19 September 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
3 Killed, 3 Injured in Gaza by Unexploded Israeli Bomb
IMEMC – Three Palestinians have been killed and three injured, on Friday, when an unexploded Israeli weapon detonated in the http://imemc.org/article/69011 of eastern Gaza City. …
Israeli Police Brutally Assault Jerusalem Youth
IMEMC – Israeli police assaulted, this past Wednesday, 16-year old Shadi Raed Ghurab as he was walking along Nablus Street, in occupied East Jerusalem. …
UN Rights Council: International Campaign to Release Palestinian Ex-detainees Forthcoming
IMEMC – An international campaign, calling for releasing 73 ex-detainees of Shalit prisoner swap deal, is set to be launched today, at the meeting of Human Rights Council of the United Nations. …
BDS: UEFA Decides Against Jerusalem Tournament Bid
IMEMC – Israel extends detention of national football team player for 8th time According tohttp://www.bdsmovement.net/, the Union of European Football Associations has rejected an Israeli bid to host games during the 2020 European Championships. Meanwhile, an Israeli court has extended the arrest of Palestinian national football team player, Sameh Maraa’beh, without any clear charge. …
Soldiers Conduct A Limited Invasion Into Southern Gaza
IMEMC – Several Israeli military vehicles carried out, on Friday morning, a limited invasion into al-Qarara town, east of Khan Younis district, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. …
Army To Demolish A Car Repair Structure Near Bethlehem
IMEMC – Ahmad Salah, coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Bethlehem, said the soldiers invaded Um Rokba area, south of al-Khader, and handed an order to resident Osama Salah, to demolish his car repair structure. …
MK Khenin Denounces Israel’s Approval Of “Admissions Committee Law”
IMEMC – Israeli Member of Knesset (MK) Dov Khenin of the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash), strongly denounced Israel’s Supreme Court ruling, in which it upheld the “Admissions Committee law”, allowing rural towns in the Negev and Galilee to reject residency to Palestinian citizens of Israel, and other marginalized groups. …
Ferwana: “266,500 Gazans Kidnapped By The Army Since 1967”
IMEMC – Head of the Census Department at the Palestinian Committee of Detainees, Abdul-Naser Ferwana, stated that Israeli soldiers have kidnapped 266200 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip since 1967, adding that this number represents around one-third of more than 800.000 Palestinians kidnapped in occupied Palestine since 1967. …
2 killed, 3 injured by unexploded Israeli ordnance in Shujaiyya
9/19/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Two Palestinians were killed and three were injured on Friday when an unexploded Israeli bomb blew up in the al-Shujaiyya neighborhood of eastern Gaza City. A Ma’an reporter in Gaza said that a huge explosion was heard in the al-Shujaiyya area and ambulances rushed to the area immediately. Spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza Ashraf….
Israeli forces block weekly protest near Bethlehem
9/19/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces blocked a weekly march in the Bethlehem village of al-Masara on Friday, locals said. Dozens of Palestinian and international activists marched in the village to protest against Israel’s confiscation of land in the area, but were forcibly stopped by Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces were positioned on rooftops and at the entrance to al-Masara and prevented demonstrators from….
Philippines pulls Golan peacekeepers early as security worsens
9/19/2014 – MANILA (AFP) — The Philippines has pulled its peacekeepers from the Golan Heights ahead of schedule amid worsening security there, a military spokesman said Friday. A total of 244 of the 344 Filipino soldiers and staff will arrive back in Manila later Friday, with the rest flying in the next week or so, military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ramon Zagala told AFP.”Troops are being repatriated because of….
2 boat survivors in Italian custody
9/19/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Italian authorities are holding two Palestinian survivors of a deadly boat sinking in protective custody, Palestine’s embassy in Rome announced Friday. Khmain Barbakh and Shadi al-Jabari are being held in protective custody because they are witnesses to the suspected deliberate sinking of a boat packed with hundreds of migrants. The embassy said in a statement that as of noon….
Abbas: Coming weeks will be crucial for Palestinian cause
9/19/2014 – PARIS (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas will meet the French President on Friday and head to New York to meet several world leaders to gather international support for the Palestinian cause, the president’s spokesperson said Friday. Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement that the “coming few weeks will be crucial for the Palestinian cause internally and internationally, regarding both rebuilding Gaza….
Sources: Egyptian ‘Israel collaborator’ beheaded
9/19/2014 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — A 35-year-old Bedouin man has been beheaded in southern Sheikh Zuweid city in Egypt for allegedly collaborating with the Israeli intelligence. Egyptian officials said Friday that the head of the unidentified man was found near his body on Friday morning, two weeks after he was seized by the Ansar Bait al-Maqdis militant group for interrogation. Ten other Bedouins have been….
What’s in the UN’s Gaza reconstruction agreement?
9/19/2014 – GAZA CITY (IRIN) — On Sept. 16, the United Nations announced a new deal that is supposed to ease restrictions on the Gaza Strip. In his public statement on the day, Robert Serry, the UN envoy for the Middle East, gave few specific details about the deal butsaid it would “enable work at the scale required in the Strip, involving the private sector in Gaza and….
London stocks rally as Scotland rejects independence
9/19/2014 – LONDON (AFP) — The London stock market rallied sharply in opening trade on Friday after Scotland voted to reject independence in a crucial referendum. The British capital’s FTSE 100 index gained 0. 75 percent to stand at 6,870. 41 points. Elsewhere, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 added 0. 52 percent to 9,849. 43 points and the Paris CAC 40 index won 0. 60 percent to stand at 4,491. 54 points compared with Thursday’s close. [END]
NGO: IS jihadists capture 60 Kurdish villages in Syria
9/19/2014 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Islamic State jihadists have seized 60 Kurdish villages near the Turkish border in a lightning two-day campaign, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday.”In the past 48 hours, they have taken 60 villages, 40 on Friday alone,” said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman, referring to the operation around Ain al-Arab, known to the Kurds as Kobane.”The Kurdish fighters are beating….
