16 March 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
$170m Loss for Israeli Water Firm as BDS Spreads Southward
IMEMC – In the latest success for the growing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, authorities in Buenos Aires, Argentina, have suspended a proposed $170m water treatment plant deal with Israeli state water firm, Mekorot. …†
Settlers Plow Recently Confiscated Land Near Salfit
IMEMC – Israeli settlers, today, plowed land and performed religious rituals on lands recently confiscated from the nearby Palestinian villages of Deir Istiya and Haris, in the northern West Bank. …†
Kerem Shalom Crossing Re-opened, Fuel Enters Gaza
IMEMC – Deliveries of fuel to the Gaza Strip resumed, on sunday, as Israeli authorities allowed the Kerem Shalom (Kerem Abu Salem) crossing to re-open, according to Palestinian crossing officials. …
Gaza Patients Demand Reopening of Rafah Crossing
IMEMC – Scores of patients and disabled Palestinians, on Saturday, staged a protest outside of the Egyptian embassy, in the Gaza Strip, to call for the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Palestinian territory and Egypt. …
Injuries Reported as Forces Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque
IMEMC – [Sunday, March 16, 2014] Israeli special forces stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, injuring a number of worshipers on Sunday morning, according to witnesses. …†
4 worshipers injured as Israeli forces storm Al-Aqsa
3/17/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli special forces stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque compound and injured four worshipers on Sunday morning, medical sources said. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli forces entered the compound through the the Chain Gate, throwing stun grenades and shooting rubber bullets toward worshipers and blockading worshipers in the Al-Aqsa mosque. Four Palestinians were injured by rubber-coated steel bullets and fragments of stun grenades after….
2 Palestinians injured after settlers throw bottle at car
3/17/2014 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Two Palestinians were injured after Israeli settlers threw a bottle at the car they were driving on the way to Nablus, one of them told Ma’an. The settlers “threw a beer bottle at us, which destroyed the windshield,” one of the Palestinians in the car said. Fathi Badawi and Ismail Murshed Sweidan were lightly injured in the incident. 1….
Settlers destroy 55 olive trees near Nablus
3/16/2014 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli settlers destroyed dozens of olive trees in the northern West Bank district of Nablus on Sunday, an official said. Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority official who monitors settlement activity in the northern West Bank, told Ma’an that settlers raided the village of Jalud and sprayed over 55 olive trees with toxic chemicals, killing them. The trees — which were….
Palestinian prisoner ‘at risk of death’ 2 months into hunger strike
3/16/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian man on hunger strike in Israeli custody is at risk of dying, a lawyer said Sunday. Palestinian Authority Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs lawyer Hiba Masalha said she visited hunger striker Waheed Abu Maria in Wolfson Hospital on Saturday, and that he is in critical condition. Abu Maria, who has been on hunger strike for 67 days, has lost….
Fuel enters Gaza as Kerem Shalom crossing re-opened
3/16/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Deliveries of fuel to the Gaza Strip resumed on Sunday morning as Israeli authorities allowed the Kerem Shalom (Kerem Abu Salem) crossing to re-open, Palestinian crossing officials said. The decision comes only a day after the besieged coastal enclave’s sole power plant was forced to shut down after Israel closed the border crossing, cutting off its supplies of…. Related:†Gaza power plant restart delayed over fuel
Gaza power plant restart delayed over fuel
3/16/2014 – GAZA CITY (AFP) — Gaza’s sole power station will not resume operations until Monday, despite Israel reopening a crossing to fuel deliveries, the deputy chief of the Gaza energy authority said on Sunday. Officials had said Israel would allow the resumption of diesel deliveries into Gaza on Sunday, a day after the Palestinian territory’s power plant stopped working because of a lack…. Related:†Fuel enters Gaza as Kerem Shalom crossing re-opened
Thousands of Palestinians surround Jerusalem Old City
3/17/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Thousands of people surrounded the Jerusalem Old City from the al-Khalil gate to al-Asbat gate in a defiant action marking a reading day celebration. The Shabab al-Balad initiative organized the event in which people from Jerusalem, Palestinian-Israelis, and some people from the West Bank gathered to read simultaneously. Hundreds of others in Bethlehem, al-Ram, al-Ismailiya in Egypt, and Amman in Jordan….
Palestine student group banned at Boston-area university
3/16/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A pro-Palestinian student group at a university in Boston was banned last week in what student leaders are calling a politically motivated attack on their free speech. The suspension of the Northeastern University Students for Justice in Palestine came only days after students affiliated with the group distributed mock “eviction notices” in students’ dormitories with information about Israeli practices of….
Analysis: Saji was not a victim, and neither am I
3/16/2014 – Wa’d Abbas is a fourth year undergraduate student of English Literature and Business Administration at Birzeit University. – On the night of March 10, two Palestinians were shot dead. The following morning, four Palestinians were killed — one reportedly shot by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, and the others during an Israeli raid on the Gaza Strip. Six Palestinians killed in around 24….
Israel’s Yaalon says Abbas ‘no partner’ for peace deal
3/17/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said on Saturday Mahmud Abbas was “not a partner for a final peace deal” as the Palestinian leader prepared to meet US President Barack Obama. Abbas “is a partner for receiving, not giving,” Yaalon told Israel’s Channel 2 television in an interview.” He is not a partner for a final agreement that would include the recognition….
Iran’s Zarif sees no nuclear deal this week
3/17/2014 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday talks with world powers this week are unlikely to result in a comprehensive accord on Iran’s controversial nuclear drive.” This round of talks will be more serious than previous ones,” Zarif said in remarks reported by the official IRNA news agency.” But we do not expect an agreement (in this round), as it….
Israel to deliver remains of 3 Palestinians
3/16/2014 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israel will deliver the remains of three Palestinians killed years earlier to their families on Tuesday, a rights group announced. The Israeli rights group Center for the Defense of the Individual, HaMoked, said the remains of Mohammad Hamoudha from Nablus and Ahmad Saleh from Asira al-Qibliya village near Nablus will be returned. Hamoudha was killed in February 2002 and Saleh was….
