WHY THE ARAB SPRINGS SPARED ARAB KINGS

The Arab spring had for goal to do away with the regimes that were not strong enough and could not resist eventual upheavals expected from the people . The Egyptian Regime of Mubarak could not have survived- for example the protests- that would have followed the nomination of his son . The regimes of Ben ‘Ali, Kaddhafi , and Saleh were equally weak , they...

could not have survived people’s riots cause by dissatisfaction on all fronts . Therefore , as a preventive measure, and in order to avoid a successful revolution in Arab countries like the one witnessed in Iran , the US administration manipulated the people of these countries- that were candidates for a real change- to do away with their rulers at they own expenses and bring instead the prescribed rulers wanted by the west. In doing this the US administration sounded like the Israeli authorities who ask the Palestinians of Jerusalem to destroy their own houses at their own expenses. There is no wonder why -in these manipulated uprisings of Arab countries - the help of Gulf Royalties was sought whether that of Qatar or Saudia in order to subdue Egypt ,Libya Syria and Yemen . This preventive measure took care of most Arab leaders that were shaky and consecrated the powers of the Sheikhs and kings and princes of the Arab world.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

Saudi al Hayat: 'Turkish efforts in Syria a complete fiasco!'

FLC

[Al Hayat] "... However, this optimism faded away and was replaced by tension and the exchange of missiles across the border with Syria. This optimism was also affected by the positions of the Syrian opposition, which is splintered both politically and militarily.The image that all Turkish quarters had envisioned was that if a greater amount of Syrian opponents joined the Syrian National Council (SNC), which was supposed to overhaul its structure to attract more members, and if the opposition's armed military on the ground were unified, then the stage would be set for the post-US elections period, which would witness a crucial move on the part of Washington. 

However, the Turkish efforts in this regard were a complete fiasco. In fact, Ankara found itself facing a new — and perhaps more difficult — test in light of the Eid al-Adha truce project launched by UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi. 

This project was perceived by many Turkish parties as a prelude to correct the track of the Turkish policy, after Turkey had lost hope in the Syrian opposition. Still, Turkey is clinging to the hope of overthrowing the regime of Bashar al-Assad, but it may have begun to reconsider its position and settle for a smaller piece of the new ruling pie in Syria. 

In fact, the Istanbul visit by CIA Director David Petraeus in early September revived the old Turkish optimism........For a while, it seemed that the main opposition parties responded to the Turkish move to unite their ranks in front of the American observer, but it was not long before this picture faded away, either due to Syrian tactics on the ground, which worked on dragging Turkey into the conflict by bombing its territory, or due to the Aleppo bombings, whose responsibility was claimed by al-Qaeda and which came as a fatal response to Turkey's efforts to unify the military command of the opposition. 

At first, articles were leaked to Western newspapers. They said the supply of arms to the FSA and armed groups has been stopped as a punishment for their failure to unite. 

These articles were followed by accusations against specific Arab countries of financing jihadist and religious groups that didn’t fall under the auspices of the FSA in Syria. Then, there were official US and international statements that formally voiced their concern over the activity of "extremist" groups that are operating on the ground without allowing anyone to have any influence on their decisions or objectives. 

It seemed that criticizing the performance of the opposition's armed militias was tantamount, even if indirectly, to criticizing Ankara. Turkey bet on the scenario of a military settlement, despite the fact that it was the one refusing to provide the opposition with anti-tank weapons and other advanced anti-aircraft out of fear that these could fall into the hands of terrorist groups that might later use them against the interests of Turkey.
This is because Turkey is the most affected by the terrorists that are joining the confrontation, be they from al-Qaeda or from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). 

Thus, Ankara faced difficulties in achieving its goal of directly overthrowing the Syrian regime militarily, and it seemed that its choice has cornered it and put it at the mercy of the actions of the Syrian political and armed opposition. 

Meanwhile, it seemed like Damascus had more options to respond to this Turkish rationale. 

