4 April 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Four Injured, Two Kidnapped, In Jerusalem
IMEMC – [Friday Evening, April 4, 2014] A number of fanatic Israeli settlers attacked several Palestinians, wounding four, while Israeli soldiers kidnapped two more Palestinians, in Sheikh Jarrah, in occupied East Jerusalem. …
Dozens Injured In Nonviolent Protests In The West Bank
IMEMC – [Friday, April 4, 2014] Palestinian medical sources have reported that dozens of Palestinians have been injured, including several residents shot by rounds of live ammunition, after Israeli soldiers attacked nonviolent protests in different parts of the occupied West Bank. …
Including By Live Rounds, Dozens Injured As Army Attacks Nonviolent Protesters Near Ofer Prison
IMEMC – [Friday, April 4, 2014] As Hundreds of Palestinians fathered near the Ofer Israeli detention facility, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, demanding the release of Palestinian detainees and an end to the occupation, Israeli soldiers opened fire at them injuring dozens of Palestinians, including Palestinian cameraman Mohammad Basman Yassin of Bil’in village. …
Army Kidnaps A Palestinian Near Jenin, Interrogates Two
IMEMC – [Friday at Dawn, April 4, 2014] Several Israeli military vehicles invaded the Zababda town, in the northern West Bank district of Jenin, and kidnapped one Palestinian. The army also interrogated two brothers and threatened to kidnap them. …
Two Palestinians Injured as Army Bombards Gaza
IMEMC – [Friday at Dawn, April 4, 2014] Palestinian medical sources have reported that two Palestinians, including a child, were injured in a series of Israeli air strikes targeting different areas of the besieged Gaza Strip. …
Israel Punishes P.A for Filing Requests to Join International Organizations
IMEMC – The extremist government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to “punish” the Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas for filing a formal application to join 15 UN conventions, by imposing a series of measures and restrictions. …
Desmond Tutu Challenges Maryland Legislature’s Attempt to Outlaw Boycotts of Israel
IMEMC – Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa released a statement, Wednesday, expressing concern about legislation pending in the state of Maryland to punish and blacklist supporters of the academic boycott against Israel. …
Medics: 2 hurt in Gaza airstrikes
4/4/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Two Palestinians were injured in overnight Israeli airstrikes on targets in the Gaza Strip, medics said Friday. The health ministry in Gaza said a 1-year-old and a 30-year-old man arrived injured at Shifa Hospital after being hit with rocket shrapnel in the al-Maghraqa area in southern Gaza. Israeli forces targeted 10 sites in Gaza in 15 attacks overnight….
13 injured in clashes near Ramallah
4/4/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Thirteen Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces near Ofer detention center in Ramallah on Friday, onlookers said. Seven people were shot with live bullets, a Ma’an reporter said. Five were hurt with rubber-coated steel bullets. A journalist was struck in the back with a tear-gas canister. Palestinians responded by throwing rocks, the Ma’an reporter said…. Related: Eight activists injured by live ammunition in prisoner release protest outside Ofer prison
Settlers destroy over 300 grape vines near Bethlehem
4/4/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli settlers on Friday destroyed over 300 newly planted grape vines in al-Khader village south of Bethlehem, locals said. Landowner Mohammad Ibrahim Sbeih told Ma’an that he saw settlers from the illegal Sde Boaz settlement on his land in the al-Shub area. Coordinator for the local resistance committee Ahmad Salah told Ma’an that the settlers vandalized 18….
Settlers raid East Jerusalem neighborhood
4/4/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Dozens of settlers raided the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem on Friday, vandalizing property and attacking residents. Resident Umm Khaled Atiyeh told Ma’an that around 50 settlers raided the area and threw stones at houses, cars, and locals. Four Palestinians were lightly injured in the attack. [END]
Israel okays controversial Jerusalem archaeology project
4/4/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel has approved a controversial archaeology project in occupied East Jerusalem, the interior ministry said Friday, in a move likely to compound tensions threatening to scupper peace talks. The ministry “heard objections” from residents to the plans to build a visitor center just outside Jerusalem’s Old City walls in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, a statement said. However it granted approval….
Israel halts Palestinian prisoner release as talks falter
4/4/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel has called off the planned release of 26 Palestinian prisoners, placing already embattled peace talks in further jeopardy after both sides took steps Washington called “unhelpful”. Israel’s chief negotiator, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, told her Palestinian counterparts on Thursday the planned releases cannot go ahead because the Palestinians had formally requested accession to several international treaties, a source close to….
PLO: Terms of talks with Israel must ‘radically change’
4/4/2014 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — The basis of future peace talks with Israel must change, a Palestinian official said Thursday, after Israel’s chief negotiator said a planned release of Palestinian prisoners would not take place.” Israel has a habit of evading agreements and conventions it has signed,” Yasser Abed Rabbo, general secretary of the PLO executive committee told AFP.”That is why conditions for future negotiations….
Kerry to ‘evaluate’ next steps in peace process with Obama
4/4/2014 – RABAT (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday he would “evaluate” the next steps in the Middle East peace process with President Barack Obama, warning there are “limits” to Washington’s time.” This is not open-ended,” Kerry told a press conference in Rabat, adding that it was “reality check” time. [END]
Libya rebels hail progress in talks on reopening oil ports
4/4/2014 – BENGHAZI, Libya (AFP) — Rebels demanding autonomy for eastern Libya said Thursday they had made progress in talks with the central government on reopening key oil ports that they closed to exports last July. A rebel spokesman said a first port might reopen as early as next week, raising hopes of an end to the nine-month blockade which has slashed Libyan oil exports from 1. 5….
