Skip to search.

Breaking News Visit Yahoo! News for the latest.

×Close this window

JustPeaceUK · A UK based peace resource group for information and activities regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The Yahoo! Groups Product Blog

Check it out!

Group Information

? Already a member? Sign in to Yahoo!

Yahoo! Groups Tips

Did you know...
Real people. Real stories. See how Yahoo! Groups impacts members worldwide.

Messages

Advanced
Messages Help
Messages 1487 - 1516 of 33541   Oldest  |  < Older  |  Newer >  |  Newest
Messages: Show Message Summaries Sort by Date ^  
#1487 From: PeaceNowUK@...
Date: Sun Jul 1, 2001 6:17 am
Subject: The Oslo Accords by Professor Galia Golan
PeaceNowUK@...
Send Email Send Email
 
The Oslo Accords
Professor Galia Golan

The Oslo Accords were significant, valuable and indispensable as well as
historic, not for the details therein but for the principle of mutual
recognition they contained.  In fact the accords were actually a Declaration
of Principles comprising what was the "historic compromise" for both sides
(though the term was Palestinian), namely Palestinian acceptance of the State
of Israel and by implication a two-state solution, and Israeli recognition of
the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people, referring explicitly
to the legitimate and political rights of both peoples.  This was comparable
in importance - and psychologically - to Sadat's visit to Jerusalem in 1977.

The Oslo Accords, as the DOP is referred to, (usually including thereby the
subsequent Cairo Agreement), were, however, also an interim agreement
outlining measures to be taken building up to the opening of final status
talks.  It was believed by Israel that a period of time was necessary to
prepare domestic public opinion, test the intentions of the other side and
create a degree of trust.  It is possible that these were also the
Palestinians' assumptions. Indeed there was great skepticism on both sides,
possibly even more in the respective leaderships than in the publics, but the
leaderships had reached the conclusion that this was an alternative worth
trying:  Rabin believed that a window of opportunity had been created by the
changes in the world order, including the Arab world, with the collapse of
the Soviet Union.  He was also concerned over of the spread of weapons of
mass destruction in the region, and he was aware of the greater willingness
of the Israeli public to compromise as a result of the Intifada.  Arafat was
under pressures from within the occupied territories, but also faced the loss
of the Soviet Union as well as the loss of financial resources from Saudi
Arabia and help from the Arab world as a result of PLO support for Iraq in
the Gulf crisis.  Additionally, both political elites as well as their
publics (among the Palestinians, mainly in the population under occupation,
presumably less in the diasporas and refugee camps) had been gradually moving
toward the "historic compromise", namely mutual recognition and a two-state
solution.

It is relatively easy today to point to the flaws in the Oslo Accords, and
there were in fact analysts on both sides who hastened to point them out from
the outset.  The more frequently noted problems were, first, the interim
nature itself of Oslo.  It could have been foreseen that a prolonged period
(no later than three years until the beginning of final status talks) in
which the two sides were to act as if there were peace (stop terrorism and
violence, cooperate on security, withdraw from certain areas, etc.) without
there actually being peace or even acknowledgment of the ultimate mutual goal
(Palestinian State next to the State of Israel), would invite opponents to
intensified action.  A second problem was the absence from the accords of an
explicit ban on further building of settlements or land expropriations (for
the building of by-pass roads) in the occupied territories.  In fact the
by-pass roads were in part a result of Oslo as Israel redeployed its forces
in the West Bank and Gaza. The Oslo Accords stated only that agreements
reached in the interim period should not prejudice or preempt the final
status negotiations and that the West Bank and Gaza Strip were to be treated
as one entity.  That is as close as the DOP got to a reference, however
obliquely, to the settlement issue.  For the Palestinians the continued
building and land confiscation were daily, concrete signs of continued
Israeli aggression, increasingly viewed as indications that Israel had no
intention of leaving the territories or, at best, of leaving sufficient or
contiguous territory upon which to build a Palestinian state.  This sentiment
was further aggravated by the gradual nature of the accords, by which
additional areas became subject to roadblocks and checkpoints, and freedom of
movement was increasingly reduced.  A further flaw, according to Palestinian
observers, was the obligation of the Palestinian side to prevent terrorism in
conditions in which the Palestinians did not have full authority.

While these were problems arising from the accords themselves, an additional
cause for the failure of Oslo was that the accords were not fully implemented
- nor was a mechanism created to monitor implementation.  Each stage was
negotiated and renegotiated, each new agreement led to still another
agreement to implement the previous agreement, delays and postponements
became the norm.  Israel benefited significantly - internationally and
economically, from the appearance of peace, although internally the opponents
became exceedingly vociferous, even violent though not especially greater in
number.  On the Palestinian side, however, the benefits (release of
prisoners, return of PLO people from exile, in time Israeli withdrawal from
the cities and so forth) were overshadowed by increased (not reduced)
restrictions on Palestinian movement, including in particular the closure of
East Jerusalem, continued loss of land and houses, and the failure to
implement further elements of the accords (prisoner releases and the like).  
As Palestinian disappointment began to appear, the opponents to Oslo, namely
Hamas and Islamic Jihad increased their terrorist actions, and the
Palestinian Authority either would not or could not take sufficient steps to
stop them.  In response to the terror attacks, the Israeli public opted in
May 1996 for a right-wing government to restore order - although not to
abandon Oslo.

It is a moot point as to whether or not Rabin could have weathered the
terrorist attacks of early 1996, but his assassination had brought Shimon
Peres to office in November 1995, and Peres was not able to persuade the
public that he could provide peace with security - thus leading to the
right-wing victory in the elections of May 1996.  The fact that Benyamin
Netanyahu was elected on the promise to continue the peace process was an
indication that there was still majority support for Oslo (the polls
indicated this as well), but it may be argued that the Oslo process actually
ended with this election.  The process did break-down, despite further
agreements (signed only under great outside pressure), as the right-wing
government in Israel not only suspended many of the measures called for by
Oslo but also deepened the occupation through further restrictions, land
expropriations, house demolitions, settlement building and caustic rhetoric.  
More or less total disillusionment with Oslo set in among the Palestinian
public. This could be seen not only in the collapse of cooperation in many
areas, including security, but also in the negative changes that took place
in the Palestinian media and official rhetoric.  Something of the opposite
occurred for the Israeli public:  with the break-down of the peace process
Israel lost many of the benefits it had reaped during the Oslo period
(1993-1995), the economy declined, terrorism continued, diplomatic isolation
set-in, all this and more leading to a decision by the Israeli electorate in
May 1999 to abandon the right-wing alternative and return to a genuine peace
process in hopes that a renewal of the process would restore Israel's economy
and position in the world.   

The Israeli public greeted the election of Barak with great optimism that the
Oslo process would be revived, final status talks would finally begin (three
years late) and peace would ultimately be achieved.  Barak's promise of
specific target dates were of less interest to the public at large for whom
revival of the economy was the most important thing, believing that peace was
now a sure thing.  Barak promised also peace with Syria and, more
specifically, in response to the growing domestic pressure, withdrawal of
Israeli troops from Lebanon within a year.

The Palestinian public was far less optimistic, and it is probably the case
that Israelis greatly underestimated the damage that had been done by the
failure to implement Oslo and the regression of the intervening years.  
Failing to understand this has meant failure to understand the reason a
violent Palestinian revolt, the Al Aksa Intifada broke out, after Camp David
II.

Did the Oslo Accords die at Camp David?  Did they cause the failure of Camp
David?

Pages and pages of newsprint have been expended regarding the reasons Camp
David led to what appears to be the end of the Oslo process.  Unquestionably
a significant factor lies with the tactics employed by Barak, from the
beginning of his administration up to and including the "take it or leave it"
manner in which he concluded Camp David - tactics which included priority for
the Syrian track (like Rabin before him Barak apparently believed that only
Syria constitutes a military threat, the Palestinians could wait), along with
insensitivity to counter parts on the other side as well as to advisors on
his own side.  One may add to this President Clinton's timetable and
designation of blame after Camp David.  Similarly, Arafat's failure to
present counter-proposals at Camp David - such as those in fact presented
later at the Taba talks, must also be taken into account.  An attempt by
Arafat to garner public support for what was virtually a secret continuation
of the talks after Camp David may also have made a difference, although his
authority had already been greatly impaired by the failure of Oslo to bring
an end to the occupation (and by his authoritarian form of rule).

In fact Camp David failed because the offer presented by Barak contained
major territorial elements Arafat could not accept (most notably the division
the West Bank into three disconnected sections) and Arafat's position on
Jerusalem was one Bark could not accept (Palestinian retention of the Temple
Mount).  Given the finality of the Barak offer, clinched by Clinton's public
allocation of blame and followed by the absence of information regarding
continued talks, the Palestinian public gave vent to its frustration and
hopelessness by means of the second Intifada begun at the end of September
2000.  Even that did not end the Oslo process, since formal talks were
resumed at Taba.  The progress achieved at Taba, however, was too late for
the Israeli elections given the damage caused by the continued violence and
terror.

The failure of Camp David has also been attributed to the formula of Oslo
itself, namely, not the interim nature of the accord but actually the final
component: final status talks to resolve all outstanding issues including
Jerusalem and the refugee problem.  Strong arguments have been heard, on the
left and on the right (based on different premises) to the effect that there
should not have been an attempt to seek a comprehensive final agreement but
rather another interim accord, leaving the issues of Jerusalem and the
refugees to a later stage.  It may be counter-argued, however, that the
Palestinians could not create a state without resolution of these two issues
while Israel could not remove settlements without a peace agreement.  Thus an
interim agreement could at best implement earlier elements of Oslo (another
withdrawal, further prisoner releases), but no final status issues (border,
settlements, security, even water) could have been resolved independently of
the difficult Jerusalem issue and, most likely even the refugee problem.

In the wake of the Intifada and the election of Sharon, the options all
appear to be post-Oslo, that is, an abandonment of the Oslo path.  Sharon's
plan is another interim agreement for a long period in which the Palestinians
would have control over 42% of the West Bank and Gaza with the remaining 58%
under Israeli control (area C of the previous accords).  It would appear most
unlikely that the Palestinians would agree to such an agreement unless of a
very, very short duration (which is not Sharon's offer).  

A large majority of Israelis today support the idea of unilateral withdrawal
or unilateral separation (see the Peace Index, Haaretz, 5 June 2001).  These
are two separate ideas, often confused or intentionally blurred in the public
debate.  Their growing popularity arises from both the reaction to the
continued violence and terrorism and to the conviction that a peace agreement
is not possible.  The unilateral withdrawal idea is based on the premise that
the territories do not enhance Israel's security and together with the
settlements (or because of the settlements) actually hinder Israel's
security.  Since an agreement is not possible today, because of Arafat or
Sharon, or perhaps ever possible, it is in everyone's interest to eliminate
at least this source of conflict - Israel's control over the West Bank and
Gaza.  

The unilateral separation idea does not posit Israel's relinquishment of the
territories or the settlements inside them.  Rather it calls for construction
a strong (physical) barrier between the territories and Israel proper - with
freedom of access to and from the settlements for Israelis and continued
Israeli military control of the territories.  A more moderate view - espoused
by many in the unilateral withdrawal camp, and probably the view most widely
supported, would have Israel draw a line around the areas it wants directly
to control or a line wherever it is in Israel's interest to have the line,
fortify it against Palestinian penetration and leave the remainder of the
territories under Palestinian control with Israeli control of the Jordan Rift
(the outer border in the East).  

The simple unilateral withdrawal idea stands virtually no chance of adoption
in as much as it is hard to imagine an Israeli government (or even majority
public) willing to abandon the settlements without an agreement - including
security agreements with the Palestinians.  For Israel to pick up and leave
the territories may be an appealing policy in the eyes of many in Israel, but
despite its general popularity it would appear to be totally impractical at
this time (as distinct from the years prior to the massive Jewish settlement
of the territories - namely pre-1979).  Unilateral separation is a far more
likely option for the Sharon government (indeed it was contemplated by both
Rabin and Barak), although it would not end either the conflict or the
violence and terrorism, while it would require a still larger Israeli
military presence in the territories to protect the settlers.

The question remains, then, is there a possibility of an agreement and what
would it comprise?  The majority of Palestinians want an agreement.  Their
hatred for Israel is undoubtedly greater than perhaps any time in the past,
and many (the majority?) would probably prefer a bi-national state in all of
mandated Palestine (Israel plus today's occupied territories) in which they
would soon become the majority (in fact there is already a non-Jewish
majority for the under 14 population of the area between the sea and the
Jordan).  Yet the Palestinian elites and most of the population realize that
such a solution is not an alternative, and the 1988 PLO decision to accept a
two-state solution remains the Palestinian policy.  The majority of Israelis,
too, want an agreement, even though hatred of the Palestinians is greater
than perhaps any time in the past, and many (not the majority) would like to
hold onto the territories permanently.  It is argued that Arafat does not
want an agreement, preferring his role as revolutionary fighter-leader rather
than mundane government president; it is argued that Sharon does not want an
agreement, preferring greater Israel over the truncated Israel of 1949-1967.  
Neither side today believes that the other is genuinely interested in a peace
agreement yet polls indicate that the populations want-and the leaderships
claim that they too want - to return to the negotiating table.

Estimates vary as to Arafat or Sharon's willingness or even ability to make
peace given the steps each would have to take to combat opposition
forces.   Nonetheless, I believe that each would be capable of "selling" an
agreement provided he were willing to reach one mutually acceptable - and I
would put the chances for Arafat being willing as higher than the chances of
Sharon being willing to reach such an agreement.  The reason for that
estimate is that the only real possibility for a Palestinian-Israeli peace
agreement is the general model presented in the Clinton bridging proposals,
and that model is far closer, at least in direction and general principles,
to the Palestinians' needs than to Sharon's ideology.  In the case of new
leadership, expectations may not warrant optimism, for younger Palestinian
leaders may be more, not less, militant than Arafat and less able to maneuver
majority support; center-left Israeli leaders will certainly be more flexible
than Sharon, but they will have a more difficult time garnering support for
compromise given the damage caused by the Al Aksa Intifada.  Nonetheless,
given the perceived need for a settlement on the part of both peoples, there
is still a good chance (though less certain than five years ago) that any
leadership presenting a mutually agreed settlement will be able to win
support for it.

The parameters of such an agreement are generally clear, and indeed were
close to achievement at the Taba talks:  a Palestinian State in all of the
West Bank and Gaza Strip with the exception of two or three clusters of
settlements along the new border of the West Bank, with territorial
compensation to the Palestinians from an area south of Gaza; Palestinian
control of the Jordan Rift (possibly some element or period of joint or
international control); various types of demilitarization and security
arrangements (though not Israeli control of the skies and outer borders);
Jerusalem as the capital of both states with Palestinian rule in East
Jerusalem and Israeli rule in West Jerusalem as well as in certain designated
neighborhoods, and international or some form of joint control of the holy
places including the Temple Mount (though possibly Palestinian control of the
Temple Mount); the choice of return for a specified number of refugees
according to numbers determined in negotiation subject to Israeli control,
plus international compensation (with Israeli participation) and resettlement
for the vast majority of refugees.

There may be gradual implementation of such an agreement, just as it is
possible that there will be minor, very temporary interim agreements even in
the Sharon period.  But the chances for achieving a final agreement will be
enhanced if two major mistakes of the original Oslo Accords are avoided,
namely continued Israeli building in the territories and uncertainty as to
the final outcome, namely a Palestinian state.  Security cooperation is
imperative; international monitoring would be helpful; and two important
provisions for facilitation of the negotiating process would be restoration
of some confidence in the other side through implementation of the earlier
agreements regarding incitement, arrests and releases, and mutual education
(citizen diplomacy once again).

#1488 From: FrankieGreen@...
Date: Sun Jul 1, 2001 5:17 pm
Subject: Fwd: THE TOUR
FrankieGreen@...
Send Email Send Email
 

THE TOUR
A Film made by Israeli and Palestinian Film-makers

Director: Ra'nan Alexandrowicz
Producers: Liran Atzmon, Raed Andoni

Thursday July 5
6.30pm

Room D202 (2nd Floor)
Clement House
London School of Economics, WC2
(Clement House is on the Strand, 200 yards from the junction of Kingsway and
the Aldwych, going towards Fleet Street)

NOTE:
THE TOUR, a feature-length documentary shot last summer before the intifada,
observes a three-day bus tour bringing Palestinians from the West Bank and
Gaza into Israel. It brought home to me more forcefully than countless
pamphlets or meetings the human loss that must be faced and the historical
injustice that must be remedied if there is to be peace between Israelis and
Palestinians.

With the help of friends and using personal contacts and unofficial
networks, I have organised this screening as an individual British Jew, in
the hope that this remarkable film may stir awareness, arguement and action
among British and Diaspora Jews.

THE TOUR lasts 90 minutes. Its Israeli director or producer will attend and
join in the discussion which will follow the film.

Michael Kustow

Admission to cover costs £10. Tickets on the night, or e-mail reservations
in advance to mkustow@...




Joseph's Bookstore
1257 Finchley Road
Temple Fortune
London NW11 OAD
England
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (020) 8731 7575
Fax: +44 (020) 8731 6699

www.josephsbookstore.com

Chris Doyle
Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding
21 Collingham Road
London SW5 0NU
Tel: 020 7373 8414
Fax: 020 7835 2088
Mobile 07968 040 281
www.caabu.org
Please note my e-mail has changed to doylec@... - the old e-mail will
work for the time being.

The contents of this message may contain personal views which are not the
views of CAABU, unless specifically stated.

#1489 From: Abe Hayeem <abe.hayeem@...>
Date: Sun Jul 1, 2001 11:04 pm
Subject: FW: Press Release MK Azmi Bishara : Police call for the indictment of MK Azmi Bishara
abe.hayeem@...
Send Email Send Email
 
----------
From: imra@...
Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2001 18:09:12 -0400
To: imra@...
Subject: Press Release MK Azmi Bishara : Police call for the indictment of
MK Azmi Bishara

Press Release MK Azmi Bishara : Police call for the indictment of MK Azmi
Bishara

[IMRA: Once again MK Bishara declines to deal with the fundamental fact that
Yasser Arafat, as leader of the Palestinian People, forfeited the right to
resist the "occupation" via any means beyond the negotiating table in his
first letter
to Yitzchak Rabin on September 9, 1993 (and as repeated in the agreements):
"The PLO commits itself to the Middle
East peace process, and to a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the
two sides and declares that all outstanding issues relating to permanent
status will be resolved through negotiations."  This commitment was a
NECESSARY condition for Israel to lift the exhausted Arafat from the dung
heap of history and thrust him to the center stage via the Oslo process.  To
assert that Arafat's commitment was not binding is to say that there is no
validity to any agreement - present or future - with the Palestinians.]

Police call for the indictment of MK Azmi Bishara; Bishara responds: "those
who promote war indict those who promote peace, The trial, which will
quickly become international, will provide an opportunity to examine
publicly the illegal Israeli occupation and the internationally guaranteed
right of resistance to occupation"

Press Release
MK Azmi Bishara - National Democratic Assembly
July 1, 2001

Today, in an unprecedented move, the Israeli police recommended the
indictment of Member of the Israeli Knesset Azmi Bishara.  The
recommendation came after Bishara was interrogated by the police on
Wednesday regarding a speech he delivered in Syria three and a half weeks
ago.

The police concluded that MK Bishara had violated several sections of the
penal code, including Section 99 (Treason and Assisting the Enemy); Section
114 (Contact with a Foreign Agent Affiliated with the Enemy); and Sections
134 and 136 (Sedition) as well as Sections 4a and 4g of the Prevention of
Terrorism Ordinance.

Following the interrogation, MK Bishara stated that "the investigation was p
olitical in nature and revolved around a political speech that I delivered.
>From that one speech the police have recommended a six-part indictment."  MK
Bishara went on to say that the indictment against him was a political
decision which was made in October 2000 in consultation with the General
Security Services (Shabak) at the beginning of the current Intifada.

According to MK Bishara, the launch of the investigation and its conclusions
were based on "fabrications and purposeful distortions of my speech."
However MK Bishara sees any upcoming trial as an opportunity to "teach the
anti-democratic elements in Israel a lesson in the basic tenets of liberal
democracy.  The trial, which will quickly become international, will provide
an opportunity to examine publicly the illegal Israeli occupation and the
internationally guaranteed right of resistance to occupation as well as the
right to freedom of expression. Rather than protecting these rights, the
police and members of the political establishment condone death threats
against those who exercise them."

MK Bishara concluded that "while it is permissible in Israel to call for
'Death to the Arabs' and 'Death to Azmi Bishara,' those who support the
right of resistance to occupation and call for peace based on historical
compromises are indicted.  In other words, those who promote war indict
those who promote peace."


MK Azmi Bishara
Nazareth Office:
Tel 972-4-6457457
Fax 972-4-6457458
Jerusalem Office:
Tel 972-2-6753101
Fax 972-2-6753182
abishara@...


--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il

For free regular subscription:
Subscribe at no charge: imra-subscribe@...
Unsubscribe:  imra-unsubscribe@...

For free daily digest subscription:
Subscribe at no charge: imra-digest-subscribe@...
Unsubscribe:  imra-digest-unsubscribe@...

