Gabriel Helou

"Revelations that the Egyptian army administered “virginity checks” on detained female protestors have triggered outrage since a senior general admitted the procedure in a televised interview. Allegations of “virginity tests” first surfaced in a report by Amnesty International about a protest on March 9 in Tahrir Square in which it said 17 female demonstrators were tortured, given electric shocks and forced to submit to virginity checks "

UN Security Council Resolution 1973 (2011) of 17 March 2011 on Libya "4. Authorizes Member States that have notified the Secretary-General, acting nationally or through regional organizations or arrangements, and acting in cooperation with the Secretary-General, to take all necessary measures, notwithstanding paragraph 9 of resolution 1970 (2011), to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory ..."

"German Chancellor Angela Merkel's flight to India has been delayed after Iran's government refused it permission to fly over the country "

"If you’re coming to Jerusalem to walk through the many streets that have exotic and historically Arab or Jewish names, your luck may just have run out. According to a new bill being proposed, all Jewish and Arab street names are to be changed into their Hebrew counterparts "

"وظلم ذوي القربى أشد مضاضة على المرء من وقع الحسام المهند".. بهذا البيت الشعري اختصر المقعد أسامة أبو عسكر (38 عاماً) التعبير عما يختلج في صدره من استياء وتذمر لعدم سماح السلطة الفلسطينية له بالحصول على جواز سفر. وقال أبو عسكر الذي بترت ساقاه في صيف العام 2004 إثر تعرضه لقصف  طائرة إسرائيلية إن "ما يزيد من حسرتي وألمي أن الذي منعني ليس الاحتلال الإسرائيلي، ولكنهم فلسطينيون من بني جلدتنا "

"كشف القنصل الاسباني العام ان بلاده ستعترف بالدولة الفلسطينية قبل ايلول المقبل. جاء ذلك خلال لقاء القنصل مع الدكتور نبيل شعث عضو اللجنة المركزية لحركة فتح مفوض العلاقات الدولية اليوم برام الله في مقر مفوضية العلاقات الدولية. واوضح القنصل الاسباني ان بلاده ستؤيد انضمام فلسطين الى الامم المتحدة، مشيرا الى ان مدريد تتحرك حثيثا الان لحث الدول الاوروبية الاخرى للاعتراف بالدولة الفلسطينية المستقلة"

" أشاد ممثل الاتحاد الأوروبي لدى السلطة الوطنية كريستيان بيرغير  بالتقدم الذي أحرزته السلطة الوطنية في مجالات الحكم، وإدارة التمويل العام في ظل الاحتلال، وببعض التقدم في مجال سيادة القانون. جاء ذلك خلال تسليمه التقرير السنوي حول التقدم الحاصل في سياسة الجوار الأوروبي في العام 2010 في الأرض الفلسطينية المحتلة، لوزير الخارجية رياض المالكي، اليوم الإثنين،  في مقر الوزارة برام الله"

" أعلن سلاح البحرية الأميركي جون كينيدي عن قراره إطلاق اسم الرئيس الأميركي الراحل جون كينيدي على حاملة الطائرات الأحدث التي تنضم إلى أسطوله. وذكرت وسال الإعلام الأميركية ان سلاح البحرية أصدر بيانًا أوضح فيها ان واحدة من حاملتي الطائرات الأجدد من طراز "فورد" ستحمل اسم جون إف. كينيدي. وأوضحت ان السفينة، التي يجري العمل حاليًا على بنائها، ستكون ثاني حاملة طائرات تحمل اسم الرئيس الـ35 للولايات المتحدة، والحاملة الأولى سحبت في آب/أغسطس 2007 بعد 40 سنة من الخدمة وكانت تلقب بـ"بيغ جون"، كما شاركت في عملية "عاصفة الصحراء". وينتهي العمل على الحاملة الجديدة في العام 2019، ولم يعلن سلاح البحرية أين سترسو وإن كانت سان دييغو احتمالاً مطروحًا. وأعلن المتحدث باسم البحرية راي مابوس عن العزم على تسمية السفينة نسبة للرئيس كينيدي قائلاً ان الأخير كان "جسّد معنى الخدمة، ليس للبلاد فقط بل لكل الإنسانية"

