Where life is SO cheap

It will be interesting to hear what the spinmeister-in-chief will say with regard to the IDF's latest atrocity. But an even bigger atrocity is being committed by those countries who refuse to condemn this Rogue State's wanton impunity and belligerence.

All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing 

Policy of total impunity

is how US foreign policy has been described by the man who survived countless CIA assassination attempts. The same applies to it's satellite state, Israel.

Israel as a Strategic Liability?

Those are the words of Anthony H. Cordesman who has written the eponymous titled paper for CSIS. It's only taken 62 years, but at long last the penny has dropped.

It's not enough to criticise

So the G8 have issued a statement criticising the Gaza blockade, whoopee!! The blockade has only been in place for all of three years, a form of collective punishment reminiscent of what European Jewry were subject to during World War II and illegal under international law - those who were oppressed have become the oppressors and then some!!

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

Sanctions for Iran, what about Israel?

The IAEA is aware of Iran's nuclear ambitions because Iran has talked about them and she's a signatory to the NPT. This honesty has got Iran nowhere and the UN Security Council recently voted to impose crippling sanctions against the country. Their president has said that Iran will take its nuclear programme underground and who can blame him?

Perversely, Israel's nuclear weapons capability is an open secret, but because Israel hasn't come out officially about its nuclear programme, the IAEA's hands are tied. The man who shone the spotlight on Israel's illegal nuclear programme is under virtual house arrest in Israel - he sought refuge in a church on his release from jail, after converting from Judaism to Christianity.

When it comes to Israel, the following applies

all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others

Why?

Land of the free?!!

As this so clearly demonstrates, criticism of Israel trumps the distinguished Helen Thomas' first amendment right to free speech. Given that Americans get hot under the collar when they believe their right to bear arms, as defined in the second amendment, is in jeopardy from forces imagined or real (normally the former!!), the fact that Ms Thomas felt she had to apologise first and resign second is indicative of just how much of a sacred cow Israel is.

The US kowtows to Israel in a manner that is sooooooooooooo obsequious one would think Israel was the superpower in question. The one sided nature of the US relationship with Israel is strikingly reminiscent of the the one-sided nature of the US relationship with the UK - the UK is the tail being wagged by the dog. The US should grow a pair of cojones and tell Israel where to go then we'll see just how brave Israel actually is without the back-up of the 1000 pound gorilla (no offence to gorillas is intended by this comparison).

And why is that the Israeli government spokesman, the current Israeli PM and ultra-Orthodox settlers on the remotest kibbutz have such apple-pie American accents?!

If Puerto Rico is considered to be the 51st State of the USofA, then surely Israel's got to be the 14th!!

It's time for a cultural, economic and sporting boycott

In 1968, the UN General Assembly proposed ending all cultural, economic and sporting connections with South Africa's apartheid government, but because of South Africa's strategic importance to the west given the fact that South Africa had the world's largest resources of uranium, a key ingredient in the manufacture of nuclear weapons, and it was the height of the Cold War, economic sanctions against South Africa were not implemented until the late 1980s - there's a long list of western companies who put profit before morals and continued to trade with the ostracised regime.

South Africa's state sanctioned policy of separate development aka apartheid is no different to Israel's modern day treatment of the Palestinians. The ritual humiliations meted out to the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories is on par with the debasement experienced by black/coloured South Africans under apartheid. The Occupied Territories are the modern day equivalent of the Bantustans. The apartheid South African government was dismissive of international condemnation of its policies just as Israel is dismissive of any international criticism concerning the collective punishment of the citizens of Gaza - what Israel is subjecting the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to is reminiscent of the treatment meted out to Jews in Europe during World War II.

If South Africa's apartheid government warranted a cultural, economic and sporting boycott, isn't today's Israel deserving of one too?

Why it's not in the least bit surprising

Secret documents have revealed that Israel tried to sell nuclear weapons to apartheid South Africa in the 1970s. What is surprising about this revelation, is that it was orchestrated by an Israeli who is considered a dove, the current president Shimon Peres, who at that time was Israel's Minister of Defence. To put this in context, Ariel Sharon was a hawk and the same goes for the current Israeli Prime Minster and the Foreign Minster. And for those still unsure as to whether or not Israel has nuclear weapons, this provides irrefutable evidence that Israel does. That being the case, Mordechai Vanunu should now be allowed to leave Israel because Israel's secret is out!!

The parallels between Israel and apartheid South Africa are striking:

• a minority oppressing a majority
• us vs the rest of the world mentality
• flagrant violations of international law
• a chronic failure to learn the lessons of history

Apartheid South Africa was eventually ostracised by the international community, methinks it's time the international community ostracises Israel.

Rogue State Alert! Def CON 6!!

Even by Israel's brazen standards, the commando raid on the Mavi Marmara, while in international waters, takes the proverbial biscuit! Apparently, the Israelis felt their national security was being threatened by a ship laden with electrical wheelchairs and so felt justified in launching a pre-emptive strike - if this were a movie, you would laugh at the ludicrousness of the plot! As usual, the Israeli spinmeisters have gone into overdrive, but even they can't defend the indefensible. International censure and sanctions MUST follow, the wanton slaughter of civilians demands nothing less.

Tell us something we DON'T know

So Israel has 150 nuclear weapons, is it any wonder Iran wants to acquire them especially given Israel's penchant for launching air raids on its neighbours that have tried to develop them (Iraq in 1981 and Syria in 2007)? North Korea has shown that if one has nuclear weapons, even the world's only superpower will hesitate to attack you. North Korea has intercontinental ballistic missiles with a range of 7000 miles, that can carry a nuclear payload - there are a number of American cities within the 7000 mile range.

The world is indebted to Mordechai Vanunu for risking his life to blow the whistle on Israel's nuclear program yet he remains a prisoner of the Israeli state, despite having been released from prison - the head of Shin Bet vowed that Mordechai Vanunu will NEVER leave Israel. Why is Mordechai Vanunu's heroism not feted?

Israel has nuclear weapons, Iran should have nuclear weapons after all, Israel has attacked more countries than Iran. What's good for the goose, is good for the gander so if the IAEA wants Iran to divulge details of its nuclear program, Israel should be required to do the same. But wait a minute, all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others!!

What price dignity?

The Pianist tells the story of how Polish Jew survives the second world war by hiding out in a ghetto. Like Schindler's List before it, The Pianist does a remarkable job of conveying how the Jews were debased and stripped of their dignity on a regular basis. So why should Israel revisit what happened to her citizens over 60 years ago on the Palestinians? Take away a man's dignity and what is he left with?!

What is evident about the descendants of the Queen of Sheba aka Ethiopians is their dignity, but then again their civilisation goes back thousand of years.

A few things Hillary should know

Following Hillary Clinton's pathetic attempt to display her "testicular fortitude", here are a few things she should know:

1. Apart from Israel, Iran is the only other country in Middle East where Jews have parliamentary representation
   
2. Israel tried to entice the Iranian Jewry to move to Israel by offering cash, the Iranian Jews told Israel what they could do with the money
3. The apocryphal quote attributed to Mr. Ahmedinejad is that "Israel should be wiped off the map". However, it turns out that he was calling for "regime change" in Jerusalem.
4. If she thinks that the US can afford to start another war with Iran, even if means their proxy will do the dirty work, then she really doesn't understand just how perilous the state of the US economy is.