2 January 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Soldiers Kidnap Several Children Near Hebron
IMEMC – [Wednesday Evening, January 1, 2014] Dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded the Tabaqa village, south of Doura, in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, invaded local homes and kidnapped several children. …
Elderly Man Dies Of Teargas Inhalation In Kufur Qaddoum
IMEMC – [Wednesday Evening, January 1, 2014] The Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Kufur Qaddoum village, near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, has reported that an elderly man has died of teargas inhalation after Israeli soldiers invaded the village. …
Kerry Starts Tenth Middle East Tour
IMEMC – Amidst ongoing Israeli violations, invasions and assaults, as well as ongoing illegal settlement construction activities, U.S. Secretary of State John Jerry is to start his tenth tour in Tel Aviv and Ramallah, in an attempt to move direct peace talks forward. …
Specter of settlers’ return looms over Hebron neighborhood
1/2/2014 – HEBRON (AFP) — Before they were evicted, the Israeli settlers threw bottles of urine, attacked children and poisoned a horse, according to Palestinian residents in Hebron- who now fear their former neighbors will return. When Israeli soldiers evicted the settlers in 2008 and took over the Rajabi building in the West Bank city — which is still home to hundreds of radical Israeli settlers — even the daily….
Israeli bulldozers demolish 3 Bedouin houses in Negev
1/2/2014 – BEERSHEBA (Ma’an) – Israeli inspectors of the Ministry of Interior’s department of monitoring unlicensed constructions on Thursday demolished three Bedouin houses in the Negev village of Wadi al-Niam. Locals told Ma’an that large numbers of police officers escorted the inspectors who brought a bulldozer and demolished three houses in the “unrecognized” village. [END]
Freed Palestinian prisoner hospitalized in bad condition
1/2/2014 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Freed Palestinian prisoner Naim Shawamrah was hospitalized late Wednesday due to serious deterioration in his health condition, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said. Shawamrah was taken to an emergency room in Dura south of Hebron Wednesday night, said Amjad al-Najjar, director of the Society’s Hebron office. Early Thursday, doctors said his condition was worsening, and transferred him to al-Ahli….
Palestinian shot, injured by Israeli forces in north Gaza
1/2/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A Palestinian man was shot and injured on Thursday by Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Strip, medics said. Medics told Ma’an that the man was shot near a cemetery east of Jabaliya and was taken in an ambulance to the hospital in moderate condition, without providing further details. An Israeli army spokeswoman said that a number of….
3 UNRWA employees hospitalized while on hunger strike
1/2/2014 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Three employees of the UN agency for Palestine refugees were taken to the hospital for treatment after six days of hunger striking, an UNRWA employee told Ma’an. Abdullah Matar, coordinator of the employment program in the UNRWA, said that Hassan al-Butma, Walid al-Hamouz, and Ahmad al-Wehedi have been taken to the hospital for treatment.”Tonight we enter the seventh….
Egypt: Brotherhood, Hamas ‘plot to attack churches’
1/2/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – The Egyptian intelligence said Wednesday that groups affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas movement plotted to blow up Coptic churches in the North Sinai district during Christmas celebrations on Jan. 7. Egypt’s al-Watan newspaper reported that Egyptian intelligence intercepted communications between “terrorist groups” in Sinai and activists of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. The Sinai groups, according to…. Related: Hamas denies involvement in Dec 24 Egypt explosion
Mystery shrouds Palestinian ambassador’s death in Prague
1/2/2014 – PRAGUE (AFP) — Czech and Palestinian investigators were probing Thursday the mysterious death of the Palestinian envoy to Prague, who was killed by an exploding safe. Czech police have said they believe the blast was caused by the accidental detonation of an anti-theft device on the safe at the envoy’s residence rather than an attack.” A Mystery,” read the front-page headline of MF DNES…. Related: Weapons found at Palestinian envoy’s Prague home and Palestinian ambassador’s daughter claims he was ‘assassinated’
Hamas denies involvement in Dec 24 Egypt explosion
1/2/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A spokesman for the Hamas movement on Thursday denied Egyptian claims that Hamas provided support to the perpetrators of the Dec. 24 explosion in Egypt’s Dakahlia governorate. Sami Abu Zuhri said the Egyptian minister of interior’s claims that Hamas provided logistical support for the attack were “false and unfounded.”Such claims are an attempt to misguide…. Related: Egypt: Brotherhood, Hamas ‘plot to attack churches’
Palestinian ambassador’s daughter claims he was ‘assassinated’
1/2/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The daughter of the Palestinian ambassador to Czech Republic who died in Prague Wednesday said an explosive device in his house was planted to assassinate him.” The information about a safety device detonating in his safe is untrue,” Jamal al-Jamal’s daughter said.” The safe has been used daily for 30 years in the headquarters of the Palestinian embassy. It…. Related: Mystery shrouds Palestinian ambassador’s death in Prague and Weapons found at Palestinian envoy’s Prague home
Fatah, Netanyahu spokesman exchange accusations
1/2/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – Responding to a Twitter comment by the spokesman of Israel’s prime minister, Fatah said in a statement that the movement would “continue to resist your occupation and the presence of your soldiers and settlers on our land.”The statement came in response to Ofer Gendelman’s criticism of the Fatah movement for posting a profile photo on its….
Haniyeh: Hamas not seeking new war with Israel
1/2/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Thursday that Hamas did not seek a new war with Israel, a week after an upheaval of violence in the Strip left an Israeli Civil Defense employee and a Palestinian toddler dead.”We always expect treacheries from our enemy, yet our people shouldn’t be obsessed with a new war,” Haniyeh said at….
Weapons found at Palestinian envoy’s Prague home
1/2/2014 – PRAGUE (AFP) — Czech police said Thursday they had found unregistered weapons at the Prague residence of the Palestinian ambassador who was killed by an exploding safe on New Year’s day. Czech and Palestinian investigators are probing the death of ambassador Jamal al-Jamal, although police in Prague said it appeared to be accidental rather than a terror attack.” The blast was the result of…. Related: Mystery shrouds Palestinian ambassador’s death in Prague and Palestinian ambassador’s daughter claims he was ‘assassinated’
Radio: Ex-Israel PM Sharon’s health worsens
1/2/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — The health of former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, who has been in a coma for nearly eight years, worsened on Wednesday, Israeli media reported. The 85-year-old, who is at the Tel Hashomer hospital in the city of Tel Aviv, was suffering from “serious kidney problems” after undergoing surgery, army radio said. News website Ynet quoted medical sources as saying Sharon was…. Related: Hosptal: Israeli ex-PM Ariel Sharon’s ‘vital organs’ failing
Fatah will not hold major anniversary celebration in Gaza
1/2/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Fatah has decided to cancel a major celebration of its 49th anniversary in Gaza City, a leader of the faction said Thursday.”We were content with the crowded festival Tuesday during which a torch was lit at the Unknown Soldier’s Statue in Gaza City,” Faysal Abu Shahla told Ma’an. Shahla said representatives of Palestinian nationalistic and….
Hosptal: Israeli ex-PM Ariel Sharon’s ‘vital organs’ failing
1/2/2014 – TEL AVIV (AFP) — Israeli former prime minister Ariel Sharon’s health deteriorated further on Thursday, with his “vital organs” failing, the hospital where he has been housed in a comatose state for eight years announced.” In the last few days, we have seen a gradual decline in the functioning of Ariel Sharon’s vital organs, which are essential for his survival,” Tel Hashomer…. Related: Radio: Ex-Israel PM Sharon’s health worsens
Abbas dismisses head of military courts
1/2/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday fired the Palestinian Authority’s head of military courts, a Palestinian security official said. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Ma’an that Abbas had relieved Abd al-Latif al-Aiedy of his duties, without providing further details. Abbas, who is also the general director of the Palestinian security forces, has the authority….
Gaza teen commits suicide
1/2/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A teenager hanged herself on Thursday in the southern Gaza Strip, police said. Gaza police spokesman Ayub Abu Shaar told Ma’an that the teen’s body was found in the al-Amal neighborhood west of Khan Yunis refugee camp. The 13-year-old, identified only as W. A. , was taken to Nasser Hospital where she was pronounced dead, Shaar said. [END]
2 die in Egypt clashes between police and pro-Morsi students
1/2/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) – Two people died on Wednesday in clashes between Egyptian police and student supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi protesting against the new military-installed authorities, security officials said. The pro-Morsi coalition spearheading the Islamist protest movement, which has called for nationwide strike action, confirmed two demonstrators were killed. One of them was shot in the head, security officials said. Police said they only used….
