News – Israel in Focus

Question: Will the next few weeks provide a defining moment, positive or negative, for Israel?

Israel/Palestine

Colon Powell has added his own voice against the killing of Arafat. Personally, I’d be surprised if Israel went through with it, because pretty much no one is publicly supporting them on it. Not even the US.

I mean, come on. Who could stay strong under this stern countenance? 😉

Some believe that Israel’s big stick approach will not work in breaking Hamas. It will only bend them. Personally, I find the words of Ami Ayalon, former chief of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service in the 1990s, most relevant.

“This is because Hamas is not an organization per se but an ideological movement incorporating the aspirations of many Palestinians who lost their hope in a negotiating process and seek to remove the occupation and find a better life,” he said.

When one looks at it as an ideological movement, the rules change. As we can see with organized religions, be they mainstream like Christianity or fringe like Scientology or others, ideological movements don’t die under persecution. They flourish in a viral pattern of self replication from one person to another faster than one can reasonably eliminate carriers. Seen this way, Israel will have to cleanse the Palestinian lands eventually, if they plan to continue this military campaign. It won’t stop after killing a few leaders, it will continue to spread, fed by the very acts Israel takes to secure itself.

And here we have thought provoking words from Avraham Burg, speaker of Israel’s Knesset in 1999-2003 and former chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel. Must Zionism end?

International Papers takes a look at regional Israeli and Arab papers talking about the possible assassination or ouster of Arafat. It even has a tidbit form Japan with a novel means of dealing with the Arafat problem.

Iraq

Colon Powell visited Halabja for a ribbon cutting ceremony at a memorial for the 5,000 who were killed there by chemical weapons.

Another US soldier was killed in an RPG attack while on patrol. The total now stands at 73 combat casualties.

Cheney says the US can afford Iraq spending. Though he doesn’t actually know how much it will cost in the long run. But he’s positive, just like he is of all the chemical and biological weapons in Iraq. Yup.

The US and France remain at odds on Iraq. France wants the US to hand over power to Iraqis quickly, while the US officials reject that idea.

Iran

The British mission in Iran was shot at again, the third time this month. No one was hurt when a motorcycle rider fired at the gate.

Iran’s nuke chief noted Iran is committed to the unclear non-proliferation treaty, despite hints from the country’s leadership that it might leave the pact.

US

Cheney is bullish on the US economy. He expects 4 percent or better GDP growth next year. We’ll see next year.

Now the Bush administration is sending John Snow out to the Middle East. Though don’t ask me how John Snow will convince anyone of anything by making a canned speech about prosperity through peace. At this point, I doubt that would have much effect.

The Justice department has been using authority give by the Patriot act to crack down on common criminals. When a guy with a pipebomb gets charged with ‘terrorism using a weapon of mass destruction’ and a Meth lab runner is charged with ‘a new state law barring the manufacture of chemical weapons’ I get nervous. They shouldn’t be making such creative and ludicrous interpretations of these powers given, it opens to many nasty doors. It could lead to common criminals getting sentences well in excess of their crimes.

The Flip Flops of John Edwards: He flips on World Trade from yes to China, no to Singapore and Chile. And his flip on supporting a NAACP boycott of South Carolina to protest the confederate flag being flown. The details of his position match those of Carol Moseley Braun.

General

To the glee of anti-globalization folks, the World Trade talks in Mexico went poorly as rich and poor nations failed to reach an agreement. Good, bad, I’m not sure. I should probably get more informed on that whole sector of global intrigue.

Fax.com, despite the hard legal backlash it has been receiving, hasn’t learned. There is evidence that they may go out of business and then try to slip back into business under a new name, with new offices.

New software is being made to automatically turn off the camera part of camera cell phones. Called Safe Haven, it is good for those companies that wish to make sure no one sneaks snapshots of company secrets.

Today’s Papers covers the failed talks in Cancun, the diminishing hope for more international troops in Iraq, calls from the Iraqi council that agree with France’s proposals and more.

Amusements

I couldn’t get picture amusements, for some reason I can’t load images, though I was able to when I first started writing. Either there’s a problem with the work line out or perhaps the administrator made it so that images can’t be loaded. I hope it isn’t the latter, that would be annoying.