14 January 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Qatar To Grant Work Visas To 20,000 Palestinians
IMEMC – Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Ibn Hamad Al Thani has given orders to grant work visas to 20,000 Palestinians, the Palestinian ambassador to Qatar told Ma’an News Agency, on Monday. …
Settlers Plant Olive Trees On Illegally Seized Land
IMEMC – [Tuesday, January 14, 2014] Dozens of Israeli settlers, protected by soldiers, took over a Palestinian-owned plot of land in an area east of the city of Hebron, and began planting it with olive trees on Tuesday, according to a local witness. …
Israeli Authorities Prevent Property Confiscation Appeals, Delay Child Abuse Investigations
IMEMC – Brothers sentenced to 20 years for throwing stones Al Ray – Palestinians have been barred from objecting to Israeli military court decisions to confiscate their property, under a new injunction signed last month by the head of the Israeli military’s Central Command, according to Israeli daily Haaretz. …
Child Injured As Army Bombards Gaza
IMEMC – Gaza – [Monday Evening, January 13, 2014] Palestinian medical sources said that a three-year-old child was injured after the Israeli army bombarded central Gaza. Soldiers also fired shells into several areas in the besieged coastal region. …
Israeli military vehicles cross Gaza border, navy fires at fishermen
1/14/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli military vehicles crossed into the northern Gaza Strip for surveillance activities on Monday, witnesses told Ma’an. The limited incursion took place in a border region near Beit Lahiya, the witnesses said. Separately, Israeli warships opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast near al-Sudaniyya west of Beit Lahiya. The Gaza Strip has been under a severe blockade….
Report: Egypt has long-term plan to oust Hamas
1/14/2014 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — Egypt’s military rulers have formulated a long-term plan to undermine Hamas’ rule over the neighboring Gaza Strip, Reuters reported Monday quoting senior security officials. Citing four security and diplomatic officials, Reuters said the security authorities in Egypt would work with Fatah and support popular movements against Hamas in the besieged territory.”Gaza is next,” one senior security official….
Rightist Israelis tour Aqsa, 4 Palestinian women denied entry
1/14/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — A group of right-wing Israelis led by US-born Jewish extremist Yehuda Glick toured the al-Aqsa compound on Tuesday, witnesses said. The group consisted of around 25 people. Meanwhile, Palestinian tour guide Ehab al-Jallad was detained by Israeli police while touring the compound with a group of students. Four Palestinian women were also denied entry to the mosque compound by Israeli forces….
Prisoner ‘beaten’ by jail doctor
1/14/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — A Palestinian prisoner in an Israeli jail claimed that he was assaulted by a prison doctor while in an infirmary. Alaa al-Hams, who is at Eshel prison, said that on Dec. 2 he suffered from severe pain in the stomach, was unable to move his limbs, and started foaming from his mouth. Al-Hams was then transferred to the prison infirmary where….
Settlers attack PA health ministry vehicle with rocks
1/14/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A group of settlers hurled rocks at a vehicle belonging to the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health on Tuesday, an official said. Wahid Shamasneh, central maintenance director at the ministry of health, said the incident occurred near the Palestinian village of al-Sawiya, near Nablus, as a group of seven ministry staff members were returning to Ramallah. The vehicle’s windows….
Ambassador: Qatar to grant work visas to 20,000 Palestinians
1/14/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Ibn Hamad Al Thani has given orders to grant work visas to 20,000 Palestinians, the Palestinian ambassador to Qatar told Ma’an on Monday. The move comes after 20 years in which Palestinians were prevented by Qatari authorities from acquiring visas to work in the prosperous Persian Gulf emirate, according to the ambassador. Muneer Ghannam told….
Israeli forces stop Hamdallah again
1/14/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli forces for the second time Tuesday stopped the convoy of interim Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah as it was traveling in the occupied West Bank. Spokesman for the government Ehab Bseiso said that Israeli forces near Zaatara checkpoint in Nablus blocked the path of Hamdallah’s car and asked for the ID cards of those with him. They did not…. Related:†US slams reported Israeli criticism of Kerry plan as ‘offensive’
US slams reported Israeli criticism of Kerry plan as ‘offensive’
1/14/2014 – ROME (AFP) — The US State Department on Tuesday condemned as “offensive and inappropriate” reported comments by Israel’s defense minister criticizing a security plan put forward by US Secretary of State John Kerry.” The remarks of the defense minister if accurate are offensive and inappropriate especially given all that the United States is doing to support Israel’s security needs,” spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki…. Related:†Israeli forces stop Hamdallah again†and†US urges Israel PM to reject minister’s Kerry diatribe
NGO condemns detention of photographers by Palestinian security forces
1/14/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian civil rights monitor condemned Palestinian security forces for allegedly detaining photographers and deleting video footage off their cameras during recent protests in Ramallah. The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms said that the actions violate “freedom of opinion and expression,” and demanded authorities “enable journalists to exercise their professional duty freely,” in a statement released on Sunday. According….
Egyptian security detains 6 Sudanese trying to cross into Israel
1/14/2014 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — Egyptian security forces detained five young Sudanese men and a woman who were attempting to cross into Israel through the Egyptian border Monday. Egyptian security sources said the detainees admitted during interrogation that they planned to cross into Israel to look for work. They also said that each paid $2,000 to human traffickers in the Sinai Peninsula to help them cross the borders. [END]
Seize the moment for peace, Biden tells Israel
1/14/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — US Vice President Joe Biden on Monday urged Israel to seize this moment in history to make peace with the Palestinians in talks with President Shimon Peres. At a working meeting after the two leaders paid their last respects to former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, who was buried on Monday, the talk turned to the US-led direct peace talks.”The one place….
Obama urges Congress to give Iran diplomacy a chance
1/14/2014 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — President Barack Obama urged the US Congress to give peace with Iran a chance Monday, as lawmakers lined up behind new sanctions despite warnings they could doom an interim nuclear deal. Obama said that the six-month pact due to go into force on January 20 after being concluded at the weekend, offered a “door of opportunity” for Iran to have better relations with….
Sanctions relief to breathe new life into Iran economy
1/14/2014 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Unblocking billions of dollars in funds to Iran under a landmark six-month nuclear deal with the West will have a significant economic and psychological impact on the Islamic republic, experts said Monday. Iran and Western powers announced on Sunday that the deal will take will take effect from January 20. Tehran had agreed in November to roll back parts of its nuclear program….
Palestinians in Syria ‘not human shields’
1/14/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — PLO executive committee member Ahmad al-Majdalani said Monday that the people of Yarmouk refugee camp would not be used as “human shields” in Syrian fighting. Al-Majdalani, who is part of the presidential delegation to Syria, said that “the kidnapping of Yarmouk camp by terrorist militias is a war crime; it is a brutal and inhumane crime against humanity”. He said in….
PA official apologizes for illegal arms at Prague embassy
1/14/2014 – PRAGUE (AFP) — Palestinian diplomats have apologized for hiding illegal weapons at the Prague embassy where a blast killed the ambassador on New Year’s Day, the Czech foreign ministry said on Tuesday.”A high-ranking Palestinian foreign ministry official. . . issued an official apology from the Palestinian side for the illegal presence of weapons on the premises of the Palestinian embassy,” the ministry said in a….
White House plays down Rouhani crowing on nuclear deal
1/14/2014 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The White House dismissed on Tuesday an aggressive claim by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani that a nuclear deal showed that world powers are bowing to Tehran’s will.”It is not surprising to us and nor should it be surprising to you that the Iranians are describing the agreement in a certain way towards their domestic audience,” spokesman Jay Carney….
