Robert Fisk, the fortune teller

"But, having covered parliamentary and presidential elections in Cairo for more than four decades, I thought I'd have a crack at Field Marshal/President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's victorious results a week before the election was actually held. Since he picked up more than 96 per cent in previous polls, I reported in The Independent: "I have a hunch it will be somewhere between 93.73 per cent and 97.37 per cent for the President..." (thanks Basim)

Israeli hackers gave Cambridge Analytica stolen emails

“Israeli hackers reportedly gave information from the hacked emails of two world leaders to Cambridge Analytica, the political-research company at the center of a massive Facebook-data scandal.”

U.S. media boosts Saudi front group as neutral think tank

“No one on the panel brought up Saudi Arabia’s ongoing war crimes in Yemen—consistent with MSNBC’s network-wide virtual blackout on one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises (FAIR.org, 3/20/18).”

EU funds Israel’s war industry

“The suppliers of weapons and services to Israel’s military are conducting cruel experiments against Palestinians. Inviting those suppliers into its science programs is a major way that the EU connives with cruelty.”

Invisible victims of racist terrorists

“Had killer Mark Anthony Conditt been a brown Muslim, it’s hard to imagine corporate media not at least speculating that hateful ideology was a motive, and using (or at least debating the use of) the term “terrorism” to describe his crimes. But because Conditt was a white, conservative, homophobic Christian, corporate media and police alike have been—ahem—generous in their eulogies.”

Dont make fun of North Korea

Don't make fun of North Korea. This is the entire Lebanese political class (minus Hizbullah) clapping for the mere appearance of a portrait of the Saudi King. Kid you not.

Demand for exorcisms has risen exponentially

“The Vatican-backed International Association of Exorcists, which represents more than 200 Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox priests, said the increase represented a “pastoral emergency”. According to a priest from Sicily, the number of people in Italy claiming to be possessed had tripled to 500,000 a year, and an Irish priest has said demand for exorcisms has “risen exponentially”. Last year, the Christian thinktank Theos reported that exorcisms were a “booming industry” in the UK, particularly among Pentecostal churches.” (thanks Amir)

Muhammad bin Salman in the Atlantic

1) By agreeing to an interview with a former soldier of the Israeli occupation army tells you that he is attuned to the American scene but totally clueless how things play in the Arab scene. Many commented on the fact that the interviewer is a "former" Israeli occupation soldier. 2) The man is woefully ignorant, which is what you expect from the Saudi princes who study at the "Princes School" and later at a Saudi university which no professor in his right mind would dare not give a prince the highest grade. a) He thought that Egypt during the Cold War was under communist rule. b) he thought that France has been constantly a monarchy during American history. c) He thought that the Queen of England has "absolute" powers. d) He is totally ignorant about Islamic history and the characteristics of Islamic expansion. e) He thought that the Safavid Empire ruled all over the Arab world.  3) I can't see how this man last.  He has violated so many political, social, economic, and family taboos that he is guaranteeing his own eventual downfall.  In fact, a well-connected relative to the Saudi royal family told me recently that his violations of social taboos has caused the most consternation in the Kingdom. 4) He revealed himself to be an anti-Semite who downplayed the horrors of the Nazi regime and reduced them to an attempt to "conquer Europe".  Yet, his anti-Semitics will be forgiven because Israel and Zionists don't judge a person on anti-Semitism so much as they judge on friendliness toward Israel.  His case proves my long-standing theory: that Arab Zionists and normalizers have all been Nazis (like Sadat) or rabid anti-Semites (like this guy, or Anis Mansour or Ali Salem,  or the Lebanese Phalanges).  5) Clearly, the interview did not go well in the estimation of the regime.  Okaz, the fiery mouthpiece of the Prince printed the whole interview but took out the section on Jews and Israel.  

How to get educated on the Middle East--according to New Yorker

"You can read a lot of books but never get the type of education you get from talking to the Kissingers and Petraeuses of the world.”"

