Yesterday evening there was a fracas at a Jewish Voice for Peace event, in which a middle-aged woman was victimized by several people. Jewish Voice for Peace has already come out with a press-release in which they desperately seek to put their spin on matters.
Truth, as is so often the case when JVP and similar groupings are involved, is not part of their narrative.
Here’s the victim’s account:
"Jewish Voice for Peace" has issued a press release that I attacked several people attending one of their events with pepper spray. They also go on to make absurd allegations regarding my politics and intentions at the meeting.
This is completely bizarre. I am a DISABLED WOMAN (see the legal notice on my car). I carry pepper spray as my only means to defend myself. It IS true that on the evening of November 14, at a JVP meeting, I needed to defend myself. I was physically attacked.
The JVP meeting at Berkeley Senior Center was advertised to the public. I attended this meeting as an individual and not as a member of any organization, in order to deepen my understanding of their perspective on the Middle East conflict.
Ironically, a stated goal of the meeting was to HONOR activists that had recently PHYSICALLY DISRUPTED a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Perhaps I should have understood that as a warning.
THE ATTACK: Around 20 minutes into the meeting, I tried to photograph a woman speaking in support of Israel. Almost immediately, several JVP members surrounded me and tried to take my camera from me. Then they attacked me. They took hold of my arms and would not let me go. They also pushed their chests into me many times and knocked me against a wall. I yelled at them 20 to 30 times to let go of me. They refused to let go of my wrists and forearms and continued to bang their chests into me. They banged me into the wall over a dozen times. Their faces were red from hatred and exertion. As a result of their violence, my wrists and arms are bruised and I am currently suffering serious pain in my lower back. I am unable to work this afternoon and I must take medication for pain relief.
I am a large woman but I am physically frail. As I said, I am disabled.
- I see a pain management physician regularly for chronic back pain. I am unable to move without severe back pain. I have had major surgery on my back. I am unable to stand for more than a couple of minutes without unrelenting back pain and sciatica pain.
- I also have had nine surgeries on my knees which are another main source of pain.
- I have asthma, and I use inhaled steroids daily; the anti-Israel activists’ attack on me exacerbated my asthma and I had to take medicine while at the senior center.
- I also have a serious blood disorder that weakens me. I am currently under treatment by a hematologist/oncologist, and I am on daily chemotherapy.
I am 58 years old. I have a Disabled Person’s license plate for my car. I am physically incapable of overpowering or attacking anybody! The people who attacked me were physically fit and at least 20 years younger than I;
While pleading with the attackers to let me go, I tried to get away but they followed me and kept grabbing my arms. At one point they knocked my camera out of my hand. I bent down to pick it up and tried to walk away. They followed me and continued to grab my arms and shove me into the wall. They isolated me from the rest of the crowd. Because they were beating me up and because I am disabled and could not defend myself otherwise, I sprayed pepper spray into one woman’s face. As soon as I did that, they all backed off from me and let me go.
I resorted to the pepper spray because I feared for my safety and my life!!! I believe that had I not used pepper spray, I would be in the hospital today suffering far more serious injuries. Pepper spray causes extreme discomfort but is unlikely to cause permanent injury. The purpose of pepper spray is to temporarily disable an attacker, to allow time for escape. It worked.
The JVP press release is an outright lie. I cannot and did not attack anyone. I was attacked!
------------------------------
PLEASE NOTE:
The event was open to the public, and advertised as such. Public, in JVP terminology, may mean people who agree with distortions and untruths. Or violent psychopaths.
They're rather picky.
Crossposted here:
http://grantpatel.blogspot.com/2010/11/jewish-voice-for-peace-and-bully.html
GP
Monday, November 15, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Hamas reveals IDF death toll from Gaza conflict was correct
British Hip Hop artist, LOWKEY, International Solidarity Movement member, Jody McIntyre, and former Princeton University political science professor , Norman Finkelstein spoke at Kresge College at UCSC on May 12, 2010 claiming " over 1400 Palestinians were killed in Gaza" and that “between 500 and 700 were civilians.” Photo by Becky Johnson.NOTE TO READER: In the Winter War of 2009 against Hamas, the IDF was accused of slaughtering innocent Palestinians. The IDF always proclaimed they took great precautions to protect innocent civilian life. I wrote about discrepancies in the Gaza death toll from that conflict on my blog, "Becky Johnson: One Woman Talking" in September of 2009 which you can read here: http://beckyjohnsononewomantalking.blogspot.com/2009/09/idf-reports-251-death-discrepancy-and.html. With this revelation by Hamas leaders in the Arab press confirm what I predicted all along.
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=193521
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Amazon.com - Hijacked by haters. Its time to fight back
"First the Palestinians hijacked airplanes. Now they hijack agendas"
Anonymous comment on a blog
The anti-Israel forces have taken the web war to the world's largest online realtor. Following the lead of Code Pink, the US Campaign to end the Occupation has sent out a mass email urging their supporters to hijack the "Readers Comments" section of Amazon. Their email follows:
"This holiday season, join us to "save (the) amazon." Help us tell occupation-supporting companies exactly what we think of their products. By simply submitting an Amazon product review, you can let shoppers know that supporting companies who benefit from the occupation is wrong. Would you buy products tested on animals, or that you know to be environmentally destructive, or exploit child labor? If you know that a product harms others or violates international law, shouldn't you boycott it?Let Amazon.com shoppers know that Ahava products are "Stolen Beauty," that wearing CAT clothing is not cool, and to "hang up on Motorola!" We'll share the best reviews you write – or record on video – and bring media attention to the boycott movement.
Amazon, the largest online retailer, is home to virtually all consumer products, including Motorola gadgets, Ahava skin creams, and many other boycott-able goods that generate profit from the Israeli occupation.
To join "save (the) amazon," simply commit to writing a customer review on Amazon.com, telling shoppers it's wrong to buy products that generate profit from stolen resources. Amazon invites its shoppers to do just that. Here's the first line of their General Review Creation Guidelines:
Amazon wants your opinions to be heard
We want customers to get the information they need to make smart buying choices, and we'd love to have your help doing that. As an Amazon customer, you can submit written or video reviews for items listed on Amazon.com. We encourage you to share your opinions, both favorable and unfavorable."
Some companies and products that directly benefit from the occupation are: Caterpillar, Motorola, Ahava, Sabra and Osem. Do an Amazon search and comment on a product of your choice. There are thousands to choose from.
Comment with the fewest stars and most critical wording to draw attention to the inhumanity of stealing Palestinian resources and imposing apartheid."
Whats an Israel Supporter to do? Send Amazon Customer Service an email, requesting that they put a stop to the practice of hijacking the readers comments section to promote a hateful and one-sided agenda. Feel free to cut and paste the email from the US campaign. And rate down, down, down, the anti-Israel comments.
