22 November 2013 — VTJP
News
Israeli settlers erect tent outside of Palestinian village
11/22/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli settlers set up a tent near the entrance of a Palestinian village east of Bethlehem late Thursday, locals told Ma’an. Dozens of settlers from the settlement of Teqoa, while under the guard of Israeli soldiers, set up a tent near the western entrance of Tuqu village, witnesses said. The settlers reportedly claimed to be protesting against Palestinians throwing….
Over 200 Israeli settlers demonstrate near Jenin under army protection
11/22/2013 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Over 200 Israeli settlers gathered Friday outside of a Palestinian village near Jenin, burning tires and chanting in Hebrew, witnesses told Ma’an. Settlers from the settlements of Mevo Dotan and Hermesh gathered at the Kufeirit Junction near Yabad village, waving Israeli flags, chanting, and burning tires, locals said. The settlers, blocking the road that connects Jenin and Yabad, were….
Palestinian homes in Beirut’s Dbayeh camp face demolition threat
11/22/2013 – BEIRUT (Ma’an) — The Palestinian refugees of Dbayeh refugee camp east of Beirut are worried about the future of their homes after the Dbayeh municipality issued a decision to demolish dozens of Palestinian houses in the camp. Palestinians had prepared repairs for their homes in the face of the approaching winter season, but now fear that they will be left homeless instead. In response….
Israeli forces raid home of recently released Palestinian prisoner
11/22/2013 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces raided al-Arrub refugee camp north of Hebron on Friday and handed a notification to a former prisoner, Najeh Mohammad Mikbel, 54, demanding he meet with Israeli intelligence forces. Najeh Mohammad Mikbel spent 24 years in the Israeli jails, and was only released in late October as part of a negotiated prisoner release between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, family….
UN warns of deteriorating Gaza humanitarian situation
11/22/2013 – GAZA CITY (AFP) — The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated one year after a truce that ended fighting between Israel and the Hamas rulers of the Palestinian enclave, UN officials said Thursday.”After 12 months the initial hopes for a significant improvement on the ground have not been realized,” said James Rawley, the United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories.”In fact I….
Released Palestinian prisoner tells of torture in Israeli prisons
11/22/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian prisoner recently released by Israel told of extensive beatings, strip searches, and other forms of humiliation during her time in Israeli prisons, Ahrar Center for Prisoners Studies said Thursday. Palestinian prisoner Muntaha al-Heeh, 21, detailed the forms of beatings she was subjected to by Israeli prison guards during her three weeks in Israeli prisons, in a report released by….
Israeli forces attack protests across East Jerusalem, dozens injured
11/22/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces opened fire on protests against the Israeli occupation in East Jerusalem and neighborhoods immediately east of Jerusalem on Friday, leading to dozens of injuries among Palestinians, including gunshot wounds to the head. Clashes broke out at near Abu Dis, Qalandia, and in Issawiya neighborhood of East Jerusalem on Friday afternoon. Clashes broke out between Israeli forces and Palestinian protesters…. Related: Israeli forces open fire on protests across the West Bank and Two Palestinians shot, injured by Israeli forces in Gaza
Two Palestinians shot, injured by Israeli forces in Gaza
11/22/2013 – GAZA (Ma’an) — Two Palestinians were shot and injured by Israeli soldiers east of Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday. A spokesman for the Gaza Ministry of Health Ashraf al-Qidra said that two Palestinians in their twenties were shot. One was shot in the thigh, and one was hit with a bullet fragment in the head, he added. An Israeli army spokeswoman…. Related: Israeli forces open fire on protests across the West Bank and Israeli forces attack protests across East Jerusalem, dozens injured
Bible scholars: Zionists have ‘weaponized’ scripture
11/22/2013 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — “Anti-Palestinianism” has become a theological issue, Palestinian Bible scholar Yohanna Katanacho said at an international conference in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Hundreds of participants from all over the world gathered this week for Sabeel’s ninth international conference, where theologians spoke about the Bible’s role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The conference marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of….
Israel court extends detention of Negev activist
11/22/2013 – BEERSHEBA (Ma’an) — An Israeli court in Beersheba on Thursday extended the detention of a Palestinian activist who was arrested in August for protesting plans to displace Bedouin communities in the Negev. Sayah al-Touri was arrested in August with three other activists from the Bedouin village of al-Araqib, which has been repeatedly demolished by Israeli forces. On Wednesday, Israeli forces demolished the village for….
In photos: Palestinians protest new illegal Israeli outpost near Tuqu
11/22/2013 – Palestinians protested near the southern West Bank village of Tuqu on Friday after Israeli settlers erected an outpost near a main road under Israeli forces’ protection Thursday night. The protest commenced at noon and marched towards the site of the Israeli settlers’ illegal outpost, but was stopped by Israeli forces who attacked marchers and detained several in the process. During the protest, Israeli….
Iran nuclear talks enter crucial third day
11/22/2013 – GENEVA (AFP) — Crunch nuclear talks between Iran and world powers enter a make-or-break third day on Friday, with Tehran complaining of “no progress” so far on narrowing considerable differences. This third round of talks in Geneva since President Hassan Rouhani was elected in June are seen as the biggest hope in years in resolving the decade-old standoff over Iran’s nuclear program. Reaching an….
Iran negotiators see progress in Geneva nuclear talks
11/22/2013 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iranian negotiators said Friday that progress was b
eing made in nuclear talks in Geneva with world powers as both sides work on bridging differences to sign an elusive deal.”Differences of opinion remain and we are negotiating over them. God willing we will reach a result,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in statements carried by Iranian media, after a one-hour meeting with….
Haniyeh: Hamas will not break Egypt ties
11/22/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Hamas movement will not break ties with Egypt despite ongoing disagreements with the neighboring country, Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Friday. Speaking with members of the Miles of Smiles aid convoy at his Gaza home, Haniyeh said that Hamas was in “continuous communication” with Egyptian intelligence services.”Our communication is almost daily to discuss the opening of the Rafah….
Abbas congratulates new Israeli Labor Party chairman on his election
11/22/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday phoned newly-elected Labor Party chairman Isaac Herzog to congratulate him on his election. Herzog was elected as the party chairman after defeating the outgoing chairwoman Shelly Yachimovich in the election which was held on Thursday. Herzog, a current Knesset member and a former minister, received 58% of the votes in the elections. [END]
Body of woman found hanging from tree in Tubas village
11/22/2013 – JENIN (Ma’an) — The body of a 31-year-old woman was found hanging from a tree in the Tubas village of Aqqaba on Friday, villagers said. Locals told Ma’an that the woman was found 300 meters from her home. The woman, who was not named, has six children, the eldest of whom is 11-years-old. Palestinian police have opened an investigation into….
