Daily Archives: June 18, 2020

2020-06-18: News Headlines

Ali Salam (2020-06-18). Israeli Colonists Raze Palestinian-owned Lands near Nablus. imemc.org Illegal Israeli settlers, on Wednesday, razed several dunams of land that belongs to the Palestinian village of Qusra, south of Nablus city, in the northern occupied West Bank, to be used for a road for illegal colonial projects, according to a settlements-watch group. Palestinian official, Ghassan Daghlas, chief monitor of …

Ali Salam (2020-06-18). Armed Israeli Settlers Level Palestinian-owned Land near Jericho. imemc.org An Israeli settler, on Wednesday, levelled vast amounts of Palestinian-owned lands in the Bedouin al-Malihat area, northwest of Jericho, in the eastern occupied West Bank, local sources said. Fatah official, Suleiman Malihat, told Palestinian WAFA News Agency that an armed settler levelled 350 dunams (87 acres) of nearby Palestinian-owned land, …

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-06-18). Al-Zahar: 'Calm, in Return for Calm' Can't Last Forever. imemc.org In a new statement to media outlets, influential Hamas leader in Gaza, Mahmoud Al-Zahar, warned that the continuation of the Israeli siege and the 'calm, in return for calm' on both sides of the borders, can not last forever. Al-Zahar's remarks, which were reported by local Palestinian media outlets, including …

yenisafak (2020-06-18). EU 'strongly' urges Israel not to annex West Bank. yenisafak.com EU strongly urges Israel to refrain from the annexation of any occupied Palestinian territory, the bloc's foreign policy chief said on Thursday. | Josep Borrell was speaking at the plenary session of the European Parliament. | It would be a "serious violation of international law" if the Israeli government decided unilaterally to annex any parts of the West Bank, he said. | The majority of EU member states can only accept "a negotiated two-state solution, based on international parameters". | Borrell said he had recently informed the new Israeli ministers on foreign affairs and defense, Gavriel Ashkenazi and Benj…

Muhammed Shabeer (2020-06-17). "The Netanyahu government is a betrayal of the people's mandate" peoplesdispatch.org The Communist Party-led Hadash has emerged as a major force among the leftist groups in Israel. Hadash has displaced the exhausted Israeli left bloc of the Labour and Meretz in the recently concluded elections to the Knesset. Here, Peoples Dispatch (PD) talks to Arafat Bdarny, Secretary-General of the Israeli Communist Youth, regarding the relevance of the communist movement in contemporary Israeli politics and the peace process. | Peoples Dispatch (PD): What has been the status of the COVID-19 spread in Israel and what has its impact been on the people, especially the working class? How effective has been the go…

Middle East Eye (2020-06-17). Israel Increases Secretive Nuclear Stockpile to 90 Warheads: Enough to Blow Up the Planet… globalresearch.ca Israel may have increased its nuclear stockpile from 80 warheads in 2019 to 90 in 2020, according to a new report by a leading global arms watchdog. | The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) said in its

Middle East Eye (2020-06-17). Israel Increases Secretive Nuclear Stockpile to 90 Warheads: Report. globalresearch.ca Israel may have increased its nuclear stockpile from 80 warheads in 2019 to 90 in 2020, according to a new report by a leading global arms watchdog. | The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) said in its

_____ (2020-06-17). Will Moscow Save The West Bank From Annexation? popularresistance.org Palestinian efforts against Israel's plans to annex Palestinian territory are being exercised on three levels. Locally, Palestinians have severed all relations, including security coordination, with Israel and the United States. Regionally, Jordan has been spearheading the Arab response to the Israeli plan, including efforts by the only two Arab countries that have a peace plan with Israel: Jordan and Egypt. | On the international level, Palestinian energy has been largely focused on three members of the Middle East Quartet — the European Union, the United Nations, and Russia. The focus is on these three in…

ahtribune (2020-06-17). After the West Bank When (How Soon) Will the East Follow? ahtribune.com Whatever percentage of the West Bank Israel begins to annex in July, it will eventually annex the rest. Will it then turn to the east bank of the Jordan river? | Since the 19th century, the Zionist project was based on the seizure of all Palestine, including territory east of the Jordan. The map of 'Israel' presented to the Paris peace conference in 1919 extended northwards into what is now Lebanon and included the city of Sidon; in the northeast, all the Golan Heights and Syria almost as far as Damascus; in the southeast the entire Jordan River valley, with the territory it desired extending almost to the tow…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-06-17). Exposing Israel's Direct Role in US Violence. dissidentvoice.org The banning of deadly police practices by many American states and cities following the murder of an African American man, George Floyd, at the hands of Minneapolis police officers is, once more, shedding light on US-Israeli collaboration in the fields of security and crowd-control. From California to New York, and from Washington State to Minneapolis, …