Jordan king visits family of judge killed by Israel
3/16/2014 – AMMAN, Jordan (AFP) — King Abdullah II on Sunday visited the family of a Jordanian judge killed by Israeli soldiers to offer his condolences, the palace said on Twitter. A picture on Twitter showed the king hugging the father of 38-year-old Raed Zeiter.”His majesty King Abdullah II offers condolences to the family of martyr judge Raed Zeiter,” reads the caption. Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur….
Fatah: Hamas bans Abbas support festival in Gaza
3/16/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Gaza Ministry of Interior has banned a Fatah festival in support of President Mahmoud Abbas, a Fatah official said Sunday. Fatah Central Committee Member Amal Hamad said that Hamas’ decision to ban the festival — which was to take place in Gaza City’s Square of the Unknown Soldier — was damaging to the Palestinian cause. Hamad said the….
Saudi bans Darwish at book fair in wide-ranging crackdown
3/17/2014 – RIYADH (AFP) — Saudi authorities have banned hundreds of books, including works by renowned Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, as part of a crackdown on publications deemed threatening to the conservative kingdom. The local Okaz daily reported Sunday that organizers at the Riyadh International Book Fair had confiscated “more than 10,000 copies of 420 books” during the exhibition. Local news website Sabq. org reported that members of….
Syria army recaptures rebel bastion Yabrud
3/17/2014 – YABRUD, Syria (AFP) — Syria’s army seized full control of the rebel bastion Yabrud on Sunday, dealing the opposition a heavy symbolic and strategic blow in the Qalamoun region adjoining the Lebanese border. An AFP reporter entered the town after the army declared it had captured the opposition stronghold north of the capital. Syrian soldiers sat in the streets after it was taken in….
Egypt leftist tells army to stay out of politics
3/17/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) — A leftist leader who ran in the 2012 presidential election on Sunday urged Egypt’s military to stay out of politics, criticizing an expected leadership bid by the army chief. Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has emerged as the most popular political figure in Egypt after having ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, has made no secret of his intention to stand….
Syria infiltrators, fighters in Jordan custody
3/17/2014 – AMMAN, Jordan (AFP) — Jordanian border guards on Sunday clashed with and arrested four people as they tried to enter the country illegally from war-torn Syria, the army said. The army also said three other people “who are members of groups fighting in Syria have voluntarily handed themselves over to the border guards.””The three men hold Jordanian nationality as well as the nationality of an….
Syrians mark uprising anniversary with arts festival
3/17/2014 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Anti-regime activists in the Syrian town of Kafranbel on Sunday marked the third anniversary of the uprising with an arts festival that included open-air cinema screenings and exhibitions. The rebel-held town in the northwestern province of Idlib has become famous for the humourous slogans and banners written in English and Arabic its activists use in weekly protests, the pictures of which have been….
Abu Dhabi extends period of $20 bn loans to Dubai
3/16/2014 – DUBAI (AFP) — Oil-rich Abu Dhabi and the UAE central bank agreed Sunday to roll over $20 billion in loans to neighboring debt-laden Dubai after it was hit by the 2009 global financial crisis. The government of Abu Dhabi agreed to roll over a loan of $10 billion for a renewable five years, the state news agency WAM reported. The Abu Dhabi-based central bank of the….
Peace envoy Brahimi visits Syria ally Iran
3/16/2014 – TEHRAN (AFP) — The UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, arrived in Tehran on Sunday for talks on the Syria crisis with top Iranian officials, media reports said. The Fars news agency said he would meet President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and other officials during his three-day visit. Shiite Iran is Syria’s main regional ally and a staunch supporter….
Palestinians protest UN food cuts in Gaza
AlJazeera 16 Mar 2014 – Cuts to the UN Relief and Works Agency food programme have left thousands of Palestinian refugees without support.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Israeli Naval Forces Arrested Two Fishermen, Wounded Two Others and Confiscated a Fishing Boat in Gaza Waters
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Remember Rachel
3/16/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Occupied Palestine – On this date 11 years ago, ISM volunteer Rachel Corrie was brutally murdered by the Israeli army in Gaza. Rachel was 23-years-old. This interview was filmed two days before Rachel was killed and her words are still unfortunately relevant when describing the situation in Gaza. To this day the Gaza strip is still besieged. Regular air strikes carried out….
occupied Palestinian territory: Four days after escalation in Gaza, movement through the crossings is extremely limited
Relief Web 17 Mar 2014 – Source: Gisha Country: Egypt, occupied Palestinian territory March 16, 2014. Four days after an escalation in hostilities, the crossings between Gaza and Israel remain almost completely closed. Kerem Shalom Crossing has been closed to passage of goods since Thursday and…
Syrian Arab Republic: New UK support for Syria
Relief Web 16 Mar 2014 – Source: Department for International Development Country: Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland UK allocates over £36 million to organisations working inside Syria and across the region The UK has…
Pele clarifies position after Brazil protesters branded him traitor of the century
The National 17 Mar 2014 – Pele has moved to clarify his stance on the demonstrations sweeping across Brazil after protesters in Rio de Janeiro last week called him the traitor of the century for backing his country’s hosting of this summer’s multi-billion dollar Fifa World Cup.
Twenty-five countries in search for missing Malaysian airliner
The National 16 Mar 2014 – Search operation expands dramatically after new information shows aircraft’s possible flight path could extend from Kazakhstan to southern Indian Ocean,
Online education tutorials make great strides in India
The National 16 Mar 2014 – There is an increase in education websites to make up for the lack of quality teachers. Samanth Subramanian reports from New Delhi.
Saudi bans books at fair in wide-ranging crackdown
The National 16 Mar 2014 – Saudi Arabia has banned hundreds of books, including the works of renowned Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.
