Headlines for January 13 - January 19

A Stand For Justice


Government Spy Infiltrated Antiwar Groups Before FBI Raids
“When I speak of disruption, I am referring to an August 2009 solidarity delegation to Palestine. This delegation was a fact-finding mission, where participants were to witness the conditions for Palestinians living under U.S.-backed occupation, and to express our solidarity in a person-to-person way. Officer Sullivan made public her plans to join this delegation, she helped to promote it and fundraise for it here in our community. At the same time, she was secretly working to sabotage the trip entirely. Through her work, reports were passed onto Israeli authorities, who then barred entry to the two Minneapolis women traveling with Karen Sullivan. Her action, on behalf of the U.S. government, deprived these women of their rights to travel, association and dissent. The government was wrong to disrupt our important and legal work against U.S. aid to Israel.”


UN council considers Israeli settlement issue
The Palestinians and their supporters on Wednesday presented a Security Council draft resolution declaring that Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory are illegal – despite a U.S. appeal not to.




Israel demolishes homes and classroom in West Bank village
Between 50 and 60 people were made homeless by Wednesday's demolitions, adding to the 478 - many of them children - displaced in Area C in 2010, according to figures from the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The number for the previous year was 319.


AIPAC on Trial By Philip Giraldi
Rosen claims to have “about 180” documents that demonstrate that classified information was regularly collected by AIPAC and given to the Israeli Embassy with the full knowledge of the organization’s executive director and other senior officials, something they have denied under oath. He also claims that depositions of FBI agents who questioned AIPAC officials will demonstrate that the collection and use of classified information was routine, generally known, and widely accepted within AIPAC. Notice all of the neoconservatives involved in passing intelligence to AIPAC. Big surprise there, huh?


Hamas deploys forces near Israel-Gaza border to enforce truce
Hamas has largely respected an informal cease-fire since a three-week Israeli military offensive in the winter 2008-09. But smaller militant groups have carried out sporadic attacks.


Israel tested worm linked to Iran atom woes: report

In what the Times described as a joint Israeli–U.S. effort to undermine Iran's nuclear ambitions, it said the tests of the destructive Stuxnet worm had occurred over the past two years at the heavily guarded Dimona complex in the Negev desert.




U.S. push for Israeli, Palestinian intelligence: WikiLeaks
These included "evidence of Government of Israel support for or opposition to actions to limit and/or reduce settlement and outpost growth" on occupied land where Palestinians want to establish a state.

Settlement growth has been one of the chief obstacles to negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.




Hamas launches project to rebuild homes destroyed in Gaza war
Dozens of families are still living in tents and depend on aid from relief agencies after their homes were destroyed in the December 2008-January 2009 Gaza war, which Israel said was aimed at curbing cross-border rocket attacks.


Russian president calls for Israeli freeze
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gave a political boost to the Palestinians on Tuesday, backing their claim to east Jerusalem as a capital and their demand that Israel must freeze all settlement construction before peace talks can resume.




Palestinians raise flag at Washington office
At a brief ceremony, the Palestinian's chief envoy to the United States, Maen Areikat, hoisted the red, green, white and black banner outside the PLO General Delegation office. He said he hopes the symbolic act would help win support for independence with or without a peace deal with Israel.

Well I hate to break the news to you people, but you might as well hoist the ISRAELI flag over Capitol Hill, as, our foreign policy was outsourced to Tel Aviv long ago.

Anyone that doesn't know that isn't paying attention.


Moscow reaffirms Soviet recognition of Palestine
Odd, isn't it that Russia was subsequently the victim of terrorism within days.


Hamas deploys forces to stop Gaza rocket fire



Plan for 1,400 apartments in contested Jerusalem
Israeli authorities said Sunday they are moving ahead with a new proposal to build 1,400 apartments in east Jerusalem, enraging Palestinians who denounced the plan as another settler land grab.




