19 May 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Abbas Amends Sentencing for “Honor Killings”
IMEMC – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has amended Article 98 of the Palestinian Criminal Law no. 12 of 1960, abolishing the ease in punishment against crimes of honor killing committed against women. …
Hamas Leader: Palestinian Muslims, Christians United
IMEMC – Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior member of the Hamas political bureau, says all Palestinians, regardless of religious diversities, are sailing on the same boat. …
Update: Shireen Essawi Hunger Strike
IMEMC – Trial postponed by one year On May 8, 2014, human rights defender and lawyer Ms. Shireen Essawi began a hunger strike after learning of the postponement of her trial for nine months and a day. She is charged with cooperating with actors who are working against the state of Israel. …
Ongoing Demolitions in Naqab Reinforce Prawer Plan
IMEMC – The ongoing demolitions in the area between the Naqab (Negev) and Jerusalem show that the Prawer Plan is still in full force, even if not under official implementation; the effects for Palestinians in the area are the same. …
Army Uproots Trees In Bethlehem
IMEMC – [Monday, May 19, 2014] Israeli soldiers uprooted hundreds of trees that belong to members of various families of Nahhalin village, west of the West Bank city of Bethlehem. …
Army Demolishes Wall, Uproots Land, In Hebron
IMEMC – [Sunday, May 18, 2014] Several Israeli military jeeps, accompanied by a military bulldozer, invaded Tel Romedia area, in the center of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, where they demolished a wall surrounding a Palestinian home, and uprooted a nearby Palestinian land. …
Israeli bulldozers raze Palestinian structures east of Jerusalem
5/19/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli bulldozers on Monday razed Palestinian structures in al-Eizariya and the E1 area east of Jerusalem, leaving 15 people homeless, a local official said. Sami Abu Ghaliya, secretary-general of the Bedouin Jahalin tribes, said Israeli authorities destroyed two small residential structures and four agricultural ones belonging to his family at the entrance of al-Eizariya. Fourteen people were made homeless by the….
Israeli forces uproot trees, level land near Bethlehem
5/19/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli bulldozers leveled large tracts of Palestinian land in the Bethlehem-area village of Nahalin on Monday, locals said. Head of the village council, Majid Ghayatha, told Ma’an that Israeli bulldozers uprooted dozens of olive and almond trees in the Wad Salem area. Several grapevines were also destroyed. Locals told Ma’an that they believe Israeli forces are clearing….
Hunger-striker ‘at risk of heart attack’
5/19/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – The head of the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, Jawad Boulos, warned of the dangerous health conditions of several prisoners on MondayBoulos visitedprisoner Ayman Itbish, who has been on hunger strike for 81 days, in the Assaf Harofeh medical center. He highlighted that the condition of Itbish has declined in the last few hours; medics have been giving him oxygen through….
Jordanian, Algerian and local activists protest Gaza siege
5/19/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – Dozens of solidarity activists from Arab countries and locals from the Gaza Strip on Monday demonstrated at Gaza port against the ongoing siege imposed on the coastal enclave. Activists from Jordan and Algeria boarded fishing boats and threw flowers in the sea in remembrance of Turkish activists who were killed by Israeli navy on board Mavi Marmara aid ship which….
Israeli court fines Raed Salah for obstructing police
5/19/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — An Israeli court on Monday fined Islamic cleric Sheikh Raed Salah $2,600 for obstructing the work of police when they quizzed his wife three years ago, legal documents showed. Last month, Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ruled that Salah, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, had “interrupted” police officers as they questioned his wife at the Allenby border crossing between the Israeli-occupied West Bank….
Israel, PLO eye political gains from papal visit
5/19/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — When Pope Francis arrives in the Holy Land on his “pilgrimage of prayer,” Israelis and Palestinians will both be looking to use the visit to score a few political points. Although the Vatican has said the emphasis of the pope’s visit is to heal a centuries-old rift between the Catholic and Orthodox worlds, every gesture he makes is likely to come….
Iran president Rouhani hopeful of nuclear deal
5/19/2014 – TEHRAN (AFP) — President Hassan Rouhani said Monday he remains hopeful of a comprehensive agreement with world powers despite “difficulties” in negotiations on Iran’s disputed nuclear drive. No tangible progress was made in the latest round of talks that ended on Friday in Vienna, with time running out to clinch a deal by the agreed deadline of July 20. In his first comments on….
Israel peace negotiator defends Abbas talks
5/19/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel’s chief negotiator Tzipi Livni on Monday defended a decision to meet President Mahmoud Abbas after peace talks collapsed, in a move that drew sharp criticism from ministers.”I would like to remind everyone that the conflict isn’t over,” Justice Minister Tzipi Livni told her HaTnuah party at a weekly meeting, according to a statement.”We’re still….
DFLP: Unity govt restricted to Fatah, Hamas officials
5/19/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Secretary-general of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine said Monday that the upcoming Palestinian unity government will not last long as it will only contain Fatah and Hamas officials. Nayef Hawatmeh told the Jordanian Al-Ghad newspaper that all potential candidates for the upcoming unity government will either be officially affiliated to Fatah and Hamas, or be supporters of the….
Israel parliament to choose new president on June 10
5/19/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli lawmakers will elect a successor to outgoing President Shimon Peres on June 10, parliamentary speaker Yuli Edelstein told reporters on Monday. Edelstein’s announcement marks the official start of the race for the position, which has been held by Peres since 2007. Candidates must receive the backing of at least 10 other members of the Knesset, and formally present their requests….
3-year-old girl killed in Salfit road accident
5/19/2014 – SALFIT (Ma’an) — A three-year-old girl was killed late Sunday after being accidentally run over by her uncle in Salfit, locals told Ma’an. Mays Alaa al-Asmar was knocked down while playing outside of her family home after her uncle started his car without realizing she was there. The girl was taken for treatment at the Yasser Arafat hospital in Salfit, where she was pronounced dead. [END]
Iran arrests suspects over deadly 2010 blast
5/19/2014 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran’s intelligence ministry has arrested three people suspected of being behind a bomb attack on a military parade in 2010, media reports said Sunday. The explosion in the ethnically Kurdish northwestern town of Mahabad in West Azerbaijan province killed 12 spectators and wounded 81 others. Western Iran, which has a sizable Kurdish population, has seen deadly clashes in recent years between….
Libya parliament attacked, Benghazi Islamists targeted
5/19/2014 – TRIPOLI (AFP) — Armed groups attacked Libya’s interim parliament and an air base in the east, adding to turmoil in the troubled country where a rogue general has launched an offensive against Islamists in the city of Benghazi. A colonel claiming to speak on behalf of the army declared that parliament had been suspended.”We, members of the army and revolutionaries (former rebels), announce….
NGO: Syria war toll over 162,000
5/19/2014 – BEIRUT (AFP) — More than 162,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict broke out in March 2011, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a new toll published Monday. The Britain-based monitoring group, which relies on a network of sources on the ground, said it had documented the deaths of 162,402 people. Among them were 53,978 civilians, including 8,607 children. The new….
Egypt court acquits 169 Morsi backers of protest violence
5/19/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) — An Egyptian court on Monday acquitted 169 supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi over protest violence last year, judicial sources said. The army-installed government has rounded up thousands of Morsi’s supporters and put them on trial in mass hearings since his ouster by the military in July last year. The often speedy mass trials have jailed hundreds for lengthy terms….