Anonymous comment on a blog
The anti-Israel forces have taken the web war to the world's largest online realtor. Following the lead of Code Pink, the US Campaign to end the Occupation has sent out a mass email urging their supporters to hijack the "Readers Comments" section of Amazon. Their email follows:
"This holiday season, join us to "save (the) amazon." Help us tell occupation-supporting companies exactly what we think of their products. By simply submitting an Amazon product review, you can let shoppers know that supporting companies who benefit from the occupation is wrong. Would you buy products tested on animals, or that you know to be environmentally destructive, or exploit child labor? If you know that a product harms others or violates international law, shouldn't you boycott it?Let Amazon.com shoppers know that Ahava products are "Stolen Beauty," that wearing CAT clothing is not cool, and to "hang up on Motorola!" We'll share the best reviews you write – or record on video – and bring media attention to the boycott movement.
Amazon, the largest online retailer, is home to virtually all consumer products, including Motorola gadgets, Ahava skin creams, and many other boycott-able goods that generate profit from the Israeli occupation.
To join "save (the) amazon," simply commit to writing a customer review on Amazon.com, telling shoppers it's wrong to buy products that generate profit from stolen resources. Amazon invites its shoppers to do just that. Here's the first line of their General Review Creation Guidelines:
Amazon wants your opinions to be heard
We want customers to get the information they need to make smart buying choices, and we'd love to have your help doing that. As an Amazon customer, you can submit written or video reviews for items listed on Amazon.com. We encourage you to share your opinions, both favorable and unfavorable."
Some companies and products that directly benefit from the occupation are: Caterpillar, Motorola, Ahava, Sabra and Osem. Do an Amazon search and comment on a product of your choice. There are thousands to choose from.
Comment with the fewest stars and most critical wording to draw attention to the inhumanity of stealing Palestinian resources and imposing apartheid."
Whats an Israel Supporter to do? Send Amazon Customer Service an email, requesting that they put a stop to the practice of hijacking the readers comments section to promote a hateful and one-sided agenda. Feel free to cut and paste the email from the US campaign. And rate down, down, down, the anti-Israel comments.
International ANSWER calls for Solidarity with Who???????
Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi said Monday that opposition to the Iranian government is growing, spurred by an increase in government violence, more human rights violations and deepening poverty
The human rights lawyer, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her efforts to promote democracy, said in an interview with The Associated Press that she came to the United Nations to talk about the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran and seek support for a draft U.N. General Assembly resolution that would condemn the country's rights record.
read more here:
This must come as a surprise to the lovely Becker boys (Dick and Brian) at "International A.N.S.W.E.R." , who have recently emailed a "Solidarity with Iran " appeal
Initial signers joining the ANSWER Coalition in support of the International Appeal include former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark; Fr. Roy Bourgeois; peace activist Cindy Sheehan; Denis Halliday, former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, 1994-98; Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, civil rights attorney; Gloria La Riva, Coordinator of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five; and Brian Becker, National Coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition, among many others.
In the midst of growing U.S. hostility, including the imposition of a new round of economic sanctions, a delegation of activists from the United States and Canada recently traveled to Iran to express solidarity with the people of Iran and to oppose U.S., UN, and European Union military threats and sanctions.
Yes, You read it correctly. ANSWER, always a bit of a joke, has moved into the ROFL category, supporting a medieval regime that stones women for adultery, hangs gays and bisexuals, and murders their political opposition. Way to go, International ANSWER. I can't imagine a gesture more indicative of just how out of touch you are with global reality
The human rights lawyer, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her efforts to promote democracy, said in an interview with The Associated Press that she came to the United Nations to talk about the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran and seek support for a draft U.N. General Assembly resolution that would condemn the country's rights record.
read more here:
This must come as a surprise to the lovely Becker boys (Dick and Brian) at "International A.N.S.W.E.R." , who have recently emailed a "Solidarity with Iran " appeal
Initial signers joining the ANSWER Coalition in support of the International Appeal include former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark; Fr. Roy Bourgeois; peace activist Cindy Sheehan; Denis Halliday, former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, 1994-98; Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, civil rights attorney; Gloria La Riva, Coordinator of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five; and Brian Becker, National Coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition, among many others.
In the midst of growing U.S. hostility, including the imposition of a new round of economic sanctions, a delegation of activists from the United States and Canada recently traveled to Iran to express solidarity with the people of Iran and to oppose U.S., UN, and European Union military threats and sanctions.
Yes, You read it correctly. ANSWER, always a bit of a joke, has moved into the ROFL category, supporting a medieval regime that stones women for adultery, hangs gays and bisexuals, and murders their political opposition. Way to go, International ANSWER. I can't imagine a gesture more indicative of just how out of touch you are with global reality
Truth is not Key in Al Awda Propaganda Ploy
Al Awda, the extremist organization that seeks the elimination of the world's only Jewish state by over-running it with the third and fourth generation of descendants of Palestinian "refugees" has a new project.
********
Al-Awda is working on an exciting photo project and your photos could be selected to be part of it (with photo credit of course). Here is what we are looking for:
1) Photos of actual doors to houses in Palestine.
If possible please list the name of the owner (if its a refugee please note that as well).
2) Photos of old house keys.
Again with the name of the owner if possible.
Blah, Blah, Blah....
Deadline: Please e-mail photos by November 19 to awdaphotos@gmail.com
For any further questions e-mail Mona Kadah or Alia Hasan at awdaphotos@gmail.com
*******
Notice that there is no requirement that the house or key actually belong to a refugee. Notice there is no requirement that the keys actually fit the door in the photos.
There are well over 2,000 bundles of old keys available on E bay right now. I suspect some of those very same keys wil be turning up in Al Awda's project, with a long tear filled story behind them.
Inventing a narrative, with or without rusty old props, has been a hallmark of Palestinian revisonist history for years. Edward Said repeatedly mentioned his forced exile from "my beautiful old house" in Jerusalem, and was eventually presented with a portrait of 10 Brenner Street by the Palestinian Heritage Association .
From American Thinker
In early 1992, Said paid a nostalgic visit to this house, a visit that was celebrated in a Harper's Magazine and eventually in a BBC documentary, In Search of Palestine. One scene in the film shows Said and his son in front of the house "my family owned" while Said angrily talks about getting the house back from the Israeli authorities.
By 1998, the year the documentary aired, an Israeli scholar named Justus Reid Weiner had already done two years of hard-nosed, boots-on-the-ground background research on Said's life, and he was about to deconstruct the heck out of it. "Virtually everything I learned," Weiner wrote, "contradicts the story of Said's early life as Said has told it."
The famed house, Weiner learned, belonged not to Said's parents, but to his Jerusalem relatives. During almost all of the years Said was alleged to be living there, the Said relatives rented the upstairs apartment to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia for a consulate's use. In a truly odd twist of fate, they rented the downstairs apartment of the renowned Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, who moved there after fleeing Nazi Germany in 1938. In 1942, the Said relatives forced Buber out in a rent dispute and occupied the apartment themselves.
One would think that in all his public recollections of this house, Said might have remembered sharing it with Buber or the Yugoslav consulate, but he did not. It is possible, in fact, that he never even stayed there.
