14 December 2013 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Winter Storm Wreaks Havoc Across West Bank
IMEMC – Ramallah and al-Bireh hit hardest [Saturday, December 14, 2013] (Ma’an) Civil defense forces in the West Bank reported, on Saturday evening, that at least one person has died and 53 have been injured in storm-related incidents over the last four days. …
Prisoner Representative Transferred To Megiddo
IMEMC – Captive Movement Leader Moved to Site of Historic Church The Israeli Ofer Prison administration has transferred the prisoner Mutassim Samara, a leader in the Captive Movement, to Megiddo prison, after being moved from Negev to Ofer Prison only one month ago, reports the Palestinian News Network (PNN). …
Abbas Rejects Plan For Permanent Israeli Military Presence
IMEMC – [Saturday, December 14, 2013] President Mahmoud Abbas, according to a Palestinian source, has rejected US proposals for Israel to keep troops in a future Palestinian state along the Jordan border, the Ma’an News Agency has reported. …
Thousands in Gaza shelters as blackouts cripple emergency response
12/14/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Gaza Ministry of Information announced Saturday that the numbers of residents staying in shelters in the besieged coastal enclave had hit 5,000 as streets and homes remain flooded in large swathes of the territory. Separately, the Gaza Health Ministry said that the number of people injured in storm-related incidents over the last four days throughout Gaza had hit 96 on….
UNRWA calls Gaza ‘disaster area,’ pleads for end to Israeli blockade
12/14/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness said that large regions of the Gaza Strip are a “disaster area” and called on the world community to lift the Israeli blockade in order to allow recovery efforts to proceed, in a statement sent to Ma’an.” Large swathes of northern Gaza are a disaster area with water as far as the eye can see….
NGO: US-Israel visa waiver bill ‘dead in the water’
12/14/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A bill that would have included Israel in a visa waiver program with the United States is “dead,” as the House of Representatives has left for the year, an American nonprofit organization said Friday. The US-Israel Strategic Partnership Act — a bill which critics said would have codified into US law discrimination against Arab and Muslim Americans at Israel’s borders….
1 dead, 53 injured in storm-related incidents across West Bank
12/14/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Civil defense forces in the West Bank reported on Saturday evening that at least one person had died and 53 were injured in storm-related incidents over the last four days. Civil defense forces have assisted in 4,165 storm-related cases since the storm began, rescuing a total of 5,980 people across the region, according to a report released by the public relations….
Gaza youth dies from asphyxiation while trying to stay warm at home
12/14/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A young man in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip died of asphyxiation on Saturday, Gaza-based Palestinian News Agency Safa reported. Hamza al-Amour, 22, died Saturday of asphyxiation from a fire he was kindling in his room to stay warm, according to medical sources at the European hospital. The Gaza Strip is currently under a state of….
Israel to ease fuel blockade on Gaza amidst state of emergency
12/14/2013 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israel will allow the import of 450,000 liters of industrial diesel to Gaza on Sunday morning in order to allow the Strip’s sole power plant to begin working again as part of a larger plan to temporarily ease the blockade, an official told Ma’an on Saturday evening. President of the committee for the import of goods….
Government institutions and schools closed across West Bank Sunday
12/14/2013 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority officials have decided to keep all government institutions and schools closed again on Sunday as the West Bank struggles to battle historic snowfall and record low temperatures. The PA Information Office said in a statement on Saturday that in order to “ensure the safety of citizens,” all state institutions besides hospital emergency units and the civil defense would remain….
Landslide threatens 40 homes in East Jerusalem
12/14/2013 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Landslides occurred Friday in an East Jerusalem neighborhood as a result of heavy snow accumulation, threatening at least 40 nearby houses located on lands previously weakened by Israeli authorities’ excavations nearby, a local group said. Landslides led to the degradation of hillsides in the Ain al-Lowza neighborhood of Silwan, opening cracks and threatening 40 nearby houses with potential destruction, the….
Jerusalem buried in snow as rare storm pounds Mideast
12/14/2013 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — A fierce winter storm shut down much of the Middle East Friday, burying Jerusalem in snow, flooding parts of Gaza and bringing frigid, wet weather to war-ravaged Syria. The hilltop city of Jerusalem was paralyzed by its fiercest snowstorm in years, with its mayor calling out the army to help stranded motorists and authorities urging residents to stay indoors.”We are battling a….
2 killed in Egypt clashes over Morsi ouster
12/14/2013 – CAIRO (AFP) — Two young men were killed in clashes Friday between supporters and opponents of Egypt’s toppled Islamist president as police used tear gas to disperse protests, officials said. Protesters across the country defied the icy weather brought by a rare winter storm to vent anger over the military’s July 3 overthrow of Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first democratically….
Iran brings monkey back safely from space
12/14/2013 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran said on Saturday that it had safely returned a monkey to Earth after blasting it into space in the second such launch this year in its controversial ballistic program. President Hassan Rouhani congratulated the scientists involved in the mission, in a message carried by Iran’s official IRNA news agency. In January, Iran said it had successfully brought a live monkey….
Iraq violence kills 37 as ‘terrorism’ suspects escape
12/14/2013 – BAQUBA, Iraq (AFP) — Violence in Iraq including an attack by gunmen on workers on a gas pipeline from Iran killed 37 people Friday, while “terrorism” suspects escaped a Baghdad detention facility, officials said. Unrest has reached a level this year not seen since 2008, when Iraq was just emerging from a period of brutal sectarian killings, and the surge has raised fears the country is….
Syria frees 366 prisoners from Aleppo jail
12/14/2013 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syrian authorities have freed for “humanitarian reasons” 366 detainees from Aleppo prison in the north of the country which is under rebel siege, state news agency SANA reported Friday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a first group of 10 prisoners were freed Thursday and that more would follow, adding that most of the prisoners were convicted criminals. Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front and….
Egypt referendum on draft constitution to be held Jan 14-15
12/14/2013 – Cairo (AFP) — Egypt said on Saturday a referendum on a new draft constitution will be held next month, the first step towards elected rule in a country deeply polarized after president Mohamed Morsi’s ouster.”I call upon you to vote in a referendum on the draft revised constitution on January 14 and 15,” interim president
Adly Mansour said in a speech to the….
