Organic Food: What You Need to KnowNutrition Certification TidbitsCalories In = Calories Out ?Sugar – More Deadly Than You ThinkHow to Eat More & Weigh Less
Diet and nutrition are often the missing link in an otherwise comprehensive training program. As seen in the hierarchy of development pyramid (at right), the base of development is nutrition. The logical flow begins at molecular foundations (nutrition), continues on with cardiovascular sufficiency (metabolic conditioning), body control (gymnastics), external object control (weightlifting), and ends with the ultimate mastery of application (sport). Poor nutrition will cause all levels of development to suffer.
What is proper nutrition? There are so many “fad” diets on bookshelves today, it can be tough, if not impossible, to sort through them all. Each diet claims lifelong health and weight loss. How can they all be right? The better question is: Are any of them right? Thankfully, there is one diet that is right. It is inarguable and very simple.
Eat lean meats, vegetables, nuts & seeds, some fruit,
little starch, no sugar.
There are two aspects to your diet: quantity and quality. While the quantity of food you eat (number of calories) affects your weight, hormones, and performance, the quality of food you eat has a tremendous impact on your overall health. Combining quality foods in the right quantities will produce optimum health and performance.
The quality of food you put into your body should be your primary concern. It doesn’t matter how much gas you put in your car if it’s the wrong kind. Eating the proper foods will have an astonishing and undeniable impact on your health.
The best way to describe the types of food you should ingest is to eat a “Paleolithic” diet. These food choices emulate the diet of our Paleolithic ancestors. The Paleolithic era was a period of about 2.5 million years that ended 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture. These Paleo foods are what our bodies are designed to eat. We have not evolved, on a cellular or metabolic level, much in the past 10,000 years. Hence, our bodies still need and want the original food put on the earth for us to eat.
The populations of the Paleolithic era had not yet been afflicted with the diseases we so commonly see today such as obesity, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. By consuming food we were originally designed to eat, we can rid ourselves of many health problems that have arisen since the advent of agriculture. You will no longer need to worry about Syndrome X diseases (type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, dyslipidemia and obesity) as well as hundreds of other health detriments. Making this change in your diet, though not easy, will have a profound effect on your well-being. Not only will you quickly reach your ideal body weight, you will save thousands of dollars on unnecessary health expenses.
The food you will be eating will provide you with 100% of all daily nutrients you need. You will feel great, look great, and perform great.
More information on the Paleo diet: About the Paleo DietFinding Fresh Food
While the Paleo diet will make you amazingly healthy, if you want to take your fitness performance to the next level, you need to take your diet one step further. By measuring how much you eat, you can balance your hormones exactly to become stronger, faster and more powerful. We have found that the Zone Diet gives an athlete a massive increase in their fitness level.
The amount of food required to increase muscle, maintain immune function and give you energy depends on your lean body mass. Typically, you will need between .7 and 1 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass.
This Body Fat Calculator will help you find your lean body mass and protein requirement in both grams and “blocks”. One “block” of protein is equal to 7 grams. Find out more on food blocks here.
Once you know your protein requirement, you can easily figure out how much carbohydrate and fat you need. The ratio of these three macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, fat) is very important to get the best results possible. The best ratio of macronutrients is laid out by the Zone diet, and should be 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat. Your protein, carbohydrate and fat consumption controls all of your hormonal systems (insulin, glucagon and eicosanoids). Balancing these systems will help you reach ultimate health.
You can even take the Zone Diet a step further and tailor it to your specific needs. Serious athletes may need to increase their fat consumption. Many people run better with slightly less carbohydrates. Take the 40-30-30 Zone Diet as your base and experiment to see where you feel best. It will be slightly different for everyone, but this is an excellent place to start. Schedule a meeting with a trainer to get more help on how to make the Zone perfect for your body!
While the Zone diet does focus on lean protein, low glycemic carbohydrates and good fats, it’s primary focus is the ratio of protein to carbohydrates (quantity). The ideal food choices are better laid out by the Paleo diet, and combining these two methods will give you the absolute best nutrition program in the world.
More information on the Zone diet and macronutrient ratios:
What is The Zone?How to Make a Zone MealQuick Start Guide to the ZoneFavorable Zone Foods/Block Guide
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
People who were following the plan regularly filled their plates with bacon, cheese, high fat meats, mayonnaise... Atkins is refining that strategy
People who were following the plan regularly filled their plates with bacon, cheese, high fat meats, mayonnaise... Atkins is refining that strategy. Learn more.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By: Shannon Clark
The popular "Atkins Diet" used to be known by many as the steak and eggs diet, where you basically ate as much protein and fat as your body could handle while disregarding carbohydrates from your diet and overlooking where your fat was coming from.
People who were following the plan regularly filled their plates with bacon, cheese, high fat meats, mayonnaise - basically anything that was protein and fat. The more the better.
The theory behind this was that because protein and fat are both more satiating, you wouldn't be as hungry and therefore wouldn't take in as many total calories and would see a weight loss. Furthermore, since you weren't supplying your body with any carbohydrates, you would have a higher chance of staying in fat burning mode (since carbohydrates cause an insulin spike and put a halt to fat burning).
The problem however that came about as a result of this diet, was that many people started worrying about their overall health, particularly with respect to heart disease and high blood pressure as it is well known that high saturated fat intakes can aggravate these conditions.
So now, Atkins has revitalized their approach. They are no longer just focusing on foods that are high in protein and fat, but are taking a more well rounded approach to their diet guidelines and touting the importance of healthy carbohydrates and fats combined with protein.
RELATED ARTICLE
10 Lies About The Atkins Diet!
You'll discover the real truth about low carb diets and a real solution to the problem of excess body fat that is beautiful in its simplicity, yet powerful in effectiveness.
[ Click here to learn more. ]
How The Diet Is Laid Out
The Atkins Diet still is composed of four different phases, the first one being the most strict and intended to kick start weight loss while the last one guides you along the path of healthy weight maintenance.
Phase One:
The first phase starts you out with a total of only 20 net grams of carbohydrates per day, coming from vegetable sources.
The following are the acceptable foods that you are allowed to eat during this stage:
Tuna
Salmon
Chicken
Turkey
Beef
Eggs
Pork
Lamb
Sole
Duck
Other types of fish
Goose
Clams
Bacon
Ham
Seafood
Cheeses (although moderation is key here as they do contain some carbs)
All non-starchy vegetables
Oils
Nuts (again in moderation as they do contain carbs)
Tea
Broth
Bullion
Diet soda
Coffee
The rules of this phase are basically to include a protein and fat with each meal and keep carbohydrates to the minimum of 20 grams. You are encouraged to drink a lot of water and to really read labels and be on the lookout for 'hidden carbohydrates'.
Food Labels:
Food Labels 101! - By Jeremy Likness
Deciphering The Food Label Code! - By Mauro Di Pasquale
Deciphering Product Labels! - By Reform Mag
Other Food Label Articles...
Generally this phase is followed for about two weeks.
Phase Two:
The second phase of the diet is very similar to the first, also emphasizing weight loss, except that now you are going to add 5 grams of net carbohydrates per week to your diet until you have only 5-10 more pounds that you want to lose. The real purpose of this phase is to learn your body's tolerance to carbohydrates and how many and the type you can have while still being successful at weight loss.
FORUM THREAD
Question About Atkins.
"I was just wondering how this diet works for so many when the high fat foods are so high in calories? "
[ Click here to read more. ]
The diet does advise that you should be adding low glycemic carbohydrates, such as more vegetables, berries, nuts and cheese to your diet as you gradually increase the total carb count.
Check Out The Glycemic Index Food Search Here.
Additionally, they state that if you are an avid exerciser, it is a good idea to bring it up to 60-90 grams of carbs per day as your body will need it to maintain the intensity of your workouts.
