Posts Tagged ‘Israel’
Thanks to Politico!
That makes number… Another GOP debate?!
Rotten apple? Apple’s earnings take a hit.
Tit for tats: Israel and Palestine swap prisoners.
Image thanks to the New York Times
We at USDemocrazy are big fans of a day at the beach – the splashing waves, golden sand, warm sun, cool breeze, and…the civil disobedience?
A group of Israeli women have been taking Palestinian women from the West Bank to the beach – in violation of their country’s laws.
Palestinians are not legally allowed to move freely back and forth between the land-locked Palestinian territories and Israel. As a result, many have never been to the beach.
About a year ago, a group of Israeli women started taking Palestinian women to the beach. There have been seven trips so far.
Many of the Israeli women involved have been called in for questioning by the Israeli police, but no arrests have been made and no Palestinians have been questioned.
One woman involved explained that
What we are doing here will not change the situation. But it is one more activity to oppose the occupation. One day in the future, people will ask, like they did of the Germans: ‘Did you know?’ And I will be able to say, ‘I knew. And I acted.’
Check out pictures from their day at the beach here.
Thanks to MSNBC!
The Big Man moves on: Saxophonist Clarence Clemons dies at 69.
What’s the score? Obama and Boehner hit the golf course.
Burning up! Things get dry in the south, risk of fires increases.
STUCK: United Airlines passengers stranded all over the country.
Image from Palestine Note
Everyone gets stressed from work sometimes and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad might be no exception.
As if he didn’t have enough on his mind already, the Prime Minister suffered a heart attack on Sunday.
At the time of the heart attack, Fayyad was visiting the United States for his son’s graduation from the University of Texas. He is currently recovering in a nearby hospital.
Though they can’t necessarily be linked, the heart attack comes at the time of an increased focus on Israeli-Palestinian relations. Tensions have been high as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington and a forthcoming United Nations vote gives Palestine the potential for statehood.
The vote at September’s U.N. General Assembly would be mostly symbolic, and carry little legal weight. But passage—which is expected if the resolution proceeds to a vote—would be a very visible show of Israel’s isolation on the international stage.”
Thanks to Zimbio
Don’t add “diplomat” to Justin Bieber’s repertoire. Pop star might be ruining relations in Israel.
Long road ahead; President Obama lays out 12 year plan to cut spending and borrowing.
Environment or economy? China weighs their options.
Republican governors will be Republican governors: Labor supporters angered by Florida’s GOP governor.
The world has been serving up a lot of big headlines of late… Earthquakes and uprisings have rocked the world.
Two other news story that might have ordinarily received more world attention slipped by many of us last week.
Both were sad reminders of the inflamed relations between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors.
The first is the gruesome story of a terrorist attack on a Jewish family who were knifed to death while their slept in their home. The dead included a four year old boy and his baby sister.
The second was a decision by the Israeli government to restart construction of Israeli settlements in disputed land. This action will most certainly lessen the chance of any peace talks between the two adversaries.
Are there any other stories out there you think the world is missing?
From E online
All over America, people are losing their homes, and it seems trivial media sensations are no exception, as Octomom is getting evicted.
Surfing Santas hit the Florida coast- perhaps Santa is considering relocating.
Israel’s foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman says “peace is impossible” with Palestine.
A man returns a library book- 76 years late. Luckily, the library is waiving the late fee.
Asia
North Korea recently joined YouTube and Twitter, using the social media platforms to mock South Korea and the United States. Interestingly, the messages are aimed at South Koreans, not at North Koreans, who are denied access to websites like YouTube and Twitter.
Europe
Ladies of Italy, rejoice! Venice is soon going to see its first female gondolier! Until recently, the trade has been limited to men due to the tradition of fathers training their sons to become gondoliers. Now, there is a course in becoming a gondolier and more women can try their hand at the profession.
Middle East
There’s another controversy involving Facebook! An Israeli soldier posted pictures of herself smiling and posing next to blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinian prisoners, causing an uproar among Palestinian groups. The Israeli Defense Force has released a statement disapproving the picture, but the soldier sees nothing wrong with her actions.
Thanks to Wikicommons.
Even more costs for US Gov. due to homes. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac costing USA more than any other.
Opening of the Gaza blockade. Israel announces plan to allow civilian goods into war torn area.
China to revalue currency (slowly). Central Chinese bank says changes to value would happen gradually.
Since we’re based in the U.S., a lot of U.S. Democrazy posts talk about issues in American politics. However, our government isn’t the only crazy one out there! Join us as we look at what’s going on in various regions across the world.
Africa
This week saw the start of the France-Africa Summit, a conference between many African and French leaders, both in the political and business arena. The summit is to address topics such as Africa’s role in the world and trade between Africa and France. The summit comes at a time when many African countries, including Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar, are celebrating their 50th year of independence.
Among all the hubbub about Health care in the US, folks have been paying less attention to a recent spat between the Americans and the Israelis. Check out our earlier cartoon on the subject. Here’s an update… Let us know if you think the cartoonist is drawing the right conclusion! (cartoon by KAL)
VP JB (Biden’s stage name) in Israel… Unveiling plans to construct new settlements in Jerusalem.
Oh, I’m between jobs… You know, permanently. “Are Unemployment Benefits No Longer Temporary?”
You can take my home, but not my bird! Oh, you took the bird too?!
A Pittsburgh-area woman is suing Bank of America, claiming it wrongfully repossessed her home and saying that a bank contractor trashed the house and took her parrot.
Sarah Palin releases her new book, Going Rouge Rogue
A new poll by Public Policy Polling finds a majority of the GOP thinks Acorn stole the presidential race for Obama.
Palestinian/Israeli peace talks may be in jeopardy, as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas vows not to seek another term.
Who's the leader?
Ever lost a million bucks? Then had to dumpster dive for it?
Who doesn’t like jewelry? The State Department. (At least when it could be an ethics violation.)
Does the US have more czars than Russia? “Pay czar” appointed to keep the shareholders in control!
“Self-esteem” issues? That’s a new one for the GOP.
Courtesy of The Global Education Project
We at USDemocrazy have decided that we’re OK with not being a great world power. After all, it sounds like a lot of work.
Take the US, who has been dealing with its status as a world superpower for a while now. As the big dog in the neighborhood, the US is policing conflicts big and small around the globe (with mixed success).
There is no bigger, messier, more dogged dogfight than that between the Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East.
On Monday President Obama joined the fray. The White House hosted Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to discuss the future of the Holy Land.
Though Prime Minister Netanyahu told the President he is ready for peace talks with neighboring Palestine, the Israeli leader also included some “My way or the Highway” conditions to any negotiations.
Indeed, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat expressed how he saw any talks between the two states to be doomed from the start when he stated:
There is a difference between being a tough negotiator and a non-negotiator. What I heard today was a non-negotiator.
So… how does a superpower handle such a super problem?
Solutions to this conflict have eluded every US President thus far. But Obama seems determined to engage and pursue a peace settlement between the two antagonists.
Some people, like the guys and gals over at Time, wonder if there are just some fundamental issues that neither Obama nor Netanyahu will find much common ground on.
Such a complex issue requires some answers from some of the smart people in the biz… and so we’re gonna have to turn you elsewhere. Start here for a quick history on US diplomacy when dealing with Israel, then go here for a cut-and-dry explanation of the Gaza conflict and its recent ceasefires.
While we continue to be glad no one values our opinion high enough to be in on these negotiations, we’re searching for your opinions on the subject! Can the young administrations of all parties find a way out of this mess?
