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Celebrities For Palestine – Suheir Hammad her Palestinian blood speaks with her poetry
Suheir Hammad
One of our own #Celebs4Pal Suheir Hammad, a Palestinian poetess, actress and peace activist. Suheir Hamad is a gift to us, to Palestine, to Palestinians, to the Palestinian Solidarity Movement and to the women of the world. Suheir Hammad’s poetry is empowering by her women inner voice.
Over the years we have witnessed the pain of the land (Palestine) we seen her mothers taking their sons to the grave only with their courage and their pride as mothers of the martyrs of the land.
She is Palestinian one hundred percent Palestinian, she takes her blood to the stages of the world. Her poetry is powerful, energetic and even though it is sad poetry, her poetry deliver hope.
“As a child I had this sense that God was a huge poet,” she said. Her father taught her nationalist songs, which she later realized were originally written as poems. She then went on to discover for herself the great
Palestinian poetry has this pain ingrained in its soul, Mahmoud Darwish poetry has been an inspiration for thousands of poets, Suheir Hammad, Palestinian herself, said that his poetry played a significant role in her life and eventually in her poetry.
In ‘Salt of the Sea’ Suheir Hammad walks the streets of Palestine showing her (Palestine) terrible tragedy of being occupied land, “Salt of the Sea’ gives every Palestinian in the exile a taste of Palestine, to the world ‘Salt of the Sea’ gives testimony of an occupy land.
A fact little known is that our #Celebs4Pal Danny Glover, a known American actor was part of the Salt of the Sea production Co-producing of the project.
“The range of international co-producers — including Danny Glover’s Louverture Films — attests to the well-intentioned multinational desire to support Palestinian cinema, and “Salt” has received numerous pre- and post-production grants, including funding from San Sebastian’s Cinema in Motion 3 and the Hubert Bals Fund. Too bad Jacir’s characters are written to explain a situation rather than enjoy an independence of personality.” Variety.com
To understand Suheir’s poetry you need to understand women’s struggles, Palestinian’s struggles and her being born out of Palestinian refugees that even though have found a place in the world to raise a family they never forget Palestine. How could they?
When she read the script of Salt Of the Sea, she saw poetry in it and acted as Palestinians and not as an actress. The film was a success but as Suheir said,
“the film is really marginalized” she explains, “ but it’s also part of a continuum… so now other films that are not that aesthetic or are not that drive will have a chance now, because it pushed the door open. The victory is to see your position as part of the continuum and that’s where the hope is.”
Roddy Doyle, Brigid Keenan, Suheir Hammad, Ahdaf Soueif,
http://globalartscentral.com/suheir-hammad-the-palestinian-poet-born-black/
Salt of the Sea Trailer Trailer
Support Suheir Hammad with her career, her activism and her poetry.
That is the beauty of being a #Celebs4Pal all their success, and their power taken to the stages, at the end their support Palestine with their voice.
In her poems and plays, Suheir Hammad blends the stories and sounds of her Palestinian-American heritage with the vibrant language of Brooklyn to create a passionately modern voice. TED.com
Follow her in her twitter https://twitter.com/yosuheirhammad, and support her directly buying her poetry, attending her speeches and her acting career.
Suheir Poetry at Amazon.com
The only way to support Palestine is if we are strong, for that we must support each other and unfortunately we can not travel the world speaking for Palestine if there is no financial support. We are supporting Palestine when we support our #Celebs4Pal through their art.
Poems of war, peace, women and power
Poet Suheir Hammad performs two spine-tingling spoken-word pieces: “What I Will” and “break (clustered)” — meditations on war and peace, on women and power. Wait for the astonishing line: “Do not fear what has blown up. If you must, fear the unexploded.” TED.com
This is Trayvon Martin lifeless body-Not just another black kid
This, Courtesy of MSNBC, Is Trayvon Martin’s Dead Body. Get Angry.
Trayvon Martin Lifeless body
A reader of mine sent me this photo last night. As the murder trial of George Zimmerman wheezes to its conclusion, the TV networks dutifully pipe in live pool video from the courtroom, as if it is force-fed to them and they have no choice but to excrete it, soft and undigested, into our living rooms, bedrooms, offices. Sometimes, the pool recorder or the networks’ producers don’t switch to a mundane image of lawyers being lawyerly quite fast enough, and we get to see snippets of the human cruelty, stupidity, and frailty that occasion trials such as this.
This is Trayvon Martin’s body. These are the last skinny jeans he wore, cuffed once at the bottoms. These are his stylish kicks, his sockless ankles. There are Trayvon’s taut neck, his slack jaw, his open eyes.
This is what happens. Not just when we input “black” and “teen” and “hoodie” and “night” into our onboard computers and output “DANGER,” but also when we find the aftermath Newsworthy, and must consume it voraciously from start to finish, but insist that we cannot stomach seeing the bones and gristle on our plates.
This image has made its way to the internet on message boards and the like, but not on any notable sites that I could find. The Huffington Post and others have published some images of Martin’s body—covered by a sheet—but none of his face.
I had a brief conversation by email and phone last night with the reader who wanted to send this to me, who felt compelled to save it, but seemed unsure why he had. Before he’d shared the image, I asked him what it showed. Was it newsworthy? He stammered. “It’s… a dead black kid,” he said, disturbed, hoping five words could convey many more. In email, he’d asked me: “What will you do with pic?”
To Trayvon’s parents, Sabrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, I’m sorry that I feel compelled to share this photograph. Were I a slave to journalistic norms, I would say that it’s somehow in the public interest to see him there. I would point out Florida’s sunshine laws, and the TV network’s incompetence, and argue the inevitability that this image would’ve gained a wider audience than it has already.
But those are rationalizations. They don’t explain my motive: Good old-fashioned rage that this kid is dead because my home state empowered a dullard aficionado of Van Damme and Seagal movie cliches to choose his own adventure. Florida literally gave George Zimmerman license to make up neighborhood threats and invite violent confrontations, confident in the knowledge that he carried more firepower jammed down his sweaty fat waistband than every army on earth beheld before 1415.
I wish I were a better person than that, but I’m not. People come up short all the time, after all. I suppose it’s a good thing I don’t have a gun.
Re-Shared from Gawker.com
Gawker contributor Adam Weinstein is a Florida-based writer and editor. You can reach him via adamweinsteinwriter.com.
Glenn Greenwald: “Snowden has information for more damage”
Published on July 13, 2013 by Akashma Online News
The journalist who received the leaks from the CIA Mole said there are more documents
By Alberto Armendariz | LA NACION
RIO DE JANEIRO. – Smoke and Mirrors. With his striped bathing suit, his white sandals, his jean jacket and a backpack, Glenn Greenwald seems like a tourist walking along the promenade of Sao Conrado, Rio de Janeiro. But it is the journalist, blogger and columnist for the British newspaper The Guardian who surprised the world with revelations about the extensive network of U.S. cyber espionage that was leaked by Edward Snowden, former intelligence analyst for the National Security Agency (NSA ).
“Snowden has enough information to cause more damage to the U.S. government in a minute alone than anyone else has ever had in the history of the United States,” Greenwald, 46, told LA NACION, and since living in these latitudes writes regularly on international security issues which has made him famous, winner of several distinguished awards.
Today, the New Yorker, a former lawyer, is in the eye of the storm. Lawmakers in Washington want to put him on trial, spies of various countries seek Snowden’s secret information shared with him last month in Hong Kong and which he still sends from Moscow through an encrypted email system. He knows he’s being watched and that their conversations are monitored. They even steal the laptop from her boyfriend Rio, from their own home.
Three men wait in the lobby of the hotel Royal Tulip with credentials of a congress of osteoporosis about which the manager has no idea. Are they really doctors or are following Greenwald? Appearances are deceptive.
– Does Snowden’s decision to stay in Russia help him come to Latin America?
– Yes, the most important thing is not to end in U.S. custody, which proved extremely vindictive government to punish those who reveal uncomfortable truths, and in whose judicial system can not be trusted when it comes to people accused of endangering the national security. The judges do everything they can to secure convictions in these cases. He would be immediately put in prison to cover the debate that he helped generate, and end the rest of his days behind bars.
– Does Russia give him security guarantees?
– Not many countries in the world that have the ability and willingness to defy U.S. demands. But Russia is one of those countries and it has been good so far.
– Beyond the revelations about the spying system’s performance in general, what other information does Snowden have?
– Snowden has enough information to cause more damage to the U.S. government in a minute alone than anyone else has ever had in the history of the United States. But that’s not his goal. His objective is to expose software that people around the world use without knowing that they are exposing themselves without consciously agreeing to surrender their privacy rights. He has a huge number of documents that would be very harmful to the U.S. government if they were made public.
– Are you afraid that someone will try to kill him?
– It’s a possibility, although it would not bring many benefits to anyone at this point. Thousands of documents are already distributed and to make sure that several people around the world have the entire file. If something were to happen, those documents would be made public. This is an insurance policy. The U.S. government should be on its knees every day praying that nothing happens to Snowden, because if something happens, all the information will be revealed and that would be their worst nightmare.
– Can Latin America be a good shelter for Snowden?
– Only a few countries, including several in Latin America, China and Russia, have challenged the U.S., and have realized that America is no longer in a position of strength as it did before with the rest of the world, and that the rest of the countries do not have to obey its demands as if it were an imperial order. In Latin America there is a feeling of natural sympathy for the United States, yet there is a great resentment for specific historical policies of Washington toward the region. What happened to the plane of Evo Morales in Europe caused a strong reaction, was treated as if Bolivia was a colony and not a sovereign state.
– From documents Snowden shared with you, is there much more information related to Latin America?
– Yes. For each country that has an advanced communications system, such as from Mexico to Argentina, there are documents that detail how the United States collects traffic information, the programs that are used to capture the transmissions, the number of interceptions that are performed per day, and more. One way to intercept communications is through a telephone corporation in the United States that has contracts with telecommunications companies in most Latin American countries. The important thing will be to see the reaction of the various governments. I do not think that the governments of Mexico and Colombia will do much about it. But maybe those of Argentina and Venezuela will be willing to take action.
