Efforts by eager Western journalists and Zionist officials to praise the supposedly positive economic signs in the West Bank are thankfully challenged by the Independent. Less checkpoints have undoubtedly brought more freedom for some Palestinians but here’s the rub: Critics say Mr Netanyahu’s approach is aimed at evading the broad political concessions needed to really…
Showing all posts tagged Hamas
Gaza moves further down the path of radicalism
I investigated in Gaza the growing Islamisation of the Strip. It continues: Female students in the Gaza Strip will be required to wear head coverings and full-length robes beginning this school year, the Hamas rules of the Gaza Strip announced on Monday. According to the new regulations, any female student that does not attend class…
Hamas is a disease that Israel can never shake
A reader sent me this June report on Hamas from the United States Institute of Peace. It’s the kind nuanced understanding of political realities in the region that is sorely lacking from the vast bulk of the establishment: Discussion in the United States regarding Hamas is usually framed by two somewhat contradictory assumptions: (1) that…
Telling accurate stories about struggles in Gaza
Hamas recently premiered its first film in Gaza. Blogger Lina Al Sharif attended the screening and wrote the following observations: It’s not the best movie I have seen, but it’s a movie from Gaza. Putting in consideration all the circumstances, the resources and facilities that are needed to produce a movie with such plot; the…
Humiliation as Israeli policy
An Israeli official recently told the BBC on the ongoing blockade of Gaza: The blockade, which is currently under review, may inadvertently benefit Hamas – but pointed out that easing it might be taken as a victory for the Islamic movement.
Killing Gazans isn’t exactly ideal
Fred Abrahams, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch’s Emergencies Program, tells Democracy Now! that Israel must answer serious allegations against its soldiers murdering innocent Palestinians holding white flags during the recent war: Well, the main criticism from the Israeli government of our report is attacking the methodology. And, you know, this is the same methodology…
Obama is not the anti-Christ, repeat after me
J Street launches a new website, Obama Smear Busters, in an attempt to debunk the growing number of lies spread by the fundamentalist Zionist communities in Israel and the US: – Obama threw Israel under the bus in Cairo speech? Nope. – “Birther” leader claims Obama is “clear and present danger to Israel?” Ridiculous. –…
When crazy Zionism meets just crazy
Orly Tait, the Jew behind the Obama “birther” controversy, speaks to Haaretz: “During the campaign, Obama was telling American Jews that he is for Israel… but sure enough, just as he was elected, look at his first actions, he issued an executive order to give $900 million to Gaza with no preconditions.” Taitz says that…
When Hamas and Israel are judged by different standards
The Hamas strike against a (supposed) al-Qaeda gang in Gaza is given a thorough examination by journalist and blogger Orly Halpern: I was shocked today to read how my colleague and friend, Haaretz’s Palestinian Affairs correspondent Avi Issacharoff, portrayed Hamas’ crushing of an Al-Qaeda inspired Islamic extremist group over the weekend in southern Gaza. The…
The Hamas defence mechanism
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal tells a Qatari newspaper of his group’s supposed attitude to a growing “virtue campaign” in Gaza: We will not impose a strict interpretation of religion on anyone. There is growing evidence from inside the Strip, including what I saw and heard with my own eyes and ears in July, that contradicts…