US says discussed IS militant threat with Iran
9/19/2014 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States has discussed the threat posed by Islamic State militants with envoys from its traditional foe Iran on the sidelines of nuclear talks, the State Department revealed Friday. The department’s director of press relations Jeff Rathke said the issue was separate from the nuclear agenda, “but that discussion on this threat did arise on the margins of the meeting.”[END]
UN Security Council backs Iraq in confronting IS
9/19/2014 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — The UN Security Council on Friday expressed support for Iraq’s new government as it confronts Islamic State fighters. The 15-member council adopted a statement backing Iraq at a meeting chaired by US Secretary of State John Kerry and attended by some 35 countries in a show of solidarity for Baghdad’s stance. [END]
International Solidarity Movement
Tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets, and arrests
9/19/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – Ramallah, Occupied Palestine – Every week, several villages across the West Bank demonstrate against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. This week, ISM activists attended protests in the villages of Bil’in, Ni’lin, and Nabi Saleh. During the demonstration in Bil’in, Israeli soldiers shot mass amounts of tear gas at peaceful protesters. Many Palestinians and internationals suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation. An Israeli….
occupied Palestinian territory: Satellite based damage assessment of Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestinian Territory (July-August 2014)
Relief Web 19 Sep 2014 – Source: UNOSAT Country: occupied Palestinian territory This map illustrates satellite-detected damage and destruction in Gaza Strip, resulting from recent violence in the area. Using a satellite image collected 27 & 28 August 2014 by the Pleiades satellite, and compared with…
occupied Palestinian territory: 2009 – 2014 Density Comparison of Destroyed and Severely Damaged Structures in Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestinian Territory (as of 19 September 2014)
Relief Web 19 Sep 2014 – Source: UNOSAT Country: occupied Palestinian territory This map illustrates a density comparison of satellite-detected damages in Gaza Strip, which resulted from recent conflicts in this area in both 2009 and 2014. Damage levels used in this density analysis only concern…
occupied Palestinian territory: Density of Damage Assessment in Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestinian Territory (as of 19 September 2014)
Relief Web 19 Sep 2014 – Source: UNOSAT Country: occupied Palestinian territory This map illustrates satellite-detected damage and destruction in the Gaza Strip, resulting from recent conflicts in the area. Using satellite imagery collected 14, 27 & 28 August 2014 by the Pleiades satellite, and compared…
occupied Palestinian territory: Gaza: Red Cross Red Crescent calls for prompt action and sustainable solutions to address urgent needs
Relief Web 19 Sep 2014 – Source: International Committee of the Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies, Syrian Arab Red Crescent Country: occupied Palestinian territory Joint statement, Geneva/Gaza. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is calling for an urgent…
India’s Modi says Al Qaeda’s South Asia plan ‘delusional’
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Prime minister says India’s Muslims would not respond to Al Qaeda recruitment for a South Asia branch.
Five-point offer to restart talks with Bahrain opposition
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Crown prince unveils core elements for resumption of national dialogue, include redefinition of electoral districts and judicial reforms.
Flights to Sanaa stopped as fighting in Yemen escalates
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Negotiators raise hopes of a ceasefire deal to end two days of fighting between Houthi rebels and Sunni militiamen that have killed at least 120.
Scotland vote promises to shake up the union
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Promise of more powers to Scotland if it stayed in the UK now have to be matched by similar moves for all members.
France promises more attacks after first Iraq airstrikes
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Paris joins Washington in targeting ISIL militants from the air, destroying a depot and killing dozens of fighters in its first operation, according to the Iraqi military.
Scotland says no in historic independence referendum
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Despite a surge in nationalist support in the final fortnight of the campaign, the ‘No’ secured 55.30 percent of the vote against 44.70 percent for the pro-independence ‘Yes’ camp.
Video: Flooding in Serbia
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Rescue and cleanup operations continue in eastern Serbia where villages and towns have been hit by flooding caused by massive rainfall.
Video: Scots spurn independence in historic vote but demand new powers
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Scotland chooses to stay in the United Kingdom, with opponents on independence winning 55 percent of the vote while separatists got 45 percent with all 3.6 million votes – a record 85 percent turnout – counted.
Video: Sierra Leone stocks up for Ebola lockdown
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Millions of people in Sierra Leone are preparing for a three-day nationwide lockdown, aimed at allowing health workers to spread information and calm fears about Ebola, the deadly virus that has killed more than 2000 people across west Africa.
Video: Hurricane aftermath in Mexico
The National 19 Sep 2014 – The luxury town of Mexico’s Los Cabos moves into recovery mode after it was slammed by Hurricane Odile, amid reports of looting and shortages of basic necessities.
Video: Tense clashes in Quito as riot police quell protest
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Anti-government protesters scuffle with riot police in the Ecuadorian capital, Quito, following a protest by hundreds of workers and students angry over new labor laws and rising prices.
Video: Alibaba’s next big moves
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Alibaba’s IPO will be one for the history books, and the billions they raise will give them a unique opportunity as they expand around the globe.
Video: Salmond concedes defeat, demands more Scottish powers fast
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Scottish nationalist leader Alex Salmond concedes defeat but demands the British government rapidly meet its promise of more powers for Edinburgh.
Watch first person in Australia to buy iPhone 6 drop it on live TV
The National 19 Sep 2014 – The combination of excitement and Apple’s fiddly packaging box got the better of Jack Cooksey, from Perth, who dropped the clanger on morning television.
In pictures: Cheers and tears as Scotland rejects independence
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Supporters of Scottish independence reacted with bitter disappointment on Friday as their hopes of breaking away from Britain were dashed, with some breaking down in tears in the streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Emirates and Etihad halt flights to Sanaa amid Yemen fighting
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Foreign airlines halted flights to the main international airport in the Sanaa because of heavy fighting between Shiite rebels and Sunni militias in the Yemeni capital, the state civil aviation authority said Friday.
Philippines tropical storm: flooding paralyses Metro Manila
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Tens of thousands of people fled roof-high floods and one girl drowned in the Philippine capital on Friday as another vicious storm swept across the disaster-plagued country.
Financial services, North Sea oil stocks get boost from Scotland independence ‘No’ vote
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Shares in lenders Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group, both of which had said they would move operations to England in the event of a ‘Yes’ vote, were the biggest movers, up 3.4 per cent and 2.3 per cent, to 2- and 3-month highs, respectively.
Scotland says no: reaction from politicians, business leaders and analysts
The National 19 Sep 2014 – Scottish voters have rejected independence from the rest of the United Kingdom in a vote that had threatened to break up the world’s sixth-biggest economy. Here is comments from politicians, business leaders and analysts to the result of the referendum.
