A Stand For Justice
Report: Israel Police shot Palestinian instead of arresting him
A motorist from East Jerusalem who ran over and wounded several Border Police officers Friday was shot twice in the face from close range while still lying on the ground, eyewitnesses said. Neighborhood witnesses said the fatal shots were fired once the officers no longer had reason to fear that their lives were in danger, and could have easily arrested the suspect.
ICRC says Israel's Gaza blockade breaks law
Israel's blockade of Gaza is a clear violation of international humanitarian law, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said.
Uzi Dayan: Israel Must Announce Turkish Warships Casus Beli
Israel must send Turkey a clear message that if Turkish warships are sent to accompany the next flotilla trying to break the embargo on Gaza, these will be considered acts of war by Israel , Uzi Dayan, former deputy Chief of General Staff, told Army Radio Monday morning.
Amnesty International Criticizes the Israel Gaza Commission over Transparency and Accountability
Any information considered "almost certain to cause substantial harm" to Israel's national security or foreign relations, by the Commission chair can be withheld from the international observers. The Commission may also choose to censor their report on similar grounds, after consulting with what is vaguely termed 'the authorized bodies'. Read that again.
UN seeks international Gaza flotilla probe, despite internal Israeli inquiry
Undeterred by the government's decision yesterday to establish an independent public committee into the raid against the Gaza-bound flotilla, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is moving forward with plans to form an internationally sanctioned investigative forum to probe the deadly events.
UN calls for Israel to change policy in Gaza Strip (Roundup)
'The closure and blockade of the Gaza Strip needs to come to an end,' he said. 'There is now a welcome international consensus on Gaza.'
B'Tselem's Annual Report 2009-2010: Easing of movement along with continuation of the Gaza siege and the settlement enterprise
From 19 January 2009 to 30 April 2010, Israeli security forces killed 83 Palestinians, 20 of them minors, not including the Palestinians killed during Operation Cast Lead. Of that number, 31 of the Palestinians killed, some thirty-seven percent, were not taking part in hostilities
Abbas: Israeli probe plan no good
Israel's planned internal investigation into the Gaza flotilla raid falls short of UN Security Council demands, said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday.
Israeli cabinet approves internal inquiry into Gaza flotilla raid
The White House has given its approval for the Israeli formula, which was devised after calls for an independent international inquiry were rejected.....The foreign observers are the former Northern Ireland first minister David Trimble and a Canadian judge, Ken Watkin. They will have no voting rights. Trimble was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for helping to bring about the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, but critics say his impartiality is compromised by his membership of the new Friends of Israel project.
Palestinians welcome Turkey involvement in Gaza, Fayyad says
"The Palestinian Authority welcomes any mediation that would lift the siege off Gaza," Fayyad told reporters, saying that alleviating the Strip's condition was "a general Palestinian interest, and doesn't strengthen this or that faction."
Abbas tells U.S. Jews: I would never deny Jewish right to the land of Israel
Later on Wednesday, Abbas told Charlie Rose in an interview on PBS that Israel must agree to ceding East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital as a necessary precondition for any peace settlement. "East Jerusalem is occupied territory. The entire world recognizes that including the United States of America," Abbas told Rose. "We cannot accept any solution that excludes East Jerusalem."
Following B'Tselem's action, prosecution of soldier appears likely on charges of killing Majda and Riyeh Abu Hajaj while they carried white flags during Operation Cast Lead
Riyeh and Majda Abu Hajaj were shot after they obeyed soldiers' calls to leave their house and were walking in a group of civilians who were carrying white flags.
US lawmakers blast 'disgraceful' Turkey over Iran, Israel
US lawmakers slammed "disgraceful" Turkey on Wednesday over its ties to Iran and charged Ankara had the "blood" of nine Turks killed in an Israeli raid on a Gaza–bound aid ship on its hands.
Capitol Hill = Israeli-occupied territory.
US expects 'prompt' inquiry of Gaza flotilla raid
Ordinary Gazans hurt most by 3-year blockade
Even if the blockade were to be lifted soon – as many demanded after last week's deadly Israeli raid on a blockade–busting flotilla – recovery could take years. Production lines have fallen into disrepair. Entrepreneurs have moved investments abroad. Men forced into idleness have lost their place in society. ...."It's my feeling that Israel wants to create terrorists," said Alam Hamada, 31, a member of the once powerful family. "Imagine you ... lose everything you have, your income, your car, all that you hold dear, you'll be a different person."
Israel under fire after unveiling Gaza inquiry panel
The Turkish foreign ministry later said in a statement that Ankara "strongly condemns" Israel's failure to respond to a proposal by UN chief Ban Ki–moon to set up a commission made up of "one Turkish, one Israeli and three international experts."
Well what did you expect, this is Israel we are talking about.
Israel: UN to take seized flotilla goods to Gaza
The International Committee of the Red Cross has joined a chorus of demands to lift the blockade, saying Monday that the blockade constitutes "collective punishment" in violation of international law. Although the Red Cross has repeatedly condemned the blockade, it was the first time it has explicitly declared the embargo illegal.
Israel Threatens War if Turkish PM Tries to Deliver Gaza Aid
Israeli Army commander and top Likud member Uzi Dayan today warned on Israeli Army Radio that Israel would consider any attempt by the Turkish military to protect future aid ships from attack an “act of war.”
Ireland expels Israeli over forged passports
Ireland announced Tuesday it's expelling an Israeli embassy official in punishment for the alleged Mossad use of forged Irish passports to assassinate a top Hamas militant in Dubai, further damaging strained Irish–Israeli relations.
Hamas rejects Israel-approved snack foods for Gaza
"Gaza does not need soft drinks, soda and fruit salad. Gaza needs raw materials, cement, and spare parts for the local factories," al–Zaza said. "We have local factories that can make soda and soft drinks. If the border opens, Gaza's factories can export fruit salads and potato chips to the entire region."
Arab League chief Amr Moussa in first visit to Gaza
The Head of the Arab League is visiting the Gaza Strip, the first senior Arab official to do so since the Islamist militant group Hamas took over in 2007.
Turkey: We'll review Israel ties unless international Gaza flotilla probe held
The foreign minister was responding to Israel's announcement Monday that it was setting up its own inquiry, which will include two international observers
Saudi Arabia Gives Israel Clear Skies to Attack Iranian Nuclear Sites
“The Saudis have given their permission for the Israelis to pass over and they will look the other way,” said a US defence source in the area. “They have already done tests to make sure their own jets aren’t scrambled and no one gets shot down. This has all been done with the agreement of the [US] State Department.”
Gulf states not to back attack against Iran
Riad Kahwaji, General Director of the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, said the "[Times] report, in my opinion, is part of the psychological warfare between Iran and the US, because there is no need for Saudi-Israeli cooperation to allow the Jewish state to attack Iran." Well which is it?
Ahmadinejad: Israel, U.S. trying to sabotage Iran's relations with Saudi Arabia
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday charged Israel and the United States of trying to sabotage relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, a day after Riyadh denied a report in the Times claiming it had agreed to allow Israel to use its airspace to attack Iran.
Possible Western Pennsylvania Link to Israeli Nukes Boosted
A recently declassified federal report bolsters a long-simmering Cold War theory that uranium was illegally shipped from an Armstrong County plant in 1965 to Israel to support its nuclear arms efforts.
Apartheid-era minister carried 'nuclear trigger' in hand luggage to South Africa
An apartheid-era cabinet minister carried a "nuclear trigger" to South Africa from Israel as part of Pretoria's efforts to build an atom bomb, according to a report in a Johannesburg newspaper.
EXCLUSIVE: New Video Smuggled Out From Mavi Marmara of Israel’s Deadly Assault on Gaza Aid Flotilla
Israeli Document: Gaza Blockade Isn't About Security
As Israel ordered a slight easing of its blockade of the Gaza Strip Wednesday, McClatchy obtained an Israeli government document that describes the blockade not as a security measure but as "economic warfare" against the Islamist group Hamas, which rules the Palestinian territory.
White Phosphorus burns on a Palestinian boy reported by The Guardian
Ray McGovern on Israel's Terrorism Non-ZioNews
McGovern, former CIA analyst, describes some of Israel's crimes against Americans such as those aboard the USS Liberty.
Phantom Iranian Ship sails for Gaza
that's what makes the reports of a "phantom" Iranian ship headed for Gaza so unsettling, because it could be used as a justification for another war.
UN: Israel dismantles some West Bank checkpoints
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. humanitarian affairs office in Jerusalem, says Israel has removed 121 checkpoints, easing Palestinian movement between villages and towns, but 505 checkpoints and dozens of road obstacles still hinder travel....Lazzarini said Wednesday that Israeli officials were also limiting Palestinian access to lands in the Jordan River valley and to farmlands cut off by Israel's separation barrier that juts into parts of the West Bank.
UC Irvine suspends Muslim group over disruption
The University of California, Irvine, has suspended a Muslim student group for at least a year because of a protest that disrupted a talk by Israel's ambassador and led to the arrests of 11 students.
Abbas to Obama: I'm against lifting the Gaza naval blockade
Abbas told Obama that actions easing the blockage should be done with care and undertaken gradually so it will not be construed as a victory for Hamas.
Rep. Peter King to introduce resolution defending Israel
he will send a “Dear Colleague” letter out on Monday, calling on all House members to join in a resolution that will be introduced in the next few days. The resolution will include “many paragraphs on Israel’s right to defend itself,” take issue with the critics of Israel, call for the U.S. to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council, and demand that the administration oppose any UN investigation of Israel.
U.S. sources: Turkey vote against Iran sanctions - a slap in the face
Israel and the United States on Wednesday hailed a UN Security Council vote to impose a fourth round of sanctions on a defiant Iran, which immediately vowed to continue with its nuclear program. Turkey and Brazil were the only votes against the sanctions, while Lebanon abstained.
Israel's Barak calls off Paris visit amid threats
Israel's defense minister is canceling a planned visit to Paris amid threats by pro–Palestinian groups to have him arrested there.
U.S. targets bank, shipping in new Iran sanctions
U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman said he expects Congress to finish shortly legislation tightening U.S. sanctions on Iran that will include provisions affecting the supply of refined petroleum products to Tehran, and add to sanctions on its financial sector. What would Israel do without its agents in Congress?
Iran warns Israel of retaliation if its Gaza-bound aid ship is attacked
Democrats demand flotilla "terrorists" be denied entry into U.S.
Congress needs a reboot at this point. Its incessantly doing the bidding of Israel to the detriment of American taxpayers.
Israel plans to send bill to Palestinians over boycotts
The Land of Israel, a right–wing parliamentary lobby group committed to Jewish settlement of the West Bank, submitted the bill with the support of 25 politicians from right wing and centrist parties. If approved, it could theoretically force the Palestinian Authority (PA) to pay thousands of dollars in compensation to Jewish businesses affected by the Fayyad–led boycott campaign, a scenario that would likely spark furious reaction from Palestinians.
Israeli Nuclear Missile Boats Off Iranian Coast
Israel apologizes for sending link to flotilla parody
The video, which promptly went viral, has stirred up further outrage about the fallout from the raid, with some calling for the video's apparent creator, a Jerusalem Post columnist, to be fired for spoofing the circumstances of an attack claiming nine fatalities.
'First It Was Piracy, and Then It Was Kidnapping'
Mankell: I think there were 24, including the crew. The Israeli soldiers were wearing masks, and they told us to go below deck. Some of us were somewhat older, and we weren't moving fast enough for the Israelis, so the soldiers used electroshock weapons to speed us up. It was horrible. People were falling down. They shot rubber bullets at a man who was standing next to me. The soldiers were prepared to use violence on us from the beginning. And all of this in international waters. They had no legal basis for coming on board.....I attended the Palestinian Festival of Literature in Hebron last year. I was scheduled to speak at the opening event in the Palestinian National Theater in Jerusalem. We were about to begin when the door opened and the Israeli military disrupted the event. I asked them what the reason was, and I was told that I was a security risk. I, an author, I said? I told them I was there to talk about culture. There will be no discussion, they replied, and the event was over. Israel is not an open society -- it just pretends to be. The people are treated just like back then in South Africa.
Reading Washington’s Linkage Map
If the post-9/11 presence of hundreds of thousands of American troops in the Middle East initially seemed to Israelis to be a blessing, it has now emerged as a serious challenge for Jerusalem.
British survivor of Gaza flotilla raid 'Israelis ignored SOS calls'
British firm cuts ties with Israeli company
British company RedRat announced to Israeli company Disk-In Pro that despite years of cooperation, it would no longer work with the Israeli company because of Israel's policy in the Gaza Strip.
Alleged Mossad spy arrested in hit-squad case
An alleged Mossad spy from Israel wanted in connection with the hit-squad slaying of a Hamas agent in Dubai has been arrested in Poland, officials said Saturday.
Israel Overcomes Tough Turkish Defense 9-0 by Philip Giraldi
Last week’s declaration by Representative Brad Sherman that he would be asking the Attorney General to prosecute as terrorism supporters any and all Americans who participated in the Gaza flotilla should come as no surprise to those of us who have spent years watching congress line up to genuflect to Israel.
More Spin from Israel by Philip Giraldi
The Israelis expected to lead the vessels into port like sheep, but to their surprise some of the sheep resisted. .....What were soldiers doing attacking a vessel in the middle of the night in international waters in the first place?....Washington’s backing of Israel in what surely must be viewed as a massacre will further erode any support from Islamic countries for US policies and will serve as a recruiting tool for groups like al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Even if one is not a fan of US empire and the current crop of pointless wars, it is heartbreaking to have to witness an increasing number of young Americans delivered up as cannon fodder in a growing confrontation with a Muslim world that is angry with Israel and taking revenge by attacking the United States.
The Sieges of Gaza
four years, many rockets and a war later, with Shalit still in prison, it has become clear that the continuing punishment of Gaza’s people by Israel has, if anything, strengthened Hamas, and intensified the bitterness toward Israel of Gaza’s population. In short, the siege in its current form is not working. It has neither weakened Hamas nor liberated Shalit. And, because its immediate target is a civilian population, it must be defined as a form of collective punishment.
Rep. Frank Compares Israel’s Gaza Blockade to U.S. Sanctions Against Apartheid
Israel’s blockade of Gaza is comparable to sanctions levied by the United States Congress against the apartheid regime of South Africa in 1986, Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank told the Forward in an interview June 3. Barney Frank is a deluded man. If there were sanctions currently against THE STATE OF ISRAEL, THEN maybe he'd have the analogy correct. What a pandering buffoon.
American Jewish Student Loses Eye During West Bank Protest of Israel
“It is becoming increasingly common for soldiers and policemen to use riot control devices as weapons,” said Michael Sfard, a Tel Aviv attorney who is representing Henochowitz. Since April 2009, this is the third time Sfard has represented protesters hurt by the firing of tear gas.The first protester was a Palestinian, Bassam Abu Rahma, who was killed by a direct hit in Bilin. The other was Tristan Anderson, an American citizen who returned to the United States early this month after spending more than a year in an Israeli hospital, where he was treated for critical wounds he suffered from a tear gas canister. Both of these cases are still under investigation.
Israel Tries To Walk a Fine Line In Examination Of Flotilla Raid
Israel was aided in this effort by the Obama administration’s work among United Nations Security Council members that led to an ambiguous statement calling only for a “prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards.” America stands in the way of justice again, to appease the Israeli lobby.