Then, Turkey was shocked by the Syrian political opposition, which it had previously embraced, when the Syrian National Movement revealed documents that were reportedly leaked from the Syrian intelligence.  

Ankara believed that the disclosure of these documents was an attempt by the Syrian opposition to draw the Turkish army into a war against Syria or to embarrass the Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP) government in public. This irritated the Turkish government and pushed it to adopt a sarcastic position toward these documents and to question their authenticity. 

This incident, as well as the repeated attempts by the Syrian National Council to restructure itself, probably prompted Ankara to lose confidence in the Syrian opposition or at least to reconsider its calculations regarding the future of Syria. 

Based on that, some Turkish observers believe that Turkey will go back on its previous positions regarding a military settlement on the ground.
They also say that Turkey has begun to accept middle solutions that allow a transitional government to emerge that include representatives of the regime as well as Chinese and Iranian interests, which would be similar to the “blocking third” government in Lebanon.... 

Ankara — which previously announced its support for the Geneva statement and its reservations about imposing this statement on the Syrian opposition, and reaffirmed the need that the Syrian people choose the most appropriate solution to their crisis — is currently testing the Syrian opposition through the truce proposal to halt fighting during the Eid al-Adha holiday. 

It is true that Ankara seemed to support this proposal and to use it as the foundation for discussion with Tehran — in the meeting between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Azerbaijan — and that Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutolgu formally called all parties in Syria to cease fire during the Eid holiday.
However, Turkey remains in an unenviable position, whatever the results of this call for a truce proposal....... if the armed opposition rejects this proposal or is driven to fight back in response to the regime, Turkish efforts will be in vain and it will become clear to Turkish politicians that they cannot rely on the Syrian opposition. ... This test and its outcomes will represent an important experience for Turkey, which is preparing to host Russian President Vladimir Putin in an official visit in early December. The visit is a true chance to harmonize their views regarding Syria, especially because it will follow the announcement of the winner in the US presidential elections..."

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

Syria Abductors Have New ‘Guest’: Lebanese Journalist

Local Editor

Former Al-Akhbar journalist kidnapped in Syria Syria militants abducted on Saturday Lebanese Journalist Fidaa Itani, handing him over to the abductor of the 11 Lebanese pilgrims who were kidnapped last May in Aleppo. “The coordination of Azaz Revolutionists announced the detention of journalist Fidaa Itani because his work is incompatible with the path of the Syrian revolution and rebels,” read a post by militants’ Facebook page. Itani, who works at al-Akhbar Lebanese daily and LBCI television, was placed under house arrest for a short time and will be released” after an investigation into him comes to an end, the post added. When LBC contacted the abductor of the Lebanese pilgrims in Syria, Abu Ibrahim, the latter said Itani was accompanying a group of rebels in Aleppo, adding that the fighters became “suspicious” when the journalist started videoing “large amounts of operations.” Afterwards, the militants moved Itani to Aleppo’s Aazaz where they handed him over to Abu Ibrahim, who told LBC that the journalist will stay in the area “for a while.” Abu Ibrahim has been well known as the head of the group that had abducted the 11 Lebanese pilgrims as they were returning to Lebanon from Iran. The pilgrims were kidnapped in the Syrian city of Aleppo last May. The abductors had released two of the pilgrims earlier.

WINEP/ AIPAC believes Hezbollah's days of dominance "are numbered"...

Via FLC

... but then again, Schenker/WINEP/ AIPAC have said the same since they started naming Hurricanes!

"... Changing political dynamics in Beirut -- largely the result of events in Syria -- also pose a challenge for Hezbollah. Today, not only does the militia face the prospect of losing Assad, it also stands to lose the next elections and control of the Government. For while Hezbollah itself continues to command broad support among Shiites, the organization's Christian coalition partner, the Free Patriotic Movement led by Michel Aoun, appears to be losing popularity. At the same time, Lebanon's small but politically powerful Druze community headed by Walid Jumblatt is poised to bolt from the Hezbollah-led bloc and realign with the remnants of the pro-West, so-called March 14 coalition, enabling it to form a Government.To be sure, this combination of developments will not lead to the unraveling of the militia anytime soon. (and yet Schenker says) Even if Hezbollah is unable to rearm, with an estimated 100,000 rockets and missiles in its arsenal, the organization could potentially conduct several more wars with Israel and has the wherewithal to indefinitely withstand all domestic adversaries...."

