The London Independent reports that a Palestinian student has been handcuffed, blindfolded and forcibly expelled to the Gaza Strip by Israeli troops just two months before she was due to graduate from college.The London Independent reports that a Palestinian student has been handcuffed,... more
Palestinian leaders are saying that the Obama administration’s backing of Israel’s refusal to halt Jewish settlement expansion has killed any hope of reviving peace negotiations soon.Palestinian leaders are saying that the Obama administration’s backing of Israel’s... more
JERUSALEM, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Hoping to defuse a U.N. report fiercely critical of its war in Gaza, Israel plans to set up a team to double-check internal inquiries that cleared its forces of serious wrongdoing, a political source said on Sunday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak "hope this move will put the issue to rest", the source, a government aide speaking on condition of anonymity, said.
The source was referring to international demands that Israel set up an independent domestic investigation into war-crimes allegations.
Israel bombarded and invaded the Gaza Strip last December in what it said was a response to rocket fire by Palestinian Hamas. It refused to cooperate with the United Nations fact-finding mission under South African jurist Richard Goldstone, citing bias concerns..........JERUSALEM, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Hoping to defuse a U.N. report fiercely critical of its... more
Quando Israele scatenò l'operazione Piombo Fuso a Gaza praticamente tutti i giornali e le televisioni italiane dimostrarono un forte pregiudizio pro israeliano.
Eppure adesso c'è un rapporto dell'Onu che dice chiaramente come sono andate le cose.Quando Israele scatenò l'operazione Piombo Fuso a Gaza praticamente tutti i giornali... more
Yaron Bob, an Israeli blacksmith, collects Qassam rockets that have been fired from the Gaza Strip and turns the twisted metal into roses.Yaron Bob, an Israeli blacksmith, collects Qassam rockets that have been fired from... more
This is the time of year when gardeners start to reap their rewards—fruits and vegetables that make for a healthy feast. But for the people of Gaza, gardens produce a serving of self-sufficiency, too.
Urban gardens usually bring to mind savvy urbanites indulging in an organic lifestyle—witness Michelle Obama and her model urban garden at the White House. Although urban gardens in the West may not be a total indulgence—Ms. Obama, for example, is trying to counteract the growing instances of diabetes and obesity—they are hardly a necessity.
In the Gaza Strip, on the other hand, where more than 80 percent of residents are dependent on food aid, urban gardens mean survival, and resistance to Israel’s policies of occupation and blockade. When only half of the U.N.‘s food aid is actually allowed in to Gaza (during the last siege on Gaza, only 10% of the food trucks were allowed entry), planting an edible garden on just a scrap of land can be enough to ensure self-sufficiency. In an enormously insecure and unstable zone, a simple urban garden ensures food security, and food sovereignty.
The World Food Programme says “Gazans face an acute shortage of nutritious, locally-produced and affordable food.” The drastically reduced consumption of meat, oils, fats, fruits and dairy products can lead to anemia and stunted growth. Fifteen percent of Palestinian schoolchildren are “intellectually impaired” due to malnutrition, according to the Gaza Community Mental Health Program. Since last December, the price of pepper has doubled, the price of onions increased 33% and chicken 43%.
Urban gardens are just now gaining popularity in the West, thanks to the rise of environmentalism and health awareness (Ms. Obama only planted hers in April). But Grassroots International, a Boston-based nonprofit has been funding efforts to plant urban gardens in the Gaza Strip for the last five years.
Grassroots partners with the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC), a progressive organization that runs an “Urban Gardens” initiative. To date, PARC has set up 1,000 urban gardens in Gaza. Last year, Grassroots granted $25,000 to PARC’s “Urban Agriculture for Food Security and Increased Income Project.” PARC also runs a Farm-to-Table program sourcing local food from Gazan farmers for Gazans in need of food aid - a model worth emulating globally.
Ahmed Sourani, is PARC’s project director in Gaza City (PARC works in the West Bank as well). He says that urban gardens are vital not just for food security but as a way to empower women, and a way to “revitalize” agriculture in general. Household gardens are a part of Gazan culture, he explains, and says, “Since women are the primary caretakers of these gardens, the status of women will advance as this vital food source expands in the community.”
http://www.pal-arc.org/This is the time of year when gardeners start to reap their rewards—fruits and... more
Palestine normally is on the news only when there is a rebellion or an Israeli attack. But Palestine exists even when the media do not talk at all about it and must face enormous problems every day. In the West Bank the construction of the wall and Israeli settlements continue to make daily life almost impossible for the Palestinians who live nearby.Palestine normally is on the news only when there is a rebellion or an Israeli attack.... more
A short film chronicling the impact of incarceration on families in Gaza. With over 11,000 Gazas held in Israeli prisons, it is difficult to find a family who has not been affected. For over three years, no family visits have been allowed, and communication is difficult, often impossible. Shot in June 2009. Produced by Jordan Flaherty and Lily KeberA short film chronicling the impact of incarceration on families in Gaza. With over... more
Yael Branovsky Published: 05.19.09, 17:28 / Israel News
Jewish university students in Melbourne, Australia clashed with members of extreme Left parties on Monday during a performance of the play "Seven Jewish Children," which compares Israel's policy in Gaza to that of the Nazi regime during the Holocaust.
