A Stand For Justice
Israeli Tank Fire Kills 40 at UN School Medics In a separate incident earlier in the day, three Palestinians were killed in an air strike on another school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
Six children among 12 killed in mosque blast Yesterday's afternoon prayers in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya were unusually busy because worshippers had abandoned their evening prayers in the belief that if the Israelis planned to strike, they would do so at night. But as the townspeople left the mosque at dusk, the explosions began, killing at least 12 people, six of whom were children. They came only hours before the Israeli ground offensive was launched into Gaza.
Palestinians Mother, 4 children killed in IDF Gaza offensive Among those killed in Gaza since Saturday night were another five people who Palestinian medics said died when shells fired by IDF troops exploded in the center of Gaza City's main shopping area. Dozens of others were wounded, the medics said.
Paramedic killed as shell hits ambulance in Gaza A paramedic working for an Oxfam-funded organisation was killed today after an ambulance was hit by an Israeli-fired shell, the charity said.
Israel shells near UN school, killing at least 30
Dozens of Gazans killed in Israeli ground assault At least 23 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, have been killed in Gaza on the first day of Israel's ground offensive in the Hamas-run enclave, medics said on Sunday.
West Bank protester shot dead by Israeli troops Mufid al-Walwil, 21, was killed when Israeli troops opened fire on a group of Palestinians who were throwing stones at them near the separation barrier in Qalqilya.
Child killed by Israli tank fire in Gaza Eleven other children were wounded in the strike, when a tank shell hit a house in eastern Gaza City, Gaza medics said.
Gaza medics describe horror of strike which killed 70 Growing evidence emerged today of the bloodiest single incident of the Gaza conflict when around 70 corpses were found by a Palestinian paramedic near a bombed-out house.
Civilian death toll rises in Gaza ground offensive At least 23 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, have been killed in Gaza on the first day of Israel's ground offensive in the Hamas-run enclave, medics said.
Israel strike kills up to 60 members of one family Israeli mortar shells exploded Tuesday near a U.N. school in Gaza that was sheltering hundreds of people displaced by Israel's onslaught against Hamas militants, killing at least 30 Palestinians, tearing bodies apart and staining streets with blood.
Soldier Killed In Gaza Fighting The army says the soldier was killed by mortar fire earlier today in northern Gaza.
ICRC Says Israel Broke International Law in Gaza Relief workers found four starving children sitting next to their dead mothers and other corpses in a house in a part of Gaza City bombed by Israeli forces, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Thursday.
Red Cross finds starving children with 12 corpses in Gaza 'house of horrors' The International Committee of the Red Cross has accused the Israeli military of "unacceptable" conduct and breaching international humanitarian law after discovering four emaciated children living next to the corpses of their mothers and other adults in bomb-shattered houses in Gaza City.
Red Cross: Israel delayed access to Gaza wounded The international Red Cross accused Israel on Thursday of "unacceptable" delays in letting rescue workers reach three Gaza City homes hit by shelling where they eventually found 15 dead and 18 wounded, including young children too weak to stand.
Gaza wounded dying as cut off from help ICRC People wounded in fighting in the Gaza Strip are dying because ambulances cannot reach them, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday.
Thousands of children forced to flee Gaza airstrikes At least 13,000 Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes in Gaza as the bombardment continues into its seventh day, Save the Children said today. More than half of those displaced people are children.
Two strikes, and another family lay buried in rubble The attack on the Palestinian refugee family became the third since the aerial bombardment of Gaza started 10 days ago to prompt a specific call for an independent investigation by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
U.N. official says no militants inside Gaza school
Gaza civilians bearing brunt of violence: aid agencies The United Nations noted that many of the recent fatalities have been women and children, adding that "the population of Gaza (is) bearing the brunt of the violence.
UN: One-third of Gaza dead, injured are children The U.N.'s top humanitarian official, John Holmes, described the numbers as "credible" and deeply disturbing. U.N officials say about half of the casualties were civilians.
EU tells Israel to respect humanitarian law in Gaza, offers more aid The European Commission on Sunday called on Israel to respect international law and allow access to people "suffering and dying" in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.
UN Security Council Must Not Fail Civilians Caught in Gaza Conflict ?Civilian casualties and destruction in Gaza are on an unprecedented scale. The UN Security Council must not remain silent. The Council can and must act and it should do so without further delay,? said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International?s Middle East and North Africa Programme.
Death toll in Gaza passes 700, including 220 children
Gaza civilians suffer as Israel troops tighten grip At least 42 Palestinians, most of them civilians, were killed on Sunday as Israeli shells slammed into houses and Gaza's main shopping district, medical sources said.
Israel May Face Charges for War Crime "The repeated bombing of clearly marked civilian buildings, where civilians were sheltering, crosses several red lines in regard to international law,"
Israel: Allow Media and Rights Monitors Access to Gaza Israel should immediately allow journalists and human rights monitors access to Gaza, Human Rights Watch said today. Their presence can discourage abuse by warring parties and help save lives.
Iran's security chief meets Hamas, Jihad leaders in Damascus over Gaza
Invasion a Monstrosity, Says UN Leader "I think it's a monstrosity; there's no other way to name it," Mr Brockmann said. "Once again, the world is watching in dismay the dysfunctionality of the Security Council." His remarks were seen as putting a slight upon the United States, which again prevented the council from issuing an agreed statement on the crisis.
IDF strike levels US-style Gaza school
Israel Rains Fire on Gaza With Phosphorus Shells Charles Heyman, a military expert and former major in the British Army, said: "If white phosphorus was deliberately fired at a crowd of people someone would end up in The Hague. White phosphorus is also a terror weapon. The descending blobs of phosphorus will burn when in contact with skin."
Children hit hard as Gaza toll rises The latest figures from Palestinian health officials say 205 children are among some 600 people who have died in the Gaza war. In the chaos, there are no statistics for how many are among the at least 2,900 injured.
Channel 4 UK Report From Gaza Meet the children left to die among the bodies of their parents and families
Hamas Israel has legitimised the killing of its children "They have legitimised the murder of their own children by killing the children of Palestine," Mahmoud Zahar said in a televised broadcast recorded at a secret location. "They have legitimised the killing of their people all over the world by killing our people."
Israel trying to delay UN Security Council meeting Jerusalem making diplomatic efforts to postpone meeting and prevent further international pressure on Israel to stop fighting in Gaza. Meanwhile Olmert, Livni continue to promote US-led initiative for truce
Arab League slams Livni remark 'there's no humanitarian crisis in Gaza' Livni rejected on Thursday a French proposal for a 48-hour truce to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, saying there was no humanitarian crisis in Strip.
AP Gaza reporter finds hometown in rubble
'People Are Being Killed in Their Homes' There have been so many casualties. Last Tuesday, on the 30th of December, two of my colleagues in Beit Hanoun, in northeast Gaza, witnessed a missile strike that killed three children. These kids went to take out the rubbish. They were afraid to go out alone, so they went out together. The 4-year-old girl died instantly, her 12-year-old sister died upon arrival at the hospital and their 11-year-old brother, who was injured, died a few days later.
