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VTJP Palestine/Israel Newslinks 4 January 2012: IDF Undercover Forces Kidnap A 6-Year-Old Child In Jerusalem
4 January 2012 — VTJP
International Middle East Media Center
Israeli Official: "Islamic Jihad Military Power Stronger Than Hamas"
IMEMC – A senior Israeli Military Intelligence official stated Wednesday that Israeli intelligence gathered about the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movements in Gaza indicated that the two groups managed to upgrade their military capabilities, and obtained advanced rockets. …
Undercover Forces Kidnap A 6-Year-Old Child In Jerusalem
IMEMC – The Ma'an News Agency reported that undercover forces of the Israeli army kidnapped a 6-year-old child in Al-Esawiyya town, in occupied East Jerusalem, and detained him for several hours before releasing him. …
Israeli gunboats 'fire at fishermen'
1/4/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma'an) — Israeli gunboats on Wednesday opened fire at fishermen off the coast of southern Gaza, witnesses said. No injuries were reported. An Israel army spokeswoman was not familiar with the incident. Meanwhile, Israeli tanks entered the Gaza Strip through the Kisufim gate near Khan Younis and opened fire as bulldozers razed….
Israeli forces 'detain 6-year-old' in Jerusalem
1/4/2012 – JERUSALEM (Ma'an) — An undercover Israeli force briefly detained a 6-year-old boy in East Jerusalem on Tuesday, relatives said. The child's grandfather Dawood Dirbas told Ma'an that Israeli officers raided al-Isawiya and local youth threw stones at the military vehicles. He said his grandson Muhammad Ali Dirbas was going….
Palestinian cars torched in Jerusalem 'price tag' attack
1/4/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) — Two Palestinian-owned vehicles were torched in East Jerusalem early Wednesday morning, police said. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Ma'an that "price tag" and "revenge" were sprayed near the burnt out vehicles in Sharafat, a Palestinian village near Gilo settlement. Police have opened an investigation into the incident but….
Hamas: PLO, Israeli meeting 'blow to reconciliation'
1/4/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma'an) — Hamas leader Ismail Radwan said on Wednesday the PLO meeting with Israeli envoys in Amman on Tuesday would damage Fatah's reconciliation deal with his faction."We consider these meetings a blow for national reconciliation, especially as we agreed in Cairo to face Israel's settlements, wall, and…. Related: Abbas 'will keep pushing for peace talks'
Abbas 'will keep pushing for peace talks'
1/4/2012 – RAMALLAH (Ma'an) — President Mahmoud Abbas will continue to try and engage Israel in peace talks, his spokesman said Wednesday. In a statement, Nabil Abu Rudaineh urged the Israeli government to announce a settlement freeze and to accept the two-state solution based on 1967 borders so talks can resume. The last round of negotiations…. Related: Hamas: PLO, Israeli meeting 'blow to reconciliation'
Report: Palestinian arrested in Beersheba
1/4/2012 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) — Israeli forces detained a Palestinian man in Beersheba on Wednesday, the Israeli news site Ynet reported. The man, from Jenin, is suspected of planning a stabbing attack and was transferred to the Shin Bet for questioning, the report said….
Report: Israel to reach out to Egypt Islamists
1/4/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) — Israel has decided to try and open dialogue with Islamic factions in Egypt, Hebrew media reported Wednesday. Israel's Foreign Ministry has instructed the Israeli ambassador in Cairo Jacob Amity to start talks with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi parties, theIsraeli daily Maariv reported. According to Maariv, Israel….
Egypt to close Gaza crossing over holiday
1/4/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma'an) — The ministry of interior in Gaza said on Wednesday that Egypt will close the Rafah crossing linking the countries during the holiday on Saturday. Orthodox Christmas, celebrated on Jan. 7, is a national holiday in Egypt. The Rafah crossing was also closed on Tuesday during the third round of the….
Analysis: Hamas and the Brotherhood
1/4/2012 – Ramzy Baroud – There was an unmistakable hint of triumph in the comments made by Ismail Haniyeh, Prime Minister of the elected Hamas government in Gaza when he was hosted by Mohammed Badie, Supreme Guide of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. Both leaders said what would be expected of them under these circumstances. Haniyeh asserted that….
Fatah: Release of political detainees 'almost resolved'
1/4/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma'an) — Fatah and Hamas are close to resolving the issues of political detainees and passports for Gaza residents, senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath said Wednesday. Shaath met with Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar in Gaza City on Tuesday to discuss implementation of a reconciliation deal signed in May to end years of….
Civil society calls for new policies after unity deal
1/4/2012 – GAZA CITY (Ma'an) – Members of an umbrella group of Palestinian civil society organizations called on Wednesday for the reopening of institutions closed during the years of divided Hamas and Fatah government. The groups slammed the policy of "politically-conditioned funding," a statement from the Palestinian NGO Network conference in Gaza City said. Stressing their….
Israel Shas minister warns of split over Orthodox controversy
1/4/2012 – JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israeli society could be torn apart if disputes between ultra-Orthodox and less observant Jews continue to heat up, Israel's religious affairs minister said on Wednesday. In a telephone interview, Yaacov Margy, who also serves as director-general of Shas, a religious party in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, condemned….
Rotten Israeli produce abandoned near Bethlehem
1/4/2012 – BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) — Authorities seized an abandoned truck of Israeli products owned by a local distributor near Bethlehem on Tuesday, police said. After a refrigerator-truck was parked for three days near the Murad Resort in Dar Salah, east of Bethlehem, police found it loaded with yogurt, meat and milk products that had expired over….
Activists: Syria government armor remains in cities
1/4/2012 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Syrian opposition activists said on Wednesday that security forces still had armored vehicles stationed in city streets ready to act against protesters even though Arab League peace monitors said they had withdrawn. Opposition groups in the cities of Idlib in the north, central Homs and Deraa in the south said the army had….
Prosecutors accuse Mubarak over protesters' deaths
1/4/2012 – CAIRO (Reuters) — Egyptian prosecutors sought on Wednesday to prove Hosni Mubarak guilty of responsibility for the killings of protesters during the 2011 uprising, saying he had authorized the use of force. The ex-president, 83, his two sons, the former interior minister Habib el-Adly and six senior police officers face charges ranging from corruption to involvement….
NTC chief: Militias could drag Libya into civil war
1/4/2012 – By Mahmoud Habboush and Ali ShuaibTRIPOLI (Reuters) — Libya risks sliding into civil war unless it cracks down on the rival militias which filled the vacuum left by Moammar Gadhafi's downfall, the head of the interim administration said after an outbreak of violence in the capital. Mustafa Abdel Jalil, chairman of the National Transitional….
EU agrees embargo on Iranian oil
1/4/2012 – BRUSSELS/TEHRAN (Reuters) — European governments have agreed in principle to ban imports of Iranian oil, EU diplomats said on Wednesday, dealing a blow to Tehran that crowns new Western sanctions months before an Iranian election. The prospective embargo by the European Union, along with tough US financial measures signed into law by President Barack Obama….
