24 September 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Fateh and Hamas Resume Reconcilation Talks in Cairo
IMEMC – Both the Hamas and Fateh Palestinian political movements met in Cairo, on Wednesday, with the aim of fully implementing a reconciliation agreement signed in April, according to Egyptian officials. …
Soldiers Prevent Farmer from Working Land near Nablus
IMEMC – Israeli soldiers prevented a Palestinian farmer from cultivating his land, on Wednesday, in the village of Qasra, to the south of Nablus, according to local sources. …
Knesset to Fight High Court After Asylum Ruling
IMEMC – Prominent Knesset members propose curbing the powers of Israel’s High Court following Monday’s ruling that upended official policy concerning asylum seekers by ruling legislation illegal. …
VIDEO: Israeli Forces Arrest Two Children and Fire 29 Rounds of Tear Gas at Schoolchildren
IMEMC – Today at Salaymeh checkpoint in Hebron, Israeli forces fired 29 rounds of tear gas and 5 stun grenades at children going to school. …
Russell Tribunal Looks Into Israeli War Crimes
IMEMC – The Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RToP) began an extraordinary session, Wednesday morning, with the aim of addressing Israel s crimes during the latest aggression on the Gaza Strip. …
UNRWA Urges Donor Community to Stand Against Forced Transfer of Palestinian Bedouins
IMEMC – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (http://www.imemc.org/newswire?search_text=unrwa&button=Search+%3E%3E) has urged the donor community to step up its opposition to the planned transfer of thousands of Bedouins, from the central areas of the West Bank, to the newly created town of Nweima, near Jericho. …
Netanyahu: Gaza Talks Over Security Not Peace
IMEMC – Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says that his country’s participation in Egyptian-brokered talks to consolidate a Gaza ceasefire is aimed at bolstering Israeli security — not a peace deal with Palestinians. …
Dozens Suffer Effects Of Teargas Inhalation In Al-Aqsa Mosque
IMEMC – Palestinian medical sources have reported, Wednesday, that dozens of worshipers suffered the effects of teargas inhalation in the yards of the al-Aqsa mosque, in occupied Jerusalem, after dozens of soldiers invaded the area. …
Eight Kidnapped from West Bank Districts, 3 Injured in Hebron Clashes
IMEMC – Early Tuesday, eight Palestinians, including two minors, were kidnapped by Israel forces from the West Bank, according to reports by local security sources and activists. …
Israeli forces fire rubber bullets in Jerusalem school, 3 injured
9/24/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Three Palestinian students were injured by rubber-coated bullets on Wednesday amid clashes between protesters and Israeli police in the Old City of Jerusalem, the principal of their school said. Munthir al-Natsheh of the Islamic Orphanage Secondary School told Ma’an that two of the students were inside their classrooms and another was in the school yard getting a drink of….
Witnesses: Settlers try to kidnap 11-year-old Jerusalem boy
9/24/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli settlers tried to kidnap a Palestinian child on Wednesday in Jerusalem, the boy’s father said. The father of Muhammad Khaled al-Zaghl said eight settlers attempted to kidnap his 11-year-old son while he was walking home in the Ras al-Amud area.”Muhammad managed to escape and took safety with a group of locals who were nearby,” he told….
Israeli police clash with Palestinians at Aqsa compound
9/24/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Clashes broke out between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli police in the Al-Aqsa compound in the Old City of Jerusalem early Wednesday, witnesses and a police spokesman said. Witnesses told Ma’an that dozens of Israeli police officers gathered at the Moroccan Gate early in the morning, and that clashes began in the courtyard opposite the Al-Aqsa Mosque after police forced….
UNRWA ‘removes’ 1100 Palestinian-Syrian families from aid lists
9/24/2014 – BEIRUT (Ma’an) — A Palestinian popular committee in Lebanon has called for action against the UN’s Palestine refugee relief agency UNRWA in protest against the removal of 1,100 Palestinian families displaced from Syria from a monthly aid program. The committee, along with Palestinian political parties in Lebanon, called for a sit-in in front of the UNRWA headquarters in Beirut on Thursday and….
Israeli forces re-open Aqsa compound after heavy clashes
9/24/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Hundreds of Palestinian Muslim worshipers were allowed to access the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem on Wednesday at noon after being prevented from entering the Muslim holy site the day before and in the morning. Director of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, sheikh Omar al-Kiswani, told Ma’an that Israeli police reopened some of the gates of the….
Kerry, Abbas meet in New York to discuss Gaza situation
9/24/2014 – NEW YORK (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry met with President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the situation in Gaza in the wake of the Israeli offensive, a state department official said. The meeting in New York came as leaders converged for the United Nations General Assembly, and a day after Abbas gave a speech at Cooper Union vowing to present a new timetable for….
Jordan backs Arab Bank support after ‘Hamas’ verdict
9/24/2014 – AMMAN (AFP) — Jordan’s central bank said Tuesday it still supports Jordan-based Arab Bank, found liable in a US court of supporting “terrorism,” saying it had been unable to defend itself adequately. A New York jury found the multinational lender liable Monday on 24 counts of supporting “terrorism” by transferring funds to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, blacklisted by Washington as a terrorist orgnization….
Israel PM: Gaza truce talks about security not peace
9/24/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel’s participation in Egyptian-brokered talks on consolidating a Gaza ceasefire is aimed at bolstering its security not a peace deal with the Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in remarks published Wednesday.”These are negotiations on security issues, not peace negotiations,” Netanyahu told pro-government free-sheet Israel Hayom.”I was careful to ensure that this delegation focuses solely on security. I….
Unpaid cleaning staff at Gaza hospitals start 3-day strike
9/24/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Cleaning staff in Gaza hospitals declared a three-day strike on Wednesday in protest at not receiving their salaries for five months. Nabil Abu Aqlein, manager of cleaning services at Shifa hospital, told Ma’an that workers would declare a general strike if they are not paid soon.”Why isn’t the Palestinian national consensus government doing its job….
Fatah, Hamas resume talks in Cairo
9/24/2014 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — The Hamas and Fatah movements met in Cairo on Wednesday in an effort to fully implement a reconciliation agreement signed in April, Egyptian officials told Ma’an. The talks were conducted under the supervision of director of Egyptian intelligence Muhammad Farid Tuhami, and will focus on the West Bank-Gaza unity government in addition to the reconstruction of the Strip in…. Related:Hamas, Fatah unity talks in Cairo ‘positive’
Hamas, Fatah unity talks in Cairo ‘positive’
9/24/2014 – CAIRO (AFP) — Talks in Cairo between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah on strengthening the Palestinian unity government were taking place in a “positive atmosphere” on Wednesday, officials said. The two-day talks, which began early Wednesday, come after a joint Palestinian delegation and Israel agreed to hold separate indirect talks in late October to thrash out a lasting truce in Gaza.” There is a positive…. Related:Fatah, Hamas resume talks in Cairo
Israel closes down for Jewish New Year
9/24/2014 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli Jews began marking at sunset Wednesday the two-day Jewish New Year holiday, Rosh Hashana, with public transport ceasing in most places and government offices and major businesses closing. For many it will be a long weekend, as the holiday ends at sundown Thursday and the Jewish Sabbath kicks in the next evening. Many Jews do not work on Friday during the day….
