27 January 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Soldiers Demolish Three Homes In Jerusalem
IMEMC – [Monday Morning, January 27, 2014] Israeli soldiers invaded Al-Eesawiyya neighborhood and Beit Hanina town, in occupied Jerusalem, and demolished three Palestinian homes. …
Settlers, Soldiers, Attack Children In Hebron
IMEMC – Palestinian nonviolent activists managed to document an attack carried out by Israeli extremists, on Sunday [January 24, 2014], against Palestinian children, at the entrance of Shuhada’ Street, in Hebron city, in the southern part of the West Bank. …
Teenager Killed In Explosion In Khan Younis
IMEMC – [Monday, January 27, 2014] Palestinian medical sources have reported that a Palestinian teenager was killed in an explosion which took place, on Sunday, in the al-Boeij refugee camp, in central Gaza. …
Palestinian Farmer Seriously Injured In Central Gaza
IMEMC – [Monday Morning, January 27, 2014] Palestinian medical sources have reported that a Palestinian farmer was shot and seriously wounded by Israeli military fire in the Abu Al-‘Ajeen area, southeast of Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza. …
Seventeen Palestinians Kidnapped In Different Parts Of West Bank
IMEMC – [Monday at Dawn, January 27, 2014] Israeli soldiers invaded various Palestinian communities in different parts of the occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, violently searching homes after invading them, and kidnapping seventeen Palestinians. …
Israeli forces demolish 3-story building in East Jerusalem
1/27/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces demolished a 3-story building under construction in East Jerusalem on Monday, a local official said. Muhammad Abu al-Hummus, a local committee official, told Ma’an that Israeli forces escorted bulldozers to the al-Isawiya neighborhood at around 6 a. m. and demolished a three-floor building belonging to Abdul-Hayy Dari. Israeli forces closed the main roads in the neighborhood….
Clashes in Jenin following Israeli arrest raid
1/27/2014 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli forces and Palestinians clashed in the Jenin town of Yabad on Sunday following an Israeli arrest raid, locals said. Seven Israeli military vehicles stormed Yabad and positioned themselves near the Yasser Arafat primary school, witnesses told Ma’an. Young men from the town gathered in the area and threw stones at the soldiers, who responded by firing tear gas….
Israeli forces detain 15 in overnight arrest raids
1/27/2014 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli military forces detained 15 Palestinians overnight Sunday, locals and Israel’s army said. Israeli forces raided Nablus early Monday and detained Mujahid al-Masri, Ayman Sweidan and Samir Hashim, witnesses said. Ammar al-Walwil, 35, was detained in Balata refugee camp after Israeli soldiers ransacked his home, while Amjad Talal Awwad and Abed Muhammad Abdat were detained in Awarta village. An….
Video: Israeli soldiers watch settlers attack 2 Hebron minors
1/27/2014 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — A group of Israeli settlers on Sunday attacked two Palestinian children in Hebron’s Shuhada Street in front of Israeli soldiers, who did nothing to stop the attack, a local group said. A local group known as Youth Against Settlements told Ma’an that 13-year-old Ahmad Hisham al-Azzah and Yazan Zeidan Sharabati were assaulted by a group of….
2 UNRWA employees on hunger strike taken to hospital
1/27/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Two UNRWA employees on a hunger strike were taken to the hospital on Monday, the 56th day of the refuge agency employees strike. Mohammad al-Atawna, director of media at the Palestinian Workers’ Union, said hunger strikers Talal Imrezeq, 35, from Hebron and Naser Bazoor, 47, from Nablus were taken to hospitals after their health deteriorated. They are among 28 UNRWA…. Related: UNRWA: More talks after union ends strike
Israel demolishes 4 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem
1/27/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli authorities on Monday demolished four Palestinian homes in annexed East Jerusalem that had been built without construction permits, police and residents said. A total of 20 people lived in the four buildings, two of them located in the al-Isawiya neighborhood and two in Beit Hanina, occupants told AFP. They had been served demolition orders because they did not have the necessary construction….
Al-Manar: Israeli soldier injured near Lebanese border
1/28/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli soldier was injured on Monday morning in an explosion near the border fence between Israel and Lebanon, according to Lebanese TV station al-Manar. The TV channel, which is affiliated with Lebanese group Hezbollah, reported that an explosion occurred while the soldier was working inside a trench Israeli forces had dug a month ago near the fence. The report did….
Hackers attack Israeli defense ministry computers
1/27/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Hackers attacked Israeli computers including one used by the defense ministry department dealing with civilians in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli data protection expert said on Monday.”At the beginning of this month a number of mails were sent to a number of companies in Israel, including security organizations,” Aviv Raff, chief technology officer at Israeli cyber security firm Seculert told army….
Gaza group says it has manufactured new missile launcher
1/27/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Gaza-based al-Mujahideen Brigades, the military wing of the al-Mujahideen movement, announced on Monday that they have manufactured a new type of handheld missile launcher. A spokesman for the group, named Abu Omar, said in a statement received by Ma’an that the new launcher called “Sair”, which means “flames” or “hell” in Arabic, would be used in any….
Hamas denies connection to Sinai violence
1/27/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas on Monday condemned Egyptian statements linking the Palestinian group to the ongoing crisis in Egypt, denying any connection to a Sinai-based militant group and calling upon authorities to stop the “lies.”Hamas spokesman Abu Zuhri said in a statement that Ansar Beit al-Maqdis has no connections to Gaza nor to Palestine, referring to a Sinai-based Wahhabi militant group that….
UNRWA: More talks after union ends strike
1/27/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — UNRWA commissioner general Filippo Grandi said Sunday he was willing to hold constructive negotiations with the UNRWA employees union once their strike ends. Grandi said in a letter to Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, obtained by Ma’an, that “we were sent a statement by the minister of labor detailing proposals to end the conflict between the administration and the union…. Related: 2 UNRWA employees on hunger strike taken to hospital
In photos: Thousands bury man whose body was kept by Israel since 2002
1/27/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Thousands of Palestinians gathered on Monday to lay the body of Shaker Hamamra to rest in his hometown of Husan west of Bethlehem. Hamamra was killed by Israeli forces in 2002, but his remains were only returned to his family on Sunday. According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Hamamra was shot dead by Israeli forces on March 26, 2002…. Related: Israel to release remains of Jenin area man who died in 2002
Israel to release remains of Jenin area man who died in 2002
1/27/2014 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities will return the remains of a Palestinian militant who carried out a bombing inside Israel over a decade ago, a human right groups said on Monday. Israeli human rights group Center for the Defense of the Individual (HaMoked) said in a statement that the remains of Abdul-Karim Tahaynah from Silat al-Harithiya in the Jenin district will be returned on…. Related: In photos: Thousands bury man whose body was kept by Israel since 2002
Haniyeh: 120 Fatah members can return to Gaza
1/27/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Monday that 120 Fatah members would be allowed to return to Gaza in order to push reconciliation forward. Haniyeh told the al-Kitab satellite channel that the reconciliation file will move forward as long as leaders in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are willing to end the division.”We need arrangements for reconciliation to….
Havoc for Gaza strawberry growers amid storms and siege
1/27/2014 – Abdulrahman Murad is a Gaza-based blogger and freelance journalist. His writings have appeared on Middle East Monitor, Mondoweiss, and Al-RAY Media. Follow him on Twitterand on his blogFor years, Israeli restrictions and unexpected closures of the Gaza Strip’s lone commercial crossing have caused severe losses for strawberry growers in the coastal enclave, whose produce is mainly destined for European markets. But in the….
Egypt army cracks down against Sinai militants after helicopter downed
1/27/2014 – CAIRO (Ma’an) – In response to downing an Egyptian military helicopter by gunmen affiliated to the al-Qaeda inspired Ansar Beit al-Maqdis group in Sinai Peninsula on Sunday, the Egyptian army started new military campaigns using new tactics, according to army sources. A source told Ma’an in North Sinai that “the army will response toughly to this qualitative development Takfiri groups have made….
