Commenter Profile

Total number of comments: 235 (since 2010-02-20 14:16:22)

62, agriculture/development economist, German Catholic with personal+ professional intercultural + interreligious exposition,especially west-+south Asia

Showing comments 235 - 201
Page:

  • Turkish PM raises Mavi Marmara at White House press conf, calls grow for Obama to investigate killing of Furkan Doğan
    • Excellent letter.
      Something the POTUS has to do some serious thinking about.
      1) Will he react in the way the letter expects from him ???
      2) Or prefer to kow-tow before the mighty Israel Firsters - as he done so far?
      Any bets?

  • Israeli attorney general affirms policy of e-mail searches of foreign travelers
    • Harassing Immigration Inquiries + Email - and Body Search upon Arrival and Departure = Welcome to Israel,

      - the international pariah and notorious international law violator;
      - the Human Rights violator on a daily basis;
      - ..........
      Surely no destination for vacations.

      Re Kathleen : "If they do email searches how the heck does Phil get in?"

      Don't forget - Phil is Jewish, at least sort of.

  • State Dept human rights report on Israel: 'most significant human rights problems during the year were terrorist attacks against civilians; institutional and societal discrimination against Arab citizens'
    • Iuxtaposition

      1) State Department Acting Assistant Secretary Uzra Zeya
      …commend to you our report this year on the occupied territories. Some of the major human rights problems that we identify are arbitrary arrest and associated torture and abuse, often with impunity,…. And this is taking place in areas under Hamas, PA, and Israeli control.

      2) However, the last sentence of the executive summary reads:
      …. Impunity was NOT a problem. The government took steps to prosecute and punish officials who committed abuses in the country regardless of rank or seniority.

      After having read this executive summary only, I did not even read any further.
      This US Human Rights reporting is a sham and MEANINGLESS as long as it remains without any CONSEQUENCES.

  • Exile and the prophetic: An open appeal to Cardinal Sean
    • Dear Mr. Dickerson3870,

      i shall be most grateful, if you will kindly concentrate your comment contributions to the very subject of any respective article.

      Secondly, what about confining them to one comment per article - at the most???

      Thirdly, your over-extreme use of bold fonts does not really help to make your comments more attractive.
      Thanking you for your kind consideration.

    • Good you took Cardinal Sean to task!

      In those dirty war days of Argentina the now Bostonian Prince of the Church was not a Prince yet, but a fearless and honest preacher of truth and the gospel.

      Now let us see whether Cardinal Sean will take the next always inappropriate occasion to live up to the essence of the gospel and SPEAK OUT in non-diplomatic terms on the ongoing dirty war of Jews in Palestine.
      No "Holy Land garbage", please.

      Beati pacifici .........
      Let us hope so.....

  • Reality check-- John Kerry prepares to stick fork in two-state solution
    • Re Toivos : " Uri Avnery is opposed to the one-state solution because it means the end of Israel as a Jewish state. ..."

      In all fairness to Uri Avnery, Toivos, this is a misrepresentation of Avnery's position.
      He argues for a 2SS above all for practical reasons; his main argument is that - for the time being - no other alternative would be agreeable to the vast majority of Israeli Jews. At the same time he leaves the mid-to long-term future relationship of both States open, with a clear preference of an ever increasing process of regional cooperation in the Near East.
      With respect to the "Jewish State" he has never argued for this. In the contrary. He mercilessly has highlighted the principal incompatibility of "Jewish" and "democratic". The one excludes the other. And his leanings are beyond doubt: he is a unrelenting democrat.
      That at least has been my understanding of his argumentation.

      If there is some soft pedalling of Uri Avnery - that is in his position vis-a-vis BDS. He opposes with imho fairly weak and twisting arguments an outright and general boycott of Israel. He keeps fairly mum on the subject since and aslong as the Anti-Boycott Law passed by the Knesset threatens anybody promoting Israel boycott with heavy fines. The matter is before the Supreme Court - and the SC is dragging its feet ..... as is usual and symptomatic for Israeli judicuary.

    • Is John Kerry and the USA getting really serious about the 2SS ???

      May be yes. That can not be ruled out.
      And what may have caused such a turn-around? Since we are all speculating, here is a possible and imho not far-fetched explanation:

      After all those 65 years, the US foreign policy thinkers, thinking the Near East scenario forward, say another 20-30 or even 50 years, have come to the conclusion that the 2SS with a democratic Israel is the ONLY chance they will have a n y State of Israel at all to ally with.
      Failing which the alternative solution - 1SS - means : ADIOS ISRAEL!
      Before such a likely development, US influence can best be safeguarded with a 2SS, where the State of Israel has a considerably better chance to survive, provided it will opt for Democracy and give up the "Jewish" State.

  • UNICEF stifles its own report on Palestinian children in Israeli detention
    • No more donations to UNICEF

      This behaviour of UNICEF reps is shocking and thoroughly discredits a formerly well-reputed UN-Organisation.

      I deeply regret my past donations to UNICEF - as for the future: NO MORE !

      Wonder, whether the UNICEF board will take any decisive action on both functionaries, Lake and Gogh, and remove them from their positions.

      That should be a minimum to restore some of the lost credibility.

  • Palestinian-American boy, 14, locked up in Israeli military jail
    • San comment:

      ...American consular officials declined comment......

      , not to speak about doing something for the young boy and intervene with Israeli and Military authorities in a robust way.
      After all he is only a Palestinian-US citizen........

  • Products from the colonies: Labeling or prohibition?
    • Re : Harry Law, 05Apr13 - 3:02pm
      ...." to create a “certification/denomination of origin” seal for Palestinian products?"...
      Re: Harry Law, 05Apr13 - 1:30pm
      ..."now that Palestine is a state, how about products from Palestine being named as such on all labeling,..."

      I trust a separate label a la "Made in Palestine" would not solve the problem either.
      After all, we shall not forget, that any and all exports from the oPt or the new state of Palestine can only be "exported" through the corridor of Israel proper!!

      Iow, for the time being and as things still stand now - such strategy is likely not to solve the problem of fraudulent export declarations by the GoI + Israeli exporters.

      Here, my conclusion would be, that ALL Israel Exports would have to be refused import tax privileges, because no importing EU-Member Country is in the position to positively asceertain beyond doubt, whether or not the Israeli Declaration of Origin is genuine or fraudulent.

      However, pabelmont's comment above raises the question:
      .."Perhaps a lawsuit may be brought against an i m p o r t i n g s t a t e, but who would be able (successfully) to bring such a lawsuit?...." -
      that appears to me to be a more promising thought.

      Who could file such an lawsuit?
      Perhaps even the European Parliament against the European Commission?????
      For reasons of neglect and inactivity, and ignoring the principles of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
      Any legal experts here to enlighten the laymen????

  • 'Look at the world through their eyes' -- Obama should take his own advice
    • Re Chu: ..."He needed to [have] travel[led] there and say ‘look fools, you’re on borrowed [better: stolen] property and you have blood on your hands. No historical events will erase sixty years of crimes. And as those neighbors you’ve wounded over the decades have never been repaid....."

      E X A C T L Y !!
      Everybody who (like me - mea culpa) still had been clinging to a rest-hope that Obama would use THE chance to drive it home to the Israeli voters, must finally come to the conclusion: The POTUS Obama is a hopeless case to bet a cent on for rectifying an enormous historical injustice committed on the Palestinians.
      The USA and the European governments are accomplices of the blatant human right violations going on in the unholy Land since (at least) 46 years now.

      What is left now for us normal little citizens everywhere?

      Total emphasis on B D S of everything Israeli and an outright "Rights and entitlement approach". Hopefully Abbas will do what he announced:
      Only 2 months more waiting.
      Thereafter: Israel and those responsible before the ICC in The HAGUE!

  • NPR can't stop talking about Jews
    • Re MRW : ..." The only good thing about my NPR is BBC in the middle of the night,...."

      The same i can not say about the BBC.

      They have since quite a while a similar hybrid radio programme under the titel "Boston calling", in which the BBC gives NPR the air waves to her listeners for half an hour. Which is - to top it up - repeated umpteen times during the week.

      Most of the time, it is a very poor image the NPR gives of what drives the USA. The usual NPR crap.....Mostly, awful.
      Meanwhile, I am often lead to promptly change stations, and ever increasinglyi do.

  • We need to look to the Palestinian leaders on the ground, not more diplomats — Noura Erakat on MSNBC
    • Re Hostage:
      "According to Asharq al-Awsat, Abbas told Obama that he would wait two months before taking any action at the ICC in hopes that the US could convince Israel to freeze settlement construction as a precondition for relaunching peace talks."....

      I wonder whether Abbas will do what he has been quoted to do.....
      after 2 months additional waiting for a total, publicly announced settlement freeze!
      link to aawsat.net

      That would mean Netanyahoos 3rd Government had a 2 months live period only!!

    • re American : ...Ben-Ami is another lying zio .....

      Agreed. When Ben-Ami says .... "I agree with you that there's been no results, that I absolutely agree. ....",
      Ben Ami ignores or tries to hide, that during all the gimmick of decades of negotiations and "Peace Process" there has been an enormous expansion of settler colonies and exploitation of occupied territories, and all the other Human Right violations as listed in the UNHR Council Report on Settlements of 18March 2013.
      Please see: link to unispal.un.org
      This report says it all.
      And all these shall be no results???????
      And has it given any coverage in the US or European media??? NONE.

  • Obama gets it
    • Obama : …" And let me say this as a politician -- I can promise you this, political leaders will never take risks if the people do not push them to take some risks…."

      And I am ONE of THESE……

  • Adalah launches comprehensive online 'Discriminatory Laws Database' to monitor racist Israeli legislation
  • 'Mr President, I'm sure you know everything' -- a Palestinian boy expelled from half his home urges US action
    • Despite all disappointments - I refuse to give up hope
      Despite all frustrations hereto with Obama I - performance wrt to the I-P-conflict, i even refuse to give up all hopes wrt to Obama….. until yet proven (again) to the contrary.

      When speaking to the Israeli Youth /students, Obama has the floor. The world's cameras are on him. He will speak to all Israelis and the world at large.
      Nobody knows what exactly he will say. Obama might be hitting hard. After all, Obama has to settle some scores with Netanyahoo, has he not?

      He may also make use of this opportunity to tell his Israeli audience what they hardly hear and could even interrupt his speech for showing a few selected video sequences wrt to the reality of the occupation , as Palestinians have to endure since decades; day-in and day-out, not to forget the nights, when the Israeli Army harasses sleeping Palestinian homes and make their routine arrests.

      The documentary "5 broken cameras " could possibly well serve for this purpose.
      Other video material equally suited should be readily available in abundance.

