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Palestinian Authority, battling debt crisis, raises taxes
The Palestinian Authority has approuved a plan to rise income tax to 20% in order to tackle its debt problem. The Palestinian Authority depends heavily on foreign aid by the United States, the European Union and other Arab states to pay the salaries of their public sector workers. In response to President Mahmoud Abbas quest … Continue reading
IMF: If Arabs and Haredim worked, GDP would grow by 15%
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that while Israeli economy was well prepared for the worldwide recession, all is not well. In the population groups of Haredi men and Arab women, respectably, only 40% and 20% work and typically earn less than their contemporaries of the same jobs, decreasing potential economic growth, reducing GDP growth. … Continue reading
Obama proposes $1.3 billion military aid for Egypt in 2013 despite ongoing NGOs row
U.S. president Barack Obama proposed to renew the $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt for 2013, despite the recent crackdown on illegally funded american NGO’s in the country. However, it has to be accepted by the majority in congress where a few have said the U.S. should completely cut off aid to Egypt if … Continue reading
Tehran rejects Israeli claims on Iranian role in attacks abroad
Ramin Mehmanparast, spokesman of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said that claims by Israel that the recent attacks on its embassies in Georgia and India were perpetrated by Iran and its ally Hezbollah were part of psychological war against the Islamic Republic. He said Israel was responsible for the attacks to tarnish Iran’s relations with the two host embassies’ host countries, … Continue reading
Deal sought to free Palestinian hunger striker from Israeli jail
On December 17th, Khader Adnan was arrested by Israeli forces in the West Bank and soon began a hunger strike citing a lack of any evidence warranting his arrest. Now on day 55 of his hunger strike, and without a charge against him, Adnan’s health status will soon become critical. Israeli and Palestinian officials are … Continue reading
Syrian rebels repel attack on town
Syrian Rebels have managed to repel an attack on the town of Rastan, which sits inside the Homs region and is a home to many defectors from the Syrian regime. This key city sits in between Homs and Aleppo and has fallen from rebel control twice before. However, the rebel’s ability to hold Rastan despite … Continue reading
Israel accuses Iran, Hezbollah after bombers attack embassies in India, Georgia
According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hezbollah attempted to target Israeli embassies in India and Georgia today. The bomb in Tbilisi, Georgia was defused before it was able to cause harm but in New Delhi, Israel’s defense attaché’s wife was wounded following the placement of explosives under the car by motorcyclists. Though the attack was poorly executed, … Continue reading
Report: Mossad is using Azerbaijan to spy on Iran
The Israeli spy agency Mossad has been capitalizing on the porous border between Azerbaijan and Iran as a means of executing its spy operations in Iran. Reports of the mistreatment of the large Azeri population in Iran, the fact that many Azeris consider northern Iran to really be Southern Azerbaijan and growing Iran-Armenia relations – … Continue reading
Jews, Palestinians plant trees together in West Bank
On Wednesday, an initiative to promote coexistence in the West Bank, Palestinian residents and school children from the nearby settlement planted trees together. The event was held on the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shvat, a nature-oriented holiday. The trees are aimed to block hazardous dust that was bothering both Palestinian and Jewish residents of the … Continue reading
Hamas ‘will never recognise Israel’ — Gaza premier
Gaza Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh said on Saturday in Iran that Hamas “will never recognize Israel”. He furthermore stated that “The resistance will continue until all Palestinian land, including Al Quds [Jerusalem], has been liberated and all the refugees have returned.” His speech was made on the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, to a crowd … Continue reading
HRW to Israel: charge or free Palestinian hunger striker
A statement of the international NGO Human Rights Watch called on Israel for the “immediately charge or release” of Khader Adnan, a Palestinian prisoner that has been on a hunger strike for 56 days. Adnan was a spokesman for ‘Islamic Jihad’, but has so far not been charged formally, neither has Israel revealed any evidence against … Continue reading
Foundation: New structure near Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem
According to the Al-Aqsa foundation for Endowment and Heritage, a committee within the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem has submitted plans for a new structure adjacent to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The 3,700-square-meter structure will consist of five floors, two of which will be underground. In its statement, the foundation said that the purpose of the building will … Continue reading
Syria ‘relaunches’ assault on Homs
After the reports that gunmen had assassinated a high-ranking military officer in the Syrian capital of Damascus, Syrian forces are said to have launched new tank and rocket attacks on the city of Homs.This latest assault on the besieged city has resulted in the dead of at least seven people, while some reports give numbers … Continue reading
PCHR Weekly Report: 11 civilians wounded, 25 abducted by Israeli troops this week
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights released their weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories on Friday, stating that 11 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli forces this week, including 4 children. The article describes in detail which casualties have taken place in the Gaza strip, the West Bank and which … Continue reading
Israel’s general strike called off as State, unions reach deal
On Sunday, the fifth day of the general strike that has paralyzed Israel’s public sector, the Histadrut labor federation and the Finance Ministry have reached an agreement to end the strike. The strike has so far resulted in large piles of garbage along the streets, while it has not been collected since Wednesday. The agreement … Continue reading
Iran to announce ‘major nuclear progress’
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran said that it will soon announce “very important and very major nuclear achievements”. He spoke on a rally in Tehran, that marked the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Ahmadinejad said furthermore that Iran would never give up its nuclear program, of which it still says that it will only … Continue reading
Israeli ministers to debate tax cuts for settlement donors
A bill proposed by Ze’ev Elkin and Tzion Pinyan (Likud) will be debated on Sunday. The bill would allow people to receive a 35% tax dispensation on donations to NGO’s that encourage settlement activity. Elkin has said that he first wanted to make the bill more explicit by using the words ‘zionist settlement’, but that … Continue reading
Report: Palestinian killed, three injured in IAF strike on Gaza sites
One Palestinian man died and three others were injured after strikes of the Israeli Air Force on the north of Gaza. The strikes aimed at tunnels and a weapon depot, and were a reaction to a short-ranged rocket launch from Gaza on Saturday, that wounded an Israeli woman. Haaretz, Israel. Click here for the full story
‘Enough is enough,’ Turkey’s FM Davutoğlu tells Israel
Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, lashed out at Israel over it’s (in Davutoglu’s opinion) uncompromising stance on key issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Enough is enough. Longer the Palestinian-Israeli issue remained unresolved, greater the price peoples of the region including Turkey pay. Israelis should decide on they want,” Davutoglu told a Washington D.C.-based think thank. Davutoglu urged … Continue reading
Israel’s Mossad trained assassins of Iran nuclear scientists, report says
NBC News on Thursday cited U.S. officials who stated that Israel’s Mossad is training Iranian dissident activists to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists. They have also been recruiting members of a Pakistani terror group to carry out attacks against the Iranian regime. And a link between Israel and the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) has also been confirmed. … Continue reading
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