Obama to press Abbas on extension for negotiations with Israel
The National 16 Mar 2014 – The odds that the negotiations will be extended appears slim, but the shifting geopolitics could offer a fresh wind to the beleaguered talks. Taimur Khan reports
Crimean voters overwhelmingly support joining Russia
The National 16 Mar 2014 – Exit polls cited by local officials showed 93 per cent of the voters in favour of leaving Ukraine and joining Russia in the most serious redrawing of the map of Europe since Kosovo s 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia.
Iraqi Kurdistan an attraction for tourists amid regional unrest
The National 16 Mar 2014 – The Kurdistan Regional Government aims to develop local tourism in an effort to diversify its economy away from oil and natural gas.
After tours in Syria and Iraq, Saudi militants head to Yemen
The National 16 Mar 2014 – The influx detected in the past few months is worrying for Yemen, where several hundred Saudi militants are already thought to be fighting alongside their Yemeni counterparts in Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
GCC must unify on drugs and terror†
The National 16 Mar 2014 – The stability of Yemen will affect all the Gulf states.
Assad allies recapture key town on border with Lebanon
The National 16 Mar 2014 – The fall of Yabroud is the latest blow to Syrian rebels fighting to topple the regime of Bashar Al Assad.
Crimea votes on whether to secede from Ukraine
The National 16 Mar 2014 – The Sunday vote is regarded as illegitimate both by the acting Ukrainian government and by the West, but is widely expected to pass.
Emotional Pacific castaway survivor meets dead mate s family
The National 16 Mar 2014 – Jose Salvador Alvarenga travelled from his homeland to neighbouring Mexico to speak with the parents and siblings of the late Ezequiel Cordova, 24.
India suspends its search for missing Malaysia Airlines plane
The National 16 Mar 2014 – India on Sunday suspended its search for Malaysia Airlines flight 370 around the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands and in the Bay of Bengal and is awaiting a new request from Malaysia, a defence official said.
IDF backtracks, removes Palestinian flag from Hebron roof
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
The vanishing flight – could it happen here?
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
JNF to receive greater state oversight
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
In search of Queen Esther in Rishon Letzion
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Netanyahu aide asks watchdog to censor report on asylum seekers
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Cinema on Shabbat, the right of secular Jerusalemites
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Could there be an Arab-Israeli president? Yes, but not just yet
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Mediterranean cleanup targets will not be met, says expert
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
The limits of Iron Dome
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Banks told to prepare for new reporting rules on U.S. clients
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Many children with ADHD are overtreated, Israeli study says
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Human trafficking to Israel has been beaten. Let s now tackle prostitution
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Obama desperately seeking a Plan B
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Israel’s High Court approves Tel Aviv s kinder, gentler policy on homeless
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Israel tightens aviation security as hijacking suspected in Malaysia flight disappearance
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Crimea preliminary results: 90 percent vote to join Russia
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Obama to press Abbas on framework deal in White House meeting
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Word of the Day / Oznei Haman: Ears of a villain
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Suicide bomb kills three in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Ministers mulling luxury car choices as state orders 10 new hybrid vehicles
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Beyonce’s debut show in Israel set for June 15
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Report: Syrian opposition willing to trade Golan claims for Israeli military support
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
U.S. warns Putin: Russia faces isolation, sanctions over Ukraine
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Roger Waters hits back at ‘anti-Semite’ charge
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Malaysian Airlines mystery: The top three suspects
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Herdsmen kill 100 in attacks on Nigerian villages
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Purim in Jaljulya
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Purim in pictures: Israel 2014
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Is the U.S. determined enough to confront Iran?
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Women’s rights in Israel: Everything’s relative
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Malaysian police examine pilot’s flight simulator
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Abbas, Obama set for crucial meeting at White House
Ha’aretz – 16 Mar 2014
Gindi nearing deal with owners over collapsed balcony at Hadera project
Ha’aretz – 15 Mar 2014
Sick, demented mask exhibit at museum leads to mass riot
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Hundreds of ancient masks from the Brazilian rainforest on display at the Central Jerusalem museum causes uproar.†
Thousands celebrate Purim in Holon, at the Mother of all Adloyadas
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Annual Purim parade, country’s largest, is a fun time for families and costume connoisseurs alike.†
Syrian forces fully control rebel stronghold near Lebanon
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Car bomb in Lebanon targets Hezbollah for Syria engagement; battle intensifies to close border crossings to Lebanon.†
From Jroast to Hollywood
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – The former managing editor of the ‘Roast’ hits it big in Hollywood after acting as an extra for the latest Natalie Portman flick.†
Cholent to be served on El Al flights
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – In response to complaints of unsatisfactory food, the Israeli airline will now serve chulent, gefillte fish and even kugel during flights.†
Jewish Schindler nominated for Nobel Prize for Syrian refugee aid
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee nominates philanthropist Yank Barry for his aid work for Syrian refugees in Bulgaria.†
Anti-Israel sentiment in Jordan at fever pitch in wake of fatal shooting
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Last week, IDF soldiers killed a Jordanian judge at the Allenby Bridge border crossing after Israeli authorities said he tried to steal a guard’s rifle.†
Olmert forms consulting firm with Halutz, Dagan
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – “The company will advise countries and companies outside Israel with diplomacy, strategy, and security issues,” according to a source.†
Purim 1953: Jews in the Communist empire