  • Covering Hamas and Palestinian society: A response to Peter Beinart
    • Beinart's Zio-Liberalism UNMASKED as cheap Hasbarism - once for all
      T h a n k s to tree and Kathleen!
      Re: tree : March 11, 2013 at 6:39 pm
      .”… So it’s a little like Zionism. I recognize that to be a Zionist I have to compromise my liberalism: I have to support a Jewish state, which by definition will never be able to provide absolute equality to its non-Jewish citizens. But I try to do so while still hoping for as much liberalism as possible...”

      Re Kahleen March 11, 2013 at 4:19 pm
      ...yet he declared to Jeffrey Goldberg he opposes equal rights for Palestinian citizens of Israel because it contradicts his own political mission of maintaining a Jewish state —
      “I’m not even asking it to allow full, equal citizenship to Arab Israelis, since that would require Israel no longer being a Jewish state.”

      That should disqualify Peter Beinarts verbal garbage re Zio-liberalism once for all!
      These quotations unmask P.B. as little else than a cheap hasbarist. I wonder that decent media (print or otherwise, incl. blogs like Mondoweiss) give P.B. hypocritical and/or mendacious utterings any import and coverage at all.
      The only thing that P.B. would have to conclude from his own realization that his generous granting Palestinian Israelis only less than full and unequal citizenhip rights makes him a 100 pc non-Liberal (to put it very mildly).
      The only logic consequence were for him, to repent his treason on the better traditions of enlightened liberalism and give up his mission for a JEWISH State of Israel.

  • 'Palestinians for Dignity' reject Obama visit as effort to stave off pressure on Israel, placate Palestinian street
    • re American

      I fully support the suggestion to also demand from the Abbas-PA to proceed with taking those responsible for the e.g. Gaza War and the Occupation to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
      This could well be an effective, non-violent measure for achieving national self-determination of Palestinians.

      While i sympathize with the high degree of frustration in light of no progress whatsoever during two decades + of "negotiations" and the "peace process", and the logic for a comprehensive strategy of resistance,

      i'd like to warn to also relapse into any type of former military activities as a form of resistance.
      This would certainly be utterly counterproductive and destroy the enormous international credit which the Palestinian non-violent resistance has accrued as of now.
      It would virtually gamble all this CREDIT away.

  • Netherlands takes bold move: settlement products must be labeled
    • Re Basilio.:
      "Labeling doesn’t do much since Israel can slap on a made in Israel label and lie."….

      That is what they do already since years, including exporting to some other importing country / wholesale importer in the EU and relabel Israeli products as from another EU country of origin.
      Previously Turkish business had been helpful in such a scheme; not anymore I guess. Nowadays, Greek and Greek Cypriot companies may have taken their place, and so do French and Spanish importers.

      That is why it only makes sense to boycott ALL Israeli products, irrespective of any labeling details, i.e. whether they are labeled "Made in Israel" or "Produce of the occupied WestBank".
      The entire Jewish Israeli electorate, the Israel State machinery and Israel's commercial sector / companies are so deeply entrenched in the occupation, colonization and exploitation of Palestine, that no practical and justifiable distinction between the two geographies of origin can be made.

      The debates in Europe (whether by EU- or other EU-member state politicians) on the labeling issue goes on since years. Endlessly, without any clear regulation and enforceable follow-up.

      Therefore, again, ALL Products with the barcode 729 shall remain in the shelves and rot there.

  • In photos: Gaza fishermen undertake protest flotilla to tell Israel -- 'Return the stolen boats!'
    • 36 fisherboats seized

      Not only "wonderful photos" they are - in the first place it is

      an impressive resistance campaign by the Gazan fishermen

      Excellent campaign.

  • Biden says Jews can't be safe in the U.S. without a Jewish state
  • The chutzpah of hasbara
    • Re: "First there was the "voluntary" birth control injection of Ethiopian immigrants. Now now we have the secret "voluntary" repatriation of 1000 Sudanese back to Sudan, where even Israel concedes their lives are in danger."

      That news makes no big headlines.

      BUT this one:
      First woman of Ethiopian origin becomes 'Miss Israel'

      Yityish Aynaw, 21, hopes that winning Israeli beauty queen pageant will pave the way for a career in modeling.
      By Haaretz | 10:00 28.02.13 |
      link to haaretz.com

      What an open, non racist and non-discriminatory democracy we are.
      You see?

  • '5 Broken Cameras' loses out to 'Searching for Sugar Man' for best doc Oscar
    • Re: ..." According to Guy Davidi, industry insiders warned him that pressure was exerted on the Academy to stop either 5 Broken Cameras or The Gatekeepers from winning..."

      Thinking about the composition of the Academy Jurors, I can well imagine, that there was no pressure needed, not to select "5 briken cameras".
      In light of this, it would have been indeed a stunning surprize, if it did.
      Anyway, whatever, the nomination itself has been a formidable achievement and recognition of the film and its main message.

      And my unqualified applause and respect ... goooooooes to: EMAD BURNAT + the entire TEAM involved in making the documentary, above all all BILIN'ers.

      Chapeau ! for their year-in and year-out perseverance and adherence to non-violence.

  • Palestinians demand international inquiry following suspicious death of detainee in Israeli prison
    • Re: " The doctors who sign off on torture do so in violation of their hippocratic oath to do no harm.But Zionism has gone way past the point where it can honour oaths, commitments and promises."

      This is indeed a very and especially deplorable fact, that doctors make themselves complicit in such crimes.

      Their names shall also be recorded so that they will be taken to account for their deeds at the HAGUE .... when the times comes.
      And this time will come in no too distant future.

  • You could become 'another Goldstone' -- friendly warning to Yale prof whose study cleared Palestinian textbooks of demonization charge
  • Hillary Clinton showed more spine with Netanyahu than Obama has
    • Re: ...Unfortunately, the text of the December 2010 speech has been removed from both the Saban Center and the State Department sites, ......

      The full text of Hillary Clinton's speech on 10 December 2010 at the Saban Centre can be found here:

      link to state.gov

  • Report: Hillary pushed for Middle East peace deal, Obama wasn't interested
    • Re Hostage:
      " meaning of the Bush letter to Sharon about the final settlement being based upon the 67 borders plus the subsequent “realities created on the ground”. and
      " U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dismissed on Friday reports that administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush had an understanding under which Israel could keep expanding settlements on the West Bank."

      And here Hillary (and Hostage) is correct. The above mentioned ominous letter dates 25.April 2004.
      And here is a statement of President GW Bush from 26 (?) May 2005 on the issue of settlements as quoted by Ynet, dated 26 May 2005 :

      ….Bush said that both the Palestinians and Israel must live up to their obligations under the so-called "road map" peace process that calls for creation of an independent Palestinian state on lands captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

      "Israel must continue to take steps toward a peaceful future" and not take steps that contravene road map obligations, Bush said. He said Israel must "remove unauthorized outposts and stop settlement expansions."

      ….

      link to ynetnews.com

  • Hagel looms -- will AIPAC dare to take him on?
    • Re: " Well, I’d really love to see a real public discussion, pros and cons........
      and, also of course, a discussion why Israel’s settlements program is BAD for various American interests..."

      General Petraeus and others have been very explicit on this subject, has he not !!

  • Endless 'debate over two-state solution' is cover for the real story, annexation of West Bank
    • re : several diversions/rationalizations

      Add to this list - not to forget :
      a few wars here and then sprinkled in between, eg. Libanon I + II and Gaza I + II

  • 'I am looking to shed some light on the predicament of a beleaguered people' -- Roger Waters's stirring speech to UNGA
    • GRAND SPEECH by Roger Waters

      Thanks a lot for making the text of Roger Waters' phantastic speech available.
      We should distribute his speech widely to our respective Address Book contacts.

      Indeed, i watched the Video link to youtube.com showing Roger Waters delivering his grand speech as spokesman of the Russel tribunal. Very impressive. It summarizes it all.
      A crash course on the I-P conflict and Israel's shameful historic record.

  • Merkel squirms during Netanyahu's love song to 'special relationship'
    • Re: Merkel's Sauerkraut-Face

      Agreed - her face and Sauerkraut mimick is great.

      Apart from that, for me her facial expression is just to show the German public, that she is rrreally angry with NTY and that she has thoroughly given NTY a brush...... in private and this remains of course, as always so far, without any tangible political and/or economic consequences.
      Her Sauerkraut-face is just a show only.
      The reason being is that Merkel knows that roughly 70-80 % of Germans DISAPPROVE of her handling the I-P-conflict sooo one-sidedly.

  • Video: Gurvitz says settlers threaten to detonate a civil war
    • Thanks for that interview. A sad interview it is.
      However, very much against all my hopes and realization that a coming carnage ought to be stopped - as long as it is still time? - , deep down i must agree with Yossi Gurvitz.
      Why?
      Because to avoid this carnage to pave the way to an 1SS, it would require:
      a) massive political and econonmic pressure on the Government of Israel and the Jewish Israeli citizen as from NOW;
      b) the Israeli electorate coming to senses.
      I cannot see any of these two conditions to be fulfilled in the near future. So?
      Carnage must be.
      Must carnage be?
      All my guts revolt to accept my own reasoning.
      Despite all the crimes committed by the Jewish and Israeli colonization and occupation and wars, Palestinians are still ready to forgive, if only the perpetrators could believe that their crimes were to be forgiven.
      As long as they can not forgive themselves, they can not believe in forgiveness by others - after all they have heaped soooo much guilt already. Have they ever earnestly tried?

  • New J Street spokesperson promoted GOP 'Palestinian culture of hate' comments in his last job
    • Demasking J-Street and their (badly hidden) driving force

      Such personal recruitment is hopefully the last nail in J-Street's coffin.
      Adios - Reqiescat in silentio!!

  • Why I joined Mondoweiss
    • ....I feel that by being critical of the State of Israel I am being true to the humanistic values of my religion ......

      200 percent agreed !!
      welcome, Scott!
      And while due criticism is very much required wrt to Israel Government policies,
      as well as those of the USA enabling the same,
      PLEASE do not forget to harp home when it comes to these bigot European Governments, which do not live up to their responsibilities and remain factually accomplices of occupation and gross injustice - and that since decades.

    • Page: 2
  • The Gazan state-- and the West Bank Bantustans
    • imho:
      Strange and superfluous musings by Jeff Werner and Pipistro

      I wonder what constructive purpose / motive such deliberations may serve???
      To me they appear to be good for one thing only: for the waste-paper bin - at best!

  • Breaking: Protester in West Bank dies of injuries inflicted by Israeli soldiers
    • and the world, looks on or away.....
      let's it happen and happen again
      without end?
      That is also the right to Israeli self-defense!
      The right to israeli self-defense = licence to kill!
      With impunity.

