Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Mearsheimer: There will be no 2-state solution, only a greater Israel, and Palestinians will need the int’l community in the fight against apartheid
"The talks are going to fail and who's going to be blamed-- the Palestinians."
[Obama has caved to Netanyahu twice. In July, Obama invited Netanyahu to the White House and] "treated him like visiting royalty. He's 0 for 2. He's bringing these two leaders to Washington with no sense of how they're going to reach agreement... Israel holds virtually all the cards in this game... And President Obama has proved clearly that he's incapable of putting pressure on Israel... The [cause] is very simple, the Israel lobby here in the United States.
"The peace process was not a major step forward because it's led nowhere and has provided perfect cover to the Israelis to continue colonization... The peace process is a charade....
"Where is this all headed?.. You're going to end up with a greater Israel.
You already have a greater Israel. It's going to be one state. The Palestinians are going to have a handful of enclaves inside that state, one of which is the Gaza Strip, and there will be three or four in the West Bank. This will be an apartheid state... That's where it's headed. But it's Israel in the driver's seat. And the United States is merely Israel's lawyer...
"How [can] the international community... facilitate the two state solution? I think that question is largely irrelevant. There's not going to be a two-state solution. There's going to be a greater Israel, and the Palestinians are going to live in a greater Israel. The reason that the international community is of enormous importance to the Palestinians is because the big fight that lies ahead is going to involve democracy inside of that greater Israel. What the Israelis are going to try to do is keep the Palestinians boxed up in Bantustans... The South African model, that's correct."
(Via Mondoweiss)
The crimewave that shames the world
It's one of the last great taboos: the murder of at least 20,000 women a year in the name of 'honour'. Nor is the problem confined to the Middle East: the contagion is spreading rapidly
By Robert Fisk
(Left: Du'a Khalil Aswad: Aged 17, she was stoned to death in Nineveh, Iraq, by a mob of 2,000 men for falling in love with a man outside her tribe)
"It is a tragedy, a horror, a crime against humanity. The details of the murders – of the women beheaded, burned to death, stoned to death, stabbed, electrocuted, strangled and buried alive for the "honour" of their families – are as barbaric as they are shameful. Many women's groups in the Middle East and South-west Asia suspect the victims are at least four times the United Nations' latest world figure of around 5,000 deaths a year. Most of the victims are young, many are teenagers, slaughtered under a vile tradition that goes back hundreds of years but which now spans half the globe....
...But voluntary women's groups, human rights organisations, Amnesty International and news archives suggest that the slaughter of the innocent for "dishonouring" their families is increasing by the year.
Iraqi Kurds, Palestinians in Jordan, Pakistan and Turkey appear to be the worst offenders....
It is difficult to remain unemotional at the vast and detailed catalogue of these crimes. How should one react to a man – this has happened in both Jordan and Egypt – who rapes his own daughter and then, when she becomes pregnant, kills her to save the "honour" of his family?..... "
بلير يستحق اكثر من الاحذية والبيض
بلير يستحق اكثر من الاحذية والبيض
رأي القدس
"توني بلير رئيس وزراء بريطانيا الاسبق اضطر الى الغاء مراسم التوقيع على نسخ من كتاب مذكراته الذي كان مقررا في احدى مكتبات وسط لندن، بسبب المظاهرات الصاخبة التي أعدها المعارضون له ولجرائم حربه في العراق.
قبل اسبوع ذهب بلير، مبعوث سلام اللجنة الرباعية في الشرق الاوسط، الى العاصمة الايرلندية دبلن للغرض نفسه، فقذفه المحتجون بالبيض الفاسد والاحذية ولولا تدخل رجال الامن، واعتقال اربعة اشخاص، لتطورت الامور نحو احداث عنف قد تلحق الاذى برئيس الوزراء البريطاني الاسبق.
الاعلام البريطاني، بكافة فروعه، المرئي والمسموع والمقروء، تضمن انتقادات حادة لبلير وكتابه وغطرسته واصراره على التمسك بمواقفه المؤيدة للحرب التي قادت بلاده والمنطقة العربية الى سلسلة من الكوارث.
السؤال الذي يطرح نفسه بقوة هو عن حال البلادة والجمود واللامبالاة وانعدام المسؤولية والحس الاخلاقي المستفحلة حاليا لدى المواطنين والحكام العرب على السواء تجاه شخص مثل بلير ملطخة يداه بدم الابرياء في العراق وافغانستان!
لماذا يستقبل بلير بالبيض الفاسد والاحذية في اي مكان يحل فيه في بريطانيا بلده الذي حكمه لثلاث فترات انتخابية ومجموع عشر سنوات كرئيس للوزراء، بينما يتم فرش السجاد الاحمر حفاوة به في معظم العواصم العربية؟
بلير يقذف بالبيض في ايرلندا لانه ارتكب جرائم حرب في العراق ادت الى مقتل مليون شخص واصابة اربعة ملايين آخرين، وتيتيم اربعة ملايين طفل، وتشريد خمسة ملايين آخرين داخل العراق وخارجه، اي ان ضحاياه من العرب والمسلمين، ولم يكونوا من الايرلنديين مثلا، فلماذا يتظاهر هؤلاء ضد جرائمه تعاطفا معنا، ويتحرك ضميرهم الاخلاقي احتجاجا، بينما العرب لا يحركون ساكنا، ويبالغون في الحفاوة بهذا المجرم، بل ويغرقونه بالملايين من الدولارات مقابل استشاراته ومحاضراته، وهناك شكوك في قيمتها المعرفية والاقتصادية والسياسية؟
فاذا كان العرب يعاملون اعداءهم، قتلة اطفالهم، ومدمري بناهم التحتية، ومحتلي اراضيهم، ومهدري ثرواتهم بمثل هذه الطريقة، ومثل هذا الكرم الحاتمي، فإن هذا قمة الغباء ولا تفسير آخر لدينا.
بلير لم يعتذر مطلقا، سواء في كتابه او مقابلاته التلفزيونية عن خوضه الحرب في العراق على اساس الكذب والتزوير، بل اكد انه ليس نادما، ولو أعاد التاريخ نفسه لاتخذ القرارات نفسها، سواء كان لدى العراق اسلحة دمار شامل او لم يكن.
والاكثر من ذلك انه مارس التحريض العلني لغزو ايران الدولة الاسلامية وتدمير جميع منشآتها النووية باعتبار نظامها اكثر خطورة من نظام صدام حسين.
هل هناك وقاحة وصلف وفجور اكثر من هذا، ومع ذلك ما زال البعض في السلطة الفلسطينية يتعاطى معه كمبعوث للسلام، وهو الذي تباهى في محاضرة في هرتزليا قبل اسبوعين بصداقته لاسرائيل، وقدم نصائح للاسرائيليين حول كيفية التصدي للحملات العربية والدولية التي تريد نزع الشرعية عن دولتهم بسبب جرائم الحرب التي ارتكبتها في قطاع غزة، وضد سفن الحرية.
نتمنى ان تتوقف السلطات الليبية، عن استقباله كضيف عزيز عليها، وان لا يستقبله الزعيم الليبي كصديق لعائلته، مثلما وصفه ابنه سيف الاسلام في احدى مقابلاته الصحافية مؤخرا.
بلير مجرم حرب يجب ان يقدم بهذه الصفة الى المحاكم الدولية اسوة بكل المجرمين امثاله، مثل كراديتش وميلوسوفيتش (الرئيس الصربي السابق) وغيرهما.
البريطانيون اهل بلده يعاملونه كذلك بعد ان ظهرت لهم جرائمه، وتعرفوا على اكاذيبه واساليب خداعه، ولذلك طالبوا بان توضع مذكراته في المكتبات على رفوف كتب الاجرام والمجرمين وليس على رفوف السير الذاتية.
متى يصحو الضمير العربي من غفوته وينفض تراب اللامبالاة عنه، ويتعاطى مع سافكي دماء ابنائه بالطريقة التي يستحقونها، وتوني بلير وجورج بوش الابن على رأسهم.
"
رأي القدس
"توني بلير رئيس وزراء بريطانيا الاسبق اضطر الى الغاء مراسم التوقيع على نسخ من كتاب مذكراته الذي كان مقررا في احدى مكتبات وسط لندن، بسبب المظاهرات الصاخبة التي أعدها المعارضون له ولجرائم حربه في العراق.
قبل اسبوع ذهب بلير، مبعوث سلام اللجنة الرباعية في الشرق الاوسط، الى العاصمة الايرلندية دبلن للغرض نفسه، فقذفه المحتجون بالبيض الفاسد والاحذية ولولا تدخل رجال الامن، واعتقال اربعة اشخاص، لتطورت الامور نحو احداث عنف قد تلحق الاذى برئيس الوزراء البريطاني الاسبق.
الاعلام البريطاني، بكافة فروعه، المرئي والمسموع والمقروء، تضمن انتقادات حادة لبلير وكتابه وغطرسته واصراره على التمسك بمواقفه المؤيدة للحرب التي قادت بلاده والمنطقة العربية الى سلسلة من الكوارث.
السؤال الذي يطرح نفسه بقوة هو عن حال البلادة والجمود واللامبالاة وانعدام المسؤولية والحس الاخلاقي المستفحلة حاليا لدى المواطنين والحكام العرب على السواء تجاه شخص مثل بلير ملطخة يداه بدم الابرياء في العراق وافغانستان!
لماذا يستقبل بلير بالبيض الفاسد والاحذية في اي مكان يحل فيه في بريطانيا بلده الذي حكمه لثلاث فترات انتخابية ومجموع عشر سنوات كرئيس للوزراء، بينما يتم فرش السجاد الاحمر حفاوة به في معظم العواصم العربية؟
بلير يقذف بالبيض في ايرلندا لانه ارتكب جرائم حرب في العراق ادت الى مقتل مليون شخص واصابة اربعة ملايين آخرين، وتيتيم اربعة ملايين طفل، وتشريد خمسة ملايين آخرين داخل العراق وخارجه، اي ان ضحاياه من العرب والمسلمين، ولم يكونوا من الايرلنديين مثلا، فلماذا يتظاهر هؤلاء ضد جرائمه تعاطفا معنا، ويتحرك ضميرهم الاخلاقي احتجاجا، بينما العرب لا يحركون ساكنا، ويبالغون في الحفاوة بهذا المجرم، بل ويغرقونه بالملايين من الدولارات مقابل استشاراته ومحاضراته، وهناك شكوك في قيمتها المعرفية والاقتصادية والسياسية؟
فاذا كان العرب يعاملون اعداءهم، قتلة اطفالهم، ومدمري بناهم التحتية، ومحتلي اراضيهم، ومهدري ثرواتهم بمثل هذه الطريقة، ومثل هذا الكرم الحاتمي، فإن هذا قمة الغباء ولا تفسير آخر لدينا.
بلير لم يعتذر مطلقا، سواء في كتابه او مقابلاته التلفزيونية عن خوضه الحرب في العراق على اساس الكذب والتزوير، بل اكد انه ليس نادما، ولو أعاد التاريخ نفسه لاتخذ القرارات نفسها، سواء كان لدى العراق اسلحة دمار شامل او لم يكن.
والاكثر من ذلك انه مارس التحريض العلني لغزو ايران الدولة الاسلامية وتدمير جميع منشآتها النووية باعتبار نظامها اكثر خطورة من نظام صدام حسين.