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – It is hoped that schools in Israel will teach about these events and the immense crimes of international communism.†
Purim the world s conscience
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – When our conscience bothers us, there are two ways of dealing with it. One is to adhere to its voice of justice. The second way is to erase it, banish it, and eradicate its voice.†
The Esther Award goes to…
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Scarlett bravely said no, and thereby stopped the lies from passing through her. Like Esther, she put herself on the line for truth.†
Jazz artist Danilo Perez comes to Israel
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – The Panamanian- born pianist and composer will be supported by the other members of his Panama 500 quartet.†
Secular campaign to open sleek Jerusalem cinema on Sabbath suffers setback
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Supreme Court says city council, which is predominantly made up of Orthodox lawmakers, must vote on matter.†
Why Abbas thinks Jewish state is a delusional myth
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Netanyahu s demand and the PA s refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state are clearly not just a quibble over semantics.†
The Beit Shemesh vote
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Beit Shemesh is not a microcosm of Israeli society. The reality is more complex, and less polarized.†
Reality check: The Netanyahu governing coalition s arrogance
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – In today s multi-cultural world, Netanyahu s narrow-minded worldview is a throwback to the past, while Herzog is the man for the future†
Candidly speaking: Putin, Ukraine and the Jews
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Thirty years ago, I would never have visualized myself supporting closer relations between Israel and Russia.†
Purim spoof: Cruising through the shuk – on a gondola
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – If Jerusalem Mayor Niv Meerkat’s last plan comes to fruition, tourists and Israeli’s alike will soon be able to glide around the holy land.†
Netanyahu to refocus efforts on boosting support within Likud
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – PM won face-off with head of the Likud central committee Danon three weeks ago to set the party’s convention agenda.†
Ombudsman rebuffs Netanyahu bid to make upcoming report on migrants top secret
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – State Comptroller Joseph Shapira’s report may be critical of government officials who erred in dealing with migrants.†
Comptroller denies request to keep migrants report confidential
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – State Comptroller Joseph Shapira’s report may be critical of government officials who erred in dealing with migrants.†
Herzliya celebrates Purim with first ever Adloyada
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Princesses, clowns, ninjas and wild animals lined the streets of Herzliya as people of all ages celebrated Purim with the city s first ever Adloyada.†
82 senators outline ‘acceptable’ terms for Iran deal in letter to Obama
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Senate aides tell ‘Post’ that letter to be delivered this week calls for dismantling of Iran’s ability to have uranium or plutonium path to nukes.†
Proposed bill blocking sale of ‘strategic assets’ to foreign hands could kill Tnuva sale
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – MK Yishai Braverman(Labor) seeks to protect “local manufacture, local employment, workers’ rights and competition.”†
Iran’s Zarif expects “tougher, more serious” round of nuclear talks
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – The Arak heavy water reactor is emerging as a big stumbling block in Iran’s talks with the world powers.†
Saudi Arabia bans prominent Palestinian authors from Riyadh book fair
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Works by Mahmoud Darwish, Muin Bseiso, and Azmi Bishara are removed from event; in all 10,000 copies of 420 books are banned.†
WATCH: Zombies take over Tel Aviv for Purim
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Fifth annual ‘Zombie Walk’ lets Israel’s undead strut their stuff.†
Police: IDF Soldier claiming to have escaped kidnapping was lying
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – Soldier from Beit Jann tells police that three men attempted to force him into vehicle in Lower Galilee; police say story fabricated.†
Teen environmentalists to embark on 6-day trek to protest Eilat rail link
Jerusalem Post 16 Mar 2014 – A group of 20 activists from the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel will make the 200-kilometer trip on March 27.†
Crimea vote fully legal, Putin tells Obama
Daily Star 16 Mar 2014 President Vladimir Putin on Sunday told US President Barack Obama in telephone talks that the referendum on the Ukrainian region of Crimea joining Russia was “completely in line with the norms of international law,” the Kremlin…
US delivers Hellfire missiles, ammunition to Iraq
Daily Star 16 Mar 2014 The U.S. embassy to Iraq says that the United States has delivered 100 Hellfire missiles, along with assault rifles and ammunition as part of its anti-terrorism assistance to the country.
Militants attack Iraq anti-Qaeda leader, kill four
Daily Star 16 Mar 2014 Heavily-armed militants attacked the home of an anti-Qaeda militiaman north of Baghdad Sunday, killing and decapitating his wife and two sons and killing another person in a brutal pre-dawn assault.
Egypt ex-presidential candidate: Election a farce
Daily Star 16 Mar 2014 A former Egyptian presidential candidate close to the country’s youth movements said Sunday he would not take part in upcoming presidential elections, calling them a “farce” stacked in favor of Egypt’s powerful military chief.
Egypt crackdown brings most arrests in decades
Daily Star 16 Mar 2014 Egypt’s crackdown on Islamists has jailed 16,000 people over the past eight months in the country’s biggest round-up in nearly two decades, according to previously unreleased figures from security officials.
Peace envoy Brahimi visits Syria ally Iran
Daily Star 16 Mar 2014 The UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, arrived in Tehran on Sunday for talks on the Syria crisis with top Iranian officials, media reports said.
Kerry urges Abbas to make ‘tough decisions’ on peace
YNet News, 16 Mar 2014 – ….
Beqaa Valley car bombing: 2 of the killed were Hezbollah members
YNet News, 16 Mar 2014 – ….
Crimea assembly speaker expects quick Moscow decision on union
YNet News, 16 Mar 2014 – ….
Putin expresses fears to Obama about Russian speakers in Ukraine
YNet News, 16 Mar 2014 – ….
Suicide bomb kills three in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley
YNet News, 16 Mar 2014 – ….
Meir Har-Zion: The Story of a Legend
YNet News, 16 Mar 2014 – A number of Israel’s most courageous fighters were captured in a photograph taken 59 years ago in Khan Yunis. Meir Har-Zion, who passed away last Friday, was the last survivor of this heroic group of men. ….
Happy Purim from the IDF!
YNet News, 16 Mar 2014 – Soldiers get their groove on and breakdance to a festive song to celebrate Purim…..
Ukraine Jews refute Russia’s ‘neo-Nazi’ claims
YNet News, 16 Mar 2014 – Despite recent attack on rabbi, Ukraine’s Jewish leaders attempt to dispel allegations: ‘There’s a difference between nationalism and Nazism.’ ….
