By Habib Battah - January 08, 2009

Like many major news organisations in the US, The Washington Post has chosen to cover the conflict from a perspective that reflects the US government's relationship with Israel. This means prioritising Israel's version of events while underplaying the views of Palestinian groups.

Canada's Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff backs Israel's offensive and says Hamas is to blame. Did he learn to be this stupid at Harvard or is this why they call him "the Prince of Darkness?"

By Jonathan Cook - January 08, 2009

During its lengthy blockade, Israel has been able to prevent goods, including food, medicines and fuel, from entering the Gaza Strip through crossing points on its two land borders while its navy patrols the sea coast. But Gaza also shares a short southern land border, next to the town of Rafah, with Egypt...Before the 2005 disengagement, Israel sought to control this fourth border too by bulldozing swathes of Palestinian homes to create a no-man's land between Rafah and Egypt.

By Yves Engler - January 8th, 2009

It’s not certain whether JTF2 commandos or regular Canadian forces participated in...night raids, but it is clear that these operations are becoming more and more important to NATO’s counterinsurgency war. Opposition to night raids from the [Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission]...follows on the heels of comments made by UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary and arbitrary executions, Philip Alston...[H]e denounced foreign forces for organizing informal groups of Afghan fighters that launch secret night raids with little concern for civilian casualties.

by Linda McQuaig - The Harper Index

On Israel's 60th anniversary last April, Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised Canada's "unshakable" support for Israel...Indeed, last March Canada signed an agreement with Israel establishing co-operation in "border management and security".

Early Thursday, January 8th Montrealers blockaded the Israeli Consulate in Montreal in protest against the on-going Israeli assault on the people of Gaza...The action in Montreal comes on the heels of countless protests worldwide against Israeli war crimes, including an occupation of the Israeli Consulate in Toronto by Jewish women yesterday.

By FRANKLIN LAMB - January 8, 2009

In the minds of some of his colleagues, and a law student reporter at the Harvard Law Record, Professor Alan Dershowitz's unique views of Israel's obligations under international law are reflected in the "private legal memoranda" that he churns out from time to time in his moonlighting job as "Counsel to the Government of Israel". In this role...Harvard's Nutty Professor advises Israel "how to appear to be acting legally to the eyes of the American public".

By BELÉN FERNÁNDEZ - January 7, 2009

The Israeli government...might consider ceasing the exploitation of its citizens' genuine psychological torment in order to justify existential battles against its neighbors.

By WILLIAM BLUM - January 7, 2009

The building and protection of oil and gas pipelines in Afghanistan, to continue farther to Pakistan, India, and elsewhere, has been a key objective of US policy since before the 2001 American invasion and occupation of the country...A planned Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline has strong support from Washington because...the US is eager to block a competing pipeline that would bring gas to Pakistan and India from Iran. But security for such projects remains daunting, and that's where the US and NATO forces come in to play.

The Quartet's complicity in Israeli war crimes.

By Justin Podur - January 06, 2009

...Israel is not even allowing Palestinians to leave, so displacement is not the goal, at least for the time being. On the other hand, when body counts rise into the thousands or tens of thousands, Israel might then allow the Palestinians to flee further massacres, and be lauded for its generousness by the international community.

By MIKE WHITNEY - January 6, 2009

In a rare moment of honesty, the New York Times divulged the real motive behind the bombardment and invasion of Gaza. In [an] article...Israeli Vice Premier Haim Ramon said, "We need to reach a situation in which we do not allow Hamas to govern. That is the most important thing. If the war ends in a draw, as expected, and Israel refrains from reoccupying Gaza, Hamas will gain diplomatic recognition...No matter what you call it, Hamas will obtain legitimacy.”

By NEVE GORDON - Counterpunch

There is something extremely cynical about how Israel explains its use of humanitarian assistance, and yet such unadulterated explanations actually help uncover an important facet of postmodern warfare. Not unlike raising animals for slaughter on a farm, the Israeli government maintains that it is providing Palestinians with assistance so that it can have a free hand in attacking them. And just as Israel provides basic foodstuff to Palestinians while it continues shooting them, it informs Palestinians--by phone, no less--that they must evacuate their homes before F-16 fighter jets begin bombing them.

"[The Canadian Union of Public Employees] condemns all acts of violence in the Middle East, including the Hamas rockets being launched into Israel and the Israeli offensive...To date, [the Canadian] government has stated publically [its] support for the Israeli people to protect themselves from attack. This is a woefully inadequate and frankly shameful response on behalf of Canadians."