28 March 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
European PMs Call to Boycott Israeli Settlements
IMEMC – In a letter sent to EU Foreign Policy Chief, Catherine Ashton, 29 members of the European Parliament have called upon the European External Action Service (EEAS) to take action to discourage European businesses from trading with illegal Israeli settlements. …
King’s College London Students’ Union Endorses BDS
IMEMC – The students’ union of King’s College, in London, voted to endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign at its Student General Meeting, this past Tuesday evening. …
Israel Reneges on Final Prisoner Release
IMEMC – Israel has told the PLO that it will not free the final group of prisoners they had been expecting alongside US-brokered peace talks, a senior Palestinian official said on Friday. …
2 Children Killed, 4 Injured in Fire Caused by Candle
IMEMC – Two children have died, and four others were wounded, in a candle fire which broke out in their home in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. The families of Gaza seek other means of lighting because of the ongoing electricity outages, which are now up to 12 hours a day. …
Israeli Settlers Destroy Solar Panels Near Hebron
IMEMC – Israeli settlers destroyed, Thursday, power-generating solar panels near Yatta in Hebron district, a local activist has said. …
Israeli Soldier Admits Lying About Being Stabbed
IMEMC – The Israeli soldier who was allegedly stabbed yesterday [Thursday, March 27, 2014], has admitted to the police that he made up the story, according to Haaretz. …
Israel continues wall around disputed Jerusalem hotel
3/28/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) – Israeli bulldozers on Thursday continued to build a section of the separation wall around the disputed Cliff Hotel in Abu Dis, lawyer Bassam Bahar said. Bahar, who also heads a local committee to defend Abu Dis lands, told Ma’an that the Israeli Supreme Court decided a few days ago that the wall should run around the Cliff Hotel for….
Settlers prepare move into key East Jerusalem site
3/28/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Radical Jewish settlers are readying to move into a major property in the commercial heart of occupied East Jerusalem, overlooking the walls of the Old City, officials have told AFP. A large part of the property, which also houses East Jerusalem’s main post office and an Israeli police station, was purchased last year by a radical settler group called Ateret Cohanim….
Israeli forces disperse Land Day demo in Nablus
3/28/2014 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Friday dispersed a protest commemorating Land Day in the Nablus village of Burin, a PA official said. Ghassan Daghlas told Ma’an that villagers had aimed to plant olives trees in Burin following the demonstration, but Israeli forces fired stun grenades and tear gas at the crowds. A number of activists suffered tear gas inhalation. [END]
Pope to pray with Orthodox patriarch in Jerusalem
3/28/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Pope Francis will pray side-by-side with Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew in Jerusalem in a powerful sign of Christian unity during his May visit to Holy Land, the Vatican said on Thursday. The prayer will take place in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built over the spots widely believed to be the sites of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The….
Report: Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians who crossed Gaza border
3/28/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel’s army on Friday arrested two Palestinians who crossed the fence from Gaza into Israel, Israeli news site Walla reported. The men were searched and transferred to Israeli security forces for questioning. [END]
Israel’s Peres to meet UN nuclear watchdog chief
3/28/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli President Shimon Peres flies to Vienna on Sunday for talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency head, the pan-European security watchdog OSCE and Austrian leaders, his office said. Peres and Yukiya Amano, director general of the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, will discuss its “role as the professional body leading the effort to put the brakes on Iran’s nuclear program….
PLO: Israel ‘no’ on prisoners ‘slap in face’ to peace
3/28/2014 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — Israel’s refusal to free a final group of Palestinian prisoners Saturday is another obstacle to US efforts to broker peace, a senior official in President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party said. Under the deal which relaunched the talks in July, Israel said it would release 104 Palestinians held since before the 1993 Oslo peace accords in exchange for the Palestinians….
Hundreds protest against peace talks in Jordan
3/28/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hundreds of Jordanians protested against peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians on Friday, witnesses said. Around 500 people gathered in Amman holding signs reading “Zionist occupation is a threat to us” and “The dignity of Jordan is the dignity of Palestine.”US Secretary of State was also singled out for criticism, with protesters calling for a halt to his peace initiative. [END]
Egypt militants threaten Sinai security wall
3/28/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) — An Al-Qaeda-inspired group based in the Egyptian Sinai threatened Thursday to attack contractors and workers involved in the construction of a security wall at a town in the restive peninsula. The Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (Partisans of Jerusalem) group has claimed most of the deadliest attacks in Egypt since the military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July, saying they were in revenge for….
Egypt’s Sisi quits as defence minister to stand for presidency
3/28/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) — Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi resigned as Egypt’s defense minister the day after announcing he will stand for president, a post for which he has no serious competition. Sisi turned up in civilian clothes at the weekly cabinet meeting to submit his resignation after quitting as army chief the previous night, state news agency MENA reported. General Sedki Sobhi was sworn….
Baghdad bombings kill 12
3/28/2014 – BAGHDAD (AFP) — Three sets of bombings in Baghdad killed at least a dozen people Thursday evening, the latest in a surge in bloodshed in Iraq just weeks ahead of scheduled parliamentary elections. Two roadside bombs that exploded in Amriyah in western Baghdad, a car bomb in the northern district of Adhamiyah — both of which are Sunni-majority — and another vehicle in the Saidiyah neighborhood also wounded….
Qatar jails US couple for 3 years for daughter death
3/28/2014 – DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — A Qatari court on Thursday sentenced a US couple from Los Angeles to three years in prison for causing the death of their adopted eight-year-old daughter. Matthew and Grace Huang were arrested in January 2013 after their daughter Gloria from an orphanage in Ghana died. They were accused of causing her death in order to sell her organs. The court also ordered….
