and other news from Today in Palestine
Land, property, resources theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Settlers
Radio: Massive Jerusalem settlement project
JERUSALEM (AFP) — A massive new construction project of at least 1,400 homes is about to be authorized in a settlement neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli military radio reported Sunday. The homes will be built in the settlement of Gilo, near Bethlehem … “There is no doubt that a green light for these constructions will deal a knockout blow to the peace process with the Palestinians,” said Jerusalem city councillor Meir Margalit of the leftwing Meretz party.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351407
Bedouin village razed again; residents: Fascist state
Bulldozers demolish illegal structures in unrecognized village of al-Arakib for ninth time. MK El-Sana: Gradual ethnic transfer of Negev’s Bedouins … On Sunday, Land Administration officials arrived at the village accompanied by police officers. Residents tried to disrupt the demolition work and clashed with police. Five people sustained light injuries from pepper spray and paint balls fired by police during attempts to disperse the crowd … Knesset Member Talab El-Sana (United Arab List-Ta’al) was among those who tried to prevent the demolition. “This is fascist-Nazi policy,” he said. “The state is pushing its Bedouin citizens to the point where they may launch a popular intifada, which will have severe results.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4014380,00.html
Construction at Shepherd Hotel plot delayed due to residents’ appeal
The Interior Ministry’s district appeal committee issued an injunction against the construction at the Shepherd Hotel plot in east Jerusalem. The committee decided to delay the construction until after a Wednesday hearing on an appeal filed by residents of Sheikh Jarrah and the Council of Waqf and Muslim Affairs in Israel. The land was purchased by Jewish investors that demolished the hotel in order to build a Jewish housing complex.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4014460,00.html
Israeli government invades Muslim Quarter to expand Jewish ‘Western Wall’ site
In a move that Muslim leaders in Jerusalem are calling a ‘provocation’, Israeli government officials on Saturday decided to expand the ‘Western Wall’ prayer site into the area known as Rabat al-Kurd, an alley used by 17 Palestinian families to enter their homes — despite a recommendation against the expansion by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism.
http://www.imemc.org/article/60422
Settlers no longer look to Israel, or its laws / Zvi Bar’el
There, beyond the Green Line, there are norms taking root that render Israeli courts impotent. Over there, the new real estate laws and symbols of the State of Israel are being created. Judea and Samaria, as we have been taught, is here.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/settlers-no-longer-look-to-israel-or-its-laws-1.337245
Violence
Medics: Worker injured in northern Gaza
A young Palestinian man was shot and injured by Israeli forces Sunday in the northern Gaza Strip, medics said. The victim, who was collecting stone aggregates, was identified by medical officials as 21-year-old Ramadan Subih. Subih received a gunshot wound to the left leg while working in Beit Lahiya and was evacuated to hospital, the officials said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351477
Gabrielle Giffords, Tom Hurndall, and Palestinian children…shot in the head / Alison Weir
(with links to many relevant articles) Let us pray that Gabrielle Giffords recovers fully, returns to Congress, and that she then works to prevent others – including Palestinians – from being shot in the head … In the past 10 years Israeli forces have killed at least 255 Palestinian minors by fire to the head, and the number may actually be greater, since in many instances the specific bodily location of the lethal trauma is unlisted. In addition, this statistic does not include the many more Palestinian youngsters shot in the head by Israeli soldiers who survived, in one form or another … Ironically, the American Congresswoman recently so tragically shot in the head has been extremely close to the Israel lobby, which has played a critical role in enabling the tragedies sketched above.
http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2011/01/gabrielle-giffords-tom-hurndall-and-palestinian-children-shot-in-the-head-2/
Activism / Solidarity / Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions
Video: IDF fires live ammunition at civilians in Nabi Saleh
This week the army resumed nighttime raids in Nabi Saleh. (See Collective punishment continues as army raids Nabi Saleh) During the weekly Friday demonstration, the village was attacked with excessive amounts of live ammunition and tear gas. A curfew was declared prohibiting residents from leaving their homes for a twenty four hour period. Despite the recognition of unarmed demonstrations as a legitimate form of protest by the European countries, Israel is pushing forward with its campaign of harsh military repression.
