Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today (January 4, 2015) that Israel "will not sit idly by" in the wake of Palestinians joining the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Forward (Jewish) website reports.
"The Palestinian Authority has chosen confrontation with Israel," Netanyahu said this morning at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting.
"We will not allow IDF soldiers and commanders to be hauled before the International Criminal Court in The Hague. It is the Palestinian Authority leaders -- who have allied with the war criminals of Hamas -- who must be called to account," Netanyahu said.
He added that Israel will defend its soldiers with the same "strength and determination" with which they defend the state.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Boko Haram Seizes 40 Boys in Northeast Nigeria; Uses Males as Soldiers and Females as Sex Slaves
The Boko Haram Muslim extremist group kidnapped about 40 boys and young men and killed scores of soldiers yesterday in a bold attack on a multinational military base in northeast Nigeria, the Newser website reports today (January 3, 2015).
The militants came to the remote village of Malari yesterday and began to select young men aged between 12 and 25.
The Boko Haram insurgents drew international condemnation with their April kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls; hundreds of other boys, girls, young men and women have also been kidnapped by the group.
Some who escaped the kidnapping say the males are forced to fight for Boko Haram, while females are used as sex slaves and suicide bombers.
The militants came to the remote village of Malari yesterday and began to select young men aged between 12 and 25.
The Boko Haram insurgents drew international condemnation with their April kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls; hundreds of other boys, girls, young men and women have also been kidnapped by the group.
Some who escaped the kidnapping say the males are forced to fight for Boko Haram, while females are used as sex slaves and suicide bombers.
Israelis Stone US Diplomatic Autos in West Bank; Diplomats Sought Uprooted Trees,Drew Weapons
Israeli police said Jewish settlers threw stones yesterday at cars of a U.S. diplomatic delegation which came to inspect vandalism to scores of nearby Palestinian-owned trees in the occupied West Bank, the Reuters website reports today (January 3, 2015).
The U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv and consulate in Jerusalem had no comment on the incident outside Adei Ad settlement, which caused no casualties.
An Israeli police spokeswoman said the purpose of the trip was to inspect nearby trees that had been uprooted in what their Palestinian owners suspect was vandalism by Jewish settlers.
A resident of Adei Ad told Reuters -- on the condition of anonymity -- that U.S. delegates came within 50 yards of a settlement in two diplomatic cars accompanied by local Palestinians. He added that two armed diplomatic guards -- one with a pistol and the other with an M-16 rifle -- emerged from the cars and pointed their weapons at the settlers.
The U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv and consulate in Jerusalem had no comment on the incident outside Adei Ad settlement, which caused no casualties.
An Israeli police spokeswoman said the purpose of the trip was to inspect nearby trees that had been uprooted in what their Palestinian owners suspect was vandalism by Jewish settlers.
A resident of Adei Ad told Reuters -- on the condition of anonymity -- that U.S. delegates came within 50 yards of a settlement in two diplomatic cars accompanied by local Palestinians. He added that two armed diplomatic guards -- one with a pistol and the other with an M-16 rifle -- emerged from the cars and pointed their weapons at the settlers.
Friday, January 2, 2015
US Special Forces Give up Rescue of Jordan Pilot; Due to Dire ISIS Fire, Pilot Remains ISIS Captive
ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) hostage rescue attempts by U.S. Special Forces were abandoned last night after the team took heavy fire in Syria. Jordanian fighter pilot Muadh al-Kasasbeh is being held in the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa -- in northern Syria -- the Inquisitr website reports today (January 2, 2015).
The U.S. Special Forces were carried to Syria to rescue the Jordanian fighter pilot via two gunships. Muadh al-Kasasbeh was captured by ISIS on December 24. Heavy raids on Islamic State fighters were carried out by coalition troops during the rescue attempt.
Muadh al-Kasasbeh, 26, is the first military pilot to be captured by ISIS since the international coalition forces began fighting the Islamic State in September.
The Jordanian fighter pilot was reportedly one of several captives who would have been saved had the U.S. Special Forces rescue mission not been abandoned in Syria.
