Examples of continuous Israeli harassment/murder of Palestinians

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1024581938542198784

Jewish group defends Corbyn’s criticism of Israel, slams anti-Semitism claims (VIDEO)
Edited time: 1 Aug, 2018 09:36
A leading representative of a group of Jewish Labour Party members has described as “unacceptable” claims by a former minister that Jeremy Corbyn was a “f****** anti-Semite,” and demanded an apology on RT’s Going Underground.

Richard Kuper, co-founder of Jewish Voice for Labour said the alleged accusation made by Barking MP Margaret Hodge was “absurd” and maintained that the Labour leader “is not and has never been an anti-Semite or a racist.” Hodge has since denied using the expletive.

He also called for the former minister to apologize to Corbyn for what he called “unacceptable behavior.”

Describing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism as “not a particularly useful definition,” Kuper said its original purpose was to act as a “working definition to collect comparative statistics about anti-Semitism” but had since proved “not fit for purpose.”

“The IHRA definition makes it appear that criticism of Israel is likely to be anti-Semitic,” he said.

“Anti-Semitism in our view is hostility to Jews as Jews, and it needs to be opposed. Criticism of Israel is criticism of Israel and unless it shows hostility to Jews as Jews it is political criticism and needs to be fought on that basis,” he added.

Kuper’s comments came after three rival Jewish newspapers in Britain took the unprecedented move of collaborating to share similar front pages branding Corbyn as an “existential threat to Jewish life,” and accused him of diluting the IHRA’s definition.

READ MORE: Home Secretary under fire for suggesting Corbyn has ‘a problem with Jews’

Jewish Voice for Labour is one of 40 Jewish groups across 15 countries to back Corbyn’s leadership as part of an international coalition rejecting the idea that criticism of the Israeli state is “anti-Semitic.”

USS Liberty survivor among those captured when Israel seized Gaza relief flotilla -- Sott.net
Joe Lauria Consortium News Mon, 30 Jul 2018 15:13 UTC
Israeli soldiers in international waters boarded the Al Awda ship headed to Gaza to deliver relief supplies on Sunday, detaining everyone on board, including a USS Liberty survivor, after beating and tasering some passengers, according to an eyewitness account.

Only two of the 22 passengers on the ship have been released, with the rest being held in Givon prison in Israel, the flotilla's organizers said on Monday.

One of those released, Zohar Chamberlain Regev, an Israeli citizen, contested an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) statement that the ship had been captured "without exceptional incident."

"People on board were tasered and hit by masked IOF soldiers. We did not get our passports or belongings before we got off the boat. Do not believe reports of peaceful interception," Regev said in a statement to the organizers, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. Regev referred to the IDF derogatorily as the Israeli Occupation Force.

She said she saw "blood on the deck of the Al Awda as the last participants were being dragged off the ship," according to the coalition's statement. Regev and a second Israeli passenger, Yonatan Shapira, were charged with attempting to enter Gaza and conspiracy before being released.

Consortium News reported on July 9 that Joe Meadors, a survivor of the 1967 Israeli attack on the USS Liberty, joined the 2018 Gaza Freedom Flotilla as the delegate from the United States. He boarded the Al Awda in Palermo, Sicily for the final 1,000 miles to Gaza and is now in Israeli custody. Meadors pre-recorded this video message in the event that he was captured:

Meadors was a signalman on the bridge of the USS Liberty, a surveillance vessel operating in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea near Gaza during the 1967 Six-Day Arab-Israreli war when it was attacked by Israeli war planes and submarines, killing 34 U.S. sailors.

Comment: A secret of the swamp - The USS Liberty

Speaking of the seizure of the Al Awda, the flotilla organizers said: "A military attack on a civilian vessel is a violent act and a violation of international law. Taking 22 people from international waters to a country which is not their destination constitutes an act of kidnapping, which is also unlawful under the international Convention of the Law of Sea."

Consortium News has been following the progress of the flotilla in two reports by passenger Elizabeth Murray. Murray left the Al Awda (The Return) before it approached Gaza and was not onboard when it was seized by Israeli forces.

"We call on national governments, civil society and international organizations to demand that Israeli authorities immediately release our boat so that we can deliver our much-needed medical supplies on Al Awda and the fishing boat itself to the rightful recipients in Gaza," the Flotilla organizers said.

"Our second boat Freedom will follow Al Awda within a day or two, and the Freedom Flotilla will continue until the blockade ends and Palestinians of Gaza regain their full freedom of movement," they said.

Besides delivering aid, the flotilla's aim has been to bring attention to the illegal blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza since 2007.

Comment:

The Freedom Flotilla has released a statement voicing concern for their crew and participants who are still in unlawful detention at Givon prison. Details about the detainees, including last videos and personal statements, can be found on the website and Facebook pages: www.facebook.com/FreedomFlotillaCoalition/

Although the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) claim that the capture of our vessel happened 'without exceptional incident', eye-witness Zohar Chamberlain Regev reports that at the time of boarding: "People on board were tasered and hit by masked IOF soldiers. We did not get our passports or belongings before we got off the boat. Do not believe reports of peaceful interception." We urgently need to know the details of who was injured and how seriously, and what treatment they are receiving, if any. A military attack on a civilian vessel is a violent act and a violation of international law. Taking 22 people from international waters to a country which is not their destination constitutes an act of kidnapping, which is also unlawful under the international Convention of the Law of Sea.

