Libel

"A peace activist today accepted £30,000 libel damages and an apology at the high court over false claims made in the Jewish Chronicle that he had harboured two suicide bombers." (thanks Laleh)

Obama's Peace Process

"Despite strong evidence of the misuse of U.S. weapons against civilians in Gaza, Amnesty International recently revealed that the United States sent a massive new shipment of arms to Israel. The Wehr Elbe, a ship controlled by the U.S. Military Sealift Command, docked and unloaded several thousand tons of arms on March 22 at the Israeli port of Ashdod. Ask State Department officials why the United States would deliver these arms to Israel." (thanks Rabih)

What about Dahlan?

"Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will be one of the three laureates of the Dan David Prize for 2009, awarded annually by Tel Aviv University." What about Dahlan?

All that you have done to our people is registered in notebooks

"• Imposing collective punishment in the form of a blockade, in violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. In June 2007, after Hamas took power in the Gaza Strip, Israel imposed suffocating restrictions on trade and movement. The blockade — an act of war in customary international law — has helped plunge families into poverty, children into malnutrition, and patients denied access to medical treatment into their graves. People in Gaza thus faced Israel’s winter onslaught in particularly weakened conditions. • Deliberately attacking civilian targets. The laws of war permit attacking a civilian object only when it is making an effective contribution to military action and a definite military advantage is gained by its destruction. Yet an Israeli general, Dan Harel, said, “We are hitting not only terrorists and launchers, but also the whole Hamas government and all its wings.” An Israeli military spokeswoman, Maj. Avital Leibovich, avowed that “anything affiliated with Hamas is a legitimate target.” Israeli fire destroyed or damaged mosques, hospitals, factories, schools, a key sewage plant, institutions like the parliament, the main ministries, the central prison and police stations, and thousands of houses. • Willfully killing civilians without military justification. When civilian institutions are struck, civilians — persons who are not members of the armed forces of a warring party, and are not taking direct part in hostilities — are killed."" (thanks Nir)

Oil Shieks have a new toy

"Dozens of American engineers, lawyers and businessmen have converged on Abu Dhabi in recent months to help the United Arab Emirates get the Arab world's first nuclear-power program running by 2017. "I don't know anyone else who has rolled out a nuclear program of this magnitude this fast," says Jeffrey Benjamin, an American engineer who in October was named project manager for Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp., which oversees Abu Dhabi's nuclear program." (thanks Michel)

literary scandal

The scandal of the last book of poetry by Mahmud Darwish. (thanks J.)

Photoshop

"The Israeli ultra-Orthodox newspaper Yated Neeman reached new levels of Stalin-esque photoshop audacity by doctoring photos of Israel's new government to remove female ministers Limor Livnat and Sofa Landver and replacing them with male ministers. (Click the photo for a larger version.) If Tzipi Livni had been elected, I would imagine the paper would have been pretty text-heavy on most days." (thanks Julie)

Tools. Mere tools. Useless tools.

"A few hours later, at a Thursday evening lecture to a Jewish advocacy group, she would speak of the Muslim world as representing "inhumanity," "evil" and "the enemy."(thanks Saeed)

sovereignty my...potato

"First, an Egyptian court on 4/3/2009 ruled that the Camp David Agreement that was signed between Egypt and Israel in 1978 is not unconstitutional. A lawsuit had been filed by an Egyptian lawyer and member of Parliament who argued that the agreement contradicted Article 58 of the Egyptian constitution regarding state sovereignty over and defense of all national territory. The treaty specified that two-thirds of Sinai be weapons-free and it also changed the legal status of the Straits of Tiran and the Gulf of ‘Aqaba from Egyptian territorial waters (which they technically are) to international ones. In rejecting his claim, the court said that on this matter, “sovereignty” was beyond the jurisdiction of the court and that the question of sovereignty was the exclusive domain of the state. (Al-Jazeera, 3/30/09) Most recently during the Israeli assault on Gaza, despite proclamations of sovereignty over Egyptian territories, the Egyptian government turned a blind eye to Israeli bombing of the border area of Egyptian Rafah and also allowed the stationing of foreign forces in the Sinai to counter any potential Palestinian spillover effect." (thanks Olivia)

We are Americans after all

"For the first time Hitch looked scared. He shouted for help: "We are American journalists!" Nobody came to our aid." Other than that, the article is an anthology of lies, fabrications, errors, generalizations, stereotypes, ignorance, falsehoods, prejudice, and misconceptions.