Analysis: Doubts over Syria rebel army after truce reverse
1/4/2012 – BEIRUT (Reuters) — Threats by Syrian armed insurgents to step up attacks on security forces, just days after their leader announced a truce that was largely ignored, have reinforced doubts over the control top officers exert over rebel fighters on the ground. Colonel Riad al-Asaad, head of the Free Syrian Army, pledged this week to escalate….
Yemen official says Saleh will not travel to US
1/4/2012 – SANAA (Reuters) — Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh will not travel to the United States, a senior aide said on Wednesday, reversing a pledge by the leader who has withstood nearly a year of protests and military challenges from rivals seeking to topple him. Saleh announced he would visit the United States last month, hours after….
International Solidarity: Israeli Court Extends the Arrest of PNN Reporter for 12 Days
PNN – PNN On Wednesday, the lawyer of the International Solidarity institution of human rights, said that the Israeli Salim Court extended the arrest of PNN reporter, Amin Abu Warda, for 12 days to…
Settlers Set Fire to Car Wash Station, Burn Two Parked Cars, Jerusalem
PNN – PNN On Wednesday, Israeli settlers from the Price Tag group resumed their attacks against Palestinians' properties, as they set fire to car wash station, belonged to a Palestinian citizen in Sharafat village,…
Op Ed: High Prices in the Occupied Territories
PNN – by Iyad Hamdan Nowadays, talks among Palestinians revolve around that goods and services became too costly, and cannot be tolerated. This is true as we have a government that deal with its…
Israeli Forces Raid Khan Yunis, Distribute 169 confiscation Orders, Selfit
PNN – PNN On Wednesday, Israeli forces raided al-Farahin village east of Khan Yunis in Gaza Strip, and vandalised several agricultural lands, they also distributed consification orders for several agricultural lands in Salfit governarate….
Israeli Conciliation Court Force Palestinian Woman to enter Psychiatric Hospital
PNN – PNN The Israeli Reconciliation Court, in a decision that was issued on Tuesday, forced the fifty-year-old Palestinian woman Aliyah al-Abbasy to enter into the psychiatric hospital in Deir Yassen "Givat Shaul" until…
International Solidarity Movement
4 January 2009: The Abdel Dayem family
1/4/2012 – International Solidarity Movement – 4 January 2012, Palestinian Center for Human Rights – "I was told initially that Arafa had been injured in an Israeli strike. Of course I was concerned, but many people get injured in his line of work and what was important is that he was still alive. I learnt only fifteen minutes before Arafa's….
Libya: Press conference by Security Council President on work programme for January
Relief Web 4 Jan 2012 – Source: UN Department of Public Information , UN Security Council Country: Libya , Côte d'Ivoire , occupied Palestinian territory , Somalia , South Sudan (Republic of) , Sudan (the) , Syrian Arab Republic (the) , Yemen The Security Council would hold five briefings, 11 closed consultations and three…
Iran issues new threat on Strait of Hormuz
The National 4 Jan 2012 – As battle of words continues, US says Iranians are 'bluffing from a position of weakness'.
Complaints at FNC over delayed laws
The National 4 Jan 2012 – A lawmaker says new laws are not published in the official gazette as fast as they should be.
Syria's opposition says Arab League mission has failed
The National 4 Jan 2012 – Activists and human-rights groups in Syria say objectives such as freeing prisoners and stopping killings are not being met.
Racist killers jailed for UK knife murder
The National 4 Jan 2012 – First convictions in the Stephen Lawrence case sees 14 and 15-year terms for a notorious murder 18 years ago after an 'abysmal' inquiry led to major changes in the way Britain is policed.
Thousands welcome the Volvo race fleet
The National 4 Jan 2012 – Five boats sprinted from Sharjah to Abu Dhabi, the third port of the Volvo Ocean Race, with cheers, applause and a fireworks display greeting the yachts.
Sidelined by election results, Egypt's liberals to 'rebuild from below zero'
The National 4 Jan 2012 – Islamist parties were more organised and quicker to pick up support after uprising.
Process the real winner, says Saad Eddin Ibrahim
The National 4 Jan 2012 – As the head of the Ibn Khaldun Centre for Development Studies, Saad Eddin Ibrahim oversaw 5,000 election observers during the parliamentary elections that began on November 28 and ended on January 4.
Prosecution: Mubarak clearly authorised shoot-to-kill policy
The National 4 Jan 2012 – The prosecution in the Hosni Mubarak concludes that Egypt's ousted president, his security chief and six police officers were the "actual instigators" of the killing of more than 800 protesters.
Qatar's next goal? Be top of the crops
The National 4 Jan 2012 – Qatar aims to produce more of its food domestically, by spending massively to boost crop yields and convert semi-desert into agricultural land.
Fall in demand halts recycling plant
The National 4 Jan 2012 – A plant that recycles construction debris into material for building roads and other infrastructure has come to a halt because of a lack of demand for the end product.
Interim government takes first steps after Qaddafi
The National 4 Jan 2012 – Libya's interim government has proposed a draft law for electing an assembly to draft a new constitution – a first step to setting up a new government.
NGOs slam Israel land-grab strategy in east Jerusalem
The National 4 Jan 2012 – Israeli authorities are designating areas in east Jerusalem for national parks in a "political" move that chokes the development of Palestinian neighbourhoods, two Israeli NGOs have charged.
Police suspect rightist extremists set fire to Palestinian car wash
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Indictments in one of the largest corruption scandals in Israel's history expected in days
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Israeli students outraged over ticket-scalping on annual Eilat jaunt
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Editors defend choice of former Israeli policeman to head publishing house
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Sewage threatens Jordan River due to imminent closure of treatment plant
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Sources: Israeli Justice Minister accuses State Prosecutor of indicting too quickly
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Israeli army rabbi under fire amid women's singing row
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Netanyahu freezes controversial judicial appointments bill amid wave of criticism
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Israel Attorney General clears Supreme Court's Danziger of graft charges
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
EU reaches agreement to ban imports of Iranian oil
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Michelle Bachman ends White House bid; high hopes at Santorum headquarters
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Tel Aviv museum ordered to provide Arabic signs, after damning Haaretz report
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Knesset delays debate on controversial judicial appointments bill
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
'Israeli Rosa Parks' receives death threats after refusing to move to back of ultra-Orthodox bus
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Muslim Brotherhood in the lead as Egyptians vote in final round of election
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Turkey FM to visit Iran for nuclear talks
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Israeli brothers crowned world debating champions
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Santorum thanks Iowans for propelling him forward
Ha'aretz – 4 Jan 2012
Romney wins Iowa caucuses after tight race with Santorum
Ha'aretz – 3 Jan 2012
Does Limmud reflect a false picture of British Jewry?
Ha'aretz – 3 Jan 2012
Israeli Defense official heads to South Korea in jet deal talks
Ha'aretz – 3 Jan 2012
Scholars offer new explanation for rare Temple artifact in Jerusalem
Ha'aretz – 3 Jan 2012
Israel allocates NIS 5 million for security of Jewish East Jerusalem residents
Ha'aretz – 3 Jan 2012
Mayor dedicates post-office boxes in east J'lem
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Residents say Barkat's gesture is not enough, demand increased building permits.
