King Abdullah II said Sunday the influx of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees is depleting Jordan’s scarce natural resources, and called for international assistance to deal with the problem.”Jordan currently hosts around 600,000 Syrian refugees – an issue that depletes our already limited resources and puts enormous pressure on our infrastructure,” the king said in a speech to parliament.”If….
Kerry plays down ‘tactics’ differences on Syria
11/3/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday that Washington and its allies may differ over “tactics” on the Syrian conflict but they shared the goal of a handover of power. The top US diplomat was speaking at the start of an 11-day tour aimed at shoring up ties with Arab nations that have frayed in part over the war in Syria….
Minister: war costs Syrian industry $2.2 billion
11/3/2013 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — The Syrian industrial sector has lost $2. 2 billion since the war began 31 months ago, Industry Minister Kamaleddine Tohme said in statements published Sunday.”The losses in the industrial sector from the start of the Syrian crisis till October total 336 billion Syrian pounds ($2. 2 billion),” the pro-regime newspaper Al-Watan quoted Tohme as saying. The private industrial sector has lost $1….
HRW: Egypt not probing killing of protesters
11/3/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — Human Rights Watch has accused Egypt’s military-installed authorities of failing to investigate the killing of protesters by the security forces, mainly on Oct. 6, when deadly clashes rocked Cairo. The New-York based group on Saturday charged that three weeks since police used lethal force to break up protests of supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, the authorities have not yet questioned….
Suicide blasts rock police HQ in central Iraq
11/3/2013 – BAQUBA, Iraq (AFP) — At least three suicide bombings struck a police headquarters in the restive central Iraqi city of Baquba on Sunday, killing three policemen, security and medical officials said. The blasts went off at about 8:00 p. m. and were followed by clashes in the surrounding area of Mafreq, with officials warning the casualty toll could rise as medical teams did not have….
Syria says Kerry statements threaten peace talks
11/3/2013 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — The Syrian foreign ministry Sunday denounced comments by US Secretary of State John Kerry on Syria, saying they could cause proposed peace talks on the 31-month conflict to fail. A statement said that remarks by Kerry “threaten to cause the failure of the Geneva conference, are a flagrant violation of Syrian affairs and an aggression against the Syrian people’s right….
Libya army officer killed in Benghazi blast
11/3/2013 – BENGHAZI, Libya (AFP) — An army officer was killed on Sunday in the restive Libyan city of Benghazi when a bomb placed under his car exploded, a security forces spokesman told AFP. The blast also seriously wounded the officer’s wife and two children, who were with him at the time.”Suleiman al-Fissi, a military intelligence officer, was killed today when his car exploded. His….
Rabat envoy to resume Algiers work after Sahara spat
11/3/2013 – RABAT (AFP) — Morocco’s ambassador to Algiers is to resume work on Monday, after having been recalled in a spat over disputed Western Sahara, a senior Moroccan official said.”The ambassador has arrived in Algeria and he will resume his duties tomorrow (Monday),” the official told AFP on Sunday, asking not to be named. He stressed the envoy had only been recalled for consultations….
Monitor: Mortar hits near Damascus citadel
11/3/2013 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — A mortar round hit near the ancient citadel in the heart of the Syrian capital on Sunday, while fierce clashes raged in several Damascus neighborhoods, a monitoring group said.”A mortar landed near the Damascus citadel wounding several people, while another fell near the Dweila district (in the southeast), setting fire to a textile plant,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. State….
AlJazeera
Israel to build wall along Jordanian border
AlJazeera 3 Nov 2013 – Decision to build border fence coincides with approval of construction of almost 2,000 settler homes in occupied areas.
Restoration of Nativity Church Has Commenced
Palestine News Network
Gunmen kill 30 including groom in wedding convoy
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Suspected Boko Haram terrorists attack wedding convoy in northeast Nigeria, killing more than 30 people including the groom.
Kerry vows US backing for Egypt’s interim rulers
The National 3 Nov 2013 – US secretary of state endorses military-installed interim government’s moves to restore full democracy in Egypt during his first visit to Cairo since the military removed former president Mohammed Morsi from office.
Ayatollah Khamenei warns against undermining nuclear negotiators in talks with the West
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Iran’s Supreme Leader appears to direct message at hardliners who have criticised diplomacy over its nuclear programme.
PLO threatens to take Israeli settlement grievances to UN
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Palestinian leaders say they will go to the UN Security Council over Israel’s announcement of tenders to build more than 1,800 settler homes in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
King says Syria refugee influx is depleting Jordan’s natural resources
The National 3 Nov 2013 – King Abdullah says if the international community does not move quickly to help, ‘Jordan is able to take measures to protect the interests of our people and country’.
Syrian truce as Jesus statue erected on mountain
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Giant bronze statue goes up under cover of a truce among three factions in the country’s civil war.
Philippines seeks to extend blood money deadline to save man facing execution in Saudi Arabia
The National 3 Nov 2013 – The Philippines is seeking a deadline extension to save a Filipino facing execution in Saudi Arabia over the murder of his landlord killed in a 2009 rental dispute.
‘Anonymous Philippines’ hackers deface government websites in call for protests
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Websites of at least five government agencies, including the anti-graft office of the government Ombudsman, have been hacked by a group calling itself ‘Anonymous Philippines’.