Iran arrests ‘spy’ for Britain: judicial official
12/14/2013 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iranian security forces have arrested a “spy” working for the British government in Kerman, a judicial official in the southeastern province told the state IRNA news agency on Saturday. The announcement came just a day after Iran’s new envoy to Britain, Hassan Habibollah-Zadeh, held talks in London on his first visit since his appointment last month, which ended a two-year freeze….
Yemenis protest after US drone strike kills 17 in wedding convoy
12/14/2013 – SANAA (AFP) — Angry relatives of Yemeni civilians killed in a drone strike, which Sanaa insists hit Al-Qaeda chiefs, escalated their protest Saturday, blocking a main road and demanding end to US raids. The Supreme Security Committee said a Thursday air strike that killed 17 people, mostly civilians, near Rada in the central province of Bayda, had targeted Al-Qaeda.”If the government fails to stop American….
Thousands evacuated after Gaza floods
AlJazeera 14 Dec 2013 – One person is killed and at least 5,000 are evacuated after days of torrential rain causes flooding in northern Gaza.
occupied Palestinian territory: Gazan wounded by Israeli gunfire on border
Relief Web 14 Dec 2013 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 12/14/2013 20:11 GMT GAZA CITY, December 14, 2013 (AFP) – A Palestinian from the Gaza Strip was wounded by Israeli gunfire on Saturday evening after approaching the border fence, sources on both sides…
occupied Palestinian territory: More than 5,000 evacuated from Gaza “disaster area” floods
Relief Web 14 Dec 2013 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet Country: occupied Palestinian territory Source: Reuters – Sat, 14 Dec 2013 05:21 PM U.N. workers help evacuate stranded Palestinians Snowfall paralyses parts of the West Bank and Jerusalem Israel opens main crossing with Gaza (Updates with…
World: General Assembly Adopts Five Resolutions as Delegates Stress Vital Importance of Unhindered Humanitarian Access
Relief Web 14 Dec 2013 – Source: UN General Assembly Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Philippines, Rwanda, Syrian Arab Republic, World GA/11471 Sixty-eighth General Assembly Plenary 67th Meeting (AM) Joint Debate on Assistance to Rwanda Genocide Survivors Concludes Against a grim backdrop plagued by a rising frequency…
The man who held South Africans together
The National 14 Dec 2013 – Perceptions of the late leader changed drastically as he went from being a political prisoner to the man who steered South Africa through its post-apartheid era.
Blacklisting raises fears of long delay in Iran talks
The National 14 Dec 2013 – US administration’s action against sanctions evaders to stave off fresh sanctions by Congress could backfire if talks do not resume quickly.
Iran celebrates a second successful space trip for monkey
The National 14 Dec 2013 – Mission using liquid-fuelled rocket is hailed as step towards goal of manned space flight.
Focus turns to domestic policy under Qatar’s new emir
The National 14 Dec 2013 – Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani looks to build up bureaucracy and infrastructure after two years of high-profile overseas engagement under his father.
Bahrain looks at new fees as it strives to arrest slide in fiscal health
The National 14 Dec 2013 – Bahrain’s government is considering introducing new fees in an effort to try to avoid a potential fiscal crunch.
Egyptians to vote on constitution next month in step ‘towards democracy’
The National 14 Dec 2013 – The constitutional referendum is to be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections in the middle of next year.
A year after Delhi rape, new laws but old fears remain for women
The National 14 Dec 2013 – Despite new protections for women and a growing awareness about sexual violence, India still has a lot of work to do to improve the safety of its women.
Where was the efficient Israeli government before the storm?
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Software startup Insightera acquired by U.S. company
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Sexually assaulted Haredi girls build new lives as cooks and hairdressers
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Geneticist Prof. Leo Sachs passes away at 89
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Israeli ministers to consider bill penalizing non-profits that support boycott
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Haaretz poll finds 70% of Israelis support equality for gay community
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Netanyahu’s other domestic problem
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Snowstorm provides Israel with a chance to blitz a long-standing problem
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Time to ask South Africa’s forgiveness
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Road to anarchy or path to justice? Israel at a crossroad over Bedouin of the Negev
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
From bad attitudes to chutzpah: 5 conclusions from Israel’s great storm
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
For towns, storm will cost $85.7 million
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Kerry says U.S. has not abandoned ex-FBI agent missing in Iran
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Netanyahu: Saving lives is top priority; IDF vehicles assisting relief efforts
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
In fresh controversy, Desmond Tutu says not invited to Mandela funeral
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
IDF armored vehicles join storm relief efforts; 35,000 homes still without power
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
New initiative aims to open synagogue doors to disabled
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
China puts rover on moon
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Shelving of Prawer Plan paves way for new government approach to Bedouin
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Israel, Palestinians already preparing their alibis if talks fail
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Missing American Jew in Iran was on unapproved CIA mission
Ha’aretz – 14 Dec 2013
Biden aids Holocaust survivors
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Society as a whole, including much of the organized Jewish community in the United States, has failed to adequately step forward to meet the needs of survivors who go hungry, or are cold.
Citizen Kissin
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Why does the government not proactively offer Israeli citizenship to prominent Jews across the globe?
The IDF’s Beduin trackers: Guarding against intrusion from the South
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – A day with the IDF’s Beduin trackers finds the “people of the field” putting their lives on the line to secure Israel’s southern border and the mounting threat of al-Qaida-affiliated terror cells in Egypt’s Sinai.
On the cultural front lines in New York
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – From Rembrandt and Magritte to Kandinsky, Schiff and Gilbert – they’re all there in the New York City cultural scene.
Health Scan: Help for the infertile
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – “Embryoscope” has increased by an impressive 11 percent the success in achieving a pregnancy in couples with fertility problems.
An open or shut case
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Eating problems plague not only underweight and overweight teens; they can affect toddlers and even infants. A Hadassah University Medical Center seminar recently studied the problems.
Classical Review: South American Baroque
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Velasco: La Purpura de la Rosa; Jerusalem Khan, December 5.
Nazi art task force frustrates art restitution advocates
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Task force’s goal is to determine the origins of hundreds of pieces of art seized from the son of a Nazi art dealer.