U.S. Jewish group calls on Bolivian president to act against anti-Semitism
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
‘You say goodbye, and I say hello’ / The Promised Podcast
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
Archaeologists discover impressive Byzantine-era compound near Beit Shemesh
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
The Israeli military: Winning wars, losing money
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
Minister Sa’ar: Poor relations with PM encouraged decision to quit
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
Hollande: France to present Israeli-Palestinian solution to UN Security Council
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
Netanyahu, Lapid reach deal on 2015 state budget
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
Russia fails to remove Syria nuclear probe from UN atomic watchdog’s agenda
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
Iran, six world powers launch new round of nuclear negotiations
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
France’s Sarkozy announces return to politics
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
Islamic State recruitment soaring in wake of U.S. bombing
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
U.S. Senate approves bill to bolster American-Israeli cooperation
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
Two killed by unexploded Israeli bombs in Gaza
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
The night the United Kingdom was saved
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
Iranians held in Kenya carried Israeli passports
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
Sa’ar’s resignation puts cat among Likud pigeons
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
Scottish voters reject independence from the U.K.
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
It’s the colonialism they hate, not Jews
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
Lapid vows to quit government if taxes rise
Ha’aretz – 19 Sep 2014
Obama at his best
Ha’aretz – 18 Sep 2014
Court-sanctioned discrimination committees
Ha’aretz – 18 Sep 2014
Lapid vs. Lapid
Ha’aretz – 18 Sep 2014
Cabinet due to again approve controversial section of West Bank barrier
Ha’aretz – 18 Sep 2014
Hamas says indirect truce talks with Israel to resume within week
Ha’aretz – 18 Sep 2014
Israel’s discriminatory housing message: This is a Jewish state; Arabs out
Ha’aretz – 18 Sep 2014
Can you leave Israel and still be a Zionist?
Ha’aretz – 17 Sep 2014
ISIS fight requires ‘genocidal’ Israel leave ‘Palestine’, Iran says
Jerusalem Post 19 Sep 2014 – Iranian deputy foreign minister makes comments before UN Security Council meeting chaired by Secretary Kerry.
France: Solution to Mideast conflict to be brought before UN Security Council
Jerusalem Post 19 Sep 2014 – President Hollande says a resolution will be presented to the UNSC that will say very clearly what we expect from the peace process and what the solution to the conflict must be.
Kerry says Iran has role to play in global campaign against Islamic State
Jerusalem Post 19 Sep 2014 – “The coalition required to eliminate ISIL (Islamic State) is not only, or even primarily, military in nature,” Kerry told a United Nations Security Council meeting on Iraq.
US House unanimously condemns swell of anti-Semitism in Europe, Middle East
Jerusalem Post 19 Sep 2014 – The resolution calls on the State Department to “maintain combating anti-Semitism as a United States foreign policy priority.”
Syrian nuclear activities divide global powers at UN atomic meeting
Jerusalem Post 19 Sep 2014 – The Syrian case has been on the agenda of the IAEA board’s quarterly meetings over the last six years, and Washington believes it should remain in the “focus of the agency.”
Outgoing Likud No. 2 Sa’ar says rift with Netanyahu contributed to decision to quit politics
Jerusalem Post 19 Sep 2014 – According to Channel 2, Netanyahu was enraged by Sa’ar’s refusal to back his controversial proposal to postpone the date of presidential elections, which were held earlier this summer.
US Senate elevates Israel’s status as ‘major strategic partner’
Jerusalem Post 19 Sep 2014 – ISIS tables language on Israeli inclusion in visa waiver program; Long-stalled bill passes upper chamber, declaring Israel “major strategic partner.”
Israel set to expand public health services in rocket-battered South
Jerusalem Post 19 Sep 2014 – The proposal will include expanding the facilities at Beersheba’s Soroka University Medical Center and building a second hospital in the “capital of the Negev.”
Israel to re-authorize security barrier route near West Bank historical site
Jerusalem Post 19 Sep 2014 – The government is being forced to make a public stand on a contentious diplomatic issue that has been mostly dormant in the last few years: the West Bank security barrier.
2 Iranians with fake Israeli passports arrested in Kenya
Jerusalem Post 19 Sep 2014 – The two men, both in their early 20s, were arrested several days ago.
Legal Affairs: Awaiting the verdict
Jerusalem Post 19 Sep 2014 – A New York jury in a blockbuster terrorism finance trial about to decide: Did Jordan’s largest bank know it was funding Hamas during the second intifada?
Arab Bank: List of our alleged Hamas clients ‘grows like Pinocchio’s nose’
Jerusalem Post 18 Sep 2014 – Plaintiffs call bank’s closing argument a ‘distortion of facts.’
Israel will ‘make its own judgment’ on Iran talks, US says
Jerusalem Post 18 Sep 2014 – Ukraine has not affected negotiations in New York, according to senior official.
Unable to flee, elderly Jews remain behind in eastern Ukraine
Jerusalem Post 18 Sep 2014 – Approximately 250 elderly Jews being cared for by Hesed have left Donetsk; it is hard for elderly to leave where they live and come to new places.
Many fish in the sea cooking class
Jerusalem Post 18 Sep 2014 – Cook one type four different ways.
Top 10 things to do
Jerusalem Post 18 Sep 2014 – What’s happening around the country this week.
‘Handing Iran the region on a silver platter’
Jerusalem Post 18 Sep 2014 – Dr. Sherkoh Abbas says in the vacuum created by the lack of US support for the Kurdish Regional Government,‘the emerging winners are Bashar Assad and Iran,’ not the pro-democracy forces.
We must remember antisemitism is far from the whole UK Jewish experience | Giles Fraser
The Guardian 19 Sep 2014 – We must continue to remind ourselves of our antisemitic past. But the story we dont remind ourselves about often enough is our history of philosemitism As the UKs Jewish community settles down to its Rosh Hashanah…
Israel’s “Operation Status Quo”: A Preliminary Assessment
Uruknet 20 Sep 2014 – August 27, 2014 – Israel s massive onslaught on the Gaza Strip in July-August 2014 has been a military and political fiasco. A regional superpower, it failed to impose its will on an isolated enemy operating in a besieged territory…
Obese Intelligence The NSA Search Engine
Uruknet 19 Sep 2014 – August 27, 2014-The Intercept was already getting the intelligence community excited with its revelations that the National Security Agency had decided to mimic inspector Google. Through creating a search engine in the manner of those pro-transparency pioneers, the intelligence community…
British resident Shaker Aamer beaten in latest Guantánamo crackdown
Uruknet 19 Sep 2014 – August 27, 2014 – British resident Shaker Aamer has reportedly been beaten at Guantánamo Bay, in evidence of a new crackdown on prisoners protesting their detention without charge . In new letters received by legal charity Reprieve, detainees reveal what one…
Iraq snapshot – August 27 , 2014.