Egyptian army detains 30 suspected gunmen in northern Sinai
11/22/2013 – EL-ARISH (Ma’an) — The Egyptian army launched a military campaign on Thursday in the northern Sinai Peninsula, detaining 30 suspected gunman, Egyptian security officials said. The Egyptian army entered the cities of Rafah and Shiekh Zwaied, raiding stock holds of militant groups in various neighborhoods, officials told Ma’an. The army reportedly demolished 10 houses, two motorcycles, and four fuel-carrying vehicles. [END]
Watchdog wants companies to destroy most Syria chemical weapons
11/22/2013 – THE HAGUE (AFP) — The world’s chemical watchdog solicited private companies on Thursday to help with the destruction of around two-thirds of Syria’s vast stock of chemical weapons, as options dwindle ahead of a tight deadline to complete the task. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) published a note on its website saying it wanted to identify companies for….
Israeli Authorities Move Prisoner to Solitary Confinement
Palestine News Network
“Violated Freedom” Shed Light on the Phenomenon of Women’s Honor Killing in Palestinian Society
Palestine News Network
International Solidarity Movement
The water in Gaza is not only water
11/22/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Charlie Andreasson | Gaza, Occupied Palestine – I was just going to make dinner when I realized the filtered water in my tank was almost done. Perhaps it would be enough if I used the last of my bottled water. But then I would have nothing to drink with my meal. And there would be no coffee, not after the food and not for….
occupied Palestinian territory: UNRWA and US inaugurate Jalazone school
Relief Web 22 Nov 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory West Bank On Sunday, 17 November, Filippo Grandi, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), along with Felipe Sanchez, Director…
World: Third Committee Approves Text on Human Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation, 10 Other Draft Resolutions
Relief Web 21 Nov 2013 – Source: UN General Assembly Country: occupied Palestinian territory, World General Assembly GA/SHC/4092 Sixty-eighth General Assembly Third Committee 49th Meeting (AM) The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved 11 draft resolutions today, including a text on the human right to…
Winter is coming for Syrian refugees in Lebanon
The National 22 Nov 2013 – Those fleeing the war in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley are braced for the worst as the change of season makes dire conditions even worse.
Jokes from Iraqis flood the internet after downpour
The National 22 Nov 2013 – The black humour accompanies widespread frustration with the authorities over the flooding, which has killed 13 people and caused extensive property damage.
Iran nuclear talks gain pace as Lavrov arrives in Geneva
The National 22 Nov 2013 – Iranian media reports a possible breakthrough in the talks that Western powers had agreed to acknowledge Tehran’s right to enrich uranium.
Video: Monty Python reunion date set, Brown ordered to rehab
The National 22 Nov 2013 – The day’s top showbiz news and headlines including Monty Python members give details on their reunion, Chris Brown is ordered to rehab, and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is gearing up for a big box office debut.
Video: Three women living as slaves in London ‘very distressed,’ charity says
The National 22 Nov 2013 – Three women enslaved for 30 years have been rescued from a house in London including one who has spent her entire life in domestic servitude, police said.
Video: Conspiracy theories still alive 50 years after JFK’s assassination
The National 22 Nov 2013 – Visitors to Dealey Plaza, the site where President John F. Kennedy was killed, call into question the official account of his murder on the eve of the 50th anniversary of his assassination.
Video: Democrats ditch US Senate rule blamed for Washington gridlock
The National 22 Nov 2013 – Senate Democrats stripped Republicans of their ability to block President Barack Obama’s judicial and executive nominees.
Pakistani doctor who helped find bin Laden charged with murder
Ha’aretz – 22 Nov 2013
Deadlock in Geneva: Who’s got more at stake – the West or Iran?
Ha’aretz – 22 Nov 2013
Want to make history Bougie? Put peace first
Ha’aretz – 22 Nov 2013
Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard enters 29th year in U.S. prison
Ha’aretz – 22 Nov 2013
Who is Isaac ‘Bougie’ Herzog, Israel’s newly-elected Labor Party chairman?
Ha’aretz – 22 Nov 2013
Teen goes missing after testifying she had sex with Eyal Golan and father
Ha’aretz – 22 Nov 2013
Israel’s Labor Party elects Isaac Herzog as its new chairman
Ha’aretz – 22 Nov 2013
Israeli army reservists demand government nix training cutbacks
Ha’aretz – 22 Nov 2013
With interim agreement out of his reach, Netanyahu shifts focus to final deal
Ha’aretz – 22 Nov 2013
Could natural gas hold the key to ending the Cyprus conflict?
Ha’aretz – 22 Nov 2013
Police question Eyal Golan again, judge extends father’s custody
Ha’aretz – 22 Nov 2013
Israel’s soldiers deserve salaries, not pocket change
Ha’aretz – 21 Nov 2013
A self-respecting country has interests, not friends
Ha’aretz – 21 Nov 2013
Dani versus Rani: A battle for Israel’s cultural soul
Ha’aretz – 21 Nov 2013
The gag order farce
Ha’aretz – 21 Nov 2013
OECD: Israelis pay 25% of healthcare costs out-of-pocket
Ha’aretz – 21 Nov 2013
Unemployment spikes in West Bank and Gaza
Ha’aretz – 21 Nov 2013
The desperation that leads Israel to milk disaster relief for PR value
Ha’aretz – 21 Nov 2013
Rabbinical crime leads to terminal corruption
Ha’aretz – 21 Nov 2013
How Israel can minimize existential threats against it
Ha’aretz – 21 Nov 2013
Cairo protesters mark 100 days since pro-Morsi sit-ins
Jerusalem Post 22 Nov 2013 – 10-year-old boy killed by gunfire in clashes between supporters, opponents of the deposed Islamist president in Egypt’s Suez.
Abbas says willing to address Knesset on own terms
Jerusalem Post 22 Nov 2013 – PA president to Voice of Russia responds to Netanyahu’s call to speak in Israeli parliament, recognize Israel as Jewish state.
Twin lion cubs die in Gaza zoo days after birth
Jerusalem Post 22 Nov 2013 – Hamas-run Bissan zoo supervisor blames Israel for lack of needed supplies to care for celebrated felines, AFP reports.
Syrian civil war refugees held in Egypt begin hunger strike
Jerusalem Post 22 Nov 2013 – Refugees of Syrian, Palestinian origin refuse food from UNHCR-backed group; appeal to intl’l community to take them in.
Iran, six powers struggle to overcome snags in nuclear talks
Jerusalem Post 22 Nov 2013 – While Iranian FM Zarif says “considerable progress” has been made, differences persist on Tehran’s insistence on “right to enrich.”
Six Islamist factions unite in largest Syria rebel merger
Jerusalem Post 22 Nov 2013 – Merger undermines the secular Free Syrian Army leadership, could also challenge the ascendance of al-Qaida-linked factions.
Labor: A party of political cannibals
Jerusalem Post 22 Nov 2013 – Although Shelly Yacimovich will likely blame newly elected Labor leader Herzog for stretching the rules to win the election, the former opposition leader really only has herself to blame.
Liberman: Developing ties with other countries will strengthen Israel-US relations
Jerusalem Post 22 Nov 2013 – FM: Talking of peace with Palestinians now is like trying to dig foundations for a building in the midst of an earthquake.
