24 March 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Israel to Evacuate 18 Families in Northern Jordan Valley
IMEMC – Israeli forces, on Monday, served 18 families from Wadi Buzeq, in the northern Jordan Valley, with orders to evacuate their homes tomorrow (Tuesday, March 25, 2014), under the pretext of carrying out military training. …
Abbas Agrees to Extend Peace Talks ‘Under Conditions’
IMEMC – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has agreed to extend peace talks with Israel, if certain conditions are met, a Palestinian official said on Monday. …
Israeli Assaults and Kidnappings Continue Across West Bank
IMEMC – Israeli forces, Monday, abducted eight people in the West Bank districts of Bethlehem and Nablus, as well as summoned another for interrogation, according to local and security sources. …
Settlers Continue to Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound
IMEMC – Israeli settlers raided, on Monday, al-Aqsa mosque through Bab al-Magharbeh (Maghrabi Gate), under the protection of Israeli police. …
Prisoner Abu Sisi Transferred to Hospital
IMEMC – Spokesperson of Waed Association for Prisoners and Ex-prisoners, Abdullah Qandil, said that prisoner Dirar Abu Sisi was transferred today [Monday, March 24, 2014] from Eshel prison to Soroka hospital, in Beersheba, due to the deterioration in his health. …
Man injured as settlers attack Palestinian farmers near Burin
3/24/2014 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Clashes broke out Sunday morning after Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian farmers in their fields near the northern West Bank village of Burin south of Nablus. Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority official who monitors settlement-related activities in the northern West Bank, told Ma’an that dozens of settlers from the nearby Bracha settlement attacked Palestinian farmers in the eastern fields of….
Jewish extremists vandalize 45 cars in East Jerusalem
3/24/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Suspected Jewish extremists punctured the tires of dozens of Palestinian cars in annexed East Jerusalem on Monday in the latest so-called “price tag” hate crime, police and an AFP correspondent said. The attack took place in Beit Hanina with Hebrew graffiti on a nearby bus reading “Gentiles in the country are enemies”. Police said the tires of 34 cars were punctured, but an….
Waqf: Israel implementing ‘biggest Judaization project’ in Jerusalem
3/24/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli institutes have begun implementing “the biggest Judaization” project in Jerusalem, the Waqf organization that overseas the Al-Aqsa Mosque said in a statement Monday. The project, called the “National Antiquities Complex,” will be constructed on a 20 dunams (5 acres) of land in West Jerusalem near Hebrew University’s Givat Ram campus, the statement said. The complex will contain an….
Israeli army fires shell into northern Gaza
3/24/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Israeli army fired an artillery shell into the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, witnesses told Ma’an. Locals said that the shell landed in the Buart Abu Samra area of Beit Lahia. No injuries were reported, medics said. It was not immediately clear if the shell caused damages. 1 ) adam / usa 24/03/2014 21:35More likely one….
Abbas agrees to extend peace talks ‘under conditions’
3/24/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas has agreed to extend peace talks with Israel if certain conditions are met, a Palestinian official said Monday. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Ma’an that during a recent meeting with US President Barack Obama Abbas agreed to extend peace negotiations if Israel pledged to freeze settlement construction and release more prisoners. A….
Israeli jets perform mock raids over Gaza
3/24/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli fighter jets on Monday evening performed mock air raids in Gaza’s airspace. Witnesses said that loud sounds were heard as Israeli fighter jets roared low over Gaza, causing panic among residents. Earlier, the Israeli army fired an artillery shell into the northern Gaza Strip, witnesses told Ma’an. No injuries were reported. It was not immediately….
Report: Police detain 5 Palestinian citizens of Israel in Nazareth
3/24/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Police detained five Palestinian citizens of Israel in Nazareth on Monday on suspicion that they hurled rocks at Israeli soldiers, according to Israeli media. The Hebrew-language news site Walla reported that Israeli police arrested five men at a construction site after soldiers complained that workers from the construction site had been throwing rocks at them. Police have opened an investigation into….
4 Jerusalem detainees released by Israeli court
3/24/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli court judge on Monday ordered the release of four people from Jerusalem on bail and on the condition that they not enter Damascus Gate for 60 days. Prisoner’s society lawyer Mufeed al-Hajj said that its director in Jerusalem Nasser Qaws, Jerusalem prisoners families committee member Alaa Haddad, head of the Fatah-affiliated youth group al-Shabeeba Ahmad al-Ghoul, and….
Chechen president inaugurates largest mosque in Israel
3/24/2014 – ABU GHOSH, Israel (AFP) — The head of the Russian republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, inaugurated Israel’s largest mosque on Sunday, in a village near Jerusalem whose inhabitants claim descent from Muslim migrants from the Caucasus.”Chechens were only able to declare their nationality freely 11 years ago thanks to Akhmad Kadyrov who drafted the Chechen constitution and enabled us to say to the….
PA ministers to visit Jerusalem hospital in budget crisis
3/24/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – Two Palestinian ministers will visit the al-Maqasid Hospital in East Jerusalem to discuss a severe financial crisis the hospital has been facing for several years. A public information officer of the Palestinian ministry of health confirmed Monday that minister Jawad Awwad and minister of finance Shukri Bishara would visit al-Maqasid Hospital Tuesday. Omar al-Nasr added that the ministry had been following….
529 Morsi backers sentenced to death in Egypt
3/24/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) — A court ordered the execution of 529 supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi after only two hearings on Monday, in the largest such sentencing in Egypt’s modern history. The unprecedented verdict, amid an extensive crackdown on Morsi supporters, is likely to be overturned on appeal, legal experts said. The military-installed authorities have arrested thousands of Morsi supporters and put many….
Security: 26 dead over 12 days in Lebanon’s Tripoli
3/24/2014 – TRIPOLI, Lebanon (AFP) — Twenty-six people, most of them civilians, have been killed in 12 days of clashes between pro- and anti-Damascus fighters in Lebanon’s second city Tripoli, a security source told AFP Monday. Snipers from both sides were still deployed in flashpoint areas of the northern port city, as the fighting subsided on Monday for the first time in nearly two weeks. Tripoli….