Jordan acquits, to free cleric Abu Qatada
9/24/2014 – AMMAN (AFP) — A Jordan court acquitted radical cleric Abu Qatada of terrorism charges Wednesday and ordered the release of the Palestinian-born preacher, who was deported from Britain last year after a long legal battle. Abu Qatada was found not guilty of conspiring to attack tourists in Jordan during millennium celebrations and granted “immediate release”, a judicial source told AFP. The source said the court found….
Iraq, Syria anti-IS campaign takes center stage at UN
9/24/2014 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — World leaders a
t the United Nations turn their attention Wednesday to the US-led campaign to root out the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and moves to outlaw foreign fighters. US President Barack Obama, who is seeking to mobilize international support to defeat IS, is among the first leaders to address the General Assembly debate kicking off at UN headquarters. Obama then….
Obama urges world to fight IS ‘network of death’
9/24/2014 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — President Barack Obama urged the world Wednesday to unite to defeat a “network of death” in Iraq and Syria, as militants defied air strikes and executed a French hostage. As coalition warplanes returned from another night of raids, the US leader appealed to the United Nations General Assembly to join his coalition against the so-called Islamic State group. But even as he….
British PM, Iran president hold first talks since 1979
9/24/2014 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — British Prime Minister David Cameron held talks with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday at the United Nations, the first meeting between the countries’ leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The meeting took place at the British mission office at the United Nations as the General Assembly got underway. Rouhani posted a photograph of himself smiling as he shook….
Israel shoots down Syrian plane over Golan
AlJazeera 24 Sep 2014 – Syria accuses Israel of siding with rebels after one of its aircraft is destroyed over Golan Heights.
occupied Palestinian territory: Reaching 1.1m people
Relief Web 24 Sep 2014 – Source: Disasters Emergency Committee Country: occupied Palestinian territory DEC member agencies and their partners have reached 1.1million people with aid in the first month since the launch of the Gaza Crisis Appeal. Speaking about the response to the DEC appeal…
occupied Palestinian territory: Medicines and Medical Supplies Will Help Thousands Affected by Gaza Crisis
Relief Web 24 Sep 2014 – Source: AmeriCares Country: occupied Palestinian territory Though a cease-fire has been reached, ending 50-days of the deadliest violence Gaza has seen in years, the recovery process has just begun for the thousands affected by the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The conflict destroyed…
ISIL s rise shows it was right to remove Morsi, Egyptian president tells UN
The National 24 Sep 2014 – Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s UN General Assembly speech: ‘The world now understands why Egyptians rebelled.’
Obama pledges more engaged US policy in UN speech
The National 24 Sep 2014 – In his speech in New York on Wednesday, the US president vowed to foster negotiations between regional powers to end proxy conflicts, undermine extremist ideologies and take military action with allies to destroy the militant group ISIL.
Iraqi Kurds face challenges in aiding Syria brethren
The National 24 Sep 2014 – Political tensions and a lack of resources are preventing Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government from aiding Syrian Kurds under attack by ISIL, writes Hugh Naylor.
Algerian militants behead French hiker
The National 24 Sep 2014 – Jund Al Khilifa (Soldiers of the Caliphate), a terrorist group linked to ISIL, claims in a video posted online that they executed Herve Gourdel, 55, who they kidnapped in a national park on Sunday.
Modi s first US visit shows turn of political fortunes
The National 24 Sep 2014 – India’s prime minister will head to the US to meet president Barack Obama this weekend – nine years after he was denied a diplomatic visa by Washington.
Saudi prince flew jet in Syria ISIL attacks
The National 24 Sep 2014 – Photographs released by the official Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday showed eight Saudi air force pilots, including Prince Khaled bin Salman, returning from the mission.
Hamas and Fatah meet in Egypt for reconciliation talks
The National 24 Sep 2014 – The split between the Palestinian factions relates to several key issues including control of Gaza – a disagreement that could undermine any broader ceasefire deal with Israel.
Muslim cleric Abu Qatada freed after acquittal in Jordan
The National 24 Sep 2014 – The three-judge panel unanimously acquitted Abu Qatada because of the lack of convincing charges against him , said Judge Ahmed Qattarneh.
In pictures: Saudi air force returns from mission to Syria
The National 24 Sep 2014 – The Saudi Press Agency released pictures of Saudi pilots returning from a mission to Syria, a day after confirming it joined Arab allies in the US-led airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria.
France left red-faced as suspected extremists walk off scot-free
The National 24 Sep 2014 – A series of bungles led to the three suspects walking free from a French airport after leaving Turkish custody on Tuesday.
Video: After the attack in Syria
The National 24 Sep 2014 – People in the city of Kfar Daryan assess the aftermath of the first round of US-led airstrikes in Syria targeting militants.
Video: Spain s PM scraps hard-line abortion reform
The National 24 Sep 2014 – Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy withdraws a change of an abortion law that would have made Spain one of the most difficult countries in Europe to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.
Video: White tiger kills boy at Indian zoo
The National 24 Sep 2014 – An eyewitness who filmed the incident said, ‘the boy was begging for his life for at least 10 to 15 minutes.’
Video: Algerian village reacts to news of Frenchman kidnapped nearby
The National 24 Sep 2014 – The Algerian military sends troops into mountains east of Algiers to find a Frenchman kidnapped by militants, as residents of a nearby village insist their area is safe.
World leaders face uphill struggle on climate change deal
The National 24 Sep 2014 – More than 100 world leaders promised to seek a global agreement to the threats of rising ocean levels, record cyclones and intensifying heat waves.
India beats Asian rivals in race to Mars
The National 24 Sep 2014 – India now joins an elite club of the United States, Russia and Europe who can boast of reaching Mars. More than half of all missions to the planet have ended in failure, including China s in 2011 and Japan s in 2003.
Graphic: Map of airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria
The National 23 Sep 2014 – The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan, joined US effeorts in launching airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria.
Airstrikes on ISIL: Dithering US made Syria blitz appear inevitable
The National 23 Sep 2014 – Airstrikes on militant targets in Syria may temporarily weaken ISIL on the ground, but questions will be raised about why it took so long for the US to use air power to protect civilians on the ground.
How the UN is set to combat foreign terrorist fighters
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
Barbra Streisand makes music history
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
U.K.’s Cameron and Iran’s Rohani agree to improve ties
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
U.S. and Arab partners attack Islamic State controlled oil refineries in Syria
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
Al-Qaida may carry out attacks to prove relevancy, EU warns
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
In UN speech, Obama talks to Muslims but carries a big stick
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
Life is easy in America, said those without kids in public school
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
The man behind the TV app ‘created by ex-Mossad guys
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
Iran used military base to secretly test nuclear detonation technology, Israel says
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
Atop Israel s mountainous north, a Druze couple builds a new home
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
Netanyahu and Lapid reach 2015 state budget agreement
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
At UN, Obama talks conflict and peace in the Middle East, reaffirms 2-state commitment
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
French police mix-up lets three suspected jihadists free
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
More than 90% of complaints against police not investigated, ministry says
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
Israeli-Palestinian peace is dead, long live peace
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
Israeli police wounded in clashes with Palestinian youths on Temple Mount
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
Panel kicks off talks on which new drugs Israel should fund
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
Smiles hide lost hope of Israel s asylum seekers in Uganda
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
Australian terror suspect had passport canceled, police say
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
Israel steps up pace of Bedouin home demolitions
Ha’aretz – 24 Sep 2014
Israeli politicians’ budget rhetoric: Lies, lies, all lies
Ha’aretz – 23 Sep 2014
Man of the year
Ha’aretz – 23 Sep 2014
When the horizon is an illusion
Ha’aretz – 23 Sep 2014
Path cleared to treat asylum seekers humanely
Ha’aretz – 23 Sep 2014
New Jewish year, new Middle East order
Ha’aretz – 23 Sep 2014
Mac TA convert’s dilemma: Fast on Yom Kippur, or face Lebron at full strength?
