Proliferation
United in defiance
Feb 26th 2009
From The Economist print edition
The proliferation chain that links North Korea and Iran
AP
THE final frontier is being assaulted by a couple of troubling pioneers. North Korean officials are boasting that they will soon launch a rocket that will lift a communications satellite into space. With this defiant spectacular, they seem to be cocking a snook at America, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia, who have been trying through six-party talks to curb North Korea’s equally vaunted nuclear-weapons efforts. Meanwhile, earlier in February, Iran—suspected of harbouring similar nuclear ambitions to North Korea’s, though it denies this—lifted its own small, supposedly home-made satellite into orbit too.
Both regimes trumpet their space prowess, and indeed such technological feats are not easy to achieve. But how do these “civilian” space efforts complement their terrestrial nuclear work? That is the question that deeply worries outsiders.
India showed the way: its supposedly civilian space programme sometimes won generous outside assistance, even as nuclear help was denied for fear of advancing its suspected weapons-building. As a result of the parallel effort, India now has missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads on targets not just throughout Pakistan, but deep inside China too. Quite simply, the technology needed to lift a satellite off the launch pad and shield it from damage on its way into space is indistinguishable from that needed to launch a far-flying nuclear-tipped ballistic missile.
North Korea and Iran appear to be following suit. Kim Jong Il’s regime claims to have first embarked on its space adventures in 1998, when it launched a Taepodong-1 rocket over an alarmed Japan, across the Pacific towards a startled America. Mr Kim even issued a stamp to celebrate what was said to have been the successful launch of a satellite that had since been warbling patriotic tunes back from space. Oddly, no one else ever picked up its signal. A failed missile test, concluded America, after watching the rocket plop down in the Pacific.
Whether the satellite was a figment of Mr Kim’s imagination hardly matters. The latest promised test-launch will violate resolution 1718, which bans North Korea from all such activity. This was passed by the United Nations Security Council in 2006, unusually with China’s backing, after North Korea first tried (but failed) to launch a still more capable missile and then conducted what is thought to have been its first nuclear test. Its determination now to carry on launching regardless has led to speculation in some quarters that the missile, assuming it launches successfully, could even be shot down by the new ballistic-missile defences that Japan and America have been frantically cobbling together to protect Japan from North Korea’s missile threats.
Mr Kim seems to be using his missile preparations to grab the attention of the new Obama administration in America, and to raise the ante in the six-party nuclear talks. These have been stalled for months because of North Korea’s refusal to accept proper verification of its nuclear programmes; that will remain the case—or so the other five parties suspect—until the regime in Pyongyang squeezes extra goodies out of the Americans.
The test, if it goes ahead, will also roughly coincide with an annual joint military exercise between America and South Korea, at a time when relations between South and North have deteriorated badly. The North Korean media claim, not for the first time, that the two Koreas are at “the brink of war”, and that America is preparing a pre-emptive strike against the North.
Certainly Mr Kim is determined to look as threatening as possible. Writing in the Washington Post on February 19th, Selig Harrison, who is a frequent visitor to North Korea, said that the foreign-ministry and defence officials he talked to recently had left him with the impression that North Korea’s stash of plutonium (which is exhibit-A in the six-party talks, though there are lingering concerns that Mr Kim has also dabbled in enriched uranium, another possible bomb ingredient) had already been “weaponised”—that is, converted into missile warheads.
If that is the case, then North Korea’s “satellite” test will be doubly alarming. Although the 2006 nuclear test was thought to have fizzled, it may nonetheless have helped North Korea master a design for the sort of smaller warhead that a missile could carry.
But there is a further, bigger, worry even than Mr Kim’s theatricals. North Korea and Iran have long been collaborating on building missiles; the two are thought to have worked together in Iran to improve on basic North Korean missile designs at times when it has been impolitic for the North to test for itself. Iran has learned a great deal from this work; recently it has been making strides in its own missile technology. No one knows whether this collaboration has included warhead or other nuclear work too (though North Korea appears to have helped Syria to build a suspected and almost completed plutonium-producing reactor, which Israel destroyed in an air raid in 2007).
Strutting its stuff
North Korea is evidently quite happy to brandish its bombs. It flounced out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty back in 2003 after evidence emerged that it had been cheating on an earlier denuclearisation deal with America. Iran, by contrast, claims to be an NPT member in good standing. It insists that it has no use for nuclear weapons, and that all its nuclear activities, including a uranium-enrichment effort that continues to expand in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions and sanctions, are entirely peaceful in intent; the uranium, it says, is simply intended to fuel a future fleet of power stations.
Nothing if not brazen, it claims backhanded vindication in a controversial National Intelligence Estimate by America’s spooks, which concluded a little over a year ago that Iran had indeed had a bomb programme, but that it had stopped in 2003 when its formerly secret uranium activities came to light. But what that report failed to explain clearly was that Iran was continuing work quite openly on the two other necessary components of a weapons programme: first, uranium enrichment (with a bit of time and redirection of piping, low-enriched uranium can easily be turned into the highly enriched sort needed for a bomb) and efforts to produce plutonium; and second, the efforts under way for the development of a missile that could carry a nuclear warhead.
AP Bushehr: no need for Iran’s enriched uranium here
Iran is the only country so far to have built a uranium-enrichment plant before having even a single working reactor that would need its uranium as fuel for the reactor core. Even a Russian-built reactor at Bushehr that is now being put through its technical paces before coming on-stream later this year will operate on Russian-supplied fuel. Nor does it have sufficient uranium ore of its own to sustain a large-scale enrichment effort. Since uranium exports to Iran are prohibited by UN sanctions, its only option eventually will be to import more of the stuff illegally, using the nuclear black market that enabled it to get secretly started in the uranium business.
Nonetheless, Iran has just passed another nuclear milestone. According to figures contained in a new report circulated to the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear guardian, ahead of a meeting that opens on March 2nd, Iran has accumulated an unexpectedly large amount of low-enriched uranium—enough, says the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, for Iran to be confident that, should it proceed with further enrichment, it will have sufficient material for a single nuclear weapon.
What is more, the agency reported a big discrepancy (about 30%) between the amount of uranium Iran had earlier said it was producing and the amount now stockpiled. It is often hard to guess the real output of enrichment centrifuge machines, like Iran’s, in their first stages of operation. However, in the view of other experts, even rough calculations based on earlier figures should have told inspectors that the Iranian estimate was far too low. The IAEA is confident that all the enriched uranium is properly safeguarded. But safeguards are something Iran disregards when it suits.
There have long been suspicions that Iran may be engaged in a parallel, possibly military, enrichment effort: in April 2006 without notice to inspectors, it removed and then put back a cylinder of the gas from which enriched uranium of either sort is spun, so that inspectors briefly lost track of the material it contained. When they were subsequently measured, the cylinder’s contents were deemed to be correct within an acceptable margin of error. But that does not rule out the possibility that a small quantity of the gas, calculated to fall within that error margin, was diverted to test some hidden centrifuges.
As the IAEA’s latest report makes clear, Iran is also refusing them access, as required under its safeguards obligations, to the site where it is building its own plutonium-producing reactor, one that just happens to be ideally sized for making bomb material. And it will not answer increasingly pointed questions from inspectors about studies and other information provided by several governments that appear to show weapons-related work on uranium conversion, on high explosive testing for nuclear-trigger devices and—the evidence behind the doubts about Iran’s “space” programme—on development work to redesign the inner cone of a re-entry vehicle for Iran’s Shahab-3 missile, so as to accommodate a nuclear warhead.
North Korea’s neighbours may be prepared simply to huddle together, trusting in the best efforts of diplomacy and missile defences. But countries in the vicinity of Iran are becoming more agitated. Israel’s probable new prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has said a nuclear Iran poses a far graver threat than the global recession.
So Barack Obama and his new team—he has now appointed special envoys to deal with both Iran and North Korea—don’t have much time to show that their promised readiness to talk directly to Iran can produce results. And unless results are forthcoming, the long-running drama over Iran’s nuclear ambitions could rapidly escalate into a global crisis.
Israel's would-be government
Israel's would-be government
The right has the first shot
Feb 26th 2009 | JERUSALEM
From The Economist print edition
Many variations are possible, but the right is first to try to form a government
BINYAMIN NETANYAHU, Israel’s prime minister-designate, has begun negotiating with his Likud party’s “natural allies” for a right-wing-cum-religious coalition government. Still, though at first rebuffed, he has not quite given up hope of luring both Tzipi Livni, the leader of the centrist Kadima party, and Ehud Barak, her Labour counterpart, into a unity government of a milder complexion. He has until April 2nd to find a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Various permutations are still being aired.
Ms Livni, foreign minister in the outgoing Kadima-led government, says she will not provide a fig-leaf for the harsher policies she believes would hurt the country. She says that when she and Mr Netanyahu met on February 22nd he would not even acknowledge the need for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, let alone seriously discuss a common policy for trying to bring it about. Mr Netanyahu offered parity in the cabinet between Likud, which won 27 seats to Kadima’s 28 in the general election on February 10th, but Ms Livni complains that her party would then be permanently outnumbered by the Likud-led block. Mr Barak says simply that having done so badly in the election, with only 13 seats, Labour needs to spend the next term in opposition, rebuilding itself.
The haggling and the refusal so far by both leaders of the two strongest parties to back down have rekindled a debate over whether Mr Netanyahu, who was prime minister from 1996 to 1999, is ultimately a pragmatist or at heart still an ideologue of the old school. Those who say he is a pragmatist point to the agreements he signed with the Palestinians in his first term and to the secret negotiations he held with Syria. Those who say he is an ideologue, wedded to the idea of a Greater Israel that would take in the West Bank and stretch down to the Jordan river, recall his niggardly foot-dragging during those negotiations.
Mr Netanyahu now says that Palestinian statehood is not possible in the foreseeable future. The Palestinian Authority on the West Bank is weak and ineffectual, and he could not negotiate with the Islamists of Hamas as they are terrorists who must be toppled from power. In the election campaign he rejected sharing Jerusalem with the Palestinians and said he would not withdraw from the Golan Heights, a slice of Syria that Israel has held since 1967.
Even with such hard views, putting together a coalition of like-minded allies will not be easy. There are tensions between the far-right secularists of Yisrael Beitenu, which has 15 seats, and other more religious-minded groups over a proposal to bring in civil marriage and loosen the rabbis’ grip on matters of personal status. Yisrael Beitenu also wants drastic reform of the electoral system, as do many in Likud and on the left. But such proposals could spell the demise of the small religious parties whose votes Mr Netanyahu needs to secure a majority. Or they might be forced to merge with each other, a prospect they think only slightly less ghastly.
Allocating top jobs will also be tricky. Yisrael Beitenu’s leader, Avigdor Lieberman, who campaigned on an anti-Arab platform, wants a juicy plum. His 15 seats make it hard for Mr Netanyahu not to give him one. Mr Lieberman’s first choice is the Defence Ministry, but Mr Netanyahu may prefer to hand it to Dan Meridor, a Likud minister who veered left in 1999 to join a short-lived Centre Party and has veered back to the right again. Mr Lieberman may settle for the Finance Ministry; but the police are investigating him for alleged money-laundering, so that may be awkward.
He might end up as foreign minister, a prospect which, in view of his history of undiplomatic remarks, has raised eyebrows, to say the least. Last year he said Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak should “go to hell” for refusing to visit Israel. “Foreign ministers aren’t used to my style,” he has conceded. “But don’t worry, everyone will welcome me, including Egypt.”
The right has the first shot
Feb 26th 2009 | JERUSALEM
From The Economist print edition
Many variations are possible, but the right is first to try to form a government
BINYAMIN NETANYAHU, Israel’s prime minister-designate, has begun negotiating with his Likud party’s “natural allies” for a right-wing-cum-religious coalition government. Still, though at first rebuffed, he has not quite given up hope of luring both Tzipi Livni, the leader of the centrist Kadima party, and Ehud Barak, her Labour counterpart, into a unity government of a milder complexion. He has until April 2nd to find a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Various permutations are still being aired.
Ms Livni, foreign minister in the outgoing Kadima-led government, says she will not provide a fig-leaf for the harsher policies she believes would hurt the country. She says that when she and Mr Netanyahu met on February 22nd he would not even acknowledge the need for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, let alone seriously discuss a common policy for trying to bring it about. Mr Netanyahu offered parity in the cabinet between Likud, which won 27 seats to Kadima’s 28 in the general election on February 10th, but Ms Livni complains that her party would then be permanently outnumbered by the Likud-led block. Mr Barak says simply that having done so badly in the election, with only 13 seats, Labour needs to spend the next term in opposition, rebuilding itself.
The haggling and the refusal so far by both leaders of the two strongest parties to back down have rekindled a debate over whether Mr Netanyahu, who was prime minister from 1996 to 1999, is ultimately a pragmatist or at heart still an ideologue of the old school. Those who say he is a pragmatist point to the agreements he signed with the Palestinians in his first term and to the secret negotiations he held with Syria. Those who say he is an ideologue, wedded to the idea of a Greater Israel that would take in the West Bank and stretch down to the Jordan river, recall his niggardly foot-dragging during those negotiations.
Mr Netanyahu now says that Palestinian statehood is not possible in the foreseeable future. The Palestinian Authority on the West Bank is weak and ineffectual, and he could not negotiate with the Islamists of Hamas as they are terrorists who must be toppled from power. In the election campaign he rejected sharing Jerusalem with the Palestinians and said he would not withdraw from the Golan Heights, a slice of Syria that Israel has held since 1967.
Even with such hard views, putting together a coalition of like-minded allies will not be easy. There are tensions between the far-right secularists of Yisrael Beitenu, which has 15 seats, and other more religious-minded groups over a proposal to bring in civil marriage and loosen the rabbis’ grip on matters of personal status. Yisrael Beitenu also wants drastic reform of the electoral system, as do many in Likud and on the left. But such proposals could spell the demise of the small religious parties whose votes Mr Netanyahu needs to secure a majority. Or they might be forced to merge with each other, a prospect they think only slightly less ghastly.
Allocating top jobs will also be tricky. Yisrael Beitenu’s leader, Avigdor Lieberman, who campaigned on an anti-Arab platform, wants a juicy plum. His 15 seats make it hard for Mr Netanyahu not to give him one. Mr Lieberman’s first choice is the Defence Ministry, but Mr Netanyahu may prefer to hand it to Dan Meridor, a Likud minister who veered left in 1999 to join a short-lived Centre Party and has veered back to the right again. Mr Lieberman may settle for the Finance Ministry; but the police are investigating him for alleged money-laundering, so that may be awkward.
He might end up as foreign minister, a prospect which, in view of his history of undiplomatic remarks, has raised eyebrows, to say the least. Last year he said Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak should “go to hell” for refusing to visit Israel. “Foreign ministers aren’t used to my style,” he has conceded. “But don’t worry, everyone will welcome me, including Egypt.”
The enduring popularity of Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkey
The enduring popularity of Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Mar 5th 2009 | ANKARA AND VAN
From The Economist print edition
But will popularity blunt the reforming zeal of Turkey’s prime minister?
Illustration by Peter Schrank
Illustration by Peter Schrank
AT A recent rally in the predominantly Kurdish city of Van, in south-east Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in his element. Turkey’s prime minister rattled off his government’s achievements, bellowing out to a jubilant crowd, “22 primary schools, five health clinics, 82 kilometres of paved roads”.
With only three weeks to go before countrywide municipal elections on March 29th, Mr Erdogan has hit the campaign trail in a confident mood. Most opinion polls suggest that his mildly Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) will clobber its opponents yet again. The secular opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is so desperate that it no longer talks much of the risk of sharia law or the dangers of Kurdish separatism. Instead it has resorted to recruiting female candidates who wear the Islamic headscarf and calling for the Kurdish new year to be declared a national holiday.
None of this is likely to make much impression on voters, most of whom will stick with the AKP. Nor will it affect Mr Erdogan’s policies. Ever since he was handsomely re-elected in the 2007 general election, his critics say that the prime minister has become increasingly autocratic, drifting away from the reformist agenda that first brought the AKP to single-party rule in 2002. It does not help that the European Union is continuing to prevaricate in the long-drawn-out talks about Turkey’s membership application, sapping enthusiasm for reform in Ankara.
As further evidence of autocratic tendencies, the critics point to Mr Erdogan’s continuing quarrel with Aydin Dogan, the country’s biggest media mogul, whose outlets have exposed corruption scandals in which individuals close to the government have been implicated. Mr Dogan believes this explains why he faces a $500m claim for allegedly unpaid taxes, a charge he passionately denies. “Turkey has become a republic of fear,” complains Sedat Ergin, managing editor of Milliyet, a leading Dogan newspaper.
On the international front Mr Erdogan is raising eyebrows for more than his (understandable) loss of enthusiasm for the EU. He has also attracted unfavourable attention for his virulent attacks on Israel, especially during its war in Gaza, and for his budding friendships with Iran and Sudan.
Among ordinary Turks, however, Mr Erdogan remains the most popular and charismatic leader since a visionary former prime minister and president, Turgut Ozal. One old Kurdish woman in Van sums up the mood: “Tayyip is one of us, he treats us as equals.” Mr Erdogan’s popularity has even forced his enemies, notably the country’s hawkish generals, who have often tried to topple his government, to back off.
Mr Erdogan’s touch was in evidence in Van as he and his vivacious wife, Emine, handed out toys to ragged children. Elsewhere in Turkey, the government has been giving away coal, school textbooks and, as the elections draw near, even fridges and washing-machines to the poor. Such profligacy has angered the IMF. A long-delayed standby facility with the fund has yet to be signed because of differences over public spending. But a defiant Mr Erdogan insists, in an interview, that Turkey’s economy is robust enough to get through its current troubles without IMF help.
Like most countries, Turkey has been hit by the world financial crisis. The Turkish lira is slipping against the dollar, GDP is expected to shrink this year and unemployment is rising. Yet, partly thanks to tough regulation, not a single Turkish bank has gone under. The economy is wobbling but remains on its feet.
No wonder Mr Erdogan is so confident. Many worry that another big electoral win may swell his head further. Yet for all his pre-electoral posturing, there are signs that his pragmatic self may come back. He seems to have grasped that he has an image problem. He has hired a new, affable spokesman and is courting foreign journalists for the first time. In an interview with this correspondent, he freely bestowed smiles (and dried fruit) as he insisted he was no autocrat. “I can be impatient at times,” was all he would admit.
The launch of Turkey’s first official Kurdish-language television channel in January and the government’s calls for the establishment of Kurdish literature departments at state universities have raised hopes of more reforms. After years of mutual hostility, Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds are at last talking. A deal with separatist guerrillas from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), who have been fighting the Turkish army since 1984 from bases in northern Iraq, is said to be on the table. Turkey’s generals are tentatively compliant.
All of this will make Mr Erdogan’s meeting this weekend with Hillary Clinton, America’s secretary of state, especially significant. Mr Erdogan will brief her on talks with another former Turkish foe, Armenia. Once the local elections in Turkey and the April 24th anniversary of the mass killings of Ottoman Armenians in 1915 are past, it is expected that formal ties will be re-established between the two countries and their long-closed border will be reopened. This may also stave off attempts by America’s Congress to pass a resolution calling the massacres a genocide.
An IMF deal is widely expected after the local elections as well, though Mehmet Simsek, the economy minister, insists that the IMF must drop some of its more “orthodox” demands. On progress towards joining the EU, the next big test for Mr Erdogan will be whether he can budge a bit more on the opening of Turkish ports and airports to Cyprus, shaming Turkey’s detractors within the EU (notably the French) into stopping their efforts to undermine the membership talks.
The appointment of Egemen Bagis, a sharp young English-speaker, as Turkey’s first cabinet-rank EU negotiator suggests that Mr Erdogan may make a fresh effort to put the EU talks back on track. But if he is genuinely serious, he will have to take a second shot at rewriting Turkey’s constitution, crafted by the generals after a military coup in 1980. His previous attempt at this almost led the Constitutional Court to ban the AKP on the ground that it was trying to impose sharia law. That is because he started off in piecemeal fashion by trying to ease bans on the Islamic headscarf in government offices and universities. Mr Erdogan would do better this time if he worked with the opposition to produce a constitution that met the wishes of all Turks, not just pious ones.
The enduring popularity of Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Mar 5th 2009 | ANKARA AND VAN
From The Economist print edition
But will popularity blunt the reforming zeal of Turkey’s prime minister?
Illustration by Peter Schrank
Illustration by Peter Schrank
AT A recent rally in the predominantly Kurdish city of Van, in south-east Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in his element. Turkey’s prime minister rattled off his government’s achievements, bellowing out to a jubilant crowd, “22 primary schools, five health clinics, 82 kilometres of paved roads”.
With only three weeks to go before countrywide municipal elections on March 29th, Mr Erdogan has hit the campaign trail in a confident mood. Most opinion polls suggest that his mildly Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) will clobber its opponents yet again. The secular opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is so desperate that it no longer talks much of the risk of sharia law or the dangers of Kurdish separatism. Instead it has resorted to recruiting female candidates who wear the Islamic headscarf and calling for the Kurdish new year to be declared a national holiday.
None of this is likely to make much impression on voters, most of whom will stick with the AKP. Nor will it affect Mr Erdogan’s policies. Ever since he was handsomely re-elected in the 2007 general election, his critics say that the prime minister has become increasingly autocratic, drifting away from the reformist agenda that first brought the AKP to single-party rule in 2002. It does not help that the European Union is continuing to prevaricate in the long-drawn-out talks about Turkey’s membership application, sapping enthusiasm for reform in Ankara.
As further evidence of autocratic tendencies, the critics point to Mr Erdogan’s continuing quarrel with Aydin Dogan, the country’s biggest media mogul, whose outlets have exposed corruption scandals in which individuals close to the government have been implicated. Mr Dogan believes this explains why he faces a $500m claim for allegedly unpaid taxes, a charge he passionately denies. “Turkey has become a republic of fear,” complains Sedat Ergin, managing editor of Milliyet, a leading Dogan newspaper.
On the international front Mr Erdogan is raising eyebrows for more than his (understandable) loss of enthusiasm for the EU. He has also attracted unfavourable attention for his virulent attacks on Israel, especially during its war in Gaza, and for his budding friendships with Iran and Sudan.
Among ordinary Turks, however, Mr Erdogan remains the most popular and charismatic leader since a visionary former prime minister and president, Turgut Ozal. One old Kurdish woman in Van sums up the mood: “Tayyip is one of us, he treats us as equals.” Mr Erdogan’s popularity has even forced his enemies, notably the country’s hawkish generals, who have often tried to topple his government, to back off.
Mr Erdogan’s touch was in evidence in Van as he and his vivacious wife, Emine, handed out toys to ragged children. Elsewhere in Turkey, the government has been giving away coal, school textbooks and, as the elections draw near, even fridges and washing-machines to the poor. Such profligacy has angered the IMF. A long-delayed standby facility with the fund has yet to be signed because of differences over public spending. But a defiant Mr Erdogan insists, in an interview, that Turkey’s economy is robust enough to get through its current troubles without IMF help.
Like most countries, Turkey has been hit by the world financial crisis. The Turkish lira is slipping against the dollar, GDP is expected to shrink this year and unemployment is rising. Yet, partly thanks to tough regulation, not a single Turkish bank has gone under. The economy is wobbling but remains on its feet.
No wonder Mr Erdogan is so confident. Many worry that another big electoral win may swell his head further. Yet for all his pre-electoral posturing, there are signs that his pragmatic self may come back. He seems to have grasped that he has an image problem. He has hired a new, affable spokesman and is courting foreign journalists for the first time. In an interview with this correspondent, he freely bestowed smiles (and dried fruit) as he insisted he was no autocrat. “I can be impatient at times,” was all he would admit.
The launch of Turkey’s first official Kurdish-language television channel in January and the government’s calls for the establishment of Kurdish literature departments at state universities have raised hopes of more reforms. After years of mutual hostility, Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds are at last talking. A deal with separatist guerrillas from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), who have been fighting the Turkish army since 1984 from bases in northern Iraq, is said to be on the table. Turkey’s generals are tentatively compliant.
All of this will make Mr Erdogan’s meeting this weekend with Hillary Clinton, America’s secretary of state, especially significant. Mr Erdogan will brief her on talks with another former Turkish foe, Armenia. Once the local elections in Turkey and the April 24th anniversary of the mass killings of Ottoman Armenians in 1915 are past, it is expected that formal ties will be re-established between the two countries and their long-closed border will be reopened. This may also stave off attempts by America’s Congress to pass a resolution calling the massacres a genocide.
An IMF deal is widely expected after the local elections as well, though Mehmet Simsek, the economy minister, insists that the IMF must drop some of its more “orthodox” demands. On progress towards joining the EU, the next big test for Mr Erdogan will be whether he can budge a bit more on the opening of Turkish ports and airports to Cyprus, shaming Turkey’s detractors within the EU (notably the French) into stopping their efforts to undermine the membership talks.
The appointment of Egemen Bagis, a sharp young English-speaker, as Turkey’s first cabinet-rank EU negotiator suggests that Mr Erdogan may make a fresh effort to put the EU talks back on track. But if he is genuinely serious, he will have to take a second shot at rewriting Turkey’s constitution, crafted by the generals after a military coup in 1980. His previous attempt at this almost led the Constitutional Court to ban the AKP on the ground that it was trying to impose sharia law. That is because he started off in piecemeal fashion by trying to ease bans on the Islamic headscarf in government offices and universities. Mr Erdogan would do better this time if he worked with the opposition to produce a constitution that met the wishes of all Turks, not just pious ones.
Take them home responsibly
America and Iraq
Take them home responsibly
Mar 5th 2009From The Economist print edition
President Obama is right to be flexible about the pace of America’s departure from Iraq
Reuters
IT IS six years ago this month since American forces invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein, only to see their victory sour as the country descended into a hell of sectarian killing. Barack Obama, who opposed the war from the start and campaigned for the presidency on a promise to end it, has begun to fulfil his promise. In a speech last week he said the bulk of American troops would withdraw by September next year. But because that is a trifle later than his original promise of getting them out within 16 months of taking office, and because he says he may keep up to 50,000 soldiers in Iraq (for training but also for “counter-terrorism”) even longer, he is being accused by some of slithering away from his campaign pledge.
In fact the plan looks both shrewd and responsible. Under an agreement signed by Iraq’s government and George Bush, all American troops were anyway scheduled to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011, and from its towns by the end of June this year. Mr Obama will extract the bulk of American forces a shade faster, but by keeping on a residual force he is giving himself a bit of extra wiggle room in case things go bad again. He is entirely right to do so.
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Iraq is in an incomparably better state than it was two years ago, when some 3,500 Iraqi civilians were being killed every month, mostly by Iraqis. Now the monthly death toll may be ten times smaller. A month ago, provincial elections were successfully held across the country, except in the Kurdish region and a disputed province, Kirkuk. The outcome in terms of winners and losers was messy, but the trend was hopeful.
A new alliance led by the authoritarian but canny prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, did well. Politicians and parties who argued for a more strongly centralised state, as Mr Maliki did, fared better than those who urged devolution for the regions. Religious parties and the hitherto leading Shia one, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, better known as ISCI, which many Iraqis think too close to Iran, did dreadfully, losing ground to more secular and nationalist rivals. The Kurds did badly in mixed areas where they had previously prospered. Iraq’s Sunnis turned out in greater numbers than before and recovered their clout in various provinces, including Nineveh, whose main city, Mosul, had previously been run by Kurds. Here and there, efficient former Baathists came back to the fore.
A problem shared
And yet politics in Iraq is still fraught. No politician successfully appeals to all Iraqis. That is why General David Petraeus, the architect of America’s successful military “surge” under Mr Bush, has always called the gains fragile. The Kurds, after enjoying almost untrammelled autonomy for nearly two decades, increasingly loathe Mr Maliki’s new establishment in Baghdad; their feeling is reciprocated. Rivalries within each of the three main communities—Shia, Sunni, Kurd—are bitter. A vital law to share out the country’s oil wealth still shows no sign of being passed. The next political watershed, a general election by the end of the year, will be a nerve-jangling event, and American troops will be needed to help oversee it.
Having campaigned against the war in Iraq while emphasising the need to do more in Afghanistan, Mr Obama will face a continuing temptation to end the former war while reinforcing the latter. And that may be possible, thanks to Mr Bush having supported the surge when many people, including Mr Obama, were urging America to cut and run. But America’s moral responsibility to the people of Iraq, and its own interest in maintaining stability in this strategic corner of the Middle East, have not disappeared with the departure of Mr Bush.
One way Mr Obama could lighten America’s burden would be to use the goodwill he has earned around the world to urge international bodies, especially the United Nations, to play an ever bigger part in helping the Iraqis to entrench their shaky democracy. For sure, his eyes will focus more keenly in the near future on Afghanistan-Pakistan, not to mention Israel, Palestine, Syria and Iran (see article). But he must be ready, just in case, to keep his troops in Iraq rather longer than he promised during his election, and perhaps even longer than called for in his new plan, if another bloodbath should appear to be in prospect. There would be no shame in doing so. The dishonour would come from abandoning Iraq’s long-suffering people for the sake of a deadline.
Take them home responsibly
Mar 5th 2009From The Economist print edition
President Obama is right to be flexible about the pace of America’s departure from Iraq
Reuters
IT IS six years ago this month since American forces invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein, only to see their victory sour as the country descended into a hell of sectarian killing. Barack Obama, who opposed the war from the start and campaigned for the presidency on a promise to end it, has begun to fulfil his promise. In a speech last week he said the bulk of American troops would withdraw by September next year. But because that is a trifle later than his original promise of getting them out within 16 months of taking office, and because he says he may keep up to 50,000 soldiers in Iraq (for training but also for “counter-terrorism”) even longer, he is being accused by some of slithering away from his campaign pledge.
In fact the plan looks both shrewd and responsible. Under an agreement signed by Iraq’s government and George Bush, all American troops were anyway scheduled to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011, and from its towns by the end of June this year. Mr Obama will extract the bulk of American forces a shade faster, but by keeping on a residual force he is giving himself a bit of extra wiggle room in case things go bad again. He is entirely right to do so.
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Iraq is in an incomparably better state than it was two years ago, when some 3,500 Iraqi civilians were being killed every month, mostly by Iraqis. Now the monthly death toll may be ten times smaller. A month ago, provincial elections were successfully held across the country, except in the Kurdish region and a disputed province, Kirkuk. The outcome in terms of winners and losers was messy, but the trend was hopeful.
A new alliance led by the authoritarian but canny prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, did well. Politicians and parties who argued for a more strongly centralised state, as Mr Maliki did, fared better than those who urged devolution for the regions. Religious parties and the hitherto leading Shia one, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, better known as ISCI, which many Iraqis think too close to Iran, did dreadfully, losing ground to more secular and nationalist rivals. The Kurds did badly in mixed areas where they had previously prospered. Iraq’s Sunnis turned out in greater numbers than before and recovered their clout in various provinces, including Nineveh, whose main city, Mosul, had previously been run by Kurds. Here and there, efficient former Baathists came back to the fore.
A problem shared
And yet politics in Iraq is still fraught. No politician successfully appeals to all Iraqis. That is why General David Petraeus, the architect of America’s successful military “surge” under Mr Bush, has always called the gains fragile. The Kurds, after enjoying almost untrammelled autonomy for nearly two decades, increasingly loathe Mr Maliki’s new establishment in Baghdad; their feeling is reciprocated. Rivalries within each of the three main communities—Shia, Sunni, Kurd—are bitter. A vital law to share out the country’s oil wealth still shows no sign of being passed. The next political watershed, a general election by the end of the year, will be a nerve-jangling event, and American troops will be needed to help oversee it.
Having campaigned against the war in Iraq while emphasising the need to do more in Afghanistan, Mr Obama will face a continuing temptation to end the former war while reinforcing the latter. And that may be possible, thanks to Mr Bush having supported the surge when many people, including Mr Obama, were urging America to cut and run. But America’s moral responsibility to the people of Iraq, and its own interest in maintaining stability in this strategic corner of the Middle East, have not disappeared with the departure of Mr Bush.
One way Mr Obama could lighten America’s burden would be to use the goodwill he has earned around the world to urge international bodies, especially the United Nations, to play an ever bigger part in helping the Iraqis to entrench their shaky democracy. For sure, his eyes will focus more keenly in the near future on Afghanistan-Pakistan, not to mention Israel, Palestine, Syria and Iran (see article). But he must be ready, just in case, to keep his troops in Iraq rather longer than he promised during his election, and perhaps even longer than called for in his new plan, if another bloodbath should appear to be in prospect. There would be no shame in doing so. The dishonour would come from abandoning Iraq’s long-suffering people for the sake of a deadline.
A r c h i v e s
February 2009 Archives
http://ziomania.blogspot.com/2009/02/ari-shavit-two-state-solution-on-last.html
http://ziomania.blogspot.com/2009/02/terrible-disease-of-mind.html
http://ziomania.blogspot.com/2009/02/armed-badgers-storm-oxford-street.html
http://ziomania.blogspot.com/2009/02/tuning-up-for-peace-in-middle-east.html
http://ziomania.blogspot.com/2009/02/zionist-theses-and-anti-theses.html
http://ziomania.blogspot.com/2009/02/5-palestinians-killed-ahead-of-likud.html
http://ziomania.blogspot.com/2009/02/to-living-dead.html
http://ziomania.blogspot.com/2009/02/is-israel-new-south-africa.html
http://ziomania.blogspot.com/2009/02/identity-under-siege.html
http://ziomania.blogspot.com/2009/02/muslim-americans-asked-bush-to-defend.html
http://ziomania.blogspot.com/2009/02/boycott-israel-now.html
Ari Shavit: Two-state solution on last legs
Ari Shavitz: I am a Zionist. I see Israel as a Jewish state that must be democratic and must be for all its citizens. Anyone who says there is tension here is right. It is the tension we live with here. Khenin releases himself from that tension by defining himself as the non-Zionist left. I believe that dealing with the complexities of life in Israel is more moral than disengaging.
Feb 6, 2009
Meretz leader to Haaretz: Two-state solution on last legs
By Ari Shavit
My response: “Israel” is a Jewish State only by brute force. The owners of the land never consented for the stampede of European Jewry to come to their land and take over. If Ari Shavitz is a Zionist, that is fine as a long as he manages to purchases land somewhere else from people who are willing to give away their land to very sophisticated European Jewry who would eventually erect wmd on the land. Are there any sellers of land out there?
Ari Shavitz: For decades I have fought for peace. In Peace Now, in Mapai and in Meretz. The two-state solution is the only solution. And I live in fear today. I see the light fading. Why did my parents come here? To what have I devoted my life? For what am I here? For a Jewish and democratic state. And if there is no Jewish and democratic state, what am I left with?
My Response: The two-state solution is good for Ari Shavitz. What kind of sovereignty could the Palestinians imagine under such a ruthless enemy next door? As to Shavitz's question why his parents went to Palestine, the simple answer is because they could. Palestine was passed from colonizer to another. Mr. Shavitz needs to keep in mind that he is on Arab soil only because of brute force and that Palestine is not his grandmother’s land. Not at all! What is he left with? Again, the simple answer is that European Jews are on Arab soil only by means of Brute force. Where Ari Shavit belongs is in the West. America would be glad to grant him a permanent resident visa. There is no reason for Jewry to take advantage of a people who are not able to ward off an enemy who arived on their soil with satanic intent on their mind.
Feb 6, 2009
Meretz leader to Haaretz: Two-state solution on last legs
By Ari Shavit
You gotta love Jumes. You can disagree with him and you can get mad him, but in the end, you have to have great warmth for him. In the age of Lieberman’s nationalism and Eyal Arad’s spin, Meretz chair Haim Oron is like an antibody. Even when he goofs, he goofs with his heart in the right place.
If any two numbers reveal just how awful this election is, it’s these: Lieberman 20, Meretz five. The Lieberman-Meretz gap raises serious questions about the future and the present of the state of Israel. From his Tel Aviv campaign headquarters, Jumes is still fighting to change both.
Why Meretz? For half their lives, half of Haaretz’s readers have been voting Meretz and nothing good has come of it.
Meretz is a kind of start-up. It tosses out ideas that catch on later and other people implement them. But I don’t accept that division of labor any more. It’s not okay with me that there is an incubator for ideas in one place and they sprout somewhere else. There should be one political entity that represents the social-democratic and peace positions. And that entity is Meretz.
But Meretz isn’t having an easy time in this election. Barak and Livni are gnawing at your position from one side, Hadash is chewing on the other. Let’s start with Labor chair Ehud Barak. Why not Barak?
Barak is running in 2009 as a successful defense minister who rehabilitated the army and conducted an operation in Gaza. He is not running as the leader of the peace camp.
So maybe Kadima chair Tzipi Livni is the leader of the peace camp. She promises a dove with an olive branch. Just open the window and let her in.
Livni saved herself the question of right and left by not going where she has to decide if she is right or left. She hasn’t gotten to dividing Jerusalem and hasn’t gotten to resolving the refugee problem. She might have a clearer picture in her own mind. Livni talks about the courage to tell the public the truth. And I say: ‘Tzipi, with all due respect to your courage, the question is what you tell Palestinians behind closed doors about Jerusalem.’ I don’t know what she says. She isn’t where Bibi is but she hasn’t even gotten to the places that Olmert has. I think both she and Barak make comments from the hazy center that blur the truth. That haze harms the foundations of democracy. It makes political parties into unions of interested parties. It makes the public fed-up with politics because people figure politicians don’t say what they really think.
Then Hadash. Dov Khenin says what he really thinks. He is clearer and sharper than Meretz. He has a kind of charisma.
Black-and-white positions look sharp, but reality is not black-and-white. I oppose the injustices that took place in Gaza but I do not accept that Israel doesn’t have the right to self-defense. But the underlying conflict between Meretz and Hadash is more substantial. I am a Zionist. I see Israel as a Jewish state that must be democratic and must be for all its citizens. Anyone who says there is tension here is right. It is the tension we live with here. Khenin releases himself from that tension by defining himself as the non-Zionist left. I believe that dealing with the complexities of life in Israel is more moral than disengaging.
Let’s admit the truth, Jumes. The warfare in Gaza hurt Meretz twice. On the one hand it brought Labor back into the game and on the other it boosted Hadash. You guys look hesitant.
There is no way a left-wing party like ours doesn’t come out of war bruised. There was an option of calling the war right and just, and anything done in it was good. There was an option to say that Israel doesn’t have the right of response even after 60, 80, 100 rocket strikes. I think both options are oversimplified. So Meretz took the position that a focused military action against Hamas was justified, but it is not okay to cross lines in the sand. And in this war there were lines in the sand.
Your sons fought in an operation that some of your voters believe was a war crime.
I told you, I live in the tension between poles. One the one hand is the need to remove the threat, but on the other there were tractors that demolished Gaza neighborhoods in the last days of the ground operation. I do not accept that. I believe there is a line that we cannot cross if we want to remain who we are.
Do you still believe in peace? Has the word “peace” been erased from your campaign?
Neither the word nor belief in peace have been erased. The lack of peace and the continued occupation are the greatest dangers to the future of Israel.
Is the two-state solution viable? Can it still be implemented?
The two-state solution is on its last legs. That is why this election is so important. If we do not quickly implement the partition into two states, that solution will evaporate and Zionism will be stuck its worst crisis ever. This could turn into a bad cross between Rhodesian apartheid and Somalian bloodshed.
That bad?
Let me tell you a story. A few days after Sari Nusseibeh retracted his position on two states, I went into Ehud Olmert’s office and told him that he should take the report of Nusseibeh’s comment like he would take the news that an Arab state has a nuclear bomb.
For decades I have fought for peace. In Peace Now, in Mapai and in Meretz. The two-state solution is the only solution. And I live in fear today. I see the light fading. Why did my parents come here? To what have I devoted my life? For what am I here? For a Jewish and democratic state. And if there is no Jewish and democratic state, what am I left with?
If the situation is so dramatic, maybe it’s better not to vote for a small party like Meretz.
Not true. There is no one else like Meretz now. We are the only leftist Zionist alternative that believes in peace, human rights and social democracy.
Some say Amos Oz has become your guru. You are the Eli Yishai of Meretz and Oz is your Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.
Amos and I have a very close relationship. We do and our families do. But there is no spiritual leader here. There is no authority. We are attentive, not authoritative.
Would you join a unity government with Netanyahu?
We won’t sit in a government with Netanyahu as prime minister.
And a unity government with Livni?
If it is possible to create a center-left government we would be a substantial factor. If it is a unity government of mutual paralysis, we would rather serve the public from the opposition bench. Against the rise of the right and the Israeli racism of Lieberman, Meretz will provide an ideological and political platform that will become an alternative.
A ‘terrible disease of the mind’
By Zaid Nabulsi
I lost my gloves one day in a coffee shop in Geneva, and I tell you, it’s difficult to ride a motorcycle without them when it’s really cold. So as I was paying for a new pair with a credit card, the salesman - who I knew was from Israel - asked me what my family name means. I told him that it relates to the city of Nablus where my family is originally from. Suddenly, the most bewildered look got plastered on his face.
“Where is Nablus?” he asked, “I’ve never heard of it”. Then he pretended to remember. “Ah, Shkheim you mean?”
With my insistence not to learn these ugly sounding names that the Zionists have dug up from oblivion to erase our identity, that name certainly didn’t ring a bell.
Now it was my turn. Although I knew where he was from, I asked: “And you’re… from?”
As he smiled, I replicated the look on his face moments ago. “Israel? Where is that?”
Then after a brief pause: “Ah, the land of Canaan you mean. Palestine.”
You see, if you want to get biblical, there was never such a thing as Israel, and I made that very clear to this gentleman with obnoxious chutzpah.
So here we were all of a sudden; my family descended from a place called Shkheim, and this guy became a Palestinian. God does work in mysterious ways, but I still thanked Him for His small mercies; that at least my name was not Zaid Shkheimy.
While the gloves warmed up my grip on the bike, my heart was still frozen. I just cannot stand thieves who steal your gloves, or any other kind of thieves.
Then it finally dawned on me. Zionism is a sickness, for it takes much more than just a twisted ideology to make people think like that. It requires a profound leap of immorality of a higher order to instill this mentality in your followers. Zionism is not merely a political movement, but in its essence represents a deeply disturbed view of the world, resulting from a terrible affliction of the mind.
Indeed, to deny the existence of a vibrant community such as the Palestinian society in the early 20th century and describe Palestine as “a land without a people for a people without a land” is a serious blinding ailment.
And today, to blockade the world’s most densely populated strip of land for 18 months, suffocate its already displaced and miserable inhabitants by asking them to die a slow death, and then punish them for refusing to die silently by deliberately bombing their schools, mosques, hospitals and ambulances with internationally prohibited weapons and poisonous gasses in the ugliest televised massacre of children in modern history, all the while looking the world in the eyes and claiming that this is an act of self-defence, is a critical stage of dangerous psychosis, and is pure, unadulterated madness.
Yes, and for that salesman in peaceful Geneva to be as insecure as a common thief to refuse to acknowledge the name of the largest West Bank city under his country’s brutal military occupation is, sadly, more of the same infectious and ultimately fatal disease of the mind.
The writer is an attorney, partner in Nabulsi & Associates law firm. He contributed this article to The Jordan Times.
14 January 2009
I lost my gloves one day in a coffee shop in Geneva, and I tell you, it’s difficult to ride a motorcycle without them when it’s really cold. So as I was paying for a new pair with a credit card, the salesman - who I knew was from Israel - asked me what my family name means. I told him that it relates to the city of Nablus where my family is originally from. Suddenly, the most bewildered look got plastered on his face.
“Where is Nablus?” he asked, “I’ve never heard of it”. Then he pretended to remember. “Ah, Shkheim you mean?”
With my insistence not to learn these ugly sounding names that the Zionists have dug up from oblivion to erase our identity, that name certainly didn’t ring a bell.
Now it was my turn. Although I knew where he was from, I asked: “And you’re… from?”
As he smiled, I replicated the look on his face moments ago. “Israel? Where is that?”
Then after a brief pause: “Ah, the land of Canaan you mean. Palestine.”
You see, if you want to get biblical, there was never such a thing as Israel, and I made that very clear to this gentleman with obnoxious chutzpah.
So here we were all of a sudden; my family descended from a place called Shkheim, and this guy became a Palestinian. God does work in mysterious ways, but I still thanked Him for His small mercies; that at least my name was not Zaid Shkheimy.
While the gloves warmed up my grip on the bike, my heart was still frozen. I just cannot stand thieves who steal your gloves, or any other kind of thieves.
Then it finally dawned on me. Zionism is a sickness, for it takes much more than just a twisted ideology to make people think like that. It requires a profound leap of immorality of a higher order to instill this mentality in your followers. Zionism is not merely a political movement, but in its essence represents a deeply disturbed view of the world, resulting from a terrible affliction of the mind.
Indeed, to deny the existence of a vibrant community such as the Palestinian society in the early 20th century and describe Palestine as “a land without a people for a people without a land” is a serious blinding ailment.
- To blame the Palestinians for being unreasonable in rejecting a partition plan in 1947 which gave the Jews, who only owned 7 per cent of the land, an astounding half of Palestine, is an arithmetical impairment.
- To eventually grab 78 per cent of Palestine through war, evict the population through massacres and then live in their same houses is unashamed theft.
- To deny the orchestrated eradications of hundreds of Palestinian villages in 1948 and then denounce the Israeli historians who later exposed this truth as self-hating Jews is compulsive forgery.
- To claim that having escaped the horrors of the Nazis is a justification for the murder, expulsion and occupation of another, guiltless, people is moral incapacity.
- To legislate that any resident of Poland, New York or Brazil, who happens to be blessed with a Jewish mother (yet cannot point to Palestine on the map), has a right to “return” and settle in Palestine, unlike someone who has been expelled from his own land, confined to a squalid refugee camp and still holds the keys to his house, is racism.
- To blame God for the theft and occupation of someone else’s land by claiming that it was He who had pledged this land exclusively to the Jews, and to seriously promote the myth of a land promised by the Almighty to His favourite children as an excuse for this crime, is insanity.
- To milk the pockets of the entire world for the atrocities of the Nazis, while stubbornly refusing a simple admission of guilt, let alone compensation or repatriation, for the catastrophe that befell the Palestinian people, is perverted conceit.
- To keep blackmailing the world with expensive museums and endless movies of the plight of the Jews under Hitler 70 years ago, while at the same time inflicting on the Palestinians today the fate of the Jews of the Warsaw ghetto, is acute schizophrenia.
- To impose collective guilt on the Western civilisation for the Holocaust and to criminalise all legitimate historical debate of the nature and extent of that horrific event is thuggery.
- To incarcerate the Palestinian people inside degrading cages, destroy their livelihoods, confiscate their lands, steal their water and uproot their trees, and then to condemn their legitimate resistance as terrorism, and to exact vengeance on the innocent families of suicide bombers by punishing them with the dynamiting of their homes is sadistic cruelty.
- To describe the offer of giving the Palestinians 80 per cent of 22 per cent of 100 per cent of what is originally their own land as a “generous” offer is macabre Shylockian humour.
- To believe that you have the God-given right to continue to humiliate the Palestinians at gunpoint by making them queue for hours to move between their villages, forcing their mothers to give birth at checkpoints, is a predisposition to bestiality.
- To flatten the camp of Jenin on its inhabitants’ heads and deny any wrongdoing is a severe delusional disorder.
- To build a huge separation wall which disconnects farmers from their farms and children from their schools, while stealing even more territory as the wall freely zigzags and encroaches on Palestinian land is unrepentant immorality.
- To leave behind, in the last 10 days of a losing war in Lebanon, more than one million cluster bombs which have no purpose except to murder and maim unsuspecting civilians is murderous depravity.
- To believe that the entire world is out to get you, and to denounce any critic of the racist policies of the state of Israel as an anti-Semite, the latest victim being none other than peace-making Jimmy Carter, is hysterical mass paranoia.
- To possess, in the midst of a non-nuclear Arab world, more than 200 nuclear warheads capable of incinerating the whole planet, in addition to having the most lethal arsenal of weaponry on earth, while continuing to demand sympathy, is the ultimate false victimisation syndrome.
And today, to blockade the world’s most densely populated strip of land for 18 months, suffocate its already displaced and miserable inhabitants by asking them to die a slow death, and then punish them for refusing to die silently by deliberately bombing their schools, mosques, hospitals and ambulances with internationally prohibited weapons and poisonous gasses in the ugliest televised massacre of children in modern history, all the while looking the world in the eyes and claiming that this is an act of self-defence, is a critical stage of dangerous psychosis, and is pure, unadulterated madness.
Yes, and for that salesman in peaceful Geneva to be as insecure as a common thief to refuse to acknowledge the name of the largest West Bank city under his country’s brutal military occupation is, sadly, more of the same infectious and ultimately fatal disease of the mind.
The writer is an attorney, partner in Nabulsi & Associates law firm. He contributed this article to The Jordan Times.
14 January 2009
The Janus-Like Punditry of Nat Hentoff
The Janus-Like Punditry of Nat Hentoff
Friday, November 29 2002 @ 08:39 PM GMT
"The article was a rant, a smear attack, which sounded like it was penned by some shill for Ariel Sharon. It was captioned, 'Israel at Stake on U.S. Campuses,' .."
By William Hughes
In Roman mythology, the God Janus was worshipped as a patron of beginnings and endings. They even named the month of January after him. He had two faces; one in the front, and one in the back of the head.
Recently, the punditry of Nat Hentoff brought Janus to my mind. He wrote two pieces last week which, politically speaking, were diametrically opposed to each other. It was hard for me to believe they were written by the same man, three days apart. How could he, I thought, hold these two views in his head at the same time? The first article was liberal, justice seeking and optimistic; the second, narrow, close minded, indifferent to human suffering and extremely cynical.
His commentary appearing in the Village Voice, (11/22/02), had a very strong progressive bent to it. It was entitled, “Resistance Rising! True Patriots Networking,” and it centered on the growing opposition around the country to the USA Patriot Act. In fact, it was forwarded to me by a long- time peace and justice activist. I wondered, however, if that same activist had seen Hentoff’s second piece, if he would have been so keen to have circulated that first commentary on his email list. I doubt it.
The “Resistance Rising” piece was mostly solid journalism. It praised activists for resisting the new federal criminal law by taking the initiative at the local level to protest it. Hentoff even cited historical American parallels as a precedent. His targets were the Justice Department, Attorney General John Ashcroft, and the Defense Department. He omitted, however, citing Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), for laying the infrastructure for the USA Patriot Act in the mid-90s.
The second article, however, was a rant, a smear attack, which sounded like it was penned by some shill for Ariel Sharon. It was captioned, “Israel at Stake on U.S. Campuses,” and it was published by the right wing Washington Times, (11/25/02), a house organ for the syndicated ravings of A. M. Rosenthal and other Israeli Firsters. Its main purpose was to marginalize the growing grass roots movement on college campuses that is advocating for divestment from the apartheid state of Israel.
Francis A. Boyle, a distinguished law professor, human rights activist, and recognized expert on international law, gave birth to the Israeli divestment campaign, on Nov. 30, 2000. The U. of California, at Berkeley, was the first to join up. Since then, more than 50 campuses have come onboard. Boyle predicted that this campaign “can produce an historical reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians- -just as it successfully did between whites and blacks in South Africa.”
Hentoff objected that Israel was being compared with the “formerly apartheid South Africa” in this new campaign. He didn’t try, however, to show, why that would be factually or morally inapplicable. Instead, he primarily made the specious legal argument that Israel was a “selective” target. This is kind of like a mouthpiece for NYC’s late gangster John Gotti complaining about the Feds picking on him, rather then some Chicago mobster. It doesn’t hold up under careful analysis. Hentoff didn’t label the “divestment crusaders” as anti-Semites, but he did charge that some of them are “Jew-haters,” who just wanted to demonize Israel. (Really Nat, I expected better from you.)
Some historical background is in order. In addition to the anti-Apartheid campaign against South Africa, and the ongoing divestment action against Israel, there was another gallant movement in this country that attempted to end human rights violations on foreign shores. This was the MacBride Principles campaign. It was directed at Northern Ireland and led in America by Father Sean McManus, an Irish born priest. It urged that U.S. corporate and governmental investments, in the British-controlled state, be based on a non-discriminatory policy between the Catholic and Protestant communities. I think it’s fair to say, that the MacBride Principles, a federal law since 1998, contributed significantly to the ongoing “Peace Process” in Northern Ireland.
Incidentally, the former South Africa, Northern Ireland, and Palestine, have two major things in common: First, they are all settler colonies; and secondly, the indigenous people in each were viciously persecuted by their colonizers. Alas, it still continues in occupied Palestine.
Hentoff was right to denounce the “suicide bombers,” but he failed miserably to address the massive evils of the Zionist occupation, dating back over 35 years. He made no mention of Israel stealing the land of the Palestinians; bulldozing their homes and orchards; torturing detainees; holding prisoners without trial; operating death squads; or its draconian collective punishment of innocent civilians, itself a war crime.
Hentoff’s apology for Israeli wrongdoing echoed the theme of the Harvard U. president, the overly pious Lawrence H. Summers, on Sept. 17, 2002. Then, Summers used his office as a bully pulpit to do some special pleadings for the Zionist cause. He said that he was a Jew, but he failed to disclose his Zionist identity. I wonder why?
Hentoff was right to call those opposing the USA Patriot Act, the “true “patriots” in America. I think if he had a chance to reconsider his harsh comments about those crusading in this country for justice in an apartheid Israel, he might have also come to the same conclusion about them. They, too, despite the unfair name-calling, are true patriots, who champion the values of our Republic for an oppressed people.
William Hughes 2002. William Hughes is the author of “Andrew Jackson vs. New World Order” (Authors Choice Press) and “Baltimore Iconoclast” (Writer’s Showcase), which are available online. He can be reached at liamhughes@mindspring.com.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2002 5:48 pm Post subject: Al-Durra Comes Back to Life
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021202194055681
Al-Durra Comes Back to Life
Monday, December 02 2002 @ 07:40 PM GMT
"Speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP), his father Jamal Al Durra said: “My son Mohammad did not die. He’s back again .."
GAZA STRIP - Mohammad Al Durra, the little boy who was killed by the Israeli occupation gunfire at the beginning of the Palestinian Intifada, has been resurrected by name.
Mohamed al-Durra screaming
for help, a few moments before
Israeli troops shot him dead
His mother, Amal gave birth to a little boy on Friday, November 29 to a baby boy whom she named Mohammad Al Durra.
Speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP), his father Jamal Al Durra said: “My son Mohammad did not die. He’s back again despite the crimes of the Israeli occupation.”
He added that his son came back on the last Friday in the month of Ramadan and on the International Quds Day. “The Intifada will continue,” said Al Durra.
Jamal now has 7 children, five boys and two girls, the eldest is Eyad, aged 16 and the youngest is the new born Mohammad.
Just moments after France 2 Talal Abu Rahma pictured Al-Durrah September 30, 2000, the 12-year-old boy was shot dead by Israeli occupation soldiers, to become a new martyr for the Palestinian cause.
For 45 minutes, Muhammad's father tried in vain to shield him from Israeli gunfire as they crouched against a concrete wall near Netzarim in the Gaza Strip, BBC’s online news service reported after the tragic event.
The whole scene was caught on camera by France 2 cameraman Abu Rahma, and was played repeatedly on world televisions.
The footage shows the boy's father Jamal al-Durrah waving desperately to Israeli forces, shouting: "Don't shoot". But the terrified boy is hit by four bullets, and collapses in his father's arms and finally slumps across his wounded father's lap.
An ambulance driver who tried to rescue the boy and his father was also killed, and a second ambulance driver was wounded.
The Israeli occupation army admitted, after Abu Rahma’s video footage triggered world indignation, that the shots which killed Muhammad had been fired by its troops, and apologized for his murder.
Abu Rahma’s video footage showed that not only were the boy and his father completely unarmed, but that they were not even part of the rioting, BBC said.
The disturbing footage, which shocked the entire world, was played throughout the Middle East, and on all major U.S. television networks.
A photo still from the video ran on the front page of The New York Times.
The British daily newspaper, The Independent, described it as "an image that will haunt the world as painfully and powerfully" as any of those from the Palestinian Intifada.
-Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2002 1:45 pm Post subject: A Philosopher in the Trenches
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002120418345889
A Philosopher in the Trenches: Interview with Ted Honderich
Wednesday, December 04 2002 @ 06:34 PM GMT
“Honderich is the author of the most-translated living philosopher's book on determinism and freedom, ‘How Free Are You?’ .. and the editor of the most-used one-volume reference work of its kind, ‘The Oxford Companion to Philosophy‘ ..”
By Paul de Rooij
LONDON (PalestineChronicle.com) - It is unusual to find philosophers getting into the debate on current events; most of them are safely ensconced in their ivory towers pondering questions of higher importance. It is therefore gratifying to find some philosophers in the trenches tackling questions pertinent to all of us -- trying to understand current events and to untangle the meaning of propaganda-frayed language. Paul de Rooij recently had the opportunity to ask Prof. Ted Honderich some questions pertaining his latest book and the furor surrounding it.
About Ted Honderich: he is a distinguished British philosopher, has been Grote Professor of the Philosophy of Mind and Logic at University College London, and also taught at Yale and CUNY. He is the author of the most-translated living philosopher's book on determinism and freedom, “How Free Are You?” He is the proponent of an alternative view of the nature of perceptual consciousness, and the editor of the most-used one-volume reference work of its kind, “The Oxford Companion to Philosophy”. His new book “After the Terror” addresses questions raised by September 11. The British branch of Oxfam International recently declined to accept a donation of 5,000 in royalties from the book after a Canadian newspaper raised the issue of a statement made in the book as to the rights of the Palestinians.
Isn’t the issue of the justification of political violence old hat? The UN recognizes the right for an oppressed people to resist. There is an enormous body of work in this area. So, why was it necessary to traverse this ground again? Why did you write “After the Terror”?
I know the UN has recognized the right of peoples to self-determination and to freedom from foreign occupation, and indeed recognized the legitimacy of struggles by national liberation movements. But I have been under the impression that the UN also condemns terrorism. Certainly, its Secretary-General has done so, no doubt on the basis of UN resolutions or the like. So surely the fact of the matter is that the UN doesn't recognize the right of a people to engage in what is now the most common form of resistance and liberation-struggle.
Claiming that the Palestinians have a moral right to their terrorism, which I do, can hardly be old hat given the reaction to the claim. If some people readily accept it, some of them out of anti-Semitism, many are shocked or disturbed by it. The moral feelings of people at Oxfam GB were shocked by it, as their public statements clearly show.
As for my reason for writing “After the Terror”, I was like so many of us in being overwhelmed and then thrown into reflection by September 11. In my own case, September 11 also came as a kind of charge against or question about things written by me in the past, notably the book "Violence for Equality: Inquiries in Political Philosophy".
The new book is an account of what you can call the moral state of the world. It is only about Palestine in passing. Only a few pages are on Palestine. The most important thing you come on, in thinking about us and our world, is our omissions rather than our commissions. One large thing we omit to do, most notably in connection with Africa, is to help people with short and even brief lives -- half-lives and quarter-lives. In one sample there is a loss of 20 million years of living time.
This is yet more terrible than what we positively do -- say aid the Zionists, by whom I mean overt and covert supporters of and participants in Israel's ongoing aggression against the Palestinians, the violation and occupation of their homeland.
So what is your definition of terrorism? Isn’t terrorism generally understood to be illegitimate violence? Resistance on the other hand is legitimate, and may employ terrorism as a tactic. So how do you define these terms?
Terrorism has a number of features, but fundamentally it is a kind of violence, which is to say physical force that injures, damages, violates or destroys people or things. It is this: violence with a political and social end, whether or not intended to put people in general in fear, and necessarily raising a question of its moral justification because it is violence -- either such violence as is against the law within a society or else violence between states or societies, against what there is of international law and smaller-scale than war. It is illegitimate in terms of law, but not necessarily in terms of morality.
Terrorism understood in this uncontentious way evidently includes suicide bombings. As evidently, it also includes state-terrorism and cat's paw terrorism.
You say resistance as ordinarily understood is "legitimate". Do you mean it's ordinarily taken to be lawful? Then it itself can’t include terrorism, and I guess it can't employ terrorism. If saying resistance is legitimate means it is morally defensible, which is certainly different, then it can't employ any old terrorism whatsoever, because not all terrorism is morally defensible. But it is obviously possible that some morally justified resistance can employ some morally justified terrorism.
What terrorism do you justify, and how do you arrive at those conclusions?
In the book what I say is morally permissible is the terrorism of the Palestinians in the present situation. It seems to me very similar to the terrorism of the African National Congress against the South Africa of apartheid.
I also say that the only general kind of terrorism that is likely to be justified, in the world as it is, is what you can call liberation-terrorism: the violent struggle of a people to come to freedom and power in their own homeland. The likely justification depends importantly on the fact that the suffering that is caused does have a probability of success. What is wrong with other terrorism is that it is the causing of suffering for no probable gain, with no reasonable hope.
You will notice that what I have said does not amount to a complete answer to the question of what violence is justified. I don’t have one worked-out. What does seem to me clear is that the Palestinians have a moral right to their struggle. It seems to be a fact about morality that one can be sure of a particular moral proposition, a particular case, without having a complete answer to the large and general question in the neighborhood.
How do I arrive at the conclusion about the Palestinians? Well, I have a lot of reasons. The book gives various premises for the conclusion. One is my fundamental moral principle, which is the Principle of Humanity, about taking rational steps to getting people out of bad lives. Another is that the Israelis certainly claim a moral right to their state-terrorism and perhaps war. In consistency, which is necessary to actually saying anything, the Palestinians can claim the same, and they can do it truthfully.
Another reason for their moral right is that 50 years of history have proved that the Palestinians have no alternative whatever to terrorism in trying to secure freedom and power in their homeland. What they were offered in the Clinton negotiations at Camp David was not a state, but, if anything, a dog's breakfast of a state. That is proved, incidentally, by the fact that everybody now speaks of their need for a viable state.
But still more has to be said in support of the moral right, and can be. There is no simple proof of the claim about their moral right. That is because there are no simple proofs in morality.
What do you think elicited the criticism of your book? How has your book been received in academic circles?
The book has been seriously and respectfully received in meetings in nine universities here and in America, including Oxford and Columbia. There has been a little Zionist fuss, but not much. That has to be kept in mind when thinking about the Oxfam business. As for newspaper reviews, for starters, The Guardian lauded it, The Times said it was the best reflective book on 9/11, and The Sunday Telegraph, owned by the man who also owns The Jerusalem Post, said it was the worst book ever written. All of those three reviews, to my mind, given the newspapers in question, proved I must have written something decent.
Your arguments are ahistorical. Isn’t the historical context crucial to understanding violence?
I don't quite understand what you mean by saying that my arguments are ahistorical. The way the argument goes forward is pretty typical for a moral philosopher. It is a kind of logical sequence, but most certainly it does not ignore history. Another principal premise for my conclusion about the moral right of the Palestinians is that they have indeed been treated horrifically in their homeland for 50 years. Population figures I give in the book for Arabs and Jews at various stages overwhelm the familiar stuff about who did what in what year in terms of massacres, negotiations and the like. The Palestinians are right to say they are the Jews of the Jews.
My reflections are an attempt to try to give a good argument for a moral conclusion about what is right and what we ought to be doing. To do so is not just to engage in historical explanation, of course, but historical explanation must enter into the thing.
In the context of the Middle East violence is usually referred to as “terrorism”. This word has become very politically charged, and its meaning has changed from its dictionary definition. Has terrorism become the violence of the “other”, actions that don’t require explanation? How do philosophers cope with words whose meaning keeps changing - aren’t you dealing with a moving target?
Of course the word has been kidnapped by the Israelis above all, and used just for the violence of the Palestinians. "Democracy" is used as mindlessly -- you might add as viciously. "Terrorism" is also used in such a way as to suggest wholly irrational evil and whatever else. That is pretty obvious. It is also one of the facts that affected me in the writing of my book. I was outraged by the endless parade of Israeli government spokesmen on television going on about the unspeakable terrorism of the Palestinians and the murdered children of the Israeli democrats. It turned my stomach, as it did many other stomachs.
But that is not to say that changes in uses of a word, and a word’s being kidnapped, stand in the way of using it correctly. To my mind, I do that. This is more or less necessary to actual thinking. It is also necessary to strong argument. You just weaken your argument, on whatever side you are, by self-serving definitions. It is plain that pretending that terrorism can exist only on the other side is usually lying in the aid of killing, maybe killing in the aid of taking more of another people's land.
You mean that Israel is not a democracy?
I don't meant that. It is a hierarchic democracy, like the hierarchic democracies of the United States and Britain. But that you are a democracy, even a better one, most certainly doesn't legitimate you in anything like the sense of making all your actions and policies right, or even your main actions and policies. No chance whatever of that. Did anybody even say it who was actually thinking about the matter rather than engaged in doing something else?
After the recent Palestinian attack in Hebron, the Israelis engaged in a wave of “retaliation”, and people living in Gaza, totally unrelated to the original attack, were targeted. One Israeli soldier was quoted as saying that “none of them are innocent.” On the other hand, when a terrorist attack occurs in the West the condemnations always refer to “innocent” civilians. What do you make of this, and are there any innocent civilians? Does the civilian’s responsibility for actions of their state diminish their innocence?
I think that lying is a part of such conflicts as the Palestinian one. It enables people to do unspeakable things. They should say and let themselves know what they are doing. This comment applies to both Israelis and Palestinians. The Israelis and the Palestinians should not engage in awful stuff about young children not being “innocent”. Of course and unquestionably, these children and some other people who have been killed are innocent in an ordinary sense.
These truths cannot possibly be overlooked, and nor can they be taken by themselves to decide the main questions. To take but one example, we British did not take it that our terror-bombing of Germany in World War 2, which in fact was called just that, was wrong because it killed innocents and civilians and children. Remember Hiroshima too.
Israelis often justify their violent actions as a deterrent. Pulling out of Lebanon without gaining anything was seen as weakness, thus encouraging the Lebanese resistance. The other side of this story is that any Palestinian action must be met 100X as a deterrent. So, is there any merit to the deterrence argument?
I don't quite see what this comes to. You can engage in deterrence, so-called, in a good cause, and you can engage in it in a bad cause. To the extent that the Israelis are engaging in deterrence, they are engaged in wholly wrongful deterrence. What they are trying to do is to destroy the desire and will of a people to be free in the place to which they have a moral right.
In the media, the Israelis are always portrayed as “responding” or “retaliating,” thus justified in their actions. Palestinian actions are never described this way. Can there be a “cycle of violence” with only one party “responding”? Furthermore, Israeli violence is usually unrelated to original Palestinian action, and it is usually called “collective punishment.” So, do the Israelis have any justification for their violence in this case?
There is all this use of language to a particular purpose, a wrongful purpose. The main one, of course, as already mentioned, is the use of the term “democracy” in such way as to suggest that what a democracy does must be right, and the use of the word “terrorism” in such a way as to suggest or declare that this terrorism is always wrong or barbarous. It is just self-serving commandeering of language.
What is most important about it is that it does not amount to serious moral argument. Nor will it in the end be decisive. It seems to me that just about everybody in the world, including all supporters of Israel, do in fact see through this vile stuff. Vile stuff with a vicious purpose.
As for whether Israel does in fact have an argument for its own existence, it seems to me very clear that it does. It also has an argument for defending itself, where that actually means what the word “defending” does mean. It does not mean attacking somebody else in order to seize more land. What Israel does not have an argument for, whatever wretched terminology and talk it goes in for, is the taking of more and more land beyond its justified borders, these to my mind being its borders before 1967.
Amnesty International in their latest report [1] recently stated: “Israel has the right and responsibility to take measures to prevent unlawful violence [referring to Palestinian violence]. The Israeli government equally has an obligation to ensure that the measures it takes to protect Israelis are carried out in accordance with international human rights and humanitarian law.” What do you think of the first sentence, and isn’t it in contradiction with the second sentence?
I think this stuff from Amnesty as it stands is typical unreflective moralizing, avoiding the issue. What Israel ought to do is give up, withdraw from the homeland of another people. That is the main thing.
How they do this, how they go about protecting Israeli lives and what they do to Palestinians in the process, is a secondary matter. It is a large matter, but a secondary matter. Needless to say, they should cause the least possible suffering and death, to the Palestinians and themselves.
Amnesty and Human Rights Watch have proscribed any violence against civilians, settlers, and even off duty soldiers. Violence in Israel is proscribed completely. It seems that Palestinians are only allowed to fight one of the most powerful armies in the world within the occupied territories. What do you make of this?
Probably I disagree with it. I guess I disagree with it. My view of the Palestinians’ moral right to their terrorism is most confident with respect to the occupied territories, but I also extend it to Israel itself.
Amnesty equates the nature of the violence perpetrated against Israelis and Palestinians. That is, it will condemn to the same degree when an Israeli is killed, and when a Palestinian is killed. It also calls on “both parties to respect human rights, and to make human rights central to their agenda.” Is AI’s stance valid?
Everyone should object to the terrible “even-handedness” of such statements as the Amnesty one. Everyone should choke on such attempts at “balance”. In an ordinary sense of the words, there is no place at all for even-handedness and balance in actually dealing with the rapist engaged in the rape of the woman with a knife at her throat. The rapist has no rights that bear significantly on the question of whether he should stop or be stopped. The analogy with Israel is not a wild one, but exact.
If Amnesty were taking the view that any killing is as bad as any other killing, it would be taking a view that is denied by all of history. If it is saying that you can settle any question of killing by making a declaration of a right to life, that is nonsense. It has the upshot, to mention but one, that it would have been wrong to kill a single German guard in order to save a thousand Jews from death in gas chambers in a concentration camp.
A few months ago Cherie Blair, the wife of the current British Prime Minister, stated: “As long as young people feel they have got no hope but to blow themselves up, you are never going to make progress.” This seemingly bland statement elicited a barrage of criticism, and a statement from the Prime minister’s office announced that she retracted the statement, and apologized for it. So, why do you think her bland statement elicited this response?
It elicited this response as a result of Israeli and Zionist activity. There is no puzzle about that. Cherie Blair's statement did not elicit the response because people in general thought the comment was terrible. In fact, probably, most people thought the opposite.
I understand that you recently arranged to donate 5,000 ($8,000) to Oxfam GB, and that this was then rejected on account of the statement in your book about the moral right of the Palestinians. Why did Oxfam refuse your donation?
Well, there was a Zionist threat. But I think Oxfam could pretty easily have accepted the 5,000 without thereby losing a larger amount of money as a result of Zionists or others not making donations. Oxfam could have done this by declaring that it would not dream of endorsing or agreeing with my view, which it hated, but that regretfully Oxfam was obliged legally and morally to save 2,000 lives, the lives of 2,000 dying children, by taking the money. This is just obvious. Those who suggest otherwise are trying to avoid a clear truth, for whatever reason.
So what happened has some other explanation in place of or in addition to the Zionist threat. You get to it by reading Oxfam’s own statements. What it comes to is that some people -- certainly not all -- in the Oxfam GB office in Oxford were disturbed or outraged by my view. They were upset, as I said in answer to an earlier question.
That is all right by me. Philosophers are used to disagreement. What isn’t all right is allowing more people to die for certain of your conventional moral feelings. That is neither a legal nor a moral possibility for Oxfam. Its objects, which are defined in the foundation document lodged with the Charity Commission, do not include refuting moral philosophers it thinks are mistaken. In particular it can't do this if it reduces their income to serve their real objects of saving lives and preventing suffering.
Mr. John Whitaker, the Deputy Director of Oxfam GB, who has taken responsibility for the decision to turn away the 5,000, should resign. If he does not, he should be relieved of his duties by the Trustees of Oxfam, who have authority over the charity.
There is also the fact that Oxfam’s acting on the moral feelings of some of its officers raises a bigger question not about their raising of money but their use of it. In particular, it raises a question about their policy with respect to Palestine. For a start, this is a matter of their political activity, which is one of their stated policies, and their literature. Why aren't they putting out a lot of forceful and effective literature against the violation of Palestine? Why is this missing from the stuff we all get in our mailboxes?
Paul de Rooij is an economist living in London and can be reached at proox@hotmail.com. He will forward legitimate emails to Prof. Honderich.
Notes:
1. Shielded from scrutiny: IDF violations in Jenin and Nablus, Nov. 4, 02
2. There is an extensive account of the Oxfam dispute by Ted Honderich at www.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho/ATTOxfam1.html
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2002 1:53 pm Post subject: Israel Plans Increased Settlement Activity
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021204194538493
Israel Plans Increased Settlement Activity
Wednesday, December 04 2002 @ 07:45 PM GMT
"A spokeswoman for Housing Minister Nathan Sharansk said that a tender for the construction of 150 new houses in the large settlements .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The Israeli housing ministry and the illegal so-called Settlers Council in the occupied Palestinian Territory have drawn up a plan for increased settlement activity in the West Bank over the next three months, the Israeli daily Ma’ariv reported on Tuesday.
The plan provides for dozens of new houses to be built in 14 different settlements, creating facts on the ground in isolated settlements, which Israel’s Labor party says it wants to dismantle if it wins the January 28 legislative elections.
The plan was drawn up during a meeting between Settlers Council chairman Bentzi Lieberman and Avi Moz, the director general of the housing ministry, Ma’ariv said.
A spokeswoman for Housing Minister Nathan Sharansk said that a tender for the construction of 150 new houses in the large settlements of Ariel and Efrat, northeast of Tel Aviv and south of Jerusalem respectively, had been issued two months ago.
However she denied that such a plan had been agreed. "The ministry does not plan any stepped up development ahead of the elections," she told AFP.
According to Ma’ariv, the housing ministry initiated the construction of a record 1,894 new housing units in the West Bank, more than twice the 2001 figure.
Some 210,000 Jewish settlers live in 160 settlements across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, while another 200,000 live in the 12 settlements in occupied and annexed east Jerusalem.
Coinciding with Ma’ariv’s report, Israel's military chief of staff Moshe Ya’alon said Tuesday he opposes any dismantlement of any Jewish settlements.
"If we dismantle a settlement while under fire, hoping to spare military forces, we will achieve the opposite (of security)," he said, speaking at the annual Herzliya conference on “The Balance of Israel's National Security”.
"We will have to deploy much larger forces because a dismantling will galvanize the Palestinian struggle," he added.
His comments were a clear response to opposition Labor Party leader Amram Mitzna's proposal for the dismantling of all settlements in the Gaza Strip and some isolated settlements in the West Bank.
A ‘roadmap’ for peace in the Middle East being drawn up by the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia demands a freeze of settlement activity and the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005.
Illegal Jewish settlement of Palestinian territory under the protection of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) since 1967 has been the hardcore of Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Since Palestinians and Israelis signed the Declaration of Principles in Washington in 1993 the number of illegal Jewish settlements and settlers almost doubled in occupied Palestinian territories.
US Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer on Tuesday reiterated US opposition to Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Settlement activity has "severely undermined Palestinian trust and hope. It pre-empts and prejudges the outcome of negotiations and in doing so cripples chances for real peace and security," Kurtzer told a conference on national security near Tel Aviv.
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2002 1:55 pm Post subject: Eid is Thursday in Palestine: Mufti
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Eid is Thursday in Palestine: Mufti
Wednesday, December 04 2002 @ 06:11 PM GMT
"The announcement was made during a news conference in Jerusalem this evening .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Ikrema Sabri, announced on Wednesday that Thursday will be the first day of Eidul Fitr which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
The announcement was made during a news conference in Jerusalem this evening.
Sabri said that the new moon of the lunar month of Shawwal was cited in Palestine and several other Muslim lands, thus marking the end of Ramadan.
Neighboring Jordan and Saudi Arabia and a number of other Middle Eastern countries have also announced that occurrence of Eidul Fitr will be tomorrow.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2002 2:02 pm Post subject: Intrntl UN Workers been verbally abused,stripped,beaten
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021204171525491
Statement From International UN Workers Operating In Occupied Palestinian Territories
Wednesday, December 04 2002 @ 05:15 PM GMT
"'UN staff - international and Palestinian alike - have been verbally abused, stripped, beaten, shot at and killed by Israeli soldiers ..'"
December 3,2002
To whom it may concern,
We, the undersigned, are staff members of the United Nations, but we write in our personal capacities. All of us work in the West Bank and Gaza Strip bringing badly needed humanitarian relief to a population in distress. In the course of our duties we have witnessed much tragedy on both sides of the conflict. We have come from all over the world to work, without bias or favour, to try to alleviate some of the pain and suffering that has for too long afflicted this land.
Now we find that, once again, tragedy has touched us. For us, expressions of sadness and grief are not enough. The diplomatic language of the bureaucrat will not suffice. We write to express our absolute condemnation at the senseless killing of Iain Hook in Jenin on November 22. Based on publicly available information, we condemn the Israeli army in the strongest possible terms for this wanton act against an unarmed man - a man shot in the back by a military sniper while negotiating with the Israeli army to evacuate the women, children and UN staff who were in the UN compound at the time.
Our condemnation is reinforced by the knowledge that the soldiers refused to allow an ambulance called to evacuate Iain to travel the last few yards needed to reach him. Instead, UN staff here forced to seek an alternative route to rescue him. This caused a delay and made sure that the work done by a bullet was completed by the Israeli army's refusal to respect the most elementary standards of humanity.
The shock of that day's events does not come in isolation. For two years, United Nations staff have been subject to escalating harassment and violence by Israel's military, so that the protection supposed to be afforded by the blue letters of the UN is being steadily eroded.
UN staff - international and Palestinian alike - have been verbally abused, stripped, beaten, shot at and killed by Israeli soldiers. There has been armed interference with UN employees and vehicles, including attacks on UN ambulances and medical personnel. UNRWA schools, health clinics and offices have been hit by bombs, rockets, tank shells and gunfire even during daytime, thereby endangering the lives of staff and, in the case of schools, the lives of refugee children. Buildings occupied by UN staff have been repeatedly damaged during Israeli airforce bombing.
Tragically Iain Hook was not the first person working with the UN to die at the hands of the IDF this year. In March, Kamal Hamdan was shot and killed while travelling in a clearly marked UNRWA ambulance in the West Bank.. In April, Husni Amer died in Israeli military custody in Jenin after, according to witnesses, receiving a brutal beating by the soldiers at the time of his arrest. From its silence, we presume the Israeli authorities have ignored UN requests for an investigation and report of these two incidents, and have not seen fit to take any disciplinary action against the soldiers involved. To us, this seems to confirm a pattern of utter contempt on the part of the Israeli army for the lost lives of these men, the safety of UN staff or the minimum standards imposed by international law which should protect UN staff and other humanitarian workers.
The official military spokesperson's statement on the initial investigation into Iain's killing asserts that shots were fired from UNRWA's compound in the Jenin refugee camp towards Israel's forces. This contradicts eyewitness accounts of our colleagues in Jenin and the information relayed to UNRWA's Field Office by Iain just prior to his death. The most charitable characterization one can make of this statement is that it lacks any credibility. To us, it has all the makings of propaganda designed to tarnish the reputation of the UN, excuse the killing of an unarmed man and perpetuate the false charge that UNRWA shelters terrorists, in the public mind. We strongly request that any investigation carried out by the Israeli government will be independent, transparent and impartial. We strongly request that the Israeli government will bring those responsible for Iain's killing promptly to justice. Only the most lawless societies allow gunmen in uniform the impunity to kill aid workers without fear of punishment.. We are confident Israel does not wish to see its troops painted in the same colours as the militiamen who have stalked some of the world's other conflicts.
As UN staff, we expect the protection of the Israeli government to enable us to undertake our humanitarian responsibilities wherever they are needed. This is not a matter of courtesy or favour, but rather an implementation of Israel's own obligations under international law and its express commitment to UNRWA to facilitate the Agency's operations in the occupied territories.
Israel's often stated regret at the loss of civilian lives is not an impervious shield that can deflect all criticism. It is a shield that is, in our view, tarnished by the attempts of Israeli spokespersons to link Iain's death to wider political issues or to claim that the UN was somehow culpable for his killing. In these tragic circumstances, rather than easily uttered regrets, we expect the Israeli Government take the necessary steps to stop the harassment, beating and killing of UN staff. We expect respect and protection as United Nations employees. As international staff members, we hope and expect to return alive to our own countries and families after our work here is done. We hope and expect no less for our Palestinian colleagues so they can live and work in safety until the parties to the conflict eventually find the road to peace.
Sally Airs, Australia; Naomi Ando, Japan; Ignacio Artaza Zuriarrain, Spain, Alan Barnie, Australia Peter Bartu, Australia Pamela Bell, USA Susan Brannon, USA Marlise Brenner, Australia Deidre Connolly, USA Marisa Consolate Kemper, Canada Joanna Corbin, UK B. Scott Custer Jr., USA Omar Dajani, USA Calvin Dasilvio, USA Isabelle dela Cruz, Germany Marc De la Motte, Italy-France Mark Dennis, USA Ray Dolphin, Ireland Juliet Dryden, UK Teresa Fallarme, Philippine Jean-Marie Frentz, Luxembourg Christopher Gabelle, UK Jagannathan Gopalan, India Philippe Grandet, France Pentti Hakonen, Finland Roger Hearn, Australia Grigor Hovmannisyan, Armenia Thierry Kaiser, France Sima Kanaan, Jordan Elizabeth Kawambwa, Tanzania.
Jan Kolaas, Norway Antje Kunst, Germany Marc Lassouaoui, France Brett Lodge, Australia Ali Mahmuda, Canada Henrik Mathiesen, Norway Carlos Mazuera, Columbia Paul McCann, UK Amanda Melville, Australia Severine Meyer, France Zeina Mogarbel, Spain Merethe Nedrebo, Norway Gustav Nordstrom, Finland Patrick O'neil, Ireland Melissa Parke, Australia Joachim Paul, German Alex Pollock, UK Gerhard Pulfer, Austria Timothy Rothermel, USA Sam Rose, UK Ehab Shanti, Canada Shahwan Huda, Jordan Jean-Luc Siblot, France Guy Siri, France Elna Sondergaard, Denmark Juerg Staudenmann, Switzerland Angelo Stefanini, Italy Gretta Van Bleek, Netherlands Arjan Van Houwelingen, Netherlands Andrew Whitley, UK Hanna Wintsch, Switzerland Cecilia Wreh-McGill, USA Ros Young, UK Kirsten Zaat, Australia
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2002 2:12 pm Post subject: Celebrate but Don’t Forget
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Celebrate but Don’t Forget
Wednesday, December 04 2002 @ 07:33 PM GMT
"Meandering through a shopping mall last week I saw mothers happily buying dresses for their daughters. Unbidden, my mind was filled with images of Palestinian children dressed in rags .."
By Khaled Al-Maeena
Today is Eid Al-Fitr, an occasion to feel joy and be glad. But this year I approach the holiday like a sleepwalker, stumbling through a never-ending nightmare. The city of Jeddah is filled with bright lights and merrymakers, but I have no festive spirit within me.
As a journalist, year after year I have been forced to bear witness to man’s inhumanity to mankind. When I first began, it was a job, a challenge to report the better story, to get there first and dig deepest. Details of destruction were nothing more than words on a page, may Allah forgive my ignorance and youth.
Now my consciousness is overwhelmed with the litany of daily horrors. The sad stories that appear in Arab News are but a drop in the bucket of global misery. Four Palestinian children are killed in one day. We print the photo of one. An Afghani child loses his legs to a mine. We don’t report it. There’s no space on our pages. He’s just another victim, one of many. Chechens are dying by the dozens. International news agencies no longer choose to hear their screams, see their tears or even remember that they exist.
Not only is the agony flashing across monitors in the newsroom, people from near and far reach out directly for assistance. The Internet has changed the way we communicate. Every hour, pleas for aid arrive through e-mail. “Find a way to educate my son,” writes one mother. “My baby needs surgery or she will die,” writes another. “My son has been detained by the Israelis. He is our only support,” explains a third. I try to help them all, but I cannot work miracles, and the need is tremendous.
So I go out and walk to give my mind a rest. Meandering through a shopping mall last week I saw mothers happily buying dresses for their daughters. Unbidden, my mind was filled with images of Palestinian children dressed in rags. I passed a confectionery filled with cakes and sweets of every kind. In a trick of light, the dirty, desperate faces of Muslim refugees appeared as shadows on the shop’s windows. Teens loitered on corners, laughing and telling tales. I thought of the young Palestinians, whose only crime was breathing, detained in concentration camps by the Israelis.
“Be happy!” my friends tell me. “It’s Eid.” Instead, my soul mourns. I am surrounded by a society on a constant quest to shop and spend. People here never seem to have enough, no matter how much they have. In the final days of Ramadan the souks were packed till 3 a.m. What happened to the concept of praying on Ramadan nights for forgiveness? Where was the time for soul searching and quiet contemplation? When I opened my mouth to object to all the materialism in our midst, people told me to lighten up, that I was taking life far too seriously. “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” they advised.
Bullets and bombs are definitely small. The minds of many politicians are often even smaller. A baby starved to death becomes really tiny. Explosives can blow homes and people to little bits. Foreign policy in some nations has been reduced to sound bites. In our world, hope has shriveled and peace has been dwarfed by war. But don’t worry about the small stuff! It’s the big picture that’s really depressing.
This morning, while many of us were dressed in fine raiment, touching our foreheads to soft rugs and returning to lavish breakfasts and warm beds, around the world millions of people were caught up in inescapable suffering. Just closing our eyes to their misery will not make it disappear. Sadly, we do not even have to look far to find those in need. Families in our own land live in poverty, clinging to the scraps of their dignity in a nation of abundance.
Our world is a troubled place, filled with loss and pain and tears. Is this all the future holds for us? Eid Al-Fitr is about sharing our goodness with others. Let this day be a new beginning in your life. Take a vow to reach out to all with kindness, tolerance and compassion. Remember the joy of giving. Nurture your spirituality. Perhaps you’ll find that caring for others brings more pleasure and rewards than caring about yourself ever did. Sounds too sentimental and idealistic? Does a world filled with violence and fear sound better? Eid Mubarak.
