7 May 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Israeli Land Authority Issues Eviction Notices in Negev
IMEMC – Eviction notices for buildings in Wadi al-Niam were issued, on Wednesday, by representatives of the Israeli Land Authority, according to local and official reports. …
Israel Transfers Tax Monies to PA, Despite Threats
IMEMC – Palestinian public sector workers received their salaries, on Tuesday, signaling the backing down of Israel from a threat to impose sanctions as peace talks began to collapse, last month. …
Gaza Government Executes 2 for Israeli Collaboration
IMEMC – Gaza authorities have executed two men after finding them guilty of collaboration with the Israeli military. …
Two Fishermen Injured In Gaza Waters
IMEMC – [Wednesday, May 7, 2014] Palestinian medical sources have reported that two fishermen were injured after Israeli Navy boats chased Palestinian fishing boats in territorial waters, west of Gaza city. …
5,100 Palestinian prisoners to go on hunger strike Thursday
5/7/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Nearly all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails will go on hunger strike for one day on Thursday in solidarity with administrative detainees who have been on strike for nearly two weeks, an official said. Ziad Abu Ein, undersecretary of the ministry of prisoners’ affairs, told Ma’an Wednesday that some 5,100 Palestinians in Israeli jails would be going on…. Related:Update on Hunger Strikes: Administrative Detainees put in Solitary Confinement, Denied Salt Supplements
10,000 Palestinians hold independence day protest in Israel
5/7/2014 – LUBYA (AFP) — Some 10,000 Palestinians rallied in northern Israel on Tuesday to demand the right of return for refugees expelled after the creation of the Israeli state in 1948. The demonstration took place in the Israeli village of Lavi, which was built on the ruins of the Palestinian village of Lubya. Lubya was home to 2,726 Palestinians until 1948, when Jewish mobs captured the village…. Related:Lieberman slams Palestinians over Nakba protest
Israeli warships ‘fire at Gaza fishermen,’ 2 injured in boat collision
5/7/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Two Palestinian fishermen were injured late Tuesday when fishing boats collided after being fired upon by Israeli warships off the coast of Gaza City, witnesses said. Witnesses told Ma’an that fishermen — members of the al-Bakr family — were taken to al-Shifa hospital for treatment and the boats were seriously damaged. An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was not familiar….
Israel Land Authority issues eviction notices in Negev village
5/7/2014 – BEERSHEBA (Ma’an) — Representatives of the Israeli Land Authority on Wednesday issued eviction notices for buildings in the Negev village of Wadi al-Niam, locals and an official said. Locals told Ma’an that eviction notices were posted on a mosque, a house, and a store in the village. Residents were given 80 days to either evacuate the buildings or file an appeal.”Israeli….
Israeli military: Shots fired at Psagot settlement
5/7/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Shots were fired toward a house in the central West Bank Israeli settlement of Psagot on Wednesday evening, a statement released by the Israeli military said. The statement said that “preliminary evidence at the scene indicates the shots were fired from an automatic weapon,” and that Israeli forces were searching the area for the assailants. They added that no injuries were….
Israeli forces detain 11 Palestinians in overnight raids
5/7/2014 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained eleven Palestinians in raids in the northern and southern West Bank early Wednesday morning, witnesses said. Nine young Palestinian men were detained in two separate raids on the southern West Bank towns of Halhul and Idhna near Hebron overnight. Locals told Ma’an that Israeli forces stormed Halhul north of Hebron at dawn Wednesday and detained Muhannad….
Israel spying on US at ‘alarming level’
5/7/2014 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — Israel spies on the United States more than any other ally does and these activities have reached an alarming level, Newsweek magazine reported Tuesday. The main targets are US industrial and technical secrets, the weekly said, quoting classified briefings on legislation that would make it easier for Israeli citizens to get visas to enter America. Newsweek said a congressional staffer familiar with a…. Related:Israel Won t Stop Spying on the U.S.
Palestinian dead end highlights the right of return
5/7/2014 – Al-Shabaka is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and foster public debate on Palestinian human rights and self-determination within the framework of international law. This policy brief is authored by Randa Farah, a Palestinian professor of anthropology who has written on Palestinian popular memory and reconstructions of identity. – Like a broken record perpetually playing a deeply disturbing refrain, the peace process has….
EU urges Israel to halt home demolitions in Area C
5/7/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah on Monday condemned recent home demolitions and evictions of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, urging Israel against such actions, a statement said. The missions called on Israel “to meet its obligations regarding the living conditions of the Palestinian population in Area C, including by halting the forced transfer of population and demolitions of….
PA ‘pressuring’ Lebanon to allow entry to refugees fleeing Syria
5/7/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority officials have been pressuring Lebanese authorities to allow Palestinian refugees fleeing Syria to enter Lebanon, an official said Tuesday. Anwar Abd al-Hadi, director of the PLO’s political bureau, told Ma’an that the PA ambassador to Lebanon had been in touch with Lebanese officials to ensure access to Lebanon for Palestinian refugees. Last week, 49 people….
Israel’s Peres says Netanyahu blocked 2011 peace deal
5/7/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli President Shimon Peres said Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blocked a 2011 peace agreement he had secretly negotiated with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Peres said he and Abbas had finalized a draft agreement in a series of secret meetings in neighboring Jordan but the draft was rejected by Netanyahu’s right-leaning government.” We had gone through all of the points….
Lieberman slams Palestinians over Nakba protest
5/7/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday denounced as a “fifth column” thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel who joined a demonstration calling for the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Around 10,000 protesters, many waving Palestinian flags, joined a rally in northern Israel on Tuesday to remember 530 villages from which some 760,000 people fled or were expelled following the creation of…. Related:10,000 Palestinians hold independence day protest in Israel
Families of Israeli victims confront Fatah lawmakers in Gaza
5/7/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Representatives of a group of families of those killed by the Israeli assault on Gaza in 2008-9 on Wednesday confronted four Fatah lawmakers and blockaded their office in protest against authorities’ failure to pay their monthly compensation. The confrontation, during which family members prevented the lawmakers from leaving the Fatah Parliamentary headquarters in Gaza, comes after 14 months….
Ministry: Hamas executes 2 ‘collaborators’ with Israel
5/7/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip on Thursday executed two men for allegedly collaborating with Israel, Gaza’s interior ministry said in a statement. The last execution in Gaza, in October, was of a man found guilty of murder. One man, identified by the initials Z. R. , was executed for recruiting collaborators for Israel and for providing Israel with….
Iran president vetoes WhatsApp ban
5/7/2014 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has vetoed a plan to ban WhatsApp, following a row over censorship of the popular messaging application, media reports said Wednesday. Access to social networks, including Twitter and Facebook, are routinely blocked by Iranian authorities, as are other websites considered un-Islamic or detrimental to the regime. The policy is contentious and a proposal to filter WhatsApp has….