Morocco’s movie ‘Mecca’ seeks return to glory days
3/28/2014 – OUARZAZATE, Morocco (AFP) — Ouarzazate in southern Morocco was once dubbed the “Mecca” of the film industry for its studio facilities and the stark beauty of its locations, with many Hollywood blockbusters shot there.” Laurence of Arabia” (1962, Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif), “The Sheltering Sky” (1990, Debra Winger, John Malkovich), “Kundun” (1997, Martin Scorcese), “Gladiator” (1999, Russell Crowe, Oliver Reed) and “Babel” (2006, Brad….
4 killed as Egypt police, Islamists clash
3/28/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) — Four people including an Egyptian woman journalist were killed in Cairo Friday as police clashed with Islamists protesting against ex-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s presidency bid, a security official said. The violence erupted in a deeply polarized Egypt as supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi took to the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and other cities to vent their anger at Sisi….
Israel shuns Palestinian prisoner deal
AlJazeera 28 Mar 2014 – Israel tells Palestinians it will not release fourth group of prisoners by March 29 deadline, jeopardising peace talks.
International Solidarity Movement
‘The reason is to wipe out Palestinian culture and history’: A Gaza carpet factory under siege
3/28/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Charlie Andreasson | Gaza, Occupied Palestine – Before we settle down for a glass of Turkish coffee among shelves filled with neatly stacked, woven carpets Mahmoud El Sawaf, 68 years old, shows me around the small factory. The tour goes pretty quickly. There ‘s only a mechanized loom and a manual one. The market in Gaza is too small for more. Before the siege escalated in 2007….
Syrian Arab Republic: Yarmouk Updates from our spokesperson Chris Gunness, 28 March 2014
Relief Web 28 Mar 2014 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic Our spokesperson Chris Gunness has the following to say on the situation in Yarmouk Camp “UNRWA has gained access to…
Syrian Arab Republic: Surviving a conflict entering fourth year, how much longer to go?
Relief Web 28 Mar 2014 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic Notes from the Field: Bio: Irina Prentice, UNRWA Syria Crisis Communications Officer, travelled to Syria shortly before the third anniversary…
occupied Palestinian territory: UN official calls for immediate halt to demolition in East Jerusalem
Relief Web 28 Mar 2014 – Source: UN News Service Country: occupied Palestinian territory 28 March 2014 – A senior United Nations official expressed deep concern today about the ongoing displacement of Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the destruction of their private property following the Israeli…
Lebanon: Lebanon: PRS emergency – winterization response 2013 – March 2014 UNRWA & Partners response – 30 January 2013
Relief Web 28 Mar 2014 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory
Three officers expelled for trash talking texts
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Divide Israel into cantons
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Poll: 49 percent of Israelis favor Rabbinate recognition for Reform, Conservative Jews
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Five-year-old killed in construction site in northern Israel
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Israeli army shoots two armed men near Syria border
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Israeli army shoots two near Syria border
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
American basketball star vows to help Israel – with sperm
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Obama lands in Saudi Arabia for talks on U.S role in Mideast
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
At least three killed in Cairo as Brotherhood supporters protest
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
J Street’s challenge to the U.S.-Jewish right: Focus on peace
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Palestinian official: Israel says it won’t release last batch of prisoners
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Gadhafi’s son apologizes to Libyans on state TV
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Gadhafi’s son apologizes to Libyans
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Word of the Day / Hityashnut: When it’s getting too old, even for the police
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Obama urges Russia to pull back troops from Ukraine border
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Search plane spots objects in new search area for Malaysian plane
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Israeli rabbi rules: Plagiarism is kosher
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Health Ministry director general Roni Gamzu resigns
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Ultra-Orthodox man attacks Beit Shemesh woman over length of her skirt
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
From Crimea to Geneva: Pinpointing Obama’s weak spot
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Russia criticizes UN resolution condemning Crimea’s secession
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
‘Mysterious syndrome’ claims lives of dozens of Thai farm workers in Israel
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Politician who rose to fame with cellular ‘revolution’ would win 13 seats, poll shows
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
Pax Americana: Uniform prayer book for Jews in uniform
Ha’aretz – 28 Mar 2014
EU diplomats warn of regional conflagration over Temple Mount
Ha’aretz – 27 Mar 2014
The neo-socialist right
Ha’aretz – 27 Mar 2014
Israeli Health Ministry clears HMO funding for genital reassignment surgery abroad
Ha’aretz – 27 Mar 2014
Only Lieberman can rise to the occasion and bring peace
Ha’aretz – 27 Mar 2014
Suspected spousal murder in Galilee
Ha’aretz – 27 Mar 2014
All hail Netanyahu, the last man standing
Ha’aretz – 27 Mar 2014
Nothing short of a war crime
Ha’aretz – 27 Mar 2014
Turkish foreign minister says ‘gap with Israel closing’
Ha’aretz – 27 Mar 2014
Israeli architects fight British counterparts’ BDS call
Ha’aretz – 27 Mar 2014
The real reason Netanyahu is stressed
Ha’aretz – 27 Mar 2014
In a gesture to Turkey, Israel allowing building materials and medical supplies into Gaza
Ha’aretz – 27 Mar 2014
Soldier supposedly stabbed by Arabs admits story made up
Ha’aretz – 27 Mar 2014
Danon: Peace talks going nowhere, Palestinians only want terrorists freed
Jerusalem Post 28 Mar 2014 – Deputy Defense Minister responds to Fatah Fatah official who said failure to release Palestinian prisoners on Saturday was “slap in the face” of Washington and American diplomatic efforts.