The US mainstream media which peddled the lie of the century want to tackle "fake news"

How the Palestinians "lost" their homes in 1948: the Nakbah according to the New York Times

Don’t you like the phrase “lost their homes”? It gives the impression that Palestinians went outside their homes in 1948 and just couldn’t find their way back: “the 1948 war in which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians lost their homes”.

Anti-Semitism and opposition to Israel among Arabs: the logic of the Washington Post

Look at this statement: "One pilot study, by Günther Jikeli of Indiana University, found that anti-Semitism often accompanies opposition to Israel in Arab countries."  You press on the link to the pilot study and you don't find what the Post maintains it contains.  But let us look at this: So almost all Arabs are opposed to Israel.  So someone then tests anti-Semitism among Arabs (I would like to see how they tested that and whether they used current Zionist definitions which conflates anti-Semitism with opposition to Israel) and they found out that anti-Semitism is accompanied by opposition to Israel.  But let us say that they in fact used an actual legitimate definition of anti-Semitism (like hatred of Jewish people, insults to Judaism (but not to other religions), belief in bogus Jewish conspiracies, or denial of the Holocaust, belief in the grotesque Protocols of the Elders of Zionism--all those would qualify in my book as ingredients of anti-Semitism), and they found out a certain percentage of Arabs who exhibited signs of anti-Semitism. But what is the relationship between that and the widespread opposition to Israel?  This is not a causal relationship.  This is like testing how many people die from pulmonary diseases in Arizona.  If you see the percentage it is rather high and then you can link that to living in Arizona, thereby concluding that living in Arizona would increase the risk of death from pulmonary diseases, which is the reverse actually because Arizona due to its dry weather attracts a large number of people who have pulmonary diseases.  Same thing for trying to find a relationship between cases of anti-Semitism and opposition to Israel.  So most Arabs like Falafel, and if you run a study of signs of anti-Semitism, you can then say that the study found that anti-Semitism accompanies love of Falafel in Arab countries. This is how dumb this statement in the Post is.

Israel occupation army spokesperson admits war crimes

From Eyal:
"The IDF spokesperson tweeted the following earlier today:

"Yesterday we saw 30,000 people; we arrived prepared and with precise reinforcements. Nothing was carried out uncontrolled; everything was accurate and measured, and we know where every bullet landed".

Well, they landed their bullets in or through 17 people's bodies, plus an unknown number among the ~2,400 wounded. We also recall they accurately-and-measuredly shout a youngster fleeing from them in the back.  A while later, someone at the IDF probably realized they were admitting

war crimes, and the tweet was removed.

(credit goes to blogger Yossi Gurwitz: and to B'tzelem for the screenshot)

How Israel war crimes are covered

Notice that New York Times headline put the Israeli murder as part of "clashes". Notice that Western media never use "clashes" even in cases when governments which are not aligned with the US are engaged in conflict with armed rebels (like in Venezuela when protesters used violence).  Notice that my local paper, Modesto Bee, gives the source of deaths of Palestinians to Palestinian sources as if the murder of Palestinians was in dispute.  They never say: Israel claimed that two Israelis were killed.

Western Rhetoric and discourse on Palestine: Human Rights Watch and others

Yesterday news as quite symptomatic.  You can take it as an example of the hypocrisy of Western (government, academic, and media) rhetoric on Palestine.  Notice the utter silence of all those who have been shedding crocodile tears over the Syrian civilian victims.  All those who called for NATO attacks on Libya and Syria (and other places) in the name of humanitarian concern went silent yesterday.  Their ostensible humanitarianism stops at the border of Palestine, thereby exposing the hollow arguments.  Worse, look at the statement issued by Human Rights Watch yesterday.  This organization has been rightly exposed in the Arab world as a mere arm of Israeli propaganda and the propaganda of Western wars in our region.  Notice that the statement referred to Israeli massacre as "policing demonstration" and it seemed to disagree with Israel only on the number of Palestinians killed, not on the killing itself.  The statement even referred to unfounded claims by Israeli occupation to use of violence by unarmed Palestinians and even provided justifications to Israeli occupation army to use gunfire on demonstrators under certain conditions.   Kenneth Roth (HRW director) usually tweets around the clock and yesterday had one or two tweets in which he used the most polite and mild language possible.  When foes of the US uses gunfire (whether against civilians or armed groups) he automatically refers to that as "slaughter".  Notice that he never refers to Israeli war crimes as slaughter.  The word "war crime" was not used by HRW all day yesterday.  This is the organization which calls cases when a Palestinian steps on the foot of an Israeli soldier a "war crime".  Ken Roth was busy reporting about alleged government crimes in Venezuela.  This is the man who is obsessed (according to previous reports on him on this blog-search it) with what he calls "pro-Israel donors" to his organization, which basically dictates how this organization covers up and beautifies Israeli war crimes.  Human Rights Watch should have been invented by Western war apparatuses long before it was founded. IT has been a great gift to colonial practices and thinking.   If the killing yesterday was by a government not aligned with the US, HRW would have called for Security Council Meeting and ICC action.

