Hamas Leader Paid Gaza Family to Say Israel Killed Girl

Hamas propaganda machine is relentless and totally untrue

By Susan McFarland 

Palestinians run from tear gas fired by Israeli troops during a protest near the Gaza-Israel border in Rafah on May 14. Thursday, a member of a Gaza family was charged with falsely claiming Israeli tear gas killed his 8-month-old niece that day. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo

UPI -- An indictment filed Thursday accuses Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar of paying a Gaza family to falsely claim their baby died of a tear gas attack launched by Israeli troops.

The charges say the family was given $2,200 to blame Israel for the death of their 8-month-old girl last month.

The child died May 14 of a blood disorder, the same condition the family's 6-month-old son died of last year.

The girl's uncle, Mahmoud Omar, is named in the indictment. He was arrested last month during the "March of Return" riots after being caught trying to cross into Israel to set fire to an unmanned Israeli army position.

During interrogations, Omar told investigators about the payoff for his family to lie about his niece's death. He is also a member of the Palestinian al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.

Israeli army officials had cast doubt on the story. About two weeks after the girl's death, the Hamas Health Ministry in Gaza removed her name from a list of those killed in border clashes with Israeli forces.

What's Up with Poland's Government Crack-Down on Protests and Media

Polish police use force as thousands block parliament protesting media restrictions law

People shout slogans during an anti-government demonstration by opposition supporters and Committee for the Defence of Democracy movement (KOD) outside the Polish parliament on December 16, 2016. © Wojtek Radwanski / AFP

Police have demanded that thousands of protesters blocking the Polish parliament building in Warsaw disperse, warning that otherwise force may be used. The opposition initially blockaded the parliament building in protest at new media restrictions on covering its work.

The protests were triggered by new proposals put forward by the ruling Law and Justice party to limit media access to parliamentary debates. According to the new rules, only five TV stations will be permitted to cover the sessions. The proposal also envisaged limiting the number of reporters allowed in the premises.

The move has drawn strong criticism from independent media and opposition MPs, who attempted to block the key vote on budget by occupying the parliamentary podium in protest against what they see as a clampdown on the media.

The statement issued by Poland’s independent news outlets argued that the restrictions “do not hit journalists, but the rights of citizens to be fully informed about what people elected by them to the parliament do,” as cited by Reuters.

However, Law and Justice party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski was unmoved by the accusations, saying that the party “will not be terrorized,” as cited by TVN24, while labeling demonstrators against the rules “hooligans.”

Police forcefully pulled away protesters and reportedly used tear gas to clear the way for Kaczynski and several other senior members of parliament, who left the scene in a vehicle. Kaczynski’s car was seen leaving the building secured by a convoy together with the car of Prime Minister Beata Szydlo.

The use of tear gas was reported by opposition MP Jerzy Meysztowicz, who spoke with TVN24.

Earlier, the protesters demanded that Kaczynski personally come to listen to the crowd’s grievances.

The Civic Platform along with other opposition parties, liberal Nowsczesna (Modern) and the Polish People’s Party (PSL) issued a joint statement, accusing parliament speaker Marek Kuchcinski of violating the Constitution with his decision to hold the vote in another place.

“The [vote] was illegal, period. This is a constitutional crisis,” Grzegorz Schetyna, head of the main opposition center-right party, Civic Platform, said on Twitter.

“Everybody sees that Law and Justice has crossed a certain line and nothing will be the same anymore,” Tomasz Siemoniak, Civic Platform’s deputy leader, told journalists speaking outside the parliament’s building.

The Law and Justice party insists that moving the vote to another chamber was in line with the law and that it should be considered legally binding.

“What the opposition did was a scandal. And we were working,” Jaroslaw Zielinski, a Law and Justice party MP, told Reuters.

The hashtag #WolneMediawSejmie (Free Media in Sejm), which has become the slogan of the protesters, is trending on Polish-speaking Twitter feeds, with thousands supporting the action.

Earlier, it was reported that the EU Parliament might strip Poland of voting rights due to its government’s encroachment on another civil right, the freedom of assembly.

The legislation, which was proposed by the ruling Law and Justice party and already passed by the Polish Senate, envisages that some rallies that the authorities deem “nationally important” can be prioritized over other rallies. The law also stipulates that any group will be entitled to “book” a place to stage “periodical” rallies for up to three years, subject to the consent of local authorities. Any other rallies, organized by other groups at that time and place would be considered illegal.

The legislation was blasted by the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and scores of non-governmental organizations. The Polish Supreme Court opposed the bill, while some 200 Polish human rights groups and NGOs called on President Andrzej Duda to impose a veto on the legislation, which is pending his approval.

1st Edition of Turkish Zaman Daily After Govt Takeover Sees Smiling Erdogan on Front Page

Turkey's leading newspaper is now reporting on Fantasyland

 The editorial policy of Turkey’s best-selling Zaman newspaper, formerly critical of the government, has apparently gone through a change. The Sunday edition, under a newly appointed administration, now appears to support the official line.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan can be seen on the new Zaman daily’s front page, smiling in an article announcing a presidential reception on upcoming Women's Day (March 8). A costly governmental project of a new bridge to be built across Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait was also headlined, as well as reports on the funerals of "martyrs" killed in clashes with the Kurds.

