Today's links: Back to Gaza, Israel's self-victimisation, profile of Omar Suleiman, and Eva Mendes' tushy (in reverse order of importance)

Interesting articles I've been coming across:


Amid destruction, school resumes
Gazans try to resume whatever's left of their lives.

Is an Israeli Jewish sense of victimization perpetuating the conflict with Palestinians?
One of these incredibly insightful articles that succeed in formulating feelings into coherent thoughts. Must read by Akiva Eldar.

Notable excerpt:
"Israeli Jews' consciousness is characterized by a sense of victimization, a siege mentality, blind patriotism, belligerence, self-righteousness, dehumanization of the Palestinians and insensitivity to their suffering. The fighting in Gaza dashed the little hope Bar-Tal had left - that this public would exchange the drums of war for the cooing of doves. "

Souleiman, l'homme qui sait parler à Israël et au Hamas
A profile of Egyptian Intelligence head Omar Suleiman - "le vrai numero 2 du regime", apparently. Very interesting.

Eva Mendes would rather go naked than wear fur
In a PETA (an animal-defense group) advert.
We'd rather she went naked than wear fur, too. Or anything else for that matter.
(And since we're on PETA, check out their banned TV ad for vegeterianism- because, says NBC, it involves, a "woman screwing herself with broccoli". Of course, you're checking it just in defense of the poor broccoli's rights, right?)

Taking a taxi from Jerusalem to Cairo
Nowadays, even I take that trip; this article however dates from 1981. Definitely worth a read.

Tales to tell
Blogging live from Gaza.

It's a ceasefire... just not on the beach, not in your home
Truth is, the war hasn't stopped. Israeli shelling from war ships towards Palestinian cities still occurs sporadically - like "normal".

Cairo's answer to "Peace Now"
Article from 1998 - has anyone heard of the "Cairo Peace Movement"? Yeah? Me neither.
(Other mentions of the organisation are here and here - all three articles are from 1998.. I wonder if the org still exists!)

Letter from a Palestinian child to the US President
The things that matter more than a 'Middle East peace envoy' and such. I particularly like that website it's posted on...
(Courtesy of Barefoot)

36 years, and couting
A very interesting history of the settlements with the successive Israeli governments since 1967.

Notable excerpts:

- 1977: Agricultural minister Ariel Sharon weaves an extensive plan for settlement beyond the Green Line and declares, "Within 20 years there will be 2 million Jews between the Golan and Ofira [Sharm al-Sheikh]."

- 1983 - The Kahan Commission investigating the massacre at the Sabra and Chatila refugee camps in Lebanon calls for the resignation of defense minister Ariel Sharon. He resigns, receives the post of construction and housing minister, and starts building.

- 1989 - President Chaim Herzog reduces the sentences of the three members of the Jewish underground in the territories who were found guilty of murder and given life sentences, and they are released 14 months later.

Conclusion (my own): the settlements were never a pain to the government, but are rather instrumentalised by it to implement its never-ending expansionist policy.
Anyone believing otherwise is just not serious.

Gary Kasparov attacked by flying penis. (yep, this is surely not a post about the war.)

It's an old story but I just read about it - Chess Grandmaster Gary Kasparov, who's also the chair of the "Other Russia" opposition coalition (guess where?), was interrupted during a press conference by...

a flying penis.
You HAVE TO see the video.

(A more thorough explanation here. Remember the flying penises in Second Life a couple of years back?)

(Via Cracked.com)

US President Inauguration - 'Facebook reactions' are back! (updated: photos link!)

It was beautiful. Goosebumps-and-slightly-teary-eyes-beautiful. As I watched the inauguration and realised what it meant that a black man was now president of the United States, realising that it was real. It touched me deeply. And, as I write now, still does.

I watched the inauguration with two friends - a Spaniard and an Argentinean. And an Egyptian, watching the US presidential inauguration in Paris. Strange world. Interdependent world. We sometimes forget.


As I watched, I also felt very jealous. First because, having followed the campaign since the beginning and supported Senator Obama - and paid my 24 dollars contribution to the campaign, which I will claim back if he screws up - I felt a bit of ownership over the whole process, but couldn’t be there on the Big day.

As I was comfortably sipping my tea in a warm apartment, I was jealous of those two million people who had been waiting in the Washington DC winter for 6 hours and whose fingers and noses were nearly freezing.

But more importantly, I was jealous because I couldn’t be part of it. Part of this election, or any election for that matter: where I come from, democracy isn’t exactly the strong point.
The satisfaction of helping bring someone to power, of pledging allegiance to a leader you chose and believe in. Ay, that must be exciting.

It hit me that I was more likely to actually acquire a foreign citizenship and help bring THEIR leaders into power than I was to do so in my own country. Hit me hard.

Anyways. I’m trying to prolong this near-childish giddiness for as long as I can.
Because now that Obama is President of the US of A, he’s now, well, the bad guy. :) And, according to articles such as this one here, I’ll be claiming my 24 dollars refund pretty soon.

In any event, I leave you with a second Facebook Statuses Survey - people seemed to like the first one. (Hmmm, positive feedback when I don’t actually write... Perhaps I need to take a hint here.)