Jeremy Corbyn's grotesque prostration to Zionists

This is an astounding and humiliating interview.  I understand that Corbyn wanted to deny that he is anti-Semitic (and there is nothing wrong for someone to deny accusations of repugnant anti-Semitism if there are grounds).  But in order to prove that he is not anti-Semitic he does what classical Western Christian anti-Semites do: they basically conceal their anti-Semitism by going overboard in providing support for Israeli occupation and war crimes. He does the same in this lousy interview.  Now he simply wants a two-state solution: his views here are no different from those of Blair, Bush, and even Netanyahu. He even expressed willingness to meet with Netanyahu.  He allowed the interviewer to lie and fabricate and to claim that Hamas and Hizbullah have expressed an urge to kill all Jews.  In fact, both movements have come out publicly in recent years against anti-Semitism (Hizbullah more than Hamas, I have to say), and yet Corbyn allowed this Zionist to define the matters of debate and to put him on the defensive.  I made wonder: is he really not anti-Semitic? Because if you are not, you should never be forced to switch your views like this.  I have always told Arabs: never ever trust Western leaders--no matter how left they are: just look at Tsipras in Greece and his embrace of Netanyahu despite years of strong stance in favor of Palestine by his group. Western leaders--on the left and the right--will give up on Palestine for the right price. All of them. What price did you pay, o Jeremy Corbyn?

The latest antics of the Dalai Lama: being paid by a sex cult

"“The group, which has been described by former members as a 'sex cult', claims to be a self-help organization that operates centers in US, Mexico, Canada and South America. It emerged last year that the Dalai Lama was paid $1 million to speak to 3,000 NXIVM followers and place a khata - a traditional ceremonial Tibetan scarf - around Raniere's neck.”" (thanks Amir)

A warning to Arab leftists from Saudi regime media

""In the end I wish to tell those influenced by the vanquished leftist ideology that we will deal with the West, and we will benefit from its superior civilization and its accomplishments — both its military feats and its other cultural achievements. These mainly deliver deterrence to our communities and also enhance welfare and services. As for you, your media, your intellectuals, and your criticism, these are nothing but the groans of a defeated force as it falls in the battle of civilizations.""

The Egyptian presidential race

At least someone is impressed with the sham elections in Egypt.

Muhammad bin Salman

I was reading the itinerary of Muhammad bin Salman in the US: both Democrats and Republishing are rushing to prostrate. There is even a private dinner with Thomas Friedman, and a meeting with Elliott Abrams.  Oprah is meeting with him. Plenty of US Zionists are no his itinerary.

The US official delegation for monitoring the Egyptian election

US Congressional election observers in Cairo belly dance

Shai Feldman and his lies about his trip to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait

What Shai Feldman does is typical of all US Zionists: they conflate the dynastic rulers of the Gulf with the Arab people, so that you don't really know when they generalize about Arab public opinion that they are really talking about the potentates and their entourages.  Here he says that Israel is no more an anathema in the Arab world and mentions his visits to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. He was indeed in Saudi Arabia where he spoke (in a closed session without press announcements) at a conference at King Faisal Center.  He later was supposed to speak (privately) at the American University of Kuwait, but when news of his appearance leaked there was such an intense protest that the entire event was actually cancelled, and his exist was rushed for fear of growing protests.  Here is the announcement of BDS-Kuwait about what happened.

