A Stand For Justice
Mubarak exit sets off celebrations across Mideast
In Gaza, hopes were rising that a nearly four–year–old blockade of the Hamas–ruled territory might be coming to an end. Egypt had helped Israel enforce the blockade, which has kept some 1.5 million people confined to the tiny territory.
Across Gaza, many thousands rushed into the streets late Friday. Gunmen fired in the air and women distributed candy. "God bless Egypt, it's a day of joy and God willing all corrupt leaders in the world will fall," said Radwa Abu Ali, 55, one of those handing out sweets.
WikiLeaks: Suleiman told Israel he would 'cleanse' Sinai of arms runners to Gaza
Turkey Gaza flotilla probe: Five shot dead at close range
The report said Israeli soldiers fired live bullets from helicopters, killing two of the activists, even before they had rappelled on board. Five of the victims were killed from close range, it added.
Furkan Dogan, the 19-year-old Turkish-American, was lying wounded after being shot in the leg when he was kicked by two soldiers, who then shot him from close range execution-style, according to the summary. This recent news was evidently not newsworthy in the mainstream American media as, I've not seen it mentioned anywhere.
Gaza celebrates Mubarak exit; Hamas demands change
Arrest of children – Violation of rights
In the four months between 18 October 2010 and 1 February 2011, DCI-Palestine has investigated 31 cases from Silwan, and collected 25 sworn affidavits, 22 of which were taken from children. In two out of the 22 cases, the children were not arrested. In one of these cases, the child was beaten and then immediately released by soldiers, and in the other case, an 11-year-old boy was struck in the head with a rubber coated steel bullet. The ages of the 22 children range from 7 to 17 years.
Israel watches Mubarak ouster with trepidation
Israel watched Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation with trepidation Friday, concerned the ouster of its staunchest Arab ally might endanger a peace treaty between the two countries and help boost Islamists already on the rise in the region.
Minister: Israel must move ahead toward peace
Palestinian Authority Cabinet resigns
The internationally backed Palestinian Authority in the West Bank has been trying to show that it's responsive to demands for reform, following the mass protests that have toppled the autocratic leaders of Tunisia and Egypt. Over the weekend, the government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced it will hold long–overdue elections by September.
Palestinians to hold elections by September
A JNF Drive To Make the Desert Bloom Means Destruction for a Bedouin Village
The village, until last summer a modest gathering of 45 homes in the desert, five miles north of Beersheba, was first demolished by the tractors and bulldozers of the Israel Land Administration, a government agency, last July, to lay the groundwork for the JNF forestation project. But the villagers have returned repeatedly to rebuild ramshackle structures symbolizing their claim to own the land, only to see the tractors and bulldozers return to destroy them again in what is now a cycle attracting international attention.
...F, whose charter specifies it may lease lands under its control only to Jews, was involved in the confiscation of properties from Arabs in the Palestinian East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan in the late 1990s
Israel urges U.S. to reaffirm support in light of Egypt unrest
Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday stressed the importance of U.S. support for Israeli security in light of the political unrest in Egypt, while Ambassador Michael Oren urged the Obama administration to reaffirm its commitment to that regard.
....The U.S. officials stressed their country’s “unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security, including through our continued support for Israel’s military, and the unprecedented security cooperation between our two governments,” the White House said in its statement.
....“I think [cutting aid to Israel is] unlikely to happen. When there are deficits, it’s very easy to start talking about cutting foreign aid, because most people don’t care about foreign aid, but there is strong bipartisan support for Israel at the Congress”, said Engel. Israel says to US: "Jump!". The US replies: "How high?"
Mullen: US depends on military ties with Israel
Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed the instability in Egypt with Israeli President Shimon Peres on Monday. He said the American–Israeli alliance is "something we both depend on."
Malarkey.
Israel Warns It Might Act on Iranian Warships Passing Through Suez Canal
Palestinians say vote Friday on settlements
Mansour, the Palestinian envoy, said the draft resolution used language from previous resolutions and statements by the Quartet, which includes the U.S., U.N., European Union and Russia, in order to get maximum support.
The resolution says that "Israeli settlements established in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, are illegal and constitute a major obstacle to the achievement of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace."
Irvine faculty members seek dropping of student charges
During the Feb. 8, 2010 speech by Michael Oren, the 11 defendants stood one by one and shouted at the ambassador, calling him a “mass murderer” and a “war criminal,” among other insults. The disruptions, organized to protest Israeli actions in Gaza, prompted Oren to walk off the stage twice.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center on Tuesday commended the district attorney for charging the students. They were charged with a crime for heckling the Israeli ambassador? Is this not America? Look at the fascists applauding the charges.
In Budget-Cut Theater, Israel's a Prime Plot Device
Aid to Israel is seen in the political system as a given and is spared the debate that almost all other budget expenses are subject to.
