Gilad Lotan

Latest posts by Gilad Lotan

Israel: Eurovision Peace Duo Push for Another Way

  18 May 2009

Can music help bring us closer together? Noa and Mira Awad hope their message from the Eurovision Song Contest reaches far and wide. Gilad Lotan updates us about the journey of those two musicians and reactions to their performances in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest.

Israel: What Happens when IDF Soldiers Testimonials are Taken Out of Context

On March 19th, Israeli daily Ha'aretz published a report describing the alleged incidents in a closed-door meeting of Israeli soldiers at a military prep program, where they described multiple accounts of immoral orders and actions taken by the Israeli military during the recent Gaza operation ‘Cast Lead'. Their testimony runs counter to the IDF claim that Israeli troops observed a high level of moral behavior during the operation, but falls in line with stories coming from Palestinians, describing multiple Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

Israel: Hamas Raids UN Aid in Gaza

  4 February 2009

Justin wonders why this story, on the United Nations accusing Hamas police in Gaza Strip of seizing thousands of blankets and food parcels meant for needy residents, is not displayed in any of the mainstream media outlets.

Israel: IDF Operating a Moral War in Gaza?

  18 January 2009

Bloggers have been defending the IDF which has been highly criticized for operating an unjust war in Gaza. Many choose to highlight facts which are not necessarily presented in mainstream news on its fighting techniques - minimizing civilian casualties by using precise missile technology, calling homes and dropping warning leaflets, while focusing on the target: weakening Hamas, destroying their artillery and ability to fire missiles into Israeli territory.

Israel: Voices against the violence

  17 January 2009

The Hebrew blogosphere is battling over right and wrong, support vs. opposition and what it means to be patriotic to your own country, while at the same time condemning its actions. In this post, Gilad Lotan translates four different entries which highlight their writers' struggle with the grave outcomes of a war. A war where news is biased; where one side is considerably more powerful than the other; where innocent civilians are used as human shields and where the death toll is steep.

Israel: Perspectives on Gaza Operation Cast Lead

  30 December 2008

The Israeli blogosphere has been massively reacting to the attacks in Gaza and the growing number of Israeli cities under rocket fire attack. Many supporting, many against and many claim that Israel ¨has no choice¨. Below are a number of different perspectives written by Israelis in the past two days....

Israel: Ceasefire with Hamas Ends

  19 November 2008

The temporary cease-fire (tahdiya) agreement between Israel and Hamas has come to an end earlier this month with an escalation of violence in the region and a re-implementation of the Gaza blockade. Gilad Lotan highlights conversations on the Israeli blogosphere on the escalation of violence and the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

Israel: Heading Towards General Elections

  28 October 2008

The leader of Israel's ruling party, Tzipi Livni, gave up her attempts to form a governing coalition. Livni has been trying to put together a government since she replaced Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as head of the ruling Kadima party last month. Elections are now set for February 10. Gilad Lotan reports from Israeli blogs.

Israel: Did Tzipi Livni's team erase Shai's blog post from Google?

  8 September 2008

This story should serve as a warning for every internet user. It begins at a well known Israeli web-portal hook.co.il, with Shai Rozentsweig's blog, who writes funny satirical skits. Shai created a post that slightly mocks Tzipi Livni and her meager record of actual political achievements. This led to Google's intervention, most probably prompted by Tzipi Livni's team; an embarrassing surrender on Google's behalf, removing the blog from its search results.

Israel: Stories and Personal Opinions on Obama's Visit

Obama's recent visit to Israel was certainly a hot topic across Israeli media, which acknowledges the Democratic candidate for taking all necessary steps to mark his stance - clearly showing that he will continue to be a close friend and ally to Israel. Gilad Lotan reports on the latest buzz from the Israeli blogosphere.

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?