Minister: Lebanon arrests head of Qaeda-linked group
1/2/2014 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Lebanese troops have arrested the leader of the al-Qaeda-linked group that claimed a double suicide bombing at the Iranian embassy in Beirut in November, the defense minister told AFP Wednesday. Majid al-Majid, the “emir” of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, “was arrested by the intelligence services of the Lebanese army in Beirut”, Defence Minister Fayez Ghosn said, without specifying when the arrest took place….
Minister: Car bomb kills four in Hezbollah Beirut bastion
1/2/2014 – BEIRUT (AFP) — A car bomb killed four people in southern Beirut Thursday, the fourth attack to hit the Hezbollah bastion since the Shiite group announced its intervention in Syria last year, the health minister said. The bombing came just weeks after a twin suicide bombing killed 25 people at the Iranian embassy in the same area and marked a new breach of the tight security….
Iraq forces battle Qaeda-linked militants in western cities
1/2/2014 – RAMADI, Iraq (AFP) — Iraqi forces backed by tribesmen battled Wahhabi militants on Thursday after they seized parts of two Sunni-majority cities following days of violence triggered by the demolition of a year-old protest camp. Militants from the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) seized half of the city of Fallujah, outside Baghdad, and parts of Anbar provincial capital Ramadi farther west. But….
AlJazeera
Israel prepares for funeral of ex-PM Sharon
AlJazeera 2 Jan 2014 – Doctors treating Sharon say his life is in danger and his vital organs are suffering from critical malfunction.
Kerry renews Middle East diplomatic drive
AlJazeera 2 Jan 2014 – US secretary of state holds talks in Jerusalem with Netanyahu as part of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Israel Bans Family Visit of Palestinian Sick Prisoner
Palestine News Network
Israeli NGO: Israel Tortures Palestinian Children
Palestine News Network
Documantary Film: The Practicalities of Return
Palestine News Network
International Solidarity Movement
85-year-old Saeed Ali Gasser from Kafr Qaddum, killed by suffocation from tear gas
1/2/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team, Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine – Yesterday, Wednesday 1st January, Israeli forces raided the village of Kafr Qaddum during an anniversary march to commemorate the start of the Fatah movement, 49 years ago. Israeli soldiers and border police shot many tear gas canisters towards the villagers and into several houses. One tear gas canister landed directly in the house of 85-year-old Saeed…. Related: Elderly Palestinian man dies after alleged tear gas inhalation
occupied Palestinian territory: DCI-Palestine Case Summaries 2013
Relief Web 2 Jan 2014 – Source: Defence for Children International/Palestine Section Country: occupied Palestinian territory Lawyers and fieldworkers for DCI-Palestine collect sworn affidavits from Palestinian children detailing violations of their rights. These affidavits are taken in Arabic and further reviewed by trained staff to determine…
occupied Palestinian territory: Israel strikes in Gaza after rocket attack
Relief Web 2 Jan 2014 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 01/02/2014 23:29 GMT JERUSALEM, January 2, 2014 (AFP) – Israeli war planes carried out a series of strikes in the Gaza Strip early Friday, the army said, shortly after a rocket from the…
Syrian Arab Republic: UNDP’s Resilience-based Approach to the Regional Syria Crisis
Relief Web 2 Jan 2014 – Source: UN Development Programme Country: Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey Summary Almost three years into the armed conflict in Syria, the crisis and its spill-over into neighbouring countries is having a deep and widespread effect…
Blast kills 5 in Beirut’s Hizbollah stronghold
The National 2 Jan 2014 – At least five people were killed when an explosion rocked a Hizbollah area during rush hour in the southern suburbs of Beirut yesterday.
AAP’s new faces go from anti-corruption warriors to governors of Delhi
The National 2 Jan 2014 – The AAP’s six cabinet ministers in the Delhi government are young and relatively unknown, and will be among the most closely scrutinised in India’s political history.
Nepal envoy seeks action on illegal UAE maid agents
The National 2 Jan 2014 – Nepalese ambassador says employment agencies offer young women jobs and then force them into domestic work despite Nepal’s age limit.
Netanyahu offers gloomy assessment for peace prospects
The National 2 Jan 2014 – John Kerry focused his remarks on a continued US push toward a final peace agreement, which Washington hopes to achieve by April, and his shorter-term pursuit of a framework deal that would pave the way for a permanent accord.
Israel’s ‘Bulldozer’ Ariel Sharon critically ill
The National 2 Jan 2014 – Reviled by Arabs over his hardline policies and viewed with a mixture of respect and suspicion by many Israelis, 85-year-old Sharon has been on life support at Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv for the past eight years.
Al Qaeda militants seize areas of two Iraqi cities
The National 2 Jan 2014 – Militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant took control of half of the city of Fallujah and areas of Anbar provincial capital Ramadi farther west, but security forces and armed tribesmen have begun to fight back.
Antarctic rescue mission underway
The National 2 Jan 2014 – A helicopter mission to rescue 52 passengers trapped on an icebound Russian research ship finally got underway in Antarctica after a number of false starts and failed icebreaking attempts.
Abu Dhabi’s resurgence of sturgeon
The National 2 Jan 2014 – An indoor Caspian caviar farm in Abu Dhabi, with the largest capacity in the world, is working hard to keep endangered species of Siberian sturgeon alive and flipping – with a a bold eventual aim of reintroducing the species to the wild.
Video: Former Israeli leader Sharon’s condition deteriorating -hospital
The National 2 Jan 2014 – Doctors say the condition of Israeli ex-PM Ariel Sharon is now critical with some ‘danger to life’.
Video: Pakistan’s Musharraf rushed to hospital with ‘heart problem’
The National 2 Jan 2014 – Local media reports that Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf is rushed to hospital with a ‘heart problem’ on the way to court.
Video: Antarctica air mission begins
The National 2 Jan 2014 – An operation begins in Antarctica to rescue passengers from the research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy, that’s trapped in ice.
Saudi fan jailed, faces 80 lashes for Twitter libel of Kuwaiti singer Shams
The National 2 Jan 2014 – RIYADH // A Saudi court has sentenced a man convicted of defaming a Kuwaiti singer by accusing her on Twitter of adultery to three months in jail and 80 lashes, according to news reports in the kingdom. The Saudi national, apparently a fan of UAE diva Ahlam, was sentenced for “accusing [Kuwaiti singer] Shams of adultery without providing proof,” the Saudi Sabq news website cited the verdict as saying.
Outrage as Indian girl, 16, gang raped twice and burned alive
The National 2 Jan 2014 – KOLKATA // An Indian teenager was gang-raped in two separate attacks and then died after being set on fire, sparking protests in the eastern city of Kolkata, police said today. The 16 year old was assaulted first on October 26 and then again the day after by a group of more than six men near her family’s home in Madhyagram town, about 25 kilometres north of Kolkata. The second rape occurred as she was returning home after reporting the first attack at a police station.
Video: Kidnapped French priest set free, welcomed home
The National 2 Jan 2014 – A French Catholic priest kidnapped in northern Cameroon last month arrived back in France, to a welcome by French President Francois Hollande.
Video: A call for democracy in Hong Kong
The National 2 Jan 2014 – Thousands of Hong Kong demonstrators call for full democracy while hundreds line up to vote in an unofficial referendum.
Video: Violence rages in Iraq
The National 2 Jan 2014 – Islamist militants clash with police officers in Ramadi after security forces dismantled a Sunni Muslim protest camp on Monday.
Video: Ex Israeli Prime Minister Sharon’s condition worsens
The National 2 Jan 2014 – The health condition of former Israeli PM Ariel Sharon, comatose since a 2006 stroke, deteriorates to ‘life-threatening’ after suffering kidney malfunction.
Video: Bus attack kills at least two in Pakistan
The National 2 Jan 2014 – A suicide bomber in Pakistan’s Balochistan province crashes an explosives-laden car into a bus carrying Shi’ite pilgrims, killing at least two.
Video: Palestinian envoy killed by explosion at Prague home
The National 2 Jan 2014 – An explosion has killed the Palestinian ambassador to Prague at his home, officials said.
Greens fight building plans that threaten nature refuges in urban areas
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
With rainfall aplenty, Israel to rely less on expensive desalinated water this year
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Israel’s Defense Ministry signs deal for military-grade smartphones
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Sharon’s spirit hovers over Netanyahu’s hardest decision: accepting the 1967 ‘Auschwitz borders’
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Israel’s chief rabbinate questions ‘commitment’ of leading U.S. Modern Orthodox rabbi to Jewish law
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Kerry: Netanyahu and Abbas will have to make difficult choices in coming weeks
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Israeli forces arrest 13 Palestinians, Israeli behind bus bombing near TA
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Israel refuses to let Gaza woman visit sick mother whose medical report says ‘Palestine’
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
The bitter pill Israel must swallow if it wants peace
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
What’s it like to see Israel through Google Glass?