Phase Three:
That brings us to phase three of this diet, otherwise known as pre-maintenance. This stage of the diet is designed to help you learn how you are going to have to eat in order to be able to maintain your weight loss in the future. They instruct you in this stage to start upping your carbohydrate intake by 10 grams a week, rather than the 5 grams per week you did in phase two.
Click Image To Enlarge.
Up Your Carb Intake By 10 Grams A Week.
You will keep doing this until your weight loss has stopped and you are now maintaining your weight, or are losing at a very slow weight. This would then be considered your maintenance level carbohydrate intake (called Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium - ACE).
They recommend you adding a wider variety of carbohydrates to your diet at this point. That includes such foods as:
Starchy Vegetables
3/4 cup carrots
1/2 cup acorn squash
1/4 cup yams (or sweet potatoes)
2/3 cup peas, shelled
1/4 cup plantain
1 cup beets
1/3 cup parsnips
1/4 cup white potatoes
Legumes
1/3 cup lentils
1/3 cup kidney beans
1/3 cup black beans
1/4 cup navy beans
1/3 cup lima beans
1/3 cup great northern beans
1/3 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup fava beans
1/3 cup pinto beans
Fruit
1/2 apple
11 cherries
1 peach
12 grapes
1 1/4 cup strawberries
1/2 grapefruit
3/4 cup cantaloupe
1 kiwi
1 cup watermelon
1/2 cup fruit cocktail, canned in water
1 plum
1/2 small banana
1 cup guava
1/3 cup mango
Grains
1/4 cup rice (long-grain, brown)
1/2 cup plain old-fashioned oatmeal
1/3 cup corn kernels
1/3 cup whole-wheat cereal
1/4 cup barley
1/4 cup semolina pasta
This will no doubt give you much more selection to choose from as far as your food choices go as well as offering you a chance to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need for proper long term health.
Vitamins And Minerals:
Vitamins And Minerals For Recovery And Repair. - By Mauro Di Pasquale
Vitamins, Minerals, And Antioxidants! - By Christopher Mohr
Supplements For Children - Vitamins And Minerals! - By ATDOnline
Other Vitamins And Minerals Articles...
They also suggest that at this stage of the game, you can start allowing yourself a few higher carb selections once or twice a week but still keeping in mind that it may be wise to cut back your carbohydrate intake the next day to account for these indulgences.
The diet stresses that you must remember that you are not simply going back to your old ways of eating at this time as that is what made you gain weight in the first place and while yes, you are allowed more carbohydrate containing foods at this point, you are still eating a reduced carbohydrate diet and need to remember this so you stay at your new weight.
Phase Four:
Finally you complete this diet with stage four, maintenance. At this stage the new Atkins emphases an altered food pyramid than what is set as the standards. Whereas the normal food pyramid has grain products at the bottom, the Atkins has the meat and alternatives group there.
Then next you have your vegetables group, followed by the fruit group, then by the oils, dairy and nuts group and lastly you have your grains group - this being the smallest and what you should choose least often.
Click Image To Enlarge.
Atkins Food Pyramid.
They recommend that you weigh yourself once weekly to make sure you are not starting to slip back into your old habits causing you to start gaining weight again and remind you that action should be taken immediately if you are.
Who The Diet Is Good For
This diet works particularly well for those who are already suffering from blood sugar problems such as diabetes or hypoglycaemia. Since you are choosing carbohydrate containing foods that have little effect on insulin levels, it makes it very easy to manage blood sugar levels and keep these conditions in check.
This diet is also great for those who traditionally prefer a more meat based diet as meat is what predominately makes up the diet, however you must be willing to sacrifice back on the amount of fat you are consuming as well (which is the change from the old Atkins thinking).
RELATED ARTICLE
The Atkins Diet Is Most Effective For Fat Loss!
For decades, the USDA has taught us that a diet low in fat and high in starch promotes fat loss... Where's the proof? A recent JAMA study provides support for very-low-carb diets.
[ Click here to learn more. ]
Who The Diet Is Not Good For
The individuals who this diet may not be the best choice for are those athletes that are involved in a large volume of exercise or those who frequently exercise at a very high intensity. Since high intensity exercise relies pretty much strictly on carbohydrates as fuel, if your stores and intake are low, you are likely to see performance losses and have trouble making it through all your practice sessions.
These individuals can still use some of the approaches practiced by the Atkins diet strategy, such as choosing low glycemic carbohydrates but should also increase their total carbohydrate intake above what this diet is recommending. Anything under one hundred grams of carbohydrates (assuming there are no large weekly carb-up periods) is simply not going to be enough to support the kind of exercise these athletes are expecting of their bodies.
Glycemic Index:
Going Against The Grain. - By Dr. David Ryan
Everyone Should Know About The Glycemic Index! - By Fawnia Mondey
FAQs About The Glycemic Index (GI)! - By Mauro Di Pasquale
Other Glycemic Index Articles...
Overall Effectiveness Of The Diet
Since Atkins has changed its approach to dieting, it has become much healthier and is a very suitable diet for long term, healthy weight loss. In today's society people are eating way too many refined foods and this diet basically makes you eliminate them. The carbohydrates you are eating are ones that our early ancestors ate back in the day are most natural in state.
The downside to the diet however, is that you are 'counting' in a sense. While it doesn't say anything about strictly counting calories, the fact you still have to track your carbohydrate grams might make some people feel overwhelmed and want to find a diet that has a looser approach.
Diet Rating: 4/5 - very effective for most people
RELATED POLL
How Would You Rate The Atkins Diet?
One Star.
Two Stars.
Three Stars.
Four Stars.
Five Stars.
ShannonC_77@yahoo.ca
Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here!
Visitor Reviews Of This Article!
Read Visitor Reviews - Write Your Own Review
Back To Shannon Clark's Main Page
Back To The Articles Main Page.
Related Articles
Atkins Vs. Pritikin: The Debate Rages On!
New Study: The Atkins Diet Is Most Effective For Fat Loss!
10 Lies About The Atkins Diet!
Gaza Strip
OVERVIEW
The Gaza Strip lies along the Mediterranean coast between Israel and Egypt. Gaza is roughly twice the size of Washington, D.C., but its population is considerably more than twice as large, giving it one of the highest densities in the world. The majority of its approximately 1.4 million residents are Palestinian refugees, many of whom have been living in refugee camps for decades; 80 percent were estimated to be living in poverty in mid-2007, a figure that has doubtless grown.
Gaza has remained largely isolated from the international community since it came under the control of the Palestinaian political faction Hamas, which has refused to accept the conditions set by the so-called quartet of Middle East peacemakers, including renouncing violence, recognizing Israel's right to exist and accepting previous signed agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. In 2006, Hamas swept parliamentary elections in Gaza. Israel and Egypt imposed a strict economic embargo on the area, allowing in only basic supplies.
In December 2008 Hamas stepped up its firing of rockets and mortars into Israeli border towns, and Israel responded with a devastating air and ground campaign that left at least 1,300 Palestinians dead by the time a cease-fire was unilaterally declared by both sides on Jan. 18, 2009. Much of the region's civil infrastructure and many homes were left in ruins.
Gaza remains suspended in a state of continuing misery that falls somewhere short of catastrophic. While Israel and Egypt are both still blocking Gaza's borders to squeeze Hamas, Israel allows a daily shipment of rations and other aid. But in the mind of many Gazans, the issue is not hunger -- it is idleness, uncertainty and despair.
In May 2010, the Israeli blockade of Gaza became the center of international attention when Israeli commandos attacked a freighter that was part of a flotilla seeking to breach it, bearing a cargo that included toys, used clothes and wheelchairs. Nine of the activists on board were killed, leading to widespread protests and calls for an end to the blockade. In June 2010, Israel announced what it called "adjustments" in its policy, promising to ease the entry of building supplies and other goods into Gaza by land while maintaining its naval blockade.
