19 June 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Including 4 Children, 6 Palestinians Injured In Israeli Air Strikes In Gaza
IMEMC – [Friday at dawn, June 20, 2014] Palestinian medical sources have reported that at least six Palestinians, have been injured, in a series of Israeli air strikes targeting different parts of the Gaza Strip. …
Bethlehem: Five Injured, 25 Kidnapped, As Army Invades Deheishe Refugee Camp
IMEMC – [Friday at dawn, June 19, 2014] Palestinian medical sources have reported that at least five Palestinians have been injured, one seriously, by Israeli soldiers invaded the Deheishe refugee camp, in Bethlehem. The soldiers also kidnapped around 25 Palestinians. …
300 Palestinians Kidnapped In Ongoing Israeli Invasions
IMEMC – The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has reported that Israeli soldiers have kidnapped more than 300 Palestinians in the ongoing invasions, and massive arrest campaign, conducted by the army starting on Thursday evening June 12, 2014. …
Israel Elected to UN Committee on Decolonization
IMEMC – On a note which resonates with absurdity, Israel has been elected as vice-chair of the “UN Special Commitee on Decolonization” – which deals among other things with matters related to Palestinian refugees, according to the Electronic Intifada. …
Missing Israelis: PHROC Condemns Collective Punishment of Palestinians
IMEMC – The recent wave of arrests, attacks, killings and total closure of large parts of the West Bank following the disappearance of three Israeli settlers is a clear form of collective punishment against the Palestinian people. …
Australia: No Change in Position
IMEMC – Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said that her country has not changed its position on Australian legal status of the oPt and East Jerusalem. …
VIDEO: Israeli Soldiers Invade Homes in Hebron
IMEMC – Wednesday, the Israeli army invaded a family house in the H1 area, supposedly under full Palestinian Authority civil and security control, of al-Khalil (Hebron). …
Glick, Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa
IMEMC – 45 Israeli settler students from Talmudic institutions stormed al-Aqsa, today, led by Israeli Rabbi Yehuda Glick. …
6 Dead in Gaza Tunnel Explosion
IMEMC – Five members of al-Qassam Brigades and a Palestinian firefighter have died in an explosion which occurred inside a tunnel near a Hamas military site in eastern Gaza City. …
Force-feeding Bill Approved for 2nd & 3rd Reading
IMEMC – The Knesset’s Internal Affairs Committee has ended its 2-day discussion of a controversial bill recently introduced to facilitate forced feeding ofhttp://imemc.org/newswire?search_text=hunger+strike&button=Search+%3E%3E. The bill has been approved for final readings next Monday. Physicians for Human Rights Israel has released a few details in regard to the discussion which took place: …
6 die in Gaza explosion
6/19/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Five members of Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades and a Palestinian firefighter died in an explosion inside a tunnel in the al-Tuffah neighborhood near a Hamas military site in eastern Gaza City on Thursday. Ministry of health spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said firefighter Hussein Tawfiq Masoud, 28, from Rafah died after inhaling gas in the tunnel. The dead Hamas fighters were identified….
City councilor: Israel approves 172 new settler homes
6/19/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel gave approval Wednesday for the construction of 172 new homes for Jewish settlers in occupied East Jerusalem, a city councilor said, nearly two weeks after it announced thousands.”The municipality approved this morning the construction of 172 apartments in Har Homa,” Jerusalem city councilor Yosef Pepe Alalu of the leftwing Meretz party, which opposes settlements, told AFP.”This is the final stage….
Knesset legal counselor: Doctors can drug, force-feed prisoners
6/19/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The legal counselor for Israel’s internal security ministry, Yoel Idar, said Wednesday that Israeli doctors can “drug” administrative hunger-striking prisoners and force-feed them. A Knesset member told Ma’an that the legal counselor suggested, during a session for the committee in the Knesset, the possibility of drugging the hunger-strikers so doctors could force-feed them. The MK, Ahmad Tibi….
Palestinian families bear brunt as Israel hunts teens
6/19/2014 – TAFFUH (AFP) — It was the sound of the front door being kicked in that woke the Izrayqat family early Wednesday as Israeli troops barged into their home in Taffuh village near Hebron. Even the four children were sleeping because school had ended and the summer holidays were already under way.”They kicked in the doors at 7:30 a. m and told us to get….
Israel court sentences 29 Palestinians to administrative detention
6/19/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israel’s Ofer military court on Thursday sentenced 29 Palestinians to administrative detention, the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoner Affairs said. The sentences, which range from four to six months, were handed down to Palestinians arrested since Israel initiated a mass detention campaign across the West Bank last week following the suspected kidnapping of three Israeli youths. Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners….
Israeli forces close western entrance to Beit Jala
6/19/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces closed the western entrance to Beit Jala on Thursday, preventing residents from entering or exiting the Bethlehem-area town. A Ma’an reporter said that Israeli forces closed the road outside of Israel’s DCO as part of large-scale efforts across the West Bank to locate three missing Israelis. [END]
PA disappointed as Israeli elected vice-head of UN committee
6/19/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “deep disappointment” on Thursday after an Israeli was elected as vice-head of the UN’s fourth committee, also known as the Special Political and Decolonization Committee. Mordehai Amihai, who was nominated by the Group of Western European and Other States, was elected Vice-Chair with 74 votes. The UN General Assembly held a secret….
Hamas capable of igniting intifada, official says
6/19/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A senior Hamas official said Thursday that the group is capable of starting an Intifada, warning of the consequences of continuing pressure on Palestinians.”We are capable of igniting a third Intifada which is an irrevocable right that will go off when more pressure is exerted on the Palestinian people,” Hamas official Salah Bardawil said during a solidarity rally for….
Hamas-hired employees in Gaza to protest if PA doesn’t pay salaries
6/19/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – The union of public sector employees in Gaza on Wednesday threatened to carry out protests without prior notice if the new government doesn’t pay monthly wages to some 50,000 employees hired by Hamas during years of rivalry with Fatah and the Palestinian Authority. The union’s chief Muhammad Siyam said in a statement that “all options are….
Egypt closes Rafah crossing after temporary opening
6/19/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Egyptian authorities closed the Rafah crossing with Gaza on Thursday, having opened it for four days to allow pilgrims and humanitarian cases to cross. The Palestinian border and crossings department said in a statement that 868 passengers left Gaza on Wednesday. [END]
Israeli forces arrest 2 fishermen off Gaza coast
6/19/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israel detained two fishermen off the coast of northern Gaza on Thursday, locals said. Rights groups said Ramiz Saadallah and Eyhab Saadallah were detained after Israeli naval forces obstructed their boat off the Sudaniyya coastline. Meanwhile, Basim Ali Tbeis, 42, was detained at the Erez crossing while on his way to seek medical treatment. [END]
Jerusalem court sentences woman to 40 months
6/19/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — The Jerusalem central court sentenced Alia al-Sheikh Ali Abbasi, 49, from Silwan, to 40 months in prison for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier in 2012. Head of the Prisoners’ Families Committee Amjad Abu Asab said that Abbasi was detained on Jan. 2, 2012 at the Shuafat refugee camp checkpoint and was transferred to house arrest on Feb. 22, 2012….