Israel and the U.S. ruling on war crimes
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, not all former foreign officials living in the United States can claim immunity from prosecution in U.S. Courts. Its decision could have an immediate impact on Israelis.
The Boycott Divestment Sanctions Movement
The immediate aftermath of the flotilla attack saw a surge in BDS activity across Europe. Most notably, Britain's largest union, UNITE, passed a motion to "vigorously promote a policy of divestment from Israeli companies," along with a boycott of Israeli goods and services. At the same time, the Swedish Port Workers Union announced it would refuse to load or unload any ships coming to or from Israel for nine days, to protest the flotilla raid....."On campuses and in communities across the United States, people are sending a clear message that if the US government won't hold Israel accountable for violations of Palestinian human rights, then civil society will step up and do the job." Beautiful.
Israel adds Turkish organizers of Gaza flotilla to terror watch list
Congress soon to follow.
On Israel, Congress Still Obedient
As Senator Chuck Schumer said the other day, the blockade is designed to "strangle them [the Palestinians in Gaza] economically." He also said that doing so "makes sense." Note the long list of quotes from US Congressmen with regard to the flotilla incident.
Partner in flotilla ‘farce’
While governments around the world denounced the Israeli attack and Turkey decried it as an act of “state terrorism,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper cheerfully followed through with a planned meeting the next day with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Canada has its own version of AIPAC, Israel's main US lobby, successfully dictating government and media policy.
Poll: 65% of Jewish Israelis say U.S. Jews should criticize Obama's Mideast policy
Arab nations cheer Turkey for tough Israel stand
Arab nations burst into applause Thursday as Turkey's prime minister walked to the podium at a summit, reflecting Turkey's meteoric rise on the world stage amid disputes over Israel's blockade of Gaza and U.N. sanctions against Iran.
Dubai: We won't seek extradition of suspected Mossad agent held in Poland
The Israeli citizen arrested in Poland, using the name Uri Brodsky, is suspected of working for Mossad in Germany and helping to issue a fake German passport to a member of the Mossad operation that allegedly killed Hamas agent Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai in January, a spokesman for the German federal prosecutor's office told The Associated Press.
Wife of former Lebanese general plans to send aid ship to Gaza
The wife of a former Lebanese general said Tuesday that she will send an aid ship from Lebanon to Gaza in the coming days, despite warnings by Israel not to enter its waters.
Israeli Request for More Arms from US Raises Fears of Regional Violence
U.S. denies pushing for Gaza flotilla probe at UN
According to a report by The Weekly Standard, an American journal, senior White House officials had told foreign governments that U.S President Barack Obama's administration would back a UN push for an independent committee to probe the Gaza raid. The Weekly Standard is a neocon rag.
'Arrest me, I'm a terrorist'
'Arrest me, I'm a terrorist'
Published Friday 11/06/2010 (updated) 11/06/2010 21:06
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Bethlehem - Ma'an - Responding to US Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) call for the arrest and prosecution of "any US citizens who were aboard or involved with the Freedom Flotilla," several American activists "turned themselves in" Thursday - at Sherman's office.
"Arrest me, I'm a terrorist," said one of the activists, several of whom were affiliated with the Free Gaza Movement, Gaza Freedom March, Code Pink, and Freedom Flotilla, when the group arrived at Rep. Sherman's Capitol Hill office to make themselves available for arrest.
Tag Turkish aid group as terrorist, groups ask State Dept.
American Jewish groups are calling on the State Department to designate a Turkish relief group, a main organizer of last month's Gaza flotilla, as a terrorist organization.....The ADL also has written to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urging his department to add IHH to its lists of terror-sponsoring organizations, which triggers restrictions on business and banking transactions with Americans. Put these pro-Israeli groups on the list instead.
Israel vs Iran: The Risk of War
Arab states: Israel nuclear danger reinforced by its aggression
Iran is seen by Western nations as an NPT renegade and bomb risk for hiding sensitive nuclear activity. They say Israel is not comparable because it is not in the NPT while Iran is. Many developing nations say that this is precisely the problem.
China reverses stance with Iran sanctions support
Israel may have also played a role in persuading China to back harsher sanctions against Iran, according to Israeli officials. In recent weeks, three Israeli delegations have gone to China, and all discussed the Iranian nuclear program, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks were secret.
Obama Goes with Neocon Flow on Iran
Just as the neocons and Israel wanted “regime change” in Iraq, they have long hungered for “regime change” in Iran, too. A favorite neocon joke at the time of the Iraq War was to speculate on which direction to go next, to Syria or Iran, with the punch-line, “Real men to go Tehran!”
Writer Takes Controversial Look at Israel-South Africa Ties
“The Unspoken Alliance: Israel’s Secret Relationship With Apartheid South Africa,” examines Israel’s role as apartheid-era South Africa’s leading military supplier, and its willingness to aid the rogue regime’s nuclear arms effort. Now, at a time when Israel itself is criticized for imposing apartheid, or something akin to it, in the occupied West Bank, the book argues that part of Israel’s political establishment felt an ideological kinship with their South African counterparts that went beyond realpolitik.
Against the Insidious Wiles Rep. Peter King (NY) - Supreme Shill for Israel
Just exactly who does Representative King represent here?
Turkey calls charges turning from West 'dirty propaganda'
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday the European Union's refusal to offer Turkey a swift accession process has partly caused Ankara's foreign policy shift and the deterioration in its relations with Israel. .....Doubts among Western countries about Turkey's shifting foreign policy began in 2009 when Erdogan strongly criticised Israel for its deadly military campaign in Gaza.
YouTube - Arrest me, I'm a terrorist
They turned themselves in on account they were deemed 'terrorists' by Brad Sherman. A very good news report.
Cashiering Helen Thomas by Ralph Nader
In an internet poll by the Washington Post, 92% of respondents said she should not be removed from the White House press room. As an NPR listener, R. Carey, e-mailed: "D.C. would be void of journalists if they all were to quit, get fired or retire after making potentially offensive comments."
Bloody Sunday, Bloody Monday
Democratic Party Defends Israeli Attack
To rationalize what virtually the entire international legal community recognizes as an act of war, congressional Democrats have engaged in a series of falsifications and radical reinterpretations of international law A disgraceful commentary on just how far up Israel's arse Congress really is.
Israel and the Limits of Toughness
the blockade isn't really about arms. It's an ABCD attempt to make life so unpleasant for average Gazans that they turn against Hamas. Of course, the exact opposite is happening: Hamas has turned the blockade against Israel.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Headlines for June 3 - June 9
A Stand For Justice
Remembering the USS Liberty
Congress never formally investigated the attack and to this day, bitterness lingers among the survivors of the only ship in U.S. naval history that was ever deliberately attacked by an ally. No one at any level — Israeli or American — was ever held accountable for what happened to the USS Liberty.
Death toll rises to 6 after Israeli navy shoots Palestinian divers off Gaza
On Monday, the Israeli navy fired on a group of Palestinians in wet suits who the Israeli military alleged were en route to carry out an attack inside Israel.
Four Palestinians slain off Gaza coast
Fatah's armed wing the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades said the men were members who were training in blockaded Gaza's waters when an Israeli naval force spotted them and opened fire.
June 8th, Anniversary of Israeli Attack on the USS Liberty Veterans Today
“I have never believed that the attack on the USS Liberty was a case of mistaken identity,” Admiral Moorer has said. “What is so chilling and cold-blooded, of course, is that they [the Israelis] could kill as many Americans as they did in confidence that Washington would cooperate in quelling any public outcry. I have to conclude that it was Israel’s intent to sink the Liberty and leave as few survivors as possible.”
June 8 1967 - Honor those aboard the USS Liberty
Find out the truth (from the survivors) and most importantly, HONOR THEIR HEROISM, for it was their sheer bravery that prevented Israel from sinking that ship and killing ALL ABOARD.
43rd Anniversary of Israel’s Attack on USS Liberty
It is naive to think that the Obama team would give a damn about getting the truth out about last week’s Israeli attack on the humanitarian relief ship, considering how the U.S. government has vigilantly covered up the IDF killing of 34 American sailors.
Israeli opens fire on two Palestinian stone-throwers in West Bank
Just over two weeks ago, Palestinian sources accused settlers of opening fire and killing a Palestinian teenager who was throwing rocks at Israeli cars near the West Bank city of Ramallah
Autopsy shows Gaza activists were hit 30 times: report
The autopsy results showed that a 60–year–old man, Ibrahim Bilgen, was shot four times in the temple, chest, hip and back, the Guardian said.
A 19–year–old, named as Fulkan Dogan, who also has U.S. citizenship, was shot five times from less than 45 cm (18 inches) away, in the face, the back of the head, twice in the leg and once in the back, it said.
Two other men were shot four times. Five of those killed were shot either in the back of the head or in the back, the Guardian quoted Buyuk as saying.
Self defense, huh?
Turkey Mourns Dead as Controversy Rages; American Teenager Among Slain
the Foreign Press Association complained Thursday that the Israeli military had seized journalists' videos and was selectively using footage to bolster its claims that commandos opened fire only after being attacked.....Kevin Ovenden of Britain said a man who had pointed a camera at the soldiers was shot dead through the forehead.
American, 19, Among Gaza Flotilla Dead
A U.S. citizen who lived in Turkey is among the nine people killed when Israeli commandos stormed a Turkish aid ship heading for the Gaza Strip, officials said today. The victim was identified as Furkan Dogan, 19, a Turkish-American. A forensic report said he was shot at close range, with four bullets in his head and one in his chest, according to the Anatolian news agency.
Israel boards Gaza aid ship as blockade criticized
The U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, said the embargo, which had blighted the lives of Gaza's 1.5 million people, was illegal. "International humanitarian law prohibits starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and ... it is also prohibited to impose collective punishment on civilians," she said.
The Flotilla Raid Was Not “Bungled.” The IDF Detailed Its Violent Strategy In Advance.
The elite Israeli commando unit known as Unit 13 was tasked with carrying out the mission and its role was known by the Israeli public well before the raid took place. Details of the plan show that the use of deadly force was authorized and calculated. The massacre of activists should not have been unexpected.
US wants Israeli inquiry after protester loses eye
The United States has asked Israel to investigate the incident in which an American woman lost an eye after Israeli forces shot her with a tear gas canister during a pro–Palestinian protest in Jerusalem, a U.S. embassy spokesman said Monday.
Beatings, Abuse, Doctored Evidence Emerge
Israeli authorities denied other media access to the imprisoned journalists and activists during the entire period they were incarcerated. Reporters were also prevented from speaking to the FG activists when they were deported from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International airport.
UN chief moving ahead with probe of Israeli raid
A Foreign Ministry official says Ban wants former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer to head the panel, which would include Israeli, Turkish and U.S. representatives. All nine people killed in last week's raid were Turks.
Report: Israel to ease Gaza blockade in exchange for watered-down probe
Israel is prepared to accept a British plan to ease its blockade of Gaza in exchange for international acceptance of a watered-down investigation into last week's deadly raid on a Turkish ship that was headed for the Hamas-ruled territory, the Telegraph reported Wednesday.
Israel rejects UN proposal for joint Gaza flotilla probe with U.S. and Turkey
Israel rejected on Sunday a proposal by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for an international investigation into its deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship and said it had the right to launch its own inquiry.
Israel Navy reserves officers: Allow external Gaza flotilla probe
"We disagree with the widespread claims that this was the result of an intelligence rift," said the officers. "In addition, we do not accept claims that this was a 'public relations failure' and we think that the plan was doomed to failure from the beginning."
Israel set to accept 'quid pro quo' Gaza deal: report
On the blockade, the Daily Telegraph said Israel has been asked to ease access into Gaza at crossings and allow the UN to convey material needed to rebuild 60,000 homes destroyed or damaged in the 2008–09 Gaza war.
Turkey honors slain activists, including US teen
President Abdullah Gul said Israel committed "one of the biggest mistakes ever in its history."
Israel rejects international inquiry into lethal raid
Israel rejected Sunday a proposal by U.N. Secretary–General Ban ki–Moon for an international investigation into its deadly raid on a Gaza–bound aid ship and said it had the right to launch its own inquiry.
British survivor of Gaza flotilla raid: 'Israelis ignored SOS calls'
Ecuador recalls envoy; Chavez: Israel a murderer
Chavez slammed the American response to the events, which he said was too gentle. "The Obama administration condemns terror, as long as it's not committed by the US or Israel," he said
Egypt: Gaza blockade a failure, border stays open
Under the restrictions at the Rafah crossing point, Egypt is letting in some humanitarian aid but will not transfer large cargo shipments or construction material because the terminal is designed primarily as a crossing for travelers, said the Egyptian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Obama: Let Israel probe Gaza flotilla raid with U.S. observer
A senior U.S. official delivered an American proposal to the two senior Israeli advisers, which would both assuage the international community and also would not be too hard a blow for Israel's wish to undertake its own investigation without massive foreign involvement. Ridiculous. We need to stop abetting Israel as it plunders and pillages whenever and wherever it wants.
Livni: Keep world from investigating IDF soldiers
"The whole world is busy seeing who'll set up the most committees. Today the government has a mission: To leave the world outside the gates, and the IDF outside the international investigation. I don't want to see the world investigating IDF soldiers."
Activists expelled as Israel resists Gaza inquiry pressure
"The humanitarian situation in Gaza is both unacceptable and unsustainable," International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said in London.
Israel rejects international investigation of raid
Israel has refused to cooperate with previous international probes, most recently the U.N. investigation into Israel's 2009 war in the Gaza Strip that concluded that both the Israelis and Hamas militants, who control Gaza, committed war crimes.
Obama calls situation in Gaza "unsustainable"
President Barack Obama urged Israel on Wednesday to help ease restrictions on humanitarian aid and civilian goods for Gaza after a deadly flotilla raid, saying the situation in the blockaded coastal strip was unsustainable.
Putin condemns Israeli raid on Gaza-bound ship
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Tuesday "we condemn this act," and expressed concern that it was conducted in international waters. He was speaking at a news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Texas senator defends Israel over killing of US activist
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) believes the pro-Palestinian activists who were killed in a clash with the Israeli military had provoked the confrontation. Cornyn= traitor.
Israel and Obama Hail UN Sanctions as Defiant Iran Vows to Keep Enriching Uranium
Turkey calls on Israel to accept probe into raid
"If there is hatred, it is Israel's hatred. If there is terror, it is Israel's state terrorism," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a news conference with Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Doubts Grow Over Israel's Value as U.S. Ally
"It is time Israel realised that it has obligations to the United States, as well as the United States to Israel, and that it (has to) become far more careful about the extent to which it test(s) the limits of U.S. patience and exploits the support of Americans Jews," he went on, noting the Israeli government "should be sensitive to the fact that its actions directly affect U.S. strategic interests in the Arab and Muslim worlds..."....."When someone as balanced and centrist as Tony Cordesman begins to worry about the extent to which Israel is making itself into a strategic burden for the United States, Israel should pause for some self-reflection," Freeman told IPS.......on the eve of Obama's inauguration, the influential National Journal ran a symposium on the question: "Is Israel a Strategic Liability for the United States?" in which a surprising number of respected national security analysts answered in the affirmative.
Israel asked U.S. to increase weapons supply, Haaretz learns
Israel recently approached the United States with new requests for security-related purchases, Haaretz has learned. The requests included Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM ) bombs for the Israel Air Force, as well as a significant expansion of the emergency stores held by the U.S. army in Israel.
