Failure on every count

The conflict between Israel and Hamas should give us cause to pause and wonder what the Jewish state has become. War crimes are taking place: “There is no doubt that Israel is using phosphorous bombs over Gaza. Israel is flagrantly violating the Fourth Geneva Convention,” says Raji Sourani, head of the Palestinian Center for Human…

Another foe at the gate

While Israel fervently attempts to terrorize the Palestinians into submission in Gaza, many observers have started to wonder why Hizballah has refrained from stepping in militarily to assist its brothers-in-arms, Hamas. Such musings fail to take account of the constraints on Hizballah’s room for action, as well as the circumstances under which Hizballah would ignore…

Nobody said Israel was run by smart people

Anthony H. Cordesman, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, January 9: What is the strategic purpose behind the present fighting? After two weeks of combat Olmert, Livni, and Barak have still not said a word that indicates that Israel will gain strategic or grand strategic benefits, or tactical benefits much larger than the gains it…

Let the man be heard!

Joe Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber, is soon to head to the Middle East “to interview ordinary citizens about life in the crosshairs of jihad“. Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin writes that the American liberal media elite loath an average, non-Ivy League man daring to explain the truth about the Middle East. Sure thing. Joe has…

The cards are shifting (and Israel missed the press release)

Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz, January 4: Hamas, as it turns out, has a single definition for victory. Like Hezbollah, Hamas knows that a few hundred rockets will not crush Israel, but rather serve as critically-needed leverage to establish its presence as a prominent and active decision-making force in the inter-Palestinian arena. This goes beyond Hamas’ standing…

Who is the butcher?

Is history repeating in Gaza? A legendary interview from CNN in 2006 relating to Israel’s war against Hizbollah: KURTZ: And joining us now here Washington Anne Compton who covers the White House for ABC News, and Thomas Ricks, Pentagon reporter for “The Washington Post” and author of the new book “Fiasco: The American Military Adventure…

The policy on Israel

My following article is published in Dawn, Pakistan’s leading English-language newspaper: During this year’s US presidential campaign, both Republican nominee John McCain and Democratic contender Barack Obama expressed unwavering support for Israel. It was the only country in the world that required constant loyalty tests. Obama told the leading Zionist lobby, AIPAC, that he would…

Shifting sands of Israel/Palestine

My following talk was presented today to a full room at Harvard University: Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government/Centre for Middle Eastern Studies ME Forum, 24 November 2008 The Shifting Sands of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: An Australian Perspective Antony Loewenstein Australian Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, speaking in March this year at a United Israel…

Good riddance to bad rubbish

Israeli peace group Gush Shalom explains why just resigned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is a disgrace to his country (and to Jews everywhere): Nobody will shed a tear as the political career of Ehud Olmert grounds to its end. In the two years he had at the helm of the Israeli ship of state,…

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