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Total number of comments: 27 (since 2012-03-21 07:23:30)

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  • How Israelis imagine their future
  • Wasserman Schultz brags on Obama's continuity with Bush policies in ME
  • 'This is travesty of American criminal justice': Supreme Court denies Holy Land Five appeal
    • What is most frightening isn't what's happened to civil liberties but the fact that it's being done without much resistance. Most people don't even see a problem!

      I was just watching an old documentary about Noam Chomsky again, Manufacturing Consent. One of the things he discusses is how authorities in a democracy may not be able to use force to coerce the population but they still need to control what people think somehow. To accomplish this, they need to create necessary illusions through propaganda in order to manufacture consent and let people still believe they're free.

      Seems like this is a perfect example for how effective this tactic is; virtually no one is opposing this or even see it as problematic. It's necessary for safety, they believe. It only affects people who are guilty so if you haven't done anything, why would you worry, they believe….

      It's just scary to think how easy it's really been to take away so much with the majority's blessing! You've got to wonder just how far it's going to go and whether there's going to be a point where people suddenly finally wake up and push back.

      It really doesn't seem like that's anytime soon so as much as things are bad and hard to understand now,you've got to wonder just how bad is it going to get? Not really feeling too optimistic and it's quite frightening.

  • Israeli commandos board ship to Gaza and direct it to Israel
    • How is "regime" an accusation?? It's a statement of fact.

      noun
      1. a mode or system of rule or government: a dictatorial regime.
      2. a ruling or prevailing system.
      3. a government in power.

    • Yes, "leave us alone "... Is that alone with or without the billions of dollars in aid ? Exactly how alone do you want to be left? Or do you want to keep the money coming in - just not any strings or accountability with it?

    • Did they have a difficult time finding any women who would sail on the Estelle? Seems odd there seems to be only a couple of women with a large group of men on that picture.

    • Makes me sick to my stomach.

  • Hezbollah confirms it sent drone shot down by Israel
    • The US would have to stop it's own aerial incursions... Not likely to happen anytime soon. It was only a matter of time before others would decide to do the same. Neither the US or Israel is in any position to say much about it considering they're both serial offenders. Well, now they have company.

  • Netanyahu shoves it to Obama -- Canadian PM met with me!
    • Actually Walid, Stephen Harper was elected as PM in 2006 (and has been since). Before that he was opposition leader for the now defunct Reform party, which later merged with the Conservative Party before being elected as PM.

      He most certainly was around in 2002 (he's spent his entire working career, right out of university, in politics) and was a HUGE supporter of the war in Iraq and was very vocal about it too, arguing that Canada should participate - thankfully, he wasn't calling the shots yet and the PM at the time (Jean Chretien) chose NOT to join the invasion of Iraq (rightfully so, as the majority of Canadians did not want Canada to take part).

      If you're at all curious, you should watch his performance: YouTube.com

      (And then, of course, there was this incident/speech: YouTube.com )

      He was really serious about it too. That wasnt enough for him and it didnt matter (then or now!) what Canadians actually wanted.. He even co-wrote (with that other goof, Stockwell Day) an Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal, lamenting the PM's decision to join the madness: Link

      (They're both Evangelical Christians btw)

      SO....Stephen Harper? HUGE warmonger. HUGE Israel fan. Total closet islamophobe (barely in the closet).

      I came across this website. This lady has dug up and documented some pretty interesting as well as some disturbing stuff, part of it directly related to Stephen Harper. Link
      (Warning: Some of it might make you nauseous.)

  • Jerusalem lynchmob story has changed Israeli discourse, but US media firewall holds
    • Territorial? Of "their" women? (Do they also urinate to mark their territory?)

      And I'm curious... Did the reason for the attack in Tel Aviv include claims that Russian Jews had no soul (but that Palestinians did)?

      And how does that fit into the 'territorial' defense argument?

  • We are 'unwilling for an Arab to date a girl from among our people': Israeli org uses Zion Square lynching to push racist agenda
    • Oh they might let him in...but they better not catch him anywhere near a nice Jewish girl. He's been warned!!