UPDATE: Photographer Debby Adler was kind enough to share her truly excellent photos of the inauguration and of the campaign, including the one I am uploading here. Enjoy!!



M (US-EG) Hello from across the world to President Barack Hussein Obama!
M (German) is delighted to have an American President he can look up to as a European.
M (Danish) is london is a poor substitute for DC today.
M (Norwegian) has had enough of obamania all over the media.
Z (US-Kashemiri) is about to start the biggest party in our nation's history.
S (Pak) is going to throw away a pair of shoes to celebrate the departure of Bush.
D (Canadian and rather dull) will be TiVoing history today so he can get some work done.
C (US) is celebrating our new country from Kenya.
D (US) THOUSANDS of people are streaming by my house en route to the mall!
J (US) is rolling on down to the mall.

S (Ind) thinks today should just be a holiday, too.
E (Greek) is watching a man walk around judiciary square with a framed poster-size photo of him and Obama.
B (FR) is "J'ai inspiré Obama et ses équipes nous ont copiés" S. Royal. (!!!)

G (German) is happy that you are representing him in the mall.
A (US) Axelrod's on Fox. "Look what I did!"
B (Mex) is watching living history from Mexico City. Thank you CNN live and facebook! Almost there: President Barack Hussein Obama!
D (US) is among the masses!
D (Isr) thinks they should simply crown him king and get it over with :).

B (Mex) okay Obama is not only an extremely brilliant guy - he is also a perfect gentleman! How he walked her wife to the door. Perfect!
M (Algerian) is wishing Mr. Bush a prompt, safe return to his native state. Good riddance to the worst president since WW2.
E (US) is goodbye W.
J (Finnish) is also in obamamania.
M (German) wishes that some of Obama's clichéd hope will turn into reality and good policy.
C (US) <3s>

Y (Chinese, in the US) is watching the change and the new birth of freedom - for his son.

J (UK) ...in less than one hour, the village will get its idiot back.

N (Morocco) Obama is gonna find me a job ! Obama is our superman, and he is black ! (huh??)

M (Irish) was wondering how it would take to hear "God Bless America". Less than 5 mins....

L (Isr) always thinks that Joe looks a bit like a used car salesman.
A (US) is unprecedentedly proud to be American.
A (Isr) Could that ensemble BE any more multicultural?
L (Isr) is having a genuinely happy moment.
E (US Leb) says gObama!!!! great speech hope you're listening now!
C (US) shout out to Kogelo!
D (Aus) listens to Obama: "Your people will judge you on what you build, and not what you destroy."
R (Spanish) is wondering if Obama's inauguration is being broadcast with a five-minute delay, to avoid Janet Jackson-like incidents. :-D.
Michel Barnier (French Minister) Félicitations @barackobama. J'ai espoir qu'il relève l'Amérique, avec l'aide de l'Europe. (yeah, right.)

M (German) : given Obama's soaring rhetoric during the campaign, the inauguration speech was a bit of an anticlimax.

L (Isr) benediction shmenediction. Keep the religion away from the state.
L (Isr) ooh! Hillary's earrings are gorgeous.
M (Italian) it's a time when browns stick around and whites get it right.
L (Isr) Bush is getting on a helicopter and flying far, far away.
A (US) I like that Obama said it matters less whether government should be big or small, but that it works. He said that, right?

A (Isr) Obama finally smiled! I guess the sight of Cheney in a wheelchair...
L (Isr) took a moment to realize who the old guy in the wheelchair was. I love a good fairytale ending!


M (Morocco) watches in tears as Bush heads to Texas...This is even more beautiful than Obama's inauguration speech.
B (Mex) "Bush heads to Texas". How beautiful is that?

N (Ind) wants some of that cinammon sponge cake they're serving at the Capitol lunch ...
G (Isr) is hoping that those narrow shoulders can carry the weight of the world.

S (Isr) wonders how many Israeli toddlers will be named Barak, Muslim babies named Hussein, and Japanese kids named Obama, after today...

M (German) thinks the President's new website is pretty neat.
R (Norway) is really happy that Obama finally is the president of the USA!
K (US) is watching proudly from Freetown...let us not ever forget this day.
M (Egypt and lousy blogger) thinks this whole democracy thing is pretty cool. Wouldn't mind trying it one of these days.

S (India, male)is amazed that the whole day went by in front of the tv. How did Michelle do it in those heels?

K (US) is going inaugural balling.
K (Ghanaian in DC) is ready to Ball.
K (US in London) misses American news commentary - the Sky News reporter actually just referred to Michelle Obama as "scantily dressed."

M (Spanish) wants Aretha's hat...
M (US-Iranian) never thought saying goodbye would feel THIS good... Bush is finally outta there!
K (Australian) is heading to the obama home states ball.
I (Nigerian) : Oh, Happy (Obama) Day!... Oh, Happy Day!...
R (US Indian) is frozen to the bone but excited about warming up into a new era of world politics and leadership. It's been a long wait.

J (US) is enjoying jack johnson at the bo homestate ball. damn the music snob elitists.

The average Israeli is more Lieberman than Rabin

It started as an argument during a discussion on the comments section of Lisa Goldman’s blog. My assertion is the following:

Israeli peace supporters are no longer. The average Israeli is more Lieberman than Rabin.