Official Arab Surrender

My weekly article in Al-Akhbar: "Official surrender: Camp David and its Aftermath"

violations

"The Israeli army confirmed on Thursday a decision to maintain military over flights in Lebanon's airspace in violation of Security Council Resolution 1701. The Lebanese Army said that on Wednesday at least 16 Israeli planes staged reconnaissance flights across Lebanon for more than an hour." (thanks Marc)

What is that?

"MHO Professor As'ad AbuKhalil’s blog http://angryarab.blogspot.com/ would be OK for personal opinion on topics he’s an expert on. However, quoting at length from this short personal attack that provides no evidence for the insult hurled really does go against WP:RS for BLP. I am even wondering if any mention of his blog post belongs in the article at all. (And yes it’s Gilad Atzmon again.) Thoughts?"

Saudi censorship

Comrade Samah writes about Saudi publishing censorship

Fake stand

"Egyptian FM says won't shake Lieberman's hand." Yes, he will and he may even kiss it.

All that you have done to our people is registered in notebooks

"According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, during the week of 26 March- 01 April 2009, two members of the Palestinian resistance were killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. A Palestinian woman died of injuries sustained during the recent Israeli forces offensive on the Gaza Strip. 8 Palestinian civilians, including a PCHR field worker, were injured by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip." (thanks Olivia)

Arab culture

"but "they're definitely afraid that other murderers will be sent over and that the Arab culture will continue to encourage them."" (thanks Asa)

Dahlan o Dahlan: and the Pathetic PLO

Read this: the PLO is officially looking for negotiators and advisers. How desperate. (thanks Ibn Rushd)

The debate

An insider at the University of San Francisco sent me this about the Israeli Consul General: "I now hear that the CG was saying to someone afterwards something to the effect of, he had debated Edward Said before (very doubtful) and that "even Edward Said would not have behaved like that". Amazing..."
By the way, I am told that some Zionists claimed that I brought a crowd from my university and that is the reason why the audience was sympathetic. For the record, there were four former or current students of mine in the audience: Sadie, Dallan, Chloe, and Sean.

Kamil Al-As`ad Responds

Former speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Kamil Al-As`ad, responds to my article about Shi`ite political feudalism. (thanks George)

Account of the debate

Here is an account of the debate. (thanks Jack)

Bushama and House of Saud

Obama is greeting Saudi King in London. (thanks Maddy)

....off to Berkeley

I will be gone until Sunday for the Model Arab League conference at UC Berkeley (and I will make brief introductory remarks at the plenary session on Friday morning). I will be there until Sunday but will occasionally blog, especially if I am asked to debate an Israeli diplomat anywhere.

