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Britain's Brotherhood inquiry: Another blow to democracy?
4/1/2014 5:02:20 PM
A week after over 500 anti-coup protesters were sentenced to death by Field Marshall Abdul Fattah Al Sisi's regime in Egypt, the British Prime Minister David Cameron has launched an inquiry. But, it's not the inquiry one might expect, an inquiry into human rights abuses in Egypt by the military regime; it is in fact an inquiry into the Muslim Brotherhood's activities in the UK.
Since the coup last July, the military regime in Egypt has pursued a repressive policy against the Muslim Brotherhood. Although the Brotherhood won five elections and became the first democratically elected civilian government of Egypt, they were ousted from power by a military coup after just a year. The military regime, keen to hold on to their power, have set out to dismantle the Muslim Brotherhood and remove them from the public sphere in Egypt. Over 1,000 people have been killed since the coup, thousands have been arrested and imprisoned. Many of their members and supporters were among the 529 Egyptians who were sentenced to death last week. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood have been now been outlawed and designated a terrorist organisation, facing persecution worse than that which they faced during Hosni Mubarak's presidency.
And it's not just in Egypt that the Brotherhood are facing persecution; autocratic regimes across the Middle East have lent their support to Al Sisi and his military regime. Two key players in the MENA region, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have taken steps to ban the Brotherhood in their countries and designate the group a terrorist organisation. When the Arab Spring led to the overthrow of some old autocratic regimes in the Middle East, others who were still in power became increasingly nervous. As the democratisation process appeared to go from strength to strength concerns about the new political order became ever apparent. Last year's coup was then a convenient turn of events for those regimes that worried democracy could spread and take hold in other countries.
The Saudi and Emirati support for Al Sisi and opposition to the Brotherhood, did not come as a surprise, but the UK's opposition to the advancement of democracy is rather perplexing. The UK has always been a supporter of democracy; the revolutions after the Arab Spring were widely hailed as bringing about a new era of democracy to the Middle East. Yet, after the coup last July Britain seemed to have a change of direction. The government refused to acknowledge that the ousting was a coup, government ministers would not use the term and officials said that they hoped a new government would be formed quickly. Foreign Secretary William Hague said that the UK would not take sides and whilst the UK did not support military interventions they would be dealing with the military regime as the government of Egypt.
Since the coup, the British-Egyptian relationship has continued to develop undisturbed by the human rights catastrophes taking place in the country. Yet despite this there have been a number of pro-democracy campaigns and protests in London, with Egyptians based in the UK's capital calling for a return of the legitimate democratic government to Egypt. It seems now, that some months after the coup, the government have been handed 'evidence' relating to the Muslim Brotherhood's activities in London.
A spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said "The review will assess the MB's impact on and influence over UK national interests, at home and abroad; its wider influence on UK society, culture and educational institutions; and key allies' approaches and policies...Given the importance of the Middle East to British interests, the Prime Minister believes that the Government needs a thorough understanding of the organisation and its impact - both on our national security and on our interest in stability and prosperity in the Middle East."
The Gulf's association of the Brotherhood with terrorism seems to be catching. Although the British government has not accused the group of terrorism the announcement of the inquiry has been based around "alleged links with extremism", citing the attacks on tourists in the Sinai. It should be noted though that those very attacks were carried out by a Salafist organisation active in the Sinai, Ansar Bait al Maqdis, who took responsibility for the attack. The Muslim Brotherhood in fact condemned the attack, describing it as cowardly and offering their condolences to victims' families, hardly the actions of a group responsible for "alleged links with extremism."
A slightly more surprising element of the inquiry are the individuals who have been chosen to lead it. The Foreign Office confirmed that the inquiry would be led by the UK's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sir John Jenkins, but did not explain how or why that decision was reached. The ambassador to Saudi Arabia is an interesting choice, given that Saudi was the country first in line to support Al Sisi and his new regime and the first to designate the group a terrorist entity outside of Egypt. The Saudi - Britain relationship has always been close, but it has been no secret that the two countries have been getting much closer. As Louisa Loveluck pointed out in the Daily Telegraph "Last month, BAE systems, the British defence firm, finalised a deal on the price of 72 Eurofighter Typhoon jets it is selling to Saudi Arabia." It seems inevitable that the British inquiry will be taking their cues from their colleagues in Saudi - how independent an inquiry it can be when Saudi have already made up their minds seems not to be a real question.
It's not just Sir John Jenkins who seems to be anomalous, another key figure expected to play a role in the inquiry is Sir John Sawers. Sir John Sawers the current head of MI6 was an ambassador to Egypt between 2001 and 2003, during the era of Tony Blair's close relationship with Hosni Mubarak. The former ambassador had close links to the Mubarak regime and was a foreign policy adviser to Tony Blair. Tony Blair has yet to give his thoughts on the inquiry, yet it is undoubtable that he will hold back. Tony Blair has always had close ties with autocratic regimes; the Sisi regime is no different and he has already waded into Egyptian affairs putting his weight firmly behind the coup regime. His lack of support for democracy and the parties that are democratically elected in the Middle East is well documented. Hence his support for the anti- Muslim Brotherhood campaign is inevitable. What influence, if any, Tony Blair will have on the inquiry is as yet unknown.
Although this is the first inquiry into the MB in the UK, it has clearly not emerged out of nowhere. Britain's burgeoning relationship with the Gulf has had an obvious influence on this and it is likely that some of Cameron's cabinet would fully support a ban of the MB. With support for Al Sisi coming from a number of disparate elements (from the Gulf through to Israel) it is unsurprising that those countries friends' in the Cabinet would push the Sisi agenda. This inquiry seems, therefore, to be part of the wider Al Sisi strategy to dismantle the MB, not just in Egypt but wherever they might be. Although sources have said it is "possible but unlikely" that the Brotherhood will be banned in the UK, the timing of the announcement does indeed suggest that there has been some pressure on the UK from outside sources.