Nati Gabbay takes over at JPost.com
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – “We have every intention of offering our readers an exciting, interactive multi-media experience,” says site’s new managing editor.
Ukrainian chief rabbi mixes into political fray
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – “This is a time for patience and an open mind,” says Dov Bleich; talks between government, opposition reach stalemate.
First Person: The long way home
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – I found myself frustrated and angered that, in what was at first only light snowfall, the capital had ground to a halt.
Comment: On Mideast security, the US has only just begun
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – The Obama administration appears as determined as ever to advance a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to curtail the Iranian nuclear threat in a way that will enhance, not endanger, Israeli security.
Kerry: US plan allows for Israeli security, Palestinian sovereignty
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – US secretary of state meets with PM in J’lem to discuss advancing peace process; says Palestinian prisoner release set for Dec. 29.
Iran says it sends second monkey into space, brings it back safely
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Demonstration of rocket power is likely to cause concern in the West and among some Gulf states.
IDF forces fatally shoot Palestinian approaching southern Gaza fence
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Soldiers spot man acting suspiciously near the fence and open fire when he refuses to heed warnings.
Kerry: US has not abandoned ex-FBI agent missing in Iran
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – US secretary of state says he thinks Iranian gov’t can help find missing American Levinson, despite denials that they know his location.
Jerusalem slowly recovers as clean-up from massive snowstorm continues
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Roads re-open, public transportation gradually being restored while electric company works to fix power outages.
Recovery efforts underway as worst snowstorm in decades dwindles
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Netanyahu urges residents to exercise caution amid relief operations; Route 1 reopens to public transportation.
Shelter, and humanity, amid the storm
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Jerusalem’s largest shelter cares for 1,500 freezing, stranded – yet grateful – men, women and children during the brunt of record snowstorm.
Storm weakens across Israel, thousands still without power as recovery efforts begin
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Jerusalem-bound Route 1 reopened late Saturday; light snow and low temperatures felt throughout weekend, storm to pass by late Saturday; Defense ministry deploys equipment, food rations to assist emergency services.
Missing Negev man found dead in flooded creek bed
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Negev sub-district police said there is also a second body believed to be the man who went missing with him on Wednesday.
PA officials: No progress on peace deal in latest Abbas-Kerry meeting
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – “Informed sources” cited as saying Kerry is now working toward summit between Abbas and Netanyahu, according to Ma’an news agency.
Syrian Islamist rebels to meet US officials, say oppositions sources
Jerusalem Post 14 D
ec 2013 – Talks in Turkey expected to focus on whether US will aid radical front, which has eclipsed more moderate Free Syrian Army, says source.
More than 4,000 Gazans evacuated from flooded homes
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – United Nations calls northern Strip “disaster area”; water reported to be two meter high in some places.
Iran arrests man accused of spying for Britain’s MI6
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Agents say suspect made contact with Britain 11 times in recent months, ins and out of the country; suspect has admitted his guilt.
Home Front Command mobilizes to assist Jerusalem and Safed
Jerusalem Post 14 Dec 2013 – Ya’alon: The most important thing is of course saving lives.
US arrests would-be suicide bomber who targeted Kansas airport
Jerusalem Post 13 Dec 2013 – Terry Loewen was taken into custody early Friday morning as he tried to enter airport tarmac with bomb-laden vehicle.
Gaza in chaos as rising flood waters add to misery caused by storm
The Guardian 14 Dec 2013 – Aid agencies warn of crisis for refugees living in tents and makeshift shelters as flood waters rise iserable conditions endured by Syrian refugees and others in the Middle East as a result of the harshest weather…
Former Pink Floyd frontman sparks fury by comparing Israelis to Nazis
The Guardian 14 Dec 2013 – Religious leaders react angrily to Roger Waters’ latest outspoken attack on treatment of Palestinians Inflammatory remarks by the musician Roger Waters, formerly of Pink Floyd , comparing the modern Israeli state to Nazi Germany have put him…
Heavy snowfall prolongs emergency in Israel and West Bank – video
The Guardian 14 Dec 2013 – Israeli army personnel assist emergency workers the streets of Jerusalem on Saturday, the third consecutive day of heavy snow
Canada: staff in MPs’ offices forced to sign gag orders to get pay rises
The Guardian 14 Dec 2013 – Civil service global roundup: Ireland’s performance review failing and EU ‘should overhaul its aid’ to Gaza Canada: MPs’ staff forced to sign gag orders to get pay rises New contracts require all staff in MP’s offices…
Guantánamo s books blacklist suggests censors random sense of security
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013 -My five-year-old is currently obsessed with writing poetry. He told me at bathtime today that he hoped to be a famous poet. I suppose this must mean that he is a nascent terrorist. It is rare that…
Palestinian leader urges Irish lead on Mideast peace process Barghouti says he is inspired by Irish struggle for independence
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013 -Mustafa Barghouti emerges from Kilmainham Gaol vowing to read more on Robert Emmett, executed for his failed rising in 1803. The leader of the non-violent Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) already draws inspiration from hunger striker Bobby Sands…
The 6,000-Page Report on CIA Torture Has Now Been Suppressed for 1 Year
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013 -One year ago today, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to adopt a 6,000-page report on the CIA rendition, detention, and interrogation program that led to torture. Its contents include details on each prisoner in CIA custody, the…
Gaza flooding, blockade-manufactured crises
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013- ….UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness said that large regions of the Gaza Strip are a “disaster area” and called on the world community to lift the Israeli blockade in order to allow recovery efforts to proceed, in a…
White House-backed panel to call for cosmetic changes to illegal spying programs
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013- A hand-picked White House-sponsored panel is due to submit recommendations to the Obama administration this weekend as part of efforts to ensure the continuation of the illegal National Security Agency (NSA) spying programs. Leaks to the media…
Gaza flooding, blockade-manufactured crises
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013- ….UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness said that large regions of the Gaza Strip are a “disaster area” and called on the world community to lift the Israeli blockade in order to allow recovery efforts to proceed, in a…
Families seek refuge in school as flooded Gaza turns into “disaster area”