Blast rocks Gaza City neighborhood, no injuries
6/19/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A large blast rocked the Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City Thursday around noon, eyewitnesses said. Witnesses told Ma’an that the blast was caused by an explosion inside a house in the neighborhood, with no further details. Spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza Ashraf al-Qidra confirmed that there were no injuries in the blast. [END]
US ambassador to Israel visits family of missing teen
6/19/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The US ambassador to Israel visited the family of Naftali Frenkel, one of three missing Israeli teenagers who is an American-Israeli dual citizen, Israeli media reported. Dan Shapiro “offered the strong support of the US government” and his “own support in all the efforts” to bring the three boys back, reports said. Shapiro added that the US “fully supports” and “encourages….
Australia moves to soot
he ‘occupied’ East Jerusalem anger
6/19/2014 – SYDNEY(AFP) — Australian’s foreign minister met Arab and Islamic ambassadors Thursday to try to soothe concerns over Canberra’s stance on East Jerusalem, insisting there was no policy change despite moves to stop referring to it as “occupied”. The meeting followed fury after Attorney-General George Brandis said the term would not be used as it carried pejorative implications and was neither appropriate….
Analysis: Kidnapping case must be seen in context of occupation
6/19/2014 – By Daoud Kuttab – The kidnapping of three Israeli religious settlers in an area under the total administrative and security control of the Israeli army has partially brought back attention to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but for the wrong reasons. While it is natural that the phone calls by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuon ways to help find the missing….
Netanyahu: We expect Abbas to dissolve unity government
6/19/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he expected the Palestinian national unity of government to dissolve and the the Israeli government was moving closer to finding three Israeli youths missing for the last week. The comments, which came during a press conference in the southern West Bank city of Hebron that has been besieged by Israeli forces since….
In photos: Bethlehem festival draws thousands to Old City
6/19/2014 – The Bet Lahem Live festival kicked off on Thursday night along Bethlehem’s historic Star Street, launching four days of music, theater, and open-air shopping and dining in the heart of the holy city’s old town. Organizers expect to draw 12,000 Palestinian and foreign tourists to the festival this year, and for the first time in more than a decade, a majority….
Fierce West Bank battle over missing teens
AlJazeera 19 Jun 2014 – Three Palestinians wounded in Jenin clashes following Israeli arrest raid over three missing Israeli teenagers.
International Solidarity Movement
Killing without consequence
6/19/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – Moira Jilani, East Jerusalem, Occupied Palestine – Ziad and I met at a party at the University of Houston. Six months later Ziad proposed, saying, “I’m a Palestinian. I am only here to get an education. After graduating I’ll return home to Jerusalem. Come with me.”We married the following year and moved to Jerusalem. For nearly 20 years we lived happily, raising….
occupied Palestinian territory: 30 new arrests as Israel presses West Bank hunt for teens
Relief Web 19 Jun 2014 – Source: Agence France-Presse Country: occupied Palestinian territory 06/19/2014 16:11 GMT by Hazel Ward JERUSALEM, June 19, 2014 (AFP) – Israeli troops arrested some 30 Palestinians in the West Bank overnight as they ramped up a search for three teenagers believed…
Syrian Arab Republic: Students in Syria: Simple needs and hopeful dreams
Relief Web 19 Jun 2014 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic “One morning, I went out to buy some food while my father was at work”, says Mohamed, a teenage Palestine…
Obama announces limited US intervention in Iraq
The National 19 Jun 2014 – Stressing need for an “inclusive” Iraqi government, Mr Obama says US will send military advisers and may conduct targeted strikes if necessary.
Palestinian children ‘most affected’ as Israel tightens its grip in hunt for teens
The National 19 Jun 2014 – Those most affected appear to be young children who have never been through the intifida, says one resident of Tafuh, whose two granddaughters wake up screaming at night, wondering if the soldiers will come back.
Days before Mosul’s capture, pleas to Iraq’s top generals fell on deaf ears
The National 19 Jun 2014 – Senior commanders dispatched by Baghdad showed little understanding of concerns when local leaders urged them to repel threat of Sunni militants, witnesses tell The National.
Iraq seeks US help for air strikes against militants
The National 19 Jun 2014 – Iraqi security officials have denied that the Baiji refinery was close to falling but video aired by Al Arabiya television showed smoke billowing from the plant and a black flag used by ISIL flying from a building.
The failure of a political project
The National 19 Jun 2014 – The ideology that critics of the UAE believe in has failed, both in this country and elsewhere
In pictures: King Felipe VI begins reign in Spain
The National 19 Jun 2014 – Spain’s new King Felipe VI launches his reign before parliament on Thursday, sparking a day of celebration in the flag-filled streets of Madrid.
Flags and cheers greet Spain’s new King Felipe VI
The National 19 Jun 2014 – Swearing his oath in parliament in a dark blue military uniform, Felipe promised “a renewed monarchy for new times”, after scandals that tainted the reign of his abdicated father, Juan Carlos.
Persecuted Pakistani minority seek refuge in China
The National 19 Jun 2014 – Around 35 of the almost 500 UN-registered asylum seekers and refugees currently in China are Ahmadi Muslims – a group that is among the most persecuted minorities in Pakistan.
Philippines asks Singapore to probe racist blog
The National 19 Jun 2014 – A blog posted anonymously, entitled “Filipino infestation in Singapore – 5 point guide to showing displeasure without breaking the law”, was widely circulated on social media but has since been taken down.
Residents gear up for fracking fight on Golan
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Summer camps in jeopardy as rabbis fight over Christian donations
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
The dip that roared: How hummus conquered the U.S.