Lift the Siege of Gaza by Patrick J. Buchanan
that 2 a.m. boarding of an unarmed ship with an unarmed crew, carrying no munitions or weapons, 65 miles at sea, was an act of piracy. What the Israeli commandos got is what any armed hijacker should expect who tries to steal a car from a driver who keeps a tire iron under the front seat. God love ya, Patrick J. - ye speak the truth.
Obama: Israeli raid on aid flotilla was 'tragic'
President Barack Obama said Thursday that the deadly Israeli raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip was "tragic", but he stopped short of condemning the actions of Israeli forces.
Iran Revolutionary Guards ready to escort Gaza ships
'Israel may have ordered Kurdish terror attack'
Turkish authorities are accusing Israel of "ordering" a terror attack carried out by Kurdish rebels on the same day the Israeli Navy raided a Turkish-owned Gaza-bound ship last week in revenge for Ankara's involvement in the incident, Turkish newspaper Zaman reported Sunday.
1967 USS Liberty survivor was onboard flotilla ship
Meadors expects an investigation will show that Israel violated international law and should be held accountable for its actions. He holds the same hope for the USS Liberty case, which has yet to be settled.
“We filed a war crimes report with the Department of Defense in 2005. They claim they already investigated the allegation we made, but they can’t show us where they have,” said Meadors.
Meadors said that Israel was the aggressor in the flotilla attack and that the only story being portrayed is Israel’s version, because the Israeli forces confiscated all video and recording equipment from the flotilla passengers.
More Spin from Israel by Philip Giraldi
The flotilla, consisting of nationals from as many as twenty countries, was unarmed and carrying relief supplies that had been carefully inspected by the Turkish authorities. It was in international waters when it was attacked. More than 600 passengers and crew, apart from those who were killed, were subsequently arrested by Israel for refusing to identify themselves. If all that is correct, then Tel Aviv is guilty of piracy, kidnapping, and murder while the armed attack on a Turkish flagged vessel might be construed as inviting a military response from NATO. One of the vessels bore an American flag and there were at least eight US citizens on board, including a former ambassador and a USS Liberty survivor, suggesting that a strong reaction from Washington would not be inappropriate........US congressmen are already lining up to support the Israeli action and the State Department is silent about the American student who had her eye shot out by Israeli border policemen while demonstrating peacefully against the attack on the flotilla
Millions forced to wait for food stamps benefits
Americans literally go hungry as we continue to shovel billions of our taxpayer dollars to Israel - which then uses it to starve and imprison a million plus people, and take their land.
The Strategic Ally Myth by Philip Giraldi
Zuckerman’s latest contribution to international harmony is a lengthy piece in the US News & World Report entitled “Israel Is a Key Ally and Deserves US Support.” It is a propaganda piece that promotes one of the most persistent fictions put out by the mainstream media, that the relationship with Israel somehow benefits the United States.
In Vino Veritas by Philip Giraldi
Ed Peck was one of the eleven Americans who were on board the Gaza flotilla that was attacked by Israeli commandos earlier this week. Peck is eighty-one years old, a former paratrooper (US), ambassador, and worked in the Reagan White House. He is also Jewish. He was deported from Israel after being arrested for something or other as a participant in the attempt to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Politicians from Both Parties Rally Behind Israel Following Raid
America is another Israeli occupied territory.
Palestinian girl holding national flag stands
A Palestinian girl holding a national flag stands near the border line with Israel, background, during a weekly protest march against Israel, in Beit Hanoun
Turkish Premier: "Israel Tries To Justify Itself By Exploiting Anti-Semitism"
If World Governments Will Not Confront Israel, What Path Should Civil Society Take?
after a 12-hour session Monday, the Security Council issued a tame "presidential statement" condemning what has been described by critics as "high seas piracy and banditry".
The United States, which has traditionally thrown a protective arm around Israel - whether the Jewish state is right or wrong - was primarily responsible for "watering down" the statement and refusing to adopt a formal resolution against Israel.
The fact that the US has aided and abetted Israel's crimes for years is one of the primary reasons that the US is hated both over there and elsewhere. Support for Israel was the primary motive given by the mastermind of 911, Khaled S. Mohammed. Supporting Israel's policies is wrong irrespective of any terrorism against us.
Maine video producer recounts Gaza flotilla ordeal
Hamann said the flotilla was in international waters when it was intercepted by Israeli troops. When they boarded his vessel, Challenger I, they destroyed all video footage and camera memory cards, he said. Read that excerpt again, and the last two paragraphs of the article.
Johann Hari: When hands across the sea are tied
Everyone now knows the Israeli navy committed a machine-gun massacre on a ship in international waters that was carrying humanitarian aid for the blockaded people of Gaza, who Israeli officials joke they have "put on a diet". .... how many people know that the Israeli government is slowly obstructing and silencing the organisations within Israel that are trying to get the country on to a saner and safer path?
Josh Ruebner Justice for All? A Tale of Two Victims Leon Klinghoffer and Furkan Dogan
To determine whether the Pledge of Allegiance's promise of "justice for all" holds true in all circumstances, compare Reagan's aggressive response to the killing of a U.S. citizen on the Mediterranean Sea to the tepid response of the Obama Administration in the same scenario.........The AECA stipulates that weapons provided by the United States can only be used by foreign countries for "internal security" or "legitimate self-defense." Since Israel engaged in act of aggression in international waters, it is self-evident that Israel violated this law.
Pixies call off Israel concert after Gaza raid
The U.S. rock band Pixies has canceled a concert in Tel Aviv this week in the wake of Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza–bound aid flotilla.
The Truth Behind the Israeli Propaganda By Robert Fisk
Propaganda works, you see. We haven't seen a frame of film from the protesters because the Israelis have stolen the lot.
Vatican says world ignores Christians in Mideast
The Vatican said Sunday that the international community is ignoring the plight of Christians in the Middle East, and that the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the war in Iraq and political instability in Lebanon have forced thousands to flee the region.
Turkey halts all state energy and water projects with Israel
Britain's University and College Union passed a motion yesterday that would allow for the reintroduction of a boycott of Israeli academic institutions. The motion, initiated by pro-Palestinian activists, includes not only a recommendation for a boycott but also sanctions and disinvestment from Israel.
Thousands in Europe vent anger at Israel after deadly raid
Angry protestors chanting anti–Israeli slogans and waving Palestinian and Turkish flags took to the streets of Istanbul, London, Dublin and Paris as well as a string of other French cities, following Monday's deadly assault.
This Says It All by Justin Raimondo
In a brazen act of international piracy, the Israelis boarded a ship in international waters and killed an American citizen – so what is the American government going to do about it? The answer is: nothing, zero, nada, zilch.
Turkish group behind flotilla is Gaza's new hero
Its bearded 50–year–old leader has assumed hero status in the impoverished Palestinian territory, where he says his group plans to spend $25 million on housing, medical care and education.
In Defense of Helen Thomas - On Apologizing to Apologists
On Friday she was asked by a guy who stuck a video camera in her face, for any comments on Israel and she said, "Tell them to get the get the hell out of Palestine. Remember, these people [the Palestinians] are occupied and it's their land. It's not Germany, it's not Poland." She was asked where they should go and she answered, "They should go home, to Poland, Germany and America". The video has been making its way around the Internet.
Biden: Israel right to stop Gaza flotilla from breaking blockade
In contrast to the barrage of condemnations all over the globe, many in the U.S. Congress expressed support for Israel.
U.S Congressman Put American Aid Activists in Jail
On a press call hosted by a pro-Israel organization, Rep. Brad Sherman, Democrat of California, told reporters that he intends seek the prosecution of any U.S. citizens who were aboard or involved with the Freedom Flotilla Unreal.
Former UN Assistant Secretary Urges Irish-Americans to Defend the Rachel Corrie
The issue of the Gaza blockade has tremendous resonance in Ireland, partly because of Ireland's high degree of engagement in international humanitarian causes - John Ging, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency in Gaza, who had called on the international community to break the siege by sending ships loaded with aid, is also Irish - but also, of course, because the Irish people have some experience with the consequences for civilians of a colonial blockade.
Surprise!!!! American Jewish Leaders Leap to Defend Israel
So if intruders charge into your house at night, asking you to stay calm while they steal your possessions, you may not fight back, because that could "force" the intruders to defend themselves. The PR arm of the intruders insists they had the right to invade your house, and that you were responsible for all of the mayhem that followed when you resisted. In what court in the world would that argument hold water?
So demonstrates the Orwellian nature of the news we are fed by our pro-Israeli media. Up is down, left is right, black is white.
Max Blumenthal’s Excellent Analysis of the Israeli Attack
The day after the massacre, spontaneous celebrations broke out in Ashdod, Tel Aviv, and throughout the country, bringing together right-wing elements with everyday Israelis. Over a thousand Israelis gathered tonight outside the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv to rally against the Turkish government and express their support for the raid.
White House criticizes Thomas for Israel remarks
Why Is Israel’s Blockade of Gaza Legal? (Updated)
I was just on MSNBC talking about Israel, the Gaza blockade and the flotilla attack with Eliot Spitzer, who was guest-hosting for Dylan Ratigan. It was a rather contentious discussion, though quite illustrative of how Israel is (and is not) typically discussed on American television, so I'm posting the whole 8-minute segment below
Lying About the Gaza Flotilla Disaster
As for the Israeli argument that its soldiers were attacked, that is ridiculous. Israeli commandos were ordered to board a civilian ship in international waters and the government that sent them claims that the resisting passengers attacked them without provocation. This is like a carjacker complaining to the police that the driver bashed him with a crowbar that was under the seat.
STICKS AND STONES ON THE HIGH SEAS
A U.N. fact-finding mission recently concluded that Israel’s blockade of Gaza should be prosecuted as a war crime at the International Criminal Court if it continues through September
Update: Helen Thomas quits after Israel comments
Rabbi David Nesenoff, who interviewed Thomas and published the clip on his RabbiLive.com site, told Yahoo! News that she should lose her job with Hearst Newspapers. "Of course they've got to get rid of her," he said.
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?
Sorry, 'Georgie', I doubt the flotilla passengers were 'pro-Hamas' as claimed here. But otherwise, good article which mentions USS Liberty, Pollard and the Lavon Affair.
21 Miles Off The Coast of Palestine
it is ironic that, although the two events are in many ways completely different, the Israelis are now preventing Palestinians and supporters of Hamas from doing what the Israeli defence organisation - the Haganah - tried to do over 60 years ago. From 1945 the Haganah, along with the Irgun, had been carrying out a terror campaign against British soldiers in Palestine. Then in 1947 they organised the Exodus operation as an attempt to break the British blockade.
Helen Thomas high school speech canceled over flap
A high school graduation speech by veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas has been canceled because of controversial remarks she made about Israel, the school's principal said in an e–mail Sunday.
Helen Thomas Pays for Crossing a Line Others Trample
Getting fired for bigoted words? Somehow that fate has not befallen the cabal of right-wing bloviators who have literally built their careers pushing the propaganda war against Latinos, other people of color, gay people, liberals and anyone else they disagree with.
Reactions to Raid on Flotilla A Rorschach Test for Jews
As the sun rose on the day following the so-called Freedom Flotilla’s attempt to breach the Israeli blockade of Gaza, the American Jewish Committee had already sent out an e-mail blast touting its narrative of the bloody denouement that took place. An hour later came talking points from the Jewish Federations of North America.
A succinct storyline had been established even before all the details of the raid that left nine of the activists dead had become clear.
And the American mainstream meida lapped it up, lock stock and barrel.
Israel on Ballot As Winograd Faces Harman In Hot Primary
“In Marcy Winograd’s foreign policy, Israel would cease to exist. In Marcy Winograd’s vision, Jews would be at the mercy of those who do not respect democracy or human rights,” he wrote. “Jane’s victory will represent a clear repudiation of these views.” Thus is the Orwellian nature of 'Israeli democracy' displayed: one man one vote, rather than the apartheid-like system in place now, is considered anti-democratic.
Most Members of Congress Remain Committed to Israel’s Blockade of Gaza
Statements by Democratic and Republican lawmakers, who heard the news from Gaza during their Memorial Day recess, showed almost wall-to-wall support for the Israeli position and urged the continuation of the blockade. A testament to the power of the Israeli lobby over Congress.
With AIPAC’s Help, Students Invite Oren to Their Colleges
Many of the student government presidents who signed the statement attended AIPAC’s Washington, D.C., policy conference in March, according to the statement organizers. AIPAC press materials claim that the conference drew more than 213 student government presidents.....At the conference, AIPAC’s leadership development director, Jonathan Kessler, described AIPAC’s campus-organizing strategy in a speech, video of which was posted online by JTA. “How are we going to beat back the anti-Israel divestment resolution at Berkeley?” Kessler asked, referring to a University of California, Berkeley student government resolution that was eventually vetoed. “We are going to make sure that pro-Israel students take over the student government and reverse the vote… This is how AIPAC operates in our nation’s capital. This is how AIPAC must operate on our nation’s campuses.” The brainwashing continues.
The Hijacking of the Truth: Film Evidence 'Destroyed'
much of the video footage confiscated from Marmara passengers remains undisclosed, and Israel has sought to undermine some eyewitness accounts by alleging some of the passengers were terrorist sympathisers bent on martyrdom
Israel’s bet
The U.S. military, whose job it now is to tamp down on Islamic extremism, may find it impossible to do so if it is seen as enabling Israel to attack other Muslims. Americans troops may wish to have it explained to them why the “special relationship” is so important given how detrimental it is to their jobs. It may very well be the only institution in government that could demand a change in U.S. foreign policy for the sake of the war effort and get away with it.
Poll: 49% of Americans Blame Pro-Palestinian Activists for Flotilla Deaths
Nearly half - 49 percent - of likely U.S. voters believe that pro-Palestinian activists were to blame for the deaths that occurred when the Israel Defense Forces raided a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last week, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Israeli propaganda really does work.
Gaza flotilla: Turkey accused of behaving like Iran by Israel
The Turkish ruling party AKP was savagely attacked by an unrepentant Israeli government last night, which said it was behaving like Iran and was "wholly to blame" for the deterioration in relations between the two countries.
Four reasons the US could get Israel to talk about a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction
Pro-Israel PAC Contributions to 2010 Congressional Candidates
Notice the highest dollar amounts go to those who are routine and flagrant Israel-defenders, but who also hold key positions on important congressional committees.
Erdogan, Putin: Israel won’t get our gas
Israel: U.S. Asset or Burden? Asset, Say ADL, AIPAC, 334 Congressmen. Burden, Says Mossad
Pro-Israel advocates have maintained for decades that it is an asset, and a darned valuable one. This view has been emphatically restated in the past few days by, among others, the Anti-Defamation League (here), AIPAC and 334 members of the House of Representatives in (a letter) to President Obama THe Israeli Lobby has our Congress over a barrel. Believe it.
Local Veteran Talks About Israeli Attack on Flotilla
A local veteran says the Israeli attack on a flotilla in the Meditteranean brings back painful memories of an incident that occured some 43 years ago this month.
John Hrankowski was serving aboard the U.S.S. Liberty when it was attacked by Israeli jets and torpedo boats in the Six-Day War in June of 1967.
