4 December 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Summary Report on the Human Rights Violations In 2013
IMEMC – It has been another busy year in PCHR and the attached report will tell you why. – Link to full PCHR report on Human Rights situation in 2013 attached. …
Israeli forces detain group of journalists at checkpoint
12/4/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Wednesday detained a group of journalists and journalism students from Birzeit University at Huwarra checkpoint south of Nablus. They were in a bus heading to Ramallah after they completed a tour in the valley to report on the hardships people suffer there. Israeli forces assaulted a number of them, forced them to leave the bus, and left them….
Israel to move administrative detainees to Negev
12/4/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The administration of Ofer prison informed prisoners of its intention to move a large number of administrative detainees to the Negev prison. The Palestinian Prisoners Society condemned the action as “repressive” and said it aimed to divide administrative detainees in order to foil the steps they have taken against administrative detention. A statement from the society said that detainees will continue….
36 aid groups demand end to house demolitions by Israel
12/5/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Thirty-six international charities and human rights groups on Wednesday released a statement calling for an immediate end to the demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The groups — among them Amnesty International, Oxfam and Save the Children — co-signed a statement denouncing Israeli house demolitions in the occupied Palestinian territories.”Since the resumption of the peace process….
Bethlehem man detained over anti-USAID Christmas tree decorations
12/5/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Bethlehem man was detained on Tuesday by Palestinian police for helping decorate a tree with used American-made tear gas canisters, stun grenades, and ammunition that had been previously fired at Palestinian protesters by Israeli forces. Mustafa al-Arraj was detained on Tuesday morning by Palestinian police while on his way to work over his suspected involvement in the protest the day….
Hezbollah blames Israel for murder of top commander
12/4/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Hezbollah accused Israel of assassinating one of its top leaders near Beirut Wednesday at a time of soaring sectarian tensions in Lebanon linked to the civil war in neighboring Syria. The slain leader, identified as Hassan Hawlo al-Lakiss, was the most senior figure in the Lebanese Shiite movement to be assassinated since Imad Mughniyeh was killed in a Damascus bombing in 2008, which….
Teachers’ union to continue strike despite PA threats
12/4/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The union of teachers said Wednesday that a general strike will continue, days after the High Court of Justice in Ramallah ruled that strike action by the union was illegal. Bassam Naim told Ma’an that the union of teachers complied with the High Court decision and ended a partial strike. The new steps, he said, demand a salary increase…. Related: Teachers union to suspend strike Sunday
17 ‘attempt suicide’ over unpaid Gaza war compensation
12/4/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Seventeen members of families who lost relatives in Israel’s 2008 war on Gaza staged a mass suicide attempt in protest over unpaid compensations from the Hamas government, a representative said. Alaa al-Barawi, speaking on behalf of the families, told Ma’an that 17 people related to those who died in the fighting attempted to hang themselves after….
Report: Israel detains 5 Palestinians accused of rock-hurling injury
12/4/2013 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israel has arrested five Palestinian teenagers the police accused of involvement in a rock-hurling incident that injured a two-year-old girl, Israeli media reported Wednesday. Israel’s Ynet news agency reported that four of the teens admitted to being motivated by “Jew-hatred.”It said the suspects were identified as between the ages of 14 and 17, and that they were from Jerusalem. [END]
Druze teen faces jail over refusing to serve in Israeli army
12/4/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The threat of arrest hangs over a Druze teenager from northern Israel after refusing to go against his conscience and serve in Israel’s military, Amnesty International said Wednesday. A few days after his birthday on Nov. 17, Omar Saad’s father received a call from the Israeli army, who informed him that Omar was due to start his….
American Studies Association endorses academic boycott of Israel
12/4/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A top body of the largest scholarly association dedicated to American Studies voted unanimously in a landmark decision on Wednesday to endorse a resolution supporting the boycott of Israeli institutions of higher education. The resolution, which has been under debate for over a week, highlights the necessity of severing ties with Israeli institutions, stressing the “devastating impact on the overall well-being….
Report: Israel to transfer 20,000 dunams of Area C to PA
12/4/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel is preparing to transfer 20,000 dunams of occupied land in Area C to the Palestinian Authority, according to a report on the Hebrew language website of Maariv. The land is expected to be used for agricultural and commercial projects by the PA, according to the website, and the Israeli Ministry of Defense is currently preparing to approve the handover. The….
Hamas chief says Israel, US impeding national unity
12/4/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal said Tuesday that the United States and Israel are impeding reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah. Speaking at a conference in Malaysia, Mashaal said that the United States has “pressured and threatened” the Palestinian Authority to prevent them from implementing agreements reached between the rival Palestinian political factions.”Negotiations have continued for more than 20 years since….
EU strikes optimistic note on Mideast peace talks
12/4/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — The EU envoy to Israel expressed optimism Tuesday about US efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal and insisted the West had taken a tough line on Israeli settlement construction. A steady flood of Israeli settlement announcements have threatened to derail negotiations relaunched in late July, but EU Ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen said there was still time for progress.”There is reason….
Citizenship given to Palestinians during Morsi era under scrutiny
12/4/2013 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — The Egyptian Ministry of Interior has started reviewing citizenship granted to Palestinians during the rule of ousted President Mohammad Morsi, an official said Wednesday. The high-ranking official told Ma’an that the ministry formed a committee to examine 50,000 approved citizenship applications for Palestinians to either confirm their approval or cancel them. The official added that acting president Adly Mansour….
Hamas: Fatah responsible for result of negotiations
12/4/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Zahhar said that Fatah was responsible for any repercussions following renewed negotiations with Israel. Zahhar said in a session for the Gaza legislative council that “the Palestinian negotiator (Saeb Erekat) is illegal, and does not represent the national consensus.””The agreements that result from these negotiations with the occupation hurt the rights and principles of Palestinians….
Arafat widow convinced death not natural
12/4/2013 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — The widow of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said on Wednesday she was still convinced he was poisoned, after French experts ruled out the theory that he had been assassinated.”I’m still completely convinced that the martyr Arafat did not die a natural death, and I will keep trying to get to the truth,” Suha Arafat told AFP.”I’m….
Teachers union to suspend strike Sunday
12/5/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian teachers union on Wednesday announced it would suspend its strike from Sunday and regular classes will continue in all schools and departments. A statement from the union said that the decision was made after extensive talks with all sides, and it added that the next few days will be vital for teachers and workers in the Ministry of Education…. Related: Teachers’ union to continue strike despite PA threats
Single teacher defies West Bank strike
12/4/2013 – NABLUS (Ma’an) – While virtually all public school teachers in the West Bank are on open strike, Wael Muqadi insists on attending his classes in the northern village of Yutma near Nablus. Muqadi, 27, who teaches at a preparatory school, is possibly the only teacher in the West Bank who opposes the strike announced by the general union of public school teachers.”We don…. Related: Teachers union to suspend strike Sunday and Teachers’ union to continue strike despite PA threats
NGO: Rockets kill 18 in govt-held areas of Syria’s Aleppo
12/4/2013 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Rocket fire against government-held areas of Syria’s main northern city of Aleppo killed at least 18 people on Wednesday, a monitoring group said. Among the dead were “five regime troops, including an officer,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The attack on the Furqan and Meridian neighborhoods also wounded at least 30 people, the Britain-based watchdog added. [END]
Kidnapped Al-Arabiya reporter walks free in Philippines
12/4/2013 – ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AFP) — A reporter with the Pan-Arab Al-Arabiya news channel has walked free from the southern Philippines jungle 18 months after he was abducted by Islamist militants, Filipino police said late Wednesday. Bakr Atyani, a Jordanian, was found by a police patrol on the remote southern Philippine island of Jolo, more than 620 miles south of Manila, police in nearby Patikul town said.”We….
