[Transcript]  Mosaic News - 08/24/12 : World News From The Middle East [VIDEO]

Presenter, Female #1
Israeli occupation forces told a number of Palestinian farmers in the area of the al-Aghwar in eastern Jericho to evacuate nearly 3,500 donums, or almost 875 acres, within 45 days.

Presenter, Male #1
Farmers are renting most of this land for 25 years from the Ministry of Religious Endowments that is investing in the cultivation of palm trees. And while the occupation forces are demanding the farmers evacuate the land, Israeli settlements are exploiting multiple times as much land to plant the same crop.

Reporter, Female #2
Six consecutive years of laborious work on this land in the city of Jericho in al-Aghwar have passed; then, farmers and investors started to reap the rewards. The harvest of the palm trees they planted started, and it is classified as some of the highest quality dates. Their hopes did not last long. Farmers were surprised by the ruling Israeli military's notifications demanding they evacuate the land within 45 days, and return it to its previous state, as in arid land.

Guest, Male #2 (Ma'moun al-Jasser, Farmer)
I have put everything I own into this project, and I even got indebted. And now that the project is about to bear its fruits, we have to get rid of what was planted. So everything I own will be gone within 24 hours.

Reporter, Female #2
The notifications included nearly 3,500 donums, or almost 875 acres, most of which belong to the Religious Endowments. For many years, various Palestinian farmers and companies have been renting the land. Finally, these trees were harvested, and Palestinian dates were exported to Arab markets, and particularly to the Gulf.

Guest, Male #3 (Walid Assaf, Palestinian Minister of Agriculture)
I noticed that the Israeli measures of the past few months, including daily the attacks on the agricultural sector, are an attempt to destroy the Palestinian agricultural sector, which is a sector that is tied to the land. So for this reason, this is a process to cleanse the land, resulting in ethnic cleansing.

Reporter, Female #2
The lands are located in an area classified as "Area C," meaning they are under Israeli security control. For years, the Palestinian Authority has been saying that the settlers have seized nearby land that they also planted with palm trees, producing hundreds of tons of dates.

Guest, Male #4 (Abdelkader al-Kharaz, Head of the Botanical Production Department)
It was done because over 50,000 saplings were planted, and they produce one of the best kinds of Medjool dates. They are also forcing Palestinian farmers to leave their land since this crop rivals the Israeli crop.

Reporter, Female #2
Targeting Palestinian farmers is not a recent development. Israel has been waging a campaign to demolish water wells, plastic homes, and even shacks in the areas of al-Aghwar.

Reporter, Female #2
Israel speaks of peace at length, but it fights Palestinians for their agriculture, land, water, and economy. So what state is it promising the Palestinians who don't even have a say in farming their own land? Shereen Abu Aqla, Al Jazeera, Jericho.

Presenter, Male #1
Following Friday prayers, demonstrations were held in Cairo against the so-called "Brotherhoodization" of the state. They were called for by former parliamentarian and founder of the Hayat al-Masreyeen party, Mohamed Abu Hamed. The demonstrations, which are the first since President Mohamed Morsi assumed his responsibilities, witnessed the participation of 16 parties and political coalitions. They are condemning what they describe as the Muslim Brotherhood's hegemony over power, and are demanding an improvement to living conditions.

Presenter, Male #1
The demonstrations that were launched from Tahrir, al-Abbasiya, and Talaat Harb squares will head towards the presidential palace, among fears of confrontations with security forces that have intensified their measures. Our correspondent Tawfiq Ahmed joins us from Cairo. Tawfiq, how large have these protests been so far?

Reporter, Male #2
At most, 200 people so far. Only dozens are present here. But according to the map that was announced by some of the movements that are participating in this demonstration, they are hoping for a million people, or maybe more, as the main promoter of this demonstration Mohamed Abu Hamed has said. Maybe following afternoon Friday prayers, many will gather here at al-Manasa, the main headquarters for those who support the armed forces. Also, at the presidential palace there are two gathering points.

Reporter, Male #2
As for the security procedures, they are not very clear. There are only two police cars. Security may be more stringent at the Brotherhood's headquarters, as was noted by many reports in the media because, of course, some calls for vandalism were issued by some unknown forces.Howe

Reporter, Male #2
However, promoters of this demonstration say it will be peaceful, and does not aim to topple the president. Instead, it aims to topple the rule of the Brotherhood. This comes as the Muslim Brotherhood is denying that it controls the state's institutions, saying that it exited the political scene after the parliament and the people's assembly were dissolved about a month ago.

Supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi have clashed during riots in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Officials say the Egyptian army has been deployed to restore calm. The rallies had been planned for months to protest the president, and security forces cordoned off areas to keep the crowds under control; however, turnout seemed to be low.

Tensions rise in Bahrain as government forces clash with anti-regime protestors. Saudi-backed Bahraini troops have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators in the village of Sitra, but there are no reports of injuries. Rallies against the Manama administration have also spread to Britain, where Bahrain's King Hamad is paying a visit. Protestors have gathered in London's Downing Street, calling on the British government to pressure Bahrain to implement political reforms. Police arrested some of the protestors.

