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Posts Tagged 'Hamas'
The Gaza Ceasefire: An Early Assessment
November 24, 2012 Akashma Online News	Leave a comment
Posted on November 24, 2012 by Akashma Online News
by Richard Falk
The Gaza Ceasefire, unlike a similar ceasefire achieved after Operation Cast Lead four years ago, is an event that has a likely significance far beyond ending the violence after eight days of murderous attacks. It is just possible that it will be looked back upon as a turning point in the long struggle between Israel and Palestine. Many have talked about 'the fog of war,' but it pales besides the 'the fog of truce making,' and in our media-infected air, the outcomes along with conjectures about the future are already being spun in all possible directions. Supporters of every position give their own spin, and then proclaim 'victory.' But as with the violent phases of the conflict, it is clarifying to distinguish the more persuasive contentions and interpretations from those that are less persuasive. What follows is one such attempt at such clarification.
It remains too soon to tell whether the ceasefire will hold for very long, and if it does, whether its central provisions will be implemented in good faith. At this early moment, the prospects are not promising. Israel has already used excessive violence to disperse Palestinian civilians who gathered on the Gaza side of the border, with a few straying across into Israel, to celebrate what they thought was their new freedom now to venture close to the border. This so-called 'no-go-area' was decreed by Israel after its 2005 'disengagement' has been a killing field where 213, including 17 children and 154 uninvolved, had lost their lives according to Israeli human rights organizations. Israeli security forces, after firing warning shots, killed one Palestinian civilian and wounded another 20 others with live ammunition. The Israeli explanation was that it had given warnings, and since there had been no agreement on new ground rules implementing the ceasefire, the old regime of control was still in place. It is notable that Hamas protested, but at this point has made no moves to cancel the ceasefire or to retaliate violently, but the situation remains tense, fragile, and subject to change.
Putting aside the precariousness of the current situation and the accompanying uncertainties, it remains useful to look at the process by which the ceasefire was brought about, how this sheds light on the changing dynamics of the conflict itself, as well as discloses some underlying shifts in the regional and global balances of forces.
First of all, the role and outlook of the Arab governments was far more pro-active than in past interludes of intensified Israel/Palestine violence. During attacks several leading foreign ministers from the region visited Gaza and were received by the Hamas governing authorities, thus undermining the Israeli policy of isolating Hamas and excluding it from participation in diplomacy affecting the Palestinian people. Egypt played the critical role in brokering the agreement, and despite the Muslim Brotherhood affiliation of its leaders. Mohammed Morsi, the Egyptian President, emerged as the key diplomatic figure in the process and widely praised by the West for his 'pragmatism.' This can be understood as recognition of Morsi's capability as a statesman to address the concerns of both sides without intruding his own pro-Palestinian outlook. Indeed, the auspices of this brokered agreement inverted what Americans have brought to the table in past negotiations, a pretension of balance, a reality of partisanship. Read more…
Categories: News Tags: Cast lead, Egypt, Egypt brokerade cease of fire, Gaza, Gaza Under Siege, Hamas, Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, Operation Cloud, Palestinian people, Tel Aviv, United States
Obama dancing to the Tune of Israel
Another Massacre in Gaza; election times for US and Israel, innocents used as steps to win
Obama gave Netayahu the green light to attack Gaza. This makes Obama, Netayahu partner in crime and recipient to the International war court in the Hague.
On Telephone conversation on November 11, 2012 Obama and Abbas had a chat on the phone. The white house briefing talks of two states solutions, which is nothing new except that there is no solutions only delays from Israel part. Many see this as time buying for Israel to grab more land so, the "facts on the ground" become an irreversible fact. The "facts on the ground" are the expansion of the settlements, which by UN resolutions, and international law are illegal.
Does Obama care for Palestine side of the solution?. Palestinians have to give up the right of return. Why? The answer is very simple one, there is no more land for Palestinian State.
Then we have the settlements, those facts in the ground are taking almost 85 % of Palestine Land. So we are talking of a physical impossibility. The dress up diplomacy of the leaders dancing Israel tune is hypocritical, insulting to the intellect and an ongoing catastrophe for Palestinians.
"In his discussion with President Abbas, President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to Middle East peace and his strong support for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians with the objective of two states living side by side in peace and security. He also reiterated the United States' opposition to unilateral efforts at the United Nations."
Now we continue with the tune of Israel moving the strings, modulating the lies to fit its cruel endowment of death in the Gaza Strip.
The Paid Media as always parroting Israel lies without even editing the errors in the dates. Take this for instance the most widely publicized lies of Israel; The Rockets from Gaza, and the beginning of this latest assault on the population.
"Israeli officials say the airstrikes are aimed at ending months of rocket fire out of the Hamas-ruled territory. Israel began the offensive with an unexpected airstrike that killed Hamas' military chief, and since then has targeted suspected rocket launchers and storage sites."
If you are not following the real News coming out of Gaza you are a soft target for these lies. Long before this Operation Cloud started, Israel had already being killing Palestinians on everyday basis. Hamas official was assassinated on November 14, but Israel had already started the heavy areal bombing since November 7. The dates do not match the lies, specially the deaths can not be faked, the number of Palestinians victims had been raising every day since Israel was inserted in Palestine. The attacks had been occurring long before Israel was declared state by the UN in 1948.
This excerpt correspond to October 2012 on the Occupied Palestine Blogs, solely dedicated to record Palestinian casualties.
Update Oct 24, 2012
In the past 3 days, Israel assassinated 7 Palestinians and wounded several more. The incitement about alleged rockets attacks is great. Yet, Israel (as below overview shows) does not need no rocket attack at all to violate Palestine on daily basis.
The propaganda machine is working overtime to convince this world of the threats of resistance's rockets which are legally and rightfully deployed as self-defense to which Palestine is entitle by the powers of International Law, 4th Geneva Convention and 1907 The Hague Agreements.
Resistance mortars or rockets have by the way killed 21 Israeli in 11 YEARS | Fact
Israel killed 2300 Palestinians and wounded 7700 in the last 5 years only.
The following Timeline and report was prepared by PCHR Palestinian Center For Human Rights for the Israel violations and attacks on Gaza since August 2011.
October 24 Update it is just one example of Israel murders inside Gaza territory. Every time that Gaza factions had negotiated a cease of fire with Hamas and Israel, Israel has been the one braking it, then it turns around and publishes lies around the world, which the Paid Media is eager to distributes as the truth.
For Palestinians the only truth that they can publish is the Name and age of the victims in every one of Israel attacks. On the other side Israel has no victims to publish, so it has to keep repeating the same lie over and over again. So much it had repeated its own lies that we wonder is they already had believed it to be truth.
While the word is busy discussing the News, discussing if it is truth that Hamas is terrorist group, or If there are actual rockets coming in from Gaza to Israel, Israel is busy bombing Gaza Strip. Since I began writing this article 4 days ago, more than 50 people had died from Israel missiles and drones attacks and more than 1000 people are injured.
There is is really no News to report, because Gaza is an old case that does not qualify to be News any more.
I m sorry Gaza, I mourn your dead and accompany with your suffering. RIP the innocents that had already claim their piece of Palestine.
Categories: News Tags: 1948 Israel creation, Cast lead, Gaza Rockets, Gaza war 2008, Hamas, illegal Israel settelements, Israel Apartheid System, Jew State killing the dreams of Palestine, Massacre in Gaza, Occupied territories, Palestine Nakba, Palestine Partition
Bashar Al-Assad provided Gaddafi Telephone Number?
October 2, 2012 Akashma Online News	Leave a comment
Posted on October 02, 2012 by Akashma Online News
Bashar al-Assad 'betrayed Col Gaddafi to save his Syrian regime', was as a heading all over the news few days ago as a bait to change the mood of the world against Syria. Since the conflict started last January Syria has been victim of barbarism according to people in Syria is mostly paid by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, US its allies but knowing the economic situation of the West economies is safe to say that these wars are being paid with Middle Eastern Oil Money.
Never forget the lessons of 1991 and 2003 when all the Middle Eastern Countries allied themselves with the US collision to attack Iraq.
We must remember the blood shed in Libya by the NATO forces, and the army of mercenaries that get infiltrated in the internal fight. While the Media was showing fake imagines of tortures by Gadaffe forces. Some of the videos were certified to be forgery, they were circulating in youtube as real, until the truth came out and those videos were exposed of events that happened in Iraq.
"The Assad regime in Syria brought about Muammar Gaddafi's death by providing France with the key intelligence which led to the operation that killed him, sources in Libya have claimed."
The Center Media plays it's role as paid by it's masters, the tactics have not changed. The propagation of scripted stories run wild until someone spots the truth and the truth surfaces and the commotion dies down.
We must be careful where we take our news or what we believe because our mind is so eager of new information that everything we feed it get processed but most of the time it is toxic media that we see in the big channels of TV.
Col Gaddafi, killed almost exactly a year ago Photo: AFP/GETTY
All the pictures that Big Media portrayed of Col Muammar Gaddafe were carefully chosen to give you an Ugly face, "The Face of the Dictator" as they repeated over and over.
The subliminal messages sent on the news are powerful tools of propaganda that few notice when they turn on their Silver Screen. Mind Control is being perfected over the years, billions of dollars invested studying the mind, and now is being paying off for the powerful Elites.
The Next article published 2 days ago, supposedly exposed Bashar Al-Alssad the President of Syria as traitor to Gaddafee. Some of the "information" they included in this article can not be verified, so as News goes, this could just be a gossip thrown around for the people to chew on something while Syria is being destroyed by the thugs.
Mr El Obeidi the same source named in this article according to telegraph, it is saying in its twitter that he would have say if he witnessed french agents killing Gaddafe! but apparently he did not.
Read it and be your own opinion maker.
