31 January 2014 — VTJP
Peace, Love and Occupation? Tell Ben & Jerry’s to Stop its Complicity with the Israeli Occupation!
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International Middle East Media Center
Norway Fund Blacklists Israeli Firms With Settlement Ties
IMEMC – AFP via PNN — Norway’s huge sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, blacklisted two Israeli companies involved in construction of settlements in East Jerusalem, the country’s finance ministry said Thursday. …
Palestinian Teenagers Shot and Inured At Checkpoint
IMEMC – Two Palestinian youth were shot and injured by Israeli forces, early Friday, at a checkpoint east of Jerusalem, in the West Bank, according to witnesses. …
Israeli airstrikes injure 7 Palestinians in Gaza
1/31/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Seven Palestinians were injured early Friday when Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, a Ma’an reporter said. Israeli aircraft attacked a site in northwest Gaza, lightly wounding a child and damaging a number of houses. Additionally, two missiles targeted an abandoned building near Beisan park in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip…. Related:Israeli forces shoot, injure 5 Palestinians in northern Gaza
Israeli forces shoot, injure 5 Palestinians in northern Gaza
1/31/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli forces shot and injured five people on Friday in the northern Gaza Strip, a medical official said. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson for Gaza’s Ministry of Health, told Ma’an that a 27-year-old man was shot in the foot by Israeli soldiers in Beit Lahiya. The man, who was not identified, was taken to Kamal Adwan hospital…. Related: Israeli airstrikes injure 7 Palestinians in Gaza
Demolitions continue in East Jerusalem despite housing crisis
1/31/2014 – JERUSALEM (IRIN) — The threatened demolition of apartment blocks in East Jerusalem is adding new pressure to the city’s housing crisis, with hundreds facing the prospect of losing their homes and Palestinian residents saying they face discrimination in city planning. Since the start of construction of the separation barrier a decade ago, poorer Palestinian East Jerusalemites have often chosen to move to the West….
16 injured in clashes with Israeli forces near Ramallah
1/31/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Sixteen Palestinian youths were injured on Friday after Israeli forces opened fire on protesters during clashes near al-Jalazun refugee camp north of Ramallah. Israeli forces fired live bullets and rubber-coated steel bullets at demonstrators on the main road near the central West Bank refugee camp, as protesters marked two days since a youth from the camp named Muhammad Mubarak was shot….
Hundreds erect Palestinian protest village in the Jordan Valley
1/31/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hundreds of Palestinian and international activists erected a village encampment in the Jordan Valley on Friday in protest against continued Israeli settlement activities and confiscation of Palestinian lands. The protest village of “Ein Hajla” was erected on the site of an abandoned village on lands belonging to the Greek Orthodox monastery of Deir Hajla in the eastern West Bank just north….
Palestinian arrested at settlement checkpoint in Hebron
1/31/2014 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Thursday arrested a Palestinian who allegedly attempted to break through an Israeli checkpoint in the southern West Bank. An Israeli army spokesman Luba Samari said in a statement that a Palestinian man had smashed into the gate of a checkpoint with his car near the entrance of the settlement of Beit Hagai south of Hebron. No injuries were….
Chief US negotiator outlines framework agreement
1/31/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — A chief US negotiator told Jewish leaders on Friday that a framework agreement would be presented to the Israeli and Palestinian sides within weeks, Israeli media reported. Haaretz reported that Martin Indyk, special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, told the leaders that the agreement would address Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, security, mutual recognition, land swaps, and borders. Indyk said the agreement would be….
Analysis: Is Israel building up for an offensive against Gaza?
1/31/2014 – 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 Twitter and on his blog – Gazans fear another Israeli military offensive is imminent, as Israel flexes its military muscle and Egypt joins the band, beating the drums of war. A rush to exercise – In November 2013, the Israeli military for the….
Food aid reaches besieged Yarmouk camp for second day
1/31/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Friday delivered food aid to refugees in Damascus’ Syria camp for the second day in a row, a spokesperson told Ma’an.”Against a background of profound civilian suffering, UNRWA staff carried out another full day of food aid distributions in Yarmouk, the Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, handing out 980 food….
Syria foes set to end talks with no concrete progress
1/31/2014 – GENEVA (AFP) — Syria’s warring sides are expected to wrap up their first peace talks on Friday without concrete progress on ending the violence, a political transition or ensuring humanitarian aid for millions in need. The Syrian regime and the opposition representatives got bogged down in a dispute on Thursday over who was responsible for the violence in the country, as the peace talks….
Hundreds protest against Israeli settlements
AlJazeera 31 Jan 2014 – Palestinians and Israeli activists occupy abandoned houses in Jericho to protest against settlements in West Bank.
International Solidarity Movement
Crackdown on international human rights activists in Palestine: arrests, deportations, and abuse
1/31/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Occupied Palestine – With the arrest of two international human rights activists at Salem Military Court, in Jenin district, on Wednesday 29th January 2014, the total number of arrests of activists in the past month has risen to five, and the number of deportations to four. Arrested activists have reported verbal and physical abuse while in custody. Concerns have been raised within the….
World: CERF 2013 Summary
Relief Web 31 Jan 2014 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,…
World: CERF Quarterly Update – October-December 2013
Relief Web 31 Jan 2014 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,…
occupied Palestinian territory: Through Children’s Eyes: Mobile Theatre takes to Bethlehem, Ramallah, Hebron and Jericho
Relief Web 31 Jan 2014 – Source: European Union Country: occupied Palestinian territory The European Union’s Partnership for Peace Programme made use of the innovative form of educational theatrics to target hundreds of Palestinian children in four Governorates of the West Bank. Aptly named ‘Through the…
Syrian Arab Republic: A Year in Review 2013 – UNHCR Syria
Relief Web 31 Jan 2014 – Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: Afghanistan, Iraq, occupied Palestinian territory, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, South Sudan Introduction The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established in 1950 by the United Nations General…
UN sets sights on fresh Syria talks from February 10
The National 31 Jan 2014 – UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi says he he sees common ground between regime and opposition as peace talks end without any tangible result.
Syria’s opposition comes out of talks with a plus
The National 31 Jan 2014 – They may not have won any concessions from Bashar Al Assad, but the Syrian opposition negotiators did manage to put his regime on the defensive.