Algerian and Jordanian aid convoys reach Gaza
AlJazeera 19 May 2014 – Medical supplies and equipment worth $2.5m allowed to enter area through Egypt’s Rafah crossing.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Expresses Satisfaction over the Investigations and Punitive Measures Taken by Ministry of Interior in Gaza Regardin…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
International Solidarity Movement
Action alert: Letter writing campaign against criminal activity in Tel Rumeida
5/19/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – Hebron, Occupied Palestine – The Israeli occupation uses many methods to take over land – from settlements and military camps to the nature reserve and political treaties. However, the Abu Haikal family of Tel Rumeida in Al-Khalil (Hebron), faces a much more unexpected enemy: archaeologists. Currently, the family home is completely surrounded by an Israeli archaeological excavation – there is only one gate into the property, which can….
occupied Palestinian territory: West Bank Villages Inaugurate New Preschools
Relief Web 19 May 2014 – Source: American Near East Refugee Aid Country: occupied Palestinian territory Four-year old Manal could not believe her eyes when she saw her new preschool. “I couldn’t sleep all night because I was thinking about when I could play with my…
occupied Palestinian territory: Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan
Relief Web 19 May 2014 – Source: World Health Organization Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic The Director-General has the honour to bring to the attention of the Health Assembly the attached report of the Director of Health, UNRWA, for the year 2013 (see Annex)….
occupied Palestinian territory: Arab aid convoys reach Gaza Strip
Relief Web 19 May 2014 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: Algeria, Jordan, occupied Palestinian territory 05/18/2014 15:38 GMT RAFAH, May 18, 2014 (AFP) – Aid convoys from Algeria and Jordan crossed Sunday from Egypt into Israeli-blockaded Gaza with $2.5 million (1.8 million euros) worth of supplies,…
Lebanon: Syria Refugee Response: Lebanon Population Statistics – March 2014
Relief Web 19 May 2014 – Source: Government of Lebanon, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, REACH Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic
Libyan troops and militias take sides as crisis deepens
The National 19 May 2014 – Government proposes parliament recess to head off prospect of increased violence triggered by rogue general’s revolt.
US charges Chinese military hackers with industrial espionage
The National 19 May 2014 – Five Chinese officials face charges over stealing secrets from US makers of nuclear and solar technology.
Cairo rubbish collectors pin hopes on post-election changes
The National 19 May 2014 – As a Christian minority living under Egypt’s Muslim majority, the Zabbaleen community has experienced ongoing discrimination, a situation it hopes will change with a new government coming to power.
Saudi announces new Mers deaths, bringing death toll to 173
The National 19 May 2014 – Health ministry reported five new deaths since Sunday and said the total number of Mers cases in the kingdom had risen to 537.
Security and political uncertainty deepens Afghan downturn
The National 19 May 2014 – Economy hit as run-off vote delays pact with the US over security.
Nine on trial for running Al Qaeda cell in the UAE
The National 19 May 2014 – The men, all of Arab origin, are also accused of recruiting members for Jabhat Al Nusra – an Islamist group fighting the government in Syria.
In pictures: meet Egypt’s garbage people, the Zabbaleen
The National 19 May 2014 – Residents of the slums in Cairo’s Manshiyat Naser neighbourhood are predominatly Coptic Christians and have for years managed a meagre living collecting and recycling the city’s vast quantities of garbage.
India’s Hindu nationalist group pins high hopes on Modi victory
The National 19 May 2014 – Across India, thousands of followers from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh campaigned for Mr Modi ahead of last week’s stunning victory… an effort that raises questions about how much the group will influence his policies.
In pictures: Behind the scenes with Hindu nationalist group RSS
The National 19 May 2014 – In the city of Nagpur, a black-painted statue of Keshav Hedgewar, founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), stands imposingly in the grounds of India’s biggest grassroots religious organisation. It was an organisation that India’s prime minister-elect Narendra Modi joined as a boy.
EU to monitor Egypt election after lifting of equipment blockade
The National 19 May 2014 – The bloc had said two days earlier its officials would only be able to watch voting in the capital as vital communications and medical gear was being held up in the airport – but that decision has now been reversed.
More than 160,000 killed in Syria’s three-year conflict
The National 19 May 2014 – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights recorded more than 162,402 deaths in Syria since the anti-Assad uprising began in March 2011.
Pakistan hopeful of warmer ties with India after Modi victory
The National 19 May 2014 – Pakistan’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif has hailed Mr Modi’s “impressive victory” which saw the hardliner gain an outright majority in India’s parliament for the first time in 30 years.
Suicide bomb attack in Nigeria kills four
The National 19 May 2014 – The victims were “three men and a girl of about 12”, said the police commissioner of Kano, where the incident took place.
‘We will go back to fight’, vows Syrian armed fighter who survived Homs
The National 19 May 2014 – Abdelbaset Sarout left his life as a national football hero to lead peaceful protests demanding Bashar Al Assad leave power. Three years on, the former goalkeeper, now an armed fighter, has become a charismatic icon of the revolution.
Assad regime turns guns and Hizbollah on rebels in southern Syria
The National 18 May 2014 – Rebels says fighters from Hizbollah and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard involved in offensive, which follows recent rift between moderate and Islamist groups.
In his former stronghold Alexandria, Sabahi swims against the El Sisi tide
The National 18 May 2014 – The veteran socialist candidate Hamdeen Sabahi spends the weekend drumming up support for Egypt’s upcoming presidential showdown against the former defence minister Abdel Fattah El Sisi.
Bedouin seek fair share of Negev tax bounty
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Court rejects demand to disclose scope of surveillance
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Turkey and Israel, partners in muffling freedom of the press
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Eilat’s coral reef on the mend but not in the clear
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Israel finally lets Swedish-Eritrean tourist enter, after 5-day detention
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Iranian women protest modesty laws in Facebook page
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Man suspected of killing roommate in Golan is charged
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Cyber warfare unregulated, says IDF adviser
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Frescoes from Herod’s time at Masada restored and returned to national park
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Who represents the public?
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Driver wins thousands after appealing 11 shekel fee in Tel Aviv-Jerusalem fast lane
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Israel has little to fear from the International Criminal Court
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Free competition can drive down food prices
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Abbas is walking a tightrope
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Turkish PM’s aide who kicked protester takes leave for leg pain
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Holocaust survivors call on Germany to take in more Syrian refugees
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Left-wing blogger questioned by Shin Bet over tweet
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
London imam Abu Hamza convicted of U.S. terrorism charges
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Dozens of Jerusalem prisoners kept locked up due to financial dispute
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Despite Israel’s stance, U.S. likely to cooperate with Palestinian unity government
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Israeli Supreme Court to hear appeal of Rachel Corrie case
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Nobel laureate who shared prize with Israeli colleagues visits Palestinian university
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Veteran Israeli campaign manager plays Svengali to Ukraine’s Tymoshenko
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
China ‘back-channeling’ with North Korea to prevent another nuclear test
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Bosnia floods trigger over 3,000 landslides across Balkans
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Hamas wants to employ the ‘Hezbollah model’
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
U.S. set to accuse Chinese officials of cyber spying
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Supreme Court turns down Katsav’s request for retrial of rape conviction
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Competing for victimhood: Europe’s dangerous elections
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Will Modi be the most pro-Israel PM in India’s history?
