Friday, January 30, 2009
The bloody Israeli sojourn in Gaza
Controversial American Jewish scholar and specialist on the Middle East, Norman Finkelstein, says Israel committed massive atrocities in Gaza during the three-week war against Hamas militants.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Day 6
Lost 0.6kg - have seriously lost my appetite. Totally. Amazing:)
11:30am Foul & Fresh Tomato Slices + Green Olives
Green Tea
3:00pm 1/4 slice cheese
5:15pm: Tuna with lemon + Green Salad
Herbal drink + 2 dark chocolate squares
7:30pm: Spinach + Bolognese Sauce covered in Yoghurt
Apple Cider Vinegar
11:30am Foul & Fresh Tomato Slices + Green Olives
Green Tea
3:00pm 1/4 slice cheese
5:15pm: Tuna with lemon + Green Salad
Herbal drink + 2 dark chocolate squares
7:30pm: Spinach + Bolognese Sauce covered in Yoghurt
Apple Cider Vinegar
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Day 5
Lost another 0.2kg and clothes starting to fit comfortably :)
9:45am Salami & Mushroom Omlette and Green Salad in Apple Cider Vinaigrette
1pm 5 Almonds + 4 Cashews
3:15pm 2 Fish Fillets + green salad
5:00pm Green Tea + 2 squares of chocolate
Slice of cheese
9:45am Salami & Mushroom Omlette and Green Salad in Apple Cider Vinaigrette
1pm 5 Almonds + 4 Cashews
3:15pm 2 Fish Fillets + green salad
5:00pm Green Tea + 2 squares of chocolate
Slice of cheese
Palestine: Resistance or Terrorism?
*********************************
Text in the picture states:
"Ahmad of Palestine yearns to be Mahatma Gandhi. Dare we say that his yearning is in vain?
Gandhi wanted peace & freedom above all things Ahmad wants exactly the same thing.
The path to peace begins by understanding why Palestinians are not even free to yearn. Ahmad is dying to believe that such a path exists "
(Source: wwww.dyingtolive.com)
*********************************
In Gaza, Palestinians have once again been blamed for their own deaths.
The British made a similar argument 151 years ago when they killed thousands of Indian civilians -- 1,200 in a single village -- in response to the largest anti-colonial uprising of the 19th century.
If Israel truly desires peace with the Palestinians and safety for its citizens, it should look back to one of the greatest, and misunderstood, independence movements in history.
Most people believe India won its independence from the British exclusively through Gandhi's famous strategy of nonviolence.
They're wrong; armed resistance has deep roots in India. During the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, also known as the First War of Independence, Hindus and Muslims serving in the infantry for the British East Indian Company revolted against the British Empire, killing British officers and civilians alike.
While the majority of these cavalrymen were Hindu, Muslims also partook in the rebellion. These Muslim fighters called themselves "jihadis" and even "suicide ghazis."
The British quashed the revolt, but for the next 90 years Indian violence, even terrorism, in response continued.
In the early 20th century, Indian militants, frustrated with the Congress party -- the party of Gandhi and Nehru -- regularly resorted to acts of violence to overthrow the British. Official government reports note 210 "revolutionary outrages" and at least 1,000 "terrorists" involved in more than 101 attempted attacks between 1906 and 1917 in the state of Bengal alone (see Peter Heehs, "Terrorism in India During the Freedom Struggle," The Historian, 22 March 1993).
One young revolutionary, Bhagat Singh, later referred to as "Shaheed" Bhagat Singh, bombed the Legislative Assembly in 1929.
On the other hand, Palestinians are usually portrayed in Israel and the West as exclusively militants or terrorists.
*********************************
Yet Palestinians have a vibrant, albeit unsuccessful, history of nonviolent resistance.
In 1936, the Palestinians maintained a six-month general strike, the beginning of what became known as the Great Arab Revolt.
The British retaliated by declaring martial law, jailing and killing large numbers of Palestinians, and destroying numerous Palestinian homes. The revolt lasted for three years and was the largest and longest anti-colonial uprising in the British Empire.
Fifty years later, the first Palestinian intifada was largely nonviolent and included acts of mass civil disobedience like flying the Palestinian flag, organizing strikes and boycotting Israeli products.
In 1985, Mubarak Awad, a Palestinian-American psychologist from Jerusalem established a center for nonviolent resistance on the teachings of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. He was deported by Israel in 1988 (see Mubarak Awad, "Non-Violent Resistance: A Strategy for the Occupied Territories." Journal of Palestine Studies. Summer 1984).
A year later, Beit Sahour, a town near Bethlehem, engaged in a tax revolt against Israel, under the famous American slogan "No taxation without representation." The Israeli army responded by arresting over 80 Palestinians, cutting telephone lines, blocking food shipments into the town and confiscating millions of dollars in Palestinian goods.
**********************************
What about the current conflict?
All the public hears about are the small, makeshift rockets Palestinians fire into southern Israel. But farmers, fisherman and children had been nonviolently resisting the Israeli occupation for years.
Up until the Israeli invasion, Gaza fishermen had been d*isobeying Israeli orders by fishing in their waters* -- not unlike Gandhi when he urged Indians to march to the sea to collect their own salt against British orders.
In response, the British beat and imprisoned Gandhi's marchers. Likewise, the Israeli navy repeatedly forced Palestinian fisherman to strip to their underwear and swim to Israeli navy ships, where they are detained and their boats confiscated.
Since 2002, Palestinian men, women and children have been sitting in front of Israeli bulldozers flattening their olive groves to construct a wall deep into the West Bank.
The Israeli army has responded to these peaceful protestors with tear gas, beatings, arrests and even death.
The pattern occurred time and again: nonviolent Palestinian resistance would be crushed by Israeli force and ignored by the West.
With nothing to show for their efforts, is it any surprise that the Palestinian peaceful protest movement founders?
Violence has always been a historical response to colonialism and repression, in conflicts from India to Algeria to South Africa.
That doesn't make attacks on civilians right -- or strategically effective, for that matter.
In fact, as we all know, the Indian revolt against the British Empire only finally succeeded when Gandhi convinced his countrymen to resist peacefully.
Extremist factions, like those during the Indian independence movement, only gain strength and popularity when Israel flattens even the most harmless dissent.
**************************
Radhika Sainath is a civil rights attorney and an editor of Peace Under Fire: Israel/Palestine and the International Solidarity Movement. She lived in the West Bank from October 2002-December 2003.