Updated Source
By Adrian Blomfield, Nick Squires, Henry Samuel and Ruth Sherlock
8:00PM BST 30 Sep 2012
French spies operating in Sirte, Gaddafi's last refuge, were able to set a trap for the Libyan President Muammar Gaddafe after obtaining his satellite telephone number from the Syrian government, they said.
So why now the big fuss, this was a news published on October 23, 2011, The telegraph is even using the same picture of that article. Now they make headlines!?
It is obvious that they want to change the mood of the readers against Assad, now that all the blogs and independent media outlets are discounting the "Big Media News" as propaganda. They try to infuse interest back to their outlets.
The end of Gaddafi perhaps began with a phone call to Damascus by his apparatus satellite intercepted by NATO in Sirte, the last stronghold. And ended with a summary execution, preceded by a lynching, including sodomy of Colonel. An outrage In just a few seconds of video shot by a mobile phone immediately after capture and announced last night on YouTube. Il Gionale Italy
In what would amount to an extraordinary betrayal of one Middle East strongman by another, President Bashar al-Assad sold out his fellow friend in an act of self-preservation, a former senior intelligence official in Tripoli told the Daily Telegraph.
With international attention switching from Libya to Syria, Mr Assad offered Paris the telephone number in exchange for an easing of French pressure on Damascus, according to Rami El Obeidi.
Rami El Obeidi Twitter: I'm a revolutionary, former NTC Official, and a firm believer in justice fighting for a free, pluralist, sovereign, and democratic Libya – @ramielobeidi
@SultanAlQassemi trying to figure out why @ramielobeidi spilled the beans only now…this been around since Oct/2011 http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/gheddafi-giustiziato-professionisti.html …
@septimius_sever @SultanAlQassemi Some were not willing to listen then and others more willing to listen now. Timing was important too
Don @Papakila @ramielobeidi Did you personally witness French agents killing Gaddafi ?
1 Oct Rami EL OBEIDI @ramielobeidi@Papakila I would have said so if I did.
"In exchange for this information, Assad had obtained a promise of a grace period from the French and less political pressure on the regime – which is what happened," Mr El Obeidi said.
A National Transitional Council (NTC) fighter holds a picture of the Libyan fallen leader Muammar Al Gaddafi
While it was not possible independently to verify his allegation, Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, played a leading role in both the NATO salvage intervention to bomb Libya and in bringing international pressure to bear on the Assad regime. Libya from one side was ready to free the African Union from the wrath of the International Monetary Fund, when he will have announced the opening of the first Muslim African Bank using billions of petro dollars backed up by Gold. On the other hand the Government of Syria is the last bastion of Arab power in the Middle East. Besides to be an Ally of Iran, China and Russia which players has been a continuous headache for Washington. Specially for its pet pariah state Israel,for Syria supports of Hezbollah and for being the HQ of Hamas the party that won the elections in Gaza in 2007
The claims by Mr El Obeidi, the former head of foreign intelligence for the movement that overthrew Gaddafi, followed comments by Mahmoud Jibril, who served as prime minister in the transitional government and now leads one of Libya's largest political parties. He confirmed over the weekend that a foreign "agent" was involved in the operation that killed Gaddafi.
He did not identify his nationality. However the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera quoted Western diplomats in Tripoli as saying that if a foreign agent was involved "he was almost certainly French".
The news of the Syria deal could potentially embarrass NATO, which initially claimed that it did "not target individuals".
According to the alliance's official version, an RAF reconnaissance plane spotted a large convoy of vehicles trying to flee Sirte on Oct 20th last year, two months after Gaddafi fled Tripoli.
NATO warplanes then bombed the convoy, apparently unaware of who was travelling in it, before militia fighters later found Gaddafi hiding in a drainpipe. He is believed to have been killed by his captors en route to the city of Misurata, west of Sirte.
But Mr El Obeidi said that France had essentially masterminded the operation by directing Libyan militiamen to an ambush spot where they could intercept Gaddafi's convoy.
He also suggested that France had little interest in how Gaddafi was treated once captured, although the fighters were encouraged to try to take him alive.
"French intelligence played a direct role in the death of Gaddafi, including his killing," Mr El Obeidi said.
"They gave directions that he was to be apprehended, but they didn't care if he was bloodied or beaten up as long as he was delivered alive."
Bashar al-Assad, right, and his brother Maher
These picture of the two brothers, showing two perfect faces, clean shaved and probably wearing expensive Italian Sun Glasses, goes along with the propaganda. In the past the Media "exposed" email from Bashar's wife online shopping while the country is in fire. Nothing that you see in the Main Media it is coincidence. Every photo and every article is perfectly studied and chosen to serve a purpose.
According to Mr El Obeidi, French intelligence began to monitor Gaddafi's Iridium satellite telephone and made a vital breakthrough when he rang a senior loyalist, Yusuf Shakir and Ahmed Jibril, a Palestinian militant leader, in Syria.
As a result, they were able to pinpoint his location and monitor his movements. Although Turkish and British military intelligence officers – including the SAS – who were in Sirte at the time were informed of the ambush plans in advance they played no role in what was "an exclusive French operation", Mr El Obeidi said.
At the time of Gaddafi's death, Mr El Obeidi had fallen out of favour with the most powerful faction in Libya's transitional government because of his links with Gen Abdul Fatah Younes, a senior rebel commander killed by his own side in July last year.
Even so, he continued in his intelligence role in a semi-official but senior capacity.
Sources quoted by Corriere della Sera said one reason for the French lead in the operation was that then President Nicolas Sarkozy wanted Gaddafi dead after the Libyan leader openly threatened to reveal details of the large amounts of money he had donated to Sarkozy for his 2007 election campaign.
"Sarkozy had every reason to want to get rid of the colonel as quickly as possible," Western diplomats said, according to the newspaper.
A spokesman at the French foreign ministry refused to confirm or deny the claims.
Press TV correspondent assassinated in Damascus
Syrian being victim of conspiracy
Syria accuses UN Security Council of 'supporting terrorism'
Syria's Souk up in the flames as country's heritage at risk
British security firm facing questions over role in Benghazi attack
World reacts to ousted leader's death
Categories: Akashma, Awareness, Syria Tags: El Obeidi, French connection in Gaddafi execution, French Trap that killed Gadaffe, Gaddafi betrayed by Bashar Al Assad, Gaza Siege, Hamas, Hezbollah, Israel, Lybian spies, Rami El Obeidi, Sarkosky French President want Gaddafe death, Sryian connection in Gaddafe execution
Gaza in its Darkest Hour
February 22, 2012 Akashma Online News	Leave a comment
Posted on February 18, 2012 by Akashma Online News
Nothing seems to change in Gaza. Politicians come and go, Israel attacking again. The leaders of the world silence. The United Nations busy with PR and budgets. While Gaza still in the dark. The visit of two royals delegations in the past might had put Gaza in the news for few hours, but nothing really change.
Gaza, Palestine
Gaza, Palestine/-Gaza in its darkest hour after the fuel stopped getting to the only electrical plant of Gaza after Israel bombed the other plants in the assault of 2008-2009.
When we talk about Tunnels in Gaza we have to talk about the Bedouins Tribes that control the Rafah border.
Before the Egyptian Revolution I have the opportunity to talk to my Egyptian friends about all themes, but one of my favorites was to talk about Palestine.
Some of my friends have this idea that most of their economical problems, and security situation is due to Palestinians crossing illegally the border.
And that the security problem is according to them to the terrorists that are financed by Iran and Hezbollah, that was the propaganda feed thru all the regimen of Mubakark that was in bed with Israel, and kept the country deprived, oppressed, with more than 2,000,000 people incarcerated for their political views, specially the then illegal Muslim brotherhood that they said was financed from Iran to destabilize the country.
Off course this idea is not shared for the majority of Egyptians, they know their own problems were created along the way, since British Empire decided to colonize these great lands of the Nile.
With this notion I have to mention also, that they do not see themselves as an Arab people but proudly they refer themselves as the Pharaoh people, some how superior race, or more intellectually advanced.
I m not sure that the tribes of Bedouins share the same idea, but for sure they are merchants that travel the deserts selling goods, and having a semi sedentary life only to raise their live stock of sheep.
These same tribes now controlling the border with Gaza, where the tunnels are dug.
They control completely the entrances of the tunnels, and according to reports from CNN, after the revolution, No police dare to get closer to the Tribes and their controlled lands of the Sinai.
They control the smuggling weapons, and the official sell of weapons that enter Gaza for the official government as well, they gauge the food, medicines and fuel, And Fuel being of of the commodities that can bring more profits. One of the most disturbing news coming directly from Tel Avid is that they also controlled the human traffic coming to Israel, women to be sold as prostitutes and migrant workers to be exploit by Israeli farmers.
"For centuries their identity was nomadic. They roamed the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula with little care for national borders or sovereign rule. Modern life has persuaded many Bedouin to opt for a more sedentary existence in the various countries they inhabit, but they haven't shaken their reputation as professional outlaws.
Nowhere is that reputation more pronounced than in North Sinai, where they control much of the smuggling into Gaza. Their motivation is profit, not any particular affinity with the Palestinian people.
And it's big business." CNN
Ibrahim, from the Sawarka tribe around El Arish, the North Sinai governate's capital, says he "chipped in" with some partners to build five tunnels into Gaza costing about $100,000 each. The tunnels are used to transport big-ticket items such as cars, most of them these days with Libyan number plates. Ibrahim shows off his array of battered old Mercedes, Kias, even a Range Rover. Usually, he sends about 10 cars through the tunnels at a time, once or twice a week.
Salem is a friend of Ibrahim's from the neighboring Tarabin tribe. Neither wanted to use his full name for fear of police reprisal. Salem smuggles weapons, olives, tomatoes and canned food through the tunnels into Gaza. Olives cost about $100 per carton. Animals, such as a tiger or small elephant for the Gaza zoo, cost as much as $20,000, Salem said.
