11 January 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Amidst Serious Israeli Escalation, Detainees Start Hunger Strike
IMEMC – [Saturday January 11, 2014] The Palestinian Ministry of Detainees has reported that Palestinian political prisoners held at the Israeli detention facility Ramon started a hunger strike to protest the latest serious Israeli assaults carried out against them. …
Several Palestinians Inured In Aida Refugee Camp, Two Kidnapped
IMEMC – [Saturday evening, January 11, 2014] Palestinian medical sources have reported that several residents have been wounded during clashes that took place between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian youths in the Aida refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. …
Sharon Dies After 8 Years In A Coma
IMEMC – Former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon has died, following a long illness, reports Al Ray with Sky News. …
Tenders For 1,400 New Settler Units Announced
IMEMC – The Israeli Housing Ministry announced, on Friday morning, new tenders for 1,400 housing units within settlements in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, according to Haaretz. …
Hamas In Gaza: Amidst Israeli Escalation, Resistance Has The Right To Retaliate
IMEMC – The Hamas-led government in the besieged Gaza Strip warned that Israel is escalating its aggression on Gaza, and that armed resistance groups in the coastal region have the right to retaliate. …
Palestinian shot by Israeli forces in northern Gaza Strip
1/12/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli forces injured a 22-year-old Palestinian man on Saturday after opening fire in the northern Gaza Strip. Local sources said that the young man was shot by Israeli soldiers stationed in military towers on the border east of Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip. They added that he was shot in the right thigh, and was near a cemetery….
Israeli man stabbed in East Jerusalem
1/11/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — A Jewish Israeli man was stabbed in Jerusalem on Saturday evening in an incident that local police forces suspect had “nationalist” motives. Israeli sources said that a suspect who “seemed to be” a Palestinian stabbed a 30-year-old Israeli in the neck before fleeing in the direction of Highway 1. Israeli newspaper the Jerusalem Post said the incident occurred in the….
Ariel Sharon dead at 85
1/11/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon died Saturday after eight years in a coma, leaving behind a bloody and conflicted legacy in the land he called home. Nicknamed “the Bulldozer,” Sharon is remembered by Palestinians and many other Arabs for his involvement in and leadership over massacres in several countries and his role in repressing the Palestinian national movement over the….
Palestinian prisoner’s wife has baby from smuggled sperm
1/11/2014 – GAZA CITY (AFP) — The wife of a Palestinian jailed in Israel gave birth in the Gaza Strip after being impregnated by sperm smuggled out of an Israeli prison, a prisoner association said on Friday. While such births have been declared among West Bank wives of prisoners in Israel, this was the first such occasion in the besieged Gaza Strip, director of the Waed Gaza prisoner….
Richard Falk: ‘Palestinians do not even have the right to have rights’
1/11/2014 – Frank Barat is an activist based in Belgium and is one of the former coordinators of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine. He recently conducted an interview with Richard Falk for “The Wall has Ears: Conversations for Palestine.”- I wanted to ask you about this article that you recently wrote on your blog, Nelson Mandela’s inspiration. You mentioned that you met him 15 years….
Iran and EU move closer to putting nuclear deal into action
1/11/2014 – GENEVA (AFP) — Iran and world power representatives agreed Friday on how to implement a landmark deal on containing Tehran’s nuclear program, but stamps of approval from each country are still needed before it can take effect. Two days of talks in Geneva between high-level Iranian and EU negotiators “made very good progress on all the pertinent issues,” Michael Mann, a spokesman for EU….
Ashrawi: Recognizing Israel as ‘Jewish state’ would legalize ‘racism’
1/11/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel’s pressure on Palestinians to recognize it as a Jewish state is an attempt to legalize “racism,” a PLO official said Saturday. PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi said defining Israel as a Jewish state would signify that any Jewish person would have the right to return to Palestine, while Palestinians would lose that right. Ashrawi told Ma’….
PA expands role in freeing minors detained by Israel
1/11/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — One of the major obstacles to ongoing peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians is the continuation of Israeli forces’ detentions raids across the West Bank. These rarely remarked-upon raids are carried out day and night in Palestinian areas and often involve the detention of children. Israel has said that it will not halt detention raids even if a peace….
Abbas: Without East Jerusalem there will be no peace with Israel
1/11/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas told a delegation on Saturday that without East Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state, there will be “no peace between us and Israel.” Speaking to a popular delegation from Jerusalem Saturday in his office in Ramallah, Abbas highlighted that the Arab Follow-up Committee would reiterate this stance during a meeting with US Secretary….
Iran invites EU’s Ashton to visit
1/11/2014 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has invited EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton to visit the Islamic Republic, Mehr news agency cited his deputy as saying on Saturday.” Ashton has received an open invitation from Zarif to travel to Iran whenever she wants,” Abbas Araqchi, the deputy negotiator in talks on Iran’s disputed nuclear program, said without giving any dates….
Dozens gather for Yarmouk solidarity rally in Gaza
1/11/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Dozens of activists rallied in Gaza City on Saturday to show solidarity with Palestinian refugees in Syria’s besieged Yarmouk camp. Protestors gathered in front of the International Red Cross Committee office, holding signs calling for an end to the deadly blockade imposed on the camp. Demonstrators delivered speeches urging the rally, urging militant groups to implement an agreement…. Related:41 Palestinians ‘dead from hunger, medical shortages’ in Yarmouk
41 Palestinians ‘dead from hunger, medical shortages’ in Yarmouk
1/11/2014 – Beirut (AFP) — A Syrian monitoring group said Friday it has documented the deaths of 41 Palestinian refugees in besieged Yarmouk camp as a result of food and medical shortages, including women and children.” Food and medical shortages have killed at least 41 people in the past three months in Yarmouk” in southern Damascus, which has been under suffocating army siege ever since rebel groups took…. Related:Dozens gather for Yarmouk solidarity rally in Gaza
‘Nearly 500 killed’ in Syria rebel fighting
1/11/2014 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Nearly 500 people, among them 85 civilians, have been killed in a week of fighting pitting Syrian rebels against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, a monitoring group said Friday.” We have documented the killing of 482 people in the fighting — 85 civilians, 240 members of the rebel brigades and 157 members of ISIL,” said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director….
Residents return to Fallujah as UN backs Iraq fight
1/11/2014 – RAMADI, Iraq (AFP) — Residents of a militant-held city on Baghdad’s doorstep
began slowly returning on Saturday amid a tense calm as the UN Security Council backed Iraq’s efforts against al-Qaeda-linked extremists. Most businesses reopened in Fallujah and government security operations in nearby areas were put on hold after heavy overnight rain restricted the use of aircraft and heavy vehicles, a day….
