Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Gilad Atzmon – Bruno (Sacha Baron Cohen): A Glimpse into Zionism?
"Two years ago while in the process of gathering information about Cohen previous film Borat, I found out that Cohen had put back his wedding to former Home and Away star Isla Fisher due to some deep ‘religious’ reasons. "The couple," so I learned, "have postponed the big day so Isla could study the Bible in Israel before converting to Sacha's religion of Judaism." This was enough to convince me at the time that Cohen wasn’t that different from his chauvinistic, tribally-orientated protagonist Borat. For those who fail to understand the meaning of the above, Cohen is not just Jewish, he didn’t just ask his fiancée to join his extended family, he didn’t send her to a London Rabbi either. He really went for the ‘full Monty,’ that is: the Israeli experience. Cohen is in fact a devout Zionist and it would be interesting to elaborate and analyze his work from a Jewish Identity-politics perspective."
Palestinian-Led Movement To Boycott Israel Is Gaining Support
‘Our South Africa Moment Has Finally Arrived,’ Says One Leader
By Gal Beckerman
"Uzbekistan-born diamond mogul Lev Leviev announced late in August that his company, Africa-Israel, was drowning in debt of more than $5.5 billion that it could not repay. Over the next two days, shares in the company’s stock plummeted by more than one-third. It was relentless bad news for one of the world’s richest men. His holding and investment company had lost $1.4 billion since 2008, mostly due to failed real estate investments in the United States.
Watching Leviev’s precipitous downfall from the sidelines were pro-Palestinian activists. And they were cheering.
Though certainly not the cause of his financial collapse, for the past two years, these activists have singled out Leviev as one of their high-profile villains for his large contributions to West Bank settlements. And they have been effective gadflies. Several of the company’s major shareholders have divested their holdings from Africa-Israel after receiving complaints from clients. And at least two charities have declared publicly they will not accept Leviev’s contributions.
By Gal Beckerman
"Uzbekistan-born diamond mogul Lev Leviev announced late in August that his company, Africa-Israel, was drowning in debt of more than $5.5 billion that it could not repay. Over the next two days, shares in the company’s stock plummeted by more than one-third. It was relentless bad news for one of the world’s richest men. His holding and investment company had lost $1.4 billion since 2008, mostly due to failed real estate investments in the United States.
Watching Leviev’s precipitous downfall from the sidelines were pro-Palestinian activists. And they were cheering.
Though certainly not the cause of his financial collapse, for the past two years, these activists have singled out Leviev as one of their high-profile villains for his large contributions to West Bank settlements. And they have been effective gadflies. Several of the company’s major shareholders have divested their holdings from Africa-Israel after receiving complaints from clients. And at least two charities have declared publicly they will not accept Leviev’s contributions.
How I’m Losing My Love For Israel
By Jay Michaelson
Excerpt
"I admit that my exhaustion is exacerbated because, in my social circles, supporting Israel is like supporting segregation, apartheid or worse. I know this is a sign of weakness of will on my part, and I hope that the Times-magazine-sanctioned rise of J Street changes things, but I don’t think advocates of Israel understand exactly how bad the situation is on college campuses, in Europe, and in liberal or leftist social-political circles. Supporting Israel in these contexts is like supporting repression, or the war in Iraq, or George W. Bush. It’s gotten so bad, I don’t mention Israel in certain conversations anymore, and no longer defend it when it’s lumped in with South Africa and China by my friends. This is wrong of me, I know, but I’ve been defending Israel for years, and it’s gotten harder and harder to do so.
How much of Israel’s pariah status is fantasy and how much is reality is, of course, a complicated question, and one that I would not presume to answer in this column. In the conversations I’ve had, it’s some of each — and again a subject for equivocation. Yes, Israel’s new government is a right/far-right alliance whose foreign policy looks suspiciously like Yitzhak Shamir’s era of “Say yes and do nothing.” But on the other hand, I understand why many Israelis are fed up and voted for it, and the oversimplifications among Israel’s critics are many. For example, just because this government is expanding settlements does not make doing so an essential part of Israel’s identity.
But I’m not sure the parsing matters. I’m not sure any state with tanks can win a propaganda war against an occupied people with guns and Molotov cocktails — even if the occupied people’s leaders deserve plenty of blame. It’s exhausting to keep fighting this fight, especially as Israel’s authentically odious actions (excesses by soldiers, expropriations of land) continue to pile up, and the yes-buts grow harder and harder to maintain.
The second reason for my waning love of Israel is that the Israel I love is increasingly disappearing. It started in Jerusalem, with the exodus of the secular left and the slow, agonizing demise of the culture they created. Now, many of my sabra friends are leaving the country entirely, desperately looking for tech jobs in California or academic postings in Indiana. However worn out I may be by the matzav my friends who have lived in it are far worse. For now, Tel Aviv’s liberal, secular, life-celebrating culture continues to thrive and is even developing a spiritual aspect — but like many Israelis, I feel like I’m reading the writing on the wall.
Part of the problem here is that the Israel I love is not the Disneyland most of my fellow Americans seem to adore. Sure, I cry at Macadam and even feel moved at the kotel. But my Israel is one of shuks, cafes, shtiebels and hiking trails; of family and friends; of my alma mater on Mount Scopus and my favorite field in Talbieh (Churshat Hayareach, an open space continually threatened with destruction). Personally, I find the way many Americans strut in and out of Jerusalem for the holidays partly ridiculous and partly nauseating. So while the storybook Jerusalem remains more or less intact, I care less about it than the delicate, messy harmonies of the real one.
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Jay Michaelson is a columnist for the Forward newspaper, the Huffington Post, and Reality Sandwich magazine, and the author of Everything is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism
Excerpt
"I admit that my exhaustion is exacerbated because, in my social circles, supporting Israel is like supporting segregation, apartheid or worse. I know this is a sign of weakness of will on my part, and I hope that the Times-magazine-sanctioned rise of J Street changes things, but I don’t think advocates of Israel understand exactly how bad the situation is on college campuses, in Europe, and in liberal or leftist social-political circles. Supporting Israel in these contexts is like supporting repression, or the war in Iraq, or George W. Bush. It’s gotten so bad, I don’t mention Israel in certain conversations anymore, and no longer defend it when it’s lumped in with South Africa and China by my friends. This is wrong of me, I know, but I’ve been defending Israel for years, and it’s gotten harder and harder to do so.
How much of Israel’s pariah status is fantasy and how much is reality is, of course, a complicated question, and one that I would not presume to answer in this column. In the conversations I’ve had, it’s some of each — and again a subject for equivocation. Yes, Israel’s new government is a right/far-right alliance whose foreign policy looks suspiciously like Yitzhak Shamir’s era of “Say yes and do nothing.” But on the other hand, I understand why many Israelis are fed up and voted for it, and the oversimplifications among Israel’s critics are many. For example, just because this government is expanding settlements does not make doing so an essential part of Israel’s identity.
But I’m not sure the parsing matters. I’m not sure any state with tanks can win a propaganda war against an occupied people with guns and Molotov cocktails — even if the occupied people’s leaders deserve plenty of blame. It’s exhausting to keep fighting this fight, especially as Israel’s authentically odious actions (excesses by soldiers, expropriations of land) continue to pile up, and the yes-buts grow harder and harder to maintain.
The second reason for my waning love of Israel is that the Israel I love is increasingly disappearing. It started in Jerusalem, with the exodus of the secular left and the slow, agonizing demise of the culture they created. Now, many of my sabra friends are leaving the country entirely, desperately looking for tech jobs in California or academic postings in Indiana. However worn out I may be by the matzav my friends who have lived in it are far worse. For now, Tel Aviv’s liberal, secular, life-celebrating culture continues to thrive and is even developing a spiritual aspect — but like many Israelis, I feel like I’m reading the writing on the wall.
Part of the problem here is that the Israel I love is not the Disneyland most of my fellow Americans seem to adore. Sure, I cry at Macadam and even feel moved at the kotel. But my Israel is one of shuks, cafes, shtiebels and hiking trails; of family and friends; of my alma mater on Mount Scopus and my favorite field in Talbieh (Churshat Hayareach, an open space continually threatened with destruction). Personally, I find the way many Americans strut in and out of Jerusalem for the holidays partly ridiculous and partly nauseating. So while the storybook Jerusalem remains more or less intact, I care less about it than the delicate, messy harmonies of the real one.
------------
Jay Michaelson is a columnist for the Forward newspaper, the Huffington Post, and Reality Sandwich magazine, and the author of Everything is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Nazi settlers chop 150 olive trees on the eve of harvest!
Settlers chop down Nablus olive grove on eve of harvest
Nablus – Ma’an – Dozens of chainsaw-wielding Israeli settlers cut down more than 150 olive trees in to the northern West Bank village of Burin, south of Nablus on Monday.
The assault came a few days before Palestinian farmers throughout the country begin harvesting their olives.
According to Ghassan Daghlas, the Palestinian official in charge of monitoring settlement activity in the northern West Bank, dozens of Israelis from the settlement Yitzhar raided fields in the area of Khallat Siwar between the villages of Huwwara and Burin and cut down more than 150 olive trees using chainsaws.
Daghlas labeled the settlers’ attack as “criminal act” calling on human right groups to take action to stop Israeli settlers’ assaults against the Palestinians and their property.
Nablus – Ma’an – Dozens of chainsaw-wielding Israeli settlers cut down more than 150 olive trees in to the northern West Bank village of Burin, south of Nablus on Monday.
The assault came a few days before Palestinian farmers throughout the country begin harvesting their olives.
According to Ghassan Daghlas, the Palestinian official in charge of monitoring settlement activity in the northern West Bank, dozens of Israelis from the settlement Yitzhar raided fields in the area of Khallat Siwar between the villages of Huwwara and Burin and cut down more than 150 olive trees using chainsaws.
Daghlas labeled the settlers’ attack as “criminal act” calling on human right groups to take action to stop Israeli settlers’ assaults against the Palestinians and their property.
Just in case you were wondering what a rag like the Wall Street Journal would be reporting about the conflict in the ME have a look here:
Palestinian Leaders Deny Jerusalem's Past
"Jews have no history in the city of Jerusalem: They have never lived there, the Temple never existed, and Israeli archaeologists have admitted as much. Those who deny this are simply liars. Or so says Sheik Tayseer Rajab Tamimi, chief Islamic judge of the Palestinian Authority."
This, not the factual ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem, is what the WSJ is worried about!
Palestinian Leaders Deny Jerusalem's Past
"Jews have no history in the city of Jerusalem: They have never lived there, the Temple never existed, and Israeli archaeologists have admitted as much. Those who deny this are simply liars. Or so says Sheik Tayseer Rajab Tamimi, chief Islamic judge of the Palestinian Authority."
This, not the factual ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem, is what the WSJ is worried about!
Saudis will allow Israel to bomb Iran's nuclear site (Saudis deny)
Premier British intelligence agency, MI6 chief, has been told that Saudi Arabia will permit Israel to fly over the kingdom to bomb Iran's nuclear sites.
The MI6 chief discussed the issue in London with Mossad chief Meir Dagan and Saudi officials after British intelligence officers helped to uncover the plant, in the side of a mountain near the ancient city of Qom.
UPDATE
Saudi Arabia denies it offered Israeli jets flight path to Iran
Saudi Arabia denied Wednesday a report in Britain's Sunday Express that said the Kingdom offered the Israel Air Force flight paths to attack Iranian nuclear facilities.
The Sunday Express reported this week that the Saudis had agreed to turn a blind eye and not interfere should Israel and the United States attack Iranian nuclear facilities via Saudi air space.
A senior Saudi official said Wednesday morning that the report was baseless, adding that his country would demand that the newspaper print a retraction and apology.
The MI6 chief discussed the issue in London with Mossad chief Meir Dagan and Saudi officials after British intelligence officers helped to uncover the plant, in the side of a mountain near the ancient city of Qom.
UPDATE
Saudi Arabia denies it offered Israeli jets flight path to Iran
Saudi Arabia denied Wednesday a report in Britain's Sunday Express that said the Kingdom offered the Israel Air Force flight paths to attack Iranian nuclear facilities.
The Sunday Express reported this week that the Saudis had agreed to turn a blind eye and not interfere should Israel and the United States attack Iranian nuclear facilities via Saudi air space.
A senior Saudi official said Wednesday morning that the report was baseless, adding that his country would demand that the newspaper print a retraction and apology.