Ukraine inspects bomb shelters amid talk of Russian attack
Jerusalem Post 28 Mar 2014 – Russian troops massed on border show no sign of invading, yet Russia flexing muscles against Western-backed Ukrainian recovery plan.
Rule of Law: Trial of the century
Jerusalem Post 28 Mar 2014 – With a Holyland verdict on the horizon, Ehud Olmert once again faces the end of his career – or redemption; court decision on whether to delay the former premier’s verdict is expected late Sunday.
Architect, Israel Prize laureate Prof. Avraham Yaski dies at age 87
Jerusalem Post 28 Mar 2014 – “Founding father of modern architecture in Israel” leaves prominent imprint on the Tel Aviv landscape, from Rabin Square to Azrieli Center.
Prof. Ronni Gamzu, Health Ministry director-general for four years, resigns
Jerusalem Post 28 Mar 2014 – Reports speculate whether resignation is not a result of Hadassah Hospital crisis.
Did you remember to set your clocks forward for Daylight Saving Time?
Jerusalem Post 28 Mar 2014 – Israel transitions to summer time as DST takes effect for 212 days starting Friday morning.
UNHRC to replace Falk with Chinkin from the Goldstone Report
Jerusalem Post 28 Mar 2014 – The Arab League wants a proven, pro-Palestinian legal campaigner who’ll more effectively promote a BDS agenda than a Muslim diplomat.
Erdogan, Israel and the upcoming Turkish municipal elections
Jerusalem Post 28 Mar 2014 – No one in Jerusalem is buying the idea that after the municipal elections, if Erdogan wins, all will return to normal with Turkey.
At confab, experts, former gov’t officials voice pessimism on Mideast peace talks
Jerusalem Post 27 Mar 2014 – The general tone at the Bar Ilan U. conference was that no agreement is currently possible between Israelis, Palestinians.
Search for lost Malaysian plane shifts significantly after new lead
Jerusalem Post 27 Mar 2014 – Shift in search based on analysis of radar data in Malaysia; new search area 1,100 km northeast of where possible debris seen.
UN: Syria refugee crisis poses major threat to Lebanese stability
Jerusalem Post 27 Mar 2014 – Close to 1 million Syrian refugees, can now be found in Lebanon, increasing the population by about a quarter, the UN says.
Israel delays prisoner release due for Saturday night
Jerusalem Post 27 Mar 2014 – Names of prisoners chosen for release must be made public for 48 hours, not including Shabbat, in order to allow appeals to the High Court.
Father of slain Palestinian teen petitions High Court against IDF
Jerusalem Post 27 Mar 2014 – Family of youth killed January 2013 by security barrier near West Bank village of Budrus petitions over lack of prompt probe into death.
Into the Fray: My (renewed) challenge to Michael Oren
Jerusalem Post 27 Mar 2014 – When someone who was one of Israel’s best known diplomats touts such silliness, it is difficult to know what is more disconcerting: Whether he actually believes what he is preaching, or whether he doesn’t.
My Word: Fun with the flu
Jerusalem Post 27 Mar 2014 – Time flies when you’re having fun; it does really weird things when you have the flu.
Another Tack: Some are more equal
Jerusalem Post 27 Mar 2014 – Everyone is perfectly free to go into raptures over Obama but it’s a whole different opera when not-so-flattering opinions are sounded.
Savir’s Corner: Transition
Jerusalem Post 27 Mar 2014 – While war and peace are well understood as human, social, and political phenomena, transition is not.
Parshat Tazriya: Who can be part of society?
Jerusalem Post 27 Mar 2014 – In this week’s parasha, we learn about a serious skin affliction called “tzara’at,” (leprosy) for which the bible offers a unique treatment.
Column One: Campus brownshirts rising
Jerusalem Post 27 Mar 2014 – If the rise of brownshirt tactics and anti-Semitism on US campuses goes on at its current pace, it will destroy higher education in the United States.
Release Marwan Barghouti. He can be Palestine’s Nelson Mandela
The Guardian 28 Mar 2014 – If Israel really is serious about peace, it will release Bargouti the one man uniquely placed to negotiate an agreement The death of Nelson Mandela reminds us that often the first step towards the resolution of…
Obama says U.S. military strikes could not have stopped Syria misery
Daily Star 28 Mar 2014 The United States could not have stopped the humanitarian crisis in Syria with military strikes, President Barack Obama said in a television interview airing on Friday, and said U.S. troops had reached their limits after long…
Israel says shoots ‘infiltrators’ on Golan Heights
Daily Star 28 Mar 2014 Israeli troops on Friday shot what the military said were ‘infiltrators’ trying to breach a security fence from the Syrian-controlled side of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Putin called Obama to discuss Ukraine proposal, US says
Daily Star 28 Mar 2014 Russian President Vladimir Putin called his American counterpart Barack Obama on Friday to discuss a US proposal on resolving the crisis in Ukraine, the White House said.
Boating, blooms and breakfast: Istanbul in springtime
Daily Star 28 Mar 2014 With flights leaving from Beirut to Istanbul almost every hour and a half.
Morocco’s movie industry seeks return to glory days
Daily Star 28 Mar 2014 Ouarzazate in southern Morocco was once considered a key film industry hub for its studio facilities and the stark beauty of its locations, with many Hollywood blockbusters shot there.