Ha’aretz – 23 Sep 2014
How the Knesset ignored the High Court on asylum seekers
Ha’aretz – 23 Sep 2014
Why there’s reason for hope for the New Year
Ha’aretz – 23 Sep 2014
Israel slams lack of progress on Iran at IAEA annual conference
Jerusalem Post 24 Sep 2014 – Head of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission rejects Iran’s “diplomatic vocabulary” at the conference.
Turkish president criticizes UN for failure to act in global crises
Jerusalem Post 24 Sep 2014 – Lifting the blockade on Gaza and creating a Palestinian state is a moral necessity, Erdoan says.
US-Arab coalition forces renew Syria strikes as UN debates terror response
Jerusalem Post 24 Sep 2014 – Security Council passes legally binding resolution to tackle surge of foreign terrorist fighters.
Time to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks based on Arab Initiative, Jordan’s King Abdullah tells UN
Jerusalem Post 24 Sep 2014 – UN secretary-general opens body’s General Debate which will see some 196 speakers, including Obama, Netanyahu and Abbas, address urgent international crises.
Egypt’s Sisi tells UN General Assembly: Palestinian issue still a priority
Jerusalem Post 24 Sep 2014 – Egyptian leader vowed to crack down on Islamist terrorism, which he said must be rooted out “relentlessly.”
Israel says Iran used military site for testing nuclear detonation technology
Jerusalem Post 24 Sep 2014 – According to Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz, Israel based its information on “highly reliable information,” without elaborating.
Obama, confounded, chides tribal Middle East in speech to UN General Assembly
Jerusalem Post 24 Sep 2014 – Violence engulfing the Middle East has made “too many Israelis ready to abandon the hard work of peace,” US president said.
Netanyahu, Lapid reach agreement on 2015 state budget
Jerusalem Post 24 Sep 2014 – Defense establishment to receive NIS 6 billion in supplementary funds, with an additional NIS 7-8 billion to be earmarked for covering the costs of Operation Protective Edge.
Special: The shofar experiment
Jerusalem Post 24 Sep 2014 – JPost TV takes a weekly look at Israel’s unique culture with input from experts.
Youth riot on Temple Mount, clash with police
Jerusalem Post 24 Sep 2014 – Police sustain light injuries from firecrackers, rocks launched by Palestinian rioters near al-Aksa Mosque.
Jewish groups on California campuses prepare for anti-Israel events ahead of Rosh Hashana
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2014 – Jewish groups on California campuses prepare for anti-Israel events ahead of Rosh Hashana.
Why did Arab Bank stand and fight when Iran ran?
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2014 – The answer probably relates to size, prestige and the bank’s different geopolitical setting being the largest bank of close US ally Jordan.
Police heighten security throughout capital for Rosh Hashana
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2014 – Special patrol units, undercover officers, and border policemen will patrol the Old City and the capital s surrounding neighborhoods.
National religious leader Lau calls for tolerance and unity for Israel in 5775
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2014 – Lau, who has authored several books and has a weekly television show on the Torah portion, spoke with The Jerusalem Post in a special interview ahead of Rosh Hashana.
Abbas in NY: We have all made mistakes
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2014 – Abbas questioned why the US supported Israel throughout the conflict which devastated Gaza, and why Israel was not taken to task for its attacks on UNRWA facilities.
Warning signs that US, Arab powers will face human shields in Syria
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2014 – State Department rejects comparison to Israeli army challenges in Gaza conflict.
Rosh Hashana 5775: Each of us has a special role
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2014 – Every person has special strengths, specific desires, personal traits that are only his.
Just do it! The simple meaning of the shofar
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2014 – On this Rosh Hashana, let us trumpet the message of the shofar, keep it simple and just do it.
Peretz calls upon Ban Ki-Moon to form multinational Mid East climate team
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2014 – Leonardo DiCaprio charges world leaders to act decisively to save global ecosystems.
This Week in History: Violence in the Old City as new tunnel opens
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2014 – Premium special: A glimpse into historical moments in Israeli news from this week in ‘The Jerusalem Post’ front covers.
The way to Twillingate
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2014 – Canada s collection of wild North Atlantic islands provides a tranquil yet vibrant getaway.
Being Jewish in Oslo
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2014 –
Unity and perseverance best describe the small community of Jews in the Norwegian capital.
Sounds of the forest
Jerusalem Post 23 Sep 2014 – Olga Avigail and Avishai Fisch s show at Jerusalem s Piyut Festival is influenced by hassidic music and Polish strains.
The Guardian view on the human, economic and political costs of the Gaza war | Editorial
The Guardian 24 Sep 2014 – The kidnapping and murder of three Israeli boys was a horrendous crime, but it need not have led to war A tortuous and tragic story which began in early June with the kidnap and murder of…
Obama calls for new regional talks to try to bring peace to the Middle East
The Guardian 24 Sep 2014 – President tells UN it is time for a broader negotiation in which major powers address their differences directly, honestly, and peacefully Barack Obama has called for a meeting of regional powerbrokers in the Middle East to…
An open letter to the Iraqi people and the heroes revolutionaries, and new prime minister and Sunni politicians and others
Uruknet 24 Sep 2014 – August 31, 2014 – Thanks to God, an idol of the current political process has been fallen, that created to service the major goals of the two countries U.S and Iran, where both countries have been forced to take this…
Palestinians are sentenced to sadness
Uruknet 24 Sep 2014 – August 31, 2014 – I always wanted to meet my mother s West Bank family, who I had not seen for more than a dozen years. Israel s policies of separation imposed on the Palestinians in Gaza, where my father…
1.6 million forcibly displaced in Iraq since January: IOM
Uruknet 24 Sep 2014 – August 31, 2014 – The current conflict in Iraq and the indiscriminate shelling and the usage of barrel bombs by the government army against the civilian areas and populated cities, as well as the activities of the government-backed militias have;…
How freedom of speech was crushed during Protective Edge
Uruknet 24 Sep 2014 – August 31, 2014- An entire spectrum of formerly acceptable left-leaning opinions and sentiments – from defending Palestinians human rights to merely empathizing with their suffering – has become taboo. In the past two months people who publicly expressed such opinions…
Unlikely allies: US, Iran
Uruknet 24 Sep 2014 – August 31, 2014 – With American bombs raining down from the sky, Shia militia fighters aligned with Iran battled Sunni extremists over the weekend, punching through their defences to break the weeks-long siege of Amerli, a cluster of farming villages…
August 2014 Update: US covert actions in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia
Uruknet 24 Sep 2014 – August 31, 2014 – A CIA drone strike in Pakistan killed at least five people and injured two or three more. The strike reportedly occurred in the Datta Khel region of North Waziristan. None of those killed have been named….