From the time we lost contact around 13:15 local time on Sunday, we know that the IOF blocked all communication signals, including satellite phones. We are very concerned about this violation of journalists' right to report freely and we remain gravely concerned about their ability to keep their professional equipment and their storage media. As Australian journalist Chris Graham recently observed "Bad things happen when good people stay silent, as history well records. But horrendous things happen when media are prevented from scrutinizing the actions of a state."

Two of our participants who are Israeli citizens have been charged with attempting to enter Gaza and conspiracy to commit a crime, and were released on bail this morning. One of them, boat leader Zohar Chamberlain Regev, reports seeing blood on the deck of the Al Awda as the last participants were being dragged off the ship.​

​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1024584975990046720

 

[angelburst29]

WoW! This is really - rich? Kind of - "Do as I say - not as I do?" ( Yada - Yada - What-e-v-e-r! )

02.08.2018 - Netanyahu Warns Iran Against Blocking Bab el-Mandeb Strait
Netanyahu Warns Iran Against Blocking Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Attempts by Iran and its satellites to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait will be resolutely repelled by the international coalition involving Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday.

"If Iran tries to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, I am convinced that it will have to deal with an international coalition that is determined not to allow it. This coalition will include the State of Israel with all its military might," Netanyahu said at a graduation ceremony at a naval school.

Earlier, Iran warned about the possibility of blocking oil supply routes through the Hormuz Bay, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea. Earlier, Iran warned about the possibility of blocking oil supply routes through the Hormuz Bay, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea. However, the Iranian authorities did not mention the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The statement followed the halt of military operations in the Red Sea by the Yemeni Houthi movement, after a similar move by the Saudi authorities, which suspended the oil transportation across the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden until the security situation in the region improves.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, located off the shores of Yemen, Djibouti, and Eritrea, connects the Red Sea with the Arabian Sea. The strait is one of the world's major routes for the transportation of crude oil and other petroleum products.

Israel and Iran have a long history of trading accusations against each other. Tel Aviv repeatedly blames Tehran for the alleged military presence in Syria and the alleged development of nuclear weapons, claiming that Iran is trying to undermine Israeli security. Tehran denies the allegations, claiming that it is only sending military advisors and humanitarian aid to the Arab Republic. Iran, in its turn, refuses to recognize the state of Israel.


02.08.2018 - Israel Chokes of Gas, Fuel Supplies Over Fire Balloon Attacks
Israel Chokes Gaza of Gas, Fuel Supplies Over Fire Balloon Attacks

This is the second time Israel has shut the valve on Gaza in the span of a month.

Israel banned the entry of gas and fuel into the Gaza Strip Wednesday, as a response to a new surge of fire balloon and kite attacks originating from Palestinian soil, reports The Jerusalem Post.

"A short time ago Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman ordered that gas and fuel be banned from entering Gaza through Kerem Shalom [a border crossing], starting on Thursday and until such time as there is a new announcement," the minister's spokesperson said.

The decision was taken in light of the continued terror balloons and continued friction along the [border] fence," the spokesperson added.

This is the second time Israel has resorted to such a measure in the past several weeks. Liberman ordered gas and fuel shut down earlier in July, but reversed the decision after the Palestinian attacks died down.

Earlier in June, Israel ordered the cessation of transit of commercial goods to Palestine, also saying that move was a response to continued attacks using flaming balloons and kites from Gaza.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the people of the Gaza Strip only receive electricity for four hours a day, and therefore are heavily dependent on gas and fuel shipments, which allow for the use of backup generators.

In mid-July, reports emerged saying Israel would start a major military offensive against the Gaza Strip should the flaming projectile attacks continue. Hamas, which runs the Strip, pledged to work to stop the attacks, which it claims are the work of rogue terror groups.

 

[angelburst29]

Sat Aug 04, 2018 - Israel Seizes Second Gaza-Bound Flotilla Boat
Farsnews

Israeli forces seized a second boat belonging to the international Freedom Flotilla coalition which was carrying a relief cargo to the besieged Gaza Strip in face of a draconian blockade imposed by Tel Aviv.

The incident occurred days after the Israeli navy seized a Norwegian-flagged boat belonging to the fotilla, presstv reported.

The vessel, named Freedom for Gaza and carrying 12 people, was taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod on Saturday, the military said, adding the people on board were taken for "further inquiry".

The first "Freedom Flotilla", carrying medical equipment, was intercepted en route to "break the blockade" on Gaza last month.

Four boats left from Scandinavia in mid-May and stopped in some 28 ports along the way, with two remaining behind after a recent stop in the Italian port of Palermo.

 

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1027614361882451969

Summing Up Gaza Strip Escalation: Israel Strikes 140 Targets, Hamas Fires 150 Rockets
09.08.2018 -
Late August 8th saw an escalation in Gaza, which continued until the early hours of August 9th. The escalation reached its high point when Hamas began launching of rockets into Israeli territory and Israel retaliated with strikes of its own. In total, Hamas shot more than 150 rockets, whereas Israel’s strikes continued until early morning and numbered upwards of 140.

Haaretz reports that the escalation began on August 8th while an IDF engineering corps force was operating near the strip. They thought it was a sniper attack and shot a tank shell at the position in response. Later that day, the IDF discovered that the shots that prompted the Israeli response were not aimed at the IDF forces, they were a part of a ceremony of the al-Qassam Brigades.

