A short quiz on the US, Israel, and 'rogue nation' status | Glenn Greenwald | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

A short quiz on the US, Israel, and 'rogue nation' status | Glenn Greenwald | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

"...So essentially, it's the entire planet on one side, versus the US, its new right-wing poodle to the north, Israel, and three tiny, bribed islands on the other side.

If you're a member in good standing of the Washington-based US foreign policy community, then the way you describe these matters is as follows: "the international community stands by Israel and supports its position" - because, in that warped, self-affirming world, "international community" is a synonym for "US dictates".

But for those fortunate enough to reside outside of that realm of intense imperial propaganda: who is actually opposed to the consensus of the international community here? In other words, who are the real 'rogue nations'?"

Canada as the U.S.’s new right-wing poodle, not the pit bull John Baird’s delusionally thinks it is - woof, woof - and Canada as a “rogue nation.” Anyone got Dick Cheney’s phone number?

Harper Regime Has Lost All Credibility on Foreign Affairs Period, Not Just the Middle East

"...Israel’s announcement on the settlements was widely criticized by Canada’s European allies, and even the United States, which voted with Canada and Israel against the motion to grant non-voting observer state status to the Palestinians, urged Israel to “reconsider” its decision on the settlements on Monday. Baird did not comment when asked Tuesday morning about the move. Roth also said Fantino would review Canada’s funding to the Palestinians for humanitarian and security projects. “We intend to, by and large, see these projects through. The relevant minister will, as a matter of course, as they do on all matters, review the path forward once the projects have been successfully completed,” the spokesman said in an email to media outlets Tuesday. Canada’s five-year, $300-million commitment formally expires at the end of the current fiscal year, in March. The money goes toward strengthening the Palestinian justice system, private sector economic development and health and education assistance." Canada considers next steps after Palestinian vote

No one expected a balanced perspective from the Harper Regime - essentially a group of high school boys with a pathological streak playing  games with peoples’ real lives. The veiled threat of future reprisals is still there in the subtext as the Harper Regime works actively and ideologically against peace in the Middle East. The Regime lacks credibility on foreign Affairs period. Actually, the Regime lacks credibility on everything. What can I say. It’s appalling, and it shames me as a Canadian.

#Palestine| #Israel to advance east Jerusalem building plans

 Palestine | Israel to advance east Jerusalem building plans

Why? Because for Israel, suffering from cognitive dissonance, as Shir Hever has said, the rest of the world does not matter.  Because it knows it can pretty well do what it wants with impunity other than the occasional verbal scolding and a few diplomatic recalls. Viewing Israel fundamentally as the last colonial outpost of western civilization in the Middle East, the western world, (the Anglo-sphere in reality) - Europe, Australia, Canada and, in particular, the U.S. - have too many economic and political interests invested in Israel to take a stand beyond the perfunctory. What kind of possible intervention is really politically feasible? Hope lies not with governments but only with progressive movements across the globe.

#Israel #Palestine #politics #U.S. Foreign Policy

UN Vote and criticism over Gaza attack matter little to Netanyahu

Shir Hever: UN Vote and criticism over Gaza attack matter little to Netanyahu who unites with Barak  Lieberman who advocates the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian citizens of Israel

The vote  ”does give the Palestinian one legal venue that was closed to them up until now: they could decide to sign the Rome Convention of the International Criminal Court in Hague. And this would make all of the Palestinian territories, the occupied Palestinian territory—we’re talking now about the territory that was annexed by Israel in 1967—not annexed—that was conquered by Israel in 1967, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, would become under the—would fall under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in Hague. And that means that every Israeli soldier or settler who commits a crime in this territory, the Palestinians could ask that this person would be extradited to the international court.

…

And basically this was Israel’s way of saying, and Netanyahu’s way of saying as prime minister, we don’t care about international opinion, we don’t care about international pressure, they can’t do anything to us. And this kind of politic is very appealing to a lot of Israelis who realize just how difficult it is for them to explain what Israel is doing and the ongoing occupation, the crimes committed against a civilian population, the discrimination, the apartheid. How can they explain this and say that Israel is a democracy, Israel is part of the developed world, Israel is just another country like most European countries, and so on? The only way that they could reconcile this kind of cognitive dissonance is by saying, actually, the rest of the world doesn’t matter. The recent attack on Gaza was in many ways also an election war.”

