June 30, 2011- Cottage Cheese Boycott Succeeds, UN to Indict Hezbollah Members

Israels first major consumer boycott has temporarily succeeded. Israels diary conglomerates have finally announced they will lower the price of cottage cheese. The organizers who orchestrated this boycott on Facebook are now setting their sites on other high priced items. Organizers have a long list of items they can set their sites on. As Israelis pay high prices for almost everything. The unique nature of the Israeli economy, allows for either monopolies to control the domestic market, as well as enabling importers to mark up prices on almost all imported products. There are few worldwide chains operating in Israel with the noted exception of Ikea, whose entry into the country substantially reduced the prices of furniture in Israel. Israel could really use need a Walmart.

The UN investigative committee has officially issued arrest warrants for a number of members of Hezbollah in the death of Lebanese President, Rafik Hariri. This decision, combined with the continued difficulties that Syrias Assad continues to face, has placed Hezbollah on the defensive. Hezbollah has tried to depict itself as a Lebanese nationalist party. However, that is becoming increasing difficult. Some analysts are concerned that these circumstances will push Hezbollah into taking actions against Israel to deflect attention. Most analysts, however, do not believe that is likely that Hezbollah will attempt to do anything that could start a war with Israel at the moment,

The next Gaza flotilla continues to be delayed by a combination of Greek debt, unrest, and the seeming breakdown of a number of its ships. The flotilla members are blaming Israel for sabotoging the ships, a charge which Israel denies. However, it is certainly a more elegant method of stopping the flotilla and than allowing armed men to storm the vessels.