Glenn Greenwald / Columnist, The Guardian
Profession: Journalist
Age: 46 years
Origin: United States
National Security Letters
Posted on June 11, 2013 by Akashma Online News
National Security Letters
Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation
Defending Your Rights in the Digital World
Of all the dangerous government surveillance powers that were expanded by the USA PATRIOT Act the National Security Letter (NSL) power under 18 U.S.C. § 2709 as expanded by PATRIOT Section 505 is one of the most frightening and invasive. These letters served on communications service providers like phone companies and ISPs allow the FBI to secretly demand data about ordinary American citizens’ private communications and Internet activity without any meaningful oversight or prior judicial review. Recipients of NSLs are subject to a gag order that forbids them from ever revealing the letters’ existence to their coworkers to their friends or even to their family members much less the public.
The FBI’s systemic abuse of this power has been documented both by a Department Of Justice investigation and in documents obtained by Electronic Frontier Foundation through a Freedom of Information Act request.
EFF has fought for years to spread awareness of National Security Letters and add accountability and oversight to the process.
In 2007 EFF filed Freedom of Information Act litigation seeking documentation of National Security Letter misuse by the FBI. Thousands of pages of documents were released over a period of four years leading to repeated revelations of government abuses of power. An EFF report based on these documents led to tough questions for the FBI before Congress. The documents also helped prompt the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate whether Attorney General Alberto Gonzales lied to Congress.
In 2008 EFF defended the Internet Archive from an inappropriate National Security Letter. Because NSLs come with a gag order most recipients are unable to ever reveal their existence. However with the help of EFF and the ACLU the Internet
Archive fought back and won the right to speak publicly about the letter. As a result it’s become one of the few well-documented and publicly-known cases of NSL use.
And in 2013, EFF won a landmark decision in the Northern District of California in which Judge Susan Illston declared one of the statutes unconstitutional in its entirety. EFF’s petition, brought on behalf of an unidentified telephone service provider, challenged both the underlying authority to obtain customer records as well as the concurrent gag provision that prevented the recipient from disclosing even that it had receiving an NSL.
EFF has been fighting in Congress for legislative reform of National Security Letters since 2005. In 2009 many hoped that President Obama having run for office promising to reform Bush-era surveillance abuses would work with Congress to curb NSL abuse. Unfortunately the Obama Administration has instead continued to block reform and has even sought to expand NSL powers.
Lybian Read Crescent to Help Syrians
Mohammed Mustafa Masrati, head of media and information for the Libyan Red Crescent Society
said, that the organization had conducted 14 humanitarian relief convoys for the Syrian people, campaign targeted to people living inside Syrian territory affected by the violence that is in its second year, after the Arab Spring fired up a series of uprisings that toppled Egyptian President Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak, and Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, that flared up violence in the region that lead to the murder of Libyan President Muammar Gaddafee by NATO and its allies.
This campaign for which it was formed to continue the works of the committee of the Red Crescent Association delegation leading the campaign and to facilitate the legal and administrative procedures for the arrival of emergency aid to the Syrian people who suffers woes because of the internal situation, and a big shortage of medicines and basic needs.
The team of the convoy of the Libyan Red Crescent has arrived in Turkish territory this morning, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in preparation for transfer to Syria, and containing such relief are 25 ambulance that will be driven to the border to be transferred to Syrian territory, as well as some medical equipment necessary for the treatment and ambulance many cases Alansanbh.
The head of delegation Mr. Nasser Dou Alwani, said that the aid, which will be presented during this convoy will be the best support for humanitarian efforts carried out by the Libyan Red Crescent to the aid of our brothers in Syria, said al-Alwani that this convoy is the fourteenth and thus bringing the total Libyan Red Crescent during those humanitarian campaigns they had delivered 235 ambulances. And number 7 field hospitals made into Syria. International humanitarian appeal to withstand the Arab humanitarian organizations and international humanitarian towards the Syrian people, and called for the mobilization of all potential relief to be able to deliver emergency aid to areas of displacement. In order to contribute to pain relief for people in Syria, he said.
Mr Al-Alwani explained, that the Libyan Red Crescent will not fall short in his humanitarian duty, but the needs of the Syrian people at home or refugees in neighboring countries and many come in the forefront of relief health and telemedicine, humanitarian relief, and continues the efforts of institutions relief unable to cover the minimum necessities, stressing that it is important to continue such campaigns relief and diversity of sources and non-stop, especially in light of the continued human tragedy and the continuing influx of refugees and the fall of a large number of civilian casualties and the majority of them women and children.
These convoy, which contributed to a number of branches Libyan Red Crescent Society in addition to the Association Yes Soeriaoahl charity inside Libya and abroad to confirm that the humanitarian need makes it imperative for everyone to extend a helping hand to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, especially who did not leave Syria and witness the continuing armed conflict in the region.
Divesting From Israel
Published on May 21, 2013Akashma Online News
Divesting From Israel-BDS and Academic Boycott
Written on May 8, 2013 for Coast Report
6 months ago, my mother-in-law Hanifa died in Palestine, she was 89 years old, from Haifa, then Palestine.
Her family as well as millions of Palestinians were forced out of their homes in 1947, when Palestine, then a mandate of Britain was partitioned by Resolution 181 by the United Nations giving the new founded Jew State minority of Israel a 70 percent of the land and the rest 30 percent to the majority of Palestinians, which were millions.
I started my article with this lede, out of anger and frustration, for what we can and cannot write on the newspaper .
On May 06, during our budget day (Coast Report) journalists and teacher/adviser for our journalism class, staff editors and staff writers, decided what is going to be published in Coast Report for the following week for the college student newspaper; On Monday we gathered in the journalism building and discussed issues of interest–sports news, opinion and any other issue we think is worth to be investigated and write an article on it.
It seemed that being the last weeks of our publication and ending the semester the class is out of stories to print, so, our adviser asked us, what we are passionate about it?, what we want to write about. I promptly raised my hand and I said, “Divesting from Israel”, excuse me she said, so I repeated, I want to write about Boycott and Divesting Sanctions against Israel, my teacher opened her eyes so wide and become livid-I could tell she got bothered by my request- and asked to the class, if anybody have an opposing view to mine, I heard someone said, “I do not want to write about Israel”.
I immediately told the class, that colleges’ campuses and universities across the US were considering boycotting Israel, to what she said, NO! only Berkley University had boycotted Israel, to what I told her, that more than one campus had added their voice to the BDS, and I wanted to write about it. Our teacher/adviser, after seeing that nobody else wanted to write about Israel, she said with a slow tone of voice, but loud enough for everyone to hear, “There is no Palestine,” and they went ahead to put my name in the board in Views, in the budget for next week newspaper. I’ m pretty sure my teacher will not run the story. So I decided to print this article and distribute it around OCC campus, and publish it in this blog.
Over the years, the UN had adopted more than 300 resolutions calling for Israel to abide by International law and to respect the human rights of Palestinians, as well to withdraw from territories, that according to the Geneva convention, were taken illegally on the aftermath of the 1967 war. Israel had ignored every one of the UN resolutions. In light of the inactivity of the UN, the civil society of Palestine had made a call to the world to help in a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions and academy boycott against Israel. Colleges and universities across the US are answering that call.
Orange Coast College should add its voice to the growing non violent BDS movement, and academy boycott growing rapidly. Other colleges and universities across the US are taking the lead in a non violent way.
Hampshire was the first US college to divest from the apartheid regime of South Africa in the late 1970s, now, 43 years later leading again the campaign against a non grata entity, Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, has become the first of any college or university in the US to divest from Israeli companies on the grounds of their involvement in the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Hampshire college is not the only player in this fight against Israel, other campuses around the country are adding their efforts to bring Israel to comply with international resolutions voted in the floor of the United Nations.
On 2 June 2010, students at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, made history by passing two resolutions supporting human rights, upholding international law, and promoting a just peace in the Palestine/Israel conflict.
1. The first resolution calls for The Evergreen State College Foundation to divest from companies that profit from Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine, as part of instituting a socially responsible investment policy.
2. The second resolution calls on the College to ban the use of Caterpillar, Inc. equipment from campus. (Equipment used widely in Israel, in the construction of illegal settlement and to destroy Palestinians homes.)
On March 08, UC Riverside student government voted 11-5 for divestment from Israel.
The Associated Students at the University of California, San Diego (ASUCSD) voted 20-12, in favor of divesting from companies that engage in business with Israel, during their meeting on March 13
On April 17, UC Berkeley announced the passing of bill 160, 11-9, the Senate voted to divests ASUC funds from companies affiliated with the Israeli military and encourages the UC system to do the same.
In a telephone interview with Columbia Professor Katherine Franke, the spokeperson for a group of over 100 faculty members, she said their endorsement to the academic boycott of Israel is solid.
“As faculty and officers of Columbia University we look to TIAA-CREF(Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association) to invest our retirement account funds wisely and ethically,” she added, “We cannot tolerate the idea that one day we may live on retirement income that finds its source in the profitability of the illegal occupation.”
The BDS movement and academic boycott is growing and will not stop until UN forces Israel to comply with its international obligations. she said.
In the mean time, the clock is ticking, add your voice and side with truth, justice and peace.
On Wednesday 08, when the Coast Report publication run its edition, my article ‘Divesting from Israel’, was nowhere to be found. On Wednesdays, after we pick up the print edition of the newspaper, the Coast Report; staff writers and our teacher/adviser change views on the newspaper edition, needless to say, I was very mad because my article was not published. The teacher said that some articles were not run, because they did not have space.
I did not mention anything and waited until next Monday to ask, if the last week articles were going to be printed on the next publication. Immediately she said, “If you talking about the Israel article, she said, it won’t be published, because it is to insensitive. She said that there are tons of facts that need to be corroborated, to which I said, I credited the sources, and I made a telephone interview with Professor Katherine Franke, from Colombia University, and all the information was verified.
My teacher was not too happy about my article, then she asked me, where did I took the other information?, I said, from their respective News papers (Universities and colleges).
She told me, that there were facts, that need to be corroborated. I told her everything is factual to the truth, to which she said, “The conflict, the Israel/Palestinian conflict needs to be corroborated, she said that there are conflicting opinions. To which I told her, that I was writing this article for the Views Section, which it is my opinion, but she said, we cannot run it, and that’s it.
