Author Archives: Soccerdad

About Soccerdad

I'm a government bureaucrat with delusions of literacy.

Germany vs. the denier

Barry Rubin on how the administration has mis-handled its policy towards Iran: First, the administration set a September deadline for instituting higher sanctions and then, instead of following a two-track strategy of engagement plus pressure, postponed doing anything while engaged … Continue reading

Posted in Iran | Tagged | 4 Comments

54 representatives ask Israel to stop defending itself

Ha’aretz reports: Fifty-four members of the U.S. Congress have signed a letter asking President Barack Obama to put pressure on Israel to ease the siege of the Gaza Strip. The letter was the initiative of Representatives Jim McDermott from Washington … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Israeli Double Standard Time | 3 Comments

Extreme makeover – terrorist edition

In the past I’ve noted that Washington Post correspondent, Edward Cody is good at conveying sympathy for terrorist devils. He’s at it again with Carlos the Jackal, imprisoned for life, looks in lawsuit to protect his image (via memeorandum) But … Continue reading

Posted in Terrorism | Tagged | 1 Comment

Violence against women – Lancet style

I was looking through a chart of gender ratios. Worldwide, there are about 102 men for every 100 women, but in the Gulf States, that ratio is much higher. Bahrain – 135; Qatar – 307 ; United Arab Emirates – … Continue reading

Posted in Anti-Semitism, Israel, Israel Derangement Syndrome, Saudi Arabia | Tagged | 5 Comments

Profile of an international first responder

Israel’s recent aid to the earthquake ravaged country of Haiti has once again made people focus on Israel’s humanitarian missions. But Israel’s aid to Haiti isn’t an isolated incident it is part of ongoing series of humanitarian missions carried out … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Israel Derangement Syndrome | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Goldstone and 1701

Today’s NYT reports Israel Poised to Challenge a U.N. Report on Gaza : Israel, which had refused to cooperate with the investigation, at first dismissed the report as unworthy of attention. But the government quickly found that the world took … Continue reading

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Non-representative ambivalence

Ethan Bronner has a misleading article about Israel’s rescue efforts in Haiti, For Israelis, Mixed Feelings on Aid Effort While the article points to a few op-eds expressing pride at Israel’s efforts (and dismay at the worldn’t cynical criticisms of … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Media Bias | Tagged | 8 Comments

The Landes Report

Prof Richard Landes has a two part article critiquing the Goldstone report at the MERIA Journal. In part one Landes mostly criticizes Goldstone’s assumptions an methodology. As might be expected from this attitude toward the testimony they heard, the report … Continue reading

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A porous blockade

In an article about Israel’s partial closure of Gaza, Jeffrey Goldberg observes that there’s a lack of background provided by Reuters. What else is missing from this description? Israel “left” Gaza in 2005. Then what happened? Did Gaza take the … Continue reading

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Haiti: virtue exposing vice

Akiva Eldar in Ha’aretz: But the remarkable identification with the victims of the terrible tragedy in distant Haiti only underscores the indifference to the ongoing suffering of the people of Gaza. Only a little more than an hour’s drive from … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Israel Derangement Syndrome | Tagged | 4 Comments

Rachel’s tomb and the protection of Jewish holy sites

Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977. Part IV : Civilian population #Section I — General protection against effects of hostilities … Continue reading

Posted in AP Media Bias, Israel, Israeli Double Standard Time | Tagged | 3 Comments

Mitchell on negotiation: getting to “no”

From an interview with Charlie Rose (via Obama Mideast Monitor), here’s George Mitchell. In the beginning, they talk about the settlement freeze. George Mitchell: All you have to do is go back and read the papers over the past five … Continue reading

Posted in Israel | 1 Comment

Holocaust projection

Genocide is a messy business. Usually it involves a lot of killing. Also, as evidence that genocide occurred there will be an extreme drop in population. For example: The Jewish communities of eastern Europe were devastated. In 1933, Poland had … Continue reading

Posted in Israel Derangement Syndrome | Tagged | 1 Comment

Salam and security sizzle

A couple of weeks ago, an Israeli father of seven, Meir Avshalom Chai was killed. Immediately afterwards, the IDF pursued and killed three suspects. (The same day the IDF killed three men attempting to infiltrate from Gaza.) Of course the … Continue reading

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The myth of the moderate Mahmoud

via memeorandum Jeffrey Goldberg writes: For my money, the worst mistake Israel made was the mistake that led, ultimately, to the siege of Gaza: The 2005 unilateral withdrawal. Leaving Gaza wasn’t the problem, of course — you’d think the Jews … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, palestinian politics | Tagged | 1 Comment