Isn’t s/he? There used to be a man in Israel who wanted peace. Who was ready to stand to the madmen and the terrorists from within and lead his people into a better future.

They believed in him. I believed in him.

Not anymore. Now, Israelis appear to be quite content watching as the death toll in Gaza rises. The handful of war supporters who seemed to harbour some remnant of humanity are happy to tell themselves that “their death is Hamas’ fault” or that “it’s sad but their death was unavoidable”. The dozen or so peace supporters in Israel are going underground or get shunned when they speak up.

Rabin is really dead, this time.

90% of Jewish Israelis back the invasion. Even more telling of their true feelings towards their Palestinian neighbours, "80% would oppose Israel opening its crossings to Gaza even if Hamas stopped firing on southern towns such as Ashkelon and Sderot". This is the Israeli society as it stands, today.

Forget about Rabin. Were he alive today, he would have, like 700 other Israelis, been detained for protesting the occupation.

The motion towards the support of war has been exemplified by a response to my assertion on Lisa’s blog:

“I supported Oslo, I supported disengagement, I would support withdrawal from the West Bank in exchange for real, long-term permanent peace (…) the time had come to act against the rockets.”

Acting against the rockets, regardless of the method, regardless of the consequences, regardless of the rationality of the action, even for their own country. Just acting.

The Israeli mainstream attitude has gone from

“we’ll make peace even if it’s difficult”

to

“let’s shoot something”.

This is where the Liebermanist fiber in every Israeli comes alive. Lieberman believes that Israel “must continue to fight Hamas just like the United States did with the Japanese in World War II”; mentioning that it was, well, ugly - eh, nuclear bombs! - but it ended the war.

Lieberman once suggested “bombing places of business in Ramallah” - a call that was answered in the ongoing War on Gaza. (Not just places of business: hospitals, too.)

Lieberman’s call for the ‘transfer’, or the ethnic cleansing of the Arab citizens of Israel, is finding renewed support within Israel, as accusations of being “fifth columnists” are raging.

As a first step to expelling Israel’s Arab citizens from their country’s public life, Lieberman and his friends have successfully gotten the Central Elections Committee to ban the Arab parties from running in the elections. Which tells a lot about the CEC, but also the parties who voted for the motion: Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu and the National Union-National Religious Party (the fascists), Likud (the anti-peace), Kadima (otherwise known as Likud II), and even Labour - the supposed pro-peace party, whose leader is leading the ongoing war.

Many Israelis now believe Lieberman as he accuses the 20% Arab minority of treason, telling the Israeli public that “The goals of Hamas and Balad are the same: to destroy Israel”.

There is no peace camp in Israel. Khalas.

The Israeli foreign policy establishment seems to like Lieberman, too. Danny Ayalon, former Israeli Ambassador to Washington - probably the most important MFA post after the minister - and foreign policy analyst to Sharon (hint, hint) is running on Liberman’s list. Describing Lieberman, he said, “He's stigmatized, but he's brilliant, insightful and courageous, and most of all, he's a doer”.

Coming from a supposed moderate - a mainstreamer, to be more precise - this comment is ever more important as it explains something fundamental in the development of the Israeli collective political identity: the vacuum of leadership, particularly homegrown leadership, has led the 'Club Bouncer from Chisinau' to be the second most popular politician in Israel.

Already the Liebermanist cancer is taking control of other Israeli parties, slowly spreading towards the brain - the Government. (note that he has already held four different ministerial portfolios - not an outsider, really).

Moshe Feiglin, “a far-rightist best known for advocating mass civil disobedience to protest the Oslo peace process in the mid-1990s” as described in the progressive Jewish daily The Forward. A rising star - nay, a meteor - of the Likud party (to the dismay of chairman Netanyahu), he said that “Any non-Jew who does not accept the fact that Jews have full and exclusive sovereignty over the Promised Land should find a place in one of the other Arab countries”, says Arabs “follow the behaviour of Amalek”. His manifesto is analysed here: but basically: quit the UN, cut water to the Palestinians, and other such lovely suggestions as using only live ammunition against Palestinian demonstrators.

Like Lieberman, by the way, he lives in a West Bank settlement.

And he may sound extreme but, as Gideon Levy explains: “The bitter truth is that Netanyahu is essentially no different than Feiglin. They are all Feiglins in the Likud.”

Levy concludes - “Netanyahu is the most popular leader in Israel today. This says something about Israel and its mood: It does not want peace.”

I agree.

Let’s face it. Most Israelis are closeted right-wing, Arab-hating extremists. They are Avigdor Lieberman.

Those who don’t actively hate us wish we would just ‘go away’. Anywhere. To Jordan, to Egypt, to Somalia. To the West. To the grave. They don't care. They just object to our existence, not just as a people, but simply as people.

This war has made this obvious to all of us - myself included - who thought there was someone in Israel to speak to.

There isn’t.

And to Israelis. If you actually care about where your country is heading, if you do not wish your children to grow up in a place governed by fascists, where democracy is a secondary value at best - you might want to get your act together.

The day Israel heard the voice of Palestinian agony

I have been away for the weekend and was mostly away from the news (and from email). And now, back online, reading comments, analysis, news, facebook posts, etc.

On the long ride home I was mind-drafting a post on the aftermath of the war.