My Debate with that guy

So I had a long day yesterday. I woke up late, but I had a deep sleep. During the day, I was preserving my voice. I had these Halls drops and would avoid talking on the phone. The few times I spoke on the phone, I had to say that I was preserving my voice for the debate. And at one point yesterday, Amer asked me about preparation. I had to say: that this is a job that I have been preparing for all my life. Two days ago, I jotted down some notes here in bed, and I had to throw the notebook after a few minutes because I got mad. Usually, when I have to deal with a debate of this kind, I remind myself of the massacres that Israel committed against our people: one after the other. I know the sources and the facts, so I only write down an outline of what I am about to say. I arrive there and I get pissed early on--which is a good thing for my debate performance. I learned there that originally one professor was going to invite the Israeli Consul General by himself, until somebody else suggested that maybe somebody else with a different point of view should be invited. I go there and I notice heavy security and police presence. I then meet the professor who was going to moderate the debate. We go to the hall and I notice that there are two chairs and two name signs: for me and for him (the Israeli representative of the usurping entity). I did not like the arrangement. So I tell her: I don't want to sit next to him. I would like you as a moderator to sit between us. She asked me whether I was kidding. I said: do you see me in a joking mode? Do you see me kidding with you? You think that this is a joking matter for me? She realized--let me just say--that Angry Arab was not kidding. She said that she was planning to make her remarks and sit in the audience. I said: that is easy: instead of sitting here, we can move your chair to separate between me and him. I also was told that she (or the university) was planning to host a reception for the two guests before somebody who knew about me told them: I can assure you that As`ad will not agree to a reception with the Israeli diplomat. So the reception was scrapped. I then told the host that I will not be recognizing or talking with the Israeli guest. She looked baffled but nervous. She asked me why do I have these positions? I said you will understand after you hear my remarks. She was getting more nervous, I could tell, by the minute. She then upset me more by saying something about "academic" environment or collegiality and then added something about "us" getting along. I was more angry at that. I got more angry (but that was a good preparation for my debate) and said: this is no joke or a game or schtick for me. This is about killing 400 Palestinian children in Gaza in three weeks. I don't "get along" and I don't want to "get along." The security and the police only got more visible and more extensive. The moderator then remarked that the security was required for "his safety" in reference to the Israeli speaker. I was here more pissed (all that getting angry before the debate was preparation as far as I was concerned). I said: what about my safety? Did that enter into the picture? or do Arabs don't deserve safety? They were searching backpacks and I was told that he notified police and various security agencies. I sat there and I was happy before the debate to see my students from California State University, Stanislaus. I had to warn them: You will see a different side to me from the one you see in the classroom, I said. I then met a Palestinain student from the University of San Francisco: probably the only one on campus. I also saw a student of mine from 7 years ago or more. While I was seated in my place (with the moderator now seated in the middle), I see the shadow of a man (because I made a point of not looking) come in front of me and extend his hand and say: Nice to meet you, professor. Hi Professor. I kept looking straight, as if there was no one in front of me. He repeated that a few times: and I kept totally ignoring him completely. He then gave up (finally) and took his seat. I can really tell you that I debated a man yesterday but I don't know what he looked like. I did not look at him or address him once. I have no idea what he looked like. And during the talk, he at one point asked me to look him, but I of course ignored him. He then looked at the audience and said that I have not looked at him and that I didn't shake his hands and that I refuse to humanize him. I muttered into the microphone: that I see them the way they see the children of Gaza. During dinner with Amer and Riad both commented to me that they would have had difficulting ignoring him the way I did but Amer added that me being so lacking in shyness, timidity, or the need to be polite helps me in those situations. It is so easy for me to be socially rude, when I want to. I had to tell them: are you kidding? These are my favorite moments when I ignore an Israeli who is trying to greet me or shake my hand. The president of the University came personally to greet...the Israeli guest. One university administrator noticed that and expressed his displeasure to me. The moderator did not even flip a coin or ask about who would speak first, but simply gave him the opporutnity to speak first. Of course, she did not know that I always prefer to go second because I get to say what I want and then respond to what was said before me. We also had five minutes to respond after the presentations. Now here you must understand that I cant evaluate my own performance or say how I did. I will leave that to witnesses or your own opinions when you watch it on video. Yes, I am told it was taped and will provide you with further information. As soon as it was my turn, I felt a rush. My voice was back in full force and I could sing Fayruz at that point. There was a woman who came with the diplomat and she was sitting in the front raw and after two minutes of my talk, I could see her squirm and look with sympathy at her Israeli colleague. I could not read her face but felt that she was telling him that "we did not expect this would happen." But it happened, and As`ad was on a roll. I can't tell you how I did but I can tell you that I really enjoyed the task and would do it at the drop of a hat, and would waive my speaking fee for it. When I came to the US and I used to watch debates between Israeli and Arab speakers, and I always found myself being critical of style and substance. I had no excuse: when I am debating, I can say what I want. So I can do it my way, and I did it my way last night. I explained to the audience about my policy: I said that I want you all to know that my pariticpation was at the invitation of the University of San Francisco and that I strictly adhere to the boycott of Israel and I call on them all to boycott Israel at all levels. I told them that I met I(armed) Israelis first under occuapation in South Lebanon in 1982, and I resolved then that I would meet them only on my terms. I explained to them that I am strict against terrorists and terrorism: that I am opposed to any deal or negotiations with Al-Qa`idah or with Bin Laden and accordingly, I am opposed to any deal or compromise with the state that pioneered the practice of terrorism in the region. And I went on. The moderator was clearly nervous. I told her that later: she was getting nervous as soon as I spoke. She told me that she never gets nervous. I said: well, I saw you nervous many times today. The audience was largely sympathetic to the Palestinian view and most were very knowledgeable of the issues and many had been to Palestine which put the Israeli speaker in a difficult position--not that I felt sorry for him. There was a British visiting professor at Stanford (who has a teaching job in France) who kept yelling at the Israeli speaker. He was so furious. Amer, and Riad and I later commented that it is rare to see an American professor venting such anger at an Israeli speaker. By the time I finished my first 20 minutes presentation, I was relieved. I felt that I did my job although I said more later. But I felt that I was pleased with how things went. I will let you know when the video will be uploaded (I am told that the first 20 minutes (the presentation of the Israeli speakr) is mysterisly missing from the university taping. Oh, and during the talk, I did criticize the moderator. At one point in the Q and A, I was making a point, and the moderator started to interrupt me. I said: look. I can tell that you have been nervous regarding my attitude since I started talking. I said that it was clear that you were not expecting this: it is clear that you were expecing an Arab who would hold hands with the Isareli speaker, and that I was disappionting you but that I would say what I want and in my own way. On the way driving back at night, they called me from AlJazeera Arabic to offer some remarks about US reactions to Lieberman's remarks. I agreed: they called me and I started yelling in my cellphone but my voice was weak by that point. It was a long day: statisfying (for me) but long. But lest we lose sight of the realities, I told Amer and Riad that no matter who won the debate, they still occupy the lands and they still kill our people.

