Archive for
January 16th, 2009
Stories
Israel: Loving and Hating Yonit Levi
Yonit Levi is the beloved anchorwoman for Israel's Channel 2. Over the past few days, however, she has become a pariah in the blogosphere for her reactions to the current crisis in Gaza, deemed as sympathetic to Palestinians. According to an article in the Jerusalem Post, Levi was often shown on camera raising her eyebrows when mentioning the IDF, and looking sorrowful when discussing Palestine. Her facial expressions resulted in the creation of a petition [HE] to have her removed from the air, which garnered over 35,000 in just a few short days. The organizers of the petition have since stated that they believe their actions helped, as Levi is no longer making such expressions. A counter-petition was also organized in support of Levi.
OneJerusalem.com reacted strongly and swiftly in Levi's favor:
In a post a while ago I discussed Fox News as an example of how low TV News Channels can take the news and the absurd of having to sell yourself as “Fair and Balanced” when that’s the last thing you ever will be. Yonit Levi is ACTUALLY fair and balanced and doesn’t need to sell it. She has been doing this for a long time and has been presenting the news in professional even tone, void of personal views and opinions.
In short, Yonit we love you ! Keep up the great work.
A fan poses with Yonit Levi
Israeli-Canadian blogger Lisa Goldman discusses the general media reaction from Israel, mentioning Levi's situation:
According to the polls, 90 percent of Israelis support the Gaza campaign. I find that number quite worrying: public debate and a diversity of opinion are, as Ohad notes in this post, essential characteristics of a healthy democracy; and anyone who has expressed even the mildest anti-war sentiment can testify to the intimidating responses that have, I noticed, cowed many people into silence.
The intimidation ranges from verbal violence (”traitor!” “fifth columnist”) to the threat of being fired from one’s job - as in the case of Channel 2 anchor Yonit Levi. One friend even received death threats - via Facebook, if you can believe it. Assuming, though, that all the people polled about the war know that the Israeli media’s reporting has been controlled by the army spokesman’s iron fist; and assuming that everyone polled is both well-informed about what is really going on in Gaza and unafraid to voice an opinion that deviates from what we are constantly told is the mainstream, that still leaves one person out of 10 opposing the war. In this edition, Time Out Tel Aviv gives them a voice. Below are some translated excerpts.
Creative Commons-licensed photo by YuvalH
Morocco: A Country Divided Over Gaza
As a quorum of Arab leaders convene in Doha today, the world is wondering how their meeting might bring about a cessation of hostilities in Gaza. Yesterday, the news broke that King Mohammed VI of Morocco would not be attending the Doha or any other summit, stating that “they will not do much to help the Palestinian people.”
The View from Fez had more details on the king's absence:
A press release of the king's office said on Wednesday the decision is due to objective reasons and sad considerations relating to the depressing Arab situation, whose deterioration has reached an unprecedented level in the history of Arab joint action.
The mere fact of proposing the convening of an Arab summit now gives rise to squabbling and outbidding tactics, even disputes between Arab countries, the release said, noting that sadly, these secondary disagreements eclipse the vital causes of the Ummah, particularly the Palestinian question, and obscure the very essence of the conflict in the region and play into the hands of the true enemies of the Arab world.
The communiqué notes that this atmosphere of disunity gives the Arab public opinion the impression that there are attempts to secure exclusive leadership of the Arab world or create specific axes or zones of influence, a prospect Morocco has always sought to avoid.
Moroccan blogger Taha Belafrej [fr] also commented on King Mohammed VI's lack of participation, saying:
Dans un communiqué du Cabinet Royal diffusé par la MAP, des explications sont données à cette non participation.
Voici un extrait de ce communiqué:
“Quelle que soit la réalité objective et douloureuse des graves agressions externes, nous nous devons d'être francs avec nous-mêmes et de reconnaître que le problème réside dans le corps arabe lui-même et que, partant, la solution est à trouver, d'abord, chez les arabes eux-mêmes”.
In a statement circulated to the Royal Cabinet by MAP [Maghreb Arab Presse, the state news agency], explanations are given regarding his lack of participation.
Here is an excerpt from this release:
“Whatever the objective reality of the serious and painful external aggression, we must be frank with ourselves and recognize that the problem lies in the Arab body itself and that therefore, the solution must be found, first, among the Arabs themselves.”
