A Stand For Justice
Teenager drowns after Israeli navy firing: witnesses
A Palestinian teenager fishing off the coast of the Gaza Strip on Friday drowned following firing by the Israel navy, a health official and witnesses said.
Who Wants Peace? Americans Do
here is where it becomes interesting.
Telhami asked participants in the survey what position the U.S. should take in its efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Two thirds responded that America should be evenhanded and not lean to either side. A quarter believe the U.S. should lean toward Israel, and only 2% think it should lean in favor of the Palestinians.
The majority of Americans want our government to take NO SIDE. Yet, Congress is overwhelmingly pro-Israel, as evidenced by the anti-Palestinian legislation passed as reported in this news batch. Our representatives do not represent us. This is a testament to the power of the Israeli lobby. This poll, along with a similar one only a few months ago, dispels the notion put forth by pro-Israelis that Americans support Israel. 2/3 of Americans want to take no side.
Israeli air strike kills five Gaza militants
Update: American Tourist Killed in Israel
American tourist found stabbed to death in Israel
Wilson's face was obscured in TV footage of the interview, though Yair Ettinger of Israel's Haaretz daily said she had a black eye
American Woman Killed Near Jerusalem
Early Sunday morning police have issued a gag order on the various suspicious details of this deadly incident.
British woman stabbed and US tourist killed in Israel
Wilson, a 46-year-old tour guide who moved to Israel in the early 1990s, and who holds dual citizenship, was taken to Haddasah hospital in Jerusalem. She was said to be in a stable condition, after being moved from intensive care to a normal ward. "She was stabbed in the abdomen and in the back. The wounds are not very deep but she has a lot of pain. She did not suffer any internal bleeding and she has been communicative and conscious since she arrived at the hospital last night,"
...."One of them took the Star of David necklace off my neck like a gentleman – and they stabbed me 12 times. They came to kill. Nobody walks around with a knife like that for no reason. He stabbed me, but I sensed the knife did not penetrate my heart. I pretended to be dead."
Body found of missing American woman with marks of violence
Jerusalem Police spokesmen have said they were checking several lines of investigation, including Palestinian terrorist action. This vagueness may be attributed to lack of evidence of any crime to support Wilson's account or the disinclination to admit that a violent terrorist crime was possible deep inside the Green Line in an area popular with hikers, picnickers and tourists.
EU signs off 100 mln euros of Palestinian aid
European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton announced Wednesday a first, 100–million–euro (131.5 million dollars) tranche of aid to the Palestinian people for 2011.
Group: Palestinian communities stifled by Israel
No security rationale or other legitimate reason can explain the "vast scale of differential treatment," said the 166–page report, which compared several Palestinian communities with neighboring settlements.
In one case, Israel refused to connect a West Bank village to the electricity grid and denied approval for a foreign–funded solar energy project there, while a nearby settlement enjoyed all standard services, the report said.
Rosen Fires Back in His Law Suit Against AIPAC
The American Public Affairs Committee has frequently condoned its employees’ receipt of classified information, according to documents filed in federal court by lawyers for Steve Rosen, a former senior official of the pro-Israel lobby.
Breaking: American Tourist Killed in Israel
American Christian killed by terrorists, Messianic friend wounded
“One of them turned me around and saw that I was wearing a Star of David necklace,” said Wilson. “He took it off of me like a gentleman and then stabbed me 12 times.”
Body of U.S. tourist found near Jerusalem; police suspect terror attack
Israel-West Bank Separate and Unequal - Human Rights Watch
Stabbing victim 'found God' in Israel
no one in the CMJ had been notified of Luken's visit to Israel apart from Wilson. "I suppose she didn't tell anyone she was coming because she knew that if she did, work would be found for her to do at the offices in Jerusalem," the reverend surmised.
Pileggi's main concern is that Kay's testimony be believed by the authorities investigating the mystery. "The impression I got from the police was that they weren't certain about Kay's story and did not believe her account," he said.
Disillusioned Palestinians: US-Guided 'Peace Process' is 'Ridiculous'
"We're not looking for a Mickey Mouse state, we're not looking for some form of self-rule, we're looking for a sovereign state of Palestine, where we Palestinians can live as free people."
Mubarak blames Israel for Mideast peace crisis
"Israel must take responsibility for the stalemate in the negotiations and realize that the security of its people depends on peace not occupation or arms," Mubarak told lawmakers, warning of the impact from Israel's "intransigence, positions and policies" on world and Middle East stability.
Israel condemns Norway's upgrade of Palestinian standing in Oslo to 'diplomatic delegation'
Over the past four months several countries have upgraded the standing of Palestinian representatives. The first country to have done so was none other than the United States. After the U.S., France, Spain, and Portugal also took similar steps. Despite this, the Foreign Ministry has yet to condemn these moves until now.
S. African politicians 'beaten up by IDF'
South African parliament members, who visited the West Bank city of Ramallah last week, say they were attacked by Israeli security forces during a protest in a Palestinian village near Bethlehem.
Israeli Military Demolishes Water Wells and Cisterns in the hilly and
The demolished cisterns and wells supplied drinking water to the
villagers as well as their sheep and goats. The wells were up to 300
meters deep and over 70 years old, pre-dating the 1967 occupation of the
Palestinian Territories. The Israeli military claims that it does not destroy
structures created before 1967.
Israel fears UK moving towards recognising Palestinian state
Although the change of status is largely symbolic, Israel has started a major lobbying campaign to stop the move.
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/israel-fears-uk-moving-towards-recognising-palestinian-state-15036433.html#ixzz19SLBRKqe
Israeli Fighter Jets Attack Gaza
Up to seven different Gazan targets were hit overnight on Monday and on Tuesday, according to the Israeli military.
Israel deprives Palestinians in West Bank: report
Human Rights Watch said Israel had cited security concerns as a reason for any differential treatment.
But Carroll Bogert, a spokeswoman for the group, said Israel was carrying out "systematic discrimination merely because of (Palestinians') race, ethnicity and national origin, depriving them of electricity, water, schools and access to roads."
Palestinians, Israelis trade rockets, airstrikes
The violence followed the deaths of five Gaza militants Saturday in the deadliest Israeli assault on the coastal strip in months, indicating a trend of escalation.
Palestinian PM: Plan to declare statehood by 2011 remains on track
PLO 'Disappointed' Over U.S. Resolution opposing unilateral declaration of Palestinian state
The Palestinian delegation in the United States expressed its "deep disappointment" on Thursday over the resolution passed by the U.S. House, which opposes unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state
EU to boost status of Palestinian diplomats
The Foreign Office confirmed it was studying a proposal that would see Palestinian "general delegations" upgraded to "diplomatic missions" in a number of European capitals.
Bolivia to recognize sovereign Palestine
Bolivia on Wednesday formally recognized Palestine as an independent state, following the lead of its neighbors Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay earlier this month.
Abbas holds rare meeting with Israeli lawmakers
Abbas said the Palestinians have undergone a transformation since their uprising and Israel's harsh reprisals left thousands dead. "We changed the culture of terror and violence into a culture of peace and stability here in the West Bank in the last four years," he said.
"We do not want to miss this opportunity," he told the Israelis. "We don't want to miss it. Please help us not to miss it. I have eight grandchildren. I want a peaceful life for them."
Palestinians ask Europe to recognize a state
Brazil and Argentina, minor players in the Middle East, recently recognized Palestine as other countries in the Arab world and Africa have done. Several European countries have upgraded diplomatic relations with the Palestinians, but it is unclear how far the international community will go.
Israeli settlements 'displace' Palestinians: HRW
"Palestinians face systematic discrimination merely because of their race, ethnicity, and national origin, depriving them of electricity, water, schools, and access to roads," HRW representative Carroll Bogert said.
"While Israeli settlements flourish, Palestinians under Israeli control live in a time warp –– not just separate, not just unequal, but sometimes even pushed off their lands and out of their homes."
palestinians Draft condemning West Bank settlements ready for UN
Erekat said he hoped the United States would not use its veto to defeat the resolution and added that if it did not succeed at the Security Council, "we will go to the International Court of Justice."
Gaza Christians look forward to celebrating Christmas in Bethlehem
Local media reported that Israel will only offer pass permits to around 300 Christians this year, out of a total of 3,000 Christians in Gaza among the 1.8 million population, to go to Bethlehem during the Christmas.
Palestinians want control of more West Bank parts
Children's chairs pulled out of a pile of rubble are all that's left of a schoolhouse that served 17 children of Palestinian herders in this encampment on a wind–swept West Bank plateau.
The school was razed by Israeli troops last week for the third time in six years as Israel asserted control over the area – part of the 62 percent of the West Bank that remains exclusively in Israeli hands, much of it set aside for Jewish settlements and military zones. The rest – where most Palestinians live – are disconnected territorial islands administered by the Palestinian Authority.
Israel on offensive over Palestinian diplomacy: report
The newspaper's website said the document, penned by foreign ministry director–general Rafael Barak, calls on Israeli envoys to begin a "comprehensive defence along the home–front," seeking to undermine Palestinian diplomatic efforts.
It calls on Israeli diplomats to thwart three Palestinian initiatives: a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning settlement activity, international recognition of a Palestinian state, and the upgrading of Palestinian diplomatic representations in Europe and Latin America.
US woman's body found in Jerusalem-Beit Shemesh area
The security level had not been raised in the Jerusalem area as of Sunday afternoon. Rosenfeld said the police were waiting for “concrete answers” before updating security procedures or implementing road blocks going in or out of the territories.
'It was clear they came to kill us', says survivor of Jerusalem stabbing
"I had a Star of David hanging on a chain around my neck," Wilson told Haaretz. "He took it off like a gentleman and then turned me around and stabbed in the place where the Star of David had been."
US House against Palestinian state
The House unanimously approved a resolution opposing unilateral declaration of Palestinian state on Thursday, Ha'aretz reported. \\.....The remarks came after Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay recognized the Palestinian state to support the rights of Palestinian people, whose land has been occupied by Israel. You had to know that was coming. After all, Capitol Hill is controlled by Israel, as demonstrated here.
Slain Christian had religious ties to Israel (OneNewsNow.com)
The ministry issued a statement citing Luken's "vibrant faith" and offering prayers for her friends and family. The ministry adds that it "will continue to share the gospel with the Jewish people and to work for forgiveness and reconciliation in Israel." According to the statement, Luken had worked with the ministry for one year and had previously worked for the U.S. government.
Stab victim 'could not wait to make aliyah'
Police have placed a gag-order on the investigation. "We are keeping all avenues open on whether this was a terror or criminal attack," said Jerusalem police commander Aharon Franko.
U.S. Gov't "Responds" to Questions About Imprisoned Palestinian Protest Organizer Abu Rahmah
Kudos to that reporter for his perserverance, very rare these days.
'Israeli War Crimes' signs to go on Metro buses
"I wouldn't say it's an anti-Israel message any more than any complaint about a country is anti-that country. We would like Israel to stop violating human rights. We would like Israel to give equal rights to its Palestinian citizens and its Palestinian subjects who live under occupation," said Mast.
How Kissinger Saved the Jews
The “context of the time” included a nasty political battle between the White House and the organized Jewish community over a piece of legislation known as the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. The measure proposed pushing Moscow to ease Jewish emigration by making it a precondition for normal U.S.-Soviet trade relations. It won nearly unanimous approval in Congress in late 1974 despite fierce administration opposition, arguably the strongest display ever seen of American Jewish political muscle.
WikiLeaks hints at Israeli-Palestinian cooperation
The Israeli Security Agency, also known as the Shin Bet, is reviled by Palestinians for its sometimes deadly raids on militant targets and its often harsh treatment of Palestinian suspects. Although Israeli and Palestinian security forces are known to cooperate, the tight coordination described by Diskin could further weaken Abbas.
U.S.-based rabbi: Edict against renting to Arabs endangers Jews abroad
Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, the New York-based rabbi whose followers include many high society names, has condemned the letter prohibiting Jews to rent or sell property to Arabs, signed by 50 municipal rabbis.
Missionary Slain in Israel was South Lakes Grad
Luken, who moved to England in recent years, was in Israel working for Church's Ministry Among Jewish People, a group that tries to get Jews to accept Christ as their savior.
Israel moves to counter Gaza militants' new weapon
The Israeli defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss such matters publicly, provided no proof to support their claim that the laser–guided missile came from Iran. Also, it was not clear how it was delivered. Hamas controls a network of smuggling tunnels along Gaza's southern border with Egypt, though Egypt has pledged to crack down on smuggling.
Middle East peace The U.S. needs to get tough with Israel
America's political response? Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Valley Village) rushed a resolution to the House floor expressing opposition to such declarations of Palestinian statehood. The resolution, which passed, is a timely reminder of the increasing gap between Washington and the international community on this issue.
House vote against Palestinian statehood actually showed that Israel lobby is losing its grip
As are most “pro-Israel” resolutions, H.Res.1765 was brought to a vote under a procedure known as “suspension of the rules.” This procedure, which is supposed to be reserved for non-controversial resolutions such as the naming of a post office, prohibits the resolution from being amended and limits debate on it. In exchange for these restrictions, the resolution must get at least a 2/3 vote to pass rather than a simple majority. Again, why is this a matter for the US Congress?
