Daily Archives: February 3, 2021

2021-02-03: News Headlines

IMEMC News (2021-02-03). Army Demolishes A Palestinian Home Near Hebron. imemc.org Israeli soldiers demolished, on Wednesday afternoon, a Palestinian home in Khallet al-Forn area, near Birin village, south of Hebron in the southern part of the occupied West Bank. The National and Popular Committees in Yatta have reported that the soldiers demolished a 200 square/meter under-construction home owned by Jamal Rajab Sarsour. The Committee added that …

MEE staff (2021-02-03). Normalisation deals with Israel 'not a substitute for peace', State Department says. middleeasteye.net Normalisation deals with Israel 'not a substitute for peace', State Department says | Peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine still 'very important', spokesperson Ned Price says | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 16: 19 | US State Department spokesman Ned Price speaks at his first daily press briefing at State Department on 2 February (AFP/File photo) | Recently cemented normalisation deals between several Arab count…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-03). Hezbollah fires missiles at Israeli drone over southern Lebanon. middleeasteye.net Hezbollah fires missiles at Israeli drone over southern Lebanon | Lebanese security sources say the anti-aircraft missiles failed to hit target, which returned to Israel | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 14: 35 | Naqura, south of the Lebanese city of Tyre, which is controlled by the United Nations peacekeeping force (Unifil), on the border with Israel (AFP) | Anti-aircraft missiles were fired at an Isra…

Lubna Masarwa (2021-02-03). Protests erupt over killing of Palestinian citizen of Israel during police shoot-out. middleeasteye.net Protests erupt over killing of Palestinian citizen of Israel during police shoot-out | The death of Ahmed Hijazi, a 22-year-old nursing student, has reignited anger over Israel's selective policing of Palestinian communities in the country | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 14: 29 | Palestinian protesters in the town of Umm al-Fahm carry a placard saying "We are killed while the police are laughing" (Twitter\@ume…

MEE staff (2021-02-03). Egypt asked for 'goodwill' gesture from Israel as condition for Netanyahu visit: Report. middleeasteye.net Egypt asked for 'goodwill' gesture from Israel as condition for Netanyahu visit: Report | According to Israeli news outlet Walla, the Israeli prime minister was hoping to visit prior to legislative elections, but Cairo conditioned trip on support for two-state solution | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 14: 08 | Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, right, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, on t…

The Palestinian News & Info Agency (2021-02-03). WAFA: "Four minors among 30 Palestinians detained by Israel in the occupied territories" imemc.org RAMALLAH, Tuesday, February 02, 2021 (WAFA) — Israeli occupation forces last night and today detained at least 30 Palestinians, including four minors, from various parts of the occupied territories, according to local and Palestinian security sources. They said Israeli occupation forces rounded up five Palestinians, including a minor, from Ramallah and al-Bireh district, in the …

IMEMC News (2021-02-03). Israeli Soldiers Injure Several Palestinians In Sebastia. imemc.org Israeli soldiers invaded, on Wednesday evening, Sebastia Palestinian town, north of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and injured many Palestinians. Mohammad Azem, the mayor of Sebastia, said several army jeeps invaded the town, and fired gas bombs and concussion grenades at local youngsters, who protested the invasion. Azem added that many Palestinians, including …

Juan Cole (2021-02-03). Were the Canaanites from Iran? Genomic History Shows that Israelis, Palestinians, Lebanese have Zagros Ancestry. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — There are no races. Human beings are all mixed up, and genomic history demonstrates this principle better than any other approach. So much of Middle Eastern politics depends on a kind of "sleeping beauty" nationalism (in Ernest Gellner's phrase) in which it is alleged that there was an ancient race …

MEE and agencies (2021-02-03). Covid-19: Tunisia and occupied Palestinian territory to receive vaccine via Covax. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Tunisia and occupied Palestinian territory to receive vaccine via Covax | Both areas were given vaccines from Covax after meeting the requirements for the programme | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 13: 38 | The World Health Organisation said that Tunisia would receive 37,000 shots from Pfizer and BioNTech with the Palestinians getting 93,600 (AFP)
| Tunisia and the occupied Palestinian t…

Jessica Buxbaum (2021-02-03). Jon Ossoff Victory Proves That the Israel Lobby Still Has an Iron Grip on Democrats. mintpressnews.com An analysis by the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs shows the pro-Israel lobby contributes significantly more money to Democrats than Republicans. And those campaign funds appear to be doing their job.