Ibn Kafka [fr], in response to the full statement from the Moroccan government (available on MAP's web site in French), states that “any comment is superfluous,” going on to say very little else.
One commenter expresses disappointment in Ibn Kafka's lack of analysis, saying:
Je visite ce blog depuis quelques semaines. Et je suis frappé de ne trouver aucune analyse, aucun rappel historique, aucune approche politique.
De la part d’un juriste, je trouve que cela est bien faible, c’est dommage! Ce n’est pas ainsi que l’on y verra plus clair!
On détestera davantage les juifs, c’est sûr! Sinon, pas grand chose!
Et seule critique …celle de la décision de M6 de ne pas participer à la mascarade organisée par les princes du golfe!
From a lawyer, I think this is weak, it is a pity! This is no way to ensure that we will see more clearly!
We hate the Jews more, for sure! Otherwise, not much [has changed]!
And … the only criticism is of M6*'s decision not to participate in the charade organized by the princes of the Gulf!
*M6 is a common abbreviation for King Mohammed VI.
While the debate over the king's decision rages on, other bloggers are simply wondering what Arab governments can do to stop Israel's attacks on Gaza. Abdelilah Boukili is one such blogger.
For the man in the street, there should be military intervention through the borders with Egypt , Jordan and Lebanon to stop Israeli aggression. But this s unrealistic. The Arab countries don’t have an army like NATO with regular common training and a board of command to mount joint military operations. There are the political calculations which make many countries hesitant about this sort of venture.
The Arabs have shown solidarity with the Palestinians through protests, condemnations and the sending of humanitarian aids.
It remains up to the Palestinians to show unity among themselves before asking the rest of the Arab world to unite with them. Differences between them just reinforces division in attitude towards the way their cause should be supported.
Actual Digital [es], in a post entitled “No a la barbarie…The Slaughter Must Stop,” comments that, “Quien quiere hoy borrar Gaza del mapa, mañana será borrado del mapa de Oriente Medio” [”Whoever wants to wipe Gaza away from the map, tomorrow will be wiped from Middle East map”]. The blogger goes on to say:
El infierno de Gaza no para, cuantos muertos y heridos espera Israel ver para anunciar su victoria, ¿quiere Israel borrar Gaza por completo del mapa? Si eso es lo que está haciendo hoy mañana no sabemos lo que les guarda el futuro. Todavía tras la masacre de más de mil personas inocentes y 5 mil heridos una de ellos mujeres y niños quiere continuar sus crímenes, niega al pueblo palestino vivir libre como todo el mundo. Políticos y militares dicen de misma voz “No han conseguido todavía sus objetivos..Desde 60 años dicen lo mismo, y qué son sus objetivos, más palestinos muertos, más masacres, más tragedias y ninguna luz en el horizonte o esperanza de vivir en libertad. ¿Eso es lo quiere Occidente ver?. Donde está esa la Comunidad Internacional, en este momento de dolor palestino parece que solo mueven para proteger sus intereses… y los de sus aliados ¿Por qué no se aplican los mismos standards y las mismas leyes internacionales para todas las naciones y pueblos?
The blogger behind Mon Paradis Inanimé remarks upon the fact that the Moroccan public is divided over the conflict:
Au Maroc les avis sont partagés sur cette affaire. J’ai été très étonnée et surprise de voir que des musulmans très pratiquants ne supportaient pas le Hamas : “ce sont des gens qui se servent des civils et qui sont responsables de la mort d’autants d’innocents en Palestine!” disent-ils.
Les jeunes marocains sont aussi divisés et du jour au lendemain une grande majorité des jeunes est devenue religieuse comme par miracle! L’effet médiatique est à son comble. Malheureusement une grande partie des jeunes se laisse emporter par les médias et manque d’esprit critique. Hier encore je fus supprimée de la liste de contacts d’un ami parce que je l’ai décrit comme antisémite et ce parce que je lui ai dit qu’il y a une différence immense entre un juif et un sioniste. Le judaïsme existe depuis des millénaires alors que le sionisme est centenaire. Les sionistes sont des personnes athées qui se sont servies des religions pour leurs profits personnels. Les juifs pratiquants déclarent haut et fort que dans leur livre religieux, la terre palestinienne ne leur appartient pas. Mais ça c’est un autre débat dans lequel je ne souhaite pas entrer. Je ne suis pas religieuse.