  • Israel's choice to inflict violence on civilians and ignore political offers violates 'just war morality'
    • Refreshing our often too short-lived memories

      sometimes it is really eye-opening to re-read what has been not too long ago:
      e.g.
      1) 06 October 2004: Quotations from Dov Weisglass Interview
      link to news.bbc.co.uk

      "The significance of the (Gaza evacuation) plan is the freezing of the peace process," Dov Weisglass told Haaretz newspaper, adding the US had given its backing.
      Palestinian statehood, refugees and the status of Jerusalem had effectively been dropped off the agenda, he said.

      "When you freeze [the peace] process, you prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, and you prevent a discussion on the [Palestinian] refugees, the borders and Jerusalem."
      "Effectively, this whole package called the Palestinian state, with all that it entails, has been removed indefinitely from our agenda.

      2) link to lrb.co.uk
      This article by Henry Siegmann of 29 January 2009 revisits and recalls the scenario before / after the truce and truce breaking before the Gaza War1 (="operation Cast Lead").
      The parallels are often striking.

      The essence remaining the same:
      Israel does everything possible to avoid at all cost: PEACE

  • Worldwide protests against Israeli aggression in Gaza
    • This Israeli pre-election Slaughter in Gaza = A perfect Israeli Self-Goal

      After Netanyahoo had laboured soooo hard with all his Iran nuclear threat show, to put the unresolved Palestine issue, "Peace" negotiations, Settlements and Statehood bid on the international backburner -
      now the IDF has put the above prominently back on the international Agenda.

      I figure the world can clearly see that enough is enough.
      Israel can not continue the way it tries to ignore Palestinian rights.

      And on 29th November the international community at the UNGA will give the right answer, and accept Palestine as its 194 State member.

  • On the Jewish Israeli street, there's no solution to Palestinian issue but more violence
  • Dissecting IDF propaganda: The numbers behind the rocket attacks
    • Wow!!
      Chapeau!!! What an effort. Thanks to you, Phan Nguyen.

      Looking forward to follow-up info.
      I wonder whether the IDF and other official Israeli sources will be equally "generous" with the complementary data about bombs, missiles, fatalities and/or human collateral damage, et al..........

  • Palestinian UN envoy: Attack was 'deliberately timed to torpedo the UN vote'
    • That notorious babble of Obama, Cameron, Merkel about Israel's right to self-defense.....

      amounts to nothing else than an implicit complicity with mass murder.

      They might as well add to this
      - israel's right to occupation, annexation and settlements;
      - israel's right to deny human rights;
      - israel's right to ignore international law with impunity;
      - israel's right to be above all.....
      Israel - Israel above all - above all in this world!

  • Two new resources: Timeline of Israeli escalation in Gaza and Israel's history of breaking ceasefires
    • Re : 1) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8
      Following a two-week lull in violence, Israeli soldiers invade Gaza......
      2) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10
      An anti-tank missile fired by Palestinian fighters wounds four Israeli soldiers driving in a jeep along the Israel-Gaza boundary.....

      For clarification: The IDF "Gaza Seam-Area Management

      TheIDF "Gaza Seam-Area Management" i feel often remains unclear and vague in many reports and descriptions of events at the Gazan border,which,however, is critical to understand the local course of events. Especially in this case of the " evolution" of the time-line events leading up to the recent escalation up to the missile-killing of the Hamas military head al-Jabari on 14th November and what has now "matured" into a formidable Cast Lead2 war.

      This is connected to the IDF "Gaza Seam-Area Management", i.e. an area WEST of the Gaza Fence or - even more explicitly -WITHIN Gaza territory itself, where the IDF enforces an irregular, but up to few hundred meters broad "no-go area" for Gazans, where, however, the IDF moves around with jeeps and troops.
      The IDF maintains that this "security-seam" needs to be maintained and controlled, so that Gazans do not plant bombs there … or start any atrocities against the IDF-soldiers. Within this Seam-Area, IDF soldiers shoot any person on sight. So often they have hit / killed Gazans, from playing children to debris collectors to farmers who wanted to work their agricultural lands.

      And within this area also the above 8th and 9th November took place.

  • Israel rejects truce and escalates fighting in Gaza with assassination of Hamas leader; 10 killed, 90 wounded in Israeli attacks
    • This is Uri Avnery's (Gush Shalom) first commentary:

      Press Release 11/14/2012
      Avnery on the deliberate cynicism

      Netanyahu and Barak have decided to deliberately violate a cease-fire which had just been stabilized.
      At the price of great and ongoing suffering on both sides of the border, the government's aim had been accomplished: social issues will be removed from the public agenda and the election campaign

      "Binyamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak have decided - for the second time in a row the State of Israel will conduct general elections under the shadow of war in the Gaza Strip. The cease-fire which already started to stabilize has been broken deliberately and shattered to pieces. The inhabitants of the communities of southern Israel, who just started to breathe freely, are sent right back to air raid alarms and to running to shelters" said former Knesset Member Uri Avnery of Gush Shalom.

      "At the price of great suffering on both sides of the border, the government's aim has been accomplished: the social issues, which threatened to assume prominence in these elections, have been pushed aside and removed from the agenda of the elections campaign. Forgotten, too, is the brave attempt of Mahmoud Abbas to address the Israeli public opinion. In the coming weeks, the headlines will be filled with constant war and death, destruction and bloodshed. When it ends at last, it will be revealed that no goal has been achieved and that the problems remain the same, or perhaps exacerbated. "

    • @ Annie
      correct - the link is not accessible anymore.
      Please see your incoming email.

    • This targeted killing has been one with announcement in the Jerusalem Post of yesterday, 13November 2012:

      See: link to jpost.com

      Is targeting Hamas leaders off battlefield legal?
      By YONAH JEREMY BOB

  • 7 Palestinians, including 3 children, killed and 52 injured as Israeli attack on Gaza continues
    • Re: ....As per usual mainstream narrative Israel acts 'in response'....

      ONLY + ALWAYS!!!
      That goes without saying.

      After all, the IDF is the MOST MORAL ARMY, the universe has ever seen.

  • California student groups blast 'abuse' of civil rights law to 'silence' Palestine solidarity in letter to civil rights commission
    • Excerpt from Obama's Victory Speech 07 Nov 2012

      ....Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy.

      That won't change after tonight, and it shouldn't.
      These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty.

      We can never forget that as we speak people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter, the chance to cast their ballots like we did today. ....

  • Obama's victory highlights a bad night for the Jewish right
    • NOW - Ready for a RESTART :

      Appoint Chap Freeman to the post he was denied 2009!

      That might be a fitting new start of NE/ME-policy where the first start in 2009
      went sour.

  • Israeli Ministry of Tourism map annexes over 60% of the West Bank
  • Church denominations stand strong in the face of Jewish establishment uproar over letter to Congress
    • Chapeau to these 15 Church Leaders and their congregations

      These Church leaders deserve praise and support for their stance - without qualification.
      I do find it particularly noteworthy and shameful that the Roman Catholic cardinals + bishops are nopart in it - theirs seems to be to remain conspicuously silent!!
      What Gospel do they have ?

  • 'This is travesty of American criminal justice': Supreme Court denies Holy Land Five appeal
    • The Virus of Moral Decay and Israel "democracy and judiciary" has taken root also in the US and is becoming endemic.

      Further spread of infection..... no antidote?

  • Whether legal or political, the Holy Land Five struggle will continue
    • Appeal denied.

      omg!! If that is the last word, who can remain to hope with good reason??
      That decision demasks what US politicians still lable as "democracy" and constitutional principles.
      Absolutely shocking......US of America DEMASKED!

  • Report: Netanyahu and Lieberman to merge right-wing parties ahead of Israeli elections
    • @ Sephen Sh.....
      Re:...."What will Lieberman demand from Netanyahoo.....?

      In the first place i would guess stalling and shelving all the legal crininal cases against him which are pending since years before the Israeli inJUSTICE-system.

      Apart from that, this deal is not yet through. In light of the idiosyncracies of the special electoral and "democratic" set up in the State of Israel,......announcements are firstly no more than announcements. Let us wait and see.
      What i hardly can visualize is a 3 years- 1year power sharing arrangement as Prime Minister - that would even in Israel drive a good portion of the electorate away from the Likud-Beiteinu cook-up.
      However, before God and the Israeli Democracy - nothing is entirely impossible.

  • Eric Yoffie says Jewish leaders can criticize the settlements, but nobody else
    • Question to commentors:

      The rabbi high echelon had invited for a meeting with the 15 Church leaders for 22 October,and the signatories of the letter to the Congress were told as giving the invitation a thought.

      Does anybody know, whether such meeting did take place,after all?
      And if yes, is anything known about its outcome??

  • Changes to the Mondoweiss comment policy
    • New Comment Policy - what is it in the real?

      @Phil
      re ....because it showed that a significant part of the community wants to talk about Israeli policy in the context of Jewish history and Jewish identity, and do so in a highly critical manner. ..... We are tired of serving as a platform for this discussion, including in the comment section, and don’t see the conversation as a productive one. From here on out, the Mondoweiss comment section will no longer serve as a forum to pillory Jewish culture and religion as the driving factors in Israeli and US policy.....

      This paragraph confused me more than it could clarify.
      What is actually meant by it?

      I think it is good to streamline comments, and ostracise especially those who do not contribute to the very subject, but are most probably only intended to highjyck a thread and deviate. I think here, a stringent mode of editorial censure is well justfied.
      Wrt the para above, however, i am rather at sea what is meant by it in concrete terms.
      Could you please clarify and perhaps give examples?
      Thanks.

  • Jimmy Carter: Israel has dropped the two-state solution for a 'Greater Israel'
    • @dimadok
      re: ....Mind your own country business and stay away from my capital, my state and my nation.....

      iow: BOYCOTT Israel. Good idea!
      The latter actually would indeed be a positive contribution towards problem solution.
      If all the Christian tourist-pilgrims and other beach-holiday makers would indeed BOYCOTT Israel travels......that indeed may bring about a major shift in attitudes of Israeli business and tourism related employed persons, necessary to finally get ready for a comprehensive poltical solution of the I-P conflict.

  • Jane Harman admits Jewish state's future is 'dicey'
    • Re douglasreed
      ....The charter of the Likud party of Israel.....

      Do you happen to have an English copy of that Likud Charter???
      I tried very hard to find one..... in vain.
      And also requested the Likud party repeatedly for the same. They did not even bother....
      I would appreciate a suitable link.

  • Israel's colonization policy violates 'western values' and we should cut off aid -- Sullivan
    • if mainstream Christians....

      would boycott Israel as a tourist cum-pilgrimage destination ..... that would indeed facilitate rather swiftly some serious "insights" in Israel proper!!!

      Such a boycott would be therapeutic.