Extra letters from readers
The Times Union recently reported on the memorial services for the USS Stark and its crew attacked in international waters by an Iraq aircraft during the Iran-Iraq war. We deservedly remember their sacrifices and the bravery of the crew in saving their ship. But there are no memorial services for the crew of the USS Liberty attacked in international waters by the Israeli navy and air force during the 1967 Israeli war against the Arabs.
Russian PM gas pipeline unlikely to go to Israel
"Blue Stream II most likely will not be extended to Israel for purely financial reasons," Putin said on the sidelines of a security summit here. "They simply don't need it."
Henning Mankell on Gaza flotilla attack: 'I think they went out to murder'
"He said: 'You're charged with entering Israel illegally.' I said: 'That's absurd, you brought me here.' Then he said he knew who I was and that he'd read all my books and liked them. I told him: 'Next time you're in Europe call me and we'll talk about all of this.'
Why Is Israel’s Blockade of Gaza Legal? (Updated)
After Israel’s Attack on Aid Ship, Turkey Spun as Villain
Israelis were out in force nationwide, protesting in favor of the killings.
If Helen Thomas had slammed Muslims or Christians, she'd still have her job
Israel-supporters all the time suggest that the Palestinians go live in Jordan, which they believe is the true Palestinian state, and that's not the only thing they say. But nobody utters a word about it, certainly not the president of the United States.
Anxious Gazans trying to leave blockaded territory
Egypt has cooperated with Israel in enforcing the blockade, in part because it has been fighting homegrown Islamic radicals since the 1990s and feared Hamas' militancy could spill into Egyptian territory. However, Egypt's role in maintaining the blockade has hurt its standing in the Muslim and Arab world.
As Irish Aid Ship Heads to Gaza, Local Economy Plods On
"The proportion of the population dependent on aid has risen to 80%, the number of the poorest of the poor has risen from 100,000 to 300,000 in the past year alone, and unemployment has reached 44%," says Chris Gunness, spokesman for UNRWA, the U.N. body that has been assisting Palestinian refugees since 1949. "How can anyone say there isn't a humanitarian crisis?" Despite the above quote, this article by TIME clearly has the taint of pro-Israeli bias.
Canadian says he was 'brutalized' in Israeli custody
He also repeated claims that the Israeli soldiers had fired upon the flotilla from helicopters before the raid began, which contradicts Israel's account that the commandos acted in self defence.
Tony Blair: Israel has a right to defend itself
Tony Blair is sick.
Israeli raid puts Obama between rock and hard place: experts
The Obama team was caught Wednesday between a rock and a hard place as it tried to navigate between key allies Israel and Turkey following an Israeli raid on a Gaza–bound Turkish ship, analysts said.
Ann Wright: Pirates and PR
The Israeli PR machine has done everything possible to portray themselves as the victims of an attack by activists armed with "clubs" and "knives;" however, secret video chips have circulated images of activists using their Gaza-bound humanitarian aid to administer medical assistance to Israeli commandos wounded by their own aggressive assault.
General Patton Museum plans veteran tribute
Fellow desert veteran Navy Capt. William McGonagle, who earned his medal in 1967 as commanding officer of the USS Liberty, is also recognized in the exhibit.
McGonagle is a graduate of Coachella Valley High School.
Israel slams 'cultural terrorism' as Pixies cancel gig
In recent months, Israel has been hit by a string of cancellations by high profile musicians, including Britain's Elvis Costello, rock guitarist Carlos Santana and rap forefather Gil Scott–Heron, after they came under pressure over Israel's policies towards the Palestinians.
Israel's use of 'captured' video draws criticism
"The Foreign Press Association strongly condemns the use of photos and video material shot by foreign journalists, now being put out by the (military) spokesman's office as 'captured material'," the FPA said in a statement. It said the military was selectively using footage to back its claims that commandos opened fire only after being attacked.
Turkish paper releases 'censored' photos of beaten Israeli commandos
Turkey's highest circulating paper, Hurriyet, reports that photos were deleted by Israel, but restored by Turkish activists.
Israel's Flotilla Massacre: Made in the USA
A U.S. pattern of using UN Security Council vetoes to protect Israel from accountability for its crimes has ensured that Israel can do whatever it likes with those U.S.-provided weapons, regardless of which U.S. domestic or international laws may be broken. So U.S. complicity in the recent massacre at sea is beyond question.
In Defense of Helen Thomas - On Apologizing to Apologists
On Friday she was asked by a guy who stuck a video camera in her face, for any comments on Israel and she said, "Tell them to get the get the hell out of Palestine. Remember, these people [the Palestinians] are occupied and it's their land. It's not Germany, it's not Poland." She was asked where they should go and she answered, "They should go home, to Poland, Germany and America". The video has been making its way around the Internet.
IDF Admits It Doctored Flotilla Audio Clip. Washington Post’s Kessler Must Retract
The IDF admitted today in a press release that it doctored audio footage from its exchanges with the Gaza flotilla in order to paint the flotilla passengers as anti-Semites.
Our Enemies, the Israelis
Sen. Brown: Israel No Liability To U.S.
The Republican Brown was the keynote speaker Sunday night at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee leadership dinner in Boston Another traitor speaks.
Israel's allies dismayed by the latest crisis
Israel's fits of arrogant, self-absorbed behavior go back to the attack on the United States Navy ship, the USS Liberty. That was eventually buried by diplomatic inquiry as a case of mistaken identity. A brazen scathing attack by the editors of the Seattle Times. Kudos.
Lawmakers Demand Hearing on Holocaust Insurance
A bipartisan group of 12 congressmen, including nine Jewish members, has called for a hearing into a bill that would allow litigants to make Holocaust-era insurance claims in U.S. courts.....Among the signatories are Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican from Florida, the ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, who introduced the current bill in February
Are American politicians afraid to take on Israel
As a veteran and American, I recall the similar murderous Israeli attack on the USS Liberty in 1967, in which the American federal government subsequently became complicit. I would ask of the president, senators and congressmen: Are you afraid of Israel? Do you have a superseding allegiance to Israel over your allegiance to America? Is subservience to the small foreign country, Israel, a condition precedent to holding American national political office? The American-Israeli relationship is now and has been a costly disaster for America and Americans. Great article by a true American patriot.
Rift between Israel and the United States Flotilla incident didn't help
Implicit in this criticism is the assumption that US foreign policy is supposed to mirror Israeli doctrine by following the Israeli prime minister’s lead in the Middle East. From Israel’s viewpoint, this is not an unreasonable expectation. The Bush-Cheney administration gave the government of Ariel Sharon carte blanche in the Middle East.
Commando raid revealed
On Memorial Day, did we all remember the 34 dead on spyship USS Liberty? Who's to blame if we didn't, since the coverup by government and big media was well-executed
Remembering the USS Liberty
Congress never formally investigated the attack and to this day, bitterness lingers among the survivors of the only ship in U.S. naval history that was ever deliberately attacked by an ally. No one at any level — Israeli or American — was ever held accountable for what happened to the USS Liberty.
Death toll rises to 6 after Israeli navy shoots Palestinian divers off Gaza
On Monday, the Israeli navy fired on a group of Palestinians in wet suits who the Israeli military alleged were en route to carry out an attack inside Israel.
Four Palestinians slain off Gaza coast
Fatah's armed wing the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades said the men were members who were training in blockaded Gaza's waters when an Israeli naval force spotted them and opened fire.
June 8th, Anniversary of Israeli Attack on the USS Liberty Veterans Today
“I have never believed that the attack on the USS Liberty was a case of mistaken identity,” Admiral Moorer has said. “What is so chilling and cold-blooded, of course, is that they [the Israelis] could kill as many Americans as they did in confidence that Washington would cooperate in quelling any public outcry. I have to conclude that it was Israel’s intent to sink the Liberty and leave as few survivors as possible.”
June 8 1967 - Honor those aboard the USS Liberty
Find out the truth (from the survivors) and most importantly, HONOR THEIR HEROISM, for it was their sheer bravery that prevented Israel from sinking that ship and killing ALL ABOARD.
43rd Anniversary of Israel’s Attack on USS Liberty
It is naive to think that the Obama team would give a damn about getting the truth out about last week’s Israeli attack on the humanitarian relief ship, considering how the U.S. government has vigilantly covered up the IDF killing of 34 American sailors.
Israeli opens fire on two Palestinian stone-throwers in West Bank
Just over two weeks ago, Palestinian sources accused settlers of opening fire and killing a Palestinian teenager who was throwing rocks at Israeli cars near the West Bank city of Ramallah
Autopsy shows Gaza activists were hit 30 times: report
The autopsy results showed that a 60–year–old man, Ibrahim Bilgen, was shot four times in the temple, chest, hip and back, the Guardian said.
A 19–year–old, named as Fulkan Dogan, who also has U.S. citizenship, was shot five times from less than 45 cm (18 inches) away, in the face, the back of the head, twice in the leg and once in the back, it said.
Two other men were shot four times. Five of those killed were shot either in the back of the head or in the back, the Guardian quoted Buyuk as saying.
Self defense, huh?
Turkey Mourns Dead as Controversy Rages; American Teenager Among Slain
the Foreign Press Association complained Thursday that the Israeli military had seized journalists' videos and was selectively using footage to bolster its claims that commandos opened fire only after being attacked.....Kevin Ovenden of Britain said a man who had pointed a camera at the soldiers was shot dead through the forehead.
American, 19, Among Gaza Flotilla Dead
A U.S. citizen who lived in Turkey is among the nine people killed when Israeli commandos stormed a Turkish aid ship heading for the Gaza Strip, officials said today. The victim was identified as Furkan Dogan, 19, a Turkish-American. A forensic report said he was shot at close range, with four bullets in his head and one in his chest, according to the Anatolian news agency.
Israel boards Gaza aid ship as blockade criticized
The U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, said the embargo, which had blighted the lives of Gaza's 1.5 million people, was illegal. "International humanitarian law prohibits starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and ... it is also prohibited to impose collective punishment on civilians," she said.
The Flotilla Raid Was Not “Bungled.” The IDF Detailed Its Violent Strategy In Advance.
The elite Israeli commando unit known as Unit 13 was tasked with carrying out the mission and its role was known by the Israeli public well before the raid took place. Details of the plan show that the use of deadly force was authorized and calculated. The massacre of activists should not have been unexpected.
US wants Israeli inquiry after protester loses eye
The United States has asked Israel to investigate the incident in which an American woman lost an eye after Israeli forces shot her with a tear gas canister during a pro–Palestinian protest in Jerusalem, a U.S. embassy spokesman said Monday.
Beatings, Abuse, Doctored Evidence Emerge
Israeli authorities denied other media access to the imprisoned journalists and activists during the entire period they were incarcerated. Reporters were also prevented from speaking to the FG activists when they were deported from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International airport.
UN chief moving ahead with probe of Israeli raid
A Foreign Ministry official says Ban wants former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer to head the panel, which would include Israeli, Turkish and U.S. representatives. All nine people killed in last week's raid were Turks.
Report: Israel to ease Gaza blockade in exchange for watered-down probe
Israel is prepared to accept a British plan to ease its blockade of Gaza in exchange for international acceptance of a watered-down investigation into last week's deadly raid on a Turkish ship that was headed for the Hamas-ruled territory, the Telegraph reported Wednesday.
Israel rejects UN proposal for joint Gaza flotilla probe with U.S. and Turkey
Israel rejected on Sunday a proposal by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for an international investigation into its deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship and said it had the right to launch its own inquiry.
Israel Navy reserves officers: Allow external Gaza flotilla probe
"We disagree with the widespread claims that this was the result of an intelligence rift," said the officers. "In addition, we do not accept claims that this was a 'public relations failure' and we think that the plan was doomed to failure from the beginning."
Israel set to accept 'quid pro quo' Gaza deal: report
On the blockade, the Daily Telegraph said Israel has been asked to ease access into Gaza at crossings and allow the UN to convey material needed to rebuild 60,000 homes destroyed or damaged in the 2008–09 Gaza war.
Turkey honors slain activists, including US teen
President Abdullah Gul said Israel committed "one of the biggest mistakes ever in its history."
Israel rejects international inquiry into lethal raid
Israel rejected Sunday a proposal by U.N. Secretary–General Ban ki–Moon for an international investigation into its deadly raid on a Gaza–bound aid ship and said it had the right to launch its own inquiry.
British survivor of Gaza flotilla raid: 'Israelis ignored SOS calls'
Ecuador recalls envoy; Chavez: Israel a murderer
Chavez slammed the American response to the events, which he said was too gentle. "The Obama administration condemns terror, as long as it's not committed by the US or Israel," he said
Egypt: Gaza blockade a failure, border stays open
Under the restrictions at the Rafah crossing point, Egypt is letting in some humanitarian aid but will not transfer large cargo shipments or construction material because the terminal is designed primarily as a crossing for travelers, said the Egyptian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Obama: Let Israel probe Gaza flotilla raid with U.S. observer
A senior U.S. official delivered an American proposal to the two senior Israeli advisers, which would both assuage the international community and also would not be too hard a blow for Israel's wish to undertake its own investigation without massive foreign involvement. Ridiculous. We need to stop abetting Israel as it plunders and pillages whenever and wherever it wants.
Livni: Keep world from investigating IDF soldiers
"The whole world is busy seeing who'll set up the most committees. Today the government has a mission: To leave the world outside the gates, and the IDF outside the international investigation. I don't want to see the world investigating IDF soldiers."
Activists expelled as Israel resists Gaza inquiry pressure
"The humanitarian situation in Gaza is both unacceptable and unsustainable," International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said in London.
Israel rejects international investigation of raid
Israel has refused to cooperate with previous international probes, most recently the U.N. investigation into Israel's 2009 war in the Gaza Strip that concluded that both the Israelis and Hamas militants, who control Gaza, committed war crimes.
Obama calls situation in Gaza "unsustainable"
President Barack Obama urged Israel on Wednesday to help ease restrictions on humanitarian aid and civilian goods for Gaza after a deadly flotilla raid, saying the situation in the blockaded coastal strip was unsustainable.
Putin condemns Israeli raid on Gaza-bound ship
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Tuesday "we condemn this act," and expressed concern that it was conducted in international waters. He was speaking at a news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Texas senator defends Israel over killing of US activist
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) believes the pro-Palestinian activists who were killed in a clash with the Israeli military had provoked the confrontation. Cornyn= traitor.
Israel and Obama Hail UN Sanctions as Defiant Iran Vows to Keep Enriching Uranium
Turkey calls on Israel to accept probe into raid
"If there is hatred, it is Israel's hatred. If there is terror, it is Israel's state terrorism," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a news conference with Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Doubts Grow Over Israel's Value as U.S. Ally
"It is time Israel realised that it has obligations to the United States, as well as the United States to Israel, and that it (has to) become far more careful about the extent to which it test(s) the limits of U.S. patience and exploits the support of Americans Jews," he went on, noting the Israeli government "should be sensitive to the fact that its actions directly affect U.S. strategic interests in the Arab and Muslim worlds..."....."When someone as balanced and centrist as Tony Cordesman begins to worry about the extent to which Israel is making itself into a strategic burden for the United States, Israel should pause for some self-reflection," Freeman told IPS.......on the eve of Obama's inauguration, the influential National Journal ran a symposium on the question: "Is Israel a Strategic Liability for the United States?" in which a surprising number of respected national security analysts answered in the affirmative.