***********************
The questions raised by Radhika in this fascinating comparison are very valid. So let's consider:
(a) Do you think that Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation should continue to be labeled terrorism or freedom fighting?
(b) Do you think that Israel's continued disproportional response will breed more violence?
(c) Do you think that the collective punishment inflicted upon Gaza - (inc. 18 months of seige culminating in the recent war) - is justified when Hamas was their democratically elected choice?
************************
Hasbara: Facts or Fiction?
Miri Eisin / Is only the Israeli narrative 'the truth' and all the others wrong? ~ Ha'aretz
*******************************
Israel has a national obsession with everything concerning hasbara (a Hebrew word for "explanation" and referring to information, spin, propaganda or a strategic public relations policy).
Every time a warlike event takes place, the Israeli broadcasting networks turn to hasbara experts with the recurring question - what must we do to improve Israel's international image?
They really mean "how can we prove to everyone that we're right, they're wrong and everybody hates us and they're anti-Semites?"
In the 22 days of fighting in the Gaza Strip, as in the 33 days of fighting in Lebanon in the summer of 2006, the war was presented in very different ways - informed by three parallel narratives.
The Israeli narrative focuses on us, our war, our suffering, the families and reserve soldiers, the home front and decision making.
The other side is shown only on the margins as part of the spin.
The three Israeli broadcasting networks turn into news channels, zooming in on every local aspect and become part of the national effort during the fighting.
The Western media's narrative concentrates on showing both sides - Israel's dilemma and its right to self defense, but also the Palestinian tragedy, with an emphasis on the proportionalism of Israel's actions.
In both wars of the last few years the gap between the two narratives - Israeli and Western - was very pronounced.
Most Israelis would be profoundly shocked by the way the foreign networks present the wars.
In Israel it was clear that it was a war of self defense and many people can't understand how the world doesn't see that.
But is the narrative presented by the foreign networks false? Isn't there more than one way to present a war?
The narrative shown in the Western media, especially in Europe, is based on a different world of cultural references than Israel's.
It says the era of wars is over, that military force is not the way to solve disputes and that there is a direct link between occupation and violence.
The challenge facing Israeli hasbara is not simple - certainly as long as the Palestinians' tragedy is shown to the world. The Western media scrupulously present the Israeli side, but does not accept its narrative.
The third narrative is the Arab media's, especially since Arab broadcasting networks like Al Jazeera and Al-Arabiya have started operating. They focus on the Palestinians' tragedy (or the Lebanese tragedy of 2006), see the Israel Defense Forces as an occupation army and stress its conduct during the fighting.
The Arab media, unlike the Western, show extensive horror footage of dead bodies and wounded people. Israel is described as an occupying force, belligerent, expanding, lacking moral values, in contrast to the Palestinian, who has nothing.
However even here the Israeli voice is heard. T+he Arab networks are ready to interview Israeli spokespeople and confront them on the air.+ It's not that they accept the Israeli point of view, but their very readiness to hear it is a new approach.
Israelis are exposed mainly to the domestic networks and are shocked to hear how we appear to others. But is only the Israeli narrative "the truth" and all the others wrong?
The challenge facing Israeli hasbara is to understand the cultural world and conceptual approach of other target audiences and talk to them in their language.
Israel's national fortitude would not be impaired if we learned to look at reality in a more complex way. If we know, without renouncing our truth, how to open up to the existence of another narrative.
********************************
Source: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1059104.html
The writer was formerly the prime minister's foreign media adviser.
**********************************
Fascinating article. So the question is:
(a) Is only the Israeli narrative "the truth" and all the others wrong?
(b) Do you think that if Israelis were presented with both sides it would reduce the violence in this region?
(c) Would a less biased media - in the West & in Israel - help to bring about a peaceful solution sooner?
********************************
The Audacity of Silence is Complicity
How can Obama legitimately support ALL of Jerusalem being the capital of Israel?
This is a direct, blatant violation of international law. The legal borders of Israel from June 1967 dictate that West Jerusalem is Israeli, East Jerusalem is Palestinian.
This is another sad example of U.S. foreign policy.
Day 4
9:30am Weigh in: Lost another 0.2kg - I ain't complaining. Great part is I am waking up less & less hungry each day. Awesome:)
10:am 5 Cabbage Rollups: Made with 1 turkey slice, 1 cheese slice, 1/4 Home Made Cucumber Dill Pickle + Provence Dijon Mustard. Japanese Green Tea + Fresh Chopped Ginger
10:am 5 Cabbage Rollups: Made with 1 turkey slice, 1 cheese slice, 1/4 Home Made Cucumber Dill Pickle + Provence Dijon Mustard. Japanese Green Tea + Fresh Chopped Ginger
Monday, January 26, 2009
Judaism rejects Zionism
"We seek the return of all Palestinian refugees to their rightful land.
We seek to live in the land of Palestine as anti Zionist Jews.
To reside as loyal and peaceful Palestinian citizens, in peace and harmony with our Muslim Brethren.
Just as our ancestors lived in Palestine for centuries before the usurpations of this tragic century."
Jews united against Zionism: http://www.nkusa.org/AboutUs/Palestine/support.cfm
*****************************
Consider the following:
One of the greatest myths created by the zionist movement is the claim that zionism is a fulfillment of the historical aspiration of every jew to return to Palestine. By the year 250 B.C., Alexandria, Egypt contained the largest number of jews in the world; most had fled from Palestine.
These Palestinian Jews would never return to Jerusalem.
As Judaism spread due to vigorous proselytizing, Jewish communities, which emerged in Yemen, India, China, Italy and France, never considered migrating to Jerusalem or Palestine.
Even during the periods of extreme persecution, such as under the Romans at various times, and under the Spaniards after the demise of Islamic Rule in the Iberian Peninsula, there was never a movement to migrate to Palestine.
The Jews who fled the Spanish Inquisition went to other parts of Europe, to North Africa, and to other regions of the Islamic world.
The central idea of Zionism, an organized worldwide Jewish migration to Palestine, has no precedence in Jewish history.
Zionist occupation of Palestine has no moral, historical or religious basis.
*************************
The question here is:
Do you think that Zionism is racist?
Why do you think religious Rabbis are protesting against Zionism?
Do you think that Zionism breeds violence?