" عبرت المفوضة السامية لحقوق الإنسان نافي بيلاي، عن قلقها الكبير من حالة حقوق الإنسان في الأرض الفلسطينية المحتلة نتيجة استمرار الانتهاكات الإسرائيلية. وأشارت بيلاي، خلال افتتاح أعمال الدورة السابعة عشرة لمجلس حقوق الإنسان بمقر الأمم المتحدة في جنيف اليوم الإثنين، إلى قيام إسرائيل القوة القائمة بالاحتلال، بانتهاك حقوق الشعب الفلسطيني، مذكّرة بأحداث الخامس عشر من الشهر الجاري، التي أسفرت عن استشهاد وجرح العشرات من الفلسطينيين والعرب في ذكرى النكبة"

نقلاً عن "معاً": "نتنياهو يتهم مصر بالعجز عن السيطرة على سيناء وزيادة نفوذ حماس هناك" كيف يمكن لمصر أن تسيطر على سيناء في ظل اتفاقية "كامب ديفيد" لسنة 1979 التي قيدت التواجد العسكري المصري من حيث النوع والعدد ليس فقط على طول الحدود الدولية وإنما في سائر أرجاء شبه الجزيرة؟ المسألة لا تحتاج للتفكير أكثر من مرة ! جابي حلو

"The first confirmation of protests expected to sweep across Europe tonight from Greece to Spain, France and Italy comes from Syntagma square where up to 100,000 people are protesting at this moment "

"Out of prison but in fear of being rearrested, Bahraini Shiite women doctors have spoken of abuse and torture by police after being accused of backing pro-democracy protests in the Sunni-ruled monarchy... Some of the women doctors recently freed told AFP how they were made to confess to such allegations under torture and after being subjected to verbal abuse "

نقلاً عن " اليوم السابع ": "تل أبيب تعتبر فتح معبر رفح خرقاً لاتفاقات السلام بين مصر وإسرائيل" لا يمثل حصار قطاع غزة المقصود والمشدد خرقاً للقانون الدولي؟ فهذا الحصار يشكل عقوبات جماعية محرمة بموجب الفقرة الأولى من المادة 33 من اتفاقية جنيف الرابعة الخاصة بحماية المدنيين في وقت الحرب لسنة 1949. والأبعد من ذلك، هذه العقوبات الجماعية – أي الحصار المقصود والمشدد – هو أحد أشكال جريمة الإبادة الجماعية بحسب الفقرة (ج) من المادة 6 من النظام الأساسي (نظام روما) للمحكمة الجنائية الدولية. مما يعني أن هذا الحصار قد يرتقي إلى مستوى جريمة الإبادة الجماعية. جابي حلو

تقرير عن مدينة رام الله

Air France Probe Shows Jet Stalled in Free Fall to Atlantic "Air France Flight 447 crashed after the Airbus A330 lost speed and stalled before beginning a three- and-a-half minute plunge into the Atlantic Ocean that killed all 228 people on board, an investigation found. The findings by the French BEA air-accident investigation bureau show the autopilot disengaged shortly after the pilots had alerted cabin crew of possible turbulence ahead. According to data from the flight recorders, the younger of the two men angled the jet’s nose higher, a position the aircraft maintained until its final impact"

Spanish police stop illegal sale of Israeli military helicopters to Iran

" أعلنت الشرطة الاسبانية عن احباط محاولة بيع طائرات عمودية عسكرية لايران وصلت من اسرائيل، حيث اعتقلت 8 اشخاص متورطين بهذه الصفقة بينهم 3 ايرانيين. وبحسب ما نشر موقع "قضايا مركزية" العبري اليوم الجمعة فقد احبطت الشرطة الاسبانية بيع 9 طائرات عمودية عسكرية وصلت مفككة من اسرائيل الى اسبانيا، حيث اعتقلت الشرطة 5 رجال اعمال اسبانيين وكذلك 3 مواطنين ايرانيين بعد مداهمة الشرطة الاسبانية لمدينة مدريد وبرشلونة"