هل هناك وقاحة وصلف وفجور اكثر من هذا، ومع ذلك ما زال البعض في السلطة الفلسطينية يتعاطى معه كمبعوث للسلام، وهو الذي تباهى في محاضرة في هرتزليا قبل اسبوعين بصداقته لاسرائيل، وقدم نصائح للاسرائيليين حول كيفية التصدي للحملات العربية والدولية التي تريد نزع الشرعية عن دولتهم بسبب جرائم الحرب التي ارتكبتها في قطاع غزة، وضد سفن الحرية.
نتمنى ان تتوقف السلطات الليبية، عن استقباله كضيف عزيز عليها، وان لا يستقبله الزعيم الليبي كصديق لعائلته، مثلما وصفه ابنه سيف الاسلام في احدى مقابلاته الصحافية مؤخرا.
بلير مجرم حرب يجب ان يقدم بهذه الصفة الى المحاكم الدولية اسوة بكل المجرمين امثاله، مثل كراديتش وميلوسوفيتش (الرئيس الصربي السابق) وغيرهما.
البريطانيون اهل بلده يعاملونه كذلك بعد ان ظهرت لهم جرائمه، وتعرفوا على اكاذيبه واساليب خداعه، ولذلك طالبوا بان توضع مذكراته في المكتبات على رفوف كتب الاجرام والمجرمين وليس على رفوف السير الذاتية.
متى يصحو الضمير العربي من غفوته وينفض تراب اللامبالاة عنه، ويتعاطى مع سافكي دماء ابنائه بالطريقة التي يستحقونها، وتوني بلير وجورج بوش الابن على رأسهم.
"
When Traitors are embarrassed
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad have reportedly asked an Israeli peace campaign to remove their pictures from a series of advertisements, Israeli media reported Tuesday.
According to Israeli daily Haaretz, the two Palestinian Authority officials asked the Geneva Initiative made the request through intermediaries to remove their pictures from the Partner in Peace campaign for failing to secure their consent to use their likeness.
The Geneva Initiative, which has branches in Tel Aviv and Ramallah, launched a joint project at the start of September, with TV and internet advertisements featuring members of the PLO negotiations team asking Israeli viewers if they will be a "peace partner."
The videos begin with a line of head shots of each of the negotiations team members, apparently implying their endorsement of the project.
Director of the Israeli branch Gadi Baltiansky explained that the ad campaign "aims to counter the myth that there is no partner on the Palestinian side. Director-General of the Palestinian Geneva Initiative Nidal Foqaha told Ma'an that there was no equivalent Palestinian version because "Our leadership is already convinced; the plan in Israel is to create a consensus with the public and then mobilize the leadership and create a real peace partner."
The clips stirred controversy among Palestinians, and hundreds rallied in Ramallah on Wednesday protesting peace talks they said were not representative of the Palestinian public because they lacked terms, references and guarantees that Israel would stick to its promises.
The Washington Post called the campaign "unusual," particularly the point in which Erekat "apologized to Israelis for past mistakes and reassured them that Palestinians are committed to peace alongside Israel."
“Shalom to you in Israel, I know we have disappointed you, I know we have been unable to deliver peace for the last 19 years," chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat says in his short appearance, while Yasser Abed Rabbowarns of the “dangers for both of us” if talks fail.
Robert Scheer on The Great American Stickup: How Reagan Republicans and Clinton Democrats Enriched Wall Street While Mugging Main Street
Democracy Now!
With Amy Goodman
"We speak with veteran journalist and Truthdig editor, Robert Scheer, about his latest book, The Great American Stickup: How Reagan Republicans and Clinton Democrats Enriched Wall Street While Mugging Main Street...."
With Amy Goodman
"We speak with veteran journalist and Truthdig editor, Robert Scheer, about his latest book, The Great American Stickup: How Reagan Republicans and Clinton Democrats Enriched Wall Street While Mugging Main Street...."
Towards a World War III Scenario? The Role of Israel in Triggering an Attack on Iran
(US Military and Allied Facilties Surrounding Iran )
Part II The Military Road Map
by Michel Chossudovsky
Global Research
"The stockpiling and deployment of advanced weapons systems directed against Iran started in the immediate wake of the 2003 bombing and invasion of Iraq. From the outset, these war plans were led by the US, in liaison with NATO and Israel.
by Michel Chossudovsky
Global Research
"The stockpiling and deployment of advanced weapons systems directed against Iran started in the immediate wake of the 2003 bombing and invasion of Iraq. From the outset, these war plans were led by the US, in liaison with NATO and Israel.
Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Bush administration identified Iran and Syria as the next stage of “the road map to war”. US military sources intimated that an aerial attack on Iran could involve a large scale deployment comparable to the US "shock and awe" bombing raids on Iraq in March 2003:
"American air strikes on Iran would vastly exceed the scope of the 1981 Israeli attack on the Osiraq nuclear center in Iraq, and would more resemble the opening days of the 2003 air campaign against Iraq......
(Italic in the original)The central force in preventing a war from occurring ultimately comes from the base of society, requiring forceful antiwar action by hundred of millions of people across the land, nationally and internationally.
People must mobilize not only against this diabolical military agenda, the authority of the State and its officials must be also be challenged.
This war can be prevented if people forcefully confront their governments, pressure their elected representatives, organize at the local level in towns, villages and municipalities, spread the word, inform their fellow citizens as to the implications of a nuclear war, initiate debate and discussion within the armed forces.
The holding of mass demonstrations and antiwar protests is not enough. What is required is the development of a broad and well organized grassroots antiwar network which challenges the structures of power and authority.
What is required is a mass movement of people which forcefully challenges the legitimacy of war, a global people's movement which criminalizes war. "
(Italic in the original)The central force in preventing a war from occurring ultimately comes from the base of society, requiring forceful antiwar action by hundred of millions of people across the land, nationally and internationally.
People must mobilize not only against this diabolical military agenda, the authority of the State and its officials must be also be challenged.
This war can be prevented if people forcefully confront their governments, pressure their elected representatives, organize at the local level in towns, villages and municipalities, spread the word, inform their fellow citizens as to the implications of a nuclear war, initiate debate and discussion within the armed forces.
The holding of mass demonstrations and antiwar protests is not enough. What is required is the development of a broad and well organized grassroots antiwar network which challenges the structures of power and authority.
What is required is a mass movement of people which forcefully challenges the legitimacy of war, a global people's movement which criminalizes war. "
Blair Reveals Cheney's War Agenda
By Robert Parry
"Ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s new memoir offers the expected rationalizations for his joining in an illegal, aggressive war against Iraq, even to the point of quibbling about the death toll. But Blair does reveal how much more war was favored by Vice President Dick Cheney and the neocons....
Despite the widespread impression that Cheney’s grandiose neocon scheme for remaking the Middle East through warfare represented an extreme vision, Blair indicated that he and other supposed moderates shared Cheney’s broader determination to replace anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli governments across the Middle East with more compliant regimes under the banner of “democracy.”
That, in turn, suggests the danger of a wider regional war has not fully abated."
"Ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s new memoir offers the expected rationalizations for his joining in an illegal, aggressive war against Iraq, even to the point of quibbling about the death toll. But Blair does reveal how much more war was favored by Vice President Dick Cheney and the neocons....
Despite the widespread impression that Cheney’s grandiose neocon scheme for remaking the Middle East through warfare represented an extreme vision, Blair indicated that he and other supposed moderates shared Cheney’s broader determination to replace anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli governments across the Middle East with more compliant regimes under the banner of “democracy.”
That, in turn, suggests the danger of a wider regional war has not fully abated."
Munir's Story: 28 Years after the Massacre at Sabra-Shatila
By Franklin Lamb – Beirut
Palestine Chronicle
"The untreated psychic wounds are still open. Accountability, justice and basic civil rights for the survivors are still denied.
Scores of horror testimonies have been shared over the past nearly three decades by survivors of the September 1982 Sabra- Shatila massacre. More come to light only through circumstantial evidence because would be affiants perished during the slaughter. Other eyewitness are just beginning to emerge from deep trauma or self imposed silence.
Some testimonies will be shared this month by massacre survivors at Shatila camp. They will sit with the ever growing numbers of international visitors who annually come to commemorate one of the most horrific crimes of the 20th century.....
As is well known, the massacres at Sabra-Shatila were undeniable war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Each killing was a violation of international laws enshrined in the Fourth Geneva Convention, International Customary Law and jus cogens. Similar massive crimes have seen charges brought against Rwandan officials, Chile's ex-president, General Augusto Pinochet, Chad's former president, Hissein Habre, former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, Liberia's Taylor and Sudan's Bachir.
No one has been punished or even investigated for the Sabra-Shatila massacre. On March 28, 1991 Lebanon's Parliament retroactively exempted the killers from criminal responsibility. However, this law has no standing in international law and the international community remains legally obligated to punish those responsible....."
Palestine Chronicle
"The untreated psychic wounds are still open. Accountability, justice and basic civil rights for the survivors are still denied.
Scores of horror testimonies have been shared over the past nearly three decades by survivors of the September 1982 Sabra- Shatila massacre. More come to light only through circumstantial evidence because would be affiants perished during the slaughter. Other eyewitness are just beginning to emerge from deep trauma or self imposed silence.
Some testimonies will be shared this month by massacre survivors at Shatila camp. They will sit with the ever growing numbers of international visitors who annually come to commemorate one of the most horrific crimes of the 20th century.....
As is well known, the massacres at Sabra-Shatila were undeniable war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Each killing was a violation of international laws enshrined in the Fourth Geneva Convention, International Customary Law and jus cogens. Similar massive crimes have seen charges brought against Rwandan officials, Chile's ex-president, General Augusto Pinochet, Chad's former president, Hissein Habre, former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, Liberia's Taylor and Sudan's Bachir.
No one has been punished or even investigated for the Sabra-Shatila massacre. On March 28, 1991 Lebanon's Parliament retroactively exempted the killers from criminal responsibility. However, this law has no standing in international law and the international community remains legally obligated to punish those responsible....."
This time in Washington, honest brokerage is not going to be enough
An intractable asymmetry between Palestinian and Israeli power bases means the US must intervene. Otherwise, these talks fail
Avi Shlaim
The Guardian, Tuesday 7 September 2010
"....Netanyahu is not a dove who has fallen among hawks. On the contrary, he is a rightwing nationalist, a believer in Greater Israel and a proponent of the strategy of the iron wall, of dealing with the Palestinians from a position of unassailable military strength. He grew up in a nationalistic Jewish home. His father, Ben-Zion Netanyahu, who at 100 years old is still a force to be reckoned with, was the secretary of Ze'ev Jabotinsky, the spiritual father of the Israeli right. Netanyahu junior belongs to the hawkish wing of the Likud. He denounced the 1993 Oslo Accord between Israel and the PLO as incompatible either with Israel's security or with the historic right of the Jewish people to the whole land of Israel. The policy guidelines of his first government, when the Likud came to power in 1996, amounted to a declaration of war on the peace process. Netanyahu spent his three years as prime minister in a largely successful attempt to destroy the foundations for peace with the Palestinians that his Labour predecessors had built.