The tank shell fired by IDF forces killed two members of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades’ al-Nukhba elite unit and wounded six others, according to Haaretz citing Gaza reports. The incident was confirmed by the Gaza Health Ministry. PressTV, however, citing Palestine sources reported that the attack was a drone strike, not tank fire.

Palestinian media, quoted by Times of Israel, reported that IDF forces fired smoke grenades into the northern Gaza Strip, near the abandoned Kami Crossing.


Hamas vowed to respond. “In response to Israel aggression, the Palestinian resistance has launched a large number of rockets in recent hours at the enemy,” Hamas said. “There was a promise [to respond] and now it has been fulfilled.” Thus, Hamas claimed responsibility for launching 150 rockets at Israel, with 25 being intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, as reported by Haaretz citing IDF sources. The southern Israeli town of Sderot was hit, leaving 11 Israelis wounded.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1027327947278102533

After the initial launches by Hamas, Israel responded by striking in the strip late August 8th. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported Thursday that three Palestinians were killed in the attacks, including a pregnant woman, 23, her 16-month-old toddler and a man, who was identified as 30-year-old Ali Alrandur. Six other people were wounded. Israel attacked over 140 targets in Gaza, including a factory for tunnel components, a coastal attack tunnel and Hamas targets, as reported by the IDF.

Haaretz quotes an unnamed IDF official who claims that Israel is approaching a battle in Gaza. “We don’t see the end of the escalation. We are closing in on operation in Gaza,” he commented.

The Israeli Military’s twitter account posted the following: “The way things continue to play out is significant. Hamas will understand in the coming hours, as in the past months, that this is not the direction it wants to choose.”

This escalation comes amid talks of a ceasefire. However, earlier on August 8th, IDF assessed that Hamas was still interested in a ceasefire agreement.

An unnamed senior Hamas member, cited by Anadolu News Agency, said that the movement was optimistic regarding its negotiations with Israel to agree on a ceasefire. He further claimed that the talks would be finalized by the end of August. The anonymous source commented that the deal would include a two-week trial. It would also permanently open the Rafah Border Crossing between Egypt and Gaza. An easing of the ban on the flow of goods through the Kerem Shalom Crossing with Israel is also expected.

The deal, as reported by Times of Israel, is to include a five-year ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the return of two Israeli civilians and the remains of two soldiers killed in 2014 being held in the Strip. Hamas is in return demanding that Israel release Palestinian security prisoners.

A prerequisite for the deal, however, is the complete cessation of the launching of incendiary devices from Gaza towards Israeli territories.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh spoke at a meeting of Palestinian politicians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-linked Palestinian Information Center. “The Hamas leadership delegation that arrived in Gaza last Thursday will return to the Egyptian capital Cairo bearing the vision of the movement regarding all files that were discussed,” he commented.

On August 8th, U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov released an overnight statement. “I am deeply alarmed by the recent escalation of violence between Gaza and Israel, and particularly by today’s multiple rockets fired toward communities in southern Israel,” he commented. He also said that the UN and Egypt have engaged in an “unprecedented effort” to avoid serious conflict, however he warned that “the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people.”

Israeli Prime Minister cancelled a trip to Colombia to attend the Gaza truce talks and is supposed to convene his decision-making security cabinet on August 9th. A decision to recognize Palestine as a state was leaked on August 8th in Colombia, however the country’s new government commented that it would review President Juan Manuel Santos’ recognition of Palestine.

Rocket fired from Gaza strikes near southern Israeli city
Edited time: 9 Aug, 2018 15:38
A long-range rocket fired from Gaza struck an uninhabited area outside the largest city in southern Israel on Thursday, Israeli police said. The rocket was a long-range Grad capable of reaching Israel’s heartland, according to Israeli Army Radio. Rocket alert sirens sounded in Beersheba, a city of 200,000 inhabitants some 40km from the Gaza Strip, for the first time since the last war in 2014. Police found the remnants in an open area on the outskirts of Beersheba, saying that that no one was hurt. The attack was seen as a show of force and defiance by Palestinian militants ahead of a meeting of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, where terms for a possible truce were likely to be on the agenda, Reuters said. A Palestinian official said earlier on Thursday that armed factions in Gaza were prepared to halt a round of rocket attacks on southern Israel.

Bloodstains & debris: VIDEO inside house where Israeli airstrike killed pregnant woman, her toddler
Edited time: 9 Aug, 2018 17:08 (Graphic) Tweets
A pregnant woman and her 18-month-old child were among those killed in the latest Israeli airstrikes, Palestinian authorities said. The IDF launched the attack on alleged Hamas targets in Gaza after rockets were fired at Israel.

The fatalities were confirmed by the Palestinian Health Ministry on Thursday. It said that a total of three people were killed overnight in the airstrikes. Among the victims was a pregnant woman, identified as Enas Khammash, 23; and her 18-month-old daughter Bayan. They were killed in the Jafarawi area of central Gaza, AFP said, adding that the woman’s husband was injured.

READ MORE: Israel strikes 140 Gaza targets in response to 150 Hamas rockets (VIDEO)

Ruptly crew traveled to the Gaza Strip and visited the shelled house where Khammash and her family lived. Their footage captured a grim scene inside the damaged house, depicting debris and multiple bloodstains on doors and walls.