Palestinian Information Center
Bardawil: 90% of Palestinians did not authorize Abbas to negotiate
PIC – Hamas movement said on Sunday that PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas was not authorized by the Palestinian people to negotiate on their behalf.
IOF reinforces military outposts on the Gaza border
PIC – Local residents and eyewitnesses said that the Israeli occupation forces began on Saturday to transfer new military equipment to locations along the northeastern border of the Gaza Strip.
IOF attacks Palestinian worshipers in al-Aqsa Mosque
PIC – A least one Palestinian was injured in his head when Israeli police attacked on Sunday morning Palestinian worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque plazas.†
IOF arrests six Palestinians in Qalqilya
PIC – Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested on Sunday six Palestinians in Hoja village in Qalqilya northern West Bank.
Media experts participate in the Palestine Media Forum
PIC – Palestine Media Society said that Arabs and foreign media experts and intellectuals have confirmed their participation in the Palestine International Media Forum.
150 Palestinians died under torture in Syrian prisons
PIC – 150 Palestinian refugees died under torture in Syrian prisons since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution, Action Group for Palestinians in Syria revealed.
Abbas meets Obama on Monday in Washington
PIC – PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas left for the United States on Saturday on an official visit where he is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama to discuss developments of the peace process.
Norwegian film depicts suffering of Palestinian child prisoners
PIC – A film that depicts suffering of Palestinian child prisoners in Israeli jails and how imprisonment of children impacts their lives is currently displayed in the Austrian capital Vienna.
IOA opens Karem Abu Salem crossing
PIC – The Israeli Occupation Authorities decided to open Karem Abu Salem crossing on Sunday to allow the entry of fuel as Gaza‚¨ “!s sole power plant had shut down at noon Saturday due to fuel shortage.
Israeli Police arrests Several Palestinians, including 3 Minors in Jerusalem
WAFA – 16 Mar 2014
Settlers Kill Olive Trees with Chemicals near Nablus
WAFA – 16 Mar 2014
Israeli Army Arrests Reporter in Hebron
WAFA – 16 Mar 2014
PEX Report: Index Down again
WAFA – 12 Mar 2014
Syrian military retakes Yabroud, a rebel stronghold
LA Times 16 Mar 2014 – Yabroud had long been a key logistics base for opposition supplies and insurgents entering Syria from Lebanese territory. BEIRUT Syrian forces have overrun a strategic rebel stronghold close to the Lebanese border, the military said Sunday, in the latest battlefield victory for the government…
Syrian war is slipping from the hands of battered rebels
LA Times 15 Mar 2014 – After three years, the humanitarian situation is getting worse, talks appear near collapse and rebels still vow to fight ‘to the last man.’ ARSAL, Lebanon The battle is not going well for rebels dug in across the nearby brown hills in Syria, where pro-government…
9/11 Architect Says Bin Laden s Son-In-Law Had No Role in Qaeda Military Operations
New York Times 16 Mar 2014 – Khalid Shaikh Mohammed suggests that Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, who is on trial in Manhattan, was enlisted to make fiery speeches for Al Qaeda because he was an eloquent, spellbinding speaker. †
News Analysis: Obama s Policy Is Put to the Test as Crises Challenge Caution
New York Times 16 Mar 2014 – Crises in Ukraine and Syria are challenging President Obama s attempts to change the way the United States deals with its overseas adversaries.†
Syrian Government Forces Seize Town in a Deep Blow to Opposition
New York Times 16 Mar 2014 – Government forces, backed by Hezbollah fighters, took control of Yabrud, a critical transit point for militants, refugees and arms heading in and out of Lebanon.†
Palestinians Split in Gaza as Hamas Blocks Fatah Rally
New York Times 16 Mar 2014 – The conflict is a sign of the enduring schism between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, a factor that further complicates American-brokered Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.†
Car Bombs Kill 19 People in Iraq’s Capital
New York Times 15 Mar 2014 – A series of car bomb attacks targeting commercial areas and a restaurant killed at least 19 people Saturday in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, authorities said.†
Malaysia Airlines Crash, Security Lapses and Human Failure
Tikun Olam – Though this is not my general subject matter, there are two issues surrounding this tragic flight that mystify me.† They do relate to some of the national security issues I write about, so here goes. The very notion that in this age of advanced technology, when…
Protalix-Pfizer collaboration disappoints
Globes Main News – Sales of Protalix’s Gaucher’s disease drug to Pfizer totaled $4.4 million in 2013.
Former PM, Mossad chief, IDF chief found mystery co
Globes Main News – Ehud Olmert, Meir Dagan, and Dan Halutz have set up EOC Partners.
Northeastern president is urged to restore SJP s First Amendment rights
Mondoweiss – Lately Northeastern University suspended the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. This is a letter to Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun.† Dear President Aoun: We are writing on behalf of the Bay Area (SF) chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace to express our solidarity…
Gov’t mulls tighter controls for money changers
Globes Main News – The new requirements resemble the obligations imposed on the banks to locate unreported money.
NTA chairman promises Tel Aviv light rail by 2021
Globes Main News – Alex Wiznitzer tells “Globes TV: Were this the private sector, it would look different.
Peace Now board member jokes about owning a SodaStream
Mondoweiss – SodaStream is built in Ma aleh Adumim, a settlement in the occupied West Bank During the recent controversy over Scarlett Johansson s appearance in a SuperBowl ad for the seltzer-maker SodaStream, which builds its fizzers in the occupied territories, Americans for Peace Now took a strong line against…
Trade deficit narrows sharply
Globes Main News – The trade deficit fell to $2.3 billion at the end of 2013 from $8.5 billion a year earlier.
Teddy Sagi buys Camden Stables Market for £400m
Globes Main News – Sagi bought the popular London market from Israeli tycoon Bebo Kobo and his British partners.
