2021-02-11: News Headlines

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-11). The Russian Alternative: How Moscow is capitalizing on US Retreat in Palestine, Israel. dissidentvoice.org Israeli anxiety was palpable when it was reported that Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was not contacted by the new American President, Joe Biden, for days after the latter's inauguration. While much is being read into Biden's decision, including Washington's lack of enthusiasm to return to the 'peace process', Moscow is generating much attention as a …

Jonathan Cook (2021-02-11). How Israel's Netanyahu helped break apart the Joint List. dissidentvoice.org For six years the Joint List had served as a beacon of political hope. Not just for the large Palestinian minority in Israel it represented, but also for a global Palestinian audience disillusioned by years of infighting between Fatah and Hamas that has sidelined the national cause. But last week, the Joint List's coalition of …

Liaquat Ali Khan (2021-02-11). Fatou Bensouda: A Daring Prosecutor Who Challenged the US, Israeli Impunity. counterpunch.org Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has dared to take on the US, Israeli impunity and opened investigations in Afghanistan and the Israeli-occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank. In March 2020, the ICC authorized the Prosecutor to investigate whether the US troops and contractors committed war crimes and crimes

Online News Editor (2021-02-11). Israel relaxes lockdown restrictions to partially reopen schools. laprensalatina.com Jerusalem, Feb 11 (efe-epa).- Hundreds of thousands of kindergarten and elementary school students returned to in-person learning for the first time in a month on Thursday as Israel continued easing its lockdown restrictions despite climbing daily coronavirus cases. The partial school reopening only affects 20 percent of the students in Israel, while the remaining 80 …

Raji Sourani (2021-02-10). ICC's "Landmark Decision" Could Open Door to Prosecuting Israel for War Crimes. zcomm.org The International Criminal Court has ruled it has the authority to investigate alleged Israeli war crimes in the Palestinian territories…

MEE staff (2021-02-10). Egypt reopens Gaza's Rafah crossing following Hamas and Fatah election deal. middleeasteye.net Egypt reopens Gaza's Rafah crossing following Hamas and Fatah election deal | Egyptian authorities allowed travellers in Egypt and Gaza to cross after the two Palestinian parties agreed to respect upcoming election results | Wed, 02/10/2021 – 14: 17 | Palestinians at the reopened Rafah border crossing travel from the Gaza Strip into Egypt on 9 February 2021 (AFP) | Egyptian authorities on Monday reopened the R…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-10). Palestinian factions finalize mechanism for upcoming elections. peoplesdispatch.org The elections in the occupied Palestinian territories, if conducted as scheduled, would be the first to be held in 15 years. All groups in the country including Hamas and Fatah have agreed to respect and accept the results…

Gideon Polya (2021-02-10). Letter to the Australian Taxpayer-funded ABC and SBS Media re Anti-Arab & Anti-Jewish Anti-Semitism and False Reportage about Occupied Palestine. dissidentvoice.org Dear ABC & SBS management and staff, I am an anti-racist Jewish-Celtic scientist, humanitarian, artist and writer from one of Hungary's most famous Jewish families (ask any mathematician or surgeon). Only about a dozen of my wider family survived the Jewish Holocaust in Hungary in 1944-1945. For all decent people and in particular anti-racist Jewish …

Ali Harb (2021-02-10). Here's my number: Netanyahu still waiting for Biden phone call. middleeasteye.net Here's my number: Netanyahu still waiting for Biden phone call | Israeli envoy to the UN sent a phone number purporting to be Netanyahu's office line to the US president on Twitter | Wed, 02/10/2021 – 20: 43 | Then-Vice President Biden and Israel's Netanyahu give joint statements in Jerusalem, 9 March 2016 (AFP/File photo) | We've all had friends who don't call. Sometimes they are busy. Sometimes they are avoidin…

WSWS (2021-02-10). International Criminal Court ruling paves way for legal proceedings against Israel for war crimes. wsws.org This ruling has infuriated Israel and its patron in Washington, which rejects any constraints on its geostrategic interests and plans for a new imperialist carve-up of the world in which Israel plays a central role in carrying out this agenda and suppressing the working class in the region.