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013 – Two metal sheets fell from the ceiling of Bilal al-Riqib s house on Tuesday evening, narrowly missing his wife and children. The power had already been cut when the house was struck by one of the…
Palestinian activism grows at US universities
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013 -By the third evening of the American Studies Association s national conference, a petition calling for the boycott of Israeli academic institutions had garnered some 850 signatures. An opposing petition had just over 50. Still, there was…
Moonwalking in Syria
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013 – In an interview with the BBC, Ambassador Robert Ford said that the views expressed by former CIA Director, Michael Hayden, do not represent those held by the Obama Administration. But then, judging from past precedents, it…
Iraqi politicians focus on buying, not convincing voters
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013 -Our definition of the Iraqi state is vague. Is it based on a ruling sect or a ruling party? Is it a national or religious institution, or is it a state for all its citizens, as it…
Six killed as drone hits boat in Kabul River near Shalman
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013 -At least six alleged militants were killed and two others injured in a US drone strike in Mach Magai area of Loi Shalman near Khyber Agency on Saturday. According to political administration, missiles fired by the drone…
Thousands evacuated after Gaza floods
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013 – At least 5,000 people have been evacuated from flood-damaged homes in northern Gaza and at least one person killed in what the United Nations called “a disaster area”. The flooding, caused by four days of torrential…
Shimon Peres selective memory of apartheid
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013- Following the death of Nelson Mandela, Israeli President Shimon Peres issued an official statement. It read: The world lost a great leader who changed the course of history. On behalf of the citizens of Israel we mourn…
“Close Guantánamo,” Says Prison s First Commander, Adds That It “Should Never Have Been Opened”
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013 – In an important op-ed for the Detroit Free Press, Maj. Gen. Mike Lehnert of the Marines, the first commander of Guantánamo, has called for the closure of the prison. Maj. Gen. Lehnert built the open air…
Searching for a genuine anti-apartheid struggle in Israel/Palestine
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 14, 2013- While Palestinians and their leaders historically took their cues from anti-colonial resistance in Vietnam, Cuba and Algeria, their struggle has, over time, become similar to the fight against apartheid in South Africa. With the failure of the…
Syria News – December 13, 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 13, 2013 – By the end of Friday the Coordination Committees were able to document 56 martyrs including 6 children, 9 women and 2 martyrs under torture: 22 martyrs were reported in Damascus and its Suburbs, 9 in Daraa,…
Attack on Wedding Convoy One of the Worst in History of Drone War in Yemen
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 13, 2013 – A drone strike by the United States, which targeted a wedding convoy, reportedly killed anywhere from ten to seventeen people and injured as many as thirty individuals. Most of the people killed were civilians, which makes…
Middle East Revolutions at a Crossroads For Solidarity and the Strategy of Permanent Revolution
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 13, 2013 – It has been almost three years since the countries of the Middle East and North Africa were first rocked by the wave of revolutionary uprisings that became known as the “Arab Spring.” In this region rich…
New UK drones “field tested” on captive Palestinians
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 13, 2013 – Amna al-Dam kept the deflated red football her 12-year-old son Mamoun was playing with when he was killed by an Israeli drone strike in the occupied Gaza Strip on 20 June 2012. “I held my Mamoun…
Report: Hizbullah Engaged in Direct Contacts with CIA, Pentagon
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 13, 2013 -The U.S. Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) are engaged in direct and indirect contacts with Hizbullah, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Friday. According to the report, the talks focus on several aspects and include…
46 Killed, 56 Wounded Across Iraq, As Iranian Gas Workers Massacred
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 13, 2013 – A bold attack on Iranians working on a gas pipeline in Diyala province helped drive today s casualty figures up to at least 46 dead and 56 wounded. Fifteen Iranians and three Iraqis were shot dead…
Marooned at Guantanamo: Aging inmates face medical issues
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 13, 2013- The inmates of the detention center here were once considered the “worst of the worst” in the “war on terror.” U.S. officials locked away hundreds of men picked up all over the world in a belief that…
With a friend like that, who needs enemies?
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 13, 2013 -U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was scheduled to start his ninth trip of shuttle diplomacy between Palestinian and Israeli leaders on this December 11. However, the bridging “security arrangements,” which he proposed less than a week…
The Parties Come Together to Save the Military-Industrial Complex
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 13, 2013 -As anyone exposed to a whiff of news media knows, Republicans and Democrats are more divided than ever. They just can t come together like they used to, goes the cliche . But this week, they did come…
Under Israeli fire, Gaza fishermen plan protest tent to “free the Holy Land sea”
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 13, 2013 – On Tuesday, 17 December, Palestinian fishermen will pitch a protest tent in the Gaza seaport. The structure, which will stand for three days and be decorated with pictures of fishermen attacked or captured by the Israeli…
Syria Protests December 13, 2013 : A Video Roundup
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 –
New York Times Knew Missing American in Iran Was Working for CIA Back in 2007
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 13, 2013 – A major story on a retired FBI agent who went missing in Iran was published by the Associated Press yesterday. It revealed details on a coverup at the Central Intelligence Agency to cover up the fact…
Palestinian negotiators angered as Kerry proposes Israeli demands
Uruknet 14 Dec 2013 – December 13, 2013 – John Kerry met with Benjamin Netanyahu today after a tense meeting with Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah last night. According to Israeli Channel 2, Kerry is pushing to lead a three-party summit with Abbas and Netanyahu. The…
Iran say it sends second monkey into space, brings it back safely
Daily Star 14 Dec 2013 Iran says it has sent a second live monkey into space and brought it back safely, the latest demonstration of the country’s missile capabilities, state news agency IRNA reports.
Task force gathers for Syria chemical weapons pickup
Daily Star 14 Dec 2013 A Danish-led task force is being readied in Cyprus to remove the first part of Syria’s deadly chemical stockpile, due before the end of this year.
Holy Land hit by heaviest snowfall in decades
Daily Star 14 Dec 2013 The heaviest snowfall in decades blocks roads across Israel and the Palestinian territories, while torrential rains flooded areas of the Gaza Strip.
Syria rebel commander freezes to death: activists
Daily Star 14 Dec 2013 A rebel commander has frozen to death in the bitter cold brought by a snowstorm that has swept Syria this week, a monitoring group said.