Saudi spy chief in new meeting with Putin on Syria
12/4/2013 – MOSCOW (AFP) — Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief has held a new meeting in Russia with President Vladimir Putin on the Syrian conflict, the second closed-door encounter this year between the Russian leader and the key regional powerbroker. The Kremlin said in a statement late Tuesday that Prince Bandar bin Sultan discussed with Putin at the president’s suburban Moscow residence the situation in….
Saudi women in new drive to get behind the wheel
12/4/2013 – RIYADH (AFP) — Saudi women activists have relaunched a campaign for the right to drive in the ultra-conservative kingdom, urging women to get behind the wheel on Dec. 28. The call for action is a “reminder of the right so it is not forgotten,” activist Nasima al-Sada told AFP, adding that women nationwide are being urged to drive on the chosen day. The absolute monarchy is….
Syria’s Assad to lead during transition govt, says minister
12/4/2013 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syria’s Bashar Assad will remain president and lead any transition agreed upon in Geneva peace talks planned for next month, a government minister insisted on Wednesday.” If anyone thinks we are going to Geneva 2 to hand the keys to Damascus over (to the opposition), they might as well not go,” Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi said in remarks carried by the….
Deadly rocket attack on regime in Syria’s Aleppo
12/4/2013 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Rockets killed at least 18 people on Wednesday in regime-held areas of Syria’s main northern city of Aleppo, a focal point of the 33-month conflict pitting loyalists against rebels. On the political front, a Syrian minister said President Assad would remain president and lead any transition agreed upon at Geneva peace talks planned for next month, despite the opposition’….
OPEC freezes oil output ceiling
12/4/2013 – VIENNA (AFP) — OPEC agreed on Wednesday to hold its crude production ceiling at 30 million barrels per day despite oversupply concerns and competition from cheaper shale oil. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which pumps out about one third of the world’s oil, failed again to decide on a new secretary-general amid group tensions, instead keeping Libya’s Abdullah El-Badri as its….
Strike grips ‘ignored’ southern Tunisia region
12/4/2013 – TOZEUR, Tunisia(AFP) — Tunisia’s southern Tozeur region ground to a halt on Wednesday, as the latest in a growing number of strikes around the country was called to protest a lack of development.” This movement is taking place because the authorities have ignored our demands,” the UGTT trade union confederation’s regional chief, Haroun Bouagga, told AFP.” If the authorities do not….
AlJazeera
Senior Hezbollah leader killed in Beirut
AlJazeera 4 Dec 2013 – The group accuses Israel for the killing of Hassan Al Laqis in front of his home in the Lebanese capital.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
20 Years after Declaring the International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Deterioration of the Palestinian Disabled P…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Photos: Palestinian fishermen and activists sail to protest Israel’s siege of Gaza
12/4/2013 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Charlie Andreasson | Gaza, Occupied Palestine – On Monday, 2nd December 2013, 200-250 Palestinians, foreign activists and journalists, many from international media, gathered in the Gaza seaport for a joint action to alert the world about the siege and its consequences for fishermen pursuing their profession. The action resulted from long negotiations between the event’s initiators, the Intifada Youth Coalition, and….
World: Rethinking Return: Defining Success in Refugee Repatriation
Relief Web 4 Dec 2013 – Source: Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement Country: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jordan, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, World Editor’s note: This article on refugee repatriation was first published online by World Politics Review. This summer in Jordan, I met…
occupied Palestinian territory: In adversity, a need for renewed commitment
Relief Web 4 Dec 2013 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: Jordan, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER-GENERAL MARGOT ELLIS AT THE 2014 PLEDGING CONFERENCE Mme. Acting President of the General…
Italy: Lampedusa: shattered childhood or regained hope?
Relief Web 4 Dec 2013 – Source: Terre des hommes Foundation Child Relief Country: Italy, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic They arrive in the hundreds, crammed tightly into small fishing boats. These migrants come from afar, most of them families and little children with exhaustion…
occupied Palestinian territory: Summary Report on the Human Rights Situation in the oPt in 2013
Relief Web 4 Dec 2013 – Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory This year is one of the worst in regards to the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) and there is not yet an end in sight. Rather,…
occupied Palestinian territory: As Budget Shortfall, Insecurity Threaten Efforts of UN Agency for Palestine Refugees, 17 Member States Promise Funds at Pledging Conference
Relief Web 3 Dec 2013 – Source: UN General Assembly Country: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Egypt, Estonia, Indonesia, Ireland, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, occupied Palestinian territory, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States…
A blend of laws keep the lid on crime in Syria s Deraa province
The National 4 Dec 2013 – Amid the turmoil of civil war, rebel-backed justice committees bring a semblance of law and order to residents of Syria’s Deraa province.
US hopes security plan will advance Middle East peace talks
The National 4 Dec 2013 – Secretary of state John Kerry hopes West Bank proposals will encourage Israel to take further steps towards resolving Palestinian statehood.
Hizbollah says commander killed outside home
The National 4 Dec 2013 – Hizbollah said Wednesday that one of its commanders has been ‘assassinated’ outside of his home in southern Beirut, blaming Israel for his killing.
Turkey s standing in Middle East is diminishing, says poll
The National 4 Dec 2013 – Survey showed extremely positive and very positive views of Turkey in the region fell to 59 per cent, a drop from 78 per cent two years ago and from 69 per cent last year.
Biden charmed by Chinese president s candour amid islands crisis
The National 4 Dec 2013 – The US vice president said he had come to Beijing because complex relationships require sustained engagement at high levels, adding that the Chinese president s candour and constructive approach had left an impression on him.
Arafat s death shows the allure of conspiracy theories
The National 4 Dec 2013 – The ongoing controversy over Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s death shows the way conspiracy theories will capture the imagination.
Thieves steal extremely dangerous radioactive material in Mexico: IAEA
The National 4 Dec 2013 – Thieves in Mexico have stolen a lorry containing potentially “extremely dangerous” radioactive material used in medical treatment, the UN atomic watchdog says.
Incredible video shows Nigerian cook rescued by divers after spending three days under water
The National 4 Dec 2013 – Entombed at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in an upended tugboat for three days, Harrison Odjegba Okene needed a miracle. He got one – and it was captured on video.
Fast & Furious 7 filming delayed in US after Paul Walker s death
The National 4 Dec 2013 – Shooting on the film had been scheduled to resume this week in Atlanta but was cancelled Monday and Tuesday. A spokesman for Universal Pictures declined to say when production will resume.