US urges Israel PM to reject minister’s Kerry diatribe
1/14/2014 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should publicly disavow withering comments made by his defense minister criticizing top US diplomat John Kerry, a State Department official said Tuesday.” We expect the prime minister to put this right by expressing publicly his disagreement with the statements against Secretary Kerry,” the official told AFP, after Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon accused the US secretary of state…. Related:†US slams reported Israeli criticism of Kerry plan as ‘offensive’
PA fuel delivery policy to Gaza could ‘shut power plant’
1/14/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The power and natural resources authority of the Gaza Strip government on Tuesday slammed the Palestinian Authority’s petroleum authority over its policy in delivering fuel to run Gaza’s sole power plant. In a statement received by Ma’an, the Gaza-based body said that the Ramallah-based petroleum authority is providing the Qatari-bought fuel to Gaza on….
Group: 8 Palestinians killed in Syria’s Yarmouk and Khan al-Sheikh
1/14/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Syria-based group on Tuesday identified a number of Palestinian refugees who have either died of hunger or have been killed in two refugee camps near Damascus in recent days. The workforce for the Palestinians in Syria said in a statement received by Ma’an on Tuesday that 80-year-old Jamil al-Qurabi, 40-year-old Hasan Shihabi and a 50-year-old….
Hebron area man killed in car acident in Mecca during pilgrimage
1/14/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian man on pilgrimage was killed in a car accident in Saudi Arabia on Monday, a relative said. Wisam Khamaysa from the town of Taffuh near Hebron told Ma’an that his cousin, 42-year-old Mahmoud Ismail Khamaysa, was run over by a private car while performing Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca. He explained that after a man parked his….
Cairo bomb attack as referendum gets under way
1/14/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) — A bomb exploded outside a Cairo court on Tuesday just before polling stations were to open for a constitutional referendum boycotted by supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, police said. The small, improvised bomb damaged the facade of the court house but caused no injuries, a police general said. It was the latest in a spate of such attacks since the military overthrew….
US, Russia call for ‘local ceasefires’ ahead of Syria talks
1/14/2014 – PARIS (AFP) — Moscow and Washington made a joint call Monday for Syria’s regime and rebels to agree to ceasefires in parts of their battle-scarred country ahead of peace talks this month. But the two countries continued to disagree on Iran’s participation in the talks, with US Secretary of State John Kerry saying Tehran needs to accept plans for a transitional government….
UN’s Ban urges Iraq to address ‘root causes’ of unrest
1/14/2014 – BAGHDAD (AFP) — UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Iraqi leaders to address the “root causes” of a surge in bloodshed as security forces clashed on Monday with gunmen in violence-racked Anbar province. But Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, standing next to Ban at a joint news conference, insisted the Anbar unrest was not due to internal problems, and that dialogue with militants was not an option….
ISIL militants seize Syria town near Aleppo, execute 60
1/14/2014 – BEIRUT (AFP) — The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has seized a town in Syria’s Aleppo province, and executed 60 people in other areas, a monitor said on Monday. The advance by the group in the country’s turbulent north comes after 10 days of fighting pitting secular and Islamist opposition forces against the Al-Qaeda-inspired organization that has killed nearly 700….
Women must be part of Syria talks, activists say
1/14/2014 – GENEVA (AFP) — Syrian activists said Monday that the voice of women from the war-ravaged nation must not be sidelined at peace talks due to start next week in Switzerland.”We have to take part in the whole process, from A to Z,” Syrian Women’s League member Sabah Alhallak told reporters in Geneva. Alhallak and around 50 female campaigners from both inside Syria and….
Egyptians vote on constitution as bomb underscores divide
1/14/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egyptians were voting on a new constitution Tuesday amid high security in a referendum likely to launch a presidential bid by the army chief who overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. The military-installed government implored voters to turn out en masse to ratify the constitution, with the country’s lingering polarization underscored by the explosion of a small bomb in Cairo that caused….
Dozens wounded in S.Sudan battles near UN camp
1/14/2014 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — Fighting for control of the South Sudan town of Malakal spilled over into a United Nations camp, wounding dozens of people who sought refuge there, the UN said Tuesday. Rebel and government forces were involved in “heavy fighting” for Malakal, in Upper Nile state, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said. Stray bullets wounded many people in the camp, where 20,000 people have taken….
occupied Palestinian territory: Jordan Valley Produces Conflicting Dates
Relief Web 14 Jan 2014 – Source: Inter Press Service Country: occupied Palestinian territory By Pierre Klochendler JORDAN VALLEY, Israeli-occupied West Bank, Jan 13 2014 (IPS) – Israeli settler Gadi Blumenfeld distributes machetes to 15 Palestinian labourers and instructs them to cut the thorns off of…
Syrian Arab Republic: UK Aid Syria Response – 13th January 2014
Relief Web 14 Jan 2014 – Source: Department for International Development Country: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland How the UK is responding to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and neighbouring countries -…
Lebanon: Finding a home in Bekaa
Relief Web 13 Jan 2014 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic Lebanon There is only one Palestine refugee camp in Lebanon s Bekaa Valley, and Palestinians fleeing Syria have, in many…
War creates hurdles for polio vaccination drive
The National 14 Jan 2014 – Access to populations and movement of people because of the fighting in Syria makes it difficult to deliver and follow up on polio vaccinations.
Voters in Egypt s constitutional referendum seek change
The National 14 Jan 2014 – In eager queues at polling stations, Egyptians largely supported the new constitution as a step forward for the country.
Syria s civil war unleashes new polio threat
The National 14 Jan 2014 – The conflict in Syria makes it impossible for health workers to carry out immunisations for polio as an outbreak hits the country.
Opening of Hariri trial promises more turmoil for Lebanon
The National 14 Jan 2014 – Trial of suspects in the killing of Lebanese PM was once seen as threat to country’s delicate political balance; now it will only fan flames lit by Syrian civil war.
Egypt votes in historic referendum
The National 14 Jan 2014 – Egyptians turned out to vote on Tuesday in a referendum on a new constitution.
Gaza flotilla charity targeted in Turkey power tussle
The National 14 Jan 2014 – Turkish aid organisation IHH appears to be the latest target in a tit-for-tat political war taking place in Turkey.
Video: Egyptians prepare for constitutional referendum vote†
The National 14 Jan 2014 – Egyptians prepare to go to the polls to vote in a referendum on a new constitution, which would replace one signed into law by deposed President Mohamed Mursi a little more than a year ago.
Video: Chinese doctor handed suspended death sentence for selling infants†
The National 14 Jan 2014 – A Chinese gynecologist receives a suspended death sentence for selling babies to a human trafficker. Julie Noce reports.
In pictures: Egyptians vote on constitution
The National 14 Jan 2014 – Long lines of voters began to form nearly two hours before polling stations opened in Cairo, including in Imbaba, where an explosive device went off outside a Cairo courthouse.
Video: Resurgent Detroit motor show chooses brawn over environment†
The National 14 Jan 2014 – American auto companies are choosing brawn over the environment at the 25th Detroit Auto Show with a Chevy Corvette and Silverado truck grabbing top honours as US auto sales head into a five-year recovery. Conway Gittens reports.
Video: Thai protest leader vows to keep Bangkok shut down †
The National 14 Jan 2014 – The leader behind a Bangkok shutdown vows to protest as long as it takes to pressure the government into widespread reforms. Nathan Frandino reports.
Video: Affair allegations threaten to overshadow Hollande s New Year s address†
The National 14 Jan 2014 – French President Francois Hollande’s New Year’s address risks being overshadowed by allegations of a love affair, although the French public appears indifferent to scandal. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.
In pictures: Tortoise beats rabbit in China s pet race on skis
The National 14 Jan 2014 – Much like the Ancient Greek fable where a tortoise beat a hare, the reptile again got the better of a leporid, this time a rabbit, in a race on skis in northern China. The eventual winner though turned out to be a yellow duck.
Heavy security as Egyptians vote on constitution
The National 14 Jan 2014 – Long lines of voters began to form nearly two hours before polling stations opened in Cairo, including in Imbaba, where an explosive device went off outside a Cairo courthouse.
Who came first in China s pet race on skis?
The National 14 Jan 2014 – A tortoise gets the better of a rabbit in a skiing race held for pets and their owners in northern China, but which animal crossed the finish line first?