Ibraheam Abu-Amra, the house owner who rented the property to the family, told Ruptly that he was surprised that an attack had been carried out on a residential place and on unarmed people. Pointing at the debris, holes and blood on the walls, he stressed that nothing could justify the destruction.

The family’s neighbor told RT that he heard “a huge explosion” and then rushed onto the street. He saw “big huge smoke” coming from the Khammash’s house. When he entered the house, he said he saw the bodies. “We found the woman’s body shattered into pieces, her little daughter too,” he said, adding that the woman’s husband was injured in the leg, stomach, and head.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that since Wednesday they had “targeted over 150 terror targets” in the Gaza Strip in response to “approximately 180 rockets” being fired from the area. It added that the Iron Dome aerial defense system had intercepted over 30 launches, while the majority of projectiles had “landed in open area” – one of them outside the major southern Israeli city of Beersheba

https://twitter.com/x/status/1027479656470130688

According to the IDF, Hamas “is responsible and bears the consequences for the ongoing events.”

The IDF, however, declined to comment on casualties on the Palestinian side.

READ MORE: VIDEO captures chaotic scenes in southern Israel as 150 rockets fired from Gaza

The projectile launches come after an IDF tank struck a Hamas facility in Gaza on Tuesday in response to shots fired at soldiers from the Strip.

The attack reportedly killed two members of Hamas’ military wing’s al-Nukhba elite unit and wounded six others.

On Wednesday, an IDF tank again struck Hamas posts in Gaza after gunmen opened fire at a civilian vehicle involved in the construction of a barrier along the border. No injuries were reported as a result of the gunfire.

In the meantime, Hamas issued a statement saying that the group is “delivering on [its] promise.”

“The resistance accepted the responsibility to even the playing field with the enemy and it is succeeding in doing so,” it said in a statement.

 

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1027467505944674304

https://twitter.com/x/status/1027716089315315712

https://twitter.com/x/status/1027591616574443520

https://twitter.com/x/status/1027599111334154241

https://twitter.com/Ruptly/status/1027642924190916609

https://twitter.com/x/status/1027587546283487232

 

[angelburst29]

Israel’s underwater barrier designed to further blockade the besieged Gaza Strip
Revealed: first images of Israel’s sea barrier blockading Gaza


Israel’s Ministry of Defense yesterday released the first images of its sea barrier designed to further blockade the besieged Gaza Strip.
The barrier is located on Zikim beach, approximately three kilometres from Gaza’s northern frontier. The project is slated to be completed by the end of 2018 and is likely to cost an estimated 25 million shekels ($6.7 million).

When completed, the structure will stretch 200 metres out into the Mediterranean Sea, further cutting off the Gaza Strip from Israel. The barrier will consist of three layers: an underwater base level; a 50-metre-wide sea-level platform made of armoured stone, and a six-metre-high barbed wire fence. A further fence will also surround the barrier itself as “an additional security measure.”
The barrier has been praised by Defence Minister, Avigdor Liebermann. “The construction of the barrier around the Gaza Strip, both on land at sea, is progressing at a rapid and impressive pace,” said the extreme right-winger. “Every day that passes, our counterterrorism capabilities around the Gaza Strip are growing stronger.” According to Ma’an, Liebermann added that, “Hamas is losing its capability to attack Israel every day.”

The initiative will likely be seen as a further attempt by Israel to tighten its siege of the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing since 2007. Israel has closed all pedestrian and commercial crossings into and out of the enclave and has constructed a “security fence” along the Green (1949 Armistice) Line which serves as a border. Alone of all UN member states, Israel has never formally declared where its borders actually are. A no-go area of approximately 300 metres is also imposed on the Gaza side of the fence, restricting the access of many families and farmers to their land.

Israel has also imposed a naval blockade on the Gaza Strip, which currently limits Gaza’s fishermen to a distance of three nautical miles, some 17 less than was original proposed under the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s.

Last week, two ships belonging to the Freedom Flotilla attempted to break the naval blockade, but were intercepted by Israeli naval forces in international waters. Crew members of Al-Awda, the first ship to be intercepted, have accused Israeli forces of violence and other governments have said that Israel’s actions broke international law.

The impact of the siege has been severe. Gaza’s industrial and commercial sectors have been damaged, with Israel’s ban on imports of fuel and gas leading to shortages and high unemployment. Last week, senior UN officials voiced concern over the humanitarian situation facing Gaza’s children and the continued violation of their rights. Deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, said that the officials “called on all sides to put children’s rights ahead of any other considerations, and to take immediate steps to alleviate their suffering.”


August 2, 2018 - Tamimi’s mother: Support for Ahed is based on racism (Video)
Tamimi’s mother: Support for Ahed is based on racism

"All the children here are facing occupation," says Ahed Tamimi’s mother.

Ahed Tamimi’s mother said that the media attention and worldwide solidarity that her daughter received following her arrest by Israeli occupation forces was rooted in racism.

“Frankly it is probably Ahed’s looks that prompted this worldwide solidarity and that’s racist by the way,” Nariman Tamimi told the Anadolu Agency, “because many Palestinian children are in Ahed’s position but weren’t treated in this way.”

“In fact one journalist wrote in Haaretz once on why they sympathized with Ahed when they were trying to arrest me once; they arrested me and she was crying,” she explained. “It’s because they felt that she looked like them, she said. So perhaps the world showed more solidarity because she looks like their children, but all Palestinian children are Ahed Tamimi.”