Israel asked U.S. to increase weapons supply, Haaretz learns
Israel recently approached the United States with new requests for security-related purchases, Haaretz has learned. The requests included Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM ) bombs for the Israel Air Force, as well as a significant expansion of the emergency stores held by the U.S. army in Israel.
Lift the Siege of Gaza by Patrick J. Buchanan
that 2 a.m. boarding of an unarmed ship with an unarmed crew, carrying no munitions or weapons, 65 miles at sea, was an act of piracy. What the Israeli commandos got is what any armed hijacker should expect who tries to steal a car from a driver who keeps a tire iron under the front seat. God love ya, Patrick J. - ye speak the truth.
Obama: Israeli raid on aid flotilla was 'tragic'
President Barack Obama said Thursday that the deadly Israeli raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip was "tragic", but he stopped short of condemning the actions of Israeli forces.
Iran Revolutionary Guards ready to escort Gaza ships
'Israel may have ordered Kurdish terror attack'
Turkish authorities are accusing Israel of "ordering" a terror attack carried out by Kurdish rebels on the same day the Israeli Navy raided a Turkish-owned Gaza-bound ship last week in revenge for Ankara's involvement in the incident, Turkish newspaper Zaman reported Sunday.
1967 USS Liberty survivor was onboard flotilla ship
Meadors expects an investigation will show that Israel violated international law and should be held accountable for its actions. He holds the same hope for the USS Liberty case, which has yet to be settled.
“We filed a war crimes report with the Department of Defense in 2005. They claim they already investigated the allegation we made, but they can’t show us where they have,” said Meadors.
Meadors said that Israel was the aggressor in the flotilla attack and that the only story being portrayed is Israel’s version, because the Israeli forces confiscated all video and recording equipment from the flotilla passengers.
More Spin from Israel by Philip Giraldi
The flotilla, consisting of nationals from as many as twenty countries, was unarmed and carrying relief supplies that had been carefully inspected by the Turkish authorities. It was in international waters when it was attacked. More than 600 passengers and crew, apart from those who were killed, were subsequently arrested by Israel for refusing to identify themselves. If all that is correct, then Tel Aviv is guilty of piracy, kidnapping, and murder while the armed attack on a Turkish flagged vessel might be construed as inviting a military response from NATO. One of the vessels bore an American flag and there were at least eight US citizens on board, including a former ambassador and a USS Liberty survivor, suggesting that a strong reaction from Washington would not be inappropriate........US congressmen are already lining up to support the Israeli action and the State Department is silent about the American student who had her eye shot out by Israeli border policemen while demonstrating peacefully against the attack on the flotilla
Millions forced to wait for food stamps benefits
Americans literally go hungry as we continue to shovel billions of our taxpayer dollars to Israel - which then uses it to starve and imprison a million plus people, and take their land.
The Strategic Ally Myth by Philip Giraldi
Zuckerman’s latest contribution to international harmony is a lengthy piece in the US News & World Report entitled “Israel Is a Key Ally and Deserves US Support.” It is a propaganda piece that promotes one of the most persistent fictions put out by the mainstream media, that the relationship with Israel somehow benefits the United States.
In Vino Veritas by Philip Giraldi
Ed Peck was one of the eleven Americans who were on board the Gaza flotilla that was attacked by Israeli commandos earlier this week. Peck is eighty-one years old, a former paratrooper (US), ambassador, and worked in the Reagan White House. He is also Jewish. He was deported from Israel after being arrested for something or other as a participant in the attempt to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Politicians from Both Parties Rally Behind Israel Following Raid
America is another Israeli occupied territory.
Palestinian girl holding national flag stands
A Palestinian girl holding a national flag stands near the border line with Israel, background, during a weekly protest march against Israel, in Beit Hanoun
Turkish Premier: "Israel Tries To Justify Itself By Exploiting Anti-Semitism"
If World Governments Will Not Confront Israel, What Path Should Civil Society Take?
after a 12-hour session Monday, the Security Council issued a tame "presidential statement" condemning what has been described by critics as "high seas piracy and banditry".
The United States, which has traditionally thrown a protective arm around Israel - whether the Jewish state is right or wrong - was primarily responsible for "watering down" the statement and refusing to adopt a formal resolution against Israel.
The fact that the US has aided and abetted Israel's crimes for years is one of the primary reasons that the US is hated both over there and elsewhere. Support for Israel was the primary motive given by the mastermind of 911, Khaled S. Mohammed. Supporting Israel's policies is wrong irrespective of any terrorism against us.
Maine video producer recounts Gaza flotilla ordeal
Hamann said the flotilla was in international waters when it was intercepted by Israeli troops. When they boarded his vessel, Challenger I, they destroyed all video footage and camera memory cards, he said. Read that excerpt again, and the last two paragraphs of the article.
Johann Hari: When hands across the sea are tied
Everyone now knows the Israeli navy committed a machine-gun massacre on a ship in international waters that was carrying humanitarian aid for the blockaded people of Gaza, who Israeli officials joke they have "put on a diet". .... how many people know that the Israeli government is slowly obstructing and silencing the organisations within Israel that are trying to get the country on to a saner and safer path?
Josh Ruebner Justice for All? A Tale of Two Victims Leon Klinghoffer and Furkan Dogan
To determine whether the Pledge of Allegiance's promise of "justice for all" holds true in all circumstances, compare Reagan's aggressive response to the killing of a U.S. citizen on the Mediterranean Sea to the tepid response of the Obama Administration in the same scenario.........The AECA stipulates that weapons provided by the United States can only be used by foreign countries for "internal security" or "legitimate self-defense." Since Israel engaged in act of aggression in international waters, it is self-evident that Israel violated this law.
Pixies call off Israel concert after Gaza raid
The U.S. rock band Pixies has canceled a concert in Tel Aviv this week in the wake of Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza–bound aid flotilla.
The Truth Behind the Israeli Propaganda By Robert Fisk
Propaganda works, you see. We haven't seen a frame of film from the protesters because the Israelis have stolen the lot.
Vatican says world ignores Christians in Mideast
The Vatican said Sunday that the international community is ignoring the plight of Christians in the Middle East, and that the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the war in Iraq and political instability in Lebanon have forced thousands to flee the region.
Turkey halts all state energy and water projects with Israel
Britain's University and College Union passed a motion yesterday that would allow for the reintroduction of a boycott of Israeli academic institutions. The motion, initiated by pro-Palestinian activists, includes not only a recommendation for a boycott but also sanctions and disinvestment from Israel.
Thousands in Europe vent anger at Israel after deadly raid
Angry protestors chanting anti–Israeli slogans and waving Palestinian and Turkish flags took to the streets of Istanbul, London, Dublin and Paris as well as a string of other French cities, following Monday's deadly assault.
This Says It All by Justin Raimondo
In a brazen act of international piracy, the Israelis boarded a ship in international waters and killed an American citizen – so what is the American government going to do about it? The answer is: nothing, zero, nada, zilch.
Turkish group behind flotilla is Gaza's new hero
Its bearded 50–year–old leader has assumed hero status in the impoverished Palestinian territory, where he says his group plans to spend $25 million on housing, medical care and education.
In Defense of Helen Thomas - On Apologizing to Apologists
On Friday she was asked by a guy who stuck a video camera in her face, for any comments on Israel and she said, "Tell them to get the get the hell out of Palestine. Remember, these people [the Palestinians] are occupied and it's their land. It's not Germany, it's not Poland." She was asked where they should go and she answered, "They should go home, to Poland, Germany and America". The video has been making its way around the Internet.
Biden: Israel right to stop Gaza flotilla from breaking blockade
In contrast to the barrage of condemnations all over the globe, many in the U.S. Congress expressed support for Israel.
U.S Congressman Put American Aid Activists in Jail
On a press call hosted by a pro-Israel organization, Rep. Brad Sherman, Democrat of California, told reporters that he intends seek the prosecution of any U.S. citizens who were aboard or involved with the Freedom Flotilla Unreal.
Former UN Assistant Secretary Urges Irish-Americans to Defend the Rachel Corrie
The issue of the Gaza blockade has tremendous resonance in Ireland, partly because of Ireland's high degree of engagement in international humanitarian causes - John Ging, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency in Gaza, who had called on the international community to break the siege by sending ships loaded with aid, is also Irish - but also, of course, because the Irish people have some experience with the consequences for civilians of a colonial blockade.
Surprise!!!! American Jewish Leaders Leap to Defend Israel
So if intruders charge into your house at night, asking you to stay calm while they steal your possessions, you may not fight back, because that could "force" the intruders to defend themselves. The PR arm of the intruders insists they had the right to invade your house, and that you were responsible for all of the mayhem that followed when you resisted. In what court in the world would that argument hold water?
So demonstrates the Orwellian nature of the news we are fed by our pro-Israeli media. Up is down, left is right, black is white.
Max Blumenthal’s Excellent Analysis of the Israeli Attack
The day after the massacre, spontaneous celebrations broke out in Ashdod, Tel Aviv, and throughout the country, bringing together right-wing elements with everyday Israelis. Over a thousand Israelis gathered tonight outside the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv to rally against the Turkish government and express their support for the raid.
White House criticizes Thomas for Israel remarks
Why Is Israel’s Blockade of Gaza Legal? (Updated)
I was just on MSNBC talking about Israel, the Gaza blockade and the flotilla attack with Eliot Spitzer, who was guest-hosting for Dylan Ratigan. It was a rather contentious discussion, though quite illustrative of how Israel is (and is not) typically discussed on American television, so I'm posting the whole 8-minute segment below
Lying About the Gaza Flotilla Disaster
As for the Israeli argument that its soldiers were attacked, that is ridiculous. Israeli commandos were ordered to board a civilian ship in international waters and the government that sent them claims that the resisting passengers attacked them without provocation. This is like a carjacker complaining to the police that the driver bashed him with a crowbar that was under the seat.
STICKS AND STONES ON THE HIGH SEAS
A U.N. fact-finding mission recently concluded that Israel’s blockade of Gaza should be prosecuted as a war crime at the International Criminal Court if it continues through September
Update: Helen Thomas quits after Israel comments
Rabbi David Nesenoff, who interviewed Thomas and published the clip on his RabbiLive.com site, told Yahoo! News that she should lose her job with Hearst Newspapers. "Of course they've got to get rid of her," he said.
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?
Sorry, 'Georgie', I doubt the flotilla passengers were 'pro-Hamas' as claimed here. But otherwise, good article which mentions USS Liberty, Pollard and the Lavon Affair.
21 Miles Off The Coast of Palestine
it is ironic that, although the two events are in many ways completely different, the Israelis are now preventing Palestinians and supporters of Hamas from doing what the Israeli defence organisation - the Haganah - tried to do over 60 years ago. From 1945 the Haganah, along with the Irgun, had been carrying out a terror campaign against British soldiers in Palestine. Then in 1947 they organised the Exodus operation as an attempt to break the British blockade.
Helen Thomas high school speech canceled over flap
A high school graduation speech by veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas has been canceled because of controversial remarks she made about Israel, the school's principal said in an e–mail Sunday.
Helen Thomas Pays for Crossing a Line Others Trample
Getting fired for bigoted words? Somehow that fate has not befallen the cabal of right-wing bloviators who have literally built their careers pushing the propaganda war against Latinos, other people of color, gay people, liberals and anyone else they disagree with.
Reactions to Raid on Flotilla A Rorschach Test for Jews
As the sun rose on the day following the so-called Freedom Flotilla’s attempt to breach the Israeli blockade of Gaza, the American Jewish Committee had already sent out an e-mail blast touting its narrative of the bloody denouement that took place. An hour later came talking points from the Jewish Federations of North America.
A succinct storyline had been established even before all the details of the raid that left nine of the activists dead had become clear.
And the American mainstream meida lapped it up, lock stock and barrel.
Israel on Ballot As Winograd Faces Harman In Hot Primary
“In Marcy Winograd’s foreign policy, Israel would cease to exist. In Marcy Winograd’s vision, Jews would be at the mercy of those who do not respect democracy or human rights,” he wrote. “Jane’s victory will represent a clear repudiation of these views.” Thus is the Orwellian nature of 'Israeli democracy' displayed: one man one vote, rather than the apartheid-like system in place now, is considered anti-democratic.
Most Members of Congress Remain Committed to Israel’s Blockade of Gaza
Statements by Democratic and Republican lawmakers, who heard the news from Gaza during their Memorial Day recess, showed almost wall-to-wall support for the Israeli position and urged the continuation of the blockade. A testament to the power of the Israeli lobby over Congress.
With AIPAC’s Help, Students Invite Oren to Their Colleges
Many of the student government presidents who signed the statement attended AIPAC’s Washington, D.C., policy conference in March, according to the statement organizers. AIPAC press materials claim that the conference drew more than 213 student government presidents.....At the conference, AIPAC’s leadership development director, Jonathan Kessler, described AIPAC’s campus-organizing strategy in a speech, video of which was posted online by JTA. “How are we going to beat back the anti-Israel divestment resolution at Berkeley?” Kessler asked, referring to a University of California, Berkeley student government resolution that was eventually vetoed. “We are going to make sure that pro-Israel students take over the student government and reverse the vote… This is how AIPAC operates in our nation’s capital. This is how AIPAC must operate on our nation’s campuses.” The brainwashing continues.
The Hijacking of the Truth: Film Evidence 'Destroyed'
much of the video footage confiscated from Marmara passengers remains undisclosed, and Israel has sought to undermine some eyewitness accounts by alleging some of the passengers were terrorist sympathisers bent on martyrdom
Israel’s bet
The U.S. military, whose job it now is to tamp down on Islamic extremism, may find it impossible to do so if it is seen as enabling Israel to attack other Muslims. Americans troops may wish to have it explained to them why the “special relationship” is so important given how detrimental it is to their jobs. It may very well be the only institution in government that could demand a change in U.S. foreign policy for the sake of the war effort and get away with it.
Poll: 49% of Americans Blame Pro-Palestinian Activists for Flotilla Deaths
Nearly half - 49 percent - of likely U.S. voters believe that pro-Palestinian activists were to blame for the deaths that occurred when the Israel Defense Forces raided a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last week, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Israeli propaganda really does work.
Gaza flotilla: Turkey accused of behaving like Iran by Israel
The Turkish ruling party AKP was savagely attacked by an unrepentant Israeli government last night, which said it was behaving like Iran and was "wholly to blame" for the deterioration in relations between the two countries.
Four reasons the US could get Israel to talk about a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction
Pro-Israel PAC Contributions to 2010 Congressional Candidates
Notice the highest dollar amounts go to those who are routine and flagrant Israel-defenders, but who also hold key positions on important congressional committees.
Erdogan, Putin: Israel won’t get our gas
Israel: U.S. Asset or Burden? Asset, Say ADL, AIPAC, 334 Congressmen. Burden, Says Mossad
Pro-Israel advocates have maintained for decades that it is an asset, and a darned valuable one. This view has been emphatically restated in the past few days by, among others, the Anti-Defamation League (here), AIPAC and 334 members of the House of Representatives in (a letter) to President Obama THe Israeli Lobby has our Congress over a barrel. Believe it.
Local Veteran Talks About Israeli Attack on Flotilla
A local veteran says the Israeli attack on a flotilla in the Meditteranean brings back painful memories of an incident that occured some 43 years ago this month.
John Hrankowski was serving aboard the U.S.S. Liberty when it was attacked by Israeli jets and torpedo boats in the Six-Day War in June of 1967.