      Obama's already got his plate full (of racists) at home anyway.

    • I guess the sexism shouldn't be too surprising considering all the racism...kind of goes well together. When you think you're superior, you find all kinds of possible ways to stand apart and above everyone else, I guess. Still, it's pretty revolting.

      What did that Minister say? Israel belongs to the white man? They really mean it literally, I guess. Not brown or black people and not even white women. The. white. man. With Bibi as King of the Castle. Well, isn't that lovely. What century do this bigots live in anyway?!

  • Tarachansky: Sex and the surreality
  • Savage Geller bus ad hits San Francisco Muni
  • While Palestinians in the West Bank barely have enough water to drink . . .
    • You're welcome!

    • Speaking of swimming pools...

      link to youtube

    • @ Fredblogs -

      The question that really matter and that needs to be answered is: Would you trade places?

      Exactly.

      The disparity in water consumption between Israel and Palestine is more evident today than ever before. In the West Bank the average daily per capita water consumption rate (domestic, urban and industrial use) is around 73 litres (PWA, 2012; B’Tselem, 2011a). This figure is much lower in certain areas of the West Bank such as Tubas governorate where the average consumption rate for the 48,000 Palestinians who reside there is 30 litres per person per day. However residents of the illegal Israeli settlement of Beda’ot, just 12km south of Tubas, consume around 401 litres a day (B’Tselem, 2011a).

      The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 100 litres of water per capita per day as a minimum. Daily Palestinian consumption is one-third less than the recommended quantity. By comparison, daily per capita water consumption in Israel is 242 litres (B’Tselem, 2011a). Amnesty International (2009) and the Palestinian Water Authority (2012) claims this gap is even wider at 70 litres per capita daily for Palestinians, and 300 litres per capita daily for Israelis.

      Water consumption in the agricultural sector also reflects a severe imbalance. In 2006 Israel’s agricultural consumption of water amounted to 1,107.8 MCM (of which 519.3 MCM was fresh water). Israeli agricultural settlements in the West Bank, particularly those in the Jordan Valley, utilise high quantities of water. In comparison, agricultural water consumption in the oPt for 2006 was at 170.8 MCM . Irrigated areas in the oPt cover approximately 201,358 dunums, compared to 2,177,500 dunums of irrigated areas in Israel (Issac, 2006). This imbalance is further realized when we compare the contribution of the agricultural sector in Palestine which is estimated at 20 percent of the GDP, in comparison to only 1.6 percent to the GDP in Israel (Issac, 2006).

      Israel, as the occupying power of the oPt, has specific obligations under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) as stated in the Hague Regulations of 1907 and the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. The Hague Regulations impose limitations on an occupying power’s sovereignty over the natural resources of the occupied territory including water resources. The Hague Regulations forbid an occupying power from utilizing the resources of the occupied territory for the benefit of its civilian population. The rules of the Fourth Geneva Convention oblige Israel to take responsibility for the welfare of the Palestinian population under its control and to ensure that civilians are provided with, or allowed to secure the basic necessities for survival including access to water. Furthermore, Israel has signed and ratified the ICESCR of 1966 which enshrines the human right to water access within General Comment 15 therefore Israel is obliged to implement this right in the oPt since it is under the Israeli jurisdiction. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination urges the state of Israel to fully respect the norms of humanitarian law in the oPt and to ensure respect for Palestinians’ rights to housing, education, health, water and sanitation.

      In recent years water springs in the vicinity of Israeli settlements throughout the West Bank have become the target of settler activities that eliminated, or put at risk, the access to these springs and their use by Palestinians. A recent report published by UN OCHA (2012b) identifies a total of 56 such springs, the large majority of which are located in Area C on land parcels recorded by the Israeli Civil Administration as privately owned by Palestinians. Thirty of these springs were found to be under full settler control, with no Palestinian access to the area. In almost three quarters (22) of these Palestinians have been deterred from accessing the spring by acts of intimidation, threats and violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers. In the remaining eight springs under full settler control, Palestinian access has been prevented by physical obstacles, including the fencing of the spring area, its de facto annexation to the settlement (four cases), the isolation of the area from the rest of the West Bank by the Separation Wall (see section 6.3) and its subsequent designation as a closed military zone (four cases). The other 26 springs are at risk of a settler takeover. This category includes springs that have became the target of regular tourism activities of settlers, and/or patrolling by the security coordinators of settlements (OCHA, 2012b).