Jew-Ish

Friday, October 26, 2012 at 10:10AM

By Gilad Atzmon

Just as we were learning about ‘anti’ Zionist Mondoweiss’ decision to revise its comment policy to exclude discussion of the true nature of the Jewish State, the openly pro Zionist Haaretz paper published a news item about the Israeli poet, singer songwriter Zeev Tene.

 

Tene’s new song is called ‘Jew-Ish’ and as you may guess, is actually very critical of the Jew, Jewishness, The Jewish State and Jewish Identity in general. On the pages of Haaretz, an Israeli paper, Tene tells the truth that Mondoweiss and other AZZ (Anti Zionists Zionists) are determined to suppress.

 

Is it a coincidence that our leading ‘pro’-Palestinian Jews are so determined to stifle any critical discourse to do with the Jewish State and Jewish identity?

 

Not at all. Philip Weiss, the founder of the ‘progressive’ Jewish website admitted to me in an interview that Jewish-self interests are at the centre of his activism.

“I believe all people act out of self-interest. And Jews who define themselves at some level as Jews -- like myself for instance -- are concerned with a Jewish self-interest. Which in my case is: an end to Zionism,” said Weiss.

Unlike Philip Weiss, Zeev Tene, is a proud self-hater. He calls a spade a spade, he says what he means and he means what he says.

 

Watch and read Zeev Tene new poem.

 

http://youtu.be/UtI15s6LEN8

Jew ish! by Zeev Tene

How do you live with it

How do you remain indifferent

You lock an entire nation behind a fence

Just because it wants from you to be free

You stand and sing about being free

Yet, you forgets what humanity is

You forget that only yesterday you were the Other

You forget that just yesterday it was you there behind the fence

Jew ish!
How do you live with it

How do you remain indifferent

You who were pushed down

The scent of your burnt flesh is still in the air

You’ve seen how in split second

A man can become a beast

Jew ish! Wake up!

It's only yourself whom you lock behind the fence

Jew ish! Wake up!

It's only yourself whom you lock behind a fence

 

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

French warmongers want more blood in Syria

By Nicolas Bonnal

I read no more French press; it assails my intelligence and my sensibility to style and finesse. The decline of the thought has accompanied in France the decline of the country. Yet some friends have told me to read an interesting article and its comments. It was published last Monday (22/10) in Le Monde - the newspaper which has also become the shadow of what it used to be. The ill-written manifesto is a pamphlet in favour of more war against Syria, a former French mandate, and perhaps the rest of the world if the rest of the world doesn’t obey the orders and the 11^th commandment of the warmongers.

We are used to think in France and in Europe that the political and social mess in Libya in a good thing, and that the political chaos in Egypt or in Syria, waiting for the atomic destruction of Iran, is a good thing too.

Thirty million unemployed people in Europe are a good thing too, and one hundred millions poor and flaming suburbs are still a good thing. What won’t we do to promote our democratic ideals! What won’t we have to do to protect European democracy, the little defenceless Israel and the little unsafe America!

 

The manifesto has been signed by Bernard Kouchner, former puppet commander of Kosovo, a bunch of “fast-thinkers” and impostors auto-proclaimed philosophers (philosophy, how many crimes do we commit in your name!) and of course by infamous France’s official intellectual, the man with 1000 dollars’ shirts, insulter of a Russian minister, and eternal despiser of French culture (labelled racist, anti-Semite, bigot and so on), Bernard-Henry Levy.