How Israeli media obscures Palestinian humanity
Uruknet 24 Sep 2014 – August 31, 2014 -Israeli media insists on portraying the West Bank as the Wild West and its Palestinian inhabitants as savage stone-throwers, all the while masking the reality of armed settlers and a trigger-happy military. If I were to describe…
Video: Palestinians cheer as Israeli “skunk” truck crashes into ravine
Uruknet 24 Sep 2014 – August 31, 2014 – It has been described as smelling like “a chunk of rotting corpse from a stagnant sewer” placed in a blender.It is the foul-smelling liquid the “skunk” truck, one of Israel s weapons of occupation and oppression,…
Syria News – August 30, 2014
Uruknet 24 Sep 2014 – August 30, 2014- By the end of Saturday, LCC was able to document 88 martyrs including13 women, 31 children and 4 martyrs under torture: 18 martyrs were reported in Aleppo; 16 in Damascus and its suburbs; 14 in Idlib; 13…
Poster art tells story of Palestinian struggle
Uruknet 24 Sep 2014 – August 30, 2014- Dan Walsh did not realize he would be documenting more than 60 years of Palestinian history when he began assembling the world s largest collection of Palestinian posters decades ago. Yet, his Palestine Poster Project Archives (PPPA)…
Syria: 28 Palestinians tortured to death in August alone.
Uruknet 24 Sep 2014 – August 30, 2014 – There are now at least 28 Palestinians that have been tortured to death by the Syrian regime. Both Palestinian human rights organizations in Syria (Action Group for Palestinians in Syria & Palestinian League for Human Rights-Syria)…
Visa denials scuttle play with Syrian actresses at Georgetown
Uruknet 23 Sep 2014 – August 30, 2014-It had the potential to be one of the most galvanizing cultural events of the season: a dozen Syrian women, refugees from that besieged country, performing in Washington a version of a 2,500-year-old Greek tragedy revised to include…
Perpetual war, indefinite detention, and torture: The U.S. and Israel s shared values
Uruknet 23 Sep 2014 – August 30, 2014 – The United States and Israel have “shared values” but not when it comes to upholding democracy and the rule of law. Their shared values are perpetual war, torture, indefinite detention, and military courts. Guantanamo is a…
What is Abbas mystery proposal?
Uruknet 23 Sep 2014 – August 30, 2014 – Israeli and international circles are searching for clues as to what the new Palestinian political initiative will contain. In a television interview with Egypt s Sada al-Balad, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he was planning a…
A Friend of my Father: Iran s Manipulation of Bashar al-Assad
Uruknet 23 Sep 2014 – August 30, 2014 – n March 2011, just a few days after the uprisings began in Syria, the Secretary of Iran s Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, made an unannounced visit to Damascus. He came with a clear message:…
U.S., Arab partners carry out new round of strikes in Syria
Daily Star 24 Sep 2014 The Unites States and Arab partners are carrying out more strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, confirming a third night of a military campaign against targets inside Syria.
Qatar emir urges world to shun Israeli leaders
Daily Star 24 Sep 2014 The Qatari emir has accused Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during this summer’s 50-day war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Israel says Iran used Parchin military site for testing nuclear detonation technology
Daily Star 24 Sep 2014 Israel said on Wednesday that Iran has used its Parchin military base as the site for secret tests of technology that could be used only for detonating a nuclear weapon.
UN Security Council passes binding resolution on jihadists
Daily Star 24 Sep 2014 US President Barack Obama on Wednesday led the UN Security Council in unanimously approving a binding resolution on stemming the flow of foreign jihadists to Iraq and Syria.
Warplane bombs non-oil port in Libya’s Benghazi: witnesses
Daily Star 24 Sep 2014 A warplane attacked the non-oil port in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi on Wednesday, witnesses said.
France: Opposition is sole representative of Syrian people
Daily Star 24 Sep 2014 Syria’s Western-recognized opposition is the sole representative of the Syrian people, not the Damascus government that has been complicit in years of violence, French President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday.
Dutch to send fighter jets to strike at IS in Iraq
Daily Star 24 Sep 2014 The Dutch government says it will send six F-16 fighter jets to strike at the Islamic State extremist group in Iraq.
New Microsoft GM looks to Lebanon for future talent
Daily Star 24 Sep 2014 Recently appointed Microsoft General Manager Leila Serhan looks to put Lebanese talent at the forefront of the computer software industry after being named General Manager in North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean & Pakistan Tuesday.
Jordan bombed IS in Syria on Wednesday: US officials
Daily Star 24 Sep 2014 Jordanian warplanes carried out a bombing raid against the Islamic State group in Syria on Wednesday as part of a second day of US-led air strikes against the jihadists, two US defense officials told AFP.
Obama hails ‘vision’ of Iraqi PM at first meeting
Daily Star 24 Sep 2014 US President Barack Obama on Wednesday hailed the “political vision” of new Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi as the two leaders met for the first time.
British PM requests parliament recall on anti-IS action in Iraq
Daily Star 24 Sep 2014 The British parliament will hold an extraordinary session on Friday to debate possible airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday.
Pentagon says still investigating if Khorasan leader killed in Syria
Daily Star 24 Sep 2014 The Pentagon on Wednesday said it was still investigating whether U.S. strikes in Syria on Tuesday killed a leader of the al Qaeda-linked Khorasan group, adding that it could take time to determine.
Hamas, Fatah in ‘positive’ talks on reviving unity
Daily Star 24 Sep 2014 Talks in Cairo between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah on reviving their unity government were taking place in a “positive atmosphere” on Wednesday, officials said.
US imposes financial sanctions on Islamist fighters
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – ….
Islamic State has brought us back to the Middle Ages
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – Op-ed: Religious fundamentalism is a monster with a ticking time bomb of self-destruction, which will eventually destroy itself. ….
US, Arab partners carry out new round of strikes in Syria
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – ….
Where have all the farmers gone?
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – Israeli agriculture is in serious decline 75 percent of the country s farmers have vanished over the past 30 years, amid accusations of neglect and even profiteering by the government. ….
Canada weighs US request for more help in Mideast
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – ….
Three resolutions for Jewish New Year
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – Op-ed: UK will continue to uphold clear and unequivocal line that separates genuine concern regarding Israeli policy from anti-Semitism, says British ambassador to Israel. ….
Qatar emir urges world to shun Israeli leaders
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – ….
Women asked not to visit Breslov rabbi’s grave
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – Hasidic group’s rabbis and activists say female presence at Uman gravesite creates ‘huge spiritual interruption’ that could affect sacredness of prayers said by male worshippers. ….
UN backs strong laws against foreign extremist fighters
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – ….
Israel: Iran tested nuclear tech at Parchin
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – Statement from Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz says Israel holds ‘highly reliable information’ that Iran tested technology that can only be used in WMDs. ….
130,000 Israelis drive north for Rosh Hashanah
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – Some 38,000 vehicles clog Israel’s highways north with more expected into the evening; hundreds of extra police called to cover key traffic areas. ….
Majority of Israelis support religion-state separation
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – On eve of Jewish New Year, Hiddush association’s Religion and State Index shows 72% of public supports opening businesses on Shabbat, 35% believes yeshiva students should be drafted. ….
