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dreamer_easyRight then - now that I am suitably cushioned by alcohol, let's see where we're up to in the Middle East. (You guys have given me lots of links and thinks - I'll come back to them.)
At a Flash Point in Gaza, A Family's Deadly Ordeal - a report from today's Washington Post considers the legality of Israel's actions during Operation Cast Lead.
A thought-provoking opinion piece from an Israeli peace activist: Israel Must Stop Fanning the Flames That Will Consume Us. Makes a very interesting connection with the 2006 war with Lebanon. And also points out: "Israel, which is many times stronger than they [Palestinians] are, has tremendous power to control the level of violence in the conflict as a whole. As such, it can also have a profound influence on calming the conflict and extricating both sides from its cycle of destruction."
Hamas tried to hijack ambulances during Gaza war. This is worth reading just for the awesome bottle of the Red Crescent ambulance driver, caught between Hamas thugs and Israeli snipers. Also gives a general picture of the mess, including Hamas' retaliation against alleged collaborators, its slipping popularity, and the forthcoming Israeli election. The BBC has more on Hamas' loss of support. (Or is this just wishful thinking?)
Hamas claims it's still smuggling in weapons. Certainly the tunnels were open for business as soon as the killing stopped.
Meanwhile, politics complicates efforts to rebuild.
A former European Commissioner suggests some ways forward - include Hamas and also nearby countries in talks; complete the withdrawal of settlements from the West Bank.
Obama's administration intend to "actively and aggressively seek a lasting peace".
I'd like to close on a bleakly humorous note with a Guardian columnist's suggestion that the BBC's refusal to screen a charity appeal for Gaza from the Disasters Emergency Committee, is timidity resulting from the Jonathan Ross - Russell Brand fuckup.
At a Flash Point in Gaza, A Family's Deadly Ordeal - a report from today's Washington Post considers the legality of Israel's actions during Operation Cast Lead.
A thought-provoking opinion piece from an Israeli peace activist: Israel Must Stop Fanning the Flames That Will Consume Us. Makes a very interesting connection with the 2006 war with Lebanon. And also points out: "Israel, which is many times stronger than they [Palestinians] are, has tremendous power to control the level of violence in the conflict as a whole. As such, it can also have a profound influence on calming the conflict and extricating both sides from its cycle of destruction."
Hamas tried to hijack ambulances during Gaza war. This is worth reading just for the awesome bottle of the Red Crescent ambulance driver, caught between Hamas thugs and Israeli snipers. Also gives a general picture of the mess, including Hamas' retaliation against alleged collaborators, its slipping popularity, and the forthcoming Israeli election. The BBC has more on Hamas' loss of support. (Or is this just wishful thinking?)
Hamas claims it's still smuggling in weapons. Certainly the tunnels were open for business as soon as the killing stopped.
Meanwhile, politics complicates efforts to rebuild.
A former European Commissioner suggests some ways forward - include Hamas and also nearby countries in talks; complete the withdrawal of settlements from the West Bank.
Obama's administration intend to "actively and aggressively seek a lasting peace".
I'd like to close on a bleakly humorous note with a Guardian columnist's suggestion that the BBC's refusal to screen a charity appeal for Gaza from the Disasters Emergency Committee, is timidity resulting from the Jonathan Ross - Russell Brand fuckup.
