13 March 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Health Condition of Hunger Striking Prisoners Deteriorating
IMEMC – Lawyer for the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) said, after visiting a number of Israeli prisons, that the health condition of four Palestinian hunger striking prisoners has dramatically deteriorated due to both Israeli medical negligence and the fact that they have been on hunger strike for more than 63 days, the Palestinian Information Center reported. …
Video: Israeli Soldier Interrogates Palestinian Boy at Gunpoint
IMEMC – Israeli Haaretz newspaper unveiled, Thursday morning, that an Israeli soldier pointed his gun at a handcuffed Palestinian boy, during an investigation after arresting him in Nabi Saleh village, near the West Bank city of Ramallah. …
Abbas: “We have not Received any Request to Extend Negotiations”
IMEMC – President Mahmoud Abbas stated Thursday that Palestinian leadership did not receive any request to extend negotiations. …
Shaky Gaza Ceasefire Announced
IMEMC – A senior Islamic Jihad official said, Thursday, that Egypt had managed to reactivate a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip. …
Army Bombards Various Areas In Gaza
IMEMC – [Thursday, March 12, 2014] The Israeli army fired several shells into a number of areas in the Gaza Strip, causing power blackouts and property damage, in certain areas, but no injuries. …
3 Palestinians injured as Israel strikes targets in Rafah
3/13/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – Israeli warplanes struck several targets in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip Thursday afternoon, security and medical sources told Ma’an. Locals in Rafah told Ma’an that airstrikes targeted a smuggling tunnel under the borders with Egypt. Three Palestinians were injured in the strike. Israeli jets also fired missiles at an open area in Rafah. No casualties….
3-year-old dies due to closure of Rafah crossing
3/13/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A three-year-old child died on Thursday after he was unable to receive medical care abroad due to the closure of the Rafah crossing, an activist group said. Spokesman for the National Committee to Break the Siege Adham Abu Salmieh said that Ahmad Ammar Abu Nahl was suffering from an enlarged heart and liver and had been planning to go to….
Renewed Gaza rocket fire after overnight Israeli raids
3/13/2014 – GAZA BORDER, Israel (AFP) — Gaza militants resumed their rocket fire on southern Israel on Thursday, after warplanes blitzed the coastal enclave, prompting President Mahmoud Abbas to demand Israel end its “escalation”. A military spokeswoman told AFP that militants had fired five rockets but only one struck Israeli territory, causing no harm or damage. Earlier, an AFP photographer on the Israeli side of the Gaza border…. Related: Official: Gaza ceasefire in effect
Six rockets fired from Gaza strike Israel despite ceasefire
3/13/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Six rockets from Gaza struck southern Israel on Thursday evening after the ceasefire, according to an Israeli military spokesman, causing no damage but putting into danger an already tenuous cessation of hostilities. Three rockets struck “open areas” around 8 p. m. across the south and caused no casualties, according to an Israeli military spokesperson, while two rockets were intercepted by Israel…. Related: Official: Gaza ceasefire in effect and Renewed Gaza rocket fire after overnight Israeli raids
Egypt ‘intentionally’ ignored Hamas on Gaza ceasefire
3/13/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Egypt communicated with Islamic Jihad directly to broker the most recent truce with Israel and intentionally ignored Hamas, a leader for the movement as well as an Egyptian security official said on Thursday. The decision to coordinate directly with Islamic Jihad, the militant group that launched the vast majority of Wednesday’s rocket barrage on Israel, and not with…. Related: Official: Gaza ceasefire in effect and Six rockets fired from Gaza strike Israel despite ceasefire
Gaza raids draw Abbas call for Israel to halt ‘escalation’
3/13/2014 – GAZA CITY (AFP) –Israel pounded nearly 30 targets in Gaza overnight after militants fired scores of rockets into the south, prompting President Mahmoud Abbas to demand Thursday that it halt its “escalation.” Two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip landed in southern Israel on Thursday at around 10:45 a. m. , with no reports of injuries or damage, Israel’s army said. Earlier, an….
Official: Gaza ceasefire in effect
3/13/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A senior Islamic Jihad official said Thursday that Egypt had managed to reactivate a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip. Khalid al-Batsh highlighted that his movement would adhere with the ceasefire “on condition that the occupation adheres.””After prompt Egyptian efforts, the terms of the 2012 ceasefire were reactivated Thursday.” Hamas official Ghazi Hamad said Hamas…. Related: Six rockets fired from Gaza strike Israel despite ceasefire and Egypt ‘intentionally’ ignored Hamas on Gaza ceasefire
Abbas: US has presented no framework for Mideast peace
3/13/2014 – BETHLEHEM (AFP) — Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Thursday that the US had yet to present a framework for a Middle East peace deal, as a deadline ending nine months of negotiations loomed.”Until now, we haven’t received the framework agreement we were promised,” Abbas said at news conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Israel and….
Israel detains brother of former hunger striker Samer Issawi
3/13/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained the brother of former hunger striker Samer Issawi overnight Wednesday, locals said. Witnesses said Israeli forces raided the East Jerusalem neighborhood of al-Isawiya at around 2 a. m. and detained Medhat al-Issawi. Last Thursday, Israeli forces detained Issawi’s sister Shireen, who is a prominent lawyer, and his brother Shadi. The two are expected to appear in….
5 injured in unknown explosion in Beit Hanoun
3/13/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Five people were injured on Thursday evening in an unknown explosion in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. Spokesman for the Gaza Ministry of Health Ashraf al-Qidra said that five people were injured in the blast, including two children and a 55-year-old woman who was hurt seriously. They were all taken to Kamal Adwan hospital. [END]
Islamic Jihad sends warning to Israel in Hebrew
3/13/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – The military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement on Thursday posted a video on YouTube with a message in Hebrew addressing the Israeli people, government and army about the recent escalation in the coastal enclave. The message, read by a masked gunman, told Israeli soldiers that they would never be safe in Palestine.”You can’t enjoy any inaccessibility….
EU warns of security fallout from Gaza crisis
3/13/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — The European Union has warned of “serious consequences” for Middle East regional security if the Gaza Strip’s dire economic and humanitarian situation is not addressed. A report commissioned by EU consuls-general in East Jerusalem and Ramallah urged Israel to ease access restrictions to the blockaded Palestinian territory, especially in light of an unprecedented crackdown by the new Egyptian regime on Gaza….
PRC military wing ‘ready to fight’ Israel
3/13/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — An-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees in the Gaza Strip, will fight alongside Islamic Jihad’s military wing to defend the Palestinian people, the group’s spokesperson said on Thursday. Spokesman Abu Mujahid said in a statement that “the assassination of al-Quds Brigades’ fighters was a dangerous escalation which the Israeli….