Jordan acquits al-Qaeda leader of terrorism charges
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – Bin Laden’s right-hand man Abu Qatada, who was accused of plotting attacks against Israelis, Americans, released after court rules there’s insufficient evidence against him. ….
Ukraine’s Jewish refugees get New Year humanitarian aid
YNet News, 24 Sep 2014 – Ahead of High Holidays, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews extends support to thousands of Jews who have fled battle zones in cities of Donetsk and Lugansk. ….
Palestinian Information Center
Palestinian detainee declares hunger strike in Israeli jails
PIC – The Palestinian detainee Raed Mussa, 35, has declared hunger strike on Tuesday protesting his administrative detention in Israeli jails.
Three Palestinian civilians rounded up by IOF in West Bank
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) nabbed at least three Palestinian citizens from the West Bank cities of al-Khalil and Nablus on Wednesday morning.
Unprecedented Judaization campaigns in OJ
PIC – Dr. Hanna Issa, Secretary General of the Islamic-Christian Committee to support Jerusalem and holy sites, warned Tuesday of Israeli forces and settlers‚¨ “! escalated break-ins into al-Aqsa Mosque.
Abu Marzouk: We will not give up on airport and seaport demands
PIC – Member of Hamas‚¨ “!s political bureau and the Palestinian negotiation delegation Mousa Abu Marzouk said on Tuesday that airport and seaport demands are Palestinian legitimate rights.
Tensions run high in Israeli jails due to medical neglect, harsh punishments
PIC – Tension has been running high in Israeli jails after Israel‚¨ “!s systematic medical negligence left a Palestinian sick detainee one-eyed and in the wake of Israel‚¨ “!s arbitrary issue of punitive measures.
Clashes, injuries, arrests reported in IOF raids throughout West Bank
PIC – Dozens of Palestinian unarmed citizens sustained wounds while others were rounded up by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) after a round of violent clashes rocked the West Bank cities.
Tensions in al-Aqsa Mosque, injuries reported
PIC – Israeli Occupation Forces fired heavy tear gas and sound bombs at Palestinian worshipers inside al-Aqsa Mosque in order to provide free access for settlers into its plazas.
Egyptian-brokered Gaza talks to resume late October
PIC – The Palestinian truce delegation has concluded the tabled round of indirect ceasefire talks with the Israeli occupation under Egyptian mediation, setting the tone for another round late next month.
Mother of Palestinian newborn arrested two days after delivery
PIC – Arab Member of the Israeli Knesset Taleb Abu Arar has denounced Israel‚¨ “!s abduction of a Palestinian lady just a couple of days after she gave birth to her baby in Soroka Hospital, in Beer Sheva.
ICRC Increases Initial Budget to Meet Urgent Humanitarian Needs in Gaza
WAFA – 24 Sep 2014
Foreign Ministry: Israeli Raids on al-Aqsa a Prelude for Spatial, Temporal Division
WAFA – 24 Sep 2014
UK Labor Party Stresses Support to Independent Palestinian State
WAFA – 24 Sep 2014
Israel Soldiers Prevent Farmer from Working in His Land near Nablus
WAFA – 24 Sep 2014
Palestine s Qalandiya International on Track to Open this October in Spite of Assault on Gaza
WAFA – 24 Sep 2014
Suffocation Cases, Injuries, as Israeli Police Raids al-Aqsa
WAFA – 24 Sep 2014
Airstrikes Target ISIS in Syria Near Turkish Border
New York Times 24 Sep 2014 – Militants from the Islamic State had besieged a number of Kurdish villages near the border, sending tens of thousands of refugees into Turkey.
Obama, at U.N., Urges Allies to Join Fight Against ISIS
New York Times 24 Sep 2014 – President Obama offered a blueprint for deeper American engagement in the Middle East, telling the General Assembly that a coalition was needed to confront the Islamic State.
Memo From Iraq: ISIS Harsh Brand of Islam Is Rooted in Austere Saudi Creed
New York Times 24 Sep 2014 – Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, adheres to Wahhabism, a severe form of Islam quick to denounce others, even fellow militant groups like Al Qaeda, as infidels and worthy of death.
The Cost for Arab Bank Is a Complex Calculation
New York Times 24 Sep 2014 – Legal experts said many factors suggested that the institution, found liable for knowingly supporting terrorism, may be asked to pay a judgment near or exceeding $1 billion.
Abu Qatada Acquitted on 2nd Terrorism Charge
New York Times 24 Sep 2014 – The militant Islamic cleric known as Abu Qatada walked free after he was cleared of plotting a terror attack against Israeli and Western tourists at a millennium celebration in Jordan in 2000.
Startling Sight Where Blasts Are the Norm
New York Times 23 Sep 2014 – Looming over the new campaign are memories of recent American-led interventions in Libya and Iraq, which ultimately led to new waves of instability.
U.S. Is Carrying Out Vast Majority of Strikes on ISIS, Military Officials Say
New York Times 23 Sep 2014 – The Obama administration tried to convey a resolute coalition, but the vast majority of attacks were by American warplanes.
Philippines Pulls Troops From Zone Near Syria
New York Times 23 Sep 2014 – The United Nations peacekeeping force in the Golan Heights, of which Filipinos formed about one quarter, has been subjected to attacks by Syrianinsurgents.
In Airstrikes, U.S. Targets Militant Cell Said to Plot an Attack Against the West
New York Times 23 Sep 2014 – American forces took advantage of the strikes against the Islamic State in Syria to try to also wipe out the leadership of an unrelated cell that the White House said was plotting against the United States or Europe.
Op-Ed Contributor: The Ancestors of ISIS
New York Times 23 Sep 2014 – Jihadist states have a history, and it shows they always fail.
U.S. Invokes Iraq s Defense in Legal Justification of Syria Strikes
New York Times 23 Sep 2014 – The airstrikes were carried out without the permission of the Syrian government or the United Nations Security Council.
Israeli Forces Kill 2 Palestinian Suspects in Murders of Jewish Teenagers
New York Times 23 Sep 2014 – A military spokesman said that the suspects Marwan Qawasmeh and Amer Abu Aisha were found in Hebron, in the West Bank, and refused to surrender.
Civility is for dancing classes, not universities, and is tool of pro-Israel political operatives Franke
Mondoweiss – Columbia law professor Katherine Franke has been a trueleader in the Steven Salaita case at the University of Illinois. She wrote a letter to Illinois Chancellor Phyllis Wise calling Salaita s firing a catastrophe and canceling a long-scheduled appearance at the school. Then she went to Urbana…
The pinkwashing of Out in the Dark
Mondoweiss – Almost every year on co
llege campuses it happens, the queer Jewish student group or the pro-Israel student group hosts a showing of an Israeli movie featuring two gay men, one Palestinian and one Israeli. The movie isn t political, it s about love triumphing over all. The most…
US elites are vulnerable to donor pressure on Israel question
Mondoweiss – Several recent articles have highlighted the importance of pro-Israel donors in influencing the political discourse at universities, in synagogues, and in U.S. elections. Two pro-Palestinian voices have lost their jobs at campuses in part because of such pressure (Steven Salaita, Bruce Shipman). Here are several stories/incidents…
No Surprise Dep t: David Brooks s son is in Israeli army
Mondoweiss – From the Jewish Journal two days ago. David Brooks son is in the Israeli army . Does it matter? One of the more interesting nuggets buried in a long, Hebrew-language interview with New York Times columnist David Brooks in the recent Ha aretz magazine is the revelation,…
West Bank settlers exporting dates labelled as Made in Palestine
Mondoweiss – Made in Palestine’: New slogan for marketing Israeli products Middle East Monitor 23 Sept Along one of the roads in the city of Ariha in the north of the occupied West Bank, merchants Khaldoun and Hassan regularly receive 30 tons of dates produced in the…
SCOOP: Israel Shoots Down Syrian Plane In Syrian Territory
Tikun Olam – Israel significantly escalated its confrontation with Bashar al-Assad by shooting down a Syrian air force jet that had strayed 1/2 mile into Israeli-occupied Golan. Al Jazeera reports the wreckage landed in Syrian territory. My Israeli source confirmed my suspicion (based on evidence presented below) that while…
UN aims to block jihadist recruits
BBC 24 Sep 2014 – The UN Security Council orders states to block the flow of jihadists to Iraq and Syria, as US jets bomb Islamic State (IS) militants.
