From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Rachel Corrie’s family loses appeal in Israel’s Supreme Court seeking damages
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision on civil damages in the case of U.S. peace activist Rachel Corrie, who was killed in the West Bank in 2003 by a military bulldozer.
The high court on Thursday upheld a ruling by the Haifa District Court exempting Israel from paying civil damages for wrongful death to Corrie’s family since the incident occurred in a war zone.
Corrie, 23, a pro-Palestinian activist from Olympia, Wash., was wearing an orange vest and attempting to stop a bulldozer from demolishing a Palestinian home in Rafah in the West Bank when she was killed. The army said that the area where the incident occurred was named a closed military zone; the claim has been disputed.
An Israeli army investigation following Corrie’s death found that the driver of the bulldozer could not see Corrie and did not intentionally run over her. The report accused Corrie and the pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Movement of “illegal, irresponsible and dangerous” behavior.
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From PressTV
All options on table regarding Iran, Israeli minister utters
The intelligence affairs minister of the Israeli regime says Tel Aviv could act unilaterally against Iran over its nuclear energy program despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to sign a nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers.
“I won’t be too specific but all options are still on the table,” Yuval Steinitz stated on Thursday, adding that “diplomatic constraints” will not enmesh Israel’s decision-making.
The Israeli official claimed Tehran has shown little or no flexibility in the nuclear negotiations with the P5+1 group, saying he had discussed Tel Aviv’s concerns with Yukiya Amano, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference last week.
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From Russia Today
Ukraine peace deal: Ceasefire starting February 15, removal of heavy weapons
“I believe we agreed on a big deal. We agreed to a ceasefire starting at 00:00 on February 15,” Russian President Vladimir Putin told the media after the talks were finished.
“The main thing achieved is that from Saturday into Sunday there should be declared – without any conditions at all – a general ceasefire,” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told journalists in a separate statement.
From Russia Today
BBC airs Maidan fighter admitting he fired on police before Kiev massacre
READ MORE: Reuters investigation exposes ‘serious flaws’ in Maidan massacre probe
“I was shooting downward at their feet,” says a man the broadcaster decided to identify as Sergei.
“Of course, I could have hit them in the arm or anywhere. But I didn’t shoot to kill.”
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From Russia Today
Kerry: US may roll back Russia sanctions if Minsk agreements enacted
READ MORE: Restrained optimism follows Minsk summit, new Russia sanctions off table?
“As we have long said, the United States is prepared to consider rolling back sanctions on Russia when the Minsk agreements of September 2014, and now this agreement, are fully implemented,” said Kerry in a statement Thursday following marathon 16-hour talks between the ‘Normandy 4’ leaders in Minsk.
“That includes a full ceasefire, the withdrawal of all foreign troops and equipment from Ukraine, the full restoration of Ukrainian control of the international border, and the release of all hostages,” Kerry said.
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From The Times of Israel
Parties reached secret pact to make Liberman PM, MK reveals
Yisrael Beytenu’s Kirshenbaum says Yesh Atid and Kulanu had signed on to plan; Netanyahu thanks IDF’s Gantz for leadership of military ‘during trying times’
The Central Elections Committee on Thursday disqualified Arab Israeli MK Hanin Zoabi and right wing Jewish candidate Baruch Marzel from participating in the coming general elections for Knesset.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with IDF chief of Staff Benny Gantz and thanked him for his leadership of the military during the past four years.
A clandestine recording of Yisrael Beytenu’s Faina Kirshenbaum reveals that Yair Lapid and Moshe Kahlon agreed to recommend to President Reuven Rivlin to appoint Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman to put together the next coalition. This would make Liberman prime minister, without being head of the largest party.
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From The Times of Israel
Israel ranks lowly 96th in press freedom rankings
Jewish state’s media ‘able to be outspoken,’ but crackdowns on Palestinians a factor in placement below Kuwait, Mozambique
Israel ranked 96th in the latest annual World Press Freedom Index released this week by Reporters Without Borders, behind Kuwait, North Cyprus, Kosovo and Mozambique.
The showing marks a rise of 17 spots over last year’s report, but the improvement “must be offset against its 20-place fall in the 2013 index,” the report explains.
Israel’s poor showing is due primarily to its conflict with the Palestinians, the report makes clear.
“The Israeli media are able to be outspoken,” it notes. However, Israel’s poor showing in the 2013 report — which marked a 20-spot drop from 2012’s — was “a result of Operation ‘Pillar of Defense’ in November 2012, when two Palestinian journalists were killed, and the many raids it carried out against Palestinian media.”
In its methodology section, the report notes: “In the event of a military occupation of one or more territories, any violations by representatives of the occupying force are treated as violations of the right to information in foreign territory and are incorporated into the score of the occupying force’s country.
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Poll: Americans want Obama-Netanyahu meeting, half say invite ‘inappropriate’
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Nearly half of Americans think the invitation to Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to Congress was inappropriate, but more believe President Barack Obama should meet the Israeli prime minister in Washington.
The YouGov poll posted Wednesday showed that 47 percent of respondents said it was “inappropriate” for Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the House speaker, to invite Netanyahu to speak March 3 without first consulting with the White House. Thirty percent of respondents found it appropriate.
Still, 58 percent said Obama should meet with Netanyahu and 46 percent said their Congress member should attend.
