Stories about Lebanon from July, 2008
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...
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...
Lebanon: On Hizbullah and Hamas
“Hizbullah is effective in fighting Israel and ineffective in fighting its domestic rivals. Hamas is ineffective in fighting Israel but effective in fighting its domestic rivals,” notes The Angry Arab...
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.
Arabeyes: Any Legal Foundations for Al Bashir's Indictment?
Since July 14, when the possibility of Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir's indictment by the International Criminal Court was raised, bloggers around the world have reacted to the matter. Today, we visit blogs from the Middle East and North Africa to learn how they feel.
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.
Lebanon: Clashes in the North
Blacksmiths of Lebanon posted a video (about 2 minutes) showing live clips of the clashes currently taking place in North Lebanon as shown on a local TV station.
Lebanon: Reviving Lebanon’s Jewish Community
“Lebanese Expatriates are helping to fund and renovate the ancient Magen Abraham synagogue in the heart of the Lebanese capital, one of the largest in the Arab world. Renovation is...
Lebanon: Defying Political Unstability
“The will to live is stronger than death, happiness is stronger than sadness, and peace is stronger than war,” writes The Lebanese Inner Circle, who is reporting on the musical...
Lebanon: “Lebanon Cluster Bomb”, the Film
“The film is a primer on the cluster munition problem in Lebanon, but much more so an intimate portrait of those struggling to rebuild their lives after the devastating 2006...
Lebanon: “Wild Recycling”
“This little truck passes through my street every morning… It stops at every bin, and 2 young men (almost kids) open all the garbage bags and empty them of their...
Lebanon: Mental Laziness and Stereotyping
“That common American/Israeli refrain that Arabs have a cult of death, whereas Israelis/the West love life is older than, e.g., suicide bombings. It is, I think, a thought well-embeded in...
Lebanon: Forest Fires and Land Mines
“Wild fires near Aley are causing civil-war-era mines to explode and are proving hard for the firefighters to contain,” reports Mustapha with photos of the fires.
Lebanon: Women's Rights
“I remember a friend of mine… who was quite worried during the latest armed confrontations… because her estranged husband won’t give her permission to take the children out of the...
Lebanon: Flashmobbers
Lebanese Flashmobbers hit the streets of Beirut on Saturday (July 19) and slept on the sidewalks of Ain el Mreisseh for five minutes and that was captured in photos by...
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.