Iran holds a new round of talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna over its nuclear energy program. Ahead of the meeting, Iran's envoy to the IAEA said he expects progress at the talks, as both sides are working to overcome their differences. Dr. Ali Asghar Soltanieh says Iran is determined to find a positive conclusion to negotiations.

Israeli Labor Party leader Shelly Yachimovich is in France to address academic members of the French Socialist Party. She and Israel's ambassador to France, Yossi Gal, held a meeting with President Francois Hollande in Paris. Yachimovich called France a powerful actor in the Middle East, and urged the French leader to use his influence to step up sanctions against Iran. They also discussed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Amotz Asa-El of the Wall Street Journal and Hartman Institute joins IBA in the studio to discuss the IAEA's latest meeting in Vienna with Iranian officials, and talks about whether Iran will curb its nuclear ambitions in the face of international pressure in the forms of sanctions on Iranians.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has lodged an official protest with South Africa over its decision requiring Israeli goods made in the territories to be labeled as originating from "Israeli-occupied territory" and not carry a "Made in Israel" tag. The Foreign Ministry spokesman said the South African ambassador met with the deputy director-general of the ministry's Africa division, who expressed Israel's objections to the decision. Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon went even further and criticized South Africa on his Facebook page.

Israel's Supreme Court slammed the Education Ministry and the Eilat municipality for refusing to enroll children of migrants in the city's school system, and instead trying to create a school especially for them. The court ordered both sides to find a solution for the case before the new school year begins next week. Most of the 50 children in question come from families from South Sudan, Sudan, and Eritrea. The state said that it had tried to integrate migrant children in the past, but it had been a dismal failure.

Presenter, Female #1
Three people were killed and eight others were injured in violent battles between two tribes near the city of Zliten in western Libya. The authorities confiscated over 100 tanks and rocket launchers from an armed group in Tarhuna.

Reporter, Male #1
The residents of the Zliten area in western Libya awoke to sounds of gunshots, as battles erupted between two tribes, leading to a number of deaths and injuries. Security sources confirmed that the clashes broke out between the Ahali and Fawatra tribes, without providing additional details. At the same time, it indicated that the army was able to impose a truce between the two sides.

Reporter, Male #1
These events took place as the authorities announced the confiscation of tanks and missile launchers from a group they say consists of Gaddafi loyalists in the western Tarhuna region.

Guest, Male #2 (Abdelmonem al-Hur, Libyan Interior Ministry High Security Committee Spokesman)
Thank God, brave revolutionaries from the special security unit affiliated to the high security committee were able to take control of this camp. They seized all the heavy weapons they found there. Frankly, the number of the tanks they seized surpassed 100. There were over 25 missile launchers and a number of other heavy weapons.

Reporter, Male #1
Amid these circumstances, the president of the Libyan transitional government, Abdurrahim al-Keib, announced the start of the dismantling of Gaddafi's headquarters in Bab al-Aziziya in Tripoli, saying it will be replaced with public gardens, theaters and a cultural center.

Reporter, Male #1
Al-Keib indicated that the project will be for all Libyans, describing the occasion as a day of honor and dignity. Al-Keib also said the fences that used to block the view will be removed so the natural landscape can be seen. In addition, a memorial for the martyrs will be erected there.

Presenter, Female #1
At least 18 people were killed by a strike carried out by an American drone on an area in the Pakistani city of Peshawar near the Afghan border. Security sources indicated that an American plane targeted 3 complexes in the town of Tondar in northern Waziristan, one day after Islamabad summoned an American diplomat to inform him of Pakistan's objection to these attacks, which it considers illegal. Such attacks are causing uproar in Pakistan due to the civilian casualties, and because they are viewed as a violation of Pakistani sovereignty.

Presenter, Male #1
Iran has announced that it will present a proposal to solve the conflict in Syria during the Non-Aligned summit that it is hosting next week, as clashes continue in several parts of the country.

Reporter, Female #1
Clashes between the regime's army and the armed opposition continue in a number of neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo and its countryside, which led to the destruction of a number of homes. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 16 people, among them eight women, were killed in the shelling of two residential buildings in the city of Mayadeen in the countryside of Deir az-Zour.

Reporter, Female #1
The Coordination Committee announced the death toll caused by the violence on Friday reached 110, with 300 wounded. They were victims of the Syrian army's shelling of the cities of Daraya and Zabadani, and the Ard al-Shark area in the city of Arabin in the countryside of Damascus. In addition, a number of towns in Idlib, Daraa Province, and the city of Homs came under heavy shelling. A number of neighborhoods in Hama witnessed fierce clashes, according to the Syrian Observatory.

Reporter, Female #1
For its part, the official news agency, SANA, reported that the army carried out a qualitative operation that resulted in the destruction of 40 cars packed with Doshka machine guns coming from Jarablus in the countryside of Aleppo. As every Friday, protests denouncing the regime were held in several areas under the banner, "Don't despair, Daraa, for God is with us".