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Israel’s presidential election to be held on June 10
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Iranian actress’ kiss on the cheek at Cannes sparks outrage in Tehran
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Anti-Muslim ads on Washington buses feature Hitler, mufti of Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Putin orders Russian troops near Ukraine to return to bases
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Libyan capital tense after renegade general’s attack on parliament
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
In photos: The biggest party in the Jewish world, Lag Ba’omer at Mt. Meron
Ha’aretz – 19 May 2014
Lapid’s Zionism of the white Jew
Ha’aretz – 18 May 2014
The Quartet is waiting for Bibi
Ha’aretz – 18 May 2014
Harnessing anti-Semitism
Ha’aretz – 18 May 2014
The Nakba – perpetuating a lie
Ha’aretz – 18 May 2014
Rivlin for president
Ha’aretz – 18 May 2014
Field still wide open for June 10 presidential race
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Netanyahu to meet with Likud Minister Shalom on Wednesday to make a final decision on whether he will join race; Rivlin and Ben-Eliezer send letters to MKs asking for their vote; outsiders Shechtman and Dorner struggle for support.
MK Yogev: absorption center closure near Jerusalem could be ‘Holyland: The Sequel’
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Lawmakers call for criminal investigation, probe by state comptroller into Jewish Agency’s sale of land.
Israeli campuses launch joint programs with China
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Tel Aviv, Tsinghua universities establish innovation center; Hebrew University opens country’s second Confucius Institute
Road Safety Authority: Critical to set regulations for use of electric bicycles
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Regulations for electric bikes expired in 2011 and were not renewed, even as their popularity soared in Israel.
Israeli UN envoy: UNRWA fuels ‘fiction’ of Palestinian ‘right of return’
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Ron Prosor says Palestinian government doesn’t take responsibility for its people because UNRWA’s services are already taking care of them; “They have perpetuated the problem instead of solving it.”
Energy Ministry: State revenues from natural resources will quadruple by 2020
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Annual revenues from natural resource royalties are expected to climb to $2.1b. annually in 2020, four times as much as those in 2013.
Keren Hayesod young leaders gather in Israel
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Participants meet with leading political and economic figures, including, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres.
Christie makes no mention of Israel at Boteach’s ‘Jewish Values’ dinner
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Jacob Ostreicher, Sean Penn share story of how actor rescued him from three trumped-up years in Bolivian prison.
Air pollution levels spike following Lag Ba’omer
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Beersheba, Givatayim and South Tel Aviv’s Hatikva neighborhood show highest rise in respirable particles during the two days of celebration.
Southern mob boss indicted for reign of terror against local gamblers
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Indictment describes how one cab driver sold his fleet of taxis and fled country after falling into debt.
Hitler, Mufti to grace DC buses
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – The posters call for an end to all American aid to Muslim countries as a means of stopping racism.
First person: National pride at all-time high
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – For many in Israel, Maccabi’s sixth European championship title win stands for more than just a victory for the club team.
Israeli defense official: Iran can break out to nuclear weapons ‘very quickly’
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Head of political-military affairs at Defense Ministry, Amos Gilad, warns of storm clouds “on the horizon,” says Israel has not been able to stop build up of Hezbollah’s rocket arsenal.
Lessons of the Holocaust
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – The Holocaust will only drift farther away from present day, yet the morals gained from it will only become more firmly etched into the minds and hearts of each one of us as the points never cease to apply.
Why ‘Never Again’ happens again and again
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – In Judaism it’s not belief in a savior that will get you into heaven. It’s rather the good deeds you do – the mitzvot you perform – that will create heaven on earth.
Rouhani is no ‘moderate’ when it comes to human rights
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – A number of human rights abuses in Iran have continued unabated – or have even intensified – under Rouhani’s “moderate” presidency.
Fundamentally Freund: Movement on the Mount
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Jews and Muslims both pray at the Tomb of Samuel the Prophet outside Jerusalem, and at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. There is no reason why they cannot do so at the Temple Mount.
Those lazy-hazy-crazy days of summer (television)
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Viewers looking to wind down after a sweltering day at the beach now have plenty to feast their eyes on.
Still on the map
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – If it takes a victory by an Israeli basketball team to inject a dose of patriotism into the country’s citizens, then bring on some more victories.
MK Bar-Lev suspended from key committees after leak
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Labor MK leaked information on defense budget from closed door meeting of Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense subcommittee.
Gantz cancels training for IDF reserves amid battle over defense budget
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – IDF chief expresses concern for ability of army to remain prepared amid changing threats in the face of defense cuts.
US author Philip Roth to retire after final interview with the BBC
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Roth is one of America’s most lauded writers, with his novels exploring modern Jewish-American life.
Iranian women stage Facebook protest, let hair down
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Hijab-less women have been posting selfies on the My Stealthy Freedom Facebook page, risking punishment for defying Iran’s strict dress code.
Haredi MKs blast Maccabi Tel Aviv as golden calf
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Orthodox MKs note that the majority of Maccabi’s players who scored in the European championship game were not Jewish and that Israelis should be proud of their heritage instead.
Israeli American Council to open New York regional office
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – The office will focus on providing programming and resources for the estimated 200,000 Israelis who live in and around New York City.
Maccabi Tel Aviv gets hero’s welcome in Israel after claiming European title
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – Thousands of fans greet basketball team at Ben-Gurion airport a day after they beat Real Madrid for sixth European championship in club history.
ADL’s Foxman calls on Greeks to reject Golden Dawn
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – The neo-Nazi party’s strong showing in local elections, despite harsh gov’t crackdown on the party, is serious problem, says Foxman.
Stricter regulations set for indoor tanning
Jerusalem Post 19 May 2014 – World Health Organization regards tanning salons as dangerous as asbestos factories; minimum age for indoor tanning now 18.
Rachel Corrie’s family to have case reheard in Israeli supreme court
The Guardian 19 May 2014 – Family will ask court to overturn judgment that Israeli military was not negligently responsible for activist’s death in 2003 Eleven years after the death of Rachel Corrie , the 23-year-old American activist who was crushed to death…
Israeli minister Tzipi Livni given diplomatic immunity for UK visit
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – The British government has granted temporary diplomatic immunity to a prominent Israeli politician ahead of a visit to the UK this week to protect her against arrest and potential prosecution for alleged breaches of international law,…
It should be forbidden to forget the Nakba
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – …Today, I am a third-generation Palestinian refugee, no longer a young woman with little knowledge of history, but holding a doctorate in refugee studies. Today, 21 years after that discussion in my usurped homeland – and…
Iraq snapshot -May 15, 2014
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014- … Al Bawaba explains, “The U.S. plans to seal a $1 billion arms deal with Iraq, AFP reports. The deal includes warplanes, armored vehicles, and surveillance aerostats and is valued at $790 million.” …. And what does Nouri al-Maliki…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (08 – 14 May 2014)
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – Summary: Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (08 – 14 May 2014). Shooting: During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 2 Palestinian civilians, including a…
The U.S. Military s New Normal in Africa A Secret African Mission and an African Mission that s No Secret
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – What is Operation New Normal? It s a question without an answer, a riddle the U.S. military refuses to solve. It s a secret operation in Africa that no one knows anything about. Except that someone…
Nakba Day Israelis Forced to Confront a Guilty Secret
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014- For 66 years Israel s founding generation has lived with a guilty secret, one it successfully concealed from the generations that followed. Forests were planted to hide war crimes. School textbooks mythologised the events surrounding Israel s…
UN issues urgent action over disappearance of US citizen in Yemen
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – A United Nations body that tracks disappearance cases has issued an Urgent Action concerning a US citizen who went missing from a Yemeni prison earlier this year. Sharif Mobley, from New Jersey, was last seen by…
Barrel bombs in Fallujah – a crime against humanity?