***************************
Background reading: http://www.nkusa.org/AboutUs/Zionism/index.cfm
Background Video: CBS report: Is Peace out of reach? (25/1/2009)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7XtT91yO6g
Has peace in the Middle East become nothing more than a pipe dream? As Bob Simon reports, a growing number of Israelis and Palestinians feel that a two-state solution is no longer possible.
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Gaza: Too little, Too Late
by Rula Zein-Iddin
*********************************************
Like puppets on a string
To the table with nothing to bring
In anger we rise to the bait
Regardless of whether it is too late
Despite such obvious manipulation
We always succumb to the temptation
Such impressive degrees and education
Open minds, closed doors, misinformation
It is hard to look in the mirror
And envision the brutal horror
To stand hands ever tied
Shocked mouths open wide
How dare they do this again we exclaim!
But what do we do beyond the disdain?
Outrageous condemnation ensues
Followed by guilt money to try and subdue
How long will we remain so morally corrupt?
For it to end will we just have to erupt?
**************************************************
Day 3
Morning Weigh in: Lost another 0.6kg
8:30am: Mushroom, Green Peppers, Hot Red Pepper Frittata with crumbled Feta Cheese and Mixed Side Salad in Red Wine Vinegrette. 2 cuos fresh Mint Green Tea.
11:00am: 15 raw almonds
2:12pm Feeling particularly disgusted with humanity. On the plus side have completely lost my appetite.
2:40pm: Spinach ala bolgnese + Salad
4:45pm Hot Cocoa (no sugar, o% fat milk) + 2 dark chocolate squares
6:00pm Cheese slice
8:40pm Chili Con Carne + Hot Apple Cider Vinegar (capful)
8:30am: Mushroom, Green Peppers, Hot Red Pepper Frittata with crumbled Feta Cheese and Mixed Side Salad in Red Wine Vinegrette. 2 cuos fresh Mint Green Tea.
11:00am: 15 raw almonds
2:12pm Feeling particularly disgusted with humanity. On the plus side have completely lost my appetite.
2:40pm: Spinach ala bolgnese + Salad
4:45pm Hot Cocoa (no sugar, o% fat milk) + 2 dark chocolate squares
6:00pm Cheese slice
8:40pm Chili Con Carne + Hot Apple Cider Vinegar (capful)
Is Peace out of Reach?
Watch CBS Videos Online
Has peace in the Middle East become nothing more than a pipe dream? As Bob Simon reports, a growing number of Israelis and Palestinians feel that a two-state solution is no longer possible.
Is CNN really allowing free speech on ireport?
The ireport I posted on bias in the media was pulled three times.
Below is the discussion I tried to initiate in good faith.
*********************************
Quoting: http://inthefield.blogs.cnn.com/tag/paula-hancocks/
"Wars today are fought on the battlefield, or in this case in the crowded streets of Gaza, the rest is won or lost on television screens and through public perception.
The vast majority of Israelis see this as a military success, but approval of Israel's operation around the world - even among its strongest allies - could be undermined by a disturbingly high Palestinian civilian death toll and misery inflicted on a far wider target than Hamas."
Which would be true in Europe but not in the US where the Jewish Lobby ensures that the pictures of the suffering and devastation wrought on an incarcerated population of 1.5m people in the open air prison that is Gaza is kept well hidden. This obstruction of the truth goes against the very essence of journalism and only serves to increase misunderstanding, prejudice and hatred.
So how do you propose that Arabs in general & Palestinians in particular can get a fair hearing in the US media?
**********************************
My Question to you now is:
Have you had your ireport pulled?
If so then how is ireport actually promoting free speech?
Where else can we go to be heard?
***********************************
You can vote here:
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Israel: Stop Crying Wolf
By Rula Zein-Iddin
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-200507
************************************
It is clear that your oppression
Consistently breeds repression
And such blatant suppression
Only provokes more aggression
This constant brutality
Induces fatality
Why is all this mutilation,
Greeted with jubilation?
Distasteful salivation
At destroying a whole nation
How can you rejoice
Giving racism a voice?
Realize that what you once beseeched
Is about to get you impeached
Tell me, how did all this hate spawn?
Will you forever only act out with brawn?
Knowing that children are being used as a pawn
When will you stop rendering them forlorn?
Will the suffering awaken a conscience asleep?
Your silence speaks volumes, not even a peep
************************************
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Day 2
Morning weigh in (vs last night): Dropped 1.6kg - Scary water retention...!
9:30am: Italian Herbs with Fresh Mushroom, Spinach & Hot Red Pepper Frittata with Crumbled Feta Cheese served with chopped veg: Radish, Pepper, Cucumber & a few small Carrots ;)
Drink: 2 cups of Green Tea with Fresh Mint Leaves
1hour on treadmill: 300cals & 4.7km
12:42: 2 radishes the size of apples. Hormonal fertilizers? Never!
12:50: Slice of plastic 0% fat processed cheese - disgusting. Never again.
2:30pm: Spinach with Bolognese Sauce sprinkled with Fat Free Cheddar on a bed of mixed salad tossed in an apple-cider vinaigrette dressing.
3:15pm 2 Dark Chocolate Squares
Seriously splitting headache - caffeine withdrawal on day2?
7:30pm: Musakhan 1/2 a small chicken
Hot Apple Cider Vinegar (capful)
9:00pm: 10 almonds
Hot Cocoa (no sugar, o% fat milk) + 2 dark chocolate squares
9:30am: Italian Herbs with Fresh Mushroom, Spinach & Hot Red Pepper Frittata with Crumbled Feta Cheese served with chopped veg: Radish, Pepper, Cucumber & a few small Carrots ;)
Drink: 2 cups of Green Tea with Fresh Mint Leaves
1hour on treadmill: 300cals & 4.7km
12:42: 2 radishes the size of apples. Hormonal fertilizers? Never!
12:50: Slice of plastic 0% fat processed cheese - disgusting. Never again.
2:30pm: Spinach with Bolognese Sauce sprinkled with Fat Free Cheddar on a bed of mixed salad tossed in an apple-cider vinaigrette dressing.
3:15pm 2 Dark Chocolate Squares
Seriously splitting headache - caffeine withdrawal on day2?