As I started reading the news, and Israeli blogs, I started writing a post that I quickly discarded. Something about the recurrent and silly “we’re-at-war-with-Hamas-not-with-the-Palestinians” argument.

But I just could not get this story off of my mind -



A Palestinian doctor, Dr. Izzeddin Abulaish, who has worked in Israel as a physician, and who has lost three daughters - Bisan, 20, Mayar, 15, and Aya, 13, in Israeli raids. While he was out saving lives.

The story received wide coverage because, by some strange coincidence and a unique media event, the man's agonised voice was on air on Israel’s channel 10, through the loudspeaker of a journalist, minutes after he learned that his three daughters had been killed. (The story in Hebrew is here).
For three minutes, Israel heard the pain of a man who lost his babies to what can only be described as a terrorist attack.
Only this time, he was Palestinian. Go figure.

The New York Times article quotes an Israeli colleague of his, Anael Harpaz, saying, “I hope this is a wake-up call. This is such a peace-loving family.”

I doubt there’s anyone to take the call in Israel, though.

Right now, I can’t analyse the story. There’s nothing to analyse. It’s just a tragedy, a Tragedy, of the grand, mythical kind, that should be seen, taken, felt, and may I say - admired as such.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go drown my depression into another episode of "The big bang theory". It's about nerds who have no connection to the world outside their quantum physics research.
Right now I'm a little jealous really.

Links for January 19th

A few links regarding the War on Gaza, uncategorised, but all of interest.
Thanks to all those who sent me links or put them under the previous post!

Oxford Professor Avi Shlaim on Democracy Now!: Israel Committing “State Terror” in Gaza Attack, Preventing Peace. Brilliant insight from a big man.

A visual comparison between Nazi Germany and Israel - yes, I know, many people hate the comparison but the photos, side by side, are compelling.

Recent polls in Israel: "Backing for invasion remains strong". 90% remain pro-war. 80% wouldn't want to open Gaza crossings even if the rockets from Gaza stopped. Nice.

More on the media manipulation: How to sell ethical warfare. Very insightful.

Israel's role in stabilising Gaza after the War, from the AP correspondent Steven Gurkin

First reports with the relative calm of the cease-fire: assessing damage

BBC News, "Gazans confront shattered lives", trying to feel up their way through the destruction

Reuters, "Hamas directs traffic, but some Gazans query war". Heed the closing line (and preceeding pararaphs): "One of the unintended spin-offs of this operation has been to implant Hamas even more strongly in the Gaza Strip." Bien joué, Israel!

Not with regards to this war, but this post has interesting quotes from Israeli leaders, as well as statistics on pre-Israel ethnic divide in Palestine.


Again - if you wish to share links, let me know in the comments!

Ashura: The day Muslims fast to celebrate the Jewish Exodus

The story goes like this: When Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him, migrated to Medina, he noticed that the Jewish clans of the city fasted on the tenth of the first month of the calendar - the tenth of Muharram, otherwise named “Ashura’”.

As he asked them why they fasted, they replied that the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, fasted on that day to thank God for saving him and his people, and drowning Pharaoh in the sea.
“I am closer to my brother Moses than you are”, said the Prophet. He decided to fast and invited Muslims to do so as well. Fasting Ashura is not an obligation, but a confirmed sunna.

And until that day, many Muslims often fast Ashura, following the Prophet’s suggestion.
Ashura was a couple of days ago. A friend texted me the night before to remind me. I fasted.

I wondered why we, Muslims, celebrate the Exodus. Obviously, because Moses was a prophet of God; his followers were persecuted by a tyrant. As such, God rescued those who believed in Him, who trusted Him, proving that He is the one we should turn to in times of difficulty, but also that He, as Hajar said when she and Ismail when they were left in the Arabian desert, “He will not let us be lost”.

And it is a reminder that what is morally rightful, in absolute, is worthy of celebrating. Even if the centre of the celebrations were clans hostile to the Prophet at the time: he still celebrated the salvation of his foes.


I will fight the urge to comment, philosophise, or try to link the story to what is happening in the world.

Muslims celebrating the Exodus. Amongst all the hatred today, I thought that was a story worthy of sharing with my readers. Make what you will of it.

How do you feel about this story*?

(* be respectful, or be deleted.)



Post-scriptum -
Because you've already heard about Ashura and it was about something else...

Also on Ashura - but long after the above events - the Prophet’s grandson, Al-Hussein (son of Ali Ibn Abi Talib and Fatema bent Mohammad) was killed in Kerbala by the army of Omar Ibn Saad Ibn Abi Waqqas, a satellite army of the Umayyad regime.
For Shia Muslims, Ashura is a day of sadness and remembrance, where mourning processions - often bloody - take place and visits to the tomb of Al-Hussein are customary.

Internet roundup - Live citizen reporting from Gaza, more Debunking (yes!), Humanitarian reports, Anti-War Israelis, and more!!

These are links that I've been meaning to share for a while - organised in rough categories. I think they're an excellent resource. Some provide solid sources for many discussion arguments.

This entry is under construction: if you think there's something that needs to be up here, please write it in the comments.
Given that anti-war sources seem to be limited - spread it!