Bahrain tightens Grand Prix security as protests planned
4/4/2014 – DUBAI (AFP) — Bahrain tightened security Thursday, as the three-day Formula One Grand Prix was about to get under way, with the country’s Shiite opposition planning protests to seize world attention for pro-reform demands. Demonstrations have been held during the event every year since 2011 by opponents of the ruling Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty in an attempt to highlight those demands. Clashes frequently erupt on….
Egypt tightens security laws to counter ‘terrorism’
4/4/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt said Thursday it has boosted punishment for “terrorist” offences and expanded the scope of crimes that fall under that category, a day after bombings killed a top police officer. The legal amendments will come in force when interim president Adly Mansour approves the government-penned draft. The cabinet did not immediately release the changes made to the law. Egypt has been hit by….
West, Middle East powers warn against Syria election
4/4/2014 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — Eleven Western and Middle Eastern powers on Thursday warned Syrian President Bashar Assad against holding elections, saying that the vote would have no credibility amid the country’s brutal civil war. In a joint statement, the 11 core members of so-called Friends of Syria urged Assad instead to embrace a plan outlined in Geneva talks that includes a transitional government as a….
Official: Deadline risk over Syria weapons delay
4/4/2014 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — Syria can still meet a June deadline for getting rid of its chemical weapons, but to do so must resume stalled weapons transfers now, an international coordinator told the UN Security Council Thursday. Syria has suspended the transfers for what it says are security reasons, but on Sunday said it planned to resume them in the “coming days.”Sigrid Kaag, coordinator for….
New pictures of Iraq president recovering after stroke
4/4/2014 – ARBIL, Iraq (AFP) — Iraqi media released new pictures Thursday of President Jalal Talabani, who has been in Germany since Decem
ber 2012 after suffering a stroke, with the Kurdish leader appearing in good health. The images, published by media loyal to Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, come with campaigning having officially begun ahead of April 30 parliamentary elections and the PUK struggling to fend….
Kuwait parliamentary panel rejects Gulf security pact
4/4/2014 – KUWAIT CITY (AFP) — The Kuwaiti parliamentary committee for foreign relations on Thursday rejected a security pact ratified by other Gulf nations, with MPs saying the government-backed treaty is unconstitutional. Leaders of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council approved the pact at a summit in December 2012 after it was signed by all GCC interior ministers including Kuwait. The text paves the way for the extradition of….
Lights, action as Hamilton, Rosberg eye Bahrain
4/4/2014 – MANAMA, Bahrain (AFP) — Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg put Mercedes’ early season dominance to its first true test Sunday at the floodlit Bahrain Grand Prix on a track where both drivers have always struggled. Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, swept to victory from pole in Malaysia last week ahead of Rosberg who clinched the championship opener in Australia. But despite their lofty positions in….
Palestinian president takes a defiant stand
AlJazeera 3 Apr 2014 – Will recent decisions by Mahmoud Abbas boost Palestinian rights?
International Solidarity Movement
Eight activists injured by live ammunition in prisoner release protest outside Ofer prison
4/4/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine – This afternoon approximately 500 Palestinian, international and Israeli demonstrators gathered close to Ofer Prison in Ramallah to protest against the refusal of the Israeli state to release the fourth group of Palestinian prisoners. As part of the current round of talks between Fatah (the Palestinian government of the West Bank) and the Israeli government, a series of prisoner releases…. Related: 13 injured in clashes near Ramallah
Syrian Arab Republic: April Regional Analysis for Syria – RAS
Relief Web 4 Apr 2014 – Source: MapAction, Assessment Capacities Project Country: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey Overview This first quarterly Regional Analysis of the Syria Conflict (RAS) replaces the monthly RAS reports. The RAS seeks to bring together information…
Syrian Arab Republic: Support from UAE for Palestine Refugees in Syria
Relief Web 4 Apr 2014 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates 4 April 2014 Amman The Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Pierre Krähenbühl, welcomed…
occupied Palestinian territory: Israel halts Palestinian prisoner release as talks falter
Relief Web 3 Apr 2014 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 04/04/2014 06:00 GMT by Stephen WEIZMAN JERUSALEM, April 4, 2014 (AFP) – Israel has called off the planned release of 26 Palestinian prisoners, placing already embattled peace talks in further jeopardy after both…
Defiant Erdogan slams court for lifting ban on Twitter
The National 4 Apr 2014 – Recep Tayyip Erdogan also hints that he will run for president in August.
Tunisian PM visits White House as Washington focuses on North Africa
The National 4 Apr 2014 – One of the most pressing issues during Mehdi Jomaa’s visit is how the US can bolster an economy that threatens to undo the Arab Spring’s only success story.
AP photographer killed and reporter wounded on eve of Afghan election
The National 4 Apr 2014 – The attack came on the eve of nationwide elections in Afghanistan and the Taliban have vowed to disrupt Saturday’s vote for a new president and provincial councils.
Iran’s revolutionaries soften with middle age
The National 4 Apr 2014 – The role of the students is back in the spotlight following the appointment of a new UN ambassador who may have participated on the fringes of the siege.