Panel against gender segregation sees results
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Transportation Ministry begins operation of a 24-hour hotline for complaints.
Nazi memorial in Croatia a disgrace to Europe
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – A service for Hitler is unthinkable. So why is the world quiet in response to a service for Ante Paveli?
'20 dead in Syria; security forces hiding prisoners'
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Opposition groups claim most of the killings occurred in Homs, adding death toll of protesters now above 6,000.
Budget for Galilee asbestos removal doubled
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Erdan made decision after touring Nahariya, where he witnessed firsthand the process of removing dangerous substance.
Chile's fire
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – How would Chileans feel if they were all held accountable for any Chilean tourist's (mis)deeds?
Hamas says Gaza 'not occupied;' UN disagrees
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Latest UN declaration of Israel's 'occupation' is part of a wider push to maintain Palestinian helplessness.
MK Molla to A-G: Investigate Kiryat Malachi racism
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Kadima MK calls Ch. 2 report on decision banning the rental or sale of homes to Ethiopians "simply racist and evil."
PM freezes contentious Bar Association Bill
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Netanyahu tells justice minister to stop progress of bill; MKs spar over clause that would cancel Judicial Selection Committee elections.
Is it just about money?
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – It is about recognizing that the partnership between Israel and the Diaspora is a two-way process.
Media Comment: Making prizes transparent
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – The Nobel committee failed to award the prize to deserving people, such as L. Meitner, A. Kramers and R. Franklin.
'Disengaging from abusive boss is worst strategy'
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – New study sheds light on strategies employees should utilize when dealing with a difficult boss.
Government drilling holes for country's dentists
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Why can't private dentists participate in the government's free dental care for children scheme?
Change the system but stop haredi-bashing!
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Candidly Speaking: The haredi lifestyle is not a threat to this country. Their attempt to haredize the country is.
From rude to ruin: Israel's uncivil society
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Fundamentally Freund: The fury that has erupted, pitting Jew against Jew, has made headlines across the globe.
Will Beit Shemesh lead to erosion on Capitol Hill?
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Washington Watch: The assault on civil liberties could lead decreased support from American Jews.
'At 60,' Janis Ian is no longer lonely
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – One of the top singer/songwriters of the 1970s is finding out she has more fans in Israel than she thought.
'Women in Israel have the right to sit anywhere they want'
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – While addressing Taglit-Birthright group, Netanyahu speaks out against discrimination against women, says Israel "a free country"; urges participants to immigrate to Israel, "be proud of birthright."
Analysis: Doubts over Syria rebel army unity
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Free Syrian Army head threatens to step up attacks on security forces just days after 'truce' announcement.
Bachmann ends her campaign, Perry stays in
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – US Republican Bachmann ignores talk of endorsement; Rick Santorum could attract her evangelical voter base.
A-G closes case against Justice Danziger
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Supreme Court justice was questioned under caution regarding Bat Yam mayor Lahiani's fraud allegations; case closed for lack of evidence.
'IAF rabbi should be fired from position'
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – IDF Chief Rabbi Peretz says Rabbi Raavad overstepped bounds by publicly criticizing IDF's protocols regarding religious soldiers.
Israeli team brings home the gold for debating
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – For third-straight year, an Israeli team wins first prize at the World University Debating Championships.
Guards thwart 'price tag' attack at Knesset
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Suspect wanted for involvement in previous attacks prevented from entering Knesset; 2 Arab cars burned in J'lem.
Creators of Shaham 'Hitler' poster arrested
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Municipality traffic enforcement officer attacked while writing a ticket for a illegally parked car.
Turkey warns against Shi'ite-Sunni Cold War
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu says that "sectarian regional tensions would be suicide for the whole region."
Google pouring money into Israeli startups
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Foreign investments important to Israel, where the high-tech industry accounts for 47% of manufactured exports.
EU reaches preliminary agreement to ban Iran oil
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Diplomats say principle of oil embargo agreed, but date not yet set; US welcomes move; Iran: These customers can be replaced.
The Resurgent Mizrahi Voice
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Poet Almog Behar epitomizes the move of some Israelis to embrace their Middle Eastern roots.
Tehran decries foreign troops presence in Gulf
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Iran Defense Minister Vahidi says extra-regional presence in gulf causes "turbulence", announces new military drill.
The Middle East in 2012: On the brink of chaos?
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Where is a region in a state of transition headed in 2012?
Saudi Arabia bans men from selling lingerie
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – New rules saying only women can sell lingerie ends male monopoly and creates employment opportunities for Saudi women.
Bears stalk Middle East markets
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Even the region's stronger economies failed to buck the downtrend in 2011; 2012 isn't shaping up to be much better.
Lawyer's Language: Room with an Apostille
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Lawyer Caroline Walsh answers your questions about coping with the Israeli legal system.
Couple 'impersonated cops to rob brothels'
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Louis and Isis Sarhan are charged with using false identities to steal credit cards, cash, cellphones from prostitutes, clients.
Egypt rejects Beduin pipeline demands
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – 'Globes' investigation finds that Beduin tribes have been bombing natural gas pipeline to seek protection money from Egypt's gov't.
Magician endorses Boteach as UK chief rabbi
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Israeli-British magician Uri Geller supports Rabbi Shmuley Boteach to succeed UK Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.
Groups file petition against Dead Sea deal
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Advocacy groups filed a petition against a government deal on upcoming salt harvest and royalties paid to Dead Sea Works.
Fine levied on Dolphin Reef for coral damage
Jerusalem Post 4 Jan 2012 – Eilat Magistrate's Court imposes fine for harming the coral in the Red Sea bay by crushing the organisms with rocks and dirt.
This smear against Israeli human rights activists is all too familiar | Ben White
The Guardian 4 Jan 2012 – Adalah defends Palestinian rights. The European Jewish Congress attack on it reflects a wider pattern of bullying Last week, the president of the European Jewish Congress (EJC) launched an extraordinary attack on an Israeli human rights…
Syria Claims U.S. Aims to "Rekindle Violence"
IPS Damascus has accused Washington of interfering in the work of the Arab League after a U.S. official travelled to Cairo for talks with the bloc about the protest crackdown in Syria.
MIDEAST: Unwilling, Unable, Yet Talking
IPS After a 15-month collapse, Palestinians and Israelis have met only to agree on sitting down face-to-face publicly once more on Friday. So far there is no breakdown, but no breakthrough either.