Nearly 70 percent of Argentine forests lost in a century
Argentina has lost nearly 70 percent of its forests in a century, the Environmental Secretariat said at a UN conference on desertification.
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Who cares? They're becoming rich, hey anan?
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Who cares? They're becoming rich, hey anan?
No shame: Israel demands PA drop war crimes suit at The Hague, or else it would not permit a second cellular telephone provider to operate
Tensions are mounting between Israel and the Palestinian Authority following Ramallah's call on the International Court at The Hague to examine claims of "war crimes" that the IDF allegedly committed during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. The issue is already weighing in on the relations between the leadership of Israel's defense and security establishment with their counterparts in the West Bank, and is part of a growing list of Israeli complaints about the behavior of PA officials.
Honduras Suspends Civil Liberties
Honduras' interim leaders have suspended key civil liberties, empowering police and soldiers to break up "unauthorised" public meetings, arrest people without warrants and restrict the news media.
The announcement came just hours after deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya called on supporters to stage mass marches today marking the three-month anniversary of the June 28 coup that ousted him. Mr Zelaya described the marches as "the final offensive" against the interim government.
The announcement came just hours after deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya called on supporters to stage mass marches today marking the three-month anniversary of the June 28 coup that ousted him. Mr Zelaya described the marches as "the final offensive" against the interim government.
Gaddafi's Oddest Idea: Abolish Switzerland
A few weeks ago, Gaddafi submitted a proposal to the U.N. to abolish Switzerland and divide it up along linguistic lines, giving parts of the country to Germany, France and Italy. Although the motion was thrown out because it violates the U.N. Charter, which states that no member country can threaten the existence of another, some Swiss leaders are still concerned that Libya could use its yearlong presidency of the U.N. General Assembly, which began on Sept. 15, to keep up Gaddafi's vitriolic attacks on their country.
Polanski's Arrest: Why the French Are Outraged
By Bruce Crumley / Paris Monday, Sep. 28, 2009
Although the cultural divide between Europe and the U.S. has narrowed over the years, the legal fate of director Roman Polanski shows there are still major differences. Polanski's arrest in Switzerland on Sept. 26 was greeted with satisfaction in the U.S., where authorities hope he will face sentencing for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977. Europeans, meanwhile, are shocked and dismayed that an internationally acclaimed artist could be jailed for such an old offense.
Time
Although the cultural divide between Europe and the U.S. has narrowed over the years, the legal fate of director Roman Polanski shows there are still major differences. Polanski's arrest in Switzerland on Sept. 26 was greeted with satisfaction in the U.S., where authorities hope he will face sentencing for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977. Europeans, meanwhile, are shocked and dismayed that an internationally acclaimed artist could be jailed for such an old offense.
Time
Double standards
Why is the Obama Administration on Iran's ass about disclosing their Nuclear intentions, when it's known that Israel has tonnes of Nukes that they havn't disclosed at all and they won't agree to any investigations either? What is different about Israel that makes them immune?
Paying $10 billion a month on wars America hates is good, but paying money to fix our health care sysytem is bad...
The media, conservatives and the democratic deficit hawks are telling America that the cost of reforming America's health care system better not add one red cent to the deficit. Why doesn't the librul media explain to America that we are paying 10 billion dollars a month on two wars that Americans hate?
Pittsburgh: What no terrorist could do to us, our own leaders did.
Four thousand police were on duty plus 2500 National Guard plus Coast Guard and Air Force and dozens of other security agencies. A thousand volunteers from other police forces were sworn in to help out.
Police were dressed in battle gear, bulky black ninja turtle outfits: helmets with clear visors, strapped on body armor, shin guards, big boots, batons, and long guns.
In addition to helicopters, the police had hundreds of cars and motorcycles , armored vehicles, monster trucks, small electric go-karts. There were even passenger vans screaming through town so stuffed with heavily armed ninja turtles that the side and rear doors remained open.
No terrorists showed up at the G20.
Police were dressed in battle gear, bulky black ninja turtle outfits: helmets with clear visors, strapped on body armor, shin guards, big boots, batons, and long guns.
In addition to helicopters, the police had hundreds of cars and motorcycles , armored vehicles, monster trucks, small electric go-karts. There were even passenger vans screaming through town so stuffed with heavily armed ninja turtles that the side and rear doors remained open.
No terrorists showed up at the G20.
Book casts new light on Palestine's ethnic cleansing
Maureen Clare Murphy, The Electronic Intifada, 28 September 2009
In recent years, a growing number of accounts of the 1948 war have corrected and exposed the founding myths of Israel, including claims by its leaders that the Palestinian people did not exist or were invented. The latest addition to this genre is independent scholar Rosemarie M. Esber's meticulously documented history Under the Cover of War: The Zionist Expulsion of the Palestinians. While other recent books on the subject have relied on Israeli and Zionist archival sources, Esber uses British archives and oral testimonies from Palestinian survivors as well as previously used sources to demonstrate that there was a purposeful, systematic pattern by which Zionist forces depopulated Palestinian cities and villages before the end of the British mandate on 15 May 1948 and the subsequent intervention of Arab armies.
In recent years, a growing number of accounts of the 1948 war have corrected and exposed the founding myths of Israel, including claims by its leaders that the Palestinian people did not exist or were invented. The latest addition to this genre is independent scholar Rosemarie M. Esber's meticulously documented history Under the Cover of War: The Zionist Expulsion of the Palestinians. While other recent books on the subject have relied on Israeli and Zionist archival sources, Esber uses British archives and oral testimonies from Palestinian survivors as well as previously used sources to demonstrate that there was a purposeful, systematic pattern by which Zionist forces depopulated Palestinian cities and villages before the end of the British mandate on 15 May 1948 and the subsequent intervention of Arab armies.
Monday, September 28, 2009
On SBS (Australian TV channel) journalists told not to use the term "Palestinian land"
The mangling of truth when reporting the Middle East
Antony Loewenstein
"Following the publication here in early September of a new SBS news directive that told journalists not to use the term “Palestinian land” to, er, describe Palestinian land, today’s Australian newspaper has some responses:
Tzvi Fleischer, editor of Australia/Israel Review, which is put out by the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, backed SBS’s position.
“It’s sensible where we have a dispute about territory that reports should reflect there’s a dispute and use language that makes that clear without adjudicating that one side or the other is in the right,” he said.
But Jake Lynch, director of Sydney University’s Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, said the ruling showed “a lamentable ignorance of the facts and … should be rescinded forthwith”.
Antony Loewenstein
"Following the publication here in early September of a new SBS news directive that told journalists not to use the term “Palestinian land” to, er, describe Palestinian land, today’s Australian newspaper has some responses:
Tzvi Fleischer, editor of Australia/Israel Review, which is put out by the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, backed SBS’s position.
“It’s sensible where we have a dispute about territory that reports should reflect there’s a dispute and use language that makes that clear without adjudicating that one side or the other is in the right,” he said.
But Jake Lynch, director of Sydney University’s Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, said the ruling showed “a lamentable ignorance of the facts and … should be rescinded forthwith”.
Antony Loewenstein: The smell of Jewish fascism
Ilan Mizrahi has spent 16 years photographing and filming right wing Israeli settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron. His film, Israel: Rise of the Right, looks at the followers of Rabbi Meir Kahane, an American-born rabbi and politician who proposed the mass expulsion of Arabs from Israel before he was assassinated in 1990.
International Criminal Court to Investigate IDF Officer
September 26th, 2009
This is how it starts. Palestinians and anti-Occupation activists scream bloody murder for years about Israeli war crimes. The world mumbles under its breath: “Yeah sure.” Israel finally crosses a red line with two brutal wars massacring civilians in Gaza and Lebanon. An eminent international jurist writes a voluminous report for a United Nations committee documenting said war crimes. Israel begins to take notice and mounts its own counter-attack. A chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court announces he is considering filing charges against a specific IDF officer.
Tikun Olam
This is how it starts. Palestinians and anti-Occupation activists scream bloody murder for years about Israeli war crimes. The world mumbles under its breath: “Yeah sure.” Israel finally crosses a red line with two brutal wars massacring civilians in Gaza and Lebanon. An eminent international jurist writes a voluminous report for a United Nations committee documenting said war crimes. Israel begins to take notice and mounts its own counter-attack. A chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court announces he is considering filing charges against a specific IDF officer.
Tikun Olam
Afghanistan: Obama's Vietnam?
By Helena Cobban
There's a rapidly growing discussion here in the US about "what to do in Afghanistan." Some of it is thoughtful, well-informed, and serious. Like this piece by Rajiv Chandrasekaran in today's WaPo, which argues that the two best options look to be "Go all-in, or fold."
(Actually, that's only one choice, since the US citizenry and budget are quite incapable of doing what would be needed to "go all-in" in that very distant and logistically intimidating country.)
I note that one aspect of the way path forward that just about nobody in the US discourse has yet started talking/writing about is the idea, that I consider crucial, that it does not have to be, indeed should not be, the US that dominates all decisionmaking and international action regarding Afghanistan, going forward.
There's a rapidly growing discussion here in the US about "what to do in Afghanistan." Some of it is thoughtful, well-informed, and serious. Like this piece by Rajiv Chandrasekaran in today's WaPo, which argues that the two best options look to be "Go all-in, or fold."
(Actually, that's only one choice, since the US citizenry and budget are quite incapable of doing what would be needed to "go all-in" in that very distant and logistically intimidating country.)
I note that one aspect of the way path forward that just about nobody in the US discourse has yet started talking/writing about is the idea, that I consider crucial, that it does not have to be, indeed should not be, the US that dominates all decisionmaking and international action regarding Afghanistan, going forward.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Israeli College Cancels Academic Offering Due to Too Many (Israeli) Arab Enrollees
"This year, a new private Israeli academic institution launched, the Carmel Academic Center. Among its offerings within the department of business administration was an accountancy concentration. But one week before classes began, the school cancelled it. Why? Too many Arabs. That’s right. Only three Jews registered and the rest were Israeli Palestinians. Not wanting to develop a reputation for being in bed with Arab lovers, the entrepreneur who founded the school pulled the plug. Here are some internal conversations published by the Alternative Information Center. Israeli Channel 2 broke the original story:"
(Via the Angry Arab)
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While you're at it check the comments and see for yourselves how hopeless, desperate, pathetically out of touch Zionist freaks try to justify the academy's decision! Blaming, no, SLANDERING the victim used to work, fellows. Not anymore.
(Via the Angry Arab)
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While you're at it check the comments and see for yourselves how hopeless, desperate, pathetically out of touch Zionist freaks try to justify the academy's decision! Blaming, no, SLANDERING the victim used to work, fellows. Not anymore.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Why Do We Embrace Zionists Like Uri Avnery?
It never ceases to amaze me that Palestinians promote Zionist writers and thinkers. Case in point is Uri Avnery, a man who has never renounced Zionism; in fact, he is a proud Zionist. Helena Cobban in Counterpunch points out that Avnery seems to plead with Dov Yermiya, who recently renounced Zionism, to reconsider. Avnery, who obviously knows better or should know better if he could get beyond his tribal affinity, writes about a vision of Zionism that was in its incipient stages more "idealistic." One wonders what's idealistic about a state built upon the ruins of another culture and civilization; one wonders what's idealistic and laudable about a state which has refugees at its gates seeing Jews from all over the world reaping the benefits from ill gotten gains, yet Avnery rivals the best of the Zionist proselytizers:
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I agree and pronounce my Mea Culpa. In the light of his recent articles, interventions and statements Avnery has started to show, more clearly I should add, his true colors.
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I agree and pronounce my Mea Culpa. In the light of his recent articles, interventions and statements Avnery has started to show, more clearly I should add, his true colors.
What Would Jesus Say (to a Zio-Christian)?
"Time to re-visit, as administrators like to say, the Christian Zionists. This is a response to the usual blather from one of the Armageddon is nigh types:
You ask rhetorically, Who Are the Palestinians? just before you admonish them to take up residence in one of the twenty-two Arab countries so that European and American Jews may live in Palestine without Arabs.
What you don't seem to get, full of the usual canards that you are is that Palestinians are a diverse people, just like any people. We certainly are not all alike. I am a Christian Palestinian; twenty percent of the Palestinians are Christian. We are the original stones; that is, the original Christians descended from the apostles. My father was born in Ramallah, which before 1948, was a totally Christian village. I can asssure you that none of my relatives nor I wish to see Jews obliterated."
UmKhalil
You ask rhetorically, Who Are the Palestinians? just before you admonish them to take up residence in one of the twenty-two Arab countries so that European and American Jews may live in Palestine without Arabs.
