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Thursday, November 29 2007The Guardian's Peace Initiative
What’s missing from The Guardian’s peace initiative? Peace is really quite simple. The Israelis have to hand over the 1967 territories, which, even with land swaps, means massive evacuations, not just trimming far-flung settlements, as well as something like half of Jerusalem. The Palestinians have to agree that no - or very, very few - refugees will go back to Israel. The Americans have to push and on occasion coerce. Otherwise the new peace process will become again what the old one was in the 90s: a means of avoiding peace rather than of achieving it. Shouldn't the concept of peace include an end to the killing of Jews? Wednesday, November 28 2007Harvard's Stifled Debate
Many Muslim and Arab students preferred not to publish their views, fearing the threat of reprisal. Not everyone at Harvard experiences such problems. One professor's view was stifled up to 20th place on the NY Times best seller list a month ago. While Abbas Was In Annapolis . . .
Abu Haroon, a black-clad bearded militant from the Fatah-affiliated Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, placed a Kalashnikov automatic rifle in the hands of his nephew. The rifle was twice as big as the child. Now that the sides are committed to negotiating, will the Palestinians finally Teach Kids Peace? BBC's Bird's Eye View
BBC's Paul Wood takes a helicopter ride over Israel and the West Bank. Watch the video. Send Your Nominations!
Due to the volume of mail, nominations will not be acknowledged. Tuesday, November 27 2007Annapolis And The Core Issues
A primer on the core issues confronting world leaders and the media. See HonestReporting's latest communique: Annapolis And The Core Issues Revisiting Resolution 181
The Guardian's Ian Black points out that the city's designation as a corpus separatum undermines Palestinian claims on the capitol: Jerusalem, in a decision worthy of the setting for Pontius Pilate's famous manual ablutions, was to belong to neither. It was to become a "corpus separatum" under UN direction - which is why today, except for a few banana republics, no country in the world, not even the US, will build an embassy there, or recognise it as Israel's capital, eternal or otherwise. Indeed, it is a telling argument against Palestinian claims to the city as its capital - but for obvious reasons it is not one that Israel and its supporters are likely to make. Food for thought: The official map of what would have been the UN's Jerusalem district includes the areas of Bethlehem, Maale Adumim, Motza, Shuafat and beyond, far surpassing anything Israelis or Palestinians would now define as "Greater Jerusalem." Monday, November 26 2007Faked Photos Alter Real Memories
Do digitally altered images alter our perception and memory of public events? This study says yes. "It’s potentially a form of human engineering that could be applied to us against our knowledge and against our wishes, and we ought to be vigilant about it," said UC Irvine psychologist Elizabeth Loftus, who designed the study. Related reading: Editor: Photos From Lebanon Can't Be Trusted Pallywood Settles Out of Court
Muhammad Bakri, who wrote and directed Jenin Jenin, admitted that much of his information about alleged atrocities was inaccurate and sometimes constructed by "artistic choice." Bakri also admitted that the film received funding from the Palestinian Authority. The reservists are pursuing a separate lawsuit against Bakri. Sunday, November 25 2007Altalena Moments
Thomas Friedman once wrote that for a peace settlement to be reached, both an Israeli and a Palestinian leadership would have to be prepared to fight a civil war against sections of their own populations. The Palestine Liberation Organisation does seem willing to fight such a war against Hamas if it is offered a real state to rule, not some Israeli-dominated Bantustan. Israeli governments, however, have so far stopped short of a real showdown with their settlers, and it does not seem that they are yet close to being willing to face this. Lievens is describing what Israelis would call an "Altalena moment." A comparison better known to Western readers is "The Night of the Long Knives." Contrary to Lievens' assertion, Ariel Sharon's disengagement was a move that certainly marginalized the settler movement. As for the preposterous idea that the PLO -- Bantustans notwithstanding -- is willing to fight a war against Hamas, Lievens missed the "Palestinian Altalena moment" that took place in June. Kidnappers Sought Editor's Password
