Tag Archives | Israel

The New Soft-Focus Lens Of War

By on December 3, 2012 in News 1

Via the The New Inquiry, Huw Lemmey on social media as tools of destruction:

By nightfall tonight that explosion which just shook your neighborhood, in one of the most densely populated areas on earth, will have been liked over 8,000 times on Facebook. Welcome to Gaza City.

The transmutation of territorial control today enters a new topography, an extension of the historical “propaganda war”: control of the networked space online. The IDF have run a comprehensive social media campaign from the first stages of the new assault, announcing the assassination of Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari on Twitter, followed up by YouTube footage of his targeted killing within minutes.

Far from embracing ideas of a futuristic, dehumanising warfare, the instagrams of IDF, processed through the various “retro” and “soft-focus” filters, serve a dual purpose. The first purpose is that of historicization. Much as the hipstamatic literally filters the contemporary condition through the lens of the ’60s and ’70s, the use of “retro” filters removes the images of today’s IDF from their context within the current campaign of blockade and air assault and reframes them as part of the Israeli foundation story.

… Read the rest

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An Apology from Canada to Palestine and the Rest of the World: The 10 Most Shameful Minutes in Canadian History

By on November 30, 2012 in News 26

via chycho

On 29 November 2012, John Baird, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Canada, addressed the United Nations General Assembly on the Question of Palestine. Below you will find the video in which he accuses UN of abandoning its principles by recognizing Palestine.

Canada, Question of Palestine, General Assembly, 44th plenary meeting

Most Canadians are embarrassed and utterly disgusted with what our Conservative government has done. Unfortunately, because of our ’First Past the Post’ electoral system and the bitter reality that a majority government can do anything they want, we can’t do much about it, at least not until the next elections. When that time comes, we promise to do our best to remove from power these fanatics who have shamed Canada and put us on the wrong side of history.

Palestine, of course, was welcomed as a Non-Member Observer State. “Voting by an overwhelming majority – 138 in favour to 9 against (Canada, Czech Republic, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Panama, Palau, United States), with 41 abstentions — the General Assembly today accorded Palestine non-Member Observer State status in the United Nations.“

Voting, Question of Palestine, General Assembly, 44th plenary meeting

For those Canadians who have not been in the loop and would like to put into context what the Harper Government has just done, ask yourself this; was it to the best interest of Canada to vote and lobby against this resolution?… Read the rest

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The Hypocrisy of US Foreign Policy: Obama agrees, all countries have the right to defend themselves against drone strikes

By on November 21, 2012 in News 3

via chycho

To emphasize the hypocrisy of US foreign policy in the following reply from President Obama, the word “missiles” has been replaced by “drones”, the word “landing” replaced by “striking”, and the word “Israel(i)” replaced by “the country’s”. Obama’s actual video reply follows the modified quote.

“Let’s understand what the precipitating event here was that’s causing the current crisis, and that was an ever-escalating number of drones that were striking, not just in the country’s territory, but in areas that are populated, and there’s no country on Earth that would tolerate drones raining down on its citizens from outside its borders.

“So we are fully supportive of the country’s right to defend itself from drones striking people’s homes and workplaces and potentially killing civilians, and we will continue to support the country’s right to defend itself.”

As for a non-hypocritical perspective on the Israeli offensive in Gaza, please see the following interview on Democracy Now!… Read the rest

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