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Israeli ministers cementing settlements to solidify hold on Jordan Valley
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Hillel’s ‘loyalty test’ puts the kibosh on left-wing Israel events, critics say
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
For young Israeli couples, sky-high prices make home ownership a distant dream
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Arab soccer team’s bus stoned by Israelis in West Bank settlement
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
UN agency strike leaves trash piled up in refugee camp near Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Israeli ministers to mull bill that would curtail use of gag orders
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
John Kerry lands in Israel to lay foundations for ‘framework agreement’
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Danny Seaman: The Israeli official whose career died from foot-in-mouth disease
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Palestinians: Man, 85, dies from Israeli tear gas
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Cats killing rare Israeli wildlife, scientists say
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Women of the Wall caught sneaking in Torah to Kotel
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Deputy foreign minister: 1967 borders are Auschwitz borders
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
Former PM Ariel Sharon remains in critical condition, hospital says
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
New units take shape as Israeli army drafts more ultra-Orthodox Jews
Ha’aretz – 2 Jan 2014
In Jerusalem, there’s no hiding the dividing line
Ha’aretz – 1 Jan 2014
Israel’s jackal population surges as landfills prove rich source of food
Ha’aretz – 1 Jan 2014
For first time, Palestinians acquitted of stone throwing
Ha’aretz – 1 Jan 2014
Israel’s High Court won’t stop state from detaining migrants at Holot facility
Ha’aretz – 1 Jan 2014
Palestinian leaders prefer to turn to UN than extend peace talks, senior official says
Ha’aretz – 1 Jan 2014
Plagiarism, Inc.: Writing papers is big business
Ha’aretz – 1 Jan 2014
Pity the poor interrogator
Ha’aretz – 1 Jan 2014
Israeli military gets first female combat-battalion commander
Ha’aretz – 1 Jan 2014
Dividing ourselves for conquest
Ha’aretz – 1 Jan 2014
Archeologists denounce plans for visitors center outside Old City
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Construction of ‘Kedem Compound’ will destroy ancient relics, contribute to ‘Judaization’ of e. J’lem, group argues.
Jordanian PM: Israel’s annexation of Jordan Valley contradicts peace agreement
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Jordan worried about secret Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, ask to participate in further talks to protest its interests.
Secret PA report warns of third intifada
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – PA denies existence of document which cautions that failure of peace talks would lead to “spontaneous attacks.”
We’ll ignore a ‘worthless’ framework deal, says PLO
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Abed Rabbo dismisses idea of land swap, calls for timetable for full Israel withdrawl from pre-1967 lines.
US ship to depart soon on chemical weapons mission to Mediterranean
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – The MV Cape Ray is being outfitted with two hydrolysis units for destroying Syrian chemicals.
US pressuring Egyptian army not to back al-Sisi in presidential election
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces convenes to consider nominating defense minister for president.
Inclusive Israel
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu became the first prime minister to address the Union for Reform Judaism’s biennial US gathering.
Jews for Jihad
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – When Jews become the Jewish State’s biggest enemy.
Security forces nab Islamic Jihad members suspected of planting Bat Yam bus bomb
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Shin Bet arrests fourteen suspects, four central suspects accused of perpetrating attack; terrorist placed bomb on bus in Jaffa and remotely detonated it.
Tentative funeral plans underway as Sharon’s condition deteriorates
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Plans for a state funeral begin to be discussed behind the scenes as comatose former premier’s health declines.
Protesters rally outside Kerry’s hotel for Pollard’s release
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Protestors attempt to appeal to visiting top US diplomat to free Pollard as part of peace process.
Why Pharaoh’s heart hardened
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – But Pharaoh’s refusal to allow the Jews to leave is complicated by God’s intervention: He “hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” (Exodus 7:3) It would seem, therefore, that Pharaoh did not have true free will.
Avraham Levin: The father of advertising at the ‘Post’
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Avraham had shown his initiative and gift of negotiations during the early 1950s when the newspaper no longer suffered from the shortage of newsprint and developed a strategy of broadsheet special, huge supplements
The POSTman Knocks Twice: You know Teddy?
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Teddy played a major role in getting the Rothschild family to finance the Knesset building.
Un-American studies
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Perhaps the most odious aspect of the decision of the association of American Studies (ASA) to boycott Israeli universities is its name.
12-year-old cancer patient meets citizen No. 1
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Following spur of the moment goodwill phone call, Israeli President Shimon Peres was made available to meet 12-year-old Elhanan to fulfill his wish.
South African Chief Rabbi aims to spread Shabbat across the world
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein is looking to spread the weekly observance according to the orthodox rite.
Knesset panel to prepare for Shmita year
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Knesset Control Committee to review Comptroller report on Shmita, which occurs every 7 years, in order to plan for next one coming in 9 months.
Soroka hospital in Beersheba to get NIS 30 million upgrade
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – New facilities were made possible with donation from the late businessman Sami Ofer.
Shai, Michaeli press ‘revolutionary’ change to gag orders
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – MK’s claim technological advances lead to leaks and overuse by judiciary system conflicts principle of freedom and public’s right to know.
NGO supports High Court decision rejecting freeze of state’s migrant policy
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Israeli Immigration Policy Center calls request for a policy freeze “groundless at its core.”
Lapid to allocate NIS 150 million towards student housing
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Funds would help build 5000 additional units in student dormitories by 2016 – 1000 in the periphery and 4000 in areas of high demand.
Desalination facilities to run at 70% capacity for 2014
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – After two sufficiently wet winters, Israel will be operating desalination facilities at decreased rate.
Rush to renew visas after increased arrests of African migrants
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Around 500 migrants created long lines at Tel Aviv interior ministry following opening of open detention facility last month.
Kerry to Netanyahu: Israeli-Palestinian peace not ‘mission impossible’
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Top US diplomat arrives to Israel, begins talks with PM; Netanyahu states Israeli doubts over Palestinian commitment to peace; top US diplomat says framework peace deal will clarify issues for a final status agreement.
Egypt arrests 7 over Mansoura suicide bombing, foils Sinai terrorist activity
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Interior Minister accuses Hamas of cooperating with Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt to provide logistical support to the the jihadist group.
Weapons found at Palestinian mission in Prague
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Unknown number of unregistered weapons found at Palestinian mission; officials say mishandling of explosive device killed Ambassador Jamal al-Jamal.
Blast shakes southern Beirut, stronghold of Hezbollah
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Car bomb kills four, injures more than 65 in second such incident in Lebanese capital in less than a week.
IDF appoints first female battalion commander
Jerusalem Post 2 Jan 2014 – Maj. Oshrat Bachar will be promoted to rank of Lieut.-Col and will head Eitam battalion, tasked with monitoring terror in Sinai Peninsula.
Prague embassy staff ‘not aware of explosive device’ on safe
The Guardian 2 Jan 2014 – Spokesman for Palestinian embassy says safe that exploded and killed ambassador was used almost daily for storing cash A safe that exploded at the Palestinian residence in Prague, killing the ambassador , was used almost daily for…
John Kerry arrives in Israel with hopes of reviving peace talks
The Guardian 2 Jan 2014 – US secretary of state presses leaders to agree treaty as talks enter difficult phase aimed at two-state solution
Palestinian, 85, dies ‘after inhaling Israeli teargas’
The Guardian 2 Jan 2014 – Villagers say Israeli soldiers fired teargas canisters at them, one of which entered home of Saeed Jaser Alim An 85-year old Palestinian has died after inhaling teargas fired by the Israeli army to disperse protesters in…
Bethlehem Unwrapped is about ‘beautiful resistance’, not taking sides | Lucy Winkett
The Guardian 2 Jan 2014 – Our church’s festival and the replica of Israel’s barrier uses art and poetry to tell the story of all those suffering in the Holy Land St James’s Church council knew it was a serious decision to…
Libyan Highlanders Enforce Rule of Law
IPS Bird covered with oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: Susan Keith/IPS JADU, Libya , Jan 2 2014 (IPS) Everybody in this mountain village is seemingly familiar with the new regulations. “People other than militiamen or policemen will be fined 500 dinars [around 300 euros] for carrying guns,” local resident Younis…
Video : Defend the freedom-Rim Banna (Yarmouk-Damascus)
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 – Over the last 6 months, Palestinian Camp “Yarmouk” in Damascus is Under Siege by the Syrian Regime. As a result, many people and mostly children are dying from hunger and malnutrition. Will you still to be…
Taliban statement Rejoinder of the Islamic Emirate about the recent report of UNAMA regarding the civilian casualties
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014- Inmates inside the notorious American prison of Guantanamo have been on a hunger strike for the past twenty days. According to information, the prisoners have deprived themselves of every basic living need due to their absolute necessity…
The “anti-imperialist” backhanded support for the war against “Al Qaeda”
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 – Today a Debkafiles item titled “US and Iran s First Joint Military Venture: Fighting al Qaeda in Iraq” turned up on Facebook. As you might know, Debkafiles is an Israeli intelligence website committed to the “war…
Palestinians Face a Route to Nowhere
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 – ROUTE 443, Occupied West Bank (IPS) – The full moon sets; another dawn rises over Route 443. For over 40,000 Israeli residents and settlers commuting daily between Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, it isn…
2014: International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 – In a little noted initiative the General Assembly on November 26, 2013 voted to proclaim 2014 the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of…
Scholars Condemn Assault on Iraq Sunnis
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 – A leading Muslim organization has vigorously condemned assaults on peaceful protesters in Iraq s western Anbar province, holding the Iraqi government responsible for shedding the blood of civilians. “The International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) holds…
Sunni tribesmen seize buildings in Iraqi city
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 – Sunni Muslim tribesmen in Iraq s Anbar province have seized control of all police stations in Fallujah, with armed men removing all officials from their posts as the army remains positioned outside the city s borders….