Putting contemporary Saudi art in context
Daily Star 28 Mar 2014 Saudi Arabia is surprising in a lot of ways, U.S. author Dave Eggers once told a reporter from The New Yorker.
Zahi Haddad on genealogy, nostalgia and catharsis
Daily Star 28 Mar 2014 I see that Lebanon is hurt, writes Zahi Haddad, that it is suffering and no one will know why.
Riyadi take Amchit to join three-way tie at top
Daily Star 28 Mar 2014 Riyadi Beirut routed leaders Amchit 91-75 at Manara in round 15 of the Lebanese Basketball League Friday to set up a three-way tie at the top spot.
IDF kills 2 suspects attempting to breach security barrier
YNet News, 28 Mar 2014 – ….
Pentagon to triple cyber staff to thwart attacks
YNet News, 28 Mar 2014 – ….
Taliban attack foreigners in Afghan capital
YNet News, 28 Mar 2014 – ….
At least three killed in Cairo clashes
YNet News, 28 Mar 2014 – ….
Gunmen kill soldier in northern Lebanon
YNet News, 28 Mar 2014 – ….
Obama’s foreign policy disarray
YNet News, 28 Mar 2014 – Op-ed: Weakness of US president’s actions as measured against power of his words has sown cynicism in international arena and weakened Western World. ….
Palestinian Information Center
Hamas launches media campaign to support Palestinian initiative in Lebanon
PIC – The information office of Hamas has launched a media campaign to support the Palestinian initiative for the neutralization of the refugee camps in Lebanon.
IOF arrests 2 citizens east of Gaza
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested on Friday morning 2 citizens from the Gaza Strip, claiming that they sneaked through the security fence east of Gaza City.
7 Palestinian refugees died in Syria on Thursday
PIC – The action group for the Palestinians in Syria said that seven Palestinian refugees, including 2 children, were killed in Syria on Thursday after a car bomb exploded in the town of Yadodeh in Daraa.
IOF deploys soldiers in Wadi Qana
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Friday morning deployed soldiers in Wadi Qana, near the town of Deir Estia in the city of Salfit.
Israel blocks European delegation from visiting besieged Gaza Strip
PIC – The Israeli occupation authorities prevented an official delegation from the European Parliament from entering the Gaza Strip to meet with officials from the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
Israel refuses to release last batch of Palestinian prisoners
PIC – The Israeli government on Friday informed the Palestinian Authority it will not free the final batch of prisoners scheduled to be released on Saturday.
Qassam fighter killed by accident in Gaza
PIC – A member of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, died on Friday morning in accidental circumstances, in the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Gaza: The Israeli army makes lies to justify its attacks on fishermen
PIC – The union of Palestinian fishermen strongly denounced the Israeli occupation army for fabricating lies against Gazan fishermen to justify its attacks on them at sea.
IOF raids homes in Jenin, kidnap two young men
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Friday raided Burqin town in Jenin and kidnapped two young men.
Vladimir Putin calls Obama about Ukraine crisis
LA Times 28 Mar 2014 – The discussion of the crisis comes as President Obama visits a key ally, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — President Obama spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for an hour Friday in an effort to resolve the crisis over Ukraine, the first…
As Syria civil war enters fourth year, rebels are clearly losing
LA Times 28 Mar 2014 – Syrian President Bashar Assad has survived for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the rebels’ disarray and infighting. HOMS, Syria — On the ragged fringes of the Old City, aid workers, clerics and government troops stood vigil, awaiting a U.N. convoy evacuating…
President Obama seeks to bolster ties with Saudi Arabia
LA Times 27 Mar 2014 – On his visit, President Obama will meet with Saudi King Abdullah in a bid to mend a rift over U.S. handling of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Syria’s civil war. ROME — After spending four days in Europe dealing with the crisis over Russia’s annexation of…
U.N. Official Denounces Syria on Aid Access
New York Times 28 Mar 2014 – Valerie Amos, the head of emergency relief, had harsh words for the Syrian government but did not say which side in the conflict deserved more blame for blocking humanitarian aid.
World Briefing: Egypt: Protests in Cairo Leave at Least 5 People Dead
New York Times 28 Mar 2014 – At least five people were killed in Cairo on Friday during demonstrations by supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood who were protesting the decision by the former military chief, Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, to run for president, officials said.
United Nations Renews Rights Monitor, Angering Iran
New York Times 28 Mar 2014 – The Human Rights Council, meeting in Geneva, extended the mandate of a special rapporteur who has been critical of Iran’s human rights behavior.
World Briefing: Iraq: Envoy Describes Crisis in Anbar
New York Times 27 Mar 2014 – The United Nations envoy to Iraq said Thursday that about 400,000 people had been displaced this year by violence in Anbar Province, and the United Nations Security Council expressed “grave concern” about recent events there.
Obama Seeks to Calm Saudis as Paths Split
New York Times 27 Mar 2014 – Saudi Arabia’s leaders are feeling increasingly compelled to go their own way in dealing with Iran, Syria, Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Qatar Finds U.S. Couple Guilty in Daughter’s Death
New York Times 27 Mar 2014 – An American couple accused of killing their adopted daughter by depriving her of sustenance were unexpectedly found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison.