In Post-Gaddafi Libya, Freedom is Messy-and Getting Messier
Uruknet January 4, 2012 – "I fear this looks like a civil war", one Libyan rebel commander from Misrata told the Associated Press, in the wake of a fierce firefight between rival militia factions using heavy weapons in broad daylight in Tripoli on Tuesday. Four fighters were reportedly killed and five wounded in the clash ignited by…
UN diplomat calls for human rights investigation into NATO actions in Libya
Uruknet January 4, 2012 – The incoming U.N. Security Council president called Wednesday for an investigation into human rights abuses committed during NATO's bombing campaign to oust Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. South Africa's U.N. Ambassador Baso Sangqu, who holds the rotating Security Council presidency for January, said he believed NATO overstepped its mandate enforcing a no-fly zone,…
Israeli students to get $2,000 to spread state propaganda on Facebook
Uruknet January 4, 2012 – The National Union of Israeli Students (NUIS) has become a full-time partner in the Israeli government's efforts to spread its propaganda online and on college campuses around the world. NUIS has launched a program to pay Israeli university students $2,000 to spread pro-Israel propaganda online for 5 hours per week from the "…
On Guantánamo's 10th Anniversary, British Ex-Prisoners Talk About Their Lives, and Call for the Release of Shaker Aamer
Uruknet January 4, 2012 – As I have been explaining since the 9th anniversary of the opening of Guantánamo a year ago, it is now appropriate to regard most of, if not all of the remaining 171 prisoners as political prisoners, given that the Obama administration, Congress and the judiciary have all made sure that Guantánamo may…
Gaza Strip – Operation Cast Lead Aftermath : The Abdel Dayem Family
Uruknet January 4, 2012 – Arafa Abdel Dayem, 34, was killed on 4 January 2009, during Israel's 23 day offensive on the Gaza Strip, codenamed "Operation Cast Lead". Arafa, a medic, was responding to a missile attack on a group of five unarmed men when an Israeli tank fired a shell filled with flechettes directly at the…
Factions Slams Palestinian-Israeli Meeting In Amman
Uruknet January 4, 2012 – Several Palestinian factions slammed the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) in the West Bank for accepting to attend a meeting with Israeli representatives in Jordan's capital, Amman, on Tuesday. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) stated that the meeting will be used to weaken the position of the P.A. and its…
The Anti-Empire Report Iraq. Began with big lies. Ending with big lies. Never forget.
Uruknet January 3, 2012 – Ah yes, the history books, the multi-volume leather-bound set of "The Greatest Destructions of One Country by Another." The newest volume can relate, with numerous graphic photos, how the modern, educated, advanced nation of Iraq was reduced to a quasi failed state; how the Americans, beginning in 1991, bombed for 12 years,…
Israeli forces 'detain 6-year-old' in Jerusalem (Video)
Uruknet January 4, 2012 – An undercover Israeli force briefly detained a 6-year-old boy in East Jerusalem on Tuesday, relatives said. The child's grandfather Dawood Dirbas told Ma'an that Israeli officers raided al-Isawiya and local youth threw stones at the military vehicles. He said his grandson Muhammad Ali Dirbas was going to the shop when Israeli forces…
Crisis Conditions Grip Eurozone
Uruknet January 3, 2012 – …Massive social disruptions are deepening. Social safety net protections are fading. Nations are running out of money. People are running out of patience. History's no longer made in decades or years. It's made in months, weeks, days and minutes. Looking ahead, expect grim conditions to worsen and people unwilling to stay silent….
The Vast Danger of Narrow Minds
Uruknet January 3, 2012 – It is absolutely true that fundamentalism begets violent behavior and discrimination; we have all seen this in action. Muslims are forever being burned at the proverbial stake for their extremist views and their violent ways. However, it has come to pass that extremism has reared its ugly head in Israel, this time…
Syria News – January 3, 2012 (Warning: Graphic Videos)
Uruknet January 3, 2012 – 13 martyrs fell today thus far by the bullets of security forces and regime's army, four martyrs in both Homs, and Hama,2 martyrs in Idlib, 2 martyrs in Damascus Suburbs (Kafarbatna, Irbeen ) and a martyr in Damascus (Jobar)…. Damascus Suburbs: Kafer Batna: Martyrdom of the soldier Alaa Balour, the security forces killed…
Saudi Hackers Post Israeli Credit Card Numbers Online
Uruknet January 3, 2012 – A group of Saudi hackers dubbed Group-XP claimed on Monday to have posted the personal information of nearly half a million Israelis online, though credit card companies said the number of compromised records is actually much lower. The hackers said they broke into one of Israel's top sports Web sites, One.co.il, and…
Seven years after sieges, Fallujah struggles
Uruknet January 3, 2011 – Fallujah still bears the scars of war; skeletons continue to be pulled from the rubble of bombed buildings, and, worse, rates of birth defects and childhood malformations have skyrocketed. There is evidence of reconstruction, but shortages of electricity and clean water remain prevalent. The overall mood in the city is one of…
The Guantánamo Files: An Archive of Articles – Part Ten, July to September 2011
Uruknet January 3, 2012 – For nearly six years, I have been researching and writing about Guantánamo and the 779 men (and boys) held there over the last ten years, first through my book The Guantánamo Files, and, since May 2007, as a full-time independent investigative journalist. For three years, I focused on the crimes of the…
Israeli companies can profit from West Bank resources, court rules
Uruknet January 3, 2012 – Israeli companies are entitled to exploit the West Bank's natural resources for economic gain, according to a supreme court ruling that says international law must be adapted to the "reality on the ground" of long-term occupation. The supreme court rejected a petition brought by an Israeli human rights organisation against the quarrying…
Settler violence against Palestinians and Palestinian property, December 2011
Uruknet January 3, 2012 – In December, B'Tselem documented ten cases in which Israeli settlers harmed Palestinians or Palestinian property in the West Bank. On 3 December, settlers threw stones at a taxi, in which several Palestinian women were riding, as it drove near the Gilad Farm settlement outpost. One of the stones hit the roof, but…
Abdul Jalil appoints head of Libyan armed forces, warns of civil war
Uruknet January 3, 2012 – The chairman of Libya's National Transitional Council Mustafa Abdul Jalil appointed Yousef al-Manqoush as head of the armed forces in the first significant move to build a new Libyan military and warned that the country could descend into a civil war following deadly clashes in Tripoli. "A decision was issued today by…
Iraq snapshot – January 3, 2012
Uruknet January 3, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, the political crisis continues, Jalal Talabani is called a "terrorist" by State of Law, Moqtada al-Sadr reportedly will not attend a national conference, the Iranian government expresses displeasure over the MEK, and more. "Recently the media has been filled with announcements that the war in Iraq has finally ended….