Gaza Strip is a concentration camp, says Vatican THE Gaza Strip has been turned into a "concentration camp" by two weeks of Israeli bombardments, said a senior Vatican official.
Europe at odds over Israel's ground incursion
Egypt floats truce plan after 42 killed in Gaza school
Egypt bars doctors from entering Gaza Strip Frustration is mounting at Egypt's border with the Gaza
Strip, where many local and foreign doctors are stuck after Egyptian
authorities denied them entry into the coastal area now under an Israeli
ground invasion.
Gaza civilian toll rises; diplomats seek truce Despite Israeli claims that casualties have been heavy among militants, no injured Hamas fighters were seen Monday by an Associated Press reporter at Shifa Hospital, the Gaza Strip's largest. Instead, the hospital was overwhelmed with civilians
Ban: Israeli attacks on schools totally unacceptable Israeli attacks on three schools run by the United Nations in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, including one that killed more than 46 civilians on Tuesday, were 'totally unacceptable and must not be repeated,' UN Secretary General Ban Ki- moon said.
Wounded Gaza family lay bleeding for 20 hours
Stench in the Air Scant Resources Stretched to Exhaustion Most of those arriving at Shifa appeared to be civilians. The exact reason was not clear. Many ambulance drivers refused to go near the fighting. It also seemed possible that Hamas and Israeli fighters were still battling at some less lethal distance. And it was difficult to know whether fighters were spread out at other hospitals.
UN rights chief wants investigation of Gaza abuses The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights called Friday for an independent war crimes investigation in Gaza after reports that Israeli forces shelled a house full of Palestinian civilians, killing 30 people.
UN Israel Admits Claims About Attacked School Baseless Much was made of the claim, including reports that Israel was mulling filing a formal complaint to the United Nations about Hamas? use of the facility. But as the United Nations poked holes in the official story, Israel is now backing off those claims.
Obama breaks silence on Gaza, voices concern Speaking after Israeli tank shells killed at least 40 Palestinians at a U.N. school where civilians had taken shelter, Obama said "the loss of civilian life in Gaza and in Israel is a source of deep concern for me."
World fears grow over Gaza 'humanitarian crisis' World leaders hardened their rhetoric and expressed mounting concern about the impact on civilians of the fighting in Gaza Monday, as Israel rejected diplomatic efforts to bring it to an end.
Egypt Pulls Down the Shutters on Aid
Egyptian authorities have almost fully sealed the border with Gaza, preventing delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid.
Small aid delivery does little to stop suffering John Ging, director of operations in Gaza for the United Nations Refugee and Works Agency, spoke by phone from the UN base inside Gaza City. He said: "Gaza was already bad enough but what I saw today was utter devastation. It's just horrible to see this, horrible to see civilians caught up in this. "Gaza went through 'crisis' a long time ago and what I saw today was a catastrophe in the making.'' He said three of his UNRWA staff had been killed in the Israeli assault on Gaza. One was volunteering as a paramedic when the ambulance he was driving in with four other medics was hit by Israeli fire. All five died.
CNN: US weapons 'killing innocent civilians' in Gaza "Precision guided bombs are only precision in that they hit the target they are aimed at," Starr explained. "We're getting these civilian casualties. These weapons are supposed to be used for a country's self-defense. Israel, obviously, believes this is its self-defense against Hamas, but you see these civilian casualties. That's not why the US sells weapons abroad -- for the killing of innocent civilians."
Robert Fisk: Why do they hate the West so much, we will ask Have we forgotten the 17,500 dead ? almost all civilians, most of them children and women ? in Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon; the 1,700 Palestinian civilian dead in the Sabra-Chatila massacre; the 1996 Qana massacre of 106 Lebanese civilian refugees, more than half of them children, at a UN base; the massacre of the Marwahin refugees who were ordered from their homes by the Israelis in 2006 then slaughtered by an Israeli helicopter crew; the 1,000 dead of that same 2006 bombardment and Lebanese invasion, almost all of them civilians?
This article is a beaut - a must read. It details some of Israel's history of lying when it deliberately targets civilian areas.
Keeping Out The Cameras and Reporters Simply Doesn't Work by Robert Fisk On the other hand, the Israelis are so ruthless that the reasons for the ban on journalism may be quite easily explained: that so many Israeli soldiers are going to kill so many innocents - more than three score by last night, and that's only the ones we know about - that images of the slaughter would be too much to tolerate.
UN curbs Gaza aid after trucks hit by Israeli fire The driver of the U.N. truck died immediately; another worker in the truck died later of his wounds. The truck, which came under fire in northern Gaza, was marked with the U.N. flag and insignia.
Jimmy Carter - An Unnecessary War rocket firing was soon stopped and there was an increase in supplies of food, water, medicine and fuel. Yet the increase was to an average of about 20 percent of normal levels. And this fragile truce was partially broken on Nov. 4, when Israel launched an attack in Gaza to destroy a defensive tunnel being dug by Hamas inside the wall that encloses Gaza. Israel, not Hamas, broke the ceasefire.
Norwegian doctor: Israel intentionally targeting civilians "Just a little bit more than an hour ago, the Israelis bombed the central food market in Gaza City and we had a mass influx of about 50 injured and between 10 and 15 killed," said Gilbert, on the phone with Sky News. "At the same time they bombed an apartment house with children playing on the roof and we had a lot of children also. This is really like from Dante's Inferno. It's like hell here now and it's been bombing all night. Up till now, close to 500 people have been killed and the number of casualties is getting to 2, 2 and a half thousand, which 50 percent are children and women."
Israeli army moves into Gaza capital as war toll passes 510 At least 63 Palestinians have been killed by tank shells or missiles fired from warplanes since the ground offensive began on Saturday night, Gaza medics said.
Frustrated reporters locked out of Gaza war zone "Israel has never restricted media access like this before, and it should be ashamed," said Ethan Bronner, The New York Times bureau chief in Jerusalem. "It's betraying the principles by which it claims to live."
Florida House shows support for Israel Led by South Florida Jewish legislators, the Florida House passed a resolution Monday expressing "solidarity" with Israel and its campaign against the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
UPDATED Media Commentary Muted as Israel Invades - 'NYT' Fails to Editorialize Amazingly, the paper has kept that silence going in Sunday's and even Monday's paper, with no editorial or columnist comment on the Israeli invasion -- beyond a hawkish pro-invasion contribution by William Kristol. It's as if the Times is waiting for the invasion to be over and adapt its position to the outocme.
US Senate supports Israel's Gaza incursion The U.S. Senate voiced strong support on Thursday for Israel's battle against Hamas militants in Gaza, while urging a ceasefire that would prevent Hamas from launching any more rockets into Israel. The chamber agreed on a voice vote to the non-binding resolution co-sponsored by Democratic and Republican party leaders in the chamber. Capitol Hill - ANOTHER Israeli-occupied territory.