Read More...
A STRUGGLE FOR CONTROL
Under the Oslo peace accords signed in 1993, Gaza was turned over to the newly created Palestinian Authority, to form one wing of a nascent Palestinian state, along with the West Bank and a potential land corridor between them. Yassir Arafat, the president of the authority and leader of the Fatah movement, ruled both areas. But as the years passed, it became clear that the Fatah party had less of a hold on Gaza than on the West Bank. Hamas became steadily more popular in Gaza, both because of the social services it provided and because of its more militant stance.
In September 2005, the Israeli prime minister at the time, Ariel Sharon, unilaterally withdrew all Israeli settlers from Gaza, making it the first territory completely in Palestinian hands. Israel, however, kept tight control over all border crossings and continued to conduct raids.
In January 2006, after Arafat's death, Hamas won a surprise victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, ousting the Fatah government, but not Arafat's successor, Mahmoud Abbas, who had succeeded him as Fatah leader as well as president. While Hamas had polled well in the West Bank, its center of power remained in Gaza, and the two factions eyed each other warily while briefly forming a government of national unity.
More than 100 people were killed in the fighting in June 2007 in which Hamas gunmen routed the Fatah forces and seized control of Gaza outright. Israel, which had refused to recognize the Hamas government, responded by clamping down even tighter on the flow of goods and people in and out of the territories.
WAR WITH ISRAEL
By June 2008, Hamas and Israel were both ready to reach some sort of accommodation and, with the help of Egypt, a six-month truce was declared although never formally defined.
Hamas officials said their job was to stop rocket attacks on Israel not only from its own armed groups, but also from others based in Gaza, including Islamic Jihad and Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades.
It took some days but they were largely successful. Hamas imposed its will and even imprisoned some of those who were firing rockets. But the goods shipments, while up some 25 to 30 percent and including a mix of more items, never began to approach what Hamas thought it was going to get. Israel said it planned to increase the shipments in stages, and noted that the rockets never stopped completely.
After the truce lapsed on Dec. 19, rocket firing stepped up quickly, and Israeli air strikes soon began, followed by a ground invasion on Jan. 3.
The Israeli government's stated war goals were relatively modest: to reduce Hamas's ability and will to fire rockets and to change the security equation in the south.
The extent of the destruction wrought by the Israeli military was breathtaking. Bombs pulverized the Parliament and cabinet buildings, the Ministry of Justice, the main university and the police station, paralyzing Gaza's central nervous system and leaving residents in a state of shock. Thousands dragged belongings from ruined homes.
Support for the invasion was nearly unanimous among an Israeli public long frustrated at having to endure rocket attacks from what they regarded as an implacable foe. But the fighting drew widespread international criticism, particularly as only 13 Israelis were reported killed to the 1,300 or more Palestinians, especially civilian casualties. The conflict also strained relations between Israel and the United Nations, when Israeli mortars hit a school run by the United Nations, killing more than 40 people, and an airstrike hit the organization's compound. Israelis blamed Hamas fighters for mingling with civilians, and for firing rockets and mortars from the vicinity of schools and mosques.
WAR CRIMES INVESTIGATION
A United Nations fact-finding mission investigating the three-week war issued a lengthy, scathing report on Sept. 15, 2009 that concluded that both the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups committed actions amounting to war crimes, and possibly crimes against humanity.
The four-member mission, led by Justice Richard Goldstone, a widely respected South African judge, also concluded that neither Israel nor the Palestinian groups had carried out any "credible investigations" into the alleged violations. The Israeli government angrily disputed the reprt's conclusions.
AFTERMATH OF WAR
Despite vague Israeli hopes that Hamas could be completely removed, that has not happened. Much of the group's manpower remained intact, mostly because it made a point of fighting at a distance - or not at all - whenever possible despite the fury of the Israeli advance and bombardment.
But Israeli officials said that with the heavy damage to smuggler tunnels from Egypt and a mix of technology and policy to prevent further smuggling, Hamas will not again become the scourge it had been before the attack.
The invasion has effects beyond Gaza as well. Many Palestinians living in the West Bank expressed disgust with Fatah, which was widely seen to have been weakened by Israel's brutal use of force. And the Arab community was split in its reaction to the conflict. Qatar and Syria supported Hamas - as did non-Arab Iran - while Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia sought to help the Palestinian Authority of Mr. Abbas. Opinion in Arab countries appeared to be firmly on Hamas's side, further deepening rifts between governments and their populace.
Despite the cease-fire, Palestinian militants have sporadically fired rockets into Israeli territory, and Israel has retaliated with limited airstrikes against smuggling tunnels and with other small-scale raids. But a tenuous calm remains.
PRECONDITIONS FOR PEACE
Egypt has been holding separate talks with Israel and Hamas, and has indicated that it is trying to reach a formula for consolidating the cease-fire.
In return for a cease-fire lasting a year or more, Hamas is demanding the lifting of Israel's 18-month economic embargo on Gaza and the opening of the border crossings for regular commerce.
In the months that followed the conflict, Israeli officials remained skeptical of opening the borders. Many believe that their war served as deterrence and note the drastic reduction in rocket fire as evidence. They fear that steel or cement will be siphoned off by Hamas for arms. But they are feeling pressure from the Americans and United Nations, and they are discussing a pilot project.
The aim of the blockade is to keep Gaza at subsistence and offer a contrast with the West Bank, which in theory benefits from foreign aid and economic and political development. Hamas supporters will then realize their mistake. The plan has not gone well, however, partly because the West Bank under Israeli occupation remains no one's idea of paradise and partly because Hamas seems more in control here every year, with cleaner streets and lower crime, although its popularity is hard to gauge.
Some Palestinians argue that the current system serves only Hamas, since it taxes the illicit tunnel goods and limited currency exchanges and is not blamed by the people for the outside siege. If glass and cement are allowed in through the crossings with Israel, they say, Hamas will not get the credit and the Palestinian Authority could collect the taxes.
Meanwhile, Gaza feels more and more like a Hamas state and less linked to the West Bank. Men are increasingly bearded, women are more covered. Hamas is the main employer. Schools and courts, once run by the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, are all Hamas. The government is collecting information on companies and nonprofit groups and seeking control over them.
RAID ON THE FLOTILLA
In May 2010, a group called Free Gaza Now and a Turkish organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi, organized a flotilla of six ships that carried 10,000 tons of aid for Gaza, in an attempt to highlight the Israeli blockade. Israel warned the vessels to abort their mission, describing it as a provocation.
About 4 a.m. May 31, naval commandos came aboard the Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, having been lowered by ropes from helicopters onto the decks. At that point, the operation seems to have gone badly wrong. Israeli officials say that the soldiers were dropped into an ambush and were attacked with clubs, metal rods and knives. Organizers of the flotilla accused the Israeli forces of opening fire as soon as they landed on the deck.
The violence touched off a furor in Turkey and much of the Middle East and intensified calls for Israel to end its three-year blockade of the Gaza Strip.
With the confrontation, the Free Gaza Movement seemed to have hit on a strategy that, even when it fails in its aims, succeeds in tactical terms: The world sees Israel use military force against civilians, and an international uproar intensifies pressure on Israel to end the blockade.
Until the June announcement, Israel had largely blocked construction materials from entering Gaza, arguing that Hamas could use those materials to build bunkers and rockets. The decision applied only to building supplies for projects supervised by the United Nations or foreign governments.
Israel offered no retreat on other aspects of the three-year-old blockade, including restrictions on the passage of people in and out of Gaza, exports or the importation of raw materials for the enclave's largely paralyzed industries. And officials insisted that the naval blockade had to remain in place to prevent the smuggling of weapons and other war matériel.