Norway blacklists Israeli firms linked to settlements
The National 31 Jan 2014 – Norwegian sovereign fund’s refusal to invest in two Israeli firms adds to a growing global pressure over West Bank settlements.
India’s small cars run into trouble in crash tests
The National 31 Jan 2014 – Industry criticised as tests show many models crumpled at just 56kph in ways liable to lead to death or serious injury in a country that records more than 130,000 road deaths on an annual basis.
Amanda Knox’s former boyfriend detained near Italian border after guilty verdict
The National 31 Jan 2014 – Rafaelle Sollecito missed final session of trial in Florence that found him and Knox guilty of murdering Btitish student Meredith Kercher in 2007.
Castaway named Ivan washes up on Marshall Islands after 16 months adrift in the Pacific
The National 31 Jan 2014 – Floating more than 12,500 kilometres from Mexico, the man who says his name is Jose Ivan survived by catching turtles and birds with his bare hands
Australia mourns the death of the world’s oldest flamingo
The National 31 Jan 2014 – Greater, who died aged 83, is survived by long-term friend Chilly — a Chilean flamingo — who is in his 60s and will be monitored to see how he reacts to the death.
ADL demands Israeli MK apologize for calling Kerry ‘anti-Semitic’
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
Iron Dome intercepts rocket fired at Eilat
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
NBA star Stoudemire signs on as exec producer of African Hebrew Israelites doc
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
Spat between Netanyahu and Bennett over, but cold war rages on
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
Ex-N.Y. mayor Bloomberg named UN climate envoy
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
Six powers to hold new nuclear talks with Iran on Feb. 18
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
‘Don’t issue visas to Israeli dance troupe,’ BDS supporters urge New Zealand
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
‘Don’t issue visas to Israeli dance troupe,’ BDS supporters urge New Zealand
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
Nearly 1,900 killed in Syria during peace talks
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
New Israeli computer tech puts the pieces together for pottery archaeologists
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
Hoenlein: The Iranians have been bazaaris for 2000 years; they can run rings around us
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
French Jews take YouTube to court over ‘quenelle’ video
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
Quartet mediators to discuss Israeli-Palestinian talks in Munich
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
Knox co-defendant Sollecito found at Italian hotel near border
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
PA mulls hiring Israeli PR firm to market the ‘other Palestine’
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
The ‘Nazi’ law and the Rabin murder
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
U.S. prosecutors seek execution of Boston Marathon Bombing suspect
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
Israeli car rental firm blacklists Arab families
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
Israel strikes Gaza targets after rocket attack
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
Tensions in the West Bank are rising, together with IDF, settler violence
Ha’aretz – 31 Jan 2014
Stop hounding grass smokers
Ha’aretz – 30 Jan 2014
New bill may force police to read suspects Israeli version of ‘Miranda Rights’
Ha’aretz – 30 Jan 2014
Middle-class Modi’in, new home of Israel’s rich and famous
Ha’aretz – 30 Jan 2014
South African government woos voters living in Israel
Ha’aretz – 30 Jan 2014
Some 700 Syrians treated in Israeli hospitals since early 2013
Ha’aretz – 30 Jan 2014
Avi Weiss is on probation
Ha’aretz – 30 Jan 2014
Kerry, don’t let up
Ha’aretz – 30 Jan 2014
IDF wounds Palestinian rioters north of Ramallah
Jerusalem Post 31 Jan 2014 – Riot takes place in Jalazoun refugee camp two days after a man from the camp was killed by IDF fire.
Monitoring group: Over 1,800 people killed in Syria during ‘Geneva 2’ peace talks
Jerusalem Post 31 Jan 2014 – Pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 470 civilians among dead, 50 of who died due to lack of food, medicine.
Hundreds of Palestinians campaign in Jordan Valley to ‘reestablish village’ of Ein Hijleh
Jerusalem Post 31 Jan 2014 – Campaign organizer says activists have no intention to leave site that is located north of the Dead Sea; IDF spokesperson says is aware of “quiet demonstration.”
IDF injures Palestinian on border fence in northern Gaza
Jerusalem Post 31 Jan 2014 – Incident occurs in effort to disperse Palestinian disturbance in fence security zone, army says.
Quartet to meet in Munich over stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks
Jerusalem Post 31 Jan 2014 – Ashton, Kerry, UN’s Ban, and other leaders to discuss how to help both sides reach “difficult and bold decisions.”
IDF: Dramatic increase in Gaza terror in January
Jerusalem Post 31 Jan 2014 – Over 28 rockets were launched at Israel from Gaza this month, says IDF Spokesperson’s Office.
Syria peace talks end first round in deadlock
Jerusalem Post 31 Jan 2014 – Sides refuse to yield on firm positions. With no achievement of substances, focus is now to keep talks ongoing.
Cyberwarfare: A game-changing issue in the next war
Jerusalem Post 31 Jan 2014 – In an exclusive interview with the ‘Post’ on his groundbreaking treatise on cyberwarfare law, IDF Col. Sharon Afek says Israel must be involved in mapping out the rules of the game.
Indyk to Jewish leaders: Framework peace plan to arrive in weeks
Jerusalem Post 31 Jan 2014 – US envoy to peace talks says 75-80 percent of settlers would remain in Israel; deal will address recognition of Israel as Jewish state.
Bayit Yehudi runs victory lap after Bennett ‘apology’ to PM
Jerusalem Post 30 Jan 2014 – New poll shows pro-settler party reaching 17 seats if elections were held today.
Kerry mulls speech to Israelis in hopes of mustering support for concessions
Jerusalem Post 30 Jan 2014 – The idea of a speech is being examined in concert with Israeli officials, for the Americans have made it clear that they have no intention of “going over the head” of the government in Jerusalem.
Into the Fray: My prediction – coming true with chilling precision
Jerusalem Post 30 Jan 2014 – A political tsunami is building that is threatening to wash away almost half a century of Zionist endeavor.
My Word: Neighbors and the neighborhood
Jerusalem Post 30 Jan 2014 – What is the difference between International Holocaust Remembrance Day and Israel’s Yom Hashoah?
The POSTman knocks twice: How we made Teddy mayor of Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post 30 Jan 2014 – Teddy Kollek’s personal imprint on Jerusalem is unique; not since the times of Ezra and Herod has so much been done by one man for this, the Jerusalem of Gold.