"But there's a red line," he said. "We refuse to allow suicide bombers through the tunnels to bomb Israeli targets from the Egyptian side. And we won't smuggle hostages,either. I was once offered $500,000 to smuggle an Israeli hostage to Islamist groups in Gaza. I refused."
Truth is that most of the problems facing Gaza; from water, food, construction material, medical equipment and most important Fuel Supplies are due to Israel Unfair and illegal blockade of the Mediterranean Port of Gaza, and Now added to the latest punitive measures implemented for Israel, punishing the innocent population of Gaza for the Unity deal reach by the two main factions, the Price Gouging in the Egyptian fuel prices had put Gaza in its darkest moments.
Hamas and Fatah have decided to work as a team and elect their leaders in the next elections, decision that was not welcome by Israel.
A Palestine United will be a invincible force against the tactics of divide and conquer used by Israel.
The Unity will boots the mood of Palestinians and will give them a respite in this internal conflict.
The constant harassment from both of the parties in Gaza and West Bank have been a tremendous drain of energy in the fight against the occupation.
Egypt wants to stop the passage of fuel through tunnels under the border between the countries, the official Rafah terminal is not equipped for goods transfers and its development is restricted to people only by an agreement between Egypt, Israel and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority. We wonder whose interest serve this close door agreement that undermine the well being of almost 2 million people in Gaza…
The agreement still in force since 2006, after Hamas won the election in 2007, Israel and PA have tried to castigate Hamas for wining the elections; for the PA a political pressure exercised to their political enemy, and for Israel to push the PA to take back Gaza.
There is no secret that PA has been a playmate to implement most of the policies dictated by Israel, and Hamas has not.
But the internal agreements convened in Cairo and Doha has not bring benefits for Gaza, even thought the fuel is a bare necessity for Gaza to run the hospitals, schools, Official business and households is not meet yet.
As Monday the 20 of February Fuel from Egypt was yet to be transferred to Gaza despite assurances it would arrive on Sunday to alleviate an energy crisis, a power authority official said Sunday afternoon.
"The current crisis is a political problem that started six years ago. The Israeli occupation, the Palestinian Authority's refusal to provide the Gaza Strip with funds, and the policy of Egypt which is dealing with Gaza out of security calculations, have all contributed to the current situation," said Hamas government spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.
The constant battle for public support have pushed Hamas to put the PR campaign first, instead of the welfare of Gaza. The refusal t0 buy the Israel fuel has been the pivotal point in this electricity shortage. I m that sounds to said but, we know that Israel is the occupying power, and control what enters and don't. Most of the deals are done behind doors, and what transpire is obvious.
If Israel control the money that enters Gaza, and Israel collect the taxes of the Palestinians society, and the money donated by the International community is obvious to assume that Israel and the Government of Gaza have their mechanism to transfer the money, the goods, and the embargo as well.
Israel 'approved' companies provide much of the fuel necessities of Gaza, the rest is bought, and smuggle thru the tunnels.
Last year when the European Union stop the funneling of funds to Gaza, the first blackest days started to feel in Gaza, and the deterioration of the electrical Plant due to the impossibility to import parts, and the lack of fuel to run it, put Gaza in the Dark.The only plant was providing electricity on schedule. Where only the people working for the government knew exactly when will the light will come.
Karl Schembri Photo
-Wasfi Al Nider sits motionless on a couch with his legs stretched looking at a small screen. Whenever it goes blank, it is the sign of yet another power cut hitting Gaza. But unlike the frustrations of thousands of others working on computers or watching TV, the screen the 63-year-old is looking at is connected to his blood and a kidney dialysis machine.
"Whenever there is a blackout, I'm in Allah's hands," Wasfi says. "The machine just stops, blood stops circulating, I just cry. Then we have to wait until the generator starts."- A journalist Jorney
Thousands of electrical devices were ruined because the electrical unannounced cuts, if you did not have Outrage Plug Protector, you were out of luck, and your computer most probably was blown out.
The entrance of fuel thru the tunnels not never stopped completely, and the smuggling of petrol that serve the private residents also never stopped. The dark side of Gaza can be see in the belt of the refugee camps, and in the impoverished neighborhoods that can not effort generators and/or fuel.
Gaza like any other society in the world, regardless of its state of war, and blockade to the outside of the world, has it blocks of 'Rich' families that never have felt the blockade, at least not with full force as the rest of the population.
Gaza is comprised mostly of refugee camps, where thousands of Palestinians linger waiting for freedom, not every one enjoy the benefit of being connected to the 'Grid', still now thousands of families live in tents, and in half destroy homes that lit their nights with candles and if they are lucky enough to have a working person they will have little money to share electricity provided by a better accommodated neighbor that have the luxury to have a generator.
Most of the petrol that enters under the line 'Tunnels' comes with a stiffly tag price, not all the fuel that enters Gaza is controlled by the Government.
Gaza like any other region of the world, have their hustlers, 'this active group' of Palestinians that are not deterred by the occupation, or the blockade and they find the ways to make 'little money' even if it means doubling the prices of the already expensive fuel prices.
This business goes both ways, in the Egyptian side and the Palestinians side in Rafah where all the tunnels are situated.
Sad as it sounds it is a reality, and Money it is the wheel that moves Gaza Society.
As I m finishing this article some developments are moving along in Gaza on the order of fuel, they received some Diesel from Egypt under a contract but not enough to satisfy the whole Gaza. They were talking of 5000 littler of diesel a day will cross to Gaza, but Gaza needs 100,000 littler of Gas at least to serve a population of almost 2,000,000.
Categories: Akashma, Awareness, News, Palestine Tags: Beduins Tribes of the Sinai, Gaza in its darkest hour, Gaza The Beautiful, Hamas, Hamas and Fatah Unity deal, PA, Tunnels of Gaza
Hamas: They Are Not Bad, They're Just Drawn That Way
July 21, 2011 Akashma Online News	2 comments
Posted on July 21, 2011 by Marivel Guzman
I choose to re-post this article because express very clearly the way the collective conscientiousness get sway away from the reality, the facts, the Truth. Part of this article is Originally Posted on October 19, 2009 By Mary Rizzo on Sabbah Report
Read in its entirely and think what is written in here, what resonate with your ideas, ideals and inner thoughts.
What is really that you think of the resistance movements around the world, not only Hamas, but every movement of resistance that you know about it, that you have heard on the NEWS.
After reading this article I invite you to go and read about any country that has any sort of conflict and read on their history, their struggles to survive, their patrons, their exploitators, their dictators.
Pick up few articles from diverse news outlets leaving out the Big Media and if possible pick some books on the subject, make sure they are not 'Best Sellers', (Leave out Oprah's Picks), as they tend to be tools of propaganda, at the end of 3 months of reading and making analysis of what you have read, I want you to to make your conclusions and write down what you thought of that country.
Now open CNN, FOX, BBC or any three Big News Outlets and find their stories on the country you have studied and make again conclusions and feel the notion of liberation from poisonous social entertaining Business News.
You will see the world with different eyes, you will 'feel' the world from your perspective. Take it as a mental experiment, to see how soaked you are with lies, dis-information and debunking information. I know that after you go to this process of cleansing, you too will be part of the invisible revolution that has overtaken our world, and welcome to the New World Order, our New World Order.
I know for some of you will find almost incredible that I picked this article from this author, happen to be that 2 years ago, she wrote what she felt was right. And given credit to her authorship is just right. Bear in mind that I do not agree with everything that she write in this article but I do agree with some points she mentions regarding resistance movements. Her article is very extensive and I don't doubt that she research extensively to created such a lengthy piece, never forgetting that the source of our research is what sometimes makes our state of mind.
I know Hamas subject is very touchy but is very good example of what we need to explore and understand. The reality on the ground is very far from what we imagine, even if we get the pictures of the day, we can not even phantom the fear of war, the moments of terror that the children live day by day. The responsibility of their appointed leaders is enormous, so this is an invitation to see their side of their story, thru the eyes of the independent media and the story portrayed by the PAID MEDIA, and at the end will be their story, vs our story, or the official story, in one word His story/history.
"The Media and the Use of Propaganda in WarIn researching the existing literature pertaining to the issue of the media and propaganda, there must first be proper definitions for the terms 'propaganda' and 'media' in the context of politics and war. Next follows an analysis of the different articles and works already undertaken on the subject of the media's role (as a propaganda tool) and the effectiveness of this specific form of propaganda. Thereby also concerns several pending questions regarding the different human perspectives of propaganda that is spread by the media. Lastly, there is the review of literature in relation to propaganda as a whole. Definitions of the media and propagandaIn identifying the topic scope, the term 'media' refers to the plural of the word 'medium' (Pearsall 1999). In this context, the 'media' is defined as 'the main means of mass communication in forms of television, newspapers and the radio.' (1999: 884).Petley states, that the term 'propaganda' refers to 'the deliberate use of newspapers, television and other media to influence people's attitudes (2000:26). Petley also states that propaganda is '[used] often [by] employing lies and distortion'."
In many parts of the West, certain political parties or movements are treated as if they come from the Moon or are alien to any body politic. Their existence among the people is always scrutinized as negative, transitory and something created in a boardroom or a backroom, imposed upon an unsophisticated public that is unable to differentiate a true political programme from empty and simplistic rhetoric. These parties or movements are depicted as if they only address the margins of society who are disenfranchised from any "normal" democratic bodies, and thus, are ramshackle bands that represent a minority constituency. Given their oppositional nature to pre-existing parties, they are outfitted with the label that will serve to keep them isolated from the structures that are already in operation. All of this is to destroy the party or movement by propaganda work rather than analysis of reality.