Turmoil could spark air strike against Iran Iran's open support for Hamas, coupled with US and Israeli accusations that Tehran has supplied it with weapons, could harden Israeli public opinion in favour of military strikes against Iran whose nuclear programme is seen as an "existential" threat to the Jewish state.
Visiting Lutheran bishops call for halt to violence The bishops were invited by the local branch "to come walk with them in this difficult time," Rev. Robert Smith, continental desk director for Europe and the Middle East in the ELCA's department of global mission, told the Chicago Tribune on Monday. "With the decline of Palestinian Christian communities in the land where Jesus was born, died and resurrected, that call is not something we can ignore," Smith said.
Why Not Kill All Gazans?
Pity the Poor Neocons As bloody and grotesque as Israel?s pounding of Gaza has been, it marks a bitterly disappointing end for seven-plus years of neoconservative dominion over U.S. foreign policy, a period that was supposed to conclude with the dismantling of Israel?s Muslim enemies in the region.
YouTube - Ron Paul on Gaza 1-3-09 Ron Paul sticks to the ideals upon which this country was founded - one being not allowing ourselves to get involved in entangling alliances.
Celebrities condemn Israeli attacks on Gaza Singer Annie Lennox led a press conference stating that the television footage of the attacks in Gaza had left her shaken to the core.
Bush's Last War Crime The Israeli invasion of Gaza, launched Saturday, might very well be George W. Bush's last and final war crime. For eight years, Bush has coupled unparalled ignorance of the Middle East with supreme arrogance. It is precisely that deadly combination of ignorance and arrogance that is on display now, as a politically motivated Israeli invasion of Gaza unfolds with the full support of the Bush administration.
Bringing the Arab-Israeli War Home - by Michael Scheuer At some point down the road, every U.S.-taxpayer-funded bomb, artillery shell, and bullet aimed at the Palestinians will yield Americans killed at the hands of al-Qaeda, its allies, or those it inspires in attacks launched in response to U.S. support for Israel. Those Americans will be killed because their political and media leaders ? corrupted to the bone by AIPAC ? have involved them in a religious war that threatens nothing vital to their country's principles or national security, their personal economic well-being, or their children's lives. Michael Scheuer was head of the CIA's Bin Laden unit.
Venezuela Expels Israeli Ambassador Over Gaza "How far will this barbarism go?" Chavez asked on state television before the ambassador's expulsion was announced. "The president of Israel should be taken before an international court together with the president of the United States, if the world had any conscience." Notice how we get lumped in there too. In the eyes of the international community, Israel and America are one and the same (thanks to the efforts of the Israeli lobby - who have made sure Israeli policy becomes US policy).
Herzog calls on US Jews to voice support for Gaza op "Don't be shy," he instructed more than 500 American and Canadian Jewish leaders on a conference call organized the United Jewish Communities and the Jewish Council on Public Affairs Monday. He told them to post blog entries, call radio shows, participate in Internet chat rooms and otherwise make Israel's case to the media. "It's important that people see the Israeli viewpoint."
Israeli army trained in Gaza mock-up The Israeli army spent 18 months training for its ground attack against Gaza on a model of the main city built at a desert army base, a military spokesman said.
Johann Hari The true story behind this war is not the one Israel is telling The Israeli government wants peace, but only one imposed on its own terms, based on the acceptance of defeat by the Palestinians. It means the Israelis can keep the slabs of the West Bank on "their" side of the wall. It means they keep the largest settlements and control the water supply. And it means a divided Palestine, with responsibility for Gaza hived off to Egypt, and the broken-up West Bank standing alone.
Israel in Gaza Irrationality
UPDATE Washington Institute Reports Bigger Role for Ross if the memo is genuine (and I have no doubt that it is) and accurate, Ross? appointment marks a major setback for those who had hoped that Obama might bring some fresh thinking to Middle East policy, particularly vis-a-vis Iran and Israel-Palestine.
Iranian commander says to cut oil sales to Israel's backers An Iranian military commander called on Islamic countries to cut oil exports to Israel's supporters in response to the Jewish state's offensive in Gaza, the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday.
Media rights group slams Israel's treatment of press in conflict Israel deliberately targeted Hamas-run media installations in its bombing campaign on Gaza and is practising media censorship, a journalist rights group said Monday.
The death and life of my father For Fares Akram, The Independent's reporter in Gaza, the Israeli invasion became a personal tragedy when he discovered his father was one of the first casualties of the ground war
Hezbollah warns Israel not to venture into Lebanon The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah Wednesday warned Israel from venturing into a new attack against Lebanon, saying it would be 'nothing compared to the July 2006 war.'
Jewish women freed after protest at Israeli consulate She said the point of the protest was to draw attention to the fact that not all members of Toronto's Jewish community support the agenda of the Israeli government. "There are Jews that do not follow the Israeli line and are sickened by what is happening in Gaza."
Hamas posters posted at U.S. synagogues Police in California are investigating as hate crimes the posting of anti-Israel and pro-Hamas placards at two synagogues.
Sderot rocket hits near U.S. Jewish leaders The group from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations had arrived just three hours before on a three-day mission to show support for the government and people of the beleaguered south No comment.
Syrian president meets Iran's security chief over Gaza Syrian President Bashar al-Assad held a meeting on Saturday with visiting Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili over the "dangerous situation" in Gaza Strip, the official SANA news agency reported.
Henry Regnery, Conservative for Mideast Peace people like Debbie Schlussel, who unburdened herself recently of this bit of bloodlust: ?While I want Israel to beat HAMAS, there is only one way to do so?total annihilation of the Palestinians, who are all HAMAS.? Most of the neoconized Right doesn?t put matters quite so bluntly, of course. But follow the logic: they claim that vast civilian casualties are allowed, as long as the IDF only deliberately targets Hamas.
They Lob Chutzpah Bombs Too this is just a press release created by the American Jewish Committee and being passed off by its members as their heartfelt and original opinions.
Israel wounded in propaganda war Governments worldwide have slammed the Israeli military onslaught on the Gaza Strip, with the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, condemning attacks near UN schools that killed dozens and foreign media angry at being kept out of the Palestinian territory.
Gaza will be 'graveyard' for Israeli troops, warns Iran
NYC mayor heads to Israel to 'show his support' Spokesman Andrew Brent said the mayor "is going in order to show his support for Israel." Bloomberg should stay there.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Headlines for 01-03-09
A Stand For Justice
Israeli airstrike kills a top Hamas leader Eighteen other people, including all four of Rayan's wives and nine of his 12 children, also were killed, Palestinian health officials said. A man cradled the burned, limp body of a child he pulled from the rubble
Children among the casualties in Gaza - Israel-Palestinians The United Nations has said the death toll includes 34 children
'Critical emergency' in Gaza after air strike every 20 minutes Much of Gaza's public infrastructure has been destroyed and the territory is in a "critical emergency" after seven days of devastating bombing with air strikes averaging one every 20 minutes, the UN said yesterday.