Freud off: Giving new meaning to psychoanalysis
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
He who does not know how to ask — pays up to 60 percent more
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
AP photographer killed, reporter wounded in Afghanistan
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
How Israel almost went to the polls over deal with Palestinians
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
Hitler may have married a Jew, DNA evidence shows
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
Iran, West to start drafting nuclear agreement in May, U.S. official says
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
Israeli game show ‘Boom!’ coming to the U.S.
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
U.S.: Israeli, Palestinian leaders need to do some soul searching
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
In North Carolina, Jewish doves back religious conservative attacked by Israel hawks
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
EU to set up international tribunal for Kosovo crimes
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
Millions skimmed from Milan Jewish community
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
Palestinians clash with IDF soldiers near Ramallah
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
Report: Israel banks on another decade of U.S. military aid
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
Police to question real-estate mogul in connection to Olmert ‘hush money’
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
Kerry: It’s reality check time, U.S. will evaluate role in peace process
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
As peace talks falter, Lapid prepares ‘alibi’
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
White House slams Samsung for pushing Obama selfie
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez hospitalized with lung infection
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
Israel is sending asylum seekers to Rwanda without status, rights
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
Are Arabs human beings?
Ha’aretz – 4 Apr 2014
Jerusalem panel approves controversial City of David visitors’ center
Ha’aretz – 3 Apr 2014
Erekat: Leaked list doesn’t represent our official stand
Ha’aretz – 3 Apr 2014
Will Lea Michele star in a ‘Friends’ Broadway musical?
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – Jenifer Aniston says Jewish-American star of ‘Glee’ would make the “perfect” Rachel Green for possible stage show.
Study: Circumcision comparable to vaccination
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – Team of researchers are recommending circumcising males to avoid diseases, saying 1/2 uncircumcised males contract medical conditions.
Kerry warns US is evaluating role in Middle East peace talks
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – Unites States Secretary of State John Kerry tells press Washington is limited while parties are unwilling to move forward. Abandoning peace effort, however, could affect US credibility in the Middle East.
US soldiers getting first new siddur since World War II
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – Reform, Orthodox and Conservative rabbis cooperated in creating the prayer book, which includes a foreword by President Obama.
Boeing: US license received to sell spare jet parts to Iran
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – World’s biggest airplane manufacturer gets American permission for certain exports as part of temporary sanctions relief deal.
PA minister: Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails to hold hunger strikes
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – Palestinian leadership to take measures to change “conduct in the field,” official says, without elaborating.
Dropped soccer star Anelka: Jewish wife weighs on French PM
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – Sportsman says new French premier’s opposing stand on “quenelle” salute was influenced by spouse.
PMO on report of migrant relocation to Rwanda, Uganda: All acts in line with int’l law
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – Prime Minister’s Office doesn’t specifically confirm or deny report that Israel is financing trips for migrants to move to African nations.
Israeli American Council expands to Vegas
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – Miriam Adelson, wife of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, to run chapter in Nevada, where large number of Israeli expats have concentrated.
Palestinians clash with IDF forces in support of prisoners
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – Security forces use crowd dispersal methods on stone-throwing rioters outside Ofer Prison near Ramallah; Palestinians report 13 wounded.
Abbas rejects plea by Kerry to halt international treaty applications
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – Official quotes Abbas: “Israel scares no one. They can do what they want.”
Alfred Akirov named as suspect who paid Zaken thousands of shekels
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – Akirov’s company employed Zaken in high paying position throughout Olmert investigation.
Kerry: It’s time for a reality check on peace process
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – US secretary of state says negotiations not open-ended, there is a limit to time US can spend on Mideast diplomatic process.
Lapid: There is doubt that Abbas really wants an agreement
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – Finance minister says Abbas is working against himself by making new set of demands, but Yesh Atid still supports diplomatic solution.
Hunt for Malaysian plane heads underwater to find black box
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – US Navy Towed Pinger Locator joins search; plane’s black box locator beacon battery life running out; surface area search to continue.
‘Every counter-terrorism raid you’ve heard about includes us’
Jerusalem Post 4 Apr 2014 – IDF commander gives rare interview to ‘Post’ about his undercover unit active throughout the West Bank; battalion will help deal with terror threats.
Israeli bars let liquor flow cheaply to satisfy Anglo demand
Jerusalem Post 3 Apr 2014 – Bars aimed at offering cheap alcohol are popping up around Israel, to the delight of booze-guzzlers from abroad.
Into the fray: To my colleague Caroline, a caveat
Jerusalem Post 3 Apr 2014 – I strongly concur with Caroline B. Glick’s diagnosis of the fatal failings of the two-state formula, and disagree just as strongly with the prescription she offers to remedy them.
My word: Sharks and Holyland
Jerusalem Post 3 Apr 2014 – You cannot hide corruption forever – certainly not on the scale of Holyland. And small acts of corruption tend to grow into something bigger.
Another tack: The postulate of illegitimacy
Jerusalem Post 3 Apr 2014 – The inherent illegitimacy of the Jewish state makes Jewish self-defense illegitimate; we may be attacked, but we may not react.
Column One: A chance to move on
Jerusalem Post 3 Apr 2014 – Officers taking a more constructive approach to fighting like Galant and Tamir, were immediately placed on Ashkenazi’s enemies list.