An entire mythology has been built around the Palestinian resistance movement (which morphed into a party) Hamas. This construct has actually taken on more legitimacy as a factual interpretation of Hamas than the facts themselves. In most of the Western media, no matter if it is on the right or the left, and in some of the "moderate" media in Arab countries, the very name of the party is coupled with terms such as "fundamentalist", "radical" or "terrorist". Clearly, this serves to create a fear trigger that will remove the word from being critically and honestly evaluated. The listener will immediately identify Hamas with a negative connotation and is removed from responsibility for understanding that this is a manipulation of reality. The listener is expected to accept the claims that Hamas is "anti-democratic" and "fanatical". It is child's play to then convince the listener that Hamas is Bad, that it is the Enemy of all We represent (in our own eyes, tolerance, democracy, Goodness itself). It is possible to then extend that reading to the belief that action must be taken against them, that they are a "cancer that must be gotten rid of", as quoted by the institutional peacenik. How does one eradicate a cancer, once it has been diagnosed? By extirpation or bombardment. With cancer treatment, one "bombards" even the healthy parts of the body with toxic agents, waiting to see if after the battle there were enough healthy parts remaining to allow the organism to continue to exist. Once you have set into the minds of millions of people the idea that destruction is good, because the enemy is just so damaging and evil if allowed to exist, the risk of bringing the entire organism to its grave by weakening it dramatically is taken as a viable risk to run. This is a way to make them justify actions that their own eyes don't see as therapeutic, but are pure horror and evil.
How did it work that the world was so fooled and allowed Israel to destroy Gaza to "get rid of Hamas"? It was quite simple, and it's always the same answer: Israel and its allies keep people dis-informed. Those who actually will go slightly below the screaming headlines of the newspapers might find out a few facts buried that that will contradict the spin, but not that many people will go that far, given that they are exposed to something with an element of truth buried deep within. If that were not problematic enough, even the "progressives" have done meritorious services to rendering Hamas untouchable. They might accept them as a "resistance movement" but they won't allow their personal ideological bias to see Hamas as a progressive force for their own people's advancement. This may be out of conviction, convenience or even lack of research or a blind spot that does not allow variations on the theme of the class struggle, where everything is "international" and the same type of rules and ideals should be considered applicable and necessary for all, going so far in some cases to "import democracy" under various more or less aggressive forms.
These people, many of whom are armed with good intentions, have chewed, swallowed, and are spitting back quite a few of the outright lies and distortions that are part of the mythology created by opponents of Hamas, created in Israel and the West, primarily.
What are the components of that mythology?
1) Hamas was created by the Israeli Mossad.
2) Hamas represents a marginal portion of the Palestinians.
3) Hamas turned democratic enough just to be able to obtain some legitimacy to later take over and turn the Palestinian Territories into an Islamic State.
4) Their victory in the polls was nothing more than a protest vote against the corruption of Fatah.
5) Hamas is comprised of a bunch of illiterates and their electors are sucked in by their own ignorance.
6) Hamas is a fundamentalist group and therefore inflexible and incapable of any modification or evolution. The oft cited Charter is used against them to stress that they are simply a radical, destructive group poised for Holy War.
7) Hamas does not seek any kind of compromise with other Palestinian political parties or factions, and are therefore the divisionary element that prohibits of the unity of the people.
8 ) Hamas operates to indoctrinate their people with hate propaganda in order to utilize them as cannon fodder.
9) Hamas is a terrorist group that exists only thanks to financing by "fundamentalist regimes".
That Hamas is merely a resistance movement has been thoroughly disproved by the elections, but this seems to be the safe place that activists can cluster in order to allow themselves to be able to tolerate Hamas, while wishing for their quick demise. They are not viewed then as having a true heritage as a political party that can be compared to those of "democratic nations" of the "international community", and thus, analysis of them can remain at an elementary level, lending itself to hasty generalizations.
I ask my readers to kindly forgive all the inverted quotation marks, but these words do become ironic and empty of true meaning when they are applied to the objects indicated by the spin doctors, whose task it is to do the bidding of the hegemonic powers. How can a minority of a handful of nations that always pits itself against the will of the remainder of the world community in the UN be considered as the "international community"? It's a boy's club that excludes practically everyone. How can a country that puts in office the candidate who obtains the lesser amount of votes be called a "democracy"? It is when we start to question our own foundations that we can detect that there is a lot of convenience in presenting any opposition as being an enemy and outside of paradigms that we consider to be core to our expectations of how to establish a just and equitable world.
It's time to debunk a few of these myths with facts.
1) Hamas was not created by Mossad. Although Israel does like to claim credit for many things, this one is not their doing. Political Islam in Palestine has had a presence since the early 40s in Mandate Palestine, and Hamas was born as part of the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan), with many of its early leaders formally affiliated. It was the experience of refugeehood that turned Hamas into a more autonomous element with a particular nationalist basis to it, a natural result of the urgent and real human situation of displacement and loss of their cultural and national identity.
There were close relations of this group with the Egyptian base, and the first offices of the Ikhwan in Palestine were created in Gaza in 1945, led by a member of one of the most important families of the zone, Sheykh Zafer al Shawwa. During the first Arab-Israeli war, Islamist volunteers reinforced the ranks, coming primarily from Jordan and Syria, and this support showed the refugees that the Ikhwan had the courage to defend itself, even during the "Israeli War of Independence". The growing number of refugees gave a stronger identity and sense of purpose to the Islamist movement in Palestine. Therefore, in the civil society and in the population in general, a motivation from any other source was not required to be able to pledge: "I promise to be a good Muslim in defending Islam and the lost land of Palestine. I promise to be a good example for the community and for others." These were the words spoken by those who swore their loyalty to the Ikhwan in Palestine (source: Beverly Milton Edwards, "Islamic Politics in Palestine", p. 43). The local Ikhwan had its own agenda, defending its lost land. It didn't require fanaticism, outside influence or even propaganda. The refugees themselves were living proof of the horrors of deportation and suffering. The identification as part of an international movement was concomitant with the recognition of the particularity of the Palestinian experience. The official foundation, dating 9 December 1987, was only the culmination of an organization in the works for decades. Organized Islamic resistance was further utilized when the situation precipitated dramatically in 1967 and a new generation was born as refugees. For this generation, a return to Islam was considered as a necessity for the moral and political future of a people that was being literally destroyed. The cause of the Nakba was seen by many as the result of the distancing from a normal society, the Palestinian one, in which the ethical, religious, cultural and traditional values had been devastated by the occupation, and the descent into further degradation, poverty, disenfranchisement and social instability was seen not only as the result of the occupation, but part of its cause.
The "international community" would not come to the rescue of these people, the rest of the Ummah was not caught up in their national struggle, largely because they were not directly involved or were even prohibited from involvement. The extreme pain and disgrace of losing one's land at that time was a new element to the area, where previous colonization avoided expelling the indigenous inhabitants, and throwing off the usurpers was not complicated with the total loss of roots and a base. The basis for the formal dimension of Hamas was thus present for decades prior to its official birth. In order to operate, being under the thumb of the occupation, these organized groups that existed had established charities and benefit organizations for their people. These institutions were tolerated by Israel in the Occupied Territories. Israel conceded some operating space through granting of licenses. As General Yitzhak Sager said in an interview to the International Herald Tribune in 1981, the Israeli government "…gave money that the military governor allocated to the mosques […] the sums were used both by the mosques and the religious schools, with the purpose of reinforcing a subject that would contrast that of the Left that was in favour of the PLO." If there was some motivation for Israel to be involved, it was really as an act of 'divide and rule', a bit of tolerance, a bit of economic support to the various religious associations in order to see if an opposition to the nationalists of the PLO could develop. They really were only looking for a way to see the weakening of the PLO, which was gaining some support in the West, and they did not found, provide major financing or in any way influence a movement that they would in some way infiltrate or control. That is pure mythology. Why give Israel credit where none is due?
2) That Hamas represents only a marginal portion of Palestinians is another myth to debunk. It is indeed true that all Palestinians are not refugees, and it is also true that virtually all of the leaders of Hamas were born in exile or at some point were subjected to the experience of expulsion and loss of their homes and possessions. This is a core Palestinian experience, and it is true that even those (few) Palestinians who were not uprooted can identify with the loss of their cultural and national identity, and all of them know that their national aspirations and cohesion as a group have been destroyed by Israel. Thus, even a movement or party that has its own identity in the refugee camps and in exile or in religious roots, is recognised as an intrinsic, legitimate and natural representative of Palestinians as a whole. They even obtained the majority vote in areas of the West Bank that were not considered as Hamas strongholds, as well as obtaining votes from many Christian areas.
3) The myth that Hamas turned "democratic enough" just to get its foot in the door as the first step of forcing an Islamic State upon the entirety of Palestine is a very widespread one, especially in the progressive circles that do not recognize the popularity of the movement or who have an ideological prejudice against any religious movement. There is much to be said in favour of separation of church and state, but this of course is something that cannot be imposed from afar, and furthermore, there are many levels of separation to take into consideration. Those who subscribe to this position of "Hamas buying time before introducing the Sharia" tend to deny that a democracy has certain characteristics, and it is not necessarily a synonym of "secularism". When the word "democracy" is applied correctly, it has certain characteristics, and Hamas meets these. Hamas has popular consensus. It has an internal structure that is autonomous and recognized as legitimate by its constituency. It follows the rules of elections, meeting the requirements for participation. Once elected, it assumes its role within the existing system, not having overthrown or staged coups against established structures. It is a political movement with several factions (some of them armed, as is true of many parties in areas under occupation, Fatah included) with a history and an organization. There is widespread discussion among its constituencies, including those who are political prisoners, prior to making decisions, and the majority decides the actions to be undertaken. If one thing must be said about it to set it apart from parties that Westerners are familiar with, highest level leaders generally do not assume the governing roles. This is understandable in a party where a great quantity of the leaders are routinely assassinated by Israel. That the current political director, Khaled Meshaal, must live in exile after having once been victim of an attempted assassination says more about this anomalous situation than a thousand words can.
