ISRAEL WITHOUT IFS OR BUTS

French PM calls for stronger sanctions on Iran

2011-02-12T13:20:00.003Z

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon called in Saudi Arabia on Saturday for stronger sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.

“In Istanbul, in January, Iran opposed our renewed proposal for serious dialogue over its nuclear programme,” Fillon said aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle off the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

“To convince Iran to return to the negotiating table, we’ll have to strengthen sanctions,” he told military personnel on the French navy’s flagship which is holding joint exercises with the Saudi military.

On Friday, a Western diplomat said in Washington that the world’s major powers would consider tougher, non-UN measures against Iran to include financial as well as oil and gas sanctions.

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Hebron: we're running a Marathon

2011-02-11T13:46:00.004Z

In previous years the race was confined to Jewish areas in Hebron. But the 3rd Hebron Run will pass, for the first time, inside Hebron itself.

The race is supported by the Israeli Ministry of Sports and the State of Israel.

US: NASA rocket to bear name of Egyptian woman killed in anti-govt protests

2011-02-10T19:31:00.001Z

Cairo, 10 Feb. (AKI) - The United States space agency NASA has okayed the naming of one of its spaceships after a young Egyptian woman killed in late January during an anti-goverment protest, according to Egyptian daily Al-Masry-al-Youm.

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Egypt’s Uprising May Reignite Iran’s Green Movement

2011-02-09T19:12:00.002Z

(Forbes - 9 Feb 2011)

Feb. 11 marks the 32nd anniversary of the revolution that overthrew the Shah of Iran. The uprising had a broad base — communists, liberal democrats and Islamists all played a role. But in the end, well-organized religious forces prevailed, and Aytatollah Khomeini and a succession of clerics became Iran’s supreme leaders.

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Terrorists Without Borders

2011-02-08T23:49:00.002Z

02/09/2011

It is amusing to watch CNN and the BBC and hear all of the talk about “freedom” coming to Egypt, particularly when the Muslim Brotherhood — one of the main future beneficiaries of a revolution — is presented as a “peaceful conservative religious organization.”

In fact, the Muslim Brotherhood is not just your run-of-the-mill fundamentalist organization; it is the mother of all Islamist fundamentalist organizations, the one from which all others have sprung.

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Hezbollah building up its arms stockpile: Israel

2011-02-08T22:23:00.003Z

BEIRUT: Israel’s deputy prime minister Tuesday became the latest high-profile Israeli official to accuse Hezbollah of violating international law by increasing its alleged stockpile of arms.

Silvan Shalom, addressing a security conference attended by Israeli ministers, military officials and university professors, warned that Hezbollah was seeking nothing less than total control over Lebanon. “Hezbollah is not only a terrorist organization; they are going to take control of the whole country,” Shalom told conference attendees.

He added the party, “which first ran in the [Lebanese] Parliament saying that they didn’t want to take a lot [of power] in Lebanon,” now has “full control.”

“These days they control the army, the security forces, the police: everything that is needed,” Shalom said.

Read More (Daily Star-Lebanon)

Iran's Minister survives air crash

2011-02-08T17:30:00.003Z

City of Maku

TEHRAN, Feb 8 (KUNA) -- An Iranian helicopter carrying 15 persons including Minister of Housing and Urban Development Ali Nikzad crashed in Maku in West Azarbaijan province, said press reports here on Tuesday.

The accident took place on Tuesday and resulted in no casualties, Mehr news reported citing IRNA.

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Bahrain cyber-activists urge 'revolt'

2011-02-08T17:24:00.002Z

DUBAI (AFP) - A Facebook page urging "revolt" in Bahrain replicating similar calls elsewhere in the Arab world had by Tuesday amassed more than 6,000 "likes" on the social networking site.

"This is your chance to open the door for political and standard of living reforms, especially with the changes going on now in the Middle East. We will all chant 'The people want to reform the regime' on February 14, a post said.

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Obama: U.S. would recognize sovereignty of South Sudan in July

2011-02-07T21:05:00.002Z

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama congratulated south Sudan on Monday for a referendum to declare its independence and said the United States would recognize it as a sovereign country from July.

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Israel to honor memory of Khojali tragedy

2011-02-07T16:03:00.002Z

Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 7 / Trend T. Hajiyev /

The memorial day of the Khojali genocide will be held in Israel on Feb. 24 in connection with the 19th anniversary of the tragedy, the Azerbaijani State Committee on Work with Diaspora reported.

The event will be organized by the Israel-Azerbaijan International Association and Committee of the Azerbaijani diaspora acting at it. It will be attended by Knesset members, leaders of political and social organizations, representatives of municipal authorities, and heads of embassies and diplomatic missions accredited in Israel.

Association President Joseph Chagall and political analyst Aryeh Gut will make a speech at the ceremony. The guests will be presented a documentary on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The Armenian military forces committed genocide in Khojaly on Feb. 26, 1992. More than 600 people were killed, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old men. A total of 1,000 civilians were disabled during the genocide. Eight families were annihilated, 130 children lost one parent, and 25 lost both. Additionally, 1,275 peaceful residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 remains unknown.

SOURCE

Top Jordan website offline; security service blamed

2011-02-07T14:20:00.002Z

Jordan's most popular news website, Ammonnews, accused the security services on Monday of taking it offline after it published a statement that denounced "a crisis of authority" in the kingdom.

"Ammonnews was completely hacked and closed down. Only the Jordanian security services have the technical capacity to do this," chief editor Basel Okoor told AFP.

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The real spectre that is looming on Israel

2011-02-07T13:20:00.002Z

Calcutta, India, February 7 , 2011

The wadi or streambed between the northern Israeli villages of Zarit and Shtula is eerily quiet. A vast expanse of Lebanese territory, mostly rocky heights with a sprinkling of olive trees, lies on the other side of an Israeli border fence across the road from this streambed which is devoid of even a drop of water at this time.

It was in this wadi that Hezbollah militants, who scaled the border fence, hid for several days before they ambushed and made away with Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev to Aita al-Shaab, a nearby Lebanese village which was dotted with tobacco plantations and pomegranate, lemon or fig orchards and had 11,000 residents at that time.

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News of Egypt unrest spreads in N. Korea via cell phones

2011-02-06T23:46:00.003Z

The situation in Egypt has gotten North Korean authorities nervous, as the communist country has about 350,000 mobile phones in use and information on the outside world is rapidly spreading into the North via China.

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Iranian Warships Arrive At Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

2011-02-06T19:11:00.003Z

A twelfth group of Iranian warships carrying the Islamic republic's message of peace and friendship has entered the Saudi port of Jeddah.

PRESS TV - 6.2.2011

“A group of warships belonging to the Iranian Navy, which has been sailing across the high seas, has entered the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia with the aim of promoting friendly relations and sending the message of peace and friendship to regional countries,” said Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari on Sunday.

“The group of vessels is comprised of Iranian-made warship 'Khark' and destroyer 'Alvand',” the top commander was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Navy.

He expressed hope Iran would be a messenger of peace and friendship for the regional nations by sending its warships to the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea as well as to ports in friendly and Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia.

The top commander underlined the Iranian Navy is set to safeguard the country's national interests and, at the same time, carry a message of peace and security for the 'sensitive and strategic' region of the north Indian Ocean by maintaining its powerful presence in the high seas.

It is noteworthy that a host of Iranian Navy cadets are accompanying the warships as part of their scientific-training program.

Deal signed to supply Iran fuel to Afghanistan

2011-02-06T12:36:00.002Z

Subtitle: Pecunia Non Olet

TEHRAN (AFP) – Iran said on Sunday it has reached an agreement with Afghanistan to supply it with Iranian fuel and that it has started delivering the products to the neighbour's private sector.

