Archive for Mid-East News

| February 25, 2014
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Dahlan: Mahmoud Abbas pursuing peace negotiations with Israel for personal financial gain

Muhammad Dahlan, ousted from Fatah by PA President, says Abbas and his Palestinian negotiators are “filling their sacks”, and don’t care about the rights of the Palestinian people.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

 

Ousted Fatah official Muhammad Dahlan accused Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his confidants of taking part in negotiations with Israel for their own political and financial benefit, and not in order to win rights for the Palestinian people.

Dahlan & Mahmoud Abbas - Photo: TARA TODRAS-WHITEHILL / REUTERS

Dahlan & Mahmoud Abbas – Photo: TARA TODRAS-WHITEHILL / REUTERS

Speaking in an interview with Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida, Dahlan, a long-time rival of Abbas and the former security commander in the Gaza Strip, said that he was not against the principle of negotiations, however the talks in their current form constitute “a crime against the people fighting for freedom.” Continue Reading »

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| February 25, 2014
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Israel Air Force Hits Hezbollah Post in Lebanon on Syrian Border

Israeli planes launch two post-midnight air raids against a Hezbollah weapons post on Lebanon’s border  with Syria.

By Elad Benari

 

Aircraft belonging to the Israeli Air Force (IAF) launched two air raids against a Hezbollah post on the border between Lebanon and Syria on Monday evening, a security source told the Lebanese Daily Star.

IAF F-16 – Photo courtesy: IAF Website

The source said Israeli planes launched four rockets on the Janta area in the mountains separating the Lebanese village of Nabi Sheet from the Syrian border.

The source noted that the Janta area is known to house a Hezbollah post, where recruitment and training are carried out. Continue Reading »

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| February 24, 2014
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Iranian Foreign Minister condemned in Teheran for condemning Holocaust

 

Islamic hardliners summon Iranian FM Javad Zarif to Teheran to appear in closed session of parliament to discuss his calling Holocaust “horrifying tragedy.”

By REUTERS

 

 

Islamic hardliners in Iran’s parliament have summoned Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif over public comments condemning the Holocaust, the official news agency IRNA reported on Monday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in YouTube address, November 19, 2013. - Photo: YouTube Screenshot

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in YouTube address, November 19, 2013. – Photo: YouTube Screenshot

Zarif, who is also Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, caused an uproar among conservatives in Iran when he called the Holocaust a “horrifying tragedy” in an interview with a German television station late last month.

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| February 24, 2014
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Syrian rebel General: ‘Bibi, help us wipe out Assad’s regime’

 

In an exclusive interview with Israel’s i24news, Syrian general-turned-rebel claims Assad didn’t declare his entire WMD arsenal.

By i24news

 

 

In an exclusive interview with i24news, Syrian rebel general Adnan Sello revealed that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad did not declare all the chemical weapons in his possession.

Général rebelle syrien Adnan Sello, – Photo: i24news

Sello served for 40 years under Presidents Hafez al-Assad and his son Bashar al-Assad, and was the head of the chemical unit of the Syrian army until he retired on Sept. 5, 2008. He then joined the rebel forces fighting to unseat Assad.

 

‘There were chemical weapons in Iraq in 2002’

Sello addressed the issue of Syrian-held chemical weapons and claimed to know the location of every cache. Continue Reading »

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| February 23, 2014
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Palestinian militants, masked & armed, march near Jerusalem

 

Marking the 45th anniversary of establishment of DFLP Palestinian militants march in Abu Dis, next to Jerusalem, supposedly under Israeli security control.

By Ynetnews

 

Dozens of masked Palestinians, some of them armed, marched over weekend in the West Bank town of Abu Dis, next to Jerusalem. The town in in Area B, which is under joint Palestinian and Israeli security control.

PFLPAccording to Israel Radio, the marchers were clad in army uniforms and carried a variety of weaponry, including Kalashnikov and M-16 rifles, guns and hand grenades. They were also reportedly firing into the air during the demonstration, which marked 45 years of the establishment of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Continue Reading »

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| February 23, 2014
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U.S. Congressional Committee Debates Stopping Aid to PA Until Incitement Stops

According to Israel’s TV2 report, House Appropriations Committee weighing bill cutting off scheduled financial aid to the PA until antisemitic & anti-Israel incitement stops.

By Tova Dvorin

 

Channel 2 reports Saturday night that the US Congress House Appropriations Committee is debating cutting off aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) unless its ongoing incitement against Israel stops or is significantly curtailed.

Under the new law, aid to the PA will be frozen until a reliable report is released proving that it has begun cutting down its incitement against the Jewish state.

US lawmakers believe that the bill is expected to pass by a large majority vote in Congress, according to the daily. Continue Reading »

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| February 23, 2014
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Syrian army begins taking control of its side of Golan Heights

 

Israelis in Golan Heights on Friday could hear the Syrian army as they launched offensive in southern Syria near it border with Israel.

By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON
 

 

Opposition activists reported air raids in the southern province of Deraa, Syria, that killed at least two people, the Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star reported on Saturday.

Israeli Syrian border in the Golan Heights

Israeli Syrian border in the Golan Heights – Photo: REUTERS/Baz Ratner

The Syrian army had launched an aerial offensive in southern Syria near the border with Israel’s Golan Heights on Friday.

Concurrently, unidentified opposition activists said rebel fighters are preparing for a new campaign that will begin in Deraa and push toward Damascus. Continue Reading »

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| February 22, 2014
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Palestinians arrests former Hamas spokesman, confiscate property over alleged corruption


Hamas says former spokesman Ayman Taha, known in Gaza for his extravagant lifestyle, was not suspected of working with foreign powers such as Israel or Egypt.

