26 September 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Displaced Gazans Still Waiting for Solutions, Brace Themselves for Cold Winter
IMEMC – Palestinians in Gaza who were displaced by Israel’s recent military offensive on the region are still waiting for solutions, as winter now approaches. …
“The Land Is Ours” Campaign Launched by OneVoice Palestine
IMEMC – OneVoice Palestine has launched “The Land Is Ours” campaign, aiming to promote the role of young Palestinians in popular non-violent resistance. …
UN Resolution Proposal on Israeli Nukes Defeated
IMEMC – A resolution proposed by 18 Arab member states, expressing concern about Israel’s nuclear arsenal was defeated again, on Thursday, at the annual general conference of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). …
Al-Aqsa Mosque Under Strict Israeli Measures
IMEMC – Similar to every Friday, the Israeli army and police imposed a strict siege on the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa mosque, in occupied Jerusalem, ahead of noon prayers, and placed various restrictions. …
Two Female Detainees Released, 18 Still Behind Bars
IMEMC – The Ahrar Center for Detainee’s Studies and Human Rights has reported that, following the recent release of two female detainees, the number of female detainees held by Israel currently stands at 18. …
Israeli Reservists “Operate” In US Colleges
IMEMC – Following successive ongoing international campaigns to achieve boycott divestment and sanctions on Israel in different countries around the world, especially in colleges, the Israeli government is now acting on an extensive strategy that includes Israeli reservist soldiers, to recap its losses. …
Abbas UN Speech To Include Bid For Ending Occupation
IMEMC – During his speech at the United Nations, on Friday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas intends to present a bid aiming at setting a timeline for ending Israel’s illegitimate occupation, and establishing an independent Palestinian State. …
Injuries as Israeli forces disperse protest in Nabi Saleh
9/26/2014 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli forces dispersed a weekly march against the occupation and settlements in the village of Nabi Saleh near Ramallah on Friday. The march set off from the center of the village towards lands threatened to be confiscated by Israeli authorities. When the march reached the area, Israeli forces fired rubber-coated steel bullets and tear-gas canisters at the crowd, despite the presence….
Number of administrative detainees highest since 2008
9/26/2014 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — There are now 540 Palestinians being held in administrative detention, the highest number since 2008, a prisoner rights group said Friday. The Ahrar Center for Prisoners Studies said dozens of detainees have been transferred to administrative detention over the past three weeks, while the detention of 70 other prisoners has been extended. A spokesman for the group, Riyad al-Ashqar, said that….
Prisoners demand removal of ‘carcinogenic’ devices in Israeli jails
9/26/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Palestinian prisoners called upon Israeli prison authorities to end their practice of using mobile phone jammers, which prisoners said in the past had caused medical ailments including headaches and rashes, in Israeli jails. The call came in a letter on Friday in which Palestinian prisoners addressed the Palestinian public, calling on them to escalate their support for the more than….
Gazans displaced by Israel offensive still waiting for solutions
9/26/2014 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Palestinians in Gaza displaced by Israel’s military offensive on the besieged enclave are still waiting for solutions as winter approaches. Israel’s military assault left over 110,000 Palestinians homeless and the displaced are traveling from one place to another to find refuge. Muin Bahar, who lives amongst the rubble of his destroyed home, told Ma’an….
Presidency: Abbas’ UN speech beginning of new stage
9/26/2014 – NEW YORK (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech at the United Nations Friday will be the beginning of a new stage, a spokesman for the Palestinian presidency said Friday. Nabil Abu Rdeineh told Ma’an that the speech will determine the features of the political movement of the next stage “because the de facto policy and occupation is not acceptable any more…. Related: Abbas at UN: Return to negotiations with Israel ‘impossible’
Abbas at UN: Return to negotiations with Israel ‘impossible’
9/26/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian President Abbas on Friday said that a return to direct negotiations was impossible and accused Israel of committing “genocide” during a speech at the United Nations during the 69th annual General Debate. Speaking a day after he said that the speech speech would unveil a new way forward for the Palestinian cause, Abbas slammed Israel for having “predetermined” the result…. Related: Presidency: Abbas’ UN speech beginning of new stage
PA ministry encourages more tourism to Palestine
9/26/2014 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Minister of Tourism on Friday called on the world to visit Palestine, a day ahead of 2014’s World Tourism Day celebrations. Rula Maayah said that tourism to Palestine is recovering after a huge decline during Israel’s 50-day military offensive on Gaza, during which time visitor numbers decreased by 60 percent. The ministry is working with….
Britain set to join US-led air campaign against IS
9/26/2014 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — British lawmakers are expected to vote Friday to join the international air strikes against Islamic State fighters, as the United States and its Arab allies turn up the heat on the militants. In Washington on Thursday, the Pentagon released cockpit video of guided missiles from F-15 jets smashing into oil refineries and Islamic State compounds in the latest night of strikes in….
British PM warns anti-IS campaign could take ‘years’
9/26/2014 – LONDON (AFP) — British Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday warned a military campaign against the Islamic State militants in Iraq could take years as he opened a debate in which MPs will vote on joining US-led air strikes.” This is going to be a mission that will take not just months but years but I believe we have to be prepared for that commitment,” he….
Iran leader slams West ‘blunders’ but eyes cooperation
9/26/2014 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani wavered between criticism and engagement in a speech to the UN, slamming Western blunders in the Middle East but signaling commitment to securing a deal on nuclear power. Days after the United States widened bombing raids against the Islamic State group in Iraq to Syria, Rouhani warned that regional moderates — albeit with international support — were best placed to….