  • Interfaith bullying, and a feckless letter from the Episcopal bishop
    • EXACTLY, Annie, the very same bell rang with me reminding me of Martin Luther,Jr. letter from Birmingham Jail, 16 April 1963.
      link to mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu
      Below i want to quote a few selected parts from this letter, which indeed has many parallels (mutatis mutandis) of Christian opportunists then in the course of the Civil rights movements and now the Palestinian struggle for independence, dignity and an end of Israel's occupation - a last.

      From the Birmingham jail, where he was imprisoned as a participant in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote in longhand the letter which follows. It was his response to a public statement of concern and caution wrt direct, non-violent action issued by eight white fellow clergymen from Alabama , namely
      - Bishop C. C. J. Carpenter,
      - Bishop Joseph A. Durick,
      - Rabbi Hilton L. Grafman,
      - Bishop Paul Hardin,
      - Bishop Holan B. Harmon,
      - Reverend George M. Murray,
      - Reverend Edward V. Ramage and the Reverend Earl Stallings

      MY DEAR FELLOW CLERGYMEN:
      .....
      I MUST make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate.
      I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizens Councillor or the Ku Klux Klanner but the white moderate who is more devoted to order than to justice;
      - who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice;
      - who constantly says, "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direct action";
      - who paternalistically feels that he can set the timetable for another man's freedom;
      - who lives by the myth of time; and
      - who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a "more convenient season."
      Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
      ......
      In your statement you asserted that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But can this assertion be logically made?
      Isn't this like condemning the robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn't this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical delvings precipitated the misguided popular mind to make him drink the hemlock? Isn't this like condemning Jesus because His unique God-consciousness and never-ceasing devotion to His will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion?....
      I received a letter this morning from a white brother in Texas which said, "All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but is it possible that you are in too great of a religious hurry? It has taken Christianity almost 2000 years to accomplish what it has. The teachings of Christ take time to come to earth."
      All that is said here grows out of a tragic misconception of time. It is the strangely irrational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. Actually, time is neutral. It can be used either destructively or constructively. I am coming to feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.
      We must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation.
      .....
      Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever.……
      If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me.
      I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.
      Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood,
      Martin Luther King, Jr.

  • Israeli air force shoots down unidentified drone over Negev
    • Haaretz 06Oct12 and headline:
      The immediate suspect behind the drone that penetrated Israel: H e z b o l l a h
      by Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff = the fairy tellers tell their East Side Story!!
      link to haaretz.com

      And the not-so-immediate suspect may well be a false-flag operation by IDF itself!!!??
      Now the first question would be: cui bono??

      What interest should the Hezbollah have and how stupid you might think Hezbollah really was to commit such a blunder at this point of time????
      The scenario: The Jewish Israel is still in the last days of the Sukkot festival …….NTYahoo has failed with his Iran nuclear issue escalation efforts and plans to lure or force the USA into a red-line policy. NTYahoo's recent world-wide public gimmick at the UNGA has earned him overwhelming international "acclaim" (of sorts).
      Now with the US Presidential elections a month away (6Nov.) and NTYahoo's candidate Romney at the loosing end, and with the NTYahoo government crumbling, the budget 2013 problems at hand and no consensus in sight, the Tal-law re universal draft legislation stalled, and new advanced national elections likely in early spring next year……,
      Netanyahoo opens a reactivated front of warmongering:
      If you can not hit Iran, Israel's interest might as well focus on "Iran's ally" = Hezbollah. A little Ersatz-Iran?

  • Video: 'Tearing Palestine down-- Veolia!'
    • instead of "...... delenda est",

      i prefer another ceterum censeo: .....occupationem esse finiendam!

  • Discarded EU definition of anti-Semitism is important tool in silencing criticism of Israel
    • Re: ..The whole Eiertanz (egg dance) around the term anti-Semitic/Jewish is ridiculous.

      Yes, of course it is. HOWEVER, it serves an unholy puporse!

      To frighten off people to think for themselves about what they see, and to call a spade a spade - irrespective of the notorious AS - crossbar.

      Accordingto the Working Definition of AS, e.g. everybody who uses the term Israel Firsters qualifies as an AS.

    • Full text of the "Antisemitism Working Definition" for your easy reference.

      Although the said Definition has no formal status, it is striking that it is still very much put to base by many. So, One can hardly can argue it had been fully discarded. Yes,it should be - however, obviously it serves nicely ulterior purposes.
      It is difficult to get by the full text of the former EUMC, now FRA-disavowed, but frequently abused "AS-Working definition". Here it is:

      WORKING DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM
      EUMC Report on Anti-Semitism 16Mar2005

      The purpose of this document is to provide a practical guide for identifying incidents, collecting data, and supporting the implementation and enforcement of legislation dealing with antisemitism.
      Working definition: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
      In addition, such manifestations could also target the state of Israel conceived as a Jewish collectivity. Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for “why things go wrong.” It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms and action, and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits.
      Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to:
      • Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
      • Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
      • Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
      • Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World WarII (the Holocaust).
      • Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
      Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations. ,
      Examples, of the ways in which antisemitism manifests itself with regard to the state of Israel taking into account the overall context could include:
      • Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
      • Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
      • Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.
      • Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
      • Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.

      However, criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.

      Antisemitic acts are criminal when they are so defined by law (for example, denial of the Holocaust or distribution of antisemitic materials in some countries).

      Criminal acts are antisemitic when the targets of attacks, whether they are people or property—such as buildings, schools, places of worship and cemeteries—are selected because they are, or are perceived to be, Jewish or linked to Jews.

      Antisemitic discrimination is the denial to Jews of opportunities or services available to others and is illegal in many countries.
      xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
      Remark: bold highlighting has been added, with the exception for the last three sentences.

  • Video: Israeli kids in the army museum ('I picture a dead Arab and that makes me happy')
    • Militarization!

      From the craddle to the grave.......

      What can one expect from such a society that brings up one's children in such away.......?

      You check the children's playgrounds in Israel.
      Many of them also have military gadgets to play with.

      Great Video. An eye-opener for those who want to see.

  • Senate adopts Netanyahu's red-line over Obama's, 90-1
    • ....." normal behavior for U.S. Senators."

      Deep, deep ????-creepers....
      Shame on them- to shame their country so deeply.

  • Morsi repeatedly stresses Palestinian issue in interview with the NYT
    • For everybody's convenient reference:
      Camp David Accords
      1. The Camp David Accords
      The Framework for Peace in the Middle East and
      2. Framework for the Conclusion of a Peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel
      see :link to ibiblio.org

      For a good understanding of the background and to appreciate Pres. Morsy's argument about the unfulfilled commitments of both, the USA + Israel, see the following link: a real thriller-article which reveals that even a sympathetic president could not stand up for the Palestinians
      link to mondoweiss.net

  • Pssst, Maureen Dowd-- Colin Powell said neoconservative 'ideologues' pushed Iraq war out of concern for Israel
    • AS Crossbar Logic - paradigm change - NPJ -MWcomment21Sept12
      link to mondoweiss.net

      The CROSSBAR LOGIC
      Re Krauss September 20, 2012 at 11:34 am
      …… “was meant to be a signal to others, not to cross the line”……but as soon as someone connects the dots, it becomes very threatening for the lobby and they must destroy you…..

      Yes.
      It is a battle for the supreme authority / power of interpretation / definition (Deutungshoheit).
      Finally, the decade old dam is not only leaking, but breached with all the obvious facts, whether it is the process that led up to the Iraq war and the USA reserving its "privilege" to make war even without any UN mandate or the unmasking the I-P peace process as a gimmick and farce, hiding the true Zionist intentions to grab it all, the whole lot of the God-given lands of Palestine, irrespective of the costs in terms of HR violations or international law and condemnation by virtually the entire civilised international world.
      The Lobby's easy game of the past decades is over now to nib any Israel criticism in the bud - thanks also to the Internet which deserves here a special mentioning (and of course Blogs like MW and still courageous journalists here and there to "speak" up.)
      As the flood is coming in, raising up to the lower lips, the Israel Firsters are getting increasingly jittery and desperate. Only such a high degree of desperation (one should think) can explain their indiscriminate verbal abuse and spraying their AS-labels over each and everyone who dares to challenge their AIPAC and NEOCON untruthful narratives.
      Maureen Dow's recent NYT op-ed and the Lobby's reflexive raw reaction is one example of the many. No decent counter-argumentation can help here, therefore - leaving all civilized behaviour aside - the times of the savage have a hayday again. The unsayable "discourse" of the Central Council of Jews in Germany in connection with the Adorno Prize laureate Judith Butler being another ignominious example….
      No arguments, but only crude AS-Crossbar beating and the usual self-hating Jew accusations. Their battle is lost, and they know it. Therefore, the AS crossbar is levelled now with increased frequency and more and more indiscriminately. They can not win in the long-run against truth and all evidence.
      But victory does not come by itself. All the more, now that the dam of hiding and deceit has broken, it becomes imperative that all the so far cowardice-ridden taboos wrt deceitful MSM-narratives concerning recent NE+ME-wars and (hi)stories flung around the establishment of the State of Israel and their post-1967 colonization policies are thrown overboard.
      Its time for a paradigm change and finally robustly thrust open the door to enable a genuine peace arrangement between Palestinians and Israelis.

    • The CROSSBAR LOGIC
      Re Krauss September 20, 2012 at 11:34 am
      ……but as soon as someone connects the dots, it becomes very threatening for the lobby and they must destroy you…..
      Yes.
      It is a battle for the supreme authority / power of interpretation / definition (Deutungshoheit).
      Finally, the decade old dam is not only leaking, but breached with all the obvious facts, whether it is the process that led up to the Iraq war and the USA reserving its "privilege" to make war even without any UN mandate or the unmasking the I-P peace process as a gimmick and farce, hiding the true Zionist intentions to grab it all, the whole lot of the God-given lands of Palestine, irrespective of the costs in terms of HR violations or international law and condemnation by virtually the entire civilised international world.
      The Lobby's easy game of the past decades is over now to nib any Israel criticism in the bud - thanks also to the Internet which deserves here a special mentioning (and of course Blogs like MW and still courageous journalists here and there to "speak" up.)
      As the flood is coming in, raising up to the lower lips, the Israel Firsters are getting increasingly jittery and desperate. Only such a high degree of desperation can explain their indiscriminate verbal abuse and spraying their AS-labels over each and everyone who dares to challenge their AIPAC and NEOCON untruthful narratives.
      Maureen Dow's recent NYT op-ed and the Lobby's reflexive raw reaction is one example of the many. No decent counter-argumentation can help here, therefore - leaving all civilized behaviour aside - the times of the savage have a hayday again. The unsayable "discourse" of the Central Council of Jews in Germany in connection with the Adorno Prize laureate Judith Butler being another ignominious example….
      No arguments, but only crude AS-Crossbar beating and the usual self-hating Jew accusations. Their battle is lost, and they know it. Therefore, the AS crossbar is levelled now with increased frequency and more and more indiscriminately. They can not win in the long-run against truth and all evidence.
      But victory does not come by itself. All the more, now that the dam of hiding and deceit has broken, it becomes imperative that all the so far cowardice-ridden taboos wrt deceitful MSM-narratives concerning recent NE+ME-wars and (hi)stories flung around the establishment of the State of Israel and their post-1967 colonization policies are thrown overboard.
      Its time for a paradigm change and finally robustly thrust open the door to enable a genuine peace arrangement between Palestinians and Israelis.

