Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Elder of Ziyon
Pedro not on his game, will the Phillies' bats make up for it? Discuss.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009Elder of ZiyonConclusionsThe document is worth reading in its entirety, and it is especially relevant in the wake of the Goldstone report with its own shoddy interpretations of international law and highly politicized and questionable assumptions about the legal statuses of Gaza, Hamas, the Hamas police and the Al Qassam Brigades.
Whilst a broad set of views were represented at the cross-disciplinary roundtable, Just Journalism has extracted some key observations with the aim that these will be further debated by journalists, the public and all interested parties:
The politicisation of international law by parties to conflicts and their supporters is inadequately addressed by journalists. Allegations of disproportionality against Israel or genocide against Sri Lanka and other states can be politically motivated and inaccurate.
Many principles of international law are heavily contested but are often not presented to news audiences as such. News audiences need to be informed about the various interpretations of these terms in order to be aware of differing claims.
The liberal view of international law as a protector against human rights violations prevails in the public consciousness and is perpetuated in the media. In fact, international law often legitimises conflict as well as limiting it.
Most journalists reporting accusations of breaches of international law are themselves not lawyers, making it difficult to adjudicate between competing legal claims or to appropriately position them.
Journalists must strike a balance between providing detail on the complex legal concepts they refer to, and ensuring their reports remain accessible to their audiences. There is a lack of consensus on the right way to strike this balance at present and this needs further discussion.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009Elder of ZiyonThis ship had ten times the weapons that the infamous Karin-A had.Roughly 500 tons of weapons, rockets, and missiles was uncovered aboard the cargo vessel “Francop” flying an Antiguan flag, which was intercepted and brought to the Ashdod port. The Israel Navy force which intercepted the ship included naval commandos, missile boats, intelligence and explosive experts.
36 shipping containers with 500 tons of weaponry were found on the ship disguised as civilian cargo, and hidden among hundreds of other containers onboard.
Israel Naval and Engineering Corps forces are currently unloading the containers and are sorting through the various types of weaponry found aboard.
The naval commando force boarded the vessel and conducted an initial search. The search was conducted in accordance with the usual search protocols as dictated by International Law.
Following the initial search and after it became clear that the vessel was carrying weapons, the vessel was directed by the Israel Navy to dock at the Israeli Ashdod Naval base for additional searches and a detailed inspection of the hull’s cargo. It should be emphasized that the captain of the ship agreed to the search. The Israel Navy conducted all activity without any force.
The weapons found onboard the ship originate from Iran, and were intended for the Hezbollah terror organization, for use against the State of Israel and its citizens. The weapons uncovered at sea last night constitute a harsh violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1747 and 1701 that strictly forbid Iran from exporting or trading any form of weapons.
This is a well-known Iranian technique, taking advantage of cargo ships flying different flags in order to smuggle containers loaded with large amounts of highly volatile weaponry to terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah.
Here are the UN Security Council Resolutions that were violated by this shipment (from an IDF briefing:)
| UN Security Council Resolution 1737 (December 23rd, 2006) | |
| A UN resolution determining, inter alia, a limit on export of certain Iranian products and items | -"Decides that Iran shall not export any of the items in documents S/2006/814 and S/2006/815 and that all Member States shall prohibit the procurement of such items from Iran by their nationals, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, and whether or not originating in the territory of Iran." |
| UN Security Council Resolution 1474 (March 24th, 2007) | |
| Explicitly forbids all export of arms from | "Decides that Iran shall not supply, sell or transfer directly or indirectly from its territory or by its nationals or using its flag vessels or aircraft any arms or related material, and that all States shall prohibit the procurement of such items from Iran by their nationals, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, and whether or not originating in the territory of Iran." |
| UN Security Council Resolution 1803 (March 24th, 2008) | |
| Calls for supervision over the movement of aircraft and naval vessels owned by the companies Iran Air and IRISL (Annexes 11 and 12) | "Calls upon all States, in accordance with their national legal authorities and legislation and consistent with international law, in particular the law of the sea and relevant international civil aviation agreements, to inspect the cargoes to and from Iran of aircraft and vessels, at their airports and seaports, owned or operated by Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, provided there are reasonable grounds to believe that the aircraft or vessel is transporting goods prohibited under this resolution or resolution 1737 (2006) or resolutions 1747 (2007);" |
| UN Security Council Resolution 1835 September 27th, 2008 | |
| Reconfirms earlier resolutions dealing with the issue of Iranian exports and arms trading, and calls on | “Reaffirms the statement of its President, S/PRST/2006/15, of 29 March, and its resolution 1696 (2006) of 31 July 2006, its resolution 1737 (2006) of 23 December 2006, its resolution 1747 (2007) of 24 March 2007, and its resolution 1803 (2008) of 3 March 2008… Calls upon |
Wednesday, November 04, 2009Elder of Ziyon
From AFP:South African Judge Richard Goldstone's name may be infamous in Israel, but in the Gaza Strip it is sewn onto souvenir Palestinian headscarves in honour of his controversial war inquiry.(h/t t34zakat and Vicious Babushka)
Tariq Abu Dia, owner of the President Arafat souvenir shop in Gaza City, says Goldstone, who is Jewish, deserves the honour of appearing on the iconic Palestinian keffiyeh made famous by Yasser Arafat, for whom the shop is named.