In Urgent Letter, Amnesty International USA Appeals to Secretary Rice to End 'Lopsided US Response' to Gaza Crisis "Amnesty International USA is particularly dismayed at the lopsided response by the U.S. government to the recent violence and its lackadaisical efforts to ameliorate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," the human rights organization states in its letter to Secretary Rice.
UN: 25% of those killed in Gaza civilians At least 42 of those killed have been children
Israel imposes general closure on West Bank Israel's defense establishment on Thursday night decided to seal off the West Bank for two days, as the ongoing deadly assaults in Gaza Strip has strained relations between Jews and Arabs.
Israel keeps ban on foreign journalists in Gaza Israel is barring foreign journalists from entering the Gaza Strip despite a Supreme Court decision this week to allow a limited number to enter the territory. There'll be no witnesses to the slaughter.
Shortages Put Gaza's Hospitals on the Brink of Collapse for several months Israel has allowed only limited supplies of humanitarian goods into Gaza and no other imports or exports. That has left Gaza's health system in a state of crisis, according to Physicians for Human Rights, an Israeli group
Israel Rejects Truce Calls, Presses on With Gaza Offensive At least 25 percent of those killed have been civilians, the United Nations said.
Gazans fight cold and hunger as supplies run dry
US blocks UN Security Council action on Gaza The United States late Saturday blocked approval of a U.N. Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel and expressing concern at the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas.
World must intervene in Gaza, Christian leaders say Christian leaders in Jerusalem called on Tuesday for global intervention to stop the Gaza conflict and urged Israelis and Palestinians to "return to their senses".
Israeli Violates International Humanitarian Law By Prof. Richard Falk
United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
Attacks Condemned as Supplies Dwindle and Deaths Rise While women and children comprise 25 per cent of the fatalities, they make up 40 per cent of the wounded. "Civilians are the targets, they are the victims," said Dr Gilbert.
Israel ordered to allow international media into Gaza
A United States flag defaced with a star of David and a swastika is held during a protest in Rome January 3, 2009
US gets lumped in with Israel thanks to the work of Israel's lobby - which has made us a party in their war against the Arabs, whether or not us taxpayers like it.
Jewish Organisations Call for End to Gaza Bombings rather than unquestioning support of Israel's latest military venture in the decades-long conflict, four major Jewish organizations here are calling for an immediate end to the bombings, and for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas accuses senior Palestinian aides of spying for Israelis
MSNBC Video: Zbigniew Brzezinski schools Joe Scarborough on the Israeli-Palestinian situation Watch to the very end. Classic!
Gaza secondary war being fought on the internet It is part of an attempt by Israel's political leaders to use the internet to spread their message and has seen the country's Army, the IDF, becoming the first ever national force to set up their own YouTube channel
European protesters urge end to offensive on Gaza Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in European cities on Saturday against Israel's bombardment of Gaza, including protesters who hurled shoes at the tall iron gates outside the British prime minister's residence in London.
Dubai calls off New Year's Eve extravaganza Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of the Gulf state, called off festivities late last night. He said "all public New Year's celebrations" should be stopped "in solidarity with the Palestinian people, who are currently enduring death, suffering and destruction in Gaza".
Bolton's Still Bonkers Having returned to his civilian perch at the American Enterprise Institute, Bolton is now reduced to attempting, unofficially, to precipitate an illegal (under international law) attack by someone ? anyone ? on those Iranian IAEA-Safeguarded facilities. .....Bonkers Bolton goes on to urge Obama to do absolutely the last thing he should do: assist Israel, "should it decide to strike Iran's nuclear facilities"!
Israel Drafts YouTube, Netanyahu to Woo World Opinion on Gaza Israel's public-relations campaign stands in marked contrast to 2006, when spokesmen scrambled to explain the bombardment of Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon and Beirut. The goal this time is to keep international pressure at bay for as long as possible, allowing Israel's military to operate without outside interference. That's why it is up to us ordinary folks - every chance we get - to dispel the BS that is blasting out of the Israeli propaganda machine.
How Hypocrisy on 'Terrorism' Kills
Hezbollah-like tactic used by Hamas against Israel Since taking control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Hamas has adopted the rocket tactics used by Lebanese Hezbollah, shifting away from its reliance on suicide bombers in attacks on Israel.
Letter to Bush on Gaza Crisis By Ralph Nader
U.S. should stay removed from the Gaza conflict Raimondo believes the Israelis are sending this message to the incoming administration: "The whole point of this exercise in futility - which will not create a single iota of security for Israel, will not topple Hamas, and will not prove any more successful than the second Lebanese war - is to set the terms by which the Israelis will deal with the incoming U.S. president." The Bush administration immediately backed the Israeli action, which only reinforced the political aspects of this incursion
Party to Murder
What will the blowback be The idea that America isn?t implicated, and won?t pay a price, for Tel Aviv?s slaughter of innocents is terribly naive
Recognizing the Recognition Lag In a recent piece I tried to lower the expectations of some of my friends in the reality-based community of foreign policy realists that a President Obama would place the Israel/Palestine issue on the top of his policy agenda.
Present at the Destruction This is just to remind you (in case you?ve forgotten) that we have to thank the Bush Administration for mess in Gaza, and in particular for its decision to push for the election that brought Hamas to power and which then was followed by the decision to punish the Gazans for the outcome of their vote. The major reason why Palestinians elected Hamas in Gaza was because of the corruption of the Fatah party.
If I were Israel's PM. . .
Middle East nations condemn Israel's Gaza invasion
From the ashes of Gaza
Israel, U.S., Arab nations discuss international force for Gaza After a week of Israeli bombardment of the Gaza strip, Israel, Arab countries and the United States are discussing how to create an international force that would safeguard an eventual cease-fire, diplomats said Friday.
Spokesman's Unit hails 'fair' coverage Israel Meanwhile, the IDF has been in regular contact with over 50 major American blogs covering the fighting. 'Fair' = pro-Israel.
Roseanne Barr Israel is a 'Nazi state' Former television star Roseanne Barr has denounced Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, labeling Israel a "Nazi state." In a post on her personal blog, which appears at her Web site, Roseanne World, the comedienne, who is Jewish, wrote on December 30 that she had planned to travel with pro-Palestinian activists on a protest boat sailing from Cyprus to Gaza.
Roseanne is a very ballsy woman. Tell it like it is.
Robert Fisk: The self delusion that plagues both sides in this bloody conflict the Israelis have usually shown a dangerous propensity to believe their own propaganda. Calling up more than 6,000 reservists and sitting them round the Gaza fence is one thing; sending them into the hovels of Gaza will be quite another. In 2006, Israel claimed it was sending 30,000 troops into Lebanon. In reality, it sent about 3,000 ? and the moment they crossed the border, they were faced down by the Hizbollah. In some cases, Israeli soldiers actually ran back to their own frontier.