At this point of the argument I was super mad and told her that she did not want to run it because it was about Israel, she said she never said that the article was not going to be run because it was about Israel, but there is no other reason why she would not even consider to publish it and let the readers decide if it is controversial, or insensitive. Needless to say that she is Jew, not that should matter, but in this case it did. Her being Jew, should be about of the question, should not matter.
This is the college student newspaper, we should be able to choose the topic, but she has the control of what can be published and what not.
Any way she did not run my article but instead the Editorial section of May 15 of the Coast Report published something that seems very personal, seems directed to me. I could be wrong, but she knows that I maintain a blog and she knows that I write about Middle Eastern issues, she knows that I m Palestinian Activist, and by now, she knows that I m working tirelessly in the BDS and Academic Boycott campaign against Israel.
Read the following Editorial and be the opinion maker.
Editorial: Trust the news, not the views, Published in The Editorial of Coast report on the May 15, issue.
The press is often vilified as biased and unprofessional. A common accusation is that reporters selectively filter what to put into a story based on what supports their various political agendas, and that they skew facts to slant public opinion one way or the other.
You see it on Fox and MSNBC all the time. Fox is notoriously conservative, and MSNBC infamously left-leaning. But these institutions were created to pander to their audiences’ political views, and should not be taken seriously as real journalists.
They do not represent most members of the news media. It’s true that we filter what goes into our articles, but not because of any political bias or agenda. Any story has a matter of inches to fit full coverage in.
Larger organizations such as the Los Angeles Times publish longer articles, but the average at most publications is less than 500 words. Those 500 words need to convey what happened, when it happened, where it happened, how it happened, what it means and why it’s important, who was involved, all the sides of it and what’s next.
That’s why stories are filtered. Journalists strive to present objective, accurate reporting, and agonize over which facts readers need to know and which can be left out so the story can fit. Coverage of a government meeting, for example, would include arguments or decisions involving the budget, but leave out the debate on which brand of water tastes best.
Reporters take volumes of notes before submitting a story. They put those into a story based on what’s most important, and will thoroughly check for inaccuracies. Once an article is written, it goes through a stringent editing process, often being reviewed by multiple editors for content, objectivity, accuracy and grammar.
There will always be writers who abuse the position they’re in, but most regard themselves as gatekeepers for the flow of information and take that seriously. We are our own biggest critics, and abhor unfair, inaccurate reporting. Rely on Facebook and bloggers, who often have no code of ethics, and see how reliable the news becomes. [end]
The editorial at Coast Report, should know, that mostly, all the information published on facebook and in blogs, it is borrowed, clipped, reprinted from “Trust worthy and credible media”. Where their reporters take tons of notes. Any way the editorial is somehow deliberately misleading the readers, in its first paragraph; ” A common accusation is that reporters selectively filter what to put into a story based on what supports their various political agendas, and that they skew facts to slant public opinion one way or the other.”.
The reporters are not the ones who filter the story, the reporters are assigned the stories. The editors decide what is going to be published, based on what supports their various political agendas. Even after we take the notes back, and write our articles, the editors purge every word they don’t like, at the end, the story depends on the editor approval.
I know I m going to be in problems in my college, at least in my journalism class, but truth to the truth. This is a small college newspaper, should be unbiased, should be run by the students, should be fair. If this happen in a small newspaper, I just imagine what happens in a commercial big news paper.
More on Academic Boycott against Israel….
International Society for Political Psychology: Heed the Call for Boycott of Israel!
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) is deeply disturbed by the decision of the International Society for Political Psychology (ISPP) to hold its conference at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Herzliya, Israel, from July 8-11, 2013 [1]. We urge the ISPP to relocate this conference to another country that does not embody injustice through maintaining a regime of occupation, colonialism and apartheid [2], as Israel does. We also appeal to all members of ISPP to refrain from participating in the conference if it is convened in Israel, just as most academics avoided visiting South Africa until it ended its apartheid system.
Israel’s Lawfare against BDS in Tatters
26 March 2013:Morgan Freeman: Don’t accept an award tarnished with apartheid and colonialism
Hamas Successful test of the Fajr-5 Missiles
Posted on November 26, 2012 by Akashma Online News
Source Israel Defense
UPDATED
Interceptor Missile Used by David Sling System
Iron Dome was the news yesterday, the 1 billion dollars “Defense System” was being portrayed as the winner of this one sided war with Gaza. Israel was bragging that their Iron Dome success was 90 % when in reality was only 28 %. The inconsistency on the numbers are astonishing. Knowing that this Iron Dome was completely financed by the Department of defense of the US with a 1 billion 275 millions of American tax payer money, we wonder why now they are putting aside the Iron Dome News and they started another PR campaign.
The New David’s Sling Missile System has been awarded to Rafael since 2006, why now the buzz?
According to Lieutenant General Henry Obering, former director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, “We wanted a truly co-managed program because the United States will be very interested in this for our own purposes.”
Israel has successfully test fired the David’s Sling missile defense system on November 25 2012, bringing the country’s air interception capabilities one step closer to the potential to intercept all enemy fire, the country’s military has announced. This is 4 days after the truce of cease of fire was agreed with Gaza. Did they wait after the rockets from Hamas stop to test their system?
According to Israel sources they knew of the existence of Fir 5, Iran missiles technology in Hamas hands.
“The Fajr missiles revived Arab and Islamic community’s prestige and dignity, an Iraqi lawmaker said after Iran taught Palestinian Resistance groups how to make Fajr missiles which, military analysts say, made Israel drop its war plans and demand a ceasefire with Palestinian groups.
“The Iranian Fajr-3 and 5 (the technology of) which had been given to the Palestinian Resistance restored the (shattered) awe of Palestine, Arab and Islamic Ummah against Israel,” Borzoni stated, adding that these missiles proved that “there is no Iron Dome contrary to what was claimed by the Zionist enemy”. ” FARS Agency
The David’s Sling battery, stationed at an undisclosed desert location in Southern Israel, fired and destroyed the incoming missile with a two-stage interceptor.
“The Israel Missile Defense Organization and the US Missile Defense Agency completed the first phase of the development of the David’s Sling Weapon System, by conducting a successful interception,” the statement said.
Fajr-5 Iranian Technology helped in the cease of fire
The complex, also known as the Magic Wand, is a military system developed jointly by the Israeli military contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the American contractor Raytheon. It is designed to intercept medium- to long-range missiles fired from 40 km to 300 km away. The Fajr-5 Iranian Missiles capabilities is 80 kilometers. If Iron Dome was a failure why Israel did not use the David Sling Defense System? Real simple, they were selling the Iron Dome to the world. Now they are looking for more money from the US to complete their defense system. Lucky for United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 is about to expire and new money will be coming in for the 2013 give away
Political and military experts believe that Israel was shocked and later pushed to reassess its calculations after Palestinian groups responded to the Israeli army’s Wednesday aggression on Gaza with a stunning retaliation, hitting Tel Aviv, a move which eventually made Israel start an overture and change its war rhetoric about an impending ground incursion into Gaza to a tone of compromise in pursuit of truce.
The system is also designed to fill the gap between the other two functioning pillars of Israeli air defense: the Iron Dome short-range protection and the Arrow 2, a ballistic long-range defense system. The next generation of the Arrow is also being developed, and is set to be deployed in 2016. The military states that David’s Sling will “provide an additional layer of defense against ballistic missiles.”
The new technology utilizes Stunner interceptors installed in 16-missile launcher. It works jointly with the Israel Aerospace Industries multi-mission radar (MMR) and could also be formatted to be used against enemy aircraft.
Projected to be fully operational by 2014, the new arsenal would be used to defend Israel’s border against oncoming missiles such as the Fajr and Fateh 100, M 600 and the Zelzal, which are often used by Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which Tel Aviv calls a threat to its national security.
The David’s Sling system is intended to provide Israel with an additional layer of defense against short and medium-ranged missiles, thus strengthening the country’s air-defense layout which protects against the threat of missiles and rockets. Rafael is the chief contractor for the development of the David’s sling system, working in cooperation with Raytheon.
The radar used by the system is developed by Elta Systems, and its command and control system is developed by Elbit Systems.
Hamas rocket teams carried out an experiment against Israel’s wonder weapon: They fired a 16-rocket Grad salvo at Beersheba. Iron Dome blew up 8 in mid-air, 4 landed outside built-up areas but 4 made it into the heart of the town. A few minutes later Hamas started shooting 14 Grades in volley after volley just a few minutes apart – altogether 30 rockets at the same target in the space of two hours.
The score was 8 to 22 in favor of the Hamas tactic. The experiment was designed to assess the Iron Dome teams’ post-operation reloading speed – information which is a close IDF secret.
What the Palestinians learned from the Beersheba experiment was that their strength against the Israeli defense system lies in numbers: the bigger the multiple missile barrage, the greater its chances of penetrating Iron Dome cover and reaching urban targets. They accordingly put together large batteries of 6 to 8 rockets each side by side and fired them all at the same time from underground silos.
The launchers were then folded back underground for concealment.
DEBKAfile’s military sources confirm that, like the Palestinians and Iranian missile engineers, the team which developed Iron Dome likewise used the Gaza operation as a testing ground. Certain improvements were introduced on the spot in the course of the hostilities. This process continues apace.
What happens if the interceptor missile misses it target? Do they do the same destruction that the missile itself ? If the interceptor misses the target and touch ground, what happens to it?
Israel is contracting enemies by the dozen, with all their Iron Domes, David’s Sling and Arrow defense system Israel will need to built
thousands of these Batteries if Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Palestine will decide that enough and enough of this arrogant bully.
Whose Cause!? The BDS Controversy!
Posted on April 29, 2012 by Akashma Online News
By Marivel Guzman Edited by Gail Baker
BDS The Non Violent Movement That Can Change The Odds
Whose Cause!.. Gilad Atzmon, Norman Finkelstein, Ali Abunimah, Omar Barghouti or Palestine? The BDS Controversy!
What Does it mean to be a Pro Palestinian Activist?