Al-Mezan Center For Human Rights (2020-06-17). On Behalf of 43 NGOs, Al Mezan calls to lift Israel's illegal Gaza closure at the UN Human Rights Council, Geneva. imemc.org Al-Mezan Center For Human Rights: United Nations Human Rights Council — 43rd Regular Session Item 7 — Human Rights Situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories Joint Oral Intervention Delivered by: Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights NGOs in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social …

RT (2020-06-17). Trudeau's anti-Palestinian record & support for Israel is out of touch with what Canadians want — survey. rt.com Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is out of touch with Canadians' views on Israel's annexation of the West Bank, a survey reveals. As Canada vies for a spot on the UN Security Council, its pro-Israel record may hamper its chances. | A new

Miko Peled (2020-06-17). The Murders of Floyd and Halak Exposed the US and Israel as Settler-Colonial Enterprises. mintpressnews.com The systemic oppression faced by blacks and Palestinians in the United States and Israel is indicative of a deeply rooted racism rarely found in true democracies.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-17). Hamas calls for greater Palestinian unity to resist Israeli annexation plan. peoplesdispatch.org The Hamas movement has called for a broader unity among Palestinians to confront Israel's proposed annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank from July 1. Addressing the media on Monday June 15, senior Hamas official and member of its political bureau, Salah al-Bardawil said that a united struggle will bring the "Palestinian project back on track." | Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that his government will start the process of extending Israeli sovereignty in the Jordan Valley and in areas of the occupied West Bank where illegal Israeli settlements are located beginning on July 1. Accor…

IMEMC News (2020-06-17). Israeli Colonists Burn Palestinian Lands Near Nablus. imemc.org Many fanatic illegal Israeli colonialist settlers burned, on Wednesday evening, Palestinian agricultural in Burin village, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Media sources said the colonists came from the illegal Ronim outpost, and burnt agricultural lands in the eastern area of the village, setting fields and trees …

IMEMC News (2020-06-17). Soldiers Abduct Seven Palestinians, Including Four Children, In Silwan. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday at dawn, five children, in addition to a mother and her son, in Silwan town, south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in occupied East Jerusalem. The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (Silwanic) has reported that the soldiers stormed and ransacked many homes in the town, …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-17). UN experts condemn Israeli annexation plan. peoplesdispatch.org UN experts, in a joint statement on June 16, said the controversial Israeli plan to annex the Jordan valley and the illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank is illegal and would be a grave violation of the human rights of Palestinians…

IMEMC News (2020-06-17). Israeli Army Demolishes Many Structures, Stores, Near Jerusalem. imemc.org On Wednesday morning, Israeli soldiers, accompanied by bulldozers, invaded Abu Dis town, east of occupied East Jerusalem, before demolishing a shed, an under-construction building, and several stores, owned by Palestinians from the town. The WAFA Palestinian News & Info Agency has reported that the soldiers demolished a shed owned by …

IMEMC News (2020-06-17). Army Uproots Palestinian Lands Near Bethlehem. imemc.org Israeli army jeeps and armored bulldozers invaded, Wednesday, the al-Badia ash-Sharqiya area in the al-Freidis village, east of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, before bulldozing and uprooting Palestinian lands. Hasan Breijiyya, the head of the Bethlehem office of the "Colonization & Wall Resistance Commission," has reported that the Israeli …

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-06-17). Israeli Forces Confiscate Palestinian-owned Bulldozers, Equipment. imemc.org Israeli forces, on Wednesday, seized five Palestinian-owned bulldozers in addition to other excavation equipment, in the western Almazra'a village, northwest of the central West Bank city of Ramallah. Board-member of the municipality of the western Mazra'a village, Waseem Ladadwa, told the Palestinian WAFA News Agency that dozens of Israeli soldiers …