“There are thousands of stories that the media needs to pay attention to and highlight all of the occupation’s crimes, because the occupation needs to be seen as the war crime it is and legal measures need to be taken to that effect,” she added.


August 22, 2018 - Ahed Tamimi’s brother handed 14-month prison sentence
Ahed Tamimi’s brother handed 14-month prison sentence

Ahed Tamimi’s brother, Waed, was sentenced on Monday to 14 months’ imprisonment for alleged stone throwing.

Waed, aged 22, has been detained by Israeli occupation forces since May over “suspected involvement in popular terror acts,” Middle East Eye(MEE) reported. On Monday, an Israeli military court found Waed guilty of participating in a “violent riot” in which an Israeli police officer was wounded. He was given a 14-month sentence after reaching a plea bargain, MEE added.

Waed’s father, Bassem Tamimi, told MEE that:

The whole case against my son is an admonitory one. I consider this to be revenge against the whole family. Many kids in similar cases went home without charges being filed against them. If it was someone from another family I believe he would have received less time.​

Bassem added that “this sentence was a surprise for us. This stole our moment of joy with Ahed’s release,” referring to the release of his daughter from Israeli prison in late July. Ahed had been serving an eight-month sentence in an Israeli jail after a video of her slapping an Israeli occupation soldier who trespassed on her family’s land went viral in December 2017.

Then 16 years old, Ahed was taken from her home in Nabi Saleh, a village northwest of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and placed in administrative detention. Her detention was repeatedly extended prior to her trial, which was conducted in a closed Israeli military court in February. After reaching a plea bargain she was sentenced to eight months in prison.

The Tamimi family have repeatedly been targeted by Israeli forces for their vocal activism against the Israeli occupation, which has been ongoing in the West Bank since 1967. Ahed’s cousin, Nour Tamimi, was also arrested for featuring in the viral video. After being held in an Israeli prison for two weeks, even though no charges had been brought against her, Nour was released on a 5,000-shekel ($1,455) bail. Ahed’s mother, Nariman, was also detained after she filmed the incident and shared it on social media.

Israel has since passed a law which bans the filming of its soldiers while on duty, with the penalty between five and ten years’ imprisonment depending on the perceived motive of the filming. The move has been seen as a bid to crackdown on activists like the Tamimis who document occupation forces’ human rights violations.

 

[angelburst29]

September 25, 2018 - Israel opens high-speed rail link between Tel Aviv Airport and Jerusalem
Israel opens high-speed rail link between Tel Aviv airport and Jerusalem | Reuters


Israel opened a high-speed rail link between Tel Aviv's international airport and Jerusalem on Tuesday, part of a $2 billion project that has drawn Palestinian complaints over its route through small parts of the occupied West Bank.

The train will cut travel time between Ben-Gurion Airport and a new, 80-metre-(260-foot)-deep underground terminal at the entrance to Jerusalem to around 20 minutes. By road, the trip takes at least 40 minutes.

At the airport, the bright red train drew smiles from eager passengers.

“It was like a dream come true ... It’s really quite amazing and will be a valuable asset to people wanting to get to and from the airport,” said Manchester-born Eli Rothbard, 45, a ground services employee at Ben Gurion.

The train, traveling at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph), traverses a series of new tunnels and bridges, passing through hills between Jerusalem and the airport, about 40 km (25 miles) away. The line runs through sections of land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war near the Palestinian village of Beit Surik, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, and in the Latrun Valley, about midway between the holy city and Ben-Gurion airport.

Palestinians who live in the West Bank are largely barred by Israel from traveling abroad via Ben-Gurion, and cross overland to Jordan instead to fly out of the airport in Amman. Israel cites security concerns for the ban.

“It is very sad that you see a railway and see modern technology on your land and inside your land and you cannot use it or exploit it because of the element of power of the occupation,” said Mohammed al-Tari, 55, from Beit Surik.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat accused Israel of “illegally making use of occupied Palestinian land” in setting the train’s route, which will eventually include a direct high-speed link between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv city itself.

Erekat said the train was part of Israel’s “agenda of turning its occupation into annexation”.

On a test run last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the opening of the line was “an historic moment” heralding a “new era for Jerusalem and the state of Israel.”

There have been plans for a fast train between Jerusalem and the city of Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial hub on the Mediterranean coast, since 1995. But the project - infrastructure work began in 2005 - has been slow-moving, plagued by a lack of funding and environmental concerns.

Completion of electrification work and the opening of the 60-km (37-mile)-long route between the two cities has been frequently postponed. No firm inaugural date has been announced.

When completed, the train journey time between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem will take under half an hour. The drive takes at least an hour. An existing rail line built by the Ottoman Turks more than 100 years ago meanders around picturesque hills and the journey takes more than 90 minutes.

At Ben-Gurion, Yogev Yair, a 41-year-old high-tech employee traveling with his toddler son to Jerusalem, hailed the opening of the high-speed link. “I personally have no problem with the line traversing the ‘Green Line’ (into the West Bank),” he said.

(18 photos)
Trump says he wants two-state solution for Middle East conflict | Reuters


September 25, 2018 - Saudi Arabia opens high speed train linking Islam's Holiest Cities
Saudi Arabia opens high-speed train linking Islam's holiest cities | Reuters


Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Tuesday inaugurated a 6.7 billion euro ($7.87 billion) high-speed rail linking the two holiest cities in Islam, part of efforts to boost tourism revenues as the country seeks to shed dependence on oil exports.

