Colbert: Franken decision a mistake
Jul/090
Line of the day, by (surprise, surprise) Stephen Colbert, via The Washington Post about the Minnesota Senate race decision:
The court rushed into this decision too soon. It’s barely been seven months. Plus, who can trust a court’s ruling so quickly after the death of Michael Jackson? No one’s thinking clearly right now.
I can’t find a video link now, but you should also have a look for Colbert’s segment paying out Richard Wilkins and the Today show for saying Jeff Goldblum was dead.
Franken finally wins
Jul/091
It started on the first Tuesday in November, and:
Nearly eight months after Election Day, Al Franken, a former comedian and an author, appeared certain on Tuesday to become the next United States senator from Minnesota, giving the Democratic Party at least symbolic control over Senate filibusters.
The longest wait in history, and it’s over. All Hail the Democratic Party!
Surprise of the day: Iranian election legit, according to, ah, the guy that won
Jun/090
Here’s something I bet you weren’t expecting (via CNN):
Saying it had completed an investigation into alleged voter irregularities, Iran’s election authority on Monday stood by its findings that gave hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad an overwhelming victory and sparked more than two weeks of chaos in the streets.
We shouldn’t really be surprised. Iran was once the almost-democracy of the Middle East. Sure, it trailed countries like Israel, Turkey and Lebanon, but it was up there. Definitely above Saudi Arabia.
But that’s pretty much gone to shit, hasn’t it? Reuters is even saying that it pretty much rules out anything that could happen from here. The Green Revolution is dead, apparently. Let’s hope not, but it will be interesting to see what Mousavi and his gang are able to do from here.
Interestingly, the story of 26-year old Neda, whose death sparked from news desk chiefs and Twitters alike, is a fraud. Or, that’s what Iranian government station Press TV thinks anyway, according to CBS News.
The network quoted the man who allegedly drove her to hospital as saying her death appeared to be “highly suspicious,” as there were no police, Basij militia, or any other Iranian security forces nearby.
Well, that’s a case closed, as far as I’m concerned. Yeah, right.
What’s next in Iran? Well, we can turn to Tom Friedman for that, as always. The “Freedom Tax” of US$1/gallon on petrol (which works out to around 25c a litre in Australia, I’m pretty sure) would help, as would continual support. He’s always on the money, and this piece is no exception.
Like I said, all there is to do is watch, wait and hope that something good can happen in Iran.
The Migron-Adam Plan and why it’s going to screw Israel over
Jun/090
The BBC reports:
Israel has approved the construction of 50 new housing units in a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank.
Officials said the homes would house settlers being moved from a nearby unauthorised outpost and were only the first part of an expansion plan.
Well, this is great, isn’t it? Sure, it’s a good step that Israel’s dismantling some two-bit settlement deep in the West Bank, but putting them somewhere else in the Palestinian Territories doesn’t do anything good.
If Israel really wants a permanent solution, then it can’t do things like this. If Israel really wants the help of the Americans — a country that will stick by us, regardless of the president, as long as we don’t screw up completely — then this isn’t the best move, to say the least.
Israel needs to start relocating both legal and illegal settlers in Israel proper. It’s the only viable way for Israel to survive. It’s a given that in any end-game scenario all the non-Jerusalem settlements will be given up. The ones outside Jerusalem are the only question. Some say they’re too big, and we shouldn’t be giving them, but I disagree.
A compromise isn’t a compromise if we’re not prepared to give anything up. We need to give up all settlements in the West Bank if the Palestinians are to have a real, contiguous state. Freezing all settlement activity is a necessity, and actions like this will only be to the detriment of Israel in the long-term.
Come on, Bibi. Come to your senses.
Gilad Shalit on his way home?
Jun/090
More than three years after his initial capture, various sources, mostly Egyptian, are saying that Gilad Shalit’s release has been secured and will be occur imminently:
On Thursday, Haaretz quoted European diplomatic officials as saying that Shalit would be transferred to Egypt in the coming days as part of an Egyptian-brokered prisoner exchange deal reached two days earlier.