A rabbi, a cop and a firecracker
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Israeli kids 1, teachers 0: Field trips on, strike off
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Terror in the West Bank, rockets in Gaza
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Israel sees safe passage for chemical arms out of Syria
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Following U.S. uproar, Ya’alon apologizes for calling Kerry ‘obsessive and ‘messianic’
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Britain grants landmark asylum to Afghan atheist
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Givat Amal residents chose compensation over eviction
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Kerry to Vatican: Help free Jewish-American jailed in Cuba
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Official Israeli curriculum likens Ariel Sharon to Moses
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
The Israeli corruption story Hollywood wouldn’t touch
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Sharon realized occupation was greatest threat to Israel, says just-released biography
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Two-thirds of Israelis earn less than average wage
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
U.S. demands Netanyahu publicly condemn Ya’alon’s attack on Kerry
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
3-D printer maker says won’t dual-list in Tel Aviv
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Israeli pharmacists: Cannabis can cause side effects, even death
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Nigerian president signs anti-gay bill into law
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Livni blasts Ya’alon: One can oppose talks without destroying U.S. ties
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Ya’alon raises U.S. ire calling Kerry ‘obsessive and messianic’
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Israeli cops pull over Palestinian PM’s car
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Canadian PM coming to Israel on Saturday
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Why I can’t mourn for Ariel Sharon
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
The delicate business of eulogizing Sharon
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Israel should apologize to U.S. Jews for Pollard
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
U.S. correspondent barred from entering Russia
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Snowden files prove U.S. run by Nazi aliens, Iran says
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Palestinians mull plan for day after breakdown in peace talks
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Draft evaders responsible for ‘price tag’ attack on base, Israeli army says
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Prepared to move to Palestine
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Bribery case involving prominent Israeli rabbi to move into next stage
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Anti-Lapid anthem takes Israeli social protests to YouTube
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Chief pathologist barred from retrial on 2006 murder of Israeli teen
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
Biden to Netanyahu: Obama stands behind Kerry’s peace efforts
Ha’aretz – 14 Jan 2014
African migrants could destroy Israel
Ha’aretz – 13 Jan 2014
State opens criminal investigation into doctors who allegedly charged illegal fees for medical tourism
Ha’aretz – 13 Jan 2014
Sharon’s funeral: Short on emotions but full of symbolism
Ha’aretz – 13 Jan 2014
Israeli ministers spar over women serving in army
Ha’aretz – 13 Jan 2014
US condemns Iranian FM Zarif for honoring Hezbollah chief
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Former Lebanese Hezbollah leader is accused of perpetrating attacks that killed hundreds of people.†
This is your country, welcome home! Netanyahu tells Birthright participants
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Birthright held its Mega Event on Tuesday nightin Jerusalem where 2,500 participants gathered to attend.†
Jerusalem mayor announces haredi branch for Bezalel art school
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Nir Barkat says move is another breakthrough to aid the haredi sector in joining the labor market.†
Former Canadian MP calls to dismantle UNRWA
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Irwin Cotler says Arab League should incorporate question of Jewish refugees in its framework for peace.†
Israel Police dismisses claims about severe internal scandal
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Police insists that information circulating in media is unsubstantiated; rumors come amid development in Pinto bribery case.†
Defense Minister Ya’alon apologizes for disparaging Kerry comments
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Ya’alon’s purported comments that the US Secretary of State’s diplomatic efforts are motivated by “messianic feelings” sparks diplomatic incident that prompts the US to insist on an apology.†
Ariel Sharon to be commemorated at Limmud event in parents former country of Belarus
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Former Soviet country produced nine Israeli presidents, numerous rabbinical dynasties and artists, including Begin, Peres and Chagall.†
Ministry touts rise in rates of conversion to Judaism
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Religious-services NGO says reported progress is insufficient to maintain character of Jewish state.†
Terra Incognita: No more soup Nazi ? Civility can t be legislated
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – On December 12, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill that would ban the use of Nazi symbols for non-historical or educational purposes.†
Gaza evacuee places Israeli flag on Sharon s grave
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Avi Farhan was removed from the Yamit settlement in Sinai and later Gush Katif, both on the orders of the former PM.†
Resolution of the Ukranian protests
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Clearly, while still sympathetic with the declared democratic aspirations of the opposition, neither the US nor the EU will tolerate for long the growing ascendancy of Svoboda.†
Egypt s fight for democracy
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Egyptians headed to the polls on Tuesday, beginning a two-day referendum on a revised constitution.†
In My Own Write: Will you lend me& ?
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – I am not a bookkeeper, my father used to intone with mock severity when borrowing a book, mindful of how notoriously bad many otherwise upright people are about returning books.†
Tu Bishvat and Ariel Sharon? Naturally!
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Ariel Sharon was certainly a doer on the military, political and national front, but he was also a nature lover who truly loved the Land of Israel.†
The World from Here: Sharon s legacy of defensible borders
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Ariel Sharon s death has reignited the debate over his strategic legacy.†
Rouhani boasts of West’s ‘surrender’ to Iran in nuclear talks
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – “The Iranians are describing the agreement in a certain way for their domestic audience,” White House spokesman says.†
Students temporarily halt strike following capitulation by teachers association
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Teachers initiated the strike in protest of lowered salaries and deteriorating working conditions.†
Poll finds only half of Palestinians favor negotiations with Israel
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Findings also show that 70% of the Palestinians are pessimistic about the chances for success of the talks.†
Israel holds fire during passage of chemical arms out of Syria
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Securing weapons convoys is OPCW’s responsibility, and Israel does not want to undermine operation, IDF officer says.†
At least 10 killed as Egypt votes on constitution
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Muslim Brotherhood supporters clash with police as army chief holds over to remove Islamic language from constitution.†
Deaf complain no translator at Sharon funeral
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – “When there is a national event that is open the entire public, everyone must be able to take part.”†
Morocco Jews pray for rain at king s request
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – King asks Jews, Muslims to pray for rain after learning the country may suffer a drought this year.†
Happy 65th birthday Knesset!
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Legislature celebrates with open house featuring speeches by PM, President, Speaker, prayers from chief rabbis and MKs reading stories to children and moderating debates for teens.†
Police: Palestinian PM s convoy stopped in Area C for speeding
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – An IDF officer noticed a convoy of vehicles that was “driving recklessly at excessive speeds and posing a danger to the public.”†
PA accuses Israel of incitement against Abbas
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Israel is rejecting “any real and viable peace”, claims Palestinian Authority in response to criticism reportedly made by Ya’alon, Bennett.†
US expects PM to distance himself from Ya’alon’s reproachful comments of Kerry
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Ya’alon’s purported comments that Kerry is motivated by “messianic feelings” sparks diplomatic incident with US.†
US run by Nazi space aliens, Iran claims
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Fars reports NSA surveillance revelations are an attempt by American-Nazi extraterrestrials to hide their nature to a human world.†
High Court order Livni to respond to NGO petition in 7 days
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Shurat Hadin petitioned to compel Livni to cooperate with US court in Bank of China terror funding case.†
High Court blasts state for no end in sight on drafting haredim into IDF
Jerusalem Post 14 Jan 2014 – Court holds discussion of petitions calling on state to draft eligible ultra-Orthodox men into the army immediately.†
Israeli police stop Palestinian PM Rami Hamdallah’s car for reckless driving
The Guardian 14 Jan 2014 – West Bank incident sparks diplomatic row with Palestinians saying it highlights everyday violations against citizens Israeli police say they briefly pulled over the Palestinian prime minister’s convoy for reckless driving in the West Bank, sparking a…
Military Launches a Democratic Missile
IPS Violent demonstrations have followed branding of the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation. Credit: Hisham Allam/IPS. By Hisham Allam CAIRO, Jan 14 2014 (IPS) As Egyptians head for a referendum Tuesday and Wednesday this week, the fate of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was swept into government in the last election, hangs…
Iran a US Ally? Who Would Have Thunk It?