7:30pm: Musakhan 1/2 a small chicken
Hot Apple Cider Vinegar (capful)
9:00pm: 10 almonds
Hot Cocoa (no sugar, o% fat milk) + 2 dark chocolate squares
Phase 1 Daily Menu
Breakfast
Protein: Quantity is not limited. See choices
Vegetables: Minimum 1/2 cup. See choices
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk: None
Fat: 1 tsp mayonnaise or oil (optional) See choices
Lunch
Protein: Quantity is not limited. See choices
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups. See choices
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk: None
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil. See choices
Dinner
Protein: Quantity is not limited. See choices
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups. See choices
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk: None
Fat: 1 Tbsp
Snack
Snacks are required. Choose from the Protein or Vegetable list, or eat nuts from the Fats list.or oil. See choices
Source:
Protein: Quantity is not limited. See choices
Vegetables: Minimum 1/2 cup. See choices
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk: None
Fat: 1 tsp mayonnaise or oil (optional) See choices
Lunch
Protein: Quantity is not limited. See choices
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups. See choices
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk: None
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil. See choices
Dinner
Protein: Quantity is not limited. See choices
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups. See choices
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk: None
Fat: 1 Tbsp
Snack
Snacks are required. Choose from the Protein or Vegetable list, or eat nuts from the Fats list.or oil. See choices
Source:
Gaza: Death by Amnesia
by Rula Zein-Iddin
*************************************
As I stare at the headlines in bewilderment
It appears the veiled aims obtained fulfillment
For nowhere in the foreign media transmission
Is Gaza mentioned once, such a blatant omission
For political analysts this is a clear portent
Of a biased administration's avid intent
So who designed Michelle's elegant white dress,
Takes precedence over a whole nation's distress?
With talks of recession & even depression
It is clear that we must repress the oppression
As I continued to watch with mounting rage
What would it take for us to be centre stage?
Let's not wait any longer with baited breath
For a miracle to extract us from this bleak myth
The human psyche and its frail humility
Razed to the ground by rampant brutality
No need for expectations since the writing is on the wall
For Gaza & its children have been failed by one & all
********************************************
Quoting: http://inthefield.blogs.cnn.com/tag/paula-hancocks/
"Wars today are fought on the battlefield, or in this case in the crowded streets of Gaza, the rest is won or lost on television screens and through public perception.
The vast majority of Israelis see this as a military success, but approval of Israel's operation around the world - even among its strongest allies - could be undermined by a disturbingly high Palestinian civilian death toll and misery inflicted on a far wider target than Hamas."
Which would be true in Europe but not in the US where the Jewish Lobby ensures that the pictures of the suffering and devastation wrought on an incarcerated population of 1.5m people in the open air prison that is Gaza is kept well hidden. This obstruction of the truth goes against the very essence of journalism and only serves to increase misunderstanding, prejudice and hatred.
So how do you propose that Arabs in general & Palestinians in particular can get a fair hearing in the US media?
Phase I Cheat Sheet
BEEF Lean cuts, such as:
Eye of Round
Ground beef:
Extra Lean (96/4)
Lean (92/8)
Sirloin (90/10)
Tenderloin
Top Loin
Top Round
LAMB (Remove all visible fat)
Center Cut
Chop
Loin
POULTRY (SKINLESS)
Cornish hen
Turkey bacon (2 slices per day)
Turkey and chicken breast
SEAFOOD
All types of fish and shellfish
TOFU
Use soft, low-fat or lite varieties
VEAL
Chop
Cutlet, leg
Top round
EGGS
The use of whole eggs is not limited unless otherwise directed by your doctor.
LUNCHMEAT
Fat-free or low-fat only
MEAT SUBSTITUTES (SOY BASED)
Bacon - Limit to 2 slices per day
Burger - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion
Chicken Patties & Nuggets - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion
Hot Dogs - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion
Natural Peanut Butter - 2 Tbsp (may use as protein choice or limited nut choice)
DAIRY
Low-fat (1 percent) or fat-free milk or soy milk
Plain or sugar-free low-fat or fat-free yogurt
Fat-free half & half
CHEESE (FAT-FREE OR LOW-FAT)
American
Cheddar
Cottage cheese, 1-2% or fat-free
Cream cheese substitute, dairy-free
Feta
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Provolone
Ricotta
String
NUTS (Limit to one serving per day as specified)
Almonds - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
Brazil Nuts - 4
Cashews - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
Pecans - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
Macadamia - 8 (Dry roasted recommended)
Peanut Butter - 1 tsp
Peanut Butter, Natural = 2 TBS
Peanuts, 20 small (May use dry roasted or boiled)
Pine Nuts (Pignolia) - 1 ounce
Pistachios - 30 (Dry roasted recommended)
Walnuts - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
In place of nuts, may use: Flax Seed - 3 TBS
VEGETABLE CHOICES (includes legumes)
(May use fresh, frozen or canned without added sugar)
Artichokes
Asparagus
Beans, Green
Beans, Italian
Beans, Wax
Beans or Legumes:
Black Beans
Butter Beans
Chickpeas or Garbanzo
Pigeon Peas
Soy Beans
Split Peas
Broccoli
Bok Choy
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Collard Greens
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Lettuce (All varieties)
Juice (Limit to 6 ounces per day)
Tomato
V-8
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Okra
Onion - Limit to 1/2 per day
Peppers (All varieties)
Pickles - Dill or those sweetened with Splenda®
Radishes (All varieties)
Rhubarb
Sauerkraut
Snow peas
Spinach
Sprouts, Alfalfa
Squash, Spaghetti
Squash, Summer
Yellow
Zucchini
Tomato - Limit to 1 whole or 10 cherry per serving
FAT CHOICES (with some suggested serving sizes) The following monounsaturated oils are recommended to be consumed daily:
Olive Oil
Canola Oil
Other Oil Choices that may be chosen (Polyunsaturated or a blend of Monounsaturated):
Corn
Enova
Grape seed
Safflower
Soybean
OTHER FAT CHOICES:
Avocado - 1/3 whole = 1 TBS oil
Guacamole - ½ cup = 1 TBS oil
Margarine - Chose those that do not contain Trans Fatty Acids such as Fleishmann's Premium Olive Oil or Smart Balance
Mayonnaise - Regular or Low Fat
Olives (Green or Ripe) 15 = 1/2 TBS
Salad Dressing - Use those < 3 gms sugar per serving
TOPPINGS & SAUCES use sparingly (check labels for added sugar)
Hot Sauce
Salsa - Limit to 2 TBS during phase 1
Soy Sauce - 1/2 TBS
Steak Sauce - 1/2 TBS
Worcestershire Sauce - 1 TBS
Whipped Topping (Light) - 2 TBS
SPICES AND SEASONINGS
All spices that contain no added sugar
Broth
Extracts (almond, vanilla, or others)
Horseradish sauce
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray
Lemon Juice
Lime Juice Pepper (black, cayenne, red, white)
SWEET TREATS (Limit to 75 calories per day)
Candies, hard, sugar-free
Chocolate powder, no-added-sugar
Cocoa powder, baking type
Fudgsicles, sugar-free
Gelatin, sugar-free
Gum, sugar-free
Popsicles, sugar-free
Sugar substitute Some Sugar Free
Products may be made with sugar alcohols (isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol or xylitol) and are permitted on the SBD. They may have associated side effects of GI distress (abdominal pain, diarrhea & gas) if consumed in excessive amounts.
