PA crackdown on journalists angers PLO official

Saleh Ra’fat accuses the Palestinian Authority attorney-general of “cloning the policy of administrative detention.”

 

The Palestinian Authority’s attorney-general, Ahmed al-Mughni, is unlawfully detaining journalists and bloggers, Saleh Ra’fat, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, said on Monday.
Palestinian boy looks over rally in Ramallah -Photo REUTERS/Darren Whiteside
Palestinian boy looks over rally in Ramallah
-Photo REUTERS/Darren Whiteside
Voicing outrage and discontent over the recent PA crackdown, Ra’fat accused the attorney-general of “cloning the policy of administrative detention” by ordering the arrest of journalists and bloggers exposing corruption in the PA and criticizing Palestinian leaders.

Over the past few weeks, PA security forces in the West Bank arrested four journalists and a blogger on orders of the attorney-general.

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‘Video may not be enough to convict officer’

Inquiry into skirmish between IDF officer, Danish activist underway. Investigators seek incident’s full video, depose witnesses; legalists doubt footage’s admissibility

The Military Police launched an official inquiry Monday into the incident in which Lt.-Col. Shalom Eisner struck a Danish pro-Palestinian activist with an M-16 rifle, over the weekend.

Admissible?

Admissible?

Eisner has been suspended pending the inquiry’s results. Investigators are now trying to obtain the full video depicting the incident.

The IDF maintains that the version posted on YouTube was heavily edited and did not show the events leading up to the incident, in which the activists assaulted IDF soldiers.

Investigators are also set to depose witnesses in the case. Continue Reading »

Israeli TV report shows air force gearing up for Iran attack, says moment of truth is near

‘IAF expects losses, and knows it can’t destroy entire Iranian program’

 

A major Israel TV station on Sunday night broadcast a detailed report on how Israel will go about attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities in the event that diplomacy and sanctions fail and Israel decides to carry out a military strike.

The report, screened on the main evening news of Channel 10, was remarkable both in terms of the access granted to the reporter, who said he had spent weeks with the pilots and other personnel he interviewed, and in the fact that his assessments on a strike were cleared by the military censor. Continue Reading »

Iranian nuclear scientists were present at failed North Korean missile launch, says source

Anonymous diplomatic source tells South Korea’s state news agency 12 Iranian officials observed the failed missile launch last week in North Korea.

A dozen Iranian nuclear experts visited North Korea last week to observe its failed rocket launch on Friday, South Korean state news agency Yonhap’s Washington correspondent reported on Sunday.

The new ballistic missile unveiled in North Korean this week.

The new ballistic missile unveiled in North Korean this week. - Photo by Reuters

“On March 31, 12 Iranians of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG) arrived in North Korea. “The Iranians undoubtedly were there to observe the missile launch and receive test data from North Korea,” the correspondent quoted a diplomatic source, who wished to remain anonymous, as saying.

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Jordanian TV: ‘Shatter Might of Israel,’ Conquer Jerusalem

Jordanian cleric declares that the Arabs will conquer Jerusalem and “shatter the might of Israel,” MEMRI exposed.

 

Jordanian state television aired a sermon by cleric Ghaleb Rabab’a, in which he declares that the Arabs will conquer Jerusalem and “shatter the might of Israel,” The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) exposed.

Activist holds a model of the Dome of the Rock at rally in Jordan

Activist holds a model of the Dome of the Rock at rally in Jordan - Photo by Reuters

 

“The (Jordanian) army is invincible,” he says. “Its units are filled with people who pray with imams, and with people who memorized the Koran.”

“This army will never be defeated, Allah willing. Continue Reading »

Israel’s right to say ‘no’

Op-ed: State of Israel has right to ban entry of two-faced ‘peace activists’ consumed by hatred

Every host has the right to stand at the door and decided who shall be welcomed and who shall be denied entry.

Activists at Ben Gurion Airport Photo: Reuters

Activists at Ben Gurion Airport Photo: Reuters

When a US embassy official refuses to grant a certain person a visa because he was born in Iran or “has the face of a terrorist” in his passport photo, that’s apparently fine. Yet when we dare to prevent the entry of the pro-Palestinian fly-in because the passenger list includes kind souls whose official profession is hatred for Jews and for Israel, all the bleeding hearts rise up against us. Continue Reading »

Militants kill two Egyptian policemen in Sinai; Suez oil facility attacked again

The gunmen fled the site of the attack, leaving two policemen dead, one hit in the chest and another in the head, officials said.

EL-ARISH, Egypt – Islamist militants driving vehicles mounted with machine guns opened fire on a police checkpoint in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, killing two policemen and injuring a third in a daring attack early on Sunday, security officials said.

Flames rising from a gas pipeline explosion in El-Arish last month.

Flames rising from a gas pipeline explosion in El-Arish last month - Photo by AP

The policemen opened fire at the attackers, but failed to stop them. The gunmen fled the site of the attack south of the airport of the city of El-Arish, leaving two policemen dead, one hit in the chest and another in the head, the officials said.

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New I.D.F. tank shells can penetrate reinforced targets

Such a capability is believed to be crucial for the IDF as it faces future conflicts with Hezbollah and Hamas.

 

In an effort to improve its ability to accurately target terrorists hiding inside homes, the IDF will receive new tank shells developed to penetrate reinforced targets in the coming weeks.

New IDF tank shells - Photo: IMI

New IDF tank shells - Photo: IMI

Such a capability is believed to be crucial for the IDF as it faces future conflicts with Hezbollah and Hamas, both terrorist groups which embed themselves within civilian infrastructure, according to the military.