It proclaims that Mr Assad’s regime has opened its jails and so manipulates the Mujahedin and mobsters, and that in fact Mr Assad kills twice the resistant people of Syria: first because he is a tyrant backed by Russia and China, second because he is a manipulator of the salafist mob! That is why the world needs a new crusade: for Mr Assad has threatened ethnic minorities in his country since a year and a half ago! Of course one will not explain thanks to whom these communities have so long coexisted in peace before, and why mob-controlled Arab Spring awoke anybody’s hatred…

 

My readers have already understood why I don’t read French press.

 

Since he is the richest writer in the world and has framed a network of docile servants and valets in Paris, Bernard-Henry Levy can write and publish and film whatever monstrosity, even nobody buys it: as we say in French, le ridicule ne tue pas, ridiculous doesn’t kill. Ten years ago, our untalented warmonger had the nerve to promote a war against Russia in order to help Chechnya. He came everywhere to praise his dement war (I remember him on TVE, speaking in Spanish like… a Spanish cow). 

Of course later his fast-think majesty and his Faustian court applauded Bush’s insane wars, as they always insulted any Palestinian movement, as they now pretend that Libya (Levy inspired directly French intervention there) is a free and happy country! Who could challenge such arguments and such people? Mr Lavrov didn’t comment insults and he was right. France has dishonoured herself, Voltaire, Tocqueville or even Sartre, listening to such lunatic and pedantic amusers. Yet it is of no use to lament anymore.

 

But I was invited by my Russian friends to read the comments, comments that can only be written by Le Monde’s unlucky (or distracted) subscribers. And… what a shock! And what a surprise! Almost all comments protest the proposal of war, rather violently. There is a smell of rebellion, a smell of scandal; there is a smell of profanation! I turned perplexed for a few minutes: really, people in our ruined and depressed France don’t want to send troops in Syria? Really, they say they don’t want to assist mobsters in their persecution and extermination of Orthodox Christians and Muslim minorities? Really, people in France would ask instead for more rights for the Palestinians, despite the cowardice of their government? Really, people in France understand the meaning of our Europe and post-mortem democracy? Post-mortem Democracy which humiliates in Europe the right of the nations, which destroys their identity and their culture, which impoverishes their soul and their patrimony and know claims for a one thousand years of war everywhere? Even the readers of Le Monde understand that? But where are we?

 

Of course we have some useful idiots, some damned humanitarian beautiful souls who ask for an intervention before it is too late, IE before we have to go to war with Russia and China! As a great screenwriter said once, “a jerk is ready for anything; you will recognize him at this trait.”

 

But let us not exaggerate. The French readers of Le Monde are not that happy with the mad agenda of our warmongers and petty philosophers. And that is a good beginning, even for France and the Middle East.

 

Nicolas Bonnal 

 

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

Get over it: "Assad is not friendless!"

FLC

[Quadrant, via SST] "... Unless defections from the 600,000-strong, predominantly Sunni, Syrian army reach significant proportions—which is unlikely—the rebels seem to be pinning their hopes of toppling the regime on enticing foreign powers to enter the conflict on the ground and in the air. In other words, replaying the Libyan scenario. But—as many are starting to realise—Syria is not Libya; nor is it Iraq. Assad is not friendless as was Gaddafi. No one claims that the Assad regime as it stands is a democracy, but it was and is moving towards one. On the other hand, the much publicised efforts its opponents inside and outside Syria are making to demonise Assad and his government have to be seen for what they are: exaggerated and often spurious claims aimed at drawing ill-informed foreign powers into a conflict that will probably draw the whole region into a wider and bloodier one. This is no time for ad hoc solutions, or for settling old scores..."

Hariri, Jumblat in Heated Dispute

Local Editor

The Lebanese people witnessed late Thursday a heated dispute between former Premier Saad al-Hariri and the leader of Progressive Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblat.

The dispute started when Jumblat revealed that Hariri had telephoned him and asked him to withdraw his ministers from the government.