  • 'NYT' responds to Netanyahu: 'Israelis misled and bullied US' before Sabra and Shatila too
  • Israeli hasbara effort-- ‘Justice for Jewish refugees from Arab countries’-- gets pushback from Baghdadi Jews
  • Netanyahu on 'Meet the Press' -- 'leader of the Jewish people' rejects containment, can't explain why he's going to American voters
    • re Denis:
      .."When Bibi blows a nuke and kills hundreds of thousands or millions of innocent people and draws America into WW III and kills tens of thousands of American kids, American goyim (who out-number American Jews by about 50:1)..."

      Question: does anybody know what the American goyim - American Jews ratio is in the US Armed Forces???

      Maybe 400 : 1?? or....?

    • Re: your registration card

      Just wait. It will be coming soon.....
      The Knesset legislation machinery is also seriously considering enlarging the Jewish electorate for the national elections.
      After all, we have to maintain a majority against all the dangers of "Arab demographic bomb"!!!

  • Confronting anti-semitic discourses head on: How to avoid self-silencing
    • Re: ..."The best way to deal with the charge of anti-Semitism is just to ignore it."..
      Agreed, as much as you can at least.

      An actualized redefinition of AS is:

      "An antisemite used to be someone who hates Jews;
      nowadays an antisemite is someone Jews hate."

      Gilad Atzmon

  • In caving on Jerusalem, Dems pulled back the curtain on the lobby
    • Demasking democracy for what it is - when it comes to Israel.

      This Voice "Voting" procedure at the Democratic Party Convention on the issue of Jerusalem being the "capital of Israel" - three times repeated -
      is a perfect example of what Democracy in the USA is - or has become :

      A tragic Farce and joke!
      What a SHAM!

  • Dems buckle, will add language to party platform referring to Jerusalem as Israel's capital
  • Romney and Pro-Israel Dems attack party platform, but insider says AIPAC reviewed platform language and had no problem
    • Curiosity question to Annie:

      i remember your near holy oaths-swearing that you won't give your vote to a certain candidate you preferred last time in 2008.

      Considering the alternative now - and the Democratic Party Platform particulars re I + P - have you decided for the 2012 elections???

  • Verdict in Corrie trial another test of Israeli impunity
    • Re: Article text
      .......If the State wins, it will serve as yet another indication from the Israeli legal system that Israel can continue to act with impunity in the occupied territories........

      .... and that the independence of the judiciary in the "democratic and Jewish State of Israel is NOTHING BUT a FARCE!!
      Truely, truely the Israeli judiciary has long mutated to a hooker,prostituting itself to the Zionist settler ideology.

      And no rare exception changes anything of this bitter truth.

  • Guardian fires Treviño
    • That is good news - for a change.

      Full marks to Abunimah for his article triggering the events,
      but also chapeau to the Guardian editors who obviously have not shyed (sp?) away from correcting a blunder instantly.

      Suggestions are free for recomending a Trevino "successor" :
      Why not Philip W.?? At least for some occasional contributions?

  • Daughters fight to save mother from arrest in Nabi Saleh
    • Re: Colin Wright:
      "When that day comes, make sure you’re not holding any Israeli stocks."

      Chapeau: A thorough financial advise !
      and high marks on sarcasm.
      Let's hope that day (when such pics can be seen on front pages of NYT + WashPost) will be soonest........

  • Timeline: Attempts to censor students and faculty who stand up for human rights on UC campuses
    • Is such a record not shameful for the so-called "Land of the Free"???

      On top of that: that happens even in the spheres of academia!!

  • Israel's secret Iran meeting between security officials and Rabbi who wants to 'annihilate' Arabs
    • The attitude of supremacy as the people selected by GOD as His, blocks the road of any serious self-criticism.

      Logically-naturally, how could (Israeli) Jews be wrong? and admit wrong-doing?
      Not to speak of outright, unconditioned apologies!!

      Such a pride (also) blocks the way for any political settlement and genuine peace making with Palestinians and neighbours.

  • 'Guardian' sparks uproar by hiring writer who urged murder of flotilla participants
    • For those who also are shocked by this journalistic mis-move of the Guardian Newspaper. This is the Guardians email Address:
      letters@guardian.co.uk

      The following is my letter to the Editor:

      Dear Editor in Chief of the Guardian,

      i herewith take note with disgust and shock of your hiring the above mentioned
      right-wing "Journalist" Mr. Joshua Trevino who has openly called on the Israeli Army to kill participants of the Gaza flotilla during summer 2011.

      Herewith I vigorously protest against this very unfortunate decision of yours.

      Imho, the best thing you could do - after having committed a blunder - to restore your Paper's credibility and reputation,
      is to revoke this decision publicly, without ifs and buts.

      Yours Sincerely,

  • Video: Israeli youths violently detain Palestinian under eyes of soldiers
    • Compared to this the Wild West or the Stone Age has been a heaven of civility!

      But there will be a time of reckoning and accounting.......

  • 'I love the Jewish people' is refrain in NYT homage to American Jews joining Israeli army
    • Question:

      i would like to know : is there any other country in this world where you can enlist in another country's army and maintain your full civic rights entitlements in another country of which you are resident and passport holder??

      This US-Israel arrangement appears to me very unique......
      Maybe American democracy is also defended on the Golan - as currently in the Hindukush?

  • NY state senator puts on Israeli uniform to play soldier on Syrian border
    • Re Taxi qustioning:.... How low will American zionist politicians get? ....

      Obviously, there is no bottom line!

      But - to be honest - it appears to me, especially during these warming-up days to the Presidential elections, the same does equally to apply also for other non-Zionist US-politicians.

  • Ancient olive trees, stolen from Palestinian lands, now decorate Israeli settlement
    • Re atime forpeace-Question: When is a crime not a crime?

      Answer: When a Givati Brigade IDF soldier kills 2 women waiving a white flag during the Gaza War -
      that is not a war crime according to Israeli court, but only "illegal use of a weapon".
      The anonymous soldier in question has been given a 45 days sentence !!!

      Please see: link to haaretz.com

  • NY ads depicting Palestinian dispossession are termed anti-Semitic by 'Jewish community'
    • re Tree's observation of Fredblog's stubborn intransigence

      Note to the Editors:

      In light of such such an obvious stubborness as Fredblog exhibits continously and without hope of coming to an end -
      I herewith submit that Fredblog is given a red-light warning, meaning to say, at any next occasion repeating the same old obvious lies - he shall be banned from this blog!

      It is grossly indecent and unfair of Fredblog, to waste other commentors' energy and time to repeat earlier statements, contradicting factually false statements of his.

  • Jewish theologian says Christian discourse on divesting from occupation contains 'latent anti-Semitism'
    • re Bumblebye: Latent Anti-Semitism - what is it anyway?

      It's something like the famous dark matter.
      You can not see it, you can not directly proof it,
      but - with the help of an array of hypotheses -
      you make people believe by repeating: it must be there!

      And, of course, everywhere and all over the Universe....
      May be even beyond?

  • Presbyterians overwhelmingly vote for boycott of settlement products; endorse 'choice of conscience' option for pension holders to screen CAT, Moto, and HP from portfolios
    • Re Dutch : “… There is nothing Jewish about their crimes, mister.”

      I beg to D i s a g r e e.
      Most probably, however, the above quoted statement just happens to be an unfortunate and imprecise formulation?

      Unfortunately there is ALL about their crimes that is Jewish.
      Who else than Jewish Zionists commit them?

      I trust what you wanted to state is sth like this:

      There is nothing in their crimes that is reflecting the noble essence of Judaism and its principal moral and ethical values.
      With such a statement i like to fully agree with.

    • Re Dutch : "... There is nothing Jewish about their crimes, mister."

      I beg to D i s a g r e e.
      Most probably, however, the above quoted statement just happens to be an unfortunate andimprecise formulation?

      Unfortunately there is ALL about their crimes that is Jewish.
      Who else than Jewish Zionists commit them?

      I trust what you wanted to state is sth like this:
      There is nothing in their crimes that is reflecting the noble essence of Judaism and its principal moral and ethical values.

      With such a statement i like to fully agree with.

  • 'Americans for Peace Now' says Presbyterian measure could stoke 'global anti-Semitism'
    • re Cloak+Dagger quote of "definition" of Anti-semitism byEU Agency for Fundamental Rights (EUFRA)

      Firstly, this is no definition , but qualified as a "Working Definition" which has no official status and has never been accepted by anyone;
      Secondly, it is not by the EUFRA, BUT by its sort of predecessor organization, called EUMC = European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia ;
      thirdly and more importantly: you ought to know how this "working definition" has come about, respectively who has been consulted and been drawn upon for its formulation!

      The resource persons consulted and organiszations having made their contribution to this "working definition" of EUMC as well as the extensive list of examples given, have been nearly exclusively from European classical Jewish Lobby organizations and their representatives.!!

  • Philip Roth on the Israel lobby
    • ...The reality is that most government policy now deviates significantly from popular opinion. Makes no difference....

      Interestingly, this observation imho holds true for most countries. All Governments of major import pursue steadfastily and without qualification so-called "pro-Israel" policies, despite the fact that a more or less distinct majority of their respective electorates disapprove such unconditional support.
      It seems as if such a foreign policy majority of the electorates can be conveniently ignored - so far - without that the respective electorates would sanction their Governments or their responsible politicians/parties at next elections.
      Wrt Germany eg, as also Günter Grass opined in his recent "poem", the German government continues to pay for and supply Israel with submarines, despite the fact that public opinion dispproves of supplying military hardware to conflict areas.......
      The same applies to aid and other preference treatments Israel is continously granted without putting any effective poltical or economic pressure on any GoI to end settlement, occupation and discrimination and walk the walk towards a comprehensive I-P peace agreement.
      Strange, is it not?

  • Michael Sfard: 'The Israeli government has declared war against the rule of law'
    • WAR on LAW

      What to say?
      Blatant, naked arbitrariness
      SIC TRANSIT GLORIA IURISPRUDENTIAE IUSTICIAEque........

