Hamas Gaza leaders reiterate “We’ll never recognise Israel”
February 14, 2012 | Ahron Shapiro
In the aftermath of the recent Qatari-brokered reconciliation agreement between Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, many have suggested that Hamas is moderating both its long-standing goals of Israel’s destruction and its traditional rejection of any negotiations with Israel. But Hamas’ leadership in Gaza, spearheaded Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar, has been making it very clear that they do not support any such change…
Israeli Embassy attacks – What do they mean?
February 14, 2012 | Sharyn Mittelman
As was widely reported, Israeli embassy personnel were attacked in Georgia and India yesterday.
In the first attack, Tal Yehoshua-Koren, the wife of an Israeli Defense Ministry official and an employee of the embassy in India was wounded when a bomb exploded in her car. In the second attack, an embassy staffer in Tbilisi discovered a bomb underneath his car as he was driving to the embassy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of being responsible for the attacks, which occurred one day after the fourth anniversary of the killing of a senior Hezbollah official, Imad Mughniyeh. Both Hezbollah and Iran have blamed Israel for Mughniyeh’s assassination, and Hezbollah has repeatedly sworn revenge.
This blog post recommends analysis on what these attacks could mean…
Antisemitic protests against an antisemitic play, Islamists rise higher and Jordan diverts attention – Daily Dose
February 14, 2012
Today: The Merchant of Venice, Kuwaiti elections, Jordanian Palestinians and civil wars in Yemen and Syria.
Earth-shattering news from Gaza
February 13, 2012 | Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz
Literally Earth-shattering, according to Iranian state media outlet Press TV:
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the powerful feelings of the regional nations towards Gaza have been instrumental in the eruption of the region’s volcano.
There is, of course, a chance that he was speaking figuratively, although this would not be the first time an Iranian cleric linked a natural disaster with global politics. There was, for instance, those earthquakes two years ago caused by promiscuous women, or the time that European countries stole Iran’s rain, leading to a widespread drought. The more sinister part of Khamenei’s statement, which emerged from a recent meeting with Ismail Haniyeh — Hamas’ leader in Gaza — concerned Iranian support to Hamas…
Whitney Houston’s Israel connection, Al-Qaeda endorse Syrian Spring and Jordan and Iran battling of Springs of their own – Daily Dose
February 13, 2012 | Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz
Fascinating reports, interesting analysis and some stories that are just plain funny: a round-up of items from today’s media.
Islamist concerns in Arabia, Australian anti-Jewish boycott, Turkish anti-Christian boycott and more – Daily Dose
February 10, 2012 | Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz
Also today: a bizarre Egyptian consipracy, some Nazi Marines, terrorist diet tips, and a British MP with questionable ties.
Antisemitism should be shunned in Australia (and elsewhere)
February 10, 2012 | Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz
The Australian Financial Review today ran an article from last month’s Atlantic by Robert Kaplan, which was originally published under the headling ‘Why John J. Mearsheimer Is Right (About Some Things)’ but republished as ‘Great Power Politics’. As revealed by the headline, the piece largely praises University of Chicago political scientist John Mearsheimer, focusing on his self-dubbed “offensive realist” take on China. Mearsheimer, however, is a rather dubious acadamic, particularly for his record of fomenting antisemitism in mainstream discourse, but also for his generally biased and factually questionable material.
Kaplan does acknowledge Mearsheimer’s most notorious work, the much maligned 2006 essay and 2007 book The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy that he co-authored with Harvard professor Steven Walt, as well as his recent endorsement of the abhorrent Gil Atzmon. Kaplan, however, glosses-over these controversies as “tragedies” that threaten to “obscure” his otherwise important work…
Some Fresh Air on a Smelly Problem
February 9, 2012 | Ahron Shapiro
It’s time to clear the air on an issue which has been the source of a misinformation campaign for years – Israel’s environmental record in the West Bank…
Daily Dose: Israel and Iran – will they or won’t they? The cartoons Iran didn’t ban, Al Qaeda feminism and more
February 9, 2012 | Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz
Also today: Jewish refugees from the Arab world, Jews still in the Persian world, more on Palestinian unity, Egypt-US ties growing weak and Iran arming Syria to the teeth.
Authoritarians of a feather flock together? – Russia and the Assad regime
February 9, 2012 | Or Avi Guy
Just a few days after the highly-criticised Russian veto at the UN Security Council, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Damascus and met with President Bashar Assad. At a time where countries, one by one, are recalling their ambassadors from Syria, this meeting was a rare sign of support for the crumbling regime. Lavrov was received with what has been described as “a hero’s welcome” as thousands of Assad supporters gathered to express gratitude and greet him with both Russian and Syrian flags and blue, red and white balloons (the colors of the Russian flag). A banner with the portraits of Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin read “Thank you Russia and China”.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov came to Damascus to promote “the quick implementations of democratic reforms in Syria.” Lavrov explained that it is Moscow’s desire for the Arab peoples to live in “peace and agreement,” he said, and while apparently turning to Assad he continued: “Every leader of every country must be aware of his share of responsibility. You are aware of yours”.