To his second term as prime minister Netanyahu brings the same old ideological baggage and the same dogged determination to deny the Palestinian people the same right to national self-determination that Israel exercised back in 1948. His rhetoric has changed, but his policy can still be summed up in one ominous word: politicide – to deny the Palestinian people any independent political existence in Palestine. This world view identifies him not as a genuine partner to President Abbas on the road to peace but as the proponent of permanent conflict.
Yet the possibility of a change of heart cannot be entirely ruled out. Maybe Netanyahu will surprise us all by moving on from the relentless rejectionism of the past to become a peacemaker. And maybe the pope will start smoking pot."
Avi Shlaim
The Guardian, Tuesday 7 September 2010
"....Netanyahu is not a dove who has fallen among hawks. On the contrary, he is a rightwing nationalist, a believer in Greater Israel and a proponent of the strategy of the iron wall, of dealing with the Palestinians from a position of unassailable military strength. He grew up in a nationalistic Jewish home. His father, Ben-Zion Netanyahu, who at 100 years old is still a force to be reckoned with, was the secretary of Ze'ev Jabotinsky, the spiritual father of the Israeli right. Netanyahu junior belongs to the hawkish wing of the Likud. He denounced the 1993 Oslo Accord between Israel and the PLO as incompatible either with Israel's security or with the historic right of the Jewish people to the whole land of Israel. The policy guidelines of his first government, when the Likud came to power in 1996, amounted to a declaration of war on the peace process. Netanyahu spent his three years as prime minister in a largely successful attempt to destroy the foundations for peace with the Palestinians that his Labour predecessors had built.
To his second term as prime minister Netanyahu brings the same old ideological baggage and the same dogged determination to deny the Palestinian people the same right to national self-determination that Israel exercised back in 1948. His rhetoric has changed, but his policy can still be summed up in one ominous word: politicide – to deny the Palestinian people any independent political existence in Palestine. This world view identifies him not as a genuine partner to President Abbas on the road to peace but as the proponent of permanent conflict.
Yet the possibility of a change of heart cannot be entirely ruled out. Maybe Netanyahu will surprise us all by moving on from the relentless rejectionism of the past to become a peacemaker. And maybe the pope will start smoking pot."
Iraq: The forgotten 'nakba'
Why has the plight of Iraq failed to capture the imagination and interest of the Arab world?
By Lamis Andoni
Al-Jazeera
"The US invasion of Iraq marked a dramatic turning point for the Arab world, but the recent partial American withdrawal generated notably little interest across the region. This is partly because it signaled neither an unequivocal end to the occupation nor an explicit continuation of US military control. But the silence also reflects the bitter reality that many have simply tuned out of Iraq.
When Baghdad fell in 2003, it drew comparisons with the loss of Palestine and the dispossession of its people in 1948. And while the US invasion did not lead to, or aim at, colonising the country, changing its name or razing its towns and villages, it did serve to remove a once powerful state from the regional political equation and, in so doing, weakened the Arab world. This emboldened Israel and Iran, while striking a critical blow against pan-Arabism.....
....Perhaps Iraq's plight is too painful for Arabs to acknowledge or maybe the crisis there is too complex to comprehend. But the battle for Iraq's independence is far from over and Arabs must now step up to play their role in it.
If they do not, the US will have achieved one of the aims of the war - the weakening of pan-Arab solidarity - and Iraqis will continue to feel, as one recently told me, that "nothing we do seems to capture the Arab imagination and we feel far from the Arab world"."
By Lamis Andoni
Al-Jazeera
"The US invasion of Iraq marked a dramatic turning point for the Arab world, but the recent partial American withdrawal generated notably little interest across the region. This is partly because it signaled neither an unequivocal end to the occupation nor an explicit continuation of US military control. But the silence also reflects the bitter reality that many have simply tuned out of Iraq.
When Baghdad fell in 2003, it drew comparisons with the loss of Palestine and the dispossession of its people in 1948. And while the US invasion did not lead to, or aim at, colonising the country, changing its name or razing its towns and villages, it did serve to remove a once powerful state from the regional political equation and, in so doing, weakened the Arab world. This emboldened Israel and Iran, while striking a critical blow against pan-Arabism.....
....Perhaps Iraq's plight is too painful for Arabs to acknowledge or maybe the crisis there is too complex to comprehend. But the battle for Iraq's independence is far from over and Arabs must now step up to play their role in it.
If they do not, the US will have achieved one of the aims of the war - the weakening of pan-Arab solidarity - and Iraqis will continue to feel, as one recently told me, that "nothing we do seems to capture the Arab imagination and we feel far from the Arab world"."
Monday, September 06, 2010
التوريث مقابل 'السلام'؟
التوريث مقابل 'السلام'؟
عبد الباري عطوان
"الحكم هيبة. وهيبة الدول تأتي من احترام الشعوب لحكوماتها وحكامها. ويبدو ان هيبة معظم انظمة الحكم العربية باتت شبه معدومة، او متآكلة، وهذا ما يفسر حالة الارتباك في القرارات والممارسات التي نراها حالياً في اكثر من عاصمة عربية.
هناك طريقان لمحاولات استعادة الهيبة، الاول من خلال القضاء على الخصوم في الداخل، باللجوء الى اساليب قمعية واحياناً غير اخلاقية، والثاني من خلال الاستقواء بالاجنبي، او محاولة استرضائه بالتنازل عن الكثير من مقومات السيادة والكرامة والثوابت الوطنية والقومية.
الحكومة المصرية تسلك الطريقين معا، اي محاولة قمع الخصوم، وتشويه سمعتهم لاغتيال شخصياتهم معنويا، مثلما حدث للدكتور محمد البرادعي مؤخرا بنشر صور بملابس البحر لابنته الوحيدة، تزامنا مع تقديم تنازلات للطرفين الامريكي والاسرائيلي، والتعهد بدور محدد في عملية المفاوضات المباشرة في صفقة ضمان الدعم الدولي لعملية التوريث.
ان اصرار اسرائيل والادارة الامريكية على حضور الرئيس مبارك شخصيا قمة واشنطن رغم حالته الصحية، وهو الذي كان رفض المشاركة في قمة مماثلة دعا اليها الرئيس الاسبق بيل كلينتون عام 1996 لاطلاق المفاوضات، يشي بأهمية الدور المطلوب منه لانجاح هذه المفاوضات. ولولا حضور مبارك شخصيا لربما تعذر على الرئيس الفلسطيني ان يذهب الى واشنطن مهزوما مرة اخرى امام نتنياهو بدون غطاء عربي.
الا ان الدور الاخطر المنوط بالنظام المصري يبقى التصدي لمن يسمونهم في واشنطن واسرائيل بأعداء السلام، ويقصدون بهم معسكر المقاومة الفلسطينية. ويبدو هذا الدور واضحا بالفعل في التصعيد الامني الاخير في سيناء والذي اسفر عن ضبط شحنة صواريخ مهمة قبل مرورها الى غزة، وكذلك تدمير ما تبقى من انفاق، مع مواصلة مقاطعة حركة حماس سياسيا، ومنع بعض قيادييها حتى من الذهاب لأداء العمرة.
وليس من عادة الزعماء العرب كتابة المقالات (ينافسوننا حتى في مهنتنا) ونشرها في الصحف المحلية او الاجنبية، الا اذا كانت هناك رسالة يريدون ايصالها الى جهات غربية، ومن هذه الزاوية يجب النظر الى المقال الذي نشره الرئيس مبارك في صحيفة 'نيويورك تايمز' الامريكية عشية انعقاد القمة الخماسية في البيت الابيض.
كما ان لجوء الرئيس مبارك الى نشر مقال في صحيفة امريكية، قد يكون ناجما عن رغبته في تجنب اجراء لقاءات مع صحافيين يمكن ان يكون كل همهم متابعة الوضع الصحي للرئيس المصري وقضية التوريث. وكان الرئيس عادة يعطي مقابلات تلفزيونية للعديد من القنوات في كل مرة يزور فيها واشنطن طوال الثلاثين عاما الماضية.
وسرد الرئيس مبارك في مقاله كل ما ورد في مبادرة السلام العربية من نقاط، مثل اللاجئين والحدود والمياه والأمن والمستوطنات والقدس، وأكد على استحالة السلام في ظل استمرار الاستيطان، وهذا جميل، ولكن النقطة اللافتة للنظر، ونعتقد ان المقال كتب من اجل تمريرها في زحمة هذا السرد، هي تلك التي تقول بـ'قيام دولة فلسطينية مستقلة على الاراضي المحتلة عام 1967 وان تكون 'القدس' عاصمة للدولتين الفلسطينية والاسرائيلية'، والمقصود هنا هو القدس الشرقية وليس القدس الغربية حتماً.
خطورة هذه العبارة تأتي من امرين مهمين، الاول: انها المرة الاولى التي يخرج فيها رئيس مصري عن احد ثوابت السياسة المصرية، تجاه الصراع العربي الاسرائيلي، وهي المطالبة بالقدس المحتلة عاصمة لأي دولة فلسطينية مستقبلية.
والثاني: هو الاقرار بحق لا وجود له لاسرائيل في القدس الشرقية، وامكانية تقسيمها بين الجانبين العربي والاسرائيلي ومما يعني تكريس القبول بالامر الواقع المفروض من خلال التوسع الاستيطاني وعمليات التهويد.
فإذا كان رئيس الدولة العربية الاكبر يوافق ضمنياً على تقسيم المدينة المقدسة، ولتمرير عملية التوريث وقبل ان تبدأ المفاوضات، فلماذا الذهاب اليها اصلاً ؟. فموضوع القدس قد حُسم مبكراً، ووفق الشروط والمواصفات الاسرائيلية.
***
وتزامن مقال الرئيس مبارك مع مقابلة أجرتها صحيفة اسرائيلية مع ايهود باراك وزير الدفاع الاسرائيلي، تحدث فيها عن امكانية حل قضية القدس المحتلة، التي كانت العقبة في طريق التوصل الى اتفاق اثناء مفاوضات كامب ديفيد عام الفين، من خلال ضم الاحياء العربية من المدينة الى 'الدولة' الفلسطينية، والاحياء اليهودية الى اسرائيل.
ومن المنطقي ان يتوقع الرئيس المصري مقابلا ضخما الا وهو غطاء امريكي اسرائيلي لتمرير سيناريو التوريث على المستوى الدولي.
فقضية التوريث بدأت تدخل مرحلة 'كسر العظم' في الآونة الاخيرة، ومعسكر السيد جمال مبارك بدأ ينتقل من الدفاع الى الهجوم، من خلال حرب الملصقات المشتعلة في شوارع القاهرة.
وما زاد من هذا اللغط، اصطحاب الرئيس مبارك لنجله اثناء رحلته الآنفة الذكر لواشنطن
، وعقد الاخير ،اي السيد جمال، لقاء مع نتنياهو على هامش القمة الخماسية، مما فسره الكثيرون بان هذه القمة لم تكن لتدشين المفاوضات المباشرة فقط، وانما تدشين عملية التوريث ومباركتها ايضا على يد العرابين الامريكي والاسرائيلي.
وليس من قبيل الصدفة ان تدخل مرحلة الحرب على الدكتور محمد البرادعي قمة شراستها وانحدارها، وصدور الاوامر بنزع الملصقات التي ترشح اللواء عمر سليمان للرئاسة، ومنع الصحف من الكتابة عنها، بعد العودة من رحلة واشنطن مباشرة.