Army: Sisi must heed Egyptians’ demand to run as president
1/27/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt’s top military council said on Monday its commander Abdel Fattah al-Sisi should heed calls to stand in presidential election. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said in a statement “the people’s trust in Sisi is a call that must be heeded as the free choice of the people”. [END]
Bashir seeks political, economic ‘renaissance’ for Sudan
1/27/2014 – KHARTOUM (AFP) — Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir on Monday appealed for a political and economic renaissance in his country ravaged by war, poverty and political turmoil.” We in the National Congress Party are calling for all Sudanese to participate in this renaissance,” he said in a speech designed to address urgent calls for reform in his 25-year-old regime, but which fell short of critics’ expectations. [END]
International Solidarity Movement
Thirteen-year-old boy attacked by settlers then arrested at Checkpoint 56 in Hebron
1/27/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team, Hebron, Occupied Palestine – On Saturday, January 25th at around 2:30 p. m. , when a group of around 30 settlers were passing by Checkpoint 56 on Al-Shuhada Street in Hebron, two 13-year-old boys were attacked by five settlers. One of the boys, his father and a photographer were taken to the police station where they were interrogated for three hours….
Two Palestinian fishermen, including child, kidnapped by Israeli forces off Gaza
1/27/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Rosa Schiano, Gaza, Occupied Palestine – On Monday, 20th January, at about 6:00 am, Yousef Amin Abo Warda (age 18) and his cousin Ahmad Kamal Abo Warda (age 16) left their house to go fishing in a small boat without an engine. Around 7:30 am they were fishing in front of the al-Waha area, in the northern Gaza Strip, and sank….
occupied Palestinian territory: Syria Crisis Response Update Issue 68 (7 – 20 January 2014)
Relief Web 27 Jan 2014 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey 27 January 2014 Issue 68 (7 – 20 January 2014) REGIONAL OVERVIEW A reported but unconfirmed…
Iraq: UNHCR Iraq Factsheet Quarter 3 2013
Relief Web 27 Jan 2014 – Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: Afghanistan, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, occupied Palestinian territory, Pakistan, Syrian Arab Republic Refugees /Asylum Seekers The number of (non-Syrian) registered refugees and asylum seekers is now 42,683. Between June and August, a…
Syrian Arab Republic: Protecting the future in Syria
Relief Web 27 Jan 2014 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic Damascus After nearly three years of conflict in Syria, it’s becoming clear that the impacts are not just in the…
Syrian Arab Republic: USA Responds to UNRWA Syria Appeal
Relief Web 27 Jan 2014 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, United States of America East Jerusalem At the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, in Kuwait City,…
occupied Palestinian territory: Netanyahu would let Israeli settlers live in future Palestine -report
Relief Web 27 Jan 2014 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet Country: occupied Palestinian territory JERUSALEM, Jan 26 (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will insist that Jewish settlers in the West Bank have a right to remain under Palestinian rule in any future peace deal,…
Netanyahu upsets allies and Palestinians with settler remark
The National 27 Jan 2014 – Palestinians and the Israeli PM’s allies lash out over his remark in Davos that he would not relocate settlers after creation of Palestinian state.
Anti-corruption activist faces challenges as Delhi chief minister
The National 27 Jan 2014 – Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s new chief minister, has faced governance controversies, tussles with police, and a contentious economic agenda all in his first month in office.
Syria talks deadlocked over power transfer
The National 27 Jan 2014 – Syrian peace talks saw no progress on Monday as deadlocked negotiations saw regime representatives try to focus on terrorism and and the opposition aim to discuss the creation of a transitional government.
Egypt’s military backs Sisi presidential bid
The National 27 Jan 2014 – Gen Sisi has become the most popular political figure in the country, often compared to former president Gamal Abdel Nasser by his admirers who have pushed for his candidacy in a presidential election scheduled within months.
Turkish religious leader denies being behind corruption probe
The National 27 Jan 2014 – In an interview with the BBC, religious leader Fethullah Gulen dismissed allegations that he instigated a wide-sweeping corruption probe that has ensnared senior members of the Turkish government.
191 Nepalis died in booming Qatar last year, officials say
The National 27 Jan 2014 – Nepal’s embassy in Doha said nearly 200 Nepali migrant workers died in Qatar last year, many from heart failure.
Iraq to welcome two foreign banks
The National 27 Jan 2014 – Iraq’s central bank will approve a licence for two ‘regional’ banks soon.
Does Assad’s Homs offer mean anything?
The National 27 Jan 2014 – The plan, widely hailed as progress, leaves open several questions
Police investigate possible suicide of seamstress who survived Dhaka building collapse
The National 27 Jan 2014 – The woman, identified by her first name, Salma, was found hanging in her rented home in the capital, Dhaka, on Friday, said Kamal Hossain, a police official.
Egypt’s ‘terrace society’ flourishes on Cairo rooftops
The National 27 Jan 2014 – High above the polluted streets of Cairo lives the Egyptian capital’s “terrace society,” a parallel world of rooftop dwellings inhabited by people unable to find affordable housing.
In pictures: Terrace society flourishes on Cairo rooftops
The National 27 Jan 2014 – Societies on Cairo’s rooftops has mushroomed in recent years, as the capital’s population swelled and the state was unable to offer low-cost housing.
Vial of John Paul II’s blood stolen in Italy
The National 27 Jan 2014 – A tube containing Polish pope John Paul II’s blood has been stolen from a church in Italy, sparking a region-wide search involving sniffer dogs and 50 police officers, Italian media reported said Monday.
Tunisia passes new constitution and appoints caretaker cabinet
The National 27 Jan 2014 – TUNIS // Tunisia’s politicians adopted a new constitution Sunday and the prime minister named a caretaker cabinet tasked with organising fresh polls — two key goals of the revolution that touched off the Arab Spring three years ago. The North African country’s Constituent Assembly adopted the new charter with an overwhelming majority of 200 votes in favour, 12 against and four abstentions. “This day will be proudly remembered in history,” Speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar said.
In pictures: Tunisian parliament celebrates passing new constitution
The National 27 Jan 2014 – Tunisia’s politicians adopted a new constitution Sunday and the prime minister named a caretaker cabinet tasked with organising fresh polls — two key goals of the revolution that touched off the Arab Spring three years ago.
Philippine troops clash with rebels opposed to Aquino peace deal
The National 27 Jan 2014 – MANILA // Philippine troops clashed with hardline Muslim rebels opposed to the government’s newly concluded peace deal with a main insurgent group, wounding at least two militants Monday in fighting. The clash underscored the difficulty of ending violence in the country’s south despite the widely hailed conclusion over the weekend of Malaysian-brokered peace talks between the government and the 11,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
In Pictures: India celebrates its 65th Republic Day
The National 27 Jan 2014 – India on Sunday marked its 65th Republic Day, a national holiday to mark the day the Indian constitution came into force, with a parade of military hardware in the capital and celebrations and cultural events held across the country.
Boat carrying tourists sinks off India’s Andaman and Nicobar islands
The National 27 Jan 2014 – Police say a tourist boat that capsized off India’s remote Andaman and Nicobar islands was overcrowded and may have hit a rock before it went down.
Caribbean cruise cut short as hundreds suffer outbreak of illness
The National 27 Jan 2014 – The Royal Caribbean cruise line on Sunday ended a ship’s 10-day trip in the Caribbean early after hundreds of passengers and crew members were sickened with a gastrointestinal illness.
Dune experiment: scientists witness their own sand world being created
The National 27 Jan 2014 – A French geologist and Chinese colleagues flattened a wide swathe of Inner Mongolian sand dunes – then left them to see how natural forces would reform the topography. The results were stunning and may hold the key to how entire landscapes form.
Palestinians, U.S. to try to bridge gaps in framework deal
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Will God have a say in Super Sunday outcome?
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Congress secretly approves U.S. weapons flow to ‘moderate’ Syrian rebels
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Top Israeli think tank: If talks fail, withdraw from 85% of West Bank
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Fewer Israeli students choosing university, eyeing colleges instead
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
AIPAC rejects report of differences with Wasserman Schultz on Iran sanctions
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
J Street: Netanyahu’s settlement remarks undermine his own credibility
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Israeli fire discovery throws new light on rise of human culture
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Scarlett and SodaStream again in the news – with Super Bowl ad
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Knesset official tells Israeli delegates at Auschwitz: Hurry to the crematorium
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
PM to reprimand Bennett following spat over future of settlements
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Israel or Palestine: Who will take in the settlers?