Lebanese Order of physicians deplores attack on doctor
Daily Star 14 Dec 2013 The Lebanese Order of Physicians in Tripoli condemned Saturday the attack on a doctor in a north Lebanon clinic a day before, saying the organization will file a lawsuit against the assailants.
Lebanon minister blasts Syrian envoy, regime
Daily Star 14 Dec 2013 Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour launches a scathing attack against the Assad regime in response to the Syrian envoy’s criticism of MP Walid Jumblatt, saying the regime faces an inevitable collapse.
Tunisia parties in final talks to choose new PM: union
Daily Star 14 Dec 2013 Tunisia’s political parties are holding final talks Saturday to choose an interim premier to end the country’s political crisis, said the powerful UGTT union, which has been acting as mediator.
4 top Ukraine officials investigated in crackdown
Daily Star 14 Dec 2013 Ukraine’s president suspends the head of Kiev city administration and the deputy head of the national security council over the violent police response to a small demonstration.
Over 5,000 evacuated from Gaza “disaster area” floods
Daily Star 14 Dec 2013 More than 5,000 people have been evacuated from flood-damaged homes in northern Gaza and at least one person killed in what the United Nations called “a disaster area.”
Saudi Viber users say banned messenger is back
Daily Star 14 Dec 2013 Saudi users of Internet messenger application Viber reported on Saturday that the service was back on their smartphones, despite the authorities insisting it was still banned.
IDF wounds Gazan who approached border fence
YNet News, 14 Dec 2013 – ….
Italian neo-fascist group tears down flag from EU headquarters
YNet News, 14 Dec 2013 – ….
Safed back online, though 19,500 homes remain cut-off
YNet News, 14 Dec 2013 – ….
Tunisia chooses new PM to replace Islamist gov’t
YNet News, 14 Dec 2013 – ….
Passengers on train from Jerusalem stuck for 3 hours
YNet News, 14 Dec 2013 – ….
Equality? It’s complicated
YNet News, 14 Dec 2013 – Op-ed: Discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, religious lifestyle has become a norm in Israel ….
The Jewish priest who repented
YNet News, 14 Dec 2013 – In middle of priesthood studies in Munich, Daniel Feldstein began searching for his Jewish identity. He found prayer book, hid fringed garment under his robe and began observing mitzvot. ‘A Jew will always remain a Jew,’ he says ….
Palestinian Information Center
Haneyya asks Arabi to break the blockade on Gaza, send aid
PIC – Ismail Haneyya asked secretary general of the Arab League Nabil Al-Arabi to implement the League’s decision on breaking the siege on Gaza and to allow entry of all basic needs via the Rafah crossing.
Hamas condemns execution of Bengali Islamic leader
PIC – Hamas condemned on Saturday the Bengali authorities for executing Islamic leader Sheikh Abdul Quader Mollah, the assistant secretary general of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, last Thursday.
ADU warns of health catastrophe in Gaza
PIC – The relief committee at the Arab Doctors Union has warned of a health disaster in the Gaza Strip as a result of the worsening humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave.
Haneyya: Qatar pledged fuel shipments for the Gaza power plant
PIC – Premier Ismail Haneyya said that Qatar pledged 15 million dollars to help solve the power crisis and aid the population affected by floods, in addition to fuel shipments for the Gaza power plant.
Ghussein: Int’l community, Israel responsible for Gaza catastrophic condition
PIC – The Palestinian government in Gaza held the international community and the Israeli occupation responsible for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Strip.
Gariz: Humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorating due to the blockade
PIC – Palestinian Minister of Public Works in the Gaza Strip Dr. Yousef al-Gariz stressed that Gaza suffers from a deteriorating humanitarian situation, exacerbated by the harsh weather conditions.
Heavy rainfall drenches prisoners’ rooms in Negev prison
PIC – Water drenched tents and cement rooms of Palestinian prisoners in Negev desert prison as a result of heavy downpours amidst absolute neglect on the part of the prison administration.
Gaza: 750 families affected by bad weather condition, rescue operations continue
PIC – Over 700 families were displaced from their houses damaged due to the atrocious weather condition which hit the Gaza Strip, while more shelter centers have been opened especially in the north of Gaza.
IOA diggings threaten the collapse of 40 buildings in Jerusalem
PIC – Serious land subsidence incidents were reported in Silwan town, south of occupied Jerusalem, the Wadi Hilwe information center said.
Iran Reports Successfully Sending Another Monkey Into Space
New York Times 14 Dec 2013 – Iran’s state television said the country used liquid fuel for the first time to launch the rocket, named Pajohesh, meaning “research” in Farsi.
Egypt to Vote Next Month on New Constitution
New York Times 14 Dec 2013 – It will be the first gauge of support for the military’s ouster of Egypt’s first fairly elected president, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
France Says ‘Pessimistic’ on Syria, Has Doubts About Peace Talks
New York Times 14 Dec 2013 – France’s foreign minister said on Saturday he was “pessimistic” about the situation in Syria and had great doubts about the success of a proposed peace conference to be held in Switzerland next month.
Tunisia Chooses New PM to Replace Islamist Gov’t
New York Times 14 Dec 2013 – A forum of political parties on Saturday chose the industry minister as Tunisia’s next prime minister, set to replace the Islamist-led government with technocrats in what’s been a faltering transition to democracy.
U.S., Britain Have Not Helped Syrian Rebels Enough, Saudi Prince Says
New York Times 14 Dec 2013 – Opponents of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad have been at an impossible disadvantage since the start of the Syrian conflict because the United States and Britain refused to help them, an influential Saudi Arabian prince said on Saturday.
Kerry Says U.S. Has Not Abandoned Ex-FBI Agent Missing in Iran
New York Times 14 Dec 2013 – Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States has not abandoned a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran six years ago and that he personally has raised the issue, according to an interview with ABC News.
Yemen Government Compensates Airstrike Victims
New York Times 14 Dec 2013 – A Yemeni tribal leader and a military official say the government has compensated families of airstrike victims in a central city to
end their protest.
Egypt: 3 Christians Sentenced for Killing Muslim
New York Times 14 Dec 2013 – An Egyptian judicial official says a criminal court has convicted three Christians of killing a Muslim man in a dispute that set off some of the country’s worst sectarian violence this year and left nine dead.