– To be pro-Palestinian does not necessarily mean you want the state of Israel to be wiped off the map; nor does it imply that you agree with either the two-state or one- state solution. The pro-Palestinian movement embraces many ideas and offers much diversity in way of critique and pro-active solutions. For instance, some activists take a stand, drawing upon the premise of Human Rights and International Law while others pursue different strategies outside of U.N. sanctions, precisely because the legal precepts have never been enforced. Similarly, it is with this context in mind, that we can view the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement where we witness much diversity in terms of strategy and goals. The international community of peace activists has been preoccupied with boycotting Israeli products, goods, and services; and also, has taken up the campaign for Cultural/Academic Boycott. However, some blocks of the solidarity movement participate only if the products were exported from the settlements inside the occupied territories, namely the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Essentially, BDS is not a uniform or homogenous movement with a strict set of standards which would end up being restrictive and narrow in focus. Some may view this as a weakness. And yet many others put another spin on it where the BDS is seen as holding out much promise due to its open, versatile, and dynamic appeal to a diverse range of groups. It is this versatility that allows for broad-based support that can only strengthen the movement all the more. As such, it would be a mistake to think that the BDS has to strike a consensus in order to work. We really cannot expect such a consensus since the movement has so many different branches, strategies, goals, and supporters. Nonetheless, one thing is clear in the minds of all supporters: inspired by the South African BDS campaign, most people simply want to put an abrupt halt to the apartheid practices of Israel! On this, I believe, there is a consensus and so it represents the rallying point that shall galvanize the movement into a potent force.
So it is we witness various scenarios where you have Israel citizens who support BDS because they want peace and know that for this to happen, there needs to be compliance with international law to the extent that rights of Palestinians within occupied territories are upheld. Therefore, they will not engage in talks or entertain the ideas of one or two-state solution. Their main concern is to maintain stability within Israel. Meanwhile, other activists take the stance that it is morally wrong to purchase any Israeli-made products; simultaneously, they will target any companies known to have ties with the apartheid state, especially those corporations associated with providing arsenal and weaponry which are used to kill Palestinians. This in turn will weaken the financial empire that continues to support Israel. Whatever the goal of the BDS participants, I personally think that it is a moral duty of every citizen in the world to support the BDS movement! This movement is not exclusive to any one leader or faction. Even Omar Barghouti, often credited as the founder, does not claim a monopoly on BDS; he does not own the movement but prefers to follow and act on the direction of the Palestinian BDS factions. This in no way diminishes the value of the BDS movement! On the contrary, BDS has become massive and global in it’s appeal and should inspire us all the more as active participants, realizing that each and everyone of us has an important integral role to play.
We are already observing the inroads made. Not only has BDS tarnished the false image of Israel as a progressive democratic state, but it has been successful in financially crippling certain sectors of the economy. Furthermore, every time a company comes public in its support of BDS and severes its economic ties with Israel, this captures the attention of the media and serves to act as counter-propaganda to that once-well oiled Zionist machine. Every time we hear of these BDS triumphs, awareness is stepped up a notch or two so that more is known about how Israel’s apartheid system really operates. Subsequently, we cannot discount the achievements nor diminish the value of this campaign based on the opinion of one group, organization, or a handful of high profile activists. While everyone is entitled to their opinion and deserves to be heard, we should take precautions not to restrict our own perspective to one particular position when it comes to BDS, or any issue for that matter. It would help to put the movement, itself, in proper context and consider the implications. For instance, recall that in South Africa it took more than 20 years for the BDS to gain some recognition around the world until finally it did take root as to have moral effect on the conscience of the people. Compare this to the contemporary situation where, with the assistance of technology, the Palestinian BDS campaign, since it’s inception, took only 5 or 6 years to be known at a global level. By this time, the BDS already has taken on a life of its own; the ideology of the founders and/or their political aspirations have nothing to do with BDS anymore. There is no office at this point that can control or organize what people around the world do to support Palestine, so the rhetorical question of the two -state solution that some want to use against the founders or against the movement, itself, cannot undermine the global support for Palestine that BDS is awakening in the people of conscience.
WHAT IS BDS
BDS stands for Boycott and Disinvestment Sanctions and it is aimed primarily at Israel. This movement is intended to pressure Israel economically, financially, and culturally. By no means was it created with the intention to undermine Israel’s legal status as an official recognized State. But as the movement has grown and thousands of organizations and universities across the globe are being more and more involved in the BDS movement, the perception of Israel is changing rapidly and many important academic figures that have been following the development of the conflict over the years are drawing the conclusion that Israel is losing its legal status in the world.
In 2005 the Civil Society of Palestine called the attention of the world when they founded a movement that is known globally simply as BDS and every sector of the population is participating, whether on a small or a grand scale.
“Boycott – basically is a tool of the weak, who individually are weak but collectively can have some strength against overweening power. The first use of the word [originated] with tenant farmers in Ireland against their land agent. Famous cases are the Montgomery Bus boycott and, more recently, the sporting boycott and other boycotts against South Africa. There are differences between all these boycotts, and I would stress that by taking the archetypal case of that of the tenant farmers who resisted the land agent Charles Boycott, who gave his name to the whole process, in the 1880s in Ireland. Boycott was the land agent for an absentee English noble. And what they did, when he became too domineering, is they denied him labour to save the harvest, they put him into isolation -refused to talk to him under any circumstances, the shops wouldn’t serve him, the workers wouldn’t go and look after his house for him, and the person wouldn’t deliver him letters. And in reasonably short order, by the end of the year Boycott had been forced out and returned to England. So very direct.” Professor Jonathan Rosenhead, Novemeber11, 2011
Professor Jonathan Rosenhead is chair of the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) which is the main organization in the UK supporting the academic and cultural boycotts of Israel, it parallels PACBI in Palestine. Professor Rosenhead is also an activist, took part in the flotilla, sailing to Gaza to break the Israeli siege.
If we take this case as an archetype, or at least one standard by which to view the BDS movement in general, it reminds us to use our own critical thinking whenever high-profile people as intellectuals, writers, emeritus, professors, Nobel Prize laureates, politicians, scholars, and internationally-acclaimed activists speak on a issue. Many of us may be tempted to automatically think and feel that our support for an issue is validated merely because someone of high stature takes a stand in favor. On the other hand, if these same people speak against a campaign that we support, we may feel betrayed and angry. Some of us even go to the extreme of doubting our own convictions and moral standing and then we prematurely switch sides. It is, at that moment, we become followers and lose our ability to think independently for ourselves. This should be taken as a precautionary note, especially when we are addressing the issue of the BDS movement since the campaign is so immense and, therefore, cannot be accepted as a uniform doctrine expected to fit all necessities. Rather it is versatile, diverse, and dynamic in appeal. What we can say in terms of technicalities, it is not a movement that necessarily seeks the liberation of Palestine, because at its CORE, it was founded on 3 main premises: rights of return for refugees, equality for Arabs in Israel, and the end of occupation. These three points, if satisfied, will comply with international law! Even as we consider this official position, it is important to realize that the movement, itself, has evolved, the ideas have evolved as well, and by natural effect, the goals have changed, at least for some.
For pro-Palestinians that seek the liberation of Palestine, it is not enough to satisfy the 3 points, because such according to their interpretation would be akin to recognizing and legalizing Israel as a one-state solution. Palestinians and non- Palestinians alike, who take this line of reasoning, refer to the partition of
Palestine as illegal and thereby, will never accept Israel as legitimate state. While we may understand this position, the concern and grievances are misplaced: the original founders of BDS and the fulfillment of the three premises, does not entail debating the one or two-state solution; nor does it imply recognition of Israel as either legal/legitimate or illegitimate. One could argue to the contrary, that the original founders of the movement, whether they accept Israel as legitimate or not, nonetheless view the BDS goals as a beginning for a broader movement with effective outcomes that perhaps could eventually lead to dissipation of Israel. Consider the various variables at work here, such that the population growth of Palestinians is on the rise and could imply the best tool to defeat Israel.
Norm Finkelstein’s Position on BDS:
On his Interview with Frank Baratta, a well known Human Rights Activist, on February 9, 2012 attended the Imperial college London, and delivered astonishing statements that left us all surprised and wondering “what got into him????”.
Norm Finkelstein is now famous for repeating The Law is Clear, and he shields his views on BDS charging the founders of the movement as dishonest that Israel it is a State and that it is the law, but sadly he forgets easily how Israel had disregarded the law thousands of times when it comes to respect the life and property of Native Palestinians.
“When the law is criminal, you must break it to be human.” – FendLOTRO youtube user responded to Norman Finkelstein
Norman G. Finkelstein received his doctorate in 1988 from the Department of Politics at Princeton University.For many years he taught political theory and the Israel-Palestine conflict. He currently writes and lectures.
The controversy arose when Professor Finkelstein slammed the BDS movement as a cult! I heard his argument and he does not mean the literal definition of a cult; but rather is referring to the centralized idea that forcing Israel to comply with the 3 points of the BDS movement will destroy Israel. He goes on to say that he will support the BDS movement if the organizers will honestly speak on their goals, because he senses that they are not being genuine due to what he considers “vague” statements made by Barghouti. In this sense, Finkelstein’s interpretation imparts a misleading and inaccurate appraisal of the BDS movement. Meanwhile, Ali Abu Nimahk, from the electronic intifada who has been a harsh critic of Finkelstein, started a campaign against him by drawing the line on disinformation coming from Finkelstain side, accusing Finkelstain on supporting Israel on the two state solution. When every body knows that it is not possible, but this point does not discredit Finkelstain as a pro-Justice man, Subsequently, Ali Abu Nimahk supporters, fell for his arguments, without question, and failed to seriously consider the words of Finkelstein where he stated “I support the BDS, but I said that it will never reach a broad public, until and unless they’re explicit on their goal, and their goal has to include recognition of Israel, or it is no starter. It won’t reach the public, because the moment it goes out there, Israel will start to say, what about us? and they won’t recognize our right, and it fact that is correct, you can’t answer the Israelis on that, because they are making a statement that is factually correct. It is not an accident and unwitting omission that BDS does not mention Israel….you know that and I know that…is not that OH! we forgot to mention Israel!” Professor Norman Finkelstein.