Extra letters from readers
The Times Union recently reported on the memorial services for the USS Stark and its crew attacked in international waters by an Iraq aircraft during the Iran-Iraq war. We deservedly remember their sacrifices and the bravery of the crew in saving their ship. But there are no memorial services for the crew of the USS Liberty attacked in international waters by the Israeli navy and air force during the 1967 Israeli war against the Arabs.
Russian PM gas pipeline unlikely to go to Israel
"Blue Stream II most likely will not be extended to Israel for purely financial reasons," Putin said on the sidelines of a security summit here. "They simply don't need it."
Henning Mankell on Gaza flotilla attack: 'I think they went out to murder'
"He said: 'You're charged with entering Israel illegally.' I said: 'That's absurd, you brought me here.' Then he said he knew who I was and that he'd read all my books and liked them. I told him: 'Next time you're in Europe call me and we'll talk about all of this.'
Why Is Israel’s Blockade of Gaza Legal? (Updated)
After Israel’s Attack on Aid Ship, Turkey Spun as Villain
Israelis were out in force nationwide, protesting in favor of the killings.
If Helen Thomas had slammed Muslims or Christians, she'd still have her job
Israel-supporters all the time suggest that the Palestinians go live in Jordan, which they believe is the true Palestinian state, and that's not the only thing they say. But nobody utters a word about it, certainly not the president of the United States.
Anxious Gazans trying to leave blockaded territory
Egypt has cooperated with Israel in enforcing the blockade, in part because it has been fighting homegrown Islamic radicals since the 1990s and feared Hamas' militancy could spill into Egyptian territory. However, Egypt's role in maintaining the blockade has hurt its standing in the Muslim and Arab world.
As Irish Aid Ship Heads to Gaza, Local Economy Plods On
"The proportion of the population dependent on aid has risen to 80%, the number of the poorest of the poor has risen from 100,000 to 300,000 in the past year alone, and unemployment has reached 44%," says Chris Gunness, spokesman for UNRWA, the U.N. body that has been assisting Palestinian refugees since 1949. "How can anyone say there isn't a humanitarian crisis?" Despite the above quote, this article by TIME clearly has the taint of pro-Israeli bias.
Canadian says he was 'brutalized' in Israeli custody
He also repeated claims that the Israeli soldiers had fired upon the flotilla from helicopters before the raid began, which contradicts Israel's account that the commandos acted in self defence.
Tony Blair: Israel has a right to defend itself
Tony Blair is sick.
Israeli raid puts Obama between rock and hard place: experts
The Obama team was caught Wednesday between a rock and a hard place as it tried to navigate between key allies Israel and Turkey following an Israeli raid on a Gaza–bound Turkish ship, analysts said.
Ann Wright: Pirates and PR
The Israeli PR machine has done everything possible to portray themselves as the victims of an attack by activists armed with "clubs" and "knives;" however, secret video chips have circulated images of activists using their Gaza-bound humanitarian aid to administer medical assistance to Israeli commandos wounded by their own aggressive assault.
General Patton Museum plans veteran tribute
Fellow desert veteran Navy Capt. William McGonagle, who earned his medal in 1967 as commanding officer of the USS Liberty, is also recognized in the exhibit.
McGonagle is a graduate of Coachella Valley High School.
Israel slams 'cultural terrorism' as Pixies cancel gig
In recent months, Israel has been hit by a string of cancellations by high profile musicians, including Britain's Elvis Costello, rock guitarist Carlos Santana and rap forefather Gil Scott–Heron, after they came under pressure over Israel's policies towards the Palestinians.
Israel's use of 'captured' video draws criticism
"The Foreign Press Association strongly condemns the use of photos and video material shot by foreign journalists, now being put out by the (military) spokesman's office as 'captured material'," the FPA said in a statement. It said the military was selectively using footage to back its claims that commandos opened fire only after being attacked.
Turkish paper releases 'censored' photos of beaten Israeli commandos
Turkey's highest circulating paper, Hurriyet, reports that photos were deleted by Israel, but restored by Turkish activists.
Israel's Flotilla Massacre: Made in the USA
A U.S. pattern of using UN Security Council vetoes to protect Israel from accountability for its crimes has ensured that Israel can do whatever it likes with those U.S.-provided weapons, regardless of which U.S. domestic or international laws may be broken. So U.S. complicity in the recent massacre at sea is beyond question.
In Defense of Helen Thomas - On Apologizing to Apologists
On Friday she was asked by a guy who stuck a video camera in her face, for any comments on Israel and she said, "Tell them to get the get the hell out of Palestine. Remember, these people [the Palestinians] are occupied and it's their land. It's not Germany, it's not Poland." She was asked where they should go and she answered, "They should go home, to Poland, Germany and America". The video has been making its way around the Internet.
IDF Admits It Doctored Flotilla Audio Clip. Washington Post’s Kessler Must Retract
The IDF admitted today in a press release that it doctored audio footage from its exchanges with the Gaza flotilla in order to paint the flotilla passengers as anti-Semites.
Our Enemies, the Israelis
Sen. Brown: Israel No Liability To U.S.
The Republican Brown was the keynote speaker Sunday night at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee leadership dinner in Boston Another traitor speaks.
Israel's allies dismayed by the latest crisis
Israel's fits of arrogant, self-absorbed behavior go back to the attack on the United States Navy ship, the USS Liberty. That was eventually buried by diplomatic inquiry as a case of mistaken identity. A brazen scathing attack by the editors of the Seattle Times. Kudos.
Lawmakers Demand Hearing on Holocaust Insurance
A bipartisan group of 12 congressmen, including nine Jewish members, has called for a hearing into a bill that would allow litigants to make Holocaust-era insurance claims in U.S. courts.....Among the signatories are Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican from Florida, the ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, who introduced the current bill in February
Are American politicians afraid to take on Israel
As a veteran and American, I recall the similar murderous Israeli attack on the USS Liberty in 1967, in which the American federal government subsequently became complicit. I would ask of the president, senators and congressmen: Are you afraid of Israel? Do you have a superseding allegiance to Israel over your allegiance to America? Is subservience to the small foreign country, Israel, a condition precedent to holding American national political office? The American-Israeli relationship is now and has been a costly disaster for America and Americans. Great article by a true American patriot.
Rift between Israel and the United States Flotilla incident didn't help
Implicit in this criticism is the assumption that US foreign policy is supposed to mirror Israeli doctrine by following the Israeli prime minister’s lead in the Middle East. From Israel’s viewpoint, this is not an unreasonable expectation. The Bush-Cheney administration gave the government of Ariel Sharon carte blanche in the Middle East.
Commando raid revealed
On Memorial Day, did we all remember the 34 dead on spyship USS Liberty? Who's to blame if we didn't, since the coverup by government and big media was well-executed
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Headlines for May 27 - June 2
A Stand For Justice
Israeli Military Kills 5 Palestinians in Gaza Clashes
Israeli aircraft “targeted a terrorist squad preparing to fire rockets into Israel,” the army said in an e-mailed statement.
Ten dead as Israel storms aid ships
Video: Israel Kills 20 : Attacks Gaza Aid Fleet
These may have been the earliest video reports released in the aftermath of Israel's attack on the Gaza-bound flotilla.
Turkish PM calls Israeli ship raid a 'massacre'
Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Israel immediately after the raid, scrapped three joint military exercises and called the U.N. Security Council to an emergency meeting that demanded an impartial investigation.
Amnesty: U.S., Europe shielding Israel over Gaza war crimes
Amnesty International complained in its annual report released Thursday that the U.S. and members of the European Union had obstructed international justice by using their positions on the UN Security Council to shield Israel from accountability for war crimes allegedly committed during last year's Gaza war.
Gaza aid convoy killings: “Those responsible must be held criminally accountable” - UN expert
The UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Richard Falk, urged Monday the international community to bring to justice those responsible for the killing of some 16 unarmed peace activist, when Israeli armed commandos stormed a convoy of ships carrying aid to Gaza.
Govt warns Israel to 'exercise restraint' on Irish aid ship
Israel is being warned to act with "absolute restraint" when the MV Rachel Corrie approaches Gaza.
U.S. Blocks Security Council Criticism of Israeli Raid
The Obama administration refused to endorse a statement that singled out Israel, and proposed a broader condemnation of the violence that would include the assault of the Israeli commandos as they landed on the deck of the ship.
Israelis Opened Fire Before Boarding Gaza Flotilla, say Released Activists
Erdogan: Aid ship raid is Israeli state terrorism
Irish Prime Minister Taoiseach Brian Cowen called for an international inquiry into the Israeli raid, and expressed concern for the 10 of Irish nationals who took part in the sail.
INTERVIEW: Gaza Strip facing humanitarian tragedy, warns UN expert
Gaza aid flotilla 'leaves Cyprus'
Israeli government press officers have been briefing journalists that the aid flotilla is not necessary. Israel says it allows 15,000 tons of aid into Gaza every week. But the United Nations, which calls the blockade a "Medieval siege", says this is only a fraction of what is needed and less than a quarter of what was coming into Gaza before the blockade was enforced.
Hamas: Flotilla shows whole world opposes Gaza siege
The Hamas leader in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh said Saturday that if Israel behaved like pirates and attacked the international Freedom Flotilla carrying 10,000 tons of aid meant for Gaza, then the Palestinians will have won.
Israelis opened fire before boarding Gaza flotilla, say released activists
Obama extends fence-mending invitation to Netanyahu
Barack Obama has invited the Israeli Prime Minister to the White House next week, for an apparent "fence-mending" visit. The President's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel delivered the invitation in person to Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem yesterday, while on a family visit.
Martin: Irish citizens 'kidnapped' in international waters
The Minister for Foreign Affairs has accused Israel of kidnapping Irish citizens in international waters.
UN calls for impartial probe of Israeli raid
After an emergency meeting and marathon negotiations that lasted nearly 12 hours, the 15 council members finally agreed on a presidential statement. It was weaker than what was initially demanded by the Palestinians, Arabs and Turkey because of objections by the United States, Israel's closest ally.
The US is still abetting Israel's crimes at the UN.
Turkey wants US condemnation of Israeli raid
Obama urges Netanyahu to get facts on Gaza ship raid
U.S. President Barack Obama told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he deeply regretted the loss of life in an Israeli raid on a Gaza–bound aid flotilla on Monday and urged him to quickly collect all the facts about the incident.
Israel, Egypt ease Gaza blockade after deadly raid
In a jab at Israel, Clinton said the situation in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas and under an Israeli blockade, is "unsustainable and unacceptable."
Israel deports Corpus Christi man in flotilla
Meadors is a survivor of Israel's 1967 attack on the USS Liberty.
Israel boat raid sparks condemnations, protests
A group founded by Nelson Mandela that includes Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu and former President Jimmy Carter said "the treatment of the people of Gaza is one of the world's greatest human rights violations and that the blockade is not only illegal, it is counterproductive."
EU seeks inquiry into Israeli military action
The European Union called for an immediate inquiry into deaths aboard aid ships seized by Israel's navy Monday and urged Israel to allow the free flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Arabs demand independent probe of Israeli raid
The U.N. Security Council is holding an emergency meeting on Israel's deadly commando raid on ships taking humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip, with the Palestinians and Arab nations calling for condemnation and an independent investigation.
Flotilla Set for Final Leg of Gaza Blockade-Busting Bid
"We will now have to go to the north and lose the Cypriot and Greek politicians, but we have members of parliament from Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Norway and Bulgaria. We are going to put them on a boat in Famagusta,"
UN rights body votes to dispatch independent probe into ‘attack’ on Gaza aid convoy
Strongly condemning Israel’s actions against the humanitarian flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted today to dispatch an independent, international probe into violations of international law resulting from Monday’s incident.
Hebron URGENT ACTION: The Tent of Nations... Needs to hear from all the Nations
"The Tent of Nations," a 100-acre family farm near Bethlehem, Palestine, received nine demolition orders from Israeli civil authorities to destroy buildings, animal shelters, the water system, and even the toilets. The family has had three days to appeal the order ending tomorrow Sunday, May 30. The bulldozers could arrive as early as midnight tonight.
The Strategic Ally Myth by Philip Giraldi
Zuckerman’s latest contribution to international harmony is a lengthy piece in the US News & World Report entitled “Israel Is a Key Ally and Deserves US Support.” It is a propaganda piece that promotes one of the most persistent fictions put out by the mainstream media, that the relationship with Israel somehow benefits the United States
Israel stations nuclear missile subs off Iran
Three German-built Israeli submarines equipped with nuclear cruise missiles are to be deployed in the Gulf near the Iranian coastline.
Obama's Timidity and Deaths at Sea
So, you see, the Israeli military resorted to violence only in self-defense. Right........“Muslims do not ‘hate our freedom,’ but rather, they hate our policies. The overwhelming majority voice their objections to what they see as one-sided support in favor of Israel and against Palestinian rights.” A very good article by former CIA Ray McGovern.
Workers trained in settlements build new Palestinian suburb
Khalil is not proud of the work he did in settlements in annexed east Jerusalem, but said he was forced to do so in order to support a family of six.
Israel and Harman in Tandem: From High Seas to Airwaves
Harman, a powerful member of the center-right Blue Dog Coalition, is one of the Israeli government's most valued allies on Capitol Hill. She's a standout -- even in a Congress teeming with fervent apologists for Israel's relentless suppression of Palestinian rights.
Walking fine line, US doesn't condemn Israeli raid
Clinton said life under the blockade in Gaza is "unsustainable and unacceptable."
How Disinformation Works by Philip Giraldi
The Times story additionally relates that Israeli defense minister Ehud Barack allegedly showed President Obama “classified satellite images of a convoy of ballistic missiles leaving Syria on the way to Hezbollah in Lebanon.” The fact is that US intelligence, which has far better capabilities than the Israelis, cannot verify the missile story that the Israelis have been peddling for several months. The Israelis clearly want the US to buy into the scud threat, but CIA analysts have so far found the evidence unconvincing.
U.S. Witness To Israeli Sea Raid Tells What He Saw
"We had talked about what to do and how to be non-violent because the last thing you want to do is provoke armed soldiers. I've seen three newspapers since the plane landed in New Jersey, and several times the Israelis have been quoted as saying that their guys were armed with paint guns. Well, indeed they were, as well as pistols and automatic rifles and stun(?) grenades and pepper spray."
Turkey PM: Critics of Iran should get rid of nukes
Nations criticizing an Iranian nuclear fuel–swap deal brokered by Brazil and Turkey should eliminate their own nuclear weapon stockpiles, Turkey's leader said Friday
US reassured Netanyahu ahead of NPT deal: Israeli official
Consternation over the resolution has welled up in Israel, where the top–selling Yediot Aharonot daily said Netanyahu's government was "furious with the Obama administration for having failed to prevent the resolution from passing... and for choosing to support it." Israel needs to get with the program. They are not above the law.
Most Sycophantic Apology for Israeli Attack
The Israeli military attacks an aid ship in international waters and kills at least 10 people.
Naturally, Israel is the victim.
Tempe protest of Israeli raid scheduled today
Protestors in Tempe Tuesdaywill join a growing number of international demonstrations condemning Israel's Mondayraid of ships carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists and aid workers from as many as 38 countries trying to reach the Gaza Strip with supplies.
State official: Obama provided Israel with historic guarantees
The source noted that the US had effectively promised Israel that no decision made by the NPT conference would harm Israel's vital interests. One rule for Israel, one rule for the rest of the world.