Called M339, the new 120 mm. shell was developed by Israel Military Industries together with the IDF Ground Forces Command.

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Egypt’s Suleiman: Israel may consider occupying Sinai

Ex-regime strongman says he fears ‘price Egypt will have to pay if Israel decides to reoccupy Sinai.’ Calls on political rivals to ‘exercise caution, keep peace in region’ in light of close relations between Egypt and Hamas

Egyptian presidential candidate Omar Suleiman addressed the relations between Egypt and Israel for the first time since he announced his candidacy earlier this month.

In an interview with Egyptian daily al-Youm al-Saba’a, Suleiman analyzed relations between the two neighboring countries in the wake of the Arab Spring and the ongoing terrorist activity originating from the Sinai Peninsula. “I’m fearful of the price Egypt will have to pay if Israel decides to reoccupy Sinai,” he said. Continue Reading »

Pro-Palestinian ‘fly-in’ activist: Israel and Europe treated us like terrorists

Two protesters, of French and Italian citizenship, succeed in making it past Israeli security and into Bethlehem; 43 activists denied entry into Israel at Ben-Gurion Airport.

 

Two pro-Palestinian activists that took part in the fly-in protest to Israel succeeded in making it past security at Ben-Gurion Airport and arrived in Bethlehem on Sunday, saying they were “treated like terrorists.”

The two female protesters, who hold French and Italian citizenship, held a press conference upon arrival in Bethlehem and recounted their experience.

Israel Police said Sunday that 43 activists were denied entry at Ben-Gurion Airport – 31 were transferred to Givon detention center and 12 were deported to their country of origin.

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Anarchists, Israeli Media Upset at IDF Officer’s ‘Violence’

The Israeli media is aiming its arrows at an IDF officer who slammed his gun into the face of an anarchist who was blocking a road along with other leftists and Arabs.

The officer has been identified as Lt. Col. Shlomo Eisner, Deputy Commander of the Bik’a Brigade. The anarchists uploaded a video to the Internet in which he is seen slamming his gun, magazine first, into the face of an ISM anarchist. As is usual in such cases, the anarchists’ video is edited and does not include any documentation of their provocations vis-à-vis the reservist force that had to deal with them on the Jewish Sabbath. Continue Reading »

‘Flytilla’ activists: Israel get out

PARIS – As hundreds of police officers are deployed at Ben Gurion Airport in order to prevent the entry of the “flytilla to Palestine” activists to Israel, in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport’s departures hall dozens of activists gathered on Sunday to protest their “exclusion” from Israel.

As of about 9:30 am, four activists who arrived aboard an El Al flight from Paris have been detained at BG Airport. They were immediately questioned at a booth set up by the Interior Ministry at the airport and are expected to be deported later in the day.

Some of the activists received notices alerting them to the fact that their flights to Israel had been cancelledwhile others managed to issue their boarding cards but are not sure they will be able to reach the Palestinian Authority. Continue Reading »

Egypt’s election body disqualifies Suleiman, Muslim Brotherhood candidate from presidential race

According to an Egyptian official, the Mubarak-era intelligence officer and Muslim Brotherhood’s Khairat al-Shater are among 10 nominees to be disqualified.

Egypt’s election body disqualified 10 candidates from the presidential poll on Saturday evening, including former Intelligence Minister Omar Suleiman, the Muslim Brotherhood‘s Khairat al-Shater and Salafi Hazem Abu Ismail, an official said.

AP-Former Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman is escorted by police after he submitted candidacy

Former Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman is escorted by police after he submitted his candidacy papers at the Higher Presidential Elections Commission, in Cairo, Egypt - Photo by AP

The candidates in Egypt’s presidential vote have 48 hours to appeal.

According to reports in Egyptian media, Suleiman was disqualified because he lacks a few votes in his list of supporters.

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‘Flytilla’ Activists Receive ‘Welcome’ Letter from Israel

 

The Israeli government has issued an official “welcome” letter to the pro-‘Palestinian’ “flytilla” activists who plan on arriving in the country on Saturday and Sunday. It reads as follows:

“Dear Activists,

“We appreciate your choosing to make Israel the object of your humanitarian concerns.

“We know there were many other worthy choices.

“You could have chosen to protest the Syrian regime’s daily savagery against its own people, which has claimed thousands of lives.

“You could have chosen to protest the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on dissent and its support of terrorism throughout the world.

“You could have chosen to protest Hamas rule in Gaza, where terror organizations commit a double war crime by firing rockets at civilians and hiding behind civilians. Continue Reading »

‘Stuxnet implanted in Iran nuke plant with memory stick’

US intelligence officials tell ISSSource ‘Israeli proxy’ at Natanz nuclear facility used memory stick to infect machines; claim spies belong to same dissident group behind killing of nuclear scientists

The Stuxnet virus that damaged Iran’s nuclear program was implanted by an Israeli proxy — an Iranian, who used a corrupt “memory stick.32,” former and serving US intelligence officials told the Industrial Safety and Security website.

Ahmadinejad at Natanz plant (archives) Photo: AFP

Ahmadinejad at Natanz plant (archives) Photo: AFP

According to the sources, Iranian proxies have also been active in assassinating Iran’s nuclear scientists

The officials told ISSSource that a saboteur at the Natanz nuclear facility, probably a member of an Iranian dissident group, used a memory stick to infect the machines there. Continue Reading »