Global Voices Online

Four Jordanian prisoners, who were transferred to Jordan from Israel, where they were serving life sentences, will soon be released, announced What's Up in Jordan.

If you've ever been to China (or a traditional Chinese restaurant), you know that eating kosher according to the rules of religious Judaism is near impossible. Tiffany Sameyah of Jewneric reports that despite the best efforts of the rabbis, kosher food may not be available due to security rulings by the Olympic Committee. “Trucks to bring in raw materials and special foods are in limited supply, and those that are available are strictly regulated to reduce air pollution prior to the Games,” she reports.

The Arabic version of the Harry Potter series is banned in Israel, reports The Black Iris, from Jordan. According to news sources, the ban is based on a decree from 1939 - when the area was under British mandate - prohibiting the importation of books from countries that are at war with Israel.

LJ user sceptic_rus [Russian] translated texts from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, stating that Georgia thanks Israel for military assistance in relation to the conflict in South Ossetia.

Karen Chernick writes at the Green Prophet blog, about the initiative to clean up the beach and recycle plastic waste, an initiative of major beverage companies in Israel.

From Israel, Not a Fish writes about a traffic course for non-Jewish residents in Israel - aimed at reducing road accidents. A total of 250 Muslim clergymen attended a day of lectures on child safety, accident prevention and the Muslim belief in fate versus personal responsibility. Since the beginning of the year, 86 Arabs were killed in traffic accidents, out of a total 244.

“Quntar says the child was killed in a crossfire by the sea. I don't believe him and I don't defend him, but neither do I believe the version of the Israeli army; it has always killed children and lied,” writes Lebanese journalist Jihad Al Khazen, on his personal blog Khazen & Co on Samir Kuntar, who has been released from Israeli prisons lately.

“How much groveling (toward Israel) can advocates and propagandists for the Syrian regime do in one week? The answer is: plenty. And please: tell the Syrian regime not to speak on behalf of all Arabs when they promise peace and normalization with Israel. And remember that Sadat had promised them the same,” writes Lebanese Dr As'ad Abu Khalil in The Angry Arab News Service.