I highly respect the point of view of these personalities and their approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict because each of them have worked tirelessly for the Palestinian cause! Nonetheless, all of them have their own goals, and because their goals differ in nature, their arguments also differ. It becomes problematic, however, where this turns into a “mud-slinging” fest and divides the various supporters affiliated with each of these high-profile personalities, as those aforementioned. We all can be peace activists and be pro-Palestinians and not have an opinion on the one or two-state solution – that has been the center point for Ali Abu Minah. Yet when he criticizes Finkelstein, he ignores the position regarding the legal question of Israeli actions against occupied territories. Furthermore, he fails to pursue the probable outcome of the BDS movement where we could envision the prospect of an eventual dissipation of Israel as a legitimate state according to international law.
Ali Hasan Abunimah is a Palestinian American journalist and co-founder of Electronic Intifada, a not-for-profit, independent online publication about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
I make mention of these disparate views above because they have played a role in disseminating rumors regarding the BDS. Furthermore, it would be unfair to give credit to or to discredit the words of any of these heavy-weights, without first analyzing their background, their profession, their nationality, and ultimately, the real motives behind the positions they promote in public forums. Take the case of Norman Finkelstein where many questions arise regarding his recent, often contradictory and confusing arguments. What goals does he have in mind? He has been a peace activist for years and out of moral duty has stood firmly behind the Palestinian cause to defend truth, justice, and law. He has in the past taken enormous professional risks to do this. But now he is in the process of selling his image as a writer, political scientist, scholar, and activist, as well as his books. This means his integrity is at stake and once again he is taking a risk and has to step cautiously into the Mid East arena regarding BDS. When he bashes Israel, we give him credit for his courage. And yet, we must be skeptical here since, of recent, he has taken the position that “the law, it is clear. We cannot be selective with the law”. Moreover, he slams the BDS for not staying within the bounds of the law because the movement doesn’t explicitly give recognition to the state of Israel.
Did Finkelstein forget the stipulations placed on Israel by the League of Nations during the time that Palestine was partitioned to create Israel? And it isn’t it true that Israel, in order to have legitimacy, would have to respect the rights of the inhabitants of the land with particular emphasis on all groups including Palestinians Muslims, and Palestinians Christians? Now it is obvious to human rights watch groups and it should be obvious to Finkelstein, himself, that since the moment of it’s inception, Israel has violated every international law in the books and was never held accountable! Due to this violations, it’s status as a legitimate/legal state should be considered dubious, at best. Ironic it is, then, that Finkelstein criticizes the BDS movement due to it’s failure to make an official statement in recognition of Israel. Why should the founder/s be pressured to do so, in the first place? especially when Finkelstein stresses the idea that “the law is clear and is not selective”? What he fails to address is the obvious – why when it comes to Palestine, is the law selective and why are those legally-binding resolutions (in favor of Palestinians rights) NOT enforced? Disturbing about this is the fact that he takes a legal stance against BDS, but in this case he appears to use it selectively in favor of Israel. Below I provide two screen shots of the original documents of the United Nations – Resolution 194-8 and 194-11 agreed and signed
All things being equal, the truth will prevail. When given a fair chance, the truth should survive, because it is more natural, more attractive, and less contrived than falsehood. In a democracy, certain rights are inalienable, so that all men are equal before the law. On that assumption we must pressure Israel to adhere to it’s own propagated idea that as “the only democracy in the Middle East”, it must abide by the law. Since this stands as a fundamental principle of democracy, defending the truth will reach a conclusion. The anti-BDS propaganda must be challenged at it’s source. The fact that such heavy-weights as Ali Abu Nimah, Omar Barghouti, Norm Finkelstein, and Gilad Atzman have all entered the fray and media frenzy, opinions have likely been taken out of context and the issues have been blown out of proportion.
Gilad Atzmon’s Position on the BDS:
“Gilad Atzmon: “For more than a while, myself and others are very suspicious of the BDS. For some peculiar reason the BDS in the West is dominated by Jewish activists. Though the BDS’ principle is valid and worth a fight, it has become clear to many of us that something went wrong along the way. Last month we have seen BDS calls to stop Norman Finkelstein; this month we see BDS calls to stop me. Great, isn’t it. The BDS is now used to stifle freedom within the solidarity discourse.”
I m not blaming Gilad Atzmon for the anti-BDS sentiment that is circulating! Rather, I am quoting those words that were picked up by media and likely contributed to the the controversy that arose following the interview of Norman Finkelstein, as well as, Ali Abu Nimah‘s heated debate on the issue. I think we can trace the roots here. In addition, the people pushing hard on the surface of the BDS movement, are hijacking the campaign where we observe attempts to silence the dissident Jews as Gilad Atzmon and Norman Finkelstein. Because they are taking center stage in the Palestine Justice Movement, many people followed the line being pushed by an anonymous group that seems to operate behind the scenes, implying that there may well be a few spy rings. (Where these spy rings arise, they can do damage because they plant “ideas” that are hurting the BDS). Many of the same dynamics mentioned above were also witnessed during the Jewish global boycott of Germany goods to weaken Hitler’s economic power during WWII, as well, to force the government to finance the Jewish Transfer to Palestine. Additionally, we saw similar factors at work in South Africa during the horrible apartheid era.
I agree with Gilad Atzmon where he criticizes certain groups that have infiltrated the BDS and have been used to silence Jewish dissidents as himself. Unfortunately, though, his defensive position has become offensive and imparts a false impression that the BDS campaign in general is not trustworthy. Sadly, I have seen good friends and pro-Palestinian activists write against BDS, without considering the consequences of doing so. We must put this in a broader perspective and push aside the infighting upon realizing that this is an immense movement in which millions of people are doing their level best to keep up the campaign against apartheid. Meanwhile, I can only hope that those people of high-profile who have great influence over public opinion reflect upon the damage that could be done to Palestine whenever they overgeneralize their personal opinions in attempt to defend themselves against rogue BDS elements/agents.
With this in mind, I cite Gilad’s own words to remind us to stay focused on the real issues:
“For more than ten years I have been writing about Israel, Zionism and Jewish identity. I am engaged in a process of deconstruction and critique of different Jewish texts, ideas, politics and practice. My intent is aiming towards some deeper realization of what Zionism is. In my opinion, Zionism is one of the most dangerous political movements. It is a global operation that threatens world peace on a daily basis.” Gilad Atzmon
When citing any position, it is important to keep in mind that the BDS movement is not the property of few persons. This is a global campaign of awareness, to pressure Israel to end her apartheid practices inside the occupied territories and to force Israel to respect the human rights of Palestinians that live in West Jerusalem, Gaza and West Bank.
“Boycott is a real complicated issue. For years we’ve been arguing in favour of divestment and boycott. At the time I supported any form of boycott in Israel, its products and its culture.There are some elements in the boycott that are obviously very welcome. For instance, the fact that UK unions are standing up against Zionist evil is a major shift in the very right direction. The Boycott is certainly bad news for Israel and this is wonderful news in itself. Yesterday, I went to a reading of a play, it was actually a theatrical adaptation my latest book. The producer is Jewish, and at a certain stage when we were discussing the meaning of the play he stood up and said. “You see, we had a Jewish State, it is now sixty years later, and it is a very horrible place, it is so horrible that it has now been boycotted. And this is there to make us think, where did it go wrong?” This is the most positive impact of the boycott. It makes people reflect.” Gilad Atzmon July 2007
Gilad Atzmon is an Israeli-born British jazz saxophonist, novelist, political activist, Pro Palestinian Peace Activist, and writer. Atzmon’s album Exile was BBC jazz album of the year in 2003.
When Gilad Atzmon refers to the Jewish, you have to understand his philosophy and point of view regarding the modern Jewish sentiment of ” the chosen ones”. This mentality is more intrinsic and is best exemplified by the Jewish Only political spectrum in Israel, as well as, powerful Jewish lobby groups around the world. But let us not confuse Israel Jewish Only Policies with Judaism. “Jewish” refers primarily to ethnicity while “Judaism” refers to religion. For instance, those who support “Jewish only” policies in line with apartheid, play upon the concept “the chosen few”, not as a matter of religious principles, but more so, a matter of political arrogance. Furthermore, it is notable that there are a number of Jewish groups of orthodox faith who take offense to Israeli Zionist practices of apartheid and occupation. Neturei Karta Orthodox Jews are but an example.
Recently a group of intellectuals, and pro-Palestinians endorsed Ali Abu Minah in a letter against Gilad Atzmon. I think that some people are using the spotlight of others to upstage their popularity within the Palestinian movement. Meanwhile, there are thousands of pro-Palestinians who have invested their time and sometimes their money without thinking twice. Additionally, there are those who have and continue to make a profession out of the Palestinian cause, dedicating much of their life to this. Such is to be respected where and when these people are clearly focused on the objectives to serve justice. Moreover, it is only fair that they be paid for their time and service since they, as anyone else, need money to live and support themselves and families. Sometimes the tasks do involve various campaigns for private donations, or setting up Non-Profit Organizations where the structure is similar to the official NGO’s that participate in charities (unlike many NGO’s, this participation in charities is not merely a means to deduct taxes). Then, too, there is a group of individuals who have thrown their support behind Palestine, not out of love for Palestine, but more so as a matter of fighting injustice due to violation of human rights. Chomsky and Finkelstein may very well fall into this camp since they do not want to see Israel wiped off the map; rather, they would prefer to see an Israel that behaves democratically by working inside the parameters of international law. Like Professor Horowitz, Finkelstein engages in discussions with pro-Israeli supporters. BUT UNLIKE Horowitz, Finkelstein cites factual information regarding atrocities against Palestinians and also clearly recognizes the need for Israel to put an end to human rights abuses. As mentioned earlier, the argument may initially sound appealing. However, delving further into Finkelstein’s various discussions and interviews, many contradictions arise and are worthy of further examination if we are to assess his position on BDS.