They demanded to use his Ma'an password to post a fictitious news story, aimed at stirring up trouble between Ma'an and the Palestinian factions and security services. That's more backbone than Britain's National Union of Journalists mustered when Alan Johnston was kidnapped. (Hat tip: Elder of Ziyon) UPDATE November 26: See this Jerusalem Post update for more on Maan's tensions and the problems of free journalism in the PA. Detourance
Dispatch From Hamastan
The Sunday Times zeros in on Hamas' repressive rule. Continue reading "Dispatch From Hamastan" Biting The Hand That Fuels Gaza
Israel put the PA on notice: reductions in electricity to Gaza will begin on December 2 if Qassam fire continues. Israel's critics should note the this ironic Haaretz photo-caption:
The Ashkelon power station both provides Gaza with much of its electricity and serves as a prime target for Qassam rocket fire. (Limor Edrey) Friday, November 23 2007'Tis The Season
Too often, the picture they paint ignores or downplays Islamic intimidation and general lawlessness. National Geographic kicks off the annual coverage. No ho ho hos here. Thursday, November 22 2007Thanksgiving Pause Button
A brief pause to share a few thoughts: • I’m thankful that the Jewish people have a Jewish state. • I'm thankful that Western society by and large respects Judeo-Christian values. • I’m thankful to have the freedom of speech needed to make this blog meaningful. • Despite its shortcomings, I’m thankful the Western media is free to share info and ideas.
• I’m thankful that independent-minded bloggers raise important issues that would otherwise fall through the cracks of social debate or get swept under the rug. • I'm especially thankful my wife puts up with the crazy hours I put into this blog. • Last but not least, I’m thankful to you – the readers – for your timely tips, spirited comments, constructive criticism, kind encouragement and even the hate mail. Feedback tells me this blog's making some kind of difference in the vastness of cyberspace. Keep it coming. Israel, the Best Hope for Islam
Compelling commentary in the Asia Times says the Muslim world will only accept Israel through compulsion; the real issue is humility. (Hat tip: Atlas Shrugs) Headline of The Day
What a strange world we live in: Arms encourage peace talks to bear fruit Our Peace Partner's Media
Thumbs up to Memri for flagging this cartoon published in the West Bank-based Falastin. We're undermining Muslim holy sites again. . .
Wednesday, November 21 2007November 21 Links
Zaka, Sderot Municipality Sue Mashaal The Importance of Who Attends Annapolis Palestinians Spell Out Blueprint for Reform Israel Wants US Security Coordinator Replaced U.S. Accuses Iraqi Photographer of Aiding Rebels The IDF's "Public-Relations Burden"
The comptroller further found that the public-relations burden throughout the war was incorrectly placed on the IDF. In his report, Lindenstrauss wrote that a severe lack of coordination between the Foreign Ministry, IDF, Defense Ministry and Prime Minister's Office was evident and contributed to Israel's failure in properly transmitting its messages to the public and the world. Related reading: Who is Responsible for Israel’s Hasbara? New York Times 6 Month Study
Are there any patterns of bias in New York Times reporting? See HonestReporting's special report: New York Times 6 Month Study. Debunking al-Dura
Why was the National Post the only Canadian paper to address the "L'Affaire al-Dura?" See HonestReporting Canada's most recent communique: Debunking al-Dura. Tuesday, November 20 2007When Journalists Are the Impersonators
It’s a gutsy way to get an important story. It also raises a question: If reporters can pass themselves off as humanitarian workers for a scoop, do they have any right to protest when Israeli police (or, dare I say, Palestinian terrorists) pass themselves off as journalists? Rules of War 101
Mr Nasr told me how surprised some of the gunmen were to find that groups like theirs have a status under international law. Why Is Syria Blocking Facebook?
Monday, November 19 2007Undercover Mosque Revisited
UK's Ofcom ruled that Channel 4's documentary, Undercover Mosque, didn't breach any broadcasting rules. Read the decision here (pdf format). The show, broadcast in January, was criticized for distorting speakers' views and giving a platform to extremists. Gaza Smugglers Using Google Earth
The smugglers are almost always private entrepreneurs. They first select a piece of land close to the border wall and then dig a large hole with a mechanical digger. They then enclose an area of dozens of square metres and start digging, filling the first hole with the earth from the tunnel. They can map the length and direction of the tunnel accurately using satellite pictures from Google Earth. Google Earth ain't just for rocket squads targeting Israel. Sunday, November 18 2007Dura Discredited: Where's the MSM?