An Israeli investigation into the flotilla incident found that though the raid was plagued by errors of planning, intelligence and coordination, the killings of the nine Turks on board were justified. A senior officer involved in the inquiry said that at least 65 Turkish Islamic militants armed with metal sticks and knives were on the flotilla’s main ship, and had vowed to fight any effort by the Israeli Navy to board.
Hide
Related: Palestinians Al Fatah Hamas
Highlights From the Archives
Hamas Shifts From Rockets to Culture War
By ETHAN BRONNER
Seven months after Israel’s military campaign against its rockets, Hamas has shifted its focus to cultural initiatives to gain support at home and abroad.July 24, 2009worldNews
In Shattered Gaza Town, Roots of Seething Split
By ETHAN BRONNER and SABRINA TAVERNISE
The fighting in El Atatra tells the story of Israel’s offensive, with each side giving a very different version.February 4, 2009worldNews
ARTICLES ABOUT THE GAZA STRIP
Newest First Oldest First
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>
Gaza: Fatal Cross-Border Clash
By FARES AKRAM
A Palestinian militant was killed and an Israeli soldier was lightly wounded Monday in cross-border clashes in the southeast Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said.August 16, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, ISRAEL
Netanyahu Testifies in Israel’s Flotilla Inquiry
By ISABEL KERSHNER
Benjamin Netanyahu told an inquiry into the naval raid on a Gaza aid flotilla that Turkey had ignored its warnings to order the ship around.August 10, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, HUMANITARIAN AID, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL, NETANYAHU, BENJAMIN
Steal This Movie
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
The documentary “Precious Life” is instructive for those who want to criticize Israel.August 8, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, DOCUMENTARY FILMS AND PROGRAMS, ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS, ISRAEL
Shooting Back, With Video
By DON DUNCAN
With the aid of an Israeli human rights group, a generation of young Palestinian filmmakers document IDF abuses, and hone their skills.August 7, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: DIGITAL VIDEO RECORDERS, ISRAEL
Israel, Turkey and the U.N.
Israel showed good sense in deciding to cooperate with an international inquiry into the May 31 flotilla attack. All parties must ensure that the inquiry uncovers the full story.August 3, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, PALESTINIANS, EDITORIALS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL, TURKEY, UNITED NATIONS, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT, BAN KI-MOON
U.N. Forms Review Panel for Israeli Raid on Flotilla
By NEIL MACFARQUHAR; SEBNEM ARSU CONTRIBUTED REPORTING FROM ISTANBUL, and ISABEL KERSHNER FROM JERUSALEM.
With the vague mandate described, it remained an open question whether the panel would conduct its own investigation or simply review what was produced by the opposing sides.August 3, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, ISRAEL, UNITED NATIONS, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT
The Palestinians, Alone
By EFRAIM KARSH
Could Arab apathy about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict help bring about Middle East peace?August 2, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, ARABS, WEST BANK, ISRAEL, MIDDLE EAST
Rocket From Gaza Hits Israeli City
By ISABEL KERSHNER
There were no injuries, but the explosive damaged buildings and brought panic to the streets of Ashkelon on Friday after more than a year of relative calm.July 31, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, ROCKETS AND ROCKET PROPULSION, TERRORISM, ISRAEL, HAMAS, ABBAS, MAHMOUD
The Forgotten American
By ROGER COHEN
The Middle East requires more open debate and the dropping of taboos.July 27, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: AMERICANS ABROAD, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, MUSLIM-AMERICANS, ISRAEL, TURKEY, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT, INSANI YARDIM VAKFI
Hamas Moves to Enforce Water Pipe Ban in Gaza
By FARES AKRAM
In a new attempt to try to impose a conservative Islamic way of life, Hamas started this weekend to enforce a ban on smoking water pipes in public.July 18, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: SMOKING AND TOBACCO, HAMAS
Hemmed-In Gazans Find Themselves Locked in Despair
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN and ETHAN BRONNER; MONA EL-NAGGAR and FARES AKRAM CONTRIBUTED REPORTING.
The three-year blockade by Israel and Egypt — and the bitter rivalry between Palestinian factions — has turned the Gazans’ difficult life into a new torment.July 14, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS, EGYPT, ISRAEL, FATAH, AL, HAMAS, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
Israeli Military Finds Flotilla Killings Justified
By ETHAN BRONNER; DAN BILEFSKY CONTRIBUTED REPORTING FROM DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY.
An investigation into the takeover of a flotilla six weeks ago found that it was plagued by errors but that the killings of nine Turks on board were justified.July 13, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT
Libyan Aid Ship Plans Run to Gaza
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A ship commissioned by a Libyan charity has left Greece, but it remains unclear whether it will challenge the Israeli blockade of routes to the territory.July 11, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, FOREIGN AID, ISRAEL, GREECE, LIBYA
After the Flotilla
Turkey and Israel are still stoking anger over the disastrous Israeli attack on a Gaza-bound aid ship. They need to find ways to cool things down.July 10, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, PALESTINIANS, DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, ISRAEL, TURKEY, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT
Indictments in Gaza War Are Announced
By ISABEL KERSHNER; FARES AKRAM CONTRIBUTED REPORTING FROM GAZA.
Israel’s military announced disciplinary and legal action in the Gaza offensive as the prime minister visited Washington.July 7, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: WAR CRIMES, GENOCIDE AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, CIVILIAN CASUALTIES, ISRAEL
Israel Details Easing of Its Gaza Blockade
By ISABEL KERSHNER
The announcement came amid a flurry of activity apparently intended to show momentum ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Obama.July 6, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL
Burrowing Through a Blockade
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
It’s time for Israel not just to ease the siege of Gaza, but to drop it once and for all.July 4, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, BRIDGES AND TUNNELS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL, HAMAS
Vandals Set Fire to U.N. Children’s Camp in Gaza
By FARES AKRAM
It was the second attack in the last month. Islamic extremist groups in Gaza have said in the past that the agency that runs the camp is a corrupting influence on local children.June 29, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: VANDALISM, UNITED NATIONS, HAMAS
War, Timeout, War, Time ...
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
The time is right for Israel to take the diplomatic initiative.June 27, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS, LEBANON, ISRAEL, HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH, ABBAS, MAHMOUD, OBAMA, BARACK, HALBERTAL, MOSHE, FAYYAD, SALAM, BARAK, EHUD, NETANYAHU, BENJAMIN
People in Gaza Await Easing of Israeli Blockade
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN; MONA EL-NAGGAR CONTRIBUTED REPORTING.
Many people said that life would be only marginally improved if more goods crossed the border.June 22, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL
Easing the Gaza Blockade
Israel has made the right decision to significantly ease the blockade of Gaza. The new policy should be implemented quickly and publicly.June 22, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, EDITORIALS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ARMS TRADE, SMUGGLING, FOREIGN AID, ISRAEL, HAMAS, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY, NETANYAHU, BENJAMIN
Israeli Easing of Blockade of Gaza Draws Praise of U.S.
By ISABEL KERSHNER; REPORTING WAS CONTRIBUTED BY MARK LANDLER FROM WASHINGTON and SEBNEM ARSU FROM ISTANBUL.
While Israel’s announcement did not signal an end to the naval blockade of Gaza, it earned some unusual praise from the Obama administration.June 21, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, PALESTINIANS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, FOREIGN AID, ISRAEL, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT, HAMAS, OBAMA, BARACK, BLAIR, TONY, NETANYAHU, BENJAMIN
Turkey’s Gain Is Iran’s Loss
By ELLIOT HEN-TOV and BERNARD HAYKEL
The U.S. may benefit as Turkey uses the flotilla attack to take a leadership role in the Muslim world.June 19, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, ARABS, IRAN, ISRAEL, TURKEY, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT, HAMAS, ERDOGAN, RECEP TAYYIP
Israel to Ease Gaza Land Blockade
By ISABEL KERSHNER; ISABEL KERSHNER REPORTED FROM JERUSALEM, and ALAN COWELL FROM PARIS.