For a copy of all reports distributed for a given day please send a
message to:

monday@... tuesday@... wednesday@...
thursday@... friday@...
saturday@... sunday@...

#1490 From: "SA'IDA NUSSEIBEH" <saida@...>
Date: Mon Jul 2, 2001 7:15 am
Subject: “Divorce” By Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj
saida@...
Send Email Send Email
 
-----Original Message-----
From: info1 <info@...>
To: info@... <info@...>
Date: Monday, July 02, 2001 07:48
Subject: "Divorce", by Dr. El Sarraj


                                                      “Divorce”
                                                      By Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj

The blows of fate hit hard, and the debris touched masses of people. Bodies
were scattered
and rosy dreams shattered. Hope was destroyed and sadness set in. Woe unto
humanity!

Although death is something we are accustomed to because of the occupation,
some instances
of death are harsh and the passing away painful. The death of Faisal
Husseini and the passing
away of Ibrahim Abu Lughod were as such. Both shared hope, humility, and
tireless work for
others. They were united in their fate to be born, live, and die in
Palestine.

Both were ideal in their own ways.

Faisal was doing something that was dear to his heart. His strength was his
distance from all
forms of “show of power.” He supported building institutions and contributed
to many of them.
He was one of the first supporters of GCMHP. He was close to our hearts. The
mothers of
Palestine mourned few kin more than mourning Faisal.

The greatest thing about Ibrahim was his humility and love for the people of
his country. He
never turned away people from his door; and he did not deprive any seekers
of his knowledge,
advice, or support.

I was honored to have met him, become his friend, and received his
affection. He supported
GCMHP from the first stages of its establishment. In addition, he supported
other institutions
such as the Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizen’s Rights. We have
lost a rare
scholar and teacher.

Their passing away shocked me just as it shook others. I wondered if there
was a meeting set
between Ibrahim and Faisal away from this land. Did both decide to leave
this land in which
hope has been hit with a deep wound, and the mind plagued with power
arrogance and the
agitation of despair?

Was Sharon, who reached the pinnacle of power with a well-devised military
plan, a reason for
their passing away? Isn’t he the one that hit thousands of chests with
bullets and the hearts of
Faisal and Ibrahim with sadness and apprehension? Whoever has been
monitoring Sharon and
his behavior over the years won’t find it difficult to understand his
mentality and personality,
whose characteristics and dimensions blend into Israel today. Studying
Sharon’s personality is a
study of Israel.

Sharon represents the malady of power arrogance that Israel is suffering
from. These aren’t just
words on paper. They are clinical observations. It is known that power
corrupts the mind; and
more power corrupts the conscience. The most dangerous power is that in the
hands of
someone who was a victim in the past. I saw this in some ex-prisoners who
were imprisoned in
Israeli jails. They were freed and welcomed as heroes. Suddenly, the power
arrogance of
position and authority made them think that they are higher than the law. I
witnessed a son who
was beaten and humiliated by the father. He was a victim once, and is very
harsh today.

This is one aspect of the Sharon malady, power arrogance. The Palestinians
are targets of its
cannon, planes, and tanks.

Violence and torture become a means and an end, and intensify whenever the
victim tries to
resist. This is like a husband whose wife requests a divorce. He thinks that
she is his property
and rejects her family’s intervention. Israel rejects Arab intervention or
that of others (like the
UN), and considers the issue something internal.

When this husband tries to bridge the gabs with his wife, he views her
responsible for failure. He
boasts that he is spending on her and feeding her. Then he punishes her
because she did not
value his bounty. He brags about the clothes he bought her or the gifts he
gave to her mother
and sisters.

This tyrant of a husband is a manifestation of Israel’s illness that was
expressed by a child living
in a settlement. He said on a television interview, “Palestinians are not
worthy of kindness. We
have given them sanctuary, homes, food, and work after Arab countries
expelled them. Look
what they are doing to us in return. They are stoning us instead of saying
‘thank you.’”

Like the tyrant husband, who was a victim in the past, considers his wife
property, Sharon’s
Israel, which was a victim to Nazism, considers Palestinian land an
uncontested God-given gift.

Like the victimized wife who goes to court and receives a sermon from the
judge on the
importance of obeying her husband, Palestine goes to the UN and receives a
sermon on the
importance of understanding and negotiating with Sharon’s Israel. Palestine
is asked to stop the
violence, forget the occupation-like the failed marriage- that is the root
of evil and violence.

The best solution for this failed marriage is freedom and divorce. The only
solution between
Israel and us is freedom and the immediate and unconditional ending of the
occupation.
Otherwise, the world will be an accomplice insisting on the crime, much like
Arab society that is
insisting on conspiracy against victimized women.



---
Please visit our site:
Gaza Community Mental Health Programme
http://www.gcmhp.net

#1491 From: Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...>
Date: Mon Jul 2, 2001 11:34 am
Subject: LETTER TO JC
deborah.maccoby@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Dear Tony,

Many thanks for your emails. I have revised my letter in the light of your
suggestions and think it is now a lot stronger.  Here is the new version.  I
think maybe you too should reply this week, but am not sure.  What do others
think?

Deborah


Dear Sir,

Your three correspondents (JC Letters June 29th) who write in criticism of
Tony Klug (JC Letters July 22nd) all say more or less the same thing.  Their
argument amounts to this: Israeli Jews were in danger of being exterminated
by the Palestinians and the Arab nations in 1967, and, by implication, are
still in danger of extermination - and this justifies all the inhumane
behaviour towards the Palestinians which Dr Klug lists: the destruction of
houses and orchards; the routine humiliation, the use of excessive force,
the assassinations, the punitive closures.

At a time of crisis, clear and realistic thinking is required, not blind
panic.  Your correspondents equate the present time with the situation in
1967, when Israel was indeed fighting for its existence.  But we are 34
years on now from 1967.  Israel is now a strong power which should have the
confidence and maturity to leave behind the justified fears of its early
years and to behave with imagination and justice towards the weak people
which it has displaced and occupied.  In the course of those 34 years,
Israel has also built up with neighbouring Arab countries peaceful relations
which, as a result of Israeli paranoia, are now in danger of unravelling and
indeed taking the clock back to 1967.

These three letter simply bear out Dr Klug's point about "double standards,
moral perverseness and psychological blindness".

Yours faithfully,


Deborah Maccoby


This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
BBC, unless specifically stated.

#1492 From: FrankieGreen@...
Date: Mon Jul 2, 2001 9:58 am
Subject: Wednesday: Launch Event
FrankieGreen@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Dear Friends
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
invites you to the attend the launch of the campaign to boycott Israeli goods
and leisure tourism
at the House  of Commons, 6pm, in Committee Room 16.
Press release, statement, and a partial list of well-known people who have
offered support so far, follow below. (If these are difficult to read in
email format, please let me know, and I will send the information as an
attachment.) Also, please check out www.palestinecampaign.org for updates, as
more support is coming  in by the day!
Please also refer to the list of Israeli and Jewish people of other
nationalities (Matzpun: 'conscience') who sent out an appeal calling for a
boycott in April, on the website www.matzpun.com

Press release, June 29 2001
Boycott Campaign receives overwhelming support

Palestine Solidarity Campaign's call for a boycott of Israeli goods and
tourism has met with an overwhelmingly positive response, with many
well-known figures giving their support.
Clearly, the time is right for this initiative, with members of the public
becoming increasingly concerned about the escalating and disproportionate
violence used against the Palestinians  by the state of Israel, and the
failure of governments to act decisively.
Since the onset of the al Aqsa intifada, sparked off by the killing of
Palestinians after the provocative visit of Ariel Sharon to the sacred site
last September, calls have been made repeatedly to the world community for
assistance for the besieged Palestinians. There have been requests for an
international peace-keeping force, for an unarmed observer presence to
provide protection, and for western governments to take action. There have
been speedy responses to other events -Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, crises in
the former Yugoslavia - so clearly it can be done, if the will is there.
However, the cries of the Palestinians have gone unheeded, their efforts to
obtain assistance blocked by Israel, the US and  Britain, perhaps more
concerned to maintain lucrative trade arrangements with Israel than to defend
human rights. The appalling loss of life and livelihood, ruination of the
Palestinian economy and escalating cruelty have continued unabated.
Meanwhile, western television viewers have begun to see for themselves the
horrendous treatment of the Palestinians by Israeli military and settlers.
In calling for a boycott, careful consideration must be given to possible
side effects upon the Palestinians, many of whom depend upon Israel for
employment. With the current siege and blockades, however, thousands have
lost their jobs and are suffering terrible effects of unemployment and
poverty. The infrastructure of production has been destroyed by the Israelis.
Within Israeli itself, there is a boycott of goods from  settlements in the
illegally occupied territories. These goods are found in British
supermarkets, labelled as products of Israel.
PSC is mindful that for many people, any criticism of Israel is regarded as
negative. We are inspired by the number of Jewish people throughout the
world, who have made it clear that they are appalled by the actions of the
state of Israel. It cannot be acceptable for Israel to continue to regard
itself as being above the law, as having an exceptional status among nations,
or to flout  UN resolutions and international law. We hope that people who
may feel ambivalent towards boycotting Israel goods  will see this as an
opportunity for debate, an invitation for dialogue.
It seems that if governments won't act, people must. This boycott provides an
opportunity to members of the public who wish to be ethical consumers to
express their desire not to buy goods, or take holidays, which are tainted by
the oppression of other human beings. It sends a clear signal to the
Palestinian people that they are not forgotten by the outside world. We are
confident that British people will take up this invitation, and that the
boycott will grow in strength, thereby making a contribution to the process
of creating peace and stability in the Middle East.

Boycott statement
  Stand Up for Palestinian Human Rights
  Oppose Israeli Oppression  – Boycott Israeli Products

For too long the world has ignored the relentless military oppression of the
Palestinian  people. Since the 29th of September 2000, over 500 Palestinians
have been killed and more than 14,000 injured by the Israeli army and
settlers. The Government of Israel has imposed collective punishment on the
Palestinian civilian population, laying siege to their land, preventing free
movement and devastating the Palestinian economy.
"Normal" life is impossible as people are unable to work, to move around
freely, to attend school, to get to hospitals, or to obtain water.
We call for mass consumer action, along the lines of the boycott of South
African produce during the anti-apartheid campaign. By joining this boycott
individuals and organisations can take concrete steps to stand up against the
gross human rights violations by the Israeli State.
We, the undersigned, call for an immediate, unconditional lifting of the
siege of the occupied territories, an end to the occupation, and the
implementation of UN resolutions and international humanitarian law  in
relation to the Palestinian people. We therefore support:

A boycott of Israeli products

A boycott of Israeli leisure tourism

An end to UK firms' investment in Israel

The suspension of British government trade agreements with Israel

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign has the support of the following
organisations in calling for this boycott:

Al Awda(UK)
Green Ribbon
General Union of Palestinian Students
Emergency Committee on Iraq and Palestine
Friends of Al Aqsa
Islamic Human Rights Commission
Palestinian Return Centre
Mariam Appeal
Scottish Friends of Palestine
Campaign for Palestinian Rights
Matzpun
PNGO (Palestinian Non Governmental Organisation Network)
Scottish Palestinian Forum (excluding charity members)
LAW: The Palestinian Center for the Protection of Human Rights and  the
Environment
PASSIA
The Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People

Individual supporters of the Boycott  Statement so far include:

Tony Benn
Lynne Jones MP
George Galloway MP

William Dalrymple, writer
Tom Paulin, poet and broadcaster
Harold Pinter, playwright
Caryl Churchill, playwright
Aamer Hussein, writer
Benjamin Zephaniah, poet
Alexei Sayle, actor
Frances de la Tour, actor
Emma Thompson, actor
Andrew  de la Tour, actor and writer
Reem Kelani, musician
Leena Dhingra, writer and actor (East is East)
Leon Rosselson, writer and musician
Ian Saville, entertainer
Michel Khleifi, film director

Michel Massih QC
Imran Khan, lawyer
Michael Mansfield QC
Gareth Pierce
Dr Gharda Karmi
Dr. Salman Abu-Sitta
Prof Hilary Rose
Prof Steven Rose
Dr Mary Midgely, Philosopher
Nur Masalha
Dr.Rosemary Sayigh
Moshe Machover (King's Coll. London)
Dr. Khalil Hindi (Brunel Univ.)
Prof. Irene Bruegel (USB)
Massimo De Angelis (UEL)
Dr. Anat Matar (Tel Aviv Univ.)
Prof. Tanya Reinhart (Tel Aviv Univ.)
Ismail Adam Patel
A. Sivanandan, (Institute of Race Relations)
Jenny Bourne, (Institute of Race Relations)
Bruce Kent
Asad Rehman, Chair, Newham Monitoring Project
Faisal Bodi, journalist
Claire Armitstead (journalist)
Simon Hattenstone (journalist)
Julia Bard
Europe Singh, broadcaster and journalist

Irit Katriel (Israel)
Marion Woolfson (Israel)
Tirtza Tauber (Israel)
Tzvi Cohen   (Israel)

Dr. Meir Amor  (Israeli citizen Canada)
Yael Oren Khan (Israeli citizen UK)
Paul Eisen
David Rosenberg, Jewish Socialist Group & NUT
Julia Ward, Jewish Socialist Group
Roland Rance, Chair, Waltham Forest Trades Council
Charlie van Gelderen
Eleanor Aitken, founder, UNIPAL
Chris Doyle
Janet Davies, Friends of Sabeel (personal capacity)
Ken Cameron Ex Gen Sec. FBU (personal capacity)
Carole Regan Ex President NUT (personal capacity)
Bernard Regan NUT Exec (personal capacity)
Nina Franklin  NUT Exec(personal capacity)
Simon Jones NUT Exec (personal capacity)
Dave Harvey  NUT Exec & Sec. Croydon NUT (personal capacity)
Kevin Courtney  Sec. Camden NUT (personal capacity)
Monica Brady  NUT

Nick Craske GMB
GMB (Holborn)
Simon de Ville (UNISON)
Dr. Hilda Kean,
Chair, Ruskin AUT (personal capacity)

Lina Jamoul  NUS Exec
Helen Salmon NUS Exec
Torie Hendrie,
SOAS Students Union Co-President (personal capacity)

Names are still being gathered, and if you would like to add your
organisation's or individual name to support the boycott campaign, please
contact PSC.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign -
We are an independent, non-party political organisation with members  from
many communities
*supporting the struggle of the Palestinian people  for
  freedom, self-determination, human rights, justice and peace
* campaigning against their oppression and dispossession
*working for an end to Israeli occupation, aggression and violations of UN
conventions and international law
*upholding  the refugees' right to return
*organising actions  * lobbying politicians * monitoring media
*spreading public awareness of Palestinian history, politics and culture
*promoting Palestinian civil society in the interests of
democracy and social justice
* opposing all racism and anti-semitism
Box BM PSA, London WC13XX       Tel  0207 700 6192
  psolidarity@...            www.palestinecampaign.org

#1493 From: Abe Hayeem <abe.hayeem@...>
Date: Mon Jul 2, 2001 3:26 pm
Subject: FW: MEMRI: Hamas Weekly: Syria and Heads of Lebanese Christian Forces Should be Tried for Sabra and Shatila before Sharon
abe.hayeem@...
Send Email Send Email
 
An interesting response to the Sharon Panorama programme.
Abe

----------
From: imra@...
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 18:15:08 -0400
To: imra@...
Subject: MEMRI: Hamas Weekly: Syria and Heads of Lebanese Christian Forces
Should be Tried for Sabra and Shatila before Sharon

MEMRI: Hamas Weekly: Syria and Heads of Lebanese Christian Forces Should be
Tried for Sabra and Shatila before Sharon

Special Dispatch - Palestinians
June 22, 2001
No. 232



Saleh Al-Na'ami, a senior political commentator for the
Hamas weekly, Al-Risala, related in its latest issue to the
BBC/Panorama program about Sharon.  Contrary to the
consensus in the Arab media, Al-Na'ami states that the
demand to prosecute Israeli PM Sharon as a war criminal is
hypocritical and that Syria and the heads of the Christian
Lebanese forces are the ones responsible for the massacre
at Sabra and Shatila. Following are excerpts from his
column:

"The documentary aired by the BBC's first channel has
provoked the interest of the entire world... Naturally,
many Arab intellectuals were enthusiastic about prosecuting
Sharon, and the BBC deserves full credit for its objective
handling of the issue..."

"However, with all honesty, there is a certain degree of
hypocrisy in the Arab coverage of the Sabra and Shatila
massacres!!!!! It is true that Sharon bears responsibility
for these massacres, but the people who committed these war
crimes with their own hands, were never tried."

"Moreover, Eli Hbeika who was head of security in the
Lebanese Forces when they committed these massacres and who
supervised the mass-killings and the rapes, boasted in the
[BBC] film itself that he was never, nor will he ever be
tried, and that he lives completely free. The same goes for
Fadi Afram, the commander of the Lebanese Forces, who had
an actual role in committing the massacres."

"We ask once again the question we have been asking always:
Who is protecting Eli Hbeika now, when nobody disputes his
responsibility for these massacres? The answer is:  The
Syrian government who rewarded him two years after the
massacre, by appointing him as a minister in the Lebanese
government. The Syrian rulers, and first and foremost
Bashar Al-Assad, should prove their commitment to the
Palestinian cause before they fill the air with their
slogans about it."

"Indeed, it is hypocritical to attack Sharon for his part
in the Sabra and Shatila massacre, without demanding from
Syria and from the Lebanese government to demonstrate
minimal commitment towards the Palestinian people and allow
the prosecution of the real war criminals - Hbeika and the
gang of lowlifes that surrounded him at the time."

"Israel has established an investigation committee headed
by a judge in order to investigate the Sabra and Shatila
massacres. This committee forced the Begin government to
fire Sharon from the Ministry of Defense. Israel has also
discharged many of its army commanders.  However, we have
not seen the Lebanese government doing [what Israel did]
even though one would expect them to do it."

"When such a committee was, finally, established by the
Lebanese government, it acquitted Hbeika of any
responsibility for committing the massacres and unloaded
all the responsibility on Israel, even though, the court
established that it was Hbeika's soldiers who committed the
massacres."

"As'ad Jamuswho headed the Lebanese investigation
committee, gave the strangest possible reasoning for his
committee's decision: He leveled the responsibility on
Israel because the Lebanese Forces were Israel's allies
when they committed the massacre!!"

"Syria, hence, has not only turned a blind eye to Hbeika's
responsibility for the massacre [when it appointed him a
minister], it has also turned a blind eye to the fact that
it was publicly declared [by the investigation committee]
that Hbeika served as an Israeli agent. Furthermore, in
1981, Israeli TV aired a report showing Hbeika, accompanied
by a group of Jews, visiting the Golan Heights and calling
upon Israel to keep the Golan Heights."

"In all honesty, the regime in Syria has not found any flaw
in its relations with Hbeika, despite his crimes against
Palestinians and Lebanese alike, because this regime has
lost the sensitivity to the lives of its own people."

"Someone who murdered tens of thousands in Hamma, cannot be
expected to find any flaw in the murder of two thousands
Palestinians by Hbeika."(1)

Endnote
(1) Al-Risala (PA), June 21, 2001.

************************
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an
independent, non-profit organization that translates and
analyzes the media of the Middle East.  Copies of articles
and documents cited, as well as background information, are
available on request.

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
E-Mail: memri@...
www.memri.org


--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il

For free regular subscription:
Subscribe at no charge: imra-subscribe@...
Unsubscribe:  imra-unsubscribe@...

For free daily digest subscription:
Subscribe at no charge: imra-digest-subscribe@...
Unsubscribe:  imra-digest-unsubscribe@...

For a copy of all reports distributed for a given day please send a
message to:

monday@... tuesday@... wednesday@...
thursday@... friday@...
saturday@... sunday@...

#1494 From: Tony Klug <tonyklug@...>
Date: Mon Jul 2, 2001 4:29 pm
Subject: LETTERS IN TODAY'S JC
tonyklug@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Message text written by INTERNET:JustPeaceUK@yahoogroups.com
>Dear Tony,

Your letter has certainly created a stir among JC readers - no less than
three lead letters this week attacking you and all saying the same thing!
At least they're not threatening you with annihilation, like the charming
Baruch from Jerusalem.  I shall definitely send a letter supporting you and
maybe they'll publish it this time....

Deborah <
--------------------------------
I have heard from a very reliable source that the JC published only
antagonistic letters last Friday because no supportive letters were
received. I have a strong impression they would welcome supportive letters
this week. I believe the deadline is normally Tuesday afternoon, unless
someone else knows better. Letters can be either posted to the JC, at 25
Furnival Street, London EC4A 1JT or faxed to 020-7405 9040 or e-mailed to:
<jconline@...>

Tony

#1495 From: "Ron Cohen" <rony@...>
Date: Mon Jul 2, 2001 5:33 pm
Subject: FW: ALEF: Fw: Police call for the indictment of MK Azmi Bishara
rony@...
Send Email Send Email
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-alef@... [mailto:owner-alef@...]On Behalf Of Nizar Sakhnini
Sent: 02 July 2001 11:13
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:@research.haifa.ac.il;
Subject: ALEF: Fw: Police call for the indictment of MK Azmi Bishara

 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2001 5:26 PM
Subject: Police call for the indictment of MK Azmi Bishara

Police call for the indictment of MK Azmi Bishara; Bishara responds: “those who promote war indict those who promote peace, The trial, which will quickly become international, will provide an opportunity to examine publicly the illegal Israeli occupation and the internationally guaranteed right of resistance to occupation"
 
Press Release
MK Azmi Bishara - National Democratic Assembly
July 1, 2001

Today, in an unprecedented move, the Israeli police recommended the indictment of Member of the Israeli Knesset Azmi Bishara.  The recommendation came after Bishara was interrogated by the police on Wednesday regarding a speech he delivered in Syria three and a half weeks ago.
 