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Saudi women protest, web activists call for reform

2011-02-05T19:37:00.003Z

Arab Women, painting by James LeGros

(Reuters) - About 40 women staged a rare demonstration in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday, demanding the release of prisoners held without a trial as part of the kingdom's efforts to fight al Qaeda insurgents, activists said.

Bahrain: police arrest 127 males in gay party raid

2011-02-05T19:31:00.002Z

DUBAI (Alarabiya.net)

Bahraini police raided a gay party in Manama and arrested 127 mainly homosexuals from the Gulf countries.

The fee-paying party described as "depraved and decadent" by the Bahraini police was organized on Wednesday and brought gay men mainly from GCC countries.

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Leadership of Egypt's ruling party resigns

2011-02-05T17:45:00.002Z

CAIRO -- The top leadership body of Egypt's ruling party resigned Saturday, including the president's son, but the regime appeared to be digging in its heels, calculating that it can ride out street demonstrations and keep President Hosni Mubarak in office.

The ruling party leaders who resigned included the country's most powerful political figures - and its most unpopular among many Egyptians. The move may have been aimed at convincing protesters in the streets that the regime is sincere in implementing democratic reforms they demand.

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Van which ploughed into Cairo protesters 'might belong to U.S. embassy,' admits State Department

2011-02-05T17:21:00.002Z

A van which ploughed into crowds of anti-government protesters in Cairo earlier this week might be a diplomatic van owned by America, U.S. officials said today.

They said 20 of the vans had been stolen during a week of upheaval.

The van charge was filmed and posted on YouTube where there have been more than 620,000 views.

The driver seems to be deliberately ramming the vehicle into demonstrators in streets around Cairo's Tahrir Square and their bodies are flung into the air.

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UK: Antisemitic incidents still at record high

2011-02-05T17:04:00.002Z

Antisemitic incidents have reached the second highest level since records began, according to annual figures released by the Community Security Trust.

The CST confirmed that 639 incidents were reported in 2010, a 31 per cent fall from 2009’s record high of 926, caused by antisemitic reactions to the Gaza conflict in January of that year.

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Merkel against Obama: "Asking for immediate elections in Egypt is a mistake"

2011-02-05T16:47:00.002Z

(Globes)

Chancellor Angela Merkel implicitly criticizes American president Barak Obama, who calls for the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to resign immediately and to hold new elections.

Egypt tells Iran: mind your own business

2011-02-05T16:34:00.002Z

CAIRO -(AP)- Egypt's foreign minister has told Iran to mind its own business after Iran's top leader praised the Egyptian uprising as an appropriate response to dictatorial rule.

Ahmed Aboul Gheit told reporters Saturday that Iran's Ali Khamenei seems to have forgotten about the crushing of widespread protests in Iran two years ago.

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Palestinian students in Scotland bloc lecture of Lieberman's aide

2011-02-05T14:22:00.003Z

EDINBURGH -- More than one hundred Palestinian students gathered in the University of Edinburgh in Scotland on Friday to protest a lecture that was to be delivered by an aide to Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman.

The students succeeded in blocking the lecture by Ismail Khaled, the civil advisor to Lieberman, describing him as "traitor" who sold himself to the Israeli occupation.

Police rushed to the scene of the event and escorted Khaled away from the lecture hall amidst anti-Israel slogans.

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Smoking? Overweight? Blaming Israel for everything? Try Hypnotherapy!

2011-02-05T13:43:00.005Z

Protests outside Ahava in Covent Garden, London (05.02.2011)

We guarantee to eliminate your phobia and bad habits quickly and easily, leaving you free to see the source of your old unwanted fear in a far more rational, resourceful and often humorous way.

Egypt: Gas Pipeline Blast Blamed On Saboteurs

2011-02-05T13:35:00.003Z

Huge flames billowed from a pipeline supplying gas from Egypt to Israel near the Gaza Strip on Saturday after an explosion which officials blame on saboteurs. Gas supplies to Israel and Jordan have been cut.

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Iran says Stuxnet claims need investigating

2011-02-04T21:17:00.002Z

(Reuters - 4 Feb. 2011) - Iran should investigate claims that the Stuxnet computer virus has caused major harm to its first nuclear power station, a senior official said Friday after suggestions the plant could become a "new Chernobyl."

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Israel Agrees to Steps to Improve Palestinian Life

2011-02-04T20:50:00.002Z

(Bloomberg) - The measures include reviving talks with the Palestinian Authority on the development of a gas field off Hamas-controlled Gaza, and the building of a new power station and desalination plants there, Blair said in a statement on Netanyahu’s website.

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Egypt: Unrest could trigger economic collapse says former UN secretary general Boutros Boutros Ghali

2011-02-04T19:12:00.002Z

(AKI) - The current revolt against president Hosni Mubarak in Egypt - the most populous country in the region - could cause the economy to collapse, former United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali told Adnkronos International (AKI) in an interview.

"A country like Egypt which is facing a population explosion cannot withstand the current situation," said Boutros Ghali.

A member of Egypt's minority Coptic Christian community and an academic, he served as the sixth UN secretary general from 1992-1996 during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, the Rwandan genocide and other world crises.

"The rift on the streets between those who were happy with the president's last speech (announcing he would not stand for re-election in September) and those who believe he should go now, risk sparking a devastating economic crisis," Boutros Ghali said.

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Yemen police open fire to disperse protest; 3 hurt

2011-02-04T18:49:00.001Z

Witnesses say police have opened fire to break up an anti-government protest in Yemen, and security officials say one protester has been critically wounded.

It was not immediately clear whether the police were using live ammunition or rubber bullets.

The security officials say two others demonstrators were also wounded in the eastern town of Mukalla, but no details were immediately available.

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When cars fly

2011-02-04T16:47:00.002Z

Or even better: Israel, where cars fly!

A Yavne-based company has produced a compact aircraft that can fly close to the ground and will hopefully be used by the military some day. Yes, sort of like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The future is here.

Gaza feeds hungry Egyptian troops

2011-02-04T14:42:00.002Z

GAZA Feb 4 (Reuters) - Egyptian soldiers isolated on the Gaza border by 10 days of internal upheaval are getting bread, canned goods and other food supplies from the enclave, which is usually on the receiving end of food aid. A source in the border town of Rafah said security forces of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which rules Gaza, had been providing the troops with supplies for the past three days.

The Crisis in Egypt: What Would Reagan Do?

2011-02-04T12:37:00.002Z

We are telling Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the man who helped bring peace to the Middle East, to leave power, to go. And why are we saying this? Well, because he is bad for his people. There is corruption and poverty.

Well then, why didn't we tell him to go last year? Why now? Because there is a mob in the street and it is likely that they represent a majority?

So if we do the same and show public opinion is against President Barack Obama, and by public opinion polls show that this represents a majority, will Obama leave? Of course not. That is not democracy. Nor is it freedom. Not in American and not in Egypt either.

Read more

Egypt: Thousands Join 'Day Of Departure' Demo

2011-02-04T11:27:00.002Z

Demonstrators are on the streets of Cairo and Alexandria to call for Egypt's embattled leader Hosni Mubarak to step down immediately.

The president of 30 years has said he will remain in control until September, when he will not stand for re-election.

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This Week in History: Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran

2011-02-04T11:07:00.002Z

(From the Jerusalem Post)

Since the Ayatollah Khomeini’s return to Iran and the subsequent completion of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the country continued to distance itself from the West. Internally, it has become more religiously conservative and radical in its positions (domestically and internationally). Additionally, from tactics employed in the near-decade-long war with Iraq, Khomeini is often credited with legitimizing suicide bombing as an honorable form of martyrdom.