Uruknet 14 Jan 2014 – January 13, 2014 – One great thing about watching history unfold is that it s so full of surprises.The U.S. has taken a big step toward an agreement with Iran allowing that nation to go on enriching uranium. A majority…
Closure of tunnels deprives Gaza of $230 million per month, says government
Uruknet 14 Jan 2014 – January 13, 2014- – The border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip used to buzz with activity until a few months back as traders brought in an array of Egyptian goods – from food supplies to raw material – through…
Israeli Army Radio Program Host Likens Palestinians to Cannibals, Abu Mazen to a Donkey
Uruknet 14 Jan 2014 – January 13, 2013 – I don t know what it is about Galey Tzahal, but their staff and radio presenters embody the worst, most Islamophobic aspects of Israeli society. I ve posted here in the past about the racist Facebook…
Revealed: US drone attack in Pakistan killed German security contact†
Uruknet 14 Jan 2014 – January 13, 2014 – A German national died in a US drone strike in Pakistan, a report revealed on Monday. The 27-year-old convert to Islam claimed to have close links with German authorities and even to be in contact with…
Ariel Sharon and the Legacy of US-Backed War Crimes
Uruknet 14 Jan 2014 – January 13, 2014 – Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died over the weekend. Much of the U.S. and Israeli media have whitewashed Sharon s legacy, erasing from history the fact that he was a wretched war criminal who was…
Palestinian faces 20 years imprisonment for throwing stones
Uruknet 14 Jan 2014 – January 14, 2014 – An Israeli military court has issued Sunday tough sentences against two brothers from Halhoul, north of al-Khalil, for allegedly stone-throwing. Ofer military court sentenced the two brothers Iyad and Hassan Bajes Albou for 12 and 20…
Reflections on 3-year-old Hala Abu Sbeikha s funeral: Gaza is alive†
Uruknet 14 Jan 2014 – January 13, 2014 – Before leaving for Gaza, I was well aware of the statistics in the region which has been under siege since 2007. Fifty-four percent of households face food insecurity with 38 percent of the population living below…
Syria News – January 12, 2014 (Warning: Graphic Videos)†
Uruknet 14 Jan 2014 – January 12, 2014 – By the end of Sunday the Coordination Committees were able to document 129 martyrs including 14 children, 20 women and 9 martyrs under torture: 90 martyrs were reported in Aleppo; 15 in Homs; 14 in Damascus…
Ariel Sharon s Criminal Legacy
Uruknet 13 Jan 2014 – January 12, 2014 – Gilad Sharon chronicled his father s life. He wrote his biography. It s titled “Sharon: The Life of a Leader.” It discusses his history from soldier to general to political leader.According to Gilad, his father “was…
Ill treatment of prisoners is a general practice in Iraq One of the reasons a massive revolt is taking place in Iraq†
Uruknet 13 Jan 2014 – Janaury 12, 2013 -The International Red Cross Committee was informed many times about the ill treatment and torture of the detainees but no stand was taken by this institution. The INCRC kept silent. The members of the legitimate leadership of…
Statement issued by Shaker Aamer on the occasion of the 12th Anniversary of Guant·namo Bay
Uruknet 13 Jan 2014 – January 12, 2014- Today is the twelfth anniversary of the establishment of Guant·namo Bay. It has been a blot on the reputation of America, and will remain that until, first, it is closed, and second, lessons are learned from it…
Addameer Releases Latest Report on the Continued Targeting of Palestinian Human Rights Activists by Israeli Forces
Uruknet 13 Jan 2014 – January 12, 2014 – Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association are pleased to announce the publication of its latest report Courageous Voices, Fragile Freedoms .The report examines Israel s increasing use of arrest and detention of Palestinian human rights…
Action group for Syria s Palestinians slams PFLP-GC for minifying Yarmouk crisis
Uruknet 13 Jan 2014 – January 12, 2014 — The action group for the Palestinians in Syria strongly denounced head of the popular front-general command (PFLP-GC) Hosam Arafat in the West Bank for minimizing the tragedy of Al-Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, which led 40…
Ariel Sharon s Corrosive Legacy
Uruknet 13 Jan 2014 – January 12, 2014- …But Sharon knew that he was not going to live forever. He became less concerned with his own political survival than with his legacy. He sought to secure Israel s hold on the maximum area of Palestinian…
Israeli defence minister apologises to Kerry: statement
Daily Star 14 Jan 2014 Israeli defence minister apologises to Kerry: statement
Hollande says 700 from France fighting in Syria
Daily Star 14 Jan 2014 French President Francois Hollande said Tuesday that 700 people had left France to join the fighting in Syria in what he called a “worrying” trend.
White House plays down Rouhani crowing on nuclear deal
Daily Star 14 Jan 2014 The White House dismissed on Tuesday an aggressive claim by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani that a nuclear deal showed that world powers are bowing to Tehran’s will.
White House rebukes Israeli defense minister
Daily Star 14 Jan 2014 Israel s hawkish defense minister drew rare U.S. condemnation Tuesday over reports he had denounced Secretary of State John Kerry s quest for Israeli-Palestinian peace as messianic and obsessive.
Egypt says 11 dead in clashes on 1st day of voting
Daily Star 14 Jan 2014 The Health Ministry says 11 people have died in clashes between security forces and protesters loyal to toppled Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.
Lebanon arrests Palestinian suspect in Iran Embassy attack
Daily Star 14 Jan 2014 General Security has arrested a Palestinian man suspected of involvement in last year’s Iran Embassy attack in Beirut, a security source told The Daily Star.
STL: No decision yet to try Merhi with Hezbollah suspects
Daily Star 14 Jan 2014 The Special Tribunal for Lebanon failed Tuesday to make a decision on whether to join the case of the fifth Hezbollah suspect with the trial of four others accused of involvement in the Hariri assassination.
Palestinian minister says Syria rebels blocking Yarmuk aid
Daily Star 14 Jan 2014 A Palestinian minister on Tuesday accused “terrorists” fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of blocking aid access to the Yarmuk refugee camp in southern Damascus.
Yemen’s rivals in the north reach ceasefire
Daily Star 14 Jan 2014 The head of a Yemeni presidential committee says northern rebels and their rival ultraconservative Islamists have reached a cease-fire after weeks of fighting.
Democrats signal willingness to wait on Iran sanctions
YNet News, 14 Jan 2014 – ….
Neil Young to perform in Israel
YNet News, 14 Jan 2014 – ….
Dozens arrested for being gay in north Nigeria
YNet News, 14 Jan 2014 – ….
Deadly blast at Argentine base in Antarctica
YNet News, 14 Jan 2014 – ….
West doesn’t care about Syrians
YNet News, 14 Jan 2014 – Op-ed: Europe’s indifference to bodies piling up in Syria eliminates its right to lecture anyone, anywhere ….
Ya’alon apologizes ‘if Kerry was offended by words attributed to the minister’
YNet News, 14 Jan 2014 – ….
Brawl hurts Berlin Jewish community†
YNet News, 14 Jan 2014 – Feuding in 10,000-member community is fed at least in part by clash between old guard of German Jews dating to before World War II, growing presence of relative newcomers from former Soviet Union ….
Why do Jews need a modern Dreyfus?†
YNet News, 14 Jan 2014 – Op-ed: Uproar over coverage of NY Hasid’s murder shows trauma of anti-Semitism has taken over our minds in an irreversible manner ….
The Right must forgive Sharon†
YNet News, 14 Jan 2014 – Op-ed: God chose Ariel Sharon to save an entire nation not just once, but four times ….
Egypt holds key vote in climate of fear
YNet News, 13 Jan 2014 – Two-day election to be watched over by 160,000 soldiers and 200,000 policemen. Police warned public against distributing flyers promoting a ‘no’ vote. New constitution to protect rights of minority but solidify military’s grasp on power ….