http://josephdana.com/2011/01/video-idf-fires-live-ammunition-at-civilians-in-nabi-saleh/
Soldiers shut down Beit Ummar anti-wall rally
Clashes erupted between the Israeli army and residents of Beit Ummar near Hebron on Saturday during the village’s weekly anti-wall rally, the local committee said. Palestinian Solidarity Project spokesman Mohammad Ayyad Awad said soldiers raided the center of the town and attacked protesters … Dozens of international peace activists joined the protest, but the army prevented demonstrators from reaching the illegal Karmi Tzur settlement. The settlement is built on land confiscated from Beit Ummar and neighboring town Halhul.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351344
Nuri behind bars, or: How an activist for Bedouin rights is treated / Adam Keller
I already had several occasions to write here about Nuri el-Okbi, head of the Association for the Defence of Bedouins’ Rights in Israel, a honest and just person whose like cannot be easily found … Judge Zacharia Yemini stated explicitly in his verdict the reasons why he chose to deal so harshly with Nuri el-Okbi. Precisely because he is active in defense of the rights of the Bedouins he must be punished far beyond others, so as “to send a message to the Bedouins that they must obey the law”.
http://adam-keller2.blogspot.com/2011/01/nuri-behind-bars-how-activist-for.html
Jonathan Pollak will be happy to receive letters
From Facebook, in Hebrew (thanks to Ofer). Pollak is serving three months in prison for riding a bicycle during a 2008 demonstration against the Gaza onslaught. Apparently he is sharing a cell with men convicted in this sensational 1983 murder case, and he sought to bring 10 books to prison and was allowed to bring only four. Facebook message: Jonathan Pollak will be happy to receive letters! His address: Jonathan Pollak, Hermon Prison, NS Wing, P.O Box 4011, Maghar 14930, Israel
https://mondoweiss.net/2011/01/jonathan-pollak-will-be-happy-to-receive-letters.html
Who profits from the occupation? / Alice Rothchild
As we learn more about the BDS movement, a critical question emerges: what companies are involved with which activities that ultimately sustain the occupation? In Tel Aviv we meet Dalit Baum, an Israeli member of the Coalition of Women for Peace and specifically, the group Who Profits? She explains that the organization was developed to understand the economics of the settlement project. A short haired woman with intense black eyes and an ironic sense of humor, she states that the project aimed to investigate corporations directly involved in the occupation, to figure out the specifics, the financial interests, and who is making money from whom. After meticulous research, four years later they have a website, whoprofits.org, that has a partial data base listing approximately 1000 companies.
https://mondoweiss.net/2011/01/who-profits-from-the-occupation.html#more-33544
Siege / Restriction of movement / Humanitarian issues
Gaza worker dies after tunnel collapse
A young man who sustained burns last week inside a smuggling tunnel in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip died Saturday evening of his wounds. Medical sources in Gaza said 21-year-old Muhammad Madi sustained deadly wounds and burns on Jan 10.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351401
Gaza doctor: Medical sector on verge of collapse
Gaza’s health sector is on the verge of collapse due to a lack of medicine, a Gaza hospital director said Sunday. Medhat Abbas, general director of the Ash-Shifa medical complex in Gaza City, said medical care must be separated from political disputes … Bassem Naim, health minister in the Hamas-led government, said Thursday that Gaza was lacking about 40 percent of basic medicines and accused the Palestinian Authority of withholding key stocks. PA Health Minister Fathi Abu Mughli immediately rejected the charge, and said the shortage was the result of “mismanagement” by the Hamas health ministry
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351609
PA sends medicine to Gaza
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) 16 Jan — The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry said Sunday it sent two truckloads of medicine to the Gaza Strip. The medicine was dispatched from warehouses in Ramallah and Nablus and would be distributed in hospitals across Gaza on Monday, the PA ministry said. Ministry spokesman Omar An-Nasser said the trucks contained 2,500 containers of dialysis fluid and other medication, and that the International Red Cross facilitated the transfer of the shipment into the coastal enclave. Meanwhile, the Ramallah-based ministry had coordinated with Egyptian officials to transfer new medical equipment to the Khan Younis Hospital, An-Nasser said. The PA official said Hamas received the medicine free-of-charge according to a decree issued by President Mahmoud Abbas.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351650
Life in Gaza’s no-go zone
To some residents of the Gaza Strip, the crippling siege which Israel has imposed for over four years means much more than a lack of food, fuel, clothing, work opportunities, and construction material. Gazan families who live along the border between the coastal enclave and Israel face serious dangers on a daily basis. The gunshots and artillery shells fired from the Israeli side reach farther than the no-go zone set by Israeli forces inside the Strip.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351528
Hamas: Gaza housing reconstruction to start in 48 hours
