07-17-09 Israel denies the undeniable: War crimes in Gaza

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Shades of Gray: Ray Hanania’s World Comic Strip, July 17, 2009
Dozens of Israeli soldiers, risking retribution, violence and persecution, have stepped up to confess that they were ordered to shoot innocent men, women and children during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. Israelis who claim to support peace have shut their eyes to the war crimes, pretending that only Hamas has engaged in terrorism. But reports by the top human rights organizations in the world have pointed a finger at Israel saying they engaged in outrageous examples of war crimes including soldiers using civilians and children as human shields as they rampaged through the civilian neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip allegedly pursuing terrorists but instead seeking to destroy the region’s infra-structure and impose greater hardships on the citizens. Shame on Israel’s government, its military but shame even more on the silence of the Israeli people.
July 17, 2009 Posted by Ray Hanania | Ray Hanania | Amnesty International, cartoon, comic strip, Ehud Barak, Gaza Strip, Israel, satire, war crimes, war criminal | No Comments Yet
HANANIA: Israel’s Gaza War backfires strengthening Israeli extremists in Tuesday’s elections, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 02-06-09
Israel’s Gaza assault backfires and strengthens Israeli extremists
By Ray Hanania – No one will really know why Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert decided to attack the Gaza Strip on November 4, 2008, but if his purpose was to strengthen his party in the face of Israel’s growing public extremism, it failed. Read more »
February 6, 2009 Posted by Ray Hanania | Ray Hanania | Ehud Olmert, Benjamin Netanyahu, Tzipi Livni, Ehud Barak, Kadima, Labor, Israeli elections | 1 Comment
HANANIA: Olmert offers tough words that focus on real Middle East problem, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Sept. 16, 2008
Olmert offers tough words that focus on real Middle East problem
By Ray Hanania – Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had tough words to describe the militant actions of Israeli settlers living on occupied lands in the West Bank as he prepares to step down from office. Olmert, who is resigning his post in the face of a criminal probe into his administration, criticized the settlers, most extremist fanatics including many with dual citizenship from the United States, as perpetrating “pogroms” against Palestinian civilians. Read more »
September 16, 2008 Posted by Ray Hanania | Ray Hanania | Christians, Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert, Hamas, Israel, Jews, Muslims, Palestinians, pogroms, settlers, suicide bombings, terrorism, violence | No Comments Yet
HANANIA: Olmert predicament could be chance for real peace, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, August 1, 2008
Olmert’s predicament could be chance for peace
By Ray Hanania – Besieged Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced he will not seek re-election in the face of a growing wave of criminal investigations that have targeted his government conduct. Olmert is expected to remain in office until elections are held later this year, but his announcement has put in question the future of the peace talks he helped initiate with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But is the option for peace really over, again? Or, does Olmert’s predicament offer a real opportunity for him to be courageous and bold before he leaves office and initiate a peace deal that just could make real peace possible? Read more »
August 1, 2008 Posted by Ray Hanania | Ray Hanania | Ariel Sharon, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bill Clinton, Camp David Peace Accords, Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert, Israeli prime minister, Oslo Peace Accords, peace accord, Yasir Arafat, Yasser Arafat | No Comments Yet
HANANIA: US Presidents and the last minute push for peace, For Immediate Release, 01-09-08
U.S. Presidents and the drive for Middle East peace
By Ray Hanania — What is it about Presidents who wait until the last minute to try and achieve peace in the Middle East? President George W. Bush is in Jerusalem meeting with Israelis and Palestinians to help nudge the latest generation of the “peace process” along. Why does this all sound so familiar? Read more »
January 9, 2008 Posted by Ray Hanania | Ray Hanania | Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert, elections, George W. Bush, Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, Middle East conflict, Palestine, peace, President Bush, President Clinton, push for peace, Yasser Arafat | No Comments Yet