Ultra-Orthodox anti-Zionist community flees Quebec for Iran
Jerusalem Post 22 Nov 2013 – Led by convicted child abuser, group wanted to avoid removal of their children; many living illegally in Canada.
Remembering JFK: 50 years of loss
Jerusalem Post 22 Nov 2013 – Dallas observes the anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination with first official commemorative ceremony.
Abbas accepts resignation of Palestinian peace negotiator Shtayyeh
Jerusalem Post 22 Nov 2013 – Saeb Erekat to stay as negotiator in talks expected to continue next week, while the rest of negotiating team will be replaced.
Police: Underage girl linked to Eyal Golan case missing
Jerusalem Post 22 Nov 2013 – Girl reportedly ran away due to parents’ plan to send her to boarding school; Mizrahi-genre singer Omer Adam to testify next week.
IDF field intelligence keeps a close eye on Hamas in Gaza
Jerusalem Post 21 Nov 2013 – Battalion 414 of the Combat Intelligence Collection peers deep into the world of Hamas while staying ready for when the calm will be shattered in the south.
Syracuse follows Brandeis in halting ties with Al-Quds
Jerusalem Post 21 Nov 2013 – US schools severed ties this week after Islamic Jihad held a Nazi-style demonstration on the Palestinian university’s campus.
Into the fray: Fire Friedman – forthwith
Jerusalem Post 21 Nov 2013 – If Tom Friedman were to employ the same derogatory innuendo that appeared in his recent NYT columns towards any other minority – gays, blacks, Hispanics – he would be unceremoniously fired.
iEngage: Judaism cannot be held hostage by the Chief Rabbinate
Jerusalem Post 21 Nov 2013 – It is time for our elected officials to get involved in creating a new Jewish covenant that will unite all the parts of the Jewish people.
My Word: Open to interpretation
Jerusalem Post 21 Nov 2013 – I’m sure the now famous UN interpreter, if she still has a job, will keep her mouth shut, and the anti-Israel motions will continue to pass.
Another tack: Why die for Danzig (Israel)?
Jerusalem Post 21 Nov 2013 – Had Obama and Kerry ever heard of Deat, they would, by only changing the place name, regurgitate his “Why die for Danzig” theme in our context.
Savir’s Corner: P5+1 for the Middle East
Jerusalem Post 21 Nov 2013 – The Obama-Kerry administration understands too well the shortcomings in the use of power, based on recent frustrating experiences.
COLUMN ONE: A vastly changed Middle East
Jerusalem Post 21 Nov 2013 – When America returns, it will likely find a changed regional landscape; nations are disintegrating, only to reintegrate in new groupings.
US issues belated condemnation of Khamenei after Israeli protest
Jerusalem Post 21 Nov 2013 – Officials in Jerusalem upset that Western powers fail to condemn inflammatory comments by Iran’s supreme leader.
Mideast Airline Deal May Overshadow Military Sales
IPS The 100-billion-dollar deal for commercial jetliners was announced at the Dubai, UAE airshow, pictured above on Nov. 17, 2013. Credit: Attila Malarik/cc by 2.0 By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Nov 21 2013 (IPS) The multi-billion-dollar Middle East arms market – bolstered by hefty purchases by oil-blessed Arab nations such as…
Media Workers ‘Targeted’ in Syria’s North
IPS By AJ Correspondents DOHA, Nov 21 2013 (Al Jazeera) Syrian government troops are targeting media centres and news providers, Reporters Without Borders has warned after the killing of a citizen journalist and the destruction of premises belonging to two media centres within a week. The journalism advocacy group on Wednesday…
Fears Rise of ‘Taliban-Style’ Justice in Syria
IPS Sheikh Khattab heads an Islamic court in Syria. Credit: Shelly Kittleson/IPS. By Shelly Kittleson IDLIB PROVINCE, Syria, Nov 21 2013 (IPS) Concerns are rising that courts run by Islamic clerics in many of Syria’s rebel-held areas may serve as a prelude to Taliban-style justice in what was long a violently…
Israeli Unaccountability
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013- … Gisha s name means “access” and “approach.” It s a Palestinian human rights organization. It uses legal aid and public advocacy on behalf of Palestinian rights. It supports the right of free movement. International law guarantees it….
Ashkelon Prisoners Launch Open-Ended Hunger Strike
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 – The Palestinian Prisoner s Society (PPS) said that prisoners in the Ashkelon prison have started an open hunger strike to protest the repressive Israeli forces raids on their cells, which have caused several injuries among the…
The U.S. Isn t Leaving Afghanistan
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 – If a draft agreement between the Obama administration and President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan is finalized, U.S. troops will remain in that country indefinitely – instead of being withdrawn at the end of 2014, as the…
Pakistan : Eight killed in US drone attack on seminary in Hangu
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 – At least eight persons were killed and several others injured in US drone attack on a seminary here on early Thursday morning.According to District Police Office (DPO) Iftikhar Ahmed, an unmanned US drone fired three missiles…
33 Palestinians Killed Due To Israeli Violations This Year
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 : Medical and legal sources in the West Bank and Gaza report that Israeli soldiers have killed 33 Palestinians since the beginning of this year; 23, including four detainees, have been killed in the West Bank and 10…
Brandeis Shame: Severs Academic Ties with Palestinian University
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 – In the past few days, two pieces of embarrassing news originated from Brandeis University. The first concerns its academic affiliation (or former affiliation) with Al Quds University in Abu Dis, Palestine. Al Quds is a remarkable…
School of Assassins Faces Protest & Congressional De-Funding Teaching Torture the World Over
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 -The US Army School of the Americas in Ft. Benning, Georgia is a notorious training operation for Latin American officers and soldiers. It s associated with some of the worst dictatorships and human rights violators in the…
Wasting away in the Gaza Strip
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 – Sami Haddad waded through ankle-deep sewage after a lack of electricity caused pumps at a wastewater treatment plant to break down. Around him there was a sense of panic with men shouting at each other and…
Ahead of meeting with ISC head, German MP asks UK security agencies to reveal information held on him
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 -A German MP who recently met with NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden in Moscow is to meet with ISC head Sir Malcolm Rifkind in London today and has asked the UK Security Agencies to release any information they…
Video: Budour Hassan: Palestine and the Syrian Revolution
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 – ….Palestine is the refugees in Yarmouk camp who supported the revolution from the first day, who aided displaced Syrians and who participated in protests, documented the uprising, and helped as much as they could. The revolution…
Is the US Exploiting Typhoon Suffering to Win Military Bases in the Philippines?
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 – Last week I wrote about the potential for the Obama administration s Asia-Pivot strategy to inflame anti-colonialist sentiment. I lamented that Washington tries simply to get around this popular opposition to the military surge in East…
Did the U.S. undermine democracy in the Maldives because it wants to set up military bases there?