CLICK FOR FULL ARTICLEYael Branovsky Published: 05.19.09, 17:28 / Israel News
Jewish... more
Just click image. Look for 'Israel Objects to Human Rights Watch Report on Gaza' and click.IBA TV, Israel
Just click image. Look for 'Israel Objects to Human Rights Watch... more
After 3 years under siege and a recent Israeli-led offensive, Gaza continues to suffer. No materials for rebuilding are allowed in, and education and industry continue to be stifled. Shot in June 2009, this short film gives a glimpse into the harsh realities of everyday Gaza under siege.
Produced by Jordan Flaherty and Lily KeberAfter 3 years under siege and a recent Israeli-led offensive, Gaza continues to... more
This pod will examine life amidst the katyushas. The town of Sderot near Gaza is constantly being bombed by Hamas and the citizens simply must live with it. A look at what the city's youth hope for.This pod will examine life amidst the katyushas. The town of Sderot near Gaza is... more
Thousands of children in the Gaza Strip attempted to set a new world record Thursday by flying colorful homemade kites amid the ruins of Israel's bruising offensive earlier this year — a rare display of joy in the isolated seaside territory ruled by Hamas militants.
The festive event, sponsored by the United Nations, brought some 6,000 campers in orange uniforms and blue caps to a beach in Gaza's war-torn north, where they released their kites into clear skies. Some included designs such as the red, green, black and white Palestinian flag.
"We are happy we came here, full of joy, full of life," said 11-year-old Marwan Mohammad. "We hope that we can be free and can enjoy the same freedom these kites enjoy in the air. All we are looking for is to grow up like normal children."Thousands of children in the Gaza Strip attempted to set a new world record Thursday... more
Roosevelt wanted the Arabs to allow thousands of Jews from Europe to immigrate to Palestine to which Ibn Saud responded, “Arabs would choose to die rather ...
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The Two-State To Nowhere: Another Futile Attempt At Appeasement
By Alex Grobman
Dr. Grobman is a Hebrew University trained historian. His is the author of a number of books including Nations United How The UN Undermines Israel and The West and a forthcoming book on Israel's moral and legal right to exist as a Jewish State.
“There is reason to believe that [the president] cherished the illusion that presumably he, and he alone, as head of the United States, could bring about a settlement –if not a reconciliation—between Arabs and Jews. I remember muttering to myself as I left the White House after hearing the President discourse in rambling fashion about Middle Eastern Affairs, ‘I‘ve read of men who .........Roosevelt wanted the Arabs to allow thousands of Jews from Europe to immigrate to... more
London, July 3, (Pal Telegraph) - Israel inflicted "wanton destruction" in the Gaza Strip during its 22-day war on the coastal enclave in December and January, Amnesty International, the London-based human rights group has said.
In a 117-page report released on Thursday, Amnesty cited evidence that Israeli troops put children and other civilians in harm's way "by forcing them to remain in or near houses which they took over and used as military positions". Accusing Israel of "breaching laws of war", Amnesty said: "Much of the destruction was wanton and deliberate, and was carried out in a manner and circumstances which indicated that it could not be justified on grounds of military necessity."London, July 3, (Pal Telegraph) - Israel inflicted "wanton destruction" in the Gaza... more
Displaced
Sri Lankan Civilians Denied Their Freedom
Throughout the gruesome finale of the civil war, the government of Sri Lanka claimed to be engaged in the largest hostage rescue mission ever, to release civilians in the Vanni who were being held against their will by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Yet the vast majority of these civilians are still not free. So what exactly has been happening?
Sri Lankan Tamil Detainees Give
Eye-Witness Accounts
By WSWS Correspondents
It is now more than one month since the Sri Lankan military detained the final batch of Tamil refugees fleeing the northern war zone on May 19. They joined more than a quarter of a million civilians already incarcerated in camps set up near Vavuniya and on the Jaffna Peninsula during the last phase of the war. About 160,000 people are interned in four units in the biggest camp, known as Manik Farm
The U.S. Federal Budget Pipeline:Displaced
Sri Lankan Civilians Denied Their Freedom
Throughout the... more
Jun 24, 2009 22:46
UN's Gaza war crimes probe to screen hearings live
The United Nations team which is investigating alleged war crimes committed during Operation Cast Lead, last January, announced on Wednesday that it would broadcast the hearings it plans to hold with Palestinian and Israeli victims live.