By

 

 

Hamas, the Islamist movement ruling the Gaza Strip, announced that Ayman Taha, a senior member of the organization and former spokesman, was arrested several days ago and interrogated by the authorities for alleged corruption charges.

Hundreds of Palestinian Hamas policemen march

Hundreds of Palestinian Hamas policemen march during their graduation ceremony at the Arafat Police Academy in Gaza City, Wednesday, January 29, 2014 – Photo: AP

A statement issued by the organization on Friday explicitly stated that Taha was not suspected of working with foreign powers such as Israel or Egypt.

Continue Reading »
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| February 22, 2014
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Egyptian naval vessel fires warning shots at Gaza fishermen

Gaza news service reports that an Egyptian navy vessel fired warning shots at Palestinian fishermen heading towards Egyptian territorial waters.

By Ma’an News Agency

 

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — An Egyptian naval ship opened fire at a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of the southern Gaza Strip early Saturday, a Palestinian union official said.

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Gaza fishermen – Photo: MaanImages/File

Nizar Ayyash, spokesman for the union of Gaza fishermen, told Ma’an that the Egyptian navy fired warning shots at a fishing boat off the coast of Rafah.

The fishing boat was nearing Egyptian territorial waters, Ayyash said.

The Egyptian ship was stationed just within Palestinian territorial waters at the time, he added. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| February 21, 2014
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Hamas Legislator Calls Abbas a ‘Coward’ Over Kerry’s Framework Deal

Hamas member of “parliament” in Gaza claim PA’s role in peace talks infringes on ‘fundamental Palestinian principles,’ including Arabs’ Right of Return.

By Dalit Halevy, Tova Dvorin

 

Salah Bardawil, a member of Hamas’s “parliament” in Gaza, attacked Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Friday, calling him a “coward” for considering accepting the US framework agreement.

Kerry and Abbas meet in Paris – Reuters

“If the US framework agreement is accepted, the Palestinian problem will lose all meaning,” Bardawil fired. “The situation is very dangerous because of the denial of the right of return to their homes of six million Palestinian refugees.” Continue Reading »

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| February 21, 2014
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Analysis: Al-Qaida unlikely to defeat Hezbollah in Syria

 

Al-Qaida-linked anti-regime jihadist groups are focusing their energies on attacking fellow Muslims, even other Sunni opposition groups.

Regional security analyst: US recognizes jihadists to be a bigger threat to the stability in Lebanon than Hezbollah.

By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON

 

Could the continued onslaught by al-Qaida-linked jihadists force Hezbollah to withdraw its forces from the Syrian war? Probably not.

A Free Syrian Army fighter launches a rocket

A Free Syrian Army fighter launches a rocket – Photo: REUTERS

Such a withdrawal would seemingly allow the organization to focus on defending itself in Lebanon, but the bombings targeting it and Iran are strongly connected to the sectarian struggle in Syria. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| February 21, 2014
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Gazans turn to bartering with lack of copper coins

 

 

Import-ban on copper leads Gazans to melt Israeli coins into electrical wiring, causing 1/2-shekel coin shortage.

By Elior Levy

 

Gazans have been running low on Israeli coin currency for a while, partly due to an Israeli-imposed ban on copper imports. The creative solution engineered by Gazans was to melt down change to create copper wire. But no one could have expected the result – half-shekel and 10 agorot coins have become a rare commodity.

Spare change - Gaza style (Photo: Khaled Ashker, Gisha)

Spare change – Gaza style – Photo: Khaled Ashker, Gisha

The coins’ absence did not impact the day-to-day life of the average Gazan, as most prices were in full shekels. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| February 20, 2014
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U.S. St. Dept.: Saeb Erekat’s threats aimed at Israel are detrimental to negotiations

 

 

US State Dept. officials disappointed with chief Palestinian negotiator’s recent comments that the Palestinians will seek global economic boycott of Israel if peace talks should flounder.

By Yitzhak Benhorin

 

US government officials expressed concern over comments made by Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian Authority’s chief negotiator, who recently threatened to promote economic boycott on Israel.

Saeb Erekat – Photo: AFP

“We are of course concerned about the recent comments by Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat,” said State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf.

US officials hinted that Kerry is to raise the issue of Erekat’s comments during his meeting in Paris with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| February 19, 2014
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Iranian TV airs short clip of nuclear ‘holocaust’ against Israel

 

WATCH: Iranian TV animation depicts how the Islamic Republic might respond to a U.S. and/or Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities.

By

 

A short animated film being aired across Iran depicts the nuclear destruction of Israel. The film opens with the word ‘Holocaust’ appearing on the screen, with a Star of David underneath it, Israel’s Channel 2 reported on Tuesday.

Screen shot of the Iranian video.

Screen shot of the Iranian video.

The airing of the animation comes as talks between Tehran and world powers over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program are resume in Austria.

The film, which started to appear Monday on Iranian websites depicts how the Islamic Republic might respond to an American or Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| February 17, 2014
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Renowned European scientists debunk Palestinian myth Arafat was poisoned

A doctor treating the Palestinian leader said in the days before his death that Arafat had a blood disorder – though they ruled out leukemia. This was confirmed by French doctors.

By YOCHANAN VISSER

 

At the end of January, there were media reports that Palestinian officials were very angry at US Secretary of State John Kerry for threatening PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Kerry had reportedly said that Abbas would meet the same fate as his predecessor, Yasser Arafat, if he were to turn down Washington’s proposals for a peace agreement with Israel.

Yasser Arafat

Yasser Arafat, not yet dead

Kerry’s remarks were no doubt a reference to the isolation of Yasser Arafat by the Bush administration after it became apparent that the PA president was behind the botched attempt to smuggle weapons from Iran to the Palestinian Authority in 2002. Continue Reading »

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