Press freedom in Jordan and Egypt
The sad state of journalism across the Arab world.
From Amman: "Websites offensive to the political sensibilities of the country, are still banned. .. Writers, politicians, and dissenters of any kind are still jailed."
From Cairo: "It’s “hunt-the-editor” season! In two weeks 5 editors-in-chief and 3 journalists working for opposition newspapers have been arrested and sentenced to jail and/or a big fine."
Just another week in Palestine, sasa:
On Thursday 20 September, Israel declared Gaza a "terrorist entity."
The next day, The Jerusalem Post revealed that "Israel ha[d] rejected an offer by Hamas to renew a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip... Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's office reportedly contacted a senior diplomatic source in Jerusalem through a third party before the cabinet decided on Wednesday to declare Gaza a "hostile territory." After the cabinet decision, the source responded to Hamas's proposal, saying Israel would not hold talks with the group at this time."
On Monday 24 September, The Jerusalem Post reported that Olmert, speaking before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, "tried to lower expectations for the November summit in Washington, repeatedly calling on MKs not to call the event a "peace conference."
For some unknown reason, the following day The Jerusalem Post reported that "Arab diplomats based in Cairo said... that the majority of the Arab leaders believe that the conference is just a "waste of time."
Today, 27 September, Yedioth Ahronoth reports that "[a]t least 11 Palestinians were killed in a number of Israeli strikes in Gaza Wednesday and Thursday... four Palestinians, including a kid, were killed and 20 others were injured when a tank shell hit a house in the Beit Hanun neighborhood in northern Gaza." [Please recall Israel's rejection of a cease-fire; this murderous campaign is completely unncessary.]
In another article, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas... harshly condemned Israel's operations in Gaza Strip... Abbas' condemnation came on the backdrop of harsh criticism from Hamas directed at the Palestinian government in Ramallah. Criticizing the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah for not responding to recent incidents in the Strip, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said earlier, "It is as good as cooperating with the occupation. The PA's silence proves that it is cooperating in order to eliminate Hamas in the Strip." The spokesman continued to urge the international community to put an end to the Israeli aggression and said Israel "does not give much importance to the November peace conference.""
Best wishes,
Anon Londoner
Posted by
Anonymous |
12:43 am
Well, 'Anon' Londoner really!
Posted by
Anonymous |
12:44 am