Metro buses to carry advertising critical of Israeli war crimes
Americans are losing their jobs and their homes, yet we give Israel nearly $3 billion annually, which enables Israel to continue its militaristic control of the Palestinian people and the subsidizing of illegal settlements! We need to keep those tax dollars here at home. Here here, guys. Thank you for your tireless efforts towards justice.
Israeli companies outsourcing to Palestinians
While Indians or Chinese engineers cost even less, he said Palestinians are more loyal to his company than workers from distant countries – and have a dogged work ethic. Many gained experience working abroad, and stiff competition for coveted engineering jobs in the West Bank pushes those who have work to prove themselves, Tahboub said.
Christmas trees 'provocative:' Nazareth suburb's mayor
The mayor of a Jewish suburb of Nazareth sparked outrage on Wednesday after refusing to allow Christmas trees to be placed in town squares, calling them provocative.
...."The request of the Arabs to put Christmas trees in the squares in the Arab quarter of Nazareth Illit is provocative," Mayor Shimon Gapso told AFP.
"Nazareth Illit is a Jewish city and it will not happen –– not this year and not next year, so long as I am a mayor," he said of the northern Israeli town.
Gaza victimized by double standard
The reality is that when Israel burns, the world rushes to help -- and when Gaza burns, the world shuffles its feet and stands by for weeks at a time watching the smoke rise in ghastly plumes on the horizon. Where was the aid from the "developed" and "democratic" world during "Operation Cast Lead" when white phosphorous rained on civilian areas and 14,000 homes were damaged or destroyed? Gaza was burning then and is burning today, albeit invisibly to the Western gaze.
Say it ain’t so Zakaria, Huffington and Tom Friedman go to bat for center that is desecrating Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem
In Israel, a rabbi who argues that anti-Arab measures are un-Jewish
he American-born rabbi is embroiled in two of Israel’s main conflicts today: the struggle with Palestinians over the West Bank and, within Israel, a rising tide of anti-Arab and anti-foreigner sentiment. The latter is starkly illustrated by an unprecedented rabbinical edict calling on Jews not to rent or sell property to non-Jews.
US embassy cables: New Zealand PM suspected passport fraud pair were 'Israeli intelligence agents'
Egypt: Stop Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned Israel's air strikes on the Gaza Strip this week, calling them an attempt to deflect attention from the failed peace process.
Perle: Israel Will Act on Iran
Israel ultimately will have to attack Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons, says Richard Perle, a key architect of President Ronald Reagan’s strategy to end the Cold War.
Dropping Goal of Direct Talks, U.S. Will Now Test Both Sides on Core Issues
Such vigor would require not only determination on the part of the administration, but also the backing of Congress, which in the past has shown it does not welcome American pressure on Israel.
How Arab governments tried to silence WikiLeaks
Some wondered why there are so few damaging revelations about Israel – giving rise to at least one conspiracy theory about collusion between Julian Assange and Binyamin Netanyahu. Others were disgusted if not really surprised at evidence of double-talk by the leaders who are quoted in the cables.
In many cases, it is striking to see the contrast between well-informed, warts-and-all American assessments of the Arab autocracies and the limited efforts made by the US to promote democracy and human rights.
Syria eyed Israel for 2008 killing: US cable
The leaked US cable on the killing said "the most obvious suspects are the Israelis."
AIPAC viewed U.S. gov’t as targeting pro-Israel groups during espionage probe
Before firing the two senior staffers, AIPAC prepared a robust defense of them that alleged a conspiracy inside U.S. government agencies to target pro-Israel groups.
...The court case is significant because it shows the inner workings of AIPAC, a lobbying group that both enemies and supporters call one of Washington’s most powerful and feared lobbies. The new court filings also show the extent to which some of AIPAC’s highest officials believed the U.S. government was targeting the group because of its pro-Israel stance and activities, not because of suspected criminality.
...Kohr suggests that AIPAC is caught in the internecine wars between Bush administration neoconservatives and their enemies in and out of government. It warms the cockles of my heart to think that there are those in our government who are as angry as I am about the overwhelming influence the Israeli lobby has over our government. Kudos to you, the good guys! I cannot thank you enough. Never give up!
France gives Lebanon anti-tank missiles
France will give Lebanon 100 anti–tank missiles, a government official said on Friday, confirming a deal that raised concerns in Israel and the United States earlier this year.
Israel can't defeat Hezbollah: Israeli expert
Israelis have been watching for signs that Hezbollah, should it be named in an impending U.N. indictment over the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, will push back by consolidating power in Beirut.
Lebanon denounces Israel 'spy' devices to UN
Lebanon has complained to the United Nations Security Council about two "espionage devices" it claims Israel placed atop two of the country's mountains, the foreign ministry said on Saturday.
US embassy cables Israel suspected in Syrian sniper killing
As in other recent assassinations in Syria, speculation about who could have done it will likely be rampant. The most obvious suspects are the Israelis. SARG security services are well aware that the coastal city of Tartous would offer easier access to Israeli operatives than would more inland locations such as Damascus. Sulayman was not a highly visible government official, and the use of a sniper suggests the assassin could visually identify Sulayman from a distance.
Zionist Lobby’s New Orders For Obama
As M.J. Rosenberg predicted, the Berman bill passed overwhelmingly, actually unanimously, “because that is how things work in a city where policy is driven by campaign contributions – and not just on this issue”. He added:
UN Hariri court to 'disappear with wind': Nasrallah
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday predicted a UN court on the murder of Rafiq Hariri would "disappear with the wind" as vast crowds gathered to mark the Shiite holy day of Ashura in Lebanon.
Terrorist by Association: The Justice Department targets nonviolent solidarity activists.
Ten hours after their arrival, as television news crews filmed and activist supporters stood on the sidewalk, the agents drove away with nearly 30 boxes of material, including t-shirts and a photograph of Malcolm X. By that time, Iosbaker and Weiner had been served subpoenas to appear before a grand jury investigating "material support" for "foreign terrorist organizations." And they knew theirs wasn't the only home invaded that day. More than 70 FBI agents had raided seven residences in Chicago and Minneapolis and questioned activists in Michigan, California and North Carolina, serving subpoenas to 11 people. Can't say I didn't see that one coming either.
The Great Islamophobic Crusade
Besides providing the initial energy for the Islamophobic crusade, conservative elements from within the pro-Israel lobby bankrolled the network’s apparatus, enabling it to influence the national debate. One philanthropist in particular has provided the beneficence to propel the campaign ahead. He is a little-known Los Angeles-area software security entrepreneur named Aubrey Chernick, who operates out of a security consulting firm blandly named the National Center for Crisis and Continuity Coordination. A former trustee of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, which has served as a think tank for the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a frontline lobbying group for Israel, Chernick is said to be worth $750 million. The pro-Israelis have brought this fight to America, and are continuing to provoke these people. It is they who are the extremists. They should be rounded up and deported to Israel. America would be all the better for it.
WikiLeaks cables: Syria believed Israel was behind sniper killing
It was late in the evening of 1 August 2008 in the Syrian coastal city of Tartous when the sniper fired the fatal shot. The target was General Muhammad Suleiman, President Bashar al-Assad's top security aide. Israelis, the US embassy in Damascus reported, were "the most obvious suspects" in the assassination.
FBI Expands 'Witch Hunt' Against Antiwar Activists
Meredith Aby, another prominent antiwar activist who had her home raided by the FBI, likewise believes she is being targeted for exercising her right to free speech, not because the government actually believes she and other committed pacifists would actually support terrorist violence. She says that the questions U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald wants activists to answer - like which activists they met with abroad and what ideas did they express - proves as much. And like other activists, she said she wasn't interested in answering.
Beltway Bunkum by Philip Giraldi
Flipping over to the Post‘s opinion page, one also found "right turn" commentator Jennifer Rubin singing the praises of incoming Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. Rubin believes that Ros-Lehtinen will "scrutinize the gap between rhetoric and results." She asks "Why are we giving $1.5 billion to Hosni Mubarak…why aren’t we more robustly supporting Iran’s green movement?" Why indeed. But she fails to ask why are we giving Israel $3 billion when Tel Aviv continues to pursue policies that are more directly damaging to the United States than anything being done by Egypt or Iran? It is a question that Ros-Lehtinen and Rubin will no doubt avoid raising and symptomatic of the blinders that are on regarding the issue of Israel.
Why Kissinger Said U.S. Jews Acted ‘Traitorously’
The Soviets wanted a grain deal with the West, and they were hoping to get a new arms limitation treaty ratified. Jackson-Vanik had taught them an important lesson. If they wanted something from the United States government, they should release their Jews. And that’s what they did.
Obstructing a Middle East Rescue Effort
Just in the time that elapsed since the collapse of efforts to restart direct negotiations, respected New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman effectively recommended conditioning American aid to Israel on its cooperation with peace efforts, while Andrew Sullivan — arguably America’s leading political blogger — called for an end to such aid entirely. Israel’s own actions, far more than those of its detractors, are hastening this moment. (Think about the recent decree by dozens of municipal rabbis prohibiting renting property to non-Jews, the proposed loyalty oath or the measures taken against Palestinian leaders engaged in nonviolent struggle.)
Holy Land Patriarch voices hope for peace
Twal noted that a record 3.4 million tourists are visiting the Holy Land this year, many of them Christian pilgrims. He said he is grateful for "the fantastic solidarity" of Christians around the world with the Palestinian community.
Bloggers claim WikiLeaks struck deal with Israel over diplomatic cables leaks
Speaking to Haaretz, Duff added that "it sticks out like a sore thumb that WikiLeaks is obviously concocted by an intelligence agency. It's a ham-handed action by Israel to do its public relations."
Israel to press Obama to free Israeli spy Pollard
In his first tenure as prime minister a decade ago, Netanyahu granted Pollard Israeli citizenship, then later visited him in prison in North Carolina. Netanyahu said he has raised the issue with both Obama and Secretary of State Clinton "at least half a dozen times" in closed meetings over the last two months.
Turkey PM: Israel to blame for deadlock in Mideast peace talks
Israel to compensate Palestinian for disability caused by interrogation
Israel Doesn’t Need the West Bank To Be Secure
in recent years Israel has shown it can deal with that kind of threat if it really wants to. Since 2006, when the Second Lebanon War killed perhaps 2,000 Lebanese, many of them civilians, and led to the destruction of an entire section of Beirut, the northern border has been absolutely quiet. Since Operation Cast Lead, which killed perhaps 1,200 Gazans, many of them civilians, and led to the destruction of much of the city of Gaza, not one Israeli has been killed by a mortar round or rocket coming from the Gaza Stri
Killing civilians really works, is that the lesson here?
Roger Cohen’s Recklessness
Roger Cohen, a New York Times Op-Ed columnist, is not obsessed with Israel; it only seems that way. During the last 10 weeks, only(!) five of his Times columns have dealt directly with Israel. I admit that I share the obsession, but not the places it takes him.
From August: A Wounded People vs. Oliver Stone
As far as his comments about the pro-Israel lobby — well, AIPAC brags about its influence. Whether that has “f—ed up” American policy depends upon what you think of the policy....Few seemed to notice the irony: Two of the most powerful men in Hollywood, both Jewish, urging a third power player, also Jewish, to punish Stone for suggesting that Jews dominate the media. I saw the irony. Check back in these archives for it.
U.S. Rabbis Offer Rare Rebuke of Israeli Edict
An edict signed by dozens of Israeli rabbis barring the sale or rental of homes to non-Jews in Israel has led to a rare consensus among American rabbis, who have issued a nearly unanimous condemnation of the ba
US urged to strike Iran opposition from terror list
Several Bush–era officials on Friday urged the Obama administration to strike an Iranian opposition group from a terrorism blacklist and support regime change in Iran.
Former officials Tom Ridge, John Bolton, Frances Townsend and Michael Mukasey who worked under president George W. Bush backed delisting the People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran (PMOI), which is also known as the Mujahedeen–e–Khalq (MEK).
Netanyahu to make public plea to US for spy's release
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will make a public plea to US President Barack Obama for the release of Jonathan Pollard, an Israeli spy jailed 25 years ago, his office said on Tuesday.
U.S. criticized New Zealand for reaction to 2004 Israel spy affair, WikiLeaks cables reveal
Ties between Israel and New Zealand grew strained after two Israelis, thought to be Mossad agents, were caught trying to illegally forge local passports. New Zealand's then-Prime Minister Helen Clark suspended high-level diplomatic relations until Israel formally apologized over the incident in 2005.
Holiday Hijinks by Philip Giraldi
Another story http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20101222005875/en/Obama-Asked-Delay-NUMEC-Founder-Award-Nuclear getting almost no traction in the MSM is the account of how one Zalman Shapiro is in line for a top US government award for his work as a scientist and inventor. Only problem is Shapiro was president of a Pennsylvania company called NUMEC that is generally believed to be the source of 741 pounds of weapons grade uranium that made its way to Israel in the 1960s
Mullen: US 'very ready' to counter Iran on nukes
"We're very ready," Mullen said, an unusually direct acknowledgment that the United States has contingency plans to counter Iran should it make a move. "There are real threats to peace and stability here, and we've made no secrets of our concerns about Iran."
NY Rep. King: I'll hold hearings on radical Islam
The incoming head of the House Committee on Homeland Security says he will hold hearings on what he calls the "radicalization" of some American Muslims.
Rep. Peter King, a Republican from Long Island, said Sunday that law–enforcement officials around the country have told him they receive little cooperation from Muslims.