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 -There was depressing news from the Maldives this week, after the Indian Ocean island nation voted in the second round of presidential elections on November 20. Mohamed Nasheed, the dynamic, young, pro-environmentalist Muslim leader who had led…
Bernard Henri Levy and the Destruction of Libya
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 -While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “the world s most influential Jew”, Bernard-Henri Levy is number 45, according to an article published in the Jerusalem Post, on May 21, 2010. Levy, per the Post s standards,…
The new Zionism : Nefesh B Nefesh urges young American Jews to leave exile for the Negev
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 – On the 17th floor of a Manhattan conference building, young Jews from the New York area listened intently to two Israeli-Americans speak of the wonders of the Jewish state. They were going through the finer points…
Shelter and water tank demolished in the village of Tawayel
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013- Today, 20th of November, the Israeli army entered Tawayel, a village next to Aqraba, south of Nablus, to demolish a well and a shelter
belonging to two families. At approximately 6:00 in the morning, for the third…
Gazan farmers and fisherfolk call for food sovereignty and an end to Israeli attacks
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013- On 20th November 2013, hundreds of farmers and fisherfolk gathered outside the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East (UNSCO) in Gaza City to demand that the international community take action to prevent the Israeli military…
In Congressional Briefing, Yemeni Delegation Describe Terror Drones Bring to Their Communities
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 – “What could possibly justify terrorizing a community of 250,000 just for the purpose of killing one person?” At a congressional briefing hosted by Representative Alan Grayson and organized by CODEPINK, this was one of a number…
Israeli occupation carries out multiple airstrikes in the Gaza Strip
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 Israeli warplanes carried out on Wednesday night a series of airstrikes against the Gaza Strip, leaving dozens of Palestinian children traumatised.Witnesses said that several sites throughout the Strip were targeted last night by Israeli F16s. Most of…
Baghdad Bombing Barrage: 66 Killed, 142 Wounded
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 – Bombers took over Baghdad again, where a string of bombs unnerved both Sunni and Shi ite residents who had ventured out between rainstorms that have flooded some parts of the city this week. The rains, which…
America s army of lawyers is almost as deadly as its drones
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 21, 2013 -“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” Some ascribe this quote to Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels; others say Hitler authored the idea. In Mein Kampf he…
From Guantánamo, Shaker Aamer Says, “Tell the World the Truth,” as CBS Distorts the Reality of “Life at Gitmo”
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 – In September 2013, a team from CBS News “60 Minutes” show traveled to Guantánamo, producing a 13-minute show, “Life at Gitmo,” broadcast on November 17, which was most notable for featuring the voice of Shaker Aamer,…
WATCH: IDF detains 5 to 9-year-old Palestinian children in Qaddum
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 20, 2013 – Hours before the weekly protest against the occupation in the West Bank village of Qaddum last Friday, Israeli soldiers detained four Palestinian children aged five to nine for allegedly rolling burning tires. Under Israeli military law,…
Syria News – November 19 , 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet 22 Nov 2013 – November 19 , 2013 – By the end of Tuesday, the coordination committees were able to document 64 martyrs including 5 children and 4 women: 26 martyrs in Aleppo; 11 in Homs; 10 in Daraa; 9 in Damascus and its suburbs;…
Obama and Morocco’s king meet at White House
Daily Star 22 Nov 2013 President Barack Obama hosts Morocco’s King Mohammad VI at the White House for talks on furthering democracy in the Middle East and countering violent extremism.
Syria peace envoy holds talks with Iran
Daily Star 22 Nov 2013 The UN-Arab League’s Syria peace envoy holds talks with key Damascus ally Iran amid renewed efforts to bring the country’s warring sides to the negotiating table.
Child killed by gunfire in clashes in Egypt’s Suez city
Daily Star 22 Nov 2013 A 10-year-old boy is shot dead near the scene of clashes between supporters and opponents of deposed Islamist president Mohammad Morsi in Egypt’s northern city of Suez, security and medical sources say.
Authorities suspect Lebanese was one of two suicide bombers
Daily Star 22 Nov 2013 Authorities are trying to determine whether Mouin Abu Dahr, a Lebanese with links to a fugitive Islamist preacher, is one of the two suicide bombers that attacked Iran’s Embassy in Beirut earlier this week, security sources…
Gunmen kill man, wound another in east Lebanon
Daily Star 22 Nov 2013 Gunmen open fire on two men in the western Bekaa Valley town of Hawsh al-Harimi, killing one of them and wounding the other, security sources say.
13 dead as Iraq Sunni mosques close over unrest
Daily Star 22 Nov 2013 Attacks mostly targeting Sunni-majority areas of Iraq kill 13 people as the minority community shutters countless mosques nationwide, complaining that security forces were failing to provide adequate protection.
Russian FM Lavrov to fly to Geneva nuclear talks Friday: reports
Daily Star 22 Nov 2013 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will fly on Friday to Geneva where world powers are holding talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme, Russian agencies say.
Tripoli residents keep up pressure for Libya militias to go
Daily Star 22 Nov 2013 Residents of Libya’s capital are turning to press militias remaining in the city to follow others and withdraw, aiming to keep up the momentum following deadly clashes last weekend.
Islamists forge Syria’s biggest rebel alliance
Daily Star 22 Nov 2013 Islamists fighting to topple President Bashar Assad forge Syria’s largest rebel alliance and pledge to work toward an Islamic state, as rebels seize a town on the Lebanese border.
Putin: Western states must bring Syrian opposition to peace talks
Daily Star 22 Nov 2013 Russia’s Putin says Western states must convince the Syrian opposition to attend proposed talks with Assad’s government in Geneva and expresses hope the conference will take place “as soon as possible.”
Iran negotiators see progress in Geneva nuclear talks
Daily Star 22 Nov 2013 Iranian negotiators says that progress is being made in talks in Geneva with world powers, expressing hope to bridge differences and sign an elusive deal over Tehran’s nuclear drive.
UN: Hunger can be eradicated in Africa by 2025
YNet News, 22 Nov 2013 – ….
Ya’alon to Hagel: Deal is bad, much to do afterwards
YNet News, 22 Nov 2013 – ….
Kerry to travel to Geneva for Iran talks, US says
YNet News, 22 Nov 2013 – ….
Official: Lebanon IDs Iranian Embassy bomber
YNet News, 22 Nov 2013 – ….
‘Vayeshev’: Drama-filled Torah portion
YNet News, 22 Nov 2013 – For Jacob, the constant escapee, there is never a moment of peace. It is precisely when he ‘settles’ that his and his family’s life gets all tangled up ….
Newborn lion cubs die in Hamas-run zoo in Gaza
YNet News, 22 Nov 2013 – Only two days after their birth, two lions cubs in Gaza Strip zoo die because zoo’s staff lack experience for taking care of newborn cubs, zoo manager says ….
Museum denies Jew sold Klimt under duress
YNet News, 22 Nov 2013 – Vienna’s Secession museum defending itself against claim from some of heirs of art collector Erich Lederer, who sold monumental 1902 Beethoven Frieze to state for $750,000 in 1973 ….
