Can Israel’s Gaza blockade be justified?

Aid agencies have released a report criticising the world for not doing more to stop the Israeli blockade of Gaza. It’s been picked up around the world by bloggers and mainstream media. All of this rests of course on the belief that the blockade is a ‘collective punishment’ that is unwarranted. Would you agree with that? And would you want more pressure applied to Israel to end it?

On air: Do we need new rules of war?

The Israeli Prime Minister is calling for a new set of rules of war to fight global terrorism. Mr Netanyahu also wants other western countries committed to the war on terror to be part of an international coalition of nations that have laws protecting their right to defend their countries and their people.

Should children in Gaza learn about the Holocaust?

“No human-rights curriculum is complete without the inclusion of the facts of the Holocaust, and its lessons.” This is what John Ging, the UN Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) director of operations in Gaza,says. The UN’s refugee agency is planning to include the Holocaust in a new human-rights curriculum for Gaza’s secondary-school pupils.

On air: Women of Gaza : Virtue reality

“We have to encourage people to be virtuous and keep them away from sin “

Hamas has launched it’s “virtue campaign” in  Gaza . 

Lingerie can’t be displayed in shop windows, female lawyers will have to wear headscarves in court and teenagers must stop playing “suggestive” music.

Men and women are also being told to celebrate separately at wedding parties.

On Air: Is it possible to have a moral army?

A group of Israeli soldiers say widespread abuses were carried out on civilians during their action in Gaza.

The soldiers are part of an organisation called “Breaking the Silence”.

Amnesty International has accused both Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes during the 22-day conflict.

Return to Gaza

Cast your mind back six months….to late December. That’s when Israeli fighter jets and attack helicopters began their fierce air assault on the Gaza Strip. Israel’s stated aim was to stop Hamas rocket attacks into southern Israel, and to – as it said – ‘change realities on the ground.’ The war lasted three weeks, and led to the deaths of more than a thousand Palestinians and 13 Israelis.

But what’s happened in the months since the conflict ended? How has it affected the people of Gaza? How much reconstruction has taken place? And has Israel achieved its war aims?

On-Air; Who’s “winning” ?

We’ve discussed before the fact that no-one really knows what Israel and Hamas are hoping to achieve. So how and when will it stop ?

In this article, Sever Plocker argues that Israel doesn’t want to win , while this article in Time magazine suggests Israel actually can’t win.

Does Israel want to topple Hamas, or merely stop the rockets ? This article tries to define “victory” .

Does Hamas want peace ? Does it want the destruction of Israel ? To mobilise public opinion in the Arab world ?

On air: How is Gaza dividing world opinion?

Both Israel and Hamas have ignored a UN security council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. America abstained from the UN vote and there’s been more heavy fighting today in defiance of it. As I write there’s supposed to be a three hour humanitarian ceasefire.

WHYS TV: Watch the show

This is part one, here’s part two, part three and part four.

On Air: facts or propaganda ?

 

“Why Do They Hate the West So Much ? We Will Ask ” is the title of  this commentary by the Independent’s Robert Fisk.

He argues that journalists and diplomats have “bought the lie” that the Israelis take great care to avoid civilian  casualties.

He”s referring of course to the attack on the UN school which not only killed 42 people, but even persuaded Barack  Obama to break his silence.