"أكد وزير الخارجية المصري نبيل العربي ورئيس المجلس الوزاري لحركة عدم الانحياز، أن الحركة تؤيد وتدعم الاستراتيجية القانونية التي تبنتها السلطة الفلسطينية، والقاضية بالتوجه إلى الجمعية العامة للأمم المتحدة لأخذ الرأي الاستشاري من محكمة العدل الدولية بلاهاي، في قضية الأسرى الفلسطينيين بالسجون الإسرائيلية، والذين تمارس ضدهم انتهاكات جسيمة مخالفة للقانون الدولي والقانون الإنساني، واتفاقية جنيف الرابعة"

Rwanda : Bernard Munyagishari arrested for genocide "A Rwandan genocide suspect on the run for 17 years has been arrested in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo" *"An estimated 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutus were killed in 100 days in 1994"

Compilation: RESOLUTIONS AND DECISIONS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE SECURITY COUNCIL RELATING TO THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE

OSCE Chairperson welcomes arrest of Ratko Mladić

MJ Rosenberg : " Netanyahu's address to Congress demonstrated that he has no intention of making peace with the Palestinians" "If anyone had any doubt about whether the Palestinians would declare a state in September, they can't have them now"

U.S. imposes sanctions on Israeli company for trade with Iran "The U.S. State Department imposed new sanctions on 7 oil and shipping companies for violating the ban on oil trading with Iran. Sanctions were imposed in particular on PDVSA (Venezuela), PCCI, Royal Oyster Group, Speedy Ship (UAE), Tanker Pacific (Singapore), Ofer Brothers (Israel) and Associated Shipbroking (Monaco). They are now closed access to U.S. government contracts, but cooperation with the private sector and activities in the USA are not restricted. Besides, the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on 16 companies from China, Syria, Iran, Belarus and North Korea for the actions that promote the growth of nuclear weapons in Iran, Syria and North Korea" To read more about USA's best ally's company, click here

"President John F. Kennedy feared the space race had "lost its glamour" during his final months, and longed for the USSR to put up more of a fight to excite the American public, it has emerged "

Despite Germany's economic clout, Berlin has failed to place German officials in top jobs at the EU and in key organizations such as the IMF and ECB. The country's global influence is suffering as a result. A dearth of suitable candidates, domestic politics and Angela Merkel's lack of horse-trading skills are to blame. "Merkel's lack of capable senior experts is beginning to adversely affect Germany's role in international bodies. While such organizations have become increasingly important in the course of globalization, Germany's ability to successfully champion its interests inside them is declining. "Germany," says former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, "is failing as a leading power in Europe."

The West and Israel, for their own good, should encourage Palestinians to get together " AMID the joy of the Arab awakening, the most stubbornly insoluble of all the Middle East’s problems, the argument between Jews and Arabs over the Holy Land, seemed almost forgotten and perhaps better shelved for the next few years. No more. The upheavals elsewhere in the Arab world are affecting even the Palestinians—and by extension the Israelis. On May 4th the two main Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, bloodily at odds for many years, signed an historic agreement to support a national-unity government in the Palestinian territories: the Gaza Strip, now ruled by Hamas, and the West Bank, ruled by an authority under the sway of Fatah" (thanks Cheryl)

"The European Union is backing US President Obama's call for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn says in an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE. He also argues that, if the Israelis remain stubborn, the EU must consider taking political action "

"The notion of going back to pre-1967 borders with land swaps as a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian territories elicited instant resistance after President Obama's speech last week, but further emphasis on land exchanges showed some wiggle room might exist " (thanks Cheryl)

Benjamin Netanyahu’s version of the two-State solution: Israel and Palestine, living in peace and security (not side by side). Israel on the whole territory of Palestine, and the location of the Palestinian State to be determined later. Gabriel Helou

Addressing US Congress, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to appear as if he was delivering the Presidential State of the Union Speech. Israeli PM

Council conclusions on Bahrain 3091st FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting Brussels, 23 May 2011

Council of the European Union conclusions on Syria 3091st FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting Brussels, 23 May 2011  "8. On the 9th of May the EU decided to impose restrictive measures against Syria and persons responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population with a view to achieving a fundamental change of policy by the Syrian leadership without delay. The Council has decided to further strengthen these restrictive measures by designating additional persons, including at the highest level of leadership. The EU is determined to take further measures without delay should the Syrian leadership choose not to change swiftly its current path"