Morsi supporters plan protests as trial starts
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Authorities switch trial venue after Mr Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood calls for mass demonstrations at the original location.
India begins countdown to launch of Mars probe
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Unmanned probe, weighing 1.35 tonnes and about the size of a large refrigerator, will leave Earth strapped to an Indian rocket.
Jordan’s King Abdullah to press on with ‘white revolution’
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Jordan’s king to proceed with wide-ranging package of reforms, amending elections laws that the opposition says favour pro-palace candidates, and overhauling a public sector widely seen as rife with corruption and nepotism.
Factory fire in New Delhi kills 6
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Six workers die when fire erupts at factory in the Indian capital, trapping some inside and burning them beyond recognition.
Global warming expected to worsen starvation, wars and natural disasters, report finds
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Starvation, poverty, flooding, heat waves, droughts, war and disease are likely to worsen as the world warms from man-made climate change, international scientific report forecasts.
UK scraps plan to force ‘high risk’ visitors to pay visa bond
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Britain has scrapped a plan to force visitors from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ghana and Nigeria to pay a cash bond of £3,000 (Dh17,547) for a six-month visa.
Bangladesh convicts UK Muslim leader, US citizen of war crimes
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Court finds British-based Muslim leader and a US citizen guilty in absentia for atrocities committed during the 1971 war of independence.
Two French journalists executed in Mali
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Two radio journalists have been found dead after being kidnapped by armed men in northern Mali in what President Francois Hollande called a ‘despicable’ act.
Video: Pakistan minister voices anger after US after drone attack
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Pakistan’s Interior Minister says US drone strike that killed Taliban leader was a conspiracy to sabotage peace talks with Taliban. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.
Video: Two French journalists abducted and killed in Mali
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Two French journalists working for Radio France International were abducted and killed by gunmen in northern Mali. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.
Video: Anger over Egyptian comedy TV show suspension
The National 3 Nov 2013 – Protests over Egyptian satirical tv show pulled off air after it mocked the army chief who ousted president. Paul Chapman reports.
Video: Deadly firecracker blaze in India
The National 3 Nov 2013 – At least one killed and several badly hurt as fire sweeps through a firecracker market in northern India. Paul Chapman reports.
Israel to face deepening isolation if peace talks fail, says national security adviser
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Bill authorizing local rabbis to approve conversions passes committee stage
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
German police discover 1,500 masterpieces seized by Nazis in Munich apartment
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
U.S. negotiator on Iran: Israel’s security is a priority, no sanctions lifted
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Shares end higher in thin trading as Africa Israel jumps 16%
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Israel’s military advocate: IDF training inside Palestinian villages is legal
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Israel’s military advocate: IDF training inside Palestinian villages is legal
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
How to stir up hatred between Jews and Bedouin in Israel
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Bush brother drops bid for debt-ridden Israeli conglomerate
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Report: Saudi King Abdullah ‘treasures’ dagger given as a gift by Hitler
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Montreal Jewish festival cancels panels by anti-Birthright activist
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Bnei Akiva split over move to protest against Women of the Wall at jubilee celebrations
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Syrian baby born in Israeli hospital
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Israeli Artillery Corps drone crashes in Gaza Strip
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Schumer urges Hillary Clinton to run for president in 2016
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Defense spending on staff exceeds entire Israeli welfare budget
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
NSA tracked Israeli military targets, Snowden files show
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Don’t teach young kids about the Holocaust
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Obama and Peres have the future of Israel in their hands
Ha’aretz – 3 Nov 2013
Jewish groups lobby for new sanctions on Iran, deal or not
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Lobbying has continued unabated despite reports of 60-day moratorium on pushing for new Senate sanctions.
Rare appeal granted in policy of education for Palestinian prisoners
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Appeal seeks to overturn Supreme Court decision upholding ban of higher education for security prisoners.
Ashkenazi obstructed investigation, Boaz Harpaz charges
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Despite commentators taking Harpaz’s version at face value, his back and forth on narrative leaves his credibility in question.
Dozens of police deploy in Ashkelon after two car bombings hit city
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Reinforced security include undercover unit, plainclothes detectives and border police; show of force meant mainly to calm residents.
‘Swan Lake’: Variations on a theme
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – The all-male dance company of ‘Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo’ perform their own scenes from ‘Swan Lake,’ ‘Le Grand Pas de Quatre’ and ‘Raymonda’s Wedding.’
Poland’s chief rabbi hopeful for future of nation’s Jewry
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Dynamics of diaspora Jewish life today are different than in previous generations due to establishment of Israel, says Michael Schudrich.
Iran’s charm offensive wanes, Khamenei calls Israel ‘illegitimate, bastard regime’
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Amidror says Israel must remove Iran’s existential threat by diplomacy if possible, but if not, then by “other means”.
Think About It: MK Miri Regev: What is all the rumpus about?
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – It is not even clear whether there are ethical grounds for reprimanding Regev. She might be accused of being in breach of any one of several general principles that appear in Chapter 2 of the Rules of Ethics for Members of the Knesset.
No Holds Barred: The growing extremism of Reform leader Eric Yoffie
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – I have no problem with Rabbi Yoffie criticizing Chabad, Sheldon Adelson’s comments about a nuclear detonation in an empty Iranian desert, or me, for that matter.
Who are the victims?