Analysis: Allenby killing highlights need for serious change
3/13/2014 – Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist and former professor of journalism at Princeton University. – For 46 years the bridge connecting the West Bank with Jordan has been a source of hardships, humiliations and extremely long and unnecessary delays. This nightmare has to end. What happened on March 10 is a symptom of the occupation versus occupied paradigm that must come to an end. A 38….
Doctors in West Bank public hospitals go on strike
3/13/2014 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Doctors in public hospitals across the West Bank went on strike on Thursday in response to a decision by the Palestinian Supreme Court which ruled protest action by the doctors union illegal. A member of the union, Majdi al-Jallad, told Ma’an that doctors were 100 percent committed to the strike, highlighting that only emergency medical cases will be treated….
Man found hanged in carpenter’s shop in Nablus area village
3/13/2014 – NABLUS (Ma’an) – A Palestinian man was found hanged in a carpenter’s workshop in the northern West Bank village of Aqraba south of Nablus on Thursday. Palestinian security sources confirmed to Ma’an that the victim hanged himself. Palestinian police arrived and started to investigate the incident. Meanwhile, local sources said the man had been facing family troubles. [END]
Red Crescent pharmacist shot dead in Yarmouk camp
3/13/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – A Palestinian pharmacist who works for the Palestinian Red Crescent Association in the Yarmouk refugee camp was shot dead Wednesday, a statement said. The statement, signed by chairman of the Red Crescent Association Younis al-Kahtib, highlighted that 48-year-old Diab Hussein Muhanna was shot outside Palestine Hospital where he worked. He was leaving the hospital on a humanitarian mission. The victim….
Iran’s Rouhani extends hand to Gulf monarchies
3/13/2014 – MUSCAT (AFP) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani sought Thursday to mend fences between his mainly-Shiite country and Sunni-dominated Gulf monarchies distrustful of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its support of the Syrian regime. Rouhani, winding up a two-day visit to Oman, said the Islamic republic offered “a hand of fraternity to all the countries of the region.” “Relations with one country should not grow at….
Attacks continue despite Gaza truce claims
AlJazeera 13 Mar 2014 – Israeli air raids on camps of Palestinian armed groups follow new barrage of rockets fired from Hamas-ruled territory.
Abbas questions rival’s role in Arafat death
AlJazeera 13 Mar 2014 – Palestinian leader accuses former Fatah man Mohammed Dahlan of roles in murders and questions relationship with Arafat.
International Solidarity Movement
Palestinian judge assassinated by Israeli soldiers at Allenby bridge border
3/13/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team, Nablus, Occupied Palestine – On Monday March 10, Raed Zeiter, a 38 years-old judge originally from Nablus, was assassinated by the Israeli forces at the Allenby Bridge Border. The man, who has been working in Amman since 2011, was going out of the bus to pass the border to Palestine at around 8am when the border authority ordered him to go in the….
occupied Palestinian territory: Gaza militants say truce restored
Relief Web 13 Mar 2014 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 03/13/2014 23:00 GMT GAZA CITY, March 13, 2014 (AFP) – Gaza’s Islamic Jihad announced Thursday that an Egyptian-brokered truce had been restored following a brief but intense confrontation a day earlier when Israeli…
World: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Ben Emmerson (A/HRC/25/59) (Advance Edited Version)
Relief Web 13 Mar 2014 – Source: UN Human Rights Council Country: Afghanistan, occupied Palestinian territory, Pakistan, Somalia, World, Yemen Human Rights Council Twenty-fifth session Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to…
occupied Palestinian territory: Rocket fire from Gaza to south Israel does not justify collective punishment of Gaza residents
Relief Web 13 Mar 2014 – Source: Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories Country: occupied Palestinian territory On Wednesday, 12 March 2014, the IDF Spokesperson announced that, following rocket fire from Gaza aimed at civilian communities in southern Israel, Kerem Shalom Crossing…
occupied Palestinian territory: Al Mezan Condemns the Israeli Escalation on Gaza and Calls on the International Community to Intervene
Relief Web 13 Mar 2014 – Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory Israel continues its aggression against the Gaza Strip as the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) mount an escalation of targets on Tuesday, 11 March 2014. The escalation in violence comes…
Lebanon: Lebanon RRP6 Update – January 2014: Public Health
Relief Web 12 Mar 2014 – Source: World Health Organization, Government of Lebanon, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Children under 5 years of age, pregnant and lactating women and the elderly continue to be supported with…
Lebanon: Lebanon RRP6 Update – January 2014: WASH
Relief Web 12 Mar 2014 – Source: UN Children’s Fund, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: The link between the Health and the WASH sectors is under development with a special focus on preparedness for a disease…
Search expands amid confusion over fate of Malaysian airliner
The National 13 Mar 2014 – Malaysia denies report that Boeing 777 was airborne for four hours after going missing.
Egypt blames Muslim Brotherhood for attack on army bus in Cairo
The National 13 Mar 2014 – One soldier killed and three injured as gunmen on motorcycles open fire on military police vehicle.
Rockets fired from Gaza despite ceasefire with Israel
The National 13 Mar 2014 – Barrage tapers off after Islamic Jihad says truce brokered by Egypt has taken effect.
Dead Indian guru kept in freezer is deep in meditation, disciples say
The National 13 Mar 2014 – Ashutosh Maharaj was declared dead on January 29 but his followers say he is only in the highest state of meditation and they will wait for him to revive.
The trouble with France: the largest Muslim community in Europe seethes on the periphery
The National 13 Mar 2014 – Andrew Hussey’s journey into France’s immigrant banlieues reveals a world of seething anger far removed from the country’s self-image.
Missing Malaysia Airlines plane flew for four hours after last confirmed location
The National 13 Mar 2014 – The report comes as authorities remain uncertain about which ocean to search for the jetliner that went missing on Saturday after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.
Gas blast destroys two New York City buildings
The National 13 Mar 2014 – At least four people are killed and more than 60 injured with nine people missing. A tenant said residents had complained repeatedly in recent weeks about unbearable gas smells.
Malaysia: no debris found of missing plane at spot shown on China satellite images
The National 13 Mar 2014 – Malaysia dispatched search planes Thursday to examine an area where Chinese satellite images show what might be debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, but the country s civil aviation chief said no signs of the missing jet had been found.