A number of commentators and Middle East watchers have noted that the inquiry is a worrying sign that David Cameron is succumbing to pressure from his colleagues and confidants in the region. Oliver McTernan, co-founder and director of Forward Thinking, said "I think it is unfortunate that the Prime Minster seems to have conceded to pressure from outside to launch such an inquiry. I have no doubt if it is a fair and objective inquiry it will once and for all dispel the misperceptions and prejudices that have prevented successive governments from engaging with members of the Muslim Brotherhood as responsible citizens and residents of our country."
With David Cameron pushing for the inquiry to be completed by the summer, there will undoubtedly be further pressure on those leading it to come to their conclusions as quickly possible. What those conclusions will be are hard to foresee. It is hoped that the inquiry will be an independent inquiry and will tackle the issues fairly, without undue influence from outside sources. But the nature of the inquiry itself is indeed a concern. Britain has always been a beacon of democracy, support for democratisation in the Middle East seemed to be an inevitable part of that process. In turning their attention to the Muslim Brotherhood, the British government are putting their weight firmly behind the undemocratic coup regime of Al Sisi and his generals and ignoring the democratic will of the Egyptian people that brought the Muslim Brotherhood to power in the first place. Were they still a party of government there would not be an inquiry into their activities, yet the coup has rearranged the chess board and left Britain unsure of its own commitment to democracy.
UK's Muslim Brotherhood inquiry looks like response to pressure from allies
4/1/2014 4:10:06 PM
David Cameron's decision to order an investigation into the "philosophy and activities" of the Muslim Brotherhood, particularly as they relate to Britain, stems from a broader nervousness in western European capitals about a wave of Islamist extremism and jihadism fed by the chaos in and around Syria.
But Downing Street's decision also looks suspiciously like a response to specific political developments in Egypt, where the Brotherhood was founded in 1928, and to external pressure from close British allies.
The US and Saudi Arabia were never comfortable with the Brotherhood's ascent to power in the person of Mohamed Morsi, who became Egypt's first democratically elected president in 2012.
So when Morsi was overthrown by a military coup in July last year, the Obama administration, while bleating about the importance of democracy and the Arab spring, made no great objection.
The US, which for decades backed another dictatorial Egyptian general, former president Hosni Mubarak, with billions of dollars in aid, quietly embraced the new junta's leader, General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi. Sisi represented a way of doing things that Washington was used to, even if was heavy-handed. Here, apparently, was a man they could do business with.
In fact, Sisi's efforts to strengthen his grip on power as he prepares to stand for the presidency next month have outdone Mubarak for sheer bloody-minded repressiveness. He reinstituted the Mubarak-era ban on the Muslim Brotherhood. Morsi was locked up, charged with treason and put on trial. Brotherhood supporters were chased off the streets with lethal brutality by the security forces. And, for the most part, all other regime critics and independent journalists including an Al-Jazeera English team have been silenced.
Occasional mild criticism aside, Sisi has been backed all the way by the US, which maintains that restoring stability in Egypt is the overriding priority. Once the country is under control, White House aides say, a "transition to free and fair elections and democratic governance" will follow. It would be hard to find anybody in Washington or Cairo who really believes this – because if there were free elections, the Brotherhood would win again.
"Obama's pro-democracy rhetoric notwithstanding, his administration has publicly supported the notion that the Sisi regime is leading Egypt back to democracy long after it became obvious that the opposite was occurring," the Washington Post commented this week.
"Since July, the generals have presided over more than 2,500 deaths in political violence and at least 16,000 arrests, including not just the imprisonment of Mr Morsi and the leadership of his Muslim Brotherhood but also those of secular journalists and liberal organisers of the 2011 revolution. Last week, following a two-day trial, a judge sentenced 529 Muslim Brotherhood members to death for the killing of one policeman."
The expectation in Washington is that once Sisi has won what is likely to be a Mubarak-style one-man election race, the US will declare Egypt back on track (that is to say, no longer in the hands of suspected anti-American forces) and that suspended military aid will resume.
The remorseless crackdown on the Brotherhood has been enthusiastically backed by Saudi Arabia, another influential British ally and Egypt's other big paymaster after the US. Like the UAE, some other Gulf states, Israel and Russia, Riyadh proscribes the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation.
It is Saudi Arabia, according to the latest reports, which complained that Brotherhood leaders who fled Egypt after the coup have made London their new base. The extent to which this may be true, and whether it is significant, is part of the inquiry launched by Cameron. The investigation will also look at Brotherhood links to extremism, including an attack in Sinai in February that killed four people.
The Brotherhood, a religious and social charity that evolved into a political force, is officially opposed to violence for political ends. But that is far from the whole story. It is a broad-based movement that embraces a wide range of opinions and activists. It has offshoots in most Arab countries.
Hamas in Palestine, which started as a branch of the Brotherhood, espouses armed struggle. It was the Brotherhood which first organised opposition to the regime of Hafez al-Assad in Syria, Bashar's father, with bloody results in Hama in 1982.
And it is Brotherhood supporters in Egypt resisting the military takeover who have often resorted to force (and who have often been killed). But they do not represent the movement as a whole, nor are they a majority.
If western countries, including Britain, are sincere about engaging the Muslim world in the post-9/11 era, then a witch-hunt or a ban on one of its foremost popular movements at the behest of the Americans, Saudis and an illegitimate Egyptian junta does not make good sense. Britain has a long and proud history of hosting political refugees and exile groups fleeing repression. Muslims, be they from Egypt (or Syria), are no different.
This article was written for and first published on The Guardian.
Israeli Ambassador: 'in Britain the good is getting better and the bad is getting worse'
4/1/2014 3:37:02 PM
In a recent interview with The Jerusalem Post's weekend Hebrew-language newspaper, Israel's Ambassador to the UK Daniel Taub discussed efforts being taken by the country's London-based diplomats to resist Palestine solidarity efforts including BDS, and improve Israel's image.
The paper notes that, with boycotts "on a daily basis", the Ambassador to the UK is "one of the most important positions in Israeli hasbara". For his part, Taub is keen to portray things as "better than what they seem to be", citing PM David Cameron's recent trip to Israel accompanied by a business delegation.
However, the senior diplomat also admits he is "well aware of the fact that in Britain the good is getting better and the bad is getting worse".
There is no doubt that we are facing an attempt to delegitimize Israel. It is happening in academia, trade labour unions, NGOs and parts of the church.