The author is the editor-in-chief of Arab News
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Pinnochio
Joined: 29 Sep 2002
Posts: 505
Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2002 1:54 pm Post subject:
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A Jewish Renewal Understanding of the State of Israel
By Rabbi Michael Lerner
Jews did not return to Palestine in order to be oppressors or representatives of Western colonialism or cultural imperialism. Although it is true that some early Zionist leaders sought to portray their movement as a way to serve the interests of various Western states, and although many Jews who came brought with them a Western arrogance that made it possible for them to see Palestine as "a land without a people for a people without a land," and hence to virtually ignore the Palestinian people and its own cultural and historical rights, the vast majority of thsoe who came were seeking refuge from the murderous ravages of Western anti-Semitism or from the oppressive discrimination that they experienced in Arab countries. The Ashkenazic Jews who shaped Israel in its early years were jumping from the burning buildings of Europe--and when they landed on the backs of Palestinians, unintentionally causing a great deal of pain to the people who already lived there, they were so transfixed with their own (much greater and more actue) pain that they couldn't be bothered to notice that they were displacing and hurting others in the process of creating their own state.
Their insensitivity to the pain that they caused, and their subsequent denial of the fact that in creating Israel they had simultaneously helped create a Palestinian people most of whom were forced to live as refugees (and now, their many descendents still living as exiles and dreaming of "return" just as we Jews did for some 1800 plus years), was aided by the arrogance, stupidity and anti-Semitism of Palestinian leaders and their Arab allies in neighboring states who dreamt of ridding the area of its Jews and who, much like the Herut "revisionists" who eventually came to run Israel in the past twenty years, consistently resorted to violence and intimidation to pursue their maximalist fantasies.
cont/d....
http://www.tikkun.org/renewal/index.cfm/action/israel.html
Friday, November 29 2002 @ 08:39 PM GMT
"The article was a rant, a smear attack, which sounded like it was penned by some shill for Ariel Sharon. It was captioned, 'Israel at Stake on U.S. Campuses,' .."
By William Hughes
In Roman mythology, the God Janus was worshipped as a patron of beginnings and endings. They even named the month of January after him. He had two faces; one in the front, and one in the back of the head.
Recently, the punditry of Nat Hentoff brought Janus to my mind. He wrote two pieces last week which, politically speaking, were diametrically opposed to each other. It was hard for me to believe they were written by the same man, three days apart. How could he, I thought, hold these two views in his head at the same time? The first article was liberal, justice seeking and optimistic; the second, narrow, close minded, indifferent to human suffering and extremely cynical.
His commentary appearing in the Village Voice, (11/22/02), had a very strong progressive bent to it. It was entitled, “Resistance Rising! True Patriots Networking,” and it centered on the growing opposition around the country to the USA Patriot Act. In fact, it was forwarded to me by a long- time peace and justice activist. I wondered, however, if that same activist had seen Hentoff’s second piece, if he would have been so keen to have circulated that first commentary on his email list. I doubt it.
The “Resistance Rising” piece was mostly solid journalism. It praised activists for resisting the new federal criminal law by taking the initiative at the local level to protest it. Hentoff even cited historical American parallels as a precedent. His targets were the Justice Department, Attorney General John Ashcroft, and the Defense Department. He omitted, however, citing Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), for laying the infrastructure for the USA Patriot Act in the mid-90s.
The second article, however, was a rant, a smear attack, which sounded like it was penned by some shill for Ariel Sharon. It was captioned, “Israel at Stake on U.S. Campuses,” and it was published by the right wing Washington Times, (11/25/02), a house organ for the syndicated ravings of A. M. Rosenthal and other Israeli Firsters. Its main purpose was to marginalize the growing grass roots movement on college campuses that is advocating for divestment from the apartheid state of Israel.
Francis A. Boyle, a distinguished law professor, human rights activist, and recognized expert on international law, gave birth to the Israeli divestment campaign, on Nov. 30, 2000. The U. of California, at Berkeley, was the first to join up. Since then, more than 50 campuses have come onboard. Boyle predicted that this campaign “can produce an historical reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians- -just as it successfully did between whites and blacks in South Africa.”
Hentoff objected that Israel was being compared with the “formerly apartheid South Africa” in this new campaign. He didn’t try, however, to show, why that would be factually or morally inapplicable. Instead, he primarily made the specious legal argument that Israel was a “selective” target. This is kind of like a mouthpiece for NYC’s late gangster John Gotti complaining about the Feds picking on him, rather then some Chicago mobster. It doesn’t hold up under careful analysis. Hentoff didn’t label the “divestment crusaders” as anti-Semites, but he did charge that some of them are “Jew-haters,” who just wanted to demonize Israel. (Really Nat, I expected better from you.)
Some historical background is in order. In addition to the anti-Apartheid campaign against South Africa, and the ongoing divestment action against Israel, there was another gallant movement in this country that attempted to end human rights violations on foreign shores. This was the MacBride Principles campaign. It was directed at Northern Ireland and led in America by Father Sean McManus, an Irish born priest. It urged that U.S. corporate and governmental investments, in the British-controlled state, be based on a non-discriminatory policy between the Catholic and Protestant communities. I think it’s fair to say, that the MacBride Principles, a federal law since 1998, contributed significantly to the ongoing “Peace Process” in Northern Ireland.
Incidentally, the former South Africa, Northern Ireland, and Palestine, have two major things in common: First, they are all settler colonies; and secondly, the indigenous people in each were viciously persecuted by their colonizers. Alas, it still continues in occupied Palestine.
Hentoff was right to denounce the “suicide bombers,” but he failed miserably to address the massive evils of the Zionist occupation, dating back over 35 years. He made no mention of Israel stealing the land of the Palestinians; bulldozing their homes and orchards; torturing detainees; holding prisoners without trial; operating death squads; or its draconian collective punishment of innocent civilians, itself a war crime.
Hentoff’s apology for Israeli wrongdoing echoed the theme of the Harvard U. president, the overly pious Lawrence H. Summers, on Sept. 17, 2002. Then, Summers used his office as a bully pulpit to do some special pleadings for the Zionist cause. He said that he was a Jew, but he failed to disclose his Zionist identity. I wonder why?
Hentoff was right to call those opposing the USA Patriot Act, the “true “patriots” in America. I think if he had a chance to reconsider his harsh comments about those crusading in this country for justice in an apartheid Israel, he might have also come to the same conclusion about them. They, too, despite the unfair name-calling, are true patriots, who champion the values of our Republic for an oppressed people.
William Hughes 2002. William Hughes is the author of “Andrew Jackson vs. New World Order” (Authors Choice Press) and “Baltimore Iconoclast” (Writer’s Showcase), which are available online. He can be reached at liamhughes@mindspring.com.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2002 5:48 pm Post subject: Al-Durra Comes Back to Life
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021202194055681
Al-Durra Comes Back to Life
Monday, December 02 2002 @ 07:40 PM GMT
"Speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP), his father Jamal Al Durra said: “My son Mohammad did not die. He’s back again .."
GAZA STRIP - Mohammad Al Durra, the little boy who was killed by the Israeli occupation gunfire at the beginning of the Palestinian Intifada, has been resurrected by name.
Mohamed al-Durra screaming
for help, a few moments before
Israeli troops shot him dead
His mother, Amal gave birth to a little boy on Friday, November 29 to a baby boy whom she named Mohammad Al Durra.
Speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP), his father Jamal Al Durra said: “My son Mohammad did not die. He’s back again despite the crimes of the Israeli occupation.”
He added that his son came back on the last Friday in the month of Ramadan and on the International Quds Day. “The Intifada will continue,” said Al Durra.
Jamal now has 7 children, five boys and two girls, the eldest is Eyad, aged 16 and the youngest is the new born Mohammad.
Just moments after France 2 Talal Abu Rahma pictured Al-Durrah September 30, 2000, the 12-year-old boy was shot dead by Israeli occupation soldiers, to become a new martyr for the Palestinian cause.
For 45 minutes, Muhammad's father tried in vain to shield him from Israeli gunfire as they crouched against a concrete wall near Netzarim in the Gaza Strip, BBC’s online news service reported after the tragic event.
The whole scene was caught on camera by France 2 cameraman Abu Rahma, and was played repeatedly on world televisions.
The footage shows the boy's father Jamal al-Durrah waving desperately to Israeli forces, shouting: "Don't shoot". But the terrified boy is hit by four bullets, and collapses in his father's arms and finally slumps across his wounded father's lap.
An ambulance driver who tried to rescue the boy and his father was also killed, and a second ambulance driver was wounded.
The Israeli occupation army admitted, after Abu Rahma’s video footage triggered world indignation, that the shots which killed Muhammad had been fired by its troops, and apologized for his murder.
Abu Rahma’s video footage showed that not only were the boy and his father completely unarmed, but that they were not even part of the rioting, BBC said.
The disturbing footage, which shocked the entire world, was played throughout the Middle East, and on all major U.S. television networks.
A photo still from the video ran on the front page of The New York Times.
The British daily newspaper, The Independent, described it as "an image that will haunt the world as painfully and powerfully" as any of those from the Palestinian Intifada.
-Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2002 1:45 pm Post subject: A Philosopher in the Trenches
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002120418345889
A Philosopher in the Trenches: Interview with Ted Honderich
Wednesday, December 04 2002 @ 06:34 PM GMT
“Honderich is the author of the most-translated living philosopher's book on determinism and freedom, ‘How Free Are You?’ .. and the editor of the most-used one-volume reference work of its kind, ‘The Oxford Companion to Philosophy‘ ..”
By Paul de Rooij
LONDON (PalestineChronicle.com) - It is unusual to find philosophers getting into the debate on current events; most of them are safely ensconced in their ivory towers pondering questions of higher importance. It is therefore gratifying to find some philosophers in the trenches tackling questions pertinent to all of us -- trying to understand current events and to untangle the meaning of propaganda-frayed language. Paul de Rooij recently had the opportunity to ask Prof. Ted Honderich some questions pertaining his latest book and the furor surrounding it.
About Ted Honderich: he is a distinguished British philosopher, has been Grote Professor of the Philosophy of Mind and Logic at University College London, and also taught at Yale and CUNY. He is the author of the most-translated living philosopher's book on determinism and freedom, “How Free Are You?” He is the proponent of an alternative view of the nature of perceptual consciousness, and the editor of the most-used one-volume reference work of its kind, “The Oxford Companion to Philosophy”. His new book “After the Terror” addresses questions raised by September 11. The British branch of Oxfam International recently declined to accept a donation of 5,000 in royalties from the book after a Canadian newspaper raised the issue of a statement made in the book as to the rights of the Palestinians.
Isn’t the issue of the justification of political violence old hat? The UN recognizes the right for an oppressed people to resist. There is an enormous body of work in this area. So, why was it necessary to traverse this ground again? Why did you write “After the Terror”?
I know the UN has recognized the right of peoples to self-determination and to freedom from foreign occupation, and indeed recognized the legitimacy of struggles by national liberation movements. But I have been under the impression that the UN also condemns terrorism. Certainly, its Secretary-General has done so, no doubt on the basis of UN resolutions or the like. So surely the fact of the matter is that the UN doesn't recognize the right of a people to engage in what is now the most common form of resistance and liberation-struggle.
Claiming that the Palestinians have a moral right to their terrorism, which I do, can hardly be old hat given the reaction to the claim. If some people readily accept it, some of them out of anti-Semitism, many are shocked or disturbed by it. The moral feelings of people at Oxfam GB were shocked by it, as their public statements clearly show.
As for my reason for writing “After the Terror”, I was like so many of us in being overwhelmed and then thrown into reflection by September 11. In my own case, September 11 also came as a kind of charge against or question about things written by me in the past, notably the book "Violence for Equality: Inquiries in Political Philosophy".
The new book is an account of what you can call the moral state of the world. It is only about Palestine in passing. Only a few pages are on Palestine. The most important thing you come on, in thinking about us and our world, is our omissions rather than our commissions. One large thing we omit to do, most notably in connection with Africa, is to help people with short and even brief lives -- half-lives and quarter-lives. In one sample there is a loss of 20 million years of living time.
This is yet more terrible than what we positively do -- say aid the Zionists, by whom I mean overt and covert supporters of and participants in Israel's ongoing aggression against the Palestinians, the violation and occupation of their homeland.
So what is your definition of terrorism? Isn’t terrorism generally understood to be illegitimate violence? Resistance on the other hand is legitimate, and may employ terrorism as a tactic. So how do you define these terms?
Terrorism has a number of features, but fundamentally it is a kind of violence, which is to say physical force that injures, damages, violates or destroys people or things. It is this: violence with a political and social end, whether or not intended to put people in general in fear, and necessarily raising a question of its moral justification because it is violence -- either such violence as is against the law within a society or else violence between states or societies, against what there is of international law and smaller-scale than war. It is illegitimate in terms of law, but not necessarily in terms of morality.
Terrorism understood in this uncontentious way evidently includes suicide bombings. As evidently, it also includes state-terrorism and cat's paw terrorism.
You say resistance as ordinarily understood is "legitimate". Do you mean it's ordinarily taken to be lawful? Then it itself can’t include terrorism, and I guess it can't employ terrorism. If saying resistance is legitimate means it is morally defensible, which is certainly different, then it can't employ any old terrorism whatsoever, because not all terrorism is morally defensible. But it is obviously possible that some morally justified resistance can employ some morally justified terrorism.
What terrorism do you justify, and how do you arrive at those conclusions?
In the book what I say is morally permissible is the terrorism of the Palestinians in the present situation. It seems to me very similar to the terrorism of the African National Congress against the South Africa of apartheid.
I also say that the only general kind of terrorism that is likely to be justified, in the world as it is, is what you can call liberation-terrorism: the violent struggle of a people to come to freedom and power in their own homeland. The likely justification depends importantly on the fact that the suffering that is caused does have a probability of success. What is wrong with other terrorism is that it is the causing of suffering for no probable gain, with no reasonable hope.
You will notice that what I have said does not amount to a complete answer to the question of what violence is justified. I don’t have one worked-out. What does seem to me clear is that the Palestinians have a moral right to their struggle. It seems to be a fact about morality that one can be sure of a particular moral proposition, a particular case, without having a complete answer to the large and general question in the neighborhood.
How do I arrive at the conclusion about the Palestinians? Well, I have a lot of reasons. The book gives various premises for the conclusion. One is my fundamental moral principle, which is the Principle of Humanity, about taking rational steps to getting people out of bad lives. Another is that the Israelis certainly claim a moral right to their state-terrorism and perhaps war. In consistency, which is necessary to actually saying anything, the Palestinians can claim the same, and they can do it truthfully.
Another reason for their moral right is that 50 years of history have proved that the Palestinians have no alternative whatever to terrorism in trying to secure freedom and power in their homeland. What they were offered in the Clinton negotiations at Camp David was not a state, but, if anything, a dog's breakfast of a state. That is proved, incidentally, by the fact that everybody now speaks of their need for a viable state.
But still more has to be said in support of the moral right, and can be. There is no simple proof of the claim about their moral right. That is because there are no simple proofs in morality.
What do you think elicited the criticism of your book? How has your book been received in academic circles?
The book has been seriously and respectfully received in meetings in nine universities here and in America, including Oxford and Columbia. There has been a little Zionist fuss, but not much. That has to be kept in mind when thinking about the Oxfam business. As for newspaper reviews, for starters, The Guardian lauded it, The Times said it was the best reflective book on 9/11, and The Sunday Telegraph, owned by the man who also owns The Jerusalem Post, said it was the worst book ever written. All of those three reviews, to my mind, given the newspapers in question, proved I must have written something decent.
Your arguments are ahistorical. Isn’t the historical context crucial to understanding violence?
I don't quite understand what you mean by saying that my arguments are ahistorical. The way the argument goes forward is pretty typical for a moral philosopher. It is a kind of logical sequence, but most certainly it does not ignore history. Another principal premise for my conclusion about the moral right of the Palestinians is that they have indeed been treated horrifically in their homeland for 50 years. Population figures I give in the book for Arabs and Jews at various stages overwhelm the familiar stuff about who did what in what year in terms of massacres, negotiations and the like. The Palestinians are right to say they are the Jews of the Jews.
My reflections are an attempt to try to give a good argument for a moral conclusion about what is right and what we ought to be doing. To do so is not just to engage in historical explanation, of course, but historical explanation must enter into the thing.
In the context of the Middle East violence is usually referred to as “terrorism”. This word has become very politically charged, and its meaning has changed from its dictionary definition. Has terrorism become the violence of the “other”, actions that don’t require explanation? How do philosophers cope with words whose meaning keeps changing - aren’t you dealing with a moving target?
Of course the word has been kidnapped by the Israelis above all, and used just for the violence of the Palestinians. "Democracy" is used as mindlessly -- you might add as viciously. "Terrorism" is also used in such a way as to suggest wholly irrational evil and whatever else. That is pretty obvious. It is also one of the facts that affected me in the writing of my book. I was outraged by the endless parade of Israeli government spokesmen on television going on about the unspeakable terrorism of the Palestinians and the murdered children of the Israeli democrats. It turned my stomach, as it did many other stomachs.
But that is not to say that changes in uses of a word, and a word’s being kidnapped, stand in the way of using it correctly. To my mind, I do that. This is more or less necessary to actual thinking. It is also necessary to strong argument. You just weaken your argument, on whatever side you are, by self-serving definitions. It is plain that pretending that terrorism can exist only on the other side is usually lying in the aid of killing, maybe killing in the aid of taking more of another people's land.
You mean that Israel is not a democracy?
I don't meant that. It is a hierarchic democracy, like the hierarchic democracies of the United States and Britain. But that you are a democracy, even a better one, most certainly doesn't legitimate you in anything like the sense of making all your actions and policies right, or even your main actions and policies. No chance whatever of that. Did anybody even say it who was actually thinking about the matter rather than engaged in doing something else?
After the recent Palestinian attack in Hebron, the Israelis engaged in a wave of “retaliation”, and people living in Gaza, totally unrelated to the original attack, were targeted. One Israeli soldier was quoted as saying that “none of them are innocent.” On the other hand, when a terrorist attack occurs in the West the condemnations always refer to “innocent” civilians. What do you make of this, and are there any innocent civilians? Does the civilian’s responsibility for actions of their state diminish their innocence?
I think that lying is a part of such conflicts as the Palestinian one. It enables people to do unspeakable things. They should say and let themselves know what they are doing. This comment applies to both Israelis and Palestinians. The Israelis and the Palestinians should not engage in awful stuff about young children not being “innocent”. Of course and unquestionably, these children and some other people who have been killed are innocent in an ordinary sense.
These truths cannot possibly be overlooked, and nor can they be taken by themselves to decide the main questions. To take but one example, we British did not take it that our terror-bombing of Germany in World War 2, which in fact was called just that, was wrong because it killed innocents and civilians and children. Remember Hiroshima too.
Israelis often justify their violent actions as a deterrent. Pulling out of Lebanon without gaining anything was seen as weakness, thus encouraging the Lebanese resistance. The other side of this story is that any Palestinian action must be met 100X as a deterrent. So, is there any merit to the deterrence argument?
I don't quite see what this comes to. You can engage in deterrence, so-called, in a good cause, and you can engage in it in a bad cause. To the extent that the Israelis are engaging in deterrence, they are engaged in wholly wrongful deterrence. What they are trying to do is to destroy the desire and will of a people to be free in the place to which they have a moral right.
In the media, the Israelis are always portrayed as “responding” or “retaliating,” thus justified in their actions. Palestinian actions are never described this way. Can there be a “cycle of violence” with only one party “responding”? Furthermore, Israeli violence is usually unrelated to original Palestinian action, and it is usually called “collective punishment.” So, do the Israelis have any justification for their violence in this case?
There is all this use of language to a particular purpose, a wrongful purpose. The main one, of course, as already mentioned, is the use of the term “democracy” in such way as to suggest that what a democracy does must be right, and the use of the word “terrorism” in such a way as to suggest or declare that this terrorism is always wrong or barbarous. It is just self-serving commandeering of language.
What is most important about it is that it does not amount to serious moral argument. Nor will it in the end be decisive. It seems to me that just about everybody in the world, including all supporters of Israel, do in fact see through this vile stuff. Vile stuff with a vicious purpose.
As for whether Israel does in fact have an argument for its own existence, it seems to me very clear that it does. It also has an argument for defending itself, where that actually means what the word “defending” does mean. It does not mean attacking somebody else in order to seize more land. What Israel does not have an argument for, whatever wretched terminology and talk it goes in for, is the taking of more and more land beyond its justified borders, these to my mind being its borders before 1967.
Amnesty International in their latest report [1] recently stated: “Israel has the right and responsibility to take measures to prevent unlawful violence [referring to Palestinian violence]. The Israeli government equally has an obligation to ensure that the measures it takes to protect Israelis are carried out in accordance with international human rights and humanitarian law.” What do you think of the first sentence, and isn’t it in contradiction with the second sentence?
I think this stuff from Amnesty as it stands is typical unreflective moralizing, avoiding the issue. What Israel ought to do is give up, withdraw from the homeland of another people. That is the main thing.
How they do this, how they go about protecting Israeli lives and what they do to Palestinians in the process, is a secondary matter. It is a large matter, but a secondary matter. Needless to say, they should cause the least possible suffering and death, to the Palestinians and themselves.
Amnesty and Human Rights Watch have proscribed any violence against civilians, settlers, and even off duty soldiers. Violence in Israel is proscribed completely. It seems that Palestinians are only allowed to fight one of the most powerful armies in the world within the occupied territories. What do you make of this?
Probably I disagree with it. I guess I disagree with it. My view of the Palestinians’ moral right to their terrorism is most confident with respect to the occupied territories, but I also extend it to Israel itself.
Amnesty equates the nature of the violence perpetrated against Israelis and Palestinians. That is, it will condemn to the same degree when an Israeli is killed, and when a Palestinian is killed. It also calls on “both parties to respect human rights, and to make human rights central to their agenda.” Is AI’s stance valid?
Everyone should object to the terrible “even-handedness” of such statements as the Amnesty one. Everyone should choke on such attempts at “balance”. In an ordinary sense of the words, there is no place at all for even-handedness and balance in actually dealing with the rapist engaged in the rape of the woman with a knife at her throat. The rapist has no rights that bear significantly on the question of whether he should stop or be stopped. The analogy with Israel is not a wild one, but exact.
If Amnesty were taking the view that any killing is as bad as any other killing, it would be taking a view that is denied by all of history. If it is saying that you can settle any question of killing by making a declaration of a right to life, that is nonsense. It has the upshot, to mention but one, that it would have been wrong to kill a single German guard in order to save a thousand Jews from death in gas chambers in a concentration camp.
A few months ago Cherie Blair, the wife of the current British Prime Minister, stated: “As long as young people feel they have got no hope but to blow themselves up, you are never going to make progress.” This seemingly bland statement elicited a barrage of criticism, and a statement from the Prime minister’s office announced that she retracted the statement, and apologized for it. So, why do you think her bland statement elicited this response?
It elicited this response as a result of Israeli and Zionist activity. There is no puzzle about that. Cherie Blair's statement did not elicit the response because people in general thought the comment was terrible. In fact, probably, most people thought the opposite.
I understand that you recently arranged to donate 5,000 ($8,000) to Oxfam GB, and that this was then rejected on account of the statement in your book about the moral right of the Palestinians. Why did Oxfam refuse your donation?
Well, there was a Zionist threat. But I think Oxfam could pretty easily have accepted the 5,000 without thereby losing a larger amount of money as a result of Zionists or others not making donations. Oxfam could have done this by declaring that it would not dream of endorsing or agreeing with my view, which it hated, but that regretfully Oxfam was obliged legally and morally to save 2,000 lives, the lives of 2,000 dying children, by taking the money. This is just obvious. Those who suggest otherwise are trying to avoid a clear truth, for whatever reason.
So what happened has some other explanation in place of or in addition to the Zionist threat. You get to it by reading Oxfam’s own statements. What it comes to is that some people -- certainly not all -- in the Oxfam GB office in Oxford were disturbed or outraged by my view. They were upset, as I said in answer to an earlier question.
That is all right by me. Philosophers are used to disagreement. What isn’t all right is allowing more people to die for certain of your conventional moral feelings. That is neither a legal nor a moral possibility for Oxfam. Its objects, which are defined in the foundation document lodged with the Charity Commission, do not include refuting moral philosophers it thinks are mistaken. In particular it can't do this if it reduces their income to serve their real objects of saving lives and preventing suffering.
Mr. John Whitaker, the Deputy Director of Oxfam GB, who has taken responsibility for the decision to turn away the 5,000, should resign. If he does not, he should be relieved of his duties by the Trustees of Oxfam, who have authority over the charity.
There is also the fact that Oxfam’s acting on the moral feelings of some of its officers raises a bigger question not about their raising of money but their use of it. In particular, it raises a question about their policy with respect to Palestine. For a start, this is a matter of their political activity, which is one of their stated policies, and their literature. Why aren't they putting out a lot of forceful and effective literature against the violation of Palestine? Why is this missing from the stuff we all get in our mailboxes?
Paul de Rooij is an economist living in London and can be reached at proox@hotmail.com. He will forward legitimate emails to Prof. Honderich.
Notes:
1. Shielded from scrutiny: IDF violations in Jenin and Nablus, Nov. 4, 02
2. There is an extensive account of the Oxfam dispute by Ted Honderich at www.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho/ATTOxfam1.html
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2002 1:53 pm Post subject: Israel Plans Increased Settlement Activity
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021204194538493
Israel Plans Increased Settlement Activity
Wednesday, December 04 2002 @ 07:45 PM GMT
"A spokeswoman for Housing Minister Nathan Sharansk said that a tender for the construction of 150 new houses in the large settlements .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The Israeli housing ministry and the illegal so-called Settlers Council in the occupied Palestinian Territory have drawn up a plan for increased settlement activity in the West Bank over the next three months, the Israeli daily Ma’ariv reported on Tuesday.
The plan provides for dozens of new houses to be built in 14 different settlements, creating facts on the ground in isolated settlements, which Israel’s Labor party says it wants to dismantle if it wins the January 28 legislative elections.
The plan was drawn up during a meeting between Settlers Council chairman Bentzi Lieberman and Avi Moz, the director general of the housing ministry, Ma’ariv said.
A spokeswoman for Housing Minister Nathan Sharansk said that a tender for the construction of 150 new houses in the large settlements of Ariel and Efrat, northeast of Tel Aviv and south of Jerusalem respectively, had been issued two months ago.
However she denied that such a plan had been agreed. "The ministry does not plan any stepped up development ahead of the elections," she told AFP.
According to Ma’ariv, the housing ministry initiated the construction of a record 1,894 new housing units in the West Bank, more than twice the 2001 figure.
Some 210,000 Jewish settlers live in 160 settlements across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, while another 200,000 live in the 12 settlements in occupied and annexed east Jerusalem.
Coinciding with Ma’ariv’s report, Israel's military chief of staff Moshe Ya’alon said Tuesday he opposes any dismantlement of any Jewish settlements.
"If we dismantle a settlement while under fire, hoping to spare military forces, we will achieve the opposite (of security)," he said, speaking at the annual Herzliya conference on “The Balance of Israel's National Security”.
"We will have to deploy much larger forces because a dismantling will galvanize the Palestinian struggle," he added.
His comments were a clear response to opposition Labor Party leader Amram Mitzna's proposal for the dismantling of all settlements in the Gaza Strip and some isolated settlements in the West Bank.
A ‘roadmap’ for peace in the Middle East being drawn up by the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia demands a freeze of settlement activity and the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005.
Illegal Jewish settlement of Palestinian territory under the protection of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) since 1967 has been the hardcore of Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Since Palestinians and Israelis signed the Declaration of Principles in Washington in 1993 the number of illegal Jewish settlements and settlers almost doubled in occupied Palestinian territories.
US Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer on Tuesday reiterated US opposition to Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Settlement activity has "severely undermined Palestinian trust and hope. It pre-empts and prejudges the outcome of negotiations and in doing so cripples chances for real peace and security," Kurtzer told a conference on national security near Tel Aviv.
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2002 1:55 pm Post subject: Eid is Thursday in Palestine: Mufti
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021204181103992
Eid is Thursday in Palestine: Mufti
Wednesday, December 04 2002 @ 06:11 PM GMT
"The announcement was made during a news conference in Jerusalem this evening .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Ikrema Sabri, announced on Wednesday that Thursday will be the first day of Eidul Fitr which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
The announcement was made during a news conference in Jerusalem this evening.
Sabri said that the new moon of the lunar month of Shawwal was cited in Palestine and several other Muslim lands, thus marking the end of Ramadan.
Neighboring Jordan and Saudi Arabia and a number of other Middle Eastern countries have also announced that occurrence of Eidul Fitr will be tomorrow.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2002 2:02 pm Post subject: Intrntl UN Workers been verbally abused,stripped,beaten
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021204171525491
Statement From International UN Workers Operating In Occupied Palestinian Territories
Wednesday, December 04 2002 @ 05:15 PM GMT
"'UN staff - international and Palestinian alike - have been verbally abused, stripped, beaten, shot at and killed by Israeli soldiers ..'"
December 3,2002
To whom it may concern,
We, the undersigned, are staff members of the United Nations, but we write in our personal capacities. All of us work in the West Bank and Gaza Strip bringing badly needed humanitarian relief to a population in distress. In the course of our duties we have witnessed much tragedy on both sides of the conflict. We have come from all over the world to work, without bias or favour, to try to alleviate some of the pain and suffering that has for too long afflicted this land.
Now we find that, once again, tragedy has touched us. For us, expressions of sadness and grief are not enough. The diplomatic language of the bureaucrat will not suffice. We write to express our absolute condemnation at the senseless killing of Iain Hook in Jenin on November 22. Based on publicly available information, we condemn the Israeli army in the strongest possible terms for this wanton act against an unarmed man - a man shot in the back by a military sniper while negotiating with the Israeli army to evacuate the women, children and UN staff who were in the UN compound at the time.
Our condemnation is reinforced by the knowledge that the soldiers refused to allow an ambulance called to evacuate Iain to travel the last few yards needed to reach him. Instead, UN staff here forced to seek an alternative route to rescue him. This caused a delay and made sure that the work done by a bullet was completed by the Israeli army's refusal to respect the most elementary standards of humanity.
The shock of that day's events does not come in isolation. For two years, United Nations staff have been subject to escalating harassment and violence by Israel's military, so that the protection supposed to be afforded by the blue letters of the UN is being steadily eroded.
UN staff - international and Palestinian alike - have been verbally abused, stripped, beaten, shot at and killed by Israeli soldiers. There has been armed interference with UN employees and vehicles, including attacks on UN ambulances and medical personnel. UNRWA schools, health clinics and offices have been hit by bombs, rockets, tank shells and gunfire even during daytime, thereby endangering the lives of staff and, in the case of schools, the lives of refugee children. Buildings occupied by UN staff have been repeatedly damaged during Israeli airforce bombing.
Tragically Iain Hook was not the first person working with the UN to die at the hands of the IDF this year. In March, Kamal Hamdan was shot and killed while travelling in a clearly marked UNRWA ambulance in the West Bank.. In April, Husni Amer died in Israeli military custody in Jenin after, according to witnesses, receiving a brutal beating by the soldiers at the time of his arrest. From its silence, we presume the Israeli authorities have ignored UN requests for an investigation and report of these two incidents, and have not seen fit to take any disciplinary action against the soldiers involved. To us, this seems to confirm a pattern of utter contempt on the part of the Israeli army for the lost lives of these men, the safety of UN staff or the minimum standards imposed by international law which should protect UN staff and other humanitarian workers.
The official military spokesperson's statement on the initial investigation into Iain's killing asserts that shots were fired from UNRWA's compound in the Jenin refugee camp towards Israel's forces. This contradicts eyewitness accounts of our colleagues in Jenin and the information relayed to UNRWA's Field Office by Iain just prior to his death. The most charitable characterization one can make of this statement is that it lacks any credibility. To us, it has all the makings of propaganda designed to tarnish the reputation of the UN, excuse the killing of an unarmed man and perpetuate the false charge that UNRWA shelters terrorists, in the public mind. We strongly request that any investigation carried out by the Israeli government will be independent, transparent and impartial. We strongly request that the Israeli government will bring those responsible for Iain's killing promptly to justice. Only the most lawless societies allow gunmen in uniform the impunity to kill aid workers without fear of punishment.. We are confident Israel does not wish to see its troops painted in the same colours as the militiamen who have stalked some of the world's other conflicts.
As UN staff, we expect the protection of the Israeli government to enable us to undertake our humanitarian responsibilities wherever they are needed. This is not a matter of courtesy or favour, but rather an implementation of Israel's own obligations under international law and its express commitment to UNRWA to facilitate the Agency's operations in the occupied territories.
Israel's often stated regret at the loss of civilian lives is not an impervious shield that can deflect all criticism. It is a shield that is, in our view, tarnished by the attempts of Israeli spokespersons to link Iain's death to wider political issues or to claim that the UN was somehow culpable for his killing. In these tragic circumstances, rather than easily uttered regrets, we expect the Israeli Government take the necessary steps to stop the harassment, beating and killing of UN staff. We expect respect and protection as United Nations employees. As international staff members, we hope and expect to return alive to our own countries and families after our work here is done. We hope and expect no less for our Palestinian colleagues so they can live and work in safety until the parties to the conflict eventually find the road to peace.
Sally Airs, Australia; Naomi Ando, Japan; Ignacio Artaza Zuriarrain, Spain, Alan Barnie, Australia Peter Bartu, Australia Pamela Bell, USA Susan Brannon, USA Marlise Brenner, Australia Deidre Connolly, USA Marisa Consolate Kemper, Canada Joanna Corbin, UK B. Scott Custer Jr., USA Omar Dajani, USA Calvin Dasilvio, USA Isabelle dela Cruz, Germany Marc De la Motte, Italy-France Mark Dennis, USA Ray Dolphin, Ireland Juliet Dryden, UK Teresa Fallarme, Philippine Jean-Marie Frentz, Luxembourg Christopher Gabelle, UK Jagannathan Gopalan, India Philippe Grandet, France Pentti Hakonen, Finland Roger Hearn, Australia Grigor Hovmannisyan, Armenia Thierry Kaiser, France Sima Kanaan, Jordan Elizabeth Kawambwa, Tanzania.
Jan Kolaas, Norway Antje Kunst, Germany Marc Lassouaoui, France Brett Lodge, Australia Ali Mahmuda, Canada Henrik Mathiesen, Norway Carlos Mazuera, Columbia Paul McCann, UK Amanda Melville, Australia Severine Meyer, France Zeina Mogarbel, Spain Merethe Nedrebo, Norway Gustav Nordstrom, Finland Patrick O'neil, Ireland Melissa Parke, Australia Joachim Paul, German Alex Pollock, UK Gerhard Pulfer, Austria Timothy Rothermel, USA Sam Rose, UK Ehab Shanti, Canada Shahwan Huda, Jordan Jean-Luc Siblot, France Guy Siri, France Elna Sondergaard, Denmark Juerg Staudenmann, Switzerland Angelo Stefanini, Italy Gretta Van Bleek, Netherlands Arjan Van Houwelingen, Netherlands Andrew Whitley, UK Hanna Wintsch, Switzerland Cecilia Wreh-McGill, USA Ros Young, UK Kirsten Zaat, Australia
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2002 2:12 pm Post subject: Celebrate but Don’t Forget
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021204193326496
Celebrate but Don’t Forget
Wednesday, December 04 2002 @ 07:33 PM GMT
"Meandering through a shopping mall last week I saw mothers happily buying dresses for their daughters. Unbidden, my mind was filled with images of Palestinian children dressed in rags .."
By Khaled Al-Maeena
Today is Eid Al-Fitr, an occasion to feel joy and be glad. But this year I approach the holiday like a sleepwalker, stumbling through a never-ending nightmare. The city of Jeddah is filled with bright lights and merrymakers, but I have no festive spirit within me.
As a journalist, year after year I have been forced to bear witness to man’s inhumanity to mankind. When I first began, it was a job, a challenge to report the better story, to get there first and dig deepest. Details of destruction were nothing more than words on a page, may Allah forgive my ignorance and youth.
Now my consciousness is overwhelmed with the litany of daily horrors. The sad stories that appear in Arab News are but a drop in the bucket of global misery. Four Palestinian children are killed in one day. We print the photo of one. An Afghani child loses his legs to a mine. We don’t report it. There’s no space on our pages. He’s just another victim, one of many. Chechens are dying by the dozens. International news agencies no longer choose to hear their screams, see their tears or even remember that they exist.
Not only is the agony flashing across monitors in the newsroom, people from near and far reach out directly for assistance. The Internet has changed the way we communicate. Every hour, pleas for aid arrive through e-mail. “Find a way to educate my son,” writes one mother. “My baby needs surgery or she will die,” writes another. “My son has been detained by the Israelis. He is our only support,” explains a third. I try to help them all, but I cannot work miracles, and the need is tremendous.
So I go out and walk to give my mind a rest. Meandering through a shopping mall last week I saw mothers happily buying dresses for their daughters. Unbidden, my mind was filled with images of Palestinian children dressed in rags. I passed a confectionery filled with cakes and sweets of every kind. In a trick of light, the dirty, desperate faces of Muslim refugees appeared as shadows on the shop’s windows. Teens loitered on corners, laughing and telling tales. I thought of the young Palestinians, whose only crime was breathing, detained in concentration camps by the Israelis.
“Be happy!” my friends tell me. “It’s Eid.” Instead, my soul mourns. I am surrounded by a society on a constant quest to shop and spend. People here never seem to have enough, no matter how much they have. In the final days of Ramadan the souks were packed till 3 a.m. What happened to the concept of praying on Ramadan nights for forgiveness? Where was the time for soul searching and quiet contemplation? When I opened my mouth to object to all the materialism in our midst, people told me to lighten up, that I was taking life far too seriously. “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” they advised.
Bullets and bombs are definitely small. The minds of many politicians are often even smaller. A baby starved to death becomes really tiny. Explosives can blow homes and people to little bits. Foreign policy in some nations has been reduced to sound bites. In our world, hope has shriveled and peace has been dwarfed by war. But don’t worry about the small stuff! It’s the big picture that’s really depressing.
This morning, while many of us were dressed in fine raiment, touching our foreheads to soft rugs and returning to lavish breakfasts and warm beds, around the world millions of people were caught up in inescapable suffering. Just closing our eyes to their misery will not make it disappear. Sadly, we do not even have to look far to find those in need. Families in our own land live in poverty, clinging to the scraps of their dignity in a nation of abundance.
Our world is a troubled place, filled with loss and pain and tears. Is this all the future holds for us? Eid Al-Fitr is about sharing our goodness with others. Let this day be a new beginning in your life. Take a vow to reach out to all with kindness, tolerance and compassion. Remember the joy of giving. Nurture your spirituality. Perhaps you’ll find that caring for others brings more pleasure and rewards than caring about yourself ever did. Sounds too sentimental and idealistic? Does a world filled with violence and fear sound better? Eid Mubarak.
The author is the editor-in-chief of Arab News
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Pinnochio
Joined: 29 Sep 2002
Posts: 505
Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2002 1:54 pm Post subject:
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A Jewish Renewal Understanding of the State of Israel
By Rabbi Michael Lerner
Jews did not return to Palestine in order to be oppressors or representatives of Western colonialism or cultural imperialism. Although it is true that some early Zionist leaders sought to portray their movement as a way to serve the interests of various Western states, and although many Jews who came brought with them a Western arrogance that made it possible for them to see Palestine as "a land without a people for a people without a land," and hence to virtually ignore the Palestinian people and its own cultural and historical rights, the vast majority of thsoe who came were seeking refuge from the murderous ravages of Western anti-Semitism or from the oppressive discrimination that they experienced in Arab countries. The Ashkenazic Jews who shaped Israel in its early years were jumping from the burning buildings of Europe--and when they landed on the backs of Palestinians, unintentionally causing a great deal of pain to the people who already lived there, they were so transfixed with their own (much greater and more actue) pain that they couldn't be bothered to notice that they were displacing and hurting others in the process of creating their own state.
Their insensitivity to the pain that they caused, and their subsequent denial of the fact that in creating Israel they had simultaneously helped create a Palestinian people most of whom were forced to live as refugees (and now, their many descendents still living as exiles and dreaming of "return" just as we Jews did for some 1800 plus years), was aided by the arrogance, stupidity and anti-Semitism of Palestinian leaders and their Arab allies in neighboring states who dreamt of ridding the area of its Jews and who, much like the Herut "revisionists" who eventually came to run Israel in the past twenty years, consistently resorted to violence and intimidation to pursue their maximalist fantasies.
cont/d....
http://www.tikkun.org/renewal/index.cfm/action/israel.html
Armed Badgers Storm Oxford Street Starbucks in Central London to Build Illegal Settlement
NEWS RELEASE - 31st October 2002
Armed Badgers Storm Oxford Street Starbucks in Central London to Build Illegal Settlement - "If Israel can, we can"
On Thursday 31st October at 3.00pm, 30 badgers armed with waterpistols stormed the Starbucks on Oxford St claiming it as their ancestral home.
Using the logic of Israeli settlers1 the badgers evicted some of the customers and erected the first badger settlement in London. With placards proclaiming "If it works in Palestine why not here" and "It's ours because we say so" the self-styled Badger Defence Force set up checkpoints to inspect shoppers and tourists for concealed weapons.
"If they're not a badger, they could be a terrorist" a spokesbadger said. They handed out copies of the badger bible which proves their ownership of Starbucks and a fact sheet which answered Frequently Asked Questions about their activities (see documents attached together with 9 photos).
The badgers have selected the store for their settlement because of the role of its CEO as a major supporter of the Israeli state.
The company has become a prime target of an international boycott of companies with ties to Israel2.
A spokesbadger said "Since the chief executive of this company clearly believes it is ok for one group of people to grab land belonging to another and say they have a right to it, we believe they won't mind if we take some of theirs".
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2002 3:32 pm Post subject: Revenge of a Child
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This story was printed from a.com/english">http://www.arabia.com, Commentary channel.
Revenge of a Child
By Uri Avnery
Since last Sunday, a question has been running around in my head and troubling my sleep: What induced the young Palestinian, who broke into Kibbutz Metzer, to aim his weapon at a mother and her two little children and kill them?
In war one does not kill children. That is a fundamental human instinct, common to all peoples and all cultures. Even a Palestinian who wants to take revenge for the hundreds of children killed by the Israeli army should not take revenge on children. No moral commandment says a child for a child.
- The persons who do these things are not known as crazy killers, blood-thirsty from birth. In almost all interviews with relatives and neighbors they are described as quite ordinary, non-violent individuals. Many of them are not religious fanatics. Indeed, Sirkhan Sirkhan, the man who committed the deed in Metzer, belonged to Fatah, a secular movement.
These persons belong to all social classes; some come from poor families who have reached the threshold of hunger, but others come from middle class families, university students, educated people. Their genes are not different from ours.
So what makes them do these things? What makes other Palestinians justify them?
In order to cope, one has to understand, and that does not mean to justify. Nothing in the world can justify a Palestinian who shoots at a child in his mothers embrace, just as nothing can justify an Israeli who drops a bomb on a house in which a child is sleeping in his bed. As the Hebrew poet Bialik wrote a hundred years ago, after the Kishinev pogrom: Even Satan has not yet invented the revenge for the blood of a little child.
But without understanding, it is impossible to cope. The chiefs of the IDF have a simple solution: hit, hit, hit. Kill the attackers. Kill their commanders. Kill the leaders of their organizations. Demolish the homes of their families and exile their relatives. But, wonder of wonders, these methods achieve the opposite. After the huge IDF bulldozer flattens the terrorist infrastructure, destroying-killing-uprooting everything on its way, within days a new infrastructure comes into being. According to the announcements of the IDF itself, since operation Protective Shield there have been some fifty warnings of imminent attacks every day.
The reason for this can be summed up in one word: rage.
Terrible rage, that fills the soul of a human being, leaving no space for anything else. Rage that dominates the persons whole life, making life itself unimportant. Rage that wipes out all limitations, eclipses all values, breaks the chains of family and responsibility. Rage that a person wakes up with in the morning, goes to sleep with in the evening, dreams about at night. Rage that tells a person: get up, take a weapon or an explosive belt, go to their homes and kill, kill, kill, no matter what the consequences.
An ordinary Israeli, who has never been in the Palestinian territories, cannot even imagine the reasons for this rage. Our media totally ignore the events there, or describe them in small, sweetened doses. The average Israeli knows somehow that the Palestinians suffer (its their own fault, of course), but he has no idea whats really happening there. It doesnt concern him, anyhow.
Homes are demolished. A merchant, lawyer, ordinary craftsman, respected in his community, turns overnight into a homeless, he and his children and grandchildren. Each one of them a potential suicide bomber.
Fruit-trees are being uprooted in their thousands. For the officer, its just a tree, an obstacle. For the owners, its the blood of his heart, the heritage of his forefathers, years of toil, the livelihood of his family. Each one of them a potential suicide bomber.
On a hill between the villages a gang of thugs has put up an outpost. The army arrives to defend them. When the villagers come to till their fields, they are shot at. They are forbidden to work in all fields and groves within a one or two kilometers range, so that the security of the outpost will not be endangered. The peasants see from afar, with longing eyes, how their fruit is rotting on the trees, how their fields are being covered by thorns and thistles waist high, while their children have nothing to eat. Each one of them a potential suicide bomber.
People are killed. Their torn bodies lie in the streets, for everyone to see. Some of them are martyrs who chose their lot. But many others €“ men, women, children €“ are killed by mistake, accidentally, trying to escape, were close to the source of fire - and all the hundred and one pretexts of professional spokesmen. The IDF does not apologize, officers and soldiers are never convicted, because thats how things are in war. But each of the people killed has parents, brothers, sons, cousins. Each one of them a potential suicide bomber.
Beyond these are the families living on the fringes of hunger, suffering from severe malnutrition. Fathers who cannot bring food to their children feel despair. Each one of them a potential suicide bomber.
Hundred of thousands are kept under curfew for weeks and months on end, eight persons cooped up in two or three rooms, a living hell difficult to imagine, while outside the settlers have a ball, protected by the soldiers. A vicious circle: yesterdays bombers caused the curfew, the curfew creates the bombers of tomorrow.
And beyond all these, the total humiliation which every Palestinian, without distinction of age, gender or social standing, experiences every moment of his life. Not an abstract humiliation, but an altogether concrete one. To be dependent for life and death on the whim of an 18-year old boy in the street and at one of the innumerable checkpoints that a Palestinian has to pass wherever he goes, while gangs of settlers pass freely and visit their villages, damage property, pick the olives in their groves, set fire to the trees.
An Israeli who has not seen it cannot imagine such a life, a situation of every bastard a king and the slave who has becomes master, a situation of curses and pushes at best, threats with weapons in many cases, actual shooting in some. Not to mention the sick on the way to dialysis, the pregnant women on the way to hospital, students who dont get to their classes, children who cant reach their schools. The youngsters who see their venerable grandfather publicly humiliated by some boy in uniform with a runny nose. Each one of them a potential suicide bomber.
A normal Israeli cannot imagine all this. After all, the soldiers are nice boys, the sons of all of us, only yesterday they were schoolboys. But when one takes these nice boys and puts them in uniforms, pushes them through the military machine and puts them into a situation of occupation, something happens to them. Many try to keep their human face in impossible circumstances, many others become order-fulfilling robots. And always, in every company, there are some disturbed people who flourish in this situation and do repulsive things, knowing that their officers will turn a blind eye or wink approvingly.
All this does not justify the killing of children in the arms of their mother. But it helps to grasp why this is happening, and why this will go on happening as long as the occupation lasts.
Mr. Avnery is a prominent Israeli journalist.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2002 8:35 pm Post subject: Taking a harder line
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Taking a harder line
Nov 18th 2002
From The Economist Global Agenda
Ariel Sharon might use Friday’s attack on Israeli settlers and soldiers near Hebron as an excuse to beef up Jewish settlements in Palestinian areas
Reuters
More blood on the streets
ISRAEL’S prime minister, Ariel Sharon, is awaiting a detailed response from the army to his proposal to create “territorial contiguity” between the large Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba, the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the nearby West Bank city of Hebron, and the small Jewish settlement enclaves that already exist in the city. Aides said he raised the idea—not a new one—with army commanders in Hebron on November 17th, in reaction to the killing there two days earlier of 12 Israelis, most of them soldiers, in an ambush mounted by gunmen from Islamic Jihad, a militant Palestinian group. Among the Israeli dead was the colonel commanding the Hebron area, the highest-ranking soldier to have been killed during the 26 months of Palestinian uprising, or intifada.
Creating contiguity would mean building new Jewish homes next to, or in place of, Palestinian ones along a broad corridor of suburban land, and taking over several urban streets inside the city. Mr Sharon’s men say it would mean, eventually, Israel ruling over fewer Palestinian Hebronites than hitherto. But the scheme would amount to a major new encroachment by the settlers into this city of 120,000 Palestinians and just a few hundred Jews. As such, it would represent a lurch rightwards by the Sharon government, which has been ruling as a caretaker administration since the Labour Party left the governing coalition last month.
Mr Sharon is said to believe that the attack near Hebron, which stunned the country and drew sharp condemnations from the international community, gives him an opportunity to beef up the Jewish settlements in Hebron, a heartwarming prospect for many in his own Likud Party and among its rightist and religious allies. At a cabinet meeting on November 17th, the prime minister curtly dismissed demands from his new foreign minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to dismantle the Palestinian Authority and deport its chairman, Yasser Arafat, as Israel’s response to the killings. Mr Sharon has promised President George Bush not to harm Mr Arafat personally. The prime minister will stand against Mr Netanyahu in a Likud leadership primary on November 28th. Mr Sharon is well ahead of his rival, according to the polls.
The new defence minister, Shaul Mofaz, has ordered the army to reoccupy the whole of Hebron—it had withdrawn from much of the city just three weeks ago—and to “clean out nests of terrorism”. The homes of prominent Palestinian activists were blown up, and dozens of men were taken in for questioning. Military sources say the army’s stay is “indefinite”. In Nablus, too, the largest city in the northern West Bank, a similarly intensive search-and-arrest operation is under way following a terrorist attack on a kibbutz inside Israel.
In Gaza, meanwhile, Israeli forces struck at a Palestinian Authority training complex, destroying several buildings and carting off large quantities of weapons and documents. In the haul were a number of Qassam missiles, clandestinely manufactured in Gaza, which Hamas and Islamic Jihad units fire at Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, and sometimes at towns and kibbutzim inside Israel. Mr Mofaz said the evidence “proved the close connections” between the Palestinian Authority’s Preventive Security Service, which runs the training complex, and terrorist groups. Some fear this assault might herald a full-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Mr Mofaz and his generals promise a frank investigation into the disastrous Hebron firefight. The colonel involved has come under posthumous criticism for plunging into the fray (without a flak jacket) instead of taking stock and running the battle from the rear. Compounding the military’s embarrassment was the attempted hijacking on November 17th of an El Al aircraft flying from Tel Aviv to Istanbul. A young Israeli Arab reportedly carrying a small pocket-knife charged towards the cockpit but was felled by two in-flight security men. Now Israel’s airport authority is trying to explain how the knife got through what is vaunted as a fail-safe security system.
The Palestinian Authority’s response to the assault in Hebron was one of resounding silence, in contrast to its condemnation of the kibbutz attack, which left five Israelis dead. The reason is twofold. There is barely a Palestinian who does not view Islamic Jihad’s ambush as an entirely just response to a situation where 120,000 Palestinians are held hostage to the messianic ambitions of a few hundred armed settlers and their 1,500 or so army protectors. Secondly, there is a solid consensus, held by all the Palestinian factions and militias, that the armed resistance will continue inside the occupied territories as long as Israel retains control of six of the main West Bank Palestinian cities.
The Hebron attack came two days after the first round of talks between Mr Arafat’s Fatah movement and Hamas in Cairo. Fatah wants Hamas to declare a moratorium on all armed attacks, and especially suicide bombings, on civilians inside Israel. Publicly, Hamas has said the suicide or “martyrdom” operations will continue as long as “Israeli troops wage war against our people”. Less publicly, Hamas representatives in Cairo said their movement would halt attacks on Israeli civilians if Israel withdrew from the recently reoccupied Palestinian cities and ended the assassinations of Palestinian militants. Islamic Jihad, too, has said it would abide by such an “initiative”.
The Palestinian leadership is pinning its hopes not on domestic initiatives, but on some form of international rescue. Last week, it gave hedged approval to an American-drafted “roadmap”, which aims to establish a provisional Palestinian state in 2003 and to produce a fully fledged peace agreement by 2005. The Palestinian Authority is ready to quell the violence in return for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank cities and an internationally monitored freeze on Israel’s construction of settlements.
It is unlikely to get either, however. Last week, David Satterfield, a US State Department envoy, got a cool reception from Israeli officials for the roadmap. And Israeli analysts say Mr Sharon has already won American agreement for no new diplomatic initiatives ahead of the Israeli elections in late January and, probably, any American-led strike on Iraq. By then, he clearly hopes the region’s actual maps will have changed to Israel’s advantage.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2002 8:41 pm Post subject: Escalated Collective Punishment in Hebron,Nablus and Ramalla
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Escalated Collective Punishment Measures in Hebron, Nablus and Ramallah
Date: 12/3/02 12:02:36 PM Central Standard Time
iapinfo@iap.org (IAP NEWS)
Escalated Collective Punishment Measures in Hebron, Nablus and Ramallah
Hear Palestine - December 3, 2002
Hebron
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The occupation army was not satisfied with preventing thousands of people
from attending to prayers during the last days of Ramadan as a result of the imposed curfew but also raided a number of mosques in the city and held several people all night out in the cold.
At least 15 people were arrested from Al-Sheikh Ali Al-Bukaa Mosque. One of those held by the occupation army said they were surprised as they headed towards the mosque with 3 soldiers directing their machineguns towards them and ordering them to lift their arms. They were transferred to a military roadblock in the city where others were also held. Everyone was forced to sit on a pavement all night in the cold humiliated and verbally abused by occupation soldiers.
A curfew has been imposed on the city for the past 20 days.
Nablus
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Israeli occupation soldiers yesterday held around 30 people, including
several children and elderly people, in a 2-meter deep ditch for over 5
hours yesterday.
The youth Ali Daraghma said that occupation soldiers based at the entrance
of Nablus, near Zawata village held around 30 people inside a ditch dug by
Israeli bulldozers as they attempted to enter the city. Israeli soldiers
forced them inside the ditch under the threat of weapons. They were also
prevented from standing up.
Daraghma said, "When we asked the soldiers why they were keeping us when we had done nothing wrong, one soldier said that his brother was killed in an armed operation and that we all have to pay the price."
Amjad Abu Saleh was arrested today in an Israeli ambush on the
Tulkarem-Nablus road.
The occupation army also invaded Balata refugee camp under intense fire and arrested 3 men during home raids.
Ramallah
-----------
Students and teachers are unable to reach Bir Zeit University for the second
day running. Surda military roadblock separating Bir Zeit and 40 other
villages from Ramallah City is completely closed and alternative routes,
such as the 'Jawal route' is filled with danger.
The Israeli army claimed that 8 "wanted" Palestinians were arrested in the
West Bank since last night. Those were arrested from Doura, Hebron, and
Balata refugee camp, Nablus, according to the Israeli sources.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2002 8:45 pm Post subject: Stance on Israel hurts Hansen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: http://www.examiner.com/news/default.jsp?story=n.d8.1115w
:
: Publication date: 11/15/2002
:
: Stance on Israel hurts Hansen
: BY ADRIEL HAMPTON
: Of The Examiner Staff
:
: Eileen Hansen's views on the Jewish state may cost
: her some crucial votes in the District 8 supervisor's
: runoff Dec 10.
:
: Hansen has recently drawn a storm of criticism for
: her participation in what some have called anti-Israel
: efforts. A growing number of local Jewish activists
: believe Hansen, were she to win a Board of Supervisors
: seat, might use the position as a platform to
: criticize the efforts of the Israeli government.
:
: Hansen's presence at a Jews for a Free Palestine
: rally against a Jewish humanitarian group brought the
: issue into the spotlight.
:
: Although Hansen attended the May protest -- which
: led to several arrests -- as an observer for the
: National Lawyers Guild, some likened the event to a
: KKK rally.
:
: The group's chants were "so hurtful, so spiteful
: and so wrong," Lauter said. "If there were things
: there that offended her, she should have left."
:
: About 150 protesters carried "Jews against
: Zionism" and "Zionism = racism" signs, chanted "JCF
: (Jewish Community Federation) you can't hide, you're
: supporting genocide," according to photos and media
: and eyewitness reports from the rally.
:
: Zionism is the support of a Jewish state in
: Israel.
:
: Jews for a Free Palestine advocates an immediate
: end to all U.S. support of Israel and the right of
: return for all expelled Palestinians to their towns
: and homes of origin.
:
: A call to the group's listed number reached a
: recording for "Jews for Divestment from Israel" and
: was not returned by press time.
:
: "People don't begrudge her her opinion," said Sam
: Lauter, "but they aren't ashamed of trying to beat
: her."
:
: Lauter, a political consultant for Barnes, Mosher,
: Whitehurst & Lauter, is one of a number of local Jews
: -- many of whom backed BART board member Tom
: Radulovich in the general election -- who are
: supporting Hansen's opponent, Bevan Dufty, in the
: runoff.
:
: Both candidates are likeable, knowledgeable gay
: Jews, and said a supervisor should stay out of
: international politics.
:
: It's not so simple, however, with a board known
: for taking on such issues as the Iraq war and China's
: treatment of Falun Gong practitioners.
:
: Hansen told The Examiner that if constituents
: brought an issue such as financial divestment from
: Israel to her office, she would work it out with
: various factions of the Jewish community.
:
: "I don't really want to get into a discussion of
: Zionism. What I do have is a history of working for
: peace in the Middle East," Hansen said. "It is
: important that the rights of both peoples be respected
: and I respect the rights of both people to exist and
: I've worked toward that."
:
: Dufty supports a two-state solution to the
: conflict, based on negotiations.
:
: "Everyday it pains me to read about the tragic
: loss of life in the Middle East and I pray for a
: peaceful settlement but I 100 percent support Israel's
: existence and know that peace can only come from
: negotiations, not from terrorism," Dufty said.
:
: Neither candidate, or their four rivals, made
: Israel-Palestine relations an issue in the general
: election, but there's no question that Hansen has been
: hurt by the issue in the runoff.
:
: For example, the political action committee of the
: Raoul Wallenberg Jewish Democratic Club, which sends a
: slate card to every Jewish voter, has recommended
: Dufty, at least in part based on Hansen's position on
: the Jewish state. The full membership votes on
: Wednesday.
:
: No candidate met the clubs 60-percent approval
: threshold for an endorsement in the November election.
:
: "The Wallenberg Club is not trying to stifle
: people's opinions, but we are going to support people
: who support a secure and safe Israel and support the
: U.S. in that effort," said Dan Cohen, a club board
: member.
: _____________________________
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2002 4:02 am Post subject: Little joy for homeless Palestinians on Muslim holiday
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Little joy for homeless Palestinians on Muslim holiday
RAFAH, Gaza Strip, Dec 3 (Reuters) - There will be no decorations or
home baked cookies for the homeless Palestinians of southern Gaza's
Rafah refugee camp this Muslim holiday of Eid el-Fitr.
For the dozens of Palestinians whose houses were destroyed by Israeli
forces in Rafah, near the Israeli-controlled Gaza-Egypt border, this
year's holiday will be celebrated modestly and with much bitterness.
"What Eid? Eid is not for people like us," said Nea'ma al-Akhras, a
mother of eight. The festival, which ends the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan, is expected to begin on Thursday or Friday with the start of
the full moon.
"It is a sad Eid. I lost my house and my son," Akhras told Reuters.
Her 28-year-old son Wael was killed by Israeli gunfire shortly after
the house was demolished in January.
His mother said Wael was shot dead as he passed a street near the
border fence where gunbattles between Israeli soldiers and
Palestinian gunmen have become an almost daily occurence since the
outbreak of a Palestinian revolt two years ago.
Since her house was demolished, Akhras and her family first lived in
a tent erected in the main square of Rafah refugee camp before
renting a small house inside the camp.
Israel says the houses it demolishes are used by Palestinian gunmen
as cover to launch attacks against soldiers or to hide tunnels under
the border with Egypt through which weapons and explosives are
smuggled.
Palestinian officials said Israeli army forces had demolished at
least 400 houses since the uprising began.
Amna al-Masri whose house along with those of her three sons were
demolished said she was homeless.
"My sons moved to live with families of their wives. Now I spend my
day inside the tent and at night I go to my brother's house to spend
the night," she said.
MOURNING TENTS
Masri said staying inside the tent everyday was symbolic.
"It is a message to the whole world that we need to rebuild our
houses," she said.
Instead of adorning houses with flowers or repainting them, as
millions of Muslims do round the globe, many Palestinian families
will be opening mourning tents to receive condolences for the deaths
of loved ones over the past year.
"I will spend the first day of Eid next to the grave of my son,"
Akhras said, collapsing in tears.
Cemeteries are usually packed with bereaved families at first day of
the festival. Family members tend to distribute sweets for people
passing the graves of their relatives.
Although markets looked busy with shoppers, merchants said customers
were buying only the cheapest of products.
On Tuesday, a group of Palestinian children under the age of 18
distributed 300 packages containing new clothes for children who lost
their houses. They said the clothes were donations.
Ana'am Nasser said she could not afford to make festive cookies this
year nor could she buy her children new clothing.
"No cookies and no joy," she said.
http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-PLS-
PLS&id=12031018000272477&dt=20021203101800&w=RTR&coview=
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2002 4:03 am Post subject: Little joy for homeless Palestinians on Muslim holiday
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Little joy for homeless Palestinians on Muslim holiday
RAFAH, Gaza Strip, Dec 3 (Reuters) - There will be no decorations or
home baked cookies for the homeless Palestinians of southern Gaza's
Rafah refugee camp this Muslim holiday of Eid el-Fitr.
For the dozens of Palestinians whose houses were destroyed by Israeli
forces in Rafah, near the Israeli-controlled Gaza-Egypt border, this
year's holiday will be celebrated modestly and with much bitterness.
"What Eid? Eid is not for people like us," said Nea'ma al-Akhras, a
mother of eight. The festival, which ends the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan, is expected to begin on Thursday or Friday with the start of
the full moon.
"It is a sad Eid. I lost my house and my son," Akhras told Reuters.
Her 28-year-old son Wael was killed by Israeli gunfire shortly after
the house was demolished in January.
His mother said Wael was shot dead as he passed a street near the
border fence where gunbattles between Israeli soldiers and
Palestinian gunmen have become an almost daily occurence since the
outbreak of a Palestinian revolt two years ago.
Since her house was demolished, Akhras and her family first lived in
a tent erected in the main square of Rafah refugee camp before
renting a small house inside the camp.
Israel says the houses it demolishes are used by Palestinian gunmen
as cover to launch attacks against soldiers or to hide tunnels under
the border with Egypt through which weapons and explosives are
smuggled.
Palestinian officials said Israeli army forces had demolished at
least 400 houses since the uprising began.
Amna al-Masri whose house along with those of her three sons were
demolished said she was homeless.
"My sons moved to live with families of their wives. Now I spend my
day inside the tent and at night I go to my brother's house to spend
the night," she said.
MOURNING TENTS
Masri said staying inside the tent everyday was symbolic.
"It is a message to the whole world that we need to rebuild our
houses," she said.
Instead of adorning houses with flowers or repainting them, as
millions of Muslims do round the globe, many Palestinian families
will be opening mourning tents to receive condolences for the deaths
of loved ones over the past year.
"I will spend the first day of Eid next to the grave of my son,"
Akhras said, collapsing in tears.
Cemeteries are usually packed with bereaved families at first day of
the festival. Family members tend to distribute sweets for people
passing the graves of their relatives.
Although markets looked busy with shoppers, merchants said customers
were buying only the cheapest of products.
On Tuesday, a group of Palestinian children under the age of 18
distributed 300 packages containing new clothes for children who lost
their houses. They said the clothes were donations.
Ana'am Nasser said she could not afford to make festive cookies this
year nor could she buy her children new clothing.
"No cookies and no joy," she said.
http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-PLS-
PLS&id=12031018000272477&dt=20021203101800&w=RTR&coview=
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2002 5:02 pm Post subject: Press Highlights Israeli Atrocities Ahead of Eid
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021203195717416
International Press Highlights Israeli Atrocities Ahead of Eid
Tuesday, December 03 2002 @ 07:57 PM GMT
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES - Several reports on Tuesday’s, December 3, morning media highlighted the atrocities committed by the Israeli army in the occupied territories.
The U.S. newspaper, the Washington Post, reported an incident which took place on Monday, December 2, in which the Israeli soldiers opened fire at a busy Jenin Market, which led to the death of 15-year-old Mutaz Odeh, the son of a Palestinian merchant.
Odeh, was on his way to the market to purchase sweets to sell at his father’s stand in downtown Jenin but returned home dead with a bullet in his lower back, the paper reported.
The market place was busy with people buying supplies for the Eid-ul-Fitr which starts after the end of the month of Ramadan.
“So tonight, when the family would have been breaking the Ramadan fast at a festive meal, the Odeh men instead were grieving over the youngster they had buried just after noon prayers,” said the post.
Odeh’s cousin told the Post that the soldiers were randomly shooting in all directions. The Israeli military, however, claimed that he was killed as he tried to climb onto an armored personnel carrier that witnesses said was about 150 yards from the shop, the Post reported.
“Odeh and other relatives described Mutaz as too overweight to clamber up a tank or armored personnel carrier,” the paper added.
The paper quoted Mohammed Abu Ghali, director of the Jenin Government Hospital saying that twenty-three Palestinians were injured during the shooting.
U.K. newspaper, the Independent, reported that in their incursion in the town of Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, November 30, the Israeli army demolished a house on top of a 68-year-old deaf man.
Maher Salem, the man’s son told the Independent that when they found his father his head was “like a bar of chocolate, it was only two centimeters thick”.
The man whom the Israeli army were looking for was the old man’s son, Hisham, whom they claim was a senior official in the Islamic Jihad resistance group, and who allegedly planned a resistance operation in Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Street in 1996 that killed 20 Israelis, said the Independent. However, Hisham survived and was at his father’s funeral.
Salem was sleeping on the sixth-floor of the building, in which three generations of the family lives, when the Israeli army evacuated the building. The soldiers did not allow family members to bring the man out of the building and instead told them to leave immediately, then dynamited the house.
The Independent, said that while there were previous controversies about Palestinian claims that people have been buried alive in demolished houses, this time, there was a body.
“It had been buried when we arrived. We saw the freshly dug grave. And hundreds had turned up for the wake. This was not a show for the media: there were no other journalists in sight,” the paper said, adding that this is not the first time the claims of the sort turned out to be true.
“In Nablus in April, eight members of a single family died when a soldier bulldozed their house on top of them. Their bodies were found, and the case has been well documented by international human rights groups,” the paper reported.
Meanwhile, the UPI news agency reported that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan was concerned at Israel’s demolition of a World Food Program warehouse in the northern part of the Gaza Strip over the weekend.
Fred Eckhard, Annan’s chief spokesman, said that Anan supports the request by WFP that the government of Israel thoroughly investigate this incident, reported UPI.
“The secretary-general once again calls on the Israeli authorities to live up to their commitments and obligations to facilitate emergency humanitarian assistance in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
UPI quoted Jean-Luc Siblot, WFP country director, saying: “The food, which was housed on the ground floor of a three-story building and clearly marked as WFP property, mainly comprised donations from the European Commission and Sweden and was to be distributed by the Ministry of Social Affairs to some 41,300 destitute people affected by the ongoing humanitarian crises in the Gaza Strip.”
On Saturday, at about 10:50 p.m., the Israeli troops surrounded the area and parked six tanks in front of the building. They requested residents to evacuate their homes before entering the building and searching the premises.
“Despite the fact that the storage area was well marked as a WFP warehouse, with a large WFP flag and three WFP stickers on the doors, the soldiers proceeded to destroy the doors of the warehouse using tanks,” the agency reported.
The building’s owner saw dynamite sticks being placed in various parts and several blasts were heard at approximately midnight. These were followed by a large explosion from a projectile dropped from a helicopter.
“The building collapsed and everything left in it, including 413 metric tons of wheat flour, 107 metric tons of rice and 17 metric tons of vegetable oil, was destroyed,” the agency said.
-IslamOnline & News Agencies (islamonline.net). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2002 5:29 pm Post subject: Israeli Law Mocks Justice, Shatters Decency
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021203202241654
Israeli Law Mocks Justice, Shatters Decency
Tuesday, December 03 2002 @ 08:22 PM GMT
Why haven’t the American legal eagles spoken out about the ongoing human rights abuses in Israel?
By William Hughes
BALTIMORE (PC) - American law schools regularly hold seminars and workshops in Israel. Usually, the subject matters deal with topics like Comparative or International Law. These legal sojourns are generally led by fully tenured professors, who have been able, quite amazingly, to go about their teaching business, in the mother of all colonial police states, without publicly addressing the systematic violations of the legal and human rights of the Palestinians. Now, this is all a mystery to me.
Why haven’t the American legal eagles spoken out about the ongoing human rights abuses in Israel? Why don’t they get their noses out of the law books, and tell the world what is really going on in occupied Palestine? It’s nice to visit Haifa and Jerusalem, but why not check in on Jenin and Nablus, too? And what about the legality of the U.S. government funding the state sponsored terrorism of Ariel Sharon’s government? Don’t these kind of important legal and moral questions ever cross their minds? If they haven’t, then it is high time that they did.
For instance, I would like to know about the highly dubious Israeli procedure that permits its officials to get a “warrant” to destroy the home of a Palestinian. In Hebron, recently, the Israelis secured warrants to destroy 15 homes, belonging to 30 Palestinian families. Can the homeowner protest or challenge this kind of warrant? If he does, will he get a due process hearing before an impartial tribunal? Is there a right of appeal? What legal safeguards are there to protect a homeowner from an Israeli official exercising his authority in an arbitrary or capricious manner? We know that the collective punishment of a people is a war crime. Is this warrant procedure a clever device to paper over that kind of wrongdoing?
As an American, I watch on television, every week, in horror, as the ubiquitous Israeli bulldozers destroy home after home and also the orchards of the Palestinians. It reminds me of the British imperialists dispossessing the Irish peasants during the horrific days of great famine (1845-50). The Israelis claim that they have a “demolition order.” Who gave them that demolition order? Is this so-called “demolition warrant procedure” yet another one of the cruel legal jokes of the Zionists, like their notorious “torture warrants,” championed by that old softy and Sharonist, Alan Dershowitz? From 1967 to 1999, Israel demolished over 8,500 Palestinian homes, according to the LINK, April-May, 2002 issue.
Because the Israeli warrant system is supposedly “legal,” (I use that word advisedly), does that make it also just and moral and beyond the condemnation of the rest of humanity?
On another subject, when the Israelis send their death squads out to target Palestinians for summary and extra-judicial executions-there have been at least 95 such killings since 02/09/ 2000-do they also get a “warrant” from a legal authority to murder that individual? Does someone sign a “death warrant” that is placed in a file? Or, do they prefer, like their death squad counterparts in Central America, not to leave a paper trail of their crimes? As Central America has proven, the truth will come out.
What effect, if any, does administering these kinds of draconian laws have on the Israeli bureaucrats themselves? Back in the 70s, a Baltimore lawyer, Fred E. Weisgal, now deceased, emigrated to Israel. There was a lot of positive publicity about it at the time. When he lived in America, he was known as a flaming liberal and a civil rights advocate. His Op Ed pieces, too, when he was at the top of his legal crusading, were always a joy to read. I recall trying cases against him, when I was in the State’s Attorney’s office in the mid 60s. He was a terrific lawyer and a very engaging individual. He was also a respected musician and had a sprightly personality. In Israel, however, he had a Franz Kafka-like transformation. He went from defending the needy in America to representing the greedy in Israel: its national government!
I visited Weisgal at his home in Jerusalem, in December, 1977. It was like I was talking to an entirely different man then the person I had once known. The spirit had somehow been driven out of him. I remember, too, the last time he returned to Baltimore for a visit. He had penned an Op Ed piece for the local paper. It was about getting a flat tire on one of our major highways. It was boring drivel and embarrassing to read. The truth is that he no longer had anything worthwhile to say. He didn’t even bother to try to defend his “new” legal career or his new “beloved” fatherland.
Since then, I’ve always been curious if the government work that Weisgal had done in Jerusalem, hadn’t deprived him of his humanity. If so, it was, indeed, a heavy personal price for him to pay for serving the political cause of Zionism, whose very essence depends on the subjugation of another people. For someone, like Weisgal, once a compassionate person, who had dedicated his earlier life to fighting for civil rights and justice, it must have an abrupt change. Did he feel at the end like a hapless character in Kafka’s “The Trial,” sentenced by some arbitrary authority to a slow but certain spiritual death? I suspect that he did, knowing, too, that he had chosen, willfully, to put himself in that position.
There are many sides to this evil. It is clear that Israeli law mocks justice, and that many have turned a blind eye to it, and to its victims, the Palestinians. But, I also suggest, that there may be a few Fred E. Weisgal-like souls out there, who have also paid a severe personal price for serving such an oppressive system.
William Hughes is the author of “Andrew Jackson vs. New World Order” (Authors Choice Press) and “Baltimore Iconoclast” (Writer’s Showcase), which are available online. He can be reached at liamhughes@mindspring.com.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2002 5:37 pm Post subject: Why Does the Leopard Hide its Spots?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002120319051127
Why Does the Leopard Hide its Spots?
Tuesday, December 03 2002 @ 07:05 PM GMT
"So why did I prefer Netanyahu? Because Netanyahu is an unprincipled politician, ready to change his positions any time .."
By Uri Avnery
(PC) - I loath Binyamin Netanyahu, and therefore I hoped that he would be elected leader of the Likud. I am sorry that Sharon won the primary election instead.
“ I loath Binyamin Netanyahu ..”
How’s that? After all, Netanyahu presented himself as a man of the extreme right and demanded to “expel” (the code-word for “kill”) Yasser Arafat. He is ready to fight to the last drop of (our) blood against the creation of a Palestinian state. Unlike Sharon, who says that he is ready to accept a Palestinian state and does not talk anymore about expelling Arafat.
So why did I prefer Netanyahu?
Because Netanyahu is an unprincipled politician, ready to change his positions any time. He reminds me of Groucho Marx, who once declared: “These are my views. If you don’t like them, I have others, too.” He could easily exchange his rightist slogan for leftist ones. Sharon is very different: He has a rigid outlook, which he has not changed for decades. He resembles an IDF bulldozer in Jenin, destroying walls on his way and demolishing houses on top of their inhabitants. His aim in life is to destroy the Palestinian entity and imprison the Palestinians in isolated enclaves, until the time is ripe for their expulsion from the country altogether. Nowadays he hides his unwavering attachment to this plan behind the mask of a benevolent, moderate grandfather, who has settled down and wants nothing more than to crown his career by making peace.
I prefer at the head of the Likud an unprincipled politician to a disguised true believer. He would have been easier for Mitzna to defeat. In the competition for the Likud leadership, Netanyahu was a sheep in wolf’s clothing, while Sharon was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The Likud members preferred the clothing of the sheep to that of the wolf. And that is significant.
Netanyahu did not understand that the mood of the Likud members has changed. He made a big mistake – one of many – when he decided, in the middle of the campaign, to adopt ultraright positions, demanding Arafat’s expulsion and coming out against a Palestinian state. It appears that most of the Likud members do not believe anymore that that is practical – a conclusion confirmed the next day by a public opinion poll that showed that half of the Likud members accept a Palestinian state and agree to evacuate settlements.
Sharon, on the other hand, knows how to read maps. He pretends to accept a Palestinian state and to make “concessions that hurt”. This, of course, is a mere make-believe. He made his acceptance of the Palestinian state dependent on so many impossible “ifs” that it has been emptied of any content. Sharon remains the same Sharon and will never be anything but the same Sharon. The leopard will not change his spots, but he understands that he has to hide them. To the trusting public he presented himself as a moderate, as against the extreme Netanyahu. And, wonder of wonders, the Likud, the party of the extreme right, preferred the candidate posing as a moderate to the candidate posing as an extremist.
This is not the only miracle: A few days before, something very similar happened in the Labor party, when Binjamin Ben-Eliezer was trounced by Amram Mitzna.
There is some similarity between the two Binyamins: Ben-Eliezer, like Netanyahu, is a man without principles, who is ready to change his views like socks. Mitzna, on the other side, is a man of clear principles.
Mitzna is a declared dove. As against the right-wing line of Ben-Eliezer, he presents to the voters a clear, left-wing alternative: Negotiations with Arafat, evacuation of most settlements, immediate withdrawal from the whole Gaza Strip, compromise over Jerusalem, a Palestinian state. Yet by an overwhelming majority, the Labor party voters chose him over Ben-Eliezer.
Let there be no mistake: Mitzna is not a Gush Shalom member. Some of his slogans are anathema to me. But he is firmly located on the left of the political arena. If one does not grasp the significance of his election as Labor leader, one does not understand what’s happening under the surface of Israeli society.
One miracle can be accidental. Two testify to a tendency. If in both the big parties – Likud and Labor – the candidates with the more “leftist” program defeats the candidates with a more “rightist” one, it proves that new public currents are at work.
One may add the happenings in the National Religious party. Once upon a time, this was a very moderate party. In the 50s, when the moderate Moshe Sharett was struggling against the extremist line of David Ben-Gurion, it generally supported Sharett. Since then it has – like almost the whole religious camp – moved steadily to the extreme right. A year ago it crowned as its leader Effi Eytam, compared to whom Haider and Le Pen look like bleeding-heart liberals. Yet lo and behold: This week, when choosing its candidates for the Knesset elections, it turned against its new leader and filled the most coveted spots on the list with people who are (comparatively) more moderate.
If one puts all these facts together, what do they say? They say that the whole system is slowly moving to the left. The public is fed up with the war, the unceasing bloodshed, the economic crisis and the social breakdown. People want a solution. They are looking for compromise. They are ready to pay for it.
This gives Mitzna a chance. It will be very difficult for him to win, but it is definitely possible. And even if he does not succeed this time, he can do it the next time, which may be in a year or so. Provided, of course, he does not fall into the trap of a National Unity government.
Something is changing in the country. People are speaking again about things which had seemingly died: The Green Line, evacuation of (most) settlements, exchange of territory, speaking with Arafat, the Taba and Clinton plans, international monitors.
Ahead of us the tunnel is still dark. But after two years of anguish and despair, it seems that at least a small light has appeared at the end of the tunnel. To quote Winston Churchill once more: “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
— Uri Avnery, award-winning Israeli journalist and writer, three-time member of Knesset and a columnist for the Ma’ariv daily is a founding member of the Gush Shalom peace movement.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
Armed Badgers Storm Oxford Street Starbucks in Central London to Build Illegal Settlement - "If Israel can, we can"
On Thursday 31st October at 3.00pm, 30 badgers armed with waterpistols stormed the Starbucks on Oxford St claiming it as their ancestral home.
Using the logic of Israeli settlers1 the badgers evicted some of the customers and erected the first badger settlement in London. With placards proclaiming "If it works in Palestine why not here" and "It's ours because we say so" the self-styled Badger Defence Force set up checkpoints to inspect shoppers and tourists for concealed weapons.
"If they're not a badger, they could be a terrorist" a spokesbadger said. They handed out copies of the badger bible which proves their ownership of Starbucks and a fact sheet which answered Frequently Asked Questions about their activities (see documents attached together with 9 photos).
The badgers have selected the store for their settlement because of the role of its CEO as a major supporter of the Israeli state.
The company has become a prime target of an international boycott of companies with ties to Israel2.
A spokesbadger said "Since the chief executive of this company clearly believes it is ok for one group of people to grab land belonging to another and say they have a right to it, we believe they won't mind if we take some of theirs".
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2002 3:32 pm Post subject: Revenge of a Child
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This story was printed from a.com/english">http://www.arabia.com, Commentary channel.
Revenge of a Child
By Uri Avnery
Since last Sunday, a question has been running around in my head and troubling my sleep: What induced the young Palestinian, who broke into Kibbutz Metzer, to aim his weapon at a mother and her two little children and kill them?
In war one does not kill children. That is a fundamental human instinct, common to all peoples and all cultures. Even a Palestinian who wants to take revenge for the hundreds of children killed by the Israeli army should not take revenge on children. No moral commandment says a child for a child.
- The persons who do these things are not known as crazy killers, blood-thirsty from birth. In almost all interviews with relatives and neighbors they are described as quite ordinary, non-violent individuals. Many of them are not religious fanatics. Indeed, Sirkhan Sirkhan, the man who committed the deed in Metzer, belonged to Fatah, a secular movement.
These persons belong to all social classes; some come from poor families who have reached the threshold of hunger, but others come from middle class families, university students, educated people. Their genes are not different from ours.
So what makes them do these things? What makes other Palestinians justify them?
In order to cope, one has to understand, and that does not mean to justify. Nothing in the world can justify a Palestinian who shoots at a child in his mothers embrace, just as nothing can justify an Israeli who drops a bomb on a house in which a child is sleeping in his bed. As the Hebrew poet Bialik wrote a hundred years ago, after the Kishinev pogrom: Even Satan has not yet invented the revenge for the blood of a little child.
But without understanding, it is impossible to cope. The chiefs of the IDF have a simple solution: hit, hit, hit. Kill the attackers. Kill their commanders. Kill the leaders of their organizations. Demolish the homes of their families and exile their relatives. But, wonder of wonders, these methods achieve the opposite. After the huge IDF bulldozer flattens the terrorist infrastructure, destroying-killing-uprooting everything on its way, within days a new infrastructure comes into being. According to the announcements of the IDF itself, since operation Protective Shield there have been some fifty warnings of imminent attacks every day.
The reason for this can be summed up in one word: rage.
Terrible rage, that fills the soul of a human being, leaving no space for anything else. Rage that dominates the persons whole life, making life itself unimportant. Rage that wipes out all limitations, eclipses all values, breaks the chains of family and responsibility. Rage that a person wakes up with in the morning, goes to sleep with in the evening, dreams about at night. Rage that tells a person: get up, take a weapon or an explosive belt, go to their homes and kill, kill, kill, no matter what the consequences.
An ordinary Israeli, who has never been in the Palestinian territories, cannot even imagine the reasons for this rage. Our media totally ignore the events there, or describe them in small, sweetened doses. The average Israeli knows somehow that the Palestinians suffer (its their own fault, of course), but he has no idea whats really happening there. It doesnt concern him, anyhow.
Homes are demolished. A merchant, lawyer, ordinary craftsman, respected in his community, turns overnight into a homeless, he and his children and grandchildren. Each one of them a potential suicide bomber.
Fruit-trees are being uprooted in their thousands. For the officer, its just a tree, an obstacle. For the owners, its the blood of his heart, the heritage of his forefathers, years of toil, the livelihood of his family. Each one of them a potential suicide bomber.
On a hill between the villages a gang of thugs has put up an outpost. The army arrives to defend them. When the villagers come to till their fields, they are shot at. They are forbidden to work in all fields and groves within a one or two kilometers range, so that the security of the outpost will not be endangered. The peasants see from afar, with longing eyes, how their fruit is rotting on the trees, how their fields are being covered by thorns and thistles waist high, while their children have nothing to eat. Each one of them a potential suicide bomber.
People are killed. Their torn bodies lie in the streets, for everyone to see. Some of them are martyrs who chose their lot. But many others €“ men, women, children €“ are killed by mistake, accidentally, trying to escape, were close to the source of fire - and all the hundred and one pretexts of professional spokesmen. The IDF does not apologize, officers and soldiers are never convicted, because thats how things are in war. But each of the people killed has parents, brothers, sons, cousins. Each one of them a potential suicide bomber.
Beyond these are the families living on the fringes of hunger, suffering from severe malnutrition. Fathers who cannot bring food to their children feel despair. Each one of them a potential suicide bomber.
Hundred of thousands are kept under curfew for weeks and months on end, eight persons cooped up in two or three rooms, a living hell difficult to imagine, while outside the settlers have a ball, protected by the soldiers. A vicious circle: yesterdays bombers caused the curfew, the curfew creates the bombers of tomorrow.
And beyond all these, the total humiliation which every Palestinian, without distinction of age, gender or social standing, experiences every moment of his life. Not an abstract humiliation, but an altogether concrete one. To be dependent for life and death on the whim of an 18-year old boy in the street and at one of the innumerable checkpoints that a Palestinian has to pass wherever he goes, while gangs of settlers pass freely and visit their villages, damage property, pick the olives in their groves, set fire to the trees.
An Israeli who has not seen it cannot imagine such a life, a situation of every bastard a king and the slave who has becomes master, a situation of curses and pushes at best, threats with weapons in many cases, actual shooting in some. Not to mention the sick on the way to dialysis, the pregnant women on the way to hospital, students who dont get to their classes, children who cant reach their schools. The youngsters who see their venerable grandfather publicly humiliated by some boy in uniform with a runny nose. Each one of them a potential suicide bomber.
A normal Israeli cannot imagine all this. After all, the soldiers are nice boys, the sons of all of us, only yesterday they were schoolboys. But when one takes these nice boys and puts them in uniforms, pushes them through the military machine and puts them into a situation of occupation, something happens to them. Many try to keep their human face in impossible circumstances, many others become order-fulfilling robots. And always, in every company, there are some disturbed people who flourish in this situation and do repulsive things, knowing that their officers will turn a blind eye or wink approvingly.
All this does not justify the killing of children in the arms of their mother. But it helps to grasp why this is happening, and why this will go on happening as long as the occupation lasts.
Mr. Avnery is a prominent Israeli journalist.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2002 8:35 pm Post subject: Taking a harder line
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Taking a harder line
Nov 18th 2002
From The Economist Global Agenda
Ariel Sharon might use Friday’s attack on Israeli settlers and soldiers near Hebron as an excuse to beef up Jewish settlements in Palestinian areas
Reuters
More blood on the streets
ISRAEL’S prime minister, Ariel Sharon, is awaiting a detailed response from the army to his proposal to create “territorial contiguity” between the large Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba, the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the nearby West Bank city of Hebron, and the small Jewish settlement enclaves that already exist in the city. Aides said he raised the idea—not a new one—with army commanders in Hebron on November 17th, in reaction to the killing there two days earlier of 12 Israelis, most of them soldiers, in an ambush mounted by gunmen from Islamic Jihad, a militant Palestinian group. Among the Israeli dead was the colonel commanding the Hebron area, the highest-ranking soldier to have been killed during the 26 months of Palestinian uprising, or intifada.
Creating contiguity would mean building new Jewish homes next to, or in place of, Palestinian ones along a broad corridor of suburban land, and taking over several urban streets inside the city. Mr Sharon’s men say it would mean, eventually, Israel ruling over fewer Palestinian Hebronites than hitherto. But the scheme would amount to a major new encroachment by the settlers into this city of 120,000 Palestinians and just a few hundred Jews. As such, it would represent a lurch rightwards by the Sharon government, which has been ruling as a caretaker administration since the Labour Party left the governing coalition last month.
Mr Sharon is said to believe that the attack near Hebron, which stunned the country and drew sharp condemnations from the international community, gives him an opportunity to beef up the Jewish settlements in Hebron, a heartwarming prospect for many in his own Likud Party and among its rightist and religious allies. At a cabinet meeting on November 17th, the prime minister curtly dismissed demands from his new foreign minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to dismantle the Palestinian Authority and deport its chairman, Yasser Arafat, as Israel’s response to the killings. Mr Sharon has promised President George Bush not to harm Mr Arafat personally. The prime minister will stand against Mr Netanyahu in a Likud leadership primary on November 28th. Mr Sharon is well ahead of his rival, according to the polls.
The new defence minister, Shaul Mofaz, has ordered the army to reoccupy the whole of Hebron—it had withdrawn from much of the city just three weeks ago—and to “clean out nests of terrorism”. The homes of prominent Palestinian activists were blown up, and dozens of men were taken in for questioning. Military sources say the army’s stay is “indefinite”. In Nablus, too, the largest city in the northern West Bank, a similarly intensive search-and-arrest operation is under way following a terrorist attack on a kibbutz inside Israel.
In Gaza, meanwhile, Israeli forces struck at a Palestinian Authority training complex, destroying several buildings and carting off large quantities of weapons and documents. In the haul were a number of Qassam missiles, clandestinely manufactured in Gaza, which Hamas and Islamic Jihad units fire at Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, and sometimes at towns and kibbutzim inside Israel. Mr Mofaz said the evidence “proved the close connections” between the Palestinian Authority’s Preventive Security Service, which runs the training complex, and terrorist groups. Some fear this assault might herald a full-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Mr Mofaz and his generals promise a frank investigation into the disastrous Hebron firefight. The colonel involved has come under posthumous criticism for plunging into the fray (without a flak jacket) instead of taking stock and running the battle from the rear. Compounding the military’s embarrassment was the attempted hijacking on November 17th of an El Al aircraft flying from Tel Aviv to Istanbul. A young Israeli Arab reportedly carrying a small pocket-knife charged towards the cockpit but was felled by two in-flight security men. Now Israel’s airport authority is trying to explain how the knife got through what is vaunted as a fail-safe security system.
The Palestinian Authority’s response to the assault in Hebron was one of resounding silence, in contrast to its condemnation of the kibbutz attack, which left five Israelis dead. The reason is twofold. There is barely a Palestinian who does not view Islamic Jihad’s ambush as an entirely just response to a situation where 120,000 Palestinians are held hostage to the messianic ambitions of a few hundred armed settlers and their 1,500 or so army protectors. Secondly, there is a solid consensus, held by all the Palestinian factions and militias, that the armed resistance will continue inside the occupied territories as long as Israel retains control of six of the main West Bank Palestinian cities.
The Hebron attack came two days after the first round of talks between Mr Arafat’s Fatah movement and Hamas in Cairo. Fatah wants Hamas to declare a moratorium on all armed attacks, and especially suicide bombings, on civilians inside Israel. Publicly, Hamas has said the suicide or “martyrdom” operations will continue as long as “Israeli troops wage war against our people”. Less publicly, Hamas representatives in Cairo said their movement would halt attacks on Israeli civilians if Israel withdrew from the recently reoccupied Palestinian cities and ended the assassinations of Palestinian militants. Islamic Jihad, too, has said it would abide by such an “initiative”.
The Palestinian leadership is pinning its hopes not on domestic initiatives, but on some form of international rescue. Last week, it gave hedged approval to an American-drafted “roadmap”, which aims to establish a provisional Palestinian state in 2003 and to produce a fully fledged peace agreement by 2005. The Palestinian Authority is ready to quell the violence in return for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank cities and an internationally monitored freeze on Israel’s construction of settlements.
It is unlikely to get either, however. Last week, David Satterfield, a US State Department envoy, got a cool reception from Israeli officials for the roadmap. And Israeli analysts say Mr Sharon has already won American agreement for no new diplomatic initiatives ahead of the Israeli elections in late January and, probably, any American-led strike on Iraq. By then, he clearly hopes the region’s actual maps will have changed to Israel’s advantage.
tax0_SiteID=6&Channel=agenda&NOJS=1&PageType=printerfriendly&story_id=1453336&if_nt_c=web2
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2002 8:41 pm Post subject: Escalated Collective Punishment in Hebron,Nablus and Ramalla
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Escalated Collective Punishment Measures in Hebron, Nablus and Ramallah
Date: 12/3/02 12:02:36 PM Central Standard Time
iapinfo@iap.org (IAP NEWS)
Escalated Collective Punishment Measures in Hebron, Nablus and Ramallah
Hear Palestine - December 3, 2002
Hebron
---------
The occupation army was not satisfied with preventing thousands of people
from attending to prayers during the last days of Ramadan as a result of the imposed curfew but also raided a number of mosques in the city and held several people all night out in the cold.
At least 15 people were arrested from Al-Sheikh Ali Al-Bukaa Mosque. One of those held by the occupation army said they were surprised as they headed towards the mosque with 3 soldiers directing their machineguns towards them and ordering them to lift their arms. They were transferred to a military roadblock in the city where others were also held. Everyone was forced to sit on a pavement all night in the cold humiliated and verbally abused by occupation soldiers.
A curfew has been imposed on the city for the past 20 days.
Nablus
--------
Israeli occupation soldiers yesterday held around 30 people, including
several children and elderly people, in a 2-meter deep ditch for over 5
hours yesterday.
The youth Ali Daraghma said that occupation soldiers based at the entrance
of Nablus, near Zawata village held around 30 people inside a ditch dug by
Israeli bulldozers as they attempted to enter the city. Israeli soldiers
forced them inside the ditch under the threat of weapons. They were also
prevented from standing up.
Daraghma said, "When we asked the soldiers why they were keeping us when we had done nothing wrong, one soldier said that his brother was killed in an armed operation and that we all have to pay the price."
Amjad Abu Saleh was arrested today in an Israeli ambush on the
Tulkarem-Nablus road.
The occupation army also invaded Balata refugee camp under intense fire and arrested 3 men during home raids.
Ramallah
-----------
Students and teachers are unable to reach Bir Zeit University for the second
day running. Surda military roadblock separating Bir Zeit and 40 other
villages from Ramallah City is completely closed and alternative routes,
such as the 'Jawal route' is filled with danger.
The Israeli army claimed that 8 "wanted" Palestinians were arrested in the
West Bank since last night. Those were arrested from Doura, Hebron, and
Balata refugee camp, Nablus, according to the Israeli sources.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2002 8:45 pm Post subject: Stance on Israel hurts Hansen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: http://www.examiner.com/news/default.jsp?story=n.d8.1115w
:
: Publication date: 11/15/2002
:
: Stance on Israel hurts Hansen
: BY ADRIEL HAMPTON
: Of The Examiner Staff
:
: Eileen Hansen's views on the Jewish state may cost
: her some crucial votes in the District 8 supervisor's
: runoff Dec 10.
:
: Hansen has recently drawn a storm of criticism for
: her participation in what some have called anti-Israel
: efforts. A growing number of local Jewish activists
: believe Hansen, were she to win a Board of Supervisors
: seat, might use the position as a platform to
: criticize the efforts of the Israeli government.
:
: Hansen's presence at a Jews for a Free Palestine
: rally against a Jewish humanitarian group brought the
: issue into the spotlight.
:
: Although Hansen attended the May protest -- which
: led to several arrests -- as an observer for the
: National Lawyers Guild, some likened the event to a
: KKK rally.
:
: The group's chants were "so hurtful, so spiteful
: and so wrong," Lauter said. "If there were things
: there that offended her, she should have left."
:
: About 150 protesters carried "Jews against
: Zionism" and "Zionism = racism" signs, chanted "JCF
: (Jewish Community Federation) you can't hide, you're
: supporting genocide," according to photos and media
: and eyewitness reports from the rally.
:
: Zionism is the support of a Jewish state in
: Israel.
:
: Jews for a Free Palestine advocates an immediate
: end to all U.S. support of Israel and the right of
: return for all expelled Palestinians to their towns
: and homes of origin.
:
: A call to the group's listed number reached a
: recording for "Jews for Divestment from Israel" and
: was not returned by press time.
:
: "People don't begrudge her her opinion," said Sam
: Lauter, "but they aren't ashamed of trying to beat
: her."
:
: Lauter, a political consultant for Barnes, Mosher,
: Whitehurst & Lauter, is one of a number of local Jews
: -- many of whom backed BART board member Tom
: Radulovich in the general election -- who are
: supporting Hansen's opponent, Bevan Dufty, in the
: runoff.
:
: Both candidates are likeable, knowledgeable gay
: Jews, and said a supervisor should stay out of
: international politics.
:
: It's not so simple, however, with a board known
: for taking on such issues as the Iraq war and China's
: treatment of Falun Gong practitioners.
:
: Hansen told The Examiner that if constituents
: brought an issue such as financial divestment from
: Israel to her office, she would work it out with
: various factions of the Jewish community.
:
: "I don't really want to get into a discussion of
: Zionism. What I do have is a history of working for
: peace in the Middle East," Hansen said. "It is
: important that the rights of both peoples be respected
: and I respect the rights of both people to exist and
: I've worked toward that."
:
: Dufty supports a two-state solution to the
: conflict, based on negotiations.
:
: "Everyday it pains me to read about the tragic
: loss of life in the Middle East and I pray for a
: peaceful settlement but I 100 percent support Israel's
: existence and know that peace can only come from
: negotiations, not from terrorism," Dufty said.
:
: Neither candidate, or their four rivals, made
: Israel-Palestine relations an issue in the general
: election, but there's no question that Hansen has been
: hurt by the issue in the runoff.
:
: For example, the political action committee of the
: Raoul Wallenberg Jewish Democratic Club, which sends a
: slate card to every Jewish voter, has recommended
: Dufty, at least in part based on Hansen's position on
: the Jewish state. The full membership votes on
: Wednesday.
:
: No candidate met the clubs 60-percent approval
: threshold for an endorsement in the November election.
:
: "The Wallenberg Club is not trying to stifle
: people's opinions, but we are going to support people
: who support a secure and safe Israel and support the
: U.S. in that effort," said Dan Cohen, a club board
: member.
: _____________________________
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2002 4:02 am Post subject: Little joy for homeless Palestinians on Muslim holiday
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Little joy for homeless Palestinians on Muslim holiday
RAFAH, Gaza Strip, Dec 3 (Reuters) - There will be no decorations or
home baked cookies for the homeless Palestinians of southern Gaza's
Rafah refugee camp this Muslim holiday of Eid el-Fitr.
For the dozens of Palestinians whose houses were destroyed by Israeli
forces in Rafah, near the Israeli-controlled Gaza-Egypt border, this
year's holiday will be celebrated modestly and with much bitterness.
"What Eid? Eid is not for people like us," said Nea'ma al-Akhras, a
mother of eight. The festival, which ends the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan, is expected to begin on Thursday or Friday with the start of
the full moon.
"It is a sad Eid. I lost my house and my son," Akhras told Reuters.
Her 28-year-old son Wael was killed by Israeli gunfire shortly after
the house was demolished in January.
His mother said Wael was shot dead as he passed a street near the
border fence where gunbattles between Israeli soldiers and
Palestinian gunmen have become an almost daily occurence since the
outbreak of a Palestinian revolt two years ago.
Since her house was demolished, Akhras and her family first lived in
a tent erected in the main square of Rafah refugee camp before
renting a small house inside the camp.
Israel says the houses it demolishes are used by Palestinian gunmen
as cover to launch attacks against soldiers or to hide tunnels under
the border with Egypt through which weapons and explosives are
smuggled.
Palestinian officials said Israeli army forces had demolished at
least 400 houses since the uprising began.
Amna al-Masri whose house along with those of her three sons were
demolished said she was homeless.
"My sons moved to live with families of their wives. Now I spend my
day inside the tent and at night I go to my brother's house to spend
the night," she said.
MOURNING TENTS
Masri said staying inside the tent everyday was symbolic.
"It is a message to the whole world that we need to rebuild our
houses," she said.
Instead of adorning houses with flowers or repainting them, as
millions of Muslims do round the globe, many Palestinian families
will be opening mourning tents to receive condolences for the deaths
of loved ones over the past year.
"I will spend the first day of Eid next to the grave of my son,"
Akhras said, collapsing in tears.
Cemeteries are usually packed with bereaved families at first day of
the festival. Family members tend to distribute sweets for people
passing the graves of their relatives.
Although markets looked busy with shoppers, merchants said customers
were buying only the cheapest of products.
On Tuesday, a group of Palestinian children under the age of 18
distributed 300 packages containing new clothes for children who lost
their houses. They said the clothes were donations.
Ana'am Nasser said she could not afford to make festive cookies this
year nor could she buy her children new clothing.
"No cookies and no joy," she said.
http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-PLS-
PLS&id=12031018000272477&dt=20021203101800&w=RTR&coview=
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2002 4:03 am Post subject: Little joy for homeless Palestinians on Muslim holiday
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Little joy for homeless Palestinians on Muslim holiday
RAFAH, Gaza Strip, Dec 3 (Reuters) - There will be no decorations or
home baked cookies for the homeless Palestinians of southern Gaza's
Rafah refugee camp this Muslim holiday of Eid el-Fitr.
For the dozens of Palestinians whose houses were destroyed by Israeli
forces in Rafah, near the Israeli-controlled Gaza-Egypt border, this
year's holiday will be celebrated modestly and with much bitterness.
"What Eid? Eid is not for people like us," said Nea'ma al-Akhras, a
mother of eight. The festival, which ends the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan, is expected to begin on Thursday or Friday with the start of
the full moon.
"It is a sad Eid. I lost my house and my son," Akhras told Reuters.
Her 28-year-old son Wael was killed by Israeli gunfire shortly after
the house was demolished in January.
His mother said Wael was shot dead as he passed a street near the
border fence where gunbattles between Israeli soldiers and
Palestinian gunmen have become an almost daily occurence since the
outbreak of a Palestinian revolt two years ago.
Since her house was demolished, Akhras and her family first lived in
a tent erected in the main square of Rafah refugee camp before
renting a small house inside the camp.
Israel says the houses it demolishes are used by Palestinian gunmen
as cover to launch attacks against soldiers or to hide tunnels under
the border with Egypt through which weapons and explosives are
smuggled.
Palestinian officials said Israeli army forces had demolished at
least 400 houses since the uprising began.
Amna al-Masri whose house along with those of her three sons were
demolished said she was homeless.
"My sons moved to live with families of their wives. Now I spend my
day inside the tent and at night I go to my brother's house to spend
the night," she said.
MOURNING TENTS
Masri said staying inside the tent everyday was symbolic.
"It is a message to the whole world that we need to rebuild our
houses," she said.
Instead of adorning houses with flowers or repainting them, as
millions of Muslims do round the globe, many Palestinian families
will be opening mourning tents to receive condolences for the deaths
of loved ones over the past year.
"I will spend the first day of Eid next to the grave of my son,"
Akhras said, collapsing in tears.
Cemeteries are usually packed with bereaved families at first day of
the festival. Family members tend to distribute sweets for people
passing the graves of their relatives.
Although markets looked busy with shoppers, merchants said customers
were buying only the cheapest of products.
On Tuesday, a group of Palestinian children under the age of 18
distributed 300 packages containing new clothes for children who lost
their houses. They said the clothes were donations.
Ana'am Nasser said she could not afford to make festive cookies this
year nor could she buy her children new clothing.
"No cookies and no joy," she said.
http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-PLS-
PLS&id=12031018000272477&dt=20021203101800&w=RTR&coview=
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2002 5:02 pm Post subject: Press Highlights Israeli Atrocities Ahead of Eid
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021203195717416
International Press Highlights Israeli Atrocities Ahead of Eid
Tuesday, December 03 2002 @ 07:57 PM GMT
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES - Several reports on Tuesday’s, December 3, morning media highlighted the atrocities committed by the Israeli army in the occupied territories.
The U.S. newspaper, the Washington Post, reported an incident which took place on Monday, December 2, in which the Israeli soldiers opened fire at a busy Jenin Market, which led to the death of 15-year-old Mutaz Odeh, the son of a Palestinian merchant.
Odeh, was on his way to the market to purchase sweets to sell at his father’s stand in downtown Jenin but returned home dead with a bullet in his lower back, the paper reported.
The market place was busy with people buying supplies for the Eid-ul-Fitr which starts after the end of the month of Ramadan.
“So tonight, when the family would have been breaking the Ramadan fast at a festive meal, the Odeh men instead were grieving over the youngster they had buried just after noon prayers,” said the post.
Odeh’s cousin told the Post that the soldiers were randomly shooting in all directions. The Israeli military, however, claimed that he was killed as he tried to climb onto an armored personnel carrier that witnesses said was about 150 yards from the shop, the Post reported.
“Odeh and other relatives described Mutaz as too overweight to clamber up a tank or armored personnel carrier,” the paper added.
The paper quoted Mohammed Abu Ghali, director of the Jenin Government Hospital saying that twenty-three Palestinians were injured during the shooting.
U.K. newspaper, the Independent, reported that in their incursion in the town of Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, November 30, the Israeli army demolished a house on top of a 68-year-old deaf man.
Maher Salem, the man’s son told the Independent that when they found his father his head was “like a bar of chocolate, it was only two centimeters thick”.
The man whom the Israeli army were looking for was the old man’s son, Hisham, whom they claim was a senior official in the Islamic Jihad resistance group, and who allegedly planned a resistance operation in Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Street in 1996 that killed 20 Israelis, said the Independent. However, Hisham survived and was at his father’s funeral.
Salem was sleeping on the sixth-floor of the building, in which three generations of the family lives, when the Israeli army evacuated the building. The soldiers did not allow family members to bring the man out of the building and instead told them to leave immediately, then dynamited the house.
The Independent, said that while there were previous controversies about Palestinian claims that people have been buried alive in demolished houses, this time, there was a body.
“It had been buried when we arrived. We saw the freshly dug grave. And hundreds had turned up for the wake. This was not a show for the media: there were no other journalists in sight,” the paper said, adding that this is not the first time the claims of the sort turned out to be true.
“In Nablus in April, eight members of a single family died when a soldier bulldozed their house on top of them. Their bodies were found, and the case has been well documented by international human rights groups,” the paper reported.
Meanwhile, the UPI news agency reported that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan was concerned at Israel’s demolition of a World Food Program warehouse in the northern part of the Gaza Strip over the weekend.
Fred Eckhard, Annan’s chief spokesman, said that Anan supports the request by WFP that the government of Israel thoroughly investigate this incident, reported UPI.
“The secretary-general once again calls on the Israeli authorities to live up to their commitments and obligations to facilitate emergency humanitarian assistance in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
UPI quoted Jean-Luc Siblot, WFP country director, saying: “The food, which was housed on the ground floor of a three-story building and clearly marked as WFP property, mainly comprised donations from the European Commission and Sweden and was to be distributed by the Ministry of Social Affairs to some 41,300 destitute people affected by the ongoing humanitarian crises in the Gaza Strip.”
On Saturday, at about 10:50 p.m., the Israeli troops surrounded the area and parked six tanks in front of the building. They requested residents to evacuate their homes before entering the building and searching the premises.
“Despite the fact that the storage area was well marked as a WFP warehouse, with a large WFP flag and three WFP stickers on the doors, the soldiers proceeded to destroy the doors of the warehouse using tanks,” the agency reported.
The building’s owner saw dynamite sticks being placed in various parts and several blasts were heard at approximately midnight. These were followed by a large explosion from a projectile dropped from a helicopter.
“The building collapsed and everything left in it, including 413 metric tons of wheat flour, 107 metric tons of rice and 17 metric tons of vegetable oil, was destroyed,” the agency said.
-IslamOnline & News Agencies (islamonline.net). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2002 5:29 pm Post subject: Israeli Law Mocks Justice, Shatters Decency
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021203202241654
Israeli Law Mocks Justice, Shatters Decency
Tuesday, December 03 2002 @ 08:22 PM GMT
Why haven’t the American legal eagles spoken out about the ongoing human rights abuses in Israel?
By William Hughes
BALTIMORE (PC) - American law schools regularly hold seminars and workshops in Israel. Usually, the subject matters deal with topics like Comparative or International Law. These legal sojourns are generally led by fully tenured professors, who have been able, quite amazingly, to go about their teaching business, in the mother of all colonial police states, without publicly addressing the systematic violations of the legal and human rights of the Palestinians. Now, this is all a mystery to me.
Why haven’t the American legal eagles spoken out about the ongoing human rights abuses in Israel? Why don’t they get their noses out of the law books, and tell the world what is really going on in occupied Palestine? It’s nice to visit Haifa and Jerusalem, but why not check in on Jenin and Nablus, too? And what about the legality of the U.S. government funding the state sponsored terrorism of Ariel Sharon’s government? Don’t these kind of important legal and moral questions ever cross their minds? If they haven’t, then it is high time that they did.
For instance, I would like to know about the highly dubious Israeli procedure that permits its officials to get a “warrant” to destroy the home of a Palestinian. In Hebron, recently, the Israelis secured warrants to destroy 15 homes, belonging to 30 Palestinian families. Can the homeowner protest or challenge this kind of warrant? If he does, will he get a due process hearing before an impartial tribunal? Is there a right of appeal? What legal safeguards are there to protect a homeowner from an Israeli official exercising his authority in an arbitrary or capricious manner? We know that the collective punishment of a people is a war crime. Is this warrant procedure a clever device to paper over that kind of wrongdoing?
As an American, I watch on television, every week, in horror, as the ubiquitous Israeli bulldozers destroy home after home and also the orchards of the Palestinians. It reminds me of the British imperialists dispossessing the Irish peasants during the horrific days of great famine (1845-50). The Israelis claim that they have a “demolition order.” Who gave them that demolition order? Is this so-called “demolition warrant procedure” yet another one of the cruel legal jokes of the Zionists, like their notorious “torture warrants,” championed by that old softy and Sharonist, Alan Dershowitz? From 1967 to 1999, Israel demolished over 8,500 Palestinian homes, according to the LINK, April-May, 2002 issue.
Because the Israeli warrant system is supposedly “legal,” (I use that word advisedly), does that make it also just and moral and beyond the condemnation of the rest of humanity?
On another subject, when the Israelis send their death squads out to target Palestinians for summary and extra-judicial executions-there have been at least 95 such killings since 02/09/ 2000-do they also get a “warrant” from a legal authority to murder that individual? Does someone sign a “death warrant” that is placed in a file? Or, do they prefer, like their death squad counterparts in Central America, not to leave a paper trail of their crimes? As Central America has proven, the truth will come out.
What effect, if any, does administering these kinds of draconian laws have on the Israeli bureaucrats themselves? Back in the 70s, a Baltimore lawyer, Fred E. Weisgal, now deceased, emigrated to Israel. There was a lot of positive publicity about it at the time. When he lived in America, he was known as a flaming liberal and a civil rights advocate. His Op Ed pieces, too, when he was at the top of his legal crusading, were always a joy to read. I recall trying cases against him, when I was in the State’s Attorney’s office in the mid 60s. He was a terrific lawyer and a very engaging individual. He was also a respected musician and had a sprightly personality. In Israel, however, he had a Franz Kafka-like transformation. He went from defending the needy in America to representing the greedy in Israel: its national government!
I visited Weisgal at his home in Jerusalem, in December, 1977. It was like I was talking to an entirely different man then the person I had once known. The spirit had somehow been driven out of him. I remember, too, the last time he returned to Baltimore for a visit. He had penned an Op Ed piece for the local paper. It was about getting a flat tire on one of our major highways. It was boring drivel and embarrassing to read. The truth is that he no longer had anything worthwhile to say. He didn’t even bother to try to defend his “new” legal career or his new “beloved” fatherland.
Since then, I’ve always been curious if the government work that Weisgal had done in Jerusalem, hadn’t deprived him of his humanity. If so, it was, indeed, a heavy personal price for him to pay for serving the political cause of Zionism, whose very essence depends on the subjugation of another people. For someone, like Weisgal, once a compassionate person, who had dedicated his earlier life to fighting for civil rights and justice, it must have an abrupt change. Did he feel at the end like a hapless character in Kafka’s “The Trial,” sentenced by some arbitrary authority to a slow but certain spiritual death? I suspect that he did, knowing, too, that he had chosen, willfully, to put himself in that position.
There are many sides to this evil. It is clear that Israeli law mocks justice, and that many have turned a blind eye to it, and to its victims, the Palestinians. But, I also suggest, that there may be a few Fred E. Weisgal-like souls out there, who have also paid a severe personal price for serving such an oppressive system.
William Hughes is the author of “Andrew Jackson vs. New World Order” (Authors Choice Press) and “Baltimore Iconoclast” (Writer’s Showcase), which are available online. He can be reached at liamhughes@mindspring.com.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2002 5:37 pm Post subject: Why Does the Leopard Hide its Spots?
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002120319051127
Why Does the Leopard Hide its Spots?
Tuesday, December 03 2002 @ 07:05 PM GMT
"So why did I prefer Netanyahu? Because Netanyahu is an unprincipled politician, ready to change his positions any time .."
By Uri Avnery
(PC) - I loath Binyamin Netanyahu, and therefore I hoped that he would be elected leader of the Likud. I am sorry that Sharon won the primary election instead.
“ I loath Binyamin Netanyahu ..”
How’s that? After all, Netanyahu presented himself as a man of the extreme right and demanded to “expel” (the code-word for “kill”) Yasser Arafat. He is ready to fight to the last drop of (our) blood against the creation of a Palestinian state. Unlike Sharon, who says that he is ready to accept a Palestinian state and does not talk anymore about expelling Arafat.
So why did I prefer Netanyahu?
Because Netanyahu is an unprincipled politician, ready to change his positions any time. He reminds me of Groucho Marx, who once declared: “These are my views. If you don’t like them, I have others, too.” He could easily exchange his rightist slogan for leftist ones. Sharon is very different: He has a rigid outlook, which he has not changed for decades. He resembles an IDF bulldozer in Jenin, destroying walls on his way and demolishing houses on top of their inhabitants. His aim in life is to destroy the Palestinian entity and imprison the Palestinians in isolated enclaves, until the time is ripe for their expulsion from the country altogether. Nowadays he hides his unwavering attachment to this plan behind the mask of a benevolent, moderate grandfather, who has settled down and wants nothing more than to crown his career by making peace.
I prefer at the head of the Likud an unprincipled politician to a disguised true believer. He would have been easier for Mitzna to defeat. In the competition for the Likud leadership, Netanyahu was a sheep in wolf’s clothing, while Sharon was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The Likud members preferred the clothing of the sheep to that of the wolf. And that is significant.
Netanyahu did not understand that the mood of the Likud members has changed. He made a big mistake – one of many – when he decided, in the middle of the campaign, to adopt ultraright positions, demanding Arafat’s expulsion and coming out against a Palestinian state. It appears that most of the Likud members do not believe anymore that that is practical – a conclusion confirmed the next day by a public opinion poll that showed that half of the Likud members accept a Palestinian state and agree to evacuate settlements.
Sharon, on the other hand, knows how to read maps. He pretends to accept a Palestinian state and to make “concessions that hurt”. This, of course, is a mere make-believe. He made his acceptance of the Palestinian state dependent on so many impossible “ifs” that it has been emptied of any content. Sharon remains the same Sharon and will never be anything but the same Sharon. The leopard will not change his spots, but he understands that he has to hide them. To the trusting public he presented himself as a moderate, as against the extreme Netanyahu. And, wonder of wonders, the Likud, the party of the extreme right, preferred the candidate posing as a moderate to the candidate posing as an extremist.
This is not the only miracle: A few days before, something very similar happened in the Labor party, when Binjamin Ben-Eliezer was trounced by Amram Mitzna.
There is some similarity between the two Binyamins: Ben-Eliezer, like Netanyahu, is a man without principles, who is ready to change his views like socks. Mitzna, on the other side, is a man of clear principles.
Mitzna is a declared dove. As against the right-wing line of Ben-Eliezer, he presents to the voters a clear, left-wing alternative: Negotiations with Arafat, evacuation of most settlements, immediate withdrawal from the whole Gaza Strip, compromise over Jerusalem, a Palestinian state. Yet by an overwhelming majority, the Labor party voters chose him over Ben-Eliezer.
Let there be no mistake: Mitzna is not a Gush Shalom member. Some of his slogans are anathema to me. But he is firmly located on the left of the political arena. If one does not grasp the significance of his election as Labor leader, one does not understand what’s happening under the surface of Israeli society.
One miracle can be accidental. Two testify to a tendency. If in both the big parties – Likud and Labor – the candidates with the more “leftist” program defeats the candidates with a more “rightist” one, it proves that new public currents are at work.
One may add the happenings in the National Religious party. Once upon a time, this was a very moderate party. In the 50s, when the moderate Moshe Sharett was struggling against the extremist line of David Ben-Gurion, it generally supported Sharett. Since then it has – like almost the whole religious camp – moved steadily to the extreme right. A year ago it crowned as its leader Effi Eytam, compared to whom Haider and Le Pen look like bleeding-heart liberals. Yet lo and behold: This week, when choosing its candidates for the Knesset elections, it turned against its new leader and filled the most coveted spots on the list with people who are (comparatively) more moderate.
If one puts all these facts together, what do they say? They say that the whole system is slowly moving to the left. The public is fed up with the war, the unceasing bloodshed, the economic crisis and the social breakdown. People want a solution. They are looking for compromise. They are ready to pay for it.
This gives Mitzna a chance. It will be very difficult for him to win, but it is definitely possible. And even if he does not succeed this time, he can do it the next time, which may be in a year or so. Provided, of course, he does not fall into the trap of a National Unity government.
Something is changing in the country. People are speaking again about things which had seemingly died: The Green Line, evacuation of (most) settlements, exchange of territory, speaking with Arafat, the Taba and Clinton plans, international monitors.
Ahead of us the tunnel is still dark. But after two years of anguish and despair, it seems that at least a small light has appeared at the end of the tunnel. To quote Winston Churchill once more: “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
— Uri Avnery, award-winning Israeli journalist and writer, three-time member of Knesset and a columnist for the Ma’ariv daily is a founding member of the Gush Shalom peace movement.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
Tuning up for Peace in the Middle East
Tuning up for Peace in the Middle East
Wednesday, November 27 2002 @ 07:27 PM GMT
"Since Israel has fought the Quartet initiative every step of the way, it already had become clear that Washington would have to .."
By Richard H. Curtiss
Thanks to US Secretary of State Colin Powell, the next show on the international agenda will be headlined by the International Quartet, starring the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia. While Israel had anticipated a long postponement of peace negotiations due to a war with Iraq, Powell has circumvented that problem. Now it is time to negotiate the biggest international conundrum of all — Israel and human rights for the Palestinians.
Palestinians literally are starving in the blocked-off streets of their encircled villages. Washington must address this crisis first, and insist that food relief be provided now, without delay. All along, the European Union has been helping to meet the Palestinians’ food, budgetary and significant infrastructure needs. The Israelis, by contrast, are used to haggling for everything —which, of course, will include bargaining to allow needed food supplies into Palestine.
After backing down once before when Ariel Sharon rejected an ultimatum, however, President George W. Bush has stiffened his backbone. He has strengthened his mandate in an off-year election, which historically should have diluted his strength in Congress. Now the Republican president and his party control both houses of Congress, and have an international mandate to stop the slide toward war. The frightened world, meanwhile, has been calling insistently for peace for the Palestinians. Bush had tried, seemingly in quite good faith, to start negotiations with the “Quartet” even while the outcome of the Saddam Hussein imbroglio was not yet known. With the Iraq problem at least temporarily resolved, he sent Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield to the Middle East. Satterfield and his American team met with Quartet diplomats on Nov. 11 and 12 to finalize a plan for presentation in mid-December.
At its mid-November meeting in Jerusalem, Quartet representatives worked out the text that envisages the establishment of a provisional Palestinian state by 2003 and full statehood two years later. It is based on a vision for the Middle East put forward by Bush in a June speech.
Since Israel has fought the Quartet initiative every step of the way, it already had become clear that Washington would have to step in firmly to start things moving. Claiming Israel was too busy dealing with the expected war with Iraq, Sharon had been “blowing off” any talk on the subject of peace with the Palestinians. With that war put on hold, the Israelis, with their ever-industrious American lobby, had to find a new excuse for procrastination. They now are trying to freeze the process until after the upcoming Israeli elections.
It appears, however, that Israel’s January elections will not delay the US and the other Quartet members, which plan to go ahead whether Israel cooperates or not. After discussing the possible impact of the upcoming Israeli elections, Satterfield and his colleagues decided to proceed on schedule.
Stated Norwegian diplomat Terje Roed-Larsen, the Quartet’s UN representative: “The parties will have to decide whether to accept [the plan] or reject it. But, if they reject it, they must be aware that they will be rejecting not only the will of the Quartet but of a significant part of the international community.”
Although a non-Quartet diplomat predicted “They will return empty-handed,” British Prime Minister Tony Blair this week urged speedy progress toward solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Blair’s remarks were seen as an appeal to Bush not to freeze the process because of the Israeli elections. Meanwhile, it appears certain that Bush will brook no excuses when it comes to putting a halt to Israel’s starvation of the Palestinians.
The Bush administration is anxious to keep the Quartet plan alive and allay Arab fears. The road map calls for an initial three-month phase during which the Palestinian Authority would resume security cooperation with the United States and Israel, call for an end to armed attacks on Israelis, and install a new Cabinet and prime minister to take over from Arafat. During the same three months, Israel would be required to end its attacks in Palestinian civilian areas, ease its curbs on the travel of Palestinian officials, lift curfews and unfreeze Palestinian assets.
According to administration officials, there is a new strain between Bush and Sharon. During his October visit to Washington, Sharon said that ties between Israel and Washington had never been so close or harmonious. According to administration officials, however, Bush was angry that Sharon was undercutting efforts to get the Palestinians to turn away from Arafat and making it harder to rally Arab support for a possible war against Iraq.
Another major concern, both inside and outside the administration, is what most experts say are the worst conditions among Palestinians they have ever seen. These include malnutrition and the growing sense of isolation because of travel restrictions imposed by the Israelis.
“We are facing a situation where all of those years of progress in the Middle East are essentially going down the tubes,” one diplomat declared. Prime Minister Blair has called for a full Middle East peace conference by the end of this year.
If Bush proceeds with his new sense of resolution and makes it clear to Israel that there will be no more American funding until it accepts the Quartet’s decisions, the road map may be put to use sooner than pessimists might think.
— Richard H. Curtiss is the executive editor of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2002 4:15 pm Post subject: Examining Arab Strategy, or Lack Thereof
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021004130724217
Examining Arab Strategy, or Lack Thereof
Friday, October 04 2002 @ 01:07 PM GMT
"There has been little or no efforts in refining existing strategies or building new ones to combat the US government’s bias toward Israel. There has been no serious efforts put forth to reach the ordinary American, to back those who dare to confront the ever demanding Israeli lobby in the Congress .."
By Ramzy Baroud
In a conversation with a respected Palestinian official months ago, I was told that the reason the Palestinian Authority (PA), “keeps coming back” seeking a more active US role in the Middle East conflict is because the US is the only viable broker. Only a few countries and international bodies are capable of pushing the “peace process” forward, able to persuade both sides to “compromise”, and particularly, able to exert “pressure” on Israel.
The logic seemed odd, considering the unquestionable one-sidedness the US has exhibited in the Arab-Israeli daunting conflict. One doesn’t need to spend a great deal of time and effort researching for US bias in archived official statements and news that goes back to the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Just one look at the US selective practices in the United Nations says it all. The United States government has vetoed an estimated 68 UN Security Council resolutions throughout the years, blocking numerous attempts by the international community to impose disciplinary measures on various, if not all past Israeli governments, for violating international law, time and again.
The official US justifications for alienating itself from the rest of the world to rescue Israel varied, but often centered around the same anemic idea that such UN resolutions will only hamper the peace process, and that negotiations alone can solve the Middle East conflict. For an outsider, the justification is appealing, even wise, but for those whose know a thing or two about the Middle East conflict, it’s ridiculous to depict a peaceful Middle East, at least at this current stage without the presence of a fair-handed arbitrator, a frame of reference of international law (not the Israeli Supreme Court or Knesset that justifies the assassination of Palestinian activists), and certainly a power with the will and genuine interest to find a just solution to the bloody conflict.
As far as Israel is concerned, the United States is certainly the right power for the job. Of course, a country like the US which pours several billion dollars into Israel’s military machine annually, provides Israel with political cover to apply its backward imperialist practices on the Palestinians, with the help of the US media to clean up the mess along the way, is certainly a country that is qualified to be the “honest broker” in the Middle East.
But why is the Palestinian leadership holding the same perception?
The Palestinian Authority, despite all of its ailments has no illusions that the US is only a broker, but certainly not an honest one. Take for example, President George W. Bush’s insistence not to meet with the PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, at a time that he frequently met Israel’s Ariel Sharon at the ranch, both smiling to the cameras like the best of pals. Put the official justification aside: “Arafat needs to prove to me that he is genuinely interested in fighting terrorism,” since at the time that Arafat has exerted some sincere efforts (once out of his besieged office) to halt the violence, even from one side, Sharon would openly share his regrets with the media of not killing Arafat when he had the chance.
Only in a fantasy world does Sharon emerge as a “man of peace”, as Bush dubbed him, and Arafat as a “Mafia boss” as described by retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, US special envoy to the Middle East.
The US Defense Secretary, certainly a powerful man, decided to reconstruct the Middle East conflict in a way that would suit his way of thinking, leaving jungle law in charge of what should have been handled by international law. Here is what Donald Rumsfeld had to say, speaking at a town hall meeting at the Pentagon on 6 Aug., 2002:
“My feelings about the so-called occupied territories are that there was a war; Israel urged neighboring countries not to get involve in it once it started. They all jumped in, and they lost a lot of real estate to Israel because Israel prevailed in the conflict.”
Now, Rumsfeld proceeds to share his view of the Jewish militant outposts or settlements:
“In the intervening period, they’ve made some settlements in various parts of the so-called occupied area, which was the result of a war, which they won.”
Such a simplified, poor approach in analyzing a conflict, extending through the 20th and 21 century, reminds us of fiery speeches of Christian Coalition leader Pat Robertson or “God's new banker?” as some British media have recently describe him. But in Rumsfeld’s case, one doesn’t have the privilege of turning the “700 Club” off. Rumsfeld is a leading figure in a powerful country, and is only a reflection of right wing policies carried out by his government.
While the ultimate victims of such a right wing are the American people, should Arabs, but most importantly Palestinians simply look elsewhere for answers, for another broker, an honest one, for a change?
While Rumsfeld has the whole Middle East conflict (or the so-called Middle East conflict) all figured out, the Arab masses have no illusions about the detrimental role played by the US government in keeping Israel’s occupation of Arab land, and of the subsequent persecution of the Palestinian people.
"It has to be a slip of the tongue by the US defense secretary, as he was speaking spontaneously and not from a written speech," this is what Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told reporters when asked about Rumsfeld's "so-called occupied" remark
Maher is an educated man and is certainly aware that Rumsfeld’s remarks are not qualified to be categorized as a “slip of the tongue.” Most Arab governments, and the Palestinian leadership knows, they must know, that the United States’ support of Israel was a leading reason for the Israeli government’s arrogance and defiance. Yet they continue to dub the US government as a friend and an ally.
My conversation with the Palestinian official flashed again in my head on Tuesday, Oct 1, when the US Congress passed legislation, that was ratified by President Bush which implicitly recognized Jerusalem, including Arab East Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
True, a “barrage” of condemnation by a “chorus” of leaders (this is how some media phrased it), was heard and seen, loud and clear. But by the end, the Arab strategy is still the same. While the US government and Congress have openly submitted to the right wing elements of the US government and media, the pressure of the Israeli-Jewish lobby groups and to the will of the Israeli government, the official statement of the PA, although clearly reflected outrage, said that the decision “harms the credibly of the US as a peace mediator.” If The PA still anticipates a positive US role in the Middle East, then there is a serious issue for debate, an issue that has been ignored for such a long time.
One has to remember that the Palestinian leadership (considering the might of its enemies, the gigantic influence of the US and the negative use of that influence, the fragmentation of the Arab world and its inability to reshape an overall Middle East policy) is in a very difficult position. Ignoring the US role can hardly change things for the better for the Palestinians, and gambling on the happy day in which Washington is a kinder Washington is more of a daydream, at least for now. Continuing with this vicious cycle, in which Arabs are slapped at the face, almost everyday, yet remain faithful believers in the American government’s virtue, will maintain the status quo, in which Israel will remain the greatest, or only beneficiary.
There has been little or no efforts in refining existing strategies or building new ones to combat the US government’s bias toward Israel. There has been no serious efforts put forth to reach the ordinary American, to back those who dare to confront the ever demanding Israeli lobby in the Congress (and who as a result are losing to the Israeli-backed politicians). There has been little or no efforts to influence the media (except of the greatly admirable efforts of independent groups). There has been no unified Arab front in serving Arab causes, or in using strategic Arab wealth to influence US polices, of saying enough is enough, when such a call is needed.
I do remember my conversation with the Palestinian official, and I do sympathize with his statement: ‘the Palestinian Authority (PA), “keeps coming back” seeking a more active US role in the Middle East conflict because the US is the only viable broker.’ But feeding on such an observation, without any real attempt to find alternative brokers or turn the only “viable” one into an honest one, has been a major component responsible for today’s catastrophic foreign policies, and I don’t mean American foreign policies, but Arab and Palestinian policies. Too bad the US decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, but the real challenge is knowing what else can we do about it, aside from registering our opposition with a few official statements and expressions of regret.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2002 9:16 pm Post subject: Parents of Gaza boy killed on film have new baby
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Parents of Gaza boy killed on film have new baby
AL-BUREIJ REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The parents of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy whose death became a symbol of an uprising for statehood are celebrating the birth of a brother, whom they named after their slain son.
Mohammed al-Durra was born on Friday in the Gaza Strip.
His namesake was killed in a shootout between Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen at Gaza's Netzarim junction in September 2000, when the revolt erupted there and in the West Bank.
Television footage of the boy's last moments cowering behind his father Jamal, who was himself wounded, shocked the world.
Two years on, the Durra family hoped for better times.
"This child is our hope to reach peace. I hope that (baby) Mohammed will be a message to the world which saw me trying to protect my son who was killed. We love life and need peace," Jamal told Reuters on Sunday.
Palestinians say the troops shot 12-year-old Mohammed. A preliminary Israeli inquiry supported this, but military officials have since backed off and blamed Palestinian gunfire.
"We had seven children and now we again have seven children," mother Amal Durra said.
The family lives in a three-room home with a corrugated iron roof in the Gaza refugee camp of al-Bureij.
12/01: AOL News: Parents of Gaza boy killed on film have new baby
12/01/02 10:33 ET
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2002 11:16 pm Post subject: Boy Sells His Bicycle to Purchase School Books
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Boy Sells His Bicycle to Purchase School Books
By Saleh Al Ni'ami
November 12, 2002
Document Location:
http://www.miftah.org/display.cfm?DocId=1331
FRUSTRATION WAS written all over his face. Ala', 16, had been standing for hours waiting for someone to buy his bike. He is one of scores of boys his age who gathered Friday morning in the Faras market, the main flea market in Gaza, to sell their bicycles.
"I want to buy some school books and my father, who is unemployed, doesn't have enough money for them," said Ala', who is a sophomore in high school. "I had no other choice but to sell my bicycle," he said, looking embarrassed.
By selling his bicycle, Ala' will have to walk two kilometers every day to and from school. Although the other boys each have their own reasons for selling their bicycles, they have all decided to bear the daily walk to school in return for spending their bikes' worth on what they consider more important matters.
The extremely difficult economic circumstances have most residents of the Gaza Strip seeing their possessions as luxuries that can be done without. A walk around the Faras market on Friday and Saturday mornings shows many residents selling their belongings, not to buy new and better replacements, but to earn money on urgently needed items. People are even selling personal property like televisions and furniture.
Since the beginning of the Intifada, many women in the Gaza Strip have also been selling their jewelry to support their families and to help their husbands shoulder the burdens of daily life.
Ghassan Al Jama'i, who lives in a refugee camp in the central region of the Gaza Strip, says that his wife only has one gold chain left from the jewelry he bought her when they first married. Ghassan has been unemployed since the beginning of the Intifada, and so they have sold her jewelry to cover life's basic necessities. Ghassan's wife is nine months pregnant and he plans on selling her last necklace to cover the costs of a hospital delivery.
More than 60 percent of Gazans live below the poverty line, and unemployment in the Gaza Strip is now more than 56 percent. More than 1.3 million residents live in an area smaller than 365 square kilometers, while over one third of this area is controlled by 4,000 settlers.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2002 11:18 pm Post subject: " A seed in the Fruit of Palestine"
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" A seed in the Fruit of Palestine"
http://www.pcwf.org The link to the website of Palestine Children's Welfare Fund
Click to buy Palestinian embroidery online, sponsor a Palestinian child ,buy a flag or a Kuffiya to feed one, or donate books for the children of the refugee camps and BirZeit University.
"Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity," ,Horace Mann " We can not educate for freedom with methods of slavery."Horace Mann
STOP the Occupation NOW ! NO SETTLEMENTS =NO SETTLERS=PEACE...Human RIGHTS are for all NOT just the "chosen few"...
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2002 11:45 pm Post subject: And The Terrorism Continues; Change U.S. Middle East Policy
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Subject: 11-17-2002 And The Terrorism Continues; Change U.S. Middle East Policy
Mr. President,
Your comments on Islam were very beneficial, but when will you and your administration make a positive change in your failed Middle east foreign policy that will bring peace to Palestine and Israel. The unbridled support of Israel and your shunning of Arafat will not bring the peace. The net result of your current policy has surrounded Israel with enemies. Now the World is on the verge of a war that will never bring peace to the region.
No Justice = No Peace
Joseph E S
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: Ha'aretz, November 17, 2002
:
: And the terrorism continues
: By Gideon Levy
:
:
: The terror attacks come in rapid succession, each new attack making
: us forget the previous one. The ambush in Hebron Friday night pushed
: aside the murders at Kibbutz Metzer. Who remembers? The Israel
: Defense Forces captured Nablus in response to the Metzer attack.
: Creative, bold, original and with the know-how to eradicate
: terrorism, the defense minister promised, as a sign of his
: determination, that this time we will stay in Nablus for a long time.
:
: Indeed, "Wheels of Momentum" - the code name for the Nablus
: operation - has already chalked up a number of achievements: a
: teenager who tried to throw a firebomb at a tank was shot and killed,
: and there have been some arrests.
:
: In another month or two, the IDF will withdraw from Nablus, as well
: as from Hebron, which was reconquered yesterday, and move to the next-
: in-line terrorist center, Jenin, or maybe Ramallah or Tul Karm.
: Officers and military correspondents will then explain with expertise
: that that is where the real terrorist infrastructure is located,
: every liquidation will be termed the end of "the individual chiefly
: responsible for the terrorist infrastructure in northern Samaria," or
: of the "main engineer" or of the "mastermind." His house will be
: demolished, and Israel's war on terrorism will continue without
: letup. Nevertheless, the terrorist attacks come one after another, as
: unfortunately occured in Hebron this weekend.
:
: New "senior wanted individuals" will make their appearance, replacing
: their liquidated predecessors, more bomb-manufacturing workshops will
: be bombed, and the public will know that the IDF is doing everything
: in its power to protect it, even if unsuccessfully.
:
: Israel's only method of operation continues to be one that has never
: produced meaningful results. Yet no one - not in the IDF, not in the
: government, and, above all, not among the public - is asking how long
: Israel will persist with its automatic responses based on force, in
: the form of conquest and occupation after every attack, instead of
: finally trying another route in the wake of the abject failure of the
: one the government has resorted to for the past two years.
:
: Whether it's "Maybe This Time," "Wheels of Momentum," "Determined
: Path" or "Defensive Shield," the true balance sheet of the occupation
: operations with the childish names that the IDF gives them has yet to
: be reckoned: while the security forces boast about the number of
: wanted individuals who have been arrested or liquidated, no one
: really knows how much these operations have actually done to boost
: terrorism. How many young Palestinians have sworn after every such
: operation to take revenge for the suffering and humiliation inflicted
: on them and their parents, when they were imprisoned for long days
: and nights - children, the elderly, the sick - in their homes, when
: they had to ask permission of the soldiers to relieve themselves. How
: many young people have reached the conclusion, and precisely in the
: course of these cruel operations, that they have no other option but
: to pursue the violent struggle against the occupier, and worse, that
: they have nothing left to lose.
:
: The average Israeli has no way of knowing what the Palestinians are
: enduring as "Wheels of Momentum" takes its course. The papers barely
: report on the suffering they are undergoing. Instead, the media
: mobilizes to carry out a campaign of demonization against the
: residents of whole cities. Indeed, if Jenin is the "city of the
: suicide bombers," why shouldn't all its inhabitants be made to
: suffer? And if Nablus is a "hornets' nest of murderers," why not keep
: its entire population confined to their homes indefinitely? In Jenin,
: though, there are 32,000 residents, most of whom don't want to commit
: suicide, while in Nablus there are 200,000 residents, the vast
: majority of whom are not murderers. They are hardworking people, some
: of them second- or third-generation refugees, and all they want is to
: live a normal life, a life of freedom and national dignity, which
: Israel has prevented them from doing for more than three decades.
: They were not born any more bloodthirsty than other people and the
: atrocities some of them perpetrate did not spring from a vacuum. Even
: if they have no moral justification, there are explanations aplenty.
:
: For the past two years, the Palestinians have been imprisoned in
: their places of residence in a manner without precedent in the
: history of the Israeli occupation. Hunger, humiliation and daily
: danger to life - far greater than the danger Israelis face - are
: their lot. When they gather these days in the evening for the meal
: that breaks the month-long Ramadan fast during the day, they see
: tanks in the streets and desperate poverty in their homes. These are
: classic conditions for the growth of terrorism. The fact that the IDF
: does not dare remain in the cities as a full-fledged occupier, for
: fear that it will have to assume the burden of tending to the
: population, does not absolve it of responsibility for the residents'
: fate. The destruction of the life of the territories is now on all
: our heads and its result is an increase of terrorism.
:
: It has to be said in all honesty: this attempt has failed. The IDF's
: occupation interruptus - occupy and pull out - has not brought about
: the eradication of terrorism and will never do so. Nor will a full
: return to the cities help. A different method has to be tried, and
: immediately: the population has to be helped instead of being
: brutalized, Israel has to get out of their lives as far as possible
: and give them grounds for hope. They are entitled to that, as we are
: entitled to a different form of struggle against terrorism, one that
: will reduce its motivation, instead of increasing it, and will again
: make terrorism's perpetrators a shunned minority in the Palestinian
: society, as was once the case, and not so long ago.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2002 11:52 pm Post subject: UN agency charges Israeli soldiers destroyed their food ware
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http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1038803810431
Dec. 2, 2002
UN agency charges Israeli soldiers destroyed their food warehouse in
Gaza (UPDATE)
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A UN agency charged Monday that during a weekend incursion into the Gaza Strip, Israeli soldiers blew up a warehouse full of food for needy Palestinians. The World Food Progamme, affiliated with the United Nations, said in a statement that on Saturday night, six Israeli tanks surrounded a warehouse in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, checked the interior and then blew up the building with dynamite. The group said the warehouse contained food worth $271,000 dollars, meant for more than 40,000 Palestinians who are suffering severe economic hardships because of two years of Palestinian-Israeli violence. The statement said the building was clearly marked, and the food was stored on the ground floor. The military said it would check the group's complaint. After the Israeli incursion, the military said soldiers destroyed three houses belonging to suspected militants. In New York, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was "extremely concerned" about the report and called for an investigation. The World Food Programme statement urged "the Israeli government to observe humanitarian principles and compensate the agency for its loss." It was the second incident involving Israel and the United Nations in 10 days. On Nov. 22, UN aid worker Iain Hook was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers during a battle between the soldiers and Palestinian gunmen in the Jenin refugee camp. Israel said soldiers mistook a cell phone Hook was holding as a weapon. Hook was the first senior UN official to be killed during the current conflict.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2002 11:55 pm Post subject: Israel plans large scale house demolitions in Hebron
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From: iapinfo@iap.org (IAP NEWS)
Israel plans large scale house demolitions in Hebron
Hebron: 2 December, 2002 (IAP News)
The Israeli occupation army is planing to demolish dozens of Palestinian homes in the heart of Hebron in an effort to push more Palestinians to leave the town’s old quarter, Israeli press sources reported Monday.
The sources said in the initial stage, the army would demolish as many as 15 Palestinian homes located between the Ibrahimi Mosque and Kiryat Arba’a.
The Israeli newspaper, the Jerusalem Post, said on its webpage (www.jpost.com) that the purpose of the wholesale demolitions was to assure a safe passage for Jewish settlers between Kiryat Arba’a and the small Jewish enclave in Hebron.
Palestinian leaders in the city described the planned destruction of homes as “a demographic massacre.”
“We are telling the world that Israel is practicing ethnic cleansing in its ugliest form…What the Serbs did in Bosnia, Israel is doing in Hebron. Ethnic cleansing is wrong, the world must condemn it and stop it immediately,” said Yousef Ja’abari, a proprietor of one of the homes slated for demolition.
“Where in the world peoples’ homes are destroyed and innocent inhabitants are thrown into the street just because they happen to have a different religion…this Israeli occupation is Nazi-like in every conceivable respect?”
There are as many as 400 messianic Jewish settlers living in Hebron among the town’s estimated 170,000 Palestinians.
The settlers, protected round-the-clock by more than 2000 Israeli soldiers, make no secret of their desire to expel or exterminate the Palestinians and obliterate the town’s Arab-Islamic identity.
A settler by the name of Baruch Goldstein, an American trained doctor, murdered 29 Arab worshipers at the Ibrahimi Mosque on 25 February, 1994 while they were prostrating in prayer. He was killed in the incident. A special tomb was set up in his honor and thousands of Jews come to pay homage to him and consider his crime an act of heroism.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2002 12:05 am Post subject: Palestinian olive trees sold to rich Israelis
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Palestinian olive trees sold to rich Israelis
By Alan Philps in Jerusalem
(Filed: 28/11/2002)
Israel's Defence Ministry is investigating reports that Palestinian
olive trees uprooted to make way for a security fence are being sold
illegally to rich Israelis and town councils, sometimes for thousands
of pounds each.
The illegal trade in olive trees has flourished as Israeli contractors,
supported by armed guards, clear Palestinian agricultural land
where an 80-mile electronic fence is being built to seal off the West
Bank.
Thousands of olive trees have been dug up to make way for the
150-ft wide barrier and security zone. Its route usually passes inside
Palestinian territory, not along the old pre-1967 border, and
thousands of Palestinian farmers say their livelihood is being taken
away.
Sale of the olive trees emerged after the owner of a contracting
company offered two reporters from a popular Israeli newspaper,
Yedioth Ahronoth, 100 large olive trees for 150 each.
The reporters found one enormous tree, said to be 600 years old,
on sale at an Israeli plant nursery for 3,500. They said the trade
was conducted with the complicity of an official in the civil
administration, the Israeli military government in the occupied
territories.
Olive trees are extremely hardy, can live for hundreds of years and
will often stand transplanting. Gnarled old specimens which are
claimed, with some exaggeration, to have been alive at the time of
Jesus are much sought after for gardens of the rich or city parks.
The Defence Ministry, which is in charge of the security fence, said
it had launched an investigation. "The ministry pays contractors for
uprooting and replanting and, in their contract, there is no clause
that allows for trade in the trees. If there is such a trade, it is a
criminal activity," it said.
Some contracts require the olive trees to be relocated to areas
suggested by their owners outside the Israeli-declared security
zone. But Yael Stein, researcher for B'tselem, an Israeli human
rights organisation, said: "We have never seen any relocation. The
contractors cannot just sell the trees. That is theft."
While the trees may be ornaments to Israelis, olives are the
lifeblood of Palestinian agriculture, almost the only crop which grows
on the stony hillsides of the West Bank without irrigation. Most
Palestinians are unemployed after two years of violence and their
staple diet is bread and olive oil.
About 11,000 Palestinian farmers will lose all or some of their land
holdings to the fence. Sharif Omar, from the village of Jayous, near
the Israeli town of Kochav Yair, said: "I have lost almost everything.
I have lost 2,700 fruit and olive trees. And 44 of 50 acres I own have
been confiscated for the fence."
His village lost seven wells, 15,000 olive trees and 50,000 citrus and
other fruit trees. "This area is the agricultural store for the West
Bank. They are destroying us," he said.
Israel is offering compensation for confiscated agricultural land but
Palestinians are unlikely to apply, as they still hope to get their land
back.
The Palestinian Agriculture Ministry says 200,000 olive trees have
been destroyed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the past two years
to provide security for settlers.
The 90 million fence will prevent suicide bombers infiltrating into
Israel. But some Israeli border communities say depriving
Palestinians of their livelihood will make for worse, not better,
neighbours.
Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2002.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2002 12:08 am Post subject: Palestinian Christians face ethnic cleansing
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http://natcath.org/NCR_Online/archives/112202/112202r.htm
Palestinian Christians face ethnic cleansing
National Catholic Reporter, November 22, 2002
By ABE ATA
The Palestinian Christian is an endangered species. When the
modern state of Israel was established there were about 400,000 of
us. Two years ago the number was down to 80,000. Now it’s down
to 60,000. At that rate, in a few years there will be none of us left.
Palestinian Christians within Israel fare little better. On the face of it,
their number has grown by 20,000 since 1991. But this is
misleading, for the census classification “Christian” includes some
20,000 recent non-Arab migrants from the former Soviet Union. So
why are Palestinian Christians abandoning their homeland? We
have lost hope, that’s why. We are treated as non-people. Few
outside the Middle East even know we exist, and those who do,
conveniently forget.
I refer, of course, to the American religious right. They see the
modern Israel as a harbinger of the Second Coming, at which time
Christians will go to paradise, and all others (presumably including
Jews) to hell. To this end they lend military and moral support to
Israel. Even by the double-dealing standards of international
diplomacy, this is a breathtakingly cynical bargain. It is hard to know
who is using whom more: the Christian right for offering secular
power in the expectation that the Jewish state will be destroyed by a
greater spiritual one, or the Israeli right for accepting their offer.
What we do know is that both sides are abusing the Palestinians.
Apparently we don’t enter into anyone’s calculations.
The views of the Israeli right are well known: They want us gone.
Less well known are the views of the American religious right.
Senator James Inhofe, R-Okla., said: “God appeared to Abraham
and said: ‘I am giving you this land,’ the West Bank. This is not a
political battle at all. It is a contest over whether or not the word of
God is true.” House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, was
even more forthright: “I’m content to have Israel grab the entire
West Bank. … I happen to believe that the Palestinians should
leave.”
There is a phrase for this: ethnic cleansing. Why do American
Christians stand by while their leaders advocate the expulsion of
fellow Christians? Could it be that they do not know that the Holy
Land has been a home to Christians since, well … since Christ? Do
not think I am asking for special treatment for Christians. Ethnic
cleansing is evil whoever does it and to whomever it is done.
Palestinian Christians -- Maronite Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans,
Armenians, Baptists, Copts and Assyrians -- have been rubbing
shoulders with each other and with other religions -- Muslims, Jews,
Druze and most recently Baha’is -- for centuries. We want to do so
for centuries more. But we can’t if we are driven out by despair.
What we seek is support: material, moral, political and spiritual. As
Palestinians, we grieve for what we have lost, and few people (the
Ashkenazi Jews are one) have lost more than us. But grief can be
assuaged by the fellowship of friends.
Abe Ata is a ninth-generation Christian Palestinian born in
Bethlehem. He is a visiting Senior Fellow at the University of
Melbourne in Australia and author of 11 books, including
Intermarriage between Christians and Muslims.
Wednesday, November 27 2002 @ 07:27 PM GMT
"Since Israel has fought the Quartet initiative every step of the way, it already had become clear that Washington would have to .."
By Richard H. Curtiss
Thanks to US Secretary of State Colin Powell, the next show on the international agenda will be headlined by the International Quartet, starring the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia. While Israel had anticipated a long postponement of peace negotiations due to a war with Iraq, Powell has circumvented that problem. Now it is time to negotiate the biggest international conundrum of all — Israel and human rights for the Palestinians.
Palestinians literally are starving in the blocked-off streets of their encircled villages. Washington must address this crisis first, and insist that food relief be provided now, without delay. All along, the European Union has been helping to meet the Palestinians’ food, budgetary and significant infrastructure needs. The Israelis, by contrast, are used to haggling for everything —which, of course, will include bargaining to allow needed food supplies into Palestine.
After backing down once before when Ariel Sharon rejected an ultimatum, however, President George W. Bush has stiffened his backbone. He has strengthened his mandate in an off-year election, which historically should have diluted his strength in Congress. Now the Republican president and his party control both houses of Congress, and have an international mandate to stop the slide toward war. The frightened world, meanwhile, has been calling insistently for peace for the Palestinians. Bush had tried, seemingly in quite good faith, to start negotiations with the “Quartet” even while the outcome of the Saddam Hussein imbroglio was not yet known. With the Iraq problem at least temporarily resolved, he sent Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield to the Middle East. Satterfield and his American team met with Quartet diplomats on Nov. 11 and 12 to finalize a plan for presentation in mid-December.
At its mid-November meeting in Jerusalem, Quartet representatives worked out the text that envisages the establishment of a provisional Palestinian state by 2003 and full statehood two years later. It is based on a vision for the Middle East put forward by Bush in a June speech.
Since Israel has fought the Quartet initiative every step of the way, it already had become clear that Washington would have to step in firmly to start things moving. Claiming Israel was too busy dealing with the expected war with Iraq, Sharon had been “blowing off” any talk on the subject of peace with the Palestinians. With that war put on hold, the Israelis, with their ever-industrious American lobby, had to find a new excuse for procrastination. They now are trying to freeze the process until after the upcoming Israeli elections.
It appears, however, that Israel’s January elections will not delay the US and the other Quartet members, which plan to go ahead whether Israel cooperates or not. After discussing the possible impact of the upcoming Israeli elections, Satterfield and his colleagues decided to proceed on schedule.
Stated Norwegian diplomat Terje Roed-Larsen, the Quartet’s UN representative: “The parties will have to decide whether to accept [the plan] or reject it. But, if they reject it, they must be aware that they will be rejecting not only the will of the Quartet but of a significant part of the international community.”
Although a non-Quartet diplomat predicted “They will return empty-handed,” British Prime Minister Tony Blair this week urged speedy progress toward solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Blair’s remarks were seen as an appeal to Bush not to freeze the process because of the Israeli elections. Meanwhile, it appears certain that Bush will brook no excuses when it comes to putting a halt to Israel’s starvation of the Palestinians.
The Bush administration is anxious to keep the Quartet plan alive and allay Arab fears. The road map calls for an initial three-month phase during which the Palestinian Authority would resume security cooperation with the United States and Israel, call for an end to armed attacks on Israelis, and install a new Cabinet and prime minister to take over from Arafat. During the same three months, Israel would be required to end its attacks in Palestinian civilian areas, ease its curbs on the travel of Palestinian officials, lift curfews and unfreeze Palestinian assets.
According to administration officials, there is a new strain between Bush and Sharon. During his October visit to Washington, Sharon said that ties between Israel and Washington had never been so close or harmonious. According to administration officials, however, Bush was angry that Sharon was undercutting efforts to get the Palestinians to turn away from Arafat and making it harder to rally Arab support for a possible war against Iraq.
Another major concern, both inside and outside the administration, is what most experts say are the worst conditions among Palestinians they have ever seen. These include malnutrition and the growing sense of isolation because of travel restrictions imposed by the Israelis.
“We are facing a situation where all of those years of progress in the Middle East are essentially going down the tubes,” one diplomat declared. Prime Minister Blair has called for a full Middle East peace conference by the end of this year.
If Bush proceeds with his new sense of resolution and makes it clear to Israel that there will be no more American funding until it accepts the Quartet’s decisions, the road map may be put to use sooner than pessimists might think.
— Richard H. Curtiss is the executive editor of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2002 4:15 pm Post subject: Examining Arab Strategy, or Lack Thereof
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021004130724217
Examining Arab Strategy, or Lack Thereof
Friday, October 04 2002 @ 01:07 PM GMT
"There has been little or no efforts in refining existing strategies or building new ones to combat the US government’s bias toward Israel. There has been no serious efforts put forth to reach the ordinary American, to back those who dare to confront the ever demanding Israeli lobby in the Congress .."
By Ramzy Baroud
In a conversation with a respected Palestinian official months ago, I was told that the reason the Palestinian Authority (PA), “keeps coming back” seeking a more active US role in the Middle East conflict is because the US is the only viable broker. Only a few countries and international bodies are capable of pushing the “peace process” forward, able to persuade both sides to “compromise”, and particularly, able to exert “pressure” on Israel.
The logic seemed odd, considering the unquestionable one-sidedness the US has exhibited in the Arab-Israeli daunting conflict. One doesn’t need to spend a great deal of time and effort researching for US bias in archived official statements and news that goes back to the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Just one look at the US selective practices in the United Nations says it all. The United States government has vetoed an estimated 68 UN Security Council resolutions throughout the years, blocking numerous attempts by the international community to impose disciplinary measures on various, if not all past Israeli governments, for violating international law, time and again.
The official US justifications for alienating itself from the rest of the world to rescue Israel varied, but often centered around the same anemic idea that such UN resolutions will only hamper the peace process, and that negotiations alone can solve the Middle East conflict. For an outsider, the justification is appealing, even wise, but for those whose know a thing or two about the Middle East conflict, it’s ridiculous to depict a peaceful Middle East, at least at this current stage without the presence of a fair-handed arbitrator, a frame of reference of international law (not the Israeli Supreme Court or Knesset that justifies the assassination of Palestinian activists), and certainly a power with the will and genuine interest to find a just solution to the bloody conflict.
As far as Israel is concerned, the United States is certainly the right power for the job. Of course, a country like the US which pours several billion dollars into Israel’s military machine annually, provides Israel with political cover to apply its backward imperialist practices on the Palestinians, with the help of the US media to clean up the mess along the way, is certainly a country that is qualified to be the “honest broker” in the Middle East.
But why is the Palestinian leadership holding the same perception?
The Palestinian Authority, despite all of its ailments has no illusions that the US is only a broker, but certainly not an honest one. Take for example, President George W. Bush’s insistence not to meet with the PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, at a time that he frequently met Israel’s Ariel Sharon at the ranch, both smiling to the cameras like the best of pals. Put the official justification aside: “Arafat needs to prove to me that he is genuinely interested in fighting terrorism,” since at the time that Arafat has exerted some sincere efforts (once out of his besieged office) to halt the violence, even from one side, Sharon would openly share his regrets with the media of not killing Arafat when he had the chance.
Only in a fantasy world does Sharon emerge as a “man of peace”, as Bush dubbed him, and Arafat as a “Mafia boss” as described by retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, US special envoy to the Middle East.
The US Defense Secretary, certainly a powerful man, decided to reconstruct the Middle East conflict in a way that would suit his way of thinking, leaving jungle law in charge of what should have been handled by international law. Here is what Donald Rumsfeld had to say, speaking at a town hall meeting at the Pentagon on 6 Aug., 2002:
“My feelings about the so-called occupied territories are that there was a war; Israel urged neighboring countries not to get involve in it once it started. They all jumped in, and they lost a lot of real estate to Israel because Israel prevailed in the conflict.”
Now, Rumsfeld proceeds to share his view of the Jewish militant outposts or settlements:
“In the intervening period, they’ve made some settlements in various parts of the so-called occupied area, which was the result of a war, which they won.”
Such a simplified, poor approach in analyzing a conflict, extending through the 20th and 21 century, reminds us of fiery speeches of Christian Coalition leader Pat Robertson or “God's new banker?” as some British media have recently describe him. But in Rumsfeld’s case, one doesn’t have the privilege of turning the “700 Club” off. Rumsfeld is a leading figure in a powerful country, and is only a reflection of right wing policies carried out by his government.
While the ultimate victims of such a right wing are the American people, should Arabs, but most importantly Palestinians simply look elsewhere for answers, for another broker, an honest one, for a change?
While Rumsfeld has the whole Middle East conflict (or the so-called Middle East conflict) all figured out, the Arab masses have no illusions about the detrimental role played by the US government in keeping Israel’s occupation of Arab land, and of the subsequent persecution of the Palestinian people.
"It has to be a slip of the tongue by the US defense secretary, as he was speaking spontaneously and not from a written speech," this is what Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told reporters when asked about Rumsfeld's "so-called occupied" remark
Maher is an educated man and is certainly aware that Rumsfeld’s remarks are not qualified to be categorized as a “slip of the tongue.” Most Arab governments, and the Palestinian leadership knows, they must know, that the United States’ support of Israel was a leading reason for the Israeli government’s arrogance and defiance. Yet they continue to dub the US government as a friend and an ally.
My conversation with the Palestinian official flashed again in my head on Tuesday, Oct 1, when the US Congress passed legislation, that was ratified by President Bush which implicitly recognized Jerusalem, including Arab East Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
True, a “barrage” of condemnation by a “chorus” of leaders (this is how some media phrased it), was heard and seen, loud and clear. But by the end, the Arab strategy is still the same. While the US government and Congress have openly submitted to the right wing elements of the US government and media, the pressure of the Israeli-Jewish lobby groups and to the will of the Israeli government, the official statement of the PA, although clearly reflected outrage, said that the decision “harms the credibly of the US as a peace mediator.” If The PA still anticipates a positive US role in the Middle East, then there is a serious issue for debate, an issue that has been ignored for such a long time.
One has to remember that the Palestinian leadership (considering the might of its enemies, the gigantic influence of the US and the negative use of that influence, the fragmentation of the Arab world and its inability to reshape an overall Middle East policy) is in a very difficult position. Ignoring the US role can hardly change things for the better for the Palestinians, and gambling on the happy day in which Washington is a kinder Washington is more of a daydream, at least for now. Continuing with this vicious cycle, in which Arabs are slapped at the face, almost everyday, yet remain faithful believers in the American government’s virtue, will maintain the status quo, in which Israel will remain the greatest, or only beneficiary.
There has been little or no efforts in refining existing strategies or building new ones to combat the US government’s bias toward Israel. There has been no serious efforts put forth to reach the ordinary American, to back those who dare to confront the ever demanding Israeli lobby in the Congress (and who as a result are losing to the Israeli-backed politicians). There has been little or no efforts to influence the media (except of the greatly admirable efforts of independent groups). There has been no unified Arab front in serving Arab causes, or in using strategic Arab wealth to influence US polices, of saying enough is enough, when such a call is needed.
I do remember my conversation with the Palestinian official, and I do sympathize with his statement: ‘the Palestinian Authority (PA), “keeps coming back” seeking a more active US role in the Middle East conflict because the US is the only viable broker.’ But feeding on such an observation, without any real attempt to find alternative brokers or turn the only “viable” one into an honest one, has been a major component responsible for today’s catastrophic foreign policies, and I don’t mean American foreign policies, but Arab and Palestinian policies. Too bad the US decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, but the real challenge is knowing what else can we do about it, aside from registering our opposition with a few official statements and expressions of regret.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2002 9:16 pm Post subject: Parents of Gaza boy killed on film have new baby
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parents of Gaza boy killed on film have new baby
AL-BUREIJ REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The parents of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy whose death became a symbol of an uprising for statehood are celebrating the birth of a brother, whom they named after their slain son.
Mohammed al-Durra was born on Friday in the Gaza Strip.
His namesake was killed in a shootout between Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen at Gaza's Netzarim junction in September 2000, when the revolt erupted there and in the West Bank.
Television footage of the boy's last moments cowering behind his father Jamal, who was himself wounded, shocked the world.
Two years on, the Durra family hoped for better times.
"This child is our hope to reach peace. I hope that (baby) Mohammed will be a message to the world which saw me trying to protect my son who was killed. We love life and need peace," Jamal told Reuters on Sunday.
Palestinians say the troops shot 12-year-old Mohammed. A preliminary Israeli inquiry supported this, but military officials have since backed off and blamed Palestinian gunfire.
"We had seven children and now we again have seven children," mother Amal Durra said.
The family lives in a three-room home with a corrugated iron roof in the Gaza refugee camp of al-Bureij.
12/01: AOL News: Parents of Gaza boy killed on film have new baby
12/01/02 10:33 ET
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2002 11:16 pm Post subject: Boy Sells His Bicycle to Purchase School Books
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Boy Sells His Bicycle to Purchase School Books
By Saleh Al Ni'ami
November 12, 2002
Document Location:
http://www.miftah.org/display.cfm?DocId=1331
FRUSTRATION WAS written all over his face. Ala', 16, had been standing for hours waiting for someone to buy his bike. He is one of scores of boys his age who gathered Friday morning in the Faras market, the main flea market in Gaza, to sell their bicycles.
"I want to buy some school books and my father, who is unemployed, doesn't have enough money for them," said Ala', who is a sophomore in high school. "I had no other choice but to sell my bicycle," he said, looking embarrassed.
By selling his bicycle, Ala' will have to walk two kilometers every day to and from school. Although the other boys each have their own reasons for selling their bicycles, they have all decided to bear the daily walk to school in return for spending their bikes' worth on what they consider more important matters.
The extremely difficult economic circumstances have most residents of the Gaza Strip seeing their possessions as luxuries that can be done without. A walk around the Faras market on Friday and Saturday mornings shows many residents selling their belongings, not to buy new and better replacements, but to earn money on urgently needed items. People are even selling personal property like televisions and furniture.
Since the beginning of the Intifada, many women in the Gaza Strip have also been selling their jewelry to support their families and to help their husbands shoulder the burdens of daily life.
Ghassan Al Jama'i, who lives in a refugee camp in the central region of the Gaza Strip, says that his wife only has one gold chain left from the jewelry he bought her when they first married. Ghassan has been unemployed since the beginning of the Intifada, and so they have sold her jewelry to cover life's basic necessities. Ghassan's wife is nine months pregnant and he plans on selling her last necklace to cover the costs of a hospital delivery.
More than 60 percent of Gazans live below the poverty line, and unemployment in the Gaza Strip is now more than 56 percent. More than 1.3 million residents live in an area smaller than 365 square kilometers, while over one third of this area is controlled by 4,000 settlers.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2002 11:18 pm Post subject: " A seed in the Fruit of Palestine"
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" A seed in the Fruit of Palestine"
http://www.pcwf.org The link to the website of Palestine Children's Welfare Fund
Click to buy Palestinian embroidery online, sponsor a Palestinian child ,buy a flag or a Kuffiya to feed one, or donate books for the children of the refugee camps and BirZeit University.
"Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity," ,Horace Mann " We can not educate for freedom with methods of slavery."Horace Mann
STOP the Occupation NOW ! NO SETTLEMENTS =NO SETTLERS=PEACE...Human RIGHTS are for all NOT just the "chosen few"...
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2002 11:45 pm Post subject: And The Terrorism Continues; Change U.S. Middle East Policy
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Subject: 11-17-2002 And The Terrorism Continues; Change U.S. Middle East Policy
Mr. President,
Your comments on Islam were very beneficial, but when will you and your administration make a positive change in your failed Middle east foreign policy that will bring peace to Palestine and Israel. The unbridled support of Israel and your shunning of Arafat will not bring the peace. The net result of your current policy has surrounded Israel with enemies. Now the World is on the verge of a war that will never bring peace to the region.
No Justice = No Peace
Joseph E S
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: Ha'aretz, November 17, 2002
:
: And the terrorism continues
: By Gideon Levy
:
:
: The terror attacks come in rapid succession, each new attack making
: us forget the previous one. The ambush in Hebron Friday night pushed
: aside the murders at Kibbutz Metzer. Who remembers? The Israel
: Defense Forces captured Nablus in response to the Metzer attack.
: Creative, bold, original and with the know-how to eradicate
: terrorism, the defense minister promised, as a sign of his
: determination, that this time we will stay in Nablus for a long time.
:
: Indeed, "Wheels of Momentum" - the code name for the Nablus
: operation - has already chalked up a number of achievements: a
: teenager who tried to throw a firebomb at a tank was shot and killed,
: and there have been some arrests.
:
: In another month or two, the IDF will withdraw from Nablus, as well
: as from Hebron, which was reconquered yesterday, and move to the next-
: in-line terrorist center, Jenin, or maybe Ramallah or Tul Karm.
: Officers and military correspondents will then explain with expertise
: that that is where the real terrorist infrastructure is located,
: every liquidation will be termed the end of "the individual chiefly
: responsible for the terrorist infrastructure in northern Samaria," or
: of the "main engineer" or of the "mastermind." His house will be
: demolished, and Israel's war on terrorism will continue without
: letup. Nevertheless, the terrorist attacks come one after another, as
: unfortunately occured in Hebron this weekend.
:
: New "senior wanted individuals" will make their appearance, replacing
: their liquidated predecessors, more bomb-manufacturing workshops will
: be bombed, and the public will know that the IDF is doing everything
: in its power to protect it, even if unsuccessfully.
:
: Israel's only method of operation continues to be one that has never
: produced meaningful results. Yet no one - not in the IDF, not in the
: government, and, above all, not among the public - is asking how long
: Israel will persist with its automatic responses based on force, in
: the form of conquest and occupation after every attack, instead of
: finally trying another route in the wake of the abject failure of the
: one the government has resorted to for the past two years.
:
: Whether it's "Maybe This Time," "Wheels of Momentum," "Determined
: Path" or "Defensive Shield," the true balance sheet of the occupation
: operations with the childish names that the IDF gives them has yet to
: be reckoned: while the security forces boast about the number of
: wanted individuals who have been arrested or liquidated, no one
: really knows how much these operations have actually done to boost
: terrorism. How many young Palestinians have sworn after every such
: operation to take revenge for the suffering and humiliation inflicted
: on them and their parents, when they were imprisoned for long days
: and nights - children, the elderly, the sick - in their homes, when
: they had to ask permission of the soldiers to relieve themselves. How
: many young people have reached the conclusion, and precisely in the
: course of these cruel operations, that they have no other option but
: to pursue the violent struggle against the occupier, and worse, that
: they have nothing left to lose.
:
: The average Israeli has no way of knowing what the Palestinians are
: enduring as "Wheels of Momentum" takes its course. The papers barely
: report on the suffering they are undergoing. Instead, the media
: mobilizes to carry out a campaign of demonization against the
: residents of whole cities. Indeed, if Jenin is the "city of the
: suicide bombers," why shouldn't all its inhabitants be made to
: suffer? And if Nablus is a "hornets' nest of murderers," why not keep
: its entire population confined to their homes indefinitely? In Jenin,
: though, there are 32,000 residents, most of whom don't want to commit
: suicide, while in Nablus there are 200,000 residents, the vast
: majority of whom are not murderers. They are hardworking people, some
: of them second- or third-generation refugees, and all they want is to
: live a normal life, a life of freedom and national dignity, which
: Israel has prevented them from doing for more than three decades.
: They were not born any more bloodthirsty than other people and the
: atrocities some of them perpetrate did not spring from a vacuum. Even
: if they have no moral justification, there are explanations aplenty.
:
: For the past two years, the Palestinians have been imprisoned in
: their places of residence in a manner without precedent in the
: history of the Israeli occupation. Hunger, humiliation and daily
: danger to life - far greater than the danger Israelis face - are
: their lot. When they gather these days in the evening for the meal
: that breaks the month-long Ramadan fast during the day, they see
: tanks in the streets and desperate poverty in their homes. These are
: classic conditions for the growth of terrorism. The fact that the IDF
: does not dare remain in the cities as a full-fledged occupier, for
: fear that it will have to assume the burden of tending to the
: population, does not absolve it of responsibility for the residents'
: fate. The destruction of the life of the territories is now on all
: our heads and its result is an increase of terrorism.
:
: It has to be said in all honesty: this attempt has failed. The IDF's
: occupation interruptus - occupy and pull out - has not brought about
: the eradication of terrorism and will never do so. Nor will a full
: return to the cities help. A different method has to be tried, and
: immediately: the population has to be helped instead of being
: brutalized, Israel has to get out of their lives as far as possible
: and give them grounds for hope. They are entitled to that, as we are
: entitled to a different form of struggle against terrorism, one that
: will reduce its motivation, instead of increasing it, and will again
: make terrorism's perpetrators a shunned minority in the Palestinian
: society, as was once the case, and not so long ago.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2002 11:52 pm Post subject: UN agency charges Israeli soldiers destroyed their food ware
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http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1038803810431
Dec. 2, 2002
UN agency charges Israeli soldiers destroyed their food warehouse in
Gaza (UPDATE)
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A UN agency charged Monday that during a weekend incursion into the Gaza Strip, Israeli soldiers blew up a warehouse full of food for needy Palestinians. The World Food Progamme, affiliated with the United Nations, said in a statement that on Saturday night, six Israeli tanks surrounded a warehouse in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, checked the interior and then blew up the building with dynamite. The group said the warehouse contained food worth $271,000 dollars, meant for more than 40,000 Palestinians who are suffering severe economic hardships because of two years of Palestinian-Israeli violence. The statement said the building was clearly marked, and the food was stored on the ground floor. The military said it would check the group's complaint. After the Israeli incursion, the military said soldiers destroyed three houses belonging to suspected militants. In New York, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was "extremely concerned" about the report and called for an investigation. The World Food Programme statement urged "the Israeli government to observe humanitarian principles and compensate the agency for its loss." It was the second incident involving Israel and the United Nations in 10 days. On Nov. 22, UN aid worker Iain Hook was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers during a battle between the soldiers and Palestinian gunmen in the Jenin refugee camp. Israel said soldiers mistook a cell phone Hook was holding as a weapon. Hook was the first senior UN official to be killed during the current conflict.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2002 11:55 pm Post subject: Israel plans large scale house demolitions in Hebron
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From: iapinfo@iap.org (IAP NEWS)
Israel plans large scale house demolitions in Hebron
Hebron: 2 December, 2002 (IAP News)
The Israeli occupation army is planing to demolish dozens of Palestinian homes in the heart of Hebron in an effort to push more Palestinians to leave the town’s old quarter, Israeli press sources reported Monday.
The sources said in the initial stage, the army would demolish as many as 15 Palestinian homes located between the Ibrahimi Mosque and Kiryat Arba’a.
The Israeli newspaper, the Jerusalem Post, said on its webpage (www.jpost.com) that the purpose of the wholesale demolitions was to assure a safe passage for Jewish settlers between Kiryat Arba’a and the small Jewish enclave in Hebron.
Palestinian leaders in the city described the planned destruction of homes as “a demographic massacre.”
“We are telling the world that Israel is practicing ethnic cleansing in its ugliest form…What the Serbs did in Bosnia, Israel is doing in Hebron. Ethnic cleansing is wrong, the world must condemn it and stop it immediately,” said Yousef Ja’abari, a proprietor of one of the homes slated for demolition.
“Where in the world peoples’ homes are destroyed and innocent inhabitants are thrown into the street just because they happen to have a different religion…this Israeli occupation is Nazi-like in every conceivable respect?”
There are as many as 400 messianic Jewish settlers living in Hebron among the town’s estimated 170,000 Palestinians.
The settlers, protected round-the-clock by more than 2000 Israeli soldiers, make no secret of their desire to expel or exterminate the Palestinians and obliterate the town’s Arab-Islamic identity.
A settler by the name of Baruch Goldstein, an American trained doctor, murdered 29 Arab worshipers at the Ibrahimi Mosque on 25 February, 1994 while they were prostrating in prayer. He was killed in the incident. A special tomb was set up in his honor and thousands of Jews come to pay homage to him and consider his crime an act of heroism.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2002 12:05 am Post subject: Palestinian olive trees sold to rich Israelis
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Palestinian olive trees sold to rich Israelis
By Alan Philps in Jerusalem
(Filed: 28/11/2002)
Israel's Defence Ministry is investigating reports that Palestinian
olive trees uprooted to make way for a security fence are being sold
illegally to rich Israelis and town councils, sometimes for thousands
of pounds each.
The illegal trade in olive trees has flourished as Israeli contractors,
supported by armed guards, clear Palestinian agricultural land
where an 80-mile electronic fence is being built to seal off the West
Bank.
Thousands of olive trees have been dug up to make way for the
150-ft wide barrier and security zone. Its route usually passes inside
Palestinian territory, not along the old pre-1967 border, and
thousands of Palestinian farmers say their livelihood is being taken
away.
Sale of the olive trees emerged after the owner of a contracting
company offered two reporters from a popular Israeli newspaper,
Yedioth Ahronoth, 100 large olive trees for 150 each.
The reporters found one enormous tree, said to be 600 years old,
on sale at an Israeli plant nursery for 3,500. They said the trade
was conducted with the complicity of an official in the civil
administration, the Israeli military government in the occupied
territories.
Olive trees are extremely hardy, can live for hundreds of years and
will often stand transplanting. Gnarled old specimens which are
claimed, with some exaggeration, to have been alive at the time of
Jesus are much sought after for gardens of the rich or city parks.
The Defence Ministry, which is in charge of the security fence, said
it had launched an investigation. "The ministry pays contractors for
uprooting and replanting and, in their contract, there is no clause
that allows for trade in the trees. If there is such a trade, it is a
criminal activity," it said.
Some contracts require the olive trees to be relocated to areas
suggested by their owners outside the Israeli-declared security
zone. But Yael Stein, researcher for B'tselem, an Israeli human
rights organisation, said: "We have never seen any relocation. The
contractors cannot just sell the trees. That is theft."
While the trees may be ornaments to Israelis, olives are the
lifeblood of Palestinian agriculture, almost the only crop which grows
on the stony hillsides of the West Bank without irrigation. Most
Palestinians are unemployed after two years of violence and their
staple diet is bread and olive oil.
About 11,000 Palestinian farmers will lose all or some of their land
holdings to the fence. Sharif Omar, from the village of Jayous, near
the Israeli town of Kochav Yair, said: "I have lost almost everything.
I have lost 2,700 fruit and olive trees. And 44 of 50 acres I own have
been confiscated for the fence."
His village lost seven wells, 15,000 olive trees and 50,000 citrus and
other fruit trees. "This area is the agricultural store for the West
Bank. They are destroying us," he said.
Israel is offering compensation for confiscated agricultural land but
Palestinians are unlikely to apply, as they still hope to get their land
back.
The Palestinian Agriculture Ministry says 200,000 olive trees have
been destroyed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the past two years
to provide security for settlers.
The 90 million fence will prevent suicide bombers infiltrating into
Israel. But some Israeli border communities say depriving
Palestinians of their livelihood will make for worse, not better,
neighbours.
Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2002.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2002 12:08 am Post subject: Palestinian Christians face ethnic cleansing
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http://natcath.org/NCR_Online/archives/112202/112202r.htm
Palestinian Christians face ethnic cleansing
National Catholic Reporter, November 22, 2002
By ABE ATA
The Palestinian Christian is an endangered species. When the
modern state of Israel was established there were about 400,000 of
us. Two years ago the number was down to 80,000. Now it’s down
to 60,000. At that rate, in a few years there will be none of us left.
Palestinian Christians within Israel fare little better. On the face of it,
their number has grown by 20,000 since 1991. But this is
misleading, for the census classification “Christian” includes some
20,000 recent non-Arab migrants from the former Soviet Union. So
why are Palestinian Christians abandoning their homeland? We
have lost hope, that’s why. We are treated as non-people. Few
outside the Middle East even know we exist, and those who do,
conveniently forget.
I refer, of course, to the American religious right. They see the
modern Israel as a harbinger of the Second Coming, at which time
Christians will go to paradise, and all others (presumably including
Jews) to hell. To this end they lend military and moral support to
Israel. Even by the double-dealing standards of international
diplomacy, this is a breathtakingly cynical bargain. It is hard to know
who is using whom more: the Christian right for offering secular
power in the expectation that the Jewish state will be destroyed by a
greater spiritual one, or the Israeli right for accepting their offer.
What we do know is that both sides are abusing the Palestinians.
Apparently we don’t enter into anyone’s calculations.
The views of the Israeli right are well known: They want us gone.
Less well known are the views of the American religious right.
Senator James Inhofe, R-Okla., said: “God appeared to Abraham
and said: ‘I am giving you this land,’ the West Bank. This is not a
political battle at all. It is a contest over whether or not the word of
God is true.” House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, was
even more forthright: “I’m content to have Israel grab the entire
West Bank. … I happen to believe that the Palestinians should
leave.”
There is a phrase for this: ethnic cleansing. Why do American
Christians stand by while their leaders advocate the expulsion of
fellow Christians? Could it be that they do not know that the Holy
Land has been a home to Christians since, well … since Christ? Do
not think I am asking for special treatment for Christians. Ethnic
cleansing is evil whoever does it and to whomever it is done.
Palestinian Christians -- Maronite Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans,
Armenians, Baptists, Copts and Assyrians -- have been rubbing
shoulders with each other and with other religions -- Muslims, Jews,
Druze and most recently Baha’is -- for centuries. We want to do so
for centuries more. But we can’t if we are driven out by despair.
What we seek is support: material, moral, political and spiritual. As
Palestinians, we grieve for what we have lost, and few people (the
Ashkenazi Jews are one) have lost more than us. But grief can be
assuaged by the fellowship of friends.
Abe Ata is a ninth-generation Christian Palestinian born in
Bethlehem. He is a visiting Senior Fellow at the University of
Melbourne in Australia and author of 11 books, including
Intermarriage between Christians and Muslims.
Zionist Theses and Anti-Theses
Zionist Theses and Anti-Theses
Wednesday, November 27 2002 @ 07:19 PM GMT
"I can imagine a conclave of Zionist ideologues .. vigorously debating the merits of the new Zionist theses that will sustain .."
By Prof. M. Shahid Alam
WASHINGTON (PC) - When the Zionists first proposed, in 1897, to create a Jewish state in Palestine, they knew that they would have to find an imperialist sponsor and sell the idea to audiences in Europe and United States. Within a few years of its creation, the moral case for Israel had been sold like a Spielberg blockbuster. The Zionists had succeeded in presenting Israel as a small, beleaguered but heroic country, defending Western values against the onslaught of Islamic vandals. Next to the creation of Israel, the launching of this narrative has been the greatest triumph of Zionism.
Is it then foolhardy to oppose this entrenched narrative? One might answer with Noam Chomsky that any system “that’s based on lying and deceit is inherently unstable.” The Zionist narrative about Israel too is unstable. It is scarcely surprising then if this hegemonic narrative has at last begun to fray at the edges even in these United States. A movement to divest from Israel has already spread to more than forty campuses. In Europe, the shift in sympathies towards Palestinians is now a fact.
All of this suggests that the time is ripe for examining again, case by case, some of the leading Zionist theses of the past century. We are at a turning point of history, for better or worse. If we can unravel the fabric of lies woven about Israel, we can perhaps nudge this historical turning point just a little bit towards better outcomes.
Promised by God
According to this thesis, the Jews have a legal right to Palestine because God, in the Torah, promised it to Abraham and his descendents some four thousand years ago.
There is one slight problem with this thesis. It has never been established that a religious document, purporting to record statements made by God, could form the basis of legally enforceable claims to property in this world. Imagine what would happen if courts began to accept individual or collective claims to land, buildings, rivers, and mountains that were backed by divine promises. Saddam Hussein might claim that he had a dream in his youth-which he hasn’t revealed so far-in which God had chosen the Iraqis to inherit the entire United States.
A Historical Connection
More secular Zionists pressed their claims on the basis of a historical connection to Palestine. The historical connection is valid, but it will not support Zionist claims
It is worth pointing out that the historical connection ended some two thousand years ago, when the overwhelming majority of Jews left Palestine for other destinations, mostly in the Mediterranean world. The real problem with this thesis is that claims of an ancient historical connection cannot be used to justify present claims to territory. If this is accepted as a valid principle for appropriating territory, we should all start by vacating United States, since the Indians have a historical connection to this land that is quite a bit weightier than any Jewish connection to Palestine.
A Distinct People
The Jews are a ‘distinct’ people, and, hence, they must have a state of their own. In this case, it does not matter where; it could be in Argentina, Uganda, or Palestine.
This claim is fraught with difficulties. The Jews were a distinct people some two thousand years ago when they inhabited a single territory, spoke a common language, and shared the same traditions. But since their dispersal, they divided into many distinct Jewish communities, each of which had blended with their hosts through marriages and conversions. How much was there in common between the Jews of Russia, Morocco, Iran and Ethiopia, that could define them as a ‘distinct’ people?
This thesis assumes that all distinct peoples have a state of their own. This is patently incorrect. There are hundreds of distinct peoples through out the world who do not have a state of their own. In addition, most of these distinct peoples have a stronger claim to statehood than the Jews since they constitute a majority in the areas they inhabit.
Many Arab States
The Arabs already have several states of their own. If they were not motivated by anti-Semitism, they would not object to the creation of the only Jewish state. Instead, they would welcome and resettle the Palestinians displaced by Jewish colonizers.
This is a racist argument. It assumes that the Jewish need for a state has moral precedence over the rights of Palestinians to their own homes, their history, their ancestral lands, their towns and villages. It blames the Arabs for not showing proper deference towards the desire of the Jews for their own state, a state that would be established solely at the cost of the Arab peoples.
Israel Attacked in 1948
In order to paint Israel as the victim, the Zionist narrative claims that Arab armies from Egypt, Syria and Jordan attacked Israel the day after it was created on May 14, 1949.
Were the Arabs attacking an established state with a historical, moral and legal right to Palestine, or were they merely defending themselves-their lands, their homes, their historical rights-against a foreign occupation supported successively by two imperialist powers, Britain and United States?
What would the Americans have done if the UN-in a world in which Japan had won the Second World War-had first allowed unlimited immigration of Jews into Massachusetts, and then authorized its partition to create a Jewish state of Israel in 55 percent of Massachusetts? In 1948, the Arabs had done what I have no doubt the Americans would have done: they defended themselves against an alien invasion.
Only Democracy
The Zionists repeat ad nauseum that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. This happens every time the discussion turns to some egregious Israeli violation of human rights.
But is Israel really a democracy? This depends on what are the boundaries of Israel. Israel is the only country in the world that has never declared or demarcated its borders. And for thirty-five years now, since the 1967 war, its undeclared borders have included the West Bank and Gaza together with their three million Palestinian inhabitants. Israel has been building illegal settlements in these territories since 1967, which did not stop even after the 1993 Oslo Accord. The expanding, armed Jewish settlements are proof positive that Israel never planned to give up these territories. In other words, the true borders of Israel encompass three million Palestinians who have no political and very few civil rights within these de facto borders.
Is Israel then a democracy? Reverend Desmond Tutu, a leading opponent of South African apartheid, prefers to describe it as an apartheid similar to the one that existed in his own country for more than forty years.
A Beleaguered State
The Zionists deflect criticism from Israel by portraying it as a small country-a lamb amongst lions-whose very existence is threatened by hostile Arab armies. This image is hardly supportable.
Israel is a small country that packs a lot of military power. Just consider the wars it has waged against its neighbors. In the 1948-49 war, Israel fielded an army that was stronger and better equipped than all the Arab armies on the war front. On October 29 1956, Israel invaded Egypt, in concert with Britain and France, and occupied all of Sinai and the Gaza Strip until it was forced to evacuate by United States. In June 1967, Israel launched a ‘pre-emptive’ war against Egypt, Syria and Jordan, and in less than six days occupied Sinai, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, and West Bank. Only Sinai has been vacated so far. In June 1981, Israel launched an attack against Iraq to destroy a nuclear reactor under construction near Baghdad. Israel invaded Lebanon in June 1982, advancing up to Beirut, and remained in occupation of parts of Southern Lebanon till May 2000. Is this the record of a small country, beleaguered, threatened by its neighbors?
Coda
The Zionist propaganda machine, however, remains fecund as ever. Even as the old lies are exposed, their credibility undermined, they are replaced by new ones.
As the Israelis advance towards a final round of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, I can imagine a conclave of Zionist ideologues-including the likes of William Saffire, Thomas Friedman and Daniel Pipes-vigorously debating the merits of the new Zionist theses that will sustain Israel through another millennium of hegemony over the Arab world.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:14 pm Post subject: Our Thanksgiving
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021128174811593
Our Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 28 2002 @ 05:48 PM GMT
"Can we not see as well that it is American money that pays for a cruel and unjust occupation of an unarmed and helpless civilian Palestinian population? .."
By Edna Yaghi
WASHINGTON (PC) - It is fitting and proper that we celebrate Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for. Imagine the tasty turkeys and all their trimmings that will decorate our dinner tables. It is an opportune time for us to reunite with family and friends.
We Americans can reminisce about how our ancestors were welcomed to this new land by the natives. And how these natives shared their knowledge and their blessings with the first colonial settlers. Little did the natives know how much they would lose and how many of them would be exterminated by the pilgrims and their followers. How could these noble people foresee that all they held dear, that their whole way of life would be drastically changed forever?
Yet, we celebrate. I am not sure exactly what we are celebrating. Our triumph has been the Indians’ defeat. Our good fortune has often been at the expense of others we have deemed not equal to us, less human than we think we are.
As we fill our stomachs, as we huddle around our hearths, do we stop and think of how much damage we have done here in our own country and in other parts of the world where we actually suppress those people who struggle and die for the very freedoms we claim we hold dear? Do we stop to think of how terrible it is to go to war against a country that is not bothering us at all and is not a threat to our national security? Yes, we have inspectors in Iraq, but whatever the Iraqi government does or does not do, will it really matter?
Can we not see as well that it is American money that pays for a cruel and unjust occupation of an unarmed and helpless civilian Palestinian population? As we satiate our own desires, can we not hear the orphan children crying, can we not see the homes that have been demolished, can we not see the farmland that has been desecrated? Cannot we not hear the screams of Palestinian men who are being tortured, can see not hear the wails of Palestinian mothers who have lost their most prized possessions, their children? Can we not feel the biter cold of those who have been made homeless by Israeli bulldozers?
Do we not even think that as we celebrate Thanksgiving, Palestinian Muslim families are nearing the end of the holy month of Ramadan and they have the right to celebrate as well in peace and joy, among family members and loved ones? Instead, they are deprived of their basic needs, of earning a living, of going to school, are under twenty-four hour curfews and face constant bombardment. Americans and Israelis should not have a monopoly on happiness and celebration. This is a God given right to all and one that we Americans uphold in our Constitution and what we declared in our Declaration of Independence.
Can we not see our own sad state of affairs? Can we not see that we have entered a depression and that we have many of our own poor who are homeless and jobless? Can we not see that in order to survive, many of our elderly are forced to go back to work at menial jobs when they should be enjoying their later years at home?
Does it really make sense that we are denying so many privileges to our own people while we continue to give to the Israelis so they can kill, torture, wipe out or drive out the rest of the Palestinians from their own land and homes? We suffer and we will continue to suffer and our suffering will increase as long as we send our American tax dollars to those who do not even deserve them and who misuse our money in terrible and unjust ways.
We are constantly reminded how Hitler tried to exterminate the Jews but we cannot see now how the Israelis who have no legal, historical, religious or moral claim to Palestine are at this very moment bent on doing their best to make life hell on earth for every Palestinian who bravely tries to live in his or her occupied country. Israel, even before it declared itself a state, has had many, many Hitlers and many faces of evil. Sadly, we, the Americans are partners in these crimes because we pay for them, we suppress the truth about them, and we condone them. We simply cannot see beyond our own super-inflated egos because we chose not to.
We cannot even see how President George Bush is leading us down the road to disaster. He is destroying our economy. He intends to go to war with Iraq without any provocation. Hasn’t America done enough damage to Iraq? Shouldn’t we be thinking of ways to wage peace instead of war? Wouldn’t it be better if we dedicated ourselves to saving lives instead of destroying them? Wouldn’t we the American people be better loved if we really stood for justice and freedom for all? Is it fitting and proper that we continue to kill and mutilate others for oil, for power, for the pure pleasure of it? How long can we fool ourselves? How long will it be until we wake up and smell the coffee? When will we really see how we are supporting the real terrorists instead of doing our best to put a stop to all forms of terror? What do we call it when we wage war on other countries? For how long are we going to sell out the Holy Land to a power that occupies and suppresses the indigenous population?
The people we should really fear are the people we give the most money to and the man we so erroneously chose to be the leader of our country. God bless America.
Photo by Palestinian photojournalist, Mahfouz Abu Turk, for PalestineChronicle.com
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:15 pm Post subject: A Message of Thanksgiving from Palestine
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021128191845819
A Message of Thanksgiving from Palestine
Thursday, November 28 2002 @ 07:18 PM GMT
What am I thankful for? What are we as Palestinians thankful for?
By Sami Awad
BETHLEHEM (PC) - This week, millions of Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving. This will be an occasion for families to get together and enjoy each other's company and love. This will be a time where many will give thanks for good things in their lives such as health, prosperity, good friends and loving families. We cannot forget the big traditional feast that will be part of this event as well.
In Palestine, like many other countries around the world, we do not have Thanksgiving Day. I felt, even in this time, when we have been living for six days under house arrest (curfew) in Bethlehem, when for the past two years, we have been suffering from continuous Israeli military aggression, oppression, and incursions, and when for the past 35 years, we have lived under a brutal occupation, that I - as a Palestinian and as an American - should write this letter in order to express what we are thankful for during this season.
On the 22nd of November, at 4:30 in the morning, Israeli military jeeps with loud speakers, accompanied by tanks and armed personnel carriers, reentered Bethlehem announcing that the entire Bethlehem district, with its towns, villages and refugee camps was under curfew. I write this letter from our apartment where my wife, my daughter and I, like tens of thousands of other families, have been trapped for six days and are not able to leave.
What am I thankful for? What are we as Palestinians thankful for?
Those who have it, are thankful for the little food they were able to buy and save before the Israeli troops came into Bethlehem this past week.
Those who have it, are thankful for electricity that has not been cut and for the water that has not been stopped from their neighborhoods or has not been lost when their water storage tanks were destroyed by Israeli soldiers wanting to empty them. (Unlike Israeli settlements a few miles away, Palestinians only get water once every 10 days on average).
Those who can, are thankful for being able to wake up every morning alive. Thankful that an Israeli sniper bullet or a missile fired on their home from an Israeli army tank or F-16 fighter jet did not kill them.
Those who can, are thankful that their homes have not yet been demolished (only 6 homes in Bethlehem this week), or their homes were not raided by Israeli soldiers who rampaged all their furniture, shooting bullets and destroying all their belongings, and blow up their walls (tens of homes in Bethlehem this week).
Those who can, are thankful that they or other members of their family have not been arrested and taken to unknown places with no access to anyone (tens of Palestinians from Bethlehem this week).
Those who are able to, are thankful that no one in their family has fallen ill. It would take hours, at best, to arrange for an ambulance to pick a sick person these days, not counting the other hours that are wasted by Israeli troops stopping ambulances in the streets.
Those who can, are thankful for telephone lines that connect them to their family and their loved ones. We have not been able to see our parents for a week and we live less than a mile away. We are truly thankful for the telephone line.
Those who can, are thankful that their lands have not yet been confiscated for illegal settlement buildings, which continue to grow and expand at a faster pace, in front of our eyes, as we sit imprisoned in our homes.
We are thankful for the many friends from different parts of this world that have either called or have written to us letters of prayer and support.
We are thankful for the growing number of people around the world and within Israel itself that have come to the realization that security for Israel can only be achieved if justice is given to the Palestinians.
Most of all we are thankful for the hope that we continue to have. Hope in seeing this brutal occupation end for our sake and for the sake of our Israeli neighbors. Hope in seeing a free and democratic Palestinian state established where the rights of all are respected and honored and where every Palestinian has the right to live. Hope in seeing the two peoples of this Holy Land treat each other as equals, with equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal freedoms.
If we did not have hope then we would not have much to be thankful for.
-Photo by Palestinian photojournalist, Mahfouz Abu Turk for PalestineChronicle.com
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:17 pm Post subject: Fact-Finding Peace Activists Banned from Reaching Settlement
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021128171756222
Fact-Finding Peace Activists Banned from Reaching Settlements in Hebron
Thursday, November 28 2002 @ 05:17 PM GMT
"According to organizers of the visit, 25 anti-settlement activists were met by a large number of Israeli police at .."
HEBRON, West Bank - Israeli Occupation Forces prevented Wednesday a group from the Israeli anti-settlement movement Peace Now from visiting an area in the West Bank city of Hebron where Jewish settlers are building new outposts in violation of international law.
According to organizers of the visit, 25 anti-settlement activists were met by a large number of Israeli police at the “Gush Etzion” junction, who prevented them from continuing their trip.
The fact-finding panel wanted “to inspect the facts on the ground built virtually overnight by the settlers in Hebron,” according to a Peace Now statement issued on Tuesday night.
“The settlers have openly declared that they were taking matters in their own hands and implementing (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon’s proposal to expand the Hebron settlements,” the statement added.
Earlier this month, Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon told the army in Hebron to oust Palestinians and establish what he called demographic “territorial [Jewish] continuity” between the illegal settlement of “Kiryat Arba” and the small Jewish settlement enclave piercing the heart of the Old City.
In effect, Sharon had called for a de facto annexation of Palestinian land to link the area colonized by Jewish settlers in the Old City with the nearby illegal settlement in the West Bank City of Hebron, to include Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi, which Jews refer to as the tomb of the Patriarchs.
The international community regards all Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as illegal and rogue outposts are also considered illegal under Israeli law.
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:18 pm Post subject: Israelis Kill Palestinian Ramadan Drummer
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021128184601432
Israelis Kill Palestinian Ramadan Drummer
Thursday, November 28 2002 @ 06:46 PM GMT
"Anatur was hit by several bullets as, following tradition, he went from door to door waking up fellow-Muslims for the Ramadan pre-dawn meal .."
NABLUS, West Bank - Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian Ramadan drummer, or mesaharati, early Wednesday, November 28, near the autonomous Palestinian city of Nablus as he was waking up Muslims for their pre-dawn meals.
Jihad Anatur, 24, died when Israeli soldiers opened fire at him in the Askar refugee camp, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Anatur, the youngest of five brothers and one sister, was hit by several bullets as, following tradition, he went from door to door waking up fellow-Muslims for the Ramadan pre-dawn meal.
He was accompanied by a colleague, Raed Motab, 28, who said that Anatur kept bleeding and asking for help, but the Israeli soldiers didn’t allow anyone to administer first aid to him.
“We were walking between houses to wake people up, and suddenly around eight Israeli soldiers who were hiding behind a car attacked us with their guns and ordered us to stop,” Motab told AFP.
They shot Anatur, and then did not allow me to move towards him, asking me to lift my clothes and then they handcuffed me and took my identity card, he added.
Motab was then beaten and taken inside the camp. He was later releasey heard Anatur’s screams for help for almost half an hour, but no one could approach because the Israelis imposed a curfew immediately after killing Anatur.
“I will not work as drummer again, not after the killing of Anatur,” Motab said.
-IslamOnline & News Agencies (islamonline.net). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:19 pm Post subject: Sharon Rejects Voicing Opposition to Transfer
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002112819511714
Sharon Rejects Voicing Opposition to Transfer
Thursday, November 28 2002 @ 07:51 PM GMT
"The Americans decided to deliver the Jordanian message to Israel at a high official level, explained a top Jordanian official.."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has rejected a Jordanian request that Israel issue a public declaration opposing the ‘transfer’ of Palestinians from the West Bank in case of a US-led war on Iraq, the Israeli daily newspaper Ha’aretz reported Thursday.
Ha’aretz reported that Jordanian officials have voiced concern recently about the possibility that Israel might exploit an American attack on Iraq to expel masses of Palestinians from the West Bank to Jordan.
Senior Jordanian officials, such as foreign minister Marwan Al-Mua’sher, have raised this concern in talks with Israeli and American counterparts, asking for assurances that Israel will refrain from implementing transfer policies, long supported by many Israeli leaders and officials.
Mua’sher brought up the concern last September at the United Nations in New York in talks with former Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres.
The Jordanian official asked for a formal Israel announcement renouncing transfer and demanded that the declaration come directly from Sharon.
The request reached Sharon but he rejected it, Ha’aretz said.
According to Israeli sources, Sharon refused to be involved in any discussions about transfer. “[Sharon] took exception to the Jordanians raising such a suspicion about him.” An Isareli source said.
The Americans decided to deliver the Jordanian message to Israel at a high official level, explained a top Jordanian official.
US President George Bush and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice raised the issue in their meetings with Sharon in Washington last month.
William Burns, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, who visited the region last October, told Israeli officials that the Jordanian officials had expressed fears about mass expulsion of Palestinians during a coming war against Iraq.
The Jordanian official quoted remarks made by Israeli officials in favor of transfer, and cited poll results that indicate a measure of public support for the idea.
But it seems that the Jordanians have refrained from raising the transfer issue in public due to the assurances they received from Washington, top Israeli officials speculated.
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:37 pm Post subject: Both sides must denounce all acts of terrorism
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Both sides must denounce all acts of terrorism
Posted on November 15, 2002
A day doesn't go by that I don't hear someone accuse Arabs and Palestinians of failing to denounce acts of terrorism.According to these critics, all we ever do is blame everything on Israel and find excuses to explain away Palestinian terrorism and the terrorism of such groups as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Saddam Hussein and the No. 1 terrorist, Osama bin Laden.Well, they are wrong. Again.Nearly every major Palestinian and Arab-American leader denounced the Sept. 11 terrorism of bin Laden without reservation. But does that mean we don't have the right to challenge American government violations of civil rights?We have denounced and continue to denounce other acts of terrorism, such as the most recent suicide attack that took the lives of five Israelis, including several children, at Kibbutz Metzer. But the same people who criticize Palestinians and Arabs are silent when the victims are Palestinian children. They do everything to justify the Israeli government's murder of innocent Palestinians, including children, too.So, here is my public statement on suicide bombings, Palestinian terrorism, a statement that has been issued, reissued and repeated, but often ignored by this country's pro-Israel media. Let's see how many people cut this out and put it on their refrigerators:I thought you should hear my views directly from me, views that have been consistent and do not fall into the category of excuses. Yes, I do believe Palestinians are victims of Israeli government terrorism, but I do not associate the one as a means of justifying the other.So, here are my views, on the record and distributable to everyone. I am the former national president of the Palestinian American Congress, a member of the National Palestinian American Congress board of directors, publisher of an English-language Arab-American newspaper and a columnist:I condemn and denounce in the strongest terms the vicious murder of the five civilians in Kibbutz Metzer, not just because this settlement has maintained good relations with its Palestinian neighbors, but because this was an outright act of violence. It is a horrendous crime. The killer or killers are not martyrs but murderers. They do not represent the Palestinian people, and those who sent them on this mission are as guilty as the killers themselves. I blame Hamas and Islamic Jihad as two organizations that are engaged in acts of terrorism and that promote and use suicide bombings as a despicable weapon.Those who encourage individuals to become suicide bombers are heartless cowards. Their actions are doing more damage to the Palestinian cause than any other single source.I and many Palestinians and Arabs are opposed to all acts of violence. We speak out against all acts of violence. We denounce violence by Palestinian terrorists as well as violence by Israeli terrorists, such as by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The Likud Party is a party of terrorism, not peace. It is an organization founded in the terrorism of the Irgun and Stern gang, and it has been their platform since its inception to reject all forms of land-for-peace compromise with the Palestinians.But Israel's terrorism does not justify terrorism by the Palestinians. Just as I expect Israelis to resist and fight terrorism against them, I expect my Palestinian people to stand up and resist the terrorism of the current Israeli government, until a new government is established that will pursue peace, not continued bloodshed, death, murder and violence.Where are the voices of Israeli leaders who have the courage to stand up and denounce terrorism by Sharon against the Palestinian civilians?Where?• Send e-mail to rayhanania@aol.com.Ray Hanania is a Palestinian-American author.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:59 pm Post subject: The journey Sadat began in Israel is far from complete
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_15-11-2002_pg4_14
>
The journey Sadat began in Israel is far from complete
> By Caroline Drees
The article by Caroline Drees, about Anwar Sadat, requires comment.
Ms. Drees says:
> It [Anwar Sadat’s peace efforts] didn't give back rights to the Arabs and the Palestinians,
This repeats the standard weird oversight about Anwar Sadat. The article fails to mention that Egypt’s “separate peace” was firmly linked to US and Israeli promises of Palestinian “autonomy,” leading toward statehood and the Palestinian right of return.
The price Israel and the US paid for Sadat’s peace was a solid “timetable” for autonomy, with firm guarantees of statehood, and full respect for Palestinian rights. That was the very first – and last – instance of any serious political gain for the Palestinians. It was the first time Palestinian rights, and the fulfillment of those rights, were placed before Western populations at all.
It is inexcusable that this MOST crucial fact is commonly left out of journalistic “analysis” of Sadat.
The reality – the linkage between Egypt’s separate peace and Palestinian rights – is one among several historic milestone moments when a viable resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict was simply allowed to whither on the vine, in absolute betrayal of excellent peace efforts by the “Arab” side. As soon as Sadat, himself, was gone, Israel, the US, and a compromised Egyptian government absolutely betrayed Palestinian rights, along with final peace.
Though Sadat is understandably reviled for his luxurious Western lifestyle, his personal success with Western leaders and journalists gave him special power. Combined with that, Sadat – this “urbane,” almost Western gentleman – actually attacked Israeli occupation troops and took them by such surprise as to shake the world.
Sadat’s bold play pushed the Cold War to nuclear tensions. It also forced Israel to run to the US for quick rescue – proving to one and all that Israel was NOT “independent” or self-sustaining, but was a spoiled and domineering pet.
Though quick aid by the US helped Israel recover most of its losses, Sadat still retained the high ground of moral and strategic advantage. He played ALL his advantages into the tight focus of peace negotiations, like a very good chess player.
His plan had only one fatal flaw: it depended on Sadat himself to press it through. It required him to survive.
Until shown convincing proof to the contrary, we must assume that Israeli and/or US intelligence assassinated Anwar Sadat, using “Islamic extremists” as the standard cover, even then.
So the Israeli advantage – the separate peace with Egypt – was retained, while the other side of the contract – the solid timetable for Palestinian rights – was folded neatly, decoratively placed in a pocket of one of Sadat’s fancy suits, and buried with him.
If Sadat was a traitor or a fool, it is only because he was wrong to trust Israel and the US that much.
He did all he could. I don’t idolize him at all, but it is true.
We should also note that the Palestine linkage Sadat held so central has been the central theme of every US-Israeli war on Palestine and its neighbors.
Sadat’s 1973 war was an extension of the 1967 war – the second great spin-off war from the initial race-war against Palestine, which reached flared in 1948 and continues to this day. In the next spin-off war, after ‘73, Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, the linkage was brutally obvious: the whole point was to kill off Palestinian nationhood once and for all, by killing as many Palestinians as possible, including the national leaders – and trying to embroil the survivors into semi-permanent “civil war,” with US-Israeli equipped Phalangist pretenders, in a destabilized Lebanon. The next spin-off was “The War in the Gulf I,” in 1991. The same linkage was central then too, as Saddam Hussein repeatedly offered to honor a UN resolution and peacefully leave Kuwait, in the context of talks that would place equal emphasis on equivalent UN resolutions against Israel. It is the same crucial linkage Osama bin Laden is seen to have made between Afghanistan, 9/11, and Palestine. It is the same linkage that the best Arab voices are pressing now between Iraq and Israel.
And this is the “linkage” that US “anti-war” leaders consistently pretend to “not see,” as they protest war on Iraq, war on Afghanistan, and war on Iraq again, all the while honoring the Zionist code-of-silence about Palestine.
In her article, Ms. Drees uses a common Palestinian expression which ironically promotes that cover-up:
> after the Intifada began
The Second Intifada is an eternal cause for Palestinian national pride, but the monotonous use of the term creates the false impression that the Palestinians have initiated and controlled the violence of the past two years.
In reality, Sharon went to the Haram al Sharif to initiate the most brazen campaign of Zionist genocide since 1948 and 1982. Israel’s provocations and over-reactions – and its many new precedents in center-stage Western barbarism against “third world” men, women, and children – have led this conflict all the time. The Palestinians’ inconceivably brave resistance and counter-attacks deserve to be honored as the “Second Intifada,” but the past two years of violence should be named for what it is: an undisguised campaign of ethnic-cleansing, in the familiar Zionist plan.
Finally, Ms. Drees quotes “George, a 35-year-old Egyptian handyman,” saying:
> "But anyone with brains knows he [Anwar Sadat] was seeking peace, and had Arafat
> followed his example, the Palestinians would have a state today and
> live in peace."
This unpretentious blather might be selected to deceive, but it’s probably just a bit of cuteness, suitable for the “conclusion of an article,” in typically pat journalistic patter, perfectly blithe to the gore that results.
In reality, no one could have picked up where Sadat was stopped. Sadat was in no way a heroic “example.” He did real things, and created a momentum for peace that could not be stopped as long as he was alive, but which totally depended on his survival – or on US-Israeli honor and interest in peace.
Dave Kersting
-----------------------------
>
>
>
>
> http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_15-11-2002_pg4_14
>
> The journey Sadat began in Israel is far from complete
>
> By Caroline Drees
>
> Pledging to go to the end of the world in search of peace, Egypt's
> late President Anwar Sadat boarded a plane to Israel on November 19,
> 1977 to shake hands with his foes after four devastating Arab-
> Israeli wars.
>
> Twenty-five years later, the journey Sadat began has ground to a
> shuddering halt. In central Cairo, a man sells charcoal sketches of
> political leaders — but his Sadat portraits aren't doing well these
> days, he says.
>
> Only one picture of Sadat hangs on the whitewashed wall, flanked by
> a sketch of an angry Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian president, and
> dwarfed by four pictures of Sadat's predecessor Gamal Abdel Nasser,
> the hardline hero of pan-Arab nationalists.
>
> "Nasser pictures are much more popular than Sadat. I sell something
> like four times as many Nasser sketches," he said. For most
> Egyptians, the reason is obvious.
>
> Ties between Egypt and the Jewish state are frostier than ever since
> the neighbours signed a peace treaty in 1979, and the goal of a
> comprehensive peace in the volatile region remains elusive.
>
> Arab anger at Israel is at a boil, not least thanks to continued
> Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, a steady diet of
> government rhetoric and heavy media coverage of a Palestinian
> uprising which erupted in September 2000 after peace talks
> collapsed.
>
> Even in Egypt, once seen as a beacon of hope for Arab-Israeli
> harmony, frustration is rife. With television stations beaming non-
> stop footage into every home of Israeli tanks bulldozing Palestinian
> towns, the vast majority of Egyptians have stopped viewing Israel as
> a partner for peace. "There was hope for peace when Sadat went to
> Israel, but there is no hope now," said 54-year-old Cairo shopkeeper
> Farouk Mohamed Ibrahim. "Arab national feeling is like a volcano
> now."
>
> Dashed hopes: While authorities have been able to keep protests
> largely under control in Egypt, anger at Israel and its U.S. allies
> has led to violent demonstrations and sporadic anti-American attacks
> in various Arab countries, including Jordan — the only other Arab
> state which has a peace treaty with Israel. Hassan Nafaa, the head
> of the political science department at Cairo University, said
> Egyptians were still glad the peace treaty spared them another war,
> but were now convinced Israel was an expansionist state that didn't
> want peace.
>
> "Hopes were high in 1977. Sadat raised people's expectations to a
> very high level. But when people saw it wasn't so easy, hopes came
> crashing down. We were at the top of the mountain, and crashed to
> hell, and we are in hell right now," he said.
>
> The mood is a far cry from the hopes Sadat expressed before his trip
> and in his memorable speech to the Israeli parliament or Knesset,
> which set the stage for full-fledged peace talks between the
> adversaries, leading to Israel's withdrawal from Egypt's Sinai
> peninsula, occupied in the 1967 war.
>
> "I state in all seriousness that I am prepared to go to the end of
> the world — and Israel will be surprised to hear me tell you that I
> am ready to go to their home, to the Knesset itself...," Sadat told
> Egypt's parliament on November 9, 1977. "When the bells of peace
> ring there will be no hands to beat the drums of war," Sadat told
> the Knesset less than two weeks later in his dramatic speech on
> November 20.
>
> Today, many Egyptians and Arabs accuse Sadat of abandoning the
> Palestinians by signing what they consider a "separate peace" with
> Israel, and some say Egypt's treaty gave the Jewish state a free
> hand to invade Lebanon and step up settlements in Palestinian areas
> because Egypt was out of the equation.
>
> Many say the treaty, so admired outside the Arab world, paved the
> way for today's regional strife because they say Sadat misread
> Israel as willing to duplicate the land-for-peace swap elsewhere. A
> hero and a visionary to some, Sadat is reviled by others as the man
> who sold out to Israel. Two years after signing the treaty, Sadat
> was assassinated by Islamic militants. "It (Sadat's trip) was a
> failure in every sense. It lost the Arabs what (weapons) they
> possessed, weakened their position and took attention away from
> other choices. It didn't give back rights to the Arabs and the
> Palestinians," said Egyptian Islamist lawyer Montasser Zayat.
>
> Some Egyptians say they had become so accustomed to peace they had
> all but forgotten the suffering and humiliation of their defeats by
> Israel.
>
> "Back when Sadat went to Israel people were relieved. People were
> glued to the TV. After so many wars with Israel, after losing the
> Sinai and with the economy in tatters, they saw this a last chance
> to revive Egypt," said one Egyptian intellectual.
>
> "Today, people talk differently, saying the peace has brought them
> nothing. But they forget what it brought them, and what price they'd
> have to pay if they gave it up. Talk is cheap, but nobody here is
> really willing to foot the bill."
>
> Frosty ties: On Cairo's bustling Tahrir Square, the Safir travel
> agency still offers daily bus trips to Israel in big red letters,
> even though the service stopped running roughly two years ago.
>
> "Since the Intifada, there have been no buses to Israel. Buses used
> to be daily. They were popular and the trip was easy. But not
> anymore," the travel agent said. "We still have a few tourists ask
> occasionally, but we have to tell them the trips have stopped."
>
> Ties between Egypt and Israel, while never truly warm, turned icy
> after the Intifada began, with Egypt withdrawing its ambassador and
> later halting all but diplomatic relations.
>
> The Israeli Academic Centre in Cairo, which seeks to promote
> educational ties between the two countries, is one of the casualties
> of the tense political climate. "The Intifada did a lot of damage in
> the sense of how many scholars and students come to the centre. The
> numbers fell dramatically. People don't feel comfortable coming
> now," said David Kushner, the director of the centre.
>
> "On some days, no Egyptians come at all," he said, while the only
> Egyptian in sight at the centre was a member of staff. Analysts say
> the continued regional tensions have widened a traditional gap
> between Sadat fans and those who revere Nasser. Many say the
> Intifada has shifted the balance in Nasser's favour.
>
> "People become more linked to the Nasserite era when they watch the
> atrocities committed by Israel on television. They think Sadat was
> too pro-American, too pro-Israel, and think the only way to deal
> with them is through the policies pursued by Nasser," Cairo
> University's Nafaa said.
>
> "Add to that economic difficulties at home and feelings that no
> political reform is in sight, and people begin to dream about a
> perceived golden era of the past," he said.
>
> Lingering hope: At the Israeli Academic Centre, Kushner says the
> situation is at a low point, but far from desperate. He said
> relations had gone through ups and downs before, and there were
> indications that things were picking up.
>
> "The fact that Egyptian students are still studying Hebrew, Hebrew
> literature and topics related to Judaica, the fact that the number
> of visitors at the centre is picking up again a bit — these are all
> hopeful signs," he said.
>
> For George, a 35-year-old Egyptian handyman, it's only a matter of
> time and education before people learn to appreciate his idol Sadat.
>
> "Some people say Sadat went to Israel to find a solution to the
> region's problems, others say he went for his own benefit and was
> abandoning the Palestinians," he said.
>
> "But anyone with brains knows he was seeking peace, and had Arafat
> followed his example, the Palestinians would have a state today and
> live in peace." —Reuters
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2002 2:47 pm Post subject: UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021129201627434
Remembering the UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
Friday, November 29 2002 @ 08:16 PM GMT
"Since the collapse of the July 2000 Camp David peace summit between Israel and the PLO, Israeli governments have renewed a campaign of de- legitimization of the Palestinian people's struggle for fundamental rights and the implementation of international law and UN resolutions .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (BADIL) - Fifty- five years ago, the United Nations General Assembly voted for a proposal to partition Palestine into a "Jewish" and an "Arab State" (UNGA Resolution 181/1947) in violation of international law and against the express wish of the majority of Palestine's inhabitants - thereby violating the right of self- determination of the Palestinian/Arab people.
Thirty years later, while still grappling with the protracted "Israeli-Palestinian conflict" it had helped to create, the same United Nations declared 29 November the UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination (UNGA Resolution 32- 40B/1977). Today, 55 years after the UN partition resolution and subsequent UN efforts at peace-making, the Palestinian people continue to live in an environment characterized by exile and forced displacement, increasing racism and an emerging Israeli apartheid regime. What future is there for the Palestinian people? What future is there for international solidarity with the Palestinian people's struggle for freedom, justice and a durable peace?
Since the collapse of the July 2000 Camp David peace summit between Israel and the PLO, Israeli governments have renewed a campaign of de- legitimization of the Palestinian people's struggle for fundamental rights and the implementation of international law and UN resolutions. In February 2001, Israel's Sharon government, encouraged by a passive and strongly biased international community, set out to launch an all-out military attack against Palestinian infrastructure and the political leadership in the 1967 occupied territories. By November 2002, with only two more months in office, this government has accomplished its immediate objectives.
As of 29 November 2002, the 25th anniversary of the International Day in Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Israel's occupation army has effectively re-taken direct military control over all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip as a result of a series of brutal military operations (code-named 'Journey of Colors', 'Defensive Wall', 'Chain Reaction', a.o.). Freedom of movement between cities, towns and refugee camps is virtually non-existent; around-the-clock curfews have effectively placed under house- arrest one million Palestinians in the West Bank for most of the time since April 2002; some 250,000 Palestinian children have been unable to reach schools since September 2002 (UNICEF); between 60 and 80 percent of the population live on less than US $2 a day; Palestinian institutions, including many ministries, hospitals and media are defunct or inaccessible for the population; and, even the symbols of Palestinian self-rule have vanished from the ground.
Racial Discrimination
In the 1967 occupied Palestinian territories the Israeli government continues to advance policies and underwrite practices - including the expansion of colonies (i.e. settlements), confiscation of Palestinian land, destruction of agricultural crops and demolition of Palestinian homes - that aim to permanently alter the area's demographic, ethno-national composition. Palestinian civilians, moreover, have born the brunt - in lives, injuries, damage to homes and properties etc. - of Israel's military campaign to suppress the Palestinian uprising and struggle for freedom. There is no apparent distinction between civilian and combatant in Israel's self-declared 'war on terrorism,' which has left approximately 1,800 Palestinians and 400 Israeli civilians dead, more than 20,000 Palestinians injured, and some 8,000 in Israeli detention centers. Israel's profiling of an entire population based on their ethno-national character is not limited to the 1967 occupied territories. Over the past year the Israeli government has adopted policies that have led to further isolation and marginalization of Palestinian citizens of the state. These policies include suspension of family reunification; consideration of new laws that further restrict Palestinian access to land; the reactivation of a Council for Demography to study mechanisms to increase the Jewish population relative to the Palestinian population; establishment of new Jewish settlements to alter the demography in the Galilee and Naqab; a.o. These policies are accompanied by a campaign to target outspoken Palestinian political leaders and an unprecedented wave of incitement for the expulsion of the Palestinian people: "Israel is a country in which the streets are plastered with posters calling for a population transfer, and nobody bothers to remove them or to indict those who put them up." (Gideon Levy, Ha'aretz, 9 September 2002).
Refugees
The outcome and continuing impact of Israel's system of racial discrimination since 1947/8 has been the creation of millions of refugees and displaced persons. Today, it is estimated that more than two-thirds (6 million) of the Palestinian people are displaced. While Palestinians owned over 90% of the land in mandatory Palestine on the eve of the 1948 war, today Palestinians have access to just ten percent of their land in Israel and the 1967 occupied territories. The Palestinian people constitute one of the largest and longest standing unresolved cases of displacement in the world today. Current Israeli "transfer" schemes - whether implemented in the shadow of a US-led war against Iraq or without such a war - must be considered in this context.
Apartheid
Israel's system of racial discrimination has not only engendered mass displacement and dispossession of the majority of the Palestinian people, it has also engendered a system of physical separation characterized by segregation and 'bantustanization.' First applied by a military government (1948 - 1966) against the Palestinian population that had remained in Israel, this system was replicated in the West Bank and Gaza Strip following Israel's military occupation in 1967. Today, the West Bank is divided into some 64 non-contiguous zones surrounded by 46 permanent checkpoints and 126 roadblocks. Israel has introduced a segregated road system transforming all major roads into roads for Jews only. Since May 2002 Palestinian residents need special permits, issued by Israel's military government, for travel between Palestinian cities and between the various 'zones' or 'bantustans.' The culmination of the idea of segregation is unfolding in the form of the separation zone ('wall') that is to eventually close entry and exit to Palestinian populated areas of the West Bank from the north to the south. The Gaza Strip is already surrounded by a similar fence.
What Future for the Palestinian People?
In the context of continued racial discrimination and forced displacement the Palestinians people is facing a future of life and struggle under apartheid. While the establishment of a full-fledged apartheid regime might not constitute the preferred option for many Israelis concerned about the 'democratic character of the Jewish state', it is the most likely scenario by default. Apartheid is the future scenario, because neither will a future Likud-led government (most likely) be able to rid Israel of the presence of the Palestinian people by military force, nor will a Labor-led government (less likely) under former General Amram Mitzna have the courage to radically alter Israel's strategy and create the conditions required for a two-state solution, i.e. a full withdrawal from the 1967 occupied territories, the dismantling of all Jewish colonies containing some 400,000 settlers and the re- admission, restitution and compensation of all those Palestinian refugees choosing to exercise their right of return (UN Resolution 194).
Apartheid is the future scenario of the Palestinian people also because official international efforts for ending the current crisis and re-launching political negotiations between Israel and the PLO continue to fail to address the root causes (military occupation, displacement, denial of the right to self- determination) of the conflict between the Palestinian people and Zionist Israel. Rich in stages, time tables and demands for reform of the Palestinian leadership, and promising recognition of a 'temporary Palestinian state without borders' by late 2003, the latest 'road map' drafted by 'Quartet' (United States, European Union, Russia, United Nations) is no more likely to succeed than the earlier US-led 'Mitchell-Tenet-Zinni process.' This because also the Quartet's initiative avoids one of the most important lessons to be drawn from comparative research of international peace- making, i.e. the fact that peace plans must include clear reference to, and enforcement mechanisms for, international law and human rights conventions in order to have a chance of success.
What Future for International Solidarity?
Based on the above, only a broad and globally coordinated campaign against Israel's brand of apartheid, including effective Israel-boycott campaigns and campaigns for the indictment of Israelis responsible for war crimes, can convey a clear message to Israel and official international actors and change the unfavorable balance of forces in favor of universal respect for international law as the foundation for building a just and durable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Palestinian refugees. It is contingent upon all those interested in a comprehensive, just and durable solution of this conflict to return to its roots - i.e. the mass displacement and dispossession of the Palestinian people in 1948 and after. " The refugee issue needs to be placed at the center of the process from where it has mysteriously disappeared," state Israeli political scientist Ilan Pape and his Palestinian colleague Karma Nabulsi. "All those involved in resolving the conflict must have the public courage to confront the Israeli denial of the expulsion and ethnic cleansing at the heart of the Palestinian refugee question. This remains the single largest stumbling block towards a lasting peace between both peoples." (The Guardian, 19 September 2002).
BADIL Resource Center aims to provide a resource pool of alternative, critical and progressive information on the question of Palestinian refugees in our quest to achieve a just and lasting solution for exiled Palestinians based on their right of return. www.badil.org.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2002 2:56 pm Post subject: Palestinian Children in the Night
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021129202401385
Palestinian Children in the Night
Friday, November 29 2002 @ 08:24 PM GMT
"A few of the Palestinians standing behind the UNDP representatives slowly walked up behind them and one pulled from a bag what looked like a one meter wooden bat .."
By Sam Bahour
It happened last night. Ramallah was pitch dark and the breeze was cool and brisk. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I was out during the night with my wife and two daughters, Areen, 8 and Nadine, 2. We were taking advantage of the lull in nightly curfews imposed by the Israeli military over the past year. We found ourselves in the midst of a crowd of over 300 cheering Palestinians. Between us and another group of a few dozen Palestinian youth were two United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) representatives.
Palestinian child performs in
a local Bethlehem theater
The two representatives were clearly American, in looks and accent. A few of the Palestinians standing behind the UNDP representatives slowly walked up behind them and one pulled from a bag what looked like a one meter wooden bat. Our hearts beating, and before we could clearly make out what was happening, the Palestinian boy holding this object unraveled a most beautiful and colorful Palestinian embroidery piece. The embroidery was attached to a wooden rod and the Palestinian teenager proudly held it up and presented it to the two UNDP representatives as a gift for their support. This was the final few minutes in what was a moving and fabulous one-hour dbut of the Palestinian Folk Vista, by Bara’em El-Funoun, a new generation of the El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe.
Bara’em is Arabic for “buds”. El-Funoun is Arabic for “the arts”. Bara’em El-Funoun is the offshoot of the renowned El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe (www.el-funoun.org), a music and dance ensemble, inspired by universal elements of folk art and their particular expression in Arab-Palestinian popular heritage and folklore. Bara’em El-Funoun is the embodiment of a new generation of dancers, a generation that is determined to safeguard and advance Palestinian culture and heritage through dance, music and song.
We are in the midst of the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan in Ramallah has historically been marked by joyous evenings during the cool and breezy nights following the breaking of daylight fast. This year is an exception, as was last year. For the last two years the Israeli occupation has stripped all evidence of normal life from Palestinian streets. Whereas the city centers would once have been open for business late into the evening to cater to Ramadan shoppers and holiday-goers, today only a handful of businesses venture to open their doors after nightfall, fearing the volatile security situation and realizing that their patrons prefer to not risk the surprise Israeli raids and patrols within the city.
Last night was different. Over 300 Palestinians were invited to attend the first performance of El-Funoun’s youth dance group. The mere invitation to such an event during these troubled times sparked a deep sense of defiance toward occupation in each of us. It was as if this youth dance group and those organizing them were calling for popular action to counter the Israeli military activities that have brought our cultural lives to a standstill. The action was clearly defined and well planned – a forceful demonstration by way of dance, music and song that Palestinian culture is alive and well, undamaged by Israeli tanks, armored personnel carriers and F-16’s that have permanently scarred each of our streets, neighborhoods and families.
We entered the Ramallah Municipality Hall along with dozens of other families. Parents, children, elders and many friends gathered together in public for the first time in quite a while to celebrate a positive and cheerful event. For us it was a special event too. My wife Abeer was a dancer with the El-Funoun dance troupe back in the late 80’s and my daughter Areen is currently training in dance at classes at the Popular Arts Center (PAC) with great hopes of one day being accepted into the Bara'em troupe and then graduating into the El-Funoun troupe.
This tribute to Palestinian culture came with a story, like most events in Palestine these days. Bara'em members rehearsed most of the Palestinian Folk Vista production during Israeli-imposed military curfews. On one occasion, they were all trying to reach the studio (at the PAC in Al-Bireh, ww.popularartcentre.org) when they suddenly saw an Israeli armored personnel carrier (APC) parked right outside the studio entrance. Khaled, the dance trainer, was with them, and he was terrified that troupe members would be hurt. He bore the millstone of responsibility. After all, it was he who had convinced the parents to let their children challenge the curfew to get to the rehearsals. He panicked, and suddenly, one of the Bara'em girls decided to walk to the entrance despite the presence of that APC. Everyone else followed and they made it to practice! The soldiers did not interfere this time, luckily.
Bara'em’s performance was stunning. The smiles of the dancers were refreshing. As Omar Barghouti, one of the proud choreographers, told me following the event: “Those children became real dancers with power, passion and a very convincing ability to convey the choreographed themes, to entertain and to impress. Our children are not reduced to mere victims, who solicit sympathy; they have a presence that demands solidarity and support. This has been El-Funoun's direction for decades now, and we can finally take pride in passing it on to our next generation of El-Funoun members, Bara'em.”
In the middle of the performance my nephew, Yacoub, 14, took the stage to present a musical solo on the Qanun, a zither-like musical instrument with 26 triple courses of strings and one of the oldest oriental string instruments in Arabic music. As Yacoub fine-tuned his instrument, you could have heard a pin drop while the audience waited in anticipation. My two-year-old daughter seized the opportunity to yell out to her cousin from the middle of the hall, “Yacoub!” It was her way of expressing her excitement of the moment and she brought the entire audience to a warm laugh.
Dance after dance, these young boys and girls dazzled the audience with their agility and outstanding ability to synchronize with the traditional songs depicting the love of life that resides in all Palestinians, a love that appreciates the wonders of nature, respects land and refuses to forget those living in poverty and exile. Each girl dancer wore a traditional embroidered Arabic dress, full of color and full of life. The young boy dancers each wore a simple loose traditional garment reflecting those worn by Palestinian peasants and farmers for hundreds of years.
A scan of the audience brought sadness and hope. A friend, and one of the El-Funoun choreographers, Mrs. Lana Abu Hijleh, sat close to the stage and looked on with a bright smile. This performance was an accomplishment she had a right to be proud of. To see her smile brought hope, especially given that it was only a few weeks ago we paid our respects to her and her family after her mother was murdered by an Israeli solider in the Palestinian City of Nablus as she sat on the porch inside her home stitching an embroidery. I watched other friends enjoying the performance as well, knowing that many of their loved ones were missing from their sides. Instead of being in the audience watching their children culturally flourish, many fathers, brothers and sons instead were languishing in Israeli jails, part of the 7,000 Palestinians arbitrarily arrested over the past two years.
The UNDP, sponsors of this fabulous performance, accepted a gift of embroidery at the end of the event. In making his closing remarks, the UNDP representative was clearly moved by what he had seen – a drop of hope in a sea of despair.
While sitting and watching the performance with my youngest daughter on my lap violently clapping after every dance, I thought to myself, if only our Israeli neighbors could see and feel what we were seeing and feeling. If only the parents of those Israeli soldiers -- not much older than the young Palestinian dancers on stage -- patrolling and occupying our cities could see the energy and determination that was on stage and in the audience. If only my Israeli neighbors could remove the artificial blinders placed on them by their leadership, they would quickly realize that we are a people whose spirit cannot be broken by military occupation. A people whose culture and traditions are deeper than the roots of the olive tress that the Israel bulldozers continue to uproot. If they could only see! If they could only feel!
Before we reached home last night it was announced by the Israeli military that for the next two days Ramallah would be placed under 24-hr military curfew, yet again. It was as if the entire city was being collectively punished for the act of displaying Palestinian culture. Nevertheless, when the curfew is lifted we will send our daughter Areen for her next weekly dance lesson, for we have no time to waste in ending this occupation, so disastrous for us all. Maybe the dance weapon will succeed where everything else so far has failed.
Sam Bahour is a Palestinian-American businessman living in the besieged Palestinian City of Al-Bireh in the West Bank and can be reached at sbahour@palnet.com. He is co-author of HOMELAND: Oral Histories of Palestine and Palestinians (1994).
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
Wednesday, November 27 2002 @ 07:19 PM GMT
"I can imagine a conclave of Zionist ideologues .. vigorously debating the merits of the new Zionist theses that will sustain .."
By Prof. M. Shahid Alam
WASHINGTON (PC) - When the Zionists first proposed, in 1897, to create a Jewish state in Palestine, they knew that they would have to find an imperialist sponsor and sell the idea to audiences in Europe and United States. Within a few years of its creation, the moral case for Israel had been sold like a Spielberg blockbuster. The Zionists had succeeded in presenting Israel as a small, beleaguered but heroic country, defending Western values against the onslaught of Islamic vandals. Next to the creation of Israel, the launching of this narrative has been the greatest triumph of Zionism.
Is it then foolhardy to oppose this entrenched narrative? One might answer with Noam Chomsky that any system “that’s based on lying and deceit is inherently unstable.” The Zionist narrative about Israel too is unstable. It is scarcely surprising then if this hegemonic narrative has at last begun to fray at the edges even in these United States. A movement to divest from Israel has already spread to more than forty campuses. In Europe, the shift in sympathies towards Palestinians is now a fact.
All of this suggests that the time is ripe for examining again, case by case, some of the leading Zionist theses of the past century. We are at a turning point of history, for better or worse. If we can unravel the fabric of lies woven about Israel, we can perhaps nudge this historical turning point just a little bit towards better outcomes.
Promised by God
According to this thesis, the Jews have a legal right to Palestine because God, in the Torah, promised it to Abraham and his descendents some four thousand years ago.
There is one slight problem with this thesis. It has never been established that a religious document, purporting to record statements made by God, could form the basis of legally enforceable claims to property in this world. Imagine what would happen if courts began to accept individual or collective claims to land, buildings, rivers, and mountains that were backed by divine promises. Saddam Hussein might claim that he had a dream in his youth-which he hasn’t revealed so far-in which God had chosen the Iraqis to inherit the entire United States.
A Historical Connection
More secular Zionists pressed their claims on the basis of a historical connection to Palestine. The historical connection is valid, but it will not support Zionist claims
It is worth pointing out that the historical connection ended some two thousand years ago, when the overwhelming majority of Jews left Palestine for other destinations, mostly in the Mediterranean world. The real problem with this thesis is that claims of an ancient historical connection cannot be used to justify present claims to territory. If this is accepted as a valid principle for appropriating territory, we should all start by vacating United States, since the Indians have a historical connection to this land that is quite a bit weightier than any Jewish connection to Palestine.
A Distinct People
The Jews are a ‘distinct’ people, and, hence, they must have a state of their own. In this case, it does not matter where; it could be in Argentina, Uganda, or Palestine.
This claim is fraught with difficulties. The Jews were a distinct people some two thousand years ago when they inhabited a single territory, spoke a common language, and shared the same traditions. But since their dispersal, they divided into many distinct Jewish communities, each of which had blended with their hosts through marriages and conversions. How much was there in common between the Jews of Russia, Morocco, Iran and Ethiopia, that could define them as a ‘distinct’ people?
This thesis assumes that all distinct peoples have a state of their own. This is patently incorrect. There are hundreds of distinct peoples through out the world who do not have a state of their own. In addition, most of these distinct peoples have a stronger claim to statehood than the Jews since they constitute a majority in the areas they inhabit.
Many Arab States
The Arabs already have several states of their own. If they were not motivated by anti-Semitism, they would not object to the creation of the only Jewish state. Instead, they would welcome and resettle the Palestinians displaced by Jewish colonizers.
This is a racist argument. It assumes that the Jewish need for a state has moral precedence over the rights of Palestinians to their own homes, their history, their ancestral lands, their towns and villages. It blames the Arabs for not showing proper deference towards the desire of the Jews for their own state, a state that would be established solely at the cost of the Arab peoples.
Israel Attacked in 1948
In order to paint Israel as the victim, the Zionist narrative claims that Arab armies from Egypt, Syria and Jordan attacked Israel the day after it was created on May 14, 1949.
Were the Arabs attacking an established state with a historical, moral and legal right to Palestine, or were they merely defending themselves-their lands, their homes, their historical rights-against a foreign occupation supported successively by two imperialist powers, Britain and United States?
What would the Americans have done if the UN-in a world in which Japan had won the Second World War-had first allowed unlimited immigration of Jews into Massachusetts, and then authorized its partition to create a Jewish state of Israel in 55 percent of Massachusetts? In 1948, the Arabs had done what I have no doubt the Americans would have done: they defended themselves against an alien invasion.
Only Democracy
The Zionists repeat ad nauseum that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. This happens every time the discussion turns to some egregious Israeli violation of human rights.
But is Israel really a democracy? This depends on what are the boundaries of Israel. Israel is the only country in the world that has never declared or demarcated its borders. And for thirty-five years now, since the 1967 war, its undeclared borders have included the West Bank and Gaza together with their three million Palestinian inhabitants. Israel has been building illegal settlements in these territories since 1967, which did not stop even after the 1993 Oslo Accord. The expanding, armed Jewish settlements are proof positive that Israel never planned to give up these territories. In other words, the true borders of Israel encompass three million Palestinians who have no political and very few civil rights within these de facto borders.
Is Israel then a democracy? Reverend Desmond Tutu, a leading opponent of South African apartheid, prefers to describe it as an apartheid similar to the one that existed in his own country for more than forty years.
A Beleaguered State
The Zionists deflect criticism from Israel by portraying it as a small country-a lamb amongst lions-whose very existence is threatened by hostile Arab armies. This image is hardly supportable.
Israel is a small country that packs a lot of military power. Just consider the wars it has waged against its neighbors. In the 1948-49 war, Israel fielded an army that was stronger and better equipped than all the Arab armies on the war front. On October 29 1956, Israel invaded Egypt, in concert with Britain and France, and occupied all of Sinai and the Gaza Strip until it was forced to evacuate by United States. In June 1967, Israel launched a ‘pre-emptive’ war against Egypt, Syria and Jordan, and in less than six days occupied Sinai, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, and West Bank. Only Sinai has been vacated so far. In June 1981, Israel launched an attack against Iraq to destroy a nuclear reactor under construction near Baghdad. Israel invaded Lebanon in June 1982, advancing up to Beirut, and remained in occupation of parts of Southern Lebanon till May 2000. Is this the record of a small country, beleaguered, threatened by its neighbors?
Coda
The Zionist propaganda machine, however, remains fecund as ever. Even as the old lies are exposed, their credibility undermined, they are replaced by new ones.
As the Israelis advance towards a final round of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, I can imagine a conclave of Zionist ideologues-including the likes of William Saffire, Thomas Friedman and Daniel Pipes-vigorously debating the merits of the new Zionist theses that will sustain Israel through another millennium of hegemony over the Arab world.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:14 pm Post subject: Our Thanksgiving
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Our Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 28 2002 @ 05:48 PM GMT
"Can we not see as well that it is American money that pays for a cruel and unjust occupation of an unarmed and helpless civilian Palestinian population? .."
By Edna Yaghi
WASHINGTON (PC) - It is fitting and proper that we celebrate Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for. Imagine the tasty turkeys and all their trimmings that will decorate our dinner tables. It is an opportune time for us to reunite with family and friends.
We Americans can reminisce about how our ancestors were welcomed to this new land by the natives. And how these natives shared their knowledge and their blessings with the first colonial settlers. Little did the natives know how much they would lose and how many of them would be exterminated by the pilgrims and their followers. How could these noble people foresee that all they held dear, that their whole way of life would be drastically changed forever?
Yet, we celebrate. I am not sure exactly what we are celebrating. Our triumph has been the Indians’ defeat. Our good fortune has often been at the expense of others we have deemed not equal to us, less human than we think we are.
As we fill our stomachs, as we huddle around our hearths, do we stop and think of how much damage we have done here in our own country and in other parts of the world where we actually suppress those people who struggle and die for the very freedoms we claim we hold dear? Do we stop to think of how terrible it is to go to war against a country that is not bothering us at all and is not a threat to our national security? Yes, we have inspectors in Iraq, but whatever the Iraqi government does or does not do, will it really matter?
Can we not see as well that it is American money that pays for a cruel and unjust occupation of an unarmed and helpless civilian Palestinian population? As we satiate our own desires, can we not hear the orphan children crying, can we not see the homes that have been demolished, can we not see the farmland that has been desecrated? Cannot we not hear the screams of Palestinian men who are being tortured, can see not hear the wails of Palestinian mothers who have lost their most prized possessions, their children? Can we not feel the biter cold of those who have been made homeless by Israeli bulldozers?
Do we not even think that as we celebrate Thanksgiving, Palestinian Muslim families are nearing the end of the holy month of Ramadan and they have the right to celebrate as well in peace and joy, among family members and loved ones? Instead, they are deprived of their basic needs, of earning a living, of going to school, are under twenty-four hour curfews and face constant bombardment. Americans and Israelis should not have a monopoly on happiness and celebration. This is a God given right to all and one that we Americans uphold in our Constitution and what we declared in our Declaration of Independence.
Can we not see our own sad state of affairs? Can we not see that we have entered a depression and that we have many of our own poor who are homeless and jobless? Can we not see that in order to survive, many of our elderly are forced to go back to work at menial jobs when they should be enjoying their later years at home?
Does it really make sense that we are denying so many privileges to our own people while we continue to give to the Israelis so they can kill, torture, wipe out or drive out the rest of the Palestinians from their own land and homes? We suffer and we will continue to suffer and our suffering will increase as long as we send our American tax dollars to those who do not even deserve them and who misuse our money in terrible and unjust ways.
We are constantly reminded how Hitler tried to exterminate the Jews but we cannot see now how the Israelis who have no legal, historical, religious or moral claim to Palestine are at this very moment bent on doing their best to make life hell on earth for every Palestinian who bravely tries to live in his or her occupied country. Israel, even before it declared itself a state, has had many, many Hitlers and many faces of evil. Sadly, we, the Americans are partners in these crimes because we pay for them, we suppress the truth about them, and we condone them. We simply cannot see beyond our own super-inflated egos because we chose not to.
We cannot even see how President George Bush is leading us down the road to disaster. He is destroying our economy. He intends to go to war with Iraq without any provocation. Hasn’t America done enough damage to Iraq? Shouldn’t we be thinking of ways to wage peace instead of war? Wouldn’t it be better if we dedicated ourselves to saving lives instead of destroying them? Wouldn’t we the American people be better loved if we really stood for justice and freedom for all? Is it fitting and proper that we continue to kill and mutilate others for oil, for power, for the pure pleasure of it? How long can we fool ourselves? How long will it be until we wake up and smell the coffee? When will we really see how we are supporting the real terrorists instead of doing our best to put a stop to all forms of terror? What do we call it when we wage war on other countries? For how long are we going to sell out the Holy Land to a power that occupies and suppresses the indigenous population?
The people we should really fear are the people we give the most money to and the man we so erroneously chose to be the leader of our country. God bless America.
Photo by Palestinian photojournalist, Mahfouz Abu Turk, for PalestineChronicle.com
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:15 pm Post subject: A Message of Thanksgiving from Palestine
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A Message of Thanksgiving from Palestine
Thursday, November 28 2002 @ 07:18 PM GMT
What am I thankful for? What are we as Palestinians thankful for?
By Sami Awad
BETHLEHEM (PC) - This week, millions of Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving. This will be an occasion for families to get together and enjoy each other's company and love. This will be a time where many will give thanks for good things in their lives such as health, prosperity, good friends and loving families. We cannot forget the big traditional feast that will be part of this event as well.
In Palestine, like many other countries around the world, we do not have Thanksgiving Day. I felt, even in this time, when we have been living for six days under house arrest (curfew) in Bethlehem, when for the past two years, we have been suffering from continuous Israeli military aggression, oppression, and incursions, and when for the past 35 years, we have lived under a brutal occupation, that I - as a Palestinian and as an American - should write this letter in order to express what we are thankful for during this season.
On the 22nd of November, at 4:30 in the morning, Israeli military jeeps with loud speakers, accompanied by tanks and armed personnel carriers, reentered Bethlehem announcing that the entire Bethlehem district, with its towns, villages and refugee camps was under curfew. I write this letter from our apartment where my wife, my daughter and I, like tens of thousands of other families, have been trapped for six days and are not able to leave.
What am I thankful for? What are we as Palestinians thankful for?
Those who have it, are thankful for the little food they were able to buy and save before the Israeli troops came into Bethlehem this past week.
Those who have it, are thankful for electricity that has not been cut and for the water that has not been stopped from their neighborhoods or has not been lost when their water storage tanks were destroyed by Israeli soldiers wanting to empty them. (Unlike Israeli settlements a few miles away, Palestinians only get water once every 10 days on average).
Those who can, are thankful for being able to wake up every morning alive. Thankful that an Israeli sniper bullet or a missile fired on their home from an Israeli army tank or F-16 fighter jet did not kill them.
Those who can, are thankful that their homes have not yet been demolished (only 6 homes in Bethlehem this week), or their homes were not raided by Israeli soldiers who rampaged all their furniture, shooting bullets and destroying all their belongings, and blow up their walls (tens of homes in Bethlehem this week).
Those who can, are thankful that they or other members of their family have not been arrested and taken to unknown places with no access to anyone (tens of Palestinians from Bethlehem this week).
Those who are able to, are thankful that no one in their family has fallen ill. It would take hours, at best, to arrange for an ambulance to pick a sick person these days, not counting the other hours that are wasted by Israeli troops stopping ambulances in the streets.
Those who can, are thankful for telephone lines that connect them to their family and their loved ones. We have not been able to see our parents for a week and we live less than a mile away. We are truly thankful for the telephone line.
Those who can, are thankful that their lands have not yet been confiscated for illegal settlement buildings, which continue to grow and expand at a faster pace, in front of our eyes, as we sit imprisoned in our homes.
We are thankful for the many friends from different parts of this world that have either called or have written to us letters of prayer and support.
We are thankful for the growing number of people around the world and within Israel itself that have come to the realization that security for Israel can only be achieved if justice is given to the Palestinians.
Most of all we are thankful for the hope that we continue to have. Hope in seeing this brutal occupation end for our sake and for the sake of our Israeli neighbors. Hope in seeing a free and democratic Palestinian state established where the rights of all are respected and honored and where every Palestinian has the right to live. Hope in seeing the two peoples of this Holy Land treat each other as equals, with equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal freedoms.
If we did not have hope then we would not have much to be thankful for.
-Photo by Palestinian photojournalist, Mahfouz Abu Turk for PalestineChronicle.com
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:17 pm Post subject: Fact-Finding Peace Activists Banned from Reaching Settlement
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Fact-Finding Peace Activists Banned from Reaching Settlements in Hebron
Thursday, November 28 2002 @ 05:17 PM GMT
"According to organizers of the visit, 25 anti-settlement activists were met by a large number of Israeli police at .."
HEBRON, West Bank - Israeli Occupation Forces prevented Wednesday a group from the Israeli anti-settlement movement Peace Now from visiting an area in the West Bank city of Hebron where Jewish settlers are building new outposts in violation of international law.
According to organizers of the visit, 25 anti-settlement activists were met by a large number of Israeli police at the “Gush Etzion” junction, who prevented them from continuing their trip.
The fact-finding panel wanted “to inspect the facts on the ground built virtually overnight by the settlers in Hebron,” according to a Peace Now statement issued on Tuesday night.
“The settlers have openly declared that they were taking matters in their own hands and implementing (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon’s proposal to expand the Hebron settlements,” the statement added.
Earlier this month, Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon told the army in Hebron to oust Palestinians and establish what he called demographic “territorial [Jewish] continuity” between the illegal settlement of “Kiryat Arba” and the small Jewish settlement enclave piercing the heart of the Old City.
In effect, Sharon had called for a de facto annexation of Palestinian land to link the area colonized by Jewish settlers in the Old City with the nearby illegal settlement in the West Bank City of Hebron, to include Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi, which Jews refer to as the tomb of the Patriarchs.
The international community regards all Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as illegal and rogue outposts are also considered illegal under Israeli law.
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:18 pm Post subject: Israelis Kill Palestinian Ramadan Drummer
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021128184601432
Israelis Kill Palestinian Ramadan Drummer
Thursday, November 28 2002 @ 06:46 PM GMT
"Anatur was hit by several bullets as, following tradition, he went from door to door waking up fellow-Muslims for the Ramadan pre-dawn meal .."
NABLUS, West Bank - Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian Ramadan drummer, or mesaharati, early Wednesday, November 28, near the autonomous Palestinian city of Nablus as he was waking up Muslims for their pre-dawn meals.
Jihad Anatur, 24, died when Israeli soldiers opened fire at him in the Askar refugee camp, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Anatur, the youngest of five brothers and one sister, was hit by several bullets as, following tradition, he went from door to door waking up fellow-Muslims for the Ramadan pre-dawn meal.
He was accompanied by a colleague, Raed Motab, 28, who said that Anatur kept bleeding and asking for help, but the Israeli soldiers didn’t allow anyone to administer first aid to him.
“We were walking between houses to wake people up, and suddenly around eight Israeli soldiers who were hiding behind a car attacked us with their guns and ordered us to stop,” Motab told AFP.
They shot Anatur, and then did not allow me to move towards him, asking me to lift my clothes and then they handcuffed me and took my identity card, he added.
Motab was then beaten and taken inside the camp. He was later releasey heard Anatur’s screams for help for almost half an hour, but no one could approach because the Israelis imposed a curfew immediately after killing Anatur.
“I will not work as drummer again, not after the killing of Anatur,” Motab said.
-IslamOnline & News Agencies (islamonline.net). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:19 pm Post subject: Sharon Rejects Voicing Opposition to Transfer
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002112819511714
Sharon Rejects Voicing Opposition to Transfer
Thursday, November 28 2002 @ 07:51 PM GMT
"The Americans decided to deliver the Jordanian message to Israel at a high official level, explained a top Jordanian official.."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has rejected a Jordanian request that Israel issue a public declaration opposing the ‘transfer’ of Palestinians from the West Bank in case of a US-led war on Iraq, the Israeli daily newspaper Ha’aretz reported Thursday.
Ha’aretz reported that Jordanian officials have voiced concern recently about the possibility that Israel might exploit an American attack on Iraq to expel masses of Palestinians from the West Bank to Jordan.
Senior Jordanian officials, such as foreign minister Marwan Al-Mua’sher, have raised this concern in talks with Israeli and American counterparts, asking for assurances that Israel will refrain from implementing transfer policies, long supported by many Israeli leaders and officials.
Mua’sher brought up the concern last September at the United Nations in New York in talks with former Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres.
The Jordanian official asked for a formal Israel announcement renouncing transfer and demanded that the declaration come directly from Sharon.
The request reached Sharon but he rejected it, Ha’aretz said.
According to Israeli sources, Sharon refused to be involved in any discussions about transfer. “[Sharon] took exception to the Jordanians raising such a suspicion about him.” An Isareli source said.
The Americans decided to deliver the Jordanian message to Israel at a high official level, explained a top Jordanian official.
US President George Bush and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice raised the issue in their meetings with Sharon in Washington last month.
William Burns, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, who visited the region last October, told Israeli officials that the Jordanian officials had expressed fears about mass expulsion of Palestinians during a coming war against Iraq.
The Jordanian official quoted remarks made by Israeli officials in favor of transfer, and cited poll results that indicate a measure of public support for the idea.
But it seems that the Jordanians have refrained from raising the transfer issue in public due to the assurances they received from Washington, top Israeli officials speculated.
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:37 pm Post subject: Both sides must denounce all acts of terrorism
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Both sides must denounce all acts of terrorism
Posted on November 15, 2002
A day doesn't go by that I don't hear someone accuse Arabs and Palestinians of failing to denounce acts of terrorism.According to these critics, all we ever do is blame everything on Israel and find excuses to explain away Palestinian terrorism and the terrorism of such groups as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Saddam Hussein and the No. 1 terrorist, Osama bin Laden.Well, they are wrong. Again.Nearly every major Palestinian and Arab-American leader denounced the Sept. 11 terrorism of bin Laden without reservation. But does that mean we don't have the right to challenge American government violations of civil rights?We have denounced and continue to denounce other acts of terrorism, such as the most recent suicide attack that took the lives of five Israelis, including several children, at Kibbutz Metzer. But the same people who criticize Palestinians and Arabs are silent when the victims are Palestinian children. They do everything to justify the Israeli government's murder of innocent Palestinians, including children, too.So, here is my public statement on suicide bombings, Palestinian terrorism, a statement that has been issued, reissued and repeated, but often ignored by this country's pro-Israel media. Let's see how many people cut this out and put it on their refrigerators:I thought you should hear my views directly from me, views that have been consistent and do not fall into the category of excuses. Yes, I do believe Palestinians are victims of Israeli government terrorism, but I do not associate the one as a means of justifying the other.So, here are my views, on the record and distributable to everyone. I am the former national president of the Palestinian American Congress, a member of the National Palestinian American Congress board of directors, publisher of an English-language Arab-American newspaper and a columnist:I condemn and denounce in the strongest terms the vicious murder of the five civilians in Kibbutz Metzer, not just because this settlement has maintained good relations with its Palestinian neighbors, but because this was an outright act of violence. It is a horrendous crime. The killer or killers are not martyrs but murderers. They do not represent the Palestinian people, and those who sent them on this mission are as guilty as the killers themselves. I blame Hamas and Islamic Jihad as two organizations that are engaged in acts of terrorism and that promote and use suicide bombings as a despicable weapon.Those who encourage individuals to become suicide bombers are heartless cowards. Their actions are doing more damage to the Palestinian cause than any other single source.I and many Palestinians and Arabs are opposed to all acts of violence. We speak out against all acts of violence. We denounce violence by Palestinian terrorists as well as violence by Israeli terrorists, such as by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The Likud Party is a party of terrorism, not peace. It is an organization founded in the terrorism of the Irgun and Stern gang, and it has been their platform since its inception to reject all forms of land-for-peace compromise with the Palestinians.But Israel's terrorism does not justify terrorism by the Palestinians. Just as I expect Israelis to resist and fight terrorism against them, I expect my Palestinian people to stand up and resist the terrorism of the current Israeli government, until a new government is established that will pursue peace, not continued bloodshed, death, murder and violence.Where are the voices of Israeli leaders who have the courage to stand up and denounce terrorism by Sharon against the Palestinian civilians?Where?• Send e-mail to rayhanania@aol.com.Ray Hanania is a Palestinian-American author.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:59 pm Post subject: The journey Sadat began in Israel is far from complete
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_15-11-2002_pg4_14
>
The journey Sadat began in Israel is far from complete
> By Caroline Drees
The article by Caroline Drees, about Anwar Sadat, requires comment.
Ms. Drees says:
> It [Anwar Sadat’s peace efforts] didn't give back rights to the Arabs and the Palestinians,
This repeats the standard weird oversight about Anwar Sadat. The article fails to mention that Egypt’s “separate peace” was firmly linked to US and Israeli promises of Palestinian “autonomy,” leading toward statehood and the Palestinian right of return.
The price Israel and the US paid for Sadat’s peace was a solid “timetable” for autonomy, with firm guarantees of statehood, and full respect for Palestinian rights. That was the very first – and last – instance of any serious political gain for the Palestinians. It was the first time Palestinian rights, and the fulfillment of those rights, were placed before Western populations at all.
It is inexcusable that this MOST crucial fact is commonly left out of journalistic “analysis” of Sadat.
The reality – the linkage between Egypt’s separate peace and Palestinian rights – is one among several historic milestone moments when a viable resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict was simply allowed to whither on the vine, in absolute betrayal of excellent peace efforts by the “Arab” side. As soon as Sadat, himself, was gone, Israel, the US, and a compromised Egyptian government absolutely betrayed Palestinian rights, along with final peace.
Though Sadat is understandably reviled for his luxurious Western lifestyle, his personal success with Western leaders and journalists gave him special power. Combined with that, Sadat – this “urbane,” almost Western gentleman – actually attacked Israeli occupation troops and took them by such surprise as to shake the world.
Sadat’s bold play pushed the Cold War to nuclear tensions. It also forced Israel to run to the US for quick rescue – proving to one and all that Israel was NOT “independent” or self-sustaining, but was a spoiled and domineering pet.
Though quick aid by the US helped Israel recover most of its losses, Sadat still retained the high ground of moral and strategic advantage. He played ALL his advantages into the tight focus of peace negotiations, like a very good chess player.
His plan had only one fatal flaw: it depended on Sadat himself to press it through. It required him to survive.
Until shown convincing proof to the contrary, we must assume that Israeli and/or US intelligence assassinated Anwar Sadat, using “Islamic extremists” as the standard cover, even then.
So the Israeli advantage – the separate peace with Egypt – was retained, while the other side of the contract – the solid timetable for Palestinian rights – was folded neatly, decoratively placed in a pocket of one of Sadat’s fancy suits, and buried with him.
If Sadat was a traitor or a fool, it is only because he was wrong to trust Israel and the US that much.
He did all he could. I don’t idolize him at all, but it is true.
We should also note that the Palestine linkage Sadat held so central has been the central theme of every US-Israeli war on Palestine and its neighbors.
Sadat’s 1973 war was an extension of the 1967 war – the second great spin-off war from the initial race-war against Palestine, which reached flared in 1948 and continues to this day. In the next spin-off war, after ‘73, Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, the linkage was brutally obvious: the whole point was to kill off Palestinian nationhood once and for all, by killing as many Palestinians as possible, including the national leaders – and trying to embroil the survivors into semi-permanent “civil war,” with US-Israeli equipped Phalangist pretenders, in a destabilized Lebanon. The next spin-off was “The War in the Gulf I,” in 1991. The same linkage was central then too, as Saddam Hussein repeatedly offered to honor a UN resolution and peacefully leave Kuwait, in the context of talks that would place equal emphasis on equivalent UN resolutions against Israel. It is the same crucial linkage Osama bin Laden is seen to have made between Afghanistan, 9/11, and Palestine. It is the same linkage that the best Arab voices are pressing now between Iraq and Israel.
And this is the “linkage” that US “anti-war” leaders consistently pretend to “not see,” as they protest war on Iraq, war on Afghanistan, and war on Iraq again, all the while honoring the Zionist code-of-silence about Palestine.
In her article, Ms. Drees uses a common Palestinian expression which ironically promotes that cover-up:
> after the Intifada began
The Second Intifada is an eternal cause for Palestinian national pride, but the monotonous use of the term creates the false impression that the Palestinians have initiated and controlled the violence of the past two years.
In reality, Sharon went to the Haram al Sharif to initiate the most brazen campaign of Zionist genocide since 1948 and 1982. Israel’s provocations and over-reactions – and its many new precedents in center-stage Western barbarism against “third world” men, women, and children – have led this conflict all the time. The Palestinians’ inconceivably brave resistance and counter-attacks deserve to be honored as the “Second Intifada,” but the past two years of violence should be named for what it is: an undisguised campaign of ethnic-cleansing, in the familiar Zionist plan.
Finally, Ms. Drees quotes “George, a 35-year-old Egyptian handyman,” saying:
> "But anyone with brains knows he [Anwar Sadat] was seeking peace, and had Arafat
> followed his example, the Palestinians would have a state today and
> live in peace."
This unpretentious blather might be selected to deceive, but it’s probably just a bit of cuteness, suitable for the “conclusion of an article,” in typically pat journalistic patter, perfectly blithe to the gore that results.
In reality, no one could have picked up where Sadat was stopped. Sadat was in no way a heroic “example.” He did real things, and created a momentum for peace that could not be stopped as long as he was alive, but which totally depended on his survival – or on US-Israeli honor and interest in peace.
Dave Kersting
-----------------------------
>
>
>
>
> http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_15-11-2002_pg4_14
>
> The journey Sadat began in Israel is far from complete
>
> By Caroline Drees
>
> Pledging to go to the end of the world in search of peace, Egypt's
> late President Anwar Sadat boarded a plane to Israel on November 19,
> 1977 to shake hands with his foes after four devastating Arab-
> Israeli wars.
>
> Twenty-five years later, the journey Sadat began has ground to a
> shuddering halt. In central Cairo, a man sells charcoal sketches of
> political leaders — but his Sadat portraits aren't doing well these
> days, he says.
>
> Only one picture of Sadat hangs on the whitewashed wall, flanked by
> a sketch of an angry Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian president, and
> dwarfed by four pictures of Sadat's predecessor Gamal Abdel Nasser,
> the hardline hero of pan-Arab nationalists.
>
> "Nasser pictures are much more popular than Sadat. I sell something
> like four times as many Nasser sketches," he said. For most
> Egyptians, the reason is obvious.
>
> Ties between Egypt and the Jewish state are frostier than ever since
> the neighbours signed a peace treaty in 1979, and the goal of a
> comprehensive peace in the volatile region remains elusive.
>
> Arab anger at Israel is at a boil, not least thanks to continued
> Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, a steady diet of
> government rhetoric and heavy media coverage of a Palestinian
> uprising which erupted in September 2000 after peace talks
> collapsed.
>
> Even in Egypt, once seen as a beacon of hope for Arab-Israeli
> harmony, frustration is rife. With television stations beaming non-
> stop footage into every home of Israeli tanks bulldozing Palestinian
> towns, the vast majority of Egyptians have stopped viewing Israel as
> a partner for peace. "There was hope for peace when Sadat went to
> Israel, but there is no hope now," said 54-year-old Cairo shopkeeper
> Farouk Mohamed Ibrahim. "Arab national feeling is like a volcano
> now."
>
> Dashed hopes: While authorities have been able to keep protests
> largely under control in Egypt, anger at Israel and its U.S. allies
> has led to violent demonstrations and sporadic anti-American attacks
> in various Arab countries, including Jordan — the only other Arab
> state which has a peace treaty with Israel. Hassan Nafaa, the head
> of the political science department at Cairo University, said
> Egyptians were still glad the peace treaty spared them another war,
> but were now convinced Israel was an expansionist state that didn't
> want peace.
>
> "Hopes were high in 1977. Sadat raised people's expectations to a
> very high level. But when people saw it wasn't so easy, hopes came
> crashing down. We were at the top of the mountain, and crashed to
> hell, and we are in hell right now," he said.
>
> The mood is a far cry from the hopes Sadat expressed before his trip
> and in his memorable speech to the Israeli parliament or Knesset,
> which set the stage for full-fledged peace talks between the
> adversaries, leading to Israel's withdrawal from Egypt's Sinai
> peninsula, occupied in the 1967 war.
>
> "I state in all seriousness that I am prepared to go to the end of
> the world — and Israel will be surprised to hear me tell you that I
> am ready to go to their home, to the Knesset itself...," Sadat told
> Egypt's parliament on November 9, 1977. "When the bells of peace
> ring there will be no hands to beat the drums of war," Sadat told
> the Knesset less than two weeks later in his dramatic speech on
> November 20.
>
> Today, many Egyptians and Arabs accuse Sadat of abandoning the
> Palestinians by signing what they consider a "separate peace" with
> Israel, and some say Egypt's treaty gave the Jewish state a free
> hand to invade Lebanon and step up settlements in Palestinian areas
> because Egypt was out of the equation.
>
> Many say the treaty, so admired outside the Arab world, paved the
> way for today's regional strife because they say Sadat misread
> Israel as willing to duplicate the land-for-peace swap elsewhere. A
> hero and a visionary to some, Sadat is reviled by others as the man
> who sold out to Israel. Two years after signing the treaty, Sadat
> was assassinated by Islamic militants. "It (Sadat's trip) was a
> failure in every sense. It lost the Arabs what (weapons) they
> possessed, weakened their position and took attention away from
> other choices. It didn't give back rights to the Arabs and the
> Palestinians," said Egyptian Islamist lawyer Montasser Zayat.
>
> Some Egyptians say they had become so accustomed to peace they had
> all but forgotten the suffering and humiliation of their defeats by
> Israel.
>
> "Back when Sadat went to Israel people were relieved. People were
> glued to the TV. After so many wars with Israel, after losing the
> Sinai and with the economy in tatters, they saw this a last chance
> to revive Egypt," said one Egyptian intellectual.
>
> "Today, people talk differently, saying the peace has brought them
> nothing. But they forget what it brought them, and what price they'd
> have to pay if they gave it up. Talk is cheap, but nobody here is
> really willing to foot the bill."
>
> Frosty ties: On Cairo's bustling Tahrir Square, the Safir travel
> agency still offers daily bus trips to Israel in big red letters,
> even though the service stopped running roughly two years ago.
>
> "Since the Intifada, there have been no buses to Israel. Buses used
> to be daily. They were popular and the trip was easy. But not
> anymore," the travel agent said. "We still have a few tourists ask
> occasionally, but we have to tell them the trips have stopped."
>
> Ties between Egypt and Israel, while never truly warm, turned icy
> after the Intifada began, with Egypt withdrawing its ambassador and
> later halting all but diplomatic relations.
>
> The Israeli Academic Centre in Cairo, which seeks to promote
> educational ties between the two countries, is one of the casualties
> of the tense political climate. "The Intifada did a lot of damage in
> the sense of how many scholars and students come to the centre. The
> numbers fell dramatically. People don't feel comfortable coming
> now," said David Kushner, the director of the centre.
>
> "On some days, no Egyptians come at all," he said, while the only
> Egyptian in sight at the centre was a member of staff. Analysts say
> the continued regional tensions have widened a traditional gap
> between Sadat fans and those who revere Nasser. Many say the
> Intifada has shifted the balance in Nasser's favour.
>
> "People become more linked to the Nasserite era when they watch the
> atrocities committed by Israel on television. They think Sadat was
> too pro-American, too pro-Israel, and think the only way to deal
> with them is through the policies pursued by Nasser," Cairo
> University's Nafaa said.
>
> "Add to that economic difficulties at home and feelings that no
> political reform is in sight, and people begin to dream about a
> perceived golden era of the past," he said.
>
> Lingering hope: At the Israeli Academic Centre, Kushner says the
> situation is at a low point, but far from desperate. He said
> relations had gone through ups and downs before, and there were
> indications that things were picking up.
>
> "The fact that Egyptian students are still studying Hebrew, Hebrew
> literature and topics related to Judaica, the fact that the number
> of visitors at the centre is picking up again a bit — these are all
> hopeful signs," he said.
>
> For George, a 35-year-old Egyptian handyman, it's only a matter of
> time and education before people learn to appreciate his idol Sadat.
>
> "Some people say Sadat went to Israel to find a solution to the
> region's problems, others say he went for his own benefit and was
> abandoning the Palestinians," he said.
>
> "But anyone with brains knows he was seeking peace, and had Arafat
> followed his example, the Palestinians would have a state today and
> live in peace." —Reuters
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2002 2:47 pm Post subject: UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021129201627434
Remembering the UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
Friday, November 29 2002 @ 08:16 PM GMT
"Since the collapse of the July 2000 Camp David peace summit between Israel and the PLO, Israeli governments have renewed a campaign of de- legitimization of the Palestinian people's struggle for fundamental rights and the implementation of international law and UN resolutions .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (BADIL) - Fifty- five years ago, the United Nations General Assembly voted for a proposal to partition Palestine into a "Jewish" and an "Arab State" (UNGA Resolution 181/1947) in violation of international law and against the express wish of the majority of Palestine's inhabitants - thereby violating the right of self- determination of the Palestinian/Arab people.
Thirty years later, while still grappling with the protracted "Israeli-Palestinian conflict" it had helped to create, the same United Nations declared 29 November the UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination (UNGA Resolution 32- 40B/1977). Today, 55 years after the UN partition resolution and subsequent UN efforts at peace-making, the Palestinian people continue to live in an environment characterized by exile and forced displacement, increasing racism and an emerging Israeli apartheid regime. What future is there for the Palestinian people? What future is there for international solidarity with the Palestinian people's struggle for freedom, justice and a durable peace?
Since the collapse of the July 2000 Camp David peace summit between Israel and the PLO, Israeli governments have renewed a campaign of de- legitimization of the Palestinian people's struggle for fundamental rights and the implementation of international law and UN resolutions. In February 2001, Israel's Sharon government, encouraged by a passive and strongly biased international community, set out to launch an all-out military attack against Palestinian infrastructure and the political leadership in the 1967 occupied territories. By November 2002, with only two more months in office, this government has accomplished its immediate objectives.
As of 29 November 2002, the 25th anniversary of the International Day in Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Israel's occupation army has effectively re-taken direct military control over all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip as a result of a series of brutal military operations (code-named 'Journey of Colors', 'Defensive Wall', 'Chain Reaction', a.o.). Freedom of movement between cities, towns and refugee camps is virtually non-existent; around-the-clock curfews have effectively placed under house- arrest one million Palestinians in the West Bank for most of the time since April 2002; some 250,000 Palestinian children have been unable to reach schools since September 2002 (UNICEF); between 60 and 80 percent of the population live on less than US $2 a day; Palestinian institutions, including many ministries, hospitals and media are defunct or inaccessible for the population; and, even the symbols of Palestinian self-rule have vanished from the ground.
Racial Discrimination
In the 1967 occupied Palestinian territories the Israeli government continues to advance policies and underwrite practices - including the expansion of colonies (i.e. settlements), confiscation of Palestinian land, destruction of agricultural crops and demolition of Palestinian homes - that aim to permanently alter the area's demographic, ethno-national composition. Palestinian civilians, moreover, have born the brunt - in lives, injuries, damage to homes and properties etc. - of Israel's military campaign to suppress the Palestinian uprising and struggle for freedom. There is no apparent distinction between civilian and combatant in Israel's self-declared 'war on terrorism,' which has left approximately 1,800 Palestinians and 400 Israeli civilians dead, more than 20,000 Palestinians injured, and some 8,000 in Israeli detention centers. Israel's profiling of an entire population based on their ethno-national character is not limited to the 1967 occupied territories. Over the past year the Israeli government has adopted policies that have led to further isolation and marginalization of Palestinian citizens of the state. These policies include suspension of family reunification; consideration of new laws that further restrict Palestinian access to land; the reactivation of a Council for Demography to study mechanisms to increase the Jewish population relative to the Palestinian population; establishment of new Jewish settlements to alter the demography in the Galilee and Naqab; a.o. These policies are accompanied by a campaign to target outspoken Palestinian political leaders and an unprecedented wave of incitement for the expulsion of the Palestinian people: "Israel is a country in which the streets are plastered with posters calling for a population transfer, and nobody bothers to remove them or to indict those who put them up." (Gideon Levy, Ha'aretz, 9 September 2002).
Refugees
The outcome and continuing impact of Israel's system of racial discrimination since 1947/8 has been the creation of millions of refugees and displaced persons. Today, it is estimated that more than two-thirds (6 million) of the Palestinian people are displaced. While Palestinians owned over 90% of the land in mandatory Palestine on the eve of the 1948 war, today Palestinians have access to just ten percent of their land in Israel and the 1967 occupied territories. The Palestinian people constitute one of the largest and longest standing unresolved cases of displacement in the world today. Current Israeli "transfer" schemes - whether implemented in the shadow of a US-led war against Iraq or without such a war - must be considered in this context.
Apartheid
Israel's system of racial discrimination has not only engendered mass displacement and dispossession of the majority of the Palestinian people, it has also engendered a system of physical separation characterized by segregation and 'bantustanization.' First applied by a military government (1948 - 1966) against the Palestinian population that had remained in Israel, this system was replicated in the West Bank and Gaza Strip following Israel's military occupation in 1967. Today, the West Bank is divided into some 64 non-contiguous zones surrounded by 46 permanent checkpoints and 126 roadblocks. Israel has introduced a segregated road system transforming all major roads into roads for Jews only. Since May 2002 Palestinian residents need special permits, issued by Israel's military government, for travel between Palestinian cities and between the various 'zones' or 'bantustans.' The culmination of the idea of segregation is unfolding in the form of the separation zone ('wall') that is to eventually close entry and exit to Palestinian populated areas of the West Bank from the north to the south. The Gaza Strip is already surrounded by a similar fence.
What Future for the Palestinian People?
In the context of continued racial discrimination and forced displacement the Palestinians people is facing a future of life and struggle under apartheid. While the establishment of a full-fledged apartheid regime might not constitute the preferred option for many Israelis concerned about the 'democratic character of the Jewish state', it is the most likely scenario by default. Apartheid is the future scenario, because neither will a future Likud-led government (most likely) be able to rid Israel of the presence of the Palestinian people by military force, nor will a Labor-led government (less likely) under former General Amram Mitzna have the courage to radically alter Israel's strategy and create the conditions required for a two-state solution, i.e. a full withdrawal from the 1967 occupied territories, the dismantling of all Jewish colonies containing some 400,000 settlers and the re- admission, restitution and compensation of all those Palestinian refugees choosing to exercise their right of return (UN Resolution 194).
Apartheid is the future scenario of the Palestinian people also because official international efforts for ending the current crisis and re-launching political negotiations between Israel and the PLO continue to fail to address the root causes (military occupation, displacement, denial of the right to self- determination) of the conflict between the Palestinian people and Zionist Israel. Rich in stages, time tables and demands for reform of the Palestinian leadership, and promising recognition of a 'temporary Palestinian state without borders' by late 2003, the latest 'road map' drafted by 'Quartet' (United States, European Union, Russia, United Nations) is no more likely to succeed than the earlier US-led 'Mitchell-Tenet-Zinni process.' This because also the Quartet's initiative avoids one of the most important lessons to be drawn from comparative research of international peace- making, i.e. the fact that peace plans must include clear reference to, and enforcement mechanisms for, international law and human rights conventions in order to have a chance of success.
What Future for International Solidarity?
Based on the above, only a broad and globally coordinated campaign against Israel's brand of apartheid, including effective Israel-boycott campaigns and campaigns for the indictment of Israelis responsible for war crimes, can convey a clear message to Israel and official international actors and change the unfavorable balance of forces in favor of universal respect for international law as the foundation for building a just and durable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Palestinian refugees. It is contingent upon all those interested in a comprehensive, just and durable solution of this conflict to return to its roots - i.e. the mass displacement and dispossession of the Palestinian people in 1948 and after. " The refugee issue needs to be placed at the center of the process from where it has mysteriously disappeared," state Israeli political scientist Ilan Pape and his Palestinian colleague Karma Nabulsi. "All those involved in resolving the conflict must have the public courage to confront the Israeli denial of the expulsion and ethnic cleansing at the heart of the Palestinian refugee question. This remains the single largest stumbling block towards a lasting peace between both peoples." (The Guardian, 19 September 2002).
BADIL Resource Center aims to provide a resource pool of alternative, critical and progressive information on the question of Palestinian refugees in our quest to achieve a just and lasting solution for exiled Palestinians based on their right of return. www.badil.org.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2002 2:56 pm Post subject: Palestinian Children in the Night
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021129202401385
Palestinian Children in the Night
Friday, November 29 2002 @ 08:24 PM GMT
"A few of the Palestinians standing behind the UNDP representatives slowly walked up behind them and one pulled from a bag what looked like a one meter wooden bat .."
By Sam Bahour
It happened last night. Ramallah was pitch dark and the breeze was cool and brisk. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I was out during the night with my wife and two daughters, Areen, 8 and Nadine, 2. We were taking advantage of the lull in nightly curfews imposed by the Israeli military over the past year. We found ourselves in the midst of a crowd of over 300 cheering Palestinians. Between us and another group of a few dozen Palestinian youth were two United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) representatives.
Palestinian child performs in
a local Bethlehem theater
The two representatives were clearly American, in looks and accent. A few of the Palestinians standing behind the UNDP representatives slowly walked up behind them and one pulled from a bag what looked like a one meter wooden bat. Our hearts beating, and before we could clearly make out what was happening, the Palestinian boy holding this object unraveled a most beautiful and colorful Palestinian embroidery piece. The embroidery was attached to a wooden rod and the Palestinian teenager proudly held it up and presented it to the two UNDP representatives as a gift for their support. This was the final few minutes in what was a moving and fabulous one-hour dbut of the Palestinian Folk Vista, by Bara’em El-Funoun, a new generation of the El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe.
Bara’em is Arabic for “buds”. El-Funoun is Arabic for “the arts”. Bara’em El-Funoun is the offshoot of the renowned El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe (www.el-funoun.org), a music and dance ensemble, inspired by universal elements of folk art and their particular expression in Arab-Palestinian popular heritage and folklore. Bara’em El-Funoun is the embodiment of a new generation of dancers, a generation that is determined to safeguard and advance Palestinian culture and heritage through dance, music and song.
We are in the midst of the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan in Ramallah has historically been marked by joyous evenings during the cool and breezy nights following the breaking of daylight fast. This year is an exception, as was last year. For the last two years the Israeli occupation has stripped all evidence of normal life from Palestinian streets. Whereas the city centers would once have been open for business late into the evening to cater to Ramadan shoppers and holiday-goers, today only a handful of businesses venture to open their doors after nightfall, fearing the volatile security situation and realizing that their patrons prefer to not risk the surprise Israeli raids and patrols within the city.
Last night was different. Over 300 Palestinians were invited to attend the first performance of El-Funoun’s youth dance group. The mere invitation to such an event during these troubled times sparked a deep sense of defiance toward occupation in each of us. It was as if this youth dance group and those organizing them were calling for popular action to counter the Israeli military activities that have brought our cultural lives to a standstill. The action was clearly defined and well planned – a forceful demonstration by way of dance, music and song that Palestinian culture is alive and well, undamaged by Israeli tanks, armored personnel carriers and F-16’s that have permanently scarred each of our streets, neighborhoods and families.
We entered the Ramallah Municipality Hall along with dozens of other families. Parents, children, elders and many friends gathered together in public for the first time in quite a while to celebrate a positive and cheerful event. For us it was a special event too. My wife Abeer was a dancer with the El-Funoun dance troupe back in the late 80’s and my daughter Areen is currently training in dance at classes at the Popular Arts Center (PAC) with great hopes of one day being accepted into the Bara'em troupe and then graduating into the El-Funoun troupe.
This tribute to Palestinian culture came with a story, like most events in Palestine these days. Bara'em members rehearsed most of the Palestinian Folk Vista production during Israeli-imposed military curfews. On one occasion, they were all trying to reach the studio (at the PAC in Al-Bireh, ww.popularartcentre.org) when they suddenly saw an Israeli armored personnel carrier (APC) parked right outside the studio entrance. Khaled, the dance trainer, was with them, and he was terrified that troupe members would be hurt. He bore the millstone of responsibility. After all, it was he who had convinced the parents to let their children challenge the curfew to get to the rehearsals. He panicked, and suddenly, one of the Bara'em girls decided to walk to the entrance despite the presence of that APC. Everyone else followed and they made it to practice! The soldiers did not interfere this time, luckily.
Bara'em’s performance was stunning. The smiles of the dancers were refreshing. As Omar Barghouti, one of the proud choreographers, told me following the event: “Those children became real dancers with power, passion and a very convincing ability to convey the choreographed themes, to entertain and to impress. Our children are not reduced to mere victims, who solicit sympathy; they have a presence that demands solidarity and support. This has been El-Funoun's direction for decades now, and we can finally take pride in passing it on to our next generation of El-Funoun members, Bara'em.”
In the middle of the performance my nephew, Yacoub, 14, took the stage to present a musical solo on the Qanun, a zither-like musical instrument with 26 triple courses of strings and one of the oldest oriental string instruments in Arabic music. As Yacoub fine-tuned his instrument, you could have heard a pin drop while the audience waited in anticipation. My two-year-old daughter seized the opportunity to yell out to her cousin from the middle of the hall, “Yacoub!” It was her way of expressing her excitement of the moment and she brought the entire audience to a warm laugh.
Dance after dance, these young boys and girls dazzled the audience with their agility and outstanding ability to synchronize with the traditional songs depicting the love of life that resides in all Palestinians, a love that appreciates the wonders of nature, respects land and refuses to forget those living in poverty and exile. Each girl dancer wore a traditional embroidered Arabic dress, full of color and full of life. The young boy dancers each wore a simple loose traditional garment reflecting those worn by Palestinian peasants and farmers for hundreds of years.
A scan of the audience brought sadness and hope. A friend, and one of the El-Funoun choreographers, Mrs. Lana Abu Hijleh, sat close to the stage and looked on with a bright smile. This performance was an accomplishment she had a right to be proud of. To see her smile brought hope, especially given that it was only a few weeks ago we paid our respects to her and her family after her mother was murdered by an Israeli solider in the Palestinian City of Nablus as she sat on the porch inside her home stitching an embroidery. I watched other friends enjoying the performance as well, knowing that many of their loved ones were missing from their sides. Instead of being in the audience watching their children culturally flourish, many fathers, brothers and sons instead were languishing in Israeli jails, part of the 7,000 Palestinians arbitrarily arrested over the past two years.
The UNDP, sponsors of this fabulous performance, accepted a gift of embroidery at the end of the event. In making his closing remarks, the UNDP representative was clearly moved by what he had seen – a drop of hope in a sea of despair.
While sitting and watching the performance with my youngest daughter on my lap violently clapping after every dance, I thought to myself, if only our Israeli neighbors could see and feel what we were seeing and feeling. If only the parents of those Israeli soldiers -- not much older than the young Palestinian dancers on stage -- patrolling and occupying our cities could see the energy and determination that was on stage and in the audience. If only my Israeli neighbors could remove the artificial blinders placed on them by their leadership, they would quickly realize that we are a people whose spirit cannot be broken by military occupation. A people whose culture and traditions are deeper than the roots of the olive tress that the Israel bulldozers continue to uproot. If they could only see! If they could only feel!
Before we reached home last night it was announced by the Israeli military that for the next two days Ramallah would be placed under 24-hr military curfew, yet again. It was as if the entire city was being collectively punished for the act of displaying Palestinian culture. Nevertheless, when the curfew is lifted we will send our daughter Areen for her next weekly dance lesson, for we have no time to waste in ending this occupation, so disastrous for us all. Maybe the dance weapon will succeed where everything else so far has failed.
Sam Bahour is a Palestinian-American businessman living in the besieged Palestinian City of Al-Bireh in the West Bank and can be reached at sbahour@palnet.com. He is co-author of HOMELAND: Oral Histories of Palestine and Palestinians (1994).
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
5 Palestinians Killed Ahead of Likud Primaries
5 Palestinians Killed Ahead of Likud Primaries
Wednesday, November 27 2002 @ 07:51 PM GMT
"Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat expressed his outrage at Israel’s military operations and canceled Christmas celebrations in the southern West Bank city .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Five Palestinians died as violence swept across the occupied territories yesterday, setting a tense stage for the Likud party primaries expected to help Ariel Sharon remain Israel’s prime minister.
(Image: Musa al-Shaer (PC))
A 33-year-old Palestinian was killed in the evening when Israeli soldiers patrolling the reoccupied town of Bethlehem opened fire on his car, Palestinian medical sources said. The incident occurred shortly after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat expressed his outrage at Israel’s military operations and canceled Christmas celebrations in the southern West Bank city. "There won’t be any Christmas," he told reporters in Ramallah, describing Israel’s recent closure of Bethlehem as an "international crime".
Following last week’s Jerusalem bus bomb which left 11 people dead, the occupation army moved back into Bethlehem and declared the town a closed military zone under an order valid until Dec. 30.
In the northern West Bank city of Jenin, a local leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a group linked to Arafat’s Fatah, and senior member of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, were killed in an overnight blast.
The deaths sparked Palestinian accusations that Israel had resumed its policy of assassinations, following reports by Palestinian security sources the men were killed when an Israeli helicopter fired a missile on a building they were in. But an army spokesman denied "any involvement".
In Nablus, Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian who was going door to door in Nablus’ Askar refugee camp, waking up fellow Muslims for "suhoor", the last meal before the start of the dawn-to-dusk fast during Ramadan. A member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) was also arrested by the army in the camp, the security sources said.
A Palestinian blew himself up near the northern crossing point of Erez, after both Israeli and Palestinian security tried to stop his car. The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades said his attack was aimed at the Israeli side of a nearby liaison office, but the blast only set fire to an empty Palestinian security building.
The Israeli army also staged another one of its almost daily raids in the southern Gaza Strip overnight when helicopters badly damaged a school in Khan Yunis, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Parliament Speaker Ahmed Qorei met with his Israeli counterpart, Avraham Burg, in East Jerusalem to discuss ways of resuming peace negotiations between the two sides.
"There is no better time to clear our misunderstandings around the negotiations table rather than between funerals," he said. "If we don’t now, who knows what will happen when the genie of extremism comes out of his bottle?", he asked.
Qorei, a veteran negotiator for the Palestinian side, said "parliamentarians have a duty to work together for an end to all forms of violence." He nevertheless blamed Israel for the latest surge in violence, charging that Palestinian " bombings are a reaction to things like what happened last night".
-Arab News (arabnews.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2002 2:17 am Post subject: This Morning in Aida Refugee Camp
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021127191125268
This Morning in Aida Refugee Camp
Wednesday, November 27 2002 @ 07:11 PM GMT
"For the sixth day, now approaching the end of Ramadan, Palestinian Muslims cannot reach the mosque to pray .."
By Kristen Ess
BETHLEHEM (PC) - The Israeli military still holds Bethlehem under curfew. Soldiers went round to houses inside Aida Camp demanding names of all children in the families to add to their lists. Here in the camp all children are suspected of the crime of throwing stones at heavily armored Israeli tanks that plow through their streets. Sometimes the tanks shoot at the little kids and their families, other times they come just to bully and threaten, to demonstrate that the Israeli military is in control.
For the sixth day, now approaching the end of Ramadan, Palestinian Muslims cannot reach the mosque to pray.
Israeli soldiers terrorized Deheisha Refugee Camp for the second night in a row. Well over fifty people were drug from their homes the night before last and added to the thousands of Palestinian political prisoners sitting without charge in Israeli prisons. The count for last night is not in yet. Again today schools are closed. A friend considered studying for an exam last night, but instead closed his books and laughed. Another, one who limps because he was hit by Apache missile fire in April, is rehearsing for a play that now will only be performed inside the camp because getting out is not possible.
The general news so far today is: Israeli soldiers killed four people in Nablus. One was from Balata Refugee Camp, two were assassinated. Israeli soldiers killed two people in Jenin. One Palestinian died at Eretz Checkpoint near Gaza City. Apache missiles bombarded Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip. They destroyed a house and shot missiles into an empty school.
Kids are playing in the alley defying the Israeli imposed curfew that is meant to keep them trapped indoors for days on end. A man is yelling at his family. Israeli soldiers are gunning tank engines by the cemetery. The mosque is calling for prayer. An F-16 is flying overhead. Now an Israeli military jeep is plowing down the dirt alley way shouting for curfew and kids are scrambling. A tank is following and has launched a sound bomb. Tear gas is coming through the window.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2002 2:19 am Post subject: Halt Suicide Attacks: Abu Mazen
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021127185135460
Halt Suicide Attacks: Abu Mazen
Wednesday, November 27 2002 @ 06:51 PM GMT
"I have always said I'm against the use of arms. I think it was a mistake to use arms during the Intifada and to carry out attacks inside Israel .."
RAMALLAH - The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary General Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) on Tuesday urged Palestinian anti-occupation activists to halt suicide attacks to avoid giving Israel the pretext to reoccupy more Palestinian land.
Abbas has consistently advocated the official policy of the PLO and the Palestine National Authority (PNA) and criticized the use of arms during a two-year uprising for statehood and called on Palestinians to 'stop the violence'.
“I have always said I'm against the use of arms. I think it was a mistake to use arms during the Intifada and to carry out attacks inside Israel,"' Abbas told Reuters.
“Such (suicide) attacks will give Israel the pretext it needs to reoccupy Gaza Strip. Israel has already reoccupied most if not all the West Bank. It is now raiding Gaza and has destroyed the security headquarters there. Next, it will reoccupy Gaza," he said.
Abu Mazen was the PLO’s representative who signed the Declaration of Principles in Washington in 1993, which was the launching pad for the Palestinian-Israeli peace accords, known as the Oslo accords signed thereafter between PNA and Israel.
Almost two-thirds of Palestinians disapprove of how their two-year-old Intifada uprising has evolved and support immediate reforms of Palestinian institutions, a survey published Tuesday by Bir Zeit University showed.
"Two years after its inception, 63 percent express dissatisfaction with the way the Intifada is proceeding. This is a 17-percent increase from last year," said the poll, conducted by the leading West Bank Palestinian university.
The survey also revealed that 54 percent of West Bank residents felt attacks involving Israeli civilians had no impact or a negative impact on the Palestinian cause, compared with 39 percent in the Gaza Strip.
The poll said, "28 percent of the respondents report their families have lost all sources of income as a result of Israeli measures,” while 26 percent said they would emigrate if they could.
The PNA last week authorized the Minister of Culture and Information Yasser Abed Rabbo, who is also a member of PLO’s Executive Committee, to lead a committee entrusted with continuing negotiations with the Israeli peace camp.
Abed Rabbo on Tuesday told the Palestinian daily Al-Quds, "For several months, we have been working with parties within the peace camp in Israel, in the Labor party, Meretz and others, to compile a detailed plan completing and improving what we agreed on at the Taba talks."
Discussions in that Egyptian town in December 2000-January 2001 were aimed at finding a permanent settlement for the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Separately, aides to Palestinian parliament Speaker Ahmed Qorei told AFP he had exchanged letters with his Israeli counterpart Abraham Burg "as part of Israeli and Palestinian efforts aimed at revitalizing peace camps on both sides.”
The two leaders were to meet Wednesday at an occupied east Jerusalem hotel to study ways of ending the seemingly unending crisis, Qorei's office said.
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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Shoo Bakeey
Guest
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2002 11:56 am Post subject: My beautiful flower
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Glad to see one who truly cares about what happens in Palestine.You look very beautiful in your image and I know you are just the same in person.
How about marrying me? :D
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:04 pm Post subject: Israeli intelligence:Arafat's exile would not end war
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Israeli intelligence concludes Arafat's exile would not end war
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, November 14, 2002
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/front_1.html
JERUSALEM - Israel's domestic intelligence agency has concluded that Yasser
Arafat can maintain his authority on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip even
if he is expelled.
"The security establishment has concluded that we not do this [expel
Arafat]," Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said.
The assessment was said to represent the consensus of Israel's intelligence
community, Middle East Newsline reported.
Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has promised to exile Arafat if he is
the next prime minister.
National Security Agency director Avi Dichter told a Cabinet panel on
Wednesday that Arafat can continue the Palestinian insurgency war from exile
abroad. He and other intelligence chiefs were said to have opposed any
Israeli expulsion of Arafat.
They said Arafat's international stature would soar and Israel would be
under great pressure to return him to the PA areas. Dichter's assessment was
disputed by Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu said Arafat's
exile would lead to the erosion of the infrastructure of Palestinian
insurgency groups.
Although they oppose Arafat's ouster, Israeli intelligence chiefs said that
the continued rule of the PA chief will prevent any Israeli-Palestinian
agreement. They said Arafat prefers the current war to a compromise solution
with Israel.
For their part, Palestinians said they expect Sharon to expel Arafat during
any U.S.-led war against Iraq. Fatah leader Hussein Al Sheik, responsible
for the West Bank, said Israel's government will destroy the PA and exile
Arafat.
Sharon has not ruled out the eventual expulsion of Arafat. He said in an
interview on Israeli television that he relayed a pledge to the United
States not "to harm Arafat physically."
World Tribune.com is a publication of East West Services, Inc.
Copyright 2002 East West Services, Inc.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:06 pm Post subject: “ONE VOICE,SILENT NO LONGER”
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The American Committee on Jerusalem
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
November 16, 2002
ACJ AND MEI HOST ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN FOUNDERS OF “ONE VOICE,
SILENT NO LONGER”
Darawshe: “Violence is a result of lack of leadership and political
vision”
WASHINGTON, DC -- Speaking at the headquarters of the Middle East
Institute (MEI) yesterday, Mohammad Darawshe and Daniel Lubetzky,
founders of “One Voice, Silent No Longer”, introduced a new grassroots
initiative aimed at ending the cycle of violence between Israelis and
Palestinians. The briefing was co-sponsored by the American Committee
on Jerusalem (ACJ) and MEI.
Mohammad Darawshe began by updating attendees on the “feelings of the
people on the ground,” both Palestinians and Israelis. Describing the
Israeli occupation as the “ugly, severe and savage oppression of a
nation”, Darawshe credited it both with creating a pervasive sense of
fatalism permeating Palestinian society, and the inevitable violence
emanating from elements within that society. Palestinians he
said “feel abandoned and having nothing to lose.” On the Israeli side,
Darawshe described the mood as one where Israelis felt that they had
offered everything to the Palestinians but had been rejected. As a
result, Israelis feel that they have to “look and act tough so as not
to be perceived as weak.” Darawshe placed responsibility for this to a
total failure and a lack of leadership and political vision on both
sides. Emphasizing finally that he believed that both sides still
wanted peace, Darawshe cited a poll of 756 Israeli Arabs conducted in
early November in which 78% believed in a two-state solution, 65% were
exhausted with the Intifada and 83% favored shifting the Intifada to
strictly non-violent means.
Daniel Lubetzky followed Darawshe by introducing the “One Voice”
initiative. He described it as an effort “to empower the overwhelming
silent majority on both sides to take responsibility and seize the
initiative from the extremists on who had stepped into the void
created by a lack of leadership.” Lubetzky described the initiative as
consisting of three stages. The first stage involved developing
a “proclamation of principles” for coexistence within two years that
recognized the rights and needs of each side by the other. The goal is
for 10,000 Palestinians and Israelis, who would be reached through the
Internet, newspaper ads and other public means, to sign onto it.
Building on this momentum, stage two involved a council of Palestinian
and Israeli experts distilling from negotiations ten core issues to be
submitted to the populations as the basis for negotiations. These ten
points would be widely disseminated with the goal of getting one
million-plus signatures. Finally, stage three involved submitting the
ten points and the accompanying signatures to the political leaders on
both sides, as the political will of the people.
The ACJ is a coalition of all major Arab-American organizations
dedicated to promoting a solution to Jerusalem which accommodates the
attachments of the three faiths and the political aspirations of both
peoples, Palestinians and Israelis.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:07 pm Post subject: -Report from Leonie in Tulkarem
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4-Report from Leonie in Tulkarem
Hello all,
I am now in a village called Tulkarem, close to the green line (the
1967 border). I spent the last couple of days in Jayyous, where Israel is
clearing land for the construction of separation wall that basically is
an instrument of aparthied. The Wall is supposed to be along the 1967
border. However, this is not the case. A large amount of extra land
(approx 2300 acres) has been appropriated. This land is some of the
most
fertile in the West Bank. It has thousands of olive trees and seven
water sources. It produces the majority of food for the West Bank and it
is being blatantly stolen by the strong arm of the Israeli military,
police and security forces. The construction of the Wall itself will
destroy a huge amount of wildlife - in addition to the wall there will
be a trench and road running the entire distance. The Wall will be
fortified, with lookout posts and military patrols.
The villagers of Jayyous are among the worst hit by the construction of
the wall. The planned site is extremely close to a number of houses -
50
metres or so. They are very worried by the inevitable constant
observation that this would result in. Many of the villages have land
and olive groves on the other side of the proposed wall. This land has
provided their families for generations, and they have no idea how they
will survive without this vital source of income. In addition, the
construction of the wall has resulted in a heavier military presence in
the village itself. Much of the time it is under curfew, which means
children cannot go to school and the population cannot work or buy
supplies.
At the request of the villagers, the ISM helped to organise a couple of
days of demonstration against the wall. On Thursday, about 50
internationals, 10 Israeli peace activists and couple of hundred
villages gathered on the land that was due to be bulldozed that day. The
bulldozers turned away before they reached us and we successfully
managed to stop the days work. An olive tree was planted in an already
bulldozed area, and we broke curfew to march through the village, singing
freedom songs and waving the Palestinian flag.
Yesterday was a different story. It was Palestinian independence day
and Friday, the holy day for Muslims. In celebration the villagers
decided
to hold their mid-morning prayers on the land. Apart from that the
plan was the same as for the previous day - forming a human chain in front
of
the bulldozers and preventing them from doing their destructive work.
We gathered at the same place as the previous day, but discovered that
the bulldozers were working on the other side of the village. Again we
all walked through the village, stopping at the mosque on the way to
make a call for more people to join us. At the place of destruction the
internationals formed a human chain by linking arms - the villagers
were
behind us. We managed to force the soldiers, jeeps and military down
the side of the hill and into the valley. The bulldozers went away but
the
army remained. Many hours were spent waiting the the sun while
negotiations took place between the mayor, the army commader and an ISM
co-ordinator. At 11.20, as planned, the villagers began their prayers.
It was quite an incredible sight: a few hundred men lined up in the
valley praying for about 10 or 15 minutes. The women were under some
trees, the children, internationals and soldiers watched in silence.
Afer the prayers the chanting and clapping of the villagers took on a
new level of passion. The negotiations finished, and we were told that
we had 10 minutes to disperse or would be removed using force. They
told us that we were in a closed military zone, but did not provide the
correct documentation. We refused to leave and once again linked arms
- two rows of internationals (about 25 of us) between about four jeeps
and about 15 soldiers and police and a few hundred of the villagers of
Jayyous.
Some soldiers went up the side of the valley. From there the first
rounds of tear gas were fired. The world went completely white. Sound
bombs were also fired and we later found live shells that had been
fired where the crowd was standing. Most of the Palestinians disappeared
but the Internationals stayed to confront the army. One Canadian man
was repeatedly hit in the stomach with a rifle butt. Ten were arrested.
Leonie
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:09 pm Post subject: 2-Update on Jayyous arrests:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2-Update on Jayyous arrests:
Friends, we apologize for not being able to immediately post pictures
of the demonstration and arrests yesterday. Repeated attempts failed due
to the connection available in the town of Jayyous. Pictures can now be
found at:
http://jerusalem.indymedia.org/news/2002/11/89522.php
What we know now:
Yesterday, the arrestees were taken from the Tsufim military base, to a
police station in the Israeli settlement of Ariel. After questioning:
Irish citizen, Michael McGrath was put on a plane at 5am this morning.
Israeli citizen, Jonathan Pollack was released at approximately 2am
this morning.
Four males: Cary Gibbons (UK), Thomas Linner (Canada), Reverend Gordon
Hutchins (US) and Ole Martin (Sweden) are being held at the Massyahu
prison in Ramle.
The four women, Esther Serra (Spain), Susan Barney (US), Rodhika
Sainath (US) and Charlotte Carson (Ireland) were released at approximately
2am this morning but must appear before a judge tomorrow, Sunday.
The status of the eight are “Pending Deportation”
The Israeli government has long been trying to keep the eyes of the
wold shut with regards to its grave violations of international law, its
blatant human rights abuses and its war crimes. This has been done
mainly through strong and well-coordinated propaganda – by labeling the
Palestinians “terrorists” and disguising all of its actions as “fighting
terrorism”. Now that average citizens from all over the world are taking
action, are coming to see for themselves what is being done in the name
of “Israeli security”, the Israeli government is doing whatever it can
to keep these people, that could see and dare speak the truth, out.
The accusation against these international activists? – Being in a
closed military zone. This “closed military zone” is Palestinian olive
groves that the military has closed off so bulldozers can work on uprooting
Palestinian farmers’ olive trees to make way for an “Apartheid Wall”,
stealing Palestinian land to cage them in their villages. The
internationals were there, using no violence, but rather the power of nonviolence
to protect Palestinian villagers from being shot for daring to protest
the confiscation and destruction of their land.
The farmers of Jayyous just want the world to now that the line about
this wall being built to protect Israeli citizens, is a lie. If security
and not expansion, really was the case, why is the wall not being built
on the Green Line – the internationally recognized border between
Israel and the West Bank? Why has the path of the wall been drawn to isolate
Palestine’s most fertile land from its owners? To deprive the
Palestinians of their water wells? To leave farming communities with no land?
Jayyous:
3,000 people / 450 families
Area = 13,000 dunams
600 dunams will be destoyed (flattened) to make way for the wall
9,000 dunams of farmland will fall on the other side of the wall,
including 7 water wells, and over 200 greenhouses.
The equivalent of pproximately 65,000 workdays per year will be lost to
the people of Jayyous as a result of this wall.
We will continue to protest this wall, nonviolently, meaning we will be
sitting on the land tomorrow. The media does not take an interest. They
tell us to call when there is blood. We just want you to know.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:10 pm Post subject: Error-prone Israel Continues to Sell the Murder of Children
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021125193157537
Error-prone Israel Continues to Sell the Murder of Children as One Big Mistake
Monday, November 25 2002 @ 07:31 PM GMT
"It is all too easy to continue this murderous catalogue. Simply typing the words “mistake” and “IDF” into a search engine .."
By Eddie Taylor
NEW YORK (PC) - We heard the “m” word again this weekend. When Jihad al-Faqeh, an 8-year-old walking back from school in Nablus, was struck in the chest by an IDF bullet, the explanation was immediate. No, make that reflexive. It was, the army spokesperson said, a “mistake”. As we have seen throughout the past two years, it is a word that trips off the tongues of the security chiefs as readily as “self-defense” or “responding to hostile fire.”
We’ve almost become immune to the many “mistakes” of the IDF. The West is even comforted by the notion. Rita Cosby, one of Fox News’s many Likud mouthpieces, practically instructed the unctuous Alom Pinkas to accept the death of UN worker Ian Hook as “a terrible mistake”.
Back in September, when dart-filled shells coursed into a Bedouin camp in Gaza and killed Ruwaida al Hajeen, her sons, Ashraf, 22, and Nihad, 17, and 20-year-old Muhammed al Hajeen, that was a mistake too. On the same day, a tank machine-gunned holes into the 10-year-old body of Abdul Hadi Anwar Hameeda. Another mistake.
On August 31st, Defense Minister Ben Eliezer declared the shelling of a car in Tubas as, yes, a mistake. Two children, Yazid Daraghmeh and Sari Subuh, were among the five dead. The same helicopter then pounded the home of Yousuf Darghmeh, killing his 8-year-old daughter Bahira and her 10-year-old cousin Ibrahim.
The explanation? You got it.
One year ago, on November 22, it was a mistake when five Palestinian children aged between 6 to 14 were blown to pieces by an Israeli mine as they trod their usual path to school in Khan Yunis.
It is all too easy to continue this murderous catalogue. Simply typing the words “mistake” and “IDF” into a search engine produces a mountain of similar instances. Try it. You find that “mistakes” are positively littering the Palestinian landscape. Israel may cling to the fallacy that the IDF is the most moral army in the world, but as the number of child deaths approaches 400, it is surely the most error-prone.
In the first Intifada, Israeli journalist Amira Hass calculated that a child was killed by the IDF every two weeks. In the current Intifada, that figure has climbed to three and a half every week. That’s seven every two weeks — an escalation of 700%. Careless, careless, careless.
Of course, it is absurd to try to continue categorizing this number of slain children as accidents. To use Amira Hass again, an IDF soldier rather gives the game away in her now famous Ha’aretz interview: “12 and up, you’re allowed to shoot ,” he said. “That’s what they tell us.”
And who are “they” exactly? Well, they’re probably the same people who celebrated the deaths of nine children in the 22 July bombing of a Gaza apartment block as a “ great success.” The same people who decreed that an Israeli settler should receive a suspended six-month jail term for pistol-whipping a 10-year-old Palestinian to death. The same people who consider a rock-throwing child a mortal danger to the fourth biggest military power in the world.
“In general, it is better to admit a mistake and apologize for it, if necessary, than to deny something that will later damage one’s credibility,” said Nahman Shai on the death of Mohammad Al-Dura. In other words, the loss of innocent young life is significantly less corrupting to the state of Israel than poor PR.
And in a week when Amnesty International declared that, despite repeated lip-service to the contrary, “no judicial investigation is known to have been carried out into any of the killings of children by Israeli soldiers,” it should hardly raise an eyebrow that the IDF continue to operate with impunity.
There will be more mistakes between now and the creation of a Palestinian state. The biggest would be to fail to hold Israeli accountable for them.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:11 pm Post subject: The Aim: Victory
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021125193758332
The Aim: Victory
Monday, November 25 2002 @ 07:37 PM GMT
By Uri Avnery
It seems that a new wind is blowing in the country.
This week I flew to Europe. On the way to the Airport, the taxi-driver told me: That’s it, there is no hope left. We shall never have peace with the Palestinians. There is no one to talk with. No compromise is possible. The war will go on and on. Therefore he will vote for Sharon.
Amram Mitzna
I remarked that if this is so, his grandchildren would certainly leave the country.
"What grandchildren," he replied with sorrow, mingled with pride, "My son is an architect in Los Angeles!"
I returned after five days. The taxi driver who took me home from the airport surprised me. "All my life I have voted Likud," he said, "But the Likud has failed. There is no difference between Sharon and Netanyahu. They have not brought security but look how the economy has gone to pieces. This time I shall vote for Mitzna."
What has happened during these five days? One thing: Amram Mitzna has won the primary election in the Labor Party.
This, by itself, is a stunning feat in every respect. An introvert "Yekke" (as German Jews are condescendingly called) without charisma has defeated an "authentic", back-slapping Iraqi. A dove has beaten a hawk. A political newcomer, who has announced that he is ready to talk with Arafat, has routed the Defense Minister, who has tried to destroy the Palestinian Authority.
That is a shining victory of Mitzna’s. But it is much more. It is a symptom of mysterious happenings in the depths of the national consciousness.
During the last two years, while the cycle of atrocities got wider and wider, I was often asked how I managed to remain optimistic, while everybody around lost all hope. I answered that one day, in a week or in five years, the public will wake up in the morning and exclaim: "Enough! This can’t go on! A solution must be found!"
"What good will that do?" the doom-sayers would say, "There is no politician around who could lead the country towards peace."
"The demand will create the offer," I answered, "When there is a demand for such a leader, he will appear from somewhere."
I think that this forecast is beginning to be realized. The currents beneath the surface of public consciousness are changing. The IDF conquers, occupies, kills, "destroys the terror infrastructure", and the Palestinian attacks do not stop for a moment. The regular declarations of Sharon and Mofaz start to sound like self-parody. For the first time, "simple" people realize that there is a close relationship between the intifada, the economic crisis and the social emergency.
That does not cause the public to love the Palestinians or to get enamored with peace. Not at all. But it causes it to look for a leader with vision, who will try sincerely to break out of the bloody cycle and find a solution. The settlers are "out", compromise is "in". Amram Mitzna has appeared at the right place, at the right time, with the right message.
Now the slogan must be: Full Steam Ahead!
Some cautious peace activists say that we should not ask for too much. One has to look at the public opinion polls. Mitzna cannot beat Sharon. But he can overhaul the Labor Party in opposition, and that is also important.
This is a mistake. The polls photograph the situation on the ground. They do not see what’s happening underneath. There, new currents are flowing. Therefore, the aim must be: victory.
True, a victory of Mitzna over the Sharonyahu looks like a miracle. But that’s how a victory of Mitzna over Ben-Eliezer looked a month ago. It will be difficult, very difficult. But it is possible. All efforts must be made to achieve it.
According to all the polls, the gap between the two big blocs, the right and the left, is quite small even now, before the public has grasped the full impact of what happened in the Labor Party. Something like 65 against 55. Which means that it is enough to capture five-six seats in the Knesset in order to achieve an enormous change.
There is no alternative to victory. For the future of Israel, the saving of human lives and the reconstruction of the state, the difference between Mitzna and Sharon is colossal.
If the hour has not yet struck, and the Likud wins after all, the struggle must not be stopped for a moment. If Sharon or Netanyahu win, they will head a narrow, divided and fragile coalition, unable to solve any problems. It will be torn between the need to please Bush and the need to appease the extreme right wing of Lieberman-Eytam. Since things under their leadership will go on deteriorating, it can be brought down within a year and then the big reversal must be effected.
Therefore, any thought about an effort to set up a "national unity" government after the election is dangerous. No doubt Sharon will offer Labor seductive terms for joining. In the language of the Mafia: "An offer they can’t refuse." But Sharon is Sharon and will never change. In order to remain true to himself, Mitzna will have to refuse. Even if his job-hungry and unprincipled colleagues urge him to accept.
The aim must be: a total reversal, all along the front and in every area. Nothing less will suffice.
True, Amram Mitzna may disappoint us. Let’s not forget the enthusiasm with which we welcomed Ehud Barak, who led to disaster. He may break on the way. That can also happen, and we must be ready for it. But it is reasonable to expect the opposite. A person can grow in the job and fulfill the mission history has placed on him.
At this moment, ecce homo.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
Wednesday, November 27 2002 @ 07:51 PM GMT
"Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat expressed his outrage at Israel’s military operations and canceled Christmas celebrations in the southern West Bank city .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Five Palestinians died as violence swept across the occupied territories yesterday, setting a tense stage for the Likud party primaries expected to help Ariel Sharon remain Israel’s prime minister.
(Image: Musa al-Shaer (PC))
A 33-year-old Palestinian was killed in the evening when Israeli soldiers patrolling the reoccupied town of Bethlehem opened fire on his car, Palestinian medical sources said. The incident occurred shortly after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat expressed his outrage at Israel’s military operations and canceled Christmas celebrations in the southern West Bank city. "There won’t be any Christmas," he told reporters in Ramallah, describing Israel’s recent closure of Bethlehem as an "international crime".
Following last week’s Jerusalem bus bomb which left 11 people dead, the occupation army moved back into Bethlehem and declared the town a closed military zone under an order valid until Dec. 30.
In the northern West Bank city of Jenin, a local leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a group linked to Arafat’s Fatah, and senior member of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, were killed in an overnight blast.
The deaths sparked Palestinian accusations that Israel had resumed its policy of assassinations, following reports by Palestinian security sources the men were killed when an Israeli helicopter fired a missile on a building they were in. But an army spokesman denied "any involvement".
In Nablus, Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian who was going door to door in Nablus’ Askar refugee camp, waking up fellow Muslims for "suhoor", the last meal before the start of the dawn-to-dusk fast during Ramadan. A member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) was also arrested by the army in the camp, the security sources said.
A Palestinian blew himself up near the northern crossing point of Erez, after both Israeli and Palestinian security tried to stop his car. The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades said his attack was aimed at the Israeli side of a nearby liaison office, but the blast only set fire to an empty Palestinian security building.
The Israeli army also staged another one of its almost daily raids in the southern Gaza Strip overnight when helicopters badly damaged a school in Khan Yunis, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Parliament Speaker Ahmed Qorei met with his Israeli counterpart, Avraham Burg, in East Jerusalem to discuss ways of resuming peace negotiations between the two sides.
"There is no better time to clear our misunderstandings around the negotiations table rather than between funerals," he said. "If we don’t now, who knows what will happen when the genie of extremism comes out of his bottle?", he asked.
Qorei, a veteran negotiator for the Palestinian side, said "parliamentarians have a duty to work together for an end to all forms of violence." He nevertheless blamed Israel for the latest surge in violence, charging that Palestinian " bombings are a reaction to things like what happened last night".
-Arab News (arabnews.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2002 2:17 am Post subject: This Morning in Aida Refugee Camp
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021127191125268
This Morning in Aida Refugee Camp
Wednesday, November 27 2002 @ 07:11 PM GMT
"For the sixth day, now approaching the end of Ramadan, Palestinian Muslims cannot reach the mosque to pray .."
By Kristen Ess
BETHLEHEM (PC) - The Israeli military still holds Bethlehem under curfew. Soldiers went round to houses inside Aida Camp demanding names of all children in the families to add to their lists. Here in the camp all children are suspected of the crime of throwing stones at heavily armored Israeli tanks that plow through their streets. Sometimes the tanks shoot at the little kids and their families, other times they come just to bully and threaten, to demonstrate that the Israeli military is in control.
For the sixth day, now approaching the end of Ramadan, Palestinian Muslims cannot reach the mosque to pray.
Israeli soldiers terrorized Deheisha Refugee Camp for the second night in a row. Well over fifty people were drug from their homes the night before last and added to the thousands of Palestinian political prisoners sitting without charge in Israeli prisons. The count for last night is not in yet. Again today schools are closed. A friend considered studying for an exam last night, but instead closed his books and laughed. Another, one who limps because he was hit by Apache missile fire in April, is rehearsing for a play that now will only be performed inside the camp because getting out is not possible.
The general news so far today is: Israeli soldiers killed four people in Nablus. One was from Balata Refugee Camp, two were assassinated. Israeli soldiers killed two people in Jenin. One Palestinian died at Eretz Checkpoint near Gaza City. Apache missiles bombarded Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip. They destroyed a house and shot missiles into an empty school.
Kids are playing in the alley defying the Israeli imposed curfew that is meant to keep them trapped indoors for days on end. A man is yelling at his family. Israeli soldiers are gunning tank engines by the cemetery. The mosque is calling for prayer. An F-16 is flying overhead. Now an Israeli military jeep is plowing down the dirt alley way shouting for curfew and kids are scrambling. A tank is following and has launched a sound bomb. Tear gas is coming through the window.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2002 2:19 am Post subject: Halt Suicide Attacks: Abu Mazen
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021127185135460
Halt Suicide Attacks: Abu Mazen
Wednesday, November 27 2002 @ 06:51 PM GMT
"I have always said I'm against the use of arms. I think it was a mistake to use arms during the Intifada and to carry out attacks inside Israel .."
RAMALLAH - The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary General Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) on Tuesday urged Palestinian anti-occupation activists to halt suicide attacks to avoid giving Israel the pretext to reoccupy more Palestinian land.
Abbas has consistently advocated the official policy of the PLO and the Palestine National Authority (PNA) and criticized the use of arms during a two-year uprising for statehood and called on Palestinians to 'stop the violence'.
“I have always said I'm against the use of arms. I think it was a mistake to use arms during the Intifada and to carry out attacks inside Israel,"' Abbas told Reuters.
“Such (suicide) attacks will give Israel the pretext it needs to reoccupy Gaza Strip. Israel has already reoccupied most if not all the West Bank. It is now raiding Gaza and has destroyed the security headquarters there. Next, it will reoccupy Gaza," he said.
Abu Mazen was the PLO’s representative who signed the Declaration of Principles in Washington in 1993, which was the launching pad for the Palestinian-Israeli peace accords, known as the Oslo accords signed thereafter between PNA and Israel.
Almost two-thirds of Palestinians disapprove of how their two-year-old Intifada uprising has evolved and support immediate reforms of Palestinian institutions, a survey published Tuesday by Bir Zeit University showed.
"Two years after its inception, 63 percent express dissatisfaction with the way the Intifada is proceeding. This is a 17-percent increase from last year," said the poll, conducted by the leading West Bank Palestinian university.
The survey also revealed that 54 percent of West Bank residents felt attacks involving Israeli civilians had no impact or a negative impact on the Palestinian cause, compared with 39 percent in the Gaza Strip.
The poll said, "28 percent of the respondents report their families have lost all sources of income as a result of Israeli measures,” while 26 percent said they would emigrate if they could.
The PNA last week authorized the Minister of Culture and Information Yasser Abed Rabbo, who is also a member of PLO’s Executive Committee, to lead a committee entrusted with continuing negotiations with the Israeli peace camp.
Abed Rabbo on Tuesday told the Palestinian daily Al-Quds, "For several months, we have been working with parties within the peace camp in Israel, in the Labor party, Meretz and others, to compile a detailed plan completing and improving what we agreed on at the Taba talks."
Discussions in that Egyptian town in December 2000-January 2001 were aimed at finding a permanent settlement for the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Separately, aides to Palestinian parliament Speaker Ahmed Qorei told AFP he had exchanged letters with his Israeli counterpart Abraham Burg "as part of Israeli and Palestinian efforts aimed at revitalizing peace camps on both sides.”
The two leaders were to meet Wednesday at an occupied east Jerusalem hotel to study ways of ending the seemingly unending crisis, Qorei's office said.
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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Shoo Bakeey
Guest
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2002 11:56 am Post subject: My beautiful flower
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Glad to see one who truly cares about what happens in Palestine.You look very beautiful in your image and I know you are just the same in person.
How about marrying me? :D
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:04 pm Post subject: Israeli intelligence:Arafat's exile would not end war
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Israeli intelligence concludes Arafat's exile would not end war
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, November 14, 2002
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/front_1.html
JERUSALEM - Israel's domestic intelligence agency has concluded that Yasser
Arafat can maintain his authority on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip even
if he is expelled.
"The security establishment has concluded that we not do this [expel
Arafat]," Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said.
The assessment was said to represent the consensus of Israel's intelligence
community, Middle East Newsline reported.
Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has promised to exile Arafat if he is
the next prime minister.
National Security Agency director Avi Dichter told a Cabinet panel on
Wednesday that Arafat can continue the Palestinian insurgency war from exile
abroad. He and other intelligence chiefs were said to have opposed any
Israeli expulsion of Arafat.
They said Arafat's international stature would soar and Israel would be
under great pressure to return him to the PA areas. Dichter's assessment was
disputed by Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu said Arafat's
exile would lead to the erosion of the infrastructure of Palestinian
insurgency groups.
Although they oppose Arafat's ouster, Israeli intelligence chiefs said that
the continued rule of the PA chief will prevent any Israeli-Palestinian
agreement. They said Arafat prefers the current war to a compromise solution
with Israel.
For their part, Palestinians said they expect Sharon to expel Arafat during
any U.S.-led war against Iraq. Fatah leader Hussein Al Sheik, responsible
for the West Bank, said Israel's government will destroy the PA and exile
Arafat.
Sharon has not ruled out the eventual expulsion of Arafat. He said in an
interview on Israeli television that he relayed a pledge to the United
States not "to harm Arafat physically."
World Tribune.com is a publication of East West Services, Inc.
Copyright 2002 East West Services, Inc.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:06 pm Post subject: “ONE VOICE,SILENT NO LONGER”
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The American Committee on Jerusalem
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
November 16, 2002
ACJ AND MEI HOST ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN FOUNDERS OF “ONE VOICE,
SILENT NO LONGER”
Darawshe: “Violence is a result of lack of leadership and political
vision”
WASHINGTON, DC -- Speaking at the headquarters of the Middle East
Institute (MEI) yesterday, Mohammad Darawshe and Daniel Lubetzky,
founders of “One Voice, Silent No Longer”, introduced a new grassroots
initiative aimed at ending the cycle of violence between Israelis and
Palestinians. The briefing was co-sponsored by the American Committee
on Jerusalem (ACJ) and MEI.
Mohammad Darawshe began by updating attendees on the “feelings of the
people on the ground,” both Palestinians and Israelis. Describing the
Israeli occupation as the “ugly, severe and savage oppression of a
nation”, Darawshe credited it both with creating a pervasive sense of
fatalism permeating Palestinian society, and the inevitable violence
emanating from elements within that society. Palestinians he
said “feel abandoned and having nothing to lose.” On the Israeli side,
Darawshe described the mood as one where Israelis felt that they had
offered everything to the Palestinians but had been rejected. As a
result, Israelis feel that they have to “look and act tough so as not
to be perceived as weak.” Darawshe placed responsibility for this to a
total failure and a lack of leadership and political vision on both
sides. Emphasizing finally that he believed that both sides still
wanted peace, Darawshe cited a poll of 756 Israeli Arabs conducted in
early November in which 78% believed in a two-state solution, 65% were
exhausted with the Intifada and 83% favored shifting the Intifada to
strictly non-violent means.
Daniel Lubetzky followed Darawshe by introducing the “One Voice”
initiative. He described it as an effort “to empower the overwhelming
silent majority on both sides to take responsibility and seize the
initiative from the extremists on who had stepped into the void
created by a lack of leadership.” Lubetzky described the initiative as
consisting of three stages. The first stage involved developing
a “proclamation of principles” for coexistence within two years that
recognized the rights and needs of each side by the other. The goal is
for 10,000 Palestinians and Israelis, who would be reached through the
Internet, newspaper ads and other public means, to sign onto it.
Building on this momentum, stage two involved a council of Palestinian
and Israeli experts distilling from negotiations ten core issues to be
submitted to the populations as the basis for negotiations. These ten
points would be widely disseminated with the goal of getting one
million-plus signatures. Finally, stage three involved submitting the
ten points and the accompanying signatures to the political leaders on
both sides, as the political will of the people.
The ACJ is a coalition of all major Arab-American organizations
dedicated to promoting a solution to Jerusalem which accommodates the
attachments of the three faiths and the political aspirations of both
peoples, Palestinians and Israelis.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:07 pm Post subject: -Report from Leonie in Tulkarem
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4-Report from Leonie in Tulkarem
Hello all,
I am now in a village called Tulkarem, close to the green line (the
1967 border). I spent the last couple of days in Jayyous, where Israel is
clearing land for the construction of separation wall that basically is
an instrument of aparthied. The Wall is supposed to be along the 1967
border. However, this is not the case. A large amount of extra land
(approx 2300 acres) has been appropriated. This land is some of the
most
fertile in the West Bank. It has thousands of olive trees and seven
water sources. It produces the majority of food for the West Bank and it
is being blatantly stolen by the strong arm of the Israeli military,
police and security forces. The construction of the Wall itself will
destroy a huge amount of wildlife - in addition to the wall there will
be a trench and road running the entire distance. The Wall will be
fortified, with lookout posts and military patrols.
The villagers of Jayyous are among the worst hit by the construction of
the wall. The planned site is extremely close to a number of houses -
50
metres or so. They are very worried by the inevitable constant
observation that this would result in. Many of the villages have land
and olive groves on the other side of the proposed wall. This land has
provided their families for generations, and they have no idea how they
will survive without this vital source of income. In addition, the
construction of the wall has resulted in a heavier military presence in
the village itself. Much of the time it is under curfew, which means
children cannot go to school and the population cannot work or buy
supplies.
At the request of the villagers, the ISM helped to organise a couple of
days of demonstration against the wall. On Thursday, about 50
internationals, 10 Israeli peace activists and couple of hundred
villages gathered on the land that was due to be bulldozed that day. The
bulldozers turned away before they reached us and we successfully
managed to stop the days work. An olive tree was planted in an already
bulldozed area, and we broke curfew to march through the village, singing
freedom songs and waving the Palestinian flag.
Yesterday was a different story. It was Palestinian independence day
and Friday, the holy day for Muslims. In celebration the villagers
decided
to hold their mid-morning prayers on the land. Apart from that the
plan was the same as for the previous day - forming a human chain in front
of
the bulldozers and preventing them from doing their destructive work.
We gathered at the same place as the previous day, but discovered that
the bulldozers were working on the other side of the village. Again we
all walked through the village, stopping at the mosque on the way to
make a call for more people to join us. At the place of destruction the
internationals formed a human chain by linking arms - the villagers
were
behind us. We managed to force the soldiers, jeeps and military down
the side of the hill and into the valley. The bulldozers went away but
the
army remained. Many hours were spent waiting the the sun while
negotiations took place between the mayor, the army commader and an ISM
co-ordinator. At 11.20, as planned, the villagers began their prayers.
It was quite an incredible sight: a few hundred men lined up in the
valley praying for about 10 or 15 minutes. The women were under some
trees, the children, internationals and soldiers watched in silence.
Afer the prayers the chanting and clapping of the villagers took on a
new level of passion. The negotiations finished, and we were told that
we had 10 minutes to disperse or would be removed using force. They
told us that we were in a closed military zone, but did not provide the
correct documentation. We refused to leave and once again linked arms
- two rows of internationals (about 25 of us) between about four jeeps
and about 15 soldiers and police and a few hundred of the villagers of
Jayyous.
Some soldiers went up the side of the valley. From there the first
rounds of tear gas were fired. The world went completely white. Sound
bombs were also fired and we later found live shells that had been
fired where the crowd was standing. Most of the Palestinians disappeared
but the Internationals stayed to confront the army. One Canadian man
was repeatedly hit in the stomach with a rifle butt. Ten were arrested.
Leonie
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:09 pm Post subject: 2-Update on Jayyous arrests:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2-Update on Jayyous arrests:
Friends, we apologize for not being able to immediately post pictures
of the demonstration and arrests yesterday. Repeated attempts failed due
to the connection available in the town of Jayyous. Pictures can now be
found at:
http://jerusalem.indymedia.org/news/2002/11/89522.php
What we know now:
Yesterday, the arrestees were taken from the Tsufim military base, to a
police station in the Israeli settlement of Ariel. After questioning:
Irish citizen, Michael McGrath was put on a plane at 5am this morning.
Israeli citizen, Jonathan Pollack was released at approximately 2am
this morning.
Four males: Cary Gibbons (UK), Thomas Linner (Canada), Reverend Gordon
Hutchins (US) and Ole Martin (Sweden) are being held at the Massyahu
prison in Ramle.
The four women, Esther Serra (Spain), Susan Barney (US), Rodhika
Sainath (US) and Charlotte Carson (Ireland) were released at approximately
2am this morning but must appear before a judge tomorrow, Sunday.
The status of the eight are “Pending Deportation”
The Israeli government has long been trying to keep the eyes of the
wold shut with regards to its grave violations of international law, its
blatant human rights abuses and its war crimes. This has been done
mainly through strong and well-coordinated propaganda – by labeling the
Palestinians “terrorists” and disguising all of its actions as “fighting
terrorism”. Now that average citizens from all over the world are taking
action, are coming to see for themselves what is being done in the name
of “Israeli security”, the Israeli government is doing whatever it can
to keep these people, that could see and dare speak the truth, out.
The accusation against these international activists? – Being in a
closed military zone. This “closed military zone” is Palestinian olive
groves that the military has closed off so bulldozers can work on uprooting
Palestinian farmers’ olive trees to make way for an “Apartheid Wall”,
stealing Palestinian land to cage them in their villages. The
internationals were there, using no violence, but rather the power of nonviolence
to protect Palestinian villagers from being shot for daring to protest
the confiscation and destruction of their land.
The farmers of Jayyous just want the world to now that the line about
this wall being built to protect Israeli citizens, is a lie. If security
and not expansion, really was the case, why is the wall not being built
on the Green Line – the internationally recognized border between
Israel and the West Bank? Why has the path of the wall been drawn to isolate
Palestine’s most fertile land from its owners? To deprive the
Palestinians of their water wells? To leave farming communities with no land?
Jayyous:
3,000 people / 450 families
Area = 13,000 dunams
600 dunams will be destoyed (flattened) to make way for the wall
9,000 dunams of farmland will fall on the other side of the wall,
including 7 water wells, and over 200 greenhouses.
The equivalent of pproximately 65,000 workdays per year will be lost to
the people of Jayyous as a result of this wall.
We will continue to protest this wall, nonviolently, meaning we will be
sitting on the land tomorrow. The media does not take an interest. They
tell us to call when there is blood. We just want you to know.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:10 pm Post subject: Error-prone Israel Continues to Sell the Murder of Children
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021125193157537
Error-prone Israel Continues to Sell the Murder of Children as One Big Mistake
Monday, November 25 2002 @ 07:31 PM GMT
"It is all too easy to continue this murderous catalogue. Simply typing the words “mistake” and “IDF” into a search engine .."
By Eddie Taylor
NEW YORK (PC) - We heard the “m” word again this weekend. When Jihad al-Faqeh, an 8-year-old walking back from school in Nablus, was struck in the chest by an IDF bullet, the explanation was immediate. No, make that reflexive. It was, the army spokesperson said, a “mistake”. As we have seen throughout the past two years, it is a word that trips off the tongues of the security chiefs as readily as “self-defense” or “responding to hostile fire.”
We’ve almost become immune to the many “mistakes” of the IDF. The West is even comforted by the notion. Rita Cosby, one of Fox News’s many Likud mouthpieces, practically instructed the unctuous Alom Pinkas to accept the death of UN worker Ian Hook as “a terrible mistake”.
Back in September, when dart-filled shells coursed into a Bedouin camp in Gaza and killed Ruwaida al Hajeen, her sons, Ashraf, 22, and Nihad, 17, and 20-year-old Muhammed al Hajeen, that was a mistake too. On the same day, a tank machine-gunned holes into the 10-year-old body of Abdul Hadi Anwar Hameeda. Another mistake.
On August 31st, Defense Minister Ben Eliezer declared the shelling of a car in Tubas as, yes, a mistake. Two children, Yazid Daraghmeh and Sari Subuh, were among the five dead. The same helicopter then pounded the home of Yousuf Darghmeh, killing his 8-year-old daughter Bahira and her 10-year-old cousin Ibrahim.
The explanation? You got it.
One year ago, on November 22, it was a mistake when five Palestinian children aged between 6 to 14 were blown to pieces by an Israeli mine as they trod their usual path to school in Khan Yunis.
It is all too easy to continue this murderous catalogue. Simply typing the words “mistake” and “IDF” into a search engine produces a mountain of similar instances. Try it. You find that “mistakes” are positively littering the Palestinian landscape. Israel may cling to the fallacy that the IDF is the most moral army in the world, but as the number of child deaths approaches 400, it is surely the most error-prone.
In the first Intifada, Israeli journalist Amira Hass calculated that a child was killed by the IDF every two weeks. In the current Intifada, that figure has climbed to three and a half every week. That’s seven every two weeks — an escalation of 700%. Careless, careless, careless.
Of course, it is absurd to try to continue categorizing this number of slain children as accidents. To use Amira Hass again, an IDF soldier rather gives the game away in her now famous Ha’aretz interview: “12 and up, you’re allowed to shoot ,” he said. “That’s what they tell us.”
And who are “they” exactly? Well, they’re probably the same people who celebrated the deaths of nine children in the 22 July bombing of a Gaza apartment block as a “ great success.” The same people who decreed that an Israeli settler should receive a suspended six-month jail term for pistol-whipping a 10-year-old Palestinian to death. The same people who consider a rock-throwing child a mortal danger to the fourth biggest military power in the world.
“In general, it is better to admit a mistake and apologize for it, if necessary, than to deny something that will later damage one’s credibility,” said Nahman Shai on the death of Mohammad Al-Dura. In other words, the loss of innocent young life is significantly less corrupting to the state of Israel than poor PR.
And in a week when Amnesty International declared that, despite repeated lip-service to the contrary, “no judicial investigation is known to have been carried out into any of the killings of children by Israeli soldiers,” it should hardly raise an eyebrow that the IDF continue to operate with impunity.
There will be more mistakes between now and the creation of a Palestinian state. The biggest would be to fail to hold Israeli accountable for them.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:11 pm Post subject: The Aim: Victory
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The Aim: Victory
Monday, November 25 2002 @ 07:37 PM GMT
By Uri Avnery
It seems that a new wind is blowing in the country.
This week I flew to Europe. On the way to the Airport, the taxi-driver told me: That’s it, there is no hope left. We shall never have peace with the Palestinians. There is no one to talk with. No compromise is possible. The war will go on and on. Therefore he will vote for Sharon.
Amram Mitzna
I remarked that if this is so, his grandchildren would certainly leave the country.
"What grandchildren," he replied with sorrow, mingled with pride, "My son is an architect in Los Angeles!"
I returned after five days. The taxi driver who took me home from the airport surprised me. "All my life I have voted Likud," he said, "But the Likud has failed. There is no difference between Sharon and Netanyahu. They have not brought security but look how the economy has gone to pieces. This time I shall vote for Mitzna."
What has happened during these five days? One thing: Amram Mitzna has won the primary election in the Labor Party.
This, by itself, is a stunning feat in every respect. An introvert "Yekke" (as German Jews are condescendingly called) without charisma has defeated an "authentic", back-slapping Iraqi. A dove has beaten a hawk. A political newcomer, who has announced that he is ready to talk with Arafat, has routed the Defense Minister, who has tried to destroy the Palestinian Authority.
That is a shining victory of Mitzna’s. But it is much more. It is a symptom of mysterious happenings in the depths of the national consciousness.
During the last two years, while the cycle of atrocities got wider and wider, I was often asked how I managed to remain optimistic, while everybody around lost all hope. I answered that one day, in a week or in five years, the public will wake up in the morning and exclaim: "Enough! This can’t go on! A solution must be found!"
"What good will that do?" the doom-sayers would say, "There is no politician around who could lead the country towards peace."
"The demand will create the offer," I answered, "When there is a demand for such a leader, he will appear from somewhere."
I think that this forecast is beginning to be realized. The currents beneath the surface of public consciousness are changing. The IDF conquers, occupies, kills, "destroys the terror infrastructure", and the Palestinian attacks do not stop for a moment. The regular declarations of Sharon and Mofaz start to sound like self-parody. For the first time, "simple" people realize that there is a close relationship between the intifada, the economic crisis and the social emergency.
That does not cause the public to love the Palestinians or to get enamored with peace. Not at all. But it causes it to look for a leader with vision, who will try sincerely to break out of the bloody cycle and find a solution. The settlers are "out", compromise is "in". Amram Mitzna has appeared at the right place, at the right time, with the right message.
Now the slogan must be: Full Steam Ahead!
Some cautious peace activists say that we should not ask for too much. One has to look at the public opinion polls. Mitzna cannot beat Sharon. But he can overhaul the Labor Party in opposition, and that is also important.
This is a mistake. The polls photograph the situation on the ground. They do not see what’s happening underneath. There, new currents are flowing. Therefore, the aim must be: victory.
True, a victory of Mitzna over the Sharonyahu looks like a miracle. But that’s how a victory of Mitzna over Ben-Eliezer looked a month ago. It will be difficult, very difficult. But it is possible. All efforts must be made to achieve it.
According to all the polls, the gap between the two big blocs, the right and the left, is quite small even now, before the public has grasped the full impact of what happened in the Labor Party. Something like 65 against 55. Which means that it is enough to capture five-six seats in the Knesset in order to achieve an enormous change.
There is no alternative to victory. For the future of Israel, the saving of human lives and the reconstruction of the state, the difference between Mitzna and Sharon is colossal.
If the hour has not yet struck, and the Likud wins after all, the struggle must not be stopped for a moment. If Sharon or Netanyahu win, they will head a narrow, divided and fragile coalition, unable to solve any problems. It will be torn between the need to please Bush and the need to appease the extreme right wing of Lieberman-Eytam. Since things under their leadership will go on deteriorating, it can be brought down within a year and then the big reversal must be effected.
Therefore, any thought about an effort to set up a "national unity" government after the election is dangerous. No doubt Sharon will offer Labor seductive terms for joining. In the language of the Mafia: "An offer they can’t refuse." But Sharon is Sharon and will never change. In order to remain true to himself, Mitzna will have to refuse. Even if his job-hungry and unprincipled colleagues urge him to accept.
The aim must be: a total reversal, all along the front and in every area. Nothing less will suffice.
True, Amram Mitzna may disappoint us. Let’s not forget the enthusiasm with which we welcomed Ehud Barak, who led to disaster. He may break on the way. That can also happen, and we must be ready for it. But it is reasonable to expect the opposite. A person can grow in the job and fulfill the mission history has placed on him.
At this moment, ecce homo.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
To the Living Dead
Thursday, October 03 2002 @ 02:24 AM GMT
RAMALLAH (PC) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat was freed from his Ramallah headquarters, with Israeli snipers stationed in nearby buildings. Palestinians rushed to greet Arafat as he emerged from the last standing building of his compound. Mahfouz Abu Turk, Palestine Chronicle Photographer was also present, along with his camera.
To the Living Dead
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 07:59 PM GMT
"Let us pretend that today, for one day, humanity breaks its silence in its shame and anguish. For one day, humanity can speak, and can be heard .."
By Fadi Kiblawi
WASHINGTON (PC) - Let us pretend that today, for one day, humanity breaks its silence in its shame and anguish. For one day, humanity can speak, and can be heard.
Imagine that the prison doors fly open, liberated from their unwelcome locks, and the children of Nablus fill the streets again, realizing their lost adolescence. The checkpoints begin rotting in their unforgotten misery and the elders make the long-awaited journey to Jerusalem. The homeless of Jenin abandon the war zone which, inscribed deep below its ruins, was once labeled their camp of refuge, but stood in reality as the holding station in their anxious, almost meaningless, journey to the sanctuary of another life.
Imagine that a generation of youth can be rescued from the crimes of the state, free to live in peace and coexistence, rather than violence and subjugation. Saved, they return to their families, spared from the guilty conscience of killing another child, destroying another home, and fueling the fire burning with decades of the violence inherent in the historically-redundant routine of colonialism and imperialism. Their families, complete and no longer trapped under the strong current of guilt, as they reaped and stole the land from the indigenous, sentenced to exile. Their apologists, no longer spewing the lies that disguise the racism of yesterday’s ethnocracy, under the thick mantle internationally perverted as democracy.
Imagine, that two conflicting peoples can live as neighbors, and plant the seeds for tomorrow’s generations. Funerals will fill the streets, but the dead will be Sabra, Shatilla, Ain-El-Hilwa, and Yarmouk. Celebrations will fill the streets, and the reborn will be Deir Yassin, Qaqun, Lubya, and Salama.
Let us pretend that today, for one day, humanity breaks its silence in its shame and anguish. For one day, humanity can speak, and can be heard. Tomorrow, will it still be heard? Will the violence, racism, and stupidity of exclusion be silenced?
Or tomorrow, will there be no reason to live? Tomorrow, will the repression of colonialism return the children of Nablus, the worshippers of Jerusalem, and the homeless of Jenin to their cells? Will the wardens of the state pull the trigger, and feed that blazing gun of apartheid and occupation?
Or will yesterday’s anguish and today’s awakening fuel our indigenous voice and break the silence of humanity? Tomorrow, will we choose to live, or shall we continue rotting in humanity’s shame and anguish?
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 2:43 pm Post subject: Reinvaded Bethlehem
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Reinvaded Bethlehem
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 08:45 PM GMT
"They are hit and screamed at. Some are made to 'confess' to 'crimes.' Many allude to sexual assault. No one will tell me exactly what has happened .."
By Kristen Ess
BETHLEHEM (PC) - The occupying Israeli army forces Palestinians to sit in their homes, trapped for days on end. Here in Bethlehem it has only been five days. In Nablus it has been months. Schools, shops, everything, is closed.
A woman went to Ramallah for school one day. She is still there, but her school is closed. She cannot return home. She lives in Bethlehem's Aida Refugee Camp. Another woman is having a baby alone. Her husband went to Ramallah for work and has not been able to return. It is impossible to leave. It is impossible to get out.
Israeli soldiers pound on the doors of homes and families jump up. If they do not open the door quickly enough, the soldiers will break them down or start shooting. The Israeli soldiers tramp through the homes in boots and helmets, wearing army gear and carrying M-16s. They shove the guns into old men's stomachs and demand identification. The families scramble to prove that the Israeli government has legitimized their existence. The children cry and the entire family is ordered out of their homes. Israeli soldiers hold guns to their heads and make them stand against walls in their own streets. Some are made to lie on the ground.
Hours pass. It's raining. Israeli soldiers eat candy bars and chit-chat with one another. The families are not allowed to speak. It becomes dark. The Israeli soldiers blindfold some of the Palestinians and bind their hands. They throw them into the back of jeeps. The Palestinians are on their way to Israeli administrative detention. They are held without charge for three months, for questioning. This means interrogation and torture. The torture, I am told by friends who have survived it, involves being bound to small chairs while beaten or made to stand on tip-toes with their hands cuffed high up on walls for days on end. They are hit and screamed at. Some are made to "confess" to "crimes." Many allude to sexual assault. No one will tell me exactly what has happened to them. They look down and say they want to forget. Some smile, their eyes turn bright and wet, and say, "this is the life."
The Israeli military has reinvaded Bethlehem and has put all West Bank Area A under curfew. Area A, under Oslo, is what Palestine was "given" sovereignty over. During the night the soldiers drive through the camp shouting from a loud-speaker, "All families in Aida Camp, you are under curfew. You are not allowed to leave your homes." Who is this arrogant occupying army and why are they allowed to exist. The Israeli soldiers call out, "Al-Akbar," which is part of the call to prayer for the Muslims in the camp, at all hours. They laugh and shout and gun the engines of the tanks. During the day families sit inside their homes. They cannot cross the street to see friends, or if the Israeli soldiers have entered the camp while they have dared outside, they are stuck for days in a friend's house. A man this morning opened his front door to check on the new house he is building across the alley. He was grabbed by Israeli soldiers who demanded his I.D. They told him if he is "caught" outside again he will go to the prison. This is a Palestinian refugee camp whose resident's original homes were already taken by the government and residents of Israel. They are not allowed into the narrow alley-ways that pass for streets here.
A woman whose husband has been exiled to Gaza is pulled from her home with her three small children. They are made to stand outside all day and are made to feel grateful when they are allowed to go back inside their house, which has become a jail cell.
The Israeli "Defense" Minister is calling this "Operation Step By Step." He tells the press, "we are just getting started." He says the Israeli military will stay inside of Bethlehem until the Israeli elections in January. The Israeli military came into Bethlehem the night before the suicide bombing in Jerusalem, Al-Quds. Now they use it as their excuse for being here.
A Palestinian journalist was arrested yesterday, and the Israeli soldiers stole his video tapes. This is part of the continued assault on the truth. International media has reported that the Israeli's are using "restraint." This is an illegal occupying army and government. The Israeli military is shooting children with rubber bullets and tear-gas, beating and sometimes killing them.
The Palestinians are using restraint. In resisting the continual Israeli occupation and this reinvasion, some people in this area throw stones. In this act of collective resistance, the spirit of the first Intifada is alive. Small children run after black smoke spitting tanks throwing stones which are really just bits of concrete they have taken from the rubble of their demolished homes. They build small road blocks with whatever they can find, garbage and an old tires. Many of these children will be put in prison, as has most everyone I know at one point or another. Throwing stones is the crime many were charged with that brought them five years in Israeli prisons during the first Intifada.
The Palestinian Authority police that came out of Oslo have largely been arrested now in Bethlehem. The Israeli government in its continual assault on Palestinian infrastructure does not believe in the right of the oppressed to have its own police force.
Abed Al-Ahmar, Amnesty International's "prisoner of conscience" from May 2001 through May 2002, was taken in the middle of the night. His family was held at gunpoint for two hours. His wife is the legal advisor to the U.N. Our friends who were there at the time tell me that the Israeli soldiers said he is not "wanted." They just took him anyway.
Tanks are rumbling outside and a young man is peering out the window. Israeli soldiers have kidnapped over 50 Palestinians, adding them to the over 5,000 Palestinian political prisoners being illegally held in Israeli prisons. Israeli bulldozers have demolished many homes of family members of the "wanted." Fear and resignation are palpable in this town. Old men are made to fear arrogant and heavily armed young boys who have the United States, Israel, and all who fear the US, behind them.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 2:45 pm Post subject: UN Delegation Mistreat Local Palestinians in Jenin
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021126210646575
UN Delegation Mistreat Local Palestinians in Jenin: Special Report
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 09:06 PM GMT
"Several foreign guards reportedly sealed the UN compound and refused entry to Palestinian officials, and all Palestinian UN workers .."
By Ali Samoudi
JENIN, West Bank (pc) - Palestine Chronicle reporters in the town of Jenin said that UN investigators who arrived to the town yesterday to look into the circumstances surrounding the murder of a UN official engulfed their investigation in secrecy.
The investigators were dispatched to the town to look into the Israeli army’s shooting death of Iain Hook, a UN project manager whose responsibility was to oversee the rebuilding of the destroyed refugee camp. The camp was destroyed by Israeli forces in the historic invasion of April 2002.
Several foreign guards reportedly sealed the UN compound and refused entry to Palestinian officials, and all Palestinian UN workers. Foreign UN workers however, were allowed entry.
Immediately after the murder of Hook, the UN administration in Jenin closed down the building and forbade anyone from entering or approaching the scene. A large Palestinian crowd consisting of local leaders, representatives of Palestinian factions, the Palestinian Authority and students awaited the UN delegation with flowers and cardboard signs expressing their sorrow and condolences. The delegation included the two brothers of Iain Hook. However, the UN foreign workers have reportedly disregarded the Palestinian presence, asking them to leave the scene. Palestinian reporters, including reporters from the Palestine Chronicle were prevented from talking to the brothers of Hook, or to take photographs.
Hook’s brothers stood and listened to a foreign UN official, who presumably explained the details of the shooting, although he was not an eyewitness. When Palestinian eyewitnesses arrived to the scene, UN guards denied them entry, and prevented them from meeting with Hook’s family. Jamal Shati, a Palestinian Parliamentarian and the Head of Refugee Affairs at the Legislative Council, told the Palestine Chronicle that the behavior of the UN was “suspicious.” He expressed his worry that the UN might be trying to hide the read details of the incident. He said, “It would have been rational for the investigators and Hook’s family to listen to the accounts of those who were present at the time of the shooting, those who tried their best to save Hook’s life.”
A Palestinian UN official who asked to remain anonymous stood in front of the UN’s sealed entrance. “Just being here reminds me of one of the worst moments in my life, but I was hurt even more to be treated this way, and not to be allowed to meet with Iain’s brothers. I was hoping that I could send a message with Iain’s brothers, a message to the whole world of how the Israeli occupation has no regard for human life, to international law. Iain was not armed, he was not wanted, he was not a danger to the occupation, but they killed him anyway. However, the way the UN acted today makes me think that there is an attempt to prevent the truth from coming out.”
The delegation also visited the house of Abu Abed Farhat, a Palestinian witness who saw Israeli snipers opening fire at Hook. Farhat’s house was occupied by Israeli snipers for over eight hours. The media, foreign as well as local, was also prevented from reporting on the eyewitness accounts. The same behavior of the UN delegation continued in the Khalil Suliman Hospital in Jenin, where Iain Hook was pronounced dead, according to hospital personnel. The delegation refused to abide by legal procedures mandated by the hospital or to address the hospital's administration directly. However, the hospital administration refused to allow the delivery of Iain’s body without the implementation of the hospital procedures. Several hospital personnel expressed their outrage at the way they were treated by the UN delegation.
Nevertheless, Palestinian residents managed to reach the brothers of Iain Hook, to embrace and console them, despite the guards insistence to keep them away.
UN guards were then ordered to evacuate the area of Palestinians while transporting the body of Hook into a UN vehicle. Several journalists were verbally assaulted, and reprimanded to attempting to take photographs. “We were chased from one corner to the other, as if we were committing a crime,” a local Palestinian reporter told the Palestine Chronicle. “What we were doing is not something illegal, or something that we should be ashamed of. I assure you, if Hook was killed by Palestinians, no secrecy would have taken place. World media would have been allowed to take as many pictures as they pleased. I condemn the UN for attempting to pacify the murder of Hook. This is shameful.
Jamal Shati delivered a message of consolation to Hook’s family on behalf of Palestinian refugees. Afterwards, he spoke to the Palestine Chronicle; “Hook’s murder was not the first time that a foreigner or a UN official was killed at the hands of the Israelis. Israel is willing to murder anyone who might expose its crimes in the Occupied Territories. They often begin by trying to blame Palestinians for their murder, but the straightforward evidence quickly unveils the details of their crime.”
The residents of Jenin, who bitterly remember Kofi Annan’s decision to abandon a UN investigation of the Israeli invasion of Jenin in April 2002, are left convinced that the UN has fallen under similar pressure to disregard similar Israeli crimes in the Occupied Territories. “Annan is a co-conspirator in hiding Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people and those who sympathize with their cause.” Shati explained before leaving the scene.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 2:47 pm Post subject: Israeli Army Invades Gaza, West Bank, Carries out Mass Arres
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Israeli Army Invades Gaza, West Bank, Carries out Mass Arrests, Blows up More Homes
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 09:00 PM GMT
"While the US administration is pressing the Israelis to use 'restraint', invasions, arrests and the killing continues .."
GAZA CITY (PC) - After a remark from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last week, who said, “The IDF has a free hand in the Occupied Territories,” Israeli tanks and helicopter gunships invaded Gaza again Tuesday, arresting 25 “suspects”. During the raid and arrests, Israeli tanks and helicopters battled with Palestinian fighters.
Israeli forces also invaded the town of Bethlehem in the West Bank Tuesday, conducting house to house searches, looting homes and carrying out mass arrests of more “suspects”.
While the US administration is pressing the Israelis to use “restraint”, invasions, arrests and the killing of Palestinian civilians, even children continues. The campaign launched by Ariel Sharon that is dubbed, “Operation Step by Step” is just beginning the hard-line leader says, who is trying to prove to Israelis that he can extinguish the two-year old Palestinian Uprising.
In other parts of the West Bank, 8 year old Jihad Tahsin al-Faqeh was shot and killed by Israeli forces in Nablus Monday, while on his way home from school. Jihad, along with other school children began throwing stones at Israeli tanks in the area. Israeli forces responded with gunfire, shooting Jihad in the head. The young boy died instantly.
On Friday, an 11 year old boy was killed by Israeli forces, who was also shot in the head. Mohammed Misleh Bilalo, a resident of the Jenin refugee camp was shot in the head when Israeli forces invaded the camp in their quest for “militants“. A bullet penetrated his left eye and left no time for doctors to try and save him. Six other children were wounded on that same day.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Israeli troops invaded the refugee camp of Dier al-Balah in Gaza Monday night, where they detonated a four-story home of a man suspected of being a member of the Islamic Movement, Hamas. Four Palestinian civilians, including a medic were injured in the attack.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 2:50 pm Post subject: Palestinian Organizations Launch the Apartheid Wall Campaign
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Palestinian Organizations Launch the Apartheid Wall Campaign
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 08:55 PM GMT
"According to organizers of the campaign the wall will envelop Palestinians in a 'open air prison', while leaving .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (PC) - Several Palestinian NGOs and grassroots organizations are joining together to protest the construction of Israel's security wall which will surround the West Bank., and is expected to be complete by the end of 2003.
According to organizers of the campaign, while Israel claims that the wall will mark the 1967 border, or the Green Line, the wall will envelop Palestinians in a “open air prison”, while leaving many of their most fertile lands on the Israeli side. The groups claimed, “this latest unilateral offensive will be a further exercise in Israel's annexation of lands, destruction of agriculture and property and violation of human rights.”
The Apartheid Wall Campaign is in the process of constructing an exhaustive report complete with maps, data, background, photos and links. According to their findings, the first phase of the Wall, in the northern West Bank is to be some 115 km long and 8 meters high and is to include electric fences, trenches, cameras, sensors and security poles. The wall in its entirety is to cover at lest 350 km, roughly encircling the West Bank.
In this first phase, at least 15 villages will be trapped between the wall and the Green Line. Another minimum of 15 villages will have most of their lands confiscated, whereas the residential areas will be on the east of the wall, and the agricultural land to the west. To date, over 100,000 dunums have been confiscated for the entire wall. If the wall is completed, close to 10% of the West Bank will have been confiscated for its construction. Israeli government officials have stated repeatedly that the wall will be completed in less than one year from now, and therefore are “working” daily in meeting their deadlines and goals.
The group stated that the Israeli governments explanation of the massive wall as a “fence” being placed to separate the “two sides” is deceiving and represents vast intensification of the already existing pressure and burdens imposed on the Palestinian people by the Israeli army.
In a statement, the group claimed, “The separation rhetoric, which should remind everyone of the Afrikaans word for separation--“Apartheid”--is not a reflection of real geographic or a historic physical divide between two peoples, but rather is reference to Israel’s continued campaign of forcible, unilateral separation and expulsion plans that disregard national or economic sovereignty for Palestinians.
“The Wall just furthers the “bantustanization” of the West Bank into hundreds of small, dependent entities that cannot sustain themselves and that are more akin to small, disconnected open-air prisons surrounded by Israeli military checkpoints and settlements, than anything else.”
Currently a group of Palestinian activist groups, the Apartheid Wall Campaign is seeking other international organizations that will join in their efforts to prevent the building of the Israeli “security fence”.
For more information contact visit outreach@pengon.org
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 2:54 pm Post subject: An Evening Lecture on Israel/Palestine
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An Evening Lecture on Israel/Palestine
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 07:56 PM GMT
"Finally, I got the attention of the moderator, arose and addressed the Zionists' comments as follows: .."
By Chris Meyer
I went to an evening lecture the other night. It was one of those lectures given at Universities to help inform US citizens about what is happening in Israel/Palestine. The room was packed.
The speaker, a person with much experience in the Middle East presented an engaging and lucid overview of the history of Israel/Palestine. She based her talk on the research of leading Jewish and Israeli scholarship, like "The Birth of Israel" by Simha Flapan, "The Fateful Triangle" by Noam Chomsky and "Jewish History, Jewish Religion" by Israel Shahak and Norton Mezvinsky and "Israel's Sacred Terrorism", Livia Rokach's fascinating study of Moshe Sharett's diaries from the 1950s. She also drew upon her many years of experience in the region and her ongoing contacts with Israeli and Palestinian friends currently living in Israel/Palestine.
Our speaker wrapped up her talk with two very interesting points: The history of suicide bombings within Israel proper began only after Sharon closed the Israeli border to Palestinians. The reason for this is twofold.
First, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) destroyed the orchards, vineyards and vegetable gardens that were the income for a large portion of the Palestinian population, forcing them to rely on income from day labor in Israel. Then, after the borders were closed to laborers, the last major support for the economy was taken away, and life became truly desperate for Palestinians. Thus, instead of providing security Sharon only increased the pain and suffering on both Palestinians and Israelis by closing the borders.
We also learned about Barak's so called 'generous offer' at the end of the Clinton administration. By chopping the Palestinian communities up into isolated cells with Israeli-only highways and numerous checkpoints, the Israeli Government has turned Palestinian land into a vast prison system. By signing onto Barak's offer, Arafat would have officially condemned the Palestinian people to an eternity of hopeless desperation.
When the talk was finished, time was allotted for questions and comments from the audience. Several members of the audience rose with comments.
The first explained that at any such meeting, there should always be plans for a second speaker to be present to provide the Israeli point of view so that the presentation is balanced. He added that most Jews do not agree with the views that had been presented and proceeded to give the standard Zionist interpretation of Israel's history.
Another rose and explained that Saudi Arabia is loaded with billions of discretionary dollars. Over the years, the Saudis should have been building factories for their less fortunate Palestinian brothers and made something out of Palestine. Instead, The Saudis held to their own greedy Arab ways. Several other speakers held forth in a similar vein.
Finally, I got the attention of the moderator, arose and addressed the Zionists' comments as follows: "If I want to get the Zionist views on Israel, all I have to do is read the New York Times, or turn the radio or TV on - doesn't matter what channel. I thought it was great tonight to get a refreshing alternative perspective - just for one night...
I also think it is interesting that as fresh material becomes available, like Moshe Sharett's Memoirs and Flapan's painstaking study of the Israel's beginnings based on contemporary sources, we find that supposedly respectable people like Ariel Sharon were and have always been - terrorists.
Sharon was a terrorist in the 50s, he was a terrorist in Lebanon, and - he's a terrorist today. As for the Saudis somehow saving Palestinian society: The Palestinians already had a society. They had cities; they had orchards and vineyards; they had an economy and homes and schools; they had Universities and Hospitals - they've had all these things. The problem is - somebody is systematically taking it all away from them!"
The best response to the Zionist's comments came after the question and answer session. Our host for the evening played the documentary, "Beyond the Mirage: The Face of Occupation", which is distributed by Americans for a Just Peace in the Middle East. In this film, leading Israeli intellectuals like Jeff Halper, supported by activists from B'Tselem and Israeli civil rights attorneys, thoroughly and convincingly deconstruct the myths of modern, Zionist Israel.
It was heartening to see that along with all the courageous Palestinian patriots in Palestine and across the globe, there are also moral and courageous Jewish Israelis, who are prepared to take a stand and DO something.
This is what truly holds out the best promise and hope for genuine peace in the Middle East.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 3:10 pm Post subject: UN Protests Armed Israeli Raid on International Staff Member
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002112619400627
UN Protests Armed Israeli Raid on International Staff Member's Home
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 07:40 PM GMT
"In the early hours of 22 November, an IDF combat unit of 20 to 30 heavily armed troops surrounded the Bethlehem home of Allegra Pacheco .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has protested to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) the treatment of one of the Agency's international staff members and her family, who were subject to degrading searches and unjustified detention.
In the early hours of 22 November, an IDF combat unit of 20 to 30 heavily armed troops surrounded the Bethlehem home of Allegra Pacheco, UNRWA’s Field Legal Officer. She was held at gunpoint in the open air for two hours while her house was searched, her mobile phone was taken from her and her car was used as a prop for IDF weapons. Ms. Pacheco repeatedly pointed out her UN status to the troops, who ignored her.
In addition Ms Pacheco’s husband, Abed Al-Ahmar, who is recognized by the UN as a dependent of a staff member, was forced to partially strip before being taken into IDF custody. UNRWA has since learned that an 11-day detention order has been issued for him.
“An armed raid on a staff member's home and degrading treatment of her and her spouse is disruptive of her ability to carry out her official functions,” UNRWA said in a statement. “This is completely contrary to the undertakings made by the Government of Israel to facilitate the work of the Agency.”
UNRWA, which understands that Mr. Al-Ahmar is being held without just cause, has requested his release.
Currently 23 of UNRWA's Palestinian staff in the West Bank are being detained by the Israeli authorities. All but three are being held without charge. UNRWA has requested explanations for each arrest but has received no reply and is refused access to its staff after their arrests.
-United Nations News Center. Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 3:15 pm Post subject: Stripping Palestinians has Become Common Practice
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002112621222725
Stripping Palestinians has Become Common Practice: Eyewitness Accounts
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 09:22 PM GMT
"They forced Yasser to take off all his clothes including his underwear…they ordered him to walk like a dog and then he burst into tears .."
By Suzanne Russ
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (PC) - On Monday, November 25, Israeli soldiers ordered a young resident of the town of Nablus to strip completely naked in the street, according to Palestinian witnesses.
Yasser Sharar, 25, was caught violating the curfew in Nablus and was stopped by Israeli soldiers at gunpoint, who immediately ordered him to remove his clothes.
In an interview with Reuters, a witness explained, “They forced Yasser to take off all his clothes including his underwear…they ordered him to walk like a dog and then he burst into tears,”
The eyewitness who watched the scene from a few meters away continued, “He kept crying and was in a very stressful situation…many residents, including women watched him and he was very embarrassed.”
Israeli soldiers refuted the claim, saying that they merely asked him to lift his shirt, but he voluntarily removed all his clothing to get media attention. The Reuters report also claimed that this is the first time Israeli soldiers have ordered Palestinians to completely strip naked publicly in a security operation.
However, recent interviews conducted by the Palestine Chronicle with scores of residents of the Jenin refugee camp contradicted the Reuters claim. Dozens of residents of the refugee camp claimed that during the Israeli invasion of April, 2002, it was a common practice to force residents to strip naked as a form of humiliation, or as the Israelis say, a “security operation.”
The Reuters image showing
Yasser after soldiers ordered
him to take all of his cloths off
Na’el Ammar, 43, is a resident of the Jenin refugee camp and explains how Israeli soldiers arrested and detained scores of men from the refugee camp, and forced many to strip naked, “ We were mostly older people, sick and wounded. We had nine handicapped people with us, three were from the same family, sons of Abu Ibrahim. Some of us were too old, they were senile. When they told them “go left” they would go right, but they stripped them naked anyway. I tried to help them as much as I could. I was the only one who spoke Hebrew…Close to us was a group of young men. They were handcuffed, naked and lying on their stomachs. The Israeli tanks would pass by them so fast, only forty centimeters away from their heads.”
Nawal Hawashin, a mother of eight, told Palestine Chronicle reporters that they threatened her 18 year old son with death if he did not follow their orders to strip naked, “They ordered my son and other young men to take off all their clothes and throw them on the ground. The soldiers warned that if the boys made any move, they would be shot. Near the Sahah, there was a body of a man with a white beard. He was lying dead on the ground, and tanks were rolling right over him. I couldn’t recognize him. My son Mohammed said, “Mother, I am too ashamed to take my clothes off in front of women.” I told him, ‘Son, this is our fate.”
Jamal Hussein has a family of thirteen. A man who worked as a cheap laborer in Israel before the invasion of Jenin described in detail how terrified Jenin residents were gathered in the center of the camp and forced to undress, “Soldiers stationed on the top of a nearby house started throwing dirt on us.. We remained 15 men and boys. Half an hour later a tank came and stood near us. They pointed the canon at us. And they spent over an hour terrifying us that way. The commander of that unit spoke in Arabic to us, “Go to Saha”. While we were on our way, we kept reading Koran. We felt that they were going to execute us. Once we arrived there, we found a large number of men, forced to strip completely naked. There was a big pile of clothes. Soldiers started shooting right above our heads, they would call on us, one by one. Once they pointed at you, you would have to pull your pants down and your shirt up, when it was my turn, as I stood up, I noticed the body of a man, Jamal Sabbagh. It was some sort of a test. If you pass, you are arrested and if you don’t, they’ll shoot and kill you.”
According to Jenin residents, Israeli forces were not discriminatory in their aggression, young men, old and disabled were targeted. 45-year old Um Siri lamented how her son was not only forced to strip naked, but how he was later used as a human shield, “Then they took my son, they had him strip naked, and they also started firing between his legs to terrorize him.”
Israeli soldiers arrested and detained Um Siri’s son for days, during this time, she did not know if he was dead or alive. Finally she found him in a rescue shelter where he recounted how he was treated, “When I also found my son, he told me that the soldiers took him to a field near the camp with many other young men, he told me that the soldiers had them walk in front of the tanks, as they were looking for fighters.”
The vulnerable and elderly, according to residents, were treated just as mercilessly. Um Siri recounted how the women of Jenin tried to come to the aid of some men, forced to stand naked publicly, in the pouring rain, “We passed by the sons of Sheikh Abdel Salam. They were standing there in the rain, after the Israelis had them strip completely naked. There was a woman who came with us. She took her headscarf and tore it to several pieces and gave it to the young men to cover themselves. A very thin old man approached while screaming, ‘My sons, my money, for God’s sake, they took everything!’ The Israelis had him strip naked like the day he was born. Once the women saw that, they started pulling their hair, hitting their heads, and wailing. He has all of his life’s savings with him, because he was worried that he might lose it in the invasion, but when the Israelis stripped him naked, they found the money and took it.”
Other residents described how young men were stripped naked and then shot. Yusuf Shalabi, a young man from the camp explained how the Israeli soldiers denied medical treatment to the wounded, “…I remember this nightmare very well. It is very difficult to talk about it. I remember them stripping the people naked, they would handcuff them and blindfold them. I remember seeing two wounded men, one was wounded in the shoulder and the other in the leg. They were screaming in pain and the soldiers would not allow them to be treated.
The Israeli army, who according to Amnesty International committed war crimes in Jenin in April of 2002, targeted medical workers as well. They also forced the women to remove their head scarves. Seham Shalabi, a young woman who works in a textile factory in Jenin recounted her memories of those days last April, “An army jeep came and started circling the house, then it opened fire at us. Why would they open fire at us? Then they came and they searched us, and had us walk two by two, out of the camp. Just as we began moving, we saw another group of tanks and bulldozers. We found some doctors and medical workers, forced strip naked, handcuffed. Then they put them in trucks and took them to the Salem detention center. The Israelis started shouting and ordering us to take off our head scarves.
Humiliation of medial workers was not only reported by the residents of Jenin, but these events were also narrated by the medical workers themselves. Mohammed Rafi’ the director of the Red Crescent Society’s youth development programs in Jenin recounted how the Israelis held medical workers hostage in the Jenin hospital for days, and then forced them to strip naked as well. “They did not allow anyone in or out. If one of us wanted to leave to the hospital across the street, it would take two hours of telephone calls and deliberation. Ambulance drivers would be forced to wait for two hours with people bleeding inside before they were allowed entry to the hospital, they would take our volunteers or drivers, have them stripped naked, and interrogated and insulted.
Of the scores upon scores of interviews conducted by Palestine Chronicle reporters in the Jenin refugee camp, that act of forcing civilians to strip naked was reported time and again. The Israeli army has defended the action, saying that such tactics are necessary to assure that Palestinians are not carrying explosives.
Many of the quotes within this article will be included the book titled Searching Jenin, edited by Ramzy Baroud, Editor-in-Chief of the Palestine Chronicle. Searching Jenin will be available in bookstores in December 2002.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2002 2:12 am Post subject: Israelis Commit Another Extra-Judicial Assassination
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021127203527703
Israelis Commit Another Extra-Judicial Assassination
Wednesday, November 27 2002 @ 08:35 PM GMT
"The two men were identified as Alah Sabbagh, local leader of Al-Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fateh, and Imad Nasrti, leader of the Islamic Movement .."
JENIN (PC) - On Tuesday, Israeli aircraft fired missiles into the war-torn Jenin refugee camp. Missiles struck a house in a residential area, killing two men. Although the men were wanted by the Israeli government, neither was arrested or tried, in this most recent extra-judicial assassination, which has become a common tactic for the Israeli army. The army has not commented on the incident.
(Image: Musa al-Shaer (PC))
The two men were identified as Alah Sabbagh, local leader of Al-Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fateh, and Imad Nasrti, leader of the Islamic Movement, Hamas.
According to witnesses, as the refugee camp was bombarded with shelling, Israeli tanks and armored vehicles, Palestinian resistance fighters responded, creating clashes between the two groups. The Israeli army then imposed a strict curfew on the camp, forbidding residents from stepping foot outside their homes.
Such extra-judicial assassinations have been strongly denounced by human rights who state that such actions are in violation of international law.
At least 176 Palestinians have so far been killed in extra-judicial executions committed by Israel, including 64 Palestinian bystanders.
The Palestinian human rights group, LAW emphasized that, “...extra-judicial executions constitute willful killings, which are a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and as such constitute war crimes subject to universal jurisdiction.”
Also in the Jenin refugee camp, an 11 year old Palestinian child, Mohammed Misleh Bilalo was shot in the head and was killed by Israeli soldiers Friday. A bullet penetrated his left eye and left no time for doctors to try and save him. Six other children were wounded on that same day.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
RAMALLAH (PC) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat was freed from his Ramallah headquarters, with Israeli snipers stationed in nearby buildings. Palestinians rushed to greet Arafat as he emerged from the last standing building of his compound. Mahfouz Abu Turk, Palestine Chronicle Photographer was also present, along with his camera.
To the Living Dead
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 07:59 PM GMT
"Let us pretend that today, for one day, humanity breaks its silence in its shame and anguish. For one day, humanity can speak, and can be heard .."
By Fadi Kiblawi
WASHINGTON (PC) - Let us pretend that today, for one day, humanity breaks its silence in its shame and anguish. For one day, humanity can speak, and can be heard.
Imagine that the prison doors fly open, liberated from their unwelcome locks, and the children of Nablus fill the streets again, realizing their lost adolescence. The checkpoints begin rotting in their unforgotten misery and the elders make the long-awaited journey to Jerusalem. The homeless of Jenin abandon the war zone which, inscribed deep below its ruins, was once labeled their camp of refuge, but stood in reality as the holding station in their anxious, almost meaningless, journey to the sanctuary of another life.
Imagine that a generation of youth can be rescued from the crimes of the state, free to live in peace and coexistence, rather than violence and subjugation. Saved, they return to their families, spared from the guilty conscience of killing another child, destroying another home, and fueling the fire burning with decades of the violence inherent in the historically-redundant routine of colonialism and imperialism. Their families, complete and no longer trapped under the strong current of guilt, as they reaped and stole the land from the indigenous, sentenced to exile. Their apologists, no longer spewing the lies that disguise the racism of yesterday’s ethnocracy, under the thick mantle internationally perverted as democracy.
Imagine, that two conflicting peoples can live as neighbors, and plant the seeds for tomorrow’s generations. Funerals will fill the streets, but the dead will be Sabra, Shatilla, Ain-El-Hilwa, and Yarmouk. Celebrations will fill the streets, and the reborn will be Deir Yassin, Qaqun, Lubya, and Salama.
Let us pretend that today, for one day, humanity breaks its silence in its shame and anguish. For one day, humanity can speak, and can be heard. Tomorrow, will it still be heard? Will the violence, racism, and stupidity of exclusion be silenced?
Or tomorrow, will there be no reason to live? Tomorrow, will the repression of colonialism return the children of Nablus, the worshippers of Jerusalem, and the homeless of Jenin to their cells? Will the wardens of the state pull the trigger, and feed that blazing gun of apartheid and occupation?
Or will yesterday’s anguish and today’s awakening fuel our indigenous voice and break the silence of humanity? Tomorrow, will we choose to live, or shall we continue rotting in humanity’s shame and anguish?
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 2:43 pm Post subject: Reinvaded Bethlehem
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021126204515559
Reinvaded Bethlehem
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 08:45 PM GMT
"They are hit and screamed at. Some are made to 'confess' to 'crimes.' Many allude to sexual assault. No one will tell me exactly what has happened .."
By Kristen Ess
BETHLEHEM (PC) - The occupying Israeli army forces Palestinians to sit in their homes, trapped for days on end. Here in Bethlehem it has only been five days. In Nablus it has been months. Schools, shops, everything, is closed.
A woman went to Ramallah for school one day. She is still there, but her school is closed. She cannot return home. She lives in Bethlehem's Aida Refugee Camp. Another woman is having a baby alone. Her husband went to Ramallah for work and has not been able to return. It is impossible to leave. It is impossible to get out.
Israeli soldiers pound on the doors of homes and families jump up. If they do not open the door quickly enough, the soldiers will break them down or start shooting. The Israeli soldiers tramp through the homes in boots and helmets, wearing army gear and carrying M-16s. They shove the guns into old men's stomachs and demand identification. The families scramble to prove that the Israeli government has legitimized their existence. The children cry and the entire family is ordered out of their homes. Israeli soldiers hold guns to their heads and make them stand against walls in their own streets. Some are made to lie on the ground.
Hours pass. It's raining. Israeli soldiers eat candy bars and chit-chat with one another. The families are not allowed to speak. It becomes dark. The Israeli soldiers blindfold some of the Palestinians and bind their hands. They throw them into the back of jeeps. The Palestinians are on their way to Israeli administrative detention. They are held without charge for three months, for questioning. This means interrogation and torture. The torture, I am told by friends who have survived it, involves being bound to small chairs while beaten or made to stand on tip-toes with their hands cuffed high up on walls for days on end. They are hit and screamed at. Some are made to "confess" to "crimes." Many allude to sexual assault. No one will tell me exactly what has happened to them. They look down and say they want to forget. Some smile, their eyes turn bright and wet, and say, "this is the life."
The Israeli military has reinvaded Bethlehem and has put all West Bank Area A under curfew. Area A, under Oslo, is what Palestine was "given" sovereignty over. During the night the soldiers drive through the camp shouting from a loud-speaker, "All families in Aida Camp, you are under curfew. You are not allowed to leave your homes." Who is this arrogant occupying army and why are they allowed to exist. The Israeli soldiers call out, "Al-Akbar," which is part of the call to prayer for the Muslims in the camp, at all hours. They laugh and shout and gun the engines of the tanks. During the day families sit inside their homes. They cannot cross the street to see friends, or if the Israeli soldiers have entered the camp while they have dared outside, they are stuck for days in a friend's house. A man this morning opened his front door to check on the new house he is building across the alley. He was grabbed by Israeli soldiers who demanded his I.D. They told him if he is "caught" outside again he will go to the prison. This is a Palestinian refugee camp whose resident's original homes were already taken by the government and residents of Israel. They are not allowed into the narrow alley-ways that pass for streets here.
A woman whose husband has been exiled to Gaza is pulled from her home with her three small children. They are made to stand outside all day and are made to feel grateful when they are allowed to go back inside their house, which has become a jail cell.
The Israeli "Defense" Minister is calling this "Operation Step By Step." He tells the press, "we are just getting started." He says the Israeli military will stay inside of Bethlehem until the Israeli elections in January. The Israeli military came into Bethlehem the night before the suicide bombing in Jerusalem, Al-Quds. Now they use it as their excuse for being here.
A Palestinian journalist was arrested yesterday, and the Israeli soldiers stole his video tapes. This is part of the continued assault on the truth. International media has reported that the Israeli's are using "restraint." This is an illegal occupying army and government. The Israeli military is shooting children with rubber bullets and tear-gas, beating and sometimes killing them.
The Palestinians are using restraint. In resisting the continual Israeli occupation and this reinvasion, some people in this area throw stones. In this act of collective resistance, the spirit of the first Intifada is alive. Small children run after black smoke spitting tanks throwing stones which are really just bits of concrete they have taken from the rubble of their demolished homes. They build small road blocks with whatever they can find, garbage and an old tires. Many of these children will be put in prison, as has most everyone I know at one point or another. Throwing stones is the crime many were charged with that brought them five years in Israeli prisons during the first Intifada.
The Palestinian Authority police that came out of Oslo have largely been arrested now in Bethlehem. The Israeli government in its continual assault on Palestinian infrastructure does not believe in the right of the oppressed to have its own police force.
Abed Al-Ahmar, Amnesty International's "prisoner of conscience" from May 2001 through May 2002, was taken in the middle of the night. His family was held at gunpoint for two hours. His wife is the legal advisor to the U.N. Our friends who were there at the time tell me that the Israeli soldiers said he is not "wanted." They just took him anyway.
Tanks are rumbling outside and a young man is peering out the window. Israeli soldiers have kidnapped over 50 Palestinians, adding them to the over 5,000 Palestinian political prisoners being illegally held in Israeli prisons. Israeli bulldozers have demolished many homes of family members of the "wanted." Fear and resignation are palpable in this town. Old men are made to fear arrogant and heavily armed young boys who have the United States, Israel, and all who fear the US, behind them.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 2:45 pm Post subject: UN Delegation Mistreat Local Palestinians in Jenin
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021126210646575
UN Delegation Mistreat Local Palestinians in Jenin: Special Report
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 09:06 PM GMT
"Several foreign guards reportedly sealed the UN compound and refused entry to Palestinian officials, and all Palestinian UN workers .."
By Ali Samoudi
JENIN, West Bank (pc) - Palestine Chronicle reporters in the town of Jenin said that UN investigators who arrived to the town yesterday to look into the circumstances surrounding the murder of a UN official engulfed their investigation in secrecy.
The investigators were dispatched to the town to look into the Israeli army’s shooting death of Iain Hook, a UN project manager whose responsibility was to oversee the rebuilding of the destroyed refugee camp. The camp was destroyed by Israeli forces in the historic invasion of April 2002.
Several foreign guards reportedly sealed the UN compound and refused entry to Palestinian officials, and all Palestinian UN workers. Foreign UN workers however, were allowed entry.
Immediately after the murder of Hook, the UN administration in Jenin closed down the building and forbade anyone from entering or approaching the scene. A large Palestinian crowd consisting of local leaders, representatives of Palestinian factions, the Palestinian Authority and students awaited the UN delegation with flowers and cardboard signs expressing their sorrow and condolences. The delegation included the two brothers of Iain Hook. However, the UN foreign workers have reportedly disregarded the Palestinian presence, asking them to leave the scene. Palestinian reporters, including reporters from the Palestine Chronicle were prevented from talking to the brothers of Hook, or to take photographs.
Hook’s brothers stood and listened to a foreign UN official, who presumably explained the details of the shooting, although he was not an eyewitness. When Palestinian eyewitnesses arrived to the scene, UN guards denied them entry, and prevented them from meeting with Hook’s family. Jamal Shati, a Palestinian Parliamentarian and the Head of Refugee Affairs at the Legislative Council, told the Palestine Chronicle that the behavior of the UN was “suspicious.” He expressed his worry that the UN might be trying to hide the read details of the incident. He said, “It would have been rational for the investigators and Hook’s family to listen to the accounts of those who were present at the time of the shooting, those who tried their best to save Hook’s life.”
A Palestinian UN official who asked to remain anonymous stood in front of the UN’s sealed entrance. “Just being here reminds me of one of the worst moments in my life, but I was hurt even more to be treated this way, and not to be allowed to meet with Iain’s brothers. I was hoping that I could send a message with Iain’s brothers, a message to the whole world of how the Israeli occupation has no regard for human life, to international law. Iain was not armed, he was not wanted, he was not a danger to the occupation, but they killed him anyway. However, the way the UN acted today makes me think that there is an attempt to prevent the truth from coming out.”
The delegation also visited the house of Abu Abed Farhat, a Palestinian witness who saw Israeli snipers opening fire at Hook. Farhat’s house was occupied by Israeli snipers for over eight hours. The media, foreign as well as local, was also prevented from reporting on the eyewitness accounts. The same behavior of the UN delegation continued in the Khalil Suliman Hospital in Jenin, where Iain Hook was pronounced dead, according to hospital personnel. The delegation refused to abide by legal procedures mandated by the hospital or to address the hospital's administration directly. However, the hospital administration refused to allow the delivery of Iain’s body without the implementation of the hospital procedures. Several hospital personnel expressed their outrage at the way they were treated by the UN delegation.
Nevertheless, Palestinian residents managed to reach the brothers of Iain Hook, to embrace and console them, despite the guards insistence to keep them away.
UN guards were then ordered to evacuate the area of Palestinians while transporting the body of Hook into a UN vehicle. Several journalists were verbally assaulted, and reprimanded to attempting to take photographs. “We were chased from one corner to the other, as if we were committing a crime,” a local Palestinian reporter told the Palestine Chronicle. “What we were doing is not something illegal, or something that we should be ashamed of. I assure you, if Hook was killed by Palestinians, no secrecy would have taken place. World media would have been allowed to take as many pictures as they pleased. I condemn the UN for attempting to pacify the murder of Hook. This is shameful.
Jamal Shati delivered a message of consolation to Hook’s family on behalf of Palestinian refugees. Afterwards, he spoke to the Palestine Chronicle; “Hook’s murder was not the first time that a foreigner or a UN official was killed at the hands of the Israelis. Israel is willing to murder anyone who might expose its crimes in the Occupied Territories. They often begin by trying to blame Palestinians for their murder, but the straightforward evidence quickly unveils the details of their crime.”
The residents of Jenin, who bitterly remember Kofi Annan’s decision to abandon a UN investigation of the Israeli invasion of Jenin in April 2002, are left convinced that the UN has fallen under similar pressure to disregard similar Israeli crimes in the Occupied Territories. “Annan is a co-conspirator in hiding Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people and those who sympathize with their cause.” Shati explained before leaving the scene.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 2:47 pm Post subject: Israeli Army Invades Gaza, West Bank, Carries out Mass Arres
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021126210022960
Israeli Army Invades Gaza, West Bank, Carries out Mass Arrests, Blows up More Homes
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 09:00 PM GMT
"While the US administration is pressing the Israelis to use 'restraint', invasions, arrests and the killing continues .."
GAZA CITY (PC) - After a remark from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last week, who said, “The IDF has a free hand in the Occupied Territories,” Israeli tanks and helicopter gunships invaded Gaza again Tuesday, arresting 25 “suspects”. During the raid and arrests, Israeli tanks and helicopters battled with Palestinian fighters.
Israeli forces also invaded the town of Bethlehem in the West Bank Tuesday, conducting house to house searches, looting homes and carrying out mass arrests of more “suspects”.
While the US administration is pressing the Israelis to use “restraint”, invasions, arrests and the killing of Palestinian civilians, even children continues. The campaign launched by Ariel Sharon that is dubbed, “Operation Step by Step” is just beginning the hard-line leader says, who is trying to prove to Israelis that he can extinguish the two-year old Palestinian Uprising.
In other parts of the West Bank, 8 year old Jihad Tahsin al-Faqeh was shot and killed by Israeli forces in Nablus Monday, while on his way home from school. Jihad, along with other school children began throwing stones at Israeli tanks in the area. Israeli forces responded with gunfire, shooting Jihad in the head. The young boy died instantly.
On Friday, an 11 year old boy was killed by Israeli forces, who was also shot in the head. Mohammed Misleh Bilalo, a resident of the Jenin refugee camp was shot in the head when Israeli forces invaded the camp in their quest for “militants“. A bullet penetrated his left eye and left no time for doctors to try and save him. Six other children were wounded on that same day.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Israeli troops invaded the refugee camp of Dier al-Balah in Gaza Monday night, where they detonated a four-story home of a man suspected of being a member of the Islamic Movement, Hamas. Four Palestinian civilians, including a medic were injured in the attack.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 2:50 pm Post subject: Palestinian Organizations Launch the Apartheid Wall Campaign
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021126205515302
Palestinian Organizations Launch the Apartheid Wall Campaign
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 08:55 PM GMT
"According to organizers of the campaign the wall will envelop Palestinians in a 'open air prison', while leaving .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (PC) - Several Palestinian NGOs and grassroots organizations are joining together to protest the construction of Israel's security wall which will surround the West Bank., and is expected to be complete by the end of 2003.
According to organizers of the campaign, while Israel claims that the wall will mark the 1967 border, or the Green Line, the wall will envelop Palestinians in a “open air prison”, while leaving many of their most fertile lands on the Israeli side. The groups claimed, “this latest unilateral offensive will be a further exercise in Israel's annexation of lands, destruction of agriculture and property and violation of human rights.”
The Apartheid Wall Campaign is in the process of constructing an exhaustive report complete with maps, data, background, photos and links. According to their findings, the first phase of the Wall, in the northern West Bank is to be some 115 km long and 8 meters high and is to include electric fences, trenches, cameras, sensors and security poles. The wall in its entirety is to cover at lest 350 km, roughly encircling the West Bank.
In this first phase, at least 15 villages will be trapped between the wall and the Green Line. Another minimum of 15 villages will have most of their lands confiscated, whereas the residential areas will be on the east of the wall, and the agricultural land to the west. To date, over 100,000 dunums have been confiscated for the entire wall. If the wall is completed, close to 10% of the West Bank will have been confiscated for its construction. Israeli government officials have stated repeatedly that the wall will be completed in less than one year from now, and therefore are “working” daily in meeting their deadlines and goals.
The group stated that the Israeli governments explanation of the massive wall as a “fence” being placed to separate the “two sides” is deceiving and represents vast intensification of the already existing pressure and burdens imposed on the Palestinian people by the Israeli army.
In a statement, the group claimed, “The separation rhetoric, which should remind everyone of the Afrikaans word for separation--“Apartheid”--is not a reflection of real geographic or a historic physical divide between two peoples, but rather is reference to Israel’s continued campaign of forcible, unilateral separation and expulsion plans that disregard national or economic sovereignty for Palestinians.
“The Wall just furthers the “bantustanization” of the West Bank into hundreds of small, dependent entities that cannot sustain themselves and that are more akin to small, disconnected open-air prisons surrounded by Israeli military checkpoints and settlements, than anything else.”
Currently a group of Palestinian activist groups, the Apartheid Wall Campaign is seeking other international organizations that will join in their efforts to prevent the building of the Israeli “security fence”.
For more information contact visit outreach@pengon.org
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 2:54 pm Post subject: An Evening Lecture on Israel/Palestine
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021126195629684
An Evening Lecture on Israel/Palestine
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 07:56 PM GMT
"Finally, I got the attention of the moderator, arose and addressed the Zionists' comments as follows: .."
By Chris Meyer
I went to an evening lecture the other night. It was one of those lectures given at Universities to help inform US citizens about what is happening in Israel/Palestine. The room was packed.
The speaker, a person with much experience in the Middle East presented an engaging and lucid overview of the history of Israel/Palestine. She based her talk on the research of leading Jewish and Israeli scholarship, like "The Birth of Israel" by Simha Flapan, "The Fateful Triangle" by Noam Chomsky and "Jewish History, Jewish Religion" by Israel Shahak and Norton Mezvinsky and "Israel's Sacred Terrorism", Livia Rokach's fascinating study of Moshe Sharett's diaries from the 1950s. She also drew upon her many years of experience in the region and her ongoing contacts with Israeli and Palestinian friends currently living in Israel/Palestine.
Our speaker wrapped up her talk with two very interesting points: The history of suicide bombings within Israel proper began only after Sharon closed the Israeli border to Palestinians. The reason for this is twofold.
First, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) destroyed the orchards, vineyards and vegetable gardens that were the income for a large portion of the Palestinian population, forcing them to rely on income from day labor in Israel. Then, after the borders were closed to laborers, the last major support for the economy was taken away, and life became truly desperate for Palestinians. Thus, instead of providing security Sharon only increased the pain and suffering on both Palestinians and Israelis by closing the borders.
We also learned about Barak's so called 'generous offer' at the end of the Clinton administration. By chopping the Palestinian communities up into isolated cells with Israeli-only highways and numerous checkpoints, the Israeli Government has turned Palestinian land into a vast prison system. By signing onto Barak's offer, Arafat would have officially condemned the Palestinian people to an eternity of hopeless desperation.
When the talk was finished, time was allotted for questions and comments from the audience. Several members of the audience rose with comments.
The first explained that at any such meeting, there should always be plans for a second speaker to be present to provide the Israeli point of view so that the presentation is balanced. He added that most Jews do not agree with the views that had been presented and proceeded to give the standard Zionist interpretation of Israel's history.
Another rose and explained that Saudi Arabia is loaded with billions of discretionary dollars. Over the years, the Saudis should have been building factories for their less fortunate Palestinian brothers and made something out of Palestine. Instead, The Saudis held to their own greedy Arab ways. Several other speakers held forth in a similar vein.
Finally, I got the attention of the moderator, arose and addressed the Zionists' comments as follows: "If I want to get the Zionist views on Israel, all I have to do is read the New York Times, or turn the radio or TV on - doesn't matter what channel. I thought it was great tonight to get a refreshing alternative perspective - just for one night...
I also think it is interesting that as fresh material becomes available, like Moshe Sharett's Memoirs and Flapan's painstaking study of the Israel's beginnings based on contemporary sources, we find that supposedly respectable people like Ariel Sharon were and have always been - terrorists.
Sharon was a terrorist in the 50s, he was a terrorist in Lebanon, and - he's a terrorist today. As for the Saudis somehow saving Palestinian society: The Palestinians already had a society. They had cities; they had orchards and vineyards; they had an economy and homes and schools; they had Universities and Hospitals - they've had all these things. The problem is - somebody is systematically taking it all away from them!"
The best response to the Zionist's comments came after the question and answer session. Our host for the evening played the documentary, "Beyond the Mirage: The Face of Occupation", which is distributed by Americans for a Just Peace in the Middle East. In this film, leading Israeli intellectuals like Jeff Halper, supported by activists from B'Tselem and Israeli civil rights attorneys, thoroughly and convincingly deconstruct the myths of modern, Zionist Israel.
It was heartening to see that along with all the courageous Palestinian patriots in Palestine and across the globe, there are also moral and courageous Jewish Israelis, who are prepared to take a stand and DO something.
This is what truly holds out the best promise and hope for genuine peace in the Middle East.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 3:10 pm Post subject: UN Protests Armed Israeli Raid on International Staff Member
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002112619400627
UN Protests Armed Israeli Raid on International Staff Member's Home
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 07:40 PM GMT
"In the early hours of 22 November, an IDF combat unit of 20 to 30 heavily armed troops surrounded the Bethlehem home of Allegra Pacheco .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has protested to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) the treatment of one of the Agency's international staff members and her family, who were subject to degrading searches and unjustified detention.
In the early hours of 22 November, an IDF combat unit of 20 to 30 heavily armed troops surrounded the Bethlehem home of Allegra Pacheco, UNRWA’s Field Legal Officer. She was held at gunpoint in the open air for two hours while her house was searched, her mobile phone was taken from her and her car was used as a prop for IDF weapons. Ms. Pacheco repeatedly pointed out her UN status to the troops, who ignored her.
In addition Ms Pacheco’s husband, Abed Al-Ahmar, who is recognized by the UN as a dependent of a staff member, was forced to partially strip before being taken into IDF custody. UNRWA has since learned that an 11-day detention order has been issued for him.
“An armed raid on a staff member's home and degrading treatment of her and her spouse is disruptive of her ability to carry out her official functions,” UNRWA said in a statement. “This is completely contrary to the undertakings made by the Government of Israel to facilitate the work of the Agency.”
UNRWA, which understands that Mr. Al-Ahmar is being held without just cause, has requested his release.
Currently 23 of UNRWA's Palestinian staff in the West Bank are being detained by the Israeli authorities. All but three are being held without charge. UNRWA has requested explanations for each arrest but has received no reply and is refused access to its staff after their arrests.
-United Nations News Center. Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2002 3:15 pm Post subject: Stripping Palestinians has Become Common Practice
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002112621222725
Stripping Palestinians has Become Common Practice: Eyewitness Accounts
Tuesday, November 26 2002 @ 09:22 PM GMT
"They forced Yasser to take off all his clothes including his underwear…they ordered him to walk like a dog and then he burst into tears .."
By Suzanne Russ
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (PC) - On Monday, November 25, Israeli soldiers ordered a young resident of the town of Nablus to strip completely naked in the street, according to Palestinian witnesses.
Yasser Sharar, 25, was caught violating the curfew in Nablus and was stopped by Israeli soldiers at gunpoint, who immediately ordered him to remove his clothes.
In an interview with Reuters, a witness explained, “They forced Yasser to take off all his clothes including his underwear…they ordered him to walk like a dog and then he burst into tears,”
The eyewitness who watched the scene from a few meters away continued, “He kept crying and was in a very stressful situation…many residents, including women watched him and he was very embarrassed.”
Israeli soldiers refuted the claim, saying that they merely asked him to lift his shirt, but he voluntarily removed all his clothing to get media attention. The Reuters report also claimed that this is the first time Israeli soldiers have ordered Palestinians to completely strip naked publicly in a security operation.
However, recent interviews conducted by the Palestine Chronicle with scores of residents of the Jenin refugee camp contradicted the Reuters claim. Dozens of residents of the refugee camp claimed that during the Israeli invasion of April, 2002, it was a common practice to force residents to strip naked as a form of humiliation, or as the Israelis say, a “security operation.”
The Reuters image showing
Yasser after soldiers ordered
him to take all of his cloths off
Na’el Ammar, 43, is a resident of the Jenin refugee camp and explains how Israeli soldiers arrested and detained scores of men from the refugee camp, and forced many to strip naked, “ We were mostly older people, sick and wounded. We had nine handicapped people with us, three were from the same family, sons of Abu Ibrahim. Some of us were too old, they were senile. When they told them “go left” they would go right, but they stripped them naked anyway. I tried to help them as much as I could. I was the only one who spoke Hebrew…Close to us was a group of young men. They were handcuffed, naked and lying on their stomachs. The Israeli tanks would pass by them so fast, only forty centimeters away from their heads.”
Nawal Hawashin, a mother of eight, told Palestine Chronicle reporters that they threatened her 18 year old son with death if he did not follow their orders to strip naked, “They ordered my son and other young men to take off all their clothes and throw them on the ground. The soldiers warned that if the boys made any move, they would be shot. Near the Sahah, there was a body of a man with a white beard. He was lying dead on the ground, and tanks were rolling right over him. I couldn’t recognize him. My son Mohammed said, “Mother, I am too ashamed to take my clothes off in front of women.” I told him, ‘Son, this is our fate.”
Jamal Hussein has a family of thirteen. A man who worked as a cheap laborer in Israel before the invasion of Jenin described in detail how terrified Jenin residents were gathered in the center of the camp and forced to undress, “Soldiers stationed on the top of a nearby house started throwing dirt on us.. We remained 15 men and boys. Half an hour later a tank came and stood near us. They pointed the canon at us. And they spent over an hour terrifying us that way. The commander of that unit spoke in Arabic to us, “Go to Saha”. While we were on our way, we kept reading Koran. We felt that they were going to execute us. Once we arrived there, we found a large number of men, forced to strip completely naked. There was a big pile of clothes. Soldiers started shooting right above our heads, they would call on us, one by one. Once they pointed at you, you would have to pull your pants down and your shirt up, when it was my turn, as I stood up, I noticed the body of a man, Jamal Sabbagh. It was some sort of a test. If you pass, you are arrested and if you don’t, they’ll shoot and kill you.”
According to Jenin residents, Israeli forces were not discriminatory in their aggression, young men, old and disabled were targeted. 45-year old Um Siri lamented how her son was not only forced to strip naked, but how he was later used as a human shield, “Then they took my son, they had him strip naked, and they also started firing between his legs to terrorize him.”
Israeli soldiers arrested and detained Um Siri’s son for days, during this time, she did not know if he was dead or alive. Finally she found him in a rescue shelter where he recounted how he was treated, “When I also found my son, he told me that the soldiers took him to a field near the camp with many other young men, he told me that the soldiers had them walk in front of the tanks, as they were looking for fighters.”
The vulnerable and elderly, according to residents, were treated just as mercilessly. Um Siri recounted how the women of Jenin tried to come to the aid of some men, forced to stand naked publicly, in the pouring rain, “We passed by the sons of Sheikh Abdel Salam. They were standing there in the rain, after the Israelis had them strip completely naked. There was a woman who came with us. She took her headscarf and tore it to several pieces and gave it to the young men to cover themselves. A very thin old man approached while screaming, ‘My sons, my money, for God’s sake, they took everything!’ The Israelis had him strip naked like the day he was born. Once the women saw that, they started pulling their hair, hitting their heads, and wailing. He has all of his life’s savings with him, because he was worried that he might lose it in the invasion, but when the Israelis stripped him naked, they found the money and took it.”
Other residents described how young men were stripped naked and then shot. Yusuf Shalabi, a young man from the camp explained how the Israeli soldiers denied medical treatment to the wounded, “…I remember this nightmare very well. It is very difficult to talk about it. I remember them stripping the people naked, they would handcuff them and blindfold them. I remember seeing two wounded men, one was wounded in the shoulder and the other in the leg. They were screaming in pain and the soldiers would not allow them to be treated.
The Israeli army, who according to Amnesty International committed war crimes in Jenin in April of 2002, targeted medical workers as well. They also forced the women to remove their head scarves. Seham Shalabi, a young woman who works in a textile factory in Jenin recounted her memories of those days last April, “An army jeep came and started circling the house, then it opened fire at us. Why would they open fire at us? Then they came and they searched us, and had us walk two by two, out of the camp. Just as we began moving, we saw another group of tanks and bulldozers. We found some doctors and medical workers, forced strip naked, handcuffed. Then they put them in trucks and took them to the Salem detention center. The Israelis started shouting and ordering us to take off our head scarves.
Humiliation of medial workers was not only reported by the residents of Jenin, but these events were also narrated by the medical workers themselves. Mohammed Rafi’ the director of the Red Crescent Society’s youth development programs in Jenin recounted how the Israelis held medical workers hostage in the Jenin hospital for days, and then forced them to strip naked as well. “They did not allow anyone in or out. If one of us wanted to leave to the hospital across the street, it would take two hours of telephone calls and deliberation. Ambulance drivers would be forced to wait for two hours with people bleeding inside before they were allowed entry to the hospital, they would take our volunteers or drivers, have them stripped naked, and interrogated and insulted.
Of the scores upon scores of interviews conducted by Palestine Chronicle reporters in the Jenin refugee camp, that act of forcing civilians to strip naked was reported time and again. The Israeli army has defended the action, saying that such tactics are necessary to assure that Palestinians are not carrying explosives.
Many of the quotes within this article will be included the book titled Searching Jenin, edited by Ramzy Baroud, Editor-in-Chief of the Palestine Chronicle. Searching Jenin will be available in bookstores in December 2002.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2002 2:12 am Post subject: Israelis Commit Another Extra-Judicial Assassination
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021127203527703
Israelis Commit Another Extra-Judicial Assassination
Wednesday, November 27 2002 @ 08:35 PM GMT
"The two men were identified as Alah Sabbagh, local leader of Al-Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fateh, and Imad Nasrti, leader of the Islamic Movement .."
JENIN (PC) - On Tuesday, Israeli aircraft fired missiles into the war-torn Jenin refugee camp. Missiles struck a house in a residential area, killing two men. Although the men were wanted by the Israeli government, neither was arrested or tried, in this most recent extra-judicial assassination, which has become a common tactic for the Israeli army. The army has not commented on the incident.
(Image: Musa al-Shaer (PC))
The two men were identified as Alah Sabbagh, local leader of Al-Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fateh, and Imad Nasrti, leader of the Islamic Movement, Hamas.
According to witnesses, as the refugee camp was bombarded with shelling, Israeli tanks and armored vehicles, Palestinian resistance fighters responded, creating clashes between the two groups. The Israeli army then imposed a strict curfew on the camp, forbidding residents from stepping foot outside their homes.
Such extra-judicial assassinations have been strongly denounced by human rights who state that such actions are in violation of international law.
At least 176 Palestinians have so far been killed in extra-judicial executions committed by Israel, including 64 Palestinian bystanders.
The Palestinian human rights group, LAW emphasized that, “...extra-judicial executions constitute willful killings, which are a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and as such constitute war crimes subject to universal jurisdiction.”
Also in the Jenin refugee camp, an 11 year old Palestinian child, Mohammed Misleh Bilalo was shot in the head and was killed by Israeli soldiers Friday. A bullet penetrated his left eye and left no time for doctors to try and save him. Six other children were wounded on that same day.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
Is Israel the New 'South Africa?'
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:12 pm Post subject: Andy Martin Will Host Forum on Disinvesting in Israel
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Andy Martin Will Host Forum on Disinvesting in Israel
Is Israel the New 'South Africa?'
Is Harvard President Lawrence Summers the New 'Meir Kahane?'
Middle East Passions Inflame American Universities
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationally syndicated radio columnist Andy Martin, a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Florida, will host a special worldwide radio/Internet news conference edition of "Andy Martin's America" Thursday, November 21st at 1:00 P.M. to discuss whether American universities should condemn Israeli racism by disinvesting their investment portfolios from Israeli-related corporations.
"We now have an extremist pro-Israeli as President of Harvard, Larry Summers, an academic Meir Kahane," says Martin, "who censors pro-Palestinian speech but allows Alan Dershowitz to demand extermination of Palestinian women and children. Academic freedom has been raped at Harvard, and the University of South Florida in Tampa. But, at Harvard, Yale, Columbia and nationwide, American students are taking the battle for Palestinian liberation to the
colleges' investment committees. American has become a 'second front' in the war for Palestinian freedom.
"America's students are leading the way. I will work with them in my campaign to put Palestinian nationalism on the 2004 election agenda." Martin's controversial program "Andy Martin's America" is a fulcrum of foreign policy debate, political analysis and contemporary commentary on the Internet.
Martin's program draws an international audience and has included foreign diplomats as guests. He is a respected voice in America's intelligence community. He has traveled through the Middle East. His foreign experience includes Europe, Iran and Asia, and Air America. He is the only talk show host who supports Palestinian nationalism and the Israeli peace movement.
Martin consults in the areas of military security and intelligence; he studied under the late Bernard Fall and founded the Revolutionary War Research Center.
Martin served as an assistant to former Illinois U.S. Senator Paul H. Douglas. He has been involved in various aspects of broadcasting for 34 years. He also served as an adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.
Martin's radio program "Andy Martin's America" covers national and international matters from 1-2 P.M. Radio call-in (800) 810-9727. Internet radio website 1340wpbr.com (click "on air"). See Out2.com (Govt. & Politics) for some earlier Martin statements.
Website: http://www.andymartin.com.
Join the US Campaign To End The Israeli Occupation
http://www.endtheoccupation.org
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:16 pm Post subject: Photo: Half Buried
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Photo: Half Buried
Saturday, August 10 2002 @ 12:05 AM GMT
Photo: A Palestinian man from Beit Lahia detained by Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip, half buried, hand cuffed and blindfolded. This is considered to be the newest Israeli technique in torturing and intimidating Palestinians.
Source: Al-Quds Newspaper (www.alquds.com), Aug 9, the front page picture from AFP.
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020810000509897
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:19 pm Post subject: Children of the Intifada: Death and Resistance (Gallery I)
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Children of the Intifada: Death and Resistance (Gallery I)
Saturday, September 28 2002 @ 05:54 PM GMT
“Tomorrow the bandages will come off,
I wonder, will I see half an oven? Half an apple?
Half my mother's face with my one remaining eye?
I did not see the bullet
But felt its pain exploding in my head.
his image did not disintegrate.
The soldier with his big gun and steady hands.
And the look in his eyes I could not understand. I can see him so clearly with my eyes closed,
It could be that inside our heads.”
From the Diary of an Almost 4-Year Old
Poem by Hanan Mikhael Ashrawi
Children of the Intifada Photo Gallery, Part I
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002092817543335
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:21 pm Post subject: Children of the Intifada: Death and Resistance (Gallery II)
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Children of the Intifada: Death and Resistance (Gallery II)
Saturday, September 28 2002 @ 06:06 PM GMT
“Look down at your people, stronger, more determined, more resolved by the minute.
Smile, Mohammed, at their epic resistance with you in it.
Hover over us and shade our brows and spread your angel wings from sea to river,
Embrace the land that’s yours forever.
Gaze down, Mohammed, at your nook from which your childhood assassins we’ll throw
And in it we promise you, of your blood and as beautiful as your face, a rose will grow.”
In Memory of Mohammed al-Durah
Poem by Hatim Khatib
Children of the Intifada Photo Gallery, Part II
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020928180639901
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:25 pm Post subject: Naser Jarar's Funeral photos
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Naser Jarar's Funeral photos
Saturday, August 17 2002 @ 02:09 AM GMT
Palestinians mourn the death of Naser Jarar, a top Hamas activist. These photos were taken at Jarar’s funeral in Jenin, attended by thousands of residents who are well acquainted with Israel’s assassinations of Palestinian activists.
Brief Background
Israeli ‘special forces’ murdered Naser Jarar, a top Hamas activist in the town of Tubas in the West Bank on Wednesday, August 14. Jarar was handicapped, with his legs and one arm missing and was wheelchair bound. Eyewitnesses said that the man was killed when Israeli tanks leveled the Tubas home while he was inside. Israeli soldiers used a human shield, a Palestinian teenager to attack the house. The teenager was also killed by the Israeli army.
Palestine Chronicle photojournalist, Mahfouz Abu Turk was present at the funeral.
Photos
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=200208170209524
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:28 pm Post subject: Mayhem in Gaza Photos
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Mayhem in Gaza Photos
Thursday, October 10 2002 @ 02:29 AM GMT
(PC) - Following the killing of 16 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis, and the wounding of over 100 more, all civilians, the Israeli army raided the nearby town of Rafah, killing two children. This gallery is a closer look at the bloodshed, the mayhem and the days of sorrow.
Photos
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021010022913621
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:32 pm Post subject: Home Demolition in East Jerusalem Photos
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Home Demolition in East Jerusalem Photos
Thursday, September 19 2002 @ 07:32 PM GMT
(PC) - On September 18, Israeli forces demolished two Palestinian homes in Abu Dis, owned by the families of Nabil Mahmoud Jameel Halabiya 25, and Usama Muhammad Eid Baher 25, who carried out a suicide bombing in West Jerusalem on 1 December, 2002. Twenty five people, including eight children, have been rendered homeless from the home demolishment. Mahfouz Abu Turk, Palestine Chronicle Photojournalist was present at the scene..
Photos
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020919193236488
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:35 pm Post subject: Checkpoint in Pictures Photos
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Checkpoint in Pictures Photos
Monday, August 05 2002 @ 09:31 PM GMT
At a military checkpoint near Jerusalem, one out of hundreds separating between Palestinian towns and villages, many Palestinians were aware of the hassle and humiliation awaiting them. Nonetheless, they needed to reach work, schools, hospitals or simply return home. They had no other choice but to wait. Our photojournalist, Mahfouz Abu Turk narrated the story of the checkpoint in pictures.
Photos
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020805213119288
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:37 pm Post subject: Photo Gallery: 'Gaza Mourns Its Dead'
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Photo Gallery: 'Gaza Mourns Its Dead'
Tuesday, July 23 2002 @ 03:09 PM GMT
GAZA CITY: Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians took part in the funeral of 15 civilians, 9 children, three women, and three men, killed by Israel Late Monday, July 22. This photo gallery depicts the atmosphere in Gaza following the massacre. (Note: Full list of names and ages of those killed is included below.)
Photos
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020723150917733
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:47 pm Post subject: A Day in the Life of Ramallah
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A Day in the Life of Ramallah
Wednesday, September 25 2002 @ 05:42 PM GMT
RAMALLAH (PC) - Today, it was a typical day in the West Bank town of Ramallah: Palestinian President remains under siege, residents of the city protested in support of their leadership, walked over fences and were detained at checkpoints.
Palestine Chronicle photojournalist Mahfouz Abu Turk recorded ths day in Ramallah
Photos
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020925174226960
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Andy Martin Will Host Forum on Disinvesting in Israel
Is Israel the New 'South Africa?'
Is Harvard President Lawrence Summers the New 'Meir Kahane?'
Middle East Passions Inflame American Universities
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationally syndicated radio columnist Andy Martin, a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Florida, will host a special worldwide radio/Internet news conference edition of "Andy Martin's America" Thursday, November 21st at 1:00 P.M. to discuss whether American universities should condemn Israeli racism by disinvesting their investment portfolios from Israeli-related corporations.
"We now have an extremist pro-Israeli as President of Harvard, Larry Summers, an academic Meir Kahane," says Martin, "who censors pro-Palestinian speech but allows Alan Dershowitz to demand extermination of Palestinian women and children. Academic freedom has been raped at Harvard, and the University of South Florida in Tampa. But, at Harvard, Yale, Columbia and nationwide, American students are taking the battle for Palestinian liberation to the
colleges' investment committees. American has become a 'second front' in the war for Palestinian freedom.
"America's students are leading the way. I will work with them in my campaign to put Palestinian nationalism on the 2004 election agenda." Martin's controversial program "Andy Martin's America" is a fulcrum of foreign policy debate, political analysis and contemporary commentary on the Internet.
Martin's program draws an international audience and has included foreign diplomats as guests. He is a respected voice in America's intelligence community. He has traveled through the Middle East. His foreign experience includes Europe, Iran and Asia, and Air America. He is the only talk show host who supports Palestinian nationalism and the Israeli peace movement.
Martin consults in the areas of military security and intelligence; he studied under the late Bernard Fall and founded the Revolutionary War Research Center.
Martin served as an assistant to former Illinois U.S. Senator Paul H. Douglas. He has been involved in various aspects of broadcasting for 34 years. He also served as an adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.
Martin's radio program "Andy Martin's America" covers national and international matters from 1-2 P.M. Radio call-in (800) 810-9727. Internet radio website 1340wpbr.com (click "on air"). See Out2.com (Govt. & Politics) for some earlier Martin statements.
Website: http://www.andymartin.com.
Join the US Campaign To End The Israeli Occupation
http://www.endtheoccupation.org
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:16 pm Post subject: Photo: Half Buried
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photo: Half Buried
Saturday, August 10 2002 @ 12:05 AM GMT
Photo: A Palestinian man from Beit Lahia detained by Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip, half buried, hand cuffed and blindfolded. This is considered to be the newest Israeli technique in torturing and intimidating Palestinians.
Source: Al-Quds Newspaper (www.alquds.com), Aug 9, the front page picture from AFP.
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020810000509897
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:19 pm Post subject: Children of the Intifada: Death and Resistance (Gallery I)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Children of the Intifada: Death and Resistance (Gallery I)
Saturday, September 28 2002 @ 05:54 PM GMT
“Tomorrow the bandages will come off,
I wonder, will I see half an oven? Half an apple?
Half my mother's face with my one remaining eye?
I did not see the bullet
But felt its pain exploding in my head.
his image did not disintegrate.
The soldier with his big gun and steady hands.
And the look in his eyes I could not understand. I can see him so clearly with my eyes closed,
It could be that inside our heads.”
From the Diary of an Almost 4-Year Old
Poem by Hanan Mikhael Ashrawi
Children of the Intifada Photo Gallery, Part I
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002092817543335
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:21 pm Post subject: Children of the Intifada: Death and Resistance (Gallery II)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Children of the Intifada: Death and Resistance (Gallery II)
Saturday, September 28 2002 @ 06:06 PM GMT
“Look down at your people, stronger, more determined, more resolved by the minute.
Smile, Mohammed, at their epic resistance with you in it.
Hover over us and shade our brows and spread your angel wings from sea to river,
Embrace the land that’s yours forever.
Gaze down, Mohammed, at your nook from which your childhood assassins we’ll throw
And in it we promise you, of your blood and as beautiful as your face, a rose will grow.”
In Memory of Mohammed al-Durah
Poem by Hatim Khatib
Children of the Intifada Photo Gallery, Part II
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020928180639901
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:25 pm Post subject: Naser Jarar's Funeral photos
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Naser Jarar's Funeral photos
Saturday, August 17 2002 @ 02:09 AM GMT
Palestinians mourn the death of Naser Jarar, a top Hamas activist. These photos were taken at Jarar’s funeral in Jenin, attended by thousands of residents who are well acquainted with Israel’s assassinations of Palestinian activists.
Brief Background
Israeli ‘special forces’ murdered Naser Jarar, a top Hamas activist in the town of Tubas in the West Bank on Wednesday, August 14. Jarar was handicapped, with his legs and one arm missing and was wheelchair bound. Eyewitnesses said that the man was killed when Israeli tanks leveled the Tubas home while he was inside. Israeli soldiers used a human shield, a Palestinian teenager to attack the house. The teenager was also killed by the Israeli army.
Palestine Chronicle photojournalist, Mahfouz Abu Turk was present at the funeral.
Photos
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=200208170209524
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:28 pm Post subject: Mayhem in Gaza Photos
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Mayhem in Gaza Photos
Thursday, October 10 2002 @ 02:29 AM GMT
(PC) - Following the killing of 16 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis, and the wounding of over 100 more, all civilians, the Israeli army raided the nearby town of Rafah, killing two children. This gallery is a closer look at the bloodshed, the mayhem and the days of sorrow.
Photos
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021010022913621
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:32 pm Post subject: Home Demolition in East Jerusalem Photos
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Home Demolition in East Jerusalem Photos
Thursday, September 19 2002 @ 07:32 PM GMT
(PC) - On September 18, Israeli forces demolished two Palestinian homes in Abu Dis, owned by the families of Nabil Mahmoud Jameel Halabiya 25, and Usama Muhammad Eid Baher 25, who carried out a suicide bombing in West Jerusalem on 1 December, 2002. Twenty five people, including eight children, have been rendered homeless from the home demolishment. Mahfouz Abu Turk, Palestine Chronicle Photojournalist was present at the scene..
Photos
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020919193236488
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:35 pm Post subject: Checkpoint in Pictures Photos
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Checkpoint in Pictures Photos
Monday, August 05 2002 @ 09:31 PM GMT
At a military checkpoint near Jerusalem, one out of hundreds separating between Palestinian towns and villages, many Palestinians were aware of the hassle and humiliation awaiting them. Nonetheless, they needed to reach work, schools, hospitals or simply return home. They had no other choice but to wait. Our photojournalist, Mahfouz Abu Turk narrated the story of the checkpoint in pictures.
Photos
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020805213119288
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:37 pm Post subject: Photo Gallery: 'Gaza Mourns Its Dead'
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Photo Gallery: 'Gaza Mourns Its Dead'
Tuesday, July 23 2002 @ 03:09 PM GMT
GAZA CITY: Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians took part in the funeral of 15 civilians, 9 children, three women, and three men, killed by Israel Late Monday, July 22. This photo gallery depicts the atmosphere in Gaza following the massacre. (Note: Full list of names and ages of those killed is included below.)
Photos
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020723150917733
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:47 pm Post subject: A Day in the Life of Ramallah
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A Day in the Life of Ramallah
Wednesday, September 25 2002 @ 05:42 PM GMT
RAMALLAH (PC) - Today, it was a typical day in the West Bank town of Ramallah: Palestinian President remains under siege, residents of the city protested in support of their leadership, walked over fences and were detained at checkpoints.
Palestine Chronicle photojournalist Mahfouz Abu Turk recorded ths day in Ramallah
Photos
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020925174226960
Identity Under Siege
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:52 pm Post subject: Identity Under Siege
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002111921583959
Identity Under Siege
Tuesday, November 19 2002 @ 09:58 PM GMT
"Other tactics employed in this war aren’t so evident, among them is an assault on the Palestinian identity itself.."
By Paul de Rooij
LONDON - The Palestinian struggle -- that a people should endure such unremitting cruelty from Israel and still not give up, is a collective miracle…
Edward Said, “Disunity and factionalism”, Al Ahram 21 August 2002.
The Israeli war waged against the Palestinians has taken many forms and not all of them well known to us.
Bombings, assassinations, house demolitions, and arbitrary imprisonment are some of the concrete manifestations in this war - these are clear for all to see and understand. However, other tactics employed in this war aren’t so evident. Foremost among them is an assault on the Palestinian identity itself.
A Palestinian journalist holds a
picture taking of him by Israeli
soldiers following his arrest in
the West Bank
European colonialists learned that to keep a strangle hold on their possessions a policy of divide and rule was necessary. However, the unintended consequence of this was to engender a strong nationalism, a force that eventually doomed the colonialist enterprise. The Israelis have learned this lesson, and trying to implement measures that shield them from the errors of the past. The policies now applied in the Occupied Territories (OPT) apply the
divide and rule principle, but they attempt to quell the nationalism that accompanied this in the past. The foremost element to achieve this is to actively demolish or restrict the Palestinian identity in the OPT.
The process of connecting all the settlements in the OPT to Israel proper by building the networks of the so-called bypass roads also entailed intentionally stopping traffic and contact between neighboring towns in the OPT; contact between the West Bank and Gaza has been mostly impeded since 30/Sept/2000.
It is now very difficult for a resident of any Palestinian city to visit the nearby village. Either a circuitous path must be taken, or it is simply impossible to cross the so-called military checkpoints, in reality choke points.
Furthermore, quite a few villages have been isolated thanks to the fences and walls currently being built unilaterally by Israel.
Finally, some Palestinian villages have been isolated due to the settlement expansion activities. Consequently it is difficult for Palestinians anywhere to relate to other Palestinians elsewhere in the OPT. The Israeli instigated policy aims to fragment the Palestinian identity, and make people think of themselves exclusively as residents of Ramallah or Bethlehem.
For the past 145 days (since June 25, 02), Nablus has been under military curfew. People are only allowed out for a few hours every week, otherwise they are subjected to a lock down regime that even prevents them from sitting on a balcony or peer out of the window. Here the frame of reference of the citizens of Nablus has been further restricted to only account for the individual.
People are atomized, and start to view their problems with reference only to themselves, and it is difficult for them to appreciate that it is their entire community facing this collective punishment.
Again, the Palestinian identity is threatened, and the ensuing frame of reference stultified so that it can be manipulated more easily by the Israeli military. Nablus’ militancy singled it out for this atomization and an assault on people’s identity. From the Israel occupying forces (IOF) perspective, perhaps it is an experiment to determine how others can similarly be “broken”.
During the past few months community leaders not related to the Palestinian Authority have been rounded up and subjected to arbitrary detentions (e.g., see Arbitrary Detentions [1]). The aim of this policy is to remove leaders who provide the necessary cohesion to a society. Once the educated organizers have been imprisoned, the sense of isolation is reinforced, increasing the vulnerability of the population.
Furthermore, the actions of the Israeli occupation have targeted the middle class where most of the leadership of a society emanates. The people who can direct others or offer an interpretation of events are hounded, imprisoned or isolated.
For Palestinians the temptation to escape the communal misery must be very difficult for many to resist. It may come in the form of the advertisements by the Israeli ultra right-wing Moledet Party offering assistance for Palestinians to emigrate; the temptation to drop everything and leave must be very great (e.g. see: One way ticket [2]).
The enticements by Israeli soldiers to obtain collaborators are an added element in the psychological warfare. People will be tempted to obtain favors, food, permission to work, in exchange for betraying fellow Palestinians. Accepting to collaborate accelerates the demolition of their Palestinian identity; it is difficult to see how these people will act in the interests of their society afterwards. The suspicion that someone in their midst is giving
information to the IOF also poisons the air in the mind of other Palestinians. Either way, the Palestinian identity has come under threat by attempts to corrupt the vulnerable or criminal elements in the society.
Traveling in the West Bank and Gaza one immediately becomes aware of the importance of symbols. The IOF is very keen to plant an Israeli flag wherever it is, and it is keen to rip down Palestinian symbols. Even the colors of the Palestinian flag elicit a violent response from soldiers.
During the first intifada in July 1989, Jamal Radwan, an agricultural laborer from Gaza and a father of five, had the tattoo of the Palestinian flag on his arm cut off by an Israeli soldier. The scar runs more than half way from his shoulder to his elbow. Perhaps today the IOF isn’t so much concerned with the physical manifestation of symbols, but is more concerned with the mental national identity.
During the Israeli invasion of Beirut, Israeli soldiers plundered and destroyed the Palestinian archives and important cultural treasures. During the invasion of Ramallah earlier this year, the same thing happened, important historical archives were plundered, key databases destroyed, and the video archives of the Palestinian TV stations were damaged. The Sakakini Centre and Kasaba Theatre in Ramallah, two very important contemporary cultural
institutions, were demolished earlier this year. These attacks aim to erase the Palestinian history and culture, an important aspect of any national identity.
While Israelis belabor their past and use it for political ends, they are at the same time attempting to erase the history of the nation they occupy.
If one thinks of one’s national identity, then some buildings and their history come to mind. For the English Big Ben is extremely important; Americans similarly relate to the Statue of Liberty. For Palestinians the key symbols are the Haram Al Sharif temple (known to Israelis as Temple Mount) and the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Casbah -- the Old Town (dating from 71BC) -- and the al-Khadra Mosque
(1,000+ years old) in Nablus, all are of great importance. The latter has already been demolished in several phases this year - this is destruction of world heritage monuments. The Casbah has been blasted by very large bombs and repeatedly hit by tank fire (see Nablus info [3]).
The Church of the Nativity with a spiritual value to hundreds of millions of people was damaged earlier this year by Israeli actions. A clear threat hangs over the Haram Al Sharif temple with ever increasing calls by the erstwhile fanatic fringe of the settlers, but increasingly coming from centrist politicians to demolish the temple.
The extremist settlers aim to blow it up or undermine the structure by digging tunnels under it; some “centrist” politicians have called to cut the building in pieces, and send the crates to Saudi Arabia.
Supposedly, this temple is in the way of a planned Jewish sacred temple, and just like Palestinians have been pushed aside in most of their homeland, their monuments may soon be cast aside too. The destruction of the national identity has an architectural component.
For decades, Israelis have been attempting to erase the vestiges of the 400+ Palestinian villages and towns destroyed during the 1948 war. The towns have been bulldozed and the ruins have been built over. Where one finds a pine forest in Israel proper one will find the ruins of a Palestinian village that the Israelis are trying to hide. In recent months, many of these ruined villages have been “developed” so that Palestinians won’t be able to
claim them in an eventual peace agreement, but part of the process is to rid the country of Palestinian history and vestiges. Erasing the ruined villages is not only an attempt to rid any Palestinian claim to the land, but also another attempt to demolish their identity. The most potent symbol for Palestinians is the “key” - the claim to the homes that the Israelis stole. The key is also the principal symbol excised out of all cartoons and art by
the Israeli censor. Further demolition of the ruins has important implications for all.
Archeology has been a battleground with a long history. Israelis have always claimed monopoly in archeology, and they have prohibited Palestinians from studying this field in Israeli universities.
Israeli archeologists will usually concentrate on the old layers in the archeological excavations, to the exclusion of the more recent ones dealing with Palestinian history -- these are usually destroyed. A few years ago, Dr. Albert Glock, an American archeologist head of the Palestinian Institute of Archeology at Bir Zeit University, was excavating the recent layers near Ramallah when he was mysteriously assassinated.
Palestinians suspect that the Israelis assassinated him because digging up the recent history counters the Israeli attempts to bury the Palestinian history.
The looming threat of war against Iraq casts a dark shadow over the Palestinians. As Prof. Illan Pappe has stated, it is now a centrist political position in Israel to propose plans for “transfer” -- that obscene euphemism for the mass expulsion of Palestinians.
One can read about this in the Israeli press, listen to the Molodet Party’s proposals, or one can listen to some of the principal cabinet members in the current government; they all clamor with varying degrees of viciousness about plans to expel the Palestinian population. The only restraining factors are the international reaction to such a crime and the feasibility of expelling the population to Lebanon, Jordan, or Iraq. Graham Usher, a British
journalist, recently said that what is being envisaged by the US in the area is not simply “regime change, but region change.” [Note 4] If such seismic changes are implemented entailing the redrawing of borders in Iraq and Jordan, then Israel may see an opportunity to implement its sinister plans.
One must see the current attempts to demolish the Palestinian identity in this context. An atomized and brutalized population without any effective leadership can perhaps be terrorized to flee across the border in the event of a war.
It is unimaginable why any population should be subjected to the threat of ethnic cleansing in the 21st century.
After WWII, the world had achieved a consensus that the “might makes right” principle was unacceptable and incompatible with peace. Annexation by war, it was agreed, could not be tolerated. As such, the incessant pressure to expel the Palestinian population, to erase their history, and to demolish their identity, are incompatible with principles that have formed the basis of international law and consensus for the past 50+ years.
It is the responsibility of the so-called international community to put a stop to the war and to the Israeli campaign against Palestinians. One would hope that the UN would play a leading role, but the organization is currently compromised and manipulated by the US. One can hardly expect Kofi Annan, a venal politician, to act decisively; the Rwandan genocide occurred during his watch, and the callousness he exhibited then doesn’t portend for an
active role now. Unfortunately, up to now, the stance of most European governments has been disgraceful.
Similarly, the role of major human rights organizations with responsibility for the area has been less than honorable (see Amnesty [5]). The establishment of a war crimes tribunal holding Sharon, Mofaz, Netanyahu, Ben-Eliezer, and Peres, to account is of paramount importance, yet no action is seen for its institution. One fears the worst: that mass crimes and ethnic cleansing will occur in the area and no peep will be heard from the so-called
international community.
Paul de Rooij is an economist living in London. He can be reached at proox@hotmail.com
Note 1: www.counterpunch.org/bahour1023.html
Note 2: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2377273.stm
Note 3: www.nablus.org/invasion/press2.html. Don’t miss: www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=10291 Nothing like seeing the photos.
Note 4: Talk given in the House of Parliament, London, Nov. 14, 2002.
Note 5: www.counterpunch.org/rooij1031.html
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:56 pm Post subject: Intifada Lessons Learned
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021001013501615
Intifada Lessons Learned
Tuesday, October 01 2002 @ 01:35 AM GMT
“It’s not weapons alone that dictate the terms and outcomes of a battle, but also the people’s belief in the justness of their cause. And my people, the Palestinians are true believers.”
By Ramzy Baroud
If one is to pause for a moment of silence to commemorate each of those killed during the Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation, one shall be left standing quietly for a very long time.
Palestinians commemorate the second anniversary of their uprising (Intifada), and the tragedy can hardly be any more heartrending. I know of families who lost several members, some collectively and others, one at a time; I know of families that have been completely wiped out; I know of a husband who lost his wife and all of his children, and of wives who lost husbands, of babies who were shot in the face, in the heart, others suffocated by teargas
and of others who were buried under the debris of their demolished homes, for days or weeks.
During the last two years, we have seen about every possible form of brutality; we’ve learned of new terminology, describing particular type of weapons. We know of Palestinians who were burned to death, of others crushed by large stones, by tanks, by their own homes. We have learned of refugees who burned in tents and of others tortured to death. We know a great deal; we have seen the images, watched them on television, read eyewitness accounts;
press releases, newspaper reports, bias or not, it doesn't matter. It simply happened, and we all know it.
Now, we know what an Apache helicopter is capable of doing. We’ve seen it at work. We now know what a Merkava tank is, and how destructive it can be. We’ve all seen it, sweeping through the West Bank and Gaza, leaving behind a trail of blood and columns of smoke. We’ve learned more about the tricks of the Israeli army, how rubber bullets can be filled with metal, enough to kill a human being, but not enough to reflect the brutality of
occupation, after all it remains a “rubber bullet“. We’ve seen how increasing the toxicity of teargas can make it poisonous, but after all, it is still called teargas, although strong enough to halt the heartbeat of a child, of an elder, of a pregnant woman.
Some have learned a bit more about Palestine and its geography. Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, Balata, Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza, are all cities and refugee camps in Palestine. We know that because they have all been assaulted, repeatedly, much of them destroyed and many of their sons and daughters murdered. Places like Daraj neighborhood in Gaza would have never made it to the international media, but it did, for it was there that a 1,000 pound
Israeli bomb blew up 17 Palestinians, including 10 children and wounding 170 more, just a few weeks ago.
Some became more comfortable with the sounds of Arab names: Iman, Mohamed, Mustafa, Fathi, Waddah, Ziyad, Nasser, Abdelkarim, Hani ... They all are names of Palestinians killed, just a few of a long list that will soon reach 2,000.
We’ve become more familiar with political deception and propaganda in times of war and of the influence of the media in shaping people’s perceptions. We learned that in order for Palestinians to call the killing of their people “a massacre,” they better have a good case: killing 63 Palestinians in Jenin, wounding 270, imprisoning and expelling thousands, destroying hundreds of homes, all within two weeks, can hardly meet the requirement of a
“massacre,” but Israel is free to name every suicide bombing a “massacre” if it wishes, no explanations nor UN reports are required.
We expanded our voculabulary with terminology that we’ve always known but rarely seen in action. We have seen some of the best examples of “double standards,” and how they could be used, along with US “vetoes” at the UN Security Council to protect Israel, despite the latter’s “flagrant violations of human rights,” as pointed out in the “Fourth Geneva Convention.” All of this comes at a time when Iraq is threatened with war if it
fails to carry out the same “UN resolutions” that Israel refuses to implement, for allegedly holding weapons that Israeli openly holds, for allegedly doing the things that Israeli has done out of the closet for decades, but without a word of protest from the “international community.”
We couldn’t have imagined that certain terminology could mean one thing but refer to the complete opposite: “Peace”, “Israeli Defense Forces”, “compromise”, “right to exist”, “right to defend itself,” “war on terror”, ..
On a personal note, before these trials, I couldn’t have imagined that feeling of not knowing if ones family in Palestine is alive or dead.
I couldn’t have imagined that I would pick names for my newborn from a list of names of those killed during the uprising of my people.
I couldn’t have imagined that a nation’s struggle for freedom could be so honorable, so admirable, so humbling, yet so misunderstood.
I couldn’t have imagined that my people’s fight for freedom would extend beyond the occupied territories, the Green Line, or the entire Middle East, into protesting those who finance the genocide and defend the murders, all across the world.
But I have always known and will always believe that the Palestinian’s genuine cry for freedom will echo throughout the world and will someday deliver that long sought justice. I have always known and will always believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There must be.
If standing for a moment of silence fails to convey my love for my people and my homeland in the second anniversary of a painful yet proud phase in our history, I wish that my words, even my tears will convey my message.
www.dying2live.com
Help us break the silence.Help Palestine live in peace.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:57 pm Post subject: "Stop de Bezetting", "End the Occupation"
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120222407109
"Stop de Bezetting", "End the Occupation"
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 10:24 PM GMT
"What has changed in the above scenario in past years, and even more so in the last two years since the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising, is not the issue of defamation or of censorship .."
By Ramzy Baroud
In the recent past, pro-Palestinian views in the United States and Europe have often been shunned by the media and by pro-Israeli organizations, groups that often carry as much weight and authority as some governments. Groups advocating the cause of Palestine are often censored and defamed. They are
accused of anti-Semitism, and even of sympathizing with terrorists. "Boy,haven't I heard that enough."
What has changed in the above scenario in past years, and even more so in the last two years since the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising, is not the issue of defamation or of censorship, not even intellectual slander. What has changed is that those who used to crumble and distance themselves from their pro-Palestinian views, are now growing scarce. More and more people are living up to the challenge, and Israel’s tools of intimidation are
backfiring.
It’s simple, for nothing lasts forever, not even Israel’s ability to subdue its foes by crying
“Anti-Semitism”. Former Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban, recently died after a life of struggle and tireless efforts on behalf of Israel. A famous statement of his however, died long before him. In an article for the New York Times in 1975, Eban declared, “There is no difference whatever between anti-Semitism and the denial of Israel's statehood.”
Sure, the Israeli government and its supporters around the globe are still resorting to the same outdated logic, but thanks to the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, and to the atrocities carried out by the Israeli army, more courageous individuals are coming out, strong and vagarious in support of Palestinians. One of them is Gretta Duisenberg, a respected Dutch woman, a leading human rights activist, and also the wife of one of the
most powerful men in Europe, Wim Duisenberg, the head of the European Central Bank.
Gretta Duisenberg’s expression of solidarity with the Palestinian people was hardly born out of ulterior motives, like many Hollywood “celebrities” whose regular pilgrimage to Israel seems to work well with their career ambitions. Moved, like millions around the world by the cruelty of Israeli army’s conduct in the West Bank, last April, Duisenberg purchased a Palestinian flag, a large one and proudly held it in an Amsterdam rally for
Palestine on April 13.
Duisenberg’s sympathy regarding the plight of Palestinians hardly faded by the end of the march, as she flew the flag from the window of her Amsterdam home for several weeks. “I am unhappy with the way the Netherlands and Europe have responded to what Sharon’s government has done to the Palestinians,” she was quoted by the Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf as saying.
There was little doubt that Duisenberg’s actions were motivated by her admiration of the Palestinian struggle, by her rejection of the human rights abuses conducted by the right-wing government in Tel Aviv, by Europe’s silence and even her own government’s indifference regarding the pressing international affair. But Duisenberg’s action was seen differently by those who could not stand for any criticism of the state of Israel.
Duisenberg was immediately accused of anti-Semitism, according to a criminal complaint lodged against her by a Jewish organization, ‘Federatief Joods Nederland”. Duisenberg was outraged by the accusations. “Nonsense,” Gretta responded to those who resorted to the typical accusation, “An anti-Semite is somebody who blames a Jew for his very being and existence. That is not what I do.”
But the “nonsense” hardly stopped there. According to the complaint, Gretta Duisenberg’s husband was strongly pressed to distance himself from his wife’s courageous stand. The Netherlands-based Jewish organization threatened that it would work along with its New York partner, the World Jewish Congress to see to it that Wim Duisenberg would be deemed a “persona non grata”, or an “undesirable” person in the United States.
The typical lobbying, the collective blackmailing and intimidation continued, but Gretta Duisenberg did what many should have done years ago, she broke the vicious cycle. She simply refused to be intimidated. To the contrary, she moved full-speed ahead in her support of the Palestinians.
Through her action group, “Stop de Bezetting” (End the Occupation), Duisenberg vowed to follow up with her commitment to Palestine, which began with adorning her home with a flag. She in fact decided to take her support all the way to the Occupied Territories. But her journey to Palestine, scheduled for November, 2002 was canceled, thanks to pressure from right wing groups who asserted that the Dutch government was paying a portion of the
expenses for a mission of “one-sided activism.”
Still unscathed by the campaign waged against her, Duisenberg declared that her visit of solidarity to the Palestinian Territories would not be hindered, independently rescheduling the visit for Jan. 5-11, 2002. According to the Associated Press, the Israeli government indicated that it would not block Duisenberg and her group from meeting with the Palestinians, while asserting that the Dutch activists were “not welcome”.
Gretta Duisenberg did not simply raise a flag, nor did she merely spark controversial headlines in the news. She is a member of a promising generation that is setting new standards, changing the rules of the game altogether. Gretta Duisenberg places her humanity above personal interests. She didn’t succumb to the pressure of her opponents, she wouldn't. One can only hope that voices like hers will no longer sing alone, and that a chorus will
continue to cry out the world over: “Stop de Bezetting”, “End the Occupation.”
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:59 pm Post subject: Good Will Towards Who?
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021119171801164
Good Will Towards Who?
Tuesday, November 19 2002 @ 05:18 PM GMT
By Edna Yaghi
WASHINGTON (PC) - Even before Halloween was barely over, Americans had already begun ready themselves for Thanksgiving.
Iraqi child under sanctions
Even before American turkeys grace Thanksgiving tables, Christmas decorations, candy and piped Christmas music abound at every shopping center.
It is strange that we, the American people speak of being thankful and of such noble thoughts as peace on earth and good will towards men while at the same time, we speak of a war against the Iraqi people. Also, in the Holy Land, the Palestinian people suffer horrendously and every day, the toll on the civilian population grows heavier.
Where then, is this peace and joy that we claim we promote at this special time of year? Is it that only Americans are entitled to peace on earth and good will towards themselves? Is it that the deaths of others no longer matter to us? Is it that our own holiday seasons are so commercialized that we no longer recognize exactly what we have become? And is it that the American government has become so adept at propaganda that we have stopped thinking
clearly about what is right and what is wrong? Have we become conditioned into believing that our government has the right to dictate whatever it wants to to whomever it wants to?
The Iraqi and Palestinian match girls are at our windows freezing in the falling snow and we are so busy with our own festivities and making sure that our banquet tables overflow with a surplus of bounties that we no longer see them or hear them.
Our media continues to remind us that all Palestinians are terrorists, even unborn babies. We continue to believe that children bravely clutching stones and dying for freedom against the Israeli government that we, the American taxpayers support to the tune of more than 97 billion dollars a year, are armed soldiers.
We supply the Israelis with tanks, with Apache helicopters, with F-16s, with bulldozers so that the Israeli army can attack Palestinian civilian targets by land, by sea, and by air at all hours of the day and night. Yet, we see no wrong in this. We only become enraged when a few ragged Palestinian freedom fighters dare to die for their people, for their land, for their freedom.
We don’t mind it when the Israeli army storms into Palestinian refugee camps and bulldozes homes and leaves either the occupants dead inside of the bulldozed houses or out in the cold without shelter.
We don’t care when Palestinian farmland is destroyed by Israeli tractors and olive and fruit trees overturned. We don’t mind when Palestinians are kept under 24 hour curfews and anyone who dares to put his or her foot outside their door is shot down. We don’t even wonder how these Palestinian people are able to support themselves when they are under curfews and when they are surrounded by Israeli tanks and soldiers.
We aren’t amazed when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon demands that illegal Israeli settlers who have set up their houses on Palestinian land kill Palestinians in their homes, on their way to school, or watching their flocks by night. We simply sit, complacent that we are full and it is not us who suffer.
It does not bother us that every month more than 5000 Iraqi babies die as a result of the sanctions. It is not that we really perceive Saddam Hussein as a cruel dictator, but a man who defies American dictates. We never stop to think that he is not out to harm us or our interests because we have been told that our lives are being threatened if he has weapons of mass destruction. But we don’t even wonder why it is ok for Israel to have such weapons
and also India. We fail to understand that it is not at all about weapons of mass destruction but rather how can our government topple Saddam so that Iraqi oil can begin to flow into the pockets of our own dictators such as George W. Bush and Rumsfeld.
We continue to bash Islam and Muslims in our hate wars. And everything and anything that goes wrong around the world is immediately blamed on Muslims or Islam. We don’t really stop to think that we bombed Afghanistan to near oblivion in order to kill Osama Ben Laden and yet, we are no closer to capturing this elusive man than we were before our bombs were dropped. We will only think of him as a threat to American security when the moment is
appropriate but we are not ashamed to admit that with all our technology, with all our money, with all our superior power, we still don’t even know where he is or even if he is really responsible for the 9/11 attacks, or even if he is alive or dead. And we don’t even care!
It is time we see other people around the world as human beings. It is time that we not only feel sorrow for our own pain but the pain and suffering of others. It is time that we understand what is really happening in Palestine and that at this special time of year, at a time when we speak of peace and joy on earth, Palestinian women, children and the elderly die on a daily basis. It is time that we understand that freedom and justice are not just
American commodities for American people, but the inalienable rights of all. It is time that we open our hearts and listen to our consciences.
It is time that we open our doors to those little Palestinian and Iraqi match girls whose lives are in danger. It is time that we embrace the true spirit of Christmas before it is too late.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 8:02 pm Post subject: IFJ Slams Israel After Police Beat Journalist in Hebron
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021123155527952
"The attack involved Palestinian journalists from Reuters, al-Jazeera satellite television and US network ABC .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The International Federation of Journalists said Thursday a “continuing mood of prejudice and intolerance” was reflected among Israeli security personnel in their dealings with the media.
The IFJ’s condemnation of Israeli police came after border police terrorized a group of journalists and assaulted a cameraman in the West Bank city of Hebron.
“Over the past year the antagonism towards Palestinian journalists has risen to unacceptable levels of intimidation,” said IFJ General Secretary, Aidan White, after reports that Mamoun Wazwaz, a Reuters cameraman was beaten up last Tuesday.
Border Police pledged to investigate the ‘incident’ in which three policemen attacked a group of 15 journalists in Hebron.
The attack involved Palestinian journalists from Reuters, al-Jazeera satellite television and US network ABC.
The incident was the latest of many wherein journalists have been beaten, harassed and at times shot at and killed by Israeli occupation forces since the start of the Palestinian uprising two years ago.
The Committee to Protect Foreign Journalists, a reporters’ rights watchdog, described the West Bank earlier this year as the worst place for journalists to work.
The group of Palestinian journalists said they were leaving a Reuters colleague’s house when three border police accosted them.
According to witnesses, Wazus like criminals.”
Wazwaz was taken to hospital where he was treated and later released.
The Journalists in the group, who were shoved against a wall and held at gunpoint, said the attack was unprovoked. They also said a policeman held a gun to the head of one of their colleagues, ABC cameraman Amar Jabawi, when he tried to tell the policemen they were journalists.
“This is becoming a routine feature of life for Palestinian journalists in the region,” said White, adding that “Israeli forces are understandably deeply concerned by the current crisis, but they must not express their frustration by the use of violence and intimidation against journalists”.
The IFJ is calling for a full investigation of the incident and for the border police responsible to be disciplined.
Israeli occupation forces reoccupied Hebron this week after Palestinian gunmen ambushed and killed 12 Israelis-- five border police, four soldiers and three paramilitary settler security men-- Friday night.
Earlier this year, Palestinian journalists were formally stripped of any professional recognition when Israel refused to issue them with local official press cards, Reuters reported.
“A signal has been sent that Palestinian journalists have no professional status,” said White, “As a result relations between media staff and security forces, which have never been good, are now rock bottom.”
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2002 11:06 am Post subject: Eyewitness Reports Facts About Killing of UN Worker
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021124204523819
Eyewitness Reports Facts About Killing of UN Worker
Sunday, November 24 2002 @ 08:45 PM GMT
“At first he shot into the air, and most of the children dispersed, running into an alley on the left side of the street. About three small children remained..”
JENIN, West Bank (PC) - Caoimhe Butterly, a UN worker was injured in the same Israeli attack that killed UN worker Iain Hook, Project Manager of UNWRA earlier this week. Butterly reported to American professor, Annie Higgins, what she has witnessed and experienced concerning the circumstances in which she and her late UN colleague were shot.
Iain Hook, killed by Israeli
troops
Caoimhe was injured while trying to protect children who were throwing stones at Israeli invasion forces, which included tanks and APC’s, from soldiers firing at the children with live ammunition. After initially heeding her calls to stop firing at the unarmed children, the soldiers again began firing at them from the safe protection of their armored vehicle.
“At first he shot into the air, and most of the children dispersed, running into an alley on the left side of the street. About three small children remained, however, and I tried physically to get them to the alley, dragging and pushing them. I looked back over my shoulder and could see the soldier in the APC pointing his gun at me from about one hundred meters. Near the entrance to the alley, I was shot in the thigh. When I fell they continued shooting in my direction. I crawled part of the way up the alley, and then some of the youngsters dragged me up the rest of the way.”
While Israeli soldiers claim they immediately sent an ambulance once they had learned about the wounded UN workers, Caoimhe’s eyewitness account reveals a completely different version of events. While the IDF claims that Iain Hook was already dead by the time the ambulance arrived, this is Caoimhe’s account, as related to Higgins:
“No ambulances were allowed into the camp, so I was carried on a makeshift stretcher to where a Red Crescent ambulance could reach me near the entrance of the camp. While I was in the Emergency Room of Jenin Hospital, Iain Hook of UNRWA was brought in. He died a few minutes later.”
The IDF claims that accusations of their blocking the access of ambulances to the camp are false, but Caoimhe’s reports reveal a completely different picture.
“We have been told that when he was shot, the Israeli Army prohibited a clearly marked UN ambulance from evacuating him and transporting him for nearly an hour, during which time he lost much blood. Finally the ambulance crew evacuated him by taking him out by the back wall that employees had broken down earlier.”
The Israeli Army Radio reported on Saturday that Iain had indeed been killed by an Israeli soldier, who claims he mistook the man’s cell phone for a hand grenade. Initially, army sources had even denied the IDF’s involvement, and claimed that the UN workers had been caught in crossfire between the IDF and the Palestinian resistance. However, Caoimhe told Higgins that the crossfire story was baseless, and that at the time they were shot, the shooting was taking place only from the Israeli side.
“Having been present in the Camp all morning, I can testify that any Palestinian fighters had stopped shooting a good two hours before either of us was wounded. When I passed the UN compound in the morning, it was surrounded by Israeli Army snipers and soldiers who were shooting erratically into the Camp. Two people were killed and six wounded. All but one were shot by tank fire outside what the Army deemed a closed military zone. I was not caught up in any kind of crossfire as the Israeli Occupation Forces are falsely stating, and I don't believe that Iain was either.”
During the last two years of the Palestinian Uprising,, Israeli forces have been criticized for firing at journalists, ambulances, paramedics, doctors and UN workers, often leading to injury and death. Tragically, the shooting of Iain Hook was no exception.
While Sharon and Netanyahu have expressed their sorrow over Hook’s death, they have also promised a full investigation into the circumstances leading to his violent end. At the same time, the UN has announced it will also be conducting its own investigation.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 6:09 pm Post subject: The 1 million pounds-a-mile wall that divides a town from it
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021125181131245
Palestinians Ready to Resume Peace Talks with 'Israeli Peace Camp'
Monday, November 25 2002 @ 06:11 PM GMT
"'The Palestinian leadership wants to present the complete peace plan to the Israeli public before the Israeli general elections ..'"
RAMALLAH - Palestinian Minister of Culture and Information, Yasser Abed Rabbo said Sunday that the Palestine National Authority (PNA) is ready to negotiate with the 'peace camp' in Israel and resume the stalled peace talks.
Abed Rabbo added that the PNA is ready to resume the peace talks that were held and stopped less than two years ago at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Taba with the former Israeli Labor government led by Ehud Barak.
“The Palestinian leadership is ready to begin a negotiation dialogue with Israeli peace powers in order to prepare a complete peace plan and to resume Taba talks,” Abed Rabbo told reporters.
He said the Palestinian leadership wants to present the complete peace plan to the Israeli public before the Israeli general elections scheduled for January.
“The plan would be presented to see if there is a possibility to implement a real and practical peace plan and to convince the Israeli public that the road for peace is still opened,” the minister pointed out.
Earlier on Friday, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee headed by President Yasser Arafat stressed its readiness to jointly work with the Israeli peace camp to “reopen the road of hope for the sake of both Palestinian and Israeli peoples, instead of the road of occupation, aggression, and bloodshed...”
“We call for restoring negotiations with representatives of the Israeli peace movements, to put forward a detailed and comprehensive peace plan, completing what was reached at the late Taba peace conference and based on US President George W. Bush’s peace plan and the Arab peace initiative,” it stressed.
The leadership further said that such a plan should “be presented to the Israeli and Palestinian publics to begin a new process, which will open a new phase of security and comprehensive peace between the two peoples and the two states, Palestine and Israel.”
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 6:27 pm Post subject: Israeli army sweeps into central Gaza, demolishes one house
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Israeli army sweeps into central Gaza, demolishes one house
Channel NewsAsia
26 November 2002
The Israeli army has resumed tightening its grip on Palestinian
areas, as tanks backed by helicopter gunships rolled into a town in
central Gaza on Tuesday.
Witnesses said several dozen tanks and armoured vehicles entered
Deir al-Balah, near a bloc of Jewish settlements, under cover of
darkness as helicopters hovered overhead. Israeli forces also
reportedly exchanged heavy fire with gunmen in the town's refugee
camp, and destroyed the home of a Hamas leader.
At least one Palestinian was wounded.
There was no immediate comment from the army.
The Israel army has demolished some 80 Palestinian homes since the
start of August.
Human rights bodies have slammed the policy which they say amounts
to collective punishment.
Last week, Israel sent its tanks into Bethlehem, after a suicide
bomber from the area blew up a bus in Jerusalem.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:03 pm Post subject: Israelis force Palestinian to strip naked -- witnesses
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Israelis force Palestinian to strip naked -- witnesses
The Jordan Times
26 November 2002
RAMALLAH (R) -- Three Israeli occupation soldiers forced a
Palestinian man to strip naked at gunpoint and walk like a dog in a
West Bank city under curfew, Palestinian witnesses said on Monday.
A Reuters photographer snapped Yasser Sharaf, 25, standing naked in
a cold, muddy street in Nablus on Sunday as two men were handing him
clothes to put on and two Israeli armoured vehicles were pulling
away from the scene.
Sharaf declined to comment on Monday about the incident.
Israeli military sources denied that Sharaf was forced to strip,
saying checks with soldiers involved determined that he had been
ordered only to raise his shirt to show whether he was carrying
explosives. "When he saw members of the media in the area, he
decided to undress completely," a military source told Reuters.
Witnesses including two Palestinian firemen said occupation soldiers
stopped Sharaf after spotting him walking in a street in violation
of curfew and, "pointing their rifles at him, ordered him to start
stripping."
"Yasser told them he had nothing to hide but they continued shouting
and readied their rifles to shoot," fireman Samir Al Lifdawi told
Reuters by telephone from Nablus.
"They forced Yasser to take off all his clothes including his
underwear...They ordered him to walk like a dog and then he burst
into tears," Lifdawi said.
He said he watched the incident unfold from a fire station a few
metres away. A colleague, Sultan Al Minawi, provided the same
account.
"He kept crying and was in a very stressful situation... `Many
residents, including women, watched him and he was very
embarrassed'," Minawi said.
Humiliation
Palestinian civilians have often complained of being humiliated and
abused by Israeli troops who have reoccupied
Palestinian-administered West Bank cities to combat an uprising for
freedom spearheaded by resistance activists.
The army claims strict "controls" on Palestinian residents are
necessary because activists hide among the population and wear
civilian clothing when they carry out suicide bombings.
Scenes of Palestinians rolling up their shirts to prove they are not
hiding bomb belts have become frequent since the Israeli army swept
into West Bank cities in June to punish the Palestinian people for
suicide attacks which have killed scores of Israeli civilians.
Sunday's incident in Nablus would be the first time a Palestinian
was reported to have been ordered to strip naked in a security
operation. Palestinian civilians have complained of being ordered to
strip to their underwear at roadblocks.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:05 pm Post subject: US expresses concern over civilian casualties from Israeli o
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(4) US expresses concern over civilian casualties from Israeli offensive
Channel NewsAsia
26 November 2002
Washington says it is deeply concerned by the civilian victims of
Israel's latest military operation in Palestinian territory.
A young Palestinian boy and a senior UN aid official have been
killed over the weekend as Israeli forces crackdown on Palestinian
militants. The US has urged all sides to prevent such deaths, and
has called for an investigation.
"We've been deeply concerned about recent civilians casualties
resulting from Israeli military actions," State Department spokesman
Richard Boucher said.
But Israel has forged ahead with its campaign and said its hunt for
radicals had netted 22 people in the West Bank on Monday.
The eight-year-old Palestinian boy was killed when he got caught in
a clash between Israeli troops and Palestinians throwing stones.
Israeli forces say they have no information about his death, but
they have admitted to killing UN aid worker Iain Hook.
London has demanded an inquiry into the shooting that took place at
the Jenin refugee camp.
The deaths stem from Israeli incursions meant to hunt down suicide
bombers and dismantle the Palestinian "terrorist infrastructure".
Despite the spiralling violence, the international community is
pushing ahead with efforts to restore peace in the region.
A group of foreign peace mediators are to meet in Washington on
December 20 ahead of Israeli and Palestinian elections in early
2003.
The so-called quartet of the United States, the European Union,
Russia and the United Nations is supposed to unveil a peace plan
that has been six months in the making.
But US officials have played down the prospects of reaching an
agreement on a document before the elections.
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:52 pm Post subject: Identity Under Siege
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002111921583959
Identity Under Siege
Tuesday, November 19 2002 @ 09:58 PM GMT
"Other tactics employed in this war aren’t so evident, among them is an assault on the Palestinian identity itself.."
By Paul de Rooij
LONDON - The Palestinian struggle -- that a people should endure such unremitting cruelty from Israel and still not give up, is a collective miracle…
Edward Said, “Disunity and factionalism”, Al Ahram 21 August 2002.
The Israeli war waged against the Palestinians has taken many forms and not all of them well known to us.
Bombings, assassinations, house demolitions, and arbitrary imprisonment are some of the concrete manifestations in this war - these are clear for all to see and understand. However, other tactics employed in this war aren’t so evident. Foremost among them is an assault on the Palestinian identity itself.
A Palestinian journalist holds a
picture taking of him by Israeli
soldiers following his arrest in
the West Bank
European colonialists learned that to keep a strangle hold on their possessions a policy of divide and rule was necessary. However, the unintended consequence of this was to engender a strong nationalism, a force that eventually doomed the colonialist enterprise. The Israelis have learned this lesson, and trying to implement measures that shield them from the errors of the past. The policies now applied in the Occupied Territories (OPT) apply the
divide and rule principle, but they attempt to quell the nationalism that accompanied this in the past. The foremost element to achieve this is to actively demolish or restrict the Palestinian identity in the OPT.
The process of connecting all the settlements in the OPT to Israel proper by building the networks of the so-called bypass roads also entailed intentionally stopping traffic and contact between neighboring towns in the OPT; contact between the West Bank and Gaza has been mostly impeded since 30/Sept/2000.
It is now very difficult for a resident of any Palestinian city to visit the nearby village. Either a circuitous path must be taken, or it is simply impossible to cross the so-called military checkpoints, in reality choke points.
Furthermore, quite a few villages have been isolated thanks to the fences and walls currently being built unilaterally by Israel.
Finally, some Palestinian villages have been isolated due to the settlement expansion activities. Consequently it is difficult for Palestinians anywhere to relate to other Palestinians elsewhere in the OPT. The Israeli instigated policy aims to fragment the Palestinian identity, and make people think of themselves exclusively as residents of Ramallah or Bethlehem.
For the past 145 days (since June 25, 02), Nablus has been under military curfew. People are only allowed out for a few hours every week, otherwise they are subjected to a lock down regime that even prevents them from sitting on a balcony or peer out of the window. Here the frame of reference of the citizens of Nablus has been further restricted to only account for the individual.
People are atomized, and start to view their problems with reference only to themselves, and it is difficult for them to appreciate that it is their entire community facing this collective punishment.
Again, the Palestinian identity is threatened, and the ensuing frame of reference stultified so that it can be manipulated more easily by the Israeli military. Nablus’ militancy singled it out for this atomization and an assault on people’s identity. From the Israel occupying forces (IOF) perspective, perhaps it is an experiment to determine how others can similarly be “broken”.
During the past few months community leaders not related to the Palestinian Authority have been rounded up and subjected to arbitrary detentions (e.g., see Arbitrary Detentions [1]). The aim of this policy is to remove leaders who provide the necessary cohesion to a society. Once the educated organizers have been imprisoned, the sense of isolation is reinforced, increasing the vulnerability of the population.
Furthermore, the actions of the Israeli occupation have targeted the middle class where most of the leadership of a society emanates. The people who can direct others or offer an interpretation of events are hounded, imprisoned or isolated.
For Palestinians the temptation to escape the communal misery must be very difficult for many to resist. It may come in the form of the advertisements by the Israeli ultra right-wing Moledet Party offering assistance for Palestinians to emigrate; the temptation to drop everything and leave must be very great (e.g. see: One way ticket [2]).
The enticements by Israeli soldiers to obtain collaborators are an added element in the psychological warfare. People will be tempted to obtain favors, food, permission to work, in exchange for betraying fellow Palestinians. Accepting to collaborate accelerates the demolition of their Palestinian identity; it is difficult to see how these people will act in the interests of their society afterwards. The suspicion that someone in their midst is giving
information to the IOF also poisons the air in the mind of other Palestinians. Either way, the Palestinian identity has come under threat by attempts to corrupt the vulnerable or criminal elements in the society.
Traveling in the West Bank and Gaza one immediately becomes aware of the importance of symbols. The IOF is very keen to plant an Israeli flag wherever it is, and it is keen to rip down Palestinian symbols. Even the colors of the Palestinian flag elicit a violent response from soldiers.
During the first intifada in July 1989, Jamal Radwan, an agricultural laborer from Gaza and a father of five, had the tattoo of the Palestinian flag on his arm cut off by an Israeli soldier. The scar runs more than half way from his shoulder to his elbow. Perhaps today the IOF isn’t so much concerned with the physical manifestation of symbols, but is more concerned with the mental national identity.
During the Israeli invasion of Beirut, Israeli soldiers plundered and destroyed the Palestinian archives and important cultural treasures. During the invasion of Ramallah earlier this year, the same thing happened, important historical archives were plundered, key databases destroyed, and the video archives of the Palestinian TV stations were damaged. The Sakakini Centre and Kasaba Theatre in Ramallah, two very important contemporary cultural
institutions, were demolished earlier this year. These attacks aim to erase the Palestinian history and culture, an important aspect of any national identity.
While Israelis belabor their past and use it for political ends, they are at the same time attempting to erase the history of the nation they occupy.
If one thinks of one’s national identity, then some buildings and their history come to mind. For the English Big Ben is extremely important; Americans similarly relate to the Statue of Liberty. For Palestinians the key symbols are the Haram Al Sharif temple (known to Israelis as Temple Mount) and the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Casbah -- the Old Town (dating from 71BC) -- and the al-Khadra Mosque
(1,000+ years old) in Nablus, all are of great importance. The latter has already been demolished in several phases this year - this is destruction of world heritage monuments. The Casbah has been blasted by very large bombs and repeatedly hit by tank fire (see Nablus info [3]).
The Church of the Nativity with a spiritual value to hundreds of millions of people was damaged earlier this year by Israeli actions. A clear threat hangs over the Haram Al Sharif temple with ever increasing calls by the erstwhile fanatic fringe of the settlers, but increasingly coming from centrist politicians to demolish the temple.
The extremist settlers aim to blow it up or undermine the structure by digging tunnels under it; some “centrist” politicians have called to cut the building in pieces, and send the crates to Saudi Arabia.
Supposedly, this temple is in the way of a planned Jewish sacred temple, and just like Palestinians have been pushed aside in most of their homeland, their monuments may soon be cast aside too. The destruction of the national identity has an architectural component.
For decades, Israelis have been attempting to erase the vestiges of the 400+ Palestinian villages and towns destroyed during the 1948 war. The towns have been bulldozed and the ruins have been built over. Where one finds a pine forest in Israel proper one will find the ruins of a Palestinian village that the Israelis are trying to hide. In recent months, many of these ruined villages have been “developed” so that Palestinians won’t be able to
claim them in an eventual peace agreement, but part of the process is to rid the country of Palestinian history and vestiges. Erasing the ruined villages is not only an attempt to rid any Palestinian claim to the land, but also another attempt to demolish their identity. The most potent symbol for Palestinians is the “key” - the claim to the homes that the Israelis stole. The key is also the principal symbol excised out of all cartoons and art by
the Israeli censor. Further demolition of the ruins has important implications for all.
Archeology has been a battleground with a long history. Israelis have always claimed monopoly in archeology, and they have prohibited Palestinians from studying this field in Israeli universities.
Israeli archeologists will usually concentrate on the old layers in the archeological excavations, to the exclusion of the more recent ones dealing with Palestinian history -- these are usually destroyed. A few years ago, Dr. Albert Glock, an American archeologist head of the Palestinian Institute of Archeology at Bir Zeit University, was excavating the recent layers near Ramallah when he was mysteriously assassinated.
Palestinians suspect that the Israelis assassinated him because digging up the recent history counters the Israeli attempts to bury the Palestinian history.
The looming threat of war against Iraq casts a dark shadow over the Palestinians. As Prof. Illan Pappe has stated, it is now a centrist political position in Israel to propose plans for “transfer” -- that obscene euphemism for the mass expulsion of Palestinians.
One can read about this in the Israeli press, listen to the Molodet Party’s proposals, or one can listen to some of the principal cabinet members in the current government; they all clamor with varying degrees of viciousness about plans to expel the Palestinian population. The only restraining factors are the international reaction to such a crime and the feasibility of expelling the population to Lebanon, Jordan, or Iraq. Graham Usher, a British
journalist, recently said that what is being envisaged by the US in the area is not simply “regime change, but region change.” [Note 4] If such seismic changes are implemented entailing the redrawing of borders in Iraq and Jordan, then Israel may see an opportunity to implement its sinister plans.
One must see the current attempts to demolish the Palestinian identity in this context. An atomized and brutalized population without any effective leadership can perhaps be terrorized to flee across the border in the event of a war.
It is unimaginable why any population should be subjected to the threat of ethnic cleansing in the 21st century.
After WWII, the world had achieved a consensus that the “might makes right” principle was unacceptable and incompatible with peace. Annexation by war, it was agreed, could not be tolerated. As such, the incessant pressure to expel the Palestinian population, to erase their history, and to demolish their identity, are incompatible with principles that have formed the basis of international law and consensus for the past 50+ years.
It is the responsibility of the so-called international community to put a stop to the war and to the Israeli campaign against Palestinians. One would hope that the UN would play a leading role, but the organization is currently compromised and manipulated by the US. One can hardly expect Kofi Annan, a venal politician, to act decisively; the Rwandan genocide occurred during his watch, and the callousness he exhibited then doesn’t portend for an
active role now. Unfortunately, up to now, the stance of most European governments has been disgraceful.
Similarly, the role of major human rights organizations with responsibility for the area has been less than honorable (see Amnesty [5]). The establishment of a war crimes tribunal holding Sharon, Mofaz, Netanyahu, Ben-Eliezer, and Peres, to account is of paramount importance, yet no action is seen for its institution. One fears the worst: that mass crimes and ethnic cleansing will occur in the area and no peep will be heard from the so-called
international community.
Paul de Rooij is an economist living in London. He can be reached at proox@hotmail.com
Note 1: www.counterpunch.org/bahour1023.html
Note 2: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2377273.stm
Note 3: www.nablus.org/invasion/press2.html. Don’t miss: www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=10291 Nothing like seeing the photos.
Note 4: Talk given in the House of Parliament, London, Nov. 14, 2002.
Note 5: www.counterpunch.org/rooij1031.html
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:56 pm Post subject: Intifada Lessons Learned
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021001013501615
Intifada Lessons Learned
Tuesday, October 01 2002 @ 01:35 AM GMT
“It’s not weapons alone that dictate the terms and outcomes of a battle, but also the people’s belief in the justness of their cause. And my people, the Palestinians are true believers.”
By Ramzy Baroud
If one is to pause for a moment of silence to commemorate each of those killed during the Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation, one shall be left standing quietly for a very long time.
Palestinians commemorate the second anniversary of their uprising (Intifada), and the tragedy can hardly be any more heartrending. I know of families who lost several members, some collectively and others, one at a time; I know of families that have been completely wiped out; I know of a husband who lost his wife and all of his children, and of wives who lost husbands, of babies who were shot in the face, in the heart, others suffocated by teargas
and of others who were buried under the debris of their demolished homes, for days or weeks.
During the last two years, we have seen about every possible form of brutality; we’ve learned of new terminology, describing particular type of weapons. We know of Palestinians who were burned to death, of others crushed by large stones, by tanks, by their own homes. We have learned of refugees who burned in tents and of others tortured to death. We know a great deal; we have seen the images, watched them on television, read eyewitness accounts;
press releases, newspaper reports, bias or not, it doesn't matter. It simply happened, and we all know it.
Now, we know what an Apache helicopter is capable of doing. We’ve seen it at work. We now know what a Merkava tank is, and how destructive it can be. We’ve all seen it, sweeping through the West Bank and Gaza, leaving behind a trail of blood and columns of smoke. We’ve learned more about the tricks of the Israeli army, how rubber bullets can be filled with metal, enough to kill a human being, but not enough to reflect the brutality of
occupation, after all it remains a “rubber bullet“. We’ve seen how increasing the toxicity of teargas can make it poisonous, but after all, it is still called teargas, although strong enough to halt the heartbeat of a child, of an elder, of a pregnant woman.
Some have learned a bit more about Palestine and its geography. Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, Balata, Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza, are all cities and refugee camps in Palestine. We know that because they have all been assaulted, repeatedly, much of them destroyed and many of their sons and daughters murdered. Places like Daraj neighborhood in Gaza would have never made it to the international media, but it did, for it was there that a 1,000 pound
Israeli bomb blew up 17 Palestinians, including 10 children and wounding 170 more, just a few weeks ago.
Some became more comfortable with the sounds of Arab names: Iman, Mohamed, Mustafa, Fathi, Waddah, Ziyad, Nasser, Abdelkarim, Hani ... They all are names of Palestinians killed, just a few of a long list that will soon reach 2,000.
We’ve become more familiar with political deception and propaganda in times of war and of the influence of the media in shaping people’s perceptions. We learned that in order for Palestinians to call the killing of their people “a massacre,” they better have a good case: killing 63 Palestinians in Jenin, wounding 270, imprisoning and expelling thousands, destroying hundreds of homes, all within two weeks, can hardly meet the requirement of a
“massacre,” but Israel is free to name every suicide bombing a “massacre” if it wishes, no explanations nor UN reports are required.
We expanded our voculabulary with terminology that we’ve always known but rarely seen in action. We have seen some of the best examples of “double standards,” and how they could be used, along with US “vetoes” at the UN Security Council to protect Israel, despite the latter’s “flagrant violations of human rights,” as pointed out in the “Fourth Geneva Convention.” All of this comes at a time when Iraq is threatened with war if it
fails to carry out the same “UN resolutions” that Israel refuses to implement, for allegedly holding weapons that Israeli openly holds, for allegedly doing the things that Israeli has done out of the closet for decades, but without a word of protest from the “international community.”
We couldn’t have imagined that certain terminology could mean one thing but refer to the complete opposite: “Peace”, “Israeli Defense Forces”, “compromise”, “right to exist”, “right to defend itself,” “war on terror”, ..
On a personal note, before these trials, I couldn’t have imagined that feeling of not knowing if ones family in Palestine is alive or dead.
I couldn’t have imagined that I would pick names for my newborn from a list of names of those killed during the uprising of my people.
I couldn’t have imagined that a nation’s struggle for freedom could be so honorable, so admirable, so humbling, yet so misunderstood.
I couldn’t have imagined that my people’s fight for freedom would extend beyond the occupied territories, the Green Line, or the entire Middle East, into protesting those who finance the genocide and defend the murders, all across the world.
But I have always known and will always believe that the Palestinian’s genuine cry for freedom will echo throughout the world and will someday deliver that long sought justice. I have always known and will always believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There must be.
If standing for a moment of silence fails to convey my love for my people and my homeland in the second anniversary of a painful yet proud phase in our history, I wish that my words, even my tears will convey my message.
www.dying2live.com
Help us break the silence.Help Palestine live in peace.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:57 pm Post subject: "Stop de Bezetting", "End the Occupation"
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120222407109
"Stop de Bezetting", "End the Occupation"
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 10:24 PM GMT
"What has changed in the above scenario in past years, and even more so in the last two years since the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising, is not the issue of defamation or of censorship .."
By Ramzy Baroud
In the recent past, pro-Palestinian views in the United States and Europe have often been shunned by the media and by pro-Israeli organizations, groups that often carry as much weight and authority as some governments. Groups advocating the cause of Palestine are often censored and defamed. They are
accused of anti-Semitism, and even of sympathizing with terrorists. "Boy,haven't I heard that enough."
What has changed in the above scenario in past years, and even more so in the last two years since the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising, is not the issue of defamation or of censorship, not even intellectual slander. What has changed is that those who used to crumble and distance themselves from their pro-Palestinian views, are now growing scarce. More and more people are living up to the challenge, and Israel’s tools of intimidation are
backfiring.
It’s simple, for nothing lasts forever, not even Israel’s ability to subdue its foes by crying
“Anti-Semitism”. Former Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban, recently died after a life of struggle and tireless efforts on behalf of Israel. A famous statement of his however, died long before him. In an article for the New York Times in 1975, Eban declared, “There is no difference whatever between anti-Semitism and the denial of Israel's statehood.”
Sure, the Israeli government and its supporters around the globe are still resorting to the same outdated logic, but thanks to the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, and to the atrocities carried out by the Israeli army, more courageous individuals are coming out, strong and vagarious in support of Palestinians. One of them is Gretta Duisenberg, a respected Dutch woman, a leading human rights activist, and also the wife of one of the
most powerful men in Europe, Wim Duisenberg, the head of the European Central Bank.
Gretta Duisenberg’s expression of solidarity with the Palestinian people was hardly born out of ulterior motives, like many Hollywood “celebrities” whose regular pilgrimage to Israel seems to work well with their career ambitions. Moved, like millions around the world by the cruelty of Israeli army’s conduct in the West Bank, last April, Duisenberg purchased a Palestinian flag, a large one and proudly held it in an Amsterdam rally for
Palestine on April 13.
Duisenberg’s sympathy regarding the plight of Palestinians hardly faded by the end of the march, as she flew the flag from the window of her Amsterdam home for several weeks. “I am unhappy with the way the Netherlands and Europe have responded to what Sharon’s government has done to the Palestinians,” she was quoted by the Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf as saying.
There was little doubt that Duisenberg’s actions were motivated by her admiration of the Palestinian struggle, by her rejection of the human rights abuses conducted by the right-wing government in Tel Aviv, by Europe’s silence and even her own government’s indifference regarding the pressing international affair. But Duisenberg’s action was seen differently by those who could not stand for any criticism of the state of Israel.
Duisenberg was immediately accused of anti-Semitism, according to a criminal complaint lodged against her by a Jewish organization, ‘Federatief Joods Nederland”. Duisenberg was outraged by the accusations. “Nonsense,” Gretta responded to those who resorted to the typical accusation, “An anti-Semite is somebody who blames a Jew for his very being and existence. That is not what I do.”
But the “nonsense” hardly stopped there. According to the complaint, Gretta Duisenberg’s husband was strongly pressed to distance himself from his wife’s courageous stand. The Netherlands-based Jewish organization threatened that it would work along with its New York partner, the World Jewish Congress to see to it that Wim Duisenberg would be deemed a “persona non grata”, or an “undesirable” person in the United States.
The typical lobbying, the collective blackmailing and intimidation continued, but Gretta Duisenberg did what many should have done years ago, she broke the vicious cycle. She simply refused to be intimidated. To the contrary, she moved full-speed ahead in her support of the Palestinians.
Through her action group, “Stop de Bezetting” (End the Occupation), Duisenberg vowed to follow up with her commitment to Palestine, which began with adorning her home with a flag. She in fact decided to take her support all the way to the Occupied Territories. But her journey to Palestine, scheduled for November, 2002 was canceled, thanks to pressure from right wing groups who asserted that the Dutch government was paying a portion of the
expenses for a mission of “one-sided activism.”
Still unscathed by the campaign waged against her, Duisenberg declared that her visit of solidarity to the Palestinian Territories would not be hindered, independently rescheduling the visit for Jan. 5-11, 2002. According to the Associated Press, the Israeli government indicated that it would not block Duisenberg and her group from meeting with the Palestinians, while asserting that the Dutch activists were “not welcome”.
Gretta Duisenberg did not simply raise a flag, nor did she merely spark controversial headlines in the news. She is a member of a promising generation that is setting new standards, changing the rules of the game altogether. Gretta Duisenberg places her humanity above personal interests. She didn’t succumb to the pressure of her opponents, she wouldn't. One can only hope that voices like hers will no longer sing alone, and that a chorus will
continue to cry out the world over: “Stop de Bezetting”, “End the Occupation.”
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:59 pm Post subject: Good Will Towards Who?
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021119171801164
Good Will Towards Who?
Tuesday, November 19 2002 @ 05:18 PM GMT
By Edna Yaghi
WASHINGTON (PC) - Even before Halloween was barely over, Americans had already begun ready themselves for Thanksgiving.
Iraqi child under sanctions
Even before American turkeys grace Thanksgiving tables, Christmas decorations, candy and piped Christmas music abound at every shopping center.
It is strange that we, the American people speak of being thankful and of such noble thoughts as peace on earth and good will towards men while at the same time, we speak of a war against the Iraqi people. Also, in the Holy Land, the Palestinian people suffer horrendously and every day, the toll on the civilian population grows heavier.
Where then, is this peace and joy that we claim we promote at this special time of year? Is it that only Americans are entitled to peace on earth and good will towards themselves? Is it that the deaths of others no longer matter to us? Is it that our own holiday seasons are so commercialized that we no longer recognize exactly what we have become? And is it that the American government has become so adept at propaganda that we have stopped thinking
clearly about what is right and what is wrong? Have we become conditioned into believing that our government has the right to dictate whatever it wants to to whomever it wants to?
The Iraqi and Palestinian match girls are at our windows freezing in the falling snow and we are so busy with our own festivities and making sure that our banquet tables overflow with a surplus of bounties that we no longer see them or hear them.
Our media continues to remind us that all Palestinians are terrorists, even unborn babies. We continue to believe that children bravely clutching stones and dying for freedom against the Israeli government that we, the American taxpayers support to the tune of more than 97 billion dollars a year, are armed soldiers.
We supply the Israelis with tanks, with Apache helicopters, with F-16s, with bulldozers so that the Israeli army can attack Palestinian civilian targets by land, by sea, and by air at all hours of the day and night. Yet, we see no wrong in this. We only become enraged when a few ragged Palestinian freedom fighters dare to die for their people, for their land, for their freedom.
We don’t mind it when the Israeli army storms into Palestinian refugee camps and bulldozes homes and leaves either the occupants dead inside of the bulldozed houses or out in the cold without shelter.
We don’t care when Palestinian farmland is destroyed by Israeli tractors and olive and fruit trees overturned. We don’t mind when Palestinians are kept under 24 hour curfews and anyone who dares to put his or her foot outside their door is shot down. We don’t even wonder how these Palestinian people are able to support themselves when they are under curfews and when they are surrounded by Israeli tanks and soldiers.
We aren’t amazed when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon demands that illegal Israeli settlers who have set up their houses on Palestinian land kill Palestinians in their homes, on their way to school, or watching their flocks by night. We simply sit, complacent that we are full and it is not us who suffer.
It does not bother us that every month more than 5000 Iraqi babies die as a result of the sanctions. It is not that we really perceive Saddam Hussein as a cruel dictator, but a man who defies American dictates. We never stop to think that he is not out to harm us or our interests because we have been told that our lives are being threatened if he has weapons of mass destruction. But we don’t even wonder why it is ok for Israel to have such weapons
and also India. We fail to understand that it is not at all about weapons of mass destruction but rather how can our government topple Saddam so that Iraqi oil can begin to flow into the pockets of our own dictators such as George W. Bush and Rumsfeld.
We continue to bash Islam and Muslims in our hate wars. And everything and anything that goes wrong around the world is immediately blamed on Muslims or Islam. We don’t really stop to think that we bombed Afghanistan to near oblivion in order to kill Osama Ben Laden and yet, we are no closer to capturing this elusive man than we were before our bombs were dropped. We will only think of him as a threat to American security when the moment is
appropriate but we are not ashamed to admit that with all our technology, with all our money, with all our superior power, we still don’t even know where he is or even if he is really responsible for the 9/11 attacks, or even if he is alive or dead. And we don’t even care!
It is time we see other people around the world as human beings. It is time that we not only feel sorrow for our own pain but the pain and suffering of others. It is time that we understand what is really happening in Palestine and that at this special time of year, at a time when we speak of peace and joy on earth, Palestinian women, children and the elderly die on a daily basis. It is time that we understand that freedom and justice are not just
American commodities for American people, but the inalienable rights of all. It is time that we open our hearts and listen to our consciences.
It is time that we open our doors to those little Palestinian and Iraqi match girls whose lives are in danger. It is time that we embrace the true spirit of Christmas before it is too late.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 8:02 pm Post subject: IFJ Slams Israel After Police Beat Journalist in Hebron
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021123155527952
"The attack involved Palestinian journalists from Reuters, al-Jazeera satellite television and US network ABC .."
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The International Federation of Journalists said Thursday a “continuing mood of prejudice and intolerance” was reflected among Israeli security personnel in their dealings with the media.
The IFJ’s condemnation of Israeli police came after border police terrorized a group of journalists and assaulted a cameraman in the West Bank city of Hebron.
“Over the past year the antagonism towards Palestinian journalists has risen to unacceptable levels of intimidation,” said IFJ General Secretary, Aidan White, after reports that Mamoun Wazwaz, a Reuters cameraman was beaten up last Tuesday.
Border Police pledged to investigate the ‘incident’ in which three policemen attacked a group of 15 journalists in Hebron.
The attack involved Palestinian journalists from Reuters, al-Jazeera satellite television and US network ABC.
The incident was the latest of many wherein journalists have been beaten, harassed and at times shot at and killed by Israeli occupation forces since the start of the Palestinian uprising two years ago.
The Committee to Protect Foreign Journalists, a reporters’ rights watchdog, described the West Bank earlier this year as the worst place for journalists to work.
The group of Palestinian journalists said they were leaving a Reuters colleague’s house when three border police accosted them.
According to witnesses, Wazus like criminals.”
Wazwaz was taken to hospital where he was treated and later released.
The Journalists in the group, who were shoved against a wall and held at gunpoint, said the attack was unprovoked. They also said a policeman held a gun to the head of one of their colleagues, ABC cameraman Amar Jabawi, when he tried to tell the policemen they were journalists.
“This is becoming a routine feature of life for Palestinian journalists in the region,” said White, adding that “Israeli forces are understandably deeply concerned by the current crisis, but they must not express their frustration by the use of violence and intimidation against journalists”.
The IFJ is calling for a full investigation of the incident and for the border police responsible to be disciplined.
Israeli occupation forces reoccupied Hebron this week after Palestinian gunmen ambushed and killed 12 Israelis-- five border police, four soldiers and three paramilitary settler security men-- Friday night.
Earlier this year, Palestinian journalists were formally stripped of any professional recognition when Israel refused to issue them with local official press cards, Reuters reported.
“A signal has been sent that Palestinian journalists have no professional status,” said White, “As a result relations between media staff and security forces, which have never been good, are now rock bottom.”
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2002 11:06 am Post subject: Eyewitness Reports Facts About Killing of UN Worker
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021124204523819
Eyewitness Reports Facts About Killing of UN Worker
Sunday, November 24 2002 @ 08:45 PM GMT
“At first he shot into the air, and most of the children dispersed, running into an alley on the left side of the street. About three small children remained..”
JENIN, West Bank (PC) - Caoimhe Butterly, a UN worker was injured in the same Israeli attack that killed UN worker Iain Hook, Project Manager of UNWRA earlier this week. Butterly reported to American professor, Annie Higgins, what she has witnessed and experienced concerning the circumstances in which she and her late UN colleague were shot.
Iain Hook, killed by Israeli
troops
Caoimhe was injured while trying to protect children who were throwing stones at Israeli invasion forces, which included tanks and APC’s, from soldiers firing at the children with live ammunition. After initially heeding her calls to stop firing at the unarmed children, the soldiers again began firing at them from the safe protection of their armored vehicle.
“At first he shot into the air, and most of the children dispersed, running into an alley on the left side of the street. About three small children remained, however, and I tried physically to get them to the alley, dragging and pushing them. I looked back over my shoulder and could see the soldier in the APC pointing his gun at me from about one hundred meters. Near the entrance to the alley, I was shot in the thigh. When I fell they continued shooting in my direction. I crawled part of the way up the alley, and then some of the youngsters dragged me up the rest of the way.”
While Israeli soldiers claim they immediately sent an ambulance once they had learned about the wounded UN workers, Caoimhe’s eyewitness account reveals a completely different version of events. While the IDF claims that Iain Hook was already dead by the time the ambulance arrived, this is Caoimhe’s account, as related to Higgins:
“No ambulances were allowed into the camp, so I was carried on a makeshift stretcher to where a Red Crescent ambulance could reach me near the entrance of the camp. While I was in the Emergency Room of Jenin Hospital, Iain Hook of UNRWA was brought in. He died a few minutes later.”
The IDF claims that accusations of their blocking the access of ambulances to the camp are false, but Caoimhe’s reports reveal a completely different picture.
“We have been told that when he was shot, the Israeli Army prohibited a clearly marked UN ambulance from evacuating him and transporting him for nearly an hour, during which time he lost much blood. Finally the ambulance crew evacuated him by taking him out by the back wall that employees had broken down earlier.”
The Israeli Army Radio reported on Saturday that Iain had indeed been killed by an Israeli soldier, who claims he mistook the man’s cell phone for a hand grenade. Initially, army sources had even denied the IDF’s involvement, and claimed that the UN workers had been caught in crossfire between the IDF and the Palestinian resistance. However, Caoimhe told Higgins that the crossfire story was baseless, and that at the time they were shot, the shooting was taking place only from the Israeli side.
“Having been present in the Camp all morning, I can testify that any Palestinian fighters had stopped shooting a good two hours before either of us was wounded. When I passed the UN compound in the morning, it was surrounded by Israeli Army snipers and soldiers who were shooting erratically into the Camp. Two people were killed and six wounded. All but one were shot by tank fire outside what the Army deemed a closed military zone. I was not caught up in any kind of crossfire as the Israeli Occupation Forces are falsely stating, and I don't believe that Iain was either.”
During the last two years of the Palestinian Uprising,, Israeli forces have been criticized for firing at journalists, ambulances, paramedics, doctors and UN workers, often leading to injury and death. Tragically, the shooting of Iain Hook was no exception.
While Sharon and Netanyahu have expressed their sorrow over Hook’s death, they have also promised a full investigation into the circumstances leading to his violent end. At the same time, the UN has announced it will also be conducting its own investigation.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 6:09 pm Post subject: The 1 million pounds-a-mile wall that divides a town from it
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021125181131245
Palestinians Ready to Resume Peace Talks with 'Israeli Peace Camp'
Monday, November 25 2002 @ 06:11 PM GMT
"'The Palestinian leadership wants to present the complete peace plan to the Israeli public before the Israeli general elections ..'"
RAMALLAH - Palestinian Minister of Culture and Information, Yasser Abed Rabbo said Sunday that the Palestine National Authority (PNA) is ready to negotiate with the 'peace camp' in Israel and resume the stalled peace talks.
Abed Rabbo added that the PNA is ready to resume the peace talks that were held and stopped less than two years ago at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Taba with the former Israeli Labor government led by Ehud Barak.
“The Palestinian leadership is ready to begin a negotiation dialogue with Israeli peace powers in order to prepare a complete peace plan and to resume Taba talks,” Abed Rabbo told reporters.
He said the Palestinian leadership wants to present the complete peace plan to the Israeli public before the Israeli general elections scheduled for January.
“The plan would be presented to see if there is a possibility to implement a real and practical peace plan and to convince the Israeli public that the road for peace is still opened,” the minister pointed out.
Earlier on Friday, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee headed by President Yasser Arafat stressed its readiness to jointly work with the Israeli peace camp to “reopen the road of hope for the sake of both Palestinian and Israeli peoples, instead of the road of occupation, aggression, and bloodshed...”
“We call for restoring negotiations with representatives of the Israeli peace movements, to put forward a detailed and comprehensive peace plan, completing what was reached at the late Taba peace conference and based on US President George W. Bush’s peace plan and the Arab peace initiative,” it stressed.
The leadership further said that such a plan should “be presented to the Israeli and Palestinian publics to begin a new process, which will open a new phase of security and comprehensive peace between the two peoples and the two states, Palestine and Israel.”
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 6:27 pm Post subject: Israeli army sweeps into central Gaza, demolishes one house
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Israeli army sweeps into central Gaza, demolishes one house
Channel NewsAsia
26 November 2002
The Israeli army has resumed tightening its grip on Palestinian
areas, as tanks backed by helicopter gunships rolled into a town in
central Gaza on Tuesday.
Witnesses said several dozen tanks and armoured vehicles entered
Deir al-Balah, near a bloc of Jewish settlements, under cover of
darkness as helicopters hovered overhead. Israeli forces also
reportedly exchanged heavy fire with gunmen in the town's refugee
camp, and destroyed the home of a Hamas leader.
At least one Palestinian was wounded.
There was no immediate comment from the army.
The Israel army has demolished some 80 Palestinian homes since the
start of August.
Human rights bodies have slammed the policy which they say amounts
to collective punishment.
Last week, Israel sent its tanks into Bethlehem, after a suicide
bomber from the area blew up a bus in Jerusalem.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:03 pm Post subject: Israelis force Palestinian to strip naked -- witnesses
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Israelis force Palestinian to strip naked -- witnesses
The Jordan Times
26 November 2002
RAMALLAH (R) -- Three Israeli occupation soldiers forced a
Palestinian man to strip naked at gunpoint and walk like a dog in a
West Bank city under curfew, Palestinian witnesses said on Monday.
A Reuters photographer snapped Yasser Sharaf, 25, standing naked in
a cold, muddy street in Nablus on Sunday as two men were handing him
clothes to put on and two Israeli armoured vehicles were pulling
away from the scene.
Sharaf declined to comment on Monday about the incident.
Israeli military sources denied that Sharaf was forced to strip,
saying checks with soldiers involved determined that he had been
ordered only to raise his shirt to show whether he was carrying
explosives. "When he saw members of the media in the area, he
decided to undress completely," a military source told Reuters.
Witnesses including two Palestinian firemen said occupation soldiers
stopped Sharaf after spotting him walking in a street in violation
of curfew and, "pointing their rifles at him, ordered him to start
stripping."
"Yasser told them he had nothing to hide but they continued shouting
and readied their rifles to shoot," fireman Samir Al Lifdawi told
Reuters by telephone from Nablus.
"They forced Yasser to take off all his clothes including his
underwear...They ordered him to walk like a dog and then he burst
into tears," Lifdawi said.
He said he watched the incident unfold from a fire station a few
metres away. A colleague, Sultan Al Minawi, provided the same
account.
"He kept crying and was in a very stressful situation... `Many
residents, including women, watched him and he was very
embarrassed'," Minawi said.
Humiliation
Palestinian civilians have often complained of being humiliated and
abused by Israeli troops who have reoccupied
Palestinian-administered West Bank cities to combat an uprising for
freedom spearheaded by resistance activists.
The army claims strict "controls" on Palestinian residents are
necessary because activists hide among the population and wear
civilian clothing when they carry out suicide bombings.
Scenes of Palestinians rolling up their shirts to prove they are not
hiding bomb belts have become frequent since the Israeli army swept
into West Bank cities in June to punish the Palestinian people for
suicide attacks which have killed scores of Israeli civilians.
Sunday's incident in Nablus would be the first time a Palestinian
was reported to have been ordered to strip naked in a security
operation. Palestinian civilians have complained of being ordered to
strip to their underwear at roadblocks.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 7:05 pm Post subject: US expresses concern over civilian casualties from Israeli o
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(4) US expresses concern over civilian casualties from Israeli offensive
Channel NewsAsia
26 November 2002
Washington says it is deeply concerned by the civilian victims of
Israel's latest military operation in Palestinian territory.
A young Palestinian boy and a senior UN aid official have been
killed over the weekend as Israeli forces crackdown on Palestinian
militants. The US has urged all sides to prevent such deaths, and
has called for an investigation.
"We've been deeply concerned about recent civilians casualties
resulting from Israeli military actions," State Department spokesman
Richard Boucher said.
But Israel has forged ahead with its campaign and said its hunt for
radicals had netted 22 people in the West Bank on Monday.
The eight-year-old Palestinian boy was killed when he got caught in
a clash between Israeli troops and Palestinians throwing stones.
Israeli forces say they have no information about his death, but
they have admitted to killing UN aid worker Iain Hook.
London has demanded an inquiry into the shooting that took place at
the Jenin refugee camp.
The deaths stem from Israeli incursions meant to hunt down suicide
bombers and dismantle the Palestinian "terrorist infrastructure".
Despite the spiralling violence, the international community is
pushing ahead with efforts to restore peace in the region.
A group of foreign peace mediators are to meet in Washington on
December 20 ahead of Israeli and Palestinian elections in early
2003.
The so-called quartet of the United States, the European Union,
Russia and the United Nations is supposed to unveil a peace plan
that has been six months in the making.
But US officials have played down the prospects of reaching an
agreement on a document before the elections.
Muslim-Americans Asked Bush to Defend Islam
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:42 am Post subject: Muslim-Americans Asked Bush to Defend Islam
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120165049952
Muslim-Americans Asked Bush to Defend Islam
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 04:50 PM GMT
"There was a resounding silence from the president and other elected officials — and we felt that their silence equaled acceptance .."
By Barbara Ferguson
WASHINGTON - President Bush’s recent show of support of Islam and Muslims has been praised for his rebuff of right-wing evangelical leaders who made a series of offensive, ignorant and racist statements against Islam and Prophet Mohamed.
It now appears the president’s statement came after a series of serious nudgings by the Muslim-American community, who felt Islam was being deliberately slandered.
“Basically we have been seeing this rising tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the US — from right-wing commentators and evangelical Christian leaders – and there has been a barrage of anti-Muslim hate speech.
“There was a resounding silence from the president and other elected officials — and we felt that their silence equaled acceptance. On several occasions, we asked the president to speak out on this issue, and he, and Secretary of State Colin Powell, finally did,” said Ibrahim Hooper, national communications director at CAIR, the Washington-based Council on American Islamic Relations.
“I think it was clear that this rhetoric was so damaging to America’s image around the world, that they just had to do something,” said Hooper. He said he didn’t know if the president would continue to speak out in defense of Islam. “We don’t know, but when they start a policy line like this, other officials carry it forward, so hopefully that’s the case, here.”
“It is encouraging that President Bush responded, and that (Secretary of State) Colin Powell also spoke out positively. We welcome it and we appreciate it,” said Rizwan Jaka, president of ADAMS (the All Dulles Area Muslim Society), in Herndon, Virginia.
“It is something that was needed, because people were starting to wonder why the administration had not responded thus far.
“There were definitely a lot of people in the community who were starting to feel quite frustrated and disappointed that these attacks were occurring against Muslims, and nobody in the administration was responding.”
-Arab News (arabnews.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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Jefferson Davis
Joined: 07 Sep 2002
Posts: 31591
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 5:19 am Post subject:
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Trust me from personal expeerience, some of these right wing Christian fundies are wack jobs. You can buy an expensive 3"x5" "prayer cloth" and place it up to your television to the evangelist's outstretched hand and the Good Lord Almighty speaks through the evangelist over the airwaves to your TV and into your special prayer cloth.
The wish you desire and God granting it are heavily dependent on the size or continuing support of their ministry. Cancer not cured?, you didn't give enough.
Monty Python on acid couldn't come up with some of these ideas.
And BTW, that's Freedom of Religion.
Amen.
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Jefferson Davis
Joined: 07 Sep 2002
Posts: 31591
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 5:25 am Post subject:
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{con't} The best part.
When your hand using my annoited super dooper special prayer cloth touched the screen.
Did you feel that? Praise Jesus!, Did you feel that!!???
Do you know what that was????
"static electricity?"
No!!!! it was my gift to you from the Lord. You're prayers if sincere are answered.
Thanks a bloody lot.
You're welcome.
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Guest
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 6:52 pm Post subject:
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There is never any moral equivalence between one act of murder and another because each one is a unique tragedy in itself and not to be explained away. All life is sacred and it is immoral to take someone elses life to achieve your political ends.
Many Palestinians abhor what is being done in their name but are too frightened to speak out. Those of us who support an immediate and unconditional end to the Occupation and who don't live under the tyranny of Arafat's uncontrolled thugs DO have the freedom to speak out and we must. So I will say this as clearly as I possibly can: these acts of murder, and all acts of murder by Palestinians against Israeli civilians (whether inside or outside the
Green Line) are immoral, crazy, evil, and we demand that they be stopped by the Palestinian people!
The Palestinian people are not done any favours by remaining silent on this issue. In fact, it is very important that the Israeli people be reassured that should they agree to end the Occupation, they will NOT be empowering a people who are ready to excuse away this kind of immorality and violence. Those of us who support peace must be very clear in our condemnation of these hateful and immoral actions. Just as we have been clear in our
condemnation of Israeli violence and the hidden but very real violence that is a daily reality of the Occupation, so we unequivocally condemn Palestinian violence as well.
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Guest
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 11:23 pm Post subject: Same Old Story...
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Same old story --- anti any of Israel's policies and your --- anti-Semitic.
The whole truth and nothing but the truth on the history of Palestine (Or at least the history as the entire rest of the world know it.) to the Madrid Peace talks in 1991.
1888 First wave of Jewish immigration begins.
1896 Theodore Herzl calls for the creation of a Jewish State, notably giving the option of Argentina, Uganda and Palestine
1903 Second wave of Jewish immigration.
1917 Balfour declaration in backing a creation of a Jewish State in Palestine while at the same time Lawrence of Arabia promise the creation of a Palestinian homeland for the Arabs. (Just like the British to give away something that is not theirs.)
1922 First British census of Palestine by religion 89% Arab Christian, Muslim with traces of Armenian Christian, 11% Jewish.
1928 After clashes at wailing wall 133 Jews, 36 Palestinians dead.
1929 Attacks amounting to massacres take place on Jews in Jerusalem, Heron and Safed.
1933 Palestinians call a general strike to protest Britain's pro Zionist policies especially in land disputes.
1936 --- 1939 The Ist Intifada for freedom by the Palestinians. The British hang 109 and kill a further 2500.
1937 Zionists with a nod from the British launch attacks on Palestinians. Estimated 500 killed.
1940 Lehi with Shamir makes contact with Italy and Nazi Germany offering to join forces to fight British for a Jewish Palestine.
1944 Zionist campaign of terror against the British. Both Begin and Shamir will become wanted as terrorist by the British and what will become Interpol.
1945 Truman asks Atlee to allow 100,000 Jews to go to Palestine. Tens of thousands more soon follow. Zionist terrorists blow up the King David Hotel killing 91. Israel becomes known every where else in the world as a country founded on terrorism
1947 Britain refers the question of Palestine to UN. Resulting partition gives 47% of the country to Palestinians. Unfortunately they are 75% of the population and own 90% of the land. The prevailing wisdom for the injustice was to make up for the Holocaust. Unfortunately once again there were no Palestinian guards in the SS.
1948 Zionist massacre 248 Palestinians in Deir Yassim. War breaks out and history repeats itself as the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians begin. As the myth of Israel says they flee from their land not wanting to live with the Jews where the truth is they were forced with the threat of death. By the records of even the Israeli historians less than 20% of the Palestinians join in the fighting against the Jews. Palestinians are never reinversed for their land to this day and where any Jew in the world or Jew for one day as in the case of the Russians can come to Israel and receive financial help. Of course this is not allowed in the case of the southern African tribe whose DNA matches the Jewish priests because they are of of color.
1949 After the defeat of the Arab forces, the armistice leave Israel with 77% of Palestine and over half of the Palestinian population is forces to become refugees.
1950 King Abdullah in a back room deal starting in 1948 formerly annexes the West Bank. He will pay for the selling out of the Palestinians a year later with his life. Israel enacts the right of return for any Jew in the world to settle in the Israel barring the rightful owners from ever seeing their land.
1951 120,000 Jews leave Iraq for Israel. Israeli agents proven to be behind large number of these attacks to encourage emmigraion.
1953 Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip become a regular event. In Qibya, West Bank, Israeli soldiers blow up homes killing 50.
Suez Crisi. Israel invades egypt with the cooperation of Britan and France. With pressure from US and possible Russian intervention Israel pulls back. In Kufr Qassim, West Bank, Israeli soldiers kill 49 unarmed Palestinians.
1964 PlO formed.
1965 Fatah guerillas attack Israel for first time.
1966 Israeli soldiers attack Samu, West Bank killing 18 and destroying 150 homes.
1967 Six day war. Israel in so called preemptive attack (As in if US would have attacked Moscow during the Cuban Missile Crisis) Israel captures Gaza, Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Israeli planes cripple the USS Liberty, killing 34 sailors in what is a combination of the the Liberty overhearing the execution of Egyptian prisoner and the possibility of passing on battle plans to Arab forces.
UN resolution 242 is passed calling for an Israeli withdrawal from these territories. It will become one of over 50 resolutions ignored by Israel excluding US vetoes
1967 United States takes over from France as weapons supplier for Israel.
1968 In Jordan, Palestinian guerillas inflict damage on Israeli forces for first time.
1969 A year long war of attrition begins between Israel and Egypt.
1970 Israeli planes bomb Bahr al Baqr school in Egypt killing 46 children. Palestinian guerillas expelled from Jordan.
1972 Black September slaughter 13 Israelis at Munich Olympics.
1973 Israel shoots down a Libyan airliner which has strayed off course over Sinai killing 104. (In International or Egyptian airspace)
1975 Civil War in Lebanon begins when Christian Phlangists with Israeli intelligence attack the PLO in Beirut.
1976 Civil War continues. Phlangist's massacre Palestinians in Karatina. Palestinians massacre Phalangists in Damour. Syria enters from the East.
!978 Israel invades southern Lebanon. Camp David accords are completed after Israel with much pressure agrees to dismantle the settlements in Sinai.
1980 With continued incursions escalation's mount between IDF and PLO.
1981 Israel bombs the nuclear facility in Iraq.
1982 Israel dismisses three West Bank mayors which sparks off serious rioting. Dozens of unarmed Palestinians killed.
Beirut is under siege for 67 days. Israel begins tactic of attacking high rise apartment building at night with excuse of killing Arafat and PLO. In on instance of collateral damage 105 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians killed in eight story residence. Thousands of civilians killed by Israeli strikes.
Eight hundred and sixty-four old men, women and children are massacred at Sabra and Chatila under the watchful eye of the IDF who had to allow them into the camp. SHARON LATER VILIFIED AND FOUND INDIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR MASSACRE. He still cannot travel to many countries most notably Belgium or he will be arrested for crimes against humanity.
1985 Israel withdraws from Lebanon but retains a security border.
1987 The Intifada begins. The only time in the history of man that a group of children create a rebellion even catching the PLO by surprise. In Algiers the Palestine National Conference declares independence for the state of Palestine. At years end there are over 500 Palestinians killed and 40,000 injured. In this more gentle Intifada the children are for the most part just throwing rocks but for the most part shot by live ammunition.
Israel enacts tactic of might, power and beatings in an attempt to break the Intifada. Israel condemned by international press and humanitarian groups for their use of torture and collective punishment reminiscent of Nazi Germany.
1989 Mass Soviet immigration begins. Laws are very lax on proving Jewish background with the coining of JEWS FOR ONE DAY who after being given money for arriving especially in the Settlements and go on to establish churches.
1991 Peace talks begin in Madrid with Shamir who later admits this is all a charade and playing for time. Strategy still in effect with Netanyahu and Sharon. Bush stops funding for Israel for their continued building in the occupied territories. Conventionnal wisdom considers the ultra powerful Jewish lobby the foundation of his defeat in 92.
Anytime anyone has more rights because of the accident of their birth or their religion that is racism. Zionism is racism. Israel --- the greatest myth ever perpetrated on the American public.
Support Amran Mitzna, the mayor of Haifa running for labor as Prime Minister. Platform includes giving back all the territories. Join Peace Now --- Israel.
Viva la Palestine! --- The Spanish Civil War of our generation.
Footnotes; Portions taken from J. C. Tordai an A.P. photographer who I rode with in Gaza in 1991 as a refugee affairs officer with the UN and from Harvey Morris, at the time the Deputy Foreign Minister at the Independent. Their joint publication is a photojournalistic piece called INTO THE PROMISED LAND. Niether a chickendove or a chickenhawk all facts have been witnessed or verified by academic research.
Paul Romano
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2002 5:27 am Post subject: 54 Years Later, We Live
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021122183731556
54 Years Later, We Live
Friday, November 22 2002 @ 06:37 PM GMT
"My history begins not on the date of my birth, but in November 1948, 54 years ago on this month. The setting, Tarshiha, a village in northern Palestine 20 kilometers south of Lebanon .."
By Fadi Kiblawi
(PC) - Today I am remembering my eldest elders, those who initiated the long struggle of resistance against the arrogance of ultra-nationalism and the violence of exclusion. They, my ancestors, taught me that a people with pride are a people who do not surrender, who resist, who have dignity. They taught me to be proud of my religion, the color of my skin, my language, my culture. They have shown me that more than 54 years of exploitation and persecution have not been able to exterminate us. We have resisted since that time because history has been made with our blood.
My history begins not on the date of my birth, but in November 1948, 54 years ago on this month. The setting, Tarshiha, a village in northern Palestine 20 kilometers south of Lebanon. On this month, an Israeli aircraft, one of only two that the young state had, began shelling Tarshiha, ethnically cleansing the inhabitants who fled. My family walked from Tarshiha, to Bint Jbeil to Tbnin in Southern Lebanon to Beirut, to find Bourj-al-Barajna, one of 3 Palestinian refugee camps in the capital city. My parents remained trapped in Lebanon, until the early years of the civil war, in which they escaped to Kuwait. From Kuwait, the land of my birth, but not of my blood, we came to the States, where you find me today. Much of my family still lives in the camps of Lebanon, while much more have been spread throughout the world, wandering, statelessly and endlessly, carrying one dream. Is there any right more basic than that which allows one to return, to live, on his own land?
Despite this, today I am more than a fundamental part of a country whose governing officials have a foreign vocation and look with disdain and repugnance at my past. For them I am a bother, a thorn on the side, an obstacle that must be eliminated, silently. Their cruelty is seen today as a form of charity. Death looks for silent paths; it looks for the complicit darkness and the silence that hides. They have already tried to exterminate us, being the Palestinian existence, the Palestinian voice, the word “Palestinian.” Different doctrines and many different ideas have been used to cover ethnocide with rationality.
Today, the thick mantle with which they try to cover their crime is what they call “democracy” but with which democracy takes shame, and refuses to be associated with. Reality calls it Ethnocracy and it represents death and misery for the original people of these lands, and for all of those of a different religion but with a single indigenous heart that we call Palestinian. But let us affirm that it is not the origin of blood that defines those who resist. Those who struggle together, who will come out and stand in solidarity and break the silence that the powers try to impose, are brothers and sisters…regardless of the color of our skin or the language that we learned as children.
Today, the conquerors continue to persecute the indigenous who are rebellious around the world. They pursue the indigenous people, who cover themselves with the flag of the red, black, white, and green…the flag that history and those obtrusive Universal Declaration of Human Rights decrees as Palestine.
But they will never impose their empire of silence on us. Speaking and listening is how true men and women learn to walk. It is the word that gives form to that walk that goes on inside us. It is the word that is the bridge to cross to the other side. Silence is what the state offers our pain in order to make us small, to erase us. When we are silenced, we remain very much alone. Speaking, standing together, we heal the pain, and accompany one another. They use the word to impose their empire of silence, to erase that shameful past. We use the word to renew ourselves. They use silence to hide their crimes. We use silence only to listen to one another, to touch one another, to know one another.
Our word is our weapon, and with it rings the truth of decades of occupation, oppression, and dispossession. We say the WORD remains. We speak the word, shout the word, we raise the word and with it break the silence of our people. We kill the silence by living the word. We leave them in the lies they speak and the words they hush, and we join together in the word and raise it in a way which will liberate.
Fifty-four years ago this month, the silence of colonialism, exclusion and ultra-nationalism was imposed on my ancestors, on my eldest elders. But fifty-four years ago this month, our word began to resist, to fight, to live, from that refugee camp in Lebanon. Today, 54 years later, from Tarshiha, to Bourj-al-Barajna, to Kuwait, to the United States, we are still here. There are more of us and we are better. We are of many colors, and many are the languages that speak our word.
Today we say that we will remember the past, and with these memories will work for the future. Today, 54 years after death from foreign lands arrived to bring silence, we resist, and we speak.
Today, 54 years later, we live.
Inspired by the resilient and revolutionary words of Subcommandante Marcos from the Mexican Chiapas
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2002 5:31 am Post subject: Rights Group Brands Tulkarm Killings
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021121031331591
Rights Group Brands Tulkarm Killings
Thursday, November 21 2002 @ 03:13 AM GMT
"According to eyewitness reports, a group of Musta’ribeen, (Special Israeli forces who disguise themselves as Palestinians) infiltrated the center of the town .."
RAMALLAH, West Bank (PC) - As eyewitness reports become available, it is becoming clear that the killings that were carried out in Tulkarm On Tuesday, November 19th may be categorized as “extra-judicial assassinations”.
According to residents who witnessed the following events, Israeli forces invaded the West Bank town of Tulkarm at 4:40 pm, when the daily fast for the holy month of Ramadan was coming to a close.
According to eyewitness reports, a group of Musta’ribeen, (Special Israeli forces who disguise themselves as Palestinians) infiltrated the center of the town.
The disguised soldiers, wearing civilian clothing surrounded an apartment inhabited by Palestinian activists, members of Al-Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of the Fateh movement.
According to eyewitnesses, a group of youth gathered to defend the activists inside the apartment and began hurling stones at the disguised soldiers. The soliders immediately responded with gunfire, killing 16 year old 'Alam al-Zalqa. He was shot in the chest and died instantly.
According to the human rights group, LAW, the activists attempted to flee, when the Musta'ribeen opened fire on them, shooting 20 year old Tareq Zaghal, who fell on the ground. The Musta'ribeen surrounded him, and once they had confirmed his identity, they shot him in the neck, killing him instantly. Medical sources at Dr. Thabet hospital confirmed that Zaghal's hands were tied behind his back. It appeared that he was shot in the neck after his hands had been tied behind his back.
After a short amount of time, Israeli troops arrived to assist the Musta'ribeen, and opened fire at any moving object. At that time, they opened fire on 30 year old Ziyad Mashaqi a security guard. He received a bullet wound to the neck and was killed instantly.
At around 5:30 in the evening, Ahmad Jayyousi (37) was returning home in a taxi driven by Sha'ban Badeer (30). Israeli forces also opened fire on them without warning. Jayyousi was shot in the neck and hands. Badeer was shot in the chest and shoulders. Both were killed instantly.
10 other civilians were injured, including five children, one of whom was arrested and taken to an unknown destination.
According to LAW's findings, at least 179 Palestinians have so far been killed in extra-judicial executions committed by Israel, including 68 Palestinian bystanders.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:47 pm Post subject: An Interview With Ellen Siegel/Sabra and Shatila
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=200209150104303
Taking a Look Back at Sabra and Shatila; An Interview With Ellen Siegel
Sunday, September 15 2002 @ 01:04 AM GMT
By Sherri Muzher
(PC)- In 2001, I conducted interviews with several Jewish peace activists regarding the current Palestinian Intifada for freedom. Among them was registered nurse Ellen Siegel. Ellen, who worked at Gaza Hospital [Lebanon] during the massacre at Sabra and Shatila, reflected on what she saw during those dark days.
And as we approach the 20th anniversary of the massacre, I would like to share her thoughts.
Please note that at the time of the interview, there was a strong effort to bring Ariel Sharon, often viewed as the mastermind of the massacre, to justice in Belgium. Still, Ellen's comments remain noteworthy and deserve to be repeated.
SM: I do have one additional question that I really couldn't ask anyone else...you were at the camps during the massacre at Sabra/Shatila. What are your thoughts right now with a potential trial in Belgium?
ES: I was working as a nurse at the Gaza Hospital in Sabra Camp during the massacre in 1982. A terrible crime occurred at Sabra and Shatila. Approximately one thousand people were massacred in cold blood. Those killed were unarmed civilians. When one reads personal testimonies there is no doubt that this was an atrocity.
Ariel Sharon, the current Prime Minister of Israel was the commander of the Israeli Defense Forces at the time of the massacre. Almost every politically knowledgeable Israeli was aware of the deep and long rooted history of hatred between the Palestinians and the Lebanese Christian Phalangists. Israel sent the Phalange into the camps to supposedly "rid the camp of remaining PLO fighters."
They blocked off all the entrances and exits of the camps thereby not allowing the camps inhabitants to escape. They supplied the flares that lit up neighborhoods of the camp which allowed the Phalange to see their way through the alleyways of the camp. On the final day of the massacre, the international health workers were led out of the camp. We saw many soldiers with walkie-talkies, dead bodies, a bulldozer with a Hebrew letter moving soil around
in a large area.
We were lined up against a bullet ridden wall; an Israeli came running and stopped the Phalange from shooting. We were led to the Israeli Forward Command Post where we saw Israeli soldiers on the roof looking down on the camps. Those in command knew WHAT WOULD happen, knew WHAT WAS happening, and did not stop it from happening for at least 48 hours.
The Israeli Commission of Inquiry found Sharon to be "indirectly responsible." His responsibility was more than indirect. As head of an army occupying a capital, Beirut, he was responsible for the welfare of the inhabitants.
As Jews we continue to search for Nazi war criminals, and rightly so. As moral and righteous people we must also seek justice for the crime against humanity that was committed in those camps. I do hope that this case gets to be heard in Brussels. There are a number of nurses and doctors that were present during those days that have requested to testify.
No matter what happens, this story is being heard by a new generation. Sharon's legacy is tainted; history will take note of this massacre. One hopes that one day ALL those responsible will be judged. And that justice will be done.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:50 pm Post subject: In Gaza, Waiting for the Soldiers
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002111615425060
In Gaza, Waiting for the Soldiers
Saturday, November 16 2002 @ 03:42 PM GMT
By Kristen Ess
GAZA CITY (PC) - Thirty tanks plowed into Gaza City last night. Thought is that the Israeli’s are checking to see what kind of resistance they will encounter before sending in 100s more.
The tanks usually sit in Netzarim, an illegal Israeli settlement used as a military outpost. Palestinian police moved their truck under a tree for hiding and braced themselves. There is nothing to mount an effective resistance with. No short-range gun, as the Palestinian police have, can reach a settlement or combat a tank or Apache.
Israeli army incursion into
Gaza
Four of the reported 10,000 “wanted” in Gaza, sat up for the night, dressed and ready to be taken. There was nothing for them to do. They did not speak about internal politics; Arafat’s stacking of the cabinet, or the Palestinian National Initiative. There is no point in these times—three were from PFLP and two Fatah. They have a common crisis and sorting out the problems of the Palestinian Authority will not dismantle the Occupation.
These people have spent their lives resisting, the cumulative total of time spent in an Israeli prison amongst the four is more than 50 years. The woman in the group is dressed to be kidnapped, prepared for the attack on her body and her mind.
This is the policy of Israel, which already holds over 5,000 Palestinians hostage in Israeli prisons. She wears two pairs of socks to survive a cold winter inside of a cell. She has already spent 20 years in Israeli prisons for her political beliefs. A man, in exile from the West Bank, wears only a t-shirt. He says, “I will die here in this home. This is the end for us. They put us here, there is nowhere left to go.”
The people have gathered because this is the safest place they can think of. The woman has gotten out of her house, having to sneak past the Israeli tanks that surround the television station, as if she were a criminal. All Palestinians are criminalized by Israel, and in Gaza this because even more clear. And the people sit and wait to die, or to be arrested for “crimes” of Israel’s choosing.
Young girls are crying inside a home that Israeli soldiers ransacked, terrorizing the family before dragging their father away on the eighth night of Ramadan.
15 November, 2002
Israel is attacking the West Bank city of Nablus, still under curfew, killing two boys this afternoon. In Hebron, a Palestinian city that has suffered under Israeli curfew for years, ten armed illegal Israeli soldiers and settlers were killed.
In Rafah the Israeli military continues its campaign of house demolition and random killing of Palestinians.
At this moment, 2:30 am, Israeli Apache helicopters are firing missiles into Gaza City. They fired one, and then the last two came at the same time, exploding a few blocks away in the residential neighborhood that Israel bombed in July. The Apaches, donated to Israel by the US, are circling right now. Lights are coming on in the windows of nearby apartment buildings. A baby is crying upstairs.
My flat mate is going back to bed. He has an exam at his university in the morning. The nervousness, the constant hissing from the sky followed by deafening explosions, the thought that everyday may well be the last day of his life, is slowly killing him like it is most Palestinians in Gaza.
This is part of Israel’s ethnic cleansing campaign: make life such hell for Palestinians that they leave without the Right of Return or become so demoralized they cannot mount a viable political strategy of resistance or possibly rebuild their destroyed infrastructure. He cannot stay up throughout the night anymore to wait to see where the next missile hits or to worry whether Israeli soldiers will drag him away. He says, “enough,” and shuts
his door.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:51 pm Post subject: Tanks Near My Window
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021121190245919
Tanks Near My Window
Thursday, November 21 2002 @ 07:02 PM GMT
"Last night the Israeli military attacked an area of the devastated southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis where they shot two boys playing soccer .."
By Kristen Ess
GAZA CITY (PC) - An Israeli tank rumbled throughout the night just outside the window of the bedroom I share with a Palestinian woman living in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah's Block O.
She chit-chats with me about her pregnancy as we fall asleep, ignoring the constant shooting from the tank. Earlier her husband joked that the Israeli soldiers are afraid of the evacuated houses so they shoot. This couple, along with another family next door, are the only people who remain in this area, a stretch of refugee camp between Rafah's Block O and Block J.
As we hold a morning meeting news comes about the bombing in Al Quds (Jerusalem), the city which under international law is the capital of Palestine yet is illegally occupied by Israel.
The Rafah house is shaking from the noise and vibration of the Israeli tank as I speak with friends in Bethlehem, the West Bank city in whose outskirts the bomber rented a house.
Last night, friends tell me, tanks surrounded Bethlehem, Israeli military jeeps sped through the streets, and Apaches circled overhead, waiting to attack. This was before today's operation, which will provide the dissembling rationale for the inevitable Israeli attack on Bethlehem tonight.
In contradiction to international law which prohibits collective punishment, Palestinians expect the Israeli military to fully reinvade. Already four families have been taken from their homes outside of Bethlehem. Friends in and around Bethlehem and it's refugee camps have been calling all day, saying goodbye just in case. This has become too common an occurrence.
Last night the Israeli military attacked an area of the devastated southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis where they shot two boys playing soccer yesterday.
Looking at the bullet ridden buildings and destroyed infrastructure it is difficult to fathom what the Israelis want as they bomb throughout the night, other than to terrify Palestinians into leaving their own land.
In the Gaza Strip there is little hope that Israel's military government and population will be held accountable for its hideous actions before they have wiped out the Palestinians of Gaza, 60% of whom are UN recognized refugees, most stripped of their homes in 1948 in what is now referred to as Israel.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120165049952
Muslim-Americans Asked Bush to Defend Islam
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 04:50 PM GMT
"There was a resounding silence from the president and other elected officials — and we felt that their silence equaled acceptance .."
By Barbara Ferguson
WASHINGTON - President Bush’s recent show of support of Islam and Muslims has been praised for his rebuff of right-wing evangelical leaders who made a series of offensive, ignorant and racist statements against Islam and Prophet Mohamed.
It now appears the president’s statement came after a series of serious nudgings by the Muslim-American community, who felt Islam was being deliberately slandered.
“Basically we have been seeing this rising tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the US — from right-wing commentators and evangelical Christian leaders – and there has been a barrage of anti-Muslim hate speech.
“There was a resounding silence from the president and other elected officials — and we felt that their silence equaled acceptance. On several occasions, we asked the president to speak out on this issue, and he, and Secretary of State Colin Powell, finally did,” said Ibrahim Hooper, national communications director at CAIR, the Washington-based Council on American Islamic Relations.
“I think it was clear that this rhetoric was so damaging to America’s image around the world, that they just had to do something,” said Hooper. He said he didn’t know if the president would continue to speak out in defense of Islam. “We don’t know, but when they start a policy line like this, other officials carry it forward, so hopefully that’s the case, here.”
“It is encouraging that President Bush responded, and that (Secretary of State) Colin Powell also spoke out positively. We welcome it and we appreciate it,” said Rizwan Jaka, president of ADAMS (the All Dulles Area Muslim Society), in Herndon, Virginia.
“It is something that was needed, because people were starting to wonder why the administration had not responded thus far.
“There were definitely a lot of people in the community who were starting to feel quite frustrated and disappointed that these attacks were occurring against Muslims, and nobody in the administration was responding.”
-Arab News (arabnews.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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Jefferson Davis
Joined: 07 Sep 2002
Posts: 31591
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 5:19 am Post subject:
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Trust me from personal expeerience, some of these right wing Christian fundies are wack jobs. You can buy an expensive 3"x5" "prayer cloth" and place it up to your television to the evangelist's outstretched hand and the Good Lord Almighty speaks through the evangelist over the airwaves to your TV and into your special prayer cloth.
The wish you desire and God granting it are heavily dependent on the size or continuing support of their ministry. Cancer not cured?, you didn't give enough.
Monty Python on acid couldn't come up with some of these ideas.
And BTW, that's Freedom of Religion.
Amen.
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Jefferson Davis
Joined: 07 Sep 2002
Posts: 31591
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 5:25 am Post subject:
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{con't} The best part.
When your hand using my annoited super dooper special prayer cloth touched the screen.
Did you feel that? Praise Jesus!, Did you feel that!!???
Do you know what that was????
"static electricity?"
No!!!! it was my gift to you from the Lord. You're prayers if sincere are answered.
Thanks a bloody lot.
You're welcome.
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Guest
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 6:52 pm Post subject:
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There is never any moral equivalence between one act of murder and another because each one is a unique tragedy in itself and not to be explained away. All life is sacred and it is immoral to take someone elses life to achieve your political ends.
Many Palestinians abhor what is being done in their name but are too frightened to speak out. Those of us who support an immediate and unconditional end to the Occupation and who don't live under the tyranny of Arafat's uncontrolled thugs DO have the freedom to speak out and we must. So I will say this as clearly as I possibly can: these acts of murder, and all acts of murder by Palestinians against Israeli civilians (whether inside or outside the
Green Line) are immoral, crazy, evil, and we demand that they be stopped by the Palestinian people!
The Palestinian people are not done any favours by remaining silent on this issue. In fact, it is very important that the Israeli people be reassured that should they agree to end the Occupation, they will NOT be empowering a people who are ready to excuse away this kind of immorality and violence. Those of us who support peace must be very clear in our condemnation of these hateful and immoral actions. Just as we have been clear in our
condemnation of Israeli violence and the hidden but very real violence that is a daily reality of the Occupation, so we unequivocally condemn Palestinian violence as well.
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Guest
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 11:23 pm Post subject: Same Old Story...
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Same old story --- anti any of Israel's policies and your --- anti-Semitic.
The whole truth and nothing but the truth on the history of Palestine (Or at least the history as the entire rest of the world know it.) to the Madrid Peace talks in 1991.
1888 First wave of Jewish immigration begins.
1896 Theodore Herzl calls for the creation of a Jewish State, notably giving the option of Argentina, Uganda and Palestine
1903 Second wave of Jewish immigration.
1917 Balfour declaration in backing a creation of a Jewish State in Palestine while at the same time Lawrence of Arabia promise the creation of a Palestinian homeland for the Arabs. (Just like the British to give away something that is not theirs.)
1922 First British census of Palestine by religion 89% Arab Christian, Muslim with traces of Armenian Christian, 11% Jewish.
1928 After clashes at wailing wall 133 Jews, 36 Palestinians dead.
1929 Attacks amounting to massacres take place on Jews in Jerusalem, Heron and Safed.
1933 Palestinians call a general strike to protest Britain's pro Zionist policies especially in land disputes.
1936 --- 1939 The Ist Intifada for freedom by the Palestinians. The British hang 109 and kill a further 2500.
1937 Zionists with a nod from the British launch attacks on Palestinians. Estimated 500 killed.
1940 Lehi with Shamir makes contact with Italy and Nazi Germany offering to join forces to fight British for a Jewish Palestine.
1944 Zionist campaign of terror against the British. Both Begin and Shamir will become wanted as terrorist by the British and what will become Interpol.
1945 Truman asks Atlee to allow 100,000 Jews to go to Palestine. Tens of thousands more soon follow. Zionist terrorists blow up the King David Hotel killing 91. Israel becomes known every where else in the world as a country founded on terrorism
1947 Britain refers the question of Palestine to UN. Resulting partition gives 47% of the country to Palestinians. Unfortunately they are 75% of the population and own 90% of the land. The prevailing wisdom for the injustice was to make up for the Holocaust. Unfortunately once again there were no Palestinian guards in the SS.
1948 Zionist massacre 248 Palestinians in Deir Yassim. War breaks out and history repeats itself as the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians begin. As the myth of Israel says they flee from their land not wanting to live with the Jews where the truth is they were forced with the threat of death. By the records of even the Israeli historians less than 20% of the Palestinians join in the fighting against the Jews. Palestinians are never reinversed for their land to this day and where any Jew in the world or Jew for one day as in the case of the Russians can come to Israel and receive financial help. Of course this is not allowed in the case of the southern African tribe whose DNA matches the Jewish priests because they are of of color.
1949 After the defeat of the Arab forces, the armistice leave Israel with 77% of Palestine and over half of the Palestinian population is forces to become refugees.
1950 King Abdullah in a back room deal starting in 1948 formerly annexes the West Bank. He will pay for the selling out of the Palestinians a year later with his life. Israel enacts the right of return for any Jew in the world to settle in the Israel barring the rightful owners from ever seeing their land.
1951 120,000 Jews leave Iraq for Israel. Israeli agents proven to be behind large number of these attacks to encourage emmigraion.
1953 Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip become a regular event. In Qibya, West Bank, Israeli soldiers blow up homes killing 50.
Suez Crisi. Israel invades egypt with the cooperation of Britan and France. With pressure from US and possible Russian intervention Israel pulls back. In Kufr Qassim, West Bank, Israeli soldiers kill 49 unarmed Palestinians.
1964 PlO formed.
1965 Fatah guerillas attack Israel for first time.
1966 Israeli soldiers attack Samu, West Bank killing 18 and destroying 150 homes.
1967 Six day war. Israel in so called preemptive attack (As in if US would have attacked Moscow during the Cuban Missile Crisis) Israel captures Gaza, Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Israeli planes cripple the USS Liberty, killing 34 sailors in what is a combination of the the Liberty overhearing the execution of Egyptian prisoner and the possibility of passing on battle plans to Arab forces.
UN resolution 242 is passed calling for an Israeli withdrawal from these territories. It will become one of over 50 resolutions ignored by Israel excluding US vetoes
1967 United States takes over from France as weapons supplier for Israel.
1968 In Jordan, Palestinian guerillas inflict damage on Israeli forces for first time.
1969 A year long war of attrition begins between Israel and Egypt.
1970 Israeli planes bomb Bahr al Baqr school in Egypt killing 46 children. Palestinian guerillas expelled from Jordan.
1972 Black September slaughter 13 Israelis at Munich Olympics.
1973 Israel shoots down a Libyan airliner which has strayed off course over Sinai killing 104. (In International or Egyptian airspace)
1975 Civil War in Lebanon begins when Christian Phlangists with Israeli intelligence attack the PLO in Beirut.
1976 Civil War continues. Phlangist's massacre Palestinians in Karatina. Palestinians massacre Phalangists in Damour. Syria enters from the East.
!978 Israel invades southern Lebanon. Camp David accords are completed after Israel with much pressure agrees to dismantle the settlements in Sinai.
1980 With continued incursions escalation's mount between IDF and PLO.
1981 Israel bombs the nuclear facility in Iraq.
1982 Israel dismisses three West Bank mayors which sparks off serious rioting. Dozens of unarmed Palestinians killed.
Beirut is under siege for 67 days. Israel begins tactic of attacking high rise apartment building at night with excuse of killing Arafat and PLO. In on instance of collateral damage 105 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians killed in eight story residence. Thousands of civilians killed by Israeli strikes.
Eight hundred and sixty-four old men, women and children are massacred at Sabra and Chatila under the watchful eye of the IDF who had to allow them into the camp. SHARON LATER VILIFIED AND FOUND INDIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR MASSACRE. He still cannot travel to many countries most notably Belgium or he will be arrested for crimes against humanity.
1985 Israel withdraws from Lebanon but retains a security border.
1987 The Intifada begins. The only time in the history of man that a group of children create a rebellion even catching the PLO by surprise. In Algiers the Palestine National Conference declares independence for the state of Palestine. At years end there are over 500 Palestinians killed and 40,000 injured. In this more gentle Intifada the children are for the most part just throwing rocks but for the most part shot by live ammunition.
Israel enacts tactic of might, power and beatings in an attempt to break the Intifada. Israel condemned by international press and humanitarian groups for their use of torture and collective punishment reminiscent of Nazi Germany.
1989 Mass Soviet immigration begins. Laws are very lax on proving Jewish background with the coining of JEWS FOR ONE DAY who after being given money for arriving especially in the Settlements and go on to establish churches.
1991 Peace talks begin in Madrid with Shamir who later admits this is all a charade and playing for time. Strategy still in effect with Netanyahu and Sharon. Bush stops funding for Israel for their continued building in the occupied territories. Conventionnal wisdom considers the ultra powerful Jewish lobby the foundation of his defeat in 92.
Anytime anyone has more rights because of the accident of their birth or their religion that is racism. Zionism is racism. Israel --- the greatest myth ever perpetrated on the American public.
Support Amran Mitzna, the mayor of Haifa running for labor as Prime Minister. Platform includes giving back all the territories. Join Peace Now --- Israel.
Viva la Palestine! --- The Spanish Civil War of our generation.
Footnotes; Portions taken from J. C. Tordai an A.P. photographer who I rode with in Gaza in 1991 as a refugee affairs officer with the UN and from Harvey Morris, at the time the Deputy Foreign Minister at the Independent. Their joint publication is a photojournalistic piece called INTO THE PROMISED LAND. Niether a chickendove or a chickenhawk all facts have been witnessed or verified by academic research.
Paul Romano
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2002 5:27 am Post subject: 54 Years Later, We Live
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021122183731556
54 Years Later, We Live
Friday, November 22 2002 @ 06:37 PM GMT
"My history begins not on the date of my birth, but in November 1948, 54 years ago on this month. The setting, Tarshiha, a village in northern Palestine 20 kilometers south of Lebanon .."
By Fadi Kiblawi
(PC) - Today I am remembering my eldest elders, those who initiated the long struggle of resistance against the arrogance of ultra-nationalism and the violence of exclusion. They, my ancestors, taught me that a people with pride are a people who do not surrender, who resist, who have dignity. They taught me to be proud of my religion, the color of my skin, my language, my culture. They have shown me that more than 54 years of exploitation and persecution have not been able to exterminate us. We have resisted since that time because history has been made with our blood.
My history begins not on the date of my birth, but in November 1948, 54 years ago on this month. The setting, Tarshiha, a village in northern Palestine 20 kilometers south of Lebanon. On this month, an Israeli aircraft, one of only two that the young state had, began shelling Tarshiha, ethnically cleansing the inhabitants who fled. My family walked from Tarshiha, to Bint Jbeil to Tbnin in Southern Lebanon to Beirut, to find Bourj-al-Barajna, one of 3 Palestinian refugee camps in the capital city. My parents remained trapped in Lebanon, until the early years of the civil war, in which they escaped to Kuwait. From Kuwait, the land of my birth, but not of my blood, we came to the States, where you find me today. Much of my family still lives in the camps of Lebanon, while much more have been spread throughout the world, wandering, statelessly and endlessly, carrying one dream. Is there any right more basic than that which allows one to return, to live, on his own land?
Despite this, today I am more than a fundamental part of a country whose governing officials have a foreign vocation and look with disdain and repugnance at my past. For them I am a bother, a thorn on the side, an obstacle that must be eliminated, silently. Their cruelty is seen today as a form of charity. Death looks for silent paths; it looks for the complicit darkness and the silence that hides. They have already tried to exterminate us, being the Palestinian existence, the Palestinian voice, the word “Palestinian.” Different doctrines and many different ideas have been used to cover ethnocide with rationality.
Today, the thick mantle with which they try to cover their crime is what they call “democracy” but with which democracy takes shame, and refuses to be associated with. Reality calls it Ethnocracy and it represents death and misery for the original people of these lands, and for all of those of a different religion but with a single indigenous heart that we call Palestinian. But let us affirm that it is not the origin of blood that defines those who resist. Those who struggle together, who will come out and stand in solidarity and break the silence that the powers try to impose, are brothers and sisters…regardless of the color of our skin or the language that we learned as children.
Today, the conquerors continue to persecute the indigenous who are rebellious around the world. They pursue the indigenous people, who cover themselves with the flag of the red, black, white, and green…the flag that history and those obtrusive Universal Declaration of Human Rights decrees as Palestine.
But they will never impose their empire of silence on us. Speaking and listening is how true men and women learn to walk. It is the word that gives form to that walk that goes on inside us. It is the word that is the bridge to cross to the other side. Silence is what the state offers our pain in order to make us small, to erase us. When we are silenced, we remain very much alone. Speaking, standing together, we heal the pain, and accompany one another. They use the word to impose their empire of silence, to erase that shameful past. We use the word to renew ourselves. They use silence to hide their crimes. We use silence only to listen to one another, to touch one another, to know one another.
Our word is our weapon, and with it rings the truth of decades of occupation, oppression, and dispossession. We say the WORD remains. We speak the word, shout the word, we raise the word and with it break the silence of our people. We kill the silence by living the word. We leave them in the lies they speak and the words they hush, and we join together in the word and raise it in a way which will liberate.
Fifty-four years ago this month, the silence of colonialism, exclusion and ultra-nationalism was imposed on my ancestors, on my eldest elders. But fifty-four years ago this month, our word began to resist, to fight, to live, from that refugee camp in Lebanon. Today, 54 years later, from Tarshiha, to Bourj-al-Barajna, to Kuwait, to the United States, we are still here. There are more of us and we are better. We are of many colors, and many are the languages that speak our word.
Today we say that we will remember the past, and with these memories will work for the future. Today, 54 years after death from foreign lands arrived to bring silence, we resist, and we speak.
Today, 54 years later, we live.
Inspired by the resilient and revolutionary words of Subcommandante Marcos from the Mexican Chiapas
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2002 5:31 am Post subject: Rights Group Brands Tulkarm Killings
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021121031331591
Rights Group Brands Tulkarm Killings
Thursday, November 21 2002 @ 03:13 AM GMT
"According to eyewitness reports, a group of Musta’ribeen, (Special Israeli forces who disguise themselves as Palestinians) infiltrated the center of the town .."
RAMALLAH, West Bank (PC) - As eyewitness reports become available, it is becoming clear that the killings that were carried out in Tulkarm On Tuesday, November 19th may be categorized as “extra-judicial assassinations”.
According to residents who witnessed the following events, Israeli forces invaded the West Bank town of Tulkarm at 4:40 pm, when the daily fast for the holy month of Ramadan was coming to a close.
According to eyewitness reports, a group of Musta’ribeen, (Special Israeli forces who disguise themselves as Palestinians) infiltrated the center of the town.
The disguised soldiers, wearing civilian clothing surrounded an apartment inhabited by Palestinian activists, members of Al-Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of the Fateh movement.
According to eyewitnesses, a group of youth gathered to defend the activists inside the apartment and began hurling stones at the disguised soldiers. The soliders immediately responded with gunfire, killing 16 year old 'Alam al-Zalqa. He was shot in the chest and died instantly.
According to the human rights group, LAW, the activists attempted to flee, when the Musta'ribeen opened fire on them, shooting 20 year old Tareq Zaghal, who fell on the ground. The Musta'ribeen surrounded him, and once they had confirmed his identity, they shot him in the neck, killing him instantly. Medical sources at Dr. Thabet hospital confirmed that Zaghal's hands were tied behind his back. It appeared that he was shot in the neck after his hands had been tied behind his back.
After a short amount of time, Israeli troops arrived to assist the Musta'ribeen, and opened fire at any moving object. At that time, they opened fire on 30 year old Ziyad Mashaqi a security guard. He received a bullet wound to the neck and was killed instantly.
At around 5:30 in the evening, Ahmad Jayyousi (37) was returning home in a taxi driven by Sha'ban Badeer (30). Israeli forces also opened fire on them without warning. Jayyousi was shot in the neck and hands. Badeer was shot in the chest and shoulders. Both were killed instantly.
10 other civilians were injured, including five children, one of whom was arrested and taken to an unknown destination.
According to LAW's findings, at least 179 Palestinians have so far been killed in extra-judicial executions committed by Israel, including 68 Palestinian bystanders.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:47 pm Post subject: An Interview With Ellen Siegel/Sabra and Shatila
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=200209150104303
Taking a Look Back at Sabra and Shatila; An Interview With Ellen Siegel
Sunday, September 15 2002 @ 01:04 AM GMT
By Sherri Muzher
(PC)- In 2001, I conducted interviews with several Jewish peace activists regarding the current Palestinian Intifada for freedom. Among them was registered nurse Ellen Siegel. Ellen, who worked at Gaza Hospital [Lebanon] during the massacre at Sabra and Shatila, reflected on what she saw during those dark days.
And as we approach the 20th anniversary of the massacre, I would like to share her thoughts.
Please note that at the time of the interview, there was a strong effort to bring Ariel Sharon, often viewed as the mastermind of the massacre, to justice in Belgium. Still, Ellen's comments remain noteworthy and deserve to be repeated.
SM: I do have one additional question that I really couldn't ask anyone else...you were at the camps during the massacre at Sabra/Shatila. What are your thoughts right now with a potential trial in Belgium?
ES: I was working as a nurse at the Gaza Hospital in Sabra Camp during the massacre in 1982. A terrible crime occurred at Sabra and Shatila. Approximately one thousand people were massacred in cold blood. Those killed were unarmed civilians. When one reads personal testimonies there is no doubt that this was an atrocity.
Ariel Sharon, the current Prime Minister of Israel was the commander of the Israeli Defense Forces at the time of the massacre. Almost every politically knowledgeable Israeli was aware of the deep and long rooted history of hatred between the Palestinians and the Lebanese Christian Phalangists. Israel sent the Phalange into the camps to supposedly "rid the camp of remaining PLO fighters."
They blocked off all the entrances and exits of the camps thereby not allowing the camps inhabitants to escape. They supplied the flares that lit up neighborhoods of the camp which allowed the Phalange to see their way through the alleyways of the camp. On the final day of the massacre, the international health workers were led out of the camp. We saw many soldiers with walkie-talkies, dead bodies, a bulldozer with a Hebrew letter moving soil around
in a large area.
We were lined up against a bullet ridden wall; an Israeli came running and stopped the Phalange from shooting. We were led to the Israeli Forward Command Post where we saw Israeli soldiers on the roof looking down on the camps. Those in command knew WHAT WOULD happen, knew WHAT WAS happening, and did not stop it from happening for at least 48 hours.
The Israeli Commission of Inquiry found Sharon to be "indirectly responsible." His responsibility was more than indirect. As head of an army occupying a capital, Beirut, he was responsible for the welfare of the inhabitants.
As Jews we continue to search for Nazi war criminals, and rightly so. As moral and righteous people we must also seek justice for the crime against humanity that was committed in those camps. I do hope that this case gets to be heard in Brussels. There are a number of nurses and doctors that were present during those days that have requested to testify.
No matter what happens, this story is being heard by a new generation. Sharon's legacy is tainted; history will take note of this massacre. One hopes that one day ALL those responsible will be judged. And that justice will be done.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:50 pm Post subject: In Gaza, Waiting for the Soldiers
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=2002111615425060
In Gaza, Waiting for the Soldiers
Saturday, November 16 2002 @ 03:42 PM GMT
By Kristen Ess
GAZA CITY (PC) - Thirty tanks plowed into Gaza City last night. Thought is that the Israeli’s are checking to see what kind of resistance they will encounter before sending in 100s more.
The tanks usually sit in Netzarim, an illegal Israeli settlement used as a military outpost. Palestinian police moved their truck under a tree for hiding and braced themselves. There is nothing to mount an effective resistance with. No short-range gun, as the Palestinian police have, can reach a settlement or combat a tank or Apache.
Israeli army incursion into
Gaza
Four of the reported 10,000 “wanted” in Gaza, sat up for the night, dressed and ready to be taken. There was nothing for them to do. They did not speak about internal politics; Arafat’s stacking of the cabinet, or the Palestinian National Initiative. There is no point in these times—three were from PFLP and two Fatah. They have a common crisis and sorting out the problems of the Palestinian Authority will not dismantle the Occupation.
These people have spent their lives resisting, the cumulative total of time spent in an Israeli prison amongst the four is more than 50 years. The woman in the group is dressed to be kidnapped, prepared for the attack on her body and her mind.
This is the policy of Israel, which already holds over 5,000 Palestinians hostage in Israeli prisons. She wears two pairs of socks to survive a cold winter inside of a cell. She has already spent 20 years in Israeli prisons for her political beliefs. A man, in exile from the West Bank, wears only a t-shirt. He says, “I will die here in this home. This is the end for us. They put us here, there is nowhere left to go.”
The people have gathered because this is the safest place they can think of. The woman has gotten out of her house, having to sneak past the Israeli tanks that surround the television station, as if she were a criminal. All Palestinians are criminalized by Israel, and in Gaza this because even more clear. And the people sit and wait to die, or to be arrested for “crimes” of Israel’s choosing.
Young girls are crying inside a home that Israeli soldiers ransacked, terrorizing the family before dragging their father away on the eighth night of Ramadan.
15 November, 2002
Israel is attacking the West Bank city of Nablus, still under curfew, killing two boys this afternoon. In Hebron, a Palestinian city that has suffered under Israeli curfew for years, ten armed illegal Israeli soldiers and settlers were killed.
In Rafah the Israeli military continues its campaign of house demolition and random killing of Palestinians.
At this moment, 2:30 am, Israeli Apache helicopters are firing missiles into Gaza City. They fired one, and then the last two came at the same time, exploding a few blocks away in the residential neighborhood that Israel bombed in July. The Apaches, donated to Israel by the US, are circling right now. Lights are coming on in the windows of nearby apartment buildings. A baby is crying upstairs.
My flat mate is going back to bed. He has an exam at his university in the morning. The nervousness, the constant hissing from the sky followed by deafening explosions, the thought that everyday may well be the last day of his life, is slowly killing him like it is most Palestinians in Gaza.
This is part of Israel’s ethnic cleansing campaign: make life such hell for Palestinians that they leave without the Right of Return or become so demoralized they cannot mount a viable political strategy of resistance or possibly rebuild their destroyed infrastructure. He cannot stay up throughout the night anymore to wait to see where the next missile hits or to worry whether Israeli soldiers will drag him away. He says, “enough,” and shuts
his door.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 7:51 pm Post subject: Tanks Near My Window
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021121190245919
Tanks Near My Window
Thursday, November 21 2002 @ 07:02 PM GMT
"Last night the Israeli military attacked an area of the devastated southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis where they shot two boys playing soccer .."
By Kristen Ess
GAZA CITY (PC) - An Israeli tank rumbled throughout the night just outside the window of the bedroom I share with a Palestinian woman living in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah's Block O.
She chit-chats with me about her pregnancy as we fall asleep, ignoring the constant shooting from the tank. Earlier her husband joked that the Israeli soldiers are afraid of the evacuated houses so they shoot. This couple, along with another family next door, are the only people who remain in this area, a stretch of refugee camp between Rafah's Block O and Block J.
As we hold a morning meeting news comes about the bombing in Al Quds (Jerusalem), the city which under international law is the capital of Palestine yet is illegally occupied by Israel.
The Rafah house is shaking from the noise and vibration of the Israeli tank as I speak with friends in Bethlehem, the West Bank city in whose outskirts the bomber rented a house.
Last night, friends tell me, tanks surrounded Bethlehem, Israeli military jeeps sped through the streets, and Apaches circled overhead, waiting to attack. This was before today's operation, which will provide the dissembling rationale for the inevitable Israeli attack on Bethlehem tonight.
In contradiction to international law which prohibits collective punishment, Palestinians expect the Israeli military to fully reinvade. Already four families have been taken from their homes outside of Bethlehem. Friends in and around Bethlehem and it's refugee camps have been calling all day, saying goodbye just in case. This has become too common an occurrence.
Last night the Israeli military attacked an area of the devastated southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis where they shot two boys playing soccer yesterday.
Looking at the bullet ridden buildings and destroyed infrastructure it is difficult to fathom what the Israelis want as they bomb throughout the night, other than to terrify Palestinians into leaving their own land.
In the Gaza Strip there is little hope that Israel's military government and population will be held accountable for its hideous actions before they have wiped out the Palestinians of Gaza, 60% of whom are UN recognized refugees, most stripped of their homes in 1948 in what is now referred to as Israel.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
Boycott Israel NOW!
Boycott Israel NOW!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have only one statement to make, 'Boycott Israel and Israeli products.' Why? Because Israel is simply not our friend. You are either with us as an American or against us. There are no two ways of interpreting that one! America first. "Love it or leave it", go back to Israel if you want to defend it so much. But now, I say we need to seriously end this terrorism by divesting from Israel.
http://www.divest-from-israel-campaign.org/ and http://www.israel-divest.org/
And no, I don't like the fascist mentality of our current government and justice department. So don't interprete my statement of 'You are either with us or against us.' from the Ashcroft mentality. I mean that only in spirit. I believe wholeheartedly in pluralism (the idea that we can agree to disagee and that its okay). So I'm with this sentiment, "I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire, (1694 -1778)
Mossad (Israeli espionage agency) operates covertly and continuously within our national boarders. They have infiltrated the very highest offices of this country. (Who do you think scandalized the Clinton adminstration? And allowed the Republicans a more effective shot at the White House? Let me see, could it be Monika Lewinsky? Gee, I wonder what religion she could be? Find out for yourself! I dare ya. (And sorry, I'm not a Democrat, but a Republican.)
Mossad also ran covert ops under the guise of Comverse Infosystems and Amdocs Ltd. And regarding Foreign Monitoring of Phone Networks EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center) filed FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests with the FBI, DEA, DOJ, FCC, and NSA to learn more about two Israeli companies that have reportedly spied on American telecommunications. The companies, Amdocs Ltd. and Comverse Infosystems, perform billing and CALEA compliance services. Both companies, through contracts with exchange carriers and with the government, have access to the public telephone network.
http://www.epic.org/open_gov/foiagallery/requests_2001.html
Mossad also ran operations on our national defense networks before 9/11 (Military bases, posts, complexes) inquiring and gathering intelligence on our security. This was known as the 'Israeli Spy Art Scandal', do a search on the internet. I dare ya.
I'm not a racist, nor do I care to ever be one, but I will use information that these people gather against foreign nationals spying on our country. So check out this guy's site: http://www.davidduke.com/writings/howisraeliterror.shtml
Mossad agents again, I must reiterate, were caught celebrating the WTC towers crashing and burning over 2,000+ people. And gee, 4,000 Jewish Americans didn't show up for work that day? Hmmm, does that mean? Yup, I think it does!
From the poem, "Somebody Blew Up America' by Amiri Baraka
http://www.counterpunch.org/poem1003.html
[...
Who knew the World Trade Center was gonna get bombed
Who told 4000 Israeli workers at the Twin Towers
To stay home that day
Why did Sharon stay away?
Who? Who? Who?
...]
No I'm not making this stuff up. This is all information that's already out there but won't be anthologized on any one website or television station in the US. Why? Because who owns the media??? That's why sites critical of the Jewish mafia and the Zionist media have to be discussed in forums outside of this country, http://www.itszone.co.uk/
What about the historical relationship we have had with the Israelis? They have only used us. They have played us like a two string guitar! In 1967 they killed over 34 U.S. sailors and injured over 172 on board of the USS Liberty. And they have had the gaul to attempt to cover this up,
http://www.ussliberty.org/
And how about three years before that, the theft of over 206 pounds of weapons grade uranium disappear from the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation plant in Pennsylvania. Plant president is Zalmon Shapiro, a former sales agent for the Israel Defense Ministry. C.I.A. Director Richard Helms later charges that Israel stole the uranium. But that was silenced? Hmmm?
Want more? Do you have enough to choke on?
Shalom
More on the USS Liberty attack is included via the following:
http://www.rense.com/general31/lifeof.htm
The Life Of An American Jew
In Racist-Marxist Israel
By Jack Bernstein
1984 by Jack Bernstein and Leonard (Len) Martin
11-16-2
"Loss of Liberty"/"People and the Land":
http://www.itszone.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=1305
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Guest
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2002 12:25 pm Post subject: Excellent Web Site about the Palestinian v. Israeli Conflict
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Excellent Web Site about the Palestinian v. Israeli Conflict
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http://electronicintifada.net/new.shtml
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 3:59 am Post subject: Palestine Chronicle at a Crossroads
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120035157287
Palestine Chronicle at a Crossroads
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 03:51 AM GMT
The outbreak of the Palestinian uprising over two years ago, brought with it a ray of feelings among those who cared to tell the world of the realties of the Middle East conflict. Many of us did all that we felt we could do.
Those who for one reason or another couldn’t rally in the street, could not raise a flag, couldn't right an article, could not send support to Palestinians, pinned themselves in front of their television sets, and let their tears speak of their pain.
A group of journalists, intellectuals and human rights activists met during those trying times. They had no funds, no “business plan”, no official or non-official sponsorship. Nothing, except of their will and determination to change the false perceptions that the world has held of Palestine and the Palestinian people. They knew too well that the media was the fueling factor behind the misconception that the Western world has held of the Palestinian Intifada. They knew that it was there where they needed to start, in order for them to make a difference.
And they did make a difference. For over two years now, the Palestine Chronicle has grown from a web site of amateur activism, to the leading source of English news from Palestine. We were told to quit, since we had no chances of survival. But we did not. Updated daily, and often around the clock when unexpected events arise, the Palestine Chronicle is sited in major newspapers, radio and television around the world, while its writers and columns have been quoted in news outlets such as the Christian Science Monitor, the Washington Post, the Guardian, USA Today, Le Monde, BBC, NPR. Meanwhile, much material has been translated from the Chronicle to many other languages, and featured in non-English publication around the world. The Chronicle, thanks to the faith empowered by the Palestinian uprising, is now the leading English publication on the Internet that provides daily news, commentary and first hand accounts from Palestine.
We are still determined to preserve our independence, and to avoid any practice that could jeopardize the clarity of our mission. We are still determined to be the home of dialogue where opinion are valued by their merit, where Americans, Palestinians, Israelis and people from all over the world can dialogue and express their views as long as such views will further enrich the democratic experience and help stir debate amongst the Chronicle’s growing community of readers and writers. We intend on remaining so. But to remain independent, we are pressed to seek your help, and this time our need is URGENT.
The Palestine Chronicle is facing its greatest financial challenges yet, some of our reporters were forced to leave and the rest are now volunteers, full time volunteers. We keep reminding ourselves that if the Palestinian people are able to endure such suffering for all of those years, we too must learn how to survive without funds. But now we are reaching a point where we can no longer use such rationale. Without funding, we will be forced to shut down.
Some of you have helped in the last a few months. To those, we are indebted with gratitude and appreciation. For those who respect the Chronicle and support its mission, we ask you to come to our help. We need your help in order for us to continue serving the just cause of Palestine. Please consider supporting us in these trying times. Help us in anyway you can, as much as you can, so that we can stay alive.
Thank you from all of us,
The Team at the Palestine Chronicle
To donate online, Please visit the homepage and go to “Support Us”
To donate by mail, please send your check to:
Palestine Chronicle
PO Box 196
Mountlake Terrace
WA, 98043,/em>
Or deposit your gift directly to our bank account:
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:05 am Post subject: Moussa: Nothing Can End Occupation but Resistance
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120221017890
Moussa: Nothing Can End Occupation but Resistance
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 10:10 PM GMT
"Nothing would bend steal but steal, and violence but counter violence, and occupation but resistance .."
CAIRO (PC) - On his way to Damascus to attend a special Arab foreign ministers’ session, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa denounced Israeli’s latest West Bank killings, saying that such violence is only a part of Israel’s usual policy.
In response to reporters questions in Cairo, Moussa said that resistance is the only method to end the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian Territories.
Amr Moussa (left) in a meeting
with Syria‘s foreign minister,
Farouq al-Shara (archive)
“Nothing would bend steal but steal, and violence but counter violence, and occupation but resistance,” Moussa told reporters.
The comments came after two days of severe violence where seven Palestinians were killed on Tuesday and two more on Wednesday by the Israeli army. Of the seven killed on Tuesday, one was a child.
Arab foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Damascus to discuss a unified Arab strategy toward the issues of Iraq and Palestine.
Regarding Palestine, Arab ministers are expected to construct a unified Arab position in response to the United States’ latest peace initiatives, “Road Map for Peace”, aimed at ending the Palestinian uprising and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from parts of the occupied territories. The plan also calls for a Palestinian statehood in later years.
Another topic for discussion is the Iraqi dispute with the United States and the promising return of weapon inspectors to Baghdad. Arab countries are proposing to have a team of Arab weapons inspectors join the UN delegation, to ease tensions and expedite the search for weapons’ procedures. Moussa indicated that the issue will be on the forefront of the ministers’ talks in Damascus.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:13 am Post subject: Famous Egyptian Actor: “Zionists Go to H*ll
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Famous Egyptian Actor: “Zionists Go to Hell”
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 09:57 PM GMT
"Israel has managed to stir an international controversy over the series, bringing Washington to lash out at Egypt for what they claim to be .."
CAIRO (PC) - A famous Egyptian actor, known for handling serious topics aimed at fighting social and political problems in the Arab world, greeted a cheering audience in Cairo with a promise to continue fighting Zionism.
Mohamed Sobhi, a respected actor among millions of Arabs, is the main star and a co-writer and producer of a TV series, being aired on Arabic TV channels this Ramadan and titled “Horseman without a Horse”.
Israel, using pressure groups in the United States was able to lobby Washington to criticize the show saying that it was based on an anti-Semitic document which is believed to be a forgery.
Sobhi however doesn’t deny that “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” was forged, as he informed a large crowd at the opening ceremony of a new cultural center in a poor Cairo district Wednesday. However, Sobhi insisted that despite the inaccuracies of the document, Israel is apparently following the advice therein regarding political domination and control around the world, mainly in the West. Horseman without a Horse doesn’t indicate that the protocols were true.
Israel however has managed to stir an international controversy over the series, bringing Washington to lash out at Egypt for what they claim to be anti-Semitic work. Egyptian officials responded by criticizing Washington, for fighting for freedom of expression while censoring any criticism of Israel.
Once Sobhi entered the Cairo ceremony, a large crowed cheered his name.We tell you Zionists: go to hell,Sobhi told the crowd.We tell them that if the Horse without a Horseman’ series terrified the Zionists, we will produce more series.
It’s an honor to be a Zionist opponent. It is my pride to be defended by not only 67 million Egyptians but also by 240 million Arabs. It honors me very much that I was capable of revealing the great conspiracy aimed at swallowing our beloved nation.
The Egyptian series is gaining great popularity among Arabs and has received very positive reviews throughout the Arab media. Israel has repeatedly criticized Arab television for airing what it calls hate material and anti-Semitic shows.
However, Arab critics say that while Arabs are constantly portrayed in a demeaning fashion throughout the Israeli media, no international uproars are ever stirred in protest.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
[/b]
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:20 am Post subject: Israeli High Court Permits Provocative Extremist Jewish Gath
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Israeli High Court Permits Provocative Extremist Jewish Gathering
Israeli High Court Permits Provocative Extremist Jewish Gathering
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 05:11 PM GMT
"The planned gathering will take place in the near future, during the holy month of Ramadan, when thousands of Muslim worshipers pray at Al-Aqsa mosque .."
TEL AVIV - The Israeli high court on Tuesday allowed an extreme Jewish group to organize in the coming days a provocative gathering just five meters away from the entrances of Islam’s third holiest place, Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied east Jerusalem.
The group, labeling themselves “The Guardians of the Temple Mount”, has previously tried to organize such gatherings in the past, in turn provoking the feelings of millions of Muslims all around the world.
Israeli settlers and right-wing supporters are to participate in the planned gathering, the movement said.
The planned gathering will take place in the near future, during the holy month of Ramadan, when thousands of Muslim worshipers pray at Al-Aqsa mosque.
The Israeli extremist movement is also calling for allowing Jewish worshipers to enter the compound.
Such a move will inevitably arouse anger among Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims, thus worsening the volatile regional stability.
The group, among other Israeli right wing movements, is an advocate of demolishing Al-Aqsa mosque and building the “Temple Mount” on its remains.
An infamous visit by the current Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to Al-Aqsa compound triggered the Palestinian Intifada two years ago.
At least 2500 people, the majority of whom were Palestinian, were killed since that time in an ongoing cycle of violence.
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:22 am Post subject: Palestinians Forced to Break Their Fast at Gunpoint
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120172918652
Palestinians Forced to Break Their Fast at Gunpoint
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 05:29 PM GMT
"Sabri denounced the act and assured those who were forced to break their fast under such circumstances did not bear any sin .."
BETHLEHEM (PC) - During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are obliged to abstain from food and drink during daylight hours. Yet Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near Bethlehem recently forced Muslims to eat and drink, therefore breaking their fast.
While the act was denounced by religious leaders, the Israeli army made no comment.
The Palestinian news agency, WAFA interviewed Mufti Ikrimi Sabri, who reported the act, saying that Israeli soldiers forced Muslims to eat and drink at gunpoint when they were stopped by Israeli forces at a Bethlehem checkpoint.
Sabri denounced the act and assured those who were forced to break their fast under such circumstances did not bear any sin.
This year, Ramadan has been a bittersweet occasion, while many Palestinian towns and villages have been under constant curfew. Clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters and civilians have led to a large number of deaths, including many children. Closures and curfews have also made it very difficult for Palestinians to get the food they need to break their fast at dusk.
Recently in Tulkarm, Palestinians collectively violated a curfew imposed by the Israeli army to go to the market to purchase special items for Ramadan. The demonstration resulted in the clashes and more bloodshed.
In spite of daily curfews, shooting and closures, Palestinians are still trying, against all odds, to enjoy Ramadan this year.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:30 am Post subject: Israeli Army Kills More Palestinians, Violence Escalates
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120220745101
Israeli Army Kills More Palestinians, Violence Escalates
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 10:07 PM GMT
"Families and relatives of the Palestinians victims attempted to bury their dead collectively, but the Israeli army .."
TULKARM, West Bank (PC) - The Israeli army prevented the families of five Palestinians shot dead by Israeli troops in Tulkarm yesterday from holding a funeral for all five at the same time, dictating that each family must quickly bury its own. Meanwhile, more deaths were reported.
Also in Tulkarm, Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian boy during a clash between youth who were throwing rocks at Israeli tanks in the city. The clashes followed a day of bloodshed where five Palestinians were killed, an activist on Israel’s assassination list and four bystanders.
The families and relatives of the Palestinians victims attempted to bury their dead collectively, but the Israeli army refused to allow the procession, saying that each must be buried separately, eyewitnesses said.
Another man was killed in the village of ’Alar, near Tulkarm as a result of a ‘mysterious explosion’. Another person was wounded in the explosion, which left Palestinians wondering if it was another Israeli assassination.
Meanwhile, in the city of Nablus, Israeli troops continued their raid on the city, now entirely under a military curfew. Eyewitnesses say that troops are searching Palestinian homes and locking entire families into small rooms for hours.
In Hebron, the Israeli army detonated the home of Akram Hanini, one of three Palestinians killed during and after the resistance attack on Israeli soldiers and armed paramilitary settlers a few days ago. Akram, along with others killed 9 occupation soldiers and 3 armed settlers in a battle that reportedly lasted for two hours.
Also in Hebron, medical sources said that an ambulance driver and a female nurse were severely beaten by Israeli soldiers. Soldiers reportedly broke the windows of the ambulance and destroyed medical equipment.
In the Gaza Strip, two Palestinian fighters were shot dead while trying to sneak into the illegal Jewish settlement of Kfar Darum, built on confiscated Palestinian land in the town of Deir al-Balah, south of Gaza. Both fighters managed to sneak into one of the homes in the settlements, according to media reports before they were discovered. Israeli troops reportedly blew up the house, killing them both.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
www.dying2live.com
Help us break the silence.Help Palestine live in Peace.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:33 am Post subject: Gazan Workers Denied Shoes, Coats, Food
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120175527754
Gazan Workers Denied Shoes, Coats, Food
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 05:55 PM GMT
"These new policies come in the wake of recent comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to 'ease the suffering' of Palestinians .."
GAZA CITY (PC) - Israeli Authorities has issued new work policies in the 'Eretz industrial zone' in the northern Gaza Strip, which forbid Gazans from wearing shoes, coats or bringing food from home.
The Israeli newspaper, Yediot Ahronot on Wednesday quoted Israeli military sources in Gaza who noted that for laborers in the 'Eretz industrial zone' it was now forbidden to wear shoes or bring in food. For other industrial zones, wearing coats is now forbidden.
Palestinian laborers line up
to be searched at Eretz
checkpoint
These new policies come in the wake of recent comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to 'ease the suffering' of Palestinians not 'involved in terrorism.' Israeli sources defended these new policies as claiming that it would prevent smuggling of weapons.
Prior to the first Intifada, Gazans used to seek work in Israel. According to the human rights group, LAW society, since the Oslo peace process, Gaza has been completely sealed off - essentially a large prison - with devastating effects on employment and poverty levels there.
LAW also stated that during this Intifada small workshops, green houses and farm lands have all come under Israeli bombardment.
Many Gazans are forced to seek laboring work to survive, essentially becoming a pool of extremely cheap labor for Israeli industrial zones (illegally built in the Occupied Territories) and settlement building.
According to the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics, 84.6% of Gazans live in poverty (measured by income). The World Bank, defining poverty as living under 2USD a day, notes that 70% of Gazans live in poverty.
86.1% of Gazans receive humanitarian aid, while 42.1% of all Gazans are totally dependant on food aid. 31.2% of all Gazans suffer from malnutrition. Gaza: 13.2% suffer acute, and 18% suffer chronic,
malnutrition.
LAW denounced the new policy saying, “This new move is a new form of robbing Gazans of their dignity, and carries strong racist overtones. “ They also stressed that such policies are in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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I have only one statement to make, 'Boycott Israel and Israeli products.' Why? Because Israel is simply not our friend. You are either with us as an American or against us. There are no two ways of interpreting that one! America first. "Love it or leave it", go back to Israel if you want to defend it so much. But now, I say we need to seriously end this terrorism by divesting from Israel.
http://www.divest-from-israel-campaign.org/ and http://www.israel-divest.org/
And no, I don't like the fascist mentality of our current government and justice department. So don't interprete my statement of 'You are either with us or against us.' from the Ashcroft mentality. I mean that only in spirit. I believe wholeheartedly in pluralism (the idea that we can agree to disagee and that its okay). So I'm with this sentiment, "I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire, (1694 -1778)
Mossad (Israeli espionage agency) operates covertly and continuously within our national boarders. They have infiltrated the very highest offices of this country. (Who do you think scandalized the Clinton adminstration? And allowed the Republicans a more effective shot at the White House? Let me see, could it be Monika Lewinsky? Gee, I wonder what religion she could be? Find out for yourself! I dare ya. (And sorry, I'm not a Democrat, but a Republican.)
Mossad also ran covert ops under the guise of Comverse Infosystems and Amdocs Ltd. And regarding Foreign Monitoring of Phone Networks EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center) filed FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests with the FBI, DEA, DOJ, FCC, and NSA to learn more about two Israeli companies that have reportedly spied on American telecommunications. The companies, Amdocs Ltd. and Comverse Infosystems, perform billing and CALEA compliance services. Both companies, through contracts with exchange carriers and with the government, have access to the public telephone network.
http://www.epic.org/open_gov/foiagallery/requests_2001.html
Mossad also ran operations on our national defense networks before 9/11 (Military bases, posts, complexes) inquiring and gathering intelligence on our security. This was known as the 'Israeli Spy Art Scandal', do a search on the internet. I dare ya.
I'm not a racist, nor do I care to ever be one, but I will use information that these people gather against foreign nationals spying on our country. So check out this guy's site: http://www.davidduke.com/writings/howisraeliterror.shtml
Mossad agents again, I must reiterate, were caught celebrating the WTC towers crashing and burning over 2,000+ people. And gee, 4,000 Jewish Americans didn't show up for work that day? Hmmm, does that mean? Yup, I think it does!
From the poem, "Somebody Blew Up America' by Amiri Baraka
http://www.counterpunch.org/poem1003.html
[...
Who knew the World Trade Center was gonna get bombed
Who told 4000 Israeli workers at the Twin Towers
To stay home that day
Why did Sharon stay away?
Who? Who? Who?
...]
No I'm not making this stuff up. This is all information that's already out there but won't be anthologized on any one website or television station in the US. Why? Because who owns the media??? That's why sites critical of the Jewish mafia and the Zionist media have to be discussed in forums outside of this country, http://www.itszone.co.uk/
What about the historical relationship we have had with the Israelis? They have only used us. They have played us like a two string guitar! In 1967 they killed over 34 U.S. sailors and injured over 172 on board of the USS Liberty. And they have had the gaul to attempt to cover this up,
http://www.ussliberty.org/
And how about three years before that, the theft of over 206 pounds of weapons grade uranium disappear from the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation plant in Pennsylvania. Plant president is Zalmon Shapiro, a former sales agent for the Israel Defense Ministry. C.I.A. Director Richard Helms later charges that Israel stole the uranium. But that was silenced? Hmmm?
Want more? Do you have enough to choke on?
Shalom
More on the USS Liberty attack is included via the following:
http://www.rense.com/general31/lifeof.htm
The Life Of An American Jew
In Racist-Marxist Israel
By Jack Bernstein
1984 by Jack Bernstein and Leonard (Len) Martin
11-16-2
"Loss of Liberty"/"People and the Land":
http://www.itszone.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=1305
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Guest
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2002 12:25 pm Post subject: Excellent Web Site about the Palestinian v. Israeli Conflict
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Excellent Web Site about the Palestinian v. Israeli Conflict
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http://electronicintifada.net/new.shtml
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 3:59 am Post subject: Palestine Chronicle at a Crossroads
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120035157287
Palestine Chronicle at a Crossroads
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 03:51 AM GMT
The outbreak of the Palestinian uprising over two years ago, brought with it a ray of feelings among those who cared to tell the world of the realties of the Middle East conflict. Many of us did all that we felt we could do.
Those who for one reason or another couldn’t rally in the street, could not raise a flag, couldn't right an article, could not send support to Palestinians, pinned themselves in front of their television sets, and let their tears speak of their pain.
A group of journalists, intellectuals and human rights activists met during those trying times. They had no funds, no “business plan”, no official or non-official sponsorship. Nothing, except of their will and determination to change the false perceptions that the world has held of Palestine and the Palestinian people. They knew too well that the media was the fueling factor behind the misconception that the Western world has held of the Palestinian Intifada. They knew that it was there where they needed to start, in order for them to make a difference.
And they did make a difference. For over two years now, the Palestine Chronicle has grown from a web site of amateur activism, to the leading source of English news from Palestine. We were told to quit, since we had no chances of survival. But we did not. Updated daily, and often around the clock when unexpected events arise, the Palestine Chronicle is sited in major newspapers, radio and television around the world, while its writers and columns have been quoted in news outlets such as the Christian Science Monitor, the Washington Post, the Guardian, USA Today, Le Monde, BBC, NPR. Meanwhile, much material has been translated from the Chronicle to many other languages, and featured in non-English publication around the world. The Chronicle, thanks to the faith empowered by the Palestinian uprising, is now the leading English publication on the Internet that provides daily news, commentary and first hand accounts from Palestine.
We are still determined to preserve our independence, and to avoid any practice that could jeopardize the clarity of our mission. We are still determined to be the home of dialogue where opinion are valued by their merit, where Americans, Palestinians, Israelis and people from all over the world can dialogue and express their views as long as such views will further enrich the democratic experience and help stir debate amongst the Chronicle’s growing community of readers and writers. We intend on remaining so. But to remain independent, we are pressed to seek your help, and this time our need is URGENT.
The Palestine Chronicle is facing its greatest financial challenges yet, some of our reporters were forced to leave and the rest are now volunteers, full time volunteers. We keep reminding ourselves that if the Palestinian people are able to endure such suffering for all of those years, we too must learn how to survive without funds. But now we are reaching a point where we can no longer use such rationale. Without funding, we will be forced to shut down.
Some of you have helped in the last a few months. To those, we are indebted with gratitude and appreciation. For those who respect the Chronicle and support its mission, we ask you to come to our help. We need your help in order for us to continue serving the just cause of Palestine. Please consider supporting us in these trying times. Help us in anyway you can, as much as you can, so that we can stay alive.
Thank you from all of us,
The Team at the Palestine Chronicle
To donate online, Please visit the homepage and go to “Support Us”
To donate by mail, please send your check to:
Palestine Chronicle
PO Box 196
Mountlake Terrace
WA, 98043,/em>
Or deposit your gift directly to our bank account:
Wells Fargo Bank Northwest
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Lynnwood, WA 98036
Routing Number: 125008547
Account Number: 3999-646-197
Account Name: Palestine Chronicle
Thank you! Your kindness is deeply appreciated!
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:05 am Post subject: Moussa: Nothing Can End Occupation but Resistance
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120221017890
Moussa: Nothing Can End Occupation but Resistance
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 10:10 PM GMT
"Nothing would bend steal but steal, and violence but counter violence, and occupation but resistance .."
CAIRO (PC) - On his way to Damascus to attend a special Arab foreign ministers’ session, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa denounced Israeli’s latest West Bank killings, saying that such violence is only a part of Israel’s usual policy.
In response to reporters questions in Cairo, Moussa said that resistance is the only method to end the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian Territories.
Amr Moussa (left) in a meeting
with Syria‘s foreign minister,
Farouq al-Shara (archive)
“Nothing would bend steal but steal, and violence but counter violence, and occupation but resistance,” Moussa told reporters.
The comments came after two days of severe violence where seven Palestinians were killed on Tuesday and two more on Wednesday by the Israeli army. Of the seven killed on Tuesday, one was a child.
Arab foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Damascus to discuss a unified Arab strategy toward the issues of Iraq and Palestine.
Regarding Palestine, Arab ministers are expected to construct a unified Arab position in response to the United States’ latest peace initiatives, “Road Map for Peace”, aimed at ending the Palestinian uprising and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from parts of the occupied territories. The plan also calls for a Palestinian statehood in later years.
Another topic for discussion is the Iraqi dispute with the United States and the promising return of weapon inspectors to Baghdad. Arab countries are proposing to have a team of Arab weapons inspectors join the UN delegation, to ease tensions and expedite the search for weapons’ procedures. Moussa indicated that the issue will be on the forefront of the ministers’ talks in Damascus.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:13 am Post subject: Famous Egyptian Actor: “Zionists Go to H*ll
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Famous Egyptian Actor: “Zionists Go to Hell”
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 09:57 PM GMT
"Israel has managed to stir an international controversy over the series, bringing Washington to lash out at Egypt for what they claim to be .."
CAIRO (PC) - A famous Egyptian actor, known for handling serious topics aimed at fighting social and political problems in the Arab world, greeted a cheering audience in Cairo with a promise to continue fighting Zionism.
Mohamed Sobhi, a respected actor among millions of Arabs, is the main star and a co-writer and producer of a TV series, being aired on Arabic TV channels this Ramadan and titled “Horseman without a Horse”.
Israel, using pressure groups in the United States was able to lobby Washington to criticize the show saying that it was based on an anti-Semitic document which is believed to be a forgery.
Sobhi however doesn’t deny that “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” was forged, as he informed a large crowd at the opening ceremony of a new cultural center in a poor Cairo district Wednesday. However, Sobhi insisted that despite the inaccuracies of the document, Israel is apparently following the advice therein regarding political domination and control around the world, mainly in the West. Horseman without a Horse doesn’t indicate that the protocols were true.
Israel however has managed to stir an international controversy over the series, bringing Washington to lash out at Egypt for what they claim to be anti-Semitic work. Egyptian officials responded by criticizing Washington, for fighting for freedom of expression while censoring any criticism of Israel.
Once Sobhi entered the Cairo ceremony, a large crowed cheered his name.We tell you Zionists: go to hell,Sobhi told the crowd.We tell them that if the Horse without a Horseman’ series terrified the Zionists, we will produce more series.
It’s an honor to be a Zionist opponent. It is my pride to be defended by not only 67 million Egyptians but also by 240 million Arabs. It honors me very much that I was capable of revealing the great conspiracy aimed at swallowing our beloved nation.
The Egyptian series is gaining great popularity among Arabs and has received very positive reviews throughout the Arab media. Israel has repeatedly criticized Arab television for airing what it calls hate material and anti-Semitic shows.
However, Arab critics say that while Arabs are constantly portrayed in a demeaning fashion throughout the Israeli media, no international uproars are ever stirred in protest.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
[/b]
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:20 am Post subject: Israeli High Court Permits Provocative Extremist Jewish Gath
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Israeli High Court Permits Provocative Extremist Jewish Gathering
Israeli High Court Permits Provocative Extremist Jewish Gathering
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 05:11 PM GMT
"The planned gathering will take place in the near future, during the holy month of Ramadan, when thousands of Muslim worshipers pray at Al-Aqsa mosque .."
TEL AVIV - The Israeli high court on Tuesday allowed an extreme Jewish group to organize in the coming days a provocative gathering just five meters away from the entrances of Islam’s third holiest place, Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied east Jerusalem.
The group, labeling themselves “The Guardians of the Temple Mount”, has previously tried to organize such gatherings in the past, in turn provoking the feelings of millions of Muslims all around the world.
Israeli settlers and right-wing supporters are to participate in the planned gathering, the movement said.
The planned gathering will take place in the near future, during the holy month of Ramadan, when thousands of Muslim worshipers pray at Al-Aqsa mosque.
The Israeli extremist movement is also calling for allowing Jewish worshipers to enter the compound.
Such a move will inevitably arouse anger among Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims, thus worsening the volatile regional stability.
The group, among other Israeli right wing movements, is an advocate of demolishing Al-Aqsa mosque and building the “Temple Mount” on its remains.
An infamous visit by the current Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to Al-Aqsa compound triggered the Palestinian Intifada two years ago.
At least 2500 people, the majority of whom were Palestinian, were killed since that time in an ongoing cycle of violence.
-Palestine Media Center (http://www.palestine-pmc.com/). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:22 am Post subject: Palestinians Forced to Break Their Fast at Gunpoint
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120172918652
Palestinians Forced to Break Their Fast at Gunpoint
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 05:29 PM GMT
"Sabri denounced the act and assured those who were forced to break their fast under such circumstances did not bear any sin .."
BETHLEHEM (PC) - During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are obliged to abstain from food and drink during daylight hours. Yet Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near Bethlehem recently forced Muslims to eat and drink, therefore breaking their fast.
While the act was denounced by religious leaders, the Israeli army made no comment.
The Palestinian news agency, WAFA interviewed Mufti Ikrimi Sabri, who reported the act, saying that Israeli soldiers forced Muslims to eat and drink at gunpoint when they were stopped by Israeli forces at a Bethlehem checkpoint.
Sabri denounced the act and assured those who were forced to break their fast under such circumstances did not bear any sin.
This year, Ramadan has been a bittersweet occasion, while many Palestinian towns and villages have been under constant curfew. Clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters and civilians have led to a large number of deaths, including many children. Closures and curfews have also made it very difficult for Palestinians to get the food they need to break their fast at dusk.
Recently in Tulkarm, Palestinians collectively violated a curfew imposed by the Israeli army to go to the market to purchase special items for Ramadan. The demonstration resulted in the clashes and more bloodshed.
In spite of daily curfews, shooting and closures, Palestinians are still trying, against all odds, to enjoy Ramadan this year.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:30 am Post subject: Israeli Army Kills More Palestinians, Violence Escalates
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120220745101
Israeli Army Kills More Palestinians, Violence Escalates
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 10:07 PM GMT
"Families and relatives of the Palestinians victims attempted to bury their dead collectively, but the Israeli army .."
TULKARM, West Bank (PC) - The Israeli army prevented the families of five Palestinians shot dead by Israeli troops in Tulkarm yesterday from holding a funeral for all five at the same time, dictating that each family must quickly bury its own. Meanwhile, more deaths were reported.
Also in Tulkarm, Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian boy during a clash between youth who were throwing rocks at Israeli tanks in the city. The clashes followed a day of bloodshed where five Palestinians were killed, an activist on Israel’s assassination list and four bystanders.
The families and relatives of the Palestinians victims attempted to bury their dead collectively, but the Israeli army refused to allow the procession, saying that each must be buried separately, eyewitnesses said.
Another man was killed in the village of ’Alar, near Tulkarm as a result of a ‘mysterious explosion’. Another person was wounded in the explosion, which left Palestinians wondering if it was another Israeli assassination.
Meanwhile, in the city of Nablus, Israeli troops continued their raid on the city, now entirely under a military curfew. Eyewitnesses say that troops are searching Palestinian homes and locking entire families into small rooms for hours.
In Hebron, the Israeli army detonated the home of Akram Hanini, one of three Palestinians killed during and after the resistance attack on Israeli soldiers and armed paramilitary settlers a few days ago. Akram, along with others killed 9 occupation soldiers and 3 armed settlers in a battle that reportedly lasted for two hours.
Also in Hebron, medical sources said that an ambulance driver and a female nurse were severely beaten by Israeli soldiers. Soldiers reportedly broke the windows of the ambulance and destroyed medical equipment.
In the Gaza Strip, two Palestinian fighters were shot dead while trying to sneak into the illegal Jewish settlement of Kfar Darum, built on confiscated Palestinian land in the town of Deir al-Balah, south of Gaza. Both fighters managed to sneak into one of the homes in the settlements, according to media reports before they were discovered. Israeli troops reportedly blew up the house, killing them both.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
www.dying2live.com
Help us break the silence.Help Palestine live in Peace.
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:33 am Post subject: Gazan Workers Denied Shoes, Coats, Food
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021120175527754
Gazan Workers Denied Shoes, Coats, Food
Wednesday, November 20 2002 @ 05:55 PM GMT
"These new policies come in the wake of recent comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to 'ease the suffering' of Palestinians .."
GAZA CITY (PC) - Israeli Authorities has issued new work policies in the 'Eretz industrial zone' in the northern Gaza Strip, which forbid Gazans from wearing shoes, coats or bringing food from home.
The Israeli newspaper, Yediot Ahronot on Wednesday quoted Israeli military sources in Gaza who noted that for laborers in the 'Eretz industrial zone' it was now forbidden to wear shoes or bring in food. For other industrial zones, wearing coats is now forbidden.
Palestinian laborers line up
to be searched at Eretz
checkpoint
These new policies come in the wake of recent comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to 'ease the suffering' of Palestinians not 'involved in terrorism.' Israeli sources defended these new policies as claiming that it would prevent smuggling of weapons.
Prior to the first Intifada, Gazans used to seek work in Israel. According to the human rights group, LAW society, since the Oslo peace process, Gaza has been completely sealed off - essentially a large prison - with devastating effects on employment and poverty levels there.
LAW also stated that during this Intifada small workshops, green houses and farm lands have all come under Israeli bombardment.
Many Gazans are forced to seek laboring work to survive, essentially becoming a pool of extremely cheap labor for Israeli industrial zones (illegally built in the Occupied Territories) and settlement building.
According to the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics, 84.6% of Gazans live in poverty (measured by income). The World Bank, defining poverty as living under 2USD a day, notes that 70% of Gazans live in poverty.
86.1% of Gazans receive humanitarian aid, while 42.1% of all Gazans are totally dependant on food aid. 31.2% of all Gazans suffer from malnutrition. Gaza: 13.2% suffer acute, and 18% suffer chronic,
malnutrition.
LAW denounced the new policy saying, “This new move is a new form of robbing Gazans of their dignity, and carries strong racist overtones. “ They also stressed that such policies are in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
The journalism and films of John Pilger
Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2002 12:01 pm Post subject: PALESTINE is still the issue
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The journalism and films of John Pilger
Twenty-five years ago, I made a film called Palestine Is Still The Issue. It was about a nation of people - the Palestinians - forced off their land and later subjected to a military occupation by Israel. An occupation condemned by the United Nations and almost every country in the world, including Britain.
But Israel is backed by a very powerful friend, the United States. So in 25 years, if we're to speak of the great injustice here, nothing has changed. What has changed is that the Palestinians have fought back.
Stateless and humiliated for so long, they've risen up against Israel's huge military machine, although they themselves have no arm, no tanks, no American planes and gun ships or missiles. Some have committed desperate acts of terror, like suicide bombing. But for Palestinians, the overriding, routine terror, day after day, has been the ruthless control of almost every aspect of their lives, as if they live in an open prison. This film is about the Palestinians and a group of courageous Israelis united in the oldest human struggle - to be free.
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Hunni
Joined: 24 May 2002
Posts: 470
Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2002 2:41 pm Post subject:
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Ten Theses on Terrorism and the Occupation
David Biale
1. The collective punishment of the Palestinianshouse demolitions, destruction of orchards, denial of food and medical careis a violation of their human rights. The bombing of Israelisdeliberately blowing up civiliansis a violation of theirs. One can never justify the other. They are not morally equivalentbut both are wrong. To oppose one does not negate opposing the other.
2. To assign blame is like entering a house of mirrors: for every wrong on one side, there is another wrong on the other. We must fight the Occupation as if there is no terror, and fight the terror as if there is no Occupation.
3. Ends never justify means, but for those whose ends do violence to the rights of others, the means become the end.
4. The cycle of terror and retaliation: Palestinian civilians pay the ultimate price for terrorism; Israeli civilians pay the ultimate price for retaliation. Their leaders' folly goes unpunished.
5. News bulletin: A Palestinian woman and her daughter, mistaken for terrorists, are killed in a "prohibited zone." Such deaths are not deliberate policy, but both the Occupation and terrorism make them inevitable.
6. He who says that Israel bears no responsibility for the Occupation denies that Zionism gave the Jews political agency. He who says that Palestinians bear no responsibility for terrorism renounces the goal of Palestinian sovereignty.
7. To equate the Star of David with the swastikabut to ignore what Russia did to Grozny or Syria to Hamais the hallmark of anti-Semites, for whom only Jews can behave like Nazis. But that enemies of Israel have succumbed to anti-Semitism does not mean Jews face another Holocaust. 2002 is not 1933.
8. The battle of Jenin was not a massacrebut the accusation that it was is not a "blood libel." The truthon both sidesis bad enough.
9. For those who think themselves victims, the media is always on the other side.
10. In the judgment of Solomon, the true mother surrendered her baby, lest it be divided and killed. But the opposite is true for the Land of Israel/Palestine: only if it is divided, will both its peoples be able to live.
David Biale is Emanuel Ringelblum Professor of Jewish History at the University of California, Davis
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Hunni
Joined: 24 May 2002
Posts: 470
Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2002 3:09 pm Post subject:
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REBUILDING HOPE AND CONFIDENCE IN PEACE
Dr. Gershon Baskin
The following translated speech was made by Dr. Gershon Baskin, last evening at the weekly demonstration of the Israeli Peace Coalition in front of the Prime Minister's house in Jerusalem. Following Gershon's speech, Dr. Zakaria al Qaq, the Palestinian Co-Director of IPCRI also spoke about a vision of peace and cooperation and the need for new hope for both peoples.
August 31, 2002
Jerusalem -
Something peculiar is happening to public opinion in Israel. Even since the beginning of the second Intifada two years ago, the Israeli public is continuing to show willingness to arrive at an agreement with the Palestinians on the key issues of the conflict. Even today, the majority of Israelis support the establishment of a Palestinian State next to Israel. The majority of Israelis even support dividing Jerusalem and sharing it as a capital of two states. A majority of Israelis are in favor of removing most of the settlements. Almost a majority of Israelis support the June 4, 1967 as the basis for the borders dividing Israel and Palestine. All of these opinions are based on the predication that there is someone on the Palestinian side to make peace with.
cont/d...
http://www.tikkun.org/index.cfm/action/current/article/119.html
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2002 9:22 pm Post subject: IDF kills 2 year old in Gaza while playing
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2-Year-Old Reported Killed in Gaza
.c The Associated Press
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip shot and killed a 2-year-old Palestinian boy on Monday and wounded two other children, hospital officials and witnesses said.
The Israeli army said it was unaware of any such incident in the southern town of Rafah, and had no immediate comment.
Officials at Rafah Hospital said 2-year-old Nafez Mashal died 15 minutes after he was admitted with a bullet wound to the back. An 8-year-old and a 14-year-old suffered lesser wounds, they said.
The dead boy's uncle said the child was playing outside their home when shooting came from an Israeli army observation post on the nearby border with Egypt.
``The boy was playing with a small ball - suddenly we came under fire,'' said Mohammed Mashal. ``When we looked toward the boy we found him lying on the ground in a pool of his blood.''
[...]
11/11/02 14:36 EST
11/11: AOL News: 2-Year-Old Reported Killed in Gaza
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2002 9:24 pm Post subject: A Bittersweet Ramadan and Palestinians Bury their Dead
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021108152021472
A Bittersweet Ramadan and Palestinians Bury their Dead
Friday, November 08 2002 @ 03:20 PM GMT
WEST BANK/GAZA STRIP (PC) - As Palestinians embarked on the third day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians in various parts of the West Bank and Gaza. Meanwhile, more homes were demolished today.
Nearly two hundred thousand Palestinians managed to reach Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem to take part in the first Friday Prayer of the holy month of Ramadan. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers and police officers were scattered all around the city, sending back thousands of Muslims who attempted to make it to the mosque.
Israeli troops arrested a Jewish man who was reportedly disguised as a Muslim, covering his head with a traditional Palestinian scarf, Israeli sources said. The man was acting as if he was heading to the prayers at the mosque. It remains unclear what his motives were.
An estimated two thousand Israeli police were dispatched into the city, an act that made movement very hard. Meanwhile, army helicopters hovered over the mosque, as Muslims attempted to pray.
In Nablus, Ahmed Ramadan, 34 years old, was shot dead when he tried to reach a local mosque for the Friday prayer, eyewitnesses reported.
Eyewitnesses also said that several tanks and dozens of soldiers attacked the residents of Tal, near Nablus, as they headed toward the mosque, opening “random” fire. Five more residents were wounded. Ahmed Ramadan, one of those shot, died shortly after receiving a bullet in the chest. Residents were apparently defying a strict military curfew that extended for four days.
Latest Khan Yunis victim
In Tulkarm, Rami Balawni, 21 years, died instantly when he was shot in the abdomen by Israeli troops, eyewitnesses said. Medical sources in Tulkarm said that Rami arrived dead, apparently due to the loss of blood before arriving to the hospital.
A mother and her daughter were arrested in the village of Kufr Ray’e, near Jenin, the Palestinian news agency, WAFA reported. The two were identified as Ma’eda Sbeieh, 50 years, and her daughter, Arselin, 26 years. No reason was given for the arrest of the two women.
Also near Jenin, Israeli troops raided the village of Tubas in the morning, using tanks and military helicopters. Army units were divided into groups of ten, and raided many houses in the city. They are still stationed there, according to the residents of the village.
In the Gaza Strip, the Nasser Hospital stated that a man, Saber Al-Qadre, 44 years was wounded in the back when Israeli troops raided the Amal neighborhood and opened fire toward residents’ homes.
Also in Khan Yunis, Israeli army bulldozers demolished another building, a house that belongs to Ashour Bres, 70 years. In addition to Ashour’s family, a three story home hosted five families of over thirty members. Neighboring homes have reportedly sustained various forms of damage as a result of the explosion, which was carried out using dynamite.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2002 9:26 pm Post subject: Ramadan in Gaza - Special Report
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Palestine Chronicle - Ramadan in Gaza - Special Report By Kristen Ess
Ramadan in Gaza - Special Report
Sunday, November 10 2002 @ 04:56 PM GMT
GAZA CITY (PC) - On this night, the first of Ramadan, eight ‘brothers and sisters’ sit round a white plastic table in a Gaza City living room breaking their fast. They are orphans of Sabra and Shatila.
In 1982 when now Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon orchestrated a massacre on the southern Lebanon refugee camps, hundreds of infants and children watched their parents die. Most were ‘adopted’ by now Palestinian president Arafat, then running the PLO from exile in Tunisia. Most were spread throughout the mid-east. Sixty were sent to Gaza. They grew up in a cinder block building, now destroyed by Israeli missile fire, just a few dusty meters from the Mediterranean.
The PA continues to provide them with food and shelter. Now in their twenties, they are still referred to as Arafat’s Kids. One young woman of 24 shows me her leg, the skin twisted and burned. After being injured at four years old she did not grow properly. She does not remember the fires, the gunshots, the death of her parents, the massacre. Arafat’s Kids share the breakfast feast with five of those exiled to Gaza from Bethlehem’s Church of Nativity. All have become friends, in part, because they feel like strangers here in Gaza.
Ramadan Mid-Gaza Strip
Sunday, November 2002
In Rafah today the sewage is ankle deep in parts of the houses on the Egypt/Gaza border. Israeli soldiers sit in armored tanks behind the houses. The separation wall is growing longer everyday, as Israeli heavy machinery digs and traps families in their homes. An elderly woman I know shows me the room that we plan I will sleep in tomorrow. It is small and made of cinder block, with two mats lining a wall. She falls twice as we walk through. She makes her way through the sewage and peers out the back door. There are two tanks, the high wall, and her son’s recently demolished home. She wears a flowing white hajib and her eyes are bright. She tells me not to photograph the tanks or to let them see me. She says they will shoot.
(PC Photo: Mahfouz Abu Turk)
A tall woman takes me next door to see her home. Sewage is coming through the walls. Her daughter sits on the cement floor, reading, looking up only to smile at me and shake my hand. One wall is half gone, the size of a bulldozer. She takes me through the hole in wall, showing me how I can dig out the rubble to let the sewage drain. She tried yesterday, but the Israeli soldiers shot at her. Flies swarm her small children, and she looks at me pleading.
The elderly woman holds my hand as I pass by her house. She sits with her friends in between two cement walls, away from the smell of sewage and away from the brutal glare of Israeli tanks. I leave in order to make it through Abu Holi checkpoint, which divides the south of the Gaza Strip from the north, before sunset, promising to return in the morning. The streets are sewage and rubble. It is ethnic cleansing, a slow massacre.
The elderly woman’s son calls me one hour later. The Israeli soldiers are demolishing her home. The bulldozers are tearing through the walls. She is crying on the phone, having just fallen trying to run away. Her son is so worried for his mother that he cannot drive, so I do, and we speed back toward Rafah along the Mediterranean coastal road. But between Gaza City and Deir El-Balah, a single Israeli tank comes from the illegal Israeli Netzarim settlement and blocks the road. Nearby the Israeli military is flattening an area to dirt and installing outhouses. This is what they do before rounding up Palestinian men between the ages of 15 and 50. Many people here expect to be taken this night.
(Law Society Photo)
Only one road is passable from the north of the Gaza Strip to the south and this is it. We stop the car, along with hundreds of others, and wait. We all begin getting out of our cars, walking along the beach trying to pass through. Many are trying to reach their homes in Rafah, Khan Yunis, Deir El-Balah, and the surrounding villages. The man trying to reach his injured mother whose home has just been demolished is falling apart. The Israeli soldiers begin shooting at the Palestinians who are struggling through the sand. Three girls with schoolbooks come with us and get into the car. They will stay at their university tonight instead of trying to reach home. The Israeli soldiers shoot and kill a girl walking on the beach, one of their friends from school.
We drive half an inch at a time, trying just to return to Gaza City. Many get out of their cars again, this time to pray. It is almost sunset, the 5th night of Ramadan, and time to eat and drink water. People begin buying vegetables from the roadside stand and the driver of a van sized taxi sells biscuits from his window. As the call to prayer rings out, the son hands me part of a tomato. He smiles and welcomes me. Israeli gunshots are banging through the air as the Palestinians, trapped in the prison of Gaza, share their food, having lived to see the break of another days fast.
As I write this, now at home, I am watching the news on television. An Israeli tank is shooting at little boys who throw stones at it in Nablus. George Bush struts across a green grass lawn in a clean suit, talking about UN Resolutions. He does not mention that Israel is second only to the US in violating them.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2002 9:30 pm Post subject: Brother of Latest Jenin Victim Arrested, Taken to Unknown De
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021110155833151
Brother of Latest Jenin Victim Arrested, Taken to Unknown Destination
Sunday, November 10 2002 @ 03:58 PM GMT
JENIN, West Bank (PC) - The brother of a Palestinian man killed yesterday in Jenin was arrested and taken to an unknown destination, Palestinian sources in Jenin said Sunday.
Baha’ Sawalha, the brother of Iyad Sawalha, who was killed yesterday at the hands of the Israeli army, was arrested by the Israeli army near the village of Kufr Ra’i.
Baha’, a university student was on his way from the University of Najah in Nablus to take part in his brother’s funeral, when Israeli army unit blocked his way and then apprehended him. The young man was reportedly taken to an unknown destination.
Baha’s sister-in-law, Iyad’s wife was also detained yesterday as her husband was being shot inside his house.
Iyad Sawalha, was the head of the Islamic Jihad military wing, Jerusalem Brigades, and was suspected by Israel of masterminding several bombings against its civilians and soldiers.
Sawalha was present with his wife inside their Jenin home when a large Israeli army force surrounded their home and the neighborhood.
Israeli troops reportedly raided neighboring homes as well. One of the homes raided is that of the Ekmel family. Soha Ekmel said that her husband Khaled was detained by the army, apparently to be used as a human shield, a legal practice under Israeli law.
Sawalha’s wife came out of the house, now under a hail of Israeli bullets. “I heard her (Sawalha’s wife) say, ‘Iyad, please come out, they’re threatening to kill me if you don’t.’ There was no answer,” Soha said.
Khaled, who was placed between Sawalha’s house and the Israeli army had reportedly called on Iyad to come out as well, as ordered by Israeli troops.
Palestinian rights groups often cite incidents where Palestinians, wanted by Israel are often killed after they have given themselves up, a charge Israel often denies.
The Israeli narration of the killing of Sawalha suggests that a gun battle was initiated, in which two Israeli soldiers were allegedly lightly wounded, and ended with the death of Sawalha.
However, the latest killing in Jenin is expected to fuel more attacks inside Israel.
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat was angered by the Jenin killing. “It’s a very big crime that was committed through military aggression against our people and against our (religious) holidays,” President Arafat told reporters in his Ramallah headquarters.
The Islamic Jihad Movement vowed to retaliate to the killing of Sawalha and warned the Israelis that they would pay dearly for his blood. Sawalha’s wife and Khaled Ekmel are still detained by the Israeli army.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2002 9:32 pm Post subject: Coexistence: The Seeds of Peace Experience
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http://www.mideastweb.org/sop.htm
Coexistence: The Seeds of Peace Experience
By: Rachel Culley
Rachel is a 17 year old high-school senior in Mercer Maine. She attended two recent sessions of Seeds of Peace International Camp for Coexistence as a member of the American delegation.
“You are all dirty terrorists!” “Your soldiers are monsters! They wear uniforms that say – ‘Kill Palestinians.’” “We have no water. We cannot wash – we cannot wash anything.” “I am so terrified to go on a bus.” “Jerusalem is our holy land, and you take your soldiers there!” “We have suffered more. More of our people have died.” “You kill our children!” “You kill our children!”
A thin Palestinian girl started to cry, and an Israeli boy leaned back in his chair and sighed with frustration. Mashour, a dark eyed refugee from Ramallah, rolled up his sleeve to show a scar on his forearm – “From your soldiers.” Her curly head bobbing indignantly, Noya related the daily fear of Israelis, and the death of her aunt, killed by a bus bomb. The room exploded into argument: yelling, crying, words in English, Hebrew and Arabic. At Seeds of Peace camp in Otisfield Maine, Middle East teenagers were learning about the reality of “coexistence.”
The newspapers, T.V. and magazines all discuss the Arab/Israeli conflict, explain the significance of Jerusalem, and highlight key incidents of violence and terror. What they rarely delve into is the concept of “coexistence,” an unavoidable reality of the conflict. Despite the violence of the conflict, both Israelis and Palestinians exist on the same land, and will continue to do so forever. At Seeds of Peace, I watched kids my own age struggle to understand and achieve a “peaceful coexistence.”
In daily “coexistence sessions,” the Israelis and Arabs at first recounted their sufferings, and the ways that the “other side” had wronged their people. Both sides wanted to show that they were the blameless victims, that they had suffered more. A Jordanian girl said – “If you Israelis would just admit what you did and get out, we could solve this conflict.” The Israelis recounted the story of the Holocaust, the horror of suicide bombings, and constant fear. The Palestinians told stories of squalid refugee camps, poverty, and constant military occupation. Abigail, tears streaming from her eyes, said - “We suffer every day because of you. We suffered in the Holocaust. How can you compare?”
In the camp, they also had to live together. Ola didn’t sleep at all the first night. I woke up and saw her sitting in her bed, completely alert. “What are you doing?” I mumbled sleepily. She replied – “I can’t share a bunk with an Israeli.” Later that day, she had to play soccer with an Israeli partner. At the end of the practice, she walked over to me. “It was…it was OK,” she said “She’s not very good at soccer either.”
One day, Mashour said something new, “I think that maybe the Israelis also suffer. I think also that it is wrong for us to compare suffering. We both live there. We both suffer.” Across the room, Mohammud leaned forward to ask – “Well, but how can we both live there?” Silence. Then Abigail, who had barely said a word until now, spoke up: “We have to.” Ofer asked: “What do you mean?” Abigail said quietly: “Mashour sits at my table for breakfast, and we played tennis together. We talked about our families. What he said – his words really made me feel. He’s human, you know?” By seeing the enemy as a human being: as another person with a face, a family and real feelings, Abigail began to see that not all people from the “other side,” were suffering too, and that they had a right to live on the land as well.
It soon became apparent, that for every event in history, there were at least two versions of the story. Israelis told the forming of Israel as a great and s
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The journalism and films of John Pilger
Twenty-five years ago, I made a film called Palestine Is Still The Issue. It was about a nation of people - the Palestinians - forced off their land and later subjected to a military occupation by Israel. An occupation condemned by the United Nations and almost every country in the world, including Britain.
But Israel is backed by a very powerful friend, the United States. So in 25 years, if we're to speak of the great injustice here, nothing has changed. What has changed is that the Palestinians have fought back.
Stateless and humiliated for so long, they've risen up against Israel's huge military machine, although they themselves have no arm, no tanks, no American planes and gun ships or missiles. Some have committed desperate acts of terror, like suicide bombing. But for Palestinians, the overriding, routine terror, day after day, has been the ruthless control of almost every aspect of their lives, as if they live in an open prison. This film is about the Palestinians and a group of courageous Israelis united in the oldest human struggle - to be free.
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Hunni
Joined: 24 May 2002
Posts: 470
Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2002 2:41 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ten Theses on Terrorism and the Occupation
David Biale
1. The collective punishment of the Palestinianshouse demolitions, destruction of orchards, denial of food and medical careis a violation of their human rights. The bombing of Israelisdeliberately blowing up civiliansis a violation of theirs. One can never justify the other. They are not morally equivalentbut both are wrong. To oppose one does not negate opposing the other.
2. To assign blame is like entering a house of mirrors: for every wrong on one side, there is another wrong on the other. We must fight the Occupation as if there is no terror, and fight the terror as if there is no Occupation.
3. Ends never justify means, but for those whose ends do violence to the rights of others, the means become the end.
4. The cycle of terror and retaliation: Palestinian civilians pay the ultimate price for terrorism; Israeli civilians pay the ultimate price for retaliation. Their leaders' folly goes unpunished.
5. News bulletin: A Palestinian woman and her daughter, mistaken for terrorists, are killed in a "prohibited zone." Such deaths are not deliberate policy, but both the Occupation and terrorism make them inevitable.
6. He who says that Israel bears no responsibility for the Occupation denies that Zionism gave the Jews political agency. He who says that Palestinians bear no responsibility for terrorism renounces the goal of Palestinian sovereignty.
7. To equate the Star of David with the swastikabut to ignore what Russia did to Grozny or Syria to Hamais the hallmark of anti-Semites, for whom only Jews can behave like Nazis. But that enemies of Israel have succumbed to anti-Semitism does not mean Jews face another Holocaust. 2002 is not 1933.
8. The battle of Jenin was not a massacrebut the accusation that it was is not a "blood libel." The truthon both sidesis bad enough.
9. For those who think themselves victims, the media is always on the other side.
10. In the judgment of Solomon, the true mother surrendered her baby, lest it be divided and killed. But the opposite is true for the Land of Israel/Palestine: only if it is divided, will both its peoples be able to live.
David Biale is Emanuel Ringelblum Professor of Jewish History at the University of California, Davis
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Hunni
Joined: 24 May 2002
Posts: 470
Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2002 3:09 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REBUILDING HOPE AND CONFIDENCE IN PEACE
Dr. Gershon Baskin
The following translated speech was made by Dr. Gershon Baskin, last evening at the weekly demonstration of the Israeli Peace Coalition in front of the Prime Minister's house in Jerusalem. Following Gershon's speech, Dr. Zakaria al Qaq, the Palestinian Co-Director of IPCRI also spoke about a vision of peace and cooperation and the need for new hope for both peoples.
August 31, 2002
Jerusalem -
Something peculiar is happening to public opinion in Israel. Even since the beginning of the second Intifada two years ago, the Israeli public is continuing to show willingness to arrive at an agreement with the Palestinians on the key issues of the conflict. Even today, the majority of Israelis support the establishment of a Palestinian State next to Israel. The majority of Israelis even support dividing Jerusalem and sharing it as a capital of two states. A majority of Israelis are in favor of removing most of the settlements. Almost a majority of Israelis support the June 4, 1967 as the basis for the borders dividing Israel and Palestine. All of these opinions are based on the predication that there is someone on the Palestinian side to make peace with.
cont/d...
http://www.tikkun.org/index.cfm/action/current/article/119.html
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2002 9:22 pm Post subject: IDF kills 2 year old in Gaza while playing
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2-Year-Old Reported Killed in Gaza
.c The Associated Press
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip shot and killed a 2-year-old Palestinian boy on Monday and wounded two other children, hospital officials and witnesses said.
The Israeli army said it was unaware of any such incident in the southern town of Rafah, and had no immediate comment.
Officials at Rafah Hospital said 2-year-old Nafez Mashal died 15 minutes after he was admitted with a bullet wound to the back. An 8-year-old and a 14-year-old suffered lesser wounds, they said.
The dead boy's uncle said the child was playing outside their home when shooting came from an Israeli army observation post on the nearby border with Egypt.
``The boy was playing with a small ball - suddenly we came under fire,'' said Mohammed Mashal. ``When we looked toward the boy we found him lying on the ground in a pool of his blood.''
[...]
11/11/02 14:36 EST
11/11: AOL News: 2-Year-Old Reported Killed in Gaza
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2002 9:24 pm Post subject: A Bittersweet Ramadan and Palestinians Bury their Dead
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021108152021472
A Bittersweet Ramadan and Palestinians Bury their Dead
Friday, November 08 2002 @ 03:20 PM GMT
WEST BANK/GAZA STRIP (PC) - As Palestinians embarked on the third day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians in various parts of the West Bank and Gaza. Meanwhile, more homes were demolished today.
Nearly two hundred thousand Palestinians managed to reach Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem to take part in the first Friday Prayer of the holy month of Ramadan. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers and police officers were scattered all around the city, sending back thousands of Muslims who attempted to make it to the mosque.
Israeli troops arrested a Jewish man who was reportedly disguised as a Muslim, covering his head with a traditional Palestinian scarf, Israeli sources said. The man was acting as if he was heading to the prayers at the mosque. It remains unclear what his motives were.
An estimated two thousand Israeli police were dispatched into the city, an act that made movement very hard. Meanwhile, army helicopters hovered over the mosque, as Muslims attempted to pray.
In Nablus, Ahmed Ramadan, 34 years old, was shot dead when he tried to reach a local mosque for the Friday prayer, eyewitnesses reported.
Eyewitnesses also said that several tanks and dozens of soldiers attacked the residents of Tal, near Nablus, as they headed toward the mosque, opening “random” fire. Five more residents were wounded. Ahmed Ramadan, one of those shot, died shortly after receiving a bullet in the chest. Residents were apparently defying a strict military curfew that extended for four days.
Latest Khan Yunis victim
In Tulkarm, Rami Balawni, 21 years, died instantly when he was shot in the abdomen by Israeli troops, eyewitnesses said. Medical sources in Tulkarm said that Rami arrived dead, apparently due to the loss of blood before arriving to the hospital.
A mother and her daughter were arrested in the village of Kufr Ray’e, near Jenin, the Palestinian news agency, WAFA reported. The two were identified as Ma’eda Sbeieh, 50 years, and her daughter, Arselin, 26 years. No reason was given for the arrest of the two women.
Also near Jenin, Israeli troops raided the village of Tubas in the morning, using tanks and military helicopters. Army units were divided into groups of ten, and raided many houses in the city. They are still stationed there, according to the residents of the village.
In the Gaza Strip, the Nasser Hospital stated that a man, Saber Al-Qadre, 44 years was wounded in the back when Israeli troops raided the Amal neighborhood and opened fire toward residents’ homes.
Also in Khan Yunis, Israeli army bulldozers demolished another building, a house that belongs to Ashour Bres, 70 years. In addition to Ashour’s family, a three story home hosted five families of over thirty members. Neighboring homes have reportedly sustained various forms of damage as a result of the explosion, which was carried out using dynamite.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2002 9:26 pm Post subject: Ramadan in Gaza - Special Report
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Palestine Chronicle - Ramadan in Gaza - Special Report By Kristen Ess
Ramadan in Gaza - Special Report
Sunday, November 10 2002 @ 04:56 PM GMT
GAZA CITY (PC) - On this night, the first of Ramadan, eight ‘brothers and sisters’ sit round a white plastic table in a Gaza City living room breaking their fast. They are orphans of Sabra and Shatila.
In 1982 when now Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon orchestrated a massacre on the southern Lebanon refugee camps, hundreds of infants and children watched their parents die. Most were ‘adopted’ by now Palestinian president Arafat, then running the PLO from exile in Tunisia. Most were spread throughout the mid-east. Sixty were sent to Gaza. They grew up in a cinder block building, now destroyed by Israeli missile fire, just a few dusty meters from the Mediterranean.
The PA continues to provide them with food and shelter. Now in their twenties, they are still referred to as Arafat’s Kids. One young woman of 24 shows me her leg, the skin twisted and burned. After being injured at four years old she did not grow properly. She does not remember the fires, the gunshots, the death of her parents, the massacre. Arafat’s Kids share the breakfast feast with five of those exiled to Gaza from Bethlehem’s Church of Nativity. All have become friends, in part, because they feel like strangers here in Gaza.
Ramadan Mid-Gaza Strip
Sunday, November 2002
In Rafah today the sewage is ankle deep in parts of the houses on the Egypt/Gaza border. Israeli soldiers sit in armored tanks behind the houses. The separation wall is growing longer everyday, as Israeli heavy machinery digs and traps families in their homes. An elderly woman I know shows me the room that we plan I will sleep in tomorrow. It is small and made of cinder block, with two mats lining a wall. She falls twice as we walk through. She makes her way through the sewage and peers out the back door. There are two tanks, the high wall, and her son’s recently demolished home. She wears a flowing white hajib and her eyes are bright. She tells me not to photograph the tanks or to let them see me. She says they will shoot.
(PC Photo: Mahfouz Abu Turk)
A tall woman takes me next door to see her home. Sewage is coming through the walls. Her daughter sits on the cement floor, reading, looking up only to smile at me and shake my hand. One wall is half gone, the size of a bulldozer. She takes me through the hole in wall, showing me how I can dig out the rubble to let the sewage drain. She tried yesterday, but the Israeli soldiers shot at her. Flies swarm her small children, and she looks at me pleading.
The elderly woman holds my hand as I pass by her house. She sits with her friends in between two cement walls, away from the smell of sewage and away from the brutal glare of Israeli tanks. I leave in order to make it through Abu Holi checkpoint, which divides the south of the Gaza Strip from the north, before sunset, promising to return in the morning. The streets are sewage and rubble. It is ethnic cleansing, a slow massacre.
The elderly woman’s son calls me one hour later. The Israeli soldiers are demolishing her home. The bulldozers are tearing through the walls. She is crying on the phone, having just fallen trying to run away. Her son is so worried for his mother that he cannot drive, so I do, and we speed back toward Rafah along the Mediterranean coastal road. But between Gaza City and Deir El-Balah, a single Israeli tank comes from the illegal Israeli Netzarim settlement and blocks the road. Nearby the Israeli military is flattening an area to dirt and installing outhouses. This is what they do before rounding up Palestinian men between the ages of 15 and 50. Many people here expect to be taken this night.
(Law Society Photo)
Only one road is passable from the north of the Gaza Strip to the south and this is it. We stop the car, along with hundreds of others, and wait. We all begin getting out of our cars, walking along the beach trying to pass through. Many are trying to reach their homes in Rafah, Khan Yunis, Deir El-Balah, and the surrounding villages. The man trying to reach his injured mother whose home has just been demolished is falling apart. The Israeli soldiers begin shooting at the Palestinians who are struggling through the sand. Three girls with schoolbooks come with us and get into the car. They will stay at their university tonight instead of trying to reach home. The Israeli soldiers shoot and kill a girl walking on the beach, one of their friends from school.
We drive half an inch at a time, trying just to return to Gaza City. Many get out of their cars again, this time to pray. It is almost sunset, the 5th night of Ramadan, and time to eat and drink water. People begin buying vegetables from the roadside stand and the driver of a van sized taxi sells biscuits from his window. As the call to prayer rings out, the son hands me part of a tomato. He smiles and welcomes me. Israeli gunshots are banging through the air as the Palestinians, trapped in the prison of Gaza, share their food, having lived to see the break of another days fast.
As I write this, now at home, I am watching the news on television. An Israeli tank is shooting at little boys who throw stones at it in Nablus. George Bush struts across a green grass lawn in a clean suit, talking about UN Resolutions. He does not mention that Israel is second only to the US in violating them.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2002 9:30 pm Post subject: Brother of Latest Jenin Victim Arrested, Taken to Unknown De
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http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20021110155833151
Brother of Latest Jenin Victim Arrested, Taken to Unknown Destination
Sunday, November 10 2002 @ 03:58 PM GMT
JENIN, West Bank (PC) - The brother of a Palestinian man killed yesterday in Jenin was arrested and taken to an unknown destination, Palestinian sources in Jenin said Sunday.
Baha’ Sawalha, the brother of Iyad Sawalha, who was killed yesterday at the hands of the Israeli army, was arrested by the Israeli army near the village of Kufr Ra’i.
Baha’, a university student was on his way from the University of Najah in Nablus to take part in his brother’s funeral, when Israeli army unit blocked his way and then apprehended him. The young man was reportedly taken to an unknown destination.
Baha’s sister-in-law, Iyad’s wife was also detained yesterday as her husband was being shot inside his house.
Iyad Sawalha, was the head of the Islamic Jihad military wing, Jerusalem Brigades, and was suspected by Israel of masterminding several bombings against its civilians and soldiers.
Sawalha was present with his wife inside their Jenin home when a large Israeli army force surrounded their home and the neighborhood.
Israeli troops reportedly raided neighboring homes as well. One of the homes raided is that of the Ekmel family. Soha Ekmel said that her husband Khaled was detained by the army, apparently to be used as a human shield, a legal practice under Israeli law.
Sawalha’s wife came out of the house, now under a hail of Israeli bullets. “I heard her (Sawalha’s wife) say, ‘Iyad, please come out, they’re threatening to kill me if you don’t.’ There was no answer,” Soha said.
Khaled, who was placed between Sawalha’s house and the Israeli army had reportedly called on Iyad to come out as well, as ordered by Israeli troops.
Palestinian rights groups often cite incidents where Palestinians, wanted by Israel are often killed after they have given themselves up, a charge Israel often denies.
The Israeli narration of the killing of Sawalha suggests that a gun battle was initiated, in which two Israeli soldiers were allegedly lightly wounded, and ended with the death of Sawalha.
However, the latest killing in Jenin is expected to fuel more attacks inside Israel.
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat was angered by the Jenin killing. “It’s a very big crime that was committed through military aggression against our people and against our (religious) holidays,” President Arafat told reporters in his Ramallah headquarters.
The Islamic Jihad Movement vowed to retaliate to the killing of Sawalha and warned the Israelis that they would pay dearly for his blood. Sawalha’s wife and Khaled Ekmel are still detained by the Israeli army.
-Palestine Chronicle (palestinechronicle.com). Redistributed via Press International News Agency (PINA).
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dangerousdna
Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 13274
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2002 9:32 pm Post subject: Coexistence: The Seeds of Peace Experience
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http://www.mideastweb.org/sop.htm
Coexistence: The Seeds of Peace Experience
By: Rachel Culley
Rachel is a 17 year old high-school senior in Mercer Maine. She attended two recent sessions of Seeds of Peace International Camp for Coexistence as a member of the American delegation.
“You are all dirty terrorists!” “Your soldiers are monsters! They wear uniforms that say – ‘Kill Palestinians.’” “We have no water. We cannot wash – we cannot wash anything.” “I am so terrified to go on a bus.” “Jerusalem is our holy land, and you take your soldiers there!” “We have suffered more. More of our people have died.” “You kill our children!” “You kill our children!”
A thin Palestinian girl started to cry, and an Israeli boy leaned back in his chair and sighed with frustration. Mashour, a dark eyed refugee from Ramallah, rolled up his sleeve to show a scar on his forearm – “From your soldiers.” Her curly head bobbing indignantly, Noya related the daily fear of Israelis, and the death of her aunt, killed by a bus bomb. The room exploded into argument: yelling, crying, words in English, Hebrew and Arabic. At Seeds of Peace camp in Otisfield Maine, Middle East teenagers were learning about the reality of “coexistence.”
The newspapers, T.V. and magazines all discuss the Arab/Israeli conflict, explain the significance of Jerusalem, and highlight key incidents of violence and terror. What they rarely delve into is the concept of “coexistence,” an unavoidable reality of the conflict. Despite the violence of the conflict, both Israelis and Palestinians exist on the same land, and will continue to do so forever. At Seeds of Peace, I watched kids my own age struggle to understand and achieve a “peaceful coexistence.”
In daily “coexistence sessions,” the Israelis and Arabs at first recounted their sufferings, and the ways that the “other side” had wronged their people. Both sides wanted to show that they were the blameless victims, that they had suffered more. A Jordanian girl said – “If you Israelis would just admit what you did and get out, we could solve this conflict.” The Israelis recounted the story of the Holocaust, the horror of suicide bombings, and constant fear. The Palestinians told stories of squalid refugee camps, poverty, and constant military occupation. Abigail, tears streaming from her eyes, said - “We suffer every day because of you. We suffered in the Holocaust. How can you compare?”
In the camp, they also had to live together. Ola didn’t sleep at all the first night. I woke up and saw her sitting in her bed, completely alert. “What are you doing?” I mumbled sleepily. She replied – “I can’t share a bunk with an Israeli.” Later that day, she had to play soccer with an Israeli partner. At the end of the practice, she walked over to me. “It was…it was OK,” she said “She’s not very good at soccer either.”
One day, Mashour said something new, “I think that maybe the Israelis also suffer. I think also that it is wrong for us to compare suffering. We both live there. We both suffer.” Across the room, Mohammud leaned forward to ask – “Well, but how can we both live there?” Silence. Then Abigail, who had barely said a word until now, spoke up: “We have to.” Ofer asked: “What do you mean?” Abigail said quietly: “Mashour sits at my table for breakfast, and we played tennis together. We talked about our families. What he said – his words really made me feel. He’s human, you know?” By seeing the enemy as a human being: as another person with a face, a family and real feelings, Abigail began to see that not all people from the “other side,” were suffering too, and that they had a right to live on the land as well.
It soon became apparent, that for every event in history, there were at least two versions of the story. Israelis told the forming of Israel as a great and s