Air France Flight AF 447 Investigation Recording Indicates Pilot Wasn't In Cockpit During Critical Phase “What happened on board the Air France jet that crashed into the Atlantic en route from Rio to Paris? According to information obtained by SPIEGEL from the analysis of flight recorder data, pilot Marc Dubois appears not to have been in the cockpit at the time the deadly accident started to unfold”

Council conclusions on Middle East Peace Process 3091st FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting Brussels, 23 May 2011 The Council adopted the following conclusions: "1. The fundamental changes across the Arab world have made the need for progress on the Middle East Peace Process all the more urgent. Recent events have indeed shown the necessity of heeding the legitimate aspirations of peoples in the region, including those of Palestinians for statehood, and of Israelis for security. 2. The EU is deeply concerned about the continuing stalemate in the Peace Process and calls for the urgent resumption of direct negotiations leading to a comprehensive solution on all tracks. Our goal remains a just and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security and mutual recognition. A way must be found through negotiations to resol...

"A U.S. Supreme Court ruling fragments the force of the Fourth Amendment. The ruling leaves the Constitution's protection against warrantless searches as a symbolic right, easily sidestepped in practice by police. Two Kentucky police officers sparked the case when, in search of a suspect, they broke into an apartment smelling of marijuana for fear of evidence being destroyed. They got the wrong place but still found illegal drugs. The Fourth Amendment once emphasized the right to the security of one's home. The U.S. Supreme Court now confirms that police who smell drugs, knock loudly and listen may find the circumstances necessary to enter a home before obtaining a warrant"

"Lawyers for an inmate set to be executed this week want the Arizona Supreme Court to withdraw his death warrant because the justices toured death row and met with prison officials. Court papers filed Sunday also ask the entire five-member high court to step away from the case and appoint a panel of judges to hear Donald Beaty's appeals " To read more: click here

حق الشعب الفلسطيني في تقرير المصير قرار الجمعية العامة للأمم المتحدة A/RES/65/202 الذي تبنته في 21 كانون الأول 2010، والذي أعادت التأكيد فيه على حق الشعب الفلسطيني في تقرير المصير، بما في ذلك الحق في أن تكون له دولته المستقلة، فلسطين. 177 دولة صوتت لصالحه، 6 دول صوتت ضده، و 4 دول امتنعت عن التصويت. النص الكامل للقرار 

The most recent resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in which it reaffirmed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to their independent State of Palestine. The resolution was approved on 21 December 2010 by 177-6-4. The full text of the resolution: A/RES/65/202

If Mubarak regime committed crimes against humanity during the revolution in Egypt, wouldn't it be better to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court in order to avoid vengeful trials ?

" Palestinian Territories (AFP) – The Palestinians will keep up their campaign to win UN endorsement for a unilaterally declared state despite US opposition, a senior Palestinian official has said. "Now that (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu has proved that he rejects the peace process, there is no doubt that we shall continue with the strategic objective of turning to the United Nations in September," Nabil Shaath, a senior member of the Fatah movement, told AFP late on Saturday. Shaath, a former minister, said that the goal of the Palestinians is to win recognition by the world body of their promised state "in the 1967 borders," referring to the lines that existed before that year's Six Day War. That would mean a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Israeli-annexed Arab east Jerusalem"

" Palestinian refugees are planning a fresh round of marches on Israel next month , amid signs that grassroots protests could gain momentum from deep disillusion over the prospects for peace talks and the impact of the Arab Spring"

SALEH GUNMEN HOLD US AND GULF ENVOYS HOSTAGE IN UAE EMBASSY IN SANA’A "Gunmen claiming to be loyal to President Ali Abdallah Saleh of Yemen laid siege Sunday afternoon to the embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Sana’a, trapping the ambassadors of the United States and of the six members states of the Gulf Cooperation Council"