Photos of doors. Photos of keys. Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
********
Al-Awda is working on an exciting photo project and your photos could be selected to be part of it (with photo credit of course). Here is what we are looking for:
1) Photos of actual doors to houses in Palestine.
If possible please list the name of the owner (if its a refugee please note that as well).
2) Photos of old house keys.
Again with the name of the owner if possible.
Blah, Blah, Blah....
Deadline: Please e-mail photos by November 19 to awdaphotos@gmail.com
For any further questions e-mail Mona Kadah or Alia Hasan at awdaphotos@gmail.com
*******
Notice that there is no requirement that the house or key actually belong to a refugee. Notice there is no requirement that the keys actually fit the door in the photos.
There are well over 2,000 bundles of old keys available on E bay right now. I suspect some of those very same keys wil be turning up in Al Awda's project, with a long tear filled story behind them.
Inventing a narrative, with or without rusty old props, has been a hallmark of Palestinian revisonist history for years. Edward Said repeatedly mentioned his forced exile from "my beautiful old house" in Jerusalem, and was eventually presented with a portrait of 10 Brenner Street by the Palestinian Heritage Association .
From American Thinker
In early 1992, Said paid a nostalgic visit to this house, a visit that was celebrated in a Harper's Magazine and eventually in a BBC documentary, In Search of Palestine. One scene in the film shows Said and his son in front of the house "my family owned" while Said angrily talks about getting the house back from the Israeli authorities.
By 1998, the year the documentary aired, an Israeli scholar named Justus Reid Weiner had already done two years of hard-nosed, boots-on-the-ground background research on Said's life, and he was about to deconstruct the heck out of it. "Virtually everything I learned," Weiner wrote, "contradicts the story of Said's early life as Said has told it."
The famed house, Weiner learned, belonged not to Said's parents, but to his Jerusalem relatives. During almost all of the years Said was alleged to be living there, the Said relatives rented the upstairs apartment to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia for a consulate's use. In a truly odd twist of fate, they rented the downstairs apartment of the renowned Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, who moved there after fleeing Nazi Germany in 1938. In 1942, the Said relatives forced Buber out in a rent dispute and occupied the apartment themselves.
One would think that in all his public recollections of this house, Said might have remembered sharing it with Buber or the Yugoslav consulate, but he did not. It is possible, in fact, that he never even stayed there.
Photos of doors. Photos of keys. Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
“ The Movement for One Democratic State in Palestine”
Having failing in their attempt to drive the Jews into the sea, the usual assortment of haters are trying a new tactic. Cynically and manipulatively drawing on the language of the civil rights movements, they call their movement “One Democratic State in Palestine” . Their conference was held Oct 23-24 in Dallas Texas
The stated objectives of the One Democratic State in Palestine Movement follow, in bold:
*The creation of a unified one democratic state in Mandate Palestine.
How are they going to break the news to Jordan?
*Repudiate Zionism and eliminate all forms of discrimination and segregation and end violence, militarism, and warfare.
Hmmmm . The Palestinian authority executes Arabs that sell land to Jews. Hamas remains a theocratic homophobic, misogynist regime. Any idea how to convince them to embrace democracy and equality? Any idea why the "One democratic state" organization does not repudiate the racist xenophobic Hamas charter?
*Unify Jewish Israelis and Palestinians in a shared non-ethnic democratic state in Palestine.
The question remains, how will you convince Hamas that this is a worthy goal? After all their very charter states:
"The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Muslim generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. " Not very democratic. The use of the term "non-ethnic" is also curious. Does this give them free reign to establish a religious, Islamic state in this region? After all, "Islam" isn't an ethnic identity, is it?
*Restore Palestinian inalienable rights in Palestine and to compensate Palestinians for their pain and suffering.
Reminder : UN resolution 194 mentions “the refugees”. That means ALL the refugees. There were 850,000 Jews refugees from Arab lands displaced at this time. When will their inalienable rights be acknowledged? When will they be compensated? Why does the "One Democratic state" group seem to think that only Palestinians are entitled to "human rights?
*Establish an international solidarity movement,composed of individuals and organizations, to organize and spearhead efforts to realize the objectives of one democratic state in Palestine.
They aren't off to a very good start. The speakers at this conference included several notorious anti-Semites, including Gilad Atzmon, a man so far off the grid that Tony Greenstein, UK Marxist anti-Zionist has even renounced him. Atzmon is so racist that sweet gentle Berkeley Unitarians left his talk in tears after his appearance in the Fellowship in 2009.
Lenni Brenner, author of Zionism in the Age of the Dictators also addressed the conference- A favorite of neo-nazis of all stripes, Brenner maintains that "Zionists" were in league with the Nazis during World War II and that this alliance was based on a desire by the Zionists to bring about a Zionist state by exploiting anti-Semitism in Europe.
"The Movement for One Democratic State in Palestine" is simply another wolf in sheep's clothing, using the rhetoric of civil and human rights to deny the Jewish people the right to self determination in their ancient homeland. But with the likes of Atzmon and Brenner in their corner, they won't be fooling anyone.
The stated objectives of the One Democratic State in Palestine Movement follow, in bold:
*The creation of a unified one democratic state in Mandate Palestine.
How are they going to break the news to Jordan?
*Repudiate Zionism and eliminate all forms of discrimination and segregation and end violence, militarism, and warfare.
Hmmmm . The Palestinian authority executes Arabs that sell land to Jews. Hamas remains a theocratic homophobic, misogynist regime. Any idea how to convince them to embrace democracy and equality? Any idea why the "One democratic state" organization does not repudiate the racist xenophobic Hamas charter?
*Unify Jewish Israelis and Palestinians in a shared non-ethnic democratic state in Palestine.
The question remains, how will you convince Hamas that this is a worthy goal? After all their very charter states:
"The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Muslim generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. " Not very democratic. The use of the term "non-ethnic" is also curious. Does this give them free reign to establish a religious, Islamic state in this region? After all, "Islam" isn't an ethnic identity, is it?
*Restore Palestinian inalienable rights in Palestine and to compensate Palestinians for their pain and suffering.
Reminder : UN resolution 194 mentions “the refugees”. That means ALL the refugees. There were 850,000 Jews refugees from Arab lands displaced at this time. When will their inalienable rights be acknowledged? When will they be compensated? Why does the "One Democratic state" group seem to think that only Palestinians are entitled to "human rights?
*Establish an international solidarity movement,composed of individuals and organizations, to organize and spearhead efforts to realize the objectives of one democratic state in Palestine.
They aren't off to a very good start. The speakers at this conference included several notorious anti-Semites, including Gilad Atzmon, a man so far off the grid that Tony Greenstein, UK Marxist anti-Zionist has even renounced him. Atzmon is so racist that sweet gentle Berkeley Unitarians left his talk in tears after his appearance in the Fellowship in 2009.
Lenni Brenner, author of Zionism in the Age of the Dictators also addressed the conference- A favorite of neo-nazis of all stripes, Brenner maintains that "Zionists" were in league with the Nazis during World War II and that this alliance was based on a desire by the Zionists to bring about a Zionist state by exploiting anti-Semitism in Europe.
