Shimon Peres, the Noble Laureate for Peace (reember?) speaks his mind:
On Channel 4 news at noon, directly quoted:
“We know many Palestinian children have been killed. No Israeli children have been killed. Why? Because we take care of our children.”
Isn’t this upside down, Mr. Peres? Surely, you meant to say:”The reason so many Palestinian children have died, is because we look after them?”
Gaza SITUATION REPORT FROM THE HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR: UN
The Israeli military operation entered its eleventh day, with the civilian population of Gaza continuing to bear the brunt of the violence. Israeli air, sea and ground forces continue to surround Gazan populated areas. The Gaza and North Gaza governorates remain isolated from the rest of the Strip. Internal movement within the Strip is extremely difficult because of ongoing hostilities and the destruction of essential infrastructure. The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate.
The Blame Game in Gaza: Erasing Israeli actions to fault only Hamas; Media Advisory
The Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip that began in late December have reportedly killed over 500 Palestinians, many of them civilians and children. As is often the case, U.S. corporate media’s presentation of the events leading up to this dramatic escalation in violence have laid the blame for the violence mostly with Hamas, whose rocket attacks on Israel are often cited as the cause for the current Israeli attacks. In many media discussions about the events that led to the fighting, emphasis is placed on Hamas’ decision in late December to allow a cease-fire agreement with Israel to expire, or the group’s failure to adequately suppress rocket attacks into Israel during the cease-fire.
WITNESSES TO ISRAEL’S WAR CRIMES: By Rami Almeghari, Live from Palestine, Electronic Intifada
Israel claims to have attacked 1,000 of what it calls “Hamas targets.” Independent media, UN aid officials and human rights organizations have documented that most of these attacks struck private homes, mosques, universities, schools, government buildings, police stations and charities. As of 6 January, the death toll from the Israeli attack approached 600 with thousands more injured. The Electronic Intifada correspondent Rami Almeghari reports from the besieged Gaza Strip.
ISRAEL ON NOTICE, WE ARE COMING: Free Gaza movement
There is a time when silence is complicity and inaction is unacceptable. The ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have lead to the death of over 550 Palestinians, including children and women, and the injury of thousands, with the death and injury toll rapidly rising. Massive violations of international humanitarian law are being committed by Israel, both with regard to its obligations as an Occupying Power and in its conduct of hostilities. The community of states has thusfar failed to comply with their duty to ensure Israel’s respect for the Fourth Geneva Convention and protect the Palestinian civilian population from Israel’s serious and persistent violations in accordance with the Convention. Consequently, we, concerned citizens from Belgium, Columbia, France, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Jordan, Kuwait, Scotland, Spain, and the United States feel that it is our moral duty to do what we can to provide some measure of protection. We are willing to put our bodies on the line to get in the way of Israel’s unlawful violence against innocent Palestinian civilians. In the early hours of Tuesday, December 30, the Israeli Navy violently attacked our motor vessel DIGNITY, which was loaded with medical supplies and carried amongst others, doctors headed to Gaza to assist with the humanitarian crisis there. Neither the ship, nor its passengers and crew constituted any kind of danger to the Israeli Naval Forces. Yet our boat was rammed again and again, in an apparent attempt to disable the vessel, and in a manner that jeopardized the lives of the 16 civilians on board. We will not be deterred by the violence of the Israeli military. We will set out again for Gaza. We are doctors, journalists, members of parliament, and human rights observers trying to reach the people of Gaza to deliver much needed aid and witness the atrocities being committed again the Palestinians there. Israel is hereby put on notice that we are coming. We will announce our exact departure date, time and route, traveling from Cypriot waters, into international waters, directly into Gaza territorial waters, never nearing Israeli waters. The Israeli Navy, Ministry of Defense, and Foreign Ministry will all receive a copy of this notice. Any attack on our vessel will be premeditated and any harm inflicted on the 30 civilians on board will be the result of a deliberate attack on unarmed civilians.
ANALYSIS / Israel is on its way to reoccupying all of the Gaza Strip: Ha’aretz
The way events played out yesterday did not stir the political leadership into thinking of stopping the ground offensive and moving toward a cease-fire. On the contrary, Israel is moving toward a decision to occupy the whole Gaza Strip. The message yesterday from Jerusalem was that it is impossible to end Operation Cast Lead without an achievement, and if in the next two days there is no satisfactory diplomatic solution, Israel will have to broaden the operation.
