Archive for Mid-East News

| October 7, 2014
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Hamas official: Destroying Israel would be easier from the West Bank

 

“[Some] have said Hamas wants to create an Islamic emirate in Gaza,” Mahmoud al-Zahar a senior Hamas official tells Palestinian news outlet Al-Ayyam. “We won’t do that, but we will build an Islamic state in Palestine, all of Palestine.”

By Daniel Siryoti

 

If Hamas manages to establish a foothold in the West Bank, it would be able to wipe out Israel and establish an Islamic state in its stead, senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar told Palestinian news outlet Al-Ayyam on Wednesday.

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar – Photo: Reuters

The interview, translated and posted by Palestinian Media Watch on Sunday, revealed Hamas’ previously covert intention of taking over the West Bank.

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| October 6, 2014
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Report: At least 2 dead at Iranian Nuclear Plant – blast shattered windows 15 km away

Mossad? Sabotage or ‘Work Accident’ – Iranian sites claim huge explosion shattered windows as far as 15 kilometers from blast.

By Ari Soffer

 

An explosion at Iran’s Parchin nuclear plant has killed at least two people, according to Iranian media reports.

Aerial view of Parchin site – Reuters

The plant is located close to the Iranian capital Tehran, and the explosion has triggering speculation over a possible sabotage or assassination.

The semi-official Isna news agency claimed the explosion took place after a fire erupted in an “explosive materials production unit”.

“Unfortunately, due to the incident, two workers of this production unit lost their lives,” the site reported.  Continue Reading »

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| October 6, 2014
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Egypt’s massive Suez Canal Axis project threatens Med-Red ecology

Scientists & environmentalists warn of the ‘diverse range of effects, at local & regional scales’ of Egyptian President’s ambitious project.

By i24news

 

 

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s “new Suez Canal” project might help Egypt’s battered economy but environmentalists are now warning of the ecological consequences of the ambitious plan.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has launched plans for a second Suez canal in parallel to the existing one at a cost of $4 billion - Photo: AFP/File

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has launched plans for a second Suez canal in parallel to the existing one at a cost of $4 billion – Photo: AFP/File

Last August Sisi announced the launching of a new waterway, which would run parallel to the original Suez Canal built 145 years ago. Continue Reading »

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| October 6, 2014
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Hamas: Vote Us Control of Palestinian Authority and We’ll Destroy Israel

Hamas: “We would be able to settle the battle of the final promise [to destroy Israel] with a speed that no one can imagine.”

The quote above should provide the answer for anyone wondering why Israel doesn’t just make peace by surrendering the ‘West Bank’!

By  Ryan Jones

 

For any who are still curious why Israel doesn’t simply acquiesce to Palestinian demands for an independent state and end the conflict, Hamas once again happily provided the answer in a revealing interview with Arab media last week.

Hamas

Hamas, trying to fulfill its credo to destroy Israel.

Hamas co-founder Mahmoud al-Zahar told the Ramallah-based Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam that if his group could “transfer what it has [in Gaza] or just a small part of it to the West Bank, we would be able to settle the battle of the final promise [to destroy Israel] with a speed that no one can imagine.”

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| October 4, 2014
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Hamas Wants $4 Billion to rebuild Gaza, But It Pocketed the $700 Million Last Time

‘Hamas did not give a cent of the Aid to the people of Gaza. Hamas leaders kept it all,’ says Fatah spokesman. Are donors aware? Do they not care?

By Mark Langfan, Gil Ronen

 

The Palestinian Authority (PA) “unity government” has released a $4 billion reconstruction plan for Gaza ahead of the October 12 donor conference – but the donors would be well advised to peruse a recent Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) report featuring a TV interview on the PA’s Al-Awda TV channel.

Fatah Spokesman Ahmad Assaf - YouTube screenshot

Fatah Spokesman Ahmad Assaf – YouTube screenshot

In the segment, Fatah spokesman Ahmad Assaf accused Hamas leaders of illegally diverting money collected for the children of Gaza. Continue Reading »

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| October 2, 2014
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More Hamas Millionaires on Horizon: Arabs seek $4b. for Gaza reconstruction

Estimated costs of rebuilding Gaza include $1.9b. for public & private repairs in infrastructure and additional $1.2 billion for ‘reactivating economic productivity’ [sic].