Over 10,000 Killed in Iraq in 2013, Worst Since 2007
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 – 2013 in Iraq began much the way 2012 did, with violence well down from the levels of the US occupation era. Then the Maliki government attacked a peaceful protest in Hawija in mid-April, and a sectarian…
Israel put Palestinian children in outdoor cages during winter storm
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 -Israel put Palestinian prisoners, including children, in outdoor cages during the severe winter storm that struck the region in the middle of last month.The shocking practice was highlighted in a year-end statement by the advocacy group, the…
(Ismael Mohamad / United Press International) Israel put Palestinian children in outdoor cages during winter storm
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 -Israel put Palestinian prisoners, including children, in outdoor cages during the severe winter storm that struck the region in the middle of last month.The shocking practice was highlighted in a year-end statement by the advocacy group, the…
Solidarity helped me keep fighting, says released hunger striker Samer Issawi
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 -There was a distinctly different ambience at the home of the Issawis this time around. It would be the first time that we were visiting expecting to meet Samer Issawi himself. This visit was not about offering…
In 2014, BDS movement will outflank Israel lobby – Beinart
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 -An excellent column by Peter Beinart in Haaretz says this is the year the two-state solution ends. He puts the blame squarely on the Israel lobby for its inflexibility and says what few say openly in the…
Lynne Stewart Freed From Prison, Granted “Compassionate Release”
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2013 -Lynne Stewart has arrived in New York. She was released from prison Tuesday after federal Judge John Koeltl ordered her “compassionate release.” . Koeltl wrote that “Stewart s “terminal medical condition and very limited life expectancy constitute extraordinary…
Exclusive: MoD tightens security at American spy bases linked to drone strikes Draconian laws would help the US cover up illegal activities
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 -The Ministry of Defence is set to introduce “draconian” new powers to tighten security and limit access to US airbases in Britain implicated in mass surveillance and drone strikes, The Independent can reveal.The measures, which include powers…
This is not a life : A journey to Israel s open detention center
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 – When asylum seekers from Eritrea and Sudan walked out of the Holot prison last week, they walked out of obscurity. Until then, even people like myself who had been involved in their community six years ago…
Explosion in Prague kills Palestinian ambassador
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – January 1, 2014 -The Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic has died after sustaining injuries in an explosion at his residence in Prague, a police spokeswoman said. Jamal al-Jamal s family were also at the two-storey residence in a northern…
Syria News – December 31, 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – December 31, 2013 – By the end of Tuesday the Coordination Committees were able to document 76 martyrs including 18 children, 5 women and 4 martyrs under torture: 26 martyrs were reported in Damascus and its Suburbs; 26 in Aleppo;…
Syrian Revolutionary War 2013 Round Up: The End of the Beginning
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – December 31, 2013 – Like every story, a revolution has a beginning, a middle, and an end. 2013 was the end of the beginning of the armed struggle as hard-won revolutionary victories gave way to debilitating stalemates, stalemates that led…
Planned Israeli Jordan Valley Annexation?
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – December 31, 2013- In May 2011, Netanyahu addressed Congress. He was warmly welcomed. London s Guardian called it a “love-in.” He received 29 standing ovations. Jerusalem must remain Israel s exclusive capital, he said. Loud cheers followed him saying: “Israel…
Maliki under fire as Iraq violence continues
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – December 31, 2013 -More than 40 Sunni lawmakers submitted their resignations from parliament, and Sunni ministers threatened to withdraw from the Cabinet over the unrest. Tariq Hashemi, Iraq s exiled Sunni vice president, has also resigned in protest, and called…
Poll: United States Seen As Greatest Threat To World Peace In 2013
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – December 31, 2013- Once again the United States has topped the list in a world opinion poll as the biggest threat to world peace. Apparently the War On Terror has succeeded in making people terrified of us. The disclosures of…
FSA, Nusra, Protests Against ISIS Extend to Idleb
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – December 31, 2013- The Military Council of the Jihadists in Marat al-Numan and the Military Council in Hama issued a statement condemning ISIS . Activists and oppositionists in Marat al-Numan, in the northwest Idlep province have called for the unification of…
B Tselem: 2013 Witnesses Rise in Violence in West Bank
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – December 31, 2013 -B Tselem, The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, said in a report Tuesday that the number of Palestinian fatalities in 2013 by IOF-related violence is the highest in five years. According to…
Israel government tortures Palestinian children by keeping them in cages, human rights group says
Uruknet 2 Jan 2014 – December 31, 2013 -An Israeli human rights organisation has accused the government of torturing Palestinian children after it emerged some were kept in outdoor cages during winter.The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) published a report which claimed children…
Daniela Dönges in interview with RT on the deplorable system of capital punishment in Iraq
Uruknet 1 Jan 2014 – December 31, 2013 -Daniela Dönges, senior human rights researcher at Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ), gave an interview with Salam Musafer from Russian Television RT. Speaking about the horrendous wave of executions in Iraq she explained that the increasingly…
Report: 1,869 Palestinian refugees killed in Syria
Uruknet 1 Jan 2014 – December 31, 2013 – The working group for Palestinians in Syria announced that 1,869 Palestinian refugees were killed in Syria since the crisis in that war-torn Arab country started.The group said in a press release on Tuesday that a Palestinian…
Executive Order 12,333: Permission to Spy on the Whole World
Uruknet 1 Jan 2014 – December 31, 2013 -Privacy advocates and a prominent civil liberties group sued the U.S. government on Monday, demanding disclosure of how key spy agencies and the executive branch interpret and execute legal authorities that govern a vast foreign electronic surveillance…
Simon Wiesenthal Center calls Falk, Walker, Waters, Blumenthal and ASA anti-Semites
Uruknet 1 Jan 2014 – December 31, 2013 – You d think it s a parody but it isn t. The Simon Wiesenthal Center, which says it s devoted to fighting anti-Semitism worldwide because of the Holocaust, has made a year-end list of the “Top…
Report: 2 Swiss found dead in Egyptian resort
Daily Star 2 Jan 2014 Authorities have discovered the bodies of a Swiss couple in a villa in a Red Sea resort city in Egypt, the country’s state television website reported Thursday. It says investigators suspect the villa guard.
Russian, Chinese warships to help Syrian mission
Daily Star 2 Jan 2014 A spokesman for the joint Danish-Norwegian operation tasked with ferrying Syria’s chemical weapons out of the strife-torn country says warships from Russia and China will provide additional security on the transport leg of the operation.
Briton, New Zealander found shot to death in Libya
Daily Star 2 Jan 2014 A British man and a New Zealand woman were found shot to death near an oil and gas complex in western Libya, a Libyan security official said Thursday.
Malnutrition kills 8 in Syria prison: NGO
Daily Star 2 Jan 2014 Eight people held by the Syrian government in Aleppo’s central prison have died over the past two days from malnutrition, a monitoring group said Thursday.
Hezbollah: Political understanding needed to save Lebanon
Daily Star 2 Jan 2014 Hezbollah’s second in command Sheikh Naim Qassem warns that Lebanon is on the road to destruction unless rival factions come to a political understanding on the formation of the next Cabinet, hours after a car bomb…
Morsi trial for Egypt jailbreak set for Jan 28
Daily Star 2 Jan 2014 Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi will go on trial on January 28 with 130 others over a jailbreak during the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, judicial sources said on Thursday.
Bombing in northern Iraq city kills 19
Daily Star 2 Jan 2014 A truck packed with explosives blew up in a city north of Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 19 people, as security forces and allied tribesman battled to put down an uprising by al-Qaida-linked militants who…
Lebanese officials condemn Beirut car bomb
Daily Star 2 Jan 2014 Lebanese officials and politicians condemn the deadly car bombing that struck the neighborhood of Haret Hreik in the southern suburbs of Beirut and urge rival parties to engage in dialogue to counter the growing threat of…
Israel official: Jordan Valley must remain border
Daily Star 2 Jan 2014 A senior Israeli Cabinet minister and more than a dozen hawkish legislators poured cement at a construction site in a settlement in the West Bank’s Jordan Valley on Thursday.