Syrian rebels start withdrawing from Homs
5/7/2014 – HOMS, Syria (AFP) — An operation to evacuate around 2,000 fighters and civilians from rebel-held areas of the flashpoint Syrian city of Homs started on Wednesday, a rebel negotiator said.”Three buses have left, carrying 120 people in total, a mixture of wounded and non-wounded civilians and fighters,” Abul Hareth al-Khalidi told AFP via the Internet. A video posted online by opposition activists showed a group….
Israel mulls internment for Arab hate crimes
AlJazeera 7 May 2014 – Six months detention without trial considered against Jewish groups suspected of ‘price tag’ attacks.
International Solidarity Movement
Asira Attacked 4 Nights in a Row
5/7/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – InternationalWomen’s Peace Service, Asira al-Qibliya, Occupied Palestine – Israeli army raided the village of Asira al-Qibliya (south of Nablus) at 1 am on 5 May, arresting a 21-year-old, brutally assaulting his uncle, and terrorising the family’s children with attack dogs. Dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded Asira by foot, sneaking in from the backside of the village. Asira al-Qibliya has now been….
Israeli army target children in Azzun
5/7/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – InternationalWomen’s Peace Service, Azzun, Occupied Palestine – If the people of “‹Azzun seem nervous, they have a right to be. The town (population approximately 10,000) sits on crossroads – Qalqiliya is to the west, Nablus to the east, Salfit to the south and Tulkarem to the north. This is a junction that is vulnerable to road closures and flying checkpoints. On either side, the illegal….
Update on Hunger Strikes: Administrative Detainees put in Solitary Confinement, Denied Salt Supplements
5/7/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine – The latest wave of mass hunger strikes continue for the 14th day as Palestinian prisoners demand the end of the policy of administrative detention. Administrative detention is a procedure in which Palestinians are arbitrarily arrested and detained without charge or trial based on a secret file. There are currently 183 Palestinians under administrative detention, 9…. Related:5,100 Palestinian prisoners to go on hunger strike Thursday
World: Air quality deteriorating in many of the world s cities
Relief Web 7 May 2014 – Source: World Health Organization Country: World GENEVA ¶ 7 May 2014 Air quality in most cities worldwide that monitor outdoor (ambient) air pollution fails to meet World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for safe levels, putting people at additional risk…
Lebanon: L’UNRWA appelle le Liban ‡ ne pas refouler les rÈfugiÈs palestiniens qui fuient la Syrie
Relief Web 6 May 2014 – Source: UN News Service Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic 6 mai 2014 L’Office de secours et de travaux des Nations Unies pour les rÈfugiÈs de Palestine dans le Proche-Orient (UNRWA) a exprimÈ mardi sa prÈoccupation concernant…
Lebanon: Statement from Chris Gunness, UNRWA Spokesperson
Relief Web 6 May 2014 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic UNRWA is concerned about the increased restrictions on Palestine refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria from entering Lebanon. We…
El Sisi says Egypt s recovery needs time and patience
The National 7 May 2014 – Presidential candidate says costly food and energy subsidies will have to go, but rules out drastic changes.
Gandhi name is losing its lustre in the family seat
The National 7 May 2014 – The Amethi constituency has twice sent Rahul Gandhi to parliament, as it has his mother, father and uncle. But this election might be different.
Indian man s joy in voting undiminished at 97
The National 7 May 2014 – Shyam Saran Negi voted in independent India’s first general election and every one since.
After three years of battle, the revolution is over in Homs
The National 7 May 2014 – Hundreds of Syrian rebels leave city dubbed “capital of the revolution” in a deal seen as a major victory for Bashar Al Assad.
Syrian rebel colonel confesses to foreign hand in rout
The National 7 May 2014 – Ahmed Nehmeh is filmed saying that shock defeat blamed on him was ordered by rebels’ foreign backers.
Syrian opposition seeks military and profile boost in Washington
The National 7 May 2014 – Syrian National Coalition leader Ahmad Jarba presses for weaponry to counter Assad regime’s airstrikes.
Yingluck forced to step down by Thai court
The National 7 May 2014 – Thailand s prime minister was ordered to step down Wednesday along with part of her Cabinet after the Constitutional Court found her guilty in an abuse of power case, pushing the country deeper into political turmoil.
El Sisi has to meet Egypt s challenges
The National 7 May 2014 – Egyptian presidential candidate Abdel Fattah El Sisi has outlined his vision to fix the struggling nation and improve the lives of those living there.
Video: Yingluck ordered to quit
The National 7 May 2014 – Thai prime minister ordered to step down by court which finds her guilty of abusing constitution.
Video: Islamists undeterred by kidnap backlash
The National 7 May 2014 – Further abductions in Nigeria by suspected Boko Haram Islamists despite outcry over kidnap of more than 200 schoolgirls last month.
Video: Lewinsky to come clean about consensual relationship
The National 7 May 2014 – Monica Lewinsky is penning an essay about her affair with former President Bill Clinton in a Vanity Fair exclusive.
Video: Tears and anger over kidnapped Nigerian school girls
The National 7 May 2014 – Nigeria’s First Lady breaks down in tears during a meeting about abducted schoolgirls as protesters take to streets and the U.S. offers assistance.
Video: Water shortages in Myanmar
The National 7 May 2014 – Clean drinking water is piped to villages near Yangon for the first time as thousands face water shortages due to hot weather and a delayed monsoon season.
Video: I found my mother s dead body under the mud, son of Afghan landslide victim
The National 7 May 2014 – As Afghans bury their dead, presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah offers condolences to those hit by landslides.
In pictures: South Africans vote in first born free elections
The National 7 May 2014 – South Africans voted Wednesday in elections that are expected to see the ruling African National Congress return to power despite a vigorous challenge from opposition parties seeking to capitalise on discontent with corruption and economic inequality.
Pictures: Beverly Hills Hotel protests over Brunei adopting Sharia Law
The National 7 May 2014 – The City of Beverly Hills voted unanimously on Tuesday to pressure the government of Brunei to divest the Beverly Hills Hotel, the pink-hued haunt of the Hollywood set, after the country s enactment of sharia law prompted protests.
Hassan Rouhani vetoes Iran WhatsApp ban
The National 7 May 2014 – Access to social networks, including Twitter and Facebook, are routinely blocked by Iranian authorities, as are other websites considered un-Islamic or detrimental to the regime.
Al Qaeda kidnapping of Syrian commander could open new front
The National 6 May 2014 – The kidnapping of colonel Ahmed Nehmeh risks causing more in-fighting between moderate and extremist rebel groups in southern Syria.
Boko Haram kidnaps more girls in Nigeria
The National 6 May 2014 – The abduction of the girls, aged 12 to 15, follows the kidnapping of more than 200 other schoolgirls by the Islamist militant group last month, who they threatened to sell into marriage.