The police concluded that MK Bishara had violated several sections of the penal code, including Section 99 (Treason and Assisting the Enemy); Section 114 (Contact with a Foreign Agent Affiliated with the Enemy); and Sections 134 and 136 (Sedition) as well as Sections 4a and 4g of the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance.
 
Following the interrogation, MK Bishara stated that “the investigation was political in nature and revolved around a political speech that I delivered.  From that one speech the police have recommended a six-part indictment.”  MK Bishara went on to say that the indictment against him was a political decision which was made in October 2000 in consultation with the General Security Services (Shabak) at the beginning of the current Intifada.
 
According to MK Bishara, the launch of the investigation and its conclusions were based on “fabrications and purposeful distortions of my speech.”  However MK Bishara sees any upcoming trial as an opportunity to “teach the anti-democratic elements in Israel a lesson in the basic tenets of liberal democracy.  The trial, which will quickly become international, will provide an opportunity to examine publicly the illegal Israeli occupation and the internationally guaranteed right of resistance to occupation as well as the right to freedom of expression. Rather than protecting these rights, the police and members of the political establishment condone death threats against those who exercise them.”
 
MK Bishara concluded that “while it is permissible in Israel to call for ‘Death to the Arabs’ and ‘Death to Azmi Bishara,’ those who support the right of resistance to occupation and call for peace based on historical compromises are indicted.  In other words, those who promote war indict those who promote peace.”
 

MK Azmi Bishara
Nazareth Office:
Tel 972-4-6457457
Fax 972-4-6457458
Jerusalem Office:
Tel 972-2-6753101
Fax 972-2-6753182
abishara@...
 

We apologize for multiple listings.
 

Those wishing to join Balad's email list please send an email to info@..., stating SUBSCRIBE. If you feel that you have been included on this list in error and would like to be removed, please send us a reply email stating UNSUBSCRIBE. If you received more than one copy of this message, please write to us noting all your e-mail addresses and specify the e-mail address where you would prefer to receive our mail.
 
 


Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.263 / Virus Database: 135 - Release Date: 22/06/2001


Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.263 / Virus Database: 135 - Release Date: 22/06/2001


#1496 From: "Ron Cohen" <rony@...>
Date: Mon Jul 2, 2001 5:33 pm
Subject: RE: FW: MEMRI: Hamas Weekly: Syria and Heads of Lebanese Christian Forces Should be Tried for Sabra and Shatila before Sharon
rony@...
Send Email Send Email
 
funny. the ally and the supporter of Hamas, the Hizzbula,
were in the same coalition with Hbeika in the last Lebanese election...

_rony

-----Original Message-----
From: Abe Hayeem [mailto:abe.hayeem@...]
Sent: 02 July 2001 16:27
To: Just Peace UK
Subject: [JustPeaceUK] FW: MEMRI: Hamas Weekly: Syria and Heads of
Lebanese Christian Forces Should be Tried for Sabra and Shatila before
Sharon


An interesting response to the Sharon Panorama programme.
Abe

----------
From: imra@...
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 18:15:08 -0400
To: imra@...
Subject: MEMRI: Hamas Weekly: Syria and Heads of Lebanese Christian Forces
Should be Tried for Sabra and Shatila before Sharon

MEMRI: Hamas Weekly: Syria and Heads of Lebanese Christian Forces Should be
Tried for Sabra and Shatila before Sharon

Special Dispatch - Palestinians
June 22, 2001
No. 232



Saleh Al-Na'ami, a senior political commentator for the
Hamas weekly, Al-Risala, related in its latest issue to the
BBC/Panorama program about Sharon.  Contrary to the
consensus in the Arab media, Al-Na'ami states that the
demand to prosecute Israeli PM Sharon as a war criminal is
hypocritical and that Syria and the heads of the Christian
Lebanese forces are the ones responsible for the massacre
at Sabra and Shatila. Following are excerpts from his
column:

"The documentary aired by the BBC's first channel has
provoked the interest of the entire world... Naturally,
many Arab intellectuals were enthusiastic about prosecuting
Sharon, and the BBC deserves full credit for its objective
handling of the issue..."

"However, with all honesty, there is a certain degree of
hypocrisy in the Arab coverage of the Sabra and Shatila
massacres!!!!! It is true that Sharon bears responsibility
for these massacres, but the people who committed these war
crimes with their own hands, were never tried."

"Moreover, Eli Hbeika who was head of security in the
Lebanese Forces when they committed these massacres and who
supervised the mass-killings and the rapes, boasted in the
[BBC] film itself that he was never, nor will he ever be
tried, and that he lives completely free. The same goes for
Fadi Afram, the commander of the Lebanese Forces, who had
an actual role in committing the massacres."

"We ask once again the question we have been asking always:
Who is protecting Eli Hbeika now, when nobody disputes his
responsibility for these massacres? The answer is:  The
Syrian government who rewarded him two years after the
massacre, by appointing him as a minister in the Lebanese
government. The Syrian rulers, and first and foremost
Bashar Al-Assad, should prove their commitment to the
Palestinian cause before they fill the air with their
slogans about it."

"Indeed, it is hypocritical to attack Sharon for his part
in the Sabra and Shatila massacre, without demanding from
Syria and from the Lebanese government to demonstrate
minimal commitment towards the Palestinian people and allow
the prosecution of the real war criminals - Hbeika and the
gang of lowlifes that surrounded him at the time."

"Israel has established an investigation committee headed
by a judge in order to investigate the Sabra and Shatila
massacres. This committee forced the Begin government to
fire Sharon from the Ministry of Defense. Israel has also
discharged many of its army commanders.  However, we have
not seen the Lebanese government doing [what Israel did]
even though one would expect them to do it."

"When such a committee was, finally, established by the
Lebanese government, it acquitted Hbeika of any
responsibility for committing the massacres and unloaded
all the responsibility on Israel, even though, the court
established that it was Hbeika's soldiers who committed the
massacres."

"As'ad Jamuswho headed the Lebanese investigation
committee, gave the strangest possible reasoning for his
committee's decision: He leveled the responsibility on
Israel because the Lebanese Forces were Israel's allies
when they committed the massacre!!"

"Syria, hence, has not only turned a blind eye to Hbeika's
responsibility for the massacre [when it appointed him a
minister], it has also turned a blind eye to the fact that
it was publicly declared [by the investigation committee]
that Hbeika served as an Israeli agent. Furthermore, in
1981, Israeli TV aired a report showing Hbeika, accompanied
by a group of Jews, visiting the Golan Heights and calling
upon Israel to keep the Golan Heights."

"In all honesty, the regime in Syria has not found any flaw
in its relations with Hbeika, despite his crimes against
Palestinians and Lebanese alike, because this regime has
lost the sensitivity to the lives of its own people."

"Someone who murdered tens of thousands in Hamma, cannot be
expected to find any flaw in the murder of two thousands
Palestinians by Hbeika."(1)

Endnote
(1) Al-Risala (PA), June 21, 2001.

************************
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an
independent, non-profit organization that translates and
analyzes the media of the Middle East.  Copies of articles
and documents cited, as well as background information, are
available on request.

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
E-Mail: memri@...
www.memri.org


--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il

For free regular subscription:
Subscribe at no charge: imra-subscribe@...
Unsubscribe:  imra-unsubscribe@...

For free daily digest subscription:
Subscribe at no charge: imra-digest-subscribe@...
Unsubscribe:  imra-digest-unsubscribe@...

For a copy of all reports distributed for a given day please send a
message to:

monday@... tuesday@... wednesday@...
thursday@... friday@...
saturday@... sunday@...



To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com

If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites you
are more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group for
those who carry out the actual work).



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/




---
Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.263 / Virus Database: 135 - Release Date: 22/06/2001

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.263 / Virus Database: 135 - Release Date: 22/06/2001

#1497 From: "Ron Cohen" <rony@...>
Date: Mon Jul 2, 2001 6:23 pm
Subject: some new historical facts to consider
rony@...
Send Email Send Email
 
>A compilation of statements from actual grade school papers:
>
>1. Ancient Egypt was inhabited by mummies and they all wrote in
>Hydraulics. They lived in the Sarah Dessert and the climate of
>the Sarah is such that the inhabitants have to live elsewhere.
>
>2. Moses led the Hebrew slaves to the Red sea, where they made
>unleavened bread which is bread made without any ingredients.
>Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten commandments. He
>died before he ever reached Canada.
>
>3. Solomon had three hundred wives and seven hundred porcupines.
>
>4. The Greeks were a highly sculptured people, and without them
>we wouldn't have history. The Greeks also had Myths. A Myth is a
>female moth.
>
>5. Actually, Homer was not written by Homer but by another man of
>that name.
>
>6. Socrates was a famous Greek teacher who went around giving
>people advice. They killed him. Socrates died from an overdose of
>wedlock. After his death his career suffered a dramatic decline.
>
>7. Eventually the Romans conquered the Greeks. History calls
>people Romans because they never stayed in one place for long.
>
>8. Julius Caesar extinguished himself on the battlefields of
>Gaul. The ides of March murdered him because they thought he was
>going to be made King. Dying, he gasped out: 'Tee hee, Brutus.'
>
>9. Joan of Arc was burnt to a steak and was canonized by Bernard
>Shaw. Finally Magna Carta provided that no man should be hanged
>twice for the same offense.
>
>10. Another story was William Tell who shot an arrow through an
>apple while standing on his sons head.
>
>11. Queen Elizabeth was the 'Virgin Queen.' As a Queen she was a
>great success. When she exposed herself before her troops they
>all shouted 'hurrah.'
>
>12. It was an age of great inventions and discoveries. Gutenberg
>invented removable type and the Bible. Another important
>invention was the circulation of blood. Sir Walter Raleigh is a
>historical figure because he invented cigarettes and started
>smoking. Sir Francis Drake circumsized the world with a 100 foot
>clipper.
>
>13. The greatest writer of the Renaissance was William
>Shakespeare. He was born in the year 1564, supposedly on his
>birthday. He never made much money and is famous only because of
>his plays. He wrote tragedies, comedies, and hysterectomies, all
>in Islamic pentameter. Romeo and Juliet are an example of heroic
>couplet. Romeo's last wish was to be laid by Juliet.
>
>14. Writing at the same time as Shakespeare was Miguel Cervantes.
>He wrote Donkey Hote. The next great author was John Milton.
>Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Then his wife died and he wrote
>Paradise Regained.
>
>15. One of the causes of the Revolutionary War was the English
>put tacks in their tea. Also the colonists would send their
>parcels through the post without stamps. Finally the colonists
>won the war and no longer had to pay for taxis. Delegates from
>the original 13 states formed the contented congress. Thomas
>Jefferson, a virgin, and Benjamin Franklin were two singers of
>the declaration of independence. Franklin discovered electricity
>by rubbing two cats backwards and declared, 'A horse divided
>against itself cannot stand.' Franklin died in 1790 and is still
>dead.
>
>16. Johann Bach wrote a great many musical compositions and had a
>large number of children. In between he practiced on an old
>spinster which he kept up in his attic. Bach died from 1750 to
>the present. Bach was the most famous composer in the world and
>so was Handel. Handel was half German and Half Italian and half
>English. He was very large.
>
>17. Beethoven wrote music even though he was deaf. He was so deaf
>he wroteloud music. He took long walks in the forest even when
>everyone was calling for him. Beethoven expired in 1827 and later
>died from this.
>
>18. The ninteenth century was a time of a great many thoughts and
>inventions. People stopped reproducing by hand and started
>reproducing by machine. The invention of the steam boat caused a
>network of rivers to spring up. Cyrus McCormick invented the
>McCormick raper, which did the work of a hundred men.
>
>19. Louis Paster discovered a cure for rabbis. Charles Darwin was
>a naturalist who wrote the organ of the species. Madam Curie
>discovered radio. And Karl Marx became one of the Marx Brothers.
>
>20. The first world war, caused by the assignation of the Arch-
>Duck by an anahist, ushered in a new error in the anals of human
>history.



---
Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.263 / Virus Database: 135 - Release Date: 22/06/2001

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.263 / Virus Database: 135 - Release Date: 22/06/2001

#1498 From: PeaceNowUK@...
Date: Mon Jul 2, 2001 2:29 pm
Subject: Fwd: AMERICANS FOR PEACE NOW: MIDDLE EAST PEACE REPORT VOL. 3, ISSUE 1 ...
PeaceNowUK@...
Send Email Send Email
 

 
Americans for Peace Now: Middle East Peace Report
Vol. 3, Issue 1
July 2, 2001
 
Israeli Army Says 60 Settlement Outposts Illegal: According to the Israel Defense Force and the Defense Minister’s adviser on settlements, no fewer than 66 isolated settlement outposts are scattered throughout the West Bank, of which 60 are illegal for a variety of reasons and 24 were established since the Intifada began in October 2000.  Of these 66, Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer wants 15 removed for security reasons only.  That decision is backed by Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz and his deputy, Moshe Ya’alon.  While the Defense Minister has instructed the military to talk with settler representatives for them to conduct the evacuation, the IDF is instructed to evacuate the outposts if the settlers won’t do it themselves.  Only 19 of the outposts are directly protected by the IDF at the present time.  Another 12 are protected by armed civilians, meaning that 35 outposts have no protection, exposed to shooting attacks or landmines.  The defense establishment says that if the government were to order the army to provide security for all those outposts, there would be no choice but to move troops currently guarding the roads of the West Bank or along the seam of the old border on the Green Line.  The army says that redeploying the troops to protect these isolated outposts would be a waste of military resources.  The U.S. regards these emplacements as entities that are in violation of the Mitchell Committee recommendations.  Furthermore, those outposts established after the national unity government took office violate the government guidelines that said no new settlements would be started in the territories.  There are many reasons why the outposts can be considered illegal under Israeli law.  Some are illegal because they did not receive government approval or an authorization from the Defense Minister.  Others are on private land and the owners are challenging the settlers’ presence in court.  Others violate previously prepared zoning maps.  The legal adviser to the Central Command determined that 21 of the 66 are absolutely illegal.  Another 29 are illegal for planning reasons, while a further 10 are considered semi-legal.  Some of the settlements are nothing more than a mobile home and a generator on a hilltop, but there are others that have grown to more than two dozen mobile homes, synagogues, water towers, and lighting systems, and have essentially become the mechanism by which settlements expand beyond their original plans.  Settler leaders vowed not to allow the army to evict them from the outposts, and hard-line members of the Cabinet questioned the Defense Minister’s authority to order the removal of the sites.  However, Labor faction chairman Effi Oshaya announced that the Labor Party would consider leaving the coalition over the issue.  (Ha’aretz, 6/29/01 & Jerusalem Post, 6/27 & 29/01)
 
Settler Rabbi Investigated For Incitement, Ze’evi Chimes In: Israeli police opened a criminal investigation against militant West Bank Rabbi Yitzhak Ginsberg on suspicion of inciting to racism and revolt by praising settler Baruch Goldstein’s massacre of 29 Arabs in Hebron in 1994 and calling for the army to demolish Palestinian houses with their residents inside.  Two attorneys initiated the step by asking the High Court to order the probe following interviews that Rabbi Ginsberg gave to the newspapers Kol Hazman in October 2000 and Ma’ariv in January 2001.  In one of his interviews, Ginsberg allegedly said of Goldstein, “He was completely sane.  So sane that he was able to overcome the fear of Arabs and to act for the Israeli nation and devoting oneself to God.”    In an answer to an interviewer’s question, Ginsberg said that it was possible “to remove (the Palestinian village) Beit Jalla…we need to bomb all the places that have clashes or gunfire…if they are firing from inside a home, that home should be demolished in order to complete the whole business.  There is no need for tanks and small arms.  That is nothing and will only provoke the Arabs to continue making a laughingstock of us.”  Rabbi Ginsberg is among the authors of the book, Baruch the Hero, praising the U.S.-born Goldstein.  In related news, Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi referred to Palestinians working and living illegally in Israel as “lice” and a “cancer.”  Speaking on Israel Army Radio, Ze’evi said about 180,000 Palestinians were living in Israel illegally.  “They arrived here and are trying to become citizens because they want social security and welfare payments.  We should get rid of the ones who are not Israeli citizens the same way you get rid of lice.  We have to stop this cancer from spreading within us.”  (Ha’aretz, 6/27/01 & AP, 7/2/01)
 
Settler Rage, Part I: Jane’s Intelligence Digest notes that it has emphasized in the past that the key problem facing Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat is his apparent inability to confront and control militants opposed to the basic principle of a peace deal with Israel.  However, it says that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon may face an additional security problem in the form of Israeli settlers, some of whom appear to be making their own “security arrangements.”  For some time now, there has been mounting evidence that certain groups of Israeli settlers in the West Bank and Gaza have been carrying out organized attacks on Palestinians.  These actions appear to have recently taken on the characteristic of cell-based violence.  Jane’s predicts that these vigilante operations are likely to escalate as the Israeli government attempts to avoid large-scale confrontation with the Palestinians, while the right-wing movement behind the settlers becomes frustrated in its desire for a tough military response.  (Jane’s Intelligence Digest, 6/29/01)
 
Settler Rage, Part II: Ha’aretz Weekend Magazine reports that settler vigilante action is already taking place.  The most recent report from the Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem, presents a distressing picture of silent partnership on the part of Israeli soldiers and police.  B’Tselem blames the army in particular for not having been prepared in advance and for not being sufficiently tough in preventing “acts of vengeance” by settlers.  In a number of cases, the army did not allow ambulances or firefighters to enter Arab villages so as not to provoke the settlers, and made an effort to block Palestinians who went out to defend their villages, instead of taking tough measures to force the settlers to leave.  There have also been cases of active participation by soldiers and police in violence against Palestinians, says the group.  Copious testimony gathered by B’Tselem indicates that since the beginning of the current Intifada, an especially troubling pattern of attacks by settlers on Arab villages has developed: Usually they choose to go on the rampage in villages in territory under Israeli control, which are under curfew.  In Hawara, settlers rampaged during the months of October and November, under cover of 37 days of curfew.  The routine goes like this: They drive up in vehicles, branding their weapons, choose isolated houses or fields, express their anger and flee.  The claims that soldiers watch the violence and do not intervene, or react belatedly, come up repeatedly.  At Biddya, for example, in October, one resident documented the fact that settlers from the area of Ariel began to burn cars, throw stones at houses and shoot at solar water heaters, but fled immediately when the inhabitants of the village were alerted over the loudspeaker.  (Ha’aretz Weekend Magazine, 6/29/01)
 
Settler Rage, Part III: The magazine provides several illustrations of settler attacks.  For example, Nadia Naif al-Fuqha of the village of Sinjil described sitting at her breakfast table one morning when two stones landed on it and more started shattering the windows.  “I ran into the other room and peeked out the window,” she said.  “A mob of settlers were gathered at the crossroads burning tires.  Some of them were throwing stones at the neighbors’ house and others were running through the fields trying to set them on fire.  All we want is to live quietly.  Every evening from 7 o’clock we are under house arrest, we don’t dare open the windows.  Sometimes they come at night and knock on the door.  We hear them speaking Hebrew, and what can we do?  We pretend to be asleep.”  Her neighbor was sitting in her yard when someone from across the way warned her of the approaching settlers.  “I ran into the house and locked the door,” she related.  “I rushed to the window and saw them pouring kerosene on the adjoining field.  What could I do?  I was afraid for my children…For about three hours the army and the settlers surrounded the house.  Some of the neighbors tried to run into the fields to put out the fire, but the soldiers did not let them get near it before the settlers left.”  (Ha’aretz Weekend Magazine, 6/29/01)
 
U.S. Aid To Israel: According to the Israeli press, President George W. Bush told Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that the special $800 million aid package that Israel had expected from the U.S. is frozen “for now.”  Sources in Washington said that the Bush Administration does not plan to approve the package in the next two years.  Former President Bill Clinton had promised the funding, mostly to cover the costs of Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon.  It was to be spread out over two fiscal years, with $450 million scheduled for the current fiscal year that ends in October and $350 million to be paid next year.  Sharon said he explained Israel’s “major needs” arising from the Lebanon withdrawal and threats from Iran and Iraq, as well as from defending the Green Line.  The Prime Minister also met AIPAC leaders to discuss the issue, and they told him that the Administration lacks the “political will” to approve the package after promising not to increase the federal budget.  (Globes, 6/27/01)
 
