7 January 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Fifteen Palestinians Injured Near Hebron
IMEMC – [Tuesday Evening, January 7, 2014] Palestinian medical sources have reported that at least fifteen young Palestinian men have been injured after Israeli soldiers invaded Al-Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank. …
Israel To Build 272 Units In West Bank Settlements
IMEMC – Israeli Peace Now Movement revealed, Monday, that Israel is planning the construction of 272 units of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, and that the decision was made as U.S. Secretary of State was leaving the country, following separate meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials. …
Palestinian Man Crushed To Death At Israeli Checkpoint
IMEMC – A Palestinian man has died inside of an Israeli checkpoint, on Sunday, in the northern West Bank, while on his way to work in Israel. …
Beit Awwa Surrounded By Israeli Forces
IMEMC – On Monday evening, a siege broke out on the town of Beit Awwa, south-west of Hebron in the West Bank, after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the tower near the entrance of the town. …
Israel approves 272 new settlement homes in West Bank
1/7/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — A plan for 272 new homes in West Bank settlements was approved on the eve of US Secretary of State John Kerry’s departure Monday, Israel’s Peace Now movement said. Israel had been expected to announce new settlement plans alongside the release of Palestinian prisoners last week — as it did during previous releases — in a bid to ease the concerns….
Israeli interrogators torture Bethlehem man, relatives say
1/7/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian prisoner has been seriously tortured while in Israeli prison custody, his family said Monday. The father of Abd al-Salam al-Hreimi, 22, from Bethlehem told Ma’an that during a court hearing in Israel’s Ofer military center on Sunday his son had visible signs of torture and marks from beatings were evident on his face, chest and….
Palestinian farmers clash with settlers in south Hebron hills
1/7/2014 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Four people were injured on Monday during clashes between Palestinian farmers and Israeli settlers in the south Hebron hills, locals said. The clashes occurred after settlers attacked a group of farmers tending their land. Ismail al-Adra said that ten settlers attacked him and several other farmers while they were on their way to tend their fields. Another farmer, Mousa al-Adra, was….
Egyptian army shoots 2 Palestinians crossing through Gaza tunnel
1/7/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Egyptian army shot and wounded two Palestinian youths as they exited a tunnel from the Gaza Strip on Thursday evening. Security sources told a Ma’an reporter in Cairo that after the two youths exited the tunnel, Egyptian border police chased them and subsequently opened fire. The youths were taken under heavy guard to the Rafah General Hospital….
Extremists damage cars, spray ‘death to Arabs’ in Jaffa
1/7/2014 – JAFFA (Ma’an) — Locals awoke on Tuesday to find the tires of six vehicles damaged and racist graffiti sprayed on Bat Yam street in Jaffa, an historically Palestinian city in central Israel. The graffiti, sprayed on a building near the site of the damaged vehicles, read “Death to Arabs,” “No to Coexistence,” and “Arabs = Murderers.” Spokesman for the Israeli Police Luba Samari said that….
African asylum seekers in third day of Israel protests
1/7/2014 – TEL AVIV (AFP) — Thousands of African asylum seekers demonstrated in Tel Aviv on Tuesday for a third straight day of protests against Israel’s immigration policies. Migrants, most of them fleeing Eritrea or Sudan, held banners that read “We are refugees,” and “No more prison,” as they marched on Western embassies and the offices of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). Israel’s commercial….
Villagers hold settlers ‘captive’ near Nablus following clashes
1/7/2014 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Palestinian villagers from the Nablus town of Qusra on Tuesday held at least 18 settlers captive after they raided their village and tried to uproot olive trees, a Palestinian Authority official said. Ghassan Daghlas, a PA official who monitors settlement activity in the northern West Bank, told Ma’an that settlers from the illegal outpost of Yesh Kodesh tried to….
Prague seeks answers as Palestinian envoy’s body flown home
1/7/2014 – PRAGUE (AFP) — Czech authorities are seeking answers over an arms find at the Palestinian mission in Prague, as the body of an envoy killed by an apparently accidental explosion there was flown home. The coffin bearing the remains of 56-year-old Palestinian ambassador Jamal al-Jamal was placed aboard a regular flight to Amman from where it will be repatriated to the Palestinian Territories, the Czech….
Israeli forces detain 6 Jerusalemites overnight
1/7/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces launched a campaign of arrests on Monday night targeting Jerusalem residents. Amjad Abu Assab, president of the committee for Jerusalemite prisoners and detainees, said that the campaign of arrests included released prisoners who have spent a number of years in Israeli prisons. Assab added that those detained in the campaign were Haitham al-Jabba, a resident of the Old City….
2 youths detained by Israeli forces near Hebron
1/7/2014 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces stormed the village of Dura west of Hebron on Monday morning and detained two youths. During the raid, clashes erupted between local youths and the occupation forces, but did not result in any injuries, according to a Ma’an reporter correspondent. The correspondent identified the two youths who were detained as Muhammad Darabiye and Khalil al-Namoura. She added….
Israeli forces detain 3 in overnight raids in Nablus
1/7/2014 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained three Palestinians from Balata refugee camp and Rafidia in Nablus in a dawn road on the northern Palestinian city. Local sources told Ma’an that a large unit of Israeli army forces accompanied by Israeli police stormed Balata camp and seized cars, motorcycles, and motor spare parts. Mohammad Theeb, 43, and Jamal Hannoun,33 , were arrested during….
Health Work Committees condemn UNRWA position
1/7/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Health Work Committees on Tuesday condemned the position of UNRWA amid protests and hunger strikes against the UN agency’s hiring practices in recent days. The Health Work committees said in a statement that UNRWA’s lack of response to the initiatives of the government, the refugees’ affairs department, and the popular committees to find a resolution….
Presidency condemns new Israeli settlement plans
1/7/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh on Tuesday condemned Israel’s recent announcement to build 272 settler homes in the occupied West Bank.”Whenever US secretary of state John Kerry intensifies his efforts to push the peace process forward, Israel seeks to destroy these efforts through its decisions and its ongoing settlement activities,” Abu Rudeineh said, according to official news agency….
Israel minister: Peace talks deadline may be extended
1/7/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Middle East peace talks could be extended beyond their April deadline, Israel’s defense minister said Tuesday, insisting current negotiations were aimed solely at providing a framework for final talks. The remarks came a day after US Secretary of State John Kerry left following four days of intense meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, during which he failed to broker agreement on….
Head of Fatah reconciliation team to visit Gaza
1/7/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — An official from Fatah’s reconciliation team is due to visit the Gaza Strip on Tuesday to discuss progress on unity talks, Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Shtayeh said.”Azzam al-Ahmad and I met the head of Hamas’ political bureau Khalid Mashaal about 15 days ago in the Qatari capital Doha and discussed the reconciliation file,” Shtayeh said….
Abbas appoints new governors in Qalqiliya, Tulkarem
1/7/2014 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday made two new appointments for the position of governor in the districts of Qalqiliya and Tulkarem. Rafi Rawajba was declared the new governor of Qalqiliya while Abdullah Kamil was appointed governor of Tulkarem. Kamil had previously governed the district of Qalqiliya. [END]
Analysis: Why Palestinian leadership is right to engage in peace talks
1/7/2014 – Vincent Fean is the British Consul-General to Jerusalem – The US-sponsored peace talks are well under way: a moment to take stock, and to look forward. The UK is a consistent, close friend of the Palestinian and the Israeli peoples. We seek a just and lasting resolution of this conflict, based on universally shared values. And we have our opinion about how the conflict could end….
Official: Al-Nusra among factions preventing Yarmouk siege relief
1/7/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Four militant factions remain in Yarmouk in violation of an agreement to secure peace for the beleaguered Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, a PLO official said Tuesday. PLO executive committee member Ahmad Majdalani told Ma’an that four factions remain in the Yarmouk camp in Damascus, despite the fact that nine factions — including the four — previously signed an agreement promising….
300 Yarmouk refugees to be transferred for medical treatment
1/7/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Around 300 hundred Palestinian refugees from Yarmouk camp are due to be transferred for medical treatment in Damascus, a PFLP-GC official said Tuesday. Hussam Arafat said that the Syrian government accepted a request from PFLP-GC Deputy Secretary-General Talal Naji to make the transfer, which will begin on Wednesday. The Syrian Red Crescent and ambulances will be used to transfer the refugees….
UN: Iran not on Syria peace conference list
1/7/2014 – NEW YORK (AFP) — UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Monday sent invitations to 30 countries to attend a Syria peace conference this month, but did not include Iran, a spokesman said. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet on January 13 in a bid to decide Iran’s role in ending the nearly three-year-old war, said UN deputy….
US speeds up drone, missile deliveries to aid Iraq
1/7/2014 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States has said it will speed up its deliveries of missiles and surveillance drones to Iraq as the Baghdad government battles a resurgence of Al-Qaeda linked militants. The White House, meanwhile, dismissed claims that the fighting, which has seen Wahhabi militants retake the city of Fallujah, was a result of President Barack Obama’s decision to withdraw US troops. Vice….