According to Saturday’s report in Asharq al-Awsat, Arab and European officials say Shalit will be transferred soon to Egyptian intelligence in exchange for the release of 400 Palestinian prisoners by Israel, most of whom women and children, as well as some Hamas members of parliament.
The Australian reports based on ‘Arabic’ sources that the deal is a ploy on Egypt’s behalf to end the blockade of Gaza. That is, give Corporal Shalit back to the Israelis and maybe the Israelis will loosen their grip on the Strip?
Captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will shortly be transferred by Hamas to Egyptian custody as the first step of an ambitious plan to lift Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip, restore Palestinian unity and free about 1100 Palestinian prisoners
Most interesting, but least surprising of all, is Kadima leader Tzipi Livni’s condemnation of the transfer, according to the conservative Arutz Sheva, just a few months after she was one of many in Israeli politics advocating for negotiations to work for Shalit’s swift release:
“Just as the stopping of the negotiations with moderate members of the Palestinian Authority will hurt Israel’s interests, the creation of agreements – direct or indirect – with Hamas, which will give the organization legitimacy in exchange for a few days of quiet, is a strategic mistake that will harm Israel.”
All of this leaves us with many questions: Will any of this actually result in Shalit being given back to the Israelis? What will his condition be if/when he does come back? How many Palestinian prisoners will Israel have to give up to get him back? (Most reports are saying more than 1000.)
More important I think, though: What impact will it have on Hamas’s unflinching desire to capture and kill Israelis and destroy the Jewish state? And, will the Israelis show a little bit more compassion when it comes to letting humanitarian goods into the Gaza Strip?
All these obviously remain up in the air for the next few days while Shalit’s release is being negotiation, and we’ll wait to see the outcome. After three years, enough in enough. But indeed, after more than sixty years of conflict, something broader must also change.
The Palestinians just keep fighting among themselves
Jun/090
A good feature in today’s Ha’aretz: Are Fatah and Hamas on road to reconciliation?
It’s been two years since Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip, and it seems as if the breach between Gaza and the West Bank – or between what has been dubbed “Fatahland” and “Hamastan” – has never been wider.
There are more than 1000 Palestinians incarcerated for being Hamas or Fatah members in the wrong place. Since the conflict began, 2006 and 2007 marked the first times intra-Palestinian violence caused more deaths than Israeli actions.
The article also looks at a new angle though. Are the relations between the two brothers of Palestinian nationalism starting to get along?
On July 7 Cairo is hosting a meeting between Hamas and Fatah leaders and the Americans are trying to bring the Syrians off the bench by re-posting an ambassador to Damascus; both are crucial to putting the Palestinians’ welfare front and centre.
The article is doubtful it will work though, mostly because of the difference in opinions between the Damascus-based Hamas leadership and those based in Gaza.
It’s a good read to understand more about the background of intra-Palestinian political differences. I guess the only thing we can do is wait for the headlines on July 8.
Gillard, in the West Bank, announces aid package
Jun/090
Our Deputy (and a few times, Acting) Prime Minster Julia Gillard is on a fact-finding mission to Israel and the Palestinian Territories at the moment, principally sponsored by the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce.
Turns out today she detailed the new $20m aid package announced earlier this year, saying it would go to health and education services. She added that Australia is “concerned about the humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people.” The Australian is also running a more detailed story about her visit, highlighting specifically the appaling conditions of the Bethlehem refugee camp, which is worth a read.
It’s good Ms. Gillard is focusing on the biggest issue the Palestinians face, I believe: infrastrcuture and training. A state is useless without hospitals, schools, roads and universities. So far Australia has donated more than $75m to the Palestinian Authority, and I think that needs to be boosted even more. There isn’t going to be peace — indeed, there can’t be peace — unless there’s a prospering economy in the Territories. Bringing up the living standards of Palestinians up will mean they’ll be less likely to turn to extremist Islamist parties, which is a bad path to walk down.