"The Movement for One Democratic State in Palestine" is simply another wolf in sheep's clothing, using the rhetoric of civil and human rights to deny the Jewish people the right to self determination in their ancient homeland. But with the likes of Atzmon and Brenner in their corner, they won't be fooling anyone.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
"Divest this: How to Stop the Global Boycott Sanctions and Divestment (BDS) Movement Attack on Israel"
Jon, the brilliant, lucid voice behind "Divest this" has come up with a new weapon in the war against BDS. Jon's new handbook is "Divest this: How to Stop the Global Boycott Sanctions and Divestment (BDS) Movement Attack on Israel and ensure its Second Decade of Defeat".
The Handbook is a must read for any community, school or commercial institution dealing with the specter of BDS, drawing upon Jon's years of experience as a voice of light and reason in the BDS battleground
Jon's Top Ten Reasons to Defeat BDS:
1. BDS represents an attempt by narrow-interest partisans to stuff
their propaganda into the mouth of a third party.
2. BDS tries to make every civic organization a new battlefront in
the Middle East conflict.
3. BDS poisons and divides any community it enters.
4. BDS is based on falsehoods, such as the “Israel=apartheid” propaganda accusation.
5. BDS warps debate over the Middle East, making the quest for peace more difficult
6. BDS seeks to unfairly punish just one side in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
7. BDS activists frequently use manipulation or fraud to get their way with an organization.
8. BDS has been rejected by every organization where it’s been tried, including some of thenation’s most progressive communities.
9. Defeating BDS helps discredit the discreditable endeavor to de-legitimize Israel.
10. BDS is a loser.
When BDS invades a civic organization, divisiveness, hostility and chaos ensue. This new handbook gives supporters of Israel the tools we need to fight back.
Yascher Koach, Jon. May you go from strength to strength.
The Handbook is a must read for any community, school or commercial institution dealing with the specter of BDS, drawing upon Jon's years of experience as a voice of light and reason in the BDS battleground
Jon's Top Ten Reasons to Defeat BDS:
1. BDS represents an attempt by narrow-interest partisans to stuff
their propaganda into the mouth of a third party.
2. BDS tries to make every civic organization a new battlefront in
the Middle East conflict.
3. BDS poisons and divides any community it enters.
4. BDS is based on falsehoods, such as the “Israel=apartheid” propaganda accusation.
5. BDS warps debate over the Middle East, making the quest for peace more difficult
6. BDS seeks to unfairly punish just one side in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
7. BDS activists frequently use manipulation or fraud to get their way with an organization.
8. BDS has been rejected by every organization where it’s been tried, including some of thenation’s most progressive communities.
9. Defeating BDS helps discredit the discreditable endeavor to de-legitimize Israel.
10. BDS is a loser.
When BDS invades a civic organization, divisiveness, hostility and chaos ensue. This new handbook gives supporters of Israel the tools we need to fight back.
Yascher Koach, Jon. May you go from strength to strength.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Lonely Planet: Tel Aviv is one of the top three cities in the world
Tel Aviv is one of the worlds' top cities for 2011, according to Lonely Planet.
Ansd we all know Lonely Planet is objective. We've already read their glowing praise for Roots the elegant Gaza City restaurant
Roots is where important people dine on steak au poivre and chicken cordon bleu, though, since alcohol isn't served, there's no washing it down with a good vintage of anything other than Coke. .
From the Lonely Planet website
Tel Aviv is the total flipside of Jerusalem, a modern Sin City on the sea rather than an ancient Holy City on a hill. Hedonism is the one religion that unites its inhabitants. There are more bars than synagogues, God is a DJ and everyone’s body is a temple. Yet, scratch underneath the surface and Tel Aviv, or TLV, reveals itself as a truly diverse 21st-century Mediterranean hub. By far the most international city in Israel, Tel Aviv is also home to a large gay community, a kind of San Francisco in the Middle East. Thanks to its university and museums, it is also the greenhouse for Israel’s growing art, film and music scenes.
Beautiful vibrant Tel Aviv, founded in 1909 has always been a haven for cultural diversity in Israel. A center for music, theater and the arts, it offers something for everyone- from the fire dancers on Chinky beach to the upscale shopping on Sheikin Street.
Thank you Lonely Planet.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Mövenpick, Ramallah. 5 star luxury in the West Bank
The Movenpick Hotel in Ramallah with its sparkling new swimming pool
Located just minutes away from the city centre of Ramallah in Palestine,close to the city shopping and entertainment district and with a great view over the suburbs of Jerusalem from the upper floors of the hotel, the Mövenpick Hotel in Ramallah is the first 5 star hotel opening in the disputed Palestinian territories. It is a locally owned franchise of the Swiss-based chain.
The 40-million-dollar hotel includes 171 rooms and suites, an outdoor pool, fitness centre and seven conference rooms. The main restaurant has an Italian chef and a downstairs cigar bar that will serve up 20-year aged whiskeys.
Jewish Voice for Peace and others (forgive me if I don't link to them) have described "the acute water shortage among Palestinians in the West Bank" , blaming illegal "Jewish-only colonies (that) fill up their swimming pools while many Palestinian families do not have enough water to grow food or bathe regularly." Will they condemn the Mövenpick Hotel in Ramallah for building a swimming pool that deprives the ordinary Palestinian people of drinking water? Its unlikely.
For organizations like JVP, the diversion of water resources for the Palestinian ruling elite is acceptable and they'll continue to use their initimable smoke and mirrors approach to blame the ramifications on Israel. Just click your heels twice and repeat, "Its all Israel's fault. Its all Israel's fault"
"Peace Activists" and Palestinians Destroy Olive Trees, blame the "settlers"
Documented in this article from YNet news:
Arabs and leftist activists staged an attack on Palestinian fields in a bid to accuse settlers of vandalism, an organization that claims to have documented the incident says.
Tazpit Unit members, an organization identified with the settlers which documents news events in the territories says that these staged attacks were meant to falsely accuse settlers of attacking Palestinian land.
The photos were shot on Palestinian land Friday, near Neveh Tzuf . The images allegedly show Palestinians and left-wing activists cutting down Palestinian olive trees using an electric saw.
"We are talking about an olive grove east of Beit Zayit, located near Route 60," Amiton said."I immediately saw that it was no ordinary pruning, it was done very aggressively...Some of the branches broke and other trees were cut off entirely. When I approached closer with my camera, the Palestinian man waved his saw at me threateningly. I felt uneasy so I backed off".
Tazpit unit director Amotz Eyal said that "during every olive harvest season, just like this one, there are many cases of Arab farmers cutting down olive branches, later blaming it on the settlers."
"Time after time photos prove that these Arabs are not holding back; they provoke in order to tarnish the image of Jewish settlers," he said.
Eyal vowed that Tazpit photographers will continue to document such activities in order to show the public actual events on the ground.
********
This is not the first time International "peace activists" have been documented destroying Palestinian property, in an effort to demonize the Jews of the region. Many speculate that the International solidarity Movement dresses its activists as Orthodox Jews specifically to stage such events.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Iranian weapons bound for Gaza seized in Nigeria
This underscores why the maritime blockade of Gaza is so crucial for Israel's security.
