Occupation keeping 2 sets of books

Not only is the surge going badly, it’s worse than we thought. So called reports of reduced deaths as a result of the “surge” are actually a result of sleazy accounting on the part of the occupation force: U.S. officials who say there has been a dramatic drop in sectarian violence in Iraq since President…

Difference matters

Following this week’s announcement of My Israel Question being short-listed for the 2007 NSW Premier’s Literary Award, the judge’s comments are as follows: Antony Loewenstein quotes a commentator on contemporary Jewry who says that a diasporic Jew is, by definition, a neurotic. My Israel Question appraises that diagnosis by critically examining the media’s representation, in…

Who is the real terrorist?

Amy Goodman, Truthdig, April 25: A terrorist lives in Miami. He is not in hiding, or part of some sleeper cell. He’s an escaped convict, wanted internationally for blowing up a jetliner. His name is Luis Posada Carriles. As the nation was focused on the Virginia Tech shooting, the Bush administration quietly allowed Posada’s release…

Persecution and stifling democracy

The efforts of Azmi Bishara have drawn the fircsest of retaliations from the Israeli government. Sonja Karkar illustrates how Israel’s Jewish identity may come at the expense of democracy. All of Israel’s one million plus Palestinian residents …­ the survivors and descendants of the 1948 Zionist ethnic cleansing of Palestine – have long felt discriminated…

Surge backfiring

The deadly attack that claimed the most US deaths since the invasion of Iraq hasn’t stopped the right wing blogosphere from spinning its wheels to convince their flock (or what remains of them) that the Surge Is Working: I fully expect…that we’re going to see a sea change in coverage because “a majority of Iraq…

Two faces, one reality

Why do so many Jews insist, in Israel’s supposed best interests, that any potential US President believes in every position taken by the Israeli government? Barack Obama, you’ve failed yet again. Jewish paranoia is a most unattractive trait (especially when it’s totally unwarranted.) Subservience to another country is hard to fathom here in Cuba. Sure,…

The enemy within

The most recent corruption scandal is symptomatic of something much deeper in Israel, according to Uri Avneri, Aharon Amir, and Haim Guri. These men believe that the greatest threat to Israel is not an existential one, but brought about through the loss of direction as envisaged by the founding fathers. Israel’s independence is safe from…

Words fail, again

Sometimes the Australian Jewish community excels at providing priceless parody: Prime Minister John Howard will be honoured with a Jewish National Fund (JNF) forest in his name at a gala dinner in Melbourne next month. To be named the John Howard Negev Forest, the forest will be located in Israel’s Negev region, the focus of…

NSW Premier’s Literary Award short-list

My Israel Question has been short-listed for the 2007 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. It is an honour to be recognised in such a prestigious category (though I clearly have no idea if I will win, announced late May.) I’ll comment more fully in the coming weeks and month, but I look forward to the accusations…

Falling like dominos

Another Israeli politician is on the ropes. The 66-year-old former labour leader is accused of involvement in the embezzlement of about 10 million shekels ($2.94 million) from a union he chaired and from an associated charity. At this rate, it there won’t be anyone left to govern.…  This corruption epidemic must be contagious.

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