The Ukraine crisis that could have been averted, with a little help from the EU
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Only in New York: A Jewish section in the subway lost and found
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Guess who’s on the world’s sexiest women list (hint: they’re Jewish)
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
At Israel’s women-honoring ceremony, male announcer paid thousands more
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
For first time, women take Chief Rabbinate s exam to become kashrut inspectors
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
For first time, women take Chief Rabbinate s exam to become kashrut inspectors
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
LGBT Arab-Americans find room of their own in NYC
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Commander may be fired for backing insubordination on settlements
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Palestinian war crimes move against Israel could backfire, says ex-ICC prosecutor
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Netanyahu, after meeting Rice: Israel fears ‘bad deal’ on Iran
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Hamas executes two men in Gaza as spies for Israel
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Establishment s rebuff highlights J Street s success in changing Jewish America
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Establishment s rebuff highlights J Street s success in changing Jewish America
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Israeli officials vow serious crackdown on hate crimes against Arabs
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Solar entrepreneur throws hat into presidential ring
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Parental love, Israeli-style
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Hate crimes in north Israel: ‘Death to Arabs’ scrawled on window, car tires punctured
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Russia says it has withdrawn forces from Ukraine border
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
AG closes sex crimes probe against minister Shalom
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Syrian brown bear undergoes surgery in Israel
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Peres: Netanyahu derailed peace talks 3 years ago
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
United, the Palestinians have endorsed 1967 borders for peace. Will Israel?
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Obama California-bound for speech to Holocaust foundation, fundraisers
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Report: More than 200 killed in northern Nigeria Boko Haram attack
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Israel drops probe into illegal construction at Beit El settlement
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Police arrest settler for inciting violence against Israeli soldiers
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Asylum seeker finds himself rerouted from safety back to Sudan
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Report: Number of Nigerian girls abducted by Boko Haram rises to 11
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Could Donald Sterling be the next president of Israel?
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Lieberman: It’s ‘malicious’ to claim Israel spies on U.S.
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
This Day in Jewish History / Dramatist who created role of ‘good Jew’ dies
Ha’aretz – 7 May 2014
Crying ‘apartheid’ is sign of a desperate left
Ha’aretz – 6 May 2014
Protest, but first get your house in order
Ha’aretz – 6 May 2014
Israel’s PM is getting a house and a jet befitting a monarch
Ha’aretz – 6 May 2014
50-year-old woman killed in Haifa by falling tree, grandson injured
Ha’aretz – 6 May 2014
To increase transparency, Jewish National Fund to publish financial reports
Ha’aretz – 6 May 2014
Iran’s plans
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – More than Iran has managed to pull the wool over the eyes of the international coterie, the nations of the world desperately wish to be fooled.
Candidly speaking: The fake martyrdom of J Street
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – If J Street s self-description as pro-Israel is to be accepted, we must truly be living in wonderland.
Changing the presidency
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – The continued concentration of power in Israel s executive branch is not healthy for Israel s democratic character.
Holy Fashion: Bejeweled
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Noritami is an Israeli jewelry label which creates fashion jewelry designed with unique materials and fused with an architectural mind-frame.
Move on but differently
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Every conciliatory step by Israel is met by a further hardening of Palestinian positions.
Washington Watch: Time out to think about peace
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – If recognizing the Jewish state was Netanyahu s litmus test for Palestinian seriousness to make peace, halting settlement expansion was Abbas measure.
Gunman from Ramallah fires on West Bank settlement of Psagot, no injuries
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – A home in the settlement was struck; security forces searching the area for the perpetrator.
Media Comment: Shameful legislation
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Restricting Israel Hayom would be a blow to Israel s freedom of the press and freedom of speech.
Israel scores poorly in WHO air pollution assessment
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – The WHO’s Ambient (Outdoor) Air Pollution in Cities Database examines respirable particle levels for around 1,600 cities in 91 countries.
Netanyahu plays to Likud activists at party convention
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Activists vote to strengthen Danon in compromise with prime minister negotiated by a leader of a pro-settler pressure group within party.
German recluse leaves art amassed under Nazis to Swiss museum
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Bern Art Museum named as heir to collection that includes undetermined number of pieces looted from Jews during Holocaust.
IN PICTURES: Mango the Bear gets back surgery for slipped disk at Israeli zoo
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Mango, a 19-year-old Syrian brown bear suffers from a slipped disk, impairing his mobility and causing pain.
Hamas executes two men in Gaza as spies for Israel
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, at least 19 prisoners have been executed, 10 of them as alleged spies.
Pharmacies that sell e-cigs or tobacco will lose their licenses
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Starting August 1, Health Ministry officers will visit pharmacies and enforce the regulations against electronic cigarettes.
Ya’alon: There is no Palestinian partner, let’s not delude ourselves
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Defense Minister tells Knesset panel that Israel opposes Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, thinks it probably won’t come to fruition anyway.
Hundreds of Corncrake birds land in Eilat due to heat wave
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Eilat was the first “green patch” after flying over endless deserts and depleting their fat and muscle tissue.
Brooklyn construction worker indicted in Menachem Stark murder
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – The suspect was a construction worker employed by Stark and allegedly suffocated and burned the Hasidic man’s body.
Susan Rice to PM Netanyahu: Only two-state solution can bring peace with Palestinians
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – US National Security Adviser is in Israel with other top American officials to report on the progress with Iran over its nuclear program.
Watch: Disabled IDF soldiers given a place to blossom
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Israeli organization “Lend a Hand to a Special Child” helps special needs youth fulfill dream to serve in the IDF.
Israel’s Agriculture Ministry to target over fishing in the Mediterranean
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – The Society for the Protection of Nature calls upon ministry to reveal detailed budgets, logistics for fishing industry master plan.
Indie folk troubadour M. Ward to make Israel debut
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Ward’s arrival in Israel in June will bring a true innovator in a world of imitators.
Hamas eases ban on Palestinian newspapers from outside Gaza in unity gesture
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Daily Al-Quds from east Jerusalem sold again in Gaza; Hamas says wants Fatah to reciprocate move, Fatah silent.
Israeli Arab MK: Independence Day should be ‘Occupation Day’
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – There will be no peace until “Zionist hegemony” comes to an end, Balad MK Jamal Zahalka says.
Poll finds two thirds of Israelis support freezing peace talks
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – According to IDI/TAU poll, only 9% of Israelis see achieving peace with Palestinians or improving country’s image as top priority.
Aharonovitch: Price tag suspects are terrorists, use administrative detention against them
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – After rash of price tag attacks, Livni holds emergency meeting on how to stop phenomenon; says anti-IDF rhetoric from Yitzhar reminiscent of Hamas.
Backstreet’s back and coming to Israel
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Popular ’90s boy-band makes comeback with world tour “In a world like this” and a concert in Ra’anana.
Iranian official suggests Israel attempting to torpedo nuclear deal
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Senior member of Iranian negotiating team tells ‘Guardian’ that “dark forces” are working against the conclusion of a deal.
Constant threats, constant progress
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – That has been Israel s story for 66 years now and it is in our power to ensure the progress continues.