Proposed FCC Media Consolidation Rules
Uruknet January 3, 2012 – In October 2007, then FCC chairman Kevin Martin proposed lifting the 1975 media cross-ownership rule. It forbid owning a newspaper and television or radio station in the same city even though conglomerates like Rupert Murdock's News Corp. and the (Chicago) Tribune Company already did. On November 13, he expanded his earlier plan,…
Former Palestinian Detainee Dies Of Health Condition Suffered While In prison
Uruknet January 3, 2012 – Zakariyya Daoud, a former Palestinian political prisoner, who got seriously ill while in Israeli prisons, and was only released on August 22, 2011, died of cancer on Monday, he was diagnosed in prison Israeli prisons and was deprived of the needed and specialized medical attention. Israel released Daoud, 43, after he spent…
Former Detainee Dies Of Health Condition Suffered While In prison
Uruknet January 3, 2012 – Zakariyya Daoud, a former Palestinian political prisoner, who got seriously ill while in Israeli prisons, and was only released on August 22, 2011, died of cancer on Monday, he was diagnosed in prison Israeli prisons and was deprived of the needed and specialized medical attention. Israel released Daoud, 43, after he spent…
Report: Israel issues tenders for 300 settler homes
Uruknet January 3, 2012 — An Israeli ministry on Tuesday issued tenders to build 300 new homes in Jewish only settlements in the occupied West Bank, Israeli media reported. The Housing Ministry and Israel Lands Administration published the call to build 47 units in Pisgat Zeev, and 247 in Har Homa, both adjacent to East Jerusalem, after…
Key political risks to watch in Italy
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 PM Mario Monti is preparing reforms to boost Italy's economy after parliament approved a 33 bln euro austerity plan last month which aims to shore up the country's strained public finances but risks weighing on growth.
Shark 360 mouse offers added precision
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Console gaming occasionally gets a boost from add-ons that can make the standard controller more efficient to hold and operate.
Like walking? Try the Himalayan range, all of it
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 In the shadow of Mount Everest and its magnetic lore, a cross-border route with a grand name, the Great Himalaya Trail, is being touted as an epic.
US vows to hold Saleh accountable
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 The United States said Wednesday it would hold Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh accountable for transitioning power after February elections, after he canceled a planned trip to America.
Israel's religion minister fears Jewish divides
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Israeli society could be torn apart if disputes between ultra-Orthodox and less observant Jews continue to heat up, Israel's religious affairs minister said on Wednesday.
Police shoot, kill armed student in Texas school
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Police shot and killed an armed teenage student who "engaged" officers in the main hallway of his school on Wednesday, the Texas school district said.
Jailed Palestinian leader says peace process dead
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghuti has said Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts are dead and called for mass "popular resistance" against Israeli occupation, in a letter penned from prison.
Kurds to stay clear of Iraq sectarian strife
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Iraq's Kurds are determined not to get dragged into a sectarian conflict over Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's attempted arrest of the Sunni vice-president.
Director Scorsese to receive U.K.'s BAFTA fellowship
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Raging Bull director Martin Scorsese will be honored with a fellowship by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) at the organization's annual awards ceremony on Feb. 12.
Elton John wants Timberlake to play him in biopic
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Elton John is working on a biopic about himself and would like Justin Timberlake to take on the lead role, he said in an interview.
Republican field may narrow after Romney Iowa win
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 After his razor-thin victory in Iowa, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney on Wednesday predicted "fast and furious" attacks from rivals seeking to oust him from his front-runner perch
Turkey warns against Shiite-Sunni Cold War
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Middle East powerhouse Turkey on Wednesday warned against a sectarian Cold War in the region and said rising Sunni-Shiite tensions would be "suicide" for the whole region.
Star Wars saber-master dies aged 89
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Bob Anderson, Olympic swordsman and the man inside Darth Vader's helmet during many iconic light saber battles in the Star Wars films, has died aged 89, the British Academy of Fencing said.
EU agrees embargo on Iranian crude
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 European governments have agreed in principle to ban imports of Iranian oil, EU diplomats said Wednesday.
Cabinet mishandling matter of wage hike: Hariri
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri criticized Wednesday the Cabinet's approach to the issue of increasing the minimum wage, saying it reflected division among ministers.
Brazil star Ronaldo says he contracted dengue
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Brazilian football icon Ronaldo said Wednesday on his Twitter account that he has contracted dengue fever.
Geagea: Post-Assad period discussed during meet with Hariri
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Lebanese Forces head Samir Geagea said Wednesday that during a visit to Riyadh late last year he and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri had discussed the period after the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Jordan upholds sentence for Al-Qaeda mentor
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Jordan's state security court has upheld a five-year prison sentence for a militant known as the mentor of slain Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
Car falls off bridge, kills one; Man found dead in Chtaura
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 One person died and two others were injured Wednesday after their vehicle fell off a bridge in the capital and a man was found shot to death in Chtaura, east Lebanon.
Tour de France star Cavendish switches to Sky
Daily Star 4 Jan 2012 Tour de France green jersey winner Mark Cavendish will ride for Team Sky in 2012, the British squad announced Wednesday.
Police kill armed eighth-grader in Texas school
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – ….
UN diplomat wants Libya NATO investigation
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – ….
EU agrees on Iran oil embargo
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – European Union decides to impose ban on Tehran crude. Islamic Republic shrugs off threat, says it has ways to circumvent it; US urges oil importers to 'drastically cut' Iran deals ….
Experts: Nuclear fuel test won't hasten Iran bomb
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – Iran's alleged development of fuel rods won't put it closer to producing nuclear weapons, experts say; Turkey's FM arrives in Tehran to discuss Islamic Republic's atom program ….
I miss Ariel Sharon
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – Op-ed: Kadima's Tzipi Livni says she longs for leaders who care about Israel's future ….
Obama to help unveil 'realistic' US military plan
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – ….
IPS has 'concrete concerns' for Yigal Amir's safety
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – Prisoner Service says Yitzhak Rabin's assassin must stay in solitary confinement over another inmate's threat to harm him ….
Gaza holds emergency drill
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – Three-week long drill in Strip meant to increase public awareness to fires, various disasters ….
5-year prison term for US rabbi in corruption case
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – ….
Syrian official: Assad received financial aid from Iran
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – ….
Hezbollah TV: Israeli 'spy ring' exposed in Mauritania
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – Al-Manar TV claims fluke arrest leads Nouakchott authorities to 'Mossad spy ring' in Mauritania ….
Michele Bachmann quits US presidential race
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – Minnesota congresswoman says she decided to 'stand aside' after finishing sixth in Iowa caucuses; urges Republicans to 'Obamacare' ….
Stop Internet shopping
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – Op-ed: Saudi hackers reminded us of dangers inherent in modern credit card era ….
'IAF rabbi should be dismissed from IDF'
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – Rabbi Moshe Raved's decision to resign from position of head of haredi recruitment program prompts Rabbi Rafi Peretz to seek his immediate dismissal ….
Stop Israel's new Right
YNet News, 4 Jan 2012 – Op-ed: Israel's new rightist camp may have frightening strategic implications for country ….
Palestinian Information Center
Occupation authorities install cctv cameras inside the Aqsa Mosque
PIC – The Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage revealed that the Israeli occupation on Tuesday installed cctv cameras to monitor the Aqsa Mosque, especially from the side of the Maghareba Gate.
Report: Occupation committed 120 violations against Journalists, arrested 17
PIC – The Palestinian Journalist Assembly said that 2011 witnessed an escalation of violations by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian journalists.