Israel’s real leader and navigator: Naftali Bennett
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Israeli city official s son busted over crime boss pot greenhouse
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Letter, written for Purim during Holocaust, surfaces
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Nanny arrested after baby s hospitalization
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Deputy AG says Israel must stop settler group Elad from controlling Western Wall
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Foreign Ministry accuses annual Evangelical confab of anti-Israel incitement
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
The Iranian weapons ship show, ad nauseum
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Let s make a deal, Shari
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Right-wing party aims to bury surrogacy bill for same-sex couples
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
The Jews who said ‘no to Putin
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
With $64m in work, historic Cleveland synagogue to become arts center
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Rockets strike Israel despite talk of cease-fire
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Kerry: ‘Mistake’ to use Jewish state recognition as deal breaker
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Kerry: ‘Mistake’ to use Jewish state recognition as deal breaker
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Obama needs to restrain Putin to escape the Carter malaise
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
U.S. reps suddenly creeped out by CIA spying as it hit close to home
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Gay love in the time of Putin
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Peace Now releases video: ‘It’s fun to be right-wing’
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Russia holds war games near Ukraine; Merkel warns of ‘catastrophe’
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Israelis: Peace with Arab world more important than recognition as Jewish state
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Israel announces ‘limited emergency call-up of air-defense reserves
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
BDS movement to release boycott Israel app
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Merkel: Russia risks huge consequences in Ukraine
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Unlike Lieberman, Netanyahu wants Gaza fighting to end
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
U.S. pledges more money for Iron Dome – but IDF lacks trained personnel
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
How many times must the Palestinians recognize Israel?
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Israel Tennis Centers’ video nominated for Industry Award
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Fracking pushing U.S. oil production above Saudi Arabia’s
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Palestinian arrested for sabotaging East Jerusalem gas lines in terror attempt
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Double shot – Purim and St. Patrick’s Day collide (tipsily) this year
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Islamic Jihad issues warning video – in broken Hebrew
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Three more killed in Venezuela unrest, students battle troops
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Gotta get a get – Agunah Day guide for the perplexed
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
No debris found in place indicated by Chinese satellite, say Malaysian officials
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Queen Esther wins the Hunger Games
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Israel may halt prisoner release if talks collapse, minister warns
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Palestinian shepherds bitter at rise in Israeli house demolitions
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Israel’s morning shave syndrome
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
Chief of staff will be judged by history, not popularity
Ha’aretz – 13 Mar 2014
The morning Beit Shemesh woke up a Haredi city
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2014
In Israel, Arabs get less
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2014
Health Ministry to put Tylenol behind counter
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2014
Israel passes law requiring referendum on land concessions
Ha’aretz – 12 Mar 2014
Hamas’s weakness
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – While Hamas s weakness has encouraged Islamic Jihad, backed by Iran, to take bolder risks, this state of affairs might present unique opportunities for Israel.
Kerry: Netanyahu wrong to insist Palestinians recognize Israel as Jewish state
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – US secretary of state tells lawmakers in Washington that international law already recognizes Israel as a Jewish state, says trust between Israel and Palestinians at a nadir.
Sporadic rocket fire from Gaza continues to hit South despite ‘ceasefire’
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – 3 rockets land in Sha’ar Hanegev 1 in Ashkelon Coast area 1 in Sderot, and 1 in Eshkol region despite Islamic Jihad’s claims that Egypt brokered a ceasefire.
Parshat Tzav: The importance of freedom of choice
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – At the beginning of the parsha, we find a unique directive regarding the order of work in the Mishkan and later in the Temple.
Get this: Kerry is not pro-Palestinian enough for leftist US Jews
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – Too bad the Left can t expend its energies on bringing Abbas to his senses.
A Pilot Sailing in Noah’s Ark
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – We descended to the ship’s cargo bay, where we revealed huge amounts of weaponry.We were thunderstruck, realizing that these weapons could have potentially changed the balance of power and wreaked terror on Israeli civilians.
After dry spell of almost three months, rains pour on Israel
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – Many areas received large amounts of rainfall, with some accumulating more than 100 millimeters of water.
Man injured in car bomb in suspected Netanya underworld hit
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – The victim, Ayal Sofer, is a well-known organized crime figure in the Netanya area, and has survived a number of attempts on his life.
Teva, UK government announce $21m. dementia research fund
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – On a tour of the Teva facilities, UK Prime Minister David Cameron praised Israeli innovation and Teva.
Settler seeking to remove Palestinian flag in Hebron gets tangled in barbed wire
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – This is all mine, this is my country and my land, man tells Arab homeowner ” IDF: We have no policy of flag removal
State closes sexual harassment case against media personality Emmanuel Rosen
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – State says recent allegations did not meet the high standard for filing a criminal case.
Who killed Arafat? Abbas suggests it was rival Dahlan
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – Dahlan denies claims, says he will “unveil the lies” surrounding death of Arafat, calling it “the most dangerous issue of our modern history.”
Most influential private philanthropist, corporation and NGO in Israel for 2013 announced
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – The purpose of the awards is to encourage social activity that is result-driven, creating a significant change in Israeli society.
Nanotechnology field in Israel attracts leading scientists from abroad
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – In the past six years, 101 world-class scientists have immigrated to Israel to become faculty members in universities in the field.
JPost experiment: Marmite – do Israelis love it or hate it?
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – As British PM David Cameron visits Israel, JPost TV takes to the streets of Tel Aviv to see how Israelis receive the famous British spread, Marmite.
Turkey’s Erdogan condemns protesters after worst day of unrest since summer
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – Two dead after day of anti-government protests; Erdogan says protests are “nothing to do with democracy.”
Tokyo police arrest man in connection with Anne Frank vandalism
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – Pages ripped from at least 265 copies of the diary and other related books in public libraries and book stores throughout Tokyo.
Malaysia says no evidence missing plane flew hours after losing contact
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – Investigators said earlier they believed aircraft flew for a total of 5 hours based on data sent to ground from plane’s engines.
President Peres hosts kindergarten children at Purim party
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – Peres praises the stoicism of the residents of the South and wishes them a happy Purim.
Abbas alongside Cameron condemns rocket attacks
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – PA president meets with visiting British PM, says IDF killing of Islamic Jihadists earlier in the week was in “cold blood.”
Hamas says rocket fire into Israel is self defense
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – Gazan leader says agreement to maintain calm with Israel does not mean that they will “surrender.”
Islamic Jihad unveils underground rocket launcher used to target Israel
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – Palestinian terror group displays apparatus it says was used to fire projectiles at Israel.
Islamic Jihad unviels underground rocket launcher used to target Israel
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – Palestinian terror group displays apparatus it says was used to fire projectiles at Israel.
IBA employees to launch battle for survival
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – Israel Broadcasting Authority workers fight communications minister to save public broadcasting in Israel, say it is crucial for livelihood of journalism.
Metal stamps used to tattoo Jewish prisoners of Auschwitz discovered
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – Director of the Auschwitz Museum: “We couldn’t believe that original tools for tattooing prisoners could be discovered after such a long time.”
Hatnua in deal with coalition partners to advance conversion reform bill
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – Bill proposes to substantially increase number of rabbis who can perform conversions in Israel and to allow them to work on regional basis.