On that count, cheers to Scotland's Sunday-Herald and nobody else. We had scattered sightings of commentary in the National Post and the Melbourne Herald-Sun. And AP, to our surprise, today reported Hamas arresting Jamal al-Dura -- a report that failed to note the French development. So bloggers like Nidra Poller, Melanie Phillips, Richard Landes and HonestReporting/Take-A-Pen had to pick up on the trial. Did we miss something? Where's the MSM? November 18 Links
Rumors Fly Over Mideast Summit in Annapolis Expelled Jews Hold Deeds on Arab Land Lebanon Presidential Vote Nears Israeli MKs Discover Facebook
Bad News for AP and Jamal Dura
AP reports that Mohammad Dura's father, Jamal, was briefly detained by Hamas for "allegedly shooting in the air during a family wedding." Unfortunately, the wire service's background on Jamal's claim to fame doesn't mention France 2's footage was discredited in a Paris courtroom just last week. AP's editors must have missed our video from the courthouse. Send letters to feedback@ap.org Friday, November 16 2007Highlights From the Hearing
And don't miss HonestReporting/Take-A-Pen's exclusive video and first report from the courthouse. Thursday, November 15 2007November 15 Links
Disney to Act Against Hamas? Why Would Hizbullah Be Interested in Placing a Spy in the FBI or CIA? Palestinians Clean Joseph’s Tomb A Grim Milestone Ignored Security Commitments
Washington Post columnist David Ignatius blames Israel for the fact that the PA hasn’t been able to meet its road map security obligations. Ignatius fails to consider: • For years, Yasser Arafat’s bloated PA security apparatus had more personnel than what was agreed upon in the Oslo process. • Many of the PA security forces were also involved with the various terror organizations they were supposed to crack down on. • The PA was reluctant to clamp down on Hamas before they became so powerful. Dura Discredited, Part 2
HonestReporting/Take-A-Pen's Alain Benjamin interviews some of the key people outside the Paris courtroom where France 2's Mohammad Dura footage was discredited. Wednesday, November 14 2007Dura Discredited
What did the raw footage show? We can definitely say that nobody can say who was shooting at who. Charles Enderlin said in court that the Palestinians started shooting first, but in the end, there's no way we can say what happened that day. You can't tell who did what. The assertion from Charles Enderlin, that the Israeli army killed the boy, is totally wrong. The least he could've said was that the boy was killed--but we don't know by who. There was a dispute over how much footage was to be screened. Was the full video shown? Charles Enderlin submitted 18 minutes of footage. The judge, without any prompting from Philippe's lawyers, asked what happened to the 27 minutes. Enderlin said on record in court that he had to manipulate some footage that was not relevant to that day. He said he transferred the footage onto DVD for the court. That was amazing.
After the hearing ended, how did people react to what they saw? Not one person believed that the version of France 2 was right. Some people maintained that the footage was staged. Others think the footage was real. Clearly, nobody believed that anybody died. Does the footage vindicate Karsenty? Everyone was going, "Wow" and talking about whether he'll take action against France 2 for trying to swindle the court. He can wait for the verdict, or sue France 2 for tampering with the tape. He has quite a few options. Clearly, the judge wasn't convinced by France 2's version. The judge's verdict is to be given on February 27. How did the France 2 people react after the hearing? France 2 left immediately. They just ran out and left. They didn't want to speak to anyone. Some people were concerned that reviving the footage would harm Israel's image. There's absolutely no reason to be concerned for that now.