A Fatah leader confirms the failure of the Amman meeting
PIC – A senior leader of the Fatah movement said that the Israeli side disappointed the Palestinian and the Jordanian leadership during their meeting which was held in the Jordanian capital.
Occupation renews detention of journalist Abu Warda for 12 more days
PIC – Lawyer of International Tadamun for human rights said that the Salem military court on Wednesday ruled to extend the detention 12 more days to complete the interrogation.
Zionist plan to hamper relief work in Palestine
PIC – Israeli media revealed that the Israeli occupation foreign ministry plans to restrict the work of international relief organisations working in Palestine ..
Resheq criticizes Amman meeting between PA and Israelis
PIC – Ezzet Al-Resheq belittled the Amman meeting between the Palestinian authority and the Israeli occupation and described it as another attempt to pull the wool over the Palestinian people's eyes.
Barghouthi: The peace process failed and affected the PA
PIC – Senior Fatah leader Marwan Al-Barghouthi, a prisoner in Israeli jails, criticized the peace process and its impact on the performance of the Palestinian authority (PA).
Haneyya visits Tunisia Thursday
PIC – As part of his regional trip, Palestinian premier Ismail Haneyya intends on Thursday to make a two-day visit to Tunisia at the invitation of his Tunisian counterpart Hamadi Al-Jebali.
Arab League Calls Ban to Intervene to End Prisoners' Suffering
WAFA – 13:42-CAIRO, January 4, 2012 (WAFA) – Secretary General of the Arab League, Nabil el-Araby, Wednesday called on the United Nation General Secretary, Ban Ki-moon, to seriously intervene to end the suffering …
Abu Rudeineh Praises King Abdullah's Efforts
WAFA – 13:25-RAMALLAH, January 4, 2012 (WAFA) – Presidency Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh Wednesday praised the Jordanian King Abdullah II efforts to explore the possibility of resuming final status negotiations …
Shaath: Technocrat Government by End of January
WAFA – 11:19-GAZA, January 4, 2012 (WAFA) – Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Shaath Wednesday told Voice of Palestine radio that it was agreed on forming an independent government of technocrats by the end of …
Extremist Jews Set Fire to Two Cars in Jerusalem
WAFA – 10:37-JERUSALEM, January 4, 2012 (WAFA) – Extremist Jews Wednesday set fire to two Palestinian-owned cars in Beit Safafa, an East Jerusalem neighborhood, in a suspected "price tag" attack, reported local so…
Palestinians Reject Israeli Mayor's Visit to East Jerusalem Neighborhood
WAFA – 10:26-JERUSALEM, January 4, 2012 (WAFA) – Palestinians in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya strongly objected to a planned visit by West Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat to the neighborhood to inaugurat…
EU's Ashton Welcomes Amman Meeting
WAFA – 10:14-BRUSSELS, January 4, 2012 (WAFA) – European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton welcomed on Tuesday the meeting held in Jordan between Palestinian and Israeli officials in the presence of Quar…
Obama Seeks to Distance U.S. from Israeli Attack
Intifada-Palestine: 4 Jan 2012 – Analysis by Gareth Porter * WASHINGTON, Jan 3 (IPS) – President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are engaged in intense maneuvering over Netanyahu's aim of entangling the United States in an Israeli war against Iran. Netanyahu is exploiting the… more
Observers Court Controversy in Syria
Intifada-Palestine: 4 Jan 2012 – Sami Moubayed by Sami Moubayed The Arab League Observer Mission has raised a stir since arriving in Syria last week. At first, the Syrian opposition welcomed them heartily, believing that they were there to stop the violence, and oversee implementation of… more
Yemen president capitalizes on his political wits
LA Times 4 Jan 2012 – President Ali Abdullah Saleh has managed to sidestep his promise to resign by deftly manipulating Yemen's multiplying dangers to his own benefit. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is as relentless as he is cunning, promising to step aside yet remaining very much in power even…
Yemen President, Saleh, Won't Leave Country
New York Times 4 Jan 2012 – There had been hopes that President Ali Abdullah Saleh's departure might ease antigovernment protests.
Afghan Leader, Karzai, Warily Accepts U.S.-Taliban Talks
New York Times 4 Jan 2012 – President Hamid Karzai's pause before responding to the Taliban's decision to open a political office raised doubts about his willingness to play a secondary role in the reconciliation effort.
Egypt's Prosecutor Says Officials Hinder Mubarak Trial
New York Times 4 Jan 2012 – Mustafa Suleiman, the Egyptian prosecutor in the trial of former President Hosni Mubarak, said the government's internal security forces "deliberately sought to mislead justice."
Making a Play for Video Gamers
New York Times 4 Jan 2012 – Thanks to a computer-savvy young generation and a high level of disposable income, the Middle East is seen as a booming market for both creative talent and potential video-game buyers.
Making the Life of a Modern Nomad Into Literature
New York Times 4 Jan 2012 – The Egyptian novelist Miral al-Tahawy grew up in a traditional Bedouin village, and now teaches Arab literature in Arizona. She has transformed her life's displacements into award-winning books.
A Call for Private Investment in Gulf Health Care
New York Times 4 Jan 2012 – Analysts say that the Gulf Cooperation Council must actively encourage private-sector investment to relieve excessive dependence on public finances.
Further Tawdry Tales of 'Mr.' Rotter
Tikun Olam – Here's the latest installment on the estimable "Rabbi" Yeshayahu Rotter, impressario of the Rotter media empire. Here I wanted to disseminate some new information I've discovered about him and respond to a few of his attempts to defend or support his claims about his own record…
Several thousand US troops headed to Israel for 'unprecedented' joint missile defense exercise
Mondoweiss – Lt. Gen. Frank Gorenc, (center front) Commander of the U.S. Third Air Force on a visit to Israeli combat lab near Tel Aviv, December 2011 (Photo: Israeli Air Force) On Dec 20 Jerusalem Post reported thousands of American soldiers were deploying to Israel to take part…
Haaretz Hypocrisy: Exposé Finds Museums Don't Offer Arabic-Language Materials, But Neither Does Haaretz
Tikun Olam – I was struck by the hypocrisy of a recent Haaretz expose , which in itself was very good journalism, finding that five of ten Israeli cultural institutions which by law were required to offer Arabic-language captioning for exhibits and public events, did not do so. It also…
B'Tselem's 2011 video year in review
Mondoweiss – From the B'Tselem YouTube page : In 2011, volunteers in B'Tselem's camera project filmed over 500 hours of footage in the West Bank. There are two minutes we collected from it, in order to sum up the passing year.