الدكتور علي الدين هلال أحد أبرز المتحدثين باسم الحزب الحاكم واعقلهم، نفى ان يكون للنظام اي علاقة بمثل هذا الخروج السافر والقذر عن آداب الخلاف. وأدانها بشدة، ولكن هذا النفي لا يبرئ النظام خاصة ان الجميع يعرف جيدا مدى الاختراقات الامنية الحكومية للفيس بوك وما للحكومة من تاريخ في استخدامه امنيا وسياسيا ضد الحركات الاحتجاجية.
ما غاب عن ذهن الذين سقطوا في مثل هذا المستنقع، ان هناك صوراً ليست اكثر احتشاما لقريبات بعض الرموز في النظام، الا اننا نأمل ان لا ينجرّ معسكر المعارضة الى مثل هذا المستوى المنحدر، وتحت اي ظرف من الظروف، فمن يلجأ الى مثل هذه الاساليب يدين نفسه، ويعزز مواقف الآخرين وشعبيتهم وتعاطف الناس معهم.
التوريث في سورية 'نجح' لاسباب داخلية بالدرجة الاولى، فدعم المؤسستين الامنية والعسكرية للرئيس بشار الاسد لخلافة والده، ودون الخوض في التفاصيل، كان العامل الحاسم. وجاء الحفاظ على الموقف السياسي السوري، او ارث حافظ الاسد، من حيث تبني خط معسكر الممانعة، ودعم فصائل المقاومة في لبنان وفلسطين والعراق عنصر ترجيح اضافيا. وان كان التوريث لم ينجح في تقديم الاصلاحات السياسية والاقتصادية والحقوقية التي وعد بها الرئيس بشار في بداية حكمه، فان الوضع مختلف كثيرا في الحالة المصرية. فلا يوجد اي مؤشر قوي على دعم هاتين المؤسستين لنجل الرئيس.
واخيرا وفي ظل حالة التخبط الواضح في ادارة 'ازمة التوريث'، وحرب الملصقات بين 'اقطاب النظام'، وضعف قوى المعارضة الفاعلة نتيجة غياب التنسيق بينها، فانه من غير المستبعد ان تتجه البلاد الى فوضى تصعب السيطرة عليها. وهناك مؤشرات كثيرة تصب في هذه النهاية المأساوية التي نرجو الا تحصل ابدا.
"
عبد الباري عطوان
"الحكم هيبة. وهيبة الدول تأتي من احترام الشعوب لحكوماتها وحكامها. ويبدو ان هيبة معظم انظمة الحكم العربية باتت شبه معدومة، او متآكلة، وهذا ما يفسر حالة الارتباك في القرارات والممارسات التي نراها حالياً في اكثر من عاصمة عربية.
هناك طريقان لمحاولات استعادة الهيبة، الاول من خلال القضاء على الخصوم في الداخل، باللجوء الى اساليب قمعية واحياناً غير اخلاقية، والثاني من خلال الاستقواء بالاجنبي، او محاولة استرضائه بالتنازل عن الكثير من مقومات السيادة والكرامة والثوابت الوطنية والقومية.
الحكومة المصرية تسلك الطريقين معا، اي محاولة قمع الخصوم، وتشويه سمعتهم لاغتيال شخصياتهم معنويا، مثلما حدث للدكتور محمد البرادعي مؤخرا بنشر صور بملابس البحر لابنته الوحيدة، تزامنا مع تقديم تنازلات للطرفين الامريكي والاسرائيلي، والتعهد بدور محدد في عملية المفاوضات المباشرة في صفقة ضمان الدعم الدولي لعملية التوريث.
ان اصرار اسرائيل والادارة الامريكية على حضور الرئيس مبارك شخصيا قمة واشنطن رغم حالته الصحية، وهو الذي كان رفض المشاركة في قمة مماثلة دعا اليها الرئيس الاسبق بيل كلينتون عام 1996 لاطلاق المفاوضات، يشي بأهمية الدور المطلوب منه لانجاح هذه المفاوضات. ولولا حضور مبارك شخصيا لربما تعذر على الرئيس الفلسطيني ان يذهب الى واشنطن مهزوما مرة اخرى امام نتنياهو بدون غطاء عربي.
الا ان الدور الاخطر المنوط بالنظام المصري يبقى التصدي لمن يسمونهم في واشنطن واسرائيل بأعداء السلام، ويقصدون بهم معسكر المقاومة الفلسطينية. ويبدو هذا الدور واضحا بالفعل في التصعيد الامني الاخير في سيناء والذي اسفر عن ضبط شحنة صواريخ مهمة قبل مرورها الى غزة، وكذلك تدمير ما تبقى من انفاق، مع مواصلة مقاطعة حركة حماس سياسيا، ومنع بعض قيادييها حتى من الذهاب لأداء العمرة.
وليس من عادة الزعماء العرب كتابة المقالات (ينافسوننا حتى في مهنتنا) ونشرها في الصحف المحلية او الاجنبية، الا اذا كانت هناك رسالة يريدون ايصالها الى جهات غربية، ومن هذه الزاوية يجب النظر الى المقال الذي نشره الرئيس مبارك في صحيفة 'نيويورك تايمز' الامريكية عشية انعقاد القمة الخماسية في البيت الابيض.
كما ان لجوء الرئيس مبارك الى نشر مقال في صحيفة امريكية، قد يكون ناجما عن رغبته في تجنب اجراء لقاءات مع صحافيين يمكن ان يكون كل همهم متابعة الوضع الصحي للرئيس المصري وقضية التوريث. وكان الرئيس عادة يعطي مقابلات تلفزيونية للعديد من القنوات في كل مرة يزور فيها واشنطن طوال الثلاثين عاما الماضية.
وسرد الرئيس مبارك في مقاله كل ما ورد في مبادرة السلام العربية من نقاط، مثل اللاجئين والحدود والمياه والأمن والمستوطنات والقدس، وأكد على استحالة السلام في ظل استمرار الاستيطان، وهذا جميل، ولكن النقطة اللافتة للنظر، ونعتقد ان المقال كتب من اجل تمريرها في زحمة هذا السرد، هي تلك التي تقول بـ'قيام دولة فلسطينية مستقلة على الاراضي المحتلة عام 1967 وان تكون 'القدس' عاصمة للدولتين الفلسطينية والاسرائيلية'، والمقصود هنا هو القدس الشرقية وليس القدس الغربية حتماً.
خطورة هذه العبارة تأتي من امرين مهمين، الاول: انها المرة الاولى التي يخرج فيها رئيس مصري عن احد ثوابت السياسة المصرية، تجاه الصراع العربي الاسرائيلي، وهي المطالبة بالقدس المحتلة عاصمة لأي دولة فلسطينية مستقبلية.
والثاني: هو الاقرار بحق لا وجود له لاسرائيل في القدس الشرقية، وامكانية تقسيمها بين الجانبين العربي والاسرائيلي ومما يعني تكريس القبول بالامر الواقع المفروض من خلال التوسع الاستيطاني وعمليات التهويد.
فإذا كان رئيس الدولة العربية الاكبر يوافق ضمنياً على تقسيم المدينة المقدسة، ولتمرير عملية التوريث وقبل ان تبدأ المفاوضات، فلماذا الذهاب اليها اصلاً ؟. فموضوع القدس قد حُسم مبكراً، ووفق الشروط والمواصفات الاسرائيلية.
***
وتزامن مقال الرئيس مبارك مع مقابلة أجرتها صحيفة اسرائيلية مع ايهود باراك وزير الدفاع الاسرائيلي، تحدث فيها عن امكانية حل قضية القدس المحتلة، التي كانت العقبة في طريق التوصل الى اتفاق اثناء مفاوضات كامب ديفيد عام الفين، من خلال ضم الاحياء العربية من المدينة الى 'الدولة' الفلسطينية، والاحياء اليهودية الى اسرائيل.
ومن المنطقي ان يتوقع الرئيس المصري مقابلا ضخما الا وهو غطاء امريكي اسرائيلي لتمرير سيناريو التوريث على المستوى الدولي.
فقضية التوريث بدأت تدخل مرحلة 'كسر العظم' في الآونة الاخيرة، ومعسكر السيد جمال مبارك بدأ ينتقل من الدفاع الى الهجوم، من خلال حرب الملصقات المشتعلة في شوارع القاهرة.
وما زاد من هذا اللغط، اصطحاب الرئيس مبارك لنجله اثناء رحلته الآنفة الذكر لواشنطن
، وعقد الاخير ،اي السيد جمال، لقاء مع نتنياهو على هامش القمة الخماسية، مما فسره الكثيرون بان هذه القمة لم تكن لتدشين المفاوضات المباشرة فقط، وانما تدشين عملية التوريث ومباركتها ايضا على يد العرابين الامريكي والاسرائيلي.وليس من قبيل الصدفة ان تدخل مرحلة الحرب على الدكتور محمد البرادعي قمة شراستها وانحدارها، وصدور الاوامر بنزع الملصقات التي ترشح اللواء عمر سليمان للرئاسة، ومنع الصحف من الكتابة عنها، بعد العودة من رحلة واشنطن مباشرة.
الدكتور علي الدين هلال أحد أبرز المتحدثين باسم الحزب الحاكم واعقلهم، نفى ان يكون للنظام اي علاقة بمثل هذا الخروج السافر والقذر عن آداب الخلاف. وأدانها بشدة، ولكن هذا النفي لا يبرئ النظام خاصة ان الجميع يعرف جيدا مدى الاختراقات الامنية الحكومية للفيس بوك وما للحكومة من تاريخ في استخدامه امنيا وسياسيا ضد الحركات الاحتجاجية.
ما غاب عن ذهن الذين سقطوا في مثل هذا المستنقع، ان هناك صوراً ليست اكثر احتشاما لقريبات بعض الرموز في النظام، الا اننا نأمل ان لا ينجرّ معسكر المعارضة الى مثل هذا المستوى المنحدر، وتحت اي ظرف من الظروف، فمن يلجأ الى مثل هذه الاساليب يدين نفسه، ويعزز مواقف الآخرين وشعبيتهم وتعاطف الناس معهم.
التوريث في سورية 'نجح' لاسباب داخلية بالدرجة الاولى، فدعم المؤسستين الامنية والعسكرية للرئيس بشار الاسد لخلافة والده، ودون الخوض في التفاصيل، كان العامل الحاسم. وجاء الحفاظ على الموقف السياسي السوري، او ارث حافظ الاسد، من حيث تبني خط معسكر الممانعة، ودعم فصائل المقاومة في لبنان وفلسطين والعراق عنصر ترجيح اضافيا. وان كان التوريث لم ينجح في تقديم الاصلاحات السياسية والاقتصادية والحقوقية التي وعد بها الرئيس بشار في بداية حكمه، فان الوضع مختلف كثيرا في الحالة المصرية. فلا يوجد اي مؤشر قوي على دعم هاتين المؤسستين لنجل الرئيس.
واخيرا وفي ظل حالة التخبط الواضح في ادارة 'ازمة التوريث'، وحرب الملصقات بين 'اقطاب النظام'، وضعف قوى المعارضة الفاعلة نتيجة غياب التنسيق بينها، فانه من غير المستبعد ان تتجه البلاد الى فوضى تصعب السيطرة عليها. وهناك مؤشرات كثيرة تصب في هذه النهاية المأساوية التي نرجو الا تحصل ابدا.