16 Jan – Gaza – Ismail Haniya, the de-facto Hamas leader of the Gaza Strip, announced Sunday his government will soon start rebuilding of houses destroyed by Israel in the late 2008-early 2009 offensive … ‘The government will provide the needed funds for the project and will inaugurate the project’s cornerstone within the coming 48 hours,’ Haniya told the conference, without revealing the sources of the funds … Haniya did not also say where the government would get the reconstruction raw materials from, since Israel still imposes a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip…
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1612095.php/Hamas-Gaza-housing-reconstruction-to-start-in-48-hours
Gaza: Single terminal operates partly
Israeli authorities informed Palestinian liaison officials that one Gaza crossing would be partially opened Sunday for the limited transfer of goods, humanitarian aid and fuel, Palestinian crossings official Raed Fattouh told Ma’an.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351394
Racism
Court indicts suspected head of Israeli neo-Nazi gang
Dmitri Bogotich, extradited from Kyrgyzstan, is charged with leading attacks on dozens of passers by on the basis of skin color, national or ethnic group … The victims of the neo-Nazi gang were Asians, Jews, dark-skinned people, foreign workers, and others who fell prey to the group by happenstance. Bogotich and the group even videotaped themselves committing these assaults in order to publicize them over the Internet. The rest of the members of the gang were charged back in 2007 and were meted out various sentences.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/court-indicts-suspected-head-of-israeli-neo-nazi-gang-1.337351
Brooklyn-Jenin: On concentration camps and Yonatan Pollack / Udi Aloni
I am worried that the 2010 Rabbis’ letter is just the beginning for a much more severe racism wave. An article published at a weekly religious Zionist publication, which mentioned death camps for “Amalek,” makes me fear even more. Amalek, a biblical tribe hostile to the Israelites that had to be destroyed by Israel according to God (some religious Jews use this term in slang to describe Arabs/Muslims/Palestinians). Further, to add to the “holy mitzvah” (deed) described in the Rabbis’ letter (which resembles the Nuremberg laws’ ban on renting or selling real-estate to Arabs), I received a weekly publication created by the same people behind the letter. From this publication, which was meant to be for all the family, we can learn that their vision does not stop at the ban in renting/selling housing to Arabs. The publication also describes the creation of concentration and extermination camps for the Palestinians … The article made me understand that time’s probably up for the colonialist greedy Tel-Avivians. Time’s up for shooting and crying. It is very possible that right now, without noticing, they are passing the reins of the Israeli leadership to the beast they themselves had created, the one that shoots and laughs, freely and shamelessly.
https://mondoweiss.net/2011/01/brooklyn-jenin-on-concentrations-camps-and-yonatan-pollack.html
Arabs to the ovens / Tony Greenstein
No sooner have I finished blogging on one set of Nazi rabbis than another lot pop up. And whilst I’m teasing out the links between a religious ruling forbidding rent an apartment to Arabs and Nazi laws to do the same to Jews, then the Orthodox do my job for me. I confess this blog has made something of a speciality of Israel’s racist and Nazi-like rabbis. See for a roundup of articles. Why? Because the Orthodox rabbinate are the ideological engine of Zionism today. They set the pace, they determined the next goal and always god legitimises whatever barbarity they are advocating …But even I have argued that, for political reasons, Zionism in Israel is not exterminatory. It would appear that I spoke too soon … What we are seeing today is the culmination of Zionism. It has shed its ‘left wing’ which used the phraseology of socialism whilst expelling and massacring the Palestinians, and the appearance of an openly racist and neo-Nazi Orthodox Rabbinate in Israel. What is remarkable is how they use the symbols and imagery of the holocaust, not of course to warn against the evils of racism or even racism against Jews but as a justification for repeating the same to the Arabs.
http://azvsas.blogspot.com/2011/01/arabs-to-ovens.html
This is not Judaism / Yair Lapid
Op-ed: Yair Lapid explains why letter written by rabbis’ wives is disgraceful, shames Jews
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4013882,00.html
Repression of dissent
Peace Now at Tel Aviv rally: Lieberman threat greater than Iran
Thousands of activists from left-wing movements and human rights organizations marched in Tel Aviv on Saturday in protest of the Knesset’s decision to set up a committee of inquiry to probe the funding sources of leftist groups … Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz spoke during the rally and said that no one should be surprised if the inciting words against Israeli human rights groups will turn into actions and that the persecution will turn into knife blades and bullets. “We are here in opposition to religious radicalization, racist laws, and sickening incitement against foreign workers and against those who are not loyal to Lieberman. And now they are putting human rights organizations in the crosshairs. They don’t want to investigate the Carmel fire, so what do they investigate? The free people.”