NGO: 34 ISIL militants dead after rebel clashes in Syria’s Idlib
1/7/2014 – BEIRUT (AFP) — At least 34 Wahhabi militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and another group were killed after clashes with other rebel movements in Syria’s Idlib province, an NGO said Tuesday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the bodies of the 34 were discovered “executed” after the clashes in Jabal Zawiya, adding that all the dead were non-Syrian….
‘Not possible’ for Iraq forces to attack Fallujah now
1/7/2014 – RAMADI, Iraq (AFP) — It is not currently possible for Iraqi security forces to assault Fallujah, seized by Wahhabi militants last week, as the army deployed reinforcements nearby, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Overnight, security forces failed to recapture south Ramadi from Al-Qaeda-linked militants, while Washington said it would expedite delivery of missiles and surveillance drones to help combat resurgent Al-Qaeda-linked militants. Parts of Ramadi and….
First chemical arms material shipped out of Syria
1/7/2014 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — The first shipment of chemical material has been removed from Syria under a deal to rid the country of its chemical arsenal, the joint mission overseeing the disarmament said Tuesday. The removal was carried out as the head of Al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate, the Al-Nusra Front, called for an end to four days of clashes between rebels and the Islamic State of….
Deputy PM: UK has granted asylum to 1,500 Syrian refugees
1/7/2014 – LONDON (AFP) — Britain has granted asylum to around 1,500 Syrians fleeing the brutal conflict in the last year, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg revealed Tuesday, as rights groups and even anti-immigration politicians urged action over the refugee crisis. The British government has defended its policy of focusing on giving aid to help more than 2. 35 million refugees caught up in the civil war, rather….
Iraq delays Fallujah assault as 29 killed in Ramadi
1/7/2014 – RAMADAI, Iraq (AFP) — Iraqi troops will delay assaulting the militant-held city of Fallujah, an officer said Tuesday, citing fear of civilian casualties, as fighting and missile strikes in nearby Ramadi killed 29 people. Parts of Ramadi — the capital of Anbar province, west of Baghdad — and all of Fallujah have been outside government control since last week. It is the first time militants have exercised such….
Israel Detains 14 Palestinian Journalists in Jails
Palestine News Network
International Solidarity Movement
26 Palestinian political prisoners released; 5,000 remain in prison
1/7/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – Resistenza Quotidiana, Sil, Gaza, Occupied Palestine – 26 political prisoners, held in Israeli prisons since the Oslo Accords, were released the night of 30th December. About 5,000 others remain in prisons located in the territories occupied in 1948, a violation of international law. Umm Dia’a thought her son would be among the prisoners released. She had been told so by neighbors, several rumors confirmed….
Israel’s attacks on Palestinian fishermen in Gaza flaunt international conventions
1/7/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Charlie Andreasson, Gaza, Occupied Palestine – On Saturday, 4th January, the Israeli navby shot at five fishermen and their boat, a hasaka, three nautical miles from the shore of Gaza, well within the highly-restricted part of Palestine waters in which the occupation forces officially allow them to fish. Despite damage to the boat, and water that flooded it, Majed Baker, age 55, and….
UPDATED: Palestinian activist arrested in night raid in Nablus
1/7/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team, Nablus, Occupied Palestine – Updated 7th January – Sireen is still being held by Israeli forces, she will be taken to Salem Court near Jenin tomorrow. More updates to follow. At 2:30am on Tuesday morning, Israeli soldiers and secret service agents entered a house in the city of Nablus and arrested Sireen Khudairi, a 24-year-old schoolteacher and activist. No arrest warrant was given….
Lebanon: In Lebanon, a Syrian-Palestinian refugee girl looks for her path
Relief Web 7 Jan 2014 – Source: UN Children’s Fund Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic By Miriam Azar A Palestinian girl who fled the Syrian conflict with her family tries to adjust to life in a refugee camp in Beirut, but the challenges…
South Sudan (Republic of): Global Emergency Overview Snapshot 17 December – 07 January
Relief Web 7 Jan 2014 – Source: Assessment Capacities Project Country: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Haiti, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar,…
occupied Palestinian territory: Bank of Palestine partners with UNICEF to assist children and families affected by winter storm in Gaza
Relief Web 6 Jan 2014 – Source: UN Children’s Fund Country: occupied Palestinian territory GAZA, 24 December 2013 – The Bank of Palestine is providing 50,000 USD to UNICEF to help Palestinian children and families in the aftermath of the severe winter storm that hit Gaza,…
Syrian Arab Republic: Press Conference by Security Council President on Work Programme for January
Relief Web 6 Jan 2014 – Source: UN Security Council, UN Department of Public Information Country: Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, occupied Palestinian territory, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, South Sudan (Republic of) The Central African Republic would figure prominently on the Security Council’s…
US temperatures drop after ‘polar vortex’
The National 7 Jan 2014 – Freezing temperatures not seen in two decades caused mass disruptions across the United States and Canada on Tuesday.
Iraqi tribes say army will enter Fallujah “over our dead bodies”
The National 7 Jan 2014 – The Iraqi government has delayed an offensive against the militant-held city of Fallujah, as concerns arose over civilian lives and threats from Sunni-tribesmen.
US vice president endorses Iraqi government fight against Al Qaeda
The National 7 Jan 2014 – The United States vice-president, Joe Biden, lent his support to the Iraqi government’s fight against Al Qaeda-affiliated militants in a phone call with prime minister Nouri Al Maliki.
Turkish government fires 350 police officers in Ankara
The National 7 Jan 2014 – The Turkish government fired 350 police officers in the capitol, Ankara, as officials tried to contain the damage from a high-level corruption probe.
Al Nusra chief calls for ceasefire after days of Syrian rebel infighting
The National 7 Jan 2014 – The head of Syrian rebel outfit Jabhat Al Nusra has called for a ceasefire after days of infighting among militants
Iran seeking a population bomb
The National 7 Jan 2014 – Having successfully curbed birth rates for two decades, Iran now is promoting a baby boom to help make up for its graying population. But experts say it is difficult to encourage Iranians to have more children in a mismanaged economy.
Ties with Iran need cautious approach
The National 7 Jan 2014 – The implications of the US’s apparent rapprochement with Iran are the subject of intense analysis in the region, with wide variations between the optimistic and pessimistic assessments.
Handling gang rape becomes a priority for Indian politicians wooing voters
The National 7 Jan 2014 – The New Delhi rape was considered a major reason for why voters ousted the capital’s government last month, and a furious response to the West Bengal case suggests that with general elections just months away, politicians are anxious to impress voters who are demanding that women’s safety become a police priority.
Russia deploys massive security force for Sochi Olympics
The National 7 Jan 2014 – Russia launched the largest security operation in Olympic history on Tuesday amid renewed fears of suicide bombings.
Video: Indonesia volcano in new eruptions
The National 7 Jan 2014 – Homes and crops suffer in the face of further eruptions by Mount Sinabung in Indonesia. Paul Chapman reports.
Naked Australian stuck in washing machine freed with a splash of olive oil
The National 7 Jan 2014 – A naked Australian man who became stuck in a washing machine as part of an ill-planned practical joke was freed from the appliance with the help of an unusual rescue device: olive oil.
Video: Militants in Fallujah say they will ‘punish’ Iraqi government supporters
The National 7 Jan 2014 – Militants who have seized the Iraqi city of Falluja say they will ‘punish’ those supporting the government led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, while plans for a military offensive are underway.
Video: Germany’s Merkel fractures pelvis skiing.
The National 7 Jan 2014 – German Chancellor Angela Merkel has fractured her pelvis in a cross-country skiing accident, forcing her to call off some foreign visits and official appointments.
Video: Arctic chill brings freezing weather to US
The National 7 Jan 2014 – Arctic air grips the middle of the United States, bringing the coldest temperatures they’ve had in two decades.
Video: Bangladesh PM says polls are legitimate
The National 7 Jan 2014 – Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says polls that reinstated her party to parliament are legitimate, brushing off criticism of low turnout.
Video: ‘Jihad Jane’ sentenced to 10 years in murder plot
The National 7 Jan 2014 – A US woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for a failed plot to kill a Swedish artist over a depiction involving the Muslim Prophet Mohammad.
