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Name: Antony Loewenstein
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Wednesday, August 17, 2005

The mother of all smokescreens

My latest New Matilda column is published today. I'll be appearing every three weeks in the online magazine.

The article discusses Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and how the world's media is missing the true story behind the trauma:

"The withdrawal from Gaza is the mother of all smokescreens and masks a blatant attempt by Israel to create irreversible facts on the ground - more settlements and the security fence surrounding Jerusalem all make an independent Palestinian state virtually impossible. Former Israeli Education Minister, Shulamit Aloni, recently called Sharon a 'megalomaniac' who should face justice on war crimes. 'He doesn't mind sacrificing the lives of others, as happened in the invasion of Lebanon,' she said. 'Sharon and the Israeli leadership always try to make Israelis believe the lie that the Palestinians want to throw us to the sea.' It is a lie perpetuated by pro-Israeli supporters around the world, including the Howard Government."

All my New Matilda work can be found here.

4 Comments:

Blogger Andjam said...

A three-layer barrier of fence and walls on the border with Gaza is nearly completed, and will effectively confirm Palestinian fears that they will be living inside a giant prison.

Will the wall be running along the Gaza-Egypt border?

Sharon intends to reinvade Gaza on whatever possible pretext comes his way

Did he evacuate the settlers in order to reinvade it?

al-Jazeera.net

Does that URL work?

Territorial continuity of a Palestinian state will be impossible under these latest changes.

Neither did the UN's plan for Israel give it territorial continuity.

greedily

Why hint at racial stereotypes when you can say them outright?

It found that Israel led the West in rates of child poverty, and that 1.534 million people lived below the poverty line. In a population of around six million this is a startling figure, and yet it seemed to escape the attention of the world's media.

Israel's high child birth rates and immigration from non-Western countries should be taken into account. With regards to the poverty line, is the line set at different levels by different countries? If so, how meaningful are comparisons?

It is a lie perpetuated by pro-Israeli supporters around the world, including the Howard Government.

Do you have any hyperlinks about Howard et al talking about genocide rather than war?

Throughout this entire 'disengagement' period, it's as though our mainstream media has been led by the Israeli Government's propaganda unit.

Those fundamentalist zionists!

The Gaza withdrawal is but a sideshow.

Yeah, why go for stepping stones? Call for the whole withdrawal from Gaza and the West Bank at once. Best of luck in getting that accomplished!

was cutting Jerusalem in half

Oh no, if only it followed pre-1967 borders! Wait a moment, pre-1967 borders cut through it.

the neo-conservatives ... the inner cabinet of Ariel Sharon

What does the term "neo-conservative" mean to you?

Wednesday, August 17, 2005 11:39:00 pm  
Blogger Antony Loewenstein said...

Life's too short to answer your both sensible and odd questions.
Read my book. Coming soon to a bookshop near you.

Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:38:00 am  
Blogger Antony Loewenstein said...

The PA has been willing to negotiate a settlement for years and Hamas is becoming a major political force. Broad agreement could be reached, but of course, Israel doesn't want this.
As usual, as in Iraq, does the West/US want true democracy - ie. Hamas rising and Iranian influenced Iraqi leaders - or simply a US friendly, pro-Israeli agenda?
Watch the cards start to fall...

Thursday, August 18, 2005 8:34:00 am  
Blogger Andjam said...

Read my book. Coming soon to a bookshop near you.

You'll make a fine capitalist yet!

As usual, as in Iraq, does the West/US want true democracy - ie. Hamas rising and Iranian influenced Iraqi leaders - or simply a US friendly, pro-Israeli agenda?
Watch the cards start to fall...


I'd say that the lack of democracy and rule of law in the West Bank and Gaza played a role in the rise of Hamas.

As for whether Islamists taking Communists' place in the West Bank and Gaza, I'd suspect those most upset will be communist lovers - most other people will regard both as equally bad.

Thursday, August 18, 2005 4:06:00 pm  

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