"
Al-Jazeera Video: Empire - The Peace Procession
With Robert Malley and Professor john mearsheimer; Marwan Bishara is host.
Real News Video: INVERTED TOTALITARIANISM
‘They Kill Alex’
By Chris Hedges
".....Alex told Carlos in their last conversation there was heavy fighting in Najaf. Alex usually asked his father not to “forget” him, but now, increasingly in the final days of his life, another word was taking the place of forget. It was forgive. He felt his father should not forgive him for what he was doing in Iraq. He told his father, “Dad, I hope you are proud of what I’m doing. Don’t forgive me, Dad.” The sentence bewildered his father. “Oh my God, how can I forgive you? ... I love you, you’re my son, very proud, you’re my son.”
“I thought, when he died, my God, he has killed somebody,” Carlos says quietly as he readied for an anti-war march organized by Veterans for Peace. “He feels guilty. If he returned home his mind would be destroyed. His heart would be torn apart. It is not normal to kill. How can they do this? How can they take our children?” "
".....Alex told Carlos in their last conversation there was heavy fighting in Najaf. Alex usually asked his father not to “forget” him, but now, increasingly in the final days of his life, another word was taking the place of forget. It was forgive. He felt his father should not forgive him for what he was doing in Iraq. He told his father, “Dad, I hope you are proud of what I’m doing. Don’t forgive me, Dad.” The sentence bewildered his father. “Oh my God, how can I forgive you? ... I love you, you’re my son, very proud, you’re my son.”
“I thought, when he died, my God, he has killed somebody,” Carlos says quietly as he readied for an anti-war march organized by Veterans for Peace. “He feels guilty. If he returned home his mind would be destroyed. His heart would be torn apart. It is not normal to kill. How can they do this? How can they take our children?” "
"We need to nationalize the resistance"
Jody McIntyre writing from al-Nabi Saleh, occupied West Bank, Live from Palestine, 6 September 2010
"Public servant Bassem Mohammed al-Tamimi is from al-Nabi Saleh, a small village about 20 kilometers northwest of Ramallah. As coordinator of the local Popular Committee, Tamimi has played a leading role in al-Nabi Saleh's demonstrations against the nearby illegal Israeli settlement and military base of Halamish. Jody McIntyre interviewed al-Tamimi for The Electronic Intifada.....
JM: Did other villages such as Nilin and Bilin provide inspiration for the movement in al-Nabi Saleh?
BT: Although those villages are important, they are only examples of an idea of resistance that we need to nationalize across all of Palestine, in the hope that every household, at every hour, will be prepared to represent the Palestinian struggle against the occupation.
JM: How do you see the future of this movement?
BT: I hope that our experience is learned from across Palestine and that it ignites a third intifada as strong as the first one -- an uprising of civil resistance against the occupation.
JM: What role do you think internationals should play in such a movement?
BT: The presence of internationals is important, but what is far more important is the presence of a Palestinian agenda and leadership, so that the people from abroad can join us in our struggle. Unfortunately, in some places we now have a situation where the foreigners are outnumbering the Palestinians, and this is unacceptable."
"Public servant Bassem Mohammed al-Tamimi is from al-Nabi Saleh, a small village about 20 kilometers northwest of Ramallah. As coordinator of the local Popular Committee, Tamimi has played a leading role in al-Nabi Saleh's demonstrations against the nearby illegal Israeli settlement and military base of Halamish. Jody McIntyre interviewed al-Tamimi for The Electronic Intifada.....
JM: Did other villages such as Nilin and Bilin provide inspiration for the movement in al-Nabi Saleh?
BT: Although those villages are important, they are only examples of an idea of resistance that we need to nationalize across all of Palestine, in the hope that every household, at every hour, will be prepared to represent the Palestinian struggle against the occupation.
JM: How do you see the future of this movement?
BT: I hope that our experience is learned from across Palestine and that it ignites a third intifada as strong as the first one -- an uprising of civil resistance against the occupation.
JM: What role do you think internationals should play in such a movement?
BT: The presence of internationals is important, but what is far more important is the presence of a Palestinian agenda and leadership, so that the people from abroad can join us in our struggle. Unfortunately, in some places we now have a situation where the foreigners are outnumbering the Palestinians, and this is unacceptable."
Poor Thirst as Nile Taps Run Dry
By Cam McGrath
"CAIRO, Sep 6, 2010 (IPS/IFEJ) - The midday sun punishes a group of veiled women as they wait in line to fill their buckets and jerrycans. They have travelled on foot to a rusty tap on the outskirts of Cairo that gushes irrigation water never intended for human consumption.
"We'll boil it when we get home," says one woman, positioning a blue jerrycan on her head.
Water shortages, aggravated by intense summer heat and recurring power outages, have forced millions of Egyptians to scavenge for water in recent months. Experts say Egypt's limited water resources have been stretched, making the supply of water vulnerable to failing infrastructure and misguided domestic water policies....
Marginalised citizens complain of growing disparities between the haves and have-nots. Golf courses and well-watered gated communities carved out of desert land lie just beyond low-income districts where women and children queue at public water distribution points...."
"CAIRO, Sep 6, 2010 (IPS/IFEJ) - The midday sun punishes a group of veiled women as they wait in line to fill their buckets and jerrycans. They have travelled on foot to a rusty tap on the outskirts of Cairo that gushes irrigation water never intended for human consumption.
"We'll boil it when we get home," says one woman, positioning a blue jerrycan on her head.
Water shortages, aggravated by intense summer heat and recurring power outages, have forced millions of Egyptians to scavenge for water in recent months. Experts say Egypt's limited water resources have been stretched, making the supply of water vulnerable to failing infrastructure and misguided domestic water policies....
Marginalised citizens complain of growing disparities between the haves and have-nots. Golf courses and well-watered gated communities carved out of desert land lie just beyond low-income districts where women and children queue at public water distribution points...."
CIA's 'Red Cell' Hypocrisy on Terror
By Robert Parry
September 4, 2010
"The Central Intelligence Agency has scoffed at an internal memo that cites a few terrorist acts by some American citizens as possibly causing foreign nations to see the United States as an “exporter of terrorism.” The CIA notes that the paper came from its “red cell” analysts who are assigned to “think outside the box” to “provoke thought.”
September 4, 2010
"The Central Intelligence Agency has scoffed at an internal memo that cites a few terrorist acts by some American citizens as possibly causing foreign nations to see the United States as an “exporter of terrorism.” The CIA notes that the paper came from its “red cell” analysts who are assigned to “think outside the box” to “provoke thought.”
However, what’s most striking about the secret three-page memo, dated Feb. 4 and disclosed by WikiLeaks last month, is how it reflects CIA self-censorship regarding the agency’s own long history of supporting acts of terror and protecting terrorists....."
ENOUGH WITH THE MIDEAST KABUKI!
A GOOD PIECE
By Eric Margolis
"....The result was the same kind of tired, stale Mideast political kabuki that has dragged on for the past decade: platitudes about peace, cheery handshakes, and talks about talks about talks.
All involved knew that this was political theater designed to beguile American voters into believing progress was being made in the eternal Mideast mess....
America’s media dutifully reported the Washington talks with the same unquestioning solemnity and deference that the old Soviet media used to report Communist Party congresses.....
There are now 500,000 Jewish and non-Jewish Russian settlers on the West Bank in 121 settlements connected by special security roads off limits to Arabs. Much of the West Bank’s best farmland and underground water has been expropriated by Israel. Jewish Jerusalem keeps expanding into the West Bank through huge, fortified apartment buildings while Arabs in East Jerusalem are being steadily squeezed out, often with the help of tax deductible donations by American Zionist groups....
Watching “negotiations’ between four American client states – Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority – who receive billions in US payments is beyond even acid Mideast cynicism. Egypt and Jordan, both close allies of Israel, have cooperated in the repression of the Palestinian movement Hamas. Neither wants to see a Palestinian state....
But Hamas is also the legitimate voice of Palestinians, having been elected in a proper democratic election in 2006, the Arab world’s only honest vote since Algeria’s 1991 election that was subsequently quashed by the military, with French and US backing.
However extreme, Hamas is largely free of the endemic corruption infecting Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority, which most Arabs regard as a bunch of Israeli and American stooges and yes-men. The Palestinian Authority certainly does not speak for most Palestinians.....
....Candidate Obama in fact promised AIPAC never to pressure Israel into a peace deal it did not want, a pledge he is keeping.
But no pressure on Israel by Washington to trade land for peace means no real peace, no matter what sweetheart deal Abbas signs....
By Eric Margolis
"....The result was the same kind of tired, stale Mideast political kabuki that has dragged on for the past decade: platitudes about peace, cheery handshakes, and talks about talks about talks.
All involved knew that this was political theater designed to beguile American voters into believing progress was being made in the eternal Mideast mess....
America’s media dutifully reported the Washington talks with the same unquestioning solemnity and deference that the old Soviet media used to report Communist Party congresses.....
There are now 500,000 Jewish and non-Jewish Russian settlers on the West Bank in 121 settlements connected by special security roads off limits to Arabs. Much of the West Bank’s best farmland and underground water has been expropriated by Israel. Jewish Jerusalem keeps expanding into the West Bank through huge, fortified apartment buildings while Arabs in East Jerusalem are being steadily squeezed out, often with the help of tax deductible donations by American Zionist groups....
Watching “negotiations’ between four American client states – Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority – who receive billions in US payments is beyond even acid Mideast cynicism. Egypt and Jordan, both close allies of Israel, have cooperated in the repression of the Palestinian movement Hamas. Neither wants to see a Palestinian state....
But Hamas is also the legitimate voice of Palestinians, having been elected in a proper democratic election in 2006, the Arab world’s only honest vote since Algeria’s 1991 election that was subsequently quashed by the military, with French and US backing.
However extreme, Hamas is largely free of the endemic corruption infecting Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority, which most Arabs regard as a bunch of Israeli and American stooges and yes-men. The Palestinian Authority certainly does not speak for most Palestinians.....
....Candidate Obama in fact promised AIPAC never to pressure Israel into a peace deal it did not want, a pledge he is keeping.
But no pressure on Israel by Washington to trade land for peace means no real peace, no matter what sweetheart deal Abbas signs....
Biden and the False Iraq War Narrative
AN IMPORTANT PIECE
by Gareth Porter
"In an interview on the PBS NewsHour last Wednesday , Joe Biden was unwilling to contradict the official narrative of the Iraq War that Gen. David Petraeus and the Bush surge had turned Iraq into a good war after all. That interview serves as a reminder of just how completely the Democratic Party foreign policy elite has adopted that narrative......
"In an interview on the PBS NewsHour last Wednesday , Joe Biden was unwilling to contradict the official narrative of the Iraq War that Gen. David Petraeus and the Bush surge had turned Iraq into a good war after all. That interview serves as a reminder of just how completely the Democratic Party foreign policy elite has adopted that narrative......
In reality, of course, that’s not what happened at all. It's time to review the relevant history and deconstruct the Petraeus narrative which the Obama administration now appears to have adopted. The Sunni decision to cooperate in the suppression of al Qaeda in Iraq had nothing to do with the surge. The main Sunni armed resistance groups had actually turned against al Qaeda in 2005, when they began trying to make a deal with the United States to end the war........