The 450-km (280-mile) Haramain Railway connecting Mecca and Medina with the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah is one of the largest transport projects in the Middle East, targeting nearly 60 million passengers annually. Commercial operations are set to begin next week.

“The journey between the Haramain (two holy mosques) is now shorter and easier than at any time before,” Transport Minister Nabil al-Amoudi told dignitaries gathered at the Jeddah station. “The project highlights the kingdom’s commitment to serving Islam and Muslims.”

Pilgrimage is the backbone of a plan to expand tourism under economic reforms announced two years ago by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the economy. The haj, a journey every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must perform once in a lifetime, can be a profound experience.

It is also big business for Saudi Arabia. The haj and the year-round lesser pilgrimage, umrah, generate billions of dollars in revenues from worshippers’ lodging, transport, gifts, food and fees.

The new rail link was built by a Spanish-led consortium and financed by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund. It halves travel time between Mecca, the spiritual heart of Islam, and Medina, its second most sacred site.

Project manager Mohammed Fallatah said the train would offer fast and reliable transportation to pilgrims as well as Saudis and foreign residents.

“The traveler will be comfortable. He can read books or magazines or enjoy watching the screens in business class, have a coffee or a light meal,” he said in an interview ahead of Tuesday’s ceremony.

SERVING PILGRIMS
The authorities hope the train will also stimulate growth of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), a massive business zone that was initiated under the previous ruler but remains relatively empty.

It will eventually link up with a new terminal at Jeddah airport, which has already started serving select domestic routes and will take over all flights by early next year.

Fatallah said further expansion could include connecting to a planned east-west train between the capital Riyadh and Jeddah.

Pilgrims comprise the bulk of Saudi Arabia’s 20 million annual foreign visitors, apart from workers and business travelers. More than two million came for this year’s haj and 6.5 million performed umrah in 2017.

Officials aim to increase the number of umrah and haj pilgrims to 15 million and five million respectively by 2020, and hope to double the umrah number again to 30 million by 2030.

In addition to public transit, Saudi Arabia is investing tens of billions of dollars in mega-hotels and a Grand Mosque restoration in Mecca.

The Faisalia project, running from the edge of Mecca toward the Red Sea, aims to attract visitors to coastal getaways and Islamic research centers.

Mecca governor Prince Khalid al-Faisal, a nephew of the king and one of his closest advisers, anticipates that the initiatives will contribute to social and cultural development alongside economic growth.

(21 photos)
Saudi Arabia opens high-speed train linking Islam's holiest cities | Reuters

 

[Ant22]

I can't find more photos of this event. But Bibi must be foaming at the mouth:

Israel fumes as Ahed Tamimi honored by Real Madrid soccer club

Ambassador accuses team of “indirectly encouraging aggression” for hosting Palestinian teen, who served a prison sentence after a video emerged showing her slapping an IDF soldier.
Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi, who served an eight-month sentence in Israeli jail for slapping and shoving IDF soldiers outside her home in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh late last year, was honored by Spanish soccer club Real Madrid on Saturday after being invited to visit the team’s stadium.

Tamimi arrived at Real Madrid’s home field of Santiago Bernabeu hours before the anticipated derby match between the club and Atletico Madrid. At the stadium, Tamimi met with Emilio Butragenio, a former striker for Real Madrid who currently serves as one of the club’s senior managers, and was given a team jersey with her name printed on its back.

Tamimi, 17, was accompanied by her father during her trip to Spain where she participated in several political events, Haaretz reported.

In response to Tamimi’s honoring by Real Madrid, Foreign Ministry spokesman Emanuel Nachshon tweeted that the incident was shameful and a disgrace to the sport’s values.

“What a shame, Real Madrid accepts a terrorist that incites to hatred and violence, what is the connection between this and soccer values?” he asked.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1046049531983482882

Daniel Kutner, Israel’s ambassador to Spain, wrote on Twitter: “Ahed Tamimi does not fight for peace, she defends violence and terror, the institutions that have received and celebrated her indirectly encourage aggression and not the dialogue and understanding that we need.”

Embasys spokesman Yoav Katz tweeted that Real Madrid was “receiving a terrorist who incites hatred and violence.”

(...) Many Palestinians saw her as bravely standing up to military control over the West Bank, while Israelis accused her family of using her as a pawn.

 

[angelburst29]

can't find more photos of this event. But Bibi must be foaming at the mouth:

Israel fumes as Ahed Tamimi honored by Real Madrid soccer club

Additional photos here: News about #AhedTamimi on Twitter

September 30, 2018 - Real Madrid honours Ahed Tamimi at home stadium
Real Madrid honours Ahed Tamimi at home stadium


September 10, 2018 - Israel bans Ahed Tamimi from travelling abroad
Israel bans Ahed Tamimi from travelling abroad

Palestinian teenager Ahed al-Tamimi in Ramallah, West Bank on 2 August, 2018 [İssam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

Israel this weekend banned teenage Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi and her family from travelling abroad to meet European human rights groups.

Ahed’s father Bassem Tamimi told the Anadolu Agency that the family had planned to travel to Europe via Jordan so that Ahed could speak about the Palestinian Resistance Movement and her experience of being detained in an Israeli prison. Speaking to Haaretz, Bassem explained that the family had been invited by human rights groups to attend meetings in Europe, with the trip scheduled to last 20 days and see Ahed speak in Belgium, France and Spain.