Thoughts of Americans with Israel over Sharon: Kerry
Daily Star 2 Jan 2014 US Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday that the thoughts of the American people were with Israel and its comatose former leader Ariel Sharon, whose health was rapidly deteriorating.
Netanyahu downbeat as Kerry returns for talks
Daily Star 2 Jan 2014 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a gloomy assessment of peace prospects with the Palestinians Thursday as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry began his 10th visit to the region in pursuit of an agreement.
Charbel says suicide bomber possibly behind Beirut blast
Daily Star 2 Jan 2014 Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel says human remains found at the blast site of the car bombing in Beirut’s southern suburbs suggests a suicide bomber may have been involved.
Army: 20 kg of explosives used in Beirut blast
Daily Star 2 Jan 2014 The Army says preliminary investigations indicate that 20 kilograms of explosives material were used in the car bombing that struck the Beirut southern suburbs earlier in the day.
US ship being readied for Syria weapons disposal
YNet News, 2 Jan 2014 – ….
Briton, New Zealander killed in western Libya
YNet News, 2 Jan 2014 – ….
Jordan part of the solution
YNet News, 2 Jan 2014 – Op-ed: Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be solved when West Bank’s Arab residents regain their Jordanian citizenship ….
IAF strikes Gaza targets; rocket launchers destroyed
YNet News, 2 Jan 2014 – ….
Al-Qaeda leader held in Lebanon raised funds for anti-Assad militants, say experts
YNet News, 2 Jan 2014 – ….
The terrorists that Israel missed
YNet News, 2 Jan 2014 – Analysis: Explosion last week thankfully prevented by citizens’ awareness, but organization of group, PA’s lack of monitoring are cause for concern ….
Netanyahu lauds Shin Bet, IDF, police for nabbing Bat Yam bus blast suspects
YNet News, 2 Jan 2014 – ….
United in eye of beholder
YNet News, 2 Jan 2014 – Op-ed: Release of terrorists from east Jerusalem under claim that they are not ‘Israeli’ holds a glaring mirror to our face ….
Queen Elizabeth honors Israeli haredi
YNet News, 2 Jan 2014 – Isaac Schapira to receive appointment of Officer of Order of British Empire in recognition for strengthening ties between UK and ultra-Orthodox community ….
Rabbinate: Rabbi Avi Weiss’ commitment to Halacha ‘questionable’
YNet News, 2 Jan 2014 – After American rabbi threatens to petition High Court over Chief Rabbinate’s refusal to recognize modern Orthodox rabbis, Rabbinate says testimonies from well-known US rabbis cast doubt on level of his commitment to Jewish Law ….
Now for the good news
YNet News, 2 Jan 2014 – Op-ed: UK ambassador to Israel says flourishing bilateral links between two countries are most eloquent answer to Israel boycott calls ….
10th visit to Israel: Is Kerry eyeing Nobel Prize?
YNet News, 1 Jan 2014 – Former US Secretary of State Clinton visited Israel five times during entire term, Kerry about to land in Israel for tenth time in one year. ‘He will lay critical foundations, visit must not be underestimated,’ Israeli official says ….
Television show exposes wild nightlife of Algerian students
YNet News, 1 Jan 2014 – Algerian invesigative journalists pose as students, gain acess to dorms, document lifestyle. Findings include alcohol consumption, drug abuse, nights with men at hotels ….
IDF reports 50% reduction in military suicides in 2013
YNet News, 1 Jan 2014 – Seven soldiers committed suicide in past year, lowest figure since IDF establishment in 1948. Forty soldiers passed away in 2013, five in operational activities ….
Former PM Ariel Sharon’s health worsens
YNet News, 1 Jan 2014 – Significant deterioration in former prime minister’s medical state, due to kidney failure, was reported. Since suffering a stroke in January 2006, Sharon has been in a coma ….
Iran hard-liners join team of nuclear negotiators
YNet News, 1 Jan 2014 – Iranian news agencies report new conservative members join negotiations team in Geneva to silence critics of November’s historic deal ….
Palestinian representative to Prague killed in explosion
YNet News, 1 Jan 2014 – Czech media report Palestinian representative in country was killed after opening old safe transferred to his Prague residence. Local police rule out attack, say incident was accident ….
Palestinian Information Center
Palestinian teen seriously wounded in IOF shooting
PIC – A Palestinian youth was seriously wounded to the east of Gaza city on Thursday evening at the hands of Israeli occupation forces (IOF).
Palestinian elderly man dies of tear gas inhalation in Qalqiliya
PIC – An 85-year-old man was proclaimed dead at dawn Thursday after he had inhaled tear gas during an earlier Israeli military attack on homes in Kafr Qaddum village, east of Qalqiliya city.
Child prisoner Mohammed Mahdi transferred to hospital
PIC – The Israeli Prison Service transferred Jordanian captive the child Mohammed Mahdi to the hospital after he sustained wounds in his hands, caused by the cuffs the Israeli soldiers put in his hands.
IOF storms al-Khalil and arrests 13 Palestinians, including minors
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed at dawn Thursday several areas in al-Khalil south of the West Bank, and arrested 13 citizens, including minors.
Palestinians warn of Israeli plan to build tourist village on Azzeitoun Mount
PIC – Noted Palestinian figures said on Wednesday that the Israeli occupation plans to annex a vast tract of Palestinian land on Azzeitoun Mount in east Jerusalem to establish a Jewish heritage village.
Media forum condemns Israeli violations against Palestinian journalists
PIC – Palestinian media forum strongly condemned the escalation of Israeli occupation’s attacks and abuses against Palestinian journalists during the last days of 2013.
IOF soldiers raid Jenin, settlers beat up boy in nearby village
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed Jenin city on Wednesday night and occupied the rooftop of a citizen’s house to monitor movement of citizens.
Hundreds of settlers storm Yusuf tomb
PIC – Hundreds of Jewish settlers stormed Yusuf tomb to the east of Nablus city at dawn Thursday under Israeli military protection.
1948 Palestinians stress their rejection to population exchange proposal
PIC – Arab member in the Knesset Mohammed Baraka stressed the rejection of the Palestinians in the 1948 occupied territories to the proposal of “population exchange”.
42 Palestinian prisoners injured in 2013
PIC – Israeli Prison Services intensified search operations and break-ins into Palestinian prisoners’ sections and rooms during 2013, where they carried out 172 raids during the past year.
PEX Report: Index Up at First Day of New Year Trading
WAFA – 2 Jan 2014
B’Tselem: 2013 Highest in Number of West Bank Fatalities in 5 Years
WAFA – 2 Jan 2014
Israel to Demolish Homes near Nablus
WAFA – 2 Jan 2014
Elderly Man Dies from Tear Gas Inhalation
WAFA – 2 Jan 2014
Israeli Forces Arrest Two in Bethlehem
WAFA – 2 Jan 2014
Newspapers Review: Kerry in Region Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 2 Jan 2014
Weather: Cold, With Rain Expected on Weekend
WAFA – 2 Jan 2014
British, New Zealand teachers found shot to death in Libya
LA Times 2 Jan 2014 – The bodies of a British man and a New Zealand woman shot to death near an oil terminal in western Libya were discovered Thursday by government troops, news agencies in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, reported.
Lebanon blasts reflect spillover of Iran-Saudi proxy war in Syria
LA Times 2 Jan 2014 – TEHRAN — Two deadly bombings in Beirut over the last week and the arrest of a fugitive Saudi militant in the Nov. 19 attack on Iran’s embassy in the Lebanese capital reflect the escalating spillover of a proxy war in Syria.
Lebanon blast in Hezbollah-controlled area kills at least four
LA Times 2 Jan 2014 – AMMAN, Jordan — Lebanon’s capital was rocked again Thursday by what appeared to be a sectarian car bombing that tore through a stronghold of the Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah, killing at least four people. More than 70 were wounded.
Kerry in Jerusalem: Hard work on Israeli, Palestinian goals
LA Times 2 Jan 2014 – JERUSALEM — U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry arrived in Jerusalem on Thursday to begin another round of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, his 10th visit since taking office with the intent of renewing Middle East peace negotiations.
Syrian Electronic Army says it hacked Skype’s social media accounts
LA Times 2 Jan 2014 – AMMAN, Jordan – The pro-Syrian government hacking group, the Syrian Electronic Army, has taken credit for an attack on the social media accounts of Internet calling service Skype.