Teen held in solitary because juvenile home was full
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Academic group won’t consider Israel boycott, but its mere discussion raises hackles
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Argentine side of duo taking over IDB vow unity
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Netanyahu needs a reminder of Jewish values
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Expect vigilante reprisal for beating of Jewish settlers by Palestinians villagers
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Bedouin ‘will be consulted’ over resettlement plan in Negev
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Joint Israeli-U.S. research points way to more effective anti-depressants
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Education chief set to unveil plan shaking up Israeli education system
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Largest Dutch pension fund boycotts Israeli banks over settlement ties
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Northern Israeli town to get its own auto racing track
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Most Israeli college students are not afraid to express political opinions in class, study shows
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Dutch club Vitesse to take up Israeli player travel ban with FIFA
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Why the West should be scared of Syria
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Number of Ethiopian soldiers in military jails drops in 2013
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Greek school to present diplomas to Holocaust survivors
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
An Iranian bomb is not the end of the Zionist dream
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Why Palestinian recognition of a Jewish state really matters
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Monster borders are what Avigdor Lieberman wants
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Kerry asks Saudis, Jordan to support Palestinian recognition of Israel as Jewish state
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Jewish settlers caught and beaten after trespassing in Palestinian village
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
London soccer fans resort to anti-Semitic tweets after face-off on the pitch
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Interior Minister: Arab citizens not an object to be moved in peace deal
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Teachers union to block extramural activities in high schools
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
So, did you see the malls in Gaza?
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Passenger, cop wounded after car rams police barrier
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Bennett: We will not sit in a government that accepts agreement based on 1967 lines
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Sweden accepts dozens of Eritrean asylum seekers from Israel
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Loophole in system nets Israeli police officers extra $8 million pay a year
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Report: Israeli FM commends Thatcher in letting 1981 IRA hunger striker ‘commit suicide’
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
The moral case for ending America’s cold war with Iran
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
Back in Sudan, family who left Israel faces tyranny: They grilled my wife, beat my mom
Ha’aretz – 7 Jan 2014
A false facade of service
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2014
Chabad activity overseas to count as national service for 100 Haredim a year
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2014
Kerry to Labor’s Herzog: Agreements can be reached
Ha’aretz – 6 Jan 2014
Shamir to ‘Post’: Changes will be made to Beduin resettlement plan before new push
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – NGO and Arab MKs meet with US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro to discuss issue; Stones thrown at bus carrying Israeli diplomats on tour of Negev.
In Holocaust restitution, Claims Conference faces credibility challenges
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – After $57 million fraud, former board member lends voice to lawsuit blocking settlement distributions from organization.
Despite winter storms, Dead Sea water level continues to fall
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – In comparison, Lake Kinneret celebrated an increase of 11 cm. in the same time period.
Ousted Fatah official Dahlan: I will run against Abbas
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Former PA security commander in the Gaza Strip told members of the European Parliament in Brussels last month he intends to seek the office.
Dueling ministers: Bennett, Livni spar over peace negotiations
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Naftali Bennett says Bayit Yehudi will not accept an accord based on ’67 lines while Tzipi Livni says insistence on building everywhere harms our legitimacy to build anywhere.
American Studies Association’s tax-exempt status challenged
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Inquiries based on based on associations decision to participate in an academic boycott of Israeli universities and academic institutions.
Jordan takes helm of UN Security Council amid questions of reform, Syria
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Jordan assumes their position on the Security Council in place of Saudi Arabia.
High Court freezes ruling by Shari’a appeals court in child custody dispute
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Case would have led to transferring custody of two children from the mother to the father in a custody battle.
Rising home prices continue to increase hardship for buyers
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Housing sales slumped 6% in October and November relative to the third quarter, though demand remained high.
Fatah official to head to Gaza for reconciliation talks with Hamas
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Visit is announced day after Hamas declared series of measures to pave the way for ending dispute with Fatah.
Eritrean migrants resettled from Israel to Sweden
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Dozens relocate in recent weeks following deal brokered between Sweden, UN High Commission for Refugees in Israel.
Hospital cancels daily updates on Sharon
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Press conference will be convened as soon as ailing former prime minister’s condition changes, says Sheba Medical Center.
Iranian MP: We need nuclear bomb ‘to put Israel in its place’
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Iranian parliament representative denies Iran is aspiring to obtain atomic weapons before news outlet removes comments.
Center field: Ariel Sharon’s bold Zionist pragmatism saved Israel – twice
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Sharon’s career teaches us to appreciate unconventional tactics, complexities, and pragmatism, not millennialism.
A ‘Frank’ look at American anti-Semitism
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – The experience of Jews in the United States deserves more admiration and wonder than shame or fear.
Illegal infiltration to Israel: It’s the economy, stupid!
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Eritreans and Sudanese are coming to Israel in search of work, not for refugee status.
Anti-Israel ‘lessons’ in American classrooms
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Can anti-Israelism, which is the new form of anti-Semitism, lead back to the older types?
The biased and flawed case for Snowden clemency
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – History may well judge Snowden in a more positive light than that cast by our legal system.
Ambassador Shapiro: Kerry heard things from Netanyahu , Abbas ‘no one ever heard before’
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – US envoy says fresh revelations could emerge in final analysis of any future Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.
Productivity and poverty
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – The working poor are a symptom of much larger and more pervasive economic ills plaguing our country.
Fifty US senators line up behind new Iran sanctions bill
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Support among Senate members for new Iran sanctions bill has doubled since the measure was introduced last month.
Rock attack in Old City’s Jewish Quarter lightly injures young woman
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – MK Rivlin: Extremists are doing their best to prove during peace negotiations that Arabs and Jews cannot live together
African migrants vow to continue strike
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Asylum seekers say they have nothing to lose; nationwide strike to be extended until Israeli gov’t meets demands of protesters, say migrants.
MK Orly Levy-Abecassis: Fight child exploitation like we fought trafficking of women
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Committee on the Rights of the Child convened to discuss the issue of children begging.
MK Stern: Conversion issue critical to existence of Israel as Jewish, democratic state
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Tempers rise during Knesset committee hearing on bill designed to increase number of rabbinical courts able to conduct conversions.
In Tel Aviv’s Little Africa, Israeli shop-owners shrug at the African migrant protests
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – One store owner said he hoped migrant would be deported but admitted that they form most of his customer base.
ADL protests chief rabbinate’s rejection of credentials of US Orthodox rabbis
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Rabbinical Council of America and Chief Rabbinate in advanced discussions on deal to end the controversy.
Israeli students develop mini-satellite to be launched from Russia
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Tiny cube-shaped pico satellite developed, built by high school pupils to be sent into space in April.
Elder Palestinians protect settlers from lynching in West Bank village
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Villagers say Jewish youths entered Kusra to commit ‘price-tag’ attack, while settlers say they were simply hiking in area.
Murdered Hassidic landlord’s business partner possible suspect in case
Jerusalem Post 7 Jan 2014 – Investigators say Brooklyn man lying about murder case of New York real estate developer Menachem Stark.