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Syria: the calm before the storm

2011-02-03T22:33:00.003Z

A boy plays with a ball in an alley of the old city of Damascus, Syria (Getty Images)

Calls for protests in Syria are spreading on social media websites, following popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. Organisers say protests will be staged in front of the parliament in the capital, Damascus, on Friday and Saturday, and at Syrian embassies across the world. Several pages have been set up on Facebook, with the most popular one, named "The Syrian Revolution", "liked" by about 13,000 people by Thursday. Read more

Muslim Brotherhood has unveiled its plans to scrap peace treaty with Israel if it comes to power

2011-02-03T17:48:00.001Z

Rashad al-Bayoumi said the peace treaty with Israel will be abolished after a provisional government is formed by the movement and other Egypt's opposition parties.

"After President Mubarak steps down and a provisional government is formed, there is a need to dissolve the peace treaty with Israel," al-Bayoumi said.

Read more

Blocking Internet Cost Egypt at Least $90M, Says OECD

2011-02-03T17:26:00.002Z

The Egyptian government's five-day block of Internet services cost the national economy at least US$90 million, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Thursday.

The Paris-based organization said telecommunications and Internet services account for between 3 percent and 4 percent of Egypt's GDP, so the daily loss amounted to around US$18 million.

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Obama should just shut up on Egypt

2011-02-03T17:22:00.002Z

by Richard Cohen

When it comes to crises like the one in Egypt, the trouble with the White House is structural. It has a briefing room. (So does State.) When you have such a room, the pressure is to have a briefing. That means saying something -- almost anything in the present case -- when prudence, history and the gods of mythology cry out for silence. The Obama administration ought to just shut up.

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Venturegeeks will incubate startups in Israel

2011-02-03T14:16:00.004Z

Geekmedia, the company that operates Israeli technology blog newsgeek.co.il, is getting into the startup incubation business with a new program called Venturegeeks.

Based in Tel Aviv, Venturegeeks sounds like it will be structured similarly to well-known US incubator programs like Y Combinator. Startups accepted into the program will receive $20,000, as well as three months of mentorship and office space, in return for a 10 percent stake in the company.

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Israel vs Mubarak: Fairness is the name of the game

2011-02-03T11:38:00.004Z

Getty Images

"No matter what they say," Israeli President Shimon Peres said on Jan. 31, "we owe Mubarak true gratitude for being as steadfast as a rock and for working towards peace and stability in the Middle East."

Tomb of Prophet Zechariah found?

2011-02-02T22:33:00.002Z

Feb. 2, 2011 -- Israeli archaeologists unveiled on Wednesday the remnants of a newly discovered Byzantine-era church they suspect is concealing the tomb of the biblical prophet Zechariah.

The church, with intricate and well-preserved mosaic floors, was discovered on the slopes of the Judaean hills at Horbat Midras, the site of a Jewish community in Roman times, southwest of Jerusalem.

Underneath is a second layer of mosaics dating from the Roman period, with a cave complex still further below which archaeologists think could be Zechariah's tomb.

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US might respond militarily if Suez Canal is closed, US commander says

2011-02-02T22:18:00.002Z

The United States would respond "diplomatically, economically, militarily" to any closure of the Suez Canal, although such an event seems inconceivable, the head of US Central Command said on Tuesday.

General James Mattis, who oversees US military operations in an area stretching from Egypt to Pakistan, also said the US had no plans to order its military forces into the region because of instability in North Africa.

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Palestinians expect a stronger Egypt to weaken Israeli hand

2011-02-02T22:06:00.002Z

Reuters/Ramallah/Gaza

Palestinians are likely to benefit from a change of regime in Egypt, irrespective of whether they are in the camp of those seeking peace with Israel or those who advocate conflict, analysts said yesterday.

A more independent and assertive Egypt, reflecting popular opinion rather than US policy, will create pressure on Israel and Washington to make the compromises necessary for a long-overdue Middle East peace treaty, they said.

Whether they live in the occupied West Bank, whose leaders want a treaty with Israel, or in the blockaded Gaza Strip, whose leaders reject the Zionist state, Israel is the dominant factor overshadowing Palestinian lives.

West Bank and Gaza leaders have avoided speculating on the probable outcome in Egypt’s power struggle or its implications for Palestinians and the wider Arab world. But a few officials and political thinkers are ready to make predictions.

“The new situation in Egypt could lead to a change in world powers that upsets Israel and forces it to compromise. Egypt will get stronger,” said senior peace negotiator Nabil Shaath.

(Read more)

Hamas fears Gaza protests

2011-02-02T13:53:00.002Z

GAZA, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Palestinian leaders in Gaza and West Bank fear the protests in Egypt will spark a similar uprisings in the territories, officials said.

Thousands of people have joined a Facebook group calling on Palestinians in Gaza to demonstrate Friday against Hamas, Haaretz reported.

Another Facebook group called for protests against the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, the newspaper said.

(Read more)

Iran Arms Shipment May Deal Setback to Expansion of Africa Ties

2011-02-02T13:27:00.003Z

Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- A political wrangle over an Iranian arms shipment seized in Nigeria has set back the Persian Gulf nation’s efforts to cultivate links in Africa as it seeks to forestall diplomatic isolation over its nuclear program. A United Nations team arrived in Nigeria Jan. 16 to probe the consignment of rockets, grenades and mortar shells that may have been destined for Gambia or Senegal in West Africa. Gambia cut ties with Iran in November and ordered its diplomats out of the country over the shipment. A month later, Senegal recalled its ambassador, citing “grave concern” about the weapons. (Read more)

Jimmy Carter sued for five million dollars over falsehoods in 'Palestine' book

2011-02-02T13:04:00.002Z

Washington - Feb 2 : Former United States President Jimmy Carter is facing a five million dollar-plus lawsuit over his book 'Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid', which was published by 'Simon and Schuster' in November 2006.

The case filed by a group of disgruntled readers in the Manhattan federal court claims that the book "is filled with demonstrable falsehoods, omissions and knowing misrepresentations intended to promote Carter's agenda of anti-Israel propaganda".

SOURCE

Suriname recognizes Palestinian state

2011-02-02T12:49:00.002Z

RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- The Republic of Suriname on Tuesday became the latest South American country to recognize a Palestinian state on 1967 borders, Palestinian Authority Foreign Affairs Minister Riad Al-Malki said.

Surinamese President Desi Bouterse sent a letter to his PA counterpart Mahmoud Abbas via the Palestinian ambassador in Brazil, Al-Malki said. SOURCE

How does one recognize something that does not exist?

Report: Special commando units free Hizbullah members from Egyptian jail

2011-02-01T13:44:00.004Z

Lebanese sources claim that a commando composed of Lebanon's Hizbullah, Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Palestine's Hamas fighters stormed into the Egyptian prison of Wadi El-Natron, which is located some 120 kilometers northwest of Cairo. The task was to free several thousand prisoners, and especially leaders and members of the "Muslim Brotherhood" and activists of Hizbullah who were detained on charges of planning terrorist operations last year.

The sources said that the fighters entered Egypt across the Sudanese border. They exploited the security chaos in Egypt amid the popular revolt against the Mubarak regime. SOURCE

Jordan: King Abdullah dissolves his government

2011-02-01T13:24:00.004Z

King Abdullah of Jordan has sacked his government in the wake of the street protests and has asked an ex-army general to form a new Cabinet. SOURCE

Hezbullah: praise for the Egyptians' refusal to normalize relations with Israel

2011-02-01T12:14:00.005Z

Hezbollah praised Egyptian demonstrators today who call for the overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The Deputy Secretary General of Hizbullah Sheikh Naim Qassem said in a statement that the party salutes the Egyptian people in their fight for freedom, independence, dignity and refusal to normalize relations with Israel.