4) That Hamas's victory in the Legislative Council election was nothing more than a protest vote (another pet theory of the left) was brilliantly illustrated as false by Paola Caridi in her very good book (despite the sensationalist subtitle) "Hamas, What it is and what the Radical Palestinian Movement Wants", published by Feltrinelli and only available in Italian at this time. I am translating a few paragraphs that deal with this question.
"There is a precise political reason for which the majority of Palestinians voted for Hamas. It is a reason that concerns the decision made by the Islamist movement formally on 23 January 2005. (translator's note, a year prior to the Legislative elections): a unilateral truce, reached together with the Islamic Jihad (that had instead broken it on several occasions), which had turned words into facts: that there would be the end of the season of terrorist attacks made by Hamas inside Israel as indicated within the confines of the 1949 armistice, the Israel within the Green Line, in other words. The ending of suicide attacks in Israeli cities, substantially bringing an end to the Intifada as well as (Hamas's) participative choice is interpreted by the Palestinian population as a precise political proposal: an alternative to those who had governed and controlled them, holding the hegemony up to that moment. A proposal that poses at the same time new de facto limits to Hamas's resistance strategy. The Islamist movement has not been, therefore, chosen only as a protest against the corruption, patronage and inefficiency of Fatah, which as a party is often confused with the PA. Corruption, patronage and inefficiency that are related, at least from a temporal point of view, with the failure of the Oslo Accords and the "facts on the ground" realized by the Israelis.
"The people of Hamas were considered people who are serious, who did not enrich themselves at the expense of the population, in fact, they continued to live in normal neighborhoods and in the refugee camps." (Caridi, p. 171).
5) An extremely offensive smear, oft repeated, is that Hamas's followers and its leaders are a "bunch of illiterates" or "religious fanatics". Almost all the leaders are (or were, given the number of assassinations within their ranks, the past tense is de rigueur) university graduates in fields ranging from medicine and physics to jurisprudence, economics and theology, is testament itself that this smear is merely to throw dirt on them and paint them as having read only religious texts and therefore "under-developed" when compared to other movements. Education has always been one of the pillars of Hamas and its charity work. The people of Palestine don't need to be told this, it is a reality for them, where in many cases without this foundation, Palestinians would be left wanting in this area.
6) The inflexibility of Hamas is another myth, especially yanked out when speaking of the 1988 Charter (Mithaq). Shiekh Hamed Bitauri, "religious authority of Nablus, president of the Union of the Palestinian Ulemas, known for his radical positions had no problem confirming that 'the Charter is not the Qu'ran. We can change it. It is only the synthesis of the positions of the Islamist movement in its relations with the other factions, and its politics.' Aziz Dweik, founder of the Department of Geography of the University of Nablus, later to become the spokesman of the Palestinian Parliament after the 2006 elections, and imprisoned in Israeli jails since the summer of that year, went even further, declaring the political and pragmatic necessity of distancing from the Mithaq of 1988 to Khalid Amayreh, Palestinian journalist that is sensitive to Islamist positions, he said that 'Hamas would not remain as a hostage to rhetorical slogans of the past like those of the 'destruction of Israel'." (Khalid Amayreh, Hamas Debates the Future: Palestine's Islamic Resistance Movement Attempts to Reconcile Ideological Purity and Political Realism, in "Conflicts Forum", Nov. 2007, p.4) (Caridi p. 90).
Haniyeh has mentioned on many occasions that the Charter has been surpassed in its substance by the other official documents, the most important of which, the Electoral Programme of the Reform and Change List (the list in which Hamas ran for office). This programme is structured like a document that goes far beyond the needs of a political campaign, according to the leader of Hamas, and it indicates the policy of the movement. It was not written in the heat of the revolution of the Intifada, and reflects the evolution of the party. The changes present are not ideological so much as ones of a strategic and political nature. The positions have been reiterated so many times in interviews and public interventions, it seems incredible that the complexity and maturity of Hamas should by now not be apparent to everyone. It is clear that they are still dedicated to the liberation of Palestine, but they are attempting to achieve it through reaffirmation of the rights of the people, knowing full well that as a party, Hamas is not equipped to overthrow the occupation in any practical way or to destroy what they recognize as a reality.
Many of us who follow events in the Middle East hope that they do not surrender to pragmatism so far as to recognize Israel not only as a reality, but as a "Jewish State", however, we must watch from the sidelines and evaluate facts. The people of Palestine will be vigil about what rights are being surrendered, if any, and many of us believe that backs to the wall, they will not capitulate and lose what they know is theirs for reasons of political expediency. Hamas too is aware of this fact.
7) Hamas has been far less divisionary than its principle counterpart, Fatah. The Gaza "coup" that shocked and saddened the world was actually a preventive measure to the thwart the planned takeover by the Fatah forces faithful to Dahlan (in collaboration with Israel). That Hamas was the party that was awarded victory by its own people has never been recognized by the "international community" that nevertheless pushed for elections and insisted that this was the necessity for Palestinians, because this would mean that the resistance had been granted legitimacy and would become policy within the governing body, the rejection of negotiations as sub-alternates with Israel, which was Fatah policy, had been officially sanctioned by the populace and it would only be a matter of time before the programme would become policy. So, any steps by the Fatah "Security Forces" to overtake Gaza would actually have been the coup. But in the backwards way of viewing events, fueled by disinformation, the tragic bloodbath between Palestinians prevented the real overthrow of democracy that would have taken place had Dahlan had the chance. Again and again, Hamas has sought to work together with the opposition party, and this is something they would not tolerate in the vain hope that their economic advantage and political nulla osta from the boy's club would allow them to command even in absence of the popular mandate to do so.
8 ) It's not necessary to use propaganda to show to Palestinians in the Occupied Territories and in exile, and even to many within Israel, the ongoing destruction of the Palestinian civilization and people. Blockades, bombardments, assassinations, war, checkpoint humiliations, restrictions, separation of families, imprisonment and further abuses are not isolated incidents, but they are the daily bread and water of Palestinian life. No one needs to invent a rage over a phantasmagoric enemy. There is a real one that is subjecting the people of all ages and conditions to humiliation, deprivation and death. Showing a man in a mouse costume to insist that children are being indoctrinated in hate might go down well with the uninformed masses, but a glimpse into the reality makes Farfur look like the sweetest kind of way for a child to assimilate and tolerate that he or she is a prisoner doomed for life to suffer in the most atrocious way for being born as a lesser being in the oppressors' eyes.
9) The worst smear against Hamas is the one to keep them as the symbol of evil: that they are a terrorist group, financed by "rogue States in the axis of evil". Bearing in mind that their financing is abysmally inferior to the gigantic economic and "military aid" package given to Israel by America, Canada and many other nations in the "international community" in an official way, why should the claim of foreign financing be considered as unacceptable when it is simply the way the that Israel keeps afloat through billions of dollars annually, up front, and heaven only knows what other financing comes in through the thousands of "charities" that are really little more than fronts for mass immigration to Israel to curtail Arab growth? If Zionism and its charities are considered as legitimate and noble, why are Islamic ones put on blacklists and the donors treated as if they are financing terrorism? There is a double standard here.
That Hamas has rejected terror operations against civilians and did its best to do so in the service of achieving a realistic improvement for the life conditions of its people is an authenticated fact, corroborated by none other than the USA Congressional Research Service, a Think Tank that basically presents its conservative and Israel-friendly positions to the Congress so that they become policy. In fact, in the document coordinated by Jim Zanotti http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/R40101.pdf Israel and Hamas, Conflict in Gaza (2008-2009), we see that the quoted "reason" for the onslaught of Gaza to "cleanse it of Hamas", the rockets fired into Israeli territory, was nothing but an excuse that the West drank down with gusto as if it were cherry juice. The extremely rudimentary rockets were recognised as NOT having been launched by Hamas, and not only that, Hamas was viewed as being able and willing to suppress the attacks. It is significant that the first victims of the Israeli attacks in Gaza were the regular police forces who had just been trained, perhaps also for this purpose. Zanotti writes:
For the first five months, the cease-fire held relatively well. Some rockets were fired into Israel, but most were attributed to non-Hamas militant groups, and, progressively, Hamas appeared increasingly able and willing to suppress even these attacks. No Israeli deaths were reported (although there were injuries and property damage), and Israel refrained from retaliation.
Nevertheless, each party felt as though the other was violating the terms of the unwritten ceasefire. Hamas demanded€"unsuccessfully€"that Israel lift its economic blockade of Gaza, while Israel demanded€"also unsuccessfully€"a full end to rocket fire and progress on the release of Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit from Hamas's captivity.
Israel cited the sporadic rocket fire as justification for keeping the border crossings and Gaza's seaport closed to nearly everything but basic humanitarian supplies. Hamas, other Arab leaders, and some international and non-governmental organizations involved in aiding Gazan civilians complained that Israel was reneging on its promises under the unwritten cease-fire agreement.
If that were not enough, the author, certainly not sympathetic in any way to Hamas, makes statements about the aftermath of the war where even Israel admits that Hamas was not responsible for the rockets:
Since Israel's unilateral ceasefire began on January 18, 2009, there have been about 40 sporadic rocket launches into southern Israel, far fewer than occurred on average per day just before Operation Cast Lead. Moreover, Israeli officials believe that smaller militant groups, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, and not Hamas, have fired the rockets, as they did during the cease-fire (although it is possible that Hamas is enabling or acquiescing to these attacks while preserving denialability).