Abbas: Israel waging war of genocide in Gaza
AlJazeera 26 Sep 2014 – Palestinian leader, speaking at UN General Assembly, vows to pursue Israeli leaders for war crimes.
International Solidarity Movement
VIDEO: Israeli forces use violence against unarmed demonstrators attempting to plant olive sapplings in Wadi Foukeen
9/27/2014 – International Solidarity Movement – Khalil team, Wadi Foukeen, Occupied Palestine – Wadi Foukeen is a Palestinian village just west of Bethlehem with a population of approximately 1,250 people. A weekly Friday demonstration has been organized by the village community against the Israeli occupation and in response to the recent land grab of 4,000 dunams (nearly 1,000 acres) by the Israeli government. Over a quarter of the confiscated land belongs to….
occupied Palestinian territory: Education Facilities Damage Assessment in Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestinian Territory (26 September 2014)
Relief Web 26 Sep 2014 – Source: UNOSAT Country: occupied Palestinian territory This map illustrates satellite-detected damage and destruction of education facilities in Gaza Strip, resulting from recent conflicts in the area. Using satellite imagery collected 14 August 2014 and 27-28 August 2014 by the Pleiades…
occupied Palestinian territory: Health Facilities Damage Assessment in Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestinian Territory (26 September 2014)
Relief Web 26 Sep 2014 – Source: UNOSAT Country: occupied Palestinian territory This map illustrates satellite-detected damage and destruction of health facilities in Gaza Strip, resulting from recent conflicts in the area. Using satellite imagery collected 14 August 2014 and 27-28 August 2014 by the Pleiades…
occupied Palestinian territory: President Rajapaksa Hands Over US$1 Million Donation to Palestine
Relief Web 26 Sep 2014 – Source: Government of Sri Lanka Country: occupied Palestinian territory, Sri Lanka NEW YORK: President Mahinda Rajapaksa officially handed over Sri Lanka’s US$1 million donation to Palestine when he met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas this afternoon on the sidelines of the…
Lebanon: Lebanon: RRP6 Monthly Update – August 2014: WASH
Relief Web 26 Sep 2014 – Source: UN Children’s Fund, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic HIGHLIGHTS: Through its private sector partnerships and in collaboration with the Water Establishments, UNICEF has installed 19 chlorinators in the most vulnerable municipalities…
Britain to join airstrikes against ISIL as Syria attacks continue
The National 26 Sep 2014 – UK parliament votes to back PM David Cameron’s decision to join air assault on ISIL and its captured assets.
Turkey’s policies changing as ISIL closes in on Kurds
The National 26 Sep 2014 – Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country has changed its stance on its involvement in the campaign against ISIL militants following the release of Turkish hostages held in Iraq.
Mahmoud Abbas demands end to Israeli occupation in UN speech
The National 26 Sep 2014 – The Palestinian Authority president appears to be steering conflict resolution efforts in a new direction.
Syria first responders remind UN of humanitarian catastrophe
The National 26 Sep 2014 – Raed Saleh has traveled to the United Nations seeking funding to save lives in Syria even as money for the humanitarian crisis declines, writes Taimur Khan.
Qatar emir denies funding Syria extremists
The National 26 Sep 2014 – “We don’t fund extremists,” Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said in an interview with CNN aired on Thursday.
Video: West African leaders call for more aid for Ebola at UN
The National 26 Sep 2014 – Discussions on combating the spread of the Ebola virus are dominating much of the talks at the United Nations, where the affected countries are demanding more aid.
Video: Philippine militants threaten to kill German hostages
The National 26 Sep 2014 – Al Qaeda-linked militants in the Philippines threaten to kill two German hostages unless Germany stops supporting US action against ISIL militants.
Video: US Attorney General Holder to resign, official says
The National 26 Sep 2014 – US Attorney General Eric Holder will announce his resignation at a White House event on Thursday, according to a Justice Department official.
U.K. parliament approves air strikes against Islamic State
Ha’aretz – 26 Sep 2014
Middle East Updates / U.S.: 12,000-15,000 Syrian rebels needed to retake eastern Syria
Ha’aretz – 26 Sep 2014
Senior Netanyahu aides: Abbas speech full of lies, incitement
Ha’aretz – 26 Sep 2014
Israel’s moment of choice
Ha’aretz – 26 Sep 2014
Abbas at UNGA: Israel perpetrated genocide in Gaza, we won’t forget or forgive
Ha’aretz – 26 Sep 2014
Twitter CEO calls out Iran’s Rohani over social network ban
Ha’aretz – 26 Sep 2014
From Krypton to Memphis: Superman’s Jewish roots explored at a shul
Ha’aretz – 26 Sep 2014
Egypt changes clocks for fourth time in five months
Ha’aretz – 26 Sep 2014
Storied synagogues around Israel need vital restoration
Ha’aretz – 26 Sep 2014
Syrian shells hit Turkish soil as Islamic State advances on Syrian border town
Ha’aretz – 26 Sep 2014
Berlin: Major mall opens on Nazi-expropriated Jewish-owned site
Ha’aretz – 26 Sep 2014
Israeli Arabs slam alleged ploy to get Christians to join army
Ha’aretz – 25 Sep 2014
Islamic State tightens siege of Syria border town; more Europeans join US-led alliance
Jerusalem Post 26 Sep 2014 – Britain’s parliament voted 542 to 43 to back Prime Minister David Cameron’s decision to join air strikes on Iraq.
Liberman calls Abbas ‘diplomatic terrorist busy with slandering Israel’
Jerusalem Post 26 Sep 2014 – “There’s a reason that Abu Mazen entered into a joint government with Hamas,” Israel’s foreign minister said.