Another tack: Headliners without hankies
Jerusalem Post 30 Jan 2014 – Shechtman has proclaimed that he “doesn’t want to be a copy of Peres.” that in itself is nothing if not laudable, but is it enough?
Savir’s Corner: Zionism 2020
Jerusalem Post 30 Jan 2014 – We can by 2020 safeguard a secure place in the region and among the family of nations, internally thriving based on the values of equality and mutual respect.
Column One: Trying to scare Israel
Jerusalem Post 30 Jan 2014 – As we learned from Oslo and Gaza, nothing good comes from surrendering our rights and our land.
Turkey s Erdogan in Iran in effort to mend ties over Syria
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – Janaury 29, 2014 – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in Iran to bolster trade and energy relations, state TV said, in what also looked like a bid to defuse tensions over Syria by capitalising on Tehran s…
Who Needs the Gestapo When You Have Angry Birds ?
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 -Somewhere in the lowest reaches of hell, Adolf Hitler and his coterie of lesser dictators must be tormented by the knowledge they did not live long enough to get their hands on “Angry Birds.” How much diabolical…
Snowden Docs: U.S. Spied On Negotiators At 2009 Climate Summit
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 – The National Security Agency monitored the communications of other governments ahead of and during the 2009 United Nations climate negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, according to the latest document from whistleblower Edward Snowden. The document, with portions…
Ed Snowden nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014-Bård Vegar Solhjell and Snorre Valen, two Norwegian politicians (Socialist Left Party), have nominated NSA whistle-blower Ed Snowden (above) for the Nobel Peace Prize. An October win would be a way for the Nobel Peace Prize Committee to…
Barack Obama, the State of the Union and the Prison State
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 – …Although Barack Obama s career, and those of the entire black political class are founded on the notion that they and the Democratic party somehow “represent” the aspirations and political power of African Americans, the policy…
Principles to Guide the Young Activist
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 -In a recent radio interview with a National Public Radio affiliate in Juneau, Alaska, I was asked if I had advice for a 16-year-old Palestinian student, Haitham. He had just arrived in the US as part of…
Pakistani government s secret report on drone strikes
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 -The Bureau has obtained a secret Pakistani document showing the assessment by local officials of over 330 CIA drone strikes dating back as far as 2006. Officials in the FATA Secretariat, which oversees the tribal areas, compile…
CALL FOR SPRING DAYS OF ACTION – 2014 End Drone Killing, Drone Surveillance and Global Militarization
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 – Today we issue an international call for Spring Days of Action – 2014, a coordinated campaign in April and May to: End Drone Killing, Drone Surveillance and Global Militarization. The campaign will focus on drone bases,…
Group Condemns APA s Ethics Decision on Former Guantanamo Psychologist
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 – Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR) released a copy of a letter they sent to the Ethics Office of the American Psychological Association (APA). The letter sharply criticizes APA for sitting seven years on an ethics complaint…
Israeli report says settler attacks against Palestinians increased during 2013
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 -Israel s Shin Bet intelligence agency has issued its annual terrorism report, finding that Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank increased remarkably in 2013. Israel Today newspaper reported on Tuesday that according to…
House committee advances bill to make Israel major strategic partner -and waive visas for Israelis
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 – When Congress headed home for the holidays last year, activists celebrated because a bill that effectively gave American blessing to discrimination against travelers to Israel wasn t voted on. A month later, the bill is back-though…
Separation wall targets Bethlehem s oldest artefacts
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 – On Wednesday, the Israeli judiciary will address two cases concerning the fate of the separation wall in two southern towns in the occupied West Bank. The first is Battir, famous for its ancient and unique irrigation…
Obama must close Guantánamo and end illegal drone strikes
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 – President Obama s State of the Union address last night obscured the fact that he has both the power to close Guantánamo Bay and a duty to do so as soon as possible, legal charity Reprieve…
The end of a long battle for the Beit Jala community in the shadow of the wall
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014– Tomorrow, Israel s Supreme Court may issue a final decision in a case which has seen the peaceful Cremisan Valley community in Beit Jala, West Bank, drawn into an 8 year battle. The community has been fighting…
Why Are We Only Learning of This Now? The U.S. Assassination Program in Colombia
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 -On December 21, 2013, The Washington Post published a story entitled, “Covert action Colombia,” about the intimate and critical role of the CIA and the NSA in helping to assassinate “at least two dozen” leaders of the…
According to Tom Friedman: Kerry plan gives Palestinians less than Olmert s
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014– Tom Friedman writes from Tel Aviv: The “Kerry Plan,” likely to be unveiled soon, is expected to call for an end to the conflict and all claims, following a phased Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank (based…
Iraqi PM accused of concealing causalities of military operation in Al-Anbar
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 28, 2014 – Iraqi parliamentarians have accused Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki of imposing an information blackout on the army s on-going military operations in the cities of Al-Anbar Governorate. The fighting has created a difficult humanitarian situation in…
Does Obama Administration View Journalists as Snowden s “Accomplices”? It Seems So
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 – James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, appeared today before the Senate Intelligence Committee, his first appearance since outright lying to that Committee last March about NSA bulk collection. In his prepared opening remarks, Clapper said…
Tale of Palestinian family torn apart by prison brought to London stage
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 — For Palestinians growing up in the militarily occupied West Bank, the threat of imprisonment in an Israeli jail is a constant and very real fear. Since the occupation began in 1967, an estimated 40 percent of…
Documents reveal Zionist group spied on US student delegation to Palestine
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 -A right-wing Zionist group in California infiltrated a student trip to Palestine in 2012, a raft of secret documents obtained by The Electronic Intifada shows. The documents confirm long-held activist suspicions that anti-Palestinian political groups are spying…
GTMO Clock Marks 250 Days Since President Obama s Promise to Resume Releasing Prisoners from Guantánamo; 77 Cleared Men Still Held
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 – Today the GTMO Clock, an initiative launched last August by the “Close Guantánamo” campaign, which I established two years ago with the US attorney Tom Wilner, marks a particular anniversary. It is 250 days since, stung…
Palestinian man shot dead by Israeli forces near Ramallah
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014 — Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian man near the Ramallah village of Ein Siniya on Wednesday.A Ma an reporter identified the victim as Muhammad Mahmoud Mubarak, 22, from al-Jalazun refugee camp. Israeli forces in the…
20,000 people in Yarmouk refugee camp face starvation
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 29, 2014- Besieged since June, nearly 20,000 people in Damascus Yarmouk Palestinian camp are so desperate for food that many eat stray animals to survive, and some women have resorted to prostitution. “I was looking at a cat on…
Mass Surveillance Called Illegal
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 28, 2014 – In 2004, Congress established the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB). It did so to advise executive branch officials on these issues. It was virtually moribund. It accomplished nothing under Bush. Nor during Obama s…
Iraq snapshot – January 28, 2014
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 28, 2014. Chaos and violence continue, the assault on Anbar continues, Barack Obama wants to arm Nouri al-Maliki in spite of this, Barack offers a brief mention of Iraq in tonight s State of the Union address and can…
Syria News – January 28, 2014 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet 31 Jan 2014 – January 28, 2014 – By the end of Tuesday the Coordination Committees were able to document 85 martyrs including 6 women, 5 children and 9 martyrs under torture: 38 martyrs were reported in Aleppo; 29 in Damascus and its Suburbs;…
North Yemen clashes kill 60: tribal sources
Daily Star 31 Jan 2014 Fierce clashes between Huthi Shiite rebels and gunmen from the powerful Hashid tribe killed at least 60 people on Friday in northern Yemen, tribal sources told AFP.