Blast in Beirut neighborhood reportedly kills at least three people
LA Times 2 Jan 2014 – CAIRO — An explosion Thursday tore through a residential neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs, less than a week after a huge car bomb hit the city’s commercial center. Early reports on Thursday’s blast indicated that at least three people had been killed.
Foreign fighters answer calls to join Syrian conflict
LA Times 2 Jan 2014 – Well-coordinated recruitment efforts, aided by social media, are drawing a stream of Islamic militants to Syria. It was the summer of 2012 and the young Jordanian was working long hours as a teacher at a vocational high school. He had just bought an apartment and…
Another Deadly Bomb Shakes Lebanon
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – The explosion of a car bomb in a suburb appeared to be the latest in a string of bombings in Lebanon linked to the civil war in neighboring Syria.
While Kerry Pushes Peace Talks, Israeli Leader Airs Criticism
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – Upon the arrival of Secretary of State John Kerry in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu questioned the Palestinian commitment to peace.
Parts of 2 Key Iraqi Cities Fall to Qaeda Group Active in Syria
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – Radical Sunni militants aligned with Al Qaeda freed prisoners, torched police stations and seized mosques on Thursday in Falluja and Ramadi, two of Iraq’s most important cities.
U.S. Ship to Depart Soon on Chemical Weapons Mission to Mediterranean
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – The U.S.-owned cargo ship with the capability to destroy the nastiest of Syria’s chemical weapons will depart for the Mediterranean in about two weeks, officials said on Thursday as shipyard workers readied the vessel for new sea trials.
The Lede: Egyptian Puppet Called Terrorist Mouthpiece
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – Egypt’s crackdown on support for the Muslim Brotherhood has turned surreal as prosecutors agreed to investigate the allegation that a puppet in a phone ad was sending coded instructions to Islamist terrorists.
Israel Arrests Islamic Jihad Suspects Over Bus Attack
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – Israeli authorities said on Thursday they had arrested four suspected members of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in connection with a bomb attack on a bus in a Tel Aviv suburb last month.
Karzai Warned Over Release Of Detainees
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – Two senators told President Hamid Karzai that relations would be damaged if Afghanistan released prisoners accused of attacking American forces.
The Lede: Video of Second Bombing in Beirut in Less Than a Week
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – The explosion in Lebanon appeared to be the latest in a spree of bombings over Hezbollah’s support for the government of neighboring Syria in that country’s civil war.
Report: 2 Swiss Found Dead in Egyptian Resort
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – Authorities have discovered the bodies of a Swiss couple in a villa in a Red Sea resort city in Egypt, the country’s state television website reported Thursday. It says investigators suspect the villa guard.
Briton, New Zealander Found Shot to Death in Libya
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – A British man and a New Zealand woman were found shot to death in western Libya, a Libyan security official said Thursday.
Sunni Fighters Repel Army in Western Iraqi Cities
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – Sunni Muslim fighters clashed on Thursday with Iraqi troops trying to regain control of two western cities, in a serious escalation of their confrontation with the Shi’ite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
Syrian Troops Battle ‘Infiltrators’ From Lebanon
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – Syria’s state news agency says government forces have “wiped out” a group of gunmen who were trying to infiltrate from Lebanon.
Suicide Car Bomber Kills at Least 12 in Iraq
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – A suicide bomber driving a car packed with explosives killed at least 12 people who had gathered to buy and sell cars in Iraq on Thursday, local officials said.
Senior Yemeni Intelligence Officer Shot to Death
New York Times 2 Jan 2014 – A Yemeni security official says gunmen have shot dead a senior intelligence officer as he was riding in his car in a southern city.
Israeli ‘hospitality’: Netanyahu throws cold water over Kerry’s plans
Mondoweiss – Netanyahu has some crust. This is how he began his remarks today in Jerusalem before going behind closed doors with the U.S. Secretary of State: throwing cold water all over John Kerry by saying that the Palestinians are no partners for peace because “instead of preparing…
No ‘breakthrough’ and no ‘agreement’ in the Middle East, Indyk says– anonymously
Mondoweiss – Sec’y of State John Kerry names Martin Indyk his special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations last July “We’re not expecting a breakthrough on this trip,” Martin Indyk, the State Department’s mediator on the conflict, said today in a supposedly-anonymous briefing on this week’s urgent round of peace…
Medical tourism cos set up association
Globes Main News – The Israeli Medical Tourism Association will seek to formalize and foster the controversial business.
Private ports tender postponed again
Globes Main News – The deadline for submitting bids has been pushed back at the last moment from January 15 to February 17.
Israel cages Palestinian children in outdoor holding pens during freezing storm
Mondoweiss – The Givon prison in Ramla (Photo by Nir Keidar) Once again Israel has been accused of torturing children. This time the state has been accused of caging Palestinian children in outdoor holding pens during the recent freezing winter storm. Lawyers from Israel’s Public Defender’s Office (PDO) visited a prison…
Lapid’s rental apartment plan underway
Globes Main News – Three projects for 729 rental apartments in Herzliya, Ramat Hasharon, and Haifa have been approved.
Shekel weakens as Bank of Israel finally acts
Globes Main News – The slide in the shekel-dollar exchange rate was halted after the Bank of Israel bought more than $250 million this morning.
JNF on why blue box has no green line: ‘This doesn’t say this is a map of Israel’
Mondoweiss – The Jewish National Fund blue box Forward writer Josh Nathan-Kazis follows up on our post from last week on the fact that the iconic Jewish National Fund blue box fails to show the green line on its map of Israel: Asked about this, a spokeswoman for…
Debunking Israel’s imagined ‘Christian awakening’
Mondoweiss – A scene in Nazareth (Photo: Flickr/ Adam Groffman ) Last week, the Wall Street Journal published a piece entitled “Israel’s Christians Awakening,” by Adi Schwartz, arguing that Palestinian Christians in Israel are undergoing a change, separating their identity from the Palestinian minority and enlisting in the Israeli…
‘Foreign Policy’ runs piece on Zionist terrorism in ’40s, noting US and British support networks
Mondoweiss – Calder Walton’s book cover I’m a tea-leaf reader from way back, but this piece at Foreign Policy seems significant: “How Zionist Extremism Became British Spies’ Greatest Enemy”, by Calder Walton, from a forthcoming book . Walton’s book is about British intelligence’s retreat from the cold war, everywhere…
Mutual funds raise record net NIS 55b in 2013
Globes Main News – Assets under management totaled NIS 236 billion at the end of 2013, 36% more than a year earlier.
‘NYT’ changes ‘Palestinians’ to ‘Arabs’ and removes Israeli responsibility for Gaza shortages
Mondoweiss – Two weeks ago the New York Times ran an enthusiastic review of Gazan songbird Mohammed Assaf’s American tour, by Lindsay Crouse, with Reem Makhoul. The story included these points (as Yousef Munayyer reports): And the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, included in a message to Secretary…
Perion completes Conduit ClientConnect acquisition
Globes Main News – Perion CEO: Combined, we are focused on providing intelligent data-driven solutions to help publishers increase distribution and monetize their apps.
Gov’t delaying construction of private power stations
Globes Energy & Water – The Ministry of Energy is delaying construction of private power stations with total capacities of more than 1,000 megawatts.
Prof. Zvi Eckstein supports NIS 3.30-3.40/$ floor rate
Globes Macro Economics – The former deputy Bank of Israel Governor is the first senior figure from the financial system to advocate a floor rate.
Clal Insurance signs industry’s first union labor contract
Globes Main News – The agreement could pave the way for a labor contract at Migdal Insurance.
Daniel Seaman Puts His Foot in It…Again
Tikun Olam – Daniel Seaman’s latest social media gaffe Oh dear, oh dear. Daniel Seaman , one of the Israeli government’s ace hasbara flacks has stuck his foot in it again. Earlier today, the Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic died when he opened a safe that had remained unopened…
Citi: Vigodman can lead Teva turnaround
Globes Main News – Citi says that Erez Vigodman’s experience in turning Makhteshim Agan around is just what Teva needs.
Landa calls for Teva board leadership changes
Globes Main News – In an email to investors seen by the “Financial Times,” printing pioneer Benny Landa hints he is seeking to oust Teva chairman Phillip Frost.
New bid to collect Syrian toxic arms
BBC 2 Jan 2014 – Norwegian and Danish ships are set to sail again from Cyprus in a new bid to collect Syria’s chemical arms, after an earlier deadline was missed.