Israel Boosts Defense Spending by 10%
The Foward Breaking News 24 Sep 2014 – Israel will increase its 2015 defense budget by 6 billion shekels ($1.6 billion) or more than 10 percent to 57 billion shekels, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu s office said on Wednesday. Click here for the rest of the article…
Barack Obama All But Ignores Iran ‘Threat’ in United Nations Speech
The Foward Breaking News 24 Sep 2014 – President Obama devoted the bulk of his U.N. speech to the fight violent Islamic extremism and all but ignored the subject of Iran s nuclear program. Click here for the rest of the article…
Cameron in talks with Iran’s Rouhani
BBC 24 Sep 2014 – The UK’s prime minister meets Iran’s president for the first time since the country’s revolution in 1979.
Benjamin Netanyahu Lauds Sacrifice for Israel in Rosh Hashanah Message
The Foward Breaking News 24 Sep 2014 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in Rosh Hashanah greetings spoke of the painful year that passed and pledged his nation s support to Diaspora Jews dealing with virulent anti-Semitism. Click here for the rest of the article…
Anti-Semitism Drives 28% Jump in Aliyah
The Foward Breaking News 24 Sep 2014 – Aliyah to Israel jumped 28 percent in the past Jewish year, according to the Jewish Agency for Israel, for a total of 24,800 the highest figure in five years. Click here for the rest of the article…
VIDEO: IS ‘trafficking Yazidi women for sex’
BBC 24 Sep 2014 – More than 3,000 Yazidi women and children have been captured by Islamic State militants and are being trafficked for sex, the BBC learns.
Abu Qatada cleared of terror charges
BBC 24 Sep 2014 – Radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada is freed from prison after a Jordanian court rules there was insufficient evidence to convict him of terrorism offences.
African Immigrants Cheer Israel Court Decision Shutting Jail
The Forward New 24 Sep 2014 – African immigrants in Israel are cheering the High Court s order to close a much-reviled detention center. But asylum seekers still worry about their precarious future in the Jewish state. Click here for the rest of the article…
Egypt: Egypt Hosts Reconciliation Talks Between Palestinian Factions
allAfrica.com24 Sep 2014 – [Aswat Masriya]Cairo -Egypt will begin on Wednesday two-day talks between the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction over a range of key issues including control of Gaza.
Hollande condemns Algeria beheading
BBC 24 Sep 2014 – French President Francois Hollande condemns the beheading in Algeria of tourist Herve Gourdel by a jihadist group linked to Islamic State militants.
Rouhani: Syria airstrikes ‘will only create tragedies’
Al-Monitor 24 Sep 2014 – Iran s president said a nuclear agreement would open the prospect of more cooperation with the United States but criticized the American decision to give more support to Syrian rebels, warning that it could spawn more terrorism.
Syria rebels, experts say US airstrikes hit Al-Nusra Front not “Khorasan”
Al-Akhbar News 24 Sep 2014 – The US says it has hit a group called “Khorasan” in Syria, but experts and Syria’s so called “moderate” opposition argue it actually struck al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, al-Nusra Front, which fights alongside the Syria rebels. In announcing its raids in the northern province of Aleppo on…
VIDEO: Iraqis urge UK to strike IS targets
BBC 24 Sep 2014 – As the UK edges closer to military action in the region, the BBC’s Lyse Doucet asks Iraqis if they think Britain should do more in tackling Islamic State.
Yemen president appoints two Houthi presid
ential advisers
Al-Akhbar News 24 Sep 2014 – Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi has appointed two advisers representing the Houthi group and southern separatists as part of a deal to resolve the country’s lingering political crisis, a government source has said. “President Hadi has issued a presidential decree appointing Ali al-Sammad…
What is the Khorasan Group?
BBC 24 Sep 2014 – Details emerge about Syria-based al-Qaeda cell targeted by US
The barbarian invasions
Al-Akhbar Opinion 24 Sep 2014 – A F/A-18F Super Hornet attached to the Fighting Black Lions of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 213 as it flies over the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) after conducting strike missions against ISIS targets on September 23, 2014. (Photo: AFP) A F/A-18F Super Hornet…
Germany sticks to anti-ISIS policy despite Philippines hostage threat
Al-Akhbar News 24 Sep 2014 – Germany said Wednesday it would not change its policy following a reported threat by Philippine Islamist militants to kill a German hostage unless Berlin stops backing US action against jihadists in Iraq and Syria. “We heard about the report and I would like to say one…
Israel closes West Bank mosque to Muslims for two days
Al-Akhbar News 24 Sep 2014 – The Israeli authorities will close the Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron to Muslims on Wednesday and Thursday for the Jewish Rosh Hashanah holiday, a Palestinian official has said. “Israeli authorities notified us that the Ibrahimi Mosque would be open to Jews and…
Turkey sends three French jihadists home on wrong flight
Al-Akhbar News 24 Sep 2014 – Three men suspected of joining Islamist militants in Syria gave themselves in to French authorities on Wednesday after a day of high confusion which exposed security shortcomings in France, including poor collaboration with NATO ally Turkey. A senior French minister has criticized Turkey after plans to…
Rouhani meets ex-US officials but obstacles to deal remain
Al-Monitor 24 Sep 2014 – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani held an off-the-record dinner with former senior US officials and cabinet members, but sources say key hurdles to a nuclear deal persist.
Lebanon: Incitement against the army leads to more attacks in Tripoli
Al-Akhbar News 24 Sep 2014 – A Lebanese army patrol in the northern city of Tripoli. (Photo: Adel Karroum) A Lebanese army patrol in the northern city of Tripoli. (Photo: Adel Karroum) Since the recent clashes in Ersal, terrorist attacks targeting the Lebanese army in the northern city of Tripoli are no…
Turkey allows headscarves for young students
Al-Monitor 24 Sep 2014 – The Turkish government has changed the public school dress code, allowing 9- and 10-year-old female pupils to wear headscarves to school.
Iranian Reformist: We are working for democracy
Al-Monitor 24 Sep 2014 – Mohammad Sadegh Kharazi, one of the moderate reform figures in Iran, talked to Al-Hayat about the international alliance to fight the Islamic State, the nuclear negotiations and the future of reformists in Iran.