Full text of Palestinian Authority President Abbas’ address to the UN General Assembly in New York
Jerusalem Post 26 Sep 2014 – Abbas appealed to the world body to draw up a specific timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank.
Abbas denounces ‘genocidal’ Israel, urges UN to back timetable for Palestinian statehood
Jerusalem Post 26 Sep 2014 – Abbas is expected to appeal to the world body to draw up a specific timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank.
Report: Israel says nine Japanese nationals have joined Islamic State
Jerusalem Post 26 Sep 2014 – A United Nations Security Council committee blacklisted on Tuesday more than a dozen foreign extremist fighters, fundraisers and recruiters tied to militant groups.
English soccer club Liverpool deletes Rosh Hashanah tweet after anti-Semitic posts
Jerusalem Post 26 Sep 2014 – “Due to a number of offensive comments that were attached to a tweet on the official LFC twitter account, the tweet and comments have since been removed from the account,” the club told the Guardian.
French Muslims denounce ‘cowardly murder’ of tourist
Jerusalem Post 26 Sep 2014 – France’s five-million-strong Muslim population is the largest in Europe.
Middle Israel: Person of the year
Jerusalem Post 26 Sep 2014 – The anti-heroic Benny Gantz personified the Israeli who withstood 5774’s dominant event, having arrived as its accidental warrior.
British PM Cameron urges parliament to back ‘years’ of air strikes against ISIS
Jerusalem Post 26 Sep 2014 – “Is there a threat to the British people? The answer is yes,” Cameron told parliament, saying he thought action would need to last “years” to be effective.
Inching closer to nuclear agreement, P5+1 aim to tackle any Iran bomb ‘sneak-out’ risk
Jerusalem Post 26 Sep 2014 – West keen to prevent Tehran becoming latent nuclear power and seek wider inspections to detect any nuclear diversions.
Qatari leader tells CNN: We do not support terrorist movements
Jerusalem Post 25 Sep 2014 – In an interview with CNN, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani rejected suggestions that Doha was bankrolling organizations that the West regards as terrorist groups.
Mahmoud Abbas calls on UN to back deadline for Israeli withdrawal
The Guardian 26 Sep 2014 – Palestinian president accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza conflict and declares US-brokered peace process dead The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has called on the United Nations security council to support a resolution setting a clear deadline…
We must beware Isis wants the west to conduct a crusade | Oliver Miles
The Guardian 26 Sep 2014 – Our bombers can achieve little, but Britain can make a diplomatic difference in Iraq and, perhaps, Syria too If we are embarking on yet another Middle East war, we should start by reflecting that it is…
Gaza war may be over but Jerusalem is still simmering
The Guardian 26 Sep 2014 – Outbreaks of violence in the city have intensified since murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, fuelling talk of a third intifada Tariq Abu Khdeir has been arrested twice this summer. The first time, Israeli police accused the…
September 01, 2014 At least 1635 violent deaths in Iraq for the month of August
Uruknet 26 Sep 2014 – September 1, 2104 – A new month, a new round of tabulated death tolls. UNAMI goes with 1420 dead (minus Anbar). They issued the following statement today: Baghdad, 1 September 2014 – According to casualty figures released today by UNAMI,…
Same Song, New Singer Elizabeth Warren and Israel
Uruknet 26 Sep 2014 – September 1, 2014- During her “Office Hours” town hall on August 22, 2014, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren responded to a constituent s criticism of her support for Congress $225 million aid bill to Israel amid the hellfire it was raining…
Two Long-Term Yemeni Prisoners Repatriated from Bagram; Are Guantánamo Yemenis Next?
Uruknet 26 Sep 2014 – September 1, 2014 – Last week there was some good news from Bagram, in Afghanistan, bringing one of the many long injustices of the “war on terror” to an end, when Amin al-Bakri and Fadi al-Maqaleh, two Yemenis held without…
Newly declassified documents reveal how U.S. agreed to Israel s nuclear program
Uruknet 26 Sep 2014 – September 1, 2014 – The Obama administration this week declassified papers, after 45 years of top-secret status, documenting contacts between Jerusalem and Washington over American agreement to the existence of an Israeli nuclear option. The Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (…
Despite reforms, IDF still mistreating Palestinian children
Uruknet 26 Sep 2014 – September 1, 2014 – In September 2011, a delegation of nine lawyers from the UK, including a former attorney general and Court of Appeal judge, visited Israel-Palestine to investigate the treatment of children in Israel s military judicial system. The…
Tens of thousands remain homeless in Gaza
Uruknet 26 Sep 2014 – September 1, 2014 -One week after a ceasefire halting an Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Strip, tens of thousands of Palestinians remain displaced, sheltered in United Nations schools and other facilities. On Sunday, 58,071 people still lived in 36…
Palestinian lawmaker resists banishment, tells occupiers they must go
Uruknet 26 Sep 2014 – September 1, 2014 – Palestinian Legislative Council member Khalida Jarrar is resisting an Israeli occupation order to banish her from her home in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank to the district of Jericho for six months. Jarrar has set…
The era of fortress Israel is over
Uruknet 26 Sep 2014 – September 1, 2014 – Just as it is not possible for the Palestinian resistance or any armed popular resistance movement to achieve a decisive knockout victory in a short amount of time, it is also not possible for Israel, like…
Iraqi prisons are scene of “horrific crimes against humanity” :NGO
Uruknet 25 Sep 2014 – September 1, 2014 – According to a report published by a non-governmental human rights organization on Sunday; that the current Ministry of Justice has deprived the detainees of meeting their families through visits or contact with their lawyers, for more…
Palestinian rights groups urge Abbas to sign Rome Statute
Uruknet 25 Sep 2014 – August 1, 2014 – A number of Palestinian human rights groups have called on the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to immediately sign the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in order to facilitate the prosecution of Israeli leaders over…
Lieberman continues incitement campaign against Arab Israelis
Uruknet 25 Sep 2014 – September 1, 2014 – Israel s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has continued his incitement campaign against Arab Israelis on social media by describing a festival of solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which was organised in the Galilee on Friday, as “…
Rouhani says “courageous decisions” needed to clinch nuclear deal
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 Iran President Hassan Rouhani said on Friday “courageous decisions” must be made to clinch a long-term nuclear agreement and that any deal without the lifting of all sanctions against Tehran was “unacceptable”.