" Authorities detained a Saudi woman on Saturday after she launched a campaign against the driving ban for women in the ultraconservative kingdom and posted a video of herself behind the wheel on Facebook and YouTube to encourage others to copy her. Manal al-Sherif and a group of other women started a Facebook page called "Teach me how to drive so I can protect myself," which urges authorities to lift the driving ban. She went on a test drive in the eastern city of Khobar and later posted a video of the experience"

" Les autorités saoudiennes ont arrêté une jeune femme qui avait défié l'interdiction de conduire dans l'est du royaume, a affirmé dimanche à l'AFP une militante pour les droits des femmes. Manal al-Charif avait posté vendredi sur Youtube une vidéo la montrant en train de conduire dans la ville de Khobar (est)"

"A Bahrain emergency appeals court has upheld death sentences for two men found guilty of killing police officers during recent unrest on the island kingdom. Human rights activists said that punishments given to Ali Abdullah Hassan al-Singace and Abdul Aziz Abdul Redha Ibrahim Hussein in Sunday's court rulings were designed to prevent more protests"

الاستئناف يؤيد حكم الاعدام بحق محتجين شيعة بتهمة قتل شرطيين في البحرين "ايد الاستئناف في محكمة السلامة الوطنية الاستثنائية في البحرين الاحد حكم الاعدام بحق محتجين شيعة وخفض العقوبة من الاعدام الى السجن المؤبد لاثنين آخرين في قضية قتل شرطيين خلال الحركة الاحتجاجية التي شهدتها البلاد، وذلك بحسب بيان نشرته وكالة الانباء البحرينية"

فضيحة العرب : أدوية فاسدة مرسلة إلى غزة

Obama’s Peace Tack Contrasts With Key Aide, Friend of Israel

" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel told President Obama on Friday that he shared his vision for a peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and then promptly listed a series of nonnegotiable conditions that have kept the two sides at an impasse for years. Sitting at Mr. Obama’s side in the Oval Office, leaning toward him and at times looking him directly in the eye, the Israeli leader bluntly rejected compromises of the sort Mr. Obama had outlined the day before in hopes of reviving a moribund peace process. Mr. Obama, who had sought to emphasize Israel’s concerns in his remarks moments earlier, stared back"

EU High Representative Catherine Ashton opens European Union office in Benghazi, Libya.

Obama misses deadline for congressional approval of Libya operations "President Obama missed a legal deadline Friday — set in a 1973 law — that required him to obtain congressional approval for U.S. military operations in Libya. Friday was the 60th day since Obama formally notified Congress that U.S. planes would strike targets in Libya, a bid to protect civilians from the government of strongman Moammar Gaddafi. Under the Nixon-era War Powers Resolution, the president must obtain congressional authorization of military action within 60 days or else begin withdrawing forces"

In the Golan Heights , Anxious Eyes Look East "Until the Internet came to this Druze village in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights in late 1990s, residents used to go to an area known as the shouting hill and use megaphones to communicate with relatives across the fence in the motherland, Syria"

" Pour l’ex-Premier ministre belge Guy Verhofstadt, le repli sur soi mène à une impasse. “Les politiciens ne doivent pas singer les nationalistes, mais leur opposer une vision européenne. Fédéraliste européen dans l’âme, l’ancien Premier ministre belge Guy Verhofstadt se désole de la montée des nationalismes et de l’extrême droite aux quatre coins du Vieux continent. Pour renverser la tendance, les leaders politiques doivent s’investir et démontrer aux citoyens qu’une plus grande intégration européenne est la seule issue possible, affirme le chef du groupe libéral au Parlement européen"

"Le commissaire européen Karel De Gucht s'en prend violemment samedi dans le quotidien Het Laatste Nieuws aux partis flamands qui suivent la N-VA pour toutes leurs décisions.   "Ils se comportent déjà depuis un an maintenant comme les 'pom-pom girls' de la N-VA. Comme s'ils étaient devenus la proie d'une sorte de 'folie collective'", explique Karel De Gucht. Si la N-VA ne veut pas de gouvernement, alors selon Karel De Gucht il serait "sensé que les trois partis classiques, CD&V, sp.a et Open Vld, se rapprochent des Francophones et disent: ok, nous voulons le faire sans la N-VA, mais en échange vous devez nous garantir une réforme de l'Etat sérieuse, la scission de BHV et la réforme de la Justice, des pensions, et autres".