Eye of Round
Ground beef:
Extra Lean (96/4)
Lean (92/8)
Sirloin (90/10)
Tenderloin
Top Loin
Top Round
LAMB (Remove all visible fat)
Center Cut
Chop
Loin
POULTRY (SKINLESS)
Cornish hen
Turkey bacon (2 slices per day)
Turkey and chicken breast
SEAFOOD
All types of fish and shellfish
TOFU
Use soft, low-fat or lite varieties
VEAL
Chop
Cutlet, leg
Top round
EGGS
The use of whole eggs is not limited unless otherwise directed by your doctor.
LUNCHMEAT
Fat-free or low-fat only
MEAT SUBSTITUTES (SOY BASED)
Bacon - Limit to 2 slices per day
Burger - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion
Chicken Patties & Nuggets - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion
Hot Dogs - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion
Natural Peanut Butter - 2 Tbsp (may use as protein choice or limited nut choice)
DAIRY
Low-fat (1 percent) or fat-free milk or soy milk
Plain or sugar-free low-fat or fat-free yogurt
Fat-free half & half
CHEESE (FAT-FREE OR LOW-FAT)
American
Cheddar
Cottage cheese, 1-2% or fat-free
Cream cheese substitute, dairy-free
Feta
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Provolone
Ricotta
String
NUTS (Limit to one serving per day as specified)
Almonds - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
Brazil Nuts - 4
Cashews - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
Pecans - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
Macadamia - 8 (Dry roasted recommended)
Peanut Butter - 1 tsp
Peanut Butter, Natural = 2 TBS
Peanuts, 20 small (May use dry roasted or boiled)
Pine Nuts (Pignolia) - 1 ounce
Pistachios - 30 (Dry roasted recommended)
Walnuts - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
In place of nuts, may use: Flax Seed - 3 TBS
VEGETABLE CHOICES (includes legumes)
(May use fresh, frozen or canned without added sugar)
Artichokes
Asparagus
Beans, Green
Beans, Italian
Beans, Wax
Beans or Legumes:
Black Beans
Butter Beans
Chickpeas or Garbanzo
Pigeon Peas
Soy Beans
Split Peas
Broccoli
Bok Choy
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Collard Greens
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Lettuce (All varieties)
Juice (Limit to 6 ounces per day)
Tomato
V-8
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Okra
Onion - Limit to 1/2 per day
Peppers (All varieties)
Pickles - Dill or those sweetened with Splenda®
Radishes (All varieties)
Rhubarb
Sauerkraut
Snow peas
Spinach
Sprouts, Alfalfa
Squash, Spaghetti
Squash, Summer
Yellow
Zucchini
Tomato - Limit to 1 whole or 10 cherry per serving
FAT CHOICES (with some suggested serving sizes) The following monounsaturated oils are recommended to be consumed daily:
Olive Oil
Canola Oil
Other Oil Choices that may be chosen (Polyunsaturated or a blend of Monounsaturated):
Corn
Enova
Grape seed
Safflower
Soybean
OTHER FAT CHOICES:
Avocado - 1/3 whole = 1 TBS oil
Guacamole - ½ cup = 1 TBS oil
Margarine - Chose those that do not contain Trans Fatty Acids such as Fleishmann's Premium Olive Oil or Smart Balance
Mayonnaise - Regular or Low Fat
Olives (Green or Ripe) 15 = 1/2 TBS
Salad Dressing - Use those < 3 gms sugar per serving
TOPPINGS & SAUCES use sparingly (check labels for added sugar)
Hot Sauce
Salsa - Limit to 2 TBS during phase 1
Soy Sauce - 1/2 TBS
Steak Sauce - 1/2 TBS
Worcestershire Sauce - 1 TBS
Whipped Topping (Light) - 2 TBS
SPICES AND SEASONINGS
All spices that contain no added sugar
Broth
Extracts (almond, vanilla, or others)
Horseradish sauce
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray
Lemon Juice
Lime Juice Pepper (black, cayenne, red, white)
SWEET TREATS (Limit to 75 calories per day)
Candies, hard, sugar-free
Chocolate powder, no-added-sugar
Cocoa powder, baking type
Fudgsicles, sugar-free
Gelatin, sugar-free
Gum, sugar-free
Popsicles, sugar-free
Sugar substitute Some Sugar Free
Products may be made with sugar alcohols (isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol or xylitol) and are permitted on the SBD. They may have associated side effects of GI distress (abdominal pain, diarrhea & gas) if consumed in excessive amounts.
Who am I?
Today I was asked on http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-199704 who I 'represent'.
Well here is my answer:
Who am I?
I am the voice of every innocent child that was cruelly murdered.
Of every orphaned child who no longer has a mother.
Of every mutilated child whose limbs were amputated by Israeli's DIME weapons.
Of every scarred child still burning from the Phosphorous bombs dropped on them
Of every disturbed child who wakes up petrified because they can still hear the F16's about to bomb them.
Of every wretched child whose spirit has been broken.
I, am your worst nightmare. For I am here to shatter the prejudice, racism & hatred that you perceive is reality.
Well here is my answer:
Who am I?
I am the voice of every innocent child that was cruelly murdered.
Of every orphaned child who no longer has a mother.
Of every mutilated child whose limbs were amputated by Israeli's DIME weapons.
Of every scarred child still burning from the Phosphorous bombs dropped on them
Of every disturbed child who wakes up petrified because they can still hear the F16's about to bomb them.
Of every wretched child whose spirit has been broken.
I, am your worst nightmare. For I am here to shatter the prejudice, racism & hatred that you perceive is reality.
Day 1
9:00am : 1/2 a Plate of crudites: brocolli, cucumber, red, green & yellow pepper with a hummus dip.