Israel intercepts rocket aimed at Eilat Red Sea resort
Daily Star 31 Jan 2014 Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted a rocket fired at Eilat Friday and destroyed it, police said, the second time the Red Sea resort has been targeted this month.
Manuscripts get face-lift at Jerusalem mosque
Daily Star 31 Jan 2014 In the 1920s, an urgent call went out to literati across the Middle East from Arab leaders in Jerusalem: Send us your books so that we may protect them for generations to come.
Fifteen Palestinians shot in West Bank, Gaza demos
Daily Star 31 Jan 2014 Israeli soldiers shot and wounded 10 Palestinians near the West Bank town of Ramallah Friday during a protest over the killing of a teenager, Palestinian medics and security sources said.
Far-right Italian suspected of sending pigs’ heads to synagogue
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – ….
Iron Dome intercepts rocket launched at Eilat
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – ….
Rocket launched at Eilat; none injured
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – IDF Spokesperson’s Unit says Iron Dome missile defense system intercepts rocket. No injuries, damage reported ….
Red alert siren sounds in Eilat
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – ….
Court: Germany must publish list of artworks hoarded by recluse
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – ….
Palestinians occupy abandoned houses near Jericho
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – Accompanied by Israeli activists, Palestinians occupy abandoned homes in West Bank, in protest of Israel’s settlement construction and refusal to pull out from Jordan Valley ….
UN slams Israel’s destruction of Jordan Valley homes
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – ….
Teacher suspended for IDF remarks: I’m still getting threats
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – After Ort education network decides against dismissing Adam Verta, philosophy teacher tells Ynet: I can’t say it’s behind me ….
Merkel to visit Israel end-February
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – German Chancellor to travel to Israel for bilateral talks t the end of February, spokesperson says ….
Private Israeli-Palestinian gas deal still hostage to politics
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – Deal signed this month involving Israeli natural gas field, Palestinian power firm marked may need top-level support to succeed ….
Middle East peace mediators to meet in Munich
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – After US peace envoy spills beans on possible framework agreement between Israel and Palestinians, world top diplomats to meet in bid to give Kerry’s plan push of support ….
Syria foes set to end talks with no concrete progress
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – Long-awaited Geneva II talks on Syria reach end with sides agreeing that ‘terrorism … is a very serious problem inside Syria, but there’s no agreement on how to deal with it,’ UN mediator says ….
Israel mustn’t give up its security valley
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – Op-ed: An IDF withdrawal from the Jordan Valley will leave the State of Israel without vital strategic depth ….
Jews flee Venezuela amid security fears
YNet News, 31 Jan 2014 – Members of South American country’s Jewish community say lack of personal security, combined with growing anti-Semitism, makes life there too hard ….
Palestinian Information Center
Five Palestinians wounded in IOF shooting north of Gaza
PIC – Five Palestinian citizens suffered bullet injuries on Friday afternoon when the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) behind the security fence in the north of Gaza opened fire at them with no reason.
Citizens suffocate in clashes in Meithalun, south of Jenin
PIC – Violent clashes broke out on Friday morning in the town of Meithalun to the south of Jenin, after the Israeli occupation forces stormed the town.
Israeli calls to execute Palestinian captives instead of releasing them
PIC – Israeli groups organized a protest demonstration on Thursday evening in Tel Aviv, northern occupied Palestine, to demand the execution of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Prisoner Raddad agrees to undergo surgery to remove his bowel
PIC – Prisoner Mutassim Raddad announced that he has agreed to undergo surgery to remove his large intestine, despite its seriousness, as he has no other choice.
140 solidarity activists to visit Gaza early February
PIC – Coordinator of “Miles of Smiles” convoys Isam Yousif declared 2014 as the year of breaking the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza Strip.
Calls to intensify Jewish beak-ins at the Dome of the Rock
PIC – Rabbi Yisrael Ariel have called upon MKs and Israeli police to organize systematic and weekly break-ins at the Aqsa Mosque compound, especially the Dome of the Rock Mosque.
University students clash with Israeli soldiers near Ofer prison
PIC – Violent clashes broke out Thursday between dozens of Palestinian students from Birzeit University and Israeli soldiers outside Ofer prison, south of Ramallah city.
Palestinian arrested after allegedly trying to storm Israeli settlement
PIC – The Hebrew radio claimed that a Palestinian young man was arrested on Thursday when he tried to break into an Israeli settlement built on Palestinian lands to the south of al-Khalil city.