Symbolic actions "Israel is lobbying against the Palestinians' UN bid. But European Union states, UN diplomats say, are looking increasingly favourably on the idea of recognising a Palestinian state. Obama criticised the Palestinian push in his Middle East speech on Thursday, dismissing it as "symbolic actions to isolate Israel at the United Nations." In February, the United States struck down a Security Council motion that would have branded the West Bank settlements as illegal. The Palestinians currently have the status of UN observers without voting rights. The Vatican and European Union have the same status. Israel disputes the Palestinian claim on all of territory based on the 1967 borders. Gaza, the other half of the Palestinian polity, was evacuated by the Israelis in 2005"

According to “Maan News Agency" : "President Mahmoud Abbas is heading today to Amman to meet with King Abdullah II of Jordan and discuss with him President Barack Obama’s speech on the peace process and its consequences". This can only be described as a waste of time and energy. The last place that he can go to – following President Obama’s speech - is Jordan, and the United Nations is the first one that he should go to. What weight or influence does Jordan represent in the international arena? President Mahmoud Abbas should go to the United Nations and take the following actions (with reference to another post but in Arabic ), or else, we shall not dream of acquiring any part of our rights. Gabriel Helou

هل تظن القيادة الفلسطينية أن الدول تقام بمجرد الاعتراف الدولي بها؟ حسب القانون الدولي، الاعتراف بالدول هو أمر ثانوي، وليس أمر أولي أو أساسي لوجود الدول. الاعتراف هو إعلان من قبل الدول عن إرادتها للتعامل مع كيان موجود أصلاً . بكلمات أخرى، الاعتراف هو لاحق لقيام الدولة، وليس سابق، أي لا يقيمها.   فحتى لو اعترف كل المجتمع الدولي، ممثلاً بالأمم المتحدة، وحتى لو اعترفت أيضاً الولايات المتحدة، بالدولة الفلسطينية، فهذا لا يغير أي شيء على أرض الواقع، طالما لم تستوف "فلسطين" جميع مقومات الدولة، وفق القانون الدولي. فمقومات الدولة هي: شعب، إقليم، حكومة لها سيطرة، سيادة. دون هذه المقومات، ولو حصلنا على الاعتراف في شهر أيلول، يبقى الأمر رمزي، لأن الاعتراف لا ينشئ دول. هل استوفينا هذه الشروط؟ أو هل يمكن أن نستوفيها قبل شهر أيلول لنطالب بالاعتراف الدولي؟ هذا السؤال يجب أن تجيب عليه القيادة الفلسطينية والشعب الفلسطيني قبل المطالبة بالاعتراف. جابي حلو

نقلاً عن وكالة "معاً": " يتوجه الرئيس محمود عباس اليوم السبت إلى عمان للقاء العاهل الأردني الملك عبد الله الثاني وبحث خطاب الرئيس الأمريكي باراك أوباما حول عملية السلام وتداعياته". هذا يسمى بمضيعة وقت وطاقات. المكان الأخير الذي يمكن أن يذهب إليه بعد خطاب الرئيس أوباما هو الأردن، والمكان الأول الذي يجب أن يذهب إليه هو الأمم المتحدة. ماذا تمثل الأردن من وزن أو نفوذ على الساحة الدولية؟   يجب على الرئيس محمود عباس أن يذهب إلى الأمم المتحدة والقيام بالخطوات التالية، وغير ذلك لا يمكن الحلم بالحصول على أي جزء من حقوقنا. جابي حلو

How can Kuwait – a State that deprives 120 thousand citizens of their civil rights – be elected as member of the Human Rights Council? Not only that. According to a report by Reuters, “ Kuwait's ruling family largely sets the policy agenda and dominates political life. Formal political parties are banned, and the country limits freedom of the press and assembly and has no independent judiciary”. This is abominable and deplorable. What is more appaling is that Kuwait received the full US backing for a seat on the Council. Only yesterday, in his speech, President Obama emphasized on democracy and the need for change in the region. Yet, Kuwait was “rewarded” for violating the human rights of its citizens. This is a rather bizzare and infurating situation. It would have been way preferable, and even more respectful for human rights, to leave one of the 47 seats of the Council empty than filling it with a State that does not respect the human rights of its own citizens, bearing in m...