Tom Anderson (2021-02-10). Palestinians accuse JCB of complicity, as Israeli army demolishes homes for the third time in one week. thecanary.co On Monday 8 February, heavily armed Israeli soldiers entered the Palestinian Bedouin village of Humsa, and forced people to leave their homes. | They The Canary has also been shown photographs showing that JCB equipment was used to destroy houses in the nearby village of Yarza on the same day. The use of JCB's equipment has led to Palestinians accusing JCB of complicity in the dem…

RT (2021-02-10). Israel finally begins vaccinating Palestinians, but only those with Israeli work permits. rt.com After facing a backlash for its reluctance to extend coronavirus vaccinations to the Palestinian territories, Israel has finally started administering Covid-19 jabs to Palestinians, but only if they legally work in Israel. | The vaccination of Palestinians was launched on Wednesday at a medical station of Israeli Red Cross affiliate Magen David Adom in Qalandiya village, near the main checkpoint between Jerusalem and the West Bank. | "Palestinians can come and be vaccinated, including those who have Palestinian Authority identity cards and work permits," a Magen David Adom spokesperson said. "This initiative r…

Online News Editor (2021-02-10). Tree House Cafe in Nablus, West Bank. laprensalatina.com People enjoy beverages at the Tree House Cafe in the old city of Nablus, in the Israeli occupied West Bank, 10 February 2021. With wood and root-like decoration, the cafe is designed to look like a tree house. A visual story by EFE/EPA photographer ALAA BADARNEH…

RT (2021-02-10). 'You say the wrong thing, you lose your position': Guardian columnist reveals he was fired over tweets criticizing Israel. rt.com Columnist Nathan J. Robinson has revealed that the Guardian fired him over a sarcastic tweet about US aid to Israel, even though he deleted it and agreed to never bring up the issue in hopes of keeping the job. | "The moment I irritated defenders of Israel on social media, I was summarily fired from my job as a newspaper columnist," Robinson wrote on Wednesday in His columns had appeared in the Guardian since 2017, and Robinson says he had only…

RT (2021-02-10). 'You say the wrong thing, you lose your position': Guardian columnist reveals he was fired over tweets criticizing Israel. rt.com Columnist Nathan J. Robinson has revealed that the Guardian fired him over a sarcastic tweet about US aid to Israel, even though he deleted it and agreed to never bring up the issue in the hope of keeping his job. | "The moment I irritated defenders of Israel on social media, I was summarily fired from my job as a newspaper columnist," Robinson wrote on Wednesday in His columns had appeared in the Guardian since 2017, and Robinson says he had on…

Areeb Ullah (2021-02-10). UN urged to question Bangladesh over Israeli tech bought for peacekeeping. middleeasteye.net UN urged to question Bangladesh over Israeli tech bought for peacekeeping | The UN has denied claims that it required Bangladesh to buy Israeli surveillance equipment for its peacekeeping operations
| Wed, 02/10/2021 – 14: 37 | Bangladesh is the largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping missions in the world (AFP) | Several rights groups have called on the United Nations to quest…

IMEMC News (2021-02-09). Israeli Army Invades Farmlands In Northern Gaza. imemc.org On Tuesday, several armored Israeli military vehicles, including bulldozers, invaded Palestinian farmlands northwest of Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, and fired sporadic rounds of live ammunition, in addition to bulldozing lands near the fence. Media sources said the Israeli military vehicles came from a base across the fence and advanced dozens of meters into the …

IMEMC News (2021-02-09). Army Attacks Farmers And Shepherds, Navy Fires At Fishermen, In Gaza. imemc.org On Monday, Israeli soldiers attacked with live ammunition Palestinian farmers and shepherds, east of Gaza city, and Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, while navy ships attacked fishing boats in Palestinian territorial waters. Eyewitnesses said the soldiers fired many rounds of live ammunition, in addition to concussion grenades at Palestinian farmers, …