What you don't seem to get, full of the usual canards that you are is that Palestinians are a diverse people, just like any people. We certainly are not all alike. I am a Christian Palestinian; twenty percent of the Palestinians are Christian. We are the original stones; that is, the original Christians descended from the apostles. My father was born in Ramallah, which before 1948, was a totally Christian village. I can asssure you that none of my relatives nor I wish to see Jews obliterated."
UmKhalil
You always hear of Sderot and its "victim" status but you NEVER hear this
Sderot Built on Ashes of Ethnically Cleansed and Defaced Najd
Sderot was settled by Jews in 1951. According to Walid Khalidi in All That Remains, it along with the settlement of Or ha-Ner, founded in 1957, were established on the village lands of Najd, which means "elevated plain" in Arabic.
Najd's Palestinian villagers, approximately 620 in 1945, were expelled on 13 May 1948, before Israel was declared a state and before any Arab armies entered Palestine. According to UN Resolution 194 and also the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 13, Section 2, the villagers of Najd have a right to return home to their personal property and to their native village.
Today, according to Khalidi, "some old trees grow" on the site of the village. It is "overgrown with cactus and Christ's thorn and sycamore trees and contains the crumbled walls of unidentified buildings...."
UmKhalil
Sderot was settled by Jews in 1951. According to Walid Khalidi in All That Remains, it along with the settlement of Or ha-Ner, founded in 1957, were established on the village lands of Najd, which means "elevated plain" in Arabic.
Najd's Palestinian villagers, approximately 620 in 1945, were expelled on 13 May 1948, before Israel was declared a state and before any Arab armies entered Palestine. According to UN Resolution 194 and also the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 13, Section 2, the villagers of Najd have a right to return home to their personal property and to their native village.
Today, according to Khalidi, "some old trees grow" on the site of the village. It is "overgrown with cactus and Christ's thorn and sycamore trees and contains the crumbled walls of unidentified buildings...."
UmKhalil
Student : Armored Police Seize University of Pittsburgh Campus, Attack Students, Then Claim They Were Stopping Anarchists @ G20
"Reddit, the next two hours were complete chaos. My campus was invaded by armored police officers. They threw actual tear gas into crowds of students. They SHOT students with rubber bullets. They beat slower-moving students with a baton. I saw a group of cyclists being herded down the sidewalk. A cop reached out and pushed a woman on a bike. She turned around and pushed her bike at the cop. Next thing we knew, he grabbed her by the face and slammed her down on the concrete."
Thursday, September 24, 2009
"Today, Obama wins"
NY Senator Chuck Schumer was angered by the(Obama) speech. From Yeshiva World:
“To make absolute statements, particularly when in the past Israel has sort of done everything the Palestinians asked and they still won’t give her peace is to me a counter productive policy,” Sen. Charles Schumer said.
“To make absolute statements, particularly when in the past Israel has sort of done everything the Palestinians asked and they still won’t give her peace is to me a counter productive policy,” Sen. Charles Schumer said.
Netanyahu likens Hamas to Nazis attacking England
Netanyahu just told the UN General Assembly that the only example in history of rockets being rained down on civilians–prior to Hamas doing so to southern Israel–was the blitz of England by the Nazis. And the western powers responded justifiably by levelling German cities.
Mondoweiss
Mondoweiss
Ali Abunimah: Obama's peace effort has failed but our struggle continues
There is the old joke about a man who is endlessly searching on the ground beneath a street light. Finally, a neighbor who has been watching him asks the man what he is looking for. The man replies that he lost his keys. The neighbor asks him if he lost them under the streetlight. "No," the man replies, pointing into the darkness, "I lost them over there, but I am looking over here because here there is light!"
Jimmy Carter: US 'likely behind' Chavez coup
Carter said it was understandable that Chavez continues to blame the US for the failed attempt to overthrow him.
Chavez was deposed by a civilian-military junta for about 48 hours in April 2002, before returning to power.
George Bush, the then US president, denied any US involvement in the abortive coup and called on Chavez, who is critical of US policy, to "learn a lesson" from the attempted overthrow.
Chavez was deposed by a civilian-military junta for about 48 hours in April 2002, before returning to power.
George Bush, the then US president, denied any US involvement in the abortive coup and called on Chavez, who is critical of US policy, to "learn a lesson" from the attempted overthrow.
US Jews and Israelis split on Obama
A Jerusalem Post poll has revealed that only four per cent of Israeli Jews believe that Barack Obama, the US president, is pro-Israel [GALLO/GETTY]
Sign of change?
Elite Saudi university set to open
Saudi Arabia has set up a new research university, a multibillion dollar co-educational venture built on the promise of scientific freedom.
The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) - complete with state-of-the-art laboratories, the world's 14th fastest supercomputer, and one of the biggest endowments worldwide - is scheduled to officially open on Wednesday.
But the new university will not require women to wear veils or cover their faces, and they will be able to mix freely with men.
They will also be allowed to drive, a taboo in a country where women must literally take a back seat to their male drivers.
Al Jazeera
Saudi Arabia has set up a new research university, a multibillion dollar co-educational venture built on the promise of scientific freedom.
The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) - complete with state-of-the-art laboratories, the world's 14th fastest supercomputer, and one of the biggest endowments worldwide - is scheduled to officially open on Wednesday.
But the new university will not require women to wear veils or cover their faces, and they will be able to mix freely with men.
They will also be allowed to drive, a taboo in a country where women must literally take a back seat to their male drivers.
Al Jazeera
Origin of stupidity
THIS IS GREAT!...How she deconstructs the "arguments" of this nitwit is just brilliant!
Good news from the BDS front
Spain: Israel team out of contest over West Bank
MADRID – Spain said Thursday it has disqualified a group of Israeli academics from a solar power design competition because their university is in the West Bank, the latest in a series of low-level European sanctions against Israel over its settlement policy.
Spain expelled the team representing Ariel University Center of Samaria(!) from an international contest called the Solar Decathlon, in which 20 universities are presenting designs for solar-powered homes, a Housing Ministry official said.
Spain acted in line with EU policy of opposing Israel's occupation of Palestinian land, the Spanish official said on condition of anonymity, in line with ministry rules.
MADRID – Spain said Thursday it has disqualified a group of Israeli academics from a solar power design competition because their university is in the West Bank, the latest in a series of low-level European sanctions against Israel over its settlement policy.
Spain expelled the team representing Ariel University Center of Samaria(!) from an international contest called the Solar Decathlon, in which 20 universities are presenting designs for solar-powered homes, a Housing Ministry official said.
Spain acted in line with EU policy of opposing Israel's occupation of Palestinian land, the Spanish official said on condition of anonymity, in line with ministry rules.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Bum Wraps
Being wrapped in an Israeli flag this past week has caused Madonna, our Lady of Miracles, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and AIPAC some flak.
First, the simple case. Strutting underdressed across the concert stage in Tel Aviv wrapped in an Israel flag on 9/2/09, as her partner, the Brazilian model ‘Jesus’ shouted ‘Viva! Viva!’ off stage was probably just the Material Girl doing her material thing. And anyhow, the late Michael Jackson could have been mistaken when he made his snide remark a while back, “She can’t sing. She can’t dance. I don’t understand her success!”
On her quick trip north to the Palestinian village of Safad near the Lebanese border to view a Kabbalah shrine, Esther/Madonna may not have been advised that most of Safad’s population was ethnically cleansed in 1948 and with their offspring most now live in 12 Refugee Camps in Lebanon and 10 in Syria. Reading deep politics into her flag-wearing event may be unwarranted since Esther/Madonna has now apparently offered to don the Palestinian flag or even Hamas’ or Hezbollah’s just to make amends and dampen the flap from her flag wrap.
Abe Foxman, President of ADL and AIPAC on the other hand, knew exactly what they were doing four days earlier as both offered to send an Israeli flag to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston's Mission Hill section. The plan was to wrap Ted Kennedy’s casket, side by side with the American flag, each flag to cover roughly half of Ted’s casket during Kennedy’s internationally broadcast funeral, which was even watched live in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs. Only since the lobby’s continuing exploitation of the Holocaust and ADL’s use of the image of Yasser Arafat to demonize him and raise millions to fund illegal settlement expansion, did Foxman see such a terrific chance to hype brand Zionism, this time by linking it in perpetuity to the Kennedy mystique and the Arlington Cemetery eternal flame.
First, the simple case. Strutting underdressed across the concert stage in Tel Aviv wrapped in an Israel flag on 9/2/09, as her partner, the Brazilian model ‘Jesus’ shouted ‘Viva! Viva!’ off stage was probably just the Material Girl doing her material thing. And anyhow, the late Michael Jackson could have been mistaken when he made his snide remark a while back, “She can’t sing. She can’t dance. I don’t understand her success!”
On her quick trip north to the Palestinian village of Safad near the Lebanese border to view a Kabbalah shrine, Esther/Madonna may not have been advised that most of Safad’s population was ethnically cleansed in 1948 and with their offspring most now live in 12 Refugee Camps in Lebanon and 10 in Syria. Reading deep politics into her flag-wearing event may be unwarranted since Esther/Madonna has now apparently offered to don the Palestinian flag or even Hamas’ or Hezbollah’s just to make amends and dampen the flap from her flag wrap.
Abe Foxman, President of ADL and AIPAC on the other hand, knew exactly what they were doing four days earlier as both offered to send an Israeli flag to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston's Mission Hill section. The plan was to wrap Ted Kennedy’s casket, side by side with the American flag, each flag to cover roughly half of Ted’s casket during Kennedy’s internationally broadcast funeral, which was even watched live in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs. Only since the lobby’s continuing exploitation of the Holocaust and ADL’s use of the image of Yasser Arafat to demonize him and raise millions to fund illegal settlement expansion, did Foxman see such a terrific chance to hype brand Zionism, this time by linking it in perpetuity to the Kennedy mystique and the Arlington Cemetery eternal flame.
The Real Lesson of Lehman's Fall
Lehman Died So TARP and AIG Might Live
By MIKE WHITNEY
"The media have played a critical role in peddling the official "Who could have known what would happen" version of events. Bernanke and Paulson were fully aware that they playing with fire, but they chose to proceed anyway, using the mushrooming crisis to achieve their own objectives. Then things began to spin out of control; credit markets froze, interbank lending slowed to a crawl, and stock markets plunged. Even so, the Fed and Treasury persisted with their plan, demanding their $700 billion pound of flesh before they'd do what was needed to stop the bleeding. It was all avoidable."
By MIKE WHITNEY
"The media have played a critical role in peddling the official "Who could have known what would happen" version of events. Bernanke and Paulson were fully aware that they playing with fire, but they chose to proceed anyway, using the mushrooming crisis to achieve their own objectives. Then things began to spin out of control; credit markets froze, interbank lending slowed to a crawl, and stock markets plunged. Even so, the Fed and Treasury persisted with their plan, demanding their $700 billion pound of flesh before they'd do what was needed to stop the bleeding. It was all avoidable."
Women, War and Afghanistan
By LINA THORNE
I want the women of Afghanistan to be liberated. Do I have to support the war?
Short answer: No. In fact, supporting the war only works against their liberation.
I want the women of Afghanistan to be liberated. Do I have to support the war?
Short answer: No. In fact, supporting the war only works against their liberation.
The United States in Afghanistan
Eight Years Later
By GABRIEL KOLKO
"The United States scarcely knew what a complex disaster it was confronting when it went to war in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. It will eventually - perhaps years from now - suffer the same fate as Alexander the Great, the British, and the now-defunct Soviet Union: defeat."
By GABRIEL KOLKO
"The United States scarcely knew what a complex disaster it was confronting when it went to war in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. It will eventually - perhaps years from now - suffer the same fate as Alexander the Great, the British, and the now-defunct Soviet Union: defeat."
Obama Admin Urges Israeli-Palestinian Final-Status Talks But Abandons Insistence on Israeli Settlement Freeze
The Obama administration has abandoned a demand that Israel freeze settlement expansion before the resumption of peace talks. President Obama signaled the shift on Tuesday as he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. We speak to Diana Buttu, a Palestinian lawyer and former legal adviser to the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and Israeli historian Avi Shlaim, a professor of international relations at the University of Oxford, author of several books, including his latest, Israel and Palestine: Reappraisals, Revisions, Refutations.
