Israeli forces attack Palestinians on an alley leading to the al-Aqsa Mosque after preventing worshipers from entering the holy site in East al-Quds (Jerusalem), September 14, 2015

Israeli forces have stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque in East al-Quds (Jerusalem) for a third straight day, blocking all roads leading to the holy site.

On Tuesday, Israeli soldiers attacked Palestinian worshipers inside the mosque, firing stun grenades and tear gas at them.

At least 20 Palestinians were injured and several others were arrested during the raid, according to a Palestinian eyewitness.

The Israeli troops also attacked al-Qibla Mosque in al-Quds, burned its gate and broke its windows. Palestinians were, however, quick to extinguish the fire.

The al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, along with its surrounding compound in the Israeli-occupied Old City of al-Quds is a flashpoint. The site is revered by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and by Jews as the Temple Mount.

The Tel Aviv regime has tried to change the demographic makeup of al-Quds over the past decades by constructing illegal settlements, destroying historical sites and expelling the local Palestinian population.

On Monday, more than 200 Israeli soldiers stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque, and attacked the Palestinians there.

Israeli forces prevent Palestinian women from entering the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds (Jerusalem), September 13, 2015

The brutal assault came a day after similar clashes broke out at the site following the deployment of Israeli soldiers to the area for the Jewish Rosh Hashanah New Year holiday.

The Israeli raids against the holy site have been internationally denounced.

Jordan's King Abdullah II warned Israel against any further violence at the al-Aqsa compound, saying, "Any more provocation in Jerusalem will affect the relationship between Jordan and Israel."

"Jordan will not have a choice but to take actions, unfortunately," he said.

The ministerial councils of the Arab League also issued a statement on Sunday, warning Tel Aviv against the possible consequences of its actions.

Jordan and the Arab League, however, have failed to take action against Israel in the face of previous provocations at al-Aqsa.

In a Sunday statement, United Nations (UN) Special Coordinator for Middle East Nickolay Mladenov expressed concern over the violence perpetrated by Israeli forces in East al-Quds, saying, "I encourage all to stand firmly against incitement and violence."

'Mere statements not enough'

In a Tuesday interview with Press TV, Stephen Lendman, an author and radio host, said the release of statements by some Arab countries to condemn the Israeli aggression against al-Aqsa Mosque is not enough.

"If Arab countries want to act against… Israeli acts, they would simply boycott Israel, they would cut off all trade, all relations and expel [Israel's] ambassadors," Lendman said. However, he added, the Arab governments will not take any of these measures, and it is upon the people in the Arab countries to rise and defend the Palestinians' rights.

(Source / 15.09.2015)

Third day of clashes leave 35 Palestinians injured as politicians warn Israel over escalation

Ramallah: Palestinians defending Al Haram Al Sharif clashed with Israeli occupation forces for a third consecutive day on Tuesday, as Jewish colonists continued to conduct daily raids on the Muslim holy site.

Israeli forces destroyed a huge and irreplaceable main gate of Al Aqsa Mosque and also several ancient windows that are believed to be more than a 1,000 years old.

The more than 500-year-old gate, from the Othmans era was the last gate to be added to Al Haram Al Sharif compound, and sits on the eastern side.

It took more than 30 men to remove the remains of the gate. Palestinians pleaded with Unesco to speak out about the egregious attack on human heritage.

Palestinian sources said the Israeli occupation soldiers forced all Muslims inside Al Haram Al Sharif into Al Qibli mosque and sealed the area with steel chains and iron rods, so they could not interrupt the Israeli colonists as they perform their Talmud rituals to mark the Jewish festival of Rosh Hashana.

At least 30 to 35 Palestinians were hospitalised and at least 10 were arrested by occupation forces.

Witness accounts say the occupation soldiers used sound bombs, tear gas and pepper spray to create a state of panic inside the holy compound.

The carpet of Al Qibli mosque caught fire amid the chaos. Another fire gutted a private house and four vehicles near Al Majlis gate.

Palestinians do not believe the situation will calm down anytime soon as Jews commemorate Rosh Hashana until October 6 with several feasts and ceremonies.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday night to consider a fast-track legislation that could introduce minimum sentences for Palestinians who throw stones.