So, Israel used the excuse of Hamas rocket launches to justify the elimination of Hamas (by means of destruction of the entirety of Gaza) through what they call "military operations" but the rest of humanity knows is war, while they were aware that Hamas was neither the author nor the facilitator of the rockets, any kind of excuse they pull out of the magic hat to justify their actions should fall on deaf ears. Complaints about arms smuggling through the most rudimentary of tunnels should stink to high heaven when we see the Defense Budget Appropriations for US-Israeli Missile Defense Programs in that same Congressional Report. Iron Dome, David's Sling and other "military aid" costing the American people billions of dollars are described briefly. For every five ineffective bottle rockets that are smuggled through a tunnel, the USA is flying in full cargoes of arms and cases of cash to be spent by Israel for their military "needs". The double standards here also draw innocent blood in violation of international law at the expense of your hard-earned money. Again, from the Congressional report:
Israel may have used weapons platforms and munitions purchased from the United States in its military operations in Gaza, reportedly including, among others, F-15 and F-16 aircraft, Apache helicopters, and, according to Israeli press reports, GBU-39 small diameter guided bombs approved for sale by the 110th Congress following notification in September 2008.
Additionally, all unilateral truces between Israel and Hamas (called by Hamas, not by Israel) were broken in every case by Israel. In many cases, making incursions into the Occupied Territories, which legally they are prohibited from doing, as civilian populations under occupation (even if the "settlers" have left, Gaza is kept under siege by Israel) are required to be protected by the occupier, not attacked. Israel, using weapons and planes supplied for them by the good graces of the people of the United States, bombarded streets where their targets (politicians and clerics that Israel terms as "militants" if not worse) were located, killing in an indiscriminate way anyone in the range, children included. If that's not terrorism, the word has no meaning.
These are only a few of the myths in circulation. They represent just a portion of the lies, disinformation and hasbara that circulates about one of the major Palestinian parties, born from within, developing as all parties do, from below, and legitimized by fair and legal elections. Debunking these lies is a duty. One doesn't need to agree to the entire programme of Hamas, but one is obligated to recognise that they are entirely different from the image that they have been straitjacketed into. What Jessica Rabbit said in the film, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" could very well apply to Hamas: "I'm not bad, they just draw me that way."
* Mary Rizzo is an art restorer, translator and writer living in Italy.
Categories: Akashma, Awareness, Gaza Under Siege, Hamas, history is a myth, News Tags: Akashma web blogs, Awareness, Gaza Siege, Hamas, Israel created Hamas, resistance movements
Is Gaza being strangled by the Egyptian Revolution?
Posted by Marivel Guzman
Jasmine Revolution, Tunisia Road to Freedom
As the world is united to support the Egyptian Revolution and press around the world for the ouster of the Dictator Hosni Mubarak, the police in Egypt have come back to the streets after running out scare for their lives as they did not know if Mubarak plans to step down or cling to the chair. The hours have pass and Mubarak still refuses to let go, with that gesture the police relieved of being caught up en between the will of the people and their jobs.
The situation might be blurry and confused for the foreigners, the spectators of this chain of events that started on December 27, 2010 with a person in the main square of the Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid, where Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire and sparked a revolution, The Jasmine Revolution that ousted another Dictator.
Tunisia has asked Interpol to help arrest ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, his wife Leila Trabelsi and other members of the family who fled the country during an uprising, the justice minister said Wednesday.
Lazhar Karoui Chebbi told a news conference that Tunisia wanted to try Ben Ali and his clan for "possessing of (expropriated) property and transferring foreign currency abroad," Reuters reported.
The spark the set Egyptians in an unexpected uprising that culminated with the Revolution that wants Hosni Mubarak out of the Chair, have kept The Western, Israel and Gaza Government afraid of any moves that can spark more unrest in the Palestinians Territories. With the Egyptian Revolution getting momentum in the Streets of Egypt and else where in the world, the uncertainly of the outcome have forced the Egyptian Military to seal the border of Rafah the only official open border to Gaza, Palestine, and The Authorities in Gaza afraid of the influx of Egyptian Refugees that try to cross to Gaza in the last days, have forced them to seal also the Tunnels, the lifeline of Gaza for the last 3 years after Israel imposed the Siege.
Sources in Gaza confirmed that the Erez Crossing that connect Israel with Gaza is being completely sealed since yesterday, the excuses always come handy for Israel to block the entrance of goods to Gaza.
People are required to put all their luggage on a metal detector, which funnels the baggage to unseen security guards for possible hand checks. Travelers then are buzzed through a glass door and enter the crossing's most sophisticated security check: an advanced body screener created by a California company.
The Erez crossing is the official crossing point for products and goods that enter Gaza from Internationals Organizations such UNRWA and other financed by European countries. The Erez Open only to Arab residents under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, Egyptian nationals, and international aid officials
– Scanning equipment built by L-3 Communications Inc.
– Cost more than $35 million to construct
The crossing is largely unused as Israel prohibits the vast majority of Gazans from coming out, and almost no one from Israel goes in. These days, many simply call the high-tech crossing point the "terminal to nowhere"
People are required to put all their luggage on a metal detector, which funnels the baggage to unseen security guards for possible hand checks.
Travelers then are buzzed through a glass door and enter the crossing's most sophisticated security check: an advanced body screener created by a California company.
The scanner is so sensitive, officials say, that it creates a complete holographic image of the traveler and allows the screener to see even a tissue or penny stuck in a pocket.
Travelers step into the scanner through a plastic portal and raise their hands above their heads. The translucent plastic doors close and a scanner whizzes around them in a complete circle.
The scanner's manufacturer, L-3 Communications Inc.
With the unrest in the region Israel seal the Erez crossing, making with this the situation in Gaza unbearable. For the last 3 years the booming of the tunnels have relieved the population of Gaza, as most of the food and products were imported by the tunnels operators that control both sides of the border.
The Gaza Tunnels have served as a life line for the besieged population of Gaza
The prices have raised dramatically in Gaza since the Revolution sparked in Egypt. "You know that everything in the Gaza Strip, such as food and drink, gas, petrol and everything here comes from Egypt, now anything enter from Egypt and here in Gaza and the high prices of many things lacking in Gaza, when they become available they are very expensive" my source explained. "They will arrest any journalist from Gaza that try to portray anything about Gaza to the world".
The situation in Gaza is deplorable in all the senses, politically, economically and if the situation does not change for the better the Revolution of Egypt can be easily imported to Gaza, and for that they do not need the tunnels.
The people is tired of waiting from the West to do anything to make Israel to lift the blockade, they are tired to wait from their own government to implement an emergency measures to alleviate their lack of food, the absent of jobs and the insecurity in the Strip.
Something has to be done in the next few days. Gazans are impatient also and they might want to unite their voices to the general struggles and protests that have swept the world in the last 4 weeks.
Let's hope for the good of the people that Mubarak sees his time over and move out of the way so the change can start taking place and Gaza siege be lifted once and for all.
The people have spoken "When people speak, despots, dictators, tyrants should shut up, or pack up and leave" Hamza El Alami said in one of his comments posted in facebook, the social network that have served as a meeting forum for social and peace activist of the world.
Hamza El Alami said "the US has not called on Mubarak to resign, and if they can control events in the M.E. as it used to, they will not hesitate to act and defend the SOB Mubarak. The people in Egypt has spoken, and so the rest of the oppressed people …in the Arab world; one by one they will rise against tyranny. American policy makers are not for democracy; the US rejected the Palestinian election's results, and decided along with Israel and Mubarak to starve and strangulate 1.5 million people in Gaza. The US is for Israel and its racist policy, dictators, corrupt rulers and not democracy, at least not for Arabs. America has to face a new reality and reassess its policy that must be based on justice and not the support of ruthless dictators."
Mubarak falling in pieces, as the days pass and Egypt unrest grows, no words from Obama or Old Crazy Joe Biden can stop the will of the people from shaking the dictator from their country
THE WHITE HOUSE can not keep supporting Mubarak or other dictators and terrorist states for long time, risking being caught up in the same situation as Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Yemen, Pakistan where the people had spoken their rage throwing themselves to the streets to ask for justice.
In the past people in the US has revolved against policies, Domestic and Foreign, but never before since the civil war, the government has seen something like what is happening in Egypt, or what just developed in Tunisia, they are analyzing and tasting the intelligent and resolve of the people of the US.
They know that we are not silence any more, they can not risk to enrage 10 millions or 20 or 30 million people, not even imagine 100 millions of Americans in the streets of the US protesting, injustice in the courts, discrimination in the Tax System, Wages under the living standards of decency, Under Funded Education, Draconian Laws enacted by Bush and Company, Contaminated Food, Health Care unacceptable, really the government of the US is not ready to confront 100 million people claiming for equality and justice.
The white house is worry of the wave of dissent around the world is rolling down as an avalanche, a ball of protests growing every moment and they refused to speak the right words, "Mubarak Reign of Terror has to Stop, once and for all".
I THINK WE ARE SEEING THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE, The emperor is Naked and refuse to recognized it.
When the people finally speak the leaders shut up and Lead, that will be the lessons that every leader have to learn if they want to hold to the Chair a little longer.
It is a cheaper solution for the government to sacrifice a few dictators and one Terrorist State and live comfortable for another 10 or 20 years, enough time for the people of the world to completely wake up and smell the coffee.
While all the unrest is growing in the world, Gaza is waiting for the world to speak for them, to help them to Tear the Walls down.
Revolution is at their Gates and is tempting, the blood is already boiling, the rage is in every mind, the RESISTANCE is standing stronger every day, there short time to lose. Every Citizen of the world STAND for Peace, Demand your leaders to fight for Peace and Justice for all.
Free the World, Stand for your Rights, Raise your Voice. We own it to us, if you want to stay free, you have to fight for it.
Categories: Akashma, Awareness, Facebook Activists, Gaza/Palestine, Hamas, Israel, Opinion-Maker Tags: Egyptian Revolution, Facebook Activist, Gaza, Gaza Blockade, Gaza Siege, Hamas, Israel, Jasmine Revolution, Palestine
GAZAN YOUTH'S MANIFESTO FOR CHANGE
December 30, 2010 Akashma Online News	6 comments
Original posted by Abu Yazan
F**k Israel! F**k USA! F**k UN!, F**k UNWRA!, F**k Hamas!, F**k Fatah!.