The major Shi’a factions, determined to eliminate any possible threat to its power from the Sunnis in Baghdad, unleashed death squads, mostly from the Mahdi Army, in Sunni neighborhoods across the entire city in 2006 and early 2007. The result was the defeat of the Sunni insurgents’ political-military bases in Baghdad, and the transformation of the capital from a mixed Sunni-Shi’a city into an overwhelmingly Shi’a city, as shown dramatically in this series of maps, based on U.S. military census data. ......
The sectarian violence in Baghdad began to abate by August 2007, but not because of additional U.S. troops as the official narrative of the war suggests. It was because the Shi’a had accomplished their aim of confining the Sunni population to relatively small enclaves in Baghdad....
The official narrative suggested that Iran exerted political influence in Iraq by supporting armed groups opposing the government. In fact, however,Iran’s key Iraqi allies had always been the two Shi’a factions with which the United States was allied against Sadr -- the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s Dawa Party. They had both gotten Iranian support and training during the war against Saddam, and the fiercely nationalist Sadr had criticized SCIRI leaders as Iranian stooges.The al-Maliki government had no problem with Iranian training and financial support of the Mahdi Army in 2006, when the Mahdi Army was eliminating the Sunni threat from Baghdad. But once it was clear that the Sunnis had been defeated, the historical conflict between Sadr and the other Shi’a factions reemerged in spring 2007......
Al-Maliki launched the attack on Mahdi Army forces in Basrah in March 2008 in the knowledge that Iran would back him against Sadr. And when it went badly, he turned to Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard official in charge of day-to-day Iraq policy, to force a ceasefire on Sadr. Soleimani told Iraqi President Talibani that Iran supported al-Maliki’s efforts to “dismantle all militias”, and Sadr agreed to a ceasefire within 24 hours of Iran’s intervention. So it was Iran’s restraint -- not Petraeus’s counterinsurgency strategy -- that effectively ended the Shi’a insurgent threat.It was Soleimani who had presided over the secret April 2006 meeting of Shi’a leaders that had chosen al-Maliki as Prime Minister, after having been smuggled into the Green Zone without telling the Americans. And that was only one of a several trips Soleimani made to the Green Zone over a two-year period without U.S. knowledge. .... "
Top 10 reasons why wars last too long
By Stephen M. Walt
"When great powers intervene in minor countries, sometimes they win quick and fairly decisive victories. (Think U.S. in Grenada). When this happens, the only short-term problem is where to hold the victory parade and how many medals to give out. But when a war of choice goes badly, then national leaders have to decide either to cut their losses and get out or to "stay the course." If the opponent is an insatiable great power like the Third Reich, there may be little choice in the matter. But if the enemy is an insurgency in a relatively weak and unimportant state, and the challenge is nation-building in a society that you don't understand very well, it's a much trickier decision.
As we've seen in Iraq and are seeing again in Afghanistan, getting out of a quagmire is a whole lot harder than getting into one. Indeed, I'd argue that this is a general tendency in most wars of choice: they usually last longer than the people who launch them expect, and they usually cost a lot more. I'm hardly the first person to notice this phenomenon, which does make you wonder why it keeps happening.
In any case, now that we are (supposedly) leaving Iraq, here are my Top Ten Reasons why wars of choice last too long, and why it's so hard for politicians to wake up, smell the coffee, and just get out........"
"When great powers intervene in minor countries, sometimes they win quick and fairly decisive victories. (Think U.S. in Grenada). When this happens, the only short-term problem is where to hold the victory parade and how many medals to give out. But when a war of choice goes badly, then national leaders have to decide either to cut their losses and get out or to "stay the course." If the opponent is an insatiable great power like the Third Reich, there may be little choice in the matter. But if the enemy is an insurgency in a relatively weak and unimportant state, and the challenge is nation-building in a society that you don't understand very well, it's a much trickier decision.
As we've seen in Iraq and are seeing again in Afghanistan, getting out of a quagmire is a whole lot harder than getting into one. Indeed, I'd argue that this is a general tendency in most wars of choice: they usually last longer than the people who launch them expect, and they usually cost a lot more. I'm hardly the first person to notice this phenomenon, which does make you wonder why it keeps happening.
In any case, now that we are (supposedly) leaving Iraq, here are my Top Ten Reasons why wars of choice last too long, and why it's so hard for politicians to wake up, smell the coffee, and just get out........"
Israeli police accused of targeting Jerusalem's Arab residents
(Civil rights campaigners say this image shows Palestinian Ahmad Qarae'en, nearest the camera, moments before he was shot by an off-duty soldier)
The Independent
"A leading civil-rights group has accused Israeli police of systematic discrimination against the Arab residents of East Jerusalem as growing numbers of hardline religious Jews take up residence in Palestinian areas.
A report from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (Acri) found that violent confrontations between Jewish residents and their Palestinian neighbours had risen rapidly, but that Israeli police have largely ignored Palestinian complaints.
Israeli authorities "practise selective law enforcement and fail to provide even the most minimal protection to Palestinian locals," Acri claimed. "Law-enforcement authorities have become complicit in violating Palestinian rights; in many cases, they do not enforce the law or do so only in a discriminatory manner." Palestinians claim that they are often arrested as suspects when they make complaints against Israelis, that their children are arrested in circumstances that flout Israeli law on the treatment of minors, and that widespread surveillance cameras violate their privacy......"
"A leading civil-rights group has accused Israeli police of systematic discrimination against the Arab residents of East Jerusalem as growing numbers of hardline religious Jews take up residence in Palestinian areas.
A report from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (Acri) found that violent confrontations between Jewish residents and their Palestinian neighbours had risen rapidly, but that Israeli police have largely ignored Palestinian complaints.
Israeli authorities "practise selective law enforcement and fail to provide even the most minimal protection to Palestinian locals," Acri claimed. "Law-enforcement authorities have become complicit in violating Palestinian rights; in many cases, they do not enforce the law or do so only in a discriminatory manner." Palestinians claim that they are often arrested as suspects when they make complaints against Israelis, that their children are arrested in circumstances that flout Israeli law on the treatment of minors, and that widespread surveillance cameras violate their privacy......"
Looking for Tony Blair's memoir? Try the crime section
(Cartoon by Steve Bell)
Facebook protest group takes time to 'reclassify' the former prime minister's memoirs in British book shops
The Guardian
"When Tony Blair called his much-awaited memoirs A Journey, he probably expected its journey into bookshops would be relatively straightforward.
The Guardian
"When Tony Blair called his much-awaited memoirs A Journey, he probably expected its journey into bookshops would be relatively straightforward.
But a Facebook page was today inundated with pictures of the former prime minister's book in odd places after thousands joined a group entitled "Subversively move Tony Blair's memoirs to the crime section in bookshops".
The Facebook page – which had more than 5,000 members by mid-afternoon – urges them to "make bookshops think twice about where they categorise our generations [sic] greatest war criminal"......"
Rachel Corrie's parents could face men who killed her in court
Civil suit into death of US activist crushed to death in Gaza by Israeli bulldozer to hear testimony from vehicle's operators
Rachel Shabi in Jerusalem
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 5 September 2010
"The family of Rachel Corrie, the American activist crushed to death in Gaza seven years ago, could face the men driving the Israeli bulldozer that killed her in the second stage of their civil suit against the state.
Rachel Shabi in Jerusalem
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 5 September 2010
"The family of Rachel Corrie, the American activist crushed to death in Gaza seven years ago, could face the men driving the Israeli bulldozer that killed her in the second stage of their civil suit against the state.
The case, which began in March, reopened at Haifa district court today and will hear Israeli state witness testimony on her death. The 23-year-old had been trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian house in Rafah, in the Gaza strip.
In 2003 an Israeli army investigation into the incident concluded that its troops were not to blame for Corrie's death. Her family says that a full investigation was never carried out...."
Blair: War on Iran has to be an option
Press TV
"Despite being under fire for joining the US to invade Iraq, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has advocated keeping an attack on Iran on the table.
Blair, speaking on ABC News's 'This Week' on Sunday said if he were still in power, he 'wouldn't take the risk' of allowing Iran to gain nuclear weapons, adding an attack has to be an option.
"It is a problem," Blair said. "I don't know. You don't know. You're making a calculation of risk. When you're in the hot seat of decision making you have to decide. Maybe if they got them, they would never use them. But I don't think, if I was a leader today, and certainly, this is the view I took then, I don't think I would take the risk."
The British official urged the international community to go for tougher action against Iran and "prevent the Iranians from getting a nuclear bomb.”
He then argued that he would not want to see a military confrontation with Iran, but stressed that preemptive military action against Tehran could be inevitable....."
"Despite being under fire for joining the US to invade Iraq, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has advocated keeping an attack on Iran on the table.
Blair, speaking on ABC News's 'This Week' on Sunday said if he were still in power, he 'wouldn't take the risk' of allowing Iran to gain nuclear weapons, adding an attack has to be an option.
"It is a problem," Blair said. "I don't know. You don't know. You're making a calculation of risk. When you're in the hot seat of decision making you have to decide. Maybe if they got them, they would never use them. But I don't think, if I was a leader today, and certainly, this is the view I took then, I don't think I would take the risk."
The British official urged the international community to go for tougher action against Iran and "prevent the Iranians from getting a nuclear bomb.”
He then argued that he would not want to see a military confrontation with Iran, but stressed that preemptive military action against Tehran could be inevitable....."
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Yossi Sarid: Fascism is already here
Israeli democracy is mainly for decoration, like a tree grown for its beauty, not to bear fruit. Few people actually use it or the rights it affords. Many are merely happy that they can vote in the Knesset elections, and even this number is getting smaller.
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150 U.S. actors, directors back Israeli boycott of West Bank theater
More than 150 American actors, writers, directors and other artists sign letter of support for the Israeli actors who said they would not perform in Ariel.
More than 150 American actors, writers, directors and other artists signed a letter of support for the Israeli actors who declared they would not perform in the West Bank.
The American signatories include Cynthia Nixon, who plays Miranda on "Sex and the City"; Mandy Patinkin, who played Inigo Montoya in "The Princess Bride"; and character actor and writer Wallace Shawn, who played the principal in "Clueless."
 | "Sex and the City" actress Cynthia Nixon |
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Ten days ago, the Israeli actors caused a storm when they released a petition stating they would not perform in the West Bank. Their move was prompted by reports that the theater companies were planning performances at the new cultural center in Ariel.
The Dayton Gang Attacks an Entire Palestinian Family, incl. 2-yr. Old Kids! Offense? Father Gave a Sermon in Local Mosque!
خلال محاولة اعتقال أحد أفرادها
الأمن الوطني يضرب عائلة فلسطينية
Al-Jazeera
"أكدت عائلة فلسطينية تعرضها للضرب المبرح على أيدي أفراد من الأمن الوطني الفلسطيني أثناء محاولة اعتقال أحد أفرادها، على خلفية إلقائه خطبة الجمعة، قرب مدينة الخليل بجنوب الضفة الغربية.