Lebanon: Iranian FM meets with Nasrallah†
YNet News, 13 Jan 2014 – Iran’s FM Zarif met with Hezbollah leader Nasrallah. The two spoke about regional developments, namely Syira, and promised to ‘work together to deal with terror, infidelity and radicalism the regions largest threats’ ….
Local Holocaust memorial service plans to charge Holocaust survivors entrance fee†
YNet News, 13 Jan 2014 – Ramat Gan is planning on charging Shoah survivors NIS 20 to participate in Holocaust ceremony. ‘It is unthinkable that a body as wealthy as the Ramat Gan Municipality will charge Holocaust survivors money,’ city council member says ….
Palestinian refugee camp in Syria virtually destroyed
YNet News, 13 Jan 2014 – Yarmouk residents dying of starvation as siege by Assa forces continues. Palestinian: ‘We want to tell the PLO that if they don’t do anything the revolution will arrive to Ramallah and Gaza’ ….
Pope urges political action to end Syria conflict
YNet News, 13 Jan 2014 – In his first ‘State of the World’ annual papal address, Francis laments that many in Mideast and Africa live as ‘refugees in camps where they are no longer seen as persons’ ….
Peres and Biden meet: Two-state solution only hope for Israel
YNet News, 13 Jan 2014 – Peres meets VP Biden who praises Sharon as great leader who understood peace, two-state solution pertinent for Israel’s survival. Peres says now is time for tough decisions, praises Netanyahu ….
Quake shakes Kinneret region again
YNet News, 13 Jan 2014 – After string of Galilee region quakes in October, tremors return to region. ‘We felt the ground moving,’ residents said, but is Israel prepared? ….
Two rockets fired from Gaza at the end of Ariel Sharon’s funeral
YNet News, 13 Jan 2014 – Short time after Blair, Biden, Netanyahu and other world leaders leave northern Negev at culmination of Sharon’s funeral, Palestinians fire rockets from Gaza ….
Hitler’s guillotine found in Bavarian museum
YNet News, 13 Jan 2014 – Killing apparatus famed for taking lives of resisters Hans and Sopie Scholl of White Rose movement revealed. Chairman of siblings’ association calls for its public release. Last surviving member of group: No entertainment must be made of their violent deaths ….
Palestinian Information Center
God wouldn’t be just if He didn’t send Sharon straight to hell
PIC – As a firm believer in divine justice, I have no doubt that Ariel Sharon, the former Israeli Prime Minister, who perished three days ago following a long comma, will now find his way straight to hell.
Captive Hamed goes on hunger strike protesting his isolation
PIC – Captive Ibrahim Hamed, a West Bank Qassam Brigades commander, went on hunger strike from the first day he was transferred to solitary confinement.
IOF arrests 17 Palestinians in the West Bank
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested at dawn Tuesday 17 Palestinians, mostly from the town of Azzun east of the city of Qalqilya.
Youth groups call for protests against Kerry’s visit
PIC – Palestinian youth groups have called for protests against US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to the region.
Israeli raid and arrest campaigns in Jenin and Al-Khalil
PIC – Israeli Occupation Forces ( IOF) stormed and searched, on Tuesday morning, the citizen Mohammed Abdullah Taleb’s house in Zabobh town in Jenin.
Thabet condemns Abbas’s remarks about the right of return
PIC – Thabet Organization for the Right of Return denounced PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s recent remarks in which he considered the right of return a personal and optional right that can be substituted.
Haneyya: Our only enemy is the occupation
PIC – Palestinian Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haneyya stressed that the occupation is the only enemy of the Palestinian security services in Gaza.
UNRWA fails to enter aid convoy to Yarmouk camp
PIC – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees has failed to enter an aid convoy to the besieged Yarmouk refugee camp southern Damascus due to security reasons, Quds Press said.
IOF soldiers advance into northern Gaza, bulldoze land
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) entered into northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning and bulldozed land in Ghul area.
Settlers Plant Trees in Illegally Seized Palestinian Land
WAFA – 14 Jan 2014
Abu Rudeineh: Israel s Attack on Abbas Proof It Does not want Peace
WAFA – 14 Jan 2014
Israeli Checkpoint Stops Prime Minister s Convoy
WAFA – 14 Jan 2014
PLO: Peace Process is Liable to Collapse
WAFA – 14 Jan 2014
Consumer Prices Up in December, says Statistics Bureau
WAFA – 14 Jan 2014
Israeli Tanks, Bulldozers Enter Gaza
WAFA – 14 Jan 2014
Newspapers Review: Conditions in Yarmouk Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 14 Jan 2014
Israeli Forces Arrest 17 People in West Bank
WAFA – 14 Jan 2014
Israel Seizes Tents Provided to Shelter Displaced Jiftlik Families
WAFA – 14 Jan 2014
Iran sanctions bill standoff may not amount to much
LA Times 14 Jan 2014 – The divide between the White House and a group of senators over additional Iran sanctions benefits both sides and may be more an exercise in political theater. WASHINGTON In public, the White House has unleashed scathing criticism of Senate backers of a bill that…
Israeli defense chief calls Kerry ‘messianic,’ infuriating U.S.
LA Times 14 Jan 2014 – WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday condemned as offensive the reported comment of Israel s defense minister that Secretary of State John F. Kerry s campaign for Mideast peace grows from his messianism.
Clashes mar vote on Egypt’s proposed constitution; 11 killed
LA Times 14 Jan 2014 – CAIRO — Until the early-morning explosion that jolted his wife and children from their beds, Waleed Abdel Salem hadn t even planned to vote in Egypt s constitutional referendum.
Turkey scandal deepens with raid on charity accused of Al Qaeda ties
LA Times 14 Jan 2014 – Turkish police raided offices of a government-backed Islamic charity in six provinces on Tuesday and detained at least 23 people accused of having links with Al Qaeda, local media reported.