Assessing the Implications of the Key Players Involved in the Controversy:
On February 2012 a video clip was released on youtube entitled “Arguing the BDS Movement: Interview with Frank Barata and political Scientist, Writer, and Activist Norman Finkelstein“. According to Finkelstein, international law is unambiguous and could be used as a tool to compel Israel to adhere to human rights. Meanwhile, he sees little value in the so called Palestinian Authority’s efforts to conduct peace talks and negotiations that have led nowhere, and also implies that the P.A. is a collaborator of Israel since the leaders often strike bargains that actually come at the expense of the Palestinians, themselves. In a sense, he is right! This rather cozy relationship became more evident especially after Abbas’ presidency. For instance, corruption is observed in many instances, among all things, the criminalization of protests against the occupation. Given the P.A.’s collaboration with Israel, along with U.S. aid to the Zionist entity, it is hard to envision the possibility of a peaceful outcome. According to Finkelstein, Palestine will never win the conflict since it is inconceivable that Israel will give an inch. Not only is it equipped with one of the most technologically advanced military and powerful armies, Israel too has the moral and financial backing of the United Sates, as well as other nations. The fact that the U.S. provides more than 3 billion dollars a year in military aid and loan guarantees makes the prospects for Palestine look all the more bleak, especially considering this one-sided war, if it can even can be called a war. In reality this is unprecedented and unwarranted aggression against the virtually defenseless Palestinian population. As such, Israel would have to be extracted by force, either through the Palestinians use of militancy or through strict judicial procedures within the bounds of international law.
It is on the point of international law that Finkelstein makes his case for Palestine, but in the meantime, also applies the argument to undermine the legitimacy of the BDS campaign. What unravels in his position, is an argument replete with serious flaws, contradictions, assumptions, and confusion. It is no wonder then that many of his own supporters have been left bewildered. The major criticism regards the three strategies put forth by the BDS. To Finkelstein, while these may be “ideologically possible”, on pragmatic terms and according to international law, the three-pronged approach can’t work since it excludes Israel as a viable state. Even if these strategies did have effect, eventually this would culminate in the end of Israel. This is particularly problematic to Finkelstein because the scenario is feasible given that the return of 6 to 7 million Palestinian refugees will shift the balance of power due to disproportionate representation in terms of a diminished Israeli population. This prospect, accompanied by the BDS’ call for equal rights to Arabs within Israel will quite likely result in a panorama view where Palestinians as majority will be the major political players. On these grounds, Finkelstein accuses the BDS of being dishonest since it does not acknowledge this possibility nor officially claim it as a goal. Subsequently, he believes the campaign will never take root because the international community simply will not accept these terms, whether they are explicitly stated or not.
The bewilderment and confusion arising out of Finkelstein’s stance can be traced to the manner in which he takes comfort in citing the 1967 borders that are supposedly the legal borders of Israel! Disturbing about this argument is the failure on behalf of Finkelstein to acknowledge those disenfranchised Palestinians who were illegally driven and forced out of their homeland prior to 1967. Did he forget the history, the Nakba for instance, which violated international law prior to 1967? Did he forget how the so The State of Israel was created through war crimes when it was violently inserted into the heart of the Middle East? There is reason for concern insofar he draws scarce attention to and virtually ignores the atrocities and plight forced upon Palestinians who became refugees in neighboring countries where they are not accepted as citizens, and on the other hand Majority of Israelis enjoyed double Nationality. If it is so as Finkelstein reiterates over and over that “the law is clear”, why is it that he ignores the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly at it’s third session on November 27, 1948? (refer to illustration 1 and 2). Moreover, if he is going to use the stance that “the law is clear”, it is incumbent on him as a political scholar, to admit that Israel violated most of the U.N. resolutions and was never held accountable since the moment of it’s inception.
Yes, the law in this case is clear, but it is unfair and unjust, because it has not been enforced!!!! By all standards then, Israel’s legitimacy as a state, is dubious and up for question. So we are left to ponder why Finkelstein places the burden of proof upon the Palestinians rather than on Israel. And why does he uses such a flawed argument to slam the BDS campaign? If anything, one could turn the tables here and apply “the law is clear” premise to work in favor of the BDS. Finkelstein’s argument would be far more credible had he used it to acknowledge that, by all international standards/UN resolutions, Israel technically is not a legal nor legitimate state. In this sense, the BDS movement, could satisfy the three pillars, and could very well become a potent force enough to garner the attention of the international and global community. It could reach a climax of mass proportions in which the international players will no longer have the luxury of appeasing Israel. The world will soon become weary and tired of Israel arrogance and impunity. Sooner or later, Israel will be forced to follow the path of South Africa!
Upon revisiting controversy surrounding Gilad Atzmon’s position, it is important to note that he is very critical of the Zionist ideology, insisting with reason, that the state of Israel has instilled exclusivity of “the chosen few” in the minds of Jewish citizens to advance colonial rule in Palestine.
Meanwhile, Atzmon’s detractors are working hard to undo the work that he has done on behalf of Palestine. They are using the wrong arguments for the wrong reasons for the right cause, that is Palestine. Some of these people get entangled in the criticism, some are genuine pro-Palestinians, and some are misled by the well- oiled Zionist propaganda that is trying to destroy the career of Gilad Atzmon, that it is being cemented on the Palestine Conflict and Zionism. It is no secret, after all, that
has published in favor of the Palestinian cause and due to his fame and popularity, has much influence. Subsequently, Zionist groups have an obvious motive for bashing his work. But the move to do so may be premature, ill-conceived, and in fact, may backfire. As with any issues that come under the spotlight due to controversy, the media attention can serve both sides of the divide: on one hand it reinforces arguments by the detractors, and on the other, it inspires greater interest and curiosity in Atzmon’s work. The same could be said of Finkelstein as well. So the question comes to mind, whether or not this anti-BDS campaign is actually a stunt employed to sell books, or at the very least, an opportunistic ploy conveniently playing in the hands of the authors and publishers.
The claims articulated by both Finkelstein and Atzmon, strongly suggest both are pro-justice, pro-peace, and ultimately, pro-Palestine.
“For me to be Jewish is, above all, to be preoccupied with overcoming injustice and thirsting for justice in the world, and that means being respectful toward other peoples regardless of their nationality or religion, and empathetic in the face of human suffering whoever and wherever victimization is encountered” (Gilad Atzmon, “On Jewish Identity,” 1/15/2011).
In Atzmon’s words, we find credibility in his cause and struggle for justice. However, if this trumped up anti-BDS campaign has been used as a propaganda scheme to gain free advertizement for books recently published, then this is disturbing, to say the least. To attack the BDS campaign as a means of serving one’s own interests is beyond irresponsible and irreproachable since authors of high stature have great influence on the pro-Palestinians. I would hope that these are not the motives here. Whatever the case, there is no doubt that the controversy did have spin-off effects that have undermined BDS proponents and, meanwhile, divided the solidarity movement. For instance, I recently heard some statements against the BDS movement asserting that the strategies have not worked since Israel’s economy is more “economically solvent than ever”. Yet pursuing this at greater length, tells us that nothing can be farther from the truth – the economic meltdown is a global phenomenon and it’s to a point where even Israel is not immune. Taken in this context, we can quite confidently assume that certain sectors of the economy will inevitably be hurt, as some already have suffered losses. Add to this, the Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. Many high-profile personalities, as internationally-acclaimed author and activist Alice Walker, have already entered the fray, inspiring the BDS campaign once again with enthusiasm and optimism; meanwhile, striking fear into the heart of Zionist lobby groups. Indeed Zionist Israel has reason for concern; and it is high time that the key political players are shaken enough to take note! Economic collapse may be more imminent than they are willing to admit! And if this is what it takes to put an end to apartheid, occupation, and genocide; then we owe at least some credit to the BDS movement.
Consider too, how the average Israeli citizen is impacted by the government’s heavy investment into security and weaponry used against Palestinians. Simultaneously, the middle class is beginning to feel the crunch as elsewhere in the world. Growing inequality, in terms of both socioeconomic status and political policies, is the first sign spotted by the ordinary citizen. The Occupy movement has actually reached the Holy Land and has stirred up protests. Change is on the horizon. Even Israel can no longer afford it’s own arrogance. Moreover, there is no magical wand that can grant them immunity from global or economic evolution where society is evermore awakening to mass consciousness. The conditions exist and the time is ripe for the BDS to make inroads and impact enough to dismantle apartheid Israel. On this optimistic note, it is relevant to examine the ideas of Omar Barghouti.
Revisiting the Controversy Surrounding Omar Barghouti’s Position on BDS:
It would be remiss not to assess the credibility of Omar Barghouti also, since he too has become central to this BDS debate and as mentioned earlier, he did emerge on the scene to espouse the values and the 3 main objectives of the campaign against apartheid Israel: right of return for refugees, equal rights for Arabs within Israel, and termination of the occupation. Barghouti, also emphasizes that the direction of this movement is to be in the hands of the Palestinians themselves. While other affiliated groups and participants across the globe are recognized as major players, the movement must not be monopolized by any set of elites. It belongs to the grassroots people, particularly guided by the Palestinians. While statements have been embraced by most in the BDS movement, he too has come under attack by both Finkelstein and Atzmon. According to Finkelstein, the goals are too vague and cannot work. Atzmon makes similar claims but stepped it up a notch when he unfairly referred to Barghouti as a racist against whites . Such an accusation, however, should not be taken seriously since Atzmon took Barghouti’s words out of context without giving accurate representation to the postmodern argument from which Barghouti implied that those of Euro centric ethnicity/background have no right to dictate the terms or set the agenda for the Palestinians. Here, Barghouti was making reference to the colonial mentality where white supremacy is still very much a denominator in international relations between the imperialistic “colonizers/occupiers” and the “colonized/occupied”.
In yet another instance, March 7/2011, the London Review Bookshop was host to Barghouti’s launch of the work entitled “BDS: Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions – The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights”. Here Barghouti again came under attack, accused of taking a “hypocritical position on academic boycott” simply because he had attended an “Israeli University” to obtain his Ph.D.. Even so, Barghouti’s rebuttal was swift, to the point, and “very rational” which according to staff of Inminds.com suggests “that unless someone is being dishonest with themselves, they will have no choice but to accept the arguments”. The integrity with which Barghouti replied is nicely captured in the following excerpt:
Audience Question: Omar, you are living in Israel, you are doing a PhD, you are
studying in an Israeli university. How does that equate with your boycott campaign, isn’t that hypocritical to live in Israel and consume everything Israeli, then call for a boycott of Israel? And secondly, if God forbid, you ever needed a life saving medicine, or a member of your family in Israel, would you accept that medicine or would you reject that life saving medicine?