Hamas issued a statement saying Israeli actions in Al Haram Al Sharif to be a "declaration of war".

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir released a statement saying "actions will be taken to confront any act of aggression carried out by the Israeli occupation forces or Israeli colonists against Al Aqsa Mosque".

Jordan's King Abdullah warned Israel that any more provocations would "affect the relationship between Jordan and Israel".

(Source / 15.09.2015)

The tent city of Mina could house 3 million people

Pressure continues to mount on Saudi Arabia to take Syrian refugees after it was revealed that the Middle Eastern country has 100,000 air conditioned tents that could house more than 3 million people, sitting empty.

The 20 square km tent city of Mina is used for five days each year by Hajj pilgrims, and deserted for the rest of the time.

The neatly arranged campsite is made up of eight-by-eight meter fire-proof tents, with kitchen and bathroom facilities.

Yet while Europe struggles to find a solution to the millions asylum seekers making perilous journeys there, Saudi Arabia – less than 2,032.5 km from Syria and with resources at its disposal – has been largely unresponsive to the crisis.

According to the UNHCR, the United Nations' refugee agency, there are around 500,000 Syrians living in Saudi Arabia, but they are not classified as asylum seekers, and it is not known when they arrived in the affluent country.

Activist and nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution Luay Al Khatteeb reported that Saudi Arabia has not taken a single refugee, likewise Kuwait, Qatar and United Arab Emirates. Jordan meanwhile has taken 628,427.

No Gulf country has signed the U.N. Convention on Refugees, an accord standardizing the level of treatment of people fleeing to new countries.

"The Gulf must realize that now is the time to change their policy regarding accepting refugees from the Syria crisis," wrote columnist Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, in the International Business Times. "It is the moral, ethical and responsible step to take."

However, Saudi Arabia has responded to reports about its reaction to the Syrian refugee crisis, saying they are "false and misleading."

An unnamed official said that the oil-rich country was unwilling "to show off or brag in the media" about its response to Syria, the Guardian reports.

"However, it sees the importance of clarifying these efforts in response to false and misleading media reports about the kingdom. (Saudi Arabia) made it a point not to deal with them as refugees," he said.

The official added that Saudi Arabia had donated US$700 million in humanitarian aid.

Meanwhile, Germany announced that it will bring border controls back into action Sunday and will temporarily leave the Schengen system, claiming it can not longer cope with the overwhelming amount of asylum seekers crossing the border from Austria, and has halted all trains from coming into the country from the southern border.

(Source / 15.09.2015)

The donations will go toward four nonprofit organizations that are providing aid to refugees and migrants: Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee, Save the Children and UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Google Inc announced a donation-matching campaign that aims to raise $11 million for humanitarian organizations aiding the thousands of refugees that have overwhelmed European nations as they flee war-torn and impoverished countries.

Google took an uncharacteristically personal approach in announcing the donation drive on its blog. Rather than having an executive make the announcement, Rita Masoud, a Google employee who fled Kabul with her family when she was seven years old, wrote about her personal experience.

"Our journey involved many dark train and bus rides, as well as hunger, thirst, cold and fear," she wrote.

"I was lucky. But as the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe has grown, many people like my family are desperate for help."

The donations will go toward four nonprofit organizations that are providing aid to refugees and migrants: Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee, Save the Children and UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Google said it will match the first $5.5 million worth of donations globally at google.com/refugeerelief until it raises $11 million.

Europe is facing its worst refugee crisis since World War II, largely driven by the four-year-old civil war in Syria, which has displaced more than 4 million people this year. Many are also fleeing war-torn Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq and Libya.

(Source / 15.09.2015)

The apparent Israeli-Saudi alliance, even though hidden from the masses for now, matches the interests of the US in the Middle East and Western Asia. Washington hopes that this will weaken anti-Israeli feelings in the Arab and Muslim world, create a reliable counterweight in the region to a possible strengthening of Iran, and isolate to the extent possible radical islamist Sunni and Shiite groups.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER: Both Saudi and Israel need to remain close in order to maintain their artificial desert fiefdoms

Tel Aviv, Israel (NEO)– Saudi Arabia's claims to be one of the leaders of the Arab and Muslim world prevent it from recognizing the State of Israel's right to exist within its current borders, while Tel-Aviv in its turn rejects the plan for Middle East Regulation (MER) proposed by Riyadh involving a reversion to the pre-1967 status quo. As a result of various domestic and international factors neither side will change their diametrically opposite positions and maintain official contacts.