Egypt army chief says to run for president if ‘public demands’
1/11/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he would run for president if the people demand it and the military supports him, state media quoted him as saying on Saturday. An official close to the general told AFP Sisi has not made up his mind but feels he “would not have the luxury or choice” to stand aside in the election….
Rebels, Wahhabi militants in fierce battle at Syria’s Saraqeb
1/11/2014 – BEIRUT (AFP) — A fierce battle broke out Saturday between Syrian rebels and the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) around the northwestern town of Saraqeb, a monitoring group said.” Fierce fighting took place around Saraqeb between ISIL and Islamist rebels vying for control of the town,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The town fell out of President Bashar al-Assad’….
Govt troops deploy in north Yemen after ceasefire deal
1/11/2014 – SANAA (AFP) — Yemeni troops began to deploy in the northern province of Saada on Saturday to monitor a ceasefire between Shiite rebels and hardline Wahhabi rebels, a security official said. The deal brokered late Friday by a presidential commission ends fighting that erupted in late October centered on a radical Wahhabi Salafist mosque and Koranic school in the town of Dammaj. But the deadly conflict….
Israel’s Ariel Sharon dies at 85
AlJazeera 11 Jan 2014 – Former Israeli prime minister dies eight years after going into a coma following a stroke.
occupied Palestinian territory: Educating Gaza – Palestine Country Director reports
Relief Web 10 Jan 2014 – Source: Islamic Relief Country: occupied Palestinian territory Islamic Relief Palestine Country Director, Muneeb Abu Ghazaleh, reports: The education system in Palestine suffers from a number of challenges. They are mostly driven by limited resources. The ratio of classrooms to students…
Fire razes ancient Tibetan town in China
The National 11 Jan 2014 – 1,000-year-old Tibetan quarter of Dukezong in Shangri-La county was a popular tourist attraction.
Downfall of Iran s billionaire sanctions-buster
The National 11 Jan 2014 – With a fortune estimated to be worth about Dh 50 billion and a multinational string of businesses, Babak Zanjani was flying high until his arrest in late December.
Lebanese teen s death sparks not a martyr social media protest
The National 11 Jan 2014 – The death of 16-year-old Mohammad Al Chaar has sparked a social media protest by young Lebanese citizens.
An uneasy calm in Fallujah as some residents return home
The National 11 Jan 2014 – Some residents of militant-held Fallujah returned home on Saturday even as the UN Security Council backed the Iraqi government’s operation against Al Qaeda forces.
India says no standoff with US in diplomat row
The National 11 Jan 2014 – India’s foreign minister, Salman Khurshid, said there is “no standoff” with Washington after a diplomatic battle following the arrest and strip search of India’s deputy consul-general in New York.
Egypt s army chief will run for the presidency if there is popular demand
The National 11 Jan 2014 – Gen Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Egypt’s army chief, has said he will run for the presidency but “there must be a popular demand,” according to a report in the state-run Al Ahram newspaper
Former Israeli PM Ariel Sharon dead at 85
The National 11 Jan 2014 – Israel’s controversial former prime minister, Ariel Sharon has died aged 85.
Video: Russian Cossacks patrol Sochi prior to Olympics
The National 11 Jan 2014 – Russian Cossacks join forces with Russian police to patrol the streets of Sochi, where the Olympic games will kick off in less than a month. Jillian Kitchener reports.
Video: UN appeals for US$99 million for displaced persons in South Sudan, CAR
The National 11 Jan 2014 – The United Nations High Commission for Refugees launches an appeal for US$99 million aimed at helping hundreds of thousands displaced in S. Sudan and the Central African Republic. Gavino Garay reports.
Video: Renoir painting bought in flea market ordered returned to museum
The National 11 Jan 2014 – A federal judged ordered Renoir’s “Paysage Bords de Seine” that was bought at a flea market for next to nothing returned to a Baltimore museum. Gavino Garay reports.
Video: Parisians dismiss report that Hollande is having an affair
The National 11 Jan 2014 – French tabloid Closer alleges that President Francois Hollande is having an affair with film actress Julie Gayet, while Parisians brush off story. Michaela Cabrera reports.
Video: India orders US to withdraw diplomat from New Delhi
The National 11 Jan 2014 – The US confirms it will withdraw one of its diplomats from New Delhi at India’s request after Washington effectively expelled Devyani Khobragade. Deborah Gembara reports.
Video: Heavy rains and strong winds cause flooding in parts of Britain
The National 11 Jan 2014 – Parts of south-east England experience severe flooding due to heavy rains and strong winds. Mana Rabiee reports.
Video: Fighting continues between Syria s disparate rebel groups
The National 11 Jan 2014 – Just two weeks before planned peace talks over Syria, fighting continues between Syria’s disparate rebel factions. Mana Rabiee reports.
Video: Clashes erupt in Ukraine protest
The National 11 Jan 2014 – Ukrainians protesting a court verdict on a criminal case clash with police, leaving several including parliament members wounded. Michaela Cabrera reports.
Man stabbed, moderately injured in suspected J lem terror attack
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Former Shin Bet chief flees Denmark following complaint to police by left-wing group
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Abbas: Jerusalem must be capital of Palestinian state
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Army officer s tires slashed in W. Bank settlement
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
For all his flaws, Israel is poorer without leaders like Ariel Sharon
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Youth assault gay men in south Tel Aviv
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Sharon realized the limits of military power
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Ariel Sharon: Champion of controversy
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Ariel Sharon, a complicated man
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Sharon s contradictory life and legacy: The good, the bad and the very, very ugly
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Sharon s contradictory life and legacy: The good, the bad and the very, very ugly
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Ariel Sharon: The leader who was almost de Gaulle
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
How the world reported the death of Ariel Sharon
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
INTERACTIVE: Key moments in the life of Ariel Sharon
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Arik: A life in pictures
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Obama: U.S. joins Israeli people in honoring Sharon’s commitment to his country
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Arik Sharon told me: ‘I am Israel’s most defamed political leader’
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Israel mourns Sharon’s passing; Netanyahu: He was a ‘brave warrior’
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
World leaders talk about Ariel Sharon
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Ariel Sharon, former Israeli prime minister, dies at 85
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Jewish-American public leader raps AIPAC on lobbying for more Iran sanctions
Ha’aretz – 11 Jan 2014
Young, restless and nostalgic for the golden age of Israeli television
Ha’aretz – 10 Jan 2014
Diners asked to eat off plastic plates as gesture to striking refugees
Ha’aretz – 10 Jan 2014
Amiri Baraka, black poet condemned as anti-Semitic, dies
Ha’aretz – 10 Jan 2014
Tourism in Israel hits all time high
Ha’aretz – 10 Jan 2014
Sharon never let the past rule the future
Ha’aretz – 10 Jan 2014
Sharon’s lasting legacy: Proving that rabbis and settlers can be defied
Ha’aretz – 10 Jan 2014
World leaders praise Sharon s commitment to Israeli security, peace
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Kerry: Ex-prime minister s journey was Israel s journey; Blair: He remained firm and unbowed in face of political difficulties; UN s Ban: He ll be recalled for his determination over Gaza evacuation.