Sinai gunmen shoot dead 3 men
3/24/2014 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — Three men were shot dead by gunmen on Monday in the Sinai city of Sheikh Zuweid, Egyptian security sources said. Officials told Ma’an that gunmen affiliated with a fundamentalist Takfiri group shot dead two men after opening fire on their car. Another man was abducted on Friday and later killed. [END]
Ukraine orders Crimea military withdrawal
3/24/2014 – KIEV (AFP) — Ukraine’s acting president announced on Monday that the ex-Soviet nation’s troops have been given orders to withdraw from Crimea following the peninsula’s seizure and annexation by Russia.”The national security and defense council has reached a decision, under instructions from the defense ministry, to conduct a redeployment of military units stationed in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea….
Jazeera’s Greste says Egypt charges baseless as trial adjourned
3/24/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) — Al-Jazeera’s Australian reporter Peter Greste, on trial in Egypt with fellow journalists, said in court Monday that he and his colleagues have spent three months in jail on “baseless” charges. Greste was speaking to reporters from a caged dock as the court heard testimonies from five witnesses, including three security officers. The case, in which 17 others are also charged, has….
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Israeli Forces Kill 2 Palestinian Civilians and Armed Group Member and Wound 12 Civilians in Jenin Refugee Camp
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinian civilians and armed group member and wound 12 civilians in Jenin refugee camp
3/24/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Jenin, Occupied Palestine – In excessive use of force, on Saturday, 22 March 2014, Israeli forces killed, 2 Palestinian civilians and a member of a Palestinian armed group and wounded 12 civilians and a members of the Palestinian National Security Forces in Jenin refugee camp, west of the northern West Bank town of Jenin. Israeli forces claimed via the Israeli media….
occupied Palestinian territory: UNRWA leads the way with region s first green school
Relief Web 24 Mar 2014 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory Gaza The Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Filippo Grandi, laid the cornerstone today for an innovative project to construct…
Missing plane crashed into Indian Ocean, says Malaysia PM
The National 24 Mar 2014 – The sombre announcement on the fate of the plane ended 17 days of agonising uncertainty for relatives of those on board two thirds of them Chinese.
Obama aims to reassure Arabian Gulf leaders over policy shift
The National 24 Mar 2014 – The meetings are the US president’s latest steps to reassure Arab Gulf allies over recent policy changes.
Syria Islamist militants capture town near Turkey border
The National 24 Mar 2014 – The advances, while minor in terms of territory, provided a boost to a beleaguered rebellion that has suffered a string of battlefield losses in recent weeks.
Saudi clerics urge faithful to shun Islamic superhero series
The National 24 Mar 2014 – In a religious decree carried by Saudi websites on Monday, the clerics ruled the series blasphemous because the superheroes of its title are based on the 99 attributes ascribed to Allah in the Koran.
Six-month-old boy is Iraq s first polio case in 14 years
The National 24 Mar 2014 – The government in Baghdad has yet to publicly acknowledge the outbreak, although a mass immunisation campaign is underway.
Egypt court sentences 529 Brotherhood members to death
The National 24 Mar 2014 – The accused include several leaders of Mohammed Morsi s Muslim Brotherhood, including its supreme guide Mohamed Badie.
Australia sights two new objects in search for missing Malaysia jet
The National 24 Mar 2014 – Two new objects were spotted in the search for Malaysia’s missing jet Monday, Australia said, with a ship heading to the scene and expected to be in the area ‘within hours’.
In pictures: Intense search in Indian Ocean for missing MH370
The National 24 Mar 2014 – A Chinese search plane discovered suspicious objects in the southern Indian Ocean on Monday, the official Xinhua news agency reported, raising the possibility that they could be from a Malaysia Airlines plane missing for over two weeks.
In pictures: The Colossal statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III
The National 24 Mar 2014 – Archaeologists on Sunday unveiled two colossal statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III in Egypt s famed temple city of Luxor, adding to an existing pair of world-renowned tourist attractions
In pictures: Chinese street vendor is Kim Jong-un s doppelganger
The National 24 Mar 2014 – North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un strikes fear into some hearts, but photos of a Chinese street food vendor with a distinct resemblance to the Pyongyang strongman have fuelled online mirth.
In pictures: Michelle Obama s educational visit to China
The National 24 Mar 2014 – US first lady Michelle Obama told Chinese professors, students and parents on Sunday that she wouldn t have risen to where she was if her parents hadn t pushed for her to get a good education.
Saudi reports new Mers death, fresh cases of virus
The National 24 Mar 2014 – The Saudi health ministry said the latest victim was a chronically ill 86-year-old Saudi man who died in Riyadh on Sunday.
Russia soldiers seizes control of new Ukraine military base in Crimea
The National 24 Mar 2014 – Russian troops on Monday seized control of a new Ukrainian military base in Crimea, throwing stun grenades and tying up the hands of Ukrainian marines.
Nepal plan to ease Everest traffic jam
The National 24 Mar 2014 – Nepalese officials say the government plans to minimise the congestion of climbers near the 8,850-metre summit of Mount Everest, which is clogged with scores of climbers during the short window of good weather.
Fake US aircraft carrier in Arabian Gulf is a movie set, says Iranian media
The National 24 Mar 2014 – Iranian newspapers said it was ‘part of the decor’ of a movie being made by Iranian director Nader Talebzadeh on the 1988 shooting down of an Iran Air civilian plane by the USS Vincennes.
Malaysia Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Hong Kong
The National 24 Mar 2014 – Hong Kong s airport says firefighters were put on standby for the arrival of the Airbus A330-300, which landed without incident just before 3am on Monday.
