A Social Media Intifada

By Adina Rosenthal Move over “Angry Birds.” The newest up-and-coming iPhone app may be for revolutions. While social media platforms have become commonplace in both our vernacular and daily use, they have also played an important role in fomenting recent revolutions. In 2009, thousands took to the streets of Moldova to protest their Communist government in what was titled the Twitter Revolution for the platform’s success in galvanizing and organizing the public. When the Iranian government prevented journalists from reporting on the 2009 post-election protests, Iranians flocked to social media outlets to update the world on their plight. Recently, social media platforms took like wildfire in the Arab Spring, empowering people to unite and demand reform from their oppressive governments, resulting in immediate resignations, swift ousters, and, in the cases of Libya and perhaps Syria, war. According...

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Shin Bet Justice: Tunnel Vision?

Tunnels. The very word connotes ancient secrets, mystic rites and modern adventure. Israel is blessed with tunnels both natural (the country gets whole pages on spelunking websites) and man made: The "Rabbinical" tunnels alongside and beneath the Temple Mount get lots of attention. Their excavation launched Arab riots as well as a new locus for tourism. (Jerusalem's coolest tunnel is Hezekiah's ancient passage to the Gihon Spring, seen at right.) For Israel's security forces, it's the tunnels under Gaza's border with Egypt that, understandably, generate the most interest. Egypt's government claims, unconvincingly, that it's trying to keep the tunnels closed, while evidence at the other end (filmed by France24's English newscast) shows Gazans' using the tunnels routinely to smuggle in market goods and even electricity generation. Hamas undoubtedly also uses them for less homey shipments, like...

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