“Hariri telephoned me and asked me to resign and I told him that I won't resign. He said the Sunnis are being killed and I told him that Wissam al-Hasan is the martyr of Lebanon and that I won't subject the country to vacuum. I also said other things and he was dismayed by my remarks,” Jumblat said in an interview on LBCI television.

Hariri hit back at Jumbalt, accusing the Druze leader of being a “liar”.

“Walid Jumblat is quoting me as saying that Wissam al-Hasan is the martyr of the Sunni sect. This is untrue and his ally (PM Najib) Miqati is the one who said that. Wissam al-Hasan is the martyr of Lebanon,” said Hariri on the social networking website Twitter during Jumblat’s interview.

Jumblat snapped back immediately during the interview. “Great. If Miqati said that then he committed a mistake and let us consider Wissam al-Hasan the martyr of the Lebanese state,” he said.
“May God forgive you Walid Bek. You understand stability as staying in the Syrian-Iranian alliance, so congratulations,” Hariri then tweeted.

For his part, Jumblat said, “May God forgive him about all these remarks.”

Addressing the PSP leader, Hariri said: “Your partners in government are the ones who incited against him and accused him of treason like they accused Rafik Hariri.”

“From now on, I will not remain silent in the face of anyone,” Hariri vowed.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

Why There Won’t Be a Ceasefire this Eid al-Adha in Syria

Franklin Lamb Al-manar

Syria on the ground vs. Syria on Western airwaves     International peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who represents the UN and the Arab League, will soon leave Damascus after urging the Syrian government and the rebels to observe a four-day truce over the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, which this year begins at dusk on October 25th. Also called the Feast of the Sacrifice, Adha is a Muslim holiday which commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) willingness to sacrifice his eldest son Ismael, in obedience to a command from God. On Sunday morning, I was in the lobby of my hotel, where it turns out UN envoy Brahimi was also staying, chatting with one of the remaining three United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) members still in town. The affable trio is all that remains of the roughly 300 UN Observers who spent months here (40 stayed at this Dama Rose secured Hotel) trying to help with a separation agreement that never really got off the ground. There were also in the lobby perhaps a hundred reporters and cameramen who were busy setting up for the news conference the Brahimi staff announced would begin immediately following the envoys meeting with Syrian president Bashar Assad. No sooner had envoy Brahimi entered the hotel than he rushed to his room calling over his shoulder that he would be right back. As we waited, a somewhat unkempt, rather zany lady approached me. It turned out she was an Italian reporter and she wasted no time stating her business. She said, “I know you’re Franklin Lamb and you’re staying on the executive floor. What are you doing in Damascus?” Nonplused, I replied, “Ma’m I’m here for a couple of appointments at Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp and looking into the current political situation.” She gave me one of those scowling “give me a break buddy!!” looks and got straight to her point, drawing hard on her cigarette and blowing the smoke sideways. “Mr. Lamb, do I look naïve to you or what?” she demanded to know, a bit aggressively. Before I had a chance to utter a stammering syllable, the lady lit into me with: “I happen to know from a reliable source that you, an American, are staying on the executive floor and also on that floor are Russians, Iranians, and Hezbollah. That’s no accident Mr. Lamb is it? What are you all doing up there? What are your meetings about? Don’t worry I won’t quote you but are you gentlemen going to arrange for an Eid ceasefire?” Mercifully, as I closed my, by then, gaping mouth, envoy Brahimi appeared from the elevator with his entourage to begin his news conference and I haven’t seen the dear lady since, as she rushed front and center to shout a question and then, following the short news conference, followed Mr. Brahimi out the front door as he left for another appointment. My point is that there are plenty of wild speculations and conspiracy theories around this town as elsewhere, concerning Brahimi’s important mission. Envoy Brahimi didn’t reveal much about his mission but spoke about his hope of reaching a ceasefire and mentioned his meetings with government officials including Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem, and President Bashar Assad. In this observer’s opinion, his body language revealed more than his words and reflected his resignation that there will be no ceasefire as he told us, "If we achieve this ceasefire during the al-Adha holiday and maintain it, we can try and build on it. If it does not happen, then we will keep trying and we hope we can find another way to bring relief to the Syrian people." UN envoy Brahimi seems to know that his noble mission will come to naught, at least this time. However, aides say he will persevere until the US, Russia and Iran agree on a diplomatic solution. He told reporters that some members of the opposition whom he had met were open to the idea of a ceasefire only if the Syrian government committed to it. In a statement after the talks with Mr. Brahimi, President Assad said, "Syria is open to any sincere efforts for a political solution to the Syrian crisis based on respect for Syria's sovereignty and the rejection of outside intervention." The reason, and perhaps it’s