Scott Newman (2021-02-03). Where is Biden's Foreign Policy Headed? — Phyllis Bennis and Larry Wilkerson. theanalysis.news 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. A wide-ranging discussion with Phyllis Bennis and Larry Wilkerson on theAnalysis.news with Paul Jay.

Paul Jay (2021-02-03). Where is Biden's Foreign Policy Headed? — Phyllis Bennis and Larry Wilkerson. theanalysis.news 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. A wide-ranging discussion with Phyllis Bennis and Larry Wilkerson on theAnalysis.news with Paul Jay.

Online News Editor (2021-02-03). Palestine gives first doses of coronavirus vaccine to healthcare workers. laprensalatina.com Hebron, West Bank, Feb 3 (efe-epa).- Palestine started its coronavirus vaccine rollout on Wednesday, administering the first doses to healthcare workers. The Palestinian National Authority received its first 5,000 doses of the BioNTech vaccine from Israel on Saturday. This comes a few days after the PNA's foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki told the United Nations Security …

Staff (2021-02-03). Headlines for February 3, 2021. democracynow.org Democrats Say Trump "Singularly Responsible" for Jan. 6 Insurrection in Impeachment Brief, U.S. to Start Sending Vaccines to Pharmacies; Single AstraZeneca Shot Cuts Transmission by 67%, Senate Confirms Alejandro Mayorkas as DHS Chief, Pete Buttigieg as Transportation Secretary, Senator Warren to Introduce Wealth Tax on Households Worth Over $50 Million, Kevin McCarthy Weighs Removing Marjorie Taylor Greene from Education Committee After Bipartisan Condemnation, Alexei Navalny Receives 3.5 Years in Prison Amid Mass Protests, Healthcare Workers in West Bank Receive Vaccines from Israel While Other Palestinians Mad…

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-03). The Palestinian boycott of Israel is not racist, it is anti-racist. juancole.com ( Middle East Monitor ) — The 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 is a former Democratic Presidential candidate and is vying for …

Kamal Iranidoost (2021-02-03). Strategic implications of Israeli inclusion in CENTCOM. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 03 (MNA) — Less than a month after the transfer of Israeli regime into CENTCOM's area of responsibility from EUCOM's, what consequences could this shift have for the region and beyond?

yenisafak (2021-02-03). 'Peaceful future will not arise until Israel dismantles apartheid'. yenisafak.com A former UN human rights rapporteur and international law expert at the US-based Princeton University said a "peaceful future" in the Palestinian issue "will not arise until Israel dismantles apartheid.""A peaceful future will not arise until Israel dismantles apartheid and agrees to treat Palestinians under human rights standards, including respect for the Palestinian right of self-determination," said Richard Falk in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency.A leading Israeli human rights organization, B'Tselem, recently published a report labeling Israel as an "apartheid state" over its policy of favoring Jew…

Tom Anderson (2021-02-03). Israel carries out demolitions in the Palestinian village of Humsa for the third time in three months. thecanary.co The Palestinian community of Humsa in the northern Jordan Valley has been invaded and had their homes demolished twice this week by Israeli forces. Local Palestinians were One resident, Abu Anas, told campaign group Stop the Wall about how Israeli forces invaded the village on Monday 1 February: Tens of Israeli soldiers invaded Humsa. They destroyed our tents. When I tried to stop them, an Israeli soldier tried to shoot me. I and 18 members of my family are homeless now. | Palestinians and their supporte…

Ali Salam (2021-02-02). Israeli Forces Demolish Residential Tents in the Northern Jordan Valley. imemc.org Israeli occupation soldiers, on Monday, dismantled residential tents and agricultural structures, and seized a vehicle in the northern Jordan Valley, Quds News Network has reported. Israeli forces stormed the northern occupied West Bank village of Khirbet Humsa al-Fouqa, sealing off the area, before demolishing Palestinian-owned residential tents and farming structures, according to QNN correspondent. He …

MEE staff (2021-02-02). Netanyahu to visit UAE next week in first trip post-normalisation. middleeasteye.net Netanyahu to visit UAE next week in first trip post-normalisation | Israeli premier said he would travel to Abu Dhabi and would 'possibly make a lightning visit to Bahrain'
| Tue, 02/02/2021 – 19: 26 | The UAE and Israel signed a US-brokered agreement to normalise ties in September during a ceremony at White House (AFP/File photo) | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he planned to pa…