Obama has said he will not meet with Netanyahu because of the proximity of Israeli elections, and a number of congressional Democrats, who also were not consulted, have said they will not attend the speech. Nineteen percent of respondents were opposed to an Obama-Netanyahu meeting and 24 percent said their representative should not attend the speech.
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Controversial Jewish Defense League being revived in Montreal
MONTREAL (JTA) — The long-dormant Jewish Defense League said it was setting up shop outside Montreal despite opposition by local Jewish and Muslim groups.
JDL leader Meir Weinstein of Toronto said he was establishing the country’s second branch of the self-defense group on Feb. 16 to stem the rise of “radical Islam” in Quebec and to help the pro-Israel Conservative Party government return to power in a national election slated for the fall.
Weinstein, 56, said he planned to have local JDL members aggressively monitor and “infiltrate” radical Islamic groups.
In the United States, the FBI in 2001 labeled the JDL, founded by the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, a violent “right-wing terrorist group.” The group has been inactive in the U.S. for years.
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From PressTV
Israel bars Palestinian MP from upcoming general elections
An Israeli electoral committee has barred a Palestinian member of the parliament from standing in the upcoming general elections.
The Israeli Central Elections Committee disqualified Hanin Zoabi from running in the March 17 general elections on Thursday.
The Israeli committee did not provide any explanations for the disqualification. However, Zuabi’s lawyer, Hassan Jabareen, said it was because she is considered by extremist Israelis to be “hostile” to the Tel Aviv regime.
Twenty seven members of the committee voted to disqualify Zoabi, who is an outspoken critic of Israel’s aggressive policies.
“I’m not surprised,” Zoabi said after the decision was announced.
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From PressTV
Israel supports militants operating against Syria government: Press TV poll
The Israeli regime is supporting militants fighting against the Syrian government, a new poll by Press TV shows.
Results of the survey, which closed on Tuesday, show that Israel’s January 17 attack on a convoy of Lebanon’s resistance movement, Hezbollah, in Syria’s occupied Golan Heights proves the Tel Aviv regime’s support for the militants fighting against the government of Syria.
Nearly 25,000 visitors responded to the poll on Press TV website, which ran from January 20 until February 10, with 82 percent in agreement with the idea that the Israeli airstrike shows Tel Aviv’s support for the militants fighting the Syrian government.
Only nine percent of the respondents thought Israel’s attack was a move to boost the regime’s base of support ahead of the general elections in the occupied territories, which is slated for late March. Another nine percent said the attack was related to Israel’s general mindset of wreaking havoc on regional countries by launching military attacks on their soil.
Respondents came from the United States (13 percent), the UK (9 percent), Canada (6 percent), Australia (2 percent), Germany (1 percent), and other countries (69 percent).
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From Ynet News
UN official warns of further conflict in Gaza
Official urges Israel to lift blockade and Palestinians to end in-fighting; calls for additional $705 million in humanitarian aid. A top UN official warned Thursday of another potential conflict in the Gaza Strip, urging Israel to lift its blockade and the Palestinians to end in-fighting to avoid further violence.
The United Nations also called for an additional $705 (622 million euros) million in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territories, most of it for Gaza which saw its bloodiest and most destructive conflict last year.
“Right now, things are not going well, and we’re very concerned about the possibility of a further conflict,” James Rawley, UN humanitarian chief for the Palestinian territories, told AFP.
From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
CEO Tim Cook to open Apple Israel’s new headquarters
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Apple CEO Tim Cook will inaugurate Apple Israel’s new headquarters.
During his visit to Israel next week, Cook will meet with former President Shimon Peres and senior figures in the nation’s high-tech industry, the Israeli business daily Globes reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources.
Apple Israel headquarters in Herzliya Pituach, a wealthy beachfront district in central Israel, will house 800 employees.
Cook met last year with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Apple’s international headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.
From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Jewish GOPers: Include Jews as threatened group in ISIS bill
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Jewish Republicans want Jews added to a military force authorization bill as one of the minorities threatened by ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), the sole Jewish Republican in Congress, told CNN on Thursday that in the wake of the apparent ISIS affiliation of a terrorist who last month attacked a kosher supermarket in Paris and killed four Jews – whom the terrorist said he targeted because they were Jewish – Jews should be added to the authorization for use of military force under consideration.
Backing his call was the Republican Jewish Coalition.
The White House, submitting the language this week, mimicked language in a proposed bill in the last Congress that named as threatened by Islamic State Iraqi Christians, Yezidis and Turkmens, as well as Muslims who do not follow its extremist precepts.
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From The Times of Israel
Argentina FM: President gains nothing from Nisman’s death
Jewish diplomat denies allegations he and Kirchner shielded Iranian officials from prosecution for 1994 AMIA bombing
Argentina’s President Cristina Kirchner and her top diplomat did not benefit from the death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who accused them of covering up a probe into the country’s worst terror strike, the diplomat told The Washington Post.
“Who gained by having Mr. Nisman dead?” Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said in a story published Tuesday. “Not me. Not the president.”
He was referring to the mysterious death of Alberto Nisman, 51, who was found dead January 18 with a gunshot wound to the head.
He had been due to appear before a congressional hearing at which he was expected to accuse Kirchner and Timerman of shielding Iranian officials from prosecution over a 1994 bombing at a Buenos Aires Jewish center that killed 85 people.
Officials initially labeled the death a suicide, but suspicion has fallen on Kirchner’s government of orchestrating Nisman’s murder.
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