Students Clash with Soldiers near Ramallah
WAFA – 30 Jan 2014
PEX Report: Index Up, Still Short of 600-Point Mark
WAFA – 30 Jan 2014
Hebron Area Residents Ordered to Stop Building Homes
WAFA – 30 Jan 2014
Abu Rudeineh: Israeli Incitement against Abbas Harmful
WAFA – 30 Jan 2014
Soldiers Raid Home of Worker They Killed Earlier
WAFA – 30 Jan 2014
Army Demolishes Homes, Displaces 13 Families in Jordan Valley
WAFA – 30 Jan 2014
Israeli Forces Arrest 13 People in West Bank
WAFA – 30 Jan 2014
Syria talks adjourn with little promise but some hope
LA Times 31 Jan 2014 – Negotiations in Geneva between Syrian officials and members of the U.S.-backed opposition bloc end, but another round is expected. BEIRUT — Long-anticipated Syrian peace talks adjourned Friday in Switzerland without a major breakthrough but with muted optimism that a negotiation process had finally been launched…
Syrians starve in Homs as talks continue, activists say
LA Times 31 Jan 2014 – As the long-awaited Syrian peace talks began in Geneva this month, the dwindling supply of bulgur wheat in besieged Homs all but ran out.
U.S. accuses Syria of stalling on chemical weapons surrender
LA Times 30 Jan 2014 – Officials warn that the chemical weapons deal that averted U.S. airstrikes against Syria is now at risk. WASHINGTON — Amid growing U.S. fear that the Syrian civil war is now a magnet for extremist groups, the Obama administration on Thursday accused President Bashar Assad’s government…
World Briefing: Israeli Military Strikes Targets in Gaza
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – The Israeli military said it struck a plant for weapons manufacturing, a weapons storage site and what it called a “terror activity site.”
Obama Is Said to Plan Fence-Mending Trip to Saudi Arabia
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – An official said President Obama would seek to reassure King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia after a period of tension over American policies toward Iran and Syria.
The Saturday Profile: Even Out of Office, a Wielder of Great Power in Yemen
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen’s former president, is a rarity in the Arab world: an autocrat overthrown by popular revolt who nonetheless remains in his country, undisturbed.
Syrian Talks, Ending First Round, Fail Even to Agree on Easing Aid Blockade
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – With thousands cut off from help, humanitarian groups expressed dismay.
Pentagon to Further Study Four Possible East Coast Missile Defense Sites
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – The U.S. Defense Department said on Friday it would conduct environmental impact studies for four possible missile defense sites in the eastern United States but stressed it had not yet decided to proceed with construction.
Kerry Asks Russia to Pressure Syria on Faster Chemical Arms Removal
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry asked Russia’s foreign minister on Friday to put pressure on the Syrian government to accelerate the removal of chemical weapons, which Kerry said is not happening quickly enough.
UN Official Dismayed at Failure of Syria Aid Deal
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos deplored the failure of Syrian peace talks to produce a plan for getting aid to besieged communities, while momentum built for Security Council action to pressure the warring sides to allow access.
Israel’s Iron Dome Shoots Down Rocket Fired at Eilat
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system on Friday shot down a rocket fired at the Red Sea resort city of Eilat, an occasional target of militants in Egypt’s lawless Sinai peninsula.
Sorting Through the Rubble of Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – Experts sort painstakingly through the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, devastated by a truck bomb attack last month at police headquarters across the street.
Far-Right Italian Suspected of Sending Pigs’ Heads to Synagogue
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – Italian police have identified a far-right radical they suspect of sending pigs heads last week to Rome’s Grand Synagogue, Israeli embassy and a museum with a Holocaust exhibition, authorities said on Friday.
Cracks in Leader’s Armor During a Cash Crisis
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – Turkey’s problems extend past fewer bond purchases and rising global interest rates to questions about the stability of the government and its ability to grapple with the economy.
French Court Investigates Two Minors Over Syria Trip
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – A French court put two teenagers caught trying to join rebel groups in Syria under formal investigation on Friday on suspicion of planning terrorist acts – an attempt to stop a stream of volunteers by prosecuting them pre-emptively.
White House Says Working to Press Syria to Move Chemical Weapons
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – The White House on Friday urged Syria to expedite moving its chemical weapons to a port where they can be removed.
Homs Is Pawn in Complex Syria Talks Amid Reports of Starvation
New York Times 31 Jan 2014 – Some 2,500 Syrians trapped in the besieged Old City of Homs have become pawns in complex negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition, with aid agencies caught up in an ethical dilemma amid reports of starvation.
Kerry’s billions: US economic plans for Palestine place investment over freedom
Mondoweiss – Mahmoud Abbas, John Kerry and Shimon Peres shake hands at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa 2013, in Amman, Jordan. May 26, 2013. (Photo: FLASH90) Since May 2013, there has been intense debate about US Secretary of State John Kerry’s economic…
Immediate Action Needed to Stop Passage of Dangerous Bill in NY State Assembly
Jewish Voice for Peace – ACTION ALERT: New York State Immediate Action Needed to Stop Passage of Dangerous Bill in NY State Assembly This past Tuesday, Jan. 28th, the NY State Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill targeting the American Studies Association (ASA) because it recently passed a resolution supporting an academic…
American Jewish leader calls Iranians manipulative ‘bazaaris’
Mondoweiss – Malcolm Hoenlein of Conference of Presidents, seated amid Israeli Knesset at Auschwitz, photo by Shmuley Boteach From Haaretz’s Chemi Shalev, who interviewed Malcolm Hoenlein, head of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations: When Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Zarif was his country’s envoy to…
Israel demolishes entire Jordan Valley village, displaces 13 Palestinian families
Mondoweiss – Land, property theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing Israeli forces demolish entire village in Jordan Valley IMEMC Thursday evening 30 Jan by Chris Carlson — The Israeli army demolished, on Thursday, at least 50 structures, including residences, displacing 13 families in the northern Jordan Valley, as a…
Australia’s Woodside set to sign Leviathan deal
Globes Main News – Sources inform “Globes” that Woodside will pay $3 billion for 30% of the Israeli gas field.
SodaStream flap educates Americans about the illegal settlement project
Mondoweiss – The good news is that the Scarlett Johansson Oxfam meltdown has educated Americans, somewhat, about Israel’s illegal settlement project. A few items… First, Keith Olbermann featured the story on ESPN II segment, “World’s Worst Persons in the sports world.” His focus was the contradiction between Johansson’s…
Palestinians launch campaign against Israeli annexation of Jordan Valley by reviving village of Ein Hijleh
Mondoweiss – “Our village being rebuilt #EinHijleh #MelhAlArd” (Photo: Diana Alzeer via Twitter ) Hundreds of Palestinians announced today the launching of “Melh Al-Ard” (Salt of the Earth) campaign by reviving the village of Ein Hijleh in the Jordan Valley on land belonging to the Orthodox Church and St….
