Stories about Israel from February, 2008
Israel: Ashkelon is ‘on the map’
Following the recent missile attacks on Ashkelon, many worried bloggers react, describing their experiences with terror and fear, within this deteriorating situation that seems ever more hopeless. Gilad Lotan brings us the story from the Hebrew blogosphere.
Iran and Israel: foes forever or future friends?
The online video posted by the Century Foundation regarding the relations between Israel and Iran and the geopolitical forces that are behind this situation has several bloggers discussing their ideas on who is really pulling the strings.
Egypt: Monopoly on Backwardness
Elijah Zarwan, from Egypt, links to a story of an Israeli MP blaming the recent earthquake on gays and comments: “Lest anyone think that we in the Muslim world have a monopoly on backwardness and comical fundamentalism.”
Israel: Palestine and Kosovo
One Jerusalem from Israel, discusses Kosovo's independence from Serbia in this post, as well as its implications on Palestine.
Middle East: Wishing Kosovo all the Best!
Bloggers and some politicians in the Middle East were quick to draw parallels between Kosovo's independence from Serbia and the Palestine Question. Following the news from the Balkans, here's a snapshot of more reactions from Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Kosovo: Views from the Russophone Blogosphere
According to the Yandex Blogs portal, over 3,700 posts on Kosovo independence have appeared in the Russian-language blogosphere in the past three days. Some of these posts have received dozens, if not hundreds, of comments. Below are a few snippets of this lively discussion, all translated from Russian.
Israel: Kosovo or Palestine, the Balkan is Here!
Kosovo has declared its independence. While the Israeli government has yet to announce its stance, several Hebrew bloggers have been reacting and comparing the political fatigue in the Balkans to that back home. Gilad Lotan has the story.
Palestine: Oldest Woman Alive
Kabobfest draws our attention to the oldest woman alive – a Palestinian woman, born in 1888, who lives in Israel.
Lebanon: Queen Rania and Palestinians
“Finally. The queen of Jordan finally commented on the regular Israeli killing of Palestinians. She urged Palestinians to avoid…reckless driving,” writes Lebanese commentator Asad Abu Khalil.
Palestine: Celebrating Valentine's Day
The meanings of Valentine's Day, like love, are multi-faceted. This year had the Palestinian blogosphere thinking about making creative connections, communicating across borders and boundaries, meaningful expressions of love and giving, hard losses, and questions of respect, writes Maya Norton.
Israel: Cyber-Activists Promote Sderot
While it may not be the number one topic of conversation on the government's agenda, Israeli bloggers and netizens just can't seem to stop talking about the situation in Sderot. Sderot is a small, low income community in the Western Negev Desert that has been the target of seven years...
Israel: Zionism in Question
Richard Silverstein discusses Zionism in this thought-provoking post. “It's hard to write about Zionism. First, it's a belief system that is so deeply entrenched among many Jews that everyone has a clear and fixed idea about what it is. As a result, it is almost impossible for it develop and...
Israel: Two Sderot Kids Severely Injured by Hamas Missiles
Every day the Hebrew blog portal Israblog hosts a discussion on a new topic, called the hot topic. This encourages bloggers to take part in the conversation around a specific topic. From politics to personal matters, submitting an entry tagged with the hot topic raises its readability, and places it on a relatively seen page; an incentive for people to participate.
Lebanon: Winograd's Lamentations
From Lebanon, M Bashir Winograd’s report in this post.
Israel: Living under Rockets
Ayana Neta, 14, from Israel vows to remain strong as rockets continue to pound her kibbutz. “The first rocket that fell inside the kibbutz was 2 m’ from one of my classmates in the kibbutz. But what I want to tell all of you is what it's like living under...
Israel: One Wall Down, a New Reality in the Middle East
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians poured into the Egyptian side of Rafah as the wall on the Egypt-Gaza border was brought down by Hamas over a week ago. Egyptian attempts to revert the situation to its previous state where they hold little or no responsibilities, have failed. Many bloggers have been writing about this new reality in the Middle East, having immense implications on both Egyptian politics and Israeli security.
Palestine: Rousing Speech
Leila Abu Saba posts a statement by Israeli activist, Shulamit Aloni, read at the Saturday Gaza protest, which she described as a rousing speech.
MENA: Let it Snow ..
After a lull in the weather, it's back to cold and snow in some parts of the Middle East and North Africa. This time, bloggers were better equipped and had their cameras on standby.