Iran nuclear talks must move faster: Rouhani
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Friday that talks with international powers on Tehran’s nuclear program must move forward more quickly, saying limited progress had been made in recent days.
Pakistan’s Sharif criticizes India over collapse of Kashmir talks
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif criticized India in his address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Friday for withdrawing from planned peace talks last month over the disputed region of Kashmir.
Air strike kills senior IS jihadist in Syria: monitor
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 A senior Islamic State group jihadist was killed on Friday in an air strike in eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Obama, Netanyahu to meet at White House next week
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 President Barack Obama will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a meeting on Wednesday to discuss Israel’s relationship with the Palestinians, the situation in Gaza, Iran nuclear talks, and the fight against Islamic State militants,…
Schools to get patriotism and human rights clubs
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 Teaser
Heavy rain expected in Lebanon Sunday
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 Lebanon is expected to witness heavy rainfall Sunday, raising hopes that the country will experience respite from the current drought.
Russian FM ‘cautiously optimistic’ on Iran nuclear talks
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday he was “cautiously optimistic” about talks on Iran’s nuclear program and that there was time to secure a deal before a November deadline.
US military official: strikes disrupted Islamic State’s abilities in Syria
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 The U.S. and allied air strikes against Islamic State fighters in Syria that began earlier this week have disrupted the militant group’s command and control and logistics ability, the top U.S military officer said on Friday.
U.S. pleased with British vote to join fight against Islamic State: W.House
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 WASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) – The United States is “pleased” that Britain’s parliament voted to approve air strikes against Islamic State insurgents in Iraq, a White House spokesman on Friday.
Turkey’s Erdogan calls for no-fly zone in Syria
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that a “no-fly zone” should be created in Syria to protect part of it from attacks by Syria’s air force.
Russia’s Lavrov criticizes U.S. airstrikes on Syria
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 Russia repeated its criticism of the U.S.-led airstrikes against Islamic State’s positions in Syria on Friday, saying they any global action against terrorism should abide by international law and should have been agreed with its ally…
ISIS will launch attacks around the world unless stopped: Canada
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 Islamic militant forces operating in Iraq and Syria will launch terrorist attacks around the world unless they are stopped, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Friday.
Britain joins fight against Islamic State group
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 Britain, Belgium and Denmark on Friday joined the U.S.-led coalition of nations that are launching airstrikes on Islamic State group militants in Iraq, committing warplanes to the struggle against the extremists.
US-led strikes pressure Nusra to join with ISIS
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, the Nusra Front, is facing mounting pressure from its own members to reconcile with its rival ISIS and confront a common enemy after U.S.-led air strikes hit both groups this week.
Assad steps up bombing as West strikes militants in Syria
Daily Star 26 Sep 2014 U.S.-led forces hit ISIS bases in eastern Syria on Friday and a monitoring group said the Syrian army had intensified its bombing campaign in the west.
Turkey’s Erdogan calls for no-fly zone in Syria
YNet News, 26 Sep 2014 – ….
Obama, Netanyahu to meet at White House next week
YNet News, 26 Sep 2014 – ….
US military chief: 12,000-15,000 Syrian rebels needed to retake eastern Syria
YNet News, 26 Sep 2014 – ….
British MKs approve airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq
YNet News, 26 Sep 2014 – ….
Abbas at UN: Israel seeks to fragmant our land and unity
YNet News, 26 Sep 2014 – ….
Israeli official: Nine Japanese join Islamic State
YNet News, 26 Sep 2014 – After the head of the US Armed Forces’ Pacific Command said that about 1,000 recruits from Asia joined Islamic State to fight in Syria or Iraq, Japanese official claims Israel told him Japanese have also joined radical group. ….
Palestinians to demand UN set timeline for ‘end of occupation’
YNet News, 26 Sep 2014 – Palestinian President Abbas to lobby UN to set a timeframe for Israel’s withdrawal from the West Bank ahead of the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of UN General Assembly. ….
US-led strikes hit Islamic State group oil sites for 2nd day
YNet News, 26 Sep 2014 – Two oil producing areas controled by ISIS hit by US, Arab allies, with UK parliment set to vote to join air strikes. ….
Palestinian Information Center
How come there is no international alliance against Nazi Israel?
PIC – We must be honest. The ongoing American-led campaign of bombing in Syria and Iraq is not about right and wrong or virtue and vice.
Clashes with PA security forces in Qalandiya
PIC – Violent clashes broke out on Thursday afternoon between Palestinian citizens and Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces in Qalandiya refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem.