      The legal System of the only democracy has finally publicly prostituted itself to the settlers' will -
      for everybody to see.
      SHAME - SHAME - SHAME

  • Tail has stopped wagging, so dog can stop talking about war with Iran
  • 'Washington Post' cartoon mocking future Palestinian state signals crumbling of two-state paradigm
    • Gaza - for reasons of economy (too costly!)

      Sinai - for reasons of unconditional pressure by the USA!

      Those were the days.......

  • Knesset members celebrate latest E. Jerusalem settlement by posing on evicted Palestinian family's sofa
    • just to add:
      The icing of this indecency and obscenity is, that this picture is even publicised by MK Michael Ben-Ari himself!!
      Obviously, such representatives of agressive Israeli occupation-colonialism have all lost any senses. They apparently do not even have an inkling about the possibility how much (for their "cause", mind you) damaging PR this photo is. Boundless stupidity.

      It may not quite reach the impact of the famous MyLai photo, that rang the bell for the final round of the US-Vietnam war, however sth of a similar impact the photomay well have......
      Hopefully!
      One should disseminate it widely. it does not need much explanatory sub-text. It indeed speaks for itself.

    • Re Fredblogs "Legal eviction"...
      Honestly, i was about to comment this Fredblogs' comment from the bottom of my heart…….. However, those may not have passed the MW editors' scrutiny because they may not have lived up to the established comment-policy here.

      Mr. Fredblogs: What "legalities " or "illegalities" concretely means in the Israeli context everybody can indeed wonder about and "admire" from the blatant manipulations and the twisting practice of the juridical professionals and the Israeli Court system rulings.
      The lawyers, attorneys and judges (barring any rare and praiseworthy exceptions) have degenerated over the decades and especially during the last 3 years onslaught by the Jewish Nationalist Netanyahu Government to such an extent that makes any normal human being shudder.
      The "only democracy in the ME" even does not shy away even from a total disregard and ignoring of even (repeated) Supreme Court rulings. The historic and more so current MIGRON- and "outpost-legalities" and manoeuvres of Talmudic legal (dis-)ingenuity of splitting hairs are ample proof of what Israeli legal standards have come to: ROCK BOTTOM. Not to speak about international law which does not count anyway, as a matter of course; that is only for the goyims.

      And if none of the many "legal" traditions at hand serves the purpose of continued ethnic cleansing, evictions of Palestinian families, house demolitions, etc……,whether in East Jerusalem, Hebron, the Negev or anywhere else in the WB, that is neither the existing Israeli law codex, nor the Ottoman, nor the one of British Mandate, nor the Jordanian;

      And if the Courts or Supreme Court do not play by the "rules" they are supposed to and live up to the expectations of the Jewish Eretz Israel colonizers,
      then the Knesset "legislators" and/or specially established NTY-Ministerial settler committees come up with new bills and laws to legalize the illegal - of course also retroactively- and / or find some other "temporary!" solutions , deferring the implementation of the law for yet another couple of years or until the Messiah will come: ad calendas Graecas.
      In short the entire Israeli "legality"& "legitimacy-industry is a THOROUGH SHAM!
      That much, Mr. Fredblogs, wrt to "legal" eviction.

    • This sofa picture says it all about them sitting there rejoycing:

      DISGUSTING and OBSCENE!

  • Before '60 Minutes' piece aired, Jewish Federations called for 'flood' of 'discourse' to CBS (what's next, locusts?)
    • Re Natasha Mozgovaya in Haaretz 23Apr12 link to haaretz.com
      ….. I am not convinced (Ambassador Michael) Oren was the first one to attempt to influence the 60 Minutes report before it was broadcasted - my experience tells me otherwise – for people do tend to try to influence unflattering reports before they are published or broadcasted quite often…
      Indeed.
      My experience also tells me otherwise!
      Actually such direct intervention is obvious and usual practice of Israeli diplomats in their respective countries of assignment!
      They phone up directly the high-up echelons of broadcasting stations and d e m a n d to be immediately given air-time even in life-broadcasting discussions to tell their tales of propaganda-"truths".
      So, e.g. Deputy Amb. Emmanuel Nahshon in Berlin who bulldozed himself into an ongoing panel discussion with selected panel experts and radio listener participation. Obviously Mr. Nahshon - ill-famed here in Germany for his hawkish and uncivilized language (as again lately proven by his unacceptable commentary re the Grass-Iran-Israel "poem") - was of the opinion that the very Israel-apologetic representative on the expert panel had been on the "loosing end by poor hasbara-argumentation" and therefore needed some "strengthening support" from his side.
      Needless to say, that as a matter of course such gross undiplomatic demand of His Excellency has been immediately granted… thereby hopping the queue of other listeners who had been waiting on the telephone line for their chance to contribute their comments to the subject of discussion.

  • '60 Minutes' profiles Palestinian Christians, Michael Oren falls on his face
    • 1) Re Natasha Mozgovaya in Haaretz 23Apr12 link to haaretz.com
      …."The relationship between Israel and the Christian world is our strategic interest, ….." a senior Israeli diplomat told Haaretz.

      2) Re From 6o Minutes:
      For Israel, there could be serious economic consequences. According to Israeli government figures, tourism is a multi billion dollar business there. Most tourists are Christian. ….. That's one reason why Israelis are very sensitive about their image in the United States.
      Holy Land Tourism is indeed a multi billion dollar business - and it is the Israeli Hotels, Tour operators, Travel agencies, car rental and bus companies, Restaurants, banks, etc…which cream off some estimated 95+% of this Samsonite Christian Pilgrimage Industry. That makes a truly strategic interest.
      And this also explains not only the "strategic" interest in the Christian tourist world, not Christians or the Christian world, as well as the very sensitive reaction of Israeli Government officials and business when it comes to Israel's image abroad.
      The 60minutes documentary has made it hopefully clear, that it is the Palestinians, regardless whether Christian or Muslim, who are equally victimised by Israel's occupation. The Christian exodus is over-obvious, because Christians have been / are a relatively small minority within the Palestinian and Israeli societies where the exodus of thousands becomes easily discernible. In Palestine it surely has long reached existential dimensions.
      The Kairos document of all Christian denominations is a milestone document which should wake the entire Christianity up to act in solidarity with Palestinians, Muslim and Christian alike.
      As long as Western ("Christian") Governments adamantly refuse since decades to exert any effective political pressure on the Government of Israel to end occupation and discrimination of Palestinians, Christians SHOULD STOP any HOLIDAY AND PILGRIMAGE TRAVELs TO ISRAEL and POSTPONE THEIR HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGES UNTIL SUCH TIME that a SATISFACTORY FINAL PEACE AGREEMENT with the Palestinians will have been concluded.

  • Iran didn't threaten to 'wipe' Israel out -- Israel's deputy prime minister
    • Re: Nuclear Weapons - free Middle East

      I wonder WHEN and IF the P5+1 negotiations with Iran will also deal with the mighty-little Elephant in the Room which so far has never been officially talked about: Israel.

      How myopic can the assembled "negotiators" be and successfully continue to overlook this Elephant and do as if it was not there??????

  • The Grass just keeps on growing
    • @hophmi

      “The respondents who see Grass’ statements as correct or at least arguable: 84%.”
      Number of scientific online polls: 0%

      But 100 % sure is, that all those 84% are 100% Anti-Semites!!

    • @ pjotr

      ......In 2003 the big news was Cast Lead.....

      In 2003, pjotr, that was another one....; Cast Lead was only dec2008/Jan2009.

      But i do sympathize: Given the frequencies of Israel's wars - one just looses oversight, no?

  • Israel mobilizes special forces to deport 'flytilla' activists
    • @CigarGod
      i did try (and again) : there had been neither any special information for travelers nor any problem to book thru.

      However, CTuttle has not yet been able / found the time to provide the requested link......... it seems.

    • @CTuttle
      re Lufthansa cancellation of tickets of all tickets of all persons glying from French Airports to Tel Aviv.

      Can you also furnish an official LH website substantiating your information, please?

      No information can be found (so far) on the lufthansa. com official website of the airline.
      However, if you google for "Lufthansa Frankfurt", you can find prominently in the first result-page, an information by a dubious source http://www.israelnetz.com which is administered by a more dubious "Christlicher Medienverbund KEP e.V." (= Christian Media Connection KEP) with the status of a registered association. See: link to israelnetz.com

      This website headlines "No Lufthansa-Tickets for pro-palestinian Activists" and continues
      Lufthansa has cancelled flights to Tel Aviv of dozens of pro-palestinian activists. They intended to take part on Sunday in the protest campaign Welcome to Palestine......

      I wonder about the reliability / authenticity of the above info......
      Tome it smacks of a targeted desinformation effort......?

  • 'The Crisis of Zionism' and the contradictions of Israel as a liberal democratic fantasy
    • Austin Branion's article

      convincingly presents the "juxtaposition problem and the complexities" which make it so impossible for any logic thinking reader / listener to reconcile irrelevant theoretical claims of history, what "Zionism" may have meant for a few "pioneers" hundred years ago with the down to earth realities and the very nature of the State of Israel since 1948.

      Beinart should be squeaking aloud having been caught so darn well right by the b...s. I wonder for how long he might cling to his imho untenable positions?

      Moreover, it is my impression that by far toooo much attention is given to him as a person. In the first place i smell personal PR for himself and opportunism. Assuming an Obama victory in November, he has rather conspicuously taken side and defended the POTUS more than the flow of his arguments necessitated.

      He may be eying for a call from the WH during Obama's second term.......?

  • Former State Dep't official says Obama calls for human rights and democracy are 'undercut' by position on Palestinians
    • Re Anne-Marie Slaughter statement at J-Street conference

      "….but we cannot say as we have been saying for over a year, that we stand for democracy and human rights and basic justice for the people of the Middle East….
      unless we’re doing everything we can to bring democracy and human rights and justice to the Palestinians....

      This is the very K E Y for any US and European ME-policy of the future. Without JUSTICE for the Palestinian People no other door will open up the entire ME-region as effectively.
      So far everything has been done to let Israeli occupation and settlement continue with impunity - 41 (?) US-Israel-protection VETOES are ample proof for the hollowness and totally cynic double standard policies of the west wrt to international and human rights.

      Doing everything we can…. Who is "WE"?
      As long as our governments and their representatives remain in their ethically and morally spineless position, and continue with their hollow "democracy and HR"-garbage,

      We, the 99%, can do one thing above all:
      MAKE a GENERAL BOYCOTT of Israel as strong as possible.

      Politicians hardly ever lead - all they do is follow like vanes in the wind……

  • UN report on Israel is the 'most cutting recognition and condemnation of a legal system of segregation since apartheid South Africa'
    • Re seafoid:

      " I had lunch with my Israeli colleague today. ......" (rest-quote below)

      Voluntarily???
      You'd better be more selective either with your lunch-companions and/or the subjects you cover over lunch: eg. what about the weather or soccer.....
      Otherwise, you may end up with stomach ulcers....

      quote ctd.
      "....Outraged that “Ashton could n0t understand the difference between aggression and self defence.” Israel doesn’t kill Gazans deliberately. they just die by the way...."