Egypt’s vote on new constitution is far from clear-cut
LA Times 14 Jan 2014 – Egypt’s military-backed government is seeking a symbolic endorsement of the ouster of President Morsi and to cement the authority of the general who led the coup. CAIRO The question on the ballot is straightforward: yes or no to a new constitution. But Egypt’s military-backed…
Officials call for Syria measures to bolster peace talks
LA Times 13 Jan 2014 – Diplomats press for a limited cease-fire, a prisoner exchange and better aid access before a conference in Switzerland aimed at ending Syria’s civil war. BEIRUT Diplomats on Monday pushed for a limited cease-fire in Syria, a prisoner exchange and better access for aid efforts…
Israel’s Ariel Sharon eulogized in state ceremony before funeral
LA Times 13 Jan 2014 – The late leader is remembered as a practical and pragmatic man who helped shape Israel. The burial at his ranch combines military pomp with Jewish ritual. SYCAMORE RANCH, Israel On a day marked by military protocol, somber ceremony and informal reflection, former Israeli Prime…
Arab Neighbors Take Split Paths in Constitutions
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – Tunisia and Egypt, the neighbors whose twin revolts ignited the Arab spring, are a dual lesson in the pitfalls and potentials for democracy across the region.†
Kerry Urges Syrian Rebels to Go to Peace Meeting
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – Secretary of State John Kerry met in Paris with the president of the Syrian opposition coalition that the West is backing to discuss the peace conference in Switzerland.†
Training Fighters of Future Across Gaza
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – A Hamas program aims to prepare high school students for what they see as the next inevitable clash with Israel.†
Netherlands Is Country With Most Plentiful, Healthy Food: Oxfam
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – The Netherlands nudged past France and Switzerland as the country with the most nutritious, plentiful and healthy food, while the United States and Japan failed to make it into the top 20, a new ranking released by Oxfam on Tuesday showed.†
Egypt: 5 Things to Know About Constitutional Vote
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – Egyptians voted on a draft constitution Tuesday, in a referendum that will decide whether the country adopts a text drawn up under the military-backed interim government that ousted Egypt’s Islamist president in a July coup.†
Quarter of ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Cut in Dubai
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – About 45 minutes have been cut from the nearly 3-hour high-finance extravaganza “The Wolf of Wall Street” for Dubai audiences, or a quarter of the film, leaving many viewers disappointed and confused about the sequence of events.†
Isolated and Misinformed, Syrian Refugees Struggle
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – Fear, confusion and a lack of information are preventing many Syrian refugees in Lebanon from knowing where to turn for aid.†
Israeli Defense Chief Comments Spark Spat With US
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – An Israeli newspaper quoted the defense minister Tuesday as deriding U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s Mideast peace efforts as naive and foolhardy, triggering an angry response from Washington and rekindling simmering tensions with Israel’s closest and most important ally.†
Three Years After Uprising, Tunisians Celebrate Near-Model Transition
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – Thousands of Islamist and secular Tunisians marked the third anniversary of autocrat Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali’s downfall on Tuesday, celebrating in the closest the Arab world has to a model transition to democracy.†
Yemen Moves Salafi Leader Out of Northern Stronghold, Bolstering Truce
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – Yemen said it started moving a group of ultra-orthodox Sunni Muslims out of their northern stronghold on Tuesday, under a truce to end months of sectarian clashes with Shi’ite Muslim Houthi rebels.†
White House Denounces Reported Comments About Kerry From Israel Defense Minister
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – The White House on Tuesday denounced reported comments by Israel’s defense minister that were sharply critical of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.†
Tunisians Mark 3 Years Since Dictator’s Overthrow
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – Tunisians have marked the third anniversary of the overthrow of their dictator in 2011, which kicked off pro-democracy demonstrations around the region.†
Israeli Official s Reported Criticisms of Kerry and Peace Effort Draw U.S. Rebuke
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – A news report that the Israeli defense minister thinks John Kerry s efforts are naÔve and messianic drew criticism from Washington and some Israeli leaders.†
Israel Sees Safe Passage for Chemical Arms Out of Syria
New York Times 14 Jan 2014 – Internationally-monitored convoys removing Syrian chemical weapons are at little risk of being seized by rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad or by his Lebanese Hezbollah allies, a senior Israeli military officer said on Tuesday.†
Far-right politician calls for moment of silence for Sharon at European Parliament. Parliament says no
Mondoweiss – From the Kuwait News Agency : BRUSSELS, Jan 13 (KUNA) President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, Monday rejected a call to hold a minute s silence in the memory of Ariel Sharon, the ex-Israeli Prime Minister who died on Saturday aged 85 after eight years in…
Dear Senate: The American people have made it clear they don t want another war in the Middle East
Mondoweiss – Robert Menendez, Democratic N.J. Senator. is a key supporter of more sanctions on Iran Earlier today we referred to a letter written by an incredible group of liberal, left and peace groups calling the Senate to uphold the Iran deal, not destroy it by passing further…
The Israel I love is increasingly hated Richard Cohen
Mondoweiss – Cohen The writing is on the wall, as the Old Testament says. Richard Cohen is against boycott in The Washington Post; but he sees what s happening to his beloved Israel. What matters most about the boycotts is what they represent widespread and growing antipathy toward…
JVP Joins 62 Organizations to Warn Senate Against New Iran Sanctions
Jewish Voice for Peace – Sixty-two organizations, including JVP, delivered a joint letter to the Senate today urging the Senate to oppose new Iran sanctions. Tuesday, January 14, 2014 By: NIAC Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE( Contact: Jamal Abdi( Phone: 202-386-6408( Email:jabdi@niacouncil.org†Sixty-two organizations delivered a joint letter to the…
Port congestion to cost billions
Globes Main News – Israel must urgently increase its ports’ capacity, especially for the new large container ships of 15,000 TEU and greater capacity.
61% of over 60s not working don’t have private pension
Globes Main News – Possession of a pension arrangement has a direct effect on the condition of the elderly.
Medical tourism means longer waits for Israelis
Globes Main News – Medical tourism earned Tel Hashomer Hospital NIS 129 million in 2012, but Israelis must sometimes wait months for examinations.
Tue: Teva drags down market
Globes Main News – Teva lost ground, but Israel Chemicals bucked the market on the day’s biggest trading turnover.
Bill de Blasio and the search for pro-Palestinian progressivism in the Democratic Party
Mondoweiss – In an October 2013 mayoral campaign debate, Bill de Blasio then still New York City Public Advocate asserted that There is no closer relationship on earth, literally no closer relationship, than that between New York City and the state of Israel. In late November 2013, de Blasio now…
BDS: The best hope for a true peace
Mondoweiss – Unarguably, one of the most notable achievements of Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress was that they were able to dismantle the apartheid structure of law in South Africa without the destruction of the colonial population. Though their dominance of the political system has ended,…
Bronner whitewashes Sharon s atrocities
Mondoweiss – With the recent reports of Ariel Sharon s deteriorating condition, I was looking forward to his ultimate demise, but not out of morbid anticipation of seeing the end of a truly evil man.† Sharon left this world years ago in a most undeserved manner when he fell…
NYT says that AIPAC is pushing the march toward war
Mondoweiss – Benjamin Cardin The New York Times says that the Israel lobby is pushing a march toward war with Iran. Here is some remarkably frank reporting on the new Iran sanctions legislation from the old grey lady. Mark Landler and Jonathan Weisman write: The White House has…
Legislative efforts to punish ASA over boycott of Israel pick up steam
Mondoweiss – Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, at center, at the Salute to Israel Parade last year. (Photo: Roy Renna/BMR) The backlash against the American Studies Association s (ASA) decision to boycott Israel has started to migrate from the ivory tower to the halls of state power. The most powerful…
ClickSoftware jumps on higher Q4 guidance
Globes Main News – The company raised its fourth quarter guidance to $30.5 million from $26-28 million, and expects a profit.
Ceragon jumps on 2 new contracts
Globes Main News – Needham analyst Alex Henderson: We expect strong wins with this key new product, but the timing is much earlier than we had expected.
Israeli and American flags fly at half-staff in the Five Towns
Mondoweiss – Yesterday I took these pictures of flagpoles at two Jewish centers that are across the street from one another in Cedarhurst, Long Island: the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Kulanu† center for special services for Jewish kids. As you can see, on both flagpoles,…
3D printer co Stratasys forecasts 35-45% growth
Globes Main News – Stratasys forecasts $660-680 million revenue in 2014, 35-45% more than its guidance of $470-490 million revenue for 2013.
Provocateur
Mondoweiss – The coffin of Ariel Sharon yesterday, 13 January 2014. Photo by Allison Deger This is part of Marc H. Ellis s Exile and the Prophetic feature for Mondoweiss. To read the entire series visit the archives page . Whether one thinks of Ariel Sharon as a warrior, thug…
Latest BoI intervention fails to weaken shekel
Globes Main News – Atrade: If the Bank of Israel does not take drastic action, the shekel-dollar exchange rate will fall to NIS 3.40/$.
IDB bondholders confirm Aharon Fogel as chairman
Globes Main News – The former Migdal chairman was appointed last week as IDB Development chairman by its new owners, Eduardo Elsztain and Moti Ben-Moshe.
Israel halves Namer order with General Dynamics
Globes Aerospace & Defense – The move ends the dream of extensive collaboration with General Dynamics in mass production of the armored personnel carrier.
2013 fiscal deficit just NIS 33 billion
Globes Main News – The Finance Ministry had projected a deficit of NIS 45.65 billion, but tax collection was higher and spending lower than planned.
Israeli WMD Institute Used Soldiers as Guinea Pigs in Untested Anthrax Experiment
Tikun Olam – Nes Ziona institute entrance A six year struggle by a group of IDF soldiers and officers for justice has ended with the State agreeing to pay them $6-million (Yossi Melman s Hebrew story and the English version , which has been replaced on the Jerusalem Post site by…
Syria says West in talks on security†
BBC 14 Jan 2014 – Western intelligence agencies have visited Damascus for talks on combating radical Islamist groups, Syria’s deputy foreign minister tells the BBC.
