ISESCO condemns Israel calling off a UNESCO mission to visit archaeological and historical sites in Al-Quds

WAM - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

WAM Rabat, 22nd May 2013 (WAM) -- Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), condemned the Israeli occupation authorities' calling off a mission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which was due to visit archaeological and historical sites in Al-Quds Asharif on 20 ...

CIA Chief Makes Surprise Trip to Israel

CBN News - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

CIA Chief John Brennan has made an unannounced visit to Israel. According to an anonymous Israeli Defense Official, Brennan met with Israel's Defense Minister. This trip comes amid concerns about weapons transfers from Syria to Lebanese terror group Hezbollah. Israel has carried out air-strikes aimed at halting arms shipments to the group. This week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ...

Israels Azrieli to buy land from Yedioth for $101 mln

Reuters - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

TEL AVIV | Wed May 22, 2013 8:33am EDT TEL AVIV May 22 (Reuters) - Real estate developer Azrieli Group agreed to pay 374 million shekels ($101 million) to purchase land from the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper group that is adjacent to the Azrieli shopping centre and business complex in Tel Aviv. The lot, on an area of 8,400 square metres, is occupied by Yedioth Ahronoth House, which is ...

Ladbrokes moves UK jobs to Israel following Playtech deal

Globes - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

UK gambling giant Ladbrokes plc (LSE: LAD) is laying off as many as 100 employees involved in digital operations in Britain. "A number of key tasks" will be transferred to its newly opened Tel Aviv offices, the company said. Ladbrokes Israel office began operating on May 1 following a partnership agreement with gambling software ...

Ultra-orthodox Jewish wedding in Israel - in pictures

The Guardian - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

Tens of thousands of Ultra-Orthodox Jews of the Belz Hasidic dynasty gather at the wedding ceremony of Rabbi Shalom Rokach in Kiryat Belz, in Jerusalem. Around 25,000 ultra-orthodox Jews took part, making it one of the biggest weddings of the past few ...

Commentary Israel Crises 360 degrees

Middle East Times - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

John Kerry , on his fourth visit to the Middle East in two months, is chasing the brass ring of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement for the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Kerry's single most important foreign policy goal is solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that dates to the 1967 Six Day War, when Israel conquered the West Bank from Jordan ...

Gaza-Egypt crossing at Rafah reopens witnesses

The Daily Star - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

In this Monday, Aug. 6, 2012 file photograph, the Rafah border terminal between Egypt and Gaza, and the only gateway for Gaza's people, is closed and guarded by Egyptian border guards in Rafah, Egypt. (AP Photo/Ahmed Gomaa, ...

Israel Railways improves punctuality

Globes - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

Israel Railways says that its punctuality improved to 94.78% of all trains in the first quarter of 2013 from 92.11% in the corresponding quarter of 2012 and 86.45% in the corresponding quarter of 2011. It added that punctuality during rush hour rose to 94.77% of all trains in the first quarter from 91.84% in the corresponding quarter of 2012 and 84.91% in the corresponding quarter of 2011. ...

Palestinian child shot in West Bank by Israeli troops

albawaba - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

Israeli forces have seriously wounded a child in the West Bank. AFP Photo Israeli troops shot and seriously wounded a 12-year-old Palestinian boy who was walking with his friends in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Palestinian security and medical officials told AFP.They said that Atta Mohammed Sharadeh was hit during one of what have become almost daily attacks against Palestinian youths by ...

West Bank pledges $1 billion to aid peace in Africas Great Lakes

The Star - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

KINSHASA (Reuters) - The World Bank on Wednesday announced $1 billion in development funding for Africa's Great Lakes region, where renewed fighting this week between the government and rebels in eastern Congo has raised fears once again of an escalation in conflict. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim unveiled the proposed aid financing for one of Africa's most intractable conflict ...

Young objector challenges Israeli army on ideological grounds citing occupation of West Bank

Canada.com - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

Left wing activists hold signs during a protest calling for the release of Israeli conscientious objector Natan Blanc from military prison, in front of the ministry of defense office in Tel Aviv, Tuesday, May 21, 2013. The Israeli military has jailed Blanc for six months because of his opposition to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, in one of the most protracted cases by a ...