Iran Says It Sends Second Monkey Into Space, Brings It Back Safely
New York Times 14 Dec 2013 – Iran said on Saturday it had sent a second live monkey into space and brought it back safely, the latest demonstration of the country’s missile capabilities, state news agency IRNA reported.
Syria Latest Magnet for Jihadist Suicide Bombers
New York Times 14 Dec 2013 – On his last day as an ordinary teenager, Abdullah Siddeh kept to his daily routine: He filled in for his father at the small family grocery in the afternoon, asked his mother at home about dinner and then played soccer with friends at the nearby high school.
Task Force Gathers for Syria Chemical Weapons Pickup
New York Times 14 Dec 2013 – A Danish-led task force was being readied in Cyprus on Saturday to remove the first part of Syria’s deadly chemical stockpile, due before the end of this year.
Calls Mount to Free 2 Iranian Opposition Leaders
New York Times 14 Dec 2013 – The calls for the men’s release are posing a major domestic test for President Hassan Rouhani, who must placate his reformist supporters without antagonizing hard-liners.
Israel’s real fear is BDS and ‘delegitimization,’ says Goldberg
Mondoweiss – Different tracks, in Ramallah One of the fascinating new trends inside US political culture is that the Israel lobby is dividing and reconstituting itself, slightly to the left, in order to take on its new enemy: the BDS movement. The lobby needs to reconstitute itself because…
West Bank demolitions continue even as Kerry visits Israel
Mondoweiss – Land, property, resources theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing Landslide threatens 40 homes in East Jerusalem [photos] BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 13 Dec — Landslides occurred Friday in an East Jerusalem neighborhood as a result of heavy snow accumulation, threatening at least 40 nearby houses located on lands previously…
Do Palestinian-Americans get to register an opinion on academic boycott?
Mondoweiss – Judt Last week the Nation ran a piece dubious of academic boycott by Michelle Goldberg. Yesterday it published two more pieces, pro and contra: Alex Lubin’s call for the American Studies Association to pass a resolution for academic boycott of Israel and Ari Kelman’s piece against…
Shimon Peres’ selective memory of apartheid
Mondoweiss – Israeli president Shimon Peres. Following the death of Nelson Mandela, Israeli President Shimon Peres issued an official statement . It read: The world lost a great leader who changed the course of history. On behalf of the citizens of Israel we mourn alongside the nations of the…
Center for American Progress Beds Down With Corporate Donors, Muzzles Israel-Palestine Debate
Tikun Olam – The founder of the Center for American Progress (CAP), John Podesta, is joining the Obama inner circle in an effort to save his second term. This development led to a somewhat unflattering profile in the NY Times yesterday. The group’s ostensible mission is to be a…
Seymour Hersh: Obama Lied on Syrian Sarin Attack to Justify U.S. Strike
Sabbah report 14 Dec 2013 – Here is investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, talking with Amy Goodman about his reporting and insights on Syria/Sarin. Hersh discuss his new article casting doubt on the veracity of the Obama administration’s claims that only the Assad regime could have carried out the chemical attacks in the…
Israel must give up its worst-kept secret: The Bomb
Sabbah report 14 Dec 2013 – Why are politicians and mainstream media outlets concentrating on Iran and its decision to embark on a nuclear program instead of adopting a more ambitious framework that considers the steps needed to make the Middle East a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons…
VIDEO: Floods force Gaza Strip evacuations
BBC 14 Dec 2013 – More than 5,000 people in the Gaza Strip have been evacuated from their homes because of severe floods caused by torrential rain.
Gaza fighters head to Syria as refugees flow in
BBC 14 Dec 2013 – Gaza jihadists head to Syria, as refugees flow other way
French ‘pessimism’ over Syria talks
BBC 14 Dec 2013 – France’s foreign minister says he has little hope for planned Syrian peace talks, as the moderate opposition is in “serious difficulty”.
Floods force Gazans to leave homes
BBC 14 Dec 2013 – Severe floods caused by torrential rain force thousands of people in the Gaza Strip to move from their homes.
4,000 Evacuated From Flood-Damaged Homes in Northern Gaza
The Foward Breaking News 14 Dec 2013 – More than 4,000 people have been evacuated from flood-damaged homes in northern Gaza in what the United Nations has called “a disaster area”, officials said on Saturday. Click here for the rest of the article…
Jerusalem Lifts Shabbat Public Transport Ban in Light of Snowstorm
The Foward Breaking News 14 Dec 2013 – Jerusalem’s heaviest snow for 50 years forced Israeli authorities to lift a Jewish sabbath public transport ban on Saturday and allow trains out of the city where highways were shut to traffic. Click here for the rest of the article…
“Bethlehem” a Film About Israeli Agents and Their Assets
The Forward Leonard Fein 14 Dec 2013 –
VIDEO: Floods force Gaza Strip evacuations
BBC 14 Dec 2013 – More than 5,000 people in the Gaza Strip have been evacuated from their homes because of severe floods caused by torrential rain.
Gaza fighters head to Syria as refugees flow in
BBC 14 Dec 2013 – Gaza jihadists head to Syria, as refugees flow other way
French ‘pessimism’ over Syria talks
BBC 14 Dec 2013 – France’s foreign minister says he has little hope for planned Syrian peace talks, as the moderate opposition is in “serious difficulty”.
Floods force Gazans to leave homes
BBC 14 Dec 2013 – Severe floods caused by torrential rain force thousands of people in the Gaza Strip to move from their homes.
Tunisia politicians agree on new PM
BBC 14 Dec 2013 – Tunisia’s governing Islamist Ennahda party and the opposition agree that Industry Minister Mehdi Jomaa will be the new caretaker prime minister.
Lebanon: Minister Questioned On Corruption Charges
Al-Akhbar News 14 Dec 2013 – Tensions between the two ministers came to a head shortly after a major tunnel near Beirut’s international airport flooded during the first winter rains. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) Tensions between the two ministers came to a head shortly after a major tunnel near Beirut’s international airport flooded…
Iran ‘sends second monkey to space’
BBC 14 Dec 2013 – Iran says it has successfully sent a monkey into space for the second time this year as part of a programme aimed at manned space flight.