According to Taub, Israel's diplomats "spend a considerable time in media bureaus even without being on the news, just to deepen our contacts with senior journalists". In most cases, Taub claims, "it's easy for us to get Israel into supplements as a superpower of culture, leisure, fashion and technology" - further evidence of the 'rebranding' hasbara strategy.
Other battlefields are mentioned by Taub, who says that over the last two years, "representatives of the embassy have visited around one hundred universities". The embassy has also "opened a course for young Christians who support Israel and would like to know how to defend us and explain that we are by no means an apartheid state". Taub affirms that a key hasbara message is "how complicated the situation in the Middle East is".
Interestingly, Taub also published an op-ed in The Jewish Chronicle last week in which he wrote that "it is no longer enough to win the hearts and minds of officials behind closed doors", since "campaigns against Israel now begin and are empowered by individuals, on college campuses and social media".
There is some truth in this - but as Taub told the Israeli paper, this is the very grassroots level where 'delegitimization' is taking place and Israeli hasbara is at its weakest. Securing a glossy photo-essay in a weekend supplement is one thing - persuading human rights campaigners that segregation and war crimes are 'complicated' is quite another.
With translation by Ofer Neiman
Deconstructing Israeli claims of incitement
4/1/2014 3:31:47 PM
Claims of incitement and delegitimisation against the settler-colonial state are a matter of regular occurrence. Israel Hayom has reported that a survey by the Near East Policy Research Centre found that Palestinian Authority (PA) textbooks contained widespread incitement against Israel. The claim has been contradicted by UNRWA, which asserts the absence of incitement in textbooks utilised in the organisation's school premises.
According to Israel Hayom, PA textbooks have sought to promote incitement by calling for a "violent struggle", denying Jewish rights to Israel and labelling the area "Palestine". An official complaint to UNRWA is also alleged to have been sent, urging the organisation to "correct the deficiencies". Suggestions include demographic discussions which portray the Jewish majority comprising the settler-colonial state, depicting Jewish villages, eliminating references to "violent struggle" and, perhaps the most ludicrous suggestion of all, "correcting maps to show the current borders", even as Israel embarks upon further settlement expansion.
Dr Arnon Groiss' report, entitled "UNRWA's problematic educational role in the Middle East Conflict" attempts to justify the latest Israeli complaints through a discussion of excerpts which assert Palestinian history. What the report manages to convey is a sense of anger at Palestinian resilience and resistance, to the point that the right of return is depicted as "a decisive event, shrouded in an atmosphere of violence".
Diminishing the struggle for justice into an attitude based upon alleged impartiality, Groiss seeks to foster sympathy for Zionist tactics of annexation through a provocative discussion of Palestinians' legitimate right to resistance.
UNRWA has been rigorously criticised from both ends of the spectrum in a matter of weeks. In late February, Hamas criticised the adherence to mainstream narratives and the marginalisation of Palestinian history. On the other hand, Israeli media is seeking to portray the organisation as conceding to Palestinian demands by allowing the dissemination of Palestinian narratives through education, as opposed to enforcing the Zionist hegemonic narrative upon younger generations of Palestinians.
In its report, Israel National News suggested that donations to the organisation should be based upon four conditions: discouraging "war", "an end to support for designated foreign terrorist entities such as Hamas", terminating promotion of the Palestinian right of return and an amendment that would eliminate refugee status for descendants of the 1948 Palestinian refugees.
Israeli incitement against Palestinian unity is now directed against the marginalisation of Hamas through a pathetic endeavour aimed at separating the resistance organisation from Palestinian collective resistance - a feat unlikely to succeed considering the recent rally during which resistance was articulated in cohesion with Palestinian aspirations for land and memory.
While UNRWA is possibly the closest official entity to Palestinian refugees, the issue of dependency upon imperialism for financial aid does not leave the organisation with the required freedom to advocate for Palestinian rights. The organisation's public discourse and language indicates its lack of autonomy which is in turn reflected in maintenance of human rights violations - a trait reminiscent of discourse pertaining to the fabrication of rights as opposed to liberation.
Groiss also notes the implications of the proper application of the Palestinian right of return, deeming it equivalent to "the destruction of the state of Israel as a Jewish state" and having serious repercussions about the alleged validity garnered as a result of the UN's acceptance of the Zionist colonisation of Palestine.
Israel and its settler population should come to terms with the realisation that incitement against Palestinians manifested itself prior to 1948 and materialised permanently through international complicity in awarding recognition to colonial illegality.
Any effort to combat the Zionist institutionalised incitement constitutes legitimate resistance. Given the acknowledged repercussions to the detriment of Israel, it is perhaps time to cease mellowing settler-colonialism into a detached "occupation" and unite in calling explicitly for the dismantling of Israel's settler-colonial state as freedom for all Palestinians.
Egypt's Aboul Fotouh clarifies position on Al-Sisi and Sabbahi
4/1/2014 3:25:19 PM
Chairman of Strong Egypt party Dr Abdel-Monem Aboul-Fotouh described June 30 as a revolutionary wave but dismissed the July 3 ouster of Mohamed Morsi as a military coup that delegitimised all elections based on it.
In an interview with Amr El-Leithy on Al-Mehwar channel, Aboul Fotouh pointed out that he urged Al-Sisi not to run for presidency.
He added that rejects the current constitution because it turns the military into an entity above the state.
Moreover, Aboul Fotouh added that a number of retired generals asked him to run for presidency. However, he stated that the results of the upcoming elections are known in advance. He confirmed that he would neither vote for Al-Sisi nor Sabbahi.
Erdogan...few slogans and many achievements
4/1/2014 3:16:48 PM
When I read in yesterday morning's news that the Justice and Development Party in Turkey won the local elections, I said it was a different morning; not because it brought us the victory of a party worthy of winning, but because today disappointment will plague the scoundrels, fascists, tyrants, and the morally, psychologically and politically deviant, as well as everyone who was counting on a mirage and instead stepped in to the heat of the desert.
Perhaps talking about Erdogan and his party's successive achievements over the past 10 years is no longer an issue that needs to be evidenced and proven. It is however important in order to prove their role in dealing with the various crises that they have encountered recently yet they waited to reap the historical result in the elections.
