Our blogs about
America's Wars
War on Iraq
War on Drugs
War on Afghanistan
War on Columbia
War on Philippines
War on Venezuela

More
Matrix Masters
Blogs
World Events
US News
Science & Health
Earth News
Free Speech
News from Africa
News from Palestine
Bill of Rights Under Attack

Matrix Masters'
SUPPORTERS

Lorenzo's
Random Musings
. . . about Chaos,
Reason, and Hope

 

UK envoy `proud' of critical comments made against Israel
(Charlotte Halle, Ha'aretz, 15 October 2002)
The British ambassador to Israel, Sherard Cowper-Coles, says he is "proud" of his comments that were published Monday and in which he described the West Bank and Gaza Strip as "the biggest detention camp in the world." . . . In the report, Cowper-Coles is attributed with accusing Israel of contravening the Geneva Convention and the Israel Defense Forces of displaying a "lack of professionalism," . . . The ambassador also criticized Israel for continuing to build settlements, for "the unnecessary humiliation and harassment" of the local civilian population at checkpoints, unnecessarily uprooting trees and making life difficult for the international welfare organizations . . . "Anyone who is a friend of Israel would say what I said," he told Ha'aretz, "because [it is clear the situation] is certainly not good for the Palestinians, or for Israel."

posted by LoZo 4:35 PM

 

Web Warfare Comes to America
(Lawrence Davidson, AlterNet, September 25, 2002)
A new front in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been opened in the United States. This has not been done by Islamic fundamentalists, or radical Palestinians. It has been done by American and Israeli computer hackers. Action on this new front has taken the form of identity theft, harassment, incitement to harassment, defamation of character, and malicious misrepresentation through the misuse and misappropriation of computer e-mail facilities and lists. In the process, the reliability of the web based system of communication has been undercut, the integrity of some very prestigious universities has been called into question, and the judgment of law enforcement authorities made to look tainted with bias. . . . Throughout July and August, numerous organizations and individuals who support the Palestinian cause, oppose war in the Middle East, support human rights, and are just generally critical of Israel, were harassed and interfered with. Among the victims was Monica Terazi, Director of the New York office of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). She was harassed and her identity stolen by hackers with the result that, for a time, Yahoo Groups took her account off line. When she reported this assault to the FBI, their response was that no law had been broken: no money stolen, no computers physically damaged, public safety had not been endangered. The entire hacker operation, according to the FBI, was simply an exercise protected by the First Amendment. Why should the FBI take such a dismissive position on activities which are now recognized as a form of harassment and stalking by communication? . . . This form of harassment via electronic communications is on-going. It is being used to intimidate and emotionally punish American and British academics, as well as many others, who are critical of Israel and its policies. Yet nothing of significance is being done about it by authorities capable of curbing such behavior. For all intents and purposes, the inaction of academic and law enforcement authorities has created legal space for what are ordinarily illegal acts: harassment, incitement to harassment, identity theft, and malicious misrepresentation. . . . The hands-off position taken by the FBI and university authorities sets a precedent for the future. While critics of Israel are now the main targets of web based harassment and misrepresentation, there is no reason why the circle of victims cannot become much larger. After all it is a "virtual world" now and thus it is impossible to keep such behavior "local." It seems we have found a new technological way of assaulting each other on a worldwide basis. It was Ortega Y Gasset who once observed that "hatred is a feeling which leads to the extinction of values." The present campaign of intimidation is certainly hate filled and it is likely that others who hate will learn of these techniques and use them. Those who can stop this behavior now, but have chosen not to, ought to think again before the future of communications becomes "extinct of values."

posted by LoZo 6:02 PM

 

A deafening silence
(Gideon Levy, Ha'aretz, October 9, 2002)
Why is it that in England 50,000 people have demonstrated against the war in Iraq, whereas in Israel no one has? Why is it that in Israel there is no public debate about whether the war is necessary, whereas in Europe, and even in the United States, such a debate is at its peak?

Israel is again speaking in one voice - the voice of war. As on the Palestinian question, in which uniformity, silence and indifference has characterized public discourse in the past two years, no serious public discussion can be discerned on the critical subject of the impending war in Iraq.

The government is leading and hardly anyone is asking questions. The only sound we hear is of the shuffle of feet of people who simply can't wait for American to do its thing.

A stranger entering the country would not believe it: Israel is the only country in the West whose leaders support the war unreservedly and where no alternative opinion is voiced, and this holds true while Israel is liable to be a direct victim.

No one is asking how Iraq suddenly became the world's greatest threat after years in which the defense establishment in Israel claimed that the greatest danger to this country is Iran.

The automatic way Israeli opinion is formulated as if the public follows the government blindly should be a source of worry to everyone. It turns out that Israel no longer has a meaningful left, as do all other Western countries. There is no popular opposition and no one is speaking out. And that may prove more dangerous for Israel than the looming war against Iraq.

posted by LoZo 5:19 PM