Live from Gaza - by non-reporters:

Tales to tell. Excellent coverage, from Sharon of the International Solidarity Movement. Like the ISM or hate them, this is day-to-day coverage of events at the very heart of the action: ISM volunteers accompany ambulances and report on things rapidly. The writing is compelling, too. a must-read.

From Gaza with love, by Dr. Mona El Farra. She a pediatrician and a human rights activist. The writing is hasty, almost childish, giving updates, commentary, second-hand reporting from other doctors in Gaza.

In Gaza (seeing a pattern here?). Eva, also ISM. Excellent (well, as excellent as destruction can look) photos, too.

Aid worker diary. Hatem Shurrab works in Gaza and files a short entry every day. The everyday struggle between doing his job, as well as fearing for his life and his family's life, is absolutely worthy of a novel, which will never be written (mainly because he'll probably be dead before the war is over)


Debunking the Gaza misinformation!
By authors far superior than me. (my debunking posts are still here and here, though).

What You Don’t Know About Gaza by Rashid Khalidi (yes, he's the one you're thinking of).
When an article begins with "NEARLY everything you’ve been led to believe about Gaza is wrong", you know you need to open your eyes - and your brain - wide. A simple, clear, focused New York Times op-ed.

Desmontando los tópicos de Gaza from El Pais. If you fancy practicing your Spanish.

Etgar Keret (my favourite Israeli author) pokes fun at the motives of the war with humour

CNN Confirms that Israel broke the ceasefire. Finally someone does the research... Dates, facts, events. Watch it!!
Oh, and: Booya.

"Why do they hate us so much, we will ask", Robert Fisk - putting things in context AND in the correct timeline. Now you know who's reacting to whom.

War of choice - why the argument that the war was 'unavoidable' is bullshit.

Because no analysis is complete without Jon Stewart speaking his mind:
The Gaza Strip-maul

For an image of Gaza pre-war:

Prof. Sara Roy (of Harvard U)'s article in the January issue of London Review of Books.

Other analysis of Interest
From the Ashes of Gaza, by Tariq Ali: the war and the one-state solution
The rotten state of Egypt is too powerless and corrupt to act, Robert Fisk. Not the wording I'd have chosen but it's the idea.
Israel pressured the US to abstain from UN vote? Do I hear someone saying Walt and Mearsheimer? :)
Senator Dennis Kucinich, kinda pissed off at the American idleness: Wake Up America!


Reports from Humanitarian Agencies
Numbers change, of course, around the clock.
Washington Post, Red Cross Reports Grisly Find in Gaza

AP, UN, Red Cross curtail Gaza aid, criticize Israel

Gaza humanitarian updates from Israeli Human Rights organisations

Richard Falk, UN Special Investigator for the Palestinian Territories who was recently deported by Israel: "Hard to justify deadly attacks"

ICRC demands urgent access to wounded as Israeli army fails to assist wounded Palestinians. 4 days for the army to allow the passage of ambulances? FOUR days?


On the media and the control of information

Israel still maintains a ban on foreign journalists from entering Gaza. As such, most journalists sit quietly in Jerusalem, TA or, for the most daring, Ashdod, sipping coffee and watching the smoke from afar, as this jock here. The media blackout is part of a successful disinformation campaign by Israel. Some commentary on the subject.

Israel Puts Media Clamp on Gaza, NY Times.

Lights Out in Gaza, News Blackout in US on the - well, self-explanatory really.

Ido Liven's Return of the Mehikon, or: Blue-and-White TV

Jerusalem Post, Spokesman's Unit hails fair coverage: When one side - the strong one - is satisfied with the coverage, YOU KNOW something's wrong.

Electronic Intifada with BBC: Eyeless in Gaza. (I always laugh when, in a discussion with Israelis, someone says the BBC is pro-Palestinian... vantage points i guess!)

Who's winning the PR War? By the Jerusalem Correspondent in Jerusalem. Very smart. I like.

Eyeless in Israel - brilliant Lisa Goldman does it again. Published in the Forward.



Some Israelis are still lucid, Baruch HaShem!

Some Israelis have decided to stand up to the ambient warmongering and, well, think for themselves. The result is the excellent commentary and analysis below.

(needless to say, there are many Israeli bloggers whose opinions I value and respect: in this very respect, we happen to disagree drastically. This doesn't mean, of course, that I read their blogs or value their writing and our discussions any less.)

Haniyeh and his Israeli sisters: wartime tales from Gaza and Israel. Lisa Goldman's epic post on the war. A must!


The grand Gideon Levy: The IAF, bullies of the clear blue skies

Yossi Sarid's beautiful If you (or I) were Palestinian

Yudit Ilanyi on the ground in Jaffa. Honest, smart, incisive.

The Truth Herzl, Daniella's excellent and frequent posting makes you wish Ben Gurion U was off for longer.

South Jerusalem , proof that you can be religious AND still have (excellent) brains.

Jonathan Geffen, iconic poet and singer: "Welcome to the Bombing Show" in Hebrew, and in French

Interesting Jewish-American commentary on Jvoices


* Thanks to all the people whose posted links I allowed myself to steal!

Israel bombs a school in Gaza: 40+ dead, dozens severely injured.

By the very talented Carlos Latuff.