The team, led by veteran war crimes investigator Richard Goldstone, will hold the hearings in Gaza City on Sunday and Monday, UN officials said.
Spokeswoman Doune Porter said that the hearings would be broadcast and the media would be allowed to view them from a separate room.
She said Wednesday that the team also would hold hearings in Geneva on July 6-7 under the same conditions.Jun 24, 2009 22:46
UN's Gaza war crimes probe to screen hearings live
The... more
yOU CAN ALL READ THIS BOOK ON HERE AND YOU CAN ALL USE IT TO DEBATE AGAINST THE ENORMOUS PROPAGANDA IN OUR MEDIA, AND ON CURRENT.COM
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THE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
John J. Mearsheimer
Department of Political Science
University of Chicago
Stephen M. Walt
John F. Kennedy School of Government
Harvard University
March 2006 RWP06‐011
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The two authors of this Working Paper are solely responsible for the views expressed in it. As academic institutions, Harvard University and the University of Chicago do not take positions on the scholarship of individual faculty, and this article should not be interpreted or portrayed as reflecting the official position of either institution.
An edited and reworked version of this paper was published in the
London Review of Books Vol. 28, No. 6 (March 23, 2006), and is available online at www.lrb.co.uk
THE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
U.S. foreign policy shapes events in every corner of the globe. Nowhere is this truer than in the Middle East, a region of recurring instability and enormous strategic importance. Most recently, the Bush Administration's attempt to transform the region into a community of democracies has helped produce a resilient insurgency in Iraq, a sharp rise in world oil prices, and terrorist bombings in Madrid, London, and Amman. With so much at stake for so many, all countries need to understand the forces that drive U.S. Middle East policy.
The U.S. national interest should be the primary object of American foreign policy. For the past several decades, however, and especially since the Six Day War in 1967, the centerpiece of U.S. Middle East policy has been its relationship with Israel. The combination of unwavering U.S. support for Israel and the related effort to spread democracy throughout the region has inflamed Arab and Islamic opinion and jeopardized U.S. security.
This situation has no equal in American political history. Why has the United States been willing to set aside its own security in order to advance the interests of another state? One might assume that the bond between the two countries is based on shared strategic interests or compelling moral imperatives. As we show below, however, neither of those explanations can account for the remarkable level of material and diplomatic support that the United States provides to Israel.
Instead, the overall thrust of U.S. policy in the region is due almost entirely to U
continuedTHE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
yOU CAN ALL READ THIS BOOK ON HERE... more
Amazing stuff is happening in France. It all began with a relatively well-known French-Cameroonian comedian,Dieudonné M’bala M’bala was invited to participate on a TV show on the channel France 3. The show also featured a Maghrebian artist and Dieudonne decided to impersonate an extremist Israeli settled infuriated by the presence of an Arab on a French show (for those of you who understand French, you can see an excerpt of his appearance that day here).
Dieudonne who, in the past, had always enjoyed ridiculing pretty much every segment of French society clearly had never expected the hysterical uproar that his humor would trigger that day: the huge constellation of French Zionists organizations lead by the notorious CRIF (”Representative Committee of Jewish organization in France” - the French version of AIPAC) immediately attacked Dieudonne, suing him for racists comments and suing him for “anti-Semitism” (a criminal offense in France). This was hardly the first time that the French Zionist mob had decided to crush an outspoken critic of its role in French politics or its unconditional support for the last racist state on the planet: Israel.
More at linkAmazing stuff is happening in France. It all began with a relatively well-known... more
the Spanish National Court’s decision to continue investigating suspected Israeli war criminals is welcomed
The victims and their legal team have placed their trust in the criminal justice system, believing that this is the only mechanism whereby accountability can be pursued and Israel’s impunity combated. Judge Fernando Andreu’s judgment indicates that, even in the face of considerable political pressure – including statements made by the Spanish Foreign Minister Moratinos – this trust in the rule of law is justified. This decision confirms the credibility and independence of the Spanish Courts.
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On 22 July 2002, at approximately 11:55 pm, an Israeli Air Force F16 fighter jet dropped a 985 kilogramme bomb on a three-storey apartment building. The attack was intended to kill Salah Shehade, the suspected leader of the Izzidin al-Qassam Brigade, Hamas’ military wing. The apartment building was located within the densely populated Al Daraj district, a residential neighbourhood in Gaza City. At the time of the attack, Shehade was on the upper floor of the building. As a result of the blast impact, eight other adjoining and nearby apartment buildings were completely destroyed, nine were partially destroyed, and another 21 sustained considerable damage. Excluding Shehade and his guard, a total of 14 civilians were killed, including eight children. Approximately 150 civilians were injured.
Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) officials have acknowledged that they decided to drop the bomb on Shehadeh’s house knowing his wife was with him, intentionally killing her as well.the Spanish National Court’s decision to continue investigating suspected Israeli... more