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Would it enter the Palestinians’ minds that some of the people who live in Efrat, or their parents or grandparents, not so long ago, were made to wait in line surrounded by soldiers in a black universe where Kalandia would have been considered a life-giving oasis?
‘Haredi rabbi calls on ultra-Orthodox women, girls to protest against WoW service Monday’
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Bnei Akiva girl school to join haredi women in rally at Western Wall, reports national religious news site Kipa.
Leading haredi rabbi calls for demo against Women of the Wall at Western Wall
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Bnei Akiva girl school to join haredi women in rally at Western Wall, reports national religious news site Kipa.
Iran and the Jewish lobby
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – In the end, it is the substance of the issues and the opinions Americans form about them that determine US foreign policy decisions – not the lobbying efforts of AIPAC, the AJC, the ADL etc.
Candidly Speaking: An end to Jewish life in the Diaspora?
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – We should not be under any illusions. Diaspora Jewish life is under greater threat today from loss of identity than from anti-Semitism.
The window of opportunity
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Israel’s leaders must recognize that for the first time in its history, the status quo is not to Israel’s advantage.
PA: Israeli settlement building to lead to failure of peace talks
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Abbas spokesman calls on US to send a “clear message” to Israel that its actions are jeopardizing peace process; says Israeli decision to build fence along border with Jordan is aimed at scuttling pace talks.
Campaign to keep consulate in Philadelphia open
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Foreign Ministry officials say closing mission in favor of one in Chengdu, China would send a bad diplomatic message.
Lapid votes down gay unions bill
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Despite Yesh Atid’s push for civil unions for all, party’s ministers reject Labor bill; Yacimovich laments missed historic opportunity.
Ministers conditionally approve conversion reform bill
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Legislation seeks to create some 30 new conversion courts garnering opposition from senior rabbis from national religious, haredi world.
Haifa judge: Cancers of Haifa Bay fishermen not tied to Kishon River pollution
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Controversy surrounding once heavily polluted river began after IDF soldiers, who had spent time diving there, ended up developing cancer.
Meitzav exam results show widening education gaps based on socioeconomic status
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Gaps are significantly high in maths, science and technology; wide gaps also noted between Jewish and Arab students.
Kerry: US committed to advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – US secretary of state: Settlements have “disturbed” views of talks.
First Syrian refugee baby born in Israeli hospital
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – IDF evacuates 20-year-old mother to Ziv Medical Center in Safed.
Housing Ministry to build 1,730 new homes over Green Line
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Announcement comes ahead of visit by US secretary of state.
Internet – Fertile field promoting Jew-hatred and Jew-bashing
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Ending anonymous and unverified comments on the Internet is long overdue.
Ya’alon: Hamas preparing terrorism infrastructure against us
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Defense minister says Hamas is preparing to moment it decides to renew violence, adds Israel is working to thwart that.
WATCH: ‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse visible over Israel
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – The eclipse will start at 3:12 p.m. and reach maximum visibility at 4 p.m., with the moon covering approx. 13.5% of the sun.
IDF: Drone crashes in Gaza due to technical failure
Jerusalem Post 3 Nov 2013 – Palestinians claim to have shot down UAV in open area of northern Gaza Strip, Ma’an reports.
A ‘Green Intifadah’ Takes Root
IPS Aweinah ploughs his field with the help of British volunteers. Credit: Pierre Klochendler/IPS. By Pierre Klochendler BATTIR, Occupied West Bank, Nov 3 2013 (IPS) “O green Battir, mother of the air,” Mariam Ma’mmar sings in praise of her village. As the hot season draws to a close, the land –…
US to supply Israel with its latest military aircraft within two years
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013 – American defence secretary Chuck Hagel said on Thursday that Israel would be the first US ally to receive the American V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor military aircraft.The deal was negotiated between Hagel and Israeli defence minister Moshe Ya…
Last Year President Obama Reportedly Told His Aides That He s Really Good At Killing People
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013 – This will not go over well for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner. According to the new book “Double Down,” in which journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann chronicle the 2012 presidential election, President Barack Obama…
NSA surveillance may cause breakup of internet, warn experts
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – The vast scale of online surveillance revealed by Edward Snowden is leading to the breakup of the internet as countries scramble to protect private or commercially sensitive emails and phone records from UK and US security services, according to experts…
Syrian army kill Palestinian refugee family
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013 -Four members of a Palestinian refugee family in Syria were killed on Friday night whilst trying to flee the continuous shelling of Palestinian refugee camps by Bashar al-Assad s army, Action Group for Palestinian Refugees in Syria…
Israel to drill for oil in the West Bank
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013 – Israeli investors had reason to celebrate last month with the news that Israel may soon be joining the club of oil-producing states, in addition to its recent finds of large natural gas deposits off the coast….