Kurdish leader: ISIS continues to advance despite US-led strikes in Syria
Al-Akhbar News 24 Sep 2014 – The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has reinforced fighters who are battling Kurdish forces for control of a Syrian town at the border with Turkey, a redeployment triggered by US-led airstrikes on the group elsewhere, a Kurdish military official said. Ocalan Iso, deputy leader…
Islamic State attacks test Kurdish-Syrian rebel alliance
Al-Monitor 24 Sep 2014 – The Islamic State s offensive against the Kurdish stronghold of Kobani came only days after the People s Protection Units formed an alliance with local Syrian rebel brigades to confront the terrorist group.
Hamas weighs alternatives to Palestinian unity government
Al-Monitor 24 Sep 2014 – Hamas holds little faith in the newly established consensus government, accusing President Mahmoud Abbas of putting aside the needs of the people of Gaza.
AUDIO: Iraq PM to ask UK for military ‘help’
BBC 24 Sep 2014 – Iraq’s ambassador in London Faik Nerweyi, has said that help against Islamic State “will be core” of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s discussion with David Cameron when they meet later.
Egyptian visit to Ethiopian dam raises hopes for resolution
Al-Monitor 24 Sep 2014 – Egypt and Ethiopia are showing a willingness to resolve the dispute over the Renaissance Dam, but some fundamental concerns still remain.
Fatah, Hamas meet in Cairo to discuss unity government role in Gaza
Al-Akhbar News 24 Sep 2014 – Palestinian factions met in Cairo on Wednesday for two days of talks aimed at mending a rift that could threaten Egyptian-mediated negotiations to turn the Gaza ceasefire into a lasting truce. The split between the Hamas and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction relates to…
Israel to shut down Gaza’s only functioning trade crossing for four days
Al-Akhbar News 24 Sep 2014 – Israel will shut the Gaza Strip’s only functioning commercial crossing the Kerem Shalom border terminal for four days starting Thursday for the upcoming Jewish holidays, a Palestinian official has said. “Israeli authorities decided to close the border crossing on Thursday and reopen it Sunday…
Gaza hospital cleaners strike
Al-Monitor 24 Sep 2014 – Hospital cleaners
in Gaza are on strike over unpaid wages from the consensus government, one of many problems in Gaza since the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas.
Saudis, Iranians benefit from Houthi attack on Sanaa
Al-Monitor 24 Sep 2014 – Saudi Arabia and Iran appear to see the Houthis’ assault against Sanaa to both their advantages in the fight against extremists in the region and resolving other issues.
Israeli assassination closes the chapter on the story of the three settlers
Al-Akhbar Politics 24 Sep 2014 – Israeli military members stand over the body of a man shot during an Israeli security services operation in the southern West Bank city of Hebron on September 23, 2014. (Photo: AFP-Hazem Bader) Israeli military members stand over the body of a man shot during an Israeli…
Islamic State finds fertile ground in Jordan
BBC 24 Sep 2014 – Jihadist ideologue says strikes will boost support for IS in Jordan
Iran nuclear negotiators have no ‘authority’ to discuss Islamic State
Al-Monitor 24 Sep 2014 – Iranian Gen. Massoud Jazayeri said that Iran’s nuclear negotiators only have the authority to conduct talks on the nuclear issue, and not the Islamic State, with US officials.
5 reasons why Turkey should join the military coalition
Al-Monitor 24 Sep 2014 – With the hostages held by Islamic State (IS) free, it makes sense for Turkey to commit fully to the anti-IS coalition.
Syrian rebels access blocked to key Damascus neighborhood
Al-Monitor 24 Sep 2014 – Syrian regime and opposition forces continue to clash in suburbs around Damascus, where the rebels are working in vain to reinforce the Jobar front.
Thousands attend funeral of killed Palestinians
New Jewish Resistance 24 Sep 2014 – Clashes broke out as thousands attended the funeral for two Palestinian men killed by Israeli forces overnight during an “ambush” in the Hebron area. read more
Yazidi anger at forgotten crisis
BBC 24 Sep 2014 – Escaped Yazidi women tell of ordeal under IS
Yemen rebel chief hails ‘revolution’
BBC 23 Sep 2014 – The leader of Yemen’s Shia Houthi rebels describes his supporters’ takeover of key parts of the capital, Sanaa, as a “successful revolution”.
Jihadi leader Zureiqat threatens to occupy Beirut
Al-Akhbar Politics 23 Sep 2014 – A Lebanese army patrol on the outskirts of Ersal. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) A Lebanese army patrol on the outskirts of Ersal. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) There appears to be no hope on the horizon: The kidnapped soldiers are being treated as martyrs by the government. This is…
Articles
Gaza: Inspiring new forms of resistance?
Pam Bailey, Al Jazeera9/24/2014
Gaza’s ‘war artists’ adapt to occupation by using technology to create and share.
Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish once wrote that “against barbarity, poetry can resist only by confirming its attachment to human fragility, like a blade of grass growing on a wall while armies march by”.
During what will likely become known as the “Third Great War On Gaza”, whitewashed by Israel with its own name, “Operation Protective Edge”, there was literally a field of resilient blades of grass – artists fighting back against injustice with their creativity. And in their own way, they are continuing a time-honoured tradition, following in the footsteps of other “war artists” around the world, from Francisco Goya to Pablo Picasso.
The ubiquitous protest art was among my primary impressions, right along with the devastating destruction, when I first entered Gaza immediately after Operation Cast Lead in March of 2009. Thereafter, during my frequent visits to Gaza, I always made it a point to seek out the few galleries that a few struggling artists had opened, along with the many public murals and protest graffiti that grace nearly every public wall. During this war, however, due to the expense of art materials and lack of safety in the streets, their art supplies were digital and their “galleries” were social media.
“Even with the difficulties, I felt strongly that I had to express what this brutal offence was doing to my people,” artist Basel Emaqosui told me. “The Western news media were just talking about numbers and facts; they weren’t looking the souls of people here, and the pain.”
Screaming contradictions….more..e-mail
How to talk occupation at a Rosh Hashanah dinner and make it out alive
Noam Sheizaf, +972 Magazine9/24/2014
What were you thinking? Everyone in the family noticed that anti-war status you posted this summer, and the hasbara video they sent that you didn t like. Tonight they are going to air it all.
The Rosh Hashanah holiday dinner is a dangerous event for Israeli leftists especially after this past summer. Remember that angry post you uploaded to Facebook about Shujaiya, or the settlement budget, or about people who put Israeli flag badges on their profile pictures? Present at your holiday dinner will be at least two cousins who noticed and have been waiting two months to take it up with you. And let s not forget about mom s elderly uncle. He may not have noticed that you didn t like the hasbara video he posted on your Facebook wall, but you better trust that he won t miss his chance to explain, at first with a smile but quickly with a face flush red from wine, about the true nature of the Arab (in the third person singular).
The keyword of the evening: ISIS. You re going to hear it a lot. Because the Israeli leftist is a specimen: an object to identify, educate, and if that doesn t work, to chop up and make meatballs out of. It really doesn t matter if you re one of those provocateurs who at Passover says that freedom is for Palestinians, too, or if you shelter yourself by hiding everyone on Facebook with whom you disagree in order to fortify your safe and pleasant bubble the family thought-police will catch up with you. The good news is that you don t have to worry about not getting married, or about the kids you need to have already. This time, the interrogation will go in an entirely different direction.