The Palestinian News & Info Agency (2020-06-17). UN experts: Israel's annexation of West Bank land a serious violation of UN Charter, Conventions. imemc.org GENEVA, Tuesday, June 16, 2020 (WAFA): Israel's planned annexation of large swaths of the occupied West Bank land starting July 1 constitutes a serious violation of the United Nations Charter and the Geneva Conventions and the international community has a duty to prevent it, today said 47 of the independent …

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-06-17). Israeli Forces Close an Archaeological Site in Nablus City. imemc.org Israeli forces closed, early on Tuesday, an ancient archaeological site in the northern occupied West Bank city of Nablus. Mayor of Sebastia village, north of Nablus city, Mr. Mohammad Azem, confirmed that Israeli troops invaded the village in the early hours of dawn, and began cordoning off the Sebastia archaeological …

Staff (2020-06-17). Adalah backs warning from UN human rights experts: Morning after Israel's West Bank annexation will be 'vision of 21st century apartheid'. imemc.org 17/06/2020: ADALAH — The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights In Israel: UN experts:…

_____ (2020-06-17). German Party Calls For Sanctions On Israel. popularresistance.org Germany's left-wing party Die Linke is calling for sanctions on Israel if it proceeds with its planned annexation of large parts of the occupied West Bank. | In Germany there is a strictly enforced — but intellectually lazy and morally repugnant — elite consensus that unconditional support for Israel and inaction in the face of its crimes against Palestinians are necessary to atone for the murder of millions of European Jews in German government death camps. | Few prominent German politicians have the courage or moral clarity to understand that genuine and principled atonement would mean applying the…

yenisafak (2020-06-17). Scores of Israelis storm Al-Aqsa complex in Jerusalem. yenisafak.com The official with the Jordan—run Islamic Waqf Department said 171 settlers toured the site under the protection of Israeli police. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. | The Waqf department has repeatedly called on the Israeli government to halt settler visits to the holy site as they trigger confrontations with Muslim worshippers.. | Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times. | Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 196…

IMEMC News (2020-06-16). Israeli Soldiers Injure Five Palestinians Near Jerusalem. imemc.org Israeli soldiers invaded, on Tuesday evening, Kafr 'Aqab Palestinian town, north of occupied East Jerusalem, and injured five Palestinians during ensuing protests. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has reported that its medics provided treatment four Palestinians who were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets. The PRCS added that a fifth …

_____ (2020-06-16). Parallels Between Minneapolis And Jerusalem Are More Than Skin Deep. popularresistance.org It is hard to ignore the striking parallels between the recent scenes of police brutality in cities across the United States and decades of violence from Israel's security forces against Palestinians. | A video that went viral late last month of a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, killing a black man, George Floyd, by pressing a knee into his neck for nearly nine minutes has triggered a fortnight of mass protests across the US — and beyond. | The footage was the latest disturbing visual evidence of a US police culture that appears to treat Black Americans as an enemy — and a reminder that rog…

Max Blumenthal (2020-06-16). From Occupation to 'Occupy': The Israelification of American Domestic Security. globalresearch.ca In October, the Alameda County Sheriff's Department turned parts of the campus of the University of California in Berkeley into an urban battlefield. The occasion was

Rima Najjar (2020-06-16). Annexation of Palestine or "Uneventful Occurrence"‚Ää—‚ÄäWhat Do You See? globalresearch.ca Israeli soldier executing the kidnapping of several Nahalin villagers southeast of Bethlehem in the West Bank, including Mohammad Afif Fannoun, on June 12, 2020. | When you visualize it, as I try to, what does Israel's forthcoming annexation of parts of …

James J. Zogby (2020-06-16). Israel's Illegal Annexation of Palestine. globalresearch.ca With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promising to annex portions of the West Bank, liberal critics here in the US and across Europe are in a tizzy. They have been quick to point fingers blaming this crisis on Netanyahu and …

