Cancer

 For decades a coward silence has been the endemic cancer penetrating almost the whole western media when talking about the misdemeanours of the Israeli establishment. Therefore Israel has been turned into a little nation and its people has been tied to misinformation and egoism. Lebanese strike is the last show. On July 12, 2006, Israeli soldiers entered the Lebanon border and were captured in the Lebanese town of Ayta ash-Shab by Hezbollah militias that keep control of that land in Southern Lebanon (Bahrain News, Asia Times). Israel deliberately lies or let the world and the Westerners understand that the soldiers have been kidnapped in Israeli owned land. That’s it, then it’s hell. IDF bombs Lebanon while in Europe some say they are indignate (but they keep silent) and some talk of self defense (and they had better keep silent). After having believed as true, for years, world spread Israeli propaganda, such as the Western world trusted Barak’s unabashed lies (making impossible for his people and neighbours to reach a deal with Syria and killing Camp David and Taba talks), Western nations let US backed Israel blackmail the Middle East with another humanitarian catastrophe. Hundreds of dead and wounded, hundreds of  thousands refugees must weigh over the coward Europe’s conscience, as there is no chance they weighed over the arrogance of the Israeli Military and Government or the dishonest US establishment. But something is moving. Protectors and protegees, in spite of the propaganda that has been spread for decades all over the world by hired information killers, are no longer able to keep people unaware of the facts.

More than 2,500 people on Saturday attended a mass demonstration against the war in Lebanon, marching from Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square to a rally at the Cinemateque plaza. The rally was the first of its kind protesting against the IDF’s offensive in Lebanon. Unlike previous anti-war protests in israel, major Arab organizations in Israel – among them Hadash and Balad – participated in the event in large numbers. The rally, which received wide international press coverage, had a theme unfamiliar from previous demonstrations here. Beside the usual calls for the prime minister and defense minister to resign, this was a distinctly anti-American protest. Alongside chants of “We will not kill, we will not die in the name of Zionism” there were chants of “We will not die and will not kill in the service of the United States,” and slogans condemning President George W. Bush. During the event, a counter-demonstration has formed across from the rally, and rightist protesters held up “Traitors, we are fed up with you” signs. Protesters also waved Israel flags and flags of the Golani Brigade. A skirmish broke out between activists from both sides, while some infuriated passersby cursed the leftist protesters and called them, “Hizbullahniks.” Others threw garbage bags at the activists and shouted: “A good Arab is a dead Arab,” and “If only a rocket fell on you.” Large police and SWAT units secured the event and kept opponents away from where the rally was held. Despite the clashes, the organizers of the march said they were pleased with the surprisingly large number of participants, and encouraged by the public’s reaction against the Lebanon operation. (Ha’aretz, YnetNews)

Sleep balance?

The three Palestinian militant groups responsible for abducting of Corporal Gilat Shalit addressed – as “Military Communique 3” – Israel an ultimatum, giving until Tuesday 6 a.m. to release Palestinian prisoners or “pay the consequences”. The groups have underlined that as by that time they did not hear from Israel any news they would consider the abduction of Gilad Shalit a “closed case”. Israeli establishment had considered till this morning a deal by releasing Palestinian prisoners who have not been directly involved in “terrorist” activities. With regard to this, IDF said they would never release prisoners “with blood on their hands” and, on the contrary, it was possible to think they were willing, among a wider deal, to free those captured under the “Prevention of terrorism ordinance” (such as Hamas ministers and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, just held in jail, as well as other security prisoners for minor offenses such as belonging to terrorist organizations). In the issue, in order to make a draft of the deal, were involved the defense minister Amir Peretz and IDF chief of staff Dan Halutz. The latest news is a full stop, Israeli rejected the ultimatum. Nonetheless in the draft they had made provision for a so called “sleep balance” between Sderot and Gaza saying that “if the children of Sderot can’t sleep due to fear of Qassam rockets, Israel will disrupt the sleep of Gaza children”. That’s it. On the subject we must emphasize that the standard of the dispute (forget any other historical, practical, humanitarian, strategic, overwhelming problem) and the level of the choices made or anyway spread by the parties, are – or at least appear – extremely rough. (Source of the news, Ha’aretz)