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
LIVE UPDATES: Israeli air force strikes in Gaza
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Kidnap response shows how weak U.S. Jewish organizations have become
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Israel must remain firm, limit its expectations
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Summer camp controversy reaches High Court
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Scouring the Net to find information hidden from you
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Don’t tell me to pray
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Medical services that widen the gap between rich and poor
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Battle against force-feeding law is battle for democracy
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
How the kidnapping crisis fueled the denial of Zionism
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Kidnapping exposes Israeli cabinet as a photo-op without substance
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
In Iraq, ‘ghost soldiers’ are no match for ISIS fighters
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
World Medical Association to Netanyahu: Reconsider force feeding law
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Hamas: Expelling West Bank leadership would ‘open gates of hell’
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
China says not censoring unapproved media coverage
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
World peace declining after long-term improvement since WWII, study says
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Word of the Day / Kaytana: A place to stash the kids any time of year
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Ukrainian rebels suffer big losses in battle against government forces
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Obama: U.S. prepared to take targeted military action in Iraq
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Gaza: Marking seven bad years of closure
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Story of Yo: The app about nothing and everything
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Five Hamas members die as Gaza tunnel collapses
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Israeli government scales down plan to woo European Jews
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
U.S. Ambassador to Israel visits family of kidnapped teen
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
One killed in Jaffa car bomb
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Israel bars U.K. charity from West Bank over alleged ties to Hamas
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
In wake of kidnapping: Cabinet to approve additional funding for settlements
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
WATCH: Analyst: Putin seeks to leave Ukraine a ‘weakened state’
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
WATCH: Flames shoot skyward as Ukrainian gas pipeline explodes
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
The egg donor might not have been Jewish, but my baby is
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
WATCH: U.S. soldier says Bergdahl’s ‘desertion was premeditated’
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Israeli ‘The Voice’ contestant comes out as transgender
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Former Shin Bet chief Avraham Shalom dies at 86
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Spain’s new king Felipe VI sworn in in muted ceremony
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Lobbyists barred from showing up at MKs’ offices uninvited
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Ex-Jerusalem Mayor Lupolianski sentenced to six years in jail for bribe-taking
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Israeli campaign against Hamas is effort to impose new order in West Bank
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Australia FM tells Muslim envoys: Our Palestinian policy hasn’t changed
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
‘Three Shalits’ campaign catches Arab Idol fans unawares
Ha’aretz – 19 Jun 2014
Jews around the world mobilize in support of kidnapped boys
Ha’aretz – 18 Jun 2014
Israel scores victory at UN: Elected to committee on Palestinian refugees
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Despite efforts by Arab countries to block election, Mordechai Amihai will serve in one of six main committees of the General Assembly.
Australia reassures Arabs that its policy on Jerusalem has not changed
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Following Islamic outcry, Australian FM says Canberra’s position is “consistent with relevant UN resolution adopted over many years.”
The POSTman Knocks Twice: Antidote to depression – Three brothers
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Like you, I have been suffering from depression since the three boys were kidnapped; first anger, then thoughts of the families, of the other students, of what the government might do.
Israel Air Force strikes Gaza overnight in retaliation for rockets
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – After Iron Dome intercepts rockets fired towards southern Israel by Palestinian terrorists, Air Force strikes terror sites in Gaza Strip for second time in 24-hours; IDF confirms direct hits.
As I See It: With Iran, my enemy’s enemy is still my enemy
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Iran understands that Obama’s desperation to turn his back on the threats from the Islamic world has left the US weakened and exposed.
Shin Bet, NGO trade barbs over enhanced interrogation during kidnapping crisis
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Media outlets report a senior military source saying Shin Bet has been using “moderate physical pressure” on certain Hamas agents to get information for finding the kidnappers.
National-religious rabbi says abductions are result of gov’t attacks on religious status quo
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – MK Elazar Stern calls Rabbi Dov Lior’s comments a ‘desecration.’
Obama willing to strike ISIS in Iraq and Syria, open to constructive role from Iran
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – US officials claim Islamist movement could pose threat to US; Obama says Iran could play role in maintaining stability of Iraqi state.
Iron Dome intercepts rocket fired from Gaza over Ashkelon
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Earlier in the evening projectile lands in open area of Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council; no injuries or damage reported in attacks
Parshat Korach: Constructive and destructive disputes
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – How, then, can disputes be utilized for their constructive attributes, without allowing the destructive ones to influence us?
The first lesson from the kidnapping crisis
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Israel faces a tough reality, both because of the technological revolution and due to our unique circumstances.
Abbas’s role
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – What makes Abba’s comments in Jeddah so commendable is that he made them in Arabic and despite their lack of popularity among many Arabs and Palestinians.
Israel-Kenya direct flights to resume in October
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Liberman: The direct flights were terminated because of terrorist attacks, their resumption is a “victory of life over terror.”
Knesset tour guide fired after writing ‘occupation’ causes terror
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – The guide took to Facebook and wrote: “Just because you sit in an office, and wear a suit doesn’t mean you’re not a terrorist.”
In Lebanon viewers watch the World Cup ‘Brought to you by Israel’
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – With exorbitant cable prices monopolizing airing of the World Cup in Lebanon, residents turn to Israeli television.
Shas MK Ariel Attias calls it quits
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – MK says decision was made due to the heavy work load involved in Knesset and his wish to step back after the death of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.
Senior PA official: Israel understands only the language of abductions
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Jibril Rajoub, who was himself released in prisoner swap, says kidnapping “soldiers” is the only way to release Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu: Israel knows more today about the kidnapped teens than it did a few days ago
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – PM once again says he expects Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to remove Hamas from his government.
University of Haifa to establish green research roof on top of Knesset
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Approximately 800 square meters of roof area will be allocated to the green research project, according to the partners.
Report: Five Hamas operatives killed in Gaza tunnel explosion
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Cause of blast in Gaza city neighborhood of Tuffah which reportedly kills members of Hamas’s armed wing unknown.
Hamas threatens third intifada amid ongoing IDF operation in West Bank
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – As Israel continues arrest raids in search for kidnapped teens, Hamas official warns that intifada will be ignited “when enough pressure is exerted on the Palestinian people.”
Releasing Taliban prisoners: Kindness or weakness
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Excessive kindness is a weakness that ultimately leads to cruelty.
Man
killed by car bomb in ongoing Jaffa gang warfare
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Man in his twenties, reportedly a “soldier” in known crime family, is killed in car bombing in the Ajami neighborhood.
Kerry: US to share information with Iran amid Iraq insurgency
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – US secretary of state says Washington “interested in communicating” with Iran, but adds working with Tehran to stem insurgency not on the table.
Peres meets with parents of abducted teenagers
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – ‘The whole nation is united with you and is praying with you,’ says President.
Former Shin Bet chief Avraham Shalom dies at 86
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – Shalom served as Shin Bet chief from 1981-1986 when he retired amid the Kav 300 scandal.
Take a walk on the bamboo side
Jerusalem Post 19 Jun 2014 – The Big Bambú installation by twin artists Doug and Mike Starn at the Israel Museum’s art garden is both inspiring and fun.