The family had planned to travel on Friday morning but they were prevented from doing so by Israeli authorities. The Tamimis were informed of the decision by Palestinian officials in the joint Israeli-Palestinian District Coordination and Liaison committee, who stressed that the decision had come from their Israeli counterparts. The paper added that “Israeli security authorities told Haaretz that Tamimi, her parents and one of her brothers is barred entry solely to Israel. However, a different security source confirmed the family’s claim and told Haaretz the decision was made by [Israeli intelligence agency] Shin Bet.”

Although Israel did not provide a reason for the travel ban, the move will be interpreted as an attempt to silence Ahed, who has gained a high profile since her arrest in December 2017.

Ahed was filmed slapping an Israeli occupation soldier who trespassed on her family’s land in the village of Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. She was held in administrative detention which was repeatedly extended before she was finally sentenced to eight months in prison by a closed Israeli military court.

Footage of the December incident went viral, prompting international interest in her case and widespread solidarity movements. Ahed’s mother Nariman, who was arrested alongside Ahed, said in August that the international interest in Ahed was “based on racism”, explaining that “frankly it is probably Ahed’s looks that prompted this worldwide solidarity […] because many Palestinian children are in Ahed’s position but weren’t treated in this way”. Ahed was released from Israeli prison in late July.

Israel has also targeted other members of the Tamimi family. In August, just a few days after Ahed’s release, her brother Waed was sentenced to 14-months’ imprisonment for alleged stone throwing. The 22-year-old had been detained by Israeli occupation forces since May over “suspected involvement in popular terror acts” and was found guilty of “participating in a violent riot.” Bassem described his son’s arrest as “an admonitory case,” explaining: “I consider this to be revenge against the whole family. Many kids in similar cases went home without charges being filed against them. If it was someone from another family I believe he would have received less time”.

Restrictions on movement and travel abroad are frequently used by Israel to punish and control Palestinians. Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem argues that “restricting movement is one of the main tools Israel employs to enforce its regime of occupation. Israel imposes restrictions on the movement of Palestinians within the West Bank, and travel between it and the Gaza Strip, into East Jerusalem, Israel, and abroad.” Observing the Nabi Saleh checkpoint, B’Tselem highlights the presence of a watch-tower permanently staffed by Israeli soldiers, a metal gate and concrete blocks. B’Tselem also notes there is no set schedule for the Nabi Saleh checkpoint, meaning it can be opened and closed at whim by Israeli forces.


August 7, 2018 - Mahmoud Abbas: Stop Exploiting Ahed Tamimi for Personal Gain
Mahmoud Abbas: Stop Exploiting Ahed Tamimi for Personal Gain

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) welcomes Palestinian teenager Ahed al-Tamimi (R), who was awarded the "Hanzala Award for Courage" in Turkey, after she was released from Israeli prison along with her mother at the Presidential Office in Ramallah, West Bank on 29 July, 2018 [Palestinian Presidency Handout/Anadolu Agency]

 

[Ant22]

I can't find more photos of this event. But Bibi must be foaming at the mouth:

Israel fumes as Ahed Tamimi honored by Real Madrid soccer club

Additional photos here: News about #AhedTamimi on Twitter

Thank you angelburst29! Articles I found yesterday all posted the same photos. I was even wondering if this is legit for a moment but the tweets were real so I figured it is.

Embasys spokesman Yoav Katz tweeted that Real Madrid was “receiving a terrorist who incites hatred and violence.”

I have to say Israel's response is just idiotically ridiculous, a teenager who slapped a soldier is a terrorist? If this is how they define terrorism, what would they call themselves? Oh yeah, I forgot, they're "the only democracy in the Middle East".

And inciting "hatred and violence"? Did she slap that soldier becuase she didn't like his haircut or something? No, those lunatics have been occupying her land and murdering her fellow countrymen for decades.

I gotta say that even football players do not exaggerate their injuries and hurt as much as Israel does.

 

[Cosmos]

Clearly, for the political class in Israel everyone is a terrorist who tries to point out the obvious; that the Israeli state as it has been running for many decades now, belongs right on top of the list of terrorist organizations together with IS and the Saudi government. And their little foot-soldiers from the IDF are the bloody extension of this terror everywhere in the region. So for the Israelis to even dare to call her a terrorist simply defies believe. But then again it is nothing new for those deranged and unconscionable people in the government.

 

[angelburst29]

She was held in administrative detention which was repeatedly extended before she was finally sentenced to eight months in prison by a closed Israeli military court.

Ahed al-Tamimi is a very rare and brave individual! I pray - no harm comes to her! Her family has endured a lot of abuse, along with her. I think, her Brother is still in prison - for just being her Brother?

I had hoped that Trump would have intervened but he stayed clear of the incident. Ahed's dentention was one things but to put her and then her Mother in prison was just an act of Power and Force on Israel's side. The Big Bullies!

 

[angelburst29]

Friday Oct. 5, 2018 - Israel's Prime Minister questioned again in corruption probe
Israel's prime minister questioned again in corruption probe | Reuters

Israeli police questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the 12th time on Friday in connection with a long-running corruption investigation.

Investigators questioned Netanyahu’s for several hours at his official residence in Jerusalem. Army Radio and other news outlets said
questioning focused on two cases in which police have already recommended indictments against him.