Drink: 2 cups of Green Tea with Dried Hibiscus
2:30pm: Remaining 1/2 a Plate of crudites: brocolli, cucumber, red, green & yellow pepper with a hummus dip. Plus 4 green olives.
Drink: Water x2
3:00pm: 8 almonds & 5 cashew nuts
4:00pm: Molokhiya Soup with 1 chicken breast.
Drink: 1 cup of Green Tea with Dried Marjoram
5:00pm: 2 small squares of 72%cocoa Dark Chocolate (very naughty but I was stressed...and still am!)
6:00pm: 5 teaspoons of Circassian Cheese sprinkled with Baraka Seeds (~ Cottage Cheese) + 3 slices of Halloumi Cheese
8:30pm: Green Salad (Lettuce/Peppers/Brocolli/Radish/Cucumber) with Apple Cider Vinegar & Extra Virgin Olive Oil with 2 small Slices of Herring with Mustard & Dill Sauce
9:45pm: 2 small squares of Dark Chocolate + Herbal Drink
Drink: 2 cups of Green Tea with Dried Hibiscus
2:30pm: Remaining 1/2 a Plate of crudites: brocolli, cucumber, red, green & yellow pepper with a hummus dip. Plus 4 green olives.
Drink: Water x2
3:00pm: 8 almonds & 5 cashew nuts
4:00pm: Molokhiya Soup with 1 chicken breast.
Drink: 1 cup of Green Tea with Dried Marjoram
5:00pm: 2 small squares of 72%cocoa Dark Chocolate (very naughty but I was stressed...and still am!)
6:00pm: 5 teaspoons of Circassian Cheese sprinkled with Baraka Seeds (~ Cottage Cheese) + 3 slices of Halloumi Cheese
8:30pm: Green Salad (Lettuce/Peppers/Brocolli/Radish/Cucumber) with Apple Cider Vinegar & Extra Virgin Olive Oil with 2 small Slices of Herring with Mustard & Dill Sauce
9:45pm: 2 small squares of Dark Chocolate + Herbal Drink
Friday, January 23, 2009
President Obama, do the right thing! Appointing pro-Israeli hawks isn't change we can believe in.
One of the greatest myths created by the zionist movement is the claim that zionism is a fulfillment of the historical aspiration of every jew to return to Palestine. By the year 250 B.C., Alexandria, Egypt contained the largest number of jews in the world; most had fled from Palestine.
These Palestinian Jews would never return to Jerusalem. As Judaism spread due to vigorous proselytizing, Jewish communities, which emerged in Yemen, India, China, Italy and France, never considered migrating to Jerusalem or Palestine.
Even during the periods of extreme persecution, such as under the Romans at various times, and under the Spaniards after the demise of Islamic Rule in the Iberian Peninsula, there was never a movement to migrate to Palestine.
The Jews who fled the Spanish Inquisition went to other parts of Europe, to North Africa, and to other regions of the Islamic world.
The central idea of Zionism, an organized worldwide Jewish migration to Palestine, has no precedence in Jewish history.
Zionist occupation of Palestine has no moral, historical or religious basis.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Israel's Right to "Self -Defense"
We are by now familiar with the over-abused "defense" card. It is continually used to explain away the mass murder of civilians and to support the pathetic "we had no choice" argument.
It says that Hamas rhetoric and their ineffectual tin pot rockets are so awful that it's ok to deliberately kill children.
If you want more offensive rhetoric try the "better Zip-it-up" Livni saying "there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza" or anything out of the mouth of aussie Mark Regev from the moment he wakes to the second he sleeps.
Why more offensive? Because Israel not only claims the moral high ground, they also claim sole and uncontested ownership of it!
They assume, quite mistakenly, that they are automatically right because they are automatically the victims.
And it's always self defense against terrorists; even as they scrawl hate graffiti on the wrecked walls of homes & mosques they've destroyed for no other reason than a Palestinian lived or worshiped there.
Except this loathsome theory is the product of twisted minds in Tel Aviv, in Jerusalem, and inside IDF tanks.
Israel's words bear no relation at all to it's deeds, and its constant pontificating on it's own moral superiority is a worthless exercise in emotional self-delusion as the Gaza Genocide has proven.
The injustice of Israel's actions over 61 years just leaps out of the page, only to be slammed shut by a residue of international guilt, perverted international political structures, good old fashioned religious bigotry, and by Israel officially & publicly abandoning the last remnants of it's humanity.
Israeli "Defense" Forces are Mass Murderers of women & children. Your politicians are War Criminals. Plain and simple.
It's there for all to see, in front of your eyes, unless you're Mark Regev and can call every broken child in Gaza a politically motivated liar.
Zionist Quotes
One more thing on the holier than thou Zionist mannifesto:
"We must expel Arabs and take their places."
David Ben Gurion, 1937, Ben Gurion and the Palestine Arabs, Oxford University Press, 1985.
"There is no such thing as a Palestinian people... It is not as if we came and threw them out and took their country. They didn't exist."
Golda Meir, The Sunday Times, 15 June, 1969.
"[Israel will] create in the course of the next 10 or 20 years conditions which would attract natural and voluntary migration of the refugees from the Gaza Strip and the west Bank to Jordan. To achieve this we have to come to agreement with King Hussein and not with Yasser Arafat."
Yitzhak Rabin (Quoted in David Shipler in the New York Times, 04/04/1983)
If you want more offensive rhetoric try the "better Zip-it-up" Livni saying "there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza" or anything out of the mouth of aussie Mark Regev from the moment he wakes to the second he sleeps.
"The Partition of Palestine is illegal. It will never be recognized .... Jerusalem was and will for ever be our capital. Eretz Israel will be restored to the people of Israel. All of it. And for Ever."
Menachem Begin, the day after the U.N. vote to partition Palestine.
"The past leaders of our movement left us a clear message to keep Eretz Israel from the Sea to the River Jordan for future generations, for the mass aliya, and for the Jewish people, all of whom will be gathered into this country."
Yitzhak Shamir November 1990. Jerusalem Domestic Radio Service
"The settlement of the Land of Israel is the essence of Zionism. Without settlement, we will not fulfill Zionism. It's that simple."
Yitzhak Shamir, Maariv, 02/21/1997.
"Israel should have exploited the repression of the demonstrations in China, when world attention focused on that country, to carry out mass expulsions among the Arabs of the territories."