Strapped for cash, Hadassah hospital is on its deathbed
Ha’aretz – 4 Dec 2013
Torn ad reveals campaign message: End violence against women
Ha’aretz – 4 Dec 2013
Israeli city to be ‘shock-proofed’ in Rockefeller initiative
Ha’aretz – 4 Dec 2013
Israel to simulate chemical attack by suicide bomber
Ha’aretz – 4 Dec 2013
White House argues ‘bad faith’ in opposing new sanctions against Iran
Ha’aretz – 4 Dec 2013
Hezbollah assassination marks biggest blow to group since Mughniyeh killing
Ha’aretz – 4 Dec 2013
Smiles and suspicions: When Israel’s new ambassador to the U.S. met Obama
Ha’aretz – 4 Dec 2013
Russia: Iran deal will eliminate need for missile defense in Europe
Ha’aretz – 4 Dec 2013
That’s not a belch, that’s a koala in love
Ha’aretz – 4 Dec 2013
Hezbollah: Israel assassinated organization’s arms chief near Beirut
Ha’aretz – 4 Dec 2013
Word of the day / Shum klum: A whole lot of nothing with garlic on top
Ha’aretz – 4 Dec 2013
Want to swim in Lake Kinneret? Then pay for it
Ha’aretz – 3 Dec 2013
Israelis less critical of home the longer they live in U.S., survey shows
Ha’aretz – 3 Dec 2013
U.S. to present Israel plan for security arrangements with future Palestinian state
Ha’aretz – 3 Dec 2013
A taxing issue for same-sex parents
Ha’aretz – 3 Dec 2013
Court to rule on Israeli army’s raid of Palestinian TV station
Ha’aretz – 3 Dec 2013
Naftali Bennett: An ultra-nationalist who speaks fluent liberal
Ha’aretz – 3 Dec 2013
Right-wing opposition to the Iranian nuclear deal is unfair and foolish
Ha’aretz – 3 Dec 2013
El Al selling tickets on flights that won’t exist next year
Ha’aretz – 3 Dec 2013
Women faculty at Tel Aviv University paid 17% less than male counterparts
Ha’aretz – 3 Dec 2013
Nine arrested in Ethiopian immigrant protest over poor living conditions
Ha’aretz – 3 Dec 2013
Maybe I’m a closet Muslim man
Ha’aretz – 3 Dec 2013
Battling Israel’s ‘bad Bedouin’
Ha’aretz – 3 Dec 2013
Investigators of police: Closing file on tasering of Boaz Albert was model case
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Justice Ministry report also discusses physical abuse charges against officers
NYC group puts bounty on knockout game participants
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – NY Jewish Community Relations Council offers reward for information leading to arrest, conviction of attack perpetrators.
Former Shin Bet head: Israeli-Palestinian conflict more dangerous than a nuclear Iran
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Diskin calls for settlement freeze outside main blocs, to stop settlement growth from getting out of control.
MEDIA COMMENT: Yes, there is left-wing media bias
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – The extreme Left is often described as peace activists, but it is invariably Jewish extremists when considering the Right.
ENCOUNTERING PEACE: Paradigm of partnership
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – The interim agreement of 1995 actually created more than 25 joint cooperative bodies between the two sides.
Mashav: Still up and running
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Mashav is the organization that puts into effect the emphasis on Development Diplomacy.
Washington watch: US-Israel rift spreading to Jewish community
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – The widening rift between Washington and Jerusalem threatens to create fissures within the Jewish community here.
Without values, Jewish knowledge is not enough
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – The new generation of the Russian- speaking Jews develops its national identity in completely different circumstances.
Housing policy
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – The housing protests two years ago were supposed to bring this issue to the forefront.
Rivlin s last laugh
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Rivlin s trademark chaotic and tongue-incheek vehicles of artistic expression came to fruition in the 1970s.
The new Wonder Woman: Israeli supermodel, actress Gal Gadot
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Director of film calls Gadot amazing actress, says she has “magical quality that makes her perfect for the role.”
Jewish prisoner asks Obama to intercede for his release from Cuban jail
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – US Jew Alan Gross, was arrested in 2009 while working as USAID contractor; jailed for working as intelligence agent.
Secular organization to teach Jewish values and identity course to IDF officers
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Former IDF chief rabbi says problematic for group that flies flag of secularism to be in charge of course.
Ahead of Kerry visit, Palestinian officials voice pessimism on peace process
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Erekat asks US secretary of state to save talks; other PLO officials complain no progress has been made in talks, and say US bias in favor of Israel “does not serve peace”; Kerry to arrive in Israel Wednesday night.
Internet bullying has increased the risk of suicide among youth, warns Yitzhak Kadman
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Following suicide of 12-year-old boy in Beersheba after apparently being bullied at school, director of National Council for the Child urges education to identify distress in children.
World’s largest menorah lights up Tel Aviv sky
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – The menorah, created by Israel Electric Corporation, is made up of nine aerial platforms.
Opposition plans to filibuster Migrant Bill
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – MKs stop bill from being brought to vote, but coalition manages to block further attempts with parliamentary tricks.
Braverman: You cannot disconnect citizens from their water
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Knesset Economic Affairs panel expresses concern over companies cutting off water to customers in debt.
WATCH: Daring police rescue of girl held by uncle in Ashkelon
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Man barricaded himself with niece in apartment; after hours of negotiations police rappel down side of building to free girl.
Police seize armored car belonging to Amir Mulner crime organization
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Photos of car show thick, bulletproof windows covered with a layer of metal plates, and cameras facing out.
Bennett in Indonesia: Trade missions closed in western Europe to open new ones in Asia
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Economy and trade minister says Israel diverting funds to open trade missions in China, India, Hong Kong.
Delek to buy $100m. of Tamar gas for industry, transportation
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – The company is promoting the use of CNG and natural gas in general as an alternative to gasoline and diesel.
Report: Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher want Jewish babies
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – It s a dream for Mila and Ashton, and even if he doesn t fully convert, he s very much into the idea of having little Jewish babies.
Defense Ministry chemical attack drill set for Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Ministry stresses that drill is not tied to any current developments; exercise will include police, MDA, municipality.
WATCH: Haredim protest over imprisonment of yeshiva student for evading IDF draft
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Leader of protest, rabbi Auerbach has instructed students not to present themselves for IDF recruitment.
Come to the Table: How to be a Balaboosta
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Translated as ‘woman of the house’ or ‘housewife’ and originally meant as an honorific, the term implies to some being a slave to family demands.
German football club FSV Frankfurt ends Saudi airline contract because of Israel boycott
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Airline refuses to sell tickets to Israeli citizens; Jewish soccer club had previously criticized contract.
Keeping the flame of optimism burning
Jerusalem Post 4 Dec 2013 – Science helps explain Israelis anomalous optimism; Hanukkah shows how to preserve it
IDF Murders Three West Bank Militants in Targeted Assassination
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 – Last week, a Border Police special forces unit (aka assassination squard) killed three West Bank militants near the village of Yatta (near Hebron) in what my Israeli source tells me was a targeted assassination. As they…
East Jerusalem park prevents expansion of two Palestinian neighborhoods
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013- On Thursday 14 November, the Israeli District Planning and Construction Committee ordered plans to construct a national park on lands belonging to the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Al-Issawiyyeh and A-Tur. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)…
Twenty Years of Talks: Keeping Palestine Occupied
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 – Twenty years ago, the PLO Central Committee approved the Oslo Accord with the Israeli government. Israeli-Palestinian talks were slated to conclude within five years, yet two decades on Israel s occupation continues, and the situation on…
East Jerusalem park prevents expansion of two Palestinian neighborhoods
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013- On Thursday 14 November, the Israeli District Planning and Construction Committee ordered plans to construct a national park on lands belonging to the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Al-Issawiyyeh and A-Tur. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)…
White House prepared to allow limited Iran nuclear enrichment
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 – The Obama administration is prepared to allow Iran to engage in a “limited enrichment program” if Tehran holds up its end of an international agreement to curtail its nuclear capabilities under stringent global oversight, the White…
New report documents “a living death” in US prisons
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013- The American Civil Liberties Union has issued a massive report that meticulously documents the unconstitutional practice of life imprisonment without parole in federal and state prisons in the US. The 237-page report, entitled “A Living Death,” details…
Welcome to the Memory Hole: Disappearing Edward Snowden
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 – What if Edward Snowden was made to disappear? No, I m not suggesting some future CIA rendition effort or a who-killed-Snowden conspiracy theory of a disappearance, but a more ominous kind.What if everything a whistleblower had…
Pandora and the Drones
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013- In November 2001, when the CIA assassinated al-Qaeda commander Mohammed Atef with a killer drone in Kandahar, Afghanistan, the U.S. held a virtual monopoly on the technology of lethal robots. Today, more than 70 countries in the…
Protesting a stolen election in Honduras
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 – “WE WILL keep fighting! We will stay with the struggle until we win! If it s our turn to die, then we will die! Homeland or death!”These were the words Elizabeth shouted during a large march…
Drones Fly, Children Die – Today, Tomorrow, Forever?