Gordon Duff (2021-02-02). Duff on RT: Could SU-25 fighter jet down a Boeing? Former pilots speak out on MH17 claims. thealtworld.com Why is the MH17 supposed controversy rearing it ugly head again? Why are the two Russian media giants — RT and Sputnik, both carrying versions of the long discredited Buk missile theory of the attack? RT put that to bed in the article in Appendix A, featuring VT's Gordon Duff, over a year ago. | Now, the current senseless and even idiotic versions being portrayed in the Russian press evidence two things: | 1. That the news agencies are penetrated, not just Abby Martin penetration but that wonderful ability that planted Zionist agents have to direct and misdirect from embedded staff positions. | 2. Israel an…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-02). Bangladesh purchased Israel-made surveillance equipment, says report. middleeasteye.net Bangladesh purchased Israel-made surveillance equipment, says report | Dhaka, which denies the claims made by Al Jazeera, has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 11: 18 | Bangladesh's foreign minister has denied that his government had purchased the Israeli-made surveillance equipment (AFP) | Bangladesh has been accused of buying Israeli-made surveillance equipme…

The Conversation (2021-02-02). Israel faces legal — and practical — obligations for including Palestinians in vaccine success. juancole.com By Yara M. Asi | — As nations scramble to vaccinate populations against COVID-19, one country has been ahead of the rest: Israel. By late January, Israel had vaccinated more than 30% of its population — more than double or triple the rate of other high-income states like the U.S., the U.K., France and Germany. …

Lily Galili (2021-02-02). Covid-19: Netanyahu basks in vaccine success as Israelis suffer his pandemic failures. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Netanyahu basks in vaccine success as Israelis suffer his pandemic failures | Coronavirus is running amok in Israel, but the prime minister won't let you hear it as he embarks on yet another election campaign | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 14: 22 | Benjamin Netanyahu receives a Covid-19 vaccine injection at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv (Reuters) | Muslims pray five times a day; observant Jews thre…

MEE staff (2021-02-02). UAE confident F-35 jets sale will go through despite Biden review, says ambassador. middleeasteye.net UAE confident F-35 jets sale will go through despite Biden review, says ambassador | UAE ambassador to Washington, Yousef al-Otaiba, says if US plans to pivot from Middle East to China it cannot 'take tools away from your partners' | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 15: 52 | The US agreed to sale of F-35 jets to Abu Dhabi following normalisation agreement between UAE and Israel (AFP) | The United Arab Emirates is confident t…

IMEMC News (2021-02-02). Israeli Soldiers Injure Three Palestinians, Abduct Another, Near Jenin. imemc.org Israeli soldiers injured, Monday, three Palestinians, and abducted one, in Jenin governorate, in northern West Bank. Medical sources have confirmed that the soldiers shot, on Monday evening, a young man, from Sielet al-Harithiya town, northwest of Jenin, while he was walking near the Annexation Wall near Barta'a town, southwest of Jenin. They added that the …

Ali Salam (2021-02-02). Settlers Damage 15 Palestinian-owned Vehicles, 3 Homes near Salfit. imemc.org Fifteen Palestinian-owned vehicles and three homes were vandalized, on Monday, by illegal Israeli settlers in Kifl Hares town, west of Salfit, in the northern occupied West Bank, Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported. Issam Abu Yacoub, the mayor of Kifl Hares said that illegal settlers stormed the town, under the cover of the Israeli army, adding …

MEE staff (2021-02-02). Palestinian political activist and analyst Abdel Sattar Qassem dies of Covid-19. middleeasteye.net Palestinian political activist and analyst Abdel Sattar Qassem dies of Covid-19 | Qassem, 72, had announced in January that he would be running as an independent candidate for the presidency in the upcoming Palestinian election | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 11: 33 | Qassem was born in the village of Deir al-Ghusun in 1948, in the present-day occupied West Bank (social media) | Prominent Palestinian academic and politica…

MEE staff (2021-02-02). Biden urged to publicly support rights of citizens to boycott Israel. middleeasteye.net Biden urged to publicly support rights of citizens to boycott Israel | Human Rights Watch calls on Biden administration to renounce Trump-era policy that labelled BDS movement as antisemitic | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 16: 47 | The BDS movement was founded in 2005 and modelled after a similar campaign credited with ending apartheid in South Africa (AFP/File photo) | A leading human rights group has called on US Presid…

Ali Harb (2021-02-02). Covid-19: Jamaal Bowman calls on Israel to vaccinate Palestinians. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Jamaal Bowman calls on Israel to vaccinate Palestinians | US congressman likens racial disparities in US and his own experiences as Black man to 'hopelessness' Palestinians face | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 18: 53 | Jamaal Bowman defeated staunch Israel supporter Eliot Engel, a senior Democrat, last year (AFP/File photo) | Congressman Jamaal Bowman, a first-term progressive Democrat, has called on the Israeli go…