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/peace-now-at-tel-aviv-rally-lieberman-threat-greater-than-iran-1.337188
Why the protest was not as uplifting as it seems / Mairav Zonzstein
(with videos) Despite the great turn out (around 15,000), some disturbing things took place at last night’s protest that the major news outlets will not report on. At first I was pleasantly surprised to hear slogans and chants in Arabic, something I don’t remember ever hearing at a protest in Tel Aviv. It seemed almost too good to be true. There were also Palestinian flags being waved, also something you do not usually see. (At best, you see signs, like those belonging to Gush Shalom, that show an Israeli flag side by side with a Palestinian one.) However, then the news broke: two activists from the Anarchists and the Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity movement were arrested by police …The other activist, seen in the photo here below, was reportedly treated with severe police brutality. It is not clear why the police attacked and arrested him … In another incident, while I was walking against the traffic of the protest, towards the back of it, I noticed several policemen hovering around a large man with a kippa (yarmulke). I tried to listen in and managed to hear that he was caught with a knife.
http://972mag.com/why-the-protest-was-not-as-uplifting-as-it-seems/
Livni: Leftist organizations inquiry “PM’s moral failure”
Opposition leader Tzipi Livni discussed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to establish a parliamentary inquiry commission against the left wing organizations in Israel, calling the idea “a weird compromise to a distorted issue.” “It’s a testament of a moral failure made by the prime minister, who completely doesn’t understand the problem with the Knesset’s decision to inquire after Israeli citizens, no matter if they are left wing or right wing.”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4014375,00.html
On voluntary and involuntary silence / Yedidia Stern and Avi Sagi
The undermining of the human rights organizations, which seeks to deflect criticism, fences us off from the outside world and exacerbates the narcissistic nature of Israeli society.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/on-voluntary-and-involuntary-silence-1.337248
Political/Diplomatic developments
Palestinians going to Security Council despite US objections
The Palestinians have turned down a US request to avoid seeking a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the occupied territories, the chief PLO negotiator said Sunday. Saeb Erekat told Ma’an that “The Americans don’t want anything to be submitted to the Security Council, but we insist that we consider the Security Council our path toward international legitimacy.” Erekat said the Palestinian envoy to the UN, Riyad Mansour, was scheduled to consult all UN groups in order to determine when to submit the draft resolution, which has already been worded.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351506
Islamists applaud popular uprising in Tunisia
Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Saturday expressed their respect for the Tunisian people, whose uprising led to the ouster of President Zine El Abidine Ban Ali … Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri applauded the Tunisian people’s expression of their right to choose their leadership democratically without foreign intervention. Meanwhile, Islamic Jihad congratulated the Tunisians on gaining their freedom “through blood, sacrifices and the expression of free will.”