Young Moroccans are also divided, and suddenly, a large majority of young people have become religious as if by miracle! The media effect is at its peak. Unfortunately, many of the young can easily be swayed by the media and their lack of critical thinking. Just yesterday I was removed from the list of a contacts of a friend because [I don't get this part] and because I told him there is a huge difference between a Jew and a Zionist. Judaism has been around for millenia while Zionism is centenary. The Zionists are atheists who have used religion for their personal profit. The Jews say that loud and clear, in their religious book, the Palestinian land does not belong to them. But that's another debate in which I do not wish to enter. I'm not religious
Morocco's Jewish community has also spoken up about the conflict, demonstrating yet another line of division in Moroccan public opinion. From The View from Fez:
The Secretary General of the Foundation for Moroccan Jewish Heritage, Simon Lévy, has denounced the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and called on the international community to intervene to solve the conflict.
“We are horrified by the carnage that can't be justified and which killed around 1,000 people in Gaza,” said Levy in a statement to Moroccan radio station “Rabat Chaîne Inter”.
“It is horrible and this is not the way I see Judaism,” Levy said, voicing hope to establish peace and see a halt of the massacre against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Spanish translation by Gabriela Garcia Calderon Orbe
Costa Rica: After the Earthquake
A week has passed since the 6.2 Earthquake in Costa Rica, and on blogger and twitter people have been commenting on the aftermath, analyzing the relief efforts, the rescue operations and the media's coverage of the events.
Blogger and journalist Cristian Cambronero of Fusil de Chispas has been updating regularly on different topics related to the quake. On one of the blog posts, he summarizes his perception of the good, the bad and the ugly:
Para formular un juicio habría que tener en cuenta un sinfín de elementos: las declaraciones del presidente Arias, y su actitud reacia a solicitar ayuda internacional (los países están perdiendo plata, no los vamos a molestar por unos muertos, ¿era así?), el circo protagonizado por la Ministra de Inseguridad, la falta de aeronaves disponibles, la descoordinación entre instituciones (muy evidente en las declaraciones e informes de víctimas), la tardanza (creo que excesiva) en la declaratoria de emergencia nacional y duelo, etc.
He also mentions how it seems that because Costa Rica has no army, it is very weak regarding emergency response, since in other countries the responsibility usually falls on the army or other military groups. Currently, the government even needs to rent a helicopter when emergency strikes.
Mujer de Maíz writes about some positive effects that this tragedy has brought:
Me ha alegrado, como a casi todos creo yo, que nuestro pueblo (tan dormido a veces) se haya despabilado para ayudar, con lo que sea: cocinando, llevando comida, aportando artículos de limpieza, yendo con cuadraciclos, sacando gente y animales de la montaña (el mae que salio con una cabrita ayer, que tierno!), donando su tiempo, dinero y entusiasmo para hacer mejor la vida de otros. Es de aplaudir…
Jaguar del Platanar tells us of efforts in the North of Costa Rica to collect donations, but not for the area near the epicenter, but for the areas downriver, who suffered extensive flooding. The area of Sarapiquí depends on the river for their income, so they need help as well. He posted the invitation from Norteenlínea.com through their videoblog and then posted the results of the food drive in Ciudad Quesada for Sarapiquí. In La Fortuna of San Carlos a similar effort was made, as written by Melissa Soro in her blog.
Julia Ardón, blogger and photographer who has a restaurant very near the epicenter of the earthquake, has also been organizing food and clothing drives, first to make sure her employees were safe and were taken care of, and now taking care of other families in the area, asking for donations for specific families in need. Her brother, who also has a restaurant in the area is also helping, both of them are facing extensive reconstruction for the restaurants, Julia's will probably take 3 months to reopen and her brother's could reopen this weekend. One of the points Julia has made is that what the area needs is for people to visit once again and spend their money and get the people in the communities back to work, since the area depends on tourism for their income.
As time passes, more people are uploading videos from the earthquake, and others are sending their videos to TV stations to broadcast. The following two videos correspond to a security camera in an office building, and the taping of a tv show as the earthquake struck:
There are many families that still need help, and death tolls are higher than what has been internationally reported. There are still many people missing, and as bodies are found, the toll rises. It is currently around 23 dead and 11 missing. For donations, based on Fusil de Chispas‘ list:
Banco de Costa Rica | account number: 001-250-0 | SINPE 15201001000025008 | BCR
From overseas: Beneficiary Bank Name: Banco de Costa Rica, SWIFT: BCRICRSJ | BCR doubles every donation received.