"120 thousand citizens in Kuwait don't have basic civil rights" (thank you "jkuwaiti" on Twitter)

Omer Ninham murdered a 13-year-old boy in 1998. Today, in a case that could be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Ninham will never leave prison "The Wisconsin Supreme Court today ruled that sentencing a 14-year-old to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is not cruel and unusual punishment"

"As Obama noted, occupation is “humiliation.” It was humiliation as experienced by a young Tunisian fruit vendor that sparked the unfurling of the Arab Spring. There is no reason to believe this quest for dignity and self-governance will stop at Palestine’s door or that Israel’s quest for security can be sustained by walls alone"

" FOR would-be Palestinian negotiators, there was much in Barack Obama's speech on the Middle East to applaud. For the first time an American president has articulated his country's commitment to two states based on the 1967 borders. He also called for a "full and phased withdrawal of military forces"—ruling out a permanent military presence, though leaving open the possibility of a long-term interim one. He said a Palestinian state would border Jordan, thereby quashing any lingering Israeli demands that Israel retain a buffer in the Jordan Valley. To Israel's chagrin he also proposed that the parties first resolve their security arrangements and define their borders, before tackling what he called "wrenching and emotional issues remain: the future of Jerusalem, and the fate of Palestinian refugees"

Obama looks forward to rediscovering his Irish roots on European tour "President making 'homecoming of sorts' says White House, when he visits mother's family town in Ireland"

Statement "The following statement was issued by the Middle East Quartet (United Nations, Russian Federation, United States, European Union): The Members of the Quartet are in full agreement about the urgent need to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. To that effect, the Quartet expressed its strong support for the vision of Israeli-Palestinian peace outlined by [United States] President Barack Obama on 19 May, 2011. The Quartet agrees that moving forward on the basis of territory and security provides a foundation for Israelis and Palestinians to reach a final resolution of the conflict through serious and substantive negotiations and mutual agreement on all core issues. The Quartet reiterates its strong appeal to the parties to overcome the current obstacles and resume direct bilateral negotiations without delay or preconditions. The Quartet further recommits itself to its previous statements and principles"

The only road to peace in the Middle East is the full implementation of the list of United Nations Resolutions related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

UN Security Council Resolution 242 must not be shelved; it must be the basis of any solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict !

Prime Minister Netanyahu - again - challenges President Obama in a meeting in Washington D.C. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will remain unresolved, unless President Obama decides to press Netanyahu to adhere to the guidelines for peace drawn by the international community.

"A judge agreed Thursday to free former International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn from a New York City jail on the condition that he post $1 million in bail and remain under house arrest, under the watch of armed guards, at a private apartment in Manhattan"

Human Rights Council

Photos

" As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel heads to the White House on Friday for the seventh meeting since President Obama took office, the two men are facing a turning point in a relationship that has never been warm. By all accounts, they do not trust each other. President Obama has told aides and allies that he does not believe that Mr. Netanyahu will ever be willing to make the kind of big concessions that will lead to a peace deal... "I think the Europeans are sliding” toward voting for Palestinian statehood “because they don’t see a peace strategy coming out,” said David Makovsky, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy"

" Mr. Obama was right to warn the Palestinians that such symbolic actions “won’t create an independent state.” But the vote would also isolate Israel and the United States. Washington and its allies need to put a map on the table and challenge both sides to resume negotiations. That is the best chance for breaking the stalemate and the best chance for peace"

" Key elements of President Barack Obama's approach to the Middle East, as outlined in his speech Thursday" 

"President Obama , delivering his first major address tackling the uprisings in the Middle East, on Thursday endorsed Palestinians' demand for their own state based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war"

Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on Middle East and North Africa The Secretary-General welcomes President Obama's important speech on the historic developments taking place in the Middle East and North Africa. The Secretary-General has consistently expressed his support for the legitimate aspirations of the people in the region for greater freedom, dignity and a better life. The Secretary-General continues to call on the leaders throughout the region to reject the use of force, violence and repression, and to chose the path of comprehensive reform and inclusive dialogue. He believes it is the people of the region who will lead the way, and he pledges the full assistance of the United Nations. On the Middle East Peace Process, the Secretary-General believes that President Obama has offered important ideas which could help the peace talks move forward, consistent with international positions and responding to the legitimate core concerns of both ...