Democracy Now
Democracy Now
Pastor Hagee’s party of death (with Lieberman and Dore Gold)
“It is time for America to embrace the words of Senator Joseph Lieberman,” Hagee rumbled, “and consider a military preemptive strike against Iran to prevent a nuclear Holocaust in Israel!” The crowd leapt to its feet and roared."
Max Blumenthal
Max Blumenthal
‘NYT’ left out Kristol’s Israel-firstism (and what about those neocon women!)
"The Times ran a long flattering obit of the late Irving Kristol by a neolib, Barry Gewen. Kristol lived a long life, 89 years. Good for him. I hear he was charming, too. Here is something Gewen left out that I think is important, about Kristol’s transformation in the 70s. In 1973, as I’ve reported before, Kristol wrote for the Congress Bi-weekly, a publication of the American Jewish Congress:"
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On Mondoweiss, the comments are always as interesting to read..
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On Mondoweiss, the comments are always as interesting to read..
Israeli filmmaker to Jerry Seinfeld: ‘Don’t cooperate with the occupation’
Israeli filmmaker Udi Aloni has a response in today’s Haaretz to Jerry Seinfeld, Sacha Baron Cohen and the other Hollywood stars who have misrepresented and criticized the protest of the Toronto International Film Festival’s City to City program with Tel Aviv. Aloni was a co-author of the Toronto Declaration along with John Greyson, Naomi Klein and others.
In addition to challenging the misconceptions of the Toronto protest, Aloni also criticizes fellow Israeli filmmakers Shmulik Maoz (Lebanon) and Ari Folman (Waltz with Bashir) who have received international acclaim for their work about the Israeli invastion of Lebanon without providing accountaibility to those killed in the war. As Aloni says, "I came to realize that they are not haunted by the ghosts of their dead victims but rather, haunted only by the unpleasant images of war, and in their art they seek to create some peace for their soul."
Mondoweiss
In addition to challenging the misconceptions of the Toronto protest, Aloni also criticizes fellow Israeli filmmakers Shmulik Maoz (Lebanon) and Ari Folman (Waltz with Bashir) who have received international acclaim for their work about the Israeli invastion of Lebanon without providing accountaibility to those killed in the war. As Aloni says, "I came to realize that they are not haunted by the ghosts of their dead victims but rather, haunted only by the unpleasant images of war, and in their art they seek to create some peace for their soul."
Mondoweiss
Apartheid alert on MSNBC!
‘Israel ultimately is not democratic . . . and they engage in a light form of apartheid’
Apartheid alert on MSNBC! Notice the speaker Gavin Polone is introduced as a center right commentator. Looks like calling for ending US aid to Israel and identifying Israeli apartheid policies isn’t just for lefties anymore. Gavin Polone is a Hollywood producer who has a reputation for being outspoken. Wonder what he thought of the protests against the Toronto International Film festival?
Mondoweiss, Adam Horowitz
Apartheid alert on MSNBC! Notice the speaker Gavin Polone is introduced as a center right commentator. Looks like calling for ending US aid to Israel and identifying Israeli apartheid policies isn’t just for lefties anymore. Gavin Polone is a Hollywood producer who has a reputation for being outspoken. Wonder what he thought of the protests against the Toronto International Film festival?
Mondoweiss, Adam Horowitz
Monday, September 21, 2009
Max Blumenthal: Irving Kristol’s Alliance With Anti-Semites
"These highlights of Kristol’s career have been detailed at length in the many obituaries about his death. But the story of one of Kristol’s most momentous — and cynical — maneuvers, the brokering of a tactical alliance between Jewish neoconservatives and openly anti-Semitic evangelicals, has been generally omitted.
In my book, “Republican Gomorrah: Inside The Movement That Shattered The Party,” I describe how Kristol initiated the alliance in July 1984, urging that American Jews, “enmeshed in the liberal time warp,” ally with Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority."
In my book, “Republican Gomorrah: Inside The Movement That Shattered The Party,” I describe how Kristol initiated the alliance in July 1984, urging that American Jews, “enmeshed in the liberal time warp,” ally with Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority."
Not saying cheese today..
Sick in bed with all the symptoms of food poisoning.(I'll spare you the details). I suspect the cheese I ate last night was off..For your enlightment, French people do not believe cheese can go off, it can only become smoother and tastier. Obviously I'm not French enough to the cheese taste! Excus' me...hav' to.. go!
We're Screwed
It’s Coming!
It’s official. It’s getting hot down here. And if we don’t stop burning oil and coal, the Big Apple will be cooked.
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The big apple?.. What about the other fruits and veggies?
It’s official. It’s getting hot down here. And if we don’t stop burning oil and coal, the Big Apple will be cooked.
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The big apple?.. What about the other fruits and veggies?
Climate Risks: Lessons From The Financial Crisis
By Robin Hahnel
Among the many talking points that Wall Street emphasized in its successful efforts to de-regulate the financial industry over the past three decades was that it was more sophisticated now than it was back in the 1920s - it knew how to manage risk. The mantra that financial firms were doing a better job managing risk was no doubt a comforting thought for politicians from both major political parties who voted repeatedly to dismantle old regulations and permit new, unregulated financial firms to grow and dominate the industry.
Unfortunately for the rest of us, events have proved otherwise. The financial industry was not quite as sophisticated as it thought.
ZNet
Among the many talking points that Wall Street emphasized in its successful efforts to de-regulate the financial industry over the past three decades was that it was more sophisticated now than it was back in the 1920s - it knew how to manage risk. The mantra that financial firms were doing a better job managing risk was no doubt a comforting thought for politicians from both major political parties who voted repeatedly to dismantle old regulations and permit new, unregulated financial firms to grow and dominate the industry.
Unfortunately for the rest of us, events have proved otherwise. The financial industry was not quite as sophisticated as it thought.
ZNet
President Zelaya Has Returned to Honduras
The first to break the news in English was the Honduran Campesino blog:
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Iraq's academy of peace and politeness
Old fashioned good manners are top of the curriculum at the academy
Its aim is not only to teach music but also to revive what founders of the school believe many young people lost during the last six years - good manners.
BBC video: The rise of Israel's military rabbis
Israel's army is changing. Once proudly secular, its combat units are now filling with those who believe Israel's wars are "God's wars".
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Yes. That same genocidal god of the old testament.
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Yes. That same genocidal god of the old testament.
Limbaugh: We need segregated buses
In a remark extraordinary even by the standards of conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, the right-wing radio heavyweight declared on his program Wednesday that the United States needed to return to racially segregated buses.
Gaza Is A New Genocide: An Israeli, and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, explains how she fought the lies
By Enbal Gross
Let me take you on a trip into Gaza, but this time from a different and unusual point of view. I’m a 26 year-old Israeli woman. I grew up in Israel and I can tell you that since day one all you learn and understand is that there is an enemy that wants to take your country and kill you.
You will learn in an Israeli history class that we were always outnumbered, that all of the battles were in the sanctity of the Holy Land. You will learn that the Jewish people have suffered throughout history. You will have no choice but to believe that the only way is to fight for your life, no matter what.
Let me take you on a trip into Gaza, but this time from a different and unusual point of view. I’m a 26 year-old Israeli woman. I grew up in Israel and I can tell you that since day one all you learn and understand is that there is an enemy that wants to take your country and kill you.
You will learn in an Israeli history class that we were always outnumbered, that all of the battles were in the sanctity of the Holy Land. You will learn that the Jewish people have suffered throughout history. You will have no choice but to believe that the only way is to fight for your life, no matter what.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
ByeBye JS-kit..
They're giving no options but to pay...For the time being they downgraded the service to the strict minimum...
War on Democracy - US backed 1973 coup in Chile By John Pilger
An excerpt from John Pilger's documentary The War on Democracy, which recounts the involvement of the United States government in the brutal 1973 military coup that overthrew the democratic socialist government of President Salvador Allende -- paradoxically on September 11. It ushered in a regime of torture and tyranny.
The full video here:
Who's really behind that "bipartisan" call to attack Iran?
The Worms in the Apple
by Justin Raimondo
"I have long held that the invasion of Iraq, and subsequent military occupation, was engineered by a group of neoconservatives whose primary loyalty is not to the US, but to Israel. I said that at the very outset of the debate over whether to launch a military strike, and, although my view was far from popular at that time, as events progressed it became less controversial: the evidence for it was too overwhelming to be summarily dismissed. This time, as we enter the first stages of a debate over going to war with Iran, I make the same accusation against the War Party – and the background and arguments of Makovsky-Rubin make my point very well indeed."
by Justin Raimondo
"I have long held that the invasion of Iraq, and subsequent military occupation, was engineered by a group of neoconservatives whose primary loyalty is not to the US, but to Israel. I said that at the very outset of the debate over whether to launch a military strike, and, although my view was far from popular at that time, as events progressed it became less controversial: the evidence for it was too overwhelming to be summarily dismissed. This time, as we enter the first stages of a debate over going to war with Iran, I make the same accusation against the War Party – and the background and arguments of Makovsky-Rubin make my point very well indeed."
John Pilger: For Britons, the Party Game Is Over
"On the day Prime Minister Gordon Brown made his "major policy speech" on Afghanistan, repeating his surreal claim that if the British army did not fight Pashtun tribesmen over there, they would be over here, the stench of burnt flesh hung over the banks of the Kunduz River. NATO fighter planes had blown the poorest of the poor to bits. They were Afghan villagers who had rushed to siphon off fuel from two stalled tankers. Many were children with water buckets and cooking pots. "At least" 90 were killed, although NATO prefers not to count its civilian enemy. "It was a scene from hell," said Mohammed Daud, a witness. "Hands, legs and body parts were scattered everywhere." No parade for them along a Wiltshire high street."
Boycott Derails Jerusalem Rail Line
By JONATHAN COOK in Nazareth.
An ill-fated light railway under construction in Jerusalem was originally heralded by Israeli officials as a way to cement the city’s “unification” four decades after the city’s Palestinian half was illegally annexed to Israel.
But the only unity generated among Jewish and Palestinian residents after four years of disruptions to the city’s traffic and businesses is general agreement that the project is rapidly becoming a white elephant.
An ill-fated light railway under construction in Jerusalem was originally heralded by Israeli officials as a way to cement the city’s “unification” four decades after the city’s Palestinian half was illegally annexed to Israel.
But the only unity generated among Jewish and Palestinian residents after four years of disruptions to the city’s traffic and businesses is general agreement that the project is rapidly becoming a white elephant.
US troops kill Fallujah 'shoe-thrower'
September 16, 2009
FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFP) – An Iraqi man who witnesses said shouted abuse before throwing a shoe at a US army vehicle was shot dead on Wednesday in what the American military said was a suspected grenade attack.
FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFP) – An Iraqi man who witnesses said shouted abuse before throwing a shoe at a US army vehicle was shot dead on Wednesday in what the American military said was a suspected grenade attack.
UN body urges Israel to allow nuclear inspection
Arab states in the United Nations nuclear assembly on Friday won narrow approval of a resolution urging Israel to put all its atomic sites under the world body's inspection and join the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Israel deplored the measure for singling it out while many of its neighbors remained hostile to its existence, and said it would not cooperate with it.
The non-binding resolution, which passed for the first time in 18 years of attempts thanks to more developing nation votes, voiced concern about "Israeli nuclear capabilities" and urged the International Atomic Energy Agency to tackle the issue.
Israel deplored the measure for singling it out while many of its neighbors remained hostile to its existence, and said it would not cooperate with it.
The non-binding resolution, which passed for the first time in 18 years of attempts thanks to more developing nation votes, voiced concern about "Israeli nuclear capabilities" and urged the International Atomic Energy Agency to tackle the issue.
Back to that historic vote
Historic vote at British Trades Union Congress Calls for Boycott of Israeli Goods & ‘Review’ of Histadrut Links
The TUC(Trade Union Congress) used to be a byword in support for the Israeli state. TUC leaders liked to point to Israel and the Kibbutzim as an example of ‘socialism’. That was before people became aware of the racist Jewish-only composition of these settlements, coupled with their establishment on land where formerly Palestinian villages stood or on stolen land.
The watershed for Zionism was the 1982 invasion of the Lebanon, when some 30,000 people were killed, including the terrible massacre at the Beirut Palestinian camps of Sabra and Chatilla, when under the protection of the Israeli military, which provided lighting for the slaughterers, up to 2,000 Palestinian civilians in the camps were butchered by Lebanese fascists of the Phalange. Literally a marriage made in hell.