Rand Paul has now put aid to Israel in the spotlight. And even though his call to cut the funding will not cause Israel to lose a penny from the assistance it receives from America, it will make people look again. Here’s an easy exercise: Try to remember, when was the last time the media reported on legislation providing aid to Israel? Hard to remember. The $3 billion package usually gets a couple of lines in the Congressional newspapers and a brief notice in the Jewish media.
Let’s Go to Plan B by Philip Giraldi
Apart from wanting to prop up a dubious arrangement whereby Israel’s most powerful neighbor is neutralized, the United States has no vital interest whatsoever in talking nice to Egypt. The claim that a hostile Egypt might close the Suez Canal is nonsensical as the country relies heavily on the income that it generates, whoever is in charge.
A Marc Too Far by Philip Giraldi
Hillary Clinton has appointed Marc Grossman her special AfPak representative to replace Richard Holbrooke. Readers of TAC might well recall the Grossman saga as related by FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds. Per Edmonds, Grossman was involved in suspected illegal activity connected to the Turkish and Israeli governments and was under investigation by the FBI.
Knesset committee approves bill allowing Israel boycotters to be fined
The Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee approved a bill on Tuesday that calls for heavy fines to be imposed on Israeli citizens who initiate or incite boycotts against Israel, despite the Foreign Ministry's objections.
Ahmadinejad: Egyptian protests herald new Mideast
US response to Egypt draws criticism in Israel
russia No New Iran Sanctions, No Attack
According to the Associated Press, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said yesterday in Europe that his country wouldn’t take part in more sanctions aimed solely at crippling Iran’s broader economy.
What’s more, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov swore off the “threat of” and the “use of force” as “effective tool(s)” against Iran.
Quartet urges Israel, Arabs to heed Egypt risk
U.S. Preparing Aid Package For Egypt Opposition
US can blame itself for anger in the Middle East, and start making peace
is it perhaps all about Israel? Yet why should that state constitute the seeming touchstone of everything that we do in the region? After all, Israel is overwhelmingly the most powerful military state in the Middle East, acts at will in the Middle East under the protection of American veto, manipulates our own domestic politics in its favor, and is now run by the most inflexible and ultra-right-wing government in Israeli history, while soaking up more American foreign aid per capita than any other state. The US still backs Israel against the Palestinians in an Israeli occupation now into its fifth decade.
Ron Paul seeks vote to end foreign aid to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Pakistan
"Borrowing money from China -- or printing it out of thin air -- to hand out overseas in [an] attempt to purchase friends has been a failing foreign policy, as we see most recently in Egypt where there is not even a government in place!" Paul wrote in his Dear Colleague letter. "We should seek friendly relations and trade overseas, but we cannot justify lavish gifts to foreign leaders when American taxpayers are increasingly feeling the pain of our economic crisis."
Lawsuit on Hamas slayings lingers in court in RI
It's been nearly 15 years since a machine–gun attack by Hamas militants killed U.S. citizen Yaron Ungar and his pregnant wife, Efrat, as they drove home from a wedding in Israel. Their relatives sued in American courts under a statute allowing U.S. citizens and their estates to seek damages for overseas acts of terrorism.
Israel rejects William Hague's 'belligerent' claim
While there is broad acceptance that President Hosni Mubarak could remain in office until September as a transition to democracy is engineered, there is little sympathy with Israel's view that he must be shored up at all costs.
Our Fallen
In the Jewish community, there is often more focus on those Americans who enlist in the Israel Defense Forces than those who have chosen to fight under the stars and stripes. It’s an unspoken, uncomfortable truth: the IDF is the Jewish military. About 650 of the “lone soldiers” currently serving in the IDF are dual American-Israeli citizens, and there are untold numbers of foreign volunteers.
By contrast, of the U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, only 1,500 are Jewish, 1% of the total currently deployed there.
Wikileaks: The economic reasons behind the siege on Gaza
This document demonstrates that the Israeli government is in fact strangling the Gazan economy in order to turn Gaza into a captive market for Israeli products and maintain demand for the Israeli shekel -- all in the name of "fighting terrorism." It also demonstrates that the international community -- and especially the US -- have allowed this policy to continue.
Barely a Minyan For Allies of Israel
Israel has many friends in Congress. In fact, any pro-Israel letter or resolution easily gains hundreds of supporters in the House and a large majority in Senate.
But on Wednesday night, supporters of Israel managed to fill only half a room in one of the congressional office buildings at the Allies of Israel Caucus reception on Capitol Hill.
..“Israel is yet to find a partner for peace,” said Rep. Engel at the event. “We cannot want peace more than anyone else.” The new Republican co-chair of the caucus, Trent Franks of Arizona — who is also the new chairman of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties — stressed that “when America stands with Israel, it blesses America and it blesses Israel.”
