Is Israel half-acknowledging its legal failings while at the same time trying to convince the world that its “war on terror” is justified? IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi has issued an order requiring the Israel Defense Forces to consult with the army’s legal advisers while military operations are underway and not just when they…
Showing all posts tagged Gaza
SBS Radio interview on Gaza Freedom March
I was interviewed in Cairo on New Year’s Eve about the Gaza Freedom March for SBS Radio in Australia. We discussed the Israeli and Egyptian led siege of Gaza and the reasons behind the global attention on the Strip’s plight.
Zionists continue to be alert and alarmed about IAJV
I co-founded Independent Australian Jewish Voices (IAJV) nearly three years ago. Since then, our achievements have been modest, but the key aim has always been to expand public debate over the Middle East and show to the wider community that not all Jews back Israeli apartheid in the occupied territories. It’s therefore pretty amusing to…
The story of a life in Gaza
The extended Al Samouni family, some 48 men, women and children, was attacked in the homes they occupied together in the south of Gaza – and almost all of them were killed. Thirteen-year-old Almaza – ‘Jewel’ – is one of the very few who survived the attack in which 30 members of her family died,…
Israelis may have to avoid their favourite luxury spots
The recent story of Tzipi Livni and her possible arrest in Britain over war crimes continues to play out: Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on Tuesday met Tuesday with British Attorney General Baroness Patricia Janet Scotland to protest the slew of arrest warrants issued against senior Israeli officials in the United Kingdom. A delegation of…
Counting Palestinians worldwide
Some facts and figures: The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said Tuesday that 10.9 million Palestinians in the world by the end of 2009, more than half in Diaspora and about 36.7% in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. By… the end of 2009, PCBS said in a press release, … about 4.0 million Palestinians…
Guitars for terrorism
The latest edition of the Gaza Gateway blog: Two months ago we wrote that Israel had prohibited the transfer of musical instruments into the Gaza Strip. In that post we quoted Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai’s response to a query submitted by Israeli parliamentarian Dov Khenin last July regarding the ban: “According to the information…
Token Zionist acknowledges the humanity in Gaza
At least one prominent Israeli commentator knows that the siege on Gaza is counter-productive and cruel.
Egypt continues its sordid role in tightening the siege on Gaza
One of the key points of the protests during the Gaza Freedom March was the role played by Egypt in sealing Gaza from the world. This Associated Press story provides some more details (a few friends who recently crossed into Gaza via the Rafah crossing tell me that it was impossible to determine the current…
Gandhi would have been proud over the Gaza march
My following article appears in the Egyptian opposition publication, Al Masry Alyoum: During my visit to Gaza in July last year, six months after Israel’s devastating assault, I was constantly struck by the resilient nature of its people. Despite 1400 lives lost, including those of many civilians, I found little hatred towards Jews. Instead, I…