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 – The present and future use of armed drones in Afghanistan came under the spotlight this week, with details of one drone strike in which a 2 year-old child was killed being revealed.Negotiations continue between Afghanistan and…
Suicide Bombers Target Security Personnel Across Iraq; 67 Killed, 98 Wounded
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 – Suicide bombers attacked several security-oriented locations across Iraq. In those and other attacks at least 67 people were killed and 98 more were wounded. Bombers briefly held one police station hostage in Tikrit. Three suicide bombers…
Israeli Bulldozers Clear Palestinian Land for New Settlements
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013- Another settlement scandal is emerging today in Israel, as bulldozers are moving against Palestinian-owned territory in the occupied West Bank, clearing it and setting up “temporary housing” in anticipation of yet more settlement expansions. It isn t…
Poland knew about CIA torture prison on its soil, secret court session hears
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 – A court has heard “overwhelming and uncontested evidence” of the existence on European soil of a CIA “black site,” used to torture prisoners – with the knowledge of host-government Poland. Sitting in a secret session closed…
A Press as Deadly as the State
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 – I am now prepared to state without reservation that the ongoing NSA/surveillance story ranks among the more momentous and nauseating charades perpetrated on a frighteningly gullible public. Any remaining doubt I had on this question –…
A new Prawer Plan for Galilee
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 -Just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed his intention to proceed with the Prawer Plan and the displacement of Arabs from their villages in the Negev, his government settlement wing linked to Histadrut (Israel s federation…
Israel destroys more houses and wells in the Jordan Valley
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 -Israeli bulldozers have demolished several Palestinian-owned homes and agricultural facilities in the northern Jordan Valley. Eyewitnesses said that the Israelis have knocked down houses and tents in the Bokayaa area and destroyed several wells used by the…
Photos: Palestinians rally in Gaza Red Cross against Israel s detentions and Italy ties
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 – Like every Monday morning, relatives and friends, as well as local and international activists, gathered at the International Committee of the Red Cross in solidarity with the Palestinian political prisoners. The rally started with the protesters…
Wake up John Kerry, a global intifada is erupting
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 – On page 220 of My Traitor s Heart, by South African journalist Rian Malan, there is a passage that John Kerry needs to read. In this passage Malan talks about “South Africa s month of destiny.”It…
Meet the Cleared Algerian Prisoners in Guant·namo Who Fear Being Repatriated
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 – …Others commentators were as critical as Robert Kirsch of the decision to forcibly repatriate the two men. Andrea Prasow of Human Rights Watch said, “When you hear people say they would rather spend the rest of…
PHOTOS: This tear gas brought to you by the U.S.A.
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013- On the same day that Bethlehem s minister of tourism noted that the US government provided $400,000 to decorate the city for Christmas, local activists brought a few more US-sponsored ornaments to show to visitors in this…
Israeli forces detained 110 Palestinians in Hebron in November
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 3, 2013 — Israeli forces detained 110 Palestinians in Hebron district in the southern West Bank over the course of November 2013, a report released by the Hebron office of the Palestinian Prisoners Society says.The report pointed out that…
Syria News – December 2, 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet 4 Dec 2013 – December 2, 2013 – By the end of Monday the Coordination Committees were able to document 82 martyrs including 13 women, 10 children and 2 martyrs under torture: 32 martyrs were reported in Damascus and its Suburbs; 14 in Aleppo;…
U.S. seeks to better understand Syria Islamists
Daily Star 4 Dec 2013 The United States sees value in getting to know Islamist militias in Syria, in order to better understand their intentions in the civil war there and their possible links with al Qaeda, the top U.S. military…
Egypt satirist says show’s suspension wasn’t nice
Daily Star 4 Dec 2013 Popular Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef said Wednesday that he’ll take the military and the government it backs at their word that they were not behind the decision to take his weekly TV program off the air,…
Libya spends foreign reserves to offset oil losses
Daily Star 4 Dec 2013 Libya’s prime minister said on Wednesday that his government is spending billions of dollars to offset the loss of revenue caused by militias who have shut down oil terminals in the country’s restive east, one of…
US urged to tighten message on human rights abuses
Daily Star 4 Dec 2013 Human rights activists Wednesday urged the US government to be more consistent in its approach toward repressive regimes, warning that muddled responses sent the wrong message to democracy campaigners.
Iraq attacks kill nine
Daily Star 4 Dec 2013 Attacks in Iraq, including a coordinated assault on security forces in the ethnically-mixed northern city of Kirkuk, killed nine people on Wednesday as a surge in bloodshed showed no let-up.
EU warns about threat of foreign fighters in Syria
Daily Star 4 Dec 2013 The European Union’s anti-terror chief will tell EU interior ministers on Thursday about the “major security threat” that the increase of foreign fighters in Syria poses.
Dialogue defeats dance in ‘Make Me’
Daily Star 4 Dec 2013 Dance-infused play about two couples in Beirut is unpolished but displays potential
Four killed as Yemen tribesmen block oil convoy
Daily Star 4 Dec 2013 Clashes between Yemeni troops and aggrieved tribesmen blocking a convoy of oil tanker trucks kill three soldiers and one protester, officials say.
Lakkis was key figure in Hezbollah drone program
Daily Star 4 Dec 2013 Hassan Lakkis, the Hezbollah commander who was assassinated outside his Beirut home, had played a key role in advancing the group s technological capabilities in its fight against Israel and brushed with death on many occasions, sources…
November 29 in Khirbat Al Taweel: Stop Ethnic cleansing here and everywhere!
Stop The Wall – Palestinian Grassroots Anti-apartheid Wall Campaign .1() ‘D7HJD-29112013 Hundreds of people participated in the demonstration that the people of Khirbat Al Taweel, the grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign and the Agraba municipality jointly held on the 29th of November after Friday prayer in Khirbat Al Taweel, south of Nablus. The protest was…
Day of Anger: Over 10 thousand protest the Prawer Plan
Stop The Wall – Palestinian Grassroots Anti-apartheid Wall Campaign Thousands of people all over Palestine have participated in the angry demonstration against the Israeli Prawer plan . The organizers estimated the number of protesters to be more than 10,000 participating in the Day of Anger. Stop the Wall had organized a protest in…
Banned satirist says Egypt’s leaders do not accept criticism
YNet News, 4 Dec 2013 – ….
Lawsuits target Los Angeles Kabbalah Center
YNet News, 4 Dec 2013 – ….
John Kerry lands in Israel for peace talks
YNet News, 4 Dec 2013 – ….
Officials: First Israeli cabinet minister visits Turkey since 2010
YNet News, 4 Dec 2013 – ….
Netanyahu associated say Diskin is ‘disconnected from reality’
YNet News, 4 Dec 2013 – ….
Alone, in the dark
YNet News, 4 Dec 2013 – Op-ed: Strategic alliance with Saudi Arabia, Gulf states cannot be established without permanent agreement with Palestinians ….
Britain wooing Israel’s haredi Jews
YNet News, 4 Dec 2013 – Meetings with yeshiva heads, support for ultra-Orthodox initiatives, regular dialogue with haredi sector what is British government looking for on streets of Bnei Brak, Mea Shearim? Partners in for advancing peace process, among other things ….
The racism test
YNet News, 4 Dec 2013 – Op-ed: Non-Jews often suffer discrimination, humiliation under guise of security reasons ….