US to hold talks with Syrian jihadists in Turkey: rebel source
Al-Akhbar News 14 Dec 2013 – Rebel fighters hold their weapons during clashes with Syrian forces in the Salaheddin neighborhood of Syria’s northern city of Aleppo on December 11, 2013. (AFP – Medo Halab) Syrian rebel commanders from the Islamic Front which seized control of bases belonging to Western-backed rebels last week…
Severe flooding forces thousands from Gaza homes
Al-Akhbar News 14 Dec 2013 – Palestinian civil defense volunteers help people to travel across flood waters in Gaza City following rain storms for the past few days, on December 14, 2013. (Photo: AFP – Mahmud Hams) More than 4,000 people have been evacuated from flood-damaged homes in northern Gaza in what…
Iran claims it has captured MI6 spy
BBC 14 Dec 2013 – Iran says it has captured a spy working for the British intelligence agency MI6 in the south-eastern city of Kerman.
US keeps quiet on CIA man missing in Iran
Al-Akhbar News 14 Dec 2013 – The White House claimed Friday that a US man reportedly working for the CIA when he went missing in Iran six years ago was not a US government employee, but refused to provide more details on the case. Reports by The Washington Post and the Associated…
Yemenis demand US apologize for deadly wedding strike
Al-Akhbar News 14 Dec 2013 – A Yemeni boy (C) walks past a mural depicting a US drone on December 13, 2013 in the capital Sanaa. (Photo: AFP – Mohammed Huwais) Angry relatives of Yemeni civilians killed in a drone strike have demanded an apology and compensation, warning of tribal protests, an…
Iranian factions claim Mandela’s legacy
Al-Monitor 13 Dec 2013 – Iranians of different political persuasions have sought to view Mandela through their own political views and wants.
Turkey, Saudi ties less than meet the eye
Al-Monitor 13 Dec 2013 – Despite a shared interest in supporting opposition groups against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Riyadh and Ankara are unlikely to become allies.
Netanyahu, Kerry put security first in peace talks with Palestinians
Al-Monitor 13 Dec 2013 – Did the Israeli prime minister promise the US president that he would go for a peace deal with Palestinians under certain conditions?
Basra officials hope new contracts will spur reconstruction
Al-Monitor 13 Dec 2013 – Following years of rampant corruption in reconstruction projects, officials in the Iraqi city of Basra are optimistic that recent contracts concluded with Hill International will spark a construction boom in the city.
Finjan to invest millions in new Israeli cyberfund
Al-Monitor 13 Dec 2013 – The Israeli information-security company Finjan has gone from a start-up company itself to investing in start-ups, launching a new fund dedicated to cyber and security technology.
The dark side of Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters
Al-Monitor 13 Dec 2013 – Comparing Israel to Nazi Germany is abhorrent, even for an aging rock star.
Turkey, China
cooperation on ballistic missiles not new
Al-Monitor 13 Dec 2013 – Turkish defense industry insiders are dismayed with US pressure on Turkey for it reaching a deal with China, as this is not the first time they have cooperated.
Negotiations intensify for release of Syrian nuns
Al-Monitor 13 Dec 2013 – There are three separate negotiating channels with the kidnappers holding the Maaloula nuns hostage, but negotiations have failed because the kidnappers want military concessions, not money.
Egyptian businessmen to develop Upper Egypt
Al-Monitor 13 Dec 2013 – Businessmen in Egypt have begun an initiative to boost employment and production in Upper Egypt, historically one of the country’s most impoverished areas.
Gaza artists improvise under siege
Al-Monitor 13 Dec 2013 – Gaza artists show just how innovative they can be in their work as they find unique ways to depict the Gaza Strip residents’ plight.
Iraqi politicians focus on buying, not convincing voters
Al-Monitor 13 Dec 2013 – Since the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s regime, Iraq’s political scene has been more about infighting and vote-buying than the state’s welfare.
Private sector key to development in Middle East, North Africa
Al-Monitor 13 Dec 2013 – Arab governments need to give room and encourage private sector growth if they’re serious about developing their economies.
Articles
Is John Kerry Serious?
Rami G. Khouri, Agence Global 12/14/2013
BEIRUT—We seem to have entered that inevitable moment that we all knew was coming one day, when the United States would stop trying to be a low-key and totally ineffective mediator between Israelis and Palestinians, and instead play a more decisive role by offering its own proposals on a permanent peace agreement. Press reports on the reported American approach of proposing a framework agreement offer a range of expectations. Most of them are depressing from the Palestinian perspective, because the American government still sees Israeli security, rather than mutual and equal national sovereignty and rights, as the center-piece of its proposals.
The few leaks available also seem to continue the American official tradition of paying much more attention to core Israeli needs than to Palestinian ones—like demanding some form of clear Arab recognition of the Jewish nature of the Israeli state, rather than demanding any level of Israeli recognition of the crimes committed against Palestinians in 1947-48 that created the Palestinian refugee condition in the first place. Nevertheless, we should withhold judgment and wait until the Americans put their ideas on the table, when we can then assess matters on the basis of facts, rather than leaks and rumors.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s intense pursuit of this issue—this is his tenth visit to the region since assuming office—reflects a deeper motivation that is both striking and somewhat unclear. The best explanation on Kerry’s energy on this issue that I have heard from Americans close to the Obama administration is that the persistence of the Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli conflicts in their present form has become a strategic liability for the United States in the region, because public opinion in the Middle East sees the U.S. as heavily favoring Israel and its colonization of Palestine, rather than being an impartial mediator. This hurts the United States in the region in many ways, including in security realms.
This point also has been made in public by senior American military officials. So the United States is wise to make substantive changes in the two areas that matter most in this respect…. more.. e-mail
US, rity plan
Daoud Kuttab, Uruknet 12/12/2013
It might be a coincidence or hype from the Palestinian leadership. But a look at the narrative being weaved by the Palestinian leadership and one has no alternative but to think that the Americans and Europeans have joined the Israelis in trying to extract concessions from the Palestinians.
The latest source of this is the US security plan that includes a permanent Israeli military presence in the Jordan Valley for 10 years. Al-Ayyam daily, which is close to the Palestinian leadership, has said that the plan calls for Israeli soldiers to remain in the Jordan Valley for 10 years. Multiple media reports talked about a visible Israeli security presence in select locations along the Jordan River, with an invisible Israeli presence on the bridge connecting the east and west bank near the city of Jericho.
