By Gideon Levy
Today offers us an ironic conjuncture of commemorations: the fast of the 10th of the Hebrew month of Tevet and the first anniversary of Operation Cast Lead. On the day of the fast, which commemorates the Babylonian siege on Jerusalem, few Israelis are thinking about Gaza, under Israeli blockade for twice the time ancient Jerusalem was besieged. On the anniversary of the attack on Gaza, few people are doing any real soul-searching.
One way or another, the year since December 27 was a year of shame for Israel, greater shame than any other time. It is shameful to be Israeli today, much more than it was a year ago. In the final tally of the war, which was not a war but a brutal assault, Israel's international status was dealt a severe blow, in addition to Israeli indifference and public blindness to what happened in Gaza.
Even those who still believe that the attack was justified and necessary, that the firing of Qassam rockets would not have been halted except by such a cruel attack, cannot ignore the political and moral price extracted from Israel because of its violence. Its image in the world, not in the eyes of its citizens, is much uglier than a year ago.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1137840.html
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Is a nuclear Iran a threat to the world?
By Salaam Abdul Khaliq, IFN Columnist
OK, so the international community seems to be all ganged up against Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Albeit the Islamic republic has consistently stressed that its nuclear reactors are only meant for peaceful purposes, the West and Israel are not buying. With recent claims of fraud in the presidential election and Iran’s heavy-handed response against the protesters, things don’t look good for Iran.
Add to that the fact that Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad does not come across as a likeable guy. Ahmedinejad has supposedly advocated the “wiping off of Israel from the map” (Farsi translators claim that the exact quote was “removal of Israel from the pages of history”).
Everyone’s convinced a nuclear Iran presents a clear and present danger to the world. But does this claim really hold water?
http://www.infocusnews.net/content/view/44249/1326/
OK, so the international community seems to be all ganged up against Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Albeit the Islamic republic has consistently stressed that its nuclear reactors are only meant for peaceful purposes, the West and Israel are not buying. With recent claims of fraud in the presidential election and Iran’s heavy-handed response against the protesters, things don’t look good for Iran.
Add to that the fact that Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad does not come across as a likeable guy. Ahmedinejad has supposedly advocated the “wiping off of Israel from the map” (Farsi translators claim that the exact quote was “removal of Israel from the pages of history”).
Everyone’s convinced a nuclear Iran presents a clear and present danger to the world. But does this claim really hold water?
http://www.infocusnews.net/content/view/44249/1326/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