"Today we put out 50 keffiyehs made of white fabric with the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the name 'Goldstone' embroidered on them, to honour his work," Abu Dia says, as he shows off one of the scarves.The shop, which mostly caters to foreign aid workers and activists working in the besieged and impoverished territory, will be selling the scarves, which Abu Dia insists are handmade, for around 20 dollars (15 euros).
Wednesday, November 04, 2009Elder of Ziyon
Wednesday, November 04, 2009Elder of Ziyon
analysis, Goldstone Report, Richard LandesWhat’s missing here, of course, is any investigation into the extensive evidence that Hamas used the civilian population as a shield, that they deliberately fired from the midst of civilian neighborhoods in order to provoke attacks, that they dressed as civilians, commandeered ambulances, stole food supplied by Israel to the Gazan population… in short that they did everything they could to maximize their own civilians’ casualties. All these matters are, of course, critical to assessing the behavior of Israeli troops. And yet, Goldstone explicitly refused to look into this material....Read the whole thing.We didn’t want to investigate situations where we would be called upon to second-guess decisions made by Israeli Defense Force leaders or soldiers, in what’s called the “fog of battle”. It’s really unfair to do that, especially without hearing the other side. So we tried to concentrate on issues which seem to be less likely to be justifiable by applying those standards.In other words, we didn’t look specifically into incidents of Hamas using human shields, didn’t listen to witnesses who, taking that information into account, found the IDF took remarkable risks to avoid hitting civilians. Instead, they chose 36 incidents to investigate which “appear to represent situations where there was little or no military justification for what happened,” and nonethess, found Israel guilty of targeting civilians. ...
Indeed, the FFM, even as it only tangentially considered evidence of Hamas’ military strategy of human shields, consistently dismissed any evidence to the contrary. The trope “The Mission found no evidence… did not find any evidence… for illegitimate behavior by Hamas and other Palestinian combatants runs through the report like a scarlet thread...
If you seek not, how will you find?
Tuesday, November 03, 2009Elder of ZiyonJEDDAH: A new TV show that discusses issues concerning teenageI've seen this sort of show before. It was called "radio."girls and female university students was recently broadcast with Saudi presenters dressed in black from head to toe.
The show — named Asrar Al-Banat (The Secrets of Girls) — is broadcast on Awtan TV, a Saudi religious channel that was first aired in August 2008 and has women broadcasters who are covered in the all-enveloping abaya and niqab.
Presenting Asrar Al-Banat is Sawsan Salah Al-Deen, a 26-year-old Saudi BA graduate in Media and Guidance.
Sawsan, who is appearing on TV for the first time, said she was initially anxious. Her family has, however, been supportive, particularly since “people will not see me” and the program reaches out to young women.Something that has also appealed to her family is the fact that her work environment is women-only; male technical assistants do not enter the studio while women are inside and carry out their duties from outside.
Answering a question about some opposing religious views that regard the voice of women as Awrah (something that cannot be revealed in the presence of men), Sawsan said that scholars deem women’s voices as Awrah only if they are speaking softly or on immoral topics.Commenting on whether her appearance on TV would now lead to women appearing on cooking and children programs, she said, “When it comes to cooking, men can present them. However, there are some issues relating to women which men cannot handle in the way we can.”
