Stories about Israel from June, 2008
Israel: Sarkozy Security Scare at Airport
As French President Nicholas Sarkozy departed Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport, shots rang out. A quick assessment revealed that one of the Israeli members of Sarkozy's security detail had turned his weapon on himself, apparently committing suicide. The victim, whose name has not been revealed at his family's request, was in his...
Palestine: Visiting Arafat's Tomb
Fugitive Peace blogger Gideon Lichfield recently visited Arafat's tomb. He reports: “I paid my first visit to Yasser Arafat’s new mausoleum… It’s an austere, brilliant pearl incongruously plopped in the middle of the ramshackle Muqata complex, the presidential headquarters: a cube-shaped mausoleum at the end of a long plaza, with...
Israel: No Nuts for You!
Israel is the world's largest consumer of pistachio nuts, but recent reports reveal that illegal imports from Iran may be its primary source. Jewschool's Shalom Rav jokes: “Anyone with even a passing knowledge of Israeli snacking habits will attest that Israel will be hard pressed to give up their pistachio...
Palestine: She Shoots, She Scores
Muna Nawajaa has scored a victory for social justice. Using a camera given to her by B'Tselem's Shooting Back project, Palestinian Nawajaa recorded the masked beating of members of her family, resulting in an investigation and arrest of suspects by Israeli police. In a post entitled “Cameras as Weapons,” Uriel...
Israel: Drinking Tap Water Good For Your Health
“Drink tap water, trust me,” Amir Mizroch of Forecast Highs urges. “The desalination plant in Ashkelon… is one of the most technologically advanced facility of its kind in the world… But there seems to be a vast disconnect between the contention by experts that desalinated tap water is clean and...
Israel: Broken Truce Angers Israelis
Six days after Israeli and Palestinian forces brokered a ceasefire agreement, four kassam rockets fired from Gaza blasted the Western Negev. Islamic Jihad claimed credit for the attack, while Hamas, Palestine's ruling party, encouraged “all Palestinian factions to abide by the calm agreement,” asserting, “Hamas is keen to maintain the...
Israel: Green Tourism in the Middle East
Looking to leave a green footprint when you travel? Look no further than the Green Prophet for information on eco-tourism in the Middle East. “There’s no absence of environmentally friendly vacation options in Israel… But what’s a green tourist in the Middle East to do outside of Israel? Well, he...
Israel: Keffiyah Seen as Symbol of “Terrorist Chic”
Israellycool blogger Aussie Dave responds to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine's image of Che Guevara wearing a traditional Arab headdress that “the keffiyeh [is] the latest symbol of terror chic.”
Israel: New National Bird Good for a Laugh
Embarrassed about your country's national bird? Don't be. Israel has one far more comical. Comedy Central's hit television show “The Colbert Report” cites Israel's choice of the long-billed hoopoe as evidence that, “Countries don't make passes at birds that wear glasses.” Isrealli, who has the video clip, says: Last night,...
Palestine: Obama on Jerusalem as Undivided
Barack Obama's pledge on June 11th to AIPAC that Jerusalem should be Israel's undivided capital has angered Palestinian officials. President Mahmoud Abbas made a statement that Obama's pledge is “totally rejected,” while Saeb Erekat, an Abbas aide, said that Palestinian negotiators would continue to insist upon East Jerusalem as the...
Renewable Energy ‘Supercenter’ at Tel-Aviv University
The Green Prophet blogs about the announcement by Tel-Aviv University. “The proposed Supercenter “will be much more than a hatchery for new clean technologies,” said Prof. Abraham Kribus, an engineer and solar energy expert. “It will be a multi-disciplinary powerhouse including all the non-technological aspects, such as economics, law, and...
Hungary, Israel: “Pixrael”
Budapest Guide writes about Pixrael, an online photo competition marking Israel's 60th anniversary, and posts two pictures from the winning entries exhibit in downtown Budapest.
Israel: Visiting Jerusalem
Imshin, from Israel, takes a trip to Jerusalem and reports his findings here.
Israel: Gay Marriages and the Torah
Jewneric discusses the Torah, homosexuality and gay marriage in Judaism.
Israel: Respect from Arabs
From Israel, Yael notes that there is a silver lining to each cloud. She adds: “Among Arab nations, the fact that we are going after Olmert for his corrupt behaviour is winning us a great deal of respect. They are looking at us and saying ‘hey! this is a model...
Lebanon: Israel exchanges Nissir for remains
“He has an Israeli Jewish mother and a Lebanese Muslim father and held Israeli citizenship at the time of his arrest,” reports Sursock about the freeing of Nassim Nissir, who was received in Lebanon.