Salute to Sharon
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – When Ariel Sharon died on Saturday, the State of Israel lost one of the most charismatic, colorful and influential figures in its annals.
Sharon: The life of a lion
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – He was on the threshold of the promised land, he already took the step, he was about to place his foot on the promised land, and then he fell.
IDF officer dies on trek in Chile
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – 22-year-old succumbs to hypothermia after ankle injury leaves her stranded in mountains.
Jewish leaders praise Sharon s courage, debate his legacy
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Jewish organizations across political, religious spectrum issue statements of mourning over former premier’s death.
Israeli oncologist: Palliative care neglected in developing world
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Prof. Nathan Cherny, veteran oncologist and head of palliative medicine at Jerusalem s Shaare Zedek Medical center says cancer pain should be obsolete.
Prof. Joseph Borman s open heart
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – One of Israel s leading cardiothoracic surgeons for decades, who pioneered in open-heart surgery and performed Israel s first heart transplant, writes a fascinating new autobiography.
Ariel Sharon dies after 8-year fight for his life
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Netanyahu calls former PM courageous warrior, lauds his central role in the struggle for the security of Israel ” Body to lie in state at Knesset today ” State funeral planned for tomorrow at Negev ranch.
Scarlett Johansson to star in SodaStream Super Bowl ad
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Eco-friendly Hollywood starlet to represent Israeli-founded brand; SodaStream CEO says Jewish-American actress embodies company’s brand values.
Jewish man stabbed in neck near J lem s Damascus Gate
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Clear to us it was terrorist attack, says police spokesman; Victim in moderate-but-stable condition after surgery.
Abbas reaffirms refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – PA president says Palestinians won’t accept any deal that doesn’t include east Jerusalem as capital of a future Palestinian state.
US, EU, Palestinians: Tenders for homes harmful to peace
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – State Dept: We have always said settlements illegitimate.
Iranian Nuclear chief: nuclear bill would have consequences
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Bill calls for enrichment up to 60%; at least 218 of 390 Iranian MPs express support for legislation.
Palestinians: Sharon was a ‘criminal’
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Fatah, Hamas mark passing of former Israeli premier with condemnation; Gaza celebrates Sharon’s passing.
For Palestinians in Gaza, Sharon s passing is reason to celebrate
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Jibril Rajoub: He was responsible for Arafat s death.
Reporter’s Notebook: Sharon, the man vs. the image
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – A reflection on personal interviews conducted with the former prime minister throughout the years.
Appreciation: Farewell to an Israeli hero
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – The eight-year struggle into which he maneuvered the angel of death was a fitting capping stone for a life of confrontation, daring, and heroism.
Politicians right, left and center pay tribute to Sharon as military hero and statesman
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Israeli leaders respond to passing of Israel’s 11th prime minister Ariel Sharon.
Politicians from Right, Left and Center pay tribute to military hero and statesman
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Piron instructs schools to hold week-long lessons on Sharon s contributions to country ” Yishai: Even those who disagreed with his politics cannot ignore his legacy.
Sharon’s true legacy
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – “Leaders are judged by their ability to make decisions, even if they are tough,” Netanyahu told the Likud faction last week. Hearing that would have made Sharon proud.
Ariel Sharon: Larger than Life
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Sharon was a lion on the battle field as well as in his political career and personal life. He was able to rise above all crisis. He refused to be defeated.
Obituary: Ariel Sharon – A Bulldozer in War and Peace
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Sharon was always consistent in his desire to secure Israel s borders and was often photographed with a map in hand.
Iranian military official: Hezbollah capable of pinpoint missile strikes throughout Israel
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – Senior Revolutionary Guard commander says Lebanese group “can attack any target in any part of the occupied territories.
Security and Defense: Israel s ey
es and ears
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – The IDF’s chief combat intelligence officer talks to the ‘Post’ about watching the enemy in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria.
Analysis: Lowering the bar on peace talks
Jerusalem Post 11 Jan 2014 – If John Kerry has learned anything, it is that launching the talks is the easy part of peace.
Google apologizes after German square re-named ‘Adolf Hitler’
Jerusalem Post 10 Jan 2014 – The label of the square was changed in Google Maps for a few hours, sparking social media controversy, but was quickly changed back.
Ariel Sharon: a warrior blamed for massacres and praised for peacemaking
The Guardian 11 Jan 2014 – Man who fought bravely for Israel’s survival but failed to prevent Lebanese militiamen from killing Palestinians dies aged 85 “In [Ariel] Sharon, it was all about the point where reality met fantasy,” Israeli political scientist Yaron…
Ariel Sharon obituary
The Guardian 11 Jan 2014 – Israel’s prime minister and wartime general who bestrode his country’s history for more than 50 years Few global figures were as compelling as Ariel Sharon, the former Israeli prime minister who has died aged 85. A…
Jewish extremists cut down fruit trees in revenge attack
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 — Suspected Jewish extremists cut down fruit trees belonging to Israeli-Palestinians overnight in an apparent revenge attack for Palestinian villagers detaining Jewish settlers, police said Friday.The vandals left placards in the orchard reading “Regards from Esh Kodesh,”…
The Fantasy That Obama Is Currently Planning to Overhaul Surveillance Programs
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 — The opening sentence of a report from the New York Times on reforms President Barack Obama is considering suggests that he is assembling a “plan to overhaul the nation s surveillance programs.”On December 31, Daniel Klaidman…
On the 12th Anniversary of the Opening of Guant·namo, Please Write to the Prisoners
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 – Every six months, I put out a call for people to write to the prisoners in Guant·namo, to let them know that they have not been forgotten, and to let the US authorities know that people…
Obama Approves Releasing Classified Information to Attack Snowden for Leaking Classified Information
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 – Kudos to Shane Harris who, unlike a number of other reporters, brought the appropriate skepticism to Mike Rogers and Dutch Ruppersberger s attempt to fearmonger Edward Snowden s leaks. Not only did Harris use the correct…
Criminal Unaccountability
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014- Israel gets away with murder and much more. Crimes against humanity repeat multiple times daily. Palestinians are defenseless. Who can contest Israel s military might? It s other security forces are ruthless. So are extremist settlers. Yesh…
Syria Protests January 10, 2014 : A Video Roundup
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 –
U.S. has deployed military advisers to Somalia, officials say
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 – The U.S. military secretly deployed a small number of trainers and advisers to Somalia in October, the first time regular troops have been stationed in the war-ravaged country since 1993, when two helicopters were shot down…
US Marines Kill 4 Year-Old Afghan Toddler Mistaken for the Enemy
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 – Outrage is spreading across Afghanistan yet again, after an incident early today in the Helmand Province where US Marines attacked and killed a four-year-old boy. The US has shrugged off the incident so far, saying that…
Video : Sami al Haj 12th anniversary of Guantanamo Bay message
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 – On the 12th anniversary of Guantanamo Bay, Sami al Haj, former Al-Jazeera cameraman who was wrongly imprisoned there between 2002 and 2008, sends a message to the Obama administration and the rest of the world.