(Source)

Facebook: Israel changes its relationship status with Egypt to "it's complicated"

2011-02-01T11:44:00.005Z

Things are about to go from bad to worse in the Middle East. An Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement is nowhere in sight. Lebanon just became a Hezbollah state, which is to say that Iran has become an even more important regional power, and Egypt, once stable if tenuously so, has been pitched into chaos. This is the most dire prospect of them all. The dream of a democratic Egypt is sure to produce a nightmare. SOURCE

Unrest may spread to Syria

2011-01-31T22:56:00.005Z

The next big test comes Saturday, when protests are planned to take place in Syria.

In anticipation of what might be a repeat of the unrest seen in Egypt and Tunisia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad signaled that he understood the need for change.

Opposition movements are calling for mass protests on Saturday against the rule of President Bashar Al-Assad.

The groups are organizing on Facebook, with several pages promoting protests in Damascus, Aleppo and other cities.

Israel: 2 Grad rockets explode in Ofakim and Netivot

2011-01-31T22:36:00.002Z

The Israeli military says two rockets fired from Gaza have exploded in Israeli towns. No one was hurt, but there was some damage.

The attacks came a few minutes apart late Monday. One rocket hit Netivot, 9 miles (14 kilometers) east of Gaza, and the second exploded in Ofakim, 15 miles (25 kilometers) from Gaza.

The military says the range indicates the rockets were Grads. Israel charges that Iran supplies Gaza militants with Grads.

Jumblatt's new bloc backs Hezbollah

2011-01-31T18:46:00.001Z

“The National Struggle Front [in the parliament] has the same principles, which are based on the history of the party and the struggle for Arabism,” Jumblatt said.

"Now the [policy of the] party is in line with [the policies of] Syria and the Resistance," he added.

He made the remarks at the first extraordinary general assembly of the bloc, after the split of his Democratic Gathering bloc in the parliament, a Press TV correspondent reported on Sunday. (Press TV)

Council of the European Union: conclusions on Egypt

2011-01-31T17:50:00.002Z

FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting - Brussels, 31 January 2011

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

"1. The Council recognizes the legitimate democratic aspirations and grievances of the Egyptian population. These should be listened to carefully and addressed through urgent, concrete and decisive measures.

2. The Council deeply regrets the considerable loss of life during demonstrations in Egypt over the last few days. It also notes with deep concern the high number of people injured and arrested as well as the use of violence. The Council calls on all parties to show restraint and avoid further violence. It urges the Egyptian authorities to immediately release all peaceful demonstrators who have been detained. The Council also calls upon the Egyptian authorities to restore all communication networks without delay and to guarantee unhindered access to all media, including the Internet.

3. The Council urges the Egyptian authorities to respect and protect human rights including freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. It urges them to take appropriate measures to assure the security of all citizens and their property and to protect the cultural heritage. It calls for an immediate end to looting.

4. The Council urges the authorities to seek a peaceful and constructive way forward based on a serious and open dialogue with all political forces ready to abide by democratic norms and with civil society.

5. The Council urges the Egyptian authorities to embark on an orderly transition through a broad- based government leading to a genuine process of substantial democratic reform with full respect for the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, paving the way for free and fair elections.

6. The Council reiterates its support for a democratic, pluralist and stable Egypt as a key partner of the EU, mindful of its important regional role, and sharing the goal of building stability, peace and prosperity in the Mediterranean and Middle East region. The EU is committed to accompanying, through a partnership, the Egyptian transformation process by mobilising, reviewing and adapting existing instruments to support political, economic and social reforms. The EU stands ready to assist the Egyptian people in this transformation process, taking into account future developments."

SOURCE

Oil shippers fear Egypt violence might close Suez Canal

2011-01-31T17:42:00.002Z

Oil shippers are bracing themselves for the possible closure of the Suez Canal, as political protests and violence across

Egypt

threaten to spill over into the busy waterway that links the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. "There are rumors, but nothing is confirmed," one source said. A closure of the canal would likely drive up the cost of chartering oil tankers, since tankers would have to reroute oil around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa. (Link)

Nissan shuts Egyptian plant, Moody's cuts rating

2011-01-31T17:28:00.004Z

Japan’s Nissan said it has closed its factory in Egypt for at least a week because of the anti-government protests there. The plant, which assembles mostly four-wheel-drive vehicles, is in Giza, near Cairo.

Because of the unrest a number of Japanese firms have postponed business trips by their employees to Egypt, as well as Jordan and Yemen following advisaries from Japan’s foreign ministry. (Euronews)

3rd Generation Solar Power: the innovative system of Zenith Solar

2011-01-31T15:35:00.003Z

GETTY IMAGES

French Industry Minister Eric Besson poses for photographers during his visits at the Zenith Solar Central in southern Israel near the city of Ashdod on January 31, 2011.

ZenithSolar has developed a modular and easily scalable high concentration photovoltaic system (HCPV). The core technology is based on a unique, proprietary optical design to extract the maximum energy with minimal 'real estate'.

The Domino Effect

2011-01-31T15:19:00.002Z

Leaders across the Arab world are living in fear that the unrest could head their way.

(Al Quds)

Jimmy Carter, 1979: The Shah has to go. Jimmy Carter, 2011: "Mubarak has to go"

2011-01-31T14:08:00.007Z

Former President Jimmy Carter said Sunday that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will likely be forced to step down because "the people have decided," according to a news report.

“This is the most profound situation in the Middle East since I left office,” Carter said Sunday at a Baptist church in his hometown of Plains, Ga. (Link)

Graffiti on Western Wall

2011-01-31T13:27:00.002Z

As worshippers braved the rains and visited the site of the Western Wall on Monday morning, a man burst onto the scene with yells and curses. He railed against Israel’s “occupation,” and then spray-painted the word “Palestine” on the stone wall separating the men’s prayer section from the visitors’ section, and on the barrier adjoining the women’s prayer section. The man was described by onlookers as being “odd,”News-1 reported. He was arrested by police stationed at the holy site. (Arutz Sheva)

EU Legal Observers barred from Turkey's Kurdish KCK trial

2011-01-30T21:00:00.002Z

European observers were barred from a Turkish court room on Friday, after judges denied the right of 102 defendants to use the country’s minority Kurdish language in what are alleged to be political prosecutions.

Representatives of ten EU countries in an official delegation of the Party of European Socialists were denied access to the ‘KCK’ trial at the Sixth Heavy Penalty Supreme Court in Diyarbakir, Turkey, in which they were due to be international observers. Link

Egypt: Anonymous poster campaign backing Omar Suleiman to take over the presidency

2011-01-30T20:42:00.002Z

CAIRO - Egyptian police are investigating an anonymous poster campaign backing intelligence chief Omar Suleiman to take over the presidency from incumbent Hosni Mubarak.

Is Saudi Arabia next?

2011-01-30T17:37:00.004Z

Following heavy floods in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Saudi cleric Sheikh Nasser al-Omar expresses criticism towards Saudi ministers who refuse to take responsibility and resign (link).

Obama like Carter? How to lose yet another ally

2011-01-30T15:29:00.005Z

The Obama Administration, in failing to throw its weight against an Islamic takeover (of Egypt), is guilty of the same mistake that led President Carter to fail to support the Shah, opening the door for the Ayatollah Khomeini to take over Iran (DickMorris.com)

Sirte Declaration: Israel must restore the Golan to Syria; the West Bank and Jerusalem to the Palestinians

2010-10-10T20:49:00.005+01:00

Sirte Declaration: Supporting Syria in Restoring the Occupied Golan, Supporting Palestinian Struggle against Israeli Occupation for an independent Palestine state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Anything else? I don't know... the Negev perhaps?

Haifa? Why not? Haifa is nice!