impolite, since Eid is still days away and UN envoy Brahimi might still pull a rabbit out of the hat, for this observer to reluctantly conclude that he has failed in his mission is substantial evidence garnered from discussions here over the past several days. Would that I be mistaken. But, for this observer, being here makes all the difference, as I learned in Libya, in getting a more accurate picture than offered from the main stream media on the one hand and some of the more chronic conspiracy theorists on the other. The key to learning what is happening seems quite simple: listening, listening and listening to a cross section of the Syrian population and moving around the neighborhoods as much as possible. Perhaps the most often heard argument one hears in Damascus from the general population, military types and even officials involves mistrust and doubts across much of Syria that the opposition would honor a ceasefire. One Syrian army officer I met who is a liaison with the remaining three UN observers, freely answered my questions including one focusing on what he would propose to President Assad if he was presenting his professional and personal advice to the Syrian leader. He replied: “For sure I would advise our President to oppose a ceasefire at this time. For these main reasons: First it would dishonor the hundreds of our brothers in the military who have sacrificed for their country with their lives. To me it would be almost traitorous not to press on with the military momentum that we now have achieved after hard months of conflict. We need to finish with these foreign terrorists and our fellow citizens agree. We are currently in the strongest military position because of those among our ranks who died defending our country. Second, a ceasefire, even for 96 hours, will allow our enemies to relax, re-group, bring in more supplies of heavy weapons funded by Persian Gulf countries with the blessing of yours who are offering ‘non-lethal’ assistance such as night vision devices and related equipment. As a military person I can assure your government that there is no such thing as non-lethal aid when it’s the type they are furnishing including ‘non-lethal communication’ equipment. Having state of the art communications equipment is more important than rifles in some instances. "Why should we give them these gifts? Do you think al Qaeda and these North African and Persian Gulf jihadists will observe the Eid al Adha holiday? Do you think they will pass Eid praying and sacrificing lambs and camels and distributing the meat to poor people as a gift? Or, by celebrating the end of the Haij Pilgrimage and asking God for forgiveness? No my dear, I assure you they will not. They will use a ceasefire to rebuild their ranks to prolong the chaos and terror. Our president is very wise and he knows this as well.”  He continued: “We will defeat this western project to destroy the [anti-Israeli] regional Resistance but we won’t do it by stopping our momentum. We are making advances on the ground that you don’t hear about from media outlets like al Jazeera and al-Arabiya but it’s true. We can take you to have a look if you like. Of course, you can find some of our military leadership who favor a ceasefire, but the big majority agrees with the views I expressed and I would give to our President. I think our leaders would face criticism from the military and the public if they ignored our views. I expect there will be no Eid ceasefire unless the international community can convince us that they would be a ‘freeze in place’ which means no fighter on either side could move and take advantage of the calm. Trust is the big problem for us. Who will guarantee a ceasefire?” “Let me give you an example,” he said going on to explain that there are now eight Syrian army checkpoints between Damascus and Homs, so the road is usually secure. He continues, “The opposition has the habit of using terror and hit and run tactics. They set up checkpoints for pro-western media outlets to film to demonstrate that they are gaining support and then they quickly run away before the Syrian army attacks them. It’s kind of a psychological war, but as a military man I can tell you psychological tactics with one’s enemy are very important. Their aims are to impress the western media and to weaken the confidence of our people, soldiers and leaders. They will eventually fail but an ill-considered ceasefire for Eid will not help.” This officer's views appear to be widely held here. Dr.Nabil Toumeh, a historian and CEO of Toumeh International in Damascus supports the regime yet, like many, even officials is also critical and emphasizes the need for reforms. Dr. Toumeh, hosted me in his office a few nights ago and spoke frankly and he explained to this observer that a growing number, probably around 65 percent of Syrians support the government and its efforts to end the crisis, they also demand three major reforms, being the economy, security agencies and the military. I am not finding here the fear of criticizing the government that I found in Libya under Gaddafi and which persists there, if to a lesser extent, today. One Damascene, a 24-year old graduate who eschews politics, but who is still angry at having his car hijacked by an armed gang three weeks ago, told me that, “You can speak pretty freely, but its best not to act or get involved with street groups. But, you know, increasingly people are losing their fear of the security services. We just want the killing to stop. We want to get on with our lives. Enshallah it will happen soon.”   Update Syria Ceasefire Violated as Militants Attack Military Base Syria clashes continue despite ceasefire River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