PLO official: Kerry threatened to stop funds if Palestinians do not agree to his framework
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014- Ma ariv (Hebrew) reported Thursday that a PLO official claimed Secretary of State John Kerry threatened to stop aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) if the current peace talks fail. At a press conference on Wednesday in…
What peace talks? Bulldozers expand Hebron settlement for archaeological park (Video )
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 – The plundering of Palestine continues. Under the guise of archaeological digs, what the Defense Ministry s Civil Administration cynically calls “rescue evacuations,” Israel is expanding its settlement in the heart of Hebron to include the ancient…
British activist detained entering Israel, facing 10-year ban
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 – A high-profile member of Northern Ireland s Alliance Party and a long-standing activist for human rights in Israel and the Occupied Territories, Gary Spedding, was detained on arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport on Thursday and told would…
Official: Hundreds face imminent death in Yarmouk camp, Damascus
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10 , 2014– Hundreds of Palestinian refugees in the besieged Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus face imminent death in the coming 10 days unless a safe supply line is opened, a Palestinian official told Ma an Thursday. Ayman Abu Hasham,…
December 10th, a Date that Should Live in Infamy 115 years of US Domination
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 – In recent weeks, we ve seen signs of an empire that refuses to cease its worst behavior. The drone strikes, preparations for a new military base on Okinawa, the dispatch of more troops on the Korean…
Truth and Unconsequences The NSA: Here, There and Everywhere
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 -“The idea is to build an antiterrorist global environment,” a senior American defense official said in 2003, “so that in 20 to 30 years, terrorism will be like slave-trading, completely discredited.”One must wonder: When will the dropping…
Elderly Palestinian killed on New Year s Day
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 – On New Year s Day, Said Jasir Nasar Ali, an icon of the village of Kafr Qaddum, suffocated when Israeli forces tear-gassed his home during a demonstration inside the Palestinian village. He was pronounced dead in…
Turkey s Foreign Minister says Al-Qaeda and Al-Assad regime are partners
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 -Turkey s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told Anadolu news agency on Thursday that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, also known as Daash, is a secret partner of the Syrian regime. According to Davutoglu, the…
“I did all that I could do for Palestine,” says freed prisoner Said Tamimi
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 – If one thing can still unite and mobilize all Palestinians, regardless of their political affiliations or where they live, it is the struggle of our political prisoners in Israeli jails. The recent US-brokered deal between Israel…
Did NYT s Jodi Rudoren write her worst piece ever?
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 – Even by the standards of The New York Times news coverage, a recent Jodi Rudoren piece on “incitement” by Palestinians was abysmal. Based on the article s word count, an estimated 70% of Rudoren s piece…
Israel s War on Asylum Seekers
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – Israeli policy reflects the wo
rst of Zionism s dark side. Separate and unequal defines longstanding policy. Non-Jewish asylum seekers and refugees fleeing persecution aren t wanted. Arabs and black African ones are deplored most of all. Israel treats them like…
I helped destroy Falluja in 2004. I won t be complicit again
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014- I am having flashbacks to my time as a marine during the second siege of Falluja in 2004. Again, claims are being published that al-Qaida has taken over the city and that a heavy-handed military response is…
Israeli forces shoot 4 protesters in al-Jalazun camp clashes
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 10, 2014 — Four Palestinians were injured by live bullets during clashes with Israeli soldiers in al-Jalazun refugee camp north of Ramallah on Friday, locals said.Israeli forces chased Palestinians down the alleys of the camp and fired live ammunition,…
Lebanon: Palestinians fear war with Hezbollah
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 09, 2014 – The spiritual leader of all Salafist groups in Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp voiced fears Wednesday of a possible armed sectarian confrontation between Hezbollah and Palestinian refugees in Lebanon if the party did not revise its policies…
Syria News – January 9, 2013 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet 11 Jan 2014 – January 9, 2013- By the end of Thursday the Coordination Committees were able to document 108 martyrs including 7 children, 4 women and 13 martyrs under torture: 54 martyrs were reported in Aleppo; 23 in Damascus and its Suburbs; 12…
Anbar Council calls for end to military siege by Iraqi government forces
Uruknet 10 Jan 2014 – January 9, 2014 -…. An Anbari official told Al-Monitor, “The [Anbar Provincial] Council held an emergency meeting on Monday [Jan. 6] to demand that Maliki investigate, [in coordination] with Deputy Interior Minister Adnan al-Asadi and Anbar Police Chief Hadi Rseg,…
Sabra, Shatila bid good riddance to Israel’s Sharon
Daily Star 11 Jan 2014 News of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon s death was greeted with delight in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila, where the memory of massacre still prevails in the minds of many.
EU’s Ashton ‘deeply concerned’ over Israel settlements
Daily Star 11 Jan 2014 The European Union’s foreign policy supremo says she is “deeply concerned” by what she said were “illegal” Israeli plans for more than 1,800 new settler homes.
Obama says Sharon dedicated his life to Israel
Daily Star 11 Jan 2014 President Barack Obama is remembering former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as a leader who dedicated his life to Israel.
Abu Faour: Less evil in world now Sharon dead
Daily Star 11 Jan 2014 Lebanon s Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour expresses hope that Palestinians may feel some sense of comfort from the passing of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, a figure widely despised in Lebanon.
Abbas says he won’t make concessions on Jerusalem
Daily Star 11 Jan 2014 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has told a cheering audience in a fiery speech that “the Palestinian people won’t kneel” and won’t drop demands to establish a capital in East Jerusalem.
Clintons say Sharon ‘gave his life to Israel’
Daily Star 11 Jan 2014 Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, an ex-Secretary of State, praise Ariel Sharon as a leader who “who gave his life to Israel.”
Ex-Israel PM Sharon was a ‘criminal’: Palestinians
Daily Star 11 Jan 2014 A senior Palestinian figure labels Israeli former prime minister Ariel Sharon, who died on Saturday, as a criminal and expressed regret he was never taken before the International Criminal Court.