BAC San José | account number: 908524192 | SINPE: 1020000-9085241925
Banco Nacional | colones account 100 01 000 043517-2 | dollars account 100 02 000 616147-5
Banco Popular | account 161-010084-1000911-4
Kazakhstan: Prime-Minister Launched Blog
On January 9 the Press Office of the Government informed that Karim Massimov, the Prime-Minister of Kazakhstan, started his private, yet official blog.
Last December the Prime –Minister visited Russian capital, where he gave the interview to Echo of Moscow radio station. There he was asked a series of uneasy questions, including the one about LiveJournal, the popular blogging platform, being blocked in Kazakhstan. Then Karim Massimov has said that he blogs himself, regularly spends his time in the internet and has no problems with accessing LiveJournal. He has promised to sort this problem out on his return to Kazakhstan. So far, LiveJournal is still blocked, though the Prime-Minister has started his private blog … on the Cabinet of Ministers’ web-site.
Adam-Kesher ironically says:
If it’s gone this way, then everyone, whose LJ – accounts are inaccessible in Kazakhstan, should receive an account on the governmental portal!
Meanwhile, the first visitors of the “Premiere-blog” are complaining about low speed of comments posting option:
I have “Saving the comment” notice hanging in Massimov’s blog already for 30 minutes… nashingyou complains [ru]. Adam assumes that all the time the comment is being moderated; and alim-atenbek is joking that it is not only the comment being checked, but also the identity of the commenter [ru].
While addressing to the visitors of his blog, Massimov noted that the main purpose of the project was “presentation of the high-quality, interesting and helpful information to the users in the user-friendly form”. Also, the Prime-Minister mentioned that “in future the blog would be filled with almost all information, which is necessary for the site visitors”. Frankly, it is not quite clear what is the reason for keeping the web-sties of the Government, ministries and agencies…
In the meantime, Askhat is wondering about two things [kaz]:
“Why the blog is in Russian only?”, and “When the access to LiveJournal will be open?”
Shortly after the PM’s blog has been presented, he ordered that all public officers (first of all, governors and mayors) started their own blogs, and also replied to one of the comments in his blog - the one about service in Astana City Bath House.
Here is what pycm writes in this regard [ru]:
Today there are slightly over 160 comments to the Greeting post in the PM’s blog. There’s merely everything, including the desperate cry about the service in the capital's Bath House! The only one thing missing there is the feedback. It does not look like a man of flesh and blood - having emotions, knowledge, skills and (more importantly) power - is sitting there. So far there is a persistent feeling that the blog is run by a robot or by four-five small clerks having no idea of the results they want to get… During difficult times of crisis there is a splendid job opportunity opened, e.g. a blog-secretary, Prime-Minister’s internet friend. But it is still an open issue of having mutual friends and any use of this venture …
In fact, the urge of the authorities to establish a two-way communication with the people is more than welcomed. But, likely, there is no understanding what is the use of blogs in principle. The order to start blogging is amusing, since it will not result in anything, except for a dozen of “dead born blogs”. Additionally, the “Book of Complaints” is already implemented on every governor's and mayor's web-site, where questions can be addressed directly to them.
The Prime-Minister's order, in fact, admits that the state program of e-Government development has failed. As for the question about the Bath House, which quickly became a popular mem, it is far from what the Prime-Minister should care about. Nevertheless, this also demonstrates the level of the society, where people think that they must go only to the Master to seek justice in such a minor issue.
I am not sure all of our public officers are skilled internet users, but it is not the problem. The problem is that the Prime-Minister ordered them to start blogs at their web-sites. I think it would be more efficient if all of them were gathered on one platform, say, LiveJournal, so that we could add them as “friends” and easily read their posts along with other entries of other “friends”,
nashingyou says [ru].
It is true, since not many users in Kazakhstan know how to use RSS, preferring to browse pages instead. The problem that remains unsolved though - LiveJournal is still blocked in Kazakhstan. Nevertheless, the new and the first high-ranking blogger has already received some recommendations.
It would be interesting to see PM’s direct speech in the blog entries, where he would talk about specific state policies and quality of their implementation, about status of various economy sectors, about world politics, or provide feedback to criticism in the mass-media. As for the technical aspect, the negative point is that there is no option for threaded comments. Another important point is regular updating. The greeting entry was published on December 31, then no new entries have been posted for more than two weeks.