  • Establishment Jews attack Beinart over settlement boycott call
    • re piotr:
      "Ben-Ami: “I don’t, however, agree with Peter that pressure on settlers and settlements through targeted boycotts and other measures will lead them to change course.”

      This is correct. I guess we have to copy sanctions imposed on Iran and apply to Israel. That would have a chance to “lead them to change course”.....

      e g g s a cl y !!!
      (Sorry, i can not credit the author of this orthographic onomatopoetics; but it was a recent MW commentator :-))

      Addendum: While the Iran Sanctions have been decided and are carried out by State governments using their institutional strategic machineries , a full Israel BDS will have to be done by the global civil society.
      One economic sector which does qualify par excellence for Israel Boycott is : T O U R I S M
      If only the non-evangelical Christians of the World (the Evangelicals have to be discounted anyway, both as Christians "beyond repair"and as potential Israel boycotters) would postpone their Samsonite Pilgrimages to the Holy Land of Israel u n t i l Israel will have concluded and started to genuinely implement a full peace treaty with the Palestinians..... such a travel boycott would make a real difference.

      Instead, one can fly-in through Amman and use Palestinian Tour Operators, Hotels, Restaurants, Buses, Tour Guides, etc....to see biblical sites of importance, most of which - barring Nazareth and Lake Galilee - are anyway located in the Palestinian West Bank territories.

      Such alternative woul d be cheaper, more genuine and i suspect also spiritually more rewarding.
      It would be just the right thing to do.

  • 'Daily Beast' ode to Livni makes no mention of Gaza assault
    • Tzipi Livni not only implemented this Gaza War policy, but agressively defended the Gaza War as the right thing to be done.
      Without the slightest inkling of remorse.

      Annie's "Slaughter Queen" may sound a harsh qualification - but given these facts such qualification must be considered as fully justified.

  • 'No amount of reading and word of mouth could have prepared me for the reality' -- Remembering Rachel Corrie
    • Do you want to argue in all earnest that the Jewish + Israeli view is suppressed and can not find its way into the public, nor into the back&front -room chambers of the political + economic power elite, nowhere??

      I wonder, in which world you must live.

    • Re giladg:
      .."She took a one sided position and should have been aware of the dangers."
      That is an absolutely misplaced and disgusting comment to make. What a despicable, mean and low character you are! Shame on you, giladg! Shame on you a thousand times over. You seem to be classical example for the moral decay that has taken deep roots in brains like yours and yours alike.

      Can you tell me / us, please, which two-sided position anyone with a minimum of a moral and ethical standard can or should take in light of Israel's or IDF's history of occupation, gross human rights violations of the worst kind, its impudence of contempt for international law……? - and that for decades now.
      Do you know what Elie Wiesel said, referring to a similar situation of decision making and defining one's stand?
      "We must always take sides.
      Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.
      Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

      Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel encouraging uncompromising action.
      Rachel Corrie who must be regarded a shining example for the youth, her generation and all of us. She cared and did not look away or kept silent. She took the side of the oppressed, not the oppressor and tormentor.

      Nine years (SIC!) have already passed now since the killing / murder of Rachel Corrie. The then Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, promised US president George W Bush a "thorough, credible and transparent" investigation.
      And what has come out of this credible and transparent investigation? First, the internal Israeli military investigation, details of which were never published nor released to the US government nor the Corrie family, concluded that the two soldiers who operated the bulldozer had not seen Rachel and that no charges would be brought. The case was closed.

      In March 2010 the Corrie family launched a civil case against the state of Israel in a Haifa Court. Israeli military authorities withheld vital video evidence, and after more than 16 months of hearings (=July 2011), Rachel's parents commented that they were in much the same place as they had been in the beginning, that is to say up against a wall of Israeli officials determined to protect the state at all costs.

      There is still no verdict which is said to be due to be delivered only in April 2013, i.e. more than 10 years after Rachel's death.
      This much for the "thorough, credible and transparent" investigation.

      Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof - Justice, Justice you shall pursue ( Deut 16,20)
      There is indeed little justice that anybody could reasonably expect from the Israeli judicial system in a court case like that of Rachel Corrie's. All the more that 10 years have passed during which an erstwhile half-way respectable judiciary has deteriorated visibly into a little more than a whore servicing an increasingly fundamentally undemocratic state and settler clientle.
      The latest Migron-Outpost deal even tries to degrade Israel's Supreme Court to renounce its own ruling!

      see also: link to guardian.co.uk

  • Israeli police use attack dogs on Palestinian protesters in the West Bank
    • Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof -

      Justice, Justice you shall pursue - Deut 16,20

      Ceterum censeo, occupationem palaestinensem esse finiendam - SUBITO!

  • Egypt is looted, and the U.S. press calls it 'reform'
    • Egypt's Agriculture price policy and PL 480Wheat exports.

      Wheat export promotion thru the PL 480 may have been initially (60ies, 70ies) just a major instrument of income generation for American farmers. However, coupled with a state monopoly in case of cotton and a regulated agricultural price policy and obligatory acreage quota system (farmers had been forced to devote a set acreage for the export crop cotton), Egypt's fast growing population demanded ever more increasing wheat imports for the daily heavily subsidized bread.
      The Egyptian price policies favoured "export-crops" over staple food production and domestic market oriented requirements, and the wheat deficit grew and grew and grew until the finance ministry could not afford anymore the heavy subsidies. Any desperate attempt
      to reduce the bread price subsidies, lead invariably to massive street opposition seriously endangering the position of the long-term political strong-men and their established power system.
      Egypt's chief power holders (Nasser, Sadat, Mubarak) realized that without PL480 wheat from the USA, their power position would be gone with the wind.
      From that point onward, it became obvious that PL480 not only could be used to serve the interests of American farmers, huge US export companies and woo them for domestic political ends at home, but that the so created dependency of the Egyptian power elite could well "disciplinize" Egypts foreign policy, especially vis-a-vis Israel. PM Sadat was not only driven by the peace-angel to conclude the Egyptian-Israel peace treaty, but found himself rather with little option than to follow US-American "guidance" and serving Israel's interests.
      That dependency has not decreased ever since, in the contrary as the Mubarak-era and his economic "liberalization" policies in the non-agricultural secors have shown, which served the elite and their cronies to enrich themselves shamelessly and enlarge their "rental" diversification under the Mubarak-regime and Egypt's military.

      The aborted Egyptian revolution has most probably not yet seen its apex and end. Unfortunately, the current economic problems of Egypt must be considered as truly formidable in the years to come and are likely to make Egypt a virtual powder keg, with civil strife a la Syria looming large ........
      One can only hope that such forcast would be thoroughly wrong.
      After all, hope dies last, even against all odds of probability.

  • ‏A letter from under attack
    • Peace loving Israel - renewed targeted and untargeted assassinations
      The latest Gaza death toll - where does it stand now?
      15? or more.....?
      You could see it coming. After Yahoo's class A - failure to impress Obama - despite all its months-long efforts to work the international media and the political agenda away from OCCUPATION + SETTLEMENTS and the PEACE gimmick Process, Israel most moral army of the world turns to more managable tasks to make up for its frustration and renew the escalation spiral.
      It won't go away - it won't go away - this darn issue of the PALESTINIANS and this darn state they wantto have. Whereas all we want is : continue colonizing the entire WestBAnk.
      Unfortunately, i am afraid to say, we hardly will have seen the end of this round of escalation of killing and targeted assassinations. And this time, Hamas leadership won't be able, nor presumably willing to hold aimless Qassam missiles back.

      Mrs. Ashton can pull from her desk her standard comment: We are very concerned....

  • 'New Republic' says Obama 'detests' Netanyahu and treats him shabbily
    • The debate, better wild speculations whether or not Obama might personally hate the Israeli PM, is imho pretty useless.
      Obama has other problems at his hands than to invest political and psychic energies into such a person. What O.. surely must have concluded that Yahoo is not a person to trust. And who could argue this, given that Yahoo is a notorious lier, deceiptful, a cheap propagandist and "salesman" of FEAR, whether recalling the traumatic Holocaust memories of trying to inculcate the Fear of new Holocaust around the corner, at the hands of the Iranian fictional nuclear bomb.
      The POTUS has learnt his lesson, hopefully, that a l l he tried in terms of security assurances etc.... ( and he has "given" the Lobby and Israel indeed way toooooo much!!) has never been met with any reasonable response from Israel's side, not to speak of the minutest inkling of appreciation or gratitude.
      In the contrary, the President of the United States has been humiliated not only by Yahoo, the AIPAC Lobby and other Israel Firsters in the USA and elswhere, but by the American Congress(wo)men and Senators. The latter even going so far as to publicly humiliating themselves as they so convincingly did by their 30 or so standing ovations in May 2011, cheering Netan-Yahoo like mad(wo)men as if he was one of theirs, respectively them his. What respect can the world give to such representatives of American democracy throwing voluntary the rest of any personal and institutional dignity into the litter box.
      It has been painful to see, very painful, for any decent anybody.

      Before such a background of warmongerers at home (Congress, Senate, and the mainstream mass media) and Israel Obama has stood his ground with quite some determination (at last).
      Yahoo failed in his attempt to push the USA into yet another war. Rather than for madness, it is time for REASON and continued efforts of diplomacy, if Israel shall have a future. Netanyahoo's war mongering and advocacy for an Iran attack is a DEAD END STREET.
      That is what Israeli voters should be guided by, when they will elect a new Knesset soon.

      And that is what the American electorate must consider likewise.

  • Friedman warns war could hurt American Jews
    • The tipping point ? - or not.
      The essence of Friedman's article is that he wants to take the heat off Netanyahu, AIPAC and the Israel Firsters - warmongerers by shifting - spinning the focus away from the main drivers, and declare the danger as a collective one, endangering the region and world at large.

      While this is also correct, the rest of the world, however, wants to engage in a rational political dialogue with Iran and diplomacy, while putting simultaneously quite some economic pressure on the Iranian Regime - Israel and Israel Firsters have obviously other priorities.

      Friedman has rightly sensed that the bellicose speeches at the AIPAC Conference and the loudest cheers from the audience for the most inciting speakers could fall back in a rather "undesirable" way for the warmongerers.

      I read his article that he is rather interested to limit the likely negative repercussions on the public opinion in the USA and elsewhere. As an "insurance" so to speak......, in case ....