Tony Greenstein's Blog
(Thanks D.O)
The TUC(Trade Union Congress) used to be a byword in support for the Israeli state. TUC leaders liked to point to Israel and the Kibbutzim as an example of ‘socialism’. That was before people became aware of the racist Jewish-only composition of these settlements, coupled with their establishment on land where formerly Palestinian villages stood or on stolen land.
The watershed for Zionism was the 1982 invasion of the Lebanon, when some 30,000 people were killed, including the terrible massacre at the Beirut Palestinian camps of Sabra and Chatilla, when under the protection of the Israeli military, which provided lighting for the slaughterers, up to 2,000 Palestinian civilians in the camps were butchered by Lebanese fascists of the Phalange. Literally a marriage made in hell.
Tony Greenstein's Blog
(Thanks D.O)
Friday, September 18, 2009
Europe now richer than America
U.S. wealth, measured in assets under management, has fallen farther than its transatlantic cousin's.
75% of Oklahoma high school students don't know who the first president of the US was
Are Americans dumb or what? A friend of mine, a college teacher, was looking over his teacher evaluation, written by his students. One of his students wrote that that he, the teacher, "No his stuff." How do you get out of fourth grade not knowing how to spell "know"?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
What Motivates Suicide Bombers?
...religion is not a driving force but a cocktail of motivations including politics, humiliation, retaliation, revenge...
Last minute info....YES!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was very curious and excited to know the result of the vote and here it is!
Britain's trade unions go for a mass boycott against Israel
London, September 17, 2009 (Pal Telegraph)- In a landmark decision, Britain's trade unions have voted overwhelmingly to commit to build a mass boycott movement, disinvestment and sanctions on Israel for a negotiated settlement based on justice for Palestinians. The motion was passed at the 2009 TUC Annual Congress in Liverpool today (17 September), by unions representing 6.5 million workers across the UK.
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Good on you all the Jemmys of Britain!
Britain's trade unions go for a mass boycott against Israel
London, September 17, 2009 (Pal Telegraph)- In a landmark decision, Britain's trade unions have voted overwhelmingly to commit to build a mass boycott movement, disinvestment and sanctions on Israel for a negotiated settlement based on justice for Palestinians. The motion was passed at the 2009 TUC Annual Congress in Liverpool today (17 September), by unions representing 6.5 million workers across the UK.
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Good on you all the Jemmys of Britain!
Why capitalism fails
The man who saw the meltdown coming had another troubling insight: it will happen again
“Minsky” was shorthand for Hyman Minsky, a hitherto obscure macroeconomist who died over a decade ago. Many economists had never heard of him when the crisis struck, and he remains a shadowy figure in the profession. But lately he has begun emerging as perhaps the most prescient big-picture thinker about what, exactly, we are going through. A contrarian amid the conformity of postwar America, an expert in the then-unfashionable subfields of finance and crisis, Minsky was one economist who saw what was coming. He predicted, decades ago, almost exactly the kind of meltdown that recently hammered the global economy.
“Minsky” was shorthand for Hyman Minsky, a hitherto obscure macroeconomist who died over a decade ago. Many economists had never heard of him when the crisis struck, and he remains a shadowy figure in the profession. But lately he has begun emerging as perhaps the most prescient big-picture thinker about what, exactly, we are going through. A contrarian amid the conformity of postwar America, an expert in the then-unfashionable subfields of finance and crisis, Minsky was one economist who saw what was coming. He predicted, decades ago, almost exactly the kind of meltdown that recently hammered the global economy.
Japan ready to withdraw support for Afghanistan war
Japan’s new Defence Minister is a strong opponent of the country’s military support for the US, making it more likely than ever that the Government of Yukio Hatoyama will withdraw its naval ships from the war in Afghanistan early next year.
Iraqi shoe-thrower Muntazer al-Zaidi 'was waterboarded'
The Iraqi television reporter jailed for throwing his shoes at George W Bush was finally freed today and said that he had been subjected to electric shocks and even waterboarding while in custody.
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But...what did they want him to confess? The name of the shoe shop where he bought his pair from?
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But...what did they want him to confess? The name of the shoe shop where he bought his pair from?
Creationists to Mark 'Darwin Day' with Anti-Evolution Conference
While hundreds of celebrations worldwide will be marking the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth beginning in February, one creationist ministry will be holding conferences to refute the famed scientist's theory of evolution.
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I agree with the knuckle heads..Irrefutable science IS their enemy!
BTW, we will be celebrating 'Darwin Day' here on the blog. You bet I will!
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I agree with the knuckle heads..Irrefutable science IS their enemy!
BTW, we will be celebrating 'Darwin Day' here on the blog. You bet I will!
Pope Benedict Something to Tackle Secularism in Czech Visit
But while the visit will celebrate the end of communism, which Benedict’s predecessor, John Paul II, did so much to end, the Pope’s primary concern will be widespread secularization which is sweeping the country. Despite the end of atheistic communist rule, the Czech Republic has become one of the most secular countries in Europe, with just a quarter of its population professing belief in Christianity.
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Yes, people! His (ass)holiness knows where the real danger is...People like me and you!! And just before I get attacked on "our" own nutters who would probably put me in jail for my beliefs (or the absence of them), yes, they're assholes too!
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Yes, people! His (ass)holiness knows where the real danger is...People like me and you!! And just before I get attacked on "our" own nutters who would probably put me in jail for my beliefs (or the absence of them), yes, they're assholes too!
Teen birth rates highest in most religious states
Link may be due to communities frowning on contraception, researchers say
U.S. states whose residents have more conservative religious beliefs on average tend to have higher rates of teenagers giving birth, a new study suggests.
The relationship could be due to the fact that communities with such religious beliefs (a literal interpretation of the Bible, for instance) may frown upon contraception, researchers say. If that same culture isn't successfully discouraging teen sex, the pregnancy and birth rates rise.
U.S. states whose residents have more conservative religious beliefs on average tend to have higher rates of teenagers giving birth, a new study suggests.
The relationship could be due to the fact that communities with such religious beliefs (a literal interpretation of the Bible, for instance) may frown upon contraception, researchers say. If that same culture isn't successfully discouraging teen sex, the pregnancy and birth rates rise.
UN report: Israel terrorised Gazans in war
Israel "punished and terrorised" civilians in Gaza in a disproportionate attack in its three-week offensive on the territory earlier this year, a United Nations report has found.
Judge Richard Goldstone, who led the inquiry, said on Wednesday that he found evidence Israel targeted civilians and used excessive force in the assault, which was launched on December 27, 2008.
Judge Richard Goldstone, who led the inquiry, said on Wednesday that he found evidence Israel targeted civilians and used excessive force in the assault, which was launched on December 27, 2008.
Evil Speaks – Are We Listening?
Justin Raimondo
The latest message from Osama bin Laden – an audio recording posted on jihadist Web sites – is truly scary. Not because he threatens us with death and destruction, though he does. Not because he vows that the 9/11 attacks were just the beginning, though this is strongly implied. And not because he’s the kind of guy who gives evil a bad name. Although few would dispute his unique malevolence, the really frightening aspect of his latest message is its clear-headed insight into the way American foreign policy is made – and by whom.
Antiwar.com
The latest message from Osama bin Laden – an audio recording posted on jihadist Web sites – is truly scary. Not because he threatens us with death and destruction, though he does. Not because he vows that the 9/11 attacks were just the beginning, though this is strongly implied. And not because he’s the kind of guy who gives evil a bad name. Although few would dispute his unique malevolence, the really frightening aspect of his latest message is its clear-headed insight into the way American foreign policy is made – and by whom.
Antiwar.com
Barak says Iran is not existential threat to Israel
Defense Minister Ehud Barak was quoted on Thursday as saying he does not view Iran as a threat to Israel's existence, a view that would seem to depart from Israeli statements of the recent past.
Haaretz
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Either way, it doesn't hurt to cry wolf a bit more..
Haaretz
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Either way, it doesn't hurt to cry wolf a bit more..
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Is this desperation or I'm just deluding myself?!
Israeli Minister to Swedish Jews: Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism
Anti-Zionism is a new form of anti-Semitism that can be found in foreign media, Information and Diaspora Minister Yuli Edelstein (Likud) told Swedish Jews Tuesday. The comments were made during a videoconference held following the controversial publication in a Swedish paper of an article claiming Israeli soldiers stole organs from Palestinians.
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Well if this is effectively the case then I'm a proud "anti-Semite".
Anti-Zionism is a new form of anti-Semitism that can be found in foreign media, Information and Diaspora Minister Yuli Edelstein (Likud) told Swedish Jews Tuesday. The comments were made during a videoconference held following the controversial publication in a Swedish paper of an article claiming Israeli soldiers stole organs from Palestinians.
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Well if this is effectively the case then I'm a proud "anti-Semite".
Just in case you wondered why the UN report on Gaza war was so soft on Israel
SIMPLE:
Goldstone's daughter: My father's participation softened UN Gaza report.
"Had Richard Goldstone not served as the head of the UN inquiry into the Gaza war, the accusations against Israel would have been harsher, Goldstone's daughter, Nicole, said in an interview conducted in Hebrew with Army Radio on Wednesday."
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Oh we're so shocked, aren't we fellas? So shocked, I'm telling you! They're flaunting every rule of decency in the known Universe!
Goldstone's daughter: My father's participation softened UN Gaza report.
"Had Richard Goldstone not served as the head of the UN inquiry into the Gaza war, the accusations against Israel would have been harsher, Goldstone's daughter, Nicole, said in an interview conducted in Hebrew with Army Radio on Wednesday."
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Oh we're so shocked, aren't we fellas? So shocked, I'm telling you! They're flaunting every rule of decency in the known Universe!
"Bin Laden speech" by the Angry Arab
I was just telling my class on Middle East politics yesterday that Bin Laden's speeches receive attention in Washington, DC but not in the Middle East itself. I am not saying that the demise of the appeal of Al-Qa`idah in the Middle East was inevitable: but that Al-Qa`idah could have captured some appeal had it become factor against Israel, but it has not.
Hollywood Jews hit back at protest of Toronto Film Festival
Seinfeld, Sacha Baron Cohen and Natalie Portman slam Toronto Film Festival protest
Jewish actors sign letter in L.A. Times and Toronto Star protesting boycott of festival over homage to Tel Aviv.
WASHINGTON - A number of Hollywood stars circulated a letter Tuesday protesting a petition calling for a boycott of the Toronto International Film Festival over a Tel Aviv-themed event.
The letter, which appeared simultaneously in the Los Angeles Times and the Toronto Star was signed, among others, by Jerry Seinfeld, Sacha Baron Cohen, Natalie Portman, Jason Alexander and Lisa Kudrow.
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Oh, how very surprising! Oh BTW, the letter was paid for by the Jewish organisations in Los Angeles and Toronto!
Jewish actors sign letter in L.A. Times and Toronto Star protesting boycott of festival over homage to Tel Aviv.
WASHINGTON - A number of Hollywood stars circulated a letter Tuesday protesting a petition calling for a boycott of the Toronto International Film Festival over a Tel Aviv-themed event.
The letter, which appeared simultaneously in the Los Angeles Times and the Toronto Star was signed, among others, by Jerry Seinfeld, Sacha Baron Cohen, Natalie Portman, Jason Alexander and Lisa Kudrow.
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Oh, how very surprising! Oh BTW, the letter was paid for by the Jewish organisations in Los Angeles and Toronto!
Palestinian state in 2 years?
Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians will resume next month on the basis of an understanding that the establishment of a Palestinian state will be officially announced in two years.
Due to the Palestinians' reservations over establishing a state with temporary borders, as was proposed during the second stage of the road map, this step will probably be defined as "early recognition" of Palestine.
Due to the Palestinians' reservations over establishing a state with temporary borders, as was proposed during the second stage of the road map, this step will probably be defined as "early recognition" of Palestine.
Egyptian film withdraws from Toronto festival
"Just prior to the festival's start, however, some 50 intellectuals and filmmakers, including British director Ken Loach, accused North America's premiere film festival of "complicity with the Israeli propaganda machine" over its spotlight this year on Tel Aviv, given "the absence of Palestinian filmmakers in the program."
The program "ignores the suffering of thousands of former residents and descendants of the Tel Aviv/Jaffa area who currently live in refugee camps in the Occupied Territories" after a "mass exiling of the Palestinian population" in 1948, they said in an open letter to festival organizers."
The program "ignores the suffering of thousands of former residents and descendants of the Tel Aviv/Jaffa area who currently live in refugee camps in the Occupied Territories" after a "mass exiling of the Palestinian population" in 1948, they said in an open letter to festival organizers."
