Media Review Network – Page 1277 – Providing Context and Substance

Eu should not tolerate ethiopias repression

by MRN
January 1, 2013July 25, 2013

EU should not tolerate Ethiopia’s repression

by Lotte Leicht

On 30 January, European Union policymakers sent a clear signal to Ethiopia: no matter how repressive the government becomes, vast sums of aid will continue to flow. This is emerging as a case study in bad donor policy.

In January Ethiopia’s government passed a law that is an attempt to muzzle local activists and prevent them from scrutinising the government’s human-rights record. Among other things, the new law labels local activists as "foreign" if they receive significant funding from abroad and makes it illegal for these "foreign" Ethiopians to scrutinise the government’s record on human rights, policing, conflict resolution and a range of other issues – even gender equality, children’s rights and the rights of handicapped Ethiopians. It also provides the government with bureaucratic tools to shut down groups the government dislikes.

Obama was unconvinced by bibis desire for peace

by MRN
January 1, 2013July 25, 2013

Obama was unconvinced by Bibi’s desire for peace

Robert Fisk

Barack Obama, they say, did not get on well with Bibi Netanyahu when he met him in Jerusalem before the American elections.

Mr Obama, who figured out the Middle East pretty quickly, apparently found Bibi arrogant and unconvincing in his professed desire for peace with the Palestinians. What Mr Netanyahu thought of Mr Obama is not known, but he could scarcely have tried to hide his election line: security for Israel, but no Palestinian state.

A crime for sa jews to serve in idf COSATU

by MRN
January 1, 2013July 25, 2013

A crime for SA Jews to serve in IDF: Cosatu

While a British MP recently made strong calls for all British Jews currently serving in the Israeli DefenCe Force (IDF) to be recalled, in South Africa the situation is very different. While civil societies have condemning South African Jews who serve in the IDF, not much is being done to enforce this law that prohibits South Africans from taking part in any mercenary activities abroad. But the biggest problem, said South African Trade Union (COSATU), International Secretary, Omgabongani Masuku, is with Jewish South African’s who hold duel citizenship with Israel.

Hajaig spat takes new turn as anti semitism debates continue

by MRN
January 1, 2013July 25, 2013

Hajaig spat takes new turn as anti-semitism debates continue in the wake of new questions about Israel’s future

Iqbal Jassat

Can it be argued that Minister Fatima Hajaig’s remarks on Jewish “money power” and the hostile reaction by the SA Jewish Board of Deputies [SAJBD] displayed a tendency to ignore the context in which these comments were made?

Now that the dust is settled following Hajaig’s apology – which incidentally the SAJBD initially rejected but hesitantly accepted after President Motlanthe considered the matter closed as far as government was concerned – it’s useful to probe this issue given that the bogey of “anti-semitism” remains a tool to suppress freedom of expression.