Latest posts by Gilad Lotan
Israel: The Freedom Flotilla – PR Stunt or Humanitarian Act?
Nine ships sailing from various destinations, including Ireland, Turkey and Greece, are headed towards the Gaza Strip, with the goal of breaking the Israeli maritime blockade. Gilad Lotan takes a closer look at reactions from the Hebrew blogosphere.
Israel: LGBT center shooting in Tel-Aviv
It is becoming ever more evident that Saturday's deadly shooting at a Tel Aviv LGBT center was a product of pure hate. Gilad Lotan sums up from reactions from Hebrew blogs.
Israel: Eurovision Peace Duo Push for Another Way
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: Reflections on the Holocaust Memorial Day and Durban II
Yesterday was the national holocaust memorial day in Israel. Coincidentally, it was also the opening day of the highly contested UN Durban II conference on racism in Geneva. Gilad Lotan updates us with reactions from Israeli bloggers, who link both occasions.
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
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...
Israel: Dealing with the Aftermath of Operation Cast Lead
After Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire and pulled out of Gaza, the fire is far from stopping. As Hamas is expected to accept the Egyptian negotiated terms for the year-long ceasefire today (Monday, February 2), bloggers are still discussing the many issues and topics around Israel's actions in Gaza.
Israel: Where is Mahmoud al-Zahar?
Senior Hamas official Mahmood el-Zahar is no where to be seen. Gilad Lotan tunes into to the whispers making rounds on the blogs about his possible whereabouts.
Israel: IDF Operating a Moral War in Gaza?
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: Unilateral “Ceasefire” Goes Into and Out of Effect
Israel declared operation ‘Cast Lead' a success and announced that its security cabinet has voted in favor of a unilateral ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Although the ceasefire has since been broken, with Hamas sending missiles into Sderot, here are some reflections of Israeli bloggers on developments on the ground.
Israel: Voices against the violence
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
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...
Israel: Updates on the Chabad Home Hostage Operation in Mumbai
As the commando operation at the Chabad Jewish Center of Mumbai unfolded, very little was known about the state of the hostages. Chabad is one of the largest Hasidic movements in Orthodox Judaism. The most current update states that the five Jewish hostages held inside the building were found dead, writes Gilad Lotan.
Israel: Hoessein Derakhshan Arrested
Iranian-born Meir Javedanfar, who is based in Tel Aviv, blogs about Iranian Hoessein Deraskhshan's arrest in Tehran in this post on Middle East Analyst. Global Voices Advocacy covered the story...
Israel: Ceasefire with Hamas Ends
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: Is Obama good for Israel?
As America elects its next president, Israeli bloggers ponder which candidate is best for their country. Gilad Lotan reviews blogs in Hebrew and English for reactions.
Israel: Heading Towards General Elections
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?
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?
Israel: The Israeli failure and the Lebanese Radicalization
“The prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hezbollah is a forlorn expression of the failed second Lebanon war and the lack of firm policy in the Israeli government. We follow...