Muhammad bin Salman visits MIT

"MIT and Harvard students, as well as local activist groups such as Massachusetts Peace Action, led a protest against Mohammed’s visit outside Lobby 7 at noon Friday. The protest attracted between thirty and fifty participants, who held signs with slogans such as “No Saudi War Criminal at MIT” and chanted “What do we want? Peace. When do we want it? Now.”   A Change.org petition started by an organization called Just Foreign Policy also gathered more than 6,000 signatures. The petition called for MIT to cancel Mohammed’s visit, alleging that the Saudi bombardment and blockade of Yemen essentially amounted to using starvation as a war tactic. Students submitted the petition to Reif’s office Friday."

Muhammad bin Salman--a man of the people--visits Harvard University

"A heavy security presence accompanied the crown prince during his Cambridge visit Saturday evening. Nearly 30 security vehicles and roughly 10 motorcycles lined Quincy St., which security officials kept closed to vehicle traffic for more than an hour while the crown prince remained inside the faculty club. An armored tactical vehicle also parked next to the Barker Center on Prescott St."

John Bolton speaks for all Arabs--so argues a Saudi propagandist

Chief Saudi regime propagandist, `Abdul-Rahman Al-Rashid, maintains that John Bolton is not extreme at all but that he in fact speaks for all Arabs.  I am not kidding you. You can find the English translation of the article in some Saudi regime propaganda bulletin board.

Muhammad bin Salman and the spread of fanatical religious ideologies

He is only partly lying below. Saudi Arabia was indeed asked by the US to help in the combat of communism and socialism worldwide and they did the job but they had their own agenda as well. They wanted to combat Nasserism and leftism in the Arab world for their own reasons.
"“Mohammed said that investments in mosques and madrassas overseas were rooted in the Cold War, when allies asked Saudi Arabia to use its resources to prevent inroads in Muslim countries by the Soviet Union.”"

ًWhere is the outrage over this ugly act of anti-Semitism?

"Israeli teen arrested after urinating on steps of Auschwitz memorial: report". (thanks Michele)

Who prepared the menu for the Saudi-American dinner in DC??

مَن الذي أعدّ قائمة طعام عشاء الصداقة الأميركيّة-السعوديّة في واشنطن؟ هذه إهانة للمطبخ العربي. قرديس (جمبري) مع بابا غنّوج؟ لحم بقر مع ثوم وطحينة؟ إيه ده؟ لماذا لم يضيفوا إلى القائمة تموراً مع لحم خنزير إمعاناً في الاحتفال بالصداقة؟

The menu of the Saudi-American friendship dinner in DC is an insult to Middle East cuisine. Shrimp with Baba Ghannuj? Filet of Beef with Tahini and Garlic? Why not mix dates with bacon while you are at it?

Human Rights Watch office in Beirut

At the personal level, I met and liked the director of HRW office in Beirut.  But politically, I have been claiming for years that this organization office in Beirut is an unofficial member of the March 14 media and propaganda spectrum.  I visited his Facebook page today, and this struck me:
1) they held a joint press conference with the Minister of the Lebanese Forces militia party.  Can you imagine HRW daring to hold a joint press conference with a Hizbullah minister, or even with an Amal minister? And even about trash matters?  No way on earth. They would never ever dare.
2) He retweets the musings of a political candidate who was part of the Hariri propaganda apparatus and is known for her staunch support for the Saudi regime.  She is the candidate who before leaving Hariri TV to run for election, was handpicked by the Saudi regime to visit Saudi Arabia and to falsely claim that Hariri was not held against his will in Riyadh.  Can you imagine he retweeting the musings of a reporter for Al-Manar TV, for example?
3) He posts articles by columnists in Saudi regime media.  Can you imagine him posting articles by columnists of Iranian regime media?
4) He takes sides on the debate on normalization with the Israeli occupation enemy and rejects normalization and publicly called on people to not boycott Spielberg and said that Spielberg's donation to Israel as a reward for its war on Lebanon is no big deal and should be considered a mere act of charity. Can you imagine him ever daring to justify a donation to Syrian regime relief organizations? Would he dare say that?
5) He in fact engages and attacks Al-Akhbar.  I dont have a problem with that at all and I see things at Al-Akhbar I don't like (and there are people at Al-Akhbar who can't stand me and don't like what I write) but how come he never ever engages and attacks the pro-Saudi regime media in Lebanon? For your information all the media in Lebanon EXCEPT ONE NEWSPAPER are subservient to the Saudi regime.  At one point he is arguing with Al-Akhbar, and because his Arabic is so embarrassingly weak, he misunderstands the Arabic saying: آخر الدواء الكيّ
and he assumes that this saying is meant literally.  That was hilarious to read actually.