BoI orders banks to prepare for FATCA
Globes Main News – The Bank of Israel is not waiting for an Israeli-US agreement on the exchange of tax data.
Kerry tries to get out of Jewish-state trap set by Netanyahu and the lobby
Mondoweiss – Kerry traveling to London on March 14 John Kerry s peace initiative is hitting choppy waters. Earlier this week he told the Senate Foreign Relations committee that Israelis and Palestinians had never been so far apart during his nine months of negotiations. And what is the stumbling…
Who will pay for higher retirement age?†
Globes Macro Economics – For businesses, raising the retirement age, burdens them with more years of employing workers with an above average salary cost.
Scarlett Johansson: No regrets over SodaStream
Globes Main News – Johansson told “The Observer” that Oxfam has supported and funded BDS against Israel.
Azrieli donates NIS 800m in shares to charities†
Globes Macro Economics – David Azrieli has donated 6.9 million Azrieli Group shares to the Azrieli Foundation.
Analysts say low inflation supports interest rate cut†
Globes Macro Economics – Leader analyst Yonatan Katz sees the Consumer Price Index falling again in March.
Locker: Only crooks buy Mercedes for cash†
Globes Macro Economics – Prime Minister’s Office director Harel Locker: The top 1% are also involved in black money.
Home price rises stabilize
Globes Main News – The Prices of Dwelling Index rose by only 0.1% in January 2014.
Flug: Raise taxes on real estate investments
Globes Main News – Bank of Israel Governor Karnit Flug: If the pace of housing starts continues, the home prices trend will change.
Israel Steals Palestinian Resources†
Sabbah report 17 Mar 2014 – Ethnic cleansing is official Israeli policy. So is stealing Palestinian land and resources. Fundamental rule of law principles don’t matter. Continue reading í! Read More: Israel Steals Palestinian Resources . Sign up for our free newsletter!
Israel Is No Ally But Is It Even A Friend?†
Sabbah report 17 Mar 2014 – Israel has no reluctance to use its enormous political and media clout in the US to pressure successive administrations to conform to its own foreign and security policy views. Continue reading í! Read More: Israel Is No Ally But Is It Even A Friend? . Sign up…
Two women trapped in Damascus†
BBC 16 Mar 2014 – Two Iraqi women who travelled to Syria for safety – and got trapped
John Kerry Pushes Mahmoud Abbas To Make Compromises for Peace†
The Foward Breaking News 16 Mar 2014 – Secretary of State John Kerry urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday to make the tough decisions that will be necessary before an April 29 deadline for a peace deal with Israel, a U.S. official said. Click here for the rest of the article…
VIDEO: Syrians broadcast from Turkey†
BBC 16 Mar 2014 – BBC reporter James Reynolds visits US-backed Watan FM radio, based in Istanbul, which helps exiled Syrians broadcast across the border into Syria.
Syria ‘recaptures rebel border town’†
BBC 16 Mar 2014 – Syria’s military says it has recaptured Yabroud, the last major rebel stronghold near the Lebanese border.
A Partial Correction on the Atarot Post†
The Magnes Zionist 16 Mar 2014 – Subscribers: Please check out my blog here because this post will be virtually incomprehensible if you can t see the maps. I criticized the NY Times for changing an article in response to misinformation given then by the rightwing pro-Israel media watchdog group CAMERA. Here s what I…
Palestinian Youths Throw Stones at Israeli Police on Temple Mount†
The Foward Breaking News 16 Mar 2014 – Israeli police were pelted with stones at the Temple Mount for the third time in two months. Click here for the rest of the article…
Barack Obama and Mahmoud Abbas to Discuss ‘Jewish State’ Recognition†
The Foward Breaking News 16 Mar 2014 – In their upcoming meeting, President Obama and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will discuss Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, as well as Israel s planned release of Palestinian prisoners. Click here for the rest of the article…
Al Qaeda-Linked Group Claims Responsibility for Border Attack on IDF Jeep†
The Foward Breaking News 16 Mar 2014 – A terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for an attack on an Israel Defense Forces jeep on Israel s border with Lebanon. Click here for the rest of the article…
Evangelical Christians Rally Against Occupation as Palestinians Gain Support†
The Forward New 16 Mar 2014 – Evangelicals learned about the injustice of the occupation at Christ at the Checkpoint. The Bethlehem event marks growing support for the Palestinians and a worry for Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Suicide bomber kills two in East Lebanon†
Al-Akhbar News 16 Mar 2014 – Updated 12:16 am: A suicide bomber killed two people late Sunday in the eastern Lebanese town of al-Nabi Othman in an attack claimed by two separate jihadist groups, state news reported. Lebanon’s National News Agency said a man travelling in a Jeep Grand Cherokee a…
Will Erdogan apologize to Turkey’s Shiites?†
Al-Monitor 16 Mar 2014 – Turkey s high political tensions finally engulfed the Turkish Shiites (Jaafaris) who are furious with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for calling Shiites liars, slanderers and hate mongers.
Fire kills two Syrian children at refugee camp in Jordan†
Al-Akhbar News 16 Mar 2014 – A fire caused by a candle tore through a Syrian refugee caravan in a town north of Jordan, killing two children, a civil defense department official said on Sunday. “The two Syrian brothers, aged two and five, died late last night after their caravan caught fire…
Erdogan makes crowd boo Berkin Elvan s family†
Al-Monitor 16 Mar 2014 – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan defined Berkin Elvan, the 15-year-old boy who fought for his life for nine months after being hit with a tear gas canister, a terrorist.
Al-Monitor Congress Pulse expands Syria, Russia coverage†
Al-Monitor 16 Mar 2014 – Congress Pulse and “Trendlines” delve into the implications of Ukraine for US policy in the Middle East.
