Monthly Archives: June 2009

Making the desert bloom

Posted on 06/10/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Science fiction fans will remember the dew collectors in the novel Dune. They’re not science fiction in Israel. A new Israeli company Tal-Ya Water Technologies, which launched in May, promises to squeeze dew from the air for watering crops where … Continue reading →

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The morning after the morning after three years later

Posted on 06/10/2009 by Soccerdad

Snoopy noted a Bradley Burston column in the wake of Israel’s war with Hezbollah in 2006 in which Burston wrote (the link to Ha’aretz has expired): When this war is over and Israel’s troops are gone from Lebanon, and when … Continue reading →

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Dhimmitude on display

Posted on 06/10/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Iranian Jews are the finest example of how Jews were treated in Muslim nations during the good old days of the Caliphate. Witness: Besides their support, Mutai stressed that “ever since the revolution, the Jewish community has tried very hard … Continue reading →

Posted in Iran, Jews | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Dennis the pro-Israel menace

Posted on 06/10/2009 by Soccerdad

The Washington Post focuses on the diplomat in charge of running policy on Iran, with a feature titled: Dennis Ross Faces Big Task on Iran Policy, Including Overcoming Pro-Israel Label. Now this isn’t the actual title in the print edition, … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel | Tagged | 1 Comment

What the Obama speech really said

Posted on 06/09/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Here, I think, is the simplest example of what Obama’s Cairo speech did to Israel.

Posted in Evil Meryl, Israel, The One | 1 Comment

More Cairo dividends: Hamas says pressure Israel

Posted on 06/09/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Hamas refuses to disarm, refuses to stop terror, refuses to renounce “resistance,” refuses to recognize Israel, and still maintains its anti-Semitic and Israel-denying charter, but Hamas is stepping up to applaud the U.S. for pressuring Israel, and calls for even … Continue reading →

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The studiously avoided refugees

Posted on 06/09/2009 by Soccerdad

In his speech in Cairo last week President Obama referred to himself as a “student of history.” A number of writers have pointed out that there’s a dimension of the Middle East’s history that the President failed to mention. A … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel, Jews | Tagged | 1 Comment

Mending fences, Middle East style

Posted on 06/09/2009 by Soccerdad

When (then-)Crown Prince Abdullah wished to repair the image of Saudi Arabia – 15 of whose nationals had been involved in the worst terrorist act on American soil – in American eyes, he invited Thomas Friedman to Riyadh (Friedman, a … Continue reading →

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God, I hate the AP

Posted on 06/08/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Ten terrorists tried to use horses booby-trapped with explosives to attack from the Gaza border and possibly kidnap some Israeli soldiers. Let’s take a look at how this attack was portrayed in the Israeli media. An Israel Defense Forces’ investigation … Continue reading →

Posted in AP Media Bias, Gaza, Media Bias, Terrorism | 2 Comments

Abbas the obstacle

Posted on 06/08/2009 by Soccerdad

I was surprised by two opinion pieces over the weekend. One was by Thomas Friedman, After Cairo, it’ Clinton Time. I assumed that Friedman was going to write how Secretary of State Clinton now had to pressure Israel. In fact … Continue reading →

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Hezbollah loses (for now)

Posted on 06/08/2009 by Soccerdad

Tony Badran has a complete roundup of the results of the Lebanese election. It features of names that I’m unfamiliar with, but will be of interest with those who have a detailed knowledge of Lebanese politics. This is from his … Continue reading →

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Both sides not

Posted on 06/07/2009 by Soccerdad

I wish I had read this before I blogged about the Cairo speech. On Friday the Glenn Kessler and Jacqueline L. Salmon reported Using New Language, President Shows Understanding for Both Sides in Middle East in the Washington Post. But … Continue reading →

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More dividends of the Cairo speech

Posted on 06/07/2009 by Meryl Yourish

The Saudis are telling Obama to create peace by fiat. Arab patience is wearing thin in regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz told US President Barack Obama during their meeting in Riyadh last Wednesday. According … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel Derangement Syndrome, Saudi Arabia | 1 Comment

Beach Blanket Blog Carnival Time

Posted on 06/07/2009 by Jack

I don’t know about you but summer is easily my favorite time of year.  And even though I haven’t been in school in years I always get a bit restless waiting for it. Fortunately we don’t have to wait any … Continue reading →

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SNN is up. I’m not.

Posted on 06/07/2009 by Meryl Yourish

This week’s Shire Network News is up, and you folks had better listen to it, because I stayed up way late last night getting it done. I cover, of course, Obama’s Cairo speech.

Posted in Podcasts | 1 Comment

The elusive issue of settlements and pols’ honesty

Posted on 06/07/2009 by SnoopyTheGoon

To start with: I am not necessarily carrying a torch for all Israeli settlers, but there is a long a complicated history of the whole settlement issue, there are different ways to resolve the problem, not inevitably by removing all … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel, Politics | 1 Comment

Obama’s Cairo speech gets quick results

Posted on 06/06/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Obama’s public weakening of support for Israel is getting the results you would expect: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, said the US should use aid it gives Israel as leverage in order to pressure the state into accepting … Continue reading →

Posted in Israeli Double Standard Time, Saudi Arabia, The One | 3 Comments

The Cairo context

Posted on 06/05/2009 by Soccerdad

To some degree, I understand the argument that President Obama’s speech in Cairo yesterday wasn’t much different from a speech that President Bush would have given. And if you read some of the more detailed analyses of the speech (like … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel, Israeli Double Standard Time | Tagged | Comments Off

Experts know best

Posted on 06/05/2009 by Soccerdad

Barry Rubin has some fun critiquing credulous reporting on the upcoming Lebanes elections. More seriously, Amir Taheri considers the possibility of a Hezbollah victory: If Lebanon comes under Iranian control it could become one arm of a pincer — the … Continue reading →

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Analysis: mainstreaming Jewish conspiracy theories

Posted on 06/05/2009 by Meryl Yourish

If you were to read this without knowing the source, where would you suspect it originated? The Arab News? Al-Ahram? Palestinian propaganda rags? Among the long list of problems that cloud American relations with the Islamic world, none is more … Continue reading →

Posted in AP Media Bias, Israeli Double Standard Time, Religion | Comments Off