WATCH: Islamic Jihad in Hebrew – ‘Get out of our country’
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – In a Youtube video, an Islamic Jihadist says that Israelis will die or be kidnapped if the IDF invades Gaza.
Analysis: An address to Israel, not The Guardian
Jerusalem Post 13 Mar 2014 – British Prime Minister David Cameron s warm speech to Knesset broke the mold and surprised many.
IFCJ increases support for Ukraine s Jews
Jerusalem Post 12 Mar 2014 – On solidarity visit to embattled country, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein calls on other aid groups to do same
Israel visit shows why David Cameron is not ‘heir to Blair’
The Guardian 13 Mar 2014 – While the former prime minister regards peacemaking as his area of expertise, the current one prefers small, practical steps After Tony Blair and David Cameron met in East Jerusalem to discuss Blair’s six-year efforts to build…
Gaza’s Islamic Jihad says truce restored after Israel confrontation
The Guardian 13 Mar 2014 – Egyptian-brokered truce follows Israel pounding Gaza with air strikes in return for militants firing rockets over border Gaza’s Islamic Jihad group said on Thursday that an Egyptian-brokered truce had been restored following a brief but intense…
David Cameron and Mahmoud Abbas meet in the West Bank – video
The Guardian 13 Mar 2014 – David Cameron and Mahmoud Abbas hold a joint press conference on the West Bank
David Cameron and Tony Blair on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process video
The Guardian 13 Mar 2014 – Prime minister David Cameron speaks on Thursday at the British consulate in Jerusalem alongside former PM Tony Blair
David Cameron renews criticisms of humanitarian situation in Gaza
The Guardian 13 Mar 2014 – British PM pessimistic about prospects for agreement but says Netanyahu and Abbas are ‘willing to be partners for peace’ David Cameron has renewed his criticisms of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, four years after he caused…
David Koff obituary
The Guardian 13 Mar 2014 – Documentary film-maker and political activist best known for Blacks Britannica and Occupied Palestine The Oscar-nominated documentary-maker and political activist David Koff, who has died aged 74, was remarkable in that his work made waves on four…
Tony Blair briefs David Cameron for meeting with Palestinian president
The Guardian 13 Mar 2014 – Quartet Middle East envoy updates Cameron on state of peace talks and Palestinian economy before PM sees Mahmoud Abbas David Cameron has been briefed by Tony Blair in East Jerusalem on the state of the Palestinian…
Split over Ukraine Could Undermine Peace in Syria
IPS Calm and composed, Omar heads a family of seven in his tent at a refugee camp in Jordan, including his elderly mother, Samah. He used to be an Arabic language teacher back in Syria. Credit: EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Mar 13 2014 (IPS)…
Russia does not want war over Ukraine: UN envoy
Daily Star 13 Mar 2014 Moscow’s ambassador to the United Nations told an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Thursday that Russia does not want war over the Ukraine crisis.
Syrian death toll exceeds 146,000 as fourth year begins: group
Daily Star 13 Mar 2014 Over 146,000 people, more than a third of them civilians, have been killed in Syria’s uprising-turned-civil war which enters its fourth year this month, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday.
Still chance to resolve crisis peacefully: Ukraine PM
Daily Star 13 Mar 2014 Ukraine’s interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on Thursday told an emergency session of the UN Security Council that it was still possible to resolve the crisis with Russia peacefully.
UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine begins
Daily Star 13 Mar 2014 The UN Security Council began meeting to discuss Ukraine on Thursday in the presence of the country’s interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who is to address the session.
Pope Francis invited to address U.S. Congress
Daily Star 13 Mar 2014 U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Thursday he has invited Pope Francis to address a joint session of Congress when he visits the United States.
Wall collapse kills 6 at Egypt coffeehouse
Daily Star 13 Mar 2014 Security officials in Egypt say a wall has collapsed on customers at a coffeehouse in the port city of Alexandria, killing six people and injuring seven.
Islamist rebels in Syria claim kidnapping of 94 civilians: video
Daily Star 13 Mar 2014 Sunni Islamist rebels in Syria have claimed responsibility for kidnapping at least 94 women and children belonging to President Bashar al-Assad’s minority Alawite sect, according to a video published on Thursday.
Mediator Brahimi says Syria election now won’t aid peace talks
Daily Star 13 Mar 2014 If Syria goes ahead with an election that would likely secure a new term for President Bashar al-Assad, the opposition will probably not be interested in pursuing further peace talks with the government, peace mediator Lakhdar…
The Malaysian plane, Iran and global jihad
YNet News, 13 Mar 2014 – Analysis: It would be surprising if it turns out that Iran got directly involved in a mass terror attack, especially these days. Yet like in 9/11 attacks, Iranians do cooperate with radical Islamic groups. ….
Kerry: Iran faces ‘tough decisions’ at nuclear talks
YNet News, 13 Mar 2014 – ….
IAF strikes Gaza terror targets in response to evening rocket fire
YNet News, 13 Mar 2014 – ….
Pope Francis invited to address US Congress
YNet News, 13 Mar 2014 – ….
Missing plane sent signals to satellite for hours
YNet News, 13 Mar 2014 – ….
Syrian death toll exceeds 146,000 as fourth year begins
YNet News, 13 Mar 2014 – ….
Haredim may settle score with Netanyahu
YNet News, 13 Mar 2014 – Analysis: It’s no longer absolutely clear that in next elections ultra-Orthodox parties will tilt balance in favor of right-wing government. ….
Tokyo police arrests man suspected of vandalizing copies of Anne Frank’s diary
YNet News, 13 Mar 2014 – Security footage from bookstore shows the man acting suspiciously near a spot where damaged books were later found. ….
Auschwitz tattoo equipment found in Poland
YNet News, 13 Mar 2014 – Metal stamps with embedded needles used to tattoo Jewish inmates discovered 70 years after death camp’s liberation. ….
Iranian-inspired rocket fire from Gaza
YNet News, 13 Mar 2014 – Analysis: Islamic Jihad avenged killing of its activists, but massive rocket fire may have also been response to seizure of Iranian arms ship. Use of short-range rockets implies organization is not interested in further escalation. ….
Palestinian Information Center
Palestinian baby dies in Gaza due to siege
PIC – A three-month-old baby died in Gaza Strip on Thursday evening as a result of the closure of Gaza crossings.
Gaza ceasefire agreed
PIC – Islamic Jihad leader Khaled al-Batesh said that following intensive Egyptian contacts, the calm agreement in Gaza Strip has been restored in accordance with understandings reached in 2012 in Cairo.
Life of sick prisoners in danger
PIC – The health status of captive Kayed Kalbouna is very difficult, as he has been suffering from heart problems, arterial embolism, and wounds in the stomach, as well as diabetes and nerve problems.