US Holocaust survivor meets Polish savior
YNet News, 4 Dec 2013 – Jewish boy who hid from Nazis in hayloft reunited after 70 years with son of couple who risked everything to save him, four other Jews during WWII ….
Making peace with a population
YNet News, 3 Dec 2013 – Op-ed: Meticulous analysis of lexicon chosen by Netanyahu during Bar-Ilan speech is indicative of gap between his recognition of Palestinian state, his recognition of Palestinian people ….
Palestinian Information Center
Egyptians will tear new “constitution” to smithereens
PIC – The new Egyptian constitution conspicuously lacks the dignity and representative nature that would make it acceptable to the vast majority of Egyptians.
Settlers storm the Aqsa Mosque
PIC – More than twenty Jewish settlers led by the extremist Rabbi Yehuda Glick stormed on Wednesday morning the Aqsa Mosque, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces and policemen.
Health condition of captive Jerboni deteriorates due to medical neglect
PIC – Ahrar Center called on the Red Cross to intervene to provide treatment for captive Lena Jerboni, who suffers from difficult health condition in the Israeli Hasharon prison.
IYC calls for uprising against occupation on the 1st Intifada anniversary
PIC – Intifada Youth Coalition (IYC) called for stepping up popular resistance against occupation on the 26th anniversary of the first Intifada (uprising) which falls on Sunday, December 8th, 2013.
AOHR asks Europe to remove JNF from the charity organizations register
PIC – The Arab Organization for Human Rights in UK said that the Jewish National Fund‚¨ “!s funding of the Israeli government‚¨ “!s plans to displace the indigenous population represents a crime against humanity.
Activists decorate Christmas tree with tear gas grenades in Bethlehem
PIC – Palestinian activists decorated a Christmas tree in Manger Square in Bethlehem with teargas grenades and rubber-coated bullets.
Mishaal stresses the right of peoples to resist occupation
PIC – Khaled Mishaal, chairman of the political bureau of Hamas movement, stressed that the Palestinian people and factions have the right to resist the occupation.
Palestinian family accuses IOF of stealing
PIC – Palestinian prisoner Moussa Abu Turki’s family, from al-Khalil, charged Israeli soldiers of stealing 30 thousand shekels after raiding their house to arrest Moussa at dawn Tuesday.
Israeli doctors inform patient prisoner of his hopeless case
PIC – Israeli doctors in Hadassah prison informed the Palestinian patient prisoner Moataz Abido, from al-Khalil, that they are not able to treat him.
High Level Official Dutch Delegation to visit Palestine
WAFA – 4 Dec 2013
Israeli Forces Arrest 3 in Hebron
WAFA – 4 Dec 2013
PEX Report: Index Down
WAFA – 4 Dec 2013
Ashrawi: Holland must Exclude Settlement Companies from Cooperation Forum
WAFA – 4 Dec 2013
Statement: Security Campaign aimed at Enforcing Law and Order
WAFA – 4 Dec 2013
Newspapers Review: Teachers Strike Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 4 Dec 2013
Official: Gaza Commercial Crossing Opened to Allow Goods In and Out
WAFA – 4 Dec 2013
Tension at al-Aqsa Mosque after Raid by Police
WAFA – 4 Dec 2013
Imports, Exports Up in 2012, says Statistics Bureau
WAFA – 4 Dec 2013
Weather Forecast: Light Rain Expected
WAFA – 4 Dec 2013
Senior Hezbollah commander killed in Beirut
LA Times 4 Dec 2013 – DUBAI, United Arab Emirates A senior Hezbollah commander was gunned down in Beirut early Wednesday in what could be a sign of further sectarian escalation and spillover from the Syrian conflict into Lebanon.
Fate of nuns unknown after Syrian rebels retake much of town
LA Times 3 Dec 2013 – DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A day after rebel forces largely retook a predominantly Christian town north of the Syrian capital, the fate of 12 nuns remained unknown with both sides in the conflict blaming each other for their disappearance.
Banned Satirist Says Egypt’s Leaders Do Not Accept Criticism
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – Egypt’s most popular television satirist, Bassem Youssef, who was pulled off the airwaves last month after mocking the army chief, said on Wednesday the move showed the military-backed rulers were intolerant of opposing views.
First Israeli Cabinet Minister Visits Turkey Since 2010: Officials
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – A member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and former defense chief flew to Istanbul on Wednesday, becoming the first Israeli cabinet minister to visit Turkey since ties ruptured in 2010 over a deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.
Time Running Out on Security Deal With Afghanistan, NATO Warns
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – International officials want the United States and Afghanistan to agree on a security deal, but there seemed little movement to end the deadlock.
Egypt Satirist Says Show’s Suspension Wasn’t Nice
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – Popular Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef said Wednesday that he’ll take the military and the government it backs at their word that they were not behind the decision to take his weekly TV program off the air, but he said it still doesn’t make them look “very nice.”
U.S. Aims to Blunt Terrorist Recruiting of English Speakers
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – Analysts will for the first time post messages on English-language websites that jihadists use to recruit, raise money and promote their cause.
The Lede: Memorial Image of Hezbollah Official Links Him to Sectarian Battle for Syria
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – A poster carried at the funeral of a Hezbollah official featured the militant group s flag and the dome of a mosque in Syria revered by Shiite Muslims.
Report: Iran Arrests 16 Activists
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard has arrested 16 activists accused of providing material to anti-government websites, the state media said Wednesday.
Russia Criticises ‘Aggressive’ Ukraine Protests, NATO Response
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – Russia criticised “aggressive actions” by Ukrainian demonstrators and the Western response to the protests on Wednesday, saying outsiders should not interfere in Ukraine’s affairs.
Austrian Trade Delegation to Visit Iran After Nuclear Deal
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – A delegation of about 10 Austrian companies hoping to win post-sanctions business in Iran following its nuclear deal with world powers will visit Tehran this weekend, the Austrian Chamber of Commerce said on Wednesday.
At War Blog: The Magic of West Point
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – Terry Babcock-Lumish, an economics professor at the United States Military Academy, on teaching at West Point.
Ebb in Uranium Enrichment in U.S. Raises Questions
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – Some experts fear that the United States reliance on imported enriched uranium may affect its global nonproliferation efforts and potentially cause supply problems in the future.
Libya Spends Foreign Reserves to Offset Oil Losses
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zidan says the government has allocated $7 billion of its foreign reserves to offset the loss of oil revenue caused by militias shutting down oil terminals and halting exports since the summer, and that it will need $6 billion more.
U.S., Stepping Up Role, Will Present West Bank Security Proposal to Israel
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – American officials will offer detailed ideas about security arrangements under a possible peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Rocket Fire Kills 17 in Syrian City of Aleppo
New York Times 4 Dec 2013 – Rockets fired into a government-controlled district of Aleppo killed at least 17 people in the northern Syrian city on Wednesday, state media and a monitoring group said.
Assassinated Hezbollah Commander Directed Drone Program
Tikun Olam – Hezbollah senior commander, Hassan al Laqqis, assassinated yesterday by the Mossad in Beirut, was responsible for the group s sophisticated drone program . This included a robust hacking effort which had rendered Israel s own most advanced drones helpless in the face of multiple crashes, hacks and other…
Instagram blocks access to Mobli users
Globes Main News – The two companies are developing similar apps that allow users to share pictures and video clips.
All at sea
Globes Energy & Water – Sea-based technologies for handling natural gas promise huge cost savings, and are leaving Israeli regulators behind.
Wed: Stocks fall again
Globes Main News – Teva was the day’s most heavily traded stock, and pulled the market down, while Bezeq was the biggest blue-chip gainer.
Israel Chemicals workers shut plant
Globes Main News – Rotem Amfert Negev is holding hearings for 127 employees due to be fired, and the employees have locked the plant’s gates.