We, the youth in Gaza, are so fed up with Israel, Hamas, the occupation, the violations of human rights and the indifference of the international community!
We want to scream and break this wall of silence, injustice and indifference. Like the Israeli F16's breaking the wall of sound; we want to scream with all the power in our souls in order to release this immense frustration that consumes us because of this f*****g situation we live in.
We are like lice between two nails living a nightmare inside a nightmare, no room for hope, no space for freedom.
Sick of the wall of shame that separates us from the rest of our country and keeps us imprisoned in a stamp-sized piece of land.
Sick of being portrayed as terrorists, homemade fanatics with explosives in our pockets and evil in our eyes.
Sick of the indifference we meet from the international community, the so-called experts in expressing concerns and drafting resolutions, but cowards in enforcing anything they agreed on.
We are sick and tired of living a shitty life, being kept in jail by Israel, beaten up by Hamas, and completely ignored by the rest of the world.
There is a revolution growing inside of us, an immense dissatisfaction and frustration that will destroy us unless we find a way of canalizing this energy into something that can challenge the Status Quo and give us some kind of hope.
The final drop that made our hearts tremble with frustration and hopelessness happened on November 30th, when Hamas' officers came to Sharek Youth Forum, a leading youth organization (http://www.sharek.ps) with their guns, lies and aggressiveness, throwing everybody outside, incarcerating some and prohibiting Sharek from working.
A few days later, demonstrators in front of Sharek were beaten and some incarcerated. We are really living a nightmare inside a nightmare. It is difficult to find words for the pressure we are under.
We barely survived the Operation Cast Lead, where Israel very effectively bombed the shit out of us, destroying thousands of homes and even more lives and dreams.
They did not get rid of Hamas, as they intended, but they sure scared us forever and distributed post traumatic stress syndrome to everybody, as there was nowhere to run.
We are youth with heavy hearts. We carry in ourselves a heaviness so immense that it makes it difficult to us to enjoy the sunset. How to enjoy it when dark clouds paint the horizon and bleak memories run past our eyes every time we close them?
We smile in order to hide the pain. We laugh in order to forget the war.
We hope in order not to commit suicide here and now.
During the war we got the unmistakable feeling that Israel wanted to erase us from the face of the earth. During the last years Hamas has been doing all they can to control our thoughts, behavior and aspirations.
We are a generation of young people used to face missiles, carrying what seems to be a impossible mission of living a normal and healthy life, and only barely tolerated by a massive organization that has spread in our society as a malicious cancer disease, causing mayhem and effectively killing all living cells, thoughts and dreams on its way as well as paralyzing people with its terror regime. Not to mention the prison we live in, a prison sustained by a so-called democratic country.
History is repeating itself in its most cruel way and nobody seems to care. We are scared.
Here in Gaza we are scared of being incarcerated, interrogated, hit, tortured, bombed, killed.
We are afraid of living, because every single step we take has to be considered and well-thought, there are limitations everywhere, we cannot move as we want, say what we want, do what we want, sometimes we even cant think what we want because the occupation has occupied our brains and hearts so terrible that it hurts and it makes us want to shed endless tears of frustration and rage!
We do not want to hate, we do not want to feel all of this feelings, we do not want to be victims anymore. ENOUGH! Enough pain, enough tears, enough suffering, enough control, limitations, unjust justifications, terror, torture, excuses, bombings, sleepless nights, dead civilians, black memories, bleak future, heart aching present, disturbed politics, fanatic politicians, religious bullshit, enough incarceration!
WE SAY STOP! This is not the future we want!
We want three things; We want to be free. We want to be able to live a normal life and We want peace.
Is that too much to ask?
We are a peace movement consistent of young people in Gaza and supporters elsewhere that will not rest until the truth about Gaza is known by everybody in this whole world and in such a degree that no more silent consent or loud indifference will be accepted.
This is the Gazan youth's manifesto for change!
We will start by destroying the occupation that surrounds ourselves, we will break free from this mental incarceration and regain our dignity and self respect.
We will carry our heads high even though we will face resistance. We will work day and night in order to change these miserable conditions we are living under.
We will build dreams where we meet walls.
We only hope that you – yes, you reading this statement right now! – can support us. In order to find out how, please write on our wall or contact us directly: freegazayouth@hotmail.com
We want to be free, we want to live, we want peace.
FREE GAZA YOUTH!
This Manifesto is for the whole apparatus of repression that engulf Gaza, Starting with Israel the Occupier,US the financier,UN the official Solicitor and Signatory of Wars,UNRWA the front of the UN that keeps Gaza under an inhumane welfare system,to Fatah that have forgotten that Gaza is Palestine, and to Hamas ultimately because keeps an invisible gag on the population under the guise of religion righteousness.
If There got to be Freedom in any society, Justice must be the base of the same. Human Rights is an inalienable right of every human being, being Gaza, US, Germany, Lebanon, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba(should not exist),Cuba, China, Iran, Mexico, Congo, Russia..or any place on Earth that humans co-habit under any authority of any type.
The right to disagree, the right to have a different opinion, or different feelings is a right that we all humans have a primordial born right, it calls dissent from the Status Quo, governments of the world dissenters are not criminals, they are free minders that choose their own path, and oppression only make them more aware of the situation that you want to force them to be.
This right is inalienable is part of the human rights that we all must enjoy as a citizen of this Earth.
I m speechless this is what I want to hear. Out with all the rules that bound you in your own mental prisons. Liberation yes, I m 110 % agree with your Manifesto, free, freedom and liberation.
I m sharing your courage. I m sharing your dreams, your hopes, your pains, your deaths, your ideals, your free and open mind.
I wanted to hear the youth speaking, I do no k,ow if will make a difference now, but certainly your message will spread in the world, in the mind of the old and tired souls, tired of their struggles.
It will infuse energy to the resistance, to the old and decrepit bodies that have fought for more than 6 decades without seeing compassion from the world, that have not received justice from the international bodies than have appointed themselves as the saviors of the world, to the peace activists, the justice seekers that are fighting for your land.
I was almost giving up my fight for Gaza, I was getting stiff and tired of yelling, writing, posting, complaining. I thought no one was listening, but I was wrong.
This Manifesto full or courage. rage dissatisfaction and pain have given me hopes again.
I m awake again, your words have giving me the food for the soul that I was missing.
I love you Gaza, I m proud of you, I m with you, in your fight against indifference, against the oppression of your mind, in this fight for your land, for your human rights, for your motherless children, and your childless mothers, I m with you with your olive trees that with one last stand they resist to let go and still embracing the land, I m with you, with your flag, that not being mine, have awaken the fighter on me once more.
I m sharing this word in every wall, available, in the blogs. my channels, everywhere that there is space.
Thanks Gaza youth I love you all…Free Palestine.
Categories: Awareness, Facebook Activists, Gaza/Palestine, Hamas, Holographic Universe, Occupied Territory, victims Tags: gaza strip, Hamas, Palestine Occupation, resistance


Man TTB,! Johnny on the spot.
Hopefully it's available at stores other than Walmart as I'd like to snag a copy.
Seen it at my Barnes & Noble today, directly behind me on a small section with other magazines as I was searching for it at the larger racks.
Topic: Bradford Exchange "RIDDLER" Just Arrived!
Re: Bradford Exchange "RIDDLER" Just Arrived!
I Dig this type of stuff, go big ambition.
Topic: Bradford Exchange Fixed Their Batmobile!
Re: Bradford Exchange Fixed Their Batmobile!
replacement received yesterday is a 95% improvement.
Yep, remember seeing that movie at the theater on its release night, 1st movie for me back home in the U.S after my ETS from the service with my girl friend. Great movie.
Also have fond memories, got kicked to the curb by my then girl friend after 7 years ,Last movie together.
Topic: Can anybody identify this switch?
Re: Can anybody identify this switch?
Topic: is Batgirl styrene still in the works?
is Batgirl styrene still in the works?
Anyone with insight know if the Moebius Batgirl figure " plastic" is still in the works or was the resin released one it?
Anybody have info on this one?
Did not know about this release, missed it somehow quite awhile ago.
I heard back, More than happy with answer.


text:
Urban Meyer's son, Nate, switches to football at Cincinnati with goal of coaching
Another Meyer wants to become a college football coach.
Nate Meyer, the son of former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, will walk on to the University of Cincinnati football team in hopes of following his father's path.
Urban Meyer was a former minor-league shortstop who walked on to the UC football team in the 1980s. Nate was a scholarship baseball player for Cincinnati. His just-completed sophomore season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now Nate, 21 will end his baseball career to play for Luke Fickell, the former Ohio State coach and Urban Meyer assistant, with the intention of pursuing a coaching career himself.
Nate Meyer was a second-team all-state baseball player at Watterson and also played receiver for the Eagles football team.
Nate Meyer has generally kept a low profile, and the Meyer family prefers that remain the case as he pursues his new course.
"That's been our whole family's approach with our children in everything really," Urban Meyer told The Dispatch on Thursday. "We're very private people and the most important people for us are our kids. Nate's most important responsibility is to get good grades and to be a great teammate. Other than that, he has no obligation to anybody."
Urban Meyer's sister, Gigi Escoe, is a vice provost for undergraduate studies at UC.
Meyer's son-in-law, former Georgia Tech player Corey Dennis, was promoted this year to be Ohio State's quarterbacks coach.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Previous SectionAlt Roimhe
Next SectionAn Chéad Alt Eile
Print SectionPriontáil an tAlt
Mineral oil tax offences.