Wounded captive Daraghmeh under investigation in hospital
PIC – The wounded detainee Mahmoud Daraghmeh is still under investigation although he is receiving treatment at Afula hospital in the 1948 occupied territories.
Palestinian woman starved to death in Yarmouk
PIC – The Palestinian refugee Fatma Dawood died in Yarmouk refugee camp Wednesday due to the lack of food and medicines in the besieged camp, Action Group for Palestinians in Syria said.
Hamas, Gaza government stress Palestinians’ right to defend themselves
PIC – Hamas movement and the Palestinian government in Gaza held the Israeli occupation full responsibility for the current escalation, stressing that the Palestinian people has the right to defend itself.
Dawood: Israeli violations in al-Aqsa Mosque could spark religious war
PIC – Jordan’s Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Hayel Abdul Hafeez Dawood has condemned Israeli occupation authorities’ banning of Palestinian worshipers’ access to al-Aqsa Mosque.
Abbas: We have not Received any Request to Extend Negotiations
WAFA – 13 Mar 2014
Five Injured in Israeli Air Strikes on Gaza
WAFA – 13 Mar 2014
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Warns of Implications of Israeli Escalation
WAFA – 13 Mar 2014
Consumer Price Index Down in February 2014, Says Statistics Bureau
WAFA – 13 Mar 2014
Newspaper Review: Recent Escalation in Gaza Strip Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 13 Mar 2014
Israeli Forces Arrest Seven in West Bank and Jerusalem
WAFA – 13 Mar 2014
Israel Blocks Gaza Border Crossings
WAFA – 13 Mar 2014
Weather Forecast: Country under Low Pressure
WAFA – 13 Mar 2014
PEX Report: Index Down again
WAFA – 12 Mar 2014
World Briefing: Iraq: Members of Wedding Party Are Killed in Blast
New York Times 13 Mar 2014 – A car bomber detonated explosives at an army checkpoint on a bridge in Anbar Province on Thursday, killing at least 16 people, including security officers and members of a wedding party.
World Briefing: Libya: North Korea Says It Has No Ties to Rogue Ship
New York Times 13 Mar 2014 – North Korea denied any responsibility for an oil tanker that loaded crude from a rebel-held port in Libya and eluded attempts to seize it.
Leaders Deny Report of a Truce in Mideast Violence
New York Times 13 Mar 2014 – Rocket fire into Israel continued for a second day, jeopardizing the American-led peace talks and a truce that has held for 16 months.
Former Egyptian General Calls Promise of Free Elections a Farce
New York Times 13 Mar 2014 – Ahmed Shafik, who had supported the military takeover, said the voting would be fixed, an almost heretical expression of cynicism from a member of the military elite.
Gaza-Israel Escalation Threatens Cease-Fire
New York Times 13 Mar 2014 – The militant group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for a rocket attack, the most intense barrage since the cease-fire of 2012.
Interactions of Bin Laden and Son-in-Law Detailed in an F.B.I. Document
New York Times 12 Mar 2014 – Lawyers for Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, who is on trial on terrorism charges, sought permission from a judge to present the document, a full summary of his interrogation, to the jury.
Israel to Phase Out Religious Exemptions
New York Times 12 Mar 2014 – After years of heated debate, Parliament approved legislation to phase out exemptions for ultra-Orthodox students at religious seminaries.
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) and the American Jewish Community
Muzzlewatch – By Donna Nevel Many American Jewish organizations claim to be staunch supporters of civil and human rights as well as academic freedom. But when it comes to Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, they make an exception. In their relentless opposition to BDS, they leave…
Intern with JVP Summer 2014
Jewish Voice for Peace – National Membership Meeting Intern Join the JVP Organizing Team for an exciting summer internship! As our National Membership Meeting Intern you will be assisting in getting our biannual conference planning underway. Gain hands-on experience in membership engagement, event planning, outreach and organizing. Ideal candidates should be:…
IEC CEO cancels April pay hike
Globes Main News – IEC’s 10,000 tenured employees receive an automatic 7% pay hike every two years.
Defense Ministry clamps down on exports
Globes Main News – The ministry is tightening supervision especially in cases of dual-use civilian-military components.
Treasury split on power industry reform
Globes Main News – Director of Wages Kobi Amsalem adamantly opposes the compensation package for IEC workers.
Dankner accuses Ben-Moshe of money laundering
Globes Main News – Nochi Dankner has filed “an urgent motion for the gathering of evidence”.
Never mind Ukraine, look at the Gulf
Globes Main News – The Gulf Cooperation Council’s break-up is a catastrophe in the confrontation with Iran.
A War on Campus: Democracy Now covers the Northeastern SJP suspension
Mondoweiss – Democracy Now interviews Max Geller and Ali Abunimah on A War on Campus? Northeastern University Suspends Students for Justice in Palestine Chapter . In an episode also covering the bombardment of Gaza as well as the recent killings of six Palestinians by Israeli forces, it s a…
Why I didn t make it to Gaza for International Women s Day
Mondoweiss – Medea Benjamin s cell in Cairo, Egypt (photo: Code Pink) When I boarded the plane to Cairo, Egypt, to make sure everything was in place for the women s delegation headed to Gaza, I had no reason to think I d end up in a jail cell at the…
Fruits of a right-wing takeover: Knesset barrage limits Arab parties, conscripts the ultra-Orthodox, and puts the peace process to a vote
Mondoweiss – Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. (Photo: Reuters) This week legislation introduced by right-wing members of Knesset passed in quick succession, nearly unanimously with the exception of lawmakers who boycotted the debates. Within two days the government approved military conscription for ultra-Orthodox , raised the electoral threshold to serve…
Wix acquires m-commerce co Appixia
Globes Main News – CEO Avishai Avrahami. Expanding mobile solutions is a strategic focus for Wix.
Business as usual in south despite rockets
Globes Main News – Manufacturers Association: Factories were unaffected by the rocket fire from Gaza.
Israel Chemicals phosphate workers call strike
Globes Main News – Union chief: Returning to work is subject to withdrawal of the 24 layoff notices.
University of Windsor President pressures Student Union to not ratify BDS referendum following demand from pro-Israel donor
Mondoweiss – University of Windsor Palestinian Solidarity Group (Photo: Facebook ) In a historic victory for the BDS movement in Canada, the University of Windsor undergraduate students voted in a campus-wide referendum to endorse the BDS movement, and to push for university divestment from companies that are complicit in Israel s…
It is time to repeal the law being used to criminalize French BDS activists
Mondoweiss – BDS action in France. (Photo via The Alternative Information Center ) As a consumer and as a citizen, I refuse to purchase Israeli products so long as Israel fails to respect international law; I am also calling on my fellow citizens to do the same in order…
Want to boycott Israel? There will soon be an app for that.