Tamar SW declared natural gas discovery
Globes Energy & Water – The partners did not mention the expected amount of gas, but it is reportedly about 0.7 trillion cubic feet.
Bar Refaeli obtains foreclosure on Ben-Dov assets
Globes Main News – The bank accounts of Ilan Ben-Dov’s Suny have been levied, after it failed to pay Bar Refaeli court-ordered compensation.
Israeli ambassador s present to Obama settlement cufflinks!
Mondoweiss – The new Israeli ambassador presented his credentials yesterday and tweeted , Pic w/Pres. Obama-I look fwd to working w/you & your admin to make the bonds b/w Israel & America stronger than ever. And he gave the president some cufflinks. Dermer s gift I also gave President Obama…
Therapix Bio to merge with Viropro
Globes Main News – Therapix Bio, formerly Nasvax, announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding to merge with Viropro.
American Studies Association national council endorses academic boycott of Israel
Mondoweiss – The American Studies Association National Council has called for an academic boycott of Israel. The council made the unanimous decision after the group s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., where the academic boycott call was debated. The vast majority of speakers at an ASA forum on the…
Globe readers slam paper for ignoring unfair distribution of water in Israel and Palestine
Mondoweiss – Water usage chart, posted at this site Two weeks ago the Globe ran an article touting Massachusetts s partnership with Israel over water technology that left out the grossly-unfair distribution of water in Israel, on an ethnic basis. The reporter later acknowledged that she knew little about…
Marked for destruction: Jerusalem neighborhoods brace for large wave of home demolitions
Mondoweiss – Israeli bulldozers demolish a home in Hebron. (Photo via IMEMC.org) As Isam Hamad Ali, a civil engineer in the Shu fat refugee camp in East Jerusalem, drove his silver sedan along a wide dirt road near Israel s Separation Wall, he pointed to every building he passed. The…
Corasanti unknowingly affirms criticism of The Almond Tree
Mondoweiss – Michelle Cohen Corasanti s response to Susan Abulhawa s critique of The Almond Tree proves Abulhawa s point about the book coming off as informed by white privilege and the white savior complex. Here are some of Corasanti s major points, which need to be deconstructed: 1. Corasanti stated, I didn t need…
Israel approves new town in Negev no Bedouins need apply
Mondoweiss – Land, property theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Restriction of movement Israel approves new town in Negev BEERSHEBA (Ma an) 3 Dec The Israeli planning and building committee on Tuesday approved the construction of a new town in the Negev, as the state continues to implement the…
Leonard Bernstein cared more about Israel than sex
Mondoweiss – Robert Gottlieb reviews a volume of Leonard Bernstein s letters in the latest issue of the New York Review of Books: [W]hat really mattered to him? He s not going to tell us, but the Letters , read in conjunction with Humphrey Burton s excellent 1994 biography, Leonard Bernstein , suggest…
Like the status quo? Ever wanted to stand on the front line against human rights? Apply here!
Mondoweiss – Some potential recruits for the job. Video posted by the S.F. Bay Area Pro Israel Counter Terrorist Unit : Your one stop source for videos & photos showcasing the defenders of Israel confronting radical leftists & Islamo fascists activities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Palestinian human…
BoI: Proportion of real estate investors doubles
Globes Main News – In 2003-12, the share of households owning two or more homes increased from 3.2% to 7.9%.
No oil found at Ofek 2
Globes Energy & Water – Globe Exploration’s share price fell 39% after announcing that production tests found no substantial flow of hydrocarbons.
Sinai border fence completed
Globes Aerospace & Defense – The emergence of terrorism in Sinai has forced the Defense Ministry to add new elements to the fence.
Eduardo Elsztain: Dankner only cares about appearances
Globes Main News – Elsztain’s criticism of Nochi Dankner followed yesterday evening’s bondholders meeting.
Mossad Assassinates Key Hezbollah Commander in Beirut
Tikun Olam – Hassan al-Laqqis, assassinated Hezbollah commander Please donate (tax-deductible contributions here ) to support the original reporting you ll find below. Hezbollah commander Hassan al-Laqqis, in his late 40s, was a close confidant of Hassan Nasrallah. Last night about midnight Beirut time, he drove his Jeep Cherokee into the…
VIDEO: Israeli firms woo foreign investors
BBC 4 Dec 2013 – Israel’s high tech companies are in London to woo European investors.
Thousands of Eritreans ‘abducted’
BBC 4 Dec 2013 – Up to 30,000 Eritreans have been abducted since 2007 and taken to Egypt’s Sinai to suffer torture and ransom demands, new research says.
Shot Hezbollah commander buried
BBC 4 Dec 2013 – Crowds of mourners in Lebanon turn out to bury Hassan Lakkis, a commander in the Shia militant group Hezbollah, killed at close range on Tuesday.
Deadly rocket attack in north Syria
BBC 4 Dec 2013 – At least 18 people have been killed in a rocket attack on government-held areas in the Syrian city of Aleppo, activists say.
Ghana: First Israeli Film Festival Set Thrill
allAfrica.com 4 Dec 2013 – [Ghanaian Chronicle]The Israeli embassy has set the 12th, 13th and 14th of December, 2013, as the dates for its first film festival to be held in Ghana. This was contained in a statement released by the embassy.
U.S. Court Awards $70M From Iran To Victims of American Jerusalem Terror Attack
The Foward Breaking News 4 Dec 2013 – A San Diego federal court awarded $70 million in compensation from Iran to five U.S. citizens injured in a 1997 terror attack in Jerusalem. Click here for the rest of the article…
U.S. To Present Potential Security Plan for Palestinian State in West Bank to Israel
The Foward Breaking News 4 Dec 2013 – The United States reportedly has formed a plan to address Israeli security concerns in the West Bank should a Palestinian state be established there. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Egypt, UAE Discuss Bilateral Cooperation in Fields of Petroleum
allAfrica.com 4 Dec 2013 – [Egypt Online]Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Sherif Ismail and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State Sultan Al Jaber discussed Tuesday 3/12/2013 cooperation in the fields of oil industry and mining.
Egypt: FM Meets China’s Special Envoy to Mideast
allAfrica.com 4 Dec 2013 – [Egypt Online]Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmi held a meeting on Tuesday 3\12\2013 with China’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Wu Sike, according to a spokesman for the foreign ministry in Cairo Badr Abdel-Atti.
Africa: Israel Should Reject Indefinite Detention of Asylum-Seekers Once and for All
allAfrica.com 4 Dec 2013 – [AI London]Israeli lawmakers must reject proposed amendments to the country’s Prevention of Infiltration Law, which would allow thousands of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants to be held indefinitely in a remote desert detention centre, Amnesty International urged ahead of a 4 December vote in the Internal Affairs…
Palestinian Negotiator Erekat Urges Kerry To Salvage Peace Talks
The Foward Breaking News 4 Dec 2013 – The top Palestinian peace negotiator urged U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday to salvage American-brokered Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that both sides say are faltering. Click here for the rest of the article…
100 Women Gather at Women of the Wall Services Without Protests
The Foward Breaking News 4 Dec 2013 – In its first service following its 25th anniversary ceremony, Women of the Wall prayed with little interference from protesters. Click here for the rest of the article…
VIDEO: Israeli firms woo foreign investors
BBC 4 Dec 2013 – Israel’s high tech companies are in London to woo European investors.
Thousands of Eritreans ‘abducted’
BBC 4 Dec 2013 – Up to 30,000 Eritreans have been abducted since 2007 and taken to Egypt’s Sinai to suffer torture and ransom demands, new research says.
