Middle East

The Canadian ship the Tahrir pulled out of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Two over the weekend, as only French ship the Dignity El Karameh and the Swedish-Norwegian-Greek ship Juliano remain to break the blockade of Gaza. The Tahrir finally gives up after Greek Port officials ask the activists to provide new documents that had never previously been mentioned nor required.

Protests continue in Tahrir Square six months after Mubarak resigned on the famous Day of Departure and while much of the world’s media is looking elsewhere for news. More demands are raised by protesters, yet the family atmosphere in Tahrir Square is causing difficulties for the military who fear using tear gas in such an environment.

The Israeli parliament is set to vote on a bill that will impose sanctions on people or organizations that call for a boycott of Israel or its settlements. The Israeli parliament’s legal advisor, Eyal Inon, was set to make a statement against the bill on Monday, saying the new law will damage freedom of expression.

Tomorrow, Palestinians will commemorate the seven year anniversary of the International Court of Justices (ICJ) ruling that the Israeli built wall and settlements in the Occupied Territories were against International law and International human rights and called for the dismantling of the wall. The Israeli government has ignored these calls repeatedly.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Egypt on Friday to defend the uprising that toppled president Hosni Mubarak, directing their anger at the new military rulers over the slow pace of reform. In the capital, flag-waving protesters packed Tahrir Square, epicentre of the protests that ousted Mubarak in February, after a mass weekly Muslim prayer service.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon set an October target for rival Cypriot leaders to secure a broad accord on reunifying the divided Mediterranean island, after both parties agreed on Thursday to intensify talks. “I have every expectation that by October the leaders will be able to report that they have reached convergence on all core issues, and we will meet that month in New York.”

Some news need no comment, like this one by which nothing less than the United Nations, United States, European Union and Russia decided now to express ‘concern’ about Gaza as if the inhuman situation of its children and the elderly were not know to them.

Apparently every body is keen to save the planet Earth. But hardly a few ever think of changing lifestyle which is too heavily based on an over-consumption of energy and so many other things.

“High food prices are here to stay, and their impact on the poor in developing countries who spend a high proportion of their income on food can be devastating”
Their number exceeds one billion and up to 98% of them live in developing countries.

The Palestinian leadership is more committed than ever to obtaining statehood through the United Nations General Assembly. But despite this commitment, there is worry that success in New York might not necessarily mean success in Nablus or Hebron. There are many reasons the UN route is the correct strategy for Palestinians today.