Erdogan continued to reassure his supporters in his speeches saying the ballot boxes would surprise his opponents and bring them losses and disappointment after the series of traps they tried to put in his way.
Erdogan was not counting on oppression or his charisma for this, instead, he counted on his successful legacy and his belief that his party's great achievements will be enough to defend his position because these achievements are tangible and experienced, not merely slogans or empty promises.
I am not one to call for applying the entire Justice and Development Party's experience in other arenas without being aware of the differences and specifications of each arena, but I do believe that the man and his party's pioneering spirit deserve to be studied at length, especially since some of those impressed by the experience are only attracted by the outside shell, or the marginal aspects of the experience that were not the focal point of the advancement, progress and achievements.
Erdogan and his party deserve to win the people's confidence once again. Our different experiences deserve an evaluation that examines the issues of feasibility and achievement. As for our leaders, they need less slogans and promises and need to recognise the need to let one's actions speak for themselves and thwart conspiracies against them.
Erdogan's continuous victory in all the elections over the past 10 years was not primarily due to his party's Islamic identity, especially since he has been struggling against extreme secularists and is in the midst of a community that lost its identity for a while. He has been victorious because he is a man who sowed and reaped; he sowed the seeds of development and justice, according to the name of his party and he reaped the people's allegiance and conviction that he can continue to lead.
Therefore, even when his opponents accused him of corruption, repression and mismanagement and even fabricate accusations against him, he was ready to retaliate with even more force, but in accordance with the law and fair mechanisms because there is no room for leniency with the corrupt and treacherous.
Perhaps this is an important lesson in politics that those with good intentions must follow. The man did not reach his arm out to shake hands with those plotting against him, he reached out to nip them in the bud and stop them in their tracks.
After these schemers exposed and played all their cards after betting he'd lose, it seems the upcoming years will focus on cleansing the state institutions of the grip of the deep state remnants and the political, economic and security mafias. This will bring about stability in the state institutions as well as laying the foundations for a fair and transparent constitutional system that cannot be penetrated by internal coups or external plots.
Gaza celebrates Erdogan's victory
4/1/2014 3:02:42 PM
EXCLUSIVE IMAGES
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip took to the streets yesterday evening to celebrate the victory of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Palestinians described the resounding victory of Erdogan's party as a kind of "landslide victory" for political Islam when it has a free democratic atmosphere.
Gaza residents respect Turkey because of its outspoken stances against the Israeli-Egyptian, internationally backed, siege on them.
Turkey has refused to restore diplomatic relations with Israel before the latter lifts the siege on Gaza and allows Turkish aid organisations access.
MEMO Photographer: Mohammed Asad
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Israel killed 12 Palestinians, arrested 364 in March
4/1/2014 2:43:16 PM
Twelve Palestinians were killed and 364 arrested by Israeli forces in Gaza Strip and the West Bank during March, a study released yesterday has found.
The information appeared in the annual report issued by Ahrar Centre for Prisoners Studies and Human Rights, which documents the Israeli violations against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.
According to the report, the number of Palestinians arrested from Jerusalem was 83, 81 from Hebron, 48 from Jenin, 46 from Bethlehem, 43 from Nablus, 17 from Qalqilya, 13 from Ramallah, 11 from Jericho, eight from Salfit and Tulkarm and six from the Gaza Strip.
The prisoners counted in the report were arrested in night raids from homes, kidnapped at checkpoints or during clashes between stone throwers and armed occupation forces.
Ahrar chief Fuad Al-Khufash said that the occupied West Bank is completely vulnerable to the Israeli occupation army. The West Banks cities, villages and neighbourhoods are invaded by the Israeli armed forces almost every night for the purpose of arresting Palestinians.
Settlers vandalise monastery in Jerusalem
4/1/2014 2:30:32 PM
A Latin Patriarchate Monastery in the outskirts of occupied Jerusalem was vandalised by Israeli Jewish settlers this morning, witnesses said.
The name of the Price Tag group was painted on to the monastery; the movement of settlers is against Israeli reconciliation with Arabs and the peace negotiations with Palestinians.
They insulted the Christian faith by writings insults against the Virgin Mary.
The settlers also damaged tyres of four Palestinian cars and a van that were parking near the monastery.
Turkish president starts official visit to Kuwait
4/1/2014 2:27:55 PM
Turkish President Abdullah Gul said that his prospective discussions with Kuwaiti leaders would contribute to stabilising the region and spreading peace around it.
"These discussions come in a time when numerous threats are endangering peace and security," he said.
Gul delivered his remarks before leaving Ankara Airport to Kuwait this morning. He is travelling to Kuwait on an official visit. He described the relations between Kuwait and his country as "excellent". He cited an increasing common cooperation between both countries.
This visit, according to Gul, came in the 50th anniversary of setting up diplomatic relations between both countries.
He said that his discussions with the Kuwaiti Emir and other senior officials would concentrate on the advancement of the bilateral relations and for the exchange of views regarding the latest developments in the region.
Gul noted that the commercial and mutual investment businesses are the most important aspect of the relations between the two countries. He said that he is going to take part in the Turkish-Kuwaiti business club in order to reinforce business and commercial cooperation.
Israeli committee approves huge synagogue near Al-Aqsa Mosque
4/1/2014 1:27:54 PM
A Palestinian Islamic foundation concerned with protecting the sacred sites in Jerusalem revealed on Monday that an Israeli committee has approved a scheme to build a huge synagogue in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City, only 200 meters away from Al-Aqsa Mosque.
A statement issued by Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage said that a sub-committee of the District Committee for Planning and Building in Jerusalem, which is affiliated with the Israeli Ministry of Interior, approved during a meeting that took place on Sunday, 30 March 2014 the establishment of a very large synagogue called the Jewel of Israel in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem.
The synagogue, which will be located only 200 meters to the west of Al-Aqsa Mosque, will consist of four floors, topped by a vaulted dome in addition to an underground space.
According to the foundation's statement, "So far, the Israeli occupation has built about 100 synagogues and Jewish schools in the Old City of Jerusalem and its surroundings, where each Jewish religious school has its own synagogue."