#Palestine #Israel

Israel seizes $120m in Palestinian tax revenue over UN vote | World news | guardian.co.uk

Israel seizes $120m in Palestinian tax revenue over UN vote | World news | guardian.co.uk

Palestinian official accuses Israel of desperation after second punitive response to UN vote recognising state of #Palestine

Israel has seized more than $120million in tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority in resp

onse to last week’s overwhelming vote at the UN general assembly to recognise the state of Palestine.

The move came as the PA president, Mahmoud Abbas, returned to cheering crowds in Ramallah in the West Bank following Thursday’s vote, in which 138 countries backed enhanced “non-member state” status for Palestine. Only nine countries opposed the move and 41 abstained.

The financial sanction is Israel’s second punitive response to the vote. On Friday, it announced a big settlement expansion programme.

This is an outrageously unjust and vindictive act of retaliation. It would seem Israel under the current hard-liners could care less what the world thinks since it appears to do nothing meaningfully interventionist, and as long as the U.S. continues to back Israel more or less right or wrong, why should it, Israel appears to say.

#HarperRegime is delusional - reeking with Luciferian pride

#HarperRegime is delusional - reeking with Luciferian pride - in thinking it can practice Israeli-American style "exceptionalism." The reality is that none is exceptional, and, like children, they lack respect for the #UN because they don't get their sandbox way.  All three continue to lose power and prestige in the world, and their immoral stance on this issue is a deeply symbolic diplomatic failure.

  "Canada has fired its first warning shot as it prepares to retaliate against the upgrading of Palestinian status at the United Nations, temporarily recalling its envoys to the Middle East and the UN."

Caveat about Palestinian Negotiations a Cover

Why should a symbolic recognition of #Palestine as a state by the #UN General Assembly - a gesture that conveys no direct political power - prevent negotiations between Palestine and Israel from resuming? Claims by Israel, the U.S., and Canada that such a recognition will prevent negotiations from resuming is just a cover in effect to obviate any solution that does not leave Israel in control in some capacity or other. But there is also the fear that symbolic recognition as a state might lead eventually to full recognition as a nation state if enough states confirm statehood through bilateral recognition. Were that to develop, as Britain’s anxiety has made clear, the very real fear that Palestine would bring Israel’s unequivocal war crimes against humanity to the Hague  - as indeed Palestine should if given the opportunity - might emerge. But its not likely Palestine would pursue this option as long as it believes there is a real chance for some sort of two-state agreement.

This is an outcome hard to imagine, for, it would seem, there will never be a two-state solution no matter how much lip-service is paid to the concept. Israel remains in the eyes of the world an aggressor, occupier, and oppressor despite all those in Israel itself who wish it were not so.

On Israel's aggression and occupation:

 http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me67u5PG8p1qkc59eo1_r2_500.gif

#Palestine #Gaza #GazaUnderAttack #Israel

Reporting on Israeli Assault on Gaza

Canadian Media reporting on the current conflict seems less than balanced - not that there really is such an animal - favouring an Israeli perspective on the matter and the damage being inflicted on Israeli civilians by Hamas' or Gaza militants' rockets. Little if any coverage of the damage suffered by civilians - many of them, because of demographics, children - by Israeli planes and bombs. To be charitable, the mainstream western press may not have the sort of access Harry Fear has to Gaza, but that would be to be charitable when cynicism seems much more appropriate. It would seem that the Israeli liberal press and Harry are our best sources of information, then, with intermittent internet and electricity in Gaza and Israeli boots on the ground coming - this latter an extremely risky proposition or colossal bluff that Egypt, Iran and Co. wont do something in retaliation. The UN seems increasingly disabled in such matters these days - not the least because of the failure of such western countries as Canada to respect it.