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Jeff Halper: Dismantling the Matrix of Control
A very interesting article. A MUST read.
Almost a decade ago I wrote an article describing Israel's "matrix of control" over the Occupied Palestinian Territories. It consisted then of three interlocking systems: military administration of much of the West Bank and incessant army and air force intrusions elsewhere; a skein of "facts on the ground," notably settlements in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, but also bypass roads connecting the settlements to Israel proper; and administrative measures like house demolitions and deportations. I argued in 2000 that unless this matrix was dismantled, the occupation would not be ended and a two-state solution could not be achieved.
Since then the occupation has grown immeasurably stronger and more entrenched. The first decade of the twenty-first century has so far seen the steady constricting and fragmentation of Palestinian territory through still more wholesale expropriation of Palestinian land, checkpoints and other physical restrictions on freedom of movement, settlement construction, more and more massive highways intended for Israeli settlers, control over natural resources and, most visibly of all, the erection of the separation barrier in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Since December 2000, according to the Israeli human rights organization B'tselem, the settler population of the West Bank has grown by 86,000 and that of East Jerusalem by 50,000. Gaza was evacuated of settlers and soldiers in 2005, but Israel retains near complete control over egress and exit of people and goods to and from the coastal strip, regularly cuts supplies of fuel and other necessities to punish the residents and mounts military incursions at will. All the Palestinian territories are subject, to one degree or another, to the measures of house demolitions, "closures" that halt economic activity, administrative restrictions on movement, deportation, induced out-migration and much more.
Almost a decade ago I wrote an article describing Israel's "matrix of control" over the Occupied Palestinian Territories. It consisted then of three interlocking systems: military administration of much of the West Bank and incessant army and air force intrusions elsewhere; a skein of "facts on the ground," notably settlements in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, but also bypass roads connecting the settlements to Israel proper; and administrative measures like house demolitions and deportations. I argued in 2000 that unless this matrix was dismantled, the occupation would not be ended and a two-state solution could not be achieved.
Since then the occupation has grown immeasurably stronger and more entrenched. The first decade of the twenty-first century has so far seen the steady constricting and fragmentation of Palestinian territory through still more wholesale expropriation of Palestinian land, checkpoints and other physical restrictions on freedom of movement, settlement construction, more and more massive highways intended for Israeli settlers, control over natural resources and, most visibly of all, the erection of the separation barrier in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Since December 2000, according to the Israeli human rights organization B'tselem, the settler population of the West Bank has grown by 86,000 and that of East Jerusalem by 50,000. Gaza was evacuated of settlers and soldiers in 2005, but Israel retains near complete control over egress and exit of people and goods to and from the coastal strip, regularly cuts supplies of fuel and other necessities to punish the residents and mounts military incursions at will. All the Palestinian territories are subject, to one degree or another, to the measures of house demolitions, "closures" that halt economic activity, administrative restrictions on movement, deportation, induced out-migration and much more.
No Celebration of Occupation:
1,500 Artists and Writers Sign Letter Protesting Toronto Film Festival Decision to Spotlight Tel Aviv
A protest at the Toronto International Film Festival has taken center stage after a group of artists and writers signed a letter of protest against the festival’s decision to spotlight the city of Tel Aviv. Activists say the TIFF spotlight plays into Israel’s attempt to improve its global image in the wake of the assault on the Gaza Strip and the ongoing occupation of Palestinian land. Over 1,500 people have signed the letter, called “The Toronto Declaration: No Celebration of Occupation,” including Jane Fonda, Viggo Mortensen, Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte. We speak with journalist and author Naomi Klein, who helped draft the letter.
Democracy now
A protest at the Toronto International Film Festival has taken center stage after a group of artists and writers signed a letter of protest against the festival’s decision to spotlight the city of Tel Aviv. Activists say the TIFF spotlight plays into Israel’s attempt to improve its global image in the wake of the assault on the Gaza Strip and the ongoing occupation of Palestinian land. Over 1,500 people have signed the letter, called “The Toronto Declaration: No Celebration of Occupation,” including Jane Fonda, Viggo Mortensen, Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte. We speak with journalist and author Naomi Klein, who helped draft the letter.
Democracy now
How US Tax Breaks Fund Israeli Settlers
By JONATHAN COOK, in Nazareth
CounterPunch
Israeli peace activists are planning to ratchet up their campaign against groups in the United States that raise money for settlers by highlighting how tax exemptions are helping to fund the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Gush Shalom, a small peace group that advocates Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories, is preparing to send details to the US tax authorities questioning the charitable status of several organisations.
CounterPunch
Israeli peace activists are planning to ratchet up their campaign against groups in the United States that raise money for settlers by highlighting how tax exemptions are helping to fund the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Gush Shalom, a small peace group that advocates Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories, is preparing to send details to the US tax authorities questioning the charitable status of several organisations.
The Story of My Shoe
My Flower to Bush, the Occupier
By MUTADHAR al-ZAIDI
"We used to be a nation in which the Arab would share with the Turkman and the Kurd and the Assyrian and the Sabean and the Yazid his daily bread. And the Shiite would pray with the Sunni in one line. And the Muslim would celebrate with the Christian the birthday of Christ, may peace be upon him. And despite the fact that we shared hunger under sanctions for more than 10 years, for more than a decade."
By MUTADHAR al-ZAIDI
"We used to be a nation in which the Arab would share with the Turkman and the Kurd and the Assyrian and the Sabean and the Yazid his daily bread. And the Shiite would pray with the Sunni in one line. And the Muslim would celebrate with the Christian the birthday of Christ, may peace be upon him. And despite the fact that we shared hunger under sanctions for more than 10 years, for more than a decade."
One can only guess why, on a daily basis now, a certain settler scum is spamming this site. Could it be that he and his insular messianic Judeonazi flock are feeling the heat and realising that maybe soon they have to give back what they've stolen?..Or is it just part of that "sharmoota sharmoota" method where they resort to this vile practice because it's what comes naturally to them being the evil mutation of humans gone wrong?
Monday, September 14, 2009
Deshelve!
Just a thought...If I were a believer I'd still think that religion AND god are a bad idea anyway! Look at Pharmacy..If one medicine was found to have one or two bad, negative side effects, though beneficial in all other considerations, it is removed from the shelves!!
Darwin Film Can't Find US Distributor Because Of Controversial Evolution
Jeremy Thomas, the Oscar-winning producer of Creation, said he was astonished that such attitudes exist 150 years after On The Origin of Species was published.
"That's what we're up against. In 2009. It's amazing," he said.
The Huffington Post
The Telegraph article here:
Charles Darwin film 'too controversial for religious America'
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No other way of describing it..Censorship in the USA..
"That's what we're up against. In 2009. It's amazing," he said.
The Huffington Post
The Telegraph article here:
Charles Darwin film 'too controversial for religious America'
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No other way of describing it..Censorship in the USA..
Bin Laden prods US to end 'hopeless' Afghan war
CAIRO – Osama bin Laden said in a new audiotape that President Barack Obama's strategy in Afghanistan is "hopeless" and called on Americans to resolve the conflict with al-Qaida by ending the war there and breaking the U.S. alliance with Israel.
Man faces 90 days in jail for honking in support of protest against Congressman
"Yesterday one of my friends learned that he was facing three months in jail and a $1,000 fine. His crime? Improper use of a car horn. You may think that people don't go to jail for honking their car horns, you may think that there must be an additional charge on top of the honking offense because we have all heard people use their car horns in non-emergency situations but most of us have never heard of a person going to jail for such an offense. There are no other charges however, the only charge against him in the police report is that he was "honking the vehicle's horn repeatedly approximately five to ten times."
The Daily Kos
The Daily Kos
Is god's "trailer trash" going to be hard to dislodge?
....
The New York Times believes:
Resolve of West Bank Settlers May Have Limits
"Certainly, some settler leaders speak in ominous tones. “They’ll have to kill us to get us out of here,” said Itay Zar, founder of Havat Gilad, sitting in the outpost’s unpaved central square, a pink sun setting over the majestic Samarian hills before dropping into the Mediterranean."
The NYT..rash!
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"Samarian hills"!! You read this and you understand As'ad's incessant rants in regards to the New York Times...This type of language is not as innocent as it may appear. It's meant to saw in the minds of its readers the seed of doubt.."But why should they be removed from what seems to be their biblical and historical land?!"..Sophisticated, or should I say gross, stuff really and it's been going on more, never less, for decades...BTW, this is only a tiny example. More "jewels" are scattered in this poisonous piece of trash...
The New York Times believes:
Resolve of West Bank Settlers May Have Limits
"Certainly, some settler leaders speak in ominous tones. “They’ll have to kill us to get us out of here,” said Itay Zar, founder of Havat Gilad, sitting in the outpost’s unpaved central square, a pink sun setting over the majestic Samarian hills before dropping into the Mediterranean."
The NYT..rash!
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"Samarian hills"!! You read this and you understand As'ad's incessant rants in regards to the New York Times...This type of language is not as innocent as it may appear. It's meant to saw in the minds of its readers the seed of doubt.."But why should they be removed from what seems to be their biblical and historical land?!"..Sophisticated, or should I say gross, stuff really and it's been going on more, never less, for decades...BTW, this is only a tiny example. More "jewels" are scattered in this poisonous piece of trash...
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Comments in a black hole
Yes, we're experiencing issues with comments now..No idea whatsoever..I'm to my neck in all things related to the opening tonight, and NO, nothing to do with dress. Very sorry and exasperated..
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Back to isanity
Egyptian Police Arresting Those Who Publicly Breakfast During Ramadan
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I'm getting plenty of emails from Egyptian friends worried about this new orientation.
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I'm getting plenty of emails from Egyptian friends worried about this new orientation.
Dixit Dominus
Few years back when my father passed away, this was the ONLY music I could listen to. More than 10 times a day for a full month. I, a staunch atheist, found solace in it! Go figure...
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Sorry for dragging you away from more important issues but what would YOU, male readers of course, wear for an opening night(Monday, BTW)?..Not that I don't know mind you but genuinely interested, curious and open to suggestions of course.. ...Actually I'm also interested in hearing the ladies' opinions too.
Israel and U.S. jointly target Sweden in propaganda blitzkrieg
WMR) -- After the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet published an expose of the Israeli Defense Forces harvesting the organs from young Palestinians killed by its forces in the West Bank, Israel’s propaganda machine, which has its tentacles in the world’s largest media companies and the Pentagon, went to work on demonizing Sweden.
Our sources in Finland report that Finnish television is stating that Israel’s Mossad was behind the hijacking of the Maltese-flagged, Russian-crewed, and Russo-Finnish chartered ”Arctic Sea” in Swedish territorial waters. The charter firm is Solchart Arkhangelsk Ltd. of Helsinki. The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office Investigation Committee says it is cooperating with authorities in Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, and Sweden on the hijacking of the “Arctic Sea.” Israel is noticeably absent from the list of cooperating countries.
Our sources in Finland report that Finnish television is stating that Israel’s Mossad was behind the hijacking of the Maltese-flagged, Russian-crewed, and Russo-Finnish chartered ”Arctic Sea” in Swedish territorial waters. The charter firm is Solchart Arkhangelsk Ltd. of Helsinki. The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office Investigation Committee says it is cooperating with authorities in Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, and Sweden on the hijacking of the “Arctic Sea.” Israel is noticeably absent from the list of cooperating countries.
The Angry Arab on Madonna/Israel
American Zionist liberals
"Madonna is reportedly spending the Sabbath eve at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home." Forget about the celebrity culture and forget about a person whose knowledge of world affairs is distracted by her constant search for poor African children to buy. But it made me think: that American Zionist liberals are not even like Israeli Zionist liberals. Israeli Zionist liberals are aware of the right-left dichotomy (as bad and criminal and terrorist the Israeli Zionist liberals and conservatives are), while American liberal Zionists identify with Israel so much that they disregard the right-left dichotomy. This is a woman who would never be seen with a right-wing American politician, but would be honored to dine with a fascist Israeli leader. Such are the standards of American Zionist liberals: Madonna mocks George W. Bush, and honors Netanyahu, who is to the right of Bush.
Posted by As'ad at 9:57 AM
"Madonna is reportedly spending the Sabbath eve at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home." Forget about the celebrity culture and forget about a person whose knowledge of world affairs is distracted by her constant search for poor African children to buy. But it made me think: that American Zionist liberals are not even like Israeli Zionist liberals. Israeli Zionist liberals are aware of the right-left dichotomy (as bad and criminal and terrorist the Israeli Zionist liberals and conservatives are), while American liberal Zionists identify with Israel so much that they disregard the right-left dichotomy. This is a woman who would never be seen with a right-wing American politician, but would be honored to dine with a fascist Israeli leader. Such are the standards of American Zionist liberals: Madonna mocks George W. Bush, and honors Netanyahu, who is to the right of Bush.