Attorney-general closes sex crimes investigation against Silvan Shalom
Jerusalem Post 7 May 2014 – Sources say Shalom is not likely to run for president even though the allegations were dropped, as they reduced his chances of winning.
Red Card for Racism: Activists demand FIFA kick out Israel
Uruknet 7 May 2014 – May 2, 2014 – Last March we reported Jibril al-Rajoub, Chairman of the Palestinian Football Association, demanded the expulsion of Israel from FIFA and the International Olympic Committee as a result of “Israeli brutality” emphasizing “the occupation s insistence on…
Medical professionalism and abuse of detainees in the war on terror
Uruknet 7 May 2014 – May 2, 2013 – “Where were the doctors?” asked physician and bioethicist Steven Miles after the Abu Ghraib photographs became public. A recent task force report from the Institute of Medicine as a Profession (IMAP)/Open Society Foundations provides a disturbing…
Senate report set to reveal Djibouti as CIA black site
Uruknet 7 May 2014 – May 2, 2014 – The legal case of a former CIA detainee suing the government of Djibouti for hosting the facility where he says he was detained could be helped by the contents of a still-classified Senate report. Djibouti, a…
Smoke and Mirrors: The Roots of Russian Revanchism
Uruknet 7 May 2014 – May 2, 2014 – The Shock Doctrine vultures are coming home to roost. The intensifying crisis in Ukraine is one of the many malign, long-reverberating consequences of the West s decision to bludgeon Russia when it was reeling from the…
Why the Peace Talks Collapsed-and Should Not be Resumed
Uruknet 7 May 2014 – May 2, 2014 – A week ago Israel suspended participation in the peace talks in response to news that the Palestinian Authority s Fatah had for a third time concluded a unity agreement with the Hamas leadership of Gaza. Such…
U.S. post-mortem on peace talks: Israel killed them
Uruknet 7 May 2014 – May 2, 2014 – Americans involved in Kerry initiative give interview indicting Netanyahu government and exonerating Palestinian leader Abbas. Yedioth Ahronoth s Nahum Barnea, Israel s No. 1 print journalist, has a long interview on Friday with unnamed U.S. officials…
Allawi: Even Syria interferes in Iraq s elections
Uruknet 7 May 2014 – May 2, 2014 – Coverage of Iraq s parliamentary elections by the Iranian media has been minimal. However, the website IR Diplomacy run a special 40-page election issue titled “Expecting Change.” One of the more interesting interviews they conducted was…
Palestine can be won in a street fight
Uruknet 6 May 2014 – May 2, 2014 -Palestine has always been the underdog, a country slowly being wiped off the map, a society daily and methodically being dismantled by Israel. As a principally unarmed and oppressed indigenous population, Palestinians are perceived as powerless against…
Beyond Donald Sterling: American Racism from the “Redskins” to Drone Strikes
Uruknet 6 May 2014 – May 2, 2014 – …I couldn t care less about the racist rants of Donald Sterling when the more devastating expressions of white supremacy are reflected in national and global institutions dedicated to upholding the power of a racialized, white…
The Politics of Palestinian Reconciliation A Shameful Chapter
Uruknet 6 May 2014 – May 2, 2014 -How would the US react to a declaration that the Palestinians would not conduct negotiations with an Israeli government that includes semi-fascist parties?With outrage, of course.How does the US react to an Israeli statement that Israel will…
US temporarily closes embassy in Yemen to the public
Daily Star 7 May 2014 The United States is temporarily closing its embassy in Yemen to the public amid a spate of attacks against foreign diplomats, a top US official said Wednesday.
Bouteflika says militants killed by Algerian troops were foreign
Daily Star 7 May 2014 Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said 10 militants killed by government forces this week included fighters from Libya, Mali and Tunisia, state news reported on Wednesday.
White House to pull Russia from trade benefits program
Daily Star 7 May 2014 President Barack Obama gave the U.S. Congress official notice on Wednesday that he plans to pull Russia from a program that allows duty-free imports of certain goods, known as the Generalized System of Preferences, the White…
South Africa’s voting ends, counting starts
Daily Star 7 May 2014 Polling stations closed Wednesday evening in elections in South Africa that are expected to see the ruling African National Congress return to power despite a vigorous challenge from opposition parties seeking to capitalize on discontent with…
Libyan rebels occupying oil ports refuse to deal with new PM
Daily Star 7 May 2014 Rebels occupying major oil ports in eastern Libya said on Wednesday they would not deal with new Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeq, a stance that could threaten efforts to reopen terminals in the OPEC producer.
Rouhani vows victory over Iran’s hawks as nuclear deadline nears
Daily Star 7 May 2014 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed on Wednesday to win the battle with hardliners who are against his policy of detente, as the nuclear talks that they oppose enter a critical phase.
Thousands protest breaches of Iran’s female dress code
Daily Star 7 May 2014 Thousands of religious hardliners protested in Tehran Wednesday against what they said was the flouting of Iran’s conservative female dress code, media reports said.
Yemeni forces kill al Qaeda man behind death of French security guard: report
Daily Star 7 May 2014 Yemen, involved in a military offensive against al Qaeda in the south of the country, said security forces in the capital shot dead a militant suspected of killing a French security agent two days before, state…
Hamas executes two ‘collaborators’ with Israel in Gaza
Daily Star 7 May 2014 Authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip on Thursday executed two Palestinians for allegedly collaborating with Israel, the territory’s interior ministry said.
Saudi liberal gets 10 years in jail, 1,000 lashes
Daily Star 7 May 2014 A Saudi court sentenced Raef Badawi, the founder of a human rights group, to 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes Wednesday over “insulting Islam,” an activist said.
Israel Air Force is deadlier than ever
YNet News, 7 May 2014 – Analysis: IAF believes it can shorten next war on its own by striking thousands of targets a day, dropping more than 10 accurate bombs from one plane on different areas. Ron Ben-Yishai reviews revolution in aerial warfare branch perceived as ‘Israel’s insurance policy.’ ….
US school condemned over ‘Shoah debate’ assignment
YNet News, 7 May 2014 – Students in California school district asked to write essay on whether Holocaust was ‘merely a political scheme created to influence public emotion and gain.’ ….
Catholic Church demands Israel act to stop hate attacks
YNet News, 7 May 2014 – ….
Former Egyptian FM: Hamas must recognize Israel
YNet News, 7 May 2014 – ….
Hamas ends ban on West Bank newspaper
YNet News, 7 May 2014 – ….
Rouhani vows victory over Iran’s hawks as nuclear deadline nears
YNet News, 7 May 2014 – ….
UN urges stepped up action against nuke terrorism
YNet News, 7 May 2014 – ….
Thank you, Shimon Peres
YNet News, 7 May 2014 – Op-ed: After 70 years of public service, it’s time to acknowledge that our president has made a crucial contribution to Israel’s strength. ….