Americans Closely Divided Over Israel?s Gaza Attacks Forty-four percent (44%) say Israel should have taken military action against the Palestinians, but 41% say it should have tried to find a diplomatic solution to the problems there, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
Protests against Gaza attack sweep across the world
Presidents Conference Silent on Hebron The incidents in Hebron included settlers setting fire to Palestinian-owned olive trees, stoning vehicles and pedestrians, and defacing Muslim graves with the Star of David. A Palestinian father and son were shot (reports on their condition are unavailable).
More Oddities in the U.S. Debate over Israel-Gaza
Minority Arabs seethe as bombing intensifies
Different Strokes by Philip Giraldi Readers of my columns in TAC and at antiwar might recall that I have been inquiring about the status of Israeli spy Ben-Ami Kadish, who was arrested in April and has since fallen into a black hole, with no record of any continuing judicial process and no mention in the MSM
The Huffington Post Israeli-Occupied Territory- by Justin Raimondo When Arianna nabbed $25 million from Oak Investment Partners, of Palo Alto, California, she was acquired by a financial network that also has significant investments in the Israeli arms industry ? an industry, I might add, directly subsidized and controlled by the Israeli government.
Israeli airstrike kills a top Hamas leader Eighteen other people, including all four of Rayan's wives and nine of his 12 children, also were killed, Palestinian health officials said. A man cradled the burned, limp body of a child he pulled from the rubble
Children among the casualties in Gaza - Israel-Palestinians The United Nations has said the death toll includes 34 children
'Critical emergency' in Gaza after air strike every 20 minutes Much of Gaza's public infrastructure has been destroyed and the territory is in a "critical emergency" after seven days of devastating bombing with air strikes averaging one every 20 minutes, the UN said yesterday.
In Urgent Letter, Amnesty International USA Appeals to Secretary Rice to End 'Lopsided US Response' to Gaza Crisis "Amnesty International USA is particularly dismayed at the lopsided response by the U.S. government to the recent violence and its lackadaisical efforts to ameliorate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," the human rights organization states in its letter to Secretary Rice.
UN: 25% of those killed in Gaza civilians At least 42 of those killed have been children
Israel imposes general closure on West Bank Israel's defense establishment on Thursday night decided to seal off the West Bank for two days, as the ongoing deadly assaults in Gaza Strip has strained relations between Jews and Arabs.
Israel keeps ban on foreign journalists in Gaza Israel is barring foreign journalists from entering the Gaza Strip despite a Supreme Court decision this week to allow a limited number to enter the territory. There'll be no witnesses to the slaughter.
Shortages Put Gaza's Hospitals on the Brink of Collapse for several months Israel has allowed only limited supplies of humanitarian goods into Gaza and no other imports or exports. That has left Gaza's health system in a state of crisis, according to Physicians for Human Rights, an Israeli group
Israel Rejects Truce Calls, Presses on With Gaza Offensive At least 25 percent of those killed have been civilians, the United Nations said.
Gazans fight cold and hunger as supplies run dry
US blocks UN Security Council action on Gaza The United States late Saturday blocked approval of a U.N. Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel and expressing concern at the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas.
World must intervene in Gaza, Christian leaders say Christian leaders in Jerusalem called on Tuesday for global intervention to stop the Gaza conflict and urged Israelis and Palestinians to "return to their senses".
Israeli Violates International Humanitarian Law By Prof. Richard Falk
United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
Attacks Condemned as Supplies Dwindle and Deaths Rise While women and children comprise 25 per cent of the fatalities, they make up 40 per cent of the wounded. "Civilians are the targets, they are the victims," said Dr Gilbert.
Israel ordered to allow international media into Gaza
A United States flag defaced with a star of David and a swastika is held during a protest in Rome January 3, 2009
US gets lumped in with Israel thanks to the work of Israel's lobby - which has made us a party in their war against the Arabs, whether or not us taxpayers like it.
Jewish Organisations Call for End to Gaza Bombings rather than unquestioning support of Israel's latest military venture in the decades-long conflict, four major Jewish organizations here are calling for an immediate end to the bombings, and for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas accuses senior Palestinian aides of spying for Israelis
MSNBC Video: Zbigniew Brzezinski schools Joe Scarborough on the Israeli-Palestinian situation Watch to the very end. Classic!
Gaza secondary war being fought on the internet It is part of an attempt by Israel's political leaders to use the internet to spread their message and has seen the country's Army, the IDF, becoming the first ever national force to set up their own YouTube channel
European protesters urge end to offensive on Gaza Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in European cities on Saturday against Israel's bombardment of Gaza, including protesters who hurled shoes at the tall iron gates outside the British prime minister's residence in London.
Dubai calls off New Year's Eve extravaganza Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of the Gulf state, called off festivities late last night. He said "all public New Year's celebrations" should be stopped "in solidarity with the Palestinian people, who are currently enduring death, suffering and destruction in Gaza".
Bolton's Still Bonkers Having returned to his civilian perch at the American Enterprise Institute, Bolton is now reduced to attempting, unofficially, to precipitate an illegal (under international law) attack by someone ? anyone ? on those Iranian IAEA-Safeguarded facilities. .....Bonkers Bolton goes on to urge Obama to do absolutely the last thing he should do: assist Israel, "should it decide to strike Iran's nuclear facilities"!
Israel Drafts YouTube, Netanyahu to Woo World Opinion on Gaza Israel's public-relations campaign stands in marked contrast to 2006, when spokesmen scrambled to explain the bombardment of Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon and Beirut. The goal this time is to keep international pressure at bay for as long as possible, allowing Israel's military to operate without outside interference. That's why it is up to us ordinary folks - every chance we get - to dispel the BS that is blasting out of the Israeli propaganda machine.
How Hypocrisy on 'Terrorism' Kills
Hezbollah-like tactic used by Hamas against Israel Since taking control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Hamas has adopted the rocket tactics used by Lebanese Hezbollah, shifting away from its reliance on suicide bombers in attacks on Israel.
Letter to Bush on Gaza Crisis By Ralph Nader
U.S. should stay removed from the Gaza conflict Raimondo believes the Israelis are sending this message to the incoming administration: "The whole point of this exercise in futility - which will not create a single iota of security for Israel, will not topple Hamas, and will not prove any more successful than the second Lebanese war - is to set the terms by which the Israelis will deal with the incoming U.S. president." The Bush administration immediately backed the Israeli action, which only reinforced the political aspects of this incursion
Party to Murder
What will the blowback be The idea that America isn?t implicated, and won?t pay a price, for Tel Aviv?s slaughter of innocents is terribly naive
Recognizing the Recognition Lag In a recent piece I tried to lower the expectations of some of my friends in the reality-based community of foreign policy realists that a President Obama would place the Israel/Palestine issue on the top of his policy agenda.