Finance Ministry threatens to discipline striking Israeli diplomats
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Orthodox NGO teaching Jerusalem students sex-ed in ‘spirit of Judaism
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Twitter denies rumors: Won’t give Ankara details on users
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Recently uncovered Gaza tunnel reached 700 meters into Israel, IDF reveals
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
New Ritz bacon-flavored crackers may taste treif, but they re kosher
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Turkey eliminates highly enriched uranium in its territory
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Labor court rejects union bid to strike at ports, for now
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
End the humiliation of Israel s diplomats
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Israel would play in World Cup if Russia suspended
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Playboy stiffing its local staff, complain workers in Israel
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Western nations cancel G8 summit planned for Sochi
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Israel extends health care to spouses of Israelis
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Japan-U.S. nuclear deal announced at Hague summit
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Waze under attack: Israeli students fake traffic jam on popular map app
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Israeli digital media firm Matomy slates London IPO for next month
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
U.K. universities minister: No academic boycotts of Israel in Britain
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
What Candidate Clinton needs to do
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Two-staters, unite behind Kerry
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Palestinian children beat up settler who wandered into their village
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Jimmy Carter: I oppose Israel boycott, but settlement goods must be labeled
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Guns, not money, are Europe s guarantee for Israel s security
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Post-apocalypse app turns cities into jungles
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Abbas agrees to extend talks if Israel freezes settlements, frees prisoners
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
The visible rejectionism of Ari Shavit
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Malaysia PM: Missing plane crashed in southern Indian Ocean
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Sharia law gets foothold in British legal system
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Israeli minister Silvan Shalom accused of sex offense
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis expecting a baby
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Vandals slash tires of 34 cars in hate crime in East Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Former combat soldier, 82, tops IDF pension payments with 63,000 shekels per month
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Ukraine orders its forces to leave Crimea in face of Russian threats
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Foreign Ministry shut as striking workers block entrances
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Australia PM: New objects spotted in Malaysia jet search
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Sirens sound across central Israel as part of drill
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Netanyahu proposes housing plan to compete with Lapid’s new initiative
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Education Ministry changes start of school year – again
Ha’aretz – 24 Mar 2014
Judge orders Religious Services Ministry to reopen tender won by Bennett crony
Ha’aretz – 23 Mar 2014
Abbas looks to Arab League to revive its 2002 peace plan
Ha’aretz – 23 Mar 2014
The Palestinian prisoners’ dilemma
Ha’aretz – 23 Mar 2014
Khrushchev s Folly and the Putin Doctrine have put a sting on Ukraine
Ha’aretz – 23 Mar 2014
The Christian-Israeli revolution and its enemies
Ha’aretz – 23 Mar 2014
IDF folds to Haredim, allowing yeshiva students to skip pre-army orientation
Ha’aretz – 23 Mar 2014
A misuse of power
Ha’aretz – 23 Mar 2014
Otherwise Occupied / An open letter to Soldier X, who shot and killed a 14-year-old
Ha’aretz – 23 Mar 2014
Saudi Arabia denies visa to ‘Post’ correspondent covering Obama trip
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Washington bureau chief Michael Wilner is the only journalist in the White House press corps denied a visa to the kingdom; Obama National Security Council expresses “extreme displeasure.”
To my haredi brothers
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Why is it that my brothers feel I am the only one who deserves to risk my life on their behalf?
Best chances for achieving a peaceful end to Iran s nuclear ambitions
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Is the outcome of a nuclear Iran more or less costly than war if bargaining fails?
A new beginning, or the arrogance of power
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Despite the encouraging assurances that America s commitment to Israel remains unshaken, there is a patronizing almost paternalistic tone in the approach of the American mediators.
Washington and the Middle East: What in the world is the US playing at?
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – America is disengaging itself from the Middle East while seemingly encouraging extremist forces. It is a well-known fact that nature abhors a vacuum. What happens next is anybody s guess.
No Holds Barred: Kosher lust
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – By making lust kosher again we might just save marriage from terminal decline.
Where to from here?
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Amid a region in revolution, Ukrainian Jewry stands at the crossroads.
Our World: Why bring down Ya alon?
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – The media chose to focus the campaign against Ya alon on his purported irresponsibility and loose lips because they cannot argue with him on substance.
Palestinians say not opposed to Pollard release if it helps peace talks
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – The Palestinians have said they would leave the negotiating table if the Israeli Arab prisoners are not released.
Media scandals
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Too often, under the cover of protecting someone s good name, entirely guiltless parties are smeared wholesale.
Israel’s chief rabbis commemorate Holocaust in Hungary
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Chief Rabbis Yitzhak Yosef and David Lau commemorated the 70th anniversary of the destruction of Hungarian Jewry.
Women must wear hijab to testify, Islamic court in Jordan says
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Amman Sharia Court of Appeals adopts a fatwa which deems any women who doesn t wear the hijab as a slut.
Housing Cabinet approves VAT exemption, price targeting
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Bank of Israel Governor Flug lays out laundry list of “shortcomings” in Lapid’s plan to drop housing prices.
PA official: Palestinians could turn to UN if Israel doesn’t release terrorists
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Former PA minister says Palestinians will not feel obligated to uphold promise to avoid unilateral steps if Israel reneges on release.
Palestinians pessimistic on peace in forum with Israeli MKs
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Fatah official: We will never recognize Jewish rights to this land, not wanting a state in Jaffa is a concession.
Austrian Jews demand far-right politician recant ‘EU-Third Reich’ comparison
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Andreas Moelzer made headlines when a German paper quoted him as calling the EU a dictatorship.
Former IDF Chief Rabbi Rontski: Bayit Yehudi has more in common with Yesh Atid than haredim
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Relations between ultra-Orthodox parties and Bayit Yehudi have hit record lows in recent weeks over haredi conscription law.
WATCH: Russian state TV anchor says Jews brought Holocaust on themselves
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Russian television host Evelyn Zakamskaya is seen interviewing a guest about the recent crisis in Crimea.
EU aid package meant to assure Israel that Palestine won’t become a failed state
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Partnership that EU is offering Israel and the Palestinians if peace deal is reached hopes to allay Israel s concerns of Gaza-like state.
Mazal tov! Kunis and Kutcher reportedly expecting
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Although rumors have surfaced that the couple is expecting twins, sources confirmed that only one mini-Mila is on the way.
Hungarian envoy pays respects at Hezbollah monument as ‘jihad tourist’
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Budapest’s envoy “expressed his admiration at Hezbollah s great achievement for Lebanon.”
Malaysian PM: Missing jetliner presumed crashed with no survivors
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Najib Razak says satellite information shows plane’s last position was remote area in middle of Indian Ocean with no possible landing site.
IDF shoots attempted infiltrator from Egypt, arrests second
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Soldiers fire and shoot suspect in leg as he is scaling border fence; second infiltrator captured by soldiers in Israeli territory.
Minister Silvan Shalom denies sex crimes allegations as police probe continues
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Woman files complaint over offenses that occurred 15 years ago, according to media reports; minister says allegations “a political assassination.”
Kosher bacon? New Ritz cracker flavor fascinates rabbinical community
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Ritz has a new bacon-flavored cracker hitting shelves with kosher certification. Imitation-bacon products may be rare but they aren t new.
Israeli security forces break up two terror cells in West Bank
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – Forces announce they nabbed security suspect behind attacks near Ramallah and near Nablus.