El-Marzouki calls for lifting Gaza blockade, initiating its reconstruction
PIC – Tunisian President Mohamed Moncef El-Marzouki on Thursday called for an immediate lifting of the Gaza siege and rehabilitation of its infrastructure.
17 Palestinian women suffering behind Israeli prison bars
PIC – 17 Palestinian female political prisoners are still being held in Israeli jails under very dire detention conditions, the Palestinian prisoners center for studies reported on Thursday.
Two female detainees still isolated in Israeli jails
PIC – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) continues to isolate the two Palestinian female detainees Muna Qa’dan and Shirin Issawi, the Palestinian prisoners center for studies said.
IOF tightens its military measures in J’lem, Jenin and al-Khalil
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Friday tightened their restrictions on the movement of Palestinian worshipers in occupied Jerusalem, which led to a state of tension in the city.
Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood: Israel is the real terrorist in the region
PIC – Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood Movement stated Thursday during its Shura Council meeting that the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian lands is the real terrorist threat in the region.
Six Jerusalemite prisoners released, detention of four others extended
PIC – The Israeli Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning released six Jerusalemite detainees on bail of 3,000 shekels, the Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage said.
IOF raids homes in Burin town, instals checkpoints northeast of Nablus
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Friday raided Palestinian homes in Burin town south of Nablus after they had established makeshift checkpoints last night.
U.S. Vividly Rebuts ISIS Propaganda on Arab Social Media
New York Times 26 Sep 2014 – A government team’s striking video and other postings are being disseminated through Twitter and Facebook to counter ISIS’s skillful online campaigns.
Palestinian Leader Urges U.N. to Back a Deadline to End Israeli Occupation
New York Times 26 Sep 2014 – Addressing the General Assembly, the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, criticized Israel but did not offer his own time frame for an Israeli withdrawal.
Iraq: Militants Kill Lawyer Who Aided Women’s Rights
New York Times 25 Sep 2014 – An Iraqi lawyer known for her work promoting women’s rights has been killed by Islamic State fighters, the head of the United Nations human rights office said Thursday.
Militant in Beheading Videos Has Been Identified, F.B.I. Chief Says
New York Times 25 Sep 2014 – James B. Comey, director of the F.B.I., declined to name the man believed to be the Islamic State militant in the videos while agents search for him.
Clashing Goals in Syria Strikes Bedevil Obama
New York Times 25 Sep 2014 – On the third day of American-led airstrikes in Syria, it was increasingly uncertain whether the United States could punish terrorist groups without aiding President Bashar al-Assad.
Warplanes Blast Militants’ Refineries in Syria, Targeting a Source of Cash
New York Times 25 Sep 2014 – Warplanes attacked 12 small refineries controlled by the Islamic State as part of an effort to target sources of the terrorist group’s financing.
New Iraqi Premier Backs U.S. Air Campaign, Within Limits
New York Times 25 Sep 2014 – Haider al-Abadi said he supported the United States-led campaign against militants, but opposed targeting Syrian government forces.
Open Source: Woman Hides Camera to Reveal Life Under Islamic State Rule
New York Times 25 Sep 2014 – A woman in Raqqa, Syria, documented life under Islamic State rule by concealing a camera in the folds of the cloak she is compelled to wear.
Rival Palestinian Factions Agree to Resolve Differences, Leaders Say
New York Times 25 Sep 2014 – Government news media reported that the leaders of Hamas and Fatah had made progress on the sticking points of their five-month-old reconciliation pact.
Arab Woman Led Airstrikes Over Syria
New York Times 25 Sep 2014 – Maj. Mariam Al Mansouri, the United Arab Emirates’ first female fighter pilot, led a strike by the country’s fighter jets against Islamic State targets in Syria.
Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders get off Israel bandwagon, for once
Mondoweiss – The Senate is warning Palestinians against undertaking any “negative” unilateral actions re Israel at the United Nations, and look who isn’t signing on to the letter that AIPAC has endorsed : Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Folks have been pressing Warren and her staffers not to sign this letter…
Netanyahu erases the boundary between world Jewry and Israel in celebration of ‘our country’
Mondoweiss – In this speech on the Jewish new year directed at English-speaking Jews, Benjamin Netanyahu completely erases the difference between Jews and Israel. He begins by saying that the Jewish people always unite when they face challenges, like the ones “our country” experienced when “three of our…
The European Anti-Semitism Hoax
Tikun Olam – Now before some of you become so scandalized you start firing off comments and tweets, read what I say carefully: there is anti-Semitism both in Europe and elsewhere. And it is a phenomenon that, given Europe’s ugly history, must be taken seriously. It is right and…
Mahmoud Abbas Demands U.N. Timetable To End Occupation
The Foward Breaking News 26 Sep 2014 – There is no value in peace talks with Israel unless the goal is ending its 47-year occupation of the Palestinian territories within a “firm timetable,” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the United Nations General Assembly on Friday. Click here for the rest of the article…
U.N. Nuclear Agency Rejects Arab Move To Chide Israel
The Foward Breaking News 26 Sep 2014 – Member states of the U.N. nuclear agency on Thursday rejected an Arab resolution targeting Israel over its assumed atomic arsenal, in a diplomatic victory for the Jewish state and Western countries opposing the initiative. Click here for the rest of the article…
Filmmaker Portratys Bethlehem as Diverse Model for Middle East
The Foward Breaking News 26 Sep 2014 – When Palestinian filmmaker Leila Sansour returned to Bethlehem to make a film about her home town, she had no idea she would end up running a campaign to put the ancient city on the world map as a model for diversity in the Middle East. Click…
Egypt: Qatar’s Ruler Says Qatar Still Supports the Egyptian Government
allAfrica.com 26 Sep 2014 – [Aswat Masriya]Cairo -Qatar has supported Egypt’s successive governments, not just the Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar’s emir Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said Thursday.