Liberal Zionists are the new front line against BDS
Mondoweiss – One aspect of the shifting battle over the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) is that liberal Zionists have become the front line against BDS inside the American pro-Israel community. They are taking on BDS as avowed progressives, arguing that BDS rejects an idealistic project, the…
UN Human Rights Council passes resolution warning companies to ‘terminate business interests in the settlements’ or face possible criminal liability
Mondoweiss – Mishor Adumim Industrial Zone, home to Israel’s SodaStream factory in the West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Adumim. (Photo: Emil Salman/Haaretz) The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva passed an unprecedented resolution today at the closure of the Human Rights Council’s 25th session. The resolution, titled “ Israeli…
‘I’m reminded of Jackson, MS, closing all public pools rather than integrating them’ — Franke on Barnard’s Banner-gate
Mondoweiss – SJP Banner, Removed by Barnard More on the astonishing case of the Barnard College administration taking down a pro-Palestinian banner two weeks ago. A great deal has been published about the case, including on our site this morning . Here are three more selections, followed by the…
Removal of Barnard Palestine solidarity banner was discriminatory act of censorship
Mondoweiss – C-SJP IAW banner: Stand for Justice Stand for Palestine removed from Barnard Hall, Barnard College, Columbia University NY, March 10, 2014 (Photo: Columbia-SJP) Mondoweiss recently reported on how a banner posted at Barnard College showing a map of historic Palestine was taken down by the administration….
Shira Robinson speaks on ‘Citizen strangers’ at Palestine Center
Mondoweiss – On Wednesday, professor and historian Shira Robinson delivered a lecture at the Palestine Center in Washington, DC, entitled “Citizen Strangers: Palestinians and the Birth of Israel’s Liberal Settler State,” that discussed many of the findings of her research included in her recent book of the same…
Expelled from French university, lecture on Palestinian rights takes place on banks of Rhone
Mondoweiss – Meeting in Lyon Two weeks back we ran a piece on the criminalization of BDS activism in France, translated from Le Monde. Below is a translation of a follow-up piece that ran two days ago in France on AURDIP, Association of Academics for the Respect for…
African asylum seekers in Israel reject ‘invitation’ to desert prison
Mondoweiss – African asylum seekers enjoying the benefits of forced relocation to the “open facility” of Holot, sitting in the desert sun in front of the prison. (Photo: Allison Deger) Mutasim Ali has 30 days to clear out his office as executive director of a Tel Aviv-based refugee…
Moshe Kahlon would win 13 Knesset seats
Globes Main News – The former Likud minister would win seats from the center and left, the “Globes”-Smith poll found.
AR: Technology that cares
Globes Main News – InfinityAR CIO Helen Papagiannis: Augmented reality will change our world for the better.
Last minute hitch delays Leviathan-Woodside signing
Globes Main News – Woodside Petroleum objects to the Finance Ministry’s draft rules for taxing gas exports.
Intel invests $20m in artificial vision co OrCam
Globes Main News – OrCam’s product for the visually impaired resembles Google Glass.
Regulator orders Delek, Noble Energy to sell gas fields
Globes Main News – The Antitrust Authority has ordered the two companies to sell the Karish and Tanin fields.
Would-be Teva rival files for $49m Nasdaq IPO
Globes Main News – Mapi-Pharma develops enhanced generic drugs, including Teva’s Copaxone.
Daylight savings time begins
Globes Main News – Summer time will last until October 26.
Waze sued for NIS 500m
Globes Main News – The petitioner alleges that Waze is based on the Freemap Israel community project.
IAI backlog reaches record $10b
Globes Aerospace & Defense – Israel Aerospace Industries net profit rose slightly to $75 million.
Dutch co reports generic Copaxone study success
Globes Main News – Synthon says its Phase III clinical trial of glatiramer acetate found an equivalent efficacy and safety profile to Copaxone.
Leumi cuts bank account fees
Globes Main News – Bank Leumi is following Bank Hapoalim’s lead last week.
Egypt detainees ‘routinely tortured’
BBC 28 Mar 2014 – Egyptian security forces routinely torture and abuse detainees as young as 15, according to victim testimony gathered by the BBC.
Obama seeks to smooth Saudi ties
BBC 28 Mar 2014 – US President Barack Obama holds talks with Saudi King Abdullah to ease tensions over the Syria conflict and Iranian nuclear negotiations.
Israeli bulldozers destroy mosque, medical center in East Jerusalem – 2732014
Palestine Solidarity Project 28 Mar 2014 – Israeli bulldozers demolished a Palestinian-owned building that housed a mosque, a medical center, and apartments in East Jerusalem early Wednesday, witnesses told Ma’an. Locals said Israeli police and special forces stormed Khallat al-Ein square in the al-Tur neighborhood east of the Old City of Jerusalem and…
Israel Abstains From U.N. Resolution Slamming Russia Takeover of Crimea
The Foward Breaking News 28 Mar 2014 – Israel abstained from the U.S.-led bid to isolate Russia at the United Nations in the wake of its takeover of Crimea, distancing itself from the U.S. policy. Click here for the rest of the article…
MyHeritage Adds British Paper Archives to Family Tree Site
The Foward Breaking News 28 Mar 2014 – MyHeritage, an-Israel based genealogy website, will now include in its database the archives of the Jewish Chronicle and two Israeli historical databases. Click here for the rest of the article…
Do Orthodox Rabbi Groups Hold Too Much Sway Over Conversion — in Israel and U.S.?