_____ (2020-06-16). July 1: Call To Action To Confront Israeli Annexation, Free Palestine. popularresistance.org We know that many Palestinians in exile and supporters of Palestine are, like Samidoun's members, engaged in the uprisings and mass mobilizations taking to the streets to confront anti-Black racism and demand the defunding and dismantling of police and other structures of oppression. Confronting Israel's annexation plans — fully backed by U.S. imperialism and inspired by Zionist racism — also comes as part of the global fightback against racism, colonialism and imperialism. Israel's crimes are backed by $3.8 billion in military aid from the U.S. each year as well as unlimited diplomatic, political and…

Global Research News (2020-06-16). Selected Articles: Towards the Annexation of Palestine. globalresearch.ca Dear Readers, | We regularly receive feedback from you telling us how important the articles we publish are to you, especially in today's tumultuous and uncertain times. We thank you, and pledge that we will continue to deliver our daily dose …

RT (2020-06-16). Jewish center to host imam who defended al-Qaeda medic and justified call for Israel's destruction. rt.com A prominent Jewish cultural center in New York is taking the unusual step of hosting an imam who once justified calls for Israel's destruction and defended an al-Qaeda medic. | The 92Y cultural center has invited Imam Al-Hajj Talib Abdur-Rashid, of New York's Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood, to a virtual conference where he will discuss how society can move past the shared hardships of "recent events" with Rabbi Peter Rubinstein of New York's Central Synagogue. | The

news.un (2020-06-16). Rights experts call for global opposition to Israel's annexation plans. news.un.org Nearly 50 independent human rights experts are calling for the international community to oppose Israel's plan to annex significant parts of the occupied Palestinian West Bank beginning as early as next month.

IMEMC News (2020-06-16). Israeli Soldiers Abduct Four Palestinians In Jerusalem. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Tuesday evening, four Palestinians, including two children, in the Old City and the al-'Isawiya town, in occupied East Jerusalem, after assaulting them. The child was kidnapped by undercover soldiers. The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (Silwanic) has reported that the soldiers attacked several children in …

IMEMC News (2020-06-16). PPS: "Israeli Soldiers Abduct Thirteen Palestinians In West Bank" imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has confirmed that Israeli soldiers abducted, on Tuesday at dawn, thirteen Palestinians from their homes in several parts of the occupied West Bank. The PPS office in Hebron governorate, in southern West Bank, said the soldiers stormed and ransacked many homes, especially in Beit Ummar …

Ali Salam (2020-06-16). Israeli Settlers Vandalise Palestinian-owned Property near Nablus. imemc.org Illegal Israeli settlers committed vandalism of Palestinian-owned property by damaging solar panels, on Monday, in the village of Aqraba, south of Nablus city, the Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported. Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian official monitoring Israel's colonialist activities in the northern West Bank, said that colonists attacked the homes of …

yenisafak (2020-06-16). Israel's annexation of West Bank to flout int'l law: UN. yenisafak.com The agreement by the new coalition government of Israel to annex significant parts of the occupied Palestinian West Bank after July 1 would violate a cornerstone principle of international law, a group of UN experts said Tuesday.Forty-seven of the independent Special Procedures mandates appointed by the Human Rights Council said such move by Israel "must be meaningfully opposed by the international community"'."The annexation of occupied territory is a serious violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the Geneva Conventions, and contrary to the fundamental rule affirmed many times by the United Nations S…

ahtribune (2020-06-15). What About U.S.-Supported Racism in Palestine and Kashmir? ahtribune.com The savage murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer has caused worldwide protests against the racism that is so prevalent in the United States. Other such murders have caused civil unrest, but the current situation seems to have struck a nerve more than most. U.S. politicians support the cry for equal justice, but quickly change the subject to criticize any violence that occurs during the protests. | The hypocrisy of U.S. government officials knows no bounds. We have seen likely Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden visit the family of Mr. Floyd, but this writer does not recall him vis…

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Israel owns 90 nuclear warheads: Report. yenisafak.com Israel is believed to possess between 80 and 90 nuclear warheads, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on Monday. | In a report, SIPRI said Israel continues to pursue a policy of ambiguity regarding its nuclear program. | It said that the number of nuclear warheads in Israel rose to 90, up from 80 warheads in 2019. | "The nine nuclear-armed states—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)—together possessed an estimated 13,400 nuclear weapons at the start of 2020," the S…

