Middle East

NOVANEWS What seven years of occupation does BDS goes more and more mainstream Hello merchant of death, can I please bribe you? A wonderfully convenient distraction for anti-Wikileaks forces Political bastardry is now clear for all to see Don’t question uncritical love for Israel, says Aussie Zionist paper Nobody in the Middle East believes that Iraq is no longer occupied Of course Afghans know what “liberation” feels like What on earth will the contractors do? What seven years of occupation does  23 Aug 2010 The legacy: Iraq has between 25 and 50 percent unemployment, a dysfunctional parliament, rampant disease, an epidemic of mental illness, and sprawling slums. The killing of innocent people has become part of daily life. What a havoc the United States has wreaked in Ir...

NOVANEWS Bil’in’s Abdallah Abu Rahmah Cleared of Stone-Throwing; Convicted of Incitement From the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee. Protest organizer Abdallah Abu Rhamah from Bil’in was convicted of incitement and organizing illegal demonstrations today, after an eight months long military trial, during which he was kept behind bars. He was acquitted of a stone-throwing charge and a vindictive arms-possession charge. Abdallah Abu Rahmah’s verdict was read today in a packed military court room, concluding an eight months long politically motivated show-trial. Diplomats from France, Malta, Germany, Spain and the UK, as well as a representative of the European Union were in attendance to observe the trial. Many of his friends, supporters and family members showed up to send their sup...

NOVANEWS          *  Australia is a cartoon nightmare Murdoch loves spreading bile; nice little earner Nerdy Zionists rule ok! Obama’s “peace talks” will lead to disaster What independent thinkers look like How could Wikileaks be silenced? Sending useless goods to Gaza One way not to target Wikileaks Australian Labor Party is a shell that believes in little Australia is a cartoon nightmare 22 Aug 2010 What a blast. Here’s how a Taiwanese news service viewed the Australian election. If only more news was like this: Murdoch loves spreading bile; nice little earner  22 Aug 2010 Frank Rich in the New York Times: How do you win Muslim hearts and minds in Kandahar when you are calling Muslims every filthy name in the book in New York? In the five months after The Times’s i...

NOVANEWS 08/23/2010           Report from ground zero The new anti-Semitism The Audacity of Hope – the U.S. boat to Gaza IDF doesn’t want Eden Abergil to become a poster child New York Times vs. direct negotiations ‘Israel was attacked in ‘47′ and other howlers from the pen of George Will A hidden witness to the Brown Shirts now prepares to go to Gaza Report from ground zero Aug 22, 2010 Zach Morris The new anti-Semitism Aug 22, 2010  Adam Horowitz Last week Daniel Luban had an important piece in the Tablet comparing the current wave of Islamophobia, spearheaded by the opposition to Park 51 in New York, with "many of the tropes of classic anti-Semitism." Luban notes the shameful, and given the comparison, ironic, role of Jews in this surge of hate: While activists like Pam Gelle...

NOVANEWS  08/22/2010: Ayaan Hirsi Ali misuses Samuel Huntington The ‘oil curse’ explains Iraq power struggle better than Sunni-Shiite divide Now is the time to discuss the one-state solution Bayoumi and Arraf discuss Midnight on the Mavi Marmara with GRITtv ‘NYT’ finally lets its readers know that 2SS is all but over ‘Jewish voter’ meme is journalistic mystification Ayaan Hirsi Ali misuses Samuel Huntington Aug 21, 2010  Michael Desch The ‘oil curse’ explains Iraq power struggle better than Sunni-Shiite divide Aug 21, 2010  James North I’ve wasted too much time over the past couple of decades trying to figure out Iraq by reading about the theological differences between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. I should have paid even more attention to the growing body of fascinating research into...

NOVANEWS Aussie election brings very mixed results Staying on top of the tweeting Aussie election count Israel poor materially and morally Voting time down under What being assimilated means for some US Jews Aussie election brings very mixed results  21 Aug 2010 Yesterday’s election in Australia remains unresolved, a hung parliament and massively high Green vote. More here, here, here, here and here. Truly progressive politics did very well but the uncertainty means that Australians don’t yet know if the right-wing Labor Party or more right-wing Liberal Party are in charge.   Staying on top of the tweeting Aussie election count  20 Aug 2010 For regular updates during the day of Australia Votes 2010, these twitter feeds are useful (here and here).   Israel poor materia...

NOVANEWS Jon Stewart: Is Fox News a terrorist command centre? Colbert: Iraq will now always be remembered as the war that ended early BBC reporter gets “access” with Israel to “report” Mavi Marmara Fisk on America’s great loss in Iraq “Anti-Semitism” police on the prowl What the Australian election campaign says about us Hearing the millions of stolen women Is that story you’re reading provided by the lobby? Israel still considering bombing Iran no matter the evidence Jon Stewart: Is Fox News a terrorist command centre?  20 Aug 2010 Colbert: Iraq will now always be remembered as the war that ended early  20 Aug 2010 BBC reporter gets “access” with Israel to “report” Mavi Marmara 20 Aug 2010 BBC Panorama investigate the Mavi Marmara incident off the coast ...

NOVANEWS by Eitan Isaacson, crossposted at his Monotonous.org blog. “I still don’t understand what I did wrong. Seriously, I don’t understand!” Eden said during a morning radio interview after pictures of her posing next to blindfolded Palestinian detainees were found on her Facebook page. Of course she doesn’t understand, she spent “the best years” of her life serving in an army of occupation, immersed in a culture that is blind to the humanity of it’s subject population. It’s not a sentiment reserved for the lower ranks, or the middle ranks, it goes all the way up. It’s a mentality where the only people with mothers are people who speak Hebrew. The Israeli army is where youthful experimentation occurs, you get to humiliate, you get to intimidate, and if you are lucky: you get to kill. ...

NOVANEWS 1948 and Israel’s deceptive bargaining position August 19, 2010  by Michael Leon   Human Being in Palestine - Reuters Mohamad Torokman - Israel’s demand that Palestinians recognize it as a Jewish state sounds reasonable — unless you understand 1948 - By Ben White in Salon The refrain from Israeli politicians and the country’s allies and apologists is familiar: There can be no peace deal until the Palestinians “recognize” Israel as “a Jewish state.” While this can sound reasonable to the casual listener in the West, this demand actually points to critical flaws in the “peace process” and the way in which the international community approaches the Palestine/Israel question. This is because such a demand, and understanding why it is so unacceptable to Palestinians, means going bac...