In which Israel-hater Paul Larudee whines about lack of support

After such failed high profile ventures as the Gaza flotilla and the Global March to Jerusalem, hapless Israel-hater Paul Larudee can't get any respect. The El Cerrito activist recently sent out an impassioned email blast, bemoaning the  "lack of volunteers and funding" for the once vigorous International Solidarity Movement  (ISM)

Apparently, the response to Paul's plea for help was underwhelming.  Not one check?   Poor, poor Paul.

Denied entry into Israel in 2006, Larudee was once described in the Jerusalem Post as one of the International Solidarity Movement's "top leaders"

Security officials said that Larudee was one of the ISM's top leaders and was behind anti-Israel activity during IDF operations in the territories during the height of the Intifada between 2002 and 2004. Officials said that he was once found in the home of a suicide bomber and that he participated in a violent anti-Israel demonstration. "This person is a danger to the state," one official said. "He is one of the ISM leaders, was in the past involved in anti-Israel activity and therefore will not be allowed to stay in the country."

Paul Larudee in happier times.  Photo from the Contra Costa Times

Why the fall from grace?  Was it Larudee's propensity to take credit for other's actions?  

From: lubnna (at) gmail.com 

          To: larudee (at) pacbell.net 

Paul, I regretfully send you this second letter and will publish it publicly as you have left us no choice. You have appeared in the media over the last week, often stating that you organized the Welcome to Palestine campaign. All statements you have made in regards to this campaign were false. As organizers, we were surprised by your statements as you were never part of this campaign. Sadly, your declarations about our campaign being about the right of return have confused the media and brought on damage to our basic plan. We appreciate your will to work for Palestine but trying to take over any activity has profoundly affected the trust we have in you and we would be very surprised if any respectful organization in Palestine will be willing to work with you. We urge you to stop giving statements to the media in the name of the Welcome to Palestine campaign. 

Lubna Masarwa  

On behalf the "Welcome to Palestine" campaign 

Was it his ties to Iran's mullahs, and his open support for terror groups?  Was it his endorsement and promotion of notorious Jew-haters like Gilad Atzmon and Alison Weir?  Was it his connection to the frighteningly conspiratorial International Union of a Unified Ummah?

Whatever the reason, its time for the aging activist to take on a new hobby.  Have you considered macrame, Paul?

True Confessions of an International Solidarity Movement (ISM) Volunteer

Just this week, Paul Larudee of the Northern California International Solidarity Movement (ISM) issued an “ an urgent call for volunteers to join us in Palestine”

He doesn’t offer much in a way of a job description, instead stating

The campaign will begin during the last week of September and will last around 5 weeks.  We request a minimum one week commitment from volunteers, but stress that longtermers are needed as well. We ask that volunteers start arriving around the 20th of September, so that we will be prepared when the harvest begins.

We request a minimum two week commitment from volunteers, but stress that longtermers are needed as well. The ISM will be holding mandatory two day training sessions which will run weekly on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please see the join ISM page or contact palreports@gmail.com for further information.

Fortunately, our friends at Israellycool are able to fill in the blanks, with a post by a Swedish activist, Daniel Borg, who joined the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) a few years back.

Before joining ISM group in Hebron I had my training in Ramallah during two days. How to obstruct IDF ops? How to freely walk in a neighbourhood and alert the coordinators the movements of incoming IDF patrols? When to go out and show your presence to the military, so that they dont dare shoot at your direction? Shield a house that IDF want to demolish? Shield stone-molotov-throwing militants? Yes. Our job. PLO (now Fatah, but it is the same) uses well meaning idealistic western youngsters to aid, shield and make-possible their terrorist agenda. The Fatah-coordinators made it clear to us that ISM uses only non-violent means of resistence, but in the meantime stressed that if the Palestinians chooses to use violence our job is to shield them. It is the Palestinians that live under occupation and humiliation, not us western activists, so we should let them make the operational decisions and we internationals are there to act like human shields and protect them from the IDF.

Daniel’s personal observations of interactions between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians lead him to believe that much of what he has been taught is not true

Yes I was extremely astounished. This encounter between the IDF soldier and the Palestinian kid contradicted everything I was being told and what I thought was the normal mode of IDF-conduct. Surely this soldier’s behaviour must be a very rare glimpse of humanism in the overrall aggressive IDF, like a dolphin swimming in a sea of sharks. But no, it was not. It was rather the normal mode of conduct. I monitored the same group of soldiers from early morning to late evening, and their basic way of treating the Palestinians was that of non-interference and respect. Not once did I see anything that comes close to a violation. I spent three weeks monitoring the IDF soldiers, with my camera around my neck. There was nothing to film, no transgressions whatsoever ...

Daniel concludes

The irony did not cross my mind at the time, that I went to Hebron to document Israeli war crimes but came home with IDF-humanism and Palestinian war crimes.

During my time in Hebron I did not know about the incessant terror attacks against the extremely small Jewish community of Hebron. I did not know that Jewish residents are killed whenever they are not protected, children, women, elderly. I did not know that Israel has effective control of a very small portion of Hebron. I did not know that the actual Apartheid in Hebron is directed from the Arabs against the Jewish community. I did not know the religious and historic importance of Hebron, as the number two capital of the Jewish people.

How could I know? How could my collegues know? We are immersed in the pro-pal false narrative. Fueled by CNN, New York Times, Le Monde, all centrist and leftist poltical parties in Europe, all our left leaning teachers, all our cultural establishment. Among many others. I got social, political, educational status by joining ISM, an anti – Geneva Conventions, terrorist organisation.

Read it all at Israellycool

Etsy-gate continues

Our story so far:

Paul Larudee of the International Solidarity Movement had a "shop" on the website Etsy that was shut down for a direct violation of the sites guidelines- for reselling items he did not design or make.

Although the ISM's support for terror regimes was not a contributing factor in the decision, Paul has pulled the "discrimination" card, claiming:

This is ripe for exploitation by persons who want to persecute others or sabotage their competition.  In our case, our Palestinian advocacy is not appreciated by persons or groups who would be pleased to see Palestinians disappear from the remnants of historic Palestine where they cling to existence under horrific conditions.  I can well imagine that such persons might organize in such a manner as to create a critical mass of reports in order to motivate you to close our store.  It is therefore not accurate to say that our store was not suspended due to our support of Palestinians and Palestinian human rights, only that this was perhaps not your intention.