Shot Hezbollah commander buried
BBC 4 Dec 2013 – Crowds of mourners in Lebanon turn out to bury Hassan Lakkis, a commander in the Shia militant group Hezbollah, killed at close range on Tuesday.
Deadly rocket attack in north Syria
BBC 4 Dec 2013 – At least 18 people have been killed in a rocket attack on government-held areas in the Syrian city of Aleppo, activists say.
Heavy rain leaves motorists stranded across Beirut
Al-Akhbar News 4 Dec 2013 – Heavy rainfall in the Beirut area left numerous drivers stranded on Wednesday, as several key roads were flooded, Lebanese media reported. According to the Lebanese National News Agency, the rain blocked a tunnel on the road to the airport, trapping an unknown number of people in…
Jumblatt: Regional War Being Waged on Our Soil
Al-Akhbar News 4 Dec 2013 – He urges the contending forces in Tripoli to sit together and find a way to come to an agreement. (Photo: Marwan Bu Haidar). He urges the contending forces in Tripoli to sit together and find a way to come to an agreement. (Photo: Marwan Bu Haidar)….
Lebanon: Army Mounts Last Resort in Tripoli
Al-Akhbar News 4 Dec 2013 – Lebanese army soldiers patrol a street in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on December 4, 2013 (Photo: AFP – Ibrahim Chalhoub). Lebanese army soldiers patrol a street in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on December 4, 2013 (Photo: AFP – Ibrahim Chalhoub). Following a…
Palestinian negotiator call on Kerry to salvage peace talks with Israel
Al-Akhbar News 4 Dec 2013 – US Secretary of State John Kerry talks to the media following the NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, on December 3, 2013. (Photo: AFP – Thierry Charlier) The top Palestinian peace negotiator urged US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday…
Egypt Mourns Loss of the People s Poet
Al-Akhbar News 4 Dec 2013 – Until the moment comes for his legacy to be dealt with fairly and critically, one cannot analyze Negm s experience without being aware of his perception of poetry as a space to exercise freedom and circumvent life s conditions. (Photo: Wael Ladiki). Until the moment comes for his…
Battle between insurgents and Iraqi security forces leaves several dead
Al-Akhbar News 4 Dec 2013 – Suicide bombers and gunmen attacked a police intelligence headquarters in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Wednesday, killing at least six people and wounding dozens more, a health official said. Security forces and attackers engaged in a two-hour gun battle at the complex where explosions…
Libyan assembly votes to base all legislation on sharia
Al-Akhbar News 4 Dec 2013 – Libya’s national assembly voted on Wednesday to make sharia – Islamic law – the basis of all legislation and for state institutions in a decision that may impact banking, criminal and financial laws. Two years after the NATO-backed uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, Libya is still…
Broad strikes paralyze southern Tunisia over demands of state assistance
Al-Akhbar News 4 Dec 2013 – Tunisia’s southern Tozeur region ground to a halt on Wednesday, as the latest in a growing number of strikes around the country was called to protest a lack of development. “This movement is taking place because the authorities have ignored our demands,” Haroun Bouagga, regional chief…
British army major questioned for disposal of Iraq war crime evidence
Al-Akhbar News 4 Dec 2013 – The venue of the Al-Sweady Inquiry is seen on the first day of the inquiry, in central London on 4 March 2013. (Photo: Reuters – Stefan Wermuth) A British army major disposed of a computer that may have contained photographs of the bodies of Iraqis killed…
UAE leader accepts formal invitation to visit Iran
Al-Akhbar News 4 Dec 2013 – A picture made available by the United Arab Emirates’ official news agency WAM shows Emirati leader Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, right, meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif in Abu Dhabi on December 4, 2013. (Photo: AFP / WAM) The ruler of Abu Dhabi on Wednesday…
Saudi shop staff ‘should pray in shifts’
BBC 4 Dec 2013 – Should Saudi shop staff pray in shifts to keep malls open?
Hezbollah: Saudis behind Iran blasts
BBC 3 Dec 2013 – The head of the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah says Saudi Arabia was behind last month’s blasts near Iran’s embassy in Beirut.
Police brutality in Egypt ‘unchecked’
BBC 3 Dec 2013 – Police brutality in Egypt ‘continuing unchecked’
Yemen bomb-makers ‘working on new devices’
BBC 3 Dec 2013 – Bomb-makers ‘working on new devices’ aimed at West
‘I was crying every day and thought about suicide’
BBC 3 Dec 2013 – Footballer considered suicide before his release
Lebanon: Security Forces Target Al-Qaeda in Ain Al-Helweh
Al-Akhbar Politics 3 Dec 2013 – All this is still in the realm of suspicion without any hard evidence. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) All this is still in the realm of suspicion without any hard evidence. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) After the twin suicide bombing near the Iranian embassy in Beirut in mid-November, all…
Lebanon: Can the Free Patriotic Movement Survive Without Aoun?
Al-Akhbar Politics 3 Dec 2013 – How can we talk about change in the leadership without the foundations of the institutions having been laid down first? (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) How can we talk about change in the leadership without the foundations of the institutions having been laid down first? (Photo: Marwan Tahtah)…
Articles
Beaten, arrested, threatened: A personal account from the anti-Prawer protest
Alma Biblash, translated by Dimi Reider, +972 Magazine 12/4/2013
She was clubbed and dragged while her friends were beaten and arrested during a demonstration against the planned expulsion of thousands of Bedouin in the Negev.
On Saturday night at the anti-Prawer demonstration in the village of Houra, a policeman swung a club against my leg when I tried to persuade him to let go of a girl he was holding by the throat.
Another policeman grabbed me by the arms and dragged me off. A moment later he grabbed a little boy standing next to me, shoved his face into the dirt and screamed at him that he is going to kill him. A young woman shouted at a policeman to calm down and stop beating people up, and he slapped her so hard she fell onto the ground.
I m running, escaping the jet of putrid water, a man is running next to me. Police on horseback appear out of the dark and trample him down, sending him flying into the air.
I m hiding behind a parked vehicle with stun grenades exploding all around me. On the ground next to me is a kuffiyeh soaked in blood. I decide to go back to the buses where it s quiet. Along the way I see a little boy sitting on the ground and crying. I tell him it s too dangerous to sit here but he doesn t seem to hear, or maybe he doesn t understand Hebrew. Eventually he gets up and starts running with me until he hears a familiar voice calling him, lets go of my hand and disappears.
All around me terrified people are running, but I m out of breath, and I go straight for the bus. One friend with a swollen face catches up with me, another has a deep cut to her brow and blood on her face and shirt. more..e-mail
Why Was Arafat Killed?
Hatem Bazian, Al Jazeera 12/4/2013
The question is not whether Arafat was murdered, rather why and what interests were served by his killing?
On November 7, Raanan Gissin commented on the instructions given by the then PM Ariel Sharon in 2002, to the effect that “everything [must] be done to ensure that Arafat… was not killed by our soldiers,” the statement is correct but also misleading as to Israel’s responsibility for Arafat’s death. The Swiss team has concluded that polonium 210 was the weapon and in Francois Bochud’s words the “results reasonably support the poisoning theory.” Although recent French medical reports suggested otherwise and that he died of natural causes, yet we are left to ponder the reasons and the hands that carried out the murder not whether it was a murder. The question is why and what interests were served by killing Arafat?
