A Keffiyeh On The Balcony

Legal aspects of "Operation Cast Lead" in Gaza

2009-01-13T18:20:00.001Z

JURIST Guest Columnist Amos Guiroa of the University of Utah College of Law says that while self-defense (in the classic model) is the legal basis for Israel's "Operation Cast Lead" against Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces' re-articulation of proportionality and collateral damage in that context is a new development in international law that carries significant risks...

Full analysis, here.

Info over Gaza

2009-01-12T10:16:00.002Z

The information war being fought over Gaza is one of the most commented-on aspects of the current crisis - Israeli military footage, Twitter updates, Facebook groups, media interviews, blogs, the use of megaphone software like GIYUS. It's not a new phenomenon, but the extent to which Israel's government has made bypassing, controlling and marginalising the media, and using YouTube and other platforms to disseminate core messages a central part of its information strategies is unprecedented.

For more information on this subject, here.

Want to End the Violence in Gaza? Boycott Israel

2009-01-11T22:04:00.001Z

In this article, Naomi Klein argues that the best strategy to end the increasingly bloody occupation is for Israel to become the target of the kind of global movement that put an end to apartheid in South Africa.

Full article, here.

Leading British Jews call on Israel to halt "horror" of Gaza

2009-01-11T21:56:00.001Z

A group of Britain's most prominent Jews has called on Israel to cease its military operations in Gaza immediately, warning that its actions, far from improving the country's security, will "strengthen extremism, destabilise the region, and exacerbate tensions inside Israel".

To see full article, here.

Security Council Resolution 9567

2009-01-11T00:34:00.003Z

For the full text of the Security Council resolution 9567 calling for an immediate ceasefire of the conflict on Thursday 8th January 2009, click here.

UN rights head calls for investigation of Gaza violations

2009-01-11T00:12:00.003Z

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called for an independent investigation of possible war crimes and human rights violations in the ongoing conflict between Israel and combatants in the Gaza strip.
For more information, check here.

Holocaust denied: the lying silence of those who know

2009-01-10T18:47:00.002Z

Writing in the New Statesman, John Pilger calls on 40 years of reporting the Middle East to describe the 'why' of Israel's bloody onslaught on the besieged people of Gaza - an attack that has little to do with Hamas or Israel's right to exist.

For the full article, click here.

Amnesty International UK.Take action NOW

2009-01-10T18:42:00.002Z

Amnesty International is urging the UK Government to take a lead and call for an immediate, comprehensive humanitarian truce to allow desperately needed humanitarian assistance to the beleaguered civilian population, evacuation of the wounded and safe refuge for civilians wishing to flee the conflict zone.
Take action now.

A little flavor of the London demonstration

2009-01-10T17:58:00.008Z

It was pretty cold. We had even snow and people was using anything to cover their faces, hands. But still, the good mood was there...and also some anger.

"Free, free Palestine!", "We are all Palestinias!"

I cannot tell you how many people were in the demonstration but it seemed that we were a lot. The first numbers by the organisers are around 100.000.

It seems that the peaceful demonstration ended with some confrontations with the police in front of the Israeli embassy.

How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe

2009-01-09T15:54:00.003Z

Oxford professor of international relations Avi Shlaim served in the Israeli army and has never questioned the state's legitimacy. But its merciless assault on Gaza has led him to devastating conclusions.

For the full article, click here.

Ending the war in Gaza

2009-01-09T15:18:00.010Z

The latest policy briefing from the International Crisis Group, analyses the bloody developments since expiration of the fragile six-month ceasefire on 19 December and proposes a path to cessation of hostilities and beyond. Third parties viewed as credible and trustworthy by both sides must push the parties to end this before the toll escalates or before Israel’s land incursion turns into a venture of uncertain scope, undetermined consequence and all-too-familiar human cost. Israel might well win militarily and perhaps even topple Hamas. But with no clear exit or “day after” scenario, a discredited Palestinian Authority and a debilitated peace process, it might not be much of a political win.
Click here to see the full report.

National Demonstration: London, Saturday 10 January. Stop the massacre: Israel out of Gaza

2009-01-08T13:20:00.009Z

ASSEMBLE 12.30PM SPEAKERS CORNER,HYDE PARK
(Nearest tube Marble Arch) Rally & speakers in Hyde park
MARCH TO ISRAELI EMBASSY High St Kensington, London W8
For more information, look at http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

TODAY, organised by Stop the War Coalition and Palestine Solidarity Campaign, London Rally: Stop The Gaza Massacre, Thursday 8 January 7.30pm. Friends Meeting House, Euston Rd, London NW1 2BJ.Speakers include Tony Benn, Tariq Ali, George Galloway MP, Jeremy Corbyn M.

A what? Where?

2009-01-06T14:29:00.004Z

This blog seeks to disseminate as widely as possible the initiative of hanging out a keffiyeh from our balconies and windows, as a way of expressing our solidarity with Gaza.