IMEMC & Agencies (2021-02-09). Analysis: Israel's Crimes, Legitimacy and Free Speech. imemc.org By Ron Forthofer for the Palestine Chronicle Israel is waging an intense campaign against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement, a nonviolent campaign called for by Palestinian civil society in 2005. This Movement was modeled on the campaign against South African Apartheid. Palestinians felt compelled to issue the call for a BDS campaign since previous …

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-09). 'Freedom is Never Voluntarily Given': Palestinian Boycott of Israel is Not Racist, It is Anti-Racist. counterpunch.org Claims made by Democratic New York City mayoral candidate, Andrew Yang, in a recent op-ed in the Jewish weekly, 'The Forward', point to the prevailing ignorance that continues to dominate the US discourse on Palestine and Israel. Yang, a former Democratic Presidential candidate, is vying for the Jewish vote in New York City. According to

_____ (2021-02-09). Egypt Reopens Rafah Crossing Indefinitely. popularresistance.org Egypt today opened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip until further notice, Egyptian and Palestinian sources said, a move described as an incentive for reconciliation between the main Palestinian factions meeting in Cairo, Reuters reported. | Leaders of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction, which controls the West Bank, and of Hamas, which governs the besieged Gaza Strip, began Egyptian-brokered talks yesterday to address long-standing divisions ahead of elections planned for later this year. | The 365 square kilometre (141 square mile) Gaza Strip is home to around two million Palestinian…

teleSUR (2021-02-09). Palestine: Factions Agreed on Holding Presidential Elections. telesurenglish.net Representatives of Palestinian factions agreed on Tuesday to hold elections within six months after a two-day reconciliation dialogue in Cairo, Egypt. This understanding is set to bridge a 14-year old conflict between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' ruling Fatah and the Hamas organization, which controls the Gaza Strip. | RELATED: | "National partnership is a complete path that starts with the legislative council elections, which is the first stag…

IMEMC News (2021-02-09). Soldiers Shoot A Teen, Abduct Two Palestinians, In Bethlehem. imemc.org Israeli soldiers invaded, on Tuesday at dawn, the Deheishe refugee camp, south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and shot a teen, in addition to abducting two Palestinians in the al-Khader nearby town. Media sources said several army jeeps invaded the Deheishe refugee camp, leading to protests, and fired live rounds, a barrage of …

MEE staff (2021-02-09). UN experts call on Israel to stop torture, inhuman treatment of Palestinians. middleeasteye.net UN experts call on Israel to stop torture, inhuman treatment of Palestinians | Panel of rights experts said Israel was using a 'grave loophole within the Israeli judicial system' to defend its use of torture | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 18: 13 | Arbeed was detained in 2019, and after being subjected to interrogation by Israel's Shin Bet domestic intelligence service, he suffered from kidney failure and broken ribs (AFP…

The Palestinian News & Info Agency (2021-02-09). WAFA: "Humsa al-Bqaia under attack once again as soldiers return to remove humanitarian-provided tents" imemc.org JORDAN VALLEY, Monday, February 8, 2021 (WAFA) — Israeli occupation forces today returned to the battered Humsa al-Bqaia Bedouin community in the northern Jordan Valley to remove the tents provided by humanitarian agencies as shelters for the families whose homes were recently demolished by the Israeli army, according to sources. The soldiers arrived at the …

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-09). Andrew Yang Got it Wrong: Palestinian Boycott of Israel is Not Racist, It is Anti-Racist. mintpressnews.com Claims made by Democratic New York City mayoral Yang, a former Democratic Presidential candidate, is vying for the Jewish vote in New York City. According to the reductionist assumption that all Jews must naturally supp…