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – On 21 April, two barrel bombs were dropped from an Iraqi air force MI8 helicopter in the mechanic shops area of Fallujah, close to the government protester demonstration sites. An additional barrel bomb was dropped onto…
Obscuring the Nakba with 1967 rhetoric
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – Reiterating the right to memory has sustained Palestinian tenacity towards reclaiming their land and the right of return. However, their adamant statements on each Nakba commemoration are threatened by the increasing compromise trajectory echoed by Palestinian…
Kidnapped Girls Become Tools of U.S. Imperial Policy in Africa
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 -The “humanitarian” U.S. military occupation of Africa has been very successful, thus far. “The Chibok abductions have served the same U.S. foreign policy purposes as Joseph Kony sightings in central Africa.” Imagine: the superpower that financed the…
Danny Glover calls for cultural boycott of Israel
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 — Danny Glover and other actors featured in a US documentary on a prominent social justice activist protested the film s screening at a Tel Aviv festival this week, announcing their support for the cultural boycott of…
Attorneys for Guantanamo Prisoner Want Newly-Discovered Videos of Force-Feedings to Be Preserved
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – In the process of a lawsuit against the force-feeding of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, attorneys for the human rights organization, Reprieve, discovered the military has recordings of force-feedings. Attorneys have demanded that a court order the…
President Obama Receives “Ambassador for Humanity” Award (Not Satire)
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – It is impossible not to gain the impression that the criteria for being awarded prestigious honors for services to “peace”, “humanity” or “distinguished public service” is a candidate who is duplicitous, vicious, stone hearted and above…
Iran welcomes Saudi Arabia s invitation to visit Riyadh
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014-Tehran has welcomed the invitation extended by the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal to his Iranian counterpart to visit Riyadh for bilateral talks.State news agency IRNA reported Iran s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian as saying…
Drone Lawyer: Kill a 16-Year-Old, Get a Promotion
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – If you think that as a United States citizen you re entitled to a trial by jury before the government can decide to kill you – you re wrong. During his stint as a lawyer at…
“We re exhausted from being homeless”: recalling the Palestinians plight on Nakba Day
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – “We walked and walked and walked for days until we finally settled on the beach of Damour,” said 80-year-old Um Zohair. “On the beach we fetched green banana leaves together and with bamboo sticks we made…
UK rendition victim released after ten years in secret US custody
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – The US has released Yunus Rahmatullah, a Pakistani citizen held at Bagram Airbase for ten years without charge, trial, or access to a lawyer after his capture by British forces in Iraq and subsequent rendition to…
On Western “left” appropriation of Palestinian Nakba
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 -On one hand, it s an encouraging indicator of the power of the Palestinian rights campaign that Nakba Day is an increasingly prominent date in the global political calendar.On the other, it is a measure of the…
“I can coexist with Israelis but only when I return home,” says Nakba survivor
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 -“Kadima!” – a Hebrew word meaning “advance quickly” – is one of the words that Um al-Walid Eid still remembers from the day she, her husband and their two small children, along with the approximately 2,600 other…
58 polling stations results are cancelled in three provinces of Iraq
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 -Iraq s Electoral Commission has cancelled the results of 58 polling stations in three provinces, due to irregularities, a top commission official said. Deputy chairman of the Electoral Commission, Qate Zoubaie stated that “the election commission formed…
Israel occupation marks 66th anniversary of the Nakba by razing more Palestinian homes
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – On the 66th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, or disaster, the Israeli occupation authorities destroyed a number of Palestinian properties in the occupied city of Jerusalem.Palestinian resident Um Amin Shqirat told the local news agency Quds…
Palestinian identity gets stronger in Israel despite the hate crimes
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – Palestinians living inside what is now called Israel call themselves “1948 Palestinians”. They are holding on more and more to their Palestinian identity in the face of the escalation of oppression by the far right in…
On Nakba Day, Israelis forced to confront a guilty secret
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 –For 66 years Israel s founding generation has lived with a guilty secret, one it successfully concealed from the generations that followed. Forests were planted to hide war crimes. School textbooks mythologised the events surrounding Israel s…
Two Palestinian youths killed by Israeli army live-fire during Nakba Day demonstration
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 15, 2014 – Two Palestinians were killed and a third is in critical condition after being shot by the Israeli military outside of Ofer prison in the West Bank at an annual Nakba Day protest. The youths were struck…
Syria News – May 14, 2014 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 14, 2014 – By the end of Wednesday , Coordination Comiittees were able to documnet 102 martyrs including 8 women, 6 children and 10 martyrs under torture: 26 martyrs were reported in Aleppo; 18 in Hama, 17 in Idlib; 13…
Gaza Strip: Attacks in the border areas and their consequences
Uruknet 19 May 2014 – May 14, 2014 – Following disengagement from the Gaza Strip in September 2005, Israel unilaterally and illegally established a so-called “buffer zone”, an area prohibited to Palestinians along the land and sea borders of the Gaza Strip. The precise area…
58 countries urge UN to refer Syria to ICC
Daily Star 19 May 2014 Nearly 60 countries urged the U.N. Security Council on Monday to refer the war in Syria to the International Criminal Court for investigation of possible crimes against humanity and war crimes.
British preacher Abu Hamza guilty on US terror charges
Daily Star 19 May 2014 A New York jury convicted British hate preacher Abu Hamza on 11 kidnapping and terrorism charges Monday, opening the way for a judge to impose what will almost certainly be a life sentence.
Yemen goes on alert over fears of militant attacks
Daily Star 19 May 2014 Yemen put its security forces on high alert Monday over fears of possible terrorist attacks in the capital, the Interior Ministry said.
Tunisia forms commission to compensate Ben Ali victims
Daily Star 19 May 2014 Tunisia on Monday formed a long-awaited truth and justice commission, more than three years after the 2011 revolution, to implement “transitional justice” and compensate the victims of decades of dictatorship.
Libya government proposes parliament recess over crisis
Daily Star 19 May 2014 The libyan government on Monday proposed an initiative aimed at saving the country from plunging into civil war, calling on the disputed parliament to go into recess.
Algeria’s Sonatrach recalls workers from Libya, land border closed: sources
Daily Star 19 May 2014 The Algerian state energy firm Sonatrach has ordered its workers back from Libya over security concerns in the neighbouring country, a source at the company said on Monday.
UAE ‘Qaeda cell’ on trial over Syria jihadists support
Daily Star 19 May 2014 A UAE court Monday held a new hearing in the trial of an “al-Qaeda cell” of nine men accused of supporting Al-Nusra Front, the jihadist network’s Syrian affiliate, state news agency WAM said.
New MERS deaths take Saudi toll to 173
Daily Star 19 May 2014 Saudi health authorities reported Monday new deaths from the MERS coronavirus, taking to 173 the overall number of fatalities from the disease in the world’s worst-hit country.