Sirte, Libya, (SANA) – Sirte Declaration, released on Sunday at the conclusion of the 2nd Afro-Arab summit, stressed the support for Syria's right in restoring the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of June 4th, 1967 according to the international legitimacy resolutions.

The Declaration said that Israel's continued occupation of Arab territories is a threat to the international peace and security.

The Afro-Arab Declaration also stressed the full support for the struggle of the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation and their right in exercising their national rights, including the right to self-determination and living in peace and stability in an independent Palestine state with Jerusalem as its capital according to the international legitimacy.

The Declaration underlined the necessity of full Israeli withdrawal from Shebaa Farms in line with the relevant international resolutions, particularly the UN Security Council resolution of 2006.

Link

Israeli army probes video of dancing soldier

2010-10-05T15:39:00.006+01:00

Israeli Soldier Dancing With Palestinian Kids, but sadly this video wasn't aired by a local TV station

Vultures hovering over Israel, again and again...

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military says it is investigating a video that appears to show an Israeli soldier dancing around a blindfolded Palestinian woman.

Well I never!

The video was uploaded to YouTube two years ago, more or less at the same time as this video, of which sadly nobody has been talking about.

Yet another Israeli soldier dancing: link

Il canto delle Sirene che vuole ammaliare Israele

2010-09-09T15:34:00.002+01:00

E' appena entrato il 5771 e le novita' non mancano. Noi che amiamo Israele e seguiamo quotidianamente le maldicenze ora di questi ora di quelli non possiamo far finta di non notare, in queste ultime ore, il dolce richiamo delle Sirene, creature divoratrici di uomini ed eroi, ammaliati dal loro melodioso canto.

Ebbene si', si son messe a cantare assieme, lo stesso giorno, alla stessa ora, due Sirene che hanno da sempre imbiancato di ossa i loro scogli: Fidel Castro e Hugo Chavez, due tra i dittatori piu' temuti del mondo.

Il primo, vecchio e malandato, dopo aver negato per decenni diritti civili e liberta' ai Cubani nel nome della Revolucion, ne ha "cantate " quattro ad Ahmadinejad, il tiranno iraniano, invitandolo a cambiar solfa, di smetterla di calunniare gli Ebrei, e di non oltraggiare la memoria di sei milioni di innocenti morti durante la Shoah.
"Non c'e' nulla di paragonabile alla Shoah e glielo sto dicendo perché lei glielo comunichi" ha detto al giornalista dell'Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg.

A non molte miglia di distanza da L'Avana, a Caracas per la precisione, Hugo Chavez, Lider incontrastato di una "democrazia" in ginocchio, innalzava ai naviganti il suo canto melodioso: "Entro la fine del mese incontrero' i rappresentanti della Comunita' Ebraica venezuelana".
Martoriati da anni, dileggiati sui giornali "government-friendly" del regime di Chavez attraverso articoli e vignette, gli Ebrei venezuelani hanno visto finalmente accolta la richiesta di un meeting chiarificatore nella speranza che la Comunita' possa continuare a contribuire senza timori, come ha sempre fatto, al bene della Societa' Venezuelana.

Sono appena passate poche ore dall'inizio del Nuovo Anno, e la melodia delle Sirene aleggia ancora per l'aria.
Quanti naviganti s'accosteranno agli scogli, ammaliati dalla dolcezza del loro canto, non ci e' dato sapere, ma molti di loro non faranno ritorno a casa.

Che Israele faccia come Odisseo: si faccia legare all'albero maestro, ascolti pure il canto delle Sirene, ma non s'avvicini a quegli scogli assassini.

Enzo Greco

Turkey Accused of Using Chemical Weapons against PKK

2010-08-15T19:37:00.002+01:00

Shocking Images of Dead Kurdish Fighters

German experts have confirmed the authenticity of photographs that purport to show PKK fighters killed by chemical weapons. The evidence puts increasing pressure on the Turkish government, which has long been suspected of using such weapons against Kurdish rebels. German politicians are demanding an investigation (read the rest here).

Hezbollah tried to blow up the Israeli Embassy in Baku

2010-08-14T13:29:00.004+01:00

Israel was taken by surprise by the Azerbaijan government's sudden decision to release two Lebanese Hizballah terrorists and an Iranian citizen serving prison sentences for plotting attacks in Feb. 2009 on the Israeli embassy in Baku and a key early warning radar station guarding against Iranian missile fire (Debka).

Two Lebanese citizens, Karaki Ali Muhammad and Najmaddin Ali Hussein, were charged with treason, revealing secret information abroad, espionage, preparation of acts of terrorism, drug trafficking and arms smuggling. Four Azerbaijani citizens, Javid Mamadov, Vidadi Rasulov, Mushfig Amanov and Afgan Balashev all faced similar charges. The alleged terrorist cell planned to bomb the Israeli Embassy in Baku as well as blow up the Russian-operated Qabala radar station. According to investigation records, the group was receiving orders from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Both Lebanese “had been trained and sent to Azerbaijan by terrorist organizations Hezbollah and al-Qaeda.” (link)

Ashkenazi: 'Next flotillas will be stopped'

2010-08-11T22:29:00.002+01:00

Ashkenazi: Future aid ships will be blocked by defensive shield.
In the future aid flotillas that attempt to break the naval siege on Gaza will be blocked by the Israel Navy's defensive shield, IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said on Wednesday.

Link

Swimming lesson in Gaza? Don't even think about it...!

2010-08-11T16:40:00.001+01:00

Link

Israel: flights to Antalya to resume on Sunday

2010-08-11T11:11:00.002+01:00

What a nice boost for Turkish tourism!
AND... flights will be operated ONLY by turkish airlines!
Clever Israel!
link

The desecration of Temple Mount (with pics)

2010-07-29T15:36:00.004+01:00

Funeral of Hamas terrorist on Temple Mount. The City of God humiliated once again.
Link

MV Rachel Corrie, Challenger and Challenger 1 in viaggio verso Gaza

2010-06-03T10:35:00.002+01:00

Malaysian National News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Malesia, 1 Giugno (Bernama)

La nave Rachel Corrie, che sta cercando di portare aiuti umanitari a Gaza con sei malesi a bordo, andra’ avanti con il suo piano prestabilito, nonostante l’attacco di ieri della marina israeliana ad una nave turca in viaggio per una simile missione.

Il Presidente della Perdana Global Peace Organization (PGPO), sponsor della MV Rachel Corrie, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, ha detto che la nave si dirige verso le acque di Gaza e che cio’ non ha nulla a che fare con Israele.

"Le navi non entreranno in acque israeliane. Perché mai gli Israeliani bloccano chi naviga in direzione di Gaza senza neppure entrare nelle acque territoriali di Israele? Non ne hanno alcun diritto" dice Tun Mahatir.

In realtà, ha detto, vi sono altre due navi che stanno andando a Gaza e queste navi trasportano cittadini malesi (la PGPO sta sponsorizzando tre navi – la Rachel Corrie, la Challenger 1 e la Challenger).

Il Consulente della PGPO, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir (suo figlio), ha aggiunto che la Malesia non ha relazioni diplomatiche con Israele, paese che quindi non ha alcun diritto di trattenere o detenere malesi nel suo territorio. (Fine)
Bermana

(Informazioni di base sul presidente della PGCO, Tun Dr Mahatir Mohamad)

23 gennaio 2010-Relazione Sabbah (Malesia)
Sabbah Report

"La stabilità, la giustizia e il diritto di Al-Quds e della Palestina" - Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed

Estratto (dell'articolo suddetto): 7. "Gli ebrei sono sempre stati un problema per i paesi europei. Dovevano venire confinati nei ghetti e periodicamente massacrati. Ma ancora sono rimasti, hanno prosperato e tengono in ostaggio interi governi. Anche dopo il loro massacro da parte dei nazisti della Germania, sono sopravvissuti e continuano ad essere fonte di problemi ancora più gravi per il mondo. L'Olocausto e’ stato un fallimento come soluzione finale ".