Algeria: Algerian Red Crescent Sends First Batch of Humanitarian Aid to Gazans
allAfrica.com 26 Sep 2014 – [Algerie Presse Service]Algiers -First batch of humanitarian aid was sent Thursday by the Algerian Red Crescent (CRA) to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip.
Qatar team pull out over hijab ban
BBC 26 Sep 2014 – The Qatar women’s basketball team withdraw from the Asian Games after being denied permission to wear the hijab.
Zimbabwe: President Exposes Western Hypocrisy
allAfrica.com 26 Sep 2014 – [The Herald]PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday rapped the western alliance for its deafening silence over Israeli atrocities in Gaza where over 2 200 people, mostly unarmed men, women and children were killed during a four- week Israeli bombardment.
IS battles for Syrian border town
BBC 26 Sep 2014 – Islamic State militants advance on the Syrian border town of Kobane, where they are battling Kurdish fighters, as the US-led air campaign continues.
VIDEO: Saviour or invader? Iraq torn over west
BBC 26 Sep 2014 – Thousands of refugees continue to flee from Islamic State forces while Iraqi leaders are in conflict over the need for western help.
Tehran to America: ‘Thank you Great Satan!’
Al-Akhbar Opinion 26 Sep 2014 – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani lifts his hands in prayer following his address at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, 2014 in New York City. (Photo: AFP-John Moore) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani lifts his hands in prayer following his address at…
VIDEO: The female pilot taking on IS
BBC 26 Sep 2014 – The Emirati pilot battling Islamic State
Lebanon: Journey for truth begins for families of the disappeared
Al-Akhbar News 26 Sep 2014 – Families hold portraits of their loved ones who disappeared during the Lebanese civil war as part of a protest to pressure the government to release the details of their abductions. (Photo: Al-Akhbar) Families hold portraits of their loved ones who disappeared during the Lebanese civil war…
Tunisia rights group urges parliament to abolish death penalty
Al-Akhbar News 26 Sep 2014 – A Tunisian human rights group has urged the country’s incoming parliament to abolish capital punishment after a new constitution – endorsed earlier this year – kept the practice in place. “All groups that oppose the death penalty will rally to urge the incoming parliament to abolish…
What is it about Iran that scares the US?: On Tehran’s military capabilities
Al-Akhbar Opinion 26 Sep 2014 – This US Air Forces Central Command photo released by the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS) shows a formation of US Navy F-18E Super Hornets in flight after receiving fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker over northern Iraq, on September 23, 2014. (Photo: AFP / US Air…
Two shells hit Turkey as airstrikes on Syria push ISIS towards border
Al-Akhbar News 26 Sep 2014 – The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters tightened their siege of the strategic town of Kobani on Syria’s border with Turkey on Friday, pushing back Kurdish forces and sending at least two shells into Turkish territory, witnesses said. Several hundred unarmed protesters who had…
UAE, Israel pursues “extensive” anti-Qatari campaign in the US: report
Al-Akhbar News 26 Sep 2014 – An extensive lobbying campaign by Israeli and UAE officials seeking to “demonize the Qataris as the key supporter of terrorism” by “paying millions of dollars to a US lobbying firm – composed of former high-ranking [US] Treasury officials from both [US political] parties – to plant…
Diplomat: ‘Limited progress’ in Iran nuclear talks
Al-Monitor 26 Sep 2014 – A Western diplomat said some limited progress had been made in Iran nuclear talks in New York but significant gaps on core issues remain.
French Muslims: We are victims of ISIS and Islamophobia
Al-Akhbar News 26 Sep 2014 – Imams and ordinary Muslims in France have reacted with fury to the beheading of a fellow citizen by jihadists, but many warn they too are being “held hostage” by pressure to denounce such acts. Muslims nationwide have rallied to condemn the execution of 55-year-old mountaineer Herve…
Denmark joins aerial bombardment of Iraq
Al-Akhbar News 26 Sep 2014 – Denmark will send seven F-16 fighter jets to help combat ISIS militants in Iraq, Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said on Friday. “I am very pleased that there now is a broad coalition, including countries in the region who want to… contribute,” she said at a press…
Iraq’s Christians take up arms against ISIS
Al-Akhbar News 26 Sep 2014 – When jihadists raided their ancient heartland last month, Iraq’s Christian Assyrians were left defenseless and fled, but now some have decided it is time to put up a fight. In Sharafiya, a village that Kurdish peshmerga retook from ISIS fighters just north of the jihadist hub…
From Lebanon to Brazil: Marginalized communities most threatened by climate change
Al-Akhbar Blogs 26 Sep 2014 – Drawing an estimated 400,000 protesters , thereby making it “ the largest climate change march in history ,” the People’s Climate March mobilized, on September 21, on the streets of New York City, confronting politicians attending the UN security council meeting, creatively demanding accountability and “ action,…
Hezbollah squeezed out of Golan by Jabhat al-Nusra, Israel
Al-Monitor 26 Sep 2014 – The infiltration of Syrian militants into Lebanon threatens Hezbollah’s presence in the strategic Golan Heights.
Proposed Egyptian law to reduce restrictions on building churches
Al-Monitor 26 Sep 2014 – The houses of worship law is likely to pass in the Egyptian parliament, but the problem lies in whether the government can enforce it amid the apprehensions of radical Salafists.