Gun battle in West Bank as Israeli search for missing teenagers continues
The Guardian 19 Jun 2014 – Israeli forces trade fire with Palestinians in Jenin and 30 more ‘terror suspects’ detained in growing crackdown Israeli forces traded gunfire with Palestinians on Thursday in the fiercest street battles in the occupied West Bank since…
Ministers set to condemn decision to call East Jerusalem disputed
The Guardian 19 Jun 2014 – Foreign ministers of Organisation of Islamic Co-operation to call on their governments to ‘take necessary action’ in response Foreign ministers from 57 Islamic nations are considering a statement of condemnation over Australias apparent decision to refer…
IT and Internet Offer Possibilities of Overcoming Blockade in Gaza
IPS Khalid Salim (left) and Yassir Younis (right) , owners of the Motawiron mobile applications and software development company that grew out of the Technology Incubator in Gaza. Credit: Khaled Alashqar/IPS By Khaled Alashqar GAZA CITY, Jun 19 2014 (IPS) “After graduating, I joined the thousands of other graduates on the list…
European Politicians Form A New NGO to Improve Political and Human Rights Situation in Iraq
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 -In a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday, prominent European politicians, joined by a former Prime Minister of Algeria announced the formation of a new non-governmental organization with the mission of improving the political and human rights…
Palestinian activists reject Israel force-feeding prisoners
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – The Knesset was in an uproar this week, following the June 9 approval of the first reading of a law that would allow the force-feeding of prisoners on hunger strike. The law is being advanced by…
Iraq in Crisis: Militant Advance Sparks Mass Displacement as “Failed” U.S. Experiment Disintegrates
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – …Yes, we have enough evidence, actually, videos of speeches of Mr. al-Maliki himself, showing that this man is leading the country towards a civil war. His previous press conferences accusing his partners of terrorism, sometimes forging…
Uncle Sam Doesn t Want You – He Already Has You
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – I spent four college years in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and then served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force. In the military, especially in basic training, you have no privacy. The government owns…
CIA drone strikes resume in Pakistan after five-month pause
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – Two drone strikes have hit North Waziristan in Pakistan s tribal northwest, reportedly killing 16 people and ending the longest pause in drone strikes of Obama s presidency. Prior to these attacks there had not been…
Palestinian prisoners detained without charge or trial hunger for freedom
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – Since April 24, 120 out of the 189 Palestinians held without charge or trial have refused taking any food. Hundreds, and on some days thousands, of fellow prisoners also joined them. The usefulness of the protest…
New Arab Debates in Ramallah: No to peace talks, yes to peaceful resistance
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – About a month and a half after the latest peace negotiations broke down between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, 66% of the audience at the New Arab Debates in Ramallah said they were against continuing the talks…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory ( 05-11 June 2014)
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – Summary: Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting period (04 June – 11 June 2014). Shooting: During the reporting period, in a new crime of extra-judicial execution,…
PA security forces arrest supporters of hunger strikers in West Bank
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014- The Palestinian Authority security services in the occupied West Bank arrested 28 activists and journalists in 48 hours and summoned seven others, including senior Hamas officials. All the activists, journalists and Hamas officials were arrested for reasons…
On the concept of national unity
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 -The national liberation phase of a nation whose land is occupied and whose will has been usurped has acted as a turning point in the life of these people. How do they resist their oppressors and what…
West Bank refugee camps struggle to find space to bury their dead
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – The streets are narrow, and houses tower towards the sky in Aida refugee camp. The Palestinian refugee camp was founded in 1950, and has continued to expand since then, with a current population of around 4,700…
Washington withstands Netanyahu s ire
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – Despite Israel s protestations, American officials and an array of Western nations have promised to keep talking to the Palestinian reconciliation government, a technocratic government that has the stamp of approval of both the Palestine Liberation…
For the Hares Boys
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – The Hares boys are five schoolchildren from Occupied Palestine, who have been incarcerated in an adult criminal prison in Israel for over a year, on charges of throwing stones at a car. They will be tried…
United Methodist Church Divests from G4S
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014- The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (GBPHB) of The United Methodist Church, which manages an investment portfolio of over $20 billion, has instructed its investment manager to sell immediately all shares in G4S, due in…
Israel demolishes Bedouin village in Negev for 70th time
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – Israeli forces on Thursday demolished the Bedouin village of al-Araqib for the 70th time, witnesses told Ma an. Hundreds of Israeli police officers and special forces deployed in the area at dawn and closed all roads…
Inside Mosul: why Iraqis are celebrating islamic extremists takeover of their city
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12 , 2014 – This week, Mosul s streets were filled with celebrating locals. And the Internet was alive with videos of Mosul people jeering the Iraqi army as it left and congratulating the extremists who took their place. That…
Use of live ammunition confirmed in Nawarah shooting
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014-After undertaking an autopsy of the body of Nadim Nawarah, 17, on Wednesday, forensic pathologists have determined that a live bullet was the cause of his death. The Palestinian teenager was killed by Israeli forces on May 15…
In Gaza, Palestinians know why the caged bird sings
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 -Though she never made it there, Maya Angelou s spirit resounds in my native Gaza. For she and I have known different shades of the same tyranny: that quiet brutality wrought by generations upon the next. It…
WILL THIS WORLD EVER LEARN?
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – On June 10, 2014 the U.S. Department of State issued a press statement in which it expressed its “deepest concern” about the events that have transpired in Mosul/ Iraq and affirmed its full support for a…
After reconciliation agreement, Hamas and Fatah united in press crackdown
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – Sipping a cup of coffee and lighting a cigarette in his office in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, independent journalist Mohamed Jaradat described the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority s treatment of dissenting Palestinian journalists as…
Summary of events of the Iraqi popular revolution Bulletin no. 214 Wednesday 11th June, 2014
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 12, 2014 – Baghdad: Muhsin Abdul Muhsin Al-Ka abi ,the commander of federal police and Lieutenant General staff, fled to unknown place . Militias elements in Mahmoudiyah , south of Bagdad, received weapons from division 17 and spread in the district ….
Syria News – June 11, 2014 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet 19 Jun 2014 – June 11, 2014 – By the end of today Wednesday, LCC has documented 51 martyrs including 3 women, 10 children and 8 martyrs under torture. 19 martyrs have been reported in Damascus and its suburbs, 9 in Homs, 8 in…
French Jews leave for Israel in increasing numbers
Daily Star 19 Jun 2014 Increasing numbers of French Jews are leaving for Israel, citing dim economic prospects and a sense of being caught between an increasingly influential far right and militant Islam.
Obama: Iran could play constructive role in Iraq
Daily Star 19 Jun 2014 President Barack Obama says Iran can play a constructive role in Iraq if it sends a message that Iraq’s government must be inclusive and respect the interests of Sunnis and Kurds.
Obama sends U.S. military advisers to Iraq as battle rages over refinery
Daily Star 19 Jun 2014 President Barack Obama said on Thursday he was sending up to 300 U.S. military advisers to Iraq but stressed the need for a political solution to the country’s crisis as government forces battled Sunni rebels for…
Obama says US will be prepared to take targeted military action in Iraq
Daily Star 19 Jun 2014 Obama says US will be prepared to take targeted military action in Iraq
Britain bans ISIL, other Syria-related groups
Daily Star 19 Jun 2014 The British government on Thursday banned the ISIL militant group currently cutting a swathe through northern Iraq, adding it to a list of proscribed organisations along with four other groups linked to the Syrian conflict.
Saudi king to pay rare visit to Egypt
Daily Star 19 Jun 2014 Saudi King Abdullah will visit Egypt on Friday for the first time since the 2011 uprising, in a show of support for newly-elected President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Egyptian officials said Thursday.