Letter from Palestinian territories: charming oracle
The Guardian 7 Jan 2014 – Shopkeeper Majdi offers gifts, guidance and advice to all comers – as long as they drink his coffee Majdi’s reputation for helping anyone in need is known far and wide. As the pulse of Bethlehem , Majdi’s…
OP-ED: Arms and Athletes in Bahrain – Al Khalifa’s Deadly Game
IPS Bahrain’s new government takes oath in front of His Majesty King Hamad in November 2010. Credit: Bahrain Ministry of Foreign Affairs/cc by 2.0 By Emile Nakhleh WASHINGTON, Jan 7 2014 (IPS) A few days ago, Bahraini officials announced that they had “foiled an attempt to smuggle explosives and arms, some…
They mourn the negotiations, continue the negotiations, and then make ironic threats
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 -Every other day, it seems, figures from the group who believe that “life is negotiations” mourn the current negotiation process; they sometimes get upset and resign; at other times they analyse or complain, but the result is…
“Academic Freedom” at American Universities: The ASA Boycott and Bard College
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 – This is the second piece about the American Studies Association s academic boycott of Israeli institutions which I have had the displeasure of writing. My previous piece, submitted as a rebuttal to American Interest in response…
Palestinian Prisoners Suffering during 2013
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 -Friends of Humanity International has issued its annual report on the Palestinian prisoners situation in Israeli jails during 2013. Since the beginning of 2013, 3467 Palestinians were arrested by occupation forces, including 3390 arrest cases in the…
The NSA refuses to deny spying on members of Congress
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – Janaury 6, 2014 – “Has the NSA spied, or is the NSA currently spying, on members of Congress or other elected officials?” That s the question Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) put to the National Security Agency s chief in a…
Tony Blair Enjoys Best Year Yet With Over £13m In Bank
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 – Tony Blair has banked over £13 million to mark his most financially successful year since stepping down as prime minister. Blair s wealth, including a London home, a country estate and numerous other properties, is estimated…
Islamist rebels free 50 detained by ISIS in Raqqa
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 – Rebel fighters were laying siege Monday to al-Qaeda-linked jihadists in their northern stronghold of Raqqa, managing to free 50 people they had detained. Raqqa emerged as a new front Sunday in fighting between rebels battling to…
Iraq snapshot – January 6, 2014
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014. Chaos and violence continue, Nouri demands the residents of Falluja fight his battles, Nouri uses collective punishment against the residents, John Kerry goes blood thirsty again, and more…What Nouri s unleashed on Anbar Province is collective punishment…
CIA Lawyer: Stopping Torture Would Have Been Easy, But I Approved It Anyway
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014- John Rizzo, the chief legal counsel for the Central Intelligence Agency during the Bush presidency in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 has been opening up about what he experienced during those years as the administration, the agency,…
US drone attacks in Yemen protect no one but Al Qaeda
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 – On December 5, Yemenis woke to one of the most horrifying massacres in recent memory. Militants dressed in army uniforms attacked a hospital inside the ministry of defence compound in the capital, Sanaa, killing more than…
As Kerry Leaves, Israel Announces More Settlements 272 Apartments Announced in Isolated Settlements
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 – Secretary of State John Kerry has departed Israel after another round of unsuccessful efforts to kickstart the peace process. Israel made a big deal of delaying its pending settlement expansion until after Kerry left, but it…
Children killed by Israeli soldiers “hiding” near schools, says Human Rights Watch
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 – At least twice in 2013, Israeli occupation forces ambushed, shot and killed Palestinian children near schools in the occupied West Bank for no apparent reason, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says in a 5 January release. “No…
Boycott “greatest threat” facing Israel, leaders say
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 – While Israeli hasbara (propaganda) initiatives continue to bravely deny that the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement is having any impact, two statements from prominent politicians indicate otherwise. Israeli justice minister and war crimes suspect Tzipi…
Israeli MKs: NSA Spying on Israel Justifies Release of Pollard
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 – One of the more preposterous bits of news coming out of Israel is that Israelis actually believe that the revelations about NSA spying on Israel show that both sides are spying on each other. So presumably…
US drone attacks in Yemen protect no one but Al Qaeda
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 – On December 5, Yemenis woke to one of the most horrifying massacres in recent memory. Militants dressed in army uniforms attacked a hospital inside the ministry of defence compound in the capital, Sanaa, killing more than…
Israel will not accept peace deal without land swap
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 – Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Sunday that he would not support any peace deal with the Palestinian Authority (PA) that does not include an exchange of land. “It is appropriate to talk about an…
U.S. speeds up drone, missile deliveries to aid Iraq
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 – The United States will speed up delivery of missiles and surveillance drones to Iraq as the Baghdad government battles a resurgence of Al-Qaeda linked militants, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday. “We are … looking to accelerate the…
Israel will not accept peace deal without land swap
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 -According to Lieberman, the current Kerry peace plan is the best ever for Israel compared with previous EU and Arab plans. He refused to offer any hope that Palestinian refugees would be allowed to return to their…
Netanyahu: There s a problem the Palestinians are [in the West Bank] . . . I don t want a binational state, and I don t want them as citizens or subjects
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014- Haaretz reports on a meeting of the Likud Knesset faction today where Benjamin Netanyahu opened up about the US-led negotiations. After saying he had no intention of giving up Hebron, which is outside the Israeli Separation Wall…
Lebanon s black market in refugee organs
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2013 -Today kidneys are sold in Beirut for 1 million Lebanese Pounds; that s around $670, a very tempting sum for desperate Syrian refugees. Three years down the line of the conflict in their own country, Syrians in…
The Case Against Clemency for Snowden Involves Prioritizing Secrecy Oaths Over Truth-Telling
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 – A column on why former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden should not be granted clemency-and will not be given clemency-was written by Slate s Fred Kaplan on January 3. It quickly became regarded as a…
US and Iran ready to stand beside Iraq against rebels
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 -America and Iran have expressed their readiness to support the Iraqi government in its war against rebel militias in Al-Anbar Governorate, which is the stronghold of the Sunni Muslims in Iraq. Clashes between the Iraqi army and…
Tulkarem area man crushed to death inside Israeli checkpoint
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – Janaury 6, 2014 — A Palestinian man died inside of an Israeli checkpoint in the northern West Bank while en route to his place of work in Israel on Sunday. Witnesses told Ma an that 59-year-old Adel Muhammad Yakoub from…
Settlers attack school, water reservoir near Nablus
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 6, 2014 — A group of settlers attacked a school and water reservoir in the Nablus village of Urif early Monday before clashing with local Palestinians, a PA official said. Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors settlement activity in the northern…
Syria News – January 5, 2014 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet 7 Jan 2014 – January 5, 2014 – By the end of Sunday the Coordination Committees were able to document 91 martyrs including 5 women, 3 children and 2 martyrs under torture: 48 martyrs were reported in Aleppo; 11 in Damascus and its Suburbs;…
Kerry s Peace Plan: Worthless
Uruknet 6 Jan 2014 – January 5, 2014- PLO secretary-general Yasser Abed Rabbo criticized Kerry s plan. The PA will ignore its “worthless framework,” he said. It mocks legitimacy. It s totally one-sided. It ignores Palestinian rights. Peace depends on fixed borders, he said. They…
Palestinian ill prisoner Ali Dana on hunger strike for 31 days
Uruknet 6 Jan 2014 – Janaury 5, 2014 -Ali Fahmi Ibrahim Da na, 35, has now been on open hunger strike for 31 days amid worsening health, reported lawyer Fares Ziad of Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association. Ziad visited with Da na in…
The One Percent Solution: Oligarchs to the Rescue!
Uruknet 6 Jan 2014 – January 5, 2014 – Last month, 500 famous authors signed a petition protesting the encroachments of the all-pervasive, techno-surveillance culture that is covering the earth with hidden eyes and ears, like a metastasized Stasi run amok. We re talking heavy…
GUFFAW!
Uruknet 6 Jan 2014 – January 5, 2014 – …Criticizing Greenwald & Co. for their highly restricted publication of the leaks is a crucially important point. How does criticizing them for their approach “reinforce any elitist notion…” etc.? To the contrary, arguing for much more…
Qaeda-linked group urges Iraq Sunnis not to lay down arms
Daily Star 7 Jan 2014 An Al-Qaeda-linked group called on Iraqi Sunnis fighting government forces not to lay down their weapons, saying the choice is between conflict and enslavement, in an audio recording released Tuesday.
Iran nuclear talks to resume Thursday in Geneva
Daily Star 7 Jan 2014 Iran and world powers will meet in Geneva from Thursday to iron out remaining obstacles in implementing a historic nuclear deal struck in November, Iranian and EU officials said.
Yemen: Gunman kills man suspected of being gay
Daily Star 7 Jan 2014 A Yemeni security official says a gunman in the southern province of Lahj killed a man suspected of being of gay, the latest in a series of attacks on homosexuals in the conservative Muslim country.
US denounces Iran role in Syria ahead of conference
Daily Star 7 Jan 2014 The United States on Tuesday accused Iran of helping “brutalize” Syria as Secretary of State John Kerry prepared to talk to Russia about Tehran’s potential role at a peace conference.
Gunmen kill 7 police in attack on Iraq checkpoint: officer
Daily Star 7 Jan 2014 Gunmen attacked a police checkpoint north of the Iraqi capital on Tuesday, killing seven, among them a captain, a police officer and a doctor said.
Radical Syria rebel pleads for infighting to stop
Daily Star 7 Jan 2014 The shadowy leader of one of Syria’s most powerful rebel groups pleaded with his comrades to stop the spread of rebel infighting in opposition-held territories, warning it threatened to upend gains made against Syrian government forces.
Palestinians beat, detain Jewish settlers in West Bank
Daily Star 7 Jan 2014 Palestinians beat and detained several Israeli settlers who had entered a village near the West Bank city of Nablus Tuesday before releasing them, sources on both sides said.
Tunisia Islamists set to resign after deal on election commission
Daily Star 7 Jan 2014 Tunisia’s ruling Islamists are preparing to resign in the next few days to make way for a caretaker cabinet once government and opposition parties agree on the makeup of an electoral commission, mediators said on Tuesday.
274 dead in four days of Syria rebel-jihadist clashes: activists
Daily Star 7 Jan 2014 At least 274 people have been killed in four days in Syria since the outbreak of fighting between rebels and jihadists, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday.
Which Arab countries will survive 2014?
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – Analysis: War between Islamic movements and Arab armies could be decided this year. Otherwise, countries like Syria, Iraq and Yemen may fall into anarchy or split between Sunni and Shiite areas ….
4 believed dead in helicopter crash in eastern UK
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – ….
African migrants: We will pursue this strike until we all end up in jail
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – Asylum seekers in favor of pursuing three-day-old labor strike, demand Israel’s review of asylum requests. Data show 49,000 Sudanese, Eritrean citizens live in Israel, only 1,600 asylum requests examined, some 200 requests rejected. Administration of Population and Immigration insists ‘all requests are examined’ ….
US denounces Iran role in Syria ahead of conference
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – ….
Senators: US should take more Syrian refugees
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – ….
Iran’s Rohani defends nuclear deal
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – ….
Report: Snowden has more US-Israel secrets to expose
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – Glenn Greenwald, journalist who brought Snowden’s leaks to world’s attention, says former US spy agency contractor has more secrets regarding Israel to reveal, adds Israel right to claim US’ incarceration of Pollard hypocritical ….
