Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation

What killed the two-state solution?

“The international community stood by and patted themselves on the back while Israel expanded the settlements and instituted a system of racial separation with exclusive rights for Jews. And this was called the peace process. Case closed. The question becomes not whether the two-state solution was ever possible, but whether it was ever preferable.” - Adam Horowitz

See also:

Can the Two-State Solution Be Salvaged?

The Growing Belief in a One-State Solution

Gaza: Truth and Lies

Route 181

Israelis and Palestinians: Conflict and Resolution

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the endgame

Photo of the day

[Click on image for details]

Also here.

July 9: Silent protests in Iran expected

Demonstrations are planned in more than 200 cities and towns across the country, protesting last month’s disputed election. Participants are advised to carry nothing heavier than a rose. – LINK




Below are a few pointers provided through Tweets:

• This is not a demo called by Mousavi, this is the ppl taking power into their own hands.
• Pls do not go out with hate and anger, the other side have enough of that, be calm, be dignified and be seen.
• Stay in large groups, if they charge you sit on the ground and hold onto each other. Do not let them separate you.
• Please remember SMS is tracked – use pay phone from street or shops – Thurs they will cut mobiles too.
• Carry a small Koran if you can; the image of basij trying to attack ppl while stomping on a Koran would be very strong. May stp them.
• Chant Islamic slogans and carry a rose or small Koran.
• Just get out of the house tomorrow, even if you can’t get to demo. Turn on car lights, honk car horns.
• Remember to be calm and do not react.

Godspeed!

Photo of the day

[Click on image for details]

“The Palestinian Titanic”

“The Palestinian national movement has been dismembered by the rift between Hamas and Fatah. They must reach agreement, powerfully reclaim their representation of the Palestinian people, and win a just settlement with Israel, says Nadia Hijab.” – LINK

Canada-Israel politics

This blogger has got an interesting point of view.

Ahmadinejad says his reelection gave him a mandate

“People put their seal of approval to [my] four years in office.” – Ahmadi

It would be funny if only so many had not been killed by the regime* or detained, possibly tortured.

* See also here.

An update:
I thought I was being rather nasty above, but this is nastier. There’s a place I know where having a fly (or flies) circling you is considered a very bad omen. Ahmadi may think so as well. For a split second there, he looks kinda worried. Who knows? From Twitter: “Bloggers quote Hadith from 6th Shiite Imam that ‘God created bugs to intimidate the arrogant‘. “


[I've no idea what the guy in the video is singing about towards the end. Hopefully, it's appropriate.]

Iran election: “A question of accountability”

by Chandra Muzaffar

While acknowledging that the total number of votes cast in some 50 districts had exceeded the total number of voters in those districts, the Iranian Council of Guardians maintains that the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was legitimate. A lot of fair-minded people inside and outside Iran will not be convinced.

The 646 electoral irregularities cited by Ahmadinejad’s opponents ― from ballot box stuffing to the sealing of ballot boxes before voting commenced to the expulsion of their polling agents from polling stations ― are so serious that they warrant a full and free investigation into the conduct of the entire election.

Every ballot should have been re-counted, the ballots should have been counter-checked against the electoral rolls and the names and identities of the voters should have been verified in the presence of not only the agents of all the four presidential candidates but also representatives of some non-Western electoral democracies.

Such an open, transparent and comprehensive recount would have eliminated the doubts and suspicions that persist in the minds of so many people about the outcome of the presidential election of June 12. – Korea Times [link added]

Via Iran News

“The significance of 18 Tir”

Remember the 9th of July!

The protests in Iran of the past month have become an issue of global importance to Iranians and non-Iranians alike. Thursday may prove very telling as to whether future generations will look back on the 18th of Tir as a day of celebration or just another in the long list of mourning. – Tehran Bureau


Eye of the Storm

Photo of the day

The “Green Chain of Democracy” will fight like the “African National Congress” fought the apartheid regime. – Makhmalbaaf

A call for help and solidarity!

July 4: Cynthia McKinney is in an Israeli jail

“I am surprised at the number of kossacks here who don’t appreciate how important it is that this issue receives attention. Let me spell it out for you as clearly as possible, so that you will understand. Here I go: Even though the U.S. is in a Depression, it still sends billions in financial aid to a country that is committing war crimes as I type this. This country also has the largest foreign lobbyist organization in the U.S. (AIPAC). Do you see the problem? To say that this issue shouldn’t be on the front page of every newspaper is absurd, considering what IS on the front page. Why isn’t it on the front page? Because it’s Israel, that’s why. I’m sorry, but that’s not a good enough reason for me. And it shouldn’t be a good enough reason for you either.” – LINK

Relevant links:

Letter from an Israeli jail

http://freegaza.org/live

http://twitter.com/freegazaorg

IDF seizure of Gaza-bound ship is ‘criminal’