Intifada Impacts Health Of Palestinian Kids: According to unpublished estimates from officials with the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the infant mortality rate in the Gaza Strip has doubled to 40 deaths per 1,000 live births since September.  At Gaza’s Ard al Insan clinic, a specialized childcare facility established 17 years ago, there was a 71% overall rise in the number of malnourished children and a 76% increase in the number of malnourished infants during the first three months of this year, compared to the same period in 2000.  The number of severely malnourished infants grew by 130%, or a total of 136 cases during the three-month period.  The problem, said Pierre Poupard, head of UNICEF’s operations in Gaza City, does not seem widespread.  Rather, he said, it appears concentrated in pockets of the West Bank and Gaza where medical teams cannot go because of roadblocks.  The problem is also concentrated among the poorest Arabs.  Gaza residents are also more likely to suffer from health problems compared to their counterparts in the West Bank.  This is attributed, in part, to their traditionally poorer living standards and fewer opportunities to find work in the sandy, densely populated enclave, one of the world’s most crowded communities.  Israeli officials insist that the health-care situation for children is not as bad as the Palestinians claim.  “We know that people have difficulties, but we also know that nobody is starving.  We have intelligence.  We check it every day,” said Yorum Barak, spokesman for the Israeli office that coordinates relations with Palestinians in Gaza.  “They have all the food and medicine.  Their only problem is sharing it and giving it to people,” adding that Israel has made sure such supplies get through its roadblocks for humanitarian reasons.  Within Gaza, however, unemployed Palestinians say they cannot afford to buy food or medicine.  The UN refugee program that cares for about two-thirds of the more than one million people in Gaza is providing emergency food supplies and free medicine to families, but its services are only available to refugees.  (Chicago Tribune, 6/28/01)
 
Israel Renews Import Permits For Arab Countries With Cool Relations: The Israeli Ministry of Industry and Trade is renewing import permits for Arab countries that have cooled their relations with Israel.  Two months ago, the Ministry had rejected requests from importers for permits to bring in products from Arab countries, as part of Israel’s counter-sanctions against those states.  Now, the Ministry has decided to allow importers to import goods from Qatar, Oman, and Mauritania.  The Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce considers the renewal of permits to be an important step, even though it has more diplomatic than economic significance, given the low volume of imports from these countries.  Meanwhile, Tower Records has added Israel to the list of countries that its website will not deliver to because of the volatile security situation.  Israeli customers who had placed orders through the site in recent weeks recently received letters from the company informing them that their orders had been cancelled.  Israel joins Iran, Iraq, Croatia, Russia, and Romania on Tower Records’ delivery blacklist.  Finally, despite the security situation, 1,634 Jordanian workers went back and forth between Jordan and Israel in May.  According to Israeli data, all of these border crossings took place at the Arava crossing point, indicating that the workers were headed to, or returning from, jobs in the Eilat area.  (Globes, 6/28/01 & Ha’aretz, 6/27-28/01)
 
Tourism Crisis Deepens: The Israeli Tourism Ministry and Central Bureau of Statistics reported that there were 112,000 visitor entries to Israel in May, a 60% plunge compared with May 2000.  There were 109,600 incoming tourists, representing a 57% drop, and 2,400 cruise passengers in May, 92% fewer than the same time last year.  There has been a 52% falloff in visitor entries to Israel for the first five months of 2001.  Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi said, “The government does not seem to understand that the tourism fall will drag down the whole Israeli economy with it in a domino effect.  When you close down a hotel, you close down the cleaners that work for the hotel, the florist that sends flowers to the hotel, and you close down the taxi stations that get their living from the hotel.”  He also warned that the effect on potential tourism is not just short-term.  “People will cancel their trips to Israel not just next week, and next month, but for next year and the year after,” he said.  (Jerusalem Post & Globes, 6/27/01)
 
Jordanian Public Opposes Smart Sanctions On Iraq: According to a new opinion poll from the Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan, an overwhelming majority of Jordanian opinion leaders (94.2%) and members of the public (83.3%) agree with the Jordanian government’s rejection of the proposal for smart sanctions on Iraq.  CSS defined “opinion leaders” as businessmen, political party and union leaders, professionals, artists, writers, journalists, academics, and officials.  The survey also found that whereas six months ago 82.2% of the public were very satisfied with Jordanian support for the Palestinian Intifada, today only 43.7% are pleased with the government’s performance in this area.  Asked whether they approved of the government’s handling of the Ghosheh case—in which former Hamas spokesperson Ibrahim Ghosheh returned from exile in Qatar on a Qatari airliner and created a two week standoff over whether or not he should be allowed into the country—32.9% backed the government’s performance, 27.7% disagreed with it, and 37.4% didn’t know.  At the same time, 52.8% of the public and 73.2% of opinion leaders were against Qatar’s decision to allow Ghosheh to fly back to Amman without previous coordination with Jordan.  Mustafa Hamarneh, CSS Director, said the results show, “from the answers to the questions on Ghosheh, it is very clear that Hamas may have overrated their popularity in the country.”  At the same time, the survey indicates, “the general public is totally against smart sanctions, and implementing them in Jordan would be difficult,” he said.  (Jordan Times, 7/2/01)
 
Nepalese Contingent Leaves South Lebanon: The Nepalese contingent serving in UNIFIL bid farewell to southern Lebanon with a parade in its main base in Hinniyeh, southeast of Tyre.  The contingent, which has served non-stop since the UN force was deployed in the region in 1978, is scheduled to leave Lebanon within four weeks as part of a plan to cut UNIFIL’s size from 5,400 troops to 3,000 troops by the end of the year.  The Nepalese soldiers suffered 25 deaths during their 23-year service, some from car accidents and others as a result of violence in the area.  (DPA, 6/28/01)
 
Iran Attracting Saudi, British Partners: Saudi Arabia and Iran signed an agreement to found a joint Saudi-Iranian bank with Bahrain as a headquarters and branches in other countries and free zones in Iran.  The executive director of the Iranian commercial bank Ali Meilani said that his institution is in charge of coordination for the Iranian side, while the Saudi side is coordinated by Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz.  He explained that several financial and banking institutions in Saudi Arabia are contributing to starting the bank.  Meanwhile, MG Rover, the British carmaker, is negotiating to produce its Rover series in a remote, poverty-stricken corner of Iran where security forces are locked in a war against drug-traffickers on route from Afghanistan to Europe.  The talks are said to be in an advanced stage with Dastan, a privately owned company in Sistan Baluchestan, Iran’s poorest and wildest province.  The assembly plant would be sited in Chah Bahar, a port on the Oman Sea and one of Iran’s three free-trade zones offering incentives to foreign investors.  Russ Thomas, business development manager, said the project would be Iranian-funded and on a supplier-to-customer basis, not a joint venture.  In a related deal, First Automotive is negotiating with Dastan to sell the Rover 100 production line, which it bought from BMW before the German carmaker sold MG Rover a year ago.  With a population of over 60 million, Iran is positioning itself to become the largest carmaker in the region.  (Arabicnews.com, 6/28/01 & Financial Times, 6/29/01)
 
Qatar and Israel: The Lebanese daily al-Mustaqbal reported that a high ranking Jordanian official unveiled continued contacts between Qatar and Israel, noting that this is a violation of the decision of the Arab Follow Up Committee to halt political contacts with Israel.  The Jordanian official said that Qatar’s Foreign Minister Hamad Bin Jaber al-Thani secretly visited Israel a few weeks ago and held talks with Israeli officials.  The Jordanian added that the former coordinator of Israeli affairs in Lebanon, Ori Lubrani, recently paid a secret visit to Doha during which he discussed revitalizing the activities of the Israeli liaison office there.  Over the weekend, a criminal court in Kuwait sentenced a Kuwaiti man to ten years in jail for plotting to bomb Israel’s trade office in Qatar with explosives he had hidden in the desert. (Arabicnews.com, 6/26/01 & AP, 6/30/01)
 
Ben-Eliezer Praises Egyptian Cease-Fire As A Strategic Asset: Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer met with Arthur Hughes, Director-General of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), and emphasized that the MFO unit in the Sinai peninsula is an important factor in regional relations, adding that, “It must continue to carry out its good work.”  The MFO is an international peacekeeping operation established to monitor the Sinai as part of the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.  Ben-Eliezer said the peace agreement with Egypt is a strategic asset for both Israel and the entire region, adding with satisfaction that Israel and Egypt agreed on the continued need for the Sinai MFO.  Eleven nations contribute soldiers and civilian observers to the MFO, with the U.S. supplying half of the force’s 1,900 military personnel.  The Americans, together with about 350 soldiers each from Colombia and Fiji, perform the operation’s main military functions by manning the remote observation sites.  In related news, according to the Arabic daily Al-Shark al-Awsat, Egypt promised Israel it would discuss dispatching a new ambassador to Tel Aviv if Israel lifts the closure on the Palestinian Authority and IDF troops withdraw to the positions they held before the outbreak of the current Intifada.  There has not been an Egyptian Ambassador in Israel since November 2000.  Last month, Cairo approved the appointment of Gideon Ben Ami as the new Israeli Ambassador to Egypt.  (Jerusalem Post, 6/26/01 & Ha’aretz, 6/27/01)
 
Seeds Return To Camp: Growing up, Palestinian-born Jawad Issa was taught to hate Israelis.  Then they became his bunkmates.  This summer, 18-year-old Issa is spending time at Seeds of Peace, a camp located deep in the Maine woods, in hopes of helping other kids from warring nations find common ground.  “I’ve had two friends die,” said Issa, who attended two previous sessions and returned this year as a staffer ready to share his experiences.  “We’re trying to do something here that nobody else does, and people believe in it,” said Tim Wilson, the camp’s director.  “Lots of kids may not like each other but they’ll learn to respect each other.”  Due to increased tension in the Middle East, state troopers will be bunking down in a cabin for the first time, bolstering the camp’s 24-hour security.  In addition, troopers are stationed at the facility’s entrances.  At the wooded camp, the boys and girls ranging from 14 to 17 years old will spend nearly four weeks living together, playing sports and discussing the issues that divide them.  The goal is for teenagers who are born enemies to get to know each other as humans on neutral ground away from the conflicts in the hope that they will bring their new attitudes back to their communities.  The Palestinians declined to send a delegation because of the increased tension this year, but teens from 16 countries, including Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco, are participating.  In addition, for the first time, the program will include teenagers from India and Pakistan, as well as participants from eight countries in the Balkans, teens from northern and southern Cyprus, and Portland’s refugee community.  (AP, 6/26/01)
 
 
Lewis Roth, Assistant Executive Director
Americans for Peace Now
1815 H Street, NW  Ste. 920
Washington, D.C.  20006
Phone  (202) 728-1893
Fax      (202) 728-1895
http://www.peacenow.org

#1499 From: PAUL EISEN <dyr@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 7:45 am
Subject: Re: LETTER TO JC
dyr@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Dear Deborah

Your statement that in 1967 Israel was "indeed fighting for it's
existence" is not proven and in fact is questionable. If you want
evidence for this opinion I'd be happy to try to supply it.

Paul



In message <01ADDA8BC85ED2118FDD00805F8B77180439FD29@...
.uk>, Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...> writes
>Dear Tony,
>
>Many thanks for your emails. I have revised my letter in the light of your
>suggestions and think it is now a lot stronger.  Here is the new version.  I
>think maybe you too should reply this week, but am not sure.  What do others
>think?
>
>Deborah
>
>
>Dear Sir,
>
>Your three correspondents (JC Letters June 29th) who write in criticism of
>Tony Klug (JC Letters July 22nd) all say more or less the same thing.  Their
>argument amounts to this: Israeli Jews were in danger of being exterminated
>by the Palestinians and the Arab nations in 1967, and, by implication, are
>still in danger of extermination - and this justifies all the inhumane
>behaviour towards the Palestinians which Dr Klug lists: the destruction of
>houses and orchards; the routine humiliation, the use of excessive force,
>the assassinations, the punitive closures.
>
>At a time of crisis, clear and realistic thinking is required, not blind
>panic.  Your correspondents equate the present time with the situation in
>1967, when Israel was indeed fighting for its existence.  But we are 34
>years on now from 1967.  Israel is now a strong power which should have the
>confidence and maturity to leave behind the justified fears of its early
>years and to behave with imagination and justice towards the weak people
>which it has displaced and occupied.  In the course of those 34 years,
>Israel has also built up with neighbouring Arab countries peaceful relations
>which, as a result of Israeli paranoia, are now in danger of unravelling and
>indeed taking the clock back to 1967.
>
>These three letter simply bear out Dr Klug's point about "double standards,
>moral perverseness and psychological blindness".
>
>Yours faithfully,
>
>
>Deborah Maccoby
>
>
>This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
>it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
>the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
>this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
>BBC, unless specifically stated.
>
>To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>
>If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites you are
>more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group for those
who
>carry out the actual work).
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

--
PAUL EISEN

#1500 From: Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 9:58 am
Subject: RE: LETTER TO JC
deborah.maccoby@...
Send Email Send Email
 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: PAUL EISEN [SMTP:dyr@...]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2001 8:46 AM
> To: JustPeaceUK@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [JustPeaceUK] LETTER TO JC
>
> Dear Paul,
>
> In "The Iron Wall", Avi Shlaim writes: "The Six-Day War was a defensive
> war.  It was launched by Israel to safeguard its security, not to expand
> its territory." (Page 242 in the paperback edition)  It's true that Shlaim
> also says that Israel was in a strong position and the Arab nations were
> weak.  But even so it was still possible that Israel might have lost the
> war, which would have surely been a disaster for the country, as it would
> have been in 1948.
>
> Deborah
>
> Dear Deborah
>
> Your statement that in 1967 Israel was "indeed fighting for it's
> existence" is not proven and in fact is questionable. If you want
> evidence for this opinion I'd be happy to try to supply it.
>
> Paul
>
>
>
> In message <01ADDA8BC85ED2118FDD00805F8B77180439FD29@...
> .uk>, Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...> writes
> >Dear Tony,
> >
> >Many thanks for your emails. I have revised my letter in the light of
> your
> >suggestions and think it is now a lot stronger.  Here is the new version.
> I
> >think maybe you too should reply this week, but am not sure.  What do
> others
> >think?
> >
> >Deborah
> >
> >
> >Dear Sir,
> >
> >Your three correspondents (JC Letters June 29th) who write in criticism
> of
> >Tony Klug (JC Letters July 22nd) all say more or less the same thing.
> Their
> >argument amounts to this: Israeli Jews were in danger of being
> exterminated
> >by the Palestinians and the Arab nations in 1967, and, by implication,
> are
> >still in danger of extermination - and this justifies all the inhumane
> >behaviour towards the Palestinians which Dr Klug lists: the destruction
> of
> >houses and orchards; the routine humiliation, the use of excessive force,
> >the assassinations, the punitive closures.
> >
> >At a time of crisis, clear and realistic thinking is required, not blind
> >panic.  Your correspondents equate the present time with the situation in
> >1967, when Israel was indeed fighting for its existence.  But we are 34
> >years on now from 1967.  Israel is now a strong power which should have
> the
> >confidence and maturity to leave behind the justified fears of its early
> >years and to behave with imagination and justice towards the weak people
> >which it has displaced and occupied.  In the course of those 34 years,
> >Israel has also built up with neighbouring Arab countries peaceful
> relations
> >which, as a result of Israeli paranoia, are now in danger of unravelling
> and
> >indeed taking the clock back to 1967.
> >
> >These three letter simply bear out Dr Klug's point about "double
> standards,
> >moral perverseness and psychological blindness".
> >
> >Yours faithfully,
> >
> >
> >Deborah Maccoby
> >
> >
> >This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
> >it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
> >the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
> >this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
> >BBC, unless specifically stated.
> >
> >To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> >JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
> >
> >If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites
> you are
> >more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group for
> those who
> >carry out the actual work).
> >
> >
> >
> >Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
> >
> >
>
> --
> PAUL EISEN
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>
> If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites
> you are more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group
> for those who carry out the actual work).
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>


This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
BBC, unless specifically stated.

#1501 From: "henia Goldberg" <heniagoldberg@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 10:09 am
Subject: Fwd: junity
heniagoldberg@...
Send Email Send Email
 
>From: "Univ.-Doz. Dr. John Bunzl" <jbunzl@...>
>To: <paulafayssal@...>
>CC: <melvyn@...>, <norli@...>,
><hadass.golandsky@...>, <aliska10@...>,
><danielseller@...>, <levy.gabriel@...>,
><heniagoldberg@...>
>Subject: junity
>Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2001 11:43:03 +0200
>
>  <<junity.htm>>

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
WHO WE ARE

Organizers—   —Advisors—   —Contact Us—


The following "Frequently Asked Questions" document is offered by the Junity Organizing Committee to help you better understand what Junity is and what it hopes to achieve.  We will be updating this information from time to time.  If you have any questions or comments, please send us a note.

  1. What is Junity?
    Jewish Unity for a Just Peace is an international gathering of grassroots Jewish activists who support a just, viable and lasting peace based on the principles of international law, requiring a complete end to Israel's Occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. 

  2. Why is Junity focused on ending the Occupation?
    Until the complete end of the Occupation, no permanent solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is possible.  Through the Occupation, Israel has confiscated Palestinian land, demolished Palestinian homes, imposed closures, harassed Palestinian civilians at checkpoints, built Jewish-only bypass roads and settlements, and interfered with Palestinian trade, commerce, education, family unification, and religious worship.  Because of the strategic location of its settlements and military installations, Israel will be able to continue its matrix of control over the lives of Palestinians even if it retains only a small portion of the occupied territories.  Thus, continuing the Occupation will only lead to continued friction and hostility.  Ending the Occupation is critical to ending the violence from both sides.

  3. Why are Jews, including American Jews, forming Junity?
    We are coming together in order to explore ways to coordinate the efforts of the many Jewish organizations working for a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.  We are motivated to do this work because of our rich Jewish culture and heritage, which inspires us to speak out against oppression, particularly oppression committed "in our name." American Jews play a particularly crucial role in improving U.S. policy towards Israel and the Palestinians.  Thus far, the United States has badly served all parties by supporting Israel nearly unconditionally while the occupation of the Palestinian people continues.  American Jews can urge our elected representatives to exert political and economic pressure on the Israeli government to end the occupation, and resume negotiations in good faith for a just, lasting and viable peace settlement with the Palestinians.

  4. What do you mean by "Israeli withdrawal from East Jerusalem?"
    We call on Israel to withdraw from all territories occupied since 1967.  We further believe that in Jerusalem, sovereignty must be shared.  The specifics of this principle, including determining which areas will be under Israeli sovereignty and which areas will be under Palestinian sovereignty, must be worked out through honest and fair negotiation between the parties.

  5. Does Junity advocate security for Israel?
    Yes.  Junity advocates for security for Israelis, Palestinians, and all peoples in the Middle East by creating a just, viable, and lasting peace.  A just, viable and lasting peace is one which recognizes the rights of democratic participation and self-determination for all Israelis and Palestinians, and is agreed upon by the parties without coercion and in good faith.  To achieve these goals, Israel must end its Occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip and adhere to applicable international law.  Israel's continued Occupation jeopardizes its own security, as well as the security of Palestinians, by creating a cycle of violence and despair.

  6. Does Junity support Palestinian attacks on Israelis?
    No.  We support neither Palestinian nor Israeli violence.  We want peace, not violence; that is why we have come together to call for an end to the Occupation.  We recognize that neither Israelis nor Palestinians will be safe until the Occupation ends.  In addition, many participants in our gathering expressly condemn all violence against civilians as immoral, and deplore Palestinian attacks on Israelis as well as Israeli attacks on Palestinians.  Other members believe that we should not tell Palestinians how to resist an unlawful Occupation; that Palestinians have a right under international law to resist the Occupation with force; or that condemning both sides obscures the great imbalance of power between Israelis and Palestinians.  Despite these differences of opinion, we all agree that ending the Occupation is critical to ending the violence from both sides.

  7. With Israel facing one of its greatest crises right now, should Jews not be supporting it instead of criticizing it?
    Especially in times of crisis, we are supporting Israel by opposing its short-sighted, unjust policies and actions.  We criticize Israel with the goal of ensuring the security, peace and prosperity of Israelis and Palestinians.  We further believe that it is important to advocate for human rights, peace, and justice at all times.

  8. Are you concerned about dividing the Jewish community?
    No.  Jews have never spoken with one, monolithic voice.  The oldest Jewish writings reveal passionate debates about everything from the most profound ideas to the most mundane customs.  Large numbers of Jews-both in Israel and elsewhere-are opposed to the Occupation.  A recent poll conducted by the five major U.S. Jewish organizations found that 50% of American Jews support the peace process, one-third support the division of Jerusalem, and 20% support all of the Palestinian demands at the Camp David talks.  Our goal is not to divide the Jewish community, but rather to allow all voices within the Jewish community to be heard.

  9. How does Junity relate to other Jewish organizations?
    We work closely with all individuals and groups committed to fight to end the Occupation.  Numerous Jewish organizations already have joined with us or expressed support for our goals, and more are joining every day.  To attract members from all sectors of the Jewish community, we have kept our stated goals simple.