Uruknet 19 Sep 2014 – August 27, 2014 – …A security source in Anbar said on Tuesday that, an unknown military plane bombed a school, which includes a number of displaced people from the city of Falluja, west of Anbar.The source told the National Iraqi…
Israel: the winner that didn t lose
Uruknet 18 Sep 2014 – August 27, 2014 – The number 50 has a special meaning in Jewish tradition. In Biblical times, the 50th year in the calendar, is a year in which all debts are written off and all the slaves are freed. The…
Hillary Clinton in campaign mode… for fellow Democrats
Daily Star 19 Sep 2014 Democrat Hillary Clinton launched herself into the thick of the US midterm election campaign Friday, announcing her support for multiple congressional candidates in President Barack Obama’s party.
UN urges global support for Iraq to fight terror
Daily Star 19 Sep 2014 The U.N. Security Council is condemning the Islamic State terrorist group and urging the international community to expand support for the Iraqi government as it fights the militants and their supporters.
U.S. won’t telegraph when air strikes on Syria to begin: Rice
Daily Star 19 Sep 2014 The United States is ready to launch air strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria but does not want to telegraph when these will occur, President Barack Obama’s National Security Adviser Susan Rice said on Friday.
US says discussed IS militant threat with Iran
Daily Star 19 Sep 2014 The United States has discussed the threat posed by Islamic State militants with envoys from its traditional foe Iran on the sidelines of nuclear talks, the State Department revealed Friday.
Foreign fighters, Ebola top Obama’s UN agenda
Daily Star 19 Sep 2014 President Barack Obama will call on fellow world leaders next week to back a United Nations resolution to stem the flow of foreign fighters joining terrorist organizations like the Islamic State group.
White House does not expect Obama, Iran’s Rouhani to meet at UN
Daily Star 19 Sep 2014 The White House said on Friday it did not expect President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani would hold a meeting when they are in New York for the United Nations General Assembly next week.
Russia fails to remove Syria nuclear probe from IAEA agenda
Daily Star 19 Sep 2014 Western states defeated a Russian proposal on Friday to remove Syria’s alleged past nuclear activities from the agenda of meetings of the U.N. atomic agency, diplomats said.
Syrian Kurd forces withdraw from around 60 villages: monitor
Daily Star 19 Sep 2014 Syrian Kurdish forces have withdrawn from around 60 villages in the face of an advance by Islamic State militants in northern Syria, a monitoring group said on Friday.
Iran, 6 powers seek to unblock nuclear talks
Daily Star 19 Sep 2014 With little more than two months to deadline, Iran and six world powers on Friday launched a fresh effort at narrowing stubborn differences on what nuclear concessions Tehran must agree to in exchange for full sanctions…
Syria had ricin program: OPCW document
Daily Star 19 Sep 2014 Syrian authorities declare that they once had a program to produce the deadly toxin ricin, according to an official document of the global chemical weapons watchdog.
Rabbi: French society indifferent to anti-Semitism
YNet News, 19 Sep 2014 – France’s Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia says he is disappointed by lack of reaction from civil society following attacks on synagogues and violent protests against Israel’s offensive in Gaza. ….
France: Israel-Palestinian solution to be presented to UNSC
YNet News, 19 Sep 2014 – French president Hollande says country ‘will have a resolution that will say very clearly what we expect from the (peace) process and what the solution to the conflict must be’. ….
Traffickers ‘laughed’ as they capsized boat to drown refugees
YNet News, 19 Sep 2014 – Palestinian survivors of deadly shipwreck near Malta which saw over 500 people go missing or die say people smugglers rammed their boat, intentionally sinking them, as EU calls incident ‘murder’. ….
Fallen soldier’s friends want to name beach after him
YNet News, 19 Sep 2014 – 1st-Sgt. Eitan Barak’s favorite place was the coastal strip in Herzliya, so his friends are fighting convince the municipality to name the beach after him. ….
Modesty rabbis, women have a sexual instinct too
YNet News, 19 Sep 2014 – If modesty really is one of the most important religious topics, and if the human sexual desire really is so evil, properly addressing this issue requires people not to speak with one another. ….
Sobibor’s last survivor: There was no time to fear, only to live
YNet News, 18 Sep 2014 – Israeli archeologist tells Ynet about excavation that uncovered extermination camp’s gas chambers, including finding of victims’ personal items, among them a golden wedding ring. ….
Scotland’s Jews prefer to stay with England
YNet News, 18 Sep 2014 – While Jewish community leaders decide to remain neutral on historic referendum taking place Thursday, many believe independence will lead to a more anti-Semitic and anti-Israel Scotland. ….
Iran rules out cooperating with US in Iraq
YNet News, 18 Sep 2014 – ….
Obama, Ukraine president to meet at White House
YNet News, 18 Sep 2014 – ….
Australian leader warns of planned random IS attack
YNet News, 18 Sep 2014 – ….
Netanyahu on Sa’ar’s retirement: respect his decision and thankful for his work
YNet News, 18 Sep 2014 – ….
15 Syrian children die after getting vaccinations
YNet News, 18 Sep 2014 – ….
Palestinian Information Center
Palestinians need a holocaust memorial museum of their own
PIC – It is never a hyperbole to call the latest genocidal onslaught by Israel on the Gaza Strip a holocaust. The level of death and destruction inflicted by Israel is more than shocking, to say the least.
IOA bars entry of UN special reporter to Gaza
PIC – Head of the popular committee against the siege MP Jamal Al-Khudari strongly condemned the Israeli decision to prevent the new UN special reporter Makarim Wibisono from entering the Gaza Strip.
Israeli court sentence MP Raddad to 12 months in prison
PIC – An Israeli court on Thursday sentenced Tulkarem lawmaker Riyadh Raddad, 55, to 12 months in prison.
IOF infiltrates into Gaza
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Friday morning carried out a limited incursion into Qarara village in Khan Younis southern Gaza Strip.