PCHR (2021-02-02). PCHR: "Wide-Scale Demolition Operation, Israeli Occupation Demolishes 28 Homes and Facilities in Northern Jordan Valleys Displacing 85 Palestinians, including 45 Children" imemc.org The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) On Monday morning, 01 February 2021, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) carried out a large-scale demolition operation against civilian properties in Hemsa al-Foqa area in the northern Jordan valleys, eastern Tubas. Twenty-eight homes and facilities were demolished, displacing 85 Palestinians, including 45 children) in the operation. These demolitions are [..

sputniknews (2021-02-02). Some 130,000 Israelis Have Visited UAE Since Normalization of Relations, Ambassador Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Some 130,000 Israelis visited the United Arab Emirates since the normalization of relations under the US-brokered Abraham Accords over the past few months, UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousel Al Otaiba said on Tuesday.

sputniknews (2021-02-02). Likud Minister Says US Will Never Attack a 'Nuclear Iran', Israel May Have to Act Alone – Report. sputniknews.com While no actual steps have been implemented to bring the 2015 nuclear deal back to life under the new US administration so far, Israel has continued to raise concerns about Iran's alleged plans of developing a nuke, which Tehran has strongly denied and dismissed as efforts to target the country.

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2021-02-02). Rep. Jamaal Bowman Calls On Israel to Vaccinate Occupied Palestinians Against Coronavirus. commondreams.org "Israel, as an occupying power, has a responsibility to provide vaccines to the Palestinian people," the first-term congressman asserted in a letter to Israel's acting consul general. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/dems-urged-call-out-vaccine-apartheid_0.jpg

yenisafak (2021-02-02). General strike in Israeli city after two Arabs killed. yenisafak.com A general strike was staged in the Israel's Arab city of Tamra on Tuesday after the killing of two Arabs by Israeli police a day earlier.Eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that all stores and markets in the city closed amid a state of anger over the killing. | Israeli police said the two Arabs were shot dead while confronting armed suspects."Policemen noticed four suspects firing at a home in the city and when they tried to arrest them, fire was opened at the policemen," a police statement read.Media reports said later that one of the dead was not involved in the incident.The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation networ…

yenisafak (2021-02-02). Iran less than 2 years away from nuke weapons: Israel. yenisafak.com Israel's Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz warned on Tuesday that Iran needs a year or two to acquire a "nuclear weapon".Speaking to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, Steinitz claimed that Iran needs "around half a year" to produce enough uranium for a nuclear weapon."As for nuclear weaponry, the range is around one or two years", he said.Steinitz also credited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former US President Donald Trump for weakening Iran's goal of acquiring nuclear weapons."The withdrawal [of Trump] from the nuclear deal has weakened Iran," he said.Senior Israeli officials, including…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-02). Kosovo establishes diplomatic relations with Israel, will open embassy in Jerusalem. peoplesdispatch.org Kosovo is the latest in a line of countries which have decided to normalize their relations with Israel, while being only the third to open its embassy in Jerusalem…

MEE staff (2021-02-01). Death threat targeting Israeli ambassador found at site of India embassy blast. middleeasteye.net Death threat targeting Israeli ambassador found at site of India embassy blast | Letter addressed to Israel's ambassador to New Delhi, Ron Malka, warns him to 'count the days', and was signed by unknown group 'India Hezbollah' | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 18: 25 | Last Friday, a small explosion occurred near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi (AFP/File photo) | A death threat was found near the scene of a blast outside t…

IMEMC News (2021-02-01). Israeli Army Injures Several Palestinians In Hebron. imemc.org Israeli soldiers invaded, on Sunday evening, Beit Ummar town, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and caused many residents to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation. Media sources in Beit Ummar said several army jeeps invaded 'Aseeda area in the town, and attacked Palestinian youngsters, who protested the invasion. They added that …

Asa Winstanley (2021-02-01). Miriam Adelson Now Leads Sheldon's Pro-Israel Empire. anti-empire.com Casino magnate He is survived by his Israeli widow One of the He…

IMEMC News (2021-02-01). Soldiers Abduct Three Palestinians In Jerusalem, One In Tulkarem. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Monday evening, three young Palestinian men in the at-Tour town, in occupied East Jerusalem, in the West Bank, and one in Tulkarem, in northern West Bank. Media sources said several army jeeps invaded at-Tour, and attacked Palestinians who protested the invasion. They added that the soldiers fired gas bombs, concussion grenades, …