Iraqis return to Fallujah as UN backs fight with extremists
Daily Star 11 Jan 2014 Residents of a militant-held city on Baghdad’s doorstep begin slowly returning amid a tense calm, while the U.N. Security Council backs Iraq’s efforts against Al-Qaeda-linked extremists.
Egypt’s Gen. Sisi signals may run for president
Daily Star 11 Jan 2014 Egypt’s army chief Gen. Abdel Fatah al-Sisi gave his clearest signal yet of his interest in becoming president, a move that could turn the clock back to the days when the presidency was controlled by men…
Sharon’s memory will be held in nation’s heart: Netanyahu
Daily Star 11 Jan 2014 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Israeli people will “forever” cherish the memory of former premier Ariel Sharon, who died at a hospital near Tel Aviv.
Palestinians in s. Lebanon rejoice at news of Sharon s death
Daily Star 11 Jan 2014 Palestinians at the refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in south Lebanon rejoice at the news of the death of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, a widely reviled figure in the country.
Major events in the life of Ariel Sharon
Daily Star 11 Jan 2014 A look at the life of Ariel Sharon, Israel’s former prime minister who died Saturday.
Iran defends development of advanced centriguges
Daily Star 11 Jan 2014 Iran’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi defends Tehran’s “right” to carry out research on advanced centrifuges, media report.
South Libya tribal clashes kill 19
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – ….
Sharon’s death sparks joy in Sabra, Shatila massacre camps
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – Residents of infamous Beirut Palestinian refugee camp celebrate news of Israeli leader Ariel Sharon’s death, blame him for Sabra, Shatila killings. ‘Shame Sharon has gone without facing justice’ ….
Ariel Sharon to be laid to rest Monday
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – Thousands to join service for former prime minister Ariel Sharon at Anemones Hill, nearby northern Negev Sycamore Ranch. Among world’s dignitaries to be present at funeral: US Vice President , former British PM, Russian Foreign Minister ….
‘Sharon was no warmonger, he just put Israel first’
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – Ynet’s senior military analyst Ron Ben Yishai speaks of Ariel Sharon, a military and political commander he knew, and says Sharon was not a warmonger, but rather Ben Gurion’s true disciple, only interested in Israel’s survival ….
Lebanese minister: Less evil in world now Sharon dead
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – ….
EU’s Ashton ‘deeply concerned’ over Israel settlements
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – ….
Israeli traveler freezes to death in Chile
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – 22-year-old Israeli freezes to death in Cerro Castillo, Chile after ankle wounds leaves her stranded. ‘We tried to finds signs of life, but there were none. Death from hypothermia had already taken place a few hours earlier,’ rescuer says ….
Sharon funeral to be held on Tuesday, Biden to arrive
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – ….
Sharon tops world headlines
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – From the British Guardian to the Russian RIA Novosti, Sharon’s death receives extensive coverage, with headlines ranging from ‘hero’ to ‘war criminal’ ….
Iraq: At least 60 killed in 2 weeks Anbar violence
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – ….
Sharon’s political legacy: Livni and Lapid are in his debt
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – In taking Israel out of Gaza, Sharon created a new constituency of Israeli voters looking for peace but without compromising on security. Its impact is felt even today ….
Abbas says he won’t make concessions on Jerusalem
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – In firery Ramallah speech, Palestinian president Abbas says ‘Palestinian people won’t kneel, and we tell the world, listen… without east Jerusalem as a capital of the state of Palestine, there will be no peace between us and Israel’ ….
Iran commander: Hezbollah’s missile power improved
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – Head of Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace division praises assassinated senior Hezbollah operative, says Israel will see his handiwork if war breaks out as new arsenal can hit and destroy any Israeli target ….
Brave Jewish response to intermarriage
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – Op-ed: Instead of lashing out at modern rabbis, we must enter serious dialogue with US Jewry ….
Expectations low for Syrian peace talks
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – Obama administration hopes Western-backed coalition attends but prepares for possibility of no-show. Mideast expert: “If the expectations are very low, then you can’t really fail can you?” ….
Shalom, Finland: Jewish culture guide
YNet News, 11 Jan 2014 – There are an estimated 1,500 Jews living in Finland today 1,200 in capital Helsinki, about 200 in Turku and estimated 50 in Tampere ….
Palestinian Information Center
Is Fatah really interested in reconciliation with Hamas?
PIC – Fatah, the de facto “ruling party” of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, never stops blaming Hamas for the continuation of the 7-year rift between the two groups.
Abu Zuhri: Death of Sharon lesson for all tyrants
PIC – Hamas movement said that the death of former Israeli premier Ariel Sharon constituted ‚¨ Sa lesson for all tyrants‚¨ ù.
OCHA: Two Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks in the first week of 2014
PIC – The UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA) said that two Palestinians were killed and 25 others were wounded by either Israeli troops or settlers during the first week of 2014.
Barghouthi: Events in Yarmouk camp represent a second Nakba
PIC – MP Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, said that the events taking place in the Yarmouk refugee camp represent “a second Nakba and cannot be tolerated.”
ALECSO condemns Israel’s intents to divide Aqsa Mosque
PIC – The Arab League educational, cultural and scientific organization (ALECSO) strongly denounced Israel’s declared intentions to divide the Aqsa Mosque between Muslims and Jews.
Israel plans to establish settlement neighborhood on the outskirts of Ramallah
PIC – Hebrew media sources revealed that Arieh King, Director General of the Israel Land Fund (ILF), is preparing a scheme to establish a Jewish neighborhood in the north of Jerusalem.
Khudari advises PA to withdraw from negotiations
PIC – MP Jamal Al-Khudari has advised the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah to withdraw from the American-sponsored negotiations with Israel.
IOF arrests 2 citizens and summons others in West Bank
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed at dawn Saturday several areas in the West Bank, where they arrested two citizens and summoned others for investigation.
Jordanian activists stage events in rejection of Kerry’s plot
PIC – Activists in Jordan organized popular and partisan events after Friday prayers, in solidarity with Palestine and in rejection of the visit of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to the kingdom.
Gazans protest inhumane blockade on Al-Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria
PIC – Huge masses of Palestinian citizens in Gaza participated on Friday in the march which was called for by the Hamas Movement to protest the blockade imposed on Al-Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria.
Abbas says no Agreement with Israel without Jerusalem
WAFA – 11 Jan 2014
Abu Rudeineh: No Agreement without Jerusalem
WAFA – 11 Jan 2014
Polytechnic, Khadori Open Workshop on Building Management System
WAFA – 11 Jan 2014
ASA, Groups Describe Israeli Legal Threat as Bullying
WAFA – 11 Jan 2014
Officials Conclude Child Abuse Study Trip to Norway
WAFA – 11 Jan 2014
Weather: Mild Temperature, Relatively Cold
WAFA – 11 Jan 2014
Monday a Holiday Marking Prophet Mohammad s Birthday
WAFA – 10 Jan 2014
Israeli Forces Arrest Six people from Jerusalem, West Bank
WAFA – 10 Jan 2014
Alastair McPhail New British Consul General in Jerusalem
WAFA – 10 Jan 2014
Israel Indicts 12-Year-Old Palestinian Boy
WAFA – 10 Jan 2014
PEX Report: After a Week of Rise, Index Drops
WAFA – 10 Jan 2014
Fatah Official Discusses Reconciliation with Hamas Leader
WAFA – 10 Jan 2014
Israeli Aircraft Targets Location in Rafah
WAFA – 10 Jan 2014
Israeli Settlers Spray Anti-Arab Graffiti on Sinjil House
WAFA – 10 Jan 2014
Jordan Valley Resident Told His Home will be Demolished
WAFA – 10 Jan 2014
Two People Injured in an Israeli Strike on Khan Younis
WAFA – 10 Jan 2014
Japan Finances Rehabilitation of Electricity Network in Salem
WAFA – 10 Jan 2014
Weather: Chance of Scattered Showers
WAFA – 10 Jan 2014
U.S. ambivalence runs deep as Iraq violence revives
LA Times 10 Jan 2014 – U.S. considers ways to battle Al Qaeda-linked militants without adding to the huge toll of American lives lost in the eight-year Iraq war. WASHINGTON Zach Iscol was a Marine captain in 2004 when his platoon a combined unit of 30 Iraqis and 20…
The Lede: Syria s Conflict Told Through a Caustic Wit
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – You know, when you live with shelling all the time, you just let everything go, said the Syrian activist Razan Ghazzawi. You have to laugh.
Presidential Run Likely for Egypt s Top General
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – The officer, General Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, all but explicitly linked his candidacy to this week s referendum on a revised constitution, in an apparent bid to exploit his personal popularity to boost the margin of victory for that vote.
No Tears for Sharon at Site of Sabra and Shatila Massacre
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – Abu Jamal still remembers when Lebanese militiamen allied to Israel woke him and his family early one September morning more than three decades ago and dragged them out into the street.
Egypt: Ultraconservative Salafis Gamble on Charter
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – Police cars crammed the courtyard of a youth center in this rural town outside Cairo, where an ultraconservative Islamist party was holding a conference on the draft national constitution. The new charter, written mainly by liberals and backed by the military, would ban political parties based on religion, give women equal rights and protect the status of minority Christians.
Israel and World Grapple With Sharon s Mixed Legacy
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – A life and career paralleled Israel s development, for better or worse.
Missing Diver’s Body Found Off the Coast of Dubai
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – A state-backed Emirati newspaper and supporters of an experienced Algerian diver who went missing off the coast of Dubai more than a week ago say his body has been recovered.
Official: Clash Between 2 Tribes in Libya Kills 15
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – A health official in Libya says 15 people have been killed in clashes between two tribes in the country’s south.
Analysis: A Man of War, Was Sharon the Last Leader Able to Bring Peace?
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – As Israel prepares to bury former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, it might also be saying goodbye to the last man capable of enacting the sort of tough decisions needed to secure peace with the Palestinians.
Iran Nuclear Bill Would Have Consequences, Nuclear Chief Says
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – Iran will have no choice but to s
tep up its uranium enrichment if a bill now moving through parliament is approved, even though it has no current need for such highly-enriched uranium, its nuclear chief said on Saturday.
Obama Says Joins Israelis in Honoring Sharon’s Commitment to Israel
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – President Barack Obama said on Saturday he joined Israelis in honoring the late Ariel Sharon’s commitment to Israel and he affirmed traditional U.S. support for Israel’s security.
Abbas Says He Won’t Make Concessions on Jerusalem
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has told a cheering audience in a fiery speech that “the Palestinian people won’t kneel” and won’t drop demands to establish a capital in east Jerusalem.
Ceasefire Holds Between Shi’ite and Sunni Fighters in North Yemen
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – Fighting in north Yemen between Shi’ite Muslim Houthis and Sunni Muslim Salafis stopped on Saturday as a ceasefire deal took effect, according to a government committee working towards ending the conflict.
Rebels Clash in North Syria, Bodies Pile Up in Hospital: Monitors
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – An al Qaeda affiliate in Syria battled rival rebels across the country’s north on Saturday and dozens of bodies piled up in a hospital in an insurgent-held city, a monitoring group said.
Sharon Was Loathed by Palestinians as Bitter Foe
New York Times 11 Jan 2014 – Ariel Sharon was loathed by many Palestinians as a bitter enemy who did his utmost to sabotage their independence hopes by leading military offensives against them in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza and a settlement drive on the lands they want for a state.
U.S. Says Iran Won t Attend Peace Talks on Syria
New York Times 10 Jan 2014 – American officials say Iran has made no effort to use its influence to get the Assad government to cease bombing and allow humanitarian aid.
Negotiators Move Closer on Iran Pact
New York Times 10 Jan 2014 – Iran asserts that all disagreements have been resolved, though its negotiating partners don t go so far.
Listening Post: White House, in Gates s Telling, Restrained Clinton
New York Times 10 Jan 2014 – In former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates s account, Hillary Rodham Clinton fares better than the president or vice president.
Russell Simmons tweets condolences for Ariel Sharon but then takes it back after remembering who he was
Mondoweiss – Def Jam Records founder Russell Simmons ran into some trouble today on Twitter when he shared his condolences on the passing of Ariel Sharon: (Screenshot: Sehar Ezez) After receiving several outraged responses he quickly figured out the mistake: on stair master& a little light headed. confused ariel…
Ariel Sharon dies
Globes Main News – Sharon, a daring military commander and the right wing prime minister who led Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, died today after eight years in a coma.