HANANIA: Annapolis peace summit faces major challenges, For Immediate Release, 11-25-07
Annapolis peace summit faces major challenges
By Ray Hanania – If Israel really wanted to torpedo the Annapolis Peace Summit, as some Arabs insist, it wouldn’t have to work very hard to do it. The Palestinians and most Arabs are already trashing the Summit, which promises only to define a framework in which Israelis and Palestinians can begin final status negotiations. But Palestinians and Israelis seem skeptical. Many Palestinians believe the stumbling block is that Israel does not want to surrender the land it has annexed after occupying the West Bank in 1967, while Israelis have doubts a peace accord will lead to an end to violence. Israelis respond by pointing to the fact that they did return the Gaza Strip. Israelis argue that the Hamas terrorist organization has turned the Gaza into a military threat and base from which they fire Kassam Rockets into Israel. Read more »
November 26, 2007 Posted by Ray Hanania | Ray Hanania | Annapolis, Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert, Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, Palestine, Palestinians, peace summit, President Bush, Prsident Clinton, Yasser Arafat | No Comments Yet
HANANIA: Palestinian-Israeli Peace requires courage and compromise, For Immediate Release, 11-04-07
Palestinian-Israeli Peace requires courage and compromise
By Ray Hanania – Israeli and Palestinian efforts to revive peace talks at Annapolis offer a new chance for peace, if courage and compromise on both sides can replace rhetoric and PR. The proposed Annapolis peace conference must not be like the Camp David “talks” where Israel offered its infamous “most generous offer.” Compared to paltry Israeli offers of the past, it was more generous, but not generous enough. But Palestinians need to do more, too. Read more »
November 5, 2007 Posted by Ray Hanania | Ray Hanania | Annapolis, Bill Clinton, Camp David, Condoleezza Rice, Dennis Ross, Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert, Israel, Jerusalem, Palestine, Palestinian Refugees, peace, Right of Return, terrorist Ariel Sharon, Yasir, Yasser Arafat | 1 Comment
HANANIA: The problem with “road maps,” For Immediate Release, 11-03-07
The problem with roadmaps
By Ray Hanania – After several trips to Jerusalem over the past year, I have come to realize that the term “roadmap” is not exactly the best way to describe a mission to achieve anything, let alone peace. When it comes to making or following roadmaps, Palestinians and Israelis can’t drive. At least not well. And that’s not a good place to start. Read more »
November 2, 2007 Posted by Ray Hanania | Ray Hanania | Abu-Mazen, Condoleezza Rice, Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert, Hanan Ashrawi, Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, Middle East peace, Palestine, President Bush, roadmaps, Tzipi Livni, Yasir, Yasser Arafat | 1 Comment
Our Syndicated Columnists
RAY HANANIA is a syndicated columnist. His columns appear in numerous publications including the Jerusalem Post, the Arab News, the Arab American News, the Southwest News Herald and more. Hanania is the publisher of the National Arab American Times Newspaper. Named Best Ethnic American Columnist for 2007 by the New America Media, and the 2009 Mehdi Courage in Journalism Awardee, Hanania hosts a morning Radio Show of Radio Chicagoland, in Chicago (Mon-Fri, 8-9:30 am) on WJJG 1530 AM Radio. He is an internationally acclaimed standup comedian, author of the humor book Ya Habibi, and pens the Comic Strip called Shades of Gray. View his complete Bio?
ALI YOUNES is an award winning, veteran journalist and columnist. He is an expert on the Arabic language. Managing Editor of The Arab Desk web site, Ali's columns appear in newspapers across the country. He is a 2002 recipient of the National Arab American Journalists Association Excellence in Writing Award.
ANISA MEHDI is an Emmy Award-winning journalist specializing in religion, the arts, and people. For over 20 years she has reported, written, directed and produced television news and documentary programs for major American media outlets, including National Geographic, PBS, ABC News, and CBS. Her commentaries have been heard on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Ms. Mehdi is founder and president of Whetstone Productions, a New Jersey-based production and consulting company. She is adjunct Professor of Communications at Seton Hall University. She writes a twice weekly for the Newark Star-Ledger Newspaper blog. View her complete Bio?