Netanyahu: World 'Hypocritical' for Condemning Gaza Flotilla Raid
He's as bad as Imanutterjob.
Israeli raid on flotilla an intentional message for Gaza and the rest of the world
The message from Israel was simple: We don’t care about your laws, rights, civilians, or what you think of us. We care only about maintaining our occupation regime through the use of force – and there is nothing you can do to stop us.
Britain vows to change policy allowing U.K. to arrest Israeli politicians
Speaking to reporters early Thursday, the Foreign Secretary said that "we cannot have a position where Israeli politicians feel they cannot visit this country and indeed not just Israel, but this could apply to many other nations as well. So this has to be put right. And that is well understood and agreed in the coalition government."
Israel trying to limit diplomatic damage from raid
International envoy Tony Blair told The Associated Press that Israel should ease the blockade and let more supplies in. He said the blockade was "counterproductive," but said it would be hard to lift it because of Israel's objections.
Israeli Murders, NATO and Afghanistan
nobody wants or expects military action against Israel. But there is an uneasy recognition that in theory that ought to be on the table, and that NATO is obliged to do something robust to defend Turkey.
In cold blood - Why Israel's state thuggery must be stopped
If any basket-case state, or crazed despot, or terrorist group perpetrated such an outrage, the world would be united in outrage. Yet despite a UN security council condemnation and Turkey’s (seemingly justified) accusation of state terrorism, the West has sounded strangely muted.
Md. Mideast peace activist recounts flotilla ordeal
"The people didn't want to be boarded," he said. "We tried to resist passively, which the Israeli people were not prepared to accept." A fellow American on the ship, Joe Meadors, a Texas activist, was hit with a paintball fired by the commandos, whose heads were covered with balaclavas, said Peck.
Ex-US envoy Commandos ordered me to 'sit down'
'The Israelis told me, 'You’ve broken Israeli law.' I said, ‘Which one?’ They said, 'You have entered the country illegally.' I said, 'I’m sorry.' But if I’m brought into the country under armed escort that is not entering the country illegally. Forcibly. We’ll they don’t agree with that. I was deported so I suppose that goes on my record.“
What’s Behind White House Strategy To Woo U.S. Jews
Military cooperation, an issue usually discussed privately between the governments of Israel and the United States, has been a key theme of the administration’s outreach effort. In public speeches and in private meetings, Obama administration officials have provided Jewish audiences with a detailed list of U.S. measures taken to strengthen Israel.
Crime writer Mankell held in Israel after aid boat attack: Sweden
Mankell, whose books about world–weary detective Kurt Wallander have sold more than 25 million copies worldwide and have been adapted to film and television, said he was taking part in the flotilla to show his solidarity towards the Palestinian people.
Reporting Israeli Assault Through Israel's Eyes
Many of the analysis pieces in major papers focused on the fallout for Israel and the United States, rather than the civilians killed or the humanitarian crisis they were trying to address. .....According to Craig Murray (5/31/10), former British ambassador and specialist on maritime law, the legal position "is very plain": "To attack a foreign flagged vessel in international waters is illegal. It is not piracy, as the Israeli vessels carried a military commission. It is rather an act of illegal warfare." Our media is controlled by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, in case you hadn't noticed.
Obama administration concerned about Gaza incident
Church Report Deemed ‘Anti-Israel’ Endangers Jewish-Presbyterian Ties
The country’s main Presbyterian denomination is set to consider officially endorsing a church report on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that Jewish groups are condemning in the strongest terms The Presbyterians evidently know the truth and are actually trying to do something about it, bless their hearts.
Pro-Israel Dems Defend Raid
New York Democratic Reps. Anthony Weiner, Jerrold Nadler, Gary Ackerman, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.) have all vigorously supported Israel’s boarding an aid ship bound for the blockaded Gaza — an act that resulted in ten deaths and a U.N. condemnation.
No weapons on stormed Turkish ship: Report
Activists describe Israeli raid on Gaza aid convoy
The activists, speaking on their return home, said as well as firing live and plastic rounds, commandos had administered electric shocks and beaten passengers during the assault.
Parents of Rachel Corrie Respond to Gaza Flotilla Attack and sailing of MV Rachel Corrie
Western Leaders are too Cowardly to Help Save Lives By Robert Fisk
it is a fact, is it not, that had Europeans (and yes, the Turks are Europeans, are they not?) been gunned down by any other Middle Eastern army (which the Israeli army is, is it not?) there would have been waves of outrage.
Mossad Chief: Israel Gradually Becoming Burden on U.S.
Former CIA head of the Bin Laden unit, Michael Scheuer, will tell you the same thing, in the least.
Welcome to Obama’s Jewish America
Still, the White House's message was timely: Obama would not be second-guessed by his pro-Israel critics on his friendship to the Jewish community and to Israel. The reception included a traditional reference to the "unbreakable" Israel-U.S. alliance dating back to within minutes of Israel's establishment.
All At Sea
under article 3 of the Rome Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation of 1988, it is an international crime for any person to seize or exercise control over a ship by force, and also a crime to injure or kill any person in the process.
Video: Israel's Gaza PR Offensive
Thusly is the Orwellian nature of all things Israel revealed: Up is Down, Left is Right, Black is White: the Israeli commandos donning balaclavas were acting in 'self defense' by rappeling down onto a civilian ship in international waters and one where the passengers fought back. Mmm k.
Israel Studies: Scholarly Pursuit or Public Diplomacy?
The growth and development over the past decade of what has become known as Israel studies owes much to politically motivated donors who have endowed chairs, imported dozens of visiting Israeli scholars, and set up Israel studies institutes across the country, from Harvard University to the University of California at Berkeley. For these donors — among them, prominent Jewish philanthropists Charles Bronfman and Lynn Schusterman — the academics are pro-Israel soldiers on the heated battlefields of American campuses.....There are now eight institutes or centers for Israel studies in North America, with 11 endowed chairs and dozens of visiting professorships. Every chair, and every institute, bears the name of a rich benefactor; the Schusterman family alone funds 20 visiting Israeli scholars every year.........donors were convinced that the best way for them to combat anti-Israel sentiment would be through endowing chairs and setting up institutes. Hasbara (Israeli propaganda) has now been further entrenched into America. The pro-Israelis are taking over on campuses to make sure that the truth about Israel does not get out.
The U.S.S. Liberty and the culture of impunity
Soon after the Liberty attack, [National Security Agency director Lieutenant General Marshall] Carter appeared before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee to discuss the Liberty. [Deputy Secretary of Defense] Cyrus Vance joined him... "Cy Vance just told me to keep my mouth shut," [Gerard] Burke [Carter's chief of staff] recalled his boss telling him.... "There was absolutely no question in anybody's mind that the Israelis had done it deliberately," Burke said. "I was angrier because of the cover-up... The only mystery to me was why was the thing being covered up."...
Israel rejects new drive to ban nukes from Mideast
Israel declared late Saturday that it would not take part in a 2012 conference on establishing a nuclear–free Middle East – an Arab–led initiative backed by top ally U.S. and the 188 other signatories to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
The Audacity of the Free Gaza Flotilla
Ironically, on one passenger ship will be Joe Meaders, a U.S. citizen who is a survivor of the Israeli air and naval attack on a United States Navy ship, the USS Liberty, in 1967 killed 34 U.S. sailors and wounded 173. The Israeli government has never acknowledged, much less apologized for, the deaths of these sailors, nor the destruction of the USS Liberty.
Hamas leader says group has no problem with US
"We don't have a problem whatsoever with the United States or with American interests," Khaled Meshaal told PBS television in an interview. ......"If America wants democracy and human rights, it has to give the same rights to the people in the region," he argued.
Israel recoils as US backs nuclear move
Washington's unprecedented backing for a UN resolution for a nuclear–free Middle East that singles out Israel has both angered and deeply worried the Jewish state although officials are cagey about openly criticising their biggest ally.
Gaza Flotilla: This is What Smart Strategy Looks Like
Israel's Most Illicit Affair
South African money helped Israel became a major arms manufacturer and exporter and funded its high-tech economy, while Pretoria gained access to cutting-edge weapons and military technology at a time when most of the world sought to isolate and condemn the apartheid regime. For the ensuing two decades Israel continued to publicly denounce apartheid while at the same time secretly propping up the white-minority government and helping sustain racial supremacy.
Analysis: High-seas raid deepens Israeli isolation
"The attack on a humanitarian mission ... will only further alienate the international community and isolate Israel while granting added legitimacy to Hamas' claim to represent the plight of the Palestinian people," said Scott Atran, an analyst at the University of Michigan.
Gaza convoy raid may boost militancy, experts say
Revulsion at the bloodshed on a Turkish vessel sailing to the Palestinian enclave could translate into increased fund–raising for transnational militant groups such as al Qaeda or like–minded allies, or foster tolerance or even sympathy for such groups among Muslims who are not otherwise ideological. In some cases, it could push passive al Qaeda sympathizers into active participation against Israel or its Western allies, and undermine the international cooperation needed for tracking down illicit funding of militant groups, they said.
Time to Call Out Israel's Bad Behavior
Still Think Israel Doesn’t Control the United States?
Few Americans know the real reason for the Arab oil embargo of the early seventies: any nation that supported Israel during the Yom Kippur war was a target. That is the reason for this legislation.
Protest at DC's Israeli Embassy
Protesters have returned to the White House to call on the President to denounce the blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Peter Beinart: In His Own Words
Mosque’s Plan To Expand Near Ground Zero Sparks Debate
Jewish leaders involved in interfaith dialogue praised Rauf as an important partner. “He’s one of the most constructive forces of Islam in the U.S. today, and indeed internationally,” said Rabbi David Rosen, the American Jewish Committee’s Israel-based director of interreligious affairs, of Rauf. “I think he is a very fair man, and the kind of Muslim voice we need to empower and encourage.”
Ties with Israel may outlast Turkish anger at raid
other officials were delivering messages of restraint and Turkey said it was not canceling plans to accept $183 million (euro150.56 million) worth of Israeli drone planes this summer.
The Mediterranean Massacre by Justin Raimondo
Expert Advice from The Washington Times by Philip Giraldi
Scarborough quoted a retired US Air Force Colonel named John Warden (possibly General Jack D. Ripper in alias) who suggested that the United States should deal with Iran by shutting down the country’s electrical generation capability for the foreseeable future because “Iran cannot sustain a nuclear research program if they don’t have electricity and oil and a bunch of other things like that.” John Pike, a “longtime analyst of the Pentagon and intelligence agencies” also quoted in the article, suggests that Israel target the workers at the Iranian nuclear sites.
Bibi’s vassal is frustrated!
Apparently the Palestinians were not informed that though they were permitted a vote in 2006, they were only allowed to vote for the Palestinian Authority, which they viewed as corrupt as wrapped up in a peace process that was clearly going nowhere. So a majority voted for Hamas, and since then
Hamas ruled Gaza has been gradually starved to death, attacked by the Israeli military, and starved some more—all in an effort to make the Palestinians regret their choice at the polls.
Israeli Apartheid Group Banned From Toronto Gay Pride Parade
Israeli Military Kills 5 Palestinians in Gaza Clashes
Israeli aircraft “targeted a terrorist squad preparing to fire rockets into Israel,” the army said in an e-mailed statement.
Ten dead as Israel storms aid ships
Video: Israel Kills 20 : Attacks Gaza Aid Fleet
These may have been the earliest video reports released in the aftermath of Israel's attack on the Gaza-bound flotilla.
Turkish PM calls Israeli ship raid a 'massacre'
Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Israel immediately after the raid, scrapped three joint military exercises and called the U.N. Security Council to an emergency meeting that demanded an impartial investigation.
Amnesty: U.S., Europe shielding Israel over Gaza war crimes
Amnesty International complained in its annual report released Thursday that the U.S. and members of the European Union had obstructed international justice by using their positions on the UN Security Council to shield Israel from accountability for war crimes allegedly committed during last year's Gaza war.
Gaza aid convoy killings: “Those responsible must be held criminally accountable” - UN expert
The UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Richard Falk, urged Monday the international community to bring to justice those responsible for the killing of some 16 unarmed peace activist, when Israeli armed commandos stormed a convoy of ships carrying aid to Gaza.
Govt warns Israel to 'exercise restraint' on Irish aid ship
Israel is being warned to act with "absolute restraint" when the MV Rachel Corrie approaches Gaza.
U.S. Blocks Security Council Criticism of Israeli Raid
The Obama administration refused to endorse a statement that singled out Israel, and proposed a broader condemnation of the violence that would include the assault of the Israeli commandos as they landed on the deck of the ship.
Israelis Opened Fire Before Boarding Gaza Flotilla, say Released Activists
Erdogan: Aid ship raid is Israeli state terrorism
Irish Prime Minister Taoiseach Brian Cowen called for an international inquiry into the Israeli raid, and expressed concern for the 10 of Irish nationals who took part in the sail.
INTERVIEW: Gaza Strip facing humanitarian tragedy, warns UN expert
Gaza aid flotilla 'leaves Cyprus'
Israeli government press officers have been briefing journalists that the aid flotilla is not necessary. Israel says it allows 15,000 tons of aid into Gaza every week. But the United Nations, which calls the blockade a "Medieval siege", says this is only a fraction of what is needed and less than a quarter of what was coming into Gaza before the blockade was enforced.
Hamas: Flotilla shows whole world opposes Gaza siege
The Hamas leader in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh said Saturday that if Israel behaved like pirates and attacked the international Freedom Flotilla carrying 10,000 tons of aid meant for Gaza, then the Palestinians will have won.
Israelis opened fire before boarding Gaza flotilla, say released activists
Obama extends fence-mending invitation to Netanyahu
Barack Obama has invited the Israeli Prime Minister to the White House next week, for an apparent "fence-mending" visit. The President's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel delivered the invitation in person to Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem yesterday, while on a family visit.
Martin: Irish citizens 'kidnapped' in international waters
The Minister for Foreign Affairs has accused Israel of kidnapping Irish citizens in international waters.
UN calls for impartial probe of Israeli raid
After an emergency meeting and marathon negotiations that lasted nearly 12 hours, the 15 council members finally agreed on a presidential statement. It was weaker than what was initially demanded by the Palestinians, Arabs and Turkey because of objections by the United States, Israel's closest ally.
The US is still abetting Israel's crimes at the UN.
Turkey wants US condemnation of Israeli raid
Obama urges Netanyahu to get facts on Gaza ship raid
U.S. President Barack Obama told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he deeply regretted the loss of life in an Israeli raid on a Gaza–bound aid flotilla on Monday and urged him to quickly collect all the facts about the incident.
Israel, Egypt ease Gaza blockade after deadly raid
In a jab at Israel, Clinton said the situation in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas and under an Israeli blockade, is "unsustainable and unacceptable."
Israel deports Corpus Christi man in flotilla
Meadors is a survivor of Israel's 1967 attack on the USS Liberty.
Israel boat raid sparks condemnations, protests
A group founded by Nelson Mandela that includes Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu and former President Jimmy Carter said "the treatment of the people of Gaza is one of the world's greatest human rights violations and that the blockade is not only illegal, it is counterproductive."
EU seeks inquiry into Israeli military action
The European Union called for an immediate inquiry into deaths aboard aid ships seized by Israel's navy Monday and urged Israel to allow the free flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Arabs demand independent probe of Israeli raid
The U.N. Security Council is holding an emergency meeting on Israel's deadly commando raid on ships taking humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip, with the Palestinians and Arab nations calling for condemnation and an independent investigation.