US poll: Majority support deal with Iran, oppose attack
YNet News, 22 Nov 2013 – New CNN poll reveals majority of Americans support an interim deal with Iran in which Tehran would downsize its nuclear program in return for sanction reduction, oppose attack on Iran. Meanwhile, senators slam Obama over Iran, promise new sanctions ….
Drama in Labor party: Herzog beats Yachimovich for chairmanship
YNet News, 22 Nov 2013 – After lethargic elections, MK Herzog, son of former Israeli president, beats current party chairman Yachimovich in landslide victory ….
US senators promise new Iran sanctions measure within weeks
YNet News, 21 Nov 2013 – 14 Democratic, Republican US senators vow to work together on legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran over coming weeks, to pass it as quickly as possible. Republican proposes bill mapping out final agreement, seeking to restrict Obama’s capacity to offer sanctions relief ….
Eyal Golan acquaintance suggests racial bias at play with affair’s coverage
YNet News, 21 Nov 2013 – Sources say Golan’s racial affiliation may be affecting quick judgment of singer, generalization aimed at entire Mizrahi music scene. If he were Ashkenazi, ‘there wouldn’t be this much ruckus,’ friend says ….
UN warns of deteriorating Gaza humanitarian situation
YNet News, 21 Nov 2013 – Robert Turner, Palestinian refugees agency head, says since demolition of smuggling tunnels with Egypt after Morsi’s ouster, private sector constructions have nearly collapsed ….
Israeli Arab undergoes ‘humiliating’ security check at airport
YNet News, 21 Nov 2013 – East Jerusalem businessman Hani Almi’s trip to Paris this month turns to theater of humiliations as security personnel force him to board without ‘suspicious’ shoes, wallet, attaching agent to him in terminal halls ….
Iran negotiator: No prospect for nuclear deal Thursday
YNet News, 21 Nov 2013 – Islamic republic’s deputy foreign minister Araqchi downplays prospect of reaching agreement with world powers on Thursday ….
US: Serial killer of Jews, blacks executed in Missouri
YNet News, 21 Nov 2013 – Joseph Paul Franklin from Alabama killed 20 people in racist-derived murder spree in late 1970s. Franklin was executed with single drug on Wednesday in first Missouri execution in nearly three years ….
Iran negotiator: No deal without right to enrich uranium
YNet News, 21 Nov 2013 – Iranian deputy FM says there is ‘lack of trust’, no deal excluding right to urniaum enrichment will be accepted. Meanwhile, French FM urges West to stand firm, hopeful deal could be struck this week ….
Palestinian Information Center
Recognition of “Jewish state” implies Okaying ethnic cleansing of Palestinians
PIC – Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has once again demanded that the Palestinian Authority (PA) recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Zaarir: administrative captives will begin escalatory steps
PIC – Palestinian MP Bassem Zaarir announced that the administrative detainees will start escalatory steps, including open hunger strike to end their detention..
Haneyya: Relations with Cairo have not been broken
PIC – Palestinian Prime Minister in Gaza, Ismail Haneyya, asserted that the relations with Cairo have not been broken.
PA forces summon 11 Palestinians affiliated to Hamas
PIC – PA forces continued its campaign against Hamas elements in the occupied West Bank, where 11 of them were summoned for interrogation, while a liberated prisoner was arrested by Israeli forces.
Hunger striker Alaa Hammad is nearing death
PIC – Jordanian prisoner Alaa Hammad is nearing death after 204 days of hunger strike in Israeli jails, human rights sources confirmed.
Al-Risheq praises IUMS’ call for supporting al-Aqsa
PIC – Member of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Izzat al-Risheq praised the IUMS’ call on all Islamic countries and scholars to organize events in support of al-Aqsa mosque.
Gaza: UNRWA staff start protest steps to demand their rights
PIC – The workers’ union at the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA in Gaza started its first protest steps, demanding the agency to guarantee the workers’ rights.
MP Abdel Jaber Fuqaha’s administrative detention extended for 2nd time
PIC – Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) have extended the administrative detention of MP Abdel Jaber Fuqaha, 47, for the second time in a row.
Al-Masri: Qassam Brigades has many surprises awaiting the enemy
PIC – Senior leader in Hamas movement Mushir al-Masri confirmed that the Qassam Brigades, Hamas armed wing, is able to hit “Tel Aviv” and Israeli targets beyond “Tel Aviv” in case of any aggression.
Kerry heading to Geneva to join Iran nuclear talks
LA Times 22 Nov 2013 – GENEVA – Secretary of State John F. Kerry prepared to leave Washington late Friday to join international talks on Iran, in the latest sign that a preliminary deal to curb Tehran’s controversial nuclear program may be nearly complete.
Iranians express more optimism about nuclear talks
LA Times 22 Nov 2013 – GENEVA — Iranian officials spoke more optimistically about the chances for a deal on their disputed nuclear program following a Friday morning meeting with the chief representative of the six major powers at talks aimed at curbing that program.
On verge of a nuclear deal, Iran appears to harden its stance
LA Times 21 Nov 2013 – An Iranian official demands that the U.S. and five other world powers ease sanctions as part of a preliminary deal rather than wait for a final agreement. GENEVA — Iran appeared Thursday to be stiffening its demands in negotiations aimed at curbing its nuclear program,…
French and British Foreign Ministers Head to Geneva for Iran Talks
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – The foreign ministers of France and Britain were heading to Geneva on Friday night to join talks on Iran’s nuclear program, as Tehran and six world powers appeared closer to clinching an elusive breakthrough.
A Yemeni’s Long Trip to Seek Answers About a Drone Strike
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – Faisal bin Ali Jaber, who lost two relatives in a drone strike, struggled to pierce a veil of secrecy and anonymity during a visit to Washington.
The Lede: In Taunts From Iran’s Ruler, Some Israelis Hear Echoes of Nazi Propaganda
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – As Secretary of State John Kerry noted, what might otherwise have been dismissed as harmless name-calling by Iran’s leader is deeply distressing to some Israelis, since he has previously made “very disturbing assertions regarding the Holocaust.”
Kerry to Travel to Geneva for Iran Talks, U.S. Says
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will leave for Geneva on Friday to join nuclear talks between six major powers and Iran, the State Department said.
Kerry to Join Iran Nuclear Talks, in Sign of Progress
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – Negotiators may be near an accord that would impose a temporary freeze on the country’s nuclear program, but disagreements remain.
Powerful Syrian Rebel Groups Merge Against Assad
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – The new group, the Islamic Front, was announced in a video shown on Al Jazeera television on Friday and featured some of Syria’s most widely recognized rebel commanders.
Bombings, Shootings Kill at Least 23 Across Iraq
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – At least 23 people were killed in bombings and shootings in Iraq on Friday, police and medical sources said, the latest in the worst wave of sectarian attacks to sweep the country in five years.
The Lede: Colleagues Remember Journalist Missing for One Year in Syria
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – At least 30 journalists are now missing in Syria and believed to have been kidnapped. Fifty-two journalists have been killed since the start of the Syrian conflict in March 2011, and 24 more have been kidnapped but released.