  • Netanyahu says, You also refused to bomb Auschwitz
    • Netanyahu = BEWARE of the new 21cy MOSES and Prophet of Doom not Freedom!!
      " As prime Minister of Israel, I will never allow my people to live in the shadow of annihilation,"
      NTY Speech AIPAC Conference 05Mar12.
      I rather prefer the historicalized original - he asked for Freedom from Slavery and succeeded, so the story goes: "Let my people go.!"
      The 21cy Moses, aka Netanyahu, demands a green light for war on Iran, and this might well lead exactly there: not in the shadow of, but straight into - if not annihilation - a human catastrophy for Jews and Arabs alike, in the entire region of the ME and beyond.
      The comparison of Ausschwitz with a yet not nuclear-armed Iran is detesting, and little else than sowing and augmenting fear on which he thrives politically and nourishes his blown up ego. The danger is: he - and with him Israel - may reap what he is sowing.
      Was there no other lesson to be learnt from the Holocaust?
      What about trying bona-fide cooperation with neighbours, end of occupation and gross HR violations? To name just a few alternatives which have not been tried yet.
      We would definitely love to welcome Israel back in the community of civilized nations. With open arms.

  • Blasting Obama as 'blurred,' McConnell assures Israel lobby that bipartisan Congress will authorize 'overwhelming force' against Iran
    • CENSURE Inquiry from the Editors:

      i posted a comment on Sen. Mitch McConnel's Speech at AIPAC.

      This is to inquire why you have censored it?
      I hardly can see any reason as to why my comment was to have violated anything wrt MW comment policy principles.
      Looking forward to your reply.

    • Mitch McConnel

      To hear and see this man talking at the AIPAC Conference gave me the shivers!!
      Unfortunately the C-Span video only showed the speaker, so I could not see the enthusiasm and applause of the warmongering audience. However, just listening to the applause was more than enough: nauseating
      To see McConell's tight-lipped smiles, hardly suppressed, and happiness about the thunderous enrapture of his AIPAC audience was close to be unbearable. These are the ISRAEL FIRSTERS, regardless of any other consideration.
      My goodness, what a country have the USA have become where such public war mongering and incitement is not met with 100 % disapproval but CHEERS.
      McConnel's speech advocating "overwhelming force" was akin to another version of earlier times, touching very unpleasant cords:
      "Wollt ihr den totalen Krieg?"......
      Given the detesting alternatives, one must (willy-nilly) hope for a second Obama term - hopefully with a POTUS with big balls.

  • Netanyahu seeks Iran conflict, extremist reaction to knock out Obama
    • Agreed: There won't be any war . The Israeli Iran war mongering is all bluff, bluff only, at least for the time being and as long as the POTUS permits that dangerous "game" to continue. -
      IMHO, it would indeed be highest time and very desirable that he will leave no doubt who is the cook and who the waiter. Come 5th March we will see......perhaps.
      Neither the American people have any interest in yet another war - and one should assume nor the Israelis.
      What Netanyahu is primarily interested in is his OWN RE-ELECTION, and the Iran issue is a perfect means to divert from domestic political troubles he has at his hands at home: i.a. with settlers (e.g. Migron outpost removal) and also the religious crowd wrt their forthcoming end of their no-army-service privileges; economic troubles and a broad social unrest among a squeezed Israeli electorate, which may spoil his re-election.
      Of course, he has a keen interest to unseat Obama and spoil his re-election bid. After all NTY is not keen to deal with Obama during a second term of office, and rightly fears that during 2013-2016 quite a few open accounts will be settled. That is why he interferes so unabashedly in the US-presidential election campaign to see Obama's bid fail.
      Similar scenario with Ehud Barak, the other chief war - mongerer. The Gush Shalom ad of 24.Febr. puts it in a nutshell:
      At the helm of the Israeli army
      Stands a minister
      With no political base,
      Few future prospects
      And little to lose.

      Free to play with fire
      And plan
      Dangerous adventures

      Beware of
      Ehud Barak

      It is all bluff. There won't be any war.

  • Will the US act as Israel's proxy against Iran?
    • Re: teta mother me - comment February 29, 2012 at 12:13 pm

      teta mm,
      I want to specifically thank for the referenced article by Avigail Abarnabel, Psyhologist/-therapist writing on
      Israel’s Trauma Psychology and the Attack on Gaza
      link to avigailabarbanel.me.uk

      A really great article of the "MUST-READ"-calibre.

    • Question for Shingo:
      ….Speaking of rhetoric, Netentyahu recently proclaimed "Death to all Arabs”….

      Did he, really? Is this an authentic quotation?
      If yes, can you give a reference for this, please.
      I'd appreciate, thanks.

    • “centerpiece” is to shift the red line. no doubt all the senate members will jump on board to please their…."

      say it aloud: .......... P A Y M A S T E R S

  • Ten reasons why AIPAC is so dangerous
    • MEANWHILE, JEWISH EXTREMISTS are WORKING on their VERSION of the ONE-STATE-SOLUTION:
      MK Uri Ariel presents a political program at the Jerusalem Conference: `
      Annex all of Judea and Samaria`:
      According to this program, the entire territory will be annexed and all Judea and Samaria Arabs will have the status of permanent residents in Israel. This will give them the very same status enjoyed by 284,000 residents of East Jerusalem, of whom many opinion polls indicated that if given a choice between the State of Israel or a Palestinian state they would choose for Israel.
      This status will give them: a blue identity card, social security, health services and all other services given to every citizen in Israel, and the vote in municipal elections for the municipal authority within whose borders they live – but no right to vote in Knesset elections. : [Emphasis by translator from Hebrew = Adam Keller.]
      For further details see:
      link to kibush.co.il

  • Open letter to Harvard President: Charges that one-state conference is anti-semitic are 'defamatory' and serve 'to prevent rational discussion of ideas'
    • MEANWHILE, JEWISH EXTREMISTS are WORKING on their VERSION of the ONE-STATE-SOLUTION:
      MK Uri Ariel presents a political program at the Jerusalem Conference: `
      Annex all of Judea and Samaria`:
      According to this program, the entire territory will be annexed and all Judea and Samaria Arabs will have the status of permanent residents in Israel. This will give them the very same status enjoyed by 284,000 residents of East Jerusalem, of whom many opinion polls indicated that if given a choice between the State of Israel or a Palestinian state they would choose for Israel.
      This status will give them: a blue identity card, social security, health services and all other services given to every citizen in Israel, and the vote in municipal elections for the municipal authority within whose borders they live – but no right to vote in Knesset elections. [Emphasis by translator from Hebrew = Adam Keller.]
      For further details see:
      link to kibush.co.il

  • Fear and apartheid in the West Bank
    • Continued Education + Advanced Reality Studies

      Hi, Phil,

      it seems that your sojourn in the WB reaps " good" results and benefits wrt balancing theory and desk with occupation realities on the human and every day level, including the steroid department. :-)
      Regards.

  • Vets for Peace to Obama: Talk sense to Netanyahu to avoid war with Iran
    • CHAPEAU for the Veterans for Peace

      This memorandum is a grand and timely initiative. One can only hope that the POTUS has any balls left to do just what the VfP have suggested and make :
      an unmistakably clear and unambiguous PUBLIC warning at the address of the GoI and its warmongerers. And let them know that those days are gone when the tail wagged the dog.

      Such a statement would put an end to all that media gimmick and bull.... of the last many months!

      This Memo of the Vets should substantially be taken up for a world-wide signature campaign as a message for the POTUS to live up to his responsibility to bring at least some sanity back into the discourse.
      AVAAZ.org could easily mobilize imho some few 100K or even more - if George Soros (respectively his money?) would let them..... and if they dared to exhibit some courage rather than campaigning only well-trodden paths or purely humanistic and little controversial causes!
      However, in light of their past record, AVAAZ are nothing else than formidable Israel-cowards!
      Shamefully so.

  • Checkpoint snapshot
    • What about answering for this?

      Don't MISS: Thrown to the Dogs!!
      An article in Haaretz of 20Jan2012 tells a horrendous story entitled "How Israeli negligence led to the death of a Palestinian car thief ":
      Link: link to haaretz.com

      This is an example how Israel delegitimizes itself and has made itself an OUTCAST of basic Civility and of the civilized international Community.
      The story comprises nearly all the ingredients of what Occupation is and leads up to inhumane behaviour without compassion beyond imaginable limits!
      As you read on in utter disbelief you will be devastated by the degree of the lack of basic humanity prevailing not only in Israel's Police, Army and large sections of its Society but even among medical Doctors and Nurses.

  • Asher Grunis discriminates his way to the top of the Israeli Supreme Court
    • Now the Supreme Court.
      The systematic and settler-driven take-over of also the entire legal system in the "only Jewish theocracy" makes me shiver!!
      After conquering the army, other diverse police-forces, the entire state "civil" administration and public life, the outright attack on any left-overs (if any) of a decent 21st century education, I wonder whether there is anything that can prevent the State of Israel sliding further down into the abyss of fascism and apartheid???
      Historical precedents are looming large…..
      Are there any optimists left?

  • Penn's president condemns article likening BDS conference to Nazism as 'counter to her personal values and civility'
    • Thank you, patm, for the dr. Gutmann's address! Good idea.
      The following email i have written:

      Dear Dr. A. Gutmann, President of Pennsylvania University,

      i refer to Mr. Stephen J. McCarthy reply to the organizers of the BDS Conference who had expressed in their letter directly addressed to you their expectation, that you would clearly and publicly dissociate yourself and the University from Prof. Ruben Gur's malicious diatribe against the BDS Conference organizers and invited guests, which can only be considered a wreckless, ugly AS-smear and fear mongering invective.

      Unfortunately you missed your chance and let yourself be deputized by Mr.McCarthy whose reply letter of weasel words is nothing else but wanting. Grossly wanting, evasive and without backbone in the matter of substance here.

      It is indeed deeply disturbing that you have imho grossly failed to live up to your duty as the key-representative of Penn-University and take an unambiguous stance and thereby protect the reputation of the University and all its staff who do not concur with the
      views uttered by Prof. Ruben Gur.

      I wonder whether you will be able to muster the courage to make up for the damage caused by your silence.

      Yours Sincerely,

  • New additions to the Mondoweiss comments policy
    • Agreed. Both new rules are meaningful.

      As a second thought, i like to suggest that - as a feed-back for commentors and for transparency reasons - such banned comments / commenters are also indicated, e.g. by a standard text "banned b/o breach of comment policy".

  • NY labor leader says Netanyahu's bad-faith negotiating tactics foster Arab 'contempt' for Israel (and Israeli official talks w/ his feet)
    • W h a t ? ? ?

      Netanyahu and " Good Faith negotiations"?????

      A contradiction in se.

      Hardly conceivable even after re-incarnation.
      Which body would survive such a soul??????

Showing comments 235 - 201
Page:

Comments are closed.