Israel slams report of massive spying efforts against US
YNet News, 6 May 2014 – Israel decries Newsweek report claiming it is involved in attempts to steal US ‘industry and technical secrets,’ saying report has ‘whiff of anti-Semitism’; officials say ‘someone is gunning for visa waiver program.’ ….
Israel honors greatest citizens with Israel Prize
YNet News, 6 May 2014 – From leading academic to artists and civil activists, Israel marks end of Independence Day with Israel Prize ceremony. ….
Israeli-Arabs hold ‘Nakba Day’ march
YNet News, 6 May 2014 – Lieberman slams protest, urges demonstrators to ‘march to Ramallah and stay there’; Arab MK says ‘There will be no peace, no stability without the refugees’ right of return.’ ….
Large explosion rocks northern Iranian city
YNet News, 6 May 2014 – Blast shakes Iranian city of Qazvin which some claim is site of secret nuclear facility…..
Lieberman: Palestinian unity spells Hamas takeover of West Bank
YNet News, 6 May 2014 – In Independence Day speech, foreign minister claims Palestinian election stipulated by unity deal between Hamas and Fatah will end in sure victory for Hamas; slams Abbas as ‘peace refusenik.’ ….
Reclusive German art collector who hoarded Nazi-looted art dies at 81
YNet News, 6 May 2014 – Munich man whose apartment contained hoard of Nazi stolen art work taken from Jews during World War II passes away…..
Egypt’s Sisi says Muslim Brotherhood is finished
YNet News, 6 May 2014 – Presidential candidate says he has survived two attempts on his life, claims it was the Egyptian people who finished the Muslim Brotherhood. ….
Palestinian Information Center
Clashes erupt in al-Khalil
PIC – Clashes erupted between dozens of Palestinian youths and Israeli occupation forces in Safa village in Al-Khalil, while IOF checkpoints were set up in different areas throughout the province.
Human rights report documents Israeli violations in occupied Jerusalem
PIC – Wadi al-Hilweh Information Center has warned of the Israeli unprecedented escalation against al-Aqsa Mosque during April carried out by Israeli occupation forces and settlers.
UFree launches international petition to stop Israeli administrative detention
PIC – UFree media center has launched on Tuesday an international petition to stop Israeli administrative detention policy against Palestinian political prisoners and detainees.
15 Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in West Bank
PIC – 15 Palestinian citizens, from different West Bank areas, were arrested by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on Wednesday.
Bahar calls for PLC emergency meeting to discuss prisoners‚¨ “! issue
PIC – Dr. Ahmed Bahar has called for an emergency PLC session to be held concurrently in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to discuss the brutal Israeli attacks against MP Mohammed al-Natsha and other prisoners.
55 Palestinian Jordan Valley natives displaced by IOA
PIC – The Israeli Occupation Authorities handed demolition and deportation orders to several Palestinian Bedouins and forced them to leave their native hamlets in the northern Jordan Valley until 1st June.
Concerns over Lebanon‚¨ “!s deportation of Palestinian refugees back to Syria
PIC – UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, revealed concerns over Lebanon‚¨ “!s decision to deny Palestinian refugees in Syria access into the Lebanese territories.
Thousands of Palestinians in 1948 land take part in 7th return march
PIC – Thousands of Palestinians of the 1948 occupied land participated in the 7th return march to villages and towns from which Palestinians were expelled at gunpoint by Zionist gangs in 1948.
Foreign Ministry Condemns Israeli Incitement against PA
WAFA – 7 May 2014
Germany Provides ¨ 8.8 Million to Support Water Loss Reduction Program
WAFA – 7 May 2014
Hamdallah Discusses Latest Developments with US Consul General
WAFA – 7 May 2014
Hamdallah Praises Jordan s Protection of Holy Sites
WAFA – 7 May 2014
Newspaper Review: Palestinians in Israel Demonstrate Demanding Right of Return as Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 7 May 2014
Shelly Sterling’s desire to retain Clippers ownership a ‘wild card’
LA Times 7 May 2014 – Los Angeles Clippers co-owner Shelly Sterling said Wednesday that she believes she is legally entitled to maintain ownership of the NBA team and will attempt to do so, even as the pro basketball league pushes to remove her husband from the team he has owned…
Thank you, Donald Sterling, for reminding us how far we’ve come
LA Times 7 May 2014 – Personally, I’m grateful for Donald Sterling’s retro racism. One glance at this knuckle dragger shows how far most other people have evolved. It’s worth celebrating, particularly in California. After that recently leaked recording in which the Clippers owner was overheard scolding his friend,…
Rebel Wilson to report for duty in ‘Private Benjamin’ remake
LA Times 7 May 2014 – Ten-hut! Rebel Wilson is headed to boot camp. The “Pitch Perfect” comedian is set to star in a remake of the 1980 comedy “Private Benjamin” for New Line, according to a Tracking Board report. The original movie starred Goldie Hawn as a spoiled socialite who…
Yellen upbeat about growth in coming quarter
LA Times 7 May 2014 – Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet L. Yellen painted a mostly upbeat picture of the economy emerging from a weather-induced winter slowdown but gave no hints of when the central bank might start raising rock-bottom interest rates. In Capitol Hill testimony Wednesday, Yellen confirmed that the…
States must be warned of risky crude oil shipments, authorities say
LA Times 7 May 2014 – Calling a “startling” pattern of spills and fires an “imminent hazard,” the U.S. Department of Transportation took another small step Wednesday toward addressing the growing risks of shipping oil by rail from the North Dakota region to both coasts. Trains carrying more than 35 tank-cars’……
NBC taps ESPN’s Jamie Horowitz as general manager of ‘Today’
LA Times 7 May 2014 – NBC’s “Today” franchise is getting a new head coach. Jamie Horowitz, a programming executive at ESPN, has been tapped as senior vice president and general manager of “Today.” In that role he will be in charge of all four hours of the morning show and…
‘COPSLIE’ license plate is protected by free speech, court rules
LA Times 7 May 2014 – Though it might insult police officers and make them want to pull him over, a New Hampshire man’s car could soon be sporting a license plate reading COPSLIE. David Montenegro, whose legal name is “human,” sued the state s Division of Motor Vehicles after officials rejected…
House GOP holds IRS’ Lerner in contempt, seeks DOJ special prosecutor
LA Times 7 May 2014 – The House voted Wednesday to hold former IRS official Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress for her refusal to testify about the agency s targeting of conservative groups. The 231-187 vote attracted just six of the most politically vulnerable Democrats. It was quickly followed by a…
Hamas Executes 2 Men Accused of Aiding Israel
New York Times 7 May 2014 – The Hamas government executed two men convicted of collaborating with Israel, highlighting a stark difference between its rule in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Authority s in the West Bank.
Syria Rebel Leader Says He ll Ask U.S. for Anti-Aircraft Missiles
New York Times 7 May 2014 – The leader, Ahmad Jarba, said that the opposition had already received American anti-tank missiles, and that the rebels had shown that they could maintain control of advanced weapons.