Chicago and Nabi Saleh honor Gazan children killed during Cast Lead
Mondoweiss – Chicago Movement for Palestinian Rights CMPR sent out the following press release. CMPR is a diverse, youth-led movement advocating for Palestinian human rights, civil rights and equality through citywide educational events, grassroots campaigns and creative, direct action : Remembing Cast Lead in Chicago (Photo: earthtonadine ) Over two…
Uniformed corporal's criticism of Iran attack breaks off on CNN mid-sentence
Mondoweiss – Early returns and polling data last night suggested that Ron Paul might win the Iowa caucuses, and it was interesting to watch the media response. Chris Matthews, for instance, spoke of Paul's support from people in uniform and then launched an attack on the neoconservatives for…
VIDEO: Settler youth discuss conquering Jordan, destroying mosques and increasing attacks on the IDF with Israeli TV
Mondoweiss – (h/t +972 ) Israeli Channel 2 aired a rare interview with the "hilltop youth," a network of young settlers associated with the recent attack on an Israeli army base in the occupied West Bank (and with "price tag" graffiti ). All between the ages of 18 and 20,…
Israelis, Palestinians Meet in Jordan to Flog Dead Horse; Barghouti Says Talks DOA
Tikun Olam – Yet another meeting to talk about what they will talk about (Jordan News Agency) Palestine's most popular political prisoner in Israeli jails, Marwan Barghouti offered the kiss of death (original Maan story ) to today's meeting in Jordan between Israel and the rump Fatah government, whose purpose…
Tensions Ratchet Up in Straits of Hormuz, U.S. Announces 'Unprecedented' War Games in Israel, Thousands of Troops to Be Deployed
Tikun Olam – U.S. aircraft carriers in Straits of Hormuz A high level Iranian navy officer warned the U.S. not to send the U.S.S. Stennis back to the Straits of Hormuz through which it passed last week. The threat remained unspecified, but the implications were clear. If you return,…
Arab League torn between ground reality and propaganda spin
Voltaire Network 3 Jan 2012 – Western and Gulf daily newspapers watch the Arab League squabbling over its monitors. For some, they failed in their mission since the blood continues to flow. However, their assignment was to report the facts, not to restore peace. For others, on the contrary, they have succeeded…
Palestine Solidarity Project 4 Jan 2012 – When: January 28, 2012 What: International day of solidarity with Yousef Ikhlayl Background: On January 28, 2011, Yousef Ikhlayl was murdered by an Israeli settler from Bat Ayn settlement while working in his family's fields in the Saffa valley. Yousef was a regular participant in Beit…
EU moves to ban Iran crude oil
BBC 4 Jan 2012 – EU officials agree in principle to ban imports of Iranian crude oil to increase pressure on the country over its nuclear programme.
Syria 'deceiving' Arab monitors
BBC 4 Jan 2012 – Opposition activists accuse the Syrian government of deceiving Arab League monitors by replacing military vehicles in city centres.
Saudi men in lingerie sales ban
BBC 4 Jan 2012 – Saudi Arabia is to finally enforce a decree allowing only women to work in lingerie shops, despite disapproval from senior clerics.
2011 Ends on a Sour Note… Is Hamas Really a Mean-Minded Christmas Scrooge*?
Sabbah report 4 Jan 2012 – In the past Hamas has shown great respect for the Christian tradition of Christmas and, I hear, Hamas officials in Bethlehem used to dress up as Santa Claus to distribute gifts to Christian children. So the question remains: has Hamas really become such a Scrooge* as…
The Camp David treaty is not a sacred text
Sabbah report 4 Jan 2012 – Is it a pre-condition to recognize Israel in order to govern? This is not possible, no matter what the circumstances are. We don't recognize Israel at all. It is a criminal occupier.
No need for New Year's Resolutions for Israel – they can use the old UN ones
Sabbah report 4 Jan 2012 – A good place to start their 2012 New Year resolutions would be with this list borrowed from the United Nations Security Council – all of the resolutions directly critical of Israel for violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions, the U.N. Charter, the Geneva Conventions, international terrorism,…
Video: 10 Years of Struggle for Justice
US Campaign to End the Occupation 4 Jan 2012 – var a2a_config = a2a_config || {}; a2a_config.linkname = "US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation's 10th Anniversary Video"; a2a_config.linkurl = "http://endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=3150″; This year, contributions from supporters will allow us to plant 2,050 olive trees for Palestinian farming families in 2012. Thanks to your generosity, the US Campaign will be able to…
Former US Campaign Organizer to Receive Women of Conscience Award
US Campaign to End the Occupation 4 Jan 2012 – Congratulations to our former National Organizer and Legal Advocate Noura Erakat who will be honored in April by the Michigan Peace Team, along with our friends Hedy Epstein and Ann Wright . For more details and to purchase tickets, click here . W omen of Conscience, W omen…
Who's Afraid: The Several Messages of SeaMAC's Ad Campaign
US Campaign to End the Occupation 4 Jan 2012 – Edward Mast, of US Campaign member group Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign (SeaMAC), explains below the rationale for his group's series of ads protesting U.S. support of Israeli war crimes and details the censorship they have faced in trying to get the message out. SeaMAC's latest ad,…
10 Things We Did to Make this a Memorable Year
US Campaign to End the Occupation 4 Jan 2012 – Ready for Our New Year's Countdown? As 2011 draws to a close, we want to wish you and your loved ones a new year filled with peace and justice. We also want to thank you for the generous support that enables us to wake up every…
Hamas and the Brotherhood
Ramzy Baroud, Ma'an News Agency 1/4/2012
There was an unmistakable hint of triumph in the comments made by Ismail Haniyeh, Prime Minister of the elected Hamas government in Gaza when he was hosted by Mohammed Badie, Supreme Guide of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.
Both leaders said what would be expected of them under these circumstances. Haniyeh asserted that his movement's "presence with the Brotherhood threatens the Israeli entity," and Badie reaffirmed the Brotherhood's commitment to "issues of liberation, foremost the Palestinian issue."
It is very telling that Haniyeh's first official visit outside Gaza as prime minister was to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Cairo's Moqattam district. He shared his message — of resistance against Israeli occupation, national unity with rival Fatah and reaching out to Muslim countries — and then resumed his regional tour.
Since 2006, Hamas has attempted, but largely failed to win the approval of governments in Muslim-majority countries. Muslim solidarity was the thrust of Hamas' foreign policy, aimed at lessening Palestinian political and financial dependence on the US and other Western governments.
It failed because, as it turned out, US financial and political leverage is too overpowering and far-reaching for a relatively small movement like Hamas to singlehandedly challenge. But, as Haniyeh himself reiterated, times are changing.
In the first and second rounds of Egyptian elections, the Brotherhood's newly created Freedom and Justice party won more than 35 percent of the vote.
The electoral success was hardly an anomaly. The Islamic Nahda party, which formed the first post-revolutionary government in Tunisia, won more than 40 percent of the vote last October. more.. e-mail
Unsustainable Israeli Politics of Exclusion in Jerusalem
Nicola Nasser, Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) 12/31/2011
While the history of the world is moving decisively toward a culture of inclusion, diversity and pluralism, Israeli politics seems to challenge history by moving in the opposite direction of exclusion and unilateral self – righteous monopoly of geography, demography, history, archeology and culture, especially in Jerusalem, where Israelis are desperately trying to establish a "Jewish" capital for Israel and "the Jewish people" worldwide, excluding centuries old presence of Palestinian, Arab, Muslim and Christian deep-rooted existence and heritage, thus sowing the seeds of imminent conflict and foreseeable war by strangling a city that has historically been of diversified and pluralistic character and a flashpoint for human misery whenever exclusion becomes the rule of the day.