Lawyer Against Law: Dershowitz tells Israelis pay no attention to international law
Mondoweiss – For years, Alan Dershowitz has obsessively been searching for legal avenues to condemn the Second Worst Regime Ever in Iran. In 2009, Dershowitz urged that international criminal charges be filed against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then the Iranian President, for incitement to genocide. Pretending to know what he…
On House floor, Gohmert says Blumenthal is anti-Semitic Jew who d welcome another Holocaust
Mondoweiss – Rightwing Republicans seem to look on Israel as a good wedge issue against Democrats, if only the Democrats would play ball. Yesterday Texas Representative Louie Gohmert was given an hour to rant on the House floor. He warned that BDS was leading to a second Holocaust…
White House calls out warmongers in Congress, as lobby turns screws on Wasserman Schultz
Mondoweiss – The Miami Herald says that Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz isn t necessarily going to support Obama on the Iran deal, despite reports that she has the president s back . Update: Wasserman Schultz s spokeswoman, Mara Sloan, said the claim [that she is opposing ratcheted-up Iran sanctions] isn t true: Rep. Debbie…
Reactions to Ariel Sharon s death over social media (Updated)
Mondoweiss – [ View the story “Reactions to the death of Ariel Sharon” on Storify ] And the following list was curated by the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C.: Congress on Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon, whose political career was unhindered by civilian massacres, dies at 85
Mondoweiss – Ariel Sharon Ariel Sharon, who became prime minister of Israel despite a finding that he bore responsibility for the massacre of hundreds of Palestinian civilians two decades before, has died at 85 after being in a coma for eight years. Sharon made a name for himself…
Vandal settlers, and their soldier guardians
Mondoweiss – Qusra incident aftermath West Bank soldiers: We guard settlers; they spit us in the face Ynet 11 Jan by Yoav Zitun Soldiers serving in West Bank face animosity from settlers they are assigned to protect. Following vandalism to IDF officer s car while he was meeting…
Moody’s positive on Vigodman appointment at Teva
Globes Main News – “The selection of Vigodman is credit positive as it reduces the risk that there will be a significant departure from Teva’s previously-stated strategy.”
Libyan deputy minister ‘shot dead’
BBC 11 Jan 2014 – Libya’s deputy industry minister has been shot dead by gunmen during a visit to his hometown of Sirte, east of the capital Tripoli, reports say.
Israel’s ex-PM Ariel Sharon dies
BBC 11 Jan 2014 – Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has died aged 85 after spending eight years in a coma following a stroke.
VIDEO: ‘No tears will be shed’ in Lebanon
BBC 11 Jan 2014 – Jim Muir reports on the reaction in Beirut, Lebanon.
President Obama Joins Israelis in Honoring Sharon’s Commitment to Nation
The Foward Breaking News 11 Jan 2014 – President Barack Obama said on Saturday he joined Israelis in honoring the late Ariel Sharon s commitment to Israel and he affirmed traditional U.S. support for Israel s security. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt army chief eyes presidency bid
BBC 11 Jan 2014 – Egypt’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi would run for president if the people request it and the military supports the bid, state media quote him as saying.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Dies at 85
The Foward Breaking News 11 Jan 2014 – Ariel Sharon, the former Israeli general and prime minister who was in a coma for eight years after he had a stroke at the height of his power, died on Saturday aged 85, Israeli Army radio said, quoting a relative of his family. Click here for…
Israeli Rabbis Seek To Learn From American Model of Jewish Community
The Forward New 11 Jan 2014 – A group of rabbis studying psychology and counseling in New York or London would hardly raise an eyebrow. But in Israel, the group of 19 rabbis was breaking ground. Click here for the rest of the article…
Ariel Sharon, Larger-Than-Life Israeli Soldier Turned Prime Minister, Dies at 85
The Forward New 11 Jan 2014 – Former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, the larger-than-life soldier and politician whose stormy, six-decade career helped define the Jewish state, has died at 85. Click here for the rest of the article…
Jews Slam Hungary Nazi Commemoration for Failing To Address Complicity
The Foward Breaking News 11 Jan 2014
– Jewish leaders in Budapest criticized the planned commemoration of victims of Germany s occupation because it ignored Hungarians complicity in the Holocaust. Click here for the rest of the article…
Meet Israeli Bureaucrat Who Decides If You Can Get Married or Not
The Foward Breaking News 11 Jan 2014 – To be married in Israel, immigrants must prove their Jewish ancestry to the country s Chief Rabbinate. That s where a bureaucrat named Itamar Tubul comes in. Click here for the rest of the article…
Sabra-Shatila residents rejoice over Sharon’s death
Al-Akhbar News 11 Jan 2014 – Palestinian refugees living in the the Shatila refugee camp in the Lebanese capital Beirut, walk under a banner of the late president Yasser Arafat on January 11, 2014. (Photo: AFP – Anwar Amro) Palestinian refugees living in the the Shatila refugee camp in the Lebanese capital…
Thousands of Turkish protesters condemn Erdogan government
Al-Akhbar News 11 Jan 2014 – Tens of thousands of Turkish demonstrators took to the streets in capital Ankara Saturday in protest against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, which has been rocked by a vast corruption probe. As Erdogan arrived home after a week-long tour to Asia, about 20,000 protesters gathered…
VIDEO: Sharon ‘controversial at all times’
BBC 11 Jan 2014 – The BBC’s Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen says Ariel Sharon “controversial in Israel at all times”.
Ariel Sharon, the “Butcher of Beirut,” is Dead
Al-Akhbar News 11 Jan 2014 – Palestinians burn posters of former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon to celebrate news of the “butcher’s” death, on January 11, 2014 in a street of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. (Photo: AFP – Sa’id Khatib) Palestinians burn posters of former Israeli prime minister…
Israel arrests three, injures four in West Bank raids, releases nine child prisoners
Al-Akhbar News 11 Jan 2014 – A Palestinian protester stands in front of flames during clashes with Israeli security forces following a protest of Palestinians against the expansion of the neary Israeli settlement of Ofra on January 10, 2014 near the West Bank village of Silwad,northeast of Ramallah. (Photo: AFP – Abbas…
Troops deploy in northern Yemen to monitor Salafi-Huthi ceasefire
Al-Akhbar News 11 Jan 2014 – Yemeni troops began to deploy in the northern province of Saada on Saturday to monitor a ceasefire between rebels and hardline Salafis, a security official said. The deal brokered late Friday by a presidential commission ends fighting that erupted in late October centered on a Salafi…
With UN support, Iraqi forces reclaim parts of Anbar province from militants
Al-Akhbar News 11 Jan 2014 – Residents of a militant-held city on Baghdad’s doorstep began slowly returning on Saturday amid a tense calm as the UN Security Council backed Iraq’s efforts against al-Qaeda-linked extremists. Most businesses reopened in Fallujah and government security operations in nearby areas were put on hold after heavy…
Al-Qaeda Leaks: Baghdadi and Golani Fight Over the Levant Emirate
Al-Akhbar Politics 10 Jan 2014 – An image grab taken from a video released on January 4, 2014 by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Photo: AFP). An image grab taken from a video released on January 4, 2014 by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (…
Articles
Ariel Sharon: Peacemaker, hero… and butcher
Robert Fisk, The Independent1/12/2014
He was respected in his eight years of near-death, with no sacrilegious cartoons to damage his reputation; and he will, be assured, receive the funeral of a hero and a peacemaker. Thus do we remake history
Any other Middle Eastern leader who survived eight years in a coma would have been the butt of every cartoonist in the world. Hafez el-Assad would have appeared in his death bed, ordering his son to commit massacres; Khomeini would have been pictured demanding more executions as his life was endlessly prolonged. But of Sharon the butcher of Sabra and Shatila for almost every Palestinian there has been an almost sacred silence.