Syria ships out first batch of chemical weapons materials
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says ‘priority chemical materials’ transported to Latakia Port, as part of internationally backed disarmament program ….
West Bank Palestinians say protected settlers from locals’ revenge
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – Residents of West Bank village of Qusra say settlers confronting Palestinians due to evacuation of outpost attacked boy. Palestinian activists say prevented locals from attacking settlers in revenge for boy’s injuries ….
How many circumcisions botched in 2013?
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – Figures compiled by inter-ministerial committee points to significant drop in number of babies taken to hospital in past year following complications in brit milah performed by a mohel who is not a doctor ….
Bennett on peace talks: ’67 lines not up for negotiation
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – Economy Minister delivers hard-line speech, directs message to Netanyahu: ‘Say no to Americans…We will represent the people. We will not evade our responsibilities and tough decisions’ ….
When Netanyahu grows up
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – Op-ed: What kind of prime minister does Netanyahu want to be remembered as in Israel’s history? ….
Al-Qaeda’s Middle East revival, courtesy of Syria
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – Al-Qaeda affiliated group active in Syria takes control of Iraqi city only week after detonating blast in Lebanon. ‘Governance vacuum in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon has helped al-Qaeda to gain strength in recent years’ analyst says ….
Make love not war: Iran tries to reverse slumping birth rate
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – Tehran promotes baby boom to help make up for graying population. Experts: Difficult to encourage Iranians to have more children in mismanaged economy hit by sanctions, 36% inflation. ….
Erdogan: Syria needs Assad-free future
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – With Geneva talks on Syria looming, UN begins to issue invitations, but not to key Assad ally Iran ….
Infiltrators are existential problem for Israel
YNet News, 7 Jan 2014 – Op-ed: As a country constantly struggling for survival, Israel cannot take in the tens of thousands of Africans who cross our borders ….
Hamas and Fatah holding secret reconciliation talks
YNet News, 6 Jan 2014 – Palestinian report claims Hamas and Fatah holding secret in bid to patch relations. Meanwhile, Hamas announces it ‘will allow all Fatah members to return to Gaza, without any preconditions’ ….
Survey: US is greatest threat to world peace
YNet News, 6 Jan 2014 – In list of countries believed to pose danger to world peace, Gallup International ranks Israel fourth, symbolically with Iran; global poll also addresses women in politics, sought-after countries for immigration ….
Netanyahu is right, Torah says so
YNet News, 6 Jan 2014 – There is no evidence that Iranian government’s fundamental behavior, tendencies have changed. We learn from how God dealt with Pharaohs in Egypt that it is important to keep up pressure in order to achieve a permanent change in behavior ….
Palestinian Information Center
Kabha: Kerry’s ideas worse than Oslo and Camp David
PIC – Hamas leader Wasfi Kabha described the nine ideas proposed by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in the framework agreement as “much worse than those proposed in Oslo and Camp David 2.”
Gaza patients call for opening the crossings and allow them travel for treatment
PIC – Dozens of patients in the Gaza Strip called for opening the crossings, especially the Rafah crossing, and lifting the blockade in order to allow them travel to receive treatment.
IOA approves hundreds of new settlement units in Jerusalem
PIC – Israeli District Committee revealed that the Israeli government is speeding up approval process of 1,935 settlement units in Ras Shuafat, north of Jerusalem, to expand Ramat Shlomo settlement.
IOA distributes demolition notifications in Silwan
PIC – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) distributed new demolition notifications in Silwan, east of occupied Jerusalem, on Tuesday.
The administrative prisoners assert they will continue their protest steps
PIC – Israeli prison authority officers asked to meet a delegation of the Palestinian Prisoners Administrative Detainees Committee in a new attempt to dissuade them from taking escalatory steps.
Israeli settlers vandalize Palestinian properties in Nablus
PIC – Israeli settlers stormed Orif town, south of Nablus, on Monday and carried out several attacks and vandalism against Palestinian properties in the area.
Israeli navy boats open fire at Palestinian fishing boats
PIC – Israeli navy boats opened machinegun fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning.
Army Arrests Gaza Patient on Way to Hospital in West Bank
WAFA – 7 Jan 2014
Villagers Confront Israeli Settlers seeking to Uproot Trees
WAFA – 7 Jan 2014
Abbas, Ashton Discuss Peace Process over Phone
WAFA – 7 Jan 2014
First Power Plant in Jenin to Bring Down Prices, Says Official
WAFA – 7 Jan 2014
Activists Plant Trees to Protect Land from Takeover
WAFA – 7 Jan 2014
Abbas: We Are Determined to Achieve Peace with Israel
WAFA – 7 Jan 2014
Egypt to Open Rafah Crossing for Two Days
WAFA – 7 Jan 2014
Police Arrest Five Former Prisoners in Jerusalem
WAFA – 7 Jan 2014
Extremist Israelis Slash Tires of Palestinian Cars in Jaffa
WAFA – 7 Jan 2014
First shipment of chemical weapons material leaves Syria
LA Times 7 Jan 2014 – The ship is escorted to international waters. Meanwhile, Al Qaeda-linked rebel group tries to broker a cease-fire among opposition factions in Syria. BEIRUT — The initial consignment of Syria’s most toxic chemical weapons material was shipped out of the country Tuesday, international officials said, advancing…
Turkish government sacks 350 police carrying out corruption probe
LA Times 7 Jan 2014 – A power struggle between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and an exiled Muslim cleric sharpened Tuesday with the government purging 350 police officers involved in the anti-corruption sweeps that have netted figures close to Erdogan.
Syria rebels fight Al Qaeda ally for control of key city
LA Times 6 Jan 2014 – The infighting among rebel groups is part of the battle to determine who will rule Syria if President Bashar Assad is overthrown. BEIRUT — Syrian rebel groups battled one another Monday for control of a provincial capital, part of a vicious round of score settling…
Deal Professor: Overhaul of Israel’s Economy Offers Lessons for United States
New York Times 7 Jan 2014 – With a single bill, Israel is looking to revamp its economy and hopefully reduce income inequality, showing that a democracy can achieve change.
Saudis Back Syrian Rebels Despite Risks
New York Times 7 Jan 2014 – The Saudis, who are determined to oust President Bashar al-Assad and his patron, Iran, fear the rise of Al Qaeda’s affiliates in Syria but face fighting a proxy war using zealot militia fighters over whom they have almost no control.
Palestinians Corner Jewish Settlers During Clash in West Bank
New York Times 7 Jan 2014 – The confrontation in the northern West Bank was defused when the settlers, who said they had been hiking in the area, were handed over to Israeli forces.
In Iraqi City Under Siege, More Support for Militants Than Officials
New York Times 7 Jan 2014 – As the army prepared an assault on Falluja, many residents said they had more sympathy for the Qaeda-backed militants than for the government.
Qaeda Group Leader in Syria Suggests Islamic Court to End Rebel Infighting
New York Times 7 Jan 2014 – The leader of the Nusra Front sought to end deadly violence among rebels as the United Nations reported progress on the purge of chemical weapons from Syria.
The Lede: Sale of Tear Gas to Bahrain Blocked Over Concerns Raised by Rights Groups
New York Times 7 Jan 2014 – South Korea’s government has reportedly decided to block the export of millions of tear gas shells to Bahrain, after months of pressure by human rights groups.
United States Sending More Troops and Tanks to South Korea
New York Times 7 Jan 2014 – The United States said on Tuesday it will send 800 more soldiers and about 40 Abrams main battle tanks and other armoured vehicles to South Korea next month as part of a military rebalance to East Asia after more than a decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Bin Laden Son-In-Law’s Attorney Stays on Case Despite Tax Charges
New York Times 7 Jan 2014 – Suleiman Abu Ghaith, a son-in-law of Osama bin Laden charged in connection with the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, refused on Tuesday to jettison his defense lawyer, who is himself facing federal tax and wire fraud charges.
Syrian Opposition Postpones Vote on Peace Talks
New York Times 7 Jan 2014 – Syria’s Western-backed opposition in exile postponed until next week a decision on whether to attend talks with President Bashar al-Assad’s government aimed at ending nearly three years of devastating conflict, opposition members said on Tuesday.
African Migrants in Israel Have Little Hope
New York Times 7 Jan 2014 – Tumuzgee Aman fled his native Eritrea three years ago in search of a better life, making his way to Israel after a treacherous journey across Egypt’s Sinai desert. But after briefly finding work in a copper mine, his dream came crashing down when Israeli immigration police threw him in jail.
Bomb Thrown in Drive-By Attack on Cairo Police
New York Times 7 Jan 2014 – Assailants threw a grenade and raked a police car with gunfire in a drive-by attack on an Egyptian traffic police checkpoint in Cairo on Tuesday, wounding one person, security sources said.
The Lede: A Rare Visit With a Jailed Journalist in Egypt
New York Times 7 Jan 2014 – A first-person account of a visit with Mohamed Fahmy, an Al Jazeera English journalist jailed in Cairo for his coverage of the Muslim Brotherhood, provides a rare glimpse into prison conditions in Egypt.