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Both insult and injury for foreigners, Palestinians hurt on job
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Number of Israeli terror victims jumped in 2013, Shin Bet figures show
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Russian campaigner publishes Sochi corruption file
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Mayor of Olympic city to gays: Welcome to Sochi, and keep it to yourself
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Shas leader: Woe is us if Netanyahu’s son is dating Norwegian
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Obama vs Harper: Who’s the real man of principle?
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Israeli woman mistakenly undergoes mastectomy due to hospital mix-up
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Israel issues first passport for baby born to Thai surrogate
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
‘Never again’ – unless you’re gay and Russian
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Palestinians: Israel demolished East Jerusalem building
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Women of the Wall on verge of deal with Israeli government
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Israel attacked Syrian base in Latakia, Lebanese media reports
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Netanyahu: Bennett undermining Israeli efforts to expose ‘real face’ of Palestinian Authority
Ha’aretz – 27 Jan 2014
Two East Jerusalem Palestinians made ‘illegal’ by Interior Ministry win reprieve in court
Ha’aretz – 26 Jan 2014
Which Zionism does the Shin Bet subscribe to?
Ha’aretz – 26 Jan 2014
Education minister unpleased with ‘leftist’ teacher’s hearing
Ha’aretz – 26 Jan 2014
The missing Arab in high-tech
Ha’aretz – 26 Jan 2014
Two Eritreans granted refugee status in rare decision
Ha’aretz – 26 Jan 2014
An electoral threshold too high
Ha’aretz – 26 Jan 2014
The queen of YouTube porn is one hot Jewish mama
Ha’aretz – 26 Jan 2014
US Congress secretly approves weapons flow to ‘moderate’ Syrian rebels
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Weapons deliveries, most of which are moving to non-Islamist Syrian rebels via Jordan, have been funded by the US Congress in votes behind closed doors, according to US and Europeans security officials.
Chabad emissaries gather for women’s conference in NYC
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – The conference also featured 75 workshops for on topics from social media, to caring for older members of their community.
Fox rejects Johansson SodaStream ad over its digs at Coke, Pepsi
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Controversy is not new for SodaStream; last year, CBS rejected their ad for the same reason.
Reporter’s notebook: A diary from Auschwitz
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – “You’re cold, but imagine, people walked further than this in tattered pajamas,” a haredi reporter points out to me.
Beit Safafa residents angry over highway set to divide village
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – “This policy is like apartheid – they’re separating families and the community,” says resident of village.
LA school strives to connect students with Israel
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Tiferet Israel Fellowship has created a three-year curriculum for high schoolers.
A Judenrein Palestine?
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Will the two-state solution remain feasible even if Israel is forced to evacuate tens of thousands of settlers?
No Holds Barred: Davos and the hatred of evil
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – At Davos, where I attended and spoke last week, there was endless talk of a deal between Israel and the Palestinians.
Veteran GPO photographer: Israel was warned about Yom Kippur War
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Retiring photographer says Austrian chancellor Bruno Kreisky had warned Golda Meir that Egypt and Syria planned to strike.
Our World: International Holocaust Remembrance Day’s fatal flaw
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Before we send another delegation of elected officials to Auschwitz next January 27, we need to ask whether this extra day serves any positive purpose.
Fundamentally Freund: Ethnic cleansing and apartheid Palestine
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – All those who promote the idea of creating a Palestinian entity need to look themselves in the mirror and ask if they truly believe that the ends justify the means.
Borderline Views: Sharon and Aloni – an odd couple
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Within the space of 2 weeks, Israel has bidden farewell to 2 of its charismatic political figures.
The indefensible attack on circumcision
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – That democratic societies in the 21st century should attempt via legal means to outlaw this procedure is a travesty on justice, ethics and humanity.
Analysis: Obama to confront a united Congress on Iran
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Obama’s State of the Union address will focus mainly on domestic issues. But on foreign policy, the president will have to make his case on Iran to skeptical lawmakers.
Livni: Environment can serve as ‘common denominator’ between Israel, PA
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Justice minister says resolving environmental issues is being hampered by the political conflict with the Palestinians.
Aviv Geffen’s Blackfield to launch European tour in Israel
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 –
Nazi-looted paintings recovered by Allies to be auctioned in NY
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – George Clooney film “The Monuments Men” to feature story of Allied group tasked with retrieving masterpieces.
Spielberg: We must act on what was learned from the Holocaust
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – “State of Israel is the only guarantee to ensure the future of the Jewish people,” says Israeli envoy to UN Prosor.
‘Discriminatory’ rabbinic ordination halted by Chief Rabbinate
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – In face of impending ruling by HCJ, rabbinate vows not to grant ordination without qualification exam for chief municipal rabbis.
Shin Bet: West Bank terror attacks more than doubled in 2013
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Israel Security Agency releases annual terror statistics showing jump in W. Bank terror attacks, most of which were firebomb, stone-throwing attacks.
Report: Sisi to announce presidential bid within 72 hours
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Egypt’s military council green lights Sisi to run for president; Egypt presidential elections may be held in April.
Reasons for Israeli gratitude
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – At key junctures, Israelis have made choices that averted problems suffered by other countries.
As world marks Int’l Holocaust Day, PM decries silence over Iran’s annihilative ambitions
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Questioning Israel’s basic right to exist “undermines the foundations of Western civilization,” Netanyahu says.
Soroka research: Ideal gap between frequent pregnancies is 12 months
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Too small a space between cesareans can cause premature birth, according to studies at Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba.
Harvard professor receives award for inclusion of people with disabilities in Jewish world
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Ruderman Family Foundation announces Dr. Michael Stein as first recipient of inaugural $100,000 award.
Professor Eitan Sheshinski joins the College of Management – Academic Studies
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Leading academic in the field of economics to launch public economics research institute.
New bill prohibits revealing details about sex abuse victim to the abuser
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – MK Levy-Abecassis: Victims whose abusers have been released face fear of retaliation, further harassment that could detail their recovery.
Poisonous snakes emerge early from hibernation due to warm, dry weather
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Unusual January temperatures have confused snakes that usually wake up in the spring, their glands full of venom.
WATCH: Holocaust survivors turn own home into personal museum
Jerusalem Post 27 Jan 2014 – Ariel resident says, as a survivor, she can offer visitors to her museum a unique personal perspective.
The Guardian
Israeli PM Netanyahu backtracks on West Bank settlement comments
The Guardian 27 Jan 2014 – Prime minister suffers backlash after suggesting settlers could live in future Palestinian state The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has furiously backpedalled from comments suggesting Israeli settlers on the West Bank might remain in their homes…
Hackers break into Israeli defence computers, says security company
The Guardian 27 Jan 2014 – Palestinians are suspected of being behind email attack on civil administration machines that monitor Israeli-occupied territory Hackers broke into Israeli defence ministry computers via an email attachment tainted with malicious software, according to an Israeli cyber-security…
New York s Zionist Mayor
Uruknet 27 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014- On January 1, Michael Bloomberg was out. Bill de Blasio replaced him. Zionism remains empowered. Imagine letting Israel influence NYC policy. Imagine giving AIPAC say. Imagine Obama doing the same thing. Stanley Fischer is a Zionist zealot….
French Complicity in the Crisis in Central African Republic
Uruknet 27 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014 -By the end of 2013, “the White man s burden” was proving too heavy to bear for France. Feeling militarily and materially outstretched, Paris cried for help from other European powers to help it shoulder “its responsibility”…
Leftists hold rallies across West Bank rejecting negotiations
Uruknet 27 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014 – Leftist Palestinian parties on Saturday held demonstrations across the West Bank in opposition to negotiations with Israel and US Secretary of State John Kerry s framework proposal that will serve as the basis for future negotiations….