Buona navigazione, Tun!

Gli scienziati del centro ricerche nucleari di Dimona, Israele: gli Americani ci rifiutano il visto d'entrata

2010-04-08T16:53:00.002+01:00

Che fossero scienziati o semplici impiegati del Centro Ricerche Nucleari di Dimona non gli aveva mai impedito di partecipare a seminari di Chimica, Fisica, o Ingegneria Nucleare negli USA.

Maariv riporta oggi che questi stessi scienziati israeliani si stanno vedendo rifiutare il visto d'entrata in America e vengono trattati in "maniera offensiva" dagli uomini di Obama.

Come se non bastasse, gli USA si stanno rifiutando di vendere, come avevano sempre fatto in passato, componenti importanti del reattore nucleare di Dimona.

Ministro della Difesa Iraniano: Israele non e' forte abbastanza per attaccarci

2010-04-07T13:17:00.003+01:00

2010-04-07-Tehran
Continuano le provocazioni del regime iraniano: Fars News Agency riporta oggi un'intervista col Ministro della Difesa di Ahmadinejad, Generale Ahmad Vahidi.
L'alto ufficiale dell'Esercito dell'Iran dice senza mezzi termini che Israele non e' forte abbastanza per attaccare l'Iran e che i centri di ricerca militare del "regime sionista" (sic) consigliano di non farsi nemmeno sfiorare dall'idea di attaccare le centrali nucleari di Tehran. (link)

Hizbullah: Il Giorno della Vergogna

2010-04-02T12:37:00.003+01:00

Il Tribunale Speciale dell'ONU che coordina l'inchiesta sull'uccisione del Primo Ministro libanese Rafik Hariri accusa Hizbullah di aver deciso ed eseguito il suo assassinio nel 2005.
Hassan Nasrallah, capo degli Hizbullah, supportato economicamente e militarmente dall'Iran, minaccia di coinvolgere l'intero Libano se alle accuse formulate dal Tribunale seguiranno sanzioni penali contro i suoi membri, quali in primis Hajj Salim, capo militare dell'organizzazione sciita.

Il Libano rischia di ripiombare nel caos totale. (link)

Shin Bet: aumentati gli atti di terrorismo palestinese nel mese di Marzo

2010-04-01T19:05:00.002+01:00

I Servizi di Sicurezza Israeliani (Shin Bet), nel loro rapporto mensile, riportano un marcato aumento degli atti di terrorismo palestinese nel mese di Marzo rispetto al mese di Febbraio.
Nella fattispecie, vi sono stati in totale 125 atti terroristici dei Palestinesi a Marzo rispetto ai 53 di Febbraio.
Di questi, 27 attacchi sono avvenuti a Gerusalemme, 62 nella West Bank. (link)

Jet dell'IAF all'inseguimento di caccia stranieri sui cieli di Haifa

2010-04-01T14:18:00.005+01:00

L'aviazione militare israeliana ha avuto il suo bel da fare 48 ore fa quando i radar hanno avvistato caccia stranieri avvicinarsi alla citta' di Haifa. Buttatisi all'inseguimento, i jet dell'IAF hanno identificato i caccia "nemici" (Cipro? Turchia?) e verificata la loro non belligeranza hanno fatto ritorno alla base (link)

Egitto: la Polizia Egiziana scopre 100 missili anti-aereo sulla via di Gaza

2010-04-01T11:42:00.003+01:00

General Mohamed Naguib, responsabile della Sicurezza nel Nord Sinai

La Polizia Egiziana riporta il ritrovamento di 100 missili anti-aereo e 45 RPGs pronti per Gaza.
Il giornale del Cairo, al-Youm al-Sabe', riferisce che oltre ai missili e RPGs sono stati scoperti altri tre tunnel. Non e' stato effettuato alcun arresto.

Confine Gaza-Egitto: super tunnel usati per trasferire autovetture nuove di zecca

2010-03-31T22:18:00.004+01:00

Deve certamente trattarsi di tunnel speciali quelli usati dai Palestinesi della Striscia per trasferire 41 autovetture nuove di zecca dall'Egitto a Gaza.

La Polizia Egiziana le ha scoperte proprio oggi al confine, pronte ad essere trasferite in territorio palestinese attraverso una serie di tunnel di ampiezza e tenuta davvero considerevoli (link)

Comitato Parlamentare belga vieta il burqa

2010-03-31T17:34:00.003+01:00

Un Comitato Parlamentare del Belgio ha oggi votato all'unanimita' di proibire il burqa in pubblico.

Spetta adesso al Senato il voto definitivo, programmato per la fine di Aprile. (link)

Sarah Palin critica Obama: "NO a un secondo Olocausto!"

2010-03-31T15:38:00.002+01:00

L'ex Governatrice dell'Alaska, Sarah Palin, ha oggi inviato ad Obama un messaggio chiaro: "Non puo' esserci pace in Medio Oriente se le sanzioni contro l'Iran continuano ad essere all'acqua di rose".

La Palin ha usato la sua pagina di Facebook per l'aspra critica alla politica medio-orientale di Obama, accusato dalla stessa di aver voluto umiliare l'ospite israeliano durante la recente visita a Washington di Bibi Netanyahu. (LINK)

Per la Regione Toscana Israele non esiste!

2010-03-31T13:19:00.002+01:00

Questa e' la cartolina elettorale inviata dalla Regione Toscana ad un cittadino italiano residente a Gerusalemme, capitale di Israele.

Solo che invece di scrivere "ISRAELE" l'erede del Rinascimento italiano ha pensato bene di scrivere "Palestina"!

Il bello e' che certi Toscani non fanno piu' neanche ridere...

Record mondiale di Israele: votate nelle ultime 48 ore all'ONU cinque risoluzioni contro Israele!

2010-03-31T11:43:00.003+01:00

(da JSS-31 Marzo 2010)

Sembra un film dell'orrore, ma non lo e'!
Nella storia dell'ONU non c'e' mai stato un paese che sia stato sanzionato quanto e come Israele.
Nella fattispecie, nelle ultime 48 ore, Israele si e' vista appioppare cinque risoluzioni che non stanno ne' in cielo ne' in terra.

Andiamo per ordine:
1) "Situazione dei diritti dell'uomo nel Golan siriano occupato"
2) "Diritto all'autodeterminazione del popolo palestinese"
3) "Colonie israeliane nei territori occupati, compresa Gerusalemme Est e il Golan"
4) "Gravi violazioni dei diritti dell'uomo nei territori occupati, compresa Gerusalemme Est"
5) "Implementare le raccomandazioni del Rapporto Goldstone e creazione di gruppo di monitoraggio ad hoc".

A quando una risoluzione CONTRO l'ONU?

Hamas e Fatah: continuano le condanne a morte per impiccaggione dei prigionieri politici

2010-03-31T10:56:00.003+01:00

RAMALLAH, Mar 31, 2010 (IPS) - Nel Novembre 2009, Muhammad Al Saba, 36 anni, di Rafah a sud della Striscia di Gaza, e' stato condannato a morte per impiccaggione da una corte militare di Gaza per "tradimento e collaborazione con forze nemiche", ed e' bene sottolineare che in questo caso, come in molti altri, per "forze nemiche" si intende la fazione palestinese opposta (Hamas o Fatah).
Al Saba e' uno di 17 Palestinesi, 14 di Gaza e 3 della West Bank, condannati a morte nel 2009.
La pena di morte viene applicata secondo l'articolo 37 del Codice Penale del 1936 nella Striscia di Gaza, e secondo l'articolo 14 del Codice Penale giordano del 1960 applicabile nella West Bank.