Israel promised to ease the importation of some goods by land, a move seemingly designed to quell criticism.June 18, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL, HAMAS
The Path to Mideast Peace
Catherine Ashton provides a more balanced (and welcome) perspective on the situation in Gaza than what generally has appeared in the world press lately.June 16, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: LETTERS, ISRAEL, MIDDLE EAST
SEARCH 3682 ARTICLES ABOUT THE GAZA STRIP:
Match Any WordMatch All WordsMatch Exact Phrase
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>
The Gaza Strip lies along the Mediterranean coast between Israel and Egypt. Gaza is roughly twice the size of Washington, D.C., but its population is considerably more than twice as large, giving it one of the highest densities in the world. The majority of its approximately 1.4 million residents are Palestinian refugees, many of whom have been living in refugee camps for decades; 80 percent were estimated to be living in poverty in mid-2007, a figure that has doubtless grown.
Gaza has remained largely isolated from the international community since it came under the control of the Palestinaian political faction Hamas, which has refused to accept the conditions set by the so-called quartet of Middle East peacemakers, including renouncing violence, recognizing Israel's right to exist and accepting previous signed agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. In 2006, Hamas swept parliamentary elections in Gaza. Israel and Egypt imposed a strict economic embargo on the area, allowing in only basic supplies.
In December 2008 Hamas stepped up its firing of rockets and mortars into Israeli border towns, and Israel responded with a devastating air and ground campaign that left at least 1,300 Palestinians dead by the time a cease-fire was unilaterally declared by both sides on Jan. 18, 2009. Much of the region's civil infrastructure and many homes were left in ruins.
Gaza remains suspended in a state of continuing misery that falls somewhere short of catastrophic. While Israel and Egypt are both still blocking Gaza's borders to squeeze Hamas, Israel allows a daily shipment of rations and other aid. But in the mind of many Gazans, the issue is not hunger -- it is idleness, uncertainty and despair.
In May 2010, the Israeli blockade of Gaza became the center of international attention when Israeli commandos attacked a freighter that was part of a flotilla seeking to breach it, bearing a cargo that included toys, used clothes and wheelchairs. Nine of the activists on board were killed, leading to widespread protests and calls for an end to the blockade. In June 2010, Israel announced what it called "adjustments" in its policy, promising to ease the entry of building supplies and other goods into Gaza by land while maintaining its naval blockade.
Read More...
A STRUGGLE FOR CONTROL
Under the Oslo peace accords signed in 1993, Gaza was turned over to the newly created Palestinian Authority, to form one wing of a nascent Palestinian state, along with the West Bank and a potential land corridor between them. Yassir Arafat, the president of the authority and leader of the Fatah movement, ruled both areas. But as the years passed, it became clear that the Fatah party had less of a hold on Gaza than on the West Bank. Hamas became steadily more popular in Gaza, both because of the social services it provided and because of its more militant stance.
In September 2005, the Israeli prime minister at the time, Ariel Sharon, unilaterally withdrew all Israeli settlers from Gaza, making it the first territory completely in Palestinian hands. Israel, however, kept tight control over all border crossings and continued to conduct raids.
In January 2006, after Arafat's death, Hamas won a surprise victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, ousting the Fatah government, but not Arafat's successor, Mahmoud Abbas, who had succeeded him as Fatah leader as well as president. While Hamas had polled well in the West Bank, its center of power remained in Gaza, and the two factions eyed each other warily while briefly forming a government of national unity.
More than 100 people were killed in the fighting in June 2007 in which Hamas gunmen routed the Fatah forces and seized control of Gaza outright. Israel, which had refused to recognize the Hamas government, responded by clamping down even tighter on the flow of goods and people in and out of the territories.
WAR WITH ISRAEL
By June 2008, Hamas and Israel were both ready to reach some sort of accommodation and, with the help of Egypt, a six-month truce was declared although never formally defined.
Hamas officials said their job was to stop rocket attacks on Israel not only from its own armed groups, but also from others based in Gaza, including Islamic Jihad and Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades.
It took some days but they were largely successful. Hamas imposed its will and even imprisoned some of those who were firing rockets. But the goods shipments, while up some 25 to 30 percent and including a mix of more items, never began to approach what Hamas thought it was going to get. Israel said it planned to increase the shipments in stages, and noted that the rockets never stopped completely.
After the truce lapsed on Dec. 19, rocket firing stepped up quickly, and Israeli air strikes soon began, followed by a ground invasion on Jan. 3.
The Israeli government's stated war goals were relatively modest: to reduce Hamas's ability and will to fire rockets and to change the security equation in the south.
The extent of the destruction wrought by the Israeli military was breathtaking. Bombs pulverized the Parliament and cabinet buildings, the Ministry of Justice, the main university and the police station, paralyzing Gaza's central nervous system and leaving residents in a state of shock. Thousands dragged belongings from ruined homes.
Support for the invasion was nearly unanimous among an Israeli public long frustrated at having to endure rocket attacks from what they regarded as an implacable foe. But the fighting drew widespread international criticism, particularly as only 13 Israelis were reported killed to the 1,300 or more Palestinians, especially civilian casualties. The conflict also strained relations between Israel and the United Nations, when Israeli mortars hit a school run by the United Nations, killing more than 40 people, and an airstrike hit the organization's compound. Israelis blamed Hamas fighters for mingling with civilians, and for firing rockets and mortars from the vicinity of schools and mosques.
WAR CRIMES INVESTIGATION
A United Nations fact-finding mission investigating the three-week war issued a lengthy, scathing report on Sept. 15, 2009 that concluded that both the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups committed actions amounting to war crimes, and possibly crimes against humanity.
The four-member mission, led by Justice Richard Goldstone, a widely respected South African judge, also concluded that neither Israel nor the Palestinian groups had carried out any "credible investigations" into the alleged violations. The Israeli government angrily disputed the reprt's conclusions.
AFTERMATH OF WAR
Despite vague Israeli hopes that Hamas could be completely removed, that has not happened. Much of the group's manpower remained intact, mostly because it made a point of fighting at a distance - or not at all - whenever possible despite the fury of the Israeli advance and bombardment.
But Israeli officials said that with the heavy damage to smuggler tunnels from Egypt and a mix of technology and policy to prevent further smuggling, Hamas will not again become the scourge it had been before the attack.
The invasion has effects beyond Gaza as well. Many Palestinians living in the West Bank expressed disgust with Fatah, which was widely seen to have been weakened by Israel's brutal use of force. And the Arab community was split in its reaction to the conflict. Qatar and Syria supported Hamas - as did non-Arab Iran - while Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia sought to help the Palestinian Authority of Mr. Abbas. Opinion in Arab countries appeared to be firmly on Hamas's side, further deepening rifts between governments and their populace.
Despite the cease-fire, Palestinian militants have sporadically fired rockets into Israeli territory, and Israel has retaliated with limited airstrikes against smuggling tunnels and with other small-scale raids. But a tenuous calm remains.
PRECONDITIONS FOR PEACE
Egypt has been holding separate talks with Israel and Hamas, and has indicated that it is trying to reach a formula for consolidating the cease-fire.
In return for a cease-fire lasting a year or more, Hamas is demanding the lifting of Israel's 18-month economic embargo on Gaza and the opening of the border crossings for regular commerce.