Israeli politics is not moving against history only, but is challenging world politics as well. Although the first Knesset of the newly born "state of Israel" voted on December 13, 1949 to move the seat of government from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and despite Israel's annexation of east Jerusalem on June 27, 1967, which the UN Security Council declared "null and void," both unilateral declarations have never been accepted and recognized by the international community, not even by the U.S., Israel's strategic guardian.
More recently, while millions of Christians were celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, on the southern outskirts of Jerusalem, and the birth of Christianity in Jerusalem, the scene of Jesus' resurrection following his death by crucifixion, which is the cornerstone of Christian faith, the Knesset was, on Christmas day, scheduled to consider a draft law that would declare Jerusalem "the capital of the Jewish people" and the capital of Israel at the same time.
The fact that the ruling elite in Tel Aviv has made a prior recognition of Israel as a "Jewish" state a precondition for making peace implicitly and consequently applies to Christians as well, otherwise how could any observer interpret the still simmering crisis with the Vatican over the holy places in Jerusalem….. more.. e-mail
A mistaken case for Syrian regime change
Aisling Byrne, Asia Times 1/5/2012
"War with Iran is already here," wrote a leading Israeli commentator recently, describing "the combination of covert warfare and international pressure" being applied to Iran.
Although not mentioned, the "strategic prize" of the first stage of this war on Iran is Syria; the first campaign in a much wider sectarian power-bid. "Other than the collapse of the Islamic Republic itself," Saudi King Abdullah was reported to have said last summer, "nothing would weaken Iran more than losing Syria." [1]
By December, senior United States officials were explicit about their regime change agenda for Syria: Tom Donilon, the US National Security Adviser, explained that the "end of the [President Bashar al-]Assad regime would constitute Iran's greatest setback in the region yet – a strategic blow that will further shift the balance of power in the region against Iran."
Shortly before, a key official in terms of operationalizing this policy, Under Secretary of State for the Near East Jeffrey Feltman, had stated at a congressional hearing that the US would "relentlessly pursue our two-track strategy of supporting the opposition and diplomatically and financially strangling the [Syrian] regime until that outcome is achieved". [2]
What we are seeing in Syria is a deliberate and calculated campaign to bring down the Assad government so as to replace it with a regime "more compatible" with US interests in the region.
The blueprint for this project is essentially a report produced by the neo-conservative Brookings Institute for regime change in Iran in 2009. The report – "Which Path to Persia?" [3] – continues to be the generic strategic approach for US-led regime change in the region. more.. e-mail
Delegitimizing discrimination: struggle of Palestinians in Israel focus of new book
Electronic Intifada: 4 Jan 2012 – Rod Such The Electronic Intifada Palestinians in Israel: Segregation, Discrimination, and Democracy by Ben White links the struggle of Palestinians within Israel with those in the occupied West Bank and Gaza and the global diaspora. Palestinians in Israel: Segregation, Discrimination and Democracy Manufacturer: Pluto Press Part Number: Price: $25.00more
Obama: Drones and Change
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Jan 2012 – By Sean Fenley '[Obama] didn't just embrace the Bush policies he kissed them on the lips and ran with them.' – Ret. United States Air Force Colonel, Morris Davis 'The buck stops here!' – Harry S. Truman The Washington Post looks like it decided to do a bit of actual journalism recently. Penning an extensive and informative article, on the Obama infatuation with the mass-killing aerial drone. This former constitutional scholar does not seem to feel impeded — by either the Constitution or the Bill of Rights — in his love affair with; and indeed, his use and misuse of this harbinger (and indeed harvester) of death. Obama is at present, in fact, leading the way in the history of United States presidents, in his extensive reliance on the secret killing of individuals; ostensibly in the interest of securing national security goals. Attorney Morris Davis, former chief prosecutor of the…more
Outlook for the New Year: Tyranny in the Forecast
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Jan 2012 – By Paul Craig Roberts The outlook for liberty is dismal. Those writers who are critical of Washington's illegal wars and overthrow of the US Constitution could find themselves in indefinite detainment, because criticism of Washington's policies can be alleged to be aiding Washington's enemies, which might include charities that provide aid to bombed Palestinian children and flotillas that attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Bush/Obama regimes have put the foundation in place for imprisoning critics of the government without due process of law. The First Amendment is being all but restricted to rah-rah Americans who chant USA! USA! USA! Washington has set itself up as world prosecutor, forever berating other countries for human rights violations, while Washington alone bombs half a dozen countries into the stone age and threatens several more with the same treatment, all the while violating US statutory law and the Geneva Conventions by torturing…more
US Sanctions No Coup de Grace for Iran
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Jan 2012 – By Ismail Salami – Tehran Will Washington dispense with a new round of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran? Or will the warmongers in the White House march for war against the country? In a dramatic move which was apparently contrary to his desire, US President Barack Obama on Saturday signed into law tough new sanctions against Iran targeting the country's Central Bank and financial sector in a bid to administer an economic coup de grace against Iran. Foreign firms are now to make a choice between doing business with the Iranian financial sector and Central Bank or the US economy and financial sector. In signing the bill, Obama harbored some secret fear that such an act would skyrocket the oil prices and that it would be terminally detrimental to the ailing economy of Washington as well as to global economy. Needles to say, such a measure was encouraged…more
Twisted Logic of Using Violence to Achieve Peace
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Jan 2012 – By Ramzy Baroud 'Sooner or later, there will be no escape from conducting a significant operation [in Gaza],' said Israeli army Chief of Staff Lieutenent General Benny Gantz on December 27, the third anniversary of Operation Cast Lead. Gantz's chillingly casual remarks were cited as just another nonchalant declaration of war against a besieged, impoverished, overcrowded and routinely bombarded stretch of land. From the Israeli military and political point of view, Gaza merely exists as an opportunity for the Israeli army to test its latest weapon technology and send political messages to Israel's foes in the region. As if to validate Gantz's logic, the ardently rightwing Israeli Jerusalem Post elaborated on December 28: "The Israel Air Force, working with the Shin Bet [Israel Security Agency], fired a missile at Gaza terrorists [fighters] involved in recent attacks on Israel, killing one and injuring two others." They were 'terrorists' because Israel has…more
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Jennifer Hewett
Commonwealth Bank and sorry is the hardest word
PUBLISHED: 04 Jul 2014 00:05:23 | UPDATED: 04 Jul 2014 04:26:02PUBLISHED: 04 Jul 2014 PRINT EDITION: 04 Jul 2014Timing matters. CBA's new approach to aggrieved customers will be seen as too late – if no longer too little..
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Two Tickets to An Evening With One Tree HillSubmitted by othfan (not verified) on Fri, 10/14/2011 - 6:01pm.
i got screwed on my trip and cant go anymore and i have to cover my fees so i am trying to get what i can for two tickets to the event. @aneveninwithoth »
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