The Lede: Egyptian Bloggers Who Mobilized Support for 2011 Uprising in Jail or Under Threat
New York Times 7 Jan 2014 – As the third anniversary of Egypt’s 2011 uprising approaches, many activists who helped mobilize support for the sit-in that drove Hosni Mubarak from power are facing extended prison terms for daring to protest the new military-backed government.
Chilean soccer team puts Palestine front and center
Mondoweiss – (Image: JTA) Actually, they put Palestine on the back, but it’s still getting plenty of attention. The Palestine Football Club, Deportivo Palestino , based in Santiago, Chile recently redesigned their jerseys replacing the number 1 with an image of Palestine (number 11 really lucked out). The Chilean Jewish…
Palestinian citizens slam Lieberman’s support for transfer
Mondoweiss – Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Photo: AP Israel’s Foreign Minister has doubled down on a plan to transfer Palestinian villages within Israel to a future Palestinian state. But Palestinian leaders within Israel have firmly rejected the proposal, which could strip the Israeli citizenship hundreds of thousands…
‘We need rights as refugees’: African asylum seeker on why he’s marching to Jerusalem
Mondoweiss – Filman Abraham. (Photo: Allison Deger) Two weeks ago on Christmas day I was on my way to a political meeting with other African asylum seekers when I saw unmarked cars and buses pull into a dim parking lot beside Levinsky Park. Men dressed in plain clothes…
‘NYT’ casts Israelis as victims of Palestinians who complain bitterly about oppression
Mondoweiss – Lately Jodi Rudoren of the New York Times has been passing along Israeli hasbara to Americans in an unquestioning manner. Today she has an article putting forward the Israeli view that certain Palestinian statements about Israel constitute “incitement” of hatred– and that’s why Palestinians don’t deserve…
American Jews believe in separation of church and state, not ‘theocracy’
Mondoweiss – Wall separating Israeli road from Palestinian road under occupation Editor: There are more and more indications that the American Jewish establishment is losing power because of a growing Jewish alienation from the establishment’s main project, support of Israel. Allan Brownfeld of the American Council for Judaism is…
“Financial Times”: Teva needs new chairman
Globes Main News – A “Financial Times” editorial says Teva needs a new chairman, and slams the 16-member board for “knowing nothing about running a company.”
E&Y: Tamar, Leviathan gas worth $52b to Israel
Globes Energy & Water – E&Y Israel partner Shlomo Alfia estimates the savings at $42 billion and the government’s take at $10 billion in capitalization value.
Tue: Teva leads market gains
Globes Main News – Teva rose on the day’s biggest turnover, but Israel Chemicals recorded the biggest loss on the Tel Aviv 25 Index.
Gas exports tax issue nears resolution
Globes Energy & Water – The Finance Ministry-Tax Authority committee’s model is based on the normative netback on investment for each export deal.
‘Wolf of Wall St’ reflects Jewish rise (though Scorsese leaves that out)
Mondoweiss – Maybe it’s a sign of the end of the Jewish establishment: here are two recent mainstream pieces that frankly address the role of Jews in transforming the culture of Wall Street. The pieces are most remarkable because they express a frank recognition of the rise of…
BoI torpedoes regulator’s ban on foreign mutual fund fees
Globes Main News – Bank of Israel: There is no reason for the foreign currency conversion fee to be any different for the purchase of foreign currency for personal needs.
As Kerry leaves Israel, Netanyahu announces 272 new settlement homes
Mondoweiss – Kerry leaves, settlements grow In a move that will surprise absolutely no one, Israel has seen U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry out the door by announcing 272 new homes in two West Bank settlements. Ynet reports : An Israeli official confirms that Israel has promoted plans for 272…
Aharon Fogel appointed IDB Development chairman
Globes Main News – Eduardo Elsztain and Moti Ben-Moshe appointed the former Migdal chairman to IDB Holding’s operational subsidiary.
‘Haaretz’ says many Orthodox are taught to see non-Jews as ‘not quite human’
Mondoweiss – Stark Here’s a fascinating piece in Haaretz on Satmar Jewish attitudes, stemming from the recent murder of a Brooklyn landlord named Menachem Stark, 39, who is said to have been generous inside the Satmar community but ruthless outside it, treating tenants and others with contempt. (The…
As protests intensify, thousands plan to march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to demand asylum
Mondoweiss – (Photo: Allison Deger) During a third day of strikes African asylum seekers in Israel have announced plans to march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to demand refugee status. Over 20,000 have already demonstrated in front of foreign embassies, and United Nations and European Commission offices. Mutasim…
Is AIPAC suddenly a dirty word?
Mondoweiss – Robert Menendez, Democratic N.J. Senator Yesterday we noted Jim Lobe’s piece saying that 47 Senators are taking AIPAC’s word over the US government’s word on the Iran deal. Lobe points out that those 47 senators who are pushing “wag-the-dog” legislation to hitch the U.S. to Israel’s…
Insuline to raise NIS 10m in rights issue
Globes Main News – CEO Ron Nagar: Following our German distribution agreement, our production and marketing needs have grown, which is why we’re holding the issue.
Vigodman appointment as Teva CEO by next week
Globes Main News – Teva’s board is due to meet within days to approve Erez Vigodman’s appointment as CEO.
Ormat completes Nevada geothermal power station
Globes Energy & Water – The 16-megawatt power station will generate $13 million annual revenue for Ormat Technologies.
Knesset c’ttee defers vote on arnona hike
Globes Macro Economics – Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar intervened, asking for the discussion to be postponed.
Prices up, rents down
Globes Main News – The “Globes”-Homeless Index for December finds that while home prices rose, rents fell, an indicator of irrational price inflation.
Four bid to succeed Vigodman at Makhteshim-Agan
Globes Main News – Two of the candidates are Israeli: Chen Lichtenstein and Ran Maidan.
Shekel falls below 3.50/$
Globes Main News – FXCM: So long as the shekel-dollar exchange rate is below NIS 3.50-3.52/$, there is a strong risk of a fall to a new low.
Israeli MKs: NSA Spying on Israel Justifies Release of Pollard
Tikun Olam – Settlers shrey for Pollard One of the more preposterous bits of news coming out of Israel is that Israelis actually believe that the revelations about NSA spying on Israel show that both sides are spying on each other. So presumably because the NSA spies on Israel…
Syria rebels urge attacks on rivals
BBC 7 Jan 2014 – A hardline Islamist group in Syria urges its supporters to attack rival rebel factions, rejecting calls for a ceasefire between warring opposition groups.
Pro-Israel Community Braces Itself for Modern Language Association Vote
The Foward Breaking News 7 Jan 2014 – Until recently, the rule of thumb was that the bigger the academic group, the less likely it was to consider a boycott of Israeli colleagues. An upcoming vote by the Modern Language Association may change that. Click here for the rest of the article…
Portuguese Priest Prompts Protest With Plan To Open Jewish Museum
The Foward Breaking News 7 Jan 2014 – The rabbi of Porto urged the Catholic Church of Portugal to block a local priest’s plan to open a museum commemorating Jewish presence in the city. Click here for the rest of the article…
Chile’s ‘Palestine’ Soccer Club Ignites Controversy With Map Uniform
The Foward Breaking News 7 Jan 2014 – A soccer team in Chile’s top league has ignited controversy with its uniforms showing the entire map of Israel as Palestine. Click here for the rest of the article…
Palestinians Clash With Jewish Settlers on West Bank
The Foward Breaking News 7 Jan 2014 – Palestinian villagers on Tuesday detained and beat up a group of Israeli settlers before freeing them, accusing the group of having thrown rocks at farmers tending their fields in the occupied West Bank. Click here for the rest of the article…
What Limmud Can Teach Us
The Forward Editorial 7 Jan 2014 – The fourth and final night of the massive conference known as Limmud UK coincided with Christmas, but you’d never know it in the auditorium where thousands gathered on the campus of the University of Warwick in Coventry, several hours from London. Instead, the focus was on…
Morsi trial to resume in Cairo
BBC 7 Jan 2014 – Security forces in Cairo are placed on high alert for a court appearance on Wednesday by deposed President Mohammed Morsi.
Syria rebels urge attacks on rivals
BBC 7 Jan 2014 – A hardline Islamist group in Syria urges its supporters to attack rival rebel factions, rejecting calls for a ceasefire between warring opposition groups.
Iraq in ‘deadly strike’ on militants
BBC 7 Jan 2014 – The Iraqi government says it has killed 25 militants in Ramadi in an air strike as it battles al-Qaeda linked militants in Anbar province.