Mondoweiss – With the recent and significant victories of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, Israel is facing mounting pressure by the international community to abide by international law. In addition, prominent figures have been expressing their solidarity with the boycott by cancelling scheduled events. Late last year,…
Shira Robinson explains the DNA of Israel
Mondoweiss – Shira Robinson has an important new book out called Citizen Strangers: Palestinians and the Birth of Israel s Liberal Settler State that lays out the foundations of second-class status for Palestinians inside Israel. (A few weeks back we posted the introduction.) An associate professor of history at…
Galmed Pharmaceuticals sets terms for $35m Nasdaq IPO
Globes Main News – The fatty liver drug developer begins trading today at a company value of $132 million.
Woodside and gov’t far apart on gas export tax issue
Globes Main News – Woodside CEO Peter Coleman is in Israel to meet with senior government officials to try and save the $2.71 billion Leviathan deal.
Obama and the Israel Lobby: a Tale of Two Foreign Policy Choices
Tikun Olam – I delivered this talk today for the Foreign Policy Association s Great Decisions program here in Seattle: To follow the arc of Israel-U.S. relations, let s begin with the founding of Israel in 1948. In the period leading up to independence, David Ben Gurion desperately craved international recognition. …
Israeli Foreign Ministry Threatened Pro-Palestinian Evangelicals, Then It Didn t, and Then It Did Again, But Not in an Official Capacity
Tikun Olam – Did you follow all that? Let me explain. Yesterday, a pro-Israel shmatteh called Israel Today published a statement from an unnamed foreign ministry official who essentially threatened that evangelicals who attended the Christ at the Crossroads conference in Bethlehem would be targeted by Israel authorities. The…
Self Proclaimed Zionist David Cameron Visiting Israel Take Action
Sabbah report 13 Mar 2014 – Tell David Cameron whilst occupation, apartheid and killing are business as usual for Israel, there should be no business with Israel. Continue reading í! Read More: Self Proclaimed Zionist David Cameron Visiting Israel Take Action . Sign up for our free newsletter!
Syria: The story of the conflict
BBC 13 Mar 2014 – Eight steps to understanding the bitter conflict
Israel-Gaza strikes despite ‘truce’
BBC 13 Mar 2014 – Rocket and air strikes continue between Gaza militants and Israel despite earlier claims a truce had been restored.
New Yorker Sues Munich Collector for Return of Nazi-Looted Art
The Foward Breaking News 13 Mar 2014 – A New York man has gone to court for the return of several Nazi-looted artworks from the controversial collection of Cornelius Gurlitt in Munich. David Toren, 88, whose father and uncle were art collectors in the prewar German city of Breslau, sued in U.S. District Court…
Historic Cleveland Synagogue To Become Arts Center
The Foward Breaking News 13 Mar 2014 – A historic Cleveland synagogue building will be turned into a performing arts center after undergoing a $64 million expansion and renovation. Case Western Reserve University will launch the project next month at the Cleveland building of Temple-Tifereth Israel, one of the country s largest Reform congregations. The…
Egypt: FM Spokesman – Palestinians Should Get Ready for What After April 29 Deadline
allAfrica.com 13 Mar 2014 – [Egypt Online]Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Badr Abdel Atti stressed on Thursday 13/3/2014 that the Palestinians should get ready from now to what will take place after April 29, the deadline set for reaching a Palestinian-Israeli peace deal.
Northeastern University Suspends Pro-Palestinian Group
The Foward Breaking News 13 Mar 2014 – The Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at Northeastern University vowed to fight its suspension from campus over a campaign that the Boston school said intimidated students. It is clear that the university s draconian decision is part of a thinly veiled policy of silencing student speech…
VIDEO: Is Iran increasingly open for business?
BBC 13 Mar 2014 – Iranians are hoping the Persian New Year will bring better financial fortunes.
Work for peace, PM tells Middle East
BBC 13 Mar 2014 – David Cameron will discuss the latest US-backed peace plan with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on the second day of his Middle East visit.
4 More Rockets From Gaza Hit Israel
The Foward Breaking News 13 Mar 2014 – Rockets fired from Gaza continued to fall on Israel, a day after a massive barrage from the coastal territory left thousands of Israelis in bomb shelters. Four rockets were fired Thursday morning at Ashkelon and Ashdod, with two landing in open fields between the two cities…
Sudan: Sudan Says Ship Seized By Israel Will Not Be Permitted to Enter
allAfrica.com 13 Mar 2014 – [Sudan Tribune]Khartoum -The National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) announced Wednesday that strict guidelines were issued not to receive a ship which was seized last week by Israeli navy commandos in the Red Sea off the Sudanese coast.
Is Vladimir Putin’s Embrace of Jews for Real or Political Show?
The Forward New 12 Mar 2014 – (JTA) When even Russian policemen had to pass security checks to enter the Sochi Winter Olympics, Rabbi Berel Lazar was waved in without ever showing his ID. Lazar, a Chabad-affiliated chief rabbi of Russia, was invited to the opening ceremony of the games last month…
Bitcoin Bites the Dust at Baltimore Shul After MtGox Goes Bust
The Forward New 11 Mar 2014 – A small Baltimore synagogue that pioneered use of bitcoin has decided to stop accepting the virtual exchange for donations after a leading exchange collapsed amid reports of seven-figure losses. Congregation Tiferes Yisroel had no relationship with MtGox, which declared bankruptcy over the snafu, and did not…
Middle East ban for Noah epic
BBC 13 Mar 2014 – The UAE, Qatar and Bahrain are among Middle Eastern countries banning Hollywood epic Noah as it breaks Islam’s taboo of depicting a prophet.
A stroll through Hamadiyeh Market
Al-Akhbar News 13 Mar 2014 – History radiates through the Hamadiyeh Market in the heart of Old Damascus. On the 200 years old streets, recognized as one of the most important architectural traits of Damascus, the vendors shows their offerings from A to Z. Residents of Damascus say that a visit to…
Number of registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon to hit 1 million
Al-Akhbar News 13 Mar 2014 – Young Syrian girls playing cards in one of the tents within al-Jarrah camp, March 7, 2014. (Photo: The Fdz) Young Syrian girls playing cards in one of the tents within al-Jarrah camp, March 7, 2014. (Photo: The Fdz) In a couple of weeks, one million Syrian…
Two killed, including child, in North Lebanon clashes
Al-Akhbar News 13 Mar 2014 – At least two people were killed, including a young girl, and 10 people injured when clashes erupted between rival neighborhoods in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, a site of frequent battles related to the war in Syria, state news reported. Lebanon’s National News Agency said…
Al-Nusra Front fires three rockets into East Lebanon
Al-Akhbar News 13 Mar 2014 – Updated 8:16 pm: Al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front in Lebanon said it was behind the launching of three rockets that struck a town in eastern Lebanon on Thursday without causing any casualties. Lebanon’s National News Agency said the rockets hit the town of al-Nabi Sheet, which was targeted…
Lebanese government ordered to publicize investigations on missing persons
Al-Akhbar News 13 Mar 2014 – A woman carries a picture of her family that went missing during the Lebanese civil war. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) A woman carries a picture of her family that went missing during the Lebanese civil war. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) A landmark ruling issued by the State Shura…
The Saudi pivot to Asia
Al-Monitor 13 Mar 2014 – The visit of Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud to China this week is also a signal to Washington.