Now this is what I call good news! Obviously they have learnt a lot from their experiences in Lebanon 2006…
Venezuela ‘to sever Israel ties’: BBC
The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, has said his country is likely to sever ties with Israel in protest at its military offensive in Lebanon. Mr Chavez said he had “no interest” in maintaining relations with Israel, whom he has accused of committing genocide.Venezuela recalled its charge d’affaires to Israel last week, prompting Israel to withdraw its ambassador to Caracas on Monday.
The first but not the last.
Venezuela expels Israeli ambassador over Gaza: Yahoo
CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuela ordered the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and some embassy staff on Tuesday to protest Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip. The decision by President Hugo Chavez, a longtime critic of U.S. and Israeli policy, to kick out the diplomats appeared to be the strongest reaction yet to the Gaza offensive by any country with ties to Israel.Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry announced the move in a statement, saying it “has decided to expel the Israeli ambassador and part of the personnel of the Israeli embassy.”The Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed nearly 600 Palestinians in ground and air strikes. Israel launched the attacks Dec. 27 to stop Palestinian militants from firing rockets into southern Israel.
This may well be the beginning of something big.
Israel offers Gaza aid corridor: BBC
Israel has agreed to set up a “humanitarian corridor” in the Gaza Strip, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said. Israel’s military will open up “areas for limited periods of time, during which the population will be able to receive the aid”, it said. The office said the goal was to “prevent a humanitarian crisis”. The UN Security Council is meeting in New York to discuss a resolution on the Israeli offensive.
Aren’t they nice? Killing everywhere else, but in the corridor? A nive touch of balck humour for the show at the Security Council. We all know how those end up. Always.
Gaza offensive spurs rise in anti-Semitic incidents across Europe: Ha’aretz
The upsurge of hostilities in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip has sparked a steep rise in anti-Semitic incidents across Europe, the Jewish Agency, the Foreign Ministry and European Jewish groups reported on Tuesday.
Now, isn’t this surprising? Hw could one explain this? Any good explanations, please send to Olmert.
Turkey-Israel basketball game canned after pro-Gaza protesters storm court: Ha’aretz
A basketball game between a Turkish and an Israeli team was suspended on Tuesday after Turkish fans erupted in protests against the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, Turkish media reported. A referee suspended the game between Turk Telekom and Bnei Hasharon, part of a European basketball championship, and ordered the players back to the dressing room after hundreds of Turkish fans began chanting “Israel, killers!” in an Ankara sports centre, SkyTurk broadcaster reported.
What a pity! Soon no one will play ball with the murderers.
Hospitalized but defiant, Israeli soldiers eager to return to Gaza battle: Ha’aretz
“I must get back out there,” a wounded Israel Defense Forces soldier said Monday from his hospital bed in Be’er Sheva. He was met with a worried look from his mother, who was sitting by his bedside. Since Israel began its ground offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, the corridors of the Soroka medical center have been filled with wounded soldiers and their relatives, as well as their comrades who came to visit them before heading back into battle.
Does this warm your heart? The boys are itching to get back to the killing fields. How moving. No doubt Spielberg is already working on the Gaza: The Movie. Or maybe it should be called Band of Bandits? Suggestion to be sent directly to him, please!
The view from Ramallah / An Intifada in its infancy?: Ha’aretz
The stores were all shuttered, the streets virtually empty and every corner was guarded by police officers and soldiers deployed by the colonial force, eying small groups of Arab youth while scratching at their batons, machine guns ready. A demonstration of schoolgirls surrounded by riot police decried the massacre and the closed tourist shops screamed loudly for resistance and non-cooperation. The air in East Jerusalem on Sunday, December 28 brought to mind the scene of the general strike called by North African Front Libération National (FLN) in the the 1966 French film, The Battle of Algiers.
Five Israeli soldiers killed in 24 hours, as IDF closes in on Gaza cities: Ha’artez
Israel Defense Forces troops edged closer to Gaza’s main cities on Tuesday, as a sixth IDF soldier was killed in the ground offensive against the coastal strip’s Hamas rulers. The soldier was killed and four others wounded on Tuesday morning when militants opened fire on them during a patrol operation in Gaza City. The soldiers returned fire and identified hitting their targets.