وأكدت مؤسسات حقوقية وقوع عملية الضرب وسب الذات الإلهية، مشيرة إلى أن الضرب طال نساءً وأطفالا دون سن الثانية أدخل بعضهم إلى المستشفى، مطالبة بعدم السكوت على هذا الاعتداء.
ووقعت الحادثة يوم الجمعة الماضي، حيث حضرت قوة عسكرية إلى منزل المواطن أحمد ناجي عمرو (68 عاما) قرب الخليل لاعتقاله بعد إلقائه خطبة الجمعة في أحد مساجد البلدة، حسب ما أفاده نجله أيمن عمرو.
وقال أيمن، وهو من بلدة دورا جنوب الخليل، إن قوة من الأمن الوقائي حضرت لاعتقال والده، وتم التفاهم معها على الانتظار حتى يرتدي ملابسه، لكن بمجرد خروجه سارع أفرادها إلى مهاجمته ومهاجمة البيت وأفراد العائلة بالضرب المبرح، مستخدمين العصي الخشبية والبلاستيكية.
وأضاف أن عناصر من الأمن الوقائي حاولوا ثني عناصر الأمن الوطني عن المضي في ضرب أفراد العائلة والنساء والأطفال، لكنهم لم يفلحوا، وتعرض بعضهم للضرب، موضحا أن أفراد الأمن الوطني استخدموا ألفاظا نابية وسبوا الذات الإلهية خلال اقتحام المنزل
...."
الأمن الوطني يضرب عائلة فلسطينية
Al-Jazeera
"أكدت عائلة فلسطينية تعرضها للضرب المبرح على أيدي أفراد من الأمن الوطني الفلسطيني أثناء محاولة اعتقال أحد أفرادها، على خلفية إلقائه خطبة الجمعة، قرب مدينة الخليل بجنوب الضفة الغربية.
وأكدت مؤسسات حقوقية وقوع عملية الضرب وسب الذات الإلهية، مشيرة إلى أن الضرب طال نساءً وأطفالا دون سن الثانية أدخل بعضهم إلى المستشفى، مطالبة بعدم السكوت على هذا الاعتداء.
ووقعت الحادثة يوم الجمعة الماضي، حيث حضرت قوة عسكرية إلى منزل المواطن أحمد ناجي عمرو (68 عاما) قرب الخليل لاعتقاله بعد إلقائه خطبة الجمعة في أحد مساجد البلدة، حسب ما أفاده نجله أيمن عمرو.
وقال أيمن، وهو من بلدة دورا جنوب الخليل، إن قوة من الأمن الوقائي حضرت لاعتقال والده، وتم التفاهم معها على الانتظار حتى يرتدي ملابسه، لكن بمجرد خروجه سارع أفرادها إلى مهاجمته ومهاجمة البيت وأفراد العائلة بالضرب المبرح، مستخدمين العصي الخشبية والبلاستيكية.
وأضاف أن عناصر من الأمن الوقائي حاولوا ثني عناصر الأمن الوطني عن المضي في ضرب أفراد العائلة والنساء والأطفال، لكنهم لم يفلحوا، وتعرض بعضهم للضرب، موضحا أن أفراد الأمن الوطني استخدموا ألفاظا نابية وسبوا الذات الإلهية خلال اقتحام المنزل
...."
Al-Jazeera Video: rafah
Real News Video: COLLAPSE OF AMERICAN LIBERALISM
A GOOD INTERVIEW
Chris Hedges: "When you have bankrupt liberalism you descend into moral nihilism"
Chris Hedges: "When you have bankrupt liberalism you descend into moral nihilism"
Real News Video:
ABBAS ISOLATED IN MID EAST TALKS
Dianna Buttu: Mahmoud Abbas has little support from the Palestinian public for the negotiations
"Diana Buttu is a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer and former spokesperson with the Palestine Liberation Organization. She appears frequently on international media including Al Jazeera, CNN, and Fox News."
Dianna Buttu: Mahmoud Abbas has little support from the Palestinian public for the negotiations
"Diana Buttu is a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer and former spokesperson with the Palestine Liberation Organization. She appears frequently on international media including Al Jazeera, CNN, and Fox News."
Real News Video: RISE OF PALESTINIAN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
The Two-State Solution, by Emad Hajjaj
THE FINAL SOLUTION:
Two States....
Side-by-Side.....
Living in Peace and Security!
Media New Battleground for Palestinians and Israelis
By Mel Frykberg
"RAMALLAH, Sep 5, 2010 (IPS) - Palestinians and Israelis are using the media as a new battleground in their war to win hearts and minds across the globe, even as the protracted conflict in the Mideast drags on with no apparent end in sight.
Israel has led the way for decades with its slick and professional Hasbara, or propaganda machine. This has operated mainly from campuses, Israeli consuls and embassies worldwide where they have first-class access to the world's media.
In the last few years, though, international opinion has turned increasingly critical of Israel and its treatment of Palestinians, both in the occupied territories and within Israel proper.
Behind the legions of apparent Israeli supporters who make their presence strongly felt in the letters pages of newspapers, on talkback radio, and on Internet sites, is a lot of money and several carefully orchestrated campaigns. Journalists critical of Israel have often been on the receiving end of these manoeuvres.....
The foreign ministry's undercover team of graduates and demobilised soldiers, fluent in several languages and adept Internet users, were paid to surf the Internet 24 hours a day neutralising critical news and spreading positive views on Israel.
Ilan Shturman, deputy director of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with the Israeli business newspaper Calcalist last year that his team would be working undercover.
"During Operation Cast Lead we appealed to Jewish communities abroad and, with their help, recruited a few thousand volunteers who were joined by volunteers in Israeli," Shturman said.
"We gave them background and Hasbara materials, sending them to represent the Israeli point of view on news websites and in Internet polls."
These activists worked in close cooperation with the Give Israel Your United Support service, which offered supporters a program called Megaphone. About 50,000 activists downloaded the software which sends an alert to their computers when an article critical of Israel is published. They then respond by bombarding the site with pro-Israel comments.....
It is doubtful whether Israel will be able to completely silence its critics, given how easy it is to access the Internet and the speed and freedom with which it operates when compared to established media groups.
The Israeli authorities also have to deal with a revolt from within as growing numbers of left-leaning Israelis begin attacking their own government.
Apart from the regular attendance of Israelis at West Bank demonstrations against the occupation and land expropriation, academics, authors and writers are now joining the boycott fray.
Last week, 60 Israeli theatre professionals announced they would refuse to perform at a new cultural centre built in the West Bank settlement of Ariel. On Monday, over 150 Israeli academics and several dozen authors and artists signed letters offering their support to the boycotters."
"RAMALLAH, Sep 5, 2010 (IPS) - Palestinians and Israelis are using the media as a new battleground in their war to win hearts and minds across the globe, even as the protracted conflict in the Mideast drags on with no apparent end in sight.
Israel has led the way for decades with its slick and professional Hasbara, or propaganda machine. This has operated mainly from campuses, Israeli consuls and embassies worldwide where they have first-class access to the world's media.
In the last few years, though, international opinion has turned increasingly critical of Israel and its treatment of Palestinians, both in the occupied territories and within Israel proper.
Behind the legions of apparent Israeli supporters who make their presence strongly felt in the letters pages of newspapers, on talkback radio, and on Internet sites, is a lot of money and several carefully orchestrated campaigns. Journalists critical of Israel have often been on the receiving end of these manoeuvres.....
The foreign ministry's undercover team of graduates and demobilised soldiers, fluent in several languages and adept Internet users, were paid to surf the Internet 24 hours a day neutralising critical news and spreading positive views on Israel.
Ilan Shturman, deputy director of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with the Israeli business newspaper Calcalist last year that his team would be working undercover.
"During Operation Cast Lead we appealed to Jewish communities abroad and, with their help, recruited a few thousand volunteers who were joined by volunteers in Israeli," Shturman said.
"We gave them background and Hasbara materials, sending them to represent the Israeli point of view on news websites and in Internet polls."
These activists worked in close cooperation with the Give Israel Your United Support service, which offered supporters a program called Megaphone. About 50,000 activists downloaded the software which sends an alert to their computers when an article critical of Israel is published. They then respond by bombarding the site with pro-Israel comments.....
It is doubtful whether Israel will be able to completely silence its critics, given how easy it is to access the Internet and the speed and freedom with which it operates when compared to established media groups.
The Israeli authorities also have to deal with a revolt from within as growing numbers of left-leaning Israelis begin attacking their own government.
Apart from the regular attendance of Israelis at West Bank demonstrations against the occupation and land expropriation, academics, authors and writers are now joining the boycott fray.
Last week, 60 Israeli theatre professionals announced they would refuse to perform at a new cultural centre built in the West Bank settlement of Ariel. On Monday, over 150 Israeli academics and several dozen authors and artists signed letters offering their support to the boycotters."
Saturday, September 04, 2010
سلام أوباما.. سنة للتوقيع وعشر للتطبيق
"....
أوباما إذن يريد إرضاء اللوبي الصهيوني وتحسين وضعه الداخلي على حساب القضية الفلسطينية (يشمل ذلك الحيلولة دون انتفاضة جديدة في الضفة الغربية ومواجهة الملف النووي الإيراني خدمة للصهاينة)، يشجعه على ذلك وجود قيادة بالغة المرونة كالتي في رام الله ووضعا عربيا هو الوحيد في العالم الذي يخضع لرغباته.
من جهته لا يجد الرئيس الفلسطيني ما يخسره كما قال في سياق التعليق على عودته للمفاوضات المباشرة (قال ليس لدينا ما نخسره)، متجاهلا أن ما يجري على الأرض هو مدخل لتصفية القضية الفلسطينية وتحويلها إلى نزاع حدودي مثل النزاعات التي تزدحم بها أروقة الأمم المتحدة، وبالطبع بعد تحويلها إلى قضية رواتب ومعونات، لا قضية تحرير وكرامة.
لكن الشعب الفلسطيني لن يلبث أن ينقلب على هذه اللعبة ورموزها ويستعيد وعيه وبوصلته كما فعل من قبل، سواء جاء ذلك ردا طبيعيا على بؤس مضامينها إلى جانب ممارسات (فضلا عن مواقف) إسرائيلية متوقعة في القدس والمسجد الأقصى، أم جزءا من تطورات عربية وإقليمية مشجعة تتعلق بالملف النووي الإيراني والنزاع الضمني بين محوري المقاومة والممانعة ومحور الاعتدال، فيما سيكون الوضع الداخلي المصري وتحولاته القادمة جزءا أساسيا من تلك التطورات في حال انتهى على غير ما تشتهي واشنطن وتل أبيب.
"
Obama's Ridiculous Mid-East Summit
A VERY GOOD COMMENT
By ALEXANDER COCKBURN
CounterPunch
"It has been impossible to read the agenda for the Oval Office summit between Obama, Netanyahu and Abbas without laughing out loud at the absurdity of its pretensions. The American plan was that President Obama would inform Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, representing the Palestinian Authority, that this is make-or -break time for a peaceful settlement. The US wants an agreement within a year, with the stipulations in this agreement to be phased in over a decade.
At issue: the illegal Jewish settlements, the status of East Jerusalem, the treatment of Palestinian refugees and final borders between Israel and a Palestinian state.
The man greeting Netanyahu and Abbas was no longer the icon of change who aroused the world with his address to Muslims in Cairo and who tasked former US Senator George Mitchell with setting the stage for a just settlement of issues that have remained unsettled for more than half a century.