  10. If you are a Jewish group, why did you have a conference on Shabbat?
    We designed our program to respect the great religious diversity among our members-some of whom identify as Orthodox, others as secular, and others as everything in between.  This diversity is one of our strengths.  While there are complexities to holding a conference on Shabbat, we tried to address these complexities and intend to address any others that arise.  The conference included optional Shabbat evening, morning and Havdalah services that do not conflict with any other programming.  Attendees also could choose to attend a local Orthodox synagogue within walking distance.  All meals were vegetarian, and strictly kosher meals were available on request.  Time spent on Shabbat will include discussing and learning; individual participants did not need to write or carry money.  Participants could avoid traveling on Shabbat by staying overnight at the conference center hostel, and those who did not use electricity were grouped together as possible.  For more information, please see our statement on religious observance at the conference on our website.

  11. Are you pro- or anti-Zionist?
    Neither.  Our coalition encompasses those who define themselves as Zionists, non-Zionists, anti-Zionists, post-Zionists, or none of the above.  What we have in common is that we care deeply for the well-being of all Israelis and Palestinians.

  12. Do you advocate a one-state or two-state solution?
    Neither.  Participants in our gathering have wide-ranging views about the how precisely the conflict must be resolved after the Occupation ends.  We believe that a just, viable and lasting resolution of this conflict is one which recognizes the rights of democratic participation and self-determination for all Israelis and Palestinians, and is agreed upon by the parties without coercion and in good faith.  Some participants in our gathering believe it is also important to call for a Jewish Israel side-by-side with an Arab Palestine.  Others advocate instead a single state which is "binational" or which is secular and democratic.  What we all agree on is that no permanent solution is possible until the end of the Occupation.

  13. Are you interested in working with non-Jewish groups?
    Yes.  We are eager to work with non-Jewish groups which share our principles.  Our conference program includes a dinner and presentations focused on working with non-Jewish allies.  Although we bring a distinctly Jewish voice in opposition to the Israeli Occupation, we can bring our message to even more people by joining with our non-Jewish allies.

  14. How does Junity avoid anti-Semitism on the Left?
    We recognize and oppose anti-Semitism anywhere it exists.  We do not believe, however, that it is inherently anti-Semitic to criticize Israeli policies that deprive others of human rights.  Indeed, we are inspired by our rich Jewish culture and heritage to speak out against oppression wherever we see it.



#1502 From: Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 12:28 pm
Subject: FW: LETTER FOR PUBLICATION IN THE JEWISH CHRONICLE'S LETTERS PAGE
deborah.maccoby@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Dear Paul,

In the light of a re-reading of Avi Shlaim prompted by your email, I've
qualified my letter a bit, since it does seem that Israeli Jews weren't
actually in danger of extermination in 1967, even if it was according to him
a defensive war...I hope it isn't too late for them to correct it, assuming
they intend to publish it....here is the revised version

Deborah



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Deborah Maccoby
> Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2001 1:22 PM
> To: 'editorial@...'
> Subject: FW: LETTER FOR PUBLICATION IN THE JEWISH CHRONICLE'S LETTERS
> PAGE
>
> CORRECTED VERSION - QUALIFICATION MADE TO NATURE OF ISRAELI FEARS IN 1967
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Deborah Maccoby
> Sent: Monday, July 02, 2001 3:11 PM
> To: 'editorial@...'
> Subject: LETTER FOR PUBLICATION IN THE JEWISH CHRONICLE'S LETTERS
> PAGE
>
> NB  If you publish this, please could you omit my email address.
>
> "Airedale",
> Sach Road,
> Clapton,
> LONDON
> E5 9LJ
>
> Daytime Tel No: 0207 557 3045
>
> 02.07.01
>
> Dear Sir,
>
> Your three correspondents (Letters, June 29th) who write in criticism of
> Tony Klug (Letters, June 22nd), all say more or less the same thing.
> Their argument amounts to this: Israeli Jews were in danger of being
> exterminated by the Palestinians and the Arab nations in 1967, and, by
> implication, are still in danger of extermination - and this justifies all
> the inhumane behaviour towards the Palestinians which Dr Klug lists: the
> destruction of houses and orchards, the routine humiliation, the use of
> excessive force, the punitive closures.
>
> At a time of crisis, clear and realistic thinking is required, not blind
> panic.  Your correspondents equate the present time with the situation in
> 1967.  But we are 34 years on now from 1967.  Israel is now a strong power
> which should have the confidence and maturity to leave behind the fears of
> its early years - which were to some extent justified at that time, though
> surely not to the degree put forward by your correspondents - and to
> behave with imagination and justice towards the weak people which it has
> displaced and occupied.  In the course of those 34 years, Israel has also
> built up with neighbouring Arab countries peaceful relations which, as a
> result of Israeli paranoia, are now in danger of unravelling - which would
> indeed take the clock back to 1967.
>
> These three letters simply bear out Dr Klug's point about "double
> standards, moral perverseness and psychological blindness".
>
> Yours faithfully,
>
>
>
> Deborah Maccoby
>


This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
BBC, unless specifically stated.

#1503 From: PAUL EISEN <dyr@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 12:46 pm
Subject: Re: LETTER TO JC
dyr@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Dear Deborah

Whether it was a defensive war or not we can perhaps discuss another
time. For what it's worth, my view is that Israeli governments have
always been adept at provoking "defensive" wars. By reacting
disproportionally to resistance they provoke more attacks and then throw
their hands up in horror and say they're fighting for their very
existence. They then take the opportunity to use their superior power to
smash their perceived enemies. I believe most school bullies do much the
same.

I agree that if Israel had lost the 1967 war it could well have been a
disaster but there really wasn't much chance that they could lose it.
This is borne out by contemporary statements from the CIA, senior IDF
commanders and other informed commentators to all of whom Israel's
lightening victory came as no surprise at all.

Statements about battling for our very existence fuel the myth of Israel
as the gallant little victim which is not accurate and has done so much
damage. Also, to suggest that Israel in 1967 was weak and yet still
achieved their stunning victory, can inadvertently fuel messianic
impulses, which again have done so much harm.

To publish such a statement in the Jewish Chronicle will, for many
readers, substitute one myth for another i.e. that Israel's actions
after 1967 were unjustified but before 1967 they were somehow justified.

The tragedy is, that because of the hatred Israeli governments have
engendered over the years, unless something changes very rapidly, Israel
will certainly be fighting for it's very existence.

Best wishes

Paul

In message <01ADDA8BC85ED2118FDD00805F8B77180439FD2D@...
.uk>, Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...> writes
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:        PAUL EISEN [SMTP:dyr@...]
>> Sent:        Tuesday, July 03, 2001 8:46 AM
>> To:  JustPeaceUK@yahoogroups.com
>> Subject:     Re: [JustPeaceUK] LETTER TO JC
>>
>> Dear Paul,
>>
>> In "The Iron Wall", Avi Shlaim writes: "The Six-Day War was a defensive
>> war.  It was launched by Israel to safeguard its security, not to expand
>> its territory." (Page 242 in the paperback edition)  It's true that Shlaim
>> also says that Israel was in a strong position and the Arab nations were
>> weak.  But even so it was still possible that Israel might have lost the
>> war, which would have surely been a disaster for the country, as it would
>> have been in 1948.
>>
>> Deborah
>>
>> Dear Deborah
>>
>> Your statement that in 1967 Israel was "indeed fighting for it's
>> existence" is not proven and in fact is questionable. If you want
>> evidence for this opinion I'd be happy to try to supply it.
>>
>> Paul
>>
>>
>>
>> In message <01ADDA8BC85ED2118FDD00805F8B77180439FD29@...
>> .uk>, Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...> writes
>> >Dear Tony,
>> >
>> >Many thanks for your emails. I have revised my letter in the light of
>> your
>> >suggestions and think it is now a lot stronger.  Here is the new version.
>> I
>> >think maybe you too should reply this week, but am not sure.  What do
>> others
>> >think?
>> >
>> >Deborah
>> >
>> >
>> >Dear Sir,
>> >
>> >Your three correspondents (JC Letters June 29th) who write in criticism
>> of
>> >Tony Klug (JC Letters July 22nd) all say more or less the same thing.
>> Their
>> >argument amounts to this: Israeli Jews were in danger of being
>> exterminated
>> >by the Palestinians and the Arab nations in 1967, and, by implication,
>> are
>> >still in danger of extermination - and this justifies all the inhumane
>> >behaviour towards the Palestinians which Dr Klug lists: the destruction
>> of
>> >houses and orchards; the routine humiliation, the use of excessive force,
>> >the assassinations, the punitive closures.
>> >
>> >At a time of crisis, clear and realistic thinking is required, not blind
>> >panic.  Your correspondents equate the present time with the situation in
>> >1967, when Israel was indeed fighting for its existence.  But we are 34
>> >years on now from 1967.  Israel is now a strong power which should have
>> the
>> >confidence and maturity to leave behind the justified fears of its early
>> >years and to behave with imagination and justice towards the weak people
>> >which it has displaced and occupied.  In the course of those 34 years,
>> >Israel has also built up with neighbouring Arab countries peaceful
>> relations
>> >which, as a result of Israeli paranoia, are now in danger of unravelling
>> and
>> >indeed taking the clock back to 1967.
>> >
>> >These three letter simply bear out Dr Klug's point about "double
>> standards,
>> >moral perverseness and psychological blindness".
>> >
>> >Yours faithfully,
>> >
>> >
>> >Deborah Maccoby
>> >
>> >
>> >This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
>> >it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
>> >the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
>> >this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
>> >BBC, unless specifically stated.
>> >
>> >To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>> >JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>> >
>> >If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites
>> you are
>> >more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group for
>> those who
>> >carry out the actual work).
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>>
>> >
>> >
>>
>> --
>> PAUL EISEN
>>
>> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>> JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>>
>> If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites
>> you are more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group
>> for those who carry out the actual work).
>>
>>
>>
>> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>>
>
>
>This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
>it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
>the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
>this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
>BBC, unless specifically stated.
>
>To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>
>If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites you are
>more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group for those
who
>carry out the actual work).
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

--
PAUL EISEN

#1504 From: Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 12:57 pm
Subject: RE: LETTER TO JC
deborah.maccoby@...
Send Email Send Email
 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: PAUL EISEN [SMTP:dyr@...]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2001 1:47 PM
> To: JustPeaceUK@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [JustPeaceUK] LETTER TO JC
>
> Dear Paul,
>
> See my email which I sent before I received this....Yes, it was perhaps an
> exaggeration to say that Israel was fighting for its existence, which is
> why I have left out that phrase in my revised letter.  And the idea of
> being exterminated is part of the Jewish Holocaust complex, which is of
> course understandable but counterproductive....but I still think Israeli
> fears in 1967 were justified to some extent, whereas they aren't at
> present - but of course could well become so, as you say, through Israel's
> own paranoid behaviour.
>
> I did think of saying something in my letter about the Jewish Holocaust
> complex which actually paradoxically leads to a Nazi mindset...after all,
> the Germans justified their treatment of the Jews by saying that the Jews
> wanted to destroy Germany and the Germans were only acting in
> self-defence...but any mention of the Nazis in connection with Israel is
> likely to be misunderstood, so it's probably best not to...
>
> Deborah
>
>
>
> Dear Deborah
>
> Whether it was a defensive war or not we can perhaps discuss another
> time. For what it's worth, my view is that Israeli governments have
> always been adept at provoking "defensive" wars. By reacting
> disproportionally to resistance they provoke more attacks and then throw
> their hands up in horror and say they're fighting for their very
> existence. They then take the opportunity to use their superior power to
> smash their perceived enemies. I believe most school bullies do much the
> same.
>
> I agree that if Israel had lost the 1967 war it could well have been a
> disaster but there really wasn't much chance that they could lose it.
> This is borne out by contemporary statements from the CIA, senior IDF
> commanders and other informed commentators to all of whom Israel's
> lightening victory came as no surprise at all.
>
> Statements about battling for our very existence fuel the myth of Israel
> as the gallant little victim which is not accurate and has done so much
> damage. Also, to suggest that Israel in 1967 was weak and yet still
> achieved their stunning victory, can inadvertently fuel messianic
> impulses, which again have done so much harm.
>
> To publish such a statement in the Jewish Chronicle will, for many
> readers, substitute one myth for another i.e. that Israel's actions
> after 1967 were unjustified but before 1967 they were somehow justified.
>
> The tragedy is, that because of the hatred Israeli governments have
> engendered over the years, unless something changes very rapidly, Israel
> will certainly be fighting for it's very existence.
>
> Best wishes
>
> Paul
>
> In message <01ADDA8BC85ED2118FDD00805F8B77180439FD2D@...
> .uk>, Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...> writes
> >
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From:        PAUL EISEN [SMTP:dyr@...]
> >> Sent:        Tuesday, July 03, 2001 8:46 AM
> >> To:  JustPeaceUK@yahoogroups.com
> >> Subject:     Re: [JustPeaceUK] LETTER TO JC
> >>
> >> Dear Paul,
> >>
> >> In "The Iron Wall", Avi Shlaim writes: "The Six-Day War was a defensive
> >> war.  It was launched by Israel to safeguard its security, not to
> expand
> >> its territory." (Page 242 in the paperback edition)  It's true that
> Shlaim
> >> also says that Israel was in a strong position and the Arab nations
> were
> >> weak.  But even so it was still possible that Israel might have lost
> the
> >> war, which would have surely been a disaster for the country, as it
> would
> >> have been in 1948.
> >>
> >> Deborah
> >>
> >> Dear Deborah
> >>
> >> Your statement that in 1967 Israel was "indeed fighting for it's
> >> existence" is not proven and in fact is questionable. If you want
> >> evidence for this opinion I'd be happy to try to supply it.
> >>
> >> Paul
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> In message
> <01ADDA8BC85ED2118FDD00805F8B77180439FD29@...
> >> .uk>, Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...> writes
> >> >Dear Tony,
> >> >
> >> >Many thanks for your emails. I have revised my letter in the light of
> >> your
> >> >suggestions and think it is now a lot stronger.  Here is the new
> version.
> >> I
> >> >think maybe you too should reply this week, but am not sure.  What do
> >> others
> >> >think?
> >> >
> >> >Deborah
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >Dear Sir,
> >> >
> >> >Your three correspondents (JC Letters June 29th) who write in
> criticism
> >> of
> >> >Tony Klug (JC Letters July 22nd) all say more or less the same thing.
> >> Their
> >> >argument amounts to this: Israeli Jews were in danger of being
> >> exterminated
> >> >by the Palestinians and the Arab nations in 1967, and, by implication,
> >> are
> >> >still in danger of extermination - and this justifies all the inhumane
> >> >behaviour towards the Palestinians which Dr Klug lists: the
> destruction
> >> of
> >> >houses and orchards; the routine humiliation, the use of excessive
> force,
> >> >the assassinations, the punitive closures.
> >> >
> >> >At a time of crisis, clear and realistic thinking is required, not
> blind
> >> >panic.  Your correspondents equate the present time with the situation
> in
> >> >1967, when Israel was indeed fighting for its existence.  But we are
> 34
> >> >years on now from 1967.  Israel is now a strong power which should
> have
> >> the
> >> >confidence and maturity to leave behind the justified fears of its
> early
> >> >years and to behave with imagination and justice towards the weak
> people
> >> >which it has displaced and occupied.  In the course of those 34 years,
> >> >Israel has also built up with neighbouring Arab countries peaceful
> >> relations
> >> >which, as a result of Israeli paranoia, are now in danger of
> unravelling
> >> and
> >> >indeed taking the clock back to 1967.
> >> >
> >> >These three letter simply bear out Dr Klug's point about "double
> >> standards,
> >> >moral perverseness and psychological blindness".
> >> >
> >> >Yours faithfully,
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >Deborah Maccoby
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
> >> >it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
> >> >the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
> >> >this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
> >> >BBC, unless specifically stated.
> >> >
> >> >To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> >> >JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
> >> >
> >> >If you wish to join the group that plan and design our
> events/activites
> >> you are
> >> >more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group for
> >> those who
> >> >carry out the actual work).
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >> --
> >> PAUL EISEN
> >>
> >> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> >> JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
> >>
> >> If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites
> >> you are more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a
> sub-group
> >> for those who carry out the actual work).
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >>
> >
> >
> >This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
> >it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
> >the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
> >this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
> >BBC, unless specifically stated.
> >
> >To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> >JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
> >
> >If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites
> you are
> >more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group for
> those who
> >carry out the actual work).
> >
> >
> >
> >Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
> >
> >
>
> --
> PAUL EISEN
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>
> If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites
> you are more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group
> for those who carry out the actual work).
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>


This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
BBC, unless specifically stated.

#1505 From: PAUL EISEN <dyr@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 1:54 pm
Subject: Re: LETTER TO JC
dyr@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Dear Deborah

Yes I did reply before I received your second note. I hope they do print
the amended version - they certainly should.

I agree with what you say about the Holocaust. For me the compelling
fact about Deir Yassin is that it stands in clear sight of Yad Vashem.
This says so much about the relationship between the abused and the
abuser which is something we do think about a lot. How did the abused
turn into an abuser and if the Palestinians gain power will they then
become abusers?

This is particularly on our minds at the moment as we consider next
year's Deir Yassin commemoration. We've just discovered that next year
Yom Ha'Shoah falls on April 9th (Deir Yassin Day). This seems to be a
coincidence full of opportunities and also dangers.

Finally I absolutely agree with your decision not to refer to it in your
letter.

Paul



In message <01ADDA8BC85ED2118FDD00805F8B77180439FD32@...
.uk>, Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...> writes
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:        PAUL EISEN [SMTP:dyr@...]
>> Sent:        Tuesday, July 03, 2001 1:47 PM
>> To:  JustPeaceUK@yahoogroups.com
>> Subject:     Re: [JustPeaceUK] LETTER TO JC
>>
>> Dear Paul,
>>
>> See my email which I sent before I received this....Yes, it was perhaps an
>> exaggeration to say that Israel was fighting for its existence, which is
>> why I have left out that phrase in my revised letter.  And the idea of
>> being exterminated is part of the Jewish Holocaust complex, which is of
>> course understandable but counterproductive....but I still think Israeli
>> fears in 1967 were justified to some extent, whereas they aren't at
>> present - but of course could well become so, as you say, through Israel's
>> own paranoid behaviour.
>>
>> I did think of saying something in my letter about the Jewish Holocaust
>> complex which actually paradoxically leads to a Nazi mindset...after all,
>> the Germans justified their treatment of the Jews by saying that the Jews
>> wanted to destroy Germany and the Germans were only acting in
>> self-defence...but any mention of the Nazis in connection with Israel is
>> likely to be misunderstood, so it's probably best not to...
>>
>> Deborah
>>
>>
>>
>> Dear Deborah
>>
>> Whether it was a defensive war or not we can perhaps discuss another
>> time. For what it's worth, my view is that Israeli governments have
>> always been adept at provoking "defensive" wars. By reacting
>> disproportionally to resistance they provoke more attacks and then throw
>> their hands up in horror and say they're fighting for their very
>> existence. They then take the opportunity to use their superior power to
>> smash their perceived enemies. I believe most school bullies do much the
>> same.
>>
>> I agree that if Israel had lost the 1967 war it could well have been a
>> disaster but there really wasn't much chance that they could lose it.
>> This is borne out by contemporary statements from the CIA, senior IDF
>> commanders and other informed commentators to all of whom Israel's
>> lightening victory came as no surprise at all.
>>
>> Statements about battling for our very existence fuel the myth of Israel
>> as the gallant little victim which is not accurate and has done so much
>> damage. Also, to suggest that Israel in 1967 was weak and yet still
>> achieved their stunning victory, can inadvertently fuel messianic
>> impulses, which again have done so much harm.
>>
>> To publish such a statement in the Jewish Chronicle will, for many
>> readers, substitute one myth for another i.e. that Israel's actions
>> after 1967 were unjustified but before 1967 they were somehow justified.
>>
>> The tragedy is, that because of the hatred Israeli governments have
>> engendered over the years, unless something changes very rapidly, Israel
>> will certainly be fighting for it's very existence.
>>
>> Best wishes
>>
>> Paul
>>
>> In message <01ADDA8BC85ED2118FDD00805F8B77180439FD2D@...
>> .uk>, Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...> writes
>> >
>> >
>> >> -----Original Message-----
>> >> From:        PAUL EISEN [SMTP:dyr@...]
>> >> Sent:        Tuesday, July 03, 2001 8:46 AM
>> >> To:  JustPeaceUK@yahoogroups.com
>> >> Subject:     Re: [JustPeaceUK] LETTER TO JC
>> >>
>> >> Dear Paul,
>> >>
>> >> In "The Iron Wall", Avi Shlaim writes: "The Six-Day War was a defensive
>> >> war.  It was launched by Israel to safeguard its security, not to
>> expand
>> >> its territory." (Page 242 in the paperback edition)  It's true that
>> Shlaim
>> >> also says that Israel was in a strong position and the Arab nations
>> were
>> >> weak.  But even so it was still possible that Israel might have lost
>> the
>> >> war, which would have surely been a disaster for the country, as it
>> would
>> >> have been in 1948.
>> >>
>> >> Deborah
>> >>
>> >> Dear Deborah
>> >>
>> >> Your statement that in 1967 Israel was "indeed fighting for it's
>> >> existence" is not proven and in fact is questionable. If you want
>> >> evidence for this opinion I'd be happy to try to supply it.
>> >>
>> >> Paul
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> In message
>> <01ADDA8BC85ED2118FDD00805F8B77180439FD29@...
>> >> .uk>, Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...> writes
>> >> >Dear Tony,
>> >> >
>> >> >Many thanks for your emails. I have revised my letter in the light of
>> >> your
>> >> >suggestions and think it is now a lot stronger.  Here is the new
>> version.
>> >> I
>> >> >think maybe you too should reply this week, but am not sure.  What do
>> >> others
>> >> >think?
>> >> >
>> >> >Deborah
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >Dear Sir,
>> >> >
>> >> >Your three correspondents (JC Letters June 29th) who write in
>> criticism
>> >> of
>> >> >Tony Klug (JC Letters July 22nd) all say more or less the same thing.
>> >> Their
>> >> >argument amounts to this: Israeli Jews were in danger of being
>> >> exterminated
>> >> >by the Palestinians and the Arab nations in 1967, and, by implication,
>> >> are
>> >> >still in danger of extermination - and this justifies all the inhumane
>> >> >behaviour towards the Palestinians which Dr Klug lists: the
>> destruction
>> >> of
>> >> >houses and orchards; the routine humiliation, the use of excessive
>> force,
>> >> >the assassinations, the punitive closures.
>> >> >
>> >> >At a time of crisis, clear and realistic thinking is required, not
>> blind
>> >> >panic.  Your correspondents equate the present time with the situation
>> in
>> >> >1967, when Israel was indeed fighting for its existence.  But we are
>> 34
>> >> >years on now from 1967.  Israel is now a strong power which should
>> have
>> >> the
>> >> >confidence and maturity to leave behind the justified fears of its
>> early
>> >> >years and to behave with imagination and justice towards the weak
>> people
>> >> >which it has displaced and occupied.  In the course of those 34 years,
>> >> >Israel has also built up with neighbouring Arab countries peaceful
>> >> relations
>> >> >which, as a result of Israeli paranoia, are now in danger of
>> unravelling
>> >> and
>> >> >indeed taking the clock back to 1967.
>> >> >
>> >> >These three letter simply bear out Dr Klug's point about "double
>> >> standards,
>> >> >moral perverseness and psychological blindness".
>> >> >
>> >> >Yours faithfully,
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >Deborah Maccoby
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
>> >> >it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
>> >> >the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
>> >> >this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
>> >> >BBC, unless specifically stated.
>> >> >
>> >> >To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>> >> >JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>> >> >
>> >> >If you wish to join the group that plan and design our
>> events/activites
>> >> you are
>> >> >more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group for
>> >> those who
>> >> >carry out the actual work).
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
>> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>> >>
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> PAUL EISEN
>> >>
>> >> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>> >> JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>> >>
>> >> If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites
>> >> you are more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a
>> sub-group
>> >> for those who carry out the actual work).
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
>> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
>> >it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
>> >the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
>> >this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
>> >BBC, unless specifically stated.
>> >
>> >To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>> >JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>> >
>> >If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites
>> you are
>> >more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group for
>> those who
>> >carry out the actual work).
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>>
>> >
>> >
>>
>> --
>> PAUL EISEN
>>
>> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>> JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>>
>> If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites
>> you are more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group
>> for those who carry out the actual work).
>>
>>
>>
>> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>>
>
>
>This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
>it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
>the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
>this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
>BBC, unless specifically stated.
>
>To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>
>If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites you are
>more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group for those
who
>carry out the actual work).
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

