The Jewish Forward editorialises strongly against Israel’s growing religious extremism (just remember what the Western media says when genders are divided in Muslim nations): The need to restrain the burgeoning power of Jewish fundamentalism in Israel grows ever more urgent. The latest flashpoint is public transportation. For several years, on an increasing number of public…
Showing all posts tagged human rights
How Sri Lanka denies evidence of war crimes
A salutary tale about the use and abuse of British laws by Channel 4’s Jon Snow: The scandal of Britain’s libel laws and their facility for libel tourism is well known. So too is our cavalier attitude to freedom of speech. But the idea that a country with one of the worst records for press…
To go or not to go to Galle?
What are the ethical questions involved when visiting a cultural event or literary festival in a country like Sri Lanka? The Galle Literary Festival brings up these very issues. Here’s the brief.
Colombo faces further global isolation
Sri Lanka continues to be a rogue nation, an example to no other country except dictatorships: The Sri Lankan government should end its indefinite arbitrary detention of more than 11,000 people held in so-called rehabilitation centers and release those not being prosecuted, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The 30-page report, “Legal…
South Africa may be Israel’s future
Everywhere one turns these days, the apartheid/South African analogy is growing in strength: A senior Israeli military official during last year’s war in Gaza has said that an independent commission of inquiry should investigate allegations that Israeli troops committed war crimes. Colonel Pnina Sharvit-Baruch, who was in charge of the Israel Defence Forces’ international law…
Investigate Gaza and get over the victimhood
And Israel wonders why the world demands more from a supposed democracy? A high-ranking officer has acknowledged for the first time that the Israeli army went beyond its previous rules of engagement on the protection of civilian lives in order to minimise military casualties during last year’s Gaza war, The Independent can reveal. The officer,…
Kosher meat obtained through animal torture
A friend passes this along and comments: “Send to your friends who eat kosher beef!” My name is Lester Friedlander. I am a veterinarian and worked as a slaughter line inspector for more than 10 years for the USDA. I have received repeated certificates of merit and commendation from the USDA, and was USDA Veterinary…
Israel uses white phosphorus in civilian areas (says Israel)
This latest statement by B’Tselem warrants consideration: B’Tselem has sent an urgent letter to the judge advocate general, Maj. Gen. Avichai Mandelblit, demanding that he immediately order a Military Police investigation into the circumstances of the firing of phosphorus shells at the UNWRA compound in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. This morning, the media reported…
Zionist incitement grows against critical voices
With growing signs in Israel of crushing dissent, this article by Hadas Ziv, director of Physicians for Human Rights Israel and published in Maariv, is revealing of a deeper mindset. At what point does the world realise that many hardline Israelis have no interest in real democracy? In the course of Operation Cast Lead there…