Australian foreign minister slanders Edward Snowden
Uruknet 27 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014 – Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop delivered a speech in Washington, DC on Thursday night denouncing former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden, who has exposed the illegal global surveillance regime developed by the US and…
Guantanamo detainees describe despair 5 years after Obama promised closure
Uruknet 27 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014- Five years after President Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay within one year, detainees have described their despair at conditions and their indefinite detention. Recent legislative amendments by Congress removed obstacles to transferring cleared detainees out of…
Egypt marks anniversary of anti-Mubarak uprising; deadly clashes erupt
Uruknet 27 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014 — Egyptians turned out Saturday to mark the third anniversary of the start of their dramatic Arab Spring uprising against Hosni Mubarak — with pro-government gatherings going undisturbed by police and anti-government marches broken up by police…
In Excessive Use of Force, Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Civilian and Wound Five Others in Two Separate Incidents in the Northern Gaza Strip
Uruknet 27 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014 -On Friday, 24 January 2014, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded five others in two separate incidents in Beit Lahia and Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli forces opened fire at them after they…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (16- 22 January 2014)
Uruknet 27 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014 -Summary: Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (16 – 22 January 2014). Shooting: During the reporting period, two extra-judicial executions occurred, one Israeli drone killed two…
Netanyahu: “Will Not Remove A Single Settlement”
Uruknet 26 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014 – Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that Tel Aviv would not remove a single Israeli settlement in the occupied territories, and that any ideas proposed now to advance peace talks, “are just proposals.” His statements came…
OCHA reports deteriorating situation in Palestine
Uruknet 26 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014- The UN officer for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in the occupied territories (OCHA) said on Friday that the Israeli occupation s targeting of Palestinian children is increasing; 15 have been injured during the last week. OCHA…
Yarmouk camp resident can t remember last time he ate
Uruknet 26 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014- A starving elderly man appeared in a video this week expressing the agony of finding food in Syria s besieged Yarmouk refugee camp. The 27-second footage showing his severe malnutrition went viral on social media, as it…
Calls grow for Oxfam to drop Scarlett Johansson following her defense of Israeli occupation
Uruknet 26 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014 – Groups working for Palestinian rights are urging Oxfam International to take immediate action and break its ties with Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson after she issued a statement supporting Israel s military occupation and human rights abuses….
9 Civilians were Killed and Wounded by Artillery Shelling in Fallujah
Uruknet 26 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014 – A security source in Anbar announced on Saturday the killing of 3 civilians and wounding six others, including women and children, this evening as a result of random shelling of a number of neighborhoods in the…
Increasing numbers of Palestinian Druze refuse to serve in Israeli army
Uruknet 26 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014 – A recent poll conducted by the University of Haifa has revealed that the number of Druze refusing to serve in the Israeli army is increasing. It also showed that a growing number of Israeli youth prefer…
Video: “Guantánamo and Us” – Stanford University Event with Andy Worthington, Jeff Kaye, Adam Hudson and Stephanie Tang, Jan. 13, 2014
Uruknet 26 Jan 2014 – January 25, 2014- …This was a powerful event, and I m very glad that it was recorded, as it provided a detailed analysis of Guantánamo past, present and future, as well as providing an overview of the torture program initiated…
U.S. moves forward with attack helicopter sale to Iraq
Daily Star 27 Jan 2014 The Obama administration notified Congress on Monday of plans to sell Apache attack helicopters to Iraq after providing assurance to lawmakers about how the helicopters would be used.
Yemen tribal, sectarian clashes kill 21
Daily Star 27 Jan 2014 Yemeni security officials and a tribal leader say sectarian clashes between northern rebels and ultraconservative Salafis have killed at least 21 people and injured dozens in a northern Yemeni city after a truce fell apart.
US ship heads to Syrian chemical weapons mission
Daily Star 27 Jan 2014 A U.S. cargo ship loaded with sophisticated equipment is setting sail Monday for the Mediterranean Sea, where it will be used to destroy dozens of containers of deadly chemical weapons being removed from Syria.
Sisi must heed Egytians’ demand to run as president: army
Daily Star 27 Jan 2014 Egypt’s top military council said on Monday its commander Abdel Fattah al-Sisi should heed calls to stand in a presidential election.
Talks on Iran nuclear deal expected in NY in Feb: envoys
Daily Star 27 Jan 2014 The first round of talks between Iran and six world powers on a long-term deal for Tehran to curb parts of its nuclear program in exchange for a gradually end to sanctions is expected to take…
Brahimi says no breakthrough in Syria talks
Daily Star 27 Jan 2014 International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said on Monday that the Syrian parties were still discussing how women and children can leave the Old City of Homs, but that there had been no decision on allowing access for…
Key al-Qaida militant reportedly killed in Syria
Daily Star 27 Jan 2014 A senior figure in an al-Qaida-linked group in Syria has been killed in a bloody dispute with rival rebel factions that has raged for more than three weeks across opposition-held parts of the country, activists and…
Ivory Coast: Mob attacks gay rights group office
YNet News, 27 Jan 2014 – ….
Attacks by extremists kill at least 99 Nigerians
YNet News, 27 Jan 2014 – ….
Netanyahu’s cynical idea
YNet News, 27 Jan 2014 – Analysis: PM is just trying to push the settlers into a corner and challenge the Palestinians, knowing that the proposal to leave settlements under Palestinian rule will be rejected out of hand ….
Ukraine president says he will scrap anti-protest law
YNet News, 27 Jan 2014 – ….
Report: Spies use smartphone apps to track people
YNet News, 27 Jan 2014 – ….
2014 could be even worse
YNet News, 27 Jan 2014 – Op-ed: Following release of Shin Bet security data pertaining to terror attacks and defense in 2013, Ynet’s Ron Ben-Yishai attributes security escalation to the Palestinian Authority’s failing governance, suggests violence could grow worse ….
Hungary’s president acknowledges collaboration with Nazis
YNet News, 27 Jan 2014 – President Janos Ader says if World War II had gone according to plans of Adolf Hitler and his Hungarian fascist allies, Jews would have been exterminated completely from country ….
Shulamit Aloni: Savior of the haredim
YNet News, 27 Jan 2014 – Op-ed: The change taking place in the ultra-Orthodox sector in recent years was motivated by the woman the haredim loved to hate ….
‘I release’: Freedom not to collect on debts
YNet News, 27 Jan 2014 – Whoever really wants to observe the spirit of Shabbat presented in the ‘Mishpatim’ Torah portion needs to ensure that the weakest elements of society receive their due rest. And in the shmita year, we will contend with the idol of greed, with the dictator of the modern world – money ….
A visit to Auschwitz
YNet News, 27 Jan 2014 – Op-ed: In special article for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, UN secretary-general says world can and must do more to eliminate poison that led to Nazi death camps ….
Will Jews be able to live in future Palestine?
YNet News, 26 Jan 2014 – A source from the Prime Minister’s Office said that Palestinians should accept Jewish settlers as residents in a future Palestinian state, causing a massive storm. The idea has a long history, and some settlers, as well as some Palestinians, are not so sure it’s a bad one ….
Half of the Knesset to visit Auschwitz
YNet News, 26 Jan 2014 – Lawmakers, Holocaust survivors, public figures, to convene special Knesset session before marching into Auschwitz-Birkenau alongside Holocaust survivors ….
Lebanon astir after local channel allowed onto Israeli Air Force base
YNet News, 26 Jan 2014 – LBC, a Lebanese news channel, was allowed to film on an IAF base in a bid to send Hezbollah a message, and the reactions were quick to come, with everyone from Hezbollah to regulators claiming report enemy propaganda ….
Israeli defense computer hacked via tainted email
YNet News, 26 Jan 2014 – Malicious email masquerading as Shin Bet message leads to internal breach in Israeli defense computer, cyber firm reports. Palestinians considered main, usual suspects. Defense officials refuse to comment ….
Deal on women, children in besieged Syrian city
YNet News, 26 Jan 2014 – First victory for Geneva II confrence on Syria: Women and children trapped in government-sieged Homs will be permitted to leave, UN mediator says ….
Egypt’s elections draw near amid unrest
YNet News, 26 Jan 2014 – Interim president Mansour announces early presidential elections in country as violence sweeps country, leaving 49 dead, 1000 arrested over weekend. General al-Sisi, admired by nation, poised to become next president ….
Israeli official: Palestine should allow settlers
YNet News, 26 Jan 2014 – Day after Netanyahu rejects plan to uproot settlement communities, unnamed source in his offices says there is no reason any future Palestinian state will ‘be ethnically cleansed’ of Jews ….