Like so many of our 'representatives', King is nothing more than a shill for Israel, though he is one of the most egregious ones. Recall King's traitorous statement of a few months back.
Obama Asked to Delay NUMEC Founder Award over Nuclear Weapons Material Diversions to Israel
The Obama administration has been asked to delay a 2010 National Medal of Technology and Innovation award to Zalman Shapiro over lingering questions about the theft and diversion of US weapons grade uranium to Israel. Shapiro, a talented inventor, was the former president of the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation
Obama says US-Turkish ties 'more important than ever'
US ties with Turkey are "more important than ever" despite differences over Iran, President Barack Obama said, also urging Ankara to repair ties with Israel, in an interview published Sunday.
Senator Spector Seeks Exoneration of NUMEC Diversion of Uranium to Israel
The office of Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania attempted to obtain a statement from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission according to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act. On August 27, 2009, Arlen Specter wrote to Rebecca Schmidt asking that the NRC "issue a formal public statement confirming that he [constituent Zalman Shapiro] was not involved in any activities related to the diversion of uranium to Israel."
Zalman Shapiro was formerly president of the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation at Apollo, PA. According to a secret GAO report "Nuclear Diversion in the US?" partially declassified on May 6, 2010 NUMEC received over 22 tons of uranium-235, the key material used to fabricate nuclear weapons.
U.S. congressman urges France to rethink missile sale to Lebanon
The United States House of Representatives expressed in August its disapproval of the deal, claiming the missiles might be used against Israel, due to the rising influence of Shiite militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Why is this a matter for the US Congress?
Ramzy Baroud Insisting on Humanity
The Plight of the Palestinians is not just another chronicle of the history of a defenseless nation. While it is an unhesitant acknowledgment of that reality, it is far from being a celebration of victimhood. Rather, it documents the logical evolution from suffering to resistance.
The smoking cable: Israel said it had ’secret accord’ with U.S. over expanding settlements even as Obama said in Cairo they must stop!
One odd thing though, the story notes that indeed it seems that stuff critical of or embarrassing to Israel or even related to Israel was not in that tranche at all while stuff about damn near every other country sure was represented. One former U.S diplomat says it might be because cables from the U.S. embassy in Israel are so unremarkable really, but this seems weak to me at least: Lots of stuff Assange released was unremarkable, wasn’t it? He just seemed to dump a truckload, didn’t he? Moreover, what about cables from other ME embassies mentioning Israel?
Jewish-American group releases list of top 10 slurs
The list is topped by Helen Thomas, who said in May that "Jews should get the hell out of Palestine" and "go home to Poland, Germany, America and everywhere else."
Israel Advocacy Is a Hot Place for New Hires,
battling the so-called de-legitimization of Israel — specifically, combating boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns — has become the cause célèbre of mainstream Jewish organizations. In fact, in November, the Jewish Federations of North America made it a major theme in its three-day General Assembly in New Orleans.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Update: American Tourist Killed in Israel
01-09-11 - 3 weeks after Kristine Luken's body was discovered, and 2.5 weeks after Israeli police arrested 2 suspects - the media blackout remains and it extends to the mainstream media in America. Not one reporter or member of government seems to question this blackout, nor do they question the identities of the men that Israel arrested.
If these men were Arab, then by now we would know their names, places of origin and all manner of information. Each day that the silence continues reinforces my belief that the men arrested were not Arab.
01-02-11 - Here it is 2 weeks after Israeli police found Kristine Luken's body, and 1.5 weeks after they made an arrest, and according to a search at Google News, the media blackout over the arrests continues.
Of interest is this recent story at Haaretz that further details how Wilson's story was not believed.
12-29-10 - Still no updates or even any mention of the arrests in the US media, this, one week later after alleged arrests by Israeli police of 2 suspects in this case.
The really scary thing here is that no American media outlet even QUESTIONS this continued media blackout of what really happened to Kristine Luken and by whom.
Our media are in complete obedience to Israel. Not one reporter dare ask who are these men that Israel arrested, what are their names, where were they from. None of this information has been made available, seven days after the arrests.
12-27-10 - Update: still no mention of the arrest by Israeli police of the 2 men last Wednesday. The only thing being reported in the Google News index is that Ms. Luken's body was flown back home to the US for burial.
If the men Israel arrested were Arab, we would know that by now, as is usually the case when Arabs commit such a crime: it's headline news here in the US.
Something still stinks about this story.
12-23-10 - Update nearly 24 hours after arrest: The Jerusalem Post completely removed the story I linked to below, and replaced the entire story.
One can still see the original headline and byline in the Google News Index at the time of this writing.
Whoops, sounds like the public wasn't supposed to know about the arrests. The question is : WHY?
Update - 12 hours later after reporting the arrests made: The gag order must extend to the US press because no American agencies are reporting this, in fact, the silence is (still) deafening.
Here are the results from a Google News search for Kristine Luken
No mention is made whatsoever in the US media, save for a repeat on a Fox News affiliate of what the JP reported last night.
I guess the US media is waiting to hear that in fact it was Arabs before they put it back into the headlines again. They need the OK from Jerusalem...
12-22-10 - Update on the American woman killed in Israel
Breaking from the Jerusalem Post: 2 suspects arrested for Beit Shemesh stabbing attack
Why are they STILL maintaining a media blackout?
Israeli police have issued a gag order on the case since Sunday. The Israeli police were having trouble believing Kaye Wilson, the survivor of the attack.
Both Kaye Wilson and Kristine Luken worked for Church's Ministry Among Jewish People, "a group that tries to get Jews to accept Christ as their savior.".
This can be a very dangerous thing to do even in Israel. See Bomb raises fear of Jews persecuting Jews .
If these men were Arab, then by now we would know their names, places of origin and all manner of information. Each day that the silence continues reinforces my belief that the men arrested were not Arab.
01-02-11 - Here it is 2 weeks after Israeli police found Kristine Luken's body, and 1.5 weeks after they made an arrest, and according to a search at Google News, the media blackout over the arrests continues.
Of interest is this recent story at Haaretz that further details how Wilson's story was not believed.
12-29-10 - Still no updates or even any mention of the arrests in the US media, this, one week later after alleged arrests by Israeli police of 2 suspects in this case.
The really scary thing here is that no American media outlet even QUESTIONS this continued media blackout of what really happened to Kristine Luken and by whom.
Our media are in complete obedience to Israel. Not one reporter dare ask who are these men that Israel arrested, what are their names, where were they from. None of this information has been made available, seven days after the arrests.
12-27-10 - Update: still no mention of the arrest by Israeli police of the 2 men last Wednesday. The only thing being reported in the Google News index is that Ms. Luken's body was flown back home to the US for burial.
If the men Israel arrested were Arab, we would know that by now, as is usually the case when Arabs commit such a crime: it's headline news here in the US.
Something still stinks about this story.
12-23-10 - Update nearly 24 hours after arrest: The Jerusalem Post completely removed the story I linked to below, and replaced the entire story.
One can still see the original headline and byline in the Google News Index at the time of this writing.
Whoops, sounds like the public wasn't supposed to know about the arrests. The question is : WHY?
Update - 12 hours later after reporting the arrests made: The gag order must extend to the US press because no American agencies are reporting this, in fact, the silence is (still) deafening.
Here are the results from a Google News search for Kristine Luken
No mention is made whatsoever in the US media, save for a repeat on a Fox News affiliate of what the JP reported last night.
I guess the US media is waiting to hear that in fact it was Arabs before they put it back into the headlines again. They need the OK from Jerusalem...
12-22-10 - Update on the American woman killed in Israel
Breaking from the Jerusalem Post: 2 suspects arrested for Beit Shemesh stabbing attack
Two men allegedly involved in the stabbing of two women, one fatally, near Beit Shemesh on Saturday have been apprehended.
Police are maintaining a media blackout on the investigation, though they said they believe the attack was nationalistically motivated and not a random act of violence.
Why are they STILL maintaining a media blackout?
Israeli police have issued a gag order on the case since Sunday. The Israeli police were having trouble believing Kaye Wilson, the survivor of the attack.
Both Kaye Wilson and Kristine Luken worked for Church's Ministry Among Jewish People, "a group that tries to get Jews to accept Christ as their savior.".
This can be a very dangerous thing to do even in Israel. See Bomb raises fear of Jews persecuting Jews .
Headlines for December 9 - December 15
A Stand For Justice
Israeli troops kill two Gaza militants: army
The incident was the second in three days in which an Israeli was wounded. On Wednesday, a civilian was lightly hurt by a mortar shell launched by militants from the Gaza Strip that landed in an agricultural community near the border.
The last incident in which soldiers were hurt occurred in August when two were lightly wounded from shell fragments, the army said
Palestinian firefighters barred from Israeli fete
About 20 Palestinian firefighters joined the international effort against the blaze that killed 43 people as it swept through the Carmel forest in Israel's north, the biggest forest fire Israel has ever seen. In the end, firefighting aircraft and crews from abroad helped put it out.
Tuesday's ceremony was set to take place in Usfiya, an Israeli Arab town near to where the blaze erupted, and the Palestinian firefighters were to be awarded certificates at the event.
I'm so proud of the Palestinians - who, despite all that Israel has done to them - volunteered to help put out that fire.
It reminds me of the donations the Palestinian refugees made to Hurricane Katrina victims. They didn't have a lot to give, but they gave what they could because of all people, they could instantly sympathize with our refugees.
Brings a tear to me eye.
Envoy says US committed to Palestinian state
The U.S. will not be deterred by setbacks and will persevere until a Palestinian state is established alongside Israel, President Obama's Mideast envoy said Tuesday after meeting the Palestinian president.
'Europe will recognize Palestinian state when appropriate'
The resolution is also expected to address Israel's refusal to extend the construction moratorium in the West Bank and stress the need to resume negotiations for a period of 12 months, as determined by the Mideast Quartet.
Israel has been working diligently to try and soften the wording in the resolution. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has spoken with a number of his counterparts in the Union to try and convince them not to recognize a Palestinian state, and he has also instructed Israeli ambassadors in EU countries to clarify Israel's position.
Arab FMs oppose Mideast talks without U.S. stance on borders
The ministers said the failure of Washington to force Israel to stop settlement building on territories occupied in 1967 demands that the American administration declares clearly the two states' borders be based on the 1967 borders.
Palestinians to Mitchell: U.S. must demand talks based on 1967 borders
In a meeting with U.S. envoy George Mitchell in Ramallah on Tuesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his disappointment with the United States for failing to declare that talks on borders with Israel will be based on 1967 lines.
US House Approves Large Increase in Military Aid to Israel
Most significantly, the House added $205 million in first-time funding for the Iron Dome project, a short-range rocket defense system. The money was pledged by President Barack Obama last May, but had been stalled until now.
In addition, military aid allocations from Israel should increase from 2010 levels of $2.775 billion to $3b. for fiscal year 2011, while those for Egypt and Jordan will hold constant from 2010. Look at the House vote -212-206?
Are our representatives finally starting to represent US, the AMERICAN people?
A Grim Record: One In Seven Americans Is On Food Stamps
Hey I know, let's shovel a few more billion to Israel, a prosperous country even despite the economic downturn.
The Returning Issue of Palestine's Refugees
Before his murder in 1948, Lord Folke Bernadotte, the first UN mediator to the Arab-Israeli conflict, stated: "It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent [Palestinian] victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes, while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine." Lord Bernadotte paid for his candour with his life as Jewish militants assassinated him under the direction of Yitzhak Shamir, the man who would later become prime minister of Israel.
After setback, US resumes Mideast peace push
Public invited to inform on those renting to Arabs
The Lehava organization issued a notice Sunday evening, inviting the public to call a voicemail service and record the names of Jewish Israelis renting apartments to Arabs. Lehava, identified with supporters of Meir Kahane, thus adds its weight to the recent call by 50 prominent rabbis to avoid renting to Arabs which, the organization says, amounts to no less than assimilation. Racism at its finest.
Israel Seeks 20 Additional F-35s After Failure of U.S. Swap for Peace Plan
Defense officials from both countries are discussing ways to pay for the “expensive” jets because Israel lacks the funds, Oren said.
Hamas reaches out, tries to shore up popularity
U.S. says recognition of Palestinian state premature
Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman, who was due to meet with Burns on Saturday, criticized his remarks.
"I think it's unpropitious that once again the United States has publicly expressed an opinion about sovereign actions taken by the Argentine Republic," Timerman told Reuters.
Palestinians express doubts over 2-state future
Conventional wisdom on Israeli–Palestinian peacemaking has long held that Israel should relinquish most of the lands it occupied in 1967 in favor of a Palestinian state – the "two–state solution" that much of the world has supported for years.
But the utter lack of progress in peace talks and continued Jewish settlement in the West Bank has many people warning that Israel might instead be headed toward a one–state reality, with a permanent occupation of the West Bank and a Jewish minority ruling over an Arab majority – unless, perhaps, the world forces it to give the Palestinians the right to vote.
Hamas celebrates 23rd anniversary with mass rally
While sticking to its militant rhetoric, the Hamas has largely observed an informal truce since a bruising Israeli offensive two years ago, forgoing attacks that could spur Israel to strike back or tighten its blockade. Any Israel response could make life harder for Gazans. Some 30 percent of residents are unemployed and many more rely on food aid.