Reporter, Female #1
On the political front, the spokeswoman for the US secretary of state, Victoria Nuland, confirmed that during talks in Ankara between Turkish and American officials, a transition plan for a post-Assad Syria was discussed. Means to support the opposition and solve the refugee situation were also tackled. Nuland didn't mention whether the Ankara talks included the issue of the possible use of chemical weapons.

Reporter, Female #1
On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi announced that Iran will propose an initiative to solve the conflict in Syria during the Non-Aligned Movement summit that will be held in Tehran next week. Salehi did not provide any details about the proposal, but confirmed it will be acceptable, rational, and principled, and will include all parties. He added it will be very difficult to oppose it. Salehi reiterated his country's readiness to host talks between the Syrian government and the opposition following the Non-Aligned summit and the convening of the UN General Assembly in September.

Reporter, Female #1
Russia's Foreign Ministry affirmed in a statement that Russia objects to unilateral sanctions on Syria, saying it has not limited its cooperation with the country as a result of those sanctions, clarifying that Russian-Syrian trade relations are developing dynamically despite the internal turmoil in the country.

Presenter, Male #1
In northern Lebanon's Tripoli, clashes between supporters and opponents of the Syrian government were renewed today after the killing of a Sunni cleric this morning.

Reporter, Female #1
The truce in the city of Tripoli didn't last long. Clashes erupted again after the killing of Khaled al-Baradei, a 28-year-old cleric. Two journalists were also wounded after being exposed to sniper fire in the city that is witnessing violent acts against the backdrop of the events in Syria.

Guest, Male #2
The other side, Bashar al-Assad's shabeha, in Jabal Mohsen, did not commit to the ceasefire. They killed a young man openly in front of the Lebanese army. He was a 23-year-old, named Khaled al-Baradei, who was going home. They martyred him. This young man was just going home. They made the mistake of opening fire, and this ignited a new war.

Reporter, Female #1
As the violence continued, and was accompanied by a torching campaign in the two neighborhoods, security forces were deployed with tanks. They conducted patrols along the line dividing the two areas. But the forces were unable to restore calm to the city in light of the complicated political issues dominating Lebanon in general, and Tripoli in particular, as a result of the situation in Syria.

Reporter, Female #1
The city's residents and the authorities are equally fearful of an escalation in the violence and clashes in the city of Tripoli, similar to the events that happened in June and led to the killing of 15 people. The United Nations has called on the international community to further support Lebanon to confront the risks of destabilization that are caused by the repercussions of the struggle in Syria. Wafaa Zayan, BBC.

Presenter, Female #1
Many Tunisians are expressing fear of Qatari and Saudi attempts to spread the Wahhabi Takfiri ideology in their country.

Presenter, Male #1
Some are warnings of the sectarian strife that could arise in the country as a result of the crimes of the so-called Saudi preachers who are holding sessions to spread the extremist Wahhabi ideology in Tunisia, especially among the youth, in exchange for large sums of money.

Reporter, Female #2
The Wahhabi Takfiri ideology that headed the tsunami they agreed to call the Arab Spring is intensifying its presence in Tunisia with coercion, violence and terrorism, with the aim of imposing a religious state led by Wahhabism. Observers believe the even greater danger is the activation of al-Qaeda and its sleeper cells that receive direct support from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and foreign intelligence agencies.

Reporter, Female #2
Tunisia's ruling Ennahda Islamic movement, which unleashed these Salafi Wahhabi Takfiri groups, is now the one complaining about the head of the snake, the Saudi-Qatari alliance, that funds and supports these Wahhabi Takfiri gangs that are penetrating Tunisian society, and working on breaking the coexistence and civil peace it enjoys to divide it into religious and ideological entities.

Guest, Male #2
We will put all our efforts towards resisting this interference in our internal affairs. Their unrestrained use of violence against others will lead to a complete reversal of the situation, and will deprive everyone from their right to freedom of expression.

Reporter, Female #2
On the other hand, popular mobilizations confronting the hegemony of Ennahda movement over media outlets are growing in Tunisia. In response to the attempt to weaken the media, dozens of Tunisian journalists protested in front of the government's headquarters in the capital Tunis.

Reporter, Female #2
They condemned the ruling Ennahda Islamist movement's attempt to control media outlets as elections near and its appointment of loyalists to implement its political agendas. Participants chanted slogans against the Ennahda movement and protested these appointments, that include the head of public television and the private Dar al-Sabah, which publishes the dailies al-Sabah in Arabia, and Le Temps in French.

Reporter, Female #2
The Tunisian association for human rights denounced these appointments, describing them as unilateral, and saying they occurred without consulting with the responsible organizations and syndicates. The association viewed the goal of these appointments as an attempt to weak Tunisian media and seize control of it.

Reporter, Female #2
The leftist al-Takatol party, Ennahda's partner in power, asked the movement to refer to organizations and syndicates before making any appointments, and prior to issuing any decisions related to the media sector. Observers agree the attempts of the Wahhabi ideology are in sync with the seizure of the state's institutions, most notably media outlets, especially after having uncovered the bloody media's role in misleading the people. The goal is to spread the Wahhabi Takfiri ideology and throw nations and people into devastating ideological battles.

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