Obama breaks silence on Gaza, calls civilian deaths ‘a deep concern’: Ha’artez
Barack Obama, who takes over as U.S. president from George W. Bush on January 20, broke his silence about the violence in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, calling the loss of civilian lives in Gaza and in Israel a “source of deep concern for me.” Obama added he would adhere to his principle that only Bush should be the voice of U.S. foreign policy at this time but he would have plenty to say after his inauguration in two weeks.
The good news is that Obama reads the papers. The bad news is that he reads the briefing papers from Jerusalem. If this is the new leader of the fre world, lets go back to an non-free world. Please see blow, a Khalil cartoon:
Gazabama by Khalil
IDF shell kills 30 in Gaza UN school; Israel mulls appeal over Hamas fire from UN facilities: Ha’aretz
Israel is considering submitting a complaint to the United Nations of Hamas’ use of the world body’s facilities for terror purposes, after 30 people were killed when an Israeli army artillery shell struck a UN school in Gaza. Israeli troops say that they were fired on from the building. The Israel Defense Forces soldiers attacked the UN-run girl’s school near the Jabalya refugee camp in self-defense, saying militants barricaded inside began firing mortar rounds at them.
The children from the Guardian interview must have been shooting at them! See below.
Can Obama change the Middle East? No, he can’t: The First Post
any Americans who voted for Barack Hussein Obama are hoping that his administration will at last break with America’s traditional, and invariably harmful, behaviour in the Middle East. That would mean letting American oil companies fend for themselves in the free-for-all to control Mideast oil, leaving Israel’s colonists on the West Bank to pay their own way and abandoning the dictatorships in Egypt and Saudi Arabia to face the wrath of their populations without protection from American weapons and spies. And that is as likely as President Obama naming Ralph Nader to head the Securities and Exchange Commission and Patrick Fitzgerald, the US Attorney now prosecuting Obama’s Democratic Party comrades in Illinois, to be Attorney General.
Another first class article by Charlie Glass.
Mads Gilbert, Norwegian Doctor in Gaza: Blog
This includes a video clip from the hospital, and a full transcript, plus a long and interesting blog.
Shaky start of Czech EU presidency: spokesman resigns over Gaza statement
Adri Nieuwhof and Daniel Machover | 05.01.2009 19:34 | Palestine
The European Parliament postponed early December a vote on the proposal by the EU Commission and Council for the draft recommendation to conclude a Protocol to the EU-Israel Association Agreement and on the general principles governing the State of Israel’s participation in Community programmes.his vote would have been an important step in the process of upgrading EU-Israel relations, which was requested by the Israeli Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tzipi Livni, during her hearing in the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs. The majority of parliamentarians called for a postponement of the vote to another date. However, a few days later the EU’s ministerial council decided, against the will of the European parliament, in favour of upgrading Israel’s diplomatic ties with the European Union.
Blood on our hands: YNet News
Shulamit Aloni amazed by public’s ability to get caught up in wave of patriotic zeal over Gaza op Shulamit Aloni Hamas men and their leaders belong to the evil camp, and their hatred for us made them cast away the rational inhibitions required of a leadership that is concerned for the wellbeing of its citizens. Indeed, Hamas’ conduct ever since the Gaza withdrawal and subsequent election victory does not merit any praise. However, Strip residents who are captives of Hamas’ leadership – women, the elderly, children, students, lecturers, hospitals, doctors, and patients – do not have to be punished with destruction, death, and bereavement because of the despicable acts of their leaders.
You can see that even when some of the more liberal Israelis wish to condemn the war, they cannot quite control themselves, and actually start by demonising the Hamas, in manichean, naive terms, so beloved of the sophisticated Israeli public.
day-10-of-israeli-war-on-gaza: Random shelling and Compulsory Migration For Thousands in Gaza Strip
By: Sameh A. Habeeb
The ground military operation started 24 hours ago. Below is a new report for the 9th day of Gaza War and the outcomes of Israeli invasion. For more reporting, breaking news, interviews and accounts in Gaza, you could reach me on my contact info below. Please try both numbers below because there is a big problem in communication resulted in Israeli power cuts.
