Archive for Mid-East News

| October 23, 2016
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Hamas seen test-launching new longer-range missiles in Gaza

 

Israel’s southern residents can view from their homes Hamas’ belligerent missile launches, which cast doubt on Israeli wishes that an enduring calm could continue for all concerned.

By Matan Tzuri

Israel’s southern residents, living just minutes from the Gaza border, have become increasingly worried by the sight of rocket experiments conducted by Hamas which can be seen from their home windows.

Hamas rocket darts across the sky for Israel' southern residents to view - Photo: Ynet video screenshot

Hamas rocket darts across the sky for Israel’ southern residents to view – Photo: Ynet video screenshot

While the IDF is convinced that Hamas currently has little interest in the renewal of hostilities, and with Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman adamant that escalation is currently out of the question, the military also remains certain that the terrorist organization reigning in Gaza is preparing for a future round of violence—a fact which it does virtually nothing to hide.

Continue Reading »
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| October 22, 2016
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Palestinian news agency Ma’an reports Hamas militant killed in terror-tunnel collapse

 

The ‘work-accident’ is the latest in over a dozen similar tunnel collapses this year killing Gaza’s terrorists.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

 

A Hamas militant was killed in the Gaza Strip after a terror tunnel collapsed, Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported.

A Hamas terrorist in an underground terror-tunnel. - Photo: screenshot

A Hamas terrorist in an underground terror-tunnel. – Photo: screenshot

The military wing of Hamas, Izzadin Kassam Brigades, released a statement saying that a member of the brigade, Ana Salameh Abu Lashin was killed when the tunnel collapsed on him.

According to the Palestinian news agency, Israeli officials have claimed that Hamas is preparing for another round of combat with Israel and have threatened retaliation. Continue Reading »

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| October 21, 2016
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US Treasury, St Dept. impose sanctions on Hezbollah commanders, financiers

 

Hezbollah gets hit twice; the US State Department adds Hezbollah operatives to its global terrorist list and the US Treasury sanctions Hezbollah individuals in a joint action with Saudi Arabia, aimed at “disrupting Hezbollah’s worldwide commercial & financial infrastructure.”

By The Associated Press

 

The US government on Thursday sanctioned a Hezbollah commander and a number of other operatives and financiers linked to the militant group who it said were working to destabilize the Middle East.

“Nazi-like’ Hezbollah fighters take an oath during a parade. – Photo AP/Hussein Malla

The US State Department, headed by Secretary John Kerry, added Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai to its Specially Designated Global Terrorist list, which “imposes sanctions on foreign persons determined to have committed, or pose a serious risk of committing acts of terrorism.” Continue Reading »

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| October 20, 2016
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Palestinians prefer federation with Jordan over independence under their leaders

 

Poll conducted by A-Najar University in Nablus, found 46% surveyed said they preferred a confederation with neighboring Jordan (where a majority of the population is “Palestinian” Arab) in place of an independent Palestinian state.

By Aviel Schneider

 

Is an independent Palestinian state really all that important to the local Arab population? Well, not exactly, at least not according to a recent Palestinian opinion poll.

The touted two-state solution seems to be more in line with the interests of Western powers than it is for Israelis and Palestinian Arabs themselves.

Conducted by A-Najar University in Nablus, the aforementioned poll found that just 18% of Palestinians believe the two-state solution will actually resolve the conflict, and most respondents opposed the scheme altogether. Continue Reading »

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| October 6, 2016
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Nephew of Yasser Arafat considered as possible replacement for Abbas

 

Prior to Abbas bing taken to a hospital in Ramallah on Thursday, the Arab leaders from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have each reportedly urged the aging dictator to name his successor in order to avoid chaos in the event of his inability to lead.

By i24news

 

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was taken to hospital in Ramallah on Thursday where he is undergoing cardiac testing after feeling unexpectedly unwell.

Nasser al-Kidwa & Mahmoud Abbas

A hospital official told the Associated Press that Abbas would undergo a cardiac catheterization, a procedure in which a thin tube is inserted into a blood vessel in order to examines heart strength. Continue Reading »

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| September 29, 2016
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Bahrain’s Foreign Minister: “Rest in peace President Shimon Peres.”

 

Not for the 1st time, the Bahraini foreign minister posted a surprising comment devoid of unreserved criticism for the Jewish State in wake of Peres’s death: ‘Peres was a man of peace & war.’
– Iraqi Kurds erect mourning tent: ‘Peres assisted the Kurds.’

By Roi Kais

 

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa paid his respects to former President Shimon Peres who passed away overnight Tuesday after suffering a stroke two weeks ago.

shimon-peres

“Rest in peace President Shimon Peres, a man of war and a man of the still elusive peace in the Middle East,” Al Khalifa wrote on his Twitter account. Continue Reading »

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| September 28, 2016
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No signs of peace with Israel as long as we hate them more than we love our own children

 

After a generation of indoctrination and incitement as the official policy of the Palestinian leadership, via the press, children’s TV programing, and religious sermons, peace will remain unattainable as long as parents continue to send children to hurl rocks at Jewish drivers & IDF soldiers, and/or with knives to kill Israeli children.

Do We Love Our Children More Than We Hate Israelis? By Matt Hanna

 

Former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir once said, “Peace will come when the Arabs start to love their children more than they hate us.” As a Palestinian who truly loves his people, when I look around me and listen to what our media says about the situation of Palestinian children in Gaza Strip or the West Bank, I ask myself the same thing: Do we really love our children more than we hate Israel and the Jews? Continue Reading »

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| September 27, 2016
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Abbas is worried the ‘Arab Quartet’ plans of peace with Israel may succeed

 

The “Arab Quartet” and not Israeli policy, is Abbas’s true nightmare, since their promotion of the president’s rival, Mohamed Dahlan to facilitate their efforts promoting peace with Israel, will finally end Abbas’s dream of never-ending power — at the expense and well-being of his people.

