Israel boycotts Al Jazeera, Saudi Arabia drops its boycott

Israel has decided to boycott Al Jazeera following what the government says is biased reporting on the Gaza conflict, or what Israel calls “Operation Warm Winter.” Apparently the official boycott will "include a general refusal by Israeli officials to accept interviews with the station, as well as a ban on Al-Jazeera correspondents from entering government offices in Jerusalem." The pros and cons of such a move for Israel - engagement versus the silent treatment, participation in the dialogue versus refusing to lend validity to the station - are analyzed here. The move
comes on the heels of "a worldwide PR effort... launched in support of Operation Warm Winter... [which] aims to counter worldwide calls to end Israel’s Gaza offensive, as well as to bolster the IDF’s less than stellar international image" and apparently targets "the al-Jazeera Network as its chief adversary in the war for hearts and minds." The Israeli government among other has accused the station of not only being pro-Hamas but even of having ties to the organization; among the accusations leveled at the station is that "Al-Jazeera's coverage of Israel has been problematic since its inception a little more than a decade ago, including accusations by Israeli officials that it directly colluded with Hamas two months ago in exaggerating the fuel shortage situation in Gaza during a staged "black-out" there." But of course, few governments like the rabble-rouser. Israel is only taking the same approach Saudi Arabia has adopted for the past five years. The Kingdom withdrew its ambassador to Qatar and prevented the station from covering the annual haj pilgrimage. The tide appears to be shifting, though, as many have noted the toned-down coverage of Saudi Arabia over the past few months, likely in preparation for the visit this week of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz to the tiny emirate. There are also rumors that the station will be allowed to cover the haj this year.

Sneaking into Cairo University, a New Experience in Higher Education

My heart was pounding. Hands sweating. I felt like I had just committed a crime. Yet all I had done was enter the gates of Cairo University. Well, entered them after having been turned away twice by different gaurds afraid to allow a foreigner on campus while a demonstration was underway. I could see the demonstration in front of “the dome” as I waited to see if I would get permission to enter. There were maybe a couple hundred people listening to a group of speakers on stage speaking out against Israeli actions in Gaza and holding signs calling for support for embattled Palestinians. But it was not to be, I would have to come back on a day there was no protest – but these seem to be few and far between on a campus that seems to regularly host demonstrations by an active minority of the 250,000 student body population. However, refusing to take no for an answer and being even more compelled to see what was so momentous as to keep someone from entering an institution of higher education that in my opinion should be open and free as the minds it is supposed to be cultivating, I tried my luck at several other of the gated entrances. I managed to sneak in one without being asked for an ID and made my way quickly into the milieu of students, getting lost in the see of students, though I still felt that I stood out in that I was the only non-Arab (besides two Japanese girls I passed) on campus and one of the few girls not wearing a hijab, which seemed to be the dominant wardrobe choice among the majority of female students.

The demonstration was not much to write home about and I only spent a few minutes observing, deciding I should take my leave rather quickly once a plainclothes officer seemed to be motioning his colleagues after spotting me. Plus I didn’t want to get my friend in trouble since as a student there he would have a lot more to lose than I. This is also why I have no pictures to post, as he absolutely forbid me to take a picture since this would definitely get us in trouble.

The campus is very beautiful and reminded my of my alma mater U.C. Berkeley with big Greco-roman style buildings, palm trees and the like. But unlike Berkeley, which bleeds into the community on all sides, with only a symbolic “gate” at Sproul Plaza that seems to welcome people into the halls of learning, the campus of Cairo University is gated and locked off from the community outside, though whether the purpose was to keep people out or students in is not clear. Probably both. Padlocks grace the gates of the campus, with only a small door open every so often, guarded by several police officers in uniform who attempt to check the IDs of everyone entering. These small entrances also make small exits, preventing demonstrations from spilling out onto the street, though were they to spill over troops of armed men are ready.

Army green police transporters line the main street where the university lies, with police in what seems to be full riot gear standing ready. They are there every day, according to my friend. Earlier in the week a campus demonstration drew thousands to protest IDF attacks on Gaza (mainly Muslim Brotherhood members/supporters if the protest was like the one I saw) while one the week before drew thousands of the same to protest the military trial of Muslim Brotherhood members. They seem to be pretty active, so the government figures it’s best to keep them confined to the campus, where press coverage can be controlled and their “deviant actions” won’t threaten the Israeli embassy, which is not far away, or inspire others to express their dissatisfaction on the streets.