Lebanese newspaper, An-Nahar: their methods of sectarian agitation

The sectarian-Christian, right-wing, racist anti-Syrian (people), anti-Palestinian (people), newspaper, An-Nahar, which is witnessing its last waning days, is distressed because Michel `Awn has been criticizing Nayla Tuwayni, who is running for a parliamentary seat in Beirut in alliance with Samir Ja`ja` (Ga`ga` in Egyptian accent). So to discredit `Awn, the paper today linked his name to the name of `Ali. This is very much like how white supremacist publications used to discredit certain candidates for office by implying that they are "nigger lovers." An-Nahar and its Christian supremacists here want Christian voters in Beirut to think of `Awn as Shi`ite lover.

The name is not simple, for the New York Times

The New York Times reviews books on their merits: "I also wish Saïd Sayrafiezadeh had a surname that is simpler to pronounce."

Focus

"“Can you determine and report to this committee whether mosques have been entered by FBI agents or informants without disclosing their identities under the authority of the attorney general guidelines and, if so, how many?” Feingold asked. “I will say that we do not focus on institutions, we focus on individuals. And I will say generally if there is evidence or information as to individual or individuals undertaking illegal activities in religious institutions, with appropriate high-level approval, we would undertake investigative activities, regardless of the religion,” Mueller responded in part." (thanks Amer)

Dahlan: posing as a radical now

"A longtime Fatah leader says the organization has never recognized Israel's right to exist. Mohammed Dahlan, the former Fatah security commander, made the remarks during an interview with a Palestinian Authority-controlled television station."

Israeli threats

"The ambassador, John Gunther Dean, writes that over the years he not only came under pressure from pro-Israeli groups and officials in Washington but also was the target of an Israeli-inspired assassination attempt in 1980 in Lebanon, where he had opened links to the Palestine Liberation Organization." (thanks Nizar)

Denial

"The American University in Cairo and the American embassy in Egypt denied Monday allegations that the university was receiving secret funding from the Pentagon after an Egyptian paper exploded the controversy in a press report." Would the American embassy lie? Would any American embassy lie?

What the F. Is this??

Can the "staff" of the Daily Star explain this headline and this story for me: "Israeli soldier wounded in 2006 war out of hospital." Who effing care? Why is this a story? This is like a story about Sharon moving his toe.