Omar Barghouti: I think Mandela went to an apartheid university, when you are living under apartheid you have no choice. You pay taxes to the apartheid regime, you accept services from the apartheid regime, how else can you survive? You go to hospitals, you go to universities, you go to the post office, you go to government offices in the apartheid regime. You are a ‘subject’ of that colonial system, there is no other way. Gandhi studied at a British university as well. The point is that when you are under occupation, when you are under apartheid, you have no moral choice. There is no choice. We ask people from outside to boycott because they have a moral choice. Responsibility comes with choice. Germans under Nazi rule who couldn’t open their mouths were cowards; but we can perhaps forgive them for not opening their mouths when you think you would be shot by the Nazi genocidal regime if they opened their mouths. Israelis that stay silent are far more cowardly because they do have a choice and they wont get shot if they stand up against the occupation. So we measure this with how much choice you have. When you have no choice what do you do? So there is absolutely no double standard for people under oppression to call on people who are not under oppression, standing in solidarity with them, to oppose and boycott a completely the oppressive regime. What we cannot do, you can do in the UK. The second part of your question.. of course we do not boycott Israeli medicines in Israel. What else can we buy? We are not irrational. I don’t know your view of the Arabs.. but you know we are not suicidal..
A Q. [interrupts]: Why do you live there if you don’t like it there?
Omar Barghouti: Its my country, I’m a Palestinian.
A Q: You were brought up in Egypt
Omar Barghouti: I’m a refugee. Refugee’s have a right to go home. I’m a Palestinian. The two-state solution, besides having passed its expiry date, it was never a moral solution to start with. In the best-case scenario, if UN resolution 242 were meticulously implemented, it would have addressed most of the legitimate rights of less than a third of the Palestinian people over less than a fifth of their ancestral land. More than two thirds of the Palestinians, refugees plus the Palestinian citizens of Israel, have been dubiously and shortsightedly expunged out of the definition of the Palestinians. Such exclusion can only guarantee the perpetuation of conflict.”
If Israel doesn’t want to obey international law then why should Israel be recognized as a legitimate state? Israel can’t have it both ways! The Case for BDS:
Reflecting upon the controversies, debates, and the infighting, we are left to assess and evaluate the merits of the BDS campaign. Essentially, we need to do some of our own soul-searching, put aside petty disputes, and ask the key question: What variables should we consider in using our discretion either in favor or against the BDS? Because Omar Barghouti says we should? because Ali Abu Minah says it is the right thing to do? because Gilad Atzmon has been unfairly accused of anti-Semitic by some rogue boycott members? or because Gilad Atzmon has unfairly accused Barghouti of racism? or because the highly respected Norman Finkelstein suggests that the boycott has no clear goals and is unworkable? Do these questions make your head spin, and confuse the issue rather than clarify it? If so, then we need to get beyond the ambiguity and propaganda that the infighting and divisiveness has created. If we really are focused on the goal of serving the interests of Palestine, then it is necessary to put an end to the “mudslinging” and dirty politicking. After all, this is playing into the hands of Zionist tactics of divide and conquer. Wouldn’t we fair much better if we refused to be followers, used our own critical thinking, and put an abrupt stop to the ungrounded attacks that deflect from the goal to end injustice? The BDS campaign, in a sense, has become a battleground, a war zone. And now is the time when we can refuse to enlist in that war and instead, become conscientious objectors as we collaborate under the banner of BDS to restore justice to Palestinians. By doing so, we shall partake in the movement, doing so for Palestine only for Palestine! To restore their rights, to help them to be heard by a world that for years has turned its back and failed to listen.
Letter from Palestinians To the World
“The goal of the Palestinian people has always been clear: self determination. And we can only exercise that inalienable right through liberation, the return of our refugees (the absolute majority of our people) and achieving equal rights to all through decolonization. As such, we stand with all and any movements that call for justice, human dignity, equality, and social, economic, cultural and political rights. We will never compromise the principles and spirit of our liberation struggle. We will not allow a false sense of expediency to drive us into alliance with those who attack, malign, or otherwise attempt to target our political fraternity with all liberation struggles and movements for justice.
As Palestinians, it is our collective responsibility, whether we are in Palestine or in exile, to assert our guidance of our grassroots liberation struggle. We must protect the integrity of our movement, and to do so we must continue to remain vigilant that those for whom we provide platforms actually speak to its principles.
When the Palestinian people call for self-determination and decolonization of our homeland, we do so in the promise and hope of a community founded on justice, where all are free, all are equal and all are welcome”.
Until Liberation and Return
Signed:
- Ali Abunimah, Naseer Aruri, Professor Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, Omar Barghouti, human rights activist
- Hatem Bazian, Chair, American Muslims for Palestine, Andrew Dalack, National Coordinating Committee, US Palestinian Community Network, Haidar Eid, Gaza. Nada Elia, US Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. Toufic Haddad, Kathryn Hamoudah
- Adam Hanieh, Lecturer, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, Mostafa Henaway, Tadamon! Canada
- Monadel Herzallah, National Coordinating Committee, US Palestinian Community Network, Nadia Hijab, author and human rights advocate. Andrew Kadi, Hanna Kawas, Chair person, Canada Palestine Association and Co-Host Voice of Palestine
- Abir Kobty, Palestinian blogger and activist, Joseph Massad, Professor, Columbia University, NY, Danya Mustafa, Israeli Apartheid Week US National Co-Coordinator & Students for Justice in Palestine- University of New Mexico
- Dina Omar, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, Haitham Salawdeh, National Coordinating Committee, US Palestinian Community Network, Sobhi Samour, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London
- Khaled Ziada, SOAS Palestine Society, London, Rafeef Ziadah, poet and human rights advocate
Other Voices
It is my hope that the non-violent BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, of which I am part, will have enough of an impact on Israeli civilian society to change the situation. In that regard, I offer an earlier example of THE COLOR PURPLE’s engagement in the world-wide effort to rid humanity of its self-destructive habit of dehumanizing whole populations. When the film of The Color Purple was finished, and all of us who made it decided we loved it, Steven Spielberg, the director, was faced with the decision of whether it should be permitted to travel to and be offered to the South African public. I lobbied against this idea because, as with Israel today, there was a civil society movement of BDS aimed at changing South Africa’s apartheid policies and, in fact, transforming the government. Alice Walker
Israelis have many other ways to show their dissatisfaction with the status quo: They can boycott institutions that profit or take part in the occupation, avoid the draft, take part in Palestinian-led protests or lead their own demonstrations. Ultimately, this debate will also lead to dealing with the question of BDS, though it’s clear that actual support for BDS will remain very marginal in Israeli society. Still, as long as no real alternative for the occupation is brought from the Israeli side, I think it’s very important not to oppose any form of Palestinian non-violent resistance, even if one is not taking part in it personally. Noam Sheizaf
In the frenzy to discredit BDS, it’s perversely easy for critics to forget these facts, to get lost in the abstraction (and sometimes distraction) of arguments about the uplifting effects of transnational corporations, the benevolence of 1948 Israel and the lurking anti-Semitism of the BDS agenda. These arguments are not just misleading but often downright dangerous and offensive; the anti-Semitism charge in particular is probably the most often cited and potent. So let’s be clear: vile and frightening anti-Semitism certainly exists, but BDS is not an example of it. As a nonviolent movement dedicated to human rights and nondiscrimination it is, in many ways, its opposite: the lesson of “Never Again” interpreted universally, a reminder that in the face of extreme horror, it is incumbent upon people of conscience to rally around the inalienable rights of the abused. Lizzy Ratner
Some BDS Triumphs
250 European academics call for exclusion of Ahava and Israeli arms companies from EU research projects – Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union obliges the EU to uphold human rights and to strictly observe and support the development of international law in all of its external
relations.
The largest Presbyterian group in the US is considering divesting from three major global companies over the Israeli military’s use of their products in the Palestinian territories.Pension funds in Norway and Sweden have divested themselves of holdings in some firms involved in building settlements or helping to erect Israel’s contentious West Bank separation barrier. European activists have stepped up pressure on companies by exposing their West Bank ties and picketing stores that sell goods produced in Israeli settlements.
Last week, the US investment firm MSCI Inc. announced it had removed Caterpillar from three of its popular indexes that track socially responsible investments, leading mutual fund giant TIAA-CREF to divest $72 million in Caterpillar stock.
Israel cited in Caterpillar’s delisting from influential investment index – The sale of Caterpillar tractors to Israel was a factor, but not the determining one, in the delisting of the company from an influential index that prioritizes good governance and human rights.The move, however, is poised to further complicate the difficult ongoing conversation about Israel taking place between American Jewish gruops and the Presbyterian Church (USA).
BDS it is the Only Hope For Palestine to Become Independent
Palestine Treasure Land; Holy Land Economic Independence
Do you know that Palestine will be self sufficient if Israel stopped stealing the natural resources?
Palestine will be rich if allowed access and control over the minerals in the Dead Sea or the Natural Gas recently discovered in Gaza Shores?
If Israel would stop uprooting The Olive Trees that have been one of the sources of income for Palestinians – they have commercialized the olive oil and olives for hundreds of years.
If Israel would would remove the physical barrier that separated Palestinians from their farms and business, this alone will save them thousands of hours that are wasted on walking great distances to cross the check points illegally installed by Israel in Palestine.
Just the time saved in removing barriers and checkpoints, itself means money. Ultimately, efforts and resources to be fighting a worthless occupation will be employed to restore people’s properties and revive the Palestinian economy. Just Imagine the possibilities!!!! These are just some of the issues that the BDS is trying to resolve for Palestinians. Of course, there are more pressing issues yet that need to be acknowledged by the international community; but we should not underestimate the capacity of BDS to play a pivotal role in these very factors.
