O.I.L. Media Roundup (27 May)

[ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, March 3, 2015. Image by US Government.] [ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, March 3, 2015. Image by US Government.]

O.I.L. Media Roundup (27 May)

By : O.I.L Editors

Palestine-Israel

Gaza Economy ‘On Verge of Collapse’
, Peter Beaumont
Writing in The Guardian, Beaumont draws attention to a new World Bank report discussing the collapse of the economy in the Gaza Strip amidst the world’s highest rate of unemployment.

The New York Times Goes to War, Again, Belen Fernandez
Fernandez finds The New York Times’ coverage of Israeli military warnings that Hezbollah is “militarizing” villages in southern Lebanon remarkably uncritical of the Israeli claims.

Netanyahu Represents Survivalist Determination, Anshel Pfeffer
Reacting to the formation of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s fourth coalition government, Pfeffer argues the Prime Minister has sought to establish himself as a “default” leader of the country.

Hamas-Fatah Divide Cripples Palestine’s Judiciary, Hazem Balousha
Writing for Al-Monitor, Balousha surveys the history of Palestinian judiciary systems under occupation and details how Hamas-Fatah disputes have slowed the creation of a new court system under the 2014 reconciliation agreement between the two parties.

Israel-Palestine: The Parameters of Mainstream Debate, Jamie Stern-Weiner
Stern-Weiner, discussing recent debate over the recognition of the state of Palestine in European politics, concludes the two-state solution is, for the time being, “the only game in town.”

The Nation Magazine’s Shameful History of Aiding Ethnic Cleansing in Palestine, Rania Khalek
Writing in Electronic Intifada, Rania Khalek comments on the historical support of the Nation magazine for Zionism

Palestinian Official: No End in Sight for Yarmouk Crisis, Al Masdar
A Palestinian official reports that due to the ongoing violent from ISIS and Al Nusra there is no viable conclusion currently on the table for the crisis in the Yarmouk Camp.

 
US Law

The Fog of Technology and International Law, Duncan Hollis
The case of Giovanni Lo Porto and Warren Weinstein, two civilians killed in U.S. drone strikes, illustrates the need for a more transparent legal environment in the arena of national security.

Navy Will Not Punish Nurse for Refusing to Force-Feed Guantanamo Prisoners, Associated Press
The US Navy has declined to discharge a nurse who refused to force-feed hunger striking prisoners at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay.

Lessons from the North: Omar Khadr’s Release on Bail in Canada, Jonathan Haftez
The recent release of Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr on bail highlights a “Kafkaesque” reality wherein being charged with a crime as Khadr was is often the easiest way for fellow detainees to gain freedom from Guantanamo, via pleading guilty, being sentenced, and transferred to their home countries, writes Hafetz for Just Security.

Patriot Act on Life Support, Julian Hattem
A stalemate between the two parties in the United States Senate leaves the renewal of the Patriot Act, set to expire at the end of May, in doubt.

Obama’s War on Leaks Faces Backlash in Court, Peter Maass
Maas covers the Judge Leonie Brinkema sentencing of Jeffrey Sterling, a former CIA agent who leaked classified information to a New York Times reporter. 

Minnesota’s Radical Experiment in Jihadi Rehab, Dina Temple-Raston
The New Yorker covers Minnesota efforts to de-radicalize terror suspects through programs such as halfway houses.


Middle East Law

Appeals Court Upholds Verdict against Bahrain Activist, Reem Khalifa
Associated Press reports the conviction of Nabeel Rajab, a Bahraini activist, for insulting the government of Bahrain in tweets has been upheld by an appeals court.

Egypt’s Former Leader Morsy Given Death Sentence in Jailbreak Case, Ian Lee, Sarah Sirgany, Laura Smith-Spark
Former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy was sentenced to death by an Egyptian court for allegedly collaborating with Hamas and Hezbollah to facilitate his escape along with that of 20,000 other prisoners.

Vatican Recognizes State of Palestine in New Treaty, Nicole Winfield
The Vatican, in a treaty signed 13 May, officially diplomatically recognized the state of Palestine, a shift from past recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

 
Armed Conflict

Key Iraqi City Falls to ISIS as Last of Security Forces Flee, Tim Arango
The New York Times covers the fall of Hamadi to Islamic State fighters.

Officials: Saudi-Led Coalition Airstrikes Resume in Yemen, Ahmed Al-Haj
The Washington Post reports that air strikes led by Saudi forces against Shiite rebels in Yemen will continue following a five-day truce ended by a breakdown in peace talks.

Did George W. Bush Create ISIS?, Dexter Filkins
A recent viral video features a college student, in a Q&A with Presidential candidate Jeb Bush, accusing former President George W. Bush of having “created ISIS,” a statement Filkins finds much truth in via the US decision to dissolve the Iraqi army during the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.