Cursed in life as a killer by quite a few Israeli soldiers as well as by the Arab world which has proved pretty efficient at slaughtering its own people these past few years Sharon was respected in his eight years of near-death, no sacrilegious cartoons to damage his reputation; and he will, be assured, receive the funeral of a hero and a peacemaker.
Thus do we remake history. How speedily did toady journalists in Washington and New York patch up this brutal man’s image. After sending his army’s pet Lebanese militia into the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in 1982, where they massacred up to 1,700 Palestinians, Israel’s own official enquiry announced that Sharon bore “personal” responsibility for the bloodbath.
He it was who had led Israel’s catastrophic invasion of Lebanon three months earlier, lying to his own prime minister that his forces would advance only a few miles across the frontier, then laying siege to Beirut at a cost of around 17,000 lives. But by slowly re-ascending Israel’s dangerous political ladder, he emerged as prime minister, clearing Jewish settlements out of the Gaza Strip and thus, in the words of his own spokesman, putting any hope of a Palestinian state into “formaldehyde”.
By the time of his political and mental death in 2006, Sharon with the help of the 2001 crimes against humanity in the US and his successful but mendacious claim that Arafat backed bin Laden….more..e-mail
Richard Falk: Palestinians do not even have the right to have rights
Frank Barat, Ma an News Agency1/11/2014
Frank Barat is an activist based in Belgium and is one of the former coordinators of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine. He recently conducted an interview with Richard Falk for “The Wall has Ears: Conversations for Palestine.” Richard Falk is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights and an American professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University.
I wanted to ask you about this article that you recently wrote on your blog, Nelson Mandela’s inspiration. You mentioned that you met him 15 years ago in South Africa. What impression did he leave on you and what does, in your opinion, his death means for South Africa and the rest of the world?
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to meet Nelson Mandela. He was asked to greet a commission on the future of the oceans of which I was a member. The vice chair of this commission was Kader Asmal, who had been a member of Mandela’s first cabinet and was also one of the authors of the South Africa constitution and a close friend of mine as well. He asked me if I could prepare some remarks for Mandela to welcome this commission, which I did.
Mandela used my text pretty much as I had written it. After the presentation, which was in the South African parliament, he came and talked to me and then to each of the members of the commission. I was very impressed in the sense that he was able to say something to each person from these 40 countries that was specific to their national situations.
As I tried to express in my blog, he had this quality of moral radiance, a sense of authenticity and a spiritual grounding that gave him a particular presence that was strong and unforgettable. His death has been an opportunity to take some account on what his life has meant and how it bore on so many issues, including the Palestinians, a facet that I am particularly interested in.more..e-mail
Soul searching at a West Bank demonstration
Noam Rotem, translated by Jordan Michaeli, +972 Magazine1/11/2014
‘I go to demonstrations as a private person protesting the injustice done to the inhabitants of the West Bank. For them, however, I m an Israeli before anything else, and this dissonance stands at the basis of the soul searching you are now reading.
As a graduate of the Israeli education system s indoctrination and the rotten and corrupt military system, it s not natural for me to participate in a demonstration in the West Bank. And I speak only for myself. I m not a member of any party or other political organization; additionally, I m a complete atheist. My participation also isn t natural for the residents of the villages that I reach with my friends: the demonstrations usually begin at the end of the midday Zuhr prayer in the mosque, in which many demonstrators partake, and some of the cries at the demonstrations are directed at Allah. Many times flags of Palestinian political organizations toward which I have no sympathy are raised, and there are times when I and other Israelis are treated with suspicion that borders on hostility.
And there s the violence. Those demonstrations, although romanticized by some, are not nonviolent demonstrations. In almost all demonstrations stones are thrown at soldiers, many tires are set on fire and slingshots are used to hurl stones at a great distance. The violence from the soldiers side is completely unnecessary and disproportionate, and the only reason for violence at those demonstrations is the unnecessary presence of Israeli forces in uniforms. In Bil in for example, the soldiers hide behind a concrete wall, a few meters long, and target the demonstrators who pose no danger to them or anyone else. The Israelis and foreigners who demonstrate don t partake in the violence. I have never seen any of us lift a stone, even when the soldiers aggression puts our lives in danger.
As an Israeli who served in the military, standing at the other side of the barrel of the gun is a jarring and sobering experience. We were raised to fear the Arabs, and suddenly the real threat comes from the IDF s soldiers….more..e-mail
Ariel Sharon: Enemy of peace
Yousef Munayyer, Al Jazeera1/11/2014
Sharon’s legacy is one of wanton destruction not just of Palestinian homes and lives, but of the peace process itself.
There are few individuals in the modern history of Israel/Palestine whose actions have been as consistently destructive as those of Ariel Sharon. Sharon, who died on January 11, had been involved in Israel’s war machine as early as 1948. He was known for his cut-throat attitude on the battlefield, often with wanton disregard for civilian lives. Time and again, Sharon left some of the bloodiest marks on the history of Palestine.
Perhaps the earliest instance in this trend was the events of Qibya in 1953. Qibya is a Palestinian village in the West Bank, located close to the Green Line. In an Israeli attack on the village, led on the ground by Sharon, scores of homes were destroyed while civilians were still inside. The outcome was a massacre that left 69 Palestinians dead, most of whom were women and children.
The attack was internationally condemned and Israel scrambled to control the damage to its image following the massacre. The United Nations condemned the massacre and the US State Department said those responsible “should be brought to account and that effective measures should be taken to prevent such incidents in the future”. None of the officials responsible were held to account, however. This culture of impunity would be a recurring theme – not only in Israeli history but in Sharon’s history in particular.
The massacre at Qibya only foreshadowed what was yet to come at the hands of Sharon.
Sharon’s wanton disregard for civilian life was most pronounced in 1982 during the massacres at the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila in Lebanon….more..e-mail
In Gaza, in Fergus, Ontario
In Gaza: 11 Jan 2014 – Melville United Church, in Fergus, Ontario, a platform to speak on Gaza I ve very pleased that the Melville United Church in my town, Fergus, Ontario, has invited me to speak at their Sunday service, tomorrow. I always admit utter ignorance on Palestine even just 8 years ago, and always wish I d heard the truth, or anything at all, a long time ago. Thus, I m very happy at each and every opportunity to share some of what I ve seen in occupied Palestine. If you re in the area, come on out. Filed under: Canadamore
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel –www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 