Right now under apartheid Israel, Palestine loses close to 7 billion dollars every year:
“The economy of the Palestinian suffers annual losses of seven billion dollars because of the occupation, which has turned these territories into one of the most aid-dependent economies in the world. In this respect, the ambassador of PNA in the UN, Riyad Mansour, said in an interview with Prensa Latina that the cost of domination is easily quantifiable, so that if this policyends, “we will be able to be self-sufficient and not need external help.”The seven billion dollars lost to the Palestinian economy in 2010 amounts to almost the entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually, and this damage was produced by depriving the residents in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza from using their natural resources.” Correspondent for Prensa Latina in Egypt.Palestinian numbers, a despicable occupation – Translated from the Portuguese version by: Lisa
Follow your conscience. Follow what you feel is right. Propaganda is cheap and costs great division. Use your own mind, heart, judgement on this matter and try not pin your hopes and faith exclusively on one source or person of influence. What ever works to create awareness counts; any efforts aimed to let the world know that Palestine has been suffering under apartheid for 60 plus years. We know BDS is working. We know that boycotting Israel is one means of reigning in this rogue state! It is a human duty and obligation to rally together against any state that continually uses brutality and violates human rights and international law, in the manner that Israel has done, to the point of genocide. The BDS is beyond reproach, and trying to stop us from exercising a rightful humanitarian cause is a treason against our own human nature.
“The end of the Cold War, moreover, changed the West’s attitudes towards Africa. Western governments no longer had strategic interests in propping up repressive regimes merely because they were friendly to the west. Along with the World Bank, they concluded that one party regimes lacking popular participation constituted a serious hindrance to economic development and placed new emphasis on the need for democratic reform” The Struggles for Democracy- Martin Meredith -The Fate of Africa
At The End The US and Britain were forced to Boycott South Africa Apartheid: Library of Congress 1987
References
The Fate of AFRICA – Martin Meredith -Public Affairs Series – 2005
How Israel was won – – June 17, 1999
Palestinians Civil Society Calls for BDS- BDS National Committee- July 9, 2005 –
BDSmovement.net
Gilad Atzmon Interviewed: Each Village is a Reminder by Brian Lenzo- July 13. 2010 –
Palestine Chronicle
Why Is BDS a Moral Duty Today? A Response to Bernard-Henri Levy – Omar Barghouti
– January 11, 2011- Huffington Post The Blog
Boycott Divides Jews In Britain, The New York Times, March 26, 1983 -0 Pasadena Library
Opening Chris Hedges-Norman Finkelstein, Talk, 6 December 2011 – Video-Cultural
Freedom,Nonfiction,Video-Recorded at the James A. Little Theater in Santa Fe, New
Mexico on December 6, 2011.
Alice Walker Stand on BDS: She has visited many places that have suffered injustices like Post Apartheid South Africa and knows of the terrible life the Afrikaans had it, and because she knows thru her own experiences the real story, she adds her voice to the people of Palestine, which sufferings are very similar to the blacks of the south where she grew up, or the South Africans of the Apartheid Era.
On Gilad Atzmon-Disavowal: “…a mental act that consists in rejecting the reality of
a perception.”–by William A. Cook
Sandra Twang: No to Abduction of Dignity!
Posted on April 02, 2012 by Marivel Guzman
First American Citizen Activist that started the International Campaign of Non Violent Protest of Resistance joining Palestinians Prisoners in hunger strike
UPDATED
21 days in hunger Strike for Justice
Sandra Twang: No to Abduction of Dignity!
Standing in solidarity with Hana Shalabi
by Sife Saleem – Original Posted Aljazeera Talk – Gaza
Translated by: Jummana Al-Kahlout
A scream out for liberty exploded from the land of democracy and human rights, the United States of America. Sandra, an American citizen was inspired by a Palestinian hero fighting for freedom and now stands in solidarity with her, demanding justice. Her message is a call out to Barack Obama, the Israeli government and the international community’s conscience.
Sandra Rose Twang, the American peace activist has been on hunger strike since the 21st of March 2012 in solidarity with Hana Shalabi. She told Aljazeera Talk that her solidarity movement is a message to Barrack Obama pleading him to intervene in Hana’s case and attempt to end the inhumane and unjust imprisonment of Palestinians in Israeli jails.
Sandra has spread her message on the internet asking people to support the cause and join the hunger strike to impose enough pressure to drive the American government to take action. “Hana Shalabi is a hero and a role model to me in her courage and power” Claims Sandra.
Twang has been interested in the Palestinian cause for the past two years and has educated herself enough to conclude that the Palestinian people are a strong nation who withstood suffering, injustice and discrimination for over 60 years.
Thus, she has joined their fight for liberation by standing in strong solidarity with Hana Shalabi in her hunger strike. She tells us “It was difficult to cope in the first few days, but I now feel fine. My youngest son supports me and so does my mother because they believe Palestinian’s have the right to live in dignity”
“This is justice.” She adds. Hana is fighting for her basic human right, to live a decent life within Israeli prisons, which she is sitting in without even a hint of a fair trial! First degree murders receive a trial so why is Hana, whose crime is her “unacceptable” opinion, denied this right? She explains that it saddens her to see the international community failing to interact with Hana’s situation, expressing her sorrow at the evident reluctance.
“Palestinians are a symbol of courage” she says in a heart-felt manner.
Administrative detention is not just arrest. It is the abduction of dignity, land and life. The sole goal of this detention is to keep Palestinians deprived of basic human rights, consequently making their ultimate demand; to gain them back.
This is simply unacceptable. The United States has always been an advocate of human rights and international democracy, but Sandra fears that if the US continues to support the oppression of the Palestinian people, it is contradicting its own values and faces an almost inevitable backfire in the near future.
Sandra’s message to the Israeli government states “The world has stood by and allowed you to illegally occupy, kill and humiliate the people of Palestine; for this, you might think you have won, but a real country does not constitute of just land, a real country cannot stand on pillars of corruption, it is only a matter of time before you collapse”
The fate of 20,000 detainees illegally held in Israeli jails worries Sandra, and should worry the entire international community. Sandra is determined to fight for the freedom of these Palestinian prisoners and calls on people seeking peace and governments claiming justice to stand up and take a stance too.
Do not allow international silence to overwhelm you. Take action and enforce change.
US Senators Web Sites, and Direct Numbers
The silence protest staged by Palestinians Conscience Objectors is the best Non Resistance Weapon and only resource Palestinians have inside Israel Prisons, Often denied the rights of an attorney, which is the case in most of the detainees, they leave them with few option to exercise their rights. A silence hunger strike staged by an individual could be the lousiest of the protest can any one perform, the role of the press and the mouth to mouth news it is the key element to make it to succeed.
On March 23 the ethics committee of Israel Bureau of Prisons announced that Hana Shalabi was going to be forced to eat artificially using gastrointestinal tubes, a practice that it’s considered inhumane treatment by Amnesty International, because even though is propagated as a human practice to save the life of a prisoners it curtail their freedom of expression and rights to protest in a Non Violent Way. A Silence Fight It’s My Right! Hunger Strike For Justice
We have invented the most powerful flying machine, the smallest medical devices, the most dangerous weapon we can imagine and being so technologically advanced we still can not comprehend in its entirely our humanity, but we are trying, little by little we understand more and more of us, our world become so important that we feel the necessity of help in the restoration and the unification of our human family.
What make us humans we ask ourselves? The Soul?, our Heart?, our feelings? what really do we have inside our bodies that make us compassionate or despicable beings? Does all the human beings are able to FEEL?. The Most Powerfull Weapon Our Humanity
“I am ashamed to say that my country in particular has acted in a most egregious way in its veto of any UN response in holding Israel accountable for its crimes.
But now I want to tell you what drove me to this hunger strike.
There is a young woman, Hana Shalabi, now imprisoned in Hasharon Prison in Israel, arrested on February 16, 2012 and is being held under administrative detention, detention without charge or trial. She is not allowed to know what she is accused of, to examine any of the evidence against her, thereby rendering her capability for due process null and void.” Sandra Rose Twang
Statehood Will Not Endanger Refugee Rights
Posted on September 22, 2011 by Marivel Guzman
Originally Published on 09.09.11 – 16:00
In a memorandum dated September 2011 and prepared by the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations, Palestinian diplomats claimed that the September bid for statehood would not render the PLO obsolete or endanger the right of return for Palestinian refugees.
Skeptics of the statehood bid, most notably the Oxford professor of public international law Guy Goodwin-Gill, have said the up grade in Palestinian representation
would replace the current PLO with a State of Palestine and since the PLO is the “sole representative of the Palestinian people,” including the nearly five million stateless refugees worldwide, if it was to be replaced, its responsibility for their right of return would disappear.
“These arguments have no basis in the actual national,regional, and international legislation and understandings that exist,”according to the memorandum, citing the PLO Charter and Palestine’s membership in the Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab League, the OIC, in which Palestine was granted membership as the state of all Palestinian people worldwide.
The memorandum also cited the example of the 1998 upgrading of the UN Palestinian delegation to observer status, which occurred “without prejudice to existing rights and privileges attained by the PLO in previous resolutions.”
The first claim of the memorandum is that the statehood bid refers only to the rights of Palestinians to self-determination and a state governed by Palestinians—namely the state within the 1967 borders that the UN General Assembly will vote on later this month—while the other legitimate grievances of Palestinians, such as the refugees’ right of return, will be resolved later.
“The right to self-determination and freedom and other human rights, including the right of refugees to return, are not mutually exclusive and the achievement of one does not negate the other,” the memorandum explained. “Accordingly, the current arguments circulating about the potential dangers and harm that could be caused to the status of the PLO…are distorted arguments, based on faulty assumptions that ignore national, regional, and international legislation that exists in this regard.”
“Regardless of the statehood initiative, it is understood that the plight of the Palestinian refugees must be politically, definitively,and justly resolved.”
More Posts…..
Meet the Peace Activists Non Violent Movement The Non-Violent Movement started by the conscience objectors of the world, the peace and social activists of the world has started an invisible revolution. One revolution that can not be stopped, because can not be seen, can not be attacked with soldiers or guns.
The More Powerful Weapon Our HUMANITY – We can hardly help ourselves in this Web of ideas, where we are sharing everything making easier for our information to be disperse in the web of the cyber space. We are using mirror of our web sites, our blogs and our spaces. If your goal is to spread the TRUTH, join us in this new dynamic new expression of writing, sharing, blogging, copying or call it what ever you want to call it but be part of the ultimate weapon that we have our Humanity.
The Arrogant Voice of Imperialism – President Obama delivered an empty and arrogant sermon to the United Nations Wednesday, laced with platitudes about “peace” that were designed to mask Washington’s predatory policies.
Akashma Online News 