Note that also earlier today, Israel shot at another UN school - this time in the Shati2 camp.
It murdered three Palestinians.

So Israel is joining the ranks of the countries and organisations that kill refugees seeking shelter in UN premises:
Serbia, and, euh, Israel, Burundian Hutu rebels, the Lebanese Kataeb and Israel, Sudanese refugees, and, ehemm, Israel.

I find it hard to withhold a bitter laugh.

So, justifications we'll be hearing today?

a) Mistake! I love it when one day it's 'superbly well targeted strategic strikes', and the next it's an 'oops'.
These were tank shells. Not a bomb hit from a ship 15 km away: it's the ground invasion, which was supposed to be more 'meticulous'. It was a tank inside of Gaza, standing in front of the school. True, mortar can be inaccurate - but not at that range.
No mistakes here. UN schools clearly raise UN flags - several of them, the door/fence usually has big painted UN insignia.

b) Terrorists were hiding in there! Of course! I mean, it is UN premises, and there were 350 refugees hiding from the shelling. No uniforms. How on earth could they assume that?
And, honestly, even if. Because of a suspicion, it's okay to shell 350 civilians on UN premises?

c) They shot at us! To be more precise:
"Initial checks ... show that from inside the school mortars were fired at Israeli forces," a (IDF) spokesman said. "In response, the forces fired a number of mortar rounds into the area." Right.

An uncorroborated claim, but a blanket justification, which we'll hear a lot I'm sure. This one is a tad harder to counter!
Here's a good way though: Give me proof. No, none? Can the UN, a bystander, a third-country satellite (because we all remember the US super-duper-infrared maps of Iraq's "mobile nuclear labs" in 2003..) your mom, confirm it?

And, seriously. If people were indeed cramming inside a location to avoid being shot at - would they really allow someone to fire mortars at the tanks in sight? The irrationality assumption only goes that far...

d) Terrorists to be! If someone in Israel had the guts to say that they bombed a school because the children hiding inside would've become terrorists, I'd respect their honesty. But it's one of those things that many Israelis think but don't say - this mentality of "A good Arab is a dead Arab". For their own sake, really. Because Palestinians will be their neighbours (or, in another version, their co-citizens). Embedding hatred for the Palestinians in their children's hearts is both sad - and counterproductive.

Just so we’re very clear: on Hamas

I find myself compelled to write this short entry because I’ve gotten enough comments on that, on- and off- the blog, that it's been diverting attention from the actual topic of discussion: Debunking Israel's bogus arguments in the War on Gaza, which I've been doing here and here. So focus your commenting energy there, people!

No, I really really don’t like Hamas. And I am unwilling to forgive them for shooting an Egyptian officer, Yasser Eisawy, last week, for killing two Egyptian soldiers when they blew up the fence last January, for killing those two two girls by mistake also last week, for shooting indiscriminately at Israeli civilians, for engaging in a goddamn civil war with their brethren, for stopping wounded Palestinians from seeking treatment in Egypt, and yes, for being so fucking dumb enough to piss off Israel when they know very well they are no match to them when Israel would, unavoidably, hit back heavily.

I could go on. For pages.

Bottom line is: I am not defending Hamas. I think the Hamas leadership should have their balls cut off and shoved down their throats until they choke.

(ooh, the visual...)

But I very much disagree with Israel’s actions in this war, which I believe is unjustified, indefensible, and overall a really, really bad idea. I challenge the Israeli version of the facts and the ‘official’ reasoning behind the war. I think the arguments are bogus, I think that nothing good will come out of this war, and no, I do not forgive Israel for starving and killing the Gazans either.

(So, yeah, I think Ehud Barak should also have his balls cut off and shoved down his throat until he chokes. Same for Olmert. And Ashkenazi. And, yes, for Livni too.:)

And this is what the couple of posts below are about. I am not explaining the war, I am not reporting live from the ground. I am not 'live blogging'. But I am countering claims that Israel is 'forced' into a war of 'self-defense' and all that nonsense. I am countering the manipulative media war that Israel is launching.

Capice?

Now read on if you wish. If you don't, fine by me, really.

Jeez.

Debunking, part 2: more Israeli Arguments for the War on Gaza exposed!

Reading through the document exposed in the previous post, as well as through the Israeli blogosphere, I found another bunch of arguments that need to be refuted. Some fresh debunking coming your way!

(I like this word, ‘debunking’! It has this vague onomatopoeic metallic resonance.. )

Previous debunking post is found here. (and a belated nota-bene on these two posts is here).

1/ This is a war of self-defense. The major argument of the war, really. "No country in the world would allow its citizens to be made the target of rocket attacks without taking vigorous steps to defend them".You’ve heard that. A lot.

As Fisk said, “when the IRA were firing mortars over the border into Northern Ireland, when their guerrillas were crossing from the Republic to attack police stations and Protestants, did Britain unleash the Royal Air Force (RAF) on the Irish Republic? Did the RAF bomb churches and tankers and police stations and zap 300 civilians to teach the Irish a lesson? No, it did not. Because the world would have seen it as criminal behaviour. We didn't want to lower ourselves to the IRA's level.”

The fact that Israel is leading an all-out war is criminal behaviour. “Teaching a lesson” by creating mass-destruction and killing 300 civilians IS criminal behaviour. It is NOT self-defense.

