The Economist discusses al-Jazeera’s biases
March 12, 2013 | Sharyn Mittelman
Al-Jazeera‘s credibility as an editorially independent news provider is increasingly under the spotlight. AIJAC has previously blogged about growing concerns that al-Jazeera, owned by Qatar, is being used by Qatar to promote its foreign policy interests – in particular the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and Sunni Islamism generally. There have also been a number of reports of journalists resigning from al-Jazeera citing its lack of editorial independence.
Now even the venerable Economist has endorsed these concerns in its piece “The Muslim Brotherhood: It’s hard being in charge”. The article notes that despite the early success of the Muslim Brotherhood in the beginning of the ‘Arab Spring’, the Brotherhood’s popularity is now falling, and with it, the popularity of a key sponsor – al-Jazeera.
Israel offers positive water policy example to the region – the Palestinians, sadly, offer the opposite
March 10, 2013 | Or Avi Guy
Through resource management, innovation and planning, the Israeli water authorities … have now beaten the intense drought which has gripped the country for several years. Now, the Israeli example stands ready to help others in the region to do the same. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to take advantage of this opportunity.
AIPAC: Looking for signs regarding the Obama Administration’s second term agenda
March 8, 2013 | Sharyn Mittelman
This year’s annual AIPAC Policy Conference attracted more than 13,000 delegates, and heard from an array of speakers including Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (via satellite), Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, US Vice President Joe Biden, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, US House Leader Eric Cantor (R) and US Senator John McCain (R).
A this year’s conference observers attempted to gauge the Obama Administration’s possible policies and preferences for the next four years – regarding US-Israel relations, efforts to advance the two state solution, the so-called “Arab Spring”, and particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear program
The ‘segregated buses’ canard
March 8, 2013 | Ahron Shapiro
How did the story about a goodwill gesture by Israel in the form of increased Palestinian employment inside Israel, combined with another goodwill gesture of improved bus service for some of these workers, became twisted into another story of Israeli “injustice” against Palestinians?
Media Week – Springtime for Khaled; All the news that’s fit to Tweet
March 7, 2013 | Allon Lee
Maybe it’s the fact that Hamas’ outgoing leader Khaled Meshal and Fairfax’s Paul McGeough both have a penchant for beards, or that they are both persona non grata in Israel but their bromance spilled over into three separate articles in the Age and Sydney Morning Herald on March 2 and 3.
Why Hugo Chavez will not be missed by Venezuela’s Jews
March 7, 2013 | Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz
The numerous obituaries and eulogies being written for the recently deceased Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez all seem to agree on one thing: the man was polarising.
One group that was driven relentlessly towards the hostile pole is Venezuela’s Jews. In addition to his generally poor rights record, Chavez had an ugly and long-standing habit of fostering enmity towards the Jewish community of Venezuela for his own political advantage…
Palestinian prisoner issue plagued by selective reporting
March 6, 2013 | Ahron Shapiro
Who are Samer Issawi and Ayman Sharawneh, the hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners that have become the latest “cause célèbre” for pro-Palestinian activists?
(See our update on how the prisoner issue appears to be a deliberate pretext for creating unrest in an effort to push the Palestinian agenda prior to US President Barack Obama’s visit to the region later this month).
Unfortunately, many recent news reports on the pair have neglected to report on the background of terror activity of these and other Palestinian prisoners. In doing so, the media has omitted crucial information to give perspective and balance to their coverage on a very contentious issue.
After the Almaty nuclear talks
March 6, 2013
In the P5+1 nuclear talks with Iran last week, it was agreed to hold two additional meetings – a technical meeting in March and full political talks in early April – after the P5+1 powers softened their demands of Iran and offered greater incentives for agreeing to an interim agreement to ease concerns about the Iranian nuclear program. This Update looks at what can be concluded from the session about the state of efforts to prevent Iran from illegally constructing nuclear weapons.
Myth and reality regarding US-Israel relations
March 4, 2013 | Talia Katz
The controversy stirred up during the confirmation hearing of US Senator Chuck Hagel, now appointed Secretary of Defense on Feb. 26, has once again opened debate on the relationship between the US and Israel. More to the point, it has prompted detractors to call into question the role of the “Israel Lobby”, and push their claim that this lobby is somehow forcing the US to act against its own interests by maintaining close cooperation with Israel.
How the Turkish Prime Minister condemned himself by calling Zionism a ‘crime against humanity’
March 1, 2013 | Sharyn Mittelman
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan on March 1 offensively equated Zionism to racism and fascism at the “Fifth Alliance of Civilizations Forum” in Vienna. During the forum, Erdoğan reportedly stated: “Just like Zionism, anti-Semitism and fascism, it becomes unavoidable that Islamophobia must be regarded as a crime against humanity.”
Erdogan’s decision to refer to Zionism, which is the foundation of the Jewish state and the movement of Jewish self-determination, as a “crime against humanity” is inflammatory, wrong and dangerous.
