Gabriel Helou

This is funny: so John Bolton has relentlessly been searching for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Guess what? He has “finally” found them in Syria ! Not only that. He also wants the United States to secure them. What a mockery. Twitter: @GabrielHelou

"تنادى أطفال أحد الأحياء القديمة في مدينة رام الله بدافع الفضول لمشاهدة منظر غريب لم يعتادوه من قبل، شاب في مقتبل العمر أسمر البشرة، بثياب رثة وشعر أشعث، بسط بطانية بالية بجوار حائط ونام عليها، مختبأ من حرارة الشمس الحارقة، وبجواره كيس بلاستيكي يحتوي على عبوة مياه لريّ ظمأه . أطفال الحي أزعجوا “عصمان” ونغصوا عليه قيلولته، فما لبث إلا أن لمم بطانيته عن الأرض، وغادر المكان الذي استظل فيه بسرعة، غير أن الأطفال تبعوه، وهو الأمر الذي أغضبه ودفعه ليوقفني ويطلب مني نجدته بكفّ الأطفال عنه . عصمان عيسى جاك درزم، لعله أول مواطن سوداني يتجول في شوارع مدينة رام الله، لكنه لم يأتِ سائحاً أو لعمل ما، بل جاء إلى رام الله طالباً اللجوء السياسي من السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية . "

As part of his election campaign, Mitt Romney is adamant to defy international law and the international community by unilaterally declaring Jerusalem as the “Capital” of Israel: “Standing on Israeli soil, U.S. presidential candidate   Mitt Romney   on Sunday declared Jerusalem to be the capital of the Jewish state…”   Twitter: @GabrielHelou

The road to the White House passes through Israel: “ U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Friday that he will be releasing an additional $70 million in military assistance to Israel, a previously announced move that appeared timed to upstage Republican rival Mitt Romney's trip to Jerusalem this weekend. ” Twitter: @GabrielHelou

Israelis seem to be enjoying it: “Dozens of Israelis are flocking to vantage points in the Golan Heights to observe the ongoing clashes in neighboring Syria ...” Twitter: @GabrielHelou

“The European Council has appointed Stavros Lambrinidis as the 27-member European Union's first ever Special Representative (EUSR) for Human Rights, in line with a recommendation made by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, the bloc said in a news release on Wednesday. ”

I refuse such a sectarian map of Syria! This is appalling and rejected outright!

Of course, you don’t find much about this in the media: “ In the United Arab Emirates, claiming one’s rights is treated as a crime against state security , as demonstrated by another wave of arrests of campaigners and human rights activists between 16 and 19 July. Eighteen people were arrested, of whom 17 are still held . ” Twitter: @GabrielHelou

“The EU will offer   Israel   upgraded trade and diplomatic relations in more than 60 areas at a high-level meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, just weeks after European foreign ministers warned that Israeli policies in the West Bank "threaten to make a two-state solution impossible" . In advance of the annual EU-Israel Association Council on Tuesday meeting, a diplomatic source shared with the Guardian details of the package of benefits that will be offered to Avigdor Lieberman , Israel's foreign minister.” Twitter: @GabrielHelou

“Defense Minister Ehud Barak has ordered the demolition of eight Palestinian villages in the South Hebron Hills because the territory is needed for Israel Defense Forces training exercises, the state told the High Court of Justice on Sunday. ”

"المادة (534) من الدستور الليبي تنص على الآتي : في حالة وفاة رئيس الدولة...تعقد لجنة طارئة لتحضير روح الرئيس لقيادة الدولة كمرحلة انتقالية....وفي حالة عدم التمكن من عملية التحضير او اعتذار روح الرئيس ...يلغى منصب رئيس الدولة ويلغى الدستور...ويتم توزيع الشعب على الدول المجاورة توزيعا عادلا ... "

We have been hearing a lot lately about the existence of “chemical weapons” in Syria. It makes one wonder: why has this issue been raised only now and not earlier? Would it be another Iraqi scenario in the making? Twitter: @GabrielHelou

David Ignatius  wrote: “The chill in Israel’s relationship with Turkey adds to the dangers of instability in Egypt, Libya and Syria. Netanyahu has responded by seeking new allies, including: … An implicit, if unspoken,   alliance with Saudi Arabia and other gulf states   against Iran and against Muslim Brotherhood extremism.   In this silent courtship, the Israelis are offering an alternative to an America that’s no longer seen as a reliable protector of the conservative gulf regimes. ”

“Eight years after the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat , Al-Jazeera network published on Tuesday findings of an investigation which attempts to shed light on the circumstances of his death. According to the report, Swiss experts found high levels of polonium, a highly radioactive element, in his personal belongings. ”