United Nations Human Rights Council debates 5 anti-Israel resolutions
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – One resolution calls for boycott of West Bank settlements, Jewish east Jerusalem; Israel not represented due to Foreign Ministry strike.
From Elvis to Rocky the charmed life of Carol Connors
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – The story of Carol Connors is a fascinating one that spans many decades. The singer-songwriter had a relationship with the King.
Egyptian court sentences 529 Muslim Brotherhood members to death, lawyer says
Jerusalem Post 24 Mar 2014 – 123 of the defendants were present at sentencing, others were either released, out on bail or on the run.
G7 warns Russia of more sanctions
Daily Star 24 Mar 2014 U.S. President Barack Obama and major industrialised allies warned Russia on Monday it faced damaging economic sanctions if President Vladimir Putin takes further action to destabilise Ukraine following the seizure of Crimea.
UN rights chief hits Israel over settlements
Daily Star 24 Mar 2014 The building of Israeli settlements and attacks by settlers on Palestinians are a major source of much abuse of rights in the occupied territories, the United Nations’ top human rights official said on Monday.
Egypt, Saudi Arabia to pressure Qatar at summit
Daily Star 24 Mar 2014 An assortment of Arab nations will likely use an Arab summit this week to try to pressure the tiny but wealthy Gulf nation of Qatar to stop supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and other opposition movements throughout…
Syria may miss final deadline for chemical weapon destruction
Daily Star 24 Mar 2014 The head of the organisation overseeing the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile said he still hoped Damascus could meet a final deadline of June 30 but it might miss that target.
UN Syria envoy says new Geneva peace talks unlikely for now: report
Daily Star 24 Mar 2014 The United Nations peace mediator for Syria has said it is unlikely talks in Switzerland between the Syrian government and opposition will resume soon, Lebanon’s state news agency reported on Monday.
Obama, G7 leaders meet without Russia as Ukraine exits Crimea
Daily Star 24 Mar 2014 Leaders from the Group of Seven most industrialised nations went into crisis talks hosted by US President Barack Obama on Monday to decide how to respond to Russia’s absorption of Crimea, an AFP correspondent said.
Syria rebels on northern offensive after losses
Daily Star 24 Mar 2014 Syrian rebels have launched a fierce offensive against President Bashar al-Assad’s troops in four northern provinces, aiming to reverse a string of defeats, an NGO and rebels said Monday.
Trial of Kadhafi sons, aides to open April 14: Libya
Daily Star 24 Mar 2014 The trial of two sons and dozens of top aides of toppled Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi is to open on April 14, a prosecution official said in a surprise announcement Monday.
Egypt Al-Jazeera trial resumes March 31
Daily Star 24 Mar 2014 A defense lawyer in Egypt’s trial of three journalists and 17 others has cross-examined a witness over his analysis of footage shot by the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera English that the prosecution says undermines national security.
Ukraine seeks UN vote against Crimea annexation
YNet News, 24 Mar 2014 – ….
UN: Haiti has more cholera than any other nation
YNet News, 24 Mar 2014 – ….
US Senator offers measure to sanction Russian arms exporter
YNet News, 24 Mar 2014 – ….
The American option for Middle East: A variation of unilateral withdrawal
YNet News, 24 Mar 2014 – Op-ed: Israel should unilaterally implement suggestions which will be proposed by US for solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ….
Syrian rebels capture town near Turkish border
YNet News, 24 Mar 2014 – ….
Crash averted: IAF pilot suffers from vertigo, navigator prevents dive
YNet News, 24 Mar 2014 – ….
Ya’alon is simply setting record straight
YNet News, 24 Mar 2014 – Op-ed: US should admit that Israel’s defense minister is reading regional map much better than Secretary of State Kerry. ….
Rabbinate has forgotten where it came from
YNet News, 24 Mar 2014 – Israel’s rabbinic establishment has forgotten it belongs to legacy of rabbinic scholarship, and instead imitates worst of priests. Responsibility for this terrible situation falls on moderate majority we are able to stop this. ….
Palestinian Information Center
Hamas warns IOA against persisting in OJ Judaization schemes
PIC – Hamas movement condemned the growing Israeli occupation authority‚¨ “!s Judaization campaign in occupied Jerusalem.
Jordanian officials call for actual Islamic sovereignty over Aqsa Mosque
PIC – Jordanian minister of religious affairs Ha’yel Al-Dawoud said that Israel’s control of the Aqsa Mosque is reprehensible and stressed the need for activating the Jordanian sovereignty over the Mosque.
4 Jerusalemite youths arrested, 8 others detained in WB
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up four young men in Issawiye village to the north east of occupied Jerusalem on Monday.
Haneyya confers with Yemeni president, Moroccan premier
PIC – Gaza premier Ismail Haneyya briefed both Yemeni president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and Moroccan premier Abdulilah Bin Keiran on latest Palestinians developments.
IOF soldiers kidnap several Palestinians from Aida refugee camp on Sunday
PIC – The IOF on Sunday evening kidnapped several Palestinian citizens in Aida refugee camp to the north of Bethlehem after two Israeli soldiers suffered head injuries during previous clashes.
MP Barghouthi urges PA to renounce its peace talks with Israel
PIC – Palestinian lawmaker Mustafa Al-Barghouthi called on the Palestinian Authority to withdraw from the negotiations process with the Israeli occupation and described it as frivolous.
Racist slogans spray-painted on walls, cars attacked in OJ
PIC – Jewish fanatic settlers punctured the tires of 34 cars and buses in Beit Hanina, north of occupied Jerusalem, at dawn Monday.
IOF soldiers round up 3 Palestinians in Nablus
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided Nablus city and Balata refugee camp, to the east of the city, and rounded up three Palestinians at dawn Monday.
Shaath: Israel Seeks to Justify Occupation of Palestinian Territory
WAFA – 24 Mar 2014
President Abbas Receives Call from Kerry
WAFA – 24 Mar 2014
Settlers Assault Palestinian near Nablus
WAFA – 24 Mar 2014
Israeli Forces Strom Al-Quds University Students Dormitory
WAFA – 24 Mar 2014
Army Denys Students and Teachers Access to School near Bethlehem
WAFA – 24 Mar 2014
Yemeni militants attack elite paratroopers, killing 20
LA Times 24 Mar 2014 – SANA, Yemen — Militants believed linked to Al Qaeda staged a deadly dawn strike Monday on a remote checkpoint in eastern Yemen, killing 20 elite paramilitary troops and wounding eight others in the latest blow to government forces at the hands of Islamist extremists.