Many journalist, artist and writers find themselves cut off from any normative way of passing their writing to editors, and use the web to pass out materials. This is one of many – reporting what the media does not see or report.
Fatal attacks on medical staff in Gaza: PNN
Polly Basak for PNN – Medical services are facing severe difficulties in evacuating the injured throughout Gaza. Paramedics and health workers are being attacked by Israeli tank fire and missiles, say human rights groups working in the area. The Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that the targeting of medical personnel is on the rise, while the Red Crescent Society is asking that the Fourth Geneva Convention be invoked. According to the head of the Palestinian emergency health services in Gaza, Dr. Mu’awiya Hasaneen, and the Ministry of Health spokesperson, Hammam Nasman, access to the rising number of wounded and dead is being impeded by the ongoing Israeli gunfire.
Norwegian Doctor Decries Israeli Attacks as ‘an inferno’: CBS/YouTube
A horrifying clip about what is now happening in Gaza
In the US, Gaza is a Different War: By Habib Battah
For now, the Israeli viewpoint seems slated to continue to dominate Gaza coverage. The latest narrative comes from the White House, which has called for a “durable” ceasefire, preventing Hamas terrorists from launching more rockets. Naturally the soundbites are parroted by US broadcasters throughout the day and then reinforced by pundits, fearing the dangerous Hamas.
The BBC: Eyeless in Gaza: Muhammad Idrees Ahmad, The Electronic Intifada
On 29 February last year the BBC’s website reported deputy defense minister Matan Vilnai threatening a “holocaust” on Gaza. Headlined “Israel warns of Gaza ‘holocaust'” the story would undergo nine revisions in the next twelve hours. Before the day was over the headline would read “Gaza militants ‘risking disaster.'” (The story has since been revised again with an exculpatory note added soft-pedaling Vilnai’s comments). An Israeli official threatening “holocaust” may be unpalatable to those who routinely invoke its specter to deflect criticism from the state’s criminal behavior. With the “holocaust” reference redacted, the new headline shifted culpability neatly into the hands of “Gaza militants” instead.
‘People Are Being Killed in Their Homes’ – An Eyewitness Account of Conditions on the Ground in Gaza: ABC News
What we are seeing now is like nothing that’s ever been seen before in the Gaza Strip.
CNN finally confirms that Israel broke ceasefire first: CNN/YouTube
Rick Sanchez does the research and finds that Israel violated the terms of the ceasefire first by killing 6 Gazans on November 4th. Shouldn’t media outlets check the facts before running with a story? They all claimed Hamas broke the Ceasefire!
Gaza aid boat ‘rammed by Israel’: BBC
A boat delivering 3.5 tonnes of Cypriot medical aid to the Gaza Strip has been rammed by Israeli naval vessels in international waters, activists say.
The BBC waited more than a week to put this report on. Well, there is no hurry, is there? CNN reported in real time, for example. To see the other, numerous reports, Press here.
Strike at Gaza school ‘kills 30’: BBC
At least 30 people were killed and 55 injured when Israeli artillery shells landed outside a United Nations-run school in Gaza, UN officials have said. A number of children were among those who died when the al-Fakhura school in the Jabaliya refugee camp was hit, doctors at nearby hospitals said.
An interesting fact about this UN school, is that it features in the massive article in the Guardian today, below. Some of the children you see in the Guardian picture across two pages have died in this attack, and you can even see them on the BBC site in the video clip on this item. Have the Israelis been reading the Guardian? So they ran from home, so that Israel could kill them in the UN school. Makes sense. No doubt the Israeli investigation, started today, will find out that this was a human error. Wait for it.
Bowen diary: Mourning the young: BBC
I’m writing this at the funeral of one of the Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza last night. His name was Nitai Stern and he was 21 years old. It is beautiful sunlit day at the Mt Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem. A military helicopter is clattering by overhead, heading south towards Gaza.
Another hypocrite: he is one of the most devoted apologists and ‘explainers’ of Israel in Britain. At a time that those soldiers are killing hundreds, he is full of emotion at their funeral. They were not even killed by Hamas – Israel does not trust them enough, so they were killed by ‘friendly fire’ instead. But then, all the Palestinians are also killed by an extremely friendly fire… Note the symetry of the descriptions, as if two well matched military giants were facing each other… Note that Israelis have names on the BBC when they die, while Palestinians remain boy, girl, baby, man, woman. Some rules have to be foollwed – ordnung must der zein...