Eight killed in firefight near Yemeni capital
Al-Akhbar News 13 Mar 2014 – Tribesmen loyal to the Huthi movement hold their weapons as they gather in Haz, west of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, on March 12, 2014. (Photo: AFP – Mohammed Huwais) Six rebels and two soldiers were killed in a firefight near Sanaa on Thursday, as Huthis press…
Kaine calls for a new Syrian humanitarian strategy
Al-Monitor 13 Mar 2014 – Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern, South and Central Asian Affairs, has introduced a bipartisan resolution calling for the Obama administration to introduce a humanitarian strategy in 90 days.
Former Mubarak PM backs Sisi presidential candidacy
Al-Akhbar News 13 Mar 2014 – The last prime minister of fallen strongman Hosni Mubarak reiterated his support Thursday for the army chief as president but also slammed the military for initially backing his candidacy openly. Ahmad Shafik – who lost Egypt’s 2012 presidential election – endorsed Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi,…
Israeli opposition fails to oppose controversial bills
Al-Monitor 13 Mar 2014 – The opposition parties’ boycotting Knesset debates this week on three controversial bills is a failure for Israel’s democratic process.
Satirical Syrian YouTube programs gain popularity
Al-Monitor 13 Mar 2014 – It s a goat, even if it flies is a new Syrian program on YouTube that tackles the different aspects of the Syrian revolution and criticizes the regime in a satirical way.
Egypt considers Gaza, Hamas security threats
Al-Monitor 13 Mar 2014 – Egypt s present government is more hostile to the Palestinian issue than any in recent memory, outlawing Hamas and giving top priority to keeping the border with Israel quiet.
Is ISIS planning for new Fallujahs?
Al-Monitor 13 Mar 2014 – In recent weeks, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has changed its tactics in Iraq, focusing on expanding its scope of influence.
Salam resigns today… or Saturday
Al-Akhbar News 13 Mar 2014 – A handout picture released on January 15, 2014, by the Lebanese photo agency Dalati and Nohra shows Lebanese President Michel Sleiman (C) meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (L) and prime minister-designate Tammam Salam at the presidential palace in Baabda ahead of announcing the formation of…
Syrian refugee girls exploited by prostitution networks
Al-Monitor 13 Mar 2014 – Syrian refugees throughout the Middle East have been subject to humiliation and exploitation, with some girls being sold into prostitution networks.
Erdogan dismisses Turkish protesters as “charlatans”
Al-Akhbar News 13 Mar 2014 – Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of a new metro line in Ankara March 13, 2014. (Photo: AFP – Adem Altan) Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of a new metro line…
Prostitutes join battle for women’s rights in Tunisia
Al-Monitor 13 Mar 2014 – A protest held by Tunisian prostitutes demanding the reopening of their brothel demonstrates that the situation for women in Tunisia is different than what is expected in an Islamic country, and women will continue their struggle.
Illustrating change
Al-Akhbar News 13 Mar 2014 – An illustration by Maya Zankoul poking fun at Lebanon’s deficient infrastructure. An illustration by Maya Zankoul poking fun at Lebanon’s deficient infrastructure. To put it mildly, the Arab people are frustrated. In congested streets of discontent, they continue to protest the brutality and corruption of their…
Soldier killed in Cairo bus attack
BBC 13 Mar 2014 – An Egyptian soldier has been shot dead by gunmen who attacked an army bus in eastern Cairo, the military says.
Najaf seminaries maintain traditional teaching methods
Al-Monitor 13 Mar 2014 – Unlike some religious schools in Iran and Lebanon, the seminaries in Najaf have maintained traditional teaching methods that allow students flexibility in choosing their course of study.
Iraqi campaign failing in struggle against illiteracy
Al-Monitor 13 Mar 2014 – The Iraqi government and UNESCO launched an ambitious campaign to fight illiteracy in the country, but it has not been fully implemented.
North Korea disowns Libya oil tanker
BBC 13 Mar 2014 – North Korea says it has nothing to do with a tanker which left Libya with an oil shipment from a port held by a separatist militia.
ISIS suicide attacks target Syrian Kurdish capital
Al-Monitor 13 Mar 2014 – The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham is increasing its terror campaign against Kurds in northern Syria.
Israeli hospital cares for Syrian children
Al-Monitor 13 Mar 2014 – A visit to an Israeli hospital close to the Lebanese and Syrian borders where Syrian children, some badly wounded and traumatized by the war, are treated by Israeli physicians.
Ongoing violence traps Jabal Mohsen residents
Al-Akhbar Politics 12 Mar 2014 – A car’s windshield has been smashed as part of a string of attacks on the residents of Jabal Mohsen, in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) A car’s windshield has been smashed as part of a string of attacks on the residents of…
New Israeli laws could have detrimental effect on Palestinians
Al-Akhbar Politics 12 Mar 2014 – A woman holds up the Palestinian flag during clashes with Israeli soldiers close to the Jewish settlement of Beit El, in the Israeli occupied West Bank, on March 11, 2014. (Photo: AFP- Abbas Momani) A woman holds up the Palestinian flag during clashes with Israeli soldiers…
Contradictions in Syria s reconciliation process
Al-Akhbar Politics 12 Mar 2014 – A Syrian flag flutters outside a military barrack in the devastated Baba Amr neighbourhood of the central restive city of Homs on May 2, 2012. (Photo: AFP-Joseph Eid) A Syrian flag flutters outside a military barrack in the devastated Baba Amr neighbourhood of the central restive…
Lebanon s former aid chief: Millions spent to fund Tripoli fighting
Al-Akhbar Politics 12 Mar 2014 – Ibrahim Bashir, former secretary general of Lebanon’s Higher Relief Committee who is now under investigation. (Photo: Al-Akhbar) Ibrahim Bashir, former secretary general of Lebanon’s Higher Relief Committee who is now under investigation. (Photo: Al-Akhbar) In a moment of surrender, former secretary general of Lebanon s Higher Relief…
Articles
Poisoned by tear gas in the comfort of their own home
Yesh Din, by Yossi Gurvitz, +972 Magazine 3/10/2014
An IDF night raid on the West Bank village Qaddum left three family members in the hospital. Chances are we’ll never hear about it in mainstream Israeli news outlets.