"Law and order" (Legalita' ed ordine) nei territori palestinesi?
La strada e' ancora molto lunga...

Sondaggio del Dahaf Institute: Kadima primo partito in Israele

2010-03-30T18:11:00.003+01:00

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) -30 Marzo 2010- Secondo un sondaggio del Dahaf Institute, pubblicato da Yediot Ahronot, Kadima e' in testa nelle preferenze elettorali degli Israeliani. Kadima avrebbe oggi 32 seggi alla Knesset, mentre il Likud ne otterrebbe 29.
Yisrael Beitenu e' al terzo posto con 13 seggi, seguito da Shas con 10, e il partito Laburista con 8. Trascurabili le preferenze per Yahadut Hatorah, Meretz-Yachad, HaIhud HaLeumi, Habayit Hayehudi. I partiti arabi otterrebbero 11 seggi.

Martin Linton, parlamentare laburista britannico: "Israele manipolera' le prossime elezioni in GB"

2010-03-30T16:15:00.004+01:00

C'e' da restare trasecolati.
Il parlamentare laburista Martin Linton, molto probabilmente a corto di voti, nonche' Chairman dei Labour Friends of Palestine, ad una riunione alla Camera dei Comuni di qualche giorno fa ha candidamente ammesso quanto segue: “I lunghi tentacoli di Israele influenzano le campagne elettorali in GB. Occorre pertanto considerare, nelle prossime settimane, quando deciderete chi votare, tutti i tentativi di Israele di manipolare le nostre elezioni".

London: March pro-Palestine (pics)

2009-05-16T13:33:00.011+01:00

THE BEGINNING...

THE END...

6 years in prison for airing Hezbollah TV in NYC

2009-04-24T15:33:00.002+01:00

The Associated Press April 24, 2009

A Pakistani immigrant described by prosecutors as "Hezbollah's man in New York City" was sentenced Thursday to nearly six years in prison for airing the militant group's television station.
U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman handed down a sentence of five years and nine months to Javed Iqbal, who had pleaded guilty in December to providing aid to a terrorist organization.
Iqbal, 45, admitted as part of a plea agreement that he used satellite dishes on his Staten Island home to distribute broadcasts of Al Manar, the TV station of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which has been fighting Israel since the early 1980s and has been branded by the U.S. government as a terrorist group.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Snyder said Iqbal recruited Al Manar, even traveling to "the belly of the beast, South Beirut," to meet with its general manager.
"He was, in a very real sense, Hezbollah's man in New York City," Snyder said.
Snyder said Iqbal bought special satellite equipment to allow Al Manar to provide 24-hour programming from November 2005 through May 2006 so Hezbollah could use it to recruit followers and suicide bombers. Prosecutors said Iqbal's business was paid $28,000 monthly for at least five months for airing the station to its North American customers.
Iqbal's lawyer, Josh Dratel, said his client didn't intend to aid Hezbollah as he tried to build his Brooklyn-based satellite television company, HDTV Limited.
Dratel called the airing of Al Manar "one discreet and narrow aspect" of an otherwise legitimate broadcasting company that also aired Christian programming, adult entertainment, a Jamaican channel and a gay and lesbian channel.
Before Iqbal was sentenced, he had Dratel read aloud a statement he had written. The statement said that he did not make any profit by airing Al Manar and that the resulting criminal charges had "hurt me financially, emotionally and physically."
It asked for leniency from the judge.
In court papers, Dratel argued that Iqbal does not possess any ideology sympathetic to terrorism or other political doctrine, and he noted that one of HDTV's partners was a city police officer.
"He is a businessman and sought to provide services he thought would generate profits," Dratel wrote.
Iqbal, who has lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years, will most likely be deported once he has completed his prison sentence, Dratel said. Iqbal, a former car mechanic, is married with five children and a sixth child due in July.
The August 2006 arrest of Iqbal initially sparked a First Amendment battle, with claims by his lawyers that he was no different from major news companies and Internet providers, some of which permit live streaming broadcasts of Al Manar. But the arguments were rejected by the court, and there was no mention of the First Amendment at the sentencing.
Hezbollah recently has taken a moderate tone before Lebanon's June 7 parliamentary elections.

(Source)

Tattoos inflicted in Auschwitz lead to happy reunion of inmates 65 years later

2009-04-19T17:29:00.003+01:00

JERUSALEM (AP)- April 19, 2009 — As terrified teenagers 65 years ago, Menachem Sholowicz and Anshel Sieradzki stood in line together in Auschwitz, having serial numbers tattooed on their arms. Sholowicz was B-14594; Sieradzki was B-14595.The two Polish Jews had never met, they never spoke and they were quickly separated. Each survived the Nazi death camp, moved to Israel, married, and became grandfathers. They didn't meet again until a few weeks ago, having stumbled upon each other through the Internet. Late in life, the two men speak daily, suddenly partners who share their darkest traumas."We are blood brothers," said Sieradzki, 81. "The moment I meet someone who was there with me, who went through what I went though, who saw what I saw, who felt what I felt — at that moment we are brothers."The twist of fate doesn't end there. Two brothers who were with them in the tattooist's line have made contact since hearing of their story.

read it all here

Iran: Radar Evading Aircraft Prepare for Debut

2009-04-18T18:53:00.003+01:00

Tehran-18/4/09

Commander of the Air Force Brigadier General Hasan Shah-Safi on Saturday said that the first locally-manufactured radar evading aircraft will make its debut on May 24.
“The initial model of this airplane will have an experimental flight and after it passes the test it will be made available to the Defense Ministry for mass production,“ the general told reporters on the sidelines of the ceremonies marking the annual Army Day, IRNA reported.

(Source)

French Muslims slam director of the Paris Grand Mosque over statements

2009-04-05T18:51:00.002+01:00

ALGIERS (Ramadan Belamry)

Members of France’s Muslim community called for ousting the director of the Paris Grand Mosque after comments he had made in a French magazine that were interpreted as praising Israel and justifying its latest offensive in Gaza.

In an interview Wednesday with the tourist magazine SVP-Israel, the Paris Grand Mosque imam Dalil Boubakeur lashed out at Hamas for firing missiles at Israel and implied that Israel's reaction was justified.

“Concerning the latest event in Gaza, I personally believe that when organizations like Hamas bomb Israel over several years, they essentially generate Israeli reactions and expose the Palestinian population to reprisals,” he told the magazine.

The mosque sought to distance itself from his comments Saturday and reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian people. The mosque has been inundated with calls, from religious organizations to prominent leftist politicians, about his statements, an official at the Paris Mosque told AlArabiya.net.

"They all wanted an explanation to this anti-Palestinian stance despite the fact that Algeria is known for supporting just causes," said Abdullah Zikri, who is also a member of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, which Broubaker heads.

"We do not agree with what Boubakeur said about Israel and I will demand an explanation. If he really said so, it would be an insult that we cannot accept," he said.

Broubaker sought to distance himself from the comments Saturday in an interview with AlArabiya.net.

"The magazine took my statements out of context and I am taking the necessary measures to file a lawsuit," he said.

The article was presented in a Q & A format as part of a dialogue series between the Muslim and Jewish communities started after the Paris Mosque withdrew from the Jewish-Muslim Friendship Association in protest over Israel’s war on Gaza, Boubakeur told AlArabiya.net.

Boubakeur denied allegations that he will visit Israel although he said he had received an invitation from the Jewish community in France.

"The Paris Mosque has always supported Palestinians," Boubakeur added, referring to the humanitarian aid the mosque sent to Gaza via the French Foreign Ministry. The mosque also played a role in saving several Jews during World War II, he told the magazine.