Egyptian court sentences 529 to death in killing of police officer
LA Times 24 Mar 2014 – CAIRO In the first case of its kind under Egypt s military-backed government, a criminal court on Monday simultaneously sentenced 529 supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi to death, the state news agency reported.
Cousin of Syria’s President Assad reportedly killed by rebels
LA Times 23 Mar 2014 – BEIRUT — A cousin of Syrian President Bashar Assad was killed by Islamist rebels during fighting near the Turkish border crossing of Kasab, the state news agency reported Sunday.
The Lede: In Egypt, One Step Up and 529 Steps Back
New York Times 24 Mar 2014 – Activists in Egypt and abroad were stunned that 529 people were sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer during clashes in Egypt last summer after the military deposed President Mohamed Morsi.
Hundreds of Egyptians Sentenced to Death in Killing of a Police Officer
New York Times 24 Mar 2014 – The conviction of 529 detainees accelerated the crackdown against Islamist supporters of Mohammed Morsi, the ousted president.
U.N. Report Faults Syria and Rebels for Blocking Relief Supplies
New York Times 23 Mar 2014 – The document is likely to spur fierce arguments among the members of the deeply divided Security Council, but it is unlikely to result in any immediate enforcement measures.
A Pay Strike in Israel Stalls Premier s Trip to Mexico
New York Times 23 Mar 2014 – Foreign Ministry employees announced a general strike over pay and working conditions, shutting down the ministry s work in Israel and 103 diplomatic missions abroad.
Standoff Over Prisoner Release Threatens Mideast Talks
New York Times 23 Mar 2014 – Though all parties have an interest in extending peace negotiations, the politics surrounding Israel s impending release of a fourth batch of Palestinian prisoners may be too much to overcome.
Iymen Chehade fights Chicago school s cancellation of his class
Mondoweiss – Iymen Chehade appeal As more and more stories emerge of university administrations trying to circumscribe debate over the Israel/Palestine issue, even NBC News has done a sympathetic piece: the campus has become the latest battleground for pro-Palestinian student activists who claim they have been marginalized or…
Diplomats deserve generosity
Globes Main News – No country needs top-flight diplomats more than Israel – but it costs.
What made Mellanox jump?
Globes Main News – It looks as though it’s keeping Intel at bay. Plus: SanDisk’s immunity to NAND prices.
Israeli-German consortium wins rail tender
Globes Main News – The project includes laying 100 kilometers of tracks in northern and central Israel.
Adama Wall Street offering by year end
Globes Main News – Goldman Sachs will lead the underwriting syndicate.
Core unemployment falls below 5%
Globes Main News – At the same time, participation in the labor force has risen.
Netanyahu: We re on way to cheaper housing
Globes Macro Economics – I intend to intervene on food prices as well.
Housing cabinet approves price reduction measures
Globes Main News – Target price apartments will be sold at a 20% discount.
Zero-VAT plan slows mortgage market
Globes Main News – If steps are not decided upon soon, or if their implementation is delayed, it could cause the housing sector to stagnate.
Oil Refineries posts $167m 2013 loss
Globes Main News – CEO Arik Yaari has announced his departure.
Palo Alto paying $200m for Cyvera
Globes Main News – $112 million of the acquisition is in shares, and the rest is in cash.
US desperate to keep futile peace process going a little longer
Mondoweiss – U.S. President Barack Obama (R) met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in New York on Sept. 21, 2011. (Photo by Reuters) For the first time since the US launched the Middle East peace talks last summer, the Palestinian leadership may be sensing it has a tiny bit…
Activists shut down Israeli checkpoint in response to Jenin killings while militants promise painful retaliation
Mondoweiss – Solidarity Demo with Jenin refugee camp , Damascus Gate , East Jerusalem 22/03/2014 (Photo: Activestills ) The story behind the wanted Hamas man in Jenin Haaretz 23 Mar by Gideon Levy I first met Hamzi in June 2003 when he was 11 and both his parents were in…
Democrats have no problem with Israeli envoy addressing GOP group opposed to Obama
Mondoweiss – Ron Dermer gets around. The former Floridian who is now Israel s ambassador to the United States had pride of place w ith Hillary Clinton the other night when she got an award from the American Jewish Congress for her lifetime achievement. Hillary Clinton chats with Ron…
Ariel Sharon and Juan Gelman: Two responses to the legacy of the ghetto
Mondoweiss – Juan Gelman In January, two elderly contemporaries died whose paths never crossed but who nevertheless inhabited the same inherited history, an inheritance to which they responded in instructively contrasting ways. Ariel Sharon (b. Ariel Scheinermann, 1928 in Kfar Malul, d. 2014, Tel HaShomer), Israeli general and…
Israeli Presidential Candidate, Silvan Shalom, Accused of Sexual Harrassment
Tikun Olam – Israeli minister, Silvan Shalom, accused of sexual harrassment by former employee. In the second case in which an Israeli either serving as, or running for president has been accused of sexual harassment, Israel s News1 reveals that senior minister Silvan Shalom is being accused of engaging in…
An Israeli takeover of the Palestine Authority& ?
Sabbah report 24 Mar 2014 – Is a Dahlan/Israeli takeover of the PA really possible? Ma’ariv article said that Dahlan has claimed that he and not Abbas can be counted on to bring peace. Peace imposed on Israel’s terms effectively a Palestinian surrender to Zionism s will. Continue reading í! Read More:…
The Palestinian Authority is on the brink of collapse, study says
Sabbah report 24 Mar 2014 – Only achieving statehood could save the West Bank from an impending wave of violence, crime, chaos, disease, says major Palestinian report. Read more >> Read More: The Palestinian Authority is on the brink of collapse, study says . Sign up for our FREE newsletter!
Abbas Versus Dahlan- Collaborator Versus Agent
Sabbah report 24 Mar 2014 – It is a little appealing to let PA leader Mahmoud Abbas and former Fatah strong man in Gaza Muhammed Dahlan batter each other in public as they have been doing recently. Read more >> Read More: Abbas Versus Dahlan- Collaborator Versus Agent . Sign up for our FREE…
An open letter to Soldier X, who shot and killed a 14-year-old
Sabbah report 24 Mar 2014 – You claimed you fired on a Palestinian because he had sabotaged the separation barrier. You re not only judge, prosecutor and executioner, but also witness. Read more >> Read More: An open letter to Soldier X, who shot and killed a 14-year-old . Sign up for our FREE newsletter!…
Israeli occupation forces and many were injured, 24 March 2014.