13 containers of military grade armaments including rocket launchers, grenades and 107 mm artillery rockets camouflaged as building material were seized in the Nigerian port of Lagos after being unloaded from an Iranian ship on Thursday, Oct 28. The shipping company said the manifest for the weapons described the shipment as "packages of glass wool and pallets of stone".
This advanced weaponry represents a step up in hostilities in the region. Terrorist groups have launched more than 10,000 rockets at Israel since disengagement from Gaza, with 170 mortars and rockets launched at civilian targets in Israel this year alone. Hamas is now escalating its threats “We’re coming to liberate Haifa and Acre together with world armies,” Hamas’ interior minister for Gaza, Fathi Hammad, said on Oct. 25. Hammad added “We must remain committed to jihad .”
13 containers of military grade armaments including rocket launchers, grenades and 107 mm artillery rockets camouflaged as building material were seized in the Nigerian port of Lagos after being unloaded from an Iranian ship on Thursday, Oct 28. The shipping company said the manifest for the weapons described the shipment as "packages of glass wool and pallets of stone".
This advanced weaponry represents a step up in hostilities in the region. Terrorist groups have launched more than 10,000 rockets at Israel since disengagement from Gaza, with 170 mortars and rockets launched at civilian targets in Israel this year alone. Hamas is now escalating its threats “We’re coming to liberate Haifa and Acre together with world armies,” Hamas’ interior minister for Gaza, Fathi Hammad, said on Oct. 25. Hammad added “We must remain committed to jihad .”
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Tony Greenstein: Dishonest, dangerous and anti-Democratic
"I would kill for my cause, why wouldn't I lie for it ?"
Yassir Arafat
July 2001
We've documented the anti-zionist manipulation of an opinion poll here. Now there been another attempt, and once again, they've gotten caught
From the Jewish Chronicle on-line:
On the front page of our website, we have a poll 'Should Rabbis work with the EDL?'. On the EDL, the Jewish community is united, the Board of Deputies, the CST and the great and the good have urged us to have no involvement with them, calling the group violent, with a hidden, racist agenda.
Luckily, overwhelmingly, our readers are agreeing, and voting 'No' in our poll.
But Tony Greenstein, the ardent anti Zionist blogger, has other ideas. On the "Boycott Israel Network", a forum of antizionist rantings...
Terry Gallogly, chairman of York Palestine Solidarity Campaign, says: "People might like to vote in this poll if only to embarass Hoffie [Jonathan Hoffman] and the Zionist Federation"
Tony Greenstein replies:"Done so and voted - in favour of course. Please try to make sure that people on BIN vote and to vote yes. It will be quite good for us that a JC poll comes out in favour of working with the EDL!!!"
Lucy Lips on Harry's Place writes:
So, in a nutshell, Tony Greenstein is suggesting that anti-Zionists should try to rig a JC poll, so that they can falsely paint Jews as racists.
This is dirty tactics at its lowest. EDL presence at pro-Zionist demonstrations is unwanted and the ZF have made it clear they are not welcome behind the same barriers. We are sending a clear message that our community does not want friends like these.
Greenstein's actions are not only dishonest and antidemocratic. They are very dangerous. As are those of the PSC, which the first poster Gallogly, claims to represent. The PSC are closely associated with the TUC, which recently extended their boycott of Israel. Perhaps the TUC, and not the ZF, should be the ones scrutinising their friends more closely.
UPDATE: We have suspended the poll. We can't trust the results any more and we wouldn't print the results of a hijacked poll in next week's paper. The results would not really reflect the view of the community. But despite the best efforts of Greenstein, when the poll came down nearly 80 per cent were still voting against contact with the EDL.
Yassir Arafat
July 2001
We've documented the anti-zionist manipulation of an opinion poll here. Now there been another attempt, and once again, they've gotten caught
From the Jewish Chronicle on-line:
On the front page of our website, we have a poll 'Should Rabbis work with the EDL?'. On the EDL, the Jewish community is united, the Board of Deputies, the CST and the great and the good have urged us to have no involvement with them, calling the group violent, with a hidden, racist agenda.
Luckily, overwhelmingly, our readers are agreeing, and voting 'No' in our poll.
But Tony Greenstein, the ardent anti Zionist blogger, has other ideas. On the "Boycott Israel Network", a forum of antizionist rantings...
Terry Gallogly, chairman of York Palestine Solidarity Campaign, says: "People might like to vote in this poll if only to embarass Hoffie [Jonathan Hoffman] and the Zionist Federation"
Tony Greenstein replies:"Done so and voted - in favour of course. Please try to make sure that people on BIN vote and to vote yes. It will be quite good for us that a JC poll comes out in favour of working with the EDL!!!"
Lucy Lips on Harry's Place writes:
So, in a nutshell, Tony Greenstein is suggesting that anti-Zionists should try to rig a JC poll, so that they can falsely paint Jews as racists.
This is dirty tactics at its lowest. EDL presence at pro-Zionist demonstrations is unwanted and the ZF have made it clear they are not welcome behind the same barriers. We are sending a clear message that our community does not want friends like these.
Greenstein's actions are not only dishonest and antidemocratic. They are very dangerous. As are those of the PSC, which the first poster Gallogly, claims to represent. The PSC are closely associated with the TUC, which recently extended their boycott of Israel. Perhaps the TUC, and not the ZF, should be the ones scrutinising their friends more closely.
UPDATE: We have suspended the poll. We can't trust the results any more and we wouldn't print the results of a hijacked poll in next week's paper. The results would not really reflect the view of the community. But despite the best efforts of Greenstein, when the poll came down nearly 80 per cent were still voting against contact with the EDL.
Friday, October 15, 2010
"You must give back to the country you live off" Second Lieutenant Hisham Abu Varia, highest ranking Muslim soldier in the IDF
Hisham Abu Varia, 26, is one of 14 children. At the age of 10 he was already doing manual work, from fruit picking to construction work. After high school he worked for two years installing roofs. He gave his earnings to his parents who paid for his brother's medicine studies in Russia. He is now the highest ranking Muslim Arab in the IDF.
Since childhood, Hisham has wanted to be a soldier, inspired by one of his older brothers – one of the few Arab-Israelis to complete three years of service. "He was a role model to me and many others because of his integrity and conviction to do what he thought was right. A brave man not influenced by other people's opinions."
"The army is the entry pass into the Israeli society," Hisham explains. "The Arab sector thinks it's second rate here, but to get privileges one has to give and not just receive. The state protects its citizens even if they don’t serve – my parents live off income support. You must contribute to the country you live off. What other country would have an Arab Knesset member, who is being paid by the state, promoting the interests of the Islamic movement and screwing the promotion of the sector it is supposed to represent?"
Hisham continued "The Arab sector is like a herd. It doesn't think by itself and is affected by various radical movements. Most youngsters don't have anything to do with themselves. They run around the streets, wasting their time and that's only if they finished school. Service in the army is educating, it gives you structure, order – that's what young people are missing here."