Kerry hints Middle East peace talks are close to collapse as US reassesses role
The Guardian 4 Apr 2014 – US secretary of state issues pessimistic remarks in Morocco Obama administration will reconsider participation in process US secretary of state John Kerry, who has made it a personal mission to brea
the life into the long-stalled peace…
A boycott can jolt Israelis from their somnolence on Palestine | Harriet Sherwood
The Guardian 4 Apr 2014 – In Tel Aviv or Haifa, the occupied territories are another planet. But if Israelis feel economic pain, they will demand change from within The Rolling Stones have confirmed they will play a gig in Tel Aviv…
Obama: US to provide loan guarantees for Tunisia
Daily Star 4 Apr 2014 The United States is providing $500 million in new assistance to Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring movement, to help the North African nation revive its faltering economy as it continues its march toward democracy…
US official:Iran nuclear deal to be drafted in May
Daily Star 4 Apr 2014 A U.S. official says world powers and Iran will start drafting a comprehensive nuclear agreement next month.
Morocco journalist ‘terror’ case in judge’s hands: FM
Daily Star 4 Apr 2014 The controversial case of a Moroccan journalist accused of aiding “terrorism”, whose popular news website has been blocked, is in the hands of the judiciary, the foreign minister said Friday.
Mercedes set to light up Bahrain duel
Daily Star 4 Apr 2014 The spotlights – all 5,000 of them – will be on Mercedes teammates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton Sunday when Bahrain adds another novel twist to an already changed Formula One landscape.
US: Iran oil exports will be in line with sanctions target
YNet News, 4 Apr 2014 – ….
Boeing says gets US license to sell spare parts to Iran
YNet News, 4 Apr 2014 – ….
Facing conflict without hatred
YNet News, 4 Apr 2014 – Op-ed: Israelis would earn respect from their neighbors if they admitted that enmity and conflict should be fought with respect for shared principles. ….
US official: Iran nuclear deal to be drafted in May
YNet News, 4 Apr 2014 – ….
McDonald’s exits Crimea
YNet News, 4 Apr 2014 – ….
Egyptian journalists strike, demanding protection
YNet News, 4 Apr 2014 – ….
Kiefer: Jewish collectors boosted my career
YNet News, 4 Apr 2014 – German artist, many of whose huge canvases examine legacy of Third Reich, says Jews in New York latched onto his art early in his career when his fellow Germans were not all that interested. ….
Kerry outdoes himself in new diplomatic frenzy
YNet News, 4 Apr 2014 – The past week saw Kerry dive head-first into a frenetic tour of high-stakes diplomacy, replete with midair changes in flight plans and an astonishing amount of the seat-of-the-pants decision-making. ….
Palestinian Information Center
PA court jails journalist for 3 months in absentia
PIC – The PA magistrates’ court has sentenced on Thursday Quds Press reporter Mohammed Mona to three months imprisonment in absentia as he is currently held in Israeli prisons.
Hackers threaten to attack Israeli websites next Monday
PIC – The Israeli media warned on Thursday of cyberattacks that could possibly happen next Monday against Israeli websites following threats by pro-Palestinian hackers.
Israeli air raids on Gaza render two civilians wounded
PIC – Two Palestinians have suffered wounds during Israeli aerial attacks at an early hour on Friday morning on different areas of the Gaza Strip.
IOA approves construction of Jewish structure in occupied Jerusalem
PIC – Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage stated that the Israeli Planning and Building Committee is scheduled to approve the establishment Kdam complex – Ir David in Silwan town.
Captive Movement threatens to escalate protest steps
PIC – The Captive Movement threatened to escalate protest steps in case Israeli Prison Services (IPS) would not commit to the agreement reached between them to end Ibrahim Hamed’s solitary confinement.
IOA officially rejects to release fourth batch of detainees
PIC – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) officially informed the PA of its decision to cancel the release of the fourth batch of long-serving Palestinian detainees scheduled by the end of March.
State of tension prevails in Ofer prison
PIC – A state of high tension has been prevailed in Ofer prison after Israeli special units and police elements raided section 16 in the prison on Friday morning.
IOF soldiers raid two towns south of Nablus
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces at dawn Friday invaded Awarta and Asira towns, south of Nablus city, and clashed with Palestinian young men.
Three Palestinian refugees killed in Syria
PIC – The Action Group for the Palestinians in Syria said that three Palestinians were killed on Thursday in Syria, including two refugees in Yarmouk refugee camp.
Father of Palestinian political detainee goes on hunger strike
PIC – The father of a Palestinian political detainee has gone on an open-ended hunger strike on Thursday in solidarity with his son Malik, who is in jail for 15 days.
Army Infiltrates Gaza Borders
WAFA – 3 Apr 2014
Kerry: Mideast talks may be scaled back
LA Times 4 Apr 2014 – WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John F. Kerry signaled Friday that he may scale back his intense effort to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace in view of the two sides’ “unhelpful actions” in recent days.
Rebel assault on Kasab, Syria, revives dark memories for Armenians
LA Times 4 Apr 2014 – It’s unclear how many died in the attack in Latakia province, but much of the anger is directed at Turkey for allegedly facilitating it. BEIRUT — A rebel assault on the northern Syrian town of Kasab near the Turkish border has sparked a furor among…
U.S. Permits Export to Iran of Plane Parts
New York Times 4 Apr 2014 – Boeing and General Electric received limited licenses from the Treasury Department to service 18 commercial aircraft engines sold to Iranair in the late 1970s, the companies said.