Hong Kong: Election Consultation Deferred… It's Dog-Speak!
In the Legislative Council question-and-answer session yesterday, chief executive Donald Tsang said the public consultation on the electoral arrangements in 2012 would be deferred until the fourth quarter to focus on tackling economic and livelihood concerns.
Election consultation deferred
As initially the consultation should take place in the first season of 2009, legislator Ronny TONG Ka-wah criticized Donald Tsang's arrangement for deferring the whole democratization process in Hong Kong. Donald Tsang answered (according to a local newspapers and plastichk's blogpost):
「首先呢我地… 我唔想同佢狗噏辯論，頭先湯議員所講o既，佢所講o既唔係我應承o既…」
Dog-speak turning into fight-speech
“Dog-speak”(狗噏) in Cantonese is a polite way of saying “dick-speak” (鳩噏). Many people watching the live report could not believe what they heard and doubted whether it actually happened. Later, in the government's transcript of the legco session, the term “dog-speak” was changed into “fight-speech”. Whether the pronunciation is “dog” or “fight” becomes a hot debate in many internet forums.
Thanks to new media technology, netizens quickly put up video clip to prove Donald Tsang's “dog-speak”, this one is uploaded by aimak:
It is of course scandalous for the government to change “dog-speak” into “fight-speech” in the official transcript, as the former shows great disrespect for Legislator Ronny Tong, while the latter implies that Ronny Tong's question is too aggressive for constructive discussion. More scandalous is the fact that Donald Tsang openly criticized the Legislators from the League of Social Democrats for using violent vulgar languages and being disrespectful (as they kept using the term “bananas” to refer to his policy), on the other hand, he used similar, if not more, vulgar language to address other legislators.
Paulymh from inmediahk criticized the double standard of mainstream media, as the “dog-speak” episode was picked up by two local newspapers, while others focused on Donald Tsang's criticism of the LSD legislators' non-cooperative and rude performance at the Legislative council.
Basic Law article 79 for sweeping away LSD's bananas
Legal expert blogger, Wong Onyin, observing the government's tactic, points out that the pro-establishment is about to apply Basic law article 79 paragraph 7 on LSD legislators:
基本法這一段說，立法會議員行為不檢而經立法會的議員三分之二通過譴責，立法會主席宣告其喪失立法會議員的資格。基本法本身沒有訂下啟動這一條的過程，但與政府行之有效的紀律程序一樣，對不當（Misconduct）的行為再三警告無效，是慣用的手法。
上次掟蕉，今次使用粗鄙及侮辱性語言，事後政務司司長都正式具文送交立法會主席抗議。當然兩次抗議，曾鈺成只能自辯為處理適當，但紀錄上政府已經兩次抗議，所謂事不過三，再來一次之時，政府大條道理要求曾主席按條例所訂，接受民建聯議員正式動議，要求通過譴責黃毓民。
If constructive questions like the election consultation became “dog-speak” in the eye of top ruling elites (in the form of Freudian slip), what's the function of the Legislative council? Although LSD's legislators' dog's fight performance is disruptive, can the discussion in Legislative Council be genuinely constructive with the un-democratic system?
Kyrgyztsan: New Head of Administration or Next President?
On 13th January Daniyar Usenov was assigned as the head of the president’s administration.
The previous chief of the president’s administration Medet Sadyrkulov left his post voluntarily. He said that “he has completed the task of the recovery of the state mechanism”. A lot of people called Medet Sadyrkulov a grey cardinal of the Kyrgyz politics. (more…)
Links for Fri, 2009-01
“The airport, which already looks like a sterile wasteland with all the grey paint and icky tiles, now bereft of the softening influence of vegetation. It looks like you've arrived in some place other than the Caribbean”: Coffeewallah thinks Trinidad is more like La La Land these days.
Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense links to statistics from”an unofficial Cuban human rights group”, which suggest that dissidents continue to be “jailed or prosecuted because of their political opposition to the regime.”
About a year and a half after this apartment collapse, an earth and atmospheric sciences expert concludes that the tragedy was caused by “gross negligence”. Barbados Free Press is calling for a proper inquest.
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp pens “a simple lyric, for Barack Obama”.
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