Hisham's goal "To reach the highest rank I can," he answers without hesitation, "and the get my masters in anthropology. It’s because of the service. In the army everyone is equal, but there is no other place that gathers such different people with such different cultural backgrounds who still manage to live together. That's what interests me the most."
Read more here
Since childhood, Hisham has wanted to be a soldier, inspired by one of his older brothers – one of the few Arab-Israelis to complete three years of service. "He was a role model to me and many others because of his integrity and conviction to do what he thought was right. A brave man not influenced by other people's opinions."
"The army is the entry pass into the Israeli society," Hisham explains. "The Arab sector thinks it's second rate here, but to get privileges one has to give and not just receive. The state protects its citizens even if they don’t serve – my parents live off income support. You must contribute to the country you live off. What other country would have an Arab Knesset member, who is being paid by the state, promoting the interests of the Islamic movement and screwing the promotion of the sector it is supposed to represent?"
Hisham continued "The Arab sector is like a herd. It doesn't think by itself and is affected by various radical movements. Most youngsters don't have anything to do with themselves. They run around the streets, wasting their time and that's only if they finished school. Service in the army is educating, it gives you structure, order – that's what young people are missing here."
Hisham's goal "To reach the highest rank I can," he answers without hesitation, "and the get my masters in anthropology. It’s because of the service. In the army everyone is equal, but there is no other place that gathers such different people with such different cultural backgrounds who still manage to live together. That's what interests me the most."
Read more here
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Israeli soldiers at a California University
Two Israeli soldiers visited CSUF. You can find a report about the visit at the link and you can see them in this video below. Better yet, you can invite them to your university. IDF is probably not what you thought, is it?
If you are going to Boycott Israel, do it right
If you are going to Boycott Israel, do it right: Reject Israeli Technology and Insist on Invasive and Expensive Medical techniques
For all you BDS’ers out there: Saving lives is never as important as advancing an ideology. If you are suffering from respiratory disease, be sure to reject Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy- a new technique developed by Super Dimension , a private company based in Israel. ENB is a comprehensive, advanced lung navigation system now used in over 275 hospitals worldwide, that has facilitated diagnosis in over 15,000 patients, with the potential to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer extending the reach of the conventional bronchoscope, deep in the lungs and lymph nodes.
Read more here:
HIV positive ? A substance that destroys cells infected with deadly HIV and could prevent AIDS, has been developed in Israel after a decade of research by biologists and chemists at Hebrew University . The focus of all the excitement is a unique peptide, a short protein-like substance . When researchers applied it to human cell cultures, the peptide destroyed HIV-infected cells within two weeks without harming healthy cells. The Israeli discovery holds the promise of preventing AIDS. But we know you will reject this, and encourage the 33 million currently infected with HIV to do the same. It’s a small price to pay for rejecting zio- neocolonialist apartheid.
Read More Here:
Are you a Kaiser patient? Then insist on name brand pharmaceuticals, not generic Teva drugs, that bear the taint of the apartheid state. Surely money is no object in your effort to bring down one of the great evils of the world?
Boycotting Israel is about so much more than abandoning your Israeli couscous or Elite chocolate. If you are going to boycott Israel, be consistent. For more tips:
For all you BDS’ers out there: Saving lives is never as important as advancing an ideology. If you are suffering from respiratory disease, be sure to reject Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy- a new technique developed by Super Dimension , a private company based in Israel. ENB is a comprehensive, advanced lung navigation system now used in over 275 hospitals worldwide, that has facilitated diagnosis in over 15,000 patients, with the potential to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer extending the reach of the conventional bronchoscope, deep in the lungs and lymph nodes.
Read more here:
HIV positive ? A substance that destroys cells infected with deadly HIV and could prevent AIDS, has been developed in Israel after a decade of research by biologists and chemists at Hebrew University . The focus of all the excitement is a unique peptide, a short protein-like substance . When researchers applied it to human cell cultures, the peptide destroyed HIV-infected cells within two weeks without harming healthy cells. The Israeli discovery holds the promise of preventing AIDS. But we know you will reject this, and encourage the 33 million currently infected with HIV to do the same. It’s a small price to pay for rejecting zio- neocolonialist apartheid.
Read More Here:
Are you a Kaiser patient? Then insist on name brand pharmaceuticals, not generic Teva drugs, that bear the taint of the apartheid state. Surely money is no object in your effort to bring down one of the great evils of the world?
Boycotting Israel is about so much more than abandoning your Israeli couscous or Elite chocolate. If you are going to boycott Israel, be consistent. For more tips:
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The California BDS Initiative-- Anti-Peace and Unjust
Cross posted at Bluetruth Written by DrMike
The BDS movement is attempting to take its jihad-in-human-rights-clothing program to the California electorate sometime next year. Taking advantage of California's initiative process, they are trying to gather enough signatures to qualify an Israel divestment initiative for one of 2011's statewide elections.
The initiative itself is standard BDS text-- the language of "human rights" and "international law", including the ever-present reference to UN Resolution 194 and the false claim that this resolution gives descendants of Arab refugees from the 1947-8 war the "right" to force Israel to repatriate them.
We know this initiative, even if it qualifies for the ballot, won't pass. Even the organizers know it won't pass. But they have learned quite well about the "Big Lie", and they are eager for the chance to bring it to the big stage.
The BDS movement is attempting to take its jihad-in-human-rights-clothing program to the California electorate sometime next year. Taking advantage of California's initiative process, they are trying to gather enough signatures to qualify an Israel divestment initiative for one of 2011's statewide elections.
The initiative itself is standard BDS text-- the language of "human rights" and "international law", including the ever-present reference to UN Resolution 194 and the false claim that this resolution gives descendants of Arab refugees from the 1947-8 war the "right" to force Israel to repatriate them.
We know this initiative, even if it qualifies for the ballot, won't pass. Even the organizers know it won't pass. But they have learned quite well about the "Big Lie", and they are eager for the chance to bring it to the big stage.
Who is behind this? A resident of Sacramento named Chris Yatooma and his group, the Sacramento BDS organization. A casual look at their website tells you everything you need to know about them They link to all of the usual players in the anti-Israel movement: the Free Gaza movement that wants to allow the Hamas regime to import Iranian missiles without interference; to the If Americans Knew website of Alison Weir, whose assocation with neo-Nazis alarm neither her nor her friends in the BDS movement; to Sabeel, the Arab Christian group that promotes an anti-Semitic "replacement theology"-- that its form of Christianity has essentially replaced Judaism, and it's just the stubbornness of Jews that insist on their own nationhood that stands in the way of peace; to the fringe extremists of Jewish Voice for Peace ,which long ago abandoned the fig-leaf that they don't take any position for or against a state for the Jewish people and has repeatedly participated in anti-Israel demonstrations in the Bay Area; and of course to the International Solidarity Movement, which recruits naive young adults to help shelter terrorist groups (and possibly worse, as multiple reports of rape of young women volunteers in the West Bank have surfaced). In short, not a single group that supports peace between a Jewish state of Israel and an Arab state of Palestine. Yet their pitch to get people to sign the petition is "Can you spare 15 seconds to support peace in the Middle East?"