Benyamin Netanyahu, Hotam, November 24, 1989
"It is the duty of Israeli leaders to explain to public opinion, clearly and courageously, a certain number of facts that are forgotten with time. The first of these is that there is no Zionism, colonialization, or Jewish State without the eviction of the Arabs and the expropriation of their lands."
Ariel Sharon, Agence France Presse, November 15, 1998
"Everybody has to move, run and grab as many hilltops as they can to enlarge the settlements because everything we take now will stay ours...Everything we don't grab will go to them."
Ariel Sharon, Agence France Presse, Nov. 15, 1998.
So you tell me - who is spreading the hatred now?
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
The Fundamental Rights of Humanity
by ALBERT SCHWEITZER
The fundamental rights of Humanity are:
First: The right of habitation;
Second : The right to move freely;
Third: The right to the soil and subsoil, and to the use of it;
Fourth: The right of freedom of labor and of exchange;
Fifth: The right to justice;
Sixth: The right to live within a natural national organization; and
Seventh: The right to education.
The fundamental rights of Humanity are:
First: The right of habitation;
Second : The right to move freely;
Third: The right to the soil and subsoil, and to the use of it;
Fourth: The right of freedom of labor and of exchange;
Fifth: The right to justice;
Sixth: The right to live within a natural national organization; and
Seventh: The right to education.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
7 Myths about Gaza
by Daoud Kuttab - Jordan Times www.jordantimes.com/index.php
It is known that truth is the first casualty in wars. The current war on Gaza is no different. Below is a list of myths perpetuated by Israel and repeated ad nauseam by may in the media.
Myth No. 1: Israel had no alternative.
Ever since starting the air campaign, the Israelis have been stating that they had no choice but to carry out this invasion. The acting Israeli prime minister repeated this myth, saying that Israel had no alternative but to begin the ground war on Gaza Strip.
The truth is that Israel had a clear alternative. The Islamic Hamas movement and the various Palestinian factions in Gaza offered to extend the truce in December if the Israelis agreed to lift the massive blockade and siege on Gaza. Israel would have had an even easier alternative: agree to talk to Hamas and work out a true and lasting ceasefire, but it chose to refuse to legitimise the rulers of Gaza, helped by the so-called global war on terror that Israel’s main ally, the Bush administration, has been carrying on.
Myth No. 2: Hamas rockets were targeting Israeli civilians without provocation.
Every Israeli spokesman repeats this myth. International leaders and media anchors repeatedly ask how could any country tolerate its citizens being attacked without provocation, as was happening to the citizens of south Israel.
The truth is that Palestinians and Israelis have been at war since 1948, when nearly 500 Palestinian villages were erased and its residents became refugees (the refugees constitute more than 50 per cent of the population of Gaza). The UN resolved that the refugees should be allowed to return and the Arab countries have offered a peace agreement that includes a resolution of the refugee problem. Furthermore, Israel occupied Gaza in 1967 and has not (according to international standards) ended its occupation of Gaza. As stated above, Hamas has offered short- and long-term truce to Israel, but the latter rejected these offers.
Myth No. 3: Israel is acting in self-defence.
This myth has been repeated so many times that the naïve rotating head of the European Union initially stated that Israel’s ground invasion is a defensive act (he later recanted). Emerging from a Security Council meeting that failed to stop the Israeli ground attack, the United States’ deputy chief at the UN stated that the UN Charter allows member countries to defend themselves and that “Israel’s right to defend itself is not negotiable”.
The truth is that the Israeli offensive against a population still legally under its occupation is anything but defensive. Countries do have a right to defend themselves, but they do not have the right to occupy and continue to occupy. The same charter that the deputy US official was quoting also states in its preamble: “We the peoples of the United Nations determine to: save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind” and “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small”.
Myth No. 4. Israel is only targeting Hamas fighters not Palestinians.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livini has been repeating that the Israeli army is targeting only what she called Hamas terrorists and that her country has no fight with the Palestinian people.
The truth is that by shelling the densely populated Gaza Strip (1.5 million living in a 350-square-kilometre area) the Israelis hit both Hamas combatants and civilians. One of the best proofs of this is the fact that about one-third of the casualties in the first week alone were children - hardly members of Hamas.
International law is very clear about the responsibility of warring parties to limit deaths of civilians. The Israelis totally destroying a four-storey building in which a Hamas leader and his wives and children living with F16 planes is a clear example of lack of desire to distinguish between civilians and fighters.
Myth No. 5. Israel ended its occupation of Gaza in 2006.
Part of the well-weaved Israeli narrative is that Palestinians are not really interested in land-for-peace because they have continued to attack Israel after the Israelis ended the occupation of the strip in 2006.
Again the truth is different. The UN Security Council Resolution 242, which called the occupation of Gaza “inadmissible”, called on Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, to acknowledge the sovereignty and territorial integrity and political independence of every state in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognised boundaries, and affirmed the need to “achieve a just settlement to the [Palestinian] refugee problem”. By all standards, and as agreed by neutral international observers, the occupation of Gaza that started in 1967 continues with all the responsibility that befalls on the Israeli occupying authorities.
Myth No. 6. Hamas is the military arm of Iran.
As part of justifying the attacks on Gaza, Israel and its apologists paint a much larger regional picture, with Hamas and Hizbollah as the military arm of Iran and the Iranian Islamic revolution.
The truth is that whereas as a Shiite movement, Hizbollah might have natural relations with Shiite Iran, Hamas is a Sunni Islamic movement and in general Sunnis look down on Shiites and reject them theologically. True, Hamas leaders have visited Iran, but it is a long shot to say that they are the military arm of Iran.
Myth No. 7 Hamas uses the Palestinian population as human shields.
The difficulties that Israel has had in locating and destroying Hamas leaders has led to this myth. The Israeli PR machine uses quotes made by Hamas leaders that the Palestinian population is not afraid of death as proof that they are using Palestinians as human shields.
The truth is that the international law that forbids the use of human shields is referring to militants who use captured enemy civilians as hostages to prevent an attack. There is no evidence that Hamas is forcing its own population to be where it is. In fact, the irony is that Palestinian civilians have nowhere to go within the Gaza Strip even if they wanted to leave.
It is known that truth is the first casualty in wars. The current war on Gaza is no different. Below is a list of myths perpetuated by Israel and repeated ad nauseam by may in the media.
Myth No. 1: Israel had no alternative.