Mondoweiss Restrict Free Comment

by deLiberation
Thursday, October 25th, 2012




What to make of a site that has successfully presented itself as an activist website specialising in covering the middle east and the related politics and offering a forum for comments and a free debate of these issues if that site suddenly announces that

“we’re going to sharply circumscribe commenters’ freedom to address these issues as a special or unique Jewish problem, or to post arguments that any form of collective Jewish community-building is negative.”?

That site is MondoWeiss. Having built a following for itself as a site that published opinions critical of “the State for Jews” and its supporters, Mondoweiss is either telling its readers it had just been pretending all along, or that it has decided that the State for Jews is not “a special or unique Jewish problem,” just as the relentless witch hunt to identify “anti-semites” among pro-Palestinian activists is not.

Our editorial policy at deLiberation has always been and will continue to be one that encourages free debate. This is not an empty slogan, as our readers know. “Negative opinions” about any state, not “even” Israel, but especially Israel, the Jewish lobby and the hijacking of the pro-Palestinian movement by so-called anti-zionist Jews are not censored here.

A free debate on these issues is deemed essential, and it is incompatible with taboo topics and Nomina Odiosa lists.

We have only rarely had to remove comments, not because they were “negative” with respect to a particular political power group or “ethnic sensitivities” but because they were ad hominem attacks directed at other debaters that stifled debate.

We are left to wonder if Mondoweiss OVERTLY joining the censorship club is MSM’s gain and alternative media’s loss or perhaps only Mondoweiss’ coming out announcement.

Here is the complete text of the Mndoweiss announcement of the new censorship policy.


In case you missed it:

• Concerning Mondoweiss, Racism and Freedom of Speech

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

The Emir is confused!

FLC

[WaPo] "... Hostilities have been simmering for weeks, but erupted into barrages from Gaza immediately after the Qatari ruler left the territory Tuesday. Militants from the ruling Hamas movement joined the fray, undercutting the emir’s appeal to avoid confrontation with Israel........ 

The Qatari emir, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, had urged the Iranian-backed Hamas to do everything possible to avoid violence with Israel.
But the emir’s visit and promise of $400 million in aid bolstered Hamas’ flagging popularity and might have encouraged it to join the latest round of hostilities, which had previously involved smaller militant groups. 

“These holy missions come in response to the repeated, continuous crimes of the enemy against our people, which killed four and injured 10 in the past 48 hours,” the military wing of Hamas and the Popular Resistance Committees said in a statement...."

This is My Palestine

By Nahida Exiled Palestinian

Indescribable Courage 

Unwavering Faith

 Endless Sacrifice

 Warm, Tender and Hospitable Culture

Intense Love of Nature

 Nature Return that Love multiplied Many folds 

 

 Adorable Innocence

 Exquisite Beauty 

 Determination for Full Liberation