Stuxnet Virus Attack: Russia Warns of ‘Iranian Chernobyl'
Russian nuclear scientists are providing technical assistance to Iran's attempts activate the country's first nuclear power plant at the Gulf port.

But they have raised serious concerns about the extensive damage caused to the plant's computer systems by the mysterious Stuxnet virus, which was discovered last year and is widely believed to have been the result of a sophisticated joint US-Israeli cyber attack.


'South African groups seek arrest warrant for Livni'
The South African groups allege that Livni is guilty of war crimes due to her role in Israel's three-week offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in the winter of 2008-09, when Livni was foreign minister in the government of Ehud Olmert.


Hanan Ashrawi : 20 Years of Disappointments
"The last time they acted decisively was in 1991-1992 - linking $10 million to the building of settlements. After that they bent over backward to give Israel rewards; Obama and Clinton promised Israel everything to reduce settlement building. The Americans are repeating the mistakes of the past by going into the process for its own sake. They have to have a clear basis - they need clear objectives, a time frame, arbitration - you cannot enter negotiations as though they were a fishing expedition.


Chicago man admits to running Israeli-American money laundering scam
Prosecutors say the scam was worth about $54 million.

According to the report, Berkowitz fled Chicago and arrived in Jerusalem seven years ago, but was eventually caught and extradited to the United States.


We're conflating proper dissent and terrorism
The Patriot Act thus condemns a large range of nongovernmental efforts, which have tended to be more effective than government-backed ones at furthering education, providing humanitarian assistance, and ensuring free and fair elections throughout the world.

Such a chilling effect only makes nonviolent conflict resolution and mediation more difficult and terrorism more likely. It starts to make sense when you consider just how much the defense industry is intertwined with our government.


Social Affairs Minister: Israel today feels like Alabama in the 1940s
Several incidents of discrimination in Israel have garnered worldwide attention as of late, among them rabbis outlawing the rental of homes to Arab citizens and a recent Knesset initiative supporting a panel of inquiry into organizations that purportedly delegitimize the Israel Defense Forces.


Turkish PM: Israel must remove foreign minister
"Israelis must rid themselves (of Avigdor Lieberman) and that is surely their duty and not ours," he told the network.




King's words live in Palestinian city
It may surprise people to know that Palestinians read Dr. King's words and call his name and study the American civil rights movement, among other histories of other peoples, for ways to bring to the attention of the world the fact that little by little, their land is disappearing along with their rights.


Pickering, Hills, Sullivan, Beinart, Dobbins, More Ask Obama Administration to Support UN Resolution Condemning Illegal Israeli Settlements



US officials boycott Mayor of Bethlehem, a Christian, US citizen, and retired physician
A retired physician, Batarseh was elected as the mayor of Bethlehem in 2005 as a candidate of the Bethlehem Brotherhood and Development bloc. By law, the holder of this post must be a Christian. He is a Palestinian Roman Catholic and holds a US passport.


Israel training Brit army in drone use - Britain
Human rights campaigners slammed revelations today that British troops were being trained in the use of attack drones by Israeli forces as "shameful."

The use of the pilotless craft by Israel during its recent assault on Gaza has been roundly condemned by human rights organisations.


Israeli PM: Tunisia reflects regional instability
Palestinians accused the Israeli leader of searching for excuses.

"If there was a tsunami in Asia, a flood in Latin America or a lunar eclipse, Netanyahu would use it as a pretext not to negotiate," said chief negotiator Saeb Erekat.




‘And No One Wants to Know’: Israeli Soldiers on the Occupation
I understood that basically everything that goes on there, [Palestinian] kids, 14 years old, 8 years old who die for no reason, innocent, where settlers go into their homes and shoot at them, and settlers go crazy in the streets and break store windows and beat up soldiers and throw eggs at soldiers and lynch the elderly, all of these things don’t even make it to the media. There is a small and isolated world in Hebron, the Avraham Avinu [settler] neighborhood sits alone in Hebron, more soldiers protect it than people live there. The people who live in that neighborhood do whatever they want, the soldiers are forced to protect them … I've always felt that these soldiers are very courageous for coming forward and telling the truth. God bless.