Posted by As'ad at 9:57 AM
On Jane Fonda and Israel from the Angry Arab
Jane Fonda loves Israeli wars, she swears
"I have been to Israel many times. The first was in the early 1980s and it was love at first sight…for the country and for its people. I stayed in a Kibbutz with the great Israeli novelist, Amos Oz, and his family. I raised money for a senior center in Haifa, for a girl’s shelter in Jerusalem. I have spoken at the Hebrew University. I traveled into Lebanon with the Israeli army in 1981." It was 1982, you foreign policy expert. At least get your facts straight when you express your love for Israeli wars.
"I have been to Israel many times. The first was in the early 1980s and it was love at first sight…for the country and for its people. I stayed in a Kibbutz with the great Israeli novelist, Amos Oz, and his family. I raised money for a senior center in Haifa, for a girl’s shelter in Jerusalem. I have spoken at the Hebrew University. I traveled into Lebanon with the Israeli army in 1981." It was 1982, you foreign policy expert. At least get your facts straight when you express your love for Israeli wars.
Israeli arms dealers join Lieberman's entourage to Africa
"The ugly Israeli" in the guise of the arms dealer (mostly former intelligence and military officials), who promotes weapons sales on behalf of Israeli military industries, with the backing of the defense establishment, have given Israel a bad name world-wide. Israelis have been involved in civil wars (in Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast) and in aiding dictatorial regimes such as in Equatorial Guinea and the two Congo republics.
Haaretz
Haaretz
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Deadly blasts hit Iraqi cities
Bombs have exploded in three Iraqi cities killing at least 15 people.
In the deadliest attack on Monday a suicide car bomber killed at least seven people and wounded 15 others at a security checkpoint in western Iraq, police said.
In the deadliest attack on Monday a suicide car bomber killed at least seven people and wounded 15 others at a security checkpoint in western Iraq, police said.
Sudanese woman jailed over..... trousers!!!
The highly "indecent" piece of clothing...
A Sudanese woman arrested for wearing trousers has been found guilty of flouting Sudan's decency laws, but spared the expected punishment of 40 lashes.
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Oh, so she was spared? How kind of them!! How merciful! Maybe they realised nobody was lethally injured looking at the offensive garment after all!... Shit for brains!
Jews for genocide!
Israeli settlers push further into Palestinian land
Israeli settlers are pushing further into occupied Palestinian land, despite international pressure to halt settlement activity.
Hundreds of Israelis cheered as the first scoops of concrete were poured for a new settlement in an area called "E1" northeast of Jerusalem.
A Jewish settlement there will be the final link in a chain that cuts off Palestinians in East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank.
Al Jazeeras Jacky Rowland reports from EI, where protesting peace activists say the settlers are sabotaging Israels chances for peace.
Israeli settlers are pushing further into occupied Palestinian land, despite international pressure to halt settlement activity.
Hundreds of Israelis cheered as the first scoops of concrete were poured for a new settlement in an area called "E1" northeast of Jerusalem.
A Jewish settlement there will be the final link in a chain that cuts off Palestinians in East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank.
Al Jazeeras Jacky Rowland reports from EI, where protesting peace activists say the settlers are sabotaging Israels chances for peace.
Israeli Arabs Call for General Strike
By JONATHAN COOK
The increasingly harsh political climate in Israel under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government has prompted the leadership of the country’s 1.3 million Arab citizens to call the first general strike in several years.
The one-day stoppage is due to take place on October 1, a date heavy with symbolism because it marks the anniversary of another general strike, in 2000 at the start of the second intifada, when 13 Arab demonstrators were shot dead by Israeli police.
The increasingly harsh political climate in Israel under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government has prompted the leadership of the country’s 1.3 million Arab citizens to call the first general strike in several years.
The one-day stoppage is due to take place on October 1, a date heavy with symbolism because it marks the anniversary of another general strike, in 2000 at the start of the second intifada, when 13 Arab demonstrators were shot dead by Israeli police.
Norway divests from the defense electronics giant Elbit Systems
Why stop with Elbit?
By Amira Hass
The question is not why Norway divested from the defense electronics giant Elbit Systems, but why only now, and why only from that company? The country that gave the name of its capital city to what the world thought of as a peace process is still invested in companies involved in construction and development in the West Bank settlements - the principal factor in destroying any chance for peace (at least any peace other than the belligerent demand that the Palestinians say "thank you" for what Israel is willing to give them).
By Amira Hass
The question is not why Norway divested from the defense electronics giant Elbit Systems, but why only now, and why only from that company? The country that gave the name of its capital city to what the world thought of as a peace process is still invested in companies involved in construction and development in the West Bank settlements - the principal factor in destroying any chance for peace (at least any peace other than the belligerent demand that the Palestinians say "thank you" for what Israel is willing to give them).
Chavez accuses Israel of genocide against Palestinians
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused Israel of genocide against the Palestinian people, telling a French newspaper that the bombing of Gaza late last year was an unprovoked attack.
Iraqi shoe thrower Muntazer al-Zaidi inundated with offers and gifts
Next Monday, when the journalist walks out of prison, his 10 raging seconds, which came to define his country's last six miserable years, are set to take on a new life even more dramatic than the opening act.
Across Iraq and in every corner of the Arab world, Zaidi is being feted. The 20 words or so he spat at Bush – "This is your farewell kiss, you dog. This is for the widows and orphans of Iraq" – have been immortalised, and in many cases memorised.
The Guardian
Across Iraq and in every corner of the Arab world, Zaidi is being feted. The 20 words or so he spat at Bush – "This is your farewell kiss, you dog. This is for the widows and orphans of Iraq" – have been immortalised, and in many cases memorised.
The Guardian
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Is justice right side up?
By Eduardo Galeano
Has world justice been frozen in an upside-down position?
The shoe-thrower of Iraq, the man who hurled his shoes at Bush, was condemned to three years in prison. Doesn't he deserve, instead, a medal?
Who is the terrorist? The hurler of shoes or their recipient? Is not the real terrorist the serial killer who, lying, fabricated the Iraq war, massacred a multitude, and legalized and ordered torture?
Who are the guilty ones--the people of Atenco, in Mexico, the indigenous Mapuches of Chile, the Kekchies of Guatemala, the landless peasants of Brazil—all being accused of the crime of terrorism for defending their right to their own land? If the earth is sacred, even if the law does not say so, aren't its defenders sacred too?
According to Foreign Policy Magazine, Somalia is the most dangerous place in the world. But who are the pirates? The starving people who attack ships or the speculators of Wall Street who spent years attacking the world and who are now rewarded with many millions of dollars for their pains?
Has world justice been frozen in an upside-down position?
The shoe-thrower of Iraq, the man who hurled his shoes at Bush, was condemned to three years in prison. Doesn't he deserve, instead, a medal?
Who is the terrorist? The hurler of shoes or their recipient? Is not the real terrorist the serial killer who, lying, fabricated the Iraq war, massacred a multitude, and legalized and ordered torture?
Who are the guilty ones--the people of Atenco, in Mexico, the indigenous Mapuches of Chile, the Kekchies of Guatemala, the landless peasants of Brazil—all being accused of the crime of terrorism for defending their right to their own land? If the earth is sacred, even if the law does not say so, aren't its defenders sacred too?
According to Foreign Policy Magazine, Somalia is the most dangerous place in the world. But who are the pirates? The starving people who attack ships or the speculators of Wall Street who spent years attacking the world and who are now rewarded with many millions of dollars for their pains?
Lockerbie: Megrahi was framed
By John Pilger
The hysteria over the release of the so-called Lockerbie bomber reveals much about the political and media class on both sides of the Atlantic, especially Britain. From Gordon Brown's "repulsion" to Barack Obama's "outrage", the theatre of lies and hypocrisy is dutifully attended by those who call themselves journalists. "But what if Megrahi lives longer than three months?" whined a BBC reporter to the Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond. "What will you say to your constituents, then?"
The hysteria over the release of the so-called Lockerbie bomber reveals much about the political and media class on both sides of the Atlantic, especially Britain. From Gordon Brown's "repulsion" to Barack Obama's "outrage", the theatre of lies and hypocrisy is dutifully attended by those who call themselves journalists. "But what if Megrahi lives longer than three months?" whined a BBC reporter to the Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond. "What will you say to your constituents, then?"
Maddona: "The Harlot's Dance"& "Israel's New Best Friend"
“Israel is the center of energy in this world, and it is the axis of peace on this earth.”
Madonna
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Sure! And they're working for it(peace)! One settlement at a time...bitch!
"Israel's New Best Friend"
hip-hop by Guzin Bilgi
What's the deal?
Madonna and Israel?
They have a common zeal?
Is she simply a "friend"?
Or a very good weapon
on Israel's right hand?
Their intimacy is very very mysterious
The impact of this fuck quite tremendous
I could not call this bitch an artist
But rather a brilliant whore and a dumb cabalist!
Madonna
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Sure! And they're working for it(peace)! One settlement at a time...bitch!
"Israel's New Best Friend"
hip-hop by Guzin Bilgi
What's the deal?
Madonna and Israel?
They have a common zeal?
Is she simply a "friend"?
Or a very good weapon
on Israel's right hand?
Their intimacy is very very mysterious
The impact of this fuck quite tremendous
I could not call this bitch an artist
But rather a brilliant whore and a dumb cabalist!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
World record
Israel, a country the size of New Jersey can only claim to the following achievements:
• Israel was established upon the ruins of another nation that it destroyed; Palestine
• Israel hold the world record in the number of towns & villages it ethnically cleansed...500+
• Israel holds the world record in the number of refugees it deported...4 million +
• Israel holds the world record in the number of homes it demolished...60 thousand +
• Israel is the country with the highest record of UN condemnation...500+ times
• Israel is the country with the highest number of protective US Security council vetoes...100+ times
• Israel has killed more innocent civilians per capita than any other country...50 thousand+
• Israel has imprisoned more civilians per capita than any other country...250 thousand+
• Israel has rendered more innocent civilians handicapped per capita than any other country...50 thousand+
• Israel has injured more innocent civilians per capita than any other country...200 thousand+
• Israel has only two countries to defend its policies in the United Nations. These countries are America & Micronesia. The population for Micronesia as of June 2008 is only 108000
• Israel is the only country on Earth that denies the right of return of refugees
• Israel is the only country on Earth that still occupies a whole other country & parts of two other countries
• Israel is the only country on Earth that publicly, steals the water of its neighbours
• Israel is the only country on Earth that has legalized home demolishing as a method of collective punishment
• Israel is the only country on Earth that uproots trees as a method of collective punishment
• Israel is the only country on Earth that deliberately targets civilian infrastructure and justifies it
• Israel is the only country on Earth that legalized assassination
• Israel stands unique in using human shields in military operations
• Amongst all countries, Israel is the only one that has legalized torture
• Israel is the only country on Earth that builds illegal settlements in occupied lands
• Israel is the only country on Earth that publicly jails activists without trial
• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Israel has created the highest number of checkpoints
• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Israel holds the world record in the number of curfew its installed on the Palestinians
• Israel is the only country on Earth whose checkpoints deny women access to hospitals, they give birth alone and babies usually die
• Israel is exceptional in being the only country on Earth whose checkpoints denies patients access to hospitals, and they end up dying
• Israel is the only country on Earth whose checkpoints are where wedding parades come to an end
• Israel is the only country on Earth who checkpoints school children, denies them access to school, and puts an end to their classes
• Israel is one of two countries that, against International Law, use cluster bombs and depleted uranium bombs. America is the other...what a surprise huh?
• Israel holds the world record in the number of soldiers refusing to serve in the army
• Israel despite being a rich country, receives the highest financial aid, more than the sum aid to all sub-Saharan Africa!
• Israel claims its enemies want to wipe it off the map, but it has indeed wiped a whole country called Palestine off the map!