Palestine Solidarity Project 24 Mar 2014 – Some of those who were wounded in Jenin Refugee Camp last Saturday at dawn& Three young Palestinians were assassinated in cold blood that day by fascist Israeli occupation forces and many were injured, 24 March 2014.
Yad Vashem Won’t Join Hungary Nazi Occupation Museum Project
The Foward Breaking News 24 Mar 2014 – Yad Vashem has decided not to participate in a project to build a Nazi occupation museum in Hungary. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israeli troops use journalists as human shields Monday, 24 March 2014
Palestine Solidarity Project 24 Mar 2014 – A Palestinian journalist says Israeli troops have used him and his two colleagues as human shields during a demonstration in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, Press TV reports. Palestinian journalist Moussa al-Shaer said Israeli soldiers held them for hours to protect themselves during clashes…
Italians slam Israel over stealing water Sunday, 24 March 2014
Palestine Solidarity Project 24 Mar 2014 – Italian activists have gathered in Rome to demonstrate against what they call Israel s stealing water from Palestinians. Some Palestinian nationals also attended the event on Saturday, which marked the World Water Day. The activists say Israel continues to steal water reserves from Palestinian lands in order…
Egypt court sentences 528 to death
BBC 24 Mar 2014 – A court in Egypt sentences to death 528 supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi on charges including murder.
U.N. Human Rights Chief Slams Israeli Settlements
The Foward Breaking News 24 Mar 2014 – The building of Israeli settlements and attacks by settlers on Palestinians are a major source of much abuse of rights in the occupied territories, the United Nations top human rights official said on Monday. Click here for the rest of the article…
Ethiopia: Israeli Company Pumps U.S.$25 Million Into Afar Potash Project
allAfrica.com24 Mar 2014 – [Addis Fortune]The Israeli company, ICL, are extremely experienced and will provide Allana Potash with expert assistance
British Architects Vote To Cut Ties With Israel Group Over Settlement Projects
The Foward Breaking News 24 Mar 2014 – The Royal Institute of British Architects approved a motion calling on the international Union of Architects to suspend its Israeli counterpart from membership until it refuses to accept projects in the West Bank. Click here for the rest of the article…
Chicago Students Push to Reverse 26-0 Loyola Israel Divestment Vote
The Foward Breaking News 24 Mar 2014 – Students at Loyola University are mobilizing to convince the president of the student government to veto a resolution calling on the university to divest from companies that do business in Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Fahmy – Egypt Does Not Interfere in Lebanon’s Internal Affairs
allAfrica.com24 Mar 2014 – [Egypt Online]Egypt’s Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy, now visiting Beirut, stressed that Egypt does not interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs.
North Africa: Azhar Imam Urges Arab Leaders, Scholars to Be Alert Towards Conspiracies
allAfrica.com24 Mar 2014 – [Egypt Online]Al Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayyeb called on Arab leaders, officials and Muslim scholars to be cautious against conspiracies being plotted against their nations and target the integrity of their peoples.
Egypt: Egypt’s FM Meets Lebanon’s PM
allAfrica.com24 Mar 2014 – [Egypt Online]Egypt’s Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy met on Saturday 22/3/2014 with Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam in Beirut, Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Badr Abdul-Atti said.
VIDEO: Haunted by memories of Iran
BBC 24 Mar 2014 – Cartoonist Mana Neyestani, who now lives in Paris, talks to the BBC about how he was able to speak out in Iran through his work.
Domestic workers in Lebanon push for syndicate
Al-Akhbar News 24 Mar 2014 – Domestic workers having their documents inspected by the Lebanese General Security at Beirut’s airport. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Domestic workers having their documents inspected by the Lebanese General Security at Beirut’s airport. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Domestic workers in Lebanon have not given up yet; against all odds,…
Al Jazeera journalist denounces “baseless” charges at Egypt trial
Al-Akhbar News 24 Mar 2014 – Al Jazeera’s Australian reporter Peter Greste, on trial in Egypt with fellow journalists, said in court Monday that he and his colleagues have spent three months in jail on “baseless” charges. Greste was speaking to reporters from a caged dock as the court heard testimonies from…
Saudi clerics decry “blasphemous” cartoon series
Al-Akhbar News 24 Mar 2014 – Saudi Arabia’s top clerics have declared an Islam-inspired cartoon series, which earned praise from US President Barack Obama, a “work of the devil” that Muslims should not watch. The television version of superhero comic book “The 99” is being aired by Saudi-owned satellite channel MBC3, based…
The republic and the flood
Al-Akhbar Opinion 24 Mar 2014 – Fetih 1453, a movie portraying the Turkish conquest of Constantinople, was banned in Lebanon on grounds of inciting sectarian tensions. Fetih 1453, a movie portraying the Turkish conquest of Constantinople, was banned in Lebanon on grounds of inciting sectarian tensions. Darren Aronofsky’s Noah is expected to…
Indonesia urges Saudi Arabia to halt maid’s execution
Al-Akhbar News 24 Mar 2014 – Jakarta called Monday for a Saudi family to accept a substantial payment and halt the impending execution of an Indonesian maid on death row in the kingdom for murder. If the execution of Satinah Binti Jumadi Ahmad goes ahead, it could set back attempts by Indonesia…
Erdogan threatens to extend ban to YouTube, Facebook
Al-Monitor 24 Mar 2014 – Prime Minister Erdogan has threatened to ban Facebook and YouTube as the next step in his crackdown on the Internet, as elections loom in Turkey.
US takes selective offense against Israeli defense minister
Al-Monitor 24 Mar 2014 – The United States reacts with outrage to Defense Minister Moshe Ya alon s criticism of US policy, but is silent about Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman s delegitimization of 1.6 million Arab citizens.
Yemen attack ‘kills 20 soldiers’
BBC 24 Mar 2014 – Twenty soldiers are killed in an attack on a military checkpoint in eastern Yemen, reports say.
The Arab Summit: who will attend and why?
Al-Akhbar Blogs 24 Mar 2014 – The UAE is taking the Arab summit very seriously: it sent the ruler of its `Ujman emirate to represent the state. It is not clear which Saudi prince will represent the kingdom or whether any prince will be dispatched at all. The Syrian government won t be…
New US envoy to Syria says elections now would be illegitimate
Al-Monitor 24 Mar 2014 – New US envoy to Syria Daniel Rubenstein has told Al-Hayat that he’s pleased that the Syrian opposition is serious about fighting al-Qaeda.