In the months that followed the conflict, Israeli officials remained skeptical of opening the borders. Many believe that their war served as deterrence and note the drastic reduction in rocket fire as evidence. They fear that steel or cement will be siphoned off by Hamas for arms. But they are feeling pressure from the Americans and United Nations, and they are discussing a pilot project.
The aim of the blockade is to keep Gaza at subsistence and offer a contrast with the West Bank, which in theory benefits from foreign aid and economic and political development. Hamas supporters will then realize their mistake. The plan has not gone well, however, partly because the West Bank under Israeli occupation remains no one's idea of paradise and partly because Hamas seems more in control here every year, with cleaner streets and lower crime, although its popularity is hard to gauge.
Some Palestinians argue that the current system serves only Hamas, since it taxes the illicit tunnel goods and limited currency exchanges and is not blamed by the people for the outside siege. If glass and cement are allowed in through the crossings with Israel, they say, Hamas will not get the credit and the Palestinian Authority could collect the taxes.
Meanwhile, Gaza feels more and more like a Hamas state and less linked to the West Bank. Men are increasingly bearded, women are more covered. Hamas is the main employer. Schools and courts, once run by the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, are all Hamas. The government is collecting information on companies and nonprofit groups and seeking control over them.
RAID ON THE FLOTILLA
In May 2010, a group called Free Gaza Now and a Turkish organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi, organized a flotilla of six ships that carried 10,000 tons of aid for Gaza, in an attempt to highlight the Israeli blockade. Israel warned the vessels to abort their mission, describing it as a provocation.
About 4 a.m. May 31, naval commandos came aboard the Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, having been lowered by ropes from helicopters onto the decks. At that point, the operation seems to have gone badly wrong. Israeli officials say that the soldiers were dropped into an ambush and were attacked with clubs, metal rods and knives. Organizers of the flotilla accused the Israeli forces of opening fire as soon as they landed on the deck.
The violence touched off a furor in Turkey and much of the Middle East and intensified calls for Israel to end its three-year blockade of the Gaza Strip.
With the confrontation, the Free Gaza Movement seemed to have hit on a strategy that, even when it fails in its aims, succeeds in tactical terms: The world sees Israel use military force against civilians, and an international uproar intensifies pressure on Israel to end the blockade.
Until the June announcement, Israel had largely blocked construction materials from entering Gaza, arguing that Hamas could use those materials to build bunkers and rockets. The decision applied only to building supplies for projects supervised by the United Nations or foreign governments.
Israel offered no retreat on other aspects of the three-year-old blockade, including restrictions on the passage of people in and out of Gaza, exports or the importation of raw materials for the enclave's largely paralyzed industries. And officials insisted that the naval blockade had to remain in place to prevent the smuggling of weapons and other war matériel.
An Israeli investigation into the flotilla incident found that though the raid was plagued by errors of planning, intelligence and coordination, the killings of the nine Turks on board were justified. A senior officer involved in the inquiry said that at least 65 Turkish Islamic militants armed with metal sticks and knives were on the flotilla’s main ship, and had vowed to fight any effort by the Israeli Navy to board.
Hide
Related: Palestinians Al Fatah Hamas
Highlights From the Archives
Hamas Shifts From Rockets to Culture War
By ETHAN BRONNER
Seven months after Israel’s military campaign against its rockets, Hamas has shifted its focus to cultural initiatives to gain support at home and abroad.July 24, 2009worldNews
In Shattered Gaza Town, Roots of Seething Split
By ETHAN BRONNER and SABRINA TAVERNISE
The fighting in El Atatra tells the story of Israel’s offensive, with each side giving a very different version.February 4, 2009worldNews
ARTICLES ABOUT THE GAZA STRIP
Newest First Oldest First
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>
Gaza: Fatal Cross-Border Clash
By FARES AKRAM
A Palestinian militant was killed and an Israeli soldier was lightly wounded Monday in cross-border clashes in the southeast Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said.August 16, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, ISRAEL
Netanyahu Testifies in Israel’s Flotilla Inquiry
By ISABEL KERSHNER
Benjamin Netanyahu told an inquiry into the naval raid on a Gaza aid flotilla that Turkey had ignored its warnings to order the ship around.August 10, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, HUMANITARIAN AID, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL, NETANYAHU, BENJAMIN
Steal This Movie
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
The documentary “Precious Life” is instructive for those who want to criticize Israel.August 8, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, DOCUMENTARY FILMS AND PROGRAMS, ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS, ISRAEL
Shooting Back, With Video
By DON DUNCAN
With the aid of an Israeli human rights group, a generation of young Palestinian filmmakers document IDF abuses, and hone their skills.August 7, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: DIGITAL VIDEO RECORDERS, ISRAEL
Israel, Turkey and the U.N.
Israel showed good sense in deciding to cooperate with an international inquiry into the May 31 flotilla attack. All parties must ensure that the inquiry uncovers the full story.August 3, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, PALESTINIANS, EDITORIALS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL, TURKEY, UNITED NATIONS, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT, BAN KI-MOON
U.N. Forms Review Panel for Israeli Raid on Flotilla
By NEIL MACFARQUHAR; SEBNEM ARSU CONTRIBUTED REPORTING FROM ISTANBUL, and ISABEL KERSHNER FROM JERUSALEM.
With the vague mandate described, it remained an open question whether the panel would conduct its own investigation or simply review what was produced by the opposing sides.August 3, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, ISRAEL, UNITED NATIONS, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT
The Palestinians, Alone
By EFRAIM KARSH
Could Arab apathy about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict help bring about Middle East peace?August 2, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, ARABS, WEST BANK, ISRAEL, MIDDLE EAST
Rocket From Gaza Hits Israeli City
By ISABEL KERSHNER
There were no injuries, but the explosive damaged buildings and brought panic to the streets of Ashkelon on Friday after more than a year of relative calm.July 31, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, ROCKETS AND ROCKET PROPULSION, TERRORISM, ISRAEL, HAMAS, ABBAS, MAHMOUD
The Forgotten American
By ROGER COHEN
The Middle East requires more open debate and the dropping of taboos.July 27, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: AMERICANS ABROAD, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, MUSLIM-AMERICANS, ISRAEL, TURKEY, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT, INSANI YARDIM VAKFI
Hamas Moves to Enforce Water Pipe Ban in Gaza
By FARES AKRAM
In a new attempt to try to impose a conservative Islamic way of life, Hamas started this weekend to enforce a ban on smoking water pipes in public.July 18, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: SMOKING AND TOBACCO, HAMAS
Hemmed-In Gazans Find Themselves Locked in Despair
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN and ETHAN BRONNER; MONA EL-NAGGAR and FARES AKRAM CONTRIBUTED REPORTING.
The three-year blockade by Israel and Egypt — and the bitter rivalry between Palestinian factions — has turned the Gazans’ difficult life into a new torment.July 14, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS, EGYPT, ISRAEL, FATAH, AL, HAMAS, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
Israeli Military Finds Flotilla Killings Justified
By ETHAN BRONNER; DAN BILEFSKY CONTRIBUTED REPORTING FROM DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY.
An investigation into the takeover of a flotilla six weeks ago found that it was plagued by errors but that the killings of nine Turks on board were justified.July 13, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT
Libyan Aid Ship Plans Run to Gaza
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A ship commissioned by a Libyan charity has left Greece, but it remains unclear whether it will challenge the Israeli blockade of routes to the territory.July 11, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, FOREIGN AID, ISRAEL, GREECE, LIBYA
After the Flotilla
Turkey and Israel are still stoking anger over the disastrous Israeli attack on a Gaza-bound aid ship. They need to find ways to cool things down.July 10, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, PALESTINIANS, DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, ISRAEL, TURKEY, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT
Indictments in Gaza War Are Announced
By ISABEL KERSHNER; FARES AKRAM CONTRIBUTED REPORTING FROM GAZA.