      The inability to access and use springs has significantly undermined the livelihoods and security of Palestinians living in affected communities. Many farmers have been forced to either cease cultivating the land or face a reduction in productivity. This also has increased the expenditure for herders and households who are forced to purchase piped or tankered water.

      Many springs, and related water infrastructure, that are utilized by Palestinians are also subject to malicious attacks and vandalism from settlers. For example, settlers from the Yitzhar settlement have repeatedly damaged the Al Sh’ara spring and the water pipe which carries water to the Palestinian village of Madama. Settlers have also dumped raw sewage, diapers and chicken carcasses into the spring in order to contaminate it. In February 2010, the spring was vandalised with large rocks thrown in to block the flow of water and as a result the village’s water storage tank ran dry in the spring of 2010. In April 2011, water pipes were again intentionally damaged by settlers from the Yitzhar settlement.

      Israeli settlements are also a major cause of environmental pollution in the West Bank as untreated and unregulated wastewater is allowed to flow from the settlements. The amount of domestic wastewater generated annually by almost half a million Israeli settlers living in the West Bank amounts to 54 MCM per year (ARIJ, 2008). This is more than the annual amount of wastewater generated by the 2.4 million Palestinians living in the West Bank, a result of excessive water consumption by Israeli settlers.

      Israeli sources state that only 81 of 121 settlements in the West Bank are connected to wastewater treatment facilities. Therefore unconnected settlements discharge 5.5 MCM of raw wastewater which flows down the settlement hilltops polluting wadis and Palestinian agricultural lands (Cohen et al, 2008, B’Tselem, 2009). This is the case in Salfit where local residents have witnessed contamination of agricultural lands and water resources, and have contracted serious diseases including cases of cholera. Barqan settlement, near Salfit’s Qana Valley, has the largest industrial complex of the Israeli settlements and waste from industrial activity is dumped in sites surrounding Salfit. In November 2011, wastewater from Revava settlement near Salfit completely destroyed 20 olive trees and flooded a further 100 trees in Palestinian land surrounding the settlement (WAFA, 2011)

      The Separation Wall illegally isolates 28 groundwater wells in the oPt. The total yield of the isolated wells reaches 4 MCM per year, which constitutes more than 30 percent of Palestinians’ share in the Western Aquifer as stated within the interim agreement (PHG, 2008). Jayyus village, for example, lost two thirds of its land (9,200 dunums) and 6 groundwater wells following construction of the wall.

      As a result the quantity of water available has drastically reduced to 23 litres per capita per day, drastically below the WHO recommendation levels (COHRE, 2008). Prior to the construction of the Wall Jayyus was a leading agricultural area with some of the most productive land in the West Bank due to the availability of water. Eighty per cent of the 4,000 strong community relied on agriculture as a livelihood before 2002, but now Jayyus is reliant on international humanitarian assistance for its survival. Unemployment rates are high and many Palestinians, especially young men, have left Jayyus. The World Bank (2009) estimates the economic losses of agriculture related to the construction of the separation wall and the closure of land located in Area C at 1.4% of GDP and the loss of 14,880 jobs.

      The Separation Wall has also resulted in the de facto appropriation of agricultural wells in the West Bank (EWASH, 2011). This loss cannot be replaced by the Palestinians who are restricted from drilling news wells in the Western Aquifer, which is the most productive aquifer in the region, and thus the Western Aquifer itself has essentially been unlawfully annexed by Israel.

      The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated territories in the world, with some 1.5 million Palestinians living in an area of 40 km by 10km (see figure 8). More than 1 million are UN-registered refugees (UNEP, 2009). Increased pressure on available water resources, combined with an economic blockade and continued Israeli military strikes, has severely weakened the capacity of water and sanitation infrastructure.