Present at the Destruction This is just to remind you (in case you?ve forgotten) that we have to thank the Bush Administration for mess in Gaza, and in particular for its decision to push for the election that brought Hamas to power and which then was followed by the decision to punish the Gazans for the outcome of their vote. The major reason why Palestinians elected Hamas in Gaza was because of the corruption of the Fatah party.
If I were Israel's PM. . .
Middle East nations condemn Israel's Gaza invasion
From the ashes of Gaza
Israel, U.S., Arab nations discuss international force for Gaza After a week of Israeli bombardment of the Gaza strip, Israel, Arab countries and the United States are discussing how to create an international force that would safeguard an eventual cease-fire, diplomats said Friday.
Spokesman's Unit hails 'fair' coverage Israel Meanwhile, the IDF has been in regular contact with over 50 major American blogs covering the fighting. 'Fair' = pro-Israel.
Roseanne Barr Israel is a 'Nazi state' Former television star Roseanne Barr has denounced Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, labeling Israel a "Nazi state." In a post on her personal blog, which appears at her Web site, Roseanne World, the comedienne, who is Jewish, wrote on December 30 that she had planned to travel with pro-Palestinian activists on a protest boat sailing from Cyprus to Gaza.
Roseanne is a very ballsy woman. Tell it like it is.
Robert Fisk: The self delusion that plagues both sides in this bloody conflict the Israelis have usually shown a dangerous propensity to believe their own propaganda. Calling up more than 6,000 reservists and sitting them round the Gaza fence is one thing; sending them into the hovels of Gaza will be quite another. In 2006, Israel claimed it was sending 30,000 troops into Lebanon. In reality, it sent about 3,000 ? and the moment they crossed the border, they were faced down by the Hizbollah. In some cases, Israeli soldiers actually ran back to their own frontier.
Americans Closely Divided Over Israel?s Gaza Attacks Forty-four percent (44%) say Israel should have taken military action against the Palestinians, but 41% say it should have tried to find a diplomatic solution to the problems there, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
Protests against Gaza attack sweep across the world
Presidents Conference Silent on Hebron The incidents in Hebron included settlers setting fire to Palestinian-owned olive trees, stoning vehicles and pedestrians, and defacing Muslim graves with the Star of David. A Palestinian father and son were shot (reports on their condition are unavailable).
More Oddities in the U.S. Debate over Israel-Gaza
Minority Arabs seethe as bombing intensifies
Different Strokes by Philip Giraldi Readers of my columns in TAC and at antiwar might recall that I have been inquiring about the status of Israeli spy Ben-Ami Kadish, who was arrested in April and has since fallen into a black hole, with no record of any continuing judicial process and no mention in the MSM
The Huffington Post Israeli-Occupied Territory- by Justin Raimondo When Arianna nabbed $25 million from Oak Investment Partners, of Palo Alto, California, she was acquired by a financial network that also has significant investments in the Israeli arms industry ? an industry, I might add, directly subsidized and controlled by the Israeli government.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Headlines for 12-31-08
A Stand For Justice
Israeli airstrikes kill dozens of Gaza civilians The United Nations reported that at least 62 of the dead were women and children, and medics said eight children under the age of 17 were killed in overnight strikes.
Three Palestinian brothers Sidki, 8, Ahmad, 12, and Mohammed Absi, 14, (no left-right available) who were killed in an Israeli missile strike, during their funeral in Rafah refugee camp
Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories: End Unlawful Attack and Meet Gaza's Emergency Needs Palestinian civilians remain at risk of being killed or injured in the Israeli air strikes and are increasingly lacking adequate medical care food, medicines, electricity, water and other necessities, Amnesty International said today after three days of the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip in which more than 300 Palestinians have been killed.
Kucinich Calls For Independent UN Inquiry on Gaza Israeli government attacks civilians in violation of international law
China calls for immediate halt to Gaza attacks China said it is shocked by Israel's attack on Gaza and has called for an immediate halt to the military campaign that has killed nearly 300 people.
Civilian Death Toll Rises After Second Day of Air Strikes Chris Gunness, a spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency, which supports Palestinian refugees and feeds 750,000 Gazans, called for an inquiry into the attack. "Grave question marks hang over this killing ... There must be an investigation and the facts must get out. There must be accountability."
Cynthia McKinney Relief Boat Hit by Israeli Ship CommonDreams.org.url The boat was in international waters at the time (as was the case of the USS Liberty when Israel attacked).
Britain and US refuse to demand end to Israeli airstrikes on Gaza Britain and the United States were on a collision course with their European allies last night after refusing to call for an end to Israeli airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza.
UN official says Israel attacked during lull "What we understood here (was) that there was a 48-hour lull to be called, and this was called by the Israelis," Abu Zayd said. "They said they would wait 48 hours. That was on Friday morning, I believe, until Sunday morning, and that they were going to evaluate."
Arab outrage over Gaza carnage targets Egypt Embarrassing for Egyptian officials, Mubarak met with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni only a day before Israel launched its assault, and the foreign minister ? though he urged Israel to show restraint ? was photographed smiling and shaking hands with her at a news conference.
Protesters worldwide keep up pressure over Gaza In Washington, between 2,500 and 5,000 people protested outside the US State Department chanting slogans like "Stop the Killing, Stop the War, Stop the Genocide of Palestinians" and with some carrying banners saying "Stop US Aid to Israel"....At a separate demonstration attended by around 100 protesters in Westwood, actor Mike Farrell, a star of the hit 1970s television series "MASH", said he was "one of those people horrified by Israel's over-response."
Foreign journalists demand Gaza access Israel's supreme court will hear a petition tomorrow brought by the Foreign Press Association, which represents around 400 foreign journalists, demanding that Israel allow reporters into Gaza to cover the latest conflict.
'Israeli air strikes represent massive violations of international law' Written by Professor Richard Falk, United Nations Special Investigator for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
Clueless in Gaza by Philip Giraldi Is this a deliberate attempt to create a widening conflict that will draw in Iran among other players?
The Gaza Blitz by Patrick J. Buchanan For us to remain silent in the face of this comports neither with our interests or our values. Israel's policy of withholding from the weak and innocent of Gaza, women and children, the necessities of life, to punish the guilty who rule at the point of a gun, is a policy that Obama should declare the United States will no longer support with tax dollars.
Britain slams 'unacceptable' loss of life in Gaza Britain renewed its call on Monday for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants, while lamenting the "unacceptable" loss of innocent lives as Israeli strikes in Gaza continued for a third day.
UN chief urges end to 'unacceptable' Gaza violence "The suffering caused to civilian populations as a result of the large-scale violence and destruction that have taken place over the past few days has saddened me profoundly."