• Israel is the county that has introduced nuclear weapons into the Middle East. But the only country in the Middle East that refuses to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty
• After East Germany, Israel is the only country that is building a segregation wall
• Second to South Africa, Israel is the only country to establish an apartheid regime
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first iron gates on roads
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first cities turned into jails with gates and opening hours
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first apartheid walls
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first electrified segregation fences
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first ‘eyes specific’ rubber bullets
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first abortion efficient, infant killing tear gas
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first humiliation guaranteed human cages
• Israel is the only country on Earth that has a political party that publicly advocates ethnic cleansing of native citizens (Palestinians)
• Israel is the only country on Earth that still has racist laws that discriminate against native citizens (Palestinians)
• Israel is the only country on Earth known to have a memorial dedicated to a terrorist where his followers gather and dance
• Israel is the only country on Earth that imprisons kids for political reasons
• Israel is the only country on Earth where you get a one month community service for intentionally, smashing the head of a child! How much more proof do people need to see that Israel is a terrorist nation?????!!!!!!!!!!
• Israel is the only country on Earth that does not hold its soldiers accountable for shooting peace activists in cold blood
• No other country on Earth has towns and cities allocated exclusively for one ethnic group
• The only country on Earth, where people live in homes stolen from living refugees is, Israel
• The only place on Earth where people cultivate fields stolen from living refugees is, Israel
• Israel has the highest number of towns built upon ethnically cleansed villages, whose former residents are living refugees
• Israel ranks amongst the top countries in lack of security
• Israel was established upon the ruins of another nation that it destroyed; Palestine
• Israel hold the world record in the number of towns & villages it ethnically cleansed...500+
• Israel holds the world record in the number of refugees it deported...4 million +
• Israel holds the world record in the number of homes it demolished...60 thousand +
• Israel is the country with the highest record of UN condemnation...500+ times
• Israel is the country with the highest number of protective US Security council vetoes...100+ times
• Israel has killed more innocent civilians per capita than any other country...50 thousand+
• Israel has imprisoned more civilians per capita than any other country...250 thousand+
• Israel has rendered more innocent civilians handicapped per capita than any other country...50 thousand+
• Israel has injured more innocent civilians per capita than any other country...200 thousand+
• Israel has only two countries to defend its policies in the United Nations. These countries are America & Micronesia. The population for Micronesia as of June 2008 is only 108000
• Israel is the only country on Earth that denies the right of return of refugees
• Israel is the only country on Earth that still occupies a whole other country & parts of two other countries
• Israel is the only country on Earth that publicly, steals the water of its neighbours
• Israel is the only country on Earth that has legalized home demolishing as a method of collective punishment
• Israel is the only country on Earth that uproots trees as a method of collective punishment
• Israel is the only country on Earth that deliberately targets civilian infrastructure and justifies it
• Israel is the only country on Earth that legalized assassination
• Israel stands unique in using human shields in military operations
• Amongst all countries, Israel is the only one that has legalized torture
• Israel is the only country on Earth that builds illegal settlements in occupied lands
• Israel is the only country on Earth that publicly jails activists without trial
• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Israel has created the highest number of checkpoints
• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Israel holds the world record in the number of curfew its installed on the Palestinians
• Israel is the only country on Earth whose checkpoints deny women access to hospitals, they give birth alone and babies usually die
• Israel is exceptional in being the only country on Earth whose checkpoints denies patients access to hospitals, and they end up dying
• Israel is the only country on Earth whose checkpoints are where wedding parades come to an end
• Israel is the only country on Earth who checkpoints school children, denies them access to school, and puts an end to their classes
• Israel is one of two countries that, against International Law, use cluster bombs and depleted uranium bombs. America is the other...what a surprise huh?
• Israel holds the world record in the number of soldiers refusing to serve in the army
• Israel despite being a rich country, receives the highest financial aid, more than the sum aid to all sub-Saharan Africa!
• Israel claims its enemies want to wipe it off the map, but it has indeed wiped a whole country called Palestine off the map!
• Israel is the county that has introduced nuclear weapons into the Middle East. But the only country in the Middle East that refuses to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty
• After East Germany, Israel is the only country that is building a segregation wall
• Second to South Africa, Israel is the only country to establish an apartheid regime
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first iron gates on roads
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first cities turned into jails with gates and opening hours
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first apartheid walls
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first electrified segregation fences
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first ‘eyes specific’ rubber bullets
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first abortion efficient, infant killing tear gas
• Israeli engineers developed the worlds’ first humiliation guaranteed human cages
• Israel is the only country on Earth that has a political party that publicly advocates ethnic cleansing of native citizens (Palestinians)
• Israel is the only country on Earth that still has racist laws that discriminate against native citizens (Palestinians)
• Israel is the only country on Earth known to have a memorial dedicated to a terrorist where his followers gather and dance
• Israel is the only country on Earth that imprisons kids for political reasons
• Israel is the only country on Earth where you get a one month community service for intentionally, smashing the head of a child! How much more proof do people need to see that Israel is a terrorist nation?????!!!!!!!!!!
• Israel is the only country on Earth that does not hold its soldiers accountable for shooting peace activists in cold blood
• No other country on Earth has towns and cities allocated exclusively for one ethnic group
• The only country on Earth, where people live in homes stolen from living refugees is, Israel
• The only place on Earth where people cultivate fields stolen from living refugees is, Israel
• Israel has the highest number of towns built upon ethnically cleansed villages, whose former residents are living refugees
• Israel ranks amongst the top countries in lack of security
Palestinians 'seriously considering' one-state
"A majority of the Palestinian leaders with whom we met are seriously considering acceptance of one state, between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea," Carter wrote in an op-ed piece in The Washington Post.
"By renouncing the dream of an independent Palestine, they would become fellow citizens with their Jewish neighbors and then demand equal rights within a democracy," he explained. "In this non-violent civil rights struggle, their examples would be Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela."
(Thanks Joe)
"By renouncing the dream of an independent Palestine, they would become fellow citizens with their Jewish neighbors and then demand equal rights within a democracy," he explained. "In this non-violent civil rights struggle, their examples would be Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela."
(Thanks Joe)
Shot in the head by Israeli troops
Palestinian medical sources reported Saturday morning that a Palestinian child died of wounds sustained Friday evening after Israeli soldiers opened fire at him in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
How Holocaust survivor Yevgeny Bistrizky ended up on Israel’s streets
"He slept there despite his dislike of dogs. One of his only memories of the Holocaust was watching dogs feed on the bodies near the killing fields of Babi Yar, where 33,771 Jews were shot in September 1941. Their bodies were thrown in a gorge outside Kiev in one of the largest massacres of the Holocaust."
Times
Times
Doctor: 90% of war casualties at Gaza hospital were civilians
Ninety percent of casualties brought to Gaza's main hospital during Israel's winter offensive against Hamas were civilians, according to a new book by one of Norway's most famous and controversial physicians, Dr. Mads Gilbert.
Haaretz
Water, water...
Sunday, art day..
This is the third time I paint this very scene in exactly the same manner and also in respect to all its elements of design. Every time with a different color scheme, morning, strong day light and this one of indefinite time frame..I love it..Unfortunately(or fortunately, I don't know!)the three versions are sold.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Alison Weir: Israeli Organ Harvesting
See the article here - with the latest updates:
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/cur_si...
The New "Blood Libel"?
Excerpt:
The fact is, however, that substantiated evidence of public and private organ trafficking and theft, and allegations of worse, have been widely reported for many years.
http://www.counterpunch.com/weir08282...
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And on this, Sami the beduin's post on 'Mideast Youth':
The Plunderous Zionist Mentality: Facts, Facts, More Facts !!
Friday, September 4, 2009
World's Chief Nuclear Inspector El Baradei Calls Iranian Threat 'Hyped'
VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran is not going to produce a nuclear weapon any time soon and the threat posed by its atomic program has been exaggerated, the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief said in a published interview.
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And which country was behind this hype ventilation already?
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And which country was behind this hype ventilation already?
Norway drops Israeli company for ethical reasons as the company supplies surveillance equipment used to monitor the separation wall
Seven years after Israel started building the West Bank "security barrier"(quotation marks mine), but less than two weeks before Norwegian national elections, Norway's finance minister on Thursday announced that Elbit Systems Ltd. had been dropped from the country's pension fund investments due to "ethical concerns" regarding its work on the structure.
The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post
India's carbon emissions poised to triple, new report finds
India's carbon emissions, which currently account for almost 6 per cent of the world total, will more than triple within the next 20 years.
New Scientist
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No I'm not jealous of India, just saying..
New Scientist
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No I'm not jealous of India, just saying..
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Double standards in the Netherlands
Dutch prosecutors said Wednesday they will charge an Arab cultural group under hate speech laws for publishing a cartoon that suggests the death of 6 million Jews during World War II is a fabrication. The Dutch arm of the Arab European League said it doesn't deny the reality of the Holocaust, but published the cartoon on its Web site as an "act of civil disobedience" to highlight a double standard. AEL chairman Abdoulmouthalib Bouzerda argued that prosecutors had not pressed charges against Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders for his film that included cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Republican Party Is Turning Into A Cult
Something strange has happened in America in the nine months since Barack Obama was elected. It has best been summarized by the comedian Bill Maher: "The Democrats have moved to the right, and the Republicans have moved to a mental hospital."
United States of Canaan
"There are various forms of having democracy and plurality in the Land of Canaan. My book on Sharing the Land of Canaan basically summarizes the mythologies used to prevent this logical solution and articulates a vision shared by millions around the world. Indeed it is the only viable and durable solution to the conundrums of the Middle East.
Naomi Klein Boycotts Life As Normal in Israel
The conversation about boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) continues to grow in media outlets large and small! On Alternet today, Cecilie Surasky, of US Campaign member group Jewish Voice for Peace, interviews Naomi Klein and Israeli publisher Yael Lerer on why boycotting Israel will pressure the country to live up to international law. Full interview here.
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I love it when Lerer calls it semi-apartheid when many call it what it is, 'WORSE than apartheid', but hey! they're waking up! Painfully slowly, the buggers, but they are!
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I love it when Lerer calls it semi-apartheid when many call it what it is, 'WORSE than apartheid', but hey! they're waking up! Painfully slowly, the buggers, but they are!
US Audacity of Hope Falters
By Ramzy Baroud
The US has decided to be 'flexible' regarding its once touted call for a total Israeli freeze on the expansion of its occupied territories' settlements, all illegal under international law.
A senior official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity on August 27. “It was more important that the scope of a settlement freeze was acceptable to the Israelis and the Palestinians than to the United States,” Reuters reported, citing the senior official. This means that peace negotiations can resume while Israeli bulldozers are carving up Palestinian land, demolishing homes and cutting down trees.
It also means that the Israeli rejection of the only US demand, which has thus far defined President Barack Obama’s relations to the Middle East conflict, has prevailed over the supposed American persistence. In other words, the US has officially succumbed to Israeli and pro-Israeli pressures, in Tel Aviv and Washington.
The US has decided to be 'flexible' regarding its once touted call for a total Israeli freeze on the expansion of its occupied territories' settlements, all illegal under international law.
A senior official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity on August 27. “It was more important that the scope of a settlement freeze was acceptable to the Israelis and the Palestinians than to the United States,” Reuters reported, citing the senior official. This means that peace negotiations can resume while Israeli bulldozers are carving up Palestinian land, demolishing homes and cutting down trees.
It also means that the Israeli rejection of the only US demand, which has thus far defined President Barack Obama’s relations to the Middle East conflict, has prevailed over the supposed American persistence. In other words, the US has officially succumbed to Israeli and pro-Israeli pressures, in Tel Aviv and Washington.
Madonna hypocrisy watch
Madonna is booed on stage in Romania for speaking out about the plight of the Gypsies. A Jewish leader hails her for condemning "apartheid" conditions the Roma must live in:
Two days later, Madonna arrives in Israel to say nothing about the Occupation.
h/t Max Blumenthal.
Two days later, Madonna arrives in Israel to say nothing about the Occupation.
h/t Max Blumenthal.
Good news on the divestment front
BlackRock divests from Leviev, an ‘NYT’ advertiser (and guess who doesn’t report it)
BlackRock, a U.S. investment manager, has sold its holdings in Lev Leviev’s Africa-Israel fund, which helps build colonies in the West Bank–following pressure from three Scandinavian banks that have investments with BlackRock.
Mondoweiss
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Colonies has a different ring than settlements haven't they?..And yet very few people call them what they are...Strange!.
BlackRock, a U.S. investment manager, has sold its holdings in Lev Leviev’s Africa-Israel fund, which helps build colonies in the West Bank–following pressure from three Scandinavian banks that have investments with BlackRock.
Mondoweiss
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Colonies has a different ring than settlements haven't they?..And yet very few people call them what they are...Strange!.