      The blockade on Gaza has led to the periodic paralysis of the water and sanitation sector which has resulted in denial of access to water and sanitation as well as detrimentally impacting quality and safety of water sources (EWASH, 2011). The blockade continues to hinder investment in the rehabilitation of damaged water and sewage infrastructure as materials necessary are routinely denied entry into the Gaza Strip. The equipment needed includes water pumps, pipes, generators, computers, building cement, and chloride. Israel classifies these materials as dual-use items that are liable to be used for military purposes, and therefore prohibits their entry. The blockade has also affected the availability of fuel in the Gaza Strip which has impacted water supply and sanitation services. Due to severe fuel shortages at the beginning of 2012, the Gaza power station has been operating at one-third of its operational capacity, triggering scheduled blackouts of 6-18 hours a day, in addition to random unscheduled cuts. In recent months this has frequently shutdown water supply systems, wastewater treatment plants and desalination units (UN OCHA, 2012c).

      The chloride ion concentration in the Gaza strip varies from less than 250mg/litre to 10,000mg/ litre where seawater intrusion has occurred (CMWU, 2011). An examination carried out by the UN Environment Programme on a number of wells in Gaza found that the concentration of nitrates was six times higher than the 50 mg level recommended by the WHO (UNEP, 2009).

      High level of nitrates present in water supplies is liable to cause anemia among children and methemoglobinemia (“blue infants” syndrome) among infants, which often leads to death by asphyxiation. Waterborne diseases are common in the Gaza Strip as a result of poor water quality from private vendors and piped services. The Department of Health of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that watery diarrhea, as well as acute bloody diarrhea and viral hepatitis remain the major causes of morbidity among reportable infectious diseases in the refugee population of the Gaza Strip (UNWRA, 2010a). Without access to safe water, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene, children are particularly vulnerable to sickness caused by water borne disease. Furthermore lack of safe water is an immediate cause of malnutrition in children, which can have lasting impact on a child’s cognitive and physical development.

      The deterioration of water quality in Gaza has also scarred the environment. Everyday along the Gaza Strip, 16 sewage outfalls dump 70-80,000 M3 of untreated wastewater directly into the sea (World Bank, 2009). Faecal coliform bacteria cluster around the outfalls, fish are infected, and the coastline is contaminated, impacting the quality of life of Gazan citizens and the livelihoods of those who depend on marine resources for their income. Fishing is limited to a distance of 5 km from the coastline and the consumption of seafood also creates a further health risk for Gazans.The poor water quality also weakens agricultural yields which in turn impacts the livelihoods of farmers and food security in the Gaza Strip.

      The assault [Operation Cast Lead] resulted in serious damages and destruction to water and sanitation infrastructure as followed; 11 wells were either partially damaged or totally destroyed. A total of 75,000 metres of steel and UPVC water pipes were damaged; 9 sewage pump stations sustained either partial direct or indirect damage. In addition, about 5,700 roof storage tanks were destroyed and about 3,000 were damaged. At the operational level the loss of 11 of the 150 wells (about 7%) has had a significant impact on the total daily water capacity, resulting in an increased shortage of water especially during the summer time.

      The military operation also caused heavy destruction to wastewater infrastructure resulting in significant sewage leaks that flooded extensive farm areas. The sewage eventually percolated into the underground water or was discharged into the sea causing coastal contamination (World Bank, 2009). The estimated damage to water and wastewater treatment facilities is estimated at US$6.2 million.

      Israeli military action continues to destroy water and sanitation infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. On August 19 2011, an Israeli airstrike resulted in the destruction of a sewage pumping station. The pumping station had only just been completed to connect 130,000 residents of the Al Nusseirat and Al Bureij refugee camps to a mains sewage system. In April of the same year 30,000 residents in the Gaza Strip were without water for three days as a result of an airstrike that damaged the Al Mintar reservoir. In addition, an air strike in July 2011 destroyed a well serving 39 dunums of land and nine domestic water tanks supplying 59 people with water. In the Gaza Strip, the cost of damage to water and sanitation infrastructure in 2011, as a result of airstrikes, was approximately US$1.3 million (EWASH, 2012b).