Renowned cartoonists and illustrators call on International Festival of Comics to drop association with SodaStream
Mondoweiss – (Image: Carlos Latuff) The following press release was sent out this morning: CARTOONISTS TO DIRECTOR OF ANGOULEME FESTIVAL: DROP SODASTREAM Sacco, Siné, Katchor, Kerbaj, Coe, Drooker, Kuper, Madden, Tobocman, among dozens of others, protest sponsorship by Israeli settlement manufacturer FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2014– Over forty cartoonists…
Gaza residents fear another Israeli military offensive
Mondoweiss – Israeli soldiers attend a training simulating fighting in Gaza, at an Israeli military training base near South Hebron Hill on November 17, 2012. (Photo: Edi Israel/FLASH90) Gazans fear another Israeli military offensive is imminent, as Israel flexes its military muscle and Egypt joins the band, beating…
JVP responds to Scarlett Johansson departure from Oxfam
Jewish Voice for Peace – On January 29, following weeks of heavy campaigning by JVP and allies, SodaStream spokesperson Scarlett Johansson announced her resignation from her role as Global Ambassador for international humanitarian group Oxfam. This is JVP’s response. Executive Director Rebecca Vilkomerson stated the following: That Oxfam and Scarlett Johansson…
News roundup 2014.01.30
Sabbah report 31 Jan 2014 – News around the world from tweets about Palestine, including Gaza, Yarmouk camp, Israel daily war crimes and NSA scandals. Read More: News roundup 2014.01.30 . Sign up for our free newsletter!
The Syrian love affair across the lines
BBC 31 Jan 2014 – The doomed love affair of Syria’s own Romeo and Juliet
Egypt Sinai strike ‘kills militants’
BBC 31 Jan 2014 – The Egyptian army says 13 militants have been killed in an air strike targeting an al-Qaeda-inspired group in northern Sinai.
Rocket Fired at Eilat Shot Down by Israel
The Foward Breaking News 31 Jan 2014 – Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system on Friday shot down a rocket fired at the Red Sea resort city of Eilat, an occasional target of militants in Egypt’s lawless Sinai peninsula. Click here for the rest of the article…
Far Right Radical Eyed in Rome Pig’s Head Attacks
The Foward Breaking News 31 Jan 2014 – Italian police have identified a far-right radical they suspect of sending pigs heads last week to Rome’s Grand Synagogue, Israeli embassy and a museum with a Holocaust exhibition, authorities said on Friday. Click here for the rest of the article…
French Court Nixes Honor for 1982 Terrorist Killer of Israeli Diplomat
The Foward Breaking News 31 Jan 2014 – A French court nullified an honorary title conferred on the murderer of an Israeli diplomat. Click here for the rest of the article…
France-UK effort against Syria jihad
BBC 31 Jan 2014 – France and the UK will co-operate to prevent young Muslims travelling to Syria for jihadist fighting, France’s President Hollande says.
Israel Military Struggles With New Issue: Quiet
The Foward Breaking News 31 Jan 2014 – Watching old Arab enemies reel with sectarian insurgencies and international diplomacy capping the Iranian nuclear drive, Israel’s military is confounded by a new challenge: quiet. Click here for the rest of the article…
Bursting Bubbles of SodaStream’s Haters
The Forward Editorial 31 Jan 2014 – EDITORIAL: SodaStream has taken a beating as Scarlett Johansson amps up the star power. Demonizing the company won’t end the occupation — and would hurt Palestinians. Click here for the rest of the article…
Zimbabwe: Iran Red Crescent Delegation Arrives
allAfrica.com 31 Jan 2014 – [The Herald]A four-member delegation from the Red Crescent Society of Iran is in Zimbabwe to explore new areas of co-operation with their local counterparts. Speaking soon after arrival yesterday, Red Crescent Society of Iran deputy head for health, medicare and rehabilitation Dr Seyed Reza Reis Karami…
Syria talks end in recriminations
BBC 31 Jan 2014 – Syrian rival delegations end a week-long peace conference in Geneva by trading insults, as no deal emerges on how to end the conflict.
Yemeni soldiers killed in ambush
BBC 31 Jan 2014 – At least 15 soldiers have been killed in an ambush by militants on a checkpoint in Shibam, south-eastern Yemen, officials say.
Sermon themes set for Egypt mosques
BBC 31 Jan 2014 – Concern as Egyptian government chooses topics for preachers
Over 1,000 killed in Iraq over January: officials
Al-Akhbar News 31 Jan 2014 – More than 1,000 people were killed in Iraq in January, official data showed on Friday, as security forces grapple with a surge in bloodshed and a standoff with militants. A total of 1,013 people — 795 civilians, 122 soldiers and 96 policemen — died as a…
Week In Photo (25 January- 31 January)
Al-Akhbar News 31 Jan 2014 – An Israeli member of the “Taiji Dolphin Action Group”, with a red body painting to evok blood, is curled up on a sheet depicting the Japanese flag, during a protest against the killing of dolphins, in the Mediterranean coastal city of Tel Aviv. (Photo: Jack Guez…
Atrash Investigation: Two Saudi Suicide Bombers on the Loose
Al-Akhbar News 31 Jan 2014 – People gather at the scene of a car bomb explosion which went off in front of the main government administration building in Hermel, a stronghold of Lebanon’s Hezbollah near the border with Syria, on January 16, 2014. (Photo: AFP – STR). People gather at the scene…
Long wait for Syrian refugees in Bulgaria
BBC 31 Jan 2014 – Bulgaria struggles to cope with thousands of Syrian refugees
The Hypocrisy of US Sanctions on Education
Al-Akhbar News 31 Jan 2014 – US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice speaks after voting to affirm a UN Security Council resolution on Iran on June 9, 2010 in New York City. (Photo: AFP) US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice speaks after voting to affirm a UN Security Council resolution…
Can Lebanon Handle 3,000 Syrian Refugees a Day?
