Archive 2012

2010 fifa world cup faces propaganda threat from foreign hacks

January 1, 2013July 25, 2013

By Iqbal Jassat – Chairperson: Media Review Network

Soccer’s premier international event has ensured that South Africa is in international news media’s constant spotlight. Whether the stories revolve on President Zuma’s polygamous lifestyle or on-going labour related strikes, as citizens of this country we have learnt to expect that our country will attract disproportionate media attention.

The presence of most international media houses in bureaus across many cities in South Africa has been reinforced in anticipation of being stretched resource-wise during the 2010 soccer festival. Their challenge will be to provide their respective audiences with on-the-spot commentaries as well as analysis.

Listen to the heroes of Isarael

January 1, 2013July 25, 2013

By John Pilger

(source: AntiWar.com)

I phoned Rami Elhanan the other day. We had not spoken for six years and much has happened in Israel and Palestine. Rami is an Israeli graphic designer who lives with his family in Jerusalem. His father survived Auschwitz. His grandparents and six aunts and uncles perished in the Holocaust. Whenever I am asked about heroes, I say Rami and his wife Nurit without hesitation.

Soon after when we met, Rami gave me a home videotape that was difficult to watch. It shows his daughter Smadar, aged 14, throwing her head back, laughing and playing the piano. "She loved to dance," he said. On the afternoon of 4 September, 1997, Smadar and her best friend, Sivane, had auditions for admission to a dance school. She had argued that morning with her mother, who was anxious about her going to the centre of Jerusalem. "I didn’t want to row," said Nurit, "so I let her go."

Israels no renting to arabs policy

January 1, 2013July 25, 2013

Jewish couple lose court battle to help Bedouin friends

By Jonathan Cook

(source: Jonathan Cook’s ZSpace Page)

The Zakai and Tarabin families should be a picture of happy coexistence across the ethnic divide, a model for others to emulate in Israel.

But Natalie and Weisman Zakai say the past three years — since the Jewish couple offered to rent their home to Bedouin friends, Ahmed and Khalas Tarabin — have been a living hell.

“I have always loved Israel,” said Mrs Zakai, 43. “But to see the depth of the racism of our neighbours has made me question why we live in this country.”

Three of the couple’s six dogs have been mysteriously poisoned; Mrs Zakai’s car has been sprayed with the words ”Arab lover” and the windows smashed; her three children in school are regularly taunted and bullied by other pupils; and a collection of vintage cars in the family’s yard has been set on fire in what police say was an arson attack.

The ethnic state of Isarael

January 1, 2013July 25, 2013

By Quraysha Ismail Sooliman

An international conference Locating ethnic states in a cosmopolitan world: The Case of Israel, was hosted on Monday 12th April by the Afro – Middle East Centre (AMEC) at the Colosseum Hotel in Pretoria.The conference was opened by Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim.

In his address Ebrahim called for Palestinian unity and stated that South Africa is willing to be engaged further to establish freedom and peace and seek justice for Palestine.