      Israeli occupation policies are clearly manipulating the allocation of water resources and denying Palestinians the right to water.

      Source: Water resource allocations in the occupied Palestinian territory (report)

  • Jon Stewart on Romney's painfully oblivious racism against Palestinians
  • Romney's racist bundler: J. Philip Rosen believes Palestinian society is 'pathological'
    • @ColinWright

      Until someone can provide any evidence that supports the claims that the use of torture produces better results (or even any, however marginal)...

      Until someone makes a convincing case for breaking international law and conventions one's country not only signed, ratified and helped draw up but that also condemned other countries, supported and called for the prosecution of those other leaders who allowed torture...

      Until someone can justify why they should be awarded some special status allowing them to ignore all of the above, then yes, it is most definitely very ok and legitimate to condemn torture and expect the US to, like every other country, fulfill its obligations, respect the promises its made and apply the same standards to its own conduct that it enforces and expects from all other nations.

      As absolutely tragic as 9/11 was, it is NOT in any way a legitimate justification for ignoring all of that. The burden of proof falls/fell on those who support/supported the illegal use of torture despite having condemned it and having continued to condemn it as it applies to everyone but themselves.

      The truth is (and the evidence shows) that in reality torture does NOT produce better results at all but in fact often only produces false statements. The evidence has shown that interrogation without the use of torture can produce as much, and often more, than can be achieved with torture.

      Of course, the more reasonable alternative to all of your "recipes", with or without torture, and a much more logical approach would have been to use law enforcement instead of militarism.

      There was no justification in declaring wars against countries when neither the Taliban or (obviously) Saddam's regimes or governments had a) declared war against the US; b) threatened the US in any way, or even c) anything to do with the attacks of 9/11 !!

      Of course the war in Iraq didn't even have anything to do with the 9/11 attacks, so even your justification for the use of torture doesn't extend to all of the Iraqis who were tortured, abused, raped and murdered anyways.

      Nevermind that an overwhelming number of prisoners that were apprehended in Afghanistan and originated from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia etc... were in fact not dangerous terrorists but unlucky bystanders who were victims of greedy individuals wanting to get their hands on the hefty bounties the US was paying out indiscriminately.

      Nevermind that that torture was used on hundreds, if not (more likely) thousands of mostly innocent men, but also against a "child soldier", a teenager who was 15 years old at the time and remains imprisoned in Guantanamo after a kangaroo trial convicted him. Hundreds of men remain in Guantanamo after more than 10 years and without having ever been charged of anything, some because their treatment (torture) makes a conviction unlikely and most because they are actually innocent but have either no country to which they can now be released to and some because their release would involve an embarrassing admission of the US' criminal and deceptive detainment of so many for so long while they were completely innocent. But I digress...

      While we in "the West" simply ignore the magnitude of wrongs and crimes that were committed on our name, under the pretense of fighting "the war on terror TM", this is not lost on Muslims & Arabs around the world. If you think Palestine evokes anger, indignation, hatred towards Israel (and the US for its support) as well as ideal recruiting propaganda for terrorists organisations, then consider that Iraq, Afghanistan, and now also drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Philippines etc, imagine if what magnitude the US' continued campaign of international terrorism evokes the same in Muslims and Arabs around the world.

      I'd hardly consider that a "win/win" situation or decision and I'm rather baffled how anyone could seriously refer to it as such!

      I find it really odd when I read comments here that condemn Israel and proceed to defend or justify the US' extreme attacks around the world, as if they're somehow perfectly acceptable, desirable, justified or any different than Israel's crimes.

      Does this mean that Palestinians don't deserve to die at the hands of Israel but Iraqis, Afghanis, Yemenis etc, DO deserve to die at the hands of Americans, Brits, Canadians, Australians etc? Is this what you and others are saying?