61.— (1) Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Finance Act 1999 is amended—
(a) in section 102—
(i) in subsection (1) by substituting the following for paragraph (b):
"(b) to use as a propellant or to keep in a fuel tank—
(i) any mineral oil on which mineral oil tax at the appropriate standard rate has not been paid,
(ii) any mineral oil containing one or more of the markers prescribed by regulations made under section 104, or
(iii) any substance where the importation of mineral oil containing such substance is prohibited by regulations made under section 104,",
(ii) in subsection (1) by inserting the following after paragraph (d):
"(da) to contravene or fail to comply with a temporary prohibition of trade order under section 102A, or",
(iii) by inserting the following after subsection (1):
"(1A) It shall be an offence under this subsection—
(a) to invite an offer to treat for, offer for sale, keep for sale, or to sell, or
(b) to deliver, keep for delivery, or to be in the process of delivering, or to keep,
for use as a propellant—
(iii) any substance where the importation of a mineral oil containing such substance is prohibited by regulations made under section 104.",
(iv) in subsection (4) by substituting "subsection (1A) or (3)" for "subsection (3)",
(v) in subsection (5) by substituting "subsection (1), (1A) or (3)" for "subsection (1) or (3)",
(b) by inserting the following after section 102:
"Consequential provisions relating to offences.
102A.— (1) Where a person licensed under section 101 is convicted of an offence under subsection (1A) or (3)(b) of section 102 of this Act, or an offence in relation to mineral oils under section 119 of the Finance Act 2001 , then the Court shall, in addition to any other penalty imposed, make an order, referred to in this section as a temporary prohibition of trade order, prohibiting the sale or supply of any mineral oil from any premises licensed in respect of such person under section 101 and concerned in the offence, for a period of—
(a) not less than one day and not more than 7 days for a first offence by such person,
(b) not less than 7 days and not more than 30 days for a second or subsequent offence by such person,
and the Court may also by such order prohibit the sale or supply of any mineral oil from any other premises so licensed in respect of such person.
(2) In determining the duration of a temporary prohibition of trade order the Court may seek, from an officer involved in the investigation of the offence, a report on the circumstances in which it was committed and any other information which the Court may consider to be relevant.
(3) Where a person is convicted of more than one offence to which subsection (1) applies, and all the offences were committed on the same occasion, then only one temporary prohibition of trade order may be made in respect of such offences.
(4) The prohibition period specified in a temporary prohibition of trade order shall commence—
(a) where no appeal is made against the conviction or the prohibition period, on the 30th day after the order is made, or
(b) where such an appeal is made, and the conviction or prohibition period is affirmed, on the 30th day after such affirmation,
and it shall end on the expiry of the period specified in the order, unless such period has been varied on appeal, in which case it shall end on the expiry of the period so varied.
(5) (a) If, on appeal, a conviction resulting in a temporary prohibition of trade order is reversed, such order shall thereupon cease to have effect.
(b) On any appeal—
(i) against a conviction resulting in a temporary prohibition of trade order, or
(ii) relating to the period specified in such order,
the Court may vary the period specified in such order.
(6) A temporary prohibition of trade order in respect of any premises shall, for the purposes of this Chapter and any regulations made under section 104, have effect as if that premises were not licensed under section 101 for the period specified in such order.
(7) During the period specified in a temporary prohibition of trade order, the person in respect of whom the premises is licensed under section 101 shall ensure that a prominent notice, stating that the closure is in compliance with the order and specifying the period of prohibition of trade, is affixed to the exterior of the premises in a conspicuous place.
(8) Where a person is convicted of—
(a) an offence under section 102(1)(da), or
(b) a third or subsequent offence to which subsection (1) applies,
the Court shall revoke any licence granted to such person under section 101, and no such licence may at any future time be granted to such person.",
(c) in section 103 by substituting the following for subsection (4):
"(4) Where, in any proceedings for an offence under subsection (1)(b)(i) or (1A)(i) of section 102, it is proved that the mineral oil that is the subject of the offence is heavy oil other than fuel oil or kerosene, with a sulphur content exceeding 50 milligrammes per kilogramme, then it shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved, that mineral oil tax at the appropriate standard rate has not been paid on such mineral oil.".
(2) This section only applies to offences committed on a date subsequent to the passing of the Finance Act 2007.


Uncorked a beauty this morning. I had tried it at the Salon des Vins in March with the producer waxing poetic about his luscious wines made entirely of estate owned grapes.
Now for those of you who don't know Barbera can be good, bad and simply amazing. I think I've stumbled on the latter. Piedmonte wines are tannic, acidic brutes who need time in the bottle to fully appreciate their plum and pepper, black cherry and herbaceous flavours on the nose and in the finish. Wine from this region tend to be medium to heavy in body and can cost between $15 and $150. Nice range right???
Is the $15 anywhere close to the $150. Hell NO!! but it can be a good example of the flavours and viniculture in the Piedmonte and a good start.
My new love is the Barbera d'Alba from Poderi Colla. This vignoble is owned by a family who can be traced to the area since 1703. What's their line-up you ask? Barbera, Barbaresco and Barolo of course, from 3 distinct properties. The Barbera is an outstanding value at $35 and I am going to be bringing some into the cellar to round out my Italian category to be held for 2 to 8 years.
If you're interested and want to join in on the order just let me know.


CARING CATS PLUSH Caring Cats plush is a new launch product (at time of writing) from award winning Indian toy and games company Chalk and Chuckles. There are 5 Cats in the series: Goodygum, Lotothot, Helpfili, Chattychoo, Makermax. Each cat has it's own personality and characteristics, but all of them are caring and kind! The ..
Caring Cats plush is a new launch product (at time of writing) from award winning Indian toy and games company Chalk and Chuckles.
There are 5 Cats in the series: Goodygum, Lotothot, Helpfili, Chattychoo, Makermax. Each cat has it's own personality and characteristics, but all of them are caring and kind!
The idea behind Caring Cats is to help children to be caring and to have empathy for other people, and to give them positive encouragement while having fun with the Caring Cats toys range. The toys come first though, clearly a good message is not enough, the toy needs to be really good too – we found the plush toys to be good quality, well designed and lovably cute and cuddly! We also really like the packaging – sturdy and robust, which can't always be said for toy packaging (one of our bugbears!). The packaging is also environmentally responsible as it is so sturdy & designed in such a fashion that it can be used as a file/storage solution after the toy has been removed!
Each plush toy comes with a kindness stamp, a stamp pad, and a set of story cards featuring a number of kindly missions.
WHO'S IT FOR: Caring Cats plush toys should appeal to kids of different ages from around 3-8 years of age, as they will tend to play with the toys in different ways at each age, but the message of empathy and caring for others should be appealing to parents everywhere!
THE TOY VERDICT: We love Caring Cats plush toys. We think kids will too, and parents will feel good about giving their children a positive message/aid to their development.


Mamma Mia's Donna Sheridan is the perfect inspirational icon for girls and women around the world. With the original 2008 film, and then the 2018 sequel, these films are beloved by many as cheesy musicals with positive messages and a healthy dose of Abba. Donna Sheridan provides many lessons in both of these films, as both an adult (in Mamma Mia) and a young adult (in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again). Here are some of the things that we can learn from Donna Sheridan.
The overriding plot point of Mamma Mia, and the focus of Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, is the relationships of Donna Sheridan. She has a daughter, Sophie, but doesn't know who the father is, with three possibilities. Donna is never shamed for this though, by anyone, and especially not by Bill, Sam, and Harry, who become best friends and agree to co-father Sophie.
The power of friendship is demonstrated in Mamma Mia through Donna and her friends, Tanya and Rosie (a.k.a Donna and the Dynamos). They are great friends who support each other through all their ventures, from University onwards. Support systems are so important and Donna and the Dynamos everlasting friendship is beautiful and definitely something to aspire to.
Donna travels Europe alone, moves to a Greek Island alone, and raises a daughter alone. She builds up a hotel on the Island, and maintains significant friendships with all those who have supported her. She is known by those around her to be strong and brave, and is admired and loved by all those who know her for her free spirit and independent attitude.
Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again sees Donna graduate from University and make the decision to travel. She's restless to see the world and this is both relatable and inspiring, as she takes the steps to travel alone, seeing so many things and meeting so many people.
The song 'I Have a Dream' demonstrates Donna's ability to find the good in everything. She faces so many trials in her life, from an absent mother, to eventually raising her daughter alone, but maintains her position as a positive role model. She envisions the fate of the old farmhouse, as she imagines it becoming a beautiful hotel, something completed by Sophie after Donna's death.
These lyrics sung my young Donna demonstrate her ability to think positively and see a bright future for herself, even if things don't always go the way she plans.
Another important lesson that Donna teaches us is that growing up doesn't mean you have to stop having fun. She dances, parties, and sings with her friends, and nothing can stop her. She demonstrates this free and fun-seeking spirit from youth and instills its message in her daughter and all those around her. She brings light and life to everything she does, and inspires others to live as she does.
Mamma Mia is a heartwarming and important story in inspiring us as viewers to live life to the fullest and to seek the positive in all things. If Donna has inspired you to change the way you live let us know in the comments below.


text:
Knockfarrel (Schots-Gaelisch: Cnoc Fearghalaigh) is een dorp ongeveer 2 kilometer ten oosten van Strathpeffer in de Schotse lieutenancy Ross and Cromarty in het raadsgebied Highland.

Plaats in Highland

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Happy Monday babes! I love being a nail tech this time of year, I get to do so many fun designs and creations on your nails! Blogmas Day 3 is all for Manicure Monday. 💅🏼 With the holidays coming up, I thought it would be appropriate to share my favorite winter designs I've done so far! Feel free to check out my portfolio HERE!
Nail techs reading, please feel free to click on each image to be taken to the website of the decals used!
All decals are from We Love Glitter Design.
Aren't you plaid it's December?
I love this time of year! There's nothing like a good manicure, am I right?! Let me know if you guys wanna read a "Why I became a Nail Tech" blog below! Also, if you recreate any of these designs or use them for inspiration, please DM me! I'd love to see what you came up with! Make sure you subscribe below to be notified every time I post a new blog!