Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

06 Sep 2011 10:33

tags

World: Turkey: We’re severing all ties with Israel, the “spoiled boy” of the Middle East

  • We are completely suspending all of these, trade relations, military relations, related with the defense industry. All of these are completely suspended and other measures will follow this process.
  • Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan • Explaining why his country would be placing additional sanctions on Israel, which he compared to a “spoiled boy.” The two countries were once close allies, but one flotilla raid later, and all that’s out the window. It’s a pretty dramatic change if you ask us. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 May 2011 12:29

tags

World: Egyptian Gaza border opens, finally giving Palestinians a way out

  • Opening this door does not mean Egypt wants to allow bombs and explosives … Egypt wants to allow safe passage of individuals who want to conduct their lives.
  • Senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath • Expressing his approval for Egypt’s decision to permanently open their Rafa Border to Gaza, the region’s main outlet to the outside world. It’s all a part of the Egyptian government’s desire to build a stronger relationship with the Palestinians. Hamas’ Deputy foreign minister, Ghazi Hamad, calls this “a unique move and a positive development.” As for those allowed to leave the tiny, dense region of Palestine, they’re thrilled to finally get to leave. “The closure did not affect only the travel of passengers or the flowing of goods. Our brains and our thoughts were under blockade,” said Khaled Halaweh, a 28-year-old man who hopes to study at Alexandria University, but hasn’t been able to leave the Gaza region in seven years. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Feb 2011 11:07

tags

World: Palestinian situation looking pretty freaking messed-up right now

  • I can’t advocate accountability and transparency all my life and then comes the biggest breach in Palestinian national security – the stealing of the documents from my office – and let it be business as usual. What I want to do is plant the seeds for the future of Palestinian officials. When officials make mistakes, they are out.
  • Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat • Explaining why he left his office in the wake of the recent “Palestine Papers” scandal, which was rooted from a leak in his office. Erekat’s exit over the weekend is only one sign of an overwhelming instability that showed up in the wake of the Egyptian unrest. Prime Minister Salam Fayyad straight-up dissolved the cabinet and plans to replace them all within six weeks. The cabinet was long seen by many in the Fatah movement as dysfunctional, indluding Fayyad – and not even all the seats in the cabinet were actually filled with people. Is a fresh start what Palestine needs, at least politically? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 Feb 2011 19:07

tags

World: Palestine fighting over itself over Egypt-inspired election plans

  • We call upon all parties to set aside their reservations and disagreements. Let us work together to hold elections and uphold the will of the Palestinian people. As for differences and disagreements, whether in political or security matters, we believe that these issues could be resolved by the coming elected Legislative Council.
  • A message from the Palestinian Authority • Announcing the country’s first elections since 2006, when Hamas gained a foothold, will take place in September. As with just about everything with the Islamist Hamas group, things are tense, and they’re fighting the decision to hold elections, saying that they need to come after a reconciliation period between Hamas and the Fatah, which dominates the Palestinian Authority. Hamas is currently not a part of the Palestine Liberation Organization,  and want the group to be restructured to include them. The two groups – Hamas and Fatah – fought a brief civil war in 2007 and since then have controlled different parts of the already-tension-filled country. Also today, Saeb Erekat, one of Palestine’s chief negotiators with Israel, resigned in the wake of the recent “Palestine Papers” scandal. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Jan 2011 11:23

tags

World: Israeli independent study: Flotilla raid “regrettable” but legal

  • issue Back in May, an Israeli raid of a humanitarian flotilla, headed towards the until-then heavily-sanctioned Gaza, angered many who felt that Israeli military actions in the situation broke international law and led to unnecessary deaths. Israel defended its actions.
  • findings While the entire incident was “regrettable,” according to an Israeli-commissioned study, it was legal under international law – with the independent study saying soldiers “acted professionally and in a measured manner in the face of unanticipated violence.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Jul 2010 09:08

tags

World: Ouch: David Cameron compares Gaza to “prison camp”

  • The situation in Gaza has to change. Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.
  • British Prime Minister David Cameron • Using harsh language to describe the situation in the Palestine-occupied area. He also had not-nice-things to say about the flotilla attack. “I have told prime minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu we will expect the Israeli inquiry to be swift, transparent and rigorous,” he said. “Let me also be clear that the situation in Gaza has to change.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

06 Jul 2010 11:19

tags

World: Israeli soldiers are gonna face charges for their conduct in Gaza

  • How bad the 2008 conflict was is up for debate. Investigators for the Israeli government looked into 150 separate incidents of possible misconduct during late 2008’s Operation Cast Lead. Allegations include manslaughter and, in one case, using a Palestinian man as a “human shield.” How many people died in the incident, and how many of those were civilians? Depends on who you ask:
  • 1,400 estimated Palestinian deaths, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights; they say most were non-combatant
  • 1,166 estimated Palestinian deaths, according to the Israeli government, which says 60 percent of those were “terror operatives” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

05 Jul 2010 20:46

tags

World: Israel (partly) expands the list of things that can go into Gaza

  • <200 number of things that were allowed on the old list
  • 1,000’s number of things that are banned on the new list source
  • » Notable omissions: While food and household cleaning items made the cut, building supplies did not. Lumber, concrete, steel and other supplies necessary for Gaza to rebuild its infrastructure did not make the list. Why? Because Israel wants to ensure they can’t build bunkers or rockets. Or, you know, buildings, roads and basic infrastructure.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jul 2010 10:12

tags

World: Does Israel plan to apologize to Turkey for the flotilla incident?

  • NO even though it might cost them diplomatic ties source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

23 Jun 2010 11:14

tags

World: Who thinks Israel’s flotilla raid was a bad idea? Raise your hand

  • 13 European countries, including Turkey, raised their hands source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink
 
 
top tags
older >>