Turkish-Egyptian ties are at a standstill
Al-Monitor 26 Sep 2014 – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tells the UN General Assembly that Ankara’s support for ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood will continue.
Police end Cyprus migrant stand-off
BBC 26 Sep 2014 – Police in Cyprus persuade nearly 300 migrants, thought to be Syrian refugees, to disembark from the cruise ship that had rescued them.
Confusion persists over Turkey’s position on IS
Al-Monitor 26 Sep 2014 – It is still unclear whether Turkey is now on board the anti-Islamic State coalition.
UN Security Council issues subtle warning to Turkey
Al-Monitor 26 Sep 2014 – A new UN resolution aiming to thwart the movement of Islamic State fighters across borders may pose a few problems for Turkey.
Desperate Gazans frustrated by Hamas-Fatah squabbles
Al-Monitor 26 Sep 2014 – The disputes between Hamas and Fatah over the reconstruction process in Gaza have infuriated Gazans who desperately need assistance.
Kurdish politician proposes segregating Arabs, Kurds in Iraq
Al-Monitor 26 Sep 2014 – Mohsin Saadoun, an Iraqi member of parliament for the Kurdistan Democratic Party, believes Arabs and Kurds can no longer coexist in mixed villages after the Islamic State’s assault, which he says was supported by local Sunni Arabs.
VIDEO: Life inside an Iraqi refugee camp
BBC 25 Sep 2014 – Yolande Knell reports on life inside one of Iraq’s largest refugee camps, Baharka, in Erbil.
Fighting robs Iraqi farmers of harvest
Al-Monitor 25 Sep 2014 – The Islamic State attacks and defensive military operations have affected the agricultural sector in Iraq’s Salahuddin province, where wheat production had been expected to reach 4.5 million tons this year.
Algeria in shock over beheading
BBC 25 Sep 2014 – Algeria in shock over beheading of French tourist
US’ anti-ISIS campaign: Emulating the ‘success’ in Somalia and Yemen?
Al-Akhbar Politics 25 Sep 2014 – The United States and its Arab allies unleashed deadly bomb and missile strikes on jihadists in Syria on Tuesday, opening a new front in the battle against the Islamic State group. (Photo: AFP) The United States and its Arab allies unleashed deadly bomb and missile strikes…
Articles
Gaza and the ’crime of crimes’
Ronnie Kasrils, Al Jazeera 9/26/2014
Russell Tribunal on Palestine finds that Gaza is on the brink of a genocidal apartheid.
Nelson Mandela frequently declared that “Palestine was the greatest moral issue of our time”. After we toppled the Apartheid regime in 1994, he went further, saying “We South Africans cannot consider ourselves free until the Palestinian People are free”.
Millions of us in South Africa collectively recoiled from Israel’s gruesome assault on the people of Gaza during those 51 nightmarish days of “Operation Protective Edge” and the attendant ongoing cruelty in the West Bank. As the dust settled, we were left shocked beyond belief as we witnessed a community of 1.8 million in ruins; Khozaa, Shujaiyya, Beit Hanoun, with entire families and neighbourhoods, gone.
According to the United Nations, 2,131 Palestinians were killed during Israel’s offensive. Of those 501 were children, with 70 percent under 12.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza recorded 10,918 people injured including 3,312 children and 2,120 women. According to the United Nations, 244 schools were shelled and one used as a military base by Israeli soldiers. Al Mezan human rights organisation documented at least 10,920 houses damaged or destroyed of which 2,853 were completely flattened. Eight hospitals – resulting in six being taken out of service – 46 NGOs, 50 fishing boats, 161 mosques, and 244 vehicles were also hit.
Eighty percent of Gazan families have no way to feed themselves and are dependent on aid. Farmland in the border areas has been defined as a buffer zone which Israel unilaterally extends by direct gunfire upon farmers…. more.. e-mail
Ah, If I Were 25 Again!
Uri Avnery, CounterPunch 9/26/2014
The Israeli Left: Still Living, But Left for Dead
RESEARCH SHOWS that one of the most often used words in Hebrew is “Shalom”. Israelis greet each other with “shalom” and many of them do the same when parting. (The others use the two slang words “yallah bye”, the one Arabic, the other English.)
Shalom is not a synonym of the European word “peace”, as many believe. It is far more. It is based on the root “whole” and conveys the sense of wholeness, safety, wellbeing. In no European language can you say “our soldiers attacked the enemy and returned to their base in shalom”.
In Arabic, Salaam has the same meaning.
But even in its restricted meaning for peace, shalom expresses a profound human longing. From antiquity, people craved for peace and dreaded war. “Dona nobis pacem” – “(God) give us peace” – is part of the Catholic mass. Several composers have set it to music. I remember singing it as a child.
Yet in today’s Israel, using the word “peace” in political discourse is almost indecent. A four-letter word (as indeed it is in Hebrew and Arabic). One may still express a wish for a “political settlement”, but even that sounds a bit suspicious.
It has become fashionable to say that the peace movement is moribund. That the “Two-State solution” is dead, while the so-called “One-State solution” is stillborn.
The safest way to put it is “I am all for peace, but…” more.. e-mail
’Made in Palestine’: New slogan for marketing Israeli product
Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 9/23/2014
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 neighbouring Israeli agricultural settlements, in preparation for their transfer to one of the packaging factories built on the outskirts of the city, Anadolu news agency reported.
Inside the factory, about 13 miners are working on “screening” the dates and repackaging them in bags that read “dates of the Holy Land” in both Arabic and English and “Made in Palestine” in order to market them locally, in the Arab states and in Europe.