--
PAUL EISEN

#1506 From: "Ron Cohen" <rony@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 7:19 pm
Subject: More than 500 Left Homeless
rony@...
Send Email Send Email
 
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent:       Tue, 03 Jul 2001 17:14:36 +0200
To:              alhaq@...
From:            Alhaq <haq@...>
Subject:         Al-Haq News Update

For Immediate Release
News Update


3 July 2001


Israeli Forces Destroy Palestinian Homes
More than 500 Left Homeless

Israeli forces destroyed the dwellings of at least 500 Palestinians today
in retaliation for the killing of an Israeli settler.  Last night Yair
Har-Sinai (51) from the Settlement of Sussia was killed outside of the
settlement.  Har-Sinai worked as a shepherd, and was shot while watching
his flocks.  In response to this killing Israeli Forces in the Hebron
district destroyed the homes of many of the residents of this area.

The settlement of Sussia is one of a group of seven settlements that
include Yatah, Ma'oun, Beit Yatir, Lasefer, Adnael, and Carmael.  The
villages of Wad Rakhaim, Karbet al-Nabi, Kharbet al-Sussia, Imnaizel, and
al-Shatneh are located between these settlements.  In 1982 an area of
86,000 dunums, including the area on which these villages and the
settlements are located, was declared a closed military zone by the Israeli
government.  All civilians, including the Palestinians residing in the area,
were forbidden from living in the area.  The residents of the villages named
above refused to leave, but much of their land was confiscated, and was
later
turned over to Israeli civilians by the Israeli government for use in
building
settlements.  For years the Israeli government and settlers in this region
have
been attempting to expel the residents of the district from their homes.
Most
of the Palestinians in this area live in caves that have been used by their
families for generations.  On March 29, 2000 the Israeli military expelled
most
of the residents of this area, but 82 of the families expelled fought the
expulsion order and the Supreme Court eventually ordered that they be
allowed to
return to their homes.  This morning the Israeli military entered into these
villages and blew up all of the caves in which most of the residents live.
They
also filled in the village's wells.  The families living in these caves have
dwelled in these locations for hundreds of years and have no alternative
places
to live now that their homes have been destroyed.  In addition to those left
homeless at least 30 men were arrested.  No final count on the number of
homes
destroyed and the number of men arrested is currently available, but al-Haq
is
following up on this case and will have more complete information in the
coming
days.

The Israeli military's actions are a violation of the basic rights of the
Palestinian residents of these villages.  The actions being taken
constitute collective punishment, and qualify as a grave breach of the
Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 under Article 147, which states that,
"grave breaches to which the preceding Article relates shall be those
involving any of the following acts... extensive destruction and
appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried
out
unlawfully and wantonly."  The international community should thus take
immediate action to stop Israel's grave violations of Palestinians rights,
and
should immediately demand that Israeli forces halt their destruction of
civilian
Palestinian property.

                                         -END-

------- End of forwarded message -------


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.263 / Virus Database: 135 - Release Date: 22/06/2001

#1507 From: "Ron Cohen" <rony@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 7:50 pm
Subject: RE: LETTER TO JC
rony@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Dear Deborah
After reading the description of the events that lead to the June war
in Shalim's book i also stumbled on this strange conclusion (had to
read it twice..).
This conclusion was not driven from the events he described. How
can one reach such a conclusion after describing the attitudes
in the army & political institute to finish the Independent war
("liberating" the west bank and Gaza), the on-going provocations on the
northern borders, the pressure of the army on Eskol's government
to mobilize the army and the go-ahead plea to the Americans?

	 _rony


-----Original Message-----
From: Deborah Maccoby [mailto:deborah.maccoby@...]
Sent: 03 July 2001 10:58
To: 'JustPeaceUK@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: RE: [JustPeaceUK] LETTER TO JC




> -----Original Message-----
> From: PAUL EISEN [SMTP:dyr@...]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2001 8:46 AM
> To: JustPeaceUK@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [JustPeaceUK] LETTER TO JC
>
> Dear Paul,
>
> In "The Iron Wall", Avi Shlaim writes: "The Six-Day War was a defensive
> war.  It was launched by Israel to safeguard its security, not to expand
> its territory." (Page 242 in the paperback edition)  It's true that Shlaim
> also says that Israel was in a strong position and the Arab nations were
> weak.  But even so it was still possible that Israel might have lost the
> war, which would have surely been a disaster for the country, as it would
> have been in 1948.
>
> Deborah
>
> Dear Deborah
>
> Your statement that in 1967 Israel was "indeed fighting for it's
> existence" is not proven and in fact is questionable. If you want
> evidence for this opinion I'd be happy to try to supply it.
>
> Paul
>
>
>
> In message <01ADDA8BC85ED2118FDD00805F8B77180439FD29@...
> .uk>, Deborah Maccoby <deborah.maccoby@...> writes
> >Dear Tony,
> >
> >Many thanks for your emails. I have revised my letter in the light of
> your
> >suggestions and think it is now a lot stronger.  Here is the new version.
> I
> >think maybe you too should reply this week, but am not sure.  What do
> others
> >think?
> >
> >Deborah
> >
> >
> >Dear Sir,
> >
> >Your three correspondents (JC Letters June 29th) who write in criticism
> of
> >Tony Klug (JC Letters July 22nd) all say more or less the same thing.
> Their
> >argument amounts to this: Israeli Jews were in danger of being
> exterminated
> >by the Palestinians and the Arab nations in 1967, and, by implication,
> are
> >still in danger of extermination - and this justifies all the inhumane
> >behaviour towards the Palestinians which Dr Klug lists: the destruction
> of
> >houses and orchards; the routine humiliation, the use of excessive force,
> >the assassinations, the punitive closures.
> >
> >At a time of crisis, clear and realistic thinking is required, not blind
> >panic.  Your correspondents equate the present time with the situation in
> >1967, when Israel was indeed fighting for its existence.  But we are 34
> >years on now from 1967.  Israel is now a strong power which should have
> the
> >confidence and maturity to leave behind the justified fears of its early
> >years and to behave with imagination and justice towards the weak people
> >which it has displaced and occupied.  In the course of those 34 years,
> >Israel has also built up with neighbouring Arab countries peaceful
> relations
> >which, as a result of Israeli paranoia, are now in danger of unravelling
> and
> >indeed taking the clock back to 1967.
> >
> >These three letter simply bear out Dr Klug's point about "double
> standards,
> >moral perverseness and psychological blindness".
> >
> >Yours faithfully,
> >
> >
> >Deborah Maccoby
> >
> >
> >This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
> >it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
> >the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
> >this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
> >BBC, unless specifically stated.
> >
> >To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> >JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
> >
> >If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites
> you are
> >more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group for
> those who
> >carry out the actual work).
> >
> >
> >
> >Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
> >
> >
>
> --
> PAUL EISEN
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>
> If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites
> you are more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group
> for those who carry out the actual work).
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>


This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received
it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose
the information in any way, and notify me immediately. The contents of
this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the
BBC, unless specifically stated.

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com

If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites you
are more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group for
those who carry out the actual work).



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/




---
Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.263 / Virus Database: 135 - Release Date: 22/06/2001

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.263 / Virus Database: 135 - Release Date: 22/06/2001

#1508 From: Abe Hayeem <abe.hayeem@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 8:02 pm
Subject: FW: Excerpts: Jordan fully supports Syria and Lebanon. Palestinian war of independence. Iraqi oil and Jordan 2 July 2001
abe.hayeem@...
Send Email Send Email
 
----------
From: imra@...
Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 18:26:18 -0400
To: imra@...
Subject: Excerpts: Jordan fully supports Syria and Lebanon. Palestinian war
of independence. Iraqi oil and Jordan 2 July 2001

Excerpts: Jordan fully supports Syria and Lebanon. Palestinian war of
independence. Iraqi oil and Jordan 2 July 2001

+++JORDAN TIMES 2 July 2001:"Jordan condemns Israel attack"

QUOTES FROM TEXT: " `Any problem on the Israeli-Lebanese} border can be
resolved through recourse to the United Nations,' "

" `Jordan confirms it stands alongside Syria and Lebanon and supports them
fully in all international forums,' "
================================================================

FULL TEXT: AMMAN (AFP) - Jordan on Sunday condemned the Israeli raid on a
Syrian army radar station in Lebanon and warned against repercussions
throughout the Middle East region.

"Jordan condemns this raid, considers it unjust and believes such acts will
further complicate the worsened situation in the region," Information
Minister Saleh Qallab told AFP.

"Any problem on the (Israeli-Lebanese) border can be resolved through
recourse to the United Nations," he added, while stressing the need to "put
an end to these raids which risk dragging the Middle East back into the
global war period."

"Jordan confirms that it stands alongside Syria and Lebanon and supports
them fully in all international forums," the minister said. {IMRA: Hardly a
way to promote peace.}


+++AL_AHRAM WEEKLY 14-20 June '01:"The Palestinian war of independence"

HEADING:"The collapse of the peace process is not the question, writes Osama
El-Ghazali Harb ... editor- in -chief of Al-Siyasa Al-Dawlia (International
Politics) Journal, and a member of the Shura Council."

  QUOTES FROM TEXT: "Israel today is facing the reality its founders have
long sought to ignore; the existence of the Palestinian people and their
right to national independence and statehood."

"to the Arabs of Palestine the creation of Israel came at the expense of
their own aspirations for national independence."

"The Israelis wanted to establish their `rights' with regard to the most
potentially explosive issue ...which is why Sharon invaded the Al-Aqsa
Mosque ... .The Palestinians had no alternative but to demonstrate their
resolute opposition ... . The result was the second Intifada."

"Tel Aviv's refusal to consider an honorable compromise over Jerusalem
compelled the Palestinians to intensify suicide operations."

"Unfortunately, too, for the Israelis, their tanks, F-16s and nuclear
arsenal are powerless against suicide bombs."
=========================================================

EXCERPTS Are we seeing, as the international media suggests, the destruction
of the peace- building process ... Is it, as most Israelis would have it, an
onslaught of brutal violence that scattered groups of Palestinians --
opposed to the existence of Israel and the idea of peace -- have unleashed
on innocents who are fulfilling the Jewish dream of return and who have the
right to live on every inch of the promised land?

Or is the situation, as many Palestinians and Arabs claim, tangible proof
that the negotiating strategy followed by Yasser Arafat has failed (a
strategy that, from Oslo on, established the basis for a settlement highly
prejudicial to Palestinian rights, and the inequity of which the Intifada is
determined to redress)?

... unfolding before our eyes is not the collapse of a "peace" process, nor
acts of violence and terrorism, but the final, decisive phase of the
Palestinian war of independence. The term "war of independence" is
particularly apt, not only because it is the Palestinian counterpoint to the
Israeli "war of independence" of 1948, but also because it epitomises the
crystallisation of Palestinian national consciousness, which is now
concentrated on a single, specific aim: the creation of a Palestinian state
... .

What is taking place today draws us back to the original problem, which is
not so much the question of "eliminating the effects of the 1967 aggression"
... as it is that of Palestine's very fate. Israel today is facing the
reality its founders have long sought to ignore: the existence of the
Palestinian people and their right to national independence and statehood.

UN recognition of the state of Israel in 1948 marked the culmination of
concerted international Jewish efforts to promote migration to Palestine and
rally the support of the great powers (in the first half of the 20th
century, primarily Great Britain) behind the Zionist enterprise. The UN
resolution simultaneously brought home the Arabs' failure to unify
effectively against Zionist encroachment upon their land, while to the Arabs
of Palestine the creation of Israel came at the expense of their own
aspirations for national independence.

Now, in 2001, the Palestinians sense that their own "1948" is at hand. If
they lag more than a half a century behind their adversaries, perhaps that
interval was necessary for them to crystallise their own distinct and
autonomous sense of national identity and, more importantly, to identify the
best means to fight a powerful and skilled adversary. . . . Oslo, which
brought the Palestinian Authority back to Palestine and its people, was only
one step along the path of national independence. Although subsequent
negotiations produced proposals, understandings and compromises on final
status, the implementation of agreements, as is always the case between
occupying powers and occupied peoples, remained contingent upon each side's
ability to demonstrate its actual force.

The Israelis wanted to establish their "rights" with regard to the most
potentially explosive issue ... which is why Sharon invaded Al-Aqsa Mosque
{IMRA: What invasion?} ... . The Palestinians had no alternative but to
demonstrate their resolute opposition... . The result was the second
Intifada.

If the question of Jerusalem ignited the Intifada, Sharon's violence and
continued Israeli settlement expansion helped sustain it and intensify its
focus. As with every independence struggle, evacuation has become the
pivotal issue. If the pressures of foreign occupation in the 1970s and 1980s
built up to erupt in the stones that became the emblem of the first
Intifada, Israeli recalcitrance throughout the difficult negotiations of the
1990s, ongoing settlement expansion and Tel Aviv's refusal to consider an
honourable compromise over Jerusalem compelled the Palestinians to intensify
suicide operations.

Do the Israelis believe they will succeed where the French failed in
Algeria, the US in Vietnam and the Russians in Afghanistan? ... growing
distress among the Israeli public must eventually give way, once the anger
and thirst for revenge subside, to some frank and courageous introspection,
an honest consideration of what would drive young Palestinians to sacrifice
their lives voluntarily ... .

Unfortunately for the Israelis, because of their relatively small land area
and population and because of the proximity of the occupied peoples, they
are more vulnerable to this form of resistance than any other occupying
power in history has ever been. Unfortunately, too, for the Israelis, their
tanks, F-16s and nuclear arsenal are powerless against suicide bombs. Yet
the Israelis are simultaneously creating the breeding grounds for this
violence, in the refugee camps, through the blockades and the daily
harassment and degradation of an occupied people.

The terms of reference of this war are not those of "land for peace," which
were viable in Israel's dealings with sovereign neighbours, but rather
"independence and freedom for peace." {IMRA: But does it include ultimate
acceptance of Israel?} If the Israelis sincerely hope to live in peace and
security, they will have to cede to Palestinian national aspirations on
their land, aspirations established by the international community and
international law.
================================================================


+++JORDAN TIMES 22 July '01: "Jordan will face `confusion' if Iraq halts oil
supply - Anani By A Staff Reporter

QUOTE FROM TEXT: "an Arab country has expressed its willingness to
compensate Jordan if Iraq moved ahead with its threat to cut off oil
supplies to the Kingdom if it accepts new sanctions, but declined to name
the state."
======================================================================
EXCERPTS: AMMAN - Former Deputy Prime Minister Jawad Anani said Jordan would
face serious economic problems if Iraq decided to halt its oil exports to
Jordan as a result of possible new sanctions the United Nations could
enforce against Iraq to replace those in place for nearly 11 years.

Anani, who was addressing an audience at a lecture he presented at the
headquarters of Al Nahda Party late Saturday, said Jordan would face what he
described as "confusion" resulting from the Iraqi decision "if Jordan
supported the new sanctions."

"The confusion could last between six to eight months until Jordan finds an
alternative to supply the Kingdom with its oil needs," Anani said. . . .
Anani, a former Royal Court chief and former minister of trade and industry,
said an Arab country has expressed its willingness to compensate Jordan if
Iraq moved ahead with its threat to cut off oil supplies to the Kingdom if
it accepts the new sanctions, but declined to name the state.

Jordan recently expressed its rejection of the US-UK- brokered "smart"
sanctions.

The US-UK proposals, which face tough opposition in the UN Security Council,
include among other things the establishment of new inspection
commissions in Iraq's neighbouring states to watch its trade with these
countries. . . . Last month, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Hikmat Azzawi said
that his country will halt all forms of trade with any country that will
support the new proposals.

Anani played down the Iraqi threats and said that Baghdad would not turn
such statements into actions.

Dr. Joseph Lerner, Co-Director IMRA


--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il

For free regular subscription:
Subscribe at no charge: imra-subscribe@...
Unsubscribe:  imra-unsubscribe@...

For free daily digest subscription:
Subscribe at no charge: imra-digest-subscribe@...
Unsubscribe:  imra-digest-unsubscribe@...

For a copy of all reports distributed for a given day please send a
message to:

monday@... tuesday@... wednesday@...
thursday@... friday@...
saturday@... sunday@...

#1509 From: "Ron Cohen" <rony@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 9:00 pm
Subject: Action alert: Collective punishment leaves 500 Palestinians homeless
rony@...
Send Email Send Email
 
GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/

==========================================================
July 3, Action Alert: Collective punishment leaves 500 Palestinians homeless
==========================================================

Last night, an Israeli settler named Yair Har-Sinai was shot to death near
the
settlement enclave in the south of the West Bank. Fellow-settlers, who were
today very extensively interviewed, told two things about him: that unlike
other settlers, he did not carry a gun and claimed to be in favor of
coexistence; and that more than any other settler, he was zealous in
constantly
staking a claim to "state lands", i.e. confiscated Palestinian lands, day
and
night herding his sheep on them so as "to make them into Jewish lands  in
practice" - which, from their point of view, is the highest praise
possible.

One could feel sorry for this misguided man, as for the ever-increasing
number
of victims which are claimed by the violent whirlwind of the past nine
months.
But any impartial observer would have to admit that Har-Siani's two
attributes
were in flat contradiction to each other. You just can't be a seeker after
coexistence, much less an unarmed pacifist, and at the same time actively
engaged in dispossing your neighbors. Har-Sinai died of that contradiction.

This happened last night. This morning, just hours after Har-Sinai's body
was
found, Israeli military forces entered into neighboring Palestinian
villages,
systematically blowing up houses and the caves in which many of the poor
Palestinian peasants of  this area have their dwellings, destroying terraces
and filing up wells. Some 500 people were rendered homeless. Full details
are
as yet not available, since the army surrounds the whole area, allowing in
neither human rights field workers nor even the Red Cross which offered to
provide tents to the newly-
dispossed families.