However, the absence of diplomatic relations does not prevent unofficial contact between Israeli and Saudi representatives. Recently there have been frequent media reports on meetings between representatives of the two states and there have even been claims that the Saudis are ready to provide Israel with an air corridor and air bases for rescue helicopters, tanker aircraft and drones (unmanned aircraft systems – UAS) in case Israel decides to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. Some of these reports have been denied by officials but others have nevertheless been confirmed.

In particular, according to information of a Jerusalem Post correspondent citing diplomatic sources of both countries, since the beginning of 2014 there have been as many as five secret meetings between the Saudis and Israelis, in India, Italy and the Czech Republic. Reports appeared in the Arab press that senior members of the Israeli security forces, including the head of Mossad, secretly visited Riyadh and held discussions there with their Saudi equivalents. Apparently there were even negotiations between the then director general of the Saudi Intelligence Agency, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, with senior officials of the Israeli secret services in Geneva.

On June 5, 2015 Director-General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry Dore Gold met Saudi met with General Anwar Majed Eshki at a conference in Washington, when the latter presented his strategic MER plan. Key highlights of this document are devoted to establishing cooperation between the Arab countries and Israel and the need for joint efforts to isolate the Iranian regime.

King Salman of Saudi Arabia commissioned prince and media magnate Al-Waleed bin Talal to start a dialogue with the Israeli intellectual community with the aim of reestablishing contact with the neighbouring country. Prince Talal called on all inhabitants of the Middle East, which were torn apart by war, to end their hatred of the Jewish people. He also declared that his visit to Jerusalem signifies the beginning of 'peace and brotherliness' between Israel and its Arab neighbours. Arab media reported that Saudi Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi confirmed that his country is ready to export 'black gold' to any place in the world, including Israel. Saudi Minister pointed out that the majority of the Arab world does not see any obstacles to trade relations. In August 2014 the head of the Saudi Foreign Ministry Prince Saud Al Faisal declared at the world assembly of Islamic scholars in Jeddah: "We must reject planting hatred towards Israel and we should normalize relations with the Jewish state." Dore Gold, mentioned above, told the news agency Bloomberg: "Our standing today on this stage does not mean we have resolved all the differences that our countries shared over the years. But our hope is we will be able to address them fully in the years ahead and Riyadh can become a strategic partner of the Jewish state".

It should be noted that this mobilization of contacts between representatives of Saudi Arabia and Israel has been taking place on the eve of and after the signing of the agreement between international mediators and Iran on the latter's nuclear program. Tel-Aviv called the agreement 'a historical mistake' and Riyadh perceived it as a direct threat to its national interests. It is no coincidence that the Saudi King and some of his direct counterparts in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) decided not to participate in the summit of this regional organization on May 14, 2015 in Camp David (in the US). Soon after, on June 18, 2015 at the St Petersburg Economic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Saudi Defence Minister and son of Saudi King Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud. The King himself is expected to come to Russia on an official visit before the end of this year. In other words, Riyadh made it clear to Washington that the deal with Iran is forcing the Saudi leadership to look for new allies. Time will tell whether these steps are more to do with a genuine desire of the Saudis to diversify their foreign relations, or they are simply a lever to put pressure on the US administration.

The US had to react quickly to the aggressive declarations and actions of its strategic allies and regional partners. Washington assured both Riyadh and Tel-Aviv that the IAEA and American special services will keep a tight watch on Teheran implementing all the conditions of the agreement signed in Vienna and that the sanctions on Iran will only be lifted gradually. The GCC countries were promised to receive supplies of new modern weaponry in increasing amounts and on preferential terms. In the very near future the question of creating a common anti-missile system for the GCC as a whole will be resolved. This system will cover the Arab Peninsula with a 'reliable shield' from a possible attack by Teheran. The US also supported Saudi Arabia in its bombing of Shiite rebels in Yemen. In order to support the air operation of the coalition led by Riyadh the US fueled the Saudi fighter aircraft and provided intelligence and equipment. It was even reported that Israel, at the request of Washington, also provided its intelligence data on Yemen to the Saudis.