Netanyahu hails U.S. retreat on settlement freeze demands
Mitchell is also scheduled to hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. But the brunt of the work will be in Israel because the Palestinians have already submitted their opening positions on all the core issues - borders, security, Jerusalem, refugees, water and the settlements
Palestinians sceptical after US freeze failure
Hamas leader says group will never recognize Israel
Israel group blasts arrests of Palestinian minors
In a report released Monday, the Israeli rights group B'Tselem says the youths' arrest is part of an Israeli campaign targeting Palestinian minors – one just 5 years old – for stone throwing in east Jerusalem. It says police often arrest minors from their homes in the middle of the night and interrogate them, sometimes with no parent present, in ways that violate Israeli law.
Israel's leader does not want to share Jerusalem
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reaffirmation of his intention to hold on to east Jerusalem drew criticism from the Palestinians and was likely to increase friction with the Americans. The White House Mideast envoy is scheduled to arrive this week in another attempt to push peace efforts forward.
Israel draws international rebuke over settlements
The European Union, the United Nations and the Arab League have rebuked Israel after its refusal to halt settlement construction forced Washington to drop efforts to relaunch Mideast peace talks.
Jordanian, Palestinian soccer fans clash
Yad Vashem struggles to teach Holocaust to Arabs
The irony. At what point will Israel teach its people the truth about its inception, and what it has done to a largely agrarian people who for 60 years have been made to pay for the Holocaust, when they had nothing to do with it.
Heavy rains, strong winds batter Middle East
In the Gaza Strip, strong winds and lashing rains caused cracks in the pier and the breakfront at the harbor local fishermen use. No one was hurt, but civil defense workers and the Gaza maritime police were hauling boats out of the water and moving them and other fishing equipment to safer ground.
Palestinians, Contained
Who by Fire?
By the end, when Prime Minister Netanyahu informed others already preparing to send personnel and supplies that they would not be needed, Israel had welcomed seven aircraft from Greece, two from Cyprus, two from Turkey(!), three from Russia, five from France, two more from Britain, seven from Germany, five from Spain, two from Azerbaijan, and five from America — as well as 92 firefighters from Bulgaria, 21 firefighters and three fire engines from the Palestinian Authority, along with three truckloads of equipment from Jordan, materials from Egypt — and all this is only a partial list.
What really drives suicide terrorists by Robert Pape
After examining 2,200 suicide attacks around the world since 1980 – the most comprehensive analysis ever conducted – I've concluded that the answer is both simple and disturbing. What drives them is deep anger at the presence of Western combat forces in the Persian Gulf region and other predominately Muslim lands.
Popular accounts of these suicide terrorists give the impression that most of them are globe-trotting extremists radicalized by militant networks to strike outside their homeland for religious or other transnational causes. These accounts are false.
Top Israeli rabbi slams anti-Arab edict
A top Israeli rabbi has condemned a controversial ruling forbidding renting or selling property to non–Jews.
That ruling, which won the support of three dozen rabbis this week, has drawn vocal criticism in Israel. Israel's attorney general is weighing possible charges against the rabbis.
Market alarm as US fails to control biggest debt in history
The reality is, though, that the market is increasingly alarmed at the rate of increase of the US government’s already massive liabilities. America’s government debt is set to expand by a jaw-dropping 42pc over the next few years, reaching $19.6 trillion by 2015 according to Treasury Department estimates presented (amid very little fanfare) to Congress back in June Hey I know, let's send a few more billion to Israel.
Funding Illegal Israeli Settlements? Priceless.
Visa, Mastercard and PayPal all enable donations to be made to US-registered groups funding illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank in defiance of international law.
It appears at least one of the major credit cards also enables donations to an extremist Jewish group that has placed a bounty on the lives of Palestinians.
The Biggest Pro-Israel Group in America? That’s Us, Says Christians United
Last year the group distributed, through its sister organization, John Hagee Ministries, more than $8 million to Israeli and Jewish organizations, according to CUFI. CUFI has stated that less than 5% of that sum went to settler organizations operating in the West Bank.
No Link Between Stopping Iran and Pushing Peace? Rabin Knew Better
“No, he had the diplomatic cables to prove that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was no obstacle to wide Arab backing,” Horovitz wrote. “Obama, that is, was not the prisoner of a misconception, convinced in absolute good faith” that Israeli concessions would bring the Arabs “on board for the battle with the mullahs.”
The pro-Israelis crave a US attack on Iran, as they did with Iraq but then later denied it.
Berman, Congressional Foreign Affairs Boss, Cites Israel as a Prime Motivator in His Politics, Then Calls Israel Lobby a ‘Total Canard’
Berman then assumed he was talking to a friendly crowd. He said Israel "is why I went on the Foreign Affairs Committee–" he corrected himself– "it’s part of why I went on the Foreign Affairs committee in the first place. I’m a great supporter of Israel." He hastened to add he was also a supporter of a "sensible" peace process that takes into account "Israel’s longtime security needs."
UPDATE: State Department Quakes In Terror As AP Asks About Imprisoned Palestinian Demonstrator -- Plus The True Story of the AIPAC-Drafted Berman Bill
Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is today rushing to the House floor with an AIPAC-drafted resolution condemning the Palestinians for publicly suggesting that, in the wake of Netanyahu's refusal to freeze settlements and negotiate, they will consider a unilateral declaration of statehood. (As is usual with Berman, his resolution exclusively blames Palestinians for the collapse of peace talks; not a word of criticism of Israel appears.)
Leaks and Leakers by Philip Giraldi
Unauthorized release of classified information and what becomes of it was also the focus in the trial that was terminated in May 2009 of Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman, AIPAC employees who passed sensitive intelligence to Israeli government officials and to Glenn Kessler at the Washington Post. The very same people at the Wall Street Journal and the Weekly Standard who are now calling on the federal government to declare war on WikiLeaks and to summarily execute Julian Assange were at that time complaining about the fact that Rosen and Weissman had been charged with a crime because "everyone" passes around classified information in Washington.
More Money for Nothing by Philip Giraldi
Yesterday the US Congress approved $205 million for Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system. That was on top of $200 million previously allocated for Israel’s Arrow and David’s Sling development programs. Now, one might question approving nearly half a billion dollars for a foreign country at a time when budgets for programs in the United States are being axed, so it is definitely convenient that the US public will not know about the vote as it has not been reported anywhere in the US mainstream media. The article I saw was in today’s Haaretz.
Muslim hotel staff allege discrimination on Israeli visit
Muslim employees of a Washington hotel alleged that they were discriminated against when Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak visited at the weekend, a group representing them said Wednesday.
The Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) sent a protest letter to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel's management on behalf of the employees who alleged they were barred from floors where the Israeli delegation was staying.
Deputy FM: Iran-Venezuela Ties Threaten U.S., Entire World
Last month, sources in Latin America told Haaretz that a border incident between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and military pressure placed on Costa Rica, a country without an army, are the first step in a plan formulated by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, with funding and assistance from Iran, to create a substitute for the strategically and economically important Panama Canal.
The plan has aroused concern in Washington, and the U.S. has begun behind the scenes efforts to foil such a move.
Sources in Latin America consider these events, and the power demonstrated by Nicaragua, as a trial balloon by the creators of the "New Canal Plan" – Venezuela, Iran and Nicaragua. Western intelligence agencies are closely following the path of heavy machinery equipment to Nicaragua as well as the activities of Iranians in the Nicaraguan capital Managua.
Israel was happy with Rudd's stance: WikiLeaks
The cables also indicate Mr Rotem was impressed with Prime Minister Julia Gillard's handling of Australia's response to fighting in Gaza while in the role of acting prime minister.
The Israelis told US officials she was far more supportive than expected.
Italy PM said 'not even Obama can stop Israeli attack on Iran', WikiLeaks cable reveals
"No one, including [U.S. President Barack] Obama, can stop Israel if it feels an existential threat," Berlusconi is reported to have said.
Barak tells Gates: Hezbollah and Syria must not gain weapons supremacy over Israel
The two discussed continuing cooperation to build up Israel's active defense against missiles and rockets. They also resumed talks regarding the development of the Namer armored vehicle, and Barak advised his American counterpart to see the U.S. ground army equipped with one as well.
Obama withdraws offer to donate 20 F-35s to Israel
Lebanon Holds its Breath Over Leaked Revelations By Robert Fisk in Beirut
Now the US cables reveal that the UN has indeed been cooperating with the United States, asking for aerial reconnaissance pictures of the Bekaa Valley and sending DNA samples from Mr Hariri's suspected killer, Ahmad Abu Adass, to FBI headquarters for examination.......Yet more dangerous still is a 2008 cable stating that former Lebanese telecommunications minister Marwan Hamadeh provided the US with maps detailing locations of Hezbollah's communications network.
...There are some details in the cables on Lebanon which are provably wrong. A claim by Samir Geagea, a right-wing Christian politician
, that Iran had provided Syria with 15 submarines, was palpably untrue. Mr Geagea has refused to comment on this cable. Another allegation – that missiles were smuggled into Lebanon on board planes carrying first aid during the 2006 Hezbollah-Israeli war – is provably untrue: Beirut airport was bombed on the first day of the battles and never reopened until the conflict had ended.
Rudd calls for inspections of Israel's nuclear facility
FOREIGN Minister Kevin Rudd has arrived in Israel with a blunt message: allow international inspectors into your nuclear facility.
He has also called on Israel to stop building in Jewish settlements in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Iran Nuclear Talks: Senators Urge Obama to Stand Firm
On Monday, as Iran's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili met in Geneva with E.U. foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, a group of prominent U.S. Senators – including John Kyl, Joe Lieberman, Kirsten Gillebrand and John McCain – wrote to President Obama urging him to reject any proposal under which Iran would maintain a uranium–enrichment capability AIPAC shills.
1 small NY town's battle for tolerance
Locals watched in horror as Sidney was branded as Islamophobic, backward and ignorant.
"It was sickening," says attorney Tom Schimmerling, 58, the son of Holocaust survivors, who immediately offered to represent the Sufis free of charge. "McCarthy was acting like this was Selma, Ala., in the '60s and he was Bull Connor."
Rudd failed to consult Israel over call for nuclear inspection, Opposition claims
KEVIN Rudd's call for an inspection of Israel's nuclear facilities was made without any consultation with Jerusalem, the Opposition has claimed.
"If the reports are correct and Israeli officials were taken by surprise, it reveals Kevin Rudd has not learnt any lessons from his past mistakes," said the opposition's foreign affairs spokeswoman, Julie Bishop.
Jewish Ingratitude to Evangelicals
Every year Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews raises about $100 million dollars from mostly evangelical Christians in the United States for distribution to social welfare projects in Israel and the former Soviet Union. This is a staggering sum, making the fellowship arguably the largest foundation for Jews in need in the world.
Former Congressman Paul Findley on Push for Iran War
Israeli troops kill two Gaza militants: army
The incident was the second in three days in which an Israeli was wounded. On Wednesday, a civilian was lightly hurt by a mortar shell launched by militants from the Gaza Strip that landed in an agricultural community near the border.
The last incident in which soldiers were hurt occurred in August when two were lightly wounded from shell fragments, the army said
Palestinian firefighters barred from Israeli fete
About 20 Palestinian firefighters joined the international effort against the blaze that killed 43 people as it swept through the Carmel forest in Israel's north, the biggest forest fire Israel has ever seen. In the end, firefighting aircraft and crews from abroad helped put it out.
Tuesday's ceremony was set to take place in Usfiya, an Israeli Arab town near to where the blaze erupted, and the Palestinian firefighters were to be awarded certificates at the event.
I'm so proud of the Palestinians - who, despite all that Israel has done to them - volunteered to help put out that fire.
It reminds me of the donations the Palestinian refugees made to Hurricane Katrina victims. They didn't have a lot to give, but they gave what they could because of all people, they could instantly sympathize with our refugees.
Brings a tear to me eye.
Envoy says US committed to Palestinian state
The U.S. will not be deterred by setbacks and will persevere until a Palestinian state is established alongside Israel, President Obama's Mideast envoy said Tuesday after meeting the Palestinian president.
'Europe will recognize Palestinian state when appropriate'
The resolution is also expected to address Israel's refusal to extend the construction moratorium in the West Bank and stress the need to resume negotiations for a period of 12 months, as determined by the Mideast Quartet.
Israel has been working diligently to try and soften the wording in the resolution. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has spoken with a number of his counterparts in the Union to try and convince them not to recognize a Palestinian state, and he has also instructed Israeli ambassadors in EU countries to clarify Israel's position.
Arab FMs oppose Mideast talks without U.S. stance on borders
The ministers said the failure of Washington to force Israel to stop settlement building on territories occupied in 1967 demands that the American administration declares clearly the two states' borders be based on the 1967 borders.
Palestinians to Mitchell: U.S. must demand talks based on 1967 borders
In a meeting with U.S. envoy George Mitchell in Ramallah on Tuesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his disappointment with the United States for failing to declare that talks on borders with Israel will be based on 1967 lines.
US House Approves Large Increase in Military Aid to Israel
Most significantly, the House added $205 million in first-time funding for the Iron Dome project, a short-range rocket defense system. The money was pledged by President Barack Obama last May, but had been stalled until now.
In addition, military aid allocations from Israel should increase from 2010 levels of $2.775 billion to $3b. for fiscal year 2011, while those for Egypt and Jordan will hold constant from 2010. Look at the House vote -212-206?
Are our representatives finally starting to represent US, the AMERICAN people?