Ever since starting the air campaign, the Israelis have been stating that they had no choice but to carry out this invasion. The acting Israeli prime minister repeated this myth, saying that Israel had no alternative but to begin the ground war on Gaza Strip.
The truth is that Israel had a clear alternative. The Islamic Hamas movement and the various Palestinian factions in Gaza offered to extend the truce in December if the Israelis agreed to lift the massive blockade and siege on Gaza. Israel would have had an even easier alternative: agree to talk to Hamas and work out a true and lasting ceasefire, but it chose to refuse to legitimise the rulers of Gaza, helped by the so-called global war on terror that Israel’s main ally, the Bush administration, has been carrying on.
Myth No. 2: Hamas rockets were targeting Israeli civilians without provocation.
Every Israeli spokesman repeats this myth. International leaders and media anchors repeatedly ask how could any country tolerate its citizens being attacked without provocation, as was happening to the citizens of south Israel.
The truth is that Palestinians and Israelis have been at war since 1948, when nearly 500 Palestinian villages were erased and its residents became refugees (the refugees constitute more than 50 per cent of the population of Gaza). The UN resolved that the refugees should be allowed to return and the Arab countries have offered a peace agreement that includes a resolution of the refugee problem. Furthermore, Israel occupied Gaza in 1967 and has not (according to international standards) ended its occupation of Gaza. As stated above, Hamas has offered short- and long-term truce to Israel, but the latter rejected these offers.
Myth No. 3: Israel is acting in self-defence.
This myth has been repeated so many times that the naïve rotating head of the European Union initially stated that Israel’s ground invasion is a defensive act (he later recanted). Emerging from a Security Council meeting that failed to stop the Israeli ground attack, the United States’ deputy chief at the UN stated that the UN Charter allows member countries to defend themselves and that “Israel’s right to defend itself is not negotiable”.
The truth is that the Israeli offensive against a population still legally under its occupation is anything but defensive. Countries do have a right to defend themselves, but they do not have the right to occupy and continue to occupy. The same charter that the deputy US official was quoting also states in its preamble: “We the peoples of the United Nations determine to: save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind” and “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small”.
Myth No. 4. Israel is only targeting Hamas fighters not Palestinians.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livini has been repeating that the Israeli army is targeting only what she called Hamas terrorists and that her country has no fight with the Palestinian people.
The truth is that by shelling the densely populated Gaza Strip (1.5 million living in a 350-square-kilometre area) the Israelis hit both Hamas combatants and civilians. One of the best proofs of this is the fact that about one-third of the casualties in the first week alone were children - hardly members of Hamas.
International law is very clear about the responsibility of warring parties to limit deaths of civilians. The Israelis totally destroying a four-storey building in which a Hamas leader and his wives and children living with F16 planes is a clear example of lack of desire to distinguish between civilians and fighters.
Myth No. 5. Israel ended its occupation of Gaza in 2006.
Part of the well-weaved Israeli narrative is that Palestinians are not really interested in land-for-peace because they have continued to attack Israel after the Israelis ended the occupation of the strip in 2006.
Again the truth is different. The UN Security Council Resolution 242, which called the occupation of Gaza “inadmissible”, called on Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, to acknowledge the sovereignty and territorial integrity and political independence of every state in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognised boundaries, and affirmed the need to “achieve a just settlement to the [Palestinian] refugee problem”. By all standards, and as agreed by neutral international observers, the occupation of Gaza that started in 1967 continues with all the responsibility that befalls on the Israeli occupying authorities.
Myth No. 6. Hamas is the military arm of Iran.
As part of justifying the attacks on Gaza, Israel and its apologists paint a much larger regional picture, with Hamas and Hizbollah as the military arm of Iran and the Iranian Islamic revolution.
The truth is that whereas as a Shiite movement, Hizbollah might have natural relations with Shiite Iran, Hamas is a Sunni Islamic movement and in general Sunnis look down on Shiites and reject them theologically. True, Hamas leaders have visited Iran, but it is a long shot to say that they are the military arm of Iran.
Myth No. 7 Hamas uses the Palestinian population as human shields.
The difficulties that Israel has had in locating and destroying Hamas leaders has led to this myth. The Israeli PR machine uses quotes made by Hamas leaders that the Palestinian population is not afraid of death as proof that they are using Palestinians as human shields.
The truth is that the international law that forbids the use of human shields is referring to militants who use captured enemy civilians as hostages to prevent an attack. There is no evidence that Hamas is forcing its own population to be where it is. In fact, the irony is that Palestinian civilians have nowhere to go within the Gaza Strip even if they wanted to leave.
Monday, January 5, 2009
CNN Confirms Israel Broke Ceasefire First
Rick Sanchez does the research and finds that Israel violated the terms of the ceasefire first by killing 6 Gazans on November 4. Shouldn't media outlets check the facts before running with a story?
Thursday, January 1, 2009
We will not go down
WE WILL NOT GO DOWN (Song for Gaza)
(Composed by Michael Heart)-Copyright 2009
A blinding flash of white light
Lit up the sky over Gaza tonight
People running for cover
Not knowing whether they’re dead or alive
They came with their tanks and their planes
With ravaging fiery flames
And nothing remains
Just a voice rising up in the smoky haze
We will not go down
In the night, without a fight
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools
But our spirit will never die
We will not go down
In Gaza tonight
Women and children alike
Murdered and massacred night after night
While the so-called leaders of countries afar
Debated on who’s wrong or right
But their powerless words were in vain
And the bombs fell down like acid rain
But through the tears and the blood and the pain
You can still hear that voice through the smoky haze
We will not go down
In the night, without a fight
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools
But our spirit will never die
We will not go down
In Gaza tonight
(Composed by Michael Heart)-Copyright 2009
A blinding flash of white light
Lit up the sky over Gaza tonight
People running for cover
Not knowing whether they’re dead or alive
They came with their tanks and their planes
With ravaging fiery flames
And nothing remains
Just a voice rising up in the smoky haze
We will not go down
In the night, without a fight
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools
But our spirit will never die
We will not go down
In Gaza tonight
Women and children alike
Murdered and massacred night after night
While the so-called leaders of countries afar
Debated on who’s wrong or right
But their powerless words were in vain
And the bombs fell down like acid rain
But through the tears and the blood and the pain
You can still hear that voice through the smoky haze
We will not go down
In the night, without a fight
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools
But our spirit will never die
We will not go down
In Gaza tonight
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