Saudi Arabia beheads man convicted of murder
Al-Akhbar News 24 Mar 2014 – A Saudi man convicted of shooting dead a compatriot in a dispute was beheaded by the sword on Monday, the interior ministry said. Mohammed bin Khamees al-Hantushi al-Enzi was found guilty of killing Ibrahim bin Marfu al-Enzi, the ministry said in a statement carried by the…
Turkey sidelined by its Arab Spring policies
Al-Monitor 24 Mar 2014 – Turkey’s policies in the wake of the Arab Spring, particularly in Syria, have led to it being sidelined in regional politics.
Border violation or election ploy?
Al-Monitor 24 Mar 2014 – After Turkey shot down a Syrian plane that allegedly crossed into Turkish airspace on Sunday, some claim it was part of a ploy to make the ruling AKP look strong going into the upcoming elections.
Lebanon: Tripoli’s alleyway commanders to be sacrificed
Al-Akhbar News 24 Mar 2014 – Gunmen attend the funeral of Sheikh Ahmed Abdel Wahed and his religious aide in their hometown al-Bireh, north of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on May 21, 2012.(Photo: AFP-Joseph Eid) Gunmen attend the funeral of Sheikh Ahmed Abdel Wahed and his religious aide in their hometown al-Bireh,…
Syria s victory in Yabrud may be game changer
Al-Monitor 24 Mar 2014 – At least for now, the recapture of Yabrud by Syrian government forces appears to have tilted the military and political balance in favor of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Iraqi Shiite militants return from Syria, aggravating security crisis
Al-Monitor 24 Mar 2014 – Some Iraqis now worry that Shiite militants who are fighting alongside the regime in Syria will eventually return to Iraq once the Syrian crisis is over, a situation some fear might aggravate the security situation in Iraq.
Israeli settlers slash tires of 45 West Bank cars
Al-Akhbar News 24 Mar 2014 – Suspected Jewish extremists punctured the tires of dozens of Palestinian cars in occupied east Jerusalem on Monday in the latest so-called “price tag” hate crime, police and an AFP correspondent said. The attack took place in Beit Hanina, a Palestinian neighborhood in the northern sector of…
Senior Fatah Leader links Israeli prisoner release to UN push
Al-Monitor 24 Mar 2014 – Senior Fatah official Abbas Zaki warns in an exclusive Al-Monitor interview that the Palestinians will resume their efforts to join UN agencies if Israel fails to free the last group of Palestinian prisoners as per their agreement to hold peace talks.
North Lebanon clashes kill 26 over 12 days
Al-Akhbar News 24 Mar 2014 – Lebanese civilians inspect the site of a roadside bomb on March 21, 2014 that exploded overnight as the army patrolled Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli. (Photo: AFP / STR) Lebanese civilians inspect the site of a roadside bomb on March 21, 2014 that exploded overnight as the…
Iran resumes monetary aid to Hamas
Al-Monitor 24 Mar 2014 – Dramatic regional events have sparked a warming of Hamas-Iran ties, but Hamas’ relations with Hezbollah remain cool.
Prominent Reformist: We can t blame everything on Ahmadinejad
Al-Monitor 24 Mar 2014 – In an extensive interview, prominent Reformist Abbas Abdi criticized fellow Reformists for not taking responsibility for the 2005 and 2009 elections that brought Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power.
Jordan’s king warns against division in Syria
Al-Monitor 24 Mar 2014 – Jordanian King Abdullah II has warned that any division in Syria will have disastrous consequences for the entire region.
Can Erdogan take cover behind Turkish military?
Al-Monitor 24 Mar 2014 – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan may be trying to turn his own political struggle into a war of survival for Turkey.
Saudi Arabia’s growing role in the Maldives
BBC 23 Mar 2014 – Saudi Arabia’s growing role in the Maldives
Articles
I witnessed a whole system of deception regarding the death of a Palestinian
Noam Sheizaf, +972 Magazine3/23/2014
A testimony from an anthropologist who conducted research in the Israeli Forensic Institute.
Professor Meira Weiss, an anthropologist at Hebrew University, was interviewed on Channel 10 as part of a story on Professor Yehuda Hiss, who served as the head of the Israeli Forensic Institute between 1988 and 2004. Weiss observed the work at the institute for six years (1996-2002) for research purposes. Her findings were recently published in a book titled Over Their Dead Body (here is a review in Hebrew).
Channel 10’s investigative reporters, Orly Vilnai and Guy Meroz, probed Weiss on the reports provided by the institute to the military and security services. Here is a transcript of the part of the interview, which deals with reports that were necessary (in Weiss words) for the authorities:
Vilnai: & for example, torture by the Internal Security Service [Shin Beit] is something that needed hiding, and his [Professor Hiss] reports could help.
Weiss: For example [& ] I witnessed a whole system of deception regarding one Palestinian. The IDF version was that he wanted to shoot them [the soldiers] and he was shot on his front side of his body. The Palestinians claimed that he was killed later on. In other words, there are two versions, meaning one needs to decide.
Meroz: Like the Bus 300 affair.
Weiss: Exactly like that. Despite the fact that everyone saw& meaning that it was clear from the autopsy that it was an entry wound from behind, it wasn t emphasized and was silenced….more..e-mail
The Origins of the Israel Lobby in the US
Alison Weir, CounterPunch3/21/2014
America’s Role in the Creation of the State of Israel
The immediate precursor to today s pro-Israel lobby began in 1939[i] under the leadership of Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, originally from Lithuania. He created the American Zionist Emergency Council (AZEC), which by 1943 had acquired a budget of half a million dollars at a time when a nickel bought a loaf of bread.[ii]
In addition to this money, Zionists [adherents of political Zionism, a movement to create a Jewish state in Palestine] had become influential in creating a fundraising umbrella organization, the United Jewish Appeal, in 1939[iii], giving them access to the organization s gargantuan financial resources: $14 million in 1941, $150 million by 1948. This was four times more than Americans contributed to the Red Cross and was the equivalent of approximately $1.5 billion today.[iv]
With its extraordinary funding, AZEC embarked on a campaign to target every sector of American society, ordering that local committees be set up in every Jewish community in the nation [for decades the larger majority of Jewish Americans had been either non-Zionits or actively anti-Zionist]. In the words of AZEC organizer Sy Kenen, it launched a political and public relations offensive to capture the support of Congressmen, clergy, editors, professors, business and labor. [v]
AZEC instructed activists to make direct contact with your local Congressman or Senator and to go after union members, wives and parents of servicemen, and Jewish war veterans. AZEC provided activists with form letters to use and schedules of anti-Zionist lecture tours to oppose and disrupt.