This is what one of the farms that is owned by Israeli settlers does in order to market its produce of dates to customers of European Union countries after the enforcement of a decision earlier this year to boycott any produ
cts of settlements in the West Bank.
Anadolu cited a statement issued by the Palestinian national economy minister saying that members of the ministry have found dozens of tons of produce coming from the settlements in this way, on its way to either the local market or to the packaging factories in the city of Ariha and the neighbouring villages.
Merchant Khaldoun, 45 years, told Anadolu’s reporter, “We do trade in dates of the settlements, which we buy at prices that are 40 per cent lower than the market price. And in order to be able to market the dates, we clean and re-package them and choose the best in preparation for selling them in the local market, as well as the Arab and European markets.”
He added that the annual volume of his seasonal sales of dates is nearly 350 tons, pointing out that other merchants who work in this field and in other varieties of vegetables and fruits, such as citrus fruits, nuts, and medical herbs have similar practices. more.. e-ma
Israelis frightened of a newborn’s name
Jonathan Cook, Redress 9/22/2014
Israel is a Jewish state, as everyone keeps reminding us. Lots of things Israel would prefer you never hear about flow from that strange characterisation, including a two-tier system of rights conferred by two different citizenship laws, one for Jews and one for non-Jews (that is, mostly Palestinians living inside Israel). Much of my journalism has sought to document the very ugly racism inherent in the Jewish state’s self-definition.
But here’s a revealing little story about how the idea of a Jewish state touches on the most intimate areas of Israelis’ lives, areas that should be inconsequential to a normal kind of state.
A few days ago, Israel’s Interior Ministry published a list of the most popular boys and girls’ names in time for the Jewish new year. It was publicised as the list of the most popular Israeli names. I was surprised that not one Arab name made it into the top 10, even though a fifth of Israel’s population are Palestinians. I should not have been. In fact, as Haaretz now reports, several Arab names were in the top 10 – including Mohammed, which was actually at number one. Israeli officials simply dropped it and any other Arab-sounding names from the list.
The deep chauvinism at work here is illustrated by the fact that the most popular name listed, Yosef, only came first because the Arabic version (Yusuf), which is spelt the same in Hebrew, was included. So the issue for the Interior Ministry was simply to prevent Israeli Jews and Jews overseas from seeing any Arab-looking names on the list.
The names of newborns are a contested issue in Israel only because of the deep-seated ethnic insecurities of the Jewish majority. That insecurity looks here to be simply petty. But that very same pettiness also lies behind Israel’s security and demographic obsessions, its profound militarisation, and the systematic oppression of Palestinians. [END] e-mail
Move on? Work to reclaim Univ. of Illinois has has only just begun
Electronic Intifada: 26 Sep 2014 – “If, under this new regime, civility be the condition for expressing academic freedom and excellence, then let the appropriate expression be that of civil disobedience.” more..
MARCEL CARTIER & AGENT OF CHANGE: HANDS OFF SYRIA PT. 3
In Gaza: 26 Sep 2014 – *Marcel Cartier’s Youtube Channel ***The bombing of ISIS is a pretext to target the Syrian state*** Let’s not be confused by Obama’s assertion that ISIS is the third largest threat to humanity (after Ebola and Russia, apparently). Granted, ISIS very much is a threat to the resistant peoples of the region, but one that the Syrian state — in alliance with Hezbollah and Iran — has been relentlessly fighting against for the past three plus years while all the countries in the coalition airstrikes have helped to foster and facilitate ISIS’ growth. After a series of failures to bring the government of Bashar al-Assad’s Ba’ath Party to its knees through both proxy and direct means (including funding of rebel groups and the chemical weapons propaganda [YouTube video evidence] last year in the hope of launching airstrikes on government targets [which could have created somewhat of a “Libyan scenario” of bombing…more
Why Obama Must Bomb ISIS
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Sep 2014 – By Steve Breyman Every national peace group (large and small, new and old, religious and secular) opposes Barack Obama’s war against ISIS in Iraq, and its recent extension to Syria. Their opposition extends to Obama’s Congress-sanctioned arming of “moderate” Syrian rebels (for which legislators found half a billion dollars). The anti-war movement’s antagonism is sturdy and reasoned. It’s based on irrefutable historical, political, economic and cultural analysis focused on the past thirteen years of bloody, wasteful, failed war on Afghanistan and Iraq, Pakistan and Yemen, Libya and Somalia. Find some here , here , and here . The groups don’t merely oppose more war. They also advance positive agendas of alternatives to bombing. United for Peace and Justice (an umbrella coalition under which many US peace groups cohere) recommends five “better choices”: (1) make diplomacy and humanitarian assistance the priority; (2) seek improved relations with Iran to end the fighting in the region; (…more
Is There a Plan to Force Palestinians into Sinai?
Dissident Voice: 26 Sep 2014 – What is Israel’s endgame in Gaza? It is a question that has been puzzling analysts and observers for some time. But belatedly, there are indications of the future Israel and Washington may have in mind for Gaza. Desperately overcrowded, short on basic resources like fresh water, blockaded for eight years by Israel, with its infrastructure intermittently destroyed by Israeli bombing campaigns, Gaza looks like a giant pressure cooker waiting to explode. It is difficult to imagine that sooner or later Israel will not face a massive upheaval on its doorstep.
So how does Israel propose to avert a scenario in which it must either savagely repress a mass uprising by Palestinians in Gaza or sit by and watch them tear down their prison walls? Reports in the Arab and Israeli media – in part corroborated by the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas – suggest that Egypt may be at the heart of…more
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The New Dark Age 