Op-Ed Contributor: How Arabs Can Defeat Sectarianism
New York Times 7 May 2014 – Only a strong sense of national identity can overcome the demons of tribalism.
Syrian Rebels Depart Homs District Under Deal
New York Times 7 May 2014 – The pullout, under the terms of a deal that gives the district to government forces, is a bitter defeat for the insurgents.
Capital Field Notes: Vocal Few in Congress Keep Benghazi Issue Alive
New York Times 7 May 2014 – The attack on a diplomatic mission has prompted a lot of controversy, but a closer look reveals interesting patterns.
World Briefing: Yemen: Military Claims Sweep of 2 Qaeda Strongholds in South
New York Times 6 May 2014 – Yemeni troops seized two strongholds of Al Qaeda in the south after an offensive in which dozens of militant suspects and government troops were killed.
Your independence day is our Nakba : Thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel join march of return to destroyed village of Lubya
Mondoweiss – March of Return, May 6, 2014 (photo Ammar Awad/Reuters) Thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel participated in a rally and March of Return yesterday to commemorate the Nakba, chanting Your independence day is our Nakba as Israel marked its 66th Independence Day. With flags raised high,…
Now that Israel has killed the two-state solution, will liberal Zionists support equality or ethnocracy?
Mondoweiss – Peter Beinart has a decision to make. Now that the Two State Solutionhas finally received belated , more-or-less official autopsy results , what will liberal Zionists do: move left to support a state of equality, or move right to support a state of permanent Apartheid ethnocracy? For a…
Abunimah and Blumenthal s freedom ride
Mondoweiss – Blumenthal and Abunimah, with Abunimah s book, at Vassar April 30 For weeks now I ve been hearing about Ali Abunimah and Max Blumenthal s joint appearances and though it was one of the rainiest days ever in New York last Wednesday I drove up to Vassar College to…
Long faces at Israel s birthday party
Mondoweiss – Rabbi Michael Lerner Israel is about to turn 66 years old, and here are two rather pessimistic birthday pieces by two men who once believed in it fully. JJ Goldberg at the Forward says Every year it gets harder to join the parade. He does some…
New yeshiva to open in heart of East Jerusalem
Mondoweiss – Land, property theft & destruction / Judaization / Ethnic cleansing / Apartheid New yeshiva to open in East Jerusalem Reuters 4 May Palestinian business hub site of new seminary, funded by Ateret Cohanim Jewish NGO working to settle Jews in East Jerusalem A new yeshiva will…
The Not-So-Secret Reason Israel Will Fail to Join Visa Waiver Program
Tikun Olam – One of Bibi Netanyahu s highest priorities in Israel s relationship with the U.S. has been to gain admittance to the select club of 40-odd countries which enjoy visa waiver privileges for citizens entering both countries. A visa waiver would give a huge boost to tourism, study exchanges,…
Deceptive Route to a One-State Solution an all Jewish State
Sabbah report 7 May 2014 – Because Israel s expansion cannot be prevented by confronting its inside, it must be stalled by confronting its outside, the same outside that spreads its propaganda and gives sustenance to its oppression. Knowing elements of this outside, and understanding the part it plays in building the Greater…
Zionism beyond control and choices for the Palestinians
Sabbah report 7 May 2014 – The Netanyahu notion that Israel s leaders are open to peace on terms the Palestinians could accept is also complete, absolute, total propaganda nonsense. Zionism s demolition of Palestinian homes and theft of Palestinian land and water ethnic cleansing slowly and by stealth continues. Continue reading…
N.J. Rabbi David Wax Pleads Guilty in ‘Get’ Extortion
The Foward Breaking News 7 May 2014 – New Jersey Rabbi David Wax pleaded guilty to kidnapping charges as part of a scheme to force an Israeli man to give his wife a get. Click here for the rest of the article…
Crucifixion from ancient Rome to modern Syria
BBC 7 May 2014 – Why is a Roman punishment in use in Syria today?
Jewish Ukrainian Mayor Regains Consciousness in Israeli Hospital
The Foward Breaking News 7 May 2014 – The Jewish mayor of Ukraine s second-largest city regained consciousness in an Israeli hospital following what is believed to be an assassination attempt. Click here for the rest of the article…
Two Palestinians Executed In Gaza Strip as Israeli Spies
The Foward Breaking News 7 May 2014 – Two Palestinians were executed in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday as Israeli spies, the enclave s Islamist Hamas government said, adding they had helped the Jewish state s armed forces carry out lethal operations. Click here for the rest of the article…
Mango the Syrian Bear Undergoes Surgery in Israel
The Forward New 7 May 2014 – Mango, Israel s favorite brown bear, was clearly in pain but just try asking a bear where it hurts. Surgery at the Ramat Gan Zoological Park revealed the problem. Click here for the rest of the article…
Syria rebels evacuated from Homs
BBC 7 May 2014 – Syrian rebels leave the last opposition-held enclaves in Homs, ending three years of resistance in the “capital of the revolution”.
Bogus South African Sign Language Interpreter Stars in Ad for Israeli App
The Foward Breaking News 7 May 2014 – The bogus sign language interpreter whose meaningless gestures during Nelson Mandela s memorial service in December made international headlines is about to get his second 15 minutes of fame as the star of a viral ad campaign for a Tel Aviv-based live-streaming app called LiveLens. Click…
Saudi blogger jailed for 10 years
BBC 7 May 2014 – A Saudi court has sentenced blogger Raif Badawi to 10 years in prison for “insulting Islam” and setting up a liberal web forum, local media report.
PSG’s dramatic rise to European giants
BBC 7 May 2014 – How Qatari money sparked success at a Paris football club
VIDEO: Syrian rebels evacuated from Homs
BBC 7 May 2014 – Paul Wood reports on the UN escorted evacuation from the city once dubbed the “capital of the revolution”, Homs.
McCain calls Homs a huge victory for Assad
Al-Monitor 7 May 2014 – Senator s comment comes as Syrian opposition leaders seek congressional allies in their bid for more weapons.
Syria opposition leader seeks anti-aircraft weapons to counter Assad’s forces
Al-Monitor 7 May 2014 – Ahmad Jarba, president of the Syrian Opposition Coalition, tells a Washington audience that his group wants to set up an interim government in “liberated” areas but is being hampered by the Syrian regime s use of barrel bombs and rockets.
Rocket strikes eastern Lebanon
Al-Akhbar News 7 May 2014 – A single rocket fired by suspected Syrian rebels struck an eastern Lebanese town on Wednesday, causing no casualties, state media reported. Lebanon’s National News Agency said the rocket hit the town of Ain Jawzeh, near Britel, in the eastern Bekaa Valley. The report added that it…
Yemeni troops kill militants accused of attacking German diplomat
Al-Akhbar News 7 May 2014 – Yemeni forces on Wednesday killed three members of a militant cell who authorities believe carried out assassinations in the capital Sanaa and attacked a German diplomat late last month, a Yemeni official and a security source said. The security source said special forces raided a house…
Freedom House right about Turkey
Al-Monitor 7 May 2014 – Turkish journalists should not follow Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s suggestion to reject the press freedom report.
