Is this the turning point for the regime in Syria?

The torture and murder of a Syrian child by agents of the regime is unconscionable, but typical of such a dictatorship which has outlived its usefulness.
As the SMH put it, “His head was swollen, purple and disfigured. His body was a mess of welts, cigarette burns and wounds from bullets fired to injure, not kill. His kneecaps had been smashed, his neck broken, his jaw shattered and his penis cut off.
What finally killed him was not clear, but it appeared painfully, shockingly clear that he had suffered terribly during the month he spent in Syrian custody.

Litfa: an opportunity for reconciliation or will 'market forces' prevail?

“Beneath the legal arguments, the fate of Lifta brings up some of the most contentious points in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the right of return and the struggle to control the historical narrative.”
Litfa is an Palestinian village abandoned in 1948 on the western edge of Jerusalem, hungrily eyed by developers. Everyone who comes to Jerusalem on the highway from the airport passes it, but most people are unaware of what it represents, other than apparent ruins. It is still alive in the memories of many Palestinians who lay claim to it.

Limmud Oz 2011 is compromised by banning people

Australian Jewish community politics when it comes to Israel and dissenting views is explosive, and a current controversy is no exception. (See, for example, what I wrote for New Matilda in 2009, but there have been episodes since then).
Limmud Oz 2011 has recently banned two speakers, known as supporters of BDS from the conference, even though they were not going to talk about BDS. Why it has happened at such a late stage is interesting–is it another case of the people with the money making not so subtle hints…

Limmud Oz 2011 is compromised by banning people

Australian Jewish community politics when it comes to Israel and dissenting views is explosive, and a current controversy is no exception. (See, for example, what I wrote for New Matilda in 2009, but there have been episodes since then).
Limmud Oz 2011 has recently banned two speakers, known as supporters of BDS from the conference, even though they were not going to talk about BDS. Why it has happened at such a late stage is interesting–is it another case of the people with the money making not so subtle hints…