Yemen: Gunmen Kill Shiite Rebel on National Panel
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – Security officials in Yemen say two gunmen riding a motorcycle have killed a Shiite-rebel representative on the country’s national dialogue conference.
White House Hopeful for Iran Agreement in Geneva: Spokesman
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – The United States remains hopeful that an agreement can be reached between western powers and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program during talks in Geneva, White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Friday.
Insight: Old Assumptions Questioned in Arafat’s Mysterious Death
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – President Yasser Arafat’s spartan bedroom remains largely as he left it in 2004, when he flew off to France for treatment for a mystery illness only to return home two weeks later in a coffin.
Yemeni Houthi Representative in National Dialogue Killed: Source
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – A member of Yemen’s parliament and representative of the country’s Shi’ite Muslim Houthis in a dialogue for national reconciliation was killed on Friday, a security source said.
Syria Mediator Brahimi Holding Talks With Iran and Russia
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – Syrian mediator Lakhdar Brahimi held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday on a planned international conference aimed at ending Syria’s civil war, Brahimi’s spokeswoman said.
Lebanese Man Identified as One of Iran Embassy Bombers: Source
New York Times 22 Nov 2013 – Lebanese authorities have identified one of the suicide bombers who attacked the Iranian embassy in Beirut this week as a Lebanese Islamist, a security source said on Friday.
Israeli Politician Avraham Burg Barred from Speaking at Harvard Hillel
Muzzlewatch – PRESS RELEASE: Israeli Politician Avraham Burg Barred from Speaking at Harvard Hillel November 20, 2013, Cambridge, MA— Avraham Burg, the former speaker of Israel’s Knesset, spoke in an undergraduate dormitory at Harvard College last week after being barred from speaking at Harvard Hillel. “It’s such a…
Iran & the Nuclear Question: Framing the debate, one picture (and one think tank) at a time
Mondoweiss – [ View the story “Iran & the Nuclear Question: Framing the Debate, One Picture (and One Think Tank) at a Time” on Storify ]
Signing away the Jewish future
Mondoweiss – This is part of Marc H. Ellis’s “Exile and the Prophetic” feature for Mondoweiss. To read the entire series visit the archive page . Each time I come to Vienna, my mind moves in various directions. History trumps the present – it was overwhelmingly so the first…
Snowden disclosures have revealed the lawless hypocrisy of the US to the world
Mondoweiss – Edward Snowden The American scientist and author Glen David Brin once made an astute statement, which he probably didn’t know would come true about one of the most shameful debacles of the recent history for the U.S. government. He wisely said: “When it comes to privacy…
Adelson organization sets out to save Israel with photo of Natalie Portman circa 1995
Mondoweiss – Rethink Israel tweeted this 18-year-ago image of Natalie Portman A couple weeks ago we reported Sheldon Adelson’s view that Israel’s image can be remade among the young and skeptical with a new initiative he’s involved with, Rethink Israel, where people would discover that Israel was doing…
Palestinians bring plight of Wadi Foquin to Capitol Hill audience
Mondoweiss – A small Palestinian flag attached to a fence fluttering outside the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit, on the outskirts of Jerusalem. (Photo: AFP) While Israel’s right-wing Economy Minister was telling American audiences that the occupation doesn’t exist, a Palestinian coordinator for the district of Bethlehem was…
New bus ads in Seattle humanize the right of return — ‘Share the land’
Mondoweiss – New Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign ( SeaMAC ) ads on King County Metro buses Once again, the indomitable Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign ( SeaMAC ) is educating Americans about the conflict, with new bus ads in King County. Press Release: Despite recent censorship and unequal treatment by King County, Seattle…
In Avnery’s ‘Battle of the Titans,’ will anyone bet that the do
g wags the tail?
Mondoweiss – Veteran Israeli activist and commentator Uri Avnery has posted a new column framing the current struggle over U.S. policy toward Iran as, among other things, a test of two theories: the view, long associated with Noam Chomsky, that Israel is simply a tool of U.S. imperialism,…
Brandeis tosses Nusseibeh off board for not condemning militant rally at his school
Mondoweiss – Two weeks ago Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu tweeted the above photo from Al-Quds University with the message, “This is a direct result of the wild incitement against the State of Israel. This is not the way to achieve peace.” The photos on Nazi-like salutes stirred controversy…
Lapid admits contradiction between Jewish state and Palestinian equality
Mondoweiss – There are two essential facts Jewish Israelis assiduously hide from the world and even from their own consciousness. The first is that during and after the birth of the state, the Israeli army forced hundreds of thousands of the indigenous Arab population to flee (a crime…
‘Teach for America’ founder Wendy Kopp reinforces racial inequality through Israeli education program
Mondoweiss – Wendy Kopp, the Founder and CEO of Teach for America and its global arm, Teach for All, has been promoting education reform in Israel. The question is, where is she directing her efforts? This June, Kopp joined a panel on the future of education at the…
Herzog wins Labor election
Globes Main News – Challenger Isaac Herzog defeated Shelly Yachimovich by a margin of over 16% in the Labor Party leadership election.
Israeli Palestinian Guilty of ‘Flying While Arab,’ Humiliated by Shabak at Ben Gurion
Tikun Olam – Hani Almi, Palestinian high tech entrepreneur, degraded by Shin Bet at Ben Gurion Israeli Palestinian high tech entrepreneur Hani Almi, often flies abroad for business meetings involving his investments in high tech ventures in both Israel and Palestine. He’d planned to fly to Paris for such…
Kerry to join Iran nuclear talks
BBC 22 Nov 2013 – US State Secretary John Kerry will join British, French and Russian foreign ministers in Geneva to help narrow differences in nuclear talks with Iran, officials say.
“It’s a dream to make it to America because there is no occupation and you are free here”
Rachel Corrie Foundation 22 Nov 2013 – It’s hard to not be molded by our experiences; we carry them around with us. Things that happen in our youth can haunt our consciousness for years. Anees Mansour, a twenty-seven year old Palestinian from Gaza, is here in America to learn about treating childhood trauma…
Syrian rebels form new Islamic Front
BBC 22 Nov 2013 – Seven leading Islamist rebel groups in Syria join forces in an effort to show a united front after weeks of major advances by government forces.