Israel calls off minister sex abuse probe
Al-Akhbar News 7 May 2014 – Israel has called off an inquiry into alleged sex offenses by Energy Minister Silvan Shalom, an expected candidate for the presidency, the justice ministry announced Wednesday. Attorney general Yehuda Weinstein said Shalom was immune from prosecution under Israel’s statute of limitations, since an alleged incident dated…
Rebels occupying Libyan oil ports refuse to deal with new PM
Al-Akhbar News 7 May 2014 – Rebels occupying major oil ports in eastern Libya said on Wednesday they would not deal with new Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeq, a stance that could threaten efforts to reopen the terminals in the OPEC producer. Maiteeq’s predecessor Abdullah al-Thinni had reached an agreement with the rebels…
Sunnis, Kurds vie for Iraqi presidency
Al-Monitor 7 May 2014 – Although the post of president in Iraq has been held by a Kurdish politician, Jalal Talabani, since 2005, there are reports that some Sunni politicians may be looking to assume the post.
Daliyeh and the ongoing struggle for Beirut’s public spaces
Al-Akhbar News 7 May 2014 – A young boy holding up a sign during a protest highlighting the sealing off and eviction of Daliyeh’s fishermen during one of the earlier protests on October 2013. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) A young boy holding up a sign during a protest highlighting the sealing off and…
Turkey s currency prepares for a fall
Al-Monitor 7 May 2014 – After years of efforts to keep its currency valuable, Turkey s government seems to be shifting to a cheaper lira policy in an attempt to boost exports and reduce the country s gaping current account deficit.
Israeli spying on US has reached “terrifying” levels: report
Al-Akhbar News 7 May 2014 – Updated at 2:25 pm: Israel spies on the United States more than any other ally does and these activities have reached an alarming level, Newsweek magazine reported Tuesday. The main targets are US industrial and technical secrets, the weekly said, quoting classified briefings on legislation that…
Aoun, Hariri try to meet May 25 deadline for Lebanon’s next president
Al-Monitor 7 May 2014 – Michel Aoun and Saad Hariri are in close conversation about Aoun s bid for the Lebanese presidency, but Hezbollah is still the wild card.
State Dept. rejects Davutoglu s denial of media watchdog report
Al-Monitor 7 May 2014 – While the Freedom House report was expected to cause a stir, the statements by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stand out, eliciting a rebuke from the State Department.
Peres says Netanyahu ‘stopped’ peace talks in 2011
Al-Monitor 7 May 2014 – On the eve of his departure from office, President Shimon Peres has revealed that three years ago, he brokered an agreement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, only to be rejected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Iran’s Rouhani vetoes ban on WhatsApp
Al-Akhbar News 7 May 2014 – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has vetoed a plan to ban WhatsApp, following a row over censorship of the popular messaging application, media reports said Wednesday. Access to social networks, including Twitter and Facebook, are routinely blocked by Iranian authorities. The policy is contentious and the move…
Mental illness soars in Gaza
Al-Monitor 7 May 2014 – Large numbers of Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from psychological problems as a result of the dire economic and security situation, with few resources for treatment.
Netanyahu campaigning early for next term
Al-Monitor 7 May 2014 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues his assault on the left.
Lieberman denounces Palestinian “traitors” over Nakba rally
Al-Akhbar News 7 May 2014 – Palestinians hold up their flag as they march for the right of return for refugees who fled their homes or were expelled during the 1948 Nakba near Tiberias on May 6, 2014. (Photo: AFP – Ahmad Gharabli) Palestinians hold up their flag as they march for…
Tunisia PM seeks to strengthen ties with Algiers
Al-Monitor 7 May 2014 – Tunisia Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa has traveled to Algeria on a state visit, where the two sides discussed financial and security issues.
Aleppo’s rebel fighters disillusioned with war
Al-Monitor 7 May 2014 – Rebel fighters in Aleppo look to Homs as a potential model for a cease-fire to end the war in the city.
Attack on oil pipeline in Yemen sparks fire
Al-Akhbar News 7 May 2014 – Gunmen launched two attacks on the export pipeline linking Yemen’s eastern oil fields to the Red Sea, sparking a fire and halting oil flow, an official and tribal sources said Wednesday. Attacks on oil and gas pipelines in Yemen are frequent and are often carried out…
Syrian rebels begin moving out of Homs
Al-Akhbar News 7 May 2014 – An operation to evacuate rebel-held areas of the Syrian city of Homs of fighters and civilians started on Wednesday, a rebel negotiator said. “Three buses have left, carrying 120 people in total, a mixture of wounded and non-wounded civilians and fighters,” Abul Hareth al-Khalidi told AFP…
Articles
Palestinian dead end highlights the right of return
Randa Farah, Al-Shabaka, Ma an News Agency 5/7/2014
Al-Shabaka is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and foster public debate on Palestinian human rights and self-determination within the framework of international law. This policy brief is authored by Randa Farah, a Palestinian professor of anthropology who has written on Palestinian popular memory and reconstructions of identity.
Like a broken record perpetually playing a deeply disturbing refrain, the peace process has scratched on despite missed deadlines, threats, and promises, with intermittent halts. None of the parties involved — mainly the Palestine Liberation Organization/Palestinian Authority, Israel, and the United States — has seemed to be able to survive without them.
But the consequences to the occupied, dispossessed, and exiled Palestinian people have been disastrous, and their termination has been long overdue. It is worth drawing some of these lessons to map a different road moving forward.
Twenty-one years after Oslo, also known euphemistically as the “peace process,” vast tracts of Palestinian land have been swallowed by Jewish settlements, the Palestinian economy is in tatters, and the revolutionary ideals of the Palestinian national liberation movement have shrunken to so far ineffective diplomacy.
Most importantly, the national front has been shattered and the refugees and exiles abandoned. And these are but the most glaring effects of Oslo.
The historical record shows, as Zeev Sternhell put it, that for Israeli leaders, whether on the right, center, or left: “The word ‘agreement’ means unconditional Palestinian surrender. For the Jews’ exclusive right to the land to be complete and recognized, the Palestinians must accept their inferiority.”more..e-mail
Palestinian Christian struggle mapped in new book
Joe Catron, Gaza City, Electronic Intifada5/5/2014
In Mapping Exile and Return: Palestinian Dispossession and a Political Theology for a Shared Future, American Mennonite theologian and aid worker Alain Epp Weaver explores a legacy of Palestinian Christian exile, and struggle for return. The book s terrain ranges from the ethnically-cleansed villages of the Galilee to the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Weaver focuses particularly on contending geographies: how Palestinians have been abolished from the map, in the words of Palestinian cartographer Salman Abu-Sitta, and the prospect of counter-cartographies that subvert colonialism s map-making.