Palestinian Information Center
73 Palestinian refugees starved to death in Yarmouk refugee camp
PIC – The action group for Palestinians in Syria has said that 73 Palestinian refugees had died of hunger in the besieged Yarmouk refugee camp.
Palestinians injured in settlers and IOF attack on Nablus village
PIC – A number of Palestinians were treated for breathing difficulty while a young man was hit with a bullet in his foot in confrontations in Beit Furik town, east of Nablus, on Monday.
Islamic Christian authority condemns Israel’s demolition of Jerusalemite homes
PIC – The Islamic Christian authority for patronizing Jerusalem said that Israel’s demolition of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem constitute a flagrant violation of the international humanitarian law.
Israeli court rejects appeal against highway cutting Beit Safafa in half
PIC – The Israeli supreme court rejected on Sunday an appeal filed by Palestinian citizens against the construction of a six-lane highway that would bisect their village of Beit Safafa.
IOF kidnaps 15 Palestinians in W. Bank raids
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces kidnapped last night and at dawn Monday 15 Palestinian citizens, including university students from the Islamic bloc in Al-Khalil, during raids in West Bank areas.
Israeli forces launch limited incursion into northern Gaza
PIC – Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) advanced on Monday morning into northern Gaza Strip and bulldozed Palestinian lands.
Prisoner Khaddirat continues hunger strike, refuses deportation to Gaza
PIC – The captive Abdul Majid Khaddirat has continued his hunger strike, declared 13 days ago, protesting the Israeli decision to re-impose his previous sentence of 8 years.
Dweik holds Israeli regime responsible for lives of prisoner patients
PIC – Speaker of the Palestinian legislative council (PLC) Aziz Dweik on Sunday held the Israeli occupation regime and its jailers fully responsible for the lives of all detained patients in their prisons.
Palestinian dies of injuries sustained in explosion of locally-made bomb
PIC – A Palestinian young man, from Bureij refugee camp in Gaza Strip, has died of injuries he suffered Sunday evening in the camp.
India Celebrates National Day in Ramallah
WAFA – 27 Jan 2014
Israeli Police Arrest 10-Year-Old Palestinian
WAFA – 27 Jan 2014
Remains of Palestinian Re-Buried in Home Village
WAFA – 27 Jan 2014
Striking UNRWA Staff hold Sit-In Protest
WAFA – 27 Jan 2014
Suffocation Cases in Confrontations near Nablus
WAFA – 27 Jan 2014
Youth Dies in Gaza Explosion
WAFA – 27 Jan 2014
Israel Demolishes Three Houses in East Jerusalem
WAFA – 27 Jan 2014
Israeli Forces Critically Injure Palestinian in Gaza
WAFA – 27 Jan 2014
Army Prevents WAFA Staff from Covering Events
WAFA – 27 Jan 2014
In Egypt, newly promoted army chief Sisi poised for presidential run
LA Times 27 Jan 2014 – New Field Marshal Abdel Fattah Sisi wins blessings from Egypt’s top generals to seek office. He also meets with interim President Adly Mansour. CAIRO — Three years after the revolution that toppled a dictator, Egypt looks to be back where it started. A strongman fell;…
U.S. to sell, lease Apache attack helicopters to Iraqi forces
LA Times 27 Jan 2014 – WASHINGTON — Iraq’s embattled government will be allowed to buy and lease Apache attack helicopters to help fight a renewed insurgency after a U.S. lawmaker lifted his long-running objections to the deal, the Pentagon said Monday.
Netanyahu offends Israelis, Palestinians with settler remark
LA Times 27 Jan 2014 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to give Jewish settlers the option of living in a Palestinian state stirs outrage and may hurt peace efforts. JERUSALEM — It isn’t easy to offend both Palestinians and right-wing Israelis at the same time, but Israeli Prime Minister…
Scarlett Johansson takes heat for promoting Israeli firm SodaStream
LA Times 27 Jan 2014 – RAMALLAH, West Bank – Actress Scarlett Johansson is taking heat from Palestinian activists for becoming a brand ambassador for SodaStream International Ltd., an Israeli company that operates a factory in the West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim.
Interim nuclear deal allows Iran to continue centrifuge research
LA Times 27 Jan 2014 – WASHINGTON – The interim nuclear deal between Iran and world powers will allow Tehran to continue far more research and development on centrifuges to enrich uranium than has been publicly recognized, according to a veteran Washington nuclear analyst.
Netanyahu settlement comments anger Palestinians, Israelis
LA Times 27 Jan 2014 – JERUSALEM — With the nine months initially allotted by U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry to Israeli-Palestinian peace talks more than halfway spent and a rumored American plan nearing, a scrambling for a foothold appears underway.
Egypt to hold presidential vote by mid-April
LA Times 26 Jan 2014 – The timing is seen as likely to help key figures in Egypt’s military-backed interim government stay in power. CAIRO — Egypt’s military-backed government on Sunday declared its intention to hold presidential elections by mid-April, in what authorities described as a milestone on the path to…
Pentagon Notifies Congress of Possible F-16 Upgrades for UAE
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – The Pentagon has notified Congress of a possible sale of weapons and other equipment valued at $270 million that would be part of a larger, multibillion-dollar deal for 30 more F-16s that is still under discussion by Lockheed Martin Corp and the United Arab Emirates.
Baaouarta Journal: Lebanese Cringe as a Breakdown in Government Wafts Uphill
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – Since the government resigned 10 months ago, Parliament has scarcely convened, no major laws have been passed and trash overflows in Beirut — forcing residents to live with the stench.
Iran Sanctions Push Stalls, U.S. Lawmakers Mull Weaker Measure
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – An attempt to impose new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program has stalled in the U.S. Congress and lawmakers are discussing whether to introduce a much weaker measure, congressional aides said on Monday.
The Lede: Scarlett Johansson’s Defense of SodaStream Factory in Occupied West Bank Fails to Sway Critics
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – In a statement released late Friday, the actress Scarlett Johansson rejected criticism of her new endorsement deal with SodaStream, which manufactures home carbonation systems in an Israeli settlement on occupied West Bank territory.
Congress Secretly Approves U.S. Weapons Flow to ‘Moderate’ Syrian Rebels
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – Light arms supplied by the United States are flowing to “moderate” Syrian rebel factions in the south of the country and U.S. funding for months of further deliveries has been approved by Congress, according U.S. and European security officials.
U.S. Moves Forward With Attack Helicopter Sale to Iraq
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – The Obama administration notified Congress on Monday of plans to sell 24 Apache attack helicopters to Iraq, part of an effort to bolster the military against al Qaeda-linked militants, after addressing lawmakers’ concerns that held up the sale for months.
Egyptian Military Commander Set to Run for President
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – Field Marshal Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, who ousted Egypt’s first elected president, is seen as all but certain to win the presidency.
US Urges Russia to Push Syrian Regime on Homs Aid
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – The U.S. ambassador to United Nations called on Russia to use its influence with the Syrian regime to help get humanitarian aid to the besieged city of Homs.
Syria Talks Appear Deadlocked as Sides Disagree Over Goals
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – Differences over the basic purpose of negotiations, as well as a government relief gesture for civilians that the opposition denounced as a ploy, hampered the talks.
More Syrian Chemical Arms Toxins Shipped Out, Inspectors Say
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – More Syrian chemical weapons materials were loaded onto ships and transferred out of Syria on Monday, a joint inspection mission run by the United Nations and the global chemical arms watchdog said.
UNESCO to Go Ahead With Disputed Jewish Exhibition
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – A United Nations exhibition about Jews and the Holy Land, postponed after Arab countries warned it could harm Middle East peace efforts, will go ahead in June, organizers confirmed on Monday.
Yemen Tribal, Sectarian Clashes Kill 21
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – Yemeni security officials and a tribal leader say sectarian clashes between northern rebels and ultraconservative Salafis have killed at least 21 people and injured dozens in a northern Yemeni city after a truce fell apart.
Talks on Iran Nuclear Deal Expected in NY in February: Envoys
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – – The first round of talks between Iran and six world powers on a long-term deal for Tehran to curb parts of its nuclear program in exchange for a gradually end to sanctions is expected to take place next month in New York, Western officials said on Monday.
