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Valentine Reprieve: Israel Lifts Gaza Export Ban For Flowers

LibertySugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:30:00 -0800

All you need is love . . . to convince Israel to partially lift its embargo on exports leaving Gaza. Israel has granted permission for 25,000 flowers grown in Gaza to be sent to Europe in time for Valentine's Day.

Thanks to a joint request made by Palestinian farmers and the Dutch government, the carnations will be bought by lovers, and not fed to the sheep like the rest of the embargoed flowers.

Since 2007 only humanitarian aid and a few other goods have been able to leave and enter Gaza. Israel shut off access in response to attacks and in an attempt to put pressure on Hamas. Until the a permanent deal is made to lift the blockade, only 25,000 flowers will escape for now.

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UN Chief Tours "Alarming" Destruction in Gaza

CitizenSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:01:43 -0800

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon became the highest ranking international leader to visit Gaza since violence broke out three weeks ago. Calling the destruction "shocking and alarming," the UN head said Israel had used excessive force in Gaza. But he didn't place all the blame on Israel explaining: "I view the rocket attacks into Israel as completely unacceptable. We need to restore basic respect for civilians."

While there putting international pressure on Israel and Hamas to maintain the ceasefire, Ban also took time to inspect damage caused by the Israeli bombing of the UN's headquarters in Gaza. Despite the mistaken bombing, Ban told Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that the UN would help rebuild Gaza after the violence, which killed 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israeli citizens.

What sort of role do you think the UN and the international community should have in ending violence in Gaza?

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Front Page: Israel Keeps Withdrawing Amid Fragile Ceasefire

LibertySugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 06:18:29 -0800

Israel continued to withdraw from Gaza today, as a cease-fire pausing the 22-days of fighting holds. - New York Times
Civil rights leaders and other African American activists who participated in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s March On Washington, are back this week to attend Barack Obama's inauguration. - ABC News
India's foreign minister has put pressure on Pakistan, maintaining today that countries that fail to stop terrorism would pay a "heavy price." - Reuters

Inauguration events continue today, as Barack Obama and Joe Biden will participate in service projects in DC. Tonight bipartisan dinners, honoring Colin Powell and another honoring John McCain will be held. - Presidential Inaugural Committee
The Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers will face off in the Super Bowl in Tampa in two weeks. - AP

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Font Page: Lebanese Rockets Could Open Second Front

CitizenSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:16:29 -0800

A second round of rockets launched from Lebanon have hit Israel. The rockets caused no damage or deaths, but resulted in a counterattack. - LA Times
The US Commerce Department announced that retail sales fell a seasonably adjusted 2.7 percent in December, compared to November. -Reuters

A new audio tape from Osama bin Laden calling for jihad against Israel shows that the leader is isolated and in need of money, according to Bush Administration officials. - CNN
A natural gas crisis continues in Europe, as a standoff between Russia and Ukraine is leaving millions without heat. - New York Times

Should the Bush Administration Do More For Peace in Gaza?

LibertySugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:00:09 -0800

A recent Gallup poll asked Americans whether the Bush administration should be doing more, is doing the right amount, or should be doing less to help resolve the conflict in Gaza. Only 33 percent said the current American leadership should be doing more, compared to a combined 52 percent who oppose more US involvement.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been calling for a sustainable ceasefire, different than other countries that called for an immediate end to the violence. Last week, the US abstained from voting on a UN Security Resolution, passed by all other 14 members, which called for an immediate ceasefire. Both Hamas and Israel rejected the resolution. Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister took credit for the US abstention saying:

[W]hen the secretary of state wanted to lead the vote on a ceasefire at the Security Council, we did not want her to vote in favor. I said "get me President Bush on the phone." They said he was in the middle of giving a speech in Philadelphia. I said I didn't care. "I need to talk to him now." He got off the podium and spoke to me. I told him the United States could not vote in favor. . . . He immediately called the secretary of state and told her not to vote in favor."

US officials say Olmert's wrong, and Rice always was going to abstain from voting for an immediate ceasefire. Whether or not Israel's Prime Minister is responsible for US policy, do you think the Bush administration is doing enough?

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Italian Union Calls For Boycott of Jewish Shops Over Gaza War

LibertySugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:00:00 -0800

Rivaling Italian politicians on the left and the right can agree on one thing: They are outraged by a recent call to boycott Jewish-owned shops in response to Israel's actions in Gaza. A trade union tied to retail and food businesses handed out flyers calling for a boycott of "shops in central Rome linked to the Israelite community" and apparently listed streets populated with Jewish shops as "sales dirtied by blood." Now Italian political leaders have called the boycott "criminal," and the Italian Jewish community plans to sue the union under antiracism laws.