One case deals with gifts allegedly given to Netanyahu and his family, and the other with claims he discussed securing better coverage in Yedioth Ahronoth, one of Israel’s largest newspapers, in return for curbs on rival daily Israel Hayom.

No charges have been brought against the Israeli leader, who denies any wrongdoing and has called the allegations baseless.

It will be up to Israel’s attorney general to decide whether to file charges. Partners in Netanyahu’s governing coalition have stood by him, saying they are awaiting the attorney general’s next moves.

The police said in a statement that Friday’s questioning lasted “a number of hours” but provided no details.

A spokesman for Netanyahu said the prime minister “answered every question with full confidence, knowing clearly that nothing happened and therefore nothing will come of it.”

Netanyahu has also been questioned in a third case in which police allege the owners of Israel’s largest telecom company provided favorable coverage of him and his wife on a news website they controlled in return for special treatment from communications regulators.


Oct. 5, 2018 - Palestinians say Israeli troops kill three, including a child, at Gaza protest
Palestinians say Israeli troops kill three, including a child, at Gaza protest | Reuters

Israeli forces killed three Palestinians including a child at a border protest in Gaza on Friday, Palestinian officials said. The Israeli army said it was defending against members of the crowd who were throwing grenades and explosives at its soldiers.

Thousands of Palestinians had gathered for a weekly protest along Israel’s border fence with the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the Islamist group Hamas.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said three Palestinians, including a 12-year-old boy, were shot dead by Israeli forces. At least 126 others were wounded by bullets, it said.

Israel’s military said in a statement that some Palestinians were “throwing explosive devices and grenades, rolling burning tires and hurling rocks” at its soldiers and the border fence. A group even crossed the fence into Israel to throw grenades before returning to the Gaza Strip, it said.

No Israelis were wounded. Israeli army gunfire has killed at least 195 Palestinians since the border protests began in March,
Gaza medics say. An Israeli soldier has been killed by a Palestinian sniper. Tracts of Israeli land have been burnt up by incendiary materials flown over the border by kite or balloon.

Gaza protesters demand an end to an Israeli and Egyptian blockade and rights to lands that Palestinian families fled or were driven from on Israel’s founding in 1948.


Fri Oct 05, 2018 - Israel Detains 14 Palestinians in West Bank Raids, Including Journalist
Farsnews

The Israeli military detained 14 Palestinians during raids in the West Bank, including a journalist, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS).

It said the army detained four people from Salfit in the North of the West Bank, including the journalist Walid Khaled, two from Qalqilya and two more from Nablus, WAFA reported.

Three others were detained from the Toubas district in the Jordan Valley and three from the Bethlehem district in the south of the West Bank.


Fri Oct 05, 2018 - Prisoners’ Commission: 35 Minors Detained by Israel in September, Fined over $12,600
Farsnews

It said the minors, who are under 18 years of age, were held at Ofer military camp, near Ramallah, of whom four were detained during night raids at their family homes, 20 taken from the roads, seven detained at military checkpoints in the occupied territories, three detained after they answered a summons and one for being in Israel without permit, WAFA reported.

The commission said that 14 children were brutally beaten during detention, 20 who were sentenced to prison terms ranging between 31 days and nine months and two were held in administrative detention without charge or trial.

It said the arrest of minors, which jeopardizes their future, is a violation of international law and the convention on children.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Friday Oct. 5, 2018 - Israel's Prime Minister questioned again in corruption probe
Israel's prime minister questioned again in corruption probe | Reuters

Israeli police questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the 12th time on Friday in connection with a long-running corruption investigation.

PressTV-Protesters gather as Netanyahu questioned for corruption

Anti-corruption protesters gathered outside the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem al-Quds on Friday, for the 12th interrogation over corruption charges.

Protesters gathered outside Netanyahu's house with banners reading, Crime Minster, while chanting slogans demanding his resignation.

(Source: Ruptly)

 

[angelburst29]

The number of Palestinians injured in clashes with the Israeli army near the Gaza Strip border on Friday reached 376 people, Gaza Healthcare Ministry spokesman Ashraf Qidra told Sputnik, adding that two other people died in the violence.

06.10.2018 - Number of Palestinians Wounded in Friday Gaza Clashes reaches 376
Number of Palestinians Wounded in Friday Gaza Clashes Reaches 376

On Friday, Qidra told Sputnik that 45 people had been injured in the fighting.

According to the Palestinian health authorities, 192 people have been hospitalized, including 7 people who sustained grave injuries in the clashes. A 12-year-old boy is among those killed.


Sat Oct 06, 2018 - UNRWA Concerned about Israeli Statements on Operations, Installations in East-Jerusalem
Farsnews

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) expressed its concern about recent statements made by the Mayor of Jerusalem on its operations and installations in East-Jerusalem.

UNRWA conducts humanitarian operations in conformity with the UN Charter, bilateral and multilateral agreements that continue in force, and relevant General Assembly resolutions, PNN reported.

The Agency is specifically mandated by the UN General Assembly to deliver protection and assistance to Palestine refugees in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, pending a resolution of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

UNRWA has continuously maintained operations in the occupied Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem since 1967 with the cooperation and on the basis of a formal agreement with Israel, which remains in force.

The Agency is recognized for the important work it carries out in education, health-care, relief and social services in East Jerusalem. It is determined to continue carrying out these services.

Such messaging challenges the core principles of impartial and independent humanitarian action and does not reflect the robust and structured dialogue and interaction that UNRWA and Israel have traditionally maintained.