The Forward New 28 Mar 2014 – The battle over conversion is heating up as the main American Orthodox rabbinic group says it cannot vouch for all conversions presided over by its members. Click here for the rest of the article…
Jewish Groups Resume Dialogue With Churches After 2012 Israel Aid Letter Spat
The Foward Breaking News 28 Mar 2014 – Leaders of national Jewish groups resumed a dialogue with mainline Christian churches ruptured by a call in 2012 by some Christian leaders to consider cutting U.S. assistance to Israel. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Sisi Presidential Bid Puts U.S. in Complex Position
allAfrica.com 28 Mar 2014 – [VOA]Rome -Egyptian General Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s decision to run for president comes as the United States is pushing Cairo to improve its treatment of journalists and political opponents.
UN: Syrians are ‘still suffering’
BBC 28 Mar 2014 – The UN says that there has been no humanitarian improvement for millions of Syrians since a resolution last month to increase aid deliveries.
Damascus: Workers still go to factories despite risk
Al-Akhbar News 28 Mar 2014 – A handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syrians shopping at a market in the central industrial city of Homs on May 18, 2011. (Photo: AFP /Ho/SANA) A handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syrians shopping at…
Week ahead: Lawmakers to examine Syria, sanctions
Al-Monitor 28 Mar 2014 – A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing next week.
Saudi Arabia profile
BBC 28 Mar 2014 – Provides an overview of Saudi Arabia, including key events and facts about the birthplace of Islam
Terrorist suspect Sami al-Atrash’s death passes without major backlash
Al-Akhbar News 28 Mar 2014 – Two boys walk down an unpaved road in the village of Ersal. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Two boys walk down an unpaved road in the village of Ersal. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Sami al-Atrash, one of the most dangerous wanted fugitives, has died during a Lebanese army raid…
Egyptian journalist killed in clashes between police forces and protesters
Al-Akhbar News 28 Mar 2014 – Updated at 6:55 pm: An Egyptian woman journalist was shot dead Friday in Cairo as police clashed with Islamists protesting against ex-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s presidency bid, a security official said. He said the journalist was killed as supporters of deposed president Mohammed Mursi took…
Week in Photos (22 March-28 March)
Al-Akhbar News 28 Mar 2014 – A female Israeli border guard fires tear gas towards Palestinian demonstrators (unseen) during a protest in the Aida Palestinian refugee camp near the West Bank city of Bethlehem on March 22, 2014, after three Palestinians were killed in Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank during…
Four killed in Yemen military raid
Al-Akhbar News 28 Mar 2014 – Yemeni soldiers search vehicles for weapons at a checkpoint in one of the capital Sanaa’s entrance on March 27, 2014. (Photo: AFP – Mohammed Huwais) Two Yemeni soldiers and two suspected al-Qaeda fighters were killed Friday when special forces stormed a militant hideout in the southern…
Deadly clashes shake Iraq’s Anbar province
Al-Akhbar News 28 Mar 2014 – Ongoing clashes between anti-government fighters and soldiers near a militant-held city on Baghdad’s doorstep have killed at least three people wounded dozens more, officials said Friday. The latest unrest erupted Thursday night in Anbar province, a mostly desert region in western Iraq along the Syrian border,…
Talk of assassination plans in Ankara ahead of Sunday election
Al-Monitor 28 Mar 2014 – Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek says there will be assassination attempts in Ankara to stir the election.
Tunisia jails militant leader accused of “inciting violence”
Al-Akhbar News 28 Mar 2014 – A leader of a controversial pro-Islamist militia blamed for several violent incidents in Tunisia has been jailed for 14 months for inciting violence and for verbal attacks, a judicial source said Friday. “The court in Tunis sentenced Imed Dghij to eight months for inciting violence and…
Lebanese demand the state preserve the sanctity of labneh
Al-Akhbar News 28 Mar 2014 – A woman looks through the dairy isle in a grocery store in Beirut. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) A woman looks through the dairy isle in a grocery store in Beirut. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Labneh, usually associated with Lebanon’s more traditional breakfast choices, has recently stolen the limelight…
UNHCR warns of Lebanon’s “collapse” if no further aid for Syrian refugees
Al-Akhbar News 28 Mar 2014 – A Syrian family in the al-Jarrah refugee camp in Lebanon, March 7, 2014. (Photo: The Fdz) An influx of almost 1 million refugees from Syria into neighboring Lebanon poses a serious threat to the already fragile country, but donor nations may not grasp the potential impact…
Algeria: Private TV stations alter the electoral scene
Al-Akhbar News 28 Mar 2014 – Algerian supporters of a movement called Barakat (meaning in Arabic “That’s enough”), campaigning for new leadership in Algeria, demonstrate holding banners and shout slogans against Algeria’s current President Bouteflika Abdelaziz running for a fourth term in the April 17 elections, outside the central school in downtown…
Netanyahu and Abbas are not Begin and Sadat
Al-Monitor 28 Mar 2014 – Documents released from Israel’s State Archives this week on the Israel-Egypt peace negotiations reveal the commitment of both leaders to achieve such an agreement, unlike current negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Is Turkish-Israeli reconciliation back on track?
Al-Monitor 28 Mar 2014 – The shifting regional picture may be forcing Israel and Turkey to rebuild ties, but only after Turkey’s elections on March 30.
Olmert soap opera tries Israeli judicial system
Al-Monitor 28 Mar 2014 – Charges against former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and a complaint of sexual harassment against Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom emphasize the freedom of the Israeli legal system to act.
Details emerge on Turkish-Israeli agreement on flotilla raid
Al-Monitor 28 Mar 2014 – Sources indicate that Turkey and Israel are close to signing a deal by which Israel would provide $23 million in compensation to the families of those killed in the 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara flotilla.