The trade union defends the boycott. To see why, read more. Union officials point to Israel's "military force against unarmed civilians" as reason to protest Italian businesses tied to the Middle Eastern country. Today, far from Italy, both Israel and Hamas rejected a UN call for a ceasefire as the war continued.

It's not uncommon for activists to call on consumers to stop supporting countries they believe violate human rights, such as China. But given Italy's history of anti-Semitism and the nature of the flyers, do you think this boycott amounts to criminal racism?

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Front Page: A Chance For Peace in Gaza

LibertySugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:05:29 -0800

A three-hour cease-fire in Gaza left hope that peace between Hamas and Israel can be reached, but there is no guarantee. - CBS on YouTube
The Red Cross reports it found at least 15 bodies and several children, who were emaciated but alive, in a row of shattered houses in the Gaza Strip. Officials accused the Israeli military of preventing ambulances from reaching the bombed-out site for four days. - Washington Post
President-elect Barack Obama plans to urge Congress to move quickly on his economic aid package (expected to cost $800 billion) today, warning that failure to do so would have devastating long-term effects for the nation. - CNN
The Army mistakenly sent letters addressed "Dear John Doe" to 7,000 family members of soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, forcing a formal apology from the Army's top general. The letters contained information about private organizations that assist grieving families, but a printing error by a contractor left the letters without specific names and addresses. - Washington Post

Russia's state-controlled gas monopoly said it would restore supplies to Europe through Ukraine, which it cut off after a dispute between Moscow and Kiev, as soon as international monitors are implemented. - Reuters

Front Page: Optimism Rises Ceasefire Plan in Gaza

LibertySugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:00:27 -0800

Hope for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Gaza has increased with the news that Israel has agreed "on the principles" of a ceasefire proposal. Hamas said there were "positive signs but no agreement yet." - BBC
Lawmakers are pushing Barack Obama to embrace deficit-reduction goals while he promotes a spending and tax-cutting plan. Yesterday, Obama said he would "bring a long-overdue sense of responsibility and accountability to Washington" and called the need for budget reform "an absolute necessity." - AP

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White says he's being unfairly blamed by members of the Senate for not seating Roland Burris. - Chicago Tribune
Barack Obama will announce his pick for "chief performance officer," a newly created position that will work on the federal budget and to reform government. - CNN
Pakistani leaders say India's suggestions that official agencies may have been involved in training November's Mumbai terrorists are pushing the region to war. - United Press International
HBO has landed the rights to the inaugural ceremony and will kick off coverage of Inauguration week with an exclusive telecast of a star-studded opening ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 18. It will offer the event free to cable and satellite subscribers. - Hollywood Reporter

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Front Page: Israel Pushes Into Southern Gaza on Day 12 of Fire

LibertySugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:00:53 -0800

Israeli troops moved to the southern Gaza Strip today, ignoring an effort by European envoys to broker a cease-fire. Palestinian officials said the death toll in Gaza has risen to about 560 since Israel began airstrikes on Dec. 27. At least nine Israelis have been killed. - Washington Post
President-elect Barack Obama told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi he favors a grand total of $775 billion for the US economic stimulus plan. - Bloomberg
Consumers are reeling from a recession, job uncertainty, tighter credit, and falling stock portfolios, and it shows. Wal-Mart Stores could be one of the only retailers to post a rise in December sales, as US retail sales continue to fall. - Reuters
Barack Obama's pick for head of CIA, Leon Panetta, is churning a mixed reaction from CIA officials. He has been described as a "fabulous choice" to lead the agency and conversely "inexperienced" with intelligence manners. - ABC News
Despite support against his appointment to the US Senate, Roland Burris told the The Early Show he plans to take his seat as Illinois's junior senator. Burris, who was selected to take Barack Obama's Senate seat, brushed off his critics, saying his appointment by the scandal-plagued governor, Rod Blagojevich, is legal and valid - CBS News

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Front Page: Obamas Settle in DC as the Girls Start School

CitizenSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:01:04 -0800

Michelle Obama walked her daughters alongside full security detail to their first day at Sidwell Friends School in Bethesda, MD, this morning, making the family's move to DC official. - AP
Residents in Gaza are saying they doubt rocket fire can be stopped. Thousands of Israeli troops battled Hamas fighters Sunday while Israeli warplanes, helicopters, and drones bombarded targets from above for the 10th day. - Washington Post
Barack Obama hopes to drum up support from both political parties by proposing up to $310 billion in tax cuts for businesses and the middle class as part of his massive economic stimulus package. - Reuters

A new US embassy in Baghdad has opened its doors with a dedication ceremony attended by the Iraqi president. - BBC
Gunmen hit Athens riot police with automatic weapons fire early this morning, wounding a policeman in an escalation of violence that erupted last month when a teenager was killed in a police shooting. - Wall Street Journal

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