Welcome to Fry'd Daze - What is it.... Well, it is a long running diary series that is an Open Thread on issues around the Middle East. Anyhow, this is week 2.29
I don't want this to be a flame forum, Rather something we can exchange ideas about I/P and/or issues about the Middle East.
What I really want to try to do this on Fry'd Daze as a way to get people to talk about whatever comes into their heads regarding this subject... an open forum where people can meet and talk
This week has been a pretty strange one at Daily Kos. At first I was going to diary a collection of the worst Anti-Semitic idiocy that has of late been infecting our site. But then, then I decided I wasn't going to do that. I figured why should I give these MORANS (misspelled on purpose) yet another vehicle to spew their hateful crap. SO... instead I figure more hopeful and better stories.
Our first story comes about Gaza and a wonderful story about the resiliancy of children
CNN) -- More than 7,200 children in Gaza dribbled their way to an unofficial record Thursday night at an airport in Rafah, officials from a United Nations agency said.
"It was a fantastic day today," John Ging, head of the U.N. Relief Works Agency said of the event. "Children of Gaza once again show they have fantastic abilities, fantastic talent, and all we need to do is help them to realize their potential."
Relief agency spokesman Chris Gunness said the mass-dribbling record still needs to be verified by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Organized by the U.N. agency, the Great Gaza Global Bounce is part of the annual Summer Games program that provides recreational activities for more than a quarter of million children across Gaza.
In the face of crushing poverty, and a horrible political situation these kids illustrate a great aspect of the human spirit. The ability, that when things are dark.. people will try to come together to create something better for themselves. I lead with this story because frankly, I admire these kids for their attempt to make life that much more palatable in the face oppression and poverty.
Our second story regards this: U.S. upgrades diplomatic ties with Palestinians in bid to woo Abbas
"This decision reflects our confidence that through direct negotiations, we can help achieve a two-state solution with an independent and viable Palestine living side by side with Israel," said White House spokesman Thomas Vietor. "We should begin preparing for that outcome now, as we continue to work with the Palestinian people on behalf of a better future."
The PA has been seeking an upgrade in diplomatic relations ever since U.S. President Barack Obama took office last year. But after 18 months without progress, it was surprised to suddenly receive a letter from the State Department on Tuesday announcing that the U.S. had agreed. The letter was sent to Maen Areikat, who heads the PLO mission in Washington.
....A senior Palestinian official confirmed the upgrade, and stressed that this is more than a symbolic step. "This move will enable PLO officials and Palestinian diplomats to operate in Washington in an official and orderly manner," he said.
Though this is symbolic it is a nice change that draws us closer (even if it is only a little) to a Two State solution. Creating legal state apparatus of governments is always a positive step in the right direction. Is this something that one should get crazy over... not at all, is it a sober small step to make things better... absolutely.
Finally, our last (but not least) story is
UN rights body names team to probe Israeli raid on Gaza aid flotilla
The United Nations Human Rights Council appointed a team of international experts on Friday to investigate Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla and called on all parties to cooperate.
The fact-finding team comprises three independent experts --Sir Desmond de Silva (Britain), Karl Hudson-Phillips (Trinidad and Tobago) and Mary Shanthi Dairiam (Malaysia), a U.N. statement said.
The 47-country Council voted to set up the independent inquiry on June 2 to look into what it called violations of international law in Israel's commando attack in May in which nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists were killed.
Here is the committee - let's see what happens:
De Silva is a former chief war crimes prosecutor at the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone. Hudson-Phillips is a former judge at the International Criminal Court who also served as attorney-general of Trinidad and Tobago.
Shanthi Dairiam is a Malaysian women's rights activist working in UN and Asian regional forums.
Have fun and don't get to Fry'd....