Stories about Israel from July, 2008
Israel: Olmert to Resign Following Kadima Primary
Ehud Olmert said yesterday that he will not stand for the Kadima primary in September. According to Al Jazeera English, Olmert said: “I have decided I won't run in the Kadima movement primaries, nor do I intend to intervene in the elections.” Bloggers had a strong reaction to Olmert's resignation.
Lebanon: Israel Lies about Killing Children
“Quntar says the child was killed in a crossfire by the sea. I don't believe him and I don't defend him, but neither do I believe the version of the Israeli army; it has always killed children and lied,” writes Lebanese journalist Jihad Al Khazen, on his personal blog Khazen...
Lebanon: Syria and Israel
“How much groveling (toward Israel) can advocates and propagandists for the Syrian regime do in one week? The answer is: plenty. And please: tell the Syrian regime not to speak on behalf of all Arabs when they promise peace and normalization with Israel. And remember that Sadat had promised them...
Palestine: Anger at Young Boy's Needless Death
Israeli troops shot and killed 12-year-old Ahmed Ussam Yousef Mousa during a peaceful protest against the barrier being erected in Nilin. Up to 18 others were injured by rubber bullets during the protest. Ahmed was the only person hit by a live bullet. Jillian York sums up blog reactions in this post.
Syria: Forgotten Prisoners and Real Heros
An Egyptian prisoner is still being held in an Israeli jail, according to reports being posted by bloggers, in the aftermath of the Prisoner swap between Israel and Hezbollah. Razan Ghazzawi reflects on what the Syrian bloggers had to say about this and the exchange of prisoners in general.
Egypt Silences the Voice of Iran
Egyptian authorities shut down the Cairo office of an Iranian TV network over a film that justifies the killing of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat by Islamic militants. Marwa Rakha sums up the opinions of Egyptian blogger Dina Ayoub about the incident in this post.
Israel: Kuntar, Up Close and Personal
From Israel, Judy Lash Balint posts an email she received from Yakov Marks, who reveals he knows Lebanese Samir Kuntar, who was released by Israel.
Palestine: Left behind by Obama
As US presidential hopeful Barack Obama wraps up a tour of Israel and Palestine, newspaper headlines all over the world are fixated on the Senator's attention to Israel...and lack of attention to Palestine's struggle.
Israel: Palestinian Flag to Fly Over President's House
The Palestinian flag will be flown over Israeli President Shimon Peres’ house in honor of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ upcoming visit, Carl in Jerusalem reports. He adds, “Peres is to give [Abbas] the full royal treatment including a red carpet.”
Israel: Homemade Plane Flies from Israel to US
Sure, we all have dreams of flying, but Israeli Yair Gil is making his personal ambition a reality. Isrealli reports that Gil took off from Israel in his one-man homemade plane on July 7th for a three-week flight to the US. He is due to arrive in Osh Kosh, Wisconsin...
Palestine: Food Shortage Falsity?
According to Israeli blogger Not a Fish's research: “While food prices all over the world are going up, in Gaza they are actually going down.” Could it be true? Read her blog to find out more.
Israel: Favorite Quotes from UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman
“The Palestinians’ real tragedy is that they have not been able to produce a Nelson Mandela. Every single day, Muslims are killed by Muslims. You do not see a single Muslim leader get up and say, ‘Enough is enough.’ It’s nearly as if we live in a world where if...
Israel: Jerusalem Suffers Copycat Terrorist Attack
Jerusalem Terror Attack– Breaking news in the Israeli mainstream news and blogosphere reports that a man driving a bulldozer ploughed down the streets of Jerusalem in a mad rampage, mimicking the tractor attack of 20 days past. An estimated 24 people were wounded and three killed when armed civilian Yaakov...
Palestine: Selective Journalism
Following a second bulldozer attack by a Palestinian civilian in less than a month, Palestinian bloggers are frustrated by how local and international media has covered both events, and ignored more universally significant issues in the country.
Israel: Welcoming New Immigrants
Jacob Richman of Good News From Israel reports on the nation's newest North American immigrants (olim, in Hebrew): “There were 217 olim on the flight including 50 singles… 28 families with 98 children (98 – wow!). The youngest oleh in the group is 3 months old and the oldest oleh...
Iranian bloggers react to Israel-Hezbollah deal
While the Iranian government rejoiced at the release of Lebanese prisoners from Israel, bloggers were quick to ask about the fate of Iranians captured in Lebanon, writes Hamid Tehrani, who sums up the reactions of Iranian bloggers on the Lebanon-Israel prisoner swap in this post.
Israel, Lebanon: Russophone Bloggers Discuss Prisoner Exchange Deal
While some bloggers from the former Soviet Union take interest in the Middle Eastern affairs out of idle (or not so idle) curiosity, for others Israel is home, and so it's not surprising that the July 16 exchange of prisoners between Israel and Lebanon did not go unnoticed in the Russian-language blogosphere.
Brazil: Tears and Cheers for Middle East Prisoner Swap
Brazilian of Arab descent or bloggers interested in all things Middle Eastern talk about the Israel-Lebanon Prisoner Exchange. Considering that Brazil is the country that arguably holds the largest Arab population outside the Middle East, there are very passionate points of views both for and against the deal, and as much tears as cheers.
Israel: Why did Israel Approve the Hezbollah Deal?
A day after the controversial deal with Hezbollah, many Israelis are still puzzled and disappointed. Puzzled over why their government accepted the terms of this deal, knowing that the kidnapped soldiers were not alive. How did the government and security entities approve handing back live prisoners with blood on their hands for dead bodies?
Palestine: The Word of the Israeli Against that of an Arab
A few days after the release of Lebanese Samir Kuntar from three decades in an Israeli prison, Palestinians bloggers are reminded that when it is the word of an Israeli against that of an Arab, the Israeli's will always be the one to be considered.
Tunisia: Where are the State Funerals?
Eight Tunisians were among the 197 bodies handed over by Israel to Lebanon, in the latest prisoner swap between the two countries. Tunisian bloggers are calling for the return of their remains to their country - and honouring the dead in a state funeral.