Israeli shelling kills dozens at UN school in Gaza: The Guardian
The civilian death toll in Gaza increased dramatically today, with reports of more than 40 Palestinians killed after missiles exploded outside a UN school where hundreds of people were sheltering from the continuing Israeli offensive. Two Israeli tank shells struck the school in Jabaliya refugee camp, spraying shrapnel on people inside and outside the building, according to news agency reports.
Terrifying report, and indeed, most of the people in this report are now dead, less than 24 hours after it was published.
Besieged families flee homes for shelter under UN flag: Guardian
Trapped residents seek the nearest thing to safety they can find as the territory’s schools are turned into refugee camps
The children you see in this picture can be seen dead or injured few hours later in the BBC and Guardian clips, care of an Israeli tank which shot at a known and identified UN school
Brown voices Gaza ceasefire hopes: BBC
Gordon Brown has said he is hopeful a basis for a truce in Gaza will be found – but called recent events the “darkest moment yet for the Middle East”. He said a ceasefire must mean an end to rocket attacks and Israeli troops in Gaza, as well as stopping weapons being smuggled into Gaza by tunnels.
Just see what our Führer wants – not an end to the murder, but an end to the tunnels and the rockets. No wonder it isa dark hour, with luminaries like Brown to light the way to hell. Why saying this, he still sticks with the USA and will veto any call for a ceasefire in the Security Council. What a hypocrite!
Israeli blogs back Gaza operation: BBC
Israeli bloggers are in general agreement in backing the Israeli armed forces’ offensive in the Gaza Strip, with most giving prominence to the continuing threat to Israeli civilians from Hamas rocket attacks. Some bloggers are sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinian civilian population of Gaza, but most say that Israel had no choice but to launch its air and ground assault on the Strip.
The language on those blogs is so aggressive and racist, it has to be read to be believed. Unfortunately, it is in Hebrew…
Gazan families: taking cover: BBC
“Can you hear it outside? The Israeli army are approaching my area and it’s very intense outside. I’m in the northern part of Beit Lahiya, if you look from the window you can see the tanks quite nearby, and lots of smoke. All we can do is listen to local radio. The majority of the stations are Hamas and they don’t always give exact information. Israeli radio in Arabic keeps breaking into the local broadcasting and repeating the same message: “For your own safety we ask you to leave your house and go to the centre of the city.” They don’t say which city.
Many of the people taking cover in various places, like the school above, were hit after following the ‘advice’ by Israeli radio.
topolanek-chat2: The Leader speaks to his people
Out of some hundreds of questions, some on Gaza, Premier Topolanek, the boss of Jiri Potuznik, seems just as adept at working out the situation as his sidekick. Read and enjoy the voice of the leaders of Europe. A great future is looming ahead, no doubt. Read the whole chat: while it will not improve your health, you will be much better informed about the dangers of beinga citizen of the EU led by proto-ascists.
Brusselsblogger, 6. 1. 2009, 13:51 It seems the unconditional US support to Israel is the only problem for a temporary stop of the Gaza war. Why is the EU not talking to the US about the middle east crisis? Talking to Israel only doesn’t seem to make much sense. responded to, 6. 1. 2009, 15:36 To twist the question around I would ask the following: what should be done about stopping the bombs being thrown from Gaza on the Israeli territory killing innocent citizens? There are no answers to such questions and the Czech Republic does not have the ambition to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which is going on for more than 60 years. The Quartet is the body which is responsible for dealing with this issue. It is composed of the UN, USA, Russian Federation and the EU. Our ambition is to reach a ceasefire in the respective area, to define the conditions which would be acceptable for both sides in order to conclude the ceasefire and with the help of the players composing the Quartet try to stop any military action as soon as possible. As far as the US standpoint on the right of Israel to defend its citizens, this is something I also believe in. Obviously, as far as the scope or the adequate measure of the response is concerned, that is a different question. Thank you for your questions, I am sorry as I have to attend to another assignement. But I will be back soon to continue this interesting chat.
embassies_call_from_within0501_509s1
A new bold call to EU ambassadors by some Israeli academics, based on a petition signed by over 500 Israeli citizens, as well as 200o abroad, available here (in Hebrew):