Asrar Al-Banat, which discusses different issues relating to teenage girls, has so far broadcast four episodes. It is aired from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Friday and receives live phone calls from members of the public.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009Elder of ZiyonAs expected, the House approved Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s (R-Fla.) resolution condemning South African judge Richard Goldstone’s inquiry for the United Nations into war crimes committed last year in Gaza by Israel and Hamas. The lopsided final vote was 344 in favor to 36 opposed, with 22 “present” votes.The Palestinian side seems to want to put the unfortunate experience behind it. Asked to comment on the impact that the Obama administration’s decision to press Palestinian President Abbas to shunt the Goldstone report aside — it basically devastated his political standing — Maen Areikat, the Palestinian representative in Washington, said through a spokesman that this was “history” and “we’re happy to have it behind us.” Hussein Ibish, a fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine, said that the Palestinians basically know that Congress is going to take these sorts of stances on Israel issues. “I don’t think it will have much of an impact,” Ibish said in an email. “The administration handles diplomacy and has to take responsibility for national security. Everyone here and abroad knows that.”
Tuesday, November 03, 2009Elder of ZiyonA group of professors in Norway have called for a boycott of Israeli academics because of "systematic" discrimination against Palestinian students and for altering history to develop the Zionist ideology, the professors said in their proposal sent to Al Arabiya on Tuesday.These people are not only calling for a boycott; they are accusing Israeli universities of altering history and archaeological research for political purposes!
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), where the professors work, is set to decide next week whether to boycott Israel after it received the proposal from 30 of its professors who said their aim was to put "pressure" on Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian land.
"We, who have signed this letter, believe that it is time that academic institutions contributed to an international pressure against Israel so that real negotiations between Israel, democratically elected Palestinian authorities and the international society can begin," the open letter said.
The group accused Israeli universities and institutions of higher education of playing "a key role in the policy of oppression" and said "historians and archaeologists are important in the development of the Zionist ideology and renouncement of Palestinian history and identity."
A group of employees at NTNU and HiST have in an open letter earlier this year asked their respective boards of a cultural and academic boycott of Israel. We who write in this letter are also employees of these institutions. We are generally positive to the factual and objective discussions on Palestine-Israel conflict within the NTNU / Violation, but said it is very unfortunate if the institutions unilaterally give its unconditional support to one of the parties in conflict. In our view, speaks the following arguments for the boycott proposal should be rejected:Over 1600 professors worldwide have also signed a petition against this proposal to boycott Israel at Scholars for Peace in the Middle East.- NTNU / HiST's primary role to engage in research and education, not to bring their own foreign policy. Choosing side in difficult political issues will give the impression that we are less objective and factual. This cuts across the university's role as a gathering place for a wide spectrum of different thoughts and ideas.
- To be associated with a controversial stance in such a difficult conflict will have negative consequences for the NTNU / Violation internationally. Do we really want to be known as the first Western universities who are in favor of an academic boycott of Israel?
- Also within the NTNU / HiST there are different opinions about this conflict, and a boycott decision would therefore seem divisive and non-inclusive. Even we who write under this petition has different views on how the conflict should be resolved.
- It is unclear whether the NTNU / HiST have considered all the legal issues that may result from a possible boycott decision. What funds are institutions willing to apply to scientists who defy the boycott? Will they be able to move from pay or be dismissed?
- We do not believe that such a decision will contribute to a peaceful solution to the conflict, but rather to more polarization.
. - NTNU will only lose by cutting off from the scientific contacts and cooperation with various international outstanding academic environments that exist in Israel.
- If the NTNU / Violation boycotting Israel, it is also very difficult to bring rational arguments for why we do not also boycott other nations that violate human rights in far worse ways. It follows that the institutions that need a continuous process where they use a boycott to highlight the position in other conflicts.
We request, therefore the boards at NTNU and HiST to reject the proposal for a boycott of Israel. Individuals at our universities must of course be able to engage in international conflicts, but it is unwise of the institutions as such to take sides. Our universities will lose more than we win on such a decision.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009Elder of Ziyon
Tuesday, November 03, 2009Elder of Ziyon
Tuesday, November 03, 2009Elder of ZiyonunrwaOn the strike. This is what we, as UNRWA, have to say:The statement on the strike mirrors much of what I had translated from the John Ging letter although it was not as detailed (and pointedly didn't mention the Arab countries' refusal to pay their pledges to UNRWA, a very significant admission.) It is not visible on the UNRWA website.