The latter sounds like the exact same situation that existed prior to the eruption of the intifada in October 2000. Shortly after clashes between Israeli and Palestinian police in different locations, the “invisible” Israelis kicked out the “visible” Palestinian police. The road map had called for Israel to allow the situation to be returned to the pre-October 2000 period, but Israel has refused until this very day the US-designed security plan that would have Palestinian police back on the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge.
Palestinian officials have stated that the United States is “allowing” Israel not to make the third stage of prisoner release due to take place in the next month because of the Palestinian refusal to accept Gen. John Allen’s plan. The Palestinians argue the plan is not American, but a carbon copy of what Israeli security officials want. They say that the Americans have become mailmen for Israel delivering a plan that has the name of the United States on it but is nothing more than a cut-and-paste plan that Israel is comfortable with. more.. e-mail
An obsessive’s documenting of Israeli war crimes in Lebanon can show us how the West lost respect for international law
The Independent 12/8/2013
One Norwegian officer left Lebanon with a typed report on torture taped to his chest
Odd Karsten Tveit was always a very obsessional chap. Every story he covered, he always wanted to dig deeper, study further, hear one more tale of horror, one more joke, one more historical fact. We all covered the story of Israel’s wars in Lebanon, in 1978, in 1982, in 1996, in 2006. Over the years, I covered the story of Israel’s torturers in Khiam jail in southern Lebanon, the massive Ansar prison camp in 1982, the frightful interrogation of Lebanese and Palestinian inmates.
But Karsten has put together a book of immense research which will remain the volume on Israel’s shame in Lebanon and its historical defeat. That’s the title of the English edition – Goodbye Lebanon: Israel’s First Defeat. His detailed questioning of torture victims – hanged by their arms, electrocuted, in one case apparently raped and in another mistreated in an Israeli hospital – have a
n unstoppable power to convince. Not only did he cover the events on the ground in southern Lebanon, he interviewed Israeli veterans in Israel itself.
He reported constantly on Norwegian television and radio; he wanted to learn so much of the vicious Israeli-Hezbollah guerrilla war that he actually took time off to serve in the Norwegian UN battalion n southern Lebanon, wearing the blue beret. Now that is obsession for you.
It is a terrible tale, stories which upset many of the UN peacekeepers, especially military doctors, as evidence mounted of the Israeli brutality on prisoners in Lebanon and inside Israel itself. One Norwegian officer even left Lebanon via Tel Aviv with a typed report on torture taped to his chest for the eyes of a Norwegian government minister.
Prisoners at Ansar were grossly mistreated. Outside the walls of Khiam prison, I visited a post of UN unarmed truth supervisors who told me they could hear the screams of tortured men and women at night…. more.. e-mail
Israel steps up ‘provocation policy’
Khaled Amayreh in occupied East Jerusalem, Al-Ahram Weekly 12/10/2013
Determined to avoid the concessions necessary to making peace, Israel ups the ante on provoking the Palestinians to a new uprising, which Tel Aviv will paint as terrorist.
Feeling cornered by peace efforts led by US Secretary of State John Kerry, Israel has been stepping up a “policy of provocation” against the Palestinians.
Israel hopes, pundits believe, that “rash acts or actions” by the Palestinians would help extricate the Jewish entity from its current political predicament, or at least enable the Israeli government to blame the Palestinian Authority (PA) for the deadlock in the political process.
Acrimonious arguments have been going on within the Israeli government over current peace efforts and the perceived notion that the Obama administration is convinced that Tel Aviv, not the Palestinians, is not being sincere enough about pursuing peace.
According to the Israeli media, an American offer to use advanced American technology to monitor the West Bank’s borders with Jordan has effectively annulled Israeli demands on keeping Israeli troops stationed along the Jordan River, which the Palestinians reject very strongly.
Israel has refused the American offer, which Palestinians say is casting doubt on Israeli intentions and willingness to end its occupation.
STORMING AL-AQSA MOSQUE: Earlier this week,the Israeli government allowed hundreds of Jewish fanatics to celebrate a Jewish religious holiday by roaming Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard. The fanatics, escorted by heavily armed soldiers and other security personnel…. more.. e-mail
Families seek refuge in school as flooded Gaza turns into “disaster area”
Electronic Intifada: 14 Dec 2013 – Gaza a “disaster area” say UN officials, as hardships caused by historic storm compounded by power crisis and ongoing siege.more..
Gaza flooding, blockade-manufactured crises
In Gaza: 14 Dec 2013 – Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced because of severe flooding. ( Eyad Al Baba / APA images ) More updates from Gaza, besieged by cruel Israeli policies and now by torrential rains, Israeli-dam flash-floods, and continued power outages [ yesterday’s post here ]: UNRWA calls Gaza ‘disaster area,’ pleads for end to Israeli blockade Dec 14, 2013 UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness said that large regions of the Gaza Strip are a “disaster area” and called on the world community to lift the Israeli blockade in order to allow recovery efforts to proceed , in a statement sent to Ma’an. “ Large swathes of northern Gaza are a disaster area with water as far as the eye can see. Areas around Jabalia have become a massive lake with two meter high waters engulfing homes and stranding thousands ,” the statement read. “Four thousand UNRWA workers are battling the floods and have evacuated hundreds of families…more
Current Gaza Situation on the Verge of Full-Scale Humanitarian Disaster
Dissident Voice: 13 Dec 2013 – The siege on Gaza constitutes a form of collective punishment by the Israeli military occupation against the civilian population in Gaza which is a violation of international humanitarian law. This siege has been causing much human suffering and
serious negative effects on all aspects of life. The current situation in Gaza is especially on the verge of a full-scale humanitarian disaster due to extreme weather conditions that aggravated the lives of an already beleaguered and besieged population. Severe shortages in power and fuel supplies and lack of proper pumping equipment have made the task of alleviating people’s suffering a nearly impossible mission. People have been trying to get families out of their flooded homes and cars using their bare hands and whatever primitive equipment at hand. Gaza’s public health is reaching crisis levels as clean water and sanitation services are deteriorating due to lack of fuel supplies and Israeli restrictions…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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