By AFP

 

The Palestinian government on Thursday called for $4 billion to rebuild Gaza, part of a reconstruction plan for the war-battered territory ahead of an October 12 donor conference.

A house in ruins (Photo: Reuters)

A house in ruins – Photo: Reuters

Gaza’s infrastructure was devastated during a 50-day Operation Protective Edge, which killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians, while attacks by Gaza terrorists killed 73 on the Israeli side.

A 76-page report, released ahead of the donor conference in Cairo, said $4 billion (3.2 billion euros) would be needed for the “direct costs” of rebuilding the besieged coastal territory. Continue Reading »

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| October 2, 2014
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Is Gaza Palestinian fulfilling Isaiah’s prophesy?

Palestinian resident of Gaza doesn’t beat swords into ploughshares, but he is converting Israeli tank shells into colorful flower vases.

 

A Gaza refugee camp dweller has fulfilled a modern version of beating swords into ploughshares by converting Israeli tank shells into flower vases, Agence France Presse reported Thursday.

Gaza art

Adorned used and diffused ammunition rounds painted by Palestinian artist Mohammed al-Zamar at his home in the Bureij refugee camp, September 24, 2014. – Photo: AFP

“I wanted to keep a souvenir, but my relatives and neighbors felt uncomfortable with them around, so I had the idea of painting them to make them beautiful,” Hossam Al-Dabbu, of Jabalya, told AFP, about finding remnants from Israel’s 50-day summer offensive against Gaza.

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| October 1, 2014
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Jordan Discovers Espionage Devices & Explosives Planted 45 years ago by Israel

Hashemite Kingdom spent past 18 months removing espionage equipment buried during Israel’s War of Attrition and asks Jerusalem to help locate & remove explosives hidden in populated area.

By Roi Kais

 

 

Rumors ran rampant in Jordan over the past few weeks on the nature of the mysterious archeological dig in the city of Ajloun. Many believed the authorities found gold or other treasures, but Jordanian Army Chief of Staff Mashal Mohammad Al-Zaben dropped a bombshell on Tuesday when he revealed what was really found there – hidden Israeli spying devices and explosives.

According to the Jordanians, the dig was a part of an ongoing activity for the past year and a half to remove and neutralize espionage equipment and explosives planted by Israel decades ago in different parts of the Hashemite Kingdom. Continue Reading »

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| September 30, 2014
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‘Iranian nuclear scientist murdered by Revolutionary Guard, not Israel’s Mossad’

The sister of Dr. Ardeshir Hosseinpour, has just revealed that her brother was killed in February 2007 because he wouldn’t cooperate with the gov’t’s effort to divert nuclear activities from peaceful purposes.

By Felice Friedson, The Media Line

The sister of a leading Iranian nuclear physicist widely believed to have been assassinated by Israel as part of an effort to derail the Islamic Republic’s drive to create nuclear weapons says her brother was murdered by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRI) because he wouldn’t cooperate with the effort to divert nuclear activities from peaceful purposes.

Dr. Ardeshir Hosseinpour

Dr. Ardeshir Hosseinpour

When Iranian scientist Dr. Ardeshir Hosseinpour was killed in February 2007, the cause of death was reported to be “gassing” and most presumed the act was carried out by Israel. Continue Reading »

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| September 29, 2014
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Abbas’ Security Service Arrests Palestinian for anti-PA comments on Facebook

Criticism of Palestinian Authority officials can lead to arrests then jail, Palestinian journalist reports: ‘The PA police asked me why I liked to curse Abbas on my Facebook page’

By Abdullah H. Erakat, The Media Line

 

Pharmacist Raed Qubbaj was busy with a customer when a man working with the Palestinian Preventative Security Forces came into his Ramallah pharmacy and placed him under arrest earlier this month.

Illustration (Photo: AP)

Illustrative Photo: AP

“He didn’t tell me why and he had no official papers from any court,” the father of three boys told The Media Line.

