· February, 2008

Stories about Israel from February, 2008

Israel: Ashkelon is ‘on the map’

  29 February 2008

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?

  28 February 2008

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

  22 February 2008

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.”

Kosovo: Views from the Russophone Blogosphere

  20 February 2008

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.

Lebanon: Queen Rania and Palestinians

  15 February 2008

“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

  15 February 2008

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

  13 February 2008

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

  13 February 2008

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

  11 February 2008

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.

Israel: Living under Rockets

  6 February 2008

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

  5 February 2008

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

  1 February 2008

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 ..

  1 February 2008

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.