US aid deal ‘significant reward’ for Israeli right
The new military aid deal formalised by the United States and Israel on September 14 could serve to boost an intransigent, right-wing Israeli government that has already shown little appetite for substantial concessions to the Palestinians, analysts say. “The primary lesson that the increasingly extremist Israeli right will draw from this agreement is that there […]
The politics of an accident in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
The cooler evenings of September in the hills of the Occupied Palestinian Territories are a perfect time to sit out on the balcony and chat with family and friends over coffee and grapes. On Saturday evening around 8pm, the Da’adoun family were doing just that in the town of Al Khadir, south of Bethlehem.
King of Jordan denounces ‘violations’ of al-Aqsa Mosque
Jordan’s King Abdullah II said on Monday that he stands firmly against any Israeli attacks on al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. In an interview with the Jordanian broadcaster Ad-Dustour, the monarch promised to fight “repeated violations and attacks carried out by Israel and extremist groups” at the holy site. “We are continuously dealing with…the blatant […]
Why is al-Aqsa mosque compound a recurrent flash point?
Al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem is one of the most sacred sites in Islam. The compound is also claimed by Jews. It has been central to years of political conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. On Sunday, hundreds of Jewish settlers and far right activists entered al-Aqsa mosque compound under the protection of Israeli […]
Egypt joins in condemnation of Israel over Temple Mount
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Monday joined Jordan in condemning Israel for permitting Jews to enter the Temple Mount, Haaretz reports. The ministry’s statement came a day after police arrested a number of Jews for violating visitation rules at the site on Sunday, when Jews observed the Tisha B’Av fast marking the destruction of the […]
Facebook takes down Hamas accounts
Facebook reportedly closed the account of Hamas leader Ismail Radwan on Facebook, in addition Sami Abu Zuhri, Fawzi Barhoum and Salah Bardawil, in the midst of municipal Gazan election season. Hamas leaders frequently use their social media accounts to garner support for terrorism and incitement to terror. Last week, Facebook closed the account of Islamic […]
Seven Jewish visitors ejected from Temple Mount on religious holiday
Tel Aviv (dpa) – Seven Jewish visitors were removed from Temple Mount by police on Sunday as thousands gathered in Jerusalem’s Old City to pray at the Wailing Wall on a Jewish fast day, Israeli media said. According to police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, the seven, out of a group of about 300 Jewish visitors, were […]
Thousands of Jews pray at Wailing Wall in memory of ancient temples
Tel Aviv (dpa) – Thousands of Jews prayed at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday in memory of the destruction of the ancient Jewish temples, as hundreds of Israeli police patrolled the streets. The increase in security was meant to prevent confrontations as Orthodox Jews mark the annual fast day of Tisha […]
Israeli prison ‘like being inside a grave’
Amal al-Sada, a 28-year-old Palestinian woman from Hebron, had been visiting her jailed older brother for more than a decade before deciding to risk smuggling a SIM card to him – unaware of the price she would pay for the attempt. After spending eight months under house arrest in the Kseifa area of the Negev […]
Israel accuses World Vision aid worker of funding Hamas
Israel has accused a representative of the US-based Christian relief group World Vision of funnelling millions of dollars in aid money to Hamas fighters in Gaza, charges that the group denies. Briefing reporters on Thursday, a senior Israeli security official said that Mohammad El Halabi, World Vision’s manager of operations in Gaza, had siphoned off […]