Israel destroys two homes in Jerusalem
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013 -When students at Al-Quds University in Abu Dis started arriving for class at 8 AM on the morning of Wednesday, October 23, campus security ushered them to the back entrance. The road in front of the main…
Pakistan to review US ties after attack on peace, says Nisar
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013 – ISLAMABAD: Calling the drone strike that killed Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud on Friday “an attack on regional peace by America,” Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Saturday said bilateral ties with the US will now…
Tribesmen open fire on US drone after Taliban chief killed
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013 – Tribesmen opened fire on a US drone over Pakistan s troubled tribal belt on Saturday where Pakistani Taliban commander Hakimullah Mehsud was killed by a drone strike a day earlier, residents and officials said. Mehsud, who…
Pentagon wages brutal drone war in Pakistan
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013 -…Drones enable imperialist war, particularly “secret” wars like in Pakistan and Yemen. They are a delight to the generals and the politicians and of course the corporate masters that they serve. They are designed to prevent sparking…
Collateral Murder: Evidence of Genocide
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013 -The video known as “Collateral Murder” is strong evidence of genocide being carried out by the US against the people of Iraq. Hidden in the horrors of its brutality is a rich historical record revealing an armed…
Pentagon wages brutal drone war in Pakistan
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013 -…Drones enable imperialist war, particularly “secret” wars like in Pakistan and Yemen. They are a delight to the generals and the politicians and of course the corporate masters that they serve. They are designed to prevent sparking…
US weapons won t solve Iraq s security issue, will only increase civilian deaths
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013 — …Nouri al-Maliki is asking to be supplied by more advanced technology in order to, he says, fight Al-Qaeda. But what he s not mentioning is that it s not just Al-Qaeda that is active in Iraq….
In David Miranda s Case, UK Security Services Argue Traveling with Secret Documents Is Terrorism
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013- Security services in the United Kingdom have accused David Miranda, the husband of journalist Glenn Greenwald, of being “involved in espionage activity” when he traveled from Berlin to Heathrow Airport on his way back to Brazil, where…
Drone Attack Kills More Than Taliban Chief
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013 – The drone attack that killed Tehreek Taliban Pakistan chief Hakimullah Mahsud this week seems also to have killed hopes that drone attacks will end. “After the recent debate in international media about U.S-led drone attacks, there…
Malala and Nabila: worlds apart
Uruknet 3 Nov 2013 – November 2, 2013 – On October 24, 2012 a Predator drone flying over North Waziristan came upon eight-year old Nabila Rehman, her siblings, and their grandmother as they worked in a field beside their village home. Her grandmother, Momina Bibi,…
Syria becoming ‘Mediterranean Afghanistan’: Turkey president
Daily Star 3 Nov 2013 Syria could become a “Mediterranean Afghanistan” if the international community does not act to end its civil war, Turkish president Abdullah Gul warned in an interview published by the Guardian on Sunday.
Obama, Democrats seek to make Virginia governor’s race a Tea Party referendum
Daily Star 3 Nov 2013 President Barack Obama and fellow Democrats attempted on Sunday to tap into voter anger about a 16-day U.S. government shutdown and turn Virginia’s upcoming governor’s election into a referendum on Tea Party conservatives.
Syrian women flees war to give birth in Israel
Daily Star 3 Nov 2013 A Syrian woman escaping her country’s bloody civil war has given birth in an Israeli hospital.
Libya army officer killed in Benghazi blast
Daily Star 3 Nov 2013 An army officer was killed on Sunday in the restive Libyan city of Benghazi when a bomb placed under his car exploded, a security forces spokesman told AFP.
Kerry lands in Saudi to ease tensions over Syria, Iran
Daily Star 3 Nov 2013 Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Saudi Arabia Sunday hoping to repair ties with America’s longstanding ally, which have frayed over the Syrian conflict and US outreach to Iran.
Gazans seek bodies of two killed in tunnel clash with Israel
Daily Star 3 Nov 2013 The bodies of two Hamas militants killed when Israeli troops attacked a border tunnel, burying them inside, were still missing three days after the fighting, Gaza authorities said Sunday.
Arab League to press Syria opposition over peace talks
Daily Star 3 Nov 2013 Arab League foreign ministers gathered in Cairo on Sunday to push the Syrian opposition to attend the proposed Geneva II peace conference.
Hillary Clinton gets early presidential backing
Daily Star 3 Nov 2013 Hillary Rodham Clinton says she isn’t in a hurry to make a decision about running again to become the first female U.S. president.
Grenade attack in northwest Pakistan kills four Shiites
Daily Star 3 Nov 2013 Suspected militants hurled grenades at a tribal meeting in northwest Pakistan Sunday, killing at least four Shiite Muslims and wounding two others in an apparent sectarian attack, officials said.
Egypt changes venue for trial of ousted president
Daily Star 3 Nov 2013 Egyptian authorities switch the venue for the trial of the former Islamist president, a last-minute change made after the Muslim Brotherhood calls for mass demonstrations at the original location.
Kerry lands in Saudi to ease tensions over Syria, Iran
YNet News, 3 Nov 2013 – ….
Attack on Nigerian wedding convoy leaves 30 dead
YNet News, 3 Nov 2013 – ….
Egypt changes venue for trial of ousted president
YNet News, 3 Nov 2013 – ….
Syrian: Foreign jihadis said responsible for polio
YNet News, 3 Nov 2013 – ….
Congressman: Suspected LAX gunman planned ‘suicide’ mission
YNet News, 3 Nov 2013 – ….
Americans selling our secrets
YNet News, 3 Nov 2013 – Op-ed: US administration intentionally pointing finger at Israel in bid to sabotage our security policy ….
Holocaust memorabilia found on eBay
YNet News, 3 Nov 2013 – E-commerce website removes from its listings around 30 items, including clothes worn by concentration camp victims, following investigation by Britain’s Mail on Sunday. Company apologizes, offers to make £25,000 donation to suitable charity ….
Can foreign CEO make it here?