IAEA report likely to show Iran living up to nuclear deal terms
Daily Star 19 Jun 2014 The U.N. nuclear watchdog is expected to report in a monthly update on Friday that Iran is living up to its commitments to curb its atomic activities under an interim pact with world powers last year,…
Car bomb in Syria’s Homs kills 6: monitor
Daily Star 19 Jun 2014 A car bomb in Homs in central Syria Thursday killed six people in an Alawite-majority neighbourhood of the city, a monitoring group said as state media gave a lower toll.
EDL announces nine-hour power outage in Ashrafieh
Daily Star 19 Jun 2014 Electricite du Liban Thursday announces that power supply will be cut off in the Beirut district of Ashrafieh for nine hours on Friday due to maintenance.
Syria warplanes pound rebel town near Damascus: NGO
Daily Star 19 Jun 2014 Syrian warplanes Thursday launched 23 air raids on Mleiha southeast of Damascus, a key rebel bastion President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has struggled for weeks to recapture, a monitor said.
Iran professor says sentenced over nuclear dispute
YNet News, 19 Jun 2014 – ….
US Jewry to fight Israel’s ultra-Orthodox monopoly on Jewish rites
YNet News, 19 Jun 2014 – JNFA launches bid to ‘engage Israeli public and North American Jewish communities in a unified effort to advance status of religious diversity in Israel.’….
By condemning abduction, Abbas proved he’s a statesman
YNet News, 19 Jun 2014 – Analysis: Palestinian president chose to go against Palestinian public opinion courageously, knowing that Israeli teens’ kidnapping could put an end to peace process and ignite a third intifada which only Hamas stands to gain from. ….
The vicious circle goes on and on
YNet News, 19 Jun 2014 – Op-ed: No matter how the current crisis ends, it illustrates what our routine life will look like in a state where powerful Jews and powerless Arabs live side by side. ….
French Jews leave for Israel in increasing numbers
YNet News, 19 Jun 2014 – More than 5,000 set to leave France this year, citing bleak economic prospects, hostility to Jews, rise of radical Isam and far right. ….
UK’s Cameron ‘prays for safe return of kidnapped Israeli teenagers’
YNet News, 19 Jun 2014 – ….
40 Hezbollah fighters killed in Syria battle
YNet News, 19 Jun 2014 – ….
Obama sending up to 300 military advisers to Iraq
YNet News, 19 Jun 2014 – ….
Haredi paper: Teens kidnapped because of IDF draft law
YNet News, 19 Jun 2014 – Editorial published in mouthpiece of Lithuanian leader Rabbi Shteinman says past week’s events are direct result of government’s ‘organized abduction’ of yeshiva students from their place of study. ….
Abduction affair shows Israel has limited power
YNet News, 19 Jun 2014 – Op-ed: IDF is raising hell in search for a small Palestinian cell which is making a joke of a supposedly superior force. ….
Long after move to US, Nazi suspect faces charges
YNet News, 19 Jun 2014 – Years after US tried to revoke his citizenship, Johann ‘Hans’ Breyer, an SS guard at Auschwitz during Holocaust, finally facing extradition to Germany for his crimes. ….
Palestinian Information Center
Palestinians steadfast as Israel steps up terror campaign in West Bank
PIC – Palestinians in the West Bank are showing spectacular steadfastness and resilience in the face of an unprecedented rampage of terror and vandalism by the Israeli occupation army.
Netanyahu allows use of banned torture methods against Palestinian detainees
PIC – The Hebrew media has said that Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu gave the Shin Bet interrogators the green light to use prohibited torture techniques against Palestinian detainees.
West Bank workers launch distress signal
PIC – The retaliatory measures lately issued by the IOA in an attempt to come down heavily on Palestinian workers have generated an estimated loss of more than 55 million shekels.
40 Israeli settlers break into holy al-Aqsa Mosque for desecration tours
PIC – A horde of 40 Israeli settlers of Talmudic institutions, led by the extremist Rabbi Yehuda Glick and Yisrael Ariel, head of the Third Temple Institute, broke into holy al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday.
24 liberated detainees held in Hawara detention center
PIC – 24 liberated detainees who were released in 2011 during Shalit Swap Deal are currently held in Hawara detention center after being re-arrested by Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday.
IOF demolishes agricultural facilities in al-Khalil
PIC – The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) demolished afternoon Wednesday Palestinians homes in Yatta town and agricultural facilities belonging to Palestinian farmers in Fawwar refugee camp in al-Khalil.
IOF continues its military campaign in West Bank
PIC – The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continued Thursday their large-scale arrest and raid campaigns throughout the West Bank.
Iranian foreign ministry slams Israel’s military aggression in Gaza and W. Bank
PIC – The Iranian foreign ministry strongly denounced Israel’s aerial attacks on the Gaza Strip and its mass arrest campaigns in the West Bank.
IOF sets fire to vegetable carts in Jenin, causing significant damage
PIC – Significant damage was reported when Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) deliberately burned at dawn Thursday vegetable carts in Jenin as part of its revenge policy.
No Change in Australia’s Position on Legal Status of Palestinian Territory
WAFA – 19 Jun 2014
Presidency Warns against Israel’s Ongoing collective Punishment against Palestinians
WAFA – 19 Jun 2014
Premier Calls China to Intervene for Release of Prisoners
WAFA – 19 Jun 2014
PCBS: 5.4 million Palestinian Registered Refugees in UNRWA
WAFA – 19 Jun 2014
Israeli Forces Arrest Tens of Palestinians from West Bank Areas
WAFA – 19 Jun 2014
Clashes Erupt near Bethlehem, Many Palestinians Suffocate
WAFA – 19 Jun 2014
NYers Protest NBC Show DIG’s Support for Israel’s Occupation of East Jerusalem
WAFA – 19 Jun 2014
Israeli Warplanes Launch Series of Airstrikes in Gaza, Injure Many
WAFA – 19 Jun 2014
At War Blog: Moments in Iraq Reporters Will Never Forget
New York Times 19 Jun 2014 – As the country once again teeters toward sectarian warfare, we asked reporters from The New York Times — now on other beats, in other parts of the world — which of their stories from their time in Iraq have been resurfacing in their minds.
Open Source: Witness to Fatal Shooting of Palestinians Reports Threats From Israeli Soldiers
New York Times 19 Jun 2014 – Human Rights Watch reported that a Palestinian whose security cameras recorded the fatal shooting of two teenagers last month said he was threatened by Israeli soldiers this week.
Iraqi Factions Jockey to Oust Maliki, Citing U.S. Support
New York Times 19 Jun 2014 – Iraqi leaders, alarmed over the Sunni insurgency, are actively seeking to replace Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki with someone supported by all Iraqi sects.
Letter From Europe: What the Iraq Crisis Means for Talks on Iran’s Nuclear Future
New York Times 19 Jun 2014 – As the United States and Iran maneuver around each other to shore up the Iraqi government, enormous gaps of substance and trust remain between the two sides.
Iraqi Officials Claim Control of Major Refinery in Baiji
New York Times 19 Jun 2014 – A military spokesman said militants had been driven from the oil refinery in Baiji, but witnesses said the rebels’ black banners were still flying from some buildings.
U.S. Asserts Self-Defense in Benghazi Suspect Case
New York Times 18 Jun 2014 – The Obama administration told the United Nations that the suspected ringleader of attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was plotting more attacks on Americans.
As Moderate Islamists Retreat, Extremists Surge Unchecked
New York Times 18 Jun 2014 – Elected Islamists have been shoved to the margins, and they are debating how to revive the Arab Spring’s dream of synthesizing Islam and democracy.
Insurgency in Iraq Widens Rivals’ Rift
New York Times 18 Jun 2014 – After President Hassan Rouhani of Iran declared readiness to defend Iraq’s Shiite holy sites, Saudi leaders issued a barely veiled admonishment not to intervene.
Diplomatic Memo: Conflict in Iraq Adds New Angle to U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks
New York Times 18 Jun 2014 – Negotiators are growing skeptical that the United States and Iran can reach a permanent deal on Iran’s nuclear capabilities before a July 20 deadline.
Dubai, Once a Humble Refueling Stop, Is Crossroad to the Globe
New York Times 18 Jun 2014 – Dubai’s rise as a modern crossroads connecting East and West is a tale of globalization, ambition, and an audacious bet on the future of air travel that proved prescient.
Drones Kill 5 as Pakistan and U.S. Target Tribal Belt
New York Times 18 Jun 2014 – Those killed were in North Waziristan on Wednesday as the Pakistani military continued to fight terrorists there. It is unclear how much, if any, cooperation exists between American and Pakistani officials there.
Nighttime Israeli raid on Bir Zeit University yields — truck full of Hamas flags
Mondoweiss – Israeli soldiers raiding Bir Zeit University in the West Bank in the
first night incursion since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, 19 June 2014. (Photo: Allison Deger) Since the three Israeli teens went missing while hitchhikinging at the Gush Etzion settlement bloc last week, just…
Israeli checkpoint reinstated outside Nablus stops Palestinian traffic for over two hours
Mondoweiss – Palestinian line up outside of Nablus at the Tappuach Junction, as the Zataara flying checkpoint is reinstated. (Photo: Mohammed Othman) This photo was taken today by Mohammed Othman, a Palestinian human rights activist, at the Tappuach Junction also known as Zataara in Arabic. During the Intifada,…
Make ‘hasbara’ a household word
Mondoweiss – The Bring Back Our Boys campaign featured in Mackey’s piece that mentions hasbara In the print edition of the New York Times today, Robert Mackey writes about a global twitter campaign undertaken by Israelis to highlight the case of the three teens who disappeared in the…
Hunting for missing justice
Mondoweiss – Israeli soldiers patrolling Hebron during its operation to find three missing Israelis. (Photo: Israel Defense Forces/Flickr) This is part of Marc H. Ellis’s “Exile and the Prophetic” feature for Mondoweiss. To read the entire series visit the archive page. Here we go again. Israel has launched…
I’m a Lutheran member of a Jewish organization, and I support Presbyterian divestment
Mondoweiss – Morgan Bach My name is Morgan, and I’m part of the Jewish Voice for Peace delegation to the Presbyterian (PCUSA) General Assembly. I’m also a member of Bay Area chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. I’m not Jewish. Actually, I’m Lutheran, and I want to share…
Photo Essay: The siege of Kufr Qaddum
Mondoweiss – Young men of Kufr Qaddum line up against advancing army jeeps with the illegal Israeli settlement of Kedumim in the background. (Photo: Matthew Vickery) As Israel clamps down on cities, towns, and villages in the occupied West Bank this week in response to three missing young…
Now, Israeli Liberals Endorse BDS
Tikun Olam – Boycott from Within : Israelis supporting BDS Though BDS is a controversial idea in pro-Israel circles, including among many liberal Zionists, it’s becoming more widely accepted. Even among Israelis. No less a figure than Ran Edelist, one of the original co-founders of Peace Now in 1979, penned an…
Israel’s ‘#BringBackOur…’ hashtag
BBC 19 Jun 2014 – Israel’s contested version of the hashtag
Rick Jacobs Asks Presbyterian Leaders to Meet With Netanyahu On Divestment
The Foward Breaking News 19 Jun 2014 – The leader of the Reform movement asked his Presbyterian counterparts to join him in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make their case against Israeli practices in the West Bank. Click here for the rest of the article…
Rocket From Gaza Intercepted By Iron Dome Over Ashkelon
The Foward Breaking News 19 Jun 2014 – At least three rockets were fired from Gaza at southern Israel, including one that was intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system over Ashkelon. Click here for the rest of the article…
43 B’nei Menashe Make Aliyah From India
The Foward Breaking News 19 Jun 2014 – Forty-three Bnei Menashe, who claim to be Jews descended from the biblical tribe of Menashe, arrived in Israel on aliyah. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israeli Start-Up Mobileye Files for $100M IPO
The Foward Breaking News 19 Jun 2014 – Mobileye N.V., which makes software and cameras that help cars avoid accidents, filed with U.S. regulators on Thursday to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering. Click here for the rest of the article…
‘Abuses’ by Kurdish rulers in Syria
BBC 19 Jun 2014 – Human Rights Watch says Kurdish authorities ruling parts of northern Syria have committed rights abuses including arbitrary arrests and beatings.
Gunfire in W Bank over missing teens
BBC 19 Jun 2014 – Israeli soldiers exchange gunfire with Palestinians during raids in the West Bank in the hunt for three missing teenagers.
Iraq crisis: US and Iran rapprochement unlikely
BBC 19 Jun 2014 – Why common cause in Iraq will not hasten warmer US-Iran ties
Kidnapping Unites Jewish Community as Israel Splits Are Set Aside
The Forward New 19 Jun 2014 – The kidnapping of three Israeli teens in the West Bank has brought together a Jewish community deeply split over Israel. For how long will the bitter divisions stay under wraps? Click here for the rest of the article…
Why Indian nurses want to go back to Iraq
BBC 19 Jun 2014 – Why Indian nurses want to go back to Iraq?
VIDEO: Iraqis drivers in long wait for fuel
BBC 19 Jun 2014 – As Sunni military extremists spend a second day battling to seize control of Iraq’s biggest oil refinery, Reda Al Mawy of the BBC’s Arabic Service reports on the rush to buy fuel at a petrol station in Irbil, northern Iraq.
US to send military advisers to Iraq
BBC 19 Jun 2014 – President Obama says the US is sending up to 300 “military advisers” to Iraq and may take “targeted military action” against Islamist insurgents.
As Iran deal deadline looms, diplomats worried gaps remain
Al-Monitor 19 Jun 2014 – A diplomat from the six world powers negotiating with Iran said wide gaps remain on many substantive issues one month before the deal deadline.
Obama’s Iraq plan gets bipartisan support on Capitol Hill
Al-Monitor 19 Jun 2014 – Proposal to send up to 300 military advisers initially satisfi
es members of both parties.
Kuwaiti Instagram vigilantism: Hunting for runaway domestic workers
Al-Akhbar News 19 Jun 2014 – On June 7, a Kuwaiti Instagram account called Mn7asha (loosely translated as “Runaways”) was launched. The purpose of the account is to provide a platform that allows Kuwaiti citizens to upload pictures and IDs of domestic workers who had run away so others can hunt them…
Syria’s barrel bombs: an eyewitness account
Al-Monitor 19 Jun 2014 – The author documents the aftermath of a barrel bomb attack on civilians in the Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood of Aleppo.
President Obama’s long-awaited response to crisis in Iraq
Al-Monitor 19 Jun 2014 – The US administration has demonstrated serious concern for Iraq’s national unity.
Mubarak breaks leg in hospital fall
Al-Akhbar News 19 Jun 2014 – Egypt’s ousted president Hosni Mubarak broke a leg on Thursday in the Cairo military hospital where he has been detained for much of the time since his overthrow in 2011. The 86-year-old, who prided himself on his health during his three decades in power before he…
US willing to “share information” with Iran over Iraq crisis
Al-Akhbar News 19 Jun 2014 – US Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States is interested in communicating with Iran to share information about the jihadist insurgency spreading across Iraq, but Washington is not seeking to work together with Tehran to address the crisis. “We are interested in communicating with…
Senate panel cuts aid to Egypt, Palestinians
Al-Monitor 19 Jun 2014 – Senate appropriators voted 25-5 to “send a message.”
Jordan fears fallout from Iraq crisis
Al-Monitor 19 Jun 2014 – Following ISIS’ takeover of a number of cities in Iraq, Amman fears that it will be faced with new challenges, in addition to the already existing threats from Syria.
Anti-worker MPs boycott Lebanon wage scale session, again
Al-Akhbar News 19 Jun 2014 – Lebanon’s most powerful workers union on Thursday vowed to keep up with strikes and street protests after Parliament failed to convene a session to discuss a wage hike bill. In a repeat of last week’s postponed parliamentary session, legislators affiliated with the anti-worker March 14 alliance…
Where’s the outrage over the frequent kidnapping of Palestinian children?
Al-Akhbar Blogs 19 Jun 2014 – Where’s the outrage over the frequent kidnapping of Palestinian children? “Until the boys are back, every hour we shoot a [Palestinian] terrorist.” This is the name of a Facebook page that has garnered over 20,000 likes, as reported by the Electronic Intifada — this bold call…
The Syrian tragedy and Hezbollah’s predicament
Al-Akhbar Opinion 19 Jun 2014 – Posters bearing portraits of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah (C) are displayed at the old market of the capital Damascus on June 1, 2014. (AFP-Joseph Eid) Posters bearing portraits of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah (C)…
AUDIO: Ex-UK army head urges US to help Iraq
BBC 19 Jun 2014 – Former head of the British Army, Lord Dannatt, says the US has an “obligation” to intervene militarily in Iraq.
Israeli court jails ex-Jerusalem mayor over corruption
Al-Akhbar News 19 Jun 2014 – An Israeli court sentenced former mayor of Israeli-occupied Jerusalem Uri Lupolianski Thursday to six years in prison for his part in a corruption scandal involving ex-premier Ehud Olmert. The sentence was handed down at Tel Aviv District Court, media reports said. Lupolianski, mayor between 2003 and…
How ISIS is spreading its message online
BBC 19 Jun 2014 – How ISIS militants use social media to spread their message
Youths’ abduction stirs Israeli sympathy for settlers
Al-Monitor 19 Jun 2014 – Politicians from both the right and the left are sympathizing with the families of the abducted youths in an unusual wave of empathy from the Israeli public toward the settlers at this moment of national distress.
Defense lawyer cautions Hariri tribunal against hosting “show trial”
Al-Akhbar News 19 Jun 2014 – A lawyer for one of five men accused over the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri on Thursday warned the court against hosting a “show trial” by rushing proceedings before the defense counsel was allowed adequate time to prepare. Mohammed Aouini, chief defense…
Can Syria help defeat ISIS?
Al-Monitor 19 Jun 2014 – The Syrian government, which has recently engaged the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham in battle, might share an interest with the United States in defeating the terror organization.
Aleppo fears new ISIS offensive
Al-Monitor 19 Jun 2014 – Syrian regime forces and rebels holed up in Aleppo worry that ISIS’ newfound power and advanced military hardware in Iraq will result in a renewed offensive on Aleppo.
What will Egypt’s role be in the case of the missing Israeli settlers?
Al-Akhbar News 19 Jun 2014 – A handout picture released by the Palestinian president’s office (PPO) shows Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (R) meeting new Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri in Jeddah i
n the sidelines of the meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, on June 18, 2014. (Photo: AFP-PPO/Thaer Ghanem)…
Erdogan’s former bodyguards arrested for espionage
Al-Monitor 19 Jun 2014 – Former bodyguards of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan — allegedly Gulenists — have been arrested on charges of espionage, accused of planting bugs in Erdogan’s office.
Can Iraqi Kurds bank on Turkey?
Al-Monitor 19 Jun 2014 – Iraqi Kurdish leaders have been openly talking about independence, but their security situation is precarious, after the fall of Mosul to ISIS militants.
Iraqi Kurds seize control of key Syria border crossing
Al-Monitor 19 Jun 2014 – The Syria-based Democratic Union Party (PYD) fears a return to isolation after a Kurdish rival, the Iraq-based Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), captures the Rabia border crossing.
Will the streets of Baghdad relive the years of sectarian violence?
Al-Akhbar Politics 19 Jun 2014 – Iraqi tribesmen brandish their weapons as they gather to show their willingness to join Iraqi security forces in the fight against jihadist militants who have taken over several northern Iraqi cities, on June 17 2014. (Photo: AFP-Haidar Hamdani) Iraqi tribesmen brandish their weapons as they gather…
KuwaitGate: Alleged coup, billions of dollars abroad, and struggles for succession
Al-Akhbar Politics 18 Jun 2014 – Kuwaities gather at Iradah Square opposite of the National Assembly building in Kuwait City, on June 10, 2014. The Opposition called for the rally where they vowed to expose major corruption scams. (Photo: AFP-Yasser al-Zayyat) Kuwaities gather at Iradah Square opposite of the National Assembly building…
State Security: One man’s den of corruption
Al-Akhbar Politics 18 Jun 2014 – State Security is just a fancy name for what is in fact a den of incompetence and corruption. In this so-called directorate, the talents of around 2,500 officers, noncommissioned officers, and servicemen and women are squandered, as well as millions of dollars each year in taxpayer…
Articles
Killing without consequence
Moira Jilani, East Jerusalem, Occupied Palestine, International Solidarity Movement 6/19/2014
Ziad and I met at a party at the University of Houston. Six months later Ziad proposed, saying, “I’m a Palestinian. I am only here to get an education. After graduating I’ll return home to Jerusalem. Come with me.”
We married the following year and moved to Jerusalem. For nearly 20 years we lived happily, raising a family and enjoying our lives together. But my fairy tale came to an end on the afternoon of June 11, 2010. In the morning we made plans to take our daughters to the beach that afternoon, Ziad never made it home.
The Israeli border policemen who shot and killed my husband declared that Ziad was a “terrorist” shot dead from a distance. But my husband was no terrorist. He loved life. He loved people and animals and he loved us, his family, with a passion. We had to conduct our own investigation to find out how my husband died.
The Israeli unit that investigates police killings failed to interrogate any of the many eyewitnesses to Ziad’s death and only questioned the border policemen involved in the killing. By gathering evidence and testimonies independently we learned the truth. Ziad, while driving home in his pickup truck, swerved into the opposite lane, where a group of border policemen were walking on the road. Ziad’s pickup truck brushed against two of the border policemen causing scrapes and bruises.Unfortunately, Ziad can no longer tell us exactly what happened, but eyewitnesses reported that there was stone-throwing in the area and that Ziad’s windshield was hit by a stone. This description explains a big dent in Ziad’s front windshield and accounts for his swerve.
The Border Policemen opened a massive barrage of live fire at Ziad’s vehicle. Surrounding cars were hit and a little girl was injured. Ziad fled from the bullets to a nearby dead-end alleyway where his uncle lives. Three Border policemen ran forward firing into the alley. more.. e-mail
Palestinian families bear brunt as Israel hunts teens
Agence France-Presse, Ma’an News Agency 6/19/2014
TAFFUH (AFP) — It was the sound of the front door being kicked in that woke the Izrayqat family early Wednesday as Israeli troops barged into their home in Taffuh village near Hebron.
Even the four children were sleeping because school had ended and the summer holidays were already under way.
“They kicked in the doors at 7:30 a.m and told us to get out,” Umm Omar Izrayqat told AFP, describing the moment when troops came searching for signs of three Israeli teenagers believed kidnapped.
“I took my four children. We didn’t even have time to get ready properly, so I put these dirty clothes on and left,” she said, gesturing towards her dress which had been in the laundry pile.
Like elsewhere in the southern West Bank, life in this village west of Hebron has been turned on its head since the three teenagers went missing late last week, prompting a massive military search operation.
Over the past six days, troops have turned properties upside-down and arrested more than 240 Palestinians, leaving no stone unturned in the search for the students, who disappeared while hitchhiking on Thursday.
Israel has accused Hamas militants of kidnapping the youngsters, two of them minors, and has launched a major crackdown on its members.
But it is ordinary families who are bearing the brunt of the operation.
‘They searched everything’…. more.. e-mail
Kidnapping case must be seen in context of occupation
Daoud Kuttab, Ma’an News Agency 6/19/2014
The kidnapping of three Israeli religious settlers in an area under the total administrative and security control of the Israeli army has partially brought back attention to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but for the wrong reasons.
While it is natural that the phone calls by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focused on ways to help find the missing settlers, both Israeli and US officials must understand the context of the case and their own responsibilities for the way thing
s ended up.
It is a basic strategic recipe: If you take away hope for a political solution, you have to expect a spike in violence. Add to this formula a hunger strike by over 100 Palestinians imprisoned without charge or trial, that has lasted almost two months without a single attempt to negotiate or hear the prisoners’ demands and you have trouble.
If the above is not enough consider downtown Hebron, the West Bank’s second most populated city, where settlers run amok and a major commercial street named Shuhada has been blocked for no reason since 1994 after 29 worshiping Palestinians were gunned down in the nearby Ibrahimi mosque.
Furthermore, there is documented daily harassment of Palestinians by settlers, which goes without punishment by the ruling Israeli power.
The absurdity of the situation allowed to fester in Hebron has led a major pacifist Christian organization, Christian Peace Makers Team, to send volunteers to help Palestinian children cross the street to go to school.
In its first reaction to the disappearance of the Israeli settlers, the Israeli leadership put the blame on the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah. more.. e-mail
Palestinian envoy escapes Israeli trap
Stuart Littlewood, Redress 6/17/2014
Palestine’s UK ambassador denies recognizing Jewish state, says that would be “political suicide”
Israel’s elaborate hasbara (propaganda) machine has done a sterling job over the years of distorting the truth and reframing the Holy Land narrative to make the regime in Tel Aviv appear blameless and its war criminals sweetly innocent.
Not only that, but also painting the unarmed, impoverished and captive Palestinians as aggressors who have no right to self-determination or self-defence.
And, of course, assisting the army of pro-Israel stooges in Western capitals to defend the indefensible.
It was no surprise, therefore, to come across an article, “The Two-State Solution: The Way Forward”, published a few days ago in Fathom, promoting the idea that all would be well in occupied Palestine if only Palestinians were to recognize the state of Israel as “the Jewish state of Israel” in return for Israel recognizing the Palestinian state. The piece is supposed to have been written jointly by the Palestinian ambassador in London, Professor Manuel Hassassian, and Raphael Cohen-Almagor, Chair in Politics at Hull University.
No justice, no peace
It kicks off with the statement that “to build genuine peace, it is essential to have trust, goodwill and mutual security…” Unfortunately, there’s no mention of justice, without which there can be no genuine peace. “The peace deal should be attractive to both, equally. It cannot be one-sided, enforced or coerced.” But justice doesn’t do deals. And it often has to be enforced. more.. e-mail
useful reading on the ISIS crisis (manufactured)
In Gaza: 19 Jun 2014 – A compilation of important articles re ISIS in Iraq and Syria: ISIS Unveiled: The Identity of The Insurgency in Syria and Iraq, Jun 15, 2014, NSNBC Graphic – Mass Execution of Iraqi Soldiers & Civilians by ISIS Terrorists, Jun 15, 2014, Hands Off Syria ISIS “Made in USA”. Iraq “Geopolitical Arsonists” Seek to Burn Region, Jun 18, 2014, New Eastern Outlook The Engineered Destruction and Political Fragmentation of Iraq. Towards the Creation of a US Sponsored Islamist Caliphate The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham: An instrument of the Western Military Alliance, Jun 14, 2014, Global Research NATO’s Terror Hordes in Iraq a Pretext for Syria Invasion, Jun 13, 2014, New Eastern Outlook American Imperialism and Non-Conventional Warfare in Iraq: Premeditated Covert Operations and the ISIS Insurgency, Jun 18, 2014, Global Research Always worth a re-read : The Redirection – Seymour Hersh, 2007, the NewYorker Plans for Redrawing the Middle…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 