Emaar offers to buy settlements in Gaza

So, the Emarati real estate mind makes a move to buy the illegally set-up US-tax-payer-funded settlements in Gaza, what a move!? Israel made it clear it would "dismantle" the settlements.

Never mind the poor buggers that had their homes torn down by Israeli military occupation, the Palestinians that is. Never mind that the fertile part of the strip was seized for a period of 38 years, oops, has been seized. Lets not forget that the withdrawal is just a theory so far.

At least 3,000 homes were torn down during the last intifada using CATERPILLAR buldozers and as of recently those of HYUNDAI.

So, it is official, the Arabs firmly believe in the uneven hand of the law: instead of suing for, at the every least, rent, the have to pay the occupiers a compensation for leaving the occupied land. What the ??

The wheels of time are spinning us a dark comedy. The parody of Bayer being sued for WWII work camps 50 years after the war was over, while CATERPILLAR moves with the impunity of those who bought, imported and operated its equipment. Above the law.

Back to our friends the Emaratis...Lets do a quick cost analysis for the situation from the Israeli side. So you want to pack and go, there is the cost legislated by the Kenesset for paying off the settlers, excuse me, the armed-to-the-teeth squatters; And the cost of dismantling the farms, the houses, the streets, the infrastructure of sewage, electrical, water and telecom systems. Remember the way the Sinai settlements were dismantled???

You can agree with me or disagree with me about the items in the invoice for leaving Gaza. But no one in his right mind can argue that it is cheap. Therefore, on one hand the offer by the Emaratis is definitely bliss for the Israeli tax payers (this includes about 100 million US taxpayers too, suckers!) A way out, a crutch, ... etc

But there is the other hand, always at least two hands: Is there a chance that a legal system will set things along the path of justice? Any legal system? Nope. Proof: more than 40 UN resolutions about and for Israel to which the nose is being thumbed. A friend told me something about the court of competent jurisdiction. If it sounds like a disease, it is, of the legal systems that is. Eh, I progressed to find out that the law is NOT about justice, for justice is an ill-defined concept in the minds of the legislators. Law is about settling disputes! Wow.

Settling, settlements, ... money,
settlements, settlers, ...money,
disputes, settlements, and settlers,
money, money and more money.

Search engine on my mind

A colleague and a friend told me yesterday that he has decided to do me a favor and get me an interview with Google. He thinks that is where I shoud be since I have search on my mind 24/7. I smiled.

Don't get me wrong, Google must be a great company to work for but I am focused on my search technology, in my native tongue, Arabic. I do breathe it, drink it and eat it but am worried I won't be using it for long, or that my children won't remember how to use it on the net. Is Google serious about the Middle East as a market? I don't think so. For starters London is a 5 hour flight from the heart of the Middle East and in London baby, you don't speak Arabic.

Sure you have www.google.ae but it is very much a mutant. And laugh with me as check this out http://www.google.ca/search?as_q=%D9%85%D9%84%D8%AD&num=10&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=lang_ar&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=images
I ask Google to find ظ…ظ„ط­ in Arabic and when it does, it also decides that ط­ظ„ظ… should be part of my search! (Check it out for yourself the advanced search link) So is my salt a dream or what?

ظˆظ…ظ…ط§ ظ„ظپطھ ط§ظ†طھط¨ط§ظ‡ظٹ ط£ظ†ظ†ظٹ ظ‡ط§ ظ‡ظ†ط§ ط£ظ†ط¸ظ‘ط± ط¹ظ† ظ„ط؛طھظٹ ظˆظ…ط§ ظٹظˆط§ط¬ظ‡ظ‡ط§ ظ…ظ† طھط­ط¯ظٹط§طھ ط¨ظٹظ†ظ…ط§ ط£ط·ط¨ط¹ ط§ظ„ط£ط­ط±ظپ ط§ظ„ظ„ط§طھظٹظ†ظٹط©! ظˆظƒظ…ط§ طھظˆظ‚ط¹طھ ظپط§ظ„ط¨ط±ظ†ط§ظ…ط¬ ظ‡ط°ط§ ظ„ظٹط³ ظˆط¯ظˆط¯ط§ طھط¬ط§ظ‡ ظ„ط؛طھظٹ ط§ظ„ط¬ظ…ظٹظ„ط©. ط¢ط³ظپ ظٹط§ ظ…ط¹ظ„ظ…طھظٹ ط£ظٹط§ظ… ط§ظ„طµط¨ط§طŒ ط¢ط³ظپ ظٹط§ ط³ظٹط¯طھظٹ ط³ط£ظ†ظ‡ظٹ ط¬ظ…ظ„ظٹ ط¨ظ„ط§ ظ†ظ‚ط·