Brahimi Says No Breakthrough in Syria Talks
New York Times 27 Jan 2014 – International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said on Monday that the Syrian parties were still discussing how women and children can leave the Old City of Homs, but that there had been no decision on allowing access for an aid convoy into the besieged city.
There are no checkpoints atop Mt. Kilimanjaro, reports climber Abu Kirsh
Mondoweiss – Yasmeen Najjar and Mutussam Abu Karsh, trekking with Palestine Children’s Relief Fund’s “Climb of Hope” , reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. January 23, 2013 (Photo: PCRF) I’m in awe. Last week we reported that Mutussam Abu Kirsh and Yasmeen El Najjar, two Palestinian teens, both amputees…
Havoc for Gaza strawberry growers amid storms and siege
Mondoweiss – A woman works in a strawberry field in the northern Gaza Strip. (Photo: Wissam Nassar/MaanImages) This article originally appeared in Ma’an News. For years, Israeli restrictions and unexpected closures of the Gaza Strip’s lone commercial crossing have caused severe losses for strawberry growers in the coastal…
Matomy set for March IPO in London
Globes Main News – The digital ad company is set to raise $100-150 million at a company value of $450-550 million, after money.
Court orders Steinmetz to hand over documents
Globes Main News – The Tel Aviv District Court has ordered Beny Steinmetz to give the Tax Authority documents about trusts and companies that he holds overseas.
Mellanox: Wait patiently and ignore analyst noise
Globes Main News – Analysts downgraded Mellanox and SanDisk just before their financials, but both have the ingredients for long-term investment.
Watch the Scarlett Johansson SodaSteam ad banned from the Super Bowl (not for the reasons you’d hope)
Mondoweiss – Above is the original advertisement SodaStream produced to be shown at the Super Bowl this upcoming weekend. It has been banned by the Fox Network not due to SodaStream’s politics in Israel/Palestine , but because it may upset larger Super Bowl advertisers Coke and Pepsi. From USA…
BoI keeps February interest rate unchanged; buys $100m
Globes Main News – The Bank of Israel kept the interest rate at 1% and after the announcement bought more than $100 million in foreign currency.
Robert Shiller: Israeli home prices look like a bubble
Globes Main News – Prof. Robert Shiller of Yale University warns that people should think carefully before buying an apartment in Israel.
IBM setting up Beersheva cyber center
Globes Main News – IBM SVP Steven Mills said the new center is a collaboration with Ben Gurion University.
Maybe de Blasio believes his job is to defend Israel?
Mondoweiss – NY Mayor Bill de Blasio’s pro-Israel speech to a secret AIPAC meeting on Thursday night in NY has occasioned a lot of commentary on the power of the Israel lobby. Jerry Slater posted about the speech here , reprised below. And he and Alex Kane have a…
Intel Israel development center to remain vital
Globes Main News – Intel Israel president Mooly Eden tells “Globes” that Israel remains central to the chip company’s plans.
Netanyahu: We need a UN of the Internet
Globes Main News – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at CyberTech 2014: We need a coalition of leading companies with cyber capabilities.
Truman always opposed a religious state, but caved to ‘fanatical’ Zionist lobby
Mondoweiss – Next week John B. Judis will publish a long-awaited book titled Genesis: Truman, American Jews, and the Origins of the Arab/Israeli Conflict; and in a sign of the shift in our discourse, The New Republic has excerpted the book here, in a piece titled, “Seeds of…
Grandson of Oxfam founder calls on org to cut ties with Scarlett Johansson
Mondoweiss – (Image via Twitter ) The following letter is being sent today to the Oxfam America President Raymond Offenheiser and was shared with Mondoweiss: Raymond Offenheiser President, Oxfam America 226 Causeway, 5th Floor Boston, MA 02114 Dear Mr. Offenheiser, I am writing to you as an American citizen and…
Stratasys unveils first-ever color 3D printer
Globes Main News – The company calls the product, “a game-changer for product design, engineering and manufacturing processes.”
‘NYT’ publishes Holocaust trivia on front page
Mondoweiss – “Book” with word Jew printed 6 million times There’s a lot going on in the Middle East, but what is important for readers in the engine-room of the American empire? The New York Times ran a frontpage story yesterday by Jodi Rudoren titled “Holocaust Told in…
Israeli Supreme Court allows Jerusalem highway that will split Palestinian neighborhood in half
Mondoweiss – Supreme Court okays highway bisecting Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem Haaretz 26 Jan by Nir Hasson — The Supreme Court rejected on Sunday an appeal against the construction of a multilane highway that would cut in half an Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem municipality is building…
Liberal Zionists support Scarlett Johansson– and settlements. Why?
Mondoweiss – Scott Stringer at the 2013 Israeli Day Parade in NYC. (Photo: Roy Renna/BMR Breaking News for VINNEWS.com) Scarlett Johansson is getting some backup for her controversial decision to represent SodaStream , a product made in a Jewish colony in the occupied Palestinian territories. And not just from…
Defense cos fear knowhow leak to customers
Globes Aerospace & Defense – Israel’s four large defense companies have set up a forum to examine ways to keep their proprietary knowhow in the country.
New missile system to defend border communities
Globes Aerospace & Defense – Rafael is developing Iron Beam, a high-energy laser system for very-short-range defense.
SodaStream Super Bowl ad disqualified again
Globes Main News – Fox has asked SodaStream not to explicitly mention Coca Cola and Pepsi.
Israel Attacks Syria Missle Facility in Latakia Again
Tikun Olam – Israeli assault caused this explosion in Latakia’s port earlier today (Twitter) Israeli media are reporting (Hebrew) an attack on Syria’s missile infrastructure in the port city of Latakia. It is Syria’s main port where it receives all weapons that arrive by sea. Russia, one of Bashar…
VIDEO: No breakthrough in Syria talks
BBC 27 Jan 2014 – Talks in Geneva about the ongoing civil war in Syria remain deadlocked over the divisive issue of transferring power to a transitional government.
N.Y. State Bill Would End Funding to Schools With BDS Ties
The Foward Breaking News 27 Jan 2014 – A bill introduced in the New York State Assembly would suspend funding to educational institutions which fund groups that boycott Israel. The legislation, introduced earlier this month by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and first reported by Mondoweiss, an anti-Zionist news site, would ban state funding to…
Helena Bonham Carter, Ephraim Mirvis Named to British Holocaust Commission
The Foward Breaking News 27 Jan 2014 – Actress Helena Bonham Carter and Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis were among those chosen for the new British Holocaust Commission. Members of the commission, which will investigate ways to educate Britons about the Shoah, were announced Monday by Prime Minister David Cameron, the London Jewish Chronicle reported….
Women of the Wall Nearing Agreement With Israeli Government After Months of Negotiations
The Foward Breaking News 27 Jan 2014 – Women of the Wall is close to approving an agreement with the Israeli government to move the group’s monthly prayer service to a new egalitarian area. The report Monday in Haaretz was corroborated on the organization’s Facebook page. The agreement comes after months of negotiations between…
Egypt army backs Sisi presidency bid
BBC 27 Jan 2014 – Egypt’s top military body has given its approval for army chief Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to run for the presidency, state media report.
Palestinian civil society to Oxfam: “match words with action”, break ties with Scarlett Johansson
Global BDS 27 Jan 2014 – Occupied Palestine, January 27 – The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC), the largest coalition in Palestinian civil society, including trade unions, political parties, popular committees and NGOs, calls on Oxfam to immediately sever ties with Hollywood actor Scarlett Johansson over her vocal support…
French Anti-Government March Turns Anti-Semitic
The Foward Breaking News 27 Jan 2014 – A march through Paris against French President Francois Hollande ended with anti-Semitic chants and cries of support for an anti-Semitic comedian. At least 150 protesters were arrested in the “Day of Anger” demonstrations on Sunday, according to reports. Nineteen police officers were injured in clashes with…
Egypt helicopter ‘downing’ ups stakes
BBC 27 Jan 2014 – ‘Shooting down’ of Egyptian helicopter a dangerous escalation
Israel diary: Among the cyberspooks
BBC 27 Jan 2014 – Rory Cellan Jones attends a cyber-security conference in Israel
Egypt: Mansour Inquires After Health of UAE President
allAfrica.com 27 Jan 2014 – [Egypt Online]President Adly Mansour made a phone call on Saturday with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nuhayyan to inquire after the health of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nuhayyan.