Reactions to Obama's speech outlining his vision for the Middle East and North Africa

“ President Barack Obama on Thursday made official the long-held but rarely stated U.S. support for a future Palestinian state based on borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war. In the past, the United States has unofficially backed a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict based on the borders in place prior to the war 44 years ago in which Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula”

President Obama : “At a time when the people of the Middle East and North Africa are casting off the burdens of the past, the drive for a lasting peace that ends the conflict and resolves all claims is more urgent that ever... The international community is tired of an endless process that never produces an outcome”

"... Obama scornfully rejected the Palestinian initiative to attain recognition at the United Nations and to isolate Israel, demanded the Palestinians return to negotiations, and called on Hamas to recognize Israel's right to exist. These points came straight out of the policy pages of the Prime Minister's Bureau in Jerusalem..."

Netanyahu rejects withdrawal to 'indefensible' 1967 borders " Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday Israel would object to any withdrawal to "indefensible" borders, adding he expected Washington to allow it to keep major settlement blocs in any peace deal. In a statement after President Barack Obama's speech outlining Middle East strategy, Netanyahu said before heading to Washington that "the viability of a Palestinian state cannot come at the expense of Israel's existence" In light thereof, how will the Obama Administration react?

What did President Obama offer in his speech today? And how can it be read in light of his campaign for a second term in office? Analysis

This is a very interesting analysis of President Obama's speech by Amnesty International.

" President Barack Obama addressed the convulsive events sweeping North Africa and the Middle East and offered a glimpse of a U.S. peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians in a speech Thursday"

President Obama's Middle East Speech

" Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appears determined to ask the United Nations to admit Palestine as a sovereign member state. But there is little chance of success at the moment"

" La crise gouvernementale est le souci le plus important pour 6 Belges sur 10 (57 pc), révèle le Baromètre GfK annuel "Challenges of Europe" mené en mars 2011, dans 11 pays Européens auprès de 13.300 interviewés. "Avec 57 pc de tous les Belges qui indiquent que la crise du gouvernement est leur souci le plus important, on a atteint le pourcentage le plus élevé de notre baromètre", a indiqué GfK dans un communiqué"

" Coverage of the scandal surrounding Dominique Strauss-Kahn continues in today's papers, following his announcement that he would resign as IMF chief amid allegations of sexual assault and attempted rape" More

Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question (Channel 3)

Vendredi est le jour où M. Strauss-Kahn doit comparaître devant la justice de l'Etat de New York qui doit lui notifier son inculpation formelle

Di Rupo reçoit De Wever ce jeudi "Le formateur Elio Di Rupo rencontrera demain jeudi, à 14 heures 30, à la présidence de la Chambre, le président de la N-VA, Bart De Wever, pour "faire le point sur la situation" politique, a-t-on appris mercredi" 

Inside Rikers Island

Human Rights Watch "No News is Good" Report للمزيد

" The trials of eight activists convicted over their involvement in pro-reform protests in Bahrain that began in February, were politically motivated and unfair, Amnesty International said today. A military court in Bahrain's capital city Manama has sentenced the eight activists, in two separate cases, to between one and four years imprisonment for "participating in illegal demonstrations and inciting hatred against the regime" during popular protests in February and March"

  " Diplomatic immunity is a principle of international law by which certain foreign government officials are not subject to the jurisdiction of local courts and other authorities. The concept of immunity began with ancient tribes. In order to exchange information, messengers were allowed to travel from tribe to tribe without fear of harm. They were protected even when they brought bad news. Today, immunity protects the channels of diplomatic communication by exempting diplomats from local jurisdiction so that they can perform their duties with freedom, independence, and security. Diplomatic immunity is not meant to benefit individuals personally; it is meant to ensure that foreign officials can do their jobs. Under the concept of reciprocity, diplomats assigned to any country in the world benefit equally from diplomatic immunity. The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 codified most modern diplomati...