Unique statue of Phoenician priest discovered in Sidon
Daily Star 19 May 2014 A statue of a Phoenician priest has been uncovered at an excavation site in Sidon, in the most unique find for Lebanon in decades.
US judge denies stay of execution for Missouri inmate
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – ….
Families of Burgas bombing victims meet with Bulgaria PM
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – Bulgarian PM says investigation details into suspected Hezbollah terror attack to be revealed soon, as victims’ families lament: No one is updating us about investigations. ….
Israel bowing down to Russia, degrading US
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – Op-ed: If we show America the same respect we show Russia and China for reasons of ‘national security,’ we will have the best of both worlds. ….
English savior of over 650 Jews receives Czech Republic decoration
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – Order of of the White Lion presented to Nicholas Winton, the ‘English Schindler’ who helped hundreds escape Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia. ….
MK Zahava Gal-On: Israel’s Supreme Court excluding women
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – Sixty-four judges have served in Supreme Court so far, and only 10 of them were women. Proper representation of women must be guaranteed in all centers of power in Israel’s public arena, Meretz chairwoman says. ….
Lebanese Jewish community: We have no connection to Israel
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – Head of dwindling Jewish community in Lebanon: ‘Not all Jews are Zionists’; country’s oldest synagogue set to re-open after renovation which even Hezbollah supported. ….
UN: Lebanon will have 1.5M refugees by year’s end
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – ….
Libyan special forces commander says his forces join renegade general
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – Rouge general Khalifa Haftar’s alleged bid to purge country of Islamists recives backing by military leader, despite government’s claim he was staging a coup. ….
Australian ends Mideast peace run in Jerusalem
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – ….
IDF chief announces freeze in reservist training amid financial crisis
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – IDF chief of staff breaks silence on IDF’s budget crisis, announces army will halt reservists training because of lack in funding; reservist: History will not forgive us. ….
IDF Chief Gantz: No training for reserve soldiers in coming year
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – ….
Israeli campaign advisor hired to aid Tymoshenko win Ukraine presidency
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – Top Israeli politico and former Ehud Barak campaign manager Silberstein brings change to Tymoshenko campaign strategy as she trails behind billionaire Poroshenko in race for Ukraine presidency. ….
Possible explosives destroyed near US embassy in Turkey
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – ….
Livni defends Abbas meet, says ‘we cannot ignore the Palestinians’
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – Justice minister and chief peace negotiator responds to criticism at her informal meeting with Palestinian President Abbas, saying ‘the conflict continues, and our interest is to see its resolution.’ ….
Rouhani: Nuclear talks will lead to agreement ‘despite difficulties’
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – After recent round of talks in Vienna ends without results, Iranian president says accord will be reached since it’s in everyone’s best interests. ….
Israel, Palestinians eye political gain from papal visit
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – Palestinians view decision to start pope’s visit in West Bank as recognition of Palestine, while Israel views it as a political slight. ….
Jewish pilgrimage in Tunisia grows despite debate
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – Three-day pilgrimage to Ghriba synagogue was not free of security concerns, but for the first time the pilgrims were allowed to use their Israeli passports. ….
Palestinian reconciliation increases chance for peace
YNet News, 19 May 2014 – Op-ed: Jewish radicals and moderates reconciled too ahead of State of Israel’s establishment. ….
Palestinian Information Center
Palestinian reconciliation reeling under Israeli pressure
PIC – The reconciliation agreement signed in Gaza last month between the mainstream PLO faction, Fatah, and Hamas is reeling under intense pressure from Israel and her guardian-ally, the United States.
Haaretz: Purchase documents of Migron outpost near Ramallah are forged
PIC – Haaretz newspaper said that settlement construction organizations had used forged documents to prove that the land of Migron outpost near Ramallah was legally purchased from its Palestinian owners.
Abu Marzouk leaves Gaza Tuesday heading to Cairo
PIC – Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, political bureau member of Hamas and head of its reconciliation delegation, is to leave the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning heading back to Cairo.
Confrontations reported in Ramallah, two young men injured
PIC – Confrontations erupted in the southern Ramallah suburb of Um al-Sharayet between invading Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and young men on Monday morning.
Haaretz: Gov’t endorses a draft law allowing force-feeding of hunger strikers
PIC – Haaretz newspaper said on Monday that the ministerial committee for legislation approved a bill allowing jailers to force Palestinian hunger strikers to take fluids and medication.
Marine demo in solidarity with besieged Gaza, in honor of Marmara martyrs
PIC – Activists took to the sea off Gaza shores on Monday morning in a marine demonstration in rejection of the blockade on Gaza and to mark the anniversary of the Turkish Marmara martyrs.
Mishaal to address the Palestinian people on Tuesday
PIC – Khaled Mishaal, the political bureau chairman of Hamas Movement, is to address the Palestinian people on Tuesday from his residence in Doha, Qatar.
Upsurge in number of Jerusalemite children targeted by IOF
PIC – Attacks launched by the IOF on Jerusalemite children have hit unparalleled levels since early 2014. The number of Jerusalemite minors locked-up in Israeli prisons has gone up to 120.
Action group: One Palestinian died yesterday under torture in a Syrian jail
PIC – A Palestinian refugee was proclaimed dead on Sunday as a result of his exposure to excruciating torture in a Syrian jail, according to the action group for the Palestinians in Syria.
Israeli Forces Close Down Agricultural Roads in Bethlehem Village
WAFA – 19 May 2014
Israeli Forces Damage Utility Poles in Hebron Town
WAFA – 19 May 2014
Army Arrests four, Summon One in West Bank
WAFA – 19 May 2014
Bristol Museum Breathes Life into Nakba Year-Round
WAFA – 19 May 2014
Israeli Supreme Court to Hear Corrie Appeal
WAFA – 19 May 2014
Hamdallah Emphasizes Institutional Development and Reform
WAFA – 19 May 2014
Minister of Education Discusses Enhancement of Mutual Cooperation with Japan’s Representative to PA
WAFA – 19 May 2014
Newspapers Review: Israeli Illegal Seizure of 700 Dunums Focus of Dailies
WAFA – 19 May 2014
Abbas Cancels Reduced Sentence for Honor Killing
WAFA – 19 May 2014
PMA Business Cycle Index down in May
WAFA – 19 May 2014
Elections Commission Concludes Registration of Palestinian Electorate
WAFA – 19 May 2014
The Lede: Video Shows Killing of Palestinians on ‘Nakba Day’
New York Times 19 May 2014 – Security-camera footage obtained by a rights group appears to show the fatal shooting of two young Palestinians during a demonstration in Beitunia, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
As Pope’s Visit Nears, Hate Crimes a Concern in Israel
New York Times 19 May 2014 – Israeli authorities are working to contain vandalism, like the recent defacing of a church in Jerusalem, but say there are challenges.
Vigil Marks 1,000 Days of Detention of American Marine in Iran
New York Times 19 May 2014 – Family and supporters of Amir Hekmati, accused of “practical collaboration with the American government,” gathered in front of the White House.
N.Y.U. Apologizes to Any Workers Mistreated on Its Abu Dhabi Campus
New York Times 19 May 2014 – The apology was offered after The New York Times reported widespread abuses among laborers on New York University’s new campus.