Flotilla Set for Final Leg of Gaza Blockade-Busting Bid
"We will now have to go to the north and lose the Cypriot and Greek politicians, but we have members of parliament from Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Norway and Bulgaria. We are going to put them on a boat in Famagusta,"
UN rights body votes to dispatch independent probe into ‘attack’ on Gaza aid convoy
Strongly condemning Israel’s actions against the humanitarian flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted today to dispatch an independent, international probe into violations of international law resulting from Monday’s incident.
Hebron URGENT ACTION: The Tent of Nations... Needs to hear from all the Nations
"The Tent of Nations," a 100-acre family farm near Bethlehem, Palestine, received nine demolition orders from Israeli civil authorities to destroy buildings, animal shelters, the water system, and even the toilets. The family has had three days to appeal the order ending tomorrow Sunday, May 30. The bulldozers could arrive as early as midnight tonight.
The Strategic Ally Myth by Philip Giraldi
Zuckerman’s latest contribution to international harmony is a lengthy piece in the US News & World Report entitled “Israel Is a Key Ally and Deserves US Support.” It is a propaganda piece that promotes one of the most persistent fictions put out by the mainstream media, that the relationship with Israel somehow benefits the United States
Israel stations nuclear missile subs off Iran
Three German-built Israeli submarines equipped with nuclear cruise missiles are to be deployed in the Gulf near the Iranian coastline.
Obama's Timidity and Deaths at Sea
So, you see, the Israeli military resorted to violence only in self-defense. Right........“Muslims do not ‘hate our freedom,’ but rather, they hate our policies. The overwhelming majority voice their objections to what they see as one-sided support in favor of Israel and against Palestinian rights.” A very good article by former CIA Ray McGovern.
Workers trained in settlements build new Palestinian suburb
Khalil is not proud of the work he did in settlements in annexed east Jerusalem, but said he was forced to do so in order to support a family of six.
Israel and Harman in Tandem: From High Seas to Airwaves
Harman, a powerful member of the center-right Blue Dog Coalition, is one of the Israeli government's most valued allies on Capitol Hill. She's a standout -- even in a Congress teeming with fervent apologists for Israel's relentless suppression of Palestinian rights.
Walking fine line, US doesn't condemn Israeli raid
Clinton said life under the blockade in Gaza is "unsustainable and unacceptable."
How Disinformation Works by Philip Giraldi
The Times story additionally relates that Israeli defense minister Ehud Barack allegedly showed President Obama “classified satellite images of a convoy of ballistic missiles leaving Syria on the way to Hezbollah in Lebanon.” The fact is that US intelligence, which has far better capabilities than the Israelis, cannot verify the missile story that the Israelis have been peddling for several months. The Israelis clearly want the US to buy into the scud threat, but CIA analysts have so far found the evidence unconvincing.
U.S. Witness To Israeli Sea Raid Tells What He Saw
"We had talked about what to do and how to be non-violent because the last thing you want to do is provoke armed soldiers. I've seen three newspapers since the plane landed in New Jersey, and several times the Israelis have been quoted as saying that their guys were armed with paint guns. Well, indeed they were, as well as pistols and automatic rifles and stun(?) grenades and pepper spray."
Turkey PM: Critics of Iran should get rid of nukes
Nations criticizing an Iranian nuclear fuel–swap deal brokered by Brazil and Turkey should eliminate their own nuclear weapon stockpiles, Turkey's leader said Friday
US reassured Netanyahu ahead of NPT deal: Israeli official
Consternation over the resolution has welled up in Israel, where the top–selling Yediot Aharonot daily said Netanyahu's government was "furious with the Obama administration for having failed to prevent the resolution from passing... and for choosing to support it." Israel needs to get with the program. They are not above the law.
Most Sycophantic Apology for Israeli Attack
The Israeli military attacks an aid ship in international waters and kills at least 10 people.
Naturally, Israel is the victim.
Tempe protest of Israeli raid scheduled today
Protestors in Tempe Tuesdaywill join a growing number of international demonstrations condemning Israel's Mondayraid of ships carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists and aid workers from as many as 38 countries trying to reach the Gaza Strip with supplies.
State official: Obama provided Israel with historic guarantees
The source noted that the US had effectively promised Israel that no decision made by the NPT conference would harm Israel's vital interests. One rule for Israel, one rule for the rest of the world.
Netanyahu: World 'Hypocritical' for Condemning Gaza Flotilla Raid
He's as bad as Imanutterjob.
Israeli raid on flotilla an intentional message for Gaza and the rest of the world
The message from Israel was simple: We don’t care about your laws, rights, civilians, or what you think of us. We care only about maintaining our occupation regime through the use of force – and there is nothing you can do to stop us.
Britain vows to change policy allowing U.K. to arrest Israeli politicians
Speaking to reporters early Thursday, the Foreign Secretary said that "we cannot have a position where Israeli politicians feel they cannot visit this country and indeed not just Israel, but this could apply to many other nations as well. So this has to be put right. And that is well understood and agreed in the coalition government."
Israel trying to limit diplomatic damage from raid
International envoy Tony Blair told The Associated Press that Israel should ease the blockade and let more supplies in. He said the blockade was "counterproductive," but said it would be hard to lift it because of Israel's objections.
Israeli Murders, NATO and Afghanistan
nobody wants or expects military action against Israel. But there is an uneasy recognition that in theory that ought to be on the table, and that NATO is obliged to do something robust to defend Turkey.
In cold blood - Why Israel's state thuggery must be stopped
If any basket-case state, or crazed despot, or terrorist group perpetrated such an outrage, the world would be united in outrage. Yet despite a UN security council condemnation and Turkey’s (seemingly justified) accusation of state terrorism, the West has sounded strangely muted.
Md. Mideast peace activist recounts flotilla ordeal
"The people didn't want to be boarded," he said. "We tried to resist passively, which the Israeli people were not prepared to accept." A fellow American on the ship, Joe Meadors, a Texas activist, was hit with a paintball fired by the commandos, whose heads were covered with balaclavas, said Peck.
Ex-US envoy Commandos ordered me to 'sit down'
'The Israelis told me, 'You’ve broken Israeli law.' I said, ‘Which one?’ They said, 'You have entered the country illegally.' I said, 'I’m sorry.' But if I’m brought into the country under armed escort that is not entering the country illegally. Forcibly. We’ll they don’t agree with that. I was deported so I suppose that goes on my record.“
What’s Behind White House Strategy To Woo U.S. Jews
Military cooperation, an issue usually discussed privately between the governments of Israel and the United States, has been a key theme of the administration’s outreach effort. In public speeches and in private meetings, Obama administration officials have provided Jewish audiences with a detailed list of U.S. measures taken to strengthen Israel.
Crime writer Mankell held in Israel after aid boat attack: Sweden
Mankell, whose books about world–weary detective Kurt Wallander have sold more than 25 million copies worldwide and have been adapted to film and television, said he was taking part in the flotilla to show his solidarity towards the Palestinian people.
Reporting Israeli Assault Through Israel's Eyes
Many of the analysis pieces in major papers focused on the fallout for Israel and the United States, rather than the civilians killed or the humanitarian crisis they were trying to address. .....According to Craig Murray (5/31/10), former British ambassador and specialist on maritime law, the legal position "is very plain": "To attack a foreign flagged vessel in international waters is illegal. It is not piracy, as the Israeli vessels carried a military commission. It is rather an act of illegal warfare." Our media is controlled by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, in case you hadn't noticed.
Obama administration concerned about Gaza incident
Church Report Deemed ‘Anti-Israel’ Endangers Jewish-Presbyterian Ties
The country’s main Presbyterian denomination is set to consider officially endorsing a church report on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that Jewish groups are condemning in the strongest terms The Presbyterians evidently know the truth and are actually trying to do something about it, bless their hearts.
Pro-Israel Dems Defend Raid
New York Democratic Reps. Anthony Weiner, Jerrold Nadler, Gary Ackerman, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.) have all vigorously supported Israel’s boarding an aid ship bound for the blockaded Gaza — an act that resulted in ten deaths and a U.N. condemnation.
No weapons on stormed Turkish ship: Report
Activists describe Israeli raid on Gaza aid convoy
The activists, speaking on their return home, said as well as firing live and plastic rounds, commandos had administered electric shocks and beaten passengers during the assault.
Parents of Rachel Corrie Respond to Gaza Flotilla Attack and sailing of MV Rachel Corrie
Western Leaders are too Cowardly to Help Save Lives By Robert Fisk
it is a fact, is it not, that had Europeans (and yes, the Turks are Europeans, are they not?) been gunned down by any other Middle Eastern army (which the Israeli army is, is it not?) there would have been waves of outrage.
Mossad Chief: Israel Gradually Becoming Burden on U.S.
Former CIA head of the Bin Laden unit, Michael Scheuer, will tell you the same thing, in the least.
Welcome to Obama’s Jewish America
Still, the White House's message was timely: Obama would not be second-guessed by his pro-Israel critics on his friendship to the Jewish community and to Israel. The reception included a traditional reference to the "unbreakable" Israel-U.S. alliance dating back to within minutes of Israel's establishment.
All At Sea
under article 3 of the Rome Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation of 1988, it is an international crime for any person to seize or exercise control over a ship by force, and also a crime to injure or kill any person in the process.
Video: Israel's Gaza PR Offensive
Thusly is the Orwellian nature of all things Israel revealed: Up is Down, Left is Right, Black is White: the Israeli commandos donning balaclavas were acting in 'self defense' by rappeling down onto a civilian ship in international waters and one where the passengers fought back. Mmm k.
Israel Studies: Scholarly Pursuit or Public Diplomacy?
The growth and development over the past decade of what has become known as Israel studies owes much to politically motivated donors who have endowed chairs, imported dozens of visiting Israeli scholars, and set up Israel studies institutes across the country, from Harvard University to the University of California at Berkeley. For these donors — among them, prominent Jewish philanthropists Charles Bronfman and Lynn Schusterman — the academics are pro-Israel soldiers on the heated battlefields of American campuses.....There are now eight institutes or centers for Israel studies in North America, with 11 endowed chairs and dozens of visiting professorships. Every chair, and every institute, bears the name of a rich benefactor; the Schusterman family alone funds 20 visiting Israeli scholars every year.........donors were convinced that the best way for them to combat anti-Israel sentiment would be through endowing chairs and setting up institutes. Hasbara (Israeli propaganda) has now been further entrenched into America. The pro-Israelis are taking over on campuses to make sure that the truth about Israel does not get out.
The U.S.S. Liberty and the culture of impunity
Soon after the Liberty attack, [National Security Agency director Lieutenant General Marshall] Carter appeared before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee to discuss the Liberty. [Deputy Secretary of Defense] Cyrus Vance joined him... "Cy Vance just told me to keep my mouth shut," [Gerard] Burke [Carter's chief of staff] recalled his boss telling him.... "There was absolutely no question in anybody's mind that the Israelis had done it deliberately," Burke said. "I was angrier because of the cover-up... The only mystery to me was why was the thing being covered up."...
Israel rejects new drive to ban nukes from Mideast
Israel declared late Saturday that it would not take part in a 2012 conference on establishing a nuclear–free Middle East – an Arab–led initiative backed by top ally U.S. and the 188 other signatories to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
The Audacity of the Free Gaza Flotilla
Ironically, on one passenger ship will be Joe Meaders, a U.S. citizen who is a survivor of the Israeli air and naval attack on a United States Navy ship, the USS Liberty, in 1967 killed 34 U.S. sailors and wounded 173. The Israeli government has never acknowledged, much less apologized for, the deaths of these sailors, nor the destruction of the USS Liberty.
Hamas leader says group has no problem with US
"We don't have a problem whatsoever with the United States or with American interests," Khaled Meshaal told PBS television in an interview. ......"If America wants democracy and human rights, it has to give the same rights to the people in the region," he argued.
Israel recoils as US backs nuclear move
Washington's unprecedented backing for a UN resolution for a nuclear–free Middle East that singles out Israel has both angered and deeply worried the Jewish state although officials are cagey about openly criticising their biggest ally.
Gaza Flotilla: This is What Smart Strategy Looks Like
Israel's Most Illicit Affair
South African money helped Israel became a major arms manufacturer and exporter and funded its high-tech economy, while Pretoria gained access to cutting-edge weapons and military technology at a time when most of the world sought to isolate and condemn the apartheid regime. For the ensuing two decades Israel continued to publicly denounce apartheid while at the same time secretly propping up the white-minority government and helping sustain racial supremacy.
Analysis: High-seas raid deepens Israeli isolation
"The attack on a humanitarian mission ... will only further alienate the international community and isolate Israel while granting added legitimacy to Hamas' claim to represent the plight of the Palestinian people," said Scott Atran, an analyst at the University of Michigan.
Gaza convoy raid may boost militancy, experts say
Revulsion at the bloodshed on a Turkish vessel sailing to the Palestinian enclave could translate into increased fund–raising for transnational militant groups such as al Qaeda or like–minded allies, or foster tolerance or even sympathy for such groups among Muslims who are not otherwise ideological. In some cases, it could push passive al Qaeda sympathizers into active participation against Israel or its Western allies, and undermine the international cooperation needed for tracking down illicit funding of militant groups, they said.
Time to Call Out Israel's Bad Behavior
Still Think Israel Doesn’t Control the United States?
Few Americans know the real reason for the Arab oil embargo of the early seventies: any nation that supported Israel during the Yom Kippur war was a target. That is the reason for this legislation.
Protest at DC's Israeli Embassy
Protesters have returned to the White House to call on the President to denounce the blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Peter Beinart: In His Own Words
Mosque’s Plan To Expand Near Ground Zero Sparks Debate
Jewish leaders involved in interfaith dialogue praised Rauf as an important partner. “He’s one of the most constructive forces of Islam in the U.S. today, and indeed internationally,” said Rabbi David Rosen, the American Jewish Committee’s Israel-based director of interreligious affairs, of Rauf. “I think he is a very fair man, and the kind of Muslim voice we need to empower and encourage.”
Ties with Israel may outlast Turkish anger at raid
other officials were delivering messages of restraint and Turkey said it was not canceling plans to accept $183 million (euro150.56 million) worth of Israeli drone planes this summer.
The Mediterranean Massacre by Justin Raimondo
Expert Advice from The Washington Times by Philip Giraldi
Scarborough quoted a retired US Air Force Colonel named John Warden (possibly General Jack D. Ripper in alias) who suggested that the United States should deal with Iran by shutting down the country’s electrical generation capability for the foreseeable future because “Iran cannot sustain a nuclear research program if they don’t have electricity and oil and a bunch of other things like that.” John Pike, a “longtime analyst of the Pentagon and intelligence agencies” also quoted in the article, suggests that Israel target the workers at the Iranian nuclear sites.
Bibi’s vassal is frustrated!
Apparently the Palestinians were not informed that though they were permitted a vote in 2006, they were only allowed to vote for the Palestinian Authority, which they viewed as corrupt as wrapped up in a peace process that was clearly going nowhere. So a majority voted for Hamas, and since then
Hamas ruled Gaza has been gradually starved to death, attacked by the Israeli military, and starved some more—all in an effort to make the Palestinians regret their choice at the polls.
Israeli Apartheid Group Banned From Toronto Gay Pride Parade
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