The Saudi War on Democracy, Asa Winstanley
Winstanley argues that the disruption of democratic movements in Yemen is a primary motivator in Saudi incursions into the country.

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Palestine

The Occupation and BDS
, Bashir Abu Manneh
Writing in Jacobin, Abu Manneh analyzes Israeli settler colonialism and calls for centralizing the fight against the occupation in the current context

Israel`s Anti-Boycott Law Will Hit Palestinians Hardest, Rights Groups Warn, Ali Abunimah
Abunimah covers a recent Israeli Supreme Court decision upholding a 2011 law carrying harsh financial sanctions for those advocating boycott against Israel.

The Advantage for Palestine of a Slow Preliminary Examination, Kevin Jon Heller
Heller articulates what he calls a "cynical strategy" wherein Palestine, by drawing the OTP preliminary examination of the Palestinian statehood issue as long as possible, can more time for itself to make a ruling against statehood more difficult.

Naming and Shaming in Yarmouk, Ramzy Baroud
Writing in CounterPunch, Baroud highlights the role of many actors, including Israel and the armed opposition in Syria, in destroying Yarmouk

The Palestinians of Yarmouk and the Shameful Silence When Israel Is Not to Blame, Mehdi Hasan
Writing for the guardian, Hasan critiques the relative silence in public discussion of the plight of Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk, as compared with outrage over Palestinian suffering at the hands of Israel.

On the Eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israel Demolished the Homes of Palestinian Citizens of Israel 15 Minutes From Tel Aviv, Udi Aloni
Responding to the Israeli destruction of Palestinian homes on holocaust remembrance day, the author declares unwillingness to participate in Jewish political movements that do not declare solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.
 

Law

Killing a Cleric: Many More Questions Than Answers, Gabor Rona
Critiques the US government justification for the drone killing of Ibrahim Rubaish, noting that the argument raises questions about how to distinguish AQAP and the al Qaeda responsible for 9/11 as well as the targetability of civilians.

Harold Koh and the Battle of the Dueling Petitions, Philip Alston
The controversy over a petition criticizing Obama Administration legal adviser Harold Koh`s position at NYU`s law school raises as many questions about the role of legal academics in government positive as it does policy crafted under Koh vis-a-vis target killings.

Trial of Karma Al-Khayat, Lebanese Journalist, Begins in Hague Tribunal, Marlise Simons
The New York Times covers the opening in the trial of a Lebanese journalist accused of publishing information confidential to an international investigation of the assassination of Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri.

Secret Details of Drone Strike Revealed as Unprecedented Case Goes to German Court, Cora Currier, Ryan Devereaux, and Jeremy Scahill
The Intercept reports on the first drone strike victim to air his grievances in a court of law.

Obama`s Lawyers: Let`s Extend the 9/11 Wars Forever, Shane Harris
Comments by an Obama administration lawyer seemed to give the lie to the president`s recent declaration of an end to combat operations in Afghanistan.

Drone Strikes in Yemen Said to Set a Dangerous Precedent, Scott Shane
A study by the Open Society Justice initiative examining the US` targeted killing program concludes the US has openly flouted it`s own rules for curbing civilian casualties.


Yemen

Aid Agency Oxfam Condemns Saudi Air Strike in Yemen, Reuters
Oxfam has stated a recent Saudi air strike in Yemen has damaged a store of humanitarian supplies.

A Revolutionary Yemen, Bilal Zenab Ahmed
Bilal Ahmed examines the prospects for a democratic movement in Yemen for Jacobin.

al Qa`ida Top Cleric in Yemen Killed in Drone Attack, Associated Press 
An al Qa`ida cleric, Ibrahim al-Rubaish, has been killed a drone strike in Yemen.


Armed Conflict

Syria: Chemicals Used in Idlib Attacks, Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch uncovers strong evidence that the government of Syria used toxic chemicals in a series of bombings in Idlib in March 2015.

Iran, Afghanistan Announce Security Cooperation Against Islamic State, AFP
Afghan leader Ashran.Ghani and Iran president Hasan Rouhani have announced a security cooperation agreement over ISIS

UN Says Libya Peace Talks `Very Close` to Final Accord, AFP
UN envoy Bernardino Leon claims negotiations between rival militias in Libya are close to eighty percent complete.

The New World Disorder, Tariq Ali
Ali describes the revelations of Western surveillance programs as a harbinger of a new form of Western government he calls the "extreme center," a step towards the elimination of democracy.


T
error

6 Arrested In Minneapolis, San Diego In Alleged ISIS-Related Plot, Marcy Kreiter
Federal agents made nearly simultaneous arrests in Minnesota and California over an alleged ISIS plot.

The FBI Informant Who Mounted a Sting Operation Against the FBI, Trevor Aaronson
The Intercept discusses "(T)error," a documentary following an FBI informant`s attempts to uncover ties to terror from a Muslim convert in Pittsburgh.