 The Etsy representative calmly and patiently explained the policy, writing

"Based on the information you've provided, it appears that you, the person responsible for running the Etsy shop, are not making or designing the items being sold. As a result, I've determined that your business does not meet Etsy's Guidelines and suspended your selling privileges."

Oops.

But Paul's a classy guy. If he's going down, everyone is going down. Speaking of  "sabotaging the competition",  he writes to Etsy, fingering all other resellers of Palestinian goods:

Here is a partial list of other Etsy producers of the same or similar keffiyehs as ours, some of them from the same producer in Palestine:

Same items from other Etsy stores, same producer as ours (Yasir Hirbawi, in Palestine), all cotton:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/198998850/arab-shemagh-keffiyeh-black-or-red-100?ref=sc_2&plkey=3e1c222b0032b6ac8313133d5b54bbcb18abbab3%3A198998850&ga_search_query=keffiyeh&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

https://www.etsy.com/listing/214622312/keffiyeh-shemagh-made-in-palestine-green?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_query=keffiyeh&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

https://www.etsy.com/listing/212910901/arab-shemagh-keffiyeh-black-or-red?ref=sr_gallery_9&ga_search_query=keffiyeh&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

https://www.etsy.com/listing/219519834/original-palestinian-keffiyeh-shemagh?ref=sr_gallery_5&ga_search_query=keffiyeh&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

Made in Turkey or other countries, same manufacturing process, often with synthetic fabric.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/190866398/upright-keffiyeh-scarf?ref=sr_gallery_5&ga_search_query=keffiyeh&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

https://www.etsy.com/listing/154013318/black-and-white-keffiyeh-style-scarf?ref=sr_gallery_5&ga_search_query=keffiyeh&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

https://www.etsy.com/listing/212878117/vintage-huge-square-black-white-tassled?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_search_query=keffiyeh&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

https://www.etsy.com/listing/164541859/unisex-keffiyeh-scarf-white-and-black?ref=sr_gallery_8&ga_search_query=keffiyeh&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

https://www.etsy.com/listing/210422949/checkered-egyptian-scarf-keffiyeh-black?ref=sr_gallery_10&ga_search_query=keffiyeh&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

Paul, Larudee
ISM-NorCal

There you have it, activists.  As your Etsy shops get closed down, one by one, you now know who is responsible. No, its not  the Worldwide Zionist Conspiracy, though we are sitting back with our popcorn and enjoying the show.  This is in the hands of your very own Paul Larudee.

Out of Business: ISM shop shuttered on Etsy

Ah, the exceptionalism of the Palestinians and their advocates.

Paul Larudee of the International Solidarity movement (ISM) is upset. After several years of selling Palestinian olive oil, soaps and Keffiyehs on the Etsy  website, their shop was closed.  Paul howled "discrimination". but it wasn't.  

Rules don’t apply to anti-Israel activists after all. Never mind that the Etsy marketplace deals exclusively with handmade goods, vintage goods and craft supplies, and the commercial, mass produced products marketed by the ISM were outside the scope of Etsy. Never mind that the ISM violated the very principles and mission of the Etsy, and damaged the integrity of the site by arrogantly shirking the guidelines

They are the victims. They are always the victims.

From Etsy:

Handmade will always be the heart of Etsy.

In our diverse marketplace, handmade can't mean a single method or process. Instead, it's about these three principles.

Authorship

A handmade item begins with you. Etsy's not the place to sell new items you had no role in creating.

Responsibility

Shop owners on Etsy are invested and knowledgeable about how their handmade items are made.

Transparency

By being open and honest about how items are made, we create a marketplace built on trust.

Nonetheless, the ISM whines:

Etsy's complaint against us was that our items are not hand made by us. That is of course only partly true, because nearly everything that we sell requires the time and effort of our group volunteers to finish the product and make it ready for shipping.

A more telling point, however, is that there are nine other Etsy sellers offering keffiyehs for sale, and theirs are not any more handmade than ours. In fact, four of them offer the exact same product as us, from the exact same supplier in Palestine (Hirbawi factory). Why are we being singled out? We think it is precisely because we are a nonprofit supporting Palestinians and Palestinian human rights. That is the main difference between us and the other Etsy stores.

 No, packaging a product doesn't make it handmade.  And its just a matter before those other shops are closed too, for violating the ETSY principles.

Saudis rejects poor quality Palestinian olive oil

Aw.  The Saudis have  rejected 20,000 cases of Palestinian olive oil

From Ma'an

NABLUS (Ma'an) -- Saudi Arabian authorities refused on Wednesday to allow 20,000 Palestinian olive oil containers through the Jordanian-Saudi land borders for “not matching the Saudi specifications.”

Muhammad al-Barqawi, one of the Palestinian olive oil exporters, told Ma'an that the Saudi government refused to allow 15 vehicles carrying olive oil into Saudi Arabian.

Al-Barqawi said the oil was tested in the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture laboratories before being exported and that they fit all international standards.

He said that the Saudi Arabian authorities have been holding the vehicles, carrying more than 300 tons of Palestinian olive oil, since Sunday.

Al-Barqawi pointed out that Saudi refused to allow the oil after they tested quantities from the bottom of the container; “since the oil is fresh it always leaves some sediment at the bottom and that is what they tested.”

He added that Saudi Arabia has been importing Palestinian olive oil for 40 years.

I'm sure its not going to be a total loss.  Since they haven't cared about quality up to now, maybe Paul Larudee and the ISM can re-bottle it in one of their infamous bottling "parties" at Grassroots House, on Blake Street in Berkeley.

Got love the extra special ISM labels, too.

The ISM: Now Recruiting Human shields

The discredited and disgraced International Solidarity Movement is looking for their newest Rachel Corrie  

If you've got a hankering to be used , abused and even sacrificed by terror supporters, this is your chance. Training will be held (where else?) in Berkeley.

The head of the Northern California International Solidarity movement Paul Larudee has been under fire recently by his anti-Israel peers, who have accused him of everything from financial impropriety, to political showboating.  He has been kept at arms length by those alarmed by his allegiance to Iran, his support of violence as well as his ties to notorious anti-Semite Gilad Atzmon. Its not clear whether the disagreement is truly philosophical in nature,  or if its simply politically expedient to distance oneself from those with clear ties to terror.