As to the initiative itself, the clause that would be enacted states as follows:
In short, we don’t debate racists. We fight them, whether their hatred is aimed at us or any other racial or ethnic minority. As such, we look forward to defeating the BDS effort at the Coop."
As to the initiative itself, the clause that would be enacted states as follows:
"The CalPERS Board of Administration and the CalSTRS Teachers Retirement Board shall examine their respective investment funds within six months of passage of this initiative. Upon completion of this six month period, they shall publicly identify and list any investments in companies that provide products or services that contribute to the construction or maintenance of Israeli settlements and/or the Separation Wall in the Palestinian Territories or provide military supplies, equipment and services to the State of Israel. "
(emphasis mine)
There is no provision that states that this would then become inoperative upon the signing of a peace agreement between Israel and the leadership of the Palestinian Authority, or upon a unilateral Israeli withdrawal to the June 1967 lines. Any company that provides any item used by the Israel Defense Forces is the target for divestment. Presumably this could also include companies such as Domino's Pizza and Coca Cola that provide food to IDF soldiers. So, just as the BDS movement insists that BDS activities must continue until a Jewish state allows itself to be demographically eliminated by the forced repatriation of descendants of Palestinian refugees, the BDS initiative requires that divestment be targeted at any military self-defense of the Jewish state--forever.
[Note that California's Divest from Iran law, the language includes a sunset clause:
m) This section shall cease to be operative if both of the following apply:
(1) Iran is removed from the United States Department of State’s list of countries that have been determined to repeatedly provide support for acts of international terrorism.
(2) Pursuant to Public Law 104-172, as amended, the President of the United States determines and certifies to the appropriate committee of the Congress of the United States that Iran has ceased its efforts to design, develop, manufacture, or acquire a nuclear explosive device or related materials and technology."]
Yatooma and his BDS group have been trying to get attention and validation for this extremist effort by asking the Sacramento Jewish Community Relations Council for a debate on the initiative as well as the proposed anti-Israel boycott of the Sacramento Food Cooperative. Barry Broad, the chair of the Sacramento JCRC, had a very straightforward response which I am happy to share with his permission:
"Mr. Yatooma:
Representatives of your group, the “Sacramento BDS Working Group,” publicly stated on more than one occasion in testimony before the Coop Board that “Jewish money controls the government and media.” Another one of your activists, Dan Bacher, has posted a “historical revisionist” (as in Neo-Nazi) rant on a Democratic Party website (to the extreme consternation of the Democratic Party). Such statements are pure anti-Semitism and a central feature of historical anti-Semitism going back to the nineteenth century—if not further. That your group makes no effort to restrain, much less repudiate, openly anti-Semitic remarks made by your own chosen spokespersons indicates that anti-Semitism is a core value of your organization.
m) This section shall cease to be operative if both of the following apply:
(1) Iran is removed from the United States Department of State’s list of countries that have been determined to repeatedly provide support for acts of international terrorism.
(2) Pursuant to Public Law 104-172, as amended, the President of the United States determines and certifies to the appropriate committee of the Congress of the United States that Iran has ceased its efforts to design, develop, manufacture, or acquire a nuclear explosive device or related materials and technology."]
Yatooma and his BDS group have been trying to get attention and validation for this extremist effort by asking the Sacramento Jewish Community Relations Council for a debate on the initiative as well as the proposed anti-Israel boycott of the Sacramento Food Cooperative. Barry Broad, the chair of the Sacramento JCRC, had a very straightforward response which I am happy to share with his permission:
"Mr. Yatooma:
Representatives of your group, the “Sacramento BDS Working Group,” publicly stated on more than one occasion in testimony before the Coop Board that “Jewish money controls the government and media.” Another one of your activists, Dan Bacher, has posted a “historical revisionist” (as in Neo-Nazi) rant on a Democratic Party website (to the extreme consternation of the Democratic Party). Such statements are pure anti-Semitism and a central feature of historical anti-Semitism going back to the nineteenth century—if not further. That your group makes no effort to restrain, much less repudiate, openly anti-Semitic remarks made by your own chosen spokespersons indicates that anti-Semitism is a core value of your organization.
In short, we don’t debate racists. We fight them, whether their hatred is aimed at us or any other racial or ethnic minority. As such, we look forward to defeating the BDS effort at the Coop."
Agreed. We don't legitimize the anti-Semitism at the core of the BDS movement. So what, then, should we do about this?
We educate the public-- we show up where they will be gathering signatures and talk about what this initiative is really about. Our community organizations need to do outreach via interfaith groups, to educate those who our partners in other ventures. At the same time, we should tell those churches who support this contemptible project that we will not be able to work with them in other arenas.
We educate our political leaders-- we meet with them to ensure that they understand the intent of this measure and that they don't add their names in support. We show them that the entire political spectrum of the Jewish community (aside from fringe extremists like JVP) opposes divestment-- even left-wing groups such as J Street and the New Israel Fund.
And, of course, we buy Israeli goods.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Recruiting a new Rachel Corrie.
Elder of Zion points out that last week alone, 2491 people managed to escape "the world's largest prison". The easing of travel restrictions to and from Gaza has not escaped the notice of the notorious International Solidarity Movement (ISM), who have begun earnestly recruiting for the next Rachel Corrie wanna-be:
Their appeal follows:
The International Solidarity Movement is appealing for volunteers to join our team in the besieged Gaza Strip. In recent weeks people have managed to cross into Gaza so there is at present a rare window of opportunity to enter - and more activists are always badly needed, as attacks by Israel are incessant.
ISM Gaza was reinstated in August 2008, when volunteers traveled aboard the historic, siege-breaking voyage of the first FreeG aza Movement boat.
ISM Gaza has maintained a continuous presence since then and joined fishermen to witness the illegal enforcement of a 3 nautical mile blockade by Israeli naval forces.
ISM volunteers refused to leave when Israel began bombing Gaza in December 2009. They accompanied ambulances and provided vital testimony to the international media as the assault unfolded.
At present ISM activists in Gaza are engaged with grassroots initiatives against the siege. Volunteers accompany Gazan farmers in the 'buffer zone', make frequent solidarity visits to Palestinians affected by the blockade, write reports about the situation on the ground, and film, photograph and document the illegal use of live ammunition against demonstrators and farmers.
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. Their voices lend strength to efforts abroad, as BDS campaigns gain momentum and freedom flotillas become pandemic.
For further details, please contact gazaism at gmailcom
The requirements for joining the ISM Gaza team are that applicants must:
a) have at least two months previous experience of non-violent direct action solidarity work in the Middle-East, preferably with ISM, including intervention in critical situations;
b) have a good understanding of the history and current political situation in Palestine;
c) have at least fair Arabic language skills (preferred but not required);
d) sign a contract agreeing not to engage in behaviors contrary to Gazan cultural/social norms
e) sign a contract agreeing to remain with ISM Gaza for the length of their stay
f) prepare a written statement outlining their personal wishes should they be kidnapped, injured, or killed.