A Grim Record: One In Seven Americans Is On Food Stamps
Hey I know, let's shovel a few more billion to Israel, a prosperous country even despite the economic downturn.
The Returning Issue of Palestine's Refugees
Before his murder in 1948, Lord Folke Bernadotte, the first UN mediator to the Arab-Israeli conflict, stated: "It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent [Palestinian] victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes, while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine." Lord Bernadotte paid for his candour with his life as Jewish militants assassinated him under the direction of Yitzhak Shamir, the man who would later become prime minister of Israel.
After setback, US resumes Mideast peace push
Public invited to inform on those renting to Arabs
The Lehava organization issued a notice Sunday evening, inviting the public to call a voicemail service and record the names of Jewish Israelis renting apartments to Arabs. Lehava, identified with supporters of Meir Kahane, thus adds its weight to the recent call by 50 prominent rabbis to avoid renting to Arabs which, the organization says, amounts to no less than assimilation. Racism at its finest.
Israel Seeks 20 Additional F-35s After Failure of U.S. Swap for Peace Plan
Defense officials from both countries are discussing ways to pay for the “expensive” jets because Israel lacks the funds, Oren said.
Hamas reaches out, tries to shore up popularity
U.S. says recognition of Palestinian state premature
Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman, who was due to meet with Burns on Saturday, criticized his remarks.
"I think it's unpropitious that once again the United States has publicly expressed an opinion about sovereign actions taken by the Argentine Republic," Timerman told Reuters.
Palestinians express doubts over 2-state future
Conventional wisdom on Israeli–Palestinian peacemaking has long held that Israel should relinquish most of the lands it occupied in 1967 in favor of a Palestinian state – the "two–state solution" that much of the world has supported for years.
But the utter lack of progress in peace talks and continued Jewish settlement in the West Bank has many people warning that Israel might instead be headed toward a one–state reality, with a permanent occupation of the West Bank and a Jewish minority ruling over an Arab majority – unless, perhaps, the world forces it to give the Palestinians the right to vote.
Hamas celebrates 23rd anniversary with mass rally
While sticking to its militant rhetoric, the Hamas has largely observed an informal truce since a bruising Israeli offensive two years ago, forgoing attacks that could spur Israel to strike back or tighten its blockade. Any Israel response could make life harder for Gazans. Some 30 percent of residents are unemployed and many more rely on food aid.
Netanyahu hails U.S. retreat on settlement freeze demands
Mitchell is also scheduled to hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. But the brunt of the work will be in Israel because the Palestinians have already submitted their opening positions on all the core issues - borders, security, Jerusalem, refugees, water and the settlements
Palestinians sceptical after US freeze failure
Hamas leader says group will never recognize Israel
Israel group blasts arrests of Palestinian minors
In a report released Monday, the Israeli rights group B'Tselem says the youths' arrest is part of an Israeli campaign targeting Palestinian minors – one just 5 years old – for stone throwing in east Jerusalem. It says police often arrest minors from their homes in the middle of the night and interrogate them, sometimes with no parent present, in ways that violate Israeli law.
Israel's leader does not want to share Jerusalem
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reaffirmation of his intention to hold on to east Jerusalem drew criticism from the Palestinians and was likely to increase friction with the Americans. The White House Mideast envoy is scheduled to arrive this week in another attempt to push peace efforts forward.
Israel draws international rebuke over settlements
The European Union, the United Nations and the Arab League have rebuked Israel after its refusal to halt settlement construction forced Washington to drop efforts to relaunch Mideast peace talks.
Jordanian, Palestinian soccer fans clash
Yad Vashem struggles to teach Holocaust to Arabs
The irony. At what point will Israel teach its people the truth about its inception, and what it has done to a largely agrarian people who for 60 years have been made to pay for the Holocaust, when they had nothing to do with it.
Heavy rains, strong winds batter Middle East
In the Gaza Strip, strong winds and lashing rains caused cracks in the pier and the breakfront at the harbor local fishermen use. No one was hurt, but civil defense workers and the Gaza maritime police were hauling boats out of the water and moving them and other fishing equipment to safer ground.
Palestinians, Contained
Who by Fire?
By the end, when Prime Minister Netanyahu informed others already preparing to send personnel and supplies that they would not be needed, Israel had welcomed seven aircraft from Greece, two from Cyprus, two from Turkey(!), three from Russia, five from France, two more from Britain, seven from Germany, five from Spain, two from Azerbaijan, and five from America — as well as 92 firefighters from Bulgaria, 21 firefighters and three fire engines from the Palestinian Authority, along with three truckloads of equipment from Jordan, materials from Egypt — and all this is only a partial list.
What really drives suicide terrorists by Robert Pape
After examining 2,200 suicide attacks around the world since 1980 – the most comprehensive analysis ever conducted – I've concluded that the answer is both simple and disturbing. What drives them is deep anger at the presence of Western combat forces in the Persian Gulf region and other predominately Muslim lands.
Popular accounts of these suicide terrorists give the impression that most of them are globe-trotting extremists radicalized by militant networks to strike outside their homeland for religious or other transnational causes. These accounts are false.
Top Israeli rabbi slams anti-Arab edict
A top Israeli rabbi has condemned a controversial ruling forbidding renting or selling property to non–Jews.
That ruling, which won the support of three dozen rabbis this week, has drawn vocal criticism in Israel. Israel's attorney general is weighing possible charges against the rabbis.
Market alarm as US fails to control biggest debt in history
The reality is, though, that the market is increasingly alarmed at the rate of increase of the US government’s already massive liabilities. America’s government debt is set to expand by a jaw-dropping 42pc over the next few years, reaching $19.6 trillion by 2015 according to Treasury Department estimates presented (amid very little fanfare) to Congress back in June Hey I know, let's send a few more billion to Israel.
Funding Illegal Israeli Settlements? Priceless.
Visa, Mastercard and PayPal all enable donations to be made to US-registered groups funding illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank in defiance of international law.
It appears at least one of the major credit cards also enables donations to an extremist Jewish group that has placed a bounty on the lives of Palestinians.
The Biggest Pro-Israel Group in America? That’s Us, Says Christians United
Last year the group distributed, through its sister organization, John Hagee Ministries, more than $8 million to Israeli and Jewish organizations, according to CUFI. CUFI has stated that less than 5% of that sum went to settler organizations operating in the West Bank.
No Link Between Stopping Iran and Pushing Peace? Rabin Knew Better
“No, he had the diplomatic cables to prove that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was no obstacle to wide Arab backing,” Horovitz wrote. “Obama, that is, was not the prisoner of a misconception, convinced in absolute good faith” that Israeli concessions would bring the Arabs “on board for the battle with the mullahs.”
The pro-Israelis crave a US attack on Iran, as they did with Iraq but then later denied it.
Berman, Congressional Foreign Affairs Boss, Cites Israel as a Prime Motivator in His Politics, Then Calls Israel Lobby a ‘Total Canard’
Berman then assumed he was talking to a friendly crowd. He said Israel "is why I went on the Foreign Affairs Committee–" he corrected himself– "it’s part of why I went on the Foreign Affairs committee in the first place. I’m a great supporter of Israel." He hastened to add he was also a supporter of a "sensible" peace process that takes into account "Israel’s longtime security needs."
UPDATE: State Department Quakes In Terror As AP Asks About Imprisoned Palestinian Demonstrator -- Plus The True Story of the AIPAC-Drafted Berman Bill
Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is today rushing to the House floor with an AIPAC-drafted resolution condemning the Palestinians for publicly suggesting that, in the wake of Netanyahu's refusal to freeze settlements and negotiate, they will consider a unilateral declaration of statehood. (As is usual with Berman, his resolution exclusively blames Palestinians for the collapse of peace talks; not a word of criticism of Israel appears.)
Leaks and Leakers by Philip Giraldi
Unauthorized release of classified information and what becomes of it was also the focus in the trial that was terminated in May 2009 of Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman, AIPAC employees who passed sensitive intelligence to Israeli government officials and to Glenn Kessler at the Washington Post. The very same people at the Wall Street Journal and the Weekly Standard who are now calling on the federal government to declare war on WikiLeaks and to summarily execute Julian Assange were at that time complaining about the fact that Rosen and Weissman had been charged with a crime because "everyone" passes around classified information in Washington.
More Money for Nothing by Philip Giraldi
Yesterday the US Congress approved $205 million for Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system. That was on top of $200 million previously allocated for Israel’s Arrow and David’s Sling development programs. Now, one might question approving nearly half a billion dollars for a foreign country at a time when budgets for programs in the United States are being axed, so it is definitely convenient that the US public will not know about the vote as it has not been reported anywhere in the US mainstream media. The article I saw was in today’s Haaretz.
Muslim hotel staff allege discrimination on Israeli visit
Muslim employees of a Washington hotel alleged that they were discriminated against when Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak visited at the weekend, a group representing them said Wednesday.
The Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) sent a protest letter to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel's management on behalf of the employees who alleged they were barred from floors where the Israeli delegation was staying.
Deputy FM: Iran-Venezuela Ties Threaten U.S., Entire World
Last month, sources in Latin America told Haaretz that a border incident between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and military pressure placed on Costa Rica, a country without an army, are the first step in a plan formulated by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, with funding and assistance from Iran, to create a substitute for the strategically and economically important Panama Canal.
The plan has aroused concern in Washington, and the U.S. has begun behind the scenes efforts to foil such a move.
Sources in Latin America consider these events, and the power demonstrated by Nicaragua, as a trial balloon by the creators of the "New Canal Plan" – Venezuela, Iran and Nicaragua. Western intelligence agencies are closely following the path of heavy machinery equipment to Nicaragua as well as the activities of Iranians in the Nicaraguan capital Managua.
Israel was happy with Rudd's stance: WikiLeaks
The cables also indicate Mr Rotem was impressed with Prime Minister Julia Gillard's handling of Australia's response to fighting in Gaza while in the role of acting prime minister.
The Israelis told US officials she was far more supportive than expected.
Italy PM said 'not even Obama can stop Israeli attack on Iran', WikiLeaks cable reveals
"No one, including [U.S. President Barack] Obama, can stop Israel if it feels an existential threat," Berlusconi is reported to have said.
Barak tells Gates: Hezbollah and Syria must not gain weapons supremacy over Israel
The two discussed continuing cooperation to build up Israel's active defense against missiles and rockets. They also resumed talks regarding the development of the Namer armored vehicle, and Barak advised his American counterpart to see the U.S. ground army equipped with one as well.
Obama withdraws offer to donate 20 F-35s to Israel
Lebanon Holds its Breath Over Leaked Revelations By Robert Fisk in Beirut
Now the US cables reveal that the UN has indeed been cooperating with the United States, asking for aerial reconnaissance pictures of the Bekaa Valley and sending DNA samples from Mr Hariri's suspected killer, Ahmad Abu Adass, to FBI headquarters for examination.......Yet more dangerous still is a 2008 cable stating that former Lebanese telecommunications minister Marwan Hamadeh provided the US with maps detailing locations of Hezbollah's communications network.
...There are some details in the cables on Lebanon which are provably wrong. A claim by Samir Geagea, a right-wing Christian politician
, that Iran had provided Syria with 15 submarines, was palpably untrue. Mr Geagea has refused to comment on this cable. Another allegation – that missiles were smuggled into Lebanon on board planes carrying first aid during the 2006 Hezbollah-Israeli war – is provably untrue: Beirut airport was bombed on the first day of the battles and never reopened until the conflict had ended.
Rudd calls for inspections of Israel's nuclear facility
FOREIGN Minister Kevin Rudd has arrived in Israel with a blunt message: allow international inspectors into your nuclear facility.
He has also called on Israel to stop building in Jewish settlements in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Iran Nuclear Talks: Senators Urge Obama to Stand Firm
On Monday, as Iran's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili met in Geneva with E.U. foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, a group of prominent U.S. Senators – including John Kyl, Joe Lieberman, Kirsten Gillebrand and John McCain – wrote to President Obama urging him to reject any proposal under which Iran would maintain a uranium–enrichment capability AIPAC shills.
1 small NY town's battle for tolerance
Locals watched in horror as Sidney was branded as Islamophobic, backward and ignorant.
"It was sickening," says attorney Tom Schimmerling, 58, the son of Holocaust survivors, who immediately offered to represent the Sufis free of charge. "McCarthy was acting like this was Selma, Ala., in the '60s and he was Bull Connor."
Rudd failed to consult Israel over call for nuclear inspection, Opposition claims
KEVIN Rudd's call for an inspection of Israel's nuclear facilities was made without any consultation with Jerusalem, the Opposition has claimed.
"If the reports are correct and Israeli officials were taken by surprise, it reveals Kevin Rudd has not learnt any lessons from his past mistakes," said the opposition's foreign affairs spokeswoman, Julie Bishop.
Jewish Ingratitude to Evangelicals
Every year Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews raises about $100 million dollars from mostly evangelical Christians in the United States for distribution to social welfare projects in Israel and the former Soviet Union. This is a staggering sum, making the fellowship arguably the largest foundation for Jews in need in the world.
Former Congressman Paul Findley on Push for Iran War
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Breaking: American Tourist Killed in Israel
Stories at the Israeli Haaretz:
'It was clear they came to kill us', says survivor of Jerusalem stabbing
Body of U.S. tourist found near Jerusalem; police suspect terror attack
Some observations:
The peace talks recently broke down because Netanyahu refuses to stop building settlements in Jerusalem.
This has been widely reported in the US press now for a while.