The U.S. Special Forces were carried to Syria to rescue the Jordanian fighter pilot via two gunships. Muadh al-Kasasbeh was captured by ISIS on December 24. Heavy raids on Islamic State fighters were carried out by coalition troops during the rescue attempt.
Muadh al-Kasasbeh, 26, is the first military pilot to be captured by ISIS since the international coalition forces began fighting the Islamic State in September.
The Jordanian fighter pilot was reportedly one of several captives who would have been saved had the U.S. Special Forces rescue mission not been abandoned in Syria.
UN Certifies Palestine's Completion of ICC Route; Means ICC Can Judge Crimes on Palestinian Terr.
Palestinian observers at the United Nations have presented their documents ratifying the Treaty of Rome's conditions for membership of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and 17 other UN-administered international treaties, the Euro News website reports today (January 2, 2015).
Completion of the ICC process means Palestine's unusual, non-state entity with the UN is confirmed, and the court takes on competence to judge crimes committed by anyone on Palestinian territory.
Foreign resistance to granting the Palestinians any form of recognition on international bodies that could be interpreted as recognizing claims to statehood has weakened in the last two years, faced with a frozen peace process with Israel.
Starting with Sweden, a number of European states have relaxed their stance and begun to grant the Palestinian state, or semi-state recognition, much to the anger of Israel.
Completion of the ICC process means Palestine's unusual, non-state entity with the UN is confirmed, and the court takes on competence to judge crimes committed by anyone on Palestinian territory.
Foreign resistance to granting the Palestinians any form of recognition on international bodies that could be interpreted as recognizing claims to statehood has weakened in the last two years, faced with a frozen peace process with Israel.
Starting with Sweden, a number of European states have relaxed their stance and begun to grant the Palestinian state, or semi-state recognition, much to the anger of Israel.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Sweden Hit by 3rd Mosque Arson Attack in Week; Many Seek Reducing Sweden's Immigration Policy
Swedish police launched a manhunt today (January 1, 2015), after the third arson attack in Sweden against a mosque in a week, amid growing tensions over the rise of a far right anti-immigration movement, according to the AFP (Agence France-Presse) website.
"People saw a man throwing something burning at the building," police in Uppsala said in a statement, adding the mosque in eastern Sweden did not catch fire.
A police spokesman said the burning object was a Molotov cocktail and that no one was in the building at the time.
"The crime has been classed as attempted arson, vandalism, and incitement to hatred," the police said.
"People saw a man throwing something burning at the building," police in Uppsala said in a statement, adding the mosque in eastern Sweden did not catch fire.
A police spokesman said the burning object was a Molotov cocktail and that no one was in the building at the time.
"The crime has been classed as attempted arson, vandalism, and incitement to hatred," the police said.
Pope: We Must Fight Slavery, Human Trafficking; States Everyone Has a God-Given Right to Be Free
Pope Francis has urged people of all religions and cultures to unite to fight modern slavery and human trafficking. In his first Mass of 2015, he said that everyone had a God-given right to be free, the Euro News website reports today (January 1, 2015).
Today's service at St. Peter's Basilica marks the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace. This year's theme is "No Longer Slaves, but Brothers and Sisters."
"All of us are called to be free, all are called to be sons and daughters, and each, according to his or her own responsibilities, is called to combat modern forms of enslavement. From every people, culture, and religion, let us join our forces," he said.
The pope has made defense of migrants and workers a central issue of his papacy. At a Vespers service on New Year's Eve, he condemned administrators and criminals in Rome accused of pocketing public funds meant to help poor migrants, urging a "spiritual and moral renewal."
Today's service at St. Peter's Basilica marks the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace. This year's theme is "No Longer Slaves, but Brothers and Sisters."
"All of us are called to be free, all are called to be sons and daughters, and each, according to his or her own responsibilities, is called to combat modern forms of enslavement. From every people, culture, and religion, let us join our forces," he said.
The pope has made defense of migrants and workers a central issue of his papacy. At a Vespers service on New Year's Eve, he condemned administrators and criminals in Rome accused of pocketing public funds meant to help poor migrants, urging a "spiritual and moral renewal."
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