Ethiopia: Saving Hearts
allAfrica.com 27 Jan 2014 – [Addis Fortune]Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia, Belaynesh Zevadia, left, Ahmed Reja (PhD), executive director of the Black Lion Hospital, Simon Fisher, executive director of Save A Child’s Heart (SACH) and Abreham Haileamlak (PhD), dean of the Jimma University Hospital, gathered at the Hilton Hotel on Wednesday, January…
Egypt: Widespread Arab and International Condemnation to Cairo Bombings
allAfrica.com 27 Jan 2014 – [Egypt Online]The terrorist attack on Cairo Police HQ in the early hours of Friday drew many condemnations at the Arab and international levels.
Remembering Shulamit Aloni: The Barefoot Girl of Israeli Politics
The Forward New 26 Jan 2014 – It is rarely easy to point to one person responsible for landmark social change. But when it comes to civil rights in Israel, there was one person. It was Shulamit Aloni. Click here for the rest of the article…
Iraqi rebels behead two police, Sahwa militiaman
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jan 2014 – A series of attacks in Baghdad and areas north of the capital killed nine people on Monday, including three security forces who were beheaded, as Iraq grapples with a months-long surge in nationwide violence. Coupled with a protracted stand-off between security forces and anti-government fighters in…
‘Impasse’ on Syria power transfer
BBC 27 Jan 2014 – Syrian peace talks in Geneva are deadlocked over the issue of transferring power, the UN mediator says, but there is the “will” to continue.
Beirut firefighter details carnage at Hariri blast site
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jan 2014 – A Beirut fire lieutenant who was among the first on the scene of the 2005 explosion that killed 22 people including former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri detailed scenes of carnage as he testified before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) on Monday. Khaled Toubaili, who led…
ISIS in Lebanon: Lebanese Army a Target
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jan 2014 – Civilians walk past Lebanese security forces deployed in a street of the northern port city of Tripoli on January 19, 2014 . (Photo: AFP – Ibrahim Chalhoub). Civilians walk past Lebanese security forces deployed in a street of the northern port city of Tripoli on January 19,…
‘Eating grass to survive’ in besieged Homs
BBC 27 Jan 2014 – Resident describes desperate conditions in besieged Homs
Roumieh: A Golf Course or a Concrete Jungle?
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jan 2014 – Residents of Roumieh, located northeast of Beirut, claim they chose the lesser of two evils when they opted for a golf course to be built by Intra Company on the ruins of a local pine forest. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah). Residents of Roumieh, located northeast of Beirut,…
Lebanese Media Take Aim at Viewers
Al-Akhbar Opinion 27 Jan 2014 – Israeli soldiers patrol on October 9, 2013 along the Israel-Syria border after mortar fire from inside war-torn Syria hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. (Photo: AFP – Jalaa Marey). Israeli soldiers patrol on October 9, 2013 along the Israel-Syria border after mortar fire from inside war-torn Syria…
Maaloula Nun Captors Seek Release of All Islamist Prisoners in Roumieh
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jan 2014 – A picture shows Mar Takla Greek Orthodox monastery in the Syrian Christian town of Maalula on September 7, 2013. (Photo: AFP – STR). A picture shows Mar Takla Greek Orthodox monastery in the Syrian Christian town of Maalula on September 7, 2013. (Photo: AFP – STR)….
Tunisia’s new constitution a “victory over dictatorship”
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jan 2014 – Tunisia’s leaders on Monday signed the new constitution adopted by lawmakers during the night, a key goal of the revolution three years ago that touched off the 2011 Arab uprisings. The historic document, seen as one of the most modern in the Arab world, was signed…
An Evening with Canada’s Islamophobia Industry
Al-Akhbar Blogs 27 Jan 2014 – Student flyers have a curious and entertaining culture about them: pinned, stapled, and taped to designated wall spaces. Each flyer vies for the attention of the quick passing, panicking, distracted student. In mid-October 2010 I – a quick-passing, panicking, distracted student – came across a conspicuously…
Israel demolishes four Palestinian homes in Jersualem
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jan 2014 – A Palestinian woman from the Idriss family is comforted by a relative as they watch Israeli diggers demolish their house, deemed illegal by Jerusalem municipal authorities, on January 27, 2014 in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina. (Photo: AFP – Ahmad Gharabli) A Palestinian woman…
Israeli gunfire “critically” wounds Gaza man
Al-Akhbar News 27 Jan 2014 – An Israeli soldier shot and injured a man in central Gaza on Monday, three days after occupation forces shot dead another man in the besieged strip, local media reported. Palestinian state news agency Wafa cited medical officials who said the man in his thirties was in…
Israel defence computers hit by hack
BBC 27 Jan 2014 – Israeli defence computers were compromised via a malicious email attachment, an Israeli computer security firm has revealed.
Tunisia assembly passes constitution
BBC 27 Jan 2014 – Tunisia’s parliament adopts a new constitution – references to Islamic law are dropped and men and women are recognised as equal.
Articles
Village Destruction in the Jordan Valley
James M Wall, 1/27/2014
“Should a nation which attacks and occupies foreign territory in the face of United Nations disapproval be allowed to impose conditions on its own withdrawal? If we agree that armed attack can properly achieve the purposes of the assailant, then I fear we will have turned back the clock of international order.”
British journalist and author Victoria Brittain traveled to the Jordan Valley to see the actual conditions and latest developments in one of the areas under discussion in the peace negotiations John Kerry is conducting between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
A people under military occupation, prisoners in their own land, controlled by outside forces, live in the area in which Victoria Brittain traveled.
She later wrote of her mid-January trip and the people she met in Open Democracy. One man she interviewed was Burhan Bisharat (right), whose home in the village of Kirbet al Makhoul has been destroyed four times.
Brittain began her trip northeast of the Palestinian city of Nablus, traveling along a road toward the northern Jordan Valley and the international border with the country of Jordan. The area through which she traveled contains rocky brown hills, riddled with what she describes as “concrete posts every hundred yards inscribed ‘DANGER’ Firing Zone”.
Her journey covered one part of Area C, designated as land under Israeli total control under an earlier agreement reached under President Bill Clinton known as Oslo 2. One particular part of Area C in which Brittain traveled is described on UN maps with the occupier’s euphemism, “Israel’s Nature Reserve”. Much of the area map is shaded with the equally euphemistic identification, “an Israeli closed military area. more.. e-mail
Asylum Seekers, Refugees and ‘the Loss of Israel’
Nicola Perugini and Neve Gordon, Jerusalem, CounterPunch 1/27/2014
The Pursuit of Ethnic Pureness
On January 22, protests in solidarity with African asylum seekers were held in front of several Israeli embassies all over the world. By this time most media outlets both in Israel and around the world had lost their interest in their plight, even though the crux of the matter, the twisted logic informing Israeli policies towards the asylum seekers, had not been adequately exposed.
Let us go back to the beginning of the recent events. During the protests which took place at the beginning of 2014, tens of thousands of African asylum seekers, mainly from Eritrea and Sudan, filled Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, sending a clear message to the Israeli government: “Yes to freedom, no to jail”. “We,” they went on to claim, “are refugees, not infiltrators”.
The massive rally was propelled by an amendment to Israel’s Prevention of Infiltration Law, which allows the state to “detain migrants who enter the country illegally for up to a year without trial, and to hold those already in Israel in an open detention facility indefinitely”. The Eritreans and Sudanese occupied public spaces and protested in front of the UNHCR and foreign embassies (the US Embassy was shut down) against Israel’s treatment of asylum seekers, which includes denial of visas, denial of proper asylum procedures, arbitrary detentions and deportations.