This was, clearly, an act of collective punishment, in flagrant violation of
international law. It was also something even worse - using a killing as a
pretext for continuing the implementation of a long-lasting, comprehensive
plan
of dispossesion. Already in 1982, the whole area - some 86,000 dunums - had
been declared "a closed military zone" and the Palestinians residing in it
ordered to leave, so as to make place for the creation of Israeli
settlements.
They refused to live the string of small villages, often consisting of caves
rather than houses, where their ancestors had lived for hundreds of
years: Wad Rakhaim, Karbet al-Nabi, Imnaizel, al-Shatneh and Kharbet
al-Sussia
(the name of the last, as well as its lands, were appropriated for the
Israeli
settlement created nearby). For the past two decades they had been living
precariously on the fragments left of their land, subject to harassment and
constant encroaching by the settlers. Now, it seems, the killing is being
used
in order to complete the work of dispossession.
(For some of the above information we are indebted to the
Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq <haq@...>).

This tragic and infuriating affair illustrates as nothing else the deadlock
in
which we are. The government of Israel demands a ceasefire - "complete,
utter
quiet, with not a shot fired and not a stone thrown" in the words of Prime
Minister Sharon. At the same time, settlers are allowed to continue
expanding
their armed enclaves and dispossessing their neighbors, under the protection
and with the active cooperation of the mightiest army in the Middle East.


Weary as you may be of our asking you again and again to send protest
messages
still it is needed again. You can by doing so give an immediate and
powerfull
starting signal to the further struggle from within.
You may use the sample letter later in this message or make your own, and
send
it by email and/or by fax to your choice (or all) of the following
addresses.
(We have to warn you, that not all the email addresses may remain accessible
during this campaign, but many of them will go through.)

Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres
Fax: +972-2-5303704
e-mail: sar@...

Israeli Defense Minister, Benyamin Ben Eliezer
Fax: +972-3-6916940, 6976990
e-mail: sar@...

Prime Minister Sharon
Fax: +972-2-5664838;
email: webmaster@...;

Copies to:

The Israeli embassy or consulate in your country;

President George W. Bush,
Fax: +1-202-456-2461;
E-mail: president@...;

Secretary of State Colin Powell,
Fax: +1-202-261-8577;
E-mail: secretary@...;

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan,
Fax: +1-212.963.5012;
email: ecu@...;

Personal Representative of the Secretary General to the United Nations in
Palestine
Fax: + 972 8 282 0966
Email: unsco@...

Political Advisers to Mr Miguel Moratinos - Special EU Envoy to the M-E.:
Fax: + 32 2 285 87 52;
Mr/M. Bernardino <bernardino.leon@...>;
Ms Karin Roxman <karin.roxman@...>;
Mr/M. Christian Jouret <christian.jouret@...>;

Some Labour and Meretz  Knesset Members amaor@...,
hramon@..., nchazan@..., pinespaz@...,
rancohen@..., ydayan@..., ykatz@...,
zgalon@...

Dear Sir

I strongly protest the Israeli army's attacking, on July 3, of Palestinian
villages near the Israeli settlement of Sussia on the occupied West Bank.
The
the systematic destruction of houses, inhabited caves, wells and
terraces, leaving at least 500 people homeless  cannot be justified by the
however regrettable killing of an Israeli settler some kilometres away.
This is not only collective punishment, this is brutal dispossession
motivated
by greed for land, and as such it is a violation both of international law
and
makes your speaking of ceasefire violations by the other side into mockery.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
    For information about Gush Shalom visit the website:
                http://www.gush-shalom.org/
  (including the Boycott List of Products of Settlements)
                email: info@...;
       =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
           Read also the "Generous Offers" on the site
             in Hebrew an English & with maps
             Hebrew reachable from main menu
English at http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/offers.doc
        =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
                       Also on the website:
      Sign the "Our Jerusalem, Capital of Two States" petition
               full text in Hebrew, Arabic and English
           =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
If you want to support our activities you can send a check
      or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper, to:
             Gush Shalom pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033.
            =+=+==+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
  In order to make from abroad a tax-deductible donation
  you must do it via a recognized charity in your country.
            NB: designate it for Gush Shalom, Israel.
            =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
The following charities enable you to donate to Gush Shalom:
* New Israel Fund (US, and UK - see http://www.nif.org/giving/index.html);
        * SIVMO (The Netherlands - see http://www.xs4all.nl/~sivmo/)
             =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
             IMPORTANT
* A donation via another charity takes time before getting to us
* Inform us of your donation by a message to: info@...
* Inform us of fitting charities in your country
             =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
If you do (not) want our alerts and updates (un)subscribe to:
                        <info@...>





---
Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.263 / Virus Database: 135 - Release Date: 22/06/2001

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.263 / Virus Database: 135 - Release Date: 22/06/2001

#1510 From: Abe Hayeem <abe.hayeem@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 9:01 pm
Subject: FW: [MESN] Pressure Grows on Sharon After Milosevic Handover
abe.hayeem@...
Send Email Send Email
 


----------
From: "Zahi Damuni" <zdamuni@...>
Reply-To: MESN@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2001 09:49:15 -0400
To: "Al-Awda News" <Al-Awda-News@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [MESN] Pressure Grows on Sharon After Milosevic Handover

Pressure Grows on Sharon After Milosevic Handover

by Timothy Heritage
(Reuters)


JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon faced growing pressure on
Sunday over a 1982 massacre of Palestinians, following efforts to bring him
to trial and Slobodan Milosevic's handover to the U.N. war crimes tribunal. A
Belgian newspaper said on Saturday the Brussels Public Prosecutor's office
had ruled that a complaint against Sharon accusing him of crimes against
humanity was admissible. A magistrate could now launch an investigation into
the events surrounding the massacre of hundreds of Palestinian men, women and
children at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps during Israel's invasion of
Lebanon, Le Soir newspaper said. A 1983 Israeli state inquiry found Sharon,
then the defence minister, indirectly responsible for the massacre by
Israeli-backed Christian Phalangist militiamen. The Israeli army had allowed
the militiamen to enter the camp, ostensibly to search for Palestinian
gunmen. Pressure is also mounting on Sharon over the events of nearly 20
years ago because of the precedent set by the transfer of Milosevic, the
former Yugoslav president, to The Hague to face charges of crimes against
humanity. A lawyer for Sharon dismissed the moves in Brussels as a political
stunt. "We are very, very far from a court case," the lawyer, Dov Weisglas,
told Israel's Army Radio. "The Belgian court has not found anything. What
happened is the complaint...was sent by the prosecutor general to an
investigating judge so he can open an investigation. Only if or when this
investigation finds enough evidence for an indictment will an indictment be
issued to a court." ISRAELI CONCERN The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth
said on Sunday that Israel's political and judicial establishments were
anxiously monitoring developments in the case in Belgium. It quoted
diplomatic sources as saying the government had sent representatives to
Brussels to observe the developments first hand. The report could not be
confirmed independently. Sharon is expected to visit Europe later this week,
after postponing a trip to Belgium, Germany and France last month at short
notice. Although details have not been announced, political sources say
Sharon is likely only to visit France and Germany, although Weisglas said
there was "no concern" about him visiting Belgium. The controversy over the
massacre has resurfaced at a difficult time for Sharon. He presides over a
broad coalition government which is trying to quell a nine-month-old
Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip. About 600 people have been killed in the violence. Under fierce
international pressure to give peace a chance, he is trying to stick to what
he calls a policy of restraint so that a shaky ceasefire can hold and the two
sides can move on to confidence-building measures and eventually revive
peacemaking. Some right-wingers want him to strike hard at the Palestinians.
Controversy over the 1982 massacre was revived by a BBC programme broadcast
on June 17 which asked whether Sharon should be brought to trial. A legal
expert told the BBC that he had "no doubt whatsoever" Sharon was indictable
as a war criminal. Israeli officials said the programme was scandalous and
anti-Semitic. The day after the programme was shown, the complaint against
Sharon was filed in Belgium by Chibli Mallat, a Lebanese lawyer representing
23 Palestinian and Lebanese plaintiffs. The complaint was filed under a 1993
law allowing Belgian courts to prosecute foreign officials for human rights
violations committed outside Belgium. Human Rights Watch, a leading
U.S.-based human right group, increased pressure on Sharon by calling days
later for a criminal investigation.



Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited






-----------------------------------------------
Middle East Socialists Network (MESN)
To post a message, write to mesn@egroups.com.
To join MESN, write to mesn-subscribe@egroups.com
To unsubscribe, write to mesn-unsubscribe@egroups.com
To view our website, go to www.egroups.com/group/mesn


Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .


#1511 From: "Ron Cohen" <rony@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 9:11 pm
Subject: Thank you, BBC!
rony@...
Send Email Send Email
 
(Published in Ha’ir newspaper on Friday, June 29, 2001)


Uri Avnery:
                                    Thank you, BBC!
                           (Sharon should be grateful, too)

      Thank you, BBC. You have done us a great service. Indeed, you may have
helped in saving the lives of hundreds, even thousands.
      Nobody can return to live the victims of Sabra and Shatilla. Even you
can’t do that. But the victims of future massacres can still be saved. You
may have done that.
      Ariel Sharon is deciding now the fate of our country and our region,
for years and perhaps for dozens of years. He wants to escalate the
confrontation, so as to prevent the dismantling of the settlements, his most
cherished achievement. For that he needs a massive escalation. But,
according to his way of thinking, it must not appear that Israel is
responsible for the next bloody war. The onus must fall squarely on Arafat.
Therefore, Sharon is waiting patiently for his chance, in the meantime
wrapping himself in the cloak of “self-restraint”.
      That is reminiscent of the situation 19 years ago. Sharon, then
Minister of Defense, wanted to invade Lebanon, in order to implement a plan
that will be discussed below. It was very difficult to find a suitable
pretext, because for 11 months not a single bullet had been fired across the
northern border, following an American-brokered cease-fire between Israel
and Lebanon (actually with the PLO).
      Sharon flew to Washington in order to obtain the blessing of the
American administration for the planned invasion. The Secretary of State,
General (then, too, a general) Alexander Haig, told him that America was
bound to oppose the invasion, unless (!!!) there was a clear Palestinian
provocation. And hop, as if by invitation, the Abu-Nidal gang shot and
wounded the Israeli ambassador in London, Shlomo Argov. The invasion went
ahead and led to Sabra and Shatilla.
      This can happen again, this time against the Palestinian Authority. And
here you come, dear BBC, and remind us of the events. The right program at
the right moment. It tells Sharon that the file is still open. The situation
regarding the indictment of war criminals has changed substantially. There
was the Pinochet affair. Milosevic, who was openly supported by Sharon, has
been extradited to the international war crimes tribunal. When deciding on
actions that may be considered war crimes, Sharon must now take into account
that the same can happen to him. In such case, the Sabra and Shatilla events
may come up.
      That alone will not deter Sharon, but it may have some influence on his
decisions.
      In my opinion, Sharon, too, has good reasons to be grateful to the BBC,
because the program did not go beyond the Cahan commission’s findings. Like
the Cahan commission, it leaves the main, decisive question unanswered.
     The Cahan commission bent backwards to limit Israel’s responsibility for
the massacre. It interpreted the facts in as limited a way as possible
without insulting the intelligence of the reader. It found Sharon & Co. (the
Chief-of-Staff Rafael Eytan, the commander on the spot, Amos Yaron and
others) guilty only of closing their eyes. Meaning: they should have known
that letting the Phalangists into the camps would result in a massacre.
Since they ignored this consideration and, furthermore, did not stop the
massacre when they first heard about it, they bear “indirect” responsibility
for the atrocities.
    The question that went unanswered, both in the Cahan report and in the
BBC program, is: Why did they behave like that? What was the motive?
      Perhaps the BBC program would have looked different if the file had
contained a document that was published in Haolam Hazeh newsmagazine (whose
editor-in-chief I was) on September 27, 1981. It was appended to a big
article about Sharon, explaining why the magazine had chosen him as “Man of
the (Jewish) Year”, following his appointment as Minister of Defense.
      Titled “The Political Map of Ariel Sharon”, this document contained the
complete plan of the war that started nine months later. No prophesy was
involved, since it was written after a series of long conversation with
Sharon himself, who was interested in the publication, although “not for
quotation”.
      Here are some quotations: “The cornerstone of the whole
political-military concept of Sharon is the idea that a Palestinian state
should be set up on the E a s t Bank of the Jordan river…Logic dictates that
this can only be achieved by war (in Lebanon)…a real war, aimed at solving
all the problems in Lebanon…(including) the liquidation of the PLO
camps…(the war) will move the PLO and its military forces from Lebanon to
Syria…It is better that the PLO forces will be located in South Syria, on
the Jordanian border…(therefore) a big war with Lebanon and Syria…with the
aim of getting the Syrians out of Lebanon, turning Lebanon over to the
Christians and to move the PLO to Amman.”
      The plan aimed at moving the Palestinians from the camps in Lebanon,
through Syria to Jordan. This was possible only by the creation of a panic,
which would induce the multitude of Palestinians to flee eastwards.
      If the BBC had published this document, it would have arrived, perhaps,
at far-reaching conclusions. Fortunately for Sharon, they have not.
     He should be grateful to them.
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.263 / Virus Database: 135 - Release Date: 22/06/2001

#1512 From: "Ron Cohen" <rony@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 9:11 pm
Subject: Avnery on Wonderful Unity
rony@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Uri Avnery
30.6.01

                                  Oh, What a Wonderful Unity!

      In all its 53 years, Israel has never been like it is now. The entire
Israeli public seems to have become a flock of parrots.
        No matter who is talking – the seller of fallafel or a professor of
history, a taxi driver or Our Political Correspondent, an army officer or a
member of the Knesset – all of them endlessly repeat  the same seven or
eight slogans, in exactly the same words:
- “Barak turned every stone on the way to peace.”
-  “He offered Arafat (almost) everything he asked for. And what did we get
in return? War.”
-  “Arafat (the villainous, cheating, lying, corrupt), instead of accepting
the generous offer with both hands, started a campaign of violence and
terror.”
- “This proves that the Palestinians never wanted peace. They want to
annihilate the State of Israel (throw us into the sea).”
-   “ The right of return is a plot to destroy Israel.”
-   “We have no partner for peace.”
- “The struggle is not about the settlements, but about Jaffa and Haifa.”
- “The conflict just doesn’t have a solution.”
      Each of these slogans is wrong and can be easily disproved by the
facts. But that is not the main thing. The main thing is the total
uniformity of the public discourse in Israel, including the voters of Barak
and Sharon, the members of the Labor and Likud, the far-right Moledet and
the Meretz parties.
      This by itself could be the subject of an interesting scientific
research project. How does this happen? We have no Goebbels-like ministry of
propaganda. Dissidents don’t disappear in the Gulag, as in Stalinist Russia.
Intellectuals are nor dragged to labor camps, as in the Cultural Revolution
of Mao. They are not even compelled to drink castor oil, as in Mussolini’s
Italy.
     So how does it happen? How does an entire people in a democracy behave
as if hypnotized? How do the free media – the dozens of newspapers, channels
and networks, with the hundreds of commentators and correspondents, turn
themselves into the organs of a uniform, primitive propaganda? How does such
a system of brain-washing come into being without a cruel, omnipotent
dictator, but as a kind of voluntary auto-brain-washing?
      This is especially odd, because the main message of this brain-washing
is not cheerful and optimistic, but as pessimistic as can be. It says that
there is no chance for peace, and never was. That the war is eternal. That
“they” will always want to kill us, and that there is nothing we can do
about it. That anyone who thinks otherwise (if such a person exists) lives
on the moon.
      Stranger still, this message does cause some depression, but that is
not the only reaction. When the air escaped from the balloon of peace, one
could hear a vast sigh of relief.
      A foreigner will not understand this. We do.
      The Oslo agreement, which descended on the public without any prior
preparation, created a shock. I remember the day it was signed. I was in
Jerusalem. In the Eastern part, there was euphoria. The Palestinians,
together with some Israeli peace activists, drank champagne in the American
Colony hotel, rejoiced together on the steps of Orient House. In the
streets, bands of Palestinian youngsters were wandering about, waving the
(forbidden) Palestinian flag and nearly kissing the Israeli border
policemen. When I crossed into West Jerusalem, I found a strange, hesitant,
thoughtful mood, cautiously optimistic. I was invited to a TV broadcast and
found the same mood in the studio.
      Since than, for eight years, Israel has been in the grips of a painful
syndrome, called “cognitive dissonance”. This is a situation where incoming
new information collides with old, deeply rooted attitudes.
      Every person (and, it seems, an entire people, too) has a world-view, a
fixed pattern of perceptions, a kind of mental map that directs their
thoughts and reactions. Without such a map, the person (or people) feel lost
in a world of chaos. The map gives them security; they know where they are
and where they are going. When they are hit by new information that
contradicts the existing pattern, they find themselves in a frightening
situation of uncertainty, insecurity and anxiety. Whoever is responsible for
this becomes the object of hatred and fury.
      For hundreds of years, the Jews have been persecuted in many countries.
Everywhere they encountered anti-Semitism, suffered from discrimination,
became victims of pogroms, were murdered in the Holocaust. Even in
enlightened countries, almost every Jewish child absorbed with his mother’s
milk the belief that the Goyim hate the Jews, always did and always will.
Every year, on the eve of Passover, in the warm family circle, millions of
Jews repeat the words: “In each generation they try to destroy us, but God
saves us from them.”
      Zionism was supposed to create a New Jew, but in practice it only
transferred the existing mental pattern to the new country. Arab opposition
to the Zionist penetration appeared to the Jews as a natural continuation of
the old story of persecution and pogroms. The existing Jewish pattern was
not shattered, but became even stronger. It created a feeling of unity,
permanency and order. A cheerful song, beginning with the words “The whole
world is against us / but we do not care…” became a folk dance.
      And then Oslo came. Perplexing new perceptions hit us. The Arabs want
peace. Arafat, who only yesterday was the Arab Hitler, became a partner. The
Arabs were reconciled  to our existence. A New Middle East. Peace,
conciliation, mutual respect are just around the corner.
      This picture did not cause happiness. On the contrary. It caused deep
anxiety. It was clear that something was wrong, The pattern was shaken, and
no new one replaced it. The old map, which described a familiar landscape,
did not show the way anymore. It was necessary to draw a new map,
contradicting all that was known and doubting all that was thought and felt
until then.
      And then, suddenly, a powerful reaction set in. Ehud Barak, the man of
peace, the representative of the left, killed Oslo and exposed the Arab
plot. He proved that there was no partner. The Arabs want to destroy us.
Thank God, everything returned to what it was before. What a relief!
      After all, in a situation of war and conflict, everyone of us knows
exactly how to behave, what to do. There is no cause for anxiety. The old
map remains true. The pattern that served us for hundreds of years remains
good for the future.
      This causes deep satisfaction. Haven’t we said all the time it’s all a
big bluff? As Yitzhaq Shamir put it so succinctly: “The Arabs are the same
Arabs, the Jews are the same Jews and the sea is the same sea.”
       In this situation, a wonderful national unity is reborn. All the
Jewish parties from left and right can unite. Shimon Peres can sit in the
same government with men like Ze’evi, Lieberman and Landau, who could give
lessons to Haider and Le-Pen. The media and academia. almost without
exceptions, can join the feast. Pseudo-leftists of yesterday confess their
sins as if they were in a Soviet meeting of self-criticism. Oh, what a
wonderful unity!
      The most repelling exhibition in this orgy is the treason of the
intellectuals. They, who should have drawn the new map that would lead the
people towards the reality of peace, are betraying their trust. The few, the
very few, who stay true to their mission, are despised and hated.
     But on the shoulders of these few the fate of the country now rests.
There is no future for Israel if it goes on behaving like an armed ghetto. A
state is no ghetto, as the ghetto was no state. In order to exist, the state
needs a new perception of itself and its surroundings, one that suits the
new situation.
      And that is, first and foremost, the task of the intellectuals.
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.263 / Virus Database: 135 - Release Date: 22/06/2001

#1513 From: Abe Hayeem <abe.hayeem@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 9:10 pm
Subject: FW: End to Occupation picket 9th June and AI Urgent Action
abe.hayeem@...
Send Email Send Email
 


----------
From: "zahidnoor" <zahidnoor@...>
Reply-To: JustPeaceUK@yahoogroups.com
Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2001 23:42:24 +0100
To: "JustPeaceUK" <JustPeaceUK@yahoogroups.com>, "Just Peace UK" <justpeaceuk@...>, "Zahid Noor" <zahidnoor@...>
Subject: [JustPeaceUK] End to Occupation picket 9th June and  AI Urgent Action


End to Occupation

Join the international days of action against the Israeli occupation stand up for freedom and human rights.

On the 9th June we will be marking the 1967 Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Arab land. The last several months have seen the most brutal period of
the occupation, join us at a picket of the Israeli embassy and call for an immediate end to the occupation.