Israel Arrests Islamic Jihad Suspects In Connection With Bus Bomb
The Foward Breaking News 2 Jan 2014 – Israeli authorities said on Thursday they had arrested four suspected members of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in connection with a bomb attack on a bus in a Tel Aviv suburb last month. Click here for the rest of the article…
Google Signs Agreement With Israeli Government To Boost Technology
The Foward Breaking News 2 Jan 2014 – Google and Israel signed a memorandum of understanding in which the tech giant agreed to provide technological services to the Israeli government. Click here for the rest of the article…
Daughter Suggests Palestinian Envoy Killed in Prague Home Explosion Was Murdered
The Foward Breaking News 2 Jan 2014 – The Palestinian envoy to Prague was ‘deliberately killed’, his daughter alleged on Thursday, a day after he died in a mysterious explosion after opening a safe in his residence. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israel ex-PM Sharon ‘critically ill’
BBC 2 Jan 2014 – The condition of Israeli ex-PM Ariel Sharon – who has been in a coma since 2006 – is now critical, “with some danger to life”, his doctors say.
Benjamin Netanyahu Downbeat on Peace as John Kerry Jets in for Talks
The Foward Breaking News 2 Jan 2014 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a gloomy assessment of peace prospects with the Palestinians on Thursday as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry began his 10th visit to the region in pursuit of a deal. Click here for the rest of the article…
Weapons find at Palestinian mission
BBC 2 Jan 2014 – Czech police say that they have found weapons at the home of the Palestinian ambassador who was killed by an explosion at his home in Prague on Wednesday.
VIDEO: Safety kit on ‘chemical weapon ship’
BBC 2 Jan 2014 – The BBC’s Anna Holligan shows how containers on board a Norwegian frigate will transport chemical weapons out of Syria
North Africa: ANHRI Releases January’s First Issue of Wasla Newspaper
allAfrica.com 2 Jan 2014 – [HRInfo]Cairo: -The Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) today, 1 January 2014, released issue No. 6 of the second publication of “Wasla” newspaper. The issue includes some writings of bloggers along with comments of online activists that pertain to the current situation in Egypt and…
Israel Wades Into Europe Circumcision Debate — and Reaction Is Mixed
The Forward New 2 Jan 2014 – The Israeli government is wading into the burgeoning European debate over circumcision — and is getting a decidedly mixed reception from the continent’s Jews. Click here for the rest of the article…
Jewish National Fund’s Iconic Blue Box Sends One-State Israel Message
The Forward New 2 Jan 2014 – Israel has officially embraced the two-state solution for five years now. So why does the Jewish National Fund’s iconic blue box depict just a single one? Click here for the rest of the article…
Israeli actors refuse to perform across Green Line
Al-Monitor 13 Jul 2014 – This week’s refusal by three Israeli theater stars to perform across the Green Line raises the dilemma of commitment to one’s art or one’s conscience.
Ahmad Tibi: Netanyahu does everything to prevent an agreement
Al-Monitor 12 Jul 2014 – Knesset member Ahmad Tibi warns Israel that PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will not concede on East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine nor on the refugees issue.
Egyptian artists turn scrap metal into works of art
Al-Monitor 13 Jun 2014 – A recent symposium on scrap-metal art has brought together Egyptian artists who work with recycled metal and other material.
Jordan readies for possible framework agreement
Al-Monitor 13 Jun 2014 – Jordan is taking care to make its positions clear ahead of an expected US “framework proposal” in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
New bid to collect Syrian toxic arms
BBC 2 Jan 2014 – Norwegian and Danish ships are set to sail again from Cyprus in a new bid to collect Syria’s chemical arms, after an earlier deadline was missed.
VIDEO: Syrian band sings on Damascus streets
BBC 2 Jan 2014 – A group of young Syrian musicians is gaining huge popularity by giving impromptu performances in the busiest streets of Damascus, singing traditional Arabic songs.
Iraq forces fight militants in Anbar
BBC 2 Jan 2014 – Heavy clashes are reported between security forces and Sunni militants in the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Ramadi.
Five killed in Beirut car bomb
BBC 2 Jan 2014 – A car bomb explodes in a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut, killing at least five people and injuring more than 60.
One killed in North Lebanon clashes
Al-Akhbar News 2 Jan 2014 – Updated 10:00 pm: One person was killed and another wounded when brief clashes erupted in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli on Thursday, about one hour after a car bomb killed four people in the southern suburbs of Beirut, state news reported. Lebanon’s National News Agency said…
Israel ex-PM Sharon ‘critically ill’
BBC 2 Jan 2014 – The condition of Israeli ex-PM Ariel Sharon – who has been in a coma since 2006 – is now critical, “with some danger to life”, his doctors say.
Weapons find at Palestinian mission
BBC 2 Jan 2014 – Czech police say that they have found weapons at the home of the Palestinian ambassador who was killed by an explosion at his home in Prague on Wednesday.
Sisi Republic
Al-Akhbar Blogs 2 Jan 2014 – Something has to be said about the brilliant success of General Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt. The man has been able to mobilize millions of Egyptians behind him, and from different socioeconomic backgrounds and ideological stripes. For the first time ever, Nasserists and Sadat rightists are in…
VIDEO: Safety kit on ‘chemical weapon ship’
BBC 2 Jan 2014 – The BBC’s Anna Holligan shows how containers on board a Norwegian frigate will transport chemical weapons out of Syria
Mursi trial over Egypt jailbreak set for Jan 28
Al-Akhbar News 2 Jan 2014 – Egypt’s deposed president Mohammed Mursi and 130 others including Hamas members will go on trial on January 28 over a jailbreak during the 2011 uprising, judicial sources said Thursday. The prosecution said last month that the defendants have also been accused of murdering police officers. It…
Former Israeli PM Ariel Sharon’s ‘vital organs’ failing: hospital
Al-Akhbar News 2 Jan 2014 – Security guards block the entrance to the ward where former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is hospitalized, in Tel Hashomer hospital near Tel Aviv on January 1, 2014. (Photo: AFP – Ahmad Gharabli) Security guards block the entrance to the ward where former Israeli Prime Minister…
Saudi Arabia sentences man to jail, lashes for “defamation”
Al-Akhbar News 2 Jan 2014 – A Saudi court has sentenced a man convicted of defaming a Kuwaiti singer by accusing her on Twitter of adultery to three months in jail and 80 lashes, a news website reported Thursday. The Saudi national, apparently a fan of a rival pop star, was sentenced…
Silence continues over abduction of Syrian human rights lawyer
Al-Monitor 2 Jan 2014 – A strange silence has followed the abduction of Syrian human rights activists in Eastern Ghouta.
Turkey seizes Syria-bound arms shipment
Al-Akhbar News 2 Jan 2014 – Turkish security forces have seized a truck laden with weapons bound for Syria and arrested three people including a Syrian, local media reported on Thursday. Acting on a tip-off, security forces on Wednesday stopped the truck in the southern province of Hatay on the Syrian border,…
Suicide bombers disguised as pilgrims infiltrate Iraq
Al-Monitor 2 Jan 2014 – The suicide bombers who have been striking Iraqi pilgrims are motivated by jihadist ideology.
85-year-old Palestinian suffocates to death from Israeli tear gas
Al-Akhbar News 2 Jan 2014 – Palestinian and foreign protesters hold Palestinian flags and placards during a rally against Jewish settlements in front of a fence along the Jordanian border on January 1, 2014 near the West Bank town of Jericho. (Photo: AFP – Hazem Bader) Palestinian and foreign protesters hold Palestinian…
VIDEO: The Palestinians fighting in Syria
BBC 2 Jan 2014 – Up to 30 young men from the Gaza strip have travelled to Syria to fight in the conflict there, as the BBC’s Yolande Knell reports.
‘Syrian Electronic Army’ hacks Skype
BBC 1 Jan 2014 – The social media platforms of Skype are hacked by a group claiming to be the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA).
Two dead in Alexandria clashes
BBC 1 Jan 2014 – Two people have been killed in clashes involving pro-Islamist protesters and Egyptian police in the city of Alexandria, officials say.
Articles
Settlement construction rose by 130% in 2013
Jessica Purkiss, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 1/2/2014
As people across the world welcome in the New Year, they will also reflect on the year just past. For Palestine and Israel, 2013 was a year that saw the resumption of “peace talks”. The US-brokered talks are projected to continue until April 2014, at the end of which Secretary of State John Kerry hopes desperately that there will be a final peace agreement.
Just after midnight on the 31st December, as a “goodwill” gesture, Israel released 26 Palestinian prisoners. They were the third group of 26 detainees out of the 104 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to release in four stages following the revival of peace talks. All of the prisoners were sentenced before the 1993 Oslo Accords.
However, even before the prisoners returned home, Netanyahu had announced plans to build a further 1,400 homes in settlements across the occupied West Bank and in East Jerusalem. The announcement did not come as a surprise as both of the previous prisoner releases were accompanied by the publication of tenders for new settlement construction in the West Bank and illegally-annexed East Jerusalem.
As settlements and their continued expansion are considered to be one of the major obstacles in reaching a peace agreement, the expected announcement only deepened concerns that the fragile peace talks could derail. The issues of the settlements, which are deemed illegal under international law, resulted in the last breakdown of talks 3 years ago.