Boycott activists beat Israel lobby in French high court
Global BDS 22 Nov 2013 – Palestine solidarity activists in France are celebrating a victory in the country’s highest criminal appeals court this week, affirming the earlier acquittal of an activist in a case stemming from protests calling for the boycott of Israeli goods. The ruling strikes a severe blow to efforts…
Major US pension fund divests ethical fund from Veolia
Global BDS 22 Nov 2013 – The We Divest coalition joins workers, environmentalists, and corporate accountability organizations in congratulating pension fund giant TIAA-CREF for removing Veolia Environnement SA stock (VIE:EN Paris) from its Social Choice Funds portfolio. In July 2013, TIAA-CREF’s website showed over $1.2 million in Veolia shares for its Social…
Morrocan Jewish Leader Says ‘No Contact With Israel’ Bill Will Fail
The Foward Breaking News 22 Nov 2013 – A Moroccan Jewish leader said proposed bills by Moroccan lawmakers to outlaw all contact with Israelis stand no chance of passing. Click here for the rest of the article…
Kenya: Israel Seeks Clarification On Palestine Embassy
allAfrica.com 22 Nov 2013 – [The Star]THE Israel government has asked Kenya for a clarification on what President Uhuru Kenyatta agreed with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at the sidelines of the Africa Arab Summit in Kuwait this week.Uhuru indicated that the Palestinian request to re-open its Nairobi embassy would be favourably…
Angola: Israeli Ambassador Considers Relations With Angola Excellent
allAfrica.com 22 Nov 2013 – [ANGOP]The relations of friendship and co-operation between Angola and Israel, which exist for twenty years, were considered excellent last Thursday by that country’s ambassador to Angola, Raphael Singer.
Newborn lion cubs die in Gaza zoo
BBC 22 Nov 2013 – Two lion cubs die just two days after their birth in a zoo in the Gaza Strip, with staff blaming inexperience and a lack of medicine.
56% of Americans Back Iran Nuclear Deal
The Foward Breaking News 22 Nov 2013 – A poll showed majority support for the Obama administration strategy of easing sanctions on Iran in exchange for a partial rollback of its nuclear program. Click here for the rest of the article…
Senators Vow To Press Iran Nuclear Sanctions
The Foward Breaking News 22 Nov 2013 – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Thursday he was committed to moving ahead with a tougher Iran sanctions bill when the Senate returns from a holiday recess early next month, adding to pressure on negotiators meeting in Geneva on a deal to curb Iran’s nuclear…
Israel’s Labor Party Elects Chaim Herzog’s Son as New Leader
The Foward Breaking News 22 Nov 2013 – Israel’s struggling opposition Labour party has elected a new leader seen as a potential moderate ally for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rightist cabinet, results of a party poll showed on Frid
ay. Click here for the rest of the article…
Tensions high a year after Gaza truce
BBC 22 Nov 2013 – Tensions high between Israel and Gaza a year after conflict
Liberia: Liberian President Ends Working Visit to Kuwait, Declaration, Communiqué Adopted
allAfrica.com 22 Nov 2013 – [FrontPageAfrica]The leaders of African and Arab countries, concluding the 3rd Africa-Arab Summit in Kuwait City on November 20, adopted the “Kuwait Declaration” in which they agreed to promote South-South cooperation and build closer relations between the governments and people of the two regions, strengthen diplomatic and…
European MPs to Ashton: Make Israel pay for settlements
Global BDS 21 Nov 2013 – A total of 114 members of the European Parliament signed and delivered an open letter to European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton Thursday to ensure she implements the EU guidelines on Israeli settlements, scheduled to take effect next month, January 2014. The guidelines stipulate that…
Kerry to join Iran nuclear talks
BBC 22 Nov 2013 – US State Secretary John Kerry will join British, French and Russian foreign ministers in Geneva to help narrow differences in nuclear talks with Iran, officials say.
Syrian rebels form new Islamic Front
BBC 22 Nov 2013 – Seven leading Islamist rebel groups in Syria join forces in an effort to show a united front after weeks of major advances by government forces.
Saudi nuclear: senator seeks action
BBC 22 Nov 2013 – Obama urged to take action after Newsnight Saudi Arabia report
Newborn lion cubs die in Gaza zoo
BBC 22 Nov 2013 – Two lion cubs die just two days after their birth in a zoo in the Gaza Strip, with staff blaming inexperience and a lack of medicine.
Tunisian rapper Weld El 15 to appeal prison sentence
Al-Akhbar News 22 Nov 2013 – Tunisian rapper Weld El 15, on the run since receiving a 21-month jail sentence in absentia in August, will appeal the ruling in court next month, his lawyer said on Friday. “I have contested the ruling against Weld El 15. The new trial will take place…
Iraq executes seven convicted of “terrorism”
Al-Akhbar News 22 Nov 2013 – Iraq has confirmed seven more executions, pushing the number of people put to death this year to more than 150 in defiance of widespread international condemnation. Those executed, who included a Libyan, had all been convicted of offenses related to “terrorism,” a statement posted on the…
Fresh attacks across Iraq kill nine
BBC 22 Nov 2013 – At least nine people have been killed in a series of bombings and shootings around Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul, officials say.
Expatriate dies from MERS virus in Qatar
Al-Akhbar News 22 Nov 2013 – An expatriate living in Qatar has died of MERS, bringing to four the number of deaths in the Gulf state from the coronavirus, health authorities said on Friday. The 48-year-old had other pre-existing health problems, Qatar’s Supreme Council of Health in a statement. It was the…
Tensions high a year after Gaza truce
BBC 22 Nov 2013 – Tensions high between Israel and Gaza a year after conflict
Lebanese army defuses car bomb in Bekaa valley
Al-Akhbar News 22 Nov 2013 – The Lebanese army defused a car bomb at dawn Friday in the eastern Bekaa Valley after giving chase to suspects, a security source said. The car rigged with 400 kilograms of explosives was found just three days after twin suicide bombings targeting the Iranian embassy in…
MPs question UK relations in Gulf
BBC 21 Nov 2013 – The UK government can no longer ignore claims of hypocrisy over its relations with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, a report by a group of MPs says.
Lebanon’s Sheikh Hammoud: “The Suicide Bombers Have No Religion”
Al-Akhbar Politics 21 Nov 2013 – We have to be level-headed about this as much as possible. There are people, due to their simplicity or a personal affront of some kind, who cannot accept Hezbollah’s involvement in the war in Syria. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) We have to be level-headed about this as…
Articles
Palestinian-Israeli talks meet new breaking point
Ahmed Al-Sayed in Gaza, Al-Ahram Weekly 11/20/2013
New Israeli intransigence, on the Aghwar region between the West Bank and Jordan River Valley, is threatening to collapse all efforts at peace talks with the Palestinians.
Israeli negotiators have always been excellent at laying land mines and booby traps in every round of talks with the Palestinians. The purpose has always been the same: to win more concessions and to gain more time to impose new realities on the ground through intensified settlement construction and the Judaisation of the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.
During that negotiating marathon that has lasted 20 years since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993, the questions of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees and the settlements always loomed as the most complex issues. With the resumption of the US-sponsored negotiations in late July after a three-year hiatus, a new hurdle has emerged in the form of the Israeli insistence on maintaining a permanent military presence in the Aghwar region of the Jordan River Valley. The Palestinians maintain this area forms the eastern border of their future state while the Israelis are adamant in their refusal to return that portion of the occupied territories to the Palestinians.
The Aghwar is of both major strategic and economic importance. It is Palestine’s eastern gateway and runs along the longest border that Palestine has with a neighbouring state apart from Israel. It constitutes about 28 per cent of the territory of the West Bank and offers the best prospects for any Palestinian urban expansion in the future, as its population is only around 10,000.