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351354
Netanyahu: Tunisia turmoil shows instability of entire Middle East
The civil unrest which resulted in the ousting of Tunisia’s long-time president displays an instability prevalent in the entire Middle East, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, adding that the situation highlighted the need for security assurances in a future Mideast peace deal … “There are several centers of instability in our region and we hope that peace and security return to the region,” Netanyahu said.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-tunisia-turmoil-shows-instability-of-entire-mideast-1.337304
PFLP official: Israel should not dictate calm
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine official Kayed Al-Ghoul said Saturday that calm in the Palestinian territories was an internal issue that should not be dictated by Israel … Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Thursday met with security commanders in Gaza and called on armed Palestinian factions to refrain from actions that could endanger Gaza, instructions interpreted as a call to join Hamas’ two-year ceasefire with Israel … Al-Ghoul, a PFLP central committee member, told Ma’an Radio that it was wrong to deal with the occupation by acquiescing to Israeli demands.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351338
PA: Top officials interrogated over corruption
Prosecutors have referred 80 cases to the Palestinian Authority’s anti-corruption department for investigation, PA Attorney General Ahmad Al-Mughanni said Sunday. Al-Mughanni told Ma’an that he would head a special committee which will join the department established six months ago and headed by Rafiq Natshe. The committee will follow up with post-investigation cases which will be referred to the anti-corruption court … Earlier Sunday, the London-based Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted Al-Mughanni saying high-profile Palestinian officials were mentioned in cases which have already been referred to the department. He said current ministers were being interrogated.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351442
Palestinian factions demand local elections
The joint follow-up committee of the leftist and democratic election lists on Sunday called on the Palestinian Authority to hold local elections by the end of May. The demand followed a meeting of representatives of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Palestinian People’s Party, the Palestinian National Initiative, the Palestinian Democratic Union and independent figures. In a statement released after the meeting, the committee said the PA was “haggling” over the election issue.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351577
Other news
Report: Israel tested Iran-bound Stuxnet worm in Dimona nuclear plant
(Reuters) In what is described as a joint Israeli-U.S. effort to undermine Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the New York Times says tests of the destructive Stuxnet worm occurred at the Israeli nuclear complex in Dimona ... The Times said the worm was the most sophisticated cyber-weapon ever deployed and appeared to have been the biggest factor in setting back Iran’s nuclear march. Its sources said it caused the centrifuges to spin wildly out of control and that a fifth of them had been wiped out. It added it was not clear the attacks were over
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/report-israel-tested-iran-bound-stuxnet-worm-in-dimona-nuclear-plant-1.337276
Analysis / Opinion / Human interest
Gaza doctor Izzeldin Abuelaish interview / Rachel Cooke
Two years ago, Israeli shells fell on Dr Abuelaish’s family home in Gaza, killing three of his young daughters and their cousin. The horror was caught live on Israeli TV when the doctor phoned his broadcaster friend. Amazingly, the loss did not embitter Izzeldin Abuelaish. Instead he decided his girls’ deaths must not be in vain – and slowly he has turned his family tragedy into a force for peace
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/16/gaza-doctor-izzeldin-abuelaish-interview
Brave soldier Netanyahu is turning out to be coward / Gideon Levy
How is it that the same person who once stood up to Ariel Sharon is now so threatened in the presence of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who humiliates him again and again? … But let’s assume that this is not a question of fear, that Netanyahu believes with all his heart that the status quo suits Israel and this is why he is exhibiting such incompetence. If that’s the case, how are we to explain his weakness in the face of dangerous domestic developments, the wild attacks perpetrated by Lieberman and his like on democracy? Does Netanyahu believe in these things, too?
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/brave-soldier-netanyahu-is-turning-out-to-be-coward-1.337247
Amnon Dankner: Decline to brutality — I am ashamed
IOA Editor: It is good that Mr. Dankner has finally awakened from his self-inflicted vacuous state of mind, as former editor of Maariv, one of Israel’s two most popular rags. Unfortunately, the extent of his appreciation of Israel’s decline is remarkably limited. Indeed, very little and very late. Yet, the fact that a figure who spent decades at the heart of Israel’s propaganda machine expresses regret and disappointment in the state of the Jewish State is somewhat reassuring, despite the repulsive feelings one is overwhelmed by when reading his statement. http://australiansforpalestine.com/36359 (English) www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART2/197/845.html (Hebrew)
http://www.israeli-occupation.org/2011-01-14/amnon-dankner-decline-to-brutality-i-am-ashamed/
Terrorist or pianist? Jehan al-Farra
(with video) …The Red Crescent is right across the street from our house. We walked up there and found a couple of guards sat outside, next to the parked ambulances. I was quite hesitant whether to ask them about the ‘music’ place or not. I mean, since when do they teach music in Gaza, let alone at the Red Crescent!? The only music they have would probably be moans of pain, or ambulance sirens. How embarrassing would it be if I was fooled!