Now here's where it gets interesting - this story of an American tourist who gets murdered by Arabs as she and her friend were innocently hiking around of all places, Jerusalem.
Americans no longer see Israel as the obstacle to peace, when those pesky Arabs murder one of their own. Israel should Judaize all of Jerusalem as a result.
That would appear to be the moral of this story and why this is headline news in America on a slow news day; this will be rammed down the throats of Americans by the usual suspects in the mainstream media for some time to come, and it will be used as an excuse by Israel to continue to build settlements, and to stall peace talks. After all, how can they make peace with such people?...
'It was clear they came to kill us', says survivor of Jerusalem stabbing
Body of U.S. tourist found near Jerusalem; police suspect terror attack
Some observations:
The peace talks recently broke down because Netanyahu refuses to stop building settlements in Jerusalem.
This has been widely reported in the US press now for a while.
Now here's where it gets interesting - this story of an American tourist who gets murdered by Arabs as she and her friend were innocently hiking around of all places, Jerusalem.
Americans no longer see Israel as the obstacle to peace, when those pesky Arabs murder one of their own. Israel should Judaize all of Jerusalem as a result.
That would appear to be the moral of this story and why this is headline news in America on a slow news day; this will be rammed down the throats of Americans by the usual suspects in the mainstream media for some time to come, and it will be used as an excuse by Israel to continue to build settlements, and to stall peace talks. After all, how can they make peace with such people?...
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Headlines for December 2 - December 8
A Stand For Justice
Thirty-Nine Congressmen Can’t Be Wrong by Philip Giraldi
For those who think it inconceivable that a large number of congressmen might petition seeking clemency for a convicted foreign spy who did enormous damage to the United States, think again. Pollard has recently obtained the services of Barney Frank and thirty-eight other Democratic congressmen who have signed on to a letter coordinated with a number of Jewish groups. They apparently believe that the poor guy has suffered enough in service to his country, which is of course Israel, making one wonder why American politicians should feel the pain. But no matter, as we all know where the faux compassion comes from. Treason, folks. If you care about this country, you just have to read the whole thing. Then do something about it.
Israel: US too consumed by WikiLeaks to talk peace
Israel's defense minister said Tuesday the U.S. has halted talks with Israel about curbing West Bank settlement construction and resuming peace talks with the Palestinians because Washington is distracted by the WikiLeaks release of secret documents.
Cui bono - who benefits -- from Wikileaks? Who is sitting pretty and smug, with Julian Assange singing Netanyahu's praises?
Israel upset by Argentina Palestinian recognition
Argentina's foreign minister, Hector Timerman, said Monday that in view of stalemated peace efforts, "the time has come to recognize Palestine as a free and independent state."
Netanyahu Forces an Obama Mideast Retreat
"I know what America is," Benjamin Netanyahu, then an opposition politician, told Israeli settlers in 2002. "America is something that can easily be moved. Moved to the right direction." And in the last few months, Prime Minister Netanyahu has proved his point by walking back President Obama's call for a freeze in Israeli settlement construction so much so that the Administration on Tuesday essentially gave up and took it off the table.
America is not the land of the free, not when it is ruled by Israel.
Palestinian protest leader's case sparks scrutiny
The target of such unprecedented interest was Abdullah Abu Rahmeh, a leader of Palestinian protests against Israel's West Bank separation barrier who has been feted by some in the international community, from European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, as a courageous defender of human rights.
Israel views the West Bank school teacher as an instigator of violence and wants to keep him in prison, even though he has completed his yearlong sentence. Israel says the demonstrations are violent riots since some of the marchers routinely throw stones at Israeli troops.
.......Carter and fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu, part of a group of former leaders known as The Elders, on Monday condemned the attempt to keep Abu Rahmeh in prison. Carter said his "example of nonviolent resistance against the occupation is a model that others should follow."
Abbas: Last resort — I'll ask Israel to take over
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned he may dissolve his self–rule government and ask Israel to resume full control of the West Bank if troubled peace talks fail.
Iran makes arrests over nuclear scientist killing
"The three spy agencies of Mossad, CIA and MI6 had a role in the (attacks) and, with the arrest of these people, we will find new clues to arrest other elements," Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi was quoted as saying on state television's website.
Defense for Children International: Urgent Appeal - Shooting of children collecting building gravel
'Promised land for organized crime'
"It is fair to assume that many known OC figures hold valid tourist visas to the United States and travel freely," Cunningham wrote, adding that the embassy "has developed an extensive database and placed lookouts for OC figures and their foot soldiers." He did not elaborate.
Cables Belie Gulf States' Backing for Strikes on Iran
Covert war against Iran's nuclear aims takes chilling turn
The assassination had the hallmark of well-practised professionals. The explosives were shaped to focus the blast and fire a hail of projectiles into the car at an individual target, with minimal "collateral damage". The targets were obviously carefully chosen and the attack would have required weeks of surveillance. So even if local assassins were involved, the questions of who trained and funded them and assigned the targets would remain.......Stuxnet does not bear fingerprints, but a western military source recently told the Observer that it was an Israeli creation.
WikiLeaks Exposes Israeli Mafia’s Growing Influence by Justin Raimondo
Take, for example, this excerpt from a cable dated May 15, 2009 — entitled "Israel, A Promised Land for Organized Crime?" – sent by our embassy in Tel Aviv, which deals with the rising influence of Israeli organized crime The bottom line here: Israel's organized crime syndicate is free to roam the US on visas. And if they commit crimes against Americans, they can hightail it back to Israel to avoid extradition, as so many of them evidently do. And anyway, even if they out and out KILLED Americans, what would our government do about it? Well, what did our government do about the murder of Rachel Corrie, or the men aboard the USS Liberty? ZERO.
After new setback, Obama Mideast plan in doubt
A top aide to the Palestinian president, Yasser Abed Rabbo, went so far as to question Washington's ability to broker a deal, asking how the Americans could possibly "make Israel accept a fair solution" when they couldn't even make it limit its settlement activities.
Palestinians seek unilateral statehood recognition
Winning a majority in the U.N. General Assembly would presumably be an easier task, but obtaining recognition by the U.N. Security Council would be the bigger prize, yet much harder to obtain because of a likely U.S. veto. Washington has traditionally blocked measures that Israel considers hostile.
Argentina: Palestine is free and independent state
Argentina announced Monday that it recognizes the Palestinian territories as a free and independent state within their 1967 borders, a step it said reflects frustration at the slow progress of peace talks with Israel.
Palestinians: Israel has chosen West Bank settlements over peace
The United States should openly blame Israel for the "collapse" of the peace process, a senior Palestinian official said on Thursday, in one of the bleakest assessments yet on Middle East peace efforts.
New Israeli plans to build near East Jerusalem show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not want to resume peace talks, Palestinian officials said.
Without land, Gaza farmers grow crops on roofs
The Israeli imposition of a "buffer zone" along Gaza's borders swallows at least a third of Gaza's farmland and renders lethal any border regions farmers try to access. This land formerly produced wheat, barley and a variety of fruits and nuts; it was Gaza's food basket.
U.S. drops push for Israel settlement freeze
there were some concerns about the size of the incentives the United States offered Israel –– which Israeli sources said included 20 F–35 stealth fighters worth $3 billion –– for only a temporary extension.......Three Latin American nations –– Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay –– declared recognition of a Palestinian state at the weekend, drawing Israeli condemnation.
Israel to blame for "collapse" of talks: Abbas aide
"It's time for the American administration to tell the world that Israel holds the responsibility for the collapse of this peace process," chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said. "Israel has chosen settlements and not peace," he told Reuters.
Israel east Jerusalem policy threatens peace: EU
The EU report said that since the start of November, east Jerusalem settlement planning had resumed "very intensively" and warned that such a policy, combined with curbs on Palestinian building and increased demolitions and evictions in the sector, were having "serious humanitarian consequences."
.....Israel's attempts to exclusively emphasise the Jewish identity of the city were threatening to "radicalise the conflict, with potential regional and global repercussions."
And the report warned of the EU's increasing concern about Israel's "use of archaeology as a political–ideological tool" in a bid to cement the Jewish state's hold over the entire city.
US lawmakers blast Brazil's Palestinian move
Ros–Lehtinen, set to chair the panel come January, said "responsible nations" would wait to take such a step until Palestinians return to direct talks with Israel and recognize its "right to exist as a Jewish state."
Why is this a matter for Capitol Hill? Do not our 'representatives' have anything better to do than to shill for a foreign nation? They seem to do an awful lot of that for the nation of Israel.
Rep. Ackerman Cheers Obama's Shift in Peace Process
Instead, Ackerman now suggests focusing on Iran, which he sees as the biggest Middle East problem. Here, he is once again on the same page as Netanyahu.
Israeli rabbis tell Jews not to sell homes to Arabs
Obtained by Reuters ahead of its planned publication in synagogues and religious journals, the letter quotes warnings by ancient sages that living with non–Jews can lead to "sacrilege." Other concerns for property values are also raised.
Racist much?
Israel decides to ease Gaza export ban
Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas in Gaza, described the decision as a "propaganda manoeuvre" and urged public opinion not to be "deceived ... and to keep up the international pressure on the occupation."
Human Rights and Humanitarian Relief Groups Urge Rebuilding Plan for Gaza
In a report entitled "Gaza Repair Strategies," the nongovernmental organizations propose a concerted effort of small-scale home repairs that offers viable, safe, and dignified repair options. The strategy is designed to enable Gaza residents to move toward regaining their lives and livelihoods until a permanent political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be reached.
Why we walked out
Students across the US are protesting a public relations campaign that brings soldiers from the Israeli army to speak on campuses. These tours are an attempt to justify recent war crimes committed by the army and are coordinated by various organizations, the most well-known being the Zionist organization StandWithUs.
Ireland 'blocked' weapons to Israel
After the Israel-Lebanon war, the Israeli military said it needed to restore its depleted ammunition stocks, but the cable from James Kenny, the US ambassador to Ireland at the time, indicates that the Irish government was making it increasingly difficult for Israel-bound US weapons shipments to pass through its airport.
Parsing a Palestinian Poll on Peace, With Prejudice
if you’re the Zionist Organization of America, what’s in your headline is whatever distortion of the data you’re discussing that you think you can get away with.
YouTube - Let Us Call On Israel To STOP SHOOTING CHILDREN! Congressman Brian Baird
Congratulations for Rep. Baird for having the courage to stand up for justice, and stand up to Israel and its goons who preside over Capitol Hill.
Uprooting the Bedouins of Israel
The Jewish National Fund’s objective, however, is not altruistic, but rather to plant a pine or eucalyptus forest on the desert land so that the Bedouins cannot return to their ancestral homes. The practice of planting forests in an attempt to Judaize more territory is by no means new. Right after Israel’s establishment in 1948, the JNF planted millions of trees to cover up the remains of Palestinian villages that had been destroyed during or after the war. The objective was to help ensure that the 750,000 Palestinian residents who either fled or were expelled during the war would never return to their villages and to suppress the fact that they had been the rightful owners of the land before the State of Israel was created.
Turkey, Israel in bid to overcome crisis
"Some say we should turn a new page... An apology must be offered first, compensation must be paid first," Erdogan said Sunday in a speech in Sivas, central Turkey, Anatolia news agency reported.
NY rabbi, sons accused of sexually abusing girls
The 58–year–old father and his 21–year–old son fled to Israel two days ago and are wanted for questioning in the case, police said. They were apparently driven to the airport by the mother.
Israel = haven for criminals.
State Dep’t reporters continue to be rambunctious about Israel announcing 625 new houses for Jews
Video: Reporters challenge State Department on Israel
Imams, rabbis in Brussels to improve Muslim-Jewish ties
He also suggested that the EU impose on its members and officials a code of behavior that would sanction those who made anti-Semitic and racist remarks. Will Israel too be sanctioned for its anti-Semitic (Arabs are Semites too) and racist remarks of its leaders, rabbis, and legislation ? Doubtful.
New WikiLeaks revelations show Ireland limiting complicity in US arms transfer to Israel
Helen Thomas says Zionists control U.S. foreign policy - KansasCity.com
“I can call a president of the United States anything in the book, but I can’t touch Israel, which has Jewish-only roads in the West Bank,” Thomas said. “No American would tolerate that — white-only roads.”
ei The Carmel wildfire is burning all illusions in Israel
The pine trees themselves were instruments of concealment, strategically planted by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) on the sites of the hundreds of Palestinian villages the Zionist militias evacuated and destroyed in 1948. With forests sprouting up where towns once stood, those who had been expelled would have nothing to come back to. Meanwhile, to outsiders beholding the strangely Alpine landscape of northern Israel for the first time, it seemed as though the Palestinians had never existed. And that was exactly the impression the JNF intended to create.
Carmel inferno proves Israel can't afford war with Iran
Yahoo Video: Bittersweet Remembrance Sunday for Palestinian veterans
Short clip of Palestinian Arab veterans who served for the British in WWII.
AP Exclusive: Jailed Palestinian atheist sorry
A Palestinian atheist jailed for more than a month for sharing his anti–Islam views on the Internet has apologized for offending Muslims, and a Palestinian military spokesman said he expected "positive" developments in the case.
Israel recruits citizen advocates in Europe
Israel has instructed its embassies in 10 European countries, including the UK, each to recruit 1,000 members of the public to act as advocates for its policies in a new public relations offensive. Europeans beware.