The impressive mobilization of asylum seekers—the first in Israel’s history—is the result of these discriminatory state-policies, which have already been condemned by major international human rights NGOs and the UN, as well as a response to a more general incitement against migrants. Suffice it to mention some key-statements made by senior government officials on the “infiltrator issue” (the infamous categorization used by the government to deal with asylum seekers) in order to highlight the pervasive atmosphere of intolerance. more.. e-mail
An Open Letter to University of Maryland President, Dr Wallace Loh
William James Martin, 1/25/2014
“You have not championed academic freedom, Dr Loh as you no doubt believe, not for those who are actually in need of it. You have only helped to sustain the ability of one party of a conflict to deny academic freedom to the other – to those living under its military rule and its never-ending occupation.”
January 20, 2014
TO: President Wallace Loh, Office of the President, University of Maryland, College Park, Md 20742
Dear President Loh;
I have read your response to the ASA (American Studies Association) boycott of Israeli academic institutions. In fact, if reports are correct, you said:
“We firmly oppose the call by some academic associations—American Studies Association; Asian-American Studies Association—to boycott Israeli academic institutions. Any such boycott is a breach of the principle of academic freedom that undergirds the University of Maryland and, indeed, all of American higher education.
“Faculty, students, and staff on our campus must remain free to study, do research, and participate in meetings with colleagues from around the globe. The University of Maryland has longstanding relationships with several Israeli universities. We have many exchanges of scholars and students. We will continue and deepen these relationships.
“….To restrict the free flow of people and ideas with some universities because of their national identity is unwise, unnecessary, and irreconcilable with our core academic values.”
A high sounding tone. Defense of academic freedom.
However your statement is silent on the rights denied of Palestinian people living under Israeli military occupation to enjoy the benefits of academic freedom…. more.. e-mail
Abbas in Moscow: a different visit
Oraib Al Rantawi, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 1/27/2014
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s most recent visit to Moscow is different than any previous in terms of the timing, content of the talks and agreements and the possibilities it holds for the future.
Abbas went to Moscow with the most likely scenario in mind: the failure of the negotiations and the possibility of the Palestinian Authority falling into a cycle of siege and isolation, as it has in the past. Abbas went to Moscow while listening to the daily calls of the Palestinians demanding release from the ‘exclusive U.S.’ management and sponsorship of negotiations and the transfer of the entire issue to the UN Security Council, or at least the international Quartet, in which Moscow and Washington were supposed to act as co-sponsors before the United States monopolised it. The US is employing this sponsorship to serve Israeli security interests and calculations.
Therefore, the Palestinian president’s visit was an invitation for Moscow to play a more effective and active role in the negotiations and management of the political process. On the other hand President Vladimir Putin’s stressing of the “historical legacy” of relations between the two sides was interesting, as it must be preserved and built upon. There must also be a focus on the development of a network of economic and trade relations and bilateral cooperation between the two sides.
The Palestinian Authority is looking to attract Russian investment in gas exploration and extraction. There has been word that the giant Russian oil and gas company Gazprom plans to invest $1 billion in gas exploration and extraction from a field near Ramallah in the West Bank and on the coast of the Gaza Strip. This implicitly implies that Palestinian-Russian relations will, for the first time ever, have a strong economic, financial, and commercial infrastructure.
Moreover, three agreements in the field of health, interior issues and customs were signed during the visit aiming to facilitate the flow of economic and commercial exchanges…. more.. e-mail
Colonial Partners in Israel’s Crimes
Palestine Chronicle: 27 Jan 2014 – By Vacy Vlazna “Imperialism after all is an act of geographical violence” Edward Said Is it just me, or do you also see a thread of colonial superiority and racism binding US, Australia, Canada to Israel? Think about it. All are ex-British colonies and like Israel, have a shameful history of genocide committed against their respective Indigenous Peoples and all continue to treat their First Peoples as third class citizens. I can’t speak for the US and Canada, but, apart from realpolitik and arms trade, an underlying colonial arrogance goes a long way to explain why my ‘civilised’ ‘democratic’ Australian government is complicit in granting Israel impunity to daily perpetrate war crimes and crimes against humanity against generations of Palestinian families. The tragic past and near narratives of the suffering of unspeakable colonial atrocities against Indigenous Palestinians and Indigenous Australians bear close resemblance and are written in blood and great…more
Slouching Towards Sirte: NATO’s War on Libya and Africa – Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 27 Jan 2014 – Review by Edward S. Herman (Maximilian Forte – Slouching Towards Sirte: NATO’s War on Libya and AfricaBaraka. Books: Montreal CA 2012, 341 pp.) Maximilian Forte’s book on the Libyan war, Slouching Towards Sirte, is another powerful (and hence marginalized) study of the imperial powers in violent action, and with painful results, but supported by the UN, media, NGOs and a significant body of liberals and leftists who had persuaded themselves that this was a humanitarian enterprise. Forte shows compellingly that it wasn’t the least little bit humanitarian, either in the intent of its principals (the United States, France, and Great Britain) or in its results. As in the earlier cases of “humanitarian intervention” the Libyan program rested intellectually and ideologically on a set of supposedly justifying events and threats that were fabricated, selective, and/or otherwise misleading, but which were quickly institutionalized within the Western propaganda system. (For the deceptive model…more
The Story of the Individual is Testimony to the Story of the Public
Palestine Chronicle: 27 Jan 2014 – By Tamar Fleishman -We usually prefer to exit Palestine using Hizme checkpoint, where unlike other exit checkpoints, there are no long lines of cars, we aren’t detained and there is no need for identification or getting out of the vehicle to open and present the content of the trunk. You merely slow down by the soldier and answer a generic question like “how is it going?” with an “OK”. Sometimes even that isn’t required, just nod your head and that’s it, you can drive on. But it’s different for us than for those who don’t pass the test examining the visage and accent of the driver. They, Palestinians from east Jerusalem, in spite of being permanent residents who have the right for freedom of movement (unlike their brothers who reside in the West Bank), are forced to stop, park their vehicle by the soldier’s post on the side of the…more
Asylum Seekers, Refugees and ‘the Loss of Israel’
Palestine Chronicle: 27 Jan 2014 – By Nicola Perugini and Neve Gordon – On January 22, protests in solidarity with African asylum seekers were held in front of several Israeli embassies all over the world . By this time most media outlets both in Israel and around the world had lost their interest in their plight, even though the crux of the matter, the twisted logic informing Israeli policies towards the asylum seekers, had not been adequately exposed. Let us go back to the beginning of the recent events. During the protests which took place at the beginning of 2014, tens of thousands of African asylum seekers, mainly from Eritrea and Sudan, filled Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, sending a clear message to the Israeli government: “Yes to freedom, no to jail”. “We,” they went on to claim, “are refugees, not infiltrators”. The massive rally was propelled by an amendment to Israel’s Prevention of Infiltration Law, which allows…more
Ariel Sharon – War Is Peace
Dissident Voice: 27 Jan 2014 – Readers will recall the famous perceptual illusion in which the brain switches between seeing a young girl and an image intended to represent an ‘old crone’. The picture of course remains the same, but our minds flick between the two interpretations, unable to perceive both images at the same time. The ‘mainstream media’ — that curious collection of elite-run, profit-maximising business interests sometimes known as ‘the free press’ — performs a similar perceptual trick. In reviewing comparable crimes by the West and its official enemies, it is able to flick between perceiving virtue in ‘our’ criminality where only wickedness is found in ‘theirs’. Indeed, though ‘our’ crimes may be as bad, as cynical, or worse, ‘their’ crimes are consistently perceived as being far uglier. Not that ‘our’ crimes are completely ignored. A Sunday Times editorial reviewed the life and career of former Israeli prime minister and general Ariel Sharon, who…more
Is Netanyahu Certifiable?
Dissident Voice: 27 Jan 2014 – The expanded and most explicit form of my headline question is this. Is Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu of sound mind and knowingly talking propaganda nonsense about threats to Israel’s security in order to fool the world including most of its Jews, or, is he unbalanced, mentally disturbed, even clinically insane? I ask because his rubbishing in Davos of the most important speech any Iranian leader has made since the revolution which brought the mullahs to power 35 years ago sent me to bed recalling something my father said to me when I was a very young boy. “There are none so blind as those who don’t want to see.” What was there in President Rouhani’s address to the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting for Netanyahu to see if he was of sound mind? Rouhani’s main message to the region, and probably Saudi Arabia in particular, was that his government is…more
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The New Dark Age 
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