https://mondoweiss.net/2011/01/terrorist-or-pianist.html
Iraq
Saturday: 3 US soldiers, 2 Iraqis killed; 6 Iraqis wounded
Three U.S. soldiers were killed in two separate events. Iraqi soldiers allegedly staged one of the attacks. The other was also hostile. At least two Iraqis were killed six others were wounded as well, almost all in Baghdad. Also, the Syrian premier is in Iraq in an attempt to improve ties, and the bid received a positive reception from the Iraqi parliament.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2011/01/15/saturday-3-us-soldiers-2-iraqis-killed-6-iraqis-wounded/
Lebanon
Lebanon’s Jumblatt in Syria for crisis talks
DAMASCUS (AFP) — Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt was in Damascus on Saturday for talks with President Bashar Al-Assad on the political crisis sparked by the collapse of Saad Hariri’s government in Lebanon, state news agency SANA reported. Political experts say Jumblatt’s party could play a critical role in the jockeying to form a new cabinet. Syria, the former powerbroker in neighboring Lebanon, has so far remained silent on the crisis.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351291
Lebanon’s Hariri vows to cooperate on ending crisis
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — Lebanon’s caretaker premier, Saad Hariri, vowed on Friday to fully cooperate in forming a new government amid international efforts to contain a political storm sparked by the collapse of his cabinet.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351240
Tunisia
Tense calm returns to Tunisia after revolt
TUNIS (AFP) — A tense calm returned to Tunisia on Sunday as talks on a new government got under way after the overthrow of strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in the Arab world’s first popular revolt in recent history. Some cafes re-opened in the center of the capital Tunis — the scene of violent clashes in the days running up to Ben Ali’s abrupt departure on Friday — as the army continued its lockdown of the city center. The night in Tunis was punctuated by the crackle of gunfire despite a strict curfew and army helicopters circled overhead, as eyewitnesses reported people riding around in ambulances and cars in the suburbs shooting up homes at random.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351552
This is what victory looks like / Robin Yassim-Kassab
The dictator, thief and Western client Zein al-Abdine Ben Ali, beloved until a few hours ago in Paris and Washington, has been driven from Tunisia. His reign was ended not by a military or palace coup but by an extraordinarily broad-based popular movement which has brought together trades unions and professional associations, students and schoolchildren, the unemployed and farmers, leftists, liberals and intelligent Islamists, men and women. One of the people’s most prominent slogans will resonate throughout the Arab world and beyond: la khowf ba’ad al-yowm, or No Fear From Now On.
http://pulsemedia.org/2011/01/15/this-is-what-victory-looks-like/
Tunisia’s new leader takes power amid chaos
TUNIS (AFP) — Tunisia’s acting president took power Saturday and pledged to free up the political system amid continuing unrest following the ouster of the North African state’s former authoritarian leader. After being formally sworn into office to take over from Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, speaker of parliament Foued Mebazaa said that all Tunisians “without exception” would now be able to take part in national politics.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351333
Other Mideast/Arab world
Arabs offer cautious reactions to Ben Ali ouster / Jailan Zayan
CAIRO (AFP) – Arab governments reacted with caution Saturday to Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s dramatic ouster in the wake of deadly street riots … The Arab Gulf nations of Bahrain and Qatar said they respect “the will of the Tunisian people,” according to official statements. Egypt was equally prudent, saying it “affirms its respect for the choices of the Tunisian people, and is confident that the wisdom of the Tunisian brothers will lead to restraint and will avoid descending the country into chaos.” … But the street had a different tone. Egyptians rushed to the Tunisian embassy in Cairo on Friday, joining a group of Tunisians to celebrate Ben Ali’s departure, and urging their compatriots to follow the example.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351435
Mideast rulers watch Tunisia in fear of repeat / Ahmad Khatib
AMMAN (AFP) — Governments across the Middle East anxiously watched developments in Tunisia on Sunday after the ouster of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, fearing the spread to their doorsteps of violence and popular revolt.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351633
Algeria man sets himself on fire echoing incident triggering Tunisia riots
(Reuters) A man has died after setting himself on fire at a government building in Algeria, state radio reported on Sunday, echoing the self-immolation that triggered the protests that toppled the leader of neighboring Tunisia … Mohsen Bouterfif doused himself in gasoline and set himself on fire on Thursday after a meeting with the mayor of the small city of Boukhadra who was unable to provide him a job and a house, the daily El Khabar newspaper said. He died on Saturday of his burns..
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/algeria-man-sets-himself-on-fire-echoing-incident-triggering-tunisia-riots-1.337344
You have to read this: YOU HAVE TO read the Financial Times / As`ad Abukhalil
“”Mr Ben Ali ruled Tunisia with an iron grip for 23 years; opposition is stifled, and the country is an anomaly among pro-western Arab states for its extensive restrictions on freedom of expression.”” Yes, an anomaly unless you count Morocco, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Algeria, UAE, and Yemen.