At War Blog: We Were Just Laughing: Days With Anja Niedringhaus and Kathy Gannon
New York Times 4 Apr 2014 – A reporter who was recently with Anja Niedringhaus and Kathy Gannon of The Associated Press, longtime fellow chroniclers of events in Afghanistan, reflects on the attack on them and the changing environment in the country.
French Push U.N. to Seek War Crimes Case in Syria
New York Times 4 Apr 2014 – The French have taken the first steps toward a Security Council referral of Syrians suspected of war crimes to the International Criminal Court.
U.S. to Reassess Status of Talks on Middle East
New York Times 4 Apr 2014 – Secretary of State John Kerry said he was flying home to Washington to meet with President Obama to reassess the peace negotiations, and whether there is a path forward.
Judge Loath to Permit TV Testimony on Islamist
New York Times 4 Apr 2014 – A prosecution witness in the coming trial of Mostafa Kamel Mostafa, a cleric accused of aiding Al Qaeda, is reluctant to come to New York from Britain.
World Briefing: Iran: Border Guards Released by Pakistani Militants
New York Times 4 Apr 2014 – Four of five Iranian border guards seized by Pakistani militants along the volatile Iran-Pakistan frontier two months ago have been released, Iran state media reported Friday.
Slain Photographer Had Covered Several War Zones
New York Times 4 Apr 2014 – Some of the scenes captured by Anja Niedringhaus, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer who was killed by a police officer in Afghanistan on Friday.
News Analysis: A Peace Process in Which Process Has Come to Outweigh Peace
New York Times 4 Apr 2014 – All three parties have vested interests in the Middle East peace process, leading analysts to say the current Kerry-led negotiations are inhibiting a final reckoning.
The Lede: Iran’s Reformers Include More Than One Former Hostage-Taker
New York Times 4 Apr 2014 – Hostage-takers who became leading reformers in Iran include the man who devised the plan to seize the United States Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and the woman who explained the group’s demands to foreign reporters.
Syria Ships Out More Chemicals After a 2-Week Lapse
New York Times 4 Apr 2014 – The delay raised questions about whether Syria can meet an extended deadline of April 27 to export its chemical weapons arsenal for destruction.
Lives: A Doubter in the Holy Land
New York Times 4 Apr 2014 – Would I hear the calling that my mother heard?
The Saturday Profile: Leftward Shift by Conservative Cleric Leaves Saudis Perplexed
New York Times 4 Apr 2014 – Salman al-Awda, who won fame for his hard-line views, speaks up for democracy and amplifies his voice with social media.
World Briefing: Israel: Airstrikes in Gaza Follow Militants’ Rocket Attacks
New York Times 3 Apr 2014 – Israeli military aircraft carried out multiple airstrikes in the Gaza Strip early Friday, the Israeli military and Palestinian officials said, after militants fired four rockets into southern Israel late Thursday.
Brandeis Awards Islamophobe Ayan Hirsi Ali Honorary Degree
Tikun Olam – Ayan Hirsi Ali, raging Islamophobe, honored with Brandeis honorary degree It’s commencement time and universities are proudly announcing who they’ve snagged as honorary degree and commencement speakers. Brandeis has an august list including Geoffrey Canada and Jill Abramson, worthy honorees certainly. But one choice stands out…
Ehud Olmert’s JNF-sponsored tour nixed after corruption conviction
Mondoweiss – Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. (Photo: Algemeiner.com) Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was supposed to be feted on U.S. campuses this week. Instead, he’s in Israel, waiting to be sentenced after being convicted of corruption. The man who prosecuted Israel’s devastating 2008-09 assault on…
‘NYT’ stamps Jimmy Carter ‘radioactive’ and not ‘a force for good’
Mondoweiss – Jimmy Carter On April 2, The New York Times published a piece by Washington correspondent Sheryl Gay Stolberg titled, “Carters Return to Capital, Onstage” spotlighting a play about Jimmy Carter’s peace talks: “Camp David” (“They had 13 days to achieve the impossible. Peace”). Carter cooperated in…
Israeli troops fire live ammunition on protest in support of Palestinian prisoners
Mondoweiss – [ View the story “Israeli forces open fire on protest for Palestinian prisoners” on Storify ]
Ultra-Zionists push back as Jewish establishment tacks toward center
Mondoweiss – Ethan Bronner The other day we did a post on rightwing Zionists in Philadelphia boo-ing Alan Dershowitz because he opposes some Israeli settlements in the “West Bank,” which those religious rightwingers refer to as Judea and Samaria. Here are two more incidents highlighting the same fracture…
Oren says Pollard ‘sacrificed himself for the Jewish people’
Mondoweiss – Oren, right The New York Times has published an article quoting several right-wing American Jews (and Aaron David Miller and Michael Lerner) on the Jonathan Pollard issue. “Talk of Freeing a Spy for Israel Stirs Old Unease for U.S. Jews.” The piece repeatedly cites the unfair…
Obama’s Latest Sacrificial Victim on Altar of Political Expediency
Tikun Olam – Obama shadowed by Macchiavelli’s dark prince. One of the things (one of the many things) I hate about Barack Obama’s presidency is the sense of political expediency divorced of any values or ethics. We’ve seen this especially in his treatment of his nominees to senior positions. …
US lets Boeing sell parts to Iran
BBC 4 Apr 2014 – The US Treasury grants plane manufacturer Boeing a licence to export some commercial parts to Iran, in its first public dealings since 1979.