Legacy of Hamas-Fatah Killings Complicates Unity
New York Times 19 May 2014 – A committee is charged with persuading families of hundreds of victims of 2007 fighting to accept compensation rather than vengeance.
Parliamentary Wins May Seal Third Term for Iraqi Premier
New York Times 19 May 2014 – Nuri Kamal al-Maliki and his Shiite Islamist political coalition were expected to win a plurality of votes, but the margin of victory was greater than most analysts had forecast.
Syria Death Toll Reported to Rise By 10,000 in Less Than 2 Months
New York Times 19 May 2014 – An antigovernment monitoring group that is one of the few organizations still attempting to keep an exact count put the total number of victims at about 162,000.
Chief of Syria’s Air Defense Dies in Battle Near Capital
New York Times 18 May 2014 – The impact of the death of Lt. Gen. Hussein Ayoub Ishaq was unclear, an expert said, because successors usually await and rebel forces have no aircraft.
Listening Post: As U.S. Looks to Nuclear Deal, Book Faults Handling of Iranian Defector
New York Times 18 May 2014 – A new book asserts that an Iranian intelligence officer who is living in the United States under C.I.A. protection oversaw the bombing of the American Embassy in 1983.
Shabak: Revenge of the Torturers
Tikun Olam – Israeli arrests of Palestinian children like those tortured by the Shin Bet as portrayed in Noam’s blog posts. Noam R. writes the blog O139 (the title refers to October 1, 1939, the date the Nazis invaded Poland and began WWII; his blog also has the English…
Crashing the Party: Activists educate pro-Israel festival about the Nakba
Mondoweiss – Yesterday Students for Justice in Palestine from Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia, ( DMV-SJP ; George Washington SJP , American University SJP , George Mason SAIA and Georgetown SJP , University of Maryland SJP ) decided to crash a pro-Israel street festival and educate the crowd about the Nakba. The festival…
Commencement meltdown– students are wisely rejecting elite authority
Mondoweiss – Condoleezza Rice Here is an incomplete list of moralists who are upset that students are protesting against certain college speakers, notably including Condoleeza Rice: “Dear Class of 2014, Thanks for Not Disinviting Me,” by Stephen Carter , at Blooomberg; “The Commencement Bigots,” by Timothy Egan, in The…
Another prominent liberal Jew runs away from the Zionist label
Mondoweiss – Saul Friedlander Holocaust historian Saul Friedlander, an Israeli who teaches at UCLA, was in Israel to receive a prestigious prize, and made these comments in an interview in Haaretz : “I am connected to this country. My eldest son and grandchildren live here but I can’t call myself…
‘Courting powerful Jewish donors,’ Christie calls for aggressive foreign policy
Mondoweiss – Christie at gala yesterday Last week Hillary Clinton sucked up to the Israel lobby in a speech questioning President Obama’s strength vis-a-vis Iran, and yesterday Chris Christie sucked up to donors Sheldon Adelson and Michael Steinhardt with his own foreign policy speech delivered at the “Champions…
What’s wrong with the ADL survey and how it could be improved
Mondoweiss – Jackie Mason There has been a lot of criticism of the ADL’s worldwide survey of anti-Semitism , and many of the obvious flaws in the study already have been discussed (or linked to) here . At the outset, the organization that commissioned the study is hardly a disinterested,…
Israeli reservists protest ‘hate crimes and racism’ at West Bank settlement
Mondoweiss – Land, property theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Apartheid / Restriction of movement Army reservists protest against hate crimes in heart of West Bank Haaretz 19 May by Gili Cohen — Dozens of Israeli reservists staged a protest against what they termed “hate crimes and racism” outside the…
Ali Reza Asgari Mystery Unfolds
Tikun Olam – Ali Reza Asgari Kai Bird’s new biography of CIA master spy, Robert Ames, contains a tantalizing side story about the Iranian general, Ali Reza Asgari who either defected or was kidnapped in Turkey in 2007. Bird reveals that Asgari did defect to the west. As the…
ElBaradei: West Could’ve Gotten Iran Nuclear Deal Ten Years Ago
Tikun Olam – Turn this from photoshop into a reality Trita Parsi has a new article in Foreign Policy which demolishes the argument by Israeli and U.S. hardliners that sanctions brought Iran to its knees, brought Hassan Rouhani to power in the last election, and made a nuclear agreement…
Syria war crimes moves gains backing
BBC 19 May 2014 – Nearly 60 countries back a French proposal to take Syria to the International Criminal Court over war crimes allegations.
Abu Hamza guilty of terror charges
BBC 19 May 2014 – The radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza, who was extradited from the UK to the US in 2012, is found guilty in a New York court of supporting terrorism.
Pope Francis Heading to Holy Land With Rabbi and Imam as Interfaith Wing Men
The Forward New 19 May 2014 – (JTA) — With a rabbi and a Muslim sheik as his travel companions, Pope Francis is heading to the Middle East with what he hopes will be a powerful message of interfaith respect. It will be the first time that leaders of other faiths are part…
U. of California Leaders Slam Move To Curb Student Leaders’ Israel Trips
The Foward Breaking News 19 May 2014 – The heads of UCLA and the University of California system criticized a student-led pledge that urged candidates for student government to refuse trips to Israel sponsored by certain pro-Israel groups. Click here for the rest of the article…
Libya leaders in bid to ease crisis
BBC 19 May 2014 – Libya’s embattled government proposes parliament go into recess as clashes with militia raise fears of a possible descent into renewed civil war.
Right Wing Jews Take Aim at Anti-Gun Archetype
The Forward New 19 May 2014 – (JTA) — It’s a sunny morning in Southern California and Lea Rosenfeld, a soft-spoken, bespectacled woman who looks like a Jewish grandmother, squares her feet, faces her target and squeezes off five shots with a handgun. All of them miss. “I never even held a gun…
Rare Detroit Jewish Combination as Ian Kinsler Reports to Brad Ausmus
The Forward New 19 May 2014 – (JTA) — The rarity arose in the initial meeting of first-year Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus and his second baseman Ian Kinsler, newly traded from the Texas Rangers: a Jewish player reporting to a Jewish manager. Ausmus was “raised the same way I was,” Kinsler learned,…
Iranian backlash over Cannes kiss
BBC 19 May 2014 – Cannes Film Festival president Gilles Jacob plays down a media backlash in Iran after kissing Iranian actress and jury member Leila Hatami on the cheek.
Settler Runners Barred From West Bank ‘Peace Run’
The Foward Breaking News 19 May 2014 – A group of six Israeli runners reportedly was excluded from the West Bank portion of a regional long-distance run. Click here for the rest of the article…
Lebanon Synagogue Reopens After $1M Spruce Up
The Foward Breaking News 19 May 2014 – Beirut’s only synagogue is set to reopen following a five-year renovation. Click here for the rest of the article…
13 Years Later, Jewish Children of 9/11 Come of Age
The Forward New 19 May 2014 – Next February, Jamie Pila, a hockey-playing middle school student with a mane of curly brown hair, will step up to the bimah at Temple Har Shalom in Warren, N.J. and become a bat mitzvah in front of her mother, sister, stepfather and two stepsiblings. Missing will…
North Africa: Jobs, Growth, Fairness Top List of Priorities for Arab Countries
allAfrica.com 19 May 2014 – [IMF]Tackling youth unemployment and reorienting public spending to promote inclusive growth are two of the most urgent priorities for the Arab countries in transition, participants tell a regional conference in Amman, Jordan.