Wikileaks Cables on Israel's Gaza Onslaught
The cables give a notably one-sided account of the assault. Because they take their daily reporting primarily from the Israeli media, the cables keep a tally of rockets fired into Israel from Gaza and dramatically describe “burned dolls and destroyed children’s toys” at an unoccupied kindergarten in Beer Sheba hit by a rocket, but make virtually no mention of Israel’s intensive air and artillery bombardment of Gaza, including its civilian population. There are no reports of burned Palestinian babies or very few of destroyed property in Gaza. Even the western media provided more accurate coverage of Palestinian casualties than this.


Turkey PM: Netanyahu has worst government in history of Israel
In an interview with Al-Jazeera, Erdogan said that Turkey would uphold the chill in relations until Israel relented in its refusal to apologize for the raid and compensate the families of the nine pro-Palestinian activists killed aboard the Mavi Marmara.


Lebanon in Limbo: A Nation Haunted by the Murder of Rafiq Hariri



Canada's double standards
Canada's tax system currently subsidizes Israeli settlements that Ottawa deems illegal, however, the Conservative government says there's nothing that can be done about it.



Federal Probe May Open New Front in Terror War
Subpoenas issued in December reportedly included no details on the information requested. Maureen Clare Murphy, an activist called to testify, said her subpoena simply told her to appear at a hearing January 25. She said she believes that the subpoena came as a result of her work organizing “solidarity delegations to the West Bank.”

....Cole conceded that it’s unlikely for the Times to be prosecuted. This underscores the concerns of Kadidal and others that the Supreme Court ruling could open the door to selective prosecution.

“I don’t think it’s going to be The New York Times that’s going to be prosecuted. I think it’s going to be the small solidarity groups who are working to change the status quo,” said Murphy, the subpoenaed activist.

Do you think this same effort is made to subpoena those that offer material support to Jewish groups on the list of terror organizations? They do in fact have representation on that list, I've seen it. American Israel-supporters send millions and millions of dollars in support of illegal Israeli settlements, war crimes, but not one word is uttered by our officials about it, nevermind any subpoenas.


Latest Chapter in Mideast Tension Is Dennis Ross vs. George Mitchell
The reported friction is, in part, a result of Ross’s increasing influence over Middle East peacemaking efforts. While originally focused on Iran and regional strategic issues, Ross’s portfolio has broadened to include Israel, as the White House has felt a need to repair frayed ties with American Jews and Israeli officials disturbed over perceptions that the administration was pressuring Israel.

....“Dennis is the closest thing you’ll find to a melitz yosher, as far as Israel is concerned,” said the Anti-Defamation League’s national director, Abraham Foxman, who used the ancient Hebrew term for “advocate.”

Yes, that makes sense : have a pro-Israeli as a 'peace negotiator'.


Military strike on Iran is what unites Netanyahu and Barak
Netanyahu and Barak have hinted over the past two weeks that Israel is on the verge of a surprising diplomatic move. In his address to foreign reporters, Netanyahu promised that in 2011 "the truth will emerge" about who really wants peace in the region.


Who Lost the Middle East? By Patrick J. Buchanan
should a new wave of revolts sweep the region, we might see the final collapse of the neoconservative foreign policy of George W. Bush.


Independent Investigation or US-Israeli Cat's-paw?
In August 2010, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah presented "intercepted Israeli reconnaissance footage" and "the recorded confessions of Israeli spies" at news conference in Beirut to support his claim that Israel was responsible for the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. The aerial footage, taken by Israeli unmanned drones, showed the same route taken by Hariri's motorcade on the day of the assassination, suggesting that the ex-PM was being pursued.