The Aghwar has been described as Palestine’s breadbasket. It is the source of 60 per cent of Palestine’s vegetable production, 40 per cent of its citrus fruits and 100 per cent of its bananas. Due to its unique climate in terms of seasonal temperature changes, the area can produce early harvests of its crops giving them a competitive edge in international markets. It also houses Palestine’s largest strategic water reserves. more.. e-mail
One year later, Gaza journalists remember stories of resilience
Abdulrahman Murad, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 11/18/2013
The memory of his shattered leg will never leave photojournalist Khader Al-Zahar. One year later, Al-Zahar, along with many Palestinian journalists, continues to live the days of Israel’s November 2012 offensive.
Al-Zahar was wounded in his leg when an Israeli aircraft missile hit the branch office of Al-Quds satellite channel in central Gaza City, where he works. At the time he was busy sorting some photos he had shot during the offensive.
After having his leg amputated, he overcame his disability and continued along his media journey by joining the video production department.
“It is true that my injury prevents me from standing in the field behind the camera lens, so today I stand in front of this small screen to produce what other journalists have filmed. [The Israeli occupation] will not screen the world from the truth; they will not silence us,” Al-Zahar told Safa Press.
Despite his injury, Al-Zahar is resilient and his morale is high: “I enjoy my work thanks to my parents who encourage me to continue with this kind of resistance.”
He urged his fellow journalists “to continue their media work and not to surrender to the occupation, which tries to silence anybody seeking to expose its attacks and targets those who do so in order to mislead world opinion and hide the truth.”
“The Palestinian journalists know very well how to convey the true picture of the Israeli occupation’s violations. The media is not only a pen or a camera that can be destroyed, but also a thought and a message impossible to erase,” he continued.
Safa interviewed the BBC’s reporter in Gaza, Shahdi Al-Kashif, who says, “a Palestinian journalist who works under occupation should be aware that he must face an open confrontation one time or another.” more.. e-mail
Normalisation, or not?
Mohamed Abdel-Baky, Al-Ahram Weekly 11/19/2013
The visit of a delegation of Egyptian journalists to Jerusalem stirs a hornet’s nest of accusations.
In the wake of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty the Press Syndicate decreed no member could visit an Israeli-occupied city, meaning that for more than three decades Jerusalem has been off bounds for Egyptian journalists.
But last week a group of 15 journalists, three of them Syndicate Council members, did visit the occupied territory. The visit was in response to an invitation sent by the Palestinian Press Syndicate to commemorate the anniversary of the Palestinian Declaration of Independence. The Egyptian delegation entered Ramallah via Jordan
in order to avoid any dealings with the occupation authorities. It was later reported, however, that some members of the group subsequently visited Jerusalem.
The Press Syndicate Chairman Diaa Rashwan has announced that he will open an investigation and take action against any member who violated the syndicate decree by visiting a city occupied and run by the Israeli government.
“Since the 1980s a Press Syndicate General Assembly decree banning any professional or personal normalisation with Israel has been in place,” says Karem Mahmoud, secretary-general of the Egyptian Press Syndicate. “An investigation will take place and if our colleagues have an Israeli visa in their passports they will be penalised.”
The Press Syndicate stressed that if confirmed the visit will be considered a violation of the General Assembly resolution.
Mahmoud said the delegation had informed the syndicate in advance of the impending visit but failed to mention it might include Jerusalem.
The Palestinian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed in Algeria on 15 November 1988…. more.. e-mail
I am pro-Israel too’: Reflections on +972’s use of the term
Dahlia Scheindlin, +972 Magazine 11/22/2013
The term ‘pro-Israel’ should mean anti-occupation, support for human rights, equality, democracy for all peoples under Israel’s control – not hard-line Zionism. Reflections and commentary on +972’s use of the term.
A right-wing Israeli activist yells at a left-wing Israeli activist in East Jerusalem. (Photo: Anne Paq/Activestills.org)
My colleague Noam Sheizaf’s article about the addition of David Makovsky to the American negotiating team for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process carries the following headline:
‘A pro-Israel hawk to draft Kerry’s peace plan?’
The subheading reads, with some indignation:
‘That one must be a pro-Israeli Zionist in order to be eligible for the State Department’s Israel-Palestine team is indicative of the problem with U.S. policy in the region.’
I disagree with the heading and the subheading and with full respect for our editorial decisions, I decided to express my critique here.
The words “pro-Israel” mean simply to be supportive, or “for” Israel. Yet the term has been hijacked by a portion of Jews (including and perhaps primarily non-Israelis) who have anointed themselves defenders of the faith; they have unilaterally set the gold standard for everyone else in determining what supporting Israel means. more.. e-mail
Battle of the Titans: Iran and Chomsky vs. Walt/Mearsheimer Debate
Palestine Chronicle: 22 Nov 2013 – By Uri Avnery This is not merely a fight between Israel and the US. Nor is it only a fight between the White House and Congress. It is also a battle between intellectual titans. On the one side there are the two renowned professors, Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer. On the other, the towering international intellectual Noam Chomsky. It’s all about whether the dog wags the tail or the tail wags the dog. Six years ago the two professors shocked the US (and Israel) when they published a book, “The Israel lobby and US Foreign Policy”, in which they asserted that the foreign policy of the United States of America, at least in the Middle East, is practically controlled by the State of Israel. To paraphrase their analysis, Washington DC is in effect an Israeli colony. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are Israeli occupied territories, much like…more
The Daylight between Israel and the West
Palestine Chronicle: 22 Nov 2013 – By Jamal Kanj This week the 5+1 are back negotiating the easing of economic sanctions against Iran and new unprecedented rigid inspection regimen including daily reactor checks to certify compliance. According to US State Department reports the agreement calls for a six-month “reversible” $10 billion relief reducing the cost of sanction against Iran from approximately $100bn to $90bn. Leaked excerpts from the draft accord compel Iran to limit its enrichment to less than 20 per cent (19.75) purity and convert its 20pc stockpile-enriched uranium into fuel rods, “rendering it unusable for the higher level enrichment necessary for nuclear weapons”. Following the breakthrough, the US Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs flew to Tel Aviv to brief Israeli officials on the impending agreement. Fearing an accord with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius urging him to delay the signing giving him an opportunity to leach…more
The Battle of the Titans
Dissident Voice: 22 Nov 2013 – This is not merely a fight between Israel and the US. Nor is it only a fight between the White House and Congress. It is also a battle between intellectual titans. On the one side there are the two renowned professors, Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer. On the other, the towering international intellectual Noam Chomsky. It’s all about whether the dog wags the tail or the tail wags the dog. Six years ago the two professors shocked the US (and Israel) when they published a book, The Israel lobby and US Foreign Policy , in which they asserted that the foreign policy of the United States of America, at least in the Middle East, is practically controlled by the State of Israel. To paraphrase their analysis, Washington DC is in effect an Israeli colony. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are Israeli occupied territories, much like Ramallah and Nablus….more
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The New Dark Age 