VIDEO: How to make Anglo-Iranian music
BBC 19 May 2014 – Composer Soosan Lolavar on Stay Close, her bid to combine Western and Iranian music in a classical composition.
Exam respite for Yarmouk students
BBC 19 May 2014 – Students spared siege to sit Syrian exams
Israel: The propaganda tour
Al-Akhbar Blogs 19 May 2014 – A few months ago, PBS aired what it dubbed a documentary titled: “Israel: The Royal Tour.” It has been made available on DVD and is distributed around the country as an education tool for classrooms. When it comes to coverage of Israel in the US, you…
Why is Libya lawless?
BBC 19 May 2014 – Why has Libya been so unstable since Gaddafi was overthrown?
Sisi’s campaign distributes energy-saving lightbulbs to the poor
Al-Akhbar News 19 May 2014 – An Egyptian man rides a bicycle past campaign posters of leftist presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi (L) and of Egyptian ex-army chief and leading presidential candidate Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) in the town of Dekernss near the Nile Delta City of Mansura some 120 km north of…
Iraq’s Maliki ‘set for poll win’
BBC 19 May 2014 – Prime Minister Nouri Maliki’s bloc won the most seats in Iraq’s parliamentary elections, but fell short of a majority, preliminary results suggest.
Hezbollah fighters and the “jihadis:” Mad, drugged, homicidal, and hungry
Al-Akhbar News 19 May 2014 – Hezbollah fighters during a ceremony in Beirut’s southern suburbs. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Hezbollah fighters during a ceremony in Beirut’s southern suburbs. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Prior to the events in Syria, Hezbollah and al-Qaeda fighters had never met face to face. They clashed for the first time…
Lebanese University Study: Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) has no authority over the Lebanese
Al-Akhbar News 19 May 2014 – STL officials at the Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) STL officials at the Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) In a legal study conducted with the aim of defending the “existence of the Lebanese justice system as a whole,” the Faculty of Law…
Libyan air force base joins renegade general in Benghazi offensive
Al-Akhbar News 19 May 2014 – A Libyan air force base in the eastern city of Tobruk has decided to join forces of a renegade general which have been fighting militant Islamists, according to a statement published on Monday. “The Torbuk air force base will join … the army under the command of…
Israeli forces shoot Gaza gravel worker
Al-Akhbar News 19 May 2014 – Israeli occupation forces shot a Palestinian worker collecting gravel for concrete in northern Gaza Monday, a day after another man was shot in the same area, local media reported. Locals cited by Palestinian news agency Ma’an said the 20-year-old suffered moderate wounds after being shot near…
Benghazi clashes highlight Libya’s ongoing security crisis
Al-Monitor 19 May 2014 – Clashes in Benghazi between supporters of a defected army general and battalions affiliated with the army highlight the ongoing security crisis plaguing the country.
Boko Haram, ISIS don’t represent Islam
Al-Monitor 19 May 2014 – Recent media reports about Boko Haram and ISIS have highlighted the need to distance so-called Islamic groups from Islam and other Muslims.
Egypt acquits 169 Islamists over protests
Al-Akhbar News 19 May 2014 – An Egyptian court acquitted 169 Muslim Brotherhood supporters charged in connection with unrest that followed the overthrow of president Mohammed Mursi last year, breaking a pattern of mass convictions at trials involving the Islamist opposition. The men were charged with “illegal gathering” in relation to violence…
Turkey, Saudi Arabia shut Libya embassies over security fears
Al-Akhbar News 19 May 2014 – Updated 5:50 pm: Turkey temporarily closed its consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi on Monday, a spokesman said, because of a threat of an attack after scores of people were killed in clashes between a renegade general and Islamist militias. Separately, Saudi Arabia closed its…
Omani official jailed for corruption
BBC 19 May 2014 – A former Omani minister is sentenced to three years in prison for corruption, the most senior government figure to be convicted in the sultanate.
Maliki got election assist from Anbar crisis
Al-Monitor 19 May 2014 – Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki skillfully used the Anbar crisis to deepen the sense of collective danger among Shiite voters.
Times reporter tells of kidnap ordeal
BBC 19 May 2014 – Times reporter Anthony Loyd tells the BBC how he was betrayed by a rebel gang in Syria who beat him badly and shot him twice in the ankle.
Israeli presidential election set for June 10
Al-Akhbar News 19 May 2014 – Israeli lawmakers will elect a successor to outgoing President Shimon Peres on June 10, parliamentary speaker Yuli Edelstein told reporters on Monday. Edelstein’s announcement marks the official start of the race for the position, which has been held by Peres since 2007. Candidates must receive the…
The Battle for Qusayr and the fate of Saint Elias Church
Al-Akhbar News 19 May 2014 – Map of Qusayr showing the location of Saint Elias Church (sources: Google Earth; Wikimapia; Facebook page of Saint Elias Church Qusayr) Map of Qusayr showing the location of Saint Elias Church (sources: Google Earth; Wikimapia; Facebook page of Saint Elias Church Qusayr) On June 6, 2013,…
Syria rebels face setback in south
Al-Monitor 19 May 2014 – The Syrian army has made gains against rebels in the south of the country, while some local opposition councils have started bypassing the National Coalition to obtain foreign funds.
Turkey pivots to Baghdad to close deal on Kurdish oil
Al-Monitor 19 May 2014 – Turkey has realized it can’t sell Kurdish oil without Baghdad’s blessing.
Keeping Danes out of Syria
BBC 19 May 2014 – Persuading Danes not to go to fight in the war
Gazprom deal boosts Russia-Egypt ties
Al-Monitor 19 May 2014 – The Obama administration should take note of the warming trend in Russia-Egypt ties.
How will Lebanon’s Christians deal with presidential vacancy?
Al-Monitor 19 May 2014 – If a new Lebanese president is not elected by the constitutionally stipulated deadline of May 25, the Christians’ options are limited.
Morocco’s wind industry blooming
Al-Monitor 19 May 2014 – Morocco is already home to one of the largest wind farms in Africa, and there are plans to expand and develop projects in the wind energy sector in the near future.
AUDIO: Anthony Loyd: Kidnapped in Syria
BBC 19 May 2014 – Anthony Loyd, reporter for The Times, discusses his experience of being kidnapped in Syria.
Upgrading Allenby crossing will encourage Palestinian export
Al-Monitor 19 May 2014 – Upgrading the passage of goods through the Israel-Jordan Allenby Bridge crossing would enable an increase of 30% in the volume of goods traffic, thus promoting Palestinian export to Jordan and the Gulf states.
Egypt bets on controversial Hamas leader
Al-Monitor 19 May 2014 – The return of Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk to Gaza signals the return of Egypt as a broker in Palestinian politics.
Israel threatens NGO’s tax status for political stand
Al-Monitor 19 May 2014 – In an interview with Al-Monitor, the chairman of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, Raphael Walden, says that his NGO, which cares for Palestinians and African refugees, might lose its tax benefit status over its criticism against government policy.
Attack on Israeli journalists might indicate shift to violence
Al-Monitor 19 May 2014 – The attack of two Israeli journalists in the West Bank town of Beitunia might indicate that despite the apparent lack of Palestinian interest in a surge of violence, a third intifada could erupt.
