Call for scepticism

Sol Salbe had this letter published in today’s (Melbourne) Age newspaper.
IT IS a pity such a talented writer as Julie Szego applies her journalistic scepticism unevenly (Age Comment, 3/3/10). She correctly refuses to accept as proof circumstantial evidence presented by the Dubai police chief as to Mossad’s culpability for the murder of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. But she accepts as good coin what is said about Mabhouh.

Sensible Jew: Mossad and Our Passports

The Sensible Jew manages to have a thoughtful post on this hot topic on her blog.
In the current debate surrounding the Australian passports used in the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai, there are two equally unsound positions.
Firstly, there’s the shrill (if exultant) Anti-Zionist response, that often tips over into outright racism. (see readers comments at the end of the stories)

Sensible Jew: Mossad and Our Passports

The Sensible Jew manages to have a thoughtful post on this hot topic on her blog.
In the current debate surrounding the Australian passports used in the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai, there are two equally unsound positions.
Firstly, there’s the shrill (if exultant) Anti-Zionist response, that often tips over into outright racism. (see readers comments at the end of the stories)

Hamas response to Goldstone avoids responsibility.

Bteslem, the Israel Human Rights Organization in the Occupied Territories reports —
On 3 February 2010, the Hamas government submitted a 52-page report to the UN in advance of the debate in the General Assembly on the report of the Goldstone Fact-finding Mission. The Hamas report discusses, among other things, the measures the government has taken to implement the mission’s recommendations and the investigations it has carried out regarding breach of international law committed by its forces during Operation Cast Lead, and provides clarifications relating to attacks from within the Gaza Strip against civilians and civilian objects in Israel.

Australian passports & extra-judicial killings

Various versions of this letter were published in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian today.
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The morality of extra-judicial killings is an extraordinarily difficult one, because they undermine the principle of the rule of law and particularly international law. Who would not have wanted to get rid of Hitler?

Dubai, Fake Passports and Other things

Uri Avnery has a blog post on the Dubai hit-squad/fake passports scandal, in which he says
“The Dubai affair is reinforcing the image of Israel as a bully state, a rogue nation that treats world public opinion with contempt, a country that conducts gang warfare, that sends mafia-like death squads abroad, a pariah nation to be avoided by right-minded people.”
Avnery’s whole piece is blistering reading which moves one away from any feelings of secret pride, to deep concern about the Mossad’s power.

Dubai, Fake Passports and Other things

Uri Avnery has a blog post on the Dubai hit-squad/fake passports scandal, in which he says
“The Dubai affair is reinforcing the image of Israel as a bully state, a rogue nation that treats world public opinion with contempt, a country that conducts gang warfare, that sends mafia-like death squads abroad, a pariah nation to be avoided by right-minded people.”
Avnery’s whole piece is blistering reading which moves one away from any feelings of secret pride, to deep concern about the Mossad’s power.

Motion on the continuing Gaza Siege, AJDS Annual General Meeting, Jan 2010.

Preamble
The Israeli government, while using propaganda to deny the facts, continues to besiege the Palestinian population though collective punishment for rocket attacks from Gaza. 13 Israelis have been killed by rocket attacks, 3 of whom were civilians.
As a result of Israel’s response, more than 1,300 Palestinians, including 410 children and over 100 women have been killed. More than 400,000 Gazans were left without running water, while 4,000 homes were destroyed or badly damaged during or after Operation Cast Lead.