Oslo, Arafat and Ending the PLO
To understand the decision-making process that led to Arafat’s murder, we must go back to the events that culminated into the Oslo Accords; the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin; and the political re-emergence of Sharon after a prolonged absence which was the final nail in the “peace process coffin”. From the beginning of the “peace process”, Israel’s leadership moved to create “facts on the ground” in an attempt to prejudice final negotiations and to strengthen the hold of settlers in the West Bank.Al Jazeera Investigates
Israel had a deep mistrust of Arafat and the PLO. It attempted to eliminate both in the past. For Arafat, the engagement in peace negotiations was a strategic decision taken at a time of changing regional and global power structures. He believed in resistance and that it should always be an option independent of negotiations until the occupation is ended. Yet in this process Israel wanted Arafat to use his power to provide security for the settlements and settlers while they both expanded throughout the negotiations, an untenable position for the Palestinian leadership. more..e-mail
Paltoons by Latuff // Days of Rage and Solidarity with Palestine
Desert Peace 12/2/2013
All Images Copyleft by Carlos Latuff
UN declares 2014 the Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
Buy Gifts From Palestine ~~ List of Online Stores Selling Palestinian Products
Shop in Palestine Palestine Ships Internationally Clothing, jewelry, music, videos, books, ceramics, food, artwork, embroidery, and soaps made in Jerusalem and the West Bank. PayPal Verified. Ships globally.
Shop Palestine Ships Internationally A small family business located in Palestine, selling products globally to support the Palestinian cause, to provide fundamental support for hundreds of women and families, and to introduce the Palestinian culture and folklore into homes world wide. PayPal. Ships globally.
Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children Online Botique Palestine Ships Internationally (Express shipping only) Unique hand-crafted products made by deaf women and men in the Gaza Strip. Your purchases on our secure web site will help to provide jobs and much needed hope for hundreds of needy deaf persons and their families.
Canaan Fair Trade Palestin
e Ships to US & Canada (All items by the case only) A social entrepreneurship firm dedicated to artisan quality products based in Jenin, Palestine. The company sources its agricultural food products from a network of 49 cooperatives organized in the Palestine Fair Trade Association with the membership of over 1700 farm families.
Sunbula Palestine Ships Internationally (Express shipping only) A nonprofit Fair Trade organization that supports Palestinian craft producers women s groups, artisan cooperatives and disabled people s organizations…. more..e-mail
The Real Reason Hawks Are Trying To Kill the Deal With Iran
Ivan Eland, Antiwar.com 12/4/2013
Why are Israel, Saudi Arabia, and their congressional allies in both American political parties trying to kill an interim nuclear deal with Iran that effectively freezes (and in some instances rolls back) the Iranian nuclear program until a comprehensive deal can be reached to permanently limit the program so that Iran cannot build a nuclear bomb? In the lead up to the interim deal, if one wanted to be charitable, one could have assumed that these hawks were acting as the “bad cop,” using the threat of even more economic sanctions to strengthen the Obama administration s “good cop” hand to exert maximum pressure on Iran to limit its nuclear program. However, after an interim deal has been reached, these same hardliners are likely to push Congress to ratchet up sanctions anyway in a blatant attempt to kill that deal and further negotiations. Of course, President Obama can likely successfully veto their efforts, but unfortunately their motivation for taking this barefaced course can only be attributed to rejecting peace for war with Iran.
In both America and Israel, politicians customarily need to pretend to avoid war, even though intentions are otherwise. For example, before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, President George W. Bush blamed Saddam Hussein for kicking out international weapons inspectors trying to find what turned out to be nonexistent “weapons of mass destruction” a hostile act when the inspectors really exited that country because of the imminent US attack. So the hawks have claimed falsely that the interim agreement rolls back no part of Iran s nuclear program and have vehemently opposed the deal because it is not tough enough.
First of all, generating enough fissionable material is the toughest step to building a nuclear bomb, and three paths exist to get there: 1) by further enriching uranium already enriched to 20 percent; 2) by using fast centrifuges to enrich 3.5 percent uranium; and 3) by making plutonium using a heavy water nuclear reactor. The interim accord rolls back the first by requiring Iran to eliminate its stockpile of 20 percent uranium one way or another, and it essentially freezes numbers two and three…. more..e-mail
Impossible Dialogue: The Choice in Yemen
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Dec 2013 – By Ramzy Baroud Chances are dim that elections will be held in Yemen next February. Yet without elections, the push for reforms and change that were inspired by the Yemeni revolution would become devoid of any real value. Yemenis might find themselves back on the street, repeating the original demands that echoed in the country s many impoverished cities, streets and at every corner. It is not easy to navigate the convoluted circumstances that govern Yemeni politics, which seem to be in a perpetual state of crisis. When millions of Yemenis started taking to the streets on January 27, 2011, a sense of hope prevailed that Yemen would be transferred from a country ruled by elites, and mostly beholden to outside regional and international powers, to a country of a different type: one that responds to the collective aspirations of its own people. Instead, after a long stalemate that pinned most…more
With Leaders Like These: Yet a New Threshold for Gaza s Misery
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Dec 2013 – By Ramzy Baroud It is impossible to predict the future. But one can state with a degree of certainty that little good can possibly be awaiting Palestinians when their political leadership seems to value their ties with Israel more than the fate of Gaza and all of its inhabitants. An exaggeration? Hardly. In an interview with Voice of Russia, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas replied to an invitation by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak at the Israeli Parliament (Knesset). If (Netanyahu) wants me to come and say the things I want to say, then I am ready to do it, Abbas said, according to YNet and other media on Nov 23. However, he had no response to a call for unity by Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Let s have one government, one parliament and one president, Haniyeh said in a recent speech, as quoted by Reuters. A spokesman…more
Palestinian Lost Opportunities
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Dec 2013 – By Jamal Kanj Just over a week ago Palestine had a chance to cast its first vote at the UN General Assembly appointing a Judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas first submitted the UN membershi
p application on September 23, 2011. The vote was delayed for a year providing time for the Obama administration to persuade Israel to cease construction of the illegal Jewish-only colonies on occupied Palestinian land. On November 29, 2012 and after a year lost, the international community overwhelmingly granted seat number 194 to Palestine as a non-member observer state at the UN General Assembly. But what did that mean? For the last year it meant naught. Palestinian leadership was forced to backpedal agreeing last summer to negotiate over the pie while Israel continues gulping it. The US even acceded to Israeli conditions limiting American participation to less than an…more
Palestinian Struggle is Not about Independence It is about Liberation Interview with Dr. Haidar Eid
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Dec 2013 – By David Letwin David Letwin (Jews for Palestinian Right of Return) interviews Dr. Haidar Eid, Associate Professor, Department of English Literature, Al-Aqsa University, Gaza Strip, Palestine. Dr. Eid is also a one-state activist and a member of Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). David Letwin: Many Palestinian solidarity activists in this country put their main efforts into opposing the 1967 occupation and more recently, Israel s siege of Gaza. But you and other Palestinians have argued that Palestinian refugees right to return is at the core of the struggle for justice. Why is this? Haidar Eid: Zionist dispossession and oppression of Palestinians does not begin with 1967. It goes back to 1948, when more than 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from villages and towns in Palestine, and were deported to neighboring countries: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria ,Gaza and the West Bank to make way for an apartheid…more
Canadian Voters May Only Support Destruction of Palestinian Villages
Dissident Voice: 4 Dec 2013 – Elizabeth May made enemies on both sides of the Israeli-Palestine conflict this week when she accepted to speak at an event organized by Canadians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East (CPJME), then derided that organization as anti-Israel in an interview with the B nai Brith-run Jewish Tribune , then issued a denial that she had called CPJME anti-Israel, provoking the wrath of the Tribune editors, who released a full transcript and recording in which she does in fact denounce CPJME as anti-Israel. CPJME then cancelled her speaking event . It was surprisingly flat-footed for someone who has been the leader of a national political party for the last seven years. What s missing from the discussion is that May s pandering marks the official end of choice when it comes to Canada s relationship with what Stephen Harper recently called that light of freedom and democracy in what is otherwise a region of darkness, …more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 