Chinese man ‘broke Iran sanctions’
BBC 4 Apr 2014 – A Chinese national faces US criminal charges that he conspired to export devices to Iran that could be used in uranium enrichment.
Palestinian-Israeli Clash Erupts Outside West Bank Prison
The Foward Breaking News 4 Apr 2014 – Several Palestinians were injured in clashes between rioters and Israeli troops near the Ofer Prison north of Jerusalem. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israeli forces demolish Palestinian homes 342014
Palestine Solidarity Project 4 Apr 2014 – Israeli forces have stormed a neighborhood in the East al-Quds (Jerusalem), demolishing homes and structures belonging to Palestinian Bedouins, Press TV reports. The Israeli forces raided Jabal al-Baba neighborhood in al-Ezariya town on Thursday morning. The Israeli bulldozers then demolished a number of Palestinian homes, including…
Israeli-American Council Opens Vegas Office for Growing Israeli Population
The Foward Breaking News 4 Apr 2014 – The Israeli-American Council has established an office in Las Vegas as part of a drive to expand from its Los Angeles base to U.S. cities with major concentrations of Israeli expatriates. Click here for the rest of the article…
It’s ‘Reality Check’ Time for the Peace Talks, Says Kerry
The Foward Breaking News 4 Apr 2014 – Secretary of State John Kerry held late night phone conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in a bid to revive peace talks. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israeli Jews Who Aren’t Jewish in Eyes of Rabbis Face Kafkaesque Conversion Plight
The Forward New 4 Apr 2014 – Thousands of Jewish immigrants aren’t considered Jewish by the state of Israel. And now attempts to loosen up the conversion process appear doomed. Click here for the rest of the article…
Anti-Syrian hostility in Lebanon spawns social media backlash
BBC 4 Apr 2014 – Anti-Syrian hostility spawns Lebanon social media backlash
Week ahead: Kerry returns to the Capitol
Al-Monitor 4 Apr 2014 – A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing next week.
Turkish forces fire into Syria after crossborder shelling
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2014 – Turkey on Friday fired artillery into Syria to retaliate after cross-border shelling hit its territory without causing injuries or damage, the army said. “Six shells hit in Yayladadi in Hatay province and caused no damage,” said the Turkish armed forces in a statement. “In accordance with…
Idaho senator says window closed for good options in Syria
Al-Monitor 4 Apr 2014 – In an interview with Al-Monitor, Senate Foreign Relations member Jim Risch, R-Idaho, worries that the president has “gotten us to the point where America is viewed differently.”
Ex-warlord Samir Geagea announces presidential bid
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2014 – Former Lebanese warlord Samir Geagea will stand for the presidency in May, his right-wing Christi
an Lebanese Forces party said on Friday. Geagea, 61, was the only leader from the 1975-1990 civil war ever jailed, but was released under an amnesty in 2005 after Syria withdrew from…
US urges Mid-East ‘reality check’
BBC 4 Apr 2014 – US Secretary of State John Kerry says it is time for a “reality check” in the Israel-Palestinian peace process amid a deep crisis in the talks.
Gunmen kill eight soldiers in Yemen
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2014 – Suspected al-Qaeda militants riding in a convoy of vehicles attacked an army post in Hadramawt province in southeast Yemen on Friday, killing eight soldiers and wounding 11, a military source said. “The attackers approached the position on board several vehicles and opened fire on the soldiers…
#RHD: Resisting Hegemonic Discourses
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2014 – #ResistingHegemonicDiscourses History is often composed of ignored stories etched out in the stillness, bellowed through fits of madness and confidently whispered behind closed doors — it is an arrangement of words that have fallen between the cracks of hands and lips; patches sewn together, holding narratives…
#ResistingHegemonicDiscourses
Al-Akhbar Blogs 4 Apr 2014 – History is often composed of ignored stories etched out in the stillness, bellowed through fits of madness and confidently whispered behind closed doors — it is an arrangement of words that have fallen between the cracks of hands and lips; patches sewn together, holding narratives tightly…
New productive ventures a third option for Syrian refugees
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2014 – Syrian refugees wait their turn at a UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) registration center, one of many across Lebanon, in the northern port city of Tripoli on April 3, 2014.(Photo: Joseph Eid) Syrian refugees wait their turn at a UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) registration center,…
Kidnapped Iranians freed in Pakistan
BBC 4 Apr 2014 – Four Iranian soldiers seized by a Sunni militant group and taken to Pakistan are freed after a request from Iranian clerics, but a fifth is reportedly killed.
Syria: Stupid management of state-run media and censoring of useful media
Al-Akhbar Opinion 4 Apr 2014 – United Nations Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is seen on a cell phone camera as he talks to the media after briefing a Security Council meeting on Syria March 13, 2014 at UN headquarters in New York. (Photo: AFP-Stand Honda) United Nations Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is…
Turkey admits Reyhanli was attacked by al-Qaeda
Al-Monitor 4 Apr 2014 – Turkey’s Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Tacan Ildem, says the May 11, 2013, Reyhanli attack was carried out by al-Qaeda.