West Bank Businesses Seek Growth Amid Uncertainty

NPR - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

heads back to Israel and the West Bank Thursday for more talks on restarting peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. When he was there last month, he walked away with at least one agreement - to improve the West Bank economy. ...

Israel-Syria Border War Heats Up

Middle East Newsline - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

NICOSIA [MENL] -- Israel and Syria have been engaged in an increasinglybitter border war. Western diplomatic sources said Israeli and Syrian forces were battlingon a nearly daily basis along the Golan Heights. They said the fighting oftenbegan with Syrian Army or proxy attacks on Israel Army outposts and ...

Israel warns Assad over action in Golan Heights

Ya Libnan - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

Israel's army chief said that Bashar al-Assad would suffer heavy consequences if he destabilised the Golan Heights, in one of the most explicit warnings yet to the Syrian leader by a public official. The comments came after a night that saw Israel fire into Syria following an attack on one of its military ...

Greater resources needed to improve health of Palestinian refugees UN

New Kerala - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

New York, May 22 : Health programmes carried out by the United Nations agency tasked with assisting Palestinian refugees has helped to improve their lives, but greater efforts and more resources are needed to effectively tackle health challenges, particularly during times of conflict, says a new ...

11 Palestinians died under PA Hamas detention

Jerusalem Post - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

Eleven Palestinians have died in Palestinian Authority and Hamas detention centers during 2012, according to a report released Tuesday by the Palestinian Independent Commission For Human Rights.Two of the Palestinians died in PA detention centers in the West Bank, while the nine others died in Hamas custody in the Gaza ...

Israel US threatens war with Syria as sectarian fighting spreads across region

wsws.org - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

Israeli and Syrian forces exchanged fire across the cease-fire line in the Golan Heights yesterday, amid rising US and Israeli threats of intervention in the US-led sectarian proxy war in Syria, which is rapidly spreading throughout the region. Fighting in the Golan Heights started overnight when Syrian forces fired at an Israeli vehicle that allegedly crossed into Syrian territory. Israeli ...

Jordanian prisoners in Israel continue hunger strike in bid for better treatment

albawaba - Wednesday 22nd May, 2013

Jordanian prisoners in Israel have been on hunger strike for 20 days, campaigning for better treatment and family visits, among other things. Getty image, for illustrative purposes only. Five Jordanians imprisoned in Israel have entered their 20th day on open hunger strike, a prisoner rights groups said Tuesday."Five of around 30 Jordanian prisoners in Israeli jails are currently ...

Israel warns Syria of ‘consequences’ if Golan fire continues

The Globe and Mail - Tuesday 21st May, 2013

An Israeli soldier from the Golani Brigade sleeps as others, seen through a black netting, pray close to the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria on the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, in this May 7, 2013 file picture. The Israeli military denied on May 21, 2013 a claim by Syria that its armed forces destroyed an Israeli vehicle on the Golan Heights. (BAZ ...

Fatah Hamas to renew reconciliation dialogue in Cairo on Tuesday

SINA - Tuesday 21st May, 2013

RAMALLAH, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian official revealed on Saturday that leaders of Fatah and Hamas, two rival Palestinian groups, will meet in Cairo on Tuesday to resume their reconciliation dialogue. Azzam el-Ahmed, head of Fatah's delegation to the dialogue, told Xinhua that the meeting will focus on forming the transitional unity government that they have previously agreed ...

UN investigates use of sarin gas as Israel attacks Syria

Pravda - Tuesday 21st May, 2013

A UN special commission will investigate the use of chemical weapons in the Arab nation. The Syrian Government had filed an official complaint with President of the Security Council and to the general secretary after the Israeli ...

Hamas textbooks to teach about liberation plans

Jerusalem Post - Tuesday 21st May, 2013

Hamas has begun preparing new school textbooks that teach children about "plans to liberate Palestine and the legitimacy and various forms of resistance [against Israel]." Jamal Abu Hashem, advisor to the Hamas-controlled education ministry, said new books would be introduced as part of National Education Studies for grades 8-10.Abu Hashem was speaking during a workshop in Gaza ...