Al-Akhbar News 31 Jan 2014 – A Syrian refugee woman holding her child as they doze off on the sidewalk of a street in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon July 18, 2013. (Photo: AFP – Mahmoud Zayyat). A Syrian refugee woman holding her child as they doze off on the sidewalk…
Israeli gunfire injures 15 in West Bank, Gaza
Al-Akhbar News 31 Jan 2014 – An injured Palestinian protester is carried by comrades during clashes with Israeli occupation forces on the outskirts of Jalazun refugee camp, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, on January 31, 2014. (Photo: AFP – Abbas Momani) An injured Palestinian protester is carried by comrades during…
Suspected Qaeda attack kills 15 soldiers in Yemen
Al-Akhbar News 31 Jan 2014 – Suspected al-Qaeda militants killed 15 Yemeni soldiers on Friday when they attacked a military checkpoint in the city of Shibam in the southeastern province of Hadramawt, a security source told AFP. “Unknown armed men suspected to be from al-Qaeda attacked an army checkpoint in Shibam, killing…
Lebanon’s Sheikh Assir: Let the Sunnis Come to Me
Al-Akhbar News 31 Jan 2014 – Assir had been bashing the Future Movement even before Abra, accusing the young Hariri of “living the good life and dancing around abroad.” (Photo: Al-Akhbar). Assir had been bashing the Future Movement even before Abra, accusing the young Hariri of “living the good life and dancing…
Second UN food convoy enters Yarmouk
Al-Akhbar News 31 Jan 2014 – The United Nations distributed food in the Syrian capital’s besieged Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp for a second day Friday in a bid to help tens of thousands of trapped civilians. The aid distribution comes after months of siege by the army that has caused shortages of…
Two roadside bombs injure Cairo policeman
Al-Akhbar News 31 Jan 2014 – Two roadside bombs exploded near a passing patrol car in a Cairo suburb on Friday, slightly wounding one policeman, an Egyptian interior ministry statement said. The attack came as Islamist supporters of ousted president Mohammed Mursi called for protests after the weekly Friday prayers. Cairo has…
Hariri Youth Supporters Seek Leadership From the Streets
Al-Akhbar Politics 31 Jan 2014 – Gunmen supporting the anti-Assad rebellion clash with their neighboors in the al-Shaarani neighborhood in the Lebanese northern coastal city of Tripoli on November 30, 2013. (Photo: AFP – Ghassan Sweidan) Gunmen supporting the anti-Assad rebellion clash with their neighboors in the al-Shaarani neighborhood in the Lebanese…
Israeli fizzy drinks at centre of settlement boycott row
BBC 31 Jan 2014 – Why Israeli fizzy drinks are at centre of settlement boycott row
Tunisian Minister Resigns After Normalization Accusations
Al-Akhbar Politics 30 Jan 2014 – Tunisia’s premier-designate Mehdi Jomaa (R) presents his new government during a parliamentary session in the constituent assembly on January 28, 2014 in Tunis. (Photo: AFP – Fethi Belaid) Tunisia’s premier-designate Mehdi Jomaa (R) presents his new government during a parliamentary session in the constituent assembly on…
Behind Perdition’s Eyelid: To Live and Die in Aleppo
Al-Akhbar Politics 30 Jan 2014 – A Syrian man in clutches makes his way through debris following an alleged air strike by Syrian government forces on January 30, 2014 in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. (Photo: AFP – Mohammed al-Khatieb) A Syrian man in clutches makes his way through debris following…
Articles
Five years on: Gaza’s children remain targets
Brad Parker, Al Jazeera 1/30/2014
Gazans still await justice for the overwhelming human loss they suffered in the 2008 Israeli invasion of Gaza.
Hala Ahmad Salman Abu Sabikha, 2, was killed in her yard when an Israeli tank targeted her home in Al-Mughazi refugee camp, central Gaza, on December 24, 2013. Israeli soldiers shot Adnan Abu Khater, 16, in the leg with live ammunition on January 2, 2014, and he died the following day. Mohammad Rafiq Shinbari, 17, was shot and wounded in the leg with live ammunition on December 15.
These were cases of the recent cross-bodrer violence which resulted in fatalities and injuries to children.
It has been five years since Operation Cast Lead, a 22-day Israeli military offensive in Gaza which took place between December 27 and January 18, 2008 and claimed the lives of at least 1,400 Palestinians, including more than 350 Palestinian children.
Despite damning evidence of war crimes, the US government played a role in blocking international efforts to hold Israel accountable for serious breaches of international law. The resulting impunity has enabled Israel to continue its oppressive policies in Gaza where children undoubtedly remain targets.
On December 27, 2008, Israel launched an intensive aerial and naval bombing campaign throughout the Gaza Strip. A large-scale ground invasion followed the week after. The onslaught was arguably Israel’s boldest military operation since the 2006 Lebanon war when it inflicted deliberate destruction to civilian infrastructure in Beirut’s Dahiya neighbourhood, a Hezbollah stronghold. more.. e-mail
Analysis: Is Israel building up for an offensive against Gaza?
Abdulrahman Murad, Ma’an News Agency 1/31/2014
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 Twitter and on his blog.
Gazans fear another Israeli military offensive is imminent, as Israel flexes its military muscle and Egypt joins the band, beating the drums of war.
A rush to exercise
In November 2013, the Israeli military for the first time ever hosted a multinational military exercise; Greece, the US and Italy arrived to carry out the Blue Flag 2013 drill in the Negev simulating a ground incursion into Gaza.
The move was described as the largest-ever aerial maneuver shared by international forces.
A similar drill was also jointly organized by Israel and the US in July 2013.
Mounting threats
I have received two inquiries from oversees friends during the past few days regarding the high-pitch Israeli threats against Gaza, and Hamas in particular. The last one was asking for a confirmation of Israeli TV channels warning foreigners in Gaza to immediately leave, in anticipation for military action.
The people here are accustomed to such intimidation; however, the explicit statements of Israeli officials, the latest of which is Netanyahu’s threat to ‘teach Hamas a lesson very soon,’ drew their attention to the prospect of a war targeting the unarmed, before proceeding to the armed citizens of Gaza. more.. e-mail
The struggle for collective rights unites all Indigenous peoples from North America to Palestine
Dr Sarah Marusek, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 1/27/2014
The UN has declared 2014 to be the “Year of solidarity with the Palestinian people”, a move that reflects the rising level of international support for equal rights and justice in Palestine. But while this is certainly a welcome development, we must also recognise that the liberal framework underpinning the UN and international law, which the Palestinian Authority and international activists are both increasingly calling upon, prioritises individual rights and national sovereignty within a bounded geographical territory, whereas the Palestinian cause is actually a struggle for the self-determination of all Palestinians, no matter where they
happen to live.