YNet News, 3 Nov 2013 – Op-ed: Jeremy Levin failed to integrate into Teva Pharm’s DNA, fundamental Israeli culture ….
US Shoah museum gets war crimes archive
YNet News, 3 Nov 2013 – United Nations agrees to give Holocaust Museum in Washington full copy of archive documenting thousands of cases against accused World War II criminals in Europe, Asia ….
Palestinian Information Center
Five Palestinians killed and 250 arrested by IOF in October
PIC – Tadhamun Foundation said that the IOF killed five Palestinians and arrested more than 250 others during the month of October in different parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Gaza government calls on EU to clarify its position on the electricity grant
PIC – Palestinian government in Gaza called on the EU to clarify its position on the money which has been allocated to buy fuel for the Gaza power plant and which is given to the PA in Ramallah.
Palestinian and Syrian refugees stage sit-in in Lampedusa, Italy
PIC – More than 300 Palestinian and Syrian refugees staged a sit-in in the Italian island of Lampedusa on Saturday to protest against the poor living conditions in the refugees’ camp on the island.
IOF arrests 4 Palestinians in West Bank
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Sunday arrested four Palestinians in the West Bank, and transferred one of them to Hawara detention center.
Jewish fanatics raise Israeli flag in Aqsa Mosque
PIC – A number of Jewish fanatic settlers raised the Israeli flag inside the Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem on Sunday.
Jewish settlers raid Yatta under IOF protection
PIC – A group of Jewish settlers raided Um Al-Khair village to the east of Yatta town, south of Al-Khalil, on Sunday under Israeli army protection and attacked citizens.
Israeli jailers storm Negev jail, quell prisoners
PIC – Israeli prison guards stormed the Negev jail on Sunday and quelled and harassed Palestinian administrative detainees for persisting in their protest against their detention without trial or charge.
Hamas: IOA arrested 23 Palestinians after their release from PA jails
PIC – The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) arrested 23 Palestinians after their release from Palestinian Authority (PA) jails in October.
Netanyahu orders building of wall in JV along borders with Jordan
PIC – Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu has given instructions for the building of a wall along the borders with Jordan in the Jordan Valley, Hebrew press reported on Sunday.
IOF raid in northern Gaza Strip
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) advanced into northern Gaza Strip at a late night hour on Saturday amid intensified flights of warplanes.
Peace Now: Israel Approves 1,859 New Settlement Units
WAFA – 3 Nov 2013
PA Criticizes Netanyahu’s Jordan Valley Wall Plan
WAFA – 3 Nov 2013
Palestinians chide U.S. over Israel policies
LA Times 3 Nov 2013 – RAMALLAH, West Bank – As U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry began his latest trip to the Mideast, Palestinian officials Sunday criticized what they said was a lack of seriousness by the United States in the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
Kerry’s Cairo visit underlines differences between U.S., Egypt
LA Times 3 Nov 2013 – CAIRO—Secretary of State John F. Kerry paid a brief visit to Egypt on Sunday that was meant to smooth over recent rifts, but laid bare the two countries’ differences over authoritarian practices of the military-backed government that supplanted the country’s first democratically elected leader.
Israel shrugs off reported NSA eavesdropping, angered at Syria strike leak
LA Times 3 Nov 2013 – JERUSALEM — While reports of the extent of the NSA’s eavesdropping on world leaders and millions of allied citizens caused fierce indignation worldwide last month, Israel mostly shrugged.
As Morsi trial nears in Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood’s roots hold tight
LA Times 3 Nov 2013 – Ousted President Mohamed Morsi’s trial on charges of incitement to murder is to start Monday. His zealous supporters have sunk quietly back underground. CAIRO — As the Muslim call to prayer rang out from minarets across Egypt’s capital, the bearded men entering a nondescript building…
Kerry in Egypt for Highest-Level American Visit Since Morsi’s Ouster
New York Times 3 Nov 2013 – Secretary of State John Kerry, who arrived one day before Mohamed Morsi is put on trial, plans to prod Egypt to move ahead with democratic reforms and try to improve the United States’ strained relations with Cairo.
Stick Figures and Stunted Growth as Warring Syria Goes Hungry
New York Times 2 Nov 2013 – Across Syria, a country that long prided itself on providing affordable food to its people, efforts to ensure basic sustenance appear to be failing, and millions are going hungry.
Sun: Teva’s continued tumble fails to depress market
Globes Main News – Teva fell further today, but Perrigo rose strongly for the biggest gain on the Tel Aviv 25 Index.
Woodside execs due in Israel
Globes Energy & Water – Representatives of Australia’s Woodside Petroleum will be in Israel shortly to move forward on buying 30% of the Leviathan field.
No second natural gas terminal before 2016
Globes Energy & Water – Under the revised timetable for the gas terminals, the plan will only reach the cabinet for approval in June 2014, a year behind schedule.
The lobby grants Obama a grace period on Iran
Mondoweiss – Four U.S. Jewish organizations are said to be giving the Obama administration a 60-day interval to get Iran to comply with western demands before the four groups turn the screws on Congress to tighten sanctions against Iran. Is that really how things work in Washington? The…
Yogev C’ttee mulls real estate sales to finance IEC reform
Globes Energy & Water – The Yogev Committee is considering a massive sell-off of IEC’s real estate to finance reform, instead of postponing the pending electricity rate cut, as IEC is demanding.