The Palestinian News & Info Agency (2021-02-09). WAFA: "Palestinian injured as settlers push him off wall south of Nablus" imemc.org NABLUS, February 8, 2021 (WAFA) — Israeli settlers today afternoon pushed a Palestinian off a wall in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya village, south of Nablus city, according to a local official. Head of al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya Village Council confirmed that settlers pushed Mohammad Daraghmeh, 50, off a 4-meter-high wall as they forced their way into the village, under …

PCHR (2021-02-09). PCHR: Landmark Decision of the Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC Welcomed by Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, PCHR and Addameer. imemc.org On Friday, 5 February 2021, over one year since the Office of the Prosecutor closed its preliminary examination into the Situation in the State of Palestine, the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued its decision affirming that the Court has full territorial jurisdiction over the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), i.e. the West …

IMEMC News (2021-02-09). Army Abducts Three Palestinians In Hebron, One In Ramallah. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Tuesday at dawn, three young Palestinians from their homes in Hebron governorate, in southern West Bank, and one near Ramallah, in the central part of the occupied territory. The Hebron office of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported that several army jeeps invaded Doura town, south of the city, before …

IMEMC News (2021-02-09). Soldiers Shoot A Palestinian Near Jenin. imemc.org Israeli soldiers shot, on Monday evening, a young Palestinian man near the Annexation Wall, close to the town of Barta'a, southwest of the northern West Bank city of Jenin. Eyewitnesses said the soldiers fired many live rounds at Palestinian workers near the gate of the illegal Annexation Wall, wounding a young man in the leg. …

Maureen Clare Murphy (2021-02-09). Israel lashes out as ICC okays war crimes probe. zcomm.org The International Criminal Court has territorial jurisdiction to investigate suspected war crimes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, a panel of judges affirmed last week…

teleSUR (2021-02-09). Egypt Reopens Border Crossing To Gaza Strip. telesurenglish.net Egypt on Tuesday reopened the Rafah border crossing, which connects the country with the blockaded and bombed Gaza Strip, in order to allow passage in both directions, diplomatic sources announced. | RELATED: | That is the only crossing that is not controlled by Israel to the coastal enclave and its opening on Tuesday will allow the return of settlers to their land and the exit of those who require it, the Palesti…

Phyllis Bennis (2021-02-09). Where is Biden's Foreign Policy Headed? zcomm.org Biden has appointed many old guard interventionists and new Cold Warriors, but there is some hope for a better Iran policy. Watch out for attempts by Israel to scuttle the nuclear deal…

Ralph Nader (2021-02-09). Democrats Disarm Themselves Before Trump's Senate Impeachment Trial. counterpunch.org Donald Trump, has with luck, eluded the consequences of being a failed gambling czar with no respect for the law. But his luck has reached a new level with Congressional Democrats refraining from holding him accountable for breaking the law and violating the Constitution as regularly as the rising and setting of the sun for

yenisafak (2021-02-09). Egypt opens Gaza crossing in both directions. yenisafak.com Egypt on Tuesday opened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip for the movement of travelers in both directions, according to the Hamas-run Interior Ministry.A ministry statement said that "passenger buses began to leave the crossing, while returnees will arrive at noon".It is unclear how many days the crossing will remain open.Palestinian factions are currently holding dialogue in Cairo on preparations for elections.Last week, Egypt opened the crossing for four days in both directions.Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in March, Egypt and Hamas agreed to close the crossing. The terminal was sp…

Susan Price (2021-02-09). ICC opens door to prosecuting Israel for war crimes in Palestine. greenleft.org.au In a landmark decision, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has affirmed its jurisdiction over war crimes committed in Palestine, opening the door to possible criminal charges against Israel, writes Susan Price…

news.un (2021-02-09). New ICC ruling 'opens the door' for justice in occupied Palestine — Independent UN expert. news.un.org The ruling of the International Criminal Court (ICC) that is does have jurisdiction over grave crimes committed in occupied Palestinian territory is a "significant step forward in the quest for justice and accountability", an independent UN human rights expert said on Tuesday.