Israeli minister chastises Kerry over “Jewish state” remarks†
Al-Akhbar News 16 Mar 2014 – An Israeli minister on Sunday said Washington’s top diplomat was “wrong” for pressuring Israel in peace talks, a day before western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas visits the White House. His remarks came two days after US Secretary of State John Kerry criticized Israeli Prime…
Egyptian army to respond “decisively” after soldier killings†
Al-Akhbar News 16 Mar 2014 – Egypt’s interim government pledged “decisive” action and ordered heightened security on Sunday after gunmen killed six soldiers at a Cairo checkpoint, as the countdown began to presidential elections this spring. The shooting on Saturday morning came two days after gunmen killed a soldier in Cairo, as…
Is Turkey heading toward Alevi-Sunni clashes?†
Al-Monitor 16 Mar 2014 – The most risky issue for Turkey is a potential Alevi-Sunni clash that requires the Erdogan government to urgently introduce an Alevi freedoms opening.
Ukraine crisis could strengthen Russia-Iran-China ties†
Al-Monitor 16 Mar 2014 – Iran will officially remain neutral on Ukraine, but the outcome of the crisis could mean a strengthening of ties with Russia, as both countries share many strategic interests.
Lebanese soldier’s death brings Tripoli death toll to 12†
Al-Akhbar News 16 Mar 2014 – Lebanese soldiers are seen deployed on a street in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on March 14, 2014. (Photo: AFP – Ibrahim Chalhoub) Lebanese soldiers are seen deployed on a street in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on March 14, 2014. (Photo: AFP -…
Syrian forces in “full control” of Yabrud†
Al-Akhbar News 16 Mar 2014 – A handout picture released on March 15, 2014, by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reportedly shows the city of Yabrud after the Syrian army advanced in the key rebel bastion. (Photo: AFP / SANA / HO) A handout picture released on March 15, 2014, by the…
Mauritania threatened by widespread famine†
Al-Monitor 16 Mar 2014 – In light of the ongoing severe drought, large regions of Mauritania are threatened with famine, while Arab donor states fail to fulfill their pledges.
Lebanese bloggers still have niche†
Al-Monitor 16 Mar 2014 – In light of the prevailing partisanship characterizing traditional media outlets in Lebanon, blogging has provided a space for citizens and readers to interact with taboo topics away from the censors.
Arab women still face many challenges†
Al-Monitor 16 Mar 2014 – Despite some improvements in recent years, the outlook for the situation of Arab women is still bleak.
Lebanese fisherwomen fight to stay afloat†
Al-Monitor 16 Mar 2014 – Despite the challenges of working in a male-dominated profession, along with lawsuits aimed at evicting them from their seaside homes, Lebanon s fisherwomen remain resilient.
Lebanon in urgent need of new press law†
Al-Akhbar Politics 15 Mar 2014 – A protester displays a placard during a rally to support press freedom in Hong Kong on March 2, 2014.(Photo: AFP-Philippe Lopez) A protester displays a placard during a rally to support press freedom in Hong Kong on March 2, 2014.(Photo: AFP-Philippe Lopez) Clinging to obsolete laws…
Articles
Israelis storm Al-Aqsa Mosque and injure dozens of Palestinians†
Middle East Monitor (MEMO)†3/16/2014
††††† Dozens of Palestinian worshippers were wounded on Sunday morning when Israeli police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets towards them in Al-Aqsa Mosque. The media coordinator for Al-Aqsa Foundation for Religious Endowments and Islamic Heritage, Mahmoud Abu Atta, said that countless Israeli forces stormed the mosque from the Mughrabi Gate and assaulted the Muslims at prayer inside.
†††† “The Israeli police fired volleys of stun grenades and rubber bullets,” said Abu Atta. “Among all the injuries, at least one young man was seriously wounded in the head during the assault.” He pointed out that the Israeli police prevented students from reaching their religious lessons inside the mosque. The students then staged an impromptu protest outside the Hettan and Al-Majlis Gates.
†††† “Some Muslims spent the night in the mosque while others arrived during the dawn prayers and stayed to protect the site following calls from the Temple organisations to celebrate the Jewish Purim festival there” added Abu Atta.
†††† Jewish settlers have called for an escalation of incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, urging people to storm the site so that they can celebrate the Jewish Passover there in the middle of April. The Al-Aqsa Foundation reported that Israeli forces had a high security presence outside the gates of the sanctuary and in the alleys of the Old City of Jerusalem.
†††† The Foundation warned of the fierce Israeli campaign against Al-Aqsa and other Islamic and Christian sanctities in Jerusalem. It called upon Islamic, Arab and Palestinian organisations to take urgent action to protect and save the mosque, Jerusalem and Islamic and Christian holy sites from the ravages of the Israeli occupation. [END]†e-mail
UN needs more than concern over murder of Palestinians†
Ramona Wadi, Middle East Monitor (MEMO)†3/15/2014
††††† Israel’s most recent murderous rampage elicited a spectrum fluctuating between statements and silence from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and James Rawley, UN deputy special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. Riddled with the usual rhetoric in which murder is mellowed into “incidents”, “cases”, or transformed into an unacknowledged event. The rhetoric spouted by Netanyahu is echoed in Rawley’s statement, which exhibits the various flaws embraced by the UN to bolster Israel’s impunity.
†††† Within 24 hours, Israeli forces in the West Bank murdered university student Saji Darwish and Judge Raed Zeiter. In Gaza, the Israeli Defence Forces committed another atrocity resulting in the killing of three Palestinian resistance fighters.
†††† Darwish was allegedly indulging in stone throwing when soldiers opened fire, making the student a victim of collateral damage according to Israeli rhetoric. Israeli human rights group B’Tselem noted that no further context to the murder was given, other than “an ambush to catch stone throwers”. The organisation stressed the necessity of opening a criminal investigation “of the incident” and advocated against ambushes upon Palestinians.
