One Canadian-Iranian blogger pardoned in Tehran; another remains in captivity

Hossein Derakhshan, the Iranian-Canadian who pioneered blogging in Iran, and who was sentenced to death for his activities (commuted to 19.5 years and later reduced to 17 years) has been pardoned by Iran's Supreme Leader. Hossein spent six years in Iranian prison.

No pardon has been granted to Saeed Malekpour, software engineer, blogger and a Canadian permanent resident, serving a life sentence for the alleged crime of "desecrating Islam".

Deadly role

On Monday, actor Juliano Mer Khamis, the son of an Israeli Jewish mother and a Palestinian Arab father, was murdered by a terrorist in the West Bank town of Jenin. Richard Klagsbrun remembers him as an actor who believed that hope and reason could overcome hate.

Israel Apartheid Week and its precursors

Catherine Chatterley, founding director of the Canadian Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, discusses the origins of IAW and what is needed in response.

Canada in the Middle East

Canadian member of parliament and cabinet minister Peter Kent visited Israel and the West Bank. Canadian and Israeli columnists comment.

Gay, pro-Israel and fed up

Kelvin Browne comments on the nature of prejudice in Canadian society.

Palestinians and the Arab League

The Arab League advises Arab states to deny citizenship to Palestinians. Robert Fulford explains.

Attention shoppers

A new shopping mall has opened in Gaza City. It advertises “air conditioning, a parking lot, security guards, a full-service supermarket and a food court.” Columnist Lorne Gunter reports.

The Gaza flotilla

From a National Post editorial: "When the first team of helicopter-borne commandos arrived on the deck of the flotilla’s lead vessel, they were immediately set upon by dozens of knife- and axe-wielding attackers. Some soldiers were thrown off the ship’s main deck. One was shot in the abdomen. Three were taken prisoner inside the ship (where they overheard heated arguments between the boat’s martyrdom-minded activists and the more pacifistic variety). It was the 'activists,' not the commandos, who initiated the use of deadly force."

Rex Murphy: UN condemns Israel first, investigates later

Rex Murphy has his own acerbic look at the inconsistencies in the UN vis a vis Israel

The Real Problem in Gaza

Most of the world seems to believe that the problems Gaza's citizens would be solved if Israel allowed ships to enter Gaza freely. This article explains that Gazans' real problem is the total control, poor distribution and general misue by Hamas of all the supplies that do enter Gaza.

War disguised as aid

Evidence is mounting that some "human rights activists" on board the Gaza flotilla had anything but human rights on their minds. Canadians should ask some hard questions.

Activists or pacifists?

Israel likes to conduct its anti-terrorist operations in a measured, deliberate fashion. But that's difficult in the close confines of a crowded ship, where combat takes place at the range of a few metres--especially, in the case of the Free Gaza flotilla, which was populated by a diverse mob spanning the gamut from naive Jewish grandmothers to full-fledged Islamist radicals.

Gaza restaurant report

International media have been full of stories about activist boats sailing to Gaza carrying desperately-needed humanitarian aid and building materials. What they won’t tell you about, reports Tom Gross, are Gaza's fancy restaurants, the new olympic-sized swimming pool, the wind surfing competitions, or the Strip’s crowded shops and markets.

Encouraging the young

Dalal Mughrabi led the worst terrorist attack on civilians in the history of Israel. In the last two years Palestinians have named a computer centre, two high schools for girls, two summer camps and a soccer championship after her. Robert Fulford comments.

To start at the beginning

The consistency of modern Jews in Israel and West Bank with their ancestors defines their indigenousness, writes Sally Zerker. Modern Jews live in a country with the same name as that which existed in 1312 BCE and speak the same language that was spoken by Jews in that land more than 3,000 years ago.

Walking the Papal tightrope

The Pope may be able to go many places as a pilgrim and avoid politics, but he cannot do it in the West Bank, says Father Raymond J. De Souza.

"Conflict management"

There has not been a peace process in Arab-Israeli affairs for many years. Now the term being used is "conflict management" and that is a lot more realistic. This article by Father Raymond J. de Souza shows how it holds promise.

Beyond the fog of war

Asking yourself these 13 questions about the Israel-Hamas conflict might actually help you understand it, Irwin Cotler writes.

Debate renewed

Was the Israeli response to Hamas excessive? Craig Offman reviews the debate over “proportional response.” Robert Fulford recalls the same debate from 2002.