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/01/you-have-to-read-this-you-have-to-read.html
‘Opportune neglect’ and the end of the Iraq invasion/occupation effect in the Middle East / Bassam Haddad
…We are witnessing not the beginning of the end of Arab dictatorships wholesale–notwithstanding differentials in time across countries. Rather, we are witnessing the realization on the part of growing segments of their citizens/subjects that these regimes are not here to stay. For those unfamiliar with the history of these regimes, or who are familiar with them through fables and distorted reporting, it is worthy to recognize the kind of “eternal” aura these regimes/leaders occupied in the conscience or un-conscience of “their” people–despite, or maybe because of, their longstanding opposition. More than that, it is important to recognize the myriad of daily acts of coping and resistance carried out every day by citizens who toil under them simply to get by.
https://mondoweiss.net/2011/01/opportune-neglect-and-the-end-of-the-iraq-invasionoccupation-effect-in-the-middle-east.html
First US ambassador in five years arrives in Damascus
(AP) Obama administration believes stationing Robert Ford in Syria would help persuade Damascus to change its policies regarding Lebanon, Israel, Iraq and end its support for extremist groups … Few expect immediate changes, but having career diplomat Robert Ford in Damascus offers Washington a better glimpse into Syria at a time of rising tensions – particularly in neighboring Lebanon, where the Western-backed government collapsed last week.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/first-u-s-ambassador-to-syria-in-5-years-arrives-in-damascus-1.337372
Smoking, drinking — it’s all taboo in Turkey / Zvi Bar’el
Fresh off its success with a smoking ban, the government is targeting the drinking of alcoholic beverages.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/smoking-drinking-it-s-all-taboo-in-turkey-1.336529
Man sentenced to death in Egypt over Copt killings
Egypt has sentenced a man to death for killing six Coptic Christians and a Muslim policeman in January 2010. Mohamed Ahmed Hussein was found guilty of shooting the group outside a midnight Mass for Coptic Christmas in Naga Hamady, southern Egypt. The attack was thought to be revenge for the alleged rape of a 12-year-old Muslim girl by a Christian man.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12201318
Saudi Arabia: Haven to ousted leaders
DUBAI (AFP) – Fleeing his country from protests after 23 years of iron-fisted rule, Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali found haven in Saudi Arabia, a state which has a history of taking in toppled leaders … Ben Ali, renowned for cracking down on Islamists, had to finally settle in ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia as he was refused asylum by one of his closest allies, France … Saudi Arabia, whose law allows for political asylum in public interest cases, also granted asylum to ex-Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted by Pervez Musharraf and sent into exile in 2000 before returning in 2007.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351433
WikiLeaks
Back from vacation, WikiLeaks supporter detained in Seattle / Jason Ditz
Software developer and WikiLeaks advocate Jacob Appelbaum was detained at a Seattle airport upon returning from his vacation in Iceland. According to Appelbaum, the officials who detained him demanded his laptop and cell phones were “visibly upset” to learn he hadn’t brought them on his vacation. Appelbaum, who began speaking on behalf of WikiLeaks at US engagements after founder Julian Assange was warned it was not safe to travel to America. Since then he has been repeatedly targeted by US officials.
http://news.antiwar.com/2011/01/15/back-from-vacation-wikileaks-supporter-detained-in-seattle/
WikiLeaks cable: 4 years ago Israel said it would have to deal with Hamas ‘sooner or later’ / Philip Weiss
I keep meaning to write about this revelation from WikiLeaks: a truly disgusting July 2007 cable that shows the Israeli hypodermic entering the American vein and spewing neocon junk. We see Israeli intelligence officials putting across several neoconservative narratives with a Bush White House anti-terrorism official (Fran Townsend): Iran has links to Al Qaeda, terrorism is growing across the region because of Islam’s failure to modernize, and Israel and the U.S. are the only forces opposing terror. This is pure craziness. The cable validates what Scott McConnell wrote last year, that the special relationship between the U.S. and Israel is now “a transmission belt, conveying Israeli ideas on how the United States should conduct itself in a contested and volatile part of the world.”
https://mondoweiss.net/2011/01/wikileaks-cable-4-years-ago-israel-said-it-will-have-to-deal-with-hamas-sooner-or-later.html
WikiLeaks: Iran developing nuclear bomb with help of more than 30 countries
(Reuters) The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten quotes U.S. diplomatic cables as saying that Iran is racing to achieve nuclear bomb before its economy collapses due to sanctions.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/wikileaks-iran-developing-nuclear-bomb-with-help-of-more-than-30-countries-1.337369
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www.theheadlines.org