Shaul Meridor tapped to head new gov’t housing co
Globes Main News – Shaul Meridor is the leading candidate to head the new government housing company that is due to build tens of thousands of rental apartments.
Israel Corp’s power station still shut down
Globes Energy & Water – Three breakdowns have shut down the OPC power station at Mishor Rotem.
Stop the demolitions in Jerusalem!
Mondoweiss – Nir Barkat The “judaization” of Jerusalem and the West Bank continues apace, despite the so-called “peace process.” This week the Israeli government demolished a large apartment block in Beit Hanina, bringing the total number of Palestinian structures demolished in East Jerusalem in 2013 to almost 100;…
Tenders set for 1,730 homes beyond Green Line
Globes Main News – Tenders to be published for land for 698 apartments in east Jerusalem and for 1,032 apartments in Judea and Samaria.
DSP Group reports third consecutive profitable quarter
Globes Main News – Non-GAAP earnings per share were $0.08 on revenue of revenue of $35.4 million in the third quarter.
IDF: UAV crash in Gaza due to technical fault
Globes Aerospace & Defense – The IDF denies Hamas’s claim to have shot down the Skylark tactical UAV.
Global economic trends are disturbing
Globes Macro Economics – World trade is not picking up, and only a handful of countries are recovering strongly – but Israel is among them.
St. Louis dumps Veolia
Mondoweiss – Dump Veolia activists protest at City Hall, St. Louis Missouri (Photo Suhad Khatib) This story has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. A bunch of average ordinary Americans who formed a coalition of social-justice and environmental activism, including civil rights leaders, workers and students, in…
Barclays: Teva reshuffle hits morale
Globes Main News – Barclays says that Jeremy Levin remained popular with Teva’s rank-and-file and this will be destabilizing to morale.
New TASE CEO Yossi Beinart could earn NIS 1.8m annually
Globes Main News – Yossi Beinart will succeed Ester Levanon, who announced in mid-July that she would leave her post at the end of the year.
Rafael acquires 49% of Korea’s PineTelecom
Globes Aerospace & Defense – Rafael and PineTelecom will cooperate in the design, development, and manufacture of communications systems for the Korean and other militaries.
Neil Bush quits IDB tender
Globes Main News – At the same time, the Noiman family is joining the Alexander Granovsky-Dankner consortium.
Turkey’s Zorlu seeks Leviathan gas
Globes Energy & Water – Zorlu wants to buy 3 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year from Leviathan.
Emblaze board approves investment in IDB
Globes Main News – Emblaze was recently taken over by Alexander Granovsky, Nochi Dankner’s partner.
Signs of hydrocarbons at Ofek 2 well
Globes Energy & Water – Globe Exploration reports substantial signs of gas and condensate in the target strata.
IDF gets extra NIS 2.75b
Globes Aerospace & Defense – A public committee will be established to examine all aspects of the defense budget.
Harps in Heaven
Tikun Olam – Two nights ago, I turned on the local public radio station which I listen to in the car. I was delighted to hear an African music show I don’t get to listen to much anymore with my child-care and blogging responsibilities. It’s hosted by local African…
VIDEO: Egypt’s pyramids revisited
BBC 3 Nov 2013 – Egypt’s pyramids as you’ve never seen them before
Former Israeli Baseball Manager Brad Ausmus Picked To Head Tigers
The Foward Breaking News 3 Nov 2013 – Brad Ausmus, who managed the Israeli national team’s bid for the World Baseball Classic, was named the manager of the Detroit Tigers. Click here for the rest of the article…
Where Law Stands on the Wall
Sabbah report 3 Nov 2013 – In June 2002, the Israeli cabinet approved the construction of a “continuous fence” in the West Bank. In July 2004, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared this barrier illegal, choosing to refer to it as a “wall”. Their decision included three specific reasons for the…
THE OLIVE TREE
Sabbah report 3 Nov 2013 – This is the olive picking season. Like other harvests, it should be a season of joy. However, the land-grabbing occupiers of Palestine have imbued Israeli youth with the destructive arrogance of conceited, swaggering, self-loving Jews. Settlers always attack villages during the olive picking season and destroy…
Kerry bids to smooth US-Saudi ties
BBC 3 Nov 2013 – US Secretary of State John Kerry lands in Saudi Arabia on the second stop of his regional tour, after calling for a transition to democracy in Egypt.
Modern Orthodox Girls To Join Haredi Protest of Women of the Wall
The Foward Breaking News 3 Nov 2013 – Girls affiliated with the Modern Orthodox Bnei Akiva movement reportedly will join haredi Orthodox girls at the Western Wall for a prayer service against Women of the Wall. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israel Approves Construction of 1,700 New Settlement Homes
The Foward Breaking News 3 Nov 2013 – Israel issued tenders for construction of more than 1,700 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, moving ahead with projects opposed by the United States and others ahead of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Click here for…
Bush Brother Drops Bid for Debt-Ridden Israeli Conglomerate
The Foward Breaking News 3 Nov 2013 – The race for control of one of Israel’s biggest conglomerates, Nochi Dankner’s IDB group, took some dramatic turns Sunday as the deadline for offers expired. Neil Bush, brother of former U.S President George W. Bush, dropped out of the running, the Danker group added a new…
Israel denies drone was shot down
BBC 3 Nov 2013 – An Israeli drone comes down in the northern Gaza Strip, with Israel denying Palestinian reports it was shot down.
