Reuters: Meaningless drivel from Israel

Palestinians welcome Israeli interest in Saudi plan

Right… So “Palestinians hope Israeli calls for the revival of a Saudi peace initiative” could lead to something. Fair enough I guess, but given that the “Saudi plan calls for full Arab recognition of Israel if it gives up “all of the territories” occupied in the 1967″ – ie. implementation of UN Security Council resolution 242 – I doubt anything will happen. 242 was passed in what? 1967? One of the few UNSC resolutions calling on Israel to stop violating International Law not vetoed by the US.

Why does this crap still make the news? Israel has no intention of peace. It will not even halt settlements on illegally occupied land. It will not even allow full citizenship rights for Arabs. It is a violent, racist, illegal (settlements), authoritarian, non-democratic, proto-fascist state.

Israel can make peace and follow the law all by itself. Until it decides to do so, the words ‘peace’ ‘Israel’ and ‘plan’ in the same sentence have no meaning.

 

Haaretz: Poland safe as pact is signed with Germany

Foreign Ministry mulling non-aggression treaty with Lebanon

Now, there’s nothing wrong with Israel signing treaties with Lebanon, indeed treaties are badly needed to address the problems of constant attacks and the occupation of the Sheeba farms, but a ‘non-aggression treaty’? Is this an admission of guilt by Israel? I see no mention of reparations for the decades of war. Are we therefore to believe that aggression is mutual and equal? Despite three Israeli invasions and a few bombings and thousands of civillians killed in 30 years, not to mention the constant border violations on a daily basis by Israeli planes. Israel doesn’t need a pact to secure non-aggression on the Lebanese border, it needs to stop being aggressive.

 

US: Develop nukes, be rewarded!

The Age: North Korea may lose terror label

and News.com.au: US, india sign historic nuclear deal

Are both reporting from Washington (at least The Age names their Washington correspondent) that acquiring nuclear weapons will bring tangible rewards to your government. Now, perhaps in light of their attacks on or ambivalence to nuclear treaties (the NPT and CTBT) this is not surprising, but it certainly is worrying. Particularly if you are Iran.

There is no evidence that Iran is persuing a nuclear weapons program – despite the fact they’d be insane not to, when two nuclear powers routinely threaten them – and indeed plenty of evidence to the contrary. Yet Iran continues to be threatened with war. Meanwhile two countries who have acquired nukes through questionable means, with highly questionable governments (paricularly in the case of North Korea) are being rewards – seemingly for their possessing of nuclear deterrents. India continues to be one of the most unstable and bellicose nuclear powers -behind only Israel and Pakistan. North Korea, while they should be engaged, are certainly a far worse regime than Iran. Its just MAD…

Yet, despite Iran’s co-operation with the IAEA, having not started a war in 2000 years, and the current (abhorrent) crackpot regime being somewhat better than the previous (US-backed) Shah it is Iran who is targeted.
Next time you read about Iran’s nuclear program, remember – they don’t have nukes yet, otherwise they’d be rewarded.

 

The Age: Murderous blockade of Gaza

Peace ships break through Israel’s blockade of Gaza
That is a bloody good story. Well written, truthful, and kinda nice. That one of the blokes was from Melbourne is no doubt why it was printed, but it also good to see Jeff Halper getting a shout out, being a damned fine journalist. It also refreshing to see Fatah’s coup attempt refered to as just that. Too often it is ‘factional fighting’ or ‘Palestinian in-fighting’ which fails to recognise the seriousness of the coup attempt (which was carried out with US arms – funny how weapons can make it through the blockade).

 

The Age: Islamic men with guns dislike Israel, are therefore anti-Semetic

Move to block Hezbollah’s ‘terror TV’

Now, I rather like the separation of Church and State. I find it somewhat indispensable to democracy. However, others may not. Hizbollah and Hamas both make bloody good cases that in fact church and state can go together – because their primary goals are the freedom of their people from oppression, not imposing a ‘caliphate’. In the whole article by The Age, I see no actual evidence that al-Mansar is anti-semitic, except one allegation – by a member of a right-wing Zionist group. The article’s ‘evidence’ seems to be solely that Hizbollah is a terrorist group which opposes Israel, and so must be anti-Semitic – and this is never questioned. But is it true? When was the last time Hizbollah carried out offensive operations outside of Lebanon (baring the recent war)? Can’t answer? Because its over 15 years ago since their bombing of the Argentine Israeli embassy or what not. Since then, every Hizbollah action has been in accordance with international law, and their right to oppose illegal occupations of their land (by Israel). Their rockets which rained down on Northern Israeli cities were a war crime – targeting civilians – yet they pale in comparison to the destruction of the entire nation that Israel wrought on Lebanon. The kidnapping that sparked the affair? The Israel soldiers violated the border (thus their kidnapping was not a crime or terrorism). Hizbollah hates Israel not because it is Jewish, but because of two wars, countless bombings, routine border violations, thousands of Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails, constant interference, and thousands of dead Lebanese because of Israeli aggression. That sounds a pretty good reason to oppose something to me – and the law agrees. Hizbollah is not a terrorist group, it is a Shiite resistance group that was formed in the early eighties because of Israeli aggression, it has not carried out terrorist operations in a long time, it is also now a legitimate political party, a provider of welfare, education and yes, television. It doesn’t have the ideals I’d like to see, but its not an anti-semitic devil – it even broadcasts in a Semitic language.

 

Reuters: Israel says its dirt is more important than Palestinians

Israel shuts Gaza crossings after rocket attack

Israel has once more demonstrated the high regard they hold other humans, by stepping up the blockade on Gaza. The blockade includes the Egyptian and sea borders – thus proving the famed “pull out” involved no handing over of actual power. The reason for the re-blockaded borders, this attack, which by the Reuters / Israeli police description, probably landed in a field. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, and starvation is rife, Free Gaza has more info on that, and Israel knows full well that the blockade will cost lives, but that’s a point. Israeli dirt is worth more than Palestinian lives.

Interestingly the article mentions a suicide attack some months ago as the “reason” for other closures – but fails to note that collective punishment is rather illegal, and was one of the major charges levelled at the Nazis. There is also no mention of the very recent upsurge in violence against Palestinians by settlers in the West Bank. (Perhaps because they’re attacks on actual people, unlike the heavily reported attack on Israeli dirt).