†††† According to the Times of Israel, a preliminary army investigation established that Zeiter “tried to snatch a weapon and strangle a solider”; despite eyewitnesses claiming the judge was murdered during the course of an argument in which there was no evidence of threat to the soldier’s life. The military allegedly carried out a “comprehensive investigation” and also reported upon the convenient coincidence of a malfunctioning camera on site which failed to record the sequence of events.
†††† Meanwhile, Ma’an News Agency reported that an Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed Ismail Abu Judah, Shahir Abu Shanab and Abd al-Shafi Muammar. The resistance fighters affiliated with Islamic Jihad were resisting Israeli military infiltration in South East Khan Younis, prompting fatal retaliation from the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).†more..†e-mail
Gaza youth defied ‘smell of death’ to form popular band†
Khaled Alashqar, Electronic Intifada†3/12/2014
††††† The Watar Band performs in Gaza to an enthusiastic audience. (Khaled Alashqar / IPS)GAZA CITY (IPS) – Like almost everyone else in Gaza, the six members of the Watar Band are angry about the Israeli-imposed blockade and the resulting misery. Except that they are expressing their anger through music without the music itself sounding angry.
†††† There s much to say and sing. More than a million and a half people in Gaza are living under a tight blockade. Poverty and widespread despair have radically increased as a result.
†††† Unemployment is reaching high levels, particularly among graduate students. Dreams of a better and secure future lie shattered in the impoverished territory.
†††† In these difficult circumstances, these six have chosen to express themselves through the Watar Band s music; watar means tune in Arabic. The six mostly use Western instruments and sing in Arabic, English and French.
†††† Everything was destroyed
†††† Following Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli assault on Gaza in late 2008 and early 2009 which led to the deaths of more than 1,400 people and massive destruction, Ala Shoublak, founder and leading member of the band, gathered some of his musician friends together.
†††† Everything was destroyed, including schools, roads and buildings, and the only theater in Gaza that belongs to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society was bombed….”more..†e-mail
Cameron s Knesset cuckoo-land†
Asa Winstanley, Middle East Monitor (MEMO)†3/14/2014
††††† David Cameron was visiting the Israeli government in occupied Palestine this week. Reading his speech to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, it is striking just how grovelling it is.
†††† Cameron spends large portions of the speech trying to prove his Zionist credentials. Just how much more will I do for thee, Israel? He changed the law to make it easier for Israeli war criminals to visit Britain without fear of prosecution under universal jurisdiction laws. His country is investing in Israel more than ever. And so on.
†††† As is standard for US and European political leaders, Cameron emphasised the need for Israeli “security” and “a life free from the everyday fear of terror”. But of course, nothing was mentioned about the Palestinian need for security and the need to live a life free from Israeli terror.
†††† Israel once again broke, on Tuesday, a ceasefire with Palestinian resistance factions in the Gaza Strip, killing three Islamic Jihad fighters there. The resistance factions responded with a rocket barrage into Israel.
†††† Unnoticed by most of the media, Israeli murders of Palestinian innocent bystanders, activists, and fighters have gone on constantly this year. Cameron mentioned nothing of the killing of student Saji Darwish, shot in the head by Israeli army thugs on Monday. Or of Raed Ala’eddin Zeiter, the 38-year-old Palestinian-Jordanian judge shot dead while trying to cross the Israeli occupation’s Jordan-West Bank crossing that same day.
†††† Not for nothing does Amnesty International’s latest report call Israeli forces “trigger happy”.†more..†e-mail
IAW 2014 Ends but Mass Mobilization Continues
Palestine Chronicle: 16 Mar 2014 – By Iqbal Jassat Johannesburg As South Africa looks back at an exciting and stimulating week of solidarity for the Palestinian cause during Israeli Apartheid Week , it s people can be grateful that unlike the United States, the local Zionist lobby does not possess a stranglehold on government policies. The type of paralysis evident in American domestic and foreign policies for decades has regularly been traced by researchers and historians to Israel and its lobby. Though there is a gradual yet substantive shift currently underway in President Obama s second term, analysts warn that the damage caused to America s interest by being forced, cajoled and blackmailed by a Zionist agenda may take years to reverse if the trajectory remains on course. The example of Iran as a case study is quite revealing. And if Israel s role in the sabotage of Egypt s popular revolution which saw a military coup deposing the country s only…more
Never Forget : For Rachel Corrie A Poem
Palestine Chronicle: 16 Mar 2014 – By Gary Corseri† (Note: American peace activist Rachel Corrie was crushed to death on March 16, 2003, while trying to stop an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) armored bulldozer from demolishing Palestinian homes in the occupied Gaza Strip.) Barely a woman, twenty three years old Soft, vulnerable& . Surely, the Monster Will stop in its tracks! She steels her will, Thinks of the tank in Tiananmen Square One little
man stopping a tank! Surely, They will perceive her love-resolve: To die in a great cause is to mortar Not martyr the Cause! She must not die! Cannot break her parents hearts Back home!† (She sees them now!) If only they knew How she had grown! They would understand& This other love that held her now In place, this love of home and place, And the Other, Of the faces, the voices, the laughter& Olive groves and sun-scented skin; The love she d found for…more
Israel s Counter-Coalition
Palestine Chronicle: 16 Mar 2014 – By Uri Avnery Something very important happened this week in the most unlikely of places: the Knesset. On the agenda were three laws, one worse than the other. One was about governance . Its main provision raises the electoral threshold i.e. the minimum an election list needs to enter the Knesset from 2% to 3.25%. The obvious intention is to expel the three lists which derive their votes from the Arab sector, and which hover around this level. The second was about sharing the load equally . Its declared aim is to compel thousands of orthodox youth to serve in the army, from which they are now exempted. In practice, the new law exempts them for another four years. Israelis call this Israbluff . The third is about peace, or the lack of. It says that any agreement that would give up territory which is at present controlled by Israel would…more
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The New Dark Age 
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