Free Republic

As The New York Times itself noted in a commendable June 20, 2008 correction, the Romans named Judea and the Galilee, where Jesus was born and then lived, “Palestina” more than a century after he was crucified. The Times correction 15 years ago accurately stated: The Malula Journal article on April 22, about efforts in the village of Malula, Syria, and two neighboring villages to preserve Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus, referred incorrectly to the name of the region where Jesus spent most of his time. It was Galilee — not Palestine, which derives from the word Palestina, the...

A flotilla of ships titled the "Viva Palestina" convoy, hailed by organizers as the largest convoy to break the Gaza embargo, is set to depart this weekend, organizers announced Thursday. The flotilla has been cleared to sail from Syria to the Egyptian port of Al-Arish, from where it will make its way into Gaza. The Egyptian government announced that it will allow the aid convoy to dock at Al-Arish seaport while en route to Gaza. Hussam Zaki of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the convoy will be allowed access to Gaza however he insisted George Galloway, the British ex-parliamentarian

Iran envoy Mottaki denies Iran's Holocaust denial while visiting Europe. Back home, I suspect he'll have to deny that very denial of the original denial. The article: "Iran's foreign minister was in Oslo on Tuesday, and he denied that his country's leaders doubt whether the Holocaust occurred. Nor would Manouchehr Mottaki claim that Israel has no right to exist. Iranian critics have often pointed to last year's seminar in Teheran for Holocaust skeptics, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's suggestions that Israel should cease to exist. But Mottaki, after holding meetings with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, claimed that Iran...

Occupied Jerusalem - Sheikh Tayseer Al-Tamimi, the chief justice of Islamic courts in Palestine, denounced in a statement on Wednesday, the anti Islam slogans extremist Jewish settlers of Shafat neighborhood, north of occupied Jerusalem, scribbled on cars and shops. Tamimi considered that activity a crime that reflects hatred and hostility towards the Arab residents and a flagrant, provocative assault on all Muslims. He called on all Arabs and Muslims to adhere to their religion and defend its sanctity, holding the occupation government accountable for such criminal actions. He also asked it to restrain those extremist groups in order to put...

Russian deliveries of military hardware to the Palestian authority may be fullfilled if only approved by Israel, says Russian Vice Premier and Minister of Defense Mr. Sergey Ivanov. “Any deliveries of hardware may be done only through Israel’s territory and if Israel approves them” – Ivanov said to journalists on Friday during his visit to Tamanskaya division based in Moscow oblast’ (province). Ivanov doesn’t see any reason why Israel may object the delivery. “This issue [on supplying military equipment to Palestinians] is on preliminary consideration stage”, ITAR-TASS quotes. The Chief of Russian General Headquarters Army General Mr. Yuri Baluevski said...

We at Emperor’s Clothes used to think Israel was mainly responsible for the Middle East conflict. However, we changed our minds. Consequently some people are mad at us. We began studying the Arab-Israeli dispute and the matter of anti-Semitism last spring. We had a number of reasons. First, we found the media coverage of the conflict in Jenin to be biased against Israel in ways reminiscent of anti-Serb media coverage in Bosnia and Kosovo. The media accepted outrageous claims (that hundreds or even thousands had been brutally murdered, etc.) without applying common sense skepticism. This coverage created the public impression...

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL South East Asia correspondent ALOR SETAR, Malaysia, April 24 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – The Indonesian Foreign Minister, Noer Hassan Wirayuda said Wednesday, April 24, that Indonesia will never recognize the state of Israel if the latter does not allow a free Palestinian nation to exist, news agencies reported. Wirayuda stated that Indonesia will not have a diplomatic relationship with Israel as long as there is no free and independent Palestine. "Our stand on Palestine is clear, and this means no diplomatic relationships with Israel before the latter country accepts the rights of the Palestinians,” Wirayuda...