Israel’s military announced disciplinary and legal action in the Gaza offensive as the prime minister visited Washington.July 7, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: WAR CRIMES, GENOCIDE AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, CIVILIAN CASUALTIES, ISRAEL
Israel Details Easing of Its Gaza Blockade
By ISABEL KERSHNER
The announcement came amid a flurry of activity apparently intended to show momentum ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Obama.July 6, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL
Burrowing Through a Blockade
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
It’s time for Israel not just to ease the siege of Gaza, but to drop it once and for all.July 4, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, BRIDGES AND TUNNELS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL, HAMAS
Vandals Set Fire to U.N. Children’s Camp in Gaza
By FARES AKRAM
It was the second attack in the last month. Islamic extremist groups in Gaza have said in the past that the agency that runs the camp is a corrupting influence on local children.June 29, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: VANDALISM, UNITED NATIONS, HAMAS
War, Timeout, War, Time ...
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
The time is right for Israel to take the diplomatic initiative.June 27, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS, LEBANON, ISRAEL, HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH, ABBAS, MAHMOUD, OBAMA, BARACK, HALBERTAL, MOSHE, FAYYAD, SALAM, BARAK, EHUD, NETANYAHU, BENJAMIN
People in Gaza Await Easing of Israeli Blockade
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN; MONA EL-NAGGAR CONTRIBUTED REPORTING.
Many people said that life would be only marginally improved if more goods crossed the border.June 22, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL
Easing the Gaza Blockade
Israel has made the right decision to significantly ease the blockade of Gaza. The new policy should be implemented quickly and publicly.June 22, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: PALESTINIANS, EDITORIALS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ARMS TRADE, SMUGGLING, FOREIGN AID, ISRAEL, HAMAS, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY, NETANYAHU, BENJAMIN
Israeli Easing of Blockade of Gaza Draws Praise of U.S.
By ISABEL KERSHNER; REPORTING WAS CONTRIBUTED BY MARK LANDLER FROM WASHINGTON and SEBNEM ARSU FROM ISTANBUL.
While Israel’s announcement did not signal an end to the naval blockade of Gaza, it earned some unusual praise from the Obama administration.June 21, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, PALESTINIANS, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, FOREIGN AID, ISRAEL, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT, HAMAS, OBAMA, BARACK, BLAIR, TONY, NETANYAHU, BENJAMIN
Turkey’s Gain Is Iran’s Loss
By ELLIOT HEN-TOV and BERNARD HAYKEL
The U.S. may benefit as Turkey uses the flotilla attack to take a leadership role in the Muslim world.June 19, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, ARABS, IRAN, ISRAEL, TURKEY, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT, HAMAS, ERDOGAN, RECEP TAYYIP
Israel to Ease Gaza Land Blockade
By ISABEL KERSHNER; ISABEL KERSHNER REPORTED FROM JERUSALEM, and ALAN COWELL FROM PARIS.
Israel promised to ease the importation of some goods by land, a move seemingly designed to quell criticism.June 18, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: EMBARGOES AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ISRAEL, HAMAS
The Path to Mideast Peace
Catherine Ashton provides a more balanced (and welcome) perspective on the situation in Gaza than what generally has appeared in the world press lately.June 16, 2010
MORE ON THE GAZA STRIP AND: LETTERS, ISRAEL, MIDDLE EAST
SEARCH 3682 ARTICLES ABOUT THE GAZA STRIP:
Match Any WordMatch All WordsMatch Exact Phrase
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>
Israel: Palestinian holding hostages at Turkish Embassy
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A Palestinian took hostages in the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv Tuesday after shots were fired outside, Israeli police and a Foreign Ministry official said, in an incident that appeared to have only an indirect link to recent tensions between the two countries.
Turkey's news agency said embassy security guards captured the attacker. The report quoted anonymous officials from the embassy. Israeli officials could not confirm the report.
"This is a hostage situation," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told the Associated Press before the Turkish news agency report, identifying the attacker as Nadim Injaz, a West Bank Palestinian who tried to seek asylum at another embassy four years earlier.
Channel 2 TV played a recording of a phone call it said came from the attacker. "I have two hostages," he said in Hebrew. "I will blow up the embassy."
A lawyer told Israel Radio, however, that the hostages, the consul and his wife, had escaped.
In his call to Channel 2, Mr. Injaz went on, "If they don't let me leave this country now I will burn down the whole building. I will burn everything. I will burn the cars, the doors I will break down the doors. I will break everything."
He said he was demanding asylum and protection from "these murderers the Zionists, the murdering Jews." At the same time, he said that Palestinian leaders, including President Mahmoud Abbas, "should die."
Israel's relations with Turkey have been strained in the wake of the Israeli attack on a Turkish flotilla heading for Gaza on May 31, when nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed, and many Palestinians have expressed support for Turkey.
Turkey withdrew its ambassador from Tel Aviv in the wake of the attack on the flotilla. Israel Radio reported from the scene that rescue workers with stretchers tried to enter the seaside embassy compound but left without bringing out any wounded.
The radio report said Turkish officials were not allowing Israeli police or rescue workers to enter the embassy.
Story Continues →
Turkey's news agency said embassy security guards captured the attacker. The report quoted anonymous officials from the embassy. Israeli officials could not confirm the report.
"This is a hostage situation," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told the Associated Press before the Turkish news agency report, identifying the attacker as Nadim Injaz, a West Bank Palestinian who tried to seek asylum at another embassy four years earlier.
Channel 2 TV played a recording of a phone call it said came from the attacker. "I have two hostages," he said in Hebrew. "I will blow up the embassy."
A lawyer told Israel Radio, however, that the hostages, the consul and his wife, had escaped.
In his call to Channel 2, Mr. Injaz went on, "If they don't let me leave this country now I will burn down the whole building. I will burn everything. I will burn the cars, the doors I will break down the doors. I will break everything."
He said he was demanding asylum and protection from "these murderers the Zionists, the murdering Jews." At the same time, he said that Palestinian leaders, including President Mahmoud Abbas, "should die."
Israel's relations with Turkey have been strained in the wake of the Israeli attack on a Turkish flotilla heading for Gaza on May 31, when nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed, and many Palestinians have expressed support for Turkey.
Turkey withdrew its ambassador from Tel Aviv in the wake of the attack on the flotilla. Israel Radio reported from the scene that rescue workers with stretchers tried to enter the seaside embassy compound but left without bringing out any wounded.
The radio report said Turkish officials were not allowing Israeli police or rescue workers to enter the embassy.
Story Continues →
Make Money Online Without Spending a Dime
Making money online used to pretty much require you to have your own Web site, products to sell and some marketing savvy. But a new generation of dot-coms have arisen that will pay you for what you know and who you know without you having to be a web designer or a marketing genius.
But it's hard to tell hype from the real deal. I did a search on "make money online" and "making money online", and much of the information out there is just promoting various infoproducts, mostly about Internet marketing. I see why people sometimes ask, "Is anyone making money online besides Internet marketing experts?"
So I put together a list of business opportunities with legitimate companies that:
Pay cash, not just points towards rewards or a chance to win money
Don't require you to have your own Web domain or your own products
Don't involve any hard-selling
Aren't just promoting more Internet marketing
Give a good return on your time investmentIn the interest of objectivity, none of the links below are affiliate links, and none of them have paid or provided any other consideration for their presence here. These are legitimate companies with business models that allow you to get paid for a wide range of activities.
Help friends find better jobs.
Sites like ReferEarns, Zyoin, Who Do You Know For Dough?, Bohire and WiseStepp connect employers with prospective employees, many of whom are already employed and not actively job-hunting, via networking - the people who know these qualified candidates. Rewards for referring a candidate who gets hired range from $50 on up to several thousand dollars - not chump change. If you know a lot of job-seekers (and who doesn't these days?), this is a great way to break into the recruiting business with no overhead.