Week in Photos (March 29-April 4)
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2014 – New World Champion of the Men’s ski event at the Freeride World Tour, France’s Loic Collomb-Patton competes on the Bec de Rosses mountain during the Xtreme Freeride World Tour final on March 29, 2014 above the Swiss Alps resort of Verbier. (Photo: Fabrice Coffrini-AFP) New World…
Two rockets slam into East Lebanon
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2014 – Two rockets fired by suspected Syrian rebels struck eastern Lebanon Friday, state news reported, with no word on casualties. Lebanon’s National News Agency said the rockets struck an area between the towns of Labwe and al-Nabi Othman, adding that one of them failed to explode. The…
VIDEO: Jimmy Carter’s historic Camp David accords dramatised
BBC 4 Apr 2014 – The untold side of the Camp David summit goes on stage
Former Lebanon president calls for ‘Arab Marshall Plan’
Al-Monitor 4 Apr 2014 – Former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel calls for an “Arab Marshall Plan” that would be run by Arabs and supported by outside powers, with a focus on promoting democracy.
Airbridge transporting jihadis from Jordan to Turkey
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2014 – A handout picture taken on April 2, 2014 and released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on April 3, 2014 allegedly shows a pro-government fighter standing on a tank at an undisclosed location in the north of Syria’s Latakia province. (Photo: AFP-HO/SANA) A handout…
AUDIO: Muslim mums tackle radicalisation
BBC 4 Apr 2014 – Muslim mothers are being taught how to use the internet to check if their children are being radicalised online.
Syrian Kurds appeal for help to prevent fall of Ain al-Arab
Al-Monitor 4 Apr 2014 – As fighting intensifies between Kurdish groups and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) near the Kurdish-controlled region of Ain al-Arab in northern Syria, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) have called on all of Kurdistan to mobilize in support.
Iran says abducted soldiers have been freed
Al-Akhbar News 4 Apr 2014 – Iranian soldiers captured by Jaish al-Adl rebels near the Pakistani border in February have been freed, the extremist group and an Iranian official announced Friday. However, there was no indication of how many of the five border guards had been released after Jaish al-Adl, which operates…
ISIS expands in areas around Baghdad
Al-Monitor 4 Apr 2014 – Witnesses report that the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has been entering cities surrounding Baghdad, raising al-Qaeda flags and leaving before the arrival of security forces.
Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader visits Khartoum
Al-Monitor 4 Apr 2014 – After the visit by a leading member of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, Wagdy Ghoneim, to Khartoum, the region is pondering the repercussions of a potential Islamist-Sudanese relationship.
Motahari: no Reformist parliament in 2016
Al-Monitor 4 Apr 2014 – Conservative parliament member Ali Motahhari talks about the 2016 parliamentary elections, the result of the new administration not bringing in conservatives into its cabinet and why conservatives lost the 2013 presidential elections.
Erdogan’s fractured ties to the West
Al-Monitor 4 Apr 2014 – Some are speculating that following the victory of the Justice and Development Party in municipal elections, Turkey might seek to build bridges to the West, but this would require a shift in Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s approach.
Knesset member warns of Arab Spring in West Bank
Al-Monitor 4 Apr 2014 – In an interview with Al-Monitor, Kadima Knesset member and former Shin Bet official Israel Hasson warns of Israel’s humiliating approach to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and predicts that if negotiations blow up: “The Arab Spring will get to the West Bank.”
Palestinians are right to go UN route
Al-Monitor 4 Apr 2014 – US aid to the Palestinians represents an ongoing effort to deny them access to the United Nations and thus statehood.
Kerry’s artificial negotiations
Al-Monitor 4 Apr 2014 – Secretary of State John Kerry’s frustrations on the Middle East should not come as a surprise.
Aoun aims to replace Kahwaji, fears he could be next president
Al-Akhbar Politics 3 Apr 2014 – MP Michel Aoun. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) MP Michel Aoun. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) For the last three years the army has remained Lebanon’s only functioning institution. To some extent, it managed to withstand all the political campaigns and armed attacks that targeted it, including the recent spate…
A journey through Syria’s Daraa
Al-Akhbar Politics 3 Apr 2014 – An armed car driving through the Daraa goveronate. (Photo: Al-Akhbar ) An armed car driving through the Daraa goveronate. (Photo: Al-Akhbar ) For over an hour and a half, our car cut its way through the Hauran plateau at great speed. On the road from Damascus to the…
Tripoli: Short-term appeasement, or long-term security?
Al-Akhbar Politics 3 Apr 2014 – A Lebanese woman greets army soldiers on top of a tank as they patrol the streets of the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood of the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on April 2, 2014. (Photo: AFP – Ibrahim Chalhoub) A Lebanese woman greets army soldiers on top of…
Hamas soldiers to preach in Gaza’s mosques
Al-Akhbar Politics 3 Apr 2014 – A member of the Palestinian security forces aims during a target shooting session using a makeshift laser gun in the police training headquarters of the Hamas authorities in Gaza City on March 27, 2014. (Photo: AFP-Mahmud Hams) A member of the Palestinian security forces aims during…
Articles
How serious are Israel’s threats to reoccupy Gaza?
