Settlements – International Law and the physical and political realities
January 11, 2013
This Update features some information and argument related to the always contentious issue of Israeli West Bank settlements.
First up is noted Israeli international law expert Alan Baker looking at the arguments about the legality of the settlements. He summarises the case that they are legal in the most concise way I have yet seen. He also has a strong discussion of the relationship between the settlement question and the Oslo accords, noting that the Palestinian demand for a settlement freeze as a precondition for talks is actually a violation of Oslo, just as the recent UN decision to upgrade Palestinian status to a “non-member state” was.
More questions about al-Jazeera as it purchases a network to create US subsidiary
January 8, 2013 | Sharyn Mittelman
Al Jazeera TV, located in and financed by Qatar and owned by Qatar’s ruling al-Thani family, has just bought the struggling US left leaning channel Current TV, founded by Al Gore in 2005. This will allow al-Jazeera to have access to millions more US homes. Al-Jazeera reportedly plans to create a new channel, “Aljazeera America,” instead of using its existing English-language channel. However, this announcement has called attention to growing claims that al-Jazeera is being used a propaganda tool for Qatari foreign policy interests.
Leader of Australian Islamist extremist group calls for world conquest through jihad
January 8, 2013 | Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz
The notorious Islamist organisation Hizb-Ut Tahrir (‘HUT’) openly avows an ideology whose ultimate goal is to transform the entire world into an Islamic state. Despite being linked to a number of terrorist attacks — most notably the ‘7/7 bombings’ in London — the group is generally careful to avoid being portrayed as pro-violence.
For example, the profile of local Australian spokesperson Uthman Badar on ABC’s The Drum (for which he is an occasional contributor) describes the group as…
Israel’s Blockade and Construction Materials for Gaza
January 4, 2013 | Tzvi Fleischer
Everyone knows that, while Israel has eased its blockade of Hamas-ruled Gaza, it is still blocking the import of almost all construction materials, arguing they can be used for military purposes, right?
You would certainly think so if you read the Australian and New Zealand press coverage of a recent deal between Israel and Egypt to allow 20 trucks worth of construction material into Gaza this week… But it is just not true that Israel has banned construction materials entering into Gaza…
Suha Arafat admits her husband planned the Second Intifada
January 4, 2013 | Sharyn Mittelman
Since the Second Intifada, which commenced in September 2000 there has been an ongoing debate as to its origins. This debate has finally come to an end, with Yasser Arafat’s wife Suha admitting on Dubai TV on December 16 that her husband planned the Second Intifada and told her about it before he launched it.
Technology and the Gaza War/ Taking Iran at their word
January 4, 2013
This Update includes two pieces analysing some of the innovations in military technology and tactics which affected the Gaza conflict/Operation “Pillar of Defence”, which occurred in November.
First up is an evaluation by Dr. Uzi Rubin, the father of Israel’s missile defence program, discussing both Israel’s Iron Dome missile and rocket defence system, and the innovations in rocket design and use on the Hamas side of the Gaza conflict.
Hamas over-reporting civilian casualties in Gaza, again
January 2, 2013 | Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz
The most heartbreaking consequence of any conflict is the unavoidable toll taken on the local civilian population. Sadly, in the hyper-politicised realm of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, these events seem unable to remain mere tragedies. Instead, each civilian killed takes on the additional mantle of a propaganda point scored in the conflict of public opinion.
This leads to the unfortunate tactic that Hamas and other Gaza-based groups seem to have adopted of cynically exploiting international sympathy…
Reporters only hearing one side of the story?
December 21, 2012 | Ahron Shapiro
Why do news reporters often get their reporting about Israeli-Palestinian issues so badly wrong?
A new wrinkle to the controversy surrounding Israel’s decision to approve housing projects in Jerusalem suburbs and east Jerusalem neighbourhoods (following up on my earlier blog posts on the subject on December 4 and December 11) suggests one answer.
Iranian state TV blames Israel for Sandy Hook school shooting
December 20, 2012 | Sharyn Mittelman
Iranian state run media, PressTV, may have surpassed itself this time airing the outrageous views of Michael Harris who blamed Israel for a number of mass shootings in America, including the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that killed 26 people, including twenty children, two of whom were Jewish. Harris also blamed ‘Israeli death squads’ for other recent shootings, including the Arizona shooting of Gabrielle Giffords, the Aurora ‘Batman’ shooting, and the Breivik massacre in Norway.
Planning for the Next Phase of the Syrian Civil War/ After Abbas
December 20, 2012
This Update features two good pieces on the pitfalls in the upcoming phase of the Syrian civil war, especially in terms of US policy.
First up, repeat visitor to rebel-held regions of Syria Jonathan Spyer discusses the recent US decision to recognise the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), recently formed in Qatar, as the rightful Syrian government in waiting. Spyer argues that this decision appears to be a part of a larger strategy he feels is misguided, namely working with Muslim Brotherhood Islamists against the more extreme Salafists.
