Journalism is Not a Crime

From Current:

We knew this, NOW the NY Times is spewing out against it…so it seems. Barring the media from covering this has only one reason..Israel is hiding one of the most horrific humanitarian crisis ever that it has brought down on the Palestinians people, as reported by many humanitarian organizations, most recently the Red Cross
Here’s the article:

Three times in recent days, a small group of foreign correspondents was told to appear at the border crossing to Gaza. The reporters were to be permitted in to cover first-hand the Israeli war on Hamas in keeping with a Supreme Court ruling against the two-month-old Israeli ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza.

Each time, they were turned back on security grounds, even as relief workers and foreign nationals were permitted to cross the border. On Tuesday the reporters were told not even to bother coming. -Read on

“Even the New York Times is saying it.” Now it’s officially a humanitarian crisis. So I assume some action will follow soon?

From Al-Jazeera English:

Barack Obama, the US president-elect, has expressed “deep concern” over the number of civilian casualties in Gaza and Israel during the conflict there.

Speaking after 40 Palestinians were killed at a UN school where civilians had sheltered, Obama said “the loss of civilian life in Gaza and Israel is a source of deep concern for me”. -

Obama repeated his view that he did not want to speak fully in the issue until he became president on January 20 and that only George Bush could speak on US foreign policy until then.Read on

That’s some serious weak waffling from a guy known for being straightforward. Disappointing. I hope after the 20th he feels able to denounce illegal occupation and humanitarian crises, as millions around the globe already have.

Police use violence against pro-Gaza protestors, arrest at least 40 Brotherhood members

By Sarah Carr
First Published: January 2, 2009

AFP PHOTO/STR Egyptian police in civil clothes (L) clash with protestors during a demonstration following the Friday prayers in Downtown Cairo on Jan. 2. Egyptian police arrested at least 40 members of the Brotherhood as they prepared to hold protests against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

CAIRO: Police forces violently broke up pro-Gaza demonstrations in Downtown Cairo for the second consecutive day on Friday.

The protests were scheduled to take place after Friday prayers.

In the Ramsis area huge numbers of central security troops, state security investigations police and plain-clothed policemen were deployed in the area surrounding Al-Fath Mosque ahead of the protests.

The Al-Fath Mosque itself was closed ahead of time.

Men praying in smaller mosques in surrounding streets were surrounded by central security force troops armed with truncheons.

At the conclusion of the prayers the men started chanting pro-Gaza slogans and were immediately forced into a narrow alley by central security. - Read on

And one from Reuters:

By Richard Meares

LONDON (Reuters) - Jordanian and Egyptian riot police cracked down on Friday on protesters demanding an end to Israel’s attacks on Gaza and to ties with the Jewish state.

Israel’s week-old offensive has sparked daily protests around the world and Friday, the Muslim day of prayer, also saw angry demonstrations in Kashmir, Turkey and Iraq.

Jordanian police fired tear gas to push back hundreds of people marching on the Israeli embassy in the capital Amman. - Read on

The dogs of war
Osamah Khalil, The Electronic Intifada, 29 December 2008

(Nidal El-Khairy)

Almost eight years ago, George W. Bush entered office in the early months of the second Palestinian intifada. Rather than resuming the negotiations facilitated by the Clinton Administration, he chose instead to “pull out” and allow Ariel Sharon, who was favored to win the upcoming Israeli elections, a free hand to end the intifada. According to former US Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill, Bush asserted that “sometimes a show of strength by one side can really clarify things.” [1] President Bush now leaves office with historically low approval ratings and an economy in shambles. As a consequence of his foreign policy misadventures, Bush also leaves the Middle East in flames and America’s reputation in tatters. Yet, one thing has remained constant for the aloof president: deference to an Israeli “show of strength” rather than diplomacy. Only a year ago, Bush hosted the Annapolis conference that “relaunched” the “peace process” and then predictably stood by as it stalled out. Unable to launch a war against Iran, capture Osama bin Laden, pacify Afghanistan or Iraq, or broker a Palestinian-Israeli peace, rather than ride into the sunset in the waning days of his presidency, Bush is determined to leave in a final blaze of malicious incompetence. As it has been so often over the past eight years, the site of his enmity is Gaza. - Read on

Jaiku updates from those on the scene. Times relative to 6:45 am EST.

El-Badeel photographer Ahmad Murad detained by police,was released only after police confiscated his memory card

By 3arabawy 3 minutes ago. Add Comment Unsubscribe

Street battles in Ramses and Faggala

By 3arabawy 47 minutes ago. Add Comment Unsubscribe

It’s turned into a street battle

By scarr 56 minutes ago. Add Comment Unsubscribe

Scores detained,police confiscate photographers’ memory cards

By 3arabawy 57 minutes ago. Add Comment Unsubscribe

Crackdown on pro-gaza protestors,journalists,photographers in Ramses

By 3arabawy 58 minutes ago. Add Comment Unsubscribe

mass arrests in ramsees. assaulted by plainclothes. almost smashed camera and stole memory card

By perbjorklund 59 minutes ago. Add Comment Unsubscribe

Clashes and asserts

By scarr 1 hour, 1 minute ago. Add Comment Unsubscribe

Unbelievable numbers of csf in Ramsis. Looks like they’ve closed Game3 el Fat7.

By scarr 1 hour, 12 minutes ago. Add Comment Unsubscribe

police forced me to delete pics. plainclothes everywhere.

By perbjorklund 1 hour, 35 minutes ago. Add Comment Unsubscribe

I spotted in Al-Azhar at least 18 Central Security Forces trucks,1 fire engine, 2 armored vehicles

By 3arabawy 1 hour, 47 minutes ago. Add Comment Unsubscribe

ramses square turned into central security camp ahead of friday prayer

By perbjorklund 1 hour, 52 minutes ago. Add Comment Unsubscribe

From Al Jazeera English:

Tzipi Livni, Israel’s foreign minister, has again rejected a French proposal for a ceasefire to allow aid into the Gaza Strip saying there is “no humanitarian crisis”.

Israel’s foreign ministry quoted Livni as having said in a statement during a trip to Paris that “there is no humanitarian crisis in the [Gaza] Strip, and therefore there is no need for a humanitarian truce.” - Read on

Olmert did the same in 2006.

I guess the UN is full of crap?

UNITED NATIONS – Gaza’s 1.5 million residents are facing an “alarming” humanitarian situation under constant Israeli bombardment, with the main power plant shut down, overcrowded hospitals struggling to cope and very limited food supplies, U.N. officials said. - Read on

Maybe the Palestinian Red Crescent (via Red Cross), Amnesy International and Human Rights Watch are too.

Police arrest bloggers, journalists, protestors in demonstrations protesting bombing of Gaza. Sarah Carr reports:

CAIRO: Egyptian security forces arrested tens of demonstrators in Downtown Cairo as they protested the Israeli bombing of Gaza on Wednesday.

Demonstrators who had assembled under the “Leftist Alliance” banner at noon in Tahrir Square were violently dispersed by security forces.

AFP PHOTO/STR Egyptian riot police block the way for Muslim Brotherhood prtotestors during a demonstration against the Isareli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in front the Lawyers’ Syndicate.

They had planned to protest outside the Arab League building, but were prevented from doing so by both central security forces deployed outside the building’s perimeter and plain-clothed police officers who forced bystanders and journalists to leave the area.

….

Journalists at the scene were manhandled, verbally abused and threatened with arrest if they did not leave the area. - Read on