Nasrallah's revelations were compelling but, unfortunately, they were ignored by the western media except for the Christian Scientist Monitor which compiled the information in an article titled "Is Hezbollah right that Israel assassinated Lebanon's Rafik Hariri?"

Here's an excerpt from the CSM:

“Israel has the capability to carry out this type of operation, such as Hariri’s assassination and the other assassinations that targeted Lebanon during the past few years,” said Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, adding that Israel’s motive was to cast the blame on its enemies, Syria and Hezbollah. ("Is Hezbollah right that Israel assassinated Lebanon's Rafik Hariri?", Christian Scientist Monitor)


What Now For Lebanon?
More likely would be Israel undertaking a White House green lighted invasion of Lebanon to degrade Hezbollah and Syria as a forward base-up weakening of Iran from ground level. Congressional sources report that the Pentagon disagrees with Israel and intend to attack not from the base but from above the top of the Resistance pyramid which is Iran. The US will hit Iran hard thus hopefully opening up another attempt to peel away Syria and forced them to accept a peace deal with Israel.


McCarthy Comes to the Knesset
It seems inevitable that after 44 years in which one nation occupies another and deprives it of basic human and civil rights, the occupying society would also come to be affected by the occupation. Indeed, increasingly the tools of occupation — the restrictions of personal and political freedoms — are no longer confined to the territories. These methods are now being extended beyond the Green Line, which divides sovereign Israel from the occupied West Bank, and are tainting Israeli democracy.

It's not a coincidence that it's happening here too in the US, and that the same people are being targeted. It cannot be overstated just how much influence Israel has over America. Patrick J. Fitzgerald might as well be saluting the Israeli flag. While he and others in like positions are wasting time chasing down lefty pro-Palestinians, there are likely bigger fish to fry here in America that are getting away scot free.


The US/Israeli Coup in Beirut
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton preemptively torpedoed negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Syria by telling "Saudi King Abdullah and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri that the U.S. would reject any settlement at the expense of the UN tribunal." (Tehran Times) Clinton knew that the Saudi-Syria team was close to a "breakthrough" that would have resolved contentious issues related to the investigation of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. She could not allow that to happen because it would derail the US/Israeli plan for regime change and another Israeli invasion of Lebanon.


Giffords’s Jewish Journey: From Israel To Service and Study
Giffords grew up in an interfaith family, a daughter of a Jewish father and a Christian Scientist mother. Her interest in Judaism was heightened during her first trip to Israel, in 2001 — shortly after the September 11 terror attacks and at the height of the Second Intifada. The trip was sponsored by the American Jewish Committee’s Project Interchange, which sends politicians, journalists and opinion leaders to meet with their counterparts in the Jewish state. At the time she was a member of the Arizona state legislature.

Why is it that so many of our politicians suddenly embrace their Jewish family roots AFTER they enter into politics?


Jewish and English 'Defence Leagues' Alliance Sparks Violent Protests in Canada
Demonstrators representing several anti-racism and social action groups shouted slogans and taunts at members of the JDL, whose Canadian leader, Meir Weinstein, announced recently that his group would ally with the British organization, which is known for violence and extremism. Police on foot and horseback managed to control the protest, but not before one officer reportedly suffered a broken rib.


US diplomacy suffers a setback in Lebanon
American diplomacy in the Middle East suffered a setback Wednesday when U.S. ally Saudi Arabia abandoned efforts to mediate the political crisis in Lebanon, where the militant group Hezbollah has toppled the Western–backed government.

The withdrawal of Arab powerhouse Saudi Arabia is the latest sign that the competition over influence in Lebanon is tipping in favor of Hezbollah and its patrons Iran and Syria.

My country ought to stop meddling in the affairs of other nations (at the behest of and on behalf of Israel). We have enough problems and frankly, we don't have a dog in that fight.


Israel troops on alert after Lebanon govt falls
Israeli troops in the north were on alert Thursday over worries that the political turmoil in Lebanon might spill over into renewed violence on their shared border, following the collapse of the Lebanese government.