Egyptians split over Morsi trial
BBC 3 Nov 2013 – Egypt polarised ahead of Islamist ex-president’s trial
Nigeria: Why Foreign Affairs Minister Signed BASA Pact – Group
allAfrica.com 3 Nov 2013 – [Leadership]A group, South East Youth Caucus, has said there was nothing strange in Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, not signing the BASA agreement between Nigeria and Israel during President Goodluck Jonathan’s recent visit to that country.
VIDEO: Egypt’s pyramids revisited
BBC 3 Nov 2013 – Egypt’s pyramids as you’ve never seen them before
Kerry bids to smooth US-Saudi ties
BBC 3 Nov 2013 – US Secretary of State John Kerry lands in Saudi Arabia on the second stop of his regional tour, after calling for a transition to democracy in Egypt.
Israel denies drone was shot down
BBC 3 Nov 2013 – An Israeli drone comes down in the northern Gaza Strip, with Israel denying Palestinian reports it was shot down.
Saudi Arabia beheads 70th convict this year
Al-Akhbar News 3 Nov 2013 – Saudi authorities on Sunday beheaded a citizen in the southern Najran province after he was convicted of killing another man, the interior ministry said. Zafer al-Batheen shot dead Ayed al-Qashaneen using a machine gun, following a dispute between the two. His execution brings to 70 the…
Libyan prison riot wounds 16, mine kills soldier
Al-Akhbar News 3 Nov 2013 – A soldier was killed by a mine and 16 people were wounded in clashes at a prison in separate incidents in Libya’s second city of Benghazi, security sources said on Sunday. Lawlessness has blighted large areas of the oil-producing country following the 2011 war that toppled…
Saudi Arabia arrests woman driving father to hospital
Al-Akhbar News 3 Nov 2013 – A Kuwaiti woman was arrested in Saudi Arabia for trying to drive her father to hospital, a Kuwaiti newspaper reported on Sunday , a week after Saudi women protested against a ban on female drivers. Kuwaiti women are free to drive in their country and enjoy far…
Bahrain jails 10 protesters for up to life
Al-Akhbar News 3 Nov 2013 – A Bahraini photographer takes pictures during an anti-government protest in the village of Aali, south of Manama, on November 1, 2013. (Photo: AFP – Mohammed al-Shaikh) A Manama court Sunday jailed four protesters for life and sentenced six others to 15-year terms for forming an Iran-linked “…
Israeli drone crashes in northern Gaza
Al-Akhbar News 3 Nov 2013 – An Israeli military drone crashed in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday, with Israel blaming a technical malfunction. The Israeli army said “a ‘Skylark’ tactical mini UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) system crashed earlier today in the Gaza Strip due to a technical malfunction.” A security source…
Egyptians split over Morsi trial
BBC 3 Nov 2013 – Egypt polarised ahead of Islamist ex-president’s trial
Lebanese army arrests suspect in attack on Alawi workers
Al-Akhbar News 3 Nov 2013 – Alawi workers lay on the ground after being shot by in Tripoli’s Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood on November 2, 2013. (Photo: AFP) The Lebanese army said it has detained one of four men suspected of beating and shooting Alawi workers in the northern city of Tripoli, scene…
Articles
Jordan Valley fence would finalize the West Bank’s complete enclosure
Joseph Massad, +972 Magazine 11/4/2013
In what might be a shot to the heart of current peace negotiations, Netanyahu is reviving plans to build a ‘security fence’ in the Jordan Valley. If the fence follows the original route it will enclose any future Palestinian state, cement impossible impossible Bantustan borders and give birth to a new map of Israel’s borders.
Ten years after international pressure led Israel to scrap construction plans for the Jordan Valley section of the security/separation fence, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on track to revive them. Two Ma’ariv – Makor Rishon correspondents on Sunday reported that several government ministries are already making preparations for the project and that Netanyahu himself will order the commencement of construction once the Egyptian border fence is completed. According to Ma’ariv, the official excuse for constructing the new segment is the fear that Syrian refugees now staying in Jordan might infiltrate — although there are no known reports of Syrians trying to make it to the West Bank from the Hashemite Kingdom — and “closing the Israeli border.”
However, the correspondents also mention the un-coincidental timing in which Netanyahu made his plans known: just as negotiations with Palestinians seem to be hitting a dead end, with the question of sovereignty in the Jordan Valley reportedly being one of the central obstacles. Just last week Netanyahu made clear at a Likud conference that he considers Israeli control of the Jordan Valley a key strategic issue and a red line for all future agreements.
It is still unclear where exactly Netanyahu plans to build his fence. When West Bank separation barrier maps were originally drawn about 11 years ago, however, they included plans for a fence that would separate most of mountain area, where the vast majority of Palestinians live, from the vast expenses of the Jordan Valley. American objections to that route led to its cancelation as early as 2003, as well as to the halt of construction of whole segments of the fence/wall east of Jerusalem and in the south Bethlehem/Gush Etzion areas, leaving large gaps in the planned route of the barrier to this day. — See also: Maariv: Netanyahu plans to build wall at Jordanian border more.. e-mail
Palestinian left: much-needed, overdue critique!