Qubbaj handed over his mobile phone and laptop to the man who had a car waiting outside. Continue Reading »

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| September 26, 2014
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ALAN DERSHOWITZ: US + Arab States’ attack on terrorists in Syria parallels Israel’s on Hamas in Gaza

 

When the IDF attacked Hamas military targets, including targets that had multiple uses, it was publicly condemned by the same Arab states that are participating in the U.S.-Arab attacks on duel purpose targets in Syria.

The air attack by American and Arab forces against ISIS and other terrorist targets parallels Israel’s air attacks against Hamas terrorist targets in Gaza.  According to retired General Wesley Clark, the United States air attacks are designed to degrade and destroy the infrastructure of the terrorist groups, including the electric grid, the sources of their finance and other mixed military-civilian targets.

Rubble from US air strike in Syria's Idlib province - Photo REUTERS

Rubble from US air strike in Syria’s Idlib province – Photo: REUTERS

When Israel attacked Hamas military targets, including some that had mixed uses, it was condemned by the same Arab nations that participated in the joint United States-Arab attack in Syria.  Continue Reading »

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| September 26, 2014
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Fatah returns to Gaza as Palestinian unity gov’t takes ‘immediate control’

Hamas & Fatah reach agreement settling recent disputes: Hamas gov’t employees in Gaza will again be paid, & the management of the border crossings will be handed over to Palestinian Authority.

By AFP, Reuters

 

Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah reached an agreement on Thursday by which the unity government run by President Mahmoud Abbas would take “immediate control” of the Gaza Strip, negotiators in Egypt-mediated reconciliation talks told reporters.

Negotiations in Cairo over implementation of unity government (Photo: EPA)

Negotiations in Cairo over implementation of unity government – Photo: EPA

“Fatah and Hamas have reached a comprehensive agreement for the return of the unity government to the Gaza Strip,” Jibril Rajoub, a member of the Fatah delegation in Cairo, told AFP. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| September 25, 2014
Comments Off on Egyptian FM exposes Erdogan’s UNGA speech as ‘full of lies & fabrications’

Egyptian FM exposes Erdogan’s UNGA speech as ‘full of lies & fabrications’

 

After the Turkish president accused Egypt’s President al-Sissi of taking power in a coup d’État in his UN speech, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry responded with a condemning statement. 

 

Egypt on Thursday slammed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s comments at the UN General Assembly, in which he said that President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi came to power in a coup.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the 69th session of the UNGA.

In this September 24, 2014, photo, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks during the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters. – Photo: AP

Speaking to representatives of 193 countries at the annual high-level UN meeting on Wednesday, Erdoğan said, “If we are going to defend people who come to power through coups, then I ask the question why we exist as the United Nations.”

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| September 24, 2014
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Obama tells UNGA: Status quo in West Bank & Gaza is unsustainable

Barack Obama reveals, ‘Violence engulfing Middle East made too many Israelis ready to abandon hard work of peace.’ 

By i24news

Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, US President Barack Obama stated that the status quo in Gaza Strip and the West Bank is not sustainable.

US President Barack Obama speaks during the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly at the United Nations in New York on September 24, 2014 ( Jewel Samad (AFP) )

“US President Barack Obama speaks during the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly at the United Nations in New York on September 24, 2014 – Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP

Further touching on the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the leader charged that the “violence engulfing the Middle East made too many Israelis ready to abandon the hard work of peace.” Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| September 22, 2014
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Exposé: Gaza Palestinian’s hatred for Hamas and resentment & anger of the West Bankers

The Gazans may be too scared to speak publicly against Hamas, but the hatred is seen & felt, and they haven’t forgotten that protests from their compatriots during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge, were conspicuous in their absence.

By Francesca Borri

 

In the time that has elapsed since the end of the war, Gaza has been trying to return to normal – if you can ever call life in Gaza normal. But under the surface, the suppressed emotions are bubbling.

Central Gaza building hit by the IDF during Protective Edge (Photo: AFP)

Central Gaza building hit by the IDF during Protective Edge – Photo: AFP

The tap water is the same salty sea brine – there has been no potable water coming out of the taps in Gaza for a very long time. Continue Reading »

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