His book encompasses the work of specialists, like Abu-Sitta s maps, the writings of Edward Said, the Institute for Palestine Studies encyclopedic volume All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948, as well as memory production by thousands of Palestinians through collaborations like the web archive Palestine Remembered.
In the face of Zionist rejection of Palestinian refugee return, international indifference, and an ineffectual and compromising Palestinian leadership for whom the refugee question is a source of irritation, Palestinian refugees pin their hopes on memory, Weaver writes.
Significantly, he also includes extended histories of two key initiatives: the struggles for return by the ethnically-cleansed Christian villagers of Kufr Birim and Iqrit in the Galilee, and Zochrot, an Israeli organization dedicated to remembering the Nakba in Hebrew. more..e-mail
International Workers Day and imperialist oppression of Palestinians
Ramona Wadi, Middle East Monitor (MEMO)5/1/2014
Israel and imperialism have ascertained that International Workers’ Day remains an elusive anniversary for Palestinians. The celebrations, marking the historic struggle for workers’ rights and dignity, is also a reminder of incomplete liberation from imperialism, especially within the context of Palestine – a land mutilated by Israel and its settler-colonial project.
As long as the definition of the word international remains sabotaged by imperialism, resistance is imperative. Professing solidarity with Palestinians necessitates the recognition that international complicity in maintaining Israel’s settler-colonial state has created consequences that give precedence to dependency and need. In the absence of unified resistance between the leaders and the people, Palestinians have been subjected to the indignity of unwilling compliance in order to ensure survival.
For Palestinians, workers’ rights canno
t be isolated from the dynamics that bolster the settler-colonial state. Incarcerated within a system that leaves little alternative apart from the options of exploitation or forced displacement, Palestinians have to contend with the fact that, in absence of unity within resistance, their struggle for land remains conditioned by the inherent need to survive.
Additionally, survival is hindered by the fragmenting of oppression within selective timeframes that aid Israel’s manipulation of history. Excessive focus upon 1967 and the West Bank is a violation of memory and historical reclamation that aids Israeli and imperialist impunity. If solidarity with Palestinians is to be professed, it has to be divested from any adherence to hegemonic discourse that sustains itself upon misrepresentation. Solidarity with Palestinians should also focus upon exposing imperialist dependency upon manipulation and acquiescence a dynamic best combated by liberating history from external, malignant constraints and giving space for Palestinians to articulate their own history.more..e-mail
Israel Won t Stop Spying on the U.S.
Jeff Stein, 5/6/2014
Whatever happened to honor among thieves? When the National Security Agency was caught eavesdropping on German Chancellor Angela Merkel s cell phone, it was considered a rude way to treat a friend. Now U.S. intelligence officials are saying albeit very quietly, behind closed doors on Capitol Hill that our Israeli friends have gone too far with their spying operations here.
According to classified briefings on legislation that would lower visa restrictions on Israeli citizens, Jerusalem s efforts to steal U.S. secrets under the cover of trade missions and joint defense technology contracts have crossed red lines.
Israel s espionage activities in America are unrivaled and unseemly, counterspies have told members of the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs committees, going far beyond activities by other close allies, such as Germany, France, the U.K. and Japan. A congressional staffer familiar with a briefing last January called the testimony very sobering& alarming& even terrifying. Another staffer called it damaging.
The Jewish state s primary target: America s industrial and technical secrets.
No other country close to the United States continues to cross the line on espionage like the Israelis do, said a former congressional staffer who attended another classified briefing in late 2013, one of several in recent months given by officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the State Department, the FBI and the National Counterintelligence Directorate.
The intelligence agencies didn t go into specifics, the former aide said, but cited industrial espionage folks coming over here on trade missions or with Israeli companies working in collaboration with American companies, [or] intelligence operatives being run directly by the government, which I assume meant out of the [Israeli] Embassy. — See also: Israel spying on US at ‘alarming level’more..e-mail
Trapped in Gaza
Electronic Intifada: 7 May 2014 – Israel denied her an exit permit, so a cardboard cut out stood in for Gaza writer Sarah Ali more..
Why is Boston college honoring top Israel lobbyist Abe Foxman?
Electronic Intifada: 7 May 2014 – Students at Suffolk University have launched a campaign to disinvite the ADL chief. more..
How Israel tried to recast Palestinians as strangers in their own land
Electronic Intifada: 7 May 2014 – Shira Robinson s book Citizen Strangers exposes Zionist liberalism as a facade. more..
a few nice things from Gaza
In Gaza: 7 May 2014 – Nice to see good news from habib Gaza. Great article on the inventiveness (yet another invention) from the most besieged people, Palestinians in Gaza: Ibrahim Sobeh and his son Mahmud with the device they built for domesti
c fuel production. Credit: Khaled Alashqar/IPS. Desperate Gazans Turn Plastic Into Fuel , By Khaled Alashqar, May 7, 2014, Inter Press Services On the roof of a modest house amidst the alleys of Nusseirat refugee camp in central Ga za Strip, Ibrahim Sobeh and his sons spent more than 200 days working on a primitive device that converts waste plastic into fuel. The idea came when I watched smoke emissions from a fireplace I made in my house, Sobeh tells IPS. I thought how to exploit these fumes and vapours. That prompted me to search online to find there were already attempts in America to exploit fumes emitted by burning hay to produce fuel, and…more
Navigating Syria: The Impossible, Indispensable Mission
Palestine Chronicle: 7 May 2014 – By Ramzy Baroud I unfriended another Facebook friend this week. It may seem to be a trivial matter, but for me, it is not. The reason behind my action was Syria. As in Egypt, Syria has instigated many social media breakups with people whom, until then, were regarded with a degree of respect and admiration. But this is not a social media affair. The problems lie at the core of the Syrian conflict, with all of its manifestations, be they political, sectarian, ideological, cultural, and intellectual. While on the left (not the establishment left of course) Palestine has brought many likeminded people together, Egypt has fragmented that unity, and Syria has crushed and pulverized it to bits. Those who cried over the victims of Israeli wars on Gaza, did not seem very concerned about Palestinians starving to death in the Yarmouk refugee camp on the outskirts of Damascus. Some squarely…more
Palestinian Collaboration Overshadows Latest Talks
Dissident Voice: 7 May 2014 – Shortly after the signing of the Oslo accords between Israel and the PLO in 1993, the Jerusalem Post ran a cartoon that depicted a critical aspect of those accords which has rarely been discussed much less acknowledged. In the cartoon, a smiling Yasser Arafat was sitting upright on a stretcher giving a V sign. The stretcher bearers were Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres. Its message was clear: the Oslo agreement had come to the rescue of the PLO chairman whose reputation among his fellow Palestinians had sunk to the bottom of the barrel. The price they were to pay was dear: the legitimizing of Israel s presence in 62% of the West Bank, what is commonly known as Area C and which Israel is quite likely to annex. Arafat s representative at Oslo who negotiated the accords that effectively signed away West Bank land to Israel and ended the…more
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