Very large. There were four or five TV crews, 30 journalists from TV, radio and print. Only a third of the journalists and public could get in to the courtroom to see the footage. The whole thing was delayed because of the crowd. They came from all over. At one point, I saw Philippe being interviewed by Kuwaiti TV. What's the most important lesson to take from today? One guy stood his ground for four years. It's a lesson in perseverance. Israel should take a cue from this trying to pursue the truth rather than put what they can under the carpet quickly. If Israel's P.R. people had pursued all these different things that showed this wasn't Israel's fault, things would've turned out differently. The other lesson sheds a light on a process very wide spread in the region. People don't realize that Palestinians get their jobs as journalists because they're sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. They're out to push an agenda. It's up to the news services to disclose that they're using local TV personnel to capture breaking news. Stay tuned for Alain's video coverage outside the courthouse. UPDATE: Watch Alain Benjamin's video coverage. Hamas Tightens Press Restrictions
. . . in an edict published on its Web site Wednesday, it said journalists who do not hold official press cards from the Hamas-run Interior Ministry would not be allowed to work in Gaza. News organizations have resisted obtaining the cards because it entails submitting to restrictions, including a vague ban on stories that do not uphold "national responsibilities." Related reading: Hamas Issuing Media Credentials
Irony of the Day
As we wait to see how today's Dura video proceedings unfold, The Independent quotes a relative of a child killed by Hamas at Monday's rally in Gaza: "Even the Israelis do not do this," said Ibrahim's uncle, Jihad Auda, 52, adding of the rally: "It was like a party, a wedding. They know that these weapons will kill. Why do they use it against their own people?" It's About Time!
State-run television in the Maldives has been ordered to stop praising Palestinian suicide bombers. AFP explains why: The measures are part of a package of restrictions designed to stem a feared spread of militant Islam that could damage the Indian Ocean archipelago's status as a top destination for rich tourists. Martyr Myths
A Lebanese priest says the word "martyrs" is a loaded term meant to incite. Watch this Memri video.
Here's the snippet of his compelling argument: Interviewer: Take, for example, the people who were killed in South Lebanon, while fighting the Israelis – should they be considered martyrs? (Hat tip: Solomonia) A "Traditional Demand"
AP writes: Palestinian negotiators charged Tuesday that Israel is sabotaging the conference by making new demands. The latest is that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Palestinians could not do that. Such a declaration would imply conceding the "right of return" of 4 million Palestinians — refugees and their descendants from the war that followed Israel's creation in 1948. Memo to AP: The idea of Israel as a Jewish state is also a "traditional demand." UPDATE Nov. 14: See Jeff Jacoby's response to Erekat. The Fireworks Begin
France 2's correspondent in Israel, Charles Enderlin, told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday that he had no idea why anyone had thought there were 27 minutes of footage.
Hamas Detains Times Reporter
Covering this week's Gaza protests, Times of London correspondent Paul Martin has repeated run-ins with a Hamas Executive Force clearly trying to curtail free journalism. Read his coverage and see why Hamas might not like it. Tuesday, November 13 2007A Lousy P.R. Day
• AFP directly contradicts Hamas’ explanation for the gunfire: Hamas blamed Fatah gunmen for instigating the clashes, accusing them of firing down on police from the rooftops around the square. . . . • The Washington Post noted the same contradiction, adding that journalists also took a beating: A Washington Post reporter on the scene saw no Fatah gunmen at the rally or in its vicinity. Other reporters gave similar accounts. . . • See AP for a remarkably detailed first-hand account of Hamas security conduct: In one confrontation, an Associated Press reporter observed about 30 Hamas policemen — some posted on the rooftop of a government ministry, others on the streets below — firing heavily for about 10 minutes. Some appeared to be shooting over the heads of Fatah stone-throwers while others were firing randomly. The Palestinians are observing three days of mourning -- and not for Hamas' image. Unwanted, And Still Israel's Fault
Haaretz finds that Palestinian gunmen who got an amnesty from Israel now feel unwanted. W&M's Impact on Britain
The problem on this side of the Atlantic is that British politics lacks anything approaching the American system of openly declared political lobbies; a similar, AIPAC-style operation in Westminster would not just influence policy, it would also subvert fundamental democratic mechanisms. . . . |