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-06-15). Israeli Forces Demolish Palestinian-owned Livestock Barn in Jordan Valley. imemc.org In the agriculturally-rich northern West Bank area of Al-Aghwar, Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian-owned livestock tent, according to a local activist. Palestinian activist, Aref Daraghma, told Palestinian media sources that Israeli soldiers invaded Um Liqya rural neighborhood and began tearing down a tent, used by local farmers as a livestock …

ahtribune (2020-06-15). Do Palestinians' Lives Matter? ahtribune.com Lately, anti-racism activists and their fellow-travelers have been vandalizing statues in the UK, including a memorial to Winston Churchill. Even Nelson is threatened. And Robert Peel, like Churchill, has been boarded up for protection from the loonies. Incredibly Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland 1306-1329, hero of Bannockburn and bringer of independence, has been branded a racist by graffiti scribblers. Bruce (or de Brus), Earl of Carrick and 7th Lord of Annandale, was of Norman descent I believe. So, is our entire medieval history and culture — 1066 and all that – condemned? If it's the feudal system…

Global Research News (2020-06-15). If Israel Annexes Part of West Bank, Palestine "Will Declare Statehood on 1967 Borders" globalresearch.ca Palestinian officials "are stepping up pressure on Israel to cancel its planned annexation of part of the West Bank". | If Israel proceeds, "they will immediately declare a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip." | The Palestinian government threatened …

RT (2020-06-15). Hamas calls for Palestinians' unity and resistance against Israeli plans to annex West Bank areas. rt.com The Hamas movement has called for unity among Palestinians against Israeli plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. "We call for the annexation project to be confronted with resistance in all forms," said Salah al-Bardawil, a senior official of the Islamist movement, on Monday. | "We call on our people to transform this hardship into an opportunity to get the Palestinian project back on track," AFP quoted the official as saying. | Despite deep divisions between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Bardawil called for a "union of the political class." He called fo…

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-06-15). Dozens of Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. imemc.org Several Israeli Settlers, on Monday, stormed the vicinity of the Al-Aqsa mosque of the internationally-recognized occupied East Jerusalem. The group was lead by Israeli leader, Yehuda Glick, local sources said. Palestinian sources including Muslim worshipers, present at the scene, told media outlets that Israeli soldiers ensured full protection for the …

Ali Salam (2020-06-15). Settlers Assault Palestinian Man in Hebron, Storm Nearby Village. imemc.org Israeli settlers from the illegal settlement of Dabouyia assaulted a Palestinian man on Shuhada Street in Hebron, southern West Bank, Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported. Similarly, illegal settlers from the Kiryat Arba colony in Hebron attacked Palestinian homes and vehicles, causing property damage. On Saturday, illegal Israeli settlers stormed the …

Ali Salam (2020-06-15). Israeli Soldiers Re-arrest Palestinian Immediately after his Release. imemc.org Palestinian prisoner, Salah Hussein, was released on Sunday, when he met his 5 year old son for the first time, accompanied by his wife, Quds News Network reported. Hussein just completed fifteen years in Israeli prison held his son, Ali, for the first time since he was born. Ali was …

Ali Salam (2020-06-15). Palestinian-owned Home Demolished by Israeli Forces in Shu'fat Refugee Camp. imemc.org Israeli bulldozers, accompanied by occupation forces, on Monday, demolished a Palestinian-owned building in the Shu'fat refugee camp, near Jerusalem in the southern occupied West Bank, Alray reported. Local sources said that Israeli forces stormed the Ras Shehadeh neighborhood of the Refugee Camp, and proceeded to demolish a two storey house, …

Ali Salam (2020-06-15). Eight Palestinians, Including one Minor Detained by Israeli Forces in West Bank. imemc.org Israeli forces arrested seven Palestinian civilians across the occupied West Bank, on Sunday at dawn, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Society. Israeli soldiers abducted three Palestinian civilians from the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, identified as; 1. Osaid Al-Din Abu Shaira, 17, from Aida refugee camp, 2.

Ali Salam (2020-06-15). Fourteen Palestinians Detained by Israeli Forces across West Bank. imemc.org Israeli forces, on Monday, abducted 14 Palestinians from several areas of the occupied West Bank, Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported. Local sources said that Israeli police arrested five Palestinians after ransacking their houses in the al-Tur neighborhood of East Jerusalem, southern West Bank. Sources added that police assaulted two brothers …