South Korea blocks $28 million tear gas order for Bahrain
Al-Akhbar News 7 Jan 2014 – A Bahraini woman runs for cover from tear gas fired by riot police during an anti-government demonstration in the village of Daih, west of Manama, on December 17, 2013. (Photo: AFP – Mohammed al-Shaikh) A Bahraini woman runs for cover from tear gas fired by riot…
Iraqi government’s tough task in Fallujah
BBC 7 Jan 2014 – Frank Gardner on whether Iraqi city can be wrested from militants
Iraq bodies decision ‘unfortunate’
BBC 7 Jan 2014 – A decision to take Iraqi insurgents’ bodies back to a British base after a firefight had “unfortunate” unforeseen consequences, a UK inquiry hears.
African refugees decry Israeli crackdown
Al-Akhbar News 7 Jan 2014 – Tens of thousands of African migrants and asylum seekers took the streets from January 5 – 7 in Tel Aviv and other cities to protest Israel’s targeting of them. Thousands of African asylum seekers staged a protest in Tel Aviv on January 5, 2014 (Photo: AFP…
Palestinians detain settlers uprooting olive trees
Al-Akhbar News 7 Jan 2014 – Palestinian villagers briefly detained 13 settlers who crossed into their fields near the West Bank City of Nablus Tuesday to uproot olive trees, state news agency Wafa reported. Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority official who documents settler crimes, told Wafa that settlers from nearby illegal outpost…
Explosions in Beirut
Al-Akhbar Blogs 7 Jan 2014 – There are many parties that are pushing for an all-out confrontation in Lebanon. The spillover of the Syrian conflict into Lebanon helps further Israeli and Saudi interests by dragging Hezbollah into a protracted conflict that can easily exhaust its energies and resources and even divert it…
Hamas: Ain al-Helweh Resident Will Not Succeed Majed
Al-Akhbar News 7 Jan 2014 – Flames rise from burning cars at the site of a car bomb that targeted Beirut’s southern suburb of Haret Hreik on January 2, 2014.(Photo: AFP – STR). Flames rise from burning cars at the site of a car bomb that targeted Beirut’s southern suburb of Haret…
Geagea Interview: We Reject European Efforts to Agree on a President
Al-Akhbar News 7 Jan 2014 – Samir Geagea, leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces, speaks during a news conference at his house in Maarab village, north of Beirut, October 12, 2010. (Photo: REUTERS – Mohamed Azakir). Samir Geagea, leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces, speaks during a news conference at his house…
Iraq delays major assault against ISIS in Anbar
Al-Akhbar News 7 Jan 2014 – The Iraqi army deployed tanks and artillery around Fallujah on Tuesday, security officials said, as local leaders in the besieged city urged al-Qaeda-linked militants to leave in order to avert an impending military assault. Meanwhile fighting and missile strikes in nearby Ramadi killed 29 people Tuesday….
From ISIS to Majed: The Deals of Death
Al-Akhbar Opinion 7 Jan 2014 – People demonstrate outside the offices of the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) demanding that they stop fighting with the rebels on January 6, 2014. (Photo:AFP – Mohammed Wesam). People demonstrate outside the offices of the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the…
Lebanon faces three January deadlines
Al-Monitor 7 Jan 2014 – January 2014 will include three significant events for Lebanon related to the formation of the new government, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the Geneva II Syria Conference.
Turkey’s leading anti-corruption prosecutor accused in Gulen scandal
Al-Monitor 7 Jan 2014 – Turkey’s most famous prosecutor, Zekeriya Oz, gets snared in the AKP-Gulen controversy.
African refugees protest Israeli detention for third day
Al-Akhbar News 7 Jan 2014 – Protesters hold up signs in English as thousands of African asylum seekers protest in Tel Aviv on January 7, 2014. (Photo: AFP – Jack Guez) Protesters hold up signs in English as thousands of African asylum seekers protest in Tel Aviv on January 7, 2014. (Photo:…
Turkey’s AKP: Who jumped ship and why
Al-Monitor 7 Jan 2014 – The recent resignations from Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the explanations given for them by the departing members point to an increasingly isolated PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey declares vanishing truck to Syria ‘state secret’
Al-Monitor 7 Jan 2014 – Turkey’s government has used the “state secret” shield to conceal the cargo of a truck suspected of transporting arms to Syria and banished the prosecutor who attempted to search the vehicle.
Major investment in secretive Israeli Cyber defense startup
Al-Monitor 7 Jan 2014 – The Israeli founders of the high-tech company Anobit, purchased by Apple two years ago, now invest in the Israeli start-up GuardiCore, developing a solution to prevent cyber attacks on corporate servers.
No second act for American troops in Iraq
Al-Monitor 7 Jan 2014 – The United States has finally shifted away from regime change in Syria and toward addressing the terrorist threat that is consuming Iraq.
Erdogan under pressure as Syrian crisis spreads to Iraq
Al-Monitor 7 Jan 2014 – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has limited regional influence and few good options as the pressure builds to slow the spread of the Syria war.
Erdogan sacks 350 police to halt Turkish corruption probe
Al-Akhbar News 7 Jan 2014 – The Turkish government has fired 350 police officers in Ankara, local media reported Tuesday, in an apparent bid to disrupt an investigation in a vast corruption scandal that has ensnared key allies of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The officers were sacked by a government decree…
Liberman’s land swap proposal shakes up peace talks
Al-Monitor 7 Jan 2014 – Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman pulled out this week in perfect timing his 10-year-old plan for a land swap, which is both innovative and original and should give a boost to the stalemated peace talks.
Residents of Umm al-Fahm affirm Arab-Israeli identity
Al-Monitor 7 Jan 2014 – Residents of Umm al-Fahm say that, regardless of their affiliation with the Palestinian cause, they identify themselves as Israeli citizens and object to a land-swap plan that will annex them to a future Palestine, as Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman suggests.
Hamas, Egypt ties hit new low
Al-Monitor 7 Jan 2014 – Hamas has accused Egypt’s rulers of using the Palestinian group as a scapegoat to distract the Egyptian people from internal woes.
Russia’s Syria policy linked to Chechnya, terrorism
Al-Monitor 7 Jan 2014 – The United States and Russia cooperate to combat terrorism in Syria.
In ‘Rumi’s field’: can US and Iran meet in a place beyond sanctions and centrifuges?
Al-Monitor 7 Jan 2014 – The United States and Iran must relearn the craft of diplomacy for their relationship to secure benefits for both sides.
Majed al-Majed: 8 Days With the Lebanese Army
Al-Akhbar Politics 6 Jan 2014 – Army intelligence took control of the ambulance and drove it in the direction of the Defense Ministry in Yarze. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Army intelligence took control of the ambulance and drove it in the direction of the Defense Ministry in Yarze. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Majed al-Majed,…
Suspicions Surround Majed’s Postmortem Exam
Al-Akhbar Politics 6 Jan 2014 – Lebanese security forces inspect the scene of a huge car bomb explosion that rocked central Beirut on December 27, 2013. (Photo: AFP / STR) Lebanese security forces inspect the scene of a huge car bomb explosion that rocked central Beirut on December 27, 2013. (Photo: AFP / STR)…
Syria: Army of the Mujahideen Challenges ISIS Gains
Al-Akhbar Politics 6 Jan 2014 – Fighters from the Free Syrian Army buy AK-47 bullets from a weapons seller in Idlib province on July 4, 2012. (Photo: AFP) Fighters from the Free Syrian Army buy AK-47 bullets from a weapons seller in Idlib province on July 4, 2012. (Photo: AFP) It seemed…
Articles
They mourn the negotiations, continue the negotiations, and then make ironic threats
Yassir Al Zaatara, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 1/6/2014
Every other day, it seems, figures from the group who believe that “life is negotiations” mourn the current negotiation process; they sometimes get upset and resign; at other times they analyse or complain, but the result is always the same. They continue to negotiate and, more importantly, when they make threats, they are made more in irony than anything else.
The most recent mourner of the negotiations (as many times before) is the chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat. He spoke out after the Israeli Ministerial Council decided to pass laws annexing the Jordan Valley so that it will be non-negotiable. However, this does not mean that the talks have reached an impasse, as it could be a tactical manoeuvre. In any case, we all know that the valley is already outside the context of the current negotiations because what is currently being proposed is a transitional agreement for a statelet consisting of what is left of the West Bank; the Apartheid Wall has taken over a large part of it and the fate of the Jordan Valley is being left for the “final status” negotiations.
The PA abstained from negotiations for a long time and I appreciate that such abstinence was difficult as negotiations are needed for the continuation of life. However, the authority went back to talks with the Israelis even though the latter did not stop settlement expansion. The PA also celebrated the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners as a form of incentive, even though this was in exchange for more settlement projects to satisfy the Zionist right-wing; in the meantime, the Judaisation of Jerusalem and the holy sites continues unabated.
I am concerned by the threats made by the chief negotiator in the event that the negotiations continue to fail; the threat to resort to international organisations with the help of Arab parties looks fine on paper but I do not know what good it will do. After all, there are many international resolutions that consider Israel’s presence in the territories occupied in 1967 to be illegal. There is also a clear and explicit decision issued by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which can be considered more important than international resolutions, but this has not changed anything. more.. e-mail
Take Israel to the International Criminal Court
Stuart Littlewood, Redress 1/7/2014
Help prod the ICC into action over Israel’s illegal “settlements. The Palestinian leadership won’t do it – will you?
