The blindness behind the NGO petition to end the Gaza blockade
June 20, 2012 | Sharyn Mittelman
Fifty international charities and UN agencies have made a joint media appeal to lift the blockade of the Gaza Strip. Some of the charities that have signed the petition have Australian branches including: Amnesty International, Oxfam, Care International, War Child and HelpAge International. The petition states:
“For over five years in Gaza, more than 1.6 million people have been under blockade in violation of international law. More than half of these people are children. We the undersigned say with one voice: ‘end the blockade now'”.
The petition appears to overlook a number of key issues which are discussed in this blog post.
Amnesty’s response to atrocities in Syria: “International community must act”… with yet more empty words
June 20, 2012 | Or Avi Guy
After more than a year of brutal repression of anti-regime protest, the atrocities against civilians in Syria keep reaching new heights. Growing attention to the bloodshed and violence in that country by the international community and human rights organisations, even if tragically belated, could have been a hopeful sign that something might finally be done to put an end to the bloodshed. In reality, however, no such steps appear to be in sight.
Hamas: We’re responsible for major new outbreak of rocket attacks
June 20, 2012 | Ahron Shapiro
Dozens of rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel during a new outbreak of fighting this week. Also, in a new twist, Hamas has taken responsibility for the attacks, rather than merely passively permitting other groups such as Islamic Jihad to launch rockets from its territory – a policy that had been in place for the past year.
Women and Tahrir Square – from a symbol of freedom to a reality of fear
June 18, 2012 | Or Avi Guy
What happens when small groups of Egyptian women (escorted by men) gather in Tahrir Square to protest against the alarming and widespread phenomenon of sexual harassment in post-Mubarak Egypt? They get groped, sexually assaulted and violently attacked by a mob of thugs, until eventually rescued by other groups of men who come to their aid.
Peres awarded US medal, says honour belongs to all Israelis
June 15, 2012 | Sharyn Mittelman
Israeli President Shimon Peres’ ability to foster positive relationships with the West, and in particular the United States was very much on display in Washington on June 13 when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian award the United States government can bestow upon an individual. In a gala dinner held in Washington in Peres’ honour, US President Barack Obama praised the Israeli President’s legacy and efforts on behalf of peace.
Obama said of Peres, “In him we see the essence of Israel itself… an indomitable spirit that will not be denied.”
Hugo Chávez’s antisemitic re-election strategy
June 15, 2012 | Andrea Nadel
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s hatred of Israel is no secret. His despotic regime’s alliances with countries hostile to Israel, most prominently Iran, are also no secret. Less well known has been the devastating toll that his regime’s overt embrace of antisemitic rhetoric and policies has had on the Venezuelan Jewish community – though AIJAC’s Allon Lee blogged on this in February. Now, as the ailing strongman takes on Henrique Capriles in Venezuela’s presidential election campaign, he is again resorting to antisemitism as a tactic.
Canada joins call for minute’s silence to honour victims of Munich massacre
June 15, 2012 | Sharyn Mittelman
Following my previous blog post on the subject, the campaign to have a minute’s silence at the upcoming Olympic Games in memory of the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich games 40 years ago appears to be gathering steam internationally.
Senior Australian leaders including both the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader, and now the Canadian Parliament have joined in the call, despite the International Olympic Committee (IOC) having already rejected an appeal by the Israeli government in May.
Shock Legal Judgement shakes Egypt/Syria and International Interests
June 15, 2012
The Egyptian political scene has been shaken up by a surprise court decision leading to the dissolution of parliament by the ruling military council – just days before the crucial second round of presidential elections were due to take place. Below, Washington Institute scholars David Schenker and Eric Trager look at the implications of this development, predicting instability and the likelihood of a military backdown on the dissolution if there is mass popular unrest. They stress that the key to what happens will be the attitude of the Muslim Brotherhood, and take a look at what Brotherhood leaders are saying so far.
Israeli leaders on Syria, revisited
June 14, 2012 | Ahron Shapiro
In a follow-up to last week’s blog post concerning the myth of Israeli backing for Assad,
Israeli president Shimon Peres has become Israel’s highest level official to openly back the Syrian rebels against the forces of Bashar Assad.
For UK journalists, a kinder, gentler Gaza
June 14, 2012 | Ahron Shapiro
Five years ago this month, Hamas militants turned their guns on Fatah-led Palestinian Authority (PA) forces in the Gaza Strip. Following eight days of fighting, during which time over 160 people were killed, Hamas completed its purge of the PA from the Gaza Strip. In response, PA President Mahmoud Abbas dissolved a Fatah-Hamas unity government, replaced Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh with technocrat Salam Fayaad, and consolidated his control of the West Bank. Israel and Egypt instituted a blockade of Gaza, while the US and EU lifted diplomatic sanctions on the PA while at the same time imposing harsher ones on Hamas in Gaza.
With help from Iran, Hamas built a stockpile of smuggled imported arms – including longer-range rockets – and increased its rocket production as well as the number of attacks it launched against Israel. This eventually lead to Israel’s strong military response in the form of Operation Cast Lead, launched in the final days of 2008.
None of this context, however, has found its way into recent coverage of the anniversary of the Hamas takeover in two UK newspapers, the Guardian and the Independent.