Abbas to Arab Leaders: Go to Hell! By Khaled Abu Toameh

 

In his speech last week before the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas trotted out his usual charges against Israel, citing “collective punishment,” “house demolitions,” “extrajudicial executions” and “ethnic cleansing.” However, Abbas’s thoughts seem to be elsewhere these days. Continue Reading »

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| September 19, 2016
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Abbas credits terror attacks because Palestinians ‘lost hope’, Hamas disagrees

 

After Abbas attributed the past few days of knife & vehicular attacks on Palestinian despair, a Hamas official disagreed and tweeted him it was simply resistance to the “occupation.”

By i24news

 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday attributed a recent spate of attacks against Israelis and soldiers to lone wolf attackers who had “lost hope,” Arabic media reports.

Sayid Amro, Jordanian tourist who was killed Saturday while trying to stab Border Police officers at the Damascus Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem. – Screenshot from Israel Police Security Video

The Palestinian Ma’an news agency quoted Abbas as saying that “our young people are taking up knives because they have no hope.” Continue Reading »

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| September 18, 2016
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Jordan’s Foreign Ministry condemns police killing Jerusalem armed terrorist

 

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry, the Muslim Brotherhood and the terrorist’s family all condemned the shooting of Sayid Amro who was killed while trying to stab Border Police officers at the Damascus Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem.

By Roi Kais

 

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the killing of terrorist Sayid Amro on Saturday after he was shot to death while attempting to stab a border police officer at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem on Friday. The Jordanian Foreign Ministry response said the “killing is an act of barbarism,” and questioned the Israeli version of events.The Jordanian Foreign Ministry added that they are following details closely and are working to ensure the return of Amor’s body to his family. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News, Mid-East News | Tags: , , , ,
| September 17, 2016
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Iran has made itself into a ‘DESERT OF HATE’

 

After years of drought, the water-starved country’s hateful politics can’t allow it to turn to the one country that could really save it.

P. David Hornik

 

Iran’s pistachio farms are dying of thirst.

That may not, in itself, seem like major news. But it has a greater significance.

After crude oil, pistachio nuts are Iran’s biggest export, with only the United States producing more. Yet a drought lasting years, along with uncontrolled pumping of water by farmers, has created a situation where the pistachio crop is drying up.

AFP reports that:

In Kerman province in southern Iran, cities have grown rich from pistachios,
but time is running out for the industry.
Continue Reading »
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| September 16, 2016
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Flotilla of women set sail from Barcelona to Gaza

 

view videoFlotilla of 2 sail boats carrying approximately 20 women set sail from Barcelona hoping to breach Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza.

By Elad Benari

 

A new women’s flotilla aimed at violating the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza left on Wednesday from the Spanish city of Barcelona, Al Jazeera reported.

The 2 vessels of the Women’s Boat to Gaza “mission” launching from the Port of Barcelona.  – Photo: Womens Boat to Gaza website

Two sailing boats, Amal and Zaytouna, with 11 women on board each, sailed off under the banner “The Women’s Boat to Gaza”, according to the report.

The passengers include Swedish European Parliament Member Malin Bjork and Dr Fouzia Hassan of Malaysia. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| September 15, 2016
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World Bank: Less than half of humanitarian aid to Gaza reach its destination

 

The World Bank reported that int’l donor support is a must to maintain Palestinian budget-cutting to stave off probable crisis, and their economy will remain hobbled as long as the conflict with Israel continues.

By i24news

 

Less than half the $3.5 billion donors have pledged to aid with reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip following the 2014 war has been disbursed, according to the World Bank.

The World Bank added that international donor support is a must to maintain Palestinian budget-cutting achievements and stave off crisis.

It said in the report that over the past 10 years the Palestinian Authority had slashed its deficit by an amount equal to 15 percent of its Gross Domestic Product, “an achievement rarely seen in other places around the world.” Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| September 13, 2016
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Syria rejoices in Army’s (bogus) claim of hitting IDF warplanes

 

Syrian TV & radio merrily cover its Army’s claim of hitting IDF fighter-jets, ignoring IDF denials, while bringing out analysts for panel discussions etc. Meanwhile, a Syrian journalists laugh off the story, tweeting President Bashar al-Assad lacks the courage to even attack an Israeli cat.

By Roi Kais

 

Syrian media has been extensively covering the reportedly false claim made by the Syrian Army that Syrian ground-to-air missiles have managed to strike down an IDF drone and fighter jet.

A Syrian news anchor covering the story – Screenshot of Syrian TV

A row of Syrian experts and analysts have been called upon for television and radio interviews, one of whom opened his remarks by saying, “Congratulations to the Syrian Army” for on their reported accomplishment. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| September 8, 2016
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Palestinian High Court suspends next month’s municipal elections

PA officials as well as Hamas officials in Gaza have thwarted the opposition in local courts, or simply arrested candidates, but now Palestinian High Court postponed elections for 416 locales on October 8, until an undetermined date.

By ADAM RASGON

 

The Palestinian High Court of Justice in Ramallah ordered on Thursday the suspension of the Palestinian municipal elections in the West Bank and Gaza until an undetermined date, putting the future of the long awaited elections in jeopardy

The elections were supposed to take place in 416 locales on October 8.

The High Court’s decision comes in response to a petition submitted by a Palestinian lawyer, Nael al-Houh, calling for the elections’ suspension due to—the illegitimacy of the judicial and security institutions in Gaza and the exclusion of many Jerusalem municipalities from the elections, according to Maan, a Palestinian news site. Continue Reading »

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