      I apologize if this is long but I've read this or similar kind of reasoning in the comments and it always strikes me as completely hypocritical to point fingers at Israel and Israelis (and Zionists), while offering one's support for the same criminal actions and aggression on an even larger scale by the US (or England etc), even using the same justification and claiming it necessary for "security" reasons! How delusional! I needed to say so once and for all so here it is.

      It doesn't achieve security for Israel and it doesn't achieve it for the US either. Their governments actions actually makes it LESS safe for Israelis AND Americans and I think some people need to give some thought to why they assume or claim the two can or should be separate or why they should be considered any different. Israel wants land, the US wants oil and money (among other things, of course). The rest is exactly the same, even the fear that is used to manufacture support from citizens and convince them of the necessity and righteousness of their country's wars.

      If you condemn Israel's actions towards the Palestinians or the Lebanese - I'm very sorry but you cannot also defend or support the US' identical aggression, crimes and wars. You can certainly not defend its use of torture either.

  • Expert UN panel established to investigate 'implications' of settlements on Palestinian human rights
    • It really baffles me. Does Abe Foxman actually believes the crap he says or do you think he's fully aware of how ridiculous what he's saying is....?... but says it anyway because - well, what else is he going to say. I can't believe he would seriously believe what he says - does he?

      I can only shake my head... wow.

  • American citizens are detained in Hebron for wearing hijab on a 'Jewish street'
    • May I remind you that Syria is not nor has never claimed to be "the only democracy in the Middle East", is not using US money to brutalize and oppress part of its population or crying to the world that its existence is threatened and that it is unfairly singled out or unjustly criticized.

      I gather from your comparison that you are willing to drop the charade and lies and own up to the undemocratic, racist, oppressive and abusive policies? You are willing to acknowledge Israel's deliberate and institutionalized discrimination and routine mistreatment/abuses as crimes rightfully condemned around the world? You're just satisfied knowing that as long as someone else "is still worse than you", no one should say anything about Israel?

      Does this describe your position correctly? Or are you also still claiming Israel is democratic?...."just not for Arabs", as this quote absurdly claims that:

      ---As one soldier explained to me that day, “We’re not racist. It’s just Arabs who can’t come here.”--

      How does someone even manage to say that and keep a straight face? "We're the only democracy. But don't bother pointing out why you don't think we are. We'll just find another country doing brutal things to its citizens and claim that makes it okay for us to." 

      Well, what can I say? Nice company you choose to keep. 
      "Isreal: we may not actually be democratic but as long as Syria does very brutal things, we really can't be faulted because we're still just a little less brutal!"

      *shaking my head at this nonsense*

  • Should we call it apartheid?
  • 'Where is my children’s democracy?' The Jilani family speaks out two years after the execution of Ziad
    • Please explain what possible difference the accident makes? Is there a certain kind of accident that justifies shooting a man who's already been shot in the back, is down and no threat? What kind of accident would that be? If you had the misfortune of having an accident and then shots were immediately fired at you, I suppose you would be dumb enough to stop? I don't think so.

      There's nothing indicating he was the sort of person who would not have stopped after accidentally hitting pedestrians in broad day light on a busy street if it had not meant he'd be killed. Any normal person would have reacted the same way in an effort to protect their lives.

      Do you just play dumb or does it come naturally?

  • Israeli celebrity says she enjoyed video of IDF attacking Danish activist because he looked like a Nazi
    • I think who ever identifies with this sort of twisted, hateful, paranoid mentality needs therapy. Not more guns, bombs or power...serious therapy. The things I jeep reading coming from supposedly average Israelis, is just certifiably nuts. It's just so nuts I have a difficult time finding the words for it, or even understanding it. It's truly disturbing.

  • A wall
    • Too bad it doesn't serve as protection for Palestinians against IDF terrorist attacks. You'd think that's the least they could have done...you know, given whose land they built it on. Poor, poor Israel. Maybe the next attack, massacre, assassination, administrative detention, humiliation, Jew-only road, etc.. will be the one that will finally make Israel really safe for good. Gotta keep working at it, right?

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