Despite the threat that settlement construction poses to the peace talks, Israel’s building plans have not ceased, or even slowed. According to statistics released in November, in 2013 the number of settlement building projects across the Green Line rose by nearly 130 per cent compared to 2012, with seven per cent of new Israeli construction sites erected last year located in the West Bank. According to settlement watchdog Peace Now, tenders have been issued for 3,472 new settlement units beyond the 1967 lines in the eight months since March 2013. more.. e-mail
Failure of Palestinian Authority, BDS Success to Continue
Ramzy Baroud, CounterPunch 1/2/2014
2014
2013 was a year in which the so-called peace process charade was allowed to continue, leading Palestinians on yet another futile journey of broken promises. Meanwhile, the Israeli colonial project in the West Bank and East Jerusalem carried on unabated. But it was not entirely a year of doom and gloom either, for the global boycott campaign (BDS) has taken off like never before, surpassing the capricious Palestinian leadership and its confined political platforms.
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is an unsuccessful leader, to say the least. But a much harsher judgment can arguably be made. When he out rightly rejected the boycott of Israel in an interview while attending the service of South Africa’s iconic leader Nelson Mandela, many Palestinians went on to describe his words as an act of treason. “We don’t ask anyone to boycott Israel itself. We have relations with Israel, we have mutual recognition of Israel,” he was quoted.
The irony is that an international boycott movement was another facet of the anti-Apartheid struggle in South Africa. For Abbas to reject boycotting in the Palestinian context – of the very country that is responsible for military occupation, countless war crimes, the siege on Gaza, violation of numerous international laws, the Apartheid Wall and for much more – while attending Mandela’s funeral is a testament to Abbas’ own political and moral bankruptcy.
Yet merely two weeks after Abbas’ statement, his chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, was once more threatening to take Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC) if it carried on another settlement expansion scheme in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Erekat is understandably angry that the rightwing government of Benjamin Netanyahu plans to build another 1,400 homes for illegal settlers in several colonies, including 600 in Ramat Shlomo…. more.. e-mail
Annexation and the return of the one-state solution
Mark LeVine, Al Jazeera 1/2/2014
A bi-national state with Palestinians and Israelis having equal rights may be the solution to the on-going conflict.
It was yet another slap in the face of the United States, Israel’s main patron without whom its existence, never mind its ability to maintain an ever intensifying occupation without fear of mentionable consequence, would be very much in question.
In direct response to US Secretary of State John Kerry’s attempt to establish a set of “security arrangements” that would, some day (Kerry apparently is suggesting after another decade), allow some level of Palestinian control over the security of the West Bank (wasn’t that supposed to happen during Oslo? And isn’t it in fact already the de jure arrangement in Areas A and B?), the Ministerial Legislative Committee voted to annex the Jordan Valley permanently to Israel.
Modus operandi
This is, by no means, the first vote or decision taken by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu government to challenge the Obama Administration’s attempts to play at peace-making in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In fact, announcing settlement expansion plans whenever a senior US official is visiting Israel to “jumpstart” or “save” the “peace process” has long been standard operating procedure for the Israeli government, as the Obama Administration learned early in 2010 when Vice President Joe Biden was greeted upon arriving in Israel with the “highly inflammatory announcement” of plans for 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem. The Americans feigned anger at the “brutally contemptuous rebuff” to their good-faith efforts to resuscitate Oslo, but no one should have been surprised at the actions of the Netanyahu then, or now. Indeed, Netanyahu has been outmanoeuvring Obama since day one of their relationship. more.. e-mail
Inside Israel’s Apartheid State
Joshua Frank, CounterPunch 1/2/2014
An Interview with Max Blumenthal
Journalist Max Blumenthal’s latest book Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel has been one of the most controversial and enlightening books of 2013. It’s a fearless, no holds barred take on life in Israel and the brutal occupation of Palestine. Needless t0 say, not all have been happy with Blumenthal’s take on Israeli culture and politics. I recently caught up with Max to discuss his new book and the backlash he’s received from the pro-Israel coterie. -JF
Joshua Frank: Max, seems your latest book Goliath has really caused a stir among right-wing Zionists and other liberal defenders of Israel, like your Nation colleague Eric Alterman. What’s all the fuss about?
Max Blumenthal: Goliath is the first on-the ground, journalistic portrait of the real Israel that has been whitewashed and covered up by the mainstream American media. The book reveals a society overrun with extremism, with open racism emitting from the highest levels of government, inspiring anti-Arab and anti-African riots from the West Bank to Tel Aviv while the siege of Gaza deepens. Many of the pivotal events I detailed at length through background research and first-hand reporting were buried or ignored by the New York Times and have scarcely been examined even in progressive American media.
The atmosphere I captured in the pages of Goliath is the one that veteran Israelis from Uri Avnery to former Maariv editor Amnon Danker to former Haaretz editor-in-chief David Landau have described in no uncertain terms as fascistic. Through the experience of almost a year on the ground in Israel-Palestine, I was able to capture the feeling of the atmosphere they described and to bring it to life on the pages of my book. Obviously, pro-Israel zealots were not terribly happy about this. more.. e-mail
Israel “tried to brainwash us,” says Druze pioneer who refused army service
Electronic Intifada: 2 Jan 2014 – The number of conscientious objectors keeps rising as Druze youth see through Israeli propaganda. more..
Letter to George W. Bush: The Sociocide of Iraq
Palestine Chronicle: 2 Jan 2014 – By Ralph Nader George W. Bush George W. Bush Presidential Center Dallas, Texas Dear Mr. Bush: A few days ago I received a personalized letter from your Presidential Center which included a solicitation card for donations that actually provided words for my reply. They included “I’m honored to help tell the story of the Bush Presidency” and “I’m thrilled that the Bush Institute is advancing timeless principles and practical solutions to the challenges facing our world.” (Below were categories of “tax-deductible contributions” starting with $25 and going upward.) Did you mean the “timeless principles” that drove you and Mr. Cheney to invade the country of Iraq which, contrary to your fabrications, deceptions and cover
-ups, never threatened the United States? Nor could Iraq [under its dictator and his dilapidated military] threaten its far more powerful neighbors, even if the Iraqi regime wanted to do so. Today, Iraq remains a country (roughly…more
The Arab World between Nostalgia and Reality
Palestine Chronicle: 1 Jan 2014 – By Samah Sabawi The year 2014 begins while the Arab World continues to plummet into further conflicts, instability and terror. Desperate for reprieve and filled with a sense of nostalgia, my mind escapes to 40 years ago, to the year 1974, just before the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war, when my father took us on a road trip across the Arab world. Back then we lived in Dammam in Saudi Arabia and the trip was our first family vacation since we were exiled out of Palestine. I was only six years old, refusing to be crammed in the back of our sedan along with my five siblings, I felt lucky to be petite enough to stretch my small body across the rear deck. My face stuck to the rear window and my eyes wide open. I can remember till this day every small detail of the two months journey:…more
2014: Failure of Palestinian Authority, BDS Success to Continue
Palestine Chronicle: 1 Jan 2014 – By Ramzy Baroud 2013 was a year in which the so-called peace process charade was allowed to continue, leading Palestinians on yet another futile journey of broken promises. Meanwhile, the Israeli colonial project in the West Bank and East Jerusalem carried on unabated. But it was not entirely a year of doom and gloom either, for the global boycott campaign (BDS) has taken off like never before, surpassing the capricious Palestinian leadership and its confined political platforms. Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is an unsuccessful leader, to say the least. But a much harsher judgment can arguably be made. When he out rightly rejected the boycott of Israel in an interview while attending the service of South Africa’s iconic leader Nelson Mandela, many Palestinians went on to describe his words as an act of treason. “We don’t ask anyone to boycott Israel itself. We have relations with Israel, we…more
2014: International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
Palestine Chronicle: 1 Jan 2014 – By Richard Falk In a little noted initiative the General Assembly on November 26, 2013 voted to proclaim 2014 the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People was requested to organize relevant activities in cooperation with governments, the UN system, intergovernmental organizations, and significantly, civil society. The vote was 110-7, with 56 abstentions, which is more or less reflective of the sentiments now present in international society. Among the seven opponents of the initiative, in addition to Israel, were unsurprisingly its three staunchest supporters, each once a British colony: the United States, Canada, Australia, with the addition of such international heavyweight states as Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands. Europe and assorted states around the world were among the 56 abstentions, with virtually the entire non-West solidly behind the idea of highlighting solidarity with the…more
BBC Comedy Sketch: The Israeli Embassy’s Extension
Dissident Voice: 2 Jan 2014 – An frank portrayal of the ever creeping dispossession of Palestinians in the guise of comedy by the BBC Three.more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 