Unbelievably, President Mahmoud Abbas and his hapless crew in Ramallah promised the US not to file charges against Israel in the International Criminal Court (ICC). Meanwhile the Israeli regime is accelerating its squatter programme on Palestinian territory even in the middle of so-called peace talks, increasing its air strikes and generally upping its aggression.
The building of illegal squatter settlements has been going on unchecked since 1967, the aim plainly being permanent occupation and eventual annexation. Yet the Palestinian leadership remains fearful of using the proper legal channels to pursue legitimate claims to freedom, self-determination and the return of their lands. Abbas prefers instead to cling to the discredited, “kangaroo” peace process promoted and facilitated by crooked elements in the US administration allied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and other pro-Israel influencers.Setting the ball rolling
It has been clear for some time that civil society and Palestinian solidarity movements around the world must come together and prod the ICC into taking action on its own initiative against Israel’s war crimes. One of the most urgent issues is the illegal transfer of portions of Israel’s population into squats or “settlements” on stolen Palestinian lands. Over 600,000 Israeli squatters are now reckoned to be deliberately parked on the wrong side of the border in order to colonize choice areas of the West Bank, and they will be joined by thousands more as a result of new settlement construction tenders recently issued by the Israeli authorities in defiance of international law and the Geneva Conventions of 1949. Many of the squatters are armed thugs, hooligans and vandals, dedicated to harassing local Palestinian communities and wrecking their property. The UN says the colonization is “creeping annexation”. more.. e-mail
Palestinians catch settlers allegedly attempting a ’price tag’ attack
Michael Omer-Man, +972 Magazine 1/7/2014 Settlers invade the village of Qusra, where they are trapped by village residents. Palestinians eventually call the Israeli army to evacuate their attackers. Qusra has a long history as the target of settler violence.
Palestinians in the West Bank village of Qusra caught a group of Israeli settlers who they said invaded the village to carry out a so-called “price tag” attack against locals, leading to a standoff that lasted nearly two hours on Tuesday.
The incident began late Tuesday morning when the Israeli army demolished an illegal structure in the settlement of Esh Kodesh, Israel Radio reported (Hebrew). In response, some 25 settlers descended toward the neighboring village of Qusra to carry out a “price tag” attack.
The settlers physically attacked a Palestinian family and farmers and attempted to uproot olive trees in fields between the settlement and the village, explained Zacharia Sada, a field worker for Rabbis for Human Rights who witnessed the events.
Villagers quickly arrived on the scene and light clashes broke out until the army arrived to separate the two sides, Sada said. A smaller group of settlers, however, went around the soldiers and ran into the village, ostensibly to carry out a “price tag” attack in retaliation for the demolition in the settlement.
Villagers quickly spotted the invading settlers, who after some clashes ran into a Palestinian home and sought refuge on an unfinished second floor. Several were lightly injured by the villagers as they were chased into the house.
A Palestinian Authority officer who was in the village, along with Palestinian human rights workers, put themselves in between the enraged villagers and the would-be Israeli attackers, Sada recalled. more.. e-mail
The Jewish State in Question
Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker 1/7/2014
Jodi Rudoren writes in today’s Times that the great sticking point for Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations is Benjamin Netanyahu’s demand that Palestinians recognize Israel as a “Jewish state,” or as “the nation-state of the Jewish people”—something along these lines. Rudoren asks, “Can Israel preserve its identity as a Jewish democratic state while also providing equal rights and opportunities to citizens of other faiths and backgrounds? With a largely secular population, who interprets Jewish law and custom for public institutions and public spaces? Is Judaism a religion, an ethnicity or both?”
Netanyahu’s demand has at least three layers to it. The first is symbolic, without practical significance—understandable, but superfluous. The second is partly symbolic, but is meant to have future practical significance; it is contentious but resolvable. The third, however, is legal: it has great practical significance, and is, for any Palestinian or, for that matter, Israeli democrat, deplorable. We are no longer debating resolutions at fin-de-siècle Zionist congresses. Making laws requires settled definitions, and what’s being settled in Israel is increasingly dangerous. Netanyahu’s demand is a symptom of the disease that presents itself as the cure.
On the first, symbolic point: Israel is obviously the state of the Jewish people, in the sense that vanguard Jewish groups in Eastern Europe dreamed of a Hebrew revolution, which launched the Zionist colonial project, which engendered a Jewish national home in Mandate Palestine, which earned international backing to organize a state after the Holocaust—a state that became a place of refuge for Jews from Europe and Arab countries—that is, a state with a large Jewish majority whose binding tie (to bring things back to Zionism’s DNA) is the spoken Hebrew language.
When Palestinians say they recognize Israel, they are implicitly recognizing this reality; they are acknowledging the name of a communal desire. The state is not called Ishmael, after all. more.. e-mail
Zionism is part of Canada’s political fabric
Electronic Intifada: 7 Jan 2014 – Stephen Harper’s embrace of the Jewish National Fund is in keeping with the support for Israel voiced by his predecessors. more..
Villagers Hold Settlers ‘Captive’ Near Nablus following Clashes
Palestine Chronicle: 7 Jan 2014 – Palestinian villagers from the Nablus town of Qusra on Tuesday held at least 18 settlers captive after they raided their village and tried to uproot olive trees, a Palestinian Authority official said. Ghassan Daghlas, a PA
official who monitors settlement activity in the northern West Bank, told Ma’an that settlers from the illegal outpost of Yesh Kodesh tried to uproot olive trees belonging to Qusra residents. In the nearby village of Jalud, dozens of settlers attempted to uproot olive trees south of the main entrance. Jalud residents quickly mobilized to stop the attacks, leading to clashes. Daghlas said that Qusra villagers managed to contain 18 settlers for several hours in an area between Qusra and Jalud. Palestinian security sources told AFP locals had apprehended the settlers, some of whom were masked, after earlier clashes between the sides near Qusra village. The governor of Nablus, Jibrin al-Bakri, later confirmed that the…more
Unfree in Palestine: Registration, Documentation and Movement Restriction – Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 7 Jan 2014 – By Georgina Reeves (Unfree in Palestine: Registration, Documentation and Movement Restriction – Nadia Abu-Zahra Adah Kay, Pluto Press , 2013. ) The opening lines of Mahmoud Darwish’s poem Bitaqat Hawiyyah (identity card) are a poignant reminder of reality for Palestinians throughout the world: “Register me! I am an Arab And my identity card number is fifty thousand” And it is most fitting that Nadia Abu-Zahra and Adah Kay quote these powerful words within the first few pages of their book, Unfree in Palestine: Registration, Documentation and Movement Restriction. Over the past few years’ there’s been a general increase in awareness of what’s happening in Palestine and Israel. The daily challenges of living under illegal occupation–the roadblocks and checkpoints, the ‘separation’ barrier, the illegal colonies, and the constant threat of violence, detention, abuse and attack from both the Israeli army and settlers–are far more visible and understood than ever before. Activists and solidarity…more
Israel’s Education System Peddles Intolerance and Lies
Dissident Voice: 7 Jan 2014 – John Kerry spent last week testing the waters with the Israelis and the Palestinians over his so-called framework agreement – designed to close the gaps between the two sides. But the issues he is trying to resolve appear more intractable by the day. As he headed to the region, Israel’s hawkish cabinet ministers gave their blessing to legislation to annex the Jordan Valley, a large swathe of the West Bank that might otherwise be the Palestinian state’s economic backbone and its sole door to the outside world. On Sunday, as Mr Kerry left, the defence minister, Moshe Yaalon, argued that peace was impossible as long as the Palestinians and their schoolbooks “incited” against Israel, even quoting from a government-compiled “Palestinian incitement index”. The hyperbole overshadowed two Israeli surveys that might one day provide a yardstick by which to judge an equivalent “Israeli incitement index”. An opinion poll revealed that nearly…more
Like Lambs to the Slaughter
Dissident Voice: 7 Jan 2014 – If he succeeds with his current “peace” initiative, John Kerry would have killed three birds, not two, with one stone. With the stroke of a pen his “proposed framework” will not only dissolve the Palestinian refugee issue but also deactivate Israel’s so-called demographic bomb. And for good measure, Israel would be allowed to annex the settlements of the West Bank. That would give them a semblance of the legitimacy they lack. The Palestine Liberation Organisation and Palestinian Authority position is ambivalent. Not for the first time, they appear to be sleep-walking into a diplomatic trap; an Oslo-type transitional agreement with no identifiable end. While the Kerry framework may seem marginally better than what Ehud Barak proposed to Yasser Arafat in 2000, in reality it is worse. At Camp David, former Israeli Prime Minister Barak proposed that Israel should annex 9 per cent of the West Bank. That included the four…more
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The New Dark Age 