The recommended strategy is desertion. A long weekend out of the country, or at least out of town, will stop you from becoming the central attraction that keeps all the guests in their seats until midnight. But if you don t have a viable escape plan, or if you re one of those masochists who is still planning to convince those who aren t really even part of the debate, you should probably come prepared,more..e-mail
PHOTOS: Palestinians protest Ramallah firm s role in displacing Bed
ActiveStills, +972 Magazine9/22/2014
Palestinians in Ramallah protest the Assia architectural firm s collaboration with the Israeli Civil Administration in a project to forcibly relocate Bedouin in the West Bank.
Israel s Civil Administration, the military government that rules over Palestinians in the West Bank, is pushing forward with a plan to remove thousands of Palestinian Bedouin from lands in the occupied West Bank, including an especially contentious area east of Jerusalem known as E1. The plan calls for the forcible relocation of as many as 12,500 Bedouin to a new town in the Jordan Valley.
Activists recently discovered that the latest plan was commissioned to a Palestinian architectural firm called Assia, which is based in Ramallah. To protest the company s collaboration with the Israeli Civil Administration, Palestinian activists held a protest outside the firm s office Sunday.
Haaretz reported that members of the Rashaida tribe currently live on the land that is earmarked for the new town in the Jordan Valley, and four years ago they consented in principle to its establishment, reassured by the fact that the planners were Palestinian.
The new town, to be called Talet Nueima, will be built in Area C near Jericho in the Jordan Valley, and is slated to house about 12,500 people from Bedouin communities in the Jordan Valley and the Jerusalem area.
For many in the Bedouin community this is an extension of Israel s policy of removing Bedouin from their lands in the Negev desert to controversial development towns. The Palestinian Authority also rejects the plan because it intends to build its own town in the same area of the Jordan Valley.more..e-mail
Elite unit soldiers are saying no more!
Michel Warschawski, Alternative Information Center9/16/2014
The dry season of refusal I was complaining about a month ago may be coming to its end. Let’s hope.
A month ago, during Israel’s criminal aggression againt Gaza, I asked in my blog “But where are the refusers?” One should remember that during the war in Lebanon (1982-1985) and during the Intifada (1987-1990), thousands of reserve officers and soldiers refused to join their units, and hundreds were sentenced to military jail (for several weeks only, one should add). They were call “refuseniks”.
Despite the obvious aggressive nature of the Israeli attack on Gaza and the targeting of civilians that resulted in more than 2000 dead, there was no refusal movement. Half a dozen Israelis did refuse, but this is very far from what can be call a movement. The answer to why there were not many refusers is to be found in structural changes within Israeli society over the past two decades, changes which definitely did not move in a good direction.
A few days ago, however, Yediot Aharonot, the most read Israeli daily, published an open letter signed by 43 officers and soldiers (reserves) in which they announced that from now on their will refuse to serve in the occupied Palestinian territory. These soldiers are not just anybody: they all belong to Unit 8200, one of the most prestigious units of the military intelligence corps. In that letter they denounce what for many years they have been ordered to do: spying on the private lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and using gathered information to blackmail and recruit collaborators with the occupation forces. The information they gathered was aimed to “recruit collaborators and to blackmail them, including by using information on their sexual life, diseases and other problems of innocent Palestinians” (Haaretz, September 15, 2014.
The political establishment reacted brutally: “they endanger the security of Israel” said PM Benjamin Netanyahu….more..e-mail
Israel forces Gaza fishermen to undress in attack violating ceasefire deal
Electronic Intifada: 23 Sep 2014 – Now that the media s attention has shifted elsewhere, Israel has reduced the fishing zone off Gaza to five nautical miles.more..
Linking Gaza and Auschwitz, British poet builds “defense against the dark”
Electronic Intifada: 24 Sep 2014 – Ruth Padel avoids the clumsiness that often characterizes attempts to compare Israel and Nazi Germany.more..
No to a repeat of Iraq and Libya: collection of articles and statements
In Gaza: 24 Sep 2014 – **Image by Carlos Martinez Sept 23, 2014, Syria Solidarity Movement: STATEMENT ON UNAUTHORIZED US AIR STRIKES INSIDE SYRIA : The US Administration has escalated its three-year-long war for regime change in Syria by launching air attacks, not authorized by the Syrian government or the UN Security Council, on ISIL positions in Syria; by increasing funding and training of moderate rebels in Syria to the tune of $500 million; and by enlisting the support of other countries in a new coalition of the willi
ng to do its dirty work. The Syria Solidarity Movement believes that these belligerent US actions amount to a further attempt at regime change in Syria through the back door . We believe that the USA will in fact go on to bomb Syrian government positions. In response, the SSM urges peace-loving people in every country to do everything possible to RESIST and STOP this drive toward increased aggression against…more
The Girl with the Doll
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Sep 2014 – By Tamar Fleishman The girl with the doll, her mother and her two sisters, one of which was burning up with fever and kept crying each time she saw a soldier, weren t permitted to pass through the checkpoint and head home to Abu- Gosh. Everything was done according to the regulations and everything was done according to the orders, there were no irregularities. That is what they teach them and that is what they are trained to do, to obey with full compliance without taking responsibility or acting according to their own judgment. Because this way is better for them and this way is better for the system, and this is how generations of children turn into obedient adults who follow their orders without second guessing the actions they perform and their consequences. The mother of the girl with the doll, who was born and raised in Ramallah and has…more
Nakhwa without Borders: Gaza and the End of Arab Gallantry
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Sep 2014 – By Ramzy Baroud On its own the Arabic word al-Nakhwa, means gallantry. Combined with the word al-Arabiya Arab gallantry the term becomes loaded with meanings, cultural and even political implications and subtext. But what is one to make of Arab gallantry during and after Israel s most brutal war on Gaza between 8 July and 26 August which killed 2,163 Palestinians and wounded over 11,000 more? Is this the end of Arab Nakhwa? Did it even ever exist? As a Palestinian Gaza refugee from a simple peasantry background, I was raised to believe that al-Nakhwa was an essential component of one s Arab identity. Together with al-Rojoula manhood/fortitude/heroism al-Karm generosity al-Karama dignity and al-Sharaf honour were all indispensable tenants in the character of any upright person. The alternative is unthinkably shameful. Thus, it is no wonder that Palestinian national songs, and the…more
Israeli Refuseniks: Occupation s Dark Underbelly Exposed
Palestine Chronicle: 23 Sep 2014 – By Jonathan Cook Nazareth A letter signed by 43 veterans of an elite Israeli military intelligence unit declaring their refusal to continue serving the occupation has sent shockwaves through Israeli society. But not in the way the soldiers may have hoped. Unusually, this small group of reservists has gone beyond justifying their act of refusal in terms of general opposition to the occupation. Because of their place at the heart of the system of control over Palestinians, they have set out in detail, in the letter and subsequent interviews, what their work entails and why they find it morally repugnant. Veterans of the secretive Unit 8200, Israel s NSA, say it is drummed into new intelligence recruits that no order is unlawful. They must, for example, guide air strikes even if civilians will be harmed. The 43, all barred by Israeli law from identifying themselves publicly, say they avoided serving…more
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The New Dark Age 