Furthermore, the foundation added that in recent years the Israeli authorities have already built two large synagogues in the Old City; one called Ruin Synagogue, built on the ruins of a mosque in Al-Sharaf neighbourhood, and the second called Beit Yitzhak Synagogue, built on Waqf land, about 50 meters west of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Israeli authorities' decision to construct yet another large synagogue in East Jerusalem accelerates the occupation's Judaisation project in the holy city.
The foundation pointed out that: "The occupation plans to Judaise the entire Old City over the next twenty years, so that it will become completely Jewish."
However, the foundation also emphasised that "the resilience and stability of the people of Jerusalem will lead to the failure of the occupation's schemes."
Although the foundation did not mention when the Israeli committee will start the construction of the synagogue in question, the Jewish religious establishment often speeds up the implementation of Israeli settlement schemes in occupied Jerusalem.
Tunisia and Libya to reopen Ras Jedir border crossing
4/1/2014 1:25:12 PM
Tunisia and Libya agreed on Monday to reopen the Ras Jedir border crossing, which has been closed for more than a month, Tunisia's TAP news agency reported.
The crossing will reopen next Sunday and require that Tunisian vehicles reveal their annual inspection and insurance documents when crossing into Libya.
Tunisian and Libyan security officials, including the governor of the Tunisian Medenine city bordering Libya, and representatives of civil society met in Libya last week to discuss de-escalating the crisis and reopening the Ras Jedir border crossing.
The Tunisian and Libyan sides agreed on reopening the crossing and establishing a common security committee to oversee the general situation in the border region between Tunisia and Libya, working to ensure the free movement of citizens from both countries.
The Libyan authorities closed the crossing on 25 February citing security reasons.
The decision triggered a wave of protests in the Tunisian city of Ben Guerdane near the border, with residents saying that the closure harms their trading activity in the region.
The city entered into a general strike on Monday to demand the reopening of the crossing and the start of development projects there.
A whole system of deception
4/1/2014 12:51:55 PM
"A whole system of deception", was how anthropologist Meira Weiss, who observed the work of the Israeli forensic department, described the process of their dealing with the death of a Palestinian. On a recent Israeli television show she spoke of the fatal shooting of one Palestinian man whom the Israel authorities insisted had been shot while firing at Israeli soldiers, the Palestinians claimed he was shot later and from behind. "In other words there are two versions, meaning one needs to decide," said Weiss, and it was the Palestinian version that was, in her words, "silenced."
For Palestinians, 2014 has been already been a deadly year. With every death there have been conflicting narratives, the official Israeli army response pitted against the Palestinian eye witnesses and relatives of the deceased.
Mohammed Mubarak was the first victim of shooting this year. Shortly after the 21 year old labourer arrived at work on the 29th January he was shot dead by an Israeli soldier. Mubarak was killed on the new stretch of road he was helping to build as part of a US government funded project. The Israeli army reported that a "terrorist" had opened fire at a military post near Ofra, and troops had returned fire, hitting the terrorist. The army also released images of a soldier holding the gun Mubarak had supposedly used.
Affidavits from colleagues that were working with Mubarak on the day of his death, collected by Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq, report that after hearing gunshots seeming to originate from the military watchtower, Mohammed, who was standing 50 meters from the watchtower, appeared to be taking orders and looking nervous. They then heard a further three gun shots and Mubarak fell. They claimed he was unarmed, while Al-Haq fieldworkers noted the different position of the gun in photos, proving it had been moved by the military. To settle the differing narratives the army would just have to check the surveillance cameras of the watchtower, however no reports of this having been done have surfaced.
Just over a month later, Israeli forces shelled the home of 26 year old Mu'atazz Washaha, in Birzeit, near Ramallah. An Israeli army spokeswoman said that Israeli forces raided Birzeit to arrest a man suspected of "terror activity." She said, "After the suspect was called to turn himself in, he barricaded himself inside his house, effectively resisting arrest. Under the premise that he had weapons in his possession, the forces used different means to complete the arrest, including live fire."
According to eye witness reports Israeli soldiers arrived in the early hours of Thursday morning, and after Washaha did not exit the building when requested, the military brought a bulldozer to the scene and begun demolishing a section of the house. They then fired artillery shells into it, evident in the damage made to the house. According to testimonies of villagers collected by Memo, the Palestinian Civil Defence, who were instructed to put out a fire that had begun in the house, had said Washaha was still alive following the shelling. Israeli forces then entered the house, and fired two bullets into the victim's chest- which according to a medical report issued by the Palestinian Public Prosecution office- was the cause of death.
The official Israeli response does not claim that the victim was in procession of a weapon, using the word "premise" and therefore inadvertently admitting they killed a man based upon a presumption. Regardless of the suspicion Washaha was involved in terror activities, when the soldiers could have arrested him, they instead shot him in the chest.
On March 10th, Raed Zeitar, 38, a Jordanian Judge of Palestinian origin had been smoking at a border crossing between Jordan and the West Bank when he was fatally shot by an Israeli soldier. The judge was on his way to visit his hometown of Nablus- all the points of entry into the West Bank are manned by Israel, even those which border Jordan- when the incident occurred. The official line from the Israeli side was that Zeitar was shot after trying to seize a weapon from the soldier. The statement read, "A short while ago a Palestinian attempted to seize the weapon of a soldier at the Allenby Bridge crossing from Jordan. In response the forces at the scene opened fire towards the suspect. A hit was identified."
A contradictory statement from the Israeli military claimed that "the preliminary conclusion of the investigation, indicated that the terrorist attacked the soldier. He charged at the soldiers shouting, 'Allahu Akbar' (God is greatest), with a metal pole, and then attempted to seize the soldier's weapon prompting the soldiers to respond by firing towards his lower extremities. The suspect then began to strangle a soldier and the force resorted to using live fire once again."
Eye witnesses recount a different narrative to the two offered by the Israeli military. According to information collected by Al-Haq and a witness account collected by Ma'an news, Zeitar had exited the bus ferrying passengers through the crossing to smoke a cigarette, when he was then pushed by an Israeli soldier, who was then joined by two other Israeli soldiers. Zeitar retaliated by pushing the soldier back, after which four shots were fired, three of which hit Zeitar. Unfortunately the Israeli security camera which could have settled disputes over the chain of events had reportedly malfunctioned.
Zeitar death sparked international outcry, especially in Jordan where large protests called for the removal of the Israeli ambassador, the recalling of the Jordanian envoy to Tel Aviv, and even the scrapping of the Israel-Jordan peace agreement. In a rare show of guilt, Israel expressed regret for the killing of an unarmed citizen. It was difficult to pass Ra'ed's death as another terrorist plotting an imminent attack against Israel with his position as a judge of good standing holding a Jordanian passport.
The international outcry for the death of Saji Darwish the same day was not so loud. The IDF didn't give an official comment for why the 20 year old was shot dead on the evening of the 10th March, and failed to respond to repeated requests by Memo for a comment. According to initial information from the Israeli military, two Palestinians hurled rocks at an Israeli car and bus near Bet El. Soldiers arrived on the scene. One of the Palestinians fled the scene, and the other was shot dead by a soldier.
The IDF does attempt to obscure that, if the account is indeed true, one of their soldiers shot a Palestinian in the head for throwing stones at cars- which resulted in no injuries or damages. No warning shots, no firing at lower extremities, and without Darwish posing an immediate threat to the soldier's lives- all of which appear to violate the IDF's own undisclosed rules of engagement, an understanding of which has been derived in Amnesty International's recent report using past court cases.
A Palestinian medic who was called to the scene told Memo a soldier standing by the body had said Darwish had been shot by an Israeli sniper. Ascertained from his hat, he had been shot once in the back of the head, although a doctor who examined the body later on, found another gunshot wound behind his left ear. This means he was facing away from the sniper when he was fatally shot. Seeming to support the claims of the Darwish family that Saji was heading to their barn, the medic noted the position of the body lay in sight of his family home, and around 40 meters from a barn.
Saji's death seemed to fall under the rug in the midst of the shooting of the Jordanian lawyer, and while international voices questioned the narrative that a prominent lawyer had attempted to use a weapon against a soldier, they overlooked the shooting of a 20 year old the same day on the premise he threw stones.
That same day Fida' Mohyeeddeen Majadla, 23 years old, was killed also by Israeli soldiers when they fired at his car not far from al-Kafriyyat checkpoint, south of the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem. He died instantly after being shot in the head and chest. Soldiers closed the checkpoint, preventing a Palestinian ambulance from retrieving Majadla's body. There has been no official statement indicating the reasons behind the killing of Majadla.
Just over a week later, 14 year old Yusif Sami Shawamreh, and his two friends were crossing over the separation barrier on the 19th March when Yusef suffered a fatal shot to the hip fired by an Israeli soldier. According to the army, three Palestinians approached the fence and started cutting it. The force performed the procedure for stopping a suspect, shooting first in the air and then toward the Palestinian, according to the report.
In Deir al-Asal al-Foqa, the village Yusif is from, farmers harvest a plant called gundelia around this time of year. The separation wall annexed some of the villages land, and so the boys had crossed over to harvest the crop on the other side of it, a routine that the soldiers were aware of, according to residents. The two boys who were with Yusif claim they heard three shots, causing them to get down on the floor. Yusif then reportedly got up to cross back over into the village, when another shot was fired causing him to fall. One of the boys, Muntaser, then attempted to carry him to safety, but was told by 6 soldiers who arrived at the scene to put Yusif down, threatening to shoot him if he did not obey. Both boys were then blindfolded and had their hands tied with plastic cords for half an hour. Their blindfolds were briefly removed a half hour later, just as Yusif was being taken away on an Israeli medic's stretcher.
In the IDF's initial report there is no attempt to obscure the fact a soldier shot dead a child on the premise he crossed the separation wall - which was anyhow declared illegal in parts almost a decade ago by the International Court of Justice. It however does not mention that the land the child was standing on is in fact the land of his village, illegally annexed by Israel in violation of international law. The subsequent treatment of the two children, who reported being violently interrogated after just having lost a friend, also violates international human rights laws.
On the 22nd March three men, identified as Hamza Abu al-Haija, 22, Mahmoud Abu Zeina, 17, and 22-year-old Yazan Mahmoud, were shot dead following an Israeli military raid on a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin. According to IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, Abu al-Hija opened fire on the troops before he was killed. The IDF said that Abu al-Hija was "wanted for numerous shooting and bombing attacks as well as planning future acts of terrorism." Lerner called him a "ticking time bomb" planning to kill Israelis. The Israeli military said its forces had been attempting to arrest Abu al-Haija, who was wanted for "shooting and bombing attacks as well as planning future attacks." Abu al-Haija "barricaded himself with other operatives in his house," a statement read, before opening fire and wounding two Israeli security personnel who "responded with fire, killing the terrorist."
Palestinian security sources told Ma'an news agency, Israeli soldiers surrounded homes of militants in the camp and showered them with bullets during the raid. A Haaretz journalist reported that testimonies from the camp claim, while one of the three was killed during an exchange of fire, the second two victims were killed as they were carrying Hamzi's body to his family home, which is a distance from where the gun battle had occurred. Sharpshooters in the camp killed them, even though they were not armed, residents claim.
Time and time again, Israel falls back on the army jargon where the word terrorist seems to justify killing a Palestinian, regardless of whether the victim is an adult, or a child. With every death there are two versions of events, from the Israeli soldiers, to the Israeli medics, to the Israeli forensics unit, to the Israeli justice system. One narrative is enforced, while the other is "silenced."
US will not give Syrian opposition anti-aircraft missiles
4/1/2014 12:44:51 PM
US Secretary of State John Kerry reconfirmed that the US administration is opposed to providing the Syrian opposition anti-aircraft missiles during a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russian media reported yesterday.
Following his meeting with Kerry in Paris, Lavrov said the US Secretary of State confirmed Washington's refusal to arm the fighters of the Syrian opposition with anti-aircraft missiles.
Russia Today quoted Lavrov as saying Washington's refusal is fully consistent with the agreements between the two parties not to send mobile rocket systems to hotspots.
The comments were made following the broadcast of reports stating that the US president is considering the possibility of sending portable air defence systems, known as the Manbads, to the moderate factions of the Syrian opposition's fighters to balance the military powers with the Assad regime.
The press reports were released amid the visit of the US president to Saudi Arabia on Friday, where the Kingdom's government is calling for strengthening the Syrian opposition forces.
27 military and 339 criminal trials since Egypt's coup
4/1/2014 12:40:20 PM
The Wiki Revolution website, which is affiliated to the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights, has reported that 27 military trials, as well as 339 criminal trials, have taken place since Egypt's coup, led by former Defence Minister Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi against Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, on 3 July 2013.
The website noted that more than 10,000 political opponents have faced charges, of which 1,000 were acquitted and 3,000 were convicted of various counts, while the majority of defendants are still on trial.
Wiki Revolution pointed out that the number of anti-coup detainees since the ousting of President Morsi is about 21,000 persons, stressing that arrests continue to take place on almost a daily basis in areas where there is strong support for the alliance of legitimacy.
It is noteworthy that two weeks ago, the Associated Press news agency reported that around 16,000 people have been detained since the coup against President Morsi, based upon information from two interior ministry officials and two officials from the armed forces about the number of political opponents detained during the past eight months.
The officials also revealed that the total number of detainees include 3,000 prisoners from the upper and middle leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood. Moreover, hundreds of women and minors have been arrested for taking part in protests and are now imprisoned.
The number of Egyptians currently detained is the highest in more than two decades. There were up to 30,000 prisoners in Egyptian jails, mostly Islamists, during the rule of former President Hosni Mubarak.
The agency added that human rights reports have also documented that prisoners, including women and children, are facing an escalation of abuses amidst questions about the role of the public prosecutor in investigating them, as well as increasingly fabricated charges.
Source: Al-Resalah.net
42 per cent of Israeli employers discriminate against Arabs
4/1/2014 12:32:46 PM
Some 42 per cent of Israeli employers do not prefer to hire Arab workers, an official Israeli study found.
Local media reported the study was commissioned by the Israeli Economy Ministry's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and was announced in Bar Ilan University in Tel-Aviv.
Times of Israel reported the study's commissioner Tziona Koenig-Yair saying in a statement: "The survey data raises difficult questions regarding public attitudes in general and employers' attitudes in particular towards employees from different communities."
According to Koenig-Yair, the results of the study were based on 500 Jews, the majority of which hold higher degrees. The survey found that about 46 per cent were reluctant to work with Arab colleagues.
The survey reflects the difficulties faced by Palestinians in the Israeli labour market where they are not allowed to work in the public sector, certain industrial zones and several workplaces in their own cities. Therefore, 70 per cent of Palestinians leave their cities to work elsewhere every day.
This has led to a hike of unemployment rates among Palestinians in Israel.
Unemployment rates among Palestinians in Israel are four times higher than that among Jews. In Israel the unemployment rate is less than 6.5 per cent; 4.5 per cent amongst Jews and between 23 to 25 per cent amongst Palestinians.
Meanwhile, unemployment rates amongst Palestinian women in Israel are around 70 per cent. They are the most oppressed members of society in Israel. About 30 per cent of Palestinian women with academic or vocational degrees are unemployed and 50 percent of them do not work in their majors.
US adviser avoids meeting Israeli ambassador to America
4/1/2014 12:30:37 PM
The US' National Security Advisor Susan Rice has avoided meeting the Israeli ambassador in Washington Ron Dermer since he took office nearly half a year ago, Israeli radio reported.
Informed sources said Rice's critical stance of Israel caused a rift between the two. The Israeli embassy in Washington confirmed the news but pointed out that Dermer had never asked to meet with Rice and that the two used to meet in the past regularly every few weeks.
Dermer spoke last week before a large political rally held by Republicans in one of the casinos owned by pro-Republican Jewish-American millionaire Sheldon Adelson.
The Israeli embassy in Washington said the Israeli ambassador attends similar rallies and that Dermer expressed his willingness to participate in similar rallies organised by the Democratic Party.
Why is Qatar being targeted by its Arab surroundings?
4/1/2014 12:28:37 PM
I was taking part in a live interview with the BBC and the programme was about the arms deal brokered in March with American and European arms companies. The main focus of the programme was why Qatar chose to make this deal at the present time? Who is the enemy Qatar is arming itself against? Does this deal have anything to do with the American president's visit to Saudi Arabia and does it have any relation to the Saudi-Emirati-Qatari dispute? I am sure these questions are not asked innocently and have some purpose, but I will sum it up in the following way:
Qatar was not the only country to make an arms deal amounting to $7.55 billion, not $27 billion as said by the programme presenter. Instead, it was 27 billion Qatari riyals, which is equivalent to$7.55 billion. This deal also includes attack helicopters according to Arab reports.
Kuwait made an arms deal in 2012-2013 amounting to $7 billion and the UAE's arms purchases over the past two years are valued at $36 billion, in addition to $3.6 billion spent on interceptor missiles. Oman also did the same and purchased $18 billion worth of weapons.
According to sources from the US State Department, GCC states have purchased $115 billion worth of weapons, as reported by the US Congress, and during the period between 2011 and 2012, the total amount of arms purchases by the GCC reached $200 billion, excluding the purchases of Qatar. Over the past 10 years, the GCC has spent $500 billion on weapons. (See Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's report on international arms for further information).
My point is that Qatar is not the only Gulf state that is armed and, as far as I know, Qatar hasn't made any arms deals in the last five years.
In terms of timing, the fourth Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition (DIMDEX) was held in March and it was at the exhibition that the Qatar arms deal was brokered, while some other Gulf states were present and made similar deals. So, why is the Arab media focusing on Qatar's purchases of weapons, as well as other purchases? It has nothing to do with the American president's visit to Saudi Arabia, or the holding of the exhibition in Doha, or any state's purchase of weapons. This is proved by the fact that the exhibition was scheduled before the announcement of Obama's visit to Riyadh.
I was asked by the BBC radio presenter: "Who are Qatar's enemies that it needs to arm itself against?"
I say all the Arab Gulf states are being targeted by forces that either have their eyes on the Gulf's oil and natural gas wealth or who envy the good that has come to the Gulf and the goals it has achieved. These states must prepare to face the day when their independence, sovereignty and security is threatened by other parties and such sovereign states should not wait for the last moment to start the process of armament and training to use the arms to deter any aggression against them.
Some Arab media outlets exaggerated the political dispute that occurred between Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates which led to the recall of ambassadors from Doha last month. The media even aggravated the dispute between the countries concerned and I am certain that the media believed that by fuelling these differences, they were satisfying some of the leaders in these countries. However, the truth is that those promoting incitement are not pleasing anyone, neither the political leaders nor the popular masses, solely because they do not know the truth.
Some have said that Qatar is conspiring with several other parties to divide Saudi Arabia and promote sedition in the country.
Hence, I say they do not know the truth. Qatar's security comes from Saudi Arabia's security and any evil inflicted on Saudi Arabia, God forbid, also affects Qatar. Didn't they see what happened to the Gulf states when Iraq was occupied, leaving these countries without a cover and causing sectarian strife to spread across the GCC countries?
Isn't it time for the pens of the incitement and the evil voices to be silenced for the sake of the region's safety and security? Our leaders are able to resolve their differences amongst themselves and it is our duty to help them by spreading the truth.
There is no doubt that any wise person in the Gulf would be confused by the negativity being reported in the Arab media with regards Qatar. I will cite some, not all, examples of such reports. The Arab media reported that foreign workers in Qatar are being oppressed and that there is a high death rate amongst them, and also that Qatar violates their human rights and subjects them to the sponsorship system; this was leaked to the West, along with other reports. They have all been fabricated in an attempt to undermine the country because it will host the 2022 World Cup.
In this context, some GCC countries experienced labour strikes demanding better working conditions, while this did not occur on the same scale in Qatar. Also, the sponsorship system is being executed in all GCC countries and is not limited to Qatar, while the death rate amongst foreign workers is high in all Gulf countries due to the fact they outnumber the citizens.
Delegations from the International Labour Organisation and FIFA visited Qatar in order to determine whether the rumours in the media regarding the oppression of foreign workers in Qatar was true, they determined that the information reported in the media was false.
I do not claim that the lives of the workers in Qatar is perfect and that they are living in paradise, but they live under better working conditions than their fellow workers in other GCC countries.
The bottom line is Qatar is an Arab country and the fact that it will be hosting the 2022 World Cup is a source of pride for all Arabs. I had hoped that the Arabs would work together to make this experience a success because a success in Qatar would be a success for all the Arabs. So, let us, the people with the pens, come together and agree to serve our nation and not only one country in the greater Arab homeland.
Translated from Al Sharq newspaper, 1 April, 2014
Kerry cancels scheduled meeting with Abbas in Ramallah
4/1/2014 11:26:00 AM
US Secretary of State John Kerry cancelled a scheduled meeting due to take place this evening with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas; sources in the Palestinian president's office reported.
The Palestinian president invited the media to cover Kerry's visit to Ramallah but after waiting for nearly two hours, the media were told that Kerry cancelled his scheduled meeting and asked them to leave. The Palestinian official gave no further details on why Kerry cancelled his planned meeting or if another meeting will be held at a later date.
The Israeli media claimed that Kerry cancelled his meeting with the Palestinian president because his meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in West Jerusalem exceeded its anticipated time and lasted four hours leaving little time for his second meeting in Ramallah.
Kerry arrived yesterday to Israel in a visit described by the Israeli media as a bid to save the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
The Israeli spokesperson to the Arab media Ofir Gendelman said via Twitter that after his arrival, Kerry met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
The Executive Committees of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the Fatah movement met yesterday to discuss the developments in the negotiations with Israel and Israel's attempts to avoid its commitment to release the fourth group of Palestinian prisoners.
A senior member of the PLO, Wasel Abu Yusuf said the Palestinian leadership decided unanimously that if Israel insisted on refusing to release the fourth group of Palestinian prisoners the PLO would join international organisations and sign international conventions.
Israel had agreed to release 104 Palestinian prisoners detained prior to the signing of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO in four batches. In return, Palestinians would halt efforts to join the United Nations organisations especially the International Court of Justice in The Hague after Palestine won non-member observer status in 2012.
Israel has so far released three groups of prisoners but refuses to release the fourth batch which include Arab citizens of Israel.
The two sides resumed negotiations in July under American auspices in the hope of reaching a peace agreement within nine months, the deadline for which is April 29. While Israel and the United States want to extend negotiations for a year, the Palestinian Authority demands Israel freeze settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian Territory but Netanyahu's government refuses.
Palestinians demand settlements freeze as condition for extending negotiations
4/1/2014 11:20:05 AM
The Palestinian leadership is demanding that Israel freezes its settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories as a condition for extending the negotiations.
Maan News Agency quoted on Tuesday the Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, Mustafa Barghouti, as saying that the Palestinian leadership has demanded for Israel to freeze its settlement activities, including government tenders to construct settlements, in order to extend the negotiations. The leadership has also decided to seek recognition for the State of Palestine from United Nations organisations if Israel does not release the fourth group of Palestinian prisoners as previously agreed.
Barghouti, who attended the Palestinian leadership meeting on Monday to discuss the recent development in the peace process, added that the Palestinians plan to send a delegation of five people to discuss with Hamas ways to end the split with Al-Fatah and reach national reconciliation.
The meeting brought together Al-Fatah movement's Central Committee, the PLO Executive Committee and the secretaries-general of the Palestinian factions in Ramallah.
Barghouti said the Palestinian leadership will resume its meeting on Tuesday to further discuss the latest developments in the peace process and the results of US Secretary of State John Kerry's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel has refused to release the fourth group of Palestinian prisoners unless the Palestinian Authority agrees to extend the negotiations for another year unconditionally.
Kerry had cancelled his scheduled meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday in Ramallah to meet instead with the Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and the head of the Palestinian intelligence service General Majed Faraj in Jerusalem; however, the meeting results were not disclosed to the public.
Diplomatic sources claimed that Kerry cancelled his meeting with Abbas in Ramallah because his first meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exceeded its scheduled time, running nearly five hours.
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