Picket of the Israeli embassy

Saturday 9th June 3-6pm

Opposite the Israeli Embassy in High St Kensington, London.
Nearest tube:High Street Kensington
Turn right at High Street Kensington Tube and keep going until you see the Palestinian flags.

Organised by Al-Awda and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Al-Awda,The Palestine Right To Return Coalition - UK
URL: www.al-awda.org.uk <http://www.al-awda.org.uk>
email: info@...

Palestine Solidarity Campaign - UK
URL: www.PalestineCampaign.org <http://www.PalestineCampaign.org>
email: info@...
T: +44 (0)20 7700 6192
Address: Palestine Solidarity Campaign,
Box BM PSA, London, WC1N 3XX, United Kingdom


-----------------------------------------------------

Amnesty International Urgent Action:

To sign an Amnesty International online petition regarding the detention of Samer Fawzi Awartani - the administrative director of Rafidia Hospital,
Nablus, who was arrested on the Allenby Bridge on his return from Oxford in England, whose case was on the front page of the Guardian newspaper.

Go to - www.stoptorture.org/urgent/index.php?ua=12 <http://www.stoptorture.org/urgent/index.php?ua=12>

Background:

Hospital administrator Samer Fawzi 'Awartani was arrested by the Israeli security forces on 7 May as he returned from a medical conference in Oxford, England. He is now reportedly detained without charge or trial, and he is at grave risk of torture.

On May 24 the Israeli government broke its silence on Samer Awartani. A statement from the Israeli Foreign Ministry said he was arrested after
traces of explosives were found on his body during a routine check at the Allenby Bridge crossing point between the West Bank and Jordan.

Amnesty International consider Samer 'Awartani a POC (Prisoner Of Conscience) and consider the allegations against him unfounded. His detention has just been renewed another 9 days but he was allowed to see his lawyer. As at May 29 his family had not yet seen him. He is apparently being held with
"collaborators" - an Israeli interrogation method which involves holding Palestinians with other Palestinians who pretend to be political activists
but who are really informers for Israel.

'Awartani's lawyer says that 'Awartani is being questioned about supposed arms transfers. However, AI believes that the accusations of explosive
traces are unfounded; similar "terrorist" allegations (of linking with Usama ben Laden) were used against 'Adnan al-Hajjar, a human rights activist from Gaza, who was released on May 29 without charge after a month's detention.

------------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
JustPeaceUK-unsubscribe@egroups.com

If you wish to join the group that plan and design our events/activites you are more than welcome to join JustPeaceactive@egroups.com (a sub-group for those who carry out the actual work).



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .

#1514 From: Abe Hayeem <abe.hayeem@...>
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 9:20 pm
Subject: FW: [MESN] Action alert: Collective punishment leaves 500 Palestinians homeless
abe.hayeem@...
Send Email Send Email
 
URGENT - Please respond by sending emails as shown later in this piece!
Abe

----------
From: "Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)" <otherisr@...>
Reply-To: MESN@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2001 22:38:45 +0300
To: "Middle East Socialists Network" <MESN@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [MESN] Action alert: Collective punishment leaves 500 Palestinians
homeless

GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/

==========================================================
July 3, Action Alert: Collective punishment leaves 500 Palestinians homeless
==========================================================

Last night, an Israeli settler named Yair Har-Sinai was shot to death near
the
settlement enclave in the south of the West Bank. Fellow-settlers, who were
today very extensively interviewed, told two things about him: that unlike
other settlers, he did not carry a gun and claimed to be in favor of
coexistence; and that more than any other settler, he was zealous in
constantly
staking a claim to "state lands", i.e. confiscated Palestinian lands, day
and
night herding his sheep on them so as "to make them into Jewish lands  in
practice" - which, from their point of view, is the highest praise
possible.

One could feel sorry for this misguided man, as for the ever-increasing
number
of victims which are claimed by the violent whirlwind of the past nine
months.
But any impartial observer would have to admit that Har-Siani's two
attributes
were in flat contradiction to each other. You just can't be a seeker after
coexistence, much less an unarmed pacifist, and at the same time actively
engaged in dispossing your neighbors. Har-Sinai died of that contradiction.

This happened last night. This morning, just hours after Har-Sinai's body
was
found, Israeli military forces entered into neighboring Palestinian
villages,
systematically blowing up houses and the caves in which many of the poor
Palestinian peasants of  this area have their dwellings, destroying terraces
and filing up wells. Some 500 people were rendered homeless. Full details
are
as yet not available, since the army surrounds the whole area, allowing in
neither human rights field workers nor even the Red Cross which offered to
provide tents to the newly-
dispossed families.

This was, clearly, an act of collective punishment, in flagrant violation of
international law. It was also something even worse - using a killing as a
pretext for continuing the implementation of a long-lasting, comprehensive
plan
of dispossesion. Already in 1982, the whole area - some 86,000 dunums - had
been declared "a closed military zone" and the Palestinians residing in it
ordered to leave, so as to make place for the creation of Israeli
settlements.
They refused to live the string of small villages, often consisting of caves
rather than houses, where their ancestors had lived for hundreds of
years: Wad Rakhaim, Karbet al-Nabi, Imnaizel, al-Shatneh and Kharbet
al-Sussia
(the name of the last, as well as its lands, were appropriated for the
Israeli
settlement created nearby). For the past two decades they had been living
precariously on the fragments left of their land, subject to harassment and
constant encroaching by the settlers. Now, it seems, the killing is being
used
in order to complete the work of dispossession.
(For some of the above information we are indebted to the
Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq <haq@...>).

This tragic and infuriating affair illustrates as nothing else the deadlock
in
which we are. The government of Israel demands a ceasefire - "complete,
utter
quiet, with not a shot fired and not a stone thrown" in the words of Prime
Minister Sharon. At the same time, settlers are allowed to continue
expanding
their armed enclaves and dispossessing their neighbors, under the protection
and with the active cooperation of the mightiest army in the Middle East.


Weary as you may be of our asking you again and again to send protest
messages
still it is needed again. You can by doing so give an immediate and
powerfull
starting signal to the further struggle from within.
You may use the sample letter later in this message or make your own, and
send
it by email and/or by fax to your choice (or all) of the following
addresses.
(We have to warn you, that not all the email addresses may remain accessible
during this campaign, but many of them will go through.)

Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres
Fax: +972-2-5303704
e-mail: sar@...

Israeli Defense Minister, Benyamin Ben Eliezer
Fax: +972-3-6916940, 6976990
e-mail: sar@...

Prime Minister Sharon
Fax: +972-2-5664838;
email: webmaster@...;

Copies to:

The Israeli embassy or consulate in your country;

President George W. Bush,
Fax: +1-202-456-2461;
E-mail: president@...;

Secretary of State Colin Powell,
Fax: +1-202-261-8577;
E-mail: secretary@...;

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan,
Fax: +1-212.963.5012;
email: ecu@...;

Personal Representative of the Secretary General to the United Nations in
Palestine
Fax: + 972 8 282 0966
Email: unsco@...

Political Advisers to Mr Miguel Moratinos - Special EU Envoy to the M-E.:
Fax: + 32 2 285 87 52;
Mr/M. Bernardino <bernardino.leon@...>;
Ms Karin Roxman <karin.roxman@...>;
Mr/M. Christian Jouret <christian.jouret@...>;

Some Labour and Meretz  Knesset Members amaor@...,
hramon@..., nchazan@..., pinespaz@...,
rancohen@..., ydayan@..., ykatz@...,
zgalon@...

Dear Sir

I strongly protest the Israeli army's attacking, on July 3, of Palestinian
villages near the Israeli settlement of Sussia on the occupied West Bank.
The
the systematic destruction of houses, inhabited caves, wells and
terraces, leaving at least 500 people homeless  cannot be justified by the
however regrettable killing of an Israeli settler some kilometres away.
This is not only collective punishment, this is brutal dispossession
motivated
by greed for land, and as such it is a violation both of international law
and
makes your speaking of ceasefire violations by the other side into mockery.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
    For information about Gush Shalom visit the website:
                http://www.gush-shalom.org/
  (including the Boycott List of Products of Settlements)
                email: info@...;
       =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
           Read also the "Generous Offers" on the site
             in Hebrew an English & with maps
             Hebrew reachable from main menu
English at http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/offers.doc
        =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
                       Also on the website:
      Sign the "Our Jerusalem, Capital of Two States" petition
               full text in Hebrew, Arabic and English
           =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
If you want to support our activities you can send a check
      or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper, to:
             Gush Shalom pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033.
            =+=+==+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
  In order to make from abroad a tax-deductible donation
  you must do it via a recognized charity in your country.
            NB: designate it for Gush Shalom, Israel.
            =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
The following charities enable you to donate to Gush Shalom:
* New Israel Fund (US, and UK - see http://www.nif.org/giving/index.html);
        * SIVMO (The Netherlands - see http://www.xs4all.nl/~sivmo/)
             =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
             IMPORTANT
* A donation via another charity takes time before getting to us
* Inform us of your donation by a message to: info@...
* Inform us of fitting charities in your country
             =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
If you do (not) want our alerts and updates (un)subscribe to:
                        <info@...>




-----------------------------------------------
Middle East Socialists Network (MESN)
To post a message, write to mesn@egroups.com.
To join MESN, write to mesn-subscribe@egroups.com
To unsubscribe, write to mesn-unsubscribe@egroups.com
To view our website, go to www.egroups.com/group/mesn

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

#1515 From: PeaceNowUK@...
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 7:13 pm
Subject: Israeli activists protest
PeaceNowUK@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Via EMEM: In the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Friends,

Israeli peace activism has been getting more and more attention lately, both
in Israel and abroad. Below is an article that appeared in the Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review. A photograph from this action also appeared on the recent
cover of the Cairo Times http://www.cairotimes.com/
(a bimonthly, English-language news magazine published in Cairo).
In case you read this when the news is stale, the article is archived at
http://www.cairotimes.com/content/archiv05/israel.html

This means that word is also getting out to the Arabic-speaking world.
Thanks to journalist Betsy Hiel who covered the events.

Gila Svirsky



Saturday, June 30, 2001

Israeli activists protest

By Betsy Hiel
TRIBUNE-REVIEW

JERUSALEM - Silver-haired Gila Svirsky stands in the middle of 60 Israeli
activists in Liberty Bell Park. Black letters on her gray T-shirt proclaim,
in English, Hebrew and Arabic: "Peace: It's a beautiful sight to see."

With her wire-framed glasses and purple ball cap, she looks more like a
grandmother than a political agitator. "It is not our goal today to get
arrested," she tells the crowd. " ... The product of nonviolent actions is
so much better than violent action."

Around Israel, these protests are increasing - from settlers demanding more
protection in the occupied territories, to centrists and leftists condemning
settlements and demanding peace.

In nine months of clashes that have killed more than 600 Palestinians and
Israelis, peace activists largely disappeared. Now a committed core, mostly
women, are on the streets, even cooperating with Palestinian activists.

Svirsky and others from three peace groups - Gush Shalom, Coalition of Women
for a Just Peace, the Alternative Information Center - planned Friday to
take buses to Al-Khadar, a West Bank village on the road to Hebron,
to protest the confiscation of Palestinian land for three Israeli settlements.

Neta Golan, 30, one of the leaders, gives advice: "Resist passively. Lie
down. If they want to take you, they will have to carry you. If they are
doing their job, they won't drag you on the ground."

Golan gingerly holds the cast on her right arm, broken in a protest two
weeks ago in Al-Khadar. If arrested, she tells the women, don't give
information to the police. A fund will pay for bail. A lawyer is on call.

"We are going to build a protest tent with the Palestinians on the hill and
the land that was confiscated by the settlers," Golan says. If stopped by
Israeli soldiers, "we will go another way. If they stop us again, we will
get off the bus quickly and do a demonstration right there."

The demonstrators board two buses and head off.

On the way, Sarra Lev, a Talmud teacher from Philadelphia who spends summers
in Israel, talks with a friend, Renee Goutmann. "I am here as a Jew and as a
person," Lev said. "I have a responsibility to stop oppression where I see
it. And seeing it so close to home, I have even more responsibility to stand
up against it."

Goutmann, a tour guide, is out of work because of the bloodshed. She "can't
live in peace in my country until the Palestinians have a state, and they
won't have a state while there are settlements in the Palestinian
territories."

Along the way, Golan and Svirsky talk on cell phones, coordinating with the
other bus and with Palestinians in Al-Khadar.

The buses are stopped at an Israeli checkpoint near the village. Men and
women scramble out, carrying signs in Hebrew and English: "Peace or
Settlements," "Get Out of the Occupied Territories," "We Die for Settlers."
Some 30 policemen and soldiers armed with assault rifles rush forward.

Svirsky announces that the soldiers will not let the group pass: "The army
wants to keep this protest sterile ... they declared this place a closed
military area."

One of the protesters, David Nir, blames the United States for giving $3.2
billion annually to Israel. The money pays for settlements and the
occupation of Palestinian land, he says, adding,
"I wish the citizens of the United States would protest against this use of
U.S. money."

Dalia Pilovsky, 68, calls her government the "most racist and fascist ... in
the Middle East." A member of the ultra-leftist Matzpn (Compass) party,
Pilovsky says she pays dearly for speaking out against war, the occupation
and all weapons, including Israel's alleged nuclear arsenal.

"People stop talking to you. It is harder and harder to find work, and when
there is work, it is harder to climb the ladder."

Yet Pilovsky insists she and her husband could not stay home: "We are not
...
healthy, it is a burden to sit in the hot sun. But we can't live with this
situation, and we have to do something for our souls."

After an hour the protesters reboard the buses, and Svirsky announces that
they earned gold stars for good behavior. They try another road into
Al-Khadar, but are stopped again. Svirsky orders everyone off to form a
human chain, locking arms and sitting down to block the settler road.

Cars stop, military jeeps squeal up. A woman jumps from her car, shouting
and rushing at the protesters; a policeman restrains her.
The protesters chant "Away with the occupation!" as cars honk and motorists
curse them.

More chants: "We came out of Lebanon and will come out of the occupied
territories! ... Peace, yes! Occupation, no!"

A motorist tries to drive into the demonstrators. A policeman steps in front
of the car's bumper.

Soldiers and police push into the chanters on the road and cordon off those
standing near the buses. There are screams as police yank apart the human
chain, pushing men and women into police vans. Those who resist are carried
to the vans.

Soon, Neta Golan sits alone on the road, biting a finger, fidgeting with her
broken arm, looking small as armed troops surround her. Soldiers lift her up
until she walks on her own. She joins several protesters heading to Gush
Etzion, another settlement where the detainees were taken.

On the bus ride back to Jerusalem, a woman who identifies herself only as
Gila reflects on why she joined the protest. "I think you can't live in
Israel with some kind of conscience and be aware of what is going on," she
says, shaking her head, "without being an activist."

------------------------------------------------------------

Web site of the Coalition of Women for a Just Peace:
http://www.geocities.com/EndTheOccupation/



#1516 From: PeaceNowUK@...
Date: Tue Jul 3, 2001 7:17 pm
Subject: Fwd: Action alert: Collective punishment leaves 500 Palestinians homeless
PeaceNowUK@...
Send Email Send Email
 

GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/

==========================================================
July 3, Action Alert: Collective punishment leaves 500 Palestinians homeless
==========================================================

Last night, an Israeli settler named Yair Har-Sinai was shot to death near the
settlement enclave in the south of the West Bank. Fellow-settlers, who were
today very extensively interviewed, told two things about him: that unlike
other settlers, he did not carry a gun and claimed to be in favor of
coexistence; and that more than any other settler, he was zealous in constantly
staking a claim to "state lands", i.e. confiscated Palestinian lands, day and
night herding his sheep on them so as "to make them into Jewish lands  in
practice" - which, from their point of view, is the highest praise
possible.

One could feel sorry for this misguided man, as for the ever-increasing number
of victims which are claimed by the violent whirlwind of the past nine months.
But any impartial observer would have to admit that Har-Siani's two attributes
were in flat contradiction to each other. You just can't be a seeker after
coexistence, much less an unarmed pacifist, and at the same time actively
engaged in dispossing your neighbors. Har-Sinai died of that contradiction.

This happened last night. This morning, just hours after Har-Sinai's body was
found, Israeli military forces entered into neighboring Palestinian villages,
systematically blowing up houses and the caves in which many of the poor
Palestinian peasants of  this area have their dwellings, destroying terraces
and filing up wells. Some 500 people were rendered homeless. Full details are
as yet not available, since the army surrounds the whole area, allowing in
neither human rights field workers nor even the Red Cross which offered to
provide tents to the newly-
dispossed families.

This was, clearly, an act of collective punishment, in flagrant violation of
international law. It was also something even worse - using a killing as a
pretext for continuing the implementation of a long-lasting, comprehensive plan
of dispossesion. Already in 1982, the whole area - some 86,000 dunums - had
been declared "a closed military zone" and the Palestinians residing in it
ordered to leave, so as to make place for the creation of Israeli settlements.
They refused to live the string of small villages, often consisting of caves
rather than houses, where their ancestors had lived for hundreds of
years: Wad Rakhaim, Karbet al-Nabi, Imnaizel, al-Shatneh and Kharbet al-Sussia
(the name of the last, as well as its lands, were appropriated for the Israeli
settlement created nearby). For the past two decades they had been living
precariously on the fragments left of their land, subject to harassment and
constant encroaching by the settlers. Now, it seems, the killing is being used
in order to complete the work of dispossession.
(For some of the above information we are indebted to the
Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq <haq@...>).

This tragic and infuriating affair illustrates as nothing else the deadlock in
which we are. The government of Israel demands a ceasefire - "complete, utter
quiet, with not a shot fired and not a stone thrown" in the words of Prime
Minister Sharon. At the same time, settlers are allowed to continue expanding
their armed enclaves and dispossessing their neighbors, under the protection
and with the active cooperation of the mightiest army in the Middle East.


Weary as you may be of our asking you again and again to send protest messages
still it is needed again. You can by doing so give an immediate and powerfull
starting signal to the further struggle from within.
You may use the sample letter later in this message or make your own, and send
it by email and/or by fax to your choice (or all) of the following addresses.
(We have to warn you, that not all the email addresses may remain accessible
during this campaign, but many of them will go through.)

Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres
Fax: +972-2-5303704
e-mail: sar@...

Israeli Defense Minister, Benyamin Ben Eliezer
Fax: +972-3-6916940, 6976990
e-mail: sar@...

Prime Minister Sharon
Fax: +972-2-5664838;
email: webmaster@...;

Copies to:

The Israeli embassy or consulate in your country;

President George W. Bush,
Fax: +1-202-456-2461;
E-mail: president@...;

Secretary of State Colin Powell,
Fax: +1-202-261-8577;
E-mail: secretary@...;

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan,
Fax: +1-212.963.5012;
email: ecu@...;

Personal Representative of the Secretary General to the United Nations in
Palestine
Fax: + 972 8 282 0966
Email: unsco@...

Political Advisers to Mr Miguel Moratinos - Special EU Envoy to the M-E.:
Fax: + 32 2 285 87 52;
Mr/M. Bernardino <bernardino.leon@...>;
Ms Karin Roxman <karin.roxman@...>;
Mr/M. Christian Jouret <christian.jouret@...>;

Some Labour and Meretz  Knesset Members amaor@...,
hramon@..., nchazan@..., pinespaz@...,
rancohen@..., ydayan@..., ykatz@...,
zgalon@...

Dear Sir

I strongly protest the Israeli army's attacking, on July 3, of Palestinian
villages near the Israeli settlement of Sussia on the occupied West Bank. The
the systematic destruction of houses, inhabited caves, wells and
terraces, leaving at least 500 people homeless  cannot be justified by the
however regrettable killing of an Israeli settler some kilometres away.
This is not only collective punishment, this is brutal dispossession motivated
by greed for land, and as such it is a violation both of international law and
makes your speaking of ceasefire violations by the other side into mockery.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
    For information about Gush Shalom visit the website:
                http://www.gush-shalom.org/
  (including the Boycott List of Products of Settlements)
                email: info@...;
       =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
           Read also the "Generous Offers" on the site
             in Hebrew an English & with maps
             Hebrew reachable from main menu
English at http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/offers.doc
        =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
                       Also on the website:
      Sign the "Our Jerusalem, Capital of Two States" petition
               full text in Hebrew, Arabic and English
           =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
If you want to support our activities you can send a check
      or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper, to:
             Gush Shalom pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033.
            =+=+==+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
  In order to make from abroad a tax-deductible donation
  you must do it via a recognized charity in your country.
            NB: designate it for Gush Shalom, Israel.
            =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
The following charities enable you to donate to Gush Shalom:
* New Israel Fund (US, and UK - see http://www.nif.org/giving/index.html);
        * SIVMO (The Netherlands - see http://www.xs4all.nl/~sivmo/)
             =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
             IMPORTANT
* A donation via another charity takes time before getting to us
* Inform us of your donation by a message to: info@...
* Inform us of fitting charities in your country
             =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
If you do (not) want our alerts and updates (un)subscribe to:
                        <info@...>

Messages 1487 - 1516 of 33541   Oldest  |  < Older  |  Newer >  |  Newest
Add to My Yahoo!      XML What's This?

Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Guidelines NEW - Help