An Egyptian dialogue in Beirut en route to Arab summit
Al-Monitor 28 Mar 2014 – Qatar’s role wanes in the Arab League summit as Egypt tries to recover its role.
Hamas takes Israeli threats seriously
Al-Monitor 28 Mar 2014 – Hamas is paying close attention to Israel’s latest threats of military retaliation and a possible re-invasion of Gaza.
Despite surge, jihadism has poor long-term outlook
Al-Monitor 28 Mar 2014 – People have started seeing jihadist groups as repressive movements that cannot rule adequately.
Zarif defends handling of kidnapped guards via Facebook
Al-Monitor 28 Mar 2014 – Iran’s foreign minister has defended the administration against growing criticism of not doing enough to secure the release of the five border guards kidnapped in February, one of which has been killed.
Tourism is Lebanon’s biggest missed opportunity
Al-Monitor 28 Mar 2014 – A new report highlights the wasted potential of the tourism sector in Lebanon.
Foreign journalists accuse Hamas of SMS threats
Al-Monitor 28 Mar 2014 – Hamas officials deny they had anything to do with the messages allegedly sent by the party’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
Can Obama Saudi visit stem deteriorating ties?
BBC 27 Mar 2014 – Can Barack Obama’s Saudi visit stem deteriorating ties?
Repression, self-immolation, and domestic violence: Is Lebanese society crumbling?
Al-Akhbar Politics 27 Mar 2014 – Mariam al-Khouli after setting herself ablaze in front of the UNHCR building in Tripoli. (Photo: Al-Akhbar ) Mariam al-Khouli after setting herself ablaze in front of the UNHCR building in Tripoli. (Photo: Al-Akhbar ) Ravaged by hunger, lacking any means to support her children, and with no aid…
Articles
Lieberman’s ethnic cleansing in the clearest and most disgusting way
Hani Habeeb, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 3/28/2014
“…ethnic cleansing is a daily practice that Israel uses against Palestinian citizens of Israel, especially those living in Jerusalem who are being subjected to Judaisation and other policies that complicate their lives and endorse forced deportation and immigration”
The Israeli Minister for Foreign Affairs, Avigdor Lieberman, does not miss a single opportunity that allows him to demonstrate his fascist way of thinking and racist tendencies. Earlier this week, he once again returned to ideas that he advocated for more than four years ago, pointing out that he believed that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can be solved through land swaps between Israelis and the state of Palestine.
Most recently, Lieberman clearly defined what he meant by his racist ideas by stating that the solution to the conflict did not depend as much on land swaps as it did on transferring Arab populations living inside Israel to areas that are currently inhabited by Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
Lieberman’s proposal does not necessarily include Jerusalem but focuses primarily on the Triangle area and Wadi Ara, which are home to more than 300,000 Palestinian citizens. Lieberman claims that his proposal is an attempt to facilitate US Secretary of State John Kerry’s latest efforts to find a solution to the conflict and therefore end the negotiations.
Lieberman has resorted to commissioning a committee within the Israeli Ministry of Foreign affairs in order to find legal justifications and international historical precedents demonstrating that this type of suggestion should come as no surprise to anyone.
The ministerial committee, which has set aside its other responsibilities to pursue this matter further, claimed that Lieberman’s suggestion is not unprecedented…. more.. e-mail
Art Palestine International’s 2014 Exhibit
Raouf J. Halaby, CounterPunch 3/28/2014
How Green Is My Valley?
In part, Mary Evangelista’s bio reads as follows:
“… [She] has many years’ experience as a critic and curator. Her past exhibitions have included Art New Zealand, a touring exhibition of contemporary Maori and New Zealand artists, two exhibitions of contemporary Israeli Art, and Designing a Nation’s Capitol exhibition at New Orleans Museum of Art. As a critic, she has worked for publications including ART News, Saturday Review and Newsday.”
“In 2005, New York-based critic and curator Mary Evangelista was assigned to write a story on Israeli contemporary art for a major publication. In the course of a research trip to the Middle East, she was introduced to a number of outstanding emerging Palestinian artists. Evangelista’s editor refused to include these artists in the magazine, but the experience ignited an ongoing interest in Palestinian contemporary art … painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography, and video works.”
Established by Evangelista and several dedicated supporters, Art Palestine International is “a New York-based cultural organization dedicated to contemporary Palestinian art, [and the] organization collaborates with museums, galleries and non-profits to produce art exhibitions, events, and publications.” Two examples of Evangelista’s curatorial efforts in exhibiting Palestinian art include a January 2008 exhibit in Washington, DC, and a July 2009 New York exhibit co-curated by Michael Connor.
Over the past three years, Evangelista has continued her initiative to research Palestinian art. She has undertaken studio visits with artists living under occupation, artists living in Israel, and expatriates living in London and Paris…. more.. e-mail
Kosher theft? Palestine and Crimea compared
Jamal Kanj, Redress 3/26/2014
At a 19 March UN Security Council discussion, US Ambassador Samantha Powers was quoted as saying: “A thief can steal property, but that does not confer the right of ownership on the thief.”
Listening to her powerful condemnation of the Russian action in the Crimea, I couldn
’t help but wonder if that was a conviction or an ex-talented writer’s rhetorical speech. A thief should be condemned – irrespective of whether the thief is a friend or foe. I would add to the otherwise accurate statement that a thief-enabler should be castigated too.