Paul has been desperately trying to recapture  a place for himself in the anti-Israel movement  Its hard to feel sorry for Larudee,  who helped organize the failed Flotilla, and the failed Global March to Jerusalem

Deppen Webber Feroze Mithiborwala Paul Larudee and "Sparrow"

Will anyone (besides us) show up to the Berkeley ISM training on June 4th?  We'll let you know.  ; - )

The ISM: A Tale of Two Villages

Its yet another example of how the International Solidarity Movement devalues and dehumanizes Jewish lives.

From a post at the ISM website:

Yesterday in the village of Awarta, 26-year-old Rais Abdat was released from an Israeli prison.

 Three years ago, two youths from Awarta killed a settler from the nearby illegal settlement of Itamar, and for this act they both received five life sentences. In response, Israeli forces arrested approximately 18 young men and women from the village. Rais Abdat was one of these men.

 Rais was not convicted of the crime he was arrested for, yet he was sentenced to 38 months in prison. A member of his family believes this is due to his activism and political affiliations. 10 of the men and women arrested three years ago remain imprisoned, included Rais’ cousin Walid Abdat (24-years-old) who is due to be released in July.

 Today Rais was released from Salem Court in Jenin to joyous reactions from his friends and family. Although he has now been released, Rais has lost three years of his life due to the Israeli occupation. Before he was imprisoned Rais was a university student studying Arabic, as a family member commented, he will return to his studies although it may take some time to adjust to his newfound freedom.

According to Addameer (Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association) as of Jan 1 2014 there are currently 5,023 Palestinian “political” prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centres. This includes 155 administrative detainees, 17 women and 154 children.

The reality is quite different. It wasn’t a “settler” that was killed. It was a family of five. The Fogel family members that were viciously murdered included Udi Fogel, 36, Ruth Fogel, 35, and their children Yoav, 11, Elad, 4, and three-month-old Hadas. Slaughtering children asleep in their beds is not a political act.  Those who were convicted of  the murder of the Fogel family are not  "political prisoners", nor are their accomplices.

On March 11,2011  two perpetrators infiltrated into Itamar armed with knives.  They broke into the Fogel home and stabbed the children and their parents.  When they heard 3-month-old Hadas crying, they slit her throat.  Amjad Awad and Hakim Awad, two Palestinians from the nearby village of Awarta were later arrested for the murders, implicated by DNA evidence left at the scene.

Officers from Israel’s domestic intelligence agency said the two gave a “chilling reenactment” that was one of the most “shocking, cold, remorseless and detailed” they had ever witnessed.

On 5 June 2011 they were indicted on five counts of murder, stealing weapons, breaking and entering, and conspiracy to commit a crime and were found guilty. The two proudly confessed to the killings and  expressed no remorse. Amjad said his motivation was to “die a martyr’s death.”

It takes a village.

Just as the village of Itamar joined together in support of the surviving Fogel children, the nearby Palestinian village of Awata joined to together to protect their murderers, who were praised as" heroes”

Suspected accomplices were arrested including Salah Aladin Salim Awad, 31, a PFLP member and Hakim’s uncle. He helped the suspects cover their tracks after the killings, telling them to burn their blood-soaked clothes and sending the firearms they stole from Itamar to a friend in Ramallah.  Jad Avid, 31, from Ramallah,  hid the firearms after receiving them from Salah Awad. He was arrested in his home and the firearms were seized by the IDF. Maazan Niad Awad, 43, from Awarta, is Hakim’s father and a PFLP member. Mahmed Saeed Awad, 26, is a PFLP member in Awarta who helped plan  the Itamar attacks.

From Haaretz:

Palestinian television aired an interview with the relatives of the Fogel family murderers earlier this month, praising the two cousins convicted with the brutal attack as "heroes."

The broadcast was aired as part of a weekly show on the Palestinian state-run station called "For You," which focuses on Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in Israel.

 The show featured the aunt and mother of Hakim Awad, who along with his cousin Amjad was convicted of brutally stabbing to death five Fogel family members in an attack on their home in the West Bank settlement of Itamar on the night of March 11, 2011.

Hakim Awad's mother sent her regards to her son, proudly describing him as the perpetrator of the Itamar attack and that he was sentenced to 5 consecutive life sentences.

Awad's aunt then proceeded to describe her nephew as a "hero and a legend."

The fact that the village of Awata celebrates those that murder children, and this in turn is supported by their extremist allies at the ISM is yet another example of how morally bankrupt the Palestinian solidarity movement has become.

The Hares Boys face 25 counts of attempted murder

From the warped minds of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) media team:

A campaign for five boys from Hares (Salfit) who were arrested last March and have been imprisoned since then has just started. They are currently being held in Meggido prison (48Palestine/Israel) and are  accused of 25 counts of attempted murder. They are having the military court hearing next 25th of July.

The presence of EU/USA official representatives would make a huge different regarding the judge and police behavior during the court and that is why the campaign (led by IWPS) is asking people to send a letter to their embassies asking your official representatives to attend the military court.

The ISM directs you to this page for more information, which makes this claim "Five Palestinian teenagers are facing life imprisonment for a crime that never happened. A settler car accident  labels them as "terrorists". Fight for justice for the Hares Boys!"

This is the result of the crime that "never happened' :

Victims of the Hares boys

The victims included Adva Biton, and her three young daughters Avigail, 4,  Naama, 6, and Adele 3. The family was injured when Palestinian "boys" hurled rocks at their vehicle, causing their car to swerve off the road and collide with an oncoming truck.   Adele was critically injured and has been fighting for her life for four months. She is now wheelchair bound.

Its hard to comprehend what kind of twisted mind could warp reality and invert the victims and the perpetrators in this scenario. The  Palestinian teenagers arrested for this crime were Ali Shamlawi, Mohammed Kleib, Mohammed Suleiman, Ammar Souf and  Tamer Souf.  Yet these teen-aged hooligans are  mere "boys" to the ISM, while the Jewish children are "settlers". 

To the ISM: Never forget this. Your attempts to dehumanize the Jewish victims of this egregious crime are doomed to fail. Adele Biton has a name. She has a family that loves her and a community that supports her.

Adele Biton,  young victim of the Hares boys

The ISM suggests a letter writing campaign. Their suggestion follows, and should be roundly ignored. Instead, send them photos of Adele, of her mothers car, and your heartfelt plea that the perpetrators of this terrorist act against the Biton family face the consequences of their actions.


Letter writing campaign: Find your respective embassy. 

To [Ambassador’s Name]

I am writing to request your presence at the upcoming court hearing of Ali Shamlawi  at Salem Military Court at 9am on 25 July 2013. 
In March 2013, five teenage boys from Hares village (Salfit district, occupied Palestine) were arrested and charged with 25 counts of attempted murder for allegedly throwing stones at an illegal Israeli settler’s car. They received these charges despite an overwhelming lack of evidence. 
Since March 15, the boys have been imprisoned, first in Al-Jalame interrogation center and later in Megiddo prison, both inside the 1948 territories of Israel (as you know well, transferring detained / arrested / imprisoned people from occupied territories to the territory of the occupier violates international law, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention).
Each boy reported being tortured, including being held in solitary confinement for as long as two weeks and being beaten by soldiers and other prison personnel. The boys have only been granted very limited visits with both their families and their lawyers. Each of their court hearings has been closed to outside observers. 
I ask you to attend the court hearing, as your presence as an international observer will ensure that these boys receive as fair a trial as is possible in a military court system. I hope that you will attend and I look forward to hearing your response. 
If you need more information about the court hearing, please email us at: haresboys@gmail.com. Alternatively please have a look at the detailed account of the Hares Boys case online: haresboys.wordpress.com
Thank you very much in advance.


And lets continue to keep Adele and her family in our hearts and in our prayers

Anti-Semite Gilad Atzmon's New Venue: An Oakland Auto Body Shop

On previous trips to the Bay Area, notorious anti-Semite Gilad Atzmon performed at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists,  the Lake Merrit Methodist Church and in the Islamic Cultural Center.

Tomorrow, he is playing in an  Oakland Auto Body Shop.   Other than a sinking ship, or a dark alleyway, can you imagine a better venue for the holocaust denying racist, who has been condemned by everyone from the Electronic Intifada's Ali Abunimeh to the ADL?

7pm Wednesday May 15th
Uptown Body Shop
401 26th St., Oakland,
510.224.3518 19th St. BART
$10-$20 suggested donation, no one turned away for lack of funds

From the ISM announcement

Gilad Atzmon was born in Israeli occupied Palestine in 1963 and had his
musical training at the Rubin Academy of Music, Jerusalem (Composition and
Jazz). As a multi-instrumentalist he plays Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone
Saxes, Clarinet and Flutes.

Occupied Palestine, 1963? Remember that when people say to you "What about the Settlements?"

Gilad Atzmon's own words:

*  To regard Hitler as the ultimate evil is nothing but surrendering to the Zio-centric discourse. To regard Hitler as the wickedest man and the Third Reich as the embodiment of evilness is to let Israel off the hook.

*  We should never compare Israel to Nazi Germany. As far as evilness is concerned, we should now let Israel take the lead.

* I'm not going to say whether it is right or not to burn down a synagogue, I can see that it is a rational act.

*  We must begin to take the accusation that the Jewish people are trying to control the world very
seriously.... American Jewry makes any debate on whether the 'Protocols of the elder of Zion' are an
authentic document or rather a forgery irrelevant. American Jews do try to control the world, by proxy.

* I'm anti-Jewish, not anti-Jews. I think Jewish ideology is driving our planet into a catastrophe and we must stop.

Want to help keep Oakland hate-free?  Drop the Uptown Body Shop a line  uptown@uptownbody.com
Its likely they have no idea what they are hosting, so be polite and respectful.  

Tammiphobia: Why is the harassment of Tammi Rossman-Benjamin allowed to continue on the UC campuses?

“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life." Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill’s words are of likely of little comfort to Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, a UC Santa Cruz lecturer and fearless advocate for the rights of Jewish students on campus. Her outspoken advocacy has won her acclaim throughout the Jewish community- she was on the short list of finalists in a nationwide Jewish Community Hero contest. Its also made her enemies.

From the Fousesquak blog:  In this open letter to Chancellor Blumenthal  Tammi Rossman-Benjamin describes the level of harassment and intimidation she has faced for daring to speak her mind   

She writes;

“In exercising my 1st amendment rights, a campaign of harassment, defamation and intimidation has been waged against me by CJP students. They certainly have the right to disagree with me, to ask for clarification, to voice dissent.  However their chosen response is deeply disturbing and alarming. Rather than disagree with me in a way that fosters understanding or asks for clarification, I am being harassed, intimidated and defamed in ways that are causing me to fear for my physical safety”       

The most current attack on Rossman-Benjamin stems from a talk she gave last summer, far away from the UC campuses.

Rossman-Benjamin writes:

....As you know, last summer I spoke out against campus anti-Semitism at a synagogue near Boston, in order to alert members of the local Jewish community to the problem of intimidation and harassment that some Jewish students face on college campuses today.  In my speech, I did not state, nor imply, that all Muslims or members of MSA and SJP are terrorists, or associate with terrorists. I spoke to raise awareness about a situation that exists in some instances on some campuses.  My intention was not to make a blanket statement or blanket accusations.  Yet my statements are being distorted by the Committee for Justice in Palestine to demonize me, I believe in retaliation for my speaking out against campus anti-Semitism in general, and initiating a Title VI complaint in particular.

 The pattern of harassment began with an email from UC Berkeley activist Tom Pessah , urging students to formally report this off campus talk to a UC campus climate survey on intolerance.

From: Tom Pessah
Date: February 17, 2013, 4:48:22 PM PST
Subject: [cal_sjp] report islamophobic incitement against SJP and MSA

A video has surfaced http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnSlbOhZgGI, showing UC Santa Cruz Hebrew lecturer Tammi Rossman Benjamin making extremely offensive comments about the Muslim Students Association and Students for Justice in Palestine groups at an off-campus event in June 2012. Benjamin singles these student activists out from all others, saying, “These are not your ordinary student groups like College Republicans or Young Democrats. These are students who come with a serious agenda, who have ties to terrorist organizations”.

If you are a UC student we encourage you to fill in this form for reporting incidents of intolerance on campus:
https://ucsystems.ethicspointvp.com/custom/ucs_ccc/default.asp

A petition was started, along with a poster campaign.  The harassment culminated in a resolution at UC Berkeley condemning  Tammi Rossman-Benjamin.  Some speculated the cowardly move to introduce the resolution at Berkeley rather than her home campus of UC Santa Cruz  was made to eliminate potential opposition and to deliberately silence the voices of her supporters at Santa Cruz.

At no point has anyone addressed the actual content of  Rossman-Benjamin's statements, instead focusing their efforts on ad hominem attacks.

The historic ties of such groups as the Muslim brotherhood to the Muslim Students Association have been well documented   An article by Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah, Sam Roe and Laurie Cohen, from a 2004 Chicago Tribune documents the history of the Muslim brotherhood in America, including  the establishment of the  Muslim Students Association (MSA), incorporated in 1963, by members of the Muslim Brotherhood at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Over the years, at Berkeley and elsewhere there have been close ties between various extremist groups and the Students for Justice in Palestine.  There is appreciable cross-pollination between SJP and extremist anti-Israel groups, including Al Awda and the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). Over the course of years,  SJP has hosted members of  Al Awda and the International Solidarity Movement and has promoted, participated and co-sponsored their activities.

From 2004

SJP ISM ties

To today

SJP ISM ties

A screen shot taken today of the resources page of SJP ( http://calsjp.org/?page_id=5 ) links directly to the International Solidarity Movement.

The relationship between the International Solidarity movement and SJP is not one-sided.  Local ISM members have been heavily promoting SJP's  Dam concert on their website as well.

The International Solidarity Movement is not a peace group. From the ADL's backgrounder

 Though ISM claims to promote only nonviolent means of resistance, it voices support for others who engage in armed resistance against Israel. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has even warned that its activity "at times" is "under the auspices of Palestinian terrorist organizations."

Paul Larudee  who recently advocated that "armed struggle must not be discouraged, but rather made as effective as possible" is the reputed head of the  Northern California International Solidarity Movement. Paul has been photographed with Hamas leaders in Gaza, and has been hosted multiple times on campus, sponsored by the SJP.

Paul Larudee  has worked closely with Deppen Webber, who once infamously tweeted "My New Years resolution is to destroy the Zionist state"

To Students for Justice in Palestine, to Tom Pessah , Rebecca Pierce and their friends:  Just as not all criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic, not all criticism of your group's tactics are "Islamophobic".  If you want to be taken seriously as a force for peace in the community, you will stop aiding and abetting extremists , stop hosting them, stop co-sponsoring events with them.  Tammi Rossman-Benjamin's words should have forced you to take a long sober look at those you've associated with over the years. Sadly, you were too distracted by your own self-righteous indignation and delusions of eternal victimization to even notice.

Paul Larudee of the International Solidarity movement: Some "peace" activist

"Armed struggle must not be discouraged, but rather made as effective as possible." 
Paul Larudee

Are these the words of a peace activist?

Paul Larudee, of El Cerrito, California is a self described “peace activist”.  He is one of the founders of the Free Gaza and Free Palestine Movements and the Northern California head of the International Solidarity Movement. Paul was one of the organizers of the Global March to Jerusalem. He is also a proud member of Jewish Voice for Peace. Photos of him and Gaza's Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh are all over the web

Paul Larudee in Gaza

In a recent article in Dissident voice,  dissidentvoice.org/2013/03/waiting-for-saladin-salaheddine-al-ayyoubi/  Paul puts to bed any doubt that he, or the International Solidarity Movement support a non-violent end to the conflict in the region

Armed or nonviolent resistance? Every struggle in the world – whether successful or unsuccessful – has included a combination of armed and nonviolent resistance in varying proportions. If it can be argued that armed resistance has failed in Palestine, so has nonviolent resistance. Nevertheless, it is exceedingly important in all struggles for such efforts not to undermine each other. Mixing the use of violence in a nonviolent action is a sure way of rendering that action ineffective, which is precisely why the enemy uses infiltrators in such a manner. Similarly, armed struggle must not be discouraged, but rather made as effective as possible. The two are more effective when coordinated, insofar as possible, so as to complement each other and so that the struggle may be unified.

This isn’t new, and was documented in 2004 by Toby Harnden, the Middle East Correspondent to  the Telegraph who wrote:

The International Solidarity Movement is often described as a peace group but its founders back the Palestinian right to wage an "armed struggle". Launched in 2001, the ISM says it uses "non-violent direct action" in the style of Gandhi, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Dr Martin Luther King. A closer look reveals that the leadership sees volunteers not as pacifists but as combatants on the Palestinian side.

In a 2002 article, the movement's co-founders, Adam Shapiro, a New York Jew, and Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian Christian, urged: "The Palestinian resistance must take on a variety of characteristics, both non-violent and violent." Mr Shapiro and Miss Arraf predicted that "yes, people will get killed and injured" and suggested that the casualties "would be considered shaheed", using the Arabic term for martyrs applied to suicide bombers....

ISM activists have been photographed posing with automatic weapons.  There's a reason the women are dressed as observant Jews. They  are filmed committing atrocities against the Palestinian people, with the intent of having Israelis blamed. These films are shown in Europe and in the Americas, as recruiting propaganda for the ISM, and as a way of demonizing Israel.

International Solidarity movement

International Solidarity Movement

In his March 27th article at the Dissident Voice website Paul asks  "What about arms?", advocating for targeted assassinations, though its unclear if he wants Palestinian leadership taken out, or the Israeli leadership

Armed resistance is difficult but not impossible. Certainly, one must not expect to match Israel in arms or even to mount a very effective fighting force. There is also the danger that armed resistance can be used to apply greater repression on a nonviolent resistance movement. However, if armed struggle is to be effective, it is most likely to achieve its ends through assassinations of very senior figures, in much the way covert U.S. forces use drone assassinations and the way Israelis themselves have used the tactic on Palestinians. In the absence of Palestinian drone aircraft, however, one must assume that such acts would have to be accomplished the old fashion way, if at all, and with a degree of secrecy that is difficult to maintain.

Paul Larudee  is advocating assassination and armed struggle.  Does anyone still believe this man is a voice for peace, justice and non-violence?

Demonization and Double Standards from the ISM

From the International Solidarity Movement's latest fundraising appeal:  Apparently your donations support such quality reporting as this:


Settlers attack children in Hebron

After school on the 13th of December in Al Khalil (Hebron) two children were attacked by a group of settlers. Younes Azzeh, age nine, and his sister Raghad Azzeh, age fourteen, were attacked by three male settlers that are speculated to be between seventeen and nineteen years old. Younes was kicked in the shins, thighs and generally roughed up as Raghad was accosted by a hurled stone hitting her lower back.

Notice: Palestinian teenagers are "children', but Jewish teenagers are "settlers".  A "hurled stone",  the very symbol of  "non-violent resistance" by the Palesrtinians and their ISM enablers,  is considered an "attack",  if it happened to be thrown by a Jew.

What really happen in Hebron on Dec. 13? We'll never know by  reading the ISM report. 

The International Solidarity movement: Gaza Media Manipulation

From an Article by Omri Ceren in Commentary

The International Solidarity Movement is one of those quirky peace-loving pro-Palestinian groups that also happens to support and provide succor to anti-Jewish mass murderers. The organization – which of course gets shady NGO funding – served as a cover for the UK terrorists who infiltrated Tel Aviv and committed mass murder at Mike’s Place. It attempted to assist Palestinian terrorists who hid in the Church of the Nativity. Its members help organize and proudly participate in efforts to break Israel’s blockade of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

None of that is an accident. In 2002 the group’s founders, Adam Shapiro and Huwaida Arraf, advocated “Palestinian resistance… both non-violent and violent.” They tsk tsk’d that “people will get killed and injured” but reassured their audience that at least the injured Palestinians “would be considered shaheed,” a word not coincidentally used in other contexts to celebrate suicide bombers. Arraf took pains two months ago to point out that she hasn’t changed her mind, and that she and the ISM “recognize the Palestinian right to use armed struggle.”

And now they’re seeking new human shields and propagandists for Hamas:

The International Solidarity Movement is appealing for activists to join our team in the besieged Gaza Strip. After being barred from Gaza in 2003 following the murders of Rachel Corrie and Tom Hurndall, ISM Gaza was reinstated in August 2008 when ISM and other volunteers traveled aboard the historic, siege-breaking voyage of the first Free Gaza Movement boat… ISM volunteers refused to leave when Israel began bombing Gaza in December 2008. During the devastating 23-day assault, activists accompanied ambulances and provided vital testimony to the international media.

That’s a strange boast to make, since you wouldn’t think that international media outlets would agree to turn the propaganda of pro-violence activists into news. Maybe the ISM is just mistaken.

*****

There have also been reports in the past that ISM members have dressed as Jews in an effort to implicate "settlers" in atrocities against the Palestinians.


Note to volunteers: No one will believe you advocate non-violence if you are training with AK-47's

Chaya Sara and the Zionist Invasion of Hebron

Read, if you can stomach it, Alistair George and Ben Lorber's (International Solidarity movement) version of the gathering of Jewish Pilgrims in Hebron, for the annual reading of Chaya Sara. Having the Jewish people worship in their second holiest city is regarded as an unwelcome intrusion. Like all of the ISM and their International handlers, they deny the Jewish people's 3,500 year connection to our holy land :

From their Nov. 20 article

"Over 1000 American and International Zionists joined 700 extremist settlers in Hebron this weekend to celebrate the reading of the Torah portion detailing Abraham’s biblical purchase of Hebron land, and to assert sovereignty over the Palestinian residents of Hebron.
On Friday, many Zionist visitors camped in tents on Israeli-controlled Shuhada Street. Inebriated from the Shabbat festivities, the visitors harassed local Palestinians throughout the night."

For what really goes on , read David Wilders account

"All hours of the day and night the streets are full of people walking to and from the various neighborhoods in Hebron. Saturday afternoon, multitudes tour the city, visiting the Hebron Heritage Museum at Beit Hadassah, the tomb of Jesse and Ruth in Tel Rumeida, and the Avraham Avinu synagogue in the Avraham Avinu neighborhood. Special Casba tours are also included in the day’s agenda.

The heart of the day’s events takes place at Me’arat Hamachpela. On Friday night, literally thousands of people gather at this holy site, inside and out, to offer joyous Sabbath prayers. Singing and dancing during a huge “Carlebach minyan,” conducted in the Machpela courtyard, is unbelievably uplifting.

But the pinnacle and actual raison d’être for the ingathering begins early Saturday morning.

By 5:15 a.m., thousands make their way to early morning prayers at the Machpela. The entire building is open to Jewish worshipers, including “Ohel Yitzhak,” the Isaac Hall, available to Jews only ten days during the year. The first vatikin service, with the sunrise, is a spiritually inspirational way to start the day.

However, the peak takes place about an hour into the service. A Torah scroll is removed from the Holy Ark and opened. The first person, usually a cohen, or priest, is called up to the Torah. Following recitation of a blessing, the reader begins:

“And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kiryat Arba –the same is Hebron – in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her… and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver…four hundred shekels of silver… And Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre – the same is Hebron – in the land of Canaan…” (Gen: 23, 1-20)."

The ISM tirade doesnt notice or care about the joyful worship. To Ben and Alistair, its all about the eternal victimization of the Palestinian people:

"On Saturday, soldiers stationed themselves through the streets of Hebron’s Old City, forcing the shutdown of Palestinian shops, while swarms of visitors were treated to an extensive settler-guided tour championing the Jewish roots of Old Hebron. In what was advertised by the Hebron Committee as “the most unforgettable Jewish experience of a lifetime”, throngs of young, mostly American males clapped and chanted ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ (‘life to the people of Israel’) and other nationalistic chants, while Palestinian residents were forced to the sidelines of their own streets and kept there by soldiers."

These are some of those "extremist settlers" that Alistair and Ben complain about, courtesy of Elder of Ziyon:



If only I could say that I was surprised by the language of dehumanization, the denial of Jewish heritage and the venomous hate from the ISM article. Sadly, its all too typical.

Huwaida Arraf and the ISM: Supporting Palestinian violence

Yousef Aljamal of Gaza's Center for Political Development Studies recently interviewed with Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement:

From the Interview at Mondoweiss

"I, personally, and the ISM as an organization, recognize the Palestinian right to use armed struggle to resist occupation...."

Its not like this is news, or that we haven't heard it before. The ISM routinely joins forces with the most racist in Palestinian society, espousing violence and using the language of anti-semitism. . In planning the next assault on Israel's borders, the ISM has teamed up with Raed Salah , currently facing deportation from the UK.


From Adam Holland- a collection of choice quotes from Salah

“You Jews are criminal bombers of mosques,
Slaughterers of pregnant women and babies.
Robbers and germs in all times,
The Creator sentenced you to be loser monkeys,
Victory belongs to Muslims, from the Nile to the Euphrates"

"We have never allowed ourselves to knead [the dough for] the bread that breaks the fast in the holy month of Ramadan with children's blood. Whoever wants a more thorough explanation, let him ask what used to happen to some children in Europe, whose blood was mixed in with the dough of the [Jewish] holy bread . . . Great God, is this a religion? Is this what God would want? God will deal with you yet for what you are doing."

Interviewer: What is your opinion of homosexuality?
Salah: It is a crime. A great crime. Such phenomena signal the start of the collapse of every society. Those who believe in Allah know that behavior of that kind brings his wrath and is liable to cause the worst things to happen. There is no solution for this, unless the individual’s faith is strengthened.
Interviewer: What is your opinion of the legislation now being discussed in the Knesset, which would grant Muslim women rights similar to those of Jewish women in matters of personal status?
Salah: That bill is tantamount to a war on Islam. It is an attempt to dictate different, foreign values that are neither Muslim nor Palestinian values.

Supporting violence. enabling racism. Is this the true face of the Palestinian peace Movement?

Huwaida Arraf "We're Winning! We're Winning! But we're still the victims"

The co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) Huwaida Arraf's most recent press release keeps with the overall theme of the Palestinian "resistance" movement "Even when we lose we win." and its corollary "Even when we win, we're still the victims"

From Huwaida ( my comments follow)

Israel Proves that Flotillas Work

Israel’s announcement of authorization for construction materials for 1,200 homes and 18 schools in Gaza is the latest achievement by the Freedom Flotilla, scheduled to sail next week.

No its not Huwaida. Its part of an ongoing stream of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza that flows virtually non-stop. Material goods to the Gaza Strip have steadily increased - from a daily average of 120 trucks in April 2010 to 237 in March 2011. - for the week ending June 17, 1163 truckloads (29,666 tons) of goods, including 278 truckloads of construction materials, were delivered to the Gaza Strip.
-- 586 tons of cooking gas were delivered via Kerem Shalom crossing.
- 343 Gaza residents (patients and their companions) entered or passed through Israel for medical treatment via Erez Crossing.
A bit earlier, when there was no threat of a "flotilla" the figures were no different
In the week ending Mar 31 2011
- 1183 truckloads (33,939 tons) of goods, including 312 truckloads of construction materials, were delivered to the Gaza Strip.
- 3 truckloads of flowers were exported from the Gaza Strip.
- 1024 tons of cooking gas were delivered via Kerem Shalom crossing.
- 356 Gaza residents (patients and their companions) entered or passed through Israel for medical treatment via Erez Crossing.
In fact, Huwaida, since the ceasefire in January 2009, well over a million tons of humanitarian supplies entered Gaza from Israel - almost a ton of aid for each man, woman and child in Gaza.


In the weeks leading up to the flotilla, Israel has taken a number of steps to try to address the concerns raised in the public eye by the Freedom Flotilla 2 – Stay Human initiative. However organizers say that these steps are symbolic at best, fall far short of Israel’s obligations under international law, are insufficient to meet the needs of Palestinians in Gaza, and are fundamentally designed to maintain the occupation and system of control that Israel exerts over Palestinian lives. Ultimately, these measures fall short of the greatest test – that of freedom for Palestinians.

Freedom to do what, Huwaida? Freedom to import even more lethal weapons from Iran? Freedom to target more Israeli civilians? Freedom to target more school buses? Just a reminder, Huwaida, according to the International monetary Fund, the growth rate in the Gaza Strip in 2010 was 15%.

In addition to the authorization of a limited amount of construction materials, Israel has also recently permitted 19 trucks of medicine to be delivered by Palestinian sources from the West Bank to Gaza. This was in response to an emergency announcement from health authorities in Gaza that crucial medicines had run out due to Israel's illegal blockade. Prior to that, Israel increased the number of aid trucks entering Gaza to between 210 and 220 per day. However, this still falls 35% short of what is required by Gaza Strip residents.

The last week in May, 8 truckloads of Medicine and Medical Equipment entered Gaza from Israel. Israel does not limit the shipment of medicine and medical supplies at all. Have you read the reports that Hamas is stockpiling medicine, and diverting the medicines away from hospitals and towards Hamas-affiliated pharmacies, where hospital patients' families are forced to buy medicine not available in hospitals. Hamas is always willing to sacrifice the health and well being of the Gaza populace if it will ensure a propaganda victory against Israel.

The pattern developing shows that as the sailing date of the Flotilla nears, Israel is increasing efforts to allow humanitarian goods into Gaza, including previously banned reconstruction materials. This proves three important things: (1) the Flotilla is effective in generating changes, even if they are insufficient, on the ground; (2) the ‘normal channels’ for delivering aid exist, but are useless without pressure on Israel to allow them to function; and (3) Israel’s standard excuse for preventing reconstruction material into Gaza is rendered baseless, given the approval to allow 1,200 homes and 18 schools to be constructed.

No, Huwaida. Israel kept the humanitarian aid to Gaza flowing, in spite of nearly 10,000 missiles and rockets launched against her. Israel kept the humanitarian aid flowing, even during Operation Cast lead. In the last year, new malls, resorts and water parks have been built. A brand new mosque was just built near Gaza City.




Even as the Freedom Flotilla welcomes this latest achievement and proof of the necessity and effectiveness of the Flotilla tactic, we also reiterate that our effort is not simply about delivering humanitarian aid. The goal of the Flotilla is not aid; it is freedom for Palestinians in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories. As such, there are no ‘established channels’ for freedom – there is only one - an end to the Israeli occupation.

There is no occupation of Gaza, Huwaida. There is one Jew left in Gaza, and his name is Gilad Shalit. He is being held against his will, in direct violation of the Geneva convention. He has been deprived of his human and civil rights for nearly 5 years.

The ISM's Paul Larudee practices his " Extreme Nonviolent Non-cooperation"

Paul Larudee of the Northern California International Solidarity Movement (ISM): photo from the Contra Costa times

Paul's "organization" recently sent out a "job description" for "Nonviolent Resistors" for the 2011 Gaza Freedom Flotilla. They stated "Those who are selected as passengers will be subject to the strategic guidelines of the entire Flotilla, as decided by the Steering Committee. However, additional strategies of this group (and other willing participants) may include greater nonviolent resistance after capture, such as refusing deportation until a set of conditions is met, extreme nonviolent noncooperation during captivity, etc. These strategies are subject to discussion and agreement by both the participants and the Flotilla Steering Committee."

Can we assume that this photo of Paul Larudee show the practice of "extreme nonviolent noncooperation" in action?

ISM Volunteer kidnapped in Gaza

Oh, the poor hapless International Solidarity Movement. Just in the middle of their recruitement drive for volunteers, this had to happen. Vittorio Arrigoni, 36, ISM volunteer in Gaza, was kidnapped earlier today in Gaza city. And they can't even blame Israel this time. The kidnappers belong to
A-Tawheed wal Jihad, an organization aligned with al Qaeda that feels Hamas is too moderate. They have released a video showing Arrigoni bruised, tied and blindfolded, and text scrolling across the screen threatens that he will die unless Hamas releases Salafist prisoners by 5 p.m. Friday. Topping the list of prisoners is a senior member of the group, Hisham al-Sa'adi.

Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, admitted Arrigoni was one of their activists who had arrived on a flotilla several years earlier. Arrigoni writes a blog for Guerrilla Radio and for the communist newspaper Il Manifesto. He is the first foreigner kidnapped in Gaza since BBC journalist Alan Johnston was snatched in 2007.

UPDATE:
From JPOST
Security officials found the body of an Italian man who had been abducted in the Gaza Strip in an abandoned house overnight Thursday, a Hamas security official said.

Two men were arrested and others were being sought.

A video released of Arrigoni said, in Arabic "the Italian hostage entered our land only to spread corruption" and it described Italy as "the infidel state".

This is really going to cut down on ISM's recruiting.

Palestinian Economic Boom in 2010

From a Report of the Government of Israel to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee - April 2011

In 2010, the Palestinian economy continued to grow at a quick pace, with economic growth reaching 9.3%, due to a very quick recovery of the Gaza economy (15%), accompanied by continued growth of the West Bank economy (8% ). The PA's GDP in 2010 amounted to USD 5,728 million, and the GDP per capita increased by 6.1%, in comparison to the previous year. Israeli policy in the West Bank and Gaza contributed significantly to this growth. Increased Palestinian sales to Israel, a higher volume of commercial goods shipped from the West Bank via the land crossings to Israel and abroad, growing numbers of tourists visiting the West Bank, and increased construction, are all additional indications of the growth of the Palestinian economy.

Additionally, Israel has approved 121 projects led by the international community:

Widespread construction has already begun and building materials transferred to their allotted locations in the Gaza Strip. These projects include the building of 800 new homes in Rafah, Khan Yunis and Gaza city, and 33 educational projects under which 20 new schools will be built and funded by UNRWA. A total of 1,000 farms will start growing food to alleviate daily needs and improve their financial situation, for which advanced farming equipment has been donated.

In addition, 14 projects will improve medical infrastructures and four new medical centers will be built. Existing wards will also be upgraded. Sanitation levels will improve as well, with five sewage treatment centers. Twenty-eight projects dealing with water and water sanitation and two comprehensive electricity projects will also be undertaken.

In order to fund these projects, the Gaza Strip’s economy will be bolstered. Some projects will take a number of years to be completed and many tons of construction material are scheduled to enter the Gaza Strip. TheDCL and international organizations will keep track of their movement to ensure that terrorist organizations do not use them to build bunkers for their operatives, for example.

Many buildings damaged by IDF activities have been rebuilt lately. The flour mill Sa Al-Bader, for example, damaged by tank fire during Operation Cast Lead (IDF soldiers were fired at intensively by Hamas operatives stationed in the flour mill’s vicinity, and shot toward it in response), was rebuilt a few months ago.

All this stands in stark contrast to the International Solidarity Movement's claim made earlier this month that "Israel’s siege has made rebuilding bombed structures virtually impossible". The ISM has also claimed "Israel also prohibits Gazans from producing their own food.", yet advanced farming equipment has been donated to a total of 1,000 farms will start growing food for Gaza.

Have we all realized by now that the the ISM lies?

The International Solidarity Movement is Looking for Rachel Corrie Wannabes

Looking for adventure in all the wrong places? The International Solidarity Movement might be perfect for you. The ISM recently sent out a job announcement, recruiting people to act as human shields in Gaza. Their help wanted is printed below, with a bit of editorializing.

The International Solidarity Movement is appealing for activists to join our team in the besieged Gaza Strip. In recent months numerous people have managed to cross into Gaza through Egypt, so at present, there is a small window of opportunity to enter.

(Yes, Gaza is such an open air concentration camp that any old international volunteer can just walk in)

ISM Gaza was reinstated in August 2008, when volunteers traveled aboard the historic, siege-breaking voyage of the first FreeGaza Movement boat. ISM has maintained a constant presence in Gaza since that time, for over two years of Israel’s crippling siege.

(Crippling Siege? According to a recent report by Bloomberg News, the Gaza economy has grown by 16 % . Last year over 23 tons of strawberries and over 33,000 flowers were exported to European markets. )

ISM volunteers refused to leave when Israel began bombing Gaza in December 2009. During the devastating 23-day assault, activists accompanied ambulances and provided vital testimony to the international media.

(Were these the ambulances found to be transporting weapons, and militants? We can only speculate.)

Daily life in Gaza is a harrowing struggle.


A harrowing afternoon in the Gaza City Library

Israel’s siege has made rebuilding bombed structures virtually impossible, and thousands of Gazans continue to live in tents.

(Yet in recent months a brand new mall has been built. The Crazy water park has also received much publicity. )

The siege deeply restricts Gaza’s food supply, but Israel also prohibits Gazans from producing their own food.

(Yet somehow they manage to grow strawberries for export? Can someone explain this?)

In stark violation of international law, Israel enforces a three-nautical-mile fishing blockade. The Israeli-imposed ‘buffer zone’ swallows up a third of Gaza’s farmland, which lies along the Israeli border. Farmers are routinely shot and killed simply for working their land well inside Gaza’s borders.

(Farmers like this? )




ISM Gaza volunteers accompany farmers and demonstrators in the ‘buffer zone'....
(and act as human shields?)

As the international community becomes more critical of Israel’s policies, it is vital to have individuals on the ground that can attest to the conditions inside the open-air prison of Gaza.


(Now you too can attest to the conditions inside the open -air prison of Gaza. After all, you've seen it on you-tube!)