Articles
Excusing ethnic cleansing: Liberal Zionists, Israel and the Nakba
Ben White, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 5/15/2014
The Nakba, Arabic for ‘Catastrophe’, was the ethnic cleansing by pre-state Jewish forces and the Israeli military of up to 90 percent of all Palestinians inside the newly-established State of Israel. It is marked annually on 15 May, the date in 1948 when Israel was born in a process of conquest, expulsion and settlement, dating broadly 1947-’49. An estimated 400-500 Palestinian villages were destroyed; refugees attempting to return were shot dead.
For those who self-identify on the left, who support liberal causes and advocate social-democratic politics, this should be an open and shut case. This is as clear a case of ethnic cleansing as you could wish to see.
In 1994, the European Journal of International Law published an article by Drazen Petrovic on identifying a ‘methodology’ of ethnic cleansing. Policies include “the creation of fear, humiliation and terror for the ‘other’ community” and “provoking the community to flee”, with the overall aim “the extermination of certain groups of people from a particular territory, including the elimination of all physical traces of their presence”.
In the short term, Petrovic wrote, the goal “could be effective control over territory for military or strategic reasons”, but long term, the objective is “the creation of living conditions that would make the return of the displaced community impossible”. The Nakba ticks all the boxes.
And yet, when it comes to Israel, there are prominent voices on the liberal-left who justify what in other circumstances they would never consider tolerating. One such example is Jonathan Freedland, senior columnist at The Guardian, who also regularly contributes to The Jewish Chronicle and other national and international media outlets. more.. e-mail
How we lost Palestine
Samir Sobhi, Al-Ahram Weekly 5/15/2014
The creation of Israel in May 1948 came at the end of years of upheaval in Palestine and was an act of injustice that still reverberates today.
With the creation of Israel on 14 May 1948, a new layer of frustration and suffering was brought into this troubled region. The British government’s Balfour Declaration of 1917, promising a “national home” for the Jews in Palestine, is commonly blamed for its loss, but this was only the beginning of the tragedy that unfolded over the last century, with echoes of religious turmoil, nationalist fervour, racist slander, and utter injustice that still reverberate in the Middle East and beyond. Snatches of this tragedy have been preserved for us by photographers. One shows an image of Palestinian women demonstrating in the Haram Al-Sharif in Jerusalem to protest against police brutality in 1933. Others are of paramilitary fighters on both sides posing with their rifles, Jewish immigrants stranded on ships, Palestinian refugees forced off their land, and proud Israelis celebrating victories that ushered in further conflict. One of the earliest clashes took place in Jaffa in 1921, claiming dozens of lives on both sides. A later inquired by the British Haycraft Commission found that hostility to Jews was rising among the Arab population, who suspected the British Mandate authorities of being biased towards the Jews at the expense of the Arab majority population. The Commission also noted that among the Arab population a firm belief was growing that the Zionist programme aimed to seize the country’s resources and deprive the original population of their livelihoods. Arabs who talked to the Commission complained that Jewish immigrants treated Arabs arrogantly and had no respect for their customs. They were renewed clashes in Jaffa in 1924, and investigations showed that the hostilities had broken out when Jews made fun of the Arab dress code. By 1929, intermittent hostilities had grown into a full-blown Arab uprising…. more.. e-mail
The European Union and government
Dr Yousef Rizqa, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 5/15/2014
No one will ever forget that the blockade imposed by the occupying power in Gaza, in cooperation with international and regional powers, is the longest siege in modern times. In addition to this, no one will forget that this blockade was never either moral or legal, nor is it consistent with UN laws; it remains purely a political blockade and was imposed due to Hamas’s victory in the legislative elections, its formation of a government, and its rejection of the International Quartet’s conditions.
The Quartet’s conditions were unacceptable and ex-US President Jimmy Carter himself objected to these conditions during his visit to Gaza. Carter was surprised at the UN’s involvement in the Quartet and only stood behind the demand for a cease-fire.
Many years have passed and the blockade remains in place. Media outlets and research centres have been full of analyses and articles regarding the Quartet’s role in justifying the blockade without giving weight to the principles of democracy, which are usually the reference for the decisions made by the European Union and the United States.
A statement was issued yesterday by the EU meeting in Brussels regarding the reconciliation of Fatah and Hamas, stating that the EU will continue to fund a technocratic government provided that this government recognises Israel, renounces violence and recognises the Oslo Accords as well as other agreements. This statement refers entirely back to the Quartet’s conditions after the victory of Hamas in 2006, which is an absurd and unreasonable position that assumes that life hasn’t move on since then and that democracy must align with the EU’s vision even though democracy is all about pluralism and diversity. The truth is that they want an EU government in Palestine.
Some human rights organisations, such as Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN), criticised the EU’s most recent statement due to its disregard of democratic principles, morals and lack of balance in dealing with Palestinian rights.more.. e-mail
The political theology of the Muslim Brotherhood
Sarah Eltantawi, Ma’an News Agency 5/18/2014
Sarah Eltantawi is a scholar of Islamic studies, writer and political analyst. She is currently a postdoctoral EUME fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg in Berlin and is an incoming assistant professor of comparative religion at Evergreen State College.
Elections in Egypt are fast approaching, and potential results are more interesting than meets the eye.
A new poll recently released by Baseera, one of Egypt’s most reliable polling outfits, reveals that 59 percent of eligible voters are undecided about their choice for president — a far cry from Sisi’s supposed cake walk to the presidency. Eighty-four percent of the populace plans to vote, while 16 percent leans toward boycotting.
Though the number who are planning to boycott is much lower than even I expected (and I have believed for months that the Muslim Brotherhood allies and revolutionaries have exaggerated this number), there is still an understandable sense that these elections are compromised because of the exclusion of Islamist political forces.
Without getting into the specifics of this present political problem, I want to share in this column some of my ongoing academic research on the problematic of the “political theology” of the Muslim Brotherhood. Since the Muslim Brotherhood is the “mother” organization for almost all Islamist offshoots, it is worth exploring in more depth where for them the political ends and the theological begins.
I have noticed in sifting through the reams of scholarship that has been produced about Egypt in the past few years that with respect to analyzing political Islam’s fortunes, it makes a big difference if you approach the material from the point of view of a historian of Egypt or as a historian of religion or Islam. more.. e-mail
West Funds Insurgencies
Dissident Voice: 19 May 2014 – Thursday, May 15 marked Nakba Day, Yawm an-Nakba, “Day of Catastrophe”, the onset of the displacement of up to 800,000 Palestinians, at the time 67% of the population, followed by the destruction of over 500 villages since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, under the commitment agreed to by the then British Foreign Secretary, Lord Arthur Balfour, in November 1917. This week: “Figures released by the Ramallah-based Central Bureau of Statistics … put the number of registered Palestinian refugees at 5.3 million. Those refugees live in 58 United Nations-run camps in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza Strip.” Tragedy on a scale near unimaginable – ongoing. Hardly the day to plan another one. However, undaunted, Britain’s current Foreign Secretary, William Hague (“I have been a Conservative Friend of Israel since I was sixteen”) hosted a meeting of the “Friends of Syria” group (Egypt, France, Germany,…more
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The New Dark Age 
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