Click here to Read Anisa's Blog
SAFFIYA SHILLO is a peace activist, communications specialist and community editor for the National Arab American Times Newspaper. Ms. Shillo serves as a Board Member of the Palestinian American Women's Society. Her activism is extensive, having served as the former President of the Palestinian American Congress-Chicago Chapter, as a National Board member of the American Task Force on Palestine, and as Director of the Arab American Institute's Chicago office. Active in Jewish/Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, Ms. Shillo gives presentations to national organizations on strategies and methods to achieve peace through dialogue. Ms. Shillo also served as Director of Ethnic Affairs for the State of Illinois' Office of Lieutenant Governor, and worked as a domestic violence/sexual assault counselor serving Chicago's Arab community. She can be reached at smshillo@yahoo.com
MARIA KOUREMENOU KHOURY
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is the author of Witness in the Holy Land, reflecting her personal experience living under the Israeli Occupation with husband, the honorable Mayor David C. Khoury, and their three children. Her articles bringing awareness of the Christian presence in the Holy Land and the plight of the Palestinians have been published worldwide in numerous newspapers and translated to various languages. Maria is a graduate of Hellenic College, Harvard University and Boston University with a doctor of education degree. Born in Tripoli, Greece, she was raised in Denver, Colorado. Contact Maria at: Khourymaria@hotmail.com. Her guest columns appear occasionally.
ALADDIN ELAASAR is an award winning Arab American journalist and author of several books including Silent Victims: The plight of Arabs and Muslims in Post 9/11 America. Elaasar is also a member of the National Arab American Journalists Association. Email him at omaraladin@aol.com. His latest book is The Last Pharoah: Mubarak and the Uncertain Future of Egypt in the MidEast.

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The Arab Writers Group Syndicate offers original columns authored by a syndication of veteran journalists, authors, columnists and humorists who are among the nation's best writers.
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HANANIA'S PODCAST INTERVIEWS ON MIDDLE EASTERN TOPICS>
Click to Go to Ray Hanania's Middle East Podcast Interviews?. Ray conducts interviews on Middle East and Arab topics that are podcast through iTunes and by the National Arab American Times Newspaper at www.AATimesNews.com.
Veteran Award winning reporter Ray Hanania shares the secrets he learned from 32-plus years of frontline journalism to you can create an internet network that will allow you to side step the biases, challenges and failings of the mainstream American News media. Set up an effective New Media Internet Network bringing together web sites, blogs, social media, and create a strategy that delivers your message, product and opinion to the largest possible public audience. $34.95. 238 Pages.
ANISA MEHDI'S DOCUMENTARY
More than 2.5 million Muslims from across the globe embark on a Hajj and converge on Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to ask pardon for their sins and renew their spiritual commitment though a elaborate series of ancient rites and rituals. And it's not optional - every adult Muslim who is physically and financially able to do so is expected to make the hajj at least once in his or her lifetime. Despite the enormity of this annual pilgrimage, it has seldom been witnessed by outsiders, as Mecca is strictly off-limits to non-Muslims. Now, with unprecedented access to Islam's holiest city, National Geographic takes the spiritual journey of a lifetime, following three Muslims from very different backgrounds - an executive from Malaysia, a radio evangelist from South Africa, and a blond-haired, blue-eyed professor from Texas - as they take part in an epic five-day quest for salvation.
ARABS OF CHICAGOLAND
Arabs first settled in Chicagoland in the mid-19th century, when immigrants from all parts of the world were flowing steadily into the U.S. As tensions in the Arab world flared, immigration increased—the first to arrive were Lebanese Christians, followed by Muslim Palestinians. Today, there are more than 250,000 Arabs in the Chicago area, with equal numbers of Christians and Muslims. A part of the fabric of Chicago, Arabs serve in many roles, from business leaders to elected officials to judges, doctors, engineers, journalists, and more. In the wake of the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Arab Americans have come under great scrutiny and have suffered much misunderstanding. Now, this book, which explores their integral role in Chicagoland’s growth, is especially important.
RAY HANANIA'S HUMOR BOOK
A collection of essays on the experiences growing up Arab and Palestinian living in a Jewish community in America on Chicago's South Side. Includes humor and anecdotal stories along with serious topic discussion. The first book to detail Arab American life first published in the United States in 1996. This 2nd Edition is published in 2007.
ARAB AMERICAN MEDIA DIRECTORY
The ONLY directory of Arab American ethnic media -- newspapers, radio and TV. Plus organizations and religious institutions and more. Only $35 in PDF Format


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