Israel apologies for Kerry criticism†
BBC 14 Jan 2014 – Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon apologises for quotes lambasting US Secretary of State John Kerry’s role in the Middle East peace process.
Deaths as Egypt votes in referendum†
BBC 14 Jan 2014 – Egyptians vote in a referendum on a new constitution, but deadly clashes are reported involving supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi.
Groups pledge $400m in Syria aid†
BBC 14 Jan 2014 – Charitable groups meeting in Kuwait pledge $400m (£243m) to help alleviate the plight of Syrians affected by the country’s bitter civil war.
MLA: No Boycott, But Censure of Israel for Alleged Curbs on U.S. Scholars†
The Forward New 14 Jan 2014 – The academic group s resolution calls on the U.S. to challenge alleged restrictions on American scholars working in the West Bank. But divisions are deep, and the process isn t over. Click here for the rest of the article…
Dutch Soccer Team Call Decision To Leave Behind Israeli Player ‘Unfortunate’†
The Foward Breaking News 13 Jan 2014 – A Dutch soccer team said it was an understandable but unfortunate decision to leave behind its Israeli player to attend a training week in Abu Dhabi. Click here for the rest of the article…
Saudi Arabia beheads first two convicts this year†
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jan 2014 – Saudi authorities beheaded Tuesday two Pakistanis for drug smuggling in the medieval-styled kingdom’s first executions of the year, the interior ministry said. Abrar Hussein Nizar Hussein was executed in the Red Sea city of Jeddah after being convicted of trying to smuggle in heroin hidden in…
US to provide Israel with six “Osprey” aircraft†
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jan 2014 – A US military Osprey aircraft takes off from a ship in the Atlantic Ocean on February 9, 2012. (Photo: US Navy) A US military Osprey aircraft takes off from a ship in the Atlantic Ocean on February 9, 2012. (Photo: US Navy) The Pentagon plans to…
Israeli minister apologizes for anti-Kerry diatribe†
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jan 2014 – Updated 12:40 am: Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Yaalon apologized Tuesday to US Secretary of State John Kerry for accusing the American of having an “obsession” with Middle East peace. In a statement issued late-Tuesday, Yaalon said he “had no intention to cause any offence to…
Iraqi rebels make gains in Anbar†
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jan 2014 – Iraqi traders sell their goods at an open air market in the center of the city of Fallujah, west of the capital Baghdad on January 8, 2014, following days of fighting between Iraqi security forces and militants. (Photo: AFP – Saddam al-Mahmedy) Iraqi traders sell their…
The Zaatar Conundrum: Fleeting Basics of Living in Lebanon†
Al-Akhbar Blogs 14 Jan 2014 – Living in Lebanon has become physically hazardous. My father says it has always been. History adds that it has been worse, The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon, lasting from 1975 to 1990 and resulting in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, it says….
Have Beirut’s Social Movements Died?†
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jan 2014 – Although the situation looks hopeless, there’s a new kind of understanding that we need to create alternatives. (Photo: Marwan Bu Haidar) Although the situation looks hopeless, there’s a new kind of understanding that we need to create alternatives. (Photo: Marwan Bu Haidar) 2013 was a dark…
Lines of the Game: Sykes-Picot Is Dead†
Al-Akhbar Opinion 14 Jan 2014 – A rebel fighter prepares a fire ball during fighting on a front line of Syria’s northeastern city of Deir Ezzor on January 10, 2014. (Photo: AFP – Ahmad Aboud) A rebel fighter prepares a fire ball during fighting on a front line of Syria’s northeastern city…
Syrian shells strike Lebanon’s northeast border†
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jan 2014 – Stray shelling from battles inside Syria struck uninhabited areas on Lebanon’s northeastern border Tuesday causing no injuries, state news reported. The National News Agency said at least four shells landed on an area around Khirbet Daoud, on the outskirts of Ersal. The area has become increasingly…
Saudi suspends SMS program to alert women’s guardians of travel†
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jan 2014 – Ultra-misogynist Saudi Arabia has suspended a program that notifies the male guardians of female relatives, who may only travel abroad with their permission, once the women leave the country, a newspaper reported Tuesday . Since November 2012, Saudi women’s male guardians have been sent an SMS message…
Abdullah Azzam threatens more attacks on Hezbollah, Iran†
Al-Akhbar News 14 Jan 2014 – The al-Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades, whose leader Majed al-Majed died earlier this month, vowed Tuesday to keep up its attacks against Iran, Hezbollah and Israel. The Saudi-born Majed, which claimed responsibility for a November attack on the Iranian embassy in Beirut that killed at least 23…
VIDEO: Film lifts lid on Dubai labour camps†
BBC 14 Jan 2014 – A new documentary is claiming to be the first to film freely inside the migrant worker camps of Dubai.
Lebanon: Who Will Replace Majed al-Majed?†
Al-Akhbar Politics 13 Jan 2014 – member of jihadist group Al-Nusra Front stands in a street of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on January 11, 2014. (Photo: AFP – Baraa al-Halabi) member of jihadist group Al-Nusra Front stands in a street of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on January 11,…
Damascus: Yarmouk Starves as Relief Convoys Attacked†
Al-Akhbar Politics 13 Jan 2014 – A fighter of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command squats next to the covered body of an alleged foreign rebel fighter in the Yarmouk refugee camp in the Syrian capital Damascus on September 12, 2013, following fighting against rebel forces who…
Articles
Academic boycott of Israel†
Lawrence Davidson, Redress†1/14/2014
††††††Whose academic freedom are we talking about?
†††† The controversy that broke out over the American Studies Association s (ASA) December 2013 vote to adopt an academic boycott of Israel was inevitable.
†††† The ASA s academic boycott is a just a part of a much larger effort the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement which has been growing worldwide over the last decade. In fact, the movement s progress in the United States has been relatively slow, but this is changing, and the ASA controversy is an indicator of this shift. That being the case, the reaction on the part of Zionist supporters of Israel in and out of academia came as no surprise.Media smear
†††† On 5 January 2014 the New York Times reprinted a piece from the Chronicle of Higher Education more or less summarizing the reaction to the ASA move. It noted that the presidents of more than 80 United States colleges have condemned the vote . In addition, five of these institutions of higher learning have withdrawn from ASA membership . The Chronicle piece concludes that the ASA has become a pariah of the United States higher-education establishment .
†††† That is a rather premature judgment. There are roughly 4,500 colleges and universities in the US. Being condemned by the administrations (which is not the same as the faculties and student bodies) of 80 represents condemnation by less than 2 per cent. Over one hundred institutions of higher learning have ASA membership. Losing five is again a small percentage. All of this hardly makes the ASA a pariah .†more..†e-mail
On the Ground in Palestine†
Edwin Krales, CounterPunch†1/14/2014
††††††An Interview with Alex Krales
†††† To promote a homogeneous collective in modern times, it was necessary to provide, among other things, a long narrative suggesting a connection in time and space between the fathers and the forefathers of all the members of the present community. Since such a close connection, supposedly pulsing within the body of the nation, has never actually existed in any society, the agents of memory worked hard to invent it. With the help of archaeologists, historians, and anthropologists, a variety of findings were collected. These were subjected to major cosmetic improvements carried out by essayists, journalists, and the authors of historic novels. From this surgically improved past emerged the proud and handsome portrait of the nation. The Invention of the Jewish People, Shlomo Sand
†††† EK How did you get interested in Palestine support work? Were you a student at Hampshire College when divestment from Israel was adopted?†
†††† AK I am a white cisfemale 24 years of age from New York City, currently working as a farm hand. I graduated with a BA from Hampshire College after four years of studying visual arts and political philosophy. I believe that I inherited an investment in Palestine solidarity through the work of my father, who has been involved in Palestine solidarity work for as long as I can remember. The discussions of our Jewish heritage and the United States support of fascism throughout history led me to questions about Zionism and the illegal occupation of Palestine. I was a student when Hampshire College divested from Israel. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) were incredibly active. SJP consistently organized lectures, screenings and rallies. I attended their activities but was not a member.†more..†e-mail
Blue or white collar, racism prevails in Israel s job market†
Yossi Dahan, translated from Hebrew by Noam Benishei, +972 Magazine†1/14/2014
††††††A new study into discrimination in the Israeli employment market finds that the resumes of Yuval Hershkowitz and Eden Almog are still going to generate far more consideration than those submitted by Yuval Amsalem and Waleed Houri.