Egypt accused of 'deceiving' Hamas London-based newspaper quotes sources who say Egyptian intelligence minister deliberately misled Palestinian organization about IDF intentions; Hamas sources say this is why movement's compounds were not evacuated
World Powers Call for End to Gaza Fighting
Gaza: Where Civilians Become Targets Israel's spokespersons may constantly repeat that these attacks are "targeted", but targeted attacks don't kill this many civilians. They don't destroy and cause chaos and panic in entirely residential areas. If we accept - by silence or without questioning - that anything and everyone can be defined as "terrorist infrastructure", then we are designating all civilians in Gaza as being targets. And the targeting continues.
UN official says Israel responsible for breaking truce with Gaza
IAF uses new US-supplied smart bomb The Israel Air Force used a new bunker-buster missile that it received recently from the United States in strikes against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, The Jerusalem Post learned on Sunday.
Pelosi US must stand strongly with Israel Pelosi should speak for herself.
An Israeli War Crimes Tribunal (ICTI) May be the Only Deterrent to a Global War The establishment of ICTI would provide some small degree of justice to the victims of Israeli war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against the Peoples of Lebanon and Palestine--just as the ICTY has done in the Balkans
Obama Adviser Aligns with White House in Criticism of Rocket Attacks on Israel Before running for president, he provoked suspicion among Israelis and some US Jewish groups when he expressed sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians. But after winning the Democratic nomination earlier this year he veered in the other direction, voicing strong support for Israel in a speech in Washington to the Israeli lobby group Aipac.
Next EU president supports Israeli op The Czech Republic, which takes over the European Union's presidency on January 1, defended Israel's strikes against Hamas on Tuesday.
Neocons, NYT Demand More War, Torture - by Philip Giraldi It is astonishing that the New York Times would even print a piece advocating torture, but the article is just one more indication of the access that the neocons have to the nation's editorial pages.
Lights Out in Gaza, News Blackout in US Despite international outcry over escalating violence, the U.S. mainstream media continues to privilege a prepackaged narrative in which Israel's actions are never disproportionate, never counterproductive and certainly never gratuitous
Leaders Lie, Civilians Die, and Lessons of History are Ignored by Robert Fisk Ever since 1948, we've been hearing this balderdash from the Israelis - just as Arab nationalists and then Arab Islamists have been peddling their own lies: that the Zionist "death wagon" will be overthrown, that all Jerusalem will be "liberated". And always Mr Bush Snr or Mr Clinton or Mr Bush Jnr or Mr Blair or Mr Brown have called upon both sides to exercise "restraint" - as if the Palestinians and the Israelis both have F-18s and Merkava tanks and field artillery.
Israeli intensifies PR campaign to gain int'l sympathy for Gaza operation On Sunday, Livni and other officials gave interviews in English and Arabic to various international news stations.
Ex-U.S. Army engineer Kadish pleads guilty to spying for Israel An 85-year-old former U.S. Army engineer on Tuesday admitted he passed classified documents to the Israelis in the 1970s and 1980s. Kadish said he believes he was promised that the government will not seek imprisonment at his February sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Iris Lan said prosecutors promised only that they would not oppose or challenge a sentence that included no prison time.
Turkey ends Israel-Syria peace effort over Gaza Turkey said on Monday it was ending efforts to organise peace talks between Israel and Syria because of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Gaza Day Two The Israeli analyst Daniel Levy reminds us why we shouldn?t be indifferent to Israel?s air attacks (with American weapons) on defenseless Palestinians in Gaza.
Hezbollah watches for now as Israel hits Hamas
Schooling Scarborough Guest Zbigniew Brzezinski skewers Joe Scarborough's "stunningly superficial knowledge" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in this remarkable clip
George Washington's warnings and U.S. policy towards Israel Americans shouldn't be in the position of endlessly debating Israel's security situation and its endless religious and territorial conflicts with its neighbors. That should be for Israeli citizens to do, not for Americans. But that distinction -- between the U.S. and Israel -- barely exists because our political leaders have all but eliminated it, and have thus imposed on U.S. citizens responsibility for the acts of Israel. In doing so, they have systematically ignored the unbelievably prescient warnings issued by George Washington in his 1796 Farewell Address, and have thereby provoked exactly the dangers he decried Against the insidious wiles... I conjure you to believe me fellow citizens..
When Make Believe Makes Us Believe That rhetorical bet of last July is now being called, before the president-elect has even sat at the table in earnest, as sanction for a gruesomely disproportionate military response leveled upon an all but powerless adversary.
White House Presser Live From Crawford ?Let?s be careful about how we are assessing the numbers coming out of Gaza? ? White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe in response to press question regarding Palestinian civilian casualties in the Israeli bombardment.
A spy goes to work for a thinktank the Middle East Forum has hired Steve Rosen, once the head of policy development for the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Rosen is accused of stealing highly classified information from the U.S. government and passing it on to Israeli government officials.
World Rallies Around Palestinians Amid Gaza Offensive
Iranian official Israeli offensive in Gaza similar to Hitler's actions A senior Iranian Parliament member compared the Israel Air Force strikes in the Gaza Strip to Adolf Hitler's actions during World War II.
Israeli airstrikes kill dozens of Gaza civilians The United Nations reported that at least 62 of the dead were women and children, and medics said eight children under the age of 17 were killed in overnight strikes.
Three Palestinian brothers Sidki, 8, Ahmad, 12, and Mohammed Absi, 14, (no left-right available) who were killed in an Israeli missile strike, during their funeral in Rafah refugee camp
Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories: End Unlawful Attack and Meet Gaza's Emergency Needs Palestinian civilians remain at risk of being killed or injured in the Israeli air strikes and are increasingly lacking adequate medical care food, medicines, electricity, water and other necessities, Amnesty International said today after three days of the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip in which more than 300 Palestinians have been killed.
Kucinich Calls For Independent UN Inquiry on Gaza Israeli government attacks civilians in violation of international law
China calls for immediate halt to Gaza attacks China said it is shocked by Israel's attack on Gaza and has called for an immediate halt to the military campaign that has killed nearly 300 people.
Civilian Death Toll Rises After Second Day of Air Strikes Chris Gunness, a spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency, which supports Palestinian refugees and feeds 750,000 Gazans, called for an inquiry into the attack. "Grave question marks hang over this killing ... There must be an investigation and the facts must get out. There must be accountability."
Cynthia McKinney Relief Boat Hit by Israeli Ship CommonDreams.org.url The boat was in international waters at the time (as was the case of the USS Liberty when Israel attacked).
Britain and US refuse to demand end to Israeli airstrikes on Gaza Britain and the United States were on a collision course with their European allies last night after refusing to call for an end to Israeli airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza.
UN official says Israel attacked during lull "What we understood here (was) that there was a 48-hour lull to be called, and this was called by the Israelis," Abu Zayd said. "They said they would wait 48 hours. That was on Friday morning, I believe, until Sunday morning, and that they were going to evaluate."