Haidar Eid, Alternative Information Center 11/3/2013
“The struggle against the Zionist enterprise could last another hundred years; those lacking the stamina should step aside.” George Habash
A “new,” representative Left is necessary, free from Oslo. It must act with other resistance forces to strategize and build on international solidarity to confront the Zionist, imperialist onslaught. If the Left fails to develop an alternative, we will be dealing with the Fatah-Hamas dichotomy for a long time. Haidar Eid explains.
The status of the Left and its role in the liberation of Palestine continues to be the focus of analysis and discussion. The opportunistic and unprincipled position taken by what I would call the right-wing, neoliberal, NGOized “Left” of the PLO vis-à-vis the standoff between Hamas and Fatah is yet another indication of the Left’s inexorable deterioration which followed its implicit acceptance of the Oslo accords—despite its alleged opposition to that agreement. In fact, the People’s Party (ex-Communist Party) never opposed the accords, but rather legitimized them by its acceptance of ministerial positions in almost every government formed since establishment of the Palestinian Authority. And both the PFPL and the DFLP participated in the Legislative Council elections of 2006, thus providing legitimacy to one of the most important institutions of the Oslo Accords—an issue to be discussed at a later stage.
Judging by statements and analyses presented by the main Left organizations and individuals, one could conclude that, in spite of its rich revolutionary tradition, the Left has been hijacked by right-wing cabals whose interest is intertwined with that of the political elite of Oslo. Although I fail to understand how a nation can have elections under the boot of a brutal occupying power, I, like most residents of the West Bank and Gaza, still naively thought that the Palestinian Left, and liberal forces for that matter, would seize this “unique opportunity” which arose as a result of that democratic process in January 2006…. more.. e-mail
Peace is war: After the Oslo Accords
Joseph Massad, Al Jazeera 11/3/2013
“The Palestinian people, unlike the PA leadership, refuse to acquiesce to Zionism’s colonial project, as they have not given up hope but remain hopeful that the colonisation of their land is reversible.”
On the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, Columbia University Professor Joseph Massad explains how the reframing of the concepts of peace and war were at the core of the Zionist strategy in colonising Palestine.
Oslo Accords
In the wake of the 1973 War, the US had started an earlier version of the so-called “peace process”, one that fully adopted Vladimir Jabotinsky’s model. The US was represented by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Kissinger’s plan, which would lead in a few years to Egypt’s capitulation at Camp David, was to eventually include the PLO in “peace” talks, whereby the organisation would only be invited after Egypt, Jordan, and Syria had recognised and accepted the irreversibility of the Jewish settler-colony. Kissinger declared: “We need first to get them [PLO] under control and bring them only at the end of the process.”
Recognising that talking to the PLO of the 1970s, which, even then, was willing to concede many of the rights of the Palestinian people, but was still not ready to fully resign itself to the irreversibility of Jewish colonisation, Kissinger added, “We cannot deliver the minimum demands of the PLO [at present] so why talk to them?” Kissinger explained that “recognition will come at the very end after the Arab governments have been satisfied.” While the US could not deliver the minimum to the PLO in the 1970s, Israel would be able to do so in the 1990s.
It was in this context that 20 years ago the PLO accepted to fully surrender to Israel and accept its colonisation of Palestine in what came to be known as the Oslo Accords…. — See also: Part 1: Peace is war: Israeli settler-colonialism and the Palestinians more.. e-mail
The real problem with the prisoner release
+972 Magazine 11/2/2013
The problem is not that Israel releases Palestinian prisoners, but how few it releases.
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth gives its readers a daily question, argued by two competing op-eds. On Monday, the question had to do with the coming release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the government’s commitment to Secretary of State John Kerry. Journalist Merav Batito wrote in favor, while Hagai Segal was against freeing terrorists; readers were asked to vote on Facebook.
Segal knows a thing or two about the issue – he is, after all, a released terrorist. In the eighties, Segal was part of what was later called “The Jewish Underground.” He himself took part in an attempts to assassinate Palestinian mayors with bombs. Anther cell murdered three students in Hebron and injured dozens in an attack on an Islamic college, while others planned to bomb the mosques on Temple Mount. The public learned of the Jewish Underground when the Shin bet caught some of its members placing bombs under Palestinian buses in an attempt to conduct a mega-attack that would have killed dozens of civilians.
Most of the underground’s members received light punishments or were later pardoned — even the convicted killers among them spent less than seven years in prison — and one of the them later became the head of the Yesha Council, the main settler political organization. As the cliché goes, one man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter.
So cries of protest against the decision to release 26 prisoners who spent more than 20 years behind bars – the common punishment for murder in Israel – are not a matter of principle but of politics: the Right has no problem releasing murderers, only releasing Palestinians.more.. e-mail
Palestinians Face Discrimination in Israeli Economy, Majority Live in Poverty
Dissident Voice: 3 Nov 2013 – Shir Hever, an economic researcher in the Alternative Information Center, a Palestinian-Israeli organization active in Jerusalem and Beit-Sahour: Official Israeli statements on integrating Palestinians into workforce exposes apartheid system.more
Poetry for Justice
Dissident Voice: 3 Nov 2013 – Susie Abulhawa, Palestinian poet, author of Mornings in Jenin , founder of Playgrounds for Palestine, exile, mother, lover, friend, stands naked in My Voice Sought the Wind (Just World Books); 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 song lines. And each poem, when you linger and ’ Press it between…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 