†††† Yuval Hershkowitz, an Ashkenazi Jew, and Yuval Amsalem, a Mizrahi Jews, graduated from the same high school. They recently completed their military service, where they were both trained in counterterrorism. Both of them sent their resumes by emailto potential employers seeking to recruit security guards. Their application letters were sent to employers in six different regions around Israel; the number of replies Hershkowitz received from employers asking for more information was double what Amsalem received. He also got twice as many invitations to in-person interviews.
††† Eden Almog, a Jew, and Waleed Houri, an Arab, both live in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan. They both attended the same high school, graduated cum laude from the Hebrew University s law school and served as teaching assistants. The two interned with the State Attorney s office. Both are proficient in Hebrew and English, while Houri also has full command of Arabic. Almog and Houri alike have engaged in volunteer work with disadvantaged adults and children. Almog served in the army, while Houri performed his civil national service in a hospital. Eighty-nine of their resumes were sent to prominent Israeli law firms (not the same ones, but rather randomly-selected firms of a similar standing). Almog s resume garnered twice as many receipt confirmations as Houri s, and he received four times as many interview invitations as his counterpart.
†††† These grim findings concerning the discrimination of Arabs and Mizrahim in the Israeli employment market are the results of a study by Barak Ariel, Ilanit Tobby-Alimi, Irit Cohen, Mazal Ezra and Yaffa Cohen of the Hebrew University, who sent those fictitious resumes to different Israeli employers. One unique feature of this study lies in the fact that it looks into discrimination at both ends of the employment market, the upper one comprising lawyers while the lower one featuring security guards. — See also:†Haokets blog†more..†e-mail
The Sharon Formula†
Binoy Kampmark, CounterPunch†1/14/2014
††††††A Murderous Pragmatism
†††† He had been in a coma for eight years after suffering a massive stroke. Now, world leaders have paid their respects to Ariel Sharon s passing at an official ceremony at the Knesset, prior to the body s burial on the site of Sycamore Farm in the Negev. At the funeral s end, two missiles were fired into southern Israel. Retaliatory air strikes followed on two militant camps in Gaza. Such was Sharon s busy, brutal and often opportunistic life, a fate he has shared with his country.
†††† Gushing tributes have piled up on the funeral pyre. From the comments of unnamed people lining up outside the Knesset to pay their respects, to the usual suspects in power, they have crested on the media waves. He was one of a kind, a real leader, claimed a woman paying her respects on the BBC. Veterans spoke of their memories of the wars of 1967 and 1973. Tamir Ezra from Bat Yam, a reserve soldier in 1973, felt this was someone we could trust and who could do the right thing (BBC, Jan 13).
†††† For Israel s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: I believe that his memory as one of the most outstanding leaders and daring commanders will remain in the hearts of the Israeli people for eternity. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon came up with his own sugary tribute. Prime Minister Sharon will be remembered for his political courage and determination to carry through with the painful and historic decision to withdraw Israeli settlers and troops from the Gaza Trip.
†††† An anonymous insider within the UN, with links to the Department of Political Affairs in New York, was taken aback by Ban s statement. The statement on Sharon brings the UN s obsequiousness towards Israel to a new high and the UN s standing in the Middle East to a new low (Electronic Intifada, Jan 13).†more..†e-mail
Politicians are cowards on Israel, says prominent Australian scholar
Electronic Intifada: 14 Jan 2014 – Cruelty hallmark of Israel s policies, says prominent boycott advocate.†more..
Ariel Sharon: the Israeli Napoleon who Never Was
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Jan 2014 – By Shafiq Morton Ariel Sharon, former Israeli Prime Minister, has passed on at the age of 85. After a lingering coma induced by a stroke in 2006, his body has finally shut down and the curtain has fallen on what can only be described as a colorful, if not chequered career. Although I never met him personally, Sharon s presence appeared to haunt me wherever I went in the Middle East. Larger than life, his brazenness has seen him enjoying a career in which a bull in a china shop has seemed like a ballet dancer. Indeed, no amount of apologetic obituaries will be able to wish away the fact that Ariel Sharon was one of Israel s most belligerent political figures the word political architect (as used by a US journalist) is certainly inflated language for a man whose solution in 2000 was to suggest the killing of arch…more
How Butcher Sharon M
assacred My Relatives
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Jan 2014 – By Jamal Kanj My friend and I were on a cross-country flight from San Diego to Washington, DC on Saturday, September 18, 1982. We arrived at our friends home with gleaming smiles, but were received with dejected expressions. Haven t you heard the news? they asked. What news? we replied. The massacre of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians in and around Sabra and Shatila camps, was their wretched response. Needless to say we were glued to the TV listening to trickling reports from inside the camps and watching bloated bodies of women and children paraded on TV screens. Starting at 6pm on September 16 until 8am on September 18, the Israeli-armed Lebanese Phalange militia went on a killing spree while the Israeli army besieged the camps stopping anyone from fleeing the massacre. American reporter Janet Lee Stevens, who was one of the first foreign journalists to enter the camps, described the…more
Her Heart has Already Burned
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Jan 2014 – Naming the settler s hate crimes towards the Palestinians Price Tag is to be unfaithful to the truth. No other word† other than terror could describe the outcome of the crime committed by settlers from Beit- El, towards the residents of the Palestinian neighborhood beside which they, the invaders, built their fortified settlement. Physical, mental and racial terror. (A translation from the definition of terrorism that appears on the Hebrew Wikipedia site: a violent struggle, aimed mainly at citizens, in order to achieve political goals). It s not just the writing on the wall or the vehicles that had been torched in the dead of night; it is the fear and helplessness of these people, who together with their property had become prey due to these criminal acts, performed by malicious men from whom they have no protection. My heart has already burned , said Aeisha. She spoke about the on-going harassment from…more
Chilean Ambassador to Israel Chided over Santiago s Palestino Football Club Jersey
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Jan 2014 – By Julie Webb-Pullman On Tuesday 7 January the Deputy Director General for Latin America of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Itzhak Shoham, met with the charge d affaires of the Embassy of Chile in Israel, Oscar Alcam·n, to express his surprise and concern over the Palestino football club s jersey. The Palestino Club is a first-division club in Chile which recently introduced a new jersey, replacing the number 12 with a map of Palestine. The Palestino Club, whose colors are the same as those of the Palestinian flag, was founded in Santiago in 1920 by members of the Arabic community in Chile. Shoham considers the jersey an anti-Israel provocation because it denies the existence of Israel by not including the State of Israel as part of the Palestinian territories on the map. Echoing the sentiments that tried to prevent sports boycotts of South Africa during the apartheid era in that country,…more
Sharon took Brave Decisions for Peace, says Agent Cameron
Dissident Voice: 14 Jan 2014 – In a statement marking the death of Ariel Sharon, British prime minister David Cameron said he was one of the most significant figures in Israeli history and as Prime Minister he took brave and controversial decisions in pursuit of peace, before he was so tragically incapacitated. This sickening tribute will not go down well outside Israel. Sharon, real name Scheinermann, was the child of immigrants fleeing Russia to the British mandate of Palestine in the 1920s. At the tender age of 10 the boy joined the Zionist youth movement Hassadeh. At 14 he was a member of a paramilitary youth battalion and later joined the terrorist group Haganah. Sharon made a name for himself in 1953 when his secret death squad, Unit 101, dynamited homes and massacred 69 Palestinian civilians half of them women and children at Qibya in the West Bank. His troops later destroyed 2,000 homes…more
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The New Dark Age 