Let’s for the sake of argument agree with Ms Powers’ assessment, which described as “theft” Russian support for the “overwhelming” wishes of 96 per cent of voters.
Queen of thieves
Using the same parallels, how about Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights? It is this thief which Ms Powers supports at the UN Security Council to expropriate occupied land to build Jews-only homes.
Unlike the apparent “democratic” vote in Crimea, Israel did not bother to seek the opinion of non-Jews when it decided to annex occupied territories. In relative terms, Israel received next to naught support from people in the annexed areas. Comparatively and using the ambassador’s gauge, Israel must be the queen of thieves.
Crimea’s population is made up of 70 per cent Russians, 16 per cent Ukrainians and 14 per cent Tatars. It is a historical fact that Crimea was part of Russia until the defunct Soviet Union bestowed it to Ukraine in 1954. Russia did not transplant new ethnic population; it did not create “Russian-only” roads nor built “Russian only” colonies to benefit one race or ethnic group. more.. e-mail
Time to Dissolve the Arab League?
Ahmad Barqawi, CounterPunch 3/28/2014
Another Useless Summit
Welcome to yet another “useless” Arab League summit, here’s what one should expect: feudalistic political back-stabbing, cheap exploitation (and exacerbation) of ongoing human tragedies, indecipherable hoarse voices reading out poorly translated transcripts of American dictates, cosmic levels of hypocrisy and a false sense of self-importance. What NOT to expect: proper use of the Arabic language, much less a semblance of a unified course of action for the good of this war-torn and conflict-ridden region. I think it’s safe to say that the latest Arab summit in Kuwait was up to expectations.
In keeping with an ungodly tradition the Arab world would have been much better off without; Arab “leaders” and heads of state convened in Kuwait yesterday with a thick, blood-soaked agenda that starts with the war in Syria, which owes much of its horrific descend into civil conflict to the Arab League itself and its member states, and ends with Palestine which, in keeping with yet another sordid tradition, was sidelined as usual and de-prioritized again much to the joy of Israel and the west.
Arab Summits have long been a mere punch-line for the Arab masses; and a bad one at that, but ever since the Arab League became, for all intents and purposes, nothing more than a bloated version of the Gulf-Cooperation Council with a handful of de-facto failed states whose presence is only necessitated by voting purposes and the pretense of consensus, thus rendering the AL a mere crowbar in the GCC’s counter-revolution crusade especially in Syria, these frivolous and often widely ridiculed meetings have taken a more ominous course; extending an open invitation for the over-caffeinated NATO death apparatus to bomb Libya, one of AL’s member states, back to the stone age marked the lowest point in the League’s constant ever downward spiral since its inception….. more.. e-mail
Can a focus on “Palestinian narrative” be dangerous to Palestinian rights?
Electronic Intifada: 28 Mar 2014 – Anna Bernard expands on Edward Said’s assertion that Israeli and Palestinian literature “cannot be separated.” more..
AAUP Backs Iymen Chehade, Supports Academic Freedom at Columbia College Chicago
In Gaza: 28 Mar 2014 – Iymen Chehade, a professor at Chicago’s Columbia College. By Eva Bartlett, Palestine Chronicle, Mar 28, 2014 American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Illinois statement of support for Iymen Chehade, a professor at Chicago’s Columbia College, marks the latest, and most significant, step forward in the fight against pervasive attempts to control discourse on Occupied Palestine, via stifling academic freedom on college and university campuses. Chehade, employed by Columbia since 2007, has taught three different courses on the Middle East, but by far most popular has been his Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, a course he designed in 2010. “The class is popular on campus. Students hear about it from other students and try consistently enroll in it,” says Chehade. “Its one of those history classes that is not history, it’s actually present, its also future. As we are speaking, history is being made.” Considerable student demand for the co
urse led to Chehade’s teaching…more
AAUP Backs Iymen Chehade, Supports Academic Freedom at Columbia College Chicago
Palestine Chronicle: 28 Mar 2014 – By Eva Bartlett American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Illinois statement of support for Iymen Chehade, a professor at Chicago’s Columbia College, marks the latest, and most significant, step forward in the fight against pervasive attempts to control discourse on Occupied Palestine, via stifling academic freedom on college and university campuses. Chehade, employed by Columbia since 2007, has taught three different courses on the Middle East, but by far most popular has been his Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, a course he designed in 2010. “The class is popular on campus. Students hear about it from other students and try consistently enroll in it,” says Chehade. “Its one of those history classes that is not history, it’s actually present, its also future. As we are speaking, history is being made.” Considerable student demand for the course led to Chehade’s teaching three sections of it at one point. As of fall 2013, Columbia offered…more
Another ‘Useless’ Arab League Summit
Palestine Chronicle: 28 Mar 2014 – By Ahmad Barqawi Welcome to yet another “useless” Arab League summit, here’s what one should expect: feudalistic political back-stabbing, cheap exploitation (and exacerbation) of ongoing human tragedies, indecipherable hoarse voices reading out poorly translated transcripts of American dictates, cosmic levels of hypocrisy and a false sense of self-importance. What NOT to expect: proper use of the Arabic language, much less a semblance of a unified course of action for the good of this war-torn and conflict-ridden region. I think it’s safe to say that the latest Arab summit in Kuwait was up to expectations. In keeping with an ungodly tradition the Arab world would have been much better off without; Arab “leaders” and heads of state convened in Kuwait yesterday with a thick, blood-soaked agenda that starts with the war in Syria, which owes much of its horrific descend into civil conflict to the Arab League itself and its member…more
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The New Dark Age 