Gulf leaders want Iran to respond to peace efforts
A communique issued by the six leaders at the end of a two–day summit in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, said they wanted the dispute over Iran's nuclear program to be resolved through "peaceful means" and make the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.
Kind of goes against the Wikileaks cables.
Yvette Cooper calls for Israeli settler labelling on food imports
Labour is opposed to boycotting Israeli goods but Cooper believes consumers should be informed whether products are produced by illegal settlers.
FOLLOW-UP ALERT ON ISRAEL’S POLICY OF NEAR-STARVATION FOR GAZA
It is of major significance that explicit Israeli calculations for the amount of food, animal feed and poultry to be allowed into Gaza can be seen, starkly laid out in black and white. One of the calculated quantities is “breathing space”: the number of days that supplies will last in Gaza. The concept of “breathing space” for Gaza, dictated by the Israelis, is chilling; yet, the media appear happy to look the other way.
The Limits of a Coalition Without AIPAC
So here is where the administration’s efforts to engage the Jewish community on START stand: On the one hand, the White House and congressional Democrats were successful in creating a remarkable Jewish coalition in support of the treaty, which spans from J Street to ADL. On the other hand, without the lobbying power of AIPAC, this coalition isn’t even close to showing lawmakers what Jewish power really means.
Leaks Hint at Chance, Risk of Coalition Against Iran
“These leaders now have to hide following these comments,” Parsi said. “They are really going to have to pull back from the brink, and the primary reason is that this is a policy that is at odds with what their populations want.”
Parsi said the main reason that these strong sentiments were only revealed now is that these Arab leaders, though heads of authoritarian regimes, were keeping their Iranian saber rattling to themselves because it puts them at odds with public opinion in their own countries.
Another Mosque Project Seeks Support, This Time With Jewish Help
Asked why his group decided to spend the first night of Hanukkah with a Syrian-born imam and his flock to support their bid to build a mosque in the rolling hills of the Temecula Valley in California’s Southwestern Riverside County, Eric Greene replied, “We remember when there were protests in this country against synagogues being built.”
WikiLeaks cables: Don't trust Israel on Iran
Senior Turkey official says Israel behind WikiLeaks release
“One has to look at which countries are pleased with these," Celik was quoted as saying. "Israel is very pleased. Israel has been making statements for days, even before the release of these documents.”
Wikileaks: Saudis 'chief funders of al-Qaeda'
Why wasn't Saudi attacked after 9/11? Do you believe for one moment that without Saudi funding, those attacks would have been able to proceed? Not likely. One would've thought it was Iraq that funded 9/11, or even Iran. Who is driving our policy here? Who benefitted from our invasion of Iraq? The United States? Whose number 1 enemy did we depose? Israel's. So while we're bogged down fighting Israel's enemies (next comes Iran), our real foes get away with murder, incitement, and the funding of terror against US citizens and soldiers.
Wikileaks: Israel in the list of countries not clamping down on terror funding
ABC Nightly News just ran a Wikileaks story exposing terror funding during which they showed documents exposing bank transactions from countries not clamping down on this funding. I spied some transactions from Tel Aviv in the list (a few times) of the document but yet no mention of this in the report or any other that I can find in the Google News index.
UN investigating reported device blast in Lebanon
The U.N. peacekeeping force in south Lebanon says it is investigating a blast reportedly caused by the detonation of an Israeli device spying on Hezbollah's private telecommunications network.
Denounced as a traitor the Holocaust survivor who rents rooms to Israeli-Arabs
Israel's extreme rightwing foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has advocated the compulsory "transfer" from the country of Israeli-Arabs, who make up about 20% of the population. The government wants non-Jewish citizens to pledge loyalty to the Jewish state.
Tzvieli insists he will not bow to pressure over his tenants. "Most residents of Safed are a mixture of religious and secular and are tolerant and open," he said. "It's just here in the old city, where the extremists live, that I am in a minority."
mossad was this the chief's last hit - Telegraph
Last Monday, a thousand miles further east in the Iranian capital, Tehran, it appears that the kidon put both of those skills into practice, killing a top nuclear scientist and critically injuring a second as they drove through the rush-hour traffic. .....To assist in the attack, Persian-speaking Mossad deep cover agents have been steadily infiltrating Iran for years. How exactly they helped the hitmen flit in and out of the country remains a secret.
Mossad and Iran's nuclear scientists Part II
Saeed Kamali Dehghan, The Guardian's Iran correspondent in exile, has pointed me towards this Wikileaks cable from the US embassy in Tel Aviv. It is dated May 2009 and says:
In November 2008, Israeli crime boss Yaakov Alperon was assassinated in broad daylight in a gruesome attack on the streets of Tel Aviv, only about a mile away from the Embassy. According to several media accounts, a motor scooter pulled up alongside Alperon's car and the rider attached a sophisticated explosive device with a remote detonator to the car door. The bomb killed Alperon and his driver, and injured two innocent pedestrians. The hit was the latest in a series of violent attacks and reprisals, and indicated a widening crime war in Israel.
The interesting point here is that this is exactly how the two Iranian nuclear scientists, Majid Shahriari, and Fereidoun Abbasi, were attacked last Monday morning.
Israel on Iran So wrong for so long
According to various Israeli government predictions over the years, Iran was going to have a bomb by the mid-90s -- or 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, and finally 2010. More recent Israeli predictions have put that date at 2011 or 2014.
Israel fears 'flood' of migrants threatens state
In a speech to parliament last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a "flood" of illegal migrants. "It is threatening the jobs of Israelis, and it is threatening the Jewish and democratic character of the state of Israel," he said.
The supreme irony here is that it is the Jewish groups here in America that are squarely behind the effort to grant amnesty to illegals in America, by their own admission. Yet, it's another standard for Israel. Ironically, many of these immigants are from Sudan, another celebrated cause of American Jews.
Hezbollah says it found Israeli spy device
Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group said Friday that it discovered an Israeli device spying on its private telecommunications network.
The device exploded, apparently detonated remotely by the Israelis, when it was found near the village of Majdel Silim, about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the border with Israel, Hezbollah said in a statement.
Covert war against Iran's nuclear aims takes chilling turn
Time magazine last week claimed to have been given details of the attack from "a western intelligence expert with knowledge of the operation" and asserted that it "carried the signature of Israel's Mossad".
Hezbollah has 50,000 rockets: report
The Times quoted a Pentagon official expressing concern over the Hezbollah arsenal, in response to a series of leaked diplomatic cables on the issue.
which neocon in the Pentagon was it? Name names.
IWW supports Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement in support of Palestinian Rights
This vote makes the IWW the first union in the US and the third union in Canada to officially support the Palestinian United Call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.
ei Boycott roundup French companies to drop out of Jerusalem rail project
In a significant victory for the global Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, French companies Veolia and Alstom have dropped out of the Jerusalem light rail project due to sustained pressure from Palestine solidarity groups. The companies were contracted by the Israeli government to construct and manage the tramway linking Jerusalem to several illegal Israeli settlement colonies in the occupied West Bank.
WikiLeaks founder: Netanyahu believes exposé will aid Mideast peace
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday defended his disclosure of classified U.S. documents by singling out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an example of a world leader who believes the publications will aid global diplomacy. A little strange his praise of Israel. IT kind of goes against the premise of the whole Wikileaks operation, or at least the premise that the public is led to believe.
WikiLeaks: Saudi proposed force to crush Hezbollah
BUSTED – WIKILEAKS WORKING FOR ISRAEL Veterans Today
Thirty-Nine Congressmen Can’t Be Wrong by Philip Giraldi
For those who think it inconceivable that a large number of congressmen might petition seeking clemency for a convicted foreign spy who did enormous damage to the United States, think again. Pollard has recently obtained the services of Barney Frank and thirty-eight other Democratic congressmen who have signed on to a letter coordinated with a number of Jewish groups. They apparently believe that the poor guy has suffered enough in service to his country, which is of course Israel, making one wonder why American politicians should feel the pain. But no matter, as we all know where the faux compassion comes from. Treason, folks. If you care about this country, you just have to read the whole thing. Then do something about it.
Israel: US too consumed by WikiLeaks to talk peace
Israel's defense minister said Tuesday the U.S. has halted talks with Israel about curbing West Bank settlement construction and resuming peace talks with the Palestinians because Washington is distracted by the WikiLeaks release of secret documents.
Cui bono - who benefits -- from Wikileaks? Who is sitting pretty and smug, with Julian Assange singing Netanyahu's praises?
Israel upset by Argentina Palestinian recognition
Argentina's foreign minister, Hector Timerman, said Monday that in view of stalemated peace efforts, "the time has come to recognize Palestine as a free and independent state."
Netanyahu Forces an Obama Mideast Retreat
"I know what America is," Benjamin Netanyahu, then an opposition politician, told Israeli settlers in 2002. "America is something that can easily be moved. Moved to the right direction." And in the last few months, Prime Minister Netanyahu has proved his point by walking back President Obama's call for a freeze in Israeli settlement construction so much so that the Administration on Tuesday essentially gave up and took it off the table.
America is not the land of the free, not when it is ruled by Israel.
Palestinian protest leader's case sparks scrutiny
The target of such unprecedented interest was Abdullah Abu Rahmeh, a leader of Palestinian protests against Israel's West Bank separation barrier who has been feted by some in the international community, from European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, as a courageous defender of human rights.
Israel views the West Bank school teacher as an instigator of violence and wants to keep him in prison, even though he has completed his yearlong sentence. Israel says the demonstrations are violent riots since some of the marchers routinely throw stones at Israeli troops.
.......Carter and fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu, part of a group of former leaders known as The Elders, on Monday condemned the attempt to keep Abu Rahmeh in prison. Carter said his "example of nonviolent resistance against the occupation is a model that others should follow."
Abbas: Last resort — I'll ask Israel to take over
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned he may dissolve his self–rule government and ask Israel to resume full control of the West Bank if troubled peace talks fail.
Iran makes arrests over nuclear scientist killing
"The three spy agencies of Mossad, CIA and MI6 had a role in the (attacks) and, with the arrest of these people, we will find new clues to arrest other elements," Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi was quoted as saying on state television's website.
Defense for Children International: Urgent Appeal - Shooting of children collecting building gravel
'Promised land for organized crime'
"It is fair to assume that many known OC figures hold valid tourist visas to the United States and travel freely," Cunningham wrote, adding that the embassy "has developed an extensive database and placed lookouts for OC figures and their foot soldiers." He did not elaborate.
Cables Belie Gulf States' Backing for Strikes on Iran
Covert war against Iran's nuclear aims takes chilling turn
The assassination had the hallmark of well-practised professionals. The explosives were shaped to focus the blast and fire a hail of projectiles into the car at an individual target, with minimal "collateral damage". The targets were obviously carefully chosen and the attack would have required weeks of surveillance. So even if local assassins were involved, the questions of who trained and funded them and assigned the targets would remain.......Stuxnet does not bear fingerprints, but a western military source recently told the Observer that it was an Israeli creation.
WikiLeaks Exposes Israeli Mafia’s Growing Influence by Justin Raimondo
Take, for example, this excerpt from a cable dated May 15, 2009 — entitled "Israel, A Promised Land for Organized Crime?" – sent by our embassy in Tel Aviv, which deals with the rising influence of Israeli organized crime The bottom line here: Israel's organized crime syndicate is free to roam the US on visas. And if they commit crimes against Americans, they can hightail it back to Israel to avoid extradition, as so many of them evidently do. And anyway, even if they out and out KILLED Americans, what would our government do about it? Well, what did our government do about the murder of Rachel Corrie, or the men aboard the USS Liberty? ZERO.
After new setback, Obama Mideast plan in doubt
A top aide to the Palestinian president, Yasser Abed Rabbo, went so far as to question Washington's ability to broker a deal, asking how the Americans could possibly "make Israel accept a fair solution" when they couldn't even make it limit its settlement activities.
Palestinians seek unilateral statehood recognition
Winning a majority in the U.N. General Assembly would presumably be an easier task, but obtaining recognition by the U.N. Security Council would be the bigger prize, yet much harder to obtain because of a likely U.S. veto. Washington has traditionally blocked measures that Israel considers hostile.
Argentina: Palestine is free and independent state
Argentina announced Monday that it recognizes the Palestinian territories as a free and independent state within their 1967 borders, a step it said reflects frustration at the slow progress of peace talks with Israel.
Palestinians: Israel has chosen West Bank settlements over peace
The United States should openly blame Israel for the "collapse" of the peace process, a senior Palestinian official said on Thursday, in one of the bleakest assessments yet on Middle East peace efforts.
New Israeli plans to build near East Jerusalem show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not want to resume peace talks, Palestinian officials said.
Without land, Gaza farmers grow crops on roofs
The Israeli imposition of a "buffer zone" along Gaza's borders swallows at least a third of Gaza's farmland and renders lethal any border regions farmers try to access. This land formerly produced wheat, barley and a variety of fruits and nuts; it was Gaza's food basket.
U.S. drops push for Israel settlement freeze
there were some concerns about the size of the incentives the United States offered Israel –– which Israeli sources said included 20 F–35 stealth fighters worth $3 billion –– for only a temporary extension.......Three Latin American nations –– Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay –– declared recognition of a Palestinian state at the weekend, drawing Israeli condemnation.