In order to calm the Israelis following the deal with Iran, Washington promised to increase its annual financial aid to Israel for the entire 10-year duration of the implementation of the 'Vienna Pact'– by around one and a half billion US dollars. The US additionally accepted responsibility to finance the further development of the Iron Dome anti-missile system and to increase Israel's missile supplies, which were depleted following last year military operation in Gaza. The Israeli air force will also get a squadron of the latest F-35 fighter-bombers on favourable terms. At the same time, in the near future joint exercises will be held with the air forces of Israel, the US and several European countries for the first time in six years. These exercises will include perfecting 'missile attacks and bombing raids on targets located in far-off countries'.

This way, the agreement between the international mediators and Iran over its nuclear program apparently encouraged sworn enemies to look for compromises and common ground to counter the threat they both face from Iran. Neither the Israeli nor Saudi leadership believe that the Vienna agreement will help to restrict further Iranian expansion in the region. For them, the myth of the 'Shiite Arc' or 'Shiite Crescent' is an objective reality. Tel-Aviv is worried that Teheran will nevertheless end up possessing nuclear weapons and will break Israel's hegemony in the Middle East. Moreover, Israelis expect Iran to start actively aiding anti-Israeli radical half-military half-political groupings (Hamas, Hezbollah and others). Riyadh, in its turn, is sure that with the lifting of restrictive sanctions the Islamic Republic of Iran will make significant progress in scientific, technical, trade, economic, and other areas, and will improve its combat readiness and the fighting capacity of its armed forces. In this case, Teheran's ability to support the Shiite majority in Iraq, the government of Bashar Assad in Syria and Shiite communities in countries of the Persian Gulf, Lebanon and Yemen will significantly grow. A real threat will emerge to the ruling Sunni groups in the Gulf countries, especially in Bahrain, where two-thirds of the population is Shiite, in Yemen and in Saudi Arabia itself (its eastern province), and in other countries of the region.

The Gulf monarchs are clearly not ready to share power, natural resources or finances with representatives of their large Shiite communities. The apparent Israeli-Saudi alliance, even though hidden from the masses for now, matches the interests of the US in the Middle East and Western Asia. Washington hopes that this will weaken anti-Israeli feelings in the Arab and Muslim world, create a reliable counterweight in the region to a possible strengthening of Iran, and isolate to the extent possible radical islamist Sunni and Shiite groups. The US, it would seem, is happy to see several centers of power at once (Israel, Turkey, Egypt, the Gulf monarchies and Iran) jostling or in competition with each other but dependent on Washington, with Riyadh together with Tel-Aviv assigned the role of regional gendarme. The Saudis' counterinsurgency operations in Bahrain and Yemen and the support for opposition fighters in Syria confirm this thesis.

(Source / 15.09.2015)

A Palestinian laborer works on a construction site in Gilo, a Jewish settlement that Israel erected on land it captured in the West Bank in the 1967 war, Sept. 27, 2011

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Moussa Alayla, 48, had been working for almost 20 years in agriculture in Israeli settlements in the West Bank before he decided to capitalize on the experience he had gained and establish in 2002 his own company, Gardens of Eden.

Alayla told Al-Monitor that he grows medical herbs in the Jordan Valley area and exports about 600 tons of 23 different types of medical herbs yearly to a number of countries. However, business success stories of former settlement workers such as Alayla are rare.

Anas Mohammed, 25, graduated from one of the colleges in Ramallah two years ago and has been working for five months in the Ariel settlement as a construction worker. He told Al-Monitor that he had to accept work in the settlement because of a lack of job opportunities in the West Bank.

"I get paid 150 shekels [$38.50] per day. However, the working conditions are harsh as I have to wake up every day at 4 a.m. We work long and hard hours. If I find an alternative [job opportunity] in the West Bank, I will quit," he said.