yenisafak (2021-02-09). Israeli army says suspect broke into Nevatim Air Base. yenisafak.com A suspect broke into the Nevatim Air Base in the northern Negev Desert on Monday night, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Tuesday.The suspect drove through an open gate into the base, abandoned the car later and took off on foot.While the search in coordination between air force, ground defense units and police was ongoing, the suspect "climbed two barbed wire fences and a five-meter-high (16-foot) fence, and left the base."No loss of life or damage to the security facilities was reported."The event will be investigated and the necessary lessons will be learned," the IDF statement added.The…

MEE staff (2021-02-09). Golan Heights 'will continue' to be Israel's, says Netanyahu after Blinken remarks. middleeasteye.net Golan Heights 'will continue' to be Israel's, says Netanyahu after Blinken remarks | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responds after US Secretary of State downplays country's claim to Syrian territory | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 16: 14 | The Israeli-controlled fence that separates occupied Golan Heights from rest of Syria, pictured on 12 May 2020 (AFP/File photo) | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu re…

MEE staff (2021-02-09). Dershowitz 'tried to free paedophile George Nader' to work on Israel-UAE deal. middleeasteye.net Dershowitz 'tried to free paedophile George Nader' to work on Israel-UAE deal | Report suggests Trump ally lobbied US and Israel governments to commute sex offender's 10-year prison sentence | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 09: 54 | Attorney Alan Dershowitz, a member of former US President Donald Trump's legal team, and convicted paedophile George Nader (AFP/C-Span) | Lawyer Alan Dershowitz helped craft a proposal for the…

Gregory Wilpert (2021-02-09). The Disintegration of Israeli Politics. theanalysis.news As Israel gears up for its fourth general election in two years, it has become increasingly clear that Israeli politics is in the process of disintegration. It's largely due to an ever more fragmented party system based on identity politics, says Shir Hever, author of the book, The Privatization of Israeli Security.

Staff (2021-02-08). Raji Sourani: Gaza Faces COVID Crisis as Israel Withholds Vaccines While Imposing Inhumane Blockade. democracynow.org The World Health Organization estimates there have been 51,312 confirmed cases and 522 deaths from COVID-19 in Gaza since reporting began in July 2020, and the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees warns the Gaza Strip's health system could collapse if the number of cases continues to rise. We get an update from Raji Sourani, human rights lawyer and director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, on how Gaza has been impacted by COVID-19 as an ongoing blockade has destroyed its health infrastructure. "Our equipment is unable to deal with the emerging situation," Sourani says.

Staff (2021-02-08). Landmark ICC Decision Could Open the Door for Prosecuting Israel on War Crimes. truthout.org In a landmark decision, judges at the International Criminal Court say the body has jurisdiction over war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories, opening the door to possible criminal charges against Israel and militant groups like Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the international tribunal's decision "pure anti-Semitism" and rejected its claim of jurisdiction, as did the United States, while Palestinian officials and human rights groups welcome the news. Human…

IMEMC News (2021-02-08). Soldiers Demolish Well, Two Sheds, Near Ramallah And Tubas. imemc.org Israeli soldiers demolished, Monday, an irrigation well near Ramallah, in central West Bank, and two residential sheds near Tubas, in northeastern West Bank. Media sources said the soldiers invaded the al-Mughayyir village, east of Ramallah, and demolished an irrigation well. Marzouk Abu Na'im, the head of the -Mughayyir village council, said the well is owned …

MEE and agencies (2021-02-08). Israel's Netanyahu pleads not guilty to corruption weeks before election. middleeasteye.net Israel's Netanyahu pleads not guilty to corruption weeks before election | The premier is the first to be indicted in office after he was charged last year over graft allegations
| Mon, 02/08/2021 – 07: 48 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives to a hearing of his corruption trial at the Jerusalem district court, on 8 February 2021 (AFP) | Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin…