28 aug 2013
Hamas spokesman Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri has denied media claims that five members of Hamas movement were arrested in Egypt in connection with the killing of Egyptian soldiers in Rafah border town. He described the media claims in a press release on Wednesday as “sheer lies” that fell in line with the campaign of incitement against Gaza Strip and Palestinian resistance.
He said that the incitement aims to justify the destruction of tunnels and the almost complete closure of the Rafah border crossing in addition to providing a cover for the strangulation of the besieged enclave.
The spokesman advised the media outlets to scrutinize news before publishing them and to stop targeting Palestinian resistance based on lies and fabrications.
He said that the incitement aims to justify the destruction of tunnels and the almost complete closure of the Rafah border crossing in addition to providing a cover for the strangulation of the besieged enclave.
The spokesman advised the media outlets to scrutinize news before publishing them and to stop targeting Palestinian resistance based on lies and fabrications.
27 aug 2013
The body of a Palestinian man was returned to Gaza late Monday after he died in an Egyptian prison.
Yousef Amro Abu Zayed, 51, was detained in Egypt because his visa had expired. He died three days ago but his family were unable to bring his body back until Tuesday.
The circumstances around his death are unclear, his family say, although there were no signs of torture.
Egyptian authorities have detained a number of Palestinians, claiming that their visas have expired.
Yousef Amro Abu Zayed, 51, was detained in Egypt because his visa had expired. He died three days ago but his family were unable to bring his body back until Tuesday.
The circumstances around his death are unclear, his family say, although there were no signs of torture.
Egyptian authorities have detained a number of Palestinians, claiming that their visas have expired.
26 aug 2013
By Khalid Amayreh in occupied Palestine
During his meeting with Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Monday, the Sisi coup's foreign minister Nabil Fahmi reportedly condemned the murderous killing by the Israeli occupation army of three young Palestinians at the Qalandya refugee camp north of Jerusalem.
"We condemn the occupation forces' killing of three people from Qalandiya refugee camp," Nabil Fahmi told a joint news conference with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Malki.
Fahmi, mainly tasked with explaining and justifying Egypt's bloody coup to the outside world, met Abbas at his headquarters in Ramallah just hours after Israeli occupation forces shot dead three Palestinians at the Qalandiya camp.
"The continuation of violence and settlement expansion decreases the chances of success for negotiations, which we hope will succeed," he said.
Fahmi also expressed Egypt's support for "Palestinian reconciliation, which the Palestinians must reach," describing the process as a "big challenge."
However, it was clear that Fahmi's remarks were conspicuously hypocritical, morally duplicitous and oblivious of cold facts in both Egypt and occupied Palestine.
It is true that the Israeli occupation army murdered three Palestinians in the West Bank while Fahmi was in Ramallah. Well. Israel has been murdering Palestinians since time immemorial. In a certain sense, it’s hardly news.
But in just three hours two weeks ago, the "heroic" Egyptian army and police showered peaceful Egyptian protesters with bullets from air, tanks, and high rooftops, killing more than 3000 people and maiming thousands others. Hundreds of bodies were burned beyond recognition, apparently to destroy evidence while victims' relatives were asked to sign official papers stating that the murdered victims actually committed suicide.
Israel is our existential enemy and ultimate tormentor, and we hardly need the foreign minister of a murderous junta to remind us of this fact.
Indeed, if Fahmi possessed an iota of morality or rectitude, he would at the very least resign his post and stop acting as cheap emissary for the murderers of his people.
Undoubtedly, he will go down in history as the public relations officer of the nefarious usurpers of freedom and democracy and murderers of innocent protesters.
Fahmi said the coup makers were still committed to achieving national reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas.
Well, Hamas is part of the Muslim Brotherhood, the very Islamic movement the criminal coup makers in Cairo insist on labeling "terrorist."!!
Hence, it is really hard to imagine that any reconciliation effort by the Sisi gang would be honest, evenhanded and fruitful. After all, if the Sisi gang can't treat its own people with minimal humanity and minimal respect, would it be expected to treat Palestinians any differently?
In short, we Palestinians don't want to have anything to do with murderers of their own people.
Mr. Fahmi you are persona non-grata in Palestine.
During his meeting with Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Monday, the Sisi coup's foreign minister Nabil Fahmi reportedly condemned the murderous killing by the Israeli occupation army of three young Palestinians at the Qalandya refugee camp north of Jerusalem.
"We condemn the occupation forces' killing of three people from Qalandiya refugee camp," Nabil Fahmi told a joint news conference with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Malki.
Fahmi, mainly tasked with explaining and justifying Egypt's bloody coup to the outside world, met Abbas at his headquarters in Ramallah just hours after Israeli occupation forces shot dead three Palestinians at the Qalandiya camp.
"The continuation of violence and settlement expansion decreases the chances of success for negotiations, which we hope will succeed," he said.
Fahmi also expressed Egypt's support for "Palestinian reconciliation, which the Palestinians must reach," describing the process as a "big challenge."
However, it was clear that Fahmi's remarks were conspicuously hypocritical, morally duplicitous and oblivious of cold facts in both Egypt and occupied Palestine.
It is true that the Israeli occupation army murdered three Palestinians in the West Bank while Fahmi was in Ramallah. Well. Israel has been murdering Palestinians since time immemorial. In a certain sense, it’s hardly news.
But in just three hours two weeks ago, the "heroic" Egyptian army and police showered peaceful Egyptian protesters with bullets from air, tanks, and high rooftops, killing more than 3000 people and maiming thousands others. Hundreds of bodies were burned beyond recognition, apparently to destroy evidence while victims' relatives were asked to sign official papers stating that the murdered victims actually committed suicide.
Israel is our existential enemy and ultimate tormentor, and we hardly need the foreign minister of a murderous junta to remind us of this fact.
Indeed, if Fahmi possessed an iota of morality or rectitude, he would at the very least resign his post and stop acting as cheap emissary for the murderers of his people.
Undoubtedly, he will go down in history as the public relations officer of the nefarious usurpers of freedom and democracy and murderers of innocent protesters.
Fahmi said the coup makers were still committed to achieving national reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas.
Well, Hamas is part of the Muslim Brotherhood, the very Islamic movement the criminal coup makers in Cairo insist on labeling "terrorist."!!
Hence, it is really hard to imagine that any reconciliation effort by the Sisi gang would be honest, evenhanded and fruitful. After all, if the Sisi gang can't treat its own people with minimal humanity and minimal respect, would it be expected to treat Palestinians any differently?
In short, we Palestinians don't want to have anything to do with murderers of their own people.
Mr. Fahmi you are persona non-grata in Palestine.
Ibrahim Sarsour, Arab deputy in the Israeli Knesset, condemned the PA security services' attack on peaceful rallies organized by Islamist forces in West Bank against Egypt's military coup. He described the PA forces' attack as a brutal act that violates the constitutional right to peaceful demonstrations.
He stressed the Palestinian citizens' right to express themselves towards the recent events in Egypt without being persecuted, pointing to the Egyptian events' impact on the Palestinian cause.
He criticized the PA's attitude to side with the bloody military coup against the Egyptian people's will, stressing the PA brutal methods will not succeed to suppress the Palestinian people.
Sarsour stated that legitimacy will win and ousted Egyptian president Dr. Morsi will be back to office and all those who were engaged in the military coup will be prosecuted in revolutionary courts.
For her part, MP Samira Halaiqa considered the PA security forces' attack on peaceful rallies in support of Egyptian people a reproduction to the police's suppression to rallies at Rabaa Adawiya in Cairo.
She strongly condemned the PA security services' Friday attack on national figures and leaders in national factions such as Jamal Tawil and Hussein Abu Kuweik and liberated prisoners.
She also condemned the human rights institutions' silence towards PA security services’ violations in West Bank.
She charged that the PA brutal practices over the past few years aim to suppress and eliminate Hamas movement and its supporters in West Bank.
MP Halaiqa stated that the situation in Egypt has a direct impact in the Palestinian territories, stressing that the security of the entire region depends on the security of Egypt.
He stressed the Palestinian citizens' right to express themselves towards the recent events in Egypt without being persecuted, pointing to the Egyptian events' impact on the Palestinian cause.
He criticized the PA's attitude to side with the bloody military coup against the Egyptian people's will, stressing the PA brutal methods will not succeed to suppress the Palestinian people.
Sarsour stated that legitimacy will win and ousted Egyptian president Dr. Morsi will be back to office and all those who were engaged in the military coup will be prosecuted in revolutionary courts.
For her part, MP Samira Halaiqa considered the PA security forces' attack on peaceful rallies in support of Egyptian people a reproduction to the police's suppression to rallies at Rabaa Adawiya in Cairo.
She strongly condemned the PA security services' Friday attack on national figures and leaders in national factions such as Jamal Tawil and Hussein Abu Kuweik and liberated prisoners.
She also condemned the human rights institutions' silence towards PA security services’ violations in West Bank.
She charged that the PA brutal practices over the past few years aim to suppress and eliminate Hamas movement and its supporters in West Bank.
MP Halaiqa stated that the situation in Egypt has a direct impact in the Palestinian territories, stressing that the security of the entire region depends on the security of Egypt.
Secretary-general of the Palestinian cabinet in Gaza Abdul-Salam Siyam said that the recent events in Egypt caused a significant decline in the number of solidarity delegations and aid convoys coming to the besieged Gaza Strip. Siyam stated in a press release that many organizers of aid convoys either canceled or postponed their plans to visit the Strip because of the delicate security situation in Egypt and the closure of the Rafah border crossing.
He affirmed that the solidarity delegations and aid convoys had greatly contributed to alleviating the suffering of Gazans resulting from the blockade, and the absence of their humanitarian role started to cause noticeable shortages in medical supplies.
He warned that the new restrictions imposed by the current Egyptian regime on Gaza have exacerbated the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
In another context, the Hamas Movement strongly denounced on Sunday the Egyptian media in Cairo for fabricating lies against it and its armed wing.
It said that such smear campaign is aimed at justifying the destruction of Rafah tunnels and the closure of Rafah border crossing by the coup leadership in Cairo.
This came in response to Egyptian media fabrications claiming that resistance fighters from Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas train members of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood group in the Palestinian side of Rafah area.
He affirmed that the solidarity delegations and aid convoys had greatly contributed to alleviating the suffering of Gazans resulting from the blockade, and the absence of their humanitarian role started to cause noticeable shortages in medical supplies.
He warned that the new restrictions imposed by the current Egyptian regime on Gaza have exacerbated the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
In another context, the Hamas Movement strongly denounced on Sunday the Egyptian media in Cairo for fabricating lies against it and its armed wing.
It said that such smear campaign is aimed at justifying the destruction of Rafah tunnels and the closure of Rafah border crossing by the coup leadership in Cairo.
This came in response to Egyptian media fabrications claiming that resistance fighters from Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas train members of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood group in the Palestinian side of Rafah area.
24 aug 2013
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized the United States for condemning his remarks over the involvement of the Israeli regime in the ouster of former Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi.
On Tuesday, Erdogan said in a nationally televised speech that Israel was behind the military-backed toppling of Morsi last month.
His remarks angered Israel, the United States, and the new government in Cairo. The White House condemned the comments as offensive, unsubstantiated and wrong.
"Why is the White House making a statement on this? The White House should not have spoken about this. If there's somebody to speak on this, it should have been Israel," the Turkish premier said in televised remarks on Saturday.
Erdogan also noted that Washington’s condemnation “upset” him, adding, "This is very important to show the world's double standards.”
Speaking to a meeting of his Justice and Development Party on Tuesday, Erdogan blamed the Tel Aviv regime for Morsi’s ouster, saying, "What do they say about Egypt: democracy is not the ballot box. Who is behind this? It's Israel."
“We have the evidence in our hands,” he also said citing remarks made by an Israeli justice minister to a 2011 forum in France in which he allegedly said Morsi would not be to stay in power even if he won the presidential election.
Egypt has been experiencing unrelenting violence since the army toppled Morsi on July 3, suspended the constitution and dissolved the parliament.
On Tuesday, Erdogan said in a nationally televised speech that Israel was behind the military-backed toppling of Morsi last month.
His remarks angered Israel, the United States, and the new government in Cairo. The White House condemned the comments as offensive, unsubstantiated and wrong.
"Why is the White House making a statement on this? The White House should not have spoken about this. If there's somebody to speak on this, it should have been Israel," the Turkish premier said in televised remarks on Saturday.
Erdogan also noted that Washington’s condemnation “upset” him, adding, "This is very important to show the world's double standards.”
Speaking to a meeting of his Justice and Development Party on Tuesday, Erdogan blamed the Tel Aviv regime for Morsi’s ouster, saying, "What do they say about Egypt: democracy is not the ballot box. Who is behind this? It's Israel."
“We have the evidence in our hands,” he also said citing remarks made by an Israeli justice minister to a 2011 forum in France in which he allegedly said Morsi would not be to stay in power even if he won the presidential election.
Egypt has been experiencing unrelenting violence since the army toppled Morsi on July 3, suspended the constitution and dissolved the parliament.
Egypt reopened its border crossing with the Gaza Strip on Saturday after four days of it being closed, allowing stranded passengers to cross in and out of the Palestinian territory that is controlled by the Islamist Hamas group.
Thousands of Palestinians, including students and patients seeking medical treatment, have been unable to travel to Egypt since the Rafah border crossing was shut and hundreds wanting to return home have been stranded outside the Gaza Strip.
Thousands of Palestinians, including students and patients seeking medical treatment, have been unable to travel to Egypt since the Rafah border crossing was shut and hundreds wanting to return home have been stranded outside the Gaza Strip.
Palestinians on the Palestinian side of Rafah on August 20
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called on the Egyptian interim government to reopen the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip.
Hamas deputy foreign minister, Ghazi Hamed, said on Friday that some 1,200 people were using the crossing each day while the former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was in power but after he was removed by the military on 3 July the number fell to about 50 a day.
Egyptian officials closed the border crossing on August 19 after at least 25 policemen were killed in an ambush near the border by suspected militants.
He told state-run BBC that thousands of Palestinians, including students and medical patients, wanting to leave or enter Gaza have been stuck due to the closure of the key border crossing.
Rafah terminal is Gaza's sole gateway to the outside world bypassing Israel.
Many people in the blockaded coastal enclave avoid traveling through the Israeli controlled Erez crossing in northern Gaza.
Many of those stranded in Gaza stand to lose their jobs or their chances to obtain education in foreign countries because they overstayed in Gaza.
After Morsi's ouster the Egyptian military tightened the restriction in Rafah and created hardships for Gazans.
Observers say that the military -controlled government in Egypt has only more trouble in store for the 1.7 million people living in Gaza.
People here say that the closure of the Rafah crossing has increased their suffering and will leave them at the mercy of the Israeli-controlled crossing.
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called on the Egyptian interim government to reopen the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip.
Hamas deputy foreign minister, Ghazi Hamed, said on Friday that some 1,200 people were using the crossing each day while the former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was in power but after he was removed by the military on 3 July the number fell to about 50 a day.
Egyptian officials closed the border crossing on August 19 after at least 25 policemen were killed in an ambush near the border by suspected militants.
He told state-run BBC that thousands of Palestinians, including students and medical patients, wanting to leave or enter Gaza have been stuck due to the closure of the key border crossing.
Rafah terminal is Gaza's sole gateway to the outside world bypassing Israel.
Many people in the blockaded coastal enclave avoid traveling through the Israeli controlled Erez crossing in northern Gaza.
Many of those stranded in Gaza stand to lose their jobs or their chances to obtain education in foreign countries because they overstayed in Gaza.
After Morsi's ouster the Egyptian military tightened the restriction in Rafah and created hardships for Gazans.
Observers say that the military -controlled government in Egypt has only more trouble in store for the 1.7 million people living in Gaza.
People here say that the closure of the Rafah crossing has increased their suffering and will leave them at the mercy of the Israeli-controlled crossing.
23 aug 2013
Egyptian intelligence and security services trained members of a group calling itself "Tamarod Gaza," a senior Hamas official charged Friday.
In a video released Sunday, masked activists read a statement by "Tamarod Gaza" calling for protests across the enclave on Nov. 11 to overthrow Hamas.
On Nov. 11, all "tyrannies and oppression practiced by the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza" will come to an end, according to the statement.
The Egyptian Tamarod movement is a protest group that organized opposition to the rule of president Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood leader who was deposed on July 3.
Hamas' Yahya Mousa told the Lebanese newspaper El-Nashra that Tamarod had centers in the West Bank and Gaza and that its members were trained by Egyptian intelligence and security services.
Hamas security services have detained members of the group in Gaza and they are being interrogated, Mousa added.
"There is a big difference in reality between Egypt and Gaza. Those traitors don't have any place among the Palestinian people who protect the political system and resistance," Mousa said.
"These groups will not succeed and will not have any impact in Gaza," the Hamas official said.
Mousa dismissed the group's claim that it is fighting "oppression" in Gaza. "This doesn't mean anything. Our people in Gaza suffer the oppression of President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel and the US," he said.
He added: "These groups want to sink the nation in blood to keep Israel as the only power and controller in the area ... The Arab nation is being exposed to an international conspiracy which Israel and the US lead."
Mousa said Washington's "war on terror" was a conspiracy against political Islam in the region, and he accused the Palestinian Authority of being a part of a US coalition.
Gulf states are sponsoring the coalition, which is conspiring against Egypt where it created a "fascist and criminal coup," the Hamas official said.
The coalition is working against dignity, freedom and revolutions in the Arab nation, he added.
Responding to the report, a high-ranking Egyptian official said Hamas was trying to protect itself from the anger of the Palestinian people.
"We feel pity for Hamas for having such minds that lost its people due to oppressive and unjust practices against them and began using excuses to justify its failure and protect itself from the anger of Palestinian people," he told Ma'an.
"There must be a decision taken inside the movement to escalate against Egypt to try to throw all problems in Gaza on its biggest sister Egypt," he added.
In July, a group calling itself "Tamarod," Arabic for rebellion, marched through Ramallah calling for a third intifada.
Masked protesters rallied through Ramallah's streets, chanting that a third intifada, or uprising, would restore the dignity of the Palestinian cause.
They called on Palestinian factions to resume military activities and to unite in resistance against Israel's occupation.
In a video released Sunday, masked activists read a statement by "Tamarod Gaza" calling for protests across the enclave on Nov. 11 to overthrow Hamas.
On Nov. 11, all "tyrannies and oppression practiced by the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza" will come to an end, according to the statement.
The Egyptian Tamarod movement is a protest group that organized opposition to the rule of president Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood leader who was deposed on July 3.
Hamas' Yahya Mousa told the Lebanese newspaper El-Nashra that Tamarod had centers in the West Bank and Gaza and that its members were trained by Egyptian intelligence and security services.
Hamas security services have detained members of the group in Gaza and they are being interrogated, Mousa added.
"There is a big difference in reality between Egypt and Gaza. Those traitors don't have any place among the Palestinian people who protect the political system and resistance," Mousa said.
"These groups will not succeed and will not have any impact in Gaza," the Hamas official said.
Mousa dismissed the group's claim that it is fighting "oppression" in Gaza. "This doesn't mean anything. Our people in Gaza suffer the oppression of President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel and the US," he said.
He added: "These groups want to sink the nation in blood to keep Israel as the only power and controller in the area ... The Arab nation is being exposed to an international conspiracy which Israel and the US lead."
Mousa said Washington's "war on terror" was a conspiracy against political Islam in the region, and he accused the Palestinian Authority of being a part of a US coalition.
Gulf states are sponsoring the coalition, which is conspiring against Egypt where it created a "fascist and criminal coup," the Hamas official said.
The coalition is working against dignity, freedom and revolutions in the Arab nation, he added.
Responding to the report, a high-ranking Egyptian official said Hamas was trying to protect itself from the anger of the Palestinian people.
"We feel pity for Hamas for having such minds that lost its people due to oppressive and unjust practices against them and began using excuses to justify its failure and protect itself from the anger of Palestinian people," he told Ma'an.
"There must be a decision taken inside the movement to escalate against Egypt to try to throw all problems in Gaza on its biggest sister Egypt," he added.
In July, a group calling itself "Tamarod," Arabic for rebellion, marched through Ramallah calling for a third intifada.
Masked protesters rallied through Ramallah's streets, chanting that a third intifada, or uprising, would restore the dignity of the Palestinian cause.
They called on Palestinian factions to resume military activities and to unite in resistance against Israel's occupation.
Egyptian security forces on Thursday demolished three homes belonging to Egyptian smugglers in Rafah near the Gaza border, a security source said.
Entrances to tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip were located in the homes, the official told Ma'an. They were also destroyed, he said.
Forces arrested the home owners, he added.
A network of tunnels under the Egypt-Gaza border have provided a lifeline to Gaza residents under siege.
The security official said the tunnels threatened Egypt's security as they could be used to smuggle "jihadists" across the border.
Entrances to tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip were located in the homes, the official told Ma'an. They were also destroyed, he said.
Forces arrested the home owners, he added.
A network of tunnels under the Egypt-Gaza border have provided a lifeline to Gaza residents under siege.
The security official said the tunnels threatened Egypt's security as they could be used to smuggle "jihadists" across the border.
22 aug 2013
A political analyst has described recent anti-Israeli remarks by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as “strange” and “hypocritical,” Press TV reports.
In a Wednesday interview with Press TV, Naseer al-Omari, writer and political commentator, criticized the Turkish premier for his double-standard policy toward the Israeli regime.
“It is really a little hypocritical to be having wonderful relationships [with Israel] when it comes to cooperation and when it comes to military issues and then, on the other hand, you condemn them for what you say are suspicious activities in Egypt,” said Omari.
On August 20, the Turkish premier said the Tel Aviv regime is behind the military coup d’état in Egypt which led to the ouster of former president, Mohamed Morsi, on July 3.
Erdogan added that he has “evidence” for his remarks. Hundreds of people, mostly pro-Morsi supporters, have been killed in the aftermath of the military overthrow.
It is “truly strange” that the Turkish prime minister challenges other regimes, while “he’s doing something similar in Syria,” Omari added.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu later said that Erdogan has been misunderstood and that the prime minister was referring to a mentality that led to Morsi’s ouster and not an Israeli plot.
Ankara has played a key role in fueling over two years of deadly turmoil in Syria by financing, training and arming the foreign-backed Takfiri groups operating in the crisis-hit country.
In April, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with the Turkish media that Erdogan “has not said a single word of truth” since the outbreak of violence in the Arab state in 2011.
In a Wednesday interview with Press TV, Naseer al-Omari, writer and political commentator, criticized the Turkish premier for his double-standard policy toward the Israeli regime.
“It is really a little hypocritical to be having wonderful relationships [with Israel] when it comes to cooperation and when it comes to military issues and then, on the other hand, you condemn them for what you say are suspicious activities in Egypt,” said Omari.
On August 20, the Turkish premier said the Tel Aviv regime is behind the military coup d’état in Egypt which led to the ouster of former president, Mohamed Morsi, on July 3.
Erdogan added that he has “evidence” for his remarks. Hundreds of people, mostly pro-Morsi supporters, have been killed in the aftermath of the military overthrow.
It is “truly strange” that the Turkish prime minister challenges other regimes, while “he’s doing something similar in Syria,” Omari added.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu later said that Erdogan has been misunderstood and that the prime minister was referring to a mentality that led to Morsi’s ouster and not an Israeli plot.
Ankara has played a key role in fueling over two years of deadly turmoil in Syria by financing, training and arming the foreign-backed Takfiri groups operating in the crisis-hit country.
In April, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with the Turkish media that Erdogan “has not said a single word of truth” since the outbreak of violence in the Arab state in 2011.
Israeli minister for military affairs, Moshe Yaalon, (L) and prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu
An analyst says Israel’s attempt to provoke the international community against the Syrian government following a recent alleged chemical attack in Damascus suggests Tel Aviv’s involvement in the massacre.
The Israeli minister for military affairs, “Moshe Yaalon's clumsy attempt to steer the world's reaction to the Syrian chemical weapons massacre suggests that the attack was yet another Israeli false-flag operation,” Kevin Barrett, a Ph.D. Arabist-Islamologist, wrote in an article published on Press TV’s website on Thursday.
Just hours after reports on 1,300 deaths in a chemical attack in the suburbs of Damascus on Wednesday, Yaalon accused the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of repeated use of chemical weapons against foreign-backed militants.
The Syrian Army has vehemently rejected allegations that it used chemical weapons, saying the accusations were fabricated to distract a visiting team of the UN chemical weapons experts and to cover up militants' losses.
Yaalon also described the Syria crisis as a bottomless struggle between a ruling Alawite minority and a disparate Sunni opposition including Muslim Brotherhood members and al-Qaeda affiliates, which would result in the "implosion" of Syria into Sunni-, Shia- and Kurdish-dominated parts.
Barrett, however, said the remarks did not offer an analysis of the situation in Syria but were “a program of action.”
“In fact, they will do whatever it takes to keep the fighting going, including launching false-flag attacks like the recent chemical weapons massacre. Israel's goal, as Yaalon admits, is the destruction of Syria,” the expert stated.
“The Israelis and their American proxies have already smashed Iraq, Libya, and Sudan into pieces,” he explained, as part of Tel Aviv’s plan to break up neighboring Middle Eastern countries into "tiny ethnic and sectarian Bantustans."
“Now they are targeting Syria and Egypt -- two countries whose land they plan to steal to create a ‘Greater Israel’ stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates,” he added.
The analyst said the recent release of Egypt’s criminal ex-dictator, Hosni Mubarak, from jail was also a calculated Zionist project to outrage the Egyptian masses, and thus accelerate the ongoing massacre of Egyptians by the army.
An analyst says Israel’s attempt to provoke the international community against the Syrian government following a recent alleged chemical attack in Damascus suggests Tel Aviv’s involvement in the massacre.
The Israeli minister for military affairs, “Moshe Yaalon's clumsy attempt to steer the world's reaction to the Syrian chemical weapons massacre suggests that the attack was yet another Israeli false-flag operation,” Kevin Barrett, a Ph.D. Arabist-Islamologist, wrote in an article published on Press TV’s website on Thursday.
Just hours after reports on 1,300 deaths in a chemical attack in the suburbs of Damascus on Wednesday, Yaalon accused the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of repeated use of chemical weapons against foreign-backed militants.
The Syrian Army has vehemently rejected allegations that it used chemical weapons, saying the accusations were fabricated to distract a visiting team of the UN chemical weapons experts and to cover up militants' losses.
Yaalon also described the Syria crisis as a bottomless struggle between a ruling Alawite minority and a disparate Sunni opposition including Muslim Brotherhood members and al-Qaeda affiliates, which would result in the "implosion" of Syria into Sunni-, Shia- and Kurdish-dominated parts.
Barrett, however, said the remarks did not offer an analysis of the situation in Syria but were “a program of action.”
“In fact, they will do whatever it takes to keep the fighting going, including launching false-flag attacks like the recent chemical weapons massacre. Israel's goal, as Yaalon admits, is the destruction of Syria,” the expert stated.
“The Israelis and their American proxies have already smashed Iraq, Libya, and Sudan into pieces,” he explained, as part of Tel Aviv’s plan to break up neighboring Middle Eastern countries into "tiny ethnic and sectarian Bantustans."
“Now they are targeting Syria and Egypt -- two countries whose land they plan to steal to create a ‘Greater Israel’ stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates,” he added.
The analyst said the recent release of Egypt’s criminal ex-dictator, Hosni Mubarak, from jail was also a calculated Zionist project to outrage the Egyptian masses, and thus accelerate the ongoing massacre of Egyptians by the army.
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks with Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Yaalon (L) on April 22, 2013 in Tel Aviv
US defense chief Chuck Hagel spoke with his Israeli counterpart Moshe Yaalon on Wednesday about Egypt, Iran and the ongoing violence in Syria, including claims of a chemical weapons attack.
In a brief statement after the morning call, the Pentagon said the two men "agreed to continue to maintain intensive dialogue on the multitude of challenges facing" their two countries.
Washington has demanded "immediate access" for United Nations inspectors to the site of an alleged chemical weapons attack by government forces on civilians in Syria.
Syria's main opposition group earlier accused the government of "massacring" more than 1,300 people in chemical weapons attacks near Damascus on Wednesday, saying many of the victims choked to death.
The UN team is in Syria to probe previous allegations of chemical weapons strikes leveled against both sides during the 29-month conflict.
Washington concluded in June that President Bashar Assad's forces had indeed used chemical arms in the past, including the nerve gas sarin, in attacks that killed up to 150 people.
In response, it promised to significantly toughen its stance on Syria and said it would provide military support to rebels for the first time.
But it has refused to specify exactly what it is doing because the information is classified, and much of the assistance is believed to have yet to reach selected opposition groups.
On Egypt, Washington is under pressure to cut its military aid to Cairo in the wake of a deadly army crackdown on supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi.
US assistance to Cairo totals $1.3 billion annually.
Israel has refrained from making public statements but an unnamed official was quoted in a media report earlier this week as saying that Israel and the West must support Egypt's army.
Israel and Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with the Jewish state, coordinate closely on military activity in the increasingly lawless Sinai Peninsula, which borders both the Jewish state and the Gaza Strip.
Egypt's unrest has heightened Israeli concerns about regional stability.
US defense chief Chuck Hagel spoke with his Israeli counterpart Moshe Yaalon on Wednesday about Egypt, Iran and the ongoing violence in Syria, including claims of a chemical weapons attack.
In a brief statement after the morning call, the Pentagon said the two men "agreed to continue to maintain intensive dialogue on the multitude of challenges facing" their two countries.
Washington has demanded "immediate access" for United Nations inspectors to the site of an alleged chemical weapons attack by government forces on civilians in Syria.
Syria's main opposition group earlier accused the government of "massacring" more than 1,300 people in chemical weapons attacks near Damascus on Wednesday, saying many of the victims choked to death.
The UN team is in Syria to probe previous allegations of chemical weapons strikes leveled against both sides during the 29-month conflict.
Washington concluded in June that President Bashar Assad's forces had indeed used chemical arms in the past, including the nerve gas sarin, in attacks that killed up to 150 people.
In response, it promised to significantly toughen its stance on Syria and said it would provide military support to rebels for the first time.
But it has refused to specify exactly what it is doing because the information is classified, and much of the assistance is believed to have yet to reach selected opposition groups.
On Egypt, Washington is under pressure to cut its military aid to Cairo in the wake of a deadly army crackdown on supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi.
US assistance to Cairo totals $1.3 billion annually.
Israel has refrained from making public statements but an unnamed official was quoted in a media report earlier this week as saying that Israel and the West must support Egypt's army.
Israel and Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with the Jewish state, coordinate closely on military activity in the increasingly lawless Sinai Peninsula, which borders both the Jewish state and the Gaza Strip.
Egypt's unrest has heightened Israeli concerns about regional stability.
An Egyptian supporter of former president Hosni Mubarak raises his portrait in Cairo on Aug. 22
Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak was flown from prison by helicopter to a military hospital Thursday after he was cleared for conditional release while standing trial, an interior ministry general told AFP.
Mubarak will be held under house arrest at the Cairo hospital on the orders of the prime minister, who has been granted the power to order arrests during the current state of emergency.
Live television footage showed the medical helicopter that took Mubarak from Cairo's Tora prison arrive at a nearby military hospital.
Mubarak, 85, is believed to be suffering from a heart condition.
Mubarak was cleared for conditional release after his lawyer argued his detention had exceeded the limit of pre-verdict imprisonment, and Mubarak had paid back the money involved in one of his corruption cases.
His next hearing is set for Sunday, on charges of corruption and complicity in the deaths of protesters during the 18-day uprising that overthrew him in early 2011.
Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak was flown from prison by helicopter to a military hospital Thursday after he was cleared for conditional release while standing trial, an interior ministry general told AFP.
Mubarak will be held under house arrest at the Cairo hospital on the orders of the prime minister, who has been granted the power to order arrests during the current state of emergency.
Live television footage showed the medical helicopter that took Mubarak from Cairo's Tora prison arrive at a nearby military hospital.
Mubarak, 85, is believed to be suffering from a heart condition.
Mubarak was cleared for conditional release after his lawyer argued his detention had exceeded the limit of pre-verdict imprisonment, and Mubarak had paid back the money involved in one of his corruption cases.
His next hearing is set for Sunday, on charges of corruption and complicity in the deaths of protesters during the 18-day uprising that overthrew him in early 2011.
Egypt's military ordered Wednesday that Hosni Mubarak be placed under house arrest, as the ex-president appeared set for conditional release in mid-trial on murder and corruption charges, state media reported.
"In the framework of the emergency law, the deputy military ruler ordered Mubarak to be placed under house arrest," read a news flash on state television.
"In the framework of the emergency law, the deputy military ruler ordered Mubarak to be placed under house arrest," read a news flash on state television.
The Egyptian army detonated at dawn Wednesday five tunnels and one house in Rafah border area between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. According to Quds Press, clouds of smoke billowed up in the Egyptian side of Rafah area, and sounds of explosions were heard on the other side of the Palestinian Rafah.
The Egyptian army have launched a major campaign against Gaza tunnels, which are used to smuggle vital supplies to the besieged population, since the military coup against president Mohamed Morsi.
The Rafah border crossing has also been closed completely since last Monday, and it is unknown if it will be reopened partially as before.
The Egyptian army have launched a major campaign against Gaza tunnels, which are used to smuggle vital supplies to the besieged population, since the military coup against president Mohamed Morsi.
The Rafah border crossing has also been closed completely since last Monday, and it is unknown if it will be reopened partially as before.
21 aug 2013
An Egyptian court Wednesday ordered ex-president Hosni Mubarak freed while he stands trial for corruption and killing protesters, as authorities pressed their roundup of supporters of his ousted Islamist successor Mohamed Morsi.
There was no indication of whether a release was imminent. In the past, prosecutors have filed new charges to keep Mubarak in jail after courts have ordered his conditional release.
The decision added a volatile new element to the political turmoil that has gripped Egypt since Morsi was ousted in a July 3 coup, with 1,000 people killed in violence in the past week.
That unrest has prompted international criticism, and EU foreign ministers agreed in an emergency meeting Wednesday to suspend the sale of arms and security equipment to Egypt.
Last year, Mubarak was convicted of complicity in the deaths of some of the 850 people killed in the 2011 uprising that overthrew him, as well as on charges of corruption.
He was sentenced to life in prison, but an appeals court ordered a retrial on technicalities
Should he be freed, he still faces those charges and his next hearing is scheduled for Sunday.
Meanwhile, authorities continued to round up members of the Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement.
Overnight, they detained Islamist firebrand Safwat Hegazy and Mourad Ali, a spokesman for the group's Freedom and Justice Party.
Hegazy was arrested near the border with Libya and Ali at Cairo airport as he tried to leave for Rome, they said.
Since the army ousted Morsi after massive demonstrations against him, authorities have issued hundreds of detention orders and arrest warrants for Brotherhood members.
Dozens of the group's leaders have been rounded up, including its supreme guide Mohamed Badie, who was detained on Tuesday.
It was the first time a Brotherhood supreme guide has been arrested since 1981.
The Brotherhood swiftly named deputy Mahmud Ezzat, described by experts as a "hawk" and conservative, to serve as interim guide.
Badie and two other senior Brotherhood leaders are expected to appear Sunday before a court on allegations they incited the murder of protesters in front of their headquarters on June 30.
Egypt has experienced a week of unprecedented political bloodletting, which began on August 14 when security forces stormed two Cairo pro-Morsi protest camps.
The crackdown and resulting violence across the country killed nearly 600 people in a single day, the bloodiest in Egypt's recent history.
Islamists have torched and attacked dozens of Christian churches, schools, businesses and homes -- mostly in the rural south -- accusing Egypt's sizable Coptic minority of backing Morsi's ouster.
The deadly dispersals of the protest camps were followed by days of violence that have seen the country's toll rise to nearly 1,000 dead, including 37 Islamist prisoners who died in custody on Sunday night.
That excludes the toll in the Sinai peninsula, where militants have launched near daily attacks against police and army facilities.
On Monday, 25 policemen were killed in a single incident, when gunmen dragged them from two buses and shot them dead execution style near the border with the Gaza Strip.
The incident prompted national condemnation and mourning and brought the week's toll in Sinai alone to 45, according to an AFP count.
The international community has responded with shock to the violence.
The European Union decided Wednesday to suspend export licenses to Egypt for any equipment that could be used for internal repression and to reassess arms export licenses and review security assistance with Egypt.
But it was seen as unlikely to cut the nearly 5 billion euros ($6.7 billion) in aid pledged for Egypt for 2012-13.
"We must very strongly condemn the violence. It is very important that Europe speaks up," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said as he arrived for the talks in Brussels.
The White House has criticized Badie's arrest, but denied reports it was halting its $1.3 billion annual aid package to Egypt.
On Tuesday, in an interview with ABC News, Egyptian interim prime minister Hazem el-Beblawi said it would be a "bad sign" for the US to cut off aid.
But, while he said such a move would "badly affect the military for some time," he insisted that "Egypt would survive" and could turn to other donors.
Oil-rich Saudi Arabia, which backs the army-installed interim government, has said it would step in with other Arab nations to fill any funding gap if Washington halts aid.
The United Nations has sent top official Jeffrey Feltman to Cairo to mediate between the authorities and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Lawyer seeks release of Egypt's Mubarak
Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak will face a new court hearing on Wednesday during which his lawyer will seek his release from prison, judicial sources said.
The hearing is the fourth and final case against the long-time president, who was toppled in a popular uprising in February 2011.
Since April, courts have ordered Mubarak's conditional release in the three other cases against him -- two involving corruption, and one for allegedly killing protesters.
The latest came on Monday when a court ordered his conditional release in the third case, which involved charges of corruption.
His lawyer plans to appeal against the fourth and final case, which is also related to corruption, in a bid to secure the former president's release, according to a judicial source.
Farid al-Dib, Mubarak's lawyer, is expected to argue that his client paid back $600,120 for gifts he received from his minister of information -- the issue at the heart of the fourth case.
The former president, 85, is on trial with his former interior minister Habib Adly and six police commanders on charges related to their rule before the 2011 uprising that toppled his regime.
On Saturday, a court adjourned his trial on charges of killing protesters until August 25 in a brief session that Mubarak did not attend.
He is facing the charges for a second time after a first trial that ended in him being sentenced to life was overturned by an appeals court on the basis of procedural errors.
There was no indication of whether a release was imminent. In the past, prosecutors have filed new charges to keep Mubarak in jail after courts have ordered his conditional release.
The decision added a volatile new element to the political turmoil that has gripped Egypt since Morsi was ousted in a July 3 coup, with 1,000 people killed in violence in the past week.
That unrest has prompted international criticism, and EU foreign ministers agreed in an emergency meeting Wednesday to suspend the sale of arms and security equipment to Egypt.
Last year, Mubarak was convicted of complicity in the deaths of some of the 850 people killed in the 2011 uprising that overthrew him, as well as on charges of corruption.
He was sentenced to life in prison, but an appeals court ordered a retrial on technicalities
Should he be freed, he still faces those charges and his next hearing is scheduled for Sunday.
Meanwhile, authorities continued to round up members of the Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement.
Overnight, they detained Islamist firebrand Safwat Hegazy and Mourad Ali, a spokesman for the group's Freedom and Justice Party.
Hegazy was arrested near the border with Libya and Ali at Cairo airport as he tried to leave for Rome, they said.
Since the army ousted Morsi after massive demonstrations against him, authorities have issued hundreds of detention orders and arrest warrants for Brotherhood members.
Dozens of the group's leaders have been rounded up, including its supreme guide Mohamed Badie, who was detained on Tuesday.
It was the first time a Brotherhood supreme guide has been arrested since 1981.
The Brotherhood swiftly named deputy Mahmud Ezzat, described by experts as a "hawk" and conservative, to serve as interim guide.
Badie and two other senior Brotherhood leaders are expected to appear Sunday before a court on allegations they incited the murder of protesters in front of their headquarters on June 30.
Egypt has experienced a week of unprecedented political bloodletting, which began on August 14 when security forces stormed two Cairo pro-Morsi protest camps.
The crackdown and resulting violence across the country killed nearly 600 people in a single day, the bloodiest in Egypt's recent history.
Islamists have torched and attacked dozens of Christian churches, schools, businesses and homes -- mostly in the rural south -- accusing Egypt's sizable Coptic minority of backing Morsi's ouster.
The deadly dispersals of the protest camps were followed by days of violence that have seen the country's toll rise to nearly 1,000 dead, including 37 Islamist prisoners who died in custody on Sunday night.
That excludes the toll in the Sinai peninsula, where militants have launched near daily attacks against police and army facilities.
On Monday, 25 policemen were killed in a single incident, when gunmen dragged them from two buses and shot them dead execution style near the border with the Gaza Strip.
The incident prompted national condemnation and mourning and brought the week's toll in Sinai alone to 45, according to an AFP count.
The international community has responded with shock to the violence.
The European Union decided Wednesday to suspend export licenses to Egypt for any equipment that could be used for internal repression and to reassess arms export licenses and review security assistance with Egypt.
But it was seen as unlikely to cut the nearly 5 billion euros ($6.7 billion) in aid pledged for Egypt for 2012-13.
"We must very strongly condemn the violence. It is very important that Europe speaks up," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said as he arrived for the talks in Brussels.
The White House has criticized Badie's arrest, but denied reports it was halting its $1.3 billion annual aid package to Egypt.
On Tuesday, in an interview with ABC News, Egyptian interim prime minister Hazem el-Beblawi said it would be a "bad sign" for the US to cut off aid.
But, while he said such a move would "badly affect the military for some time," he insisted that "Egypt would survive" and could turn to other donors.
Oil-rich Saudi Arabia, which backs the army-installed interim government, has said it would step in with other Arab nations to fill any funding gap if Washington halts aid.
The United Nations has sent top official Jeffrey Feltman to Cairo to mediate between the authorities and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Lawyer seeks release of Egypt's Mubarak
Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak will face a new court hearing on Wednesday during which his lawyer will seek his release from prison, judicial sources said.
The hearing is the fourth and final case against the long-time president, who was toppled in a popular uprising in February 2011.
Since April, courts have ordered Mubarak's conditional release in the three other cases against him -- two involving corruption, and one for allegedly killing protesters.
The latest came on Monday when a court ordered his conditional release in the third case, which involved charges of corruption.
His lawyer plans to appeal against the fourth and final case, which is also related to corruption, in a bid to secure the former president's release, according to a judicial source.
Farid al-Dib, Mubarak's lawyer, is expected to argue that his client paid back $600,120 for gifts he received from his minister of information -- the issue at the heart of the fourth case.
The former president, 85, is on trial with his former interior minister Habib Adly and six police commanders on charges related to their rule before the 2011 uprising that toppled his regime.
On Saturday, a court adjourned his trial on charges of killing protesters until August 25 in a brief session that Mubarak did not attend.
He is facing the charges for a second time after a first trial that ended in him being sentenced to life was overturned by an appeals court on the basis of procedural errors.
The former foreign minister slammed the Turkish PM for his claims Tuesday that Israel was behind the military coup that ousted Egypt's President Morsi.
A day after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that Israel was behind the coup that ousted Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi, former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman responded, saying that he is the successor to Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels.
Erdogan told members of his party on Tuesday that "Israel is behind the coup in Egypt, we have evidence." Erdogan mentioned the words of a French Jewish intellectual as evidence, who said in 2011 that the Muslim Brotherhood will not take power even if they were to be elected since "democracy is not the ballot box." Erdogan's comments were broadcast on state television.
On a tour of Arad on Wednesday, Lieberman, who is currrently chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said that "anyone who heard Erdogan's words, which were filled with hate and incitement, understands without any doubt that this is a continuation of the way of Goebbels."
"His plottings are along the lines of the Dreyfus Affair and the Elders of Zion," he added, referring to two well-known instances of anti-Semitism.
Lieberman added that he "recommends that everyone that attacked me and Yisrael Beitenu on their absolute opposition to apologize to the Turks about the Marmara (the Gaza Flotilla) incident, to draw conclusions and hold themselves to account."
Erdogan's comments on Tuesday sparked global condemnation. White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters the U.S. strongly condemned the claims. "Suggesting that Israel is somehow responsible for recent events in Egypt is offensive, unsubstantiated, and wrong," he said.
In March, reconciliation efforts between Israel and Turkey began after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Erdogan to apologize for the botched raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010 that killed eight Turks and one Turkish-American.
Erdogan suggested that normalization of ties with Israel would take time, hinting that Turkey wanted to ensure the victims of the flotilla raid were compensated and Israel remained committed to the easing of restrictions of goods to Gaza before restoring relations. The two countries have yet to decide on the exact sum of compensation that would be given to the flotilla victims' families.
US slams Erdogan Israel claim on Morsi ouster
The White House on Tuesday condemned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's claim that Israel had a role in toppling ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the comments were "offensive and unsubstantiated and wrong."
A day after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that Israel was behind the coup that ousted Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi, former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman responded, saying that he is the successor to Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels.
Erdogan told members of his party on Tuesday that "Israel is behind the coup in Egypt, we have evidence." Erdogan mentioned the words of a French Jewish intellectual as evidence, who said in 2011 that the Muslim Brotherhood will not take power even if they were to be elected since "democracy is not the ballot box." Erdogan's comments were broadcast on state television.
On a tour of Arad on Wednesday, Lieberman, who is currrently chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said that "anyone who heard Erdogan's words, which were filled with hate and incitement, understands without any doubt that this is a continuation of the way of Goebbels."
"His plottings are along the lines of the Dreyfus Affair and the Elders of Zion," he added, referring to two well-known instances of anti-Semitism.
Lieberman added that he "recommends that everyone that attacked me and Yisrael Beitenu on their absolute opposition to apologize to the Turks about the Marmara (the Gaza Flotilla) incident, to draw conclusions and hold themselves to account."
Erdogan's comments on Tuesday sparked global condemnation. White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters the U.S. strongly condemned the claims. "Suggesting that Israel is somehow responsible for recent events in Egypt is offensive, unsubstantiated, and wrong," he said.
In March, reconciliation efforts between Israel and Turkey began after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Erdogan to apologize for the botched raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010 that killed eight Turks and one Turkish-American.
Erdogan suggested that normalization of ties with Israel would take time, hinting that Turkey wanted to ensure the victims of the flotilla raid were compensated and Israel remained committed to the easing of restrictions of goods to Gaza before restoring relations. The two countries have yet to decide on the exact sum of compensation that would be given to the flotilla victims' families.
US slams Erdogan Israel claim on Morsi ouster
The White House on Tuesday condemned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's claim that Israel had a role in toppling ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the comments were "offensive and unsubstantiated and wrong."
Sheikh Kamal Al-Khatib, deputy head of the Islamic movement in the 1948 occupied land, expressed his optimism that Egypt would restore its stability and get rid of the tyrannical military rule once again soon. Sheikh Khatib told Quds Press that the massacres which have been committed against civilians and supporters of the Islamic movement in Egypt were expected because the coup leaders know well that their retreat means the failure of their coup and thus they would have no choice but to flee Egypt or stand trial.
Sheik Khatib added that the pro-Morsi protestors, in turn, know that their withdrawal from the streets means the return of the tyrannical military rule in Egypt, which lasted 60 years since the time of Jamal Abdul-Naser.
He expressed his belief that what is happening in Egypt is not a political conflict as the media claim, but it is a religious and cultural conflict led by the western world and its tools in Egypt, represented by the army leaders, the secular parties and some media outlets.
"What is happening in Egypt does not target the Muslim Brotherhood movement, but it is a plot against the religion of Islam, led by Israel, the US, the west, and their lackeys in the Arab and Muslim worlds," he stated.
"They know it is a losing battle against the Islamic trend, which is the living project of the nation and its beating heart," he added.
As for the positions of Fatah and its authority in support of the military coup in Egypt, Sheikh Khatib said that such positions were not surprising because they share the same interests with the coup leaders and suppress their own people in the West Bank.
"Fatah and the PA leadership in Ramallah want to cover the nakednes of their political scandal after they knelt down before Netanyahu and the American administration and undermined the Palestinian national project," he underlined.
Sheik Khatib added that the pro-Morsi protestors, in turn, know that their withdrawal from the streets means the return of the tyrannical military rule in Egypt, which lasted 60 years since the time of Jamal Abdul-Naser.
He expressed his belief that what is happening in Egypt is not a political conflict as the media claim, but it is a religious and cultural conflict led by the western world and its tools in Egypt, represented by the army leaders, the secular parties and some media outlets.
"What is happening in Egypt does not target the Muslim Brotherhood movement, but it is a plot against the religion of Islam, led by Israel, the US, the west, and their lackeys in the Arab and Muslim worlds," he stated.
"They know it is a losing battle against the Islamic trend, which is the living project of the nation and its beating heart," he added.
As for the positions of Fatah and its authority in support of the military coup in Egypt, Sheikh Khatib said that such positions were not surprising because they share the same interests with the coup leaders and suppress their own people in the West Bank.
"Fatah and the PA leadership in Ramallah want to cover the nakednes of their political scandal after they knelt down before Netanyahu and the American administration and undermined the Palestinian national project," he underlined.
20 aug 2013
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Israel was behind last month’s military coup in Egypt. Erdogan told a meeting of the provincial chairs of his ruling Justice and Development, or AKP, party that he has evidence that Israel was involved in the July 3 overthrow of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, the Turkish Hurriyet news service reported.
“Who is behind this? Israel. We have evidence,” the prime minister said, according to Hurriyet.
He cited as proof a statement by a French intellectual he identified as Jewish, who told the Israeli justice minister during a visit to France before Egypt’s 2011 elections, “The Muslim Brotherhood will not be in power even if they win the elections. Because democracy is not the ballot box,” Hurriyet reported.
The White House condemned Erdogan’s remarks.
“Suggesting that Israel is somehow responsible for recent events in Egypt is offensive, unsubstantiated and wrong,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters later Tuesday.
Turkey downgraded diplomatic ties with Israel and later expelled Israel’s ambassador following the Mavi Marmara flotilla incident in May 2010 that resulted in the deaths of nine Turkish nationals in a confrontation with Israeli Navy commandos. The ship was trying to evade Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Erdogan in March for the incident, and representatives of the countries have met for reconciliation talks. The talks reportedly are held up over the amount of compensation that Israel is to pay to the families of the Turkish casualties and how the payments are to be characterized.
“Who is behind this? Israel. We have evidence,” the prime minister said, according to Hurriyet.
He cited as proof a statement by a French intellectual he identified as Jewish, who told the Israeli justice minister during a visit to France before Egypt’s 2011 elections, “The Muslim Brotherhood will not be in power even if they win the elections. Because democracy is not the ballot box,” Hurriyet reported.
The White House condemned Erdogan’s remarks.
“Suggesting that Israel is somehow responsible for recent events in Egypt is offensive, unsubstantiated and wrong,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters later Tuesday.
Turkey downgraded diplomatic ties with Israel and later expelled Israel’s ambassador following the Mavi Marmara flotilla incident in May 2010 that resulted in the deaths of nine Turkish nationals in a confrontation with Israeli Navy commandos. The ship was trying to evade Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Erdogan in March for the incident, and representatives of the countries have met for reconciliation talks. The talks reportedly are held up over the amount of compensation that Israel is to pay to the families of the Turkish casualties and how the payments are to be characterized.
Hamas movement strongly condemned the “suspicious” attempts to incriminate it and the Palestinian people in the events in Egypt. Hamas said in a statement on Tuesday that evidence proved innocence of the Palestinian people from all fabricated media campaigns that were meant to smear and incite against the Palestinians.
The movement said that it denounced both crimes the murder of prisoners in Abu Zabel and the killing of Egyptian soldiers in Sinai and other crimes and demanded a swift and just investigation to reveal the “sinful hands that perpetrated those crimes”.
Hamas, in conclusion, prayed for Egypt’s stability and security and hoped it would be spared strife so as to remain the big supporter of Arab questions and the Palestinian cause.
The movement said that it denounced both crimes the murder of prisoners in Abu Zabel and the killing of Egyptian soldiers in Sinai and other crimes and demanded a swift and just investigation to reveal the “sinful hands that perpetrated those crimes”.
Hamas, in conclusion, prayed for Egypt’s stability and security and hoped it would be spared strife so as to remain the big supporter of Arab questions and the Palestinian cause.
Palestinian trade unions on Monday organized a vigil in solidarity with the Egyptian people, in front of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Gaza.Dozens of trade unionists participated in the vigil and raised banners demanding halting the killing and arrests of the Egyptian demonstrators, opening the Rafah crossing and lifting the blockade on the Gaza Strip.
A statement by the Palestinian trade unions said: "We express our support to the demands of the Egyptian people who are demanding their legitimate rights to freedom and dignity of life, and we condemn all forms of violence, terrorism and gagging which the demonstrators in Egypt are exposed to."
It also rejected the false accusations and the unjustified propaganda that incite against the people of Gaza in some Egyptian official media, and which resulted in tightening the siege on the people of Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post newspaper revealed that the Israeli ambassadors to Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels and other capitals will be lobbying foreign ministers to support the coup in Egypt, "at the same time, leaders will press the case with diplomats from abroad that the military is the only hope to prevent further chaos in Cairo."
According to the paper, the Israeli officials said that it is essential to put Egypt back on track at whatever cost. "First, save what you can, and then deal with democracy and freedom and so on."
An Israeli military analyst Alex Fishman wrote "Israel is in a state of diplomatic emergency. It has been waging an almost desperate diplomatic battle in Washington."
Israel is now making efforts trying to persuade the U.S. to stop the attack on the rule of the generals in Egypt, Fishman added.
He stated that Israel seems to be losing this battle as the U.S. threatens to stop aid to Egypt, adding that this will be removing the underpinning of the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.
A statement by the Palestinian trade unions said: "We express our support to the demands of the Egyptian people who are demanding their legitimate rights to freedom and dignity of life, and we condemn all forms of violence, terrorism and gagging which the demonstrators in Egypt are exposed to."
It also rejected the false accusations and the unjustified propaganda that incite against the people of Gaza in some Egyptian official media, and which resulted in tightening the siege on the people of Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post newspaper revealed that the Israeli ambassadors to Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels and other capitals will be lobbying foreign ministers to support the coup in Egypt, "at the same time, leaders will press the case with diplomats from abroad that the military is the only hope to prevent further chaos in Cairo."
According to the paper, the Israeli officials said that it is essential to put Egypt back on track at whatever cost. "First, save what you can, and then deal with democracy and freedom and so on."
An Israeli military analyst Alex Fishman wrote "Israel is in a state of diplomatic emergency. It has been waging an almost desperate diplomatic battle in Washington."
Israel is now making efforts trying to persuade the U.S. to stop the attack on the rule of the generals in Egypt, Fishman added.
He stated that Israel seems to be losing this battle as the U.S. threatens to stop aid to Egypt, adding that this will be removing the underpinning of the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.
19 aug 2013
Senior member of Hamas's political bureau Ezzat Al-Resheq strongly denounced the Egyptian police and army for persisting in killing unarmed Egyptian civilians in cold blood. In remarks on his facebook page on Monday, Resheq said that the practices of the police and the army are crimes against humanity.
He also criticized the Egyptian media for its suspicious role in supporting and covering up the crimes that are committed against Morsi supporters and described some notorious media figures as the "sorcerers of Pharaoh" who distort facts and embellish their malevolent words to deceive the audience.
"Their motto is 'keep lying and lying until you believe yourself,'" the Hamas official underlined.
"The death of human conscience in some media figures is a crime that kills the honor of their profession and damage their credibility forever," he added.
In another context, the Palestinian affairs center in Britain deplored the Fatah-controlled Palestinian authority (PA) and the Palestinian liberation organization (PLO) for their blatant support for the massacres and killings that have taken place in Egypt and the use of force to suppress civilian rights and freedoms.
The center stated on Sunday that such shameful positions by the PA and the PLO had led to the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Kuwait in 1990 when late president Yasser Arafat declared his support for the Iraqi invasion.
The center also criticized what it described as "the controllers of the PA and PLO decision making" for their bias in favor of the tyrants in Syria, Egypt and Iraq against the will of their peoples.
This came after the PLO executive committee and the PA had declared their support for the measures taken by the Egyptian army and police against the Egyptian people.
PLO spokesman Yasser Abed Rabbo said that the PA leadership and its people support the Egyptian leadership and its army in its actions against what he described as terrorism in Egypt.
Abed Rabbo told a news conference in Ramallah following a recent PLO meeting that the PLO and the PA leadership stand by the great Egyptian army in its war against terrorism and armed gangs.
In a separate incident, the Palestinian center for human rights condemned the PA security forces for attacking last week a peaceful rally organized in Al-Khalil city in solidarity with the Egyptian people.
The center demanded the PA prosecution office to conduct an investigation into the incident.
It also called on the de facto government in Ramallah to take all necessary actions to stop the violations that are committed against public and press freedoms in the West Bank.
The PA security forces in Al-Khalil city violently attacked last Friday Palestinian citizens rallying in support of pro-Morsi protestors in Egypt, and barred journalists from covering the events.
He also criticized the Egyptian media for its suspicious role in supporting and covering up the crimes that are committed against Morsi supporters and described some notorious media figures as the "sorcerers of Pharaoh" who distort facts and embellish their malevolent words to deceive the audience.
"Their motto is 'keep lying and lying until you believe yourself,'" the Hamas official underlined.
"The death of human conscience in some media figures is a crime that kills the honor of their profession and damage their credibility forever," he added.
In another context, the Palestinian affairs center in Britain deplored the Fatah-controlled Palestinian authority (PA) and the Palestinian liberation organization (PLO) for their blatant support for the massacres and killings that have taken place in Egypt and the use of force to suppress civilian rights and freedoms.
The center stated on Sunday that such shameful positions by the PA and the PLO had led to the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Kuwait in 1990 when late president Yasser Arafat declared his support for the Iraqi invasion.
The center also criticized what it described as "the controllers of the PA and PLO decision making" for their bias in favor of the tyrants in Syria, Egypt and Iraq against the will of their peoples.
This came after the PLO executive committee and the PA had declared their support for the measures taken by the Egyptian army and police against the Egyptian people.
PLO spokesman Yasser Abed Rabbo said that the PA leadership and its people support the Egyptian leadership and its army in its actions against what he described as terrorism in Egypt.
Abed Rabbo told a news conference in Ramallah following a recent PLO meeting that the PLO and the PA leadership stand by the great Egyptian army in its war against terrorism and armed gangs.
In a separate incident, the Palestinian center for human rights condemned the PA security forces for attacking last week a peaceful rally organized in Al-Khalil city in solidarity with the Egyptian people.
The center demanded the PA prosecution office to conduct an investigation into the incident.
It also called on the de facto government in Ramallah to take all necessary actions to stop the violations that are committed against public and press freedoms in the West Bank.
The PA security forces in Al-Khalil city violently attacked last Friday Palestinian citizens rallying in support of pro-Morsi protestors in Egypt, and barred journalists from covering the events.
Egyptian official: Israel wishes for stability in region
Mustafa Hijazi, a political advisor to Egypt's Interim President Adli Mansour, addressed the Israeli stance in regards to developments in Egypt. In an interview to Arabic language Russian network Russia Al-Youm Hijazi said: "(Israel) knows of the security situation in Egypt, and is interested, similar to us, in having the situation stabilized due to its negative effects on the entire region. It is a natural observation (of the events) in order to be sure (clashes) will not reach its territory."
Mustafa Hijazi, a political advisor to Egypt's Interim President Adli Mansour, addressed the Israeli stance in regards to developments in Egypt. In an interview to Arabic language Russian network Russia Al-Youm Hijazi said: "(Israel) knows of the security situation in Egypt, and is interested, similar to us, in having the situation stabilized due to its negative effects on the entire region. It is a natural observation (of the events) in order to be sure (clashes) will not reach its territory."
It’s the lead story on the Sunday front page of the New York Times—a lengthy piece on how frantic, behind-the-scenes efforts by U.S. and European diplomats supposedly came close to building a path toward ending the bloody conflict in Egypt between the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood and the military-backed interim government.In the end, as we all know, external prodding failed. But in allotting blame for why diplomacy didn’t succeed, the Times gratuitously points an accusing finger at Israel and AIPAC, the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, for allegedly siding with the Egyptian military and undermining U.S. diplomacy (“How a U.S. Push to Defuse Egypt Ended in Failure –Barrage of Diplomacy—Despite 17 Calls from Hagel, Cairo Chose Confrontation” by David Kirkpatrick, Peter Baker and Michael Gordon).
The article not only gets the most prominent spot up front, but continues inside the paper with a spread, including photos, that takes up an entire inside page.Yet length doesn’t guarantee accurate reporting. In fact, the Times dispatch is built on a deeply flawed premise that outside pressures somehow might have been able to bring Egypt’s agony to an end, especially if President Obama had shown more backbone and cut off $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid to Cairo. The reality, ignored by the Times, is that Egyptians and only Egyptians can put an end to this bloody affair.
Suspension of U.S. military aid would be more than offset by more generous military aid from Saudi Arabia and other wealthy Arab oil states.But in pursuit of external meddlers aligned against Washington diplomacy, the Times prefers to build a case against Israel and AIPAC.
Here’s how Kirkpatrick, Baker and Gordon put it:“The Israelis, whose military had close ties to General Sisi from his former post as head of military intelligence, were supporting the (military) takeover as well. Western diplomats say that General Sisi and his circle appeared to be in heavy communication with Israeli colleagues, and the diplomats believed the Israelis were also undercutting the Western message by reassuring the Egyptians not to worry about American threats to cut off aid.“Israeli officials deny having reassured Egypt about the aid, but acknowledge having lobbied Washington to protect it.
“When Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, proposed an amendment halting military aid to Egypt, the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee sent a letter to senators on July 31 opposing it, saying it ‘could increase instability in Egypt and undermine important U.S. interests and negatively impact our Israel ally.’ Statements from influential lawmakers echoed the letter, and the Senate defeated the measure, 86 to 13, later that day.”There’s more here than a whiff of Jewish conspiracy theories that fueled medieval anti-Semitism.. Notice that AIPAC is tagged as an ”influential” pressure group presumably capable of swaying the U.S. Senate. AIPAC cracks the whip, purportedly, and 83 senators jump to Israel’s tune.
It apparently doesn’t occur to the Times that 83 U.S. senators are capable of voting based on their own agendas and beliefs – without a need of “influential” external lobbying to make up their own minds.As for Israel’s supposed role in taking sides against the Muslim Brotherhood, the authors of the article never bother to identify their sources. Never mind that Israeli officials from Prime Minister Netanyahu on down are on record as having decided that Israel will avoid involvement in Egypt’s conflict.
So why rely on dubious, unattributed sources like “the Israelis” and “Western diplomats ” and “the diplomats believed,” and General Sisi “appeared to be” etc.? Could it be that on-the-record pronouncements would have spoiled the conspiratorial atmospherics favored by the Times’ reporters?And not given the Times a pretext to build a breach between Israel and the United States?
The article not only gets the most prominent spot up front, but continues inside the paper with a spread, including photos, that takes up an entire inside page.Yet length doesn’t guarantee accurate reporting. In fact, the Times dispatch is built on a deeply flawed premise that outside pressures somehow might have been able to bring Egypt’s agony to an end, especially if President Obama had shown more backbone and cut off $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid to Cairo. The reality, ignored by the Times, is that Egyptians and only Egyptians can put an end to this bloody affair.
Suspension of U.S. military aid would be more than offset by more generous military aid from Saudi Arabia and other wealthy Arab oil states.But in pursuit of external meddlers aligned against Washington diplomacy, the Times prefers to build a case against Israel and AIPAC.
Here’s how Kirkpatrick, Baker and Gordon put it:“The Israelis, whose military had close ties to General Sisi from his former post as head of military intelligence, were supporting the (military) takeover as well. Western diplomats say that General Sisi and his circle appeared to be in heavy communication with Israeli colleagues, and the diplomats believed the Israelis were also undercutting the Western message by reassuring the Egyptians not to worry about American threats to cut off aid.“Israeli officials deny having reassured Egypt about the aid, but acknowledge having lobbied Washington to protect it.
“When Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, proposed an amendment halting military aid to Egypt, the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee sent a letter to senators on July 31 opposing it, saying it ‘could increase instability in Egypt and undermine important U.S. interests and negatively impact our Israel ally.’ Statements from influential lawmakers echoed the letter, and the Senate defeated the measure, 86 to 13, later that day.”There’s more here than a whiff of Jewish conspiracy theories that fueled medieval anti-Semitism.. Notice that AIPAC is tagged as an ”influential” pressure group presumably capable of swaying the U.S. Senate. AIPAC cracks the whip, purportedly, and 83 senators jump to Israel’s tune.
It apparently doesn’t occur to the Times that 83 U.S. senators are capable of voting based on their own agendas and beliefs – without a need of “influential” external lobbying to make up their own minds.As for Israel’s supposed role in taking sides against the Muslim Brotherhood, the authors of the article never bother to identify their sources. Never mind that Israeli officials from Prime Minister Netanyahu on down are on record as having decided that Israel will avoid involvement in Egypt’s conflict.
So why rely on dubious, unattributed sources like “the Israelis” and “Western diplomats ” and “the diplomats believed,” and General Sisi “appeared to be” etc.? Could it be that on-the-record pronouncements would have spoiled the conspiratorial atmospherics favored by the Times’ reporters?And not given the Times a pretext to build a breach between Israel and the United States?
Ruin in Cairo
Jerusalem launching campaign to urge Europe, United States to support military-backed government in Egypt, New York Times reports. 'What’s the alternative? it’s army or anarchy,' says Israeli official
"We’re trying to talk to key actors, key countries, and share our view that you may not like what you see, but what’s the alternative?” the official explained. “If you insist on big principles, then you will miss the essential — the essential being putting Egypt back on track at whatever cost. First, save what you can, and then deal with democracy and freedom and so on.
“At this point,” the official added, “it’s army or anarchy.”
On Saturday, the New York Times quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Israel and Egyptian Defense Minister General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi have been in close contact.
These same diplomats say that Israel assured Egypt it did not have to worry about the US threat to cut its enormous aid package to that country.
The US is in no hurry to stop its aid to Egypt, which would severely damage its relations with the Egyptian army, the report said. The Egyptians allow the Americans to move their military forces, quickly and almost without warning, over Egyptian skies and the Suez Canal, which is a necessity for its activities in the war on terror in the Horn of Africa, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and the area of Israel and the Gaza Strip.
On Sunday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the arms supply to Egypt may be compromised in the course of pressure on the interim leadership in Cairo to stop the violence in the country.
"Exporting arms to Egypt may be influenced by steps we may take. Soon the EU foreign ministers will meet to discuss the situation," Merkel announced in an interview for a German TV channel.
Also Saturday, the European Union said it was reexamining its relations with Egypt. France and Britain called for Europe to send a strong message on the escalating crisis in Egypt, urging the EU to review its relations with Cairo.
The French presidency said in a statement that after talks by telephone, President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister David Cameron agreed "on the seriousness of the violence of recent days and on the need for a strong European message."
On Sunday, 38 Muslim Brotherhood detainees were suffocated to death by tear gas fired at them as they tried to escape trucks that drove them to a detention facility. According to reports, the detainees held a security officer hostage. Security forces rescued him and said he sustained serious injuries.
Jerusalem launching campaign to urge Europe, United States to support military-backed government in Egypt, New York Times reports. 'What’s the alternative? it’s army or anarchy,' says Israeli official
"We’re trying to talk to key actors, key countries, and share our view that you may not like what you see, but what’s the alternative?” the official explained. “If you insist on big principles, then you will miss the essential — the essential being putting Egypt back on track at whatever cost. First, save what you can, and then deal with democracy and freedom and so on.
“At this point,” the official added, “it’s army or anarchy.”
On Saturday, the New York Times quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Israel and Egyptian Defense Minister General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi have been in close contact.
These same diplomats say that Israel assured Egypt it did not have to worry about the US threat to cut its enormous aid package to that country.
The US is in no hurry to stop its aid to Egypt, which would severely damage its relations with the Egyptian army, the report said. The Egyptians allow the Americans to move their military forces, quickly and almost without warning, over Egyptian skies and the Suez Canal, which is a necessity for its activities in the war on terror in the Horn of Africa, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and the area of Israel and the Gaza Strip.
On Sunday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the arms supply to Egypt may be compromised in the course of pressure on the interim leadership in Cairo to stop the violence in the country.
"Exporting arms to Egypt may be influenced by steps we may take. Soon the EU foreign ministers will meet to discuss the situation," Merkel announced in an interview for a German TV channel.
Also Saturday, the European Union said it was reexamining its relations with Egypt. France and Britain called for Europe to send a strong message on the escalating crisis in Egypt, urging the EU to review its relations with Cairo.
The French presidency said in a statement that after talks by telephone, President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister David Cameron agreed "on the seriousness of the violence of recent days and on the need for a strong European message."
On Sunday, 38 Muslim Brotherhood detainees were suffocated to death by tear gas fired at them as they tried to escape trucks that drove them to a detention facility. According to reports, the detainees held a security officer hostage. Security forces rescued him and said he sustained serious injuries.