This is why it is so important that communities that have been subject to similar forms of collective oppression throughout history, and which continue to suffer today, are also increasingly mobilising in support of the liberation of Palestine, from South Africa to India to North America. The struggle for collective rights unites all Indigenous peoples, and while the struggle against oppression and for liberation is something universal, when the oppression is collectively based, liberation must also be collectively realised. Thus those seeking universal liberation are uniting in the fight against colonialism and imperialism, the frameworks of collective oppression.
While the American Studies Association dominated the headlines last month after it decided to endorse the academic and cultural boycott of Israel, following the precedent set by the Asian American Studies Association in April 2013, shortly afterwards the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) also announced its support for the boycott campaign.
According to Indian Country Today newsmagazine, the leading independent news source providing a national platform for Native voices and issues, the NAISA declaration of support states…. more.. e-mail
Destroying artefacts in the Middle East and wiping out thousands of years of history
Amelia Smith, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 1/31/2014
Egypt’s cultural heritage took another blow last week when a bomb which went off outside police headquarters in Cairo took with it millions of pounds worth of damage to the Islamic art museum…During Egypt’s 2011 revolution, protestors joined hands and forged a human chain outside the Egyptian museum to protect the ancient artefacts inside. But looters taking advantage of the collapsed security situation managed to steal a statue of Tutankhamen, and went on to illegally dig near the pyramids of Giza and pillage the temples in Luxor.
Egypt’s cultural heritage took another blow last week when a bomb which went off outside police headquarters in Cairo took with it millions of pounds worth of damage to the Islamic art museum, the most important of its kind in the world, destroying at least 165 objects.
During the blast the building’s ceiling collapsed and the windows shattered, destroying the relics inside. The collection housed Persian carpets, a gold inlaid key to the Ka’aba and one of the rarest copies of the Qur’an. The national library of Egypt is on the second floor and its manuscripts, papyrus and books were also destroyed.
Ironically, the museum has recently undergone eight years and $10 million pounds worth of renovation and only reopened three and a half years ago. The explosion will not do any favours for nervous tourists and Egypt’s failing tourism industry which once accounted for one-tenth of the country’s GDP; many have stayed away in fear of the recent unrest.
It is not just Egypt’s national heritage that is being chipped away at; turmoil across the Middle East in recent years means that many of its historical treasures, some thousands of years old, are being destroyed and reduced to rubble by the fighting. This has become an unfortunate pattern across the region in times of conflict. more.. e-mail
Zionism is a “false theology,” says new Presbyterian study guide
Electronic Intifada: 31 Jan 2014 – Clergy acknowledge a “growing consensus” that the one-state reality may be irreversible. more..
It’s the Other Oscars: And Yet again the Winner Slips Away
Palestine Chronicle: 31 Jan 2014 – By John Pilger Its celebrity time again. The Golden Globes have been, and the Oscars are coming. This is a “vintage year”, say Hollywood’s hagiographers on cue. It isn’t. Most movies are made to a formula for the highest return, money-fueled by marketing and something called celebrity. This is different from fame, which can come with talent. True celebrities are spared that burden. Occasionally, this column treads the red carpet, awarding its own Oscars to those whose ubiquitous promotion demands recognition. Some have been celebrities a long time, drawing the devoted to kiss their knees (more on that later). Others are mere flashes in the pan, so to speak. In no particular
order, the nominees for the Celebrity Oscars are: Benedict Cumberbatch. This celebrity was heading hell-bent for an Oscar, but alas, his ultra-hyped movie, The Fifth Estate, produced the lowest box office return for years, making it one of…more
Shulamit Aloni Dies without a ‘Feast’
Palestine Chronicle: 31 Jan 2014 – By Uri Avnery Peter Seeger touched my life only once. But what a touch. It was a few days before the 1967 Six-Day War. After almost three weeks of mounting tension, the war fever was nearing breaking point. I knew that the war was only days, perhaps hours, away. Dina Dinur, the wife of the Holocaust-writer K. Zetnik, called to invite me to meet Pete Seeger. Dina, a huge woman, had for years gathered a small group of Jewish and Arab intellectuals who met regularly in her home to discuss peace. The meeting took place in Tel Aviv’s Hilton hotel. It was sad, depressed, but also uplifting in a strange way. We were thinking about all the young men, ours and theirs, still alive and breathing, who were going to die in the next few days. We were a group of two or three dozen people, Jews and Arabs. Pete…more
Understanding Shadows – Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 30 Jan 2014 – Review by Ludwig Watzal (Michael Quilligan, Understanding Shadows. The Corrupt Use of Intelligence, Clarity Press, Atlanta 2013, pp 366.) Edward Snowden’s revelations have given the public insights into a world that leads a shadowy existence. He has opened a vista to a shadow world that threatens humanity with a new form of totalitarianism, all-encompassing and therefore unique. Compared with this new totalitarianism, the German Stasi and the Soviet KGB were amateurs. Although Michael Quilligan’s book came out before Snowden revealed the criminal machinations of the NSA and its British servant, it gives the readers “a glimpse of hell” into the dirty work of intelligence agencies and their abuse of government secrecies. The so-called war on terror and references to “national security threats” or the “national interest” are used as pretexts to cover up criminal actions such as money-laundering, narcotics trafficking, abduction and murder to the wholesale slaughter for non-combatant civilians…more
Palestinians in Israel: Trapped in the Ghetto
Dissident Voice: 31 Jan 2014 – Salah Sawaid remembers when this huddle of shacks was surrounded by open fields. Today, his views from the grassy uplands of the central Galilee are blocked on all sides by luxury apartments – a new neighbourhood of the ever-expanding city of Karmiel, here in northern Israel. “We are being choked to death,” said Sawaid, Ramya’s village leader. “They are building on top of us as though we don’t exist. Are we invisible to them?” His fears for the future have grown rapidly in the past few months, after a court ruled that the Bedouin village must be bulldozed to make way for Karmiel’s further expansion. The decision, the culmination of what Sawaid called “betrayals” by successive Israeli governments, ended a decades-old legal battle by the villagers to remain on their land. Salim Wakim, the lawyer who represents the 45 families of Ramya, said the only avenue left was “popular struggle”….more
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The New Dark Age 