Tsunami at Israel's Edge

BY Steve Clemons
Behind the scenes, Fatah and Hamas have been working and talking for years about terms of reconciliation. But their efforts were stymied by both their own suspicions and demands of each other -- but also by Omar Suleiman who was the anointed Egyptian peacemaker but who worked behind the scenes with the US to make sure that both sides never got to "yes" at the same time.

Now, Egypt is out of the game of working on one hand to appear supportive of a Palestinian unity government while on the other hand sabotaging it on behalf of the United States, and indirectly Israel.

I've argued for some years that Israel's security arrangements in the region were a lot like a New Orleans levee -- they were working for the time being, but some day a tsunami would come and wash out parts of Israel's protection. Israel needed to see that its security and long term interests lay in working hard to revision and restructure its relationships in the region -- and the best vehicle for that was something along the lines of the Arab Peace deal offered by Saudi King Abdullah.

Now, Fatah and Hamas are reconciling. America and some other nations will no doubt threaten to withhold aid and support -- making themselves less relevant to the decisions made by Palestinian leaders but also creating some pressure for them.

But this is not an age where Europe and the US are calling all the shots any longer. In this case, the boutique rich nations of the GCC, Brazil, Turkey, Russia, and China, even India -- may emerge as the new lifeline of financial and political support for a reorganized and somewhat repurposed Palestine.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the one person in Israel who could have really sold a real deal on a two state solution to his people. But he seems to have decided against this route -- and now we are seeing the political marketplace reaction to his and his government's intransigence and their lack of vision about new long term political and security relationships in Israel's neighborhood.

The tsunami that Israel will need to deal with may be here -- and it's vital that Netanyahu and others recalculate their game plan while this wave of change is sweeping through the region.

-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note. Clemons can be followed on Twitter @SCClemons

An apple a day

Heart
An apple a day keeps bad cholesterol away
Apr 16, 2011 9:00 AM

Here’s a heart-healthy reason to prescribe yourself an apple a day: Women who ate dried apples every day for a year lowered their LDL (bad) cholesterol by 23 percent, according to a study funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and presented this week at the Experimental Biology 2011 conference in Washington, D.C.

Researchers split 160 women between 45 and 65 into two groups: one consumed roughly 2.5 ounces of dried apples daily and the other group ate dried prunes. Women who ate the apples not only saw a 14 percent to 23 percent decrease in LDL cholesterol, they lowered cell-damaging lipid hydroperoxide by 33 percent and C-reactive protein by 32 percent, increased good cholesterol by 4 percent, and lost on average 3.3 pounds.

Bottom line: While more research is warranted, you really don’t need a reason to eat more apples—they’re good for you and they’re delicious—plain and simple. But if you’re trying to lower your cholesterol and prevent heart disease, an apple a day might help. And don’t stop at apples—eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, with a variety of colors, can protect your heart by lowering LDL cholesterol and blood pressure levels, limiting inflammation of the arteries, warding off diabetes, and, of course, helping you lose weight.

Be sure to wash apples and other produce, and choose organic varieties if you can.

Sources
Daily apple consumption promotes cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women [The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology]

Experimental Biology 2011

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Dancing dictators: Web videos mock Gadhafi, Mubarak,Bin Ali

(CNN) -- Political upheaval across North Africa and the Middle East has provided rich pickings for animators, whose satirical videos have gone viral on the web, attracting millions of viewers.

Here are five of the best online animations mocking some of the region's entrenched, and recently departed, leaders:

Moammar Gadhafi's Zenga Zenga Song
"It's full of music so I canceled the video"

This video of a speech by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi set to the tune of ''Hey Baby,'' by American rapper Pitbull, was posted on the internet by Noy Alooshe, an Israeli music producer and journalist. It has been viewed more than 3.6 million times on YouTube, and there are numerous spin-off versions.

Zine El Abedine Ben Ali on plane


This video by a team of young artists and storytellers at Kharabeesh.com shows ousted Tunisian president Zine El Abedine Ben Ali calling world leaders from his plane, asking them to help him find a new home.

Hosni Mubarak failing to hear the crowd



Another offering from Kharabeesh, meaning "scribbles" in Arabic, making fun of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and his reluctance to give up power.

Moammar Gadhafi on Arabs Got Talent


This video is also by Kharabeesh, whose animators are based in Jordan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. This spoof features Gadhafi as a stand-up comedian on the hit television show ''Arabs Got Talent.''

Ben Ali, Mubarak and Gadhafi as break dancers
"I canceld the video link coz of the music"

This contribution by MrBou3ali to the website JibJab, which allows subscribers to create their own e-cards and animations, shows Ben Ali, Mubarak and Gadhafi as break dancers.

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