Dr Adnan Abu Amer, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 4/3/2014
Palestinian resistance forces and the Israeli occupation army had a fresh confrontation in mid-March as part of the ongoing unrest. This new episode included the firing of tens of missiles into Gaza and onto Israeli settlements
This round, like its precedents, was supposed to end with mutual statements between Gaza and Tel Aviv, but the latter escalated its statements this time with unprecedented threats regarding the possibility of reoccupying the Gaza Strip in order to cleanse it of the military arsenal and missile powers it has, as was stated by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
But fears in Gaza were heightened after the pace of these threats was picked up and they were made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon and the Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces Benny Gantz.
Coinciding with these threats, the Al-Qassam Brigades revealed a video tape showing its surveillance of Ya’alon’s visit to Gaza’s eastern borders, not specifying the date of the visit, while showing that he was in shooting distance of its snipers.
At the same time, the Israeli army held a military training exercise on March 19 in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip, with participation from different fighting units, in order to raise the level of their military preparedness.
This was followed by Israel announcing the next day that it had discovered another tunnel that connects Gaza to its territories, which is meant to be used for attacks. The tunnel extends hundreds of metres and has been dug with the purpose of carrying out an armed attack. It is 6-8 metres deep and large cement pieces were used in its construction. The Al-Qassam Brigades explained that the discovery of the tunnel was made thanks to the rain and is not an Israeli achievement. more.. e-mail
The Monster on the Hill
Uri Avnery, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 4/4/2014
THERE IS nothing better than a scandal every week. A juicy scandal excites people, engages the media, takes our minds off matters like war and peace, occupation and apartheid. Like panem et circenses (bread and entertainment) in ancient Rome.
This week we had several scandals to occupy us. Ehud Olmert, a former prime minister, was convicted of taking huge bribes when he was the mayor of Jerusalem. He was paid for approving a monstrous building complex on the highest hill of West Jerusalem, visible from a great distance.
As if this was not enough, Sylvan Shalom, a cabinet minister with half a dozen functions, was suspected of sexual assault. A former secretary remembered that 15 years ago he had attacked her in his hotel room.
With such exciting news to deal with, who can spare the time and energy to think about the crisis in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, which never really started at all? The public knows well enough that these negotiations are a farce set in motion by an American administration which does not have the guts to stand up to the hirelings of the Israeli government in Congress and impose anything on Binyamin Netanyahu.
INDEED, IF anyone had any illusions about American politics, they were dispelled this week.
The casino mogul, Sheldon Adelson, organized a public display of his power.
He summoned to his Las Vegas betting paradise the four most probable Republican candidates for the next presidential elections, in order to choose one of them. All the invitees heeded the summons, of course. more.. e-mail
‘BDS is irrelevant.’ Oh, really?
Stuart Littlewood, Redress 4/2/2014
What maddens Zionists most is that they cannot control civil society like they can pull the strings of the spineless political élite. They fear BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) action will derail their precious project for Greater Israel. So they now sneer at civil society and try to discourage further BDS efforts. This tactic comes across loud and clear in Michael Rosenberg’s article, “The goal of the BDS movement is dismantling Israel, not the ’67 occupation”.
Actually, Israel is well on the way to dismantling itself through its own vile and unsustainable behaviour. BDS is sim
ply giving it a helping hand.
The BDS call
A quick trip to the BDS movement’s website will expose Rosenberg’s attempt to mislead. For a start, the three demands on Israel he highlights are not the BDS movement’s demands; they are required of Israel by international and humanitarian law. These demands are:
Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the separation wall;Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; andRespecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.The BDS movement calls on civil society to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era. It says:
“We appeal to you to pressure your respective states to impose embargoes and sanctions against Israel. We also invite conscientious Israelis to support this call, for the sake of justice and genuine peace….” more.. e-mail
Zionism’s Fanatics Face New Landscapes
Rami G. Khouri, Agence Global 4/2/2014
NEW YORK—Consider these two incidents that occurred in the past few days in the United States and you should start to grasp the basic elements of a slow, subtle but steady and important shift that is taking place in the United States. It is happening in that arena where pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian sentiments express themselves in public, and seek to influence American government policy, mass media language and depictions, and even the decisions of churches and other non-government organizations like student and professional groups.
In Las Vegas, three likely Republican presidential candidates addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition that basically is a bank account for wildly pro-Israel candidates run by the casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. They leaped, howled and virtually stripped naked in proclaiming their endless love for Israel and Zionism, hoping to get hundreds of millions of dollars that Adelson will offer Republicans who are sufficiently pro-Israeli and might have a chance at winning the presidency. These included Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, and Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. Christie apparently went for the Buffoon of the Year Award when, after he had accurately referred to the Palestinian West Bank as the “occupied territories,” he apologized in person to Adelson the next day for using this expression. Rabid Zionists prefer to call the West Bank part of the historic land of Israel, or, at best, a “disputed” territory.
This is a routine spectacle in the United States, and it has been going on for decades. It spikes to new levels of shameful political pandering when national elections approach. Such powerful pro-Zionist groups and individuals that have traditionally shaped much of the public discussion and official American policy on Palestine and Israel are suddenly finding themselves increasingly challenged in public; consequently, their influence is slowly being reduced to a shrinking body of Americans that is primarily composed of politicians in Washington, D.C., who are most susceptible to the pressures that extremist Zionists can exert by throwing around accusations of anti-Semitism, and who are also most in need of funds to run national campaigns. more.. e-mail
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 
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