A measure of its power came in 1945 when Silver disliked a British move that would be harmful to Zionists….more..e-mail
Israel’s war between wars backfires
Larry Derfner, +972 Magazine3/21/2014
A self-fulfilling prophecy is playing out in the north.
After nearly eight years of quiet, Israel s northern border got stormy over the past week. The culmination of the tit-for-tat violence was a bomb placed on the border with Syria that wounded four Israeli soldiers, one seriously, which was followed by an Israeli air strike on a Syrian military base that killed a soldier and wounded others. Amos Harel, Haaretz s military affairs correspondent, wrote the following:
“There has been no such series of events in the north since the Second Lebanon War in 2006. The pace is starting to resemble the days when the IDF maintained the security zone in southern Lebanon in the 1980s and 1990s. If the c
urrent escalation continues, Israel is liable to be drawn into a more forceful response.”
The fear is that the escalation will continue, whether by design or miscalculation, and Israel will end up with soldiers fighting in Lebanon and Syria while rockets are falling on its civilians.
And what set off this first serious, sustained clash between Israel and its enemies to the north in nearly eight years? Everyone agrees: Israel s lethal February 25 attack on a convoy carrying advanced weapons from Syria to Hezbollah. Not only the relatively dovish Harel, but Yedioth Ahronoth s hawkish military affairs commentator Alex Fishman acknowledges that:
“The change in behavior by Syria and Hezbollah along the border began after the attack on the weapons convoy in the Lebanon Valley on February 25.”
That Israeli air strike followed at least six others last year, some of them fatal, on sophisticated weapons in Syria that were evidently meant for Hezbollah….more..e-mail
Israelis and Palestinians: One State or Two?
Andrew Levine, CounterPunch3/21/2014
What s There to Hope For?
Regardless the merits of their respective claims, it was clear even before the state of Israel came into being that a just and lasting peace between the Jewish settlers in Palestine and the Arab population living there could only be imposed from outside. It has been the same ever since.
The settlers, then and now, are on a mission for God (or rather G-d) and Nation. They will not settle for less than everything unless they are given an offer they cannot refuse.
By now, the Palestinians have no choice but to concede almost everything. But there are limits; and the Israelis are adept at exploiting them.
It has also been clear, for nearly as long, that only the United States, in concert with other Western powers, can impose a solution.
Why doesn t it? Geopolitical considerations are not the main reason, though they may once have been. The Israel lobby is of far greater importance.
But nothing lasts forever.
American and Israeli national interests are increasingly at odds, and public opinion in the United States is finally beginning to take the plight of the Palestinians seriously.more..e-mail
In photos: al-Walaja village faces slow death as Israel takes its land
Electronic Intifada: 24 Mar 2014 – The construction of the wall, which began in 2007 in spite of an ongoing legal battle and protests, constitutes the latest chapter of the ongoing history of dispossession of al-Walaja.more..
US Desperate to Keep Futile Peace Process Show on the Road a Little Longer
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Mar 2014 – By Jonathan Cook Nazareth For the first time since the US launched the Middle East peace talks last summer, the Palestinian leadership may be sensing it has a tiny bit of leverage. Barack Obama met the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Washington last week in what Palestinian officials called a candid and difficult meeting. The US president hoped to dissuade Abbas from walking away when the original negotiations timetable ends in a month. The US president and his secretary of state, John Kerry, want their much-delayed framework agreement to provide the pretext for spinning out the stalled talks for another year. The US outline for peace is now likely to amount to little more than a set of vague, possibly unwritten principles that both sides can assent to. The last thing the US president needs is for the negotiations to collapse, after Kerry has repeatedly stressed that finding a…more
Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner’s Guide Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Mar 2014 – By Susan de Muth (Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner s Guide. Ben White, Pluto Press, 144 pages.) Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner s Guide by Ben White is a new, updated and expanded edition of his hard-hitting study of how Israel s treatment of the Palestinians resembles the now-extinct South African apartheid system. White s premise is simple: if Israel is, indeed, practicing a for
m of apartheid, why doesn t the international community respond with the same abhorrence it exhibited for the Pretorian prototype? Diplomatic pressure, sanctions and boycotts ultimately saw that system collapse and the establishment of one state for all South Africa s citizens, whatever their skin color. White was prompted to revisit his subject six years on, not only because the situation on the ground is even worse but also in response to an awakening of Western sympathies in regard to the plight of the Palestinians, despite the best efforts of Israel’s vigorous propaganda machine….more
Egypt Kangaroo Court Sentences 529 Morsi Supporters to Death
Dissident Voice: 24 Mar 2014 – The Egyptian court has just handed down one of the most grotesque sentences in Egyptian history, condemning 529 people to death in one fell swoop. The US State Department said it was shocked and that the verdict defies logic. While appeals are possible, it simply does not seem possible that a fair review of evidence and testimony consistent with international standards could be accomplished with over 529 defendants after a two-day trial, a State Department official said . Amnesty International issued a condemnation, and CODEPINK has launched a campaign to pressure the Egyptian government to overturn the verdict and respect political dissent. The court sentenced supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi for their alleged role in the murder of a single police officer in the southern city of Minya last August. In addition to the murder, the 529 defendants were accused of attempting to kill two other police officers and attacking…more
Israel-Palestine Talks
Dissident Voice: 24 Mar 2014 – For the first time since the US launched the Middle East peace talks last summer, the Palestinian leadership may be sensing it has a tiny bit of leverage. Barack Obama met the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Washington last week in what Palestinian officials called a candid and difficult meeting. The US president hoped to dissuade Abbas from walking away when the original negotiations timetable ends in a month. The US president and his secretary of state, John Kerry, want their much-delayed framework agreement to provide the pretext for spinning out the stalled talks for another year. The US outline for peace is now likely to amount to little more than a set of vague, possibly unwritten principles that both sides can assent to. The last thing the US president needs is for the negotiations to collapse, after Kerry has repeatedly stressed that finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel –www.vtjp.org
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