2/ The War is a reaction to Hamas’ rockets - Pretending that this war is a direct repercussion of the increase in Qassam rockets after the end of the ceasefire in mid-December is a lie. Reports leaking from the Israeli government state that the offensive was prepared long before the end of the truce. It was only awaiting a trigger, which was promptly provided by Hamas’ stupid and predictable rockets. Yes, Hamas fired rockets; but Israel’s plans were already underway months before.

3/ Proportionality of the Israeli attacks. Condemned by much of the civilized world, Israel’s disproportionate response (18 dead in 8 years vs. 400 dead in the last week only is the obviously recurrent statistic) has been much defended by Israel, whose main purpose really is to deflect attention from what is, in absolute, a massacre of civilians.

This pseudo-legalistic defense usually begins like this:

“Proportionality isn’t about killing the same number of people. No country provoked to war set out to kill the same number of people it lost.”

So far, okay. Then the argument is either one of these two:

a) Proportionality is with respects to the goals of the war. (a.k.a. The Smart-Ass Argument). Hence, a war would be disproportionately violent if it used more force than necessary, leading to unnecessary civilian deaths, than it should to fulfill its goals in this war.

By that argument, if the purpose is to eliminate a certain threat, or to cause the fall of a government, or whatever, the perpetrator must minimize civilian casualties in the frame of realising their goal.

Of course, if the goal is open-ended - wiping-out Hamas? Sheer impossibility, as everyone with half a brain - including the Israeli government - knows. Getting rid of them as the government? We’ll only know if that happens until after the dust settles.

This argument is a blanket approval of all civilian deaths, whom are (and I remember Madeleine Albright’s response to when she was told that the embargo on Iraq in the nineties cost the lives of half-a-million children): “ worth it”.

b) Military vs. averted civilian deaths (a.k.a. The Cute-but-Dumb Argument). This argument considers that the use of force is not considered to be disproportionate if the collateral civilian deaths do not outnumber the number of civilians potentially saved by the killing of military or armed persons.

Confused? Basically, it’s okay if the number of Palestinian civilians killed is below the number of Israelis saved by the actions of the Army as they target military/Hamas persons.

The idea is nice - remarkable, even - insofar as it puts all civilians on the same footing.

But you see the obvious logical flaw in the reasoning: no one knows HOW MANY Israelis would be saved and hence how many Palestinians are “okay to kill” to save them. Of course, if you put the “potentially saved” Israeli civilians to be the population of Sderot - 20,000 people...

4/ Israel may kill anyone it considers to be an enemy. The unspoken but implemented argument. A death penalty is issued and carried on by the IDF against anyone it sees fit.

To avoid massacres of the kind currently ongoing, we, mankind, have developed the Laws of Armed Conflict.

The United States has been, is much criticised, for not giving a fair trial to the people it arrested overseas, whom it declared “unlawful combatants”. (you know, the guys in orange jumpsuits?) This criticism finds its roots in these Laws; in this case, that every accused shall have the right to a fair trial, with adequate legal representation.

It is very important to understand, underline, and condemn Israel’s behaviour here. Anyone it unilaterally considers to be Hamas - whatever that means, see point #5 - is automatically issued a death sentence.

This is a violent transgression of international law.

5/ Our war is with Hamas, not the Palestinians. We have nothing against the Palestinians! We love them!

Also known as the “I-think-I’m-the-only-who-read-newspapers-during-the-Lebanon-war-Argument”.

I love this argument. It’s so deliciously dishonest... and often inadvertently so. So let’s assume an ounce of sincerity here. Israel wants to get rid of Hamas without harming the Palestinians. Lovely.

Whatever happened to the ‘targeted assassinations’ (which were never really targeted anyway, but yalla)? Nah, a couple of dozen deaths per months is not sufficient. Israel needed more Palestinian deaths. To prop the current government, to boost Barak’s ratings (+5 points since the beginning of the war for Labour AND for Kadima! It works!), or for any other reason.

The all-out war defeats the "war is just against Hamas" argument.

It also goes back to the definition of “Hamas” in Israeli eyes: anyone affiliated with the Government, any government employee, anyone on their payroll.

Hence, the 40-50 young people who were graduating from the Police Academy and who would’ve gone to regulate traffic and chase burglars and stuff were considered dangerous terrorists and promptly executed in cold blood by Israel on December 27th. The Ministry of Education was destroyed: wasn’t it a Hamas-affiliated organisation? (That Hamas is probably the only large employer in Gaza, that Gaza has the staggering 49.5% unemployment rate, appears - but shouldn't be - irrelevant.)

How about, anyone who is accused of sympathizing with Hamas? Anyone who owns a green Hamas flag?

By the Israeli logic, they are terrorists, too: and Israel will judge, and implement, a death sentence.

Of them and their children.

6/ Hamas people hide among civilian populations/Hamas takes human shields.

Hmm, hello? Gaza is the most densely populated place on the globe. And you’re not to assume that the Hamas people would have a “Hamas-Only-Gold-Membership-Compound” by the beach, perhaps?

They live in Gaza!