The security forces have a problem with the village of Qaddum we’re not quite sure why. Perhaps it is because the residents hold weekly demonstrations against the occupation. Whatever the reason, it is clear that the security forces have decided to teach the village a lesson. Recently, a mysterious officer, who according to testimonies of the residents calls himself Captain Sabri, walks around telling village residents that he will teach them a lesson. Some of the residents suspect him of being a Shin Bet officer.
Whatever Sabri s organizational loyalty may be, he keeps his word. The Friday demonstrations are dispersed with an iron fist; beyond that the residents also report recurring attacks on the village, even on days when no demonstrations are held. These attacks include the throwing of stun grenades and CS gas canisters (a more aggressive form of tear gas).
In one case, which actually made it to the Israeli media of course, under the pretense that one more person killed by the IDF will make the kettle boil and bring about a new intifada Saeed Gasser Nassar Ali, an 85-year-old resident of the village, died after inhaling tear gas, which seeped into his house following a demonstration. The doctor who treated Ali found it hard to give him the best treatment possible, since he too was suffocating from the gas. Let s say that again: the man suffocated in his house and died in the hospital shortly thereafter. Not during a demonstration. In his house.
Three weeks before Ali died, M., a resident of Qaddum, woke up at around 1 a.m. His brother warned him that the army was raiding the village, and that all windows must be closed. Soon after, even though he thought he had closed all the windows, gas seeped into the house. The first to feel it was seven year old A., who began screaming that he couldn t breathe…. more..e-mail
From Ireland to Canada, boycott Israel is the word
Editor, Redress 3/10/2014
Good news for humanity, bad news for Israel, the world s only surviving apartheid state.
Students at the National University of Ireland Galway (NUI Galway) have voted by an overwhelming majority to endorse the Palestinian call for boycotting Israel, Electronic Intifada reports.
Official results show that a total of 1,954 students voted yes to a motion That NUI Galway Students Union actively supports the campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions [BDS] against the State of Israel .
The no vote was 1,059.
Commenting on the 2-to-1 victory for the BDS motion, Martin O Quigley, the chairman of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), praised the students
who stood with the oppressed on the right side of history and endorsed this measure, despite a stream of venomous anti-Palestinian propaganda and dirty tricks being injected into the debate from off-campus forces, including the Israeli embassy in Ireland s failed attempts at using social media to influence the outcome.
According to Electronic Intifada, the Israeli embassy took the extraordinary step of publicly campaigning against the ballot, claiming in one of its Facebook postings that a vote for BDS would be a vote for anti-Semitism .
Meanwhile, in Canada students at the University of Ottawa have launched a campaign to ban from campus hummus produced by the Israeli company Sabra, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reports. more..e-mail
Film review: The unending Nakba – Three generations of stateless Palestinians search for home
Dahlia Scheindlin, +972 Magazine 3/10/2014
Tens of thousands of Palestinians have languished for over 65 years in the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp, waiting to return home. Now, through his documentary, Mahdi Fleifel reveals an essential side of Palestinian exile that is often forgotten: the human side.
It was heartening that the Academy bestowed its highest honors this year to Twelve Years a Slave, a story about injustice and liberation, and recognizing America s historic cruelty towards its people.
Maybe it is the curse of the oppressed to achieve their greatest recognit
ion only when the primary injury of oppression is long over, after it can really help. Palestinians don t have an easy time penetrating the Western cultural landscape. True, last year, the Academy short-listed Five Broken Cameras, the story of a village s struggle against the security barrier in the West Bank, for Best Documentary. Although it didn t win, the nomination generated attention.
But Mahdi Fleifel, the director of the 2012 documentary A World Not Ours, thinks that an essential side of the Palestinian story has been forgotten: the human side.
The global media feeds up stereotypes about aggressors, terrorists, or victims at best, he suggests in an interview with +972 Magazine from London. Even Five Broken Cameras is about the poor Palestinian villagers, little Davids struggling in the muddy hills of the West Bank against their Goliath. Their lives revolve around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. What else is there?
On the face of it, Fleifel s film about three generations of a Palestinian family living in the squalid in Ein el-Helweh refugee camp in Lebanon since 1948 doesn t seem like the best candidate to break the typical victimized image of Palestinians. more..e-mail
Allenby killing highlights need for serious change
Daoud Kuttab, Ma an News Agency 3/13/2014
Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist and former professor of journalism at Princeton University.
For 46 years the bridge connecting the West Bank with Jordan has been a source of hardships, humiliations and extremely long and unnecessary delays, not to mention cumbersome and exaggerated body and baggage searches.
This nightmare has to end.
What happened on March 10 is a symptom of the occupation versus occupied paradigm that must come to an end.
A 38-year-old Jordanian father of two and a sitting judge in Amman’s Court of First Instance, attempted to travel to Nablus like many Palestinians and Jordanians of Palestinian origin. His altercation with Israeli soldiers that ended with his death must be a warning flag that this injustice and humiliation cannot continue.
Anyone who crosses the King Hussein Bridge knows very well how the Israelis have for decades forged a shameful occupier-occupied relationship with the power of their guns. The Oscar-winning film Twelve Years a Slave, perfectly illustrates the way that the oppressed absorb all kinds of humiliation simply in order to survive as they wait for salvation.
Raed Zuaiter, the Jordanian judge, like any other human being, apparently walked into this mess without the added shield of years of humiliation and he couldn’t accept it.
For their part, the Israeli soldiers, brainwashed to suspect every passenger as a potential “terrorist,” viewed the rebellion against accepting the occupier-occupied paradigm as enough proof that the rebellious person must be a terrorist. As they say, the rest is history. more..e-mail
Keep on rockin’ for freedom, Neil Young, cancel your Tel Aviv show
Electronic Intifada: 13 Mar 2014 – The veteran rock star should demonstrate the same kind of solidarity to Palestinians that he has shown to Canada s indigenous people.more..
interview with Rich Forer
In Gaza: 10 Mar 2014 – Filed under: international solidarity more
Why I Didn’t Make it to Gaza for International Women’s Day
Dissident Voice: 13 Mar 2014 – When I boarded the plane to Cairo, Egypt, to make sure everything was in place for the women s delegation headed to Gaza, I had no reason to think I d end up in a jail cell at the Cairo airport and then violently deported. The trip was in response to a call from women in Gaza to CODEPINK and other groups asking us to bring 100 women from around the world to Gaza for March 8, International Women s Day. They wanted us to see, first-hand, how the seven-year Israeli blockade had made their situation intolerable. They talked about being unable to protect themselves and their families from frequent Israeli attacks and how the closing of the borders with both Israel and Egypt has made it impossible for t
hem to travel abroad or even to other parts of Palestine. They wanted us to witness how the shortages of water, electricity, and fuel,…more
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The New Dark Age 