Israeli finance minister threatens to withdraw from coalition gov’t
PIC – Israeli finance minister Yair Lapid threatened Thursday to withdraw from the ruling coalition headed by Benyamin Netanyahu in case the crisis over army budget and taxes continues.
Turkey airlifts 21 more injured Palestinians for urgent treatment
PIC – 21 Palestinian casualties headed for Turkey to be treated for wounds they sustained in the Israeli 51-day offensive on the besieged Gaza Strip.
Report: 65 percent of Israelis concerned about their economic future
PIC – A growing majority of Israelis are worried about their economic future, a report released by Israel’s central bureau of statistics on Thursday found out.
Barghouti: Gaza battle a victory for all Palestinians
PIC – Member of Fatah Central Committee Marwan Barghouthi, who is serving a life sentence in Israeli prisons, said that Gaza battle was a victory for Palestinian resistance and people.
IOF arbitrary arrests, settler vandalism reported in West Bank raids
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Thursday and at dawn Friday raided the West Bank cities of Nablus, Bethlehem, and Jenin and nabbed at least five Palestinian youngsters, including a minor.
Two Jerusalemites denied access to Aqsa for month
PIC – The Israeli police has denied two Jerusalemite youths’ access into the Aqsa mosque till October 26.
PEX Report: Index Down Again
WAFA – 17 Sep 2014
Turkish President’s Allies Increasing Pressure on Times and Reporter
New York Times 19 Sep 2014 – The New York Times and one of its Istanbul correspondents have been denounced with growing furor in reaction to an article and photograph about the recruitment of fighters in Turkey by the Islamic State.
Fleeing Gaza, Only to Face Treachery and Disaster at Sea
New York Times 19 Sep 2014 – A Gazan’s son is among the hundreds missing after a migrant ship sank off Malta, and his plight illustrates the risks facing Palestinians seeking illegal passage to Europe.
World Briefing: Bomb Kills 2 Lebanese Soldiers Near Border With Syria
New York Times 19 Sep 2014 – The attack on a Lebanese Army convoy took place near the town of Arsal, the scene of battles that erupted last month between the army and militants operating in Syria.
Iraqi Cleric’s Speech Strikes a Balance
New York Times 19 Sep 2014 – Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani warned of threats to Iraqi independence, but he stopped short of opposing the military campaign against the Islamic State.
Iraqi Cleric Urges Vigilance Against Western Interference
New York Times 19 Sep 2014 – The Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani warned of threats to Iraqi independence, but he stopped short of opposing the military campaign against the Islamic State.
The TV Watch: The Muddled Message in ISIS’ Latest Agitprop Video
New York Times 19 Sep 2014 – British journalist John Cantlie appears with a promise to expose Western media, but viewers must be skeptical of every word he speaks under presumed duress.
Congress’s Inaction Could Be Legal Basis for Stronger Executive War Powers
New York Times 18 Sep 2014 – As lawmakers grapple with President Obama’s claim that he already has congressional authorization for airstrikes against the Islamic State, legal specialists are saying that even legislative inaction could create a precedent leaving the executive branch with greater war-making powers.
Listening Post: A White House Position That Stands on a Narrow Definition of War
New York Times 18 Sep 2014 – Far from clarifying the war plan, the White House’s public-relations blitz has muddied several key issues, not least whether the campaign will require American ground forces.
U.S. Faces Tough Struggle on Ground to Oust ISIS
New York Times 18 Sep 2014 – The next phase of the American strategy against the Islamic State has been described as “extraordinarily complex,” and involves training and coordinating airstrikes with Iraqi forces.
U.S. Goal Is to Make Syrian Rebels Viable
New York Times 18 Sep 2014 – Intelligence agents are laying the groundwork for what they hope will become an effective force of rebel ground troops in the battle against the Islamic State.
World Briefing: Syria: Opposition Investigates Vaccine
New York Times 18 Sep 2014 – Officials of the Syrian opposition coalition said they had created a commission of inquiry into the deaths of children caused by adulterated measles vaccine administered this week.
World Briefing: Iraq: Deadly Attacks Strike Baghdad
New York Times 18 Sep 2014 – At least 29 people were killed and more than 65 wounded in attacks in and around the predominantly Shiite neighborhood of Kadhimiya in Baghdad.
New ISIS Video Features British Hostage, John Cantlie, as Spokesman
New York Times 18 Sep 2014 – The Islamic State released a new message with a British hostage, the journalist John Cantlie, warning the West against another war.
Congress Gives Final Approval to Aid Rebels in Fight With ISIS
New York Times 18 Sep 2014 – Lawmakers sidestepped the debate over the extent of American military action until the lame-duck session of Congress later this year.
IDF’s Palestinian Manchurian Candidate
Tikun Olam – Rafi Sutton’s autobiography I’m about to tell you a story that you will not believe. The stupidity, self-delusion, and sheer ineptitude displayed by those who approved this IDF intelligence mission simply beggar belief. Lest anyone doubt the truth of the story, it comes directly from a…
The rabbi at the shitshow
Mondoweiss – Earlier this week I wrote a post criticizing Rabbi Danielle Leshaw, the director of the Ohio University Hillel, for supporting a group that denies the existence of the occupation, and she called me a “douchebag” and an “asshole” on her twitter feed, @RabbiDanielle. When others knocked Leshaw…
US guilty of war crimes in Palestine
Mondoweiss – The U.S. is not a neutral mediator in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict; it is an active participant and is guilty of the crimes being committed by Israel against Palestinians, most recently, the mass killings and destruction Israel wrought on the Gaza Strip during the summer. The reality…
Did Snowden blow the whistle because of the US special relationship with Israel?
Mondoweiss – Here’s a shocking story we’ve missed that deserves to be up in lights. Intelligence reporter James Bamford had a piece on the New York Times op-ed page two days back relaying conversations with Edward Snowden in Russia in which the 31-year-old whistle-blower suggests that the U.S….
IDF Unit 8200 Counter-Offensive Begins
Tikun Olam – IDF chief intelligence spinmeister, Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, at IDC Herzliya security conference Those of you who remember back to the Bush presidency, will recall the controversy generated by the exposure of torture techniques used against Islamist prisoners at Guantanamo and at secret prison sites in…
US guilty of war crimes in Palestine
Sabbah report 19 Sep 2014 – If humanity is to be served, citizens who believe in equal access to international tools of justice must speak up and denounce the continued U.S. hegemony over Palestine. The post: US guilty of war crimes in Palestine appeared first on Sabbah Report § Sign up for…
Kerry says Iran can help defeat IS
BBC 19 Sep 2014 – US Secretary of State John Kerry says Iran has a role to play in the fight against Islamic State despite not being part of the US-led coalition.
