Author Archives: Soccerdad

About Soccerdad

I'm a government bureaucrat with delusions of literacy.

Lebanon’s descent

In Lebanon, the raidicals keep on strengthening their positions. Peter Berkowitz writes (via memeorandum): Six days later, on March 14, a Sunni, Christian, and Druze crowd of more than 1 million–a quarter of Lebanon’s population–shook their nation by gathering in … Continue reading

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… and creating a nuisance

Investment scandal damages Hezbollah And now, his life’s fortune is gone, too, lost along with the money of thousands of other Lebanese who put their faith in a billionaire financier with close ties to Hezbollah. The investment scheme, which is … Continue reading

Posted in Lebanon, Pop Culture | Tagged | 2 Comments

How to have an Israeli champion and not play Hatikvah

First get an Israeli champion. Then when they ask you to play Hatikvah, say, “I fo-o-o-rgot.” It has happened twice recently. In Turkey: Of especial interest is the Girls Under 14 group. On the one hand it was won by … Continue reading

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A pillar of moderation

Yesterday, writing about the speculation surrounding a possible prisoner release to gain the freedom of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, Backspin quoted, Dan Meridor: “Those who don’t know can talk,” Dan Meridor, Israel’s intelligence minister, said Monday on state radio. “Those … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, palestinian politics | Tagged | 1 Comment

When smuggling arms is political

There’s an interesting tidbit in a report of the indictment of Lebanese men for smuggling arms to Hezbollah. Harb, Moussa Ali Hamdan of Brooklyn and Hasan Antar Karaki of Beirut were also charged with seeking to funnel to Hezbollah counterfeit … Continue reading

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The ransom of gilad schalit

In an article about the negotiations between Israel and Hamas over the deal to release Gild Schalit, Ethan Bronner of the New York Times quotes a former Israeli official. Yaakov Perry, former head of the Shin Bet internal security agency, … Continue reading

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Passive aggressive Abbas

In a perfectly bewildering column Jim Hoagland blames President Obama and Judge Goldstone for undermining Mahmoud Abbas. In It’s up to Netanyahu he writes: No one could accuse President Obama or Judge Richard Goldstone of South Africa of harboring ill … Continue reading

Posted in Israel | Tagged | 4 Comments

The French think that Jerry Lewis is a genius

Yossi Beilin the head of a party Israel that couldn’t garner more than three seats in Knesset, is nonetheless loved in France. He just received the French Legion of Honour. So a failure in his own country, Beilin can now … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, palestinian politics | 1 Comment

You will not be assimilated; resistance is vital

Occasionally, a little inconvenient truth slips out in a news report. In the case of School dropout high among Palestinian refugees: UN, it’s this: Lebanese law prevents Palestinian refugees from practising most professions or owning property. Clearly the article was … Continue reading

Posted in Israel Derangement Syndrome, Israeli Double Standard Time | Tagged | 1 Comment

The perverse equivalence

In a paper on how the term “apartheid” is being used to deny Israel’s right to exist, Robbie Sabel concluces: The Apartheid campaign against Israel has another revealing feature. It rarely deals with the massive abuse of human rights or … Continue reading

Posted in Hamas, Iran, Israel | Tagged | 3 Comments

Negotiating by tantrum

About two weeks ago when Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said he was quitting, Daled Amos observed that this less a dramatic announcement than standard operating procedure noting 14 times that he has threatened to quit since 2003. This isn’t an … Continue reading

Posted in palestinian politics | 4 Comments

Passively described aggression

In some ways there’s little to quibble with in Howard Schneider’s To two faiths, a holy patch of land; to the world, a powder keg in the Washington Post. It begins: It is one of the most watched pieces of … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Media Bias, palestinian politics | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Palin on “settlements”

Israel Matzav observes about a recent American criticism of Jewish construction in Gilo – that’s part of Jerusalem. Obama’s not going to let up on this, but given the broad consensus within Israel, I doubt Israelis are going to yield … Continue reading

Posted in Israel | Tagged | 8 Comments

Of drones and doctrines

Given the acknowledgment in Sunday’s Washington Post editorial that the guidelines for asymmetrical warfare are lacking, there are two recent stories of note. The first is from the National that describes the American efforts against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Terrorism | Tagged | 4 Comments

Three cheers for the Washington Post

Yesterday the Washington Post editorialized in War Unchecked (h/t Prof Avi Bell): IN ORDER to eliminate the Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, the United States launched at least 15 missile strikes in Pakistan this year and killed, besides Mr. Mehsud, somewhere … Continue reading

Posted in Israel | Tagged , | 4 Comments