Arab outrage over Gaza carnage targets Egypt Embarrassing for Egyptian officials, Mubarak met with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni only a day before Israel launched its assault, and the foreign minister ? though he urged Israel to show restraint ? was photographed smiling and shaking hands with her at a news conference.
Protesters worldwide keep up pressure over Gaza In Washington, between 2,500 and 5,000 people protested outside the US State Department chanting slogans like "Stop the Killing, Stop the War, Stop the Genocide of Palestinians" and with some carrying banners saying "Stop US Aid to Israel"....At a separate demonstration attended by around 100 protesters in Westwood, actor Mike Farrell, a star of the hit 1970s television series "MASH", said he was "one of those people horrified by Israel's over-response."
Foreign journalists demand Gaza access Israel's supreme court will hear a petition tomorrow brought by the Foreign Press Association, which represents around 400 foreign journalists, demanding that Israel allow reporters into Gaza to cover the latest conflict.
'Israeli air strikes represent massive violations of international law' Written by Professor Richard Falk, United Nations Special Investigator for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
Clueless in Gaza by Philip Giraldi Is this a deliberate attempt to create a widening conflict that will draw in Iran among other players?
The Gaza Blitz by Patrick J. Buchanan For us to remain silent in the face of this comports neither with our interests or our values. Israel's policy of withholding from the weak and innocent of Gaza, women and children, the necessities of life, to punish the guilty who rule at the point of a gun, is a policy that Obama should declare the United States will no longer support with tax dollars.
Britain slams 'unacceptable' loss of life in Gaza Britain renewed its call on Monday for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants, while lamenting the "unacceptable" loss of innocent lives as Israeli strikes in Gaza continued for a third day.
UN chief urges end to 'unacceptable' Gaza violence "The suffering caused to civilian populations as a result of the large-scale violence and destruction that have taken place over the past few days has saddened me profoundly."
Egypt accused of 'deceiving' Hamas London-based newspaper quotes sources who say Egyptian intelligence minister deliberately misled Palestinian organization about IDF intentions; Hamas sources say this is why movement's compounds were not evacuated
World Powers Call for End to Gaza Fighting
Gaza: Where Civilians Become Targets Israel's spokespersons may constantly repeat that these attacks are "targeted", but targeted attacks don't kill this many civilians. They don't destroy and cause chaos and panic in entirely residential areas. If we accept - by silence or without questioning - that anything and everyone can be defined as "terrorist infrastructure", then we are designating all civilians in Gaza as being targets. And the targeting continues.
UN official says Israel responsible for breaking truce with Gaza
IAF uses new US-supplied smart bomb The Israel Air Force used a new bunker-buster missile that it received recently from the United States in strikes against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, The Jerusalem Post learned on Sunday.
Pelosi US must stand strongly with Israel Pelosi should speak for herself.
An Israeli War Crimes Tribunal (ICTI) May be the Only Deterrent to a Global War The establishment of ICTI would provide some small degree of justice to the victims of Israeli war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against the Peoples of Lebanon and Palestine--just as the ICTY has done in the Balkans
Obama Adviser Aligns with White House in Criticism of Rocket Attacks on Israel Before running for president, he provoked suspicion among Israelis and some US Jewish groups when he expressed sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians. But after winning the Democratic nomination earlier this year he veered in the other direction, voicing strong support for Israel in a speech in Washington to the Israeli lobby group Aipac.
Next EU president supports Israeli op The Czech Republic, which takes over the European Union's presidency on January 1, defended Israel's strikes against Hamas on Tuesday.
Neocons, NYT Demand More War, Torture - by Philip Giraldi It is astonishing that the New York Times would even print a piece advocating torture, but the article is just one more indication of the access that the neocons have to the nation's editorial pages.
Lights Out in Gaza, News Blackout in US Despite international outcry over escalating violence, the U.S. mainstream media continues to privilege a prepackaged narrative in which Israel's actions are never disproportionate, never counterproductive and certainly never gratuitous
Leaders Lie, Civilians Die, and Lessons of History are Ignored by Robert Fisk Ever since 1948, we've been hearing this balderdash from the Israelis - just as Arab nationalists and then Arab Islamists have been peddling their own lies: that the Zionist "death wagon" will be overthrown, that all Jerusalem will be "liberated". And always Mr Bush Snr or Mr Clinton or Mr Bush Jnr or Mr Blair or Mr Brown have called upon both sides to exercise "restraint" - as if the Palestinians and the Israelis both have F-18s and Merkava tanks and field artillery.
Israeli intensifies PR campaign to gain int'l sympathy for Gaza operation On Sunday, Livni and other officials gave interviews in English and Arabic to various international news stations.
Ex-U.S. Army engineer Kadish pleads guilty to spying for Israel An 85-year-old former U.S. Army engineer on Tuesday admitted he passed classified documents to the Israelis in the 1970s and 1980s. Kadish said he believes he was promised that the government will not seek imprisonment at his February sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Iris Lan said prosecutors promised only that they would not oppose or challenge a sentence that included no prison time.
Turkey ends Israel-Syria peace effort over Gaza Turkey said on Monday it was ending efforts to organise peace talks between Israel and Syria because of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Gaza Day Two The Israeli analyst Daniel Levy reminds us why we shouldn?t be indifferent to Israel?s air attacks (with American weapons) on defenseless Palestinians in Gaza.
Hezbollah watches for now as Israel hits Hamas
Schooling Scarborough Guest Zbigniew Brzezinski skewers Joe Scarborough's "stunningly superficial knowledge" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in this remarkable clip
George Washington's warnings and U.S. policy towards Israel Americans shouldn't be in the position of endlessly debating Israel's security situation and its endless religious and territorial conflicts with its neighbors. That should be for Israeli citizens to do, not for Americans. But that distinction -- between the U.S. and Israel -- barely exists because our political leaders have all but eliminated it, and have thus imposed on U.S. citizens responsibility for the acts of Israel. In doing so, they have systematically ignored the unbelievably prescient warnings issued by George Washington in his 1796 Farewell Address, and have thereby provoked exactly the dangers he decried Against the insidious wiles... I conjure you to believe me fellow citizens..
When Make Believe Makes Us Believe That rhetorical bet of last July is now being called, before the president-elect has even sat at the table in earnest, as sanction for a gruesomely disproportionate military response leveled upon an all but powerless adversary.
White House Presser Live From Crawford ?Let?s be careful about how we are assessing the numbers coming out of Gaza? ? White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe in response to press question regarding Palestinian civilian casualties in the Israeli bombardment.
A spy goes to work for a thinktank the Middle East Forum has hired Steve Rosen, once the head of policy development for the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Rosen is accused of stealing highly classified information from the U.S. government and passing it on to Israeli government officials.
World Rallies Around Palestinians Amid Gaza Offensive
Iranian official Israeli offensive in Gaza similar to Hitler's actions A senior Iranian Parliament member compared the Israel Air Force strikes in the Gaza Strip to Adolf Hitler's actions during World War II.
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