A US official with facial hair? No way.

John Bolton is the first US official with facial hair hired for a high post in government in many years. In fact, one of the strongest objections that Trump had about him was his mustache. Read more on this matter from an academic perspective.

George Nader

He was very close to the Syrian regime in the 1990s, especially the bribable `Abdul-Halim Khaddam.

So now calling someone a "son of dog" (which Arabs use against one another) is anti-Semitic

Every day, Zionists introduce new meanings to the term anti-Semitic, thereby really undermining the effort to combat real anti-Semitism.

I came across this by Brecht

“The great political criminals must certainly be exposed, and preferably through ridicule. Because above all, they are not great political criminals, but the perpetrators of great political crimes, which is something utterly different.”

Notice in US media, it never mentions Syrian rebels as culprits when...Syrian rebels bomb

Look at this story, it identifies Syrian regime and Russian when they bomb, but does not mention that Syrian rebels did the bombing of Damascus. It leaves the impression that the identify of bombers of Damascus are unknown.

Hasan Nasrallah speaking on foreign female domestic workers

Yesterday, Hasan Nasrallah became the first head of an Arab political party to publicly champion the rights of female domestic workers and people of special needs. In response, I am sure Human Rights Watch will say: but he is sending missiles to the Huthis. It is high time that the issue of female domestic workers becomes a national priority for all Arabs. Their mistreatment is a regional disgrace.

On banning my blog in Germany

Jörg from Berlin wrote me this: 
" In January the German parlament passed a declaration that every attempt to boykott Israel would be considered antisemitic etc. Activists are facing a lot of problems, for instant it is difficult to find rooms for meetings and congresses etc.".

A Princeton Middle East Expert explains why Muhammad bin Salman is a great man

""Haykel described Mohammed as an “optimist by temperament,”a pious man who drinks Coke Zero and has the retail political skills of Bill Clinton.“He shakes hands, he remembers names, he doesn’t talk down to people.”"

Yemeni so-called President

Western media have not reported that Mansour Hadi has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia.

Women were not invited

Crown Prince in the Oval Office

Never has a visitor to the Oval Office been insulted in this manner. Trump covered the Saudi Crown Prince with boards to show arms sales and to underline the true nature of the relationship between the two countries. And the Crown Prince laughs.

The crook and the despot

The man to the left bribed the man to the right, while the man to the right helped overthrow the man to the left. Both deserve what befell them.

Sinan Antoon on the anniversary of the Iraq invasion

"I was one of about 500 Iraqis in the diaspora — of various ethnic and political backgrounds, many of whom were dissidents and victims of Saddam’s regime — who signed a petition: “No to war on Iraq. No to dictatorship.” While condemning Saddam’s reign of terror, we were against a “war that would cause more death and suffering” for innocent Iraqis and one that threatened to push the entire region into violent chaos. Our voices were not welcomed in mainstream media in the United States, which preferred the pro-war Iraqi-American who promised cheering crowds that would welcome invaders with “sweets and flowers.” There were none."

So Trump is reassuring the American public that out of $110 billion arms sales pledged by Saudi Arabia, a fraction was actually signed