Item "D" particularly intrigues me. Is the ISM pandering to Hamas? What are these social and cultural norms? For women, is submitting to rape and sexual abuse included?
Their appeal follows:
The International Solidarity Movement is appealing for volunteers to join our team in the besieged Gaza Strip. In recent weeks people have managed to cross into Gaza so there is at present a rare window of opportunity to enter - and more activists are always badly needed, as attacks by Israel are incessant.
ISM Gaza was reinstated in August 2008, when volunteers traveled aboard the historic, siege-breaking voyage of the first FreeG aza Movement boat.
ISM Gaza has maintained a continuous presence since then and joined fishermen to witness the illegal enforcement of a 3 nautical mile blockade by Israeli naval forces.
ISM volunteers refused to leave when Israel began bombing Gaza in December 2009. They accompanied ambulances and provided vital testimony to the international media as the assault unfolded.
At present ISM activists in Gaza are engaged with grassroots initiatives against the siege. Volunteers accompany Gazan farmers in the 'buffer zone', make frequent solidarity visits to Palestinians affected by the blockade, write reports about the situation on the ground, and film, photograph and document the illegal use of live ammunition against demonstrators and farmers.
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. Their voices lend strength to efforts abroad, as BDS campaigns gain momentum and freedom flotillas become pandemic.
For further details, please contact gazaism at gmailcom
The requirements for joining the ISM Gaza team are that applicants must:
a) have at least two months previous experience of non-violent direct action solidarity work in the Middle-East, preferably with ISM, including intervention in critical situations;
b) have a good understanding of the history and current political situation in Palestine;
c) have at least fair Arabic language skills (preferred but not required);
d) sign a contract agreeing not to engage in behaviors contrary to Gazan cultural/social norms
e) sign a contract agreeing to remain with ISM Gaza for the length of their stay
f) prepare a written statement outlining their personal wishes should they be kidnapped, injured, or killed.
Item "D" particularly intrigues me. Is the ISM pandering to Hamas? What are these social and cultural norms? For women, is submitting to rape and sexual abuse included?
Thursday, October 7, 2010
A matter of perspective: Israeli and Palestinian treatment of prisoners
The anti-Israel websites are having a field day with the images of Israelis "abusing" Palestinian prisoners. In August, a female soldier exhibited photos of herself on Facebook, smiling next to Palestinian prisoners. Tasteless and inappropriate? Absolutely. The IDF condemned the ex-soldier saying in a statement: "These actions are ugly and callous; details of the incident have been forwarded up the chain of command." More recently, an Israeli soldier was videoed belly dancing next to a female prisoner. And again, this was widely condemned by the authorities.
Bored young people acting like jerks? Yes, it happens. It happens across cultural lines. The unfortunate actions of some thoughtless young people reverberates across the world.
But lets get some perspective here. Do you remember what happened 10 years ago when 2 Israelis inadvertently wandered into Ramallah?
The Israelis were beaten, stabbed, had their eyes gouged out, and were disemboweled.
Still from video footage from italy's Rai State TV network
Aziz Salh appeared at the window, displaying his blood-stained hands to the crowd, which erupted into cheers.
Photo attributed to Chris Gerald/ AFP
One of the soldier's bodies was then thrown out the window and stamped and beaten by the enraged mob. One of the bodies was set on fire. The mob dragged the two bodies to the city center as the crowd began a victory celebration.
While the immature behavior of some Israeli soldiers is a disappointment to those who know the painstaking training they go through, let's keeps some perspective here. Remembering not only the two Israelis lynched in Ramallah, but the ongoing saga of Gilad Shalit who has been a prisoner of Hamas for over 4 years. No visitation. No contact with the outside world. Solitary confinement. We have no way of knowing the agony of his existence.
And lets remember the ones who cry loudest about "civil and human rights" have consistently remained silent bout Gilad Shalit.
Bored young people acting like jerks? Yes, it happens. It happens across cultural lines. The unfortunate actions of some thoughtless young people reverberates across the world.
But lets get some perspective here. Do you remember what happened 10 years ago when 2 Israelis inadvertently wandered into Ramallah?
The Israelis were beaten, stabbed, had their eyes gouged out, and were disemboweled.
Still from video footage from italy's Rai State TV network
Aziz Salh appeared at the window, displaying his blood-stained hands to the crowd, which erupted into cheers.
Photo attributed to Chris Gerald/ AFP
One of the soldier's bodies was then thrown out the window and stamped and beaten by the enraged mob. One of the bodies was set on fire. The mob dragged the two bodies to the city center as the crowd began a victory celebration.
While the immature behavior of some Israeli soldiers is a disappointment to those who know the painstaking training they go through, let's keeps some perspective here. Remembering not only the two Israelis lynched in Ramallah, but the ongoing saga of Gilad Shalit who has been a prisoner of Hamas for over 4 years. No visitation. No contact with the outside world. Solitary confinement. We have no way of knowing the agony of his existence.
And lets remember the ones who cry loudest about "civil and human rights" have consistently remained silent bout Gilad Shalit.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Sacramento Natural Food co-op says No to BDS
And another ones gone.
And another ones gone.
Another one bites the dust.
Yes. We are happy to report another failure in the movement to isolate Israel, the only democracy in the Middle east.
The Sacramento Natural Food Co-op like so many others before it, looked BDS in the face and said "No thank you". No thank you to divisiveness. No thank you to politics. No thank you to injecting conflict and controversy into our beloved co-op. Last night at the board meeting, the co-op board decided unanimously to suspend its current boycott policy because it is in conflict with the fundamental principles of the cooperative movement. This will also have the effect of suspending the current boycott investigation.
No doubt Maggie Coutler and friends will try another way to push their agenda on the co-op, with a petition, perhaps, or running a BDS'er for the Co-op Board. But they will find that the community will not tolerate this, and is ready to fight back.
A note to the community: If BDS rears its ugly head in your community, contact us and we'll help you mobilize. The war against Israel is being fought on many fronts. Remember- the people united can never be defeated. Together, we will win.
And another ones gone.
Another one bites the dust.
Yes. We are happy to report another failure in the movement to isolate Israel, the only democracy in the Middle east.
The Sacramento Natural Food Co-op like so many others before it, looked BDS in the face and said "No thank you". No thank you to divisiveness. No thank you to politics. No thank you to injecting conflict and controversy into our beloved co-op. Last night at the board meeting, the co-op board decided unanimously to suspend its current boycott policy because it is in conflict with the fundamental principles of the cooperative movement. This will also have the effect of suspending the current boycott investigation.
No doubt Maggie Coutler and friends will try another way to push their agenda on the co-op, with a petition, perhaps, or running a BDS'er for the Co-op Board. But they will find that the community will not tolerate this, and is ready to fight back.
A note to the community: If BDS rears its ugly head in your community, contact us and we'll help you mobilize. The war against Israel is being fought on many fronts. Remember- the people united can never be defeated. Together, we will win.
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