Israel to blame for "collapse" of talks: Abbas aide
"It's time for the American administration to tell the world that Israel holds the responsibility for the collapse of this peace process," chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said. "Israel has chosen settlements and not peace," he told Reuters.
Israel east Jerusalem policy threatens peace: EU
The EU report said that since the start of November, east Jerusalem settlement planning had resumed "very intensively" and warned that such a policy, combined with curbs on Palestinian building and increased demolitions and evictions in the sector, were having "serious humanitarian consequences."
.....Israel's attempts to exclusively emphasise the Jewish identity of the city were threatening to "radicalise the conflict, with potential regional and global repercussions."
And the report warned of the EU's increasing concern about Israel's "use of archaeology as a political–ideological tool" in a bid to cement the Jewish state's hold over the entire city.
US lawmakers blast Brazil's Palestinian move
Ros–Lehtinen, set to chair the panel come January, said "responsible nations" would wait to take such a step until Palestinians return to direct talks with Israel and recognize its "right to exist as a Jewish state."
Why is this a matter for Capitol Hill? Do not our 'representatives' have anything better to do than to shill for a foreign nation? They seem to do an awful lot of that for the nation of Israel.
Rep. Ackerman Cheers Obama's Shift in Peace Process
Instead, Ackerman now suggests focusing on Iran, which he sees as the biggest Middle East problem. Here, he is once again on the same page as Netanyahu.
Israeli rabbis tell Jews not to sell homes to Arabs
Obtained by Reuters ahead of its planned publication in synagogues and religious journals, the letter quotes warnings by ancient sages that living with non–Jews can lead to "sacrilege." Other concerns for property values are also raised.
Racist much?
Israel decides to ease Gaza export ban
Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas in Gaza, described the decision as a "propaganda manoeuvre" and urged public opinion not to be "deceived ... and to keep up the international pressure on the occupation."
Human Rights and Humanitarian Relief Groups Urge Rebuilding Plan for Gaza
In a report entitled "Gaza Repair Strategies," the nongovernmental organizations propose a concerted effort of small-scale home repairs that offers viable, safe, and dignified repair options. The strategy is designed to enable Gaza residents to move toward regaining their lives and livelihoods until a permanent political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be reached.
Why we walked out
Students across the US are protesting a public relations campaign that brings soldiers from the Israeli army to speak on campuses. These tours are an attempt to justify recent war crimes committed by the army and are coordinated by various organizations, the most well-known being the Zionist organization StandWithUs.
Ireland 'blocked' weapons to Israel
After the Israel-Lebanon war, the Israeli military said it needed to restore its depleted ammunition stocks, but the cable from James Kenny, the US ambassador to Ireland at the time, indicates that the Irish government was making it increasingly difficult for Israel-bound US weapons shipments to pass through its airport.
Parsing a Palestinian Poll on Peace, With Prejudice
if you’re the Zionist Organization of America, what’s in your headline is whatever distortion of the data you’re discussing that you think you can get away with.
YouTube - Let Us Call On Israel To STOP SHOOTING CHILDREN! Congressman Brian Baird
Congratulations for Rep. Baird for having the courage to stand up for justice, and stand up to Israel and its goons who preside over Capitol Hill.
Uprooting the Bedouins of Israel
The Jewish National Fund’s objective, however, is not altruistic, but rather to plant a pine or eucalyptus forest on the desert land so that the Bedouins cannot return to their ancestral homes. The practice of planting forests in an attempt to Judaize more territory is by no means new. Right after Israel’s establishment in 1948, the JNF planted millions of trees to cover up the remains of Palestinian villages that had been destroyed during or after the war. The objective was to help ensure that the 750,000 Palestinian residents who either fled or were expelled during the war would never return to their villages and to suppress the fact that they had been the rightful owners of the land before the State of Israel was created.
Turkey, Israel in bid to overcome crisis
"Some say we should turn a new page... An apology must be offered first, compensation must be paid first," Erdogan said Sunday in a speech in Sivas, central Turkey, Anatolia news agency reported.
NY rabbi, sons accused of sexually abusing girls
The 58–year–old father and his 21–year–old son fled to Israel two days ago and are wanted for questioning in the case, police said. They were apparently driven to the airport by the mother.
Israel = haven for criminals.
State Dep’t reporters continue to be rambunctious about Israel announcing 625 new houses for Jews
Video: Reporters challenge State Department on Israel
Imams, rabbis in Brussels to improve Muslim-Jewish ties
He also suggested that the EU impose on its members and officials a code of behavior that would sanction those who made anti-Semitic and racist remarks. Will Israel too be sanctioned for its anti-Semitic (Arabs are Semites too) and racist remarks of its leaders, rabbis, and legislation ? Doubtful.
New WikiLeaks revelations show Ireland limiting complicity in US arms transfer to Israel
Helen Thomas says Zionists control U.S. foreign policy - KansasCity.com
“I can call a president of the United States anything in the book, but I can’t touch Israel, which has Jewish-only roads in the West Bank,” Thomas said. “No American would tolerate that — white-only roads.”
ei The Carmel wildfire is burning all illusions in Israel
The pine trees themselves were instruments of concealment, strategically planted by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) on the sites of the hundreds of Palestinian villages the Zionist militias evacuated and destroyed in 1948. With forests sprouting up where towns once stood, those who had been expelled would have nothing to come back to. Meanwhile, to outsiders beholding the strangely Alpine landscape of northern Israel for the first time, it seemed as though the Palestinians had never existed. And that was exactly the impression the JNF intended to create.
Carmel inferno proves Israel can't afford war with Iran
Yahoo Video: Bittersweet Remembrance Sunday for Palestinian veterans
Short clip of Palestinian Arab veterans who served for the British in WWII.
AP Exclusive: Jailed Palestinian atheist sorry
A Palestinian atheist jailed for more than a month for sharing his anti–Islam views on the Internet has apologized for offending Muslims, and a Palestinian military spokesman said he expected "positive" developments in the case.
Israel recruits citizen advocates in Europe
Israel has instructed its embassies in 10 European countries, including the UK, each to recruit 1,000 members of the public to act as advocates for its policies in a new public relations offensive. Europeans beware.
Gulf leaders want Iran to respond to peace efforts
A communique issued by the six leaders at the end of a two–day summit in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, said they wanted the dispute over Iran's nuclear program to be resolved through "peaceful means" and make the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.
Kind of goes against the Wikileaks cables.
Yvette Cooper calls for Israeli settler labelling on food imports
Labour is opposed to boycotting Israeli goods but Cooper believes consumers should be informed whether products are produced by illegal settlers.
FOLLOW-UP ALERT ON ISRAEL’S POLICY OF NEAR-STARVATION FOR GAZA
It is of major significance that explicit Israeli calculations for the amount of food, animal feed and poultry to be allowed into Gaza can be seen, starkly laid out in black and white. One of the calculated quantities is “breathing space”: the number of days that supplies will last in Gaza. The concept of “breathing space” for Gaza, dictated by the Israelis, is chilling; yet, the media appear happy to look the other way.
The Limits of a Coalition Without AIPAC
So here is where the administration’s efforts to engage the Jewish community on START stand: On the one hand, the White House and congressional Democrats were successful in creating a remarkable Jewish coalition in support of the treaty, which spans from J Street to ADL. On the other hand, without the lobbying power of AIPAC, this coalition isn’t even close to showing lawmakers what Jewish power really means.
Leaks Hint at Chance, Risk of Coalition Against Iran
“These leaders now have to hide following these comments,” Parsi said. “They are really going to have to pull back from the brink, and the primary reason is that this is a policy that is at odds with what their populations want.”
Parsi said the main reason that these strong sentiments were only revealed now is that these Arab leaders, though heads of authoritarian regimes, were keeping their Iranian saber rattling to themselves because it puts them at odds with public opinion in their own countries.
Another Mosque Project Seeks Support, This Time With Jewish Help
Asked why his group decided to spend the first night of Hanukkah with a Syrian-born imam and his flock to support their bid to build a mosque in the rolling hills of the Temecula Valley in California’s Southwestern Riverside County, Eric Greene replied, “We remember when there were protests in this country against synagogues being built.”
WikiLeaks cables: Don't trust Israel on Iran
Senior Turkey official says Israel behind WikiLeaks release
“One has to look at which countries are pleased with these," Celik was quoted as saying. "Israel is very pleased. Israel has been making statements for days, even before the release of these documents.”
Wikileaks: Saudis 'chief funders of al-Qaeda'
Why wasn't Saudi attacked after 9/11? Do you believe for one moment that without Saudi funding, those attacks would have been able to proceed? Not likely. One would've thought it was Iraq that funded 9/11, or even Iran. Who is driving our policy here? Who benefitted from our invasion of Iraq? The United States? Whose number 1 enemy did we depose? Israel's. So while we're bogged down fighting Israel's enemies (next comes Iran), our real foes get away with murder, incitement, and the funding of terror against US citizens and soldiers.
Wikileaks: Israel in the list of countries not clamping down on terror funding
ABC Nightly News just ran a Wikileaks story exposing terror funding during which they showed documents exposing bank transactions from countries not clamping down on this funding. I spied some transactions from Tel Aviv in the list (a few times) of the document but yet no mention of this in the report or any other that I can find in the Google News index.
UN investigating reported device blast in Lebanon
The U.N. peacekeeping force in south Lebanon says it is investigating a blast reportedly caused by the detonation of an Israeli device spying on Hezbollah's private telecommunications network.
Denounced as a traitor the Holocaust survivor who rents rooms to Israeli-Arabs
Israel's extreme rightwing foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has advocated the compulsory "transfer" from the country of Israeli-Arabs, who make up about 20% of the population. The government wants non-Jewish citizens to pledge loyalty to the Jewish state.
Tzvieli insists he will not bow to pressure over his tenants. "Most residents of Safed are a mixture of religious and secular and are tolerant and open," he said. "It's just here in the old city, where the extremists live, that I am in a minority."
mossad was this the chief's last hit - Telegraph
Last Monday, a thousand miles further east in the Iranian capital, Tehran, it appears that the kidon put both of those skills into practice, killing a top nuclear scientist and critically injuring a second as they drove through the rush-hour traffic. .....To assist in the attack, Persian-speaking Mossad deep cover agents have been steadily infiltrating Iran for years. How exactly they helped the hitmen flit in and out of the country remains a secret.
Mossad and Iran's nuclear scientists Part II
Saeed Kamali Dehghan, The Guardian's Iran correspondent in exile, has pointed me towards this Wikileaks cable from the US embassy in Tel Aviv. It is dated May 2009 and says:
In November 2008, Israeli crime boss Yaakov Alperon was assassinated in broad daylight in a gruesome attack on the streets of Tel Aviv, only about a mile away from the Embassy. According to several media accounts, a motor scooter pulled up alongside Alperon's car and the rider attached a sophisticated explosive device with a remote detonator to the car door. The bomb killed Alperon and his driver, and injured two innocent pedestrians. The hit was the latest in a series of violent attacks and reprisals, and indicated a widening crime war in Israel.
The interesting point here is that this is exactly how the two Iranian nuclear scientists, Majid Shahriari, and Fereidoun Abbasi, were attacked last Monday morning.
Israel on Iran So wrong for so long
According to various Israeli government predictions over the years, Iran was going to have a bomb by the mid-90s -- or 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, and finally 2010. More recent Israeli predictions have put that date at 2011 or 2014.
Israel fears 'flood' of migrants threatens state
In a speech to parliament last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a "flood" of illegal migrants. "It is threatening the jobs of Israelis, and it is threatening the Jewish and democratic character of the state of Israel," he said.
The supreme irony here is that it is the Jewish groups here in America that are squarely behind the effort to grant amnesty to illegals in America, by their own admission. Yet, it's another standard for Israel. Ironically, many of these immigants are from Sudan, another celebrated cause of American Jews.
Hezbollah says it found Israeli spy device
Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group said Friday that it discovered an Israeli device spying on its private telecommunications network.
The device exploded, apparently detonated remotely by the Israelis, when it was found near the village of Majdel Silim, about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the border with Israel, Hezbollah said in a statement.
Covert war against Iran's nuclear aims takes chilling turn
Time magazine last week claimed to have been given details of the attack from "a western intelligence expert with knowledge of the operation" and asserted that it "carried the signature of Israel's Mossad".
Hezbollah has 50,000 rockets: report
The Times quoted a Pentagon official expressing concern over the Hezbollah arsenal, in response to a series of leaked diplomatic cables on the issue.
which neocon in the Pentagon was it? Name names.
IWW supports Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement in support of Palestinian Rights
This vote makes the IWW the first union in the US and the third union in Canada to officially support the Palestinian United Call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.
ei Boycott roundup French companies to drop out of Jerusalem rail project
In a significant victory for the global Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, French companies Veolia and Alstom have dropped out of the Jerusalem light rail project due to sustained pressure from Palestine solidarity groups. The companies were contracted by the Israeli government to construct and manage the tramway linking Jerusalem to several illegal Israeli settlement colonies in the occupied West Bank.
WikiLeaks founder: Netanyahu believes exposé will aid Mideast peace
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday defended his disclosure of classified U.S. documents by singling out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an example of a world leader who believes the publications will aid global diplomacy. A little strange his praise of Israel. IT kind of goes against the premise of the whole Wikileaks operation, or at least the premise that the public is led to believe.
WikiLeaks: Saudi proposed force to crush Hezbollah
BUSTED – WIKILEAKS WORKING FOR ISRAEL Veterans Today
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)