From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
U.N. Security Council to meet on eastern Jerusalem tensions, Israeli building plans
October 28, 2014 5:48pm
NEW YORK (JTA) — The U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to discuss escalating tensions in eastern Jerusalem and Israel’s plans to build more housing there and in the West Bank.
The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, is being held in response to a Jordanian request to Argentina’s ambassador to the United Nations, Maria Cristina Perceval, the president of the 15-nation Security Council, Reuters reported.
Jordan, the only Arab nation on the council, cited Palestinian complaints about “the dangerously escalating tensions in Occupied East Jerusalem” as reason for seeking a meeting, according to the emailed request seen by Reuters.
From the Jewish Telegrapic Agency
News photographers hit by Israeli rubber bullets during Palestinian riot
October 28, 2014 11:43am
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Two news photographers were hit by rubber-coated bullets fired by an Israeli border policeman during Palestinian rioting.
Majdi Mohammed was working for The Associated Press when he was struck Sunday at close range during riots following the funeral for a Palestinian-American teenager killed by Israeli soldiers, AP reported. The Israeli military said the teen was preparing to throw a firebomb at traffic.
Neither Mohammed nor Lazar Simeonov, a Swiss freelance photographer, were seriously injured in the incident, which was captured on video.
The shooting showed “reckless disregard for the safety of journalists who were doing their job in a lawful way,” said John Daniszewski, AP’s senior managing editor for international news, said.
From the Jewish Telegrapic Agency
Vice President Joe Biden to headline Jewish Federations’ General Assembly
October 28, 2014 11:52am
(JTA) — Vice President Joe Biden will headline the list of speakers at the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America.
Biden will speak on Nov. 10 during the Jewish Federations’ three-day event in suburban Washington, the umbrella group said in a statement Tuesday.
The U.S. vice president has a longstanding close relationship with the Jewish community and has been a frequent speaker at Jewish events, including at AIPAC and J Street conventions.
Biden last addressed the General Assembly, an annual event, in 2010.
Some 100 speakers will address this year’s assembly, including Supreme Court justices Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer, actress Marlee Matlin, former chief rabbi of Britain Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and journalist Andrea Mitchell.
From the Jewish Telegrapic Agency
Netanyahu rejects U.S. criticism of Israel’s eastern Jerusalem housing plans
October 28, 2014 10:46am
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected U.S. criticism of Israel’s plans for new housing units in eastern Jerusalem.
Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the criticism of Israel’s construction, not the building, is harming the chance for peace with the Palestinians.
“We will continue to build in Jerusalem, our eternal capital. We have built in Jerusalem, we are building in Jerusalem and we will continue to build in Jerusalem,” he said Tuesday.
“I have heard a claim that our construction in Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem makes peace more distant. It is the criticism which is making peace more distant. These words are detached from reality.”
The United States on Monday condemned the reported approval by Netanyahu to plan construction of at least 1,000 new housing units in eastern Jerusalem Jewish neighborhoods.
From PressTV
Israeli troops abduct six Palestinians in West Bank
Palestinian sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Monday that the Palestinians were arrested after Israeli troops stormed several refugee camps near Ramallah and Bethlehem overnight.
The sources added that a spokesman for the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement, identified as Saed Abu al-Bahaa, was also abducted after Israeli forces raided his house in the town of Beitunia, located 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) west of Ramallah.
According to Palestinian medical officials, several children suffered tear gas inhalation after Israeli forces attacked Aida refugee camp, situated 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) north of Bethlehem. The kids were all treated.
Click here for the full story
From PressTV
Gaza’s sole power plant starts partial operation
The resumption of the plant’s operation has slightly improved the electricity situation in Gaza since it provides the residents with eight hours of electricity, Gaza’s power company director Rafiq Maliha told the Press TV correspondent on Tuesday.
This is while the people of the besieged area had access to only six hours of electricity following the last Israeli war on Gaza.
“What we try to do is simply to make a quick, temporary solution and to work with the existing generation capacity so that we can at least reproduce some electricity to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza,” Maliha said.
From the Jewish Daily Forward
Jewish Hoops Owner’s ‘Hoodish’ Email Snafu
(JTA) — Oy. Talk about auto-correct fails.
In an email to team employees, the Jewish owner of a pro basketball team said he wanted to learn “hoodish.” He apparently meant to write “Yiddish.”
Golden State Warriors co-owner Peter Guber sent out a follow-up email clarifying that the use of “hoodish” (which this writer’s auto-correct keeps trying to change to “goodish”) was not intended as a slur, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
The original email, responding to news that several new players are from foreign countries, said, ”I’m taking rosetta stone to learn Hungarian Serbian Australian swahili and hoodish This year. But it’s nice.”
As the Mercury News noted, the emails come on the heels of controversies in which Jewish NBA owners (Bruce Levenson and Donald Sterling) made racially offensive statements.
From the Jewish Daily Forward
Separate Buses? That’s How Occupation Rolls.
As of next month, Israel will operate separate buses for Palestinian residents of the West Bank returning from jobs as day laborers in Israel, thanks to political pressure from West Bank settlers who donʼt want to ride on the same buses as “Arabs.” The question is: Should we care?
Settler leaders claim that the move was due to aggressive and uncouth behavior by Palestinian passengers, coupled with an overall concern for Jewish passengersʼ security. According to a report in Haaretz, one settler told a meeting of a Subcommittee on Judea and Samaria, convened by MK Motti Yogev of the Jewish Home party, about having been sexually assaulted by a Palestinian rider. Another complained that his pregnant wife was not given a seat by Arab passengers. Others were worried that Palestinians on buses could lead to hijackings, or worse. But IDF officials insisted they did not see the Palestinian presence on board these buses as a security threat.