President Mahmoud Abbas issued decree law no. 4 in 2010, within the framework of the Palestinian Authority’s fight against the settlement policy. The law bans and criminalizes any trade of Israeli settlements' goods and products, and prohibits Palestinians from working in the settlements. In 2010, the Ministry of Labor announced that it had been planning to establish the Dignity Fund to employ the settlement workers in 2011 but failed to do so as such a project required a legislative framework and funds from the general budget, both of which were requirements that could not be fulfilled at the time.

In the first quarter of 2015, the number of workers in Israel and the settlements amounted to 110,000 — 21,000 of whom work in the settlements — according to figures by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

The PA has been unable to handle the issue, after failing to find alternative job opportunities for the workers in Israeli settlements. Minister of Labor Mamoun Abu Shahla told Al-Monitor, "Creating job opportunities for workers in the settlements in light of the current economic situation plaguing the PA is a very difficult process."

For his part, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor Nasser Kitami told Al-Monitor, "Creating job opportunities for the settlement workers requires financial resources beyond the PA capabilities — which is suffering from dire financial straits. This is not to mention that the local market is too small.” He said, “Israel controls 60% of the West Bank [Area C] and the PA is deprived of its economic resources that hinder the establishment of investment projects.”

Kitami added, "Workers are employed in settlements because they need [work]." He called on investors in Palestine to pay competitive salaries and offer incentives to attract workers, and on the Council of Ministers to allocate funds to launch economic projects in order to create job opportunities.

Shahir Saad, head of the Palestinian General Federation of Workers, told Al-Monitor, "Workers are ready to stop working in the settlements but they need an alternative. It is difficult to find job opportunities for about 35,000 workers [who currently work] in the settlements."

According to the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics, in the first quarter of 2015, the workers’ daily wage in the West Bank amounted to 94 shekels ($24), compared to 61 shekels ($15.50) in the Gaza Strip, while in Israel and the settlements, it reached 196 shekels per day ($50.50).

As for the PA's inability to find solutions to the issue of workers in the settlements, the dean of An-Najah National University, Tariq al-Haj, told Al-Monitor that the authorities have failed to follow up on implementing laws, as the PA is experiencing dire economic times, and as a result has failed to develop its economic sectors. Today, the PA is at a crossroad: It either needs to deal with the ongoing high unemployment figures and its negative consequences, or turn a blind eye to those working in the settlements.

The rate of unemployment in Palestine during the first quarter of 2015 stood at 25.6%, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Haj explained that with its current budget, the PA does not have enough funds to develop a productive economic sector, as 85% of the budget is allocated to operational expenses and the remainder is not sufficient for infrastructure development projects.

The PA seeks to open up Arab markets to Palestinian labor as an alternative measure. Abu Shahla said there have been negotiations with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Algeria to send thousands of workers and employees, following Qatar’s pledge to offer 20,000 job opportunities. However, the war in Yemen has caused this project to be postponed until further notice.

Abu Shahla also stated that the Ministry of Labor is working on developing vocational training for the Palestinian labor force, in order to increase the likelihood of the value of Palestinian workers to Arab markets depending on the latter's requirements. According to Abu Shahla, this happened last month in the Gaza Strip with the creation of 30,000 job opportunities in the construction sector. This sector could provide 100,000 jobs if it were to pick up pace.

Palestinian workers in the settlements are at the mercy of Palestinian brokers and Israeli employers, who profit from the arrangement and exploit the workers by paying them a minimum wage. Most workers are forced to work long hours, often under hazardous conditions. According to Saad, employers regularly change the number of working days on the records they keep, to evade taxes, which in turn affects the workers' end-of-service compensation.

Alayla said, too, that the settlers take advantage of the Palestinians who are in need of work, by pushing them to work long hours for low wages. Some workers fall victim to blackmail as they require work permits.

(Source / 15.09.2015)

The Israeli forces withdraw from Al Aqsa Mosque leaving behind 30 injuries among the worshipers after shooting them with robber bullets,tear gas and stun grenades, and a big destruction in Al Aqsa Mosque compound.

After the Israeli forces withdraw the Palestinians take off all the locks put by the Israeli forces on the doors of Al Aqsa mosque. according to the witnesses, the destruction left by the Israeli forces is horrible and they describe it as "a destructive earthquake."

(Source / 15.09.2015)