Obama is now in poor political shape.....
Gone was any notion of twisting Netanyahu’s arm, or trying to, as when the Administration criticized one illegal Jewish settlement four months ago and when vice president Biden relayed in Tel Aviv Gen. Petraeus’ concerns that Israel’s obduracy was imperiling US security interests in the region.
The lobby struck back, with political threats.....
And with the September summit Israeli delightedly pointed to Obama's withdrawal of a demand that Israel freeze Jewish colonies on Palestinian land. Instead he urged "restraint". "The prime minister is satisfied because his main position that negotiations should be without preconditions was accepted.....
For his part, Abbas is no longer president of the Palestinian Authority, which has no democratic mandate among the vast majority of Palestinians. They voted for Hamas and regard Abbas as a quisling, who exists solely by the favor of US money, Pentagon security advisors and Israeli support....."
CounterPunch
"It has been impossible to read the agenda for the Oval Office summit between Obama, Netanyahu and Abbas without laughing out loud at the absurdity of its pretensions. The American plan was that President Obama would inform Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, representing the Palestinian Authority, that this is make-or -break time for a peaceful settlement. The US wants an agreement within a year, with the stipulations in this agreement to be phased in over a decade.
At issue: the illegal Jewish settlements, the status of East Jerusalem, the treatment of Palestinian refugees and final borders between Israel and a Palestinian state.
The man greeting Netanyahu and Abbas was no longer the icon of change who aroused the world with his address to Muslims in Cairo and who tasked former US Senator George Mitchell with setting the stage for a just settlement of issues that have remained unsettled for more than half a century.
Obama is now in poor political shape.....
Gone was any notion of twisting Netanyahu’s arm, or trying to, as when the Administration criticized one illegal Jewish settlement four months ago and when vice president Biden relayed in Tel Aviv Gen. Petraeus’ concerns that Israel’s obduracy was imperiling US security interests in the region.
The lobby struck back, with political threats.....
And with the September summit Israeli delightedly pointed to Obama's withdrawal of a demand that Israel freeze Jewish colonies on Palestinian land. Instead he urged "restraint". "The prime minister is satisfied because his main position that negotiations should be without preconditions was accepted.....
For his part, Abbas is no longer president of the Palestinian Authority, which has no democratic mandate among the vast majority of Palestinians. They voted for Hamas and regard Abbas as a quisling, who exists solely by the favor of US money, Pentagon security advisors and Israeli support....."
Fascism in Ramallah
A VERY GOOD PIECE
By Khalid Amayreh
"The American-backed, Israeli-tolerated Palestinian Authority has been unmasking its ugly face. In recent days and weeks, ruthless and undisciplined Security forces have been suppressing public dissent, especially opposition to futile talks with Israel. Such talks are looked upon by most Palestinians as a clear surrender to Israeli whims and dictates.....
There are those who argue that savaging the Palestinians is a sin-qua-non for the PA. This argument shouldn't be dismissed easily. There are real fears among Palestinians that the PA security forces would be eventually used to suppress any opposition to any unacceptable deal with Israel [ Comment: I fully agree that this is likely to happen and I have repeatedly expressed this fear.], a deal that would liquidate the Palestinian cause. Some say this is the raison d'etre of the PA security forces.
This is the real looming danger that all free and dignified Palestinians must be vigilant about."
By Khalid Amayreh
"The American-backed, Israeli-tolerated Palestinian Authority has been unmasking its ugly face. In recent days and weeks, ruthless and undisciplined Security forces have been suppressing public dissent, especially opposition to futile talks with Israel. Such talks are looked upon by most Palestinians as a clear surrender to Israeli whims and dictates.....
There are those who argue that savaging the Palestinians is a sin-qua-non for the PA. This argument shouldn't be dismissed easily. There are real fears among Palestinians that the PA security forces would be eventually used to suppress any opposition to any unacceptable deal with Israel [ Comment: I fully agree that this is likely to happen and I have repeatedly expressed this fear.], a deal that would liquidate the Palestinian cause. Some say this is the raison d'etre of the PA security forces.
This is the real looming danger that all free and dignified Palestinians must be vigilant about."
Video: Blair pelted with eggs in Dublin. I Salute the Irish!
Al-Jazeera
"Anti-war protesters in Dublin have thrown shoes, eggs and plastic bottles at Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, as he arrived at the first public signing of his memoirs.
About 200 people in the Irish capital shouted that Blair had "blood on his hands" over the 2003 Iraq war when he arrived at the bookshop on Saturday amid tight security. The projectiles did not strike Blair...."
"Anti-war protesters in Dublin have thrown shoes, eggs and plastic bottles at Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, as he arrived at the first public signing of his memoirs.
About 200 people in the Irish capital shouted that Blair had "blood on his hands" over the 2003 Iraq war when he arrived at the bookshop on Saturday amid tight security. The projectiles did not strike Blair...."
Video (Arabic) of Sayyed Nasrallah on Al-Quds Day (9/3/2010)
السيد حسن نصرالله في مناسبة يوم القدس ( السيد حسن نصر الله
A very good speech, especially the first half hour. He, in a far more explicit manner, addresses the resistance in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine. As usual, he is direct and confident with no hyperboles.
Certainly worth watching, if you know Arabic.
Sayyed Nasrallah: Mideast Peace Talks Are "Born-Dead"
Al-Manar
"03/09/2010 Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said on Friday that the so-called Middle East peace talks were stillborn and doomed, stressing that Jerusalem cannot be the eternal capital of the illegal State of Israel.
His eminence said that the Israeli enemy is facing a lot of challenges, emphasizing that the American-Israeli scheme has failed and that the one representing the Resistance has won although the conflict didn’t reach its end yet......"
Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll
The question asked is:
Do you support Palestinian factions opposed to direct negotiations?
With over 4,000 responding so far, 86% said yes.
Do you support Palestinian factions opposed to direct negotiations?
With over 4,000 responding so far, 86% said yes.
Friday, September 03, 2010
Al-Jazeera Video: Hamas fighters threaten peace talks
"Hamas fighters have threatened to launch a fresh wave of attacks against Israel to undermine ongoing peace talks that the group has described as "useless".
The announcement follows the first face-to-face talks in nearly two years between Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, in the US capital. The two agreed to meet regularly to work out a framework for peace.
But no sooner had the statements been made then they were quickly rejected by Palestinian factions vowing to fight on.
Hamas said 13 different armed factions, including themselves and Islamic Jihad, would join forces to launch attacks against Israel.
Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith reports from Gaza."
Al-Jazeera Video: Egyptians react to Mubarak's son in Israeli-Palestinian talks
"The attendance and involvement of the son of the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in the ongoing Middle East talks in Washington DC has raised speculation in Egypt over whether he will become his father's successor.
Opposition groups say Gamal Mubarak's appearance in such high-level discussions is an attempt to boost his image as a potential leader, and many fear a presidential election could be rigged to grant him victory.
Attempts to hand over power to him could trigger a major backlash and instability in the most populous Arab country.
Ayman Mohyeldin reports from Cairo, Egypt's capital, on reactions to his involvement in the talks."
Real News Video with Transcript: IS SOME CRITIQUE OF ISRAEL ANTISEMITIC?
Why Israel imprisoned my best friend
(Abdallah Abu Rahmah being arrested by Israeli soldiers at demonstration in Bilin in 2005.)
Mohammed Khatib, The Electronic Intifada, 2 September 2010
"And just as Israel has gradually increased restrictions of where we can go, the boundaries of what is permissible to do as a Palestinian have narrowed markedly. We have reached a point where peaceful protest is unacceptable to the Israeli state and military legislation has been constructed to criminalize and throw in jail anyone who dares to publicly voice dissent...."
"And just as Israel has gradually increased restrictions of where we can go, the boundaries of what is permissible to do as a Palestinian have narrowed markedly. We have reached a point where peaceful protest is unacceptable to the Israeli state and military legislation has been constructed to criminalize and throw in jail anyone who dares to publicly voice dissent...."
Is the World Bank deliberately concealing disappointing West Bank economic "growth" figures?
By Ali Abunimah
"......What is very interesting is that the press release provides no breakdown for growth in the West Bank separate from the Gaza Strip. What we have instead apparently is a 7% overall growth figure.
"......What is very interesting is that the press release provides no breakdown for growth in the West Bank separate from the Gaza Strip. What we have instead apparently is a 7% overall growth figure.
In June a highly informed source who has since been proven correct on a number of other issues told me:
"World Bank figures due to be published in coming weeks are likely to show that economic growth in the Gaza Strip in the first quarter of 2010 has exceeded that in the West Bank. While virtually all economic growth in the West Bank is a result of foreign aid, much of the growth in Gaza is attributable to a "parallel economy" that has emerged thanks to the tunnels. This has even created a small new class of nouveaux riches in Gaza."
At the time the source told me that what we'd probably see as a result is the World Bank and PA emphasizing the overall growth figure, rather than dwelling on disappointing results in the West Bank -- where a huge politically-motivated aid effort has been aimed at shoring up the Israeli-backed collaborator regime of Mahmoud Abbas and illegally-appointed "prime minister" Salam Fayyad.
Could this be what is happening here? Perhaps the World Bank has provided a West Bank/Gaza breakdown somewhere else? (I haven't had time to conduct a thorough search yet, but a quick search didn't reveal it). But I do think its significant there is no breakdown in the press release. It's a safe assumption that if there had been stellar performance in the West Bank, the World Bank would have emphasized it.
The whole narrative of "Fayyadist" state building depends on the notion that the West Bank economy is booming. There are claims, for example, of a "property boom" in Ramallah, which as I explained tells us nothing about the true state of the West Bank economy.
Indeed a recent Save the Children study found that outside the Ramallah bubble, poverty conditions across much of the West Bank are even worse than in Gaza. My recent Los Angeles times op-ed references that and debunks more "Fayyadist" myths."
Come Home America
by Justin Raimondo, September 03, 2010
"If we don’t bail out the Kabul Bank – the notoriously corrupt institution run by Mahmoud Karzai, brother of the Afghan "president," which has handed out millions in "loans" to Karzai’s cronies – will the terrorists have won? Well, yes, according to Mahmoud, who demands that America "do something," i.e. hand over lots of cash.....
Our President, a captive of the bipartisan foreign policy of global intervention, no doubt knows it’s time for America to come home, but seems helpless to change course. That helplessness may sweep away his presidency, just as a similar paralysis swept away that of Lyndon Baines Johnson in the Vietnam era. More than that, it may catalyze a growing left-right movement against our crazy foreign policy of all war all the time. "
"If we don’t bail out the Kabul Bank – the notoriously corrupt institution run by Mahmoud Karzai, brother of the Afghan "president," which has handed out millions in "loans" to Karzai’s cronies – will the terrorists have won? Well, yes, according to Mahmoud, who demands that America "do something," i.e. hand over lots of cash.....
Our President, a captive of the bipartisan foreign policy of global intervention, no doubt knows it’s time for America to come home, but seems helpless to change course. That helplessness may sweep away his presidency, just as a similar paralysis swept away that of Lyndon Baines Johnson in the Vietnam era. More than that, it may catalyze a growing left-right movement against our crazy foreign policy of all war all the time. "
