Monday, 24 January 2011

Middle East peace talks leak out

The details of peace talks between the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority have apparently been leaked, although it is not entirely clear they are real.
Palestinians question 'offers' leaked by al-Jazeera

But if valid, it shows the Palestinian Authority was willing to make major concessions to the State of Israel concerning East Jerusalem, although seemingly this was rejected with nothing offered in return. Such concessions were also perhaps more than the Palestinian Authority could deliver. But when we hear the Zionist narrative that Palestinians are the intransigent ones and not interested in peace talks we may ask whether the truth is different.

Wednesday, 12 January 2011

The Telegraph - The Rise of Israeli Extremism

Julian Kossoff writes that Israeli extemism is leading 'anti-Zionists' to delegitimise Israel. The rise of fanatical 'Israeli ayatollahs' is a godsend for anti-Zionists

Kossoff believes that there are two aspects to Israeli extremism. One is Ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, "The other half is the brawny nationalism of Lieberman (aka “Israel’s Milosevic”) and his Israel Beiteinu party supported by Russian Jews, now gunning for left-wing Israeli NGOs and human rights groups with McCarthyite fervour."

Sunday, 9 January 2011

Pastor John Hagee rejects a peace deal that divides Jerusalem

This news, that John Hagee has repeated his belief that God does not wish a peace deal that divides Jerusalem, comes from a report in the Christian Today website. Hagee says dividing Israel is not God's will but other evangelicals disagree

In a webcast for the New Year Hagee applied Genesis 13:14-17 and Genesis 17:7-8 to the present day situation. The first passage reads as follows, “The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, ‘Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.” Genesis 17 claims that the land will be an “everlasting covenant” to Abraham and his offspring, and Hagee applies this to the present day State of Israel.

Saturday, 8 January 2011

Is Hamas planning terror in the State of Israel ?

Israel arrests two staff members at the British consulate office in Jerusalem on terror plot charges

A Daily Mail news report notes that "Two staff members at the British consulate in Jerusalem [have been] arrested...on terror charges." "Israel’s Shin Bet security service accuses them of supplying weapons for a planned attack on the city’s Teddy football stadium."

Knesset to investigate Jewish Human Rights NGOs

Former Knesset speaker urges Israeli human rights groups to shun Knesset probe - Avraham Burg criticizes committee that is expected to be set up to investigate left-wing groups that allegedly take part in delegitimization campaigns against IDF soldiers.

The Haaretz report comments that "Avraham Burg, an ex-Knesset speaker and former head of the Jewish Agency, called on Israeli human rights groups not to cooperate with the Knesset committee expected to be set up to investigate them."

"The chief executive of the New Israel Fund, Daniel Sokatch, warned that Israel was on a dangerous path. “A healthy democracy respects and protects human rights,” he said. “It does not attempt to put out of business human rights organizations that enjoy international respect. Human rights groups operate freely in a democracy, and this message has clearly not reached Yisrael Beiteinu.” "

Richard Falk thinks Gaza is facing another war - Cast Lead II

Israel Prepares Major Offensive against Gaza: Hopes of Gaza Cast in Lead

He writes that "Israel is gearing up for another major offensive into Gaza, yet the world community still remains bafflingly silent."

Richard Falk is Albert G. Milbank Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University and Visiting Distinguished Professor in Global and International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is currently serving his third year of a six year term as a United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights.

Israeli woman who prayed at the wailing wall faces jail.

The Telegraph reports that a Female Israeli activist could be sent to prison for praying at Wailing Wall

Anat Hoffman led a group of women, in defiance of Ultra-Orthodox Jews, in a time of open prayer at Jerusalem's Wailing Wall. She has been told that she possibly faces years in prison because this action was considered a breach of the peace.

The Telegraph writes that; "Mrs Hoffman's case is a stark illustration of the growing power of religious groups in Israel, particularly in Jerusalem where the segregation of the sexes is becoming more common. She and her followers have been taunted and even assaulted by ultra-orthodox men at the Wailing Wall."

Thursday, 6 January 2011

Fears grow for Christians in Pakistan after assassination

There is growing concern for the safety of Christians in Pakistan after a human rights judge was murdered there this week. There is a need to pray for peace, and for Aasia Bibi
Pakistan supporters fear for safety of Aasia Bibi after Taseer killing

Tuesday, 4 January 2011

Israel-Palestine - Between a Rock and a Hard Place ?

A Guardian Comment is Free blog highlights the difficulties faced by international recognition of Palestine - Now it is Palestine's turn to create facts on the ground - by Simon Tisdall

Tisdall believes recognition of Palestine might improve peace prospects as otherwise he believes the region is heading for another war. Although he acknowledges and provides a link to another article that argues that recognition of Palestine will itself lead to war because of the 400,000 Jews already living on Arab lands who will not take kindly to being placed under Palestinian rule. A Palestinian State Means War - by Jonathan Schanzer