Why Hezbollah Walked



First US ambassador in 5 years arrives in Syria



First indictment filed in Lebanon's Hariri killing
On Monday, Foreign Minister Ali Shami cautioned the U.S. to stop meddling in Lebanon. He summoned American Ambassador Maura Connelly to explain her weekend meeting with Nicolas Fattouch, a key undecided lawmaker, as politicians scramble to form a government.




Avi Shlaim on the Neoconservative Middle East War Agenda
After mentioning the major goals of the plan, including the removal of Saddam’s regime, Shlaim declares: “Thus, five years before the attack on the twin towers, the idea of regime change in Baghdad was already on the agenda of some of Israel’s most fervent Republican supporters in Washington.” (p. 299) Regarding the connection of that policy to actual American interests, Shlaim opines that “While the authors’ devotion to Israel’s interests was crystal-clear, their implicit identification of those interests with American interests was much more open to question.”


Knesset To Investigate Funding of Left-Wing Israeli NGOs for Terror Ties
NGOs Decry Effort as an Attempt To ‘Silence Criticism,’ While American Pro-Israel Groups Voice Condemnation

And again.


Alleged Israeli mobsters indicted in Los Angeles JTA - Jewish & Israel News
Israeli brothers Meir and Yitzhak Abergil and three other Israelis were ordered held in prison without bond on Jan 14. They are charged with crimes ranging from murder and embezzlement to money laundering, racketeering and running a large L.A.-based Ecstasy ring. Yitzhak Abergil allegedly is the crime boss of the operation.

All five were extradited July 13 from Israel following a protracted legal battle to stand trial in Los Angeles federal court.

.....Israeli courts have rarely agreed to extradite their citizens to other countries, in line with the Jewish tradition of not turning over Jews for trial in "Christian" courts.


.....While stressing the cooperation of the established Jewish and Israeli communities with the police, the two officers noted a gradual increase in crimes by Israelis, mostly in such white-collar felonies as money laundering, tax evasion, real estate and financial frauds, but also in narcotics trafficking.

"Israeli crime here tends to be quite sophisticated and hard to track," Hall said. "We're worried about what may be going on that we don't know about."


Mossad Zeros in on Tehran's Nuclear Program
Mossad's attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists right in the center of Tehran has cast a spotlight on Israel's shadowy war

........Targeted killings outside of its borders have been used as a military weapon more often by Israel than by any other country. In its 63 years of existence, Israel has acquired a high degree of craftsmanship when it comes to snuffing out its opponents, and was the first country to develop the technology for targeted killings from the air.

In 1978 Israeli agents used poisoned toothpaste to kill Wadih Haddad, the leader of a faction of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Seven years later they packed a copy of the Koran with explosives and sent it to Ali-Akbar Mohtashamipur, Iran's ambassador to Syria. In 1997 they attempted, but ultimately failed, to assassinate Hamas leader Khaled Mashal with the neurotoxin botulin in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

And exactly a year ago, they appeared unconcerned that surveillance cameras captured each stage of their murder of Hamas activist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh -- allowing the world to examine the anatomy of that Dubai attack. Israel is quite capable of executing murders in even hostile nations such as Iran. Tell me again that it was Hezbollah that killed Hariri? Laughable.


Out of answers on how to confront BDS, StandWithUs comic book portrays Palestinians (and allies) as vermin, reminiscent of Nazi propaganda



David Cronin Dutch democracy under threat from Israel lobby
The minister is putting pressure on the Dutch anti-poverty organisation ICCO to cease funding The Electronic Intifada, an excellent website that consistently defends the rights of the Palestinian people. Rosenthal has indicated that he cannot tolerate how ICCO supports this website, given that the Dutch government is a strong supporter of Israel. He has threatened to withdraw Dutch state grants to ICCO, telling the organisation: “It is alright to be critical but not to directly oppose the government”.

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