Connect suppliers with buyers.
Referral fees are a common practice in business, but they haven't been used much in online networking sites because there was no way to track them. Sites like Salesconx, InnerSell and uRefer now provide that. Vendors set the referral fees they're willing to pay (and for what), and when the transaction happens, you get paid. uRefer also allows merchants to set up referral programs for introductions and meetings, as well as transactions.
Write.
A growing number of sites will pay for your articles or blog posts. Associated Content and Helium will "pay for performance" based on page views for just about anything you want to write about. Articles on specific topics they're looking for can earn direct payments up to about $200. The rates are probably low for established writers, but if you're trying to break into the field and have time on your hands, they're a great way to start. Also, a lot of companies are looking for part-time bloggers. They may pay per post or on a steady contract. Our Weblogs Guide posts blogging jobs weekly in the forum.
Start your own blog.
You don't have to have your own Web site, or install blogging software, or even figure out how to set up the advertising. At Blogger you can set up a blog for free in less than five minutes without knowing a thing about web design, and Blogger even automates setting up Google AdSense so you can make money off your blog by displaying ads and getting paid when people click on the ads. To make even more money from it, set up an affiliate program (see below) for books, music, etc., and insert your affiliate links whenever you refer to those items. You'll have to get a lot of traffic to become a six-figure blogger, but pick an interesting topic, write well, tell all your friends, and you're off to a good start.
Related: Monetizing Your Blog
Create topical resource hubs.
Are you an expert on a particular niche topic? Can you put together an overview of the topic and assemble some of the best resources on the topic from around the web? Then you can create topical hubs and get paid through sites like Squidoo, HugPages and Google Knol. Payments are based on a combination of ad revenue and affiliate fees. You'll get higher rates doing it on your own, but these sites have a built-in supply of traffic and tools to make content creation easier.
Advertise other people's products.
If you already have a Web site or a blog, look for vendors that offer related but non-competing products and see if they have an affiliate program. Stick to familiar products and brands - they're easier to sell. To promote those products:
Place simple text or graphical ads in appropriate places on your site
Include links to purchase products you review or recommend in a blog, discussion forum or mailing list you control
Create a dedicated sales page or Web site to promote a particular productThey all work - it just depends on how much time you have to spend on it and your level of expertise with Web design and marketing.
Related: How to Really Make Money on the Internet With an Amazon.com Affiliate Site
Microstock photography.
You don't have to be a professional photographer to sell your photos for money. People are constantly in need of stock photography for websites, presentations, brochures and so on, and are willing to pay for the right image. People generally search for images on stock photography sites by keywords, not by photographer, so you have the same chance as anyone else of having your image picked. Just be careful that you don't have images of trademarked brands, copyrighted art or people's faces that are readily identifiable (unless you have a model release), but just about anything else is fair game, and I promise - you'd be amazed what people need pictures of, so don't make any assumptions. If it's a decent photo, upload it. Some sites to get you started include Fotolia, ShutterStock, Dreamstime and iStockphoto. The great thing about this is that it's truly "set it and forget it".
The above list is by no means comprehensive, but it highlights some of the new and interesting ways to make money online without investing any money, without having a product of your own, and without having expert sales and marketing skills. Most of all, unlike taking surveys or getting paid to read e-mail, the potential return on your time investment is substantial.
But it's hard to tell hype from the real deal. I did a search on "make money online" and "making money online", and much of the information out there is just promoting various infoproducts, mostly about Internet marketing. I see why people sometimes ask, "Is anyone making money online besides Internet marketing experts?"
So I put together a list of business opportunities with legitimate companies that:
Pay cash, not just points towards rewards or a chance to win money
Don't require you to have your own Web domain or your own products
Don't involve any hard-selling
Aren't just promoting more Internet marketing
Give a good return on your time investmentIn the interest of objectivity, none of the links below are affiliate links, and none of them have paid or provided any other consideration for their presence here. These are legitimate companies with business models that allow you to get paid for a wide range of activities.
Help friends find better jobs.
Sites like ReferEarns, Zyoin, Who Do You Know For Dough?, Bohire and WiseStepp connect employers with prospective employees, many of whom are already employed and not actively job-hunting, via networking - the people who know these qualified candidates. Rewards for referring a candidate who gets hired range from $50 on up to several thousand dollars - not chump change. If you know a lot of job-seekers (and who doesn't these days?), this is a great way to break into the recruiting business with no overhead.
Connect suppliers with buyers.
Referral fees are a common practice in business, but they haven't been used much in online networking sites because there was no way to track them. Sites like Salesconx, InnerSell and uRefer now provide that. Vendors set the referral fees they're willing to pay (and for what), and when the transaction happens, you get paid. uRefer also allows merchants to set up referral programs for introductions and meetings, as well as transactions.
Write.
A growing number of sites will pay for your articles or blog posts. Associated Content and Helium will "pay for performance" based on page views for just about anything you want to write about. Articles on specific topics they're looking for can earn direct payments up to about $200. The rates are probably low for established writers, but if you're trying to break into the field and have time on your hands, they're a great way to start. Also, a lot of companies are looking for part-time bloggers. They may pay per post or on a steady contract. Our Weblogs Guide posts blogging jobs weekly in the forum.
Start your own blog.
You don't have to have your own Web site, or install blogging software, or even figure out how to set up the advertising. At Blogger you can set up a blog for free in less than five minutes without knowing a thing about web design, and Blogger even automates setting up Google AdSense so you can make money off your blog by displaying ads and getting paid when people click on the ads. To make even more money from it, set up an affiliate program (see below) for books, music, etc., and insert your affiliate links whenever you refer to those items. You'll have to get a lot of traffic to become a six-figure blogger, but pick an interesting topic, write well, tell all your friends, and you're off to a good start.
Related: Monetizing Your Blog
Create topical resource hubs.
Are you an expert on a particular niche topic? Can you put together an overview of the topic and assemble some of the best resources on the topic from around the web? Then you can create topical hubs and get paid through sites like Squidoo, HugPages and Google Knol. Payments are based on a combination of ad revenue and affiliate fees. You'll get higher rates doing it on your own, but these sites have a built-in supply of traffic and tools to make content creation easier.
Advertise other people's products.
If you already have a Web site or a blog, look for vendors that offer related but non-competing products and see if they have an affiliate program. Stick to familiar products and brands - they're easier to sell. To promote those products:
Place simple text or graphical ads in appropriate places on your site
Include links to purchase products you review or recommend in a blog, discussion forum or mailing list you control
Create a dedicated sales page or Web site to promote a particular productThey all work - it just depends on how much time you have to spend on it and your level of expertise with Web design and marketing.
Related: How to Really Make Money on the Internet With an Amazon.com Affiliate Site
Microstock photography.
You don't have to be a professional photographer to sell your photos for money. People are constantly in need of stock photography for websites, presentations, brochures and so on, and are willing to pay for the right image. People generally search for images on stock photography sites by keywords, not by photographer, so you have the same chance as anyone else of having your image picked. Just be careful that you don't have images of trademarked brands, copyrighted art or people's faces that are readily identifiable (unless you have a model release), but just about anything else is fair game, and I promise - you'd be amazed what people need pictures of, so don't make any assumptions. If it's a decent photo, upload it. Some sites to get you started include Fotolia, ShutterStock, Dreamstime and iStockphoto. The great thing about this is that it's truly "set it and forget it".
The above list is by no means comprehensive, but it highlights some of the new and interesting ways to make money online without investing any money, without having a product of your own, and without having expert sales and marketing skills. Most of all, unlike taking surveys or getting paid to read e-mail, the potential return on your time investment is substantial.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)