Look at the hypothetical opposite case: if the Hamas people were to try to hit the house of Ehud Barak or Ehud Olmert, they’d hit in the centre of Tel Aviv. Is Olmert hiding amongst civilians? Nope. He just lives there!

The killing of Nizzar Rayyan, the Hamas leader whose death has been much feted by the Israelis (and whom I had never heard of) took place in the Jabalya refugee camp. In a refugee camp. Does anyone see the moral, ehemm, grey zone here? Plus, anyone who has seen a Palestinian ‘refugee camp’ knows how densely populated they are. Anyone who claims the possibility of a ‘strategic strike’ in a refugee camp is either delusional or a liar.

As for the human shields: oh peu-lease. The Israeli army is the one that takes Palestinian human shields, which has included, in the past, tying Palestinian children to the windshield of their jeeps, or shoving Palestinians when searching houses so they would get the bullets first.

Right now, I'm following the trickle of news regarding the ground invasion, which has begun.

The Israeli Media and Advocacy War on Gaza

Everyone - happy New Year 2009/1430!

Given that I’ve injured my right hand on New Year’s Eve (and was forced to do the midnight countdown with the hot nurses of the ER, poor poor me) I’ll be doing some copying and pasting today, from a 14-page (unformatted) document by the Israel Project, titled

“Language Guide: On Gaza: Israel’s Actions to Defend its Citizens Against the Iran-backed War Against Israel”.

For those who don’t know of it, the Israel Project is a Washington DC-based advocacy organisation whose mission is to pass on the Israeli version of events as facts, lobbying the media and anyone on Capitol Hill who’d listen to their spiel.

The Devil’s pro-bono Advocate, if you wish. :)

(yes, I love my joke. Despite the fact that they don’t deny getting Israeli government funding, but still.)

Aaaaaaaanyways.

So their 14-page doc is basically guidelines for Israel advocates about what to say when talking about the current war in Gaza.

Follow the party line, kids.

It’s extremely interesting. Especially since Israel is yet to allow journalists in Gaza. You read this right: NO FOREIGN JOURNALISTS IN GAZA.

Reporting we get is primarily second-hand sources from press agencies with local staff (Al-Jazeera is apparently an exception, with its own staff on the ground. Take a look) as well as reporting done by the Israeli army itself, which the Israeli media has been repeating ad-verbatim.

Remember when we used to say that the 1991 Gulf War was the first war we watched live on CNN? This has been reversed in Gaza, with the media blackout.

(one of the rare international sources from Gaza is from international peace activists blogging Live from Gaza, here).

This document is essentially an exhaustive compilation of the pre-packaged arguments I was talking about in my last post.

The Israeli war-machine is so keen on spreading its version of events that it has appointed former Israeli Ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman - I've met him, he's a terrible liar! Bad choice! - as, and I'm not making this up, “Operation Cast Lead Interim Public Diplomacy Director”. The Israeli government has a "Public Diplomacy Director" for a war. A Minister of Propaganda, if you wish.

I’ll quote a segment of this document and, as you read it, I invite you to think of everything you’ve been reading in the past days. American, British news sources, Israeli newspapers, and Israeli blogs. The same prepackaged arguments resurfaces, as these people have been regurgitating them - purposefully or not. Blogs in particular I have found very disappointing, with very little critical thought provided. Particularly from the people I once thought were reasonable.

חבל.

Enjoy the read. It is truly enlightening of the way Israel conducts its media wars. Wars we, as conscientious bloggers, citizens of the world, need to be aware of, and counter with facts and logic. Which you are invited to write in the comments section. A second debunking article, hopefully, should follow.

QUOTE:

“Several core messages are essential to a winning communications strategy about IDF defensive actions in Gaza:

- *Israel**'s obligation to defend its citizens;*

- Israel withdrew from all of Gaza more than three years ago in hopes of peace, there is NO occupation of Gaza, Israel wants a two-state solution
- The dire situation in Sderot where neighborhoods of innocent Israelis are being deliberately attacked with rockets as often as dozens of times a day

- The expansion of the threat to Ashdod and Ashkelon - a city with 120,000 people that is now also under attack by Iran-backed terrorists who are shooting rockets from inside human shields
- Israel has an obligation to defend its citizens from the threat of Iran-backed terrorists now - just as it did when Iran-backed Hezbollah attached Israel not long ago

- Iran's President has said he wants to "wipe Israel off the map."
They are developing nuclear materials in defiance of the world while supporting, training and arming Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and others.
- Israel is no different from any other sovereign nation that must protect their citizens from those who would kill them.
- *Empathy for the average Palestinian;*

- *Israel**'s desire and actions for a two state solution and a secure peace* - the fact that there is an active peace process underway and that Israel, like when it gave up the Sinai for peace with Egypt, Israel is ready to make painful sacrifices for a better future for both sides.
- *Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups are funded and armed by Iran.* We must refer to them as Iran-backed terrorists in order to keep the critical issue of Iran's nuclear development in the headlines as well.
Using words like, *"We have seen the damage and destruction that Iran-backed terrorists can do with rockets and missiles. Imagine what can happen when Iran decides to share its nuclear material as well."

And that goes on for 14 pages. Isn’t that fantastic? Seriously, these guys deserve our admiration, don’t they? They are bringing manipulation, and Doublespeak to a new level. Chapeau!