Why the Palestinian Authority Is Worried About Egypt
Three times in the last two weeks, PA security forces have dispersed young Palestinians gathering to demonstrate solidarity with the crowds in Cairo and Tunis. The last crackdown came Wednesday night, when a small group organized through Facebook assembled near the lion sculptures of Ramallah's central square, only to be shoved back by police batons. The next day a police spokesman warned that "unlicensed gatherings" could bring chaos.
Bravo, Egypt
The first question of many Americans is “what does it mean for Israel?” Well, I’m pretty sure Egypt won’t cooperate too much longer in Israel’s ugly siege of Gaza, and that has to be good for the Palestinians. Since Israel is now in a self-defeating downward spiral, based on the belief that it can get away, forever, with crushing the aspirations of Palestinians, what the Egyptians have achieved is likely to be good for Israel too.
Mubarak’s Departure May Offer Face Saving Solution for Israel’s Iran-Hawks
While some hawks have warned that the Egyptian revolution could be co-opted by the Muslim Brotherhood, Benn sees the revolution as a largely secular movement. But that doesn’t mean that the new Egyptian leadership will be helpful in backing Israeli attempts to pressure Iran or supportive of a military strike.
Joint Chiefs chairman to reassure Jordan, Israel
Israeli FM Threatens War With Iran Over Suez Warship Claim
Though the threat appeared to be taken all too seriously in financial circles, it should be pointed out that Lieberman tends to make idle threats and his influence on Israeli foreign policy appears to be extremely minimal. Likewise, it doesn’t seem the two warships could even theoretically pose an offensive threat to Israel, though they might well be offered as defensive backup if, as is often threatened, Israel starts new wars in the region.
Mubarak's departure thwarted Israeli strike on Iran
Iranians Support Egypt During Celebration of Their Revolution
"The sword will bring you down from your palaces of oppression with the help of God," Ahmadinejad told the crowd. "Very soon, the new Middle East will have no Israel and no America. The new Middle East will have no superpowers." (
Egypt-inspired protests gain pace across region
BBC Persian report on “Iranium” « LobeLog.com
BBC Persian has an excellent report on another piece of propaganda: the neoconservative-dominated “Iranium” documentary from the Clarion Fund.
The BBC Persian piece notes that the film’s writer and director, Alex Traiman, is an ideological Israeli settler who lives in the West Bank; it is critical of many of the facts and figures in the film.
Watching unrest in Egypt, US Jews voice many concerns, some hopes
“We don’t feel they should be rushing into elections because it’s likely they would get the same results that Hamas got in Gaza,” Klein says. “They won fair and square but is that good for the world and the region? We must say, no.”
APN’s Friedman on AJC’s Harris Linkage-denial
Lara Friedman, of Americans for Peace Now, has a great post up on Huffington in which she debunks the many claims of American Jewish Committee Chief David Harris.
Friedman takes on Harris’s attempt to debunk ‘linkage,’ the concept that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a burden on U.S. policy-making in the Middle East. This has been a neoconservative effort of late, which has been mostly absurd, and sometimes from Israel itself, on the dime of a pretty far right-wing Israel lobby group.
Muslims and Christians Protest as One
Where's outrage for other abuses
As long as the American government turns a blind eye to the human and civil rights violations being committed in the name of Americans and with the tax dollars of all Americans in Israel's occupied territories, we should, at the very least, remain silent about the abuses committed by others.
Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Where-s-outrage-for-other-abuses-993599.php#ixzz1Eppf9sSs
Overkill in Orange County
he decision last week by Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas to bring criminal conspiracy charges against the students now, a year after the fact, is completely disproportionate. There is no good reason to take these college students to court, threaten them with as much as six months in jail and jeopardize their futures and careers over a nonviolent protest that didn't, ultimately, prevent the ambassador from speaking. Fascist pro-Israelis win again.
U.S. Embassy to Jordan reiterates U.S. support of King Abdullah amidst regional unrest
This endorsement comes mere days after Abdullah swore in a new government led by Marouf Bakhit, who has promised to widen public freedoms in response to the anti-government protests that have swept the region.
WikiLeaks: Suleiman vowed to prevent Hamas rule in Gaza
According to the memo, the then-Egyptian intelligence minister told Israeli defense official Amos Gilad during a meeting six years ago that he would "do all in his power to sabotage the Gaza elections in order to prevent a Hamas victory.
Fireworks in Beirut over Mubarak's resignation
Politics and Nonsense on Egypt
There was no doubt that the events in Cairo were momentous and, therefore, deserving of response. In the case of most US political leaders, however, struggling to come up with the right TV sound bite didn't require actually knowing anything about Egypt. All that was needed was to frame the issue through either the prism of partisanship or that of unbending loyalty to Israel. The result was a string of comments, some bizarre, others dangerous.
Egypt army commits to power transfer, Israel peace
The US as Israel's Enabler in the Middle East
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