More articles supporting the government could be found in the Sunday edition of the paper that has an estimated circulation of 650,000, AFP reported. Containing just 12 pages, the paper is a slimmer version of its previous self, and the content is sparse, according to Reuters.

Protests that erupted following what was widely seen as the seizure of Zaman’s headquarters in Istanbul by the government were glossed over in the new edition, Reuters reported. On Saturday, police used tear gas, water cannon and fired rubber bullets to disperse hundreds-strong crowds of Zaman readers.

Police also raided Zaman's building, forcefully imposing a Turkish court order to put the media under administration. The newspaper's editor-in-chief Abdulhamit Bilici was fired by the new trustees.

"The Sunday edition was not produced by Zaman's staff," one of the newspaper's journalists told AFP, adding, "internet has been cut off, we are unable to use our system."

"It’s impossible to continue to work at Zaman daily because the trustees who were assigned by the government will fire us a couple of days later. All of us will be fired from the newspaper. But if they don’t, of course we will resign, because it’s impossible to work with the government, we will not write what they want," Emre Soncan, a journalist from Today’s Zaman newspaper, an English version of Zaman daily, told RT on Saturday.

Zaman's website has been offline, while Today's Zaman online services have not been updated since Saturday. Government affiliates have also taken control of and blocked access to the outlet's Cihan news agency, Today's Zaman earlier reported.

The Zaman newspaper’s former team has launched a new paper of their own, "Yarina Bakis" ("Look to Tomorrow"), local media reported, saying that journalists had decided to remain in line with their previous editorial policy. The new paper reported on the weekend protests in Istanbul.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu denied any links between the government takeover of the paper and changes in its editorial policy, saying the seizure had nothing to do with the paper's criticism of the authorities.

"There are many media outlets in Turkey that criticize our government. None of them are subjected to legal procedures," Davutoglu told A Haber television on Sunday, as quoted by AFP. "What's in question here is not merely press activity, but rather an operation targeting a legitimate government that came to power with popular support," he added, referring to Zaman's affiliation with now US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, a fierce critic of President Erdogan, who was put on a "most-wanted terrorist list" by Ankara.

Of course, everything Davutoglu said is the very opposite to reality. There are many journalists in Turkish prisons for reporting the truth about Turkey's support of ISIS and their attempted annihilation of the Kurds. Erdogan is extremely ambitious and is solidifying his autocratic powers. He will never be removed from the office of head-of-state as long as he is breathing.

Israeli Forces Storm Courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem

ARCHIVE PHOTO © Amir Cohen / Reuters

Dozens of Israeli police and soldiers carried out a morning raid on the Al-Aqsa mosque in occupied Jerusalem. Witnesses said concussion grenades and tear gas were used and several Palestinians were injured. Police said the raid was part of a “security operation.”

According to the latest reports, the mosque and the premises have now been sealed off. The decision follows a morning of fierce clashing between various elements and the Israeli police.

During the raid, the Israelis surrounded the compound, detaining two guards and entering through the Chain Gate. Scores of worshipers were inside the mosque at the time.

Dozens of people were removed, the International Middle East Media Center reports. Meanwhile, all men below the age of 50 were prevented from entering the mosque grounds, as they headed there for Sunday morning prayers. Palestinians responded by throwing stones and fireworks, Israel’s Ynetnews.com reported, adding that several of the worshippers also barricaded themselves inside the mosque.

Reports by the Jerusalem Post indicate the raid was part of a security operation, involving a search for explosives. The police and the Shin Bet security forces earlier received information of a security threat posed by Muslim elements. This led to a city chase, with several masked Arab youths reportedly making their way toward the Al-Aqsa mosque, setting up road blocks on the way, to slow the Israelis down.

The clashes come just hours before the start of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, with celebrations to begin at sunset and continue until Tuesday evening.

Sonic and gas bombs could be heard, according to eyewitnesses. The masked men targeted by the Israeli forces are reported to be among the worshippers, engaging the police.

The Al-Aqsa mosque is considered to be the third holiest place of worship for Muslims, with locals fiercely against Jews praying near the Noble Sanctuary, known to Jews as Temple Mount. The site, however, is also considered holy by the Jews, with groups on both sides clashing over it.

The men also face this direction when they pray prostrated - pointing their
 behinds at the mosque.
If this is the 3rd holiest site in Islam, what do they do to the 4th?
ARCHIVE PHOTO © Ammar Awad / Reuters

Tensions have been boiling for months at the site in Old Jerusalem, occupied by Israel since 1967. Clashes took place in July, as Palestinians threw rocks at Jews trying to visit the site on one of their most important holidays – the Tisha B-Av.

After the 1967 war when Israel captured East Jerusalem, Jews were restricted from praying on the Al-Aqsa plaza. Today, Jewish ultranationalists are pushing Israeli authorities to allow Jewish prayers on the compound outside Al-Aqsa, which stands above the Western Wall, something that irks Jerusalem’s Muslims.

Right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is often accused of supporting the Jewish ultranationalists. On the Muslims side, however, are the Murabitat and the Murabitun - women's and men's groups, translated as 'the sentinels'. They closely monitor Jews who are allowed, under police guard, to visit the holy site five days of the week. They hurl abuse at them and often throw rocks.

Israel considers the two groups the main cause of tension at the flashpoint site, holy to
both religions. The Muslim groups, outlawed on “security” grounds, have been accusing Israelis of trying to change the situation on the ground and give the Jews expanded rights over the holy site.