Boubakeur, who is of Algerian origins, also told the magazine that he admired the intelligence of the Israeli people and that the Quran refers to Jews as God's chosen people.

Muslims were outraged by Boubaker’s seeming endorsement of Israeli aggression while other observers said the imam’s statements could be an attempt to woo France’s powerful Jewish lobby

The Franco-Algerian Association said it was preparing an official memorandum against Boubakeur for insulting Algerians and Muslims with his statements.

"We will submit our request after the Algerian presidential elections," Shafia Menshetla, a spokesperson for the association, told AlArabiya.net. (Source)

German teens: Jews ‘deserved’ Holocaust

2009-03-26T21:34:00.002Z

Thursday, March 26, 2009

More than 14 percent of German teenagers in a survey said Jews must have deserved to be persecuted in the Holocaust.

“Youth as Victims and Perpetrators of Violence,” a poll of 44,610 German students, also found that about one in every 20 German teenage boys belongs to a far-right group.

The survey, conducted by the Hanover-based Criminal Research Institute, found that far more German boys aged 15 belong to extremist groups than to mainstream political youth clubs. In some towns, membership in far-right groups is as high as 10 percent, while in others it is nonexistent.

Among boys of German background, 7 percent in former East German states showed clear signs of anti-Semitism and xenophobia, as opposed to 3 percent in western states. The institute’s director, Christian Pfeiffer, suggested it might be due to the decades of anti-Israel propaganda promoted in the former communist East Germany.

In all questions related to far-right identification and anti-Semitism, “boys are far above the girls,” Pfeiffer noted, adding that in general, the survey also found that girls who joined far-right groups usually were following a boyfriend.

German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said the survey made clear that more funding is needed for youth sports clubs in trouble spots around the country.

“It is important to get to these youngsters who feel there is nothing else out there for them,” said Juliane Wetzel, an expert on educational programs at the Berlin-based Center for Research on Anti-Semitism. (JWeekly)

U.S. nuclear submarine collides in strait near Iran

2009-03-20T16:33:00.000Z

DUBAI (Reuters) – A nuclear-powered U.S. submarine and another U.S. vessel collided Friday in the Strait of Hormuz bordering Iran, but there was no damage to the atomic propulsion unit, the U.S. Navy said.

Fifteen sailors were slightly injured in the collision between the submarine USS Hartford and an amphibious vessel, USS New Orleans, the Navy said in a statement.

It was the second collision involving a U.S. nuclear submarine in the Strait of Hormuz in just over two years.

"There is no damage to the nuclear propulsion plant of the Hartford," U.S. Fifth Fleet spokesman Lieutenant Nathan Christensen told Reuters.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow stretch of water separating Oman and Iran, connects the biggest Gulf oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

Around 40 percent of globally traded oil leaves the region through the Strait, which borders Iran.

The collision coincided with intense diplomatic activity between the United States and Iran, whose relations have been strained by Tehran's nuclear program that the West fears is to make an atomic bomb -- an accusation Tehran denies.

U.S. President Barack Obama has made his warmest offer yet of a fresh start in relations with Iran, which cautiously welcomed the overture but said Friday it was waiting for "practical steps," not talk.

Relations have been almost deep-frozen for decades, and remain blighted by differences over Iran's nuclear program, Iraq, Israel and other issues.

NIGHT-TIME COLLISION

Asked how the latest collision in the strait occurred, Christensen said:

"It was a night-time event and the submarine was submerged at the time.

"There is no disruption to shipping traffic in the Strait. Both ships are operating under their own power and have passed through the strait," he said.

In January, 2007, the U.S. nuclear submarine USS Newport News and a Japanese tanker collided in the Strait of Hormuz.

No one was hurt in that incident and the submarine commander was removed from his post due to "a lack of confidence in his ability to command."

The 15 injured in the latest collision in the early hours of Friday were aboard the submarine Hartford, and the accident caused an oil spill.

"New Orleans suffered a ruptured fuel tank, which resulted in an oil spill of approximately 25,000 gallons of diesel fuel marine," the U.S. Navy statement read, adding the incident was being investigated.

"Both the submarine and the ship are currently on regularly scheduled deployments to the U.S. Navy Central Command area of responsibility conducting Maritime Security Operations," it added.

The collision pushed up oil prices, which subsequently hovered above a four-month high Friday at $52 a barrel.

In July 2008, the International Energy Agency estimated that more than 15 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude passed through the narrow strait on tankers.

(Editing by Charles Dick)

Muslim Protesters in Malmö Called for the Death of Jews

2009-03-17T15:36:00.002Z

(From Samuel Danofsky website)

Swedish blogger Samuel Danofsky has delivered more information about the Muslim protesters demonstrating in the streets of Malmö last weekend. They were not just protesting against the Israeli tennis team’s participation in the Davis Cup. They were shouting:

“Khaybar Khaybar ya Yahoud, Jaish Mohammed SAUF ya’ud”

(meaning “Khaybar, Khaybar, O Jews, Mohammed’s army will return.”)

This refers to an attack by Mohammad on Jews in the year 629, at the oasis of Khaybar, now located in Saudi Arabia. The battle ended with the Mohammed’s army killing 93 Jews and sending others into exile.

Nancy Pelosi urges Italy's help on Iran

2009-02-23T20:00:00.001Z

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Italy should use its "good offices" with Iran, including their trade relationship, to sway Tehran over its suspect nuclear program and its role in Afghanistan, a top US lawmaker said Monday.
"We believe that it's important for us to have very tough sanctions, we have to be united internationally on that subject, and that Italy can use its good offices and its communications with Iran to help bring us to a resolution of that most important issue," said Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi, just back from a trip to Italy and Afghanistan, said she and Italian leaders had discussed Iran's possible attendance at a special session of G8 foreign ministers on Afghanistan in Italy.
"You could say we sounded each other out on the involvement of Iran," she said, adding that Italy could help convince the Islamic republic to do more to stabilize its war-torn neighbor.
"Italy has a big commercial relationship with Iran, comparatively speaking, and I think we made it clear that we thought that it would be important to use their good offices to help resolve issues that we have with Iran," said Pelosi. (Source)

Hamas claims Google Earth led spy war

2009-02-23T18:20:00.002Z

Agence France-Presse-February 24, 2009

HAMAS overnight claimed Palestinian Authority agents collaborated with Israel during the Gaza offensive, including using Google Earth to pinpoint targets in the Islamist-run territory.
"With the help of the Google Earth program, those groups prepared maps to localise mosques, institutions, tunnels or workshops," said Abu Abdallah, a senior intelligence officer in the Hamas government which rules the Gaza Strip.
The targets were then hit by the Israeli air force, he said.
Abu Abdallah said the information included plans of the home of the Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya as well as the location of tunnels and weapons caches. (Source)

Israel shells Lebanon after rockets hit territory

2009-02-21T16:03:00.001Z

Israel has fired shells into Lebanon in response to rocket attacks that injured three Israelis.

Rockets fired from southern Lebanon landed in the Israeli town of Maalot earlier today. Local ambulance services said three Israelies were receiving treatment in hospital for injuries while a woman suffered slight cuts after an explosion. A spokesman for the Israeli army said: "The Israeli army considers this a serious incident and believes it is the responsiblity of the Lebanese government and the army to prevent this rocket fire."

The Lebanese army said three rockets had been fired at Israel from the town of Mansouri and stated that seven artillery shells had been fired in retaliation by Israel. No group has claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks as yet. No details have been released of injuries on the Lebanese side. Israeli forces fought a war in Lebanon with Hezbollah militants in 2006 during which 4,000 missiles were fired. Israeli forces launched air strikes across southern parts of its neighbour and launched a limited ground offensive during the 34-day war to eliminate Hezbollah forces. (Source)