UN Reports: Depressed

"The vast majority of Palestinian youth are depressed, but do not believe that violence is helpful in resolving the Middle East conflict, said a UN report released on Tuesday. "More than 80 percent of young Palestinians are depressed and 47 percent identify themselves as Muslim rather than Palestinian," the United Nations Development Programme report said. "Depression was more marked in the Gaza Strip, where 55 percent said they were 'extremely' depressed," it said. Sixty-nine percent of those questioned "believe that the use of violence as a means to resolve the conflict is not very helpful, while only eight percent believe it is an important tool."" I am really getting fed up with those UN reports and study which are done on behalf of the US government, and following standards that are alien to the culture of the region. Like: when they say that More Palestinians identified themselves as Muslim rather than Palestinian. What does that mean? How was the question phrased? I am sure if they were given an opportunity, or a question, in which they can identify with both, of if questions were phrased in a way that would not make the Palestinian identity in conflict with the Muslim identity, the results would have been different. I would not be surprised if tomorrow the UN comes out with a report in which Palestinians are found to be most happy when living under Dahlan armed gangs.

Poverty

"Growing up poor isn't merely hard on kids. It might also be bad for their brains. A long-term study of cognitive development in lower- and middle-class students found strong links between childhood poverty, physiological stress and adult memory." (thanks Olivia)

Wahhabi entertainment

The Saudi religious police arrests actors while shooting a TV serial. (thanks Saeed)

When Arab parliaments attend to business

"WITCHCRAFT and sorcery could soon be outlawed, following allegations that suspicious packages containing hair, nails and even blood are being shipped to Bahrain. Parliament yesterday voted in favour of making such activities criminal offences." (thanks Fahad)

Oligarchs

"Squeezing the oligarchs, though, is seldom the strategy of choice among emerging-market governments. Quite the contrary: at the outset of the crisis, the oligarchs are usually among the first to get extra help from the government, such as preferential access to foreign currency, or maybe a nice tax break, or—here’s a classic Kremlin bailout technique—the assumption of private debt obligations by the government. Under duress, generosity toward old friends takes many innovative forms. Meanwhile, needing to squeeze someone, most emerging-market governments look first to ordinary working folk—at least until the riots grow too large." (thanks Tanweer)

Really?

"Nevertheless, Israel is not innocent of serious mistakes in its attitude toward the population of East Jerusalem in general, and regarding the issue of illegal construction in particular. The gaps in services and infrastructure between the Jewish and Arab parts of the city - sometimes by thousands of percentage points - cry out to the heavens. Israel is not really making any effort to change this." (thanks Marcy)

Of course: they want Mo' Money

"In interviews with 14 leaders of the Awakening movement, which has been credited with helping to reduce violence, all said they believed that the jihadi presence in their areas had increased."

Awakening movements

I like this definition of the Iraqi Awakening movements: "...on members of the Awakening movement, some of them former insurgents who switched sides for pay..."

Flawed democracies

Flawed democracies (thanks Terry)

Aristrocratic but not elitist

"He believes in aristocratic – though not, he insists, elitist – values: elegance of manner and mind, grace under pressure, which is why you must shave before being executed. He believes in the Mediterranean way of talking and listening."

Lebanon's pride

Lebanon is very proud of its production of pirated CDs, software, games, and DVDs. (As-Safir)

A nice story

I never report nice stories. Here is one.

Saudi fables

"These disgraceful episodes are preludes to understanding what has happened to Mrs. Jane Rodway. She and her husband Christopher, an engineer, were once living and working in Riyadh. One day in November 2000 they drove to a garden centre. A bomb had been set under their car, and its explosion killed Mr. Rodway and concussed Mrs. Rodway. It is unmistakably clear that Saudi jihadis were responsible, just as later they were responsible for shooting the BBC's defense correspondent, and killing the photographer he was working with. But that casts shame on the Saudis, so the authorities concocted a fable that the Rodways' bomb had been set by expatriates engaged in illicit brewing and selling of alcohol. Fourteen expatriates were arrested, beaten, and tortured. None of them knew how to handle explosives and there was no evidence against them. But Sandy Mitchell, an anaesthetist, was made to confess on television and was then sentenced to be beheaded. William Sampson, a Canadian, also was made to confess. After three years of this travesty, when the Saudis could feel their honor was safe, all were released." While I believe this account, I feel obligated to register my detestation and contempt for Pryce-Jones.

Saudi succession struggle

Clearly--clearly, I repeat--Prince Salman who has been wanting to be King for years--is not happy with the designation of Prince Nayif as the 3rd in line. His mouthpiece, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat, is clearly expressing displeasure with the foreign policies of King `Abdullah. This is unprecendented. Of course, I relish conflicts between Arab governments, and withing royal families.