“ UNRWA regrets the Staff Union's decision to suspend services in a staggered fashion to protest the alleged failure to meet a promise to improve end of service benefits for staff. In addition, the Staff Union are opting for disruption of much needed services to Palestinian refugees demanding an increase in salaries and other work benefits. UNRWA believes that these work stoppages are counter-productive, disruptive and sends all the wrong messages to refugees, donors and to the staff themselves. Staff Union demands come at a period the Agency is in dire financial straits struggling to meet the basic needs of the refugees with dwindling resources and a widening budget deficit. All indicators at hand clearly show that the salaries of its 30000 staff are well above the average salaries of the host countries' employees (the Agency's official comparators). UNRWA's comprehensive health insurance to staff, the generous provident fund and end of service benefits plus an annual salary increase is considered to be one of the most competitive in the region amongst the public sector employers. This costs huge amounts of money and the remainder goes to support the actual delivery of vital services to refugees. UNRWA calls on its staff to maintain dialogue with the Agency and not to deny refugees access to services.”
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- John’s letter to staff is not out as far as I could tell. UNRWA will issue an official letter to its 30,000 staff in the five fields soon.
- On the staff member killed: No official statement. Do not know the details of his killing but it was not UNRWA related.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009Elder of Ziyon
Monday, November 02, 2009Elder of ZiyonRead the whole thing.[Goldstone:] “9. Paragraph 13:This is the first suggestion that I have come across to the effect that we should have investigated the provenance of the rockets. It was simply not on the agenda, and in any event, we would not have had the facilities or capability of investigating these allegations. If the Government of Israel has requested us to investigate that issue I have no doubt that we have done our best to do so.”
Response: As noted, Justice Goldstone’s Report went beyond its mandate in several respects; looking at the roles of Iran and Syria in assisting Hamas certainly would have provided critical context to the Report. Iran and Syria enable Hamas’ terrorism. The assistance Hamas receives from outside actors allows the Hamas terrorist organization to attack Israel incessantly, certain in the knowledge that its arsenals will be replenished.
Hamas’ support by state actors makes it a formidable foe. The report should have considered that geopolitical context.
[Goldstone:] “10. Paragraph 14: This is a sweeping and unfair characterization of the Report. I hope that the Report will be read by those tasked with considering the resolution.”
Response: The Report uncritically attributes numerous statements to “Gaza Authorities” (meaning, Hamas), while often casting doubt on information derived from the international and Israeli press and from non-government-affiliated Israelis.
For example, the Report criticizes the fact that an Israeli Government web-post cites a Newsweek article reporting on Hamas depredations against its own population and casts doubt on the accuracy of the article. According to the Report, the citing of the Newsweek article, far from being an effort to invoke a neutral source, is merely evidence that Israel itself finds the Newsweek report unconvincing, since Israel does not adduce evidence from its own internal sources (p.143 paragraphs 612-614). This is an odd criticism, since intelligence information, no matter how compelling, is only rarely disclosed to the public.
Perhaps most tellingly, the Report appears only to cite Israeli statements when it finds such statements a useful basis for criticizing Israel. For example:
Section 41 – “The Mission examined the mortar shelling of al-Fakhura junction in Jabaliyah next to a UNRWA school, which, at the time, was sheltering more than 1,300 people (chap. X). The Israeli armed forces launched at least four mortar shells. One landed in the courtyard of a family home, killing 11 people assembled there. Three other shells landed on al-Fakhura Street, killing at least a further 24 people and injuring as many as 40. The Mission examined in detail statements by Israeli Government representatives alleging that the attack was launched in response to a mortar attack from an armed Palestinian group. While the Mission does not exclude that this may have been the case, it considers the credibility of Israel’s position damaged by the series of inconsistencies, contradictions and factual inaccuracies in the statements justifying the attack.”
Section 702 – “The Mission views as being unreliable the versions given by the Israeli authorities. The confusion as to what was hit, the erroneous allegations of who was specifically hit and where the armed groups were firing from, the indication that Israeli surveillance watched the scene but nonetheless could not detect where the strikes occurred, all combine to give the impression of either profound confusion or obfuscation.”
By contrast, the Report is far more forgiving when discussing contradictions in Palestinian evidence:
Section 1092 – “There are some minor inconsistencies, which are not, in the opinion of the Mission, sufficiently weighty to cast doubt on the general reliability of Majdi Abd Rabbo. There are also, not surprisingly, some elements of the long account which appear in some versions and not in others. The Mission finds that these inconsistencies do not undermine the credibility of Majdi Abd Rabbo’s account.”
Monday, November 02, 2009Elder of Ziyonunrwa
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