Mustafa Abu Sneineh (2021-02-01). Chinese investment in Haifa port could compromise US-Israel intelligence sharing: Report. middleeasteye.net Chinese investment in Haifa port could compromise US-Israel intelligence sharing: Report | A pro-Israel think tank expressed concern over Chinese investment in Israel, including proximity of Chinese company to US Sixth Fleet in Haifa | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 14: 15 | A general view of the city of Haifa and an Israeli military ship sailing in the Mediterranean Sea on 17 July 2019 (AFP)…

MEE staff (2021-02-01). Kosovo formally establishes ties with Israel, to open embassy in Jerusalem. middleeasteye.net Kosovo formally establishes ties with Israel, to open embassy in Jerusalem | In exchange for setting up mission in Jerusalem, Kosovo gets recognition from Israel, as it seeks to further legitimise independence from Serbia | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 21: 18 | In a ceremony held over Zoom, Israel's foreign minister and his Kosovar counterpart signed a joint declaration establishing ties (AFP) | Kosovo and Israel establi…

IMEMC & Agencies (2021-02-01). Israeli Forces Invade Jayyours Village; Injure One Palestinian. imemc.org A Palestinian youth was injured on Saturday night when Israeli forces invaded the village, known for its decade-long weekly non-violent protests against the Israeli takeover of their land. The soldiers were met by stone throwing youth who tried to get the soldiers to leave their village. According to local sources, the Israeli soldiers involved in …

Raul Diego (2021-02-01). UK Labour Party's Hiring of Former Israeli Spy Completes the Post-Corbyn Transformation. mintpressnews.com UK Labour is in the throes of a makeover as the new leader of the opposition taps a notorious Israeli Unit 8200 alumnus to lead its social media in the push for a 2024 victory.

MEE and agencies (2021-02-01). Jared Kushner nominated for Nobel peace prize for brokering Israeli-Arab deals. middleeasteye.net Jared Kushner nominated for Nobel peace prize for brokering Israeli-Arab deals | Trump's son-in-law and his deputy Berkowitz have been nominated by a friendly attorney who defended the former president in his impeachment trial | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 06: 42 | Jared Kushner played a key role in brokering Israel's normalisation deals with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Moroccco (AF…

RT (2021-02-01). California teacher says Bernie's mittens are symbol of 'WHITE PRIVILEGE,' in 'stupidest op-ed ever'. rt.com Progressive godfather Bernie Sanders has been cancelled and is now, according to a San Francisco journalist and teacher, the embodiment of "white privilege," all because he wears meme-able mittens, or something. | Few people would associate Bernie Sanders with "white supremacy." An elederly Jewish progressive whose ill-fated presidential campaign last year promised to build a left-wing "multi-generational, multi-racial coalition," the Vermont senator is about as far from the prototypical skinhead as it's possible to be. | Not so for Ingrid Seyer-Ochi, a high school teacher (that's right, she shapes the youth o…

RT (2021-02-01). 'Appalled': Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich sends personal message to players vowing support after racist abuse. rt.com Roman Abramovich has vowed to direct more funds to efforts to stamp out racism in football as the billionaire Chelsea owner offered his support following racist abuse directed at Blues defender Reece James. | James, 21, recently shared the vile abuse he has been subjected to online, demanding that "something needs to change." | Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford also spoke out over the weekend against abuse he has received, while teammates Anthony Martial and Axel Tuanzebe were targeted in recent days. | Elsewhere, a man was arrested after a racist message was sent to West Bromwich Albion midfielder…

The Canary (2021-02-01). Protest groups join forces to occupy Israeli arms company building. thecanary.co Demonstrators have blocked the entrance of a factory where they claim deadly arms are made. | Protesters from Palestine Action and Extinction Rebellion, armed with banners and red paint, said their early-morning raid on the Israeli-owned Elbit Ferranti factory in Oldham, Greater Manchester, is because they "will not accept an economy based on devastation, occupation and war". A press release from the two groups stated that: Activists from Palestine Action and Extinction Rebellion are occupying an Israeli-owned arms factory in Oldham, forcing the site to halt its production of deadly weapons. Several have blocked t…

sputniknews (2021-02-01). Israeli Health Official Says One in Ten People Vaxed for Coronavirus Can Still Be Infected. sputniknews.com Israel has become a world leader in vaccinations for SARS-Cov-2, with about 2.5 million of its nine million citizens receiving at least one of two required vaccine jabs by late January. Last week, Covid commissioner Dr. Nachman Ash complained that the protective effect of the first dose of Pfizer/BioNTech's preparation was lower than advertised.