Syrian heritage destruction revealed in satellite images
BBC 19 Sep 2014 – Satellite images reveal Syria’s heritage trashed by war
Egypt: President Meets Saudi Intelligence Chief
allAfrica.com 19 Sep 2014 – [Egypt Online]Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met on Thursday in Heliopolis presidential palace with Saudi Intelligence Chief Prince Khaled bin Bandar bin Abdel Aziz who delivered to him a message from Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz.
West Africa: Namibia Shows Great Solidarity
allAfrica.com 19 Sep 2014 – [New Era]Government this week announced that it will donate N$11 million to each of the African countries battling the deadly Ebola virus, as well as the Palestinian people living in the Gaza Strip.
Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade Draws Smaller Crowd
The Foward Breaking News 19 Sep 2014 – Hundreds of people participated in Jerusalem’s 13th annual Gay Pride parade, down from previous years. Click here for the rest of the article…
Angelina Jolie Breast Surgery Doubles Women Taking Cancer Gene Test
The Foward Breaking News 19 Sep 2014 – Hollywood star Angelina Jolie’s decision to make public her double mastectomy more than doubled the number of women in Britain seeking to have genetic breast cancer tests, according to a study released on Friday. Click here for the rest of the article…
Israel Warns Against Anti-ISIS Alliance With Iran
The Foward Breaking News 19 Sep 2014 – Saying a nuclear Iran would be a “thousand times” greater threat to the world than ISIS, Israel’s ambassador to the United States warned against including Iran in any coalition to derail the jihadist group. Click here for the rest of the article…
Africa: Jewish Voices for a Just Peace Condemns Archbishop Tutu Being Compared to Hitler
allAfrica.com 19 Sep 2014 – [Fahamu]The group says Zionism is never equivalent to anti-Semitism. They also take issue with the distorted and dishonest representation of the Palestinian solidarity movement as a movement invested in the ‘destruction of Jews’.
Iran Happy dancers given 91 lashes
BBC 19 Sep 2014 – Six Iranians arrested for filming a video tribute to Pharrell Williams’ song Happy are sentenced to 91 lashes and jail terms, their lawyer says.
Migrants speak of horror at sea off Malta
BBC 19 Sep 2014 – Migrant survivors in Malta speak of horror at sea
Russia, Iran challenge Kerry’s plan for anti-ISIS unity at UN
Al-Monitor 19 Sep 2014 – The two countries slammed the US and Sunni states for trying to cut out Bashar al-Assad.
Lebanon faces a fait accompli: a regional security regime to protect gas wealth
Al-Akhbar News 19 Sep 2014 – A display at an energy forum on Lebanon’s potential oil and gas reserves. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) A display at an energy forum on Lebanon’s potential oil and gas reserves. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) Lebanon has so far sat idly by as a new economic-security landscape emerges in…
Week in Photos (September 13-September 19)
Al-Akhbar News 19 Sep 2014 – Families carry photos of their family members who dissapeared during Lebanon’s 15 year civil war as part of a protest to pressure the government to investigate what happened to their loved ones. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Families carry photos of their family members who dissapeared during Lebanon’s…
Denmark to introduce temporary residence for Syrian refugees
Al-Akhbar News 19 Sep 2014 – Denmark said on Friday it would introduce a new, temporary type of residence permit for asylum seekers fleeing war such as the Syrian conflict after a huge surge in the number of applications. It also unveiled a new plan for stemming the flow of Danish extremist…
Germany charges three for sending IT equipment to ISIS
Al-Akhbar News 19 Sep 2014 – Prosecutors brought formal charges on Friday against three Germans accused of sending money and camera equipment to help the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) make propaganda videos. The accused were identified only as Karolina M., 25, who has been in pre-trial detention since March,…
Leftover Israeli shell kills two in Gaza
Al-Akhbar News 19 Sep 2014 – A dud Israeli shell from Israel’s aggression on Gaza exploded Friday, killing two people and wounding three others in the north of the Palestinian enclave, an official said. The blast killed Ayman Abu Jebbeh and Abdullah Abu Asr, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said. The shell…
Lebanon: New armed group exploits sectarian incitement in Tripoli
Al-Akhbar News 19 Sep 2014 – Chadi al-Mawlawi, one of Tripoli’s most infamous Islamist figures. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) Chadi al-Mawlawi, one of Tripoli’s most infamous Islamist figures. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) The news of Osama Mansour and Chadi al-Mawlawi forming a militant group in Tripoli took the city by storm, and is now…
Turkey opens border to Syrian Kurds
BBC 19 Sep 2014 – Turkey allows thousands of Syrian Kurds fleeing Islamic State to cross its southern border, as the militants close in on a strategic Syrian town.
Clashes in Yemen capital Sanaa
BBC 19 Sep 2014 – Fighting between Shia rebels and Sunni militias in Yemen escalates, with clashes on the outskirts of the capital, prompting airlines to suspend flights.
German Muslims: “Islam is a peaceful religion”
Al-Akhbar News 19 Sep 2014 – Muslims across Germany are holding a day of prayers and rallies on Friday to condemn Islamic extremism and a backlash against their faith that has seen arson attacks on mosques. Imams at more than 2,000 mosques are to take part in the event organized by Germany’s…
Turkey’s Family Ministry shames singles in new ad
Al-Monitor 19 Sep 2014 – Turkey’s Family and Social Policies Ministry evokes comparisons to Islamist radicals after using the image of headless figures in a controversial campaign “to battle aloneness.”
Two soldiers die in East Lebanon blast, Nusra says kills captive
Al-Akhbar News 19 Sep 2014 – Updated 8:30 pm: A roadside bomb planted by suspected extremists killed two Lebanese soldiers and wounded three others Friday at noon near the northeastern border town of Ersal, state media and the army said. Later in the evening, al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate al-Nusra Front hinted that it…
France begins bombing Iraq
Al-Akhbar News 19 Sep 2014 – French president Francois Hollande answers journalists during a press conference, on September 18, 2014 at the Elysee palace in Paris. (Photo: AFP – Patrick Kovarik) French president Francois Hollande answers journalists during a press conference, on September 18, 2014 at the Elysee palace in Paris. (Photo:…
Can Turkey set up a buffer zone inside Syria?
Al-Monitor 19 Sep 2014 – The idea of a buffer zone on the Syrian side of the border has been revived again, but faces serious feasibility questions.
Lebanese army arrests three suspected extremists near Ersal
Al-Akhbar News 19 Sep 2014 – The Lebanese army on Friday arrested three men suspected of belonging to an extremist group near the northeast town of Ersal, the military statement said. An army statement said soldiers detained one Lebanese man and two Syrians in the Masyada locality of Ersal who were discovered…
Tribal leader refuses Arab and foreign intervention in Libya
Al-Monitor 19 Sep 2014 – Ezz El-Arab Abu al-Qasim, member of the Supreme Council for the Libyan Tribes, talks to Azzaman about the role of the tribes in the fight against militias, while rejecting any foreign intervention in Libya’s domestic affairs.
Iraq’s minorities demand weapons and training
Al-Monitor 19 Sep 2014 – Following the advances made by the Islamic State in Iraqi areas with large minority populations, there are widespread calls for arms and international protection.
Support grows for Gaza’s boycott of Israeli goods
Al-Monitor 19 Sep 2014 – The recent Gaza war has seen a boost in support for a local boycott of Israeli goods, but short of alternatives, it is hard to envision how such a boycott campaign will work.
More than 3,000 Gazan children wounded in war
Al-Monitor 19 Sep 2014 – Many of the Palestinian wounded have had their limbs amputated and face struggles as the Gaza Strip rebuilds.
Syrian rebels deny truce deal with Islamic State
Al-Monitor 19 Sep 2014 – The Syrian Revolutionary Front has rejected media reports that it signed a non-aggression pact with the Islamic State, but there are efforts being made in south Damascus to reach a local truce.
Israelis wary of biometric ID cards
Al-Monitor 19 Sep 2014 – According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there has been a sharp drop in the percentage of Israelis who have chosen to apply for biometric ID cards: “The citizens of Israel are familiar with the database and knowingly opt out.”
Saar no match for Netanyahu
Al-Monitor 19 Sep 2014 – Interior Minister Gideon Saar must bear in mind that a political vacuum always fills up, especially when taking into consideration that there are two figures still in the Likud Party who could vie the seat of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Escaping Gaza, hundreds of Palestinians drown
Al-Monitor 19 Sep 2014 – Details are emerging concerning the migrant boat that sank this week near Malta’s shores, loaded with Palestinian children and families who tried to escape misery in Gaza for a new life in Europe.
Iraq cultural scene deteriorates further
Al-Monitor 18 Sep 2014 – In light of the deteriorating security situation, Iraq is facing a dire cultural reality, while the Ministry of Culture is engaged in building cultural houses and palaces.
Who will combat Islamic State?
BBC 18 Sep 2014 – Jeremy Bowen asks who will fight IS on the ground
US politicians criticize Obama’s “anti-ISIS” campaign
Al-Akhbar Politics 18 Sep 2014 – A protestors from the group CodePink holds up a sign as US Secretary of State John Kerry testifies about US policy towards Iraq and Syria and the threat posed by the ISIS during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, September…
Political solution fails in Bahrain as monarch tightens his grip on power
Al-Akhbar Politics 18 Sep 2014 – A young female protestor in Bahrain writes “No to dictatorship” across her hands. (Photo: AFP) A young female protestor in Bahrain writes “No to dictatorship” across her hands. (Photo: AFP) Reports from Bahrain suggest that attempts to find a political solution or establish a meaningful political…
Articles
All Israelis are implicated in the occupation
Dahlia Scheindlin, +972 Magazine 9/19/2014
Rather than an army secret, the systems supporting the occupation include such normal institutions as taxation, infrastructure projects, the education system and, of course, army service.
The debate over refuseniks from IDF intelligence unit 8200 unleashed acrimonious debates all week. While I have already observed some of them, here are a few more that stand out.
Carolina Landsmann has one of the most powerful opinion pieces I’ve read in a long time, in Haaretz. It may yet appear in English, but for now the excerpts here are my translation. Like one former member of Unit 8200 who spoke to me, Landsmann says their act of refusal is a statement that intelligence work and the system of occupation are directly linked, cutting into the belief that only those who hold the guns are responsible.
She then takes this insight to its next logical step. In blunt language, she writes that the refuseniks point to a perspective built into Israeli thinking that is,
“key to understanding what allows the state to continue its control and oppression of millions of Palestinians for 47 years. The illusion that certain islands within Israeli society are disconnected from the military rule over the territories, and those lucky enough to fit themselves into one of them are free from the responsibility for its injustices, [that illusion] has anesthetized the conscience of those opposed to such control, and stops them from rising up against it.”
All of Israeli society, writes Landsmann, supports this system. I find this one of the most essential and accurate observations of Israeli reality that is rarely understood.
“Military rule… is not a secret system of the IDF – it is the largest, most visible project, with broader participation than any other endeavor in Israel.” more.. e-mail
Cairo negotiations: Oslo or resistance diplomacy?
Nassar Ibrahim, Alternative Information Center 9/19/2014
The path of Oslo has failed to uphold the inalienable Palestinian national rights – fact. Will the Palestinian negotiators in Cairo try resistance diplomacy for a change?
For more than twenty years, negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel have been characterised by full American backing for Israel and a complete disassociation from international laws and resolutions related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Negotiations have thus been dictated by the existing relations of power; economic power has often been used to apply political pressure on the Palestinian Authority, which then deepened the internal Palestinian political contradictions. Such conditions and negotiations resulted in ongoing Israeli intransigence and arrogance, with demands for never ending Palestinian concessions with nothing from the other side. The ‘peace’ process thus became one in which Israel used negotiations to legitimise and consolidate the facts on the ground on the one hand, and to diminish national rights of the Palestinians on the other.
In contrast we have Israel’s recent brutal war on Gaza, which was met by the brave resistance and steadfastness of the Gaza residents, who succeeded in pushing the occupation into a circle of confusion and failure. The current ceasefire negotiations in Cairo represent the first time in which a united Palestinian front goes to the negotiating table with Israel whilst backed by resistance and strong popular support.
Given this change, will the Palestinian negotiators build on these new conditions to break the ‘Oslo diplomacy’ which has not brought peace after more than twenty years? Will the Palestinian negotiators stop betting on the goodwill of the occupation and its supporters, replacing it instead with resistance diplomacy grounded in national unity? more.. e-mail
What’s in the UN’s Gaza reconstruction agreement?
Ma’an News Agency 9/19/2014
GAZA CITY (IRIN) — On Sept. 16, the United Nations announced a new deal that is supposed to ease restrictions on the Gaza Strip.
In his public statement on the day, Robert Serry, the UN envoy for the Middle East, gave few specific details about the deal but said it would “enable work at the scale required in the Strip, involving the private sector in Gaza and giving a lead role to the Palestinian Authority in the reconstruction effort.”
Why is the agre
ement necessary?
Following the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza, much of the enclave is in ruins. At least 18,000 homes were destroyed as Israel dropped thousands of bombs on the heavily populated area, while key infrastructure including power plants and water networks were also badly damaged.
Rebuilding efforts are made even more challenging by a pre-existing blockade. Since 2007 Israel and Egypt have limited or banned many basic goods from entering the Strip. Among those that Israel restricts are fertilizers, cement, steel cables and even some fabrics.
Tel Aviv defines such goods as “dual use” — meaning that while they are needed for the civilian population, they could also potentially be used by militant groups in attacks.
With the catastrophic level of destruction and ongoing humanitarian crisis, rebuilding without easing the blockade is nearly impossible. A key housing group has estimated that without lifting the restrictions on cement and other dual-use goods, restoring Gaza just to the level it was before the war could take 20 years. more.. e-mail
Israeli Incremental genocide…
Jamal Kanj, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 9/19/2014
It goes without saying that Gaza has taught the Israeli military a new lesson: the days of swift Israeli wars are over. While mostly one-sided, Israel has never before fought a war that lasted 50 days. The Palestinians (besieged by brothers and foes) were of no military match to Israel’s most sophisticated US technology. But as in 2006 Lebanon war, the human factor rendered the best technology obsolete.
There were many parallels between summer 2006 and current war. Regretfully, in both cases, Israeli wanton destruction was received with indifference from the official Arab regime system.
It is no secret that some Arab governments were more interested in seeing Hizbollah degraded in 2006 than protecting innocent Lebanese civilians. In the last two months, the official Arab regime too disliked Hamas more than they cared about Palestinian life.
This time in Gaza, and unlike the last two confrontations in 08/09 and November 2012 – Palestinians seemed united at the negotiation table and on the battlefield. Ultimately, forcing the Egyptian mediator to back off from imposing the Israeli conditions and address the core issue that caused this war: the years old Israeli military blockade on Gaza.
After reaching ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the airwaves proclaiming winning the war. On the other side, Palestinians took to the streets celebrating the end of Israeli aggression and their victory.
It is definitely debatable as to who won the war. If winning is to be measured by the number of civilians killed and the damage left behind, Israel is by far the winner. If winning or losing was measured by objectives, Israel was undoubtedly the bigger loser. more.. e-mail
Damaging Our Country from Wars of Choice
Palestine Chronicle: 19 Sep 2014 – By Ralph Nader The drums of war are beating once again with the vanguard of U.S. bombers already over Iraq (and soon Syria) to, in President Obama’s words, “degrade and destroy ISIS.” The Republican Party, led by war-at-any-cost Senators Lindsay Graham and John McCain, wants a bigger military buildup which can only mean U.S. soldiers on the ground. Here they go again. Another result of Bush’s war in Iraq. Washington has already expended thousands of American lives, hundreds of thousands of American injuries and illnesses, and over a million Iraqi lives. The achievement: the slaying or capture of Al Qaeda leaders, but with that came the spread of Al Qaeda into a dozen countries and the emergence of a new Al Qaeda on steroids called the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) which has nominal control over an area in Syria and Iraq larger than the territory of Great…more
Donors will Fail Gaza again
Palestine Chronicle: 19 Sep 2014 – By Nicola Nasser On 12 October, Cairo is due to host a conference, sponsored and chaired by Egypt and Norway, of international and Arab donors for the reconstruction of Gaza. This is their ostensible aim. But the reasons that the donors cited for not fulfilling earlier pledges, made in Paris in 2007 and Sharm El-Sheikh in 2009, still exist. This means that the donors who attend the upcoming Cairo conference will probably make the same pledges they made at the two previous conferences and then once again fail to fulfil them. Meanwhile, the Palestinian people under blockade in Gaza will remain in suspense, waiting for the next aggression to be unleashed on them by the Israeli occupation, purportedly in order to eliminate the causes that the donors cite for rec
ycling their pledges for the reconstruction of Gaza that is unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future. Fulfilment of the donors’…more
Lessons Learned in the Bucca Camp
Palestine Chronicle: 19 Sep 2014 – By Kathy Kelly In January of 2004 I visited “Bucca Camp,” a U.S.-run POW camp named for a firefighter lost in the 2001 collapse of New York’s World Trade Center. Located near the isolated port city of Umm Qasr, in southern Iraq, the network of tent prisons had been constructed by U.S. Coalition authorities. Friends of five young men thought to be imprisoned there had begged our three-person Voices delegation to try and visit the camp and find out what had happened to their loved ones. This was a year before the capture of Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai, who, starting in 2005, would spend four years in the camp under the name Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, on his way to becoming the head of the recently founded Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Our friends with the Christian Peacemaker Teams had developed a database of people thought to be held by the U.S. military. They assembled…more
US Guilty of War Crimes in Palestine
Palestine Chronicle: 19 Sep 2014 – By Sam Bahour The U.S. is not a neutral mediator in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict; it is an active participant and is guilty of the crimes being committed by Israel against Palestinians, most recently, the mass killings and destruction Israel wrought on the Gaza Strip during the summer. The reality that the U.S. is an active supporter of unimaginable suffering may very well be the motivating force behind the U.S.’s adamant attempts to block the Palestinians from using any of the internationally recognized tools of accountability to hold Israel responsible, such as the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. When an indigenous, stateless population is blocked access to opportunities for justice by superpowers like the